CNN

Peter (CA) – - -Just because someone doesn't use the left talking points and share the same ideology on everything doesn't make them a conservative jounalist or commentator.

All this jibber jabber about whether he is a Repub or Dem, conserv or lib is stupid.

He is a man who wants to help his country. What are YOU? Do you define yourself by these labels? Most don't. He is wih the Dems because they believe government should embody God's second most important commandment - "love thy neighbor as thyself". If Republicans practiced as much religion as they espouse, he might be Republican. Either way the label doesn't matter to him. He's told you that repeatedly, but I guess some people never listen.

His goal is to make sure he leaves office having addressed the economic inequity of our system, health care, energy independence, a uncompetitive public education system and the building a coalition of peace-loving nations. That is his goal and he doesn't need or care for purist ideology. He wants to achieve his goal, not fuss about labels or ideology.

As a man who has struggled with personal identity and labels, he has come to conclusion, it is what you DO that matters, not what you are labelled or even what you say or think.

Again, he's said that, but I guess many weren't listening.

@legal in nc–

No, just too smart. Good idea to marginalize those who do nothing but spew.

And, yeah, if you guys don't even consider guys like Krauthammer and Kristol conservative, then you are truly living in a strange and sad little world.

To all the Repugs:

I guess their readers make up for all the hate ?

How is this "bipartisanship"?
Oh, I'm sorry theywere just left leaning, not hardcore communists!

Dubya regularly used to hold private off-the-record sessions with an exclusive cadre of strictly far rightwing conservative journalists in the Oval Office. Never a NON-far-rightwing-conservative in sight, present, or even considered.

For those yawing on that Obama didn't meet with Limbaugh, Hannity, or Coulter, please note that neither did Dubya. They're not journalists, they're hacks. Limbaugh routinely calls himself "an entertainer." And in that vein, I wouldn't expect Obama to meet with Michael Moore or Randi Rhodes either. Just sayin'.

Considering the things they said about PE Obama during the campaign, Limburger and Co. shouldn't be surprised they weren't invited.

Rachel ROCKS!

hey legal.... hannity , limbaugh and coulter have a way of always talking and never listening... havnt you figured that out yet. and thanks for bunching those three together, you have done the work for the rest of us putting these hypocritical hate spewing right wingers together.. glad to see that even to those of you on the right, that they are peas in a pod.

i am a progressive who believes in constitutional equality for all and am not ashamed.

PE Obama is good, very good. The man is amazing!!! Breaking bread with the pundits, sitting down and listening to them is the way to go.

Rachel Maddow must have been thrilled.

There is no conservative america, no liberal america. There is the united states of america

@legal in nc January 14th, 2009 3:39 pm ET
Too scared to meet with Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter and the rest!
**I wouldn't meet with those Racist Haters and Coulter is a man look @ the size of her Neck **

I am beginning to think I wronged the moderator in a past life because about one in ten of my comments gets posted

Rush Limbaugh, Hannity & Ann Coulter are devisive! And sadly there are many followers that don't think for themselves and believe all the stuff they're preaching! These folks are making a fortune exploiting listeners with hate-filled rhetoric. And I'm sure they don't believe all they're saying over the airwaves but its the salary that keeps them fired UP! I can only take a couple of minutes of their foolishness! Republicans need to do the same or they will never be able to bring their party together. America is changing and folks like Rush Limbaugh, Hannity and Ann Coulter need to get over IT!!!!!!!!!!

"Keep your campaign promises" they will say and don't sell-out to the big $ lobbies.

Why should he meet with creeps like Limbaugh? As if the right-wing zealots will have anything useful to say to him?

Larry Kudlow from CNBC also met with Obama for dinner

Rachel Maddow is such a pessimist. Other than that-she is enjoyable to watch sometimes. I'm sure she welcomes the interview.

OMG! Was he dreamy? I'm, so, like, jeal-OUS! (gushing!) He's a dream boat! Do you think he likes me?! OMG!

With this sort of "unbiased," "disinterested," "media fairness," is it any wonder that major media outlets are in such severe financial trouble? At this rate, I give the New York Times another three years and they'll shut their Pravda doors for good.

At least Liberal writers aren't nasty and full of hate and disiveness like those on the far right.

Terry, Lakeland Florida January 14th, 2009 3:33 pm ET

Sure, off-the-record, Obama would be in trouble if his little inner circle meeting was on-the-record.
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Conservative columnists like George Will, David Brooks and Bill Kristol are now part of Obama's inner circle? Why are you people commenting here when you obviously have not read the entire article? The headline says Obama meets with liberal commentators, but the article also talks about a meeting with conservative commentators held at George Will's house.

Short attention spans are killing the intellect of the USA citizens...

Giving them his marching orders I'm sure.

Sorry to see that Jack Cafferty and Wolf Blitzer weren't a part of the cliche! Major glitch, CNN!

willow January 14th, 2009 3:20 pm ET

I'd really like to know who those conservatives he met with are. Notice no names given, but all the liberal names are provided. That's because he probably never met with any conservatives. Not surprising.
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If you read the entire article before jumping on your Obama-hating comments you would see the names of Bill Kristol and David Brooks listed as conservatives who met with Obama. Too much trouble to read a complete Ticker article, which is just a snapshot of actual in-depth articles, yet some people call us Obama supporters uninformed? At least I take the time to read the last couple sentences of a two-paragraph blurb.

hey legal in nc...please do not put George Will in the same category as Limbaugh, Coulter and Hannity. Will is a true conservative and an exceptionally smart man. Though I often disagree with him, I respect his intellect and his research. I don't think any president should demean themselves by meeting with hatemongers (on the right or the left!)

You guys are too easy!!

Only the mention of a few names and you lose it, i guess folks like Chris Matthews, Keith Oberman, Bill Mahr and the likes are ok with you folks. The very same ones that have done for the left all they can to mirror what the 3 I mentioned do for the right.

So if I understand you correctly you don't believe there spewing either, right????

Hannity, Limbaugh, and Coulter tell it like it is, not some washed over liberal lies!!!

Who in the world would want to sit in the same room with Rush Limbaugh and Ann "the skank" Coulter?

@Willow
Did you not read the entire article?
On Monday evening, Obama traveled to Will’s home in Chevy Chase, Md., to dine with a conservative cadre that included William Kristol and David Brooks of The New York Times.
That is from the above article. I guess (George) Will, William Kristol and David Brooks are not names? Or do you not consider them to be conservative?

Every plan the democrats come up with fails, So lets do some more

gl, please explain why Hannity is a racist. I think that's quite a low blow.

If Obama had met with the unholy "3", he would have been shouted down: these three have never learned that you were given one mouth and two ears so you could listen twice as often as you speak.

As for ann coulter: anyone who states that the 911 widows did not deserve any sympathy and were just using their widowhood as a ploy, does not deserve anyone's time. I have never, ever seen someone ooze hatred like she does.

"legal in nc" – Are you serious? Did you really expect OBAMA to meet with "Sannity", "Bushbaugh" and "Foulter"? They should never be interviewed by anyone, ever. Who’s side are you on anyways

"Ben" – Whatever you’re smokin' don't share or sell it or I will personally make sure you are arrested!

Hannity, Limbaugh and Coulter are not journalists in any way shape or form. I'm not sure why anybody would want to meet with them, they are jokes! There are conservatives and then there's nuts like these three. Obama met with true journalists, although William Kristol is questionable at times. But let me say this just one more time for all of you extreme right wing, wing nuts, Hannity, Limbaugh and Coulter are truly nut cases and jokes. If you wing nuts could find the strength to step back and take a real hard look at these three, they are only in it for the money, and keeping you stirred up keeps their ratings just high enough to stay on the air. Just understand that the rest of the country just laughs at them.

smart smart smart. We all know Obama couldn't care less what these commentators have to say as he would have us believe, but he understands the benefits of cozying up to these influential people. All news and opinion stems from the media, and if the media is buddy buddy with Obama, then Obama's love fest with the citizenry is all the easier to carry on.

Just wait for his first real challenge where the media pounces (a la Katrina), and Obama and his administration gets mad and fights back at the media for seemingly unfair and poor reporting, the media turns on him, and it's all over. See Bush.

Nice PR show. Nothing more.

Too scared to meet with Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter and the rest!

That becasue they are not conservatives commentators – they are more like to0 far to right racist nut wings and it is hard to deal with someone that are as racist as they are. Why bother – only God can deal with their hate.

legal in nc – 'Too scared to meet with Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter and the rest!'? Yeah right.
Suppose that you have a point of view about a bill that is about to voted in your state House. You are a major supporter of the bill, and you receive an invitation from those who opposes the bill to have a meeting. But those who are inviting you are the kind of people that only trashes other people's beliefs, that are 'always right' about everything they think and talk about, that never truly apologizes when they realize that they may have gone too far in their last remarks, that just want to use as part of their 'Me, myself and I' shows. Would you waste your time like that?
Or would you go to meet those who are opponents of the bill you endorse, and have civility and ideas instead of trash talking?
He had better things to do than waste his time with the three you mentioned, like talking with real deal conservative commentators...

G Robinson? The guy who goes far out fo his way to find something rotten to say about Bush virtually every day, even if he has to distort to do it? The man who would not , I quote, "vote for Reagan if you put a gun to my head"? I would have picked a different, more substantial liberal.

But overall, Obama meeting with both groups is a very good thing. And NOT letting in the Limbaughs was another good move. Congrats to our Pres-elect!

legal in nc January 14th, 2009 3:39 pm ET

These were the so called conservatives commentators:

Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Larry Kudlow, David Brooks, Rich Lowry, Peggy Noonan, Michael Barone, and Paul Gigot.

Too scared to meet with Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter and the rest!
___________________________________________________
I don't blame PEBO for not meeting with the likes of Hannity, Limbaugh & Coulter. I don't want my president to have cooties. They're a bunch of twisted freaks

I want to respond to almost all the post made so far but that'd be a lot of work for something that will probably not be posted. But I'll try to respond collectively.

Why such negativity? Give the guy a break, he's trying to get everyone envolved, he's reaching out to people whom should be his political enemies…this is to be admired not shunned. This is a new approach, it hasn't been attempted in recent memory and look at what it's done to our country because of that. The first word in this country we call home is UNITED, we must be united or we're going to fall apart worse than what we already are.

**please post!**

legal in NC:

Sorry but hannity, limbaugh and coulter aren't journalists – they are supposedly commentators and even that is a stretch. Only people who take them serious are the serious hardcore, hanging over the cliff, far far right wing conversatives and their evangelical partners.
Definition of j o k e is hannity, limbaugh and coulter.

Hah, you call those writers liberal commentators? It's so funny how a moderate-left-leaning person is considered so left in this country. If Amy Goodman was meeting with him, then your title would make sense.

I want to respond to almost all the post made so far but that'd be a lot of work for something that will probably not be posted. But I'll try to respond collectively.

Why such negativity? Give the guy a break, he's trying to get everyone envolved, he's reaching out to people whom should be his political enemies...this is to be admired not shunned. This is a new approach, it hasn't been attempted in recent memory and look at what it's done to our country because of that. The first word in this country we call home is UNITED, we must be united or we're going to fall apart worse than what we already are.

Yeah for Rachael Maddow and Gene Robinson – they are two of my favorite news people.
Rachael is the new superstar of tv news – and she deserves the attention.

"Aides to Obama, who has been promising the most transparent administration ever, are refusing to divulge details of the meetings, saying the events were strictly off-the-record."

political speak. get used to it!

Willow, you really need to be more thorough, before you jump to your conclusions! Anything that can be done to lessen the idealogical bickering we've had the last 8 years is beneficial and should be commended.

To Legal in NC – Limbaugh, Hannity and Coulter in my view do a dis-service to the conservative movement. Coulter only shows her face when she promotes a new book and says dumb things to get publicity. Limbaugh is just trying to keep his audience.

I respect the names you listed even though I'm not conservative (not liberal either). Hannity stated way back in the campaign that he was going to find something to bring Obama down. Why would anyone meet with some who has that agenda?

At least the people he met with are professional (the other 3 are not).

"Too scared to meet with Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter and the rest!"

Scared? These three are jokes. I wouldn't meet w. them either.

legal in nc
Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter are comedians not serious commentators.

Hannity, Limbaugh and Coulter are NOT journalists.

Really, you think Obama is scared of them? I pity your small, reptilian, right wing brain.

legal in nc,
I think Obama wanted to meet with conservatives who had some level of respect and knowledge; thus, no hannity, coulter or limbaugh

to other repub posters, I was angry as anyone else in 2000, but do not recall the any of the nasty posts on Obama here vs. bush in 2000 and 2004. He has not even taken office. Give him a year (just like you all said to give bush after 9-11)...

geesshhh!

Uh, Andrew Sullivan is NOT a liberal.

legal in nc

Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter are crazy not just conservative. Believe it or not, there are conservatives who don't spute hate like these three bozos.

Hannity, Limbaugh and Coulter are as irrelevant as the 3 stooges.

Oh wait, they ARE the 3 stooges!

Ha ha ha – some people will NEVER be happy with ANYTHING Obama does!

I believe President-Elect Obama is sincere about bringing the people of this nation together because he understands the task ahead. But we all must do our part to help get this country back on its feet.

This is just another example that democrats and republicans are really no different. They are both corrupt.

Rachel Maddow is a disgrace to the GLBT community. It takes all there is in me to keep from hurling my 65 inch TV out my window when I see her on it. She makes us all look like left wing loonies. Well I for one am a proud gay 31 yr old white male from the south.

Hey Willow, they did state the names of the conservatives. It was at George Will's home. They also mentioned William Krystol (Weekly Standard) and David Brooks (NY Times).

Ummm....Willow, the article says :

"On Monday evening, Obama traveled to {George) Will’s home in Chevy Chase, Md., to dine with a conservative cadre that included William Kristol and David Brooks of The New York Times."

Willow,

Can't you read??

Quote: "On Monday evening, Obama traveled to Will’s home in Chevy Chase, Md., to dine with a conservative cadre that included William Kristol and David Brooks of The New York Times."

BIpartisanship??? Meeting with liberal commentators??? What??? Obama is as liberal as they come. I don't see where you get "bipartisanship" from.

Willow – William "Bill" Kristol and David Brooks are conservatives.

Virginia – The McCain camp tried to paint him as the most liberal senator in congress (due to his voting record (he voted against Bush most of the time)). Obama is a centrist. So, get used to him working with both sides.

Does any one know if Rachel Maddow is still drooling, a full day after the meeting, or did she get it under control?

These were the so called conservatives commentators:

Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Larry Kudlow, David Brooks, Rich Lowry, Peggy Noonan, Michael Barone, and Paul Gigot.

Too scared to meet with Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter and the rest!

This guy is GOOD!

Bet Obama had to thank them profusely for getting him in after 8 years of Bush denigration !

Y'all should have heard Rush Limbaugh blathering on his show this morning about how the media thought he was having a secret meeting with Obama and that it had caused a "big stir". (that no one heard nor cared about).

Obama apparently met with the neo-con pundits last night, and Rush wasn't invited.

In reality, he said, he had sat down for peanut butter jelly sandwiches and a birthday cake with Prez Bush.

To hear him tell it, you'd think that he was on the front page of TMZ. Ah, it's amazing to watch the conservatives implode. Rush is a bit like a frog sitting happily in a slowly warming pot.

Glad to see that Obama's showing people that his table has both a right and a left side, however.

Good move Mr. PE.

I listened to Mr. Kudlow on CNBC this morning .... he had a lot of good things to say about his meeting with you at Mr. Wills house!

I would have enjoyed the dinner table conversation immensely.

Ha ha ha who was there from CNN

Sure, off-the-record, Obama would be in trouble if his little inner circle meeting was on-the-record.

I hope the Democrats dont fall for Obamas tricks,this guy is a Republican pretending to be a Democrat,if i was at this meeting i would have asked him why dont he have any liberals in his cabinet?its time for us liberals to branch out on our own,am tired of the Democrats ignoring us once they get elected ,the left gave Obama 65% of his vote,but he dont have any lefties in his cabinet,the rise of the liberals is obvious,its time to form our own party,get away from them sellouts in the Democratic party.In this new party have to start with a big name like Howard Dean John Edwards,Al Franken, Jessie Jackson JR,Maxxine Waters someone who speaks for us,the Democrats wont win anything without the far left support.i bet this would wakeup all Democrats,am tired of the democrats focusing on the center,the center only represents 25% of the vote,but they have 100% of Obamas appointments in his cabinet,now tell me is this fair people?we have to form our own party because the Democrats has forgotten about us bigtime,Rachel Maddow,Kieth Obermain,in all the rest of the far left have got to get behind this movement,am sure a few liberal Democrats will follow suit,people like the black congress who is furious with Obama,also the latinos whos also is furious with Obama.Obama got 42% of his vote from Minorities,but only has 3 Minorities in his cabinet,thats in insult,its time to send the Democrats a message,we dont have to take this anymore, THE PROGRESSIVE PARTY IS GOING TO HAPPEN"""'.

I think I am going to hurl

I'd really like to know who those conservatives he met with are. Notice no names given, but all the liberal names are provided. That's because he probably never met with any conservatives. Not surprising.

The he goes–trying to keep things even. He won't be able to keep that up for long or he will be going around in circles. I thought he "chose up sides" during the election anyway....he is considered liberal isn't he?

Good Man!!! Try to pull the country together so congress can get on with the People's business and clean up this mess!!!!