Show: THE ED SHOW
Date: February 26, 2015
Guest: Steny Hoyer, Emanuel Cleaver, Leo Gerard, John Fugelsang, Colleen
McKinney, Jane Kleeb
ED SCHULTZ, THE ED SHOW HOST: Good evening Americans and welcome to the Ed
Show.
I don`t know about you but I didn`t hear what I thought I was going to hear
today.
Let`s get to work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Tonight, the DHS funding battle wages on as security concerns mount.
SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN, (D) NEW HAMPSHIRE: The risks to this country are too
great for us not to provide the resources.
SCHULTZ: Two men caught (ph) to travel overseas to join the terror group
ISIS.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R-OH) HOUSE SPEAKER: We passed a bill to fund the
Department of Homeland Security six weeks ago.
SEN. HARRY REID, (D-NV) MINORITY LEADER: They send over a bill with all
the riders in it, they shutdown the government.
REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D) CALIFORNIA: Stop the games play (ph), let`s just
get through it.
SCHULTZ: And later, pipeline politics hit a local level in the Catskills.
BRUCE BAXTER, TREE FARMER: Once they put the pipe in, I can`t sell (ph)
the land anymore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Constitution says the goal is to transport natural gas
from P.A. to New York City and New England.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`ve been working on this for like three years to get
this approval so we can get a shovel in the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don`t need more (inaudible) on this.
SCHULTZ: Plus, the unions` fight against the TPP gains speed and strength.
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The Congress should act on
something called "trade promotion authority".
RICHARD TRUMKA, AFL-CIO PRESIDENT: It means lost jobs and lower wages.
OBAMA: We still got to do everything we can to help workers and businesses
succeed in the new economy.
TRUMKA: Every trade agreement that`s been being negotiated by every
president has driven wages down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Good to have you with us tonight, folks. Thank for watching.
You know, as a red-headed, red-blooded tax payer American, I just didn`t
hear what I thought I was going to hear today.
First thing`s first. This guy right here, "Jihadi John", apparently
intelligence sources around the world, have identified this guy as Mohammed
Emwazi, all right. He`s the guy we all know "Jihadi John", he is been
cutting American`s heads off.
I thought today since the intelligence is good, everybody`s reporting it,
that we know who is this guy is, that someone in Washington would have
said, "We`re going to get this bastard the same way we got Osama bin
Laden." But no, we`re playing shutdown politics.
We`re not fighting ISIS. We might be doing a few air strikes, but we`re
not fighting ISIS. We`re fighting between ourselves.
This is what aggravates Americans. We need to focus the country somehow.
Remember how the Republicans used to make a political living of they were
the ones that could protect the country. But you know what? Now that we
find out who this guy is, they`re having their bit CPAC Convention. They
don`t mention it at all, that you know what? We`re going to bring this guy
to justice.
We have a target now. We know who he is. If I was him, I`d probably be
pretty little bit nervous.
Shutdown politics is the game. And if no action is taken for Homeland
Security funding, hey, that the lights are getting showed up tomorrow night
at midnight.
On Wednesday, the Senate, they made some moves. They agreed to a clean DHS
bill and of course, that is not fun, President Obama`s immigration action.
Now at this hour, there`s no word on when the next vote is going to take
place. Earlier today, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid had some stern
words for the House Republicans.
REID: We`ve had all kinds of rumors that the House is going to take our
fully funded bill and send it back with a number of riders on it. It is a
waste of time. We will not allow a conference to take place. It won`t
happen. And we`re willing to go to -- when we finished fully funding
homeland security. If the Republicans want to go to immigration, any part
thereof, we`ll go them. They won`t need a motion to proceed, we`ll just do
it. If they send over a bill with all the riders in it, they`ve shutdown
the government. We are not going to play games.
ED SCHULTZ: Reid and McConnell came to an agreement. So it`s time for
John Boehner, I guess, to do his job, the balls in his court.
Earlier today, Boehner said this about the looming DHS shutdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOEHNER: I just think it`s outrageous that Senate Democrats are using
Homeland Security funding for blackmail to protect the actions of the
President, where the President himself said he didn`t have the authority to
do this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Yesterday, the White House Press Secretary said that this is a fight
amongst Republicans. It is not a fight amongst Republicans. All
Republicans agreed that we want to fund the Department of Homeland Security
and we want to stop the President`s executive actions with regards to
immigration.
SCHULTZ: Oh, hold the phone right there. Not everybody in the House is
onboard with Boehner.
Here is Congressman Steve Peter King from New York, moments after Boehner
made those comments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PETER KING, (R) NEW YORK: It`s absolute insanity for the Republicans
if we don`t vote on the clean bill. If the Senate sends us a clean bill,
we have an absolute obligation, not just a political obligation but a moral
obligation to vote on that. To be defunding the Department of Homeland
Security at a time when the terror threats are greater now than anytime
since 9/11, to me it`s just living in -- it`s a fantasy world, a delusional
world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: So what the Senate sense the House a clean bill, Boehner needs to
go against the Tea Party. That ain`t going to happen.
Conservatives want to defund President Obama`s executive orders because DHS
funding involves immigration enforcement. This has been the big debate
raging for over a week.
So -- probably, we better take a look quickly at President Obama`s record
on enforcement because that`s all the Republicans ever do, is talk about
border security.
Well in 2008, the border patrol budget was roughly $2.2 billion. In 2013,
the budget was $3.5 billion. President Obama has put more resources on the
border than the previous two administrations. And of course, the President
has been pretty tough on deportations even liberals have called them out on
it.
In 2013, the President deported a record of 438,000 undocumented
immigrants. More than 2 million have been deported since President Obama
took office.
So -- all these talked about, well, you didn`t keep the borders security
and everything else, give me a break.
You can no way call President Obama soft on enforcement. Congressman Peter
King also said Republicans are forgetting about the global threats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Sometimes I think that, you know, the Republicans are living in an
unreal world. You know, this is the 22nd anniversary of the first World
Trade Center bombing and they`ve remind (ph) who was killed that day.
Yesterday, we saw that three people arrested in Brooklyn. We know that
investigation is ongoing. ISIS is treating (ph) people all over the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: For more, let`s bring in Congressman Steny Hoyer live from the
Hill tonight. Congressman, good to have you with us tonight, you`re the
whip.
REP. STENY HOYER, (D) MARYLAND: Good to be with you Ed.
SCHULTZ: You bet, what`s the speaker going to do? What`s happening?
HOYER: Well, I don`t know but I know what we -- what you just reported in
this thing is simply untrue, and he ought to know what`s untrue.
He promised the American people that he would send individual bills forward
to be voted on. What he did knowingly was to put a piece in this
legislation, as Harry Reid had said, which was unacceptable to the
Democrats in the Senate unacceptable to sufficient numbers they have to
move ahead in the Senate. He knew it was going to die.
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
HOYER: He`s playing the game. I couldn`t say it better than Peter King.
Knowingly (ph) is this bad politics, its bad morals.
We need to keep the Department of Homeland and Security particularly as
Peter King, the former Republican Chairman of the Homeland Security
Committee said we need to keep on high alert at this time of great dangers
to the American people...
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
HOYER: ... and to our country and to be playing games. With the
Department of Homeland Security funding is not showing frankly a love of
America.
SCHULTZ: Congressman, is he worried about speakership more than the
funding of the Department of Homeland Security? It just seems to me that
Boehner has no clue how he is going to topdown, surround the Tea Party.
HOYER: Well, Ed, you`re going to have to ask John Boehner what he`s
worried about. But it was clear that Mitch McConnell came to the
conclusion and 98 Senators came to the conclusion. It`s time to move on.
It`s time to pass the Department of Homeland Security bill which by the way
is a Republican bill. This is not a...
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
HOYER: ... Democratic bill. It came out on Republican Appropriations
Committee. It`s a Republican bill.
We`re going to support it as it exactly what we would want, no, but that`s
not the issue. The issue is we need to keep America safe and secure. We
need to keep border agents on the job. Yes. They`ll be on the job but we
won`t pay them if we don`t pass this bill. We`re going to lay off 30,000
people. What do they do? They answer the phone to make sure the agents
know on what information is coming in.
SCHULTZ: This is (ph) only a practical question, what happens in airports
if its TSA agents? Is that mean...
HOYER: TSA agents will stay on the job but they won`t be paid. That`s not
policy (inaudible)...
SCHULTZ: You got to run into a lot of good attitudes at the airport now,
there`s no doubt about that.
HOYER: Morale is already low at an agency where we ought to have the
highest morale, the highest readiness, the highest commitment.
The men and women in the Department of Homeland Security, as Secretary
Ridge said and in a fact, put on a uniform, it may not be a military
uniform although 14,000 coast guardsmen have do...
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
HOYER: ... to protect our country and playing games with the funding and
the stability...
SCHULTZ: That`s to do with...
HOYER: ... of that agency is critical to our security and safety.
SCHULTZ: Quick call, Congressman, is it going to be a shutdown at DHS?
HOYER: I certainly hope not.
SCHULTZ: OK.
HOYER: The Senate I think it`s going to send us a clean bill. As Peter
King has said, we`re going to take that bill up, pass it...
SCHULTZ: All right.
HOYER: ... and fund the Department of Homeland Security.
SCHULTZ: Steny Hoyer, always a pleasure, great to have you with us
tonight. Thanks so much.
HOYER: Thank you, Ed.
SCHULTZ: Now, here`s the bottom line. If the DHS shutdown, it`s going to
have a disastrous impact on men and women who work hard everyday to keep us
safe and do their jobs which of course the Republican say they love.
Roughly 200,000 workers would have to continue to work without pay. Would
you do that? It includes 50,000 TSA agents, 40,000 active duty cost guard
members, 4,000 secret service agents, 40,000 customs and boarder protecting
employees and 13,000 ICE agents, 30,000 DHS employees would be (inaudible).
Now, Republicans always talk a big game when it comes to praising the
people who protect the homeland. But if there`s an opportunity to slam the
president, they have no problem throwing these hardworking Americans under
the bus.
And don`t you remember when we got hit on September 11th 2001, we had this
huge discussion in the weeks and months ahead, after that, about, well, the
left hand has to know what the right hand is doing. Why is it the CIA
talking to the FBI? We`ve got communication problems.
Well, you know what we got to do? We have to make the Department of
Homeland Security. That was the largest rearrangement of government in the
history of this country and it was push by Republicans and now they don`t
want to fund it.
Let me bring in Steve Clemons MSNBC Contributor and Editor-at-large for the
Atlantic`s. Steve, good to have you with us tonight.
STEVE CLEMONS, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you again.
SCHULTZ: All right. Tell our audience the level of vulnerability we would
have if this shutdown goes through and no agreement is reach on funding.
CLEMONS: Two layers to vulnerability. One is training and hiring of new
personnel which continuous to be needed hulks (ph) the e-verify program,
the program by which company`s check out the citizenship status of people
to that ends. Those are the immediate near term things. We lose 30,000 of
those folks that basically keep the process running and those that do come
to work aren`t paid.
And so the second layer is, yes. The people that protect the nation,
protect the boarders and redeemed absolutely necessary will be on their
jobs, but as you just pointed to, that requires a level of sophistication,
coordination has been very impressive to me to see what they`ve discovered
by way of people that were not, you know, taking a lot of concern alarms in
Brooklyn. And we`re able to kind of use DHS intelligence working across
the administration and other agencies.
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
CLEMONS: . to look at people within our country that are threats. That
probably slows down and doesn`t work as well either.
So it will have an impact at a point where we`re seeing increase terror
activity around the world but also within our boarders.
SCHULTZ: I`m surprise as I said at the top of this broadcast that there
wasn`t one lawmaker left, right, blue, green, center today that said, "Now
that we`ve identified this guy we`re going to get him".
I mean have we lost our focus. I mean we just can`t think that ISIS is
somebody else`s problem. I mean, this is much more of a global problem
than it ever was and if there`s our target there. I guess I`m disappointed
that somebody in Washington who`s dealing with funds and responsibility of
security and everything else that didn`t come out and say, you know, we`re
going to get this guy.
CLEMONS: Well...
SCHULTZ: And I think taxpayers deserve to hear something like that right
now instead they`re beaching (ph) about whether their going to fund the
country or not and protect us. But the -- when we`ve got our eye off the
ball is want I`m saying and I apologize to what I said...
CLEMON: No, you`re actually right...
SCHULTZ: . but that just where I`m at.
CLEMON: We`re lost in bureaucratic scuffles. That said, you know, I think
the one guy whom I know has said, we`re going to go after this, is not the
airwaves much.
John Brennan, the CIA director has made it clear to a group of people of
that we`re going after Emwazi. And I think that that`s heartening, I think
that what you position to assist that, that when you look the Congress.
Congress has 535 people who want to play commander in chief. And given the
scale of what you just said, they`re failing to stand up in a moment when
we see someone who is brought terror into the home, made American, and
Europeans, and people around the world feel insecure about what will.
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
CLEMONS: . happen tomorrow. And they`re distracted by, you know, a
bureaucratic scuffle that I think...
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
CLEMON: . is really demeaning the Congress, it`s demeaning to our own
interest and I think that it`s absolutely moving us in the wrong course.
But I do know, just to be correct, that the people in our intelligence
operation know who this guy is and they`re bringing the resources bear to
target him whether or not any member, elected members of the Senate and
House are paying attention.
SCHULTZ: All right. Steve Clemons, good to have you with us tonight. I
appreciate your time.
CLEMON: Thank you Ed.
SCHULTZ: Get your cellphones out. I want to know what you think.
Tonight`s question, "Do you think Boehner will cave to the Tea Partiers?"
Text A for Yes, Text B for No to 67622, go to our blog, leave a comment at
ed.msnbc.com. We got the results later on in the show. You can get my
podcast at wegoted.com, rawstory.com and ringoffireradio.com.
You`re looking live at CPAC. Scott Walker is speaking right now. Coming
up, we`ll bring you today`s best, John Fugelsang with the live report.
Plus, the AFL-CIO and the TPP is right on the crosshairs of the working
folks of America. We got the details when we come back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show.
Unions are pulling together against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, big
effort here.
Nurses United voice their opposition to fast-tracking TPP on Capitol Hill
today. The health workers say, the trade deal threatens access to medicine
and American wages. The momentum is definitely spreading on the Senate
floor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. SHERROD BROWN (D) OHIO: These agreements are loaded with corporate
handouts that weaken our nation ability to chart its own course. The last
thing we need, Mr. President, is another NAFTA.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: The AFL-CIO came out stronger than ever against the trade
promotion authority. Richard Trumka made a simple statement about what
fast-tracking TPP means for Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMKA: Lost jobs and lower wages, that`s it. That`s it
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Labor leaders join together at AFL-CIO Executive Council Meeting
at Atlanta over the last of couple of days.
Trade promotion authority was at the top of their agenda. Leaders also
discuss fighting the wave of big money coming into the election and the
right to work legislation that instate especially in Wisconsin. The push
for union-busting measures is moving in a lighting speed.
Wisconsin Republican Scott cut short a public hearing on right-to-work
yesterday and of course Republicans were concern about protest from labor
supporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. VAN WANGGAARD, (R) WISCONSIN: We got wind of threats that were being
made to disrupt the hearings. And it was a different crowd of people that
were coming into the Capitol and the Capitol police were concerned that
there might be an issue and there were threats that they were going to
disrupt and force Capitol police to haul them out physically.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: We just can`t get any video tape that backs that up. The State
Senate passed the bill with no Democratic support. The full assembly is
expected to take up the bill as soon as next week. And Governor Walker is
expected to sign it.
Joining me tonight, Leo Gerard, International President of United Steel
Workers, also with us tonight, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.
Gentlemen, good to have you with us.
LEO GERARD, PRESIDENT, UNITED STEEL WOKERS OF AMERICA: It`s good to be
with you.
SCHULTZ: Mr. Gerard, you first. Can you stop trade promotion authority?
Where is the momentum right now?
GERARD: I think we can stop trade promotion authority. Let me just say,
Ed, when commented about the AFL-CIO. I`ve been on the executive council
for a long time and through a lot of trade fights. This is the first time
that every single member of every single union at the AFL-CIO promised a
full-out (ph) battle to stop fast-tracking on institutional level from the
steel workers, where the canaries and the cage.
We looked at how jobs were last in steel and paper and tire and rubber and
glass, and we`re able to show how that has happened and under these trade
deals and also the fact that I`ve mentioned on your show before.
In order for us to win a trade case, we first have to prove we lost jobs.
So the system has broken and everyone at the AFL-CIO, the staff, the
leaders of the unions, the people that support us from progressive
organization, we were unanimous that we got to stop fast-track.
SCHULTZ: Yeah. Congressman Cleaver, the breakdown of this is rather
interesting. You got 20 Republicans that are probably going to vote
against fast-track because of all the right reasons. It`s bad for jobs and
the economy. You got 40 Republicans that are probably going to vote
against it because they don`t want President Obama to have that authority.
So as I look at the numbers and the way this is breaking out, the
Congressional Black Caucus plays a big role in this. Not to mention that
they have it before but where is the Congressional Black Caucus on this
because I know you want to stand with the President but this is an issue of
jobs and insecurity, your thoughts.
REP. EMANUEL CLEAVER, (D) MISSOURI: Well, we have a number of members who
have traditionally supported these trade agreements. Congressman Greg
Meeks from New York for one, has been a very strong advocate. But after
you leave him and a couple of others, I think it`s going to be very
difficult for the members of the Congressional Black Caucus and for the
people in the Congress period to give fast-track authority to President
Obama or to any President. This is not about President Obama as it comes
to us.
Well, keep in mind and I think this is extremely important that fast-track
means that members of Congress cannot filibuster nor they can they amend
the agreement. It`s only up and down vote. So that begins to defame
members of Congress.
My voters would like for me to have some say and something that is as
important as this agreement. I think that the Congressional Black Caucus -
- and by the way we have never loved (ph) by the other side, so it`s not as
difficult as one might think for us. We don`t get people coming from the
business community. They essentially ignore us and so when that happens it
becomes infinitely easier for us to ignore them when the voters...
SCHULTZ: Congressman, is the President didn`t mislead on this? How would
you describe where he is and ways been touted on this?
CLEAVER: Well, I think every President seems to no matter what happens
when they go into the White House, it`s the water, I guess, or something
because President Clinton was also, as you know, big advocate for the NAFTA
and so I think the President like most Presidents are thinking about...
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
CLEAVER: ... the good of the country. This is going to expand our exports
but it is not good for the people in the country. And the majority of the
people in the country will not just seeing something happen. They will be
hurt by it.
SCHULTZ: Yeah. Congressman -- Mr. Gerard, the fact that they can`t
amendment -- amend it, is it that really one of the biggest sticklers in
all of this that once it`s done it`s done?
CLEAVER: I think you`re saying that once it`s done, it`s done is certainly
a big stickler. But again, we have to look at history, Ed, and Richard
Trumka said it right, its lots jobs and lower wages.
There is not one trade deal that`s been passed that as resulted in net job
gains for American workers. This is not one trade deal that`s been passed
that resulted in higher wages for American workers. And as I keep saying
about how the trade system is broken, how it doesn`t work in our favor.
And if we`re going to talk about income inequality we`re going to talk
about union-busting governors.
These are all things that are meant to takeaway the ability of workers to
stand up and get a raise. We need to have raise in wages in this country.
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
GERARD: Workers have not a real wage and real income since -- in almost 30
years while the top 1 percent are lining their pockets with gold.
SCHULTZ: Congressman, if you had to call it right now, where is this vote?
CLEAVER: I don`t think it would be approved in the House. The ugly side
of it is that some people would be voting frankly against the President but
there are those of us who support the President strongly just -- we just
believe that he is on the wrong side here.
NAFTA will give us a lot of proof and so I oppose NAFTA and I`ve said at
the time, I probably oppose everything after.
SCHULTZ: All right. Gentleman, great to have you with us. Leo Gerard and
Congressman...
CLEAVER: Thank you.
SCHULTZ: ... Emanuel Cleaver here on the Ed Show. I appreciate it. Thank
you.
CPAC is saving Sarah Palin for the grand finale. Right now, Louisiana
Governor Bobby Jindal is speaking.
Up next, John Fugelsang, our friend gives us a live report from the
conservative convention. Plus, a massive snowstorm brings parts of the
Southeast to a standstill.
Your question is coming up next Ask Ed Live on the Ed Show. We`ll be right
back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show.
Get ready there`s another winter blast headed for the Midwest and Northeast
this weekend.
Today, it is the south digging out from the rain, sleet and snow. There
was up to a foot of snow in parts of Alabama where the National Guard had
to rescue stranded drivers on Interstate 65. The storm swept Eastern Texas
up through North Carolina leaving tens of thousands without power.
NBC Sarah Dallof joins us tonight from my hometown of Norfolk, Virginia
where they`ve gotten 6-inches of snow and I don`t think anybody is going to
move for three days.
Sarah, what`s the latest there?
SARAH DALLOF, NBC NEWS, NORFOLK, VA: Yeah, Ed. It is fair to say that
this city is pretty much paralyzed right now until all of these snow clears
up.
Take a look behind me, pretty much a ghost town (ph). We`re in the heart
of downtown right now. They`ve received 68-inches depending on where you
are in the city compare that to a February average of about 2.5-inches and
you can see while life is normal kind of shutdown for now.
You know, it`s been all hands on deck to deal with all of this. They
actually taking the garbage truck drivers and moved them to dump truck to
help clear all the snow from the streets and get things moving again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Second year in a row that we`ve had this and so, we`re
having the augmented resources, increase our resources towards this effort
and, you know, as a south city, we`re learning how to do it.
DALLOF: You never thought that we have to do that, huh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
DALLOF: A lot of other places having to get creative with their snow
removal as well including in Alabama where two towns received more than 10-
inches of snow, Western Tennessee and Middle -- excuse me, Eastern
Tennessee and Middle Tennessee receiving about 5-inches of snow.
As you can imagine, this is causing problems all over these areas from
slide off on the road to power out, the schools is canceled, cities having
a open special warming shelters for the homeless population that may need
somewhere to go.
Here Norfolk, they ask people who actually did not have to travel to please
stay home, people have respected that very well according the W.D (ph) city
manager. They have stayed inside, inside their homes. That is allowed
cruise (ph) to really get out and hit those street (inaudible), they were
able to clear those primary roads.
Earlier today, they are now focusing on the secondary roads and hope to
have traffic back to relatively normal, Ed, when things get started
tomorrow.
SCHULTZ: All right. Sarah, that guy was telling you the truth because for
now as going up there, I think we saw snow twice.
Sarah Dallof with us tonight. I appreciate it so much.
Now, to our Ask Ed Live segment, I appreciate all the questions. Tonight,
our first question comes from Dan. He wants to know, "If unions aren`t
needed anymore and why corporations are spending billions to destroy them?"
I don`t think they`re spending billions to destroy them. I think they`re
spending multi-billions to destroy them.
Look, I can`t talk for hours on this. It`s an attack on wages and
representation of the workplace is very important, voices in the workplace
in my philosophy lend itself to a better family, a better middle class and
a better workplace. It`s all upside.
Lot more coming up on the Ed Show, stay with us. We`ll be right back.
KATE ROGERS, CNBC CORRESPONDENT: I`m Kate Rogers with your CNBC Market
Wrap.
Stocks end makes (ph) today, the Dow falls 10 points after hitting a record
on Wednesday, the S&P sheds 3 points and the NASDAQ climbs 20 inching
closer to that 5,000 mark.
The number of American filing for first time jobless claims increase more
than expected last week riving 31,000 to 313,000, a six-week high.
And Apple has send down an invitation for a March 9th event where it`s
widely expected to unveil details about the Apple launch. Shares rose 1
percent on that news.
That`s it from CNBC, first in business worldwide.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: And we are back. The annual three-day, three-ring circus of the
conservatism kicked off today. The predictable players are at CPAC near
Washington D.C. The Republican Party in the early stages of finding a
favorite for 2016 and this is all part of the show.
And when you scan the crowd, it`s clear they have issues with diversity and
demographics. Diversity comes in spirits (ph). However, the talking
points and targets remain constant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ, (R) TEXAS: Our nation is in crisis at home, millions of
Americans are hurting Obamacare. It`s a train wreck. And that`s actually
not fair to train wrecks.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R) NEW JERSEY: So when you are pro-life in 2009, you
don`t cut a commercial four years later because the New York Times doesn`t
like it and say you are less than that.
SEN. JONI ERNST, (R) IOWA: Congress must hold President Obama accountable
to ensure that he and his administration finally develop a cohesive and
strong strategy to confront these and the many other threats that we face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Oh brother. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is on stage right
now. Just a few minutes, it`s going half-turn Governor Sarah Palin. She`s
going to be taking the stage.
Dr. Ben Carson kicked off today`s events. And in his speech, Carson seemed
like he was trying to justify why he, as a black man, was there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. BEN CARSON, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: If you`re white and you oppose a
progressive black person, you`re a racist. If you`re black and you oppose
the progressive agenda, you`re crazy.
And if you`re black and you oppose the progressive agenda, and you`re pro-
life, and you`re pro-family, they don`t even know what to call you. I
mean, you end up on some kind of watch list for extremists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: Joining us live from CPAC tonight, John Fugelsang, Host of "Tell
Me Everything" on SiriusXM Insight.
All right. John, how was Carson received with those comments?
JOHN FUGELSANG, SIRIUSXM RADIO HOST: You know, you`re never go broke
telling -- having a black men on stage, telling people to feel good about
how they smear the first black President. And of course, Ben Carson is not
alone. He along with Santorum and the Honoree Phil Robertson of Duck
Dynasty, have all said that gay marriage is like bestiality.
To me, Ed, if you`re comparing gay marriage to bestiality, you`re no some
good Christian. You`re just a guy who thinks about bestiality too much.
SCHULTZ: Is Obama still the target with every speech?
FUGELSANG: Pretty much. Yeah. Bobby Jindal just got off stage and that
was kind of interesting. The guy hired that that check (ph) him, just had
to call as wife and say he wouldn`t be home tonight.
A lot of them are very angry about Obama and to gay, because he`s not -- he
is more or less saying the same exact thing George W. Bush said about Islam
and they`re deeply offended that Obama won`t use language that will deeply
offend our Islamic allies and the battle against ISIS.
SCHULTZ: Change subject...
FUGELSANG: It is pretty much (inaudible) over here, Ed. It`s like comic -
- it`s sort of like Oscar Pistorius, all these candidates because like
Oscar Pistorius, none of them are going to be running competitively in 18
months.
SCHULTZ: John, objectively, did you hear any new ideas today from the
Republican candidates?
FUGELSANG: No, Ed. I got to say, I really didn`t expect (ph) to be fair.
A lot of people are already making jokes like Hillary Clinton`s age because
she will be 69 when she runs next year. She is still going to be a lot
younger than the 85-year-old Herbert Hoover ideas, she`s running against.
I did talk a lot of Republicans here on the grassroots level who have lots
of great ideas. Law enforcement against prohibition, you know,
conservative cops who want to end the drug war.
I was talking for half an hour with a conservative from anti-death penalty
Republican organization. But our interview is interrupted because Rick
Perry, the governor with the largest body (ph) count in history showed up
in the middle of the noise overpowering our crew.
But so there are some innovative thinkers here, there are some original
people here, theirs guys with some ideas to bring the country forward.
Those guys, Ed, are not invited on stage.
SCHULTZ: All right, John Fugelsang in CPAC tonight with us here on the Ed
Show.
Let`s bring in James Peterson MSNBC Contributor and Director of Africana
Studies at Lehigh University.
Well, Dr. Peterson, you heard Ben Carson to be respectful obviously. What
do you think he`s mission is? Why would he go down the road that he went
down with those comments? It`s almost like he`s trying to recruit black
American to the Republican Party.
JAMES PETERSON, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Yeah. I`m not sure if that strategy is
going to workout so well for him, Ed. I mean, Dr. Carson is, as you know,
an outstanding surgeon and has an incredible narrative in terms of his
life. But as politics seemed to be a little bit confused, first of all,
there are plenty of black folks who are pro-life. I mean to make the
statement that there are black that that being pro-life is somehow being
against black folks I don`t which churches he`s worshiping in or what
churches his ever visited.
But again, there are plenty of black folk who are pro-life. Also there are
plenty of black folk who are progressive but also plenty of black folk who
reject progressive of his certain liberal ideas.
I mean this idea that somehow he`s got a lock on our conservative, I mean,
in the black community is one other way of rendering of (inaudible) sort of
fascinated black community is being monolithic and sort of only voting one-
way is simple not the case...
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
PETERSON: ... just because black folks vote over one-way Democratic,
doesn`t mean that they don`t have certain social conservative values.
SCHULTZ: Well, it is civil right group said -- have written some letter.
One an open letter to GOP presidential.
PETERSON: Yes.
SCHULTZ: . candidates asking them to distance themselves from CPAC because
of white nationalist ties. What you`re reaction to that?
PETERSON: Well, I think that particular pro-English is who they targeted
here, Ed, because if you look at the history of pro-English, they`ve
sponsored CPAC for several years. But they`ve also been identified with
their referred -- somebody refer to it as white nationalist.
At the end of the day, there is a challenge in the Republican Party. They
have yet to resolve with the same challenge they had in 2012, same
challenge they had in 2008. But it will be more pronounce in 2016 because
of the developments around different demographic shifts around the nation.
And that is that small part of their base, Ed, is really invested in the
sort of not necessarily white nationalism but sort of whiteness as a
supreme idea of thinking that white folk have an inalienable right to sort
of own and run and operate this country. And that black folk and people of
color are the other who don`t really belong here and don`t really have
claim to American citizenship.
And so, and this is again, small group within the Republican Party but
unfortunately, is well funded, is very vocal and we`re going to have to
check and see which of these candidates are going to punter (ph) to that
group.
But if you`re CPAC, you know, you have resources coming from all over the
place. I`m not sure why you need funding from a group like pro-English
because it`s going to draw the ire of Democrats obviously, and it also
draws the ire of this very sort of multicultural demographic...
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
PETERSON: ... that puts people into office at the presidential level.
SCHULTZ: All right. Dr. James Peterson, thanks for joining on the
program. I appreciate it.
PETERSON: Thank you.
SCHULTZ: Coming up. Everyday Americans are waging a fight against big
energy in New York State. That`s right there`s another pipeline, another
fight. Stay with us, we`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: All right. Here we go tonight`s two-minute drill, overruled.
How about this?
A judge has sided with Running Back Adrian Peterson Minnesota Vikings in
the appeal of his suspension.
Peterson was suspended in November after pleading no contest to a child
injury charge. Judge David Doty ruled that Commissioner Roger Goodell
could not apply the league`s personal conduct policy to Peterson`s case
since the act occurred before the policy was put into place.
The case will now go back to an arbitrator for further proceedings. The
NFL says that they will review the decision. He maybe back in the NFL
soon.
Over in Denver, pay cut coming for Peyton. NFL sources say that the
Broncos and the quarterback are working on restructuring his deal. He`s
got a couple of years left on his contract. He`s set to make $19 million a
year for the next two years for the teams looking for cap space. It`s also
a good sign to the 38-year-old quebie (ph) is going to come right back and
not call it quits.
And finally, the women`s fight movement -- get this, WWE fans and employees
are taking the company to test for their treatment of female wrestlers.
After Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon tweeted her support for
Patricia Arquette`s Oscar speech, three-time Divas Champ AJ Lee called out
the company`s inequality.
"Writing your female wrestlers have records selling merchandize and have
starred in the highest rated segment of show several times, and yet they
received a fraction of the wages and screen time with the majority of the
male roster."
Wrestling fans are also taking to twitter demanding female wrestlers get
more time in the ring. The #GiveDivasAChance trended on Twitter after the
women`s match lasted only 30 seconds during Monday night`s three-hour
broadcast.
So here we go, WWE CEO Vince McMahon responded on Twitter, "We hear you.
Keep watching."
We got a lot more coming up on the Ed Show. How is that for sports
diversity? We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show.
And finally tonight, it`s easy to watch the news and say that could never
happen here. It`s easy until the problem lands in your own backyard.
Earlier this week, we talked about the Constitution Pipeline. The $700
million project aims to build 124 mile pipeline to transport natural gas
from the Marcellus shale field in Pennsylvanian through the forest and
waterways of Central New York. Some have called it the "Keystone pipeline
of natural gas".
Last month residents packed a hearing in (inaudible) and here are their
voices as they were heard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am completely buckled that this hearing is even
happening at all. How can that be any doubt of the environment will be
affected?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probable watershed contamination, air pollution and
soil contamination are unacceptable risks inherit to pipeline construction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s a lot of talk about how we`re going to have
keep gas and everything but let`s not be naive about this. This stuff is
going to be eventually going overseas when they get three to four times
more (inaudible) over there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can`t expect constitution to act in the best
interest of our environment while this project is in construction. It`s
much easier for them to pay fines.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The index of the pipeline construction and operation
represent the largest single dangers in New York State`s water resources in
recent years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: So here we go. This is yet another fight about eminent domain
and property rights at America. It puts local landowners at the mercy of
big oil and gas companies. Pubic comment buried on the constitution
construction is going to be closing tomorrow. They extended it until
tomorrow. So if you have something to say, now is the time to speak up.
We are joined tonight here on studio by Colleen McKinney. She is a local
landowner and a member of stopthepipeline.org. And Jane Kleeb, Executive
Director of Bold Nebraska joins us tonight as well. Great to have both of
you with us.
Colleen, a whole lot of people have heard of this pipeline and you`ve got
some photos from around your property that I want to show our viewers
tonight. As a local landowner, as a landowner, would this pipeline coming
through and this is what they wanted to do. What`s most important to you?
COLLEEN MCKINNEY, LOCAL LANDOWNER: What`s the most important to me is my
(inaudible) and all my neighborhood rights as landowners.
We have our right to our land that we bought with our hard-earned money.
We work hard for it and it`s not right that a giant corporation should be
able to come and take our land, run a pipeline through it and -- so that
they can ship gas to Canada and sell it to another country.
SCHULTZ: How does these all come about?
MCKINNEY: We received -- my husband and I received a letter in the mailbox
three years ago informing us that there would be a pipeline and...
SCHULTZ: Know what`s answer but its coming (ph).
MCKINNEY: No, its coming. And we could sign an easement agreement, allow
them to survey or not and we said, "no".
We were lucky. They shifted the pipeline a little bit. It`s still on the
border of our property so we`re not facing eminent domain like more than
120 other people.
SCHULTZ: And how determine are these landowners up in Center New York?
MCKINNEY: Very. Very. We`ve organized a group called Stop the Pipeline.
We`ve gone door to door. We`ve done radio spots, sent out informational
flyers to the mail and of course use social media to spread the word.
SCHULTZ: How do you stop it?
MCKINNEY: We delay them which cost them money. We delayed them for three
years.
SCHULTZ: Jane Kleeb, you`ve heard this before, proponents say that it`s
going to create a thousand jobs and provide gas and power at lower rates.
Your reaction to this, I know you`re following it.
JANE KLEEB, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BOLD NEBRASKA: Yeah. You know, these big
corporation say the same thing over and over again but the beautiful thing
is, is that small and mighty local groups like Bold Nebraska here like Stop
the Pipeline in New York.
They`re the ones that are doing the work of stopping this really risky
projects because we know that it`s all risks and no reward for our families
and I hope that politicians are actually finally going to get the picture
that we can`t just keep on putting pipelines, here, there, everywhere. We
really need to get forth on renewable energy but, you know, my message to
all the Stop the Pipeline folks in New York is don`t give up. They expect
you to give up. You have to be upwelling (ph), keep on charging.
SCHULTZ: Do they expect you to give up? Do you get that sense that they
just won`t back down?
MCKINNEY: They expect us to give up. They expect to win but I don`t think
they will.
SCHULTZ: Colleen, here`s a look at some flash flooding which has occurred
in the region over the past decade. How would this pipeline make things
worse?
MCKINNEY: Yeah. The pipeline would go through a region that experienced
300 year floods within a decade. In order to build the pipeline it would
take a way, would clear, cut a thousand acres of trees and across 277 water
bodies by crossing, I mean, blasting and digging across these water bodies
and that alone is going to increase flooding and they get worse put
people`s property and it maybe even their lives at risk.
SCHULTZ: Who are elected officials on your side?
MCKINNEY: I wish I could give you some names. There aren`t many elected
officials in New York who are on our side right now. We`re working with
our local governments to pass resolutions against this pipeline.
SCHULTZ: It sounds like a familiar fight doesn`t it, Jane Kleeb?
KLEEB: Yeah. And absolutely does and we didn`t have a lot of elected
officials standing with us either. We fortunately have folks like Senator
Whitehouse, you know, and DEC but in Nebraska we are essentially standing
shoulder to shoulder with citizens.
But that`s what got us where we are today. We stop Keystone XL for six
years, you can stop the pipeline in your backyards too and I think these
corporations just think we`re not going to have the resources or the time
or the will to do it and they`re just wrong.
But what politicians have to do is fell this at the ballot box and I think
that`s our responsibility as pipeline fighters in our next step in this
fight.
SCHULTZ: Colleen, what`s the next step in all of this? What happens next?
I mean, we saw the video tape of the people that were getting together and
they`ve had big rallies and big town halls, what`s the next step?
MCKINNEY: Well, we`ve been writing letters to the New York DEC. There`s
been a public comment period because before the pipeline can be built.
They need permits from the New York DEC saying they won`t affect our water,
they won`t poison our water. And we`re telling the DEC they will. The DEC
needs to uphold its mission statement and protect the New York`s water and
its citizens.
SCHULTZ: OK. Colleen McKinney, keep up the fight. Jane Kleeb, thanks for
your time tonight. I appreciate it. It`s just not Nebraska. It`s New
York.
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.
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The Ed Show for Thursday, February 26th, 2015
Read the transcript to the Thursday show