From Holden:
[T]he President will be meeting with some Republican members of the House to talk about the importance of strengthening Social Security and acting to address it this year. That’s part of his ongoing discussions that he’s having with members of Congress to get this important priority done this year.
Q Who?
MR. McCLELLAN: We’ll try to get you names later today.
Q Any coverage?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, no coverage on that.
Q — leadership, or is it just —
MR. McCLELLAN: It’s some House Republican members. We’ll work on giving you names later.
Q — will it be —
MR. McCLELLAN: We’ll work on getting you the names later.
Q What about the category of them?
Q Are they people who are skeptical about Social Security?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, he’s had a number of meetings. He’s going to continue to have a number of meetings. And these are some House Republicans that — we’ll try to get you the list later today.
Q Can you say they’re all confirmed “yes” votes for his proposal?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I’ll let those members speak for themselves.
Q How did you pick them, just by height, or by name?
Cripes! Could it be that none of the stalwart republicans meeting with the president to discuss his plan to demolish Social Security want it to be known that they are meeting with the president to discuss his plan to demolish Social Security?
Later, Helen had a couple of questions about how the Republican National Committee is assisting the president’s bi-partisan approach to “fixing” Social Security [Frankly, I heard that new RNC chair Ken Mehlman is himself a bi-partisan, if you know what I mean (and I think you do).] .
Q Is the President going to ask the RNC to back off of Harry Reid at all?
MR. McCLELLAN: I’m sorry?
Q Is the President going to ask the RNC to back off —
MR. McCLELLAN: I think the President has made it very clear that he intends to work closely with members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, on our common priorities. And the President wants to work closely — that includes working closely with Senator Reid. The President has reached out to him and will continue to do so on ways we can work together to advance common priorities.
[snip]
Q Is he finding it constructive, though, what the RNC is doing? Is that helping him at all in his effort to reach —
MR. McCLELLAN: Again, the President’s focus is on reaching out to all members who want to work together to advance our shared priorities. And that’s what he will —
Q Does the letter —
MR. McCLELLAN: — and Senator — well, you can talk to the Republican National Committee about what they did. I’m not familiar with all the aspects of what they’re doing.
Q It’s not like they do what they do in a vacuum —
MR. McCLELLAN: I can tell you — I speak for the President — I can tell you that the President has made it very clear time and time again that he is interested in working together to accomplish the people’s business here in Washington, D.C. And that’s what he will continue to do. He has talked to Senator Reid on a number of occasions since the election, reached out in private phone conversations, as well as talked to him last night in the private dinner that he invited him to attend at the White House. That’s the way the President will continue to operate.
[and later]
Q Does he or does he not support the letter from the RNC about Senator Reid?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think I addressed — I think I’ve addressed the issue.
Q You just dodged the question.
MR. McCLELLAN: I think you can direct those questions — you can direct questions about RNC letters to the RNC just like you would about the Democratic National Committee. The President is committed to reaching out and working together on shared priorities. That’s what he’ll continue to do.