It was a wild week on the campaign trail, President Obama continued to take blows from the GOP, Romney told the country what he really thinks about the poor, the Republican-controlled House stomped on the First Amendment, a Pennsylvania teacher got a big surprise and The Ed Show covered it all.
With the GOP primary race in Florida heating up on Monday, the Romney and Gingrich camps continued their Romp in the Swamp, and a divided Republican party took desperate shots at President Obama. The most disparaging remarks of a new wave of “Obama Derangement Syndrome” came from RNC Chairman Reince Preibus. He compared the president to disgraced Italian ship captain Francesco Schettino, saying, “…we’re going to talk about our own little Captain Schettino, which is President Obama who’s abandoning the ship here in the United States...”
Ed spoke with Tulane professor Melissa Harris-Perry, who said that this sort of childish name-calling only works to make Obama look stronger as “the grown-up in the room...” As the November general election draws nearer, we’ll have to wait and see what other playground tactics the GOP unleashes.
In Psycho Talk, Ed got some help from the Muppets to debunk Fox News correspondent Steve Doocy’s claim that his own network has the most balanced coverage. With confirmation that the survey Doocy referenced was conducted by a paid Fox News contributor, Ed said that, “For Steve Doocy to say his show is unbiased? I guess we can call that pig-headed Psycho Talk.”
On Tuesday Ed took part in msnbc’s panel coverage of the Florida primary. After a blowout Romney win and a bizarre late-night pseudo-concession speech from Gingrich, Ed questioned whether Newt is actually gearing up for a possible independent run.
The Romney campaign’s (Louis Vuitton) baggage continued to pile up mid-week. Fresh off his double-digit victory in Florida, Governor Romney plainly stated on Wednesday morning that he is “not concerned about the very poor.” Ed talked with Democratic Strategist and NYU Professor Bob Shrum, who said Mitt’s remarks prove that “…this is an election between fairness and unfairness.”
This same unfairness reared its tusk-adorned head in Congress Wednesday, when “Gasland” filmmaker Josh Fox was arrested for filming a House hearing. In an Ed Show exclusive interview, Fox said that the GOP elephant is not only stomping on free speech, but is also, hypocritically, “…kicking science and journalism out of the Science and Technology Committee.”
Thursday brought a head-spinning dissection of the GOP’s claim that the Bush-era tax cuts did not add to the deficit. Ed called the House Republican’s declaration “revisionist history,” explaining that “we now have a lie that is into the record.” A detailed chart created by msnbc Policy Analyst Ezra Klein proved conclusively that Bush’s policies, both former and those still in place, have cost the United States more than 5 times the dough of Obama’s.
And speaking of dough, one of Ed’s favorite teachers received enough of it to spin more than a few cafeteria pizzas from Ellen DeGeneres this week. Pennsylvania teacher Sarah Ferguson was introduced to the nation on our program when she volunteered to work for free at her elementary school. The state refused to help the underfunded school, but thanks to the wave of media attention kick-started by Ed, Ferguson now has a $100k check to help get students and teachers back in the classroom.
Share your own thoughts and favorite moments from the Ed Show this week, and be sure to tune into the @EdShow weeknights at 8pET on @msnbctv.