but her eth necessity. what we saw on display during the confirmation hearings was very much the republican party of the 1960s. i kept watching that saying, you know, sotomayor feels like she's in press ton all over again. i think that's the issue. all of a sudden you have swing state yours have arizona, nevada, you even have texas, where those people are definitely vulnerable. and should they choose to run or rerun, in the case of ensign, we have a problem. >> chris, who's in trouble in this? mccain hasn't spoken. he's going on to vote for, my hunch. alexander in tennessee, hundreding it based on what he said. very few others beyond the five or six who have already announced so far. >> i was somewhat surprised with orrin hatch and chuck grassley, because they had this record, voted for every supreme court nominee prior. i think what she shows more than anything else is how partisan things are now in washington. i know president obama has built a lot of his reputation on

bipartisanship. it seems clear to me, look at economic stimulus, look at cap and trade, look at this vote, you're looking at lots of party line votes on big issues that are going to be issues, maybe not sotomayor, but health care and -- >> will they pay a price with hispanic voters out in the west, especially people out west that we mentioned? >> you know, if you look at 2008, they didn't have all that far to go down to be honest, chris. they were already losing badly. they have to find a way back. i'm not sure voting for sonia sotomayor would have been republicans' path back to winning the hispanic vote. but they've got to start somewhere. >> i think what is sending a message right now, especially after confirmation hearings, increase of the immigration policy. latinos are looking for a party. it's not necessarily democratic. >> democrats are going to rub it in their face. they're going to rub it over and over again. she'll look appropriate. she's got the credentials. they'll say they voted owns aagainst her for ethnic reasons,

they'll nail them, i think so, especially out west. join us again tomorrow night for more "hardball." right now it's time for "the ed show" with ed schultz. i'm ed schultz. this is "the ed show." good evening, americans. live from 30 rock in new york it's "the ed show" on msnbc. the senate finance committee is hijacking health care reform. how about that. they killed the public option and they expect everybody else just to follow suit in the congress. i'll ask senator jack reed of the health committee and house democrat early blumenour if they plan to bow to the baucuss and grassleys in the world. seems sarah palin has unfinished business in alaska that could change her political future. the chairwoman of the democratic party in alaska will join me with all the details tonight.

you're going to want to see this. the health industry. by george, they are just lining their pockets. and they are lining the pockets of the blue dog democrats. sam stein of "the huffington post" has the numbers and he'll be joining me in my "playbook" tonight. plus "psycho talk" and a great panel coming up. the michael vick story is hot talk across america. it's not just a football story, it's about social justice, it's about redemption, rehabilitation. can it happen? fairness. in the nfl, it's about business. i'm going to debate that with someone tonight. stephen a. smith has a lot to say about this. all of that's going to be coming up at the bottom of the hour. i want to know what you think about this story. does michael vick deserve a second chance in the national football league? "a" for yes, "b" for no to 622639. stay tuned for more on this at the bottom of the hour. first, tonight's "op ed." you know, i was afraid of the content that was going to be in

this program tonight because i knew this was coming for a long time. i've put my heart and soul into this and i think a lot of americans have as well. the senate finance committee, let's all bow and genuflect. they're ready to deep-six health care reform as you and i want it. max baucus and chuck grassley have a plan with no mandate -- that means not everybody's going to get covered -- no public option -- that means there's a real good chance rates won't come down -- all in the name of bipartisanship. listen to baucus today. >> it's very important, we spent a lot of time with them. with all colleagues who really do want health care reform. that and all democrats. most republicans. >> most republicans? want health care reform? folks, i think we could almost put that in "psycho talk" tonight. senator, the democrats have 60 votes. you've got it right there for

the taking. the republicans are still telling you what to do, how high to jump, when to jump. there are several democrats on the finance committee, although who do support a public option. here's what they had to say today. >> my first choice is to have a public plan. and to have a public option. but we all understand that there's going to be some compromise in this effort. that's the only way you can put a complicated bill like this together. so we'll see what happens. >> i continue to be open to various ways in which you could pursue a public option. >> no comment. >> do you feel that means that i don't have anything -- >> jay rockefeller, that man along with ted kennedy, they have spent their careers working on health care reform. when he comes out and said, no comment, after all of this, it just tells me that we got a long way to go as progressives. now, if that's the best they can do, i think we're in trouble. they should be fighting tooth and nail against the republicans

on this who have offered nothing. president obama campaigned on a government-run plan that would give the private sector some competition. it's called a public option. he took that to the critics today with a form of a town hall meeting and an aarp town hall. here's what he had to say. >> i get a little frustrated. because this is one of those situations where it's so obvious that the system we have isn't working well for too many people. this is controversial. i understand some people are worry about this. we do think it makes sense to have a public option alongside the private options. >> mr. president, respectfully, this is not controversial. you have the people with you. the right is run an all-out smear campaign against health care reform, and you. now the president, i'm nervous he's starting to buy into some of these right-wing talking points. the only controversy is that we are the richest country on the face of the earth that has 47 million americans that don't

have health care insurance. people get sick, they don't have coverage. they're getting put out of their health. bankruptcy is a big play here. where's the controversy? the controversy is within the confines of the caucus of the democratic party that i think is not listening to the people out there. one thing is for sure. we're going to find out how unacceptable this is. you see, the other side says, well, everything's going to be just fine. i want the passion in this. last week, the president went out on the road, and he just struck a different tone in all of this. tell me if that last piece of tape you just saw and this piece of tape you're going to see right now, if there's really any difference. >> we have talked and talked and talked about fixing health care for decades and we have finally reached a point where inaction is no longer an option. where the choice to defer reform is nothing more than a decision to defend the status quo.

and i will not defend the status q quo. we are going to change health care reform. >> now, if that's the way those committee hearing meetings were behind closed doors when they get together and said they work sod hard on this, i'd feel pretty comfortable about all of that. joining me is senator jack reed with us tonight who is on the health committee. what we have here is we've got the senate finance committee coming out with one thing, we've got the senate health committee coming out with something else. we've got these titans in the democratic party that are going to clash on this. senator reid, good to have you with us. how's this going to come out? how's this going to come out tonight? >> well, it's going to take awhile. this is a very collected, substantive issue. also it's fraught with politics as many thing is are around here. but this is a long process. not only the senate will weigh in but the house will weigh in. and the issue of public option, the issue of insurance reform, of ensuring that people can maintain their coverage,

stability, all those things i think we're going to be accomplished but it's going to take a long, long time. it's a convoluted process also. >> so, do you think that this recess coming up is going to be a good thing or a bad thing for the entire process? missing the deadline? >> it really depends on what we all do. you talked about listening to the american public. we have to communicate with the american public. we have to show everyone that this is a better path. that the future is unsustainable in terms of both the social conditions of lack of health care for 44 million americans and also the economic conditions facing families, facing state governments, facing the federal government. then we have to show in a very particular way that they're going to be better off. and that's our challenge this august. >> but senator, how can one committee, the finance committee, come out with something almost totally different from the health committee, when the democrats are on obviously both committees. they're in the majority. have you ever seen the minority party in washington be so strong

as the republicans are right now on such a big issue? >> well, in the senate, the key is 60 votes and that gives the minority leverage -- >> i'm not talking about the committee, senator. i'm talking about it seems there are some democrats that are caving over there in the finance committee. that they just will not embrace the idea of a government-run insurance company that will guarantee competition that hopefully will bring down rates. they're just distancing themselves from that. but then on the other side you've got the health committee to say, yep, we want the public option. how can it be so different? >> well, because we are committed to the same goals but we've chosen different paths. i think the finance committee members are working very hard. we all want to accomplish reform on a democratic side. because we know the consequences are unacceptable. and the president said that very eloquently. but they are trying to reach a

different approach. we have certain different jurisdictions. that might make a difference. but we have to bring together a bill to come to the floor. that will be the merger of the health committee and the finance committee. then we have to -- >> finally, senator, do you think president obama has changed his thinking on public option, now that he's not getting a vehicle trae out of the senate finance committee? >> i don't think he's changed. i think what he is doing is understanding -- he served with us for several years -- this process. and i think he's committed to improving health care for all americans. and he's going to stay at it. i must say that i was -- participated in '93 in '94 in this health care debate and we're about a year ahead of where we were in '93 and '94 because of the president's leadership. >> senator, good to have you with us tonight. senator jack reed with us here on "the ed show." i just want to point out quickly back in '93 and '94 when the democrats didn't get it done, they got smoked in the midterms. i think the american people are expecting something to happen

here. now, politico is reporting tonight that there's not going to be any vote before the recess over on the house side. for more on that, let's bring in congressman earl blumenour. good to have you with us tonight. you're on the house ways and means committee. this is not good news over on the house side tonight, or am i overstating that? >> it's a little frustrating that there seems to be such -- sort of a jell-o approach on the senate side. we just had a long meeting this morning with speaker pelosi, who remains committed to having a viable public option so that there will finally be realistic competition for so many of the states where there are really no realistic choices -- >> but this is deadline number two that's missed. they missed it in the senate, now they're going to miss it in the house. >> well, in fairness, there's -- there has been a lot of progress. as you know, i'm one of the people that wants a public option. but this has been difficult to be able to put the things

together. i think we will have a bill that will be available for people to understand what the broad sweep is that we're talking about. that people will have a chance to work with. >> it seems to me, congressman, that the republican sound machine and the negativity that's coming from the minority party is starting to get some teeth and dig in a little bit here. and having -- they've knocked off the vote in the senate. they've knocked off the deadline in the house. now you've got these conservative democrats over on the house side, the blue dogs, who are taking money from the medical -- we'll have that story later on in the program. they're winning. the minority is winning. are you willing to say that tonight? >> i think that -- what we're doing in the house is much broader than that. we're trying to integrate three different committees. and it's not just the blue dogs that we're working with. but i think we've made progress. i think you're going to see a bill. the other side is making --

having some traction, in part because they're just lying through their teeth. i had to put up with that today in the chair for two hours, listening to people talking about a government program that's threatening to put senior citizens to death? >> this is crazy. >> these people are off the edge. >> they are off the edge. in fact, today at the white house press briefing, this is robert gibbs, he addressed that situation. here it is. >> i think there are people that have knowingly spread information, inaccurate information, to hold up progress on health reform. i think that's about as obvious as the sun having come up this morning in the east. >> so, congressman, let's be straight with our viewers tonight. republicans are lying about health care reform. >> there is no question in my mind. all anybody has to do is look at what they said on the floor today. outrageous claims. things that are completely

beyond the pale. misrepresenting. that's their tactic. we can't let them get away with it. >> i hope everybody goes home and has a wonderful august and tells everybody how the republicans are lying and maybe the grassroots effect will take place. congressman, good to have you with us tonight here on "the ed show." for more i want to bring in maggie mayhar, health care fellow at the century foundation. she authored a book in 2006, "money-driven medicine," which is exactly what we're seeing right now. also her book has turned into a documentary over the last few years. good to have you with us tonight. >> thank you. >> was this predictable, what we're seeing? >> i'm very disappointed that more democrats haven't food up. i'm not surprised about max baucus. max baucus has repeatedly checked his values at the door. when he voted with the bush administration on the managed care bill that provides a windfall for for-profit insurers and for pharma. when he voted for tax cuts for

the wealthiest americans at a time when we couldn't afford that. i'm not surprised about max baucus. i think we have to remember that senate finance is not the whole game. first of all, there are two chambers on the hill. the house, which has a pretty good bill. it's still a work in progress but it's a pretty good bile. and you've got the other senate question and chris dodd and of course kennedy behind him. so i don't think, or at least i hope, that max baucus is not as powerful as he seems to think he is. >> what about confusing? the american people? did you think this has worked? there's a lot of people out there, what's public option? well, it's a government-run health insurance program you can buy into to give some competition. that's the quick definition. i think there's a great deal of confusion. >> people don't understand, first of all, that the public option would be, one hopes, modeled on the reformed medicare program. right now, there are many plans in the house bill to reform medicare so that it provides higher quality care at a lower

price, so that it pays primary care docs 5% to 10% more. many good things there. and the public sector option, when it rolls out in 2013, would incorporate many of those excellent reforms. that's what we need. >> maggie mahar, we've got to have you back. you've got a lot of information on costs and how we can keep it down. the president addressed that today and we'll have you back to talk about that. coming up, sarah palin's got unfinished business in alaska, involving her e-mail. she's not going to be able to escape this. i'll talk to the chair of the alaska democratic party when we come back. new information here on "the ed show." my mother made the best toffee in the world. it's delicious. so now we've turned her toffee into a business. my goal was to 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. robert shapiro: 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. i want to know what you think. does michael vick deserve a second chance in the nfl? i'm going to debate it with

stephen a. smith who's on our panel coming up at the bottom of the hour right here on "the ed show." so there's embrace, the latest razor from venus. 5 blades surrounded by a ribbon of moisture... shaves closer than ever... and leaves your legs smoother than ever. venus embrace. - hello! - ha! why don't you try a home cooked meal... with yummy hamburger helper? oh! tada! fantastically tasty, huh? ummm, it's good. what would you guys like? hamburger helper. what?! one pound... one pan... one tasty meal! i've been hangin' up there for, what, like, forty years? and then - wham - here i am smacking the pretty off that windshield of yours. oh, what you're looking for an apology? well, toss another coin in the wishing well, pal. it's not happenin'. limb: hey, what's up, donnie? how you been? anncr: accidents are bad.

sarah palin still has unresolved business in alaska. the alaska democratic party, they want her e-mails. they say palin's administration is obligated to release the e-mails under the freedom of information act. the release has already been delayed, folks, more than six months. joining me now to explain what the heck is going on with these e-mails in alaska is democratic party chair patty higgins. she joins us on the phone from a remote area in alaska. miss higgins, thanks for your

time tonight. explain to our listeners, why is it taking so long to get the release of the palin administration e-mails? what's happening here? >> well, hi, ed schultz. good to talk to you again. alaskans sure wish you would come visit us, even if it is a remote location. some island way out. i'm off on bernoff island actually, in southeast. you know, the problem with the e-mails, i don't know. it seems to me if it takes this long, they must be trying to hide something. we've actually requested these under the alaska state law, the public records act. and that provides that they will give us these e-mails within ten working days of the request. >> so, is it your idea that maybe there is a deal that's been cooked here? how forthcome doing they have to be under the freedom of information act, as opposed to state law in alaska? ten days, heck, it's been over six months. >> it's way over six months. it was eight months in april.

so, you know, sarah palin ran on a platform of no scandals, no corruption. she promised open and transparent government. >> where's the law? where's the law, patti? >> that's right. and she, you know -- we would have thought, hey, sarah palin, she's somebody who would just print out those e-mails, maybe it would take her tech crew a week to figure out how to do that. >> what do you think they'll reveal? >> there's a guy in california who's actually had a few of the e-mails released. and he says that they're heavily redacted. they are edited. and some of them are even completely revised. >> do you think that this will play into the ethics issues that she's having and she's really trying to cover something up? >> well, i -- in my opinion, yes, that's why i'm continuing to pursue these e-mails. even though the attorney general has told us the cost is $450,000 and climbing. >> why is it costing so much? >> well, they've had their legal

team on it for all this time. they say they've had four attorneys working full-time. >> to make sure that they don't get released? >> well, i suppose it takes -- i mean, i've -- back in april i figured they were spending five hours per e-mail. and these are from sarah palin's official state correspondence e-mails. this is before we knew she was running the state from her personal blackberry. and thereby possibly avoiding the type of scrutiny that we're asking for here. >> where there's smoke, there's fire. patty higgins, good to have you with us tonight. chairwoman of the alaska democratic party. stay on that story and we will as well. i think that these e-mails will be the key that opens up the lock to a lot of things. thanks, patti. appreciate your time. next on "the ed show," "psycho talk." this is a new level of crazy. the latest righty talking point is the democrats want to euthanize seniors.

90s slacker . ♪ singer: buckle up, everybody 'cause we're taking a ride ♪ ♪ that can strain your relationships and hurt your pride ♪ ♪ it's the credit roller coaster ♪ ♪ and as you can see it kinda bites! ♪ ♪ so sing the lyrics with me: ♪ when your debt goes up your score goes down ♪ ♪ when you pay a little off it goes the other way 'round ♪ ♪ it's just the same for everybody, every boy and girl ♪ ♪ the credit roller coaster makes you wanna hurl ♪ ♪ so throw your hands in the air, and wave 'em around ♪ ♪ like a wanna-be frat boy trying to get down ♪ ♪ then bring 'em right back to where your laptop's at... ♪

♪ log on to free credit report dot com - stat! ♪ vo: free credit score and report with enrollment in triple advantage. real food at the right price! this is the primo stuff. one appetizer and two premium entrees. just twenty bucks-every day. genuine food. generous portions. genius price. 2 for $20! only at applebee's. capturing the beauty of nature. that's my vision. every day, transitions lenses are there to help care for my sight. announcer: transitions lenses adjust to changing light to reduce glare and help protect your eyes from uv damage so you can see better today... and tomorrow. live your vision. transitions. healthy sight in every light. to learn how transitions lenses can help protect your family's eyesight, go to our website or stop by a wal-mart vision center near you. a day on the days that you have arthritis pain, you could end up taking 4 times the number... of pills compared to aleve. choose aleve and you could start taking fewer pills.

just 2 aleve have the strength... to relieve arthris pain all day. whether you consider it a cruiser or a clunker, you could turn it into cash. get to your dodge, chrysler, and jeep dealer, and get up to double the government's cash for your old car. now get up to $4,500 for your old car... plus, up to an additional $4,500 cash allowance. no turn-in? no problem. your dodge, chrysler, and jeep dealer guarantees everyone up to $4,500 cash allowance... on virtually every model.

get to your dodge, chrysler and jeep dealer on the double, and get double cash for your old car! oh, yes. time for "psycho talk." we've got a live one for you tonight. actually, two of them. congressman lewis daumert of texas and virginia fox of north carolina. they're following the gop playbook on health care and actually, folks, they really turned it up a notch to "psycho

talk." president obama's health care plan is going to kill senior citizens. let's start with gaumert. he went on a radio show to push his own anti-obama conspiracy theories. >> we've been battling this socialist health care, the nationalization of health care, that is going to absolutely kill senior citizens. they'll put them on lists and force them to die early because they won't get the treatment as quickly -- >> they're not even letting you do mailers. >> we thought that was bad until we heard congresswoman fox on the house floor today. >> republicans have a better solution that won't put the government in charge of people's health care, that will make sure we bring down the cost of health care for all americans, and that ensures affordable access for all americans and is pro-life because it will not put seniors in a position of being put to death by their government. >> put to death by their government? to say the legislation encour e

encourages euthanasia, that is absolutely outrageous, it's outright false, and it is total "psycho talk." coming up, i think michael vick could be even better this season than he was before. tell me what you think. does michael vick deserve a second chance in the nfl? "a" for yes," b" for no, to 622639. i'm debating it when we come back. gentleman from p.e.t.a. is here tonight on "the ed show." (announcer) create a gourmet meal on a weeknight?

introducing anytime gourmet culinary kits for two. it has everything you need. just prep, cook and share your way into a gourmet meal. wild salmon dijon in puff pastry with whole-wheat orzo and vegetables. new stouffer's anytime gourmet. make it amazing. welcome back to "the ed show." i want to talk about michael vick tonight. i'm a football guy. all that aside it's so much bigger than a football story. i think it's about social justice, redemption, rehabilitation, and second chances in america. now, this guy could take a team to the super bowl from the business standpoint.

if i'm an nfl owner, i'm making this deal tonight. from a business standpoint, vick could still win a lot of games. personally, the guy's lost everything. so he's hungry. from a business standpoint, he's the perfect guy to be bringing it to the team. if it's just about playing. but it's a lot more than that. in my opinion, all the controversy surrounding michael vick disappears as soon as he throws his first touchdown pass because fans are going to be mopping that stuff up. now, americans move a comeback story, and they love a winner. in the eyes of a lot of americans, he'll always be a loser. now, joining me now is stephen a. smith, journalist and commentator. this is a tightrope story for people out there. the football lovers, they want him to play again. those who were -- some people are just never going to forgive the guy. how does this play? >> it plays he'll end up back in the nfl playing football. probably not making the money -- most definitely not making the money he once made. the reality is he deserves the opportunity to do so.

this is not something that is in conflict with anything as far as i'm concerned, in terms of meeting an american citizen. the man was incarcerated, he paid his debt to society. you think about prisons, you think of attica, you think leavenworth. he was in leavenworth. he spent 18 months there. he paid his debt to society. lost over $100 million. it gets to a point right now where it's not about anything else but compassion. where's your compassion? he's done his time. >> but stephen, what do you say to folks who will say, he didn't stay there long enough, he got off easy, got a lighter sentence. >> get over it. >> he shouldn't be able to come out and do -- >> get over it. the reason i say get over it is you and i didn't make that decision. neither did they. the system made that decision. he went to court. you understand he got convicted of this crime. a judge sentenced him to this crime. last time i checked we honor it. we honor it with murderers. we honor it with rapists.

we honor it with child molesters. we've got to honor it with him too. >> why do you think nfl teams aren't knock his door down right now? >> because they're scared of p.e.t.a. and other animal rights activists and the court of public opinion. that could ultimately affect your bottom line. especially in this economic recession, you've got a lot of people who are on guard. they don't want to do something that will be detrimental to their bottom line. >> i think the nfl is milking this for everything it's worth. the pr of the guy coming back, plays a couple of games, has to sit out, big anticipation of michael vick's first game. oh, gosh, could you see the tv ratings if he's going up against an undefeated team or a team off to a 3-1 start? >> first week of september or the third week in october. it's going to be there anyway. >> do you think he is fans are really going to be adamant about him coming back? >> yes. i don't think there's any question about it. >> do you think there will be protests outside the stadium? >> i don't think there will be any question about that either. but i think that you'll see the fans, his fans, speaking very --

being very, very outspoken in their support for him. because again, they're saying there are a lot of heinous things going on in this world where a lot of people are getting second chances. the man paid his debt to society. >> does race play into this, in your opinion? >> i don't think so. i think it would be inappropriate to say that. you've got a lot of animal rights activists and animal lovers that feel the way they feel because they contributed to the deaths -- the torture of animals. not because of race. >> tony dungy being involved as a moan mentor on this? >> i think that's a beautiful thing. tony dungy, when you talk about somebody with an impeccable reputation, a stellar human being that's recognized throughout nfl circles and throughout anybody in the sports world, you know about tony dungy. that's a good man to have as your supporter. >> stephen a., thanks so much. i want to bring in michael mcgraw of p.e.t.a. people for the ethical treatment of animals. good to have you with us tonight. >> thanks for having me. >> thanks for joining us. now, your organization has weighed in to this. do you want michael vick to have

the opportunity to play again and to go out and make a living at what he was doing before? >> p.e.t.a. thinks it's premature for michael vick to be reinstated and to have an opportunity to play again, absolutely. it's great goodell has said that he has submitted to some type of exam. but to our knowledge, he still hasn't been examined by a neurologist. we're not convinced that the remorse he's expressing is really genuine. >> a neurologist? >> what does that do? in the legal system, he wasn't required to take any of these tests at all. he's on probation. he's done his time. why would you make it doubly tough on him? >> you know, he's done his time, he's free to walk the streets like everybody else. that doesn't mean he should be rewarded with a multi-million dollar contract. >> what if he was a truck driver? >> to your point at the start of the segment, first game, you said his fans are going to just instantly forget. i think the public, you know -- they don't have a short-term memory. we're talking about a man who was involved, and you know, had personal involvement in --

>> he should a pay the price? >> the electrocution, drowning, beating, hanging deaths of several dogs. we're talking about major, major psychological problems that can't be just -- that can't be just wiped away by saying you're sorry. >> so he's not rehabilitated, your point? >> no. >> rehabilitation for someone who's got a problem goes on every day the rest of your life. >> i think he needs serious psychological evaluation. >> when will he be able to play? >> after he undergoes a brain scan to see if he's capable -- >> that's ridiculous. >> a brain scan for what he's done. >> give me a break. the reality this is. first of all, i want to go on record saying that anybody with sense would respect what p.e.t.a. does and what they stand for in terms of protecting the rights of animals. we know that, we don't want to dispute that. the reality is if michael vick were a construction worker working 9:00 to 5:00 p.e.t.a. wouldn't be protesting his return. >> what does money have to do with it? >> the fact that he's in the public eye, make the money, you're the one that brought up

millions of dollars that you believe he's going to earn require can assure you it's not going to be anything compared to what he was earning before. at the end of the day you consider the fact that he's in the public eye, he could do a lot of good. and you need to take that into consideration. and more importantly, talking about a brain scan, that's going a little bit too far, sir. >> what it comes down to is p.e.t.a. as well as everybody else hopes vick is a vastly different man than the one who committed these violent crimes. until he undergoes a thorough, psychological evaluation to determine whether he is truly remorseful, to determine whether he truly understands the gravity what was he did -- >> that's subjective, isn't it? >> how do you know? >> how do you determine whether someone recess morseful or not? it could get up into a sales pitch. >> it's a very specific part of your brain. in some people it's underdeveloped. what? >> it's a very specific part of your brain that determines whether you can -- >> give to it politicians, then. >> check this out, ed. i do believe it is fair to say that if somebody has been

incarcerated in a federal penitentiary for 18 months and they've lost about $130 million, i think they've learned their lesson. i think that's not something they would do again. >> i just have to bring it back again quickly to the animals. we're talking about -- do you know anybody who would be capable of electrocuting, drowning, beating -- >> no one is here to condone what michael vick did -- who's to say he's been racketed? rehabilitated? >> as far as the legal system is concerned he's now going to be given the next step of being on parole, to be able to go out in society and prove he has been rehabilitated, to prove there's testing ground out there but the fact is that he has to be given an opportunity to make a living. why would you deprive him just because he as chance to be in a profession to make a lot of money? what if he was a brain surgeon, a heart surgeon? >> the same thing would apply. it's a very big risk we're taking by allowing him hoo what's free to walk the streets

but i think he has to prove himself. >> i don't agree with that. >> isn't the risk bigger for michael vick than it fors anyone necessarily. >> i don't disagree with the fact that he's got to prove himself. >> exactly. >> you want to deny him the opportunity -- i mean, you want to be judge, jury and executioner on this on the guy's career when he's already gone through the legal system. >> we want psychologists and neurologists to be the one -- >> i hope you don't feel the same way about president obama for swatting a fly, by the way. >> stephen a. smith and michael mcgraw, appreciate your time tonight. thanks for coming in. jamal simmons, democratic strategist, is with towns night on our panel. roy sekoff action founding editor of "the huffing ton post." ron christie, republican strategist with us tonight. this is a as much a social question about us as a country, i think. when do we reach the level of acceptance, and it crosses i think a lot of social mores lines. jamal, what do you think about

this? >> i'm finding it hard to get worked bun this. i think that there's a real issue here about michael vick. michael vick committed a crime. it as serious crime. he was punished for that crime. he's now trying to come back and get back into his game, literally, and earn a living. i think we ought to give him a chance to do that. he ought to have the opportunity. i can't help but remember a story that ran in the detroit newspapers a few years ago about a homeless man who lived in the train station and he had a dog. and they did a three-part series how this guy ended up being homeless. the paper had to run a fourth story because so many people wrote in asking, how can they help the dog? who was living with this homeless man in the train station? what about the homeless guy? so i think the animal aspect is important here. but there's a lot of other things that are also important. probably had as much to do with it as brain scans did. >> ron christie, do you ever think that this will ever leave

michael vick in any way, shape or form? this is just something he's going to have to live with the rest of his life? >> i think the stigma of the crime he committed and the heinous nature of the crime he committed will stick with him. as you pointed out in the previous segment, he was tried, he was convicted, he was penalized, he took 18 months in prison. i took great offense listening to that person from p.e.t.a. say he has to get a neurological scan. we've heard some people saying african-americans should have scans on their brains and whatnot. i took great offense to that. the man has sat down with the commissioner of the nfl. michael vick has sat down with the humane society. i believe he's regretful. ed to goodness sakes lost over $100 million. if a team in the nfl decides to reinstate him and let him play that's one thing. the man should be allowed to regain his livelihood, whether football, construction work, driving a truck, whatever it is. for people to say he as brain scan i find patently offensive. >> the story hits the sensibilities of all of us in this country, especially pet

owners. we think about our pets possibly having to go through something like that. roy, is the nfl possibly making a big mistake by even entertaining the idea of bringing him back? >> not at all. let's keep it in perspective here for a second. remember lynndie england, who was the sort of poster girl for the torture of humans at abu ghraib? she served the same amount of time as michael vick. okay? he has paid a very serious price. the main thing about the nfl that you're asking is, if you really can't get over it, don't go to the games. don't turn on the tv. go to the games and boo him. you have the right to do that. you don't have the right to deny him the right to try to make a living. i don't think the nfl's making a mistake at all. >> so much more coming up. i appreciate your take on all of this tonight. a new report shows that lawmakers who voted against health care reform are taking the bulk of the money from the industry. how interesting is that. i want to know how much the blue dogs are pocketing. sam stein, "huffington post"

he's crunching the numbers, he's with us next. hi, may i help you? we're shopping for car insurance, and our friends said we should start here. good friends -- we compare our progressive direct rates, apples to apples, against other top companies, to help you get the best price. how do you do that? with a touch of this button. can i try that? [ chuckles ] wow! good luck getting your remote back. it's all right -- i love this channel. shopping less and saving more. now, that's progressive. call or click today.

welcome back to "the ed show." here's what our viewers think about michael vick. i asked if he deserves a second chance in the nfl. more than 5,000 viewers responded and i thank so much. 72% say yes, 28% of viewers of this show said, no, he does not deserve a second chance. coming up, i think the blue dogs -- you know, what team are they playing for? this is pay to play, baby, in the health care industry. s. when it comes to shaving i know when to change my blade. (announcer) gillette fusion's indicator strip fades to white when it may be time to change. fresh blade. better shave. wiggle your day with jell-o sugar-free gelatin. ♪ ooh, yeah it's 10 tasty calories...

loved by lips and hips alike. ♪ shake it, shake it, ooh, yeah ♪ jell-o. because every diet needs a little wiggle room.

whether you consider it a cruiser or a clunker, you could turn it into cash. get to your dodge, chrysler, and jeep dealer, and get up to double the government's cash for your old car. now get up to $4,500 for your old car... plus, up to an additional $4,500 cash allowance. no turn-in? no problem. your dodge, chrysler, and jeep dealer guarantees everyone up to $4,500 cash allowance... on virtually every model. get to your dodge, chrysler and jeep dealer on the double, and get double cash for your old car! in my "playbook" tonight, blue dogs in congress are still not playing ball with the rest of the democrats on health care. seven, seven blue dog democrats on the hausner gy commerce committee are holding up the health care reform legislation. turns out they're also lining

their pockets for the next election. with money from the health industry? of course. the public campaign action fund found out that those seven guys have raked in an average of $712,000 from the health care industries. now, that's close to $100,000 more than any of the other democrats on the committee. now, these guys are letting the health industry just flat-out buy them off. "huffington post" political reporter sam stein has been looking into the story and he joins me tonight. good to have you with us. how blatant is this? are they holding fund-raisers while all of this rancoring stuff is going on capitol hill? this is recent, this fund-raising? >> the fund-raising is omni present. it happens all the time. last night my colleague delaney and i went to a fund-raiser, not for blue dogs, featuring three republican senators, who hold

influential sway. raising funds, $2,000 a pop, $5,000 to have dinner. this is the type of stuff that goes on in washington, d.c. every single day. involves the blue dogs. they they happen to be taking in more money because they sit in critical positions on these committees. >> what do they say when they're asked about taking in this kind of money? what about conflict of interest? what about their conscience? do they have one at this point? >> well, you've got that. i would say the response tends to be, well, this isn't affecting my vote, we're in this for philosophical reasons, our opposition has nothing to do with the money that we're taking in from those bone nors. you find that disingenuous. their stances happen to be in opposition to the vast majority of public opinion. i mean, they -- not all of them. but many do not support a public plans for insurance coverage. we did this thing with the rnc internal polls. they had a public support for a public option at 60% in the rnc internal polls.

everyone knows it's popular. for some reason the blue dogs seem to object to it. clearly there has to be something nefarious going on there. they say it's principled opposition. >> sam stein, does it affect how they voted in the past? what about that? >> well, you know, it's more tactical, i think, than anything else. the blue dogs obviously are in unsafe districts traditionally for democrats. what they can do is hold out their support for legislation and get more favor somt party leadership. they get to go to the white house and appear with the president. they get to stand outside the white house and hold a news conference. they end up being the courted votes. in the end they might come back to the camp. i talked to one democratic strategist who says they will come back into the camp, they are going to vote for health care, it's just a matter of time. they get all this attention and all this money in the form of campaign donations in the interim from people who are courting their support. >> one of the reasons why i'm a hawk on this story, and sam, you've gone some great work on this, is this they're going home. and i want their constituents to go up to them and ask them, why are you taking this money when

you know you've got a critical vote and you're on a critical committee that affects every american? >> yeah. >> there's something wrong with this picture. >> sure. >> you talk about changing washington. and they're having dinners last night, were they not? >> well, i mean, that's the thing. there's two aspects to this story. the first was pointed out by congresswoman maxine waters today, which is that the house democrats recruited these blue dogs under the leadership of rahm emanuel, in order to bolster the majorities in the house. no democratic caucusing in the house. doesn't want to have big majorities. what you saw, the chickens are coming home to roost. there is a number. 140,000 people are going to lose their health insurance coverage in the next three weeks. that's about the time that people will be on recess in congress. so while these people are waiting to see what the final legislative constructs will be, are holding out for more goodies, maybe for some pork to bring home to the district, 140,000 people are going to lose their health insurance coverage.

someone should ask about that. >> this is so gross, i don't know if they want to go home. sam stein, "huffington post," always a pleasure, good to have you with us tonight. coming up, a retiring senator is taking parting shots at his fellow republicans. he says the party's becoming too southern. we'll talk about it with our panel next on "the ed show." crest pro-health provides... ...unbeatable protection against plaque and gingivitis vs. the leading mouthwash. it kills 99% of germs, helps prevent plaque and gingivitis, keeps teeth cleaner longer, and freshens breath... ...without the burn of alcohol. crest pro-health but i did. you need to talk to your doctor about aspirin. you need to be your own advocate. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. you take care of your kids, now it's time to take care of yourself. has the fastest hands boxing has ever seen. so i've come to this ring to see who's faster...

on the internet. i'll be using the 3g at&t laptopconnect card. he won't. so i can browse the web faster, email business plans faster. all on the go. i'm bill kurtis and i'm faster than floyd mayweather. (announcer) switch to the nation's fastest 3g network and get the at&t laptopconnect card for free. (announcer) switch to the nation's fastest 3g network you have questions. who can give you the financial advice you need? where will you find the stability and resources

to keep you ahead of this rapidly evolving world? these are tough questions. that's why we brought together two of the most powerful names in the industry. introducing morgan stanley smith barney. here to rethink wealth management. here to answer... your questions. morgan stanley smith barney.

welcome back to "the ed

show." senator george voinovich says the republican party has been taken over by southerners. the senator from ohio told "the columbus dispatch," "we've got too many jim demints and tom coburns. it's the southerners. they get on tv and go er, er. people hear them and say, these people, they're southerners. the party's being taken over by southerners. what the hell they got to do with ohio?" i wonder if he wasn't having a couple of cool ones when he did that interview. jamal simmons, democratic strategist. roy sekoff, founding editor of "the huffington post." ron christie, republican strategist. ron, we'll start with you. this is a very unusual comment by a senator, to talk about his party like that. does the republican party have regional issues? what do you think? >> i don't think we have regional issues. i've known senator voinovich for 17 years and he's a blunt and outspoken individual. i think the word he should have substituted was, the republican

party is being dominated by conservatives which i think is a good thing. we're going to obviously be in a good position to hold his seat in ohio with my good friend rob portman. the republican party is becoming a lot more conservative, a lot more fiscally responsible, looking at social issued. to suggest we're a southern party, think the senator is perhaps more off base there. >> is this good news to democrats, to hear somebody talk like that on the other side? >> i'm happy a democrat didn't say it because we'd be in the middle of some kind of holy war between the parties. the thing senator voinovich is missing the republican party was taken over by southerners over the course of the last 40 years. this isn't something that's very new. i have to say as somebody who grew up in michigan, i don't know that it's so much the southerners aren't as smart or the southerners aren't as capable. i think southerners are just as capable as everybody else. i've done a lot of work in georgia. there are a lot of people in michigan who have a lot in common with a lot of people in georgia and alabama. so before we get tooar