I well remember how during the worst of the student uprisings, the governor met with some of the leaders of the Berkley Free Speech Movement - some of the most extreme radical liberals in a very radical time. He had them in for a working lunch which wound up taking most of the afternoon ... and they emerged blinking and astonished with some rather warm things to say about him!


Some of the extreme hard right Orange County conservatives were seething, but Gov. Reagan had once again brilliantly disarmed his opponents, and the student riots soon eased. Gov Reagan NEVER conceded on sending in the troopers and the National Guard to quell disturbances and some would say that despite meeting with the radical left ... he remained free of the liberal taint.


Obama has not put a single liberal economist on his team, staying entirely with the Robert Rubin/Wall Street types and Bush holdovers instead. He has not until now even MET with any of the liberal economists. Surely you are not saying that he cannot speak to all sides and try to bring them along as Reagan did? That is exactly what the best political leaders DO - and exactly what Obama SAID he would do.


It is always better to talk with than to shun your opponents.