Obama listens to the right... but no radio talkers allowed

Rush Limbaugh was not invited; neither was Laura Ingraham, Glenn Beck, Hugh Hewitt, nor Sean Hannity.

But Tuesday night Barack Obama went to the Chevy Chase home of conservative columnist George F. Will to talk politics and break bread with the print-elite of the right-wing commentariat including: Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Larry Kudlow, David Brooks, Rich Lowry, Peggy Noonan, Michael Barone, and Paul Gigot.

The dinner might be this crowd's biggest touchdown with anything resembling relevance since the first Bush term.

(Right-wing radio talkers like Big Pants, Hannity, et al are the junk-yard dogs of politics, and a bit too churlish, screechie, and muddy-footed to meet with the president-elect without pre-conditions. They've isolated themselves even more than their stiff print cohorts in recent years; their overall listenrship has fallen; and they've been far less effective in public mind-bending as they once were. Besides, Will and the conservative elites despise them).

Wednesday morning Obama had coffee with the liberals, including MSNBC's Rachel Maddow; the New York Times’ Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd; the Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne, Eugene Robinson; the Wall Street Journal's Gerry Seib, and the National Journal's Ron Brownstein.

It was all off-the-record, and everyone was sworn to secrecy.

Rush,  got the consolation prize: a private pb&j birthday sandwich with Bush, and one last hand-job, although we've never been quite sure who does whom in these mutually beneficial encounters.

Obama's, obviously, is a different kind of presidency -- we can't help but shake our heads and ponder how different things might have turned out for George W. Bush if he'd at least listened to his critics. Many of his failures both in public relations and real, could have been mitigated, if not avoided if he had sought common ground with his enemies -- hell, he  might have tried to find some with his allies...

Comments

[sparky]

Sounds like he preferred to eat dinner with the adults.

Actually, it would have been priceless to be a mouse in the corner watching how Rush and Glen and Sean treated President Obama when forced to talk to him face to face...much harder than calling him names when he isn't there to look them in the eye.

[Puget Sound]

yes, we know what an 'adult' olberman and randi are on their shows...
but yes, much harder to call names when he isn't there to look 'em in the eye. kind of explains the lack of guests who disagree on -oh say- the olberman and rhodes show for example, eh?
(just being honest, sorry about that)
but hey, the one who does bring on guests that oppose him like oh say o'reilly are put down as being 'rude'...

[sparky]

You misread the article, Puts. He did not have dinner with the lefties...he had dinner with George Will, Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Larry Kudlow, David Brooks, Rich Lowry, Peggy Noonan, Michael Barone, and Paul Gigot. Excluded were the radio guys. That is what I meant by him choosing to have dinner with more reasoned voices...well maybe not so much with William Kristol, but the others have it. He had coffee with the Left, and Randi and Keith were not invited, nor was Mike Malloy. The shouters were left at home all dressed up with nowhere to go.

[joanie]

George Bush listen to his critics? Excuse me, are we on the same planet?

George Bush is just one lying SOB. He's proving it every time he opens his mouth. He would never have listened to anyone but his pea-brained "decider" self.

He lied at the beginning of his Presidence; in the middle of Presidency; and now at the end of his Presidency.

I saw Cheney on Olbermann or Matthews - I was working and half listening - but I noticed Dick Cheney almost looks scared when he talks. Obama and the Congress are showing a little more metal than I expected. And Judge Crawford's declaration that we tortured a detainee puts it all right square on the table.

I hope Cheney gets heartburn real good. I don't think Bush is capable of it. Nothing short of an execution will make a dent in his emotionless, braiin-dead body.

How this country withstood the burden of his Presidency for eight years is beyond me.

Oh, I forgot. Actually we didn't, did we?

[joanie]

Somebody said on the news tonight how calm and smart Obama is. He makes people feel hopeful and good.

I just love him. I really, really do. Thank god he is our President. And yet, he isn't. Not for another five days. But he is our President. We have someone we can admire in the Presidency once again. It has been a long, long time.

[Duffman]

'I hope Cheney gets heartburn real good. I don't think Bush is capable of it. Nothing short of an execution will make a dent in his emotionless, braiin-dead body.'

A bit over the top there joanie, SS may want to pay you a visit.

[joanie]

Over the top? I didn't start a war and kill countless people based on a lie. Did you?

[Duffman]

He's not my favorite either ms joanie but I wish him no ill. We've had good POTUS's and we've had not so good one's. Let's hope we have the former on-deck.
Bush made mistakes but has a good heart...as do you (I would guess), so no need for condemnation of someone who gave it his all in earnest and who's report card hasn't yet been finally tallied. History will be the final judge.
[And, if you were subtly asking if I voted for Bush - the answer is no.]

[joanie]

Killing countless thousands of people is a mistake? He doesn't have a heart. What's the matter with you. Still yipping, duff?

I could care less who you voted for.

[joanie]

You know, duff, a little authenticity and honesty from you once in a while would be refreshing. You're such a sycophant most of the time.

[Duffman]

Haha...a sycophant connotes one searching for personal gain...I think I'm smart enough to realize that is not likely on a fricken blog. But nice try; I'm sure that rationalizes your logic and feeds your ego. Enjoy your day and PLEASE be careful with those young skulls full of mush. [smile]

[sparky]

Your Hypocritical Moment For Today:

Sen. David Vitter, he of the Prostitute/Madame Scandal of a few months back, is the sole vote against Sen. Hillary Clinton's nomination for Secretary of State, because he is concerned about the "ETHICS" of her nomination.

Wow.

[Duffman]

Hmm...Classic!

[Nevets]

A mistake? Duff, Joanie is in her Randi rant mode again I see.

Of course if you ask her if FDR and Truman made a mistake when they sent troops to fight Germany and Japan she would say they did the right thing. What do you think? Imagine if Truman didnt drop the bombs. Or imagine if FDR kept our neutrality stayed out of Europe. Oh how different this world would look today.

But we all know those two Presidents made thier decisions based on what they felt were in the best interest of the world and the American people. Thats all President Bush did. What we need to ask ourselves is how many American lives did he save in taking the action he did. Best estimates are over 1 million American lives if Truman didn't drop those bombs. Could that be the same for Bush.

[Nevets]

Lets just hope President Obama will have the balls to do the same when American lives are at stake.

[Duffman]

I know Steven. Let's just say, 'as one who served' I'm proud to have helped joanie have her 'say' - and verbialize - in English. :)

[David Tatelman]

As far as Bush having a heart, I can think back to when he was Governor of Texas. He seemed to relish turning down death penalty appeals, even though the state of justice in Texas was non-existent. Not to mention how he laughed when he heard about the woman scheduled to die.

[David Tatelman]

As far as Bush having a heart, don't forget the glee he took when as Governor of Texas he never met a death penalty case that he didn't love. This in spite of the fact that justice in Texas is a joke.

[Nevets]

After 8 years and listening to Presidents Bush tonight, I think it is appropriate for me say thank you George W. Bush for having the opportunity to serve under your leadership in the greatest Navy that ever sailed the High Seas and for keeping my country and family safe from those who wanted to destroy them and our way of life. Fair winds and following seas.

[Puget Sound]

sparks, i like your line about all the shouters were all dressed up and no place to go. the left and right shouters should have met up at Starbucks and they can all exchange rants. and yes, vitter should have resigned but what do you expect of someone who put his wife through such a public humiliation. kind of reminds you of bill's treatment of hillary. two pees in a pod, eh?

speaking of ill-informed rants, joanie's poo throws are classic gassy blasts from the past. nice to see the big wind from birch bay continues to flow. surprised she didn't fall back on the 'bush = hitler' analogy favored by the uninformed. (still recall her writing about how seattle jew didn't appreciate his history when objection was made to how freely the hitler comparison was made and how such inappropriate usage demeaned holocaust victims.)

nevets, i agree that we should be thankful for his service. while we all have differences with W he will be following the Truman route. give it 20 years and then we'll see how his decisions/actions look.
for sure the loyalty to rumsfield and george 'slam dunk' tenant will be dark stains on W.

duff, keep posting.

[Puget Sound]

Love this clip....at the Huff Pro the following:

"MSNBC Booker Tries To Recruit US Air Victim On The Scene (VIDEO)
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Huffington Post | Danny Shea | January 15, 2009 04:57 PM

Read More: Msnbc, MSNBC Booker, Rachel Maddow, Rachel Maddow Show, US Air Flight, US Air Victims, USAIr Plane Crash, Video, Media News
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A man who was onboard the US Air flight that went down in New Yorks' Hudson River Thursday spoke to media shortly after being rescued, memorably telling interviewers he was "scared as shit" as the plane was going down.

After his interview, as he was attempting to leave the scene, he was asked two very different questions (by two different people):

1. "Jeff, do you need to go to the hospital? Are you alright?"
2. "Jeff, are you interested in appearing on The Rachel Maddow Show tonight?"

[joanie]

Haha...a sycophant connotes one searching for personal gain..

as in " : a servile self-seeking flatterer
synonyms see parasite

As for the parroter of a thousand words, now he's parroting me. Ew.

[KS]

I did not care for much of Bush's and acknowledge that it's not too soon to see him go, but like Duff I don't wish him hell to pay. I would venture to say that down the road, he may not be looked upon so poorly, but that will be for the historians to decide.

BTW, A number of Neo-conservatives were former Democrats, like Phil Gramm and the founder, who was Bill Kristol's father (they are both neo-cons). Bush's fiscal policies are a lot like that of a liberal Democrat, so if progressives criticize him for that, they are being disingenuous and full of crap.

I hope that Pres. Obama takes to heart the concerns of the country (not the Democrat party) that have been expressed by the George Will and the others who were present. If he does, he will be successful.

[Puget Sound]

spot on, KS!
nice to see someone else with a sense of history.
many of those neocons like paul wolfewitz, richard perle, among others also came to prominence working for Washington's own Scoop Jackson.

joanie 'use' to lament the fact that we didn't have a scoop jackson...that was until i gave her a little history lesson. now scoop is on her 'crap-list'

and yes, i'll plead guilty to 'parroting' facts to put things in perspective.

[KS]

We all parrot the facts or so-called talking points to put things in perspective. The right has them, the left has them and even the centrists have some.

I look for the truth and how to be constructive in the debate. The far right and far left are incapable of being constructive a vast majority of the time. It's one thing to vent based on an injustice and its another thing to vent based on blind hatred. Whether its Rush and Hannity or Randi, and Olber - despising the other side aids in prolonged political warfare - WTF ? where's the payoff ? Hopefully, the next 4 years will give us all a better perspective. Hope and Change..

[joanie]

Perception is reality, KS. Didn't you know that?

As for history and Bush, I guess that's what his "fix-my-history-quick" legacy tour is trying to do. We'll see if rewriting history on the run in the last twenty days works.

But you know what? I bet it doesn't...

[KS]

Perception is reality and the right appears to be on the wrong of a chunk of history in a complex world. The dynamics of change will affect the perception eventually - not sure when.

Just found out that Bush-43 is dyslexic - back in the 1980's Barbara Bush talking about one of her sons that was dyslexic - it was W. That may explain something. Bush 43 is the poster boy for the Peter Principle. Enough said.

[sparky]

Dyslexia is a term for a broad spectrum of learning disorders.

[mercifurious]

I know Steven. Let's just say, 'as one who served' I'm proud to have helped joanie have her 'say' - and verbialize - in English. :)

Yes Yes Yes. Again, on behalf of BW, thank you so much Duffman. Our acidolphulus-related freedoms are safe thanks to your brave service (and tears).

[Duffman]

July 24, 2008...wow, you're really making progress on keeping your web page updated. And yes I'm proud to have also helped so that you could be a slacker.