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Pool / Getty Images
Sens. Ron Johnson, Tom Coburn, Richard Burr and Saxby Chambliss leave The Jefferson after a dinner with President Barack Obama on March 6, 2013 in Washington, DC.
Senators emerging from dinner with President Obama at The Jefferson Hotel in Washington, D.C, Wednesday night described the sit-down as a positive conversation focused largely on building more productive ways to solve the country's fiscal problems.
"I am more optimistic, just from a personal standpoint. It's just, you know, having been in the group of eight, it's tough sledding. It's just very tough sledding," said Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb. "These are very difficult issues but I do think there's a real fatigue in just going from crisis to crisis. But tonight was a good first step. A good step."
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said the senators and the president discussed the upcoming fiscal fights over funding the government, writing a budget and the wrangling over the debt ceiling. Hoeven said there is "an opportunity" to use the debt ceiling fight to solve the county's long term entitlement problems.
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said the conversation was "wide ranging" but when asked, wouldn't say if they discussed immigration or gun control.
"We had a wide ranging discussion about fiscal and other issues. I think it was a constructive discussion," he said.
President Obama hosts several Republicans for dinner to ease sequester tensions. NBC's Tracie Potts reports.
Sen. John McCain stayed largely mum: "All I can say is we had an evening that I really appreciated very much."
Sen. Lindsey Graham, the dinner organizer, left about 20 minutes before the other attendees and the president departed the hotel.
A senior administration official later said, "The president greatly enjoyed the dinner and had a good exchange of ideas with the senators."
As for who paid for dinner, several senators said they had no idea. Initially, Hoeven said several people split the check; later, his office clarified that while Sen. Saxby Chambliss had offered to pay, the president picked up the tab.
Prior to the meeting, the Republicans who were invited gave Obama the benefit of the doubt -- even if they didn't want to elaborate.
"I'm just looking forward to having a constructive conversation," said Bob Corker, R-Tenn., before dashing into the Senate chamber and away from prying reporters.
"I'm happy to go there and listen and provide input," said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., a dinner invitee who won his Senate race with considerable Tea Party backing and isn't usually on lists of moderate senators inclined to deal-making.
As he walked out of The Jefferson, a swanky D.C. hotel that bills its main restaurant as "discreet and elegant," McCain told reporters the meeting was "just fine," and flashed a thumb-up. Moments later, senators Tom Coburn, Chambliss and Kelly Ayotte were seen exiting.
The idea for the sit-down came during a meeting Graham and McCain had with Obama at the White House last week.
"How do you say no to the president of the United States who would like to have dinner with some of your colleagues? You don't," Graham said.
Related: Obama reaches out to GOP senators as Democrats seek more revenue
"When the president asked that I put together a group, I willingly -- I was honored to try to do that. Where this goes, I don't know."
Added Graham: "It is incumbent on us to reach back. When he reaches out, we need to reach back."
At the top of the dinner's agenda was the possibility of a grand bargain combining entitlement reforms with lowering tax rates and closing loopholes that would head off the sequester and tackle some of the country's worst budget woes.
So far, negotiations between the White House and GOP leaders have led only to gridlock. Graham insisted the dinner wasn't a divide-and-conquer strategy, with the president going around Republican leaders in favor of the rank-and-file.
"I would say this is an effort by the president to talk to people who he would like to talk to who he normally doesn't talk to. I think he talks to the leadership guys a lot. This is not about replacing anybody," said Graham.
Said Sen. John Thune, a member of GOP leadership: "There have always been attempts to sort of co-opt a few people up here. But this seems to be a more general outreach.
"Instead, Republicans say it's evidence that Obama's the one taking political heat for the sequester budget cuts that went into effect last week."
I think the president sort of got on the wrong side with the sequester by going out and using the scare tactics. And I think that's kind of bit him," Thune said. "He saw a 7-point drop in his approval rating in one week, and I think a lot of it had to do with the way he handled this."
Democrats familiar with the White House's thinking said the dinner was an attempt to "bring down the temperature" between Obama and the congressional GOP.
This story was originally published on Wed Mar 6, 2013 1:44 PM EST
Leave a Comment:
Mr. President take Mr. Biden with you and Atty General too. A least you're have your back cover from the Knifes being flung at you
And nothing would be lost.
obama's getting shellacked in the polls.... Numbers show more then 2-1 that Americans WANT cuts... his scare tactics blew up in his face....
Heck, why stop with dinner, boys night out should include strippers and tattoo parlors...
And this is how we run the Greatest Country in the World.
Boy's night out with Obama means, male friends in the Lincoln bedroom
I think u have him confused with Bi Curious George.
Bob Menendez could be in charge of entertainment.
And the menu will include President Obama's favorite dog meat, and a new taste treat from his recent USDA authorization, horse meat from the local Thoroughbred racing facilities.
F U imbecille
Johnny,
An "F" bomb from such an enlightened liberal as yourself!? Are kicking and screaming next for you?
NC-492358,
@!$%# you and your momma. LOL. Man that was fun.
aren't we all just so lucky
Obama took his first @!$%# of the day and out pops Feisty
Now THAT is funny!!!!!!
Then he grunted a second time and out popped... uh... I mean pooped NC-492358 and his momma.
You Obama praisers simply prove that ignorance and bigotry in this country are a huge part of the problem. I have not seen so many FOOLS on a thread before. But then again you are MSN readers. The all time campaigner and thief has a flowing of the most uneducated Americans ever! You are all as shady and inane as Obama.
He has not written or complete a single task (except Bmacare which will tank), yet you Feisties and what nots are the most whining clueless a holes as you sit back and yak on your obama phones.
They didn't invite the two dumbest Senators (Cruz and Paul) LOL
Well of course not! They would make Obama look as he is....impotent.
Somebody better notify Obama because the Blamer-in-Chief is still in full-tilt campaign mode.
BFD! The country is going in the sh!tter and this is what is making news. Please fill us in on when they all take a crap tomorrow.
A complete waste of time and taxspayers money and like one commentor said " The Last Supper " but we don't know the Judas yet to emmerge. And all the while we consumers go further into poverty and personal debt and prices continue to climb and the mighty Markets gets their investors richer and the common people don't even count in this society anymore and Obama wants to smoke a peace pipe with Satan's deciples Hurry up 2016 so Jeb Bush can be President and we can finally put the stake into America and watch her self implode!
Just another political stunt by BO, so he can say afterwards that he reached out to the Republicans, even though he is not willing to make any worthwhile compromises from the left, and he wont. More Obama rhetoric.
Who's going to pick up the check? I hope they don't expect the taxpayers to pay for that waste of time.
Hey, if someone would assure me that this would be productive, I would pick up the *@#&$ check myself. I think we're all tired of the bitter partisanship in the country stalling, well, everything. It's about time they sit around a table and talk like human beings rather than catty, stubborn high school girls.
Oh my god! IT'S ABOUT F'N TIME! Thank you for finally opening your eyes and seeing what America really wants/needs. Graham is exactly right - the election is over!!
Graham is like the big crybaby on the play ground that his team didn't win playing kickball, he kicks the dirt and pouts "I don't care anything about you and I don't care if I never speak to you again", whay whay whay what a loser. Gee maybe he could play grown up and be a man and sit down and try to work for the betterment of our country. Guess asking him to do what he's paid to do is way too much to ask, he'd rather whine and pout for the next 4 years and blame everyone else while he sits on his hands and says hey it's not me even though he already had his mind made up to be against anything the other side is for. Yep thats the caliber of people we have running this country, if they can't win they won't even come to the table and act decent, disgusting behavior.
I like how Obama finally sees that he pimp slapped himself. He is looking for a way out.
Hey Feisty long time no see.
Graham you should back ontop of the moutain and play with the goats.
dwight,
You should stay in your basement and play with....
Dwight,Feisty couldn't come out Pres. had to much cheese late dump now she's sitting in a lump of poop playing w/ the children of the corn
Feisty has been busy campaigning for the Lilly Bedwetter amendment.
Aaaah at 5k a dinner plate and 2k for the drinks; plz put the bill on the tax payer tab....
maybe, just maybe... there can be compromise finally
That would be nice...but I doubt it.
Look out, republicans. Obama has a stash of secret cancer germs and he's fixin' to use them on you.
Why are Republicans such dimwitted A holes.?
Do u understand now why you keep losing elections?
In the last national election, 243 Democrats were elected and 241 GOP. The GOP easily kept the House when ALL of the seats were up for election. The House can continue to curb Obama's nonsense. Uh oh, what happened, Dems?
It is not going to get better for you lefties, either. The GOP held the House after the last census, thereby stopping any Democrat chance to gerrymander. Tsk.
Also note that most state governors are GOP (30) as are most state legislatures (27).
Quite a...."loss". LOL
NC, not quite sure what election you're talking about. The house? 243 to 241? Check your math.
In any case it's interesting to point out that as a whole, the GOP lost the popular vote for House of Representatives by 1.4 million votes yet kept a 234 to 201 majority. Some of that was likely demographics and a good deal of it gerrymandering that the GOP was able to accomplish following the 2010 census. Also note that there's no "Democrat" (your misspelling, not mine - I'm not that ignorant) chance to gerrymander until the 2020 census.
I'd say there's not much comfort in knowing that your party has a seat at the table only because of gerrymandering. It doesn't paint a very bright future for the GOP, does it?
The only reason the republicans get the amount of votes they do is because of the @!$%# kickers in the south and middle of the country who can't see past the president's black skin.
Shouldn't have to be wined and dined to do your job GOP. Damn I hate the GOP.
Obama will do the "whining"......as he bends to the superior side.
Wannabe President Clown Rand Paul was upset he wasn't invited as he feels he is the Leader of the Tea Baggers and more powerful the Boehner and McConnell. So he is holding a Filibuster to assure Obama knows who is in charge and who the American people want to lead.
Put down the Kool Aid Jackie!
jackie,
Ok. So?
Oooooh... Kool Aid metaphor. That's very creative of you. Genius award goes to........RODNEY!
This is a classic Obamadinajhad tactic. There will be a closed door dinner, no press, no record of what is said or done. Obamadinajhad will exit said dinner and state that there was great progress and bipartisanship. The next opportunity Obamdinajhad gets, he will propose something he knows will fail and doesn't want anyway, blame the Republicans who didn't attend the dinner as crybaby obstructionists who didn't get invited to the dinner and they are having their temper tantrum and shot down his attempt at bipartisanship. Nothing more than keeping Obamadinajhad'sfriends close and his enemies closer while pitting his enemies against each other. Obama is not to be trusted, EVER! I hope the Republicans bring some food tasters from MSNBC!
Yes I mean your last Prez Dick Cheney was very trustworthy.
Get lost A hole
Johnny #s
Why all the name calling. Chill out and lighten up just a bit....you're going to give yourself a stroke.
It looks like the Tea Party is being marginalized...which would CLEARLY be good for the Republican Party.
Like the Democrats ever wanted to give their enemies (Republicans) advice that would move this nation forward in a positive way that will never happen under Obamadinajhad! If the Institutional Republicans ever want to regain leadership in DC, they had better open that tent to the Tea Party, who will never vote for a Democrat candidate or a . That is why the RINO Romney lost. 4 million fewer Republicans voted in 2012 than in 2008. Most of them Tea Party Conservatives. Those Tea Party Conservative will look to a third party candidate, which is exactly what the Democrats are praying for. Democrat advice is to be ignored.
The election is over! Long live the new election! The Queen ought to know it is non-stop electioneering in America now. Ask Jeb Bush.
I hope and I pray (which is a really big deal for me) that Obama will embrace drastic spending cuts and that the Repub Senators will embrace meaningful tax increases. Anything less will not help this financially wounded country. Good luck to us all.
Agreed except for the tax increases. Those are a no no.
Well, the gopers say we are spending to much so they accept a free meal from the White House, or are they going to pay their own way?
Have to pay their own way. Heck, the WH had to cancel tours that cost nothing since those tours are self guided. Obama surely can't pay for their meals.
Vacation anyone?
The gopers are on vacation again?
Nope, just like Christmas, the GOP stayed home and Obama went to Hawaii....again.
The GOP left town for Christmas before the President left.
I say be careful of the spices. Trashy Redhead do you ever have anything constructive to say on here. I realize you and the other Obamabots on here suffer from Cranial Rectumitis but really......
President Obama wants to try out the new trap door he installed in the WH floor. That's why there will be so many GOP clowns there.
You mean Oblammer has realized the idiots he has been receiveing guidance from hasn't worked and so he's seeking true understanding.
No American Soldier, just trying to cooperate with the bullies and obstructionists who ruined this country long before he was in office.
That would be funny.