Hardball Briefing for Tuesday, December 21

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Coming up on Hardball

Tonight on Hardball—Not the friendliest of Yuletide greetings: "If they think it's bad now, wait 'till next year�? are the words incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had for Democrats, speaking to Politico. But many Democrats would argue that the view isn't so bad from here, with recent agreements on taxes, Don't Ask Don't Tell, and now, possibly the new START treaty. So how can President Obama deal with the Republican leader? We'll ask Mother Jones's David Corn and Politico's Jonathan Allen.

Then—Is all this talk of states' rights bringing back the bad old days? Possible 2012 Presidential candidate, Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS), corrected his comment to The Weekly Standard. We'll discuss his comment, and its effects, with Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MI) and Princeton University Professor of Politics and African-American Studies. Next—This could be the newest President Obama victory in the lame duck: The Senate has voted to advance New START, the arms control treaty, with more support than expected from Republicans. It goes to vote tomorrow. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and MSNBC Political Analyst Howard Fineman from the Huffington Post will join us to discuss.

And finally—the Census has been tallied, and no surprise—Red states gained congressional seats and blue states lost. Hardball Strategist Steve McMahon and Politico's John Harris will show us how this will change the electoral math for 2012. And on the Hardball Sideshow—Arlen Specter's roast of a goodbye speech. Don't miss it!

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

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