myung-bak got the nickname the bulldozer earlier in his career because he took apart a bulldozer to learn how it was made and then put it back together again. which is so spectacularly good evening, americans and welcome to "the ed show" tonight from new york. the 99% movement has the tea party going to extremes. and bush's brain is dead wrong about the middle class. this is the ed show. let's get to work. >> it's young, it's spontaneous, it's focus and it's going to be effective. new polling shows the 99% movement is twice as popularz the tea party but republicans keep mocking protesters and lying about jobs. >> trust me, we are continuing to listen to the american people. >> we will talk to america's mare, verge bernero.

republicans in the senate have a new jobs plan. and it's a joke. i'll have commentary. and in the republican race for the white house, mitt romney gets the kiss of death from rush limbaugh. >> romney is not a conservative. >> front runner herman cain is already picking his cabinet. >> i w will giveve you a name likike representative paul ryan. >> and michele bachmann is turning to a clown for a miracle endorsement. >> if you like your steak, you'll absolutely love trump steaks. >> plenty of material for "daily show" co-creator, lizz winstead. good to have you with us tonight, for example thanks for watching "the ed show." you know, for years, conservatives have tried to sell the country that we are a center-right country politically, no matter what the climate in the country is they always loved after -- after elections to show us this red and blue map. see all that red that's on there? we are a center-right country. let me tell you something, with these protests that are going on around the country, we are not a center-right country.

you may ask, so, where is the country? well, personally, i feel like i'm living in a time warp. if i may, back in 1968, i was 14 years old, the vietnam war was raging, civil rights was in its infancy. i'm a product of forced bushing for racial equality. changes were taking place in this country. and the united states government at the time was so out of touch with the wishes of the people, we wanted out of vietnam as a country and we wanted civil rights and social justice. and what happened? the people took to the streets. just like they're doing today. i mean this is like a flashback to those of us who were in our 40s and 50s and 60s. and it's interesting, a new "time" magazine poll clearly shows now that 54% of americans have a favorable opinion of these people who are in the streets. the wall street protesters. the same poll shows only 4 -- 27% of americans approve of the

tea party. that's pretty low number. my virginia public school education tells me the 99% movement is twice as popular as the nut jobs in the tea party. i guess we could say now that america is awake to the issues that matter to those people who have kitchen tables and who are in the middle class. the movement is striking a passion and some folks are going to extremes. give you an example. down in covington, kentucky, a covington city commissioner named steve frank posted this on facebook. "turn out the lights on the occupiers. i feel like going taliban on them." what the hell does that mean? frank told the cincinnati inquirer, i'm resisting the occupiers and very proud to be a one percenter. here are the pictures of occupy cincinnati, just across the river from covington. steve frank wants to be a terrorist against these middle class americans? now to be fair it is no surprise

commissioner frank wants to rub out 99% protesters. frank has a history of putting american lives in danger. here is the commissioner frank mugshot after he was thrown in jail for driving under the influence this july. kentucky's finest is just the tip of the iceberg. karl rove now is attack the 99% movement in the pages of the "wall street journal." turn turdblossom is warning democrats not say things like this. i think people are frustrated ant protesters are giving voice to a more broad-based frustration about how our financial system works. >> and god bless them for their spoon tin spontaneity it is independent people coming. it's young. it's focused. it is going to be effective. >> the american people do not think the system is fair or on the level.

that is the core of what you're seeing on wall street. and that's why -- that's what's started, by the way. there's a lot in common with the tea party. >> you know, we could go back nat into the archives and pull up interviews of lawmaker notice '60s about the very he yet nam war and social change taking place in this country and would you find sound bites very similar to the ones you just heard, yet karl rove is warning democrats no to the talk like that rove says democratic leaders wrong in believing that occupy wall street is the liberal alternative to the tea party. the tea party is a middle class movement. occupy wall street isn't a movement, it's a series of events populated by a weird cast of disaffected characters ranging from anarchists i and anti-semites to socialists and larouchys. rove is a complete fraud in his analysis. middle class tea party folk carry guns to presidential rallies and to rallies on the banks of the potomac and there were only about 50 of them had,

proud tea party nut jobs carried obama hitler signs all over america for the last three years. we have the tape to prove it the 99%ers i met in chicago, gosh there were teachers in the crowd, construction workers, engineers, letter carriers. and i even got tape at an interview with a librarian who was being cut. this is the real middle class movement in america, the real foundation of america that's being attacked. rove and the tea party are responsible for americans taking to the street he he is. the young protesters grew up under george w. bush, swandered a surplus, signed unfunded mandates and got us into two wars off budget. you think they had something to go to the streets about in the meltdown on wall street was on bush's watch and rove wants to bury his legacy of failure? the tea party has filibustered and obstructed every jobs package president obama has put on the table that's a fact this is why americans like the 99%

movement and disapprove of the tea party. don't let anyone tell you america is a center-right country. right now, it is not. americans want jobs and approve of president obama's jobs bill by almost 2-1. and yes, i'll say it. it is a liberal package, because it takes tax dollars and invests in jobs. and only progressive does that. this is what the country wants. so again tonight, we're going to run the names of the senators who voted against the bill at the bottom of the screen for the entire hour. the middle class occupy movement deserves no less. get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think. tonight's question, which is the real mild class movement, the 99% others the tea party? text a for the 99%ers, tax b for the tea party to 622639. love it when you go to our blog

at ed.msnbc.com and comment. we will bring you the results later tonight. joining me is the mayor of lance, michigan, verge ber nair row, talking about the middle class ever since i met this man. he has been one of the fighters, one of the pioneers to say the middle class is under attack in this country. verge has attended the occupy lapsing event he issome this occupy lancing a middle class movement? verge, good to have you with us tonight. >> great to be here. ed, you are such a patriot in every sense of the word. you sent a chill down my spine. i hope every american can get the message their sending. you are right on. the tea party hijacked america's anger. the anger from the melt down, they hijacked this it they per investment it had and that was not the real deal. this movement is the real revolt. this is the real deal. this is our chance to restore the american dream. that's what's at stake. that's what was taken from us. this unholy alliance of washington and wall street hasn't served average americans

very well and theorizing up. it started in new york. it spread. and now it is in lansing and i welcome it in lance, had michigan, and i urge americans who care about the american dream and believe that the american dream should be for everybody, not just the few at the top, this is your chance. if you're a temper, a policeman, a street worker, a you sewer worker or you're unemployed, a student, i don't care, as long as you're not one of the filthy rich at the top who don't give a damn about anybody else this is your fight this is our struggle to restart american dream it's time to get wall street out of the middle of the economy and get them on the sidelines where they belong and get a democracy restored that works for main street. >> you know, verge, the lines of division are well defined. today, republicans introduced the real american jobs bill. i mean this bill has a balanced budget amendment. they want to repeal the health care bill. they want to repeal dodd-frank. and of course they certainly want to go after unions and bust up labor unions and go after

labor. will this bill do anything to create jobs, in your opinion? >> look, in the words of tim barren, a local radio host, what it is a pantload, a sad, pathetic joke on the american people. they are not going to be food by it we are ready for something more. look, deserve meat and potatoes, they suffered long enough. we need real help. we need the obama plan that provides, real jobs, real help, they need investment. people are hurting. i start hide day this morning at a soup kitchen. i talked to a lady who lived in the same house for 50 years and now -- her husband had that house, he has passed on and now she is losing that house because she couldn't afford the $1400. she could afford $900 a month but when the bank moved it up to $ 400, she could no longer afford it now she's homeless. what sense does it make? where is the relief? we have suffered enough under the rule of these banksters that are taking everything for themselves. we need some rules that work for regular people. we need a main street agenda

instead of a wall street agenda t is time to put main street back on the agenda, back at the top of the agenda and get some real regulation over wall street. >> and there is no doubt that the foreclosures continue and the third quarter in this country, they are up 14%. the banks are getting very aggressive. mayor verge ber nair row, lansing, michigan, always a pleasure, great to have you with us. >> great to be with you. >> bring in karen nussbaum, executive direct over working america, the community affiliate of the afl-cio. karen has been at occupy d.c. is this a middle class movement? >> i'll say. and it's not just the folks who are there in the parks, ed, as you talked become d ed about, ed, the teachers and librarians, construction workers thought in big numbers. but working america goes out into working class neighborhoods all over the country every single night and we are talking about occupy wall street in the neighborhoods, in those working class neighborhoods. and people embrace it. they say, yeah, that's what i've been thinking all along and i'm

glad those people are in the parks. we are making that bridge. i think one of the things we have to fight against is make sure that the right doesn't divide us. >> yeah. >> doesn't pretend that folks in the parks are not the same as folks out in the neighborhoods. >> you know, karen, one of the things that's starting to frustrate me, so many interviews being given by people who think they have a pulse of what's going on here. look, the people are upset. they are protesting whether they have this issue, that issue, this issue, that issue, the fact is they don't like the way the country is going and they are motivated enough to go out into the streets, whether it be not taxing the rich enough or the top 1%, whether it be a better health care, whether it be a jobs package, whether it be wall street and what they have done, whether it be foreclosures. i mean, there are a multitude of issues out there that people are frustrated bought about and it's all coming together. the key here, i think is that they are in the street he is and they are sending a message to the lawmakers of this country. so will the 99%, will it become a bigger political force than

the tea party in 2012? >> oh, i think it certainly can. what we found now is that people who, for a long time have known that what the problem is corporations control our government. folks get that. but now the people who are occupying have given that a voice and have express it had for everybody. it's lining what happened in the bat of seattle in the 1999 when all of a sudden, people got the global economy was working against people and the environment. it's that moment right now and what we have to make sure is that we keep that movement knitted together, that there's no division between to occupiers and folks in the neighborhoods. working america, during wisconsin, which i think was the preview of what we are seeing now. >> i think it was. i don't think any document you have wisconsin. now coming up, a recall of the governor there a target politically for this crowd to stay engaged about. you have also got a november 8th

vote in ohio to repeal the collective bargaining law, senate bill 5, which is issue number two on the ballot. karen, great to have you with us tonight. i could go for hours on this subject. i think you got the pulse of it. an update on our story that we did last night you can the right-wing group building a better ohio produced a television ad in support of ohio senate bill 5. and it was a big, fat lie. they used the words of a great grandmother to suggest she supported senate bill 5 when she actually owes it. and now, building a better ohio has finally pulled the television ad. they were obviously under pressure. more than a dozen local television stations had had already yanked it off the air and last night, we spent an entire segment on their dirty tricks and told the truth. i'm glad it's gone. remember to answer tonight's question there at the bottom of the screen and share your thoughts with us on twitter twitter @edshow, we want to know what you think. warren buffett was right, 25% of the wealthiest americans

pay a lower percentage of taxes than middle classers than this country but republicans want to hike tax for the most vulnerable. and the pizza man, herman cain, led the republican pack less thahan twtwo dayss butt a already picking his running mate stlchl a confident dude. we will talk about it. we will be right back. at adt, we get financing from ge capital. but they also go beyond banking. we installed a ge fleet monitoring system. it tracks every vehicle in their fleet. it cuts fuel use. koch: it enhances customer service. it's pretty amazing when people who loan you money also show you how to save it. not just money, knowledge. it's so much information, it's like i'm right there in every van in the entire fleet. good day overall. yeah, i'm good. come on in. let's go. wow, this is fantastic. ge capital. they're not just bankers.

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good news for mitt romney. he has always remained pretty stead commit polls of the republican field. bad news for romney, he re.mains steady as various other candidates take the lead. and if romney seems stuck at 25% it could be because conservatives just don't trust him. like the drugster, rush limb ball. >> 70% of the republicans poll ed are split all over the map but they do not support romney. but the reason is simple. he is not a conservative.

he's not, folks, but you can argue with me all day long, but he isn't. very nice gentleman. he is a gentleman. but he is not a conservative. >> you see, limbaugh really wants to be bigger than the republican party and call the shots. his whole game is self-promotion. if he can sink romney to draw attention to himself, it's a win for the drugster. when we come back, republicans want to raise taxes on americans who can can a afford it the least. they have said so themselves. that's next. ♪

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thanks for watching "the ed show" on msnbc. republicans are wrong and warren buffett, he knows, he is correct a new congressional analysis these 25% of millionaires pay a smaller percentage of taxes than middle class families. and remember, when republicans say they want to -- they want tax cuts, what they really mean is tax cuts for the rich. >> part of the problem is today, only 53% of americans pay any federal income tax at all. 47% pay nothing. we need to broaden the base so that everybody pays something, even if it's $1. >> we are dismay ted injustice that -- displayed at the injustice that half of all americans don't pay any income tax and the liberals thought are saying that we need to pay more. >> you want to raise taxes on the american people but think everybody ought to feel that we

are part of this effort. >> i think it's a real problem when you have half of americans that are -- almost half of americans that are not paying income tax. >> and governor perry on one of those liberals thought say, yes, the wealthy should pay more. you see, they want the 47% of americans who are too poor to even qualify for federal income tax to start paying even though they already pay state, local and payroll taxes. and republicans don't care if the payroll tax cut comes to an end. >> if the payroll tax cut is not extend extended, that would mean a tax increase for all americans a. what won't consequences of that? >> no one likes to see tax increases, but look -- >> romney then changed the subject. but when asked again about the payroll tax cut, he said, "i don't like little band-aids." and let's not forget gop front runner herman cain. >> my top priority is 999.

>> and don't forget that. 999 is the regressive tax from hell. the 47% of americans and in the lower bracket would suddenly pay 27% in combined taxes under the 999 plan. let's bring in professor of public policy at the university of california at berkeley and all the over the book "aftershock", mr. robert reich. good to have you with us tonight. >> good evening, ed. >> i want to start with herman cain's 999 plan. explain why it is such a grossly regressive, unfair tax. >> well, it is regressive because if you have a flat tax like that, 999, essentially it means the rich are paying less and the poor are paying more. i mean, essentially, it means that we are getting rid of all the progressivity in the tax code right now, not that much, but getting rid of whatever is remaining. >> and let's be clear, mitt romney would basically raise taxes on the middle class, is that how you read it? >> well, there's no question about it. there's another other way of

balancing the budget if you are not going to raise taxes on the rich and you are also going to raise taxes on the poor. i mean, look this is just a matter, as obama says, as the president says, of mathematic, it is also, ed, a question of morality, we have seen for years, for years, that more and more and more of the nation's income has been going to the very top, the top 1%. more and more of the nation's wealth has been going to the very top. at the very same time, the tax rates paid by the -- the effective tax rates paid by the very, very rich keep on going down, which means more and more of the burden is on the middle class and the poor and also means the public services are being sacrificed it has been going on for years, but now, it's really completely out of control and i think that's what a lot of the occupy wall street is all about because with all of that money with all of that wealth at the top, also comes political power. political power to keep their tax rates low, political power to make sure that the rest of america doesn't get the medical care they need, doesn't get the education they need, and ultimately, does not and is not able to organize and mobilize to

take back america. >> we've used this chart on this program showing the effective federal tax rate republicans and won't be satisfied until the bottom 99% are paying the same rate as the top 400 taxpayers america. how could this politically be a winning with policy for them? >> well, it's not a whipping policy. i mean, americans know in their bones that they are paying more and more and they know that the rich are paying less and less, yet the rich are raking in more and more of the national income f you look at all the polls, the interesting thing, ed, for years, a lot of americans have been hood winked by this myth of, you know, downward trickle down dmarks if you make the rich richer, everybody benefits. now people are beginning to catch on that is absolutely wrong. it is a cruel joke. trickle down -- nothing dribblings down. also, a lot of americans were fooled by the idea that one day, they would be very rich, they would all be millionaires and therefore, they don't want to tax millionaires.

most americans these theses days knee is also a mythology. they are not going to be a millionaire, most people, and they just want to -- they just want a fair deal, this they just want to make sure if they work hard, they can get ahead. they can save a little bit for their college education, for their kids' college education, they can save for retirement. most americans are not greedy this is not class warfare. most understand this is about fundamental fairness. >> there is no better example than warren buffett, he leased his tax return providing -- proving, i should say, paying lower overall rate at 17%, a study came out slowing really is a problem l it ever get fixed? what do you think? >> i think it is going to get fixed because people are mobilizing and they are energized. they understand that the budget deficit is real and if the rich don't pay their fair share, everybody be else is going to have to pay more or sacrifice real and important services. the social safety net is already in shreds and it be even more shred unless we get some control over the budget deficit, which

means the rich do have to pay their fair share. ed, you know, i'm amused, you have a lot of conservative commentators and people staying warren buffett wants to pay more in taxes, any other rich person wants to pay more in taxes, they can pay. that's not the point. the point is that we need to change the federal tax laws so that there are more tax brackets at the top, so that there are higher marginal taxes at the top so people have to pay more, if they are citizens of the united states and doing extremely well. >> and we had a rate that was successful in the past at 39%. mr. reich, always a pleasure, good to have you with us. >> okay, ed. thank you. >> thank you so much. coming up, the tan man says he is listening to the american people. but you'd never know it by looking at his policies. i'll tell boehner what the american people are really saying in "psychotalk." and the republican wrecking crew continues its war on postal workers. find out what damage was done today in congress. i will talk with the president

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and in "psychotalk" tonight, house speaker john boehner wants to you think that republicans are in touch with the american people. here's the tan man on fox last night. >> our pledge to america that we outlined almost a year ago, on the eve of the last election, one of the commitments we made was to list tonight american people and to follow the lead of the american people.

and trust me, we are continuing to listen to the american people. and the american people are telling us, here's what you need to do, stop the regulatory onslaught coming out of washington. fix this tax code so that american companies can be more competitive in a worldwide economy. and then thirdly, stop the overspending that's serving as a wet blanket over our economy. >> he couldn't be more wrong. boehner thinks the american people want deregulation? here is the reality. a recent mcclatchy survey of small business owners found none of them complained about regulation and most of them welcomed it. boehner also says overspending is a wet blanket on the economy, but the facts tell a different story. states that cut spending during the recession saw higher unemployment, lower private employment, and more economic contraction. but states that increased spending saw lower unemployment, higher private employment and real economic growth.

and boehner says the american people want corporate tax cuts. but poll after poll shows most people are in favor of raising taxes on the wealthiest americans. including a brand-new nbc news poll where 64% are in favor of corporate tax hikes. and the republicans have had to run around swag got to drop it from 35 to 25. that's not where the american people are mr. boehner. mr. boehner this is what the american people are saying, but you are choosing to disregard their voices. so, for john boehner to say republicans are listening to the american people is flat out dishonest, lyin' "psychotalk." herman cain is already picking out his running mate. it's between the guy ohio wants to kill medicare and medicaid and voucher the program and the guy who wanted to kill the health care bill and make sure it was president obama's waterloo. and michelle bachmann is losing ground in the gop field,

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you know, i kind of like stories about the pizzaman, herman cain. he is entertaining. he has only been leading the republican presidential field for a couple of days, but he is already revealing his picks for the vice presidency. >> i'll give you a name, like representative paul ryan. i'm not saying he would be a vp pick. he might be. but that's the type of person that i would want in my cab net. he is the type of person. so is jim demint. people who are not afraid to challenge the system. >> yeah. so herman cain's short list for vp includeless the guy who wants to destroy medicare/medicaid by turning it into a voucher program and the guy who use and old southern racist term when talked about defeating president obama during the health care debate. >> if we are able to stop obama on this, it will be his waterloo.

>> really? >> it will break him. it will break him. >> herman cain also said woe hire newt gingrich as an adviser. maybe even chief of staff. i think the reason herman cain is surging in the polls is that he says what no one else is saying. he is so different. he names his vice presidential picks. he talks about race. he says the he will take down president obama in a foreign policy debate and his tax plan, you got admit, it's got a catchy title, 999. herman cain's ideas, in my opinion, are absolutely nuts but right now, that doesn't matter. he understands the media, the media culture and what he says can mean something to a reporter and to a talk show host and he is capital lingz the lack of enthusiasm in the gop field. joining me now james peterson, direct over africana stud dates lehigh university. mr. peterson, good to have you with us tonight. what do you make -- i want to play this -- i want to play this clip of herman cain explaining

why he is leading the republican field. here it is. >> message is more powerful than money. i have not spent, nor have i been able to raise the kind of money that my major competitors have but yet, we have been competitive because of the strength of my message and the specificity of the solution that i put on the table. >> dr. peterson, you agree with that? >> not at off. i think part of the reason why herman cain resonates though is because people are frustrated with government. and so, what the 999 plan does is basically empty government of any of its potential it power to affect a social safety net for people who really need it in this country. his vp picks reflect this as well, right? he can't have a 999 plan without someone like paul ryan who is prepared to gut medicaid and medicare and probably also social security. his shoutout to the senator from south carolina, demint is one way of saying to the grand old party, listen, i'm not a grace guy.

i think we are beyond that and his parting another even jest churg toward partnering with demint is one clear way of suggesting that to his growing constituency. >> well, i think him saying jim demint's name plays into his southern strategy. jim demint is probably the most vocal and the most radical senator from the south against the obama platform, agenda, whatever you want to call t and he was the first one that was after president obama. he has never let up. he's a tea party darling. i mean, if herman cain gets the nomination, he almost needs jim demint, someone like him, to shore up the south. what do you think? >> i think he can effectively use jim demint to say to the south that he is one of those kind of folk who are not gonna engage in sort of racial politics. you know, you quoted jim demint as using the term breaking, and that is a term that is used to destroy, mentally and physically, slaves during the institution of slavery during this country and for him to refer to that gives you kind of a sense of how dark some of these racial discourses can be

in presidential politics. what herman cain does is he kinds of gives those folk a pass that strategically is going to work very, very well for him. >> herman cain campaigned in cincinnati today and took the following whack at romney when he said, "romney's more of a wall street guy. i'm more of a main street guy. as ceo of god father pizza, i actually made some pizzas myself." i have to ask you, does flipping a couple of pizzas make him a main street guy? >> absolutely not. and listen, you know the facts here, ed, none of these guys are main street guys. that's the problem with politics in general. that's especially the problem with the republican candidates is that these folk are so elite, so far removed, boehner is talking about the american people, the american people, to him, are are the lobbyists who thank represent the special interests that drive his funding for his campaigns and what he is trying to do politically in terms of creating policy and legislation that reflects those things. and unfortunately, you know, we can't fall for this you know, herman cain is a former ceo, very wealthy guy, ultimately

have a lot of very wealthy interests behind him no reason for us to think he is an everyman and just ta pose himself with romney, he is the main street guy and romney is the wall street guy. they are both wall street guys. >> howl do you think he will hang around the polls is? is his campaign for real or is he just the front runner and the flavor of the week? >> well, cain's candidacy is obviously for real i mentioned on your show before, when that florida straw poll that san important straw poll. ly be at the forefront the rest of this campaign? i don't think so i think the reason what we are seeing and merry-go-round of candidates who can emerge as front runners amongst republicans is there is a fissure in the party between the tea party around the establishment and up in of these candidates are super strong candidates. they all have a variety of weaknesses and why they are vying for this -- they can sort of split the votes and vie for the position at the front very, very easily and effectively during this sort of prepresidential campaign season. >> you were coming to us tonight from texas a&m university, i

understand. you are down in college station, texas. >> i am. >> what is the buzz about governor rick perry and where he stands? he has been slipping in the polls for the last three weeks. what's the texas buzz right now? you're boots on the ground. >> the texas buzz is pay lore versus texas a & m what they are really thinking about now. but clearly, governor perry has diminished from the national scene and we see the importance of presidential debates. he can't compete at that level and that's unfortunately taken its toll. maybe not unfortunately, but taken a toll on his campaign. >> dr. james peterson, always a pleasure. thanks for joining us tonight. >> thanks for having me. a new government report spells out more bad news for ththe popost officice. thatat's next. i want america to really grab this story. you are watching "the ed show." big, big. big big big big? big big big big big. big big...big. ♪ big big big -big. -big! [ cheers and applause ]

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>> absolutely priceless. that was the former leader of the free world, george w. bush, shaking his groove thing at a white house event in 2007. and despite those smooth moves, the former president has some disappointing news to share with america. he won't be appearing on dancing with the stars any time soon. now, bush revealed this shocking information in an interview with the well-known political journal "the insider." i guess ""access hollywood"" wouldn't return his calls. now, bush admits that the show's producers haven't exactly asked him to be on the show, but if they do, he will decline. glad we got that all cleared up. coming up, the rrepublicacans' wawar on thehe post office continues. it has me fired up. we are right back.

welcome back to the ed show. in my playbook tonight, there is even more bad news for the

united states postal service. earlier today, darrell issa's house oversight committee took a whack at workers again and voted to advance legislation that will help destroy what i think is a fabulous institution in this country. the bill will now be sent to the full house for consideration. the republican proposal would cut labor costs by installing an oversight board to rule on post office closures and service reduction. it would also force as many as 200,000 workers into retirement. the top democrat on the committee, congressman elijah cummings, calls the bill fatally flawed. i would say. bottom line, republicans want to privatize yet another great american institution and middle classers and small businesses everywhere are going to suffer for t where are the democrats? let's put this into perspective for just a minute. congress is at an all-time low approval rating. only 13% of americans approve of what the members of congress are actually doing in their job right now.

this postal service story is part of to the reason why. multimillionaires like congressman darrell issa are holding the fate of 120,000 hard working americans right in his handses. why? because he wants to private advertise t issa is the same congressman who called president obama corrupt on limbaugh's radio show. issa is morally corrupt for trying to cut an essential service that americans have been counting on for 235 years. grab these numbers. the president is trying to create jobs in this country. 120,000 jobs will be lost if the democrats don't step up and do something about this. and you know what, if the legislation and the lame duck session of the congress in 2006, before nancy pelosi grabbed the gavel, the conservative congress passed a law that forced the postal service to fund health care and retirement for 75 years

into a little ten-year window. mr. issa, explain to the cameras in washington how you would run your business if that kind of government intrusion was put on you. i want you to grab this tonight, folks. these people, their jobs would not be in jeopardy had the congress not passed that law and forced a mandate for them to prefund all of their expenses. for what? if they hadn't had that bill passed, there would be a $1.3 billion surplus. but you see, the conservative agenda in america, they want to destroy everything they can that the government does and privatize everything they possibly can. let me tell you, fedex, ups, they don't serve in 25% of the areas where the postal service goes. that pines you folks in the rural areas, you small business folks of america who are righties, you know, you look at that map, there's so much red in

rural america, you're losing your post office because of the righties. chew on that for a while. coming up, the road to the republican nomination passes through trump towers. i will tell you whyhy thee candndidates are clamming for the trump trumpster's approval. there's only one bottle left !

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then customize, publish and get found... in three easy steps. [ bell dings ] sweet. [ announcer ] all from just $7.99 a month. get a 30-day free trial... at intuit.com. and in a desperate attempt to jump start her stalling campaign, republican presidential candidate michele bachmann met face to face today with the man who is the new kingmaker for the republican party. when republican presidential candidates need to legitimize themselves in the eyes of the party base, this is the man they turn to. >> rosie is a loser. you're fired. you're fired. >> the candidates can't wait to kiss the wring of a man who possesses such outstanding business sense, companies that bare his name have declared bankruptcy four times in the last two decades. not even a casino business is immune to trump's chapter 11 touch.

in 1991, his atlantic city casino was buried under $3.4 billion in debt. and after a phony presidential run last spring when trump went full birther, he was humiliated by the obama administration when they released the president's long-form birth certificate. but still -- >> has donald trump become somebody you got to go visit if you are going to want to be president on the republican side? >> apparently, yes. all you need do is have some lousy pizza with the donald and he will say really great things about you in the press. even if you're sinking in the polls, like rick perry. >> i think he is a very impressive guy with a very good record. >> what do you think of michele bachmann? >> well, i think she is a very underrated person. >> epps always delightful, i enjoy donald trump. >> we hit it off well, i will say, even better than i had anticipated. >> i like him. should be reproud of very proud of himself. people like him. >> the only candidate who has spoken negatively about trump is jon huntsman.

>> you describe to the don trump school or mitt romney school of international trade. >> guess what huntsman has to show for it? 1.6% national average in the polls. so line up, republicans. this is what it's come to. and if you want to be the republican presidential nominee, there's a new grass breast ring you have to grab. make sure you wear gloves. joining me tonight to talk about the republican field, lizz winstead, co-creator of "the daily show." liz, great to have you with us. why does donald trump answers door.mean so much to these candidates all of a sudden? >> ed, i don't he know. why would you join a club that requires donald trump's endorsement? you know, it is he is the baby jesus and they have to go there and worship him. i don't even understand t what has donald trump actually done besides a reality show, of late, that would make him some kind of -- especially in this day and age, with jobs, with the

economy, with the wars, how is donald trump proven he has any prowess in any of those fields in it is crazy. >> michele bachmann has had lunch with him on three times. what happens on the third lunch, i don't know? >> guess what no one else want was to lunch with michele bachmann. let's be honest. that is actually why she had to go, because donald trump is the last person who will say yes to michelle bachmann. >> what is your take on had herman cain's latest rise to the top of the gop field? >> well, i guess you call his followers 999 percenters, i don't know. i don't really understand it, what was fascinating is he made his money with god father pizza and burger king, right? and then i have was looking up his economic guy, rich lowery who came one his plan and that guy he was the senior vice president of like an investment for mcdonald's. does he know anyone who doesn't work in the fast food industry? not to mention, if this guy ever got elected, can you imagine

what corporate farm work like with him pushing all of this crapty crap food on us? it would be a disaster. why he doesn't want the epa. he wants to load the water with pop. >> and conservatives are -- are they ever going to like mitt romney? now you got the drugster who is working against him had, saying he is not a conner is the vattive. that doesn't bode well for him, does it? >> you know, it's sort of -- poor minute. i mean, he just can't move past that number 23. he is at 23%. he has been at 23%. i mean, it's really -- i don't know how these people who believe in the rapture can call mormonism a cult. i don't know why he is getting pinned on. this the whole thing freaks me out. but he is going to be their candidate and they will have to rally around, aren't they, and look into it and say maybe theed garden offed eson in missouri. who knows? >> as a comedian, do these candidates -- who offers up the best material in your opinion. you are a standup. you go all over the country

hospital. offers up the best material? >> you know, it's day to day, ed. sometimes i can't keep up. like i'm in florida right now. and i have rick scott and marco rubio to deal with and the fact they are proposing -- get this they are proposing to bring back the firing squad and old sparky down here because of the whole lethal injection controversy and they want to legalize dwarf tossing that is what is happening in florida and they have rick scott. so locally right now, it is that bachmann doesn't disapoint. the sad thing is when they go away. but i a new one pops up, like whack-a-mole. >> rick perry done or does he still have life, do you think? >> i think he is going to pretty much be done. after him sitting at the debate his pants half-open, his beer half done, at the debate, let me know when it is my turn to talk. >> lizz winstead always a pleasure, great to have you with us tonight. i amth thank is the ed show i'm ed schultz. listen to me on sirius xm radio channel 127 monday through