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tv   The Ed Show  MSNBC  January 31, 2014 2:00pm-3:01pm PST

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josh, it is a big moment for chris christie. we'll be waiting and watching developments as they happen. we have to leave it there. thanks for hanging with me, guys. that is all for now. i'll see you back here monday at 4:00 p.m. eastern. good evening, americans, and welcome to "the ed show" live. we start the show with breaking news tonight. there has been a major development in the chris christie bridgegate scandal. according to "the new york times," david wildstein is saying governor christie knew about the lane closures. the ex port authority appointee released a letter through his lawyer today describing the closures as the christie administration's order. the letter says evidence exists tying mr. christie to having knowledge of the lane closures during the period when the lanes
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were closed contrary to what the governor stated publicly in a two-hour press conference. the letter says mr. wildstein contests the accuracy of various statement it is governor made about him and can prove the inaccuracy of some. christie denied any knowledge of the lane closure. >> i'll say one last thing, just so we're really clear. i had no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or its execution, and i am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here. i had no knowledge of this, of the planning, the execution, or anything about it. i first found out about it after it was over. >> the very next day, january 10th, david wildstein, the
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appointee took the fifth in front of the state assembly legislative investigative committee. at this point, it appears it's wildstein's word against the governor's. msnbc we have reached out to governor christie's office for a response on the latest development and we are awaiting a response. joining me tonight, the host of "up." also with us is jonathan alter. you have done work on this from the start. your thoughts on this latest development. you just heard the sound byte. this is an accusation saying the governor knew about it. where does that take us tonight? >> it's a continuation from what we've been hearing from david
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wildstein for a week now. he gave back a very strategically redacted set of e-mails and text messages that was designed to raise all sorts of questions, to point the investigation into all sorts of different directions, and the possibility that he had a lot of answers to the questions that were raised. when he appeared before the assembly committee a few weeks ago, he didn't provide any testimony. he took the fifth. his attorney said he could provide more information if he was given immunity. the lawyer repeated that promise a week or two later. this is david wildstein writing to the port authority, but he's asserting things in this letter. it has also come to light that the person in the christie
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administration communicated the order that certain lanes on the bridge were to be closed. what bridget kelly was doing was following orders from somebody higher up in the christie administration. that is a contested assertion. he's asserting it as fact here. this thing really reads to me as a very strong attempt to communicate with the u.s. attorney to say, there are things i know and things i can prove and if you give me immusei immunity, i can provide those details. >> christie said he was hurt, disappointed, sad. what kind of legal jeopardy could he be in if wildstein is telling the truth? >> he could be in considerable legal jeopardy.
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there's no quibbling about the political jeopardy he would be in if this charge turns out to be true. not only would it end his presidential campaign, but it would possibly end his governorship if the law was that flat and that obvious and that public. but i think we need to be careful here, ed, not to jump to conclusions. there are many unanswered questions about this letter. it is almost on the order of fishing for something. fishing either for a deal from paul fishman, the u.s. attorney from new jersey, in which case raises the question why didn't he seek that deal in private? or fishing for indemnification, payment of his legal fees by the
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port authority of new york and new jersey. he wants to get the port authority to pay those legal fees. >> the letter said, evidence exists as well tying mr. christie to having knowledge of the lane closures. that goes totally opposite of what the governor said in his two-hour press conference. so based on what this letter says, we have a major discrepancy here between the two parties, which is not jumping to conclusions. >> that we've established. all i'm cautioning is there is a tendency when there's a bombshell like this to get too far ahead of where this is going. what this is indicating is that gentleman mr. wildstein, who chris christie threw under the bus in his press conference, is
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indicating he has more information. why didn't he release this in the past? why is he holding out for more? if he has such great stuff, why hasn't he already been granted immunity from prosecution? >> it would seem that the governor would step back out and reiterate his position on this. if evidence exists, there's no gray area here. your thoughts. >> why he wouldn't have come out sooner, he made it clear, or his lawyer made it clear when his lawyer said he would have much more to say if you were to give immunity. there are a lot of potential sources of information out there for the u.s. attorney's office. there are a lot of potential people out there who could be valuable to the u.s. attorney's office whether it is david
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wildstein or bridget kelly. doesn't look like bill stepien is a likely candidate for that anymore. there are a lot of people who potentially could be value to the u.s. attorney's office. it may be they're not at the point right now to start giving out immunity. >> that's a very important point. it might be fishman, the u.s. attorney, wants both wildstein and higher-ups. why give wildstein totally immunity, when he might be able to have his cake and eat it too? >> go ahead. >> well, as far as bridget kelly is concerned, it would seem to me this would change the legal dynamic with other people who are allegedly involved in this who have lawyered up, steve. >> that's right. there's three principal players
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at this point who could say something really revealing about christie. you have wildstein, who is saying it here. there was an order higher up from the christie administration about closing those lanes. he's also by offering himself to do that with immunity. you have bill stepien, the former campaign manager for chris christie, who is taking a different tact today. he is not going to be providing any documents they've subpoenaed. he's not going to be testifying for them or anything. he seems to be preparing for a trial. the wild card in this as you say is bridget kelly. her strategy has shifted dramatically in the last week. her first lawyer was very close to chris christie and chris
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christie world. after a week of representing bridget kelly, he decided he was off the case. she's no longer represented by him. she's represented by one of the top defense attorneys in new jersey now. originally it was about let's see if we can protect ourself without doing anymore damage to chris christie. now it is a "i want to save myself" move. >> a larger point people should keep in mind is the wheels of justice grind slowly. what today indicates is that this story is not going away, not for a long time. once it gets enmeshed in this legal machinery, it will dog chris christie for many months to come. >> this will force the hand of
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others involved in this legally. according to "the new york times," david wildstein is saying governor christie knew about the lane closures and he can prove it. i want to play a clip of chris christie talking about wildstein in his january 9th press conference. here it is. >> and how do i feel about david now? listen, what i read yesterday makes me angry. that's the one bit of anger i felt. that language and that callous indifference in those e-mails from david yesterday are just over the top and outrageous. it should have never ever ever have been written or uttered by somebody with a position of responsibility like that those sentiments. >> we can only be curious about what kind of evidence and what kind of proving mr. wildstein can do.
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is it phone records? is it an e-mail chain? is it a text message? it takes us back to the original story that broke on this about the "got it." when talking about we need some traffic problems at the bridge and got it. this story today matched up with the first story that broke on this. certainly i think the public may be drawing some conclusions here. it looks not good at this point. this is a big development as i see it. if this man is coming forward through an attorney saying he can prove some things and a clear denial by the governor and also characterizing his wildstein relationship, which he was distancing himself from wildstein there, i think the plot really thickens here. why would he take the fifth if he didn't have legal jeopardy? that too is a big part of it. >> the other thing to keep in
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mind here is we talk about david wildstein and chris christie as they did go to high school together in the same town. they were in high school for some of the same years. it is a mistake talking about they were old friends. i bet chris christie this past however many weeks has been kicking himself for the decision to send david wildstein to the port authority in 2010. the reason that happened was because wildstein was close to bill baroni. he was close to chris christie and was his pick to be the new jersey point man at the port authority. there was not a long-term close political partnership, political alliance between davthe two of
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them. as a matter of fact, when the web sisite that i worked for, w wildstein sold that website to a family, he sold it to a family who was the sworn enemy of chris christie. this is not -- wildstein would have never been at the port authority. when this whole thing started to break, i was telling people wildstein is the one to watch here. a lot of people have a lot of loyalty to him. >> a character point about david wildstein that people need to keep in mind when they assess his creditability. this is a man who at 6:00 a.m. on september 13th went to the george washington bridge for what purpose? to make sure that the traffic was snarled. that is some sort of civic
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depravity. sort of sick public act. we need to keep that in mind when we assess the charges that he made today. >> as we said previous in this broadcast that we have reached out to governor christie's office for a response to this story, we have yet to hear back. if we do, we'll bring it to you here on msnbc. mr. wildstein contests the accuracy of various statements the governor made about him and he can prove the inaccuracy of some. thanks for your time tonight. we'll stay on this story as we have here on msnbc. we'll bring you more on the chris christie national spotlight on new jersey ahead of this weekend's super bowl. stay tuned. we're right back. n' the menu. mayo? corn dogs? you are so outta here! aah! [ female announcer ] the complete balanced nutrition of great-tasting ensure.
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we're continuing to follow the breaking news in the new jersey bridge story. david wildstein now says the governor knew about the lane closures when they were happening. we're still awaiting a response from the christie administration. first, here are today's top trenders voted on by you. >> it's immature toilet humor. >> the number three trender, super bowl potty. >> california's drought has the governor calling for commode conservation.
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>> don't flush more than you have to. >> if it is yellow, let it mellow. >> we need water. the first source is to not waste it. the number two trender, ready to run. >> henry waxman has represented his l.a. area district for 20 terms in congress. >> sandra flut has announced she's considering a run for congress. >> i'm flattered that i'm being discussed as a potential candidate. i'll be making my decision soon. today's top trender, running interference. >> what the hell did you think i was talking about? >> americans are losing trust in
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chris christie. >> you figured he played in jersey long enough to get the way it works on that side of the river. >> we're ready for sunday. i believe denver is going to win the game. i believe it is going to be a close game and a good game. >> in 2016, i plan to run for president of the super bowl selection committee. joining me now is john fugel. great to have you with us tonight. this is a real twist. would you say on the stump in front of a crowd that chris christie needs a big super bowl probably more than anybody else with this friday information? >> i certainly think he does. the people of jersey need one after getting their pensions slashed. this was chris christie big
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debutante party and it's not turning out the way he planned. we're seeing it as the "spinal tap" drummer of government jobs. >> what does wildstein's claims mean for chris christie during the super bowl? >> chris christie is going to buy me a boat this year. it is kind of funny this is all happening. a chilly high school reunion for these two sometime in the future. the governor called in to a sports show in philly about the super bowl and then showed up for a roast in new york city the other night. i'm looking forward to chris christie's roast. it won't be funny because
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everybody will be speaking under oath. >> more americans viewed him negatively than they did before bridgegate. is his brand too damaged? is the christie brand, the style, too damaged at this point for him to turn things around with or without today's news? >> i'm in the minority. i actually don't think he's necessarily done. if wildstein's claims are true, he's finished in politics forever. americans love to forgive public figures if they're popular enough, looking to you chris brown. his big menace is not hillary clinton. it is the fact that the tea party despises him.
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the sick irony will be if he dodges this bullet, he can hold himself up as a hero of the liberal media. and worse case scenario, i think the tea party will say he's a guy who hates new york, killed the hudson river tunnel project, and really abuses authority. i think i like him now. trust me the tea party is who he is really looking at. >> when he's in a crowd, if the people like him and he likes them, he's a good natured bubbly kind of guy. we have seen him this week promoting the super bowl and out talking about it. does this rehab the image? no doubt it gets people's minds off of whatever kind of trouble he's in. he can't be all that bad. what do you think? >> i think you're exactly right,
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ed. chris christie tried to remind us of why people liked him as a figure in the first place by being that guy next door, by being that gregarious fellow. if i was someone whose home was damaged by sandy, i know if i'd be as warm to him as i was a month ago. he's a dynamic public speaker. a better one that secreta-- tha secretary clinton. i do think chris christie can survive this. >> david wildstein is saying governor christie knew about the lane closures. the ex port authority appointee released a letter through his attorney today describing the closures as the christie administration's order.
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this gentleman also took the fifth. the letter says evidence exists. that's pretty direct language. this would really, i would think, prompt a legal response from the governor at this point that would certainly trump the super bowl when it comes to people putting their eye on big news in new jersey. >> just remember, he's not done until he has a "d" after his name on fox news. >> good to have you with us tonight. the president rallies to get long-term unemployed back to work fast. next, i'm taking your questions. ask ed live is just ahead. stay tuned.
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welcome back to "the ed show." tonight our first question comes from tom. he wants to know what are your super bowl plans? first of all, i can't stand pregame shows. i've never been a big pregame show kind of guy. it started probably on friday night, doesn't it? i'll probably miss all of that. i'm going to go ice fishing before the kickoff for a couple of hours. i hope we can pull some croppies out of big detroit. there's going to be a big pot of chili that i'm working up. we do it every year. it'll be fantastic. it's going to be a fun game. our next question is from sean smith. broncos or seahawks? i'm rooting for the seahawks, but i think the broncos are going to win. i'm not terribly emotionally
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involved in this super bowl. but peyton manning has had such an extraordinary year. the seahawks can make big plays and their defense hangs in there. i'm rooting for the seahawks, but i think the broncos are going to win. how is that for politicking. there's a lot more coming up on "the ed show". stick around. the dow ends off session lows, down 149 points. the nasdaq loses 19. a slew of disappointing earnings from chevron and mattel. consumer index slipped this month as markets fell. that's it from cnbc. first in business worldwide.
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getting people back on the job faster is one of our top priorities. >> for our coast to coast pep rally. >> we're stronger when america fields a full team. we can give them that shot. >> if we don't come together, it's over. >> do not screen people out of the hiring process just because they've been out of work for a long time. >> this is an illusion. >> great moments are born from great opportunity. >> where are the jobs? >> i'll ask you one last time. >> i've been asking ceos to give workers a fair shot at new jobs.
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congress made that harder by letting unemployment insurance expire for more than a million people. >> we're not just the opposition party. >> america does not stand still and neither will i. >> welcome back to "the ed show." president obama has made it very clear. he wants to raise the minimum wage and extend unemployment benefits. now he's taken matters into his own hands. president obama held an unemployment event at the white house and called out republicans for letting unemployment insurance expire. >> getting people back on the job faster is one of our top priorities, but i have to confess last congress made that harder by letting unemployment insurance expire for more than a million people and each week roughly 72,000 americans will join the ranks of the long-term
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unemployed. >> the long-term unemployed are in a really tough spot right now in this economy. there's a new study out that shows if you are out of work for eight months or longer, you're 45% less likely to get a job. that's a downer. employers are flat out discriminating against the long-term unemployed in this kun country and the president is taking action to fix this without the help of congress. president obama urged these business owners to give long-term unemployed americans a fair shot. the company's included visa, ebay, boeing, yahoo, twitter, google, and facebook among others. they signed a white house pledge to promote policies that give the long-term unemployed in a fair shot in the workplace.
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this is the right thing for these companies to do. just because you've been unemployed for a certain amount of time, doesn't mean you're not qualified for the job. >> statistically the long-term unemployed are often times slightly better educated, in some cases better qualified than folks who just lost their job. just because you've been out of work for a while does not mean you're not a hard working. >> president obama is directing the federal government to take action. he signed a federal commitment to help the long-term unemployed. he said government must lead by example 37. >> it's only right that the federal government lead by example. i'm making sure we're evaluating candidates on the level without regard to employment history. every job applicant deserves a fair shot.
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>> he plans to announce $150 million in federal grants for those organizations that help the long-term unemployed find work. now he's delivering action right on. republicans blocked an unemployment extension and have turned their back on the long-term unemployed. president obama is doing the right thing by doing everything in his power to help those americans while congress sits and does nothing. the republican congress in the house. for more, let's bring in the congressman of colorado, who is a businessman. who is the founder of proflowers. i wanted you on the air tonight because you're a guy who has met payroll. you're a guy who has dealt with employees and wages. this is a very interesting strategy by the president. instead of being heavy handed about it with the congress, he's going to the resource. he's going to the job creators.
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what do you think of this strategy and can it work? >> first, we appreciate your confidence if not your support for the upcoming game. this is the kind of leadership businesses react well to. many small and mid size companies don't have the ability to put together a thoughtful approach to personnel to make sure they get the best person for the job. the president is saying, look, in your advertising and interview process here are some practices that you as an option can adopt to make sure the long-term unemployed get fair consideration so you as the employer can hire the best person for the job. it just makes sense. >> it seems to me the president is exhausting every angle to bring wages up in this country. do you think this pledge to give a closer look and not discriminate against the long-term unemployed is going to have an impact on their lives?
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>> well, yes. the answer has never before just renew unemployment insurance. we need to do that out of compassion. we're talking about people who could lose their homes and their livelihoods. the real answer is let's find a way they can get back to work and support their families. let's make sure the fact they've been out of work for two or three years doesn't prevent them from getting a job as it does in many cases. >> there are roughly 4 million americans still unemployed right now who have been out of work for 27 weeks or longer. when you get under 27 weeks, it's roughly 2 million americans. how big a problem is this as you see it? >> it's a big problem, and i've run companies. when you're an hr person in a company, there's too much of a temptation to say, look, somebody who's been out of work a year or two, we've got enough
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resumes, we're going to put theirs at the bottom. there must be something wrong with them. that's not always the case. it takes courage from the president to stand up and say that's not the case. >> what are you hearing from republicans on unemployment extension? is that a dead issue with them? >> you know, we need to keep pounding it, pounding it, pounding it. they seem to think people are lazy and don't want work. that's far from the truth. people's livelihoods and their families and rent depend on this. >> what are you hearing from the unemployed in your state and district in colorado? >> i think the same things you're hearing across the country. they want a job, first and foremost, they're not looking for a handout. they're not looking for government help. they want a job. president obama is leading the
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way by making sure they get a fair interview process. they can go back and get skills or try and get a different job. if they have the skills, they ought to have the chance to excel and show what they can do and not be discriminated against just because they've been out of work. >> good luck to your broncos. i do think you're going win the game. i think peyton manning has had an extraordinary year. if he's half as good on sunday as he's been all year, the seahawks could be in real trouble. >> thanks for your confidence, ed. >> we'll be right back. whenever, run upstairs, get cleaned up for dinner. you leave the house in good shape? yea. yea, of course. ♪ [ sportscaster talking on tv ] last-second field go-- yea, sure ya did. [ male announcer ] introducing at&t digital life. personalized home security and automation.
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all along. in a letter, christie appointee david wildstein said, evidence exists tying mr. christie to the lane closures. the letter does not indicate that the governor ordered the closures. we have reached out to the christie administration. we're expecting response shortly. david wildstein is saying that governor christie knew about the lane closures. he released a letter through his attorney today describing the closures as the christie administration's order. the letter said evidence exists as well as tying mr. christie to having knowledge of the lane closures during the period when the lanes were closed, contrary to what christie stated publicly in a two-hour press conference. we'll have more on this story. stay with us.
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more coming up on "the ed show." ? no. he went out for milk last week and came back with a puppy. hold it. hold it. hold it. at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. get the it card with late payment forgiveness. open to innovation. open to ambition. open to bold ideas. that's why new york has a new plan -- dozens of tax free zones all across the state. move here, expand here, or start a new business here and pay no taxes for ten years... we're new york. if there's something that creates more jobs, and grows more businesses... we're open to it. start a tax-free business at startup-ny.com.
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it's time now for your friday punchout. here at "the ed show," we never quit working for you. so follow us through the weekend on twitter at "ed show." now here is a look at what we're working on for you. next week in fast forward. coming in at number three, groundhog day. >> we're anxious to help him create jobs, but we're not going to go over and endorse more
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spending, more debt, more taxes and more regulation. turkey, the ground hog. >> i always drink to world peace. >> if congress sees its schott shad don't go away, we'll have six more weeks of inaction. >> to work with congress where he can and to bypass congress where necessary. >> come on, make it fun! >> fast forward to number two. football fever. >> we're proud to be the host. >> on sunday, jersey hosts the big game. >> the super bowl is in new jersey. >> that's a lovely accent you have. new jersey? >> and our number one story to watch, a league of their own. >> what can i do for you? >> for the first time in the history of college sports, student athletes are talking about organizing. >> show me the money. >> this has never been done before. why do the northwestern players want union representation? >> it's about basic protections that we're not receiving right now. >> the northwestern university football team leads a fight to unionize college sports. >> show me the money!
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>> top tier college football teams are worth hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, and many coaches are paid multimillion-dollar salaries. >> at least 26 of northwestern's 85 scholarship players had to sign the petition. >> right now we just want a seat at the table. we want somebody who is going to be looking out for us and representing us. >> lee joe gerard, president of the united steel workers international joins us tonight. mr. gerard, thanks for your time. i want you to, if we can, leo, explain exactly the steelworkers' involvement here. i understand that you're not looking for due -- due-paying members. you're looking out for the athletes to give them support to organize this. or is that mischaracterized? >> no, that's the right characterization, ed. and, in fact, we've been working with remogi huma and the athletes association now for over ten years as he tried to bring change to the ncaa.
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and each time that he would make some progress, the ncaa would try to put some additional roadblock in front of them. and just last summer, the leadership of northwestern's football team, the wildcats, contacted remogi and said they wanted to try and bring this to a head because they've heard and seen how many of the college athletes get treated. whether it's inadequate health care, whether it's being asked to put in 40, 50 hours a week in practice and play and having to sacrifice their education, whether it's a game being put into circumstances where their so-called voluntary practices, but if you don't show up, you don't play. there was all these kinds of things. and they went to their team. and i can say based on the comment that you made that the overwhelming majority, virtually almost unanimous, the northwestern team decided that
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they want to try and break the mold at ncaa and ask to be represented so they can have a voice in what happens at the ncaa. >> well, you know, these students athletes produce billions of dollars for schools, which pay for a lot of things on campus, across campus, a lot of different activities. but there are safety issues in future medical care treatment issues that come into play here. these athletes aren't covered if they are injured. is that correct? >> that's absolutely correct. and, ed, let me just say that in a lawsuit brought against the ncaa over some very terrible accidents and concussions that took place, the ncaa in a court proceeding said they have no legal duty to protect the health of their, quote, student athletes. and if you take that apart, the ncaa doesn't represent the players. the ncaa represents the schools. and the schools sit there and they make decisions about how the players will live, how they
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will eat, what they can do, how much they can earn. and in reality, the average student athlete, the college athlete is short on average between $3,000 and $5,000 for their costs of their tuition. even if they're on a scholarship. >> even if they're on a scholarship, it costs them a lot of money to go to school, a lot of time and effort goes into the activity, which creates hundreds of millions of dollarses for the university. now, we're not talking about every athletic program this the country. but there is that upper tier of major college football and basketball which of course produces a great deal of money. now back in the day when i was going to school, we got $15 a month for laundry money. these athletes today can't get anything. so what fixes this, leo? what fixes this? >> well, i think what fixes this is through the organization that we have helped create, the college athlete players association, they get a chance to sit at the table. they're not looking to get paid in sort of the traditional way.
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they're looking to get full scholarships. most people don't realize that the scholarships generally are given for one year. so if you blow out your knee in the first year, you don't have a scholarship in the second year. most of the people don't know that lots of the student athletes, the college athletes, they don't get enough stipend to be able to actually have food. one of the things that brought remogi into this debate is one of his best friends' college teammates got two bags of groceries given to him because someone heard he wasn't able to generate enough revenue to feed himself and they took away the scholarship. yet, you can see a coach who gets hi salary bought out for $5 million, gets a new salary for $5 million and can still do shoe commercials or car commercials. so these college athletes want a voice at the table first of all to take care of their education, secondly to take care of their health. and as you said, if they get an injury that is going to last beyond the season, they've got to have health care. if some of the injuries are
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life-changing health care is needed for them. >> they are working for the university there is no question about that. any time you generate that kind of money, believe me, it's work. and it's time and effort on their part, and they're there obviously with a talent. this is just how the system works and it's how it's evolved. it's time for the universities to catch up with the players. >> ed, it's play for pay. they might not pay them in a traditional paycheck, but they recruit them based on their talent, and they pay them and pay them through stipend, pay them through scholarship. and they don't pay them through enough health protection. and that's one of the things that is drive, this and they want an education. thinking will definitely grow. leo gerard, thank you for your time tonight. i appreciate you being on "the ed show." thank you so much. we just received a response from governor christie's office about the allegations he knew about the george washington bridge closures. it reads in part mr. wildstein's lawyer confirms with the governor has said all along. he had absolutely no prior
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knowledge of the lane closures before they happened and whatever mr. wildstein's motivations were for closing them to begin with. for the full statement, you can go to our website at ed.msnbc.com. that's "the ed show." i'm ed schultz. "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpton starts right now. good evening, rev. >> good evening, ed. and thanks to you for tuning in. a chris christie investigation bombshell. the port authority official who carried out the september lane closings to the washington bridge claims governor christie knew of the closings, knew of the lane closings as they were happening. the claim directly contradicts governor christie's own story. it comes from david wildstein, the man who replied "got it" after receiving that now infamous e-mail time