Bush Invites Democrats Belatedly
WASHINGTON — The top two Democrats on Capitol Hill got belated invitations from the White House on Thursday to meet next week with President Bush, congressional aides said.
A day after Bush aides said Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota and House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri had already been invited to the White House, the two lawmakers got their invitations by telephone, aides for the lawmakers said.
The White House calls came a day after Daschle and Gephardt sent a letter to Bush asking for a meeting with him to discuss how he plans to pay for a variety of initiatives in the face of a shrinking budget surplus.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan was quoted Thursday by the New York Times as saying “the letter was odd†since Bush had meetings set Tuesday with Daschle and Friday with Gephardt.
The Democratic leaders and their aides learned of the meetings from the newspaper, their aides said.
“This is a perfect metaphor for how the White House has dealt with the Democratic leadership,†said Gephardt spokesman Eric Smith. “Rhetoric first, action second.â€
White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said Bush looks forward to more meetings with Democratic leaders.
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