State of the Union address takes center stage on Sunday shows

Jan. 26 preview

President Barack Obama’s upcoming State of the Union address exerts some hefty gravitational pull on this Sunday’s talk shows. White House press secretary Jay Carney previews the president’s themes on ABC’s This Week, while Fox News Sunday hosts White House advisor Dan Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer also joins CNN on State of the Union.

NBC’s Meet the Press invites Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., to discuss what Obama can achieve in his speech. CBS’ Face the Nation brings Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Expect a few pointed questions for Cruz on whether he’s willing to risk another government shutdown when Congress takes up a measure to raise the nation’s debt ceiling next month.

Meanwhile, Fox News features Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on the Republican legislative agenda for 2014.

The Winter Olympics open in two weeks, but the threat of a terrorist attack in Sochi, Russia, is overshadowing the athletics for now. CBS will talk with Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee and who just got back from Sochi. ABC covers this ground with Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., who chairs the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.

CNN’s State of the Union focuses on Sochi as well, with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak.

Meet the Press raises the possibility of a plea deal for National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden. The guests are Michael Chertoff, former Homeland Security Secretary, and Jesselyn Radack of the Government Accountability Project, a group opposed to the NSA’s massive data collection programs. And CNN talks with Sen. Rand Paul about his suit against the NSA and President Obama over spying.

We’ll be watching and fact-checking.

Who’s talking where:

ABC’s This Week: Cokie Roberts of ABC, Matt Bai of Yahoo News, Van Jones of CNN’s Crossfire, former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren.

CBS’ Face the Nation: Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal, former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley, the Washington Post’s Bob Woodward, and the Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol.

Fox News Sunday: Fox’s Brit Hume from Fox, the Associated Press’ Julie Pace, syndicated columnist George Will, and former Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind.

NBC’s Meet the Press: The New York Times’ Carolyn Ryan, former Federal Communications Commission chairman Michael Powell, Republican strategist Mike Murphy, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., and NBC News’ Chuck Todd.