Sunday shows: Primary countdown

The ongoing BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will get top billing on this Sunday’s news shows, but Tuesday’s high-profile primary contests will also get attention this weekend.

Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the national incident commander for the spill response, will appear on four Sunday shows, CBS’s “Face the Nation,” ABC’s “This Week,” CNN’s “State of the Union” and “Fox News Sunday.”

{mosads}Allen has provided daily updates for the president and the public on the government and BP’s effort to plug the leak, which coming from a damaged pipe about one mile underwater in the Gulf of Mexico.

Several attempts to plug the leak quickly have already failed as workers continue to dig relief wells to stem the flow of oil.

Allen’s appearance on the shows will come just days after President Barack Obama visited the Gulf coast to assess the damage for the third time since the spill began and the second time in one week.

In an interview with CNN’s Larry King this week, Obama said he was “furious” at the spill, but that simply expressing emotion, as he has been pressured to do, will not plug the leak.

The spill has caused widespread damage to the wildlife and the economy on the Gulf coast. It has also appeared to consume Obama’s presidency as it has become evident that BP was not prepared to handle a spill of this size and that the government agency charged with regulating offshore drilling suffered from ethics issues.

One of the most outspoken lawmakers on the spill, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), will go on “Face the Nation.” Nelson comes from a state affected by the spill and has frequently called on the administration and BP to do more to plug the leak.

Nelson is also a staunch opponent of offshore oil drilling. Expect him to receive questions about a new “comprehensive energy bill” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said this week he wants moved in the wake of the spill.

In the last effort to bring a climate and energy bill to the Senate floor, Nelson spoke out against expanding offshore oil drilling as part of a compromise to attract GOP support.

“This Week” will host one of the architects of the last climate and energy bill, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). Kerry may also shine light on the form of the energy legislation that Reid wants moved by the Fourth of July recess.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) will appear on “Fox News Sunday.” Barbour’s state has also been impacted by the BP spill and he has played an active role in the response.

With the spill as a backdrop in the national news, voters in Arkansas, California and Nevada will go to the polls to vote in three highly competitive Senate primaries on Tuesday.

At stake in Nevada is the GOP challenger to Reid, who is facing one of his toughest reelection campaigns in years.

Former Nevada GOP chairwoman Sue Lowden was thought to be the frontrunner in that race, but two lesser known challengers have gained ground in the polls against her, Tea Party-backed candidate Sharron Angle and businessman Danny Tarkanian.

The Democrats in Arkansas are the ones to watch. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) is facing a primary challenge on her left from Lt. Gov. Bill Halter (D). Halter is backed by organized labor and liberal groups but party leaders in Washington want Lincoln back, which could be tough in a year that has been hard on incumbents.

In California, former HP CEO Carly Fiorina is the GOP frontrunner to face Sen. Barbara Boxer (D), who also faces a tough reelection fight. But she still must fend off former Rep. Tom Campbell and state assemblyman Chuck DeVore, who is backed by Tea Partiers.

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) will go on “This Week” to talk about the contests.

Cornyn faced a litany of questions after Tea Party-backed candidate Rand Paul knocked off Trey Grayson, the establishment candidate, in the Kentucky GOP Senate primary several weeks ago. Paul then went on to make controversial comments about the Civil Rights Act.

The Texas senator will likely have to answer more questions about how establishment picks will fare at the polls.

On CNN, Lincoln and Halter will square off to make their closing arguments before Arkansas voters make their pick.

The recent Gaza flotilla incident will also get some play on Sunday. Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren will appear on “Fox News Sunday” and Bloomberg’s “Political Capital.”

Lawmakers may also face questions about the raid by Israeli commandos, which killed nine.

NBC’s “Meet the Press” will not air this weekend due to the French Open tennis tournament.