Burton: Obama, GOP senators 'civil'

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, May 26 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama's meeting with Senate Republicans was not as intense as some media reported, Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said Wednesday.

"No, I would say we (the president and Burton) had a pretty good laugh about it on Air Force One, actually, to read some of the press reports of how hot and tense people described this meeting as," Burton told reporters on Air Force One. "I think even as Senator (John) Cornyn (R-Texas) said, it was not that hot or tense of a meeting. People went in there, they asked questions, there was a good exchange, it was pretty civil."

Burton said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., may have been among those Republicans whose "heart was racing a little fast when he was talking to the president, but it was not an exchange where anybody thought it was particularly tense."

Burton said the two sides may have a different definition of bipartisanship when it comes to developing legislation.

Asked about Obama's sarcastic reference to the meeting as "warm and cuddly," Burton replied "this wasn't like he was going to his Bible study or something like that with all of his neighbors. It was a meeting with the opposition party, right? So there was applause when he left."

Asked whether he would characterize the applause as enthusiastic or tepid, a question that brought laughter from the assembled reporters, Burton replied, "Super psyched," producing more laughter.