that's all for now. i'll see you tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. eastern and "the ed show" is up next. take care. good evening, americans, and welcome to "the ed show" live from detroit lakes, minnesota. let's get to work. >> show me! show me! >> the management movement going on made up of fast food workers. they want a $15 minimum wage. >> let's fight for 15 is real and organize it to lift wagees. >> we want the right to unionize. >> u.if i was busting my butt, would join a union. >> we've had enough. >> america deserves a raise. >> we are not going go away and we will not walk quietly into the night. ♪ ♪

>> geek, everybody. good to have you with us tonight. thanks for watching. lots of news out there tonight. 81-year-old tv legend joan rivers has passed away and the former governor of virginia has been con voikd corruption charges and we'll get to all of it tonight, but we start with breaking news this evening. today we saw the largest fast food protests for livable wage in american history. thousands of low-wage fast-food workers protested in roughly 150 cities all over the country. their demand is pretty simple. they want a livable wage of $15 an hour and they want the right to join a union. these are the most active protests the labor movement has seen in decades. today's protests were different than other previous protests from one main reason. non-violent civil disobedience. they were ready to make a statement. according to the group. fight for 15, 436 protesters around the country were arrested

for the acts of civil disobedience. wisconsin congresswoman gwen moore was arrested with protesters in milwaukee today. 19 protesters were arrested in times square alone for blocking traffic. workers have made clear that they will do whatever it takes to receive a fair wage. there is a reason people are willing to get arrested for this cause. $7.25 an hour ain't cutting it in america. it comes out to only $15 a year. this wage has a family of two living below the poverty line. the federal minimum wage, keep in mind, has been raised only five times in the last 20 years. the last time it was raised was over five years ago in 2009. if the minimum wage had kept up with inflation since 1968 the number today would be $10.86 an hour. keep in mind, republicans in america are against raising the minimum wage. governor after governor,

lawmaker after lawmaker and some republicans want to even abolish the minimum wage. that has been stated on the senate floor. now this is a rally against the conservative move am and their business philosophy in america. the working folk have been walked on enough. there is no way these massive food -- fast food corporations across this country should be allowed to make billions of dollars and hold down the workers and not pay these workers a livable wage. the question tonight is is this a turning point? we have americans stationed all around the country to bring you the latest on the protests. in sacramento, california. we have service employees and international union president mary kay henry with us tonight. in milwaukee, wisconsin we have the executive director of wisconsin jobs now. and in raleigh, north carolina, we have the ref rebd dr. william barber, president of the north carolina naacp. great to have all of you with us this evening. jennifer, let's start with you.

what can you tell us about what unfolded today in the protests in milwaukee. congresswoman moore gets arrested and tell us about what you saw and what this was all about in the minds of these workers who were willing to put their jobs on the line. >> well, only in wisconsin can you both get soaking wet and sunburned at the same time and that's exactly happened here in milwaukee today where we saw hundreds of workers across the state of wisconsin in 14 different cities across our state walked off the job for $15 an hour and the right to join a union. we had 32 workers arrested across the state and as you stated earlier, one congresswoman all for the same goal and we are proud to join the 150 cities across this great country of ours who are standing up and fighting for the american dream. >> mary kay, what did today's protests in sacramento look like? what happened?

>> i started with sacramento workers and marched from one store to another and witnessed eight brave, fast food leaders from the sacramento organization sit in the middle of the street. their hands shaking and then holding hands together as they were blessed by a clergy member who honored the incredible work they're doing to get $15 and a union so that they can have more money to spend in their communities, by hardware store, groceries and maybe get their hair condition as the reverend talked to them at the fast food convention so that communities can start to grow and thrive by having more money in workers' pockets and get the economy roaring again from the inside out. >> reverend barber, tell us what's happening in north carolina. >> there were hundreds of people there, and as i was leaving to come here for the show and people were still being arrested. many of the fast food workers have been appalled and inspired

by it it. this morning we talked about it being a moral movement from deuteronomy to jeremiah to matthew to james, one of the most predominant theme is to rage against low wages and rob workers of their wages. these young people understand that. they understand it's a part of civil rights movement. they understand they're a are the pa of a you. >> movement in america and they understand they're fighting two battles and one is against greedy business leaders who make 1200 times more than the average worker, but the other is against these extremist politicians like in our state who has said raising the minimum wage is a dangerous idea and who also denied medicaid expansion and these workers can't even get medicaid expansion like crystal price who has cancer and can't buy insurance and denied medicaid expansion as a fast food worker. they understand it's a fight for their lives and for the soul of this country. >> mary kay henry, the national

restaurant association is making a claim that these protests basically are an attempt to boost dwindling union membership in america. your response to that? >> i think it's an insult to the incredible courage that these workers have shown over the past 20 months, ed, and today with non-violent civil disobedience we have many workers across this country who for the first time in their lives made the kaur iej awes decision to take an arrest even though they've been told by family members to not mess with the police and never get arrested. so i think it minimizes then credible movement that's been growing across this country of workers determined to improve their lives so they can improve the future for well kids and strengthen their communities. >> we are very proud that health care workers joined in the fight for 15 and i think we'll see this movement grow and grow and grow as you said in the

beginning of this show tonight. >> jennifer, what about the organization? i mean, was this really grassroots or did the the unions put this together? i mean, i know that the culture of wisconsin is people love to get out and tell it like it is in the streets. i mean, we know that, but i mean, down to the ground level, social media played a big role in all of this, didn't it? >> absolutely. workers are friending each other. they're giving people information on facebook, on twitter, but, look, this is real organizing and it is incredible to watch it. last night we had workers in the office past 11:00 and going to stores that are open until 2:00 a.m. and talking to folks about coming out on strike today. they put their blood, sweat and tears into this movement and it's not a selfish movement. as reverend barber said this is a movement about the future of america and these workers are

standing up not just for themselves, but for all of us who believe in a strong middle class and believe that anybody who works hard should have a fair shot at the american dream. it's incredible to watch and i can only imagine where it's going go from here as more and more workers see that people are willing to put their bodies on the line to win this victory. >> i'd like to hear you say it, mary kay henry. answer this question. can this industry afford to pay $15 an hour and i know the answer to that, but i want to hear you describe exactly how wealthy this industry is and how depressed these wages are. >> in a heartbeat this industry could raise wages to $15 an hour and still earn profits and the ceos could be comfortable, but billions of dollars are being made every year in this industry, ed, and there's no reason why mcdonald's, wendy's and burger king can't do in the united states in the united states of america what they've done for workers in australia

who earn $19 an hour and workers in denmark who earn $22 an hour and it's a decision that can be made and we are proud to support these workers and be a part of a coalition with jennifer and reverend barber to support these workers' incredible courage and to make sure this movement grows until they achieve $15 and a union. >> revereverend barber, what's some what's the next step to keep the the pressure on lawmakers to make a change here. >> like the movement here, it it has to be sustained and it can't be just one rally. it has to continue and we have to continue to press this issue and also the riff ilrights and race side of it and why is it in other countries as mary kay said you have high wages, but here where many of your fast food workers are minority you want to keep the very, very seriously low wages. many of these bees get federal contracts. the civil rights act of '64 says

you can't get federal money and operate in a discriminatory way and i think we have to examine the discrimination going on in terms of wages and in terms of race. in this past week we did three days on labor. they call it moral labor day and this is happening in the south and that is why one of the things are so important and we cannot not fight for labor in the south. take a state like north carolina where the administration is more anti-work and anti-labor than ever and if you battle in the south we can win in all of america and that's what's next. we can move this all over the country and we have to support young people and others who are fighting for these living wages and it's the right thing and the right time and we have to do it right now. >> reverend barber, do these workers know the dynamic that's playing out in washington? there is a political party. their stated position is to not raise the minimum wage. their stated position by some of the lawmakers on the republican

side is to get rid of the minimum wage altogether, to abolish it and for a change to take place, i mean, how active do you think these americans will be to bring that change and to do what has to be done come election day? >> i think that's one of the yuk econess of this group. they're young and very astute. they understand that yes, you do the civil disobedience at the store, but you will also have to engage at the ballot box. they are very clear. if the extremists who happen to be republican have done one thing, they have awakened people. whether it's in congress or tom tilly who is rung for the senate here who calls minimum wage and raising a dangerous idea or governor who signed off on all kinds of legislation to unemployment benefits and hurting and attacking workers. i watched the fast food workers sit. in tom's office for 12 hours and be arrested along with clergy.

they are very clear, this is a political fight and it's an economic fight and it's a business fight and it's a moral fight and a fight that has to be fought and won. >> will there be more protests like this, mary kay henry? >> absolutely. these workers each and every time they gather together, city by city, and community by community and they take stock of the impact they've made based on today's action and then they convene as a national committee and call for what they need to be doing next and each and every day they do what reverend barber said. they continue to organize and build their city and community and link arms with partners so that everybody understands that we are getting stronger and more powerful each and every day because we intend not to stop until we win and once we win for fast food workers we're going to win for home care workers and child care workers and people all across the service economy because it's the fastest growing part of the american economy and

reverend barber's right. it is an economy segregated by race and sex and when we raise wages and build permanent organization and we'll be able to challenge all of the obstacles that stand in the way of equal opportunity for everyone in this country. >> well, it's going to be interesting because, you know, i equate this to the occupy wall veet. i don't know how much they actually got accomplished, but one thing they did was they changed the focus and changed the conversation in this country, and i think to get more americans focused on the economic injustices being played out on workers can only be a positive. so i want to turn to our viewers tonight. get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think. tonight's question, should any american who has a job live in poverty? text a for yes, text b for no to 67622 and leave a comment on the story to ed.msnbc.com and we'll bring you the results later in the show. i have a feeling this story will not go away any time soon.

i'm sure lawmakers went home and heard a lot about all of this. mary kay henry and jennifer addison and reverend william barber, good to have you with us here on the ed show. ? coming up, the jury delivers a guilty verdict for bob and maureen mcdonnell. the rapid response panel will the have the latest details and what they're facing. first, recess is over for the members of congress. now it's time to give the american people workers a raise and jim mcdermott join me. we're right back on "the ed show" on msnbc. introducing dance-all-you-want bladder leak protection

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anything. what's hot, what's not. time now for trenders. keep in touch with us on twitter on ed show. like us on facebook. you can get my podcast 24/7 at we get ed.com and ring of fire.com and of course, on

itunes, pre. you can access it 24/7. ed show social media nation, we are reported and here are today's top trenders voted on by you. >> a good deed in a weary world? the number three trender, a cut above. >> the family of a man who died after having a heart attack while mowing the lawn is being comforted by an act of kindness. >> we're all fighting over who can push the mower first. >> texas firefighters go viral for their good deed. >> they took time to do that. >> the gesture was captured by a neighbor. >> just something to help someone out, you know, in the worst time of well life. >> people do random acts of kindness every day. >> the number two trender. >> e, why, okay! >> a baby who hasn't even been born yet is already a huge hit on social media. >> i would let him go unless you want to make medical history. this ultrasound image and the baby seen flashing, a thumbs up sign in the womb.

>> it's cuter, right? >> that's great. >> you've been in the oven. >> a baby's first picture gets a big thumbs up. >> some are calling the baby, the fonzi fetus after henry winkler's character on "happy days". and today's top trender, top dollar. >> republicans in congress love to say no. >> raising the minimum wage destroys jobs. >> they oppose almost everything. >> the minimum wage takes billing as congress returns from recess. >> i'm not asking for the moon. i just want a good deal for american workers! >> the last thing we want to do right now is to be killing jobs. >> who's going to vote to give these good people a fair shot at the american dream and who's going to vote against them? >> a wage hike would impact 28 million americans. >> i think eventually congress will hear. >> a recent wall street journal nbc news poll found americans strongly supported higher minimum wage. >> the only thing more you po

are powerful than an idea whose time has come is people organizing around an idea whose time has come. >> we have congressman elija cummings. gentlemen, good to have you with us tonight. >> how do you get mission accomplished on this when you have the stated position of the speaker of the house to say that it's going on kill jobs and we're not going to do it? representative cummings, what's the game plan to make this thing happen? >> first of all, i think what happened today is significant because we need an inside/outside game and in other words, we need people on the outside of congress pushing congress and letting folks know how unfair this wage situation in our country is. >> i think jim will agree with me. we have to keep trying to push these folks along, but they are pretty stuck, as you well know, ed, that the the republicans and they don't want to do anything that's going to help the worker, going to increase wages. they don't want to do anything like that. and so, again, i don't want

people to underestimate what happened today. when people put bodies on the line, go to jail and are saying enough is enough that says a lot not only to the leaders of congress and all of the members and hopefully it will do something in the future and i'm not that optimistic about congress and one thing we also have to keep in mind ask is that these very actions have helped to push a lot of state legislatures to do the right thing and maryland and washington, i know, have been very significant and made significant changes. >> and those states have added jobs. >> congressman, mcdermott, you know, the same old playbook is being put out in front of us by the republicans and it's a job killer when it's proven not to be. the key is your colleagues in the senate are saying they can ing br up the minimum wage for a vote as early as next week. do you think that has a shot and would that change anything in the house, jim?

you know, ed, i saw this thing begin in a little town here in washington state called ctap. the city council put on the ballot a $15 minimum wage and it passed and suddenly the seattle city council which is about ten times or 50 times bigger suddenly put that on their agenda and now we have a $15 wage coming up gradually phasing it over the next few years. it's starting from the grassroots and as the grassroots as elija says, as the grassroots stir it up, the members of congress coming back and they're facing an election in less than 60 days and some place on the road somebody's going to say to them, why don't you want to raise the minimum wage? the living wage in seattle is $16.10 an hour if you're going have a living wage. we're only up to $8.15 with our

raise and the congress is doing nothing and they are going to feel the heat from the people from the things you're showing on your show today. >> well, do you think congressman mcdermott that what unfolded today could be a game changer? >> absolutely. >> i think if that starts and rolls across the country for the next month you'll find the senate wanting to put it out there just so they can can say we tried and they'll put it out there and they'll come over to the house and i would aren't be surprised if the house passed some miserable, little change from $7.70 which it is now to $7.75. they'll want to say they did something. they're not going to want to run for election at a time when the wage inequality is so obvious that they haven't done anything. >> you know, the sad part is -- >> congressman cummings -- >> go ahead. >> the sad part is increasing the minimum wage actually helps everybody. it helps our economy. it helps folks be able to take care of their families and then

those folks who are getting the minimum wage or less than the minimum wage now and they don't have to depend on governments so much. so it just simply makes sense. >> no, it's not. it's not killing jobs anywhere. that's the amazing thing about this is that these republicans cannot come up with any data that shows well, this is where they raised the minimum wage and this is what happened to workers in this state, municipality or in the community. over a dozen states in several cities have raised the minimum wage so you've got that on a local level being proven to be positive. you've got these protests today, but congressman cummings you have election day coming up. how do you turn this into change? >> we've got to keep the pressure up. we cannot let this be a one or two-day event and we'll have to continue to do this. the protests and letting again,

the congress see exactly what people are willing to do to have their wages increased and understand, these people are not looking for filet minion. they're trying to get maybe some hamburger or trying to take their kid to the the nearest amusement park as opposed to disney world. they're just trying to survive and get along and hopefully thrive. the middle class is without a doubt, shrinking. the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. >> and by the way, ed, this is a moral issue as the reverend said a little bit earlier. without a doubt, you have people work othing harder and working 5 to stay around longer. >> jim, you first on this, this is all about the employee-first act. today was about the right to be able to join a union and get a voice in the workplace to have some representation which the old mold of america is that when you have a lot of people doing

the same jobs, somebody's got to speak up for these workers and now they're willing to speak for themselves, but isn't this about the employee-free choice act of some source, jim? >> there's absolutely no question, that that's what it's really about. >> this country has seen organized labor and the organized section go down dramatically in the years that i've been in politics. in seattle, it's dropped about almost to a third of what it was when i started in in 1977 and you cannot look at this and say that we're going to get anywhere unless we start organizing again. individuals get picked off alone, but you don't get picked off if you're part of a group and that's really what organization and unions is all about is we stick together for the common good and we fight together for everybody's rights and that's what has to happen and that's why people are going out and i've had enough and i'm going to stay with my brothers?

congressman cummings, your thoughts on that as we close? >> unions, and my committee oversight and government reform, i'd say 50% of ours have some type of tax on unions. there's an effort to destroy unions and one of the reasons why that is is because of what jim said. if they can destroy the union they can destroy the leverage and we have to keep fighting and we will keep fighting. >> congressman elija cummings and jim mcdermott, good to have you with us. keep up the fight. we can sure count on you guys. we have breaking news and a verdict has been reached in the trial of mcdonnell. joan rivers has passed away at the age of 81. john joins me to discuss her life and legacy. income, your questions. ask ed live coming up on "the ed show" on msnbc. we'll be right back.

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show." appreciate the questions and love hearing from the viewers. our first question and i believe our own question is from steve. who's your pick for tonight's game, packers or defending super bowl champions the seattle seahawks? well, considering the fact that i think everybody can respect the run that the seattle seahawks made last year and that they're very strong at home, their season opener, they're, like 15 and 1 at home in the last two years, but then there's this aaron rodgers any there's this jordy nelson and there's this revised packer defense. packers tonight! they open up the season with a victory on the road and this is the year of the packers and i'm for the packers this year. stick around. rapid response panel is next. i knew i loved ed. i'm a packers fan, too. i'm sue herrera with your cnbc market wrap. early gains faded on wall street leaving stocks lower on the day. the dow fell eight points and

s&p off three. the nasdaq shed ten points. the private sector added 204,000 jobs last month and that's according to payroll processor adp. that was weaker than forecast. meanwhile, filings for weekly jobless claims fell to 204,000, sleetly lower than expected and the government released the closely watched employment data and payrolls rose to 320,000. that's first from cnbc, we are first in business worldwide. we're back in a moment. [thinking] is it that time? the son picks up the check? [thinking] i'm still working. he's retired. i hope he's saving. i hope he saved enough. who matters most to you says the most about you. at massmutual we're owned by our policyowners, and they matter most to us. whether you're just starting your 401(k) or you are ready for retirement, we'll help you get there.

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has always been. they should not be. america will always blaze the trail of opportunity and prosperity. america must always be a land where liberty and property are valued and respected and innocent human life is protected. >> mcdonnell was even mentioned as a possible running mate for mitt romney in 2012. oh, how the mighty have fallen. here's bob mcdonnell walking out of court today. >> anything to say for all of the virjians watching out well? >> all i can can say is my trust remains in the lord. thank you. >> mcdonnell was found guilty on 11 of 13 corruption charges against him. his wife maureen mcdonnell was found guilty of nine of 13. the couple was accused of selling mcdonnell's office over a 24-month period in exchange for about $170,000 in gifts, cash and no document loans from a virginia vitamin salesman. lawyers for the defense argued

bob mcdonnell's marriage to his wife maureen was falling apart at the time. the couple could face up to 30 years in federal prison. sentencing is set for january 6, 2015. for the discussion, let me bring in virginia congressman jim moran with us tonight and also ring of fire radio host and america's attorney mike papantonio and jonathan alter. good to have all three of you with us tonight, gentlemen. >> hello. >> this is unfortunate, and i don't know if citizens united is walking some politicians down this road, but pap, you first tonight. how hard was it to get a conviction? your speculation on this and what is the couple facing right now? >> after the jury instruction portion of the trial i believe the best chan the mcdonnells had was a hung jury. in 30 years i've never seen an arduous jury instruction proceeding like i saw there. you saw the defense simply request every possible instruction conceivable, an

instruction pile on that confused the jury and created this uncertainy and it's a tactic, but the prosecution did such a phenomenal case that the case was virtually over i'd say, ed, by day four upon. the cumulative quality of the way the evidence was presented was like a drip, drip acid torture for the mcdonnell's. 50,000 here, 20,000 here, 50,000 here, another 15,000. it was as if jonnie williams was the the governor's personal atms, iphones, ferrari sports cars, sports vacations and then the outlandish story that was almost comical coming from the governor himself. understand mcdonnell was on the witness stand 27 hours and the prosecution clearly saw that. the longer he was on the stand the stronger their case grew and it only takes a few ridiculous, awkward lies coming from a defendant to blow it. the governor did that.

he unloaded such crazy talk on the stand that no jury could simply overlook it. and so i think it started going bad day four. >> okay. congressman moran, did you ever in your wildest dreams think that the governor was capable of this and are you surprised by what has unfolded? he stands a guilty man tonight. >> it's a shock and it's saddening, really. bob mcdonnell was a christian conservative, but not the kind of close-minded, mean spirited one that we sometimes see in self-righteous people. he was a decent guy, but to some extent this is a bit of freud, you know. his wife was consistently mistreated staff in the governor's mansion and particularly her own staff and oftentimes that kind of thing comes around to bite you and in

this case it did, and you know, you don't want to blame the wife and bob obviously is responsible for this, but i'm not sure that maureen was really into the policy nature really recognized the role of a first lady to the extent that it requires a certain level of responsibility and discipline. she wasn't necessarily cut out for the job. she was a red skins cheerleader back in her younger days, not that there's anything wrong with that, but i'm not sure that's the best preparation to be first lady. i think she got a little greedy, and she warrasn't particularly disciplined. some of my friends have told me of awkward moments when they felt she was positioning herself to get some free gifts from them. fortunately, they showed better judgment than jonnie williams

because basically williams is a huckster. >> yeah. >> it's unfortunate that, you know, the mcdonnells met up with him or were so taken this by him because the product he was selling was really of no value. so that, i think, contributed to it, as well. one other irony, ed is virginia doesn't have any campaign limits. so if this money had been contributed to his campaign it wouldn't have been a problem, but these were all personal gifts and bob must have recognized that. it really is kind of inexplicable. >> jonathan alter, what changes this moving forward? oui seen other politicians go to jail, rob blagojevich, the governor of illinois just a few years ago. what changes this? what can be done? better scrutiny? how do we do it? >> i think we do need better scrutiny. one of the problems that we have in this country is because of changes in the media there's very little reporting out of state capitals and many

reporters are so busy blogging all day and doing other kinds of things and they're not getting in there to dig. what's astonishing to me about this case, ed is that in 2009 you showed the clip, i actually would have predicted that bob mcdonnell would be the republican nominee for president in 2012. that's how impressive a candidate he looked to be and how strong and formidable a governor of virginia he was and yet we knew nothing about him. here say guy who could do the the sleazeiest kinds of things. take gifts that he knows are corrupt and yet he wasn't that far away from real power. so we don't know a lot about these politicians. we think we know them as we see them on tv, but we need investigative reporting before the prosecutors get involved to find out where there's this kind of malfeasance.

just one quick thing. we talked about him not having his wife's staff being a problem and at one point during his testimony the governor said i didn't have, quote, the skill set to deal with her abuse of her staff. if he didn't have the skill set to deal with that kind of abuse going on in his own administration, he had no business being governor of virginia, much less a plausible candidate for president. >> mcdonnell turned down a plea deal, pap and offered to face one felony and spare his wife of any charges and avoid of trial. in light of these charges, what was he think something. >> it was overwhelming. this prosecution when they did -- this was brilliant. the prosecution knew they had this case won when they held williams back, the key witness back for rebuttal. had zero reason to lie, zero reason not to tell the truth because he had been given immunity. >> yeah.

>> and then they watch jonnie williams unload on the crazy talk coming from the governor and you know what? i have very little sympathy for this governor. as you listen to what was coming out of williams' mouth he said, look, very clear. i needed access to the cabinet. i got it. this was a business decision. this guy delivered. very ugly story. >> okay. >> congressman jim moran, mike papantonio and jonathan alter and i appreciate your time on this. coming up, looking back at the life of legendary comedian joan rivers. stay with us. sweets become salaries. an oven heats up a community la cocina, a small kitchen that kick-starts the careers of 41 entrepreneurs. they bring the talent. we help fund the tools. it's a small way we help that's been huge for the community. little by little we can do a lot. because... small is huge. visit www.wellsfargo.com to see how big small can be.

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now you could have done it twice. this is awkward. go to comcastbusiness.com/ checkyourspeed. if we can't offer faster speeds or save you money we'll give you $150. comcast business built for business. breaking news from are the entertainment world tonight. comedian joan rivers has died at 81. wednesday she was taken out of intensive care and moved into a private room. she was treated in mt. sinai hospital in new york city. rivers was hospitalized following reported complications

during a throat surgery on august 28th. the 81-year-old host of e network's fashion show "fashion police" stopped breathing during a minor endoscopic procedure. with more on her life and legacy here's nbc's lester holt. >> reporter: jefr never pulled a punch. >> can we talk? she was a tramp. >> reporter: or punch lines. even when it was aimed at herself. >> oh, i went into a store today. i said what do you got to go with this suit. she gave me a bottom ofl cheap wine. >> reporter: her blunt, vulgar -- >> she and gwyneth paltrow, the world's most beautiful woman -- voted on by stevie wonder. >> reporter: and sometimes mean observations propelled a comic career that spanned more than half a century. >> this tremendous work ethic. so everything she got in life she earned. she earned it the old fashioned way. >> reporter: she was born in brooklyn as joan malinsky,

daughter of russian immigrants and drawn to performing at an early age. her big break was in 1965 when she was discovered by johnny carson. for 20 years she would be a frequent guest and guest host on nbc's "the tonight show". >> they all thought i stang. you were the first to say you're funny. thank you. >> reporter: their friendship ended in 1986 when she hosted her own late night show, competing against carson on fox. a moment rivers described in the 2010 documentary, "joan rivers, a piece of work." >> the first person i called was johnny carson. he slammed the phone down, called me, slammed it down again and never spoke to me again. ever. >> reporter: her show lasted eight months. not long after her husband of 22 years committed suicide. saddleded with debt and an uncertain future, rivers reinvented herself as an entertainment commentator with

daughter melissa she pioneered the live red carpet interview concept. >> i can say joan rivers is a legend of the red carpet for sure. nobody butchered more names than joan rivers and had more fun doing it. >> reporter: we spoke about it during this 2012 interview. most awkward moment. >> i asked anthony hopkins is this your mother. it was his wife. >> reporter: oh. >> how beautiful is this watch? >> reporter: she became a celebrity qvc pitch woman, hosted "fashion police" and co-starred in her own reality show. >> mom, get in the car. >> reporter: jeoan rivers was a woman of many faces. her love of plastic surgery was well known and she owned it. >> i would rather be a good-looking corpse than look like people i saw at my class reunion sprks she was no stranger to continroversycontro >> the germans killed 16 million

jews and you can't fix a [ bleep ] carburetor. >> reporter: jimmy fallon brought her on the show. >> i have a photo of you in this studio in 1965. >> he said, god bless him, you're going to be a star. >> reporter: carson was right. joan rivers's star burned brightly until the end. she hated an empty calendar. when she wasn't on tv she was still performing sand-up. >> i love performing. i love what the audience gives you. i'm so happy to have people i can laugh with. >> joining me tonight political commentator and tv host john fuglsang. good to have you with us. how do we remember this unique woman, her career unparalleled? when i think of her industry longevity, she had a way to keep going. your thoughts? >> i hope people will stop

thinking of her as a pioneer. she hated that. she wanted to be someone relevant, not hailed for the advances she'd made. she wanted to keep on working, keep making more advancements. we know so many artists who don't want to be seen doing work they consider beneath them. joan was all about the work. when you ask how many comedians you know in their 80s who are household names who are men, among women she's an anomaly. i learned a lot from joan. i had the pleasure of working with her quite a bit several years ago. i grew up being a fan. i loved watching her host the emmys with eddie murphy. i didn't care for the fashion and red carpet stuff. i took a doing a pop culture show. they sent me to awards shows to tell jokes on the red carpet. suddenly i'm working with joan. it was amazing. i don't know if joan really cared about celebrities, fashion or red carpet events. joan cared about doing the work. she taught me a lot about

humility, getting out there and not turning down jobs because you feel they are beneath you but moving tarp. she's a great example of aging on your own terms and doing what you love. >> well, john, you worked with her at the tv guide network. what stands out themost about her? what you saw is what you got. she was that person. >> well, sure. i really feel bad that a lot of people of this generation will only know joan for plastic surgery, home shopping and red carpet and not as a performing artist. i encourage everybody to go on youtube and watch her with carson, on ed sullivan. watch the movie "a piece of work." if you can, catch "louie" on fx where she played herself. it's beautiful. she was someone of uncommon intelligence. yes, she went too far. she was mean. she crossed lines i wouldn't cross. i had a lot of people mad at me for saying nice things because

of recent comments about palestinians. >> sure. >> the artist's job isn't to make you feel good. it's to make you uncomfortable. joan did it, made people laugh. she's making god laugh now. >> good to have you with us tonight. thank you so purchase. i'm ed schultz. that's "the ed show." "politics nation" starts now. good evening, rev. >> good evening, ed. thanks to you for tuning in. i'm live tonight in new orleans. there's a lot of breaking news tonight. legendary comedian joan rivers passed away today. we'll talk about her life with her close friend larry king. also former virginia governor bob mcdonnell and his wife were convicted today on corruption charges. they are facing years in federal prison. we'll go live to virginia. but we start with tonight's lead. a civil rights investigation in