the day they're settlement was annoyance ea announced, the lawyer said, hopefully it will be inspire others to come forward. for demanding justice, you are our champs. i'll see you back here tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. eastern. "the ed show" is up next. good evening, americans and welcome to "the ed show live" from detroit. let's get to work. >> let me clear something up about my childhood friend david wildstein. >> the appointee is david wildstein. >> we didn't travel the same circles in high school. >> he was distancing himself

from wildstein there. >> wildstein, who was appointed by christie. >> david and i were not friends in high school. >> we were not even acquaintances in high school. >> she doesn't even go here. >> i was the vice president and athlete. i don't know what david was doing. >> i assert my right to remain silent. >> why would he take the fifth if he didn't have legal jeopardy? >> i don't know. >> the first signal that the governor of new jersey may have been aware of the lane closures. >> i'm not finished yet, guys. >> good to have you with us tonight, folks. thanks for watching. new developments in the bridgegate scandal with put the republican governor in a tough spot. new jersey democrats are expecting subpoena information today that would shed light on

what the governor knew. if we learn anything in this hour, we'll bring it to you and bring you the latest. on friday, david wildstein released a letter claiming the lane closures were the christie administration's order. he also claims evidence exists as well as tying mr. christie to having knowledge of the lane closures during the period the lanes were closed, contrary to what the governor stated in a two-hour press conference. no proof has come to light that christie knew of the lane closures. here's what the governor said on january 9th. >> 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, the

planning, the execution, or anything about it. i first found out about it after it was over. >> this came right as new jersey was preparing to host the super bowl. this could have been a huge platform for christie. the governor was booed twice at presuper bowl events. >> governor chris christie. governor. >> good afternoon, everybody. >> it's not just football fans who are upset the governor. "the star ledger" called for christie to be impeached in the accusations are true. i think the pressure must be getting to christie after wildstein's lawyer released the letter. christie also claimed he had no

knowledge of the closures. this weekend, christie took his defense a step further. christie's office decided to attack david wildstein's high school record. they're going back roughly 37 years. they released an e-mail with the following claims in it. as a 16-year-old kid, wildstein sued over a school board election. he was accused by a high school teacher of deceptive behavior. he was a controversial mayor, an anonymous blogger. who had a habit of addressing web addresses in other peoples' names. if all this is true, why did his administration give the stamp of approval for him to be hired to the port authority in the first place? i think christie is running scared. his republican buddies are

running to the tv camera. >> this is a lawyer who is writing for a man who wants somebody else to pay his legal bills and he can't get them paid unless the governor is responsible and he's a guy who is seeking immunity. first of all, it's not evidence. it's the suggestion, the tantalizing suggestion, that there may be evidence. there's two credibility issues. i think the governor knows the consequences. if he's lying, it's a bad situation. if he's not lying, something unfair is being done to him. >> in the letter that was written by wildstein's attorney says, evidence exists. now i take that as an absolute. that's not speculation. this attorney is putting his credibility and his professional career on the line saying that evidence exists, but it keeps mounting in christie's favor. paul ryan is also coming to

christie's defense. >> i consider chris christie a friend. i think he's been a fantastic governor. all we know is one person's word against another. you can't base any conclusion on such a thing. unless something else is known or made clear, i don't see why you would change anything that's going on right now. you always give a person the benefit of the doubt in those situations in my opinion. >> as far as 2016 is concerned for christie, he's not backing down. he's still looking to the future. he still plans on speaking next month at cpac in washington. evidence exists, that's what the letter said. this isn't speculation. this is what they believe. are they looking to cut a deal?

they probably are. get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think. tonight's question -- if the allegations are true, should chris christie be impeached? text a for yes. text b for no. we'll bring you the results later on in the show. let me bring in my guests. thanks for your time tonight. michael, let's start with you. i understand there is a new development in dealing with chris christie's campaign, that they're going to ask for funds to cover the costs of the investigations -- and they have to get approval through the new jersey election commission. why are they doing this and how complicated is this going to be, michael? >> right. first of all, it's hundreds of thousands of dollars is the estimate of the cost of co complying with the subpoenas with the u.s. attorney's office

and the state legislature. they have to retrieve all the documents. they have to hire an outside vendor, a computer forensics firm, to copy the hard drives on everybody's computer and smartphones and cell phones. there's a big wash in the law firm that's been hired to represent the committee. under new jersey law, candidates, office holders, are not permitted to use campaign funds to pay the costs of criminal investigations. this is somewhat a novel situation i'm told because christie himself has not been subpoena subpoenaed. it's the campaign committee. if chris christie was hoping to be raising money right now or in

the near future for a future campaign, his campaign is going to have to be raising money to pay for this investigation. it underscores how much of a distraction this has been for the governor. >> if someone on his committee is innocent, here's my computer, here you can have it, why is it costing so much money to comply with subpoenas? all it is is turning over information. >> there are 20 to 30 employees on the campaign committee. they all have computers and smartphones. these things are costly. in commercial litigation, you have to be thorough and complete. they can't afford to have missed

something and not have it turned over and then be shown that they didn't fully comply with the subpoena. the cost estimates may be reasonable, but one of the things that's important here is, look, we were expecting these subpoenas. they were supposed to be returned by 5:00 p.m. today. that campaign committee has granted a three-week extension while the new jersey election commission considers this request. we may not get the answers to these very critical questions for quite sometime. >> yeah. >> and then remember, we've got the problem of are we going to get any live testimony? bill stepien, who is a key player in this and was the campaign manager, his lawyer on friday said he's going to take the fifth and he's not going to turn over any of the documents either because they're going to

assert those documents are in violation of his fifth amendment rights. this could go on for quite some time and getting the answers to these questions, it's not at all clear the committee is going to be getting them anytime soon. >> what's your reaction to chris christie attacking david wildstein's high school record? what does that tell you, if anything? >> i thought that was an interesting response to this situation. that all goes to the point that the select committee, the legislative select committee that's in place to find out the truth is so important, because the people of new jersey and ft. lee and america want to know what happened, who knew what when, and all the other facts involved in this case. going back to wildstein's high school record, that's

irrelevant. the people want to know the facts about the traffic chaos that occurred in ft. lee and why. >> michael, what about the letter that was written from wildstein's attorney saying that evidence exists? i mean, that's a pretty direct statement. i mean, this attorney is throwing his reputation and law firm out on the line as well. he must know something. evidence exists, that's an absolute. >> well, i'm not so sure how absolute it is because it doesn't tell us what this evidence is, what he's talking about, whether david wildstein has seen this evidence or just heard of the evidence. i think there's so many questions in the wording of that letter that it's really hard to know what to make of it other than david wildstein clearly would seem to want some sort of

immunity deal. i'm not so sure that writing that letter was the best way to get an immunity deal from the u.s. attorney. they're going to want to know exactly what david wildstein has to say. they're going to want to see what this evidence is before they grant him immunity from criminal prosecution. that was a bargaining movement by the lawyer in the public arena. until we see the documents, until we see exactly what wildstein's talking about and what's on the e-mails and text messages from bridget kelly and bill stepien, it is very difficult to know what to make of this. >> all right. mr. johnson, what about a possible impeachment if these allegations are true? largest newspaper in new jersey has come out and said impeachment would be in order. do you agree with that? >> i believe i'll have to go

with wisniewski and the senate cochairs of this investigative committee and the advice of the legal advisor of the committee. once this committee comes to a conclusion as to what happened, at that time we should determine if the impeachment word should be used. it's a credibility problem for the governor right now. the people i talk to in my district think he knew what happened and was aware of it. he is innocent until proven guilty, but he has to come out through this investigation and come out on the other side of this other thing clean. go ahead. >> gordon, what's your response to the crowd booing chris christie? who would have thought that a year ago. >> timing is everything and times have changed.

>> no doubt. thanks for your time tonight here on "the ed show." remember to answer tonight's question there at the bottom of the screen. we want to know what you think. coming up, a super bowl commercial scores a touchdown for american made products. i was cheering. still ahead, fiery explosions caused by train derailments carrying oil should be enough to convince skeptics about the keystone xl pipeline. i say, build the pipeline. stay with us. it's our job to make sure that it does. using natural gas this power plant can produce enough energy for about 600,000 homes. generating electricity that's cleaner and reliable, with fewer emissions--

it matters. ♪ you want everything.orks an expert ford technician knows your car's health depends on a full, complete checkup. the works. because when it comes to feeling safe behind the wheel, going the distance and saving at the pump you want it all. get our multi-point inspection with a a synthetic blend oil change, tire rotation, brake inspection and more for $29.95 or less. get a complete vehicle checkup. only at your ford dealer.

and this park is the inside of your body. see, the special psyllium fiber in metamucil actually gels to trap some carbs to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. metamucil. 3 amazing benefits

in 1 super fiber. lovely read susan. may i read something? yes, please. of course. a rich, never bitter taste cup after cup. 340 grams. [ sighs ] [ male announcer ] always rich, never bitter. gevalia. never bitter. olet's say you pay your tguy around 2 percent to manage your money. that's not much, you think except it's 2 percent every year. does that make a difference? search "cost of financial advisors" ouch! over time it really adds up. then go to e*trade and find out how much our advice costs. spoiler alert. it's low. really? yes, really. e*trade offers investment advice and guidance from dedicated professional financial consultants. it's guidance on your terms not ours that's how our system works. e*trade. less for us, more for you. time now for the trenders. the social media nation has

decided. here are today's top trenders voted on by you. >> the number three trender, seahaw seahawks soar. >> peyton manning facing russell wilson. >> seattle swamps denver at the meadowla meadowland. >> the denver broncos. >> winning 43-8. defeating the denver broncos in an absolute blowout. the number two trender, pup rally. >> the other big game. >> it's game time. >> let the puppy bowl begin. >> if your team didn't make the big game, you can still root for these competitors. >> dog lovers howled for the

action-packed puppy bowl. >> more than four touchdowns. a puppy bowl record. and today's top trender, ad blitz. >> you want a loan to build a factory in america? you can't do that. >> you want to hire workers here in the states? they're too expensive. you can't do that. >> don't tell me what i can't do. >> weathertech.com, proudly made in america. >> it touts its american root. >> the exporting of american jobs is a trend that must be stopped and reversed. >> we hire american workers. >> life is simple. be good to your fellow man. beki be kind to animals and the environment. >> joining me tonight, the president of the united steel

workers international. mr. gerard, this is a story that the president has somewhat been touting. he's been talking about american manufacturing here in a country where to bring these jobs back to america, this is the incentive. they want to put insentives on the table for companies to do this. what is your reaction to this weathertech ad? you can make something here and you can make money and i've got 1,000 employees. what do you make of this? >> i thought it was a terrific ad. he talked about getting raw material and making and hiring american workers and being able to sell his product here. he didn't talk about where he came from. he originally wasn't making the product here. then he decided he could make that product here and create real jobs here. this was a terrific add as was

t -- ad as was the ad with bob dillon. we can reenergize the american industrial base. i was thrilled by those ads last night. >> i was too. weather tech's owner, he's an american hero. he chose to insource jobs. he felt like he could get a better product with american technology, american workers, and american material. what's keeping other companies from doing the same thing? obviously, this guy makes a living. he must be doing well. he spent $4 million on a tv ad for 30 seconds of the super bowl. he has us talking about it and

other media talking about it. what's it going to take to get other companies to do this? >> if you look at the history of these trade deals going back to nafta, it's continuously lack of enforcement, low wages, ability to have as they call it environmental freedom. if you do that in mexico -- if you look at what's happening in china, they manipulate currency. they have lured a number of companies there. we saw what happened with cooper tire. the partner in china refused to let them have their product. we need to take away the incentives that give the companies incentives to move

offshore. america has accumulated since nafta $11 trillion of trade deficits. if trade deficits were so good, why doesn't germany want one or france or india or china? we need to take away the incentives. the guy from weather tech proved it can be done. we have to bring those jobs done and bring people back to work and stimulate the economy. >> here's what david mcneal had to say about outsourcing. they have been forced to build factories overseas to save 50 cents on a tape measure. to these ruthless buyers, it's all about the money. we're about human rights, animal rights, and environmental costs to the planet.

not to mention the cost of exporting jobs, but an entire factory. >> this guy is a patriot. that's what he is. he's made a good living in america and he realizes what it means and the president talked about this in his state of the union address about citizenship and how the citizenry is stepping up in the business community. a new poll shows 60% of americans think that we should be tough when it comes to trade policies with china and japan to stop unfair trade practices. i hope this gives pause to proponents of the tpp. that this attitude wakes up a lot of people across america. your thoughts. >> it's right on. one of the things he said in there and it moves off pretty fast is large corporations. walmart goes to china, gets the

lowest price for a product, comes back and tells american manufacturers if you can't beat the china price, we'll buy from china. they drive us down to a low-wage economy, or they drive them to chi china. this person from weather tech, he hit the nail on the head. those are the issues. we have a congress that's maybe starting to open its eyes to these bad trade deals. more than 85% of the population that we polled regardless of age, income, party status, they all believe that we need to bring jobs back to america. >> no doubt. great to have you with us. still ahead, a report from the state department opens the way to approval for the keystone

xl pipeline, but environmental groups are still against it. i'll speak the executive director of the sierra club. next, i'm taking your questions. stay with us. we're right back. [ female announcer ] who are we? we are the thinkers. the job jugglers. the up all-nighters. and the ones who turn ideas into action. we've made our passions our life's work.

we strive for the moments where we can say, "i did it!" ♪ we are entrepreneurs who started it all... with a signature. legalzoom has helped start over 1 million businesses, turning dreamers into business owners. and we're here to help start yours. try zyrtec-d® to powerfully clear your blocked nose and relieve your other allergy symptoms... so you can breathe easier all day. zyrtec-d®. find it at the pharmacy counter.

zyrtec-d®. and it feels like your lifeate revolves around your symptoms, ask your gastroenterologist about humira adalimumab. humira has been proven to work for adults who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief, and many achieved remission. 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. ask your gastroenterologist about humira today.

remission is possible. ♪ nothing says, "you're my #1 copilot," like a milk-bone biscuit. ♪ say it with milk-bone. welcome back to "the ed show." appreciate the questions. tonight in ask ed live, our first question comes from christopher. have the gop learned their lesson from the previous government shutdown? no. they're not guided by reason. they're guided by ideology. they'll do whatever they can to get the victory. if they can put the democrats in a bad light with the american people, they'll shutdown the government. they'll do it again if they have

to. what was your reaction while watching the seattle seahawks? they won super bowl xlviii. i was pretty disappointed that denver didn't show up to play. they didn't play the game saturday and they didn't play it today. the seattle seahawks, they were fired up and ready to go. they were prepared. every time denver completed a pass, there was not very many yards after the completion. the line backers for the seattle seahawks, they were right there. that's why manning kept throwing short underneath. he wasn't able to put the ball down the field. i thought yards after the catch was a big key. as soon as there was a reception, boom, flthere was a tackle. give credit to the seahawks. they were after it.

rapid response panel coming up. a steep selloff for stocks today. the dow slides 326 points. s&p drops 40. the nasdaq closes out of 106 points. a report on manufacturing was one of the factors behind today's telling. january was a rough month for the automakers. ford's sales slid 7%. chrysler saw a 7% gain. we're back in a moment. joe doesn't know it yet, but he'll work his way up from busser to waiter to chef before opening a restaurant specializing in fish and game from the great northwest.

he'll start investing early, he'll find some good people to help guide him, and he'll set money aside from his first day of work to his last, which isn't rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade. he was a matted messiley se. in a small cage. ng day. so that was our first task, was getting him to wellness. without angie's list, i don't know if we could have found all the services we needed for our riley. from contractors and doctors to dog sitters and landscapers, you can find it all on angie's list. we found riley at the shelter, and found everything he needed at angie's list. join today at angieslist.com

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.

we still run into problems. that's why liberty mutual insurance offers accident forgiveness if you qualify, and new car replacement, standard with our auto policies. so call liberty mutual at... today. and if you switch, you could save up to $423. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy? welcome back to "the ed show." the super bowl is known for

traditions. presidents have sat down with the network hosting the super bowl. president obama with fox news. this year fox news' hosts bill o'reilly got the opportunity. he took the opportunity to hammer obama on the issues familiar to the viewers of that network. >> was it the biggest mistake of your presidency to tell the nation over and over if you like your insurance, you can keep your insurance? >> you have a lot of my mistakes. >> your campaign didn't want that out. >> no. >> that's what they believe. >> and they believe it because folks like you are telling them that. >> is it the biggest mistake? >> bill, as i said -- >> you gave your enemies a lot of fodder for it. just as an american i'm confused. >> i'm trying to explain it to you if you want to listen. >> the obama care website and

benghazi, that's all fox knows. i didn't hear anything about health care or the minimum wage or things that really matter to americans. president obama sat there and took o'reilly's line of questioning in stride until bill brought up an old irs story. >> i have to get to the irs because i don't know what happened there. what some people are saying is that the irs was used at a local level in cincinnati, maybe other places, to go after them. >> that's not what happened. folks, again, have had multiple hearings on this. these kinds of things keep on surfacing in part because you and your tv station will promote them. >> president obama was not alone in pushing back against the

network yesterday. hillary clinton sent out a tweet reading it's so much more fun to watch fox when it's someone else being blitzed and sacked. joining me now for my rapid response panel. great to have both of you with us tonight. eric, you first. is it a big deal that president obama called out fox news and really questioned what their content was and what they focus on? >> i think it's helpful. i think he was a little more prepared this time. we look at when o'reilly interviewed him in 2011, constantly interrupting him. wouldn't let him finish a sentence. so i think obama was more ready this time. and i think like with hillary with her tweet, democrats aren't intimidated by fox news anymore.

i think it was important he could show he could sit down with his arch nemesis. the irs is sort of his private army. it's the same bubble questions. it was a laundry list of previously answered questions. i think it was good he sat with him and he pushed back. i think it shows democrats see fox for what it is. it's propaganda. they're in a less influential bubble, i think. >> were you surprised at the level of disrespect showed to the president? >> i wasn't surprised. i'm surprised that we would play this in prime time before the nation's super bowl. i was kind of surprised that it happened then. i wasn't surprised about the level of disrespect. i've always said bill o'reilly has a job to do.

he as a job to placate a small base of cable news watchers. they are a very small subset of the american populous. those who watch fox news are looking for a certain line of attack and they expect it every day. they expect to hear about benghazi and the irs so-called scandal and the unanswered questions around obamacare and they expect to hear about it in the way they want to hear about it. questions that have been already been answered. >> did you think fox failed to make the president look bad in this interview? it seemed like o'reilly was trying to corner the president instead of getting a real answer. >> i think the president was well prepared for him this time, and he was willing to do what some of us maybe hoped he would be willing to do early on. i'm not going to second-guess

him here. this time, he called out fox news directly. he called out bill o'reilly directly and i think that was an important move. >> i want to play a clip of bill o'reilly reading. >> why do you feel it is necessary to fundamentally transform the nation that has afforded you so much opportunity and success? >> i don't think we have to fundamentally change the change. >> but those are your words. >> god forbid we give health care to people so they can save their lives. your thoughts on that. >> i think they were hoping to rattle obama. it didn't happen. there's a reason his nickname is no drama obama. what fox did today was spend all day -- they kind of construed a

controversy that obama was blaming fox news for all his troubles. they're going to spend the next two or three days trying to create controversy or buzz. they're going to show their viewers how tough they were with obama. they're sort of stuck on this hamster wheel. they just keep spinning around and around. that's what their viewers want. there's no doubt about it. it increasingly has had less impact on what's happening in the country and the world. >> what did you think of the tweet hillary clinton sent out? she's leading the 2016 republican presidential hopefuls. she must feel like she's on pretty solid ground. >> i like hillary clinton, but i'm not into coronations.

i'm ready for a spirited democratic primary. let's see if they're able to recapture this white house again. on the other side of this thing, i don't know if she was referring to the president. i think she was referring to peyton manning who was getting crushed on the field last night. i found the tweet funny, but i thought she was talking about peyton manning and not necessarily the president. >> good to have you with us tonight on "the ed show." coming up, pipe dreams of the keystone xl. the punchout is ahead. so i c

an reach ally bank 24/7, but there are no branches? 24/7. i'm sorry, i'm just really reluctant to try new things. really? what's wrong with trying new things? look! mommy's new vacuum! (cat screech) you feel that in your muscles? i do... drink water. it's a long story. well, not having branches let's us give you great rates and service. i'd like that. a new way to bank. a better way to save. ally bank. your money needs an ally. lked into the hotel as a "5" but when she saw the room... you turned into a weird "7". when she saw the roof-top pool... you went to: "11" ♪ you two should probably get a room... oh that's right! you already did. at planet earth's number one accomodation site...

booking.com booking.yeah!

you want everything.orks an expert ford technician knows your car's health depends on a full, complete checkup. the works. because when it comes to feeling safe behind the wheel, going the distance and saving at the pump you want it all. get our multi-point inspection with a a synthetic blend oil change, tire rotation, brake inspection and more for $29.95 or less. get a complete vehicle checkup. only at your ford dealer.

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. and in pretenders tonight, donald trump. the donald is trying to give out

fashion tips to the president of the united states. >> i definitely think he should have worn a tie. he's the president of the united states. >> that's a good point. i never thought of that. >> let him put on a tie. bill was wearing a tie. not that he has to follow bill. he's the president. it's a formal position. i think he should wear a tie. >> what message is he sending by not? >> it's not sloppy. it's not appropriate. it's not presidential. >> now you endorsed governor romney. >> i did. >> are you in contact with him all the time? >> yes. >> what do you guys talk about? >> we has a stance on china, which is a country that's ripping our heart out. we do nothing to protect ourselves that i really like. i don't know where they were made, but they were made someplace. it's ties, shirts, and cuff links doing number one at

macy's. >> the ties are made in china. >> donald trump can't handle politics or fashion individually. he should never try mixing the two. donald trump is whining because the president won't wear one of his made in china ties. the donald can gripe all he wants, but if he thinks the president will fall for a wardrobe malfunction, he can keep on pretending. good news. i got a new title. and a raise? management couldn't make that happen. [ male announcer ] introducing fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex. olet's say you pay your itguy around 2 percent ate. to manage your money. that's not much, you think

except it's 2 percent every year. does that make a difference? search "cost of financial advisors" ouch! over time it really adds up. then go to e*trade and find out how much our advice costs. spoiler alert. it's low. really? yes, really. e*trade offers investment advice and guidance from dedicated professional financial consultants. it's guidance on your terms not ours that's how our system works. e*trade. less for us, more for you.

lovely read susan. may i read something? yes, please. of course. a rich, never bitter taste cup after cup. 340 grams. [ sighs ] [ male announcer ] always rich, never bitter. gevalia. try zyrtec-d® to powerfully clear your blocked nose and relieve your other allergy symptoms... so you can breathe easier all day. zyrtec-d®. find it at the pharmacy counter.

welcome back to "the ed show." this is the story for the folks who take a shower after work. the country is in a heated discussion about the future of energy independence after a report from the state department was released on friday. the report showed the keystone xl pipeline would not substantially worsen carbon pollution, leaving an opening for president obama to approve the project. the pipeline would carry 830,000 barrels of oil a day from canada too the gulf coast. if the pipeline were not built, carbon heavy oil would still be extracted from the same rate from the alberta forest and transported through the middle of the country to refineries by rail and truck instead. sheer what montana's former governor brian schweitzer had to say about it on my radio show on friday. >> while i was governor, i neglected with transcanada to build a $116 million on-ramp so that that bakken oil in montana

and north dakota, which has been doubling production every year and will double again by next year will stop being shipped on rail. it's not safe to send this crude oil all over america right to our biggest cities on rail. and yet we haven't had the pipeline to catch up. >> for more than two years, environmentalists have protested the project. many republicans and some democrats, along with the oil industry executives support the pipeline because they say it creates jobs and increases supplies from a friendly source of oil which is canada. what both groups i think need to realize is that the alternative of shipping oil on railways or in trucks is extremely unsafe. on december 30th, there was a very large train derailment about 20 miles outside of fargo. emergency and firefighting crews are responding to a train derailment involving a cargo train carrying crude oil. of course, in this part of the

country, the pipeline, the xl pipeline is a big conversation. people who are against the pipeline say that this is the safest way to transport oil. proponents say that it won't all be canadian oil, that there will be sweet crude from the bakken shale, and it will also be in the pipeline. proponents say that it's a safer way to transport oil. this does not mean the country is going to be consuming more oil. based on safety, i think the president should give this project the stamp of approval. environmental groups obviously think differently, and so do the majority of people on the left. but this news flash, we're not getting out of the oil business in america. it runs our economy. do we have climate change? yes, we do. but the construction of this pipeline does not mean that we are going to consume more as a country. i'm looking at it from a safety aspect. i don't want explosions in small

towns or any towns or any kind of train derailment carrying oil where there are fewer federal inspectors than ever before, and also the fact that these railcars are old and the infrastructure hasn't been upgraded. so a brand-new pipeline to me makes sense. michael brune is the executive director of the sierra club. his organization and many other green groups are against this. michael, good to have you with us tonight. i appreciate your time. tell us, what is the downside of this pipeline? why should the president say no to this? >> well, first, it's good to see you, ed. we're opposed to this pipeline because it would carry oil from the tar sands in alberta. and tar sands oil is more toxic, it's more corrosive, it's more difficult to cleanup, and it's more carbon intensive than conventional oil. and this oil would come all the way from alberta, down through the u.s. it doesn't come to the u.s., it goes through the u.s., and most

of it would be exported. so what happens is american families and american farmers will bear all the risks, and oil companies will get all the reward. there is a much better way to meet our energy needs than taking oil from the tar sands. >> isn't it safer to run oil through a pipeline than it is to put it on railcars and on trucks? >> the safest thing to do with this oil is to keep it in the ground. you're right, ed, in saying -- >> that's not going to happen. >> well, it can happen. it can happen. that's actually the point of this. but let me answer your question directly. transporting oil by rail, by train is not safe. it is not safe. and we should avoid it. and we also in the meantime need to upgrade our safety standards for rail transport of all forms of oil. but the best thing that we need to do -- the thing that we need to do is three things, actually. one is to improve the safety of transportation of oil. two, to make sure that this oil isn't coming out of the tar

sands. we shouldn't make climate change worse by investing in a carbon intensive fuel source. and then finally we have to transition to the alternatives to dirty oil. well already have advanced batteries. well already have electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles that are growing dramatically. we're not going to get out of the oil business in 2014, but we can plan to get out of the oil business as quickly as we can by investing in clean energy rather than dirty fuels. >> but, as we all know, there will be sweet crude oil in this pipeline and transporting that in a pipeline is a lot safer than putting it on a rail. and that's the proponents' biggest issue is they want this for safety as much as anything else. now, the car sands, you're right about that. it is toxic. that's going get put on the market no matter what. your response to that. >> well, it won't. just look at the reality here. what we've already seen because of delays in this pipeline is

that foreign investment in the tar sands has plummeted. the projected growth of tar sands development has already been knocked down by more than a million barrels of oil per day because of concerns that this pipeline won't get built and because of similar unrest in canada. canadians don't want pipelines going through their territory either. 10 what we're already seeing is projected to man growth has gone from six or seven million barrels of oil a day down below six and now close to five million barrels of oil a day simply because the pipelines are being resisted. so there is a chance to keep the oil in the ground. and that's our focus. >> okay. that's the focus. but the reality of it is the best way to transport oil in america is through pipeline, especially the latest technology of it. that's my position on this. this bakken shale oil isn't going to go away. and it's going to go to market, and it's going to affect our energy. that doesn't mean because there is a pipeline being built that

we are going to consume more as a country. this is about transportation and safety, i think. michael, we're going to have you back. we're going to talk a lot about this inspect the approximately makes his decision. i appreciate your time tonight. we'll do it again. thank you so much. 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. tonight's lead, the subpoenas. just one hour ago, the deadline hit for thousands of documents subpoenaed which new jersey state lawmakers investigating the george washington bridge lane closings. 18 people, many of them close aids and allies of governor chris christie were required to turn over e-mail, text, and notes dating back to september 2012. some have gotten an extension, but the clock is ck