deal with the political force, the tea partyers, who really don't share even their republican limited confidence in government. a political force determined not to raise up, but to bring down. that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "the ed show" with ed schultz starts right now. good evening, americans. and welcome to "the ed show" live from columbus, ohio, tonight, where the polls are now closed. it's early, but it's looking good for a no vote on issue 2. we'll have full coverage here in columbus, and you will see what the middle class is all about right here on "the ed show." let's get to work. >> we want to send a message across this country that they pushed us as far as they can push us and we're going to be pushing back. >> it's all over but the counting. we've got full election night coverage with john nichols of "the nation" magazine, msnbc's

rachel maddow. and ohio's senator sherrod brown. on the election's impact on ohio and beyond. afl-cio president richard trumka, and international association of firefighters president harold shaitberger on where the union movement goes from here. the herman cain drama explodes again. >> of course i would be willing to do a lie detector test. >> former rnc chairman michael steele is here. all that plus the teachers, police officers, firefighters of ohio. and an empty chair reserved for the governor. our election night coverage starts now. good to have you with us tonight, folks, live from columbus, ohio. polls closed about 30 minutes ago, as ohio decides whether to vote no on issue number 2. repeal senate bill 5 and snd a message to the rest of the nation. it is in my opinion a turning point. rejecting the republican attack on middle class workers across this country, but tonight, in

ohio, this is ground zero. senate bill 5 is at the center of it all. it limits collective bargaining rights for public workers, it is a slap in the face to firefighters, police officers and teachers. you know, the people that teach your children. it depends and definitely demands more sacrifice from the middle class workers in this state. this is the firselection, and i think we should all take notice of this, this is the first election since the 99%ers started saying, enough is enough all across this country. last night, at a rally, governor john kasich told the crowd this. he says, "i'll tell you this. the rest of the country, these other states, they watch us, they learn from us." exactly right, governor. the rest of the country, these other states, where republican governors are trampling workers'

rights, they are about to learn something from the state of ohio. everything, everything this show has been talking about at the regional and the national level is all merging here tonight. and we can make no mistake what has brought every state budget across this country to where we are right now. we went into two wars unfunded. we gave tax cuts to the wealthy and didn't know how we were going to pay for it. we had a big deal with big pharma. we are here because of those things. this is why states aren't running budgets. there was a bill called no child left behind. and the federal money never came to the states across america. that, too, was a big fraud played on american public education. so here we are now ten years after all of these tax cuts started. look at the people around me. look at the people in the street. look at the 99ers. they are speaking out. we are one year away from a

presidential election. and i can tell you right now, these folks here in ohio, they don't want to talk about sexual allegations. they want to talk about jobs. they want to talk about the economy. they want to talk about health care. they want to talk about future generations having the same country that they grew up in. so this is, this is a big night in america. and a big political message is going to be sent to the hard right wingers of this country. we're going to find out if votes are stronger than the wallet of the koch brothers. get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think. tonight's question, if senate bill 5 is repealed, will republicans finally recognize the power of the middle class? text "a" for yes, text "b" for no to 622639.

always go to our blog on ed.msnbc.com and on twitter. election day is trending across ohio. if you're not with me in columbus, still join the conversation usin using #edshowissue2. we'll put your tweets on the air at the bottom of the screen. especially if you love north dakota state, because they're undefeated and ranked number one in the nation. that's something else. joining me now is john nichols, washington correspondent of "the nation" magazine, a great friend of this crowd. i can tell you that. john, our first numbers, according to the secretary of state's office, with less than 1% of the precincts reporting, yes on issue 2 is at 33%. no on issue 2 is at 67%. what do you make of -- >> that's the outline of a landslide, ed. we don't know if it's going to hold. what is significant is those numbers are coming both from democratic kiahoga county but also from republican leaning lake county.

what it means is those numbers are big in both places. we may actually be having republicans coming out to vote against john kasich. >> how rare -- >> what? >> the voter turnout. was it as big, does it appear to be as big? >> it looks to be a very substantial turnout. by 6:00 tonight, the unions had already gotten more than 80% of their targeted voters to the polls. that is absolutely presidential level on their numbers. it won't be a total presidential turnout, but the union vote is out. >> any voting problems that you've heard of? i've been in the office all day back here. i haven't heard anything about -- >> no, this is ohio -- aside from closing down the early voting before election day, which they shouldn't have done, ohio has appeared to run a clean election. the interesting thing is, polling places i've been to around this region, peel are saying turnout is overwhelming. the key thing is the unions,

steelworkers, yautoworkers, teachers, they got their people out. that's a big deal. >> the middle class in ohio is speaking out tonight? >> i think we're going to hear a great big yell tonight, ed schultz. >> john nichols. we'll be back at 11:00 as well for a live show here on msnbc. let's turn now to ohio senator sherrod brown, he is with us tonight. and also rachel maddow, host of "the rachel maddow show" here on msnbc. rachel, let me go to you first, if i may. what message, in your opinion, does it send to other states and governors if the defeat is as big as it appears to be at this point. with early voting, i know. but what message, rachel, do you think this sends to other republican governors and maybe all the way to the white house? >> again, ed, we don't want to extrapolate too much from this small proportion of the vote, and there's, you know, there's worries that polling on issues like this can overstate what the results are going to be, particularly when one side, in this case the no on issue 2 side, is really, really depe

depending on turnout. it's a lot easier to tell a pollster who calls you at home that you're going to get out and vote against this thing. it's another thing to actually get out there and vote. we'll have to see how this turns out. if the numbers tonight do follow the polling and as john nichols just said, there does turn out to be a really strong vote against sb-5, a no vote on issue 2 tonight, the message on this is pretty clear, do not work with americans' hard-won rights unless you want to pay a political price for it. >> senator brown, what message does it send tonight? we've had great voter turnout. this is the first election since the 99ers have been out there protesting. there seems to be an undercurrent of change taking place. what are your thoughts? >> well, my thoughts are that the vote tonight, if it's what i hope it is, and what i think it's going to be, it's going to send a loud message not just to toledo and cleveland and cincinnati and columbus and ohio, but across the nation.

and the message is, stop the war on the middle class. you know, i -- you know, this whole idea they always talk about class warfare, conservatives do, the class warfare has been aimed from the kocrh brothers and john kasich and the oil industry and the drug companies. that class war has been aimed right at middle class america. tonight i think is the loudest, strongest voice we've heard in a long, long time saying stop that. it's time that government fight for the middle class, it's time that we work together to create jobs in ohio, not go after bargaining rights, not go after voting rights, not go after women's rights, not go after privatizing medicare and giving it to the insurance industry. don't take social security and give it to wall street. create jobs, work together and fight for the middle class. >> you know, rachel, we have seen a lot of money come into ohio. citizens united, it has opened up the flood gates. we may be seeing tonight the

template on how to fight back against the influence of outside money because the boots on the ground for the middle classers in this state has been very clear. what message does that send, you think, maybe to the democrats going into 2012? how much of a confidence boost would this be to see this kind of turnout ? >> ed, you are hitting on the issue that is the single most important thing about this ohio vote tonight for democrats across the country, for liberals and centrists across the country. it's the reason i think it's good you have been in ohio the last couple nights highlighting this. that's because in the modern democratic party era, in the sort of bill clinton and after democratic party era, it is this well-worn strategy to tack right, to assume that democrats will turn out. to basically ignore democratic base voters, just assume they'll be there for you. you know what, in 2010, they were not there, and we saw what happened. that's how we got john kasich and the big republican majorities we've got in ohio, wisconsin, that have now

engendered this fight back. who's fighting back in the democratic base. it's people who have to work for a living and believe in the rights of the people who have to work for living and the people who have been ignored by so much of the democratic party infrastructure since bill clinton and his triangulation strategy. the whole third way democratic leadership committee, conservative democrat approach to politics has worn out. it doesn't work anymore to turn out democratic victories in elections. you have to pay attention to democratic base issues and base concerns. i think that if this goes the way it looks to be going tonight, in ohio, and if follows the way we've seen some real backlash victories in places like wisconsin, i think maybe democrats at the national level will start getting that kind of message. >> senator brown, let's do a little history in ohio. in 1958, an ohio right to work bill was soundly defeated. 60% of voters rejecting it. and a republican governor, a republican senator and statewide republicans were also defeated.

if senate bill 5 is defeated by a wide margin tonight, what does that tell you? are we seeing a real tide turn here politically in the state? >> i think we are. i think we're -- i mean, we're -- this is -- people listening to you tonight, people in that crowd in columbus are making history. i don't mean that lightly. this is the first time in american history that the right to bargain collectively, the right to organize and bargain collectively has been on a statewide ballot. the first time in american history. and we know we have a middle class in this country because of the 1930s, president roosevelt in a then democratic house and senate, set up established collective bargaining rights. we know what's happened with the prosperity from world war ii into the last few years when america was a very prosperous country because people could sit down at the bargaining table and organize and bargain collectively. i think when you see police officers standing with steelworkers, standing with

brick layers, standing with teachers and nurses and firefighters and iron workers, you're seeing what people recognize in ohio, that collective bargaining works to strengthen the middle class. nothing works as well as collective bargaining. if we win tonight, and i think we will by a good margin, that's the strong historical message and the strong message that's sent to all the other 49 states. >> and rachel, finally, it would seem to me that if the vote goes the way it looks like it might go tonight in ohio, this would be somewhat of a message to chris christie in new jersey, rick snyder in michigan, rick scott in florida, scott walker in wisconsin, and the message would be, there is something called a political overreach. and i really believe that, and i want your take on this. if this really is the tea leaves for 2012. is this really a message for republicans that you better get

to the program and figure out what's going on with the working class in america? >> john kasich, it was three weeks after he was sworn in before sb-5 was introduced in the ohio legislature. it was basically his first priority. at least in wisconsin scott walker had the good sense to keep it secret and spring it on the people of wisconsin, they were not warned it was coming until he was sworn in. republican governors across the country made this a priority. the conservative activist movement that wants a long term republican permanent majority in every state they can get it in and the country as a whole if they can, is pushing for stuff like this. it's a way really of putting the republicans' thumb on the scales for every election that comes after this. unions have been big supporters of democratic causes. they're trying to get rid of unions for partisan reasons. yes to advance the war on the middle class, but also so democrats can't compete against corporate money support republicans in elections. so those republican politicians that have pursued this conservative movement agenda,

they're now realizing they may be expendable, too. the koch brothers and conservative movement pushing this may have been willing to put this through these guys though they're going to pay a political price for this. we're going to see whether or not that political price comes in 2010 or whether it comes to 2012. the american people do not like this agenda. >> rachel, we'll see you at the top of the hour. thanks so much for joining us. ohio senator sherrod brown, thank you for your time. >> i'm so proud tonight. >> hopefully it's a -- you should be. they're great folks. breaking news in columbus. according to the associated press, your democratic mayor michael coleman has won re-election. just thought you should know. remember to answer tonight's question there at the bottom of the screen and share your thoughts on twitter @edshow using #edshowissue2. we want to know what you think. coming up, the labor movement launched a ground game here in ohio. labor leaders richard trumka and

herald shaitberger will talk to me about the ground work on the election. and the presidential election of 2012. it's the other big story of the day. more drama for herman cain. he says he'll take a lie detector test if he has to. will it come to that? former chair of the rnc, michael steele, to join me. stay with us. down the hill? man: all right. we were actually thinking, maybe... we're going to hike up here, so we'll catch up with you guys. [ indistinct talking and laughter ] whew! i think it's worth it. working with a partner you can trust is always a good decision. massmutual. let our financial professionals help you reach your goals.

live in columbus, ohio. it's early, but it's looking food for a no vote on issue number 2. we'll be following the results and bring you the latest numbers throughout the show. coming up, harold schaitberger and richard trumka on labor's impact on getting out the vote in the state. state senator nina turner will be here. what's next for the ohio

legislature? and governor kasich on the heels of a potential big defeat? and herman cain denies the claims of sexual harassment from a fourth woman and says he is not dropping out of the race. former rnc chair michael steele to join me later in the program. stay tuned. you're watching "the ed show" live from columbus, ohio. here on msnbc. ♪ [ male announcer ] when a moment suddenly turns romantic, men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready with cialis for daily use. even if it doesn't happen every day, you can be ready anytime the moment's right, because you take a clinically proven low-dose tablet every day. [ man ] tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. [ man ] do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis.

side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, stop taking cialis and call your doctor right away. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if cialis for daily use is right for you. for a 30-tablet free trial offer, go to cialis.com. ♪ welcome back to "the ed show." from columbus, ohio. the polls have been closed for less than an hour.

the returns are being tabulated. at this time, with 1%, according to the secretary of state's office here in ohio, yes on issue 2 is at 33%. and no on issue 2 is at 67%. that's with 1% reporting. it's going to be a long night. let's turn to harold schaitberger, president of the international association of firefighters and richard trumka, president of the afl-cio. now, i understand that both of you gentlemen when you retire you're going to go into the roadmap business because you know ohio that well. is that right? >> i know it a lot better the last five days. >> right. the turnout, richard, what about it? it sounds like you really got your people out. >> you know, this has been the best unified labor movement effort that we've seen. every sector, whether it's the public employees did a tremendous job, the private

sector did a great job. the building trades did a great job. we all came together. educated our members. phone banked them. leafletted them. got them out to the polls. i have to take my hats off to every one of the unions out here. they did an incredible job of getting their message out. >> harold, what does this mean for 2012? i mean, labor is going to be counted on big-time. you've seen a lot of different organizations come together. in mihind sight, this might hav been the best thing that happened to labor in america. >> first of all, i think this vote is going to show the extreme right wing like john kasich, who took a terrible economy and took advantage of workers and tried to destroy their values and their rights was actually an overreach. and ohio, the citizens of ohio, have said, no, we are not going to allow workers to be treated like this. and i think this energy, and i believe this galvanization is

going to carry over throughout this country and particularly going so carry over in the battleground states where right wing politicians like rick scott, scott walker, snyder, chris christie, are going to have to face an electorate that is energized. >> richard, have you found the template to fight citizens united? i mean, are you a lot better tonight than you were back in wisconsin a few months ago? i mean, is it starting to grow the infrastructure, and how to work against citizens united? because this is just a sprinkling of the money that we're going to be seeing in 2012. >> absolutely. what this shows is when our members are motivated, when they're united, no one can turn them around. they simply cannot beat us with their money because we put too many people on the floor. they hire campaign workers. we have thousands, thousands of volunteers that came out that were motivated, that believed in what they're doing, that wanted

to protect public safety, that wanted to protect the public education and wanted to protect the middle class. they'll do the same thing next year for candidates that stand with us. >> what about the divide that has been created? i mean, the republicans have come out and done the class warfare conversation. they pitted american against american. they say that the top 2%, they're already paying enough. obviously with the turnout, and with the 99%ers out there, there's a different stream of thought out there with working americans. but how would you win over those to see your cause at this point? or is that an impossible lift? >> well, i think they're already with us. if you saw the occupy movement, they're saying that the economy works for the top 1%, not for the rest of us 99%. and they want to come out and change that. what this vote shows tonight is that workers, ordinary workers coming together, can change this country and create an economy

that works for everybody. that includes those people in the 99%. >> ed, what i think it says is it's not just about the workers. all of these workers, this is the citizens of ohio who have rejected this governor's plan, who have rejected this proposal and rejecting this is not the way we treat the working middle class. this is going to carry over throughout this country next year, particularly in these battleground states. >> i want to point out it has not been called yet. you're very confident, harold. i love your confidence. >> i'm confident. i'm very confident. >> well, have you ever gotten the labor vote out at this percentage before? i can't remember a response of labor having this kind of a turnout, especially in an off-year election. >> all you have to do is just look around us, right? this is -- this is every sector of this great labor movement. this is private. this is public. this is the trades. this is industrial.

and this is replicated by thousands and thousands. this has brought this labor movement together again with an energy and a resolve that maybe we haven't had for a while. >> let me just tell you what you guys have done -- >> normally in this type of campaign, people are starting to tire down. i wish you could have been with us on the walks we had, the phone banks we had the last couple days. this group of workers isn't getting tired. they were getting stronger every day because they sensed victory. they sensed they were going to turn this whole country around. >> we've had more than 1.1 million doors that were knocked on in the state of ohio. more than 4 million flyers distributed over 3,000 work sites. 825,000 pieces of mail sent out, and more than 400,000 people participated in tele town halls. i think what we're seeing here tonight is a template on how to fight back against the corporate

money. i mean, you cannot get enough boots on the ground. you cannot get enough -- i mean, you got to win that conversation in your neighborhood. >> ed, you didn't say yesterday, just yesterday, alone, they made over 450,000 phone calls yesterday, alone, to their brothers and sisters, to get them out to vote. you can't buy that kind of help. they paid for their help. we had volunteers. we outclassed them all the way along. >> scores and scores of lives around them. besides all of the work that was done, they touched those in their lives, their neighbors, their friends and they turned this state around. >> gentlemen, they're yelling at me. we have to go. i could talk to you all night long. harold schaitberger, richard trumka, thanks so much for joining us. the latest numbers on issue two, from the secretary of state's office, 2% reporting. yes on issue 2 is 35%. no on issue 2 is 65%.

we have a great crowd here tonight in columbus. we'll hear from some of them coming up. herman cain says he won't quit the race, even as a second accuser goes public. former rnc chair michael steele weighs in. [ male announcer ] one-hundred-nineteen data points. this is what we can gather from an ordinary crash test dummy. two million data points. this is what we can gather from a lexus crash test genius. [ engine revving ]

when you pursue industry-leading safety, you don't just engineer breakthroughs in simulation technology, you engineer amazing. ♪ i'm making my money do more. i'm consolidating my assets. i'm not paying hidden fees or high commissions. i'm making the most of my money. and seven-dollar trades are just the start. i'm with scottrade. i'm with scottrade. i'm with scottrade. and i'm loving every minute of it. [ rodger riney ] at scottrade, we give you commission-free etfs, no-fee iras and more. come see why more investors are saying... i'm with scottrade. ♪ [ gong ] strawberry banana! [ male announcer ] for a smoothie with real fruit plus veggie nutrition

new v8 v-fusion smoothie. could've had a v8. [ female announcer ] have you ever seen a glacier while sunbathing? why not? have you ever climbed a rock wall in the middle of the ocean? or tried something really wild? why not? it's all possible in the nation of why not. royal caribbean's floating nation where you're free to do anything you want. which may be nothing at all. royal caribbean international. visit royalcaribbean.com today.

welcome back to "the ed show." we're continuing to monitor

tonight's election results here in ohio. the latest numbers on issue 2, according to the secretary of state's office, 3% of the precincts reporting. a yes vote on issue 2 is at 35%. a no vote on issue 2 is at 65%. but it's the other big story of the day that we're going to pay attention to now. herman cain held a doozy of a press conference earlier today denying all allegations of sexual harassment against him. cain says he won't drop out of the race and claims he doesn't remember anything about one of his latest accusers, sharon bialek. >> i have never acted inappropriately with anyone. period. the charges and the accusations i absolutely reject. they simply didn't happen. >> the republican front-runner said he'd be willing to take a

lie detector test. if he had to. cain also believes that bialek's claims of sexual misconduct are an attempt to smear his campaign. >> these anonymous allegations are false and now the democrat machine in america has brought forth a troubled woman to make false accusations. >> meanwhile, just minutes before cain spoke, one of his original accusers went public. cairn kraushaar received a statement from the -- received a settlement from the national restaurant association back in 1999. she's telling "the new york times" tonight that she is considering the idea of a joint press conference with cain's other accusers. so the beat just goes on and on. joining me now is msnbc analyst and former republican national committee chairman michael steele. michael, great to have you with us tonight. >> good to be with you, ed. >> i appreciate your time.

you bet. there are four accusers now and now a fifth woman that has come out. there you have herman cain saying it's a democratic machine. you got to put some sense to this for us. >> well, i've tried for the last week or so to do that, myself, and even in conversations with mr. cain and his campaign, making it very clear that first off these allegations are very serious. you cannot dismiss them, cannot take them lightly. even though they're 12 years old in many cases, or 14 years old. there were settlements attached to them, you have to address this. number two, last week, to go out and say that this was the perry campaign doing that and this evening to say this is the democrats doing that, at this point, america doesn't care how the press got the story or where it came from. it's out there. it is factual. it's got live human beings now that are coming forth. it's not just a herman cain

speaking to this issue. and so i thought tonight's press conference fell a little bit short of the mark. i thought he needed to really address the particular accusations from miss bialek yesterday who had specifics, car, hotel, et cetera, that he i think needs to be addressed. this story is not going away, ed, and it's unfortunate coming right on the, you know, the precipice of tomorrow night's debate cnbc is going to be hosting. this is going to be front and center not just for herman cain but for the other seven candidates as well. and i don't think they need to be talking about this right now. >> well, basically herman cain is saying, trust me, as opposed to the accusers because i'm a businessman and i've been married to my wife for 43 years. but it's very clear there seems to be a pattern of behavior here. but now some of the republicans are starting to step up. senator lisa murkowski says she's concerned about the allegations. governor haley barbour of mississippi says cain needs to get all the facts in front of

the people. i mean, are we going to see more republicans publicly questioning cain at this point and when does he start hurting the republican brand in your opinion? >> i think the answer to the second question first, i think that's already started. the fact that we're taking up time on the show tonight to talk about this instead of what's going on in ohio, based on the leadership that you've shown there and the grassroots movement that's been a part of the public debate since 2009, i think that says a lot about where the state of the campaign is for the party right now. it's not talking about the economy and job creation. the administration. war and peace issues. but, you know, 14-year-old allegations on sexual misbehavior. so i hope that more republicans will step up and say, look, this has to get behind us, not for the sake of herman cain, but for the sake of the country and the conversation and the debate we need to have. this has been adjudicated in

some respects. herman, lay out the facts and live or die by the facts on behalf of how people perceive it. >> well, it's not he said/she said. it's he said/they said at this point. >> yep. >> and you've got -- it's gone from an electronic media lynching, that description, to rick perry's fault, to now the democratic machine. i think the republicans would probably do themselves well to distance themselves at this point from herman cain in my opinion. msnbc analyst, michael steele. thanks for your time tonight. two ahead, do you have one more comment? >> i agree with that. that's the correct analysis here. we have to get beyond it. the discipline has been broken. the party has a problem if this goes on. >> all right. micha michael, thanks for your time tonight. i appreciate it. the latest results here in ohio. over 450,000 votes have been counted. yes on issue 2 is at 36%. no on issue 2 is at 64%.

senate bill 5 has made john kasich one of the most unpopular governors in the united states. and he still has three more years to go. state senator nina taylor will weigh in on kasich's future, next. and we have a great crowd of middle classers here in columbus, ohio. they get the final say tonight. stay tuned. we're right back.

♪ sen♪ co-signed her credit card - "buy books, not beer!" ♪ ♪ut the second at she shut the door ♪ ♪ girl started blowing up their credit score ♪ ♪ she bought a pizza party for the whole dorm floor ♪ ♪ hundred pounds of makeup at the makeup store ♪ ♪ and a ticket down to spring break in mexico ♪ ♪ but her folks didn't know 'cause her folks didn't go ♪ ♪ to free-credit-score-dot-com hard times for daddy and mom. ♪ v.o.: offer applies with enrollment in freecreditscore.com delivering mail, medicine and packages. yet they're closing thousands of offices, slashing service, and want to lay off over 100,000 workers. the postal service is recording financial losses, but not for reasons you might think. the problem ? a burden no other agency or company bears. a 2006 law that drains 5 billion a year from post-office revenue while the postal service is forced to overpay billions more into federal accounts. congress created this problem, and congress can fix it.

whoa, wait. whoa, whoa. wait a minute. what? just like that? did you even see the allstate? it's cute. what is it? great insurance. you get accident forgiveness, deductible rewards, safe-driving bonus checks, plus a free lifetime membership in good hands roadside assistance just for calling. sold. tiny tow truck -- works every time. shop less. get more. make one call to an allstate agent.

you walk into a conventional mattress store, it's really not about you. they say, "well, if you want a firm bed you can lie on one of those, if you want a soft bed you can lie on one of those." we provide the exact individualization that your body needs. and now, welcome to the sleep number store's semi-annual sleep sale. not just ordinary beds on sale, but the bed that can change your life on sale. the sleep number bed. it calibrates precisely to your body and your comfort zone. now you can feel what happens as we raise your sleep number setting and allow the bed to contour welcome back to "the ed show" live from columbus, ohio. as we wait the results of the vote on issue 2. almost a half a million votes have been counted. yes on issue 2 is at 36%. no on issue 2 is at 64%. governor john kasich played it safe last night talking to a few hundred tea partyers at the holiday inn.

he didn't mention issue 2 until the last two minutes of his speech. whatever happens tonight, the battle over union rights has dealt a huge blow to kasich's popularity. his approval rating is hovering just over 30%. he's the second most unpopular governor in the united states. but ohio is stuck with him for three more years because there is no recall. what's kasich's next move? we would love for the governor to come over here and sit down and talk to the lovable me, big eddie, and talk about the future of ohio. can we get that done? we've got this chair right here for you, john. but we're waiting for the governor. i'm not holding my breath. let's bring in state senator nina turner and brian hester. great to have both of you with us. senator, i mean, if these numbers hold up tonight, and if it is a resounding defeat, is it not somewhat of a mandate to the governor, don't ever overreach

again? what do you think? >> absolutely it's a mandate. he should respect the wishes of the people and the people of ohio are speaking loudly tonight saying they are standing up to public sector workers. our sheroes and heroes who bring it every single day on our behalves. >> will he politically change in your opinion if it's a big number tonight? >> i'm not sure, ed. it's up to the people and everybody here tonight, everybody that's voted to make him keep the commitment and uphold what the voters are voting on tonight which is no. you know, ed, i am happy i got a chance to vote twice no on senate bill 5. i did it on the floor of the senate and i did it tonight. >> it should be pointed out that that was a very close vote. >> it was. >> that was a close vote. there were a lot of republicans that did not vote for it. in fact, i think -- >> six. >> six that did not vote for it. >> that's right. >> brian hester, what would a loss mean for governor kasich tonight? >> this was a guy who was elected with 49% and thought he was elected with 100%.

it remains to be seen what governor kasich is going to learn by this. i will tell you this, ed, i hope he enjoyed campaigning this year. the republicans are not going to want that guy campaigning in ohio next year. >> do you think he'll change? >> it remains to be seen. what i'm being told right now in sources in the statehouse is kasich is going to come out tonight and ask labor to compromise on their victory tonight. which is -- which is kind of like, you know, the pittsburgh steelers trying to compromise with the ravens that they won on monday. >> i mean, ed, the time to compromise was when they were ramming that bill through the general assembly. this is absolutely wrong. he should stand up and apologize to the working class men and women in this state for putting them through this foolishness. an apology.apology. i want an apology.

>> well, that's one thing that i think progressives have had a hard time doing, and that's demanding an apology. >> i'm demanding one tonight. >> is this somewhat of a political turning point for the state as far as attitude goes. >> yes. >> we've seen, for instance, the white house do olive branch after olive branch. are you saying there are no olive branches left? >> what i'm saying, ed, tonight, is he owes ohioans an apology for not working on the number-one issue, jobs. apologize to the men and women of this great state. >> ohio state senator nina turner with us tonight and brian hester, thanks so much for joining us. >> thank you. the latest results. we now have 7%. we now have 7% of the precincts reporting. yes on issue 2 is at 37%. no on issue 2 is at 63%. next, we'll hear from the passionate folks out behind me tonight here in the crowd in columbus, ohio. stay with us. ♪ there's a place i dream about ♪

♪ where the sun never goes out ♪ ♪ and the sky is deep and blue ♪ ♪ won't you take me american flight 280 to miami is now ready for boarding. ♪ there with you fly without putting your life on pause. be yourself. nonstop. american airlines. i've tried it. but nothing's helped me beat my back pain. then i tried this. it's salonpas. this is the relief i've been looking for. salonpas has 2 powerful pain fighting ingredients that work for up to 12 hours. and my pharmacist told me it's the only otc pain patch approved for sale using the same rigorous clinical testing that's required for prescription pain medications. proven. powerful. safe. salonpas.

the latest numbers here on issue 2 in ohio. with 8% of the precincts reporting, a yes vote on issue 2 stands at 37%. a no on issue 2 is at 63%. these folks behind me spent months getting the word out on issue 2, and i'm going to visit with them when we come back and some more as you are watching "the ed show" live from columbus, ohio. this is america's middle class at work. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 let's talk about fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 there are atm fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 account service fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 and the most dreaded fees of all, hidden fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 at charles schwab, you won't pay fees on top of fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 no monthly account service fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 no hidden fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 and we rebate every atm fee. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 so talk to chuck tdd# 1-800-345-2550 because when it comes to talking, there is no fee.

welcome back to "the ed show." it's election night in ohio. we're coming to you live from columbus. the latest results, we have now, with 8% of the precincts reporting, a yes on issue 2 is at 37%. the no vote stands at 63%. that is with 8% of the precincts. i want to talk to some of the

hardworking folks here who got the vote going. lee saunders of afscme is with me tonight and tim berger of the afl-cio of ohio. can republicans be trusted with workers' rights? >> this night sends a message here in ohio that working families of the middle class are fighting back. we are making our voices heard like never before. this will carry from ohio across this country. we are back. >> do you think -- you know, lee, when you look at the results that are coming in, if they hold, it's going to be a resounding victory for workers in this state. are you confident that republicans would come back and have a different attitude about negotiating anything when it comes to workers? >> i'm not confident at all. i think one of the things we have to do, ed, we can enjoy tonight, we can celebrate tonight because this is a huge victory. but tomorrow morning we've got to roll up our sleeves, rededicate ourselves, recommit

ourselves. we have to continue this battle and continue this fight. >> tim, what about getting the vote out? i mean, have you ever seen an effort like this before in ohio? >> this has been a great coming together all year long. ten-month struggle. in the legislature, the petition drive and the mobilization campaign to turn out the vote. i'm so proud of the public sector unions that came together. the teachers, the nurses, the firefighters, the police officers, the highway workers, together with our industrial sector workers, our building and construction trade workers, the house of labor to turn this issue back and move ohio forward. >> if i've got my numbers right, 80 80% of union membership in this country is in 16 states. correct me if i'm wrong on that. that's generally where it's at. what would a night like this do to workers who aren't in organized labor that may be considering it? is this going to help you send the message to those, you know what, you're out there fiking for these middle classers every day, every way.

>> tonight's election is just a beginning of a new movement to fight for economic justice in all occupations and trades and move a working families movement forward for all ohioans and main street americans. >> tim berger, lee saunders, great to have you with us tonight. the results are coming in. here's the latest from the ohio secretary of state's office. over a half million votes have been counted. yes on issue 2 stands at 37%. no on issue 2, which is what these folks want, is sitting at 63%. next, i'm talking with the crowd here in columbus. they are fired up and ready to go. you won't want to miss it. we're going to be back tonight at 11:00 with a live show from columbus as well. [ courier ] the amazing story of whether bovine heart tissue

can make it from australia to a u.s. lab to a patient in time for surgery may seem like a trumped-up hollywood premise. ♪ but if you take away the dramatic score... take away the dizzying 360-degree camera move... [ tires screech ] ...and take away the over-the-top stunt, you're still left with a pretty remarkable tale. but, okay, maybe keep the indulgent supermodel cameo... thank you. [ male announcer ] innovative medical solutions. fedex. solutions that matter.

at aviva, we wonder why other life insurance companiestions. treat you like a policy, not a person. instead of getting to know you they simply assign you a number. aviva is here to change all that. we're bringing humanity back to insurance and putting people before policies. aviva life insurance and annuities. we are building insurance around you. tonight in our text survey i asked if senate bill 5 is repealed will republicans finally recognize the power of the middle class? 37% of you said yes. 63% of you said no.

we'll hear from the great folks of ohio when i come back. i want you to know this table was built by union carpenter. we're right back. [ male announcer ] imagine facing the day with less chronic low back pain. imagine living your life with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a non-narcotic treatment that's fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta.

taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. welcome back to "the ed show." we continue to monitor the latest results from ohio. secretary of state's office, over half million votes have been counted. yes on issue 2 stands at 37%. no on issue 2 is at 63%.

the people of ohio have been the heart and soul of this movement. and this is really, i think, a benchmark moment in progressive politics in this country and also a very important moment for the middle class in this country. can middle class workers stand up against the corporate greed and the outside influence to get their message across? we may have seen the template on how to get that done tonight. it has really been amazing to be on the streets of columbus here the last couple of days and talk to the folks and the enthusiasm. you know, all they want is a fair shot. at a good job. they want an economy to work. they're tired of the selfishness that has taken place in this country. i will tell you what, these people have been terribly unselfish with their time to go talk to their neighbors and tell them what's going on and what's at stake when it comes to quality of life in the state of ohio. joining me right now, jack reall.

great to have you with us tonight. i need a microphone to work in this business. >> it's great to be here. >> jack, how are you feel? >> feeling great. looks like we're going to have a landslide victory. the message is going to go to our statehouse and statehouses across the country that you can't mess with the middle class. >> is that's what happened here? >> it's definitely been an attack on the middle class. i hope the governor is listening and hope the leadership is listening and start working with us at rather than against us. >> you've done great stuff. i appreciate it. matt meister is with us, cleveland heights public stoolteach stoo schoolteacher. do you feel like you've been attacked? >> financier once bragged he would get one-half of the working class to kill the other half of the working class. john kasich did the same thing by a degree and did the math wrong and won't be divided. we won't be the enemy. >> what's the conversation amongst teachers, when you get together and you're over a coffee on a saturday morning,

what are teachers saying? >> we're overwhelmed by the audacity of this campaign. against us. against all public workers. but we won't take it lying down. we're in the streets, we're in the schools, we're working with your children. we're doing really difficult work. it's largely thankless work. and we're not going to stop regardless of what happens with senate bill 5. we will not be made the victims. we will not be made the enemies. >> jack, what does this mean for 2012? >> i think you're going to see a shift in the way our members vote in 2012. we're going to take over the state house again. as a thank you from columbus firefighters local 67 for helping us get our message out, this is something i think john kasich will never get. >> i appreciate that. very much. you guys have been awesome. look at that. huh? does this make me an honorary firefighter? >> absolutely, brother. you're welcome here any time. >> i'm excited. got my name right on