Jonathan Karl of ABC News has reported that GOP sources told him House Republicans gave Barack Obama a standing ovation at the beginning and end of his get-together with them on Wednesday.
One of Karl’s sources said the GOP was on their best behavior; every Republican started his or her question with “Thank you for coming” and “You are welcome here anytime.” Some apparently threw in, “We need to work together.”
Some approximations of sample questions and Obama answers:
Rep. James Lankford of Oklahoma, griping that Obama’s real agenda has been destroying the GOP, asked if Obama could agree to reach a balanced budget in 10 years.
Obama: Nope. Domestic spending has been harshly cut already. That ain’t gonna happen.
Rep. Candace Miller of Michigan: what about the cancellation of the tours of the White House?
Obama: Hey, that wasn’t me, that was the Secret Service.
Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana: what about offshore oil drilling and the Keystone pipeline?
Obama: Think outside the box, buddy. We need to look beyond fossil fuels.
Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan: why can’t entitlement reforms be done now?
Obama: You want reforms? Close those tax loopholes, son. Everybody needs to sacrifice.
Rep. Peter Roskam of Illinois: there was a fiscal mess back in our home state, Barack. Don’t you think your policies are headed in the same direction?
Obama: Hey, that fiscal mess in Illinois was bipartisan.
Rep. Tom Price of Georgia: Wasn’t your lack of a budget because you don’t trust the GOP and you were looking for another gotcha moment?
Obama: You think I’m political?
Obama apparently repeated, “I am done with campaigns. I am not running for re-election,” more than once.