Obama Reaches Across The Table

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: White House

(CBS)

President-elect Barack Obama last night had dinner at the home of conservative columnist George Will in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Also present: conservatives William Kristol, Charles Krauthammer and David Brooks.

The dinner was not announced – according to the pool report, the fact that it was Will's home was deduced from tax records, while other dinner guests were spotted through a window by a photographer.

Quipped pooler Kenneth Bazinet of the New York Daily News, in reference to the gathering of the new Democratic president and the conservative old hands: "The bloggers are going to love this one."

The transition office did not release details of the dinner table conversation.

UPDATE: It's not just the conservatives who are getting an audience with Mr. Obama. This morning, as Politico reports, the president elect met with a group of prominent moderates and liberals, among them E.J. Dionne, Eugene Robinson, Gerry Seib, Ron Brownstein, Frank Rich, Maureen Dowd, Andrew Sullivan, and Rachel Maddow.

The "totally off the record" meeting took place around a conference table at transition headquarters, and one attendee described it to Michael Calderone as an "intense back and forth about a lot of stuff."

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by enviro_wacko January 15, 2009 12:55 AM EST: obuma has never worked a day in his life

Posted by popstom11 at 06:48 PM : Jan 14, 2009

You are truly showing your ignorance. Just because the best that you can do is a part time job at the Dairy Queen doesn''t mean that Obama is a loser like you are.; Reply to this comment


by enviro_wacko January 14, 2009 6:27 PM EST: socialist means a movement that is defined by government control.

Do you mean like corporate subsidies that the Republicans have been handing out for the last 50 years?; Reply to this comment


by enviro_wacko January 14, 2009 6:24 PM EST: Oh no, what will these partisan wackos have left to complain about? LMAO!; Reply to this comment


by nomoredems January 14, 2009 4:35 PM EST: socialist means a movement that is defined by government control. Maybe you don''t know what it means. As for token black...it is what it is. I guess you feel good inside becuase you think somehow you changed racism. The most racist people I know are african americans, they push to make sure their race gets jobs, senate posts(Burris) and all the while claiming racism. guess what...we have a black president...there is no more racism....how long are we going to have slavery(none of us were alive then) thrown at us when a african american wants something? this is just ridicilous....liberals should be for education spending...they need it.; Reply to this comment


by johntate777 January 14, 2009 4:25 PM EST: cattiej said "Too bad that Obama didn''''t come back to Illinois and sit down with the voters who didn''''t want Roland Burris to be our next Senator."

How silly is this? Why should Obama waste time sitting with voters about something he has no control over? He has much bigger things going on if you didn''t notice!; Reply to this comment


by welshwoman-2009 January 14, 2009 4:17 PM EST: Is there something wrong with expecting people to earn what they get? We have become a fast food and welfare society. I am more than willing to give Obama a chance but don''t reach across the table while you are pulling things under the table at the same time. It just reflects more of the same dishonesty we have seen before on both sides and I think it''s a shame for this country. When people had to earn what they got and worked for a living they had more integrity.; Reply to this comment


by namiller101 January 14, 2009 3:49 PM EST: "dummying down the school systems to accommodate the minority population"

Oh good Lord. I think we actually starting dumbing down the school system when they let you in.; Reply to this comment


by namiller101 January 14, 2009 3:43 PM EST: cattiJ, that''s like blaming Bush for letting Cheney shoot Harry Whittington in the face.; Reply to this comment


by cattiej January 14, 2009 3:39 PM EST: We are not in favor of Hillary Clinton being the Sec of State. She carries alot of baggage, namely Bill. Things are going to get ugly and there will be a lot on international pay to play. The people of America won''t hear about it until it''s too late. Bill Clinton should never be able to go to any other country and speak for our government of any business in America. He is a lobbyist, pure and simple and any decision that Hillary would make would be a conflict of interest. NO HILLARY.
John Kerry would make a better Secretary of State as would many other men and women...NO HILLARY; Reply to this comment


by cattiej January 14, 2009 3:35 PM EST: Too bad that Obama didn''t come back to Illinois and sit down with the voters who didn''t want Roland Burris to be our next Senator. Already has has forgotten about Illinois politics and the Chicago Mafia running the state. Well, the rest of the state hasn''t. Obama has let a pay for play politican replace him, this says a lot about just how he will govern our country. Many of his cabinet picks are suspect to various fringe dealings too. Where is the no drama Obama??? absent!; Reply to this comment