Obama's Thanksgiving Dinner: So Much for Bi-Partisanship!

At this point, the White House has not officially released its guest list for Thanksgiving dinner; however, word has begun leaking out with regards to who is not invited -- leading Republican lawmakers.  Here's the story from The Washington Times (emphasis added):

Top Republican lawmakers not invited to State dinner

While the White House is mum about who will be among the 300 or so lucky invitees to President Obama's first state dinner Tuesday night, word is already leaking out about who's not on the A-list.
Chief among the non-attendees: top Republican lawmakers. 

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner won't be there; he's on Thanksgiving break and home in Ohio. His deputy, Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, also didn't get an invitation to the dinner.

The president didn't invite his 2008 rival, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, even though Mr. Obama the candidate pledged a post-partisan presidency. 

Most senators will be back in their home states during the holiday break, and few Republicans want to return to Washington for a party packed with Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell received an invitation but decided to skip the dinner.

"Sen. McConnell is with his constituents this week and will be at Kentucky events tomorrow and tomorrow night," Don Stewart, the senator's communications director, said Monday.

Some top Democrats also found themselves out of the loop. Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who turned out to be a pivotal player in Saturday's health care vote, didn't rate an invitation. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana, who wrote the first draft of the bill, also didn't get the vaunted engraved invitation to the black-tie dinner.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Democrat turned independent who will be crucial to the fate of health care reform, won't be attending the dinner. He prefers to stay in Connecticut.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was invited to Monday night's session in the White House Situation Room to discuss Afghanistan but not to the dinner on Tuesday. Although Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will be there, her husband, Bill - a fierce Obama critic during his wife's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination - will not. 

There's much speculation about who will attend. According to rumors, talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, who endorsed Mr. Obama during the campaign, will be attending. Reports emerged Monday that Hollywood will be in the house: DreamWorks partners David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg, along with Sony Pictures Entertainment Chairman Michael Lynton and WME Entertainment Agency co-CEO Ari Emanuel, will attend, according to deadline.com.

Fascinating how it's rumored (again, I emphasize "rumored") that top Hollywood folks are invited, such as Oprah and movieproducers and exectuives.   I wonder if Obama's guest list will be made up of those "useful idiots" who will help crank out yet more "we-love-Obama" proganda in order to keep the people hopeful.  I wonder if some of his questionable associates will be attending as well.

Who knows ... maybe the Right is being defensive and too quickly jumping to conclusions.  Maybe it's Obama's inability to make a decision that's delayed the release of the guest list.  Perhaps he's meeting with advisors and seeking their input before making such touch choices.  I wonder, then, if the dinner will be delayed more than the near 90 days it's taking Dear Leader to decide on Afghanistan.