The Ed Show for Wednesday, July 30th, 2014

THE ED SHOW
July 30, 2014

Guest: George Miller, Mike Papantonio, Steve Israel


ED SCHULTZ, MSNBC HOST: Let`s get to work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOEHNER, HOUSE SPEAKER: The Congress has its job to do and so is the
president.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The most depressing issue that the House Republican
leadership has decided that we needed to vote our legislative time to .

BARACK OBAMA, CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They have announced
that they`re going to sue me.

UNIDENTIFID MALE: Not to bring up the jobs bill.

MICHELLE BACHMANN, (R) MINNESOTA CONGRESSWOMAN: Defund the executive
branch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not to deal with comprehensive immigrations reform.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president of the United States is the world`s sugar
daddy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not to withstand emergency unemployment benefits.

OBAMA: They`re mad because I`m doing my job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This man is playing with the American people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What specific executive actions the Congress are
planning to challenge in court?

BOEHNER: When I make that decision, I`ll let you know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Good to have you with us tonight folks. Thanks for watching.

For the record, I believe that we have a great country, that we`ve done a
lot of great things for the world. We`ve overcome world wars, we have
fought back against depressions and recessions, we`ve done social change,
civil rights legislation we`ve come a long way in over 200 years. But it
just seems right now we can`t overcome a Congress that doesn`t want to do
the work of the people.

Have you ever noticed how it doesn`t matter how you and I think on an issue
whether we pull in the majority or not? It`s just all about what they want
to do and how the corporate dollars are driving them. What is unfolding in
the United States House at this time I think is a total embarrassment to
this country, almost to the point where you can`t recognize American
anymore. It is seated in hate, it is seated in disdain for one man, and it
is all about a law that they simply could not repeal.

President Obama ran on healthcare. He got reelected on healthcare, but
there is a political party in this country that wants to do election
denying. And they`re going to do everything they possibly can to try to
reverse this. It`s a lawsuit but it`s really all about taking down
healthcare and making sure that this country never goes to single payer.
They`re afraid of the first big step.

Tonight, we start with breaking news. At this hour, we`re expecting the
House to vote on of all things suing the president of the United States.
It`s going to happen within an hour. That`s right. The guy that you voted
for, the majority of Americans elected twice, he`s going to get sued. The
vote is no doubt expected to pass along party lines, debate is currently
underway and when the vote happens we`ll being it you live.

We cannot be mistaken whatsoever here folks. This is an unprecedented
history making event in the United States House. Never before has Congress
brought a frivolous lawsuit against the president of the United States and
sued him. And it`s clear John Boehner and his do-nothing Republican caucus
have accomplished very little. They are currently by far the least
productive Congress in history of the United States. Only 125 laws have
been passed since January of 2013. But it`s the obstruction that we need
to focus in on.

Its clear Republicans can`t accomplish the job that they were sent to do
and they are fraudulent. They refused to do the work of the people. They
are hung up in political hedgerow country. They won`t extend unemployment,
they said no to that. They refused to bring minimum wage to the floor for
a vote, although many people think it would pass. They won`t pass a long-
term infrastructure bill although we do have bridges that are falling down
in America and people are getting killed. They blocked President Obama`s
jobs bill in every pass. Republicans, they have no problem defaulting on
the debt. They have no problem shutting down the government and costing
you and me $25 billion to the treasury.

So, when Republican go home for a vacation next week, the only thing that
they really going to be able to hang their hat on is number one, they hate
the president. Number two, they think he`s operating unconstitutionally,
and by the way we sued him to travesty. And the Republicans simply have no
shame. House Democrats, frustrated, no doubt, flat-out mad about it.

Earlier today, Congressman Steny Hoyer had no problem calling this lawsuit,
a loser.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. STENY HOYER, (D) MARYLAND: I think it`s a waste of time, I think it`s
a loser, it is unprecedented and it is to gin-up the Republican base. Now,
to the extent that they get a response, that should not be surprising to
them because the American people think this is a waste of time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Congresswoman Jackie Speier agrees with Hoyer. She decided to
spell out stupid on the House floor for Republicans today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JACKIE SPEIER, (D) CALIFORNIA: The Republicans are trying to distract
Americans from the fact that they have ruled over a do-nothing Congress.

While we are furthering away our last few days in session in this
pointless, childish exercise, we are not creating jobs, fixing immigration,
renewing the export/import bank, doing tax reform or even completing a full
appropriations process.

Words fail me in describing the petulance of the other side. This toddler
is more adult than some of my colleagues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Earlier today, the man in the middle of this fire storm,
President Obama, also had no problem slamming the lawsuit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The main vote that they`ve scheduled for today is whether or not
they`ve decide to sue me for doing my job. By the way, you know who`s
paying for this suit they`re going to file? You. No. No. No. You`re
paying for it and it`s estimated that by the time the thing was done, I
would already left office. So, it`s not a productive thing to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: How is this a good use of taxpayer dollars? The lawsuit is
disgusting. It`s a waste of time and money. Republicans have absolutely
zero basis for suing the president of the United States. Boehner claims
it`s all about constitutional overreach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOEHNER: I believe that the path that we`re going is the right one to
defend our institution against the encroachment from the executive branch
and to preserve the constitution of our country as it was written and as it
was intended.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: So, let`s cut to the chase. This lawsuit focuses specifically on
President Obama`s executive action delaying the employer mandate on
Obamacare for one year. It`s what the public wanted.

The Republicans were complaining about the mandate, claiming that
businesses couldn`t shoulder the responsibility that it was going to be a
job killer. So, Obama goes along with it.

Conversely, Republicans themselves tried to repeal this very same provision
of Obamacare. It`s ridiculous, it`s outrageous and as a taxpayer, you
should be fuming mad probably now more than ever. But if you hate the
president, I`m sure you understand what`s going on. Think about this for
just a moment. Are we getting our money`s worth?

There are 234 House Republicans who get paid $174,000 a year. They have
worked only 86 days so far this year. Now, hold it right there. What
employer, what person running a business in this country would think that
this is really the way we should be running our railroad? In fact, I`m
going to do this for my employees. No one. No one. They`re gaming us,
big time.

Most of them have been -- most of the time that they`ve been working,
they`ve been trying to destroy the president, that`s been their mission.
They aren`t working to create jobs, build roads or bridges, or help any
Americans. And the next step after this is going to impeachment if they
can swing it.

Now, after accomplishing absolutely nothing, the Congress is leaving for a
month-long vacation, something I don`t think they deserve. So, the
narrative for Republicans will be this. When they go home, they`re going
to be saying that the president has exceeded his constitutional authority
and they`ll keep it real simple, constitutional authority. That`s all they
want the American people to consume. Don`t understand why they are suing
him, just understand that he is exceeding his constitutional authority.

So, what does this mean to you, to your family, to all of us? It means
that once again, we really don`t mean very much and we have a very narrow
window of opportunity to understand what`s going on, comprehend it, and
then go do something about it in November and I know it`s July 30th and we
got a ways to go yet.

Here`s something that I think we need to be fair about. John Boehner has
taken statesmanship to a new low in this country. He has shown young
people in public service that you can take the low road and still keep your
job. Character. There used to be a time in this country when character
counts. In Washington, it doesn`t count anymore. The only think that
counts is can you outgame your opponent?

And in the middle of this political game that`s being played out in
American, you and I are paying the price. Just have a vote. Just do
something for the American people. But no, we have to sue the president
because they don`t like the law and they will take any opening that they
possibly can to reverse what they don`t like, whether it`s 50 votes plus in
the House to repeal Obamacare or whether it`s a lawsuit to go after a
mandate that they were against to start with. They`ll find and take any
opening they can.

This isn`t the America I grew up in. It`s not the America I want my
grandkids to grow up in. The cooperation has gone, the statesmanship has
left the building and now it`s about power. It is about power.

As a liberal, as a broadcaster, I would love to see President Obama do one
thing from here on out. Forget the Republicans, turn to the midterms, go
on the road in every red district in America and tell the truth about what
is happening to this country. That it`s not about the people. That
obstruction -- The country doesn`t deserve this kind of obstruction.

Mr. President, go on the road, bring it from your loins the way you did to
get reelected, the way it was described by Axelrod. Just go out there and
let them have it for the next 100 days and let`s turn this around, take the
House, keep the Senate, and then let`s give this country what it really
deserves, a chance to succeed. Republicans, all they want is power and
they only want to see America succeed in their view which is horribly
narrow.

Get your cellphones out. I want to know what you think. Tonight`s
question, "Does this lawsuit convince you that Republicans hate the
president?" Text A for yes, text B for no to 67622, you can always go to
our blog at ed.msnbc.com. We`ll bring you the results later on in the
show.

For more, let me bring in Congressman George Miller of California who has
seen an awful lot in his career. I don`t think he`s seen anything like
this.

Congressman, good to have you with us tonight.

REP. GEORGE MILLER, (D) CALIFORNIA: Thank you very much, Ed.

SCHULTZ: What is the atmosphere -- you bet. What is the atmosphere in
Congress at this hour as this is unfolding?

MILLER: Well, I think most of the Republicans are embarrassed by this
legislation to create the lawsuit. And most of the Democrats are furious
that we`re not using this time to help the American middle class, to help
the economy by creating jobs instead of giving tax raise to send jobs
overseas, let`s give them the companies to bring jobs back to the United
States, allowing students to refinance their student loans, it would save
them $50 billion to the American families if we just did for the students
what we did for the banks in letting them refinance those loans and
providing the minimum wage increase that so desperately needed in so many
places across this country for so many workers, and making sure that women
who work get paid equal to men in their job for the same kind of work.

But the Republicans have chosen something else. They`ve chosen to try to
divert the attention that they`ve done nothing on behalf of the American
people that this is the least effective Congress in the history of the
country and they still got to home.

So, they`re creating a cloud dust, they`re creating diversion of this
miserable, miserable suit against the president of the United States for
successfully enacting the Affordable Care Act which now means that tens and
millions of individuals who did not have insurance, families, children,
wife, spouses that did no have insurance now have insurance. So, they
decided to sue him on the last week of the Congress before we go home for
the August recess.

What they`re really hoping is they might strike gold and they could lead --
this suit could lead them to impeachment. Because then that would be .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

MILLER: . ecstasy for the right wing, that would be ecstasy for the
Republicans in the Congress if they could impeach Barack Obama. So,
they`re going with the lawsuit, testing the waters, it`s a frivolous
lawsuit, it`s a waste of money, it`s a waste of time, it`s not going to be
successful but this is what they`ve chosen to do with this country`s time
when in fact we have so many needs in this country to help middle class
families and to help those individuals working hard to aspire to get into
the middle class. So, this is a brutal, brutal decision by the Republicans
to ignore the American people, to ignore the needs of the economy, to
ignore the needs of families .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

MILLER: . all across this country.

SCHULTZ: Well, that`s exactly what they`re doing. Now, I want to play a
clip from John Boehner talking about Republican priorities just yesterday.
Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOEHNER: Over the last 18 months, Republicans in the House have been
focused on the American people`s priorities whether it`s grow in our
economy, creating more jobs holding our government accountable. Last week,
the president signed in this SKILLS Act, signed into law, a step in the
right direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Congressman Miller, how can John Boehner say that with a straight
face the day before suing the president?

MILLER: Well, he`s just delusional about the Republican record. I mean,
the fact of the matter is, this Republican record in the Congress on behalf
of the American people is atrocious, it`s a complete failure. And that`s
why they`ve turned to lawsuit as a diversion. This is a diversion. They
want to take this to the country and try to see that -- if they can get the
country to focus on this for 30 days or 100 days until the election rather
than look at the Republican record and the denial of opportunity for the
American people .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

MILLER: . in this Congress.

SCHULTZ: Congressman George Miller, I appreciate your time tonight. Thank
you so much.

MILLER: Thank you, Ed.

SCHULTZ: Very passionate and on point, no doubt about it. Thank you.

This lawsuit, no doubt, opens up the door to impeachment as the Congressman
said later on down the line.

Now, on Tuesday night, Karl Rove slammed the president for fundraising off
the issue?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARL ROVE, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT AND POLICY ADVISOR: The speaker of the
House have said, "We will not consider or take up this issue." There`s no
serious Republican leader who stepped forward and said, "Here is the bill
in particular that justifies his extreme action." And yet, the president
of the United States sends out his press secretary last week to stir the
waters and suggest this is real. How cynical. How pathetic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: How pathetic? What`s pathetic is the president`s being sued
after the United States people have said that, "Hey, we want healthcare.
We accept the healthcare. We`ve reelected the guy." The president
actually did this executive order because he was listening to the
Republicans and listening to some business owners across America saying,
"Can you give us a little bit more time on the mandate?"

Let me bring in Congressman Steve Israel, Chair of the DCCC. Congressman,
good to have you with us tonight.

This lawsuit, will it have an impact on the midterms? What does this arm -
- the Democrats with as they go home to their constituents?

REP. STEVE ISRAEL, (D-NY), CHAIRMAN, DCCC: Well, the next 97 days, Ed, is
going to be about the defining contrast between Democrats and Republicans.
The Republicans have focused all of their time and taxpayer money on suing
the president, on talking about impeaching the president while Democrats
are focused on solutions for the middle class. That`s what an election is
all about.

And by the way, it is another example to the American people of hypocrisy.
I mean, don`t you love, Ed, these Congressional Republicans who want to
pass reform to stop lawyers from filing frivolous lawsuits who today will
pass a bill to spend millions of dollars to stop the president in court?

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

ISRAEL: It`s another act of supreme hypocrisy that convinces the American
people that these Republicans are just badly out of touch, just about their
self interest and their special interests.

SCHULTZ: Congressman, are you raising money off this lawsuit?

ISRAEL: Anytime that Republicans talk about impeaching the president and
anytime that they focus on suing the president, you can expect our base to
be energized and it is. And not only as our base energized, but the fact
of the matter is that the Republican strategy has badly backfired on swing
voters.

Swing voters by their very nature do not want process, they want progress.
They don`t want one branch of government suing another branch of
government. They want their members of Congress to be focused on student
loan relief. They want their members of Congress to be focused on growing
their paychecks. They want their members of Congress to be focused on
passing legislation to make sure that a woman gets paid the same the man
for equal work. And the more they see this Republican Congress just
completely obsessing in their hatred of Barack Obama, the more convinced
they are that we need a different majority this November.

SCHULTZ: Do you agree that they just want American people not to know the
minutiae of all of this and the reason for this just to grab the narrative
that the president is lawless, that the president is operating outside that
constitution? I mean, that`s really the only message they want to send
going home, isn`t it?

ISRAEL: I believe that this is a campaign strategy that they cooked up.
They have calculated that this is a midterm election and that they have to
gin-up their base. That`s why you have 50 repeals to the Affordable Care
Act, it`s why you have the Benghazi hearings, it`s why you now have a vote
on a lawsuit. This is intended to gin-up their base. The strategy is
backfiring. It is ginning-up their base. It`s also energizing our base
and creating a .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

ISRAEL: . an erosion of support by persuadable swing voters for
Republicans.

SCHULTZ: I have to ask you. Will there be any Democrats that vote for
this lawsuit?

ISRAEL: Well, if there is, it`s not going to be this Democrat. I don`t
know what the final tally is going to look like, but let`s not forget that
this is a Republican strategy written by Republicans .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

ISRAEL: . to hire a bunch of Republican .

SCHULTZ: OK.

ISRAEL: . lawyers to sue a Democratic president.

SCHULTZ: All right. Congressman Steve Israel, good to have you on the Ed
Show.

ISRAEL: Thank you, Ed.

SCHULTZ: Thank you so much for your time tonight. The vote taking place
coming up here at the bottom of the hour.

Coming up, a former Republican rising star seize his day in court on
corruption charges. The trial has started. Rapid Response Panel weighs in
on Bob McDonnell corruption trial.

But first, President Obama weighs a huge move on immigration. Why this
decision is too big for one man to take on. Stay tuned. We`ll be right
back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: What`s hot and what`s not. Time now for the Trenders. What`s
out there on the internet? We are.

Keep in touch with us on Twitter @edshow and @wegoted. Like us on
Facebook. We appreciate that. You can get my podcast, just like the radio
show wegoted.com. You can find it a rawstory.com and ringoffireradio.com
and on iTunes for free, 24/7. You get whatever you want. Do it. Thanks.

Ed Show Social Media Nation has decided. We are reporting here today`s top
Trenders voted on by you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Show me the money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The number three Trender, group (inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Four percent economic growth in the second quarter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holly cow, 4 percent.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The U.S. economy, it appears to be bouncing back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The GDP jumps in the second quarter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re looking at an economy that has defied a lot of
expectations.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Consumers were investing and consumers were buying
thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a bit of sigh of a relief.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you can see other countries buying our export.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know first half is looking up, not nearly as bad as
we were thinking.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The number two Trender, Louie Lawless.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over 500 (inaudible) thousand amnesties already, I mean
holly smokes, how unfair is it to the Mexican.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s not fair to all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gohmert attacks the president for following the law.

LOUIE GOHMERT, (R) TEXAS: They said no that from Mexico, will turn you
right around and send you right back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When minors come from countries not contiguous to the
U.S., the law does not allow expedite of returns to where they come from.

GOHMERT: I don`t know why this president is so extremely prejudice against
Mexican.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are wrong.

GOHMERT: This guy truly is fundamentally transforming America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That don`t make no sense.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And today`s top Trender, border up.

OBAMA: America cannot wait forever for them to act.

SCHULTZ: Three out of every four Americans want something done. They want
immigration reform pass.

BOEHNER: Oh no, this is too hard.

OBAMA: The congress will not do their job at least we can do ours.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Obama molds executive orders on immigration.

SCHULTZ: The associative press reports, White House officials are making
plans to act on immigration before the midterms.

OBAMA: I`m beginning of new effort to fix as much as much and more
immigration system is I can, on my own.

SCHULTZ: The executive orders from the president could grant work permits
to potentially millions of illegal immigrants.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it`s a mistake for the president to take on
everything as a one man band.

OBAMA: Actions my administration can take on our own within my existing
legal authorities to do what congress refuses to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Joining me tonight, Mike Papantonio, host of the Ring of Fire
Radio Show and America`s lawyer. Mike, good to have you with us tonight.

I get all the executive orders because of the obstruction that`s unfolded
in congress and how the Republicans just hate this president. Don`t want
to work with them all on anything. But I get a little bit nervous when I
heave and hear the thought that -- of the possibility that undocumented
workers, immigrants would be granted work permits and the numbers of
million.

Wouldn`t this create -- maybe not, wouldn`t this create more problems and
it would solve? And legally what is it mean for the president? Can we
just pass out work permits to anybody who crosses our border? Your
thoughts.

MIKE PAPANTONIO, RING OF FIRE RADIO: Well, here`s what the President
knows. Any attempt to use congress or even the courts to accomplish any
kind of legitimate immigration policy is a waste of time but there are some
things that he can do without the courts and without legislation and that`s
what he`s looking at.

For example, he could simply expand the same differed action program that
he initiated in 2012 and it allows immigrants who enter the U.S., these
children to apply for two year deportation reprieve. That`s one simple
way.

His authority to take executive action is broad Ed and he needs to use it.
There are some pit falls. But right now no action is the worst thing he
can do. For example, what we see happening is election mollification.

We saw few weeks ago a report from Coming Cause that was released that show
the congressional Republicans are blocking both legislation and both
nominees that they actually support. Back home they say, these are great
nominees, this is great legislation. But they`re blocking it because
President Obama is the person dispromoting it.

Their agenda ...

SCHULTZ: Sure.

PAPANTONIO: ... they laid it out behind close doors before he was ever
sworn in and that`s to see Obama fail. And for six years now, it`s worked.

SCHULTZ: But Mike, I mean, to dish out work permits to millions of
undocumented workers. I mean, I think that`s a political loser. That`s my
view on that.

I think there needs to be a process. There has some unity. And there`s
something that you`re just not going to get done and turn it over to the
voters in less than a hundred days. What`s wrong with that?

PAPANTONIO: OK. Your concern is the same as everybody`s. What`s
happening here is it`s another setup. It`s another setup of why we should
impeach this president.

It doesn`t make any difference frankly that they were just weeks ago
saying, "President Obama, take action." And so .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

PAPANTONIO: . he`s kind of an rock in a hard spot. So what you do is what
you -- the only thing he can control right now is the executive order.

Today, we`re finally seeing this president do what he should have done six
years ago and that`s to fight back. Now, is it elegant the way he is doing
it? Is it simple? Is there are simple solution? No.

But the point is this, he can`t -- it`s uncomfortable obviously to make a
decision on immigration by himself but that`s the position that the
Republicans have put him in. And if -- unless we did away from this
election mollification plan that the Republicans have been going forward
with, his stock. And so I think he has to take some action.

SCHULTZ: I don`t think any country just hands out work permits to solve an
immigration problem. I think this would be a ground sweeping move by the
president to do that and I think a lot of Democrats would have a hard time
with that. It would be a real tough cell to independence and it would also
all of a sudden start competing with American workers who are abiding by
the laws.

I mean, let`s face it. People who are here in this country have -- they
are here for a number of different reasons but there are lawbreakers and to
just give them permits for working, .

PAPANTONIO: Right.

SCHULTZ: . I think creates a greater problem. You have to have it
legislated.

PAPANTONIO: Don`t you think it pushes the Republicans to do something.
Isn`t he saying, "What? This is what I can do. This is what I can do."

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

PAPANTONIO: This is possible.

SCHULTZ: I get that Mike.

PAPANTONIO: And at some point .

SCHULTZ: I get that but I think that American people get who the
abstractors are. And to do something that would be politically damaging
with the 97 days of a possible change to power in congress. Isn`t that
even politically more dangerous?

PAPANTONIO: But first of all, I don`t think he is going to do it. I think
he`s going to keep this up. There is a talking point which he needs to do.
But Ed, my opinion is this president needs to use his power of executive
order as often as possible in these last couple years.

Republicans aren`t ...

SCHULTZ: OK.

PAPANTONIO: ... going to stop their child like abstraction and he needs to
do what he should had started doing five years ago and that`s to take
action, whatever is available to him. And if it pushes him back then he
should do that.

SCHULTZ: Mike Papantonio with us tonight on the Ed Show. Thanks Mike, I
appreciate it.

Coming up, Mike, McDonnell fall from political grace. The trail against
him is hitting up with new revelations. Plus, a voter is expected soon in
the House on John Boehner`s lawsuit against President Obama. We`ll bring
you the latest on that but next I`m taking your questions, Ask Ed Live on
the Ed Show.

Coming up, right here on MSNBC. We`re right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: Thanks for joining us tonight. I love this segment. I
appreciate all your questions.

Tonight in our Ask Ed Live Segment. Our first question is from Chad (ph).
He wants to know, "Do you think fast food workers will actually get to
unionize?" I do. And I think he can`t keep the work and folk down
forever.

This 20 some things and 30 some things in our society who work in this
industry, they are motivated, they are organized, they`re vocal, they -- I
don`t think they`re going to back off. I think you`re going to see some
changes in the industry. I hope they can unionize and I believe eventually
they will.

Our next question is from David. "Did Republicans realize they woke a
sleeping giant with the impeachment talk?" Well, they`re back tracking
from it, that`s for sure. They know it`s a political loser but they`ve
been talking it for a long time, months/years on end.

And now when they are being pushed on it, Boehner comes out and denies at
all. Don`t believe him. If they get the power, they going to try
everything they possibly can to tarnish this president, impeachment
followed by lawsuit. It`s on the way.

They vote on the lawsuit taking place at this hour. We`ll bring it to you
live. Stay with us. You`re watching the Ed Show on MSNBC. We`re right
back.

HAMPTON PEARSON, CNBC CORRESPONDENT: I`m Hampton Pearson with your CNBC
Market Wrap. The Dow falls 31 points, the S&P ends flat, the Nasdaq is up
20 points.

The federal reserves voted to cut its monthly bond-buying program by
another $10 billion and indicated it`s in no rush to raise interest rates.

The private sector added 218,000 jobs in July, that`s according to ADP.
Economist expected to gain of 230,000.

And shares of Whole Foods are down sharply. The company`s earnings meet
estimates but same store sales fell short.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. Right now, House members are
getting ready to vote on John Boehner`s lawsuit against President Obama.
It`s history making.

Republicans are expected to approve the measure. We will bring the final
to you when it happens but first in this segment to Bob McDonnell, former
Governor of Virginia who once the rising star of the GOP.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB MCDONNELL: Some people say they are afraid on America`s no longer the
great land of promise that she has always been. They should not be.

America will always blaze the thrill of opportunity and prosperity.
America will much always be a land where liberty and property are valued
and respected and innocent human life is protected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: They choose McDonnell to respond to President Obama after his
first speech after being elected but all how mighty have fallen.

The Former Virginia Governor was widely mentioned as a possible running
mate from Mitt Romney in 2012. Today the Governor and his wife Maureen are
on trial for corruption charges.

A bomb shell was revealed to the opening remarks on Tuesday. Lawyers
defending McDonnell say, the couple could not have been scheming together
to accept bribes their marriage was falling apart.

Maureen`s attorney say, "Not only have the marriage broken down but in the
first lady developed feelings from Mr. Williams by the time the CEO begin
giving gifts.

He became her "favorite playmate." Attorney`s for the governor`s wife
said, "You`ll even hear she had a crush on him," unlike the other man in
her life, Jonnie Williams paid attention to her."

One of the first witness has called by the prosecution was the couple`s
daughter. Cailin McDonnell, it was Jonnie Williams`s $15,000 gift before
her June 2011 wedding that set off a federal investigation into the couple.

Attorney`s for both McDonnell`s claim, Jonnie Williams deceive and
manipulated Maureen McDonnell in order to benefit his business. Before the
indictments, Bob McDonnell apologize for what he described as bad judgment
and said that he repaid about $120,000 in gifts and loans and denied
breaking any laws.

The McDonnell`s are charged in a 14 count indictment for the accepting more
than a $150,000 in loans, designer clothes, vacations and lavish gift from
Johnnie Williams, the CEO of Dietary Supplements Makers Star Scientific.
If convicted, the couple could face decades in prison.

Joining me tonight on our Rapid Response Panel MSNBC Political Analyst Dr.
Michael Eric Dyson. Also with us tonight James Peterson, MSNBC Contributor
and Lehigh University professor. Gentlemen great to have with us tonight.

So do we see this as a dysfunctional love triangle as a defense unfolding
here? We`re hearing that there`s going to be emails, that going to be read
by the former governor that are going to defend the fact that his marriage
is falling down.

Dr. Dyson, the defense is saying, the couple couldn`t have been conspiring
because their marriage was falling apart. Is this a good strategy?

MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: Well it`s a number one to be
sure. And I`m not here to cast dispersion on anybody or to judge the state
of intimacy in their marriage. The political consequence of there however
marital dysfunction, will telling them, the defense is that is that look,
if they couldn`t have conspired together because they weren`t hardly
talking to each other, she`s spending a lot of time 14,000 in somewhat
emails and calls to Johnnie Williams in two years.

It does suggest some extra marital connection to what degree I`m not sure.
I don`t know if this is as rules to try to distract from the fact that they
were doing something that was fundamentally illegal. Or if it`s honestly,
a kind of romantic entanglement because of the denial of presence in her
marriage over her husband and spouse.

In that sense this story is as old as Eden and as old as Adam and Eve and
as old as the Biblical narratives that people who come together often have
distracting realities.

SCHULTZ: Professor Peterson, is the governor doing right by his people by
saying that he was being victimized by his wife?

JAMES PETERSON, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: You know, I personally find it hard to
believe but it, you know, the truth will come out in the story one way or
another. Ed, I find it quite ironic that two years ago, you know, we were
talking about Governor McDonnell and transvaginal probe which is all about
the issue that has to with privacy and public intervention. And that those
issues in some ways are being played out in a different bicameral way here
over the course of this case.

But then, you know, the -- when you think about the climate of money and
politics Ed, I think a guy like Johnnie Williams exist in the world because
of things like Citizens United and because of the kind of lousy fairway
within which we`ve approach campaign finance reform. The very idea that
Johnnie Williams is the centerpiece of this case yet his not on trial that
he will not have to sort of face any charges for anything involved in this
particular scandal. I think to me smacks some of the challenges of our
political system which too often trades money for policy in a proper ways
of conducting business in terms of politics.

SCHULTZ: So Dr. Dyson, this is just another example of a failed political
system that people can wiggle their way in, when influenced and end up
corrupting. I mean look at the taxpayer dollars that are going to be
spending on this.

DYSON: Exactly.

SCHULTZ: Look at, exactly what is unfolding. I mean a marriage ...

DYSON: Well yeah.

SCHULTZ: ... breaking down is one thing, you know, but circumventing the
law is something else.

DYSON: Absolutely in the real (inaudible) here is between as Peterson has
implicitly stated and let me explicitly articulate it, between the kind of
lobbyist/businessman who`s on the lookout for somebody he can exploit and
then the governor and his wife and the tax payers of the state of Virginia.

And so that triangle there -- but a couple of partners that even though
they`re -- at least one of them, the people of Virginia didn`t know they
were involved in that triangle. And it does underscore the fact again that
the part of the real deal here is that the governor has, in one serious and
fundamental sense, run his entire career based upon a kind of moral and
ethical disposition that is often kind descending or at least dismissive of
those who where to his left.

And as a result of that when moments of severe vulnerability are revealed,
there doesn`t seemed to be an outpouring of compassion because now you`re
falling back on the same kind of excuses that you tried to underscore
before. So when it comes in your house, ...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

DYSON: ... when the packs (ph) is on your house, then you find out how
difficult it is.

SCHULTZ: Here`s one thing that caught my attention. Their daughter Cailin
said she`d not only met William -- she had only met Williams once before
...

PETERSON: One time, yes.

SCHULTZ: ... her mother called to say that he wanted to pay for the
catering for her wedding.

PETERSON: Yeah, yeah.

SCHULTZ: Now, you know, I know we`re all parents and our kids get married.
I mean do we let other people step in and say, "Hey I want to pay for your
kids wedding reception." I mean how -- who does that unless they want
something.

PETERSON: Exactly. And the reality here is that they`re alleging that he
may have pay for the thing more than that wedding dress, wedding rings, she
put up like $43 for her own wedding. I mean if that ends up being true,
it`s hard to think about a gift of that nature materializing that quickly
as not being a pay to play scheme.

And again the losers here as Dr. Dyson is pointing out are the citizens of
the state of Virginia. But I really want to people to understand, the
broader issue here is about money and politics. You don`t have ...

SCHULTZ: No doubt.

PETERSON: ... a Johnnie Williams existing and being ...

DYSON: Right.

PETERSON: ... able to basically to be ...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

PETERSON: ... immune to this whole process unless we have a system, were
paid and plays the more the norm as suppose to the exception.

SCHULTZ: Well gentlemen, we will follow the story, I appreciate your
tonight. Michael Eric Dyson and James Peterson, good to have with us.

PETERSON: Thanks Ed.

SCHULTZ: We`re keeping an eye on the house chamber as republicans push
their lawsuit against President Obama over the mandate in healthcare.
We`ll have the latest ahead, very passionate debate taking place on the
house floor at this moment. We`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ED SCHULTZ: And in Pretenders tonight, it`s like real estate, location,
location, location. Scott Brown the man who lost his Massachusetts senate
seat is copy and pasting his losing campaign right into the Hampshire.
Scott Brown high tailed out of the base state and started releasing ads.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BROWN: I`m Scott Brown running for the U.S. Senate and I approve
this message.

I`ll get healthcare back on track and focus on more jobs for everyone
because no one should fight for America overseas. Only to return home and
fight for respect here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Scott Brown wants New Hampshire to think he is just one of the
local folks. According to our report, Brown chose a local venue for a
different commercial using one of the log cabin-looking outbuildings in
Stratham. Well it`s sure looks to me like Scott Brown has been choosing
green screens as well.

You see BuzzFeed pointed out Scott Brown likely wasn`t in a local venue for
his latest commercials. His local venue looks remarkably like a stock
photo. Scott Brown wants to represent the people to do Hampshire but he
can`t even bother to show up. If Scott Brown thinks he can digitally
insert himself into the senate seat he can keep pretending.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ED SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. Finally tonight the house is
preparing to vote on Speaker Boehner`s lawsuit against President Obama.
The focus of the lawsuit is the President`s executive actions, in
particular the delay in the Obamacare employee mandate. And the
Republicans said that the president illegally changed the law to give
businesses more time to comply. No one on the Democratic side is buying
it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SPEIER: The same people calling for this lawsuit shutdown the government
last fall because they wanted to delay the Affordable Care Act and it cost
us over $24 billion. So now they are suing the President over the fact
that he did something they wanted him to do it in the first place. The
only other group of people I know who scream that they want something then
throw a tantrum when they get it are toddlers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Earlier today President Obama called the lawsuit frivolous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: This as a political stunt, but it`s worse than that because every
vote they`re taking like that means a vote they`re not taking to actually
help people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Let`s bring in NBC News White House Correspondent Kristen Welker.
Kristen, what is the reaction from the White house? Is this viewed by the
White House as their disdain for the president or if they`re really
concerned about stopping the health care law?

KRISTEN WELKER, NBC NEWS - THE WHITE HOUSE: Well I think that the White
House sees this as a political stunt which you just pointed out Ed. And to
some extent also the disdain for the healthcare law. Look, I think
democrats do see a political opportunity here while republicans are using
this to rally their base, to try to get Republicans to the poll in 2014 as
they try to take back the senate and gain more seats in the house.

The Democrats say, "Look, this is rallying their base as well." In fact
the DCC just raised $3 million in recent days by telling their supports
that this vote was coming. They also say it is a precursor to threat of
impeachment. And of course House Speaker John Boehner has said, "That`s
not going to happened."

But I think that the White House feels as though they have a strong message
here, you heard President Obama signal that earlier today when called it a
political stunt.

He also pivoted to the economy the fact that the economy grew by 4 percent
in the second quarter that the employment rate is down 6.1 percent, its
lowest rate in several years. So I think both sides see the possibility of
political gain here. But Ed, of course, the problem is that it underlined
this perception that Washington can`t get anything done, that this is the
most unproductive congress ...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

WELKER: ... in history. Particularly when you have the border crisis and
it doesn`t look like the legislation that is pending right now and the
House and the senate will be able to make it through those chambers. So it
looks like right now congressman`s going to leave for recess and not get
something done on that bigger, broader issue that is impacting the country.

So I do think that it just fuels those people who are sick of Washington
and fells though nothing is happening here. Ed.

SCHULTZ: All right, Kristen Welker at the White House tonight with us.
Thanks so much for that.

I`m joined again by MSNBC Political Analyst Michael Eric Dyson and also
Ring of Fire Radio Host, Americas Attorney Mike Papantonio. Gentlemen, in
a nutshell in a minute, Michael Eric Dyson, I`ll ask you, is this is more
about the disdain for the president or is it really about the healthcare
law that couldn`t stop?

DYSON: Well it`s both. They despise the president because he passed the
healthcare benefit for millions of Americans who had been historically
denied. This is the most important piece of legislation in the last half
century. The republicans disdain this president for obvious reasons and
for the fact that he`s been so incredibly successful and that the benefit
will accrual (ph) to the people and therefore he will get the benefit.

They don`t want him to get the benefit of being acknowledge as the author
of that ...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

DYSON: ... similar legislation.

SCHULTZ: And Mike Papantonio, where does this lawsuit go from here? A
quick play by play of what to expect.

PAPANTONIO: Dead on arrival, dead on arrival, you make it a federal a
judge that allows it to go on. You make into the Pellet Court that says,
"Yeah, this makes absolutely sense." It`s been tried before. The
democrats tried it before, it went nowhere. This should go nowhere. But
you have a -- this is kind of like -- you got a congress with a 14 percent
approval rating, Ed. That`s somewhere around what people tend to agree
with as far as wanting a root canal.

This is congress about to leave for recess. They`re going to be filled
with campaign activities. To overcome the negatives, they have to show
their cuckoo base that they`ve done something. And that`s the point of
this lawsuit. From a legal stand point it is dead on arrival. Everybody
knows that and this is just one more effort to say, "Look, our cuckoo base
is out there, they need to be brought together. This will keep them alive
and with plenty of red meat while we`re out there raising money."

It`s also a great opportunity for Democrats. I hope they take it advantage
of it.

SCHULTZ: Well everybody raises money of things they don`t like in
Washington, why would this be ...

PAPANTONIO: Sure

SCHULTZ: ... any different? I don`t know why they`re so amazed by all of
these.

PAPANTONIO: Right

DYSON: Right.

SCHULTZ: We will follow the story, no doubt about it. Michael Eric Dyson,
Mike Papantonio, great to have you with us tonight.

And that is the Ed Show. I`m Ed Schultz. Politics Nation with Reverend Al
Sharpton starts right now. Good evening Rev.

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

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