that change is tonight. this is the "the ed show." let's get to work. >> these aren't all the catholic bishops. we respectfully disagree. >> the catholic church says the republican budget is immoral and paul ryan caught lying about the bishops. poor people need help and republicans want to raise their taxes. >>ver 45% of the people in this country don't pay income taxes at all. we have to question whether that's fair. >> there is a republican war on the poor in this country and we will prove it tonight. >> i feel this. i feel this. i'm not taking this crap anymore. i've about had it? the nra is running away from ted nugent. they have scrubbed his remarks from their website. >> our government is wiping its [ bleep ] with the constitution. god bless you for being here, i feel a positive energy. >> i'll ask martin bashir why romney doesn't have the courage to denounce ted nugent.

mitt romney goes from candidate to cookie monster. >> i'm not sure about these cookies. they don't look like you made them. no, they came from the local 7/11 bakery or wherever. >> the nation's john nichols will weigh in on romney's latest out of touch moment. >> good to have you with us tonight. thanks for watching. the republicans are waging war on the poor in america. just like the war on women, they want to pretend it doesn't exist. it's real. millions of the most vulnerable americans are being targeted. listen to eric cantor scapegoating poor americans today. >> over 45% of americans in this country don't pay income taxes at all. we have to question whether that's fair. >> he is complaining about poor americans who don't pay income tax. he leaves out all the tax this is a do pay. the working poor have payroll taxes. some pay about 7 percent of their wages to social security and medicare taxes. in every state except vermont,

the poor pay a higher percentage on state and local taxes. there are other taxes like sales taxes, property taxes and gas tax. eric cantor still says taxes should go up on these americans opposed to the super rich. >> i've never believed you go and raise taxes on those who have been successful that are paying in, taking away from them, so that you just hand out and give to someone else. those someone else want hand-ups. they want the ability to get up the ladder. >> this war is not new, going on for years. it really stands out this week. in a span of a few days, republicans chose to protect the rich by voting down the buffet rule in the senate. now, they are attacking the most vulnerable. no surprise the republicans have chosen this man as their standard bearer. >> i'm in this race because i care about americans. i'm not concerned about the very poor. we have a safety net there. if it needs repair, i'll fix it. >> romney tried to say he misspoke.

his policies prove he was telling the truth. his economic plans puts money in the back pockets of this wealthiest americans while raising taxes on people making less than $30,000 a year. romney says he's 100% supportive of congress and paul ryan's budget plan. the ryan budget is the virtual battlefield map in the republican war on the poor. ryan's plan is robin hood in reverse. it takes $5.3 trillion from programs benefitting low income people gives a $4.3 trillion tax cut to the wealthiest in this country. here are some of the cuts republicans want to make so millionaires can get their money back. $770 billion from medicaid, $205 billion to medicare, $1.6 trillion from the health care law and nearly $2 trillion to other administer cuts. this includes programs like welfare, federal pensions and food stamps. that's right.

gather that. the republicans are trying to make big cuts to the federal food stamp program. according to the "new york times," the cuts would force 3 million people off food stamps next year. these cuts are so unbelievably cruel, the united states conference of catholic bishops is speaking out against them. in a statement, the bishops urge congress to resist the proposed cuts at home and abroad. >> house speaker john boehner was quick to brush off their concerns. here is his response when asked if he understands the bishop's moral argument. >> yes, but i wanted to take a bigger look. the bigger look is if we don't make decisions, these programs won't exist and they will really have something to worry about. >> boehner says we have to cut these programs in order to save them. the architect, paul ryan, also dismissed the bishops today.

>> we've always said we should not be giving tax credits to people who are not here illegally. that's following through on policy an pretty well responded to on a bipartisan basis. these are not all the catholic bishop bishops and we respectfully disagree. >> he's wrong when it comes to the bishops. bishops who chair usccb committees are elected by their follow bishops to represent all bishops on key issues on the national level. the letters on the federal budget were written by bishops serving in this capacity. republicans always try to link themselves with religion, position themselves as the party of moral righteousness. the only republican religion is the almighty dollar. it's been five years since the federal minimum wage was raised. it was 10 years before that. take a look at this chart. if you work a minimum wage job,

is the how many hours in a week it takes for you to work to earn rent for a two bedroom apartment. in texas, it's 88 hours in florida, 97 hours. in virginia, 112 hours, on and on. what is it in your state? there is no lobby for the poor in this country. the only thing that they can rely on is a little bit of government assistance to keep their dignity and their opportunities alive. republicans want to take all of this away. democrats need to advocate harder on behalf of the poor. president obama gave it a shot in ohio yesterday. >> somebody gave me an education. i wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. michelle wasn't. but somebody gave us a chance. just like these folks up here are looking for a chance. >> it's a start but it's not enough. there needs to be an advocate for the working poor in this country, like this man.

>> what is the price, we ask the other side? what is the price that you want from these working men and women. what cost? how much more do we have to give to the private sector in business. how many billion dollars more are you requiring? >> the only way you can fight an attack like the republican war on the poor is to attack back. ted kennedy knew how to do that. he hit back hard for the vulnerable in this country. it's time for the democrats to step up and protect the poor from the assault the republicans have got going on that class of americans. you can call it class warfare all you want. if you want to stand up and say, well, they have to pay more because everybody has to pay, walk a mile in their shoes. walk a mile in their shoes when it comes to the kind of opportunities they don't have that the wealthy has in this country. the president of this country is going around talking about shared sacrifice and income inequality.

later, i'll show you how some very rich farmers take it to labor. it all connects, comes down to this. whose side are you on? do you want fairness in america? do you believe everybody should have a level playing field when it comes to getting an equal shot to make it in this country? get your cell phones out, i want to know what you think. tonight's question. do you think republicans are heartless when it comes to the poor? text a for yes, b for no. you can always go to our blog and we encourage you to leave a comment. we'll bring you results of the poll later on. joining me, a gentleman who has written often about the poor and how they have no voice in washington. e.j., great to have you on. it seems like those vulnerable have less of a voice today, the way citizens unite is playing out. where is this all going and how do we get better for those in this class in this country. >> thank you for doing this show and doings this segment.

i must say, i'm fired up. i've been upset a long time about this big lie poor people don't pay taxes. let's start there. i wrote a column about this 10 years ago when the "wall street journal" referred to lower income people who didn't pay income taxes or lucky ducks. i said, would you rather be rich and pay income taxes or poor and pay no income taxes. they only want to focus on income taxes at the beginning supposed to be on wealthier people. middle income and lower income people pay more than rich people do. i wrote a column and did research and found a ceo who made $122 million a year, this

was his share -- is the what he paid in fica tax, 0.00. sales taxes. in illinois at the time, if you were in the bottom 20%, you paid 10.8% of your income in sales taxes. if you were in the top 1%, you only pay 1.4%. is the actually much worse than let them eat cake, this is let them eat gruel and let's tax the gruel. it's really outrageous. >> these are numbers we don't hear coming from republican leadership. all they focus on is how the furthermore of people in this country aren't paying any tax at all and they leave it right there. you come up with the facts and argument that is very clear, but that in a sense is hard to communicate in a 10 second sound bite across america, is it not? >> it shouldn't be. they pay more in income taxes and poor people pay more in

sales and payroll taxes. >> bingo. >> it's very clear. on the property tax, poor people pay a bigger share of their income if they own their homes and also pay it through their rents if they don't own their homes. poor people are paying plenty of taxes. i note mr. cantor said the poor want the ability to get up the ladder. i agree. i think poor do want to rise up the ladder and why we have student loans and food stamps so the poor kids can get a decent meal before school and why we need to spend money on k through 12 and have social security survivor's benefits. there's something nonsensical about the idea every government benefit only pro-meteorologists dependency. i couldn't have gone to college without federal student loans and survivor's benefits. >> we had a conversation that student loans are like young kids going to the bank and

robbing it, like they are vilified if they want college assistance to better themselves. i believe a story came out not long ago we passed $1 trillion in college debt in this country. the new "new york times" poll says 56% thinks we should spend more and raise taxes to help the economy. does that number surprise you? >> it does and doesn't. i think a lot of americans understand in their guts, there are things government does they support and are happy about. people know we need better roads and bridges and airports and know when their school budgets are cut, they know that. see it in fewer sports teams, teachers cut. courses taken out of the curriculum. they're very aware there are benefits they get from government and also very aware of this imbalance and plans the republicans and conservatives are putting forward, why you

want to make these cuts in order to finance tax cuts for people already very well off. this isn't about promoting income distribution, about preventing further redistribution to the rich. >> bottom line, if you are the working poor in this country, the guy that just held up that book thinks you're not doing enough. republicans think they can take blood out of a rock. republicans believe poor people and working poor have it too good and wealthy don't have it good enough. >> thank god you showed that clip of ted kennedy. i miss that voice and i agree democrats and liberals have to speak up more about the poor and should speak about the middle class, that's where the votes are. we have a moral obligation in the country to say we are not going to forget the people the poorest in this society and why

the bishops spoke out. >> we have always been that kind of country and the bishops are reminding us we're supposed to have a moral compass when it comes to the poor. share your thoughts with "the ed show." house democrats are introducing a bill to allow low income moms to stay at home with their young children. where does mitt romney stand on the legislation? find out next. jan shekowski will join me. we had a lot of conversation about cuts. cuts cuts cuts. sugar gets my focus and attention tonight because they haven't cut this and this has been around for 72 years. it's guaranteed income to wealthy farmers. you know what they do? they turn right around and stick it to the workers who have helped them live the good life. i will set it straight tonight. stay with us.

well, shoot, that's like checking on your burgers after they're burnt! [ male announcer ] treat your frequent heartburn by blocking the acid with prilosec otc. and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill a day. 24 hours. zero heartburn. you know, from car insurance companies shouting, "save 500 bucks over here!" "no, save 300 bucks over here!" "wait, save 400 bucks right here." with so many places offering so much buck-saving, where do you start? well, esurance was born online, raised by technology, and majors in efficiency. so they're actually built to save you money... and time... and whiplash. esurance. insurance for the modern world. click or call.

coming up, house democrats force mitt romney and ann to put or shut-up. mitt romney still doesn't have the courage to condemn ted nugent's comments off the website. and c for clueless mitt romney's interaction with the middle class in this country.

mitt romney believes all moms are working moms so he should have no problem supporting new legislation introduced by house democrats, called the option to raise kids work act. it would allow, permit low income moms with kids aged 3 and under to stay home, take care of their kids and continue to receive government assistance. raising children does not count as a work activity under current guidelines for the welfare recipients. as the "huffington post" points out the bill would not level the playing field. low income moms would have to enter the work force once the child reaches four years of age. while moms like ann romney wealthy are still given the option to stay home. it's a step in the right direction, isn't it? it's something mitt romney supported when he was running

for senate in massachusetts. back then, romney agreed with the idea of moms staying home with kids until they reached preschool. of course, romney has since changed his position, adopting a new standard as governor. he explained a few months ago back. >> wanted to increase the work requirement. even if you have a child 2 years of age, you need to go to work and people said, well, that's heartless. i said, no, no, i'm willing to spend more giving daycare to allow those parents to go back to work. it will cost the state more providing that daycare. i want the individuals to have the dignity of work. >> still, house democrats are optimistic romney will support the bill. telling the "huffington post," i think we should take mr. romney at his most recent words of changing our federal laws to recognize the legitimacy of raising young children. and trying to contact the romney campaign where they stand, they

didn't get back to us. great to have you tonight. the cynics will say, this is pure politics. but it is cornering the romneys on exactly where they stand on the importance of stay-at-home moms. is this the mission? >> the mission is not to corner ann or mitt romney, the mission is to have good and fair policy that says all moms are working moms, and that rather than send the kids to childcare, which may or may not be available and affordable, to send them out into the workplace, to say that these small children, up until age 4, that their moms are working when they stay home and take care of them. so this was an opportunity, actually, to raise this issue, and hopefully get some bipartisan support, including mitt romney. >> aren't you saying to the

romneys, okay, you say it, now show us? >> exactly. we are. we're saying that this women's option to raise kids ought to be an option available to all moms. as you pointed out, it still doesn't level the playing field entirely because it's only until they reach age 4 and then women would have to go into the workplace in order to get some support from the government. >> where do you think mitt romney really stands on this issue now? >> it's so hard to tell, isn't it, ed? i don't know. it changes by day. maybe because the political winds are going in another direction. he certainly has said, and we do want to take him at his word, that all mothers work, whether they work in home to or work outside the home. so we want to capitalize on this great moment and see if he actually will support. i hope he gets back to you. we certainly hope he gets back us to and say he supports the legislation.

>> what would this measure do for low income moms, single mom, one, two kids, two jobs working paycheck to paycheck but maybe have some time in the morning to stay home. how would this help low income moms? >> first of all, ed, this idea that, well, you just go out and find yourself a job and mitt romney says we'll supply the daycare, quality daycare is hard to find. >> it's expensive, too. >> something i learned, if you send your kids to daycare, they usually require you to send diapers along with them if they're little children. do you know how expensive diapers are? there are diaper banks not-for-profit organizations helping moms get diapers so they can actually afford them, so their kids can go to daycare and they can go to work. the hypocrisy of the republicans

to yesterday they cut $33 billion from nutrition programs, the food stamp program, the snack program. >> that was the house ag committee, they butchered it. the good news is the ryan plan won't go to the senate before the election. if they did take it up, they would be dealing with these cuts to nutrition that would really hammer families in this country and really take away from kids. >> kids. exactly. they want to cut these kinds of programs and think moms should go to work. current law says states should have the option of requiring job training or going out to get a job. one of the options not available to poor women is that they stay home with little children and take care of them. that is not a work for them. this would make it that way. >> congresswoman, thank you.

next, running away from ted nugent's vile comments about the president. did say that right? the nra is running away from ted nugent. mitt romney still doesn't have the courage to condemn him? president obama made a historic message yesterday and this photograph has everyone talking.

still in the news. today was his big meeting with the secret service after making these comments last weekend. >> if barack obama becomes the president in november again, i will either be dead or in jail by this time next year. >> we need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in november. >> after speaking with nugent today, the secret service said the issue has been resolved. ted nugent released a statement saying meeting could not have gone better and continued to stand by his comments saying by no stretch of the imagination did i threaten anyone's life or hint at violence or mayhem. so now nugent and his buddies on the right will be using the secret service as cover. florida congressman alan west did that this morning. >> i think he was just expressing maybe his opinion about something. of course, everyone wants to sensationalize things.

let's leave it up to the secret service and him to get to the bottom of it. i don't think the motor city madman has any ill will towards the united states of america. there was a lot of people that didn't like president bush and we didn't have to cart them in front of the secret service. let's let the people responsible for investigating take care of it. >> nugent denigrated the supreme court and the president of the united states. the secret service checked him out, everything's going to be fine. remarkably, one major player in this story is running away from ted nugent's comments. you know who that is? the national rifle association. today, the group deleted the tape of nugent from their website. his incendiary comments were too much for the national rifle association but mitt romney still doesn't have the political coverage to condemn him. he will hide behind the secret service instead of rendering judgment himself. let me ask you tonight, is that leadership, being able to make a

decision on what is right and wrong and decent and indecent. let's bring in martin bashir, host of the martin bashir show here on msnbc. i think this is a big story because it speaks volumes of mitt romney's character. the question is, did he or did he not seek the endorsement of ted nugent. >> ed, absolutely, categorically, unequivocally, romney sought nugent for the endorsement. i interviewed the local reporter who spoke to ted nugent. immediately this happened. the reporter said nugent was in a gun shop and his cell phone started to ring. it was mitt romney and he described the conversation as warm and cordial and romney asked him if he would give him his endorsement. nugent said are you planning to change anything in relation to gun control laws? when romney said, no, nugent said, you have my endorsement.

the problem is romney not only has a problem remembering his previous policy positions, he can't remember the conversations he had. >> righties are circling. mike huckabee talk show host, alan west out there defending him. what do you make of this? are they fronting for romney now? now that the national rifle association took it off his website, it kind of gives romney cover. >> what was interesting the alan west quote that president bush had exactly the same experience. really. do you recall a pied piper like donald trump questioning whether president bush was an american. do you remember anybody equating president bush with islamic terrorists the most hated criminals on the earth and repeatedly casting aspersions on

his christian faith, do you recall that? of course you don't? mitt romney can't condemn them because he needs their validation more than their veracity. that's why you will never hear him offer a condemnation you said at the beginning of this segment is the decent right and appropriate thing to do. >> he needs that head shaking crowd because of some of his positions on firearms when he was governor of massachusetts and needs the ted nugent mentality behind him. he can't lose that crowd at all because president obama has not been a gun grabber or someone who put restrictions on firearms as advertised before the last election. >> that's another implication that this president has done something in relation to firearms. name one thing he's done.

>> do you think the secrect service taking down the comments of nugent -- >> they have done nothing for the nra and an unhinged monologue of hatred. my suspicion, i have no grounds to evidence this, my suspicion is having heard the secret service were interviewing ted nugent, the secret service probably said, you know what, just take this down. >> thank you. >> thank you. more coming up in the last half hour of "the ed show." stay with us. >> i'm not sure about these cookies. they don't look like you made them. >> mitt romney showing how out of touch he is once again. >> weighing in on cookie gate. >> no. they came from the local 7/11 bakery or wherever. >> the president sits in a bus where rosa parks refused to give up her seat. tonight, we're looking back at our history. for the first time ever, i agree with the heritage foundation.

up next, my comment on sugar subsidies.

welcome back to "the ed show." listen carefully because this is one of the very few times you will ever hear me agree with the heritage foundation and mitt romney on anything. democrats, i think you need to pat attention to what's happening in the heartland and florida. the sugar industry has one of the most powerful lobbies in florida. unbelievable protections, guaranteed subsidies. a pretty good business to be in. protections like no other industry. better than oil? yeah. better than the defense industry, in a way, it's strong. the issue is coming up again because the farm bill is getting marked up and the sugar program is a hot topic. conservatives, they are using the program as their latest whipping post. they want to gut sugar subsidies

across the board, say we shouldn't be doing it. the heritage foundation has called for sugar subsidies to be totally abolished. say it's bad for consumers, bad for agricultural, bad for america. mitt romney called for an end to sugar subsidies in a debate in florida back in february. >> governor romney, you're getting campaign support from sugar growers, a very influential support. >> my view is we ought to get rid of subsidies and let markets work properly. >> oh, let markets work properly. democrats have traditionally defend defending sugar subsidies for price supports. look, as i have said many many times before, democrats should stand by workers. you stand by workers you won't lose. but the fight over sugar has now become not just about farmers, it's a labor issue. we have reached pretty much a crossroads in this debate.

will democrats side with the wealthy sugar growers of america or the workers. american crystal sugar inning for go, north dakota is now in its ninth month of a worker lockout while it makes healthy profits. we talked about this in december on "the ed show." my backyard, moorehead, minnesota, home to america crystal sugar. 1300 workers locked out the past five months. $2.4 million in total compensation for the ceo. they had a record year of 1.5 billion dollars in revenue. the workers apparently don't deserve to benefit from those profits and they're out of work. that was in december. those workers are still locked out. american crystal sugar has already hired 700 full time non-union workers to replace the

1300 lock out workers and the company hopes to have all 1300 positions filled by next harvest. the sugar beat farmers, you know what they get? your tax dollars. sugar beat subsidies total more than $240 million. as i said in december, why are we giving money to sugar beat farmers and the sugar beat industry while their executives make millions and the workers get screwed? you tell me, is that fair? all they want is this wages they had and health care and pension. this is the difference between supporting billions of dollars for wealthy sugar growers or siding with labor. that is the difference. where are you, democrats? the program we're talking about has been in effect for the past 72 years. but now i think things have got to change. democrats should not support this program under these circumstances. i'm calling on democrats to go

along with the heritage foundation, gut the program. in a rare moment, i agree with the heritage foundation. but for totally different reasons. it's all about money for them. said it all along, if democrats stand with workers, they can't go wrong. if this is how the wealthy sugar beat owners, sugar growers are going to reap rewards from a subsidy while screwing the workers, teach them a lesson, get rid of the subsidies. why should they have guarantees if they're going to treat people like that? the house agricultural committee already voted cuts in the food stamp program. kicking out the workers lock them out and kicking out the poor people. we're being asked to accept cuts in the food stamp program but the wealthy sugar growers' subsidies, they can survive? no way that should happen, especially on the heels of you sugar growers seeing record profits? would you like to have guaranteed profits? it makes no sense. democrats have been lukewarm in

defense of the united states postal service and what those workers are going through. now they have a decision to make because they shouldn't be giving these guarantees to the rich but not protecting the workers. this is an issue i know is important to the economy in certain parts of the country. we have a president right now who's trying to advocate for workers. he's going around the country talking about fairness, going around the country talking about paying your fair share, talking about fiscally responsible. is letting farmers be greedy and treating workers like crap, is that the america we want? you know what they want the farmers to do, sugar beat growers righties always turn their back on the democrats, get your butt on the free market and see if it can work. compete with cuba and everybody else out there doing sugar business. why in the hell should we protect you because you never protected the workers. the american dream, for some of those workers who have been in

those plants and worked for 25 or 30 years, have been locked out. you know why? because they have been too successful. a select few who are living and working the land are making big-time bucks. you, the tax payer are subsidizing this. the sugar program needs to go. coming up, a powerful moment for the president as he sits on the bus where rosa parks changed the face of the civil rights movement forever. stay with us.

what makes the sleep number store different? the sleep number bed. the magic of this bed is that you're sleeping on something that conforms to your individual shape. wow! that feels really good. you can adjust it to whatever your needs are. so whatever you feel like, the sleep number bed's going to provide it for you. now, sleep number redefines memory foam, combining coolfit gel foam with sleep number adjustability. during the final days of our white sale, receive $400 in free bedding. only at the sleep number store, where queen mattresses start at just $699. up next, president obama reflects on the civil rights movement in michigan. in the big finish, middle class military becomes the cookie monster.

president obama took a moment to sit on a bus where rosa parks changed the course of the civil rights movement forever. this is the bus in montgomery, alabama, where rosa parks refused to give up her seat a white woman in 1955. the bus is now in a museum in dearborn, michigan. prior to sitting on this seat, the president said this. >> as i was walking in here, you've got -- you've got a display of abraham lincoln and then you have the bus rosa parks sat down in. it takes ordinary citizens to bring about change who are committed to keep fighting and pushing and bringing this country closer to our highest ideals. >> later in the day, the president commented on the moment. he said, i just sat there in a moment and pondered the courage and tenacity that is part of our

very recent history but also a part of that long line of folks who sometimes are nameless, oftentimes didn't make the history books but who constantly insisted on their dignity, their share of the american dream. pretty amazing. i think he's pretty well-connected to folks in this country. mitt romney tries to be funny but ends up insulting a major pennsylvania institution. that won't win you any votes in november, dude, i can tell you that. been to the bakery, examining cookie gate.

i asked, do you think republicans are heartless when it comes to the poor? 93% of you said yes, 7% of you said no. coming up, mitt's cookie snub is more proof he's out of touch with middle classers in america. john nichols next. you can listen to my radio on sirius 127.

monday through friday noon to 3:00 p.m. follow me on twitter and like "the ed show" on facebook. [ male announcer ] that. right there -- reminds you why you fell in love with her in the first place. and why you still feel the same. but your erectile dysfunction -- that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. 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 four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use

and a 30-tablet free trial. in the big finish tonight, mitt romney has a real problem when it comes to relating to the average american. >> i have some great friends that are nascar team owners. ann drives a couple of cadillacs actually. i like being able to fire people that provide services to me.

>> it's no surprise romney's attempt at relatability turned into another gaffe. tuesday, romney sat down with a group of middle class folks from pennsylvania, hand-picked republicans, i might add. they gathered around a picnic table and according to the post gazette, a local official delivered food with pretzels and cookies. mitt romney was not a fan. >> i'm not sure about these cookies. they don't look like you made them. no. they came from the local 7-11, bakery or wherever. >> oops. those cookies didn't come from the local 7-11. >> the cookies actually came from the local bethel bakery in bethel park. >> i couldn't hide my grief. those sweets are now getting a lot of attention. >> it is a local institution around since 1955. it's pittsburgh's cookie mecca

and mitt romney managed to insult it. >> when i heard it, i thought, oh, my goodness, this guy has no idea how beloved this institution is that provided these cookies. >> they are not convenience store cookies. >> they are right from the heart of bethel park. >> the woman who prepared the tray of five dozen cookies for governor romney said she was shocked by his reaction. to add insult to injury, romney didn't even taste any of the food. the locals, they're not happy. >> while bethel bakery fans are mad saying maybe mitt romney is used to eating cupcakes with diamonds in them, the owner of the store is laughing and hopes he gets another shot at pleasing the republican who will be back in pittsburgh before november. >> maybe he's more of cupcake person or pie person. i don't know. >> cupcakes with diamonds, author of the book "uprising." the bakery is running a cookie gate special in honor of mitt

romney. buy a half dozen and get a half-dozen free. how badly did he screw up? >> a candidate tweeted huge mistake. >> you're the reporter for the gazette? you've been to this place? you get food from the bethel bakery, they're the best on earth. >> politicians have gone in the bethel bakery. i wouldn't be surprised if president obama doesn't go in there soon. they look at the cases, maybe i'll take home a box. it's a good bakery. >> what does it say about the guy, someone made the cookies, went to the effort to bring this to the table. it was not campaign staffers, the guys just made for insults. >> ask yourself.

if your small talk is picking on people's cookies, what's wrong with a guy who can't just have an open conversation, if he's got a problem with the cookies, why doesn't he think and say, where did these come from? this is a nice gesture, thank you, where did these come from? he's ripping on 7-eleven. >> no great thing because many people at 7-11 like the cookies. >> this is a guy who doesn't just say thank you, this is a nice gesture. >> or use it as a place for conversation. i've been with president obama he walked in places seen pretty wild things put in front of him. he starts a conversation, who made this? >> he mocked nascar fans rain ponchos. his quote was i like those fancy raincoats you bought. >> teasing them. >> really sprung for the big bucks. >> some of those fans that go -- they can't afford afford -- seriously, they spend their money going to nascar, not on nice rain equipment.

>> some people in a backyard at a picnic table appreciate the cookies and pretzels put out for them. >> is it a snapshot or is this who the guy is and does it matter? >> it is who the guy is and we have seen it again and again. it does matter. this is not a legislator, somebody who is supposed to talk to the whole country and be able to talk to the whole country. a guy who can't go in the backyard in allegheny county and have a normal conversation has a problem. >> another part of the conversation was, you know, people were talking to him about raising taxes. they were hand-picked republicans, middle classers sitting in there telling him it's okay to raise taxes because we don't want to gut the educational system, he had no reaction whatsoever to any of that. that's when he should have started eating the cookies. >> filling his mouth at that point. >> good to have you with us. thanks so much. that's "the ed show." i'm ed schultz. before we go, i want to note

something that happened last night. >> rachel and her colleagues at msnbc are always working around the clock to bring you breaking news and they're all really talented anchors and journalists. we wanted to get to the heart of the matter. tonight's poll question, there it is, who is the hottest msnbc host, rachel, willie guise, joe scarborough, chris matthews, mika brzezinski, who do you think should win? >> whoever loses should be killed on sight. i assume ed will win. >> ed will win? >> ed has a heartland barrel chested virility that cannot be denied. >> excellent. >> rachel, thank you. i wanted to show my chest for a long time on tv but i have a confession to make tonight, the belly's a little bit bigger than the chest but i'm really working on it. the rachel maddow show starts right now. good evening. >> thank you, ed.