The Ed Show for Tuesday, June 25, 2014

THE ED SHOW
June 24, 2014

Guest: John Garamendi, Scott Paul, Tiernan Sittenfeld, Gyasi Ross, Michael
Eric Dyson

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP):

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The senator didn`t deliver his pro free trade pitch in
this country where millions of jobs have been lost as a result of those
agreements.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Bush is expected to announce whether or not
he will impose tariffs on steel imports.

BARACK OBAMA, 44TH AND CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I didn`t
just start criticizing unfair trade deals like NAFTA because I started
running for president

GEORGE W. BUSH, 43RD AND FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I made up my
mind about the importance of trade and investment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ED SCHULTZ, MSNBC HOST: Good to have you with us tonight folks. Thanks
for watching.

What`s important to you and your family? Faith, relatives, family, how
about a job, is that important to you? If somebody came to you and said,
"You know what? This thing really isn`t working out too good." you
probably are not going to be around very long.

There`s a few market forces out there that are forcing this change and it`s
pretty gut-wrenching, isn`t it? And then you worry about what`s going to
happen. Now, what I`m going to do? And I`m not here to say that everyone
in America should not go through a career change. No, no, no. But when
the country allows it to happen at a mass level, I think we ought to do
something about it especially when it goes to the security, a national
security issue. It`s all tide up in the steel industry.

I want to begin tonight with this picture right here. This comes from a
town that doesn`t get much coverage, if any. Virginia, Minnesota.

There`s a place in Northern Minnesota that`s called the Iron Range. They
have iron ore up there. They have for generations. In fact, my college
room mate was from Chisholm, Minnesota but when I went up there yesterday
it was like old home week. This is where video is from. It`s a hardy
community. If you can get a job and work in the mines for 25, 35 years you
can have a great middle class life. You can have that home. You can have
that new truck every now and then. You might even be able to get a small
fishing boat. Your family is going to have insurance. You`re going to
have a retirement to look forward to.

That`s all these people are looking for right now. They`re not asking for
a handout. These are the hardest workers you`ll find in America. You
know, this guy just got off work. He`s got the hard hat on. He just got
out of the mines and he was going to go to this rally to see if he could be
a part of something to get the attention of lawmakers that they will do
something about the illegal dumping of steel in America which is gutting
our infrastructure.

I don`t know why everybody media person who has a platform isn`t talking
about this because, you know what? This is something we can all agree on.
This isn`t left. This isn`t right. This isn`t conservative. This isn`t
liberal. This isn`t Republican. This isn`t Democrat. This is American.
This is a real value. This is really important to the country. 1,500 iron
miners, they gathered along with the towns folks, they wanted to get
together and they want to tell Congress, "Can you do something in our
industry? Can you tell the Commerce Department that wherever we fall down
on the political spectrum, our jobs are at stake."

It`s about jobs. They don`t care about Benghazi. They don`t care about
the IRS. They care about, "Are they going to be able to make their house
payment next month? Are they going to be able to get that truck that they
wanted? Are their kids going to be able to go soccer camp? Are they going
to be living on a shoe string budget from here on out?"

They`re not doing anything to cause this strife in their industry. They`re
gathering to push Congress to protect their jobs, their livelihood. This
is a rally that no American should have or have to attend but because of
global economy and the pressures that are out there, things like this are
propping up all over the country. In this industry, I think it`s doubly
important.

Cheap Asian steel and that is exactly what it is. It`s cheap in price.
It`s cheap in quality. It`s cheap in the people who are producing it and
it sucks. Cheap Asian steel is being dumped on the American market which
has these people up at night wondering, what`s going to happen to them.

Have I said anything in this opening that has offended a conservative?
Have I said anything that`s offended a Republican representative? Putting
jobs on the Iron Range in Minnesota at risk is a wrong direction for the
security of this country. These workers have a simple solution. They want
-- oh, here comes the bad guy. They want the federal government to impose
tariffs on imported steel because of the ripple effect in the economy and
because the countries that we have done deals with, they`re cheating. They
cheat. They`re cheap cheating. They ain`t going to stop cheating. And
now, it`s come home to the kitchen table.

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. He`s on the right side of the issue. He spoke
at the event yesterday in Virginia, Minnesota. He made clear that foreign
countries are to blame for the struggling steel market.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP):

GOV. MARK DAYTON, (D) MINNESOTA: Today`s enemies are not the companies,
it`s the countries, who dump their steel on the U.S. to press your prices
and take away your jobs. It`s essential that our U.S. government standup
for American workers and enforce fair trade practices. Keep the playing
field level taconite will not only compete, it will win. Why? Because we
had the best workforce in the world. We have you.

(END VIDEO CLIP):

SCHULTZ: What the Gov. Mark Dayton from Minnesota say in that sound bite
that any Republican could take issue with or any conservative, or any free
trader, it`s about competition. You know, the conservatives love to talk
about American exceptionalism, "Competition. We love a fight. We want to
be the best. No one`s better than our kids." Who could argue with what he
said? The governor is spot on. If we make things in America, jobs will
stay in America. Who couldn`t be for that?

The Iron range in Minnesota has been plagued by plant shutdowns and
bankruptcies for more than a decade imposed by foreign forces. No question
about it. Foreign pressures. The entire United States steel industry is
struggling because of inaction in Washington. The numbers don`t lie. When
steel imports rise we lose jobs. The green line here is steel imports into
the United States. Look at that, huh? We`re on the wrong side of that
issue. The red line is employment by United States steel industry.

This chart should be really as clear as day for anybody who`s making a
decision in Congress and they have the ability to act. Some members of
Congress aren`t taking action. Last month, 57 senators sent a letter to
the United States Department of Commerce urging them to take action against
cheap steel imports and the deadline is July 11th. That`s right. That`s
the deadline. That`s how much time between now and June 24th and July 11th
that your government can actually do something to protect an entire
industry and the American steel workers and all of these folks up in
Northern Minnesota that have just known what they`ve known for decades.

A few Republicans did sign the letter. I`ll show you their pictures a
little bit later on. But the majority were Democrats and there were some
Democrats that did not sign on and we`re making phone calls asking why.
One big name missing was Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Now, this guy
actually supports the repeal of steel tariffs. Now, maybe he shifted but
back in 2003, he wrote a letter saying that, "I commend the president for
determining that the steel tariffs imposed by the United States against our
major trading partners in March of 2002 have done more to hurt American
consumers and producers than help them."

Do things ever change? Let me get this right. McCain is wasting his time
around Washington calling for air strikes in Iraq but he wants to do it
with cheap Asian steel. I think the question begs, does John McCain want
to build his military arsenal with foreign steel? You don`t think it`s a
national security issue? You`re wrong. It`s time for John McCain to stop
calling for military action in Iraq and at least advocate from where the
hell we can get the best steel on the face of the earth with those guys
that wore those hard hats that are Americans.

Any senator who didn`t sign that letter needs to look at this chart.
Charts are informative. Charts can make you think about stuff. Charts
give you something to think about. We`re losing jobs to imports. It
doesn`t have to be that way because there are legalities, there are rules
within the trade agreements that the United States Commerce Department
could legally act on that would force the other countries to be honest
brokers. But instead, our guys have to file petitions, and file
complaints, it takes months on and sometimes years to get a reaction with
our trade agreements because our Congress drags its feet.

More importantly, here we go. President Obama, you need to get off your
ass. Dude, you went around the country talking about the middle class.
Show me the picture of these folks again. Show me the picture of these
people in Northern Minnesota. What have they done wrong that would have
inaction from our president, from our Congress. These guys are just off
work. I think I`m going to go to this rally to see what`s going on. These
are the people that elected the president of the United States. This is,
uh-oh, here comes the heresy, this is democratic territory so to speak.

I`m tying to find some common ground between these folks, and
conservatives, and Republicans to find out what is it that you have against
these hardworking people that only want their country to treat them fairly
in their trade agreement? Because right now our politicians think more of
the Asian workers than they do the American workers and if you think that`s
bigger than Benghazi, I`m biting my tongue because I want to swear. You`re
wrong.

Nothing`s more important than the security of an American industry that
help build this country to its greatness, and now we`re watching the
profiteers tear it down, and we sit here silent. We sit here listening to
generic talk from politicians who want a job? What about their job? Obama
needs to speak out on this tonight. I`m not talking about campaign stuff.
I`m talking about the president of the United States needs to sit down in
the oval office and write a letter to Congress saying, "I`m urging all of
you to support me in this that we need to level the playing field for our
workers on trade agreements and we`re going to save our industry."

Mr. Obama, is that hard? Is that in your gut, your heart, your soul? I
think I can say that I`ve defended the president probably as good as
anybody on any network anywhere to the point of being called a prostitute
for it. The president is asleep at the wheel.

I was in this crowd yesterday, I know what they think, I know what they
want and it`s serious business. This -- it`s unbelievable how the
president has been silent on cheap steel imports while he`s out shopping
bad trade deals like the Trans Pacific Partnership. Well, here`s more the
same American workers. There`s a trickle-down effect. He can talk about
the paper industry. He can talk about the automobile industry. Pick it,
pick it, but this is the one that really counts. This is bridges, roads,
schools, infrastructure, military armament.

57 Republicans, 57 senators signed on, 14 of those are Republicans and here
they are, to their credit. If there`s ever a guy I got issues with, it`s
this guy right here, Graham, but he signed the letter to his credit. He
signed the letter. So did Vitter, so did Inhofe, so did Portman, Portman
comes from a big union state in Ohio. The rest of them don`t. I don`t
know if that has anything to do with it. This has nothing to do with
unions. This has something to do about whether we think it`s important for
this country to be able to produce steel so we are not put in a vulnerable
position.

Is there any conservative broadcaster out there that would say that I`m
wrong about this because I know I`m not? And their group may. Richard
Shelby from Alabama agrees with it. Then Cochran from Mississippi,
Grassley from Iowa, Wicker from Mississippi, you got Coburn from Oklahoma.
Something`s brewing here, don`t you think? I mean when was last time we
had this many Republicans sign on to something to protect workers?

Get your cellphones out. I want to know what you think tonight`s question.
"Do you think this is something Congressional members should agree on?"
Text A for yes, text B for no to 67622, you can always go to our blog at
ed.msnbc.com and leave a comment. I`d appreciate it. We`ll bring you the
results later on the show.

For more, let me bring in John Garamendi from California who has spear-
headed the effort along with some others in Congress on the House side to
keep it made in America. There were a lot of those stickers there
yesterday, Congressman .

REP. JOHN CARAMENDI, (D) CALIFORNIA CONGRESSMAN: Sure.

SCHULTZ: . make it in America. Why is this such a heavy political lift?

GARAMENDI: I don`t understand. I really don`t understand, Ed. The fact
that you`re mad as hell is so very important and even more important to
those workers out there. The men and women across America that have seen
their jobs shift to overseas as American capitalist simply moved out of the
United States. And now, their situation with the cheap steel coming back,
it`s not just steel, it`s tires, it`s rare earth, you know, many, many
inconsistencies in our policies. And you`re right. The president needs to
act. Let me give an example, Ed.

The brand new San Francisco Bay bridge, a beautiful bridge. It was built
with Chinese steel, 6,000 Chinese got a job, zero Americans and by the way,
it cost over half a billion dollars more because of all the bad mistakes
that were made by that steel mill and the Chinese welders. We need to make
it in America. We need to spend American taxpayer money on American jobs
and American steel cars, all of those things and the public should be met.
And there`s something we can do about it. It`s right here. It`s in the
halls of Congress.

There are opportunities today to rebuild the American ship building
industry. A bill that it`ll be up on the floor any moment now for a vote
sending our LNG on natural gas overseas to the expense of American energy
prices, not a good idea but by God if we`re going to do it, Ed, it out to
be an American built ships with American sailors on those ships.

SCHULTZ: Amen to that.

GARAMENDI: We can do these things. We can do it, Ed.

SCHULTZ: We can. We can. And now, Congressman, is it your understanding
that the president can direct the Commerce Department to do what these
people in this crowd are asking them to do? Now, this was a culmination of
rallies around the country. There have been numerous rallies around the
country. Yesterday was the last one before the Commerce Department were to
make a decision. What`s holding up the president? How do you understand
this unfolding?

GARAMENDI: Well, it can be done. In fact, it was a united steel workers
that brought the case to the Commerce Department, has gone through all the
hearings. China was found to be guilty of dumping steel and therefore they
are subject to a tariff. It can be done. All it needs is the Commerce
Department and the president to sign off and it`s done. And we`re giving
our steel industry, our steel workers a chance. We need to do that, Ed,
and it ought to be done certainly before the deadline. We can`t miss this
one.

SCHULTZ: Congressman John Garamendi, I appreciate your time tonight.
Thanks you so much. Great work on .

GARAMENDI: Good work, Ed.

SCHULTZ: . keep it in America. I appreciate it so much.

Let me bring in Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American
Manufacturing who was at this rally yesterday in Virginia, Minnesota.
Scott, how big a deal is this for the people in that range? I mean the
ripple effect in that part of the country. It would be almost like a
depression if this goes the way that it could go.

SCOTT PAUL, ALLIANCE FOR AMERICAN MANUFACTURE, PRESIDENT: Ed, you`re
right. We saw thousands of faces of workers there whose livelihood
everyday depends on them doing a good job but also making sure that they
have a level playing field and can compete on a fair basis against the
firms from other countries. But even more than that and we heard a lot of
this, Ed, was the effect this has on the town, you know, because of those
workers pay checks and the -- in the grocery store, in the flower shop, in
the tavern paying for the local schools.

And we know, Ed, when those middle class mining and manufacturing jobs
disappear, we don`t suddenly or magically get better jobs. We hollow out
the middle class. This is certainly one of the drivers behind inequality
that we`ve seen in the United States. The gap between the rich and the
poor and looking at declining incomes among middle class households and
it`s by no fault of their own. They`re skilled workers. They make a great
product but you can`t compete against unfair trade practices from other
countries that`s why you need the president.

SCHULTZ: And that is not a level playing field. That is what the American
folks have got to realize here that there`s not steel mills in every
backyard in America, in every town, there`s not iron ore all over the
country, the fact is that where they are has plenty of support. Now, if
there was a tariff imposed, what impact would it have under the current
trade agreements and the United States has some legal action it can take to
protect our industry? Number one, why aren`t they doing it and what would
the tariff do?

PAUL: Yes, a tariff would be hugely beneficial to the industry and we`ve
seen this in the past when tariffs have been put in place as Congressman
Garamendi who was a great champion on this suggested on China. We saw
those imports from China diminish, we saw opportunities open up in the
United States, the same thing happened with tires and same thing even
happened more than a decade ago, Ed, when you referred that President Bush
came in and actually applied some tariffs .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

PAUL: . on imported steel. The industry got back on its feet. So it can
be successful. My concern about the trade laws is you have to wait until
you show injury and we`ve already seen a factory shutdown in Keyesport,
Pennsylvania .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

PAUL: . in Belleville, Texas, Lorain, Ohio we`ve seen layoffs. We
shouldn`t have to show that kind of harm before our government goes to bat
for us. All we want is a fair deal .

SCHULTZ: Fair. Absolutely.

PAUL: . a level playing field, and less suprocity, Ed, that`s what we`re
asking here.

SCHULTZ: Scott Paul, good to have you with us tonight. I`m going to have
more on this tomorrow night. I`m not done with this story. We shouldn`t
be done with this story. We need to get Congress to act, we need every --
why not 100 senators? Why not 100 senators asking the Commerce Department
to do its job to protect a very vital industry in this country?

Coming up, John Doe denial, conservatives jumped to Scott Walker`s defense.

Trenders is next. We`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: What`s hot and what`s not, what`s happenning? Time now for
Trenders Social Media. This is where you can hook up with the Ed team.
First of all, you can get my podcast at wegoted.com, rawstory.com and
ringoffireradio.com and also hook up with us on the social media. Do that.

The Ed Show Social Media Nation has decided and we are reporting. Here are
today`s top Trenders voted on by you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, let me pass.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The number three Trender, bridge and tunnel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A second bridge investigation linked to New Jersey
Governor Chris Christie is underway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does a work of artful fiction that is now being
investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chris Christie finds himself in more traffic trouble.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, according to the New York Times, Christie
administration wanted the Port Authority to pay for its major repairs to
the Pulaski Skyway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There it is. The bridge of death.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Christie, after killing a Hudson River Tunnel Project
decided to spend $1.8 billion of the tunnel money on repairs to the skyway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He raided the Port Authority.

SCHULTZ: The number two Trender, ballot battles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two-long time member of the Congress are fighting to
keep their job.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`re on Mr. Popular.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were seeing a little bit of anti incumbent way that
.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two elder statesmen battle to keep their seats in
Congress.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`ve been watching whether or not incumbent Thad
Cochran could wind up losing to State Senator Chris McDaniel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s unfortunately 100 votes separated McDaniel and
Cochran in the private.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The people of the country have finally wakened up
again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will the alliance of (inaudible) will be able to
survive his last campaign?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that we will win and we will win competently.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rangel only beat Espaillat by about 1,000 votes last
time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m very confident that I`ve done my job and I`ve done
it well. And it`s now in the hands of the vote.

SCHULTZ: And today`s top Trender, Scott guard.

If Scott Walker ever thought he had a shoot at the White House, he can
forget about it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Prosecutors in the John Doe investigation alleged that
you are the center of a criminal scheme, are you?

GOV. SCOTT WALKER, (R) WISCONSIN: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s no doubt in my mind that the governor is
involved and is right in the center of this stuff.

SCHULTZ: Conservatives circled the wagons in support of Scott Walker.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unconstitutional scheme on the part of the prosecutors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they had been abridging the right to free
speech.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Christie says the attack against Walker are coming
from his political opponent because he is trying to bring chain to the
state.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It really was a political witch hunt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Joining me tonight, Ruth Conniff, editor of the Progressive
Magazine of Wisconsin. Good to have you with us tonight, Ruth.

I want to go right to what Senator Johnson is now saying to the media and
in several interviews that this is unconstitutional witch hunt that`s
taking place going after Scott Walker. What part of the constitution is he
talking about? He doesn`t -- explain that.

RUTH CONNIFF, THE PROGRESSIVE MAGAZINE: Well, I think it`s really
important actually looking at what Ron Johnson is saying.

What he is saying is that states like Wisconsin that have regulated
campaign finance for 100 years that that shouldn`t be the case, that this
should be illegal under the U.S. constitution there should be no such thing
as campaign finance regulations. There should be unlimited, undisclosed,
dark money flowing into states to influence election. And it`s not a
politically popular position but it is the position of the club for growth
and the Wall Street Journal and that`s why they`re so ginned up about
what`s happening in Wisconsin

SCHULTZ: So, why are Republicans like Johnson and also Governor Chris
Christie of New Jersey jumping into support of walker?

CONNIFF: Well, Christie is probably the ally that Walker does not really
want to hear from right now. I don`t know that he`s doing Walker any
political favors by weighing in.

But, you know, this is a really big deal. Basically, Walker was caught in
his own words talking to Karl Rove and placing himself at the center of
what the Republican prosecutor Friechman (ph) describes as a criminal
scheme in Wisconsin to coordinate between this big money outside groups in
the campaign. And what that means is if that is allowed to happened, what
it means is that there can be no regulation whatsoever big money coming
into elections. And as you know, Ed, and you`ve covered this, we`ve seen
some really big out of state money coming into Wisconsin.

We`ve seen them flip a little school board raise in Kenosha We`ve seen
them go after iron county board members whose entire campaign (inaudible)
with a few roles of stamps, you know. So if these folks, the Koch
brothers, Americans for Prosperity, Club for Growth can come in and
coordinate, spend any kind of money they want they don`t have to disclose
who their donors are.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

CONNIFF: There really is no chance anymore to set limits on the amount of
money in elections or who`s really buying this election.

SCHULTZ: So Walker is saying that this is over. Johnson is saying its
unconstitutional move by the prosecutors. And Chris Christie is saying
that he`s got full confidence in his buddy Scott Walker. Republicans are
sticking with Walker as all this information comes out, where do you think
the voters are? Is this hurting Walker`s credibility? He`s running
around, telling everybody, "Oh, it`s over with. It`s over. This is old
news. These are documents that were dumped out. It`s old stuff." Is that
going to work in Wisconsin?

CONNIFF: No. I don`t think -- I mean PolitiFact rated as false, PolitiFact
which often seems to my view that`s totally conservative. You know, when
Walker says it`s over, the case is closed, the investigation is over. If
you read the newspaper, you know that that`s not true. There was a
preliminary injunction by a judge, a federal judge who is the only judge in
Wisconsin who`s a frequent flier to Koch brothers funded judicial junkets.
You know, he`s an ally, he wrote a very bizarre opinion in which he
compared campaign finance generally to the guillotine. You know, he`s
against the idea of any kind of regulation of money in elections. That`s
now being reviewed by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Judge Randa ordered the destruction of the evidence in this case.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

CONNIFF: The Seventh Circuit very quickly put the (inaudible) that don`t
destroy the evidence, they told the prosecutors. They`re still reviewing
the case. The investigation is on-hold but may indeed go forward. There`s
no sense that they`re going to necessarily win. In fact, there`s a very
large legal opinion in Wisconsin that Judge Randa is going to be overturned
by the Seventh Circuit, he`s got a very creative opinion going. And then
you`ve got this big national groups hoping that Wisconsin is a test case
for overthrowing campaign finance altogether.

SCHULTZ: So just to wrap this all up, you have got a judge saying, "Go and
destroy and evidence." But the conservatives in Washington are all been
out of shape about some missing e-mails at the IRS, isn`t it funny?

Ruth Conniff, good to have you with us tonight. Thank you so much.

Still ahead, the risky business of climate change denial, the Rapid
Response Panel weighs in on that.

Plus, the conservative effort to shape Detroit, the city of Detroit, into
their privatized utopia has left thousands of residents without running
water. The basics, you know. Now, activists are calling to the United
Nations for help. That`s in America by the way.

I`m taking your questions next, Ask Ed Live coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. Appreciate the questions. We`ve
only got time for one tonight in our Ask Ed Live segment. Our question
comes from Marilyn. She wants to know, "Do you think impeaching the first
black President will work out in the Republicans favor in the history
books?"

Well, one year at a time, you know, this seems to be the popular thing to
do at Republican state inventions now is put an amendment out there for
everybody to vote on, to put a part of the platform that we want to impeach
President Obama.

It`s an opportunity as what it is. It`s an opportunity for the opposition
to ask all of the state leaders in whatever state it happens such as South
Dakota over this past weekend. Ask John Thune, the senator from South
Dakota, if he is in favor of impeaching President Obama. You mean he
doesn`t stand with his party? I think it`s a real political opportunity.
And how it`s going to workout form? Oh, I think it`s well-documented, the
abstractions.

Stick around, Rapid Response Panel is next.

BERTHA COOMBS, CNBC CORRESPONDENT: I`m Bertha Coombs at your CNBC Market
Wrap.

Stocks close lower across the board and it`s on worries about Iraq. Dow
tumbling over a hundred points, the S and P 500 was off 12 while the Nasdaq
falling 18. Consumer confidence gained grab (ph) this month rising to its
highest level since the start of 2008.

Meantime, new home sales jump more than 18 percent last month to 60 or high
and it seems home prices are up 2 year over year. They`re up there at 10.8
percent according to S and P Case-Shiller.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. Republicans refused to take
meaningful action against climate change. Some Republicans continue to
deny climate change even exists.

The so called party of business might want to rethink their position as of
late (ph) because according to a bipartisan, bipartisan study released
today their refusal to act could end up causing the United States economy
billions of dollars in lost property, crops, and labor productivity.

Now, according to a study commissioned by the risky business project, by
2050 between $66 and $106 billion worth of existing coastal property will
likely be below sea level nationwide, with $238 to $507 billion worth of
property below sea level by the year 2100.

Rising temperatures particularly in the South, Southwest and Midwest could
reduce labor productivity about the workers by as much as 3 percent. By
the end of the century, some states risk up to a 50 to 70 percent loss in
average annual crop yields for like corn, soy, cotton and wheat.

Bottom line, the cost of inaction could be catastrophic. The truth is, it
doesn`t seem like Republicans care. If the President Obama announced new
EPA regulations to cut carbon emissions, Senior House Republicans hinted
that they would be willing to use appropriation bills necessary to keep our
government open in order to block its implementation of this EPA regs.

Well, that`s right, Republicans. They are so short-sighted. They would
rather risk another government shutdown and protect the environment and go
against the science and of course injure our economy again. The shutdown,
the last time cost $25 billion.

Joining me tonight on the Rapid Response Panel, Gyasi Ross who was the
Author of "How to Say I Love You in Indian." And also, Tiernan Sittenfeld
who was the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the League of
Conservation Voters. Great to have both of you with us tonight.

The science is overwhelming, but the denial is I think equal at this point.
Now according to a poll conducted by the Heart Research and distributed by
the League of Conservation Voters, your organization Tiernan, the majority
of Americans support these new EPA regulations. So how do Republicans
justify any attempts to block the regulations and go against the will of
the people yet again?

TIERNAN SITTENFELD, LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS: That`s absolutely right
Ed. Thanks for your attention. That is very important issue. Thanks for
highlighting this poll which shows that about two-thirds of the American
people overwhelmingly support the ability for the scientists at the
Environmental Protection Agency to protect public health by cutting carbon
pollution under the Clean Act. That`s more than twice the number that
oppose it.

So it really is it baffling and really dismaying that we still have so many
Republicans serving in a Congress who actually denied the basic science of
climate change. There are more than a hundred climate change deniers
serving in the Congress today. That`s absolutely unacceptable especially
when we contrast that with a really concerning findings by this bipartisan
report risky business that were really of course -- we find that
information very sobering, but command the authors and especially Michael
Bloomberg, Hank Paulson, and Tom Steyer for putting forward. It is very
important information from a business perspective.

SCHULTZ: Well, from a business perspective, these are important people
that have a got a lot of experience in money, I might add. The project
that was chaired by Hedge Fund Manager Tom Steyer, Former U.S Chartered
Secretary Hank Paulson, and Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as
you said now. These are people who understand business. What are the
Republicans missing here Mr. Ross?

And there`s also the human cost here too. This would really impact a lot
of different cultures across the board of this country if we don`t do
something.

GYASI ROSS, AUTHOR AND ATTORNEY: Yeah, you know, the report itself is
indicative of the anti-science notion and trajectory of the Republican
Party. It`s scary because it sort of like the previous studies that show
that Big Macs, McDonald`s Big Macs lead to obesity. Well, yeah, we kind to
already know this, however, we have to keep on proving and proving up these
numbers that ultimately has a very unwelcoming audience.

To those people who still need proof of climate change, those people no
proof is going to be strong enough. So as evidence Ed, as you talked
about, this report was very great and I appreciate it, but there`s already.
I t spoke speculatively about damage, economic damage that is going to
happen as a result of the climate change. But there`s already damage
that`s happening.

For example, my father is a subsistence fisherman and there`s already been
a palpable and traceable change in the amount of fish, also the
vulnerability to parasites and bacteria that`s come as a result of warmer
temperatures in the water. So that change, that economic change is already
happening in many respects.

SCHULTZ: That ecological changes I think is what you`re talking about and
you`re exactly right. The fisheries have been hit really hard. We`re
seeing all kinds of things happening with the ocean because of climate
change. What should be .

ROSS: You know, absolute.

SCHULTZ: Yeah, go ahead.

ROSS: Ed, just -- no, absolutely, but it is economic change because it has
changed the economics of a whole group of people -- of native people who
rely upon subsistence fishing for their very livelihood.

SCHULTZ: Tiernan, do you think tying the environment to the economy is the
only way that Republicans or should I say the deniers are going to wake up
to this?

SITTENFELD: We still hope that the deniers are going to wake up to the
urgent need to take action on climate change and we have long known that
climate change is causing devastation to the environment as we`ve just been
discussing.

I think what is so significant about this report and the people who are,
you know, who are releasing it is that -- it really is coming from people
who have a long time expertise in the economy, in business, in running
cities and they are talking about the devastating impacts. We`re already
seeing it whether it`s more extreme droughts like we`ve been experiencing
in California or .

SCHULTZ: Storms -- yeah.

SITTENFELD: . more extreme storms -- exactly, more heat waves. That is
only going to get so, so much worst. And so, I think what is encouraging
is that although this is definitely very disturbing information that there
are solutions at our disposal and we`re really encouraged too that
President Obama is taking such leadership on this issue especially with his
climate action plans and his effort to cut carbon pollution from coal
burning power plant.

SCHULTZ: And that`s what it is. I mean, everybody is going to have to
serve something up in every industry to reverse this including coal and
oil. We got to do more sun. We`ve got to do more solar and more wind.

Mr. Ross, I want you to go back to your dad for just a moment.

ROSS: Yeah, I love it.

SCHLUTZ: What is his reaction? I would imagine he`s a man of years, he`s
a hard worker, anybody that`s in that industry works with their hands and
depends on things being protected, what does he say?

ROSS: You know, it`s interesting, this kind of report. He`s actually a
pretty worldly guy. I come from not formally educated family but a family
that pays attention to the news. And they are -- they`re validated in a
way and affirmed in a way by all of these studies because it shows that
what, you know, that takes these three dice and, you know, millions of
dollars and a whole bunch or research to prove what our ancestors have
known for a long time. That is that you can`t have unmitigated consumption
without reduction.

And so, he sees these as a possibly a good move toward conservation. His
life is the fish, salmon .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

ROSS: . and ultimately hopefully that ends up, you know, that the salmon
are going to be an analogy for the larger environment and economy.

SCHULTZ: Alright. Gyasi Ross and also Tiernan Sittenfeld, great to have
you with us tonight. I appreciate your time.

Coming up .

SITTENFELD: Thanks so much.

SCHULTZ: . Duck Dynasty doubled down Phil Robertson, lands in Pretenders
tonight and that is next. We are right back at the Ed Show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: And in Pretenders tonight, Lame duck, Phil Robertson. Duck
Dynasty is dropping in the ratings, but Robertson won`t drop his twisted
views and that`s what they are. The shows patriarch defended his
homophobia at a music festival. Robertson says he`s actually a nice man
who was just trying to turn those poor souls to Jesus. The self-proclaimed
nice man also doubled down on his support for teen brides.

According to a Birmingham news reporter, Robertson says 20 is too old for
marriage. Robertson concluded his appearance with the plea. Vote the
ungodly presence out of Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL ROBERTSON, ACTOR: Hey Alabama, whatever you do, whatever you do, go
reach to the vote especially on this next presidential election. Let`s to
the vote and you ought to risk to call (ph) a House in the city too. Get
your tail (ph) down there and vote this ungodly (inaudible) to Washington
(inaudible).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: And we all know there`s no sin in any of those music festival
crowds. Robertson has run out of sense but keeps running his mouth. If
Phil Robertson believes his views are go are (inaudible).

(COMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. This is the story for the folks who
take a shower after work. That`s if the water is turned on.

Republican leadership is reducing the city of Detroit to the likes of a
third world country. The Detroit Water and Sewage Department shut off
running water to thousands of residents whose bills were not paid. Many
people affected by the shutoffs were given no warning. Families have been
left out without functioning toilets. Children can`t take baths, and
parents, they`re not even able to cook because there not running of water.

Unemployment rates are on a record high and the poverty rate is at about 40
percent in Detroit. Water bills are unaffordable to a significant portion
of population. This is not a new problem. Over the last decade, Detroit
residents have seen water rates rise by a 119 percent. Earlier this week,
city lawmakers voted to raise water rates by another 8.7 percent. That`s
calling not being able to get blood out of Iraq.

After Detroit declared bankruptcy in the summer of 2013, Kevyn Orr was
appointed Detroit`s emergency manager or he`s been taking steps to
privatize the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. A group of concerned
organizations have submitted a report, get this to the United Nations, not
congress, the United Nations urging authorities to take immediate action by
restoring just the basics, water services and stop further cutoffs.

The report says the Detroit people`s water board fears that authorities see
people`s unpaid water bills as a bad debt and want to sweeten the pot for a
private investor by imposing even more of the costs on the system on those
least able to bear them.

This is not just an argument about the problems of privatization, that`s
really is a massive human rights issue as I see it.

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, MSNBC Political Analyst and also professor at
George Town University with us tonight. Professor your thoughts, your
opinion, what is this?

DR. MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYIST: This is a human rights
crisis. You know I`m a native of Detroit and this is a remarkable
repudiation of democracy yet again. They are charging nearly double what
the average rate of charges for anybody who is consuming water in this
country, 75 bucks a month compared to $40 for most other places. They
tried to fuse the Detroit water system with the surrounding counties, but
the surrounding counties bumped (ph) on it because it said they would
settle them with too much debt.

So again, Detroit is being absorbed by these collar counties. They take
from Detroit but they don`t give back. And then the very people who are
responsible for providing for these citizens have now abdicated to the
powers that be in the deep (ph) pockets out there that want to impress a
potential (ph) investor though they claim that`s not the case instead of
providing service for those who are already under assault. As you grimly
pointed out, the unemployment rate there has escalated. Detroiters are
already without and to cut of water off at this particular point is to
punish them even further, Ed.

SCHULTZ: So, what`s the solution here? I mean, do you see the United
Nations is doing something about an American City?

DYSON: Unfortunately not thought I understand why they did so. Remember
Dr. Maya Angelou who died recently joined with Malcom X to bring the United
States before the United Nations over certain human rights issues. This
will not, I think, if you will meet the standard that the United Nations
puts for as a human right crisis, but we know what is because the right to
water and some of the advocates have suggested is the fundamental one.

SCHULTZ: Now, do you think .

DYSON: It will have to embarrass Detroit as what will happen on them.

SCHULTZ: Do you think this people are revolting in a sense that they could
pay the water bill but they don`t want to do it because they know what`s
going on. Is there any of that?

DYSON: Well, I`m sure there`s some of that, but half of the people, you
know -- look, the people who owe, you know, the ones who are behind, some
of them are facing unemployment. Some of them facing extraordinary
economic crisis on the other hand and they also know what`s going on in
terms of the bidding for a private investor in their water system. So,
it`s a bunch of problems at the same time. And the bottom line is this is
nearly a reflection of the deep financial economic and I think it`s moral
crisis that is that the heart of what`s going on Detroit.

SCHULTZ: I`ll tell you what, if this is an opportunity or a scheme to get
somebody with big box to come in and take this as when it comes to
privatization, I mean, that is about as nasty as it gets in America. Think
about this .

DYSON: (Inaudible)

SCHULTZ: In Detroit, the rich tradition of that state, that city of what
it did for this country and they can`t even turn on the water.

DYSON: That is correct.

SCHULTZ: To me that`s mind boggling.

DYSON: To me, it`s just mind boggling.

SCHULTZ: And again, I think that is a nation crisis that needs to be
addressed. Yes. I think that federal government should pay the damn water
bill.

DYSON: How about that?

SCHULTZ: Michael Eric Dyson, good to have you with us tonight. And thank
you sir.

DYSON: Thank you so much.

SCHULTZ: That`s the Ed Show. I`m Ed Schultz. Politics Nation with
Reverend Al Sharpton starts right now. Good evening Rev.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY
BE UPDATED.
END

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