Sunday shows: 112th battles begin

By Mike Lillis - 01/01/11 09:08 AM ET

With Republicans poised to take over the House on Wednesday, the Sunday political shows will focus this week on the key figures — and the most prominent partisan battles — of the 112th Congress.

Incoming House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and the Republicans made enormous gains in the midterm elections, picking up 63 seats and reclaiming the House majority after just four years under Democratic control.

But GOP leaders have also been cautious not to interpret the voters' message as a Republican mandate. Rather, they're vowing to use their new power to cut deficit spending by slashing federal programs — an idea anathema to many Democrats wary that such cuts would only exacerbate the nation's lingering jobs crisis.

The newly empowered House Republicans are also threatening to revisit some of the Democrats' most significant and contentious legislative successes — particularly the new healthcare reform law. That bill passed in March without the support of a single Republican in either chamber. GOP leaders, who consider the reform bill a government takeover of the healthcare system, want to repeal it in full and replace it with more market-based reforms.

The ideological differences foreshadow a showdown next year between the GOP-controlled House and the White House and Senate, which remain under control of the Democrats. It's a clash that's caused many of Washington's prognosticators to predict a kind of legislative stalemate over the next two years, with each party catering to its base in the run-up to the 2012 presidential elections, but with few significant legislative victories for either side.

Against that backdrop, House leaders from both parties will appear on CBS's "Face the Nation" Sunday to lay out their strategies and goals in the 112th Congress. Representing the Democrats will be Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.) and Anthony Weiner (N.Y.), while Reps. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) — as well as Rep.-elect Mike Kelly (Penn.) — will be standing up for the Republicans.

Among the incoming GOP chairmen vowing to take on the Obama administration next year, few will be more watched than Issa, who will head the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The California Republican says he wants to stage multiple hearings each week in order to investigate a vast array of White House initiatives — everything from stimulus spending to a newly empowered Food and Drug Administration.

Issa will also appear on CNN's "State of the Union" as the lone Republican opposite Democratic Reps. Steve Israel (N.Y.), Elijah Cummings (Md.) and Jason Altmire (Pa.), as well as Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine. All eyes will be on any exchanges between Issa and Cummings, who, as ranking member of the House Oversight panel, will be the Democrats' first line of defense against the scores of investigations Issa is promising.

For the hat-trick, Issa will also appear on "Fox News Sunday," joining GOP Rep. Fred Upton (Mich.), who's poised to take over the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee. Fox will also host two incoming House Republicans — Mike Lee (Utah) and Allen West (Fla.) — two Tea Party-backed freshmen whose hard line against deficit spending could prove as much a thorn to GOP leaders as to Democrats hoping to fund the government next year.

Turning to the Senate, NBC's "Meet the Press" will host Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who was among the most vocal critics of the Democrats' successful lame-duck efforts to enact a nuclear treaty with Russia and repeal the Pentagon's long-standing ban on gays serving openly in the military. Sen.-elect Pat Toomey, the Republican who defeated former Rep. Joe Sestak (D) in Pennsylvania, will also appear.

Moving away from Congress, ABC's "This Week" will feature Austan Goolsbee, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, as well as actor George Clooney, who will be promoting efforts to end genocide in advance of a referendum next week to split Sudan in two.

Leave to ABC to veer off into World Politics with the lame Amanpour. This show is doomed.BY JAKOTA on 01/01/2011 at 09:42

Begin the investigations ASAP Rep. Issa and make sure you reveal the real Obama to all the idiots out there who think Obama is normal.

EXPOSE THE MARXIST FREAK HE REALLY IS!BY SICKOFOBAMA on 01/01/2011 at 10:37

President Obama's 47% Gallup approval today is higher than either Reagan or Clinton at the same stage of their first terms, both of whom were re-elected.http://www.gallup.com/home.aspx. 

And a December 20 poll puts Obama's approval at 48%.http://thepage.time.com/2010/12/20/poll-48-approve-of-obamas-performance/. 

And unlike when Clinton and Bush when they lost the House in a landslide, a WaPo poll found that voters still prefer the President over the opposition party and also found that 55% believe Obama's policies can "move America in the right direction".http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/20/cnn-poll-three-quarters-approve-of-new-tax-cut-law/. 

Even Republican pollster Rasmussen has Obama at 48% approval.http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2010/12/027984.phpBY TOM on 01/01/2011 at 11:58

Ever notice that no matter what picture you see of any of the republicans in congress, they always have a mean and nasty look about them? Why are they so angry and bitter all the time? Because they lost the presidency to a black democrat? Just like McCain they all look like the universal cranky old man on the block that yells at kids to get off his lawn!BY JOJO3 on 01/01/2011 at 12:11

JOJO3…I agree, McCain looks and sounds like a bitter old man, that is carrying a political crudge. I don't think he has supported our President on anything that I know of. He needs to retire and enjoy Ariziona, it's such a beautiful State.BY SOCVT on 01/01/2011 at 12:46

Jojo

Kind of like Micheeleeeellle eeee ma belllleeeeee
Yeah- she's always smiling - hahahaBY NASTY on 01/01/2011 at 13:53

Jojo:

You want to look at an angry face of the Marxist punk you voted for?

Go to Breitbart and you will see the look of sheer evil.BY SICKOFOBAMA on 01/01/2011 at 14:09

Speaking of talk shows, CNN gives you about 80% of the truth with some liberal spin. FOX news give you about 50% of the truths with 50% spin. C-SPAN is the only news source I can rely on. I think FOX is owned by republicans and ran by Mormons.BY TROUBLETHEWATER on 01/01/2011 at 15:03

Dismantling Obamakare is only the beginning. Normal people want TSA, EPA, NPR, Title IX enforcement, and membership in the UN, defunded. Then, comes the job of electing a 100% conservative House in 2 years and the Senate in four. The idea is totally eliminate the liberal influence in this country. The 2010 elections were a good start.
2012. No liberals. No exceptions.BY JOSEPH L COOKE on 01/01/2011 at 16:04

Looks like "Fox News Sunday" has got the best line-up. Word is that Allen West and Mike Lee are awesome! Someone needs to be "a thorn" to the Democrats and Republicans. Let the battles begin!BY BORNFREE on 01/01/2011 at 16:11

Someone is living in a republican heaven la la land. Even if you had complete control of the whole political world, you would still have us demoncrats to keep your greedy thoughts humble.BY SOCVT on 01/01/2011 at 17:26

Please speak in clear sentences.

Thank you.

Your Humble Friends on the Right (side:)BY TO SOCVT on 01/01/2011 at 18:29

Angry old people? Whatever happened to respect for your elders or parents? 

John McCain has more life experience and service to the country than you'll ever have. Who raised such a selfish, smug, punk.? 

Let me guess you like Lady GaGa's old fool Harry Reid for a role model.BY GEORGE on 01/01/2011 at 18:59