President Barack Obama will dominate this Sunday’s morning talk show circuit, appearing on all but one of the weekend’s major programs.
Obama will intensify his push for healthcare reform in appearances on CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and the Spanish-language Univision.
{mosads}The president will not appear on “Fox News Sunday,” the network broadcast by the cable network at which Obama has taken occasional shots for a perceived political bias.
The president will use the opportunities to continue his public push for healthcare reform, but is certain to face tough questions on a variety of issues.
Obama will likely have to personally answer charges by one of his predecessors, former President Jimmy Carter, that criticism of Obama — particularly Rep. Joe Wilson’s (R-S.C.) “You lie!” outburst — has been, in part, racially motivated.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dismissed the notion that criticism of Obama is racist this week, but the president will almost certainly face questions on his personal take on Carter’s remarks.
Obama is also likely to be grilled on foreign policy questions, after announcing this week that the U.S. would suspend a missile defense program in Eastern Europe, and as some dyspepsia on Capitol Hill grows over the future of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.
But while the president will dominate Sunday’s circuit, Republicans will have some opportunities to respond to Obama’s message on healthcare and other issues.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will appear on CNN this Sunday, while NBC’s “Meet the Press” will feature House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
Meanwhile, on an Obama-less Fox the week’s other top issue, ACORN, will headline.
The community organizing group’s CEO, Bertha Lewis, will appear, while Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, will press the GOP case against ACORN.