Guests: Martin Bashir, Tim Ryan, Maureen Reedy, Joan Walsh, Stephanie Schriock
ED SCHULTZ, HOST: Good evening, Americans. And welcome to THE ED
SHOW from New York.
Americans have had enough of this division II Republican presidential
side show. Today, the all-stars took to the court and scored big for the
middle class. I have got a chart for you tonight you will easily
understand -- if you`re a low-information voter.
This is THE ED SHOW -- let`s get to work.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you give any
one of these guys the keys to the White House, they will bankrupt the
middle class again.
SCHULTZ (voice-over): It is day one of the blue collar campaign tour
and the Obama/Biden ticket is hitting the Republicans hard.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If some of these folks
were around when Columbus set sail, they would not have believed the world
was round.
SCHULTZ: We`re going to the heartland to see how the president and
his running mate did.
OBAMA: Let`s get to work.
SCHULTZ: And the new Obama documentary is finally out. We`ll have a
first look.
TOM HANKS, NARRATOR: The tough decisions that he would make would not
only determine the course of the nation, they reveal the character of the
man.
SCHULTZ: Mitt Romney is flip-flopping on this remark.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Planned Parenthood, going to
get rid of that.
SCHULTZ: And the governor of Pennsylvania is advising women how to
get through their state-mandated ultrasound.
GOV. TOM CORBETT (R), PENNSYLVANIA: Not make anybody watch, you just
have to close your eyes.
SCHULTZ: "Salon`s" Joan Walsh is here with the latest.
And talk about a game change, Ann Coulter is throwing the mama grizzly
under the bus.
ANN COULTER, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: The conservative movement does
have more of a problem with con men and charlatans.
SCHULTZ: MSNBC`s Martin Bashir is here with reaction.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHULTZ: Good to have you with us tonight, folks. Thanks for
watching.
Today was the kickoff of Obama/Biden 2012 campaign. Vice President
Joe Biden made the campaign`s first official reelection appearance at a
union hall in Toledo, Ohio. And the UAW guys just ate it up.
About 600 miles away, the president of the United States spoke to a
community college in Maryland. He addressed the hot-button issue of higher
gas prices and he called out the Republicans for their fear-mongering
tactics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Gas prices went up around this time last year. Gas prices
shot up in the spring and summer of 2008, I remember, I was running for
president at the time. This has been going on for years now. And every
time prices start to go up, especially in an election year, politicians
dust off their three-point plans for $2 gas. I guess this year they
decided they were going to make it $2.50.
I don`t know where -- you know, why not $2.40? Why not $2.10? But
they -- but they tell the same story, they head down to the gas station,
they make sure a few cameras are following them, and then they start acting
like we`ve got a magic wand and we will give you cheap gas forever if you
just elect us -- every time, been the same script for 30 years. It`s like
a bad rerun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: The president repeated what we already know.
Now, this is a fact, and I know that the Republicans have a hard time
with facts: the United States of America is producing more oil today than
it has in the last eight years. He also repeated his call for an end to
oil subsidies, which, of course, Republicans don`t like, and, of course,
talked about developing alternative energy sources, which, of course, they
think is a cop-out.
President Obama didn`t waste time pointing out how Republicans have
rejected all of these ideas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Here`s the sad thing. Lately, we`ve heard a lot of
professional politicians, a lot of the folks who are, you know, running for
a certain office -- who shall go unnamed. They`ve been talking down new
sources of energy. They dismiss wind power. They dismiss solar power.
They make jokes about biofuels.
They were against raising fuel standards. I guess they like gas
guzzlers. They think that`s good for our future.
We`re trying to move towards the future. They want to be stuck in the
past. We`ve heard this kind of thinking before.
Let me tell you something: if some of these folks were around when
Columbus set sail, they must have been founding members of the Flat Earth
Society, they would not have believed that the world was round.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHULTZ: That`s telling it like it is. Republicans, you know what,
they still don`t get it. Flat Earth or Mitt Romney was singing the same
old tune on FOX News today. He said President Obama should be blamed for
the high gas prices?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you hold President Obama responsible?
ROMNEY: Absolutely. He has not pursued policies that convince the
world that America is going to become energy secure, energy independent.
The world believes that America`s not going to have the energy we need and
we`re going to have to continue sending hundreds of billions of dollars out
of our economy, going into other nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: You know, I just wish somebody on the campaign trail
somewhere would shout out, you know, is it true the United States is
producing more oil today than it has in the last eight years? That`s a
fact. I mean, that is an absolute fact.
Why don`t they ever have to answer those questions? This is part of
the latest right wing attack on the president. They say President Obama
wants higher gas prices to force alternative spending when it comes to
alternative energy. They want to spend more money on that.
So, he thinks the president wants high gas prices so we can go in a
different direction. The American people aren`t buying it in.
In a FOX News poll, 50 percent said the president is unhappy with high
gas prices because they hurt the American people. Only 31 percent believe
the right wing talking point about the president being happy over rising
gas prices.
Now, while the president was making his case for a sensible energy
policy, Vice President Joe Biden, he was simply on fire in Ohio. In fact,
it looks like, you know, not to be grandiose here, but it looks like the
Obama campaign is picking up on a lot of things we`ve been talking about on
THE ED SHOW for a long time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: My dad taught us something a lot of you know, a job is about a
lot more than a paycheck, it`s about your dignity, it`s about respect, it`s
about your place in the community. It`s about being able to turn to your
kids to say it`s going to be OK. That`s what a job`s about.
I don`t know if these other guys understand that, and folks, that`s
how Barack and I measure economic success, whether the middle class is
growing or not, that`s the message of success.
Of growing, vibrant middle class where moms and dads, mothers and
fathers, can look at their kids and say, honey, it`s going to be OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: And I have said it so many times that if you stand with
workers, you can`t lose. If you win the middle class, you will win this
next election in 2012.
Vice president Biden drew a line in the sand between Democrats and
Republicans when it comes to middle class values.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich -- these guys
have a fundamentally different economic philosophy than we do. Our
philosophy -- ours is one that values the workers and the success of a
business. It values the middle class and the success of our economy.
Simply stated: we`re about promoting the private sector. They are
about protecting the privileged sector. We are for a fair shot and a fair
shake. They are about no rules, no risks, and no accountability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: It`s no mistake that Biden spoke in Toledo, Ohio, the Ohio
city relies greatly on the automobile industry. There is no doubt the auto
rescue will be a large part of the Obama reelection campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Governor Romney was more direct -- let Detroit go bankrupt.
He said that. He said that, he said that what we propose, and I quote, "is
even worse than bankruptcy," end of quote. He said it would make G.M.,
quote, "the living dead." Newt Gingrich said, quote, "a mistake."
But the guy I work with every day, the president, he didn`t flinch.
That`s the kind of president, in my view, we all want -- a president
with the courage of his convictions.
A president willing to take risks on behalf of American workers and
the American people, and, folks, that`s exactly what we have -- a president
with the courage of his convictions. He made the tough call, and the
verdict is in, President Obama was right, and they were dead wrong!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Republicans were wrong about the automobile rescue, and if
you live in Ohio or in Michigan, that really should be your benchmark as to
who you choose in November. The Republicans were totally wrong about the
automobile loan and saving American jobs and understanding what the
trickle-down effect would have been. The president knew it and so did the
Democrats.
They were also wrong about economic policy for eight years before
President Obama took office. Well, the Obama campaign released a 17-minute
documentary today to remind everyone how bad it was when the president took
office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NARRATOR: What do we remember in November of 2008? Was it this
moment? Or this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is an economy right now that can`t find the
bottom of bad news.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ten years of saving, completely gone, banished,
poof.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Watching the Dow Industrial Average has been like
watching the heart monitor on a critically ill-patient.
NARRATOR: How do we understand this president and his time in office?
Do we look at the day`s headlines or do we remember what we, as a country,
have been through?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: The timing of this documentary is absolutely perfect. There
were more jobs added to the economy last month, more good news, and today`s
report on jobless claims shows first-time requests for unemployment
insurance has fallen to a four-year low.
Now, Republicans, is that a good fact or is that a bad fact?
People are starting to get it. In the first time since 2010, a FOX
News poll found more people saying the Obama administration made the
economy better than made it worse. In that same poll, 58 percent say that
they see signs of the economy turning around.
You know, I`m so glad that we are talking about the campaign. I have
a suggestion for the Democrats tonight -- don`t campaign unless you have
this chart with you on the road. Don`t campaign unless you go to these
town hall meetings and put this up and hand this out to the people that you
are talking to.
Now, this is, of course, the vulture chart. That`s Rick Santorum and
Mitt Romney up there. I don`t have room for Newt. He doesn`t score very
well.
The red line, over the last 30 years, this is where the top 2 percent
has gone in America when it comes to income. Who`s gotten all the breaks,
who`s gotten all the tax cuts, who`s gotten all the deregulation? Look
where the top 2 percent has gone, the vulture chart.
Now, you folks down in Alabama and Mississippi, I hear so much about
Alabama and Mississippi, how the Democrats can`t win there. I got news for
you, this chart plays everywhere.
The blue line is where the middle class is in this country, where your
income has gone. This vulture chart plays everywhere, and the Democrats
should make this chart the focal point of every speech they give on the
road. Why? Because the Republicans can`t deny it. The Republicans have
no game for this. In fact, Mitt Romney`s tax plan plays right into this
chart.
Let me look at the tax plan for Mitt Romney. If you make under
$30,000 a year under the Romney tax plan, your taxes are going to be going
up. That`s right. If you`re on the left there, in the blue, your taxes
are going to be going up if you`re in that income category.
Now, if you make over $1 million a year, anywhere from $500,000 to
over $1 million a year, you`re going to get a tax cut between 2 percent and
5 percent. Let`s go back to the vulture chart.
So, the Republican plan, they have more for the red liners, they have
nothing but more taxes for the blue liners. Median income in Alabama,
$40,976. Median income in Mississippi, $37,881.
If you live in Mississippi and you live in Alabama, your taxes, if
Mitt Romney is the next president -- your taxes in that income bracket,
they are going up.
Look, I`m just tired of hearing about how the Democrats can`t win the
South. That chart plays in every single Southern state. This is what they
want: more tax cuts for the rich. This is what they want: more hardship on
the blue liners across America.
You tell me, why do you think the Republicans are going after these
social issues, because they have no answer for this chart. It is an
undeniable piece of economic information that the Democrats need to hammer
on every stop. It`s a fact.
Low-information voters, come on, you can grab that. If you`re making
under $30,000 a year, your taxes are going up if the Republicans get
elected, it`s that simple.
Get your cell phones out, I want to know what you think. Tonight`s
question: who will be better for the economy, President Obama or the GOP?
Text A for the president, text B for the GOP to 232669. We can always go
to our blog at Ed.MSNBC.com. We, of course, want to know what you think.
And I want to know what American workers think about the Obama/Biden
campaign kickoff today. I`ll talk with a former Ohio teacher and one who
is running for president -- running for representative position in Ohio. I
want to know what she thought of the president`s speech today in Ohio and
Congressman Tim Ryan will also joins us.
And later, the Republican war on women continues. I`ll talk to the
president of Emily`s List about the GOP`s opposition of Violence Against
Women Act.
Stay tuned. We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Coming up, Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan and teacher Maureen
Reedy join me with the reaction of the president and the vice president`s
speeches today. Mitt Romney flip-flops on his Planned Parenthood comments,
Joan Walsh of Salon.com on the GOP three-ring circus.
Share your thoughts on Twitter using the #EdShow. We`re right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: We`re going to combine our creativity and our optimism, our
brain power, our manpower, our woman power, tell them -- yes, we can. Tell
them, we are going to build an economy that will last. Tell them we`re
going to make this an American century just like the last century.
Thank you, Prince George`s County. Thank you, Prince George`s
Community College. Thank you, Maryland. Let`s get to work.
God bless you. God bless America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Yes, let`s get to work.
President Obama`s major strategy as he kicked off his reelection
campaign today was to point out how his policies have made a difference in
the lives of a lot of Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Passed a payroll tax at the beginning of this year to make
sure everybody had an extra $40 in their paycheck on average. In part,
because we anticipated that gas prices might be going up like they did last
year -- given tight world oil supplies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Vice President Joe Biden was also making the connection
between the administration`s energy policies and the money these policies
have helped save.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: The president`s historic fuel economy efficiency standards
that nearly double the efficiency of cars, saving the American families
$1.7 trillion at the pump, helping free us from foreign oil dependence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: This is the incumbent advantage. Republicans spent the last
three years saying no, instead of passing legislation. They have very few
accomplishments to run on.
So, congressional Republicans are feeling the heat. Today, Republican
Rick Crawford of Arkansas -- listen to this -- he unveiled a proposal to
reintroduce a balance budget amendment, but it will include a tax on any
income over $1 million.
News flash coming up: this guy`s going to get thrown out of the party
and the caucus, you wait. This is a major shift away from the Republican
pledge of no new taxes.
But the fact is, there`s one Republican over there that says, wait a
minute, we have to do something about the Treasury, the red line that Ed`s
talking about is right.
That`s basically why he`s doing this. He knows the top 2 percent
needs to pay more.
Let`s turn to Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio, and, Maureen
Reedy, she is an Ohio teacher and was the teacher of the year in 2002 in
the state of Ohio and is now running for a seat in the Ohio House of
Representatives. I love the story.
Congressman, you first. Great to have you with us tonight.
Is this going to connect with Ohio voters? How much of an impact do
you think Vice President Biden had today?
REP. TIM RYAN (D), OHIO: Well, it`s huge. It just reminds everybody
of how huge the auto rescue package was. It reminds everybody where we
were and where we are now when one of every eight jobs in the state of Ohio
is related to the auto industry, the supply chain, the local tax base, huge
cuts all across the state.
Can you imagine what communities would be like if they didn`t have the
auto workers and their supply chains paying taxes in Ohio? And Biden
reminds everybody of that.
SCHULTZ: And, Tim, what do you think of the guy across the aisle,
Rick Crawford. He says that the wealthy got to pay more. Are the
Republicans changing their policies a little bit?
RYAN: Well, I think he`s a dead man walking in a Republican primary
is what I think. They just can`t get away with that over there. You know,
I have Republican friends here in Ohio who say, hey, why wouldn`t you tax
somebody that`s making more than $1 million? We have this huge budget
deficit we need to deal with.
So, I think some moderate Republicans are like that. But for the most
part, the Tea Party, I doubt highly, will let him get away with that. He`s
going to get primaried, whether it`s now or in two years, and he`s going to
be back in the private sector, if I had to guess.
SCHULTZ: Maureen, I want to play --
RYAN: And it`s a shame, Ed. It`s a shame.
SCHULTZ: It is a shame, because it`s the right thing to do. It
doesn`t affect 99 percent of the people out there in America, and we`ve got
to fix the Treasury. He has the guts to stand up and do something about
it, but I think you got it right. They are going to primary the guy.
I want to play a clip from Vice President Joe Biden, who was speaking
in your state today, Maureen. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: It`s not just the automobile industries coming back, folks.
Manufacturing`s coming back. The middle class is coming back. America is
coming back -- workers, worker by worker, home by home, community by
community, this country is coming back!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Maureen, does this message speak to you?
MAUREEN REEDY, OHIO SCHOOL TEACHER: It sure does, Ed. You know, what
vice president Biden was saying is that our president doesn`t give up on
hard-working people in America, just as teachers and parents, we don`t give
up on our children.
And, you know, President Obama didn`t lock the door and throw away the
keys on the auto industry. Instead, he found a way to drive us through the
downturn by investing in policies that really strengthened the middle
class.
SCHULTZ: Have you seen a change in the thinking of the people of Ohio
ever since the anti-union bill was knocked down? I mean, do you see a
sense of confidence among Ohioans right now that it`s going to be tough for
the Republicans to win that state?
REEDY: You know, Ed, I think what Ohioans found in this past year is
that we`re a collective voice and we`re claiming equal representation for
Ohioans from all walks of life. You know, we have a right to
representation for equal opportunity, for investment and education, for
investment in our local communities.
Right now our state has shifted the cost of balancing the budget to
our local communities, and I`ve been knocking on hundreds of doors, and
people are worried about the stability and balance in their communities.
SCHULTZ: Now, you`re a teacher and have been for a number of years
and was teacher of the year in 2002 in Ohio. I understand that not only
you, but a number of your friends, have had enough.
How many of you are running for representative positions in the state
of Ohio? I love this story.
REEDY: Well, Ed, I`ve given it a nickname. We`ve given it a
nickname, 10 teachers to the state house. It`s unprecedented. Ten
teachers are leaving their classroom and their careers and going from
protesting outside the doors of the state house to getting to work inside
the state house.
SCHULTZ: That`s great.
Finally, Congressman, a big focal point of the Obama reelection
campaign is going to be on the automobile industry and, of course, the loan
and how it worked. Is that going to be enough in Ohio?
RYAN: Well, it`s not just that, Ed. I think that`s the center piece,
but he also slapped tariffs on Chinese steel tubing that was coming in to
the state. They were dumping it here. He slapped a big tariff on them,
slapped big tariff on Chinese tires getting dumped in. Those are huge for
Ohio. Plus, the supply chain and auto industry.
And then he`s making investments in education, you know. The reduced
interest rate for student loans, the investments in the Pell grants, the
investments in the community colleges, that`s how you build a future in
Ohio -- a great manufacturing state, and he`s been able to do it.
SCHULTZ: And doesn`t Joe Biden look good in union hall? It`s like he
sleeps there, he seems so at home.
RYAN: Yes, I think he`s been there once or twice.
SCHULTZ: Congressman Tim Ryan and Maureen Reedy, teacher in Ohio --
good luck to you, we`ll visit again. Thanks so much.
Next up, Romney attacks women`s health care. Santorum says Puerto
Ricans, well, they better speak English. And Gingrich says that we`re all
stupid. Joan Walsh has got all of that next, coming up.
Later, the University of Southern Mississippi apologizing to a Kansas
State player after racist remarks were yelled at him during the NCAA
tournament today. Details ahead.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Welcome back to THE ED SHOW. Mitt Romney, I mean, he just
can`t get his act together. And he has flip-flopped, yes, once again.
Here`s what he said Tuesday about Planned Parenthood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Of course you get rid of
Obamacare. That`s the easy one. But there are others. Planned
Parenthood, we`re going to get rid of that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Just so easy. He caught a lot of flak for that comment. So
24 hours later, he tried to walk it back, telling the "Chicago Sun Times"
that he did not want to close Planned Parenthood. "He said Planned
Parenthood is a private organization. What I want to do is get rid of the
federal funding of Planned Parenthood."
It`s a Romney classic, no doubt about it. Trying to appeal to a
conservative base, but then softening it up after getting some blow back.
But Planned Parenthood gets major funding from the federal government, and
it provides preventive health care to three million women every year.
This is what Romney says he would cut. And it`s a matter of -- it`s
just going to hurt a lot of low-income women across this country. Why --
why do they have a propensity to just pick on the poor?
On a lighter note, Romney`s campaign is sick and tired of getting
criticized for strapping the family dog on the roof of the car. Well, a
Romney adviser said "for crying out loud, with 8.3 percent unemployment, if
the dog defeats you, you deserve to get defeated. Come on. You`ve got to
run a good campaign to overcome that. President Obama overcame Reverend
Wright and Billy Ayers."
So Seamus the dog is now being compared to Jeremiah Wright and Billy
Ayers. Very, very strange. Joining me now is Joan Walsh, editor at large,
Salon.com.
Joan, great to have you with us tonight.
JOAN WALSH, SALON.COM: Thanks, Ed.
SCHULTZ: Let`s begin with Mitt Romney and the Planned Parenthood.
Does he think that he`s going to win against the Democrats and President
Obama doing it this way?
WALSH: I don`t know what he thinks. You know, I think he thought,
Ed, that he was able to fire Planned Parenthood. He likes to be able to
fire people. And so he said that and then his staff said oh, governor, you
really can`t get rid of Planned Parenthood. You can`t fire them. So then
he had to walk it back.
but it`s so preposterous. And as you said, I mean, Planned Parenthood
does so much. They do breast cancer screenings. They do a full women`s
health screening. And they also -- let`s really be honest, they prevent
abortions. I mean, we really would be looking at an increased abortion
rate if Planned Parenthood were to go away.
So, you know, there`s so many ways to hit Romney on this. And he`s
going to be hit on it hard no matter how many times he walks back his
stupid remarks.
SCHULTZ: Here`s Romney again today. Let`s play it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMNEY: Look, we`re not going to go to a brokered convention.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re not?
ROMNEY: One or the other of us, among the three or four that are
running, is going to get the delegates necessary to become the nominee. As
it gets closer toward the end, it`s going to be clear we have got someone
who is in the strong lead. States that remain will vote for that person.
And that person will get the delegates and become the nominee.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: I mean, that person? Why doesn`t he say I`m going to get
enough and we`re going to get it done? He doesn`t have much confidence
there, does he?
WALSH: No, he doesn`t sound like he has much confidence. I have been
on vacation for a week, Ed. I went away after Super Tuesday, and I came
back and it`s like Groundhog Day. Rick Santorum wins more states; Mitt
Romney wins more delegates; Newt Gingrich won`t go away.
And Romney`s insisting there won`t be a brokered convention. There
doesn`t have to be a smoke-filled room, secret deal kind of brokered
convention. But it really may be very hard for him to get to 1,144 the
normal way. So he`s looking at a world of pain the -- the longer this goes
on.
It`s great he`s making light of it, but there`s nothing to make light
of.
SCHULTZ: Rick Santorum has his own problems. He told Puerto Rico
that they better make English the principle language if they want to become
a state. And 23 percent of moderate or liberal Republicans would vote for
President Obama over Santorum. Twenty percent of Romney supporters say
that they would vote for President Obama over Santorum.
What do you make of that?
WALSH: Santorum is unelectable as president, you know. Look, all of
them. They want to insult women. They want to insult Latinos. I don`t --
sometimes, Ed, this is just such good news for the White House I think I`m
missing something.
There must be a secret playbook where it actually helps you to
alienate the fastest-growing segment of the electorate, Latinos, to
alienate the base -- the majority of the voters, women. They just -- day
after day, they alienate key segments of the electorate and say they are
going to win. They are not going to win.
SCHULTZ: I got another good one for you. Here`s Newt Gingrich today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The thing I find most
disheartening about this campaign is the difficulty of talking about
positive ideas on a large scale, because the news media can`t cover it and,
candidly, my opponents can`t comprehend it.
And the result is you can`t have a serious conversation. We are at
the edge of such extraordinary opportunities. And it is so hard to get
this party to understand it.
Our political system is so methodically and deliberately stupid, and I
use that word deliberately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: So Newt`s losing because people are stupid. There`s a good
one for you.
WALSH: That is a good one. That`s really going to endear him with
swing voters, that he`s the smartest guy in the room and that he`s too
smart and we can`t understand him. You know, what an elitist. They call
President Obama an elitist. He`s never said anything that stupid, quite
honestly.
SCHULTZ: Well, Newt Gingrich is just an unguided missile on the
campaign tour right now. Joan Walsh, thank you for joining us tonight.
Always a pleasure to have you here with us.
WALSH: Thank you.
SCHULTZ: The war on women heads to Pennsylvania. Governor Corbett is
giving advice to women undergoing state mandated ultrasounds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. TOM CORBETT (R), PENNSYLVANIA: I`m not making anybody watch, OK?
You just have to close your eyes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: We`ll have the latest with Stephanie Schriock of Emily`s
List.
It was truly March Madness at the NCAA tournament today. Racist
chants from the crowd at a Puerto Rican player were caught on tape.
And Ann Coulter getting is honest and throwing the mama grizzly under
the bus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANN COULTER, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: The conservative movement does
have more of a problem with con men and charlatans than the Democratic
party.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: MSNBC`s Martin Bashir on Coulter`s moment of clarity.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: I hope that this bill is not
part of a march. And that march, as I see it over the past 20 years, has
been to cut back on rights and services to women.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Republicans` war on women continues as their tone deafness
reaches utterly appalling levels. The latest battle, the Violence Against
Women Act. The legislation strengthens laws protecting women against
domestic violence and sexual assault.
Since its original passing in 1994, domestic violence has dropped 58
percent. Historically, the law has received broad bipartisan support. It
is now up for reauthorization. And guess what, the Republicans are
fighting it.
Conservatives oppose the law because of a few updates. The law now
gives Native American tribes authority to prosecute crimes. It also
protects undocumented immigrants and same-sex couples from domestic
violence. The party that gave America the Blunt Amendment now says it has
more important things to focus on.
Senator John Thune of South Dakota telling "the New York Times,"
"there are lots of other issues right now that could be dealt with other
than this one."
Really? What about the reservations on South Dakota territory there,
senator? One Republican fighting the right wingers on this one is Senator
Lisa Murkowski. Murkowski voted for the Blunt Amendment, went back to
Alaska and, according to the "Anchorage Daily News," got absolutely all
kinds of hell from female voters.
She had this quote, "I have never had a vote I have taken where I have
felt that I let down more people that believed in me."
Now Murkowski is reading members of her caucus and her party the Riot
Act. The "New York Times" reports that Murkowski sternly warned her
colleagues that the party was at risk of being successfully painted as
anti-women at a closed-door meeting.
I`m joined tonight by Stephanie Schriock. She is the president of
Emily`s List. Stephanie, great to have you with us tonight.
STEPHANIE SCHRIOCK, EMILY`S LIST: Thank you for having me.
SCHULTZ: You bet.
Is Murkowski`s warning to the Republicans too little too late? Can
they turn this around? They are really starting to have an image problem.
SCHRIOCK: Well, I got to tell you, here they go again with this next
piece on the preventing the domestic violence piece. It is one thing after
another. And it is clear that this war on women that the Republican party
is waging is back firing.
And Emily`s List just did a poll recently and it showed in
battleground states that voters overwhelmingly support women`s access to
health care and birth control. They are wrong on this issue. And they
just continue waging this war.
SCHULTZ: So how can Republicans oppose the Violence Against Women Act
and survive as a party? I mean, they are absolutely alienating women
voters, some of them who are not politically active or engaged.
SCHRIOCK: Women are just getting energized more and more. In the
last year, since the Republicans took over the House of Representatives,
Emily`s List, an organization committed to electing Democratic women, has
doubled in size. We`re over a million members.
We are hearing from women all across the country that this has got to
stop. We have got to change this path.
SCHULTZ: A measure in Pennsylvania -- I want to focus on Pennsylvania
for a moment. A measure in that state would force women considering an
abortion to receive copies of their ultrasound. Here`s what the Republican
Governor Corbett had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Making them watch and -- does that go too far in
your mind?
CORBETT: I`m not making anybody watch, OK, because you just have to
close your eyes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: The people of Pennsylvania are against this. Why is the
governor defending it? What do you think?
SCHRIOCK: Well, I got to say that any governor who has to say to his
citizens, just close your eyes at the law that I just signed, boy, you
better rethink signing that into law. This is exactly what we have to
stop. And the way we do it is to make sure every woman in this country --
and they know that they`ve got to stand up for themselves.
They have to go and vote this November. And we really, truly, need to
elect more women. We have to get more women into this discussion.
SCHULTZ: You think this is going to get more women engaged
politically, where they are going to want to run to office because of this?
I`ll take you to another one. The state of Arizona wants to force women to
provide proof to the employer that they are taking birth control for other
reasons than just preventing pregnancy. Your thoughts?
SCHRIOCK: This is absolutely energizing women to step up and run for
office. Emily`s List has more women running for the United States Senate
than in the history of our nation. It is historic. We have women stepping
up every day still across the country to run for the House.
Even the Ohio teacher you were just talking to, teachers stepping up
in Ohio, running for the legislature. I mean, most of those teachers, they
are going to be women. This is -- these folks are riled up. And it`s for
all of us to stand up and work with these women who are standing up to run,
so they can win this November.
SCHULTZ: Stephanie Schriock, great to have you with us on THE ED SHOW
tonight. Thank you.
SCHRIOCK: Absolutely. Thank you.
SCHULTZ: Next, racism rears its ugly head at the NCAA tournament.
Today, hecklers yell insensitive remarks to a Hispanic player. We`ll tell
you how that all played out next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Today, the Mississippi House of Representatives passed
legislation similar to Arizona`s Show Me Your Papers Law targeting
Hispanics. It is expected to pass the state Senate and be signed by
Mississippi`s Republican Governor Phil Bryant.
Also today, the University of Southern Mississippi played Kansas State
University in the first round of the NCAA tournament. What do these two
events have to do with one another?
When Kansas State Freshman Angel Rodriguez approached the free-throw
line at the end of the first half, here`s what he heard being shouted from
the stands.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you see mills trying to come over and draw the
charge, Rodriguez has already let the ball go.
He`s a freshman, but he`s about as cool as they come right now. No
facial expression whatsoever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Members of the Southern Mississippi School band were
shouting "where`s your green card?" Imagine just for a moment, you`re a
college freshman -- college freshman starting, like Angel Rodriguez. You
and your team make it to the NCAA tournament. I mean, it is the big dance,
the big show. It is a dream come true.
And while you`re out there on your court making your school proud,
having a highlight in your life, you hear a bunch of bullies from the other
school shouting "where`s your green card." By the way, Angel Rodriguez was
born in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
So here`s a quick geography lesson for Southern Mississippi students,
Puerto Rico is part of the United States. People born in Puerto Rico are
American citizens.
Well, the university president, Martha Saunders (ph), issued a
statement apologizing for the remarks. Unfortunately, the president of the
school, Saunders, failed to spell Mr. Rodriguez`s name correctly.
By the way, Kansas State won the game. One of the players who helped
the Wildcats ice the game in the last minutes was the guard, Angel
Rodriguez.
Next, Ann Coulter has a rare moment of truth. Plus, she wants to keep
failed Republican presidential candidates away from Fox News? Hey, that`s
my territory.
Martin Bashir with me next with a lot of fun. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: THE ED SHOW survey tonight, I asked who will be better for
the economy, the president -- 98 percent of you say President Obama; two
percent of you say the GOP.
Coming up, Ann Coulter takes on her party`s con men and charlatans.
Who is she talking about? I`ll ask Martin Bashir next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: And in the Big Finish tonight, the intelligentsia of the
Republican party is battling it out over the presidential nomination. And
for once, right-wing hate merchant Ann Coulter -- well, she is telling the
truth. The Romney supporter unleashed on Sarah Palin and others in the
Republican part at a speech in Florida.
The video is courtesy of SharkTank.net.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COULTER: One of the ones most heavily promoted now is Sarah Palin,
who has suggested herself as -- as the choice. I think our party, and
particularly our movement, the conservative movement, does have more of a
problem with con men and charlatans than the Democratic party.
The incentives seem to be set up to allow people to -- you know, as
long as you have a band of a few million fanatical followers, you can make
money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Well, Ann Coulter is the expert on making money by conning a
few million fanatical followers, don`t you think? But she has an idea for
getting rid of the charlatans in her party.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COULTER: All Republican nominees for president, I want them to sign a
pledge saying if I lose the nomination, I pledge I will not take a gig with
Fox News or write a book.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: I think Coulter is worried about other right wingers
stepping on her turf. Plugging books on Fox really is her specialty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL O`REILLY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Ms. Coulter, the author of the new
book, "If Democrats Had Any Brains, They`d Be Republicans."
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: "If Democrats Had Any Brains, They
Would Be Republicans."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "If Democrats Had Any Brains, They`d Be
Republicans."
O`REILLY: Author of the book "Guilty, Liberal Victims and Their
Assault on America,".
Her book, "Guilty, Liberal Victims and Their Assault on America," is
now out in paperback.
GLENN BECK, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: "Guilty," Ann Coulter would be the
one.
NEIL CAVUTO, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Ann Coulter, always good seeing you.
"Godless" is the book.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Godless, The Church of Liberalism."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The author of "Godless, the Church of Liberalism."
HANNITY: Ann Coulter is back with us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her latest book is "Demonic."
HANNITY: It`s called "Demonic."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: There`s just only so much room over there. Joining me now
is MSNBC host Martin Bashir. We got a turf war going on here, don`t we?
MARTIN BASHIR, MSNBC ANCHOR: In all seriousness, Ed, this is a race
for the most important office in the free world. And these individuals
have reduced it to something akin to a Mr. Universe contest for men with
learning difficulties.
Cast your mind back a year. Herman Cain -- what is Herman Cain`s
resume have on it? Two things, he can make pizza and he has -- and it`s
littered with allegations of sexual harassment towards women.
Or how about Rick Perry? Rick Perry, the man whose knowledge of the
world is only matched by Sarah Palin, who in the film "Game Change," we saw
at the weekend, where she was shown a map of Europe and explained in simple
terms, this is Germany and it sits at the heart of the continent of Europe,
and that country was responsible for the Second World War, and that her
majesty the queen is not the head of the British government.
Ann Coulter is absolutely right in her withering criticism of these
individuals.
SCHULTZ: She complains about charlatans but supports Mitt Romney.
BASHIR: What choice does she have? She can either go back to the
13th century with Rick Santorum or she can enter the world of King Newt
Gingrich, where every week the nation would have to bow down and listen to
some ludicrous idea from this man`s gargantuan ego.
And by the way, if he ever became president, lock up your daughters
and don`t let your wife speak to him. Or she wants to go with Mitt Romney.
Who is Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney is whoever you want him to be. There`s
not much of an option for Ann Coulter.
SCHULTZ: So how bad have things gotten with the Republicans that Ann
Coulter is now the rational thinker on the block?
BASHIR: I think that she`s absolutely right in her analysis. These
individuals are not running for the nation. They are running for the self.
Ron Paul is running for the future of his son. Newt Gingrich is running
with Callista to sell children`s books about an elephant.
Mitt Romney is a 65 year old man with so much personal wealth that
he`ll never spend it for the rest of his life. He has nothing else to do.
You`re never gripped by the idea of a vision for the country, of someone
coming up with a narrative that grips the people.
None of these individuals have that. And she makes the point, they
are running for themselves.
SCHULTZ: And she also -- besides Palin, is she including her
description -- who is she including in her description of con men and
charlatans?
BASHIR: I guess she must be including someone like Mike Huckabee, who
when he was running for president, didn`t win the nomination, as we know,
and now has such a lucrative broadcasting career, started at Fox -- now
he`ll be opening on a radio station, as you know. And you know radio
better than anyone else.
When the Republicans come to Mike Huckabee and say to him, would you
please run for the presidency, he says no way; I have a much more lucrative
career doing what I`m doing. So I guess she must have him in mind.
SCHULTZ: The show continues.
BASHIR: The show continues.
SCHULTZ: Martin Bashir, always a pleasure.
BASHIR: Great to be with you.
SCHULTZ: That`s THE ED SHOW, I`m Ed Schultz. You can listen to me
on Sirius XM radio, Channel 127, Monday through Friday, noon to 3:00 PM.
You can follow me on Twitter @EdShow. And you can like THE ED SHOW on
Facebook.
"THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW" starts right now. Good evening, Rachel.
RACHEL MADDOW, MSNBC ANCHOR: Good evening, Ed. I`m very excited, Ed.
Tonight is the night of my big interview with James Inhofe of Oklahoma that
I was talking to you about the other day.
SCHULTZ: A Republican is coming on your program? I can`t score any
Republicans, but not that I want to. But I am going to watch Jim Inhofe.
MADDOW: I desperately want to. If you were wondering what the
fireworks were about in the hallway, it`s us celebrating that we got a
Republican to come in here. Really looking forward to it.
SCHULTZ: No doubt. You can ask him why he landed on the wrong
runway. But that`s another story.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY
BE UPDATED.
END
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The Ed Show for Thursday, March 15, 2012
Read the transcript to the Thursday show