"To the Trilateral Commission and Its New Leader–Watson"

February 18, 2011 at 9:05 am PT

The White House has posted a single photo from the Silicon Valley dinner President Obama attended last night. Beyond confirming the guest list that made the rounds Thursday, it’s largely unremarkable–unless you’re inclined to see great import in the seating arrangement at the dining table.

At the president’s right hand, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg; at his left, Apple CEO Steve Jobs. And when Obama looked across the centerpiece, there were the piercing eyes of Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. Note that Jobs and Google CEO Eric Schmidt are safely separated, in keeping with the first rule of dinner-party seating–avoid fistfights.

The theme of the evening’s conversation? Said White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, “The president specifically discussed his proposals to invest in research and development and expand incentives for companies to grow and hire.”

[Image credit: Flickr/WhiteHouse]

Tagged with: Apple, Art Levinson, Barack Obama, Carol Bartz, Cisco, clean energy, Dick Costolo, digital, dinner, education, Eric Schmidt, executives, Facebook, Genentech, Google, guest list, innovation, Internet, John Chambers, John Doerr, John Hennessy, John Paczkowski, Larry Ellison, Léo Apotheker, Mark Zuckerberg, Netflix, Oracle, politics, private, Reed Hastings, Silicon Valley, Stanford, Steve Jobs, Steve Westly, Twitter, Westley Group, Yahoo

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http://dwschulze.pip.verisignlabs.com/ Dean Schulze

After seeing this picture I don’t know whether I should laugh or throw up.

A group of the most capable executives in the world having dinner with the most incompetent executive we’ve ever had in the White House.

Why do wildly profitable and innovative companies like Google and Apple need money from the most indebted government in history for R&D? They don’t, of course. Obama needs their money to try and get reelected.

Maybe in California this kind of thing helps the images of these companies, but the rest of the country will be more skeptical.
http://twitter.com/Snaggy Snaggy

omg, that’s the first time I noticed Larry Ellison at the table.

Bravest. President. Ever.
Anonymous

I love you Tea Party nut jobs. You’re going to give the greatest President since Lincoln a second term. Thank you. I can’t wait to see his profile on Rushmore in twenty years!
Anonymous

I suspect most people at that table would like it really well if that google guy sat in the kitchen.
Anonymous

Your irony was so thick, I had to cut it with a knife. Hey, maybe someone can use that knife in twenty years…
Anonymous

Stop and think for a moment. Obama didn’t invite brilliant captains of industry over for dinner to chitchat about Jersey Shore and the new Radiohead album, then beg for money/throw money at them. The president is soliciting their ideas in an attempt to ground himself in sound pro-business policy to, as quoted above, “expand incentives … to grow and hire”.

If we’re lucky, he’ll listen to them in lieu of the likes of Geithner, Krugman, et. al.
Anonymous

Anything that gets President Obama out of Washington, DC and it’s bankrupt 19th century way of thinking is good for the country.

The idea that President Obama is the most incompetent executive we’ve ever had in the White House is so preposterous it says bad things about you, not about him. George W. Bush had Attention Deficit Disorder, an IQ of about 65, and the morals of a 2 year old child. Ronald Reagan had Alzheimer’s for most of his term … he pitched movie ideas to sheepish reporters like it was the 1950′s and he was still in Hollywood. I disagree with a lot of the things President Obama has done and said — because they’re not liberal enough — but there is no doubt the man is competent.
Anonymous

It looks like he is not wearing his ball gag.
http://dwschulze.pip.verisignlabs.com/ Dean Schulze

It’s a little late to “ground himself in sound pro-business policy”. You should be a little more skeptical or white house press releases.

I share your low opinion of Geitner, but Obama appointed him and continues to listen to him. Of course, why would Obama know any better?
http://dwschulze.pip.verisignlabs.com/ Dean Schulze

John,

How would you rate Obama’s competence in these areas:

The economy

Handling the Gulf oil spill

Understanding what is going on in Egypt and responding to it.

Reading from a teleprompter