t.s. elliott. let me read one of the diary entries by genevieve cook.his warmth can be deceptive though he speaks sweet words and can be open and trusting, there is also that coolness and i begin to have an inkling of some things about him that could get to me. now earlier this week, after he slow jammed the news with jimmy fallon, you wrote in your column that the president was beginning to look a bit sleazy, albeit in terms of his constant campaigning. does he now, does that worry you now? do you think this story itself adds to that notion that you suggested of sleaziness? >> no. i think they're entirely different things. i was about going to fund-raisers. i was not speaking about his sexual warmth. >> i'm be suggesting that. i'm saying as you do that, is that not going to add to this notion that you were suggesting about this endless nonstop campaigning that gives the impression of a certain level of sleaziness? >> i don't think so. i think the endless campaigning is a sleazy aspect of our system. and i don't think the president should be excused if

t.s. elliott and -- particularly, as the modern poets and john dunn of the metaphysical poets in the 17th century. >> are people surprised when they learn you like poetry? >> i don't tell many people that. there's one episode in the book where i met ezra pound, just as he was getting out of the insane asylum in washington. and he gave me some advice. he said, if i was going to stay in journalism, above all, to avoid too much accuracy. >> finally, i want to ask you about the english buy graphe bi specifically paul onson and martin gilbert. you have a whole series of their books. >> martin gilbert i, of course, has written so much on the -- on the holocaust and the genocide, which is one of the great stories of our time. and also he was -- he wrote the multivolume biography of winston churchill. as you probably know, churchill -- it was supposed to be written by rajd churndall ch, got through two books and he died. he turned it over to gilbert, which turned it into a much more ordinarily work and more complete, perhaps, lacked some of the human text. paul johnson, of course, is a conservati

t.s. elliott. after that he dated genevieve cook who kept a diary.ink she was the perfect match for barack obama, saying i can't help thinking that what he would really want be power fully drawn to was a woman, very strong, very upright, a fighter, a laugher, well experienced, a black woman i keep seeing her as. now let's remember, this was all from the early '80s. he didn't meet michelle until 1989. and, mary? >> and you know, john, i hate to be a spoil alert but i read those letters. nothing salacious. >> the future presidents have to worry about facebook postings. "erin burnett outfront" starts right now. >>> good evening, ever

t.s. elliott. after that he dated genevieve cook who kept a diary.ink she was the perfect match for barack obama, saying i can't help thinking that what he would really want be power fully drawn to was a woman, very strong, very upright, a

t.s. elliott. why he prefers african-american ppla ywriplayghtswrig to hts whitto .ot a the obsession with the wonderful an d cland assiclasc nosic vel nov man." all of this just adds credence to the president's own memoir. here you see this young, young person trying to in his 20s pdec ide deciwhetde wher hethhe'ser black or how to be an international person.so there's the girlfriend things are a lit& lit& le plitlesstle intless here's a young man at an ivy league school, columbia, what he's reading and talking about. he doesn't get into a lot of trouble. his idea of fun is a "new york times" crossword puzzle. everyone nietze. >> what comes across here is the notion that this is a young man clearly with a remarkable ability but who was also ambitious and really had a plan and was looking to find his own way to the thing that he wanted pto do, to dwhico, wh i hichfind i for someone of his talent. >> wel>> wl exell actlexacy.tly. talent is what he was. some of the letters and writings we see of barack obama is pgar denegardd.ened. he's not putting himself on the line.

t.s. elliott or why he prefers african-american playwrights.sion of the navl "invisible man," all of this adds credence to the president's own memoir. trying to, in his 20s, decide whether he's white or black or how to be an international prson. there's aspects -- i think the girlfriend things are less interested than, here's a young man at ivy league school, columbia, what he's reading, what he's talking about. he doesn't get in a lot of trouble. his idea of fun is the new york times crossword puzzle and debating the philosophy of niche. >> what comes across here is the notion this is a young man clearly with a remarkable ability but who was also ambitious. and really had a plan and was looking to find his own way to the things he wanted to do, which i find not unusual for someone of his talent. >> exactly. the talent is what he was. some of the letters and writing we see of barack obama is guarded. he's not putting himself up on the line. he's not exposing his personality. he's keeping a lot to himself. we see that sort of aloofness sometimes

t.s. elliott. he wants it to evoke whatever you want it to. happens. >> what kind of pie? >> what's your favorite? >> when you sit down -- you really analyze -- >> you need to talk about it. >> yes, you're so right. we won't do that today. >> good. >> it's intriguing and lends itself to great conversation after. and you speak french in the movie. did you speak french before? i thought your accent was fantastic. >> do you speak french? >> no. >> i'm glad but -- >> so your accent wasn't to great. >> i don't think i'll be getting any french awards. >> got it. >> here's what powell said, aforementioned director, he said, that you embody the right balance between neurotic edge on the one hand and on the other hand -- >> that's a compliment. >> -- irresistible boyish charm. >> thank you. >> is that what he inside. >> i think that's what he wants the character to be. directors always see their actors as the character. that's what he wanted that guy to be, is a person who's going through some incredible paranoid schizophrenia in a way. depression and