White House launches charm offensive with incoming GOP chairs

[Enrique]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46258.html

House Republicans don’t take power for three more weeks, but the White House is already engaged in a behind-the-scenes charm offensive designed to build relationships with incoming committee chairmen before they become powerful adversaries.

The GOP chairmen are getting congratulatory phone calls from President Barack Obama and private meetings with Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Attorney General Eric Holder. The incoming Agriculture Committee chairman, Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), is setting up a regular monthly lunch with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The White House's efforts moved into high gear shortly after the Republican victory on Election Day.

The White House relationship building doesn’t mean that Obama is ready to embrace his fiercest Republican critics on Capitol Hill or automatically capitulate to their demands. (See: GOP taps freshmen for prime spots)

But it does signal that the White House is trying to work the referee a bit before Republican chairmen start sending subpoenas and summoning White House witnesses for committee investigations.

(...)




Obama has been making congratulatory phone calls to soon-to-be GOP committee heads. | AP Photo

[louis-t]

1. And Boner sez "We don't compromise".

:eyes:

[sasha031]

2. what is going to happen when the subpoenas and the investigations start

will he call on Boner and McConnell to protect him?

[niceypoo]

3. Oops!

I think Obama and the neocrats overlooked that angle...