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Conservative Journalist Responds To 'Suspicions' About Obama Meeting, Praises President

Conservative Journalist Responds To 'Suspicions' About Obama Meeting
By 

Senior Media Editor, The Huffington Post

President Barack Obama talks about the the budget and the partial government shutdown, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in the Brady Press Room of the White House in Washington. The president said he told House Speaker John Boehner he's willing to negotiate with Republicans on their priorities, but not under the threat of "economic chaos." (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
President Barack Obama talks about the the budget and the partial government shutdown, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in the Brady Press Room of the White House in Washington. The president said he told House Speaker John Boehner he's willing to negotiate with Republicans on their priorities, but not under the threat of "economic chaos." (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

One of the conservative journalists who met with President Obama on Tuesday night responded to what he called "suspicions" about the off-the-record session.

The Washington Examiner's Byron York was one of a small group of reporters and columnists who sat down with the president. He was joined by columnists Kathleen Parker and Charles Krauthammer, Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Paul Gigot and National Review reporter Robert Costa.

Though there was relatively little outcry on the right about the meeting, at least some conservative outlets, such as Breitbart, chided the journalists for speaking to Obama.

On Wednesday morning, York responded to apparent questions about his decision:

To interested tweeps: Yes, I was at WH meeting Tuesday with President Obama. I agreed beforehand that content would be off the record…

— Byron York (@ByronYork) October 9, 2013

It was good meeting; really helped me better understand WH perspective on current matters…

— Byron York (@ByronYork) October 9, 2013

As far as OTR is concerned, on Monday I had long talk with a leader of the defund Obamacare effort, combo background and off-the-record…

— Byron York (@ByronYork) October 9, 2013

I understand the suspicions, but in my experience these meetings do not involve exchange of any secrets; rather, they are way…

— Byron York (@ByronYork) October 9, 2013
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…for officials to expand and explain their positions in little more open way that allows me to better understand what is going on.

— Byron York (@ByronYork) October 9, 2013

Finally, I was impressed Obama invited conservative journalists in. He didn't have to, but he did, and I thought that was a good thing.

— Byron York (@ByronYork) October 9, 2013

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