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The Ed Show for Monday, October 20th, 2014

Read the transcript to the Monday show

THE ED SHOW
October 20, 2014


Guest: Ruth Conniff, Ana Rivas Logan, Mike Papantonio, Bernie Sanders



(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY BURKE, (D-WI) GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Governor Walker is cherry
picking a lot of numbers.

GOV. SCOTT WALKER, (R) WISCONSIN: Putting your money your mouth is.

BURKE: Trying to distract from that failure on jobs.

ED SCHULTZ, MSNBC HOST: I think that Wisconsin is a microcosm of middle
class America

WALKER: Wisconsin is much better off than it was four years ago.

BURKE: I am really concern about the direction of Wisconsin is headed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fight in the governor`s race of course continues.

BURKE: Is discord was not who we`re in Wisconsin.

WALKER: Was has been my time largely ignoring my position.

Putting your money where your mount is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Good to have with us tonight folks thanks for watching. We start
with the closest gubernatorial race in the county, Wisconsin.

Today is the first the day of early voting in the Badger State. The latest
poll for the Marquette University has governor Scott Walker tied with Mary
Burke at 47 percent. I was in Wisconsin earlier today covering the story.
And the issues at stake in Wisconsin again revolve around the middle class.

There`s no magic to this stuff it`s about jobs, minimum wage, voter I.D.,
public education the cuts that they`ve taken on, and Obamacare.

Now on Friday the candidates squared off in their last debate before the
election. Walker`s failed record on job creation took center stage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BURKE: The Journal Sentinel reviewed Governor Walker`s jobs plan and said
it`s more of the same. And frankly that`s just not going to get the job
done. It`s not going to move the needle, we have to be a lot more
aggressive about the investment that we have and what I`ve seen from
Governor Walker is he somehow believes he gives tax breaks to those at the
top and special interest and it somehow creates jobs. I`m a business
person. I know how jobs get created.

WALKER: 8,400 new jobs are created the last month. That`s the best
September for private sector job creation in more than a decade. The
unemployment rates down to 5.5 percent. That`s the lowest we`ve seen since
October 28. And I think the voter should look, compare apples to apples.
The only time the last 25 years the unemployment rate in the state has been
worst was doing the -- three years my opponent was the secretary of
commerce.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Walker`s record on jobs, crystal clear. Wisconsin lags well
behind midwestern state in job growth at only 4 percent. Walker promised
that he would create 250,000 jobs, said that that was really going forward.
It was the high number. Well he`s fallen well short of that mark in just
100,000 jobs created in a country that overcame a recession and created
over 10 million jobs, that all Wisconsin has?

Then we have the other issues. Walker is against Obamacare, he doesn`t
think that there should be a minimum wage increase. He advocates for voter
suppression. Walkers voter I.D. law was so radical the Supreme Court said
that it should not be implemented before or the mid-term election. Even
after the ruling, Walker is still pushing the bogus law.

Not Republicans are trying to take matters into their own hands. On
Friday, Republican Election Commissioner Rick Bass warned a group of
volunteers to be "Concerned about voter fraud, and urged hundreds of
attendees to take an extra step of vigilance". He said "You as a Wisconsin
resident can challenge people who are not supposed to be voting. You`ve
got to do that."

Hold it right there, there is not one documented case of voter fraud in
Wisconsin. This is a manufactured story by the Republicans. Talk about
getting desperate your seeing it at the Badger State. Under Wisconsin law
here`s the key, any member of the public can challenge someone`s right to
vote under oath. Earlier this year Walker signed a law allowing poll
observers to get as close as three feet to a voter, you know, arms
distance, so almost getting their face.

Walker`s in trouble and his doing everything he can to save his job.
Earlier today I interviewed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke
in Madison. We talked about the issues, from voter I.D. to minimum wage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: It`s as tight as it gets.

BURKE: Yeah.

SCHULTZ: Have you enjoyed it?

BURKE: I have enjoyed it. It`s a great opportunity to talk a lot of
people throughout the state and I put more than 55,000 miles on Ford Escape
since getting into this. So, traveling to every part of the state talking
with people, and what I hear is people are really concerned, you know,
they`re working harder than every but they`re -- showing less for it.

And that we have seen here in Wisconsin that family incomes over the last
four years have actually dropped $3,000. And people feel that in their
lives, and they`re not feeling like they have that fair shot to get ahead
and whether it`s for them or whether it`s for their kids graduating from
high school and college not seen those opportunities. We need to change
that.

SCHULTZ: So when you go around Wisconsin that`s what you hear the economy?

BURKE: That is it but, other issues are tied into it as well obviously
education ties into the economy...

SCHULTZ: Sure

BURKE: ... because we need to make sure that people are getting the
skills, the education, the training that they need because and more and
more of the jobs require that. So if higher education is being priced out
for middle and working class families that`s a problem both for our
economy. But also it results from the disparities in education.

SCHULTZ: The voter I.D. law was one of the biggest stories as of late here
in Wisconsin. Had that have been upheld, would that been a lot tougher for
you to win?

BURKE: It certainly provided another hurdle and there`s no sense in making
300,000 more people potentially be affected by putting roadblocks in their
way to voting and having to get an I.D. on very, very sort notice. So I
think the U.S. Supreme Court did the right thing and said, you know, this
isn`t needed and it does present real hurdles to people voting.

SCHULTZ: And yet Governor Walker says that he thinks that it will be
upheld. What your reaction to that, what your response to that?

BURKE: Well, it -- I don`t think that the issue is really understood and
it sounds like it make sense, you know, present an I.D. But the fact is it
really touches a lot of people. I heard so many stories in the last couple
of months from seniors who live in assisted living facilities don`t have a
driver licenses, no longer drive. Don`t a lot of traveling and so they
don`t have I.D.s and so then the thought of how are they supposed to get to
the DMV, try to dig out the paper work that they need.

That is certainly a hurdle to tens of thousands if not hundreds of
thousands of people. And so, we have to make smart policy. We have to
obviously be able to fight for that right. But we shouldn`t have to fight
for it.

SCHULTZ: Are there documented cases of voter fraud in Wisconsin?

BURKE: No, I don`t think that they...

SCHULTZ: None.

BURKE: ... and then regarding impersonation that an I.D. would somehow
address, no. And meanwhile it puts roadblocks in front of 300,000 people
potentially.

SCHULTZ: And why do you think he hasn`t been able to create the jobs that
he promised?

BURKE: Just because he`s policies really are about focusing breaks at the
top and thinking this government get out of the way and jobs are created.
And the fact is jobs get created when people have the skills, the training,
the education to compete for those jobs when you have people starting their
own business and have access to capital to do that.

Small business growth and new businesses generate 70 percent of the new
jobs created. And Wisconsin under Governor Walker were bottom five in the
country and new businesses starter.

So you really have to look at all the different pieces and I`ve laid that
out in my invest for success jobs plan, people can go to my website at
burkeforwisconsin.com to check that out and it is based on my experience as
business person but also experts that I`ve talk to.

SCHULTZ: Let`s go back to early winner of 2011 right after the mid-term.
Thousands of people outside the capital there`s an attack on collective
bargaining.

BURKE: Yeah.

SCHULTZ: There`s attack on public sector workers, education cuts are on
the way.

BURKE: Yeah.

SCHULTZ: What were you thinking?

BURKE: That is the wrong direction for Wisconsin. That`s not who we are
and I`ve always felt that we`re really fair minded people. And if there
were budget issues that needed to be addressed, you know, those could have
been done at the negotiating table.

I think everyone could have put in and made sure that they were part of
finding a solution. Certainly Wisconsin was not -- unlike a lot of other
states around the country.

SCHULTZ: So this been heavy handed?

BURKE: Oh yes, very heavy handed. I mean the largest cuts to education in
the entire county on a per pupil basis, that`s not who we are in Wisconsin.
It`s also not how you get ahead. It`s not how you drive a state`s economy.

SCHULTZ: Minimum wage, do you think that Wisconsinites who`re not on
minimum wage care about those who are? How big is this a pusher to the
polls for people, is this a real motivator? And of course Walker in his
most recent interview with one of the news papers would not give a definite
answer about how he feels about minimum wages, your thoughts on that?

BURKE: I think minimum wage is important and it`s important to a lot of
people. It`s -- it frankly it`s a common sense issue. At $7.25 in hour
people can`t support themselves without government assistant. I wanted to
see people have that pride of having a job of being able to support
themselves and their family without government assistant and at $7.25 an
hour it`s impossible.

SCHULTZ: Do you think it would hurt the economy, if there`s raise in the
minimum wage?

BURKE: No, absolutely not. I talked to business people that those who own
large businesses, also small businesses and the business people I talked to
support it. They know that this is additional money that goes into out
state`s economy, our local businesses and communities.

It`s also is a way to reduce the amount of public assistant that we`re
spending in the state and federal budgets. It`s good for people`s lives
and businesses that pay their employees a fair wage see that they have less
or turnover as well. And so, there`s a lot of business people who see,
this is good for our economy.

This growing gap that we see in incomes and shrinking of the middle class,
squeezing of the middle class isn`t good for our country and it`s not good
for our economy.

SCHULTZ: Education cuts have been Walker`s biggest fault as you see it.
What`s been his biggest mistake as governor?

BURKE: Wow, it`s hard.

SCHULTZ: A lot of them?

BURKE: It`s hard. Yes there are lots of them. Certainly education is a
huge one but we have seen attacks on women`s choices. We`ve seen actually
repeal of equal pay protections for women. So companies that are
discriminating against women, seniors, veterans in terms of pay face no
real consequences.

That was something that Scott Walker actually repealed that we have in
place in he choose to repeal it. So certainly women -- the environment, we
have seen secrets $700,000 campaign contributions from a mining company and
then Governor Walker rewrites the rules according to their wishes. Things
have not been good in a lot of areas.

SCHULTZ: What about these investigations surrounding the governor? Do you
think that plays into this election, do you think they are, are people out
there across the state, do you hear it that, all of the past shenanigans
that have taken place...

BURKE: I don`t hear.

SCHULTZ: ... in his office. Do think played big into the race?

BURKE: I don`t hear it enough given that, I can`t think of another sitting
governor who has had six of his staff or associates convicted of crimes.
Six convictions under his watch and now he is at the center of a second
investigation about possible criminal scheme. And, you know, that`s
frankly -- people should care more.

SCHULTZ: Turn out and there`s been a lot of conversation about all the
different issues voter I.D.`s we touch on, minimum wage. But women`s
issues...

BURKE: Yeah.

SCHULTZ: ... do you sense that there is going to be a big turn out with
women voters in Wisconsin based the activities of the Governor?

BURKE: We are certainly making sure and working hard to make sure women
understand the issues that are on the table, and has already happened under
Governor Walker in terms of women`s health choices. Closing five clinics
throughout the state, these are -- many in rural areas that we talked about
providing cancer screenings, birth control, family planning services.

Five clinics closed that served thousands of women and families. The
repeal of the equal pay protection act, you know, these are things that
have set Wisconsin way back. That`s not who we`re here.

SCHUTZ: Final word for Mary Burke before the election. What is it?

BURKE: Can`t wait to be governor of this great state?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: She has a great deal of confidence since she`s very determined.

Get your cellphones out I wonder what you think. Tonight`s question, "Will
Scott Walker`s anti-worker policies cost him job?" Text A for yes, text B
for no to 67622 and leave a comment in our blog at ed.msnbc.com, we`ll
bring you the result later on in the show.

For more on this let me bring in Editor-in-Chief for the Progressive
Magazine in Madison Ruth Conniff, Ruth good to have you with us.

I talked to no less than a dozen people today and every single one of them
talked turnout. Now, this is going to be a photo finish. Whoever wins
this race, there`s not going to be a whole lot room, whole lot of air
between the two of them. What is good turnout for those who would vote for
Mary Burke in Wisconsin, what is she have to have?

RUTH CONNIFF, THE PROGRESSIVE MAGAZINE: I mean really, it comes down to
the ground operation and it`s comes down to people getting people to the
polls. And this is complicated by the voter I.D. law in Wisconsin which
now -- as Mary Burke just pointed out in you interview, the U.S. Supreme
Court intervened to stop that.

So we don`t have voter I.D. in Wisconsin. Not everybody knows that. There
was so much coverage of voter I.D. and a lot of folks who work on turnout
have been educating voters about what they needed to do and it wasn`t easy
to get I.D. to vote.

So the downside of that is that it can have a discouraging effect. People
think it`s going to be really hard for me to vote. I don`t know if I can
do it. So now that has to be translated into a push to get people to the
polls and -- for people who are trying to get the vote out for Burke to
explain. It`s not going to be that hard you can do it and help people to
get into poll.

SCHULTZ: In a country that is added over 9 million jobs since the great
recession. Wisconsin is sitting at just over a 100,000. And Walker is
making it sound as if that was some kind of a lofty gold to go for a
quarter of a million. That`s a little over 60,000 jobs a year.

Is this really the lynchpin to this election?

CONNIFF: I think that Wisconsin economic situation and the divisiveness of
Governor Walker, I think those are the two lynchpins. I mean I think
people notice that there are not a lot of jobs in Wisconsin. They don`t
like the fact that across the border in Minnesota people are doing much,
much better. Pay is higher and there are much more jobs, you know, we`re
about half the national average in terms of job creation.

It`s really hard to spin that in a positive way although Walker is trying
to do it because people know how they`re doing, how their friends and
family are doing. And I think mostly people would like end to the
divisiveness and they see the result of all that divisiveness not good for
most people in Wisconsin.

So, I think really what Mary Burke is telling is let`s turn the page, lets
have job creation, let`s have a healthier economy and let stop having so
much bitterness and acrimony...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

CONNIFF: ... because it`s not getting us anywhere.

SCHULTZ: And finally, what`s you`re analyze of the election commissioner`s
comments about voter fraud. Mr. Bass send (ph) encouraging people to be at
the polls and making sure and of course backed up by this law that was
passed and signed by Walker about giving someone three feet to be able to -
- to get close to somebody to talk about whether their legal to vote or
not.

What do make of the election commissioner making this an issue when there
are no and there is not any document in case voter fraud in Wisconsin?

CONNIFF: Well that`s a fit. There is no in-person voter fraud. There is
not a single case that been charged. Walker himself that he didn`t care if
was a thousand people or 10 people. He just thought that we should have
the law. It comes down to voter intimidation.

You know, and what they`re saying is we`re going to be hacking, you`re
going to be looking over shoulder, you know, you might be casting an
illegal vote and you`ll be in trouble for it. Just like telling people
it`s going to be really hard to get the proper I.D. to vote. It`s just
trying to make voting hard...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

CONNIFF: ... it`s trying to intimidate people who`re likely Democratic
voter out of voting. And I think there`s going to be strong push because
people do not like being treated that way and it has a lot of historical
resident trying to prevent particularly less (ph) people from casting their
vote.

SCHULTZ: Ruth Conniff good to have with us tonight on the Ed Show. We`ll
have more on this again tomorrow night some more details about this tight
race in Wisconsin. Remember to answer tonight`s question there at the
bottom of the screen, share your thoughts with us on Twitter@edshow, like
us on Facebook we appreciate that, always want to know what you think.

Coming up, Rick Scott is trying to recover in Florida poll but has Fungate
blown him away? We get the answer coming up.

But first Holy Spirit, Catholic Bishops reject Pope Francis`s request to
flip the Catholic rule book upside down.

Keep it here, we`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: What`s happening out there? Time now for Trenders, and on the
social media this is where you can find us, you get a Podcast free on
iTunes, subscribe and have it sent right to your phone, 24/7 it`s
available. You can also get us at wegoted.com, rawstory.com and
ringoffireradio.com.

Ed Show social media nation has decided, we`re reporting. Here`s what`s
hot. Today`s trenders voted on by you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m not a doctor but I play one on T.V.

UDENTIFIED FEMAL: The number three trender, Ted talks.

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R) TEXAS: The person who needs to be on top of this is the
President of the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ted Cruz attacks the White House`s Ebola response.

CRUZ: We continue to allow open commercial air flights, that doesn`t make
any sense.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Perhaps it is because the voices in the medical
community saying, that this would be counter productive...

CRUZ: The doctors and the experts that are saying this are working for the
administration and repeating the administration talking points.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys read the script, right?

CRUZ: What we need is presidential leadership.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The number two trender, smashing pumpkins.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is what became of Pumpkin Fest 2014.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s a great pumpkin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fires were set, vehicles damaged, campus lights
toppled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got to rock.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rowdy college kids spoil a New Hampshire fall
festival.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The annual festival drives nearly 60,000 people to
the small town.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I came from the Pumpkin Fest, yes, we basically raged.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s never, ever, ever been this chaotic.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am absolutely horrified and outraged at what
happened last night.

UNIDITIFIED MALE: Trick or treat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And today`s top trender, holy split.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pope Francis and the Roman Catholic Bishops spent the
last two weeks debating some of the key issues facing the church.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Catholic Bishops reject Pope Francis` gay rights
message.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just a week ago, the church released a historic
document asking Catholics to consider acceptance of gays.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The early drafts that homosexual have gifts and
qualities to offer the Christian community.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Conservative Cardinals have drawn their battle lines.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pope Francis who wants to modernize the church,
called on the assembly not to fear change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re going to have a conversation in the church about
these issues.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even if not all the bishops are on his page right now,
I think that overtime he`s going to gain support.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are making every effort to adapt to our ways and
methods to the growing needs of our time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Joining us tonight, E.J. Dionne, Washington Post columnist and
MSNBC contributor. E.J. is this the beginning of a big split or is this
still as that gentleman just said on tape, the beginning of a conversation.
What do you make of it?

E.J. DIONNE, THE WASHINGTON POST: I think it`s a beginning of a
conversation and a debate. I mean let`s sort of be clear on what they did
and what they didn`t do. The original statement, the draft of the
statement they put out was extraordinarily welcoming, and a lot of us wish
at least I say as a Catholic, we should stuck with that language.

They pulled that language back but they did not go all the way back to
language that was really quite hostile to gays, talking about, you know,
inherently disordered act, you know, saying that homosexuality was
fundamentally disordered.

SCHULTZ: Well this is a big shoot. This is a huge trip in a church isn`t
it?

DIONNE: Correct, so even the modified document is a step forward for those
of us who would like the church to go there. But the other thing is the
method here was a kind of openness and really an open debate that you
haven`t seen in the church in many ways since the reforming Second Vatican
Council in the 1960s. And I think as for the Pope, he`s walking a really
careful line here, if you listen to the sermon he gave at the end, I think
he gave knocks to both sides.

Tacked a hostile inflexibility, he talked about a God of surprises, he
attacked so-called traditionalist. But he had some critical things to say
about those he called (inaudible) orders and the so-called progressives and
liberals. So, he`s trying to walk a line where I think he`s pushing the
church toward greater mercy and reform without sort of throwing the
traditionalist over the side.

SCHULTZ: Well the traditionalists don`t sound like they`re going to back
down in any way, shape, or form. But the church in the past has made
changes. For instance, their views on divorce and the church some loosing
so many people globally because of marital situations, they didn`t want to
do so they came up with annulments. Is this -- and that was really an
adjustment to social change, is this the same thing, when they say that
homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer the Catholic community?

Well, why wouldn`t they recognize that before? I mean it`s almost like
they need to change if the church is going to stay relevant.

DIONNE: Well I think annulments were around for a while, they just gotten
more widely used, and that`s the other issue that wasn`t resolved here is
communion for divorced Catholics. Many of them are denied communion, and I
think the church is moving in that direction. In principle the church has
said for a long time that, you know, people who are gay deserve respect,
all people deserve respect.

But the language was not by any means as open as the language in that
original document. And you`re clearly hearing from this Pope, a desire to,
not to change the church`s position on say, gay marriage, that`s going to
take a long time. But to fundamentally reorient the feeling and tone of
what the church is saying about gays and lesbians.

And I think this Pope`s emphasis is much more on a God of love than a God
of judgment and that has a lot of implications about what the church says
on a lot of things.

SCHULTZ: Synod will reconvene next year to re-examine the issues. So, do
you think the response will be different a year from now?

DIONNE: I do, I actually, I think it was Father Tom Reese in that clip on
your show. They have opened up debate on this in a way that it has not
been opened up before. There is going to be a response from the church
around the world and yes some of the response is going to come from
conservatives and traditionalists but some...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

DIONNE: ... of the response is going to come from Catholics who welcome
the original language. So, what you got now is an open dialogue on the
church with a real possibility of change.

SCHULTZ: OK, E.J. Dionne always, good to have you with us tonight. Thanks
so much.

DIONNE: Good to be with you. Thank you.

SCHULTZ: Coming up, Scottie doesn`t know, Senator Scott Brown thinks he
Ebola wouldn`t be an issue if Mitt Romney were president.

Plus, Rick Scott in Florida thinks he`s running against President Obama.
We`ve got the latest on the Governor`s race in the Sunshine State.

But next your questions coming, Ask Ed Live just ahead here on MSNBC, we`ll
be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: And we are back, hearing from our viewers. Tonight in our Ask Ed
Live segment, our first question comes from Laura. She wants to know, "Why
aren`t Democrats better marketers?" I just got this question a moment ago
and the first thing I thought of was the great Will Rogers who once said,
just tell me what the issue is and I`ll be against it.

That`s pretty much where Republicans are today, they really haven`t offered
up any new plans or any new vision for America and that goes from the
Federal Level all the way down to the Local Level as I see it. A better
marketers, what kind of message do you want, how about results, jobs?

Our next question is from Nicole, she wants to know, "What do we need to do
to motivate Democrats to vote in midterm elections?" Well, those who are
motivated need to get a friend who might not be motivated, don`t vote
alone, take a friend.

Stick around Rapid Response Panel is next.

MORGAN BRENNAN, CNBC MARKET WRAP: I`m Morgan Brennan with your CNBC Market
Wrap.

The Dow pulls out of a triple digit decline to gain 19 points. The S&P
adds 17. The NASDAQ rises 57 points.

IBM shares slid about 7 percent after its earnings and revenue fell far
short of estimate. The company also said it was, "disappointed in the
result."

Meanwhile just a short time ago, Apple reported profits and sales that
trounced target. CEO Tim Cook saying demand is, "off the charts" for its
new iPhones and the holiday season will be the best it`s ever had.

That`s it from CNBC, first in business worldwide.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. Rick Scott and Charlie Crist are
still fighting for the lead in the Sunshine State. The latest polling from
the Republican leaning Optimus firm still places the two neck-and-neck.

The Republican strategy to recover from fangate is to run a campaign
against President Obama. Earlier in the month, the Florida GOP detailed
the political relationship between Charlie Crist and the President in a
commercial called Love.

Rick Scott then taunted the President to take a trip to Florida saying, "I
hope President Obama can make a trip to down to the Sunshine State soon to
see the results from our pro-growth policies, even if he is not invited on
the campaign trail with Charlie Crist."

A new commercial released today by the Florida Republicans slammed Charlie
Crist for supporting Barrack Obama again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARRACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I`m not on the ballot this
fall, but make no mistake these policies are on the ballot, every single
one of them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Charlie Crist backed Obama from the start.

CHARLIE CRIST, AMERICAN ATTORNEY, POLITICIAN: One of his first trips at
office brought him to Fort Myers, Florida where I was proud...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: The Florida GOP is relying on President Obama`s policies to
tarnish Charlie Crist. Rick Scott won`t stand with Florida workers, Rick
Scott won`t stand up for Florida`s environment, he doesn`t know anything
about it. And Scott is on record to support voter suppression.

All Rick Scott wants to do is show Charlie Crist, dancing with the
President of the United States and that`s supposed to put him over the top
because the President has negative poll ratings right now.

Joining me tonight on the Rapid Response Panel, former Florida State
Representative Ana Rivas Logan, also with us tonight Mike Papantonio host
of the Ring of Fire radio show and America`s attorney. Great to have both
of you with us tonight.

Ana is this going to work, I mean after four years of being a governor, the
best thing they can come up with down the stretch is to connect Charlie
Crist at the hip with the President and demonize President Obama. Will it
work in Florida?

ANA RIVAS LOGAN, FRM FLORIDA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Well I think they`re
forgetting that President Obama carried Florida twice in a row. He carried
it in 2008 and 2012, so that might not hurt Charlie Crist. That man
actually helped Charlie Crist and it might upset those that supported Obama
and get them out to vote in droves, like they got out to vote for President
Obama in 2012.

So, this actually might backfire but I want to talk a little bit also about
the Optimus poll Ed. It shows Charlie trending by 10 points among
independents. So, even this poll that shows him neck-and-neck, a very
Republican poll shows Charlie increasing from one way to the next, 10
points independent that`s a huge jump.

SCHULTZ: What about that Pap, to connect Charlie Crist to President Obama
after he won the state twice? It seems like they`re scraping?

MIKE PAPANTONIO, HOST, "RING OF FIRE" RADIO: Well look he`s putting $22
million of his own money. Rick Scott is this weak, think about that. $ 22
million of his own money but there`s something that the Florida GOP needs
to worry about. Most Floridian seem only to begin paying attention to this
Governor`s race about a month ago.

So when something as insane as the Rick Scott conduct suffered in the last
debate comes up. That creepy card surfaces and again it defines who Rick
Scott is. Rick Scott is much more unpopular Ed than Obama, so this is a
tough sell.

He`s become a blessing for social media, blogs, political pundit pages,
comedy skits, and that creepy card Ed is just now -- it`s surfacing in a
way that the GOP is really worried about. So, the answer is, OK let`s
attack Obama let`s hang Obama around Charlie Crist`s neck.

They`re looking at the numbers, the Tampa Bay poll said that it was
something like a 57 percent disapproval rating of Obama but they keep
forgetting that this is a Governor that has a disapproval rating of
something Ebola and ISIS. So, it`s a tough, tough fight for them to
overcome that especially with his creepy geek image that surrounds Scott
right now.

SCHULTZ: I thought Scott said early on when this whole thing started that
he wasn`t going to spend any of his own money this time. So now down the
stretch he does a reversal and now he`s going to throw $22 million of his
own money which bring up another point.

If someone`s willing to spend $22 million of his or her personal wealth
just to get a job that pays under $200,000 a year, obviously we could come
to the conclusion it`s nothing, about anything else but power, OK?

But how can somebody like that relate to somebody who is struggling or
living paycheck to paycheck Ana what about that?

LOGAN: Well, they can`t. He hasn`t supported raising the minimum wage.
Scott has said that it`s going to hurt Floridians instead of help them.

He hasn`t supported equal pay for women and -- equal pay for women. I
mean, every single piece of policy that he has supported has been for big
business and for the wealthy. So -- I mean it`s clear who he stands for.

Rick Scott stands for the wealthy whereas, Crist -- Governor Charlie Crist
stands for the working man, trying to improve the economic condition that
we have in our state. You know, Charlie Crist clearly is for the working
class.

SCHULTZ: What about fangate? I mean, it`s been -- there`s been a lot of
jokes about it. It`s trivial as hell, you know, but it`s amazing what
people pay attention to. It`s amazing what Rick Scott paid attention to.
I think that`s the point.

Pap how`s this play out?

PAPANTONIO: Well look, oddballs scare voters. That`s where you have to
begin, oddballs scare voters. And the GOP can`t notice that, and this is a
real oddball here.

I mean the new Scott camp approach. Here it is Ed. Do everything possible
to keep Rick Scott away from cameras of anytime because the antics (ph) are
killing him.

More importantly at the biggest focus is to keep Scott completely away from
interviews or recordings and simple rely on highly edited produced sound
bytes from him and Republican spokesman like Jeb Bush. If you think about
it Ed this is what they did George Bush. It is that creepy factor that
they can control if they put it in a box.

You can`t control it when you put him out in a debate like we saw when he
burned down over fangate. So the idea is control the guy, keep him away
from the public because that creepy factor is so overwhelming with voter,
potential voters right now.

SCHULTZ: Well, tomorrow night is their last debate and what I`m expected
Charlie to do is come out with one of those six-foot fans, you know, those
wide ones that, you know, Pap you got one those fans on the back of you
boat down their in Florida, don`t you to put you across the everglades and
what not. I mean, he had (inaudible).

I mean, then it really is amazing what Rick Scott paid attention to but --
Ana, what about the last debate? Does it matter at this point, hasn`t
everything been said about this, it`s going to be said?

LOGAN: Of course it matters. I was sitting in the audience and I was
waiting for somebody to come and say, "It`s a joke." So as -- everybody
else who was sitting in the audience but it wasn`t a joke. It was real.

I have never ever seen a debate like that. I`ve watched several
Presidential debates live, gubernatorial debate, I have never seen a debate
like that. And let`s look at the last poll that was done, 41 percent of
Floridians believe that this debate hurt Rick Scott as opposed 20 percent
that feel it hurt Crist.

So twice is many Floridians feel that the debate hurt Scott. And that`s
why Scott is pouring $22 million of his own money flooding every single
airwave. You can`t turn on the radio. You can`t turn on the show here in
Florida without watching the barrage of commercials.

And frankly, people are starting to tune them out, turn them off...

SCHULTZ: Well...

LOGAN: ... and just making their own decision.

SCHULTZ: Ana, what about the Latino vote? What about women in Florida? I
mean, it...

LOGAN: Clearly. Clearly, Crist is winning that game. I mean, clearly.

SCHULTZ: Pap what do you think.

PAPANTONIO: Yeah, he absolutely is ahead. The trending is what Scott`s
worried about. The trending is what is scaring the heck out of the
Republican Party.

And you, you know, the real question is, what is the rate of return from a
man who bets $22 million of his own money into a governor`s race? What`s
the payday?

Maybe that`s why we can`t get his financials at this point. Maybe --
that`s why they have to sue Rick Scott to figure out what his financials
are. You have to ask the question. He`s giving up 10 percent of his total
worth to be governor again. $22 million and you have to ask yourself,
"What is the payday at the end of all that?" That`s what voters have to
ask themselves about this guy right now.

SCHULTZ: Mike Papantonio, Ana Rivas Logan, great to have both of you with
us tonight. It is a hot one in Florida. No doubt.

Coming up, the United States Postal Service prepares to take another hit.
Thanks to our do-nothing Congress.

If you want to mail on time, it this goes through it ain`t going to happen.

Bernie Sanders with us coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: And the pretenders tonight, Scott Brown`s health perspective.
The former Massachusetts Senator is now running in New Hampshire.

Last week Scott Brown told Fox News radio, he has a solution for Ebola.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

FRM. SEN. SCOTT BROWN, (R) MASSACHUSETTS: Gosh, can you imagine if Mitt
was the president right now? He was right on Russia, he was right on
Obamacare, he was right on the economy. And I guarantee you we would not
be worrying about Ebola right now and, you know, worrying about our foreign
policy screw ups.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: He should had meet the doctor, huh? The way Scott Brown was
gashing about Mitt Romney. Do you think he was talking about a brother?

Speaking of brothers, Senator Brown hanged out with some fraternity brother
fans over the weekend. The Former Senator attended a football game
tailgating with the University of New Hampshire students.

Scott Brown took pictures with college kids chugging beers. Maybe Senator
Brown should spend more time thinking about the negative impacts of binge
drinking rather than Ebola.

If Scott Brown thinks he knows how to keep Americans healthy, he can keep
on pretending.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MARK DIMONDSTEIN, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN POSTAL WORKERS UNION: When people go
to the polls on Election Day, or they are deciding now who to vote for,
that part of what they should be demanding of these candidates is where do
you stand on protecting and having a -- and building a vibrant postal
service for generations to come.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

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

Mark Dimondstein, President of the American Postal Workers Union wants you
to keep the United States Postal Service in mind on Election Day. Because
you see on January 5th, United States Postal Services slated to lower
service standards again.

Meaning it`s going to take a lot longer for your mail to get from point A
to point B. Overnight mail could be a thing of the past.

82 mail processing facilities across 37 states are scheduled to be
consolidated. Postmaster General estimates this will eliminate up to
15,000 more jobs in 2015.

This is on top of the 140 mail processing facilities closed or consolidated
in 2012. Republicans will try to justify this with reports of billions of
dollars in losses for the post office.

The reality is the so-called crisis is a manufactured one. This is just
another product of Congressman`s failure to act.

It was back in 2006 where a mandate required the Postal Service to pre-fund
future retiree health care cost. 75 years in advance over a 10 year
period. We`ve done the story before, we can`t do it enough.

This will of course cost the Postal Service $5.8 billion a year. No other
private or public entity has the same burden put on them. It was
government intervention. They were meddling in the way the post office was
operating and financially it`s killing them.

Now Congress can still act. They can seek a moratorium on the closures.
They could -- in that comprehensive postal reforms to prevent this from
happening which is why it`s important to keep the pressure on Republicans
come Election Day.

I should point out there are a few Republicans who understand severity of
this.

Joining me tonight, Independent Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders.
Senator, good to have you with us tonight.

I just get this feeling that they won`t stop until they can kill the Postal
Service and privatize the whole damn thing.

SCHULTZ: You`re leading a charge...

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I) VERMONT: Well Ed...

SCHULTZ: ... go ahead, respond to that sir. Thank you.

SANDERS: Well look, this is the same old story. Deep in their hearts they
want to privatize Social Security, privatize Medicare, privatize part of
the V.A. and now they are all going after the Postal Service time over
time.

As you`ve just indicated, some of us -- John Testa, Tammy Baldwin, and I
have language which now has 51 Senators, 45 Democrats and 6 Republicans
which we are going to try to get into in omnibus bill which says, do not
shot these 82 processing plans.

What we need to do in this country is create millions of decent paying
jobs. We damn well do not need to destroy 15,000 good paying union jobs.
So, that`s where we are right now.

SCHULTZ: Well, is there no chance of getting this money off the back of
the Postal Service, this obligation? Senator, there`s over $50 billion now
that`s been accumulated that is now just sitting in the United States
treasury and we all know where that`s going to end up. It`s not going to
end up for the retirees. I don`t think.

Who can you trust for this deal?

SANDERS: Well Ed, you`re absolutely right. Enough is enough and I have
introduced legislation which would end this mandate and you`re right.
There is no other government entity. There is no other private sect entity
that requires an entity to raise 75 years of future retiree health benefit
in a 10-year period.

This $5.8 billion a year is what is killing the Postal Service, without
that mandate -- in fact, since -- in the last two years, the Postal Service
has earned an operating revenue about a billion dollars.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

SANDERS: All, 100 percent of the losses are attributable to this mandate
which we`ve got to rid off.

SCHULTZ: So you get that off their bottom line, that obligation, you`re
looking at profit. But note that the Republicans are against this or
willing to admit that.

They know everything there is about business but they can`t add up on the
Postal Service because they want to kill it.

Who were these closures going to affect Senator?

SANDERS: Well first of all, they`re going to impact businesses and
citizens all over this country. It is going to slow mail delivery. And
there are many businesses who depend upon getting quick delivery.

Second of all, we`re talking about 15,000 workers who are earning a middle
class pay check right now. It`s going to significantly impact those
people.

So, I think Ed what we need to do is not only get rid of this mandate, pass
a moratorium preventing the closure of these 82 plans. But we have got to
give the Postal Service the flexibility that they need to compete in the
21st century.

SCHULTZ: Well, when you look at the -- getting in mail three and four days
later than what you`re getting it right now...

SANDERS: I can`t hear very much.

SCHULTZ: Doesn`t mean Senator if you delay the mail, it`s going to be a
disincentive for people to use the Postal Service? And that`s the tough
thing about all of these. It`s a signal to the public. We`re not as good
as we used to be so why use this. And that`s going to be a tough hurdle,
isn`t it?

SANDERS: I`m not hearing anything.

SCHULTZ: We have an audio probably with Senator Sanders. Senator, I`ll
finish it out from here. I appreciate your time tonight. Thanks for
joining us.

We should point out that the for unions are organizing a day of national
action on November 14th. The Board of Governors will release the United
States Postal Service financial reports for the year. What impacts do that
going to have? Bottom line is this. If you`re running a business and you
have got to need a $5 billion, a $5 billion obligation on a line item
budget, it doesn`t give a whole lot of room for profit.

Now there`s over $50 billion that has been accumulated that is now on the
national treasury that`s basically supposed to go these retirees. But if
they didn`t have that what do you think your mail would be like?

But the mission is to privatize and the mission -- you can believe me that
the FedEx and UPS are all licking their chops right now hoping the Postal
Service goes down and this is just one ship at a time.

Pay attention to it because when we talk about working issues and working
families, elections have consequences. You have most Democrats on the
Senate and you`ve got some Republicans who understand the severity of this.

That`s the Ed Show. I`m Ed Schultz.

PoliticsNation 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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