RACHEL MADDOW: Do we have a result in the Kucinich-Kaptur?
CHUCK TODD: Called it for Kaptur. Kucinich is gone, and Jean Schmidt? You’ll remember her back in Ohio ’02 days, she lost a Republican primary, and is not coming back.
MADDOW: That’s amazing. Thank you, all. We will keep the pizza and be back with you when we need to be. Actually that Ohio race is interesting, because that means that there’s not going to be a Dennis Kucinich in Congress anymore, which is almost hard to believe. He has been a singular force for his, not only for his ideological position in Congress, but he’s just been such a character--and presidential candidate. You ran alongside Dennis Kucinich.
AL SHARPTON: Yes, I ran with him, and he’s quite a guy. And you’re right; he was a dependable guy with the progressive community. He’ll be missed.
ED SCHULTZ: He’s a guy that you could always count on when it came to universal health care conversation or when it came to getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and also middle-class issues, and he was always good on the labor. But also Jean Schmidt, she became politically famous when she called John Murtha a coward, when he stood up as Chairman of the Armed Services Committee and said we need to get out of Iraq.
MADDOW: --As a decorated combat veteran.
CHRIS MATTHEWS: I loved John Murtha. I loved that guy.
SCHULTZ: Well, she lost favor. Interesting that she lost tonight; she is pretty much a Santorum kind of Republican.
MATTHEWS: No. Don’t do that. Don’t make that mistake on the one issue.
She’s pro-life on that issue. She’s a liberal on everything else.
MADDOW: Jean Schmidt?
MATTHEWS: No, I’m sorry. I thought you were talking about Marcy Kaptur. Oh, go with Schmidt. You are right on. You are right on Jean Schmidt.
SCHULTZ: No, I’m saying that Jean Schmidt is defeated tonight, and I find that interesting because she is a Rick Santorum-type Republican.
MADDOW Well, Marcy Kaptur is a very true blue progressive and she has beaten —
MATTHEWS: Proving that all politics is local. Dennis is very popular in these circles and media circles and maybe he got to know us, but he should have been getting to know somebody in Toledo.
MADDOW: And I know—
SCHULTZ: Well, right in the heart of the district is the line. And that made it pretty tough.
MADDOW: And the important bottom line is that Rep. Marcy Kaptur is going to be on the phone with us next.