President Obama “regales” San Francisco liberals with GOP quips:
SAN FRANCISCO — Hours after President Obama met privately with Senate Republicans at the Capitol on Tuesday, he was here on the West Coast, regaling Democratic donors with his version of the 75-minute luncheon squabble.
Making light of the parties’ differences over just about every issue and of his nearly dashed hopes for a post-partisan era, the president said he told the Republicans, “The day has passed when I expected this to be a full partnership.”
Mr. Obama mischievously said the luncheon in Washington was closed at the Senate Republicans’ request — unlike an earlier such session with House Republicans in which, by most accounts, Mr. Obama got the better of the televised argument.
“We agreed to let the press in on that one. This one not so much,” he quipped, to laughter from an audience of roughly 1,000 people who had contributed $250 or $500 each.