Week In The News: Obama In Asia, Net Neutrality, Lame Duck Congress In Action

With guest host John Harwood.

US-China climate pledge. Keystone and the lame duck congress. A comet landing. Our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.

Last week President Obama took a political beating. This week he came roaring back. An Asia trip and a major climate change pact with China. Planning executive action on immigration. Shaping the net neutrality debate. All steps that outraged Congressional Republicans, who returned to Washington and prepared to confront the president when the take over both sides of the Capitol in January. And an Obama adviser’s comments on health care stoke continuing partisan warfare now headed for the Supreme Court. This hour, On Point: our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.
-- John Harwood

Margaret Talev, White House correspondent for Bloomberg News. (@margarettalev)

Michael Hirsh, national editor of POLITICO Magazine. (@michaelphirsh)

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst. (@JackBeattyNPR)

Bloomberg Politics: Hillary Versus The Governors — "Clinton 'should not rely too much' on apparent electoral and demographic advantages for Democrats, said Democratic strategist and former Obama adviser David Axelrod. Whoever wins must 'aggressively' tackle the economic stagnation and problems of the middle class. 'She has to throw caution to the wind' and get out of the 'cocoon of inevitability.' For Republicans, 'if you don't stand up to the base somewhere,' he said, 'I don't think you can win the general election.'"

POLITICO Magazine: It’s Time for a New Opening to China — "A strong joint statement—perhaps a Pacific Charter pledging comprehensive geostrategic cooperation—would be a timely assurance that America and China do take seriously the responsibilities inherent in what has been called 'the world’s most important bilateral relationship.'"

New York Times: Landing on a Comet, a Mission Aims to Unlock the Mysteries of Earth — "In a technological feat that gives scientists their first opportunity to dig into a remnant of the early solar system, the European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission successfully placed a small spacecraft on the surface of a speeding comet on Wednesday. With this achievement, a comet is no longer a mysterious and sometimes frightening spray of light across the night sky, but another member of the solar system to be explored, like the moon and Mars. The technology of landing on a comet, with its wisps of gravity, could be applied to future efforts to mine asteroids."