Obama’s budget to get Sunday-show boost

Amid
the outrage over the AIG bonuses, President Obama’s broader economic agenda
will likely get a bit of support on the Sunday talk shows from more
Democrat-friendly Republicans.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and New York City Mayor Michael
Bloomberg, both Republicans, will appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press”
alongside Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania. Schwarzenegger on
Thursday called the president a “fantastic partner” while Obama was
in Southern California promoting his economic agenda. The California governor
also helped the president last week by downplaying Obama’s gaffe on “The Tonight Show” when he compared his bowling abilities to the Special Olympics.

{mosads}On Sunday evening, CBS’s “60 Minutes” will play host to the president
for an interview.

But the AIG bonus issue won’t be far from the headlines on Sunday as
administration officials head to the talk shows to be peppered with questions
about who in the administration knew what and when regarding the bonuses that
have prodded Congress into unusually speedy action to pass punitive tax
measures.

Christina Romer, the chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisors, will
appear on “Fox News Sunday” alongside Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and Rep.
Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.). She will also appear on CNN’s “State of the Union” next
to Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), who came out last week against a punitive tax on
AIG bonuses.

Rangel could also face tough questioning after being grilled this
week about his own ethical questions and a had run-in with a conservative who
caught Rangel on video telling him to “mind your goddamn business.”

The bonus discussion will also take center stage on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” which
hosts Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and White
House economic adviser Austan Goolsbee. Frank and Grassley have both proposed
tax measures to recoup the bonus payments.

On ABC’s “This Week,” Jared Bernstein, an economic adviser to Vice
President Joe Biden, will appear with Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent
Conrad (D-N.D.), Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.). Congress
is heading into a two-week stretch when the president will try to sway
lawmakers to pass a budget resolution.