Coming Up on 'This Week': Is Connecticut the Democrats' Firewall? Musharraf on Strained US-Pakistan Relations; and Is Europe's Budget Cutting Too Soon and Too Deep?

Oct. 7, 2010 — -- Christiane Amanpour goes on the trail to Connecticut this week with two Sunday exclusives -- Senate candidates Republican Linda McMahon and Democrat Richard Blumenthal.

The Senate race in Connecticut has turned ugly, Democrats are pouring millions into the state and the first lady will campaign there next week.

Why all the attention in the Nutmeg State? Blumenthal, the state attorney general, once was considered a shoo-in. But McMahon, a multimillionaire and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, has spent more than $20 million of her own money and turned it into a competitive race.

Will Democrats be able to hold on to a seat once considered safe or will McMahon's enormous fortune and anti-Washington campaign prove to be decisive? Blumenthal and McMahon -- only on "This Week."

Then ... U.S.-Pakistan relations are strained over war policy. Meanwhile, the convicted Times Square bomber who trained in Pakistan warned of more attacks at his sentencing as U.S. missile strikes in Pakistan aimed at stopping western terror plots. In addition, has historic flooding dangerously destabilized Pakistan's government?

Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf comes to "This Week" for an exclusive interview, shares his views on the growing crisis between the United States and a critical ally, and discusses his return to politics. Can the Islamic republic win the war against extremism? Can al Qaeda and the Taliban be defeated? Will Pakistan's nuclear weapons be kept in safe hands? Pervez Musharraf in a "This Week" exclusive.

And as the global economy travels a bumpy road to recovery, some major European countries see austerity, not more government spending, as a path to a brighter future. France's finance minister, Christine Lagarde, sits down with Christiane Amanpour for another exclusive interview on the global recovery and a debate over economic stimulus. Will European spending cuts hold back U.S. growth? Should the U.S. follow the French formula of budget cuts and slashing big government programs?

Plus, a powerhouse roundtable with George Will, New York Times columnist and Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, ABC News Political Director Amy Walter and PBS host Tavis Smiley will look at some surprising poll numbers in the final weeks before Election Day. Will Sarah Palin be able to work her magic on Delaware voters and boost Christine O'Donnell's Senate run? Are Tea Party candidates -- so successful in primaries -- too bitter a brew for the general elections? And will President Obama's return to the campaign trail help close the enthusiasm gap between Democrats and Republicans?

That and all the rest of the week's politics, only on "This Week with Christiane Amanpour."

You won't want to miss it.