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.

[freekitty]

I know and it’s sad.

[rmlew]

I count 5 liberals and 3 Quislings. Lowry is a disgrace to NR.

[Centurion2000]

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.

I guess Ann Coulter and Sarah Palin didn't get the invitations in time. /sarc

[Grampa Dave]

This was the 40 pieces of silver dinner for the Judas pseudo conservatives.

The so called conservatives in the DC/NY area are highly paid world class actors performing for the elite left wingers like George $oreA$$ .

[skeeter]

Open borders Medved?

Yeah, I can't go with that one, either.

Just wait 'till Michael goes to bat for Juan as Juan goes to bat for BO.

[mad_as_he$$]

Was Vannity there?

[mad_as_he$$]

I would give my left one to see Mark Levin there.

[x]

I had the impression that Michael Barone was a decent fellow with conservative principles.

He's even on record standing up for Sarah Palin.

Michael's not a "movement" anything, but he's not "trash" either.

[Domestic Church]

Great link.You might enjoy reading Educating for the New World Order by B.K. Eakman

[leprechaun9]

What's new about this gathering? It seems just another get together of the Washington pimps of the election industry.

[Tomato lover]

Thanks, I will look it up.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[lonestar]

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...

"Wahington's opinion makers?" These people aren't "opinion makers"...not in the real world...nobody I know cares what they think!

Their only audience in inside the Beltway.

[sauropod]

I’m not convinced Lowry is truly conservative. I’ve seen him numerous times on the tube and he doesn’t come across to me as one.

[TNCMAXQ]

Peggy Noonan is hardly a hard line right winger. They refer to this group as harsh critics of Obama? Peggy was not one of those. She was fawning over him the day after the election on the Oprah show. In any case that sounds like quite an interesting panel. I would have liked to be there.

I wonder if Michael Barone talked with Obama about the columns Michael wrote in which he took on the left over their attempts to silence critics. I’d love to hear Obama’s response to that.

[AmericanVictory]

A truly great link. Thank you very much.
50 years ago I took a course as an undergrad called “Comparative Political Systems.” When totalitarianism was taught in the course it’s methods, going back to Lenin and coming up through Mussolini, who greatly admired and copied from Lenin and Hitler and Peron, were just what this woman describes.

[CholeraJoe]

The right-leaning attendees were largely mum over what was discussed over the lamb chops at Will’s table

Lamb chops? This time of year, the only lamb chops available are imported New Zealand lamb, not wholesome, organic, free-range Montana lamb. The Horror! The Horror!

[Friendofgeorge]

Krauthhammer is a moderate at best, he dislikes Sarah Palin! Charles is just like Peggy Noonan, a trouble maker that likes the sound of his own voice.

[BigSkyFreeper]

If you have a deep freeze, you can have lamb chops year-round.