portland, oregon. the president has shared the fight for shared sacrifice in the country. the republicans are crying about class warfare even though they're the ones who have been waging war on the middle class for decades. this is "the ed show." let's get to work. we're already hearing the usual defenders of these loopholes saying this is class warfare. i reject the idea that asking the hedge fund manager to pay the tame same taxes as the plumber or teacher is class warfare. >> will his party join him? tonight, congresswoman jan shaun cow ski of illinois, james hoff a jr., and pat rina vandenhoofel. andr andrew breitbart is caught on tape. we outnumber them. >> eric bowler from media matters is here and in wisconsin, a secret fbi probe is rocking scott walker's

administration. john nichols of "the nation" magazine will have the latest and mike. entonoi on and heidi harris battle over what is class warfare. >> great to have you with us tonight, folks. drunken sailors and president bush finally, is turowed take them on and make them pick up the tab. the president drew this line in the sand this morning. i loved it! >> i will not support -- i will not support any plan that puts all of the burden for closing our deficit on ordinary american, and i will veto any bill that changes benefits for those who rely on medicare, but does not raise serious revenues by asking the wealthiest americans and corporations to pay their fair share. we are not going to have a one-sided deal that hurts the

folks who are most vulnerable. >> you know, this is what should have been said during the lame duck session of the congress, but i'll take it now. the president let republicans have what they wanted for the last nine months. you know the bush tax cuts that didn't work. it hasn't create good jobs to their satisfaction. someone needs to pick up the bar tab. fair enough? the president has thrown down the gauntlet, the wealthy have to pay more in this country. >> we can't afford the special lower rates for the wealthy. rates, by the way, that were meant to be temporary back when these first -- these tax cuts, back in 2001, 2003 they were talked about, they were talked as as temporary measures. we can't afford them when we're rining the big deficits. >> a crucial pivot by the president to get more money into the treasury. president obama wants the top point .03% to start paying their fair share. you got that?

"the new york times kw" reporte that only 450,000 americans make $1 million or more in this country. can't they do a little bit more in republicans are furious. president obama wants shared sacrifice for millionaires and billionaires. republican wonder boy congressman paul ryan of wisconsin jumped on the president's plan on sunday. >> class warfare, chris, may make for really good politics, but it makes for rotten economics. we don't need a system that seeks to divide people. we don't need a system that seeks to prey on people's fear, envy and anxiety. we need a system that creates job and innovation and removes the barriers for entrepreneurs to rehire people. >> same old garbage. the president took direct aim at the class warfare talking point today. >> we're hearing the usual defenders of this loophole saying this is class warfare. i reject the idea that asking a hedge fund manage tore pay the same tax rate as a plumber or teacher is class warfare. i think it's just the right

thing to do. i believe the american middle class who have been pressured relentlessly for decades, believe it's time that they were fought for as hard as lobbyists and some lawmakers have fought to protect special treatment for billionaires and big corporations. >> it is also predictable. paul ryan and his buddies in the house have used the class warfare talking point for years. are you tired of it? this chart shows who exactly the republicans have staged class warfare against. the middle class and the poor. look at this, over the last 30 years, the top 1% had a 40% jump in wealth, and the top 5% has had an 80% jump. folks, the numbers are what they are. i mean, this is all during the same period. you know, the poor has seen a decrease in wealth. tell me about fairness. republicans, you know what they are? they are absolutely numb to these numbers.

john boehner doesn't give a dam about 400,000 manufacturing jobs which have been left and gone out of ohio for those years. he doesn't care about the toledo buildings and all of that property that's being sold off to the chinese piece by piece. this should be the concern. the man hammered the president for asking millionaires to serve up a little bit more today. take a look. >> well, i don't believe that class warfare is leadership. and, you know, we can get into this tax the rich, tax the rich, but that is not -- that's not the basis for america. it's not going get our economy going again and it's not going to put people back to work. >> the president went after boehner by name in his speech by name today. president obama said the tiananman, my way or the highway attitude isn't smart. >> so the speaker says we can't have it my way or the highway and basically says my way.

or the highway. >> that's not smart. it's not right. if we're going meet our responsibilities we have to do it together. >> the president is spot on here. we need to do this together, right? and it's not just republicans who have to get their act together and get onboard. i want you to pay attention to this segment of this, folks, because this is where the rubber meets the road. 16 senate democrats an incumbent independent senator bern sanders is up for re-election in 2012. don't you wonder where claire mccaskill where she needs to be with the president on this one? i think she does. how about ben nelson or bob casey out of pennsylvania? bill nelson out of florida. no senate democrat can hand the republicans a victory on ending the bush tax cuts for the rich and ending the wars. president obama today threw a brick through the window and

woke a sleeping giant. his own base, that's who he's waking up today. this is so black and white, it is all about the math. >> either we ask the wealthiest americans to pay their fair share in texas or we'll have to ask seniors to pay more for medicare. we can't afford to do both. either we gut education and medical research or we've got to reform the tax codes so that the most profitable corporations have to give up tax loopholes that other companies don't get. we can't afford to do both. this is not class warfare. it's math. >> the numbers clearly show president obama's plan. it's not a liberal idea. not at all. it's what america wants, no question about it. just look at the numbers. over two dozen polls taken this year, 64% of americans want tax increases to be part of any deficit reduction package. democrats need to hammer those

numbers home. every democrat needs to go home and give their local tv and radio market just a very simple 20-second sound bite. here comes the little koefrping from big eddie here. here's how it ought to sound in your local market. >> i support the president because 98% of the american people will not be obligated to pay more. it's long overdue that we pay for the wars in iraq and afghanistan and not give the break to the top 2%. the wealthiest americans need to pay more. that's where america is. that's where i am. >> it's called, crystal clear radio, "the ed schultz radio show." just go home and say that with conviction in your local market and you'll have people saying, yeah. i agree with you on that. you know, this garbage about you can't raise taxes on the jobs -- it's old stuff. it's down the wash. it's odown the drain. liberals have to address the

finances of america with straight talk the way the president did today and the 16 democrats and one independent who i'm definitely not worried about, bernie sanders, after re-election will have to step up and say we're with you, mr. president. when does the president of the united states get total backing from the senate democrats without parcelling out, but if, but if, what if, what if -- no. this is crystal clear. it's time to have the rubber meet the road and travel hard over the republicans. it's time to tell the top 2% 450,000 millionaires in this country, that's who the republican party is protecting and the corporations. the president said he wants to re-do the tax code. that's what the republicans have been crying about for years. so let's get it on. no, we'll probably have more obstruction. get your cell phones out, and i want to know what you think. tonight's question, will republicans vote for any bill that asked for shared sacrifice from the rich?

text a for yes, text b for no to 622639 and you can always go to ed.msnbc.com and we'll bring you the results later in the program. joining me tonight is january jan jankowski because she's had on the table for over a year a bill that asks the wealthiest americans to just do a little bit more to straighten out our fiscal house. congresswoman, great to have you with us tonight. >> thank you, ed. >> you bet. i feel like today the president made a turn. is this a turning point? your thoughts. >> no question. the president took the reins today to try to set right when the bush administration did, the three things that really caused the debt and the deficit and that is the tax cuts that he gave to the rich, unpaid for, the two wars that were unpaid for and of course, the great recession that wall street

created under his watch. and all three are addressed here, taxing the rich now and paying their fair share and ending the wars and that's $1 trillion that we'll bring home and the third thing -- the third thing was to create jobs and that is going to stimulate the economy. >> sure. >> all three parts of the deficit are being addressed. >> all of these tax cuts that have been given out to the, quote, job creators has been far short of what they thought it was going to be, but the key now, is it not, coming up in the election year, for the democrats to be on the same page, to collectively say and maybe even go so far as assigning a pledge that it's over for the rich. you've had it for ten years. do you think the democratic party will follow the president on this? >> well, it certainly should. you know, the nerve of them to talk about class warfare when all of the growth and the

economy, all of the wealth in the economy has gone to the richest americans and has not been some sort of natural disaster or affect god. this has been their policies that have driven the money upward and you've been talking about the destruction of the middle class for a long time, that's the kind of class warfare, the rich won so far. so democrats now who have always been the party to stick up for ordinary americans need now to stand behind our president who has the plan to set us on the right track and bring back this kind of balance when all people do well. if we don't have a robust middle class in this country, ed, you know darn well that our country can't compete in this world. >> you got no disposable income by the middle class. i don't know how your economy is going to be digging out of the ditch, but i will tell you what, this is the president that i supported, and this is the president that i've been waiting for, and you can't fault him for

having olive branches coming out of the white house left and right. >> he's done everything he possibly can, so the final question quickly for you tonight, congressman, do you think this is a winner for the president? >> do you think this is the beginning of him running against the congress and being victorious? >> yes, i do, and you talked about those polls one after another that says the american people believe that they should be -- that we should be taxing the ones who have benefited most, not the middle class and not our senior citizens and not the poor. i think this is a winner for the president and for the democrats, the 16 democrats you talked about. >> congresswoman jan schakowsky from illinois, thanks so much. now let's bring in the representative of the teamsters, mr. hoffa. good to have you with us tonight. >> thank you. >> you bet. what is the response to the class warfare stuff that the republicans are throwing out there. what would be your off-the-cuff

response to that? >> it's more of the same. the minute they start talking about taking the proper tax that rich people should be paying is class warfare, but they've the first ones who say the poor people and the workers every day, they should pay more for social security and medicare. so they want to basically balance the budget on the back of working people and the ones that should be doing it according to the polls and according to the president that basically the rich, the multimillionaires and billionaires, so i think it's a great idea and i think i am so proud of the president to finally be standing up. he had to draw a line in the sand. i think he learned a bitter lesson when he had that battle over increasing the debt ceiling because he realized he can't deal with these people. you can't be reasonable with people who do not want to be reasonable and basically he had a bitter lesson and i think this is the reaction. he's saying i have to take these people on, i've got to do the right thing. and you know what? his base is now saying that as

far as the teamsters and working people are saying, finally he's speaking out like he should. he's talking about basically making the billionaires and millionaires pay their fair share. the equality of sacrifice is what we're talking about. they're paying 15% while someone else with a w-2 is paying 30%. that's not right and we have to start talking about that. he's got the public behind him. he's got to run with his ball and make sure this is the issue that he takes to the congress next year. >> mr. hoffa, when he talks about the corporate tax rate and tax reform, does that concern labor leaders at all about what this could mean for blue-collar workers in this country and wage earners in this country? what about that? >> not at all. we know the biggest corporations don't pay taxes at all or so little tax, like general electric, pfizer, caterpillar. they don't pay taxes and they say the taxes are too high.

how can they be too high if they're not paying taxes? to me it's elementary that we have to have a big change in the way we collect taxes in this country. we cannot let anybody escape. we can't let people come in like general electric and make billions of dollars and they got a rebate back. can you believe that? they got a $320 million rebate after they didn't pay any taxes and we realize that's not right. basically the idea of someone paying 15%, these billionaires and millionaires paying 15% while working people are paying 30%, that is wrong and that's going to be the issue and finally, the president is speaking out and i applaud him for what he's doing. >> mr. hoffa, good to have you with us tonight. thanks for your time. i appreciate it. >> remember the question is at the bottom of the screen. we want to know what you think. >> it looks like president obama is finally prepared to take this to the republicans. and later, andrew breitbart is

attacking public workers. stay tuned. we have shocking videotape to show you. you're watching "the ed show" on msnbc. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] something unexpected to the world of multigrain... taste. ♪ delicious pringles multigrain. with a variety of flavors, multigrain pops with pringles.

show." just how are millionaires reacting to the possibility of their taxes going up. bill o'reilly offiwas on full a when it comes to freakouts, whining about how the president wants to raise his taxes. >> if you tax achievement, some of the achievers will pack it in. let's take me. my corporations depend on me to do what i do so they can make a nice salary. if barack obama begins taxings me more than 50% which is very possible, i don't know how much longer i'm going do this. i like my job, but there comes a point when taxation becomes oppressive. >> you know, bill, i just don't know how you're going to make it on that $10 million a year salary. i don't know how you're going to do it, because then you'll be down to 5 million.

how the hell are you going to make it, dude? he's mischaracterizing the fact of healthy americans to pay their fair share. if the obama tax plan will get bill o'reilly to pack it in, yet another reason to support the obama tax plan, you think? >> you can go to our website and sign the petition to raise taxes on the guy who's looking out for you, bill o'reilly. it's the best thing for america in so many, many ways. coming up, mike. antonio and heidi harris go head to head on this one. stay with us. you're watching "the ed show" on msnbc.

membership rewards points from american express. they're a social currency. with endless possibilities.

show," speaking of bill o'reilly having a hard time making it, how is warren buffett going to make it? he's not the only one saying rich americans aren't taxed enough. >> be patriotic, go out there and get rich. get so obnoxiously rich that when that tax bill comes, your first thought will be to choke and how a big a check you'll just have to write. your second thought will be what a great problem to have and your third should be a recognition that in paying your taxes you are helping to support millions of americans that are not as fortunate as you. how come nobody on fox thinks that way? folks, it's about fairness and it's something president obama is trying to bring back into the system. >> to solve this problem, everybody, including the

wealthiest americans and biggest corporations have to pay their fair share. middle class families shouldn't pay higher taxes than millionaires and billionaires. that's pretty straightforward. it's hard to argue against that. >> but, of course, republicans do argue against it. let's bring in the editor and publisher and part owner of the nation magazine, katrina vandenhoover. i think the president turned the corner tonight, but seriously, this is a winning issue. when you have 98% of the american people that are not going to be affected by any kind of a tax increase, is president obama finally ready to make it and take it to the that way. he is drawing the right fights and sticking the right fights and setting up the debate for 2012. listen, he can run against the party of millionaires and billionaires. he has the vast support, the

majority of americans are on his side and i think what we're seeing is the president looking ahead to 2012 and understanding that he needs people, people power, at his back because progressives and citizens of conscience and enlightened economic patriots, patriotic millionaires have said we need to redirect the course of this country. we need progressive taxation and we need to protect the very programs that have made this a great country, and i think he's got a name for his program. fair share. it's fair share time, ed, in america, and let's fight for that. >> you know, this president has had a habit of shying away from political fights. has he turned the corner? is this going to be a different 13 months for this administration and this president from here on out? what do you think? >> it better be because this election coming up, the president has too often ceded territory to conservatives, ed.

i think the reactionary extremists in this country should have shamed those true conservatives who have always stood for something a little better than this tea party and these extremists. so i think the president now understands he needs to fight, but it's bigger than that and we're at a crossroads in this country and it's a crossroads for the democratic party. if he wants to stand for core convicts that has made it the party of working people. supporting the most vulnerable, justice, fairness in terms of the economic programs in this country, this is the moment. do you know, ed, that in tahrir square when we saw people protesting this past year that inequality in america is greater than inequality in egypt? we can do better. this is a very rich country and fair share is what it should be about and, ed, when we talk about shared sacrifice it's kind of an afront because when you think about it most people have been shafted in these last 20, 30 years. it's time to reset the course of

our politics and if the president steps up, i think real reform in this country has come about with an enlightened president in coalition with energized people, with movements and that's what i think we have to look at now looking ahead. >> the dynamic here will be very interesting. can the president energize people that supported him in 2008? because i think it's fair to say that it will be awful lowly tou for the job market to get better between now and the next election because the republicans will obstruct everything. road kill just about everything we put out there, and so the president will have to continually make this case that, look, 98% of the american people are going to get hit and we have to have a shared sacrifice. >> he's got to show who's -- he's got to show the contrast and he has to show that this is a grand old obstructionist party. he's got to come forward and be clear and stay on message and talk -- talk clearly about the foundations of a new economy and sell what he's done and what he

plans to, do but there's a feisty populism of the best kind that we're hearing from him, and that's important at this stage in this country's history sometimes. >> i hope he turned the corner today. >> you have to stay behind him, ed. >> i am behind the president. >> but we have to keep pushing him. you do. >> that hasn't been my problem. no problem, i know. we don't have that problem, but a lot of people need to push him. >> katrina, thank you so much. coming up, millionaire john fleming whines about only making $400,000 from his ups businesses. and wisconsin governor scott walker claims he doesn't know anything about the fbi raid on the home of one of his former top aides. we'll find out what's really going down with the nation's magazine reporter john nichols. stay with us. the postal service is critical to our economy--

delivering mail, medicine and packages. yet they're closing thousands of offices, slashing service,

and want to lay off over 100,000 workers. the postal service is recording financial losses, but not for reasons you might think. the problem ? a burden no other agency or company bears. a 2006 law that drains 5 billion a year from post-office revenue while the postal service is forced to overpay billions more into federal accounts. congress created this problem, and congress can fix it. ♪ hush, little baby ♪ don't you cry ♪ soon the sun ♪ is going to shine ♪ [ male announcer ] toyota presents the prius family. ♪ walk if i want, talk if i want ♪ [ male announcer ] there's the original one... the bigger one... the smaller one... and the one that plugs in. they're all a little different, just like us. today i own 165 wendy's restaurants. and i get my financing from ge capital.

but i also get stuff that goes way beyond banking. we not only lend people money, we help them save it. [ junior ] ge engineers found ways to cut my energy use. [ cheryl ] more efficient lighting helps junior stay open later... [ junior ] and serve more customers. so you're not just getting financial capital... [ cheryl ] you're also getting human capital. not just money. knowledge. [ junior ] ge capital. they're not just bankers... we're builders. [ junior ] ...and they've helped build my business.

>> and in "psycho talk" tonight, john phlegming of louisiana, he joins the rest his party in beating the class warfare drum. the multimillionaire business owner says he can't afford a tax increase. no way. earlier today on this network fleming addressed a report saying he made $6.3 million last year from subway and ups franchises that he owns. >> that's before you pay 500 employees, you pay rent and you

pay equipment and food. the actual net income of that was only a mere fraction of that amount. the amount that i have to reinvest in my business and feed my family is more like 600,000 of that $6.3 million and so by the time i feed my family i have, you know, maybe 400,000 left over to invest in new locations, upgrade my locations, buy more equipment. >> what? folks, i want to know what this guy's eating if he spends $200,000 feeding his family. let's see, quick math here. that's 16 grand a month. that's 4 grand a week. chris christie doesn't even spend that much on food. what is he eating? >> if fleming cut back on his food budget he could find a single mom that's feeding a couple of kids while working on minimum wage. if it's so bad to only have

$400,000 left over, maybe it's time fleming started thinking about turning his subway stores and his ups stores who can do it in a better fashion and he'll be able to keep his high-rolling eating habits, couldn't he? as of 2009, this congressman, his net work was somewhere between $2. and $16.8 million, putting him, my friends, among the highest 10% of members in the house of representatives when it comes to wealth. congressman, there's no doubt americans hate taxes, but what they really hate is a wealthy whiner. so for congress fleming to whine about only having 400 grand to play with is unbelievably known as elitist psycho talk. coming up later in the show, mike papantonio and heidi harris will have to say on the

president's plan and he weighs in on that. that's next. you're watching "the ed show" on msnbc. stay with us.re puffs plus lotion is more soothing than common tissue, and it delivers our most soothing lotion for every nose issue. at aviva, wey other life insurance companies treat you like a policy, not a person. instead of getting to know you they simply assign you a number. aviva is here to change all that. we're bringing humanity back to insurance and putting people before policies. aviva life insurance and annuities. we are building insurance around you. do you have an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, or afib, that's not caused by a heart valve problem? are you taking warfarin to reduce your risk of stroke caused by a clot?

you should know about pradaxa. an important study showed that pradaxa 150mg reduced stroke risk 35% more than warfarin. and with pradaxa, there's no need for those regular blood tests. pradaxa is progress. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding, and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have kidney problems or a bleeding condition, like stomach ulcers. or if you take aspirin products, nsaids, or blood thinners. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctors approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion,stomach pain, upset, or burning. if you have afib not caused by a heart valve problem, ask your doctor if pradaxa can reduce your risk of a stroke. for more information or help paying for pradaxa,

visit pradaxa.com. two of the most important are energy security and economic growth. north america actually has one of the largest oil reserves in the world. a large part of that is oil sands. this resource has the ability to create hundreds of thousands of jobs. at our kearl project in canada, we'll be able to produce these oil sands with the same emissions as many other oils and that's a huge breakthrough. that's good for our country's energy security and our economy. my subaru saved my life. ♪ i will never forget that. [anncr:] love.

it's what makes a subaru... a subaru. and thanks for watching tonight. this is the comment here and this is one of the most outrageous things i think i've ever heard. we outnumber them and we have the guns. that's a direct quote. that was right wing commentator andrew breitbart is what he told a massachusetts tea party group of people about their advantage over progressives. breitbart suggested that literal armed combat is the best way to go. >> and so there are times where i'm not thinking as clearly as i should and in those unclear moments i always think to myself, fire the first shot, bring it on because i know who

is on our saturday and they know that. they can only win a rhetoricalal and propaganda war. we outnumber them in this country and we have the guns. i'm not kidding. they talk a mean game, but they will not cross that line because they know what they're dealing with, and i have people who come up to me in the military, and major named people in the military who grab me and say thank you for what you're doing. we've got your back. >> joining me now is eric boehlert senior fellow at media matters with us here on "the ed show." eric, good to have you with us. the key sound bite was clarification that says i'm not kidding. is this for real? what do you make of this? >> the stipulation is these clips that were put online. we haven't seen one long clip, but i'm told nothing has been edited out and there's been no pushback from breitbart saying

this was inaccurate. this is right-wing paranoid fantasy at its worst and it's encitement, somehow that nurses and teachers and firefighters are going to take to the streets with guns, i mean, it's very dangerous and it's very much out of the glenn beck playbook. i hope he has room in his bunker of doom for andrew breitbart because he's playing the same dangerous game and the three and four-star generals that are dispatching troops at breitbart's home when the civil war starts? give me a break. >> breitbart also zeroed in on another target. i want to play another clip for you. here it is. >> they are bullies on the playground and they're starting to realize what if we were to fight back? what if we were to slap back? these unions -- and the these public sector union thugs. i'm just waiting. bring it on. i am sick of it.

i am sick of the trumka guy. i'm sick of the sweeney guy and i'm sick of them going to people's homes, execs tifrs' homes and so -- there's just a part of me that wants them to walk over that line. >> can we now label andrew breitbart a true revolutionary with a platform? a guy that's on fox news whenever fox wants to go after somebody? this is a guy that called me out for the rick perry black cloud comment which, of course, we corrected the following night because there was an editing error and we admitted to that on this program, i mean, but, this guy has a platform, eric. >> yeah. >> he's on fox a lot and this guy, is he now a revolutionary? >> we can label him wildly irresponsible. these are the people that show up with loaded guns and show up with swastika and nazi posters

and they denigrate the president at every possible way and they use incredibly violent language and now they're telling us that the liberals are the ones that pose a threat to this country? he's on fox news and also in the mainstream media and it's time for the mainstream press to just see him for what he is as being incredibly irresponsible. this notion that union workers in america are posing a physical threat to this country, it's crazy and it's off the reservation and he ought to apologize, but he never will. >> eric boehlert, media matters, thanks to have you with us. >> to watch breitbart's comments in full, go to our website at ed.msnbc.com. and a playbook that involves former top aides to wisconsin scott walker. john nichols, he always has the story when it comes to the fate. that's next.

>> right now she's competing hard in iowa.

she doesn't have the ability or resources to go beyond that in iowa at this point in time. >> that was michele bachmann's former campaign manager ed rollins revealing the republican presidential hopeful doesn't have enough cash to get past the first caucus and it's no wonder donors aren't so eager to open up their walls. the minnesota congresswoman seemed caught off guard when "tonight show" host jay leno asked her to explain why the bachmann family clinic reportedly offers so-called repair tiff therapy. >> that whole pray the gay away thing, i don't get that. >> well, see, i think -- when i heard that i really thought it was like a kind of a mid-life crisis, a pray the gray away, that's what i thought it was. >> you know what i'm saying. when i was a kid, they used to try to teach me to be right-handed and left-handed is a sign of devil. >> the whole thing is the clinic, whatever issue anyone

has we don't discriminate. if they come into our clinic and someone has an issue our theer pifts deal with whatever the issues are. >> and leno also asked bachmann about afghanistan, the debt ceiling and to explain why she chose to tell a story that linked hpv to meantsal retardation. >> i wasn't speaking as a doctor or a scientist. i was just relating what this woman said. >> she was surprised that leno asked her about current events. we had had a pre-show interview and that warrant at all what i was told we were going to be talking about, and i was very surprised. >> oh, michele, you've got to be ready for those tough curveballs if you'll run for the presidency. >> coming up, john nichols on an fbi investigation of governor scott walker's former aide. that's next. stay with us. ♪ i just want to be okay today - ♪ i just want to know today - [ whistles ]

♪ know today, know today - [ cat meows ] - ♪ know that maybe i will be okay ♪ [ chimes ] travelers can help you protect the things you care about... and save money with multi-policy discounts. are you getting the coverage you need... and the discounts you deserve? for an agent or quote, call 800-my-coverage... or visit travelers.com. can make it from australia to a u.s. lab to a patient in time for surgery may seem like a trumped-up hollywood premise. ♪ but if you take away the dramatic score... take away the dizzying 360-degree camera move, and take away the over-the-top stunt, you're still left with a pretty remarkable tale. but, okay, maybe keep the indulgent supermodel cameo... thank you. [ male announcer ] innovative medical solutions. fedex. solutions that matter.

>> and in our playbook tonight, fbi investigation reportedly

involving former top aides to wisconsin governor scott walker is heating up. the sentinel reports it was part of a secret john doe investigation looking into whether county employees were doing political work for walk or the taxpayer's dime when he was milwaukee county executive. >> he said he didn't know anything about the fbi raid beyond what was reported in the media, but his campaign just happens to have hired representation, a former u.s. attorney who has experience dealing with fbi investigations. how strange! john nichols, washington correspondent and "the nation" magazi magazine. you have the story live from madison. what's going on here in you say you've known governor walker for 20 years, is it in his personality not to know what the heck is going on? >> it is absolutely not in his personality. in fact, it's funny, right before we came on tonight, some

of the crew here in madison in the studio were saying, you know, can you believe that? walker's saying he doesn't know about this? that doesn't sound like walker. everyone in the state knows our governor to be a political junkie. he's got his finger on every aspect of the political operation and the governing operation. it's the one thing you can't criticize him on. he's very engaged and what's significant here, ed, is that the woman whose house was raided, cynthia archer was his top political point person when he served as milwaukee county executive and when he moved to the governorship he put her in as a top political appointee in the key agency dealing with his budget and his budget repair bill. she was the point person on security for the capital. her name is all over e-mails talking about how to lockdown the capital and talking about what to do with the protests.

so the notion that he is not engaged with what's happening to her isn't aware of what's going on with her in this investigation, it just seems beyond the pail. >> how are democrats in the state responding to this? leched officials, democrats, if cynthia archer did work on the taxpayer's time for his political engine and she was very involved in writing the anti-union bill, the union-busting bill, why aren't they talking about impeachment? why aren't the democrats going full force after this? >> i think people are just kind of karching up with what all's happened. this was a secret investigation. it's in just the last fee

and this woman cynthia archer was put into one of those political jobs that he created. >> yeah. >> there's a move now afoot in the legislature to get rid of those political appointments and move back to civil service, but i think you're right, ed. ultimately this is going to move to a much more intense conversation, focused on a core question. what did the governor now, and when did he know it? >> and the fbi, of course, doesn't have time to waste any of their time, where there's smoke there's fire. john nichols, always a pleasure. great to have you on. thanks so much. republicans say the president is waging class warfare, heidi

harrison and mike papantonio. i think they might have something to say about that on "the ed show." [ beep ing ] ♪ hush, little baby ♪ don't you cry ♪ soon the sun ♪ is going to shine ♪ [ male announcer ] toyota presents the prius family. ♪ walk if i want, talk if i want ♪ [ male announcer ] there's the original one... the bigger one... the smaller one... and the one that plugs in. they're all a little different, just like us.

your core competency is...competency. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle...and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. i'm getting an upgrade. [ male announcer ] as you wish, business pro. as you wish. go national. go like a pro. now through january earn a free day with every two rentals. find out more at nationalcar.com. or creates another laptop bag or hires another employee, it's not just good for business -- it's good for the entire community. at bank of america, we know the impact that local businesses have on communities, so we're helping them with advice from local business experts and extending $18 billion in credit last year. that's how we're helping set opportunity in motion.

"ed show" survey tonight. i asked will republicans vote for any bill that asks for shared sacrifice from the rich. 2% of you said yes. 98% said no. 98% of the people wouldn't be affected. up next let's see what mike p papantonio and heidi harris have to say and bill o'reilly saying he might pack it in if the taxes go up. wow. we're centurylink... we're committed to improving lives and linking americans to what matters most with honest, personal service ... 5-year price-lock guarantees ... consistently fast speeds ... and more ways to customize your technology.

is best absorbed in small continuous amounts. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d for the efficient absorption my body needs. citracal. she won't eat eggs without hot sauce. she has kind of funny looking toes. she's always touching my hair. and she does this dancing finger thing. [ male announcer ] with advanced technology from ge, now doctors can diagnose diseases like breast cancer on a cellular level. so that women, like kristy's mom, can get personalized treatment that's as unique as she is. [ kristy ] she's definitely not like other moms. yeah, my mom is pretty weird. ♪ (announcer) everything you need to stay balanced on long trips. residence inn.

welcome back to "the ed show." republicans whine about class warfare every time democrats ask millionaire for shared sacrifice. 98% of the american people will not, will not see a tax increase in this deal, and the rich have had the best 30 years in american history. the battle lines are drawn, and my bet is on president obama this time around. of course, bill o'reilly is very upset about the fact that taxes might go up so he says he might pack it in if his taxes go up so we're asking you all to go to our website ed.msnbc.com and sign that petition to raise bill o'reilly's taxes so he'll fenway park in. mike papantonio with its tonight, along with tidy harris, two great radio talkers, always with an opinion. heidi, how is asking the top 0.3% for a modest tax increase,

how is that class warfare? >> well, it's class warfare because people more successful or as president obama likes to put it, more fortunate, why should they pay more money, a higher percentage of their money? it's not fair. we should pay all the same percentage, whatever that is. a lot of people, as it is, don't pay income taxes because they get the earned income tax credit. how is it fair to me? don't fair to me and i don't want you, ed schultz, who makes way more money than i do, to pay a larger percentage of your income. it's not fair. >> mike papantonio, what's class warfare in. >> no class warfare. this has been a class massacre, and you know what in the millionaires and the billionaires have won. it's over. all this is is an attempt at having americans, the middle class and poor, from digging themselves out of the rubble that have been left by the republicans. this isn't class warfare. it's a massacre. president obama understands that this idea of republican shared sacrifice is just a continuation of the story. the republicans idea of shared

sacrifice is this, ed. it's where less than 0.1% of americans control $46 trillion of america's wealth. that's heidi's america. it's where the bottom 50% of americans control a pitiful 2.5% of american wealth. that's heidi's america. it's an america right now where we have an american worker making every $1 for every $500 that's heidi's america. >> two questions nobody can answer on my show, mike. >> it's the class massacre. predators for ten years. >> two questions that mike papantonio can't answer that anybody calls my show and talks about shared sacrifice. how much money is fair? fair share. give me a number, a percentage. nobody can answer that. number two, nobody can answer where does that money go to make everything all better? no one i've ever talked to can answer those questions. until you do, why are you putting your hands on a millionaire's money. doesn't make sense to me. >> mike, go ahead. >> heidi, can i tell you this.

for ten years republicans have been predators, and the american middle class and poor have been their prey. >> what's the number. mike, fair share, give me a number. >> when it comes to shared sacrifice, we all know as americans that all it is is a talking point for republicans to make -- make us believe they have done something -- for us in this trickle down myth. >> what's a fair share? how much is a fair share? how much should ed schultz pay? give me a number. >> okay, here's the answer. here's the answer. a fair share is when we can pay for social security. we can pay for medicare. >> we could pay for it if they hadn't raided the fund. >> we can take care of the elderly in this country rather than puttinging them away like old dinosaurs. that's your america, hide, and i'm ashamed of it. >> they raided the fund, mike, and you know that. there was money in the fund and they raided the so-called social security trust fund. >> you know who raided it, gj george bush? >> they have all raid it had. >> george bush. >> let me ask you this. heidi, love to answer your question if i can quickly.

it's a judgment call. can you look at the graphs that we've shown on this program as to where the income has gone over the last 30 years and what the disposal income has been for the middle class in this country. it's a judgment call. hard for anybody this this country to come out and say this is the number. >> right. >> the fact of the matter is the wealthy have an opportunity to turn this treasury around if they would be so unselfish for a few years and after we get the house in order maybe they could finally get a tax cut. mike, i want to ask you. is this a winning issue for the president? has he turned the corner? >> it has to be his winning issue. it's down. the game is on. this is not a dress rehearsal right now. this is what he needs to talk about all the way up to election. it's a wing issue. we now know in america who is -- who is on the side of working people. >> oh, please. game on. game is over, baby. >> heidi, you wrote a book about being a cocktail waitress. >> i did. >> maybe you can tell me what a good t.i.p. is. maybe we'll have you on the next time. >> at least a dollar if you want to see her again. just hel