There's been lots of discussion about what Lou Dobbs is up to right now, but what about the "Lou Dobbs Tonight" staff?

At the moment, they're producing the temporary Dobbs replacement, "CNN Tonight." That program is scheduled to run until John King's new show begins sometime until early 2010 -- from Washington, DC.

The NYPost reports the former Dobbs staffers, "were told that they could start applying for new jobs at the all-news network -- with the clear implication that their old jobs were going to end shortly."

A CNN spokesperson told TVNewser: "CNN is encouraging Lou Dobbs' staff to apply for positions at the 7pm program as well as for other openings within the network."

Insiders tell us that CNN management has been talking with the staff about the future since the day after Dobbs' departure.

As far as two of Dobbs' regular correspondents, Kitty Pilgrim and Bill Tucker, the CNN spokesperson could not comment on specific individuals.