PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA MEETS WITH CONSERVATIVE PUNDITS

And here are two of them [Andrew Sullivan, a conservative writer and blogger and Larry Kudlow, an economic advisor to Ronald Reagan] who reported on the overall tenor of that meeting. They were asked not to report details, and they kept their word. But they were able to give a general feeling for the meeting.

Andrew Sullivan:

14 Jan 2009 02:57 pm
Sorry, No Details
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Lots of emails from readers asking about the chat with the president-elect this morning. It was totally off the record and I'm a stickler for those rules. I can say, however, the following: it's hard to express the relief I feel that this man will be the president soon. I realize that's what I feel above all else: relief.

I may disagree with him at times, and criticize him at times, but his great gift is showing that he does not expect people to change their convictions in order to find common areas of agreement. That's the challenge he's presenting all of us with, wherever we come from ideologically. The challenge is as real for a Krugman as for a Kristol, for Rick Warren as well as Gene Robinson.
As I've said repeatedly for the last two years, we're lucky to have him.

Larry Kudlow:

CNBC’s Melissa Francis: I HAVE TO ASK LARRY, I'M DYING TO HEAR ABOUT IT, YOU HAD DINNER LAST NIGHT WITH PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA. WHAT WAS THE TONE LIKE? WAS HE TRYING TO WIN OVER THE CONSERVATIVES? IS THAT WHAT IT WAS? THERE WERE ABOUT TEN OF YOU THERE, RIGHT?

CNBC’s Larry Kudlow: THIS WAS AN OFF-THE-RECORD DINNER AND I'M GOING TO KEEP IT OFF THE RECORD IN TERMS OF DEEP CONTENT, BUT PEGGY NOONAN WAS THERE, PAUL GIGOT OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, BILL KRISTOL, MYSELF, CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, SOME OTHERS. NINE OR TEN OF US. I DON'T THINK HE'S TRYING TO WIN US OVER, BUT HE'S TRYING TO CONNECT WITH US AND ENGAGE WITH US TO HIT GREAT CREDIT.THIS WAS A VERY CORDIAL DINNER.

Francis: HE IS CHARMING, RIGHT?

Kudlow: HE IS CHARMING, HE IS TERRIBLY SMART, BRIGHT, WELL-INFORMED, HE HAS A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR. AT THE BEGINNING WHEN HE WALKED INTO THE LIVING ROOM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL WAITING --

Francis: WHERE WERE YOU?

Kudlow: THIS IS AT GEORGE WILL'S HOUSE….HE COMES IN AND HE CAME UP TO ME, I HAD NEVER MET HIM BEFORE. I THINK HE MAY HAVE WATCHED ‘KUDLOW AND COMPANY’ PERIODICALLY. SOMEBODY GAVE HIM A COLUMN I HAD WRITTEN DEFENDING HIS BUSINESS INVESTMENT TAX CUTS. HE LIKED THAT A LOT. I SAID, ‘YOU KNOW, SIR, SINCE BARNEY FRANK AND NANCY PELOSI, JOHN KERRY, ATTACKED HIM I KNEW I MUST BE ON TO SOMETHING GOOD.’ HE LAUGHED A LOT. I SAID ‘YOU TOOK MY BEST PEOPLE FROM THE PROGRAM. YOU TOOK AUSTAN GOOLSBEE.’ HE LAUGHED AND SAID THEY'RE GOOD MEN. I SAID, BUT MR. PRESIDENT, LET ME CAN YOU, WHY DID YOU LEAVE US ROBERT REICH, WHO I ADORE, AND HE LAUGHED AND SAID I WANT SOMEBODY FIGHTING FOR ME, LARRY, INTERESTING THING. THIS IS JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, HE IS SO WELL-INFORMED, AND HE LOVES TO DEAL WITH BOTH SIDES OF AN ISSUE, AND I'M NOT GOING TO DIVULGE WHAT WAS SAID THERE AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO ANY OF THE SPECIFICS, BUT HE ENJOYS THE BACK AND FORTH, AND HE IS NOT, YOU KNOW, TOUGH, MEAN, INSULTING, SNARLING, NONE OF THAT STUFF, AND WE WEREN'T EITHER. THIS WAS A GOOD CONSERVATIVE GROUP AND WE JUST HAD A GREAT BACK AND FORTH, AND HE WANTS TO KEEP THE DIALOGUE GOING WITH CONSERVATIVES. I WOULD SAY I AM HONORED TO BE AT THAT DINNER. I WAS HONORED TO MEET HIM. HE IS A VERY IMPRESSIVE MAN, AND I WISH HIM ALL THE LUCK IN THE WORLD BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SOME ISSUES TO DEAL WITH.

Francis: WHAT DID YOU EAT?

Kudlow: I CAN'T REMEMBER. I WAS SO FOCUSED ON HIM. I WAS SITTING ACROSS FROM HIM --

Francis: YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T EAT. MAYBE YOU DIDN'T TOUCH ANYTHING.

Kudlow: THE FOOD WAS EXCELLENT. I PROBABLY DIDN'T EAT A WHOLE LOT. IT WAS ALL VERY INTERESTING, AND HE'S A GOOD MAN, AND WE WILL SEE HOW HE DOES. THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY. WE WISH HIM THE BEST.