Democrats are meeting today to hash out preliminary steps towards finalizing a budget before the recess. Republicans are organizing opposition to a spending plan that many in their ranks call irresponsible. Todd Zwillich from Capitol News Connection joins us to talk about the public opinion war being waged on Capitol Hill this week and what the final budget might look like.

Senator Roland Burris is promising to fully cooperate with a new investigation into his contacts with the administration of now-ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich. But while he may be talking to investigators, he says he'll no longer be talking to reporters. Especially not at the Chicago Tribune. Joining us now is Robert Wildeboer is a criminal justice reporter for Chicago Public Radio.

Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb) has a long history of reaching across party lines to reach consensus on pressing issues in the Senate. His ability to bring together Republicans and Democrats to compromise on key policy has been instrumental to passing important legislation in the past. In the face of the partisan bickering over the stimulus, and the President's statement that he wants a bipartisan solution to the economic crisis, Senator Nelson finds himself in the center of the debate.

Things are not slowing down at all this week on Capitol Hill. Among other big events, Tim Geithner is likely to be approved as Treasury Secretary, the new Senator from New York will be sworn in, and the Senate Appropriations Committee will debate the stimulus bill. Todd Zwillich of Capitol News Connection joins Katherine and Adaora with a preview.

Just a few hours ago, New York Governor David Paterson picked Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. for Hillary Clinton's now-vacant Senate seat. The governor will formally announce his pick today at noon in Albany. According to the New York Times an aide to Rep. Gillibrand confirmed that she had accepted the appointment. Here to tell us more about the Senate's newest member is Liz Benjamin, a reporter for the New York Daily News.

For more on the vacant U.S. Senate seat, WNYC's Brian Lehrer joins us in the studio for his take on Caroline Kennedy's withdrawal and what it means for New York and for Ms. Kennedy. Was it political blow-back that made her change her name? Or was it the possibility that she flubbed her job interview? Todd Zwillich, from Capitol News Connection, contributes his thoughts on the replacement process from Washington, D.C.

Now that Caroline Kennedy has officially withdrawn from consideration for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton as she became Secretary of State, all eyes turn to New York Governor David Patterson. Who will he pick to fill the seat now that the frontrunner is a non-runner? For insight into this suddenly wide open field, we are joined by Liz Benjamin a reporter for the New York Daily News who has been following this story from the beginning.

After an evening of conflicting reports on whether Caroline Kennedy was in or out of the race to fill Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate seat, late last night she officially withdrew her name citing personal reasons in her brief statement. It's a startling development for the political world and leaves many questions as to who New York Governor Paterson might ultimately choose for the Senate seat. We are joined by WNYC's state politics reporter, Elaine Rivera, who has been watching these events closely.

The new Congress is in session, and do we have change we can believe in? Not so much. Todd Zwillich, reporter for Capitol News Connection, says its the usual bickering and partisan sniping, slightly enlivened by the question of whether or not Roland Burris, appointed to the Senate by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, will be seated.

Today marks the first session of the 111th Congress and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid knows he's got a full plate of serious issues to handle, and handle quickly. On top of all the pressing matters there are still vacancies in the U.S. Senate and a whole lot of hullabaloo over who is going to be filling them. To mull over these issues with us is Todd Zwillich from Capitol News Connection and our man on the ground in Washington D.C.