President Barack Obama will host 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney at the White House on Thursday, in their first meeting since the November 6 election. The announcement was made by White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, according to CNN.
"On Thursday, Governor Romney will have a private lunch at the White House with President Obama in the Private Dining Room," Carney said. "It will be the first opportunity they have had to visit since the election. There will be no press coverage of the meeting."
According to the AP, Obama promised in his victory speech on Nov. 6 "to engage with Romney and consider his ideas."
The meeting comes amid Obama and congressional Republicans' fiscal cliff negotiations, and the president's Wednesday meeting with 15 business executives who backed his rival during the presidential campaign — according to USA Today.
Obama hopes these members of the business community persuade Republicans to sign off on a debt reduction proposal that includes higher taxes on the rich.
Politico says some of the Romney backers who will meet the president include:
— Frank Blake, Chairman and CEO, The Home Depot
— Lloyd Blankfein, Chairman and CEO, Goldman Sachs Group
— Joe Echeverria, CEO, Deloitte LLP
— Ken Frazier, President and CEO, Merck and Co.
— Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO, Coca Cola
— Terry Lundgren, Chairman, President, and CEO, Macy's Inc.
— Marissa Mayer, CEO and President, Yahoo!
— Douglas Oberhelman, Chairman and CEO, Caterpillar
— Ian Read, Chairman and CEO, Pfizer
— Brian Roberts, Chairman and CEO, Comcast
— Ed Rust, Chairman and CEO, State Farm Insurance Co.
— Arne Sorenson, President and CEO, Marriott
— Randall Stephenson, Chairman and CEO, AT&T
— Patricia Woertz, President and CEO, Archer Daniels Midland
A couple of Twitter reactions to the sudden Obama-Romney bromance:
Thoughts?
