THE ED SHOW
September 11, 2013
Guests: Bernard Sanders, Cory Hebert, Joan Walsh, Zerlina Maxwell, Lizz Winstead, Tim Ryan
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONELL, (R) KENTUCKY: We could not get one Republican
vote in order to put millions of people back to work.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R-OH) HOUSE SPEAKER: Well, clearly the numbers
tend to reflect their constituents. I want to repeal the law of the land,
is that clear?
ED SCHULTZ, MSNBC HOST: The political conservative movement in
America understands one thing, power.
BOEHNER: The members tend to reflect their constituents and so I
think it`s critically important that when the President goes out on behalf
of the American people.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Putting people back to
work, educating our kids, growing our middle class.
BOEHNER: The members of Congress (inaudible) I cannot be supportive
of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Good to have you with us tonight folks. Thanks for
watching. Focus, what does this word mean to you? In the workplace, if
the boss came to your desk and said, "You`re not focused". What does that
mean? Pay attention to what you`re doing, get your ass in gear, be
productive, wake up. Focus, what does it mean?
Can we get focus as a country? Is the Congress focused? Do you
really think these guys are focused on what`s going on in your life and
what`s best for you? This is why the Congress has an approval rating
that`s in the toilet and it didn`t coming out any time soon. Do you really
think that they`re focused and do you really believe what Boehner says when
he says, most of the members of Congress reflect the views of you, the
American taxpayer? How do you get somebody out of a rat?
I`m going to give you a little bit too much information tonight. The
five years that we`ve been living in New York, I found this store down in
SoHo and I just love these shoes. There is going to, you know, I can wear
them, kind of dressy, they`re comfortable and they`re casual. It`s all
rolled into one. What`s going to make me not buy these shoes in the SoHo
store down in New York City?
I bought about 10 pairs of these things. I`m comfortable. I don`t
have to move all I keep up on buying another pair of shoes just like these
because there`s no ramification if I don`t. It`s like an old shoe. It`s
like an old shoe to oppose Obama on everything. It`s like an old shoe to
just say, "I`m going to do in saying thing over and over again." Well,
that`s how we are as Americans. We get comfortable and we don`t move.
But let me ask you this, who is focused? President Obama is focused.
Even in the midst of this debate on Syria, President Obama hasn`t forgotten
the core issues that matter to you, the American people, the taxpayer, what
matters in this country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I know that after the terrible toll of Iraq and Afghanistan,
the idea of any military action no matter how limited is not going to be
popular. After all I`ve spent four and a half years working to end wars
not to start them and I know Americans want all of us in Washington,
especially me to concentrate on the task of building our nation here at
home, putting people back to work, educating our kids, growing our middle
class.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: OK, can I have that picture of Boehner and McConnell one
more time. I`m not done with these guys. Yes, Boehner and McConnell,
that`s who I want to see up here. Are they focused? We have some 30
something sons and they`re in this thing fantasy football and they watch
the NFL games with their computer open, I mean they can follow like 10
games at once, what running back to scores this point, what wide receiver
caught that, what quarterbacks doing this, what teams Ed?
I`d like to see these guys focused like the 30 somethings out there.
I wonder if they can multi-task and do it. Oh, come on try it. I wonder -
- well I know this guy plays a lot of golf, so he`s probably focused on his
next tea time, but they`re not focused on what you want as Americans.
President Obama still going to go through the motions. He wants
Congressional approval for a strike. The strike, you know, he still wants
all options on the table, but the President still knows what the American
people want even Republicans know what the American people want. But they
don`t wear the same pair of shoes everyday.
Americans don`t want war. We don`t want it. We got enough of it.
They want investment here at home. They want jobs. They want
infrastructure. They want health care. They want education investment and
a whole host of other issues that Republicans have done what? They have
relentlessly blocked in every effort they possibly can to defeat this
President on these issues. They`re not focused. They`re only focused on
defeat. Obstructing this President is what Republicans do very, very well.
They score high in that.
Republicans are even blocking the President on striking Syria. Isn`t
this strange?
The latest whip count from the Washington Post is rather staggering I
think. Out of the 233 Republicans in the house, 185 are no votes or
leaning no. There are 40 who are undecided but only 8, what? Only 8
Republicans want to strike a bad guy? You mean he`s better than Saddam
Hussein?
I have never known the Republicans to turn down a good boar. But if
it makes President Obama look bad, hell, they`re all for it. Republicans
claim that they are against the war, here`s the catch, because the American
people don`t want it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JEFF SESSIONS, (R) ALABAMA: The Senators out in their property
(ph) are receiving very negative comments from their phone calls from their
constituents.
BOEHNER: Clearly, a member has to tend to reflect their constituents.
The American people have not been supportive.
REP. JEFF DUNCAN, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: Not a one member in my district
in South Carolina or the e-mails of people that have contacted my office
say, "Go to Syria and fight this regime." To a letter, they say "No, do
not go into Syria."
SEN. RAND PAUL, (R) KENTUCKY: The overwhelming number of Americans
who stood up and said, "slow down", allow this possible solution to take
shape.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: So, are they focused on what they`re hearing? The latest
polling shows a 58 percent of Americans are against a strike while only 33
percent of Americans approved of it.
Here`s the issue that I think we need to grasp. It`s not about the
war, it`s not about your phone calls, it`s about them and it`s about them
getting re-elected. They bank on the will of the people when it`s going to
favor them. But you know what, there`s a ledger out there of consistent
voting by Republicans that say that they`re not focused on you and all of
those Senate bites (ph) are nothing but a bunch of BS.
Earlier this year, let me give you an example, 91 percent of American
supported expanded background checks for gun purchases. 91 percent?
That`s nine out of 10 phone calls to a congressional office. They voted it
down. 71 percent of Americans support a minimum wage increase. In fact,
there are some Republicans who want to get rid of the minimum wage all
together. Republicans blocked that. 60 percent of Americans favored to
Buffet Rule. The bill would have mandated a 30 percent tax rate for people
within incomes over $1 million a year, but the Republicans despite 60
percent of Americans want to get -- nah, they nailed that too. 73 percent
of Americans want to end workplace discrimination for gay people.
John Boehner said that he hasn`t thought enough about the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act. He spends more time worried about his next tea
time than it does the American people. In 2011, 63 percent of Americans
supported President Obama`s what? American Jobs Act? Well, they haven`t
gotten any phone calls on that, have they? Probably not. 74 percent of
Americans said that they wanted to ditch big oil subsidies, eliminate them.
You know what Congress said, they trash that too. They trash to repeal Big
Oil Tax Subsidies Act and they have favored the corporations again and
again.
And finally, last year, Republicans blocked the Veterans Job Corps
Act? Who the hell is against the veterans? The Republicans. Who would be
against helping veterans? Republicans. After Republicans are siding with
public opinion on Syria, now that they have broken through and they`ve
revealed to us that they`ve gotten all of these phone calls, that they
don`t ever want to go against the American people, and they want to be
right in line with their thoughts and how to run the country.
Now that they`ve revealed themselves, I don`t ever want to see another
damn Republican come out an opposition of a bill for the American people
that polls very positively. The game is over. This Syria vote should be a
major wake up call to every American that these people are against where?
Well if you listen to me on the radio every now and then, you know, I can
get carried away.
Hold their feet to the fire. Make them accountable. There`s a lot of
talk about, "Oh, we got to keep, you know, this guy Assad. We got to keep
him accountable for his actions." What about their actions?
Can this guy who thinks he should be President of the United States
say that he will do whatever the people want? Hell no. Does this guy have
a track record of standing with President Obama trying to help the economy?
Hell no. And, well, he`s not. I am wasting time on him. This is a huge
domestic opportunity for things to be done at home if you are focused on
getting rid of them.
Get your cellphones out. I want to know what you think. Tonight`s
question, "Will Republicans ever listen to their constituents when it
really matters?"
Text A for Yes. Text B for No to 67622. You can always go to our
blog at ed.msnbc.com. I love your comments. We`ll bring you the results
later on in the show.
For more, let me bring in my good friend and a man who I know is a
warrior for the people. Senator Bernie Sanders, Independent from Vermont,
Senator, good to have you with us tonight.
We now see that the Republicans care about phone calls to their
office. Senator, are Republicans not voting for a strike to make President
Obama look bad?
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I) VERMONT: Well, I think that`s certainly the
mode of many of them. On the other hand, Ed they are getting calls from
their districts which are saying that people are tired of war. They were
lied to about Iraq, they were lied to about Afghanistan where they are now
12 years and as you`ve just indicated very passionately incorrectly what
the people of this country want right now is a focus on the part of the
Congress and the President to start ending the collapse of the middle
class, wrecking high property levels, growing income and wealth inequality
in America, and most importantly the need to create millions of decent-
paying jobs and to put out people back to work. That is what the American
people want.
Are the Republicans interested in those issues? Absolutely not. And
you`re quite right that on every significant issue facing our country where
the American people want action, the Republicans are saying very much the
opposite. Whether it is saving social security, Medicare and Medicaid,
asking the wealthy to start paying their fair share of taxes, doing away
with corporate loopholes, rebuilding our infrastructure the Republicans are
saying "No, no, no."
So you`re right in saying that if they are serious about listening to
the American people, they certainly have not been doing that in the past.
SCHULTZ: Senator, what is the remedy to turn this around? What do
you suggest? What`s the solution?
SANDERS: All right, let me be very, very honest with you. And I`ll
tell you this that what the President of the United States has got to do,
and I got to tell you a lot of people are disappointed in the President in
terms of this war effort, in terms of the NSA business, et cetera.
This President has got to say and be honest about it and say, "Look,
our country today faces enormous crisis. We are moving in the wrong
direction. We used to be number one in terms of college graduates, today
we are number 16 et cetera, et cetera." And the reason that we are not
moving forward is that we have right wing extremists who are now
controlling the House of Representatives and this country is never going to
go forward unless we end right wing rule in the House.
He`s got to point a finger at them, he has got to work with us in
coming forward with the progressive agenda you have raised virtually all of
the issues. Not to mention this is the fifth anniversary of the Wall
Street disaster. The need to break up out large financial institutions to
have them invest in the real economy.
The issues are out there. But with this President has got to
understand. He cannot be sitting down with right wing extremists and
trying to talk about how we`re going to cut social security, cut Medicare,
not raise revenue as a result of corporate tax reform. He`s got to say
like Franklin Delano Roosevelt did that I stand with the working families
of the United States, and if the billionaires hate me so be it.
He`s got to draw the line in the Senate not on Syria but on the class
warfare that is going on in America. If he does that, he will wake up
people who have given up in the political process. The vast majority of
the people as you`ve just indicated on issue after issue after issue are on
our side. They know the richer are getting richer, corporations are making
record-breaking profits, Wall Street is doing phenomenally well while the
middle class disappears.
The President has got to draw that line, stand with working families,
support a progressive agenda in that case I think we can win and do some
phenomenal things.
SCHULTZ: Senator, I don`t think anybody could have said it any better
and that`s where the country is right now. So in the midst of all of this
conversation about this Rightist out there and saying that well their
listening to their constituents and so that`s why they can`t give the
President the vote on to strike or the power to strike or the legal of
approval whatever you want to call it to strike Syria because they`re
listening to the people. I think they are hypocrites if they go home and
they turn their back on a 70 percent approval rating to get a jobs package
done.
I mean it`s just is amazing and the only way this is going to happen
is if local media people around the country hold these Rightist
accountable. Well, you wanted this when it was a high percentage but you
didn`t want the background checks at 91 percent.
So they`re playing to the corporate world, they`re prying to the
people who are lining their pockets to get them re-elected, that`s what
they`re doing.
SANDERS: That is exactly what they are doing. And that`s what
Citizens United makes even worst. I mean, you know Ed sometimes
commentators say that we are a very divided nation and on some issues we
are, but in all of the issues you talked about, the need to protect social
security, Medicare and Medicaid, the need to create millions and millions
of decent-paying jobs. Do you know what African-American youth
unemployment is in this country?
SCHULTZ: Staggering low, yes.
SANDERS: It`s over 40 percent, that`s a generation of kids who we are
leaving behind. The American people want to deal with that. They want to
raise the minimum wage to a living wage so that all kinds of issues out
there that bring us together, but the big money interest, the Wall Street
guys are on the other side. What we need is a President and Congress to
work together to rally the American people.
SCHULTZ: Senator Bernie Sanders, great to have you on the Ed Show
always. I appreciate your time, sir. Thank you so much.
SANDERS: Thank you.
SCHULTZ: Remember to answer tonight`s question there at the bottom of
the screen. Share your thoughts with us on Twitter at Ed Show, light it up
and follow us on Facebook, Like us there. Thanks so much.
Coming up, sore looser, wait until you see how Anthony Weiner ended
his run for the mayor`s position in New York City. But next Sarah Palin is
making an explosive claim and she`s dragging me into it? That`s next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Time now for The Trenders. Here is the Ed social media
nation. I`m building my own nation. It`s going to be huge. We`re not
going to have any laws either. You have decided it, we are reporting.
Here are today`s top Trenders voted on by you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, FMR. SECRETARY OF STATE: Jeb and I are not just
renewing an American tradition of bipartisanship. We`re keeping up a
family tradition as well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our number three Trender, presidential preview.
CLINTON: This is not the first time that a Clinton and a Bush have
shared this stage.
JEB BUSH, (R) FMR. GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA: Hillary and I come from
different political parties and we disagree about a few things. But we do
agree on the wisdom of the American people especially those in Iowa, and
New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two potential 2016 contenders meet in Philly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I could have been a contender.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Many of us can`t wait to celebrate the first
woman President of the United States.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will we see another Bush in the Oval Office?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`ve had enough Bushes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The number two Trender, leather in disgrace.
ANTHONY WEINER, NEW YORK CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR: And I will never stop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn`t expect it to be quite as big as it is.
I think once this scandal starts it kind of keeps rolling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anthony Weiner flips the bird and flaps in the
mayoral race in New York.
WEINER: We might have come up a little short in this campaign ,but we
are all unified in that fight. If you keep fighting I`m going to keep
fighting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And today`s top Trender. Palin drops the bomb.
SARAH PALIN, (R) FMR. ALASKA GOVERNOR: Of course there are death
counts in there. Oh, it`s in there. There is a faint Bush (ph)
bureaucratic panel that deal with always going to need to rash (ph) me. I
wasn`t there just for honesty to do this whole process.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The former governor`s new ad uses big Eddie to
attack ObamaCare.
OBAMA: There are no so called death panel.
SCHULTZ: Death panel`s the lie of the year.
PALIN: Just another example of President Obama lying.
OBAMA: More so in cynic than irresponsible.
PALIN: Deceiving the people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sarah Palin called the ObamaCare death panels and
she was vilified.
SCHULTZ: Many Americans are in desperate need of health insurance.
It is literally a matter of life and death.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Joining me now is Dr. Cory Hebert CEO of Black Health TV.com
and a professor at the Health Sciences Center at LSU. Doctor, great to
have you with us tonight.
Now, I want to get right to the chase. Where are these death panels?
If they are there, tell me. If I`m lying, if I`m wrong you got to
straighten me out I bare all soul here. Where are these death panels?
DR. CORY HEBERT, CEO OF BLACK HEALTH TV.COM: Let me tell you one
thing, OK? Sarah Palin`s always confused. She probably thinks she can see
ObamaCare from here backyard like she can see Russia I mean it`s
ridiculous. There are no death panels. They had never have been any death
panels.
But let`s be crystal clear here. There is an independent payment
advisory board that is appointed to give recommendations on how to improve
access and eliminate waste so that`s good for everybody. And the
recommendations actually must be approved by Congress, and they can be
vetoed by the President. That`s not a death panel, that`s a good thing.
And those recommendations never ever govern care, and I speak fact not
fiction like Palin because that`s page 426 and section 3403 of the
Affordable Care Act.
SCHULTZ: So they have taken the advisory board as the death panel.
HEBERT: Exactly.
SCHULTZ: And this advisory board as technology in medicine and
technology in medical services in providing medical services changes, we
treat cancer patients differently today than .
HEBERT: Exactly.
SCHULTZ: . we did 10 years ago.
HEBERT: Exactly.
SCHULTZ: So this is -- What is the best care for a person with a
certain type of illness? It`s not trying to cheat them out of the system;
it`s an effort to make sure that they get the proper care. Or am I wrong
on that?
HEBERT: No, that`s 100 percent correct. And then with the Affordable
Care Act, there will actually be mandates so that the patients will
actually be seen in a timely fashion and the doctor that we pay on how
great their care is as opposed to how much -- how many patients they see.
I mean let`s think about this. Right now, I mean they have a decision
on whether your claim is approved and then that will always be up to your
insurance company, that decision will never be mandated by ObamaCare. But
with the ObamaCare, at least now you have an appeals process so that if the
claim is bad then you can fight it that`s good for everybody. And once
again, that`s awesome and I`m speaking fact not fiction, that`s page 42
section 2719 of the Affordable Care Act. I bring all fact, Ed, that`s all
I bring.
SCHULTZ: All right. Well, how was this affecting the public? What
are you hearing? I mean these constant lies that they put out there. Now,
they`re making an investment through SarahPAC to confuse the people even
more. What do you make of it?
HEBERT: I`ll say it like this. It`s a smoke`s screen and all you
have to do is ask a Republican or a Democrat for the matter to tell me
three things about the Affordable Care Act and they will give you one and
not two. That`s why it`s important that you must get the information out.
I mean my job, I mean not a lot of people that really likes, Sarah
Palin will probably watching this program, but our jobs, Ed is to give the
information. They can go to work tomorrow and they can explain this to
their co-workers so we could stop this nonsense once and for all so
everybody can get health care, bottom line.
SCHULTZ: They are saying that ObamaCare is going to cost jobs and we
have seen in several states already that premiums are starting to come
down, is that going to happen everywhere?
HEBERT: Well, it should happen everywhere. ObamaCare is not going to
cost jobs, it is actually going to create jobs. I mean once again once you
start, you know, throwing these things out to the Right wing conservatives,
they are going to perpetrate this type of fraud on all the radio stations,
all the television stations, all the networks because they want things to
go against the Obama. They do not want this to be a part of history that
President Obama finally got universal health care in a particular way for
the citizens of the United States and that`s the bottom line, Ed. It`s
purely political.
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
HEBERT: And, you know what, it`s going to happen so they need to --
they just might as well buckle down and just let it happen because it`s
going to be a good thing.
SCHULTZ: Dr. Corey Hebert, good to have you on the Ed Show. I
appreciate your time. Thanks so much.
HEBERT: Always.
SCHULTZ: Coming up, it`s a tale of two cities that are run for New
York City mayor, but it`s not exactly good versus in the story. We`ll
explain next and Bill O`Reilly`s low blow lands him in tonight`s
Pretenders. But next I`m taking your questions. Ask Ed Live coming up
next here on MSNBC.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Welcome to the Ed Show. I love hearing from our viewers.
In fact I think we should have probably a contest of who can ask the
toughest question really put me on the spot, think about that.
In our Ask Ed Live segment tonight our first question comes from Kathy
Wood and she wants to know, will Congress ever vote on the jobs bill that
the President sent them in 2011?
You know, I just don`t want to give you a short answer, but I`m forced
to. No, I do not think that they are .
You know, I just don`t want to give you a short answer but I`m force
to. No, I do not think that they`re going to vote on the jobs bill as long
as Barack Obama is in office. I really don`t. Maybe, maybe, I`m giving a
long answer here, maybe if the Democrats were to get the House back and
hang on to the Senate, then I think that Democrats would even go so far to
do reconciliation to get a jobs bill. That`s how the anxious they are for.
Next question is from Aria. Do you think the country has become
closer since 9/11 or are we more divided?
Interesting question, what a conversation about this today on the
radio. Who are we? What are we? What do we believe in? I think there`s
two-fold here. First of all, politically we are divided. There`s no
question about that but as far as neighbor to neighbor, I think in many
ways what happens 12 years ago on this day has brought us a lot closer
together. And I think that this country has still a very strong sense of
community, and I think that we could weather just about any storm. We can
do it. We`ve done it in the past and I think that`s a real boldness about
who we are as Americans.
Stick around, the Rapid Response panel is next. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. This is an important story for
America. It`s a New York story. But when you start talking about income
inequality in this country, you talk about social justice and fairness, all
eyes on the big city.
Last night, New York City public advocate and two time Ed Show guest,
Bill de Blasio -- I should point out that he really made a turn in the
polls when he was on the Ed Show on the weekend at 5:00. He won the most
in the Democratic mayoral primary. We will find out until next week
whether de Blasio will be named the outright winner or if he`s going to
have to face the second place finisher former city controller Bill Thompson
in an October 1st run off.
So, that`s the situation. But Republican nominee Joe Lhota, his
victory speech last night made it clear. The general campaign is already
in full swing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE LHOTA, (R) NEW YORK CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR: Ladies and gentlemen,
over the next two months, New Yorkers will see two completely different
visions for the future of our city. I`m hearing an awful lot coming from
the other side about a tale of two cities. And now, they want to tear it
down the progress that`s happened over the last 20 years. This tale is
nothing more than class warfare, an attempt to divide our city.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: All right. Let`s get right to the numbers. This is almost
like a "Sportscenter" broadcast now. We`re going to back it up with the
facts right? It`s funny whenever you hear conservatives make charges of
class warfare, well, you know, that somebody is really doing something
right. Capture this. This is a city where almost half the population made
less than 150 percent of the poverty threshold in 2011. So, yes, a tale of
two cities isn`t too far off. This kind of rhetoric signals to me that the
New York business moguls and of course the financial elite in the city,
well, I think they`re kind of shaking in their boots right now. I think
there should be a transaction tax from the boys just down on Wall Street
and give us poor folks a chance, right? That`s what I think should happen.
The fat cats on Wall Street spent 12 years under the protection of
billionaire mayor, Michael Bloomberg`s business-friendly policies. They
fear this guy being in office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: I want to ask you directly Bill, if you`re elected are you
going to be union-friendly?
BILL DE BLASIO, (D) NEW YORK CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR: Absolutely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Absolutely? You mean we asked the question of somebody who
is running for office and we got an absolute? He`s going to be union-
friendly. That means he`s going to be worker-friendly. That means all
these contracts in this city that are just open-ended and haven`t -- the
deals have been enclosed. We`re going to make progress for workers. Now,
Wall Street might not like that but the people do. The folks who benefit
from conservative policies don`t want a union supporting unapologetic tax
to rich liberal taking over the reigns. This isn`t just some local
election, folks. This race I believe is a microcosm of what is taking in
place across this country. You know what this is? This is the 99 percent
versus the 1 percent. It`s just unfolding on the biggest stage in America,
New York City.
Joining me now our Rapid Response panel, author Lizz Winstead, The
Grio contributor Zerlina Maxwell, and Joan Walsh Salon.com. I think all
three of you are kind of fired up about this. I don`t have to say anything
more, do I?
JOAN WALSH, EDITOR AT SALON.COM: No.
ZERLINA MAXWELL, THE GRIO CONTRIBUTOR: No.
WALSH: I mean we`ve got this, Ed.
SCHULTZ: Can you believe that income level? Liz, I mean, that is
unbelievable. You talk about income disparity in this country.
LIZZ WINSTEAD, AUTHOR: Yes. And it`s also -- I work with a Food Bank
for New York and when one in five families in New York City had to use
services of the Food Bank, you know, Bill de Blasio is that guy, you know.
People think he came out of nowhere. But when Sandy happened and I was out
in Red Hook, working in Red Hook, I was tweeting at him saying, "Hey, they
need some pump to pump out a basement." And he`s like on it. And then
some pump would show up. And so, he`s just always been somebody who lives
and breathes and works for people because he lives like regular folk.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
SCHULTZ: Could we see New York City, Zerlina, raise the minimum wage?
MAXWELL: I hope so. I mean I think that the key here is that there`s
so many people in New York that can`t afford the average which is $3,000
rent. So, we need people, you know, to raise -- we need people`s incomes
to be raised on all levels including the minimum wage.
SCHULTZ: What about raising taxes on the wealthiest residents in the
city? It didn`t seem to face anybody.
WALSH: It didn`t seem to face anybody. And he did actually really
well among the wealthy. I have to say that, Ed. The wealthy -- I think a
lot of the wealthy, a lot of the 1 percent even know that income inequality
is bad for them. It`s bad for the city. And he had a really concrete
proposal. Everybody knows that our kids go to high quality preschools
starting at age three and that give these kids who already have advantages
in life another advantage over low-income kids.
So, I think that people -- he is not just generically raising taxes,
he`s raising taxes on the very wealthy and he`s putting it into high
quality preschool and into after-school care for middle school kids. And
so, it makes sense to voters. They know that`s something we really need.
SCHULTZ: Is this a microcosm of the country, you think? I mean
what`s unfolding here in New York City, I mean could this play anywhere?
WALSH: I don`t know if it could play anywhere, but I think it`s more
common than not. I mean New York is the capital of liberalism. It was the
laboratory of the new deal. And Bill de Blasio`s appeal is to say to
voters, "We can be that again. We have a enormous population. We have a
huge tax base. We can innovate in a way that`s scalable and replicable.
And smaller cities can learn from what we do." He wants to do that.
And, you know, I think with the racial as we get to be majority,
minority, whatever, you know, the whites are no longer a majority country,
well, that`s been showing New York for a long time. It is a little odd
that this -- we`ve got this white mayor but he won among pretty much all
groups.
SCHULTZ: Yes.
MAXWELL: Right.
SCHULTZ: What`s a different direction? I mean there was nearly three
out of four Democratic voters say that they want the next mayor to take the
city in a different direction. Lizz, what does that mean?
WINSTEAD: I think a different direction is a -- all -- I think a lot
of people choose to live in New York City because they like to live with
people who are different than them, that they can learn from experience,
have all different kinds of experiences. And that means, you know, all
different ethnic levels being able to live in the city and have a life that
is -- is equality of life. And I think that having equality of life for
people who are immigrants, who are, you know, of all different background
can live here and have it be a thriving multicultural city.
SCHULTZ: Zerlina, how do we invest in housing to straighten our
problem out in this city and how big is that?
MAXWELL: You know that`s a big, big problem. Like I said before,
$3,000 is the average rent for most people in this city. And so, Bill de
Blasio talks about the tale of two cities. That`s the real thing. It`s
not divisive to point that out. It`s divisive to have that exist as it is.
And I think investing in housing for affordable housing g for families is a
great place to start.
WALSH: Well, and I think, you know, around the time that you did your
great interview with him -- I also interviewed him for Salon. We talked a
lot about the fact that people want to be here. Real estate developers .
MAXWELL: Right.
WALSH: . aren`t going to go away. If we get tougher with them with a
finite resource land, we have a lot of people and that inclusionary zoning
and some things that Mayor Bloomberg kind of did on the margins but
neglected. And when push came to shove, if there was a requirement that
you built so much affordable housing but the developer bought, maybe it
wasn`t enforced, he will enforce that and he wants to up the levels of
housing -- affordable housing that require with big luxury deals.
So, you know, these real estate developers are kind of a captive
audience, they want to be here. And he also, you know, set off on in the
campaign trial, I`m not happy saying, "If you`re poor leave New York and go
to Jersey City .
MAXWELL: Right.
WALSH: . or go to Camden or, you know, leave the city where you were
born, where your grandparents were born because you can`t make it here.
We`re going to make room for everybody.
SCHULTZ: Well, it`s going to be interesting so, to you see how it all
unfolds up. I find it interesting that Bill Thompson, who almost defeated
Mayor Bloomberg, you know, does not have the highest percentage in the
Democratic primary. Why did Bill de Blasio did so well?
WINSTEAD: I think that Bill de Blasio brilliantly showed us his
family and who he is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s right.
WINSTEAD: Dante was a giant factor. And I have to tell you, living
in Minnesota and being a giant poll, well-zone (ph) person, when I was in
the room last night at the victory party, I haven`t felt the poll well-zone
(ph) energy with any candidate until I did with Bill de Blasio last night.
It was pretty surprising.
WALSH: Well -- And, you know having a young son who by -- to the
police .
MAXWELL: Right. Right.
WALSH: . is African-American, I think makes the stop and frisk thing
very, very personal. And Bill Thompson, while he said he was going to
change, adjust stop and frisk came out against two bills that the city
council passed.
MAXWELL: Right. Right.
WALSH: You can`t be a -- again stop and frisk but then against these
bills that the city council passed, to do something about it the mayor
vetoed that the council them, you know -- overruled the veto .
SCHULTZ: Yes.
WALSH: . that was (inaudible)
SCHULTZ: Zerlina, could he win on stop and frisk alone? I mean.
MAXWELL: I think -- I mean.
SCHULTZ: . and focus of big part of his campaign on that and get it
done?
MAXWELL: Yes. I think -- I mean that for me that was one of the big
issues. And I think that was the opening that he saw and smartly took
advantage of because it`s not really -- I mean Dante (inaudible) is
outstanding, that`s true but, you know, I think if, you know, if he had a
white family it would not matter. If Christine Cheney (ph) had a black .
SCHULTZ: Chit chat by Bloomberg won`t it?
MAXWELL: Yes. That was absolutely a call for. It`s not Dante.
SCHULTZ: All right.
MAXWELL: It`s the issues.
SCHULTZ: Lizz Winstead, Zerlina Maxwell, Joan Walsh, great to have
you with us. Thanks so much.
WALSH. Thanks, Ed.
SCHULTZ: The mayor of Cable News gives a low blow to little people.
Bill O is the Pretender next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: And in Pretenders tonight. The original king of comedy,
Bill O`Reilly.
O`Reilly went after Secretary of State John Kerry for his statements
on limited military strikes. Bill resorted to a derogatory joke living his
guests only to shake their heads.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And Kerry`s words, an unbelievably small
operation in which --
BILL O`REILLY, FOX NEWS HOST: Is that mean his going to hit .
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: . he`s totally pointless been.
O`REILLY: Do you guys think that unbelievably small means his going
to bomb midgets?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, Bill.
O`REILLY: I mean .
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bill .
O`REILLY: . why don`t you just say, all right. We`re going to punish
Assad for what he did in proportion to what he did. Doesn`t that sound
better than unbelievably small in proportion to what he did?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And at least it`s open-ended which is what the
American Administration .
O`REILLY: And leave out the midgets because they had nothing to do
with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Midgets? Oh, Bill, the social grace of it all and the
sincere understanding of humanity, you know, it just pour us off. You`ve
done that big guy? It takes a real big man to pick on little people when
Bill O`Reilly doesn`t have something real to attack, bickering will do.
But if he wants to believe the hilarity contributes to the
conversation, he can keep on pretending.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. This is a story for the folks
who take a shower after work. And we begin with some breaking news from
the state of Wisconsin. A federal judge has ruled Republican governor
Scott Walker`s controversial law stripping. Most public workers have
nearly all their union rights is constitutional and collective bargaining
reforms do not violate public workers` rights.
Last year, only 11.3 percent of American workers were unionized.
That`s the lowest percentage in nearly a century. And as you can see on
this chart, I`ve shown it to you a million times here on the Ed Show. It`s
crystal clear and indisputable that union membership as it declines so does
the middle class in this country. And right now, the middle class is under
attack and the income inequality gap is getting bigger even under the Obama
Administration.
Recent figures show that 95 percent of the nation`s income gains from
2009 to 2012 went to the wealthiest Americans. Last year, the top 10
percent of earners got about half of the country`s household income. Those
in the top 1 percent made more than 19 percent which is the biggest share
since 1928, a year before the stock market crash. And as the 2007 to 2009
recession recedes and we continue to grow better, the richer getting
richer. Make no mistake. The banking system did crumble, consumers and
investors lost faith along with their savings, and many major corporations
went bankrupt. But President Obama, throughout the lifeline, he bailed up
that sinking ship much to the dismay of many liberals.
The conservative claim that President Obama is a socialist is dead
wrong. He makes a pretty poor socialist at that. Workers in the United
States are now competing with low wage labor in other developing countries.
Technology is replacing people and union influence is, by their admission,
in crisis. We as a society need to decide whether income inequality is
acceptable. Are we going to do anything about it or is it just the way it
is.
Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio joins me now. Congressman, great to have
you with us tonight, thanks for your time.
REP. TIM RYAN, (D) OHIO: Thanks Big Ed.
SCHULTZ: What needs to happen, I mean, let`s begin with that breaking
news from Wisconsin, your state of Ohio overturned the Republican back law
that restricted collective bargaining rights for public workers in 2011.
In today`s ruling, the judge said Scott Walker`s law still allows workers
to assemble and lets him speak. It`s simply doesn`t allow employees to
listen. What does Wisconsin need to do in your opinion?
RYAN: Well I think stay organized, this is obviously a political
process as well. And you got to stay organized and we`ve got to reach out
to those people who aren`t union members Ed, they`re not teachers and not
fire fighters and not police officers. But they`re in those low-wage jobs
all over the country. We`ve got to get those folks organized and into the
political system.
We saw in the last two campaigns where President Obama was able to win
in Ohio, win in Wisconsin because we were well-organized and drove the vote
out. So as much as this is a legal proceeding, it`s a political operation
that needs to happen in organizational campaign if we want to transform the
country.
SCHULTZ: So this is you think a very key point in closing the gap
between the wealthiest Americans and the middle class in this country to
strengthen the middle class at this really, because unions clearly over the
years have sent that -- set the benchmark for wages and conditions of the
workplace.
RYAN: Yes, absolutely and the more union workers there are the more
wages are going to go up even for non-union workers, puts money back into
the middle class. It will raise revenue for the federal and state and
local coffers to be able to reinvest back in the country. But that will
allow us in -- look, I`ve mentioned the political side of it because we`ve
got to win the House of Representatives back. We`ve got to keep the
Senate. And we`ve got to put together a long-term strategy, a
manufacturing strategy in the United States.
In 1980 Ed, we made 50 percent of the semiconductors, manufactured
them here in the United States. Now, it`s 15 percent. You know, you look
at the difference between the company like Facebook and a company like
Boeing. Both $50-billion companies, Facebook employs about 5,000, Boeing
employs about 170,000.
We need a strong manufacturing policy. And then invest back into our
infrastructure, roads and bridges, but also broadband and the things like
these institutes -- this innovation institutes that the President wants to
develop like the one in Young`s Town for added of manufacturing, public
private partnerships. That`s jump starts us and moves us forward.
SCHULTZ: How is the President going to get off the dime and get
Congress to move on the things that you just talked about? What`s the
solution?
RYAN: Well, I honestly -- I don`t see anything in the short-term I
would then contain .
SCHULTZ: So it`s take over the House isn`t it?
RYAN: We`ve got to.
SCHULTZ: I mean the Democrats have got to get the House that`s the
bottom line?
RYAN: We`ve got to because these guys will continue to stall and deny
Obama no matter whether it`s foreign policy or domestic. And no matter
what he says, they`re going to be against it. We`ve got to win the House
back and break the lag jam here and then keep the Senate as well and then
put together this big package.
I think Americans are yearning for a transformation of kind of
politics that Obama talked about a lot. But we`re ready to rock and roll.
And I think middle-wage and low-wage people are ready to get involved in
the process. We just got to challenge them and have a big, big vision for
where our country needs to go.
SCHULTZ: Congressman, let`s switch gears to Syria, what are your
constituents saying and how are you going to vote?
RYAN: I`m going to vote no. I`m not forward. I think we`re only
going to make matters worst quite frankly. I get it. I understand what
the President is trying to argue and Secretary Kerry. But I just think
lobbying a few bombs into a powder keg is just going to make matters worst.
It`s going to raise anti-American sentiment and, you know, we`ve got to
stay focused on what`s going on at home here.
SCHULTZ: All right. Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio. How`s Ohio state
going to be this year, you want to give me a prediction?
RYAN: National title big guy, this is hard -- this is our -- yeah,
this is our chance.
SCHULTZ: What?
RYAN: Urban Meyer, we got an Ohio coach back in Ohio. It`s
happening. Watch, you heard it here first Ed, Ohio State is going to win
the national title this year.
SCHULTZ: All right you`re saying it. On September 11th, we will save
the tape. Tim, good to have you with us thank you.
RYAN: See you.
SCHULTZ: And that is the Ed Show. I`m Ed Schultz. Politics Nation
with Reverend Al Sharpton starts right now, Rev?
AL SHARPTON, MSNBC HOST: Thanks Ed.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY
BE UPDATED.
END
Copyright 2013 Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by
United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed,
transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written
permission of Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark,
copyright or other notice from copies of the content.>
The Ed Show for Wednesday, September 11th, 2013
Read the transcript to the Wednesday show