You are a moron.

That is all.

I have to wonder how President [Bush, I suppose you mean] would have been treated if he had dined with a number of liberal columnists and leaders?

We'll never know, Steve, because Bush didn't have the cojones to try it.

Another feather in the cap of conservatives for being civilized about politics.

Ha ha, heehee... Steve, you crack me up. Unfortunately for these so called "conservatives", Red State will soon have them on their "leper" list.

So, Obama had dinner with Kruathammer, and what can be best described as three centrists.

They probably aren't true Scotsmen either.

Remember in Bitworld anyone with any opinion Bit considers to be to his left is not a real conservative. This is able to excuse any failing of anyone considered by most rational people as conservative because invariably he will not consider them a real conservative. In his world Bush failed* because he was not hard line conservative enough. There is no real point in engaging unless you want to watch him spin this nonsense.

* to whatever extent he will admit that he did fail

No, funny, he's not.

Actually, I find him hilarious, especially when he gets on that Sarah Palin thing he does.

I don't remember the particular defense you speak of.

Kristol is a centrist? Very funny.

No, funny, he's not.
He was among those defending Bush from the right wing, remember?

The guy's a centerist.

Brooks can be centrist on some issues. I don't read that much of Will so I don't know much except that EVERYONE calls him a conservative.

You're trying to promulgate the false meme that this is a "center-right" country. It is not.

I will disagree. He is apt to respond to disagreement in ways little short of the Coulters and Moores of the world, resorting to personal attacks which go way out of bounds.

Or even, after the Iraq War or Katrina. Keeping one's opponents on civil terms is simply smart and good for the country. You can disagree without being disagreeable.

If highly educated elites can’t even have a civil dinner conversation across the political divide, we’ve got a problem.

I don't see how you can make the case that this wasn't the exact situation during the six years of republican rule. And yes, we now have a LOT of problems as a result.

In any case, many are correct in saying that this is unsurprising. Nevertheless it is a good sign, and one more indication that we are returning to a meritocracy after eight years of wearing ideological blinders.