before we go, a postscript. we have been wondering who's in charge at the white house. this photo may offer a clue. >> it does. now we know who's leading the way. >> i don't know. if bo is charge maybe that's a good thing, but i'm biased. >> oh, my goodness. ollie returns. thanks for joining us. join us tomorrow night. >> good night from new york. "larry king live" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >> larry: tonight, election day is two weeks away. getting nasty. >> how ridiculous are you? you embarrass this race. >> larry: can christine o'donnell survive comments like this? >> you're telling me that the separation of church and state is found in the first amendment? >> larry: and sarah palin warns

her party -- >> heaven forbid the gop machine strays from this message. if so, the gop is through. >> larry: are the democrats in trouble? >> at one time the greatest state government in the united states. now a national embarrassment. >> larry: is the tea party a game changer? >> in this election let's continue to take america forward. we are not going back to the failed policies. >> larry: will this be an election to remember? >> rent is too damn high. >> larry: or forget? let the countdown begin next on "larry king live." >> larry: good evening. let's get at it. stephanie miller, a progressive talk radio host of her own stephanie miller show. penn gillette, author and star of "penn & teller live" celebrating ten years in vegas. david webb, cofounder of new

york city's tea party. talk radio host on sirius radio and a professor from columbia university and host of ott our world" he's a liberal. let's get to it. in the news today, you're not going to believe this, christine o'donnell had an awkward moment in a debate for the senate seat in delaware with her opponent chris coons. the tea party-backed republican seemed confused on the constitution and the issues of church and state. watch. >> where in the constitution is separation of church and state? [ laughter ] >> it's in -- excellent point. >> hold on, hold on. please. >> i also think you have just heard in the answers from my opponent and in her attempt at saying where is the separation of church and state in the constitution, reveals her fundamental misunderstanding of what our constitution is, how it is amended and how it e 1r0volv >> you're telling me the separation of church and state

is found in the first amendment. >> government shall make no establishment of religion. >> that's in the first amendment. >> larry: bad day for the delaware candidate. i said david webb was the libertarian. penn gillette is. let's start with david webb, a tea party candidate. so is she. how do you defend that? >> well, you don't. frankly, if you took every candidate and picked up on their flubs we'd throw out half the politicians in d.c. >> larry: that was a flub? >> she screwed the answer. let's not kid, larry. that's a fact. you don't defend it. you find the other reasons she's running well and go with it. she's in a tough race. she doesn't need this. >> larry: stephanie? >> christine, they are not laughing at you. their laughing really hard at you. i guess she didn't learn from sarah palin to write the answer on her hand, larry.

this is the candidate we are faced with in this election cycle. she couldn't think of any supreme court decision. she's like, can you give me one? we're like, no. if we have ever heard somebody fake an oral exam in high school, that's her. >> larry: penn gillette, megan mccain, daughter of john mccain called o'donnell a nut job. do you agree with that? >> well, as a nut job, i'm offended by that. that's not a nut job, that's stupid. there is a big difference and i will defend nut jobs forever. i don't think there is any way to defend just plain stupid. i mean, for all i'm against the incumbents and so on, i don't think there is any excuse for not knowing that. i will also argue a little bit with stephanie and say, that's much worse than a high school oral exam. i don't think you can get worse than that. i don't think it's a gaffe. i think it's just dead out wrong and scary and horrifying.

i don't think you have to be so good in other places to make up for that. i don't know who could. unless jefferson made the mistake. >> larry: mark, is it an isolated incident? could it damage the tea party movement in a sense that i guess she's the best known tea party senate candidate, isn't she? >> i hope she's the best the tea party has to offer. right now she's the face of the tea party. that's a victory for the left, at least for the democratic party coming up in november. i don't think it is a gaffe. she just didn't know the answer. i don't think she's stupid necessarily. she just doesn't know enough to be a senator. she's not qualified and won't win the election. but i think it speaks to how low the bar has been set politically that she could be a viable candidate. the fact that she's known around the country is shameful. not just for her and delaware but for the body politic. >> larry: we have two weeks to

go. sarah palin has been critical of the republican party as well in standing up for the tea party. are you critical of the republican party? >> i'm critical of the institution that has failed to act as the republican party should. you know, it's one thing for the left. they would lo to see people fighting within the party. i'm okay with that. if we are going to get the republican party back to what it should be as far as government, limited government and fiscal con verservativism we have to ha scrap. but out of this comes republican wins. while everyone focuses on o'donnell there are 45 other race that is matter. when we take back the house then the laughs will be on the democrats. it will be to the benefit of the country. >> larry: stephanie, is it hopeful for the democrats from the house standpoint? >> i don't know, larry. i'm not sure anymore what is lowering expectations, what is syops, i'm not sure.

i think the generics are drawing close. i think turnout is going to be everything in this race. so, you know, i don't know. i saw another poll that said if black voters turn out in the same numbers they did, this could be a totally different midterm. >> larry: they haven't had -- >> every main stream media story line in the election was wrong in the last election. i don't think any of us know what will happen in this one. >> larry: penn, do you think obama's hope and change agenda has failed? >> yeah. i think that's pretty clear. just that people aren't behind him like they used to be and things didn't work out the way they hoped. maybe people want to give him more time. two years isn't long, but certainly it doesn't seem like anybody -- well, except maybe stephanie -- is still standing behind the whole hope and change thing. >> yeah, it's just me. >> i think it's just you, yeah. >> and the tens of millions of

voters who come to rallies, supporting president obama and who will vote for democrats. i agree -- >> okay, by stephanie, i meant 10 billion. >> same thing. either/or. but the point here is that tens of millions of americans voted for president obama with an expectation of radical change. i think that's an unfair expectation. president obama was clear. he's not an enemy to big business. he's not anti-war. he was just anti-iraq war. when you look at what the president said there is no reason to be disappointed because that's tied to expectation. >> i couldn't agree more. >> the president is gesturing to the left and governing from the sent. we have seen health care reform, education reform, a necessary bailout, even if we don't agree with all aspects of it. there is more work to do. it's hard when the republican party had stand where they say we are going to say no to everything. we don't care if we'll agree or

not. we are the party of no. when you take that position it's impossible to have progress. >> larry: hold it, guys. i'll be right back. we are just getting under way. sarah palin is sounding the alarm next. does this getyeah. gas mileage?

it's a pretty big deal.

>> larry: it's politics all the way with our grouptonight. a lively group it is. here's what sarah palin had to say about the tea party yesterday. watch. >> governor, what if the tea party split it is republican party in two? who will you stand with? >> i don't think it will. i think the machine within the gop will understand that this "we the people" message is rising and resonating throughout with independents, with hard-core conservatives, with moderates because it's just so full of common sense and time-tested truths to put the economy on the right track that heaven if he should the gop machine strays from the message. if so, gop is through. >> larry: all right, david. as cofounder of the new york city tea party, might you be hurting the republican party, which i imagine has been your base party? >> no, it hasn't. what's the base of this is the common sense message.

it is true the republican party is more aligned with the tea party but when you take out the talking points, nice punch lines and everything -- stephanie, i love you. you have great punch lines, but when you look at the numbers of americans that agree with the principles of the tea party, it's bigger than the tea party. the tea party is the focal lens for a lot of this. to mark's point about the different things president obama has done, the bipartisan has been in opposition to policies and it's okay but people are looking for jobs and $1.3 trillion, no jobs, 9.6%, california in worse trouble. a lot of other areas. all the black votes in the world when they make up 12% of the pop

lag lags won't carry obama and congress through the midrm. >> larry: stephanie, do you want to respond? >> i love him, too. >> larry: but it sha-- >> but, you know. >> we love each other. >> a lot of the tea party candidates are lunatic right fringe. they just are. sharon engel? i don't know what to say -- >> larry: the nevada candidate. >> she said that what were clearly hispanics in the ads were maybe asian and maybe she's an asian candidate. they are crazy, larry. that's not partisan. some of the candidates are just crazy. >> larry: the larger picture, though. >> well, there is a bigger picture here. >> the people say -- >> larry: one at a time. >> people say about the tea party, they go, oh, it's brought energy -- well, soo monster truck shows. i just think at the end of the day, people are not going to vote for candidates that want to destroy the department of education and social security and think everything is

unconstitutional. >> larry: is a few of these spoiling the bunch, penn? >> i don't know. there are a lot of nuts in the tea party. there is no doubt about that. there are a lot of people saying a lot of crazy things. there are tea party people that i know personally who all they care about is fiscal responsibility and making governments smaller and there is nothing i can see crazy about that. of course, consider the source. but there are all sorts of stuff. i haven't met anyone who supports sarah palin. personally one on one. it seems only the democrats are the ones that talk about her all the time. there must be people supporting her. i have never met one. i have met people on just about every other political position. >> when you look at the polls for potential 2012 nominees, sarah palin is up there. her unfavorables are also high, but her favorables are high. >> have you met anybody?

>> i don't know many people. the only tea party person is david. >> have you met personally someone saying sarah palin is my woman? >> absolutely. >> has anybody on this panel met anybody? >> yes, penn. absolutely, yes. people support sarah palin and think she is a strong candidate. >> not strong candidate. actually supports her. there is a difference. do you know anybody? >> my answer is yes. >> can you get someone on the phone now? >> i don't have them on speed dial, but many people agree with her values and want her to be president. >> i know in the polls there are. do you know anybody personally? >> yes! is this "who's on first"? yes. >> when larry said he would play a sound byite, please, it was like somebody cutting through with a band saw. it's torture. >> let's not turn them into straw men. there are people with legitimate perspectives who believe in

fiscal responsibility and smaller government. i don't have a problem with that. i have a problem with the fact that they don't come up with policy solutions. when you poll the tea party. >> thank you. that's the point. how can you talk about fiscal responsibility when the biggest part of the deficit is just putting -- >> larry: i have another break, guys. stay with us all the way. more on the nevada race. how much trouble is harry reid in? great article in the current issue of "the new yorker." we'll take your phone calls and jon stewart is right here tomorrow night. and natural mocha flavor. a lot goes into the instant it takes to make delicious starbucks via mocha instant coffee.

>> larry: stephanie miller mentioned sharon engel. that's some race in nevada. she's been hitting hard at mr. reid and accusing him of living it up in washington. here's part of her latest ad. watch. >> harry reid versus -- you. harry reid living large in the d.c. ritz carlton. you living in the state with the highest unemployment rate, worried about paying the mortgage. harry reid making $1 million from a sweetheart land deal. you, just trying to make ends meet, wondering how to take care of your family. >> larry: what do you make of

the race, marc? >> over the last year it's been a tight race, a contested race. there was a time we thought reid may not have a shot. i think she's playing the right angle. is it completely honest, no. if you were to poll everybody in the senate, look at every senate on democratic or republican side they all make more money than they should and do less work than they should. she's campaigning as an outsider, someone who won't be business as usual. the problem is she has christine o'donnell disease, sarah palin syndrome. she keeps making mistakes, gaffing and exposing herself as someone not qualified to be senator of the state -- a u.s. senator. >> larry: she spoke to a group of hispanic school children and said, some of you look a little more asian to me. >> asian. >> ha! >> who's her publicist, her manager? she needs to read from a tight script. she should never freestyle, ever. this is bad business.

>> larry: penn, why is the leading democrat in the senate in such trouble? >> well, it's a bad, bad time to be the guy sitting on larry king who's a nut job and from nevada. there is really to defense whatsoever to have here. i'm trying to find something good to say about the people running in nevada. i can't. i think the scariest thing about angle is she actually seems to be having a chance against harry reid which says so much bad about harry reid. people dislike him so much that we are to the point that they will vote for anybody. when anybody includes this woman, it's terrifying to be sitting here in las vegas. >> larry: stephanie, nevada is in the biggest trouble in america. >> what i love about the ad, larry, is apparently liberals are all socialists, but one

makes it as a capitalist and that's a bad thing. this guy worked all his life. he came from this poor background, worked as a lawyer, worked up to the senator majority leader, lives at the ritz carlton and now that's bad somehow. now he's a capitalist. a socialist that made it as a capitalist. >> there are so many ways to attack this woman, stephanie. don't pick the one way you can't attack her. she's talking about it's not anti-capitalist to say the government shouldn't give a lot of money to one person. that's a whole different thing. you can attack her. >> for god's sake she wants to ban the department of education, ban drinking in las vegas. how is that going to go for your show? >> that's all stuff to attack her for. you picked the one thing that she could kind of slide by on. she's wrong. i'm not defending her. i won't, but i'm saying that's not the right thing to attack. >> marc, doesn't that sum up the problem of the democratic party

that the majority leader is in trouble against a woman who -- >> is crazy. >> someone who is destined for anonymity in two weeks, absolutely. >> yes. >> this is a bad sign for the democratic party. the reason he's in peril is not his track record but the track record of the democratic party. people are frustrated with business as usual, frustrated with the fact that we had a de facto and literal super majority and still couldn't get legislation through and sadly nancy pelosi and harry reid are the faces of the spineless democrats who have been unable to missouove forward a progress agenda. if president obama were on the ballot he would have a tough time. >> they moved forward more legislation than in a generation. what are you talking about? t.a.r.p., health care reform, lily ledbetter. wh are you talking about? >> one issue is they haven't done good public relations. i started the conversation

saying the democratic party made major policy advances on several fronts but they haven't done a good job representing that. they talk about not being socialists. >> larry: david, how many tea party people say i'm in the tea party do you count are going to win in two weeks? >> right off the bat there are about 50 candidates on one list i have. we are probably looking at 30 of them. somewhere 25 to 30 of them that are going to win. we are looking at even clear politics which looks at a pickup and puts the republicans at 213 to 215. this is why i like to sit back and listen to three -- >> yeah, right. >> -- three people defend -- if you let me finish we'll have facts here. yes, the president advanced a number of policies. have they been the right policies? what is the job situation? what is unemployment, the tax

structure, the fear of small businesses? look, punch lines and attacks on sharron angle are great. let's talk about the failures of reid, the failures of the policies in a country that doest have confidence in the leadership. >> we can talk -- >> larry: i need another break. we have many breaks and opinions and phone calls and lots more. don't go away. [ manager ] you know...

i've been looking at the numbers, and i think our campus is spending too much money on printing. i'd like to put you in charge of cutting costs. calm down. i know that it is not your job.

what i'm saying... excuse me? alright, fine. no, you don't have to do it. ok? [ male announcer ] notre dame knows it's better for xerox to control its printing costs. so they can focus on winning on and off the field. [ manager ] are you sure i can't talk -- ok, no, i get it. [ male announcer ] with xerox, you're ready for real business. >> larry: still america ranks

very low in the world in turnout in elections. way down. surprising when you hear this rhetoric. let's take a call. larksburg, california. hello. >> caller: hello, larry. i would like to ask a question and if i could stay on the line to see if they give the right answer. >> larry: right or wrong, go. >> caller: i would like to ask the panel if they know where in the constitution we are guaranteed separation of church and state. >> larry: first amendment, sir. >> ding, ding, ding. >> caller: actually it does not guarantee separation of church and state. all it promises is that the government cannot establish a religion for everyone in the government. it does -- >> larry: that's separation, sir. the government can't establish a religion. therefore that separates the government from religion. >> caller: no, not necessarily. >> the principle behind it is to prevent state sponsored coercion of religious thought and freedom

so the state can't coerce religious practice. >> larry: here's some -- you talk about campaign rhetoric becoming heated. here's john mccain on his fellow senator barbara boxer. >> barbara boxer is the most bitterly partisan, most anti-defense senator in the united states senate today. i know that because i have had the unpleasant experience of having to serve with her. >> larry: what do you make of that, stephanie? >> ouch. wow. just when you thought he couldn't get any crankier than the last campaign. he's in full "get off my lawn" mode, isn't he? >> larry: isn't that the way america is getting? isn't that representative of what's going on? >> barbara boxer is one of our finest senators. this is unnecessarily personal. i'm sorry. he's supporting a candidate whose whole experience is

running a company into the ground, getting fired and outsourtsing thousands of jobs. for him to take on barbara boxer that way -- >> larry: penn, why is the campaign overall so vicious? you are a good analyst of this. analyze it for me. >> i don't believe that it is. i believe we have had fistfights break out in the senate. i mean, in the country's history, things are supposed to be passionate. when it gets personal it just gets stupid and hurt it is person saying it more, but we always pretend that things are getting hotter and more aggressive. >> i think they are. >> i don't think there is historical evidence of that at all. >> even fistfights is different from the public skirmishes. >> really? >> when you have sarah palin putting crosshairs on the map, using military language of targeting areas at a moment when people are having offices broken into, that's a heightened thing. when you see tea party violence,

violence from the left, this is a moment that's more heated than many in american history. this is something we should give pause to. >> to be fair, i think it's a lot easier when john mccain said versus calling someone a whore. let's be straightforward about this. >> jerry brown didn't say that. seriously, can you hold everyone in the country responsible for everyone anyone in any campaign office said? he was reprimanded immediately. >> if you let me make the point, stefr stephanie -- >> larry: how much of the problem is, in fact, 24-hour news which wasn't here 50 years ago. maybe the same thing was going on in 1960 when kennedy ran against nixon but there weren't 4600 channels talking about it. >> it's a combination of 24-hour news and deeply partisan news. for god's sake the jeremiah wright thing happened in february. by june, fox news was running

it. the lakers win the championship and they are still showing jeremiah wright clips. there is a way to shape america's conscience through the news. you are seeing more than before. >> that only happens in the world according to marc. >> it happens on the left and the right. >> okay. so is it right on the left and wrong on the right? >> larry: one at a time. >> what's with the female republicans using the term man up? what's with the ball humor? is that suddenly okay? >> it's disgusting. >> first of all, it's not a sexual reference when used that way, stephanie. nice try. the fact is what's with the left? >> it's still inappropriate. >> larry: t him finish. >> there is something under the surface homophobic about it. >> no, there isn't. you're ridiculous. >> are you saying there is nothing wrong with talking about the president's balls? >> man up is a term that doesn't have that reference anymore no

more than it does by the race which the left throws out there. marc, you and i have dealt with this. don't go there. >> first of all -- >> the naacp lied in a bunch of race baiters on the left are playing the game. >> wow. you're on a major tangent. i have no idea where you are going with this. >> marc, you referenced -- find me the proof. >> larry: time to take a break. we'll return to civics 102. we'll be right back after this message. stay tuned, 5th graders. introd, an extra strength pain reliever with alertness aid to fight fatigue. so get up and get goin'! with new bayer am. the morning pain reliever.

>> larry: another call in the mix. vancouver, washington. hello. >> caller: hi, larry. >> larry: hi. >> caller: my question is this. i have been a long-time republican. but i am so angry that the republican party right now is putting up all these people that don't know what they are doing. do they want an ineffective congress? i myself will be voting strictly democr because if they think they want to make the republicans that we all fit in their little crazy group, we do not. that's all i have to say. thank you, larry. >> larry: speaking of that, david, how do you respond? >> well, first of all, i don't know which crazy group she's identifying. so it's a hard question. it's a little bit amorphous. >>s just pick one. kentucky, nevada, pick one. >> start with the tea party.

>> if you had practiced letting me finish a point it would be good. the point we have to face here, the reality that everybody in the country has to face is that we have had the hope and change that didn't work for jobs, taxes and the economy. this is what we should be discussing. democrats don't want to do this. we have democrats running away from health care which you voted in. we have democrats running as conservatives, not even identifying their parties in their own ads like joe mansion in west virginia. you have democrats defending seats they typically don't have to defend. then what we have is this bumper sticker argument which is what's going on here and instead of getting into it let's talk about what's needed toed a vance the economics, getting out of this recession and get this country back on track. so while we can sit there -- >> if you want to get beyond bumper sticker answers then you can't start the nation's problems on january 20, 2009.

>> i never did. i never did. >> well, you did implicitly when you suggest that the economic collapse or lack of jobs is due to obama exclusively. >> i never suggested that, marc. don't even try it. >> david, why don't you practice allowing me to finish a point. the fact is the democratic party isn't solely responsible for the crisis, not solely responsible for the job crisis. we have had decades of deregulation, of exporting jobs, flawed tax policy which burdened the middle class, hurt the working poor and benefitted the rich. that's led to part of the economic problems we have now. >> yeah. >> these are republican issues. >> marc, in 2006 the democrats took control of congress. fact one. what have you done since 2006? absolutely nothing. you played partisan games with this. >> that's not true. the most progressive health care bill in american history is nothing? don't say they did nothing even if you don't agree. that's unfactual. >> it's already $115 billion in

the hole. >> larry: hold it, guys. please. okay. is anybody in all these races discussing foreign policy? in the california gubernatorial race an ad for jerry brown equates meg whitman with arnold schwarzenegger. here's part of the ad. watch. >> jobs, jobs, and jobs. >> jobs, jobs, jobs. we do not have a revenue problem. >> we do not have a revenue problem. >> we have a spending problem. >> we have a spending problem. >> rebuilding california. >> build a new california. >> rebuild california. >> let's build a new california. >> we need to run the state as a business. >> running this thing a little bit more like a business. >> what's the worst that can happen? >> what's the worst thing that can happen? >> meg whitman has spent to date $139 million of her own money, outspending the former governor jerry brown ten to one. is that a low blow ad?

stephanie? just running two tapes back and forth like that? >> well, she doesn't have as fun an accent, but i think that it makes -- >> larry: swarchwarzenegger has been mentioned so far in the race. >> no, but the point is it's the same philosophy that's run california into the ground and why we are bankrupt. this is the point. nobody can really say, larry, like bill clinton has been saying we took eight years to get here. you think in two years we'll be out? you think going back to the same policies that got us into it like schwarzenegger was behind will get us out? she's behind the same policies that got california into this mess. >> larry: a break and we'll come back with more. "parker spitzer" airs before this show. here's what they discussed with van jones, former white house adviser for green jobs. watch. >> the real solution is to get the private sector involved. now to make that happen you've got to have the rules in place to give them incentives.

we didn't get across the finish line with the senate. >> what are jobs that are clean jobs. >> sure. putting up solar panels, building solar farms, manufacturing wind turbines which have 8,000 finely machined parts, as much steel as in 26 cars. you can put the auto workers back to work making wind turbines. we have a saudi arabia of wind energy in america. not just in the plains states. oy from wonder to discovery. the science of chemistry, our guide. the human element, our conscience. and to make this journey, we have become the new order of hunters and gatherers. finding answers in the elements. and a way forward illuminated by hope.

>> larry: let's take another call. fairfield, california. hello. >> caller: hi. how are you? >> larry: fine. >> caller: i would like to ask any of the tea party supporters what the tea party's stance is on outsourcing jobs and why they aren't addressing that considering. >> larry: david? >> we have, larry. we need to bring manufacturing back to america. we need to have better trade and tariff agreements. we have to also lower the capital gains tax rates for corporations and have appropriate taxation so that instead of outsourcing jobs like dell did to ireland back in the '90s and other companies can actually have a profitable business model here in the u.s. so that has been addressed. >> i don't disagree with that. >> david, how come a lot of the chamber of commerce money going into republican races are explicitly for outsourcing? they have a lot of foreign

corporations on their list. >> stephanie, let's go by the numbers. when they did the report and started checking into this they came up with maybe a couple hundred thousand dollars. >> really? they won't disclose, so how do you know where the $75 million is coming from? they won't disclose. >> there is no transparency here. >> stephanie, on both sides whether you are a 527, depending on the model you do or don't disclose. >> a lot of republicans are calling for the chamber to disclose for transparency. let's see where it's coming from. >> they have done their reporting, stephanie. no matter how much you try to demonize big business. >> is it over now? >> it's not about demonization. >> it is. >> it's about a legacy of taking jobs away from working people and outsourcing them to the third world. >> they do it because of bad tax policies in large part. let me finish. >> i wasn't finished. >> the corporation can't make a profit, they can't exist.

>> but the problem is -- no, hold on. >> the tax breaks for how long. why aren't they hiring? the top 2% have been getting the tax breaks for all this time. why aren't they hiring now. >> maybe ask george soros and the offshore companies. >> the point isn't appropriate taxation. no one hereloadsing jobs or taxing people above the appropriate burden. but what is the threshold? the problem is multinational corporations cry wolf and suggest raising taxes one half of a cent will cripple the economy, stop invention, stop inventiveness, stop companies from investing and growing. that's not true. people have to pay their fair share. for the last three decades, corporations and the rich haven't paid their fair share. to say the tea party is in favor of appropriate taxation, so is the democratic party. we have a different idea of what's appropriate. >> larry: we'll be right back after these messages.

♪ client comes in and they have a box. and inside that box is their financial life. people wake up and realize i better start doing something. we open up that box. we organize it. and we make desions. we really are here to help you. they look back and think, "wow. i never thought i could do this." but we've actually done it. [ male announcer ] visit ameriprise.com and put a confident retirement more within reach.

>> larry: we take a pause in the fireworks and check out anderson cooper with "ac 360." what's up tonight, anderson? >> we've got breaking news tonight on the program, a historic ruling from a california judge, don't ask, don't tell is not going to be enforced, the pentagon today allowing recruiters to accept openly gay and lesbian candidates, those like my guest

dan choi, he reupped at a recruiting station today. we'll talk with jeffrey toobin. also tonight keeping them honest, the facts and fabrications in today's debate between christine o'donnell and chris coons. the two sparred over teaching everybo evolution and separation of church and state, we'll play key moments of the debate for and you let you decide who's right and wrong. those stories and more at the top of the hour. >> larry: that's "ac 360." bill clinton is still hugely popular, working hard for his party, just watch. >> i don't do a lot of politics. this is the 90th event i've done in this election season and i want to tell you why. because i've seen this movie before. and if it keeps going, it doesn't have a happy ending.

you know, they -- hillary's really popular now, but in 1994, they tried to do to her just what they're doing to the speaker today. they tried to do to me just what they're trying to do to the president today. >> larry: penn, why don't they just clone him? >> i don't know. i don't know. are people really that thrilled with him? i didn't think they were that overly thrilled but i guess he's doing his best for his party. >> larry: wouldn't you say he's an effective campaigner? >> yeah. who talks better than bill clinton? he's a fabulous talker. he's very, very charming. i don't think -- yeah, of course he is. >> as long as he's not going against barack obama. the only moments where he had a sort of nader in his popularity came in the primaries with black voters so i would send obama to black voters and clinton to everybody else. it's much easier to sustain your popularity when you don't have to make tough decisions.

when you're outside you can have a fan club, not a political party. >> larry: david, do you think anything can happen in the next two weeks to shift the tide away from what's apparently going to happen? >> look. things are going to tighten up, as they always do, in any campaign season. but even tim kaine, head of the dnc said this. this is a volatile time, but right now the enthusiasm and the snowball is rolling to the right of the mountain. this is going to be a -- maybe not a '94, this is going to be a strong pickup for the republicans, both in the house and i would say also in gove governors races. governors races matter for the 2012 elections and we're coming down to the wire. but in the end i think we take the house, the senate's going to be a tough battle. i don't think we take the senate. and finally we may have something in washington where we start working on policies that affect jobs and taxes. because that's where we need to do. we need to focus on good policy, not partisan policy.

>> larry: and we'll be back with our remaining moments after these words. bold. daring. capable of moving your soul. ♪ and that's even before you drop your foot on the pedal. ♪ the new 2011 cts coupe from cadillac. the new standard of the world. is a powerful force. set it in motion... and it goes out into the world like fuel for the economy. one opportunity leading to another... and another. we all have a hand in it. because opportunity can start anywhere, and go everywhere. let's keep it moving. ♪

let's keep it moving. ♪ when it's planes in the sky ♪ ♪ for a chain of supply, that's logistics ♪ ♪ when the parts for the line ♪ ♪ come precisely on time ♪ that's logistics ♪ ♪ a continuous link, that is always in sync ♪ ♪ that's logistics ♪ ♪ there will be no more stress ♪ ♪ cause you've called ups, that's logistics ♪

>> larry: this political season has turned up some very interesting candidates. here is a moment from the new york governor's race debate last night. watch. >> allow me to introduce myself. i represent the rent is too damn high party.

some are working third jobs, women can't afford to take care of their children, feed their children breakfast lunch and dinner. my main job is to provide a roof over your head, money in your pocket. this is politics as usual, playing the silly season. people can't afford their rent. they're being laid off as i speak. they can't eat breakfast lunch or dinner. did you hear? a child's stomach just growled. let's talk about the issue. rent is too damn high. >> thank you. >> larry: andrew had to follow that. the party of the rent is too damn high. who would disagree with that? >> i think karl paladino punched him then. >> i like everything about him

except the actual politics, but i would love to see more whack jobs in politics that i just love it. i just think it's exciting and fun and part of what democracy should be. democracy should be in some way entertaining, and i love him. >> it's easy to look at this guy -- >> larry: mark, you want more whack jobs? >> well, i mean, i don't want more whack jobs. christine o'donnell is enough. the tea party is enough. but in addition to thinking about this guy is a so-called nut job, let's not ignore the truth. people do want food on the table, roof over their heads and the rent is too damn high. i don't know who has an answer, it may be him, but it's certainly not the people on the table right now. >> larry: david -- >> look, humor, i'm with penn, hume ser needed in politics because in some ways it's one of the most laughable things out there. as for the candidates people want to focus on, look, if you

want to focus on like angle and o'donnell and forget the other 40 or 50, that's fine. go right ahead. because two aren't going to make a difference. >> let's talk about the guy in the nazi uniform. how about that guy? >> stephanie, that's a great point, because are you going to then prosecute tom cruise for playing a nazi in a movie? >> he's not running for anything, but nice try. >> somebody has to play the bad guy. are you going to have a re-enactment where there are no nazis, it's a ridiculous point. >> david, whatever you're drinking, i want two of them. i know you're drinking tea. i know you're drinking tea, bro. >> the hypocrisy on the left -- >> larry: all you have finish at once. go. >> sorry, larry. >> yeah. it's like christine o'donnell, there's no right or wrong, even you shouldn't even lie to the nazis if they're