>> welcome back. >> piers morgan? >> he's back talking candidly and emotionally about farrah, tatum and his other children and his own battle with cancer. plus only in america. the most electrifying political ad you've ever seen. this is "piers morgan tonight." good evening. our big story tonight, politics and the president. amid charges of him spiking the football, president obama hails the beginning of the end of the war in afghanistan. i'll ask a man who knows that troubled region better than most. has this country achieved everything it set out to do. plus an extraordinary interview with ryan o'neal. his life after farrah fawcett and his fractured relationships with his children. >> when you finished the book, was it cathartic in the sense of making you perhaps aware more than you were probably on balance failed them more than they failed you? did you conclude that? >> i feel that i failed farrah. they can take care of themselves. it was farrah that i was concerned about. >> an emotional ryan o'neal coming up later. we begin with our big story, politics, president, the war in afghanistan. joining me now, a man who has seen that war, sebastian junger. he was embedded with the 173rd air brigade combat team in a remote corner of afghanistan. he tells the story in his book "war" and sebastian junger joins me now. what do you make of the president's visit to afghanistan yesterday? there's a debate really over whether he spiked the football. is that a fair allegation, do you think? >> well, i don't know if i'm qualified to judge politics, but i think there is a convergence here. it's the one-year anniversary of the killing of osama bin laden, and arguably that was the point of the past ten years of war was to accomplish that. and it's the beginning of the presidential election for next november. so these two things kind of converged. i think it was sort of a little too much to pass up for him. >> yeah. i mean it would be pretty staggering if an american president didn't do what he did, i thought, but let's move to the afghanistan conflict. i call it conflict because i would say the jury is out whether this was ever a proper war. whether it was really a covert and sometimes not-so-covert counterterrorist operation. from what you saw and witnessed on the ground, what would you say? >> well, it certainly was not covert. we had 100,000 troops in afghanistan along with many more from nato, so it wasn't covert. i think it was a war in the sense that the war on crime is a war. the war on drugs. it was an ongoing struggle against something that is very, very hard to pin down, and the question is -- i think the real strategic question is, i mean we're never going to win the war on drugs, for example, but are we better off fighting it or not fighting it? i think that's the only strategic question that would form policy. the point of this war really was not so much about afghanistan, it was about al qaeda and the attacks of 9/11 and then some of the attacks that followed in europe. al qaeda has been decimated and i don't -- personally, i don't think that could have been done without a platform in afghanistan. i'm not a military commander, but that's just my opinion as a journalist on the ground. >> the reason i used the word "covert" was a lot of the direct activity in relation to al qaeda, taking out a lot of their top people, a lot of that was covert, special operations forces. the actual main battleground was a very tough, arduous campaign, and it's very hard to argue, i think, that america has walked away any more victorious really than the soviet union did. >> well, the soviet union wasn't trying to take out a terrorist cell that had attacked moscow. they had a very, very different goal. i think for a while the u.s. had the goal of putting in a friendly government in kabul. a lot of business went unattended. i think we were distracted by iraq. and some years later, '07, '08, it was pretty clear that the government in kabul was extremely problematic. but again, the reason for u.s. involvement in afghanistan was the 9/11 attacks. those were done by al qaeda and i think it would be very hard to argue that al qaeda has won this war. >> yeah, i think that -- let's move forward to 2014 so i can make my point probably more appropriately. in 2014, american forces will pretty much have gone. the taliban are being trusted to do business, otherwise nothing is going to move forward. is it likely that the taliban can be trusted to do that? and in a sense, if they don't, then the original point of this war, to go in, yes, to take on al qaeda but also to take on the taliban, who are protecting the al qaeda operatives, if that fails, if the taliban simply revert to the way they were before, and there is a genuine fear they do that, then the overall gambit of the war would have failed, won't it? >> well, you know, it depends on what we feel is a failure. i mean since we've been there, we in the united states have not been attacked again by al qaeda. if we broaden the definition of success to a stable and humane afghanistan, i mean right now this is the lowest level of civilian casualties in that country in 30 years. i think when we leave there's a very good chance that violence will go up and the war will escalate and you will have essentially the civil war of the 1990s, the northern alliance against the taliban backed by pakistan. it's got to be clear to the taliban right now that the consequences of renewing a relationship with al qaeda will be very possibly renewed american involvement. i mean they can't have not taken that lesson from the months following 9/11. so what may be happening is that there are back channel communications with the taliban where basically there's an accommodation arranged, if you do not harbor terrorists, we will not mess with you. i'm just guessing, but i can imagine that happening. >> sebastian junger, thank you very much for joining me. >> thank you. as president obama deals with fallout from his afghanistan trip and faces down mitt romney in the political battle of his life, i want to turn to a person who knows the president pretty well better than most of us. it's his sister who grew up in kenya. didn't meet her younger brother until the early '80s. they have been close ever since. she is author of a new book "and then life happens." i'm delighted to say she joins us now. welcome. >> thank you. >> you have the obama smile. i would recognize that a mile off. >> thank you very much. >> it's a wonderful title, "and then life happens" because your life must have changed so dramatically, i guess in several ways. once when barack obama, who is nowhere near being president at the time, he's just a young man, after the death of the father that you shared, decides to contact you. tell me about that moment first. >> that was -- at that time when it happened, it was actually initially quite a big shock because i write about that in my book, about the fact that i got this letter. there was an address written on it with my name and the handwriting was very similar, very familiar. and i turned the letter over and it had the name barack obama on it and that was the name of my father. the handwriting was very similar to that of my father. so in the first instance i was really shocked and i thought, what is this. and it was a bit freaky. i opened the letter and it was my brother introducing himself and making contact and wanting to be in touch. the reason being he had been contacted because my father died, so i think there was this need and this urge to get to know family, and he contacted me. >> and who went to see who first? >> i went to see him first. >> in chicago? >> in chicago. >> so you go to chicago. it's your first trip to america. >> yes. >> there's a wonderful picture in the book which has you and barack obama. there, that's on the day you meet. >> yes. >> and he's cooking you a meal. >> yes. >> what did he cook you? >> he cooked me indonesian food on that day. >> any good? >> it was really good, it was really good. i enjoyed it. i really did enjoy it. i guess i don't remember so much about the food because when we met each other we spent so much time talking. we had so much to say to each other that the food was a secondary factor and a bonus of this great experience of meeting him. >> did you feel an instant affinity to this man? did you feel a brother-sister thing? >> yes, i did. to be honest it's amazing, because people ask me that often. when i did go to chicago that first time i came to america, i had a plan. i went there and i had a friend who was studying in carbondale, which is in southern illinois. i went to visit her first and i planned to visit barack in between and go back to the friend in case i didn't like him. and be able to recover and go back. but immediately he called my name and from that moment on, i just knew that he was the familiar. from there on we really got on. i'm really blessed that that was possible. >> he then came to kenya. >> yes, he did. >> tell me about that. >> it was great. >> it must have been quite a moment for him. >> yes, it was. >> to find this whole extended family he'd never met. >> i think there was a lot of energy. it was very energizing both for him and for me. for me it was partly because i was then -- normally you know your family. you take the concept of having a big family for granted. because he had come i was introducing him to family. so i kept going to see different family members i hadn't seen for a very long time. he gave me the ability to look at my family in this perspective. and for them it was like, oh, it's a lost son who's come home because they knew about him. my father always talked about barack. he had contact with barack's mother and he knew his grades and how well he did in school. so there was always that contact then in terms of knowing that i had a brother and the family knowing they had a son. but the actual coming there was actually quite -- it was a very intense period. >> now also what was incredible is what happened next. after the break, i'm going to ask you what it was like the moment you realized barack was going to be president of the united states. because that must be quite a moment. >> that was. all energy development comes with some risk, but proven technologies allow natural gas producers to supply affordable, cleaner energy, while protecting our environment. across america, these technologies protect air - by monitoring air quality and reducing emissions... ...protect water - through conservation and self-contained recycling systems... ... and protect land - by reducing our footprint and respecting wildlife. america's natural gas... domestic, abundant, clean energy to power our lives... that's smarter power today. (female announcer) most life insurance companies look at you and just see a policy. at aviva, we do things differently. we're bringing humanity back to life insurance. that's why only aviva rewards you with savings for getting a check-up. it's our wellness for life program, with online access to mayo clinic. see the difference at avivausa.com. i'm the son of a black man from kenya and a white woman from kansas. i have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles, and cousins of every race and every hue scattered across three continents, and for as long as i live, i will never forget that in no other country on earth is my story even possible. >> a memorable speech from the 2008 campaign as barack obama, poised to make history as the first african-american president of the united states. i'm back now with his sister, auma obama. what a moment for you and the family, but for you to watch this guy who tracked you down and then he becomes president of the united states of america. >> imagine that. >> what did you feel? >> it was a moment of great pride because i was so proud of him. also i did participate in the campaign, so i was part of that struggle and part of that -- the work that was done to getting him there. so it was just kind of a moment to exhale and be really, really proud of what he had been able to achieve, and what for me was even more important and more moving was the fact that so many people from so many different back grounds within america, the diversity of america culturally, with different language back grounds, they all were behind him. and it really speaks to who we are as a family as well. the fact that he was able to combine all these different people to come together and believe in what he was trying to achieve for his country. i was immensely proud of him and still am. >> you were actually a brides maid at his wedding to michelle. >> yes, i was. >> i bet that wasn't like your average kenyan wedding, right? >> no, it wasn't. it was a new experience for me. it was a beautiful wedding. very, very lovely. >> did you approve of your brother's choice of bride? >> definitely, definitely. i love her. definitely. it was beautiful. it was a great family moment. we were all there. everybody had a chance -- i got to meet all of michelle's family which was wonderful. they embraced us and took us in as part of family and that was really an important moment for me because that was the extension of barack's family -- >> what do you say to your brother when he becomes president? i've always wondered what that must be like, that first conversation afterwards. do you remember what you said to him? >> i said well done, little brother, well done. >> not much more to say, there is? >> no, because he's always my brother and remains my brother. to me, that's the most important thing. >> do you speak to him much? >> as much as you speak to your sibling, your brother or sister, depending on what your time allows. we have a very normal relationship. that's the boring part of it. people ask me that question often and it's a really normal family relationship. >> can you just pick the phone up and just call him? >> here we go. >> i'm fascinated. >> come on, he's just my brother. >> if i want to call my sister, i just call her up. >> it's that easy. >> look, you can call the white house, there's a number. anybody can call. >> you must have been there a few times, right? >> yes. >> have you got your own little special room? >> there's so many rooms to choose from. >> there's got to be some perks. >> the main perk is just that he's my brother. really, seriously, that is so important to me. >> my sister is like you, she loves me, is proud of me, is proud of my rather meager achievements compared to your brother's but she's also my toughest critic. she's one of the ones i listen to most. are you a critic to barack? do you sometimes say to him, look, you're my brother and here's my advice on this. >> you know, the thing is, he has such a particular job to do, and i do a certain kind of job myself. so really the way i see it, even with your sister, just let me ask you a question now. what does your sister do, what is her job? >> she's a mother of four children. >> so she's a housewife so that is her specialty in what she does. really she does it fantastically and normally i'm sure you won't mix into work. maybe when her kids become teenagers and asking uncle. but up until now my brother hasn't needed me. he's doing a fantastic job and i am doing my job so when we meet up, we're catching up on family time and spending the time really, you know, just giving each other the energy to continue the work that we do because my work is also somewhat challenging in the humanitarian area that i work in. so i'm comfortable and i trust that he's doing his job. >> does he get this great singing voice from his african side, do you think? he must. >> what great singing voice? >> you heard him sing al green, didn't you? >> i did, i heard it. >> it was unbelievable. that must be on your side, surely. >> i'm not saying anything because i'm his sister, you know. >> at christmas parties, does he do the al green impression? >> i heard it the first time when he did it on tv. >> did you know he had a good voice? >> my brother has a sense of humor. he loves a good laugh, so i wasn't surprised that he'd do that. >> it's a wonderful book. it's fascinateling. it's an amazing story. as he said in that speech, this could only happen in a country like america where someone like him with his background, with a wide-ranging background could do this. i really enjoyed reading it. it's called "and then life happens." give me a quick reference to the charitable work that you do. >> i used to work for c.a.r.e. and i've started my own foundation, which means powerful voices. i work with children and young people. the real focus of the work is that we use a lot of sport and other activities to give children confidence and give them self-esteem because we work with rural children who come from poor families and urban slum children who are living in poverty and destitution. what we try to do is work with them in such a way where they learn what local resources they have that they can use to improve their lives with their families to be economically sustainable. many times, we work with young people and let go of them when they become young adults. if they're not employable or can't do some business to have a living, we failed at the end of it so our foundation is trying to make sure there is sustainability in their economic development and they end up becoming citizens who are actually not dependent, are not victims and not dependent on aid. >> it sounds like a terrific thing. i hope people can find the website. >> yes, there is a website. >> great. and just to confirm one thing, you spent 11 years in england. >> yes, i did. >> you can rule out barack was born in england? >> that would be a big surprise to me if he was born in england. >> that would be great for my mother country. the president turns out to be born in england. >> well, he does have relatives in ireland. >> even more intriguing. come back and we'll solve the puzzle. it's been a real pleasure. >> thank you for inviting me. it was great. >> the president's sister. a great book. coming up, my interview with ryan o'neal. why he says he cares more about farrah fawcett than his own children. it's an extraordinary encounter. . arrival. with hertz gold plus rewards, you skip the counters, the lines, and the paperwork. zap. it's our fastest and easiest way to get you into your car. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz. ♪ ( whirring and crackling sounds ) man: assembly lines that fix themselves. the most innovative companies are doing things they never could before, by building on the cisco intelligent network. 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[ female announcer ] get the travelocity guarantee anywhere when you book with our new app. you'll never roam alone. the last time i interviewed ryan o'neal he was remarkably candid about his life, not to mention his relationships with his children and long-time love, farrah fawcett. now he's back with a new book, "both of us, my life with farrah" and ryan rejoins me now. welcome back. >> thank you, piers. >> how are you? >> fine. i'm fine. >> the last time i saw you was after that interview. it was a very emotional night because you were in one part of the building and tatum was in another and you both got very emotional. and i was walking on a stretch of malibu beach with my wife and there you are. you're playing frisbee with your dogs. >> yeah, but still emotional. >> but i remember having a chat with you and you said that actually that experience, even though it was incredibly emotional and raw and visceral and so on had actually been quite helpful with your relationship with tatum. >> mm-hmm. >> how are things now? >> quite good, actually. quite good. we don't have oprah winfrey between us anymore so we are able to actually communicate. >> was that helpful or not, doing that show? >> i don't think it was very helpful, no. too bad. i think -- i think it was plotted wrong. >> in what way? >> well, they said you're against him, remember that. you're against him. >> this was a reality show that focused on your life and tatum's together. >> yeah, yeah. >> father and daughter. >> yeah. >> on oprah's own network. >> yeah. >> you think from the start the premise was never going to work for you two? >> well, we thought we had a plan, she and i, in that we would make stuff up. to make it controversial. and that isn't what happened. it got heated and hurtful. very hurtful. and after it was over, we didn't speak for quite a while. but now we are. i got sick and that -- she responded to that. >> you have three cancers. >> yes, i do right now. i have the trifecta. >> prostate cancer. >> i have this, i had this removed before i got here. >> and you also have leukemia. >> leukemia, yeah. chronic. >> so what is the prognosis for you? >> well, i don't plan to give in to it. i have, you know, a schedule. i will go back to los angeles and try cryopathy for the prostate, which is to freeze it. it's new, but it's supposed to be quite effective. i've shaved the cancer off my nose and the leukemia is in check. so they'll just have to figure something else out. >> i've been watching some of your interviews this week to promote the book. it's a fascinating book, it's a fascinating life as i discovered last time. but there's so much raw aspect to your life. >> to the story? >> yeah, to your life generally. it seems like you're constantly in some kind of battle. >> how did that happen? i just wanted to make people laugh. i don't guess i succeeded. but i don't know how to answer that actually. >> i mean tatum has been, since i interviewed her, having more problems with drugs. >> she had a slip-up, but her -- we came to her aid, redmond and i, and she was very appreciative of that and as a result she's doing quite well, quite well. no more relapsing and she's laughing and very happy and anxious to be of service to me. >> what was her reaction to the book? because you're remarkably frank in it. >> i know. i gave her the book to read and i didn't hear from her for a week and then she text me and said it's fine, it's a good book and nice work. that was it. we haven't discussed it since. >> redmond's has been in rehab as well. how's he doing? >> he hasn't read it because there's a lot in it about his mother in pain and he's not ready to hear that yet. he should get through his treatment first. and patrick was the first one in my family to read it and he said it's a terrific book and maybe it's a little too honest, dad. that shocked me. >> patrick is the one who's emerged from the wreckage, if you like. >> yes, he has. >> the best. >> he's our pillar of strength. he's a successful broadcaster at fox and has been for over ten years. and i adore him. thank god for patrick. >> griffin remains in jail? >> he's in a prison but i don't know where. >> you have no contact with him? >> no. >> i heard you say you never learned to be a good parent and you attracted criticism for that saying nobody really is a natural parent, you have to work at it. you have to become the best parent you can become. do you feel, when you read the book back and you read all this stuff and relived it all, do you feel you gave parenting your best shot or do you think that you were too selfish perhaps at times? >> well, i know i tried. >> did you try hard enough? >> i don't know about that, i don't know have i tried hard enough. i loved them. and sometimes that's not enough. also, i was a working actor, you know, so i was on the fly a lot of the time. they were not with me. or they were with me but it was not the kind of situation where i could parent properly. i had makeup on. i was barry lindon. >> the last time you were here with me, people thought you were pretty harsh on your kids. they felt that you were absolving yourself of responsibility. you were quite tough with them. >> well, listen, my record is so bad i don't know how i could do that, absolve myself. >> they felt you were almost passing the buck. >> no, i never meant to do that. i would never do that. >> when you finished the book, was it cathartic in the sense of making you perhaps aware more than you had probably on balance failed them more than they had failed you? did you conclude that? >> i feel that i failed farrah. they can take care of themselves. it was farrah that i was concerned about. it was farrah whom i loved and whom i lost. and the children are alive and we'll work it out. we'll work it out. patrick will help me. >> let me stop you there. even when you say that, and i like you. we've got on well when we've met. i found the book very absorbing, i have to say and you've been a great actor. but when you say, no, my concern was farrah -- >> well, i'm talking about the writing of this book. >> no, i understand that. but when other parents see you be apparently dismissive of your children saying they aren't as important to me. they react against it. >> but children are always important to you. but one is nearly 50 and another is 48 and another one is 45 and, you know, i think it's time they have to stand up on their own two feet. whether i was enough for them, i don't know. i guess not. when you look at their record. and when i met farrah, i didn't -- i kind of lost track of them. i was too focused. >> do you regret that now? >> sure, of course. i would have done things differently. i don't know how successful i'd be, but i would have tried different opportunities. >> let's take a short break. i want to come back and talk about farrah. it was an extraordinary love story, a tem pestuous love st y story. let's talk about it when we come back. i'm an expert on softball. and tea parties. i'll have more awkward conversations than i'm equipped for because i'm raising two girls on my own. i'll worry about the economy more than a few times before they're grown. but it's for them, so i've found a way. who matters most to you says the most about you. massmutual is owned by our policyholders so they matter most to us. massmutual. we'll help you get there. spending the day with my niece. i don't use super poligrip for hold because my dentures fit well. before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it was uncomfortable. even well-fitting dentures let in food particles. super poligrip is zinc free. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. so it's not about keeping my dentures in, it's about keeping the food particles out. [ charlie ] try zinc free super poligrip. i forgot my key. >> jenny, i -- i'm sorry. >> don't. love means never having to say you're sorry. >> one of the great lines in one of the great movies, ryan o'neal with ali mcgraw, one of the most popular love stories of all time, a couple whose life was cut short by cancer. i guess for you the life parallels became particularly acute when you fell in love with farrah fawcett major and she ended up dying at a cruelly young age from cancer. you lived through the story line that you have been in. the book is very focused on farrah. the cover is a beautiful picture of you. she was the great love of your life. i got the feeling last time you were here that you just never got over it, and i doubt you ever will. >> never. >> i wouldn't say it ruined your life but it marred it to an extent that -- >> it's isolated me. i can't rev up anymore. that was it. she is missed. >> do you think you're capable of ever loving like that again? >> only her. i still love her like i did. i remember her with such love. >> you tell the story when you met her. it was like this shining light. >> she just smiled. the day -- the day brightened. or something. >> it was a fiery relationship. you make no bones about it. it got physical. you talk about having been a boxer yourself, you would defend yourself as she came at you. did you ever hit her inappropriately now that you look back at it? >> well, i missed her inappropriately. >> did you ever try and punch her? >> she went into a bathroom and i punched the door and the door collapsed and hit her in the eye, and i broke my hand. so the two of us were -- i was looking at her eye and she was getting ice for my hand. those kinds of things were horrible. once we were close to a fight and redmond came into the room with a knife and he held it to his heart and he said if you don't stop, i'm plunge it in, into myself. >> when he was only 6 or 7 years old? >> yes, he was. >> pretty awful. >> just awful. >> it's awful a young boy would ever even think of that. he must have been exposed to a pretty chaotic world? >> he was exposed to two people who loved each other very much and was confused by what was happening now. this was not what he was used to and it frightened him and that's the decision he chose to take to stop us. >> one of redmond's school friends, kelly osbourne was on television today. talking about your interview amongst other things. she took you to task a bit. i want to play you this. >> i went to school with redmond, so for him to turn around and say and who's the other one again? you're his father. you have to know his name. and the thing is, you know, children are a reflection of their parents. and from my own experience, i know this, i went through my own troubles. and my father severely blames himself. even though i know that there is nothing that could have stopped me if i wanted to do it. nothing can. but having said that, you know, you need that support group. you need to know that the people around you love and support you and want the best for you. >> what do you think of what she said? >> i think she's saying a smart thing, absolutely. you need people around you, of course. >> when you said, oh, what's the other one called, how did you feel after you said that? >> i don't know what you mean. >> you were on the -- i think it was the "today" show. >> but i just tried to be flippant and get a cheap laugh. tell me how it was used. >> i think you simply looked like you couldn't remember redmond's name. >> i remember redmond's name. >> you dedicate the book to him. >> yes, i do. and now he gets to see me every sunday where he is, and every sunday i'm there. >> is part of the problem, ryan, with the public perception of you that you do tend to be quite flippant and outspoken, particularly about the kids, in a way that most parents wouldn't do in public? did you ever think that maybe the best thing is to stop talking about them in public perhaps? >> well, maybe people should stop asking about them. >> you've written a book about them so it's fair to ask, right? >> well, i thought i was writing about farrah but they were around. they were there with me. >> do you think you fueled the circus a bit? >> i fueled the circus? do you think you fuel, continue to fuel the circus when you write a book with all the trials an tribulations -- >> i haven't considered all that. maybe i should. i wanted a reason to get next to farrah. i missed her. and i had these journals. and somebody gave me the idea that to start your biography when you met farrah. tell your story, your love story. well, i can't tell it without involving them. but basically that my focus was on getting back to her if i could. >> let's take another short break, come back and talk more about farrah, about the day that you lost her and about the future for you. i want to know how you're going to map out the next ten years of your life. >> i hope there's ten. when you have diabetes... your doctor will say get smart about your weight. i tried weight loss plans... but their shakes aren't always made for people with diabetes. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. and they have six grams of sugars. with fifteen grams of protein to help manage hunger... look who's getting smart about her weight. 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[ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪ i feel very committed. i feel married. i feel that does the piece of paper -- >> you don't need to get a license? >> no. no, i don't. i don't feel like i have to love, honor and obey. i mean there are certain things that, you know, are changing in our society. >> farrah fawcett in 1994 talking to larry king about her relationship with ryan o'neal. ryan is back with me now. it's such a weird thing, i must think, when you lose somebody you love so much who happens to be incredibly famous, and so you're always reminded by images, magazines, television and so on. how do you deal with that? >> as well as i can. she's so beautiful. it doesn't hurt to look at her and remember, fondly. and it helps sell books. >> your house in malibu, it's a very -- quite a remote place but i was struck by i think 40 years you told me, and it's very beautiful, very tranquil. you look out straight on the ocean, you're only 10, 15 feet from the ocean. it's like a classic old malibu beachhouse. it's where you lived with farrah. from what i understand there are lots of pictures of her still around and so on. you've never let go. do you think you ever will be able to? >> no. let go of my home? >> no. either the home or the memory of farrah. >> i have no plans to let go of either. there's no reason to. i need her. she is my strength. that was my woman. she loved me. i know she did. and i can feed off that as long as it takes. >> you reveal in the book the one time that you say you were unfaithful to her. you had split up and she came one night in the middle of the night and found you in bed with a woman. it wasn't a one-night stand, you had known this woman for a while, she was an actress, but you were both naked in bed when farrah came in. how did you feel, given the depth of your love for each other, in that moment? how did you feel when she realized what you were doing. >> it's the kind of scene that is in films. it's not the kind of scene that happens in life. and i was mortified. horrified. and i chased farrah down the stairs. and tried to explain to her as she was getting in her car. and then she drove away very slowly from my house. this is about 3:00 in the morning. i watched her drive away, very, very slowly. and then i knew that my life had changed forever, watching her drive. >> towards the end of her life, you were more than reconciled. >> absolutely. >> and the love story had probably never been stronger than it was in the last few weeks and months. i remember you talking about that very emotionally before. the moment you knew you lost her, that she had gone, obviously, you were grief stricken. what did you think would happen for the rest of your life without farrah, given how young she was? >> my thoughts were for redmond, because he was in jail. and he didn't know. and i had a responsibility to call him, and there was a chaplain who was waiting for the call, who would go and get him. so that he didn't hear it on the radio. or from another inmate. and when i was making the drive from the hospital to her condo to make the call, i swore to god that i would -- i would -- his life would recover, and he had a terrible heroin addiction. i knew it wouldn't be easy wrrsh but with my help and others, that he would survive. and he would live a productive life. that's what i have to do for her. that's all she would want from me, to protect him. and that's my role now. that's my plan, my dream. >> what does he make of you as a dad now? >> he likes me. we have a sense of humor with each other. he doesn't blame me for his problems. but he adored his mother and he has a hole in his heart, a big hole in his heart because she's not there to take him in her arms. so i'm going to do that. as soon as i can get him, i'm going to take him to yourm, and we're going to talk about his mother, and i'm going to fill him in on things he didn't know, good things. and we'll bring that back to life. and we'll get him past this. that's my plan and my dream. for him. >> what the plan for you in the next ten years? in an ideal world, how would you see it working out? >> i don't think about it. >> do you see making movies? would you like to? >> sure. nobody seems to want me in any, but i do work on a tv series "bones" which i'm quite proud of. i have had such good things happen. sometimes you just run out of those, of that life. >> you seem in a better place. >> do i? >> yeah, you seem less worn than you were. maybe the book was cathartic, the reaction from the family being better. it may have been a good thing to do for everyone, get it all out there. >> be good if that happened, and it was a tribute to farrah. she got taken from us too soon. she wasn't ready. and maybe this is a way to make that connection. >> what did you learn about yourself, when you finished the book? >> i learned i have a lot to learn. and i'm working on it. >> ryan, good to see you again. >> thank you. >> best of luck. >> next, "only in america" you will not believe what you're watching. a party? 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[ male announcer ] we are insurance. ♪ we are farmers ♪ bum, ba-da-bum, bum, bum, bum ♪ for tonight's only in america, meet roland. he's a republican mayor from houston running for the commission. they regular the lone star state's oil and gas business. a pretty big deal, and he's desperate to get elected. so desperate, he's resorted to shooting the most tasteless ad in the history of politics to make sure he succeeds. what you see is bulks, but it airs on television. it's a saying by one of america's most revered cowboys. >> will rogers said there's three kinds of men, one that learns by reading, a few that learn by observation, and the rest have to pee on an electric fence. >> he really didn't need to illustrate in further detail, but he felt quite strong he should. >> i have the experience needed to bring texas jobs. isitant about time we elected political leaders who have sense enough not to pee on electrical fences? >> he took a man who for reasons never fully explained who is a rod blagojevich look alike, and had him electra cute himself. even more disturbing, it's proving popular. which reminds me of another will rogers comment, a fool and his money are soon elected. tomorrow night, a rare interview with former president george w. bush on a subject he knows a lot about, the american veterans. >> it's important to me because i want to stay connected to the veteran