twitter @arimelber. we will be back on monday talking about last-minute gift ideas for the political junky in your life. coming up now, it's "the ed show" with ed schultz. . >> good morning americans, welcome to "the ed show," live from the north country. detroit lakes, minnesota. let's get to work. >> because congress didn't act, more than 1 million of their constituents will lose vital economic lifeline at christmastime. >> 1797, a bill to provide for the extension of certain unemployment benefits. >> the clock is tick itting. people got bills to pay. >> extended federal unemployment insurance benefits help these families pay for their rent. pay for their food and pay for their electricity. >> talk about hurting folks during the holidays. >> you don't look like yourself, jack. >> it's the holiday season. why do we have to have ice in our veins?

>> all in favor of suspecting jack frost. >> we can become a society where americans are takers, not makers. >> what did santa bring, honey? >> ah! >> merry christmas. >> i think 2014 needs to be a year of action. >> thanks for joining us tonight, folks. republicans have thrown unemployed americans under the bus, and democrats are fighting back in a big way, as they said they were going to do. earlier today, president obama came out and made a passionate case for an unemployment extension. >> because congress didn't act, more than 1 million of their constituents will lose vital economic lifeline at christmastime, leaving a lot of job seekers without any source of income at all. i think we're a better country than that. we don't abandon each other when

times are tough. keep in mind, unemployment insurance only goes to folks who are actively looking for work. a mom who needs help feeding her kids when she sends out resumes or a dad who needs help paying the rent while working part time and still earning the skills he needs for that new job. so when congress comes back to work, their first order of business should be making this right. i know a bipartisan group is working on a three-month extension of this insurance. they should pass it. and i'll sign it right away. >> you agree with the president? he says that we are a better country than that. well, we're going to find out. republicans, you heard the president. send him an extension and he's going to sign it. the burden is on the republican party to pass the unemployment extension. democrats on board, not a problem. 1.23 million americans are still on track to lose their unemployment insurance on

december 28th. there is some good news, my friends. "washington post" reporting democrats are planning a two-step christmas media offensive to extend unemployment insurance. this is their focus. democrats want to publicly pressure republicans to do the right thing and help the unemployed in this country. senate democrats are already speaking out. >> for many of these people, unemployment benefits are their only source of income. it may mean the difference of whether they're homeless or have a place to live. >> the extension of unemployment benefits will be the next test in the fight between the hard right and the mainstream krchts in the republican party. >> i am very, very pleased, happy and proud of my colleague, senator heller, who joined with senator reid of rhode island, to introduce a three-month extension of unemployment insurance. i hope we can get cooperation. but if not, we're going to vote no later than january 6th or 7th. >> the question is, how much can

the economy grow in the next three months. well, if you look at the last year where we've added 2 million jobs, three months, there's going to be a lot of people that are going to be coming off unemployment if we continue to help them out right now, because they're going to be able to continue to look for jobs. harry reid's vote on an unemployment extension will likely take place the first week of january. and it should. democrats know they've got a bad deal in this, trying to fix it. the best they can do. this is why liberal groups are planning a tv ad blitz, starting the day after christmas. this is what you're going to see. groups like americans united for change and a number of unions, including afscme, and the uaw are backing this entire movement. the ads will run on national cable shows, and hit republicans hard for letting benefits expire for over 1 million americans. now house democrats are also planning a big push in the local media. democrats are planning to use local news coverage to highlight the damage effects -- the damaging effects of this

unemployment situation that these folks are in. they want to tell stories. just like we have been doing quite a bit on this program on how residents in republican districts are going to be impacted by these cuts. this isn't just exclusive to some districts. it's everywhere. and the republicans need to own up and help fix this economy instead of patching it up. and this is a patch job. instead of passing a jobs bill to get people jobs, this is the conversation we're having right now. and it's the republicans' fault. they have done nothing on a jobs package. here's what democrats want to do. democrats want local headlines like this that hurt republicans right where it counts. here's one out of would he kip see, new york. unemployment benefits due to expire for thousands in new york and ann arbor michigan, cutting benefits for christmas and in va silla, california, one reads, crisis remains, jobs benefit still vital. the idea is to get similar news

coverage in every small market in the country. this is going to be the conversation. where do you stand? they hope to pressure republicans into an easy vote. just a vote. just get a vote, mr. boehner, and the congress in early june january. you can't call this a dog and pony show. this is real stuff. democrats really want to get this done. this is what was excluded out of the budget bill. and the republicans know the democrats have been honest brokers and come to the table and giving them things they want. tax loopholes have not been closed. taxes did not go up. there will not be a shutdown. and there are more reasons to slam the republicans on not extendsing unemployment. a new report from the congressional budget office shows letting benefits expire could cost 300,000 jobs nationwide. that's a step backwards, folks. and economists believe that the economic growth will be 4% lower next year because of the cuts. do you want that?

do you want that? do you think that's the right thing to do? now, these are the numbers. that's not even talking about the moral component. passing an unemployment extension should be an absolute no-brainer. it helps over 1 million people, and our economy, plus the american people. i know we don't count very often. but for the record, we do want to see this thing get done. a new pugh pew poll shows deficit reduction by 59% to 33%. these numbers put republicans i think in a pretty tough spot. this has to be the conversation. this will be under serious pressure. there is going to be some certi serious pressure to extend this in the beginning of january. and if they don't do it, it's just going to be more material for the president and the state of the union address to draw the focus on the heartlessness of the republicans. get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think.

tonight's question. are republicans using the unemployed as a political pawn? text a. for yes, text b. for no to 67622. you can always go to our blog at ed.msnbc.com, and on that blog, i would like someone from the conservative side to post on that blog what have the republicans done for the economy? i must be missing it. let's see. a year ago this time we were having this conversation about the bush tax cuts. can't raise taxes on the job creators. that's what we kept hearing. this was after president obama won re-election. and in december, there were republicans running around saying, this is a job-killer. obama carries a job-killer. if we let the bush tax cuts expire, it's going to hurt the economy. how many sound bites do you want us to pull out, folks? that's what all of them were saying. from cornyn, the whole bunch. the most critical of the president, guess what? we have added 2 million jobs.

we've got unemployment down to 7%. the housing market is coming back. strongest november we've had. since 1990. the automobile industry has t h turned around. go to your local car dealer and ask if the economy is pretty good. so put on our blog, ed.msnbc.com. tell us, conservatives, i must be missing the story. what have the republicans done to help this economy? i'll blog tonight and say not a damn thing. for more, let me bring in congressman tim ryan from ohio. congressman, great to have you with us tonight. congressman, if this extension fails in early january, and you can't get it to the house floor, the senate does its job, how long is this campaign going to go on, tim? >> well, hopefully just keep turning up the heat, keep squeezing, both on economic grounds. but at some local examples here, we've got a company -- called road tech. they do gear manufacturing for

windmills, cutting-edge new industry. 180 workers locked out that will lose their unemployments in a few days in northeastern ohio up in aurora. we have a steel mill that closed down. many months ago. a lot of those workers, 2 to 300, going to lose their unemployment insurance benefits. so a lot of people like to say, these people aren't looking for work. you take road tech, for example. they were literally locked out. they didn't go on strike. they didn't quit. they didn't stop working. they got locked out, and they're going to be published for punished for this. i hope we keep the heat up. those are all steel workers. so i know the steel workers and others will just keep ratcheting up the heat, because there are still millions and millions of families that have not been able to grab that ladder of the economic recovery. >> so congressman, how much political capital are the democrats willing to spend on this fight? and how would you define political capital? this is going to take time, it's going to take focus. and it might not happen. how do you see this playing out?

>> well, here's what i think. i think the senate, obviously, was going to hear harry reid take a strong leadership roll. obviously harder in the house, because we don't have control of the legislative levers to bring pieces to the floor, necessarily. but harry reid can do it. and we can ratchet up pressure. and 2014 is in the midterm elections are all about turning out your base. and if we can get the unions energized, if we can get people who are concerned about this and are more focused on demand side economics instead of this trickle-down voodoo economics we have been seeing in america for the last 30 years, get our base riled up, we could be table to affect -- these people in the companies i was mentioning earlier, road tech, rg steel, 430 bucks a week, ed. that's what they're getting. they've got a couple kids, they've got health problems. $430 a month, when warren buffett is made in 2013 $37

million a day. and i love warren buffett and i'm not against him making a lot of money. but what i'm saying, there is a huge disparity in america when we don't have the wherewithal to say hey, these people should get 430 bucks a month to be able to make ends meet when they're looking for work or gotten locked out of their job while warren buffett is making $37 million a day, something is wrong with that picture. so the unions, i'm proud of them for stepping up and making this an issue. >> congressman, the president held his year-end press conference today before he took off on holiday vacation to hawaii. and this was one of the questions that caught my attention. i want to play this. here it is. >> has this been the worst year of your presidency? >> what i've been focused on each and every day is, are we moving the ball and helping the american people, families, have more opportunity, have a little

more security, to feel as if they work hard they can get ahead. >> mr. president, let me answer that question for you. first of all, where is the mind-set of the media in washington when they ask a question, is this the worst year of your presidency? are they asleep at the switch? how the heck are you going to get unemployment benefits focused on when you've got an attitude like that in the mainstream media? just for the record, for that ap reporter, 2 million jobs. we let the bush tax cuts expire. we've had private sector job growth every month since. we have returned the automobile industry to a very vibrant situation. we've got health care in this country where people are signing up. we've got the housing market, which is doing very well. we didn't raise taxes. look at the stock market! are you paying any attention? it's having record closes day after day. congressman, my question to you, how are you supposed to get anything done in an environment when you've got reporters sitting in front of the

president asking him if this is the worst year he's ever had when it's been nothing but a year of accomplishments. >> yeah. well, and reporters are supposed to have some sense of history. where were they in 2009, 2010, when we were getting battered, losing 700,000 jobs a month? just trying to plug holes in the economy. we weren't sure what was going on in districts -- back in youngs town, we thought general motors was going under and a huge general motors plant throughout the industrial midwest. thought we were going to lose the auto industry, the supply chain. we had foreign car companies coming to then governor strickland saying we need to help the american car companies, because we'll lose our supply chain. i asked, where were these reporters when that was going on? we've had some hiccups this year, but my goodness gracious, we've certainly turned the corner and that's part of the problem, ed. how do you get the message out, how do you rally the american people today when you have such a decentralized media? >> well, i think that we've had

some good things happen. we're down to 7% unemployment. a lot of people like to argue with that, because they think that the numbers are higher than that. double digit and what not. we've got income inequality. you show the graphs, we show the graphs all of the time. bottom line here is that people understand the economy, and they understand hurt. and those who were unemployed who now have a job, as that unemployment rate has come down, they understand a three-month extension. let's see if congress does. before we leave this interview tonight, i want to show this picture. here he is, the young quarterback from youngstown state, tim ryan. there it is. as howard cosell said, this man was extraordinary. he is destined to help the country. congressman tim ryan, you have a great holiday. >> wow. >> you have a great holiday. >> a lots happened between then and now, ed. >> all right. see you, buddy. remember to answer tonight's question at the bottom of your

screen. share your thoughts on twitter and on facebook. we want to know what you think. up next, who would you put your money on in a fight between ted cruz and vladimir putin? the beckster is selling a delusional storyline on this one. plus, cheap talk from republicans on minimum wage. stay with us. we'll be right back. humans. even when we cross our t's and dot our i's, we still run into problems. namely, other humans. which is why, at liberty mutual insurance, auto policies come with new car replacement and accident forgiveness if you qualify. see what else comes standard at libertymutual.com. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy?

discover card. hey! so i'm looking at my bill, and my fico® credit score's on here. yeah, you've got our discover it card, so you get your fico® score on your monthly statements now, for free! that's nice of you! it's a great way to stay on top of your credit, and make sure things look the way they should. awesomesauce! huh! my twin sister always says that. wait...lisa? julie?! you sound really different on the phone. do i sound pleasant? for once in your life you sound very pleasant. at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. free fico® credit score. get the it card at discover.com.

stick with innovation. stick with power. stick with technology. get the new flexcare platinum from philips sonicare and save now. philips sonicare. the #1 selling pain reliever, in one cold medicine. advil congestion relief. it delivers a one-two punch at pain and sinus pressure with the power of advil and a nasal decongestant in a single pill. advil congestion relief. time now for the trenders. "the ed show" social media nation has decided and we are reporting. here are today's top trenders, voted on by you. >> on fire! >> the number-three trender. having a ball. >> former nba star, dennis rodman, is defending his latest trip to north korea. >> i hope this game brings a lot of countries together. >> rodman is using his third visit to the repressive communist state to train north

korean basketball players for a birthday tournament honoring leader kim jong-un. >> dennis rodman makes another visit to his dear friend in north korea. >> he's afraid to come here. don't be afraid, man. it's all love here. >> rodman plans to meet with kim, who just last week allowed his own uncle to be executed for alleged treason. >> this country is pretty cool. it's pretty cool. >> the number two trender. olympic games. >> you're dealing with slat mere putin. >> the strongest man in the world. >> here's a guy who is always, you know, out in the -- you know, in the frozen tundra without a shirt. he's got a harpoon in one polar bear and clubbing a baby seal to death with a killer whale. >> glenn beck thinks we need a new gipper to stand up to vladimir putin. >> we are headed for the time that ronald reagan came. >> and there you go again. >> let me be the first to say it, ted cruz may be ronald reagan. that guy is 1,000 times smarter than 99% of the politicians i

have ever met. >> don't make me laugh. ha-ha-ha. >> that guy is -- he might be ronald reagan. >> and today's top trender. cheap talk. >> when you raise the price of employment, you get less of it. >> unemployment among young people will go up if the minimum wage goes up. >> if you raise the minimum wage too high, you're ghot going to have more jobs but fewerser jobs. >> a new study destroys the gop's minimum wage talking point. >> every time we have tried to raise the standard of living, they say you're going to kill off jobs. the stats and statistics do not back it up. >> we have income inequality. >> if we raise the minimum wage to at least $10.10 an hour, about 30 million americans would get a pay raise much. >> we need to raise the minimum wage. >> joining me now is congressman mark poka wisconsin. good to have you with us tonight. i want to point out according to a study by the economics

institute, increasing the minimum wage would affect almost 30 million workers in this country, and create around 85,000 new jobs by 2016. you believe these numbers, and how can the republicans be against it if it's true? >> ed, not only do i believe those numbers. when i was in the wisconsin legislature and we were looking at raising minimum wage, we looked historically, and every time we raised the minimum wage in wisconsin, more people entered the work force. so i know it happens from practical experience in my state. we're seeing it happen from that report. and we need to do what we can to help that rising tide lift all boats so we can help improve the economy. the best way to do that is to raise the minimum wage. >> well, harry reid on the senate side said that raising the minimum wage is a priority once everybody gets back to work in 2014. does the senate plan have a shot of passing, and i think they've passed it, you know, in the senate. who wants to stand against workers? i think there will be some republicans that would break to

get the 60-vote threshold. but what kind of pressure would that put on boehner in the house, if anything at all? >> well, that's the pressure we have to put from the outside. people in districts, other members of congress, to make sure we're making the issue a priority. just making sure people have their unemployment benefits. these are bread and butter issues that affect middle class families, and when you look at the people who actually make the minimum wage that myth of a high school kid who is doing it for a little part time income isn't true. these are head of households. these are people who work in two or three jobs to get by. this is the sort of case we have to make in congress that we get this passed, it's really important, and we have to do everything we can to get more republicans to realize if they don't do this, there could be a political price. >> recent abc news "washington post" poll showing that 66% of americans support a minimum wage increase. is it a political loser for the gop? i mean, do you think that -- this would put the gop to

position in they were to be against the minimum wage and not a vote not to come up that it would be a factor at the polls, that it would strengthen democratic candidates in the mid terms? >> absolutely. you take this on top of the fact that they didn't want to do unemployment benefits, that they're cutting things like food stamps and supplemental nutrition assistance program, there has really been so many attacks on the middle class that i've seen just in the last year that people are going to start wondering who has their back, and clearly democrats putting an agenda to raise the minimum wage, make sure we're extending unemployment benefits, to invest in the economy and create jobs. and the republicans want to take care of the special interests and most wealthy. that message just gets reinforced every time they turn down an idea like raising the minimum wage. >> but how aggressive, congressman, do you think the democrats ought to get with their messaging? they're doing this pr thing, trying to get, you know, the unemployment extension going in the new year. they've got no doubt about it, they want to make sure that the

minimum wage goes. but what if boehner doesn't do it? i mean, how tough are the democrats going to get? i mean, if boehner doesn't go along with it, and the republicans bad mouth it, isn't it up to the democrats to come up you with probably one of the most aggressive strategies ever? >> i agree with you, ed. absolutely. this is important to middle class families across the country. this is who we need to be fighting for. the special interests have plenty of lobbyists in washington. they're getting their way with the republican majority. we've got to fight for the average family. and one of the ways we do that is on unemployment extension and on raising that minimum wage. and i think the democrats should have a very aggressive messaging, not let up. just keep pushing that issue. because the more people see who is on their side and who only gives them a little bit of rhetoric but doesn't vote on their behalf, that's going to change the face of congress. >> okay. congressman mark pocan, great to have you with us tonight. appreciate your time on the program. thanks so much. still ahead, duck and cover.

a dynasty of hate reveals more hypocrisy within the republican party. plus, florida's cocaine congressman goes from rehab right into our pretenders tonight. but i'm taking your questions next. ask ed live is ahead here on "the ed show," on msnbc. we're right back.

where does the united states get most of its energy? is it africa? the middle east? canada? or the u.s.? the answer is... the u.s. ♪ most of america's energy comes from right here at home. take the energy quiz.

energy lives here. (voseeker of the sublime.ro. you can separate runway ridiculousness... from fashion that flies off the shelves. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. (natalie) ooooh, i like your style. (vo) so do we, business pro. so do we. go national. go like a pro. you stand behind what you say. there's a saying around here, around here you don't make excuses. you make commitments. and when you can't live up to them, you own up, and make it right. some people think the kind of accountability that thrives on so many streets in this country has gone missing in the places where it's needed most. but i know you'll still find it

when you know where to look. welcome back to "the ed show." we love hearing from reviewers. appreciate all the questions tonight. and "the ed show," our first question comes from aria haray. if you gave a republican a christmas present, what would it be? now, that's interesting. a republican? not a lawmaker, just a republican? el well, i think that phil robertson of "duck dynasty" has been in the news quite a bit lately. he sure talks and acts and looks like a republican. i would probably give him a book

on american black history. and ask him to read it. our next question comes from glen mcintosh. how did you manage to get such a beautiful wife? well, you know wendy and i didn't meet until we were in our late 30s. but you know what? that picture right there? you're right. she is absolutely beautiful. it certainly wasn't the football picture that i had in college that made it happen. and i'm glad that one still works for her. stick around. rapid response panel is next. we're right back. i'm dominic chu with your cnbc market wrap. the industrials gained 42 points to finish at another record. the s&p 500 added 8 points, also hitting a new high, and the nasdaq composite rose 46 points. the gdp report helped push stocks higher, showing the economy grew at the fastest pace in nearly two years. and one of today's big movers,

blackberry, its earnings report failed to impress investors. but the company's ceo says he expects profitability by the year 2016, and shares rose 15%. that's it from cnbc, first in business worldwide. i take prilosec otc each morning for my frequent heartburn.

because you can't beat zero heartburn. woo hoo! [ male announcer ] prilosec otc is the number one doctor recommended frequent heartburn medicine for 8 straight years. one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. hi boys! i've made you campbell's chunky new england clam chowder. wow! this is incredible! i know. and now it has more clams! [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. what? [ male announcer ] it fills you up right. [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. what?

let love shine. ♪ dazzling diamond gifts she'll adore starting at 199. zales is the diamond store.

and in pretenders tonight, the cocaine congressman, trey radel. after a four-week stint in rehab, the law breaker from congress claims he's back in action and will not resign from congress. >> i love what i do. and i'm going to return to what i do. what you sent me to do in washington, d.c. which is working for you and your family while i relish mine. and no one, no one will take

away my passion when it comes to serving southwest florida. >> nothing is going to take away his passion to serve south florida, except when cocaine did, of course. radel once voted for legislation that would have allowed states to make food stamp recipients take drug tests. according to trey radel, a failed drug test merits an empty plate for some and a get out of jail free card for others. radel isn't ready for a return. he's ready for retirement. if trey radel thinks he's fit for anything but probation, he can keep on pretending. stick with innovation. stick with power. stick with technology. get the new flexcare platinum from philips sonicare and save now. philips sonicare.

the energy in one gallon of gas is also enough to keep your smartphone running for how long? 30 days? 300 days? 3,000 days? the answer is... 3,000 days. because of gasoline's high energy density, your car doesn't have to carry as much fuel compared to other energy sources. take the energy quiz. energy lives here.

[ male announcer ] welcome back all the sweet things your family loves with 0-calorie monk fruit in the raw. ♪ welcome back [ male announcer ] it's made with the natural, vine-ripened sweetness of fruit, so you can serve up deliciously sweet treats without all the sugar. so let no drink go unsweetened. no spatula un-licked. and no last bit un-sipped. you don't have to throw a party,

but you'll probably feel like celebrating. raw natural sweetness, raw natural success. but you'll probably feel like celebrating. so when my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis them. was also on display, i'd had it. i finally had a serious talk with my dermatologist. this time, he prescribed humira-adalimumab. humira helps to clear the surface of my skin by actually working inside my body. in clinical trials, most adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma,

or other types of cancer have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. make the most of every moment. ask your dermatologist about humira, today. clearer skin is possible. welcome back to "the ed show." i guess it all started with a duck call. in the past 48 hours, more reaction is pouring in over the "duck dynasty" scandal. and it's a perfect example of double standards on their core principles of free speech and

the free market. the right wing noise machine is on full blast defense of "duck dynasty" star phil robertson. >> it's outrageous, unbelievable and people who believe -- first, i thank christians, but far beyond christians, people who believe in speech. i mean, there's nothing offensive about what phil robertson said. >> this is all about freedom. free speech. so many american families have spilled blood and treasure to guarantee phil robertson, and everybody else's right to voice their personal opinions. and once that freedom is lost, sean, everything is lost in our country. >> so express shock over his opinions now is bs. this is repressive tolerance, a fear of angry activists. if a & e had guts, they should have said, sorry, that's phil. >> this is a family that speaks its mind, and so if you don't like it, then don't watch the show. take care of it that way. reflect it in the ratings. >> "duck dynasty," we would be

proud to have you. >> and it just wasn't the talking heads. louisiana governor bobby jindal released a statement, saying that phil robertson and his family are great citizens of the state of louisiana. the politically correct crowd of tolerant of all -- is tolerant of all viewpoints. except those they disagree with. senator ted cruz also jumped into the ring, saying that if you believe free speech or religious liberty, you should be deeply dismayed over the treatment of phil robertson. i mean, this is just amazing to me. no one is infringing on phil robertson's first amendment rights. the government and the media aren't curbing his ability to express his opinions. or stopping him. phil robertson has every right to be a bigot. but phil robertson's employer has made a business decision in suspecting him. this is a free market at work, folks. this is capitalism at work. and the a & e network is a

private business, a business trying to protect its relationship with viewers and advertisers. suspending robertson. it just seems really strange that they don't understand the suspension. no one in the government, no one anywhere, is telling phil robertson he can't go out anywhere across america and say the exact same things tonight that he did in that interview to "gq" magazine. joining me now for our rapid response panel, goldie taylor of the grio.com. and also the ring of fire radio host, mike papantonio. great to have you with us tonight. i've got a lot of opinions on this. my talk show the last two days has been one call after another. pat, why are politicians even jumping into this dispute? ted cruz, who is always jumping in front of the parade. you've got bobby jindal, who has got a successful show in his own

backyard from a business standpoint, must feel compelled he has to defend the local folks. but, i mean -- newt gingrich out there comparing robertson to the pope. what's the political up side of this? >> well, they don't want to talk. they don't want to talk at all, if you really consider, ed, about the idea that we have an economy that's improving, has improved for the last 45 months. that we have millions enrolled in obamacare. they don't want to talk about positive things, like 45 consecutive months of job growth. so this is one of those black santa kind of moments when they would rather talk about daddy duck and say this is this poor, maligned character, and let's take our focus there. so we see this quite often. i mean, you know -- when they want to move away from issues that really matter to americans, they go to issues like this. it's no surprise. >> you know, no issue is certainly more important than the other. but goldie, i find it

interesting that the naacp has responded. but what this man said about african-americans and what they have gone through in this country, the life of the black people in this country before civil rights, i mean, i just find absolutely amazing. your response, as a black woman. i would like to know, isn't this just outrageous? >> i think it is truly outrageous. in fact, my ancestors were sold through ports in louisiana before they were shipped into their plantation. so i know a little bit about louisiana and its slave trade, as well as its post reconstruction era. and even today, louisiana itself has a very, very troubled history in terms of its racial heritage. but, you know, at the end of the day here, phil robertson isn't going to be jailed tonight. he isn't going to be beat, he isn't going to be shot. nothing bad is going to happen to him within the confines of a law tonight. and so his first amendment

rights are intact. his right of privacy is intact. his right of free press, his right of free speech, freedom of assembly, allin technicality tact, i encourage those people in the right wing to take another read. because this isn't about free speech. this is about free market capitalism, the very thing they trumpet on a day in and day out basis. a & e has the right to decide what product they want to bring to market, and in accordance with what audience they are after. and to say to a & e that you don't have the right to cut off phil is to go against those so-called free market principles they trumpet day in and day out. >> i want to play a clip of newt gingrich, praising phil robertson. here it is. >> ironically, if you read the whole interview, and not just take one section, he talks very specifically about loving everybody. he talks very specifically about not being judgmental towards anyone. that that's god's decision, not his. i mean, it is a remarkable --

there are sections where he sounds a lot like pope francis. >> what about that, mike papantonio? did you know that phil robertson sounds a lot like the pope? >> well, let me just tell you something. this is -- daddy duck here has run the gamut of hate talk. look, today he's attacking sexual orientation. the other day he's attacking 107 million japanese because he doesn't understand what sh shintoism is, he thinks it's naziism. before that, as you pointed out, he's attacking and saying that black louisiana farmers were just happy with the idea in how they lived during a time when their family and friends were being lynched from trees and buried in swamps. we get it. i understand. he makes millions pandering to the same crowd that believes that honey boo-boo and the damn gator man is high-brow television. but when he becomes this red neck philosopher, this theologian, preaching to us about old testament passages that supposedly tell us to hate

each other rather than to accept each other, he's moved from simply being an old moon bat tv oddity to something more akin to a lunatic fringe that only has a place on places like fox and friends or maybe glenn beck's new t it v show. daddy duck is the new talking point. daddy duck is what they call, they say he's a godly man. he's not the same god that jesus preached about, i can assure you of that. >> gop congressional candidate, ian bane took it a step further in an e-mail to supporters writing, in december of 1955, rosa parks took a stand against an unjust societal persecution of black people. and in december 2014, robertson took a stand against persecution of christians. goldie, what's your response to that? >> i had a very long conversation with a pastor friend of mine who happens to be incredibly conservative. and his words to me were, goldy, they are seeing this not through their christian hearts, but through their political minds.

that this has very little to do with the jesus christ you and i know. this has everything to do with tucking your bigotry into a bible and trying to hide it. the bigotry here, the pure hatred here, you know, is much bigger than any bible i think can hide. and so i think that i'm offended on a number of fronts. but i'm offended as a christian, first and foremost, that you would lay this out as some kind of religious tenent, that he would hide behind that, rather than the kind of, you know, compassion and love that this current pope has called us to be. >> yeah. goldie taylor, mike papantonio, great to have you with us on "the ed show." coming up, time is running out to sign up for full coverage under obamacare. we'll tell you about a real surge that's taken place. stay with us. we're right back on "the ed show." honestly, my kids are hard to impress... so i got the windows nokia tablet. it's, well, impressive. it's got the brightest hd screen, super-fast 4g lte,

so my son can play games and movies almost anywhere, and it's got office for school stuff. but the best part? i got the lumia 928 for my daughter for free, with the best low-light smartphone camera this side of the north pole. dad for the win. mm! mm! mm! ♪ honestly, i want to see you be brave ♪

hands for holding. feet, kicking. better things than the joint pain and swelling of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. if you're trying to manage your ra, now may be the time to ask about xeljanz. xeljanz (tofacitinib) is a small pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers have happened in patients taking xeljanz. don't start taking xeljanz if you have any kind of infection, unless ok with your doctor. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests, including certain liver tests, before you start and while you are taking xeljanz. tell your doctor if you have been to a region

where certain fungal infections are common and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, and if you are pregnant, or plan to be. taken twice daily, xeljanz can reduce the joint pain and swelling of moderate to severe ra, even without methotrexate. ask if xeljanz is right for you.

welcome back to "the ed show." this is the story for the folks who take a shower after work. americans have 78 hours to sign up for insurance plans created under the affordable care act. to get coverage starting on january 1st. fewer americans are losing insurance and more are signing up every day where the exchanges are. president obama addressed the growing enrollment just a short time ago at a press conference. >> more than half a million americans have enrolled through healthcare.gov in the first three weeks of december alone.

in california, for example, the state operating its own market place, more than 15,000 americans are enrolling every single day. and in the federal website, tens of thousands. >> the republican party is still trying to spin the negative sentiment out there about obama care. john boehner successfully enrolled himself just last month, but he's still denying it's a good thing for americans and for the country. >> the president's health care law continues to wreak havoc on american families, small businesses, and our economy. and it's not just a broken website. this bill is fundamentally flawed. >> despite the negativity from the republican party, states are seeing an uptick in demand. >> 13,000 people on monday. 19,000 people on tuesday. over 20,000 people on wednesday.

3,000 per day in kentucky. 2,000 per day in connecticut. people have options and they're taking advantage of them. >> it's all about the numbers, folks. many states are saying they're expecting to see the numbers grow through the weekend leading up to monday's deadline. joining me now is wendell potter, senior analyst for the public integrity and fellow and author of "obama care what's in it for me." good to have you with us tonight. >> thank you. >> this is quite a nice holiday story for the obama administration who have stuck with this all along. do you expect this surge in signups? >> i think we'll see the same thing on monday as well. i think we'll see by the end of the day on the 23rd that several million people will have signed up for coverage and will be,

many of them, newly insured. some of them for the first time in their lives or at least since they were children on january the 1st. >> well, it looks like the american people are having confidence that the website is fixed and it's working properly now. we're seeing states reporting success stories. why does boehner still stick to the talking point it's not any good? >> they're so invested in this. they started the fight against health care reform before it was first written. they called it a government takeover of health care from the very beginning. they've been spending millions of dollars on misinformation campaign. they're so invested in this they have to keep that perception going. i think we'll see that into next year, quite frankly. >> the department of health and human services made an announcement last night that people have the option of applying for a hardship

exception -- exemption. the main trade group issued a statement saying this. the latest rule change could cause significant instability in the market place and lead to further confusion and disruption for consumers. what do you make of this? >> i think that's nonsense. most of the people who got cancellation letters want to have coverage. they will be signing up. in fact, most of them already have signed up. my daughter was one of them who got one of those letters. and she got a letter from her insurance company just last week saying if she didn't pick a new plan, she'd be assigned to one. so she's got coverage. i bet a lot of insurance companies are doing that. the americans health insurance plans speaks for insurance companies and their ceos. not for the american people. that's a big difference. that's something the people need to keep in mind. >> industry groups in three of the states not expanding

medicaid basically have effectively given up until political conditions change. is this a big blow to obama care across the board? is there going to be a huge difference between these states as time moves on? >> there will be a very big difference in these states. there'll be such a big difference that i'm betting that this time next year we'll be seeing that most of the states that have not expanded their medicaid programs will do so for 2015. not only will their individual residents suffer, those in low and moderate income families, they are also going to see that hospitals and other caregivers will be suffering as a consequence. because they will not be getting the same amount from the government as the states do that are expanding the medicaid program. it's going to be a very different situation for people and hospitals in those states that are not expanding. >> and we should point out, mr. potter, that they're not done working on the website. i mean, this is a play in

motion, a constant upgrade of the i.t. capability as we go on. and finally, the attack on navigators. how much of a deterrent is that going to be? >> it's so sad that they're doing this. they're attacking people who are trying to help people enroll in coverage. it's just really despicable. but i think the navigators are really wanting to make sure that people are covered. it will go forward. >> okay. wendell potter, great to have you with us tonight. i appreciate your time here this evening. you've done great work on the health care act and informing people. i really appreciate you being accessible to our program. you've been a great resource. thanks a lot. >> my pleasure. thank you. >> you bet. there's been a lot of talk in the media about "duck dynasty." i've got an idea for a new show. come here, buddy. come on up here. come on. come on, buster. come on up here. i have an idea.

i think we should have a show called buck dynasty. i think buck should have his own show. he's a good looking 9-year-old lab. that's "the ed show." i'm ed shultz. "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpton starts right now. good evening, rev. >> thanks, ed. and thanks to you for tuning in. tonight's lead, the president vows a year of action. in his last news conference of the year, president obama spoke to reporters today for an hour. he was peppered with questions about the health care rollout. about the nsa. his polling numbers. what they called his worst year in office. it's fine, of course, for reporters to ask him anything they want. but what i found really surprising was all the questions

dealing with real people and their issues that were left out. not a single question about income inequality, about unemployment benefits, about food stamps, or the president's pardons this week of drug offenders surviving unconscionable long jail terms. so we begin tonight here in the real world with what matters to millions and millions of americans. today's strong number -- strong new numbers show a robust economic growth. we learned the economy grew 4.1% in the third quarter. it's the fastest pace in almost two years. and it's another sign that things are heading in the right direction. but too many of the