By Tom Ashbrook.

Winston Churchill famously said “jaw jaw” is better than “war war” – that talking is better than fighting. This week, Americans had both. Debate on the Hill. War in Iraq.

And there were other notable pairings. A negotiated breakthrough with North Korea that left Pyongyang, for now, with nuclear bombs. Huge layoffs at Chrysler that left the US with an auto industry, but talk that it might, one day, not own one. Mitt Romney’s hat is in the ring. So is Al Franken’s, for the Senate.

The Dixie Chicks fought there way back to gold at the Grammy’s. And there’s snow all over.

This hour On Point: we get behind the headlines of a week in the news, with top analysts, our own Jack Beatty, and you.

Guests:

Joan Vennochi, columnist for the Boston Globe

Steve Chapman, columnist for the Chicago Tribune

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst, senior editor for the Atlantic Monthly