There’s no such thing as a “slow news week” anymore but there are still slow-ish mornings for the Sunday news shows, and today is one. We’re 16 days out from a national election, guaranteeing a higher than usual number of partisan apparatchiks on your TV set. Take your pick. If it’s Republican talking points you want, RNC chair Ronna McDaniel will speak with “This Week” while Trump campaign aides Lara Trump and Jason Miller sit down with “State of the Union” and “Fox News Sunday,” respectively. If you’re looking for Democratic spin, DNC chief Tom Perez will chat with “Face the Nation” and Pete Buttigieg will engage with “Fox News Sunday.” Buttigieg has had a number of effective appearances on Fox News lately, to acclaim from lefties. The fact that he’s booked with Chris Wallace today suggests he’s now Team Biden’s go-to guy for Fox segments.
It’ll be interesting to see who’s asked about the Hunter Biden coverage in the New York Post this week and who isn’t.
The lead guest, though, is Nancy Pelosi, who’s been on Sunday television virtually every week for the past two months pushing her team’s message on the endless stimulus negotiations. She’s come under pressure from the left lately to make a deal before Election Day lest Trump lose interest in negotiating after a defeat. Given how resolute Senate Republicans seem to be that they won’t pass a bill with a pricetag as large as the one being discussed by Democrats and the White House, she has little reason not to make a deal ASAP and then punt the issue to McConnell to try to divide the GOP in the home stretch of the campaign. She’ll talk to “This Week” about the prospects for an agreement as well as that embarrassing public tantrum she threw a few days ago when challenged by a reporter who, for once, didn’t reflexively accept the Democratic spin on who’s to blame.
Last but not least, the alarming surge of COVID cases in the midwest and elsewhere will be a hot topic. Governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois are set for “Meet the Press” and “State of the Union,” respectively, to discuss the trend. Friday’s national daily case count was the highest since late July. Not looking good for winter. The full line-up is at the AP.
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