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The Ed Show for Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Read the transcript to the Wednesday show

THE ED SHOW
April 16, 2014

Guests: Jon Ralston, Brian Schweitzer, Bob Nightengale, Terence Moore, Mark
Dimondstein

ED SCHULTZ, MSNBC HOST: Good evening Americans and welcome to the Ed
Show live from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. I`m ready to go. Let`s get to
work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN HANNITY: This is a welfare cowboy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All against the guy and his cows.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, someone spoke in a cow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They actually use to let the cows roam free.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Leave us alone here in Nevada. If you have no
business here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can have an American people that not like the
law and just walk away from it. So it`s not (inaudible)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Harry, get your army out of Nevada. Get your army
away from my ranch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These people are waiting for the big federal
apocalypse. They`re waiting for the big war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As far as the Bundy family, they`re not even
thinking about backing down.

HANNITY: So I would even argue a little bit that the immediate
coverage of that myself and some other people have given to this case play
the part in this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So standby for more on the cattle battle.

HANNITY: You`re going to believe that something is proven here, you
know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Good to have you with us tonight folks. Thanks for
watching. We`ll, we`re start the program tonight with the word that
Republicans just love to throw around -- freeloader. That`s right,
freeloader. You see the dictionary defines freeloader as a person who was
supported by other -- another without making an adequate return. Pretty
definitive, isn`t it?

Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy`s picture I think should be right next to
this word of the dictionary because he is a freeloader and has been for
decades. Bundy, you see, has been raising his cattle on federal lands for
decades and has refused to pay any land fees. Say he doesn`t believe in
the federal government.

The courts in this country have decided that Cliven Bundy is a
lawbreaker. When Bundy refused to pay his fees for a court order, the
federal government ceased his cattle. Now typically, the story would
normally just the over within go away and most people would pony up and do
what they got to do, pay the fees but unfortunately Sean Hannity in Fox
News -- well, they got involved. Hannity has decided to stay with the
lawbreaker.

Sean Hannity has put Cliven Bundy on a show four times in the past
week. This lawbreaker has had 36 minutes of airtime dispute his dangerous
anti-government sentiment. Now after Bundy`s first two appearances armed
militias and demonstrators showed up to get his cattle back.

On Saturday, the Bureau of Land Management released Bundy`s cattle to
avoid a gun battle. On Tuesday, Sean Hannity actually admitted his
coverage played a role in the standoff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: In my mind there`s no doubt the fact that so many people
showed up to support you. And I would even argue a little bit that the
media coverage that myself and some other people have given to this case
played a part in this because none of it make sense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: We`ll, Sean, don`t break your arm, pat yourself on the back
for all the wrong reasons. Here`s what Sean Hannity played a part in.
This is a picture of a sniper aiming his riffle at federal agents on
Saturday.

I think Hannity embolden these type of people to take this kind of
action. That is a combat position. That is somebody who is ready for
anything that`s going to come down to be judged, jury, an executioner right
there. Bundy`s cattle being peacefully released? We`ll, that was not good
enough for Hannity.

On Tuesday night, he speculated on the conflict may still be on the
table.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: A former Nevada sheriff claims that his sources inside the
federal government say that the Bureau of Land Management maybe quietly
planning to raid the Bundy ranch, coupled out with Harry Reid`s comments
that this is not over.

You got to believe that something is proven here, you know. If he is
saying that it`s not over and then he have a sheriff saying he has sources
inside the government, what would happen? God forbid, what would happen if
they came in the early morning hours one day to your ranch? They also
said, Richard Mack is -- I don`t think it would be possible to launch a
raid without violence.

If they came to a rescue, would you surrender surrounding a ranch and
taking your cattle? None of them made any sense. So I think there`s going
to be more peaceful way. Ammon, as you hear the sheriff speaking, Harry
Reid speaking, and you hear all these, what are your plans? I would assume
as Cliven son, you want to protect your dad. What are your plans if in
fact they come late in the night? Do you worry that in fact they may kill
either your dad or somebody in your family?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Wow. I -- that leaves me almost speechless. It`s a court
order. The guy owes $1 million in back fees for grazing his cattle on
federal lands. The same thing every other rancher pays in the great United
States of America. Hannity has said many times on his program that he
wants violence off the table in Nevada. Meanwhile he floats the
possibility of death. You know what this guy is? This guy is totally out
of bounce for broadcaster for talking about the death, the possible death
of Bundy, assuming that the Federal Government is going to go in and kill
people. The Bundy`s made it clear if the feds show up it won`t be pretty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLIVEN BUNDY: If they come we`ll deal with them tonight because
that`s what we got to do. We`ll just deal with you because when he got
guts enough to do it -- come on.

AMMON BUNDY: Well, they`re going to do what they want to do if that`s
their plan. But again if they took him or whatever else they did, I mean
even if they killed him, the people will answer to that. And what I mean
by that they will answer that. They will be the ones to make it right.
They will be the ones to stand up. Do you think the people know what`s
going on?

HANNITY: Do you worry that in fact they may kill either your dad or
somebody in your family?

A. BUNDY: Well, you know, this battle`s been going on for my whole
life almost. And if death were our main fear, we wouldn`t be here today.
Freedom is much greater than to -- than death.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Fox News and Sean Hannity should be ashamed to their
coverage of this lawbreaker and this lawbreaking Nevada rancher and his
family. I think Sean Hannity is cheerleading for armed conflict with the
Federal Government. Hannity and Fox News are playing with fire. You don`t
have to go very far back in American history. Let`s give them just a quick
lesson here on what happens when armed anti-government law breakers
challenge the Federal Government and court orders.

In 1993, 80 people including four federal agents were killed in Waco,
Texas. The alcohol, tobacco and fire arms folks, they were attempting to
arrest members of the Branch Davidians suspected of violating federal fire
arm laws. In 1992 three people including a U.S. Marshal were killed during
a raid in Ruby Ridge, Idaho. Randy Weaver refused to surrender on charges
of possessing illegal weapons.

Let`s go back to 1983. Gordon Kahl and his son fatally shot two U.S.
Marshals in Medina, North Dakota. Kahl attacks protester, refused to pay
his taxes or fees, and was being arrested on violating his parole. Cliven
Bundy, now he`s not at the same level as these criminals that I just
listed, but if he shoots at federal agents, he will be.

It`s unbelievable that Hannity would go so far to stand with law
breakers who have admitted, they will do whatever it takes to break the
law.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: I`m glad at this point it is not ended in a catastrophe, but
I fear guys this is not over. I would take Harry Reid`s admonition warning
seriously. And if -- I was schedule to be out there tonight if this didn`t
end this week end. If he -- if they come back, I`ll be out there with you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks for being with us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: There are still plenty of time for you to get out there,
Sean. Go out there and do it, stand with them again, that`s what you say
you`re going to do. But of course you said you`re going to get water
boarded too. Hannity is not reporting. He`s promoting the position of a
lawbreaker. Americans don`t get to pick and choose the laws that we all
want to follow, right? But we got to follow them all.

Most ranch and ranchers pay their land fees, their use fees across
America. It`s not fair Cliven Bundy gets to ignore the law with the help
of a broadcaster on a network that lets him go rogue. You know, it`s
interesting, Hannity often talks about intellectual honesty. Where is the
intellectual honesty of this broadcaster to give these lawbreakers hope
that they maybe on the correct side of the law? He`s emboldening their
attitude to go out and do what ever they want to do, insinuating that they
maybe correct in all of these, despite a court order, despite that family
owing $1 million to the Federal Government.

But wait a minute, they don`t believe in the Federal Government. So
they`re takers. That`s what they are. It`s interesting how Fox News and
Sean Hannity will just absolutely rail on people for unemployment extension
and those of course on food stamps. But when it comes to Bundy, that`s a
different story, you see he hates the Government, doesn`t believe in the
Government and doesn`t matter how much he owes, he is being defended by the
Conservatives.

And, you know, who the bad guy in all of this is? Well, it`s Harry
Reid. Gosh, we all know that Fox News loves Harry Reid. Harry Reid is the
Senator from Nevada, and he says that everybody`s got to pay their fair
share and pay what they owe to the State and the Federal Government. It`s
is a law. But maybe they don`t want to Representative Government anymore.
Maybe this is all a part of an oligarchy that Bernie Sanders has been
talking about.

Get your cell phones out. I want to know what you think. Tonight`s
question, who was more responsible for the standoff in Nevada, Sean Hannity
or Cliven Bundy? Text A for Hannity, text B for Bundy to 67622. You can
always go to our blog at ed.msnbc.com. Leave a comment there. We
appreciate that. We`ll bring you results in full later on in the program.

For more, I want to bring in MSNBC contributor and former Montana
governor, Brian Schweitzer. Also with us tonight, Nevada journalist Jon
Ralston, host of "Ralston Report". Gentlemen, good to have you with us
tonight.

Mr. Ralston, you first, how is this being received by the residence of
Nevada? In the last 24 hours with all this hyped up reporting, that Fox
has been doing and the rhetoric that`s going back and forth, where does --
where do you think Mr. Bundy stands with the residents of that state?

JON RALSTON, HOST, RALSTON REPORT: Well, I think it depends on your
sanity level Ed. If you actually know what`s going on here, you`ll
understand that Sean Hannity whipping the sense of something that it`s not
Mike Huckabee is saying things, all kinds of Conservative blogs are going
nuts. If you`re the kind of person who believes that Cliven Bundy is the
same as -- wait for it, Ed -- Rosa Parks which the comparison that`s being
made, then you`re upset about it.

If you believe that the BLM should be equated to -- guess who -- the
Nazis -- that`s what they`re saying on the Conservative blogs and what`s
some prominent commentators are saying, I`m sure you`re upset. But if you
know the facts -- and very smart Nevadans here know the facts including
some upright near the Bundy ranch. I had one of them on my program who`s
furious about what`s going on up there.

This guy, as you pointed out, has broken the law. He has not paid his
bills essentially for decades. He owes a fortune to the Federal Government
which he does not recognize. He is now being quoted as saying he does not
recognize the existence of the Federal Government. He has being portrayed
as something he is not. He is being portrayed, as I`ve said before, as a
hero and a victim.

He is not. He is what you said he is earlier, Ed. He is a welfare
cowboy and he is being used as a symbol and being exploited by the likes of
Sean Hannity. And much worst, Ed, politicians here in Nevada who want to
use him to get to square political points in rule Nevada and they are
partly responsible for those militia folks and for causing potential
violence.

One last thing, Ed, real quickly, the BLM did not handle this well.
They did not but that does not excuse what`s come out of this and now what
kind of president does it set that they stand down in the face of all these
folks from other state coming in with their weaponry and saying, "You know
what this guy can break the law but if we bring enough militia folks and
old keepers down here we`ll let them break the law."

SHULTZ: Governor, you`re in Montana cattleman. What is your take on
the situation and what is this going to take to resolved all of this?

BRIAN SCHWEITZER, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Well those of us in the cattle
industry don`t support the Bundy`s at all in Montana, in Idaho, in Nevada.
People in the cattle business pay their bills. You know, grazing on
federal land doesn`t mean you own that federal land. If you graze cattle
on private in Montana or Idaho or Montana or Utah -- you pick the state --
you`re going to pay somewhere between $20 and $30 to put a cow and calf on
that pasture per month.

If you graze on federal land -- and you have the right to grace on
federal land -- you`ll pay about a $1.35 but Bundy wasn`t even willing to
pay 6% or 8% of market value a $1.35. For 20 years he`s been putting some
500 head of cattle on your land, America, your land. And even with this
huge subsidy, he is not willing to pay it. Most of us we consider a guy
like this a grafter.

SHULTZ: Well, governor, the federal government is not going to let
this slide are they? They are not going to let this guy go forward are
they? I mean, this has to come to some type of resolution. He owes the
federal government of United States Treasury $1 million.

SCHWEITZER: It will come to it, Ed. Look. And Harry Reid is exactly
right. This guy has had a couple of federal cases that he`s lost. He has
had the judges instruct him he is to remove his cattle. He has had the
judges instruct him to pay the bills over the course of the last 15 years.
He refuses to abide by.

It`s interesting he says, he doesn`t recognize the federal
government`s role. He recognizes Nevada but if we was leasing this land
from Nevada, he would pay $12 not a $1.35. So his argument is illogical
and he, you know, look, round up the cattle, sell the cattle, and have them
pay your bills. If he was putting his cattle on my land and he hadn`t paid
me for a couple of years, those cattle would be headed to market and that
check would come to me the land owner. That`s the way it works in Western
law. And I know Sean Hannity doesn`t know much about cattle business,
doesn`t know a tongue from a tail. And he doesn`t understand Western Range
law.

SCHULTZ: Jon, how do you think that this situation is going to play
out? I mean you say that the BLM didn`t handle it well. Well, the BLM
isn`t used to having people owing the federal government $1 million. So
what`s the resolution here? How do you see this playing out?

RALSTON: Well, I have to tell you, Ed, I`m worried about it. And
when I mention the BLM, I mentioned they come in and they set this so
called first amendment zones and they got some people riled up. But it
wasn`t them who got those militia folks to come down here.

And so they come down here -- there they have -- they`re heavily
armed, there`s hundreds of people down there, there`s children out there.
What are they going to do? I think the governor was very concerned about
it. So what do you do now though because Harry Reid is right it shouldn`t
be over because the guy still owes the money. You can`t get let him get
away with this.

But how do you resolve this without violence? I think you have to let
tempers cool if that`s possible. Very difficult with people like Sean
Hannity and politicians here continuing to whip this into a frenzy. This
guy has been on the newspaper and on T.V. every night since this
supposedly, the standoff ended.

So, Ed, I`m telling you, somebody .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

RALSTON: . lives here. Forget being a journalist. I`m worried about
what could happen up there if this situation is replicated. I don`t know
how the government now resolves this except to wait a little while and then
try to find a way to do it quietly.

SCHULTZ: Well, Jon I got to ask you. Do you think that Hannity and
Fox News is out of bounce, the platform that they have given these people?
I mean the amount of airtime and almost promotion and encouraging them and
inspiring them to keep on going and he`s going to go out and stand with
them. I mean we all have a boss. I mean is Sean Hannity gone rogue on Fox
News and no ones on the front office paying attention what this guy is
saying? How much responsibility is Fox News going to have if there is
shooting match out there?

RALSTON: Well.

SCHULTZ: I mean are there -- your thoughts on all that?

RALSTON: Ed, if we`re going to do a program here on Sean Hannity
irresponsibility we better do a telethon. I mean this -- for him this is
nothing new except that this might cause violence. He`s totally
irresponsible. It has nothing to do with him not understanding the laws to
the west or cattle. He`s just fueling this frenzy in a completely
irresponsible way and he`s taking credit as you pointed out for these folks
coming down there with their weapons, helping to shut down an inner state,
and potentially causing violence.

Of course he has .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

RALSTON: . some responsibility. But his behavior does not surprise
me in the least.

SCHULTZ: And I`m going to let the cattleman finish this segment
tonight. Governor Schweitzer, there`s a lot a American loving cattlemen
across this country that abide by the laws. Images, everything -- what
this is Bundy guy doing to ranchers across America?

SCHWEITZER: Well, those are the ranchers that are showing up with
guns and threatening the government, those ranchers are home caving right
now and paying their bills. There isn`t any rancher in America that wants
this black eye with this guy that doesn`t pay his bills. We who raise
cattle in this country, we pay our bills, and this guy Bundy doesn`t pay
his bills. That`s what the discussion is about. He owes this bill, he is
taking grass from you, the American people and he`s not willing to pay.

SCHULTZ: All right. Brian Schweitzer, Jon Ralston, thanks for your
time tonight. I appreciate it so much. Coming up a conversation about
race in America sets of a firestorm of hate. Why baseball legend Hank
Aaron is under attack for just speaking his mind?

But first, a new Conservative conspiracy theory takes aim at the
United State Census Bureau. Congressman John Garamendi joins me next.
We`ll be right back on the Ed Show on MSNBC.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: And what`s hot, what`s not. Time for the Trenders on the
social media. You can check us out at Twitter@Edshow. Thanks for the
follow, thanks for the like on Facebook. And on the radio Sirius XM
Channel 127, The Progress Channel, I`m there Monday through Friday, noon to
3:00 PM. Thanks for listening.

The Ed Show social media nation has decided. We`re reporting. Here
are today`s top Trenders voted on by you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SQUEEZE TOY ALIENS, "TOY STORY" CHARACTER: The claw.

SCHULTZ: The number three trender, child`s play.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But I think Boye (ph) and Lincoln has found in a
very unlikely place.

IRVING ROSENFELD, "AMERICAN HUSTLE" CHARACTER: I`m in a glass case of
emotion?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s in the claw machine at nearby bowling alley.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing can stop the claw?

SCHULTZ: A missing Nebraska boy becomes the claw`s big price.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I guess the only thing we can think of is that he
crawled where the prices come out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just had to have that toy didn`t you?
Couldn`t play game like everyone else.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The vender was called in to get the boy out.

SQUEEZE TOY ALIENS: I have been chosen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The good news for the three-year old, no injuries
and he`s safe at home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The toddler even got to keep one of his new
stuffed friends.

SQUEEZE TOY ALIEN: Farewell my friends, I`m going to a better place.

SCHULTZ: The number two trender, under attack.

DONALD RUMSFELD, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: There are known
knowns. There are things we know we know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you look at our total tax syetm, Jerry(ph),
it`s a catastrophe.

RUMSFELD: We also know there are known unknowns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Help. Does any one have a calculator?

SCHULTZ: Donald Rumsfeld proved on tax day. He`s never been on fact
finding.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This tax system collects too much in revenues.

PHILIP J. FRY, "FUTURAMA" CHARACTER: Shut up and take my money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Its way too complicated.

JONATHAN FRINK, "THE SIMPSONS" CHARACTER: You didn`t carry the one
you foolish person.

RUMSFELD: There are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don`t know we
don`t know.

HOMER SIMPSON, "THE SIMPSONS" CHARACTER: I have absolutely no idea
what`s going on.

SCHULTZ: And today`s top trender, census insensibility.

ALYONA MINKOVSKI, THE ALYONA SHOW HOST: Looks like the GOP is still
trying to convince the public that ObamaCare`s successes aren`t what they
seem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are new allegations today that the
administration is "cooking the books on the ObamaCare numbers."

SCHULTZ: Conservatives claim census changes will hide ObamaCare`s
effects.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is to a lot of people is awfully convenient.

MINKOVSKI: Spokesman for the Speaker of the House John Boehner
saying, "How convenient?"

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It might make ObamaCare seem more successful than
it actually is.

MINKOVSKI: Spokesman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said the
Obama Administration now changing the census survey in order to hide the
failure of ObamaCare.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They will. I am sure packet whatever talking
point that they can get out of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Joining me tonight, Congressman John Garamendi of
California. Congressman, always a pleasure. Good to have you with us.
What`s your response to the right wing claim that changes in the census is
the Administration cooking the books to make ObamaCare look better?

REP. JOHN GARAMENDI, (D) CALIFORNIA: Well, Ed, you`re entire show is
-- wait a minute. Let`s just get the facts before we go off in one
direction or another. And this one where we really ought to get the facts.
The Census Bureau is actually are changing some of the questions having to
do with insurance. Those questions are going to -- are in use now, testing
and trying to find out how many people had insurance last year before
ObamaCare really went into effect.

Next year, 2015, they`ll ask the same questions and then we`ll be able
to know really whether ObamaCare really worked or not and what the effect
of it is. So it`s not hiding anything it`s actually getting to the facts
and we`ll be able to use comparing 2013 to 2014 before Obamacare and after
it really goes into effect. That`s a really good thing to know.

SCHULTZ: It is a good think to know and they`re not going to like the
numbers. They`re never will like the numbers. But I want our audience to
know that, if they don`t know that you are the former insurance
commissioner for the State of California. How do insurance companies
calculate exactly who had insurance, who didn`t have it? Take us down that
road, what would be a perfect way to calculate to get an accurate number on
exactly the effectiveness of ObamaCare?

GARAMENDI: Well, if you would -- if we were able to query every
insurance -- health insurance company in the United States, we could get a
number of exactly how many policies they had in 2012, 2013, or even in
2014. It can be done. At the moment those insurance companies are not
required to report that information.

It would give us the accurate information. It would also -- you could
break it down month by month because move in and out of the insurance
market place. They have a job. They lose their job. They lose their
insurance. Incidentally, under ObamaCare, that won`t happen anymore,
because you do not lose your insurance when you lose your job.

So would be able -- we would be able known to that scenario. The
Census Bureau is actually using a statistical model. It`s used by every
pollster, whether they are polling the presidential campaign or a
congressional campaign or a city. They`ll use a statistical model. That`s
what they`re doing. They`re trying to get the very best question so they
can get accurate answers and they frankly have tested these questions over
the last decade, checking the accuracy, modifying the question, again
checking the accuracy. So we had to have a good notion of exactly how the
Affordable Healthcare Act has impacted America.

Right now, the best estimate is from the Congressional budget office,
non-partisan. 12 million people who didn`t have insurance now have
insurance. If that`s anywhere near accurate, even if it was 10 percent
off, that is a huge victory for the Affordable Healthcare Act.

SCHULTZ: No doubt about it. And isn`t the CBO really the best
measurement because we did health care reform in this country because the
numbers were killing us. I mean we`ve already seen the savings -- we`ve
already seen some of the savings which is I think the tip of the iceberg of
what we`re going to benefit from as a country over the next decade when it
comes to cost saving in the delivery of health care. What about that?

GARAMENDI: Well, it`s absolutely true. You see it already. When
people are insured they get early health care. They don`t have to wait
until they`re really, really sick and wind up at the emergency room. So
you`re able to deal with whatever the issue is in a more cost effective
way. We`ve seen very significant reductions in the Medicare cost, down
each year over the last three years largely because under the Affordable
Care Act, seniors are able to get an annual check up.

And so, if they`re headed for.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

GARAMENDI : . diabetes or heart issues or high blood pressure, you`re
able to treat that before it becomes a very expensive debilitating or
bringing on death.

SCHULTZ: All right. Congressman John Garamendi, always a pleasure.
Good to have you with us tonight, John. Thanks so much, I appreciate it.

Still ahead 40 years after Hank Aaron received racist hate mail for
breaking Babe Ruth`s home run record, a new flood of vile letters are being
directed towards the Hall of Famer. Rapid Response Panel weighs in on
that. And later, a move towards privatizing the postal service,
outsourcing union jobs to low-wage retail workers. You won`t like it.

Up next, taking your question, Ask Ed Live coming up on the Ed Show on
MSNBC, we`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. Love hearing from our viewers,
appreciate the question.

Tonight, in our Ask Ed Live segment, our first question comes from
Elaine, "Public bathrooms in Florida will be closed during 2014 voting.
What can we do to correct this?"

I find this absolutely despicable and I don`t know if I have an answer
for it. But it would seem to me that there would be enough level headed
people in the legislative session in Florida that would say, "You know
what? This isn`t even human decency. We need to correct this." And if
they don`t, then you know who you can blame, once again, the Republicans.

I don`t think there`s one Democrat in Florida that thinks that
bathrooms ought to be closed if people are waiting for hours to vote. But,
of course, when you don`t correct one problem, you get another.

Our next question is from Twitter user 12Lions, "If Wisconsin secedes,
will the Packers and their fan-owners," I guess that means our community
owners, "pack up and move to another state?"

Well, first of all, Wisconsin is not going to secede from the Union.
And since it`s a joke of a question, if they did, I`m sure the Vikings next
door would invade.

Stick around, Rapid Response Panel is next.

COURTNEY REAGAN, CNBC CORRESPONDENT: I`m Courtney Reagan with your
CNBC Market Wrap.

Well, the Dow surged a 162 points, the S and P 500 added 19, and the
Nasdaq gained 52 points.

With the economy making a comeback as the country falls from a bitter
winter, the Federal Reserve`s beige book shows 10 of the Fed`s 12 regions
reported signs or growth.

Home construction also benefited from the nicer weather. Housing
starts were up 2.8 percent in March.

And Google shares dropping after reporting revenue was up 19 percent
but still fell below analyst`s expectations.

That`s it from CNBC. We`re first in business worldwide.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. You know, we want to believe
as a society that a lot has changed since 1974 when baseball legend Hank
Aaron was the target of racist hate mail after breaking Babe Ruth`s career
home run record. Well, folks it is 2014 and Hand Aaron is still receiving
racist hate mail. Last week, Aaron was honored on the 40th anniversary of
breaking that record.

And at the time, Aaron sat down with U.S.A Today`s Sports columnist
Bob Nightengale and said, "Sure, this country has a black president, but
when you look at a black president, President Obama is left with his foot
stuck in the mud from all of the Republicans with the way he`s treated. We
have moved in the right direction, and there have been improvements, but we
still have a long ways to go. The bigger difference is that back then,
they had hoods. Now, they have neckties and starched shirts."

Well, those comments set off a fire storm. U.S.A Today reports "Sheer
racism, exposed in vile letters directed to the hall of fame Hank Aaron,
have poured into the Atlanta Braves offices over the past week. Yes, it
was like 1974 all over again."

Yesterday, baseball celebrated the 67th anniversary of Jackie
Robinson`s first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Player`s league, well,
around the league wore retired number 42 to celebrate the man who broke
baseball`s color barrier.

Jackie Robinson stepped on to the field back in 1947. In 2014, Hank
Aaron still can`t speak his mind on the issue of race without having racial
slurs directed towards him. We sure do have a long ways to go. Maybe
baseball will show us the way.

Joining me now on our Rapid Response Panel, Terence Moore, columnist
at MLB.com and Bob Nightengale, U.S.A Today`s Sports Major League Baseball
columnist. Gentlemen great to have both of you with us tonight.

On a sad story, and I mean, it is unfortunate that a great one such as
Hank Aaron or anyone of color would have to put up with this. Bob, you
interviewed Aaron and got a chance to read some of the hate mail he
received after your article came out. What struck you the most?

BOB NIGHTENGALE, MLB COLUMNIST, USA TODAY: I mean, just heartbreaking
and everything Mr. Aaron has said, the whole is true, where he said as much
things have changed a lot have stayed the same. Just as, you know, racist
is not as overt as it`s used to be but it`s simply camouflaged. And I
think the mail that`s gone to the Braves office`s this week, its only
reflect that, you know, just sickening to see what`s still going on.

SCHULTZ: Terence, where does this stay about where we stand as a
country? I mean, how can we have tough conversations about race if this is
going to be the response?

TERENCE MOORE, COLUMNIST MLB.COM: Well, I`ll tell you something Ed, I
work at Atlanta Journal-Constitution for 25 years. I was the first
African-American journal sports columnist in the history of the South that
was back in 1984. And I discovered very quickly when people talking about
the new south that means that I can drink at the same water fountain (ph)
with you and Bob, basically. OK, it`s -- the stuff I got was just beyond
vicious.

So, this doesn`t surprise me. But I got to say this real quick. I`ve
known Hank for over 30 years. He talks to me more than he talks to any
other reporter. And we talked today, couple of times, as a matter of fact.
And Hank is very upset with this entire situation in the sense that he does
not have a problem speaking his mind, he`s been doing that forever. But he
does not like being taken out of context. And one of the stories that`s
making the rounds here is that he compared the Republican Party to the Ku
Klux Klan, which he never did.

He basically said what he should and Bob`s very well read an article
and a lot of people are taking a lot of things he said to a further extent.
And then with all the hate mails and what have you, this is Hank Aaron at
80 years old with a surgically repaired hip, he slipped in February on the
ice here in Atlanta. He is reliving all the nightmares that he did back in
the `60s and the `70s and he doesn`t want to do it anymore, which is why is
very fed up with this.

SCHULTZ: Well, Terence, what did he say about the Republicans in the
treatment of President Obama? Put it in context for us. And Bob, I want
to ask you the same thing. Terence, you first.

MOORE: Well, you would have to ask Bob that`s what you talk a little
(ph) .

SCHULTZ: OK.

MOORE: . with Bob about that. But, I will say this, having talked to
Hank and I know Hank as well as anybody. Hank does not sire away from his
support of Barack Obama. He`s been outspoken about that. He has never
side away from his stands with civil rights. As a matter of fact, I did a
huge interview with him for another network for that way and parts of that
is going to air as time as time goes on. But, Hank retold the story that
he told me years ago that after Jackie Robinson died in October 1972, he`s
hero by the way.

Hank went to Willie Mays, Ernie Banks, other famous black athletes
back then and said, "Look, now that Jackie has died, we have to kick up
from what Jackie left behind and take over from here." The other black
athletes .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

MOORE: . didn`t want any parts of that. Hank said, "I will do it
myself." He became very outspoken at the Civil Rights Movement. He became
very powerful at the Atlanta Braves, headed the farm system that set the
foundation for them winning 14, just like the division titles, and then he
did all the infrastructure at Atlanta, in the Atlanta community with this
Chasing the Dream Foundation or what have you.

So he`s always been outspoken. He`s always been out there. So again,
he doesn`t have a problem with that. We always has had a problem with
these people in the media, not Bob per se, taking him out of the context
when he says what he said and means .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

MOORE: . what he says.

SCHULTZ: Well Bob, what did he just say in your interview? What did
you gather from him?

NIGHTENGALE: Well, pretty much what he is saying is just because we
have a black president, don`t think for a second, racist that does exist in
this country. And remember now, he has got the Congressional Medal of
Honor from President Obama, had his portrait in Smithsonian. So, you saw
President Obama in January and he feels for him.

They are friends and he feels his frustration as far as not getting
things done as he wanted to, the policies, and obviously, you know, a lot
of the Republicans have stood in that way just like Democrats by stood in
the President Bush`s way. But, you know, he never wants that he say,
"Yeah, if you`re a Republican you`re racist or, you know, alluded to the Ku
Klux Klan with the Republican Party. He was just saying he`s frustrated
for President Obama and the fact that just because we have black president,
we don`t think that this country is cured now with racism.

MOORE: And can I ask something really quick?

SCHULTZ: Yes sir.

MOORE: One of the things I`ve discovered, again, being a sport
columnist here in the south and just in general and this is country in
general. If you are a black person, and I speak from experience on this,
and if you say anything about races always been this way and is even gotten
worse, then this is reverse psychology that takes place with a group of
people out there. They try to flip it around and say that you`re the
racist. As .

SCHUTLZ: Yeah.

MOORE: . if you`re a black person, you`re not allowed to say anything
about racism. Because in particular now that we have a black president,
people are using that as an excuse to say, "Well, of course we got a black
president, racism doesn`t exist anymore." And that`s probably what Hank is
going through here. Anything he says that remotely involves race or
anybody else, you`re labeled a racist because the people have that mind
set, try to flip it around on you.

SCHUTLZ: Do you think players today experience anything near what
Hank Aaron has gone through, Bob Nightengale?

NIGHTENGALE: No, no, not to this level, because you`d be reported
right away and, you know, told the authorities. But, I think we`re fooling
ourselves, I think that there`s no racism at all in sports. You know, for
instance is a polling that we haven`t had an African-American catchers such
as Charles Johnson in 2005. There`s only 11 or 12 black pitchers in
baseball, you know, if someone .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

NIGHTENGALE: . if your not a everyday position player or star player,
you`re not going to be in that bench. Very few African-American bench
players, so that`s a problem.

SCHULTZ: Well, there`s only 7.8 percent of the players on rosters in
major league baseball are black players in this country, which I find
rather amazing. Terence Moore, Bob Nightengale, great to have both of you
with us tonight, I appreciate it so much.

Still ahead, Phyllis Schlafly`s guide to marriage for the modern
career women. Pretenders is next. Stick around. We`re right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: And in Pretenders tonight, ladies choice Phyllis Schlafly,
the equal rights adversary thinks the pay gap isn`t a woman`s problem, it`s
her prerogative. Schlafly wrote an app ad for the Christian post saying,
"Women prefer a higher earning partner. If a pay gap were eliminated, half
of women would be unable to find a suitable mate." According to Schlafly,
increasing the pay gap could even help women out.

Schlafly is about as interested in helping women as a hammer is
interested helping out a nail. Here`s Schlafly view on feminism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY, LAWYER: I do think the feminist movement is the
extremely destructive movement.

Feminism teaches that women are second class citizens. They are
victims of an oppressive patriarchy.

Find out if your girlfriend is a feminist and before you go too far
with it, that`s right.

If you wake in the morning thinking that American women are oppressed
or mistreated and you made the government to help you, you`re not going to
be a successful at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: All the Conservative activists thinks being backwards is the
same as being relevant. But Phyllis Schlafly believes inequality is the
key to marital bliss. She can keep on pretending.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. This is the story for the
folks who take a shower after work and I mean it.

Corporate America is trying to buy your mail. United States Postal
Service and Staples agreed to a "no-bid, sweetheart deal." The open Postal
counters in more 80 Staples stores nationwide. Members of the American
Postal Workers Union, well, they`re not real happy about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID YAO, SEATTLE APWU MEMBER: We don`t think that Americans want to
trust their mail to Corporate America. It should be a hands of trained
postal employees who are sworn to uphold the sanctity of a mail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: The postal counters inside Staple stores are less secure
than public offices and are staffed with low wage Staples employees. The
American Postal Workers Union which represents 220,000 postal employees is
working to stop this from happening.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK DIMONDSTEIN, APWU PRESIDENT: Staples is after more money.
They`re getting discounted post up these products. They want more people
in their stores. And if they`re not going to staff them with postal
employees then we want to take people out of their stores. It`s about as
simple as that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Well, paying union job is definitely under attack. Earlier
this month, Staples revealed its planning to close 225 stores across the
country over the next two years. 40 locations closed last year and 40
other stores were down sized. The deal would put the post office at the
mercy of Staples bottom line.

The American Postal Workers Union is planning protest from coast to
coast on April 24th. And their president joins me tonight, Mark
Dimondstein, who was the President of the Postal Workers Union. Mr.
Dimonstein, good to have you with us tonight. Most of the deal .

MARK DIMONDSTEIN, APWU PRESIDENT: Thanks Ed.

SCHULTZ: Most of the deal was kept secret. And the United States
Postal Service was forced to turn over documents about the deal after a
hearing before the National Labor Relations Board. What were they hiding?

DIMONDSTEIN: Well, what they`re basically hiding Ed, is that they`re
really not doing this deal to enhance services to the people in this
country, which we are for as the American Postal Workers Union. What the
documents reflected is that they`re really putting these postal units in
Staples to lower wages. And that`s what their document said. It`s a
smoking gun document.

They ordered (ph) the documents also showed that they`re discounting
the product to Staples so that Staples can make a profit. We don`t have
the documents .

SCHULTZ: OK.

DIMONDSTEIN: . on how much, because they`re crossed out and so on and
so forth. We`re working on getting those. But both of those things are in
the Postal Service documents that they provide at the court.

SCHULTZ: All right. The Postal Service released a statement tonight
saying that, "The Retail Partner Expansion Program with Staples is not
intended to replace any of the 33,000 traditional post offices or the
valued employees that work in them, rather the program is an opportunity to
grow the business and has never been an earmark to pave a way to
privatization." Do you believe that?

DIMONDSTEIN: Not at all. This is a path to privatizing the retail
services that people need and used everyday and the postal services own
documents contradicted that statement that you`ve just read.

SCHULTZ: OK.

DIMONDSTEIN: Now we`re having this .

SCHULTZ: What are the biggest .

DIMONDSTEIN: I`m sorry, go.

SCHULTZ: . risks here? What are the biggest risks here?

DIMONDSTEIN: Well, the biggest underlying risks, well, there`s two --
it`s a three. There`s a transfer of good living wage jobs to low wage
jobs. The people themselves are getting service provided by employees,
other than postal employees, who were not fully trained, not accountable to
the people to this country. And the biggest underlying danger is that we
can have vibrant public postal services if decisions on where -- and if
people get these services are made by somebody, by people and entities as
to whether they can make a quick buck.

So, those are three dangers right there.

SCHULTZ: And it is a slippery slope. We will follow your story in
your protest coming up later on in the month. Mark Dimondstein .

DIMONDSTEIN: If anybody is interested, they can come to
StopStaples.com for more information.

SCHULTZ: All right. StopStaples.com.

DIMONDSTEIN: Thank you.

SCHULTZ: Thank you Mark. I appreciate your time tonight. That`s the
Ed Show. I`m Ed Schultz.

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