Berman gets chair of foreign affairs

Rep. Howard Berman, in his 13th term, today was officially named chairman of the House committee on foreign affairs, replacing the late Tom Lantos. Originally a supporter of the Iraq war, Berman "has since come to call for benchmarks that include deadlines for troop withdrawal," says Lisa Friedman, the former Washington staff reporter for the Daily News, now carrying a "Special to" byline in the paper.