The president found himself on the defensive about mixing outside his social circle, but the record says Republican leaders spurned his invitations repeatedly.
President Obama says he'd like to socialize with Republicans, but they aren't responding to his overtures. So which is it, a remote president or an opposition party that refuses to hang out with him?
The White House screening of Lincoln on November 15 offers a bit of a counterpoint to GOP and press complaints about Obama's aloofness. Director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner were there, along with cast members Daniel Day-Lewis, James Spader, Sally Field, and Tommy Lee Jones.
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Sounds like an irresistible invitation, right? Wrong.
The only lawmakers at the screening were Democrats -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Reps. James Clyburn and John Lewis. No Republicans attended, though several were invited, according to a Democrat familiar with the guest list. House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell turned down the invitation, as did Senators Lamar Alexander, Tom Coburn, and Olympia Snowe.
