howard fineman, all i can say is bizarre.d notre dame have reported the hoax when they found out two weeks before the championship game? >> sure. i think they should have. and i think once again you have a situation of a much-beloved, much-beloved sports institution, a football institution in this case enveloped in myth and surrounded by friendly people telling them how great they are thinking that it was the right thing to do not to tell the truth because it might get in the way of a football game. but what i would like to focus on is the journalism here because i know a lot more about that than i know about the notre dame -- >> how could an athlete get away with a story like this? >> well, i think it's a good question. first i want to congratulate deadspin on some terrific classic shoe leather reporting. shoe leather's online now, and it's in the records. and they did it. and they should be congratulated for it. the mystery is how this gigantic empire of lies could have been constructed without anybody noticing it before de

howard fineman, where does this stand right now?here is a lot of rancor going back and forth, people choosing up sides, advocacy groups getting engaged. joe biden lead the way to get something done on this? >> well, i think now is an opportunity that hasn't existed in quite some time. and, in fact, just getting the policy back to where it was in the clinton years would be an achievement. but i think the democrats may be pushing, the president may be pushing on more of an open door than they realize. this may be a chance for political bravery here. bob mentioned the 2014 elections. i know that some democratic strategists who are looking at picking up seats in red states would say be cautious, be careful. let's not antagonize the gun law, be in those conservative states. but i think that would be to misread the public mood. i have a feeling that the president with joe biden's help and leadership may go a little stronger on this than we were predicting. and i think that would further divide the republican party. i think it would put in

the huffing post, howard fineman. "the christian science monitor's" liz marlantes. kasie hunt from nbc and politico's john harris. first up, the scene is set. there's no mistaking that barack obama is resolved to make his mark in the second term. squaring off, already for the fights over debt, guns, and getting the team he wants in the cabinet. he might look to another second term democrat who had this declaration to congress. >> i know this is not going to be easy. but i really believe one of the reasons the american people gave me a second term was to take the tough decisions in the next four years that will carry our country through the next 50 years. we owe it to our country and to our people. chris: howard, everybody's talking about what kind of approach is obama going to take this second term. is he going to be conciliatory? or is he going to be mr. tough guy? >> he wants to get things done by being tough and even confrontation. in the first term he tried to change the tone of washington as the outcider, sort of by a combination of aloofness and steady thought

let's turn tonight to eugene robinson from the "washington post" and nbc news political analyst howard finemaneat to have both of you with us tonight. howard, you first. how nervous is the white house that they may really have to make some changes in social security in order to avert what the republicans are threatening? >> well, i don't think that's their number one concern. i think their number one concern is the -- are the uncontrollable emotions, political emotions of the hard-core of the republican party. newt gingrich can advise them base on his own experience not to go down that road. but they seem bound and determined to do it. if you thought the upset over the tax increase was a big deal, wait until you get a load of this, because the republican hard-core is even talking about the notion that the president wants to get rid of the law that requires a vote on the debt ceiling. they've got all kinds of conspiracy theories going on about that that border on apocalyptic. and i think that is the white house's big concern, that the republicans are sort of an uncontrollable and dangerous forc

let's turn tonight to eugene robinson from the "washington post" and nbc news political analyst howard finemant to have both of you with us tonight. howard, you first. how nervous is the white house that they may really have to make some changes in social security in order to avert what the republicans are threatening? >> well, i don't think that's their number one concern. i think their number one concern is the -- are the uncontrollable emotions, political emotions of the hard-core of the republican party. newt gingrich can advise them base on his own experience not to go down that road. but they seem bound and determined to do it. if you thought the upset over the tax increase was a big deal, wait until you get a load of this, because the republican hard-core is even talking about the notion that the president wants to get rid of the law that requires a vote on the debt ceiling. they've got all kinds of conspiracy theories going on about that that border on apocalyptic. and i think that is the white house's big concern, that the republicans are sort of an uncontrollable and dangerous force.

let's turn tonight to eugene robinson from the "washington post" and nbc news political analyst howard finemant to have both of you with us tonight. howard, you first. how nervous is the white house that they may really have to make some changes in social security in order to avert what the republicans are threatening? >> well, i don't think that's their number one concern. i think their number one concern is the -- are the uncontrollable emotions, political emotions of the hard-core of the republican party. newt gingrich can advise them base on his own experience not to go down that road. but they seem bound and determined to do it. if you thought the upset over the tax increase was a big deal, wait until you get a load of this, because the republican hard-core is even talking about the notion that the president wants to get rid of the law that requires a vote on the debt ceiling. they've got all kinds of conspiracy theories going on about that that border on apocalyptic. and i think that is the white house's big concern, that the republicans are sort of an uncontrollable and dangerous force.

and howard fineman. that was a scene -- you come from the roots of the republican party, sir.s that a good day or a bad day for the republicans? >> i think it was a bad day. and i thought it was interesting that later on that huntsman said, you know, i probably should have raised my hand and said i would have taken the 10-1 deal. i think he recognized after the fact that was a definitive moment where he could have carved out a new space on that stage and probably run the kind of campaign free of that baggage. >> he wouldn't have looked good after the election. >> i'm just saying, but i think that moment sort of solidified the rest of the story for the primary. >> whenever a bill passes you want to be the ones who voted against it because you never get blamed for it. or vote when it fails. >> i agree that was the beginning and end for jon huntsman. but also in the long-term the beginning of the end for mitt romney. >> how so? >> well, because he began to lock himself into a position of grover norquisting himself for the whole election. and that played into who he was as a busin

joining me now is howard fineman, the editorial director of "the huffington post." ward, it sounds like david brook s is talking about the republican party of oh, i don't know, about 20 years ago, when they did indeed have new england senators, oregon republican senators, exactly that geographic description of where he would like to see republicans succeed. >> well, it is my sad duty to inform david that theodore roosevelt is dead, nelson rockefeller is dead, and yes, even richard nixon is dead. this republican party, he can attach whatever wings he wants to, i read his article carefully. he is brilliant, a writer about brain behavior. partisan politics, i'm not sure. this republican party is what it is, although interestingly, the republican party as it is right now, based in the south and the midwest, being what it is in the sort of ronald reagan-bush family image is moving very rapidly. don't forget, lawrence, within the last couple of weeks they caved on the fiscal cliff, at least temporarily. they just voted in john kerry by 94 to 3. and leaving aside the guys f

thank you howard fineman and joan walsh. i knew you'd love this one. loved it to. >>> coming up, one person watching today was vice president joe biden. yes, there are still 1,385 days until the next election day but out for the presidency. could this be the great primary fight of the democratic history? >>> plus new thoughts from pro-gun people. new thoughts if you tall them that. one says citizens should have the same weaponry as the u.s. military so they can defend themselves against the u.s. military. and once again wayne lapierre of the nra is making an all out call to oppose all new measures for safety -- gun safety. he's against it all. >>> plus the right wing chorus calls the president's inaugural address too liberal. but the latest poll shows that most americans happen to agree with the president. what's the problem? >>> let me finish tonight with what we saw all day. a strong, confident, and happy secretary of state hillary clinton in a winning performance. this is "hardball," the place for politics. ♪ [ male announcer ] why do more emergency

any way, joining me, michael steele and howard fineman. let's look at the 47%. if you are right about this election in terms of power, it's the numbers. the occupy people, 1%. the 1% became something to talk about elite economically. then the 47%. anybody who's on any kind of government benefit program. whether it's disability or retirement or military or pension. everything was painted as bad. where did he get that number? >> well, look, you know, this election was all about the numbers. 23 million unemployed, 1 in 6 on welfare. but it was that 47% number that trumped them all at the end of the day. people galvanized around that. because it was them. it was me. you're talking about me. you're talking about my grandma. you're talking about every-day folks. it really drew out that disconnect between the romney campaign and romney personally and everyone else. >> do you think it's his brand of ideology? >> no. >> do you think there's a few people out there pulling the load for everybody else? >> no, i think it's a cold, calculated business look. that's how he look

let's turn to howard fineman, nbc news political analyst and editorial director of the huffington post media group. howard, i was struck by your comment yesterday on "hardball" where you said that the hearing was the last failed shot of the 2012 election and the first failed shot of the 2016 campaign. how are the republicans doing today? >> well, i think i said it was a desperate act, but failed shot will also do. ed, i really think the emotional energy among the republicans is about their frustration at the way they lost the presidential election and their sort of lashing out at major figures in the democratic party such as hillary clinton as they begin the 2016 cycle. rand paul, senator rand paul imagined himself as president and dreamed of how he would have fired hillary clinton. but as implausible as it may seem to our viewers tonight, rand paul wants to run for president and thinks he can get elected. and he's going to run on the rejectionist line. he's going to run on the antagonism to all powerful, famous people on the inside line. now that he's -- even though he's a senator him

but it also may be shrewd. >> howard fineman, thank you. thank you for being shrewd.ia-malika henderson as well. >>> up next, before hillary clinton steps down as secretary of state, we thought we'd look back at her lighter moments. and if you want to follow me on twitter, hopefully you know the rules. you just need to spell smerconish. this is "hardball," the place for politics. said it. how did i know? well, i didn't really. see, i figured low testosterone would decrease my sex drive... but when i started losing energy and became moody... that's when i had an honest conversation with my doctor. we discussed all the symptoms... then he gave me some blood tests. showed it was low t. that's it. it was a number -- not just me. [ male announcer ] today, men with low t have androgel 1.62% (testosterone gel). the #1 prescribed topical testosterone replacement therapy, increases testosterone when used daily. women and children should avoid contact with application sites. discontinue androgel and call your doctor if you see unexpected signs of early puberty in a child, or si

howard fineman, i don't know who these turkeys are that write this thing.otally against same-sex marriage even though the country has moved that direction. i think they're practically against contraception. >> and against abortion rights. to give you an example of what's happened, i'm sure chris knows about this, in new hampshire there was a staunch but moderate republican family named the mclanes. there was malcolm and susan mclane. they were big supporters of george h.w. bush. the thornburgs, the bushes, you name it. that old crowd -- >> wait a minute. >> that old crowd from new england, specifically new hampshire, which is important in presidential politics. when president bush flipped his position on abortion and went the pro-life route, they had a falling out with h.w. they became democrats. their daughter, susan mclane kuster, was elected to congress as a democrat from an old line, 100-year-old republican family but as a democrat because of abortion rights, because of feminism, because of gay rights, because of adoption. you name it. it's what chris s

thank you very much, howard fineman. i think everybody should get to vote on this, not just gun people. so far the g written the gun law lear the problem that the gun advocates have, and i understand where david keene, who is the political adviser to the nra -- >> smart guy. >> brilliant guy -- long time conservative, what they're telling themselves is we have to build a fence around the second amendment. that if we concede on anything, even something like this, then they're going to take up the guns. >> that's the old slippery slope argument at the heart of the nra membership, which is i think wrong. >> it may be wrong, but i'm telling you that's what they believe, and that's why they're taking the rejectionist line. what keene is saying, what lapierre is saying is they're going to work the congress and they're going to do everything within their power to defeat any piece of legislation that comes along. it's going to be a big battle for the president, and he better be ready to take it on. >> i think they're wrong. i th

with me is eugene robinson, now that he just left, joy reid, michael steele, and howard fineman.ing us is jonathan alter. jonathan, i don't know, do you want to venture an opinion about the performance and the appearance of beyonce today? i dare to say it's always tricky -- >> when i think of musical criticism i think of jonathan alter. >> i said delightful. i will leave it at that but i thought she was beyond belief. >> she was good. that he was right in my wheel house, chris. but it's interesting because beyonce, also african-american. the reason i mention that is one of the things that struck me today is if in 2009 when he was inaugurated the first time in president obama was jackie robinson breaking into the major leagues, you know, this is jackie robinson winning a batting title. there's an old word that was used a lot in american life, integration. we talked all the time during our horrible legacy of segregation about the need for integration. today represents the integration of our political tradition. barack obama is now in the american grain, as they say. he is part of o

joining us is howard fineman and nia-malika henderson. nia-malika, let me begin with you.hat's your answer to the question of the president's true objective here? >> well, i think his true objective has been what it always was. even going back to 2008 when he campaigned on the issue of comprehensive immigration reform. obviously wasn't able to get it done in his first term. gave a bunch of speeches that essentially laid out the same thing he laid out yesterday, the sort of guiding framework where he wants to take thi>> mentions have gone to the cofounder of instagram. >>> finally, travels with hillary, we've seen no shortage over the past four years. all the same the secretary has been game for the lighter moments of her job. >> can i put one on like you have over there? [ singing ] ♪ ♪ >> things got musical on several different occasions. then there was this photo shoot in hawaii with hong kong's chief executive. that was, in fact, a half dressed torch bearing man dashing behind them. and then there was the speech featuring a knock at kim jong-un. >> time has honored so m

joining us is howard fineman and nia-malika henderson. nia-malika, let me begin with you.hat's your answer to the question of the president's true objective here? >> well, i think his true objective has been what it always was. even going back to 2008 when he campaigned on the issue of comprehensive immigration reform. obviously wasn't able to get it done in his first term. gave a bunch of speeches that essentially laid out the same thing he laid out yesterday, th political fight in 201 the present's an?ho yhe borrs av now secure? do you put troops dog erhead what stistwillou u a but ther ith is sequen it's eathat pple enfced and pred ot?usse d at's wrehe sck pot'going toe.esident's narr this men forraphic s giving histate of e ess aham ncn'biayth of n issufor this buaifoth generat thinsothing he vermu res abou let talk abother si othe e.says he republicwaar rs irrelency.v toy la wt's at  t ry s eplica iledo untand siift eehe rtcef this i to ou an voter. a eleo of if youavlargblock erans whbeevc onheir voters.4 taissue with that mode inngofle, here's what lota of quote

biden will release a statement here with us for the first time in 2013, howard fineman, director of the "huffington post" media group. welcome back to the show. first of all -- we have got the news of the pending white house meeting with the nra with representatives and we don't know the details yet. am i right to be cynical that the white house has to look like they are reaching out and look like they are receptive to it and neither wants to be talking to the another. other. >> that will be about the most insigne seer hand shake. wayne la pierre won't be there. it's possible that they are out here and looking for someone right now. >> howard, i do know. it's going to be james l. baker who was a 30-year vet, former executive director of the nra. we do know. >> good. the symbolism is still such that there is no deal with the nra unless wayne la pierre is in the room and there is no deal regardless i don't think. even the mindest form of legislation on trying to reinstitute the assault weapons ban that lapsed. any kind of language is not acceptable to the nra that view this is as a call t

howard fineman is an msnbc political analyst. and "huffington post" has been facing obama.oad forward. and dee dee meyers. you were kind of a pioneers in all this. i watch this. and maybe there's tokenism. which is maybe better than nothing. you wonder about the decision how they made it to make it look good. what's better to make it look bad by not doing it or to look good when you don't intend to have that person in there? >> the best is to put people in with the best authority and do it right. i think the president's -- >> why is it happening? >> i think the president makes a good case. that he has appointed a lot of women to senior positions and to unprecedented positions. 43% to the bench were women. >> the numbers are right. but what about paramount -- the prominence of the positions that they're in in the executive branch. >> i think in the cabinet in the first term. so i think the president sends mixed signals. on the one hand he has done, i think, a really good job from a distance of putting together a really diverse team. but when you get closer and see who's arou

howard fineman is the director for "the huffington post" media group, steven walsh with "the wall street journal." let's look at who came out the winner on this fight. on the right there's some significant disagreement. here's what bill kristol wrote just before the house vote. quote, politically republicans are escaping with a better outcome than they might have expected. and president obama has gotten relatively little at his moment of greatest strength. then there's conservative commentator charles krauthammer. >> in the house who hate the bill and for good reason. i mean, this is a complete surrender on everything. >> so that's charles krauthammer. who won this thing? >> i agree with the basic premise it was a push all the way around. first of all, let me say that as far as the average working person is concerned, this really wasn't a victory at all. the payroll taxes go back up. and this wasn't really a job-creating bill of any kind. so that should be said. what we're really talking about here is politics. who won politically inside the beltway. and i think you have to say that the

howard fineman and i'll be right back with another hour live edition of "hardball." "politics nation" with al sharpton starts right now. >> thanks, krischris, and thank you for tuning in. we're covering this amazing, historic day in washington. the inauguration of barack obama as our president. right now, the president and the vice president are watching the inaugural parade with groups from all over the country going by and standing in front of the white house. just moments ago, the airmen passed by and got a standing ovation. earlier today, the president gave his second inaugural address, a stirring, passionate call for equality and fairness. forging a more perfect union and helping the country live up to the meaning of its creed. >> we, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths, that all of us are created equal. is the star that guides us still, just as it guided our fore bearers through seneca falls and selma and stonewall, just as it guided all of those men and women, sung and unsung, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone. to hear a ki

thank you very much, howard fineman. i think everybody should get to vote on this, not just gun people. so far the gun people have written the gun laws. >>> coming up, lessons not learned. >>> coming up, lessons not learned. let's see, the republicans lost the election because they lost women, latinos, and young people. what legislation have been introduced so far this year? defund planned parenthood, deny citizenship to people who are born here if their parents aren't here legally, a personhood amendment. check, check, check. they've insulted every group they need. as i said last night, keep it up, guys, you're doing great. >>> why does barney frank want >> [ bleep ] you, america. >> [ bleep ] you, america. >> [ bleep ] you, america. >> that's in the "sideshow" tonight where it belongs. >>> finally, let me finish with joe biden's common sense approach to gun safety. and this is "hardball," the place for politics. ♪ if loving you is wrong ♪ i don't wanna be right [ record scratch ] what?! it's not bad for you. it just ta

joining me now, howard fineman, in my experience, this socializing thing is the most overrated legislativeeen it matter in any way at all. if booze could do this it would have fixed a lot of things a lot easier a long time ago. >> yes, of course, and booze consumption in d.c. exceeds that in other years of the country, with the possible exception of las vegas. there was a time, a day and place when i think personal relationships did matter more. and i think when you were on the hill, when i was covering you on the hill, it was kind of the end of that era. it started not to matter around that time. one thing that has happened now, lawrence, is that members of congress spend all their time raising money. they don't even talk to each other. we had a piece in "the huffington post ", it said for you new members, set aside four hours a day. that us one thing they're doing. as you told me the republicans have no interest in having a personal relationship with the president. as you showed in those graphics, they have not tried to figure out how to deal with him on a personal level, they see him as

howard fineman, of course, is editorial director of the "huffington post" as well as a prized msnbc politicalnalyst. i'm serious about that. you know that. howard, by the way, thank you for coming on tonight. it seems like there's a common sense guy, joe biden is a common sense -- these are not lefties. >> no. >> the nra puts the straight arm out there and says nothing. >> one reason joe biden was tasked with this is that barack obama, don't forget, back in 2008 showed a little distance -- >> ingloriously. >> these are people who cling to guns and their religion. he's not the guy to do this deal, joe biden is. the governor is right, when you get specific about things like high capacity magazines, people want them limited. there's no question. on general, if you state it generally, people are confused because they know it's a constitution right. but if you're specific, then the equation changes and that's what the vice president is going to try to do. >> ironically it's like pro-life and pro-gun. very ironic. it's a generalized statement. >> exactly. interestingly, originally joe biden was not

joining us is howard fineman and nia-malika henderson. nia-malika, let me begin with you.s your answer to the question of the president's true objective here? >> well, i think his true objective has been what it always was. even going back to 2008 when he campaigned on the issue of comprehensive immigration reform. obviously wasn't able to get it done in his first term. gave a bunch of speeches that essentially laid out the same thing he laid out yesterday, the sort of guiding framework where he wants to take this. i think it always has been an issue for republicans. he doesn't necessarily have to make it an issue for them. he certainly isn't standing for re-election. i think he already won the political fight in 2012. so now it is about his legacy and whether or not he can get this big grand bargain around immigration. >> howard, how do we get beyond the triggers that differs between the senate's plan and the president's plan? how do you prove the borders are now secure? >> right. that's the practical difficulty in all this. and it's one thing to go out and say let's do i