It’s not for lack of trying
by David Atkins
I want to mock this, but my heart just isn’t in it do so:
WASHINGTON – President Obama is taking Senate Republicans on another date night.
Following his successful dinner earlier this month with a dozen GOP senators, during which they discussed budgets, the president has dialed up his ideological adversaries to request more of the same.
Obama phoned Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia to arrange for a second dinner, and the senator is putting together a guest list of another dozen GOP senators, none of whom attended the first one.
The save-the-date is April 10, with a location to be determined, an aide to the senator confirmed.
“The president called Sen. Isakson in the last 10 days and asked if he would like to spearhead a second dinner to build on the first dinner,” said Joan Kirchner, deputy chief of staff for the two-term Georgia Republican. “Sen. Isakson said he would be happy to do so.”
The White House confirmed that the dinner, first reported Wednesday by Politico, is on.
We could go round the merry-go-round on this one again, but what’s the point? Senate Republicans aren’t about to give ground on anything resembling a reasonable budget that actually addresses the nation’s problems instead of slashing earned benefits to appease the nonexistent Bond Lords. So the President is either hopelessly naive in attempting to woo them or is actually aligned with their anti-entitlements position. There’s plenty of evidence, highlighted on this blog time and again, that the latter is the case.
But my well of cynicism has run dry this morning, and my outrage meter is depleted. Instead of peering into the intentions of the White House and the President, let’s address the media component.
The President is doing what the Sally Quinns and Peggy Noonans of the world have been asking of him. He’s wining and dining legislators, putting on the charm offensive, hashing out policy over dinner and drinks like a good little Villager. He’s playing the game they way the vacuous Village socialites insist that it be played.
As a heathen out in the sticks of Ventura County who would sooner pour a glass of champagne over Ted Cruz’ head than drink one with him, color me unimpressed with Village rituals. There are very real differences among Americans that ought to be reflected by their representatives. Differences that arise not from petty political issues, but serious social and economic ones. If a nice dinner and a chat over drinks can “resolve” these issues among the people’s representatives, then frankly the bons vivants aren’t doing their jobs. But if that’s what the Washington establishment wants, then there it is. He’s giving it to them.
If our supposedly progressive President is going to play the entitlement cutting Village socialite, then at the very least the rest of the empty socialites should give him credit for going along with their useless charade. We should be able to at least expect that silver lining from the Village press for all the time the President is wasting with these jokers. Or worse still, for all the time the President may be spending on negotiating Social Security cuts that the Noonans and Quinns couldn’t care less about.
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