we have the editorial director at huffington post, howard fineman. rd, why is donald trump taking the stage at a republican leadership conference? >> well, because he's there. he's got his hair. he's got his future. he's got his presidential candidacy in his own mind. he's got money. and he's, i guess, entertaining. it's fascinating to me as you look ahead to 2016, actually, alex. who is showing up there and who isn't. donald trump. ted cruz, rick santorum. rick perry and bobby jindal are there. mar mar marco marco rue beyou and chris country city is not there. and they used to be called the southern republican leadership conference and i attended many of them. they've taken the word "southern" out because in many respects, that old -- that modern southern place of the party, has been transformed into the tea party base and that's who you're seeing in new orleans right now. that's why donald trump and phil robertson are right at home. >> but why -- this is the person that's sort of been trying to push the party toward a more moderate stance or at leas

thank you, howard fineman, michelle bernard. that was called "the scoop." >>> coming up, that weekend terror in california, why does it happen so often here? they always seem iconic in the united states. a few other countries have had these experiences. they seem to be at home here. why? and time for a new republican contract with america, other than something than the party of no-no? mitch mcconnell says we're doing just fine. the tea party expected to have a good night in texas tonight in its primary. could they go too far to give the democrats a shot down the road to turn that state blue? >>> let me finish tonight with this video left behind by the young man accused in the california killings. this is "hardball," the place for politcs. >>> president obama today announced the american combat mission in afghanistan will be over by year's end. that's the end of this year. the president's plan will keep nearly 10,000 troops in afghanistan after that mission ends this year. by the end of next year, that number will be cut in half

anyway, thank you, gene robinson, and thank you, howard fineman. the "a" students are always going to do well, i'm worried about the "b" and "c" students, like me. >>> senate republicans say no to an increase in minimum wage and democrats smell a campaign issue. and now rick santorum says i would say confess republicans don't care as much as democrats do about the poor. isn't that a statement? i think he meant it. >>> plus, this isn't something you see every day, a former supreme court justice testifying before the congress. john paul stevens says it's time we all learn who's paying for these candidates campaigns. he wants full disclosure by the kochs, et cetera. >>> plus, a big victory of opponents for voter i.d. laws, the decision in wisconsin followed similar decisions in pennsylvania and arkansas that tie, this is good news for progressives, may be turning against those republican attempts to keep democrats from voting. >>> and let me finish tonight with this brave new world, where even in private, what you say can be used against you. and this

with us is howard fineman of the "huffington post" and michelle bernard of the bernard center for women. howard, it seems every day brings if you read a quality newspaper bad news somewhere. something happens, crap happens, however we want to phrase it. now the automatic machine says hillary did it. they should check a couple of facts. while the organization wasn't named, the three top leaders were. that was decided after a my anud decision. your thoughts? >> chris, i think this is just the beginning of what the right is going to attempt to do to hillary. they're going to back time and replay backwards every event in the world today and look for a connection back to the state department or back to american policy. >> six connections of kevin bacon? >> yes, when she was secretary of state. when you're secretary of state, you deal by definition in grays. you deal in nuance. that's why her book is called "hard choices." but when you're trying to explain the details of a policy, why you were reluctant to allow yourself full on with the nigerian army and the nigerian regime which committed a

howard fineman is an msnbc political analyst and nia malika henderson is a national political reporter at "the washington post." howard, how did you see this? did you read the article? when you read all the way through, you have to look, i think, as a political analyst, as you do and i do, and see where there might be ammo. where i see it, it's not again whether bill clinton did something wrong. we all know that, or whether hillary clinton was hurt by it and embarrassed by it and we all know that, and actually how she's prevailed against it herself. but this whole question of whether the clintons were just too damned callous in trying to make her into a stalker and, of course, hillary clinton called her a loony tune, bill clinton said that woman and almost didn't use her name, that attempt to minimize a person in order to get by a problem politically. that might sting. your thoughts? >> chris, i agree with you about the piece. i read the entire piece and the bomb shells are buried in the bottom at the end, where i think monica lewinsky allows herself to unburden herself a bit of the bi

thank you, howard fineman, michelle bernard. that was called "the scoop." >>> coming up, that weekend terror in california, i whooi does it happen so often here? they always seem kai aye connick the united states. a few other countries have had these experiences. they seem to be at home here. why? and time for a new republican contract with america, other than something than the party of no-no? mitch mcconnell says we're doing just fine. the tea party expected to have a good night in texas tonight in its primary. could they go too far to give the democrats a shot down the road to turn that state blue? >>> let me finish tonight with this video left behind by the young man accused in the california killings. a lot to d. that's why i got my surface. it's great for watching game film and drawing up plays. it's got onenote, so i can stay on top of my to-do list, which has been absolutely absurd since the big game. with skype, it's just really easy to stay in touch with the kids i work with. alright, russell you are good to go! alrigh

howard fineman, excellent commentary as always. hank you for joining us. >> i just got the joke about the glasses. slow-witted. >> we love that about you. >> slow-witted. >> thanks, howard. >>> the newest medal of honor recipient former army sergeant kyle white just walked out of the white house. let's listen in. >> good afternoon. on the surface this is a piece of blue fabric and carved medal. at its core it is a symbol of our nation. a nation forged in war. of the men and women who act heroically and give their all in the nation -- all for the nation and for each other. at its core, it is a symbol of the responsibility all soldiers knowingly face when they depart for distant lands in defense of the nation. a responsibility that locks us all in bonds of brotherhood. the medal of honor is said to be the nation's highest award for valor by one individual. to me it is much more. it is representation of the responsibility we accept as warriors and members of a team. it is a testament to the trust we have in each other and our leaders.

let's bring in howard fineman, editorial director of the huffington post media group. the usual suspects. the overall reaction from republicans has been pretty muted. senator bob corker, the republican ranking member on senate foreign relations, issued a statement saying, "i applaud the president's announcement today that he will support the size of the residual security forces requested by u.s. commanders. howard, has the bipartisan consensus in washington come around to getting away from an indefinite commencement to afghanistan? >> i think for the most part, yes. it's the longest war in american history. as colonel jack said, it's a murky story with no definitive conclusion. not the kind of war americans like to fight. while we may be at risk of allowing afghanistan after 2016 to not really fulfill our hopes for civility, i think the political consensus here is pretty clearly with regard to afghanistan enough is enough, and the president, don't forget, got elected back in 2008 offering a different take overall on the use of massive military force in places like iraq

man that you are going to scare him out of the race because he is not tough enough and that was howard fineman on msnbc. >> first off, suggesting that a liberal has brain damage, how can you tell? i had to do that for you, bob, because i love you. i kid the libs. but you want to talk about this distaste and you want to talk about sexism, remember that hillary clinton called monica lewinsky loony tunes for sleeping with her husband. monica is an expert on distaste, dis taste awful. >> now, you are worse than bob. >> i cannot defend karl rove on this. you don't make it easier for your opposition. republicans do not need an angle to make hillary look weaker. she has a track record but also the republicans need a candidate. they don't need an angle. they need a candidate by comparison that makes hillary or whoever runs look weak. people claim that they made senator mccain look old in order to beat him, but actually by nominating obama made john mccain who was a great candidate, a war hero, a coherent funny guy, make him look old and crank i didn't by juxtaposition. the republicans need to think ab

thank you howard fineman. coming up, can marco rubio as a member of the republican know nothings, the science deniers. he says he doesn't believe humans are causing global warming. doesn't believe that these scientists, he calls them have concluded. he's trying to make his bones with the right. plus, rand paul has some advice for his party on alleged voter fraud. go ahead and pass voter id laws. just stop talking about it. people are on to you. and the wild cards, the senate race, democrats who have something to sell besides just being democrats. some good democratic candidates out there are making tougher for republicans than many people had expected. and back to climate change. the new sunday show, john oliver takes on the science deniers. >> the only accurate way to report that one out of four americans are skeptical of global warming is to say a poll finds that one out of four americans are wrong about something. anyway, this is "hardball" the place for politics. [ male announcer ] zzzquil. it's not for co

howard fineman is the editorial director of the huffing pon post. and michael hirsch is with political magds. in an article for politico, you called it the benghazi industrial complex, quoting your piece. it's already too late for the truth. benghazi has taken on a cultural life of its own on the right. it's become embedded in the demonology of the conservative base. it's now short hand for a new generation of right wing conspiracy theorizing about the clintons that republican candidates know will excite conservative voters. benghazi has come to the 2010s what vince foster and whitewater were to the 1990s. you also say it's partly about making hillary clinton so disgusted with this nonsense she just decides to stay out of the race. tell us about your reporting, michael, how you' gotten into this, i think so well, but tell me what you know. >> well, first of all, chris, i don't think that benghazi has an issue would have much impact on hillary were she the nominee for president. i think the polls show that. >> to ple the bigger question is this week,

joining me now howard fineman and robert costa back with us, national political reporter at the "washington post." robert, the house is on recess next week. do you think the dems are trying to drag this out until after they return? >> i think pelosi is trying to wring some sort of concession out of boehner. they think there's already a flurry of investigations on capitol hill. i think ultimately some democrats will sit on the panel mostly for the reason that they know hillary clinton is likely to be called. now she looks towards 2016, they want to be there for her in that room to defend her. >> and howard, do you think the names we've seen coming out of the republican side tell us in about the tener of the dialogue going forward? >> absolutely, starting with trey gowdy. i wrote a piece for huff post about him. he comes out of upstate south carolina, he comes out of the tradition of suspicion of federal government that goes all the the way back to two centuries to john ka houn and lee atwater and jim demint. he's a tea party guy. he's got inside moves but he was elected in 2010 after challen

with us now is howard fineman. it seems like every day brings, as it does if you read a quality newspaper, bad news somewhere in the world. something happens. crap happens. and now, the automatic machine says hillary did it. they should check a coup of facts. while the organization wasn't named, the three top leaders were. and that was decided upon after a very nuanced decision making how to go after this group. and not to make every u.s.-owned facility an easy fat target for this group to go after. your thoughts? >> i think this is just the beginning of what the right is going to attempt to do to hillary. they're going to back time and replay backwards every event in the world today and look for the connection. >> is this six connections of kevin bacon? >> yes. when she was secretary of state. when you're secretary of state, you deal by definition in grays. you deal in nuance. that's why her book is called "hard choices." but when you're trying to explain the detail of a policy, while you were reluctant to allow f

howard fineman, editorial director of the huffington post and msnbc political analyst and berry bacon, nbc news senior political reporter. congratulations, sir, for joining us. >> thank you, chris. >> i want to start with you because you're on deck as a full-fledged expert and senior, i love that, senior guy. i want some seniority. this thing seems to be so blatantly simple. when you ask people in polling do they like the health care system, yeah, pretty good. you say obama's name and you lose all the conservatives. i also remember "w" running for president and he said social security wasn't a federal program. well, okay, it is. is this a case of mistaken or intentional mistaken identification by mitch mcconnell? >> this is very intentional. we have an nbc poll that showed kynect is very popular in kentucky, but they still want to rebeal obamacare. mitch mcconnell knows this, and he's doing one of the things politicians do, which is what he's saying is technically accurate. i supposed you can repeal obamacare and till have kynect exist but kynect is set up to expand medicaid and use t

that would be the president talking to howard fineman and richard sherman of the seattle seahawks. and at the white house correspondents dinner. we are taking your comments on twitter. >> you are watching live coverage of the white house correspondents dinner on c-span. we are getting your reaction from twitter. i think the people in the back of the room are in another state. interview with the president of the association, he talked about a student scholarship they have set up. the first talk about black reporter to ever cover a presidential press conference. you needed membership to get into the oval office, that is the way it worked in those days. black newspapers went to franklin roosevelt and said, we want to get this guy and. fdr said yes, send him an next week. melee, theree a could be a fight. he said, i am going in. we decided a couple of weeks ago to dedicate one of our scholarships in his name. we will talk about it at the dinner. his son and his granddaughter will be at the dinner. i will take them to the vip reception and introduce them to the president. i think that w