I think Obama's realized that, like it or not, he's going to have to pay attention to actual reality instead of submerging himself in the 'reality-based' thinking and rhetoric that got him elected. It all sounds good on a blog, and when you're shouting that stuff to a crowd of true believers on the campaign trail it's pretty heady stuff - but reality is very much unimpressed by rhetorical wrangling and argumentation - and he knows that.

As a single one who repeatedly never has redundantly repeated unnecessarily wordy verbiage, I shudder at actual reality.

JLawson and Hugh,

I get the serious impression that everything that's been done so far between election and inauguration for Obama is done for the purpose of making the transition easier for Obama, and for everyone in the country. I can't help but think, and I can't be the only one thinking, that Obama is being babied. And that when the training wheels come off, the wheels come off for Obama and his administration.

If Rush is meeting Obama (and I probably think he is), I have to think Rush would find the most tactical and oblique way to mention this to him. I have serious doubts Obama realizes he's being set up to fall on his face, though, and thus would ignore what would end up being the most sensible advice he could get from someone not on his side.

Anyone know where Warren Buffet is tonight?

Hits the ground crawling.

I'm inclined to think that this is mostly symbolic. And William Kristol and David Brooks have big RINO tendencies. Maybe I'll sit down and have a chat with Joe Lieberman and Zell Miller and call myself a bipartisan fellow.
http://www.rightklik.net/

I find it hard to believe that Obama would be seriously interested in the opinions of conservatives such as William Kristol and Rush Limbaugh. So this is either a bogus rumor or a meeting put on for show only.

"There have been reports that president elect Obama is having a dinner tonight with several not so left wing types such as William Kristol and David Brooks."

"Not so left wing" and even less right wing, which instructs that it's best to rely on the anarchy-totality scale instead of the amorphous left-right scale when determining the objective political values of the subject at hand, 0-100.

Satan:0, Jefferson:50, Washington: 55, Lincoln: 70, FDR: 85, Reagan: 86, Clinton: 87, GW Bush: 88, Obama: +/-88, Satan:100

Including an superfluous value axis (l-r) only confuses things not pertaining to the revolutionary Estates-General upon which it was based, and it wasn't too clear then as Danton could atest if he hadn't been shot and guillotined for being Left when he should have been Right. Or was it Right when he should have been Left? Situational ethics anyway.

I am thrilled with the adjective you used, to describe these columnists; others have said "conservative" columnists.

From the names here, I think they mean neo-conservative columnists ;-) (or perhaps neoliberal)

Thanks for providing this information, and your perspective on this; perhaps it's a sign of things to come (though I don't know on which end...). We shall see... what we will see.

If Obama is meeting with Conservatives, why is he keeping it a secret? He promised an open administration.

Umm, it's not a secret if we're discussing it here.

This is not news to those who have been following Obama. Obama has been doing this all of his life particularly from his Harvard Law Review days. He listens to the other side, always has. You may recall his speech on race in Philadelphia, where he recognized conservative angst on racial matters. Of course he may listen to conservatives, and even flatter and cajole them, but he is still going to do what he wants to do.

Yes, God forbid that the leader of our country and the free world should be open to sitting down and speaking with people who have different views. It's one week until an adult resides in the White House. Glory be!

Brad Schwartze -

I didn't vote for Obama, and I don't think he's going to be a good President. But I sure as hell hope I'm wrong on that - and from what I've seen he's going much more to the center than his campaigning would have indicated.

Which makes me think he's more in tune with the world than he presented himself in his campaign. It's going to piss the radical left off something awful, though - the howls of betrayal are going to be piercing.

Re things being made 'easy' for him in the transition - I don't think they're being made easy so much as he's getting all the information he needs so he'll be ready come the 20th, and being exposed to everything he'll have available to help him in his job. The Presidency is a killer of a job, there's a massive support structure for it, and he hasn't had much time inside the Beltway to familiarize himself with it all. He's got a lot to learn, not much time to learn it.

It may be he'll fall flat on his face - but I'd take no comfort or satisfaction in that. The Carter years were emblematic of what happens when we get a well-meaning President paralyzed by indecision, and I wouldn't care to see them repeated.

And the Bush years were emblematic of what happens when we get a president who acts before he thinks.

There is something else at work here and I sense more than the usual head fake of a Big Media or Hollywood style "meet the other side" story here.

You're right. There is definitely something else at work here. Unfortunately, the number 13 is only "lucky" for a chosen few, and we will never see them on the guest list of such a function.

"And the Bush years were emblematic of what happens when we get a president who acts before he thinks."

Nothing like the vacuous patter of Monday-morning quarterbacking. Will you offer the same brilliant analysis regarding the outcome of trillions of 'stimulus' dollars offered by a completely Dem-controlled gubmint?

Kristol and Brooks are conservatives? Nooooooo, they're just republicans.

apb

Monday morning quarterbacking? That's a hoot.b We all knew he was impulsive and didn't think much for the 8 years he was (unfortunately) president. Please, give me a break.

But I ask you, if what I was doing was Monday morning quarterbacking what is it that many of the folks who comment here are doing as they predict failure by Obama before he even takes office. I have an answer for you- being stupid.

Once again JFO since you are learning challenged, I pledged to give Obama the same support and more as you guys did to GW from day one.

Oh yeah! Obama always listens to the other side. That is why he boycotted Fox News. You guys are pathetic. Living in an alternate world. ww

WeeWillie - you must really be in grammar school and just pretend to be an adult. Right?

Nice comeback JFO. Once again your razer sharp mind holds the masses spell-bound.

Apparently my "razer sharp" mind appeals to you as you feel bound to respond to me all the time.

Hugh,

It turned out to be a dinner party at George Will's house. William Kristol and David Brooks were there.

Rush wasn't invited. Neither was Larry, the Cable Guy.