Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton: The Coffee Summit?

Barack Obama had his Beer Summit.

Will they call a meeting between former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton the Coffee Summit?

Such seems possible after Clinton's discussion about Palin with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Sunday's "This Week."

In fact, the following exchange seems destined to be quite the water cooler subject in newsrooms all over America in the coming days (video embedded below the fold with partial transcript):

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST: While you've been gone Sarah Palin is making quite a splash back here in the United States. Her book "Going Rogue" is about to be released but there are already excerpts out. And she has some kind words for you in the book. She says she was wrong to criticize you last year for whining and now she says that she realized the media was biased when they were talking about your candidacy. And she goes on to say this, to write this.

"Should Secretary Clinton and I ever sit down over a cup of coffee, I know that we will fundamentally disagree on many issues. But my hat is off to her hard work on the 2008 campaign trail. A lot of her supporters think she proved what Margaret Thatcher proclaimed. 'If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.'" It sounds like she's fishing for a coffee date. Is it going to happen?

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, you know, I've never met her. Look, I'd look forward to sit down and talk with her. Obviously we're going to hear a lot more from her in the upcoming weeks with her book coming out and I would look forward to having a chance to actually get to meet her.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Was the media fair to her?

CLINTON: Well, you know George, I'll leave that for my book if I ever write another one.

It seems a metaphysical certitude that with all the attention Palin is getting with her book coming out, along with high-profile interviews with Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters this week, this exchange between Clinton and Stephanopoulos will get a lot of media focus. 

How it will be covered is a different matter entirely.

Stay tuned.