pick up our coverage right now. ♪ good evening, americans, and is welcome to "the ed show" live from new york. we ain't shut down. let's get to work! >> we have a good day of anarchists. why? because the government is closed. speaker boehner and his band of tea party radicals -- >> i do not like green eggs and ham. >> have done the unthinkable. >> mike lee. i am your father. >> no, no, no. >> they have shut down the federal government. >> that's not what our goal is. it's a means to an end. >> i want to repeal the law of the land. is that clear? >> the affordable care act is moving forward. you can't shut it down. ♪

good to have you with us tonight, folks. thanks for watching. i've been just walking around the office all day long, saying i can't believe they did it. i mean, they actually shut down the government. they actually have decided to hurt people because they didn't legislatively get their way. elections don't matter. oh, it's the money that matters. you know, the backdrop of this is that the republican party always says that, oh, they're for the private sector. the private sector. they're the champions of small business. yet today they're hurting small business. they're the champions of the entrepreneurs out there. you know what, folks, i come from the private sector. and you can't eat pr, okay? and if you don't do the work, you don't get paid. so a lot of americans, i think, are out there wondering, well, if the government is shut down, why are congressional members still on the payroll? oh, wait a minute. they got this essential nonessential thing going on. what do you think? health care essential to you?

oh, but there's a few out there that don't want to take the money. lo and behold, unspoiled from the prairie, one of them is newly elected senator heidi hide camp who says she will not take the money. her money is going to go to charity. i believe ted cruz said something about that. here we get into the trust but verify, his money is probably going to go to sarah pac. why are they on the payroll? that's a side bar issue, but i think a lot of americans are kind of sorting this whole thing out. because we know last night the republicans for the first time in 17 years shut down the united states government, because they didn't like the way it was all unfolding. it is truly a radical attempt to crush obama care. and these are the bad guys. these are the guys who want to hurt americans. obama care went into effect today. let me see if i can remember the number. 1-800-318-2596. see how easy that is? don't get confused.

the government shut down impacts real americans, average workers, your next door neighbor, 800,000 across america. and the economy will slowly drip. average americans, i'm not convinced they're sitting at home saying what's the next amendment? it's the day to day minutia that people aren't paying attention to. they're not in this legislative wrangling. i believe this is where americans are right now. they're sitting at home, wondering, okay, what's this shutdown mean to me. how long is it going to last, who the heck is going to fix it, and are they really serious about us not having a functional government? the conservative mission all along has been to torpedo the economy and now we know at all costs. the first step, of course, is obstruction. the second step, this is phase two, shutting down the government. that's what this is all about. president obama is playing it exactly the way he has to. he's not impressed with house republicans' reckless behavior, and he placed the became earlier today right where it has to be.

>> add at midnight last night for the first time in 17 years, the republicans in congress chose to shut down the federal government. let me be more specific. one faction of one party in one house of congress in one branch of government shut down major parts of the government. all because they didn't like one law. i urge house republicans to reopen the government. restart the services americans depend on. and allow the public servants who have been sent home to return to work. this is only going to happen when republicans realize, they don't get to hold the entire economy hostage over ideological demands. >> but they support the troops. guys like this have been running around for years, saying that they support the troops. they're all about the troops. but today disabled veterans are being told that their checks won't be there on time.

there will be some services that are cut. and in the long run, don't ever forget, these people don't give a damn about the troops. they're just a damn good prop. these anti-government extremist republicans, well, they got their wish. their mission has been accomplished. they shut down the government. aren't they huge? i guess you could say that sarah palin's america is finally being realized. but the american people are rejecting it. 72% of americans oppose shutting down the government to stop obama care. and congressional approval is at a whopping 10%. barely double figures. we now enter the next stage of what you could call the assignment of blame. the blame game is going to be upon us now. and make no mistake, this man right here, he is responsible for the shutdown. john boehner could have brought the senate bill to the floor, funding obama care, and the government could have brought it up for a vote, but he refused to

do it. republicans would have voted for it, and the government would have been funded. instead, he caved canadian senator ted cruz and rest of the tea partiers in the house caucus, and boehner actually had the nerve to go on the floor, just couldn't say we're not going to do it. he mocked the president of the united states. >> i talked to the president earlier tonight. i'm not going to negotiate. i'm not going to negotiate. we're not going to do this. well, i would say to the president, this is not about me. and it's not about republicans here in congress. it's about fairness for the american people. >> what? fairness to who? this is anything but fair. obama care is the law of the land. congress has voted for t the american people voted for it a couple of times in reelecting the president. the supreme court has ruled on it. they upheld the law that the righties hate. saying it was constitutional. president obama is exactly

right. not to go back and negotiate with the likes of boehner. all these republicans want to do is crush obama, that's right, the president, and his signature legislative accomplishment, which is obama care. tarnish his legacy and just drive him right into the ground. that's really what they're all about, because you see, they don't like him. last night congress and john larson took to the house floor. he had no problem giving republicans a piece of his mind. >> the american people in the greatest land, the greatest country in the world, deserve to have their government open. and they deserve to know where their members stand! do you stand with your country? do you stand for your country? or do you want to take it down this evening? stand up for your country! stand up for america! stand with us this evening and keep this government going!

in the name of fairness. >> no such thing as fairness anymore. it's all about winning. just win, baby. just win. the driving force behind all of this. and nobody is really pointing to it as much. maybe we can't see the force because of the trees. it's citizens united. republicans' special interest groups. they've got this web around these guys. they've got this protectional -- protectionnary force around them called huge frickin' money. these groups are calling the shots. there are literally hundreds of special interest groups out there just shouting out big bucks to these republicans and giving them cover. controlling them like puppets. and, of course, we're talking about well-known players, big oil, which you subsidized. big phrma, crossroads gps. the heritage foundation is out there. americans for prosperity. and oh, by the way, let's not forget the koch brothers. they have never seen a liberal they wanted to see in office.

citizens united has given them the muscle and the guts to do whatever they want to do and don't pay attention to what the american people want or the election. this is all about election rejection. polls? who knows anything about polls? they don't know about polls. 95% of the american people wanted something done on gun legislation and background checks. that didn't matter to republicans. they've got citizens undered. they have all of this money behind them, all they have to do is vote. the way the big boys want them to and to hell with the american people. they are giving these wacko politicians cover and license to circumvent democracy in this country. and you know who is trying to save this? the democrats. the democrats holding their caucus together is the key right now. and i can tell you, as this showdown unfolds, somebody is going to lose. you and i are losing right now. we're just the taxpayers.

but somebody is going to lose. we know that polls don't move the republicans, only big money does. the big loss is going to be definitely for the progressives if the democrats move. they think the -- the republicans think the game is over and we lost, but we want another set of downs. this is election rejection. that's all it is. they don't care about dp accuracy. they only care about power. and all of us liberals out there are just kicking ourselves that when we had the white house, the house in the senate, we didn't go for the jugular, the way these guys do. get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think. tonight's question. are republicans special interest groups dangerous for democracy? a for yes, b for no to 67622. always go to our blog at ed.msnbc.com. we'll bring the results later in the show. for more, let me bring in steny hoyer of maryland. my sources are telling me behind closed doors this is the man very responsible for holding the

democrats together. there have been no breaks in ranks for the democrats. and it's almost like it's a moment of real severity for the progressive movement in america. they cannot allow obama care to be taken down in any form or fashion. congressman, great to have you with us tonight. >> good to be with you, ed. thank you. >> is there any way democrats are going to let boehner chip away at obama care? >> no. this bill was hard-fought. we now see the first day in my state literally tens of thousands of people were signing up early this morning. they were so excited about having finally access to affordable quality health care and have insurance so democrats are going to stand strong on this bill. we think it's good for america. we think it's good for the people. we think it's good for our families and children. and we're not going to allow this to be turned around and to be repealed. i might say, ed, the irresponsibility that we're seeing on the other side of the

aisle, shutting down government, taking hostage a bill which, as you pointed out, was supported by the president of the united states, the issue in the last presidential election was this very bill. obama was reelected. but elections apparently don't make a difference to this crowd. >> they don't care. >> so worry going to fight to make sure that the affordable care act goes into effect, gives the kind of protection and security that people in this country need. i want all americans healthy, because we'll be a better, stronger country, and our economy will grow, and we'll create jobs if that's the case. >> congressman, is this john boehner's fault? >> it's certainly the fault of the republican leadership of which john boehner is one. >> okay. >> he has the ability to put on the floor the continuing resolution which funds government and, by the way, ed, and this is important for your viewers to know. at the levels set by the republicans. >> yes. >> they won't take yes for an answer. >> yeah.

>> the sequester level. and, by the way, in the next few months, we have to change the sequester, because it will undermine the national security of our country, undermine the economy and job creation. >> and so is this the pregame show? the big play is going to be, you know, the debt ceiling coming down the road and the budget and what not. is this just going to be the way the country is going to be running? what's the solution here, steny? >> the solution is to reason together and to stop simply following unreasonable, ideological courses that says my way or the highway. that doesn't work in a democracy. in a democracy, we come together, and reach an agreement. realizing that some were elected by republicans, some were elected by democrats, some were more independent. but the fact of the matter is, the american people expect a democracy to work. and the only way our families work and our democracy works is if we work together. >> congressman, keep that caucus

together. that is the real key. i hear it on radio all day long. progressives in this country are concerned that there's going to be a break in the ranks and that the republicans will get something on obama care. it's great to hear you say that's not going to happen tonight. i appreciate what you're doing. thanks so much. >> we're working on it, thank you, ed. >> thank you, sir. congressman steny hoyer with us, minority whip for the democrats in the house. keep in mind, it is citizens united. it's the big money behind all of this. polls don't matter. we can throw out 72% all day long. the thing that's going to make a difference right now as i see it, are progressives and liberals in this country who are going to get behind the people that have stood up for them all along. and that is president obama. i thought the president was very strong yesterday. let's bring in congressman john larson of connecticut, who told it like it is. last night on the house floor. congressman, good to have you with us. >> always good to be with you, ed. >> no one could have done it any better. you laid it right there. it's about the country. why can't they realize that?

>> well, you know, it is about the country. and it breaks my heart, both as a student of history and to know that this is totally preventible. and, you know, when you have one person in a small minority, ted cruz, i'd logically is driving this train, it's got to be confounding. i know there are good republicans that are out there. peter king and others who have been quite vocal. we need that part of the caucus, the moderate wing, however many of them are left in the republican party, to stand up. >> you think they'll do it? >> and recognize we can't take this country this way. >> you think they'll do it? >> i hope so. they keep on saying they will. but you pointed out on your show, money has a lot to do with this, and the influence of money pouring into that. >> you agree with that? >> yes, i do. i think that money and threats of primaries, if they go against the grain, if they do anything other than what ted cruz tells them to do. right now cruz is both senate

minority leader and speaker of the house. >> well, i want to play a clip from senate minority leader mitch mcconnell. here it is. >> democratic leaders in congress finally have their prize. a government shutdown that no one seems to want. but them. so we know the democrats who shut down the government will yell and point fingers. they have already started that particular routine. they will say it was the mean old republicans. >> congressman, what's your reaction to that? >> well, you know, ed, i'm an old history teacher. and i remember george washington's fair well address. and in that address, his admonition to the country was as follows, he was concerned about excessive party spirit. but most of all, concerned about what would happen when a small group within the government was at war with its own government. that's what we're witnessing. mitch mcconnell, a traditionalist, is trying to fend it off.

john boehner, an institutionalist, is trying to fend it off. but ted cruz is what's driving this train. they are at war with their own government, and they're seeking to take it down. >> and john boehner -- >> that's a shame. >> and john boehner won't bring it to the floor house, because he knows it will pass but that would be bad, bad stuff for the republicans, right? >> john boehner is either going to go down in history as one of the courageous speakers, or he's going to go down as one of the worst, based on how he handles this going forward. i have great respect for him. he is a decent person. and i know this must really drive him crazy at his core, because he is an institutionalist. but it's his responsibility. he is the speaker of the entire house. >> yeah. congressman john larson, good to have with you us tonight. appreciate your time. thank you for your passion. it motivated me. thank you. coming up, fox news stages a glitch watch on obama care and the big rollout today. plus, women's health is under

attack by republicans again. that's right. stay with us. [ male announcer ] julia child became a famous chef at age 51. picasso painted one of his master works at 56. doris taerbaum finished her first marathon at 50. not everyone peaks in their twenties. throughout their lives. passion keeps them realizing possibilities. an ally for real possibilities. aarp. find tools and support at aarp.org/possibilities. aarp. at a ford dealer with a little q and a for fiona. tell me fiona, who's having a big tire event? your ford dealer. who has 11 major brands to choose from? your ford dealer. who's offering a rebate? your ford dealer. who has the low price tire guarantee, affording peace of mind to anyone who might be in the market for a new set of tires? your ford dealer. i'm beginning to sense a pattern. get up to $140 in mail-in rebates when you buy four select tires with the ford service credit card. where'd you get that sweater vest? your ford dealer.

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at a moment like this, i'm glad i use tampax pearl. [ female announcer ] tampax pearl protects better. only tampax has a leakguard braid to help stop leaks before they happen. tampax pearl protects better. time now for "the trenders." the "ed show" social media nation. this is how you connect with us and we appreciate when you do it. you have decided and now we're reporting. here are today's top trenders, voted on by you. >> get out here! panda jerk! >> the number three trender. shuttered. >> about a month ago, a baby panda was born at the national zoo. a government shutdown with slash the zoo's operations. >> one of the victims of the possible government shutdown is going to be, well, the panda cam. >> the panda cam, as you heard, that is shut down. >> say it saint ain't so. >> pandas overriding the real victims of the government shutdown. >> services for seniors,

veterans, women and children depend on would be hamstrung. >> the shutdown is impacting services nationwide, leaving hundreds of americans without paychecks. >> the longer it continues, the worse the effects will be. >> the number two trender. cheer hypocrisy. >> accused of crossing the line from objective reporting to cheerleading when it comes to obama care. >> does nbc news work for them. >> the mainstream media is. >> i've watched some segments, they're pure propaganda. >> fox news heckles nbc's health care reports while promoting more lies. >> well, nobody knows what's in this law, nobody knows how it's going to get enacted. this is a hideously complicated law. the best advice is don't sign up yet. >> supposed to get fair and balanced news. >> today's top trender. pillaging. >> now they have added a new target, the republicans have, a group they frequently punish, a

group called women. >> republicans, attached to their list of demands over the budget something called the conscience clause. >> republicans used the shutdown to attack women's health again. >> this snuck in a provision one more time that specifically targets women of this country. >> they want any employer to be able to deny women's health coverage, because they don't think it's moral. >> they are choosing to want to delay health care for women in this country. >> a war on women continues. they cannot seem to stop themselves. ♪ ♪ >> joining me now is is he seal richards, president of the planned parenthood federation of america, seal, greet great to have you with us tonight. >> good to be here. >> what is the signal that the republicans, even after 2012 and the demographic breakdown of exactly how the election went, that they are relentless. what is the signal, that they

continue to attack women's rights? >> well, i think the concern is that there is an extreme faction in the house of representatives that can't let this go. and it was extraordinary to see in the midst of everything else saturday night they took yet another vote to strip out women's benefits and the affordable care act. and the incredible thing is, you know, millions of women are already benefitting. we here at planned parenthood from so many women every day now getting birth control covered for no co-pay for the first time have insurance, have prevent active care. so this is actually one of the most popular parts of the affordable care act and doesn't make any sense, political sense or health care sense, to me. >> it seems like they are operating as if there will be no political ramifications because of this. that they're based in their morality and their ideology and they're not going to budge from that. what is the down side here? it's going to hurt a lot of women, obviously. >> right. >> but politically, there has to be a kick back on this in some way. your thoughts. >> well, certainly politically we saw where the affordable care

act was a huge issue, women's health care a huge issue, the biggest gender gap ever in the election and today in the state of virginia, we have a governor's race in which these issues are very much on the ballot. ken cuccinelli who wants to get rid of planned parenthood, overturn roe, get rid of health care benefits and insurance plans is now losing women by an 18 to 24% gap. and so to me, i think women and men are paying attention. and saying, actually, we can't elect people who want to roll back women's access to health care. >> what does the affordable care act mean to women in this country? >> this is the most extraordinary leap forward for women we have ever seen in terms of health care. millions more women covered, as you have heard, preventive benefits covered for no co-pay. women don't have to pay more for health insurance than men which historically they have had to do. can't be denied health care coverage. that's why i think we're seeing at planned parenthood today -- everyone knows the affordable care act is going into effect today and enrollment is beginning. in the state of new york, 2

million people in the first two hours went to the website about how can they enroll, what does this mean for them. so this bill, now law, is being enacted and people who haven't had health care coverage, particularly women who have been missing coverage for years, are very excited. >> well, i have to ask you about your home state of texas. all right. wendy davis. does she have a chance, and are there any women in texas that would even vote republican after this kind of radical stuff has been put up there. >> well, i would say wendy davis absolutely has a very good chance. of course, my mother, when she ran for governor, people kind of counted her out and she became the governor. >> and the world has changed a lot since your mom. >> it has. >> the attack on women has -- it's on a scale of 1 to 10. it's a 9.9. >> absolutely. so we'll have to see on thursday what wendy davis announces, where everyone is waiting with anticipation. but i do think -- but i think the point, ed, it's not just women in texas. it's men in texas, as well. who don't want their wives,

their daughters, their granddaughters to have fewer rights than the women who came before them. so i'm very optimistic. i think these issues are good for women, they're good for our health care. but they're politically a winner, as well. >> all right. is he seal richards, great to have you with us. thanks for coming in. >> good to see you. >> coming, fox news is the definition of an obama care day, one debby downer. and it's running out of lies and myths to spread. we'll break it down with our rapid response panel. coming up. but next, i'm taking your questions, ask ed live, is just ahead. stay with us. [ male announcer ] when it comes to doing what you love,

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happy. happy. happy. happy. happy happy. i love logistics. [knock] no one was at home, but on the kitchen table sat three insurance policies. the first had lots of coverage. the second, only a little. but the third was... just right! bear: hi! yeah, we love visitors. that's why we moved to a secluded house in the middle of the wilderness. just the right coverage at just the right price. coverage checker from progressive. welcome back to "the ed show". love this segment. yowza, a lot of questions tonight. our first question comes from michael schaeffer. he wants to know, how long do you think the shutdown will last. with this crowd? you never know.

i would say weeks. because they're going to want to make it effective. and it will be interesting to see if any republicans break. i believe that the democrats are going to hold strong. i believe the president is going to hold strong. i think it's going to go on for some time. i would be really, really surprised if this was a short-term shutdown. our next question comes from longa williams. she wants to know, is the situation just a show of power? no. no, these folks are i'd logically bent. they are on a mission. you ever get in a conversation with a conservative, they're going to tell you, well, the one thing about liberals, there are no absolutes. oh, yeah, there are absolutes on our side. on the conservative side, they love to think they're all about absolutes. i think in many cases they are. they're absolutely for deregulation. they're absolutely for tax cuts and they absolutely hate this president. and they'll do anything they can to stop him. and they do not want anything to do with universal health care

down the road so they're doing everything they can to stop it right now. they believe that this is a fight worth fighting. so this is not about a show of power. this is all about a goal, a generational goal. and they're sitting there thinking, how in the world can we change voting rights? how can we go after women's rights? how can we redistrict things? how can we have all of this power, yet we let obama care slip through? we can't do that. we've got to go to the firewall. stick around, the rapid response panel is next. i'm courtney reagan with your cnbc market wrap. the dow climbing 62 points, the benchmark s&p 500 up 13 and nasdaq gaining 36 points. home prices rose .9% in august and are up 12.4% from a year ago. car sales dropped about 4% in september. it's the first monthly decline in three years. partly because labor day sales were included in august.

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fidelity's guidance can help you fine-tune your personal economy. start today with a free one-on-one review of your retirement plan. good to have you back with us. thanks for watching tonight. this has been the day that millions of people have been waiting for. health care is now available for a lot of americans. a lot more. and the six-month open enrollment for the health insurance markets kicked off this morning. but rather than focusing on the positive, the republican groups are just grasping at straws, and it's all negativity. the national republican senatorial committee sent out this tweet within hours of the marketplace websites going live. don't worry, big tech projects always have some hiccups. high-tech volume causes delays.

look, these websites like facebook and twitter have had plenty of glitches. what is a glitch? does a glitch mean someone is not going to get health care? no. it does not mean that the law is flawed in any way, shape or form. the obama administration acknowledged the long wait times on twitter, saying this, thanks for all your comments and updates, as you enroll, we apologize that wait times on the site and hotline are longer than expected. that's positive. still fox news is moving full speed ahead on marketplace enrollment negativity train. take a listen. >> the glitches we have seen so far include things like a calculator that people were supposed to be able to use to figure out what their premiums would be for different policies. doesn't work. >> these websites are not really functional on october 1st. that's another thing that's likely to drive young and healthy people away. >> the law gave people six months to sign up so the government left itself plenty of

leeway, john, just in case it needed it. >> well, that's kind of a smart thing, isn't it? right wing media outlets have consistently hyped myths about the affordable care act during the lead up to today's start of the open enrollment program. here are some of the top myths and false claims. start with number three. navigators will abuse private information. number two, of course, is people will be able to commit subsidy fraud on the exchanges. and one of the big ones out there, the top myth about open enrollment on the marketplace, obama care, narrow networks will constrain health choices. that's right. give me a break. joining me now our rapid response panel, wendell potter, center for public integrity, senior fellow and author of "the deadly spin." also, the hip-hop doctor, randy woodfield, national association of free clinics. and dr. kory hebert, professor

at lsu health service science centers. all right. gentlemen, great to have you with us. wendell, you first. republicans were trying for a long time using these scare tactics and misinformation. was today a good day? >> i think it was a great day for americans, because we're finally able to see that the law is working. i would have been disappointed if there hadn't been a crush of the system, because it would have signified people weren't interested. but what we're seeing is pent up demand for insurance, access to care. >> we saw 2.8 million people have visited healthcare.gov since midnight. 81,000 people have called the number. and 60,000 people have requested live chats. so fox news, they're expecting low enrollment, doesn't hold much weight at this point at all. dr. whitfield, have your patients, the people you have seen at these free health clinics, have they been talking

about obama care, asking questions. is this a day they have been looking forward to? >> questions all day. it has been a great day. it's a major step in our quest for a healthier nation. questions all day. i want to see some of those congressmen put their money where their mouth is, those that are going to hold their checks they say instead of holding their checks, why don't they donate them to the national association of free clinics. it's been a wonderful day. patients asking questions. young people, i hang out with young people, they know the glimps in the system meanis it's overload. people are trying to learn more about the system. >> dr. hebert, six months. this is where progressives have got to go to work and stay on point. we have outlined some of the middle about the rollout today. but moving forward, explaining these narrow networks simply don't exist. your thoughts. >> i tell you what. i'm wearing red, white and blue today. because i never have been more proud, excited and irritated to be an american. i can't even believe that this is happening. narrow networks? come on, man. all we know is that there are six months for people to enroll.

we know there are glitches in the system. there are also glitches when the ios 7 came out. nobody cared about that. this is saving life. this is what it is. people are coming around, even bluecross blueshield has -- they have a federal contract. they'll be offering over 150 new hmo and ppo plans for people all over the united states. 30 states and the district of columbia. so narrow exchanges, narrow networks, please. no way. >> mr. potter, tell us about florida. they are making the case that they could do it on their own, and that's where states should go. i want your take on that. >> well, of course, that's not true, because the florida politicians have been doing all they can do make it hard for people to get information about the affordable care act and to make it hard for them to know how to sign up. that's just not true. thank goodness for the federal government and for the fact that this is a program that will be available to people, regardless of where they live, whether they live in a red state or blue state. everyone will have equal access

to the marketplaces. >> well, and mr. potter, staying with you, what do you think the insurance industry is going to do next? how is this -- is this negativity going to continue on, or is it all up to the right wing talkers and fox news? what will the industry do as this unfolds? >> you know, i think some in the industry will, in fact owe already are trying to help people understand. because some insurance companies want this new business. and they -- they realized the importance for their -- more people to have access to coverage. some of the big ones like the ones i used to work for are not too keen on it. it's going to disrupt the way they do business and shrink their profit margin. some of the big insurance companies will be throwing some money in trying to continue to confuse people. >> dr. whitfield, do you feel like people are confused? do you come across a lot of people that are at their wits end, not understanding it? >> yeah. i mean, the bill is huge, it's complex. but if you break it down and tease out those things that are very important that your child can stay on this insurance until they're 26 years old, providing

more preventative services for women, many want to learn more and get more information. that's why we have the navigators, the website. and, again, the glitches were there. but that's why people went, because they were really interested in this health care bill. so there may be some confusion, but many people want to know more and learn more. >> dr. whitfield, how equipped are these navigators? >> navigators are very equipped and also unbiased. they're not going to be there to tell you what plan you should choose but what plan is available, silver, gold or platinum. there is a catastrophic for those who don't want high cost. americans want high health care, and insurance saves lives. the navigators are unbiased and help navigate you through the process so you can get enrolled and what you need to save your life. >> dr. hebert, i want to ask you. there has been a guest over on fox news saying that cancer patients are not going to be treated properly. that there are some provisions in the health care law that in a

sense discriminate and really pick and choose the care that cancer patients are going to be subjected to or have available to them. i want your response to that. >> nothing could be more prepositive oh trous. right now, cancer patients are out there not able to get health care at all because of a preexisting illness. now they will be able to get insurance and keep their insurance throughout all of it. so absolutely not. that is untrue. >> but when it comes to the actual care and procedures that are going to be covered, what about that? >> the care and procedures for all patients, including cancer patients, will not only be what they have been, but augmented, because all of the exchanges that are out there you can tailor that particular health care plan for you. so if you have cancer and you have a preexisting illness, such as any of the cancers that actually can be a part of this, you know that you will be taken care of, all the procedures will be taken care. that is just a smokescreen.

>> wendell pot other, dr. ronny whitfield and dr. kory hebert, great to have you on the program on this historic day as the exchanges open up. and new jersey governor chris christie says the shutdown in washington is the president's fault? coming up, christie outlines how he would have handled it. >> just end. let's just end it! that's what i want to [ bleep ] see! >> because apparently, that's how things are taken care of in jersey. discover card. cashback concierge, here. what is a cashback concierge? well there's lots of ways you can get cash back. i'm here to help you get the most out of your cash rewards. it's personalized, and it's free. i want that. we have a concierge! at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. get the it card with cashback concierge. try align. it's the number one ge recommended probiotic that helps maintain digestive balance. ♪ stay in the groove with align.

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my approach would be, as the executive, is to call in the leaders of the congress, the legislature, whatever you're dealing with, and say that we are not leaving this room until we fix this problem. because i'm the boss. i'm in charge. >> >> whoa. he's the boss, man. he'd just say we're not leaving this room because i'm the boss. we're going to get a deal. campaigning starts early. christie's not the commander in chief, just the opportunistic man in chief. tell us, mr. boss. what's the problem? we have a health care law which passed congress and a hatred for the president of the united states that surpasses any true concern for the american people. okay? so christie believes he's immune to reality? but if he thinks heckling from the stands is leading, he can just keep on pretending. baron of the build-out. you need a permit... to be this awesome.

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welcome back to "the ed show." this is the story for the folks who take a shower after work. 469. that was our first show here on "the ed show" on msnbc. that's. april 6, 2009. in the first show i talked about health care. i made it my mission that this was going to be the thing i cover, health care. but today is a big day for

america. and it has been a focal point of this show and i'm proud of it. >> the point of reform is to lower the costs and make health care affordable, not impossible for the middle class. many americans are in desperate need of health insurance. it is literally a matter of life and death. you don't do something, washington, to help the majority of americans who are seeing their insurance premiums go through the roof, who have got a pre-existing condition and can't see a doctor because they can't get coverage. if you don't fix that, washington, all of you will be gone. >> it was interesting traveling the country listening to people, seeing their stories at the free health care clinics and meeting people and getting into their lives and seeing what they were really facing when it comes to health care in america. just to go visit a doctor. earlier today president obama highlighted the stories of

several people who thinks -- who thanks to enrolling today will be able to get started with some real health care. >> berniece edwards was laid off from her job a year ago today. six months ago she was diagnosed. she hasn't received treatment yet. her daughter, a student at the university of maryland is considering dropping out of school to help pay her mom's bills. starting today, thanks to the affordable care act, she can get covered without forcing her daughter to give up on her dreams. so these stories of hard working americans sound familiar to you, well, starting today you and your friends and your family and your coworkers can get covered too. >> and that is something this president has never forgot. i'm joined now by two people whose lives have already been greatly improved by the

affordable care act. they join me tonight. aqualynn can you just tell us your story? what has this law done for you? >> this law has been a lifesaver, and i'm not just saying that. this law has truly saved me. as a youth, 18-year-old, i fell very ill at college, had a stroke, resulted in open heart surgery. but from that point on, i became a pre-existing condition. so years went by, i went to college, i started working for a great company with great insurance. decided, you know, it's time to start my business. i did that, got sick my first year. and shortly thereafter, the insurance that i had which was no longer corporate dropped me. it was a devastating experience, and i went on for the next two years fighting them to try to win back my coverage, which i did not do. i eventually --

>> stacie ritter in harrisburg, pennsylvania, this has been a gut wrenching time for you. and to see this, what's it mean? >> it means that we're on the right side of history. like you i've been fighting for health reform for years now because i don't want things like what happened to aqualyn to happen to my children. i have three girls, two who have pre-existing conditions. we shouldn't have to worry. and thanks to the affordable care act, we don't have to anymore. >> i remember some really hard times. >> we had. and we had full employ-based insurance, too, at the time of our bankruptcy. don't be fooled. even people with insurance can go bankrupt on it. and eventually once things go into place here, we're going to see the leveling out of the costs. and people aren't going to have to fear bankruptcy anymore.

my girls had stem cell transplants when they were four years old for a rare kind of leukemia, and they will forever have a pre-existing condition. but now they're protected under discrimination. we also lee out an important part of the affordable care act. it's patient protection. that is key. >> aqualyn, is the pressure off? i mean, is it -- what is it like to have this security blanket and a chance in knowing that your life is not going to unravel if you get sick? >> i'll say the pressure is off to some extent. anything can happen, but, you know, at least now when i walk out the door -- once upon a time, i was concerned and fearful anything could happen. and i didn't have insurance. the fact that i have it now thanks to the affordable care act and specifically i