“Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” – Louis Brandeis, December 20, 1913

I have never seen anything quite like today’s televised Q&A session with President Obama and Republican members of the House of Representatives at their retreat in Baltimore.  A couple of quick impressions:

* It was fascinating to see meaningful issues discussed in a style reminiscent of the British Prime Minister’s Questions.

* Certainly Obama comes off looking very good. He was commanding, energized, and appeared to enjoy the respectful sparring.  He had a happy warrior quality about him as he dismantled tired talking-points, which sounded limp outside the echo chamber comfort of a television studio and publicly shamed them for some of the nonsense that has been passing for political dialogue.

* Though I suspect that many Republicans will consider it a mistake to approve the White House’s request to allow television cameras into the meeting room–and maybe for agreeing to meeting with the president at all–I was impressed in style and substance with the questions of representatives Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Jason Chaffetz of Utah, and Peter Roskam of Illinois, who focused on legitimate issues instead of the kind of process or  gothca type inquiries so often asked by members of the press in other forums.  Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Jeb Hensarling of Texas, not so much.

* Obama referenced (slightly inaccurately) a quote from Louis Brandeis, who would become the first Jewish U.S. Supreme Court justice three years later.  Responding to a question from Ryan about wasteful spending, the president expressed support for placing earmark requests online, saying, “I think sunshine is the best disinfectant.”  Brandeis, who was an early and vocal advocate of transparency in government wrote in a December 20, 1913 Harper’s Weekly article on the benefits of financial disclousre, “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” It has been a favorite term of those advocating getting things out in the open ever since.