and predicting that charlie rangel will hole on to his house seat if it hole asthma jort. right now with 56% of precincts reporting, he is up to 52%. a remarkable night and a remarkable primary season in what is turning out to be a remarkable election tonight, from new york. these stories on the table and hit my hot button that is hour. i'm on fire that conservatives have taken their warped hatred of president obama into public schools in this country. parents are shielding kids from watching the president's back-to-school message. can you believe it? what a low point for this country. my commentary on that. plus, reaction from reverend al sharpton and katrina vanden heuvel of the nation. america's mayor bernero is showing democrats basically how to get it done. his opponent was too much of a weenie to debate him in michigan, so he took matters into his own hands and crashed the town hall. we got the story for you. and the professor of paranoia, glenn beck, is warning

his viewers with a prediction of liberal violence, led by president obama. i will show you some unbelievable tape of the battleground story tonight. and then we will put that "psychotalk"er right in his place. and a big development today on the jobs bill. within the last hour, the senate has voted to break the filibuster. two republicans have come on board. a couple of georges, george lemieux from florida and george voinovich of ohio have voted with the democrats to move the small business jobs bill, something very positive in the job market in this country. we will tell you more about it later in the show. this, i admit this isn't the biggest story in america but it is the one that has me fired up because i think it sends a very poor message to young people in this country. the perverse conservative hatred for president obama has infiltrated public schools all across this country. it's a debate that's being held in every school district. i thought we had this store ray year ago but here we are again. for the second straight year, the president of the united

states took time to given a uplifting, positive, forward-thinking message to american school kids for the second straight year. conservatives what are they doing? they are trying to protect young, impressionable ears and minds from his message. here is the deal. in aiken county, south carolina, parents were given the choice to opt their children out of the president's education speech today. in fargo, north dakota, teach% given the option to show or not show the speech. in a school near austin, texas, required parents to fill out a permission slip so their kids could watch the president of the united states give this message. >> you've got a job, too. you have got to show up to school on time, you have got to pay attention in your class. you have got to do your homework. you have got to study for exams. you have got to stay out of trouble. you have got to instill a sense of excellence in everything that you do. that kind of discipline that kind of drive, that kind of hard

work, is absolutely essential for success. >> the entire speech was just like that. if you're a superintendent and it wasn't shown in your school or in every one of your classrooms, you ought to be ashamed. it's amazing you're on the payroll in this country and that's what's wrong with education in this country. we don't have people that can make positive decisions. in is crazy. now, i have talked with parents from all over america on my talk show about this for the last two days. a woman in colorado told met principal at her kid's school said the president was "too controversial." this is a low moment in america. the level of acceptance for keeping kids away from the president is disgusting. all of this is fueled by the nut jobs on the right that are saying that the president has a deep-seeded hatred for white people. newt out there trying to make americans believe the president is from kenya. the list goes on and on and you know who the culprits r the conservative movement in this country wants to brand the

thinking of young people like cattle. it's outrageous this kind of thinking is commonplace in american public schools. he is the president of the united states of america, elected by american citizens. but you see, conservatives, they hate public education. they are afraid to ask where is the leadership? i will ask it tonight. this is all part of vilifying public education on the part of the conservatives. superintendents who shied away from this are just walking in lockstep with those who were scared. superintendents should make the correct call and not put the burden on the teachers. a speech like this should have been mandatory. it should have been not even considered whether it is an issue or not. this, you know if it was ronald reagan or if it was george w. bush, hannity, limbaugh, their heads would explode.

they would be screaming about the liberal school teachers dishonoring the commander in chief during a time of war. but nobody seems to care about dishonoring the black president. i think a lot of this is motivated by race. there are still millions of people who just don't want to see their kids have any association with anybody who's black. that's right. what's wrong with our country? what's wrong with this picture? i mean, i can't believe that liberals sit back and take this garbage. where's the conversation about this at the leadership level in politics? this is a kitchen table issue that i think the democratic leadership team should speak to across this country. the story speaks to the decay of our country, the lack of respect for the oval office, the lack of respect for our elections, the lack of acceptance that president barack obama is, in fact, the president of the united states. now, if you're a superintendent, i should probably point out to you that the irony is that this president is probably one of the

most academically accomplished presidents we have ever had. and his critic across the street loves to tell people that he is a college dropout. so, you make the choice. you mean to tell me that we have school administrators in this country that are so afraid of the local school board and so concerned about their job, their security that they are afraid to put the president of the united states, with a positive message about education, in their school? hell, you're he no better than the politics that take money in washington. you're all about your job. you're afraid to stand up. and this is one of the problems we have in public education in this country. we don't have enough leaders. we don't have enough people that stand up and say, look, this is the correct thing to do because he is the president of the united states. conversely, what do you think the kind of problem would be created if president obama were to take this opportunity and really give a strong speech about universal health care or

really give a strong speech about taxes and say, well, you know, your dad makes over $250,000 a year. i think that heck, he ought to be paying more. do you think the president would do something like that? well, in the twisted thinking of these righties, they think he will do anything. in fact, one broadcaster on fox is now saying that president obama is going to lead liberals to violence if the election doesn't go their way. i guess this is why we have a segment on this show called ""psychotalk."" there are other countries around the world that watch our model of entrepreneurship and development of young minds in the capitalistic system in this country what message are they sending? hell they don't even let to obama speak to their kids in public schools. america is on the decline, we can kick their ass. let's see if we can get some more of their jobs. yes there is a ripple effect throughout the whole thing.

maybe i'm just too much of a competitor. maybe i feel like america at one time would never question this. and there was a time, that's the way it was. when your broadcast friend, little fat eddie, was in elementary school, i remember john glenn circling the globe and we were all worried in elementary school if john glenn was gonna splash down and get in the water and everything was gonna be okay. but we got pretty excite wend we found out that the president of the united states was going to speak to the country and we were gonna get a chance to watch it. why is it that i remember that? you know what kids are going to remember today? that there were some school administrators when they were growing up that didn't want the president of the united states in their classroom. tell me how our country is better for this. it's not. it's a sad moment for america. and i think it has a lot to do with race.

tell me what you think on our telephone survey tonight, folks, the number to dial is 1-877-ed-msnbc. my question tonight is do you think kids should need a parental permission slip to watch the president of the united states, president obama's school speech? press number one for yes, press the number two for no i will bring you the results later on in the show. joining me now is reverend al sharpton, president of the national action network. he has also announced a new syndicated sunday morning television show dedicated to education called "education super highway." it debuts on september 26th. reverend al, you have the floor. what do you make of this? >> i mean, i think it is a sad day in america. i agree with you. i think that if there's one thing that should rise above partisan politics, and that's the education of american children. when you look at the fact that this nation has gone down compared to other nations in education, for the president to make this a priority and to want to inspire young people of all political persuasions, races or

religion, for them to politicize it because the only political statement here was those who are going to say he shouldn't be seen by students or there needs to be permission, i think shows that they don't even put the children of this country and the education of those children above politics. i think it is absolutely reckless political manipulation of children. i remember when george bush was president, his last speech, ed, was in philadelphia around education. and even though i probably marched on george bush more than anyone, i went to the speech, 'cause i said here is something all of us should unite on and that is education, even if i don't agree with all of his policies. i wish that americans would have had the same respect, all of them, for president obama today, or who ever the president is when it comes to educating our children. >> reverend al house, do we turn this thinking around? >> i think we have got to confront it. i think we have got to expose it like you do every night. i think that real americans need to come together. that's why i'm working with you

and others on 10/2/10 in washington. one of the things we have in common is that all of our children are not getting access to a good public education. and that's where we can say, republican, democrats, independents should put their politics at the door of the school and go inside and unite around these kids. >> we will see you at the march october 2nd. i appreciate you being a part of it. we are look forward to it. >> thank you. let's bring in katrina vanden heuvel, editor of the nation. thanks for your time tonight. >> thank you, ed. >> the message to young people is so negative here. the next question is why can't we hear the president and what's answer? >> you know, president obama if conservatives could have listened, gave a very traditional, i mean, an inspiring pep talk, very traditional about personal responsibility and hard work and the value of education. i think reverend sharpton said something he very important this is a moment to reflect on the

state of public education in this country, access to public education. the conservatives are willing to give tax cuts to vet richest, yet preside over the most brutal cuts at the state and local levels in education and layoffs of teachers larger than we have seen in the last three decades. we need to have a laser-like focus on what is happening to our educational system, access to high-quality education for all children. and considering that civic education in our country, ed, has been gutted. >> yeah. >> a lesson from president obama about the great values of work, conservatives should welcome this. >> they should. and if the president of the united states can't lead on public education, who is supposed to do it, katrina? >> well, i think parents and administrators and people around this country are leading there are a lot of great innovations. you know, i have to be honest, ed, i'm worried about president obama's education policy because

i don't think he has moved far enough from hyperstandardized testing and i don't think we have seen enough attention paid to investments in education. on the other hand, conservatives are blocking everything that moves, but we need high-quality investments in education and attention paid to the skewed priorities we have seen in these last few decades, mostly led by conservatives, where there are more investment, ed, in prisons than in schools. we can do better. but i think we need to wake with up and today is a moment to reflect on president obama's message to kids and what it says to a country that needs to, again, revive its investments in high-quality, equal education through creativity, investment and allow for critical thinking in this country. maybe those kids who didn't hear president obama will understand that you got to question authority and stand up to those administrators who are such fools. >> katrina vanden heuvel of the nation, thanks so much for joining us tonight. >> thank you. coming up, glenn beck is a disgusting, fear mongering fraud. he is racheting up the warnings

that violent progressives are coming. he says president obama will be stirring it all up. i will stir him up in the battleground. and the "psychotalk"ing drugster is spouting off about the nfl and the ku klux klan. i will spike him in the zone and reggie bush fumbles his highs machine and i will tell you why lady gaga is goo gooing over senator harry reid as a fan that's coming up in the playbook. you are watching "the ed show" on msnbc. stay with us. [ male announcer ] where are people with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis going? they're discovering the first self-injectable ra medicine you take just once a month. it's simponi™, and taken with methotrexate, it helps relieve the pain, stiffness, and swelling of ra with one dose a month. visit 4simponi.com to see if you qualify for a full year of cost support. simponi™ can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious and sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections, cancer in children and adults,

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welcome back to "the ed

welcome back to "the ed show" and thanks for watching tonight. i love this story out of michigan. this is how you do it, where my friend is running for governor. he's fighter. he is really fighting hard in a tough election year for democrats and he is standing up and always has been standing up for the middle class. verge's republican opponent was ducking a debate, citing a lame excuse about how their campaigns just couldn't reach an agreement on the debate rules. well, verge didn't think that a race this important should be decided on attack ads and soundbites. he thought voters deserved to hear from both nominees, so, america's mayor, which i love to call him, took matters into his own hands and became a grand old party crasher. he went to the town hall meeting where republican rick snyder was having and walked right up to him and asked him to debate. verge, we can hammer out these rules together and in a gentlemen's agreement in a room

full of people. snyder shook his hand and verge agreed. he got it done for the voters of michigan and joins us here tonight "the ed show." verge, good to have you with us. why did you do this? did you think it was just absolutely necessary or were you just grandstanding? >> ed, you know this is the american way. we have been trying to coax this guy out of his corporate cook -- cocoon. our people are on the ropes. i have a plan to put people back to work. i think is a great plan. i'm willing to have my plan compared to his and have my vision, his plans. let the people kick the tires, let him hear us. like you say, outside of the infomercials and the soundbites, people need to hear from the candidates directly, from the heart, from the heard, hear how we are, answer questions from tough journalists, answer questions not just in prearranged soundbites and not

just in so-called town hall meetings, you are surrounded by just your friends. >> were you taking in your opinion, a real political risk here or feel you were in solid ground that michigan folks wanted this to happen? >> well, yeah there is some risk, but the reality is, i got to stand up for what i believe is right. i didn't want to disrupt his town hall, but i did go in and ask him to work it out with me. let's put the lawyers aside and the negotiators and the handlers and let's sit down, you know, as two individuals, and get this done. he has agreed to at least talk with me, to to sit down with me and we were able to share some ideas at his forum where most were snyder supporters, but that is okay. accident mind giving my ideas to them as well. >> are you going to do it again? are you going to do it again? >> well, you know, i hope we can get a real debate scheduled now. i think you got to apply for the job, ed. i think -- the problem is the guy wants the job, but he doesn't want to go through the interview and that might work on wall street but on main street, you got to apply for the job and you got to show up for the interview.

there is nobody greasing the skids. i'm afraid he thinks he can reach into his pocket because's multimillionaire and simply buy the election through commercial bus debrace wait to go it has been done since lincoln and douglas, an american tradition, the american watch we will continue to push him f he wouldn't go to the debate, maybe we will just have to take the debate to him. >> interesting political move, i have inform heard of one like this before t is in your character. it is gutsy and i love t now, a story that you and i have talked a lot about small business, getting money to create jobs in this country. the filibuster has been broken just a little over an hour ago. two republicans came on board on the small business jobs bill this is the reaction from president obama on the cloche chur vote. today's vote brings us one step closer to ending months along partisan blockade of a small business jobs bill that was written by both democrats and republicans. this is a bill that would cut taxes and help provide loans to millions of small business owners who create most of the new jobs in this country. how good of news is this, virg?

what do you think? >> that is great news. thank goodness that they came to some reason and came to heel on this my god if ever there is a time for bipartisanship. we note number one problem facing small business is access to capital. we have been trying to address that issue. i address it in my main street agenda with the state bank proposal. we need help now. we are being robbed of our recovery in michigan because wall street banks are red lined us. small business, which is the engine of our economy can't get access to capital, can't he create jobs this is wonderful news. i can tell you there are a lot of businesses in michigan ready to go have demand but cannot meet it because they can't expand. >> virg benero, great to see you tonight. i'm not going to take this opportunity to call this a big political moment and victory for president obama. i have done up to hall meetings all over this country. there are a lot of people hurting, a lot of small businesses, you know in your backyard, virg what is happening in michigan.

this is a victory for america, that some statesmen came together with the majority and decided, let's get some money, let's loosen up the credit, let's float 30 billion to community banks and get small business going again in this country. this isn't about politics. this is about people who are hurting and businesses that need to move forward. virg, great move, i think you have got do it again, buddy, and i love, i will put this out, virg, i would love to host the debate somewhere in michigan with you and your counterpart and if they want to get another moderator to -- a co-moderator, i'm offering up my services, i would love to do it. i think the small businesses is what this turnaround is going to be all about and i know you are an advocate. good to have you with us. >> great. >> you bet. coming up, leave it to the drugster to somehow tie racism and sexism into football, smacking him down big time in the zone next. bouncy, bouncy, bouncy. think as the only way to firm skin?

challenge the need for such heavy measures with olay. new regenerist micro-sculpting serum for firmer skin in 5 days. pretty heavy lifting for such a lightweight. [ female announcer ] olay regenerist.

and in "psychotalk" tonight, the drugster returns, he weighs in on the alleged sexual harassment of an nfl reporter in the jets' locker room. he was talking about the nfl's rapid response to the complaint and served up a limbaugh special. >> the league is on this like white on a klansman. >> oh, buddy with your history of race. i would steer clear of the kkk analogies but rush didn't stop there after taking a sexist swipe at women's groups, he made it all about him.

>> so, now all these sensitivity -- women against violence in sports, women against violence against good looking women are getting involved, women against violence on the football field are getting involved and the league -- maybe as controversial as my wanting to buy a piece of the rams. >> really? more controversial? let's look back at why the nfl didn't want limbaugh infiltrating their teams. first, there was this comment about donovan mcnabb that got him kicked off of espn. >> i think what we have had here is a little social concern in the nfl. i think media has been very desirous that a black quarterback be do well, black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well. i think there was a little hope invested in mcnabb and he got a lot of credit for the performance this team that he really didn't deserve. >> then a couple of years later, he took another racist shot at professional football. >> let me put it to you this wake the nfl all too often looks

like a game between the bloods and the crips without any weapons. >> a guy with the drugster's history, the nfl mixing racism, sexism and football is just not smart broadcasting. in fact, it's "psychotalk." coming up, paranoid false prophet beck warns lefty violence is on the way. this kind of talk is flat-out dangerous and it is completely dishonest. robert green wald, director and producer of outfoxed, rupert murdoch's world on journalism blasts back. coming up. and harry reid is accusing tea partier sharron angle being soft on domestic violence. i will show you the tape. all that plus vice president biden's under fire for giving out hot dogs? and this sports reporter is making news instead of making it. reporting. i will have rapid fire response. you are watching "the ed show" on msnbc. stay with us.

welcome back to "the ed show." the battleground story tonight, professional "psychotalker" glenn beck is ramping up the fearmongering about violence coming from the left. now he is saying the president of the united states is planning to stir up trouble. >> what you're going to have is the president is going to have all this fuel and he is going to go right directly, mark my words, ben jones is already doing it right directly to the most progressive, most violent, the worst of the worst on the left and stir them up, get out into the streets, cause trouble. . cause trouble. the word he used is violence. this type of rhetoric is so extreme, even republicans aren't safe. last week the chairman of the delaware republican party got a death threat for supporting mainstream republican senate candidate over his tea party challenger. he got an e-mail saying he deserved a bullet in the head for backing political ass-kissing rhinos.

joining me now is award-winning filmmaker robert green wald of brave new films. robert directed and produced the documentary "outfoxed, rupp the the murdock on journalism" and behind a project called "glenn beck is not mlk." this is, robert, really a new twist in broadcasting that a broadcaster would go out and start start proclaiming that there is going to be violence and who is going to be responsible for it? >> we know glenn beck is advocating, leading so the called choir and we know he is going into very dangerous territory in terms of way a democracy functions and i think it is critically important time, ed to speak up and more importantly, for all the caring people who believe in our country to really take action t is not enough now just to be pissed off.

we really need to be doing things. >> how does he know there is going to be violence, promoting action, assigning blame? is it all for lit political game to gin up hate against the liberals and against the president or do you think he really believes this is going to happen? >> well, you know, ed in psychology and my brother and sister-in-law are therapists, so i know the world well through them, something called projection, the feelings in you, you take and you put them on the other person and we are seeing this with beck, right? how could he possibly have this information, other than the anger and the hatred stirring within him? but one of the most important points that we all need to think about even as we are focusing on what beck is doing is the terrible fear and pain that's affecting millions of americans who are lost their homes and their jobs and their health care and we need to think how can we reach those people so they don't turn to the glenn becks of the world.

>> this it is always bad for broadcasters to talk about other broadcasters because of the line of promotion and whatnot, but i think that this rhetoric is so over the top. i have never seen a broadcaster stoop to this level here he is at an alaska 9/11 rally and made a dollar and donated it. >> good thing alaskans have their guns. [ cheers and applause ] [ inaudible ] we will be gone and if you think the russians with putin shootin' whales is going to be better for the planet, you are out of your mind. if you think the chinese that are dumping toxins in the rivers and drowning people in rice paddies are going to be better for the planet, you are even crazier. >> your response?

>> well, the level of hatred, the level of viciousness and the level of demagoguery is something to behold. and as you said in the beginning, ed, it's it is important that you and the other broadcasters are speaking up about this, because we know where silence leads us and we note argument of liberals and progressives that say don't give them anymore attention, don't do this, but we fundamentally must understand that there are dangers here and that it is important and it is an act of courage and strength tot confront it head on, very strongly and take action. as my grandmother would say don't just kvetch, you need to do something. >> robert green wald, always a pleasure, thanks for being here tonight. thanks so much. >> thanks. now rapid-fire response from our panel tonight. majority leader harry reid is take nothing prisoners in his raisin-tight race with sharron angle.

up with a new commercial siding her with domestic abusers. >> i think it is outrageous that some schools let parents pull their children to protect them from the president's back-to-school message. and the story everybody is talking about today. the nfl is investigating a female reporter who allegedly was sexually harassed by the new york jets but now she is talking a different story. we got to get response on this stephanie miller, nationally syndicated radio talk show with us tonight and also heidi harris, radio talk show host in las vegas. let's take the reporter's story first. stephanie what do you make of this? is she just an attention-grabbing reporter or do you think that she really has an issue? >> you know, ed, i think it is going to be hard to tell through this investigation. i may not be the best woman to ask because as you know, i have been in this boys' club of radio for a long time and you can't be oversensitive f you have sat through a commercial break in my studio it is like a friar's roast meets a loading dock.

i'm not a delicate flower. we will have to see if there is real harassment here or being sensitive. >> this is the reporter in question making a soundbite today on the situation. >> i must say that i don't hear anything that is in the way sexual word, because i am not the one who say the charge or who tried to involve all the team in this situation with. >> so what is it, heidi is she just a headline grabber or does she have a real issue? >> a headline grabber, to obviously. i have to agree with stephanie on this those of us in radio and other occupations are not big babies. if you don't like testosterone, stay out of the locker room. that is why they call it locker room talk. a shock. he is swear wearing skin-tight pants, skin-tight shirt on what do you expect around a bunch of guys in their 20s and 30s. she needs to quit crying if she is doing that occupation. she is getting a lot of press for this, maybe that will lead

to something else. >> heidi, do you think her dress is an issue, her attire is an issue? >> i think it is if you are going to be around a bunch of guys like that and not expect the occasional cat call, yes, i think it s i don't look like she does in a pair of pants but you know what, she is doing it and knows she is going to attract attention so this is not the board room this is the nfl. >> wow. >> the locker room. that is how they behave. >> what do you make of that, stephanie? >> wow, ed, i'm sure glad i didn't wear the thong i was going to wear today. i have no idea how you might have treated me. >> well, is her attire -- stephanie is her attire an issue? >> i don't think it should be at all, ed. that to me, heidi, you know that toes the line of like a rape trial, like, oh, look what she was wearing, she deserved it. i don't think that san issue at all ed. i don't think -- i do think that in that job, he is going to have to not be oversensitive, but i don't think it is an issue at all what she was wearing. >> the league is investigating, see what they do all right.

i think it is outrageous that there are superintendents across the country that are concerned about what parental reaction is going to be if the president of the united states's teach was broadcast today out of philadelphia in the classroom s there right-wing overreaction to this or concerned that a political figure is entering into the classroom of american children? >> absolutely ridiculous, ed. they think it is a kenyan socialist plot to indoctrinate our children to say you should stay in school and study hard and work hard. when have you heard this controversy over the president of the united states talking to school children? there is something different going on with this president, ed, and i don't know what to ascribe to racism to or whatnot to, but this is really a disrespect for the office of the presidency of the united states. >> what do you think, heidi? >> i'm going to have to agree with stephanie. when we were little kids, we represented the office and that was how it went and our parents may or may not have agreed with

what that particular politician had to say, but he is the president of the united states and to me it is a teaching moment for the parents. talk to the kids after school, find out what the president said, if you think there's something he said you don't agree with, then you talk to your child. he is the president. >> heidi, suspect this a residual of the birther talk, wasn't from the united states, wasn't born here, all the fueled anger toward president of the united states because he is an agenda and it is the right wins, scared in this country. >> i don't like his agenda and i don't think people on the right like his agenda, even the left isn't that happy. >> what is the harm in having him speak in a school? >> that is my point. you respect the office. he is the president. what is he going to say? i don't know what it is going to say that terrible to children. parents have a right to talk to their kids at the end of the day, find out what the president said f they need to change what their kid thinks about that, they can do that talk to their child at that point. he is the president. i don't think it a big deal to have him talk to the kids. i don't know why people are hist

hysterical. >> in your state of neff vad -- >> i mean, please, we left -- >> go ahead, stephanie. >> please, we let george bush read to our kids and that's probably why their reading scores have gone down so much f they survived that, they can survive president obama. >> well, like i said, i have no problem with it. >> in the state of nevada, harry reid now leads 46 to 44%. that is the new reuters poll that is out there in that nevada senate race. it has been close all along and here is a new commercial harry reid has taken out on sharron angle. here it is. >> imagine, you have been abused by your spouse. you get a restraining order and move your family to neff vad, -- nevada, thinking you are safe. in the state assembly, sharron angle prevented restraining orders from other states be enforced in nevada. it would have been a safe haven for domestic abusers. thankfully, other legislators weren't so extreme because sharron angle sided with the abuse ir, not the abused.

>> what about that, heidi? >> is a lie n 1999, she voted an assembly bill that allowed any restraining order that was valid in another jurisdiction to be honored near nevada, a complete lie by harry reid's campaign n 2001, some legislators tried to change the wording and sharron had questions about it basically a police officer would be able to arrest a guy binds nothing but the word of the alleged victim. >> okay. >> nothing, no other paperwork or anything like that, so it is a lie, she voted to protect victims in 1999 and harry's lying because he is desperate, the guy is going to lose. >> heidi harris, stephanie miller, great to have you with us tonight. up next, vice president joe biden is under fire for handing out hot dogs? i will explain it in the playbook. and i will introduce to you a real young gun. this green beret is running for congress in rush's hometown and giving hope to everyone from president obama to howard dean. stay with us. , mai help you?

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it is not too late to let us know what you think. tonight's telephone survey question is do you think kids should need a parental permission slip to watch president obama's school speech? press the number 1 for yes. press the number 2 for no again, the number to dial is 1-877-ed-msnbc. we are right back.

and in my playbook tonight, tommy sowers is taking on a seven-term republican incumbent in missouri. it is in rush limbaugh's home district. it is the first time in a long time a democrat has mounted a credible challenge in the district. former dnc chairman howard dean recently promoted sours as a face of hope for the democrats in a tough election year. >> young guy named tommy sours is a vietnam vet going to knock off joanne emerson in southeast missouri, rush limbaugh's home district, a tremendous campaign, raised a lot of dough.

>> tommy sours joins us now. great to have you with us hopefully congressman. how's the battle going in what is some people say rush's home district. >> the battle is going out here. on the military, i learned to stay on offense, you get your tail kicked if you are on defense. every day, i'm out on the ground, listening to voters they can want new blood in d.c. we are seeing strong anti-incumbent sentiment, a great year to be straight out of the military running for congress. >> all right. here is limbaugh responding to howard dean's comment. >> focused on a district in which i don't live. it's not my district. i mean, i grew up there. my picture's on the floodwater murals. and i own the town, but i don't live -- it is not the rush limbaugh district. >> now, you sent out an e-mail, fund-raising e-mail saying my campaign welcomes rush limbaugh's criticism of the

district, he doesn't own this district, the people of eighth district do. what rush owns is a legacy of draft dodging, hate mongering, racist, sexist rhetoric that has changed the political discourse for three decades. is it helping you in this district? >> every time rush mentions this district and especially owning this district there are people from around the nation that come to tommy sowers .com and give us the fuel and ammo to fight back. >> how do you feel about this story that's being reported that iraq has a surplus while this country is in red ink and losing jobs? that has stabilized in the stimulus plan, but we have tough economic times going on and ahead of must this country now, yet the country you went to and fought in, they have got a surplus. how do you see that? >> well, the people in my home, they want us to invest in our home. right now in afghanistan, we are

spending $400 a gallon for every gallon of gas, building infrastructure there but not here. in iraq, i have better cell and internet receptions than my home in missouri. time we do things back here at home. >> jo ann emerson, better than 70% of the vote the last three elections. can you win? >> absolutely. you know, we learned how to stay on offense and we are running an insurgency and every day, more and more folks get on board. so, we have got a great ground game in place, we are going to fight it through election day and i'm honored for the support that's coming in from around the nation. >> would you vote to repeal the bush tax cuts? >> well, you look at the tax cuts and the majority of the people in my district make far less than 200,000 bucks. and you know, i want to fight for the middle class and expand the middle class. and i think people are tired of these d.c. games. we saw a little bit of daylight over the weekend. now, folks are looking for a compromise that both parties can get behind. >> iraq veteran tommy sowers.

vice president joe biden is catching heat from peta. the animal rights group is upset at him for passion out hot dogs to troops on the colbert report? pete sent a letter suggesting he pass out veggie dogs next time because troops can't be lean, mean fighting machine if they are full of fatty hot dogs. and senate majority leader harry reid might be picking up a few votes, thanks to a new friendship with lady gaga. the pop star tweeted gay veterans were my video music award dates. repeal don't ask, don't tell. call harry reid to schedule a senate vote. and senator reid quickly responded, tweeting, there is a vote on don't ask, don't tell next week. anyone qualified to serve this country should be allowed to do so. lady gaga thanked senator reid. when asked by report officers he had the 60 votes, reid said we will sure find out.

and finally, another corrupt bush? former usc running back star and current saints' star reggie bush says he is for fitting his 2005 heisman trophy. bush has been under pressure since the ncaa punished usc for bush taking improper benefits. coming up, delaware's palin-endorsed tea party wacko christine o'donnell has a lot of folks buzzing about her campaign. get this many democrats are actually rooting for her to win tonight. we will explain when we come bark as nbc's kelly o'donnell gets us ready for the big primary night, next "the ed show." stay with us. [ male announcer ] where are people with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis going? they're discovering the first self-injectable ra medicine you take just once a month.

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welcome become to "the ed show." finally tonight, voters in seven states and washington, d.c. are going to the polls for the last primary of the season. tensions which tween the republican establishment of the tea party are at a boiling point. the dogfight everyone is watching is in the state of delaware with. long-time congressman mike castle is in a nail-biter with sarah palin-backed candidate christine o'donnell for vice president joe biden's old senate seat. for more, let's bring in nbc's kelly o'donnell live in womening ton, delaware. the political dynamics of this are more than interesting. kelly, i'm interesting to know what kind of turnout has there been for this race in delaware? >> well, good evening, ed, delaware, as you know is a small state there are three counties. and on the republican side, the experts we have talked to who are running elections say they estimate about 35,000 republican voters will cast ballots in this primary. the democrat in this race is running unopposed. so, roughly 35,000 voters will do something that may have

really far-reaching implications for the country. we are talking about joe biden's senate seat. the remaining four years of his seat. there's been an interim appointee in the seat right now. and of course it belongs to a democrat. republicans have seen this as a big opportunity to try to take that back. and as you mentioned, really, the establishment chose mike castle, a nine-term congressman, he has also been twice the governor of delaware. he has won more elections in this state than any other republican. now, his record is far more moderate than his challenger, christine o'donnell, who is a conservative backed by tea party, both within with the state and the tea party express from california. they have pumped in money. sarah palin has done robocalls and radio ads trying to help christine o'donnell. and the basic divide has been this. castle says he has had a record of service to this state. he is moderate. he can work with democrats and be fiscally conservative. christine o'donnell has taken

the classic tea party approach of a much more conservative position. and she says that her own personal financial difficulties, her trouble with her own employment, which had been high lighted by her opponent in some very unflattering ads that those have actually given her a way to understand what voters are experience and gives her an opportunity to connect in a way that castle can't. she says he has been receiving a government paycheck for decades and doesn't really get it. now, all of this sets up the potential for control of the senate. delaware's crucial for republicans if they runt table. if not, had the remains a democratic seat. democrats, of course are hoping the tea party candidate would win tonight because they believe she would be an easier opponent than mike castle. ed? >> we will find out if change can beat big name recognition. nbc kelly's o'donnell. thanks, kelly, appreciate your time tonight. and our telephone sur acres have i asked you, do you think kids should need a parental permission slip to watch president obama's speech?