President Obama recently broke bread with several Republican U.S. senators in an effort, the White House says, to bridge the great divide that separates the Democratic head of state from the loyal opposition.
Was it for real or just for show?
U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says it’s the real deal.
Then again, you’d expect the California Democrat to say such a thing. But the more interesting reaction actually has come from congressional Republicans who are expressing a similar view, that they also think the president is being sincere in his outreach.
I noted in a recent blog post some of the criticism that Obama has earned for being too aloof and acting as if he’s above the fray. One of my better friends in Amarillo, a high-powered educator and dedicated Democrat, said Obama needs a little infusion of Lyndon Johnson’s knack for cajoling the other side into seeing things his way.
He took the GOP senators to dinner at a swanky D.C. restaurant, then met the following day with House Republican leaders for lunch. And all those who attended said some kind things about the president.
Now, it remains to be seen how all this nice-making will translate into actual legislation and action that moves the country forward. The two sides have to reach some kind of budget deficit-reduction deal that forestalls future automatic cuts that already have kicked in. Economists across the board say the massive cuts and government workforce layoffs could send the country into a new recession.
Does anyone, even those who detest the president, really want that? I don’t think so.
Keep talking – and eating – together, ladies and gentlemen.