Wow! Finally, after nearly six years in office it appears that President Obama might be learning something that almost all other presidents knew instinctively: it is important to reach out to the opposition party.
The headline of the story gives a very hopeful sign that this is happening as Obama explains his executive order for illegals to members of Congress: "Obama to dine with top lawmakers tonight." So if Obama is dining with top lawmakers that must mean he is reaching out to House Speaker John Boehner and perhaps having a bourbon with incoming Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell. Right? Well, that is what you are led to believe by both the headline and the first paragraph of the article. Unfortunately, the hope for an newly inclusive Obama falls apart right after that but let us keep hope alive in this first paragraph before the inner Obama emerges right afterwards:
President Obama has invited senior lawmakers to the White House for dinner Wednesday night so that he can explain his plans to use executive authority to change the nation’s immigration laws, according to several congressional aides.
And after that, the lack of transparency, as written by Ed O'Keefe falls away to reveal the brutal truth of who was definitely not invited:
Obama has invited Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the leaders of the congressional Asian, Black and Hispanic caucuses, said the aides, who were not authorized to speak publicly about the plans.
Obama did not invite GOP leaders to the meeting, according to aides.
However, there is still one chance left for Obama to reach out to Republicans since, on the verge of a constitutional crises, Nancy Pelosi was pulled away from this meeting to attend a matter of obviously greater importance to her:
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) opted to appear at a star-studded event honoring Billy Joel rather than meet with President Obama on Wednesday night to discuss his plans for executive action on immigration.
So with Pelosi gone there seems to be an extra seat at the table where perhaps the President and Mitch McConnell could enjoy sipping bourbon and listening to a Billy Joel album together.
