What Robin Williams Would Do If He Was President
Oct. 9, 2006 — -- In his new film, Robin Williams plays a comedian talk-show host who is elected president of the United States because he tells the truth.
Williams says the film, which opens on Friday, reflects what he sees as a lack of integrity and accountability in politics today.
"I look in my own party, to both parties, to say, where is the courage?" he said.
Williams says courage means standing by your opinion.
"The ability to be who you are, and say this is who I am … and not be spun," Williams told "Good Morning America" anchor Diane Sawyer.
Williams was asked about today's crop of potential presidential candidates, particularly Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
"If you do a double bill, Hillary and Oprah [Winfrey]," Williams said. "Ebony and ivory, go together in perfect. … I just want to see Oprah debate [Secretary of State] Condoleezza [Rice]. That would be like … I think that's a pay-per-view."
If Williams were elected president, he joked that the first thing he would do was appoint Willie Nelson secretary of agriculture.
Nelson was issued a misdemeanor citation for possession of illegal mushrooms and marijuana after a traffic stop of his tour bus on Sept. 18.
"I think you stone a lot of birds with one kill. I think you get a lot going there," he said.
While Williams' character waxes poetic about Angelina Jolie's lips in the movie, he told Sawyer that if he could be any woman, he would choose a politician -- Ann Richards, the former Texas governor who died of cancer on Sept. 13.
"She was to me the greatest, wonderful … just tough and wonderful and powerful and gifted and. … Yeah, I miss her," he said. "Honest and rode a Harley and unrepentant, and she was just amazing."
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