>>> 7:40 NOW.
WE'RE BACK. THE JOHN F. KENNEDY PROFILE IN
COURAGE AWARD WAS CREATED BACK IN 1989 TO HONOR HIS LEGACY AND
TO CELEBRATE PEOPLE WHO SHOW THE POLITICAL COURAGE THAT HE
ADMIRED MOST. >> THIS WEEKENDS A PART OF THE
CELEBRATION OF THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH,
CAROLINE KENNEDY AND HER SON JACK SCHLOSSBERG WILL PRESENT
THE AWARD AND IT'S GOING TO FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA.
>> THEY'RE WITH US NOW EXCLUSIVELY.
GOOD TO SEE YOU GUYS AGAIN. >> THANK YOU.
>> YOU WERE HERE NOT ALONG AGO AND TALKING ABOUT THE TIMES
WE'RE LIVING IN AND THE DYSFUNCTION IN WASHINGTON AND IN
POLITICS IN GENERAL. I WAS WONDERING IS IT HARDER
THESE DAYS TO FIND POLITICAL ACTS OF COURAGE OR DO POLITICAL
ACTS OF COURAGE JUMP OUT MORE AND STAND OUT MORE AMIDST THIS?
>> WELL, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT REALLY THIS AWARD
IS ABOUT ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO BOTH REQUIRE IT IN OUR PUBLIC
OFFICIALS AND LOOK FOR WAYS WE CAN BE MORE COURAGEOUS IN OUR
OWN LIVES. SO ALL OF US.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT DOING WHAT'S RIGHT IS SOMETHING THAT,
YOU KNOW, WE NEED A LOT MORE OF. >> PRESIDENT OBAMA, OF COURSE,
IS THE RECIPIENT THIS YEAR. DID YOU IDENTIFY CERTAIN
INSTANCES WHERE YOU SAID, OKAY, THAT WAS AN ACT OF POLITICAL
COURAGE, HE WENT ON ON A LIMB THERE AND HE DIDN'T HAVE TO?
>> JACK WAS ON THE COMMITTEE THAT CHOSE PRESIDENT OBAMA.
I WAS IN JAPAN. BUT I'M THRILLED WITH THE
CHOICE. AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE MANY
KINDS OF COURAGE, AND HE DEMONSTRATED MORE THAN ONE OF
THOSE. AND I THINK THAT CERTAINLY --
>> RIGHT, WELL, 2008 I WAS INSPIRED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA'S
VISION FOR AMERICA AND ALL THE PROMISES THAT HE LAID OUT FOR
OUR COUNTRY. AND THIS AWARD REALLY RECOGNIZES
THAT HE MADE TOUGH CHOICES OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS TO EXECUTE
ON THAT VISION TO GIVE PEOPLE HEALTHCARE, TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT
CLIMATE CHANGE AND TO REACH OUT TO INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS AND
REALLY IMPROVE AMERICA'S STANDING IN THE WORLD.
THAT TAKES POLITICAL COURAGE. WE'RE SEEING TODAY THAT IT'S
PRETTY EASY TO CRITICIZE WITHOUT OFFERING SOLUTIONS, AND
PRESIDENT OBAMA DID NOT DO THAT. HE HAD THE COURAGE TO GOVERN
RESPONSIBLY. >> YOU'RE 22, RIGHT?
>> 24. >> 24, EXCUSE ME.
GRADUATED FROM YALE. >> I DID.
BY THE SKIN OF MY TEETH. >> ABOUT TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL.
>> YES. >> AT HARVARD.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET TO KNOW YOU NOW.
YOU STUDIED YOUR GRANDFATHER AND HIS LEGACY QUITE A BIT.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN BY LOOKING BACK AT HIS LIFE AND HIS CAREER?
>> MY FAVORITE SPEECH OF HIS IS THE SPEECH HE GAVE AT RICE
UNIVERSITY EXPLAINING TO AMERICA WHY WE SHOULD GO TO THE MOON.
IN THAT SPEECH HE SAID THAT GREAT CHALLENGES ARE ACTUALLY
GREAT OPPORTUNITIES. I THINK THAT'S A REALLY
IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER TODAY WHEN WHEN FOR MY GENERATI
WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE THINGS COULDN'T BE ANY WORSE.
WE'RE GOING TO INHERIT A WORLD THAT HAS A LOT OF UNSOLVED
PROBLEMS. IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT
WE CAN RISE TO THE OCCASION IF WE CHOOSE.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND TODAY, DO YOU STILL THINK POLITICS IS A
NOBLE CALLING? ALSO DO YOU THINK IT WILL
ATTRACT PEOPLE OF WORTH, PEOPLE -- THE KIND OF CALIBER
THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO SERVE IN PUBLIC OFFICE?
>> ABSOLUTELY I THINK IT'S A NOBLE CALLING.
I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR PEOPLE WHO REALLY DEDICATE THEMSELVES
TO PUBLIC SERVICE. AND I THINK THAT WE'RE SEEING
NOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS, MORE AND MORE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE
WILLING TO DO COMMUNITY SERVICE BUT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY SEE
POLITICS AS THE WAY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.
BUT PRESIDENT OBAMA REALLY BROUGHT IN A NEW GENERATION JUST
LIKE PRESIDENT KENNEDY DID. AND CERTAINLY THE GENERATION
THAT WAS INSPIRED BY MY FATHER, TRANSFORMED THIS COUNTRY AND
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE CORPS, SPACE.
AND I THINK THAT THE GENERATION THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA BROUGHT IN
TO PUBLIC LIFE, MY CHILDREN AMONG THEM, ARE GOING TO GO ON
TO DO GOOD THINGS. >> THAT'S A REAL GOOD SEGUE.
>> YOU KNOW THE LOOK YOUR MOM CAN GIVE SOMETIMES?
AS A KID, YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT? WHEN I'VE ASKED HER A CERTAIN
QUESTION IN THE PAST, SHE GAVE ME THAT LOOK.
LET ME TRY IT DIFFERENTLY. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR MOM
RUN FOR ELECTED OFFICE? >> I'LL SUPPORT MY MOTHER IN
ANYTHING SHE DOES. I LOVE HER SO MUCH.
BUT THAT'S HER DECISION. AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
>> AMBASSADOR KENNEDY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR SON JACK GET
INTO THE FAMILY BUSINESS? >> I LOVE MY SON JACK, AND I
SUPPORT WHATEVER DECISION HE MAKES.
>> I WOULD LIKE THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT NEITHER OF YOU
ANSWERED THAT QUESTION. SO YOU'RE READY FOR POLITICS.
>> DO YOU FEEL PRESSURE? DO YOU GET THE QUESTIONS, JACK?
I MEAN, TO TAKE A CERTAIN PATH. DO YOU FEEL THE PRESSURE ON YOUR
SHOULDERS? >> I'M INSPIRED BY MY FAMILY
AEPS LEGACY OF PUBLIC SERVICE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M VERY
PROUD OF. BUT I'M STILL TRYING TO MAKE MY
OWN WAY, FIGURE THINGS OUT. STAY TUNED.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.
>> COURAGE TAKES MANY DIFFERENT FORMS.
SO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A FORM OF COURAGE AND I WANT TO PUT AN
IMAGE UP ON THE SCREEN, IF I CAN.
THAT IS A BOLD MOVE, AMBASSADOR KENNEDY FROM THE MET GALA THIS
MONDAY NIGHT. YOU LOOK GREAT.
>> THANK YOU. >> DID IT TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF
CONVINCING? >> I HAD TO CONVINCE EVERYONE
ELSE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
IT'S REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE THE PERSON WHO THE EXHIBIT IS
HONORING IS ACTUALLY ALSO SOMEBODY WHO WAS WILLING TO GO
AGAINST THE POPULAR GRAIN AND DO WHAT SHE FELT WAS RIGHT AND
COURAGEOUS. SO I THINK THAT WE CAN LOOK FOR,
YOU KNOW, GREAT INDIVIDUALS WITH THE COURAGE TO, YOU KNOW, DO
WHAT THEY THINK IS RIGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, RIGHT THERE.
WHAT CAN I SAY? >> THE EVENT CELEBRATED
AVANT-GARDE FASHION. NOW, JACK, YOUR OUTFIT WASN'T
THAT COURAGEOUS, BUT YOU LOOKED VERY GOOD.
>> THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT.
>> GUYS, NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE. GOOD LUCK ON SUNDAY WHEN YOU
HAND OUT THE PROFILE IN COURAGE AWARD.
AND WE'LL ALL BE THINKING LATER IN THE MONTH WHEN WE MARK THE
ANNIVERSARY OF WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR DAD'S 100th BIRTHDAY.
WE'LL HAVE SPECIAL COVERAGE OF THE
