Hello again, I'm Mormon Alney.

Happy New Year.

As we record our first To the Point podcast of 2019, President Trump and leaders of Congress

are still arguing about how to get all of the federal government open again.

We'll take an early look at the new political context for domestic and international policy.

The big difference from last year in Washington, Democrats now control the lower house of the Congress.

Will that mean greater oversight of President Trump?

Campaigns for the next presidential election two years from now are already shaping up,

how will they affect legislative

and executive action? And what are the prospects for this country's role in the world,

was the president firmly committed to backing away from 70 years of American leadership?

We have two writers from the Washington Post. E.J. Dionne of the Brookings Institute on the more liberal side,

Jennifer Rubin, who writes the column Right Turn. Listening in and ready when we get to foreign affairs

is Evo Dahlter, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, author of The Empty Throne, America's Abdication of Global

Leadership. First, let's go domestic.

We don't know when the government will be open again or how that will be achieved.

Let's just assume it will happen.

First, to E.J. Dion, good to have you with us.

Always good to be with you.

Jess Unruh, famous Democratic politician in California, used to say the only thing worse for Democrats than losing is winning.

What about the situation now in Washington with the new speaker likely to be the old speaker, San Francisco Democrat, Nancy Pelosi?

I wish Jess Unruh were around to watch all of this.

...