Week in the News

Talk about a New Year! In the very first week we have an epic turnover to Democrats on Capitol Hill and the first woman Speaker of the House in the nation's history in Nancy Pelosi. There was a long goodbye to Saddam Hussein, a goodbye to President Ford, and goodbye to the country's top intelligence chief, John Negroponte.

A big turnover is on the way in the military's war leadership: a navy admiral to lead two land wars, and General David Patraeus, hero of the 101st Airborne, to command in Iraq. And all these new powers will face a rugged set of challenges — in Iraq, in the deficit, in the political trenches.

This hour On Point: Karen Tumulty of Time Magazine, John Judis of The New Republic, our own Jack Beatty and you, on the news of the week.

Guests:

Karen Tumulty, national political correspondent for Time magazine

John Judis, senior editor at The New Republic

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst, senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly