A common occurrence on MSNBC's The Ed Show is the liberal host venting all the bluster he can muster against someone who disagrees with him. However, on Thursday's edition of the afternoon program, Ed Schultz didn't try to hammer conservative Republicans, his usual targets. Instead, his vitriol was aimed at Barack Obama.
While interviewing Bernie Sanders, a far-left senator from Vermont, Schultz abruptly cut away to a video of the president criticizing the liberal network:
I want to talk about some stuff that creates some controversy because it's important. One of the policies right now that I'm focused on is new trade agreements with other countries. And if you were watching MSNBC and all of this stuff thinking, oh, man. I love Obama, but what's going on here?
So I want to the record straight here. I want everybody to be clear about what we're doing. Because I believe in what I'm doing here.
When Schultz returned to the screen, he had some harsh words for Obama about the Trans-Pacific Partnership and began by repeating the Democrat's last several words: “Well, Mr. President, I want you to know that I believe in what I'm doing.”
He then added:
If you can prove to the American people that there will not be a depression of wages, if you can prove to the American people that this will create jobs, if you want to go face to face with me, President Obama, I'm ready to go because I have the facts, okay?
Sanders then jumped back into the conversation by stating: “Ed, you should be very proud. I think he is talking about you, and I'll tell you why.
“As I said on the floor of the Senate yesterday, to the best of my knowledge, ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN ... have not discussed the largest trade agreement in the history of the United States of America, and we might want to ask why that is the case.”
The trade organization was founded in 2005 as a coalition of Asia-Pacific countries to “enhance trade and investment among the TPP partner countries, to promote innovation, economic growth and development, and to support the creation and retention of jobs.”
“Why would President Obama use the MSNBC call letters?” Schultz asked since “it's been shown ... that this show has covered the TPP more than anybody else.”
“So I would imagine that he's talking about The Ed Show, but the president has never done a sit-down interview” with me, the host stated. “But you know what? On this deal, the president is wrong, and I'm right.
“The president is telling the American people that every union in this country is wrong,” he continued, “and I can tell you that every union in this country has been around longer than President Obama when it comes to trade deals and having to live with them.”
“Not just unions, Ed,” Sanders interjected. “You've got many, many environmental organizations that have deep concerns with this agreement as well.”
Schultz later had a direct message for Obama, calling his rant “a word from this broadcaster to you:”
I will put my credibility up against any broadcaster in this country. I supported you big time. I was the first liberal talker to support you. I've carried your water big time when it comes to health care. I've carried your water on the economy and defended your move on the automobile industry.
But Mr. President, you can take shots at this network, but I guarantee you, you are wrong on this and you cannot prove [this] to the American people.
Without noting the irony of accusing Obama of “taking shots at this network” when MSNBC has defended the president at virtually every turn -- and admitting that he'd “carried the water” for the White House on many issues -- Schultz continued: “American workers will suffer if this deal goes through, and Mr. President, your recovery of the economy, the automobile industry and health care will not be your legacy.
“It will be what you're doing to the very people who put you in office,” the liberal host stated.
“Had you not had the unions, you would never had beaten John McCain [the 2008 GOP presidential candidate and a senator from Arizona],” he noted. “Had you not had the unions, you would have never beaten Mitt Romney [the 2012 Republican presidential candidate and a former governor of Massachusetts], and now turning your back on these people trying to convince them that they have to do this phony trade deal that's going to ship jobs overseas.”
“I'd love to talk to you face to face, Mr. President,” Schultz dared Obama at the conclusion of the segment.
As of Friday afternoon, there has been no response from the president to the liberal host's challenge.
