Hardball Briefing for Tuesday, December 7

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Coming up on Hardball

Breaking news tonight on Hardball: Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former U.S. Senator John Edwards, has passed away after a six-year struggle with cancer. We discuss her life and role in politics with NBC's Kelly O'Donnell and MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell. Then: President Obama made a firey speech defending his call to extend the tax cuts. The President said he compromised in order to spare Americans hard months without unemployment pay and with higher taxes while tax debates continue. We'll take a hard look at the President's compromise, along with NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd and MSNBC Senior Political Analyst Mark Halperin. Then: What's the reaction to the President's compromise? Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) says the President shouldn't have backed down, Gov. Ed Rendell (R-PA) is supportive of the President's stance. We'll hear from them.

And then: Judson Phillips, head of the Tea Party Nation, made waves when he said that only property owners should qualify to vote. We'll talk with David Corn from Mother Jones and MSNBC Political Analyst Pat Buchanan about what qualifications a voter—and a presidential candidate—should have.

Plus: Which of the suspected Republican 2012 front-runners can beat Obama? We'll ask our strategists, Steve McMahon and Todd Harris.

Erin Delmore wrote the "Hardball Briefing�? from Washington, D.C.