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Obama holds off-record meeting with MSNBC hosts, liberal pundits

President Obama held an off-the-record meeting with MSNBC hosts and liberal pundits on Thursday, POLITICO has learned.

Present at the meeting: MSNBC's Ed Schultz and Lawrence O'Donnell, Washington Post economics blogger Ezra Klein, Mother Jones Washington bureau chief David Corn, Talking Points Memo editor and publisher Josh Marshall, ThinkProgress editor-in-chief Judd Legum, Atlantic senior editor Garance Franke-Ruta, Salon political writer Brian Beutler and Fox News contributor Juan Williams.

The participants agreed to an off-the-record classification for the meeting, though sources familiar with President Obama's remarks said that Williams later appeared on Fox News and cited some of the president's remarks, which he attributed to administration officials.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment regarding the meeting.

As I reported earlier this month, Obama has held several meetings with thought leaders from across the political spectrum during his presidency. The liberal confabs are seen by the White House as an opportunity to shape talking points and shore up support from the base -- something that has grown all the more important for the administration as Obama's approval ratings hit record lows.