finally. it turns out they were too embarrassed to ask for the smaller sized one at the drugstore. >> it could catch up to 90% of what's spewing out of there. they could try the same thing on mel gibson's mouth. >> the owner of the cavaliers went crazy and he was fined $100,000 for his angry rant against lebron james. and mel gibson said, you call that a rant, hey, i got something. >> that's it for us. "larry king" starts right now. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >> larry: tonight, a palin family bombshell. bristol and levi johnston are getting married. the happy couple once estranged reveal their engagement secret to the world and her mom on the cover of a magazine. what does sarah palin have to say about that? plus, the shocking billboard that compared the president to

hitler and lenin. tea party activists are behind it. the naacp condemns it. who's right? who's wrong? next. on "larry king live." good evening. what could be a turning point in the gulf oil spill tragedy. let's get the latest from cnn's ed lavandera in new orleans. what's the latest, ed? >> reporter: well, larry, right now, we know that officials with bp and the federal government are entering into the preliminary testing phase, getting ready for what's called the integrity test. based on the readings they get from this test. will determine whether or not this containment cap that they put in place on monday will work as they hope it does. and if it does, it would mean we would finally see the end of oil flowing into the gulf of mexico. we're waiting to hear those results. that's expected to start tonight. we'll be getting results

throughout the day -- hopefully throughout the day, into the course of the next 48 hours. >> larry: one other quick thing, ed. when do you think we'll "know" know? by friday? >> reporter: the end of this window is -- the maximum this test is going to last according to thad allen is about 48 hours. every six hours they're going to stop and measure the pressure readings and dine of compare notes on that. high pressure situation is what they're looking for. lower pressure means they have to go back to the drawing board. so we'll see how this plays out over the next 24 hours. but at the very latest, 48 hours. >> fingers crossed. thanks. ed lavandera on the scene. a billboard comparing obama to hitler and lenin has called a ruckus. the naacp. has passed a resolution, blasting the tea party movement for what it calls continued tolerance of bigotry. meantime, the north iowa tea party billboard has been papered

over. but the controversy it ignited still rages. here to talk about it, david web, co-founder of tea party 365 in new york city. also co-founder of the black republican forum. he's a talk radio host on sirius xm. and benjamin todd from kansas city. is president and ceo of the naacp. all right, ben. it was obviously a ridiculous ad. but it's one person in one party in one section of the country. why raise a whole racist thing against the whole movement, ben? >> well, you know, the billboard actually wasn't what prompted this. what prompted this were folks here in the "show me" state who, you know, had -- knew that the council of concerned -- sorry, the council of conservative citizens. a group that says black people are not prepared -- not genetically equipped to participate in democracy. has been promoting tea party

membership. and bragging about their influence and activity in the tea party. that in the midst of all these horrible signs we've seen. congressman being spit on. civil rights icons like john lewis being called the "n" word. barney frank being called the "f" word. a gay slur. we haven't heard dick armey or the other tea party leaders come out and just say, that's wrong, there's no space for bigotry in our ranks. >> larry: okay. we have david web. he's co-founder of tea party 365 in new york. do you condemn it, david? >> i absolutely do. and the statement by mr. gel is we haven't condemned these actions when they do pop up is blatantly false. also, what is false is that there is no impeerical evidence of these racial slurs. i signed a letter along with many other leaders to the congressional black caucus.

there was $100,000 reward offered as a donation to the united negro college fund if there could be any video with all the cell phone cameras, all the cameras, and that we would ask that they provide evidence of this. so that we could denounce it if it did happen. if it happened 15 times, mr. jealous, mr. is video of it, and there should be. many have been provided. so you are attaching two things that are false, that are unproven. and that is dishonest. >> i'd say go -- >> larry: how do you respond? >> sure, i'd say go to naa -- >> larry: ben. >> yes, i would say go to naacp.org and pull up all the signs from the tea party. look at the video. and i would say, you know, there's a thing called eyewitness testimony. and the reality is that we heard again and again from people who saw this happen. john lewis is one of the most credible people in this country.

i would also ask, look if there's a violent race nift your ranks, then why are we getting death threats for asking you to call out and to denounce the violent racists in your ranks? >> well, first of all, to answer your question, violent death threats go back and forth across both sides. >> no they don't. >> let's go to impeerical evidence. there are signs out there that show up at the parties. i denounce them. many leaders denounce them. it's false for you to say they're not denounced. on top of that, you cannot paint an entire movement, which has no single leadership, based on the actions of a few, when millions have spoken. if you want to juxtaposition this and be honest in your selective condemnation of racism, then you should also condemn the condoleezza rice monkey picture, which you never have. the george bush hitler picture, which you never have. and you should certainly be condemning king samir shab baz,

where if you took the black beret and black paramilitary uniform off and put on a white hood and white sheet, there o s would be marching still in philadelphia to this day. and you have not done that. and that, my friend, is dishone dishonest. >> larry: benjamin what do you want? both ways, benjamin? how do you respond? >> i want both groups. to denounce the bigots in their ranks. the reality is the new black panther party is much smaller and much less influential than the tea party. comes the added responsibility to act responsibly. they need to speak up. shouldn't just be the black members who speak up. we should see dick armey speak up and speak out. absolutely. all those other incidents are troubling. >> larry: ben, do you think the tea party is race snift. >> no. >> larry: as a party? >> no. i'm not saying the tea party's racist. i'm not saying dick armey's racist. all we're saying is stop being

silent. speak out. and condemn the racism clearly. say that there's no space -- >> larry: i think david is doing that, isn't he? >> but where's dick armey? you know, i had a black tea party member from texas who is also an naacp member come up to me after my speech, put his arm around me and say thank you. i know there's space for me here. i've been active in the tea party. in recent months, i've begun to feel uncomfortable. i'm glad somebody like you is speaking out so i can stay active in the tea party and there will always be a good space for me. i want david to stay active in it. but i want folks in texas and down south. >> larry: let me take a break and ask david webb if he'll call dick armey and see if dick will speak out.

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>> larry: all right, david webb, have you called on dick armey to make a public stand against racist statements made inside the movement? >> i have not personally spoken with dick armey on this issue, larry. however, i would like to go to two things that have been said in the past segment. mr. jealous talks of who they're calling out in the tea parties. in his own release today, he speaks to racist tea party leaders and bigoted elements. he's included leadership and elements, which is another thing that is clearly not all there. these are your words, mr. jealous. >> -- i'm talking about dale

robertson. sends out the racist e-mails -- >> larry: one at a time, hold it. >> if i may finish my point. dale robertson has been denounced by many members in the tea party. i've never met the man personally. never dealt with him. the issue here is that the naacp, which achieved its core competency in '64 and '65 with civil rights and voting rights, has not adjusted its mission but is interested in maintaining its power base within the black community. now it needs an enemy. to the gentleman you spoke of -- and i would ask that we do this, and i'll ask this of the nation, to follow this. i would like to have a private meeting with you, myself and that gentleman, off the record, for a conversation about his concerns with the tea party. the three of us can speak with him. if he is willing to go public after that meeting, larry, i would love to come back on with mr. jealous and that gentleman and let him tell his side of the

the story. i think that's a fair rule. >> larry: would you agree to that, ben? >> that's great. also this was a unanimous resolution that came up through a network of 1,200 active branches and was voted on by more than 2,000 delegates. we also have to hear from the people who actually brought the resolution. the people in the state of -- in the "show me" state who are so concerned about racist elements in the state like the council of conservative citizens who are encouraging people to be active, saying that they're active, concerned about stormfront.org, the website for the white -- for white racists. who again are saying please get involved in the tea party. who are concerned about david duke putting out a serenade to the tea party, saying when the tea party goes by, essentially, he feels like it's his fiesta. i would absolutely reach out to chris and see if he'd be willing to talk, absolutely. >> larry: all right, david, if he makes that happen, you'll sit

down, right? >> absolutely i will. i welcome conversation. i welcome discourse. what i don't welcome is selective condemnation. and to you, mr. jealous, i would ask this question, if i could. will you condemn king shamir shabaz? in a dynamic where king shamir shabazz sat there and spoke to a black man and brolack woman? the first biracial president of the united states? would you condemn him now on the "larry king" program? >> my parents -- statements like that have no place in our democracy. statements like this should have no place in any group. the leadership of the new black panther party should absolutely stand up, denounce that, and if he's not willing to stop making comments like that, usher him out of the party. that's what we do here at the naacp. that's what responsible groups do. i think you and i both agree the tea party's much more powerful.

the concern is this, you know, dick armey -- >> racism, excuse me, mr. jealous, racism is not a function always of power. if there is a racist -- >> you and i agreed, right? >> we agreed. >> it's wrong. >> you go to the power of the tea party versus shabazz, for instance. that's not the function here. if racism happen, you should address it as it happens. >> absolutely. >> there's one incident in congress, that has not been proven, you address that on a larger scale. you should address king shabazz on the same scale and denounce him forcefully and forth rightly. >> right, and i've done so here. all i would say to david, think you're familiar with the expression our community, which is to whom much is given, much is expected. and a lot of power and prestige has been given to the tea party and there's a lot of expectations. you know, including folks who are active in naacp who are in the tea party who are out of the tea party. they have expectations. you guys will act responsibly.

that's all i'm asking. >> larry: guys, we have not heard the last. we shall be doing a lot more on this. david webb and benjamin todd jealous. >> thank you, larry. >> larry: who will have a bigger impact in the 2010 elections? tea party movement, naacp? which one, neither, what? that's next.

>> larry: let's meet our panel. ben stein is an economist, former presidential speechwriter, columnist, "fortune" magazine. author of "the little book of bulletproof investing." stephanie miller. dana lash is co-founder of the st. louis tea party and a talk radio host as well of the dana show. and nancy joul, social commentator. and contributor to cbs' "sunday morning." let's go around, reaction to this dispute. >> it's interesting. i know lots of people in the tea party movement. i've never heard one racist word out of any of them.

i was quite suspicious about it to start with. i thought it must be some kind of cover for racist feelings. i've questioned people very close to me about it, very intensely. never heard a racist word. >> larry: what do you make of that billboard? >> it was the act of a very, very reckless and stupid person. >> larry: stephanie? >> even the other tea baggers, i loved that they actually didn't, you know, they condemned the sign, but only because they thought it was a waste of money. one of the leaders we quoted today said, well, he is sort of hitler-esque. but it was not a good, you know, spending of money. and i thought what? how can you be hitler-esque? the thing is just -- the tea party is going to do nothing but hurt the republican party and i couldn't be happier. >> larry: dana, you're co-founder of the st. louis tea party. >> i think stephanie's comment about tea baggers, what are we, on the playground here? we're on larry king's show, let's keep it classy. >> they call themselves tea baggers. >> no, they don't. i was talking about your comment. but i'm not done talking so -- >> okay. >> my whole thing with this is

the iowa, the tea party in iowa, with the billboard, here's the difference in this situation. when the tea party movement sees the kooks in their own party, they get drummed out, if there are any. maybe it went a little bit too far beyond the boundaries of good taste. >> a little bit? >> stephanie, i'm not done, sweetie. >> all right, sweet heart. >> maybe it went a little beyond the bounds of good taste. >> all right, lamb chop. >> the tea party movements went ahead and they repudiated it. when kenneth glady was being made fun of. and harold crumb on it who is on the board of the naacp stood by and laughed along as people at that press conference called a black conservative activist or someone affiliated with the tea party an uncle tom and negro, the naacp didn't condemn that at all so i think -- >> okay, wait a minute -- >> larry: let's get nancy. what do you make of all this? >> where is the tea party's outrage when members of their own party spit on members of the united states -- >> that was proved false.

>> it wasn't proved false. >> excuse me, i'm talking so shut your mouth. >> well, be honest when you speak and i won't have to interrupt you. >> excuse me, excuse me. >> be truthful and i won't have to. >> hey, be quiet. >> speak the truth. >> you know, larry, can you just turn off her mic this is ridiculo ridiculous? >> larry: i'll run the show, nancy, go ahead. >> i'm so sorry. the thing so disturbing to me about the tea party is their racist attitudes and the elements of the tea party that are racist and violent that show up with racist and violent imagery in their posters, that show up at rallies with guns, that show up and intimidate, emotionally intimidate people, helps move the conservative -- you know, closer and closer into -- into contaminating the mainstream, doing things like criticizing thurgood marshall. >> larry: ben, you are a conservative. does the tea party movement help or hurt your concept? >> i think it's going to hurt us in the election because it's going to divide the vote frankly. >> yes. >> but think it's -- but i

admire their attitudes. and it is not even slightly about racism. the people who carry guns at those rallies are in parts of the country where people just habitually carry guns. my wife and i live in north idaho during the summer. when we go to restaurant, people just have guns laying around in their cars because there's a lot of hunting there. >> ben, that's just not honest. >> it's completely honest. >> that's not honest. >> there was a black -- >> larry: one at a time. hold it, one at a time. >> just a minute, nancy. >> nancy's not talking. >> i was there -- nancy, i was there, you weren't with all due respect. these are very fine wonderful people. they happen to carry guns in their cars. >> ben if it was a black rally -- >> you're not -- i didn't say it was a rally. nancy, i -- nancy, i didn't essay it was at a rally. >> we're talking about rallies right now, ben. ben, we're talking about rallies. ben, we're talking about rallies. >> nancy, i can hear. nancy, i can hear. >> larry: she said they're talking about rallies. >> we're talking about rallies.

>> there are certain parts of the country where people carry guns routinely. >> at rallies, ben? >> larry: hold it. stephanie. hold it. >> ben, i'm not saying you're conservative. a lot of conservatives i nole are racist. you can't ignore you've seen these kind of racist signs at tea party rallies, this kind of rhetor rhetoric. >> i can't ignore there are irresponsible people. the idea that a person who carries a gun is a racist and plans to use that gun -- >> when they have a sign next to it that's threatening -- >> that says i'm going to use this gun on obama. that's just made up. >> larry: let me get a break. what we're going to do is break. the panel will return. but we're going to interrupt the panel and talk about the bristol palin/levi johnston engagement shocker. then we'll come back with the panel and get their thoughts on that next. ♪ this is our pool. ♪

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>> larry: melanie brownly is the west coast bureau chief of "us weekly" magazine. for the magazine's cover story on their surprise engagement. levi, father of sarah palin's only grandchild, was our guest in april of last year. i talked then with him about his relationship with bristol palin. watch. did you like each other right away? you and bristol? >> yeah. we were young and -- we met when we were really little. played hockey with her brother, you know, growing up, went to school together, and i don't know, i always thought we'd probably get together, one point. >> larry: was there any chance the two of you could get together again? >> you know, i don't see that ever happening. i just hope that we can come to answering and become friends and raise this baby together. >> larry: obviously it happened. how did you get this, melanie? how did you land this story? >> actually, bristol and levi

approached us. they wanted to tell their story in a controlled way. they approached us and asked us if we would break the news for them. >> larry: together they called? >> together they did. we've kind of spent the last year and a half developing a relationship with both of them. and so they wanted to control this. they wanted to tell their love story in their words. and so that's what we did for them. >> larry: what changed his mind from april? >> well, i think he's gone through a process of maturing. he talked a lot about how for the time that he was separated from bristol, how he was depressed and how he wasn't really mature enough to be a father. and i think recently they spent a lot of time together. he's got to know his son, really for the first time, and so he's kind of changed his viewpoints on life and he's ready to be a dad and ready to be a husband. >> larry: because when he was here, he said they were denying him the right to see his son. >> absolutely. and actually, he released a statement last week. he said that he's sorry and that some of the statements that he's made in the past were

exaggerations or that they were lies. he's admitted he wasn't really himself in that time so -- >> larry: what do you mean not himself? >> well, he just -- i mean, he said to me -- i spent three hours with them at the weekend. and he said that he was depressed, like he was always in love with bristol, that he missed her, and that he felt like, you know, that heart break and that being separated from her, he wasn't really acting the way he should have done. >> larry: what about his criticism of his soon to be mother-in-law? >> well, it's very interesting actually, because the statements he released last week was very general and i really wanted him to go through the specifics of what he had said about her and clarify which were lies, which were exaggerations. and initially in the interview he did not want to do that. he kind of refused. and then we kept going back to the subject. and actually in the end, bristol was helping me get the answers out of him. because she also wanted to know the answers to things. >> larry: and? >> and so there was some that he answered and some that he

didn't. he admitted that the allegation that sarah knew that he was having sex in the governor's mansion, for example that that wasn't true. he's never been to the governor's mansion. he admitted that it was a lie that he taught sarah how to shoot a gun that wasn't true. he would not be drawn on his allegation that sarah and todd's were -- that they were having marriage problems, he would not talk about that. but he did say he was apologetic and very sorry for saying sarah had called her son trig retarded. >> larry: he was quite critical. >> he was very critical. >> larry: politically critical too. >> very. it was interesting because i think some of the conversation we had actually was the first time him and bristol had actually talked about stuff together. because bristol was wanting some answers. and admitted in the interview that she felt like they might have to go through some sort of marriage counseling once they're together. because they need to kind of deal with this. >> larry: the palin family has

issued this statement about bristol and levi's bringing news. quote, bristol at 19 is now a young adult. as parents we obviously want what is best for our children. but bristol is ultimately in charge of determining what is best for her and her beautiful son. bristol believes in redemption and forgiveness to a degree most of us struggle to put in practice in our daily lives. we pray that, as a couple, bristol and levi's relationship matures into one that will allow tripp to grow up graced with two loving parents in his life. that was well said. >> it was well said. and i think bristol has had a really tough time as a single mother. she's been alone for 18 months. and at one point in the interview, she turned to levi and said, do you realize how tough it's been for me? this isn't just her gaining a husband. it's also for her son to gain a father. and that's something that's incredibly important for her, that she has that support and that person by her side. >> larry: did you try to talk to

sarah? >> no, we didn't. >> larry: why not? >> because bristol wanted to release the news to her mother through the magazine. she was insistent on that. >> larry: don't you think that's a little weird? i mean, it's a phone, you call your mother. >> well, it's funny, kind of asked her why she would make that decision. she again talked about controlling the interview, but didn't directly answer the question. but reading between the lines, she had hinted to her mother that her and levi were going to co-parent together. she had hinted that there might be a romantic relationship. but i don't think she really had -- was able to tell her moth they're she was engaged. and so this story, we've done eight panges on it. she's really told her love story. and explained in detail why she's taken him back. >> larry: is it going to be a bigger selling issue? >> i hope so. i hope it does well think it's an interesting story. it's a love story. bitterness between the two camps got so -- it was such a huge rift. >> larry: sure was. >> that i think for them to get back together, this is an

incredible love story. and i wish them the best of luck. >> larry: there are often conflicts between mothers and daughters. do you think that exists here? >> i do to an extent. there's one thing which is that sarah and todd actually eloped. they didn't even tell their parents. bristol said to me, my mom is lucky to have an invite to my wedding. so i think that her daughter is almost following her lead in a way. she's following her heart. she's chosen the man that she wants to be with. and she hopes that her mother doesn't judge her on that. but she also said to me that if her mom isn't at her wedding, it's not going to be the worst thing in the world. the person that is going to be there is levi and that's what comes first. >> larry: when is the wedding? >> it will be very, very soon. i imagine within the month. they're very determined to marry soon. >> larry: civil wedding? >> yes. actually, it's going to be a religious ceremony. but it's going to be very small. there's only going to be about ten people there. she talked about how she wants a

chocolate fountain. she also wants her father to walk her down the aisle. that's something she thought about and dreamt about. if it doesn't happen, she will still get married. >> larry: do you guess they have spoken now, sarah and her daughter? >> would imagine so. last week levi released a statement and actually they had not heard from sarah since that statement was leased. but i would imagine that there was some sort of conversations that took place today. >> larry: good work, melanie. >> thank you. >> larry: melanie bromeley. will the engagement have an effect on sarah palin's political career? fit t binng d ssiliefoow fit ckop t dr, ♪ rsretsvethg. ♪ rsmos fwa ft.

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>> larry: we're back with our panelists. ben stein. stephanie miller. nancy giles. what do you make of this story? >> does this mean there's hope for mel gibson and his ex? this is shocking. as human beings, some things aren't partisan. i'm glad -- you know, hopefully the kid will have parents. it is weird, leak you saike you. i don't know that my mother would want to read things in a magazine about me that i hadn't told her. like things, i was getting marry his. >> larry: dana, any political affect on sarah? >> i don't think so. obviously, it's difficult for

her as a mother to see her daughter end near a permanent relationship with someone who said the things he did. grace follows repentance. who are we to judge? >> larry: ben? >> it seems to me that sarah palin is such an unlikely character for really high office that it won't have much affect at all. she seems herself, personalitywise, to just not even be close to presidential level so i don't think it's going to have much affect one way or the other on national politics. >> larry, i smell money. i smell lots of money changing hands. i think maybe the magazine, they granted the interview, might have paid the two of them some money. i think that there will be books. i think a clothing line. probably the baby will have some sort of diaper line. i smell a lot of money. >> i think, nancy, the stuff he said in the first place was true, don't you? come on. >> i've always thought that. i almost wonder whether the palins paid him to now be part

of the happy family and maybe -- even though ben doesn't think so, i think she may actually try a run, believe it or not, for president -- >> oh, she'll try, she'll try. >> i think this makes her a nicer looking candidate, wouldn't you think? >> i think it makes her a nicer looking candidate. >> all the family values are intact now. >> very far-fetched idea she would be -- >> larry: dana, do you believe the couple went to "us" or do you think "us" offered money? >> i think maybe -- i think both are absolutely possible. it's probably a little bit different than i would approach it going to tabloid magazine were i in their position. people do what they do. whether or not they got compensated for it. maybe they did. i just -- we're just such a voyeuristic society. i'm just happy to see a couple working it out in the media. it's nice to see. we have the mel gibson breakdown and all of that. so it's sort of refreshing -- >> they put them forward at the convention, come on. they used them as political props. look at our family values. >> oh, yeah, well -- >> the president of the united states brought his daughters out too but i don't believe in going

after people's kids that way. bristol palin. >> has there ever been a situation where a magazine paid famous people to get married before? has that ever happened? >> if so, this could be it. >> -- discussing that, it doesn't seem -- >> larry: we're going to other things now. okay. dana, white house press secretary robert gibbs has some key congressional democrats riled up. he acknowledged this weekend that republicans could regain control of congress in november. what do you think's going to happen in november? do you think gibbs is right? >> i think gibbs is being honest. it's nice to see. i think he's being very honest and probably it rattled some people. because the narrative is, oh, well, we're going to win, we're going to keep these seats. that's not where all the polling dat -- the polling data showing the majority of americans are losing confidence in this administration. they're not happy with the way things are going, concerning jobs. our unemployment rate is at

9.5%. so they're -- you know, they're not very happy. i think we're a little bit too close to the midterms here in order to really back-pedal and turn a lot of that around think right now they're just sort of setting expectations kind of low. and they'll probably come in a little bit lower than that. whether or not republicans will take back the house, i don't know. >> larry: stephanie, off-year election, generally the party in power loses. >> yeah, absolutely. the thing dan that doesn't mention about these polls is everybody hates everybody. you know, they hate republicans more. and democrats in congress, you know. the president's approval ratings are higher than both of theirs. but i do think that gibbs was trying to get the democratic base moving. which he should. because take a look-see at some of sharron angle and ron paul ace ideas and you might want to rethink not turning out for the midturns. >> i think everybody's quite worked up. i don't think the democrats are as worked up as they were when bush was president. then the democrats were just in a frenzy.

i'm not sure they are at this point anymore. i am very worried, again, about the tea party splitting the republican vote, because traditional republicans and more activist tea party republicans. >> larry: nancy what do you make of harry reid being critical of the president? >> well, i -- well, i think in a way what it shows is all the democrat are also not single-minded. and in some ways maybe that's a good thing. i was going to say regarding the midterm elections that i think robert gibbs is keeping expectations low also. by the time we get to september, october, we might have a better feeling for what's going to happen. but i don't -- i think we might lose a few votes. but i don't think it's going to be as bad as a lot of people are categorizing. >> larry: how about the senate, dana, what do you read in there? >> in the senate? oh, gosh, that's going to be -- that's going to be tough. i would like to see us flip a couple more seats. i think harry reid's in danger. i happen to like sharron angle's very limit government. i think raemdeid's working hard

paint her as this big-time extremist. republicans should be talking about limited government and more individual responsibility and individual liberty. like that idea. that's the whole entire basis of our constitution. >> when you say "limited government" and "sharron angle" you mean taking a wrecking ball to most of it, including social security, medicare -- >> if you're talking about ponzi schemes entitlement and corrupt departments, then yes. >> so social security's a ponzi scheme? >> a lot of people are not going to get money. you young people are not going to get money. >> the baby boomers i think should be able to get money. quite honestly i have more faith in myself dealing with finances than the government. we have a triple deficit and 9% unemployment. the government has not shown themselves to be responsible. >> larry: wouldn't you say social security is still popular in america? >> wildly popular. it's wildly, wildly popular. george bush discovered it too. it's wildly popular. medicare is wildly popular. i don't think people should be playing games with it. >> larry: we'll take a break.

>> larry: our man anderson cooper, the host of "a.c. 360" from haiti back to the gulf. anderson, are we making progress there now? >> you know, it's hard to tell. there is the breaking news tonight we're following. testing preps continue on the latest attempt to shut the leaking well. it could be a major development. we're going to know more throughout this evening. more tomorrow. maybe even 48 hours from now. the mechanics are tricky. so is getting a straight answer from bp. also getting aid into haiti. we've been telling you about the customs problems at haiti's ports. ngos, charities, say aid arrives in haiti and get held up in customs. we're going to take a look at who's responsible for that and can that policy be changed? we're keeping them honest, on both stories, larry, at the top

of the hour. >> larry: 10:00 eastern, 7:00 pacific. if it's news, he's there. all right. what do you make of -- do you think this gulf thing, ben, will have any effect on the races this fall? >> it shouldn't. although that fellow in congress should not -- at the hearing, said he would like to apologize to bp. there was some reason in a complicated way to say that. he should not have said it the way he said it. it's obama who turned down the skimming equipment from holland and norway. so it goes both ways. >> larry: do you think it's going anywhere politically, dan that? >> i do. i think we're going to see it brought out definitely in midterms. and the impact of that, i don't know. i mean, i think a little bit, maybe, have something to do with the lack of confidence in the administration. but i tend to agree with ben. i do think the administration will probably have to answer for this in 2012 concerning turning away some of the help and perhaps the inactionary period.

i think this is going to play out for quite a long time. whether or not it's going to have a huge impact in midterms, not sure. >> larry: nancy what do you think? >> i always thought it was interesting that a lot of the people who called for smaller government were screaming where's the government when the whole accident happened. but i think the basic tragedy of the environmental damage that bp has done is nonpartisan. it's just awful. and my awful, and my biggest hope is that they're able to cap the damn well and stop the oil from leaking. >> larry: stephanie? >> my job has been outsourced from ben stein tonight what with him beating up on the tea party, i don't know what to say. the republican party have become gobp. rand paul says it's you think american to criticize bp. it's not just barton. you can not ignore all this lack of regulation was a bush

administration that is being championed by current republicans. they don't want any regulation and that's what led to this. >> they're op right under a democratic administration. >> look, the judge ruled that there was no reason to have a moratorium. he ruled it twice. now they have a whole bunch of scientists saying we need to have a moratorium. it happened under obama. if he thought the regulations were too lax, he had a year to change them. >> you're right on that>> it's just a giant mistake by the whole government. >> to add on to that, people knew there were problems with this particular well as early as february, yet it continued to operate. regulations were not enforced. and it contributed to this accident. >> that's absolutely -- >> are you saying that under the two oil guys that put all these -- >> i thought you were talking about bp because they were really the ones that knew the system wasn't working so well. >> and they notified mms, absolutely. >> they didn't spend any money on research for emergencies.

>> the president is not aquaman but, you know, the fact is he got left probably the biggest mess in the history of this country, so should he have gotten to those regulations, yeah, but he had an awful lot of messes he's been cleaning up. >> at some point he's got to take responsibility. >> it's not really -- >> why did obama turn down the offer from various european countries for help for skimming? >> why did he? >> i don't know. >> there was a lot of help offered. there was a lot of help taken. >> he turned it down. >> he turned a lot down. >> there might be some reason, but i don't know what the reason was. it probably had to do with unions. >> that's a right-wing talking point. he took help from a lot of places. >> who did he take help from? >> i don't want to use the word cluster f on "larry king show." >> please don't. >> if you're running the operation, you don't know what

they did or didn't at the time. >> larry: when we come back, we'll auk about the emergence in the campaign of bill clinton. what affect that will have. don't go away.

>> larry: bill clinton going to have a big effect, ben? >> i don't know, he might. among some democrats the guy is magic in terms of fiscal policy, he was probably the best president we've ever had. >> larry: will he have clout? >> i don't think he has clout, but he deserves a good place in history. >> larry: stephanie, does he have clout? >> i just want to marry ben klein tonight. i don't know why. he still does. he shows the big dog can still hunt in arkansas. i think he will be a factor. >> larry: dana, do you think he'll have an impact? >> i think he will. he will attract the moderates. he is like a political cockroach. nothing phases this guy. >> ouch. >> you know where i'm going with this.

he will plow through any controversy. >> larry: nancy, what do you think? >> i think he wants to be relevant. i think this is a tough time for him. he realizes finally he wasn't the first black president and his wife is secretary of state and he wants to get into the newspapers. i just feel this need from him for power and relevance. >> larry: and everybody likes her, right? >> she's doing a great job, i think. >> she's doing a great job and i think the budget director is a great idea to bring back that bill clinton left, you know, a huge surplus that turned into a huge deficit. >> and two biggest tax hikes in the nation's history. >> hi, larry. thanks for taking my call. my question is, i honestly cannot understand how it is that barack obama has been in office for what now a year, a year and a half and he's getting blamed for all of the things that basically transpired throughout the bush administration.

>> thank you. >>. >> caller: that was eight years. >> you have the smartest callers. >> i think he's blamed primarily for spending a great deal of money without much effect. and i think otherwise he's not getting blamed for much but the stimulus package of roughly $1 trillion. it doesn't seem to have had much affect. i think that's upset people. >> larry: he got a health bill through. >> but it doesn't really take effect for about four years for most americans so we won't know how that works. but the spending is upsetting. >> ben, you can't -- we were losing 700,000 jobs a month when he took office. the stimulus -- you can argue about how many job, but somewhere around 2 million or 3 million jobs it's created. >> the white house report just came out -- >> don't claim anything -- >> larry: dana, go ahead. >> in may, the majority of jobs were created in the public sector. that's not the way you stimulate

the free market and create jobs. the bottom line is, sure, i didn't like t.a.r.p. there are thing is didn't like under bush but you've got to be honest here, the triple deficit, the tons of spending, the lack of effect from the stimulus. these are all things for which he has to take responsibility. >> how do you explain that we're going in the right direction, dana? we are going in the right direction. >> how are we going in the right direction, stephanie? >> all i'm going to say is where is the outrage when bush spent and spent and spent and spent? and i appreciate the caller who said what a lot of people are feeling, which is that in a year and a half to undue the mess that actually started as far [ back as the reagan administration, and their love of deregulation, it's a tall order. it's a lot to ask of someone. >> and why is $30 million too much spending to give people unemployment benefits in this kind of economy. >> why don't you give businesses tax cuts and allow businesses to create jobs instead of trying to create them through the irs.