MSNBC "The Ed Show"- Transcript:

Interview

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For more here is Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown who also went to the floor
today and discussed over this TPA. Senator, unpack it for us. What do you
think of the outcome of today`s vote?

SEN. SHERROD BROWN, (D) OHIO: I`m very disappointed. I wasn`t shocked
because the handwriting`s probably done on the wall because of the
influence of the President and Republican leadership and corporate America
are all pushing the same direction on this. But what was most disturbing
is even the most vigorous free trade activists, the more vigorous free
trade cheerleaders if you will, the Wall Street Journal, editorial board,
others like that. All say that passage with a trade agreement dislocates
workers. People -- Even if they think they create jobs overall, the
decisions we make in Washington on trade politician when we pass a trade
agreement, some people, many individuals are thrown out of work. So, what
they`re saying is we make a decision on something that cost them their job
but Senator McConnell and the Republican leadership are unwilling to help
those workers at the same time.

SCHULTZ: And Republicans have never been a real fan of Trade Adjustment
Assistance. So this is a leap of faith, is it not?

BROWN: Yeah, absolutely.

SCHULTZ: Of the 14 Democrats in the Senate only one of them turned back to
a no vote from the last vote and that was Ben Cardin. So where is the
trust coming from?

BROWN: Well, it`s a good question. Keep in mind 70 percent of Democrats
in the Senate voted no on Fast-Track. 85 percent of Democrats in House, so
overwhelmingly strong Democratic opposition to this. Those 13 members that
voted for TPA are trusting John Boehner to do the right thing. And when
you see the heritage foundation, there other right-wing think tanks. The
pressure on Republicans to kill Trade Adjustment Assistance. To me they
clearly don`t care about the workers. As we know about that. But the TPP
is 40 percent of the world`s economy. This is a $400 million program. Its
peanuts compared to what this trade agreement is. And Republicans -- I
mean I don`t trust Boehner on Republicans are willing to jettison these
workers and unfortunately.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

BROWN: Too many Democrats are trusting him.

SCHULTZ: So, do you think President Obama is going to move forward if
there`s no TAA? Do you think that he want this trade deal so bad that he`s
going to possibly, you know, Republicans -- from a public have given us no
reason to believe what they say. OK.

BROWN: Yeah.

SCHULTZ: And so number one, where is the President going to land on this?
And number two, just what kind of a package are we talking about?

BROWN: I met with some labor department people today and asked them to
convince the President and others in the administration put the same effort
into the minimum wage, in enforcement of overtime. And creating, building
trades, jobs and many other jobs in the highway bill to put that same
effort into that as the President and his allies and the administration put
into TPA. I don`t know if the President will sign this without TAA. I
don`t know. Somebody`s got to have the conversation with him before they
vote on it in the House.

SCHULTZ: Well, I think the President will make a statement about it, where
he stands on this. I mean, that this -- every union in this country did
not want to go down this road. And now here we are. And I want to point
out in your state of Ohio, a new poll out shows Ted Strickland with a 6
point lead over Senator Rob Portman. And this has been a big issue in your
state. What do you make of this number (inaudible)?

BROWN: It`s a huge issue in the state. And I think that when you contrast
Senator Portman has been a free trade cheerleader all his career. He was
actually head of the U.S. trade reps office. Governor Strickland has been
opposed to these trade agreements and stood with me against CAFTA, and
against NAFTA, against PNTR with China.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

BROWN: And that contrast in Ohio is pretty sharp and we try a lot (ph) the
Republican leader one said "You don`t past a trade agreement in even
numbered of year". Of course you don`t because the public doesn`t like
these trade agreements and I just don`t believe that Democrats are trusting
John Boehner to fix any of this.

SCHULTZ: Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio. I appreciate your time tonight.
Thank so much.

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