thanks so much for watching this afternoon. a reminder you can catch chris matthews and "hardball" at 7:00 p.m. right here on msnbc. coming up right now, "the ed show" with ed schultz. >> good evening, americans, and welcome to "the ed show" live from new york. let's get to work. not war. ♪ >> we at war. we're at war with terrorism. racism. most of all, we are at war with ourselves. >> i intend to address the american people from the white house on tuesday. >> on the eve of the 12th anniversary of 9/11. >> i was elected to end wars and not start them. i've spent the last 4 1/2 years doing everything i can to reduce our reliance on military power.

>> "operation iraqi freedom" is over. >> the tide of war is receding. >> by the end of next year, our war in afghanistan will be over. >> if congress fails to authorize this, will you go forward with an attack on syria? >> right. and you're not getting any direct response. >> why is there not a larger multilateral coalition of partners? >> because the bush administration lied to the world about the war in iraq. >> i put this before congress for a reason. >> i'm going to support the president's call for action. >> we must respond. >> in terms of opposition. >> first of all, public opinion is entirely against it. >> this assad guy, he's a bad dude. but it's a civil war. >> secondly, public opinion is vehemently against it. >> we do not want another engagement in the middle east. >> were why are you not listening to the people. >> i was under no illusions when

i embarked on this path. i think it's the right thing to do. >> consequences of action as well as the consequences of inaction. >> the consequences would be catastrophic. >> the consequences of inaction are greater and graver still. >> there are consequences. ♪ >> good to have you with us tonight. thanks for watching "the ed show." i bet the phones are going to get burning up this weekend from the white house to all these house members. keep in mind, i believe that president obama still has a number of political cards to play. the push is on, the sell job is on. you know what we're going to find out about this president? how bad he really wants to hit syria. if he really believes in his heart that this is the right thing to do. president obama is pushing

harder than ever for a strike against syria. i think it's fair to say that the president is going to have to be in full campaign mode if he wants to get this thing done. and keep in mind, the president has a lot of political clout with the democrats because democrats want the house. keep that in mind. you cannot separate war and politics. you just can't. so i'll explain more about that in a moment about where are the democrats when it comes to this man's support in 2014. the white house announced that president obama will address the nation on tuesday night, making the case. earlier today, the president spoke from the g-20 summit in st. petersburg, russia. >> failing to respond to this breach of this international norm would send a signal to rogue nations. authoritarian regimes and terrorist organizations that they can develop and use weapons of mass destruction and not pay a consequence. and that's not the world that we want to live in.

this is why nations around the world have condemned syria for this attack and called to are action. >> actually, there there were more people on board before we went into iraq than where these nations around the world are right now. the president is making the case to congress and the american people for a strike. but no one including me is buying it. i don't think the american people are buying it. the most recent poll shows 59% of americans are opposed to a strike while only 36% are in favor of a strike. is that a number that the president can overcome? maybe. the mood is similar in congress with 199 members opposing or likely opposing a strike, but you have to say that the momentum is with the no votes right now. you know, congress is siding with the american people, and now the president is asking members of congress to vote against the will of the people?

that's what it's going to come down to if these poll numbers state same. the president is asking congress to take a leap of faith. it's a trust me moment. i've been elected, re-elected, i got bin laden. i didn't put troops on the ground if egypt or libya. there were regime changes there. freedom is on the march. we're not attacking anybody. we've wound down in afghanistan and we're out of iraq and not spending billions on war anymore. the guy can make the case to the members of congress if you trust me on this, we're going to be okay. this is the right thing to do. this is what the phone calls are going to sound like this weekend. members of congress are going to having to decide if they want to the go with the president or if they want to go with their constituents. and make no mistake, now, the president is not in uncharted territory here. this isn't something that has never happened before. make no mistake. going against the people, if you're a member of congress that, body that you're elected

to, yes, you have gone against the people a number of times on a number of votes. earlier this year. 91% of the american people supported expanded background checks for gun purchases. congress voted the measure down. 2011, 63% of americans supported president obama's americans jobs act. everybody's for jobs, right? the congress wasn't. they voted it down. 74% of americans said that they wanted to end subsidies for big oil. eliminate all these subsidies going to the richest corporations of the world. congress trashed the repeal big oil tax subsidies act. so it's not like the president is going to be picking up the phone saying you know what? i really need you to do something that you've never done before. you need to go against your constituents. you need to trust me. well, you know, as we have documented on this show,

republicans have obstructed our nation's first black president on everything. republicans are voting against syria not because they are morally opposed to war. heck, they love war. they love confrontation. they love the war machine that they keep feeding and the manufacturing of it all. they are voting against military action in syria because they despise this is man and they do not want to give him any type of foreign policy, moxie, credibility? help because you see, over the years the republicans, they have always been the ones to be the experts on foreign policy and all the democrats know how to do is be a bunch of doves. this guy is scoring high in the foreign policy world. regardless of all of this, the debate in congress for military action starts next week. i mean, if you love war and politics, this is your super bowl pregame. it's going to get hot. i think we need one of those

good old fashioned hot debates on both floors of the house and the senate. and we deserve it. we really deserve it after what we've been through. going to war is not something that can be taken lightly at all. it's important to remember the hard lessons learned from the iraq mistake. it's important to remember that the members of congress who were hell bent for election on stopping the war in iraq in the end, they were correct. those 21 senator who's had the guts to go against it, they've never regretted their vote. and the march to war was so stronging in 2003, and it's not there the now because of what happened in iraq. so tonight, i want to play this clip of the late senator robert byrd. now, to me, there are in my business some things that are said that are very impressionable. there are things that happen in this business of covering the

news and being involved that really get to you. this voice of reason cuts right to the heart of this issue. i think it's -- this is a very important reference heading into next week's debate. >> to contemplate war is to think about the most horrible of human experiences. on this february day, as this nation stands at the brink of battle, every american on some level must be contemplating the horrors of war, and yet, this chamber is for the most part ominously, ominously dreadfully

silent. you can hear a pin drop. listen. you can hear a pin drop. there is no debate. there's no discussion. there's no attempt to lay out for the nation the pros and cons of this particular war. there's nothing. we stand passively mute in the united states senate today, paralyzed by our own uncertainty, seemingly stunned by the sheer turmoil of events. only on the editorial pages of some of our newspapers is there much substantive discussion concerning the prudence or the imprudence of engaging in this

particular war. this is no small conflagration that we contemplate. this is no simple attempt to defang a villain. that's not all. no, this coming battle, if it materializes, represents a turning point in u.s. foreign policy. and possibly a turning point in the recent history of the world. >> those words could be spoken next week on the senate floor verbatim and it all fits. you know, secretary kerry is trying to package this as, oh, this is just a little strike. oh, we might not even damage anything the way they're talking right now, i don't care if it's one missile or 200, it is an act of war. this is a big political move for the members of the house.

the president is going to say you want might help in re-election? you want me to raise money for you? the democrats want the house? i need your vote. it's rather johnsonesque. it's some serious arm twisting, so we're going to find out just how bad the president wants to hit syria. i say he still has a lot of political clout and a lot of the cards to play here, but i think it is the wrong move and i would go big-time for a "no" vote. i want to know what you think. tonight's question, will congress vote against the will of the american people on syria? text a for "yes," b for no to 67622. go to our ed.msnbc.com. we'll bring you the results later on. for more, katrina vanden heuvel, publisher of the nation magazine. great to have you with us tonight. >> thank you, ed. >> has anything that the president has said or his team has said to the public, has it done anything to move you or do you think it is gog move the

public in the next 100 hours? >> you know, i think, ed, this is a critical moment for the congress. as senator robert byrd spoke of, there's nothing more important than matters of war and peace and the congress can reset its role in our politics. it has creeded far too much power to the executive. i wish the president would spend more energy in this next period instead of strong arming congress to vote yes on this military authorization, instead seeking robust muscular diplomatic political alternatives to war. i fear that our country too many have been confronted with a false choice that it's either action, no action or military action. there are alternatives that we must seek and that the president should speak to and we must demand because as you said, calls and i've spoken to a number of congress people today, calls are running 100 to 1 in some districts against this is

because americans are tired of the waste of blood and treasure on misadventures abroad and they seek a different politics. they're not lacking in care or engagement. they're not isolationist buzz don't believe internationalism is about military strikes. >> is there a lack of imagination on the part of this administration to get a successful conclusioning? where are the peace talks, the forced peace talks to really put assad in a box to problem to the world that he is not movable and to get a bigger coalition here? that's a very, very good question. i don't understand how senator kerry has moved from someone who had good relations with russian foreign secretary lavrov as they move toward a peace conference. the lack of creativity and imagination on a tough diplomatic move. today, there is a proposal made in congress today which i think is what congress should be doing, coming up with counter proposals to military strikes. senator mansion and senator hide

camp came forward with a proposal to give president assad 45 days to sign the chemical weapons treaty. in that period, president obama seek all the diplomatic tools to stop the proliferation of chemical weapons by syria. you know what, ed? a measure of credibility in my view, a measure of wisdom is stepping back and saying the last resort is a military resort and we must engage at international community as you pointed out. there are fewer international members of a coalition than president bush had. >> i don't get a sense interest congressional members that the intel that they've been given is so overwhelming that they're going to tip. because is think a lot of nem would have shown their cards by now to be very crystal clear with their constituents. i believe that the president is going to have to ask the congress to go against their constituents and if there is a "no" vote, how damaging will it be if he does strike syria? >> you're going a few steps.

>> but this is a very real scenario that could can play out. >> i think that a president who is elected to end wars if he goes against a congress which has stepped up and said no in its authorization, will lose legitimacy. i think on the other hand, if the president accepted the will of congress and turned to alternative measures other than military strikes, you could see a reset on the eve of 9/11, this country has been led by fear too often and executive power has been to be overwhelming and the national security apparatus, ed, has become too overwhelming as we've learned from revelations. that too should be reset if we'll be a vibrant democracy. ta deep state of the nsa apparatus needs to be ended. >> i'm very troubled by the russian american relations right now that the russians aren't trying to simmer down the syrian leader assad right now. and i think that they can play a vital role in all of this.

i don't think the g-20 was very positive at all. >> putin and obama did meet. i do think, again, secretary kerry had a very good relationship with his counterpart lavrov. russia is critical. but i think, again, with imagination and toughness, you could you put together a coalition. russia doesn't want to see syria be a hot bed of jihadist elements or unstable in terms of chemical weapons. so there are always alternatives and those must it be sought. >> big speech by the president next tuesday. no question about it. thank you, appreciate it so much. i want to make this final point here. for america, this situation in syria is a complete tragedy. it is unfortunate we have come to this crossroads, junction, whatever you want to call it after our nation has really been on an upswing as of late. we have had 42 straight months of private sector job growth. why aren't we celebrating that? manufacturing jobs are on the rise. the automobile industry is just

roaring back. just last month, august was one of the best months we've ever had. best month in five years. remember, the automobile industry left for dead and then president obama came in and made the bold move to float them a loan? obama care is about to kick in. 30 million more people will gain health care in this country. all of this has been done with this president and his vision in the face of republican obstruction. this is a huge decision by the president. is he willing to put all of this momentum on the line for what they say is a surgical strike which could spiral out of control? it is a huge week next week coming up for america. we're right back on the ed show". td

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media nation has decide and we're reporting. here are today's top trenders voted on by you. >> oh, that's pretty. >> touch down. >> our number three trender, mile high milkshake. that's seven touch down passes for peyton manning. >> peyton manning has a record night on the field. >> manning the sixth player in nfl history with seven touch down passes in a game. >> you might not see then again for years. >> peyton manning, that guy's pretty good. if you like 6'5"230 pound quarterbacks. >> the number two trender, here are the jobs. >> the unemployment rate is down to 7.3% it, the lowest level since december of 2008. >> i think the job market today is about is the job market of six months ago, a year ago, even two years ago. no real change in the job market. >> unemployment drops while fox drops more excuses. >> given the numbers that came out today that were so punk and so tepid, my reading of this,

bob, is that america is just not getting up in the morning and going to work. >> this labor participation issue, people are giving up. >> 8% unemployment. the rate, do you see that coming too? >> would not be surprised. >> and today's top trender, r.t.'s proposal. >> i want to marry you in minneapolis. chicago is my kind of town but it's the second city on human rights. you deserve equal rights. >> the mayor of minneapolis courts same-sex couples in chicago. >> chicago and all of illinois stands to lose a lot of tourism dollars from people who have a cho is. >> minneapolis maybe r.t. rybak sees this as an opportunity to lure money and people to his city. >> you can come to an incredibly sophisticated city called minneapolis and we believe you have equal rights. >> it's a nice day for a white wedding. >> the economic development of gay marriage. i'm joined now by r.t. rye back,

the mayor of indianapolis. good to have you with us tonight. innovation, you're not short on that. that's for sure. there's a moral component here, but this is about the economy, as well, is it not? >> it starts with the fact that i believe there are millions of people in this country who deserve the rights my wife and i have. marriage is about romance. it's about love. it's about sometimes religion. but it's about 1 -- 1100 pieces of federal law. i believe everybody gets the right. you know what? if the people of minnesota are smart enough to give that right to everyone and the people of illinois are not, i'm going to go to chicago and milwaukee and madison tomorrow or monday and say look, come 0 to minnesota. we'll marry you. by the way, bring your wedding party. we'll have a big party and spend money and give you a lot of rights. i like the deal. >> so you're going on a tour. a gay marriage tour and how big is this going to be? how many cities you going to try? denver, sioux falls, fargo?

in the region? >> well, like i said yesterday in chicago, i go where the money is. chicago's pretty good market. we'll be around the center of the whole country because minneapolis is a great city because it's always had its arms open to immigrants, to people from a lot of different cultures and the glbt community. we're better because we're bringing everybody together. that's why we're a great city. chicago's an incredible town. let's face it. i think it's amazing to be in the middle of lake view and some of these incredible neighborhoods in chicago and think these people ho built those neighbors don't get equal rights. come on up to minneapolis. we're happy to have you. >> what kind of response do you think you'll get? >> well, i've gotten a pretty good response already. look at this ad. august 1, we legalized marriage equity in the minnesota and since then we've had 1600 marriages here of same sex people in minnesota. put it kind of do the math about illinois and chicago being a whole lot bigger and you think a

lot of those folks will want to come, i think we'll get a lot of money. there's an estimate down there that illinois stands to gain $100 million if they realize marriage equity. i said you give us the first $10 million in minnesota and you take the other $90 million, we'll be a lot of ahead. >> we all know what the conservative pushback has been, gay marriage is going to lead to the moral decay of society. have you seen same sex najera minnesota now that you've seen it for aent mo, have you seen moral decay in your city and in the state? >> you know, i said to my wife is the other day, it's been a month. 1600 marriages. anything different here? not so far. i'll check in with her this afternoon. so far, nothing's going on that wrecked our marriage. i understand that people have different views of this. just a few years ago, this seemed pretty out there to folks. i get that. we have to be understanding of that. but the fact of the matter is, this is about the law. and of those 1100 pieces of law, think about this for a second.

you can file a joint tax return immediately once you get that. you can get veterans benefits. so you know, in minnesota, if an entrepreneur wants to start a business, they're in a same sex relationship, they can go on their partner's health care and put all their money noon their new venture. in illinois, you can't do that. where do you want to start a business, illinois or minnesota? >> mayor, great to have you with us tonight. thanks so much. still to come, richard trumka of the afl-cio joins me on the state of the union. some say they are in crisis. as his organization prepares for their john convention in los angeles. more than half of americans are against taking military action in syria. and they're speaking out. the rapid response panel joins me to discuss the reaction on liberal talk rao in america. but next, i'm taking your questions on ask ed live on msnbc. stay with us.

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welcome back to "the ed show." we love hearing from our viewers tonight in our ask ed live segment. our first question from nancy counter. why is our president in such a rush to start a war? well, you're assuming a lot there. i don't think he is in a rush to start a war because he hasn't struck syria yet. he has gone to the congress. we are having a national discussion, but he does feel a sense of urgency i believe in the way he's talking that the use of chemical weapons must be answered. i disagree with it. i think the timing is wrong. but the president, i don't think, is in such a rush to start a war. and i think the definition of war needs to be spelled out explicitly to the american people. i think one missile is an act of war, apparently the president and secretary kerley don't see it that way. our next question is from kathleen unitas. how can i keep my blood pressure down when listening to

republican nonsense? well, do what i do. go fishing and make sure that there aren't any republicans in the boat. stay with us. prim bertha coombs with your market wrap. the dow lost 15 points today. the s&p was flat and the nasdaq added 1 for the week all three monch averages are up. oil prices jumping more than $2 a barrel, settling just above $110 a barrel amid concerns over a military strike in syria. gold also higher as investors clamored for a safe haven, gold rising mo are than $13. and americans paid top dollar for new cars and trucks last month. the average sale price hit just over 31,000 bucks, almost $1,000 more than a year ago. that's it from cnbc. first in business worldwide. 't ♪ ♪ fire, fire, you can take me higher ♪ ♪ take me to the mountains, start a revolution ♪ ♪ hold my hand, we can make, we can make a contribution ♪

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welcome back to "the ed show." well, the polling leaves no room for doubt. the majority of americans, 59%, oppose u.s. military action against syria. the voices of opposition, well, i think they reached a fever pitch on liberal talk rao this week. let's take a listen to some of the folks i had a chance to speak with. >> yes, ed, i believe there should be no military action in syria. it is a civil war. we don't know who the good and bad guys are. we don't know what is going to set off a powder keg. >> am a retired lieutenant colonel in the air force. i am absolutely against this intervention. i can tell you one, we're never as good at these strikes as we want the public to believe. that's one. two, i am absolutely concerned about what happens after these strikes if we manage to hit these chemical sites ba us weise have not addressed at all the

environmental impact and the clean-up. once we hit these sites, what do we expect to do afterward? who goes in and does the clean-up? >> because of what you said today, i've an made up my mind. i am now against any action in syria and two that secretary kerry is out of his mind if he thinks that firing missiles into another country is not an act of war. we would perceive it the wam wa i. >> joining me now rao talk show host jack rice, are talk show host also bill press and mike pap is tonio, host of the ring of fire rao show also syndicated. i know you're getting a earful. mike, you first. what are you hearing on your show? >> it's amazing how smart people get as you move outside the beltway. it's a very simple kind of argument i'm hearing. look, teachers, policemen, firemen are losing jobs by the

thousands in america because of budget cuts. the sequester has cost america somewhere around 190,000 jobs. our infrastructure is crumbling. it's kind of dollars and cents kinds of arguments. they contrast that with the fact that just one of those cruise missile cost about $1.6 million. you can count on about 100 to 150 of them being launched. it costs about $100 million a day to keep the navy where they should be over there. it's kind of common sense kind of arguments. they're angry. not buying into it this time. i can tell you that. >> bill press what, are you hearing? >> i'm hearing about 95% against it, ed. like of else. the arguments that i'm hearing are look, why does it have to be us? we've been two years in this mess without doing anything. why do we have to get militarily involved? and finally, what happens if we go when we go, what's bashar al assad going to do next?

what about a strike on israel? what about a strike on turkey? and don't we risk getting involved and sucked into this civil war? so i'd say if president obama is going to vote the way the american people that i hear vote, there won't be any military strike. >> jack, draw on your experience, formerly with the cia. do you think americans are buying intel on this? >> no, they're not, ed. that takes us back to what we saw in iraq. i think a lot on the left and the right are realizing the intelligence community was just wrong. when you hear what the cia and the president is saying, there are a lot of people left and right simply questioning the validity of it. what a lot of listeners are talking about are the six plus million people who are refugees or displaced. the question is, why aren't we addressing that issue? we can do that without deciding whether or not we want the assad regime to go or whether or not we'll support the alternative. >> gentlemen, why isn't is the

image in the world and the moral argument working with liberals in this country? bill, what about that? >> you know, ed, i think it's a long list of reasons. first of all, i think liberals particularly are war weary. look, and they're bush weary. i don't think it's the same but there's so many echoes of iraq where we were lied to, where we've been there for ten years. after the war in afghanistan, there is zero appetite for more military action in the middle east. >> mike, do you think if there had not been an iraq, this would have been a heck of a lot easier sell for president obama? he's dealing with bush baggage here. >> it would have been much easier. we are war weary. people for the first time ed, are asking tough questions. maybe it's simply because of iraq. but the white house and the democratic rah-rahs in the gop war machine is not able to get out there and simply say something and have us take it at face value. people are very sophisticated in

the way they're analyzing this and know it's not a simple civil war. >> on the other side of the spectrum, rush limbaugh is pedaling the latest right wing conspiracy article. take a listen to this. >> his story, his article here is that there is evidence, mounting evidence that the rebels in syria did indeed frame assad for the chemical attack, but not only that, that obama, the regime, may have been complicit in it. mounting evidence that the white house knew and possibly helped plan the syrian chemical weapon attack by the opposition. >> all right. you three guys vote right now. do you think we should bring back psycho talk to "the ed show"? >> you just did. you just did. >> jack rice, you take the first crack at that. where is this going to go? >> oh, well, you know what?

i spend a lot of time working in washington. i'm far more confident in incompetency than conspiracy. this is a big question. i think if this were 1999, we would probably be going in because we had something called muscular human trarnism. something that tony blair and president clinton did in sierra leone and ultimately in kosovo. that was the concept behind this. but what we've seen, that isn't necessarily effective. what we're looking for is a pragmatic but effective result and the problem is, we're not seeing it right new. >> yeah. i want to get your take, gentlemen, on secretary kerry. my pap stn tonio, is this the same same john kerry that ran for president in 2004. >> reporter: it sounds so prowsely different. >> john kerry is the new colin powell, ed. he has been hustled into being the front man by basically the beltway an arms industry. he's out there pitching for them. and he is the new colin powell. it's no less of a pathetic story

than what we saw when colin powell misinformation. it was planned as misinformation. and he appeared in front of the u.n. trying to sell the american public on the idea this we were getting ready to be invaded by iraq when he showed us those ridiculous aluminum tubes. kerry is no different here. >> what do you think, bill? >> let me just say, i want to come to kerry's defense. two quick points. every member of congress, every senator has been briefed by john kerry believes chemical weapons were used and that the syrian regime not the rebels used those weapons. they may not support the military strike. they believe john kerry. i think we have to recognize that good people and good liberals can disagree on this issue. i think john kerry believes what he is saying. >> he is making the case we have to do this or it's going to get worse, the same thing bush was doing, if we don't hit them, we're 45 minutes to a mushroom cloud. >> you have ker are i has the

evidence and cloufl never did and i wish rums feld wohl shut the hell up. >> you like rummy, don't you? you've always liked rummy. gentlemen, great to have you with us, jack rice, mike papton tonio, bill press, thanks so much. up next, tonight's pretender. gives us a reagan revisionist history lesson. stay tuned. my mother made the best toffee in the world. it's delicious. so now we've turned her toffee into a business. my goal was to take an idea

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reason he's consulting with congress is he wants to blame somebody for his lack of resolve. >> you lead us into. >> think like president reagan would do and he would say chemical use is unacceptable. >> oops. the only flaw in the congresswoman's argument is that president reagan did not do that. the iran-iraq war was raging in the 1980s. reagan's administration knew saddam hussein possessed and used chemical weapons on iranian civilians and military. reagan supported the regime and did nothing. the gipper, might still rule the republican party, but if congresswoman ros-lehtinen thinks she can rewrite history, she can keep on pretending.

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progressives, let's get back to work. america needs to pay attention and stay very vocal, especially this week. so let's look ahead at the top three stories ahead this week at fast forward. coming in at number three, football fever. ♪ football on your phone now is your chance to have football on your phone and football in your pants ♪ >> tebow hasn't got a prayer as the season kicks into full gear. >> i do intend to run for president. of the tim tebow fan club. >> oh, really.

♪ war, what is it good for >> fast forward to number two. >> the united states should take military action against syrian regime targets. i will seek authorization for the use of force from the american people's representatives in congress. ♪ absolutely nothing, say it again y'all ♪ >> next week, congress comes back to vote on a lose-lose resolution. ♪ absolutely nothing, say it again, y'all ♪ >> all the options are bad. we're only going to make things worse. ♪ >> and our number one story to watch, a better bargain for the middle class. >> you work three jobs? >> three jobs, yes. >> uniquely american, isn't it? that is fantastic that you're doing that. >> i work too hard. >> on monday, the afl-cio hits l.a. for its big convention.

♪ hard for my money >> the economy creates good, middle class jobs that pay well and offer security. >> that fight is worth fighting for. >> we have to be able to outbuild and outeducate and outinnovate every other country on earth. >> richard trumka, afl-cio president joins me now from los angeles. mr. trumka, good to have you with us tonight. certainly you have a big convention next week. a lot of hot topics. the numbers are a little staggering. last year only 11.3% of american workers were unionized. that's the lowest percentage in nearly a century. 30 years ago, 20.1% were unionized. and unions some say are in a crisis situation right now. what do you say? >> i say we are in a crisis situation right now, ed. we're at a crossroads. we can actually look backwards and complain about what everything that has happened and all the things we haven't done, or we can look at ourselves

realistically and change and go forward. open up our doors, broaden our support, join with all progressive groups out there and create a situation of partnership where our issues are our issues, not mine and your issues. so we're really excited about opening up the labor movement to our friends and allies and actually building a movement that can rebuild the middle class. >> and how are you going to do that, sir? >> well, we're going to do it a number of ways. first of all, we're looking at ourselves. we're going to change things, how we organize. we're going to try and experiment. we're going to open up and work nor strategically with strategic allies and strategic partners. we're going to work harder and do things a little better than we've done them in the past. >> what do you make of the fast food workers and also some of the other workers, especially at walmart, who protested this week? doesn't this somewhat signature that america is awake and paying attention to income inequality, and the best road back is

collective bargaining? your thoughts. >> i think that's absolutely what it's starting to signal. i think american people are saying this economy is broke. this economy doesn't work for the 99%. it works real well for the top 1%. it's times things are changed. we're not going to take it anymore. and we're going to stand up to change things. that's what we're all going to do. progressive groups joining together to try to create a shared prosperity economy that works for all of us and not just the top 1%. >> and isn't there an education process here? i mean you are fighting around the country a tremendous amount of right-to-work legislation i believe in some 26 states where republican governors are just going after anybody who is connected to labor. how do you turn that around? how do you convince the public that this is bad and you can go to right-to-work states and see that wages are lower. >> first of all, they're not just going after labor.

they're going after every group out there. they're trying to take away voting rights from minorities, from latinos, from african-americans. they're trying to take those votes away, make it harder to vote so that they can control the political system, so that corporations can pour money into it. how do we do it? it's already started. we educate the general population. union members and nonunion members alike. and then we mobilize. we plan together. we strategize together. and then we execute together because we are the majority when it comes to this issue. not some small minority, and not some bare majority. but the vast majority of americans agree with our values, that this country is on the wrong track. it's not working for the american worker. >> well, what about president obama? has he not been good for organized labor? and what are your expectations, you know, as the next three years left? >> well, i think the president is trying to create jobs. he has had some very, very stern and severe opposition, some

realistic. he tries to do infrastructure. our country is falling down. we need the infrastructure rebuilt so we can be competitive worldwide. that used to be a bipartisan issue. no one even thought about it. now he proposes infrastructure that will create jobs, will help us become more competitive in a global economy, and he gets opposition to it. it's sort of sad. i think he is trying. i hope he tries harder. i hope we create jobs together. and i hope we can put the interest of the country in front of everybody else's interest. >> and is it correct to say that if the democrats were to ever get the house back again, despite all the gerrymandering, that the employee free choice act would be the bulls-eye for you? >> well, look, that's very, very important. the labor laws in this country are, one, antiquated. two, broken. anybody who wants a voice can do so with the lawyer that graduated last in his or her class at the worst law school in the country. it doesn't take much talent. all you have to do is be able to use the law to divide you.

so yeah, that's an important thing for us. but jobs are just as important for us, putting people back to work. >> all right. richard trumka, president of the afl-cio, good to have you on the ed though. >> ed, thanks for having me. keep up the good work. >> "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpton is next. thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead, making the case. today president obama announced he'll make a new push to energize a war weary public and unite a divided congress over military action in syria. at his last day at the economic summit in russia, the president announced he'll deliver an address on syria this tuesday. >> i will make best case that i can to the american people as well as to the international community for taking necessary and appropriate action. and i intend to address the american peoplom