Sunday shows feature a trio of economic heavyweights with jobs center stage

A lively discussion of economic issues and national security will take a front seat Sunday afternoon, even with the Super Bowl looming and snow already on the ground in Washington.

This weekend’s Sunday shows feature a trio of economic heavyweights to discuss the ongoing economic uncertainty and what the government can do to stabilize the nation’s job market. 

{mosads}ABC’s “This Week” will host Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who will talk about how the Obama administration plans to avoid a so-called “double-dip recession” and how it will work to generate job growth.

In a preview of Geithner’s interview published by ABC, he says that the nation is at its lowest risk of entering into another recession because the economy has begun to show signs of growth.

“We have much, much lower risk of that today than at any time over the last 12 months or so,” Geithner said. “Again just think of where we are. We are in an economy that was growing at the rate of almost 6 percent of GDP in the fourth quarter of last year – the most rapid rate in six years. So we are beginning the process of healing.”

Two high-ranking officials from past administrations will also appear on the Sunday shows to discuss a variety of economic issues.

Bush administration Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, who recently released his memoirs, and former Federal Chairman Alan Greenspan will appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

The duo will discuss the president’s budget, which was released this week, how they think economy can recover and the origins of the economic crisis.

Both Paulson and Greenspan, who served as Fed chairman in an unprecedented three administrations, presided over controversial bailouts of the financial sector when the housing and financial crises began in 2008.

The economy has been put front and center by voters who remain skeptical as businesses continue to shed jobs despite various pieces of legislation put in place to stem job losses.

President Barack Obama set out to define his economic agenda moving forward in the State of the Union address, stressing the need for creating jobs in the short term and bringing down record-high budget deficits in the long run.

The president’s $3.8 trillion budget, which was released this week, featured a discretionary spending freeze on items not related to defense, national security, veterans’ affairs and foreign operations, as well as many entitlement programs. At the same time, Obama called on Congress to pass a jobs package worth $100 billion.

Still, voter anxiety recently helped usher in Republican candidates in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts partially because Republicans say voters bought into their economic solutions.

But Democrats remain firm that their policies will help engineer continued growth and job creation and that the results in the recent elections will not translate into bigger gains for the GOP in this fall’s midterms.

Meanwhile, national security has again figured prominently into the debate since the Fort Hood shooting last November and the attempted Christmas Day bombing.

The president’s top counterterrorism adviser, Deputy National Security Adviser John Brennan, will sit down with NBC’s David Gregory on “Meet the Press” to discuss the aftermath of the Christmas Day attempt, in which Republicans have criticized the Obama administration’s handling of the suspect.

It was recently reported that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the bombing suspect, was interrogated for 50 minutes by FBI agents following the attack before having his Miranda rights read to him.

Republicans say that the interrogation was insufficient in gathering information from the 23-year-old Nigerian, but White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has said investigators know enough about the attack.

Brennan will answer questions on that and the likelihood of future attacks by al-Qaeda.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will appear on CNN’s “State of the Union” with new host Candy Crowley.

Clinton was in the news this week after she condemned a Ugandan anti-gay bill at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington.

Crowley will likely ask Clinton about a series of recent disputes between the U.S. and China as well as what the administration is doing to reach out to nations such as Yemen and Somalia, in which terrorist groups have recently established footholds.

This week’s inaugural Tea Party convention will also get airtime on “Fox News Sunday.”

“Fox News Sunday” will host former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), who will deliver the keynote address at the convention on Saturday in Nashville.

The Tea Party convention has faced scrutiny over its high price of admission for a convention of grassroots activists and the alleged $100,000 honorarium paid to Palin.

Football fans will also get a taste on the Sunday shows. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be interviewed on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” The network is broadcasting the Super Bowl.