On Wednesday's the Ed Show, MSNBC host Ed Schultz berated centrist Democratic Senators Ben Nelson and Jon Tester as "turncoast Democrats" for voting against President Obama recent economic plan, lambasted Democrats for not doing more to call out their centrist colleague and support and Occupy Wall Street Movement, and advised Democrats to embrace the term "tax and spend liberal." Schultz:
Here's what the Dems need to do. You're damn right I'm a tax and spend liberal. It's time to tax the top one percent and spend it on the working folk of America who need a job, who need a school, who need some health care, all of this. Yes, I like that. I'm a tax and spend liberal. I want to tax those who've had all the breaks over the past 30 years and I want to make sure the working folk of America have a shot.
He ended up accusing Democrats of letting down the 20-somethings who supported Obama:
A lot of these protesters down at Wall Street and around the country are 20-somethings who feel disenfranchised because they were meant to believe that they could make a difference. And then they see all this obstruction, and then they see Democrats who don't have the guts to stand up to the wealthiest americans in this country and tell them they need to pay more.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, October 12, The Show on MSNBC:
ED SCHULTZ: Senate Republicans and two turncoat Democrats - and that's exactly what they are - turncoat Democrats are standing in the way of creating millions of Americans jobs. Late Tuesday night, the Senate stopped the American jobs bill dead in its tracks. The 99 percent, I think, have every reasonin the world to be out on the streets after this vote. Washington is completely dysfunctional because elected officials, they are brain dead to what the American people really want and need.
It's no wonder that congress has a record low approval rating of 13 percent. Not a single Republican voted to fund schools, build roads, or give middle class Americans a freaking tax break. Just a little tax break. Freshman Democratic Senator John Tester along with all-time sellout Senator Ben Nelson voted against taxing millionaires in their back yard of Montana and Nebraska respectively. Nelson didn't vote for the $447 billion package because, quote, "it represents billions of dollars in new spending and more taxes."
You know, that reminds me of the old bullet point, so we got to hold it right there, folks. This is the, I think, perfect time for liberals to destroy the tax and spend bullet point that the Democrats have had to put up with for years. Here's what the Dems need to do. You're damn right I'm a tax and spend liberal. It's time to tax the top one percent and spend it on the working folk of America who need a job, who need a school, who need some health care, all of this. Yes, I like that. I'm a tax and spend liberal. I want to tax those who've had all the breaks over the past 30 years and I want to make sure the working folk of America have a shot. President Obama, although, is not focused on Nelson or tester. He's laying the blame on the feet of the Republicans.
[PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA]
SCHULTZ: President Obama needs to just keep hammering the Republicans for their record number of filibusters. Lay it out there every day, Mr. President. Tonight on the Ed Show, we're making every no vote accountable for the American jobs they rejected. For the next hour, watch the ticker at the botto of the screen to see how many jobs are being obstructed by the Senate. The numbers come from WhiteHouse.gov.
California Congresswoman Linda Sanchez nailed the obstructors in the Senate on my radio show today.
REP. LINDA SANCHEZ (D-CA) AUDIO: These are not patriots. People who love this country want to see jobs created.
SCHULTZ AUDIO: They don't love this country?
SANCHEZ AUDIO: No, I don't think they love this country. They're not concerned about the economic well being of the country as a whole.
SCHULTZ AUDIO: And they are so infatuated with defeating President Obama that they have, you would label them as not patriotic?
SANCHEZ AUDIO: Yes, absolutely.
SCHULTZ, BACK ON SCREEN: You know, if you had every Democrat talking like that, maybe there wouldn't be any Wall Street outcry protests around the country. I completely agree with Congresswoman Sanchez. These people are not patriots. Now, the people I met in the streets of Chicago and lower Manhattan, you know, they do love this country. They want a break. The 99 percent, they're the patriots for taking it to the streets to fight for economic and social justice. Republicans in the Senate along with Tester and Nelson are completely ignoring what the American people really want. Look at the numbers. According to a new Bloomberg/Washington Post poll, 68 percent of Americans want to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans. Over 80 percent of Americans want Congress to protect Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid. Even Republicans want to tax the top two percent and protect the social safety net. The public is with you. Over in the House, John Boehner praised the Senate for turning their backs on the American people.
HOUSE SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER: Yesterday, the Senate acted in a bipartisan manner to reject the President's tax increase on job creators in our country.
SCHULTZ: Bipartisan? So that means that the stimulus package that President Obama got, that was bipartisan too, right? Boehner has completely failed to bring one job to America in ten months. That's all he's been crying about. But he hasn't created anything. The entire Republican Party is morally corrupt on the jobs issue. All they want to do is defeat this President. And the tan man's mission to protect the one percent, I think, is un-American and certainly not focused on the future. President Obama is ready to fight for this jobs bill every step of the way.
[OBAMA]
SCHULTZ: You know, been a lot of commentary lately about, you know, these Occupy Wall Street protests that are taking place around the country. Where is it going? What does it mean? The political angst, obviously is there. Who's going to get the beneficiary of all of this politically when it comes to the ballot box? Here's where it has to start. Now, give the Tea Party some credit. In the Congress, they saw exactly what was going on with the right wingers in this country and so they created the tea party caucus. Don't you think it's about time for the Democrats to take a stand and create the 99 percent caucus? That might be politically tough for the Democrats because then they would unequivocally have to stand with labor. Then they would have to unequivocally say we need universal health care for every American. Then, of course, they would definitely have to go for the stimulus package and you've already got two senators who don't want to do that, this jobs package, they voted against it. And others are sayig that they will vote against it.
How much more evidence do lawmakers in Washington have to have before they recognize what they are doing to this country? It's like they don't believe in American workers. It's like the only thing that matters is power: Get rid of Obama, get rid of the Democrats, we'll mop this up later. That is their strategy. And they'll mop it their way. Just like they're mopping the floor with the postal service. I'll have that story later.
It infuriates me. But now it's time for the Democrats to move forward and capture this. Stand with these protesters.Just don't send out a memo and say we really are with them all the way. No, you're not. You're not. You have to openly castigate these two Senators that have turned their backs on American jobs. You have to go after your own colleagues who do not stand with these protesters. And you have to draw a line in the sand and do not waiver one bit about what you will do to bring jobs to america.
And think about what President Obama did when he was candidate Obama. How many new people were brought into the process, the 20-somethings that lived with Bush, that lived with Cheney and saw what they did to this country. And president obama brings in all these new people and you damn Democrats, all you've done is let them down. A lot of these protesters down at Wall Street and around the country are 20-somethings who feel disenfranchised because they were meant to believe that they could make a difference. And then they see all this obstruction, and then they see Democrats who don't have the guts to stand up to the wealthiest Americans in this country and tell them they need to pay more.
Get your cell phones out. I want to know what you think. Tonight's question: Should the Democrats start a 99 percent caucus? Patty cake, patty cake? Get tough with these people. It's the country. ... Joining me now is former Florida Congressman Alan Grayson, who was a target of the right wing because he often spoke the way Democrats like him to hear him speak.
