First Look at GOP-Obama Tête à Tête

I’m getting a kick out of this wire photo from what’s been informally billed as the first post-shellacking GOP-Obama Summit.  Oh, the picture of innocence!

In the visual media realm, one of the most important rituals when it comes to personality politics is “the reintroduction.”  Here, in reintroducing themselves to the American people as the party that “can get along,” McConnell, Boehner and Cantor look like a bunch of kids polished up for a college interview — or guys across the table just about to start a speed dating session.

Remember these scrubbed, shining and all so pink and innocent faces, friends, because it’s all down (Capitol) hill from here.

My other take, solely based on the first wave of “Summit” pictures to hit the newswire: there are pics of GOP honchos and pics of Obama, but no shots of GOP honchos and Obama.  …Of course I’m interested in your read on this pic on any other photo from “the Summit” (please provide links), as well as any reference you find to the meeting and Obama’s fat lip.

(photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images. caption:  House Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-OH) (C) is flanked by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)(L) and House Majority Leader-elect Eric Cantor (R-VA) (R) while participating in a media briefing after GOP leaders met at the White House with U.S. President Barack Obama on November 30, 2010 in Washington, DC. In their first face-to-face meeting the leaders hoped to make progress in a compromise over the expiring Bush tax cuts.)