Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Guests 3-8-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

You can now count on the economy being a major focus of the "Talking Heads" on Sunday morning. The recession is now teetering on the edge of a depression as unemployed has now reached a 25 year high at 8.1%. The Dow has lost over 50% in the last 18 months and there are no indications it will stabilize anytime soon.

The 787 billion Stimulus bill, the remaining portion of the 700 billion TARP bill, the newly announced 75 billion mortgage relief plan, and the stalled 410 billion Omnibus bill in Congress will all receive attention this morning. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geitner is especially on the hot seat as he fumbled the roll out of the revised bail out plan and now the top two aides he was about to nominate have announced they are withdrawing from consideration.

On the foreign policy front, expect discussion on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent trip to the Middle East and Europe. While in the Middle East, Clinton pledged financial aid to Palestinians in war torn Gaza, reaffirmed the U.S. support of Israel, and renewed commitment to a two state solution. While in Geneva, Clinton laid the groundwork for a future NATO conference on Afghanistan and "Re-Set" U.S. relations with Russia. A very busy week.

Sure to be mentioned will be the leaked news the President will be reversing former President George W. Bush limits on stem cell research. On Monday morning President Obama will sign an executive order reversing a ban on federal funds for stem cell research.

Some discussion may also occur surrounding the announcement by Sanjay Gupta to withdraw from consideration for the position of U.S. Surgeon General. Early buzz is former DNC chair Howard Dean is now under serious consideration for the position. We recently reported Dean had returned to Democracy for America, the organization he founded after his failed presidential bid in 2004.

As always, it promises to be an informative morning so plan to have your coffee and tea prepared and settle in for some good political discussion. Remember to check your local listings for time and channel. Below is a list of the "Talking Heads" shows and their scheduled guests.

NBC "Meet The Press" - Host David Gregory will have Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). The roundtable will include Newt Gingrich, Mort Zuckerman, Liaquat Ahamed and Erin Burnett.

ABC "This Week" - George Stephanopoulos will have Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Richard Shelby (R-AL), and Evan Bayh (D-IN). Also appearing will be US Chamber of Commerce Director Thomas Donohue.

CBS "Face The Nation" - Bob Schieffer will interview Peter Orszag, the White House Director of Office and Budget Management and Representative John Boehner (R-Oh). Also appearing will be Kathleen Parker and Michael Fletcher.

Fox News Sunday - Chris Wallace will have Senator John McCain (R-Az.) and Governor Tim Kaine (D-Va.). Kaine is also the newly elected chair of the Democratic National Committee.

CNN "State of The Union" - John King will also have White House Budget Director Peter Orszag. Also appearing will be Minority Whip representative Eric Cantor (R-Va.).

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