during the past 15 months, berkshire acquired 28 daily newspapers at a cost of $344 million. buffett, a former newspaper boy, acknowledged that television and the internet have created challenging environment. he acknowledged that stock market quotes and details of national sports events are old news long before the presses begin to roll. he said that the internet offers extensive information about both available jobs and homes, and the television bombards viewers with political, national, and international news. despite editorial content, buffett laments that in one area of interest after another, newspapers have lost their primacy. and as their audiences have fallen, so has advertising. help wanted, long a huge source of income for newspapers have plunged more than 90% in the past 12 years. but then warren buffett said this. "newspapers continue to reign supreme, however, in the delivery of local news. if you want to know what is going on in your town, whether

the news is about the mayor or taxes or high school football, there is no substitute for a local newspaper that is doing its job. a reader's eyes may glaze over after they take in a couple of pair grass fires about canadian tariffs or political developments in pakistan. a story about the reader himself or his neighbors will be read to the end. wherever there is a pervasive sense of community, a paper that serves the special informational needs of that community will remain indispensable to a significant portion of its residents." he could have said something else, that newspapers provide a vital oversight function. in a world where everyone with a computer is suddenly a journalist, there is nevertheless a lack of primary news gathering. and local papers with their editorial pages often remain the best watchdog we have over local government. so here is hoping that the oracle of omaha's investment in american newspapers pays off. that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "the ed show" with ed schultz starts right now.

good evening, americans, and welcome to "the ed show" from new york. republicans are stalling the economy on purpose. they want to hurt the president and sprint to the election as best they can. it's all about winning. this is "the ed show." let's get to work. >> the greatest threat to medicare is obama care. >> paul ryan is wrong. the greatest threat to medicare is paul ryan. in a major shift, the wisconsin congressman proposes medicare cuts for people over 55. >> our solution to save medicare makes no changes for people 55 or older. >> congressman keith ellison on why ryan's medicare change is bad for america. venezuelan president hugo chavez has died of cancer at the age of 58. what does this mean for u.s. relations? we'll bring you the latest. a civil rights hero wants the washington redskins to change their offensive name. it will take an act of congress

to get nfl owners to move on this. the path to citizenship, which i would support -- >> jeb bush flips. >> we can't continue to make illegal immigration an easier path than legal immigration. >> flops. >> i'm for it. >> and flips again. the big panel weighs in on jeb's radical immigration 360. holy cow! >> comedian stephen colbert's sister has her eye on a south carolina house seat. tonight we're talking to democratic candidate elizabeth colbert-busch. good to have you with us tonight, folks. thanks for watching. i thought we would start with a little basketball tonight since it's march madness. this gentleman is dean smith, one of the all-time greats at the university of north carolina. he perfected the four-corner

stall. he would slow the game down as best he could, keep the score down, run the clock out, and take his shot at the end of the game. and they were doggone good at it. well, there is another guy in washington who is perfecting the stall as well. 608 days, 3 hours and 58 minutes, and the clock is ticking. this is how much time is left until the 2014 midterm elections. are we ready for this? but wait a minute, it's the countdown. and the only thing republicans care about right now is that number. they are all about running out the clock. they will obstruct in the house. and they will deny to make sure that nothing gets done until november 14th. november of 2014. now enter this guy name paul ryan. you ever heard of him? oh, yeah, refresher course. he is back! to reintroduce the same failed ideas he already tried, only this time there is a little bit of a twist, folks. it gets worse. ryan is telling house republicans in private he plans

to make changes to his medicare plan. the changes would affect medicare benefits for people over the age of 55, possibly up to the age of 59. now, this is quite a change for a former vice presidential candidate who ran on protecting medicare for those over 55. he even used his own mother as a prop to tell seniors just how he will protect their medicare benefits. >> how many of you are 55 or over? wow. okay. okay. how many of you are not? all right. our solution to preserve, protect, and save medicare does not affect your benefits. >> if you reform these programs from my generation, people 54 and below, you can guarantee they don't change for the people in or near retirement. we're saying don't change benefits for people 55 and above. >> how many of you are 55 or over? our solution to save medicare makes no changes for people 55

or older. >> how often have we talked about health care on this program over the last four years? a lot. and i want you to pay attention to the fact that ryan is bringing back a plan that americans have rejected in november. this is insanity, doing the same thing over again. but now it's even further to the right. here is the explanation for the change for ryan -- from ryan's spokesperson. ryan's reform ensures no changes for those in or near retirement. a sharp contrast to the real harm inflected on seniors by the president's health care law. that's their quote. no longer 55? it's in or near retirement, which can mean whatever paul ryan wants it to mean. moderate republicans in the gop a little bit nervous tonight. an anonymous republican lawmaker

who was in the meeting with ryan told "the hill" republicans made commitments to their constituents at age 55. if they go back on their promise, it will be problematic for many of them. well, that's good news for democrats. you can't trust these guys anyway. john boehner, you think he cares? no, he doesn't care. when he was asked about the new medicare plan, he completely brushed it off. >> i think we'll let them work it out, and we'll see what outcome they get. >> sure, let them work it out. boehner doesn't have to commit to any changes. he feels extremely safe. as long as house districts are gerrymandered in his favor, and they are. this is why republicans continue to obstruct with plans like the ryan budget. they don't want to change the status quo when the rich are doing so doggone well. how did the market do today? well, the dow jones closed at a report high, how about that? despite a near depression four years ago, the 1% doing real

well. they've seen incomes rise as much as 11% while everyone else has been staying flat. we talk about it all the time. republicans aren't going to cut a deal with president obama. they don't have to. i don't care what it's on. a deal would just empower who? that guy right there, the president. it would make him look good. that's the last thing they want to do, give him more juice on the road going into the mid terms. i know it's early, i know it is. they're just going to keep denying him any progress on his agenda whatsoever. paul ryan's latest plan, my friends, is not serious. it wants attention, so we're going to give it to them. it would hurt the nation's seniors. it ignores 46 million people living in poverty. it also does nothing to help people out when they get older. it's all to protect the wealthy and run out the clock. now, think about this. if you're 50 years old, we'll talk to the 50-somethings tonight. let's just say this plan passes the house. and it will, and let's say harry reid gets it passed to the senate. let's say the president, because he wants to compromise, he goes along with this. this gives people who are 50 and maybe a little older, a little over a decade to get ready for health insurance when you're 65. now, a lot of young people don't

think this way. but when you look at wages in this country and you look where the top 1 and 2% have gone, and you see where the middle class is, who in the world can put together a medicare bank account for themselves in a 10 or 12 or 13 year window and keep up with medical expenses? it's almost impossible. let me tell you something. they're the same people, the same proposals, and they are very dangerous. and so the president has really one option, to ask you for help. i would make the case that president obama needs you more now than ever if you supported him in the election, because this is what it's going to take to get change in this country. get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think. tonight's question, will republicans ever stop trying to destroy medicare? 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. i want to tell you that they haven't changed. they're after the new deal.

they want to cut out all the social safety nets they can, medicare, medicaid, social security. our challenge as liberals is to make sure the president doesn't give any ground and he stands strong. okay, let's take it to midterm with no progress at all. let's fight them on their turf. we'll win again. i'm joined tonight by congressman keith ellison of minnesota. great to have you with us, congressman. >> you bet. thank you, ed. >> is paul ryan serious? is he seriously going to introduce a plan to cut medicare benefits for people over 55? >> yes, he is. he is very serious. and really, at the end of the day, a budget is an expression of values. paul ryan and the republican caucus is telling you what they believe in. they don't believe in protecting seniors. they don't believe in making sure that there is a social safety net for people who face hard times. >> what do they believe in? >> well, they believe in that the rich people don't have enough and that the poor have too much.

they believe that if you don't have enough money, you're not worthy, and spending government resources on you is a waste. and that's pretty much what they believe. >> and elections don't matter. they have denied what happened in november, and they are back to the same old stuff, aren't they? >> you're absolutely right. as a matter of fact, if anything, this election was a mandate for medicare, social security, and medicaid. both parties took their respective positions on these issues. the president won. they lost. but they're undaunted. they are unrepentant and absolutely committed to undermining this important program that serves so many people. >> and the progressive caucus released a budget with a complete balance of spending cuts to new revenue. why are lawmakers not taking up the charge for this budget? why aren't -- why with are we not seeing any mojo on this? >> you know what, ed? we call it the back to work budget. it's a budget that invests in infrastructure, helps local and state governments put teachers

and firefighters back to work, invests in basic medical research, and asks everybody, particularly the most fortunate, to invest in america and pay their fair share. we close loopholes for the oil companies and for the jets and the yachts crew, and we do what is right by america. so why aren't we getting the attention? you asked. that's a good question. well, the fact is that the american people when they hear about our budget, they always like it. as a matter of fact, there was a business journal that took the labels off all of the plans to replace sequester, and it was a progressive caucus' plan that won the day. >> sure. >> so the fact is what we're doing is popular with the american people. we just got to get the information to the american people. so i appreciate you giving me the chance to talk about it. >> we're having you back talking about this. and we're going to detail this out, no doubt. but disagree with me if i'm wrong. boehner has made the calculation that he can run this, the four corner stall, whatever you want to call it, do the basketball analogy and take a last shot at the midterms. they're not going to give obama anything. there is not going to be any

more revenue. this is the way it's going to be. they're going to keep passing their radical stuff and then run to the media and say hey, we passed it in the house. how come they're not passing it in the senate? >> i think that's true. in fact, he has been very honest. when boehner tells you what he is going 20 do, i think you should take his word on it. he doesn't plan on cooperating with the president, and i think that's been well established. >> at all. congressman keith ellison, thanks. sam stein from "the huffington post" and heather mcghee at demos. great to have both of you on. heather, you first. is this any chance for the budget to get fixed, for anything of any kind of significance whatsoever to move forward in this political climate? >> you know, i still think that there are tail winds behind the issues of gun control and immigration. i mean, we've had, you know, a number of new cycles of just talking about spreadsheets and budgets and job killing cuts. but the fact is the spirits of

the young people of newtown are still haunting mothers and fathers. >> but as far as medicare is concerned, ryan is low throwing a joke, is he not? >> he is doubling down in order to kowtow to basically a philosophy, an anti-government philosophy from a novel he read in high school and from the right wing of his party for an extremely unpopular idea. it's not just unpopular with people over 55, but people nearing retirement don't want their children to not have it. >> sam, does he destroy his credibility if he proposes changes he said wouldn't happen? >> yes, but i don't think that's why he is going to propose them. i'm getting word that he is backing off this idea of changing medicare for 56 and below. it's going to go back to 55. i think he probably heard some concerns from members of his own caucus. >> but what about those changes for those over 55 or 56? >> what do you mean by that? as in changing the beneficiary program? >> changing the beneficiary end of it. >> yes. >> the general philosophy stays the same, right?

it's to change medicare from an guaranteed health care benefit to something more resembles a voucher system. that has proven unpopular when it's presented to the public in public polls. they have couched it as a way to save the program by cutting benefits when there are obviously other avenues toward saving the program. the motive is to get rid of the size and scope of government in government health care. it's a philosophical battle that paul ryan has engaged in. it's something that he has gotten more credence with as he introduced his budgets. keep in mind, the first budget he introduced in 2009, 38 house republicans voted against it. now it's very likely that very few house republicans will vote against this budget. he has gotten more power within the party over time. >> democrats say this is all leading to republicans replacing the social safety net and privatizing absolutely everything. here it is. >> change medicare from a guaranteed program into a

voucher, and not just for those 65 and older, but now we're being told they would do this for folks well below the age of 56. >> heather, you got give them credit. they are focused, aren't they? >> they are. and if we even take a step back and look at what else is in this budget proposal, the whole point is to try to get to a balanced budget in the next ten years, which would mean something the size of the sequester in terms of cut four times over for the next ten years. which is just absolutely the opposite of what our economy needs to get back on track. we're talking about guaranteed job losses. >> it's sort of remarkable that last year's budget put that objective at 2040. and this year they want to balance the budget by 2023. we're talking incredible cuts likely to many of the critical domestic programs that we have here, discretionary spending is already at bare bones. it's probably going to be cut even more. we'll see if they do any social security changes. but, you know, it's very hard to make the budget balance in ten years without massive austerity

measures. i don't think those are going to go over popularly. >> if you close the loopholes and get some more revenue out of the wealthiest americans, kit happen. but i don't think it's going to happen. >> i want to see what he does with the tax hikes that were part of the fiscal cliff deal, if he keeps those or not. >> sam stein, heather mcghee, great to have you on the "ed show." share your thoughts with us on twitter @edshow and on facebook. we always want to know what you think. controversial venezuelan leader hugo chavez has died at the age of 58 after a long battle with cancer. mother on that. stay with us.

well, he's got romneyitis. jeb bush has done a complete 360 on his immigration policy. the panel will try to nail him down later. a fake republican plays a major role in one of the biggest races of 2013. the very real elizabeth colbert-busch is here tonight. you can listen to my radio show tomorrow noon to 3:00, channel 127, sirius xm radio. share your thoughts with us on facebook and on twitter use #edshow. more coming up. we'll be right back.

and we are back. he led venezuela for 14 years and was a long-time vocal critic of the united states government. today after a two-year battle with cancer, hugo chavez is dead. he leaves behind a complicated legacy in venezuela, and his death could have substantial implications here at home. the white house issued a statement earlier this evening. "at this challenging time of president hugo chavez's passing, the united states reaffirms its support for the venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the venezuelan government." here is nbc's mark pot were more. >> reporter: hugo chavez was

first elected venezuela's president in 1998 and became a polarizing figure on the world stage. he was loved and hated at home, respected and ridiculed abroad. born to a family of teachers in 1954, chavez joined the venezuelan airplane, where he came to despise the ruling elite. in 1989 when a bad economy led to riots and hundreds were killed, chavez was appalled by orders from then president carlos andres perez to shoot civilians. in 1992, chavez, now a lieutenant colonel, led 12,000 troops in a failed coup against perez. chavez was jailed, but pardoned two years later. by then a champion to the left and the poor. he was hardly a democratic ruler, using his power to silence opponents and journalists and to nationalize private companies while

championing the poor by building schools and health clinics. but critics say his attempts to remake venezuela backfired. >> an enormous amount of money spent uselessly. conflicts with the united states, limit takes to freedom of the press, throwing opposition leaders in jail or throwing them out of the country. >> reporter: he bonded with cuba's fidel castro who became his mentor, and embraced iran's mahmoud ahmadinejad. he taunted the u.s., even calling then president george w. bush the devil at the united nations. toward the end of his life, chavez battled cancer and sought treatment in cuba. after an apparent recovery, chavez was reelected last fall to his fourth term in office, but shortly afterward was felled again by cancer. hugo chavez, a man of extremes leaving a dramatic mark on latin america. mark potter, nbc news, miami. >> joining us tonight, william dobson, politics and foreign affairs editor at slate and

author of "the dictator's learning curve." mr. dobson, good to have you with us tonight. venezuela is the fourth largest foreign oil supplier to the united states. what does his death mean for this country in terms of oil supplies in the market? >> right. well, i mean in terms of oil supply in the market, i don't think you'll see a tremendous change right away. i mean, the thing that everyone is going to be watching is what the political situation is in venezuela in the days to come, whether or not the situation actually truly is unstable or not. i think that for many cases, though, for the united states, it's one of the powers that actually stands to have the least change. i mean, as it's been for years, no matter what the rhetoric was that came out of caracas, the united states was venezuela's chief buyer of oil when diplomatic relations would have appeared to be at their worse.

so i don't think that will change in the near future. it's not in anyone's interest. >> does his death complicate things for the obama administration, or does it just offer a big opportunity here? >> it could offer an opportunity. i think really what has to happen, what the obama administration is going to be looking for is what the venezuelan people do. according to the constitution in venezuela, they are supposed to hold an election within the next 30 days. most likely, that will be between chavez's handpicked successor, nicolas maduro and the leader of the opposition in the election against chavez last october, enrique capriles. my thought is maduro will probably do well in the election. but it's difficult to say if anyone can run the country the way chavez did. chavismo was based on chavez, not anyone else. >> is there a chance that things could go south, or are they stable? >> well, actually, in truth, the country that will be affected

the most by this will be cuba. cuba saw in venezuela its lifeline. venezuela replaced the soviet union as its sort of chief supporter, its chief backer. so i think that right now probably this news, which we've known is coming, is probably most upsetting for officials in havana. for others like russia, we'll see. they're losing potentially one of their largest arms buyer. china will have concerns about its debt with venezuela. iran loses a big diplomatic backer. in the region, countries like bolivia, ecuador, nicaragua lose their most articulate and loudest spokesman, certainly. so there will be effects, but i think in a dramatic way it will be largest felt in cuba, and of course venezuela itself. >> william dobson of slate, good to have you on the "ed show." thanks. if congress gets its way, rg3 won't be playing for the washington redskins anymore. i'll tell you why that's a good thing. that's up next. america is used to the bushes lying, but jeb is setting

a new low. the panel dives in tonight. stay with us. [ female announcer ] going to sleep may be easy, but when you wake up

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i can only imagine what it would be like to be at a football game at fed ex field in a crowd of closer to 90,000 people, all screaming at the top of their lungs when what they are screaming is a racial slur. >> welcome back to "the ed show." a discussion held last month at the smithsonian's national

museum of the american indian in washington certainly has intensified a debate that is decades old. should the washington redskins change their name? in 2013, you would think it would be a slam-dunk decision. it's pretty obvious. a lot of people think it's a very offensive term, and it is. and a lot of people think it has to go. but many of the people who defend the name don't seem to understand what the word truly means. look it up in any dictionary. the term is identified as offensive slang. as d.c. delegate eleanor holmes norton told the hill, nobody would let a camp rabble name to blacks stand. she is so right. norton and congressman john lewis, a civil rights hero, are urging the team to officially change their name. and it's not the only questionable name in american sports. the morning star institute estimates that there are over 900 troublesome names and mascots that exist all across america. so how have the redskins

responded to the recent criticism? the kids are doing it. an article on the redskins website points out that teams at 70 different high schools are called the redskins, which is probably just another reason for the team to take the lead and change their name. they are a professional football team, a franchise. their games are broadcast all across the country, depending on how good they are. and they are the ones setting the example for those kids. it's going to take pressure from consumers. it's going to take an act of congress and the courts. blah, blah, blah, blah to change a name. ain't going to happen, i don't think. team owner dan snyder has made it clear he is not going to budge. snyder is worth an estimated $1 billion. he is not used to being told what the heck to do with his franchise, his team or his business. he is more interested in the money than getting with the times.

the path to citizenship, which i would support -- >> jeb bush is all over the map on immigration reform. >> we can't continue to make illegal immigration an easier path than legal immigration. >> the big panel takes on his immigration spin cycle next. i'll bring you good news from watts and bad news for dennis rodman. plus, batman is revealed. >> as a broadcast journalist, i'm obligated to maintain pure objectivity. >> politics turns into a family affair for stephen colbert. >> it doesn't matter that my sister is intelligent, hardworking, compassionate and dedicated to the people of south carolina. >> we're talking to elizabeth colbert-busch about her run for a south carolina house seat. even skin tone. developed by experts in skin genomics to target 5 major causes of uneven skin tone

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everything you say and do is under the microscope. former governor jeb bush got a lesson, and he has now done a complete 360 on immigration reform. in june, he was on record supporting a path to citizenship. >> you have to deal with this issue. you can't ignore it. and so either a path to citizenship, which i would support, and that does put me probably out of the mainstream of most conservatives, or a path to legalization, a path to residency of some kind. >> yesterday, in anticipation of his book coming out, he reversed himself. >> if we want to create an immigration policy that is going to work, we can't continue to make illegal immigration an easier path than legal immigration. >> in fact, bush's new book is very clear. he writes "those who violated the law can remain but cannot

obtain the cherished fruits of citizenship." today he is trying to explain away the book. >> we wrote this book last year, not this year. >> right. >> and we proposed a path to legalization. so anybody that had come illegally would have immediately a path to legalization. >> well, let's be very clear. in the book that bush supported, a path to legalization, not a path to citizenship. today bush threw his support behind a path to citizenship. >> so going forward, we wrote this last year, going forward, if there is a difference, if you can craft that in law where you can have a path to citizenship where there isn't an incentive for people to come illegally, i'm for it. i don't see how you do it, but i'm not smart enough to figure out every aspect of a really complex law. >> a bush admitting he is not smart. interesting. where is romney's etch a sketch when you need it?

looks like jeb could definitely use it right now. go figure. let's turn to annette taddeo, vice chair of the state party in florida. also georgetown university professor michael eric dyson, and frank sharry, america's voice. great to have all of you with us. earlier today harry reid got into the mix. the senate majority leader said bush is not evolving, he is dissolving on immigration. annette, would you care to explain jeb bush's position after so many democrats in florida thought that he was the one they could count on to get some reform on the republican side? >> it's extremely disappointing. certainly as a latina for florida, we looked up to him as the one republican, one of the very few which we could count on our hand that we could look up to, that would stand up to the republicans and say that we need a path to citizenship. and then he says this. and now he is saying, well, it was last year, el ano pasado. that's insane. you can't say he wrote it on the book last year. last year we were in the middle of an election.

and he is saying exactly the same thing in this book as self-deportation. in essence he is saying i'm for self-deportation. that's insane. he might as well be romney. >> professor dyson, what do you make of this shift? as if the republicans don't have problems with their identity crisis and demographics. now. this oh, by the way, he wrote the book last year. >> yeah, well, you know, i've written 18 books. guess what? you write some stuff then, it comes out, you talk about it. and if you is changed your mind in that sort of period, then you say so. but you try to explain it with logic and reason. it seems here that the flip-flopping is incredible. i hope it's not a foretaste of glory divine, so to speak, on the republican run for presidency from mr. bush. the reality is. this we did believe he was one of the few sane republicans here. did they not learn their lesson? the last election proved that

the latinos swung heavily behind president obama because he had a sane, rational policy. despite some criticisms, they legitimately entertained at the president. so the reality is that this jeb bush was a center for calm, reasoned approaches to pathways to citizenship. how do we not punish children of people who have come here through no fault of their own, those children who are here through the dream act, to make them american citizens, to allow them a pathway to citizenship that allows them to contribute. because we know all the numbers that have come out suggesting the so-called illegal immigrants contribute greatly to this economy to begin with also. >> and that is what surprises me also so much. it's not like this is the first time he has ever dealt with this issue, having been the governor of florida for eight years. he just seems incapable of articulating a very solid position on what he believes and where he stands on this. now, the chair of the democratic party in florida called bush's position cravenly political and said that really, his credibility has vanished. frank, how does he get it back? i mean, how does he go to cpac without going even further to the right? >> yeah, this is an incredible

unforced error. this guy should be coming to washington this week and taking a victory lap of being the republican who is consistently had a principled position for reform with a path to citizenship, but he comes, he publishes this book, he moves to the right, probably in hopes of being more acceptable to the cpac crowd. and he forfeits both his principled background and his position on immigration. the republican party is embracing a path to citizenship while he shifts to the right, oh my god. this is going to hurt him both with conservatives and with hispanic voters. >> annette, what is the dynamic with senator marco rubio on this? >> he was definitely trying to send a message to senator marco rubio that he is in the race. he is trying to send a message to the donors he is in the race, he is going to run. however, this move is surprising

to all of us, and it seems like he is more interested in just trying to appease to the tea party and to the base of the republican party. unfortunately, that's what it is now. and in just his political agenda of becoming a president than in really doing what is right for country and for state of florida. >> professor, as if they haven't learned anything from the last candidate. >> well, absolutely right. it's a great miscalculation, because here the flip-flopping doesn't serve any interests he wants to entertain as a potential president. the reality as a presidential candidate. so if you're going to talk about strengthening your presence among latinos, which he got great credit for. not only existentially in person because he himself is married to a latino woman, but because he has been broad in his

understanding of the necessity of forging a pathway to citizenship and making sane reasonable policy in the midst of so much right-wing banter. so i think he has surrendered as brother frank said, he has given up the principle. he has given up his ability to be an arbiter for these issues, and ultimately what he has done is sacrificed his ability to stand all the and be distinguished among those republicans. now he is chasing the crowd when before he led them. >> frank, how does he rehabilitate himself from this, or has he done it? >> my prediction is by the end of the week he is going to reassert his traditional position in favor of this. he is going to probably find a way to bury the book. and he would be wise to do so. right now he is in a situation where marco rubio is out in front with hispanics when he should be out in front. again, he is really blown it on this. i think he is just going to have to say mea culpa. i've always been for a path to citizenship. i still am. and suck it up. >> annette, who would the hispanic vote go with right now? marco rubio or jeb bush?

>> well, based on his previous support of a path to citizenship, it really would go with jeb bush. he has always been very popular in florida. you know, and, again, i'm a democrat. so i would never vote for him. but he has -- i have to admit, he has been popular in florida. but i believe this is a huge mistake. i believe this is a mistake in the range of the 47% mistake that romney made. i don't think he can take it back that easily. i think it's going to stay around. michael eric dyson, annette taddeo, and frank sharry, great to have you on the show. thanks for your time. good news/bad news with rupert murdoch and dennis rodman. taking a seat away from the republicans deep down in south carolina? it's no joke. stick around.

an of course we love hearing from our fans on facebook and on twitter. many of you are responding to paul ryan's push to abandon his campaign pledge not to cut medicare for americans over 55 years old. on facebook, michael anderson writes vote republicans out of congress in 2014, problem solved. kathy says someone should hand

paul ryan a pink slip. he is a disgrace, no integrity, no honesty. and lindy wonders how many less votes ryan would have gotten if he had this before the election. go to our facebook page now. you can get in on the conversation and like us. that would be liking "the ed show." we appreciate that, when you're there. we'll be right back.

welcome back to "the ed show." good news/bad news. it's all out. this good news on wall street today. the dow jones industrial average closed at a record high, making of course president barack obama the worst socialist ever. the bad news, household income is at a ten-year low, just as the effects of the sequester start to kick in. this is the message you get when you call to schedule a tour at the white house. >> due to staffing reductions resulting from sequestration, we regret to inform you that white house tours will be canceled effective saturday, march 9th, 2013 until further notice.

>> and louie gohmert put in today president obama shouldn't be playing any more golf on government time as long as the scheduled tours have been stopped. more bad news for dennis rodman. fresh off his photo op with a brutal dictator, the "new york post" reports rodman was booted from a new york hotel yesterday for loudly telling anyone who would listen just how great the north korean dictator is. apparently that behavior is good enough for sunday shows. not for a hotel bar. news corp., the parent company of fox news announced a start date for their new sports channel? yeah. bad news is that if they don't like the score for the outcome of the game, they can change the final scores. in superhero news, the trailer for "ironman 3"? it's out. good news, tony stark is a job creator. >> we do need backup. >> that's your department.

>> here's my boy. and finally, more good news about the real-life super hero bagging crooks in england. batman has been unmasked, and he is talking to the press. the bad news is that you can barely understand what the heck he says. >> well, i gone to wembley to watch a final. now while i was at wembley, i got the phone call asking if i my playstation. i told him he would have to wait until i come home. i got home, about 1:00. come home, got in my car, and taking down the playstation. obviously it was done as a joke. >> said something about 1:00. whatever else he said, i'm sure it was pretty good news. tonight in our survey i asked you will republicans ever stop trying to destroy medicare? 3% of you say yes. 97% of you say no.

coming up, elizabeth colbert-busch is on the path to become more important than her famous brother. she is next. it's a new day. if your a man with low testosterone, you should know that axiron is here. the only underarm treatment for low t. that's right, the one you apply to the underarm. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18. axiron can transfer to others through direct contact. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied

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colbert is actively campaigning for elizabeth colbert-busch for south carolina's only open house seat. the siblings, brother and sister, well, they pronounce their names differently, but they generally bring on politics. >> no free air-time, lulu. as a broadcast journalist, i am obligated to maintain pure objectivity. it doesn't matter that my sister is intelligent, hardworking, compassionate, and dedicated to the people of south carolina. >> and it might take some serious star power for a democrat to win the special election on may 7th. 20 candidates are vying for the seat left open by tea party favorite tim scott, who is now in the senate because jim demint quit back in january. here are the facts. republicans have control of south carolina's district 1 house seat since 1980. the district boundaries were redrawn, and the counties are reliably republican. the governor is republican. both senators are republicans, and five out of six sitting congressional members are

republicans as well there are 16 republicans on the ballot. democrat elizabeth colbert-busch has only one primary opponent, and he has been campaigning for this seat since, you got it, 1972. now, among the republicans, you got ted turner's conservative son teddy, and of course the love gov, mark sanford. the bottom line, elizabeth colbert-busch could give the democrats a chance at winning this house seat for the first time in two decades. and she joins us tonight here on "the ed show." elizabeth colbert-busch, thank you for your time. nice to meet you. and i guess the first question is how is it going? >> it's going very well. i'm just delighted to be with you. but it's going very, very well. >> well, you know, the district, 40% went for obama. will your district, do you feel confident that they'll elect a democrat?

>> i feel very confident they'll elect a democrat. and one of the reasons is a recent poll releases from the winthrop poll i think you'll find fascinating is that 12% approval rating for state of south carolina for the performance of our congressional leadership. and just as you had just recently mentioned with the dominance of the republican party in the state of south carolina, i think that speaks for itself with the polls. what do you think? >> well, i think you got a shot at it because of your brother and because you are smart as well. it's always great to get that attention to the campaign. has that helped you, obviously? >> oh, obviously, yes, absolutely. i'm just so proud of my brother and so happy with the help he and all my brothers and sisters are giving me. but now it's time to get serious and talk about the issues and get down to winning this district. >> what are you going to have to do to attract disgruntled

republicans? and i consider south carolina the deep south. there are some pretty strong republican traditions in that state. and you're going to have to really appeal to the disgruntled republicans to make them think that you're not some democrat as president obama said the other day, with horns coming out of your head. and having a sense of humor doesn't hurt. >>, no it doesn't. >> what about disgruntled democrats -- or disgruntled republicans? >> i think probably when we talk about the polls at 12%, that includes the entire state, which is heavily republican. so i think those republicans are speaking out loud as well. and i think what we'll do is with 26 years of business experience, reaching across the aisles to republicans and democrats alike, working in the maritime industry and academia and research and technology, creating jobs, i think that speaks pretty loudly to how much i'm concerned about the job creation in the district, the education in the district, and