candidates have the promise to be solid presidents, even if i don't agree with one or either. whatever barack obama's degree of success ultimately, he clearly has the substance to fill the office. sarah palin has yet to show she does. most people watching right now, whatever your beliefs about what this country needs to do now, know it. that's hardball for now. thanks for being with us. good evening, americans, and welcome to "the ed show." tonight from new york, these stories are hitting my hot buttons, and on the table at this hour. nearly half of congress' made up of millionaires, what do they happen? i want you to remember that the next time that you hear mcconnell and boehner just whining over those tax cuts. it's selfish and unpatriot nick my opinion. my commentary and reaction from senator sherrod brown in just a moment. the righties are freaking out over airport security all of a sudden. they didn't have a problem with patdowns when bush was in office and now they're hellbent in protecting american's privacy?

i want to know if they're ready to scrap the patriot act and start all over. congressman jerry nadler sounds off in the about hour on that story. and barbara bush has a beef with sarah palin, and palin brought the hammer down on her reality show. it's all coming up. we'll show you the tape here on "the ed show" tonight. this is a story that has me fired up tonight. now, as the country gets ready to celebrate thanksgiving, let's keep in mind that over 15 million out of work americans and 44 million americans who are on food stamps, really when you think about it, have very little to be thankful for for 2010. those people, you know, they wish their only problem was getting felt up at the airport by a tsa agent, how about a job? the millionaires in congress are completely out of touch with the priorities of the american people. here's multi-republican millionaire, mitch mcconnell. >> as americans cross country prepare to celebrate thanksgiving this coming week,

we're reminded of the many blessings we enjoy as a nation. and we're also conscious this thanksgiving of the many americans who are struggling with serious hardships including the many millions of americans who are struggling to find work. it's time congress got its priorities straight. it's time congress focused on job creation and that means preventing tax hikes. time is running out but it's not too late for both parties to work together and prevent this massive tax hike from going into effect. it's not too late to focus on the priorities of the american people. >> we should have only played about 20 seconds of that sound bite. what a fraud. two things here. number one, this is the biggest fallacy in this entire conversation. that if we extend the current legislation, it's just going to create jobs, this tax policy. they're just going to be falling -- the opportunity's going to be falling from the sky. on the other hand, mcconnell sits there acting so sincere. like he really cares about these

americans, when last week the republicans stood in the way of extending the unemployment benefits. why? because they're so concerned about the budget. to the hell with that. these are americans who are suffering. now, mcconnell wants to block unemployed americans from getting, think of it now, $3 hein week, can't allow that, but he thinks that giving millionaires $700 billion in tax breaks is going to be the answer to everybody's problems over the next ten years. where are the jobs? billionaire, warren buffett, he doesn't see it that way. this is what he said yesterday. >> the rich are always going to say that, you know, that -- just give us more money and we'll go out and spend more and it'll all trickle down to the rest of you, but that has not worked the last ten years, and i hope the american public is catching on. >> buffett is spot on. some people are catching on a group of wealthy americans, they dhaumzs patriotic millionaires for fiscal strength they're calling an end to the bush tax cuts if the rich. put on out a statement.

"we are writing to urge you, mr. president, to stand firm against those who would put politics ahead of their country for fiscal health and our nation and the well-being of our fellow citizens, we ask that you allow tax cuts on incomes over $1 million to expire at the end of this year as scheduled, we have done very well over the last several years now during our nation's moment of need, we are eager to do our fair share. we don't need more tax cuts." so who's the patriot here, folks? is it mitch mcconnell, dr. greedy or is it these group of millionaires who drink the good wine, live the good life? they have the courage to step up. they know this isn't going to hurt them. the group also points out that only 375,000 americans have incomes over $1 million a year. that's .12% of the entire population of the united states. they also go on to point out

that 44% of the members of congress are millionaires. the very people who make all the decisions when it comes to unemployment and decisions on food stamps have absolutely no idea what it's like to sit at a table at thanksgiving when somebody doesn't have a job. now the millionaires are spot on. over the last 30 years, look at the number. the richest 1% have seen their income go up 281%, although mcconnell and boehner they haven't put one thing on the table to help out the middle class or the working poor since the election. but they're talking a good game for the top 2%. instead they're playing politics with this tax cut issue. the president needs to tell mitch and the tan man, the free ride's got to be over for the super rich in this count pre. when they get back to work next week just lay it on the line. the tax rates need to go back to where they were when bill clinton was president, when they added 22 million jobs, and if the tax cuts for the top 2% expire, the millionaires in congress, gosh you know how it's going to hit them, they're going to have to shell out another 4%,

that's it. en what you compare it to the sacrifice of past generations, back in 1976, not long ago, the top marginal rate was 70%. today, they pay half of that much at 35%. so we can't move it to 39? the question comes up again, when does the greed stop? get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think. tonight's text survey question is, do you think millionaires and congress are completely out of touch with america? text "a" for yes. text "b" to no. we'll bring you the results later on in the show. joining me now is ohio senator, sherrod brown. >> good to be with, with you, ed. not one of the millionaires in the senate. full disclosureio your audience. >> thank you so much. i didn't think that you were out of touch. protecting the middle class and making sure that the wealthy

pays more, this is a real political tightrope for the democrats. what's the strategy? how are you going to make it happen. >> yeah, it's not an issue, tightrope at all. it's clear that warren buffett's right and that economists are right. that when george bush did his big tax cuts that went overwhelmingly to the wealthiest people in our society to the millionaires and billionaires twice in 2001 and 2003, the net increase of jobs during those eight years in the bush white house were -- was 1 million new private sector jobs created. with bill clinton, who balanced the budget, did some cutting and spending and raising of the income tax mostly for the wealthy. 22 million jobs created. >> okay. >> so we know trickle down doesn't work. the political issue here is harder because the republicans don't want to play. they only want to hold out. they are willing to hold the middle class tax it's middle-class tax cut hostage in order to help their millionaire and billionaire friends. so we have to peel a couple of them off or a few of them off to do just the middle-class tax cut and let the tax cuts expire for

the wealthiest people on the -- >> so the bullet point nat righties keep throwing out there, just as mr. mcconnell did over the weekend in the radio address in response to the president's radio address, it's all for 1 million jobs. we should extend these tax cuts and keep this legislation in place because we might add another million jobs over the next eight years. i mean if it's not serving up the big turkey for the democrats i don't know what is, but how are you going to get the 60 votes? >> well -- >> can the democrats get the 60 votes to do this. >> well we've got show the guts to stick with it, and vote time after time for only the middle-class tax cut and let the other tax cut expire. and when they bring up the tax cut for the wealthy, we've got all vote no. i mean we've got stick with it, and show the country, who's side you are on here? something that we didn't do very well on in the election. ed, basically what we're doing is mitch mcconnell saying, let's borrow $700 billion from china, give it on the richest 1 horse. true.

>> and then charge it to our grand children to pay it off. i mean what's good with that public policy. >> senator, i totally agree with you, but you still have to get those 60 votes. >> yep. >> do you think there will be a few republicans that will come over and not turn their back on the middle class? this is in a sense, it's a real gamble for the democrats. you've either got the power, you've got the votes or you don't. >> yeah, we wouldn't have it -- i mean you know how hard it was -- >> sure. >> -- to maintain unemployment benefits. it took vote after vote after vote until the republicans vote and then we got some their votes. well this is the same thing. if their vote were tomorrow, if the vote were early next week, which it will be likely, we wouldn't win but we've got keep doing it until -- until it's very clear in the public. >>ee soif the vote were handled right now you wouldn't have the votes, you don't think. >> i don't think, i don't think that we'd get any republican votes right now, but i think if the vote's over and over, if we do some all-night sessions, some, bring the cots out and sleep in the chamber, off of the chamber, often of the senate floor, whatever we have to do to

bring more attention to this and then we can start winning votes because then some number of republicans, most of them won't, but some of them will be embarrassed that all they're about is more tax cuts fwerlty. i mean the republican answer to every question, ed, as youoon. >> tax cuts. >> public policy answer is give more tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires. clearly it doesn't work for our country. >> it hasn't. senator, great to have you with us tonight. for more on this go to katrina vanden hufl, editor of "the nation." katrina, this is a big political play for the democrats. >> defining. >> defining. i mean, they have to do this or more basers are going to fade away from president obama. he's got to draw the line, don't you think. >> he's got to remind people of what he said when he ran for president, when he was a tough champion for working people and middle-class people in this country. and as senator brown said, which side are you? bring in those cots. do the all-nighters, expose the republicans for what they are, hypocrites who are ready to give hand dloeft outs to the

connected but won't give a hand up to those in economic pain in this country. >> how big a political play is it going to be for the president? here he is trying -- going to go back and talk to the chamber of commerce. here he is, wants to have dinner with the people who basically -- their number one thing is to take him down. the last thing i think that they're going to do is cave in on these tax cuts. they'd rather write it themselves after the first of the year. >> absolutely and you mentioned the chamber of commerce. one thing that's going to here is you know, they have invested in the republican party. i mean, you have millions of covert dollars streaming into the republican party to buy off those people who are putting politics ahead of their country. you mentioned earlier, ed, this new group. patriotic millionaires for fiscal strength. the president can bring together enlighten business people. warren buffett, others, a member of this group, bernie rapaport in waco, texas, have those

people stand by your side to show that there are those who understand that investing in this country is what brings security in the long run and it's not just hedge funds and putting money in offshore account and the nonpartisan cbo. says the least productive thing that you can do to above the the economy is to give tax cuts to the richest. >> it amazes me. i mean, here's sherrod brown if they held the vote tonight the middle class would lose. >> the middle class has lost for the last 30, 40 years for this country, ed. this is a moment for the democrats to define who they are. they can do it. they stand tall, have spine, and understand that you've got a republican party which is in hokto the richest 'determined to destroy this presidency and i think definitional moment as i said at the beginning and one that i think that millions of people and the polls are there, millions of people show that they want to preserve

middle-class tax cuts but they understand the very richest don't need it. we need a fair share economy, not a tinkle down economy as my good friend jim hightower out in texas says, because it has pissed on the working middle-class people in these last deck sides. >> it's amen. coming up that crazy bachmann out of minnesota won't back down saying that president obama is anti-american. somebody needs to get her out of her trance. and the newt gingrich ster thinks that he's a tough guy but i think that he's a coward. wait'll you hear what he said about some of my colleagues here on msnbc. and what the heck happened to the viks yesterday? huh? well, we fired the coach today. i think favre should take over, what do you think? don't throw anything at the screen. ♪

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welcome back to "the ed show" and thanks for watching tonight. this one burns me. president obama gearing up to get a truce together with the chamber of commerce. i say, what for? the president plans to speak to

the chamber in the coming weeks that's being described as an opportunity for him to repair his antibusiness image. stop it right there. this president does not have an image problem when it comes to business. if you check the record, this administration has put more on the table for small business in this country than the last three administrations put together. there's no question about that. now, mr. president with all due respect, this one has a lot of people on the left, including me, somewhat puzzled. you didn't bring down the economy. the greedy republicans did on wall street. the chamber represents them, remember? they were funneling anti-american money bombs from foreign countries to destroy your agenda. to take the power away from you. you had the guts to call them out. now's not the time for any kind of an olive branch for from these folks. joining me now is mike papantonio host of the nationally syndicated radio show, ring of fire. am i right or wrong on this,

pap? i mean you have millions of dollars coming in to destroy an agenda of a president who couldn't do more for small businesses. >> yeah, somebody needs -- somebody needs to tell obama they don't like him. they despise him. he's never going to be their friend. they're never going to let obama into their club. get over it. stop -- move out of that fetal position and stop acting so needy. these are not your friends, mr. president. it was only a few months ago we heard obama give a series of speeches about how destructive the chamber of commerce was to democracy. and you know what, he was right then. but apparently he's forgotten that. he's forgiven them. obama has a new -- a new pitch now. remember what -- remember what they did, ed, it was the chamber of commerce who went begging all over this country, places like mumbai, singapore, dubai, bahrain asking for money so they could buy part of our democracy. the u.s. chamber of commerce did that.

and then they took 99% of that money, and they gave it to everybody -- >> so mike where the truce? what's this truce? truce for what? since when -- i mean, a truce is when somebody helps you out. the chamber's not going to help out this president. >> ed, there will never be a truce, and he can't get it in his head what fdr figured out. said, look they hate me. i know they hate me. i have nothing in common with them and that's okay. i'm going to be a president. i'm going to show leadership anyway. listen, just a short list of what these people have done in the last few years is outrageous. $87 million secret and anonymous money to destroy his only -- his major program on health care. $80 million went towards gop candidates who want tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. they want to hand over social security to wall street. they want to transfer more wealth from america's middle class to america's millionaires. they want to end regulation. so those same cats on wall street. >> so, mike. >> -- can do it again.

>> -- what would be the upside of having the president having somewhat of a not good relationship with the chamber? i mean, if they're working against him, you know, why doesn't he just say, the hell with them and move on? >> ed, when he came into office, remember -- remember what he said did. we saw geithner, we saw summers, eric holder, we saw all of the folks who've been tied to the chamber of commerce forever. and what he's forgotten is, these -- when he makes nice with the chamber of commerce, you know what he's really doing, he's making nice with a bunch of inheritance babies, billionaires who want politics in america to be run according to the american crossroads agenda. it's the coat family, the rich and mellon scaife group. the inheritance babies who could care bless democracy. all they care about is can we squeeze another dime in the american i believe. >> it's about the power. >> and has no kinship. >> it's the outsourcing agency of america. mike pap antonio, always a pleasure. coming up, newt the coward gingrich is afraid to take

questions from olbermann and matthews?

and in "psycho talk" tonight, newt gingrich, still trying to figure out whether he's going to run for president or not, but he's already ruled out any debates hosted by some my colleagues here at msnbc. >> there's no possibility that i would ever go to a debate and have you know olbermann or chris matthews asking questions.

i watched the debate a couple of years ago and it was an embarrassment because they were so reluctantly hostile and so left wing. every question ask to the democrats was designed to make them look good. >> well, gosh, newt, wouldn't you be smart enough to figure out t out if that was the what they it really was? now we've seen this over and over again with fox candidates, like sarah palin, christine o'donnell, rand paul, sharron angle, they all refuse to talk to anyone who is not completely in their corner, and if you want to see relentlessly hostile take a look at gingrich's fox news colleague brett baer's interview with president obama earlier in year. >> i don't think that we should protend otherwise. >> but mr. president this moond. >> brett, let me finish. 25%, 40%, 60%. >> let me insert this. >> i could read the same exact e-mails. >> it's not just washington punditry. >> no enormous challenges that were faced because of that.

>> i understand that but do you know -- >> hold on a sec, brett. it was ugly when democrats were in charge. >> this is 1/6 of the u.s. economy. >> you have to let me finish my answers. >> but, sir, i know that you don't like the filibuster. >> well, i'm trying to answer your questions and you keep on interrupting. that's the reason i make these decisions. >> mr. president, i'm getting wrapped up and i don't want to interrupt you. i apologize for interrupting you. >> and that's your job. >> trying to get the most for our buck here. >> lots of respect there, huh? brett sbrupted the president 16 times during that interview but then we see hannity riding around in a pickup truck driving during his interview with bush giggling like a schoolgirl. >> sometimes i didn't get my words right. and i never -- i tell these audiences they speak to you know you didn't elect me because i was shakespeare. >> now, brett, that's the way you do it. and gingrich thinks it's our

guys who are biassed? for newt to refuse to participate in a debate where he might actually get asked tough questions is cow aroundly "psycho talk." coming up, republicans are going nuts over these airport patdowns. all of a sudden, they're freaking out over people's rights? well, where was all of this talk when it was waterboarding and phone lines being tapped and the patriot act. speaker pelosi gave the tan man something to cry about. she's showing no mercy when it comes to his emotional breakdowns. we'll have rapid-fire response on that. plus, hillary clinton won't run. it's hammer time for cariboo barbie and "saturday night live" nails the tsa skit. you go next a

hoveround power chair?

welcome back to "the ed

show." the "battle ground" story tonight, well the rights to give our airport security, i guess you could say, the halliburton treatment. all of the conservative outrage over the tsa's screenings is about, my friends, one thing and one thing only and that is privatizing the tsa. another big fat government contract for the republicans to hand out to their corporate chronies, now the righties they scream about terrorism but when the federal government takes action, they just simply go nuts and make it a political issue. they have no problem with the patriot act or a warrantless wiretapping. the conservative campaign is also an opportunity for the new tea party gang in washington to keep hate-baiting against muslims. congressman-elect alan west, who made despicable comments about muslims during the campaign, says that we should start profiling, but call it something else. >> we need to focus our efforts and focus our national security efforts and not come up with a lot of these somewhat seemingly

knee-jerk reactions that we're seeing with this patdown procedure, and once again i think that we need to understand -- define who the enemy is, first and foremost. and then make sure that we have the security apparatus and procedures in place. >> do you think that profiling is appropriate? >> i don't call it profiling. >> what do you call. >> i call it trend analysis because having been a commander in the battlefield what you look focus are trends and you focus those resources on those trends. >> joining me now is new york congressman jerry nadler, whose district includes ground zero. congressman, good to have you with us tonight. >> good to be here. >> what is your response to that answer right there on "meet the press" from yesterday. >> well, i obviously don't like profiling and i certainly don't like the patriot act and i certainly don't like the -- the torture that's still been unpunished. i must say i also don't like the automatic application of these scanning machines. when you have real -- or a reason to suspect a person of something so maybe you can use them then.

they're too intrusive. i don't want to think it's right to expose people to constant radiation. >> okay, do you want to stop the pat-downs or is this where we are in america right now in a deterrent. >> well, i'd like to find some alternatives to the pat-downs. those pat-downs are extremely invasive of privacy, and extremely -- not irritating, it's not enough of a word, to people especially people who are sensitive. they touch all the private parts of a person. they're very inveighsive. >> do you want them to back off? you want the tsa to back off. >> no i'd like to see them use alternative technologies, for instance, trace portal detectors which are being used in some -- in some areas and i also know that these machines were rejected after a four-year tieout at the heathrow airport in britain i think that you have to is a balance between security and privacy. >> okay. >> and i think that this is a little off of the sfwloons but,

congressman, is the media hype in this, 2% of the people get patted down. 2%. only 44% of americans fly. >> well, i don't know if the media's hyping it, but fact is anyone who -- apparently some of the procedures is anyone who refuses the body scanner will get patted down. and i think we ought to find -- before we go whole hog in this technology we've got to find some -- >> do you know exactly how much radiation is -- people are being exposed to exactly how much radiation and shouldn't the government be able to determine if it's harmful or not. >> i'm with the position that any radiation is harmful and that there are no safe bottom limits that and that it's all a question of statistics. >> yeah. >> if you expose 20 million people to minimal safe radiation somebody will develop cancer, maybe only one or two. >> but congressman, what about the outrage from the public? the way eye mean, the comments i

hear here on talk radio, there's a big conversation in america that it's too intrusive, that it's humiliating. did the white house do -- and did the tsa and the counterterrorism people, and this is exactly where this is all coming from, they say they need to do to to thwart attacks but did they not -- did they not care about the public reaction and just go ahead and do it. >> i think -- >> didn't they have the foresight to see that there would be some people pushing book this. >> obviously they didn't have the foresight to anticipate the level of the response. and you see this in bureaucracies all the time. it's not surprising. >> well -- >> and i don't think that it was in the white house. i think that it was in the bur kraefs the tsa. >> isn't it a bigger issue that the cargo gets on passenger planes and screened. >> yes. >> isn't that what we should really be concerned about. >> ed markey and i sponsored legislation to say that, 100% of the cargo that goes on airplanes should be screened. >> and where is that legislation? >> well, it's beginning to be implemented. i sponsored legislation, which passed, which said that you shouldn't be able to put any

container on a ship bound to the united states without it being screened. >> and it would seem to me that the conservatives, the country, would be concerned about unscreened containers on passenger planes. what's wrong with government? >> well, that was interesting because that was a partisan vote and never understood why but in 2006, it was defeated on the party line vote with all of the republicans voting against, in 2007 it passed on the party line vote. and the bush administration never wanted to implement it, and this administration's being slow to implement it. >> that's the undercovered story in this whole mix it when it comes to safety. congressman, good to have you with us tonight. thank you. >> thank you. now let's get rapid fire sprns our panel on these story. hey, tan man, there's no crying in the speaker office. nancy pelosi slams john boehner for his tearful theatrics on the house floor. secretary of state hillary clinton says she has no plans to run for president, again. and psycho talker michele bachmann won't back down on her claim that president obama is, quote, anti-american. joining us tonight laura

flanders host of grit tv and editor of the book "at tea party." and scott hennon conservative talk show host and conservative activist with us tonight. great to have you with us. let's talk about michel backman. here is the sound cut. an interview with the bbc. >> you suggested that president obama's anti-american. do you really believe that? >> well, you know, i've been very concerned about the policies that have come out the white house and i think i share that agreement with people who voted at the ballot box in the first tuesday of november. they're rejecting the federal government into baeng owning an enty share. >> do you think that he's anti-american. do you think that the president of america is anti-american? >> well, the policies that are antifree enterprise are ones that are not familiar to the people of the united states. >> laura flanders, she won't back down. what do you make of it. >> well good for the bbc reporter there. you know, two things. one, what's anti-american is what katrina vanden huevel has talked about.

60% of all of the income in this country going into the top 1% in the last decade. but you know, what is really going on here is the party of no is the party of no ideas. this should have stopped on election day. but, no, it's distract, divide, there is nothing constructive coming out of the bachmanns of the world. just this same old stuff. are going to keep it up for the next two years. >> first of all, ed and laura, i believe that it's barack obama zero, michele bachmann one if you look at the results of the recent election and more americans agree with michele bachmann than agree with president obama. >> no, no. wait a second, anti-american, does the president -- is the president of the united states anti-american? and when she was asked that direct question she would not back off of it. when does the rhetoric stop? what's happening here. >> she answered very clearly. she believes his policies are anti-american. i don't believe that she's

saying anything that the american people don't apre with in overwhelming numbers. double-digit inflation, generational theft. you know debating whether or not the high taxes come january. obviously the message was not heard by in administration and she clearly said twice, ed, his policies, we're talking about his policies. you talked about the u.s. chamber of commerce being anti-american earlier in this broadcast so i mean, again, that's your position. you're debate tag issue. i think it's very american to get out there and say hey i disagree and she's talking about his policies. >> the echoes here are loud and clear and my colleague knows exactly what he's jumping around here. this is old-fashioned baiting once again, and this is, again, going back to the only thing the right are able to serve up right now is hate and distraction and division. and this is dangerous in a country that's on the edge, that's in trouble, that needs help, not hate. and bachmann's not offering anything constructive. >> what is president obama doing that is anti-american? yes, in my opinion, there's a huge difference between the

chamber of commerce and the president of the united states. an organization versus the leader of the free world. anti-american. and it -- just because it's the policies? >> well, again, double-digit inflation, is that american is that great? his policies have more people out of work. i don't think that's very american. and, again, it's not barack obama personally, the individual, it's his policies. and, obviously, what policies he's put forward for the last two years have been repudiated by the american public. so more people agree with michele bachmann about his policies. >> let's hear it, i want to hear some policies that are good for the american people coming out of michele bachmann. i think that we need to listen more carefully with donna edwards said on the floor of congress this week. what's un-american is americans wondering whether they're going to be able to have a turkey on the i believe that thanksgiving because of the kind of policies that michele bachmann is pushing, and maybe it's obscure to many people in the public, thanks to our pay to play media and the propaganda that was anonymously pushed during the campaign in this last race and you've talked about that here. but i really think it's time for

us to talk about how the american people are hurting. >> okay. >> and what's going to be done to help, not spread this hate. >> here is secretary clinton saying that she's not going to be running for president. here it is. >> i have said it over and over again, and i'm happy to say it on your show as well, i am committed to doing what i can to advance the security, the interest, and the values of the united states of america. i believe that what i'm doing right now is in furtherance of that and i'm very proud and grateful to be doing it. >> so you're done with elective office? >> i am. i am very happy doing what i'm doing and i'm not in any way interested in or pursuing anything in elective office. >> scott hennen, do you believe her? >> well, did you hear that sigh of relief from barack obama? >> i think that the big news there really is 2012. who knows if that'll hold true. but i think the most formidable challenge here to him in a primary would be her purchase but i think that the other bigger news there was 2016 when she's wearing off elective office in the future. that's pretty newsworthy. >> do you believe her?

>> do eye. >> nah, i don't know. never say never, right? i mean it's hard to believe, she sounded pretty forceful. i mean you never know whether to believe these politicians on this question of, will you ever run at anytime in the future. >> laura flanders, your naughts? >> she can't say anything that the point and nor should she. i think we in the media need to pay attention to what she might do in the future but what she's doing right now. that's -- boosting up these pilotless drone attacks in pakistan any afghanistan is sabotaging and even the admrgz's state policy. >> it sounds there like she closed the door. sounded there like she closed the door forever and a lot of people who are thinking 2016. i mean a lot of hillary backers that won't give it up and for her to say anything not, i mean, i think that's -- >> there's always wiggle room and you know it, ed. >> always wiggle room. laura, scott, good to you have with us tonight. coming up, brett favre and the vikings.

well, they look like a bunch of turkeys out there yesterday. i'm fed up with the entire thing. so i fired the coach today, by the way. i think favre should be the head coach. sports radio host, stephen a. smith, he's going to come here in just a minute and say, ed, told you so. i'm looking to save in insurance. don't want to deal with a lot of flibbity-flab or mumbo-jumbo. sounds like you need to name your price. no gobbledy-gook? never. do i still get all the dagnabbit coverage i need? sure. we give you a quote and you can adjust your price

up and down to find something that works for you. ♪ this thing is okey-mcsmokey skiddly-doo. great! i think. diggity. oh! still not sure. the "name your price" tool. only from progressive. call or click today. it's not too late to let us know what you think. do you think that millionaires and congress are completely out of touch with america? text "a" for yes. text "b it is for no.

in my "playbook" tonight, brett favre and the vikings, it hurts to say this, but yesterday, it was disgraceful. head coach brad childress was fired today, rightfully so, a day after getting embarrassed by rifle packers in the blowout. favre completed just 17 passes with no touchdowns, one big interception. i was hope for a super bowl run this year, but maybe it's just too good to be true. and nobody is happier about this than my buddy, stephen a. smith,

nationally syndicated radio talk show host. and brett favre disliker. >> i told you. you know what i mean? listen, you don't listen. i understand that what you're an expert in the field. the politic and the political pundancy. you have no credibility. you were rooting for brett favre from day one when he walked in there. i told you last season it was an abishation. he's thrown 17 interceptions already this year. he's looked like absolute garbage. he basically got the coach fired because he's played like garbage. there was some injuries, sidney rice got injured, randy moss came in there, had no business being there. you know you had other guys who got injured as well, but reality is that he's old, a bit decrepit. somebody who should have retire, literally ran away from the game last near, somewhat on top. he didn't do that because he was listening to the ed schultz of the world and you see where that got him. very simple. >> who's going to coach the vikings now. >> well it's going to be leslie frazier. >> forever.

>> interim coach. >> no, no not forever. if they rally around hip the way that dallas cowboys seem to be rallying around jason garrett and then things could change. leslie frazier was somebody interviewed on seven different occasions. this is an african-american with that rooney rule in place in the national football league. he was interviewed on several occasions, seven to be exact, because you are required to interview a minority candidate. players seem to like him but their defense is not playing well. who gives a -- who cares if fay like him or not, their defensive line has done nothing. sit back letting quarterbacks call pictures. calling mama for lunch and everything else. >> you think that the vikings can make the playoffs, not have a you stop. >> this new coach get them in there, get them on the run. you have you back here at end the accept. >> you need to stopa. once again you're trying to hedge -- trying to cover yourself. this isn't politics, this is sports, they're done, period. >> what about the cowboys, are they done or what? they're done too, over. >> our director a cowboy know. >> don't waste your time. done too.

>> stephen a., always pleasure. one final page in "playbook" tonight, "saturday night live" had fun with some late-night pat-downs this weekend. fake a look at this one. >> feeling lonely this holiday season? >> looking for a little human interaction? >> then why not go through security at an airport? >> the tsa. >> tsa agents are ready and standing by to give you a little something extra to feel painful about this holiday season. >> spending time with a tsa agent couldn't be easier. simply book a flight departing from any american airport. when selected for a full body scanner, say no. you'll be pulled aside by a tsa agent and that's when the fun begins. >> aren't you looking forward to traveling this holiday season? coming up, w.'s mom thinks cariboo barbie is so at home alaska hammering that fish that she wants her, to well, strand. joan walsh bring the hammer down on sarah palin next. could she really win the

nomination? that's next on "the ed show."

and finally tonight, w.'s mom, former first lady barbara bush is weighing in on the idea of sarah palin running for president. she doesn't think washington, d.c. is the place for cariboo barbie. >> what's your brad sarah palin? >> if i sat next to her once, i thought that she was beautiful and i think that she's very

happy in alaska. and i hope she'll stay there. >> well, we get to see firsthand just how happy sarah palin is in alaska. last night, another episode of her reality show aired. >> couple of my girlfriends threw me my baby shower right here in this shooting range. my first baby shower and i love on share that story because it gives the liberals all wee-weed up. >> i can't tell where it's anything. yeah, yeah. >> don't retreat just reload. they could do some damage here. we need to calm these boys down real quick. >> oh, gees. that hurts like crap. >> well, that person thinks that she could beat president obama. she's heading to iowa this weekend to plug her book and her aides are reportedly checking out office space in des moines, iowa. joining me now is joan walsh, editor-at-large salon.com. lots of messaging going on here.

being a guy who likes to hunt and fish from the midwest, i think that crowd would kind of get this and be enamored with it. is there message here that is definite? what do you think, joan? >> i don't think it's definite, ed. i don't think she's going after your vote but i could be wrong and i know that you're keeping an open mind. you know i think that the barbara bush maneuver is fascinating. it's not the first time she went after a female vice presidential candidate. you remember she said, geraldine ferraro is something that rhymed with witch but anyway there is going to be a circular firing squad in the republican party around a lot of issues, but particularly around sarah palin. she is, right now, presenting a paradox for the party. she is leading the quinnipiac poll that just came out shows her leading the pact for the nomination because it shows her losing to president obama while mitt romney actually, i don't believe this -- >> i think that a lot of people are looking at this and saying is that really her? is this show and tell? how much real is in this reality show?

and the sarah palin media machine continues on, as you say, that she is leading in this quinnipiac poll for the 2012 gop nomination and at 19% the mittster and the huckster. and gingrich and pawlenty. paulenty the biggest move at 6%. she's a media machine right now. >> she's a media machine. she has a built-in advantage over those other guys. it could conceivably erode but right now i think she's playing it very well. she's keeping everyone guessing, she's keeping us talking about her. she's got show that's directly reaching out to her core audience, which is not you, and she's having a ball and she's raking in the money. >> and she's vilifying the media. here is's what she told hannity on his show, coming up. >> would you even do another interview with katie couric. >> you know i would look forward to being even more open than i already am.

as for doing an interview, though, with a reporter who already has such a bias, against whatever it is that i would come out and say, why waste my time. no, i will speak to reporters who still understand that corner stone of our democracy, that expectation that the public has for truth to be reported and then we get to decide -- >> and the numbers today if she were to be the candidate for the republicans, this is,breaks down. president obama at 48%. sarah palin at 40%. where do we stand right now? do you think that this is accurate? >> it's way too early. it shouldn't be that close. i don't think it would even thab close once the american people continue to get to know her. independents are frightened by her. democrats loathe her but republicans love her so you know we're going to see all this shake out. we're going to see some of the men start to you know get on their game and challenge her. right now she kind of has the field to herself because she's doing so much media with her fox platform as well as her reality

tv platform and then you've got bristol on "dancing with the stars," you know, it's all palin all the time. it's an advantage for now. we're going to see how it shakes out. >> do you think that bristol dancing has helped her. >> you know i honestly think that could hurt her because people are so up in arms about -- i'm not watching, ed. i don't have time. i'm not a snob. i just don't have time burks people are saying she's really beating people who are better dancers, so maybe the fundamental unfairness of this judging could be -- could create a backlash against the palins, that could be the real palin gate. who knows? i don't know if it's helping her or anything but there's more controversy than i expected which is kind of hilarious. >> joan walsh, great to have you with us tonight. i'll be on the "today" show tomorrow morning talking about in story in the 7:00 hour. i hope that you can join us. tonight in our text survey, i asked, do you think millionaires and congress are completely out of touch with america? and 96% of you said, yes. 4% of you said, no.