It’s Larry King Live, but He’s Taking the Questions

Larry King, the popular television and radio talk show host, was live Wednesday at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace, where he fielded questions about Bill Clinton, Hugh Grant and other newsmakers.

“You know, I am amazed at the hatred of Bill Clinton,” King told the crowd of about 400. “He’s not the best president I’ve ever seen. But he’s not a terrible president.”

Still, King predicted that Clinton might bring about his own defeat in the upcoming presidential election “if the Clinton of 1995 keeps taking on the Clinton of 1992.”

King also said he believes retired Gen. Colin Powell would win if he decided to run for president in 1996. “No politician has a Q-rating higher than his,” said King, referring to the popularity rankings by advertisers. “Even bigots could vote for him and feel good about it.”

And he defended his decision to have Hugh Grant on his show. A woman in the audience wanted to know why King would invite the actor, who admitted soliciting a prostitute, when “we are trying to turn children around.”

“We can’t not do it,” King said, explaining that Grant had been booked weeks in advance of his arrest, and that a last-minute cancellation would imply King and his producers are “highly judgmental.”

Besides, King said to great laughter, “We all have skeletons in our closet. We don’t always go driving down the street with them.”

Many in the audience said they were surprised that King--who appears serious on his program--could have them laughing so much.

“I watch the show regularly and I like him a lot better in person,” said Ron Cody, 59, who was visiting Orange County from Minneapolis. “He has a very penetrating sense of humor.”

“I was prepared for something a little more serious, but you can’t be disappointed when he is as entertaining as he is,” said Rosemary Volpp, 67, of Buena Park.

“I loved it,” added Lois Streifler, 65, of Orange, who said she hasn’t eaten dinner with her family in three years because they “won’t shut up” when King’s show comes on at 6 p.m.