supp supply assistance and economic program will be even more robust going forward. up all have the budget and know what we're strtrying to do. >> thank you secretary kerry for coming. yesterday headlines says in open to talking to iran. i agree the issues are so huge. good evening americans, you are w5uatching a briefing take place on capitol hill. watching john kerry on the united states strategy to fight isis. a short time ago, the senator had this exchange. >> i don't believe the people supporting the op sposition in various parts of the region will

start until assad is stopped and moderate won't stop. therefore there's no way to avoid that. >> i hope there's two prongs and not isil force and that that message is not given to the brave young women. >> if we don't stop isil first there may not be much left of the other prong. >> that sounds bogus and false. >> joining me now is joe, president of a global security foundation. joe, go to have you with us. it's been quite the hearing the last two hours on capitol hill and there seems to be real differences between both parties when it comes to how we will handle this. from what you saw did secretary kerry lay out a good road map as to where we are as a country

moving forward against isis. >> i do. i think the secretary was quite clear and seemed to have the support of most of the members of that committee. senator john mccain continues to insist he should be running national security policy. he has his own ideas. wants this to be much more of a u.s. direct military involvement. would lo of to have troops go into syria and iraq. right now talking about tens of thousands of troops. secretary kerry is very clear and the president is clear, that's not going to happen. we're talking about air cover, air strikes against isil. we're talking about training, that's what the house is voting on right now, and supporting the grou ground forces of our allies in the region. >> the oranther night lawrence l wilkerson told us there had been some kind of cease-fire made between syrian moderates and isis.

that was debunked by secretary state john kerry when barbara boxer asked him about that after appearing on this program. do we really know what's going on. does our intel have a good grip on, quote, who the good guys are, if we're going to be arming these syrian moderates. secretary of state, kerry, down playing it. >> it's tough. this is tricky. part of the reason is assets on the ground are limited. the isis group is so extreme and tightly controlled that it is very hard to get human intelligence inside that group reporting out. so what you're talking about is there's some reports, factions of the rebel group have agreed not to fight isis at this point and to concentrate on assad. i think those alliances come and they go. it is possible that both reports could be right.

the problem we have, really, and secretary kerry alluded to this a bit and members of the committee pressed him on it, it's unclear how many moderate forces are left in syria. this fight something brutal. hundreds of thousands killed already. millions of refugees. some moderates have become extremist. >> if we don't arm them they are not going to be left. that's what secretary kerry said in the last half hour. let's talk about ground troops. there seems to be a extreme discord on what our latitude is, and what are we going to do, put troops on the ground. earlier today secretary kerry said no way the united states is going to put a ground force. watching this, you get a feeling

if the united states were to say, yes, all options on the table, yes we're going to do ground troops, we're going to get in there, wouldn't this signal to other coalition partners, why should we put our guys in if the americans said they will put theirs in there. it would seem to me this is a certain way the united states is trying to keep the coalition feet in the fire, that they got to get skin in the game on this. if we give them any kind of opening it might fraction the coalition what about all that. >> that's exactly right, ed. the whole point of this careful str strategy is to get others involved. get them to come into the fight and resist isil. there's no way the u.s. can do this on their own. is there a possibility some time in the future there might be a ground role for u.s. forces.

you heard general dempsey indicate yesterday maybe possibly but it is clearly not what the american people or the administration want. as you say, leading with that, sending tens of thousands u.s. troops back into iraq would kill the coalition effort. most groups would sit back and wait for us to do the work for them. >> secretary kerry made the case, there's a clear strategy to destroy isis. >> we're not starting from scratch. this is an effort that we have been building over time, both on our own and with the help of our international partners. even before president obama's speech last week, nearly 40 countries had joined in contributing to the efforts to strengthen the capacity of iraq to strengthen its military, to train, to provide humanitarian assistance. we have been focused on isil

since its inexception. >> the reaction countering secretary kerry claiming there was no plan. here's the administration asking for support in the form of a vote and also resources via the vote yet he's claiming the plan wasn't detailed enough. kerry said there's things i can't say here, we have go to a closed briefing. that didn't seem to satisfy senator corker either. sort this out for us, joe. >> well, we have two problems, one is a fierce political opposition to president obama. his opponents have been waging fights since the president was inaugust rated. so every issue gets caught up in the obama-hate machine. so you see opponents. i have to count senator mccain and corker among them. that's part of the problem. the second part of the problem is they may not have all the

information. the american public certainly doesn't. the washington post just a couple months the ago revealed the cia have been secretly training syrian rebels for over two years. never was it said publicly. it's been going on some time. and the third thing, the work you need to build a coalition takes place outside the headline. i know why people are frustrated the president has spoken earlier but part of that is to give the behind the scene work time to gel before announcing a full strategy. >> yeah. when i was at the state of the union address last january, i will reveal my source, i had congressman from minnesota rick nolan come up to me and say, ed, we're training in syria and no one's talking about it. >> yeah. >> i didn't follow up on the story at the time but i did put

it away and haven't forgeten it. you're saying we have been in syria for several years. >> yeah. >> it doesn't sound like breaking news but it seems we understood the insecurity of that region to the point we vn the been totally disconnected. if we have been in there training that long, take that information for what it is, how could we not be arming the correct people. is our intel that bad? or do we know exactly what we have to do. >> this is a extremely confusing and rapidly developing situation. people don't have a full-blown plan for exactly what we're going to do tomorrow, the next day and the week after that. but there's elements of the seer ran opposition we're working with. >> and he used the word training. >> yeah. >> we have boots on the ground training. >> yeah. >> want to play another exchange

between kerry and mccain. >> is it your view that the syrian opposition is viable? hello? >> hello senator. i'm taking you so seriously. >> i know. is it your view that the syrian opposition is viable. >> the syrian opposition has been viable enough to be able to survive under difficult circumstances -- but they still have some distance to go and we need to help them go that distance. >> right. and they obviously need our assistance in weapon and training which you are going to embark on. are you surprised in the degree of misinformation that members of congress will swallow whole like there's been a cease-fire agreement between the free syrian army and isis, put out by isis. does that surprise you sometimes. >> senator. [ laughter ] sometimes. >> doesn't surprise you, got you. >> no. no.

no. >> senator mccain i would like to ask you is there any information you have swallowed hook line and sinker like wmd in iraq. there's all kinds of things we can point out when it comes to who has the correct information. bottom line is we are about to put more arms in syria, would be nice to know whose arms they are going to. senator mccain i would love to go face to face with you on that issue. this is breaking news, the house just passed the syrian rebel training authorization. you're reaction. the house has voted. the republicans have stood in this partisan environment and the president will get the resources he needs to help the syrian moderates out. your thoughts. >> this is something that doesn't happen very long.

president doesn't enjoy this bipartisan very often. i'm in san francisco. home of nancy pelosi john boehner, also in favor, overwhelming numbers support this. but the house legislation holds the administration, the executive, to a tight leash, it only lasts until the end of this year. it requires reporting back from the president. it is very concern not to let the arms we're giving to the resistance fighters slip into the hands of islamic fundamentalist. that is a real risk. i thi i think stepping up quickly to support at least the training portion of this fight is the right thing. that's part of the reason 62% of the american people are afraid of the rise of islamic

fundamentalists that they are seeing over the last month and support the president's action. so the people, the congress, and the executive are in perfect alignment at this point, something very rare over the last few years. >> i want to go back again to senator corker going back and forth with kerry. he asked what arab countries will have boots on the ground. secretary kerry wouldn't answer that directly and desfferred to private meeting they have to have for security reasons to reveal that. some may say the administration doesn't have a plan. oranges may conclude that this coalition is so fragile that the details can't be revealed. and of course kerry spoke to a general who is working on it at this hour. what's your take on this.

is this coalition fragile or so tight isis doesn't going to know what's going to come at them. >> i think is a coalition in formation. some of the countries are hesitant to commit to this. some afraid of siding too hard against isil will strength the shiite forces including the state of iran. so there is real hesitation here. and the executive branch has the delicate task of coaxing some of the sunni leaders into the battle. >> not often you see a prop, the prop today was the front in page of the wall street journal and the intpoint being made by secretary of state was, look at the progress. do you think it is real or phony?

i take it as people who don't get together for tea what's your response. >> exactly right. when you see a sunni arab leader embracing the shiite leadership of iraq and standing with them, that's a demonstration of the kind of coalition building you needed. it means money, resources, air power, can you translate that to arab boots on the ground. that's the task the administration has. the congress did the right thing today supporting this activity. >> ah all right. thank you for your time tonight here on the ed show. i appreciate it. now we turn to minnesota vikings, coming up we'll have the latest developments in the case against star running back adrian peterson and another

politician wants to test welfare recipients. or if light could seek out the dark? what would happen if that happens? anything. so ally bank really has no hidden fethat's right. accounts? it's just that i'm worried about you know "hidden things..." ok, why's that? no hidden fees, from the bank where no branches equals great rates.

watch this. sam always gives you the good news in person, bad news in email. good news -- fedex has flat rate shipping. it's called fedex one rate. and it's affordable. sounds great. [ cell phone typing ] [ typing continues ] [ whoosh ] [ cell phones buzz, chirp ] and we have to work the weekend. great. more good news -- it's friday! woo! [ male announcer ] ship a pak via fedex express saver® for as low as $7.50. [ male announcer ] ship a pak via fedex express saver® take and... exhale.in... aflac! and a gentle wavelike motion... aahhh- ahhhhhh. liberate your spine, ahhh-ahhhhhh aflac! and reach, toes blossoming... not that great at yoga. yeah, but when i slipped a disk he paid my claim in just four days. ahh!

four days? yep. find out how fast aflac can pay you, at aflac.com. >> adrian peterson is off the field again. >> i want to change an e to an a. i'd rather have patterson right now. >> it's $110 shirt. >> the products are something people can't get enough of. >> we value our partners, our response yoor sponsors, the community and especially our fans. >> people are making so much money and yet we still make the profit. >> the nfl may be at risk of losing some fons sporesponseore.

>> the nfl is basically invinceable. >> the story america is talking about is about adrian peterson. this story will make vikings fans forget they lost four superbowls. this just won't go away, will it. new major developments out of the nfl vikings announced star running back adrian peterson is going to be suspended, indefinitely in fact. he can't even go to lunch or practice. technically he is on an exempt commissioner's permission list, which i never heard of, but it does exist and other players have been on it before. he will continue to get paid. the nfl praised the vikings

decision today saying this. >> okay. peterson was charged friday with felony injury to his four-year-old chield who he allegedly beat repeatedly with a tree boranch. the vikings pulled a political move. this is the time line of their shaky decision-making. at roughly 4:15 eastern time friday he was indicted by a grand jury in texas. my question, what did the vikings know about the grand jury going on, or nothing. at 7:00 vikings announced peterson would be benched against the pailgtriots.

that didn't go good for them. the vikings lost to the patriots. 30-7. can't have that any more. so next the vikings reinstated him saying the legal process will just play out. throughout the day on tuesday, sponsors began putting pressure on the vikings and the national football league and then in the middle of the night 1:58 a.m., the vikings announced that peterson would again be suspended. pressure from sponsors, no doubt, had a major impact on their final decision. earlier today vikings owner zygi wilf admitted that the vikings messed one up big time. >> we have given this issue much thought and consideration since last friday. we have decided that the appropriate course of action for the organization and for adrian

is to put him on the exempt list until the legal proceedings are complete. we made a mistake. and we needed to get this right. it is important to always listen to our fans, the community, and our sponsors. to be clear, we have a strong the stance regarding the protection and welfare of children. and we want to be sure we get this right. >> key phrase in there, i this i, is it's important that we always listen to our sponsors. it wasn't the fans or the community, it was the sponsors. before the sponsors started dropping, this is what the vikings were saying. >> based on the extent of information that we have right now, and what we know about adrian not only as a person but what he has also done for this

community, we believe he deserves to play while the legal process plays out. at the same time, we must defer to the legal system to determine whether he went too far. but we cannot make that judgment. >> okay. because of what he has done for the organization, and what he's done for the community, we'll let the legal process play out. now if he was lousy football player he would be out of here and it would be a very serious situation. they are unguided missile in the front office of the vikings. in fact they may even change their night after tonight. on tuesday radisson and anheuser busch announcing they will drop sponsorship.

there was an investigation going on for months and they of course didn't know about is it. i mean, look. goodell and the nfl seem to have a hard time deciding what's more important, having a moral compass or a real good bank account and a fat salary himself. this guy is much a problem as he has caused and the amount of leadership he has failed to show he still doesn't have it within him to say, you know what, maybe the league should have someone else. get your phones out. tonight's question. does the nfl care more about its sponsors or fans. text a for sponsors or b to fans to 67222. we will bring you the results later in the show. for more let me bring in

national sports columnist at university of miami. terry o'neill and talk show host in minneapolis. jim, you first tonight. what are the vikings doing? do they have a includclue? i read your article that laid if out profoundly how misguided they are. and this was before, what do you make of their moves. >> they don't really know what they're doing. the amazing thing is they have had more arrests than any team in the nfl. they have had numerous off field embarrassments, including the love boat scandal that caused zygi wilf to say will he crack down on people who don't behave right in their organization. and they still don't know how to manage crisis.

it's the nfl, they don't know how to manage violent acts. i think they panicked on friday. i think they deactivated sunday because they didn't know how logistics would play out. i don't think they knew what to do. it was their way of calling time out. and then they watched the team get beat by 23 points and said we need this guy on the field. so they made that unconionable decision on monday but that is the way the nfl works and when sponsors started selling out they panicked and realized that more advertisers would be pulling out if they se they would continue to play adrian peterson on sunday. and they made the third panic move, finally got it right, decided to reactivate adrian peterson. i'm not sure he will ever play for the vikings again.

>> really. you think he is done for the vieks. what is the callers saying. >> honestly as a sports columnist, usually you right about superficial subjects with superficial responses, i've never had such an outpouring of e-mails and corresponds from serious people as i have after writing these last few columns, i have gotten numer, numerous e-mails from people abused as children, doctors, psychologists, professionals, mothers, from parents. it's been pretty profound. there's still the lun atick fringe calling for adrian to be on the field but i think it is a minori iity minority. i think most fans, most citizens don't want to see the guy again. >> how do you see the vikings

revers reversal. what are your thoughts? >> well, i'm going to take it a step further and say what i told you on your radio show today, all right, my reporters gut instinct is, there's a whole lot more going on than what we know. there's month way in the world that all of a sudden the vikings and the nfl will get together in the wee morning hours to do this unless in my opinion something they discovered scared the living daylights out of them. we talked about this before, all of the nfl teams in the league have extensive security force. head of security detail is former secret service agent. i believe they discovered something and that is why they came up with this exempt commissioner permission list,

this is something they got out of the bottom of a file cabinet left over from ford back in the 20s. this is just designed in my opinion to take care of knuckle heads like adrian peterson and greg hardy and the rest of them in a nice convenient way to put them to the side until things in their mind sort of blows over. >> two 30rgportions important k and women. what are your expectations right now? >> honestly, ed. we're continuing to call for roger goodell to resign. what we're seeing in team after team and at the executive level of the nfl is management by public outrage. that's not leadership. you know, every move that they make seems to be guided by how angry are the fans, how upset are the sponsors. where is their plan, where is their strategy for dealing with these acts of violence.

and honestly i keep waiting for someone in the nfl to say i have a plan to keep that little boy safe from now on. i have a plan to keep victims of domestic violence safe. i'm not hearing that either. roger goodell has kept such a dark cloud over the nfl, that unless he leaves i don't know how we enjoy football again. >> the commissions in the nfl just don't leave. they hang arnold i long, long, time. jim, you named taall these statements from sponsors making tough statements but no one has bailed out on the nfl yet. >> it's very superficial. if anheuser busch didn't pull their advertising, they said they aren't happy with recent developments.

i give radisson was a very direct reaction to seeing their name behind the vikings brain trust. the other ones, i think really it is cynical for the sponsors as it is for the nfl. nfl doing it to save face. no good intent, just covering their butts. >> the legal process could play out all the way into 2015 as i understand it. do you think he is done this year or this special compartment they put him in could it reinstate him if things simmer down. >> he has a hearing on october 8th but unless he goes there and plea bargains and throws himself

on the mercy of the court so he can get back on the field which i'm not sure will happen, you're talking about a 29-year-old running back, which is a devalued position in the nfl. he's paid $14 million a year, way more than anyone else is paying a running back. at the end of the season they will ask hard questions about renegotiating or trading to me this makes it simpler to get rid of him. >> terrence moving forward as far as the vikings are concerned. can they move any more. are they stuck with this right now? for the credibility of the community and the league, how many more times can they aafford to flip flop. >> well, many more times. i will piggy back on the sponsor thing i talked about yesterday. as i pointed out and has been pointed out today, this is all

superficial. here's one thing to take note of. sponsors put their finger to the air and see where the wind is blowing. this has had zero affect on the public. on sunday the 49ers played the bears, guess what, that was the most watched nfl regular season game in history involving a west coast team. what's that tell you? >> you think all of this surrounding the nfl increased the viewership? >> well, it may have. it did affect it. and contrary to popular belief adrian peterson will play again as long as he is able to get up and do something, otherwise they went have put him on a mist ear yaus list where he still gets paid. they would have kicked him out of the lead instead of put him on the deactivated list, you can

do that up to four times, you do it this way you can at any point bring him back, and that's going to happen if he can still play. >> the first bomb shell that unfolded here, a magnitude of unbelievable prop portion was the actions of running back ray rice and terry o'neill is now appealing his indefinite suspension what's your reaction to that. >> what he's saying is he was punished twice to the same offense. in fact the league's response to ray rice, adrian peterson, and others has been so inconsistent, there's no real governing policy they seem to be implementing. of course ray rice would make that argument. that is exactly what the executives at the nfl have done. they have governed their responses exclusively by public opinion. >> and jim, finally, are

minnesota fans emotional about this. you said you have gotten some e-mails from some very smart and deep people on all this. what about the emotion running here? >> i think incredible emotions on both sides. standing outside the stadium on sunday you saw people probably wearing adrian peterson jerseys and mocking anyone who would question that. and you see jerseys with the name or number crossed out. i think most people would like to see him punished, kept away from the team, but sports are not rational. there's a lot of fang fans that just want their fix on sunday. >> thanks so much to all of you. coming up we discuss the company's union representation

after the big merger.

whenwork with equity experts who work with regional experts that's when expertise happens. mfs. because there is no expertise without collaboration. there was no question she reminds you every day.

but your erectile dysfunction-that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any symptoms of an allergic reaction, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial.

we are a collection of smalls. a home saved. a hero homebound for a new opportunity. a kitchen that kick starts careers wells fargo invests in our communities a little differently. small measures that add up to make our whole even greater. little by little we can do a lot. because... small is huge. visit www.wellsfargo.com to see how big small can be.

in the country. we operate just like a city, and that takes a lot of energy. we use natural gas throughout the airport - for heating the entire terminal, generating electricity on-site, and fueling hundreds of vehicles. we're very focused on reducing our environmental impact. and natural gas is a big part of that commitment.

>> i want to be clear. the american forces that have been doueployed to iraq do not d will not have a combat mission.

they will support iraqi forces on the ground. as they fight for their own country against these terrorists. as your commander in chief, i will not commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in iraq. >> president obama earlier this afternoon and breaking news at this hour just a short time ago, the house voted to pass a measure to authorize president obama's request to train and equip moderate syrian rebels to fight isil militants. for the past few hours secretary kerry is attempting to make clear that the obama administration has a strategy and a coalition. joining me now former state department senior advisor in the obama administration. good to have you with us rosa. do you think secretary kerry

made the case today? >> i don't think he made it terribly persuasively but he will probably get the authorization anyway. >> what kind of debate will it be like in the senate? there didn't seem to be too muchp push back to the president and what he wants to do on the house side, which is rather stunning considering how the house that is treated president obama. what's it going to be like in the senate. do you think the administration will get what they need. >> i think they are rightly confident that at the end of the day they will get what they need. nobody disagree that's isis is a group of nasty people. nobody wants anything other than to see them stopped. there's a lot of skepticism about whether or not the president's plan will work but nobody on the hill has a better idea. i think is very hard for them to vote against what the president is authorizing. i think we will see a little bit

of political theater and a lot of legitimate skeptical questions about the liability of this approach but i think they will give the vote. >> you think they will get the vote. >> yeah. >> senators from alaska and west virginia have real reservations about whether this plan is going to work and on the other hand you have mccain leading the charng charge with lindsey graham that this doesn't go anywhere near far enough to dress this. >> that's the problem. the president's plan is too little for some and not enough for others. not making anybody terribly happy. his pledge not to commit u.s. ground troops to the left is not reassuring because they suspect minds have been changed in the

past or from the right if this is really a priority how could you up front say we're not going to do that. that zpt make any sense. that doesn't make any sense. so i think people are rightly concerned about the internal contradictions about his report but they don't have a better idea. they don't want to say, beheadings, we don't care, we're not going to help you mr. president. >> no boots on the ground is coming from the administration right now that the forces in iraq right now are not going to be used for combat, that doesn't mean there might be more forces sent that could be used for combat. it depends on how you want to interpret all of this. it seems to me united states is not committing to combat forces bau they want others to get their skin in the game. if they know the americans are going to put in troops they won't have to do it.

>> that's a generous interpretation, actually. it is possible that's what they are thinking. i have not seen any signs so far that any other states are showing the slightest willingness to put troops on the ground as opposed to help in other ways. i will applaud the administration as secret geniuses if this gets other nations to commit to ground troops. >> good to have you with us. >> tharnks a lot. up next larry cohen joins uz. stay with us. take an idea and make it happen. i'm janet long and i formed my toffee company through legalzoom. i never really thought i would make money doing what i love. we created legalzoom to help people start their business and launch their dreams. go to legalzoom.com today and make your business dream a reality. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side.

machines will be sprayed to be made. and making something stronger... will mean making it lighter. one day, factories will work with the cloud. one day... is today. who would have thought masterthree cheese lasagna would go with chocolate cake and ceviche? the same guy who thought that small caps and bond funds would go with a merging markets. it's a masterpiece. thanks. clearly you are type e. you made it phil. welcome home. now what's our strategy with the fondue? diversifying your portfolio? e*trade gives you the tools and resources to get it right. are you type e*?

♪ yeah, girl ♪ you know, i've been thinking about us ♪ ♪ and, uh, i just can't fight it anymore ♪ ♪ it's bundle time ♪ bundle ♪ mm, feel those savings, baby and that's how a home and auto bundle is made. better he learns it here than on the streets. the miracle of bundling -- now, that's progressive. welcome back. we have breaking news out of the nfl. greg hardy has voluntarily agreed to go on the exempt commissioner's permission list. he will sit out games for the time being while his domestic abuse conviction is appealed. we'll be right back.

and for many, it's a struggle to keep your a1c down. so imagine, what if there was a new class of medicine that works differently to lower blood sugar? imagine, loving your numbers. introducing once-daily invokana®. it's the first of a new kind of prescription medicine that's used along with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. invokana® is a once-daily pill that works around the clock to help lower a1c. here's how: the kidneys allow sugar to be absorbed back into the body. invokana® reduces the amount of sugar allowed back in, and sends some sugar out through the process of urination. and while it's not for weight loss, it may help you lose some weight. invokana® can cause important side effects, including dehydration, which may cause some people to have loss of body water and salt. this may also cause you to feel dizzy,

faint, lightheaded, or weak especially when you stand up. other side effects may include kidney problems, genital yeast infections, urinary tract infections, changes in urination, high potassium in the blood, or increases in cholesterol. do not take invokana® if you have severe kidney problems or are on dialysis or if allergic to invokana® or its ingredients. symptoms of allergic reaction may include rash, swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing. if you experience any of these symptoms, stop taking invokana® and call your doctor right away or go to the nearest hospital. tell your doctor about any medical conditions, medications you are taking, and if you have kidney or liver problems. using invokana® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase risk of low blood sugar. it's time. lower your blood sugar with invokana®. imagine loving your numbers.

ask your doctor about invokana®. that corporate trial by fire when every slacker gets his due. and yet, there's someone around the office who hasn't had a

performance review in a while. someone whose poor performance is slowing down the entire organization. i'm looking at you phone company dsl. 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. welcome back to "the ed show." this is for folks who take a shower after work. afl-cio president got called. after 19 years of unionization efforts, american airlines customers agents will finally get representation they've been fighting for. on tuesday airline employees of the merged american airlines and u.s. airways voted to join a joint union. roughly 86% of those voting elected to join the union. the election covered over 14,000

employees, including those who work as folks at counters, boarding gates and call centers and reservations. 9,000 of those work herbs were previously nonunion employees at american airlines. the agents will be represent by the communication workers of america or the international brotherhood of teamsters. it is important to note american airlines is based in texas. not exactly union friendly territory. in three quarters of the agents for the combined airlines work in the south. which makes this really a big victory for labor, particularly. in part of the country. joining me tonight, larry cohen, president of the communication workers of america. good to have you with us. a congratulations in order. it is interesting, these work wreshs given a chance to vote and look what happened. your thoughts on this. how big is this? >> this is really big. 2,300 of these workers are based at home, talking on customers from there. primarily in north carolina and texas. most of these workers are women.

they showed that they can build this unity over the 19 years, this is 9,000 of the 15,000 that never had a union that have worked with our union for that entire 19 years. i was with them yesterday at the national mediation board when that vote came in. it was an emotional high that i will never forget. more importantly neither will they. it was an electronic vote flash up on the screen. i couldn't describe the joy that they will now be able to participate in their future actively with the management, as this airline recovers. it is the largest in the country. and that they will be able to engage, negotiate, and share in the well-being of the company. not sit back and get whatever they're dished out. >> it is interesting. american airlines stock rose, went up after the news of the vote came out. what do you think that signals? >> the stock has been rising. i think actually it is part of why, this is a land slide. this was like 7-1.

and i think the enthusiasm that they're part of a number one airline now that is growing. not in bankruptcy. and that they can look forward to a brighter day. for them, their communities and their families. this is a big deal. as you said, across the south, the biggest two centers, texas and north carolina, i can't hem but say the elected officials stayed out of it. the management mostly stayed out of it. they just wanted a high turnout. this was a high turnout. 75% turnout. this is a great day for america. it shows we can still have democracy on the job. >> so what happened at american airlines didn't happen in tennessee. >> not at all. not to blal it all the on the volkswagen management but in this case, the elected officials in those states stayed out of it and it is the way it should be in a democracy. employees got to decide, do we want to have collective bargaining or not? as they answered loud and clear. we want collective bargaining,

in north carolina, in texas, in florida, across the south and across the country. >> no doubt, president of the communication workers of america. a big win for your union tonight and also the teamsters. >> to have you with us. that's the "ed show." "politics nation" starts right now. >> good evening. thank you for tuning in. news, moments ago, the house voted to approve president obama's plan to train and equip syrian rebels, fighting the terrorist group isis. this just hours after the president repeated his promise that he will not put u.s. troops on the ground. >> one of the things we've learned over this last decade is america can make a decisive difference but i want to be clear. the american forces that have been deployed to iraq do not and will not have a combat mission. they will supportra