BLITZER: He's one of the richest and most recognized men in all of music, so what might you get the man who arguably has it all? Here's the answer: political action.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And joining us now, Russell Simmons. He's here in Washington for what's called a Hip-Hop Summit.
And you have been meeting with Nancy Pelosi, with Harry Reid. Explain what your political agenda is right now.
RUSSELL SIMMONS, CHAIRMAN, HIP-HOP SUMMIT ACTION NETWORK: Well, it's actually Children Uniting Nations. And the Hip-Hop Summit has teamed up with them. And Daphna, who has been working on this -- this is the fifth year they have had this -- this convention.
BLITZER: They're trying to help kids?
SIMMONS: Yes, the idea to -- help kids. The Children Uniting Nations is about helping kids, but to educate lawmakers on what they can do, because lots of times, you know, they're -- they're well- rounded.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: How critical is this crisis right now? SIMMONS: Well, the -- the youth crisis is -- is -- is -- whether it's prison reform or obesity or AIDS, or -- you know, I think that we have to invest more in young people. And that's really why we're here.
I run four suffering charities, but I find that, if you can get legislation, you know, that's a real footprint. It's a much more significant...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Is it happening the way you want it to happen, I mean, or are you frustrated?
SIMMONS: Well, no, I'm not a person who gets frustrated.
You know, we're planting good seats. I mean, even when you're only -- like, in the Rush foundation, we have our charity event next week. it's -- there's only but so many kids that we can help. There's 80 programs, but when you get funding for a state or federal kind of program, then you help hundreds of thousands of kids.
BLITZER: The president of the United States, Barack Obama you like him a lot. Is there anything he's done that's disappointed you so far?
SIMMONS: No, no, not -- I'm the chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.
And the other day, he brought me to tears, his speech.
BLITZER: In Cairo?
SIMMONS: That's right, his speech. And that -- you know, that's what I do. I do Muslim-Jewish dialogue, along the chairman of the World Jewish Congress, Marc Schneier, Rabbi Schneier.
And, so, to see that kind of outreach -- and I believe in dialogue. I believe it's critical in this day and age not to have it. And the president owes it to communities to -- to check and see maybe there's some things that...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Is there hope that you can help bring these groups together? Because it seems so frustrating and hopeless out there, especially on the Israeli/Palestinian front.
SIMMONS: Well -- well, we have 52 programs across the country and across the world now. In England, in Germany, in France, we're starting these same kinds of programs, where imams speak in synagogues, synagogues speak in -- I mean, and -- and...
BLITZER: Rabbis.
SIMMONS: ... Rabbis speak in mosques. And that -- and those programs are very successful, and we're planting good seeds. And, so, it's -- it's about you deal your resources, using them as best you can.
The thing I ask is, if we want to go and speak in Cairo about having a better relationship with the Muslim community, then we have to cleanse our hearts of Islamophobia, which is a big problem here in America.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And joining us now, Russell Simmons. He's here in Washington for what's called a Hip-Hop Summit.
And you have been meeting with Nancy Pelosi, with Harry Reid. Explain what your political agenda is right now.
RUSSELL SIMMONS, CHAIRMAN, HIP-HOP SUMMIT ACTION NETWORK: Well, it's actually Children Uniting Nations. And the Hip-Hop Summit has teamed up with them. And Daphna, who has been working on this -- this is the fifth year they have had this -- this convention.
BLITZER: They're trying to help kids?
SIMMONS: Yes, the idea to -- help kids. The Children Uniting Nations is about helping kids, but to educate lawmakers on what they can do, because lots of times, you know, they're -- they're well- rounded.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: How critical is this crisis right now? SIMMONS: Well, the -- the youth crisis is -- is -- is -- whether it's prison reform or obesity or AIDS, or -- you know, I think that we have to invest more in young people. And that's really why we're here.
I run four suffering charities, but I find that, if you can get legislation, you know, that's a real footprint. It's a much more significant...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Is it happening the way you want it to happen, I mean, or are you frustrated?
SIMMONS: Well, no, I'm not a person who gets frustrated.
You know, we're planting good seats. I mean, even when you're only -- like, in the Rush foundation, we have our charity event next week. it's -- there's only but so many kids that we can help. There's 80 programs, but when you get funding for a state or federal kind of program, then you help hundreds of thousands of kids.
BLITZER: The president of the United States, Barack Obama you like him a lot. Is there anything he's done that's disappointed you so far?
SIMMONS: No, no, not -- I'm the chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.
And the other day, he brought me to tears, his speech.
BLITZER: In Cairo?
SIMMONS: That's right, his speech. And that -- you know, that's what I do. I do Muslim-Jewish dialogue, along the chairman of the World Jewish Congress, Marc Schneier, Rabbi Schneier.
And, so, to see that kind of outreach -- and I believe in dialogue. I believe it's critical in this day and age not to have it. And the president owes it to communities to -- to check and see maybe there's some things that...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Is there hope that you can help bring these groups together? Because it seems so frustrating and hopeless out there, especially on the Israeli/Palestinian front.
SIMMONS: Well -- well, we have 52 programs across the country and across the world now. In England, in Germany, in France, we're starting these same kinds of programs, where imams speak in synagogues, synagogues speak in -- I mean, and -- and...
BLITZER: Rabbis.
SIMMONS: ... Rabbis speak in mosques. And that -- and those programs are very successful, and we're planting good seeds. And, so, it's -- it's about you deal your resources, using them as best you can.
The thing I ask is, if we want to go and speak in Cairo about having a better relationship with the Muslim community, then we have to cleanse our hearts of Islamophobia, which is a big problem here in America.
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