historic day in the damager state. senator lena taylor is officially requesting an investigation into robocalling and other dirty tricks. she's here tonight. this election is much bigger than the badger state. what the walker recall mean frs the country. good to have you with us tonight. thanks for watching. it's been 16 months. let's get it on. polls close in an hour here in wisconsin. we've already seen a ground operation unlike anything in wisconsin political history. voting in the recall election between scott walker and tom barrett may rival the 2008 presidential election turnout. participation has been off the charts for early voting, for same day registration and of course, this massive get out to vote effort unlike anything we've seen in this part of the country. voters will be in line when the polls close in one hour. remember, you can still vote.

you don't have to go home. you get in that line before the polls close, and you will be allowed to vote. election officials say that the turnout is somewhere between 60 and 65%. they expect around 2.8 million votes to be cast in this state today. turnout has been so heavy milwaukee county has had to call in for reenforcements at the poll. the turnout is so important because most voters already made up their minds according to the exit polls. 88% of voters decided which way they were going to vote before the month of may. only 6% decided within the last few days. voters are about evenly split on limits to collective bargaining. 50% approve and 48% disapprove. more voters view public unions favorably they unfavorably.

it's also not clear if this recall election will have any effect on the presidential election despite the close recall vote, 51% say they will vote for president obama compared to 45% who say they will vote for mitt romney. scott walker tried to down play any expectations when talking to reporters earlier today. >> do you think about writing a concession speech? i know you said yesterday that you hasn't yet. >> i haven't thought about a victory speech. >> tom barrett remained confident the momentum in this race is on his side. >> we're glad to see so many people care about our democracy and care about the future of the state and want a governor who will represent the middle class of this state. >> tom barrett is counting on

heavy voter turnout to push him over the top. the national democrats agree. president obama may not have come but his official campaign website released this video encouraging wisconsin voters to get to the poll. if turnout surpasses expectations, you can expect to hear about a lot of dirty tricks. they have already started here in the badger state. this vote watchdog site our votelive.org posted reports of voters being turned away at the polls. caller saw at at least 20 young people, first time voters, turned away because they did not have a photo i.d. state senator lena taylor wrote a letter to the government accountability board asking for an investigation into misleading robocalls to benefit the walker campaign. senator taylor will join us later on this evening. this is why tom barrett need voter turnout to be near the

2008 levels. back in 2008, 39% were democrats. the the number dropped to 37% in 2010. the number of conservatives jumped up 6%. young voters were also missing during the midterm in 2010. there was a 7-point drop in the youth vote from 2008. this race is very tight. the turnout will make the difference in the end. walker and his allies out spent tom barrett 7 1/2 to 1. in the end the race still about the people of wi. as i said closing last night, we'll find out if the people matter. i'm joined by ruth coniff and john nichols. great to have both you have with us. ruth, what's the latest?

>> the latest is turnout. i saw a tweet that i thought was a joke saying that dane county is projecting 119% turnout. i said that's got to be a joke. it's no joke. it's because so many people are doing same day registration at the polls. so many new voters are coming out. it's really an amazing thing to see because the republicans have tried so hard to suppress new voters and suppress the student vote. instead, we're seeing people coming out and registering. we're seeing lines so long they are returning out of registration forms. it's turnout like we have not seen in this state. >> john, any problems? >> there have been problems. not the problems that you look for which is huge voter suppression. the biggest problem has been turnout related. that is that in some places they printed ballots for 100% turnout, but now we are talk about perhaps going above that. in dane county they have printed

extra ballots. they printed 100%. they printed more in milwaukee county. they are advising voters who are coming to the polls, if you can print out a registration form because they are literally running out. this is really important because we have so many listeners in wisconsin. nothing will stop you from voting. if you get there by 8:00 even if they don't have a form, they'll find one for you. even if there's a problem finding it, everything will work. if you can go to the polls, go to the polls and participate in what could be the highest vote ever in a gubernatorial race. >> they had to shift some poll workers in milwaukee because of the heavy turnout. ballots are being rounded up to make sure they will be able to facilitate this whole thing. i have to get right to what's

been a problem area. a lot of people tweeting wanting to know who is watching kathy nicholas. >> it turns out it's her appo t appointees. they will tell us what's going on at the end of this long night, we're not finding ballots under her bed. >> you have to keep an eye on her. there's no doubt about that. we should be keeping an eye on every place in this state because while kathy has a rough reputation, the reality is we have an unprecedented turnout. this is absolutely historic. it's going to take time to count it. it's going to take time to get it right. let's be sure we do. i've never seen democracy operating at this level. let's get this right. let's do it. >> we have been talking in

recent days about where tom barrett needed the turnout. he needed the turnout in milwaukee and the turnout has been so overwhelming it's hard to accurately state exactly what kind of turnout they've had in milwaukee. i talked to reverend jesse jackson, he called me during the radio show. he said something's happening in milwaukee. i've never seen anything wliek this. ruth, what does that say? in 2010, only 37% of milwaukee came out and voted. tom barrett got 62% of that vote, which is big. we have stated on this program saying that it's got to be 50% or better turnout for him to make it happen tonight. your thoughts on where milwaukee county is and where this plays into the whole mix. >> the people of wisconsin including in milwaukee county know what's happening in wisconsin and they are coming out because they have an interest in this and know this

is about us. this is not about national politics. it's our our schools, our middle class and our future as a state. they see their stake in it. >> i was talking earlier today with gwen moore, congresswoman from milwaukee. i said i'm hearing so much about get out to vote. what are you doing? the bottom line it comes down to this, it's the elbow grease. it's not the mailer. it's not dropping something in the mailbox. it's beyond knocking ong somebody's door. it's beyond making a fiona call. they are monitoring the polls and seeing exactly who is voting, where their are weak and what wards and they are canvassing. they are pulling people out and say you've got to get to the polls. has this been done before? this seems very intense. this is elbow grease work.

>> it surely is. the highest voter turnout was in 1960. 73% of the people voted. what old-timers say, they used to have every precinct organized and you polled those people. i think we have returned to a traditional wisconsin way of doing it especially in our cities like milwaukee, madison, racine. the most important thing, you watch all these places we talked about. he will be elected governor of wisconsin. >> well, here's the thing. correct me if i'm wrong, scott walker wong racine. >> he won them both. >> that was also won by president obama in 2008. >> those the battlegrounds. >> this is real dynamic here. we talked about the democratic turnout. the republicans are in this

thing too. they have had high turnout today in the republican areas. >> they have. they have been working on it and bragging about it for a long time. we knew it was going to be close and it is going to be close. this thing is not won. we are going to be here for a while. they have put $3 million in the last couple of weeks on doing a bus tour to ten cities in wisconsin to do rallies and canvassing and get out the vote for their side. they did a big show of strength in the primary when they got all those voters to come out and vote for skocott walker who was virtually unopposed. they are getting people out. they have a good ground game. >> what's it say about a candidate who is out gunned by 27 million and in a tight race? >> it says two things. scott walker is an incredibly

weak candidate if it takes him that kind of money. number two, they said you could never fight money. wisconsin may just prove you can beat the money. >> great to have you with us. we're going to have a long night. coming up, it's all about the ground game and two people instrumental in that will join me next. republicans are playing dirty tricks with robocalls in wisconsin. state senator lena taylor wants an investigation. stay with us. we're right back. recently, students from 31 countries took part in a science test. the top academic performers surprised some people. so did the country that came in 17th place. let's raise the bar and elevate our academic standards.

let's do what's best for our students-by investing in our teachers. let's solve this. progressive saved me money on my car insurance

for doing the right thing behind the wheel. what a concept. excuse me, sir, do you know how fast you were going? exactly 25 miles per hour. that makes you a safe driver. keep driving safe. -are you serious? -absolutely. i couldn't help but notice, you applied your brakes smoothly and evenly. you know, progressive rewards safe drivers. think of this as a reward forward. thank you! nice -- you stopped at the stop sign. you qualify for a safe driver discount. wow! keep safe and keep saving. coming up, will today's high voert turnout be enough to defeat the massive amounts of outside cash raised by governor walker? i'll talk with lee sanders and

christian crowl. republicans tried keeping voters away from the polls with dirty tricks. now lena taylor wants the state's accountability board to take action. later, a look at how wisconsin's election could have an impact on the national level. share your thoughts on twitter using the hashtag ed show. we're coming right back.

ahh, now that's a clean mouth. i wish i could keep it this way. [ dr. rahmany ] you see, even after a dental cleaning... plaque quickly starts to grow back. but new crest pro-health clinical plaque control toothpaste can help. it not only reduces plaque... it's also clinically proven... to help keep plaque from coming back. plus, it works in these other areas dentists check most. ♪ new crest pro-health clinical plaque control toothpaste. life opens up when you do. for extra plaque protection try new crest pro-health clinical rinse. my father was a teacher, and

we are divided on our votes. i respect his vote, and it's difficult because even within families there's poll larizing views. >> the election has split the state in two. here is a pie chart showing how much money for the two candidates came from out of state. about two-thirds of governor scott walker's money are from out of state and special interests compared to one-fourth for tom barrett. it comes down to the ground game and both sides are turning the out today. i'm joined by the executive director of we are wisconsin. great to have you with us tonight.

[ applause ] >> you got some fans. >> explain the ground game. what's happened that's not happened in the past? >> this has been, we've known from day one that we were going to be competing with millions of corporate dollars pouring in from all over the country. we knew from day one this was going to be about boots on the ground. we have mobilized a massive campaign. it includes other progressive allies such as democracy for america, planned parenthood. league of conservation voters and the entire progressive movement. >> does this mean what you do on the ground can be any kind of money that shows up? this is the tip of iceberg. what message does this send? >> it sends a message that people power cannot be underestimated under any

circumstance. what we're seeing with walker is he is trying to literally buy this election with his money. ever since he dropped the bomb on this state in february 2011, we have come together in a way that this state has never seen. i've lived here my entire life and i've never been more proud or more in love with the people here for what we have done under massive circumstances. >> lee, what's been the strategy? what have the unions collectively tried to do? howyou pulled resources? >> we're organizing together. this is grassroots organizing 101. not only the labor unions but private sector unions but our communities across the state of wisconsin together, the seniors, students, civil rights organization, faith-based communities, women's

organizations. all of us are working closely together to do what we must do and that's going to be to beat scott walker tonight. [ applause ] >> since scott walker has become governor, your union has lost thousands of members, correct? >> yes, we have. >> is this the last stand? do you have to win this thing tonight? what does a victory mean? >> it's going to be very important tonight. it's not a last stand. you feel the energy in this room. you feel the energy across the state. you feel the energy across this nation. >> how crucial is a win? how crucial is it to unseat walker considering what's happened to your unions? >> we're doing all we can. our union was here yesterday. will be here today. we're going to be here tomorrow regardless of what happens. >> what differently has been done? is it just been an intensified effort. did you have the template to do

this all along? what's been different? >> i think that we've understood and we've gone back to basic organizing. organizing our members. organizing the communities. talking about and educating and mobilizing our communities and saying what kind of state do we want to live in? what kind of country do we want to live in? the 99% who are sick and tired of being hurt every single day. they are making their voices heard. enough is enough, and we're making that statement in wisconsin. >> i've heard conservative broadcasters in this state and fox news trying to make the case that president obama hasn't shown up. i've been in a half a dozen cities over the weekend. i haven't heard one person say president obama's name in connection to this vote. what are you hearing? >> we've always known this is about our people here in the state. we were very pleased the other night when president obama sent out a tweet supporting our

efforts. >> you know where the president is. he's saying this is your game. that was my interpretation. he knows you've got the resources. he knows you've got the ground game. maybe it was important for you to do this on your own as the state of wisconsin. what do you think about that? >> i think absolutely it's been very important for the people in wisconsin to make this all about our fight and make this local. you go all across the state and one thing to answer your question about what is different, our communities are organized and coming together in way like we've never seen. we have community labor alliances all over the state where labor members and nonlabor members are work together to fight at the local level but also to take our government back here today. >> is it milwaukee? is that the key, both of you? >> i think milwaukee is extremely important. we understand that there's an issue in milwaukee right now with the voter registration forms. we've sent out people, people are standing in line trying to register to vote.

we have sent people with forms so they can sign the forms so they can register to vote. milwaukee has been ready for it. >> you have a lot of registration, day registrations done? >> that's exactly right. >> you've got to view that as pretty positive. >> it's very positive. >> right now you have troops on the ground helping people get registered? >> yes, we do. yes, we do. >> because of the overflow? >> the overflow and the issues that have been created in milwaukee. we were notified of that. they are signing people up, registering them to vote. >> great to have you with us tonight. thanks so much for joining us. scott walker is playing number games with his budget and dirty tricks from republicans hit a new low. state nasenator lena taylor wil weigh in next. what effect will the wisconsin recall have on the

presidential race in november? stay tuned. you're watching "the ed show" live. follow the wings.

[ male announcer ] this is corporate caterers, miami, florida. in here, great food demands a great presentation. so at&t showed corporate caterers how to better collaborate by using a mobile solution, in a whole new way. using real-time photo sharing abilities, they can create and maintain high standards, from kitchen to table. this technology allows us to collaborate with our drivers to make a better experience for our customers. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better.

♪ there it is ! there it is ! where ? where ? it's getting away ! where is it ? it's gone. we'll find it. any day can be an adventure. that's why we got a subaru. love wherever the road takes you. wow, there it is. wanted to provide better employee benefits while balancing the company's bottom line, their very first word was... [ to the tune of "lullaby and good night" ] ♪ af-lac ♪ aflac [ male announcer ] find out more at... [ duck ] aflac! [ male announcer ] ...forbusiness.com. [ yawning sound ]

this is "the ed show" live.

up next, you won't believe the walker campaign's latest dirty tricks. stick around. everyone in the nicu, all the nurses wanted to watch him when he was there 118 days. everything that you thought was important to you changes in light of having a child that needs you every moment. i wouldn't trade him for the world. who matters most to you says the most about you. massmutual is owned by our policyholders so they matter most to us.

if you're caring for a child with special needs, our innovative special care program offers strategies that can help. what happens when classroom teachers get the training... ...and support they need? schools flourish and students blossom. that's why programs like... ...the mickelson exxonmobil teachers academy... ...and astronaut sally ride's science academy are helping our educators improve student success in math and science. let's shoot for the stars. let's invest in our teachers and inspire our students. let's solve this.

♪ power surge, let it blow your mind. [ male announcer ] for fruits, veggies and natural green tea energy... new v8 v-fusion plus energy. could've had a v8. i'm here to unleash my inner cowboy. instead i got heartburn.

[ horse neighs ] hold up partner. prilosec isn't for fast relief. try alka-seltzer. it kills heartburn fast. yeehaw! what wooerp we're seeing here in wisconsin is something that's proving to be far more powerful than money and that's the power of the people. this is real grassroots effort. >> we're going to wisconsin people. we're going to get rid of walker and a couple of senators too. >> welcome back to "the ed show." those were wisconsin state senators. scott walker could lose his job tonight. reports surface yesterday of an unknown group robocalling voters

with false information. reports to barretts campaign, there call says if you signed the recall petition, your job is done and you don't need to vote on tuesday. we all know that this is a flat out lie. lena taylor is outraged. she sent a letter to the government accountability board. it requests immediate action as in today, to begin investigations and prosecutions into such person that are committing election fraud and misdemeaner crimes. it's imperative that your agency uphold the law and criminally prosecute any person that's engaged in voter suppression and disenfranchisement tactics. for more on this i'm joined by wisconsin state senators lena taylor. you first senator taylor. you're calling for an

investigation into these robocalls. what is going to come of this? i'm not sure how it works. >> i'm not certain if you were talking to me. it's my understanding that a rort reporter did call and find out that it came from the republican party. i think the attorney general also should have done and should be doing an investigation of anyone who is attempting to intimidate or give misinformation to voters in order to suppress vote. they know the momentum is with tom barrett and they are determined to cheat and do whatever they can, but they can't silence the people. >> well, senator, let me make sure that we're on the same page here. you're telling us tonight on "the ed show," that you know ne these robocalls came from the republican party? was it the national party or the

party of wisconsin telling people if they signed the petition, they didn't have to vote? you know that came from the republicans? >> what i'm telling you is that when i did an interview earlier today and i spoke with a reporter from wisn, channel 12, that she personally called that number as well as when i spoke with someone from huffington post, that they called, it wen to the republican party. i personally didn't make the call. when they made the call, that's what it said. i'm suggesting if that's true, someone needs to investigate it regardless, not me but the attorney general and the government accountability board and someone needs to be held accountable. >> senator, how would you characterize this robocall? >> i would characterize it as a disgusting tactic, a fear tactic.

it goes to what i've seen with the republicans my entire political career, which is they do things that resolve around deceit in order to mislead voters especially in situations like this where they clearly know that the momentum is not with them. when you get done it's no different than the voter suppression bill, the voter i.d. bill, same type of concept. they want to reduce the individual numbers of individuals who vote against them. >> i want to brooch a subject with both of you. scott walker claim, and he's got some big time media people claiming that the state of wisconsin has a surplus. is that true or false and explain. >> it's false. to try to balance the budget, the governor borrowed money to require future generations to pay for it. the budget was never balanced. >> i'm hearing that he took over

$3 billion budget deficit and turned it into $150 million surplus. that's not true? >> that's not true. >> he's lying? >> he's not telling the truth, put it that way. [ applause ] >> senator, this is recall night. you sdroedon't have to be nice . lena taylor, your thoughts. this is major talking point right now by the republicans that this guy has come in, waved a magic wand. he's gotten rid of a deficit and has the state in a surplus. is that true or false? >> that's completely false. scott walker lied when he told people that he balanced the budget. he knows that he put $500 million on the credit card.

he knows that he did that. he knows that it's going to cost $150 million to our children and our grandchildren. that's the lie he's told the people and someone needs to fact check him. it's obvious and the fiscal bureau of the state of wisconsin would be able to show that what i said is true. >> you're the longest serving state legislature in american history. in 1959, you voted to give public employees the right to join unions and collectively bargain. can you put this battle, this recall, into perspective? >> 1959, we were the first state in the union to allow for municipal employees to collectively bargain. it was passed on a bipartisan vote. over 50 years we've had relative peace in the field of collective bargaining, bipartisan peace.

it didn't become partisan until walk walker became governor. polarized it. >> lena taylor, what senate race should we be watching tonight? give us your take. >> i'm confident in regards to barrett's race and i'm cautiously confidence in regards to the race in racine. i have to say outside of the fact that they ran out of ballots, i believe that when you get done, the fact that they've had to register new voters, that truly shows that or the enends lead in our direction.

i'm confident that things will go well. >> your thoughts on the senate race. >> i think senator taylor has it right. we're going to win one, two, maybe three races. we're going to win for sure. possibly all four. >> what does this state have to look forward to if scott walker retains the governor's chair? >> that's where the senate races become very important because if we get control of the senate, we can stop his right wing agenda. >> he wants to do more. what happens if tom barrett wins? where does the legislature move this state and how does it unfold? >> when tom barrett wins, one of the things we have to look forward to is the opportunity to have a governor who believes in bringing people together, to work together, to solve problems and make sure we have a table

that we can go to and talk even with individuals in the workplace. that's important. that's part of democracy. i believe we have that to look forward to. i think we also have something else to look forward to. solving the hard problems in wisconsin, dealing with education and dealing with the level of unemployment that exists around the state but especially in a city like milwaukee that has been forgotten for several years long before tom barrett was ever mayor. >> will the boots over the ground win out over the big money spent by republicans senator taylor? >> without a doubt. the boots on the ground, it's been exciting to see the amount of work that people are doing, the amount of people standing in line, the amount of energy that's out there, and i'm going to tell you something, our ground campaign has been tested. it's true. we're going to defeat him tonight.

i feel it. i feel it, ed. >> thanks for coming on "the ed show." what will tonight's outcome mean for the middle class moving forward? stay tuned. whoa. right? get. out. exactly! really?! [ mom ] what? shut the front door. right? woop-woop! franklin delano! [ male announcer ] hey! there's oreo creme under that fudge! oreo fudge cremes. indescribably good.

we'll take a look at how the wisconsin recall could affect november's election. : next, we're talking to the people here. don't forget you can listen to my radio show on sirius xm radio. you can follow me on twitter at ed show and like the ed show on facebook. you're watching "the ed show." we're coming right back.

welcome back. i have to say this, i just have to. let's hear it for the badgers. [ cheers and applause ] >> how we doing tonight? >> good. we're from pittsburgh. >> pittsburgh? >> pittsburgh, pennsylvania. >> council 13 in the house. >> san diego. >> florida. >> illinois. >> all right. these folks have come in to help out their union brothers and sisters because the get out the vote effort is so important. what do you think of what's unfolding here? >> i think it's great. we came here to get our state back. >> what does that mean? >> it means that we are not

going to cower to someone that comes in and tries to push us around. >> your thoughts. what's happening here? >> absolutely. i think if we stick together, people show up, go vote. this is absolutely history making right here. >> what do you make of the turnout? >> i think it's amazing. >> did you expect this? >> absolutely. >> you really did? >> this is the defining moment of wisconsin. >> what do you mean by that? >> this is where it starts and this is where it stops. this is the defining moment. >> all the united states. we got to change. >> you agree with that? >> absolutely. >> why is wisconsin important? >> if we allow the right wing to continue to do this, it's going to snowball, snowball, and we're not going to have freedoms left.

it's not going to be the united states of america anymore. >> your thoughts. >> it's way to show that citizens united isn't going to overpower us. people are stronger than money. >> there's been a lot of reporting going on that this is a template for how to defeat citizens united. do you believe that? [ cheers and applause ] >> when you bring out the people and make sure they really care about the results then things happen? >> the turnout is beyond presidential levels in some parts of the state. >> that's because walker has so turned off the people in this state that we have to make a change. >> absolutely. [ cheers and applause ] >> are you sick of the tv commercials? >> yeah! up next, even if you did not

vote, you will feel the affects of this election. i'll have that discussion when we come back.

forty-five states have joined together... ...to ensure consistent academic standards across america. these internationally recognized benchmarks... ...are unlocking a better way to prepare our children for college and their careers. because when our kids do better... ...america does better. let's reach higher. let's invest in our teachers and inspire our students. let's solve this.

that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic 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 skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles

or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbaa.lt dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. i'm here to unleash my inner cowboy. instead i got heartburn. [ horse neighs ] hold up partner. prilosec isn't for fast relief. try alka-seltzer. it kills heartburn fast. yeehaw! welcome back. the fight here in wisconsin tonight is bigger than scott walker. it's bigger than the outside money pouring into this state. this fight is about the middle class. when we have a strong labor force in this country, we have a

strong middle class. it's been proven. as union membership has dropped over the years, so has the earning power of the middle class in this country. the graph tells the story. meanwhile, this election isn't just about wisconsin. this is about america and what we must do to protect workers and wages so the middle class cannot only survive but thrive. one more note before we go to our guests tonight, we're getting reports that in some e precints in the city of milwaukee, if you're going to vote, go and vote. they will get you ballot. they will print the ballots needed to accommodate you and the polls close in about six minutes.

joan, you're from wisconsin. can you believe what is unfolding in your native thoust? your thoughts tonight. >> yes. i believe wisconsin could do this. i'm so mad i wasn't there. i don't know what i was thinking. i'm so proud of wisconsin. i think that barrett has a great chance. they have really turned wisconsin blue in a lasting way. this is the beginning, ed. this is what we're going to face in november. i think it's a great test run for national democrats and it's an example of what people can do when they are passionate and work their hearts out. >> howard, what do you see unfolding in wisconsin tonight? it looks like a nail biter. this turnout has been absolutely unbelievable. what happens next? what does this all mean? >> since i'm from pittsburgh, i

noticed there was some pittsburghers. just send pittsburgh people around the country and it will be fine. what the exit polls are showing is how decided people were before they went into the polls. i think the country is evenly divided. wisconsin is evenlyly divided. they mean money for tv ads don't necessarily turn the tide. it's more a matter of turning out the people that support you, which is why the ground game that's been run in wisconsin is so important. if the country is so divided and true independent voters then what matters is turning out your people. that's jury room one. number two, there are other states besides wisconsin that are battleground states where union membership is still strong. pennsylvania is one. ohio is another. if the unions and the rest of

the progressive movement can turn the tide, that gives the democrats and barack obama hope in ohio. what the republicans were trying to do, what scott walker was trying to do is divide the labor movement between public employee unions and what's left of the rest and somehow rob the union movement as a whole in representing working people around the country. that's one of the things at stake and it's allowed the movement to be so strong in wisconsin. a lot of people i talk to including some democrats have been skept. >> caller: about whether this coalition can get over the hump in wisconsin. in part because there's a percentage of people that don't like recalls as a matter of procedure. i think the overwhelming size of the turnout here has got to be good news for the people who going to be fighting karl rove

and company in the fall. >> it seems the obama campaign is really focusing on the issues that these wisconsinites have been focusing on as well. they are really paralleling each other. this has been about education. we know how the president feels about education. what does that say about where president obama taking his campaign? what about all that? >> i think the people really learned a lesson in 2010. that lesson is that voting really matters. some people either stay home or maybe they took a chance on a republican. nobody campaigned on this extremism and people were surprised when they got it. on the flip side, i think the president has been strengthened and encouraged and his agenda has opinion made more populous by the up ririsings in wisconsi.

i think there's a feedback loop where people energize this president and the president in turn energizes the people. this bodes well for ohio. there's a coalition that's building that's going to work nationwide. >> howard, what do you think it means for labor if scott walker wins? he's not going to back off. if he's put right back in the gubernatorial chair, he's going to keep on driving and a lot of people think they are doing everything they can to make this a right to work state right in the birthplace of labor. what does it mean? >> if he hangs on and wins, first of all, what that means is that karl rove, i keep mentioning him because he's such a key figure. they will go to other big contributors around the country. millionaires and others will want to bankroll conservative causes. they say it worked in wisconsin.

give us more money. he'll get more if scott walker wins. if scott walker wins, you can expect mitt romney and people around him surrogates and so forth to carefully move out onto the labor argument, the public employee argument which mitt romney has kind of avoided making a major theme of his campaign. what remains of the union movement, it seem to me, even though it's dwindled, i think middle voters are reluctant to give up on and reluctant to be buy the argument that the union movement has been discredited by public employees. they worry about the budget like all americans do. they don't want to give up the leverage. whatever leverage the middle class has left in a corporate

world, they are reluctant to give up. that's why they are rallying behind this movement in wisconsin. >> david axelrod said exit polling is leading mitt romney. thanks for your time tonight. appreciate it so much. that is "the ed show." don't forget we'll be back at 11:00 eastern time with the latest results here in wisconsin. we will not go home tonight until there's a declared winner. the "the rachel maddow show" starts now. good evening. good evening. i'm not going to get you to try to talk back to me. i know you can't hear me. ed and a cast of thousands tonight. what an impressive broadcast. what a room. i want to thank you for staying with us for the next hour.