Conservatives sworn to dinner secrecy

The Politico ^

[Sub-Driver]

Conservatives sworn to dinner secrecy By: Jonathan Martin January 14, 2009 12:40 PM EST

Call it a charm offensive or a high-level “Listening Tour,” but Barack Obama is already signaling that he intends to break with the current president in one obvious way: hearing from his critics.

Obama Tuesday night trekked to the Chevy Chase, Md., home of conservative columnist George F. Will to talk politics and get to know some of his fiercest intellectual adversaries: Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Larry Kudlow, David Brooks, Rich Lowry, Peggy Noonan, Michael Barone, and Paul Gigot.

The two-and-half-hour dinner, which came at Will’s request, is only the first get-together between the president-elect and Washington’s opinion-makers. Wednesday morning he met with prominent columnists and liberal commentators, including the New York Times’ Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd and the Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne.

The right-leaning attendees were largely mum over what was discussed over the lamb chops at Will’s table, pledging fealty to off-the-record ground rules and hoping that the Democrat may again extend an olive branch if he knows his company can keep confidence. They were Obama’s ground rules, but Will swore his guests to secrecy.

“You can’t have these kinds of meetings if everybody reports on them,” said one attendee, who suggested that President Bush may have received more sympathy had he held similar session with liberal writers.

[Antoninus]

These guys are conservatives? Maybe if you’re a Stalinist....

[SoCalPol]

You must be a Sarah Palin hater as William Kristol has been one of her major supporters from day one.

Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Rich Lowry, Michael Barone, and Paul Gigot Have supported conservatives when
not a popular thing to do.

The others mentioned are a lost cause.

[Tublecane]

“Where is Christopher Buckley?”

he already came out and endorsed Obama during the campaign, for no reason whatsoever. His inclusion was unecessary, since Obama was only interested in people who are nominally opposed to him.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

“Where is Kathleen Parker?” She was underneath the table.

Fighting for position with Maureen Dowd... ;^)

[SoCalPol]

Lets use the same reasoning.

Those on FR who send their kids or grand kids to public school to be taught by left wing union teachers and left wing text books have no problem with that.

[Tublecane]

“CINOs all.”

I wouldn’t put Lowry in that camp.

Kudlow gets kudos from me simply because I very recently saw a video on You Tube titled, “Larry Kudlow blames Financial Crisis on Poor”.

Krauthammer is sporadically insightful.

The rest can go suck a rope.

Why not just invite Bill O’Reilly, for pete’s sake?

[nutmeg]

Obama Tuesday night trekked to the Chevy Chase, Md., home of conservative columnist George F. Will to talk politics and get to know some of his fiercest intellectual adversaries: Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Larry Kudlow, David Brooks, Rich Lowry, Peggy Noonan, Michael Barone, and Paul Gigot.

The two-and-half-hour dinner, which came at Will’s request, is only the first get-together between the president-elect and Washington’s opinion-makers. Wednesday morning he met with prominent columnists and liberal commentators, including the New York Times’ Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd and the Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne.

Contrary to what you may have heard, Rush Limbaugh was NOT at the dinner with George Will et al.

[roses of sharon]

The Official Flag of the Vichy Republican

On the left you will see the "Medal of Republican Moderation" ... the medal is awarded to leading RINOS and it contains the Soviet Hammer & Sickle, as well as an image of "Right Wing Extremist" Ronald Reagan with a knife in his back. The knife signals the end of the adherence to conservative principles.

In the middle you will see the Moderate Ax which signifies the kneecapping and attack machine used by Vichy Republicans, such as Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Kathleen Parker to smear modern day "right wing extremists," like Gov. Sarah Palin, Gov. Mark Sanford and Senators Jim Demint and Tom Coburn.

The middle of the flag also contains the new GOP logo, the "RINO".

On the right you will see the "New Hope" that is President Barack Obama. The Vichy GOP is committed to working along side democrats and other leftists to bring an end to free markets, liberty and economic progress.

[Tublecane]

“President Bush may have received more sympathy had he held similar session with liberal writers”

Are you kidding? Yes, of course you are. But just for the people out there who don’t know you are, does anyone remember what seperates the recent election from Bush’s first election? Not exactly the same thing.

Oh, and Bush will never get any credit for reaching across the divide, even though he did it again and again and again. Medicare. No Child Left Behind. Bail-Outs. Amnesty. Campaign Finance. Fewest vetoes in history. need I go on?

[MHGinTN]

And Will and the other so called Republicans are not actually conserrvatives anymore, either. They are rino in the mold of what Obama and the DNC want runningt he Republican party so they are easy pickins fopr the democrat criminal enterprise.

[Tublecane]

“Some of the people at the dinner party were critical of your beloved McCain and caught holy hell for it.”

I don’t remember any of these people criticizing McCain from the conservative side. Some of them all but endorsed Obama for the Chris Buckleyite wrong reasons. This board in general was in favor of McCain, and opposed principled votes for third party candidates. But that’s not a CINO thing. It’s a lesser of two evils. We have a two-party system. Get used to it.

[Tublecane]

“Thinking someone isn’t ‘all that bad’ automatically (and even subconsciously) makes you have less venom.”

I think conservatives are susceptible to this anyway, whether or not they’re being wined and dined. We tend to respect the office if not the man. That’s when libertarians come in handy. God bless their irreverence.

[4integrity]

Now....if Hannity was there ......THEN it would have been an interesting dinner!! Fireworks! lol.

[takenoprisoner]

Here we go. Secret discussions being held with talking heads. And the “little people” shall not be privy to the conversations per his highness.

No telling what Georgee boy would have agreed to if only his highness would drop in for a candlelight dinner and a fireside chat.

[penelopesire]

Good point. In fact there were probably only 3 people on this board that were true Johnbots..lol.

Just got through watching Lindsey Graham on TV with Biden and Obama in the most pitiful performance of brown-nosing ever witnessed in Washington. It was sickening. I will be surprised if Graham keeps his seat next election. No wonder McCain lost.

[MplsSteve]

Yes, definitely Hannity! That would have been incredibly interesting.

[MplsSteve]

You know what the sad part is?

Lindsey Graham was re-elected to another six-year term last November.

We’re stuck with this doofus for the next six years, watching him kiss a lot of “bi-partisan” butt, IOW, kissing a lot of Democrat butt.

[penelopesire]

How embarrassing. I sure hope that the republicans don’t allow him and McCain to ‘lead’ our party. We are doomed to minority status for decades if we do.

[TWhiteBear]

We are seeing the growth of Obama Conservatives.
And the Republican Party is made up of beta males.
Governor Palin does not need the Republican Party.
TWB

[SisterK]

The first red flag is to call these people conservatives.

Don't know about the rest of the guys but Brooks is in love with obamanation. The token conservative for PBS was promoting obamanation even back in 2007.