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PEBO to Honor McCain at Pre-Inaugural Dinner

January 10, 2009 12:15 PM

The president-elect may have said that election rival Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has "tired" and "old" ideas -- and McCain's campaign may have said that President-elect Obama has palled around with terrorists -- but Mr. Obama is honoring his former nemesis in a pre-Inaugural dinner, one of three the president-elect is hosting to honor public officials who have reached across party lines.

In three separate dinners the night before the inauguration, Mr. Obama will honor McCain, Vice President-elect Sen. Joe Biden and Gen. Colin Powell (Ret.).

"In these times of great challenge and great change, leadership requires rising above the same old narrow partisanship," said Obama in a statement.  "Each of these distinguished Americans has spent his life in service to his country, at each and every moment placing the interests of America before issues of political party. That is precisely the spirit of common purpose we need as we begin the work ahead."

The dinners will take place at the National Building Museum, Union Station and the Hilton Washington.

- jpt

January 10, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (45)

User Comments

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Most of your guys need to get a life. The man is our president, like it or not. He is trying to govern in a post-partisan manner, and you idiots are still voicing the same separatist and angry rhetoric that gets us nowhere. It was a great gesture. Accept it at face value and get let it go. That is the problem with this country. Idiot citizens rant and rave about nonsense and spew hatred and nasty rhetoric time and again. Like my mother used to say, if you don't have something positive to say, shut the hell up.

Posted by: gary | Jan 14, 2009 7:18:30 PM

It's all to make Obama look like he's "genuine". How "genuine" is he going to be with all the promises he's made to the American Public?? He called for smaller government - well, folks, guess what - it's tripled in size.

Posted by: jill | Jan 13, 2009 3:34:41 PM

John McCain would have been a better
president than Obama.

Posted by: christine | Jan 12, 2009 4:02:40 PM

Dear Paige,

you are wrong. If it weren't for
Sarah Palin, McCain would not have had
as much support. She is more articulate than he is and smarter too.
She will run in 2012, maybe even against
Hillary someday ....She has more
experience than Obama does as of now!
and will keep getting more!!

Posted by: christine | Jan 12, 2009 4:01:13 PM

"Oh God.....I hope Elvis will be there!"

No, sorry. Sen McCain has requested Pat Boone instead.

Posted by: kat | Jan 11, 2009 9:32:00 PM

Oh God.....I hope Elvis will be there!

Posted by: commrat72 | Jan 11, 2009 3:06:34 PM

I agree, what in the world does Sarah Palin have to do with anything concerning this event.

The left are no obsessed, it is the radical right wing who are trying to cleanse her soiled image

Posted by: Kathy | Jan 11, 2009 12:31:21 PM

Sorry to be so trivial -- but could you give a little more detail on how you schedule three different dinners to honor three different people at three different locations on the same day? And without protocol problems??

Posted by: Margaret | Jan 11, 2009 8:53:55 AM

What the hell does Sarah Palin have to do with any of this. The left is obsessed with her.

Posted by: Peace Train | Jan 11, 2009 1:35:35 AM

i think it is a great idea to have this on MLK day. my only problem would be if he was not planning on a dinner also honoring Julian Bond, John Lewis, and Andrew Young...he is going to have a dinner honoring these GREAT men on MLK day right? I sure hope so.

Posted by: Lisa H. | Jan 11, 2009 1:21:34 AM

So if Obama and McCain buddy up and Republicans don't accept Johnny Mac as one of their own, does BHO still get credit towards his Bipartisan Merit Badge?

Posted by: tjp | Jan 11, 2009 12:33:50 AM

This is a good sign. I hope that Obama will continue to work with McCain towards bipartisan solutions to the major challenges facing our country.

Posted by: Laurel Federbush | Jan 10, 2009 11:03:59 PM

This is class. Great Obama for inviting Great Americans at a diner. No Palin the governor of the tundra, No war in Irak, but puting America first, that is an admirable gesture.

Posted by: BKMC | Jan 10, 2009 10:58:49 PM

Palin may make some neocons happy (remember all the ones that she didn't?), but you can not win an election without independents and some crossover votes. You can love Palin all you want, but if that is the choice of the Republican party, they are in HUGE trouble.


Posted by: Paige | Jan 10, 2009 8:19:44 PM

And yes the war is won in Iraq. Our PM past John Howard has gone to Washington to receive an award from GB for his [our] staunch support during the war. Credit to GB for going against the majority of his people to stay the course until the job was done. Imagine the situation America would be in now if GB pulled out of Iraq before the war was won. More 9/11s maybe? The most unpopular President has paid quite a price to secure that victory.

Posted by: Oliva | Jan 10, 2009 8:14:13 PM

people will begin to see what the usurper is really up to & then ur bubble will burst!.........

Posted by: caroltate2 | Jan 10, 2009 8:10:22 PM

Palin saved McCain's reputation in the Election. Without her he would have lost in a landslide. Look at it this way who do the great majority of Repubs follow and respect now? Palin of course. Palin has the courage and determination to lead the Repubs to their next Presidential victory and she has the biggest dedicated popular support, outside President.
Palin's here to stay!

Posted by: Oliva | Jan 10, 2009 8:07:41 PM

Why do people keep ragging on the war in Iraq......we've won!....the media won't tell u cause they want the usurper to get into office first & then give him the credit...........READ PEOPLES BE INFORMED!......Sarah isn't going away so face it & if u think Clinton will support any other woman for president......I got some junk I can sell u for antiques......

Posted by: caroltate2 | Jan 10, 2009 8:06:48 PM

Kyle Salerno---i think the administration gave Powell a bogus dossier and sent him to the UN. i'm sure he believed at the time he was telling the truth. once he realized that the WMD was a sham he resigned. too bad Bush got his war, too bad for all of us, especially the soldiers and the families of soldiers.

i think that was why Powell was so upset. this affected the lives of American soldiers and to him that meant a great deal. Cheney, specifically, could not possibly have cared less.

Posted by: Paul Wall | Jan 10, 2009 7:25:20 PM

Some of this stuff is pretty funny. A couple of months ago John McCain was the Republican party's knight in shining armor, now pretty much every Repub here wants to throw him under the bus--the man they (the RNC) chose to lead their party in the election. Now that he lost, it's all his fault and he's a bum. Maybe part of it actually is his fault-he did choose that "Wacko from Wasilla" to be his running mate after knowing her what, 15 minutes?

Posted by: Larry | Jan 10, 2009 7:11:56 PM

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