HuffPost's Howard Fineman Discusses Federal Budget Negotiations On MSNBC's 'Hardball' (VIDEO)

The Huffington Post's Howard Fineman joined Richard Wolffe Monday night on MSNBC's 'Hardball' to discuss the ongoing federal budget negotiations.

"If there's a shutdown the President is going to be able to say that the Republican leadership was forced into this by their Tea Party constituents," said Fineman in reference to a possible government shutdown.

He added, "we should realize that polls do show that people are going to blame everybody in Washington if there's a shutdown."

Fineman also responded positively to the news that Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) will be the new leader of the DNC.

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Comments

[Kevin Atlanta]

09:57 AM on 04/06/2011

More Kabuki and Fraud on the American People playing out inside the Beltway in a la-la land like Oz.

The construct that exists inside the Beltway is in no way reflective of this nation with our Purchased Politicians being wholly owned subsidiaries of Koch Industries, Halliburton, GE (In the White House no less) and America's Main Street is in Depression because of these Robber Barons and the Heist of History.

When this Congress and Senate become serious about the repair of the Scorched-Earth Economics of the War Criminals and Torturers of the 12 year reign of terror of Dubya and the Wrecking Crew's Halliburton White House then the Corporate Welfare will stop.

How serious are these Kabuki Fools when:
$2 Billion a week is spent in Af-Pak, the war so nice we've done it twice.
$160 Billion in the failed prohibition of The War On Drugs that criminalizes humans with medical issues.
$1.2 Trillion in the Dubya's Wrecking Crew in Homeland (In)Security Gestapo.
$7.6 Trillion in Tax-Give-Aways to the rich and the Corporate Fascists.

Will Rogers said it all in: "America has the best government money can buy."

[floater]

08:02 AM on 04/06/2011

This is bizarre. With a 1.6 trillion dollar deficit they are fighting over 30 to 60 billion? It does not make sense.

[hopeisalive]

08:34 AM on 04/06/2011

They are Politicians, making sense isn't a requirement.

[Pennsylvanianne]

08:43 AM on 04/06/2011

Politicians who have vowed to keep Obama to one term. But the shutdown isn't going to work. As this segment so clearly illustrates, Obama comes off as the grownup in the room. The House GOP caucus is coming off as a group preschoolers throwing a tantrum because they didn't get the whole cake when Obama is offering them half or more.

[imfedup]

10:35 AM on 04/06/2011

It's a ruse. They are using the deficit to justify their radical social agenda.

[polcomm]

05:52 AM on 04/06/2011

The TP rally was small last week and indicator that only the rich are left in this right wing organization. I want the Govt to shutdown because it will prove one thing: It's all about idealogy and politics. We were given a gift with the plan to get rid of Medicare. I guess they gave up on SS and decided Medicare was a better target. At least they are going after a program that is in financial trouble as opposed to SS. They care about the money for Medicare and they just approved a $92,000 drug for prostate cancer than lengthens life 4 months. This is the problem, Big Pharma. $92,000 can go a long way for many other people as opposed to just one. And, no doubt, that person is much older. When doctors come out of Med school with six figure debt, they have to charge $1500 for an MRI, as opposed to $100 in most other countries. It's Big Pharma, too. It's causing ER rooms to be overloaded with overdoses of LEGAL drugs. It seems like any drug that comes out, no matter how outrageously expensive, is approved. Just like operations for six figures for people that are well into their 80's and 90's. Decisions will have to be made down the road but trying to elminate Medicare will help the Dems. As for Obama? I had his number a long time ago, which is why I did not vote him. Form and no substance.

[msinmo]

05:24 AM on 04/06/2011

The far-right is not conservative; it is reactionary, and their political/social agendas prove it. For various reasons and in varying degrees, these people want to take the country back to the 19th and early 20th Centuries, back to the eras before income tax, labor unions, regulation of big business, Social Security, desegregation, Medicare, racial diversity, environmental protection, and sex education, They want a Wild West society of gunslingers where punishment is swift and unhampered by due process ("string 'em up") and white Christians, preferably males, run the show. In short, they want to wipe out 100 years of American history and progress. When the Tea Party folks cry, "I want my country back!", they are longing for some romantic vision of the past because the present is too foreign and the future is too frightening. During the last election, "Jobs!" was the Republican battle cry, but it was a ruse. The real right-wing agenda came roaring out of the gate post-election, and it is to undo all that has been accomplished in the last century plus a few years. This ultimate selfish goal takes priority over everything and everyone.

[zack5]

01:26 AM on 04/06/2011

This story has been on HP all day. Yet only 26 comments?
The show they were on "Hard Ball" w/ Matthews, along with the entire MSNBC news network is doing the lowest in all the time slots of all networks. Maddow,ED, Odonnell,Matthews.
These people are excusing the weak need Obama. They try to talk Obama up. Poeple are sick of it.People know better. They know Obama may have a Billion Dollars to spend but it does not matter.
His abismal record is in front of us all to see. The progressives who brought him to the dance myself included are sick of this entire lame administration. Bush Tax breaks, Wars without end. Selling out the entire Democratic principles for a kiss from the Republicans. It truly is over for Obama.I'm afraid this network is done as well. Lieing to make Obama look as though he knows what he is doing will not and has not worked. Start telling the truth again. Support a run in the primary against Obama.
Get behind some real democrat. If there are any left?

[citizen of the universe]

02:03 AM on 04/06/2011

Obama is the only one who gets the blame when its a whole party that's failing.... Interesting

[docwindprod]

08:58 AM on 04/06/2011

it's a melanin issue.

[Hysterian68]

01:11 AM on 04/06/2011

One good turn deserves another, no Government payments for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment benefits during a shutdown , then why should the taxpayer be shelling out dough to Uncle Sam in the way of taxes on April 15th?

[lovbug]

01:07 AM on 04/06/2011

The GOP put on this theater before when Bill Clinton was President, to embarrass him...it backfired! Now they want to continue their theater of throwing shade at Obama so they want to gamble with the country, again...BRING IT!! History have a way of repeating itself.

[max]

11:46 PM on 04/05/2011

THE GOP IS THE PARTY OF IGNORANCE

[Muzzle Me]

10:52 PM on 04/05/2011

One turncoat meet another turncoat.

[shrinktalkingheads]

10:44 PM on 04/05/2011

Fineman added, "we should realize that polls do show that people are going to blame everybody in Washington if there's a shutdown."

Yes, Howard. As opposed to blaming the folks who work at Starbucks, we will blame everyone in Washington for the shutdown. And how much were you overpaid for that "Sherlock moment"?

[imfedup]

09:27 AM on 04/06/2011

He means as opposed to Dems or Repubs or the President.

[joshu]

10:29 PM on 04/05/2011

Ha! Obama won't compromise? very funny.. very very funny

[climbing panda]

10:17 PM on 04/05/2011

i couldn't hear it but i'm sure he was "whistling".

[fredpa]

09:32 PM on 04/05/2011

Republicans acting like Democrats? I love it.

[butterfly218]

09:31 PM on 04/05/2011

This president has been so generous to the right by giving them that huge tax break and how do they show their appreciation , they take programs from the poor . Heck of a job repubs .

[mgray34]

09:11 PM on 04/05/2011

My early favorite for the MVP of the Campaign of 2012:

Youtube...

Youtube is gonna bash the GOP over the head better than a hammer hitting a nail.

GOP - Hypocrisy - And Youtube go hand in hand.

[imfedup]

09:31 AM on 04/06/2011

Republicans keep forgetting about that newfangled invention -- the Internets. They stupidly lie that they never supported something they're on record supporting, or that they have always supported something they are on record bashing, or they didn't say something they're on record saying.

Technology is always going to bite them in the @ss. Even Sarah, hiding behind her Facebook page and Twitter account, has stepped in it repeatedly.


Word to wise Republicans: Leave the technology to the cool people, but don't forget that everything you say in public -- and some of what you say in private -- is being recorded.