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More respectable company
Political Animal — ... . When will he sit down with commentators from a more liberal persuasion? Apparently, this morning . Obama held a meeting with several columnists and liberal commentators this morning, following up on last night's dinner with conservative writers, according to a source with knowledge of the meeting. Some of the writers there today are clearly on the liberal side, while others more moderate. Today's group included the Washington Post's E.J. Dionne and Eugene Robinson, the Wall Street Journal's Gerry Seib, National Journal's Ron Brownstein, the New York Times Frank Rich and ...

Obama meets with liberal columnists (Frank Rich, Rachel Maddow, others)
Democratic Underground Latest Breaking News — ... dinner with conservative writers, according to a source with knowledge of the meeting. Some of the writers there today are clearly on the liberal side, while others more moderate. Today's group included the Washington Post's E.J. Dionne and Eugene Robinson, the Wall Street Journal's Gerry Seib, National Journal's Ron Brownstein, the New York Times Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd, and MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, among others. The meeting was held at the transition headquarters. Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0109/Oba...

The Not-Conservatives Strike Back
Matthew Yglesias — Following up with last night’s right-wing columnist dinner party, Obama sits down with some non-conservatives: The group included the Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne and Eugene Robinson, the Wall Street Journal’s Gerry Seib, National Journal’s Ron Brownstein, the New York Times Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd, and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, among others. This highlights one of our enduring asymmetries in American political media, namely that everyone who’s not a card-carrying member of the conservative movement ...

Obama meets with some liberal pundits.
Think Progress — ... Following up on last night’s dinner with right-wing luminaries, Barack Obama met this morning with a group of pundits that included some liberals. “The group included the Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne and Eugene Robinson, the Wall Street Journal’s Gerry Seib, National Journal’s Ron Brownstein, the New York Times Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd, and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, among others.” The participants were treated to “refreshments.” ...

Dinner Guests Revealed
Taegan Goddard's Political Wire — ... Meanwhile, Michael Calderone notes Obama met with the following "liberal" journalists this morning: On the list: Andrew Sullivan, E.J. Dionne, Eugene Robinson, Gerry Seib, Ron Brownstein, Frank Rich, Maureen Dowd, and Rachel Maddow. ...

Barack Obama Defangs The Media Right and Left
FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog — ... Then, this morning it was the LEFT’s turn to bite at the defanging the press operation apple of “The One.” ...

Face time with Obama
Political Animal — ... of conservatives who dined with the president-elect last night: George Will, Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Larry Kudlow, David Brooks, Rich Lowry, Peggy Noonan, Michael Barone, and Paul Gigot. And here's a partial list of liberals who chatted with Obama this morning: E.J. Dionne, Eugene Robinson, Gerry Seib, Ron Brownstein, Frank Rich, Maureen Dowd, Andrew Sullivan, and Rachel Maddow. The conservative group is genuinely conservative, and includes some voices that offer some pretty right-wing ideas. Gigot's Wall Street Journal editorial page is truly ridiculous. ...

Video: Kudlow on dinner with the Messiah
Hot Air » Top Picks — ... in Brooks’s case — but (a) I think Obama’s familiar with the counterarguments to his policies by now and (b) theoretically we have congressmen for that. I don’t know. Not a big deal, as everyone can relate to wanting to meet the president; I just hope it’s worth the aggravation they’ll get from parts of the grassroots who’ll question their objectivity vis-a-vis Obama going forward. On to happier subjects, though: At long last, after years of toil, today Andrew Sullivan got to meet his personal savior . I wonder if they swapped theories on who Trig’s real mom is.

Rachel Maddow Meets with President-elect Obama
The Latest on Air America — A day after President-elect Obama met with conservative columnists, Air America’s Rachel Maddow and other liberal columnists/commentators sat down with the President-elect. Politico has more : The group included the Washington Post's E.J. Dionne and Eugene Robinson, the Wall Street Journal's Gerry Seib, National Journal's Ron Brownstein, the New York Times Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd, The Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan, and MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, among others. Some of the writers there today are clearly on the liberal side, while others more moderate. Regardless, it's still quite ...

Coffee Time
David E's Fablog — by David E | (Visited 16 times) Obama No wonder you’re sneakin’ in the side door, Barry :“Obama held a meeting with several columnists and liberal commentators this morning, following up on last night’s dinner with conservative writers, according to sources with knowledge of the meeting.” In other words Michael Calderone who requested anonmity of himself — and granted it.“The group included the Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne and Eugene Robinson, the Wall Street Journal’s Gerry Seib, National Journal’s Ron Brownstein, the New York Times Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd, The ...

PEBO Intelligensia Meetings: Lamb Chops with Conservatives, Bupkes with Liberals
Political Punch — ... with dukes and lords of the conservative punditocracy, but the libs and centrists he met with today didn't even get so much as a slice of brie -- prompting some ribbing. The president-elect "was teased about having dinner with conservatives who trashed him and a meeting with no refreshments with this group," one attendee tells ABC News. The meeting was first reported by Politico's Michael Calderone . - jpt January 14, 2009 | ...

Mr. Obama and the Neocons
Firedoglake — ... At today's meeting with center-right pundits and Rachel Maddow there were no "far left" voices who could match the violent right wing extremism of the neocon-heavy dinner at George Will's house last night.  Granted, there are exactly zero pundits on the left as radical as Charles Krauthammer with that kind of notoriety so it would have been impossible to achieve parity.  But while fringe neocon house organs like Commentary and The Weekly Standard were overrepresented, it's not like anybody was invited from The Nation. ...

Today vs. yesterday
Daily Kos — Yesterday: We're still awaiting confirmation that this is indeed Will's house from the transition, but your pool is satisfied with the documentation. Your pool has been told it's a dinner party. And, thanks to an enterprising photographer, a shot through a window showed op-ed stalwarts William Kristol and David Brooks are also part of this unlikely gathering of tight, right suits. Today: Obama held a meeting with several columnists and liberal commentators this morning, following up on last ...

Obama Meets with Maureen Dowd, Andy Sullivan - Thinks They're Liberals
Tennessee Guerilla Women — Last night Obama dined with rightwing columnists, so today the President-elect tried to balance things out by having a quickie meeting with what some bill as liberal columnists. There were even 2 women! There might have been more women except they didn't have refreshments, so they didn't need servers. If Obama thinks Maureen Dowd and Andrew Sullivan are liberal (or even moderate), Bush ain't the only one living in a bubble. No wonder Paul Krugman didn't show: 9:45 a.m., in the transition office, ...

Obama meets with liberal columnists - PLUS: Andrew Sullivan hypocrisy watch update
Sister Toldjah — ... Martin, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, the Washington Post’s Gene Robinson, the Boston Globe’s Derrick Z. Jackson, the one and only Maureen Dowd, the New York Times’s Frank Rich, the Wall Street Journal’s Jerry Seib, Atlantic political director Ron Brownstein, USA Today’s DeWayne Wickham and columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. The Times’s Paul Krugman was invited, but did not attend. Of the invitation for Andrew Sullivan to attend, Michael Calderone writes: It’s ...

Obama meets with liberal media
AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth — Liberal bloggers were represented at the meeting by conservative blogger Andrew Sullivan. More from Politico: The group included the Washington Post's E.J. Dionne and Eugene Robinson, the Wall Street Journal's Gerry Seib, National Journal's Ron Brownstein, the New York Times Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd, The Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan, and MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, among others.... CNN's Roland Martin, The Boston Globe's Derrick Z. Jackson, and USA Today's DeWayne Wickham. Paul Krugman, who Obama's willing to hear out on economic issues, was invited, but didn't ...

Fair and balanced schmoozing
Betsy's Page — ... You might not agree with some of the other writers present at the conservative dinner, but you can imagine the policy proposals and innovative approaches that could have been discussed at that dinner. He would have heard about different approaches to stimulating the economy. But can you do the same for this liberal dinner. What policy ideas do you associate with Maureen Dowd? She's just a catty writer whether she's ridiculing Clinton or one of the Bushes. Andrew Sullivan, whom Michael Calderone seems to think is still a conservative, might talk about his opposition to ...

1/22: Caroline Bows Out
Blogometer — ... conference call with bloggers during his campaign, and she wondered whether he would do so as President. Similarly, Lux expressed his hope that the Obama admin. would "engage a bit more -- not just with the blogs, but with progressive media more generally." He recommended that the Obama team do interviews with The Nation and liberal talk radio shows in addition to reaching out to more visible progressives such as MSNBC's Rachel Maddow . Melber agreed with Lux and described Obama's recent meeting with centrist and liberal pundits as "a missed opportunity to engage ...