The Ed Show for Thursday, October 23rd, 2014

Show: THE ED SHOW
Date: October 23, 2014

Guest: Sheldon Whitehouse, Michael Brune, Walter Harris, Terence Moore,
Joe Perske

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

Now that`s a good one. The Keystone XL Pipeline will make us an energy
superpower, I doubt it. Lots of bull being thrown around we only got 12
days until the midterm election and it`s really interesting how the margin
of error is very close amongst most of the races. And Green Energy, I
think could be the game changer in some very important Senate races across
the country.

But first tonight I want to go through some of the political news that`s
unfolding around the country. I think this is good news. Who says people
are running from Obama. On Wednesday the White House announced that
President Obama will be headed to Wisconsin to campaign for Mary Burke,
good call.

The President will speak in Milwaukee on Tuesday. It`s the first time
President Obama has traveled to Wisconsin to campaign against job killing
Governor Scott Walker. Michelle Obama has already been to the state twice.
And the President`s timing is very interesting. The latest Rasmussen Poll
out in Wisconsin has Mary Burke up by just one point over Scott Walker.

Things are close down in Georgia as well. New polling showing, Survey USA
shows that Michelle Nunn is up on Republican David Perdue by two points.
The Democrats would love to have a Senate seat out in the south again.

Then of course there`s Kentucky. Last week Democrats -- a lot of stories
about how the Democrats pulled all of their funding out of Kentucky because
Mitch McConnell had this one all wrapped up.

On Sunday a new survey, Survey USA poll out, releasing showing that
McConnell is only up by a point, Democratic activist are telling me that
this is a winnable race for Grimes and today Democrats reversed course and
decided to restore funding in Kentucky. I will be Lexington, Kentucky on
Monday bringing more on the story.

Meanwhile, other races around the country, they`re not as close for the
Dems. And make no mistake, energy is making a big play in some of these
races. For instance in Colorado, Republican Congressman Cory Gardner is up
remarkably by seven points on Mark Udall. It wasn`t supposed to be this
way for the Democrats in Colorado, that poll from USA Today. And Gardner
has been running these ads, saying that he`s friendly to Green Energy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CORY GARDNER, (R) COLORADO: So what`s a Republican like me doing at a
Wind Farm? Supporting the next generation, that`s what. I`m Cory Gardner,
I Co-wrote the law to launch our state`s Green Energy Industry. Now I`m
working across party lines to encourage the Natural Gas our economy needs.
Growth and opportunity for the Earth, for Colorado, that`s what`s right for
our future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: You bet it is that`s how you do it, you stand in front of a
windmill out in the middle of the Prairie and you take the oil money.
Gardner is trying to mislead the people of Colorado, as Senator Mark Udall
pointed out, the commercial is fraudulent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK UDALL, (D) COLORADO: You all may have seen Congressman Gardner
standing in front of some wind turbines on T.V. recently, speaking about
launching the clean energy economy. In reality as several fact checkers
have explained his bill accomplished nothing. According to its own annual
reports, it had no executive director, no employees, no finance projects
and it was repealed after five years in 2012.

He`s voted for extreme budget plans which would cut the Department Of
Energy`s budget almost in half and he`s voted to reduce funds for clean
energy research and development. He`s tried to roll back the clean air and
water acts to fund the EPA and drill just about everywhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: See this is what it really is going to take in America for us to
get serious about climate change. We got to have some political head
knocking going on man. Now on top of these bogus ads that are out there,
the League of Conservation Voters, they`re reminding Colorado voters about
Gardner`s real record on big oil

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes the signs are just there. Congressman
Gardner is out of step with Colorado. Gardner took over 450,000 in
contributions from the oil and gas industry and Gardner sides with them,
voting to keep billions in handouts for oil companies, even as they made
record profits. The Cory Gardner way? The Wrong way for Colorado.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Well he`s going to probably stand in front of solar panels next.
The League of Conservation Voters has given Congressman Gardner a lifetime
score of just 9 percent. Now don`t let this guy fool you. He has no good
environmental record but he`s got a lot of money behind him.

Energy is going to be a huge issue in Colorado. Where does Colorado stand
on climate change? That`s the question that`s what we`re going to find
out. But look at that money that`s being spent on it, over 12,000 energy
and climate related ads have run in the state of Colorado this cycle.

Now, this Colorado senate race I think is a microcosm of races around the
country. The New York Times reporting that 146,000 ads have run around the
country related to energy through October 13th but we can`t get any talk in
Washington about energy. So why are they running all these Ads about it?

It`s the third most talked about topic behind jobs and health care. They
can`t win on jobs, they don`t like health care reform and so they`re
throwing money at energy budget because doggone it, if the Democrats hang
on to the senate we might have to talk about climate change.

Over 17,000 ads on energy and climate have been running in Alaska, most are
anti EPA and pro oil. Over 17,000 ads in West Virginia when it comes to
the energy, 87 percent of them are pro-coal. Over 16,000 in the state of
Michigan, 38 percent of them are anti-oil. Over 8,000 ads in Louisiana
where over 50 percent are pro-oil.

In Kentucky over 17,000 ads have aired so far and of course 87 percent are
pro-coal, including this ad from the Chamber of Commerce.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Coal means jobs in Kentucky. While the EPA and
Democrats try to kill Kentucky`s coal industry, Mitch McConnell is fighting
back, fighting hard, opposing regulations on coal, working to block the EPA
and shut down the bureaucrats.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL, (R-KY) SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Saving coal job is
the single most important thing we could accomplish.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: McConnell is making sure our coal industry remains
strong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Now you might understand why Grimes is so, not so quick to
embrace Obama, because the President of the United States knows that there
is no clean coal, and Democrats have finally come to the conclusion, you
know, the President`s right on that. Climate change is something we got to
address. Then we have Iowa which is more than interesting, where I have
been in the last few weeks.

Wind energy is a big player on the Hawkeye State, over 14,000 energy and
climate commercials have aired. In Iowa, 40 percent of them support green
energy including this one from the NextGen Climate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to work with hundreds of renewable energy jobs
for people like Bill Williams.

BILL WILLIAMS: It`s a booming industry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But Joni Ernst would eliminate support for Iowa
Renewables.

WILLIAMS: If Joni Ernst gets her way, we have a lot to loose.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her place to the special interests could cost Iowa
jobs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: So that video right there looks very familiar. I was in a wind
factory, manufacturing plant in Iowa just a few weeks ago. Gosh it looks
familiar doesn`t it?

Now those employees have to find work after Maytag left because of out
sourcing. And so I guess the wind just doesn`t blow in West Virginia, so
we just have to have all this coal. Why are we afraid to transition, this
election is going to be about who has guts to stand up and talk about
transitioning the economy.

Now Joni Ernst in Iowa is against the wind energy tax credit, Bruce Braley,
he is for it. The latest Quinnipiac Poll out of Iowa has Ernst up two
points on Braley. Citizens United, they have a lot to do with this energy
advertising blitz that is taking place and not a whole lot of people
they`re talking about.

On the pro oil side you have got the Koch brothers. On the green energy
side, you have people like Tom Steyer fighting fire with fire, throwing
money at money.

This is Citizens United, both sides know climate energy will be the huge
topics heading into 2016, but let me tell you this, since that I am by pure
research one of the most respected liberal voices in America, I wear that
as a badge of honor, because I don`t care what the conservatives are saying
because they`re wrong on this issue, got it?

Bottom line is this, if the radicals and that`s exactly what they are, if
you`re a climate denier you`re a radical. If the radicals take control of
the United States Senate, you can kiss talk or action on climate in this
country goodbye for at least a couple of years, who knows what will happen
in 16. But a lot of science and the sciences pushing us to the conclusion
that we have to do something now.

We have to change our economy now. We have proven in Iowa that there are
job opportunities to clean energy technology. But for some reason because
of the special interest of coal and oil and the subsidies that we throw out
there, we just can`t seem to make the turn. This is the time to turn in
America, and since I`m such a trusted voice for the liberals let me tell
you this. If the radicals get control there will be no movement on climate
change.

This is why there`s so much money being thrown at this subject that`s not
even number one on the conversation chart in America. Jobs, health care,
and then energy. Energy, well if you connect it to jobs it really is
number one, and of course health care is not number one for the Republicans
because they`ve lost on that issue.

Get your cellphones out, I want to know what you think, tonight`s question
"If GOP radicals control the Senate will climate change ever be addressed?"
Text A for yes, text B for no 67622, leave a comment at our blog at
ed.msnb.com, like us on Facebook as well, we`ll bring you the results later
on in the show.

I want to bring in tonight, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island who
has been front and center on what this country has to do when it comes to
climate change, Senator good to have you with us tonight.

SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, (D) RHODE ISLAND: Thanks Ed good to be with you.

SCHULTZ: I don`t want to overstate this but I`d like your opinion, what
happens to climate change if the radicals get control of the Senate?

WHITEHOUSE: We in the minority have a lot more tools at our disposal. The
power of a Senator is very often a negative power, the filibuster to stop
things, the objection to things proceeding, the Republicans have had to do,
they`re filibustering silently because most of what they filibuster for the
American public hates.

It would be quite interesting to see them have to move their agenda,
through I think a considerable number of Senators who would be willing to
force the issue and say, "Look, we`re not doing a thing until you do
something on climate."

SCHULTZ: Senator why so much money thrown at this if the Republicans don`t
want to talk about it?

WHITEHOUSE: I think the American public is a lot more interested in this
issue than the pundits have thought. I think for Kentucky and West
Virginia it`s kind of a Hail Mary in those states, there are pockets of
powerful coal economy, powerful coal money and so it works for the
Republicans in those areas. But as your clip with Cory Gardner showed, you
know, the Republicans are having to try to green wash themselves in purple
states in order to get credibility.

The deniers have lost the American public on this issue, they`ve lost the
independent voters big time and the work that`s being done in Iowa and
Michigan I think is really boosting our candidate because in those states
voters get that we need the transition to a clean energy economy. You also
see a lot of people just having to tug their forelocks to the big polluters
and the big money because the Republican Party has now become so dependent
on polluter money that you kind of have to go along with the gag if you`re
going to get their money.

And so I think they`re in a little bit of a trap here, they need the money,
the public isn`t with them, what do you do? If you`re Cory Garnder you try
to green wash yourself, if you`re Mitch if you`re West Virginia then you
can go to look, kind of a different place but look at 2016. In the slate
coming up in `16, you don`t have those coal pockets any longer. This is an
issue that`s going to really run for us I believe.

SCHULTZ: This is Citizen`s United on steroids, that`s what it is. And are
you afraid that big oil is just flat out trying to buy the Senate? I mean
the amount of money that has been thrown into this has been some $70
million on the House side, they`re going to throw another $60 million on it
on the House side and that`s how nervous they are because they`ve
gerrymandered a lot of districts. Traditionally what do you think of that?

WHITEHOUSE: Look at Republican John Warner, Senator, sponsoring the
Warner-Lieberman climate change bill. Look at Republican John McCain
running for President on a strong climate platform. Look at Republican
Susan Collins doing the Collins-Cantwell Cap and Dividend Bill. Look at --
you can go on with the list I won`t continue, all of that there was a
steady Republican heartbeat of activity on climate change until 2010.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

WHITEHOUSE: After January of 2010 it was silenced by the threat from the
polluter money of using Citizen`s United to crush people in primaries.
They virtually go on silent on their side and you can time it almost
perfectly to the arrival of Citizen`s United. And what people forget about
Citizen`s United is, you don`t have to spend the money to have political
effect. You can go to the back room with somebody and say, we`re going to
spend millions against you in your next primary if you don`t knuckle under.

SCHULTZ: And that`s really what`s happened.

WHITEHOUSE: And since then it has shutdown the debate.

SCHULTZ: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, your thinking is where I think the
country needs to be. Great to have you with us tonight, I appreciate your
time. Let me bring in Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra
Club. Michael your reaction to Cory Gardner`s ad on wind energy, is this
the play?

MICHAEL BRUNE, EXEC. DIRECTOR, SIERRA CLUB: It`s an outrage really, you
know, the only way that Gardner can win the election is to try to engage in
mass deception. This is a person who`s taken millions of dollars from the
oil industry, who`s supported billions of dollars in tax payer handouts to
the oil industry. Whose fought against tax incentives for wind, who wants
to open up public lands more drilling, who voted to shutdown national parks
and he`s claiming to be a supporter for clean energy, it`s deceitful,
there`s no two ways about it.

SCHULTZ: Why is Udall down seven in your estimation?

BRUNE: I think that Gardner so far has been successful in projecting an
image that might be similar to what Colorado`s want but is the opposite of
what he`s actually doing. So, far he`s been successful doing that.

SCHULTZ: Yes, what about the number of ads that have been run on energy.
Did you expect this?

BRUNE: We did, we did, absolutely because what`s happening right now is
you see the oil and coal and gas industries, they`re beginning to get
desperate. They`re staring to loose market share, in part because clean
energy is so cheap. In part because clean energy is creating so many jobs,
clean energy is popular and so the fossil fuel companies know that they
can`t win in the marketplace of ideas.

They can`t win on the issues. They can only win by trying to hoodwink
people and to deceive them from knowing what`s actually happening.

SCHULTZ: What...

BRUNE: The other thing that I want to say...

SCHULTZ: Yeah, go ahead.

BRUNE: ... just to add on -- add real quickly is that, if we want a clean
energy future we have to work for it. If we want to hold fossil fuel
companies accountable we`ve got to fight to do that. So, in Colorado, in
Iowa, in New Hampshire, in Michigan, in North Carolina, if we want to win,
if we want to create clean energy prosperity there`s Sierra Club members
working in all of those states. Making phone calls, putting up yard signs,
knocking on doors and we hope that your viewers will be active and will
fight in this election to fight for clean energy future.

SCHULTZ: We have seen and we`ve been to the factory there in Newton, Iowa
a result of clean energy with wind. Jodi Ernst is against it yet she`s
leading, go figure?

BRUNE: Yes, you know, it`s just, you have an example right now, I don`t
know if Joni Ernst is actually winning. My money is on Bruce Braley to win
in Iowa. But what you have is you have the last gasps I think of industry
representative who`s trying to hold on to the status quo. 25 percent of
the electricity in Iowa comes from wind. In the next election it will be
closer to 35 percent. You yourself are saving money by transitioning to
solar energy. Hundreds of thousands of families are doing the same thing.

It`s only a matter of time before clean energy becomes the new status quo
in our country and all of these elections in this year are the last gasps
of an industry that is loosing its grip on our economy. So, what we`re
seeing Republicans, go stand in a field in front of a windmill and take the
oil money and that`s really where they are.

Michael Brune good to have you with us tonight, thanks so much.

BRUNE: Thanks Ed.

SCHULTZ: Great work at the Sierra Club. 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.

Coming up, a suburb of Miami explores this, seceding from the Sunshine
State. That`s right, getting out of Florida but still being there. We`re
talking to the Vice Mayor of South Florida and it`s all about climate
change. They`re floating the idea down there.

University of North Carolina Capital Hill is facing a disastrous cheating
scandal, what`s the NCAA going to do? Rapid Response Panel is going to
weigh in on the unfair treatment for college athletes? Stay tuned we`ll be
right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: What`s up happening out there? Time now for trenders, Social
Media join the Ed Team. It`s a good thing to do. Facebook.com/edshow,
twitter.com/edshow, and ed.msnbc.com. You can get my podcast. iTunes it`s
free 24/7 available to you. We do it everyday and about noon if lunch goes
pretty good. Wegoted.com, rawstory.com and ringoffireradio.com and that`s
where you can also get the podcast.

Ed Show Social Media Nation has decided, we`re reporting. Here today`s
trenders voted on by you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m so sleepy.

SCHULTZ: The number three trender, tired talks.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R) NEW JERSEY: I`ve got to tell you the truth, I`m
tired of hearing about the minimum wage. I really am.

SCHULTZ: Chris Christie complains about the minimum wage debate.

CHRISTIE: I don`t think there`s a mother or father who are saying, "You
know, honey, if our son or daughter could just make a higher minimum wage,
my God, all of our dreams would be realized."

PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It would help around 28
million Americans from all walks of life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you work any of these large employers, that you are
going to see people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s.

SCHULTZ: If the minimum wage would set it $10.10 per hour more than 1.7
million Americans could stop relying on public assistance programs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s going on, I was asleep.

SCHULTZ: The number two trender, righteous riches.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s people in this country that think wealth is
evil.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not about the money. It`s about the game.

DAVE RAMSEY, AUTHOR, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I think there`s a problem out
there with some bad and toxic teaching.

SCHULTZ: Financial guru, Dave Ramsey says bible doesn`t shone those with
big bucks.

RAMSEY: It just the diligent prosper. You haven`t done something wrong
and that doesn`t preempt you from heaven.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heaven, boom. Here I am.

RAMSEY: It seems like the financial blessings are the only blessings we
apologize for.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m sorry, I`m sorry.

RAMSEY: And we need to understand the God owns it all. We`re just
managers for him.

SCHULTZ: And today`s top trender, Miami Heat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Officials in the city of South Miami approved the
resolution that calls for splitting Florida in half.

PHILIP STODDARD, MAYOR, SOUTH MIAMI, FL: The attitude of the northern part
of the state is that they would just love to saw the state in half.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that does it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let us float off into the Caribbean.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: South America, take it away.

SCHULTZ: Southern Florida explores the session for the Sunshine States.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks Mayor Walter Harris believes that officials in
Tallahassee aren`t doing enough to protect South Florida when it comes to
rising sea levels.

GOV. CHARLIE CRIST, (R) FLORIDA: I`m not a scientist.

SCHULTZ: If here is what Florida is estimated to look like in the year
2100, 3 foot sea level rise? See you Miami.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: South Florida was a better off making its own rules.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Joining me tonight is Walter Harris. He is the Vice Mayor of
South Miami, Florida.

Mr. Harris, good to have you with tonight. Where do these ideas come from
and how serious is it that this part of Florida would get away from the
State of Florida and create its own municipality and entity?

WALTER HARRIS, VICE MAYOR, SOUTH MIAMI, FL: Well, for the last 60 years
we`ve been talked of separating from the North and South. South Florida is
urban, North Florida is a rural, South Florida is liberal, North Florida is
conservative, very conservative.

And most of the population and most of the revenue to run the state comes
from South Florida and it`s not equally distributed back. And more
importantly North Florida does not legislate in the favor of South Florida
on a regular basis. That would be grounds enough.

But now with the reality of the sea level rise, everything has changed.
South Florida -- and the lower South Florida is less than five feet above
sea level. And this includes the Everglades, this includes a nuclear power
plant that is 42-years-old, that`s only 4.5 feet above the sea level and
it`s got 2.5 million pounds of nuclear waste buried along side of it.

And, with no plans to do anything about it and they renewed this nuclear
power plant for 20 more years...

SCHULTZ: Sure.

HARRIS: ... we need to be able to deal with these crisis`s and situations
without bringing in Tallahassee. Tallahassee...

SCHULTZ: So Tallahassee has not done right by South Florida. OK, I get
that news from other political issues there too.

But let`s say that you were to break off as a -- and have a new entity, a
governmental entity that would make this (inaudible). What would stop the
climate from doing what it`s doing and what would you do differently?

HARRIS: Well, the climate is going to with the climate is going to do, but
what we do differently is deal with on media faces, for instance in
reality. Miami Beach which has been increasingly going under water,
flooding, just put in $200 million worth of drainage pumps so that they
could drain the streets after high tide. We just had the super high tide
two weeks ago.

SCHULTZ: Sure.

HARRIS: And so, they use these pumps. Unfortunately, they`re pumping into
Biscayne Bay to deal with these problems but we have to be able to deal
with the problems ourselves.

SCHULTZ: So what is the Governor say? Where is Rick Scott been the last
several years when he`s at power to do something about it?

HARRIS: Rick Scott says he`s not sure about rising sea levels. He`s not
sure because he`s not a scientist.

His campaigning -- is simply -- if there`s a problem I`ll deal with it, but
he doesn`t even acknowledge really the reality of climate change and rising
sea levels. He`s never been much of an environmentalist.

SCHULTZ: OK. I`ll just want to tell our audience that the Union of
Concerned Scientist have looked at data from the White House`s national
climate assessment. And they came back with some pretty troubling numbers
for your region.

They estimate that by 2030, Miami could flood eight times more frequently.
By 2045, the city could flood 230 times per year, almost two-thirds of the
year. In Key West, the estimate 45 floods per year by 2030. That`s more
than three floods a month.

So, what`s the move at this point for the residents? How was this all
going to unfold?

HARRIS: Well, that`s why I brought this up to let the residence actually
begin to take charge of their situation as best if they can.

Right now, the residents are, understanding it`s a reality in their lives
even in a community like South Miami which is inland, we now have flooding
because during those high tides which get increasingly higher, we have the
canals had backed up and then our drainage sewage backed up and they flood
the streets and flood people`s yards but its going to get worst.

And everybody is recognizing that. And every community is trying to think
what we can do to prolong this and what we can do about infrastructure to
handle the situation.

SCHULTZ: Just what I`d want, an alligator swimming in your front yard and
that`s what is going to come down to.

HARRIS: Well, I can live with that.

SCHULTZ: You can live with that.

This is going to interesting to see how it unfolds because they can only
deny this so much. Floods are a reality and I`ve been through floods. It
gets people`s attention real fast and it takes a lot of resources to
reverse what you`re looking at right now.

Walter Harris, thanks for joining us tonight here on the Ed Show, I
appreciate it.

HARRIS: Thank you Ed.

SCHULTZ: You bet.

Coming up, the Tar Heel cheating scandal leaves a school`s reputation
tarnished.

Rapid Response Panel weighs in. What`s next? And later, now Michele
Bachmann is going to be leaving the House since she`s going to be passing
the torch. We`ll talk to the Democrats running to change that
congressional seat to blue.

Stay with us. We`ll be right back on the Ed Show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. We have some breaking news at this
hour. Another health care worker is facing Ebola testing here in the
United States, this time in New York City.

The health care worker is now in isolation, is a health care provider and
is now at Bellevue Hospital.

Earlier today, the EMS HAZ TAC Unit it moved the patient who reported a
fever of 103 degrees. The Health Department has not yet released the name
or even the gender of the victim for privacy reasons.

We do know the worker returned to United States 10 days ago from West
Africa. The patient was working with humanitarian group, Doctors Without
Borders caring for Ebola patients in West Africa.

We expect preliminary Ebola test results within the next 10 hours. The CDC
is also taking its own testing sample and preparing a team to head to New
York.

We`ll have more on the Ed Show. We`ll keep you up to date. Stay with us.
We`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. Thanks for watching tonight.

A university`s reputation for excellence in academics and athletics is now
tarnished. In investigation at the University of North Carolina in Chapel
Hill has uncovered a nearly two decades long cheating scandal.

An independent investigator revealed 3,100 students were involved between
1993 and 2011. Now, half of those students were athletes.

The UNC Men`s Basketball team has won three national titles in that
timeframe. The Tar Hell Athletic Program has totaled out a 21 national
championships across all sports in those years.

The question now becomes what will the NCAA do? Tom Costello, NBC has
more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM COSTELLO, NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: The University of North Carolina, a
premier university with top ranked athletes reeling tonight from what maybe
the biggest academic fraud in collegiate history.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE:
This never should have been allowed to happen.

COSTELLO: Today, an independent investigator revealed the full scope of
the scandal. For two decades, basketball and football players fumbled in
the classes to require no class time, no professor and only a single term
paper graded by the administrative assistant. Yet the athletes received
A`s and B`s so they can remain eligible to play sports.

More than 3100 students, nearly half of them athletes took 188 no-show
classes over 18 years. Most through the African-American Studies
Department where the administrative assistance and department chair run the
program.

Former Federal Prosecutor Ken Wainstein.

COSTELLO: Is there any evidence anybody outside this department knew about
this?

KEN WAINSTEIN, INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR: No, and we looked very hard to
see if anybody in the chain of command from the department up to the
chancellor knew about the deficiencies of these classes and we didn`t find
that knowledge.

COSTELLO: Rashad McCants who played on UNC`s championship basketball team
has claimed that tutors wrote his papers and the coaching staff knew of the
bogus classes. But he refused to cooperate. The coaches denied that and
investigators found no evidence they knew.

Today, UNC students were stunned and embarrassed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Especially right now that the image is tainted.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can say that myself, you know, I`ve had bust my
butt my entire time here. And, just to hear that is a little discouraging,
it is.

COSTELLO: UNC insist the fraud ended in 2011. Nine staffers have been
fired or discipline and none of the current coaches were involved.

The full report now goes to the NCAA which could impose further sanctions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Tom Costello, NCB News.

Now, joining me tonight on the Rapid Response Panel Terence Moore, National
Sports Columnist and James Peterson, MSNBC Contributor and Director of
African Studies at Lehigh University, gentlemen good to have you with us
tonight.

This is clearly preferential treatment for athletes who generate revenue
and mean a lot to the university when it comes to profit. I mean, how else
do we read it?

Terence, your thoughts?

TERENCE MOORE, COLUMNIST, MLB.COM: Well first of all, Roy Williams the
Basketball Coach in North Carolina should be fired on the spot.

And I would say the same with Larry Fedora, the Football Coach except he
came theoretically after the scandal was over in 2011. And the reason I
say this Ed is because the football and the basketball coaches at these big
power universities with high-powered athletics, they treat their programs
like they dictator of North Korea.

They know everything that goes on. They can tell you when one of their
players in lifting its left or right arm across campus at 3:00 in the
morning. So that`s ridiculous to think that Roy Williams did not know
what`s going on here.

Now, I`m going to put this to perspective. In the State of North Carolina
and at the University of North Carolina, basketball is huge. Basketball at
North Carolina is also a huge for the NCAA because of March Madness and
North Carolina brings a lot of money, a lot of fans to March Madness and
I`m saying all these to say that this guy Roy Williams win the basketball
games, he won a national championship in 2005.

He won another one in 2009 and not coincidentally, that was right in the
middle of these scandals so the attitude of the NCAA and that North
Carolina officials is just win baby.

SCHULTZ: Well, you don`t have to win a national champion in basketball to
make a lot of money for the university. I mean, your point is well taken
but, you know, you can`t lose the Duke either. That means that`s toward
their mentality in all of this.

Dr. Peterson, how do you reverse this? What`s the play?

PETERSON: Well, I think it`s difficult to reverse. By the way I went to
Duke but I still have a lot of love for North Carolina. It`s a great
institution.

SCHULTZ: You got to be roughing in on this one. You want all the games
back, don`t you?

PETERSON: Well, this -- here`s the deal, Terence is right that is very
difficult to look at the situation and understand how athletics was not
somehow complicit in the process over two decades. But I think the real
conversation speaks to you`re opening comments Ed, which is we have to take
a real hard look at NCAA sports, particularly flaccid (ph) programs in
basketball and football.

Because the reality is, if you`re a research one institution and you`re
playing football, playing basketball, one of these elite programs, you`re
full-time Ed, between practice, training, travel, and games. That`s a
full-time job in it of itself. We`re expecting young people...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

PETERSON: ... to be full-time citizen at the same time without any
recourse.

Now, listen, the reasons why we obscure these things all the time is again
what you`ve said the revenue streams that are coming in, the T.V. deals,
the merchandizing deals, as well as all of the sort of attention that this
universities get from these programs, unfortunately it makes it very, very
difficult thing but this is...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

PETERSON: ... a labor issue, Ed.

SCHULTZ: It is a labor issue.

PETERSON: ... this a labor issue.

SCHULTZ: These players do not have a voice. They do what they`re told and
they`re going to do...

PETERSON: That`s right.

SCHULTZ: ... anything they can to get eligible and they`re going to the
schools saying, "Hey, I need some help." They know they need help but...

PETERSON: Yes, that`s right.

SCHULTZ: ... academically, to make sure that they can meet the standards
to play. Well, let go...

PETERSON: That`s right.

SCHULTZ: ... let me go further gentlemen for just a moment. What about
the death penalty? What -- I mean come on. I mean, if you want to clean
it up, if you want to do it right, you got to send the fear (inaudible) and
let North Carolina know they can`t get away with this stuff. What about
that Terence?

MOORE: Well Ed, that`s never going to happen because it goes back to what
I just said before...

PETERSON: That`s right.

MOORE: ... a lot of these programs is beneficial to the NCAA for them to
do very well because the not so dirty little secret is this has been going
on forever. You know, I live here in lot of Georgia...

PETERSON: That`s right.

MOORE: ... and you look at the University of Georgia, the University of
Georgia had this huge scandal in 80s, Jan Kemp scandal where they discover
where a few chunks of the football team couldn`t read or write. So do you
think they will their lesson? No.

Ten years later the basketball program is in trouble. You had James
Herrick and his son running the basketball program. James Herrick Junior
the son is, you know, teaching his classes filled with athletes by the way
was asking questions such Ed, on the final exam, how many points did you
get for three point shot but I`m going to tell you, even the Dukes are
guilty here.

Just recently, we had the Wall Street Journal point out that at Duke which
is supposed to be this bastion of academia that the majority -- the
favorite major for the athletes is sociology.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

MOORE: And then you also get further research and they found out that the
rest of the campus not athletes. It was estimated two percent. Here the
thing is...

SCHULTZ: Well, it`s the old saying, what do you going to take in college
if you`re playing well, I`m taking basket waiving. And you know.

MOORE: Yeah, that`s true...

SCHULTZ: ... you know, go ahead.

MOORE: That`s true, but what I`m saying is this is the point. It goes on
everywhere and that...

SCHULTZ: OK.

MOORE: ... as long you win that`s the only thing that matters.

SCHULTZ: They got caught at North Carolina and now what`s going to happen?
Dr. Peterson, this is, you know, and lot of alumni are going to say, well
that`s just that way it is and, you know, we certainly want to beat Duke.
You know, I mean somebody in the position of authority is going to have to
make some major changes here.

PETERSON: I think the president there will address it the way that she
sees fit, but let`s assume, let`s -- the death penalty doesn`t solve the
problem Ed. We certainly want a sanction and penalize and be fair. We
don`t need any witch hunts here, but we`ve got to change the conversation.
Is there a way for us to acknowledge the fact that these student athletes
are working 40 to 50 hour a week.

Is there a way for us to stretch out the curriculum over the summers or
over a period of time where they can actually take classes and put the time
in?

And is there a way for us to understand or work with the NCAA so that young
people can share in the revenue and the profits of this extremely
profitable universities through their athletically program?

SCHULT: I agree with that. You`re spot on but this is fraud. These are
kids that don`t go to class.

PETERSON: Yes.

SCHULT: These are kids that have somebody else write a paper for them.
That`s cheating where I came from. I mean you`re supposed to do your own
work and the coach...

PETERSON: Can I have a quick point.

SCHULTZ: So, the coach knew about it what the athletic director didn`t?

MOORE: Yeah that`s impossible.

(CROSSTALK)

PETERSON: We can address that Ed, but the pressure still on the system.
The monetary pressure...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

PETERSON: ... is still...

SCHULTZ: Terence, final comment.

MOORE: Here is (inaudible) point out. Prior to this independent
investigation they came up they said that over a thousand athletes were
involved in this. You had an investigation several by the university and
by the NCAA and guess what they came up with? They`re saying, "Oh, we
looked in to this. There`s no athletics involved in this."

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

MOORE: So that just tells you that this is a hopeless case.

SCHULTZ: All right, great gentlemen. Great to have you with us Terence
Moore and James Peterson, always, I appreciate it.

PETERSON: Thanks Ed.

SCHULTZ: Still to come, we are talking to Democrat running for Michelle
Bachmann`s seat in Minnesota. We`ll bring you the live shot from
Minnesota`s 6th District when we come back.

(COMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: And we are monitoring breaking news at this hour. Just a short
time ago, we learned another health care worker is being treated with
possible Ebola symptoms. We`ve learned the patient is Dr. Craig Spencer.
He recently traveled home to New York City from West Africa.

He was there treating Ebola patients in Guinea with the group Doctors
Without Borders. New York City officials confirmed the patient has now in
isolation at Belleveu Hospital.

He reported 103 degree fever. Right now they are still waiting on Ebola
test results.

Just a short time ago, Mayor Bill de Blasio addressed the media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY: The important facts to know here
without going again into too much detail, the individual in question is a
doctor. Has been able to work from very closely with public authorities in
providing information, a very careful protocol has been in placed now for
weeks, this protocol was followed every step of the way including the
initial contact with the individual.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Mayor de Blasio stressed protocol is being followed. The CDC is
readying a team to send to New York City pending the results. We`ll
continue to follow the story and bring you any updates as we get them.

We`ll be right back on the Ed Show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JOE PERSKE, (D) SARTELL, MN: Tom has been very dividing. Very
divisive. Even with his own party. In the legislature he`s been bullying,
threatening, not just with the Democrats but again with his own party.

He has record of being uncooperative. Even shouting across the aisle. And
even at sometimes being self-serving when he came down to some legislation
to erase some of the DWI arrests that he had.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tom, did you want a one-minute rebuttal to that?

TOM EMMER: No. Thank you for having me today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

Minnesota congressional candidate Tom Emmer can`t even answer to his own
record.

Emmer is running to replace retiring Congressional member Michelle Bachmann
who is under ethics investigation.

If he succeeds, Minnesota`s 6th District is looking at another term of a
radical right Tea Party obstructionist. Emmer is a failed gubernatorial
candidate turned Right-Wing Talk Show Host. Emmer sponsored an amendment
to the Minnesota constitution which would allow the state to nullify
federal laws relating to health care, education, and transportation.

Emmer proposed the firearms freedom act which would have made Minnesota
exempt from federal gun laws. In 2005, Emmer introduced an amendment that
would have eliminated Minnesota`s minimum wage. He`s a dandy for the
righties isn`t he?

And in 2010, Emmer proposed cuts to minimum wage for service workers who
earn income based on tips. He`s going after the waiters and waitresses.
Emmer made the ridiculous claim servers could take home $100,000 a year and
make more than their employers. No class warfare there.

Emmer`s campaign is focused on what? Transportation, but after the I-35W
Bridge collapse in 2007 which killed 13 people, Emmer voted against funds
to repair the bridge and broken infrastructure across the state of
Minnesota.

Emmer then voted against efforts to compensate the victims of the collapsed
calling it "Feel-Good Legislation". It`s the tip of the iceberg folks.
Minnesota`s conservative 6th District may have given Michelle Bachman four
terms but my guest is hoping that that will be enough.

As divisive politics and Right-Wing Politics will end in that section of
Minnesota.

Joining me tonight, is Joe Perske who is the mayor of Sartell, Minnesota
Democratic congressional candidate for Minnesota`s 6th District.

You are a teacher of 35 years. How did you get into running for politics
Joe? Good to have you with us tonight.

PERSKE: Hi and thanks for having me. It`s great to be here.

Yes, how did get in here. I`ll tell you what I was very content teaching
school. I was very content being a Mayor of Sartell. I just loving that
job but I`ll tell you, you know, Michelle Bachmann dropped out and Tom
Emmer stepped in and my wife and decided we can`t have that happen.

We`re going to just see more the polarizing politics we had with Michelle
Bachmann, and in looking at Tom Emmer, the scary thing is he might even
able to get some of legislation done.

SCHULTZ: Well, we just said someone tweet the Ed Show asking if Emmer went
to the same school as Bachman? What`s your response to that?

PERSKE: Probably the same political school because it seems like they`re
right out of the same mold.

SCHULTZ: Well, what do you bring to the table? What kind of congressional
representative would you be?

PERSKE: Well, I tell you what. It wasn`t more than three days after Jim
Graves had gotten out of the race. And, you know, Jim was within one
percent of beating Bachmann and Jim called me up and said, Joe I want you
to run for congress. And he says, you`re such a good fit for the district.
You know the people. You were born. You were raised there. You taught
there for a long time.

The people believe in you. They trust you. You hunt, you fish. You got
all the right elements to be a candidate that can win, your common sense.
And actually Ed, after we had a horrific fire and explosion on our mill, we
lost 265 jobs so we had to work our way through that and he said, you know,
you`ve got compassion and you could work with people. Joe, you can
represent the 6th District.

SCHULTZ: You`re talking about that event that took place in your town at
Sartell Minnesota when you were the Mayor. I understand that.

PERSKE: Yeah.

SCHULTZ: All right, what`s your reaction to Emmer running on the theme of
transportation considering his voting record?

PERSKE: Ed, it`s a joke. You take a look at his voting record, I think
out of 18 transportation bills he voted 17 of them down and again after
that 35W Bridge collapse, you have bipartisan efforts supported by, you
know, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and folks saying, "Hey we need to
get this done", an inspection program for bridges even the one in my own
community. And he says no to that.

Just time and time again, the rail program covering up to St. Cloud that
would be a fantastic community rail. He says no to that. St. Cloud
airport, says no to that but yet he claims he wants to be a champion of
transportation. It`s just not true.

SCHULTZ: What about minimum wage. He of course has attacked it
legislature in Minnesota. Where do you stand on it?

PERSKE: Well, you know what? I take a look at what`s happened since to
the last time we raised it and -- some of those folks can even have the
conversation of a dollar. But look at how things are changing, you know,
rents gone up, cellphone, you know you`re expensive what the automobile
gas, and you can`t even talk about a dollar? Come on.

And you know what? Folks are hurting out there and folks are just getting
by. We want folks to be able ahead this country.

SCHULTZ: Mayor Joe Perske of Sartell, Minnesota, running for Michelle
Bachmann`s seat, good to have you with us tonight, Joe. I appreciate your
time, all the best.

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
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