The president found himself on the defensive about mixing outside his social circle, but the record says Republican leaders spurned his invitations repeatedly.

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President Obama says he'd like to socialize with Republicans, but they aren't responding to his overtures. So which is it, a remote president or an opposition party that refuses to hang out with him?

The White House screening of Lincoln on November 15 offers a bit of a counterpoint to GOP and press complaints about Obama's aloofness. Director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner were there, along with cast members Daniel Day-Lewis, James Spader, Sally Field, and Tommy Lee Jones.

Sounds like an irresistible invitation, right? Wrong.

The only lawmakers at the screening were Democrats -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Reps. James Clyburn and John Lewis. No Republicans attended, though several were invited, according to a Democrat familiar with the guest list. House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell turned down the invitation, as did Senators Lamar Alexander, Tom Coburn, and Olympia Snowe.