President Obama spoke to the press on Wednesday in his first press conference in three months. He said that Democrats were willing to make compromises on spending, and pushed Republicans to "take on their sacred cows" and agree to tax increases for higher income earners and corporations. But the real sacred cow might be in his veiled threat to ask Congress to stay in session through their August summer holidays, if need be.

How does the looming shutdown compare to the 1995 government shutdown? Byron Dorgan, former Democratic senator from the state of North Dakota and Bob Bennett, former Republican Senator from the state of Utah held their senate seats during the last government shutdown back in 1995. However,  this time they are watching the situation unfold with the rest of America. Both men share their frustrations with, and their concerns for, the nation's representatives.

After the GOP's successful mid-term elections earlier this month, there will be many Democrats packing up their offices into boxes and heading home. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), is actually leaving on his own terms: retiring after 30 years in Congress. He sat down to talk with us about his career, what he thinks of the Senate, and what he plans to do once he leaves office.

The Federal government will spend $3.4 billion to settle a 13-year-old lawsuit over mismanagement of American Indian land and resource trusts. According to the settlement [PDF, 648k], The U.S. Interior Department will distribute $1.4 billion to more than 300,000 Native American tribe members, and will spend $2 billion more to buy back tribal land lost by previous generations. We speak with Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs. We also speak with Ivan Posey, chairman of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe.