What Passes As Journalism In the Beltway

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Rachel Maddow calls out Politico for just running quotes without checking facts. An off-the-record Republican staffer claimed to

The roots of the partisan standoff that led to the postponement of the bipartisan White House summit scheduled for Thursday date back to January, when President Barack Obama dominated a GOP meeting in Baltimore and delivered a humiliating rebuke to House Republicans.

The one-sided televised presidential lecture, which many Republicans decried as a political ambush — Obama’s staff wanted the event to be broadcast and GOP aides agreed reluctantly at the last minute — has left a lingering distrust of Obama invitations and a wariness about accommodating every scheduling request emanating from the West Wing, aides tell POLITICO.

“He has a ways to go to rebuild the trust,” said a top Republican Hill staffer “The Baltimore thing was unbelievable.”

The original version of the Politico article had the GOP staffer claim that House Republicans didn't even know Obama was going to come to speak at their event. That is rather surprising considering Republicans invited Obama. Rep. Mike Pence sent out a press release announcing Obama would be at the retreat.

House Republicans are grateful that the President of the United States has accepted our invitation to meet with the Republican Conference later this month.

House Republicans look forward to presenting the president with our proposals to protect our nation, create jobs, control federal spending, lower the cost of health care, achieve energy independence and strengthen families.

What House Republicans are really angry about is that they offered the invitation with the thought that Obama would not come. Republicans thought they could get good PR by using the retreat to prove Obama is not bipartisan. Unfortunately for Republicans, Obama is bipartisan to a fault and much better on television. Obama won a debate with a bunch of Republicans that aren't used to getting called out on their talking points.