HuffPost's Howard Fineman Discusses The President's Budget Speech On 'The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell' (VIDEO)

HuffPost's Howard Fineman appeared on MSNBC's 'The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell' Wednesday night to discuss President Obama's budget speech.

"I think more generally you're seeing a more combative, populist president here who's clearly in presidential campaign mode," said Fineman

Fineman went on to explain that President Obama knows "that raising taxes is not popular. He's right, even when you're talking about the rich."

In terms of Paul Ryan's budget proposal, Fineman stated that the president "generally thinks that he can take on Paul Ryan if he makes Paul Ryan the enemy here, Paul Ryan and his plan, it's a winner all the way through 2012."

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Comments

[Enliberate]

02:39 PM on 04/14/2011

The only hope for America is the electorate educating themselves. The President could then count on the support of voters who know what tax expenditures are (more than Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid combined????) and are prepared to reel them in.
If this is the initiation of the campaign for 2012, it's a good start.

[Jobs4America]

02:22 PM on 04/14/2011

I would love to see President Obama and Congressman Obama debate their competing plans.

[Arlene Corcoran]

12:58 PM on 04/14/2011

Is it possible that Obama has gotten a little tricky and applied some traditionally GOP strategies back onto them? So what if he voted for the tax on corporations last year. Maybe he was playing the Tea Party. Maybe he was clear enough to allow them enough rope to hang themselves and reveal their true intentions. He's the President. He was voted in by a majority of Americans to pursue his stated policies. Our public figures should help fulfill the majority vote. He was being held hostage with immoral threats of shutting down the government, so he caved. Let's hope that he's gotten some resolve to push through his elected mandate before the GOP starts throwing tantrums and taking hostages again. By the way, taking hostages, making threats, using coercion--All that stuff is terrorist methodology. So who are the real terrorists?

[Justice Goodyear]

03:55 PM on 04/14/2011

1.  The tea party has been clear from day one of their intentions
2.  Majority of Americans want Obama's agenda stopped.  That is why the party of "no" won last November by a historical large margin.
3. Obama is weak.  he doesn't have to give in.  It is what he does.  He is best at giving speeches, not actually doing anything.

[RTIII]

11:51 AM on 04/14/2011

Well, IF the president follows through and WALKS the TALK, he has a _chance_ of winning me back. And, I presume, that goes for many disaffected liberals and progressives.

However, I am concerned. I believe he _will_ talk about "reforming" Medicade at some point. If he even _talks_ about it, I'm out. Also, before I'm back on-board, he has to actually DO, not just TALK. ...I'll be a lot more open to him AFTER he "wins" future "negotiations" with the Rs. ...Just ONE more capitulation, though, and he can forget about my vote in 2012.

[Shaun Costello]

11:43 AM on 04/14/2011

This is a solid conversation about the President's speech. Have a look.

[umen]

11:42 AM on 04/14/2011

Yes, Obama can campaign on Paul Ryan as the enemy, but the real question is, will Obama adopt Paul Ryan's budget plans once he has been re-elected? I hope not, and I hate that I have to wonder about it. It does seem that he has dedicated himself to at least NOT cutting spending on the social safety net in order to give the rich even more tax cuts. I was so glad to hear him say he will not accept cuts to Medicare/Medicaid. I only hope he will be as good as his word.

[DennyCrane]

11:39 AM on 04/14/2011

What I'd like to know is how Paul Ryan emerged as the frontman for The Republican party? Did the media elevate him to that status? What happened to veteran Republicans like McCain and Graham? Did they get pushed to the back of the room by the freshmen? LOL.

[umen]

11:46 AM on 04/14/2011

The Republicans in the House elevated him by making him Chairman of the Budget committee and then giving him the power to write the entire budget proposal himself, alone. They did indeed hand him all that power - perhaps knowing that the final product would make him toxic, and would allow the rest of them to step back and lift their skirts in horror as they scramble for the Republican nomination.

[Justice Goodyear]

03:58 PM on 04/14/2011

Ryan is a hero to many - he was the first to come out with a plan - like it or not.  Democrats still don't have a plan - not one that can be scored by CBO.  He set the agenda.  Sure he has become the target but he has put fiscal conservatives in the lead and as usual dems just blame, talk, blame, speech, blame, do nothing.

[AKJM]

11:09 AM on 04/14/2011

O'Donnell's counterpoint to the President's speech was some of the best commentary that I've seen in a very, long time. He even gave the rational for the Bush mess.

[SDH283]

11:23 AM on 04/14/2011

He is a knowledgeable guy .. so is Finneman.

[bluejean1951]

10:52 AM on 04/14/2011

Anyone who can ADD will see that the President's plan is the ONLY one presented thus far, that will actually do anything to balance the budget and starts by getting us firmly on the right path to reducing the deficit by increasing revenue.

You can't balance the budget without INCREASING REVENUE and giving more tax breaks to people who are already the richest in the country WILL DO NOTHING TO BALANCE THE BUDGET OR INCREASE REVENUE in any meaningful way as we've seen in the PAST DECADE UNDER THE BUSH TAX CUTS. What that provided the country were HUGE LOSSES IN REVENUE AND THIS HUGE DEFICIT hanging over our heads are the result.

WHY would this plan coming from Ryan which reflects the very same economic principles work any better now than they did under Bush? Because some obscure politician from Wisconsin says so? Please! Start actually getting serious about the deficit or shut up and sit down!

[ajax cleanser]

11:35 AM on 04/14/2011

You're funny

[media4me2]

01:37 PM on 04/14/2011

On kool-aid

[ZaneDavid]

12:40 PM on 04/15/2011

4 trillion in 12 years...just how serious is that.?.6 trillion in 10 year...and how serious it that. They all need to shut up and set down. How about cutting a trillion a year for the next 4 years.

[middleOroad]

10:51 AM on 04/14/2011

Read, re-read, and then re-read again Abbycreek's comments. That is what the country is up against. Right wing nuts that simply have no patience for facts. How is it that the 90% referred to can all be teet sucking progressives? Our country has never before been hijacked by folks who ignore imprical data. Please, Mr President, do not allow the hijacking to occur on your watch. Stand tall for the 90%, because if you don't, the last economic downturn will look like child's play.

[tcnsrq]

10:34 AM on 04/14/2011

his political and moral instincts are correct. Ryan's budget is an all out attack on everything the Democrats hold sacred.....Ryan is a great foil...and the GOP has stepped in it.

[firstep]

09:40 AM on 04/14/2011

It was more of a feel good campaign speech instead of a speech telling the truth.

[Blink2X]

10:35 AM on 04/14/2011

Yeah...and who do you look to for the truth? John Kyl?

[trace800]

10:37 AM on 04/14/2011

Were are your facts that says he is not telling the truth. Where are your numbers?

[den1953]

09:13 AM on 04/14/2011

Tax cuts for the wealthy, and tax cuts for Corporations and fighting three wars without jobs is not sustainable , new tax system, eliminate income and corporate taxes and institute a consumer tax is fair for everyone, no more cheating everyone pays their fair share. By losing corporate tax it might free up corporations to hire, when they hire more revenue through sales can be increased which generates income for the fed to pay off those interests on those loans from China.........

[janedorothy4]

08:56 AM on 04/14/2011

That wasnt a speech that gave specifics about a budget. That was Obama telling the country what a great humanitarian the great Obama is. Dont forget Obama is such a great humanitarian he started intervening in Libyas civil war and is still sending our borrowed money over there. Obama cant do a budget with specifics but he sure can tell an audience how great he is.

[SDH283]

10:52 AM on 04/14/2011

YAWN ... all that to say "I didn't understand it'

[joemartin1296]

02:27 PM on 04/14/2011

Doesn't take a genius to spot an intellectually dishonest campaign speech, when it was to be a policy speech. You know, the sort of 'adult conversation' he promised us as President?

Or do you no longer hold him to any sort of standard of his word?

[gman87]

08:14 AM on 04/14/2011

So Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum analyze Obama's campaign speech on MSNBC...and they like it. (yawn)

[SDH283]

11:03 AM on 04/14/2011

Those two know more about Politics and Policy than all of the FOX drones combined --- too bad you aren't interested in educating yourself BEFORE you reach an opinion.