There's no question that our American health care system needs fixing. Dr. Donald Berwick, the man who was in charge of Medicare and Medicaid until last Thursday, was committed to ending waste. "Much is done that does not help patients at all," Dr. Berwick recently told The New York Times, "and many physicians know it." Dr. Berwick's quest to reform Medicare and Medicaid, the result of a temporary appointment made by President Obama last year, came to an end after just 17 months.

After months of budget negotiations, tensions between Congressional "super committee" members have reached what seems to be a breaking point. With only three days left before their deadline to cut 1.2 trillion dollars from the federal debt, 12 super committee members made the rounds to the Sunday political news outlets and publicly aired their grievances. Republican Jeb Hensarling told "Fox News Sunday," the following: "Unfortunately, what we haven't seen in these talks from the other side is any Democrats willing to put a proposal on the table that actually solves the problems." 

The Joint Deficit Reduction "Super Committee," put in charge with finding $4 trillion to cut from the deficit, held their fifth public meeting on Tuesday. But the fate of the Super Committee remains unclear as it is unlikely they will come to consensus any time soon. Todd Zwillich, The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, says the hearing was both a pep talk to the committee but also partly a threat. There is a lot riding on them to succeed and a lot of heads could roll if they fail.

A New York Times/CBS News poll released Tuesday reveals a deep sense of frustration with government as both political parties have failed to give voters a sense that they can fix the economy. Seven in 10 Americans think the policies of Republicans favor the rich, while two-thirds support raising taxes on millionaires. A report from the Congressional Budget Office also out on Tuesday says that incomes for the top 1 percent of earners have grown by 275 percent in the last 30 years, versus just 40 percent for people in the middle income scale. The poll's findings are bad news for both Republicans and Democrats alike as they prepare for a pivotal election in 2012. New York Times national political correspondent Jeff Zeleny helps parse the numbers and explains what this means for the country.

Earlier this week we asked our listeners to participate in a flash poll about GOP candidates participating in the 10th presidential debate. With so many Republican debates so far (Wednesday was the 10th), and so may to go (12 more), we wanted to see how listeners might thin the herd. We wanted to know: of the four candidates polling the lowest, who would you "vote off" the next debate? The choices were Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.), and Jon Huntsman. Who did you choose? 

The Republican presidential contenders took their latest debate to Las Vegas on Tuesday night, where they discussed immigration, health care, and the economy. The debate was tense at times as Rick Perry tried to regain his momentum, and Mitt Romney defended his Massachusetts health plan. Candidates also briefly weighed in on the Occupy Wall Street movement. Did Herman Cain prove to be a viable opponent to Mitt Romney? And did Rick Perry help his chances, or further sink his campaign?

Republicans will hold their next debate in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday. Maggie Haberman, senior political writer for Politico thinks this is a make or break moment for Rick Perry. "If Perry has a bad performance," Haberman said, "it'll be virtually impossible for him to come back." Herman Cain's performance will also be closely watched as he is running very high right in the polls now. If Perry falters, could Cain be a valid challenger to Romney? In response to the GOP's debate, Democrats began their Project New West summit on Sunday, also in Vegas.

On Wednesday, Senate Democratic leaders proposed a five percent surtax on Americans with incomes of $1 million or more per year. Senate majority leader Harry Reid said the surtax would raise nearly half of $1 trillion over the next decade, which is the amount necessary to cover President Obama's jobs bill. A recent CBS news poll showed that 64 percent of Americans think that those who earn more than $1 million per year should pay more in taxes, which means the public may be on board for the new tax. Now, Democrats will need to gain Republican support for the measure.

The New York police department arrested over 700 Occupy Wall Street protesters Saturday, for allegedly walking across the Brooklyn Bridge's roadway, instead of using the pedestrian path. Now in its third week, the movement has spread to other cities around the nation. Meanwhile, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to testify before Congress tomorrow on the economic outlook for the country, and unemployment figures are set to be released Friday, as President Obama continues to push his jobs bill. And Nevada has moved its caucus date back, ahead of Florida's, which will likely affect the race for the Republican nomination.

Republican critics like Mitch McConnell are calling it "class warfare" and a "massive tax hike" with "phantom savings." The president calls it simply a matter of shared sacrifice. Is Obama's new deficit reduction plan, which he unveiled in a speech Monday morning, a piece of legislation with a legitimate shot of being voted into law or simply a campaign move ahead of the 2012 election? And does the president's math add up when he says the bill is paid for?

Texas governor and GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry branded Social Security a "Ponzi scheme" and "a monstrous lie" during last week's Republican debate in California. Traditionally, Social Security is usually a topic candidates shy away from, out of fear of losing the support of elderly voters. Perry's fellow candidates used his statements as ammunition against him during last night's Tea Party-sponsored debate.

Last night, President Obama implored Congress to pass his plan to stimulate the economy. The question now is whether his proposal has any chance of passing a Congress where Republicans have indicated they have little interest in working with him. Ron Christie, Republican political strategist, CEO of Christie Strategies, and former special assistant to George W. Bush, talks about whether the president's plan has any chance of gaining GOP support.

With Col. Muammar Gadhafi's rule in Libya seemingly over, President Obama called for him to step down, to avoid further bloodshed as rebel forces continue to fight loyalists in the capital of Tripoli. Republicans are calling for an even bigger military presence in Libya. It's safe to say that Obama has some difficult decisions ahead, in regard to how the U.S. will be involved in Libya's transition to democracy.

Robert Gates will step down as Secretary of Defense this week, with Leon Panetta taking over. Panetta will have a lot on his plate, starting with the start of U.S. troops withdrawing from Afghanistan later this week. Noel King, managing producer for The Takeaway, looks at what obstacles are in store for Panetta as he begins his reign as Defense Secretary. 

President Obama will meet with Congressional leaders to try and come to an agreement on raising the debt ceiling, or face going into default. Charlie Herman, business and economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC, looks at the economic effects this on-going debate could have if a conclusion is not reached soon. 

Yesterday, a half-dozen senior advisers on the Newt Gingrich presidential campaign team resigned. Gingrich’s campaign manager was among the six. At the very least they’ve made the political comeback that Gingrich was working on a bit more complicated. At worst, they’d destroyed his hopes for unseating President Barack Obama in the 2012 election. 

Dominique Strauss-Kahn is scheduled to return to court today to face arraignment in New York City. He is charged with raping a Manhattan hotel maid, the allegations shocked the world, especially France, where he was expected to be a strong contender for the presidency. Callie Crossley, host of The Callie Crossley Show, on WGBH in Boston says "I think this story is going to capture a lot of headlines for a long time." Kelly Evans, "Ahead of the Tape" columnist for The Wall Street Journal, looks at some key economic data coming out this week that could give us a clue at how the economy is doing.

Today, as the Tea Party Patriots rally outside the Capitol Building, lawmakers might actually be close to a compromise on the federal budget. Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee met with their House counterparts last night to see if they could strike a deal to avoid a government shutdown. But the compromise in question would include $33 billion in cuts — $28 billion less than the budget Republicans passed in the House. How will the Tea Party react to a deal with Democrats? What are the implications for Speaker of the House John Boehner?

The health care debate isn't subsiding in Washington. A Republican effort to repeal the health care law failed in the Senate Wednesday night, while a Democratic amendment to repeal the law's new tax-reporting requirements passed with bipartisan support. Senate Republicans vowed this will not be their last attempt to repeal the law. Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich lays out the roadmap for the Republican plan to piece-by-piece tear away at the law.

It's been a big week as Washington gets back to work. There are questions about whether the Republican-dominated House can actually repeal the health care plan. Meanwhile, Democrats are finally "finding their voice" on health care, says Takeaway Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, as they prepare to counter GOP claims about the bill.

Lawmakers get back to work as the 112th Congress begins today. Republicans take the majority in the House of Representatives and Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), gets sworn in as its new Speaker of the House. At the same time, there is a move in the Senate to change the filibuster rule. The first day of Congress is the only day that lawmakers can change the rules with only 51 votes and some Democrats hope to use this to their advantage. The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, looks at the new Congress and the top five things to watch out for in 2011.