What A Difference A Meal Makes

By Josh Tyrangiel Reported By John F. Dickerson/Washington

George and Laura Bush finally sat down last week with the dark sheep of the political family: they had the McCains over for dinner. The couples discussed the challenges of rearing kids and providing national health care; no one got hurt. If the pre-Jeffords White House ignored McCain, the new McStrategy seems cribbed from Death of a Salesman: Attention must be paid. Deputy chief of staff Josh Bolten scuttled over to McCain's Senate office last week to talk about HMO reform, with Health Secretary Tommy Thompson in tow. This week Budget Director Mitch Daniels will woo McCain on defense spending. "A lot of White House officials are going to reach out," said a senior Administration official. At least for now, relations seem to have been smoothed, and talk of McCain's possibly bolting the Republican Party has died down. But the new detente will face immediate tests. McCain opposes Bush on a patient's bill of rights, gun control and government spending, issues likely to come up soon. Which means the White House chefs had better be on full alert.

--Reported by John F. Dickerson/Washington