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'The Ed Show' for Monday, June 15
Read the transcript to the Monday show

Guests: Jack Rice, Linda Douglass, Rep. Eric Massa, Stephanie Miller, Heidi Harris, Jack Rice, Sam Stein

ED SCHULTZ, MSNBC HOST, “THE ED SHOW”: "Welcome back to “The Ed Show.”

I was in Buffalo, New York on Saturday night for a town hall meeting, the 2009 Tour for Change, “The Ed Schultz Show.”

We had a great turnout, a very passionate crowd at Canisius College, and a heated discussion on health care reform. And after all the effort to get President Obama elected and the Democrats in the majority, the folks I think are getting pretty impatient. There is a growing frustration in the middle class that many people felt that the Democrats right now are just caving in on the issue, that they‘re not pushing hard enough. Throughout my entire career, I‘ve always been one to take the microphone to the people.

Saturday night, the people in Buffalo, New York, spoke up. For weeks, I have felt this undercurrent on the radio that Americans are getting frustrated with just how nice and how weak the majority party is acting in Washington. They‘ve got to get a spine. I tell you, the message is very clear on three things: forget bipartisanship. Get it done on health care. And Democrats, you need to grow a pair.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am very disappointed. I‘m a life-long Democrat.

But they just have no spine. They‘re just wussing out I guess is the word. They‘re just backing down. They seem to be afraid of the Republicans, of Limbaugh, of Cheney. They‘re just afraid they‘re going to ruffle them up a little bit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really, really think that he‘s listening to the wrong people. I know he‘s—I know he‘s trying to act like Lincoln. I know he‘s trying to bring everybody—to get everybody‘s opinion. But as he goes around the country, people want single payer. They better start listening or we‘ll throw them all out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Throw them all out, holy smokes. Joining me now is New York Congressman Eric Massa. Some of his outspoken constituents were at the townhall meeting Saturday night. Congressman, good to have you with us. I have to tell you, I think there is a real disconnect with some of the folks in your district and what is happening at the White House. They don‘t feel they‘re pushing hard enough, and they think the Democrats are getting spineless on this public option and going strong enough. What‘s your take?

REP. ERIC MASSA (D), NEW YORK: Well, Ed, first, it‘s great to be here. I‘ve got to tell you, a lot of things have been said about me, but spineless has never been one of them. And I frankly have got a pair of shoes and hands and feet. And we‘re here to give the back to the White House so that single payer has a seat at this table of national debate.

I‘ve said that for five years. I‘ll continue to campaign and to represent that as a member of Congress.

SCHULTZ: It seems like single payer, this is the phrase that we can‘t use, and it‘s never going to be on the table, that it can‘t work. What is your definition of a public option? But most of all, if I put it this way, do you think that the Republicans, in any way, shape or form will allow competition to be given to the insurance industry, as strong as that lobby is?

MASSA: No, of course they won‘t allow competition. This is coming from a group of people who call themselves capitalists, who believe in competition. It‘s just not the competition in the sector that may fund their campaigns or rob tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars, out of the back pocket of Americans who need health insurance.

Let‘s be very clear about something, Ed. If the private, for profit health insurance industry was working, we wouldn‘t be having this conversation, because 52 million Americans wouldn‘t be without health insurance. So, as they say sometimes, the proof is in the reality of the failure of the system, which is what brought me to politics, and which gives me the strength to stand on this issue and deliver this message.

SCHULTZ: Well, I want to tell you that your constituents speak very highly of you. And I know you are aggressive on this. But the bottom line here is that in the sound chamber, what a lot of lefties in this country are hearing and a lot of people who are in the middle of the road, that want something done when it comes to health care reform, they keep hearing this, we don‘t have the votes. We don‘t have the votes.

How the hell do you know whether you‘ve got the votes or not if you don‘t even know what the public option is going to be yet? Will someone answer that?

MASSA: So this is what we‘re asking for, to be part of the debate. I am willing to go anywhere, to speak to any group, always focusing on my district, but taking this message wherever it will be heard. Frankly, ask any retired American today. They‘re very satisfied with their public option. Ask any veteran in America today. They‘re very happy with their public option. Ask any military retiree. They‘re happy with their public option.

But here‘s the most important thing, Ed. Ask any member of Congress, because members of Congress have access to the most incredible public option available. I have refused to accept the Congressional health care benefits plan until all Americans have access to that very same public option.

I mean what I say about it and I say what I mean. We‘re going to move forward.

SCHULTZ: You do not take your health care benefit in the Congress?

MASSA: No, I do not.

SCHULTZ: Are you willing on this show tonight to challenge the rest of the members of Congress to do the same thing until we getting something passed in this country? Because if you did, you‘d be the greatest American on TV today.

MASSA: Well, not only have I, not only do I, I don‘t know whether it makes me the greatest American on TV, but it makes me a very lonely person at the dinner table sometimes in the Congressional dining room. This is not about what we‘re supposed to get as members of Congress. By the way, make it very clear, I stood on the floor of the House; I said I will not take the Congressional Insurance Program.

I think every member of Congress ought to examine that. It‘s an individual decision. But this isn‘t about us. It‘s about us being sent to Washington to do what‘s right for the people who have elected us. It‘s a very clear mandate. Darn be darned about what the future of elections are going to be. If everyone‘s focused on whether or not they‘re going to go to Washington and be re-elected, we get a self-perpetuating system.

I‘m focused on doing what I said I would do, and that‘s to bring access to quality health care to every single American citizen in this nation.

SCHULTZ: Congressman Massa, you belong, my friend, in the United States Senate. You keep fighting. You‘re right where the people are right now. I appreciate your time right now on the program.

MASSA: Thank you, Ed. Let me make it very clear: I am the one member of the New York Congressional delegation who is not running for the United States Senate.

SCHULTZ: Congressman Massa, thanks so much.

MASSA: Thank you, Ed.

SCHULTZ: Let‘s turn to our panel now..."

I know Eric has other health insurance, but still its pretty brave of him, as a cancer survivor, not to accept the congressional health plan .

said that he used to be a Republican like how Arlen Specter was in the YouTube video below!

Good for Eric Massa for his publicly coming out against extreme right wing talk radio radicalism and for his getting the attention of Townhall.com which is a high profile extreme right wing Neocon GOP website:

http://townhall.com/blog/g/679e1f2c-07a7-4bde-8dba-70aa35617797&comments=true

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Rep Massa (D-NY): Specter & I 'Rejected The Radicalism Of The Talk Show Wing Of The Republican Party.'

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