and "newshour" regular, presidential historian michael beschloss.oland as a matter of history, when you look back at the korean war, in what ways did it impact the american experience of war? >> we had just come out of the second world war, in fact both of the world wars were the last of the world's great power wars, and we were beginning a new phase which has continued right up to the present day of what you might call asim metric warfare in which the united states is the strongest military power in the world, i was in 1950, it still is, but we cannot use that military power always to achieve victory. and this was our first introduction to that dilemma. >> and that sense of ending but not ending, was that unusual at that time? >> well, we had had wars before that came to inconclusive conclusions. but so soon in the wake of world war ii, i think it was a shock to most americans. >> michael, in terms of cold war political history, what stands out for you as you look back? >> well, this was a korean war with a lesson for later presidents and not a ver

alex roland, michael beschloss, colonel wiedhahn, thank you very much. >> thanks. >> lehrer: again, the major developments of the day: president obama signed into law the first major overhaul of the financial system since the great depression. the chairman of the federal reserve ben bernanke warned the economic outlook remains unusually uncertain. and the obama administration apologized for firing an agriculture department worker over racial remarks. it turned out she was taken out of context and agricultural secretary vilsack said today: "i did not think, before i acted." the "newshour" is always online. hari sreenivasan, in our newsroom, previews what's there. hari? >> sreenivasan: learn about the newest special interest group on capitol hill-- the tea party caucus. that's on "the rundown." also there, a reporter's dispatch from the international aids conrence in vienna looking at eastern europe's drug problem, which is feeding the fastest growing h.i.v. epidemic in the world. there's more of paul's interview with the greek prime minister. and watch a conversation with all that and mo