congress to immediately extend the bush tax cuts for those making less than $250,000 a year. >> the republicans say they don't want to raise taxes on the middle class. i don't want to raise taxes on the middle class, so we should all agree to extend the tax cuts for the middle class. let's agree to do what we agree on. right? >> now, i'm going to show you some numbers in a few moments. you can be the judge because this puts the republicans on the spot. they have to take a position on supporting middle class tax cuts without an equal tax cuts for the wealthiest of americans. the romney campaign believes the best way to deal with the announcement is to say the president is raising taxes. president obama's response to even more bad economic news is a massive tax increase. here's the problem with the romney camp's statement. it is blatantly false. but they think the head shaking crowd will buy what they say. the president did not propose a

tax increase of any kind today. instead, he said we should deal with the expiring tax cuts for 98% of americans right now. could congress do something right now? instead of waiting for the deadline on january 1st, come on, congressional members, prove you can earn your paycheck. whether or not the taxes should go up on the top 2% will be up to the voters in november. >> in many ways, the feat of the tax cut for the wealthiest americans will be decided by the outcome of the next election. my opponent will fight to keep them in place. i will fight to end them. >> so what is happening here? the president is showing a clear distinction between his idea of taxation and mitt romney's. president obama continued to highlight this liene in the san throughout the day. >> they say they agree we shouldn't let middle class taxes go up.

why not take care of the 98% now? have the debate about the 2%, and if mr. romney wins or the republican s control congress, they could provide more tax breaks to the wealthy. if i win, we won't. >> republicans will never allow this extension to happen without extending the tax cuts for the wealthiest americans. mitch mcconnell said so yesterday. >> what we ought to be doing is extending the current tax rates for another year with a hard requirement to get through to comprehensive tax reform one more time. >> we all know the real reason republicans will not pass the extejz for the majority of americans now, because they need a hostage in order to get what they want. the middle tax tax cut is the hostage this time. he said he learned this lesson during the dent ceiling debate last year. we did learn this, it's a hostage that's worth ransoming and it focused the congress on something that must be done. this is why the obama camp is

pushing the tax message right now and it's really a brilliant move. in a campaign memo two weeks ago, the white house adviser explains why this was a fight to win. if republicans want to talk about taxes, we're happy to have that debate. they'll rax taxes on middle class families to give millionaires and billionaires a $250,000 tax cut. recent analysis proves this to be true, for example, if you're a person who makes between $50,000 and $100,000 a year, listen up. your taxes will go up nearly $4,500 under the republican plan to offset the tax cuts for the wealthiest americans. that's how they want to play the game. the big question tonight, is whether democrats will follow the president's lead. this is where the president of the united states needs every democrat out on the campaign trail saying this is what we can do now. this is what we have to do. this is what americans want.

and they should. as president obama pointed out today, his proposal is something the vast majority of americans have agreed with for a long time. >> i'm not proposed anything radical here. i believe anyone making over $250,000 a year should go back to the income tax rates we were paying under bill clinton. back when our economy created nearly 23 million new jobs, the biggest budget surplus in history, and plenty of millionaires to boot. and this is not just my opinion. the american people are with me on this. >> okay, we got a poll for everything in america these days, but you know what, there's a couple years of polls back in the president's statement. the people are with the president on this. and they have been for several years. gallup asked voters in 2010 whether tax cuts for the rich should be phased out. 59% of americans said yes. only 37% said no.

fast forward. a year later, 2011, gallup asked if taxes should be increased on the wealthy. 66% of americans said yes. the top two% has to do more. only 32% said no. that's a minority number, 32%, where i come from. this year, fast forward to the numbers, gallup asked if the rich are paying their fair share in taxes. 82% sa 62% said they paid too little, 25% thought they paid their fair share, 10% thought they paid too much. the american people have been told, well, we can't raise taxes on the job creators. i think they should take a poll on that because i think most americans are sick of that line. there has been no proof of any jobs created because the wealthiest americans have had the lowest taxes over the past decade. you never hear the rich explain to the american people just how bad they have had it under the

old rates. where's that story? let's take somebody who makes $2 million a year. let's talk about a wealthy person. if somebody was making $2 million a year, would you consider them wealthy? i think you would. under the bush rates, they would be taxed at 35%. that's where we are right now. under the old rate, from the clinton years, they were taxed at there 39.6%. $ 39.6%. what does that mean in money? look at the numbers. this is with the bush tax cuts, this is what you would take home. $25,000 per week under the old rates. you take home $23,230 per week. someone maybe should go on fox news and explain just how hard it is, just how hard it is to

make it on this number. or that number. or this number. let's go back to the old rates. this is what the president wants to do. $23,230 per week. is what somebody making $2 million a year would take home. now ask yourself the question, could you live on that? the president is trying to fix the treasury. the president has come to the table, the democrats have come to the tablt and said okay, you want to do big cuts, we'll do big cuts, but we want to do this, and the wealthy and republicans don't want to serve it up. i believe that the wealthiest americans can help save this country. i believe that. but there just doesn't seem to be any economic patriotism floating around these parts these days. it's all take, take, take. later in this broad cache, we'll show you how middle class americans are serving it up. but the wealthiest americans are

being protected by the republicans. ask yourself -- ask your husband or your spouse, your wife, honey, could we make it on $25,000 a week? well, yeah. do you think we could make it on $23,230 a week? yeah. that's where america is and the polls show it. get your cell phones out. tonight's question, will republicans work for the middle class and extend the tax cuts for the 98%? text a for yes, b for no to 6 622639. we'll bring you the results later on in the show. it's about tax fairness, it's about common sense. it's about asking the tough question, can the wealthiest americans serve it up for america, and president obama today is asking that question. i'm joined tonight by howard fineman. great to have you with us tonight, howard. >> hi, ed. >> you know, the president has

to win the middle class to get re-elected. let's operate on that premise. does this issue win the middle class? >> i think the republicans and democrats inhabit different universes. mitt romney's really being run by that 10% that you showed in the poll, the 10% who think the taxeso on the rich are too high. those are the people running his show. and from the republican strategist point of view and i talked to one today, they think anytime they yell tax at barack obama, they have a winner. he's a tax razor, a tax raiser. >> the white house answer to that is going to be mitt romney is republicans are out to screw the middle class and they're not using the tax code in the best possible way to create jobs. because if you talk to

economists and i have, fair minded ones, not raging liberals, fair minded ones, they will tell you that cutting taxes on the wealthiest americans while it might create some jobs, is certainly not the most efficient way to use the tax code to create jobs. as a matter of fact, the best way to create jobs is to focus tax cuts on the middle class. study after study has shown that and that's part of the president's argument. >> well, is it an argument that can hold up? we're 120 days away from the election. this is going to be the narrative for the obama campaign and really not mitt romney, this is the obama campaign and the president willing to make the clear distinction in front of the american people. so the question is, are there any republicans out there in congress who might wind up agreeing with the president on this extension? >> virtually none. none in congress now.

you have a few renegades out there, but don't forget, most are still signed on with the grover norquist no new taxes pledge. and number two, the republicans understand what mitch mcconnell said on television, which is they've got to hold together on this or the whole thing falls apart. the president is trying to split them very shrewdly, i think, but procedurally in the congress having caught up with a couple congressional aides today, they're not -- the republicans are not going to allow in the house -- they will not allow the kind of vote the president wants. >> no. >> that the president is daring them to have. it will never happen. >> yeah. >> so it's going to be a rhetorical thing. there will be a vote on an overwhelming -- on a complete reupping of the extension of the tax cuts, the bush era tax cuts. there will be a vote on the house. all of the republicans will vote for it, virtually all of the democrats will vote against it. the republicans will say see,

they want to raise taxes, and barack obama will again lay down the mark he laid down today, they want give me the vote i wanted. therefore, they're out to screw the middle class. and really, what we've got here, ed, is the president said, this is like the regular season of the nba. nobody is -- the real ball game is going to be in the playoffs, and then the finals are going to be right after the first of the year, and it's for home court advantage here, for whoever has home court advantage. >> the romney campaign is going to have to get out because the polling shows the healwealthies americans should be paying more. he can't sit this out until the last two minutes of the game. how important is it for democrats to get behind the president on this? he's correct on this issue. the people are with him. how can any democrat go home and say, i don't really want to do it this way and say, hey, i'm for the middle class? >> i agree with you on that. i think we'll see what happens.

the leaders of the congressional committee and the senatorial committee are behind the president on this. but let's see how they whip it to use the term from the hill in whether they can enforce that because there will be some candidates in red states or swing places that are going to be reluctant to take the dare. i agree with you, if the democrats don't go firmly on this and back up the president's strategy, it will have no use whatsoever. >> they have to go to the firewall on this issue. they served it up. >> if they want to make it work. >> they have to do it rhetorically to make it stick. >> thank you so much. remember to answer tonight's question. share your thoughts on twitter at ed show and on facebook. >> mitt romney isn't giving good swbs on why he has so much money socked away in offshore accounts. dick durbin joins me next.

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coming up, mitt romney's tax shelters are becoming a major issue on the campaign trail. i'll talk with dick durbin. rnc chairman comes uncl s ungl his latest attack on the president. richard wofrl is over it with the discussion tonight. share your thoughts on twitter using the hash tag ed show and like us on facebook. we're right back. why let constipation slow you down?

try miralax. mirlax works differently than other laxatives. it draws water into your colon to unblock your system naturally. don't wait to feel great. miralax. welcome back to "the ed show." democrats have come out swinging at mitt romney's offshore bank accounts. here's maryland governor martin

o'malley. >> the rel vbs is this, that governor romney can't claim that his state actually was great at kraeling jobs while he was governor so he has fallen back and said, vote for me. i was a businessman, i created jobs. talk about going the way of jurep. what went the way of europe were the swiss bank accounts and the american dollars mitt romney stuffed in the offshore bank accounts. >> this is key in this campaign. mitt romney has never been critically questions by any journalists as to why he has money over there. what's wrong with american investment? with american jobs? he's running around telling everybody he's a job creator yet his real wealth is overseas? why is that. any americans who has money over seas is for one reason. that's to be as wealthy as you can be. robert gibbs said his offshoring issues can be cleared up only by

releasing more tax returns. >> the one thing he could do to clear up whether or not he's done anything illegal, whether he's shielding his income is to do what every other presidential candidate has done, which is release a series of years of tax returns. >> this isn't something that that been ginned up by the obama campaign. this follows a week of more news reports about romney's offshore accounts. does that relate to average americans? do you have offshore accounts? the romney campaign spokeswoman said this, the obama campaign's latest unfounded character assault on mitt romney is unseemly and discusting. he had a successful career in the private sector, pays every dime of taxes he owes, has given generously to charitable organizations and has served numerous causes other than himself. but the fact remains this is a man running for president of the united states who seems to like

offshore bank accounts, does he not? here is illinois senator dick dirken. >> he's the only candidate for president of the united states with tax shelters, with tax avoid nls schemes that involve so many foreign countries. you get a swiss bank account to conceal what you're doing, or you believe their money is stronger than the dollar. >> appreciate you time. >> thanks, ed. >> this is abnormal. you pointed that ow. do you think the american people are okay with this or is this a real issue? >> it's a real issue. let's put it in perspective. who set the standard for income disclosure of presidential candidates? mitt romney's father. he filed 12 years of income tax returns and said this ought to be the standard. how many years of income tax returns has mitt romney, his son, filed? one. the least amount of disclosure of any presidential candidate of

either political party in the last 36 years. >> so it's tax avoidance or is it romney just not trusting american banks and the american currency? what do you think it is? >> i'm serious, i have asked business leaders, i have asked republican senators, i asked warren buffett the following question, why would anybody need a swiss bank account. warren buffett said i never had one. i think we have a lot of great banks in america. they basically say the same thing, two reasons, to conceal your wealth and transactions involving your wealth from government scrutiny, number one, or number two, because you happen to think the swiss frank is a stronger currency than the united states dollar, and i might remind you, mitt romney made his decisions on moving money into switzerland when there was a republican president. >> today, romney said the offshore investments are in a blind trust. his comment was, i don't manage them. i don't even know where they are. is this an adequate response?

>> no, and let me tell you why. when he was badgered by his fellow republican opponents in the course of the primary, he finally released one year's tax return. that's it, all we have seen. one year, and they were able to trace the san cady, is a private corporation blind trust that his family owns. listen to this, the day before he was sworn in as governor of massachusetts, he transferred the money in this organization into a blind trust in his wife's name in some foreign tax haven. >> no coincident there? >> so it wouldn't be reported? >> no coincidence, just the day before he was signed in. >> and it's never been disclosed. the average american has to ask themselves, why would we standard for a person running for the highest office in the land concealing important elements of their own investment decisions. >> is this the way it's going to be all the way up to the

election? we're going to know very little about the republican candidate's finances and where his money and is he says, he doesn't know where they are? >> he's taking on water in his boat when it comes to disclosure because americans are skeptical of this. >> you are sponsoring a bill to reduce tax haven abuse. >> here's what it boils down to, al franken and i put in a bill several month ago. on the financial disclosure forms for all members of congress, for all candidates for president and vice president, you have to specifically disclose whether or not you or anyone in your family is invested in foreign tax havens to avoid taxes in the united states. i think that's a very basic question that should be asked not just of mitt romney but of all members of congress. all candidates for president. >> do you think mitt romney is abusing the american tax system and not paying his fair share? >> i don't know. i wouldn't draw that conclusion. i would say to him, present

theeds. show us what you have done. have you paid your fair share of taxes. have you handled your financial affairs as a businessman and a person of wealth in a way that is responsible? >> thanks so much. coming up, the republicans are coming unhinged. find out why they're ramping up the attack on president obama when we come back. >> and the 1% came out in droves this weekend to support mitt romney. we'll weigh in on the republicans' fund-raising taking place in the hamptons over the weekend. stay with us. we're right back.

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welcome back to "the ed show." as president obama's poll numbers get better, the right wing seems to be getting crazier. the chair of the rnc said re-electing president obama will end america as we know it. >> mitt romney has to win for the sake of the very idea of america. mitt romney has to win for liberty and freedom. and we have to put an end to this barack obama presidency before it puts an end to our way of life in america. >> generic pabulum is what it's called. ted cruz joiks that the president might put him in his supporters on a so-called kill list. >> kill list. should congress have oversight?

>> well, number one, i'm worried all of us are on it. >> nobody is laughing when florida representative allen west claims the obama administration wants to enslave americans by offering food stamps and unemployment benefits. >> we're creating economic dependency, i call it slavery. it can be even worse because it trounlss the indomitable entrepreneurial spirit of the united states. >> i think the reason people love you is because you're so plain spoken. >> and crazy. and on many subjects, i might add. the governor of maine might have been too outspoken. he apologized for what he said about affordable health care. gr you must buy health insurance or pay the new gestapo, the irs. >> he apologized saying it

wasn't my intent to insult anyone, especially the jewish community ohrmanmize the fact that millions of people were murdered. he added more crazy talk. he said the word clouded his message. he insists our individual preemds are being stripped away from the government. the chair of the rnc claims president obama is the most negative campaigner this country has ever seen. that might be the craziest thing they have claimed so far. let's bring in richard wolffe. is the obama campaign running a negative campaign? >> well, they are running negative ads, but that's not all they're talking about. as in any campaign, certainly as happened in 2008, they're running positive ads. they have a positive agenda, and yes they're talking about their opponent in critical ways. that's the nature of politics. i'm surprised the republicans,

many of whom gains power in the bush years have no recollection of karl rove and the politics he's brought through that period and into the current one with his organizations like crossroads. this is their kind of politics. they should recognize that's how these elections get played out throughout america. that's what the founders intended, a vigorous contest and ask the historians who look at abraham lincoln's time. there's nothing particularly dirty about this time. >> ramping up the rhetoric, i mean, clearly, that's what they're doing. how does romney benefit in any way from this? why doesn't he tell them the back off and get to the fact because it's all a lot of generic hateful talk and scare and fear tactics and such as that. how does romney benefit from that? >> first up, i don't think romney is in a position to tell the party anything. if anything, they're telling him

what to do just like wausw we st week with the health care mandate and if it was a tax. they can't exert central organization in any way. you have steen that in members of congress. john boehner doesn't have a lot of control over his own caucus. the problem for the romney campaign is if it's just about firing up the base, this strategy makes sense, but they know full well if you look at their messages, how they're trying to position themselves, that this election is going to be decided by the middle, by independent voters, by infrequent voters, the people who are not going to be fired up by this kind of crazy talk. >> when the president comes out today and offers an extension of tax cuts to 98% of americans, that's nothing but positive. and it's winning the middle class. does today's announcement somewhat shift this campaign and put more pressure on romney? >> for start, the president is talking about economy and pocket

book issues. what are republicans going to do? they want another vote on repealing health care. they're off message, off content. they want money going to everyone, an equality issue. this president has reframed it in terms of middle class and how do you get the economy moving for the middle class in the short term and long term. i think, you know, this is how as president, having the bully pulpit means you set the agenda, the other side has to respond to it in a meaningful way. >> they have not done that. thanks for being wus. >> a lot more coming up. stay with us. >> the reports from mitt romney's koch brother fund-raiser read like an obama campaign basher. >> police and firefighters forced to take minimum wage pay decreases. we'll tell you about the middle class nightmare in scranton,

pennsylvania. and it's the picture everyone is talking about. and now the man in the kayak is telling his story. >> i looked behind me and that's when where saw the shark, which is pretty much right there. >> i'll ask shark expert chris if the increases shark sightings on cape cod are anything to worry about. [ female announcer ] women have made it the number one selling anti-aging cream undeniably. it creamed unbelievably a $500 cream and now women have made regenerist microsculpting cream

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i don't have to use gas. i am probably going to the gas station about once a month.

drive around town all the time doing errands and never ever have to fill up gas in the city. i very rarely put gas in my chevy volt. last time i was at a gas station was about...i would say... two months ago. the last time i went to the gas station must have been about three months ago. i go to the gas station such a small amount that i forget how to put gas in my car. ♪ they were high on the hog. in fact, they dined on prosciutto wrapped lemon balls while live bands played margaritaville. the 1% showed up in droves to support one of their own. mitt romney raked in nearly $4 million in long island. it began with a $25,000 a plate

luncheon, it ended up with a $75,000 per couple dinner at david koch. the romney supporters drove up in bentleys and porss. one donor called president obama a socialist from inside a gold mercedes. another poked her head out back of a black range rover demanding is there a vip entrance? we're vip. romney himself was there to hobnob with his own kind, but as one new york city donor told the l.a. times, he needs to do a better job connecting with the little people. the quote was, i don't think the common person is getting it. nobody understands why obama is hurting them. we have the message, but my college kid, the babysitters, the nails lady, everybody who has the right to vote, they don't understand what's going on. if you have an lower income,

one, you're not as edge kaucate two, they don't understand how it works, they don't understand how the system works, they don't understand the impact. these comments have been all over the web. i gsz this is the men's grill after the guys got off the golf course. i have had ladies here three at one time as well. so be cool about it where. >> don't go bragging. >> keith boykin, great to have you with us. ron christie, always good to have you back, and john, always. ron, i have to ask you first, what about the comments? it's almost as if these people at the fund-raisers are talking down the hard working middle classers. >> i don't think so. to coin a phrase john mcenroe used to say, come on, ed, you can't be serious. for them to criticize governor romney for raising money, i look at anna wintour, she went to

sarah jessica parker's and raced money. >> it's not just about raising money. every candidate raises money. it's about the attitude of the 1% attending mitt romney's fund-raisers, contributing to this. thei ierotism to suggest that t rich know better than the rest of america, that to me is an example of the class war fare. >> it's only class war fare if you fight for the 99%. i had no idea daisy buchanan was a supporter, but it's not about conservative versing liberal. six states will decide the election. is he supposed to run on his personality or his record? he has to raise the super pac money, flod the states with negative ads. knl is it an attitude issue? >> absolutely. >> about workers versus the

wealthy? >> and that's the distinction. obama is rolling around in the wall street dough as well. absolutely, but obama stood in front of the supreme court at the state of the union address and decried citizens united. you wouldn't see mitt doing that because that's the only thing he can run on. >> ron, you have the floor on the at tide issue. is this an image issue for the republicans? >> it is for the republicans and democrats when they're seen in highfalutin place s raising money. it's legal, look, you're not going to sit here and tell me the republicans have an attitude problem when president obama is at the home of george clooney, going to be a fund-raiser overseas. they're operating within the guidelines of the law. let me finish. my last point is to say that republicans don't look at people and say, oh, if you're not in the top whatever percent we're going to look down at you.

they look at people as individuals. >> exactly, john, we saw the people at the hamptons fund-raiser, people donating to mitt romney do exactly that. the problem is not about people raising money, not making a lot of money. the problem is about the attitude. you have -- >> you don't think there's an attitude with rich democrats when they have these fund-raisers? >> very different. >> but they're not giving money to the obama campaign hoping to prop up the 1%. which is what they're doing. the reason is fits in so neatly with the mitt romney narrative going on this week about disclosing his tax returns. why does he have millions in an account in bermuda or in the cayman islands or in a swiss bank account? it contradiibutes to the feelin that they're not trying to help the working class. >> this is a losing strategy for you guys. i think americans are looking right now and saying this country is hurting. it doesn't matter whether you

have a million in the bank, $10,000 in the bank, what are you going to do to put forth policies to help americans. >> what is mitt romney going to do to help those people? tax cuts for the rich? >> it's not just tax cuts. these whole mantra of all americans care about is tax cuts? >> they like war, too. >> it's not war, it's health care. they said we need a different system. we need a system in place where you can buy insurance across state lines and pull together. that's an innovative idea. >> they thad 30 years. he's running on what bush did and call it something different. for anyone who is not a millionaire to still vote gop is a sucker because no one has balanced a budget, no one has had a surplus since eisenhower. all they're good at is two things, redistribution of wealth and making conservative americans think it's a good

think. >>. >> i have give you the floor. >> the reason we had a balanced budget is the republicans, and where worked for the republican chairman, who worked for clinton in a bipartisan manner. >> fair enough. good discussion. i like it. keith, ron, john, thank you so much. coming up, the disgrace of paying police officers and firefighters minimum wage. if it can happen in scranton, pennsylvania, don't you think it could happen anywhere? that's coming up. stay with us. summer is here. and so too is the summer event. now get an incredible offer on the powerful c250 sport sedan. but hurry before this opportunity...disappears. the mercedes-benz summer event ends july 31st.

we take it on ours. this summer put your family in an exceptionally engineered mercedes-benz now for an exceptional price during the summer event. but hurry, this offer ends july 31st. a budget gaffe forces the mayor of scranton, pennsylvania, to cut the budget for firefighters and police officer to minimum wage.

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this county, this city has gone through some tough times. it's had its heyday, it's come back, it had tough times. >> welcome back to "the ed show." vice president joe biden on the campaign trail in scranton, pennsylvania, which once again is going through tough times. the mayor chris daugherty reduced the pay of all city workers including his own pay and the pay of police and firefighters to minimum wage. $7.25 an hour. scranton is broke. they're out of money. the mayor wants to raise taxes to make up a $16 million budget gap, but the city counsel wants to borrow the money and they can't agree on anything. the terrible practical aact could be seen with the pay. john judge is a scranton firefighter and president of the association of local firefighters, he normally gets about $1,500 every two weeks after detukzs. on friday, his check was less

than $600 before detukzs. he said he's not sure how long he can pay bills on this kind of salary. this isn't just about scranton, pennsylvania. every time president obama sends a bill to congress that includes more money for state and local firefighters and police force workers, republicans, what do they do? they kill it. the republican nominee, mitt romney, is equally dismissive of public workers. >> he wants to hire more government workers. he said we need more firemen, more teachers, more policemen, didn't he get the message? the american people did. it's time to cut back on government and help the american people. >> if this can happen in scranton, pennsylvania, it can happen anywhere in the country. police and firefighters getting minimum wage? it's a disgrace. tomorrow night, mr. judge will join us on "the ed show" and tell us how this is impacting his family and just how he's going to pay the bills and of

course the feate of other city employees in scranton. i asked you, will republicans work for the middle class and extend the tax cuts? for the middle class? 98% of you said no. 3% of you said yes. coming up, it's shark week on both coasts. find out how a kayaker managed to escape a great white. the amazing story when we come back.

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telegram. >> oh, telegram, just a moment. >> well, some real life sharks are scaring the heck out of beach goers on both coasts th s summer. just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, take a look at this picture. a man was kayak eing when a gre white shark starting to follow him. >> it had a good size and a fin sticking out. i started to paddle. >> he was only 100 feet off shore when he saw that dorsal fin. he actually teased his daughter earlier in the day about being afraid of sharks. the harrer master estimates the great white shark was 12 feet to 14 feet long. he said his instincts kicked in.

>> i reacted. i paddled like no tomorrow. i ran out of the water like a little child. >> another kayaker on the west coast had a much closer encounter with a bigger shark this weekend. look what the shark did to the bottom of his kayak in santa cruz, california. 15-foot long great white built into the hull. you can see the teeth marks. the shark even left behind tooth fragments. the kayaker wasn't hurt. his friends pulled him to safety. both peach beaches are open today, but swimmers are told to watch out for seals, not sharks. they need to stay away from sharks. experts say the sharks are hunting seals, not people. even so, it makes vacationers nervous. >> the thought of a shark coming near me up in the water is a pretty freaky. >> makes you think twice about jumping up the water. >> i'm joined tonight by chris, a marine biologist and shark

expert. what do you make of all this. how does the story strike you? >> i have the same conversation about once a day that the fellow had with his daughter, to tell people there's no reason to be afraid when you go in the water of sharks. abiously, that's where sharks live, we like to recreate there. >> what about the seals, what is happening here? is this a global warming issue because all marine life relates to water temperatures here. >> they move around the ocean relating to water temperature. it acts like a physical barrier or wall, and certain fish or mammals won't move along the wall. they move along what we call fronts, and it's just basically an area of big temperature difference. so the seals, i think their popular has been increasing greatly over the last couple years which is a good thing. but unfortunately for swimmers,

their primary predator is the great white shark, and that's coming in closer contact with humans. >> how much danger was that gentleman on the kayak in? >> i would say that when this picture was taken, he was in a very little bit of danger. probably a couple minutes before that, before anyone actually saw the shark, he was probably in a little more. >> why is that? >> great white sharks are what are referred to as ambush predators. they lurk low near the bottom and hunt things near the surface and they're making a silhouette along the top. basically, the sun is along the top and you look very much like a seal or a sea lion swimming along and that's what the shark is is looking for, that silhouette along the top of the water. >> i'm hearing from you that you don't think the sharks are hunting people, that it's safe to go in the water, that this is unusual. >> i would say that the second story that you had shown there with the kayaker who was actually knocked out of the

kayak, he was actually -- he was actively being hunted by the white shark, for sure. and the nice thing, if you want to call it that, is generally once the white shark comes up and feels you, sharks don't have hands or fingers, they can't come over and push on you and feel what they are. the only thing they can use are their mouths and feet. what the shark did is come up and feel the kayak with his teeth. unfortunately, that type of contact, you know, leaves some scars behind sometimes. >> thanks for joining us. >> that's "the ed show." i'm ed schultz. the "rachel maddow show" starts right now. >> feeling it with one's teeth. >> the dorsal fin starts the heart attack on the big guy right here. >> i know exactly what you mean. >> i would win a gold medal. >> i can't look at a person with a mohawk. i get the same feeling. good to have you back, ed. >> you, too. >> and thanks you at home for

staying with us for the next hour. the side effect of the fourth of july falling on a wednesday this year is that nobody really knew when fourth of july weekend was. was it the weekend before the fourth, after the fourth? i celebrated both. but it wasn't really clear which was the right weekend to celebrate. one thing that is clear now is that the fourth of july weekend whenever it was is over. we're back. today in washington, it was like the first day of school. summer is over, everybody is back and doing what they want to be doing for the next few months. the republican controlled house back in session today. they of course now are hard at work on their jobs, jobs -- just kidding. house republicans are naturally working on abortion this week. just like they always do. another abortion ban they're puffer suing for washington, d.c. gets marked up tomorrow because you know, jobs, jobs, jobs. house republicans are also planning to symbolically fake repeal