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Highlights: 'The Ed Show' covered it all

Santorum slammed “snob” schools, Romney rallied in the primaries, candidates campaigned in a pro-labor state, Democrats defeated the Blunt amendment,
Santorum slammed “snob” schools, Romney rallied in the primaries, candidates campaigned in a pro-labor state, Democrats defeated the Blunt amendment, Limbaugh spit hate, a courageous college student responded, and The Ed Show covered it all.
In the days leading up to the all-important Michigan and Arizona primaries, GOP frontrunners Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney hit the campaign trail in high gear.  The driving word during another weekend of radical Republican rhetoric was “snob.”  While Santorum mystifyingly labeled the president a snob for wanting to send America’s youth to college, Romney solidified his image as an elitist 1-percenter.
Romney made a pit stop at the Daytona 500, never squandering an opportunity to flaunt his wealth and alienate voters.  Speaking to a number of poncho-adorned NASCAR patrons on the rain-slicked track, Romney mockingly said “I like those fancy raincoats you bought.  Really sprung for the big bucks.” 
When asked if he follows the sport, Mitt said that he was a fan because he has “some great friends who are NASCAR team owners.”  These comments only fuel the perception that Romney is out of touch with the average American, and may leave Mitt in the dust come the convention.
Rick Santorum’s radicalism could also spell trouble and lose crucial voters.  At a rally on Sunday, Santorum declared that “Obama wants…everybody in America to go to college.  What a snob.”  He went on to claim that the president’s motive behind the higher education push is to indoctrinate young people and “remake [them] in his image.”

On Monday, Ed spoke with msnbc political analyst Richard Wolffe, who said, “This is him using biblical language to try to suggest there is an anti-religious advocate in the White House.” 
Radical Rick’s outrageous claims are part of a larger effort to create a false-Obama; one who can be faced by a GOP contender.  Luckily for Democrats, Obama’s record speaks for itself.  Unluckily for Republicans, so does theirs.
A record of radicalism may have been part of the reason that Santorum was defeated by Romney in both Arizona and Michigan during Tuesday’s primaries.  Ed participated in msnbc’s election night panel, which dissected the blow-out in Arizona and the much closer race in Mitt’s home state of Michigan.  Questioning Romney’s base of support, Ed asked, “Where are his surrogates about all this success he had in the business world?” 
Al Sharpton challenged Mitt’s camp to “Give me two employees that say he was a good boss.”  Romney would certainly benefit from any extra support if he intends to ride his wave of recent success into Super Tuesday.
Wednesday showed a marked shift in campaign rhetoric from both Santorum and Romney.  As the candidates gave speeches and glad-handed in the important labor state of Ohio, worker’s issues replaced social matters as the dominant theme. 
According to Ed, the Republican record of “dealing with labor and middle class wage-earners in this country…doesn’t hold water.”  Ed examined why wage-earning Americans would side with a party that doesn’t float with their own economic interests.  He concluded that the three g’s, “guns, god and gays,” outweigh economic concerns and attract many social conservatives to the GOP.
These same social conservative forces once again persisted in their confounding war on women’s health.  Ed discussed the radical Blunt amendment on Wednesday night, explaining that it allows “an employer or insurance company…to deny preventative care…for any reason.” 
When questioned about the proposed law on national television, Mitt Romney said “I’m not for the bill…” In one of the quickest examples of Romney’s flip flopping to date, his campaign released a statement just minutes later, claiming he “supports the Blunt bill because he believes in a conscious exemption in health care for religious institutions and people of faith.” 
One group that does not have faith in the Blunt amendment is the medical community.  Obstetrician and Gynecologist Dr. Amy Bryant joined Ed on Wednesday and said the bill “puts doctors in a very difficult position of having to do a government-mandated procedure on a woman when it’s really not medically necessary.”
In a huge victory Thursday for doctors, Democrats, women, and all level-headed individuals living in the 21st century, the Senate narrowly defeated the controversial amendment.  Happy Women’s History Month, Roy Blunt. 
One woman made history on The Ed Show Thursday night when she stood up to conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh.  Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke made headlines when she testified about the importance of affordable contraception in front of a Congressional committee. 
Responding to her testimony, Limbaugh called her a “slut” and a “prostitute,” and instantly received criticism for the hate-filled language.  Rather than apologizing, Rush doubled down the next day, telling Fluke to post “the videos of all this sex…online so we can see what we’re getting for our money.”
In an Ed Show exclusive on Thursday, Ms. Fluke responded to the comments in front of a national audience.  Fluke said that “This is historically the kind of language that is used to silence women,” and stated that Limbaugh “needs to know…this is really inappropriate and this is outside the bounds of civil discourse.” 
Ed told Fluke that she is “very brave,” saying that on behalf of the national media, “I feel like I have to apologize to you tonight, and I want to say that you’re very brave to stand in front of the media and do what you are doing.”
In the wake of Fluke’s Ed Show appearance, she has received overwhelming support, including a personal phone call from President Obama.  Some media organizations and public figures have called for Limbaugh’s advertisers to pull their commercials from his show.  Others have said he should be fired.
Share your own thoughts on the Limbaugh controversy and your favorite moments from The Ed Show this week, and be sure to tune into the @EdShow weeknights at 8pET on @msnbctv