Capito Subject of White House Charm Offensive

The Hill counts U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, among 11 House GOP members asked over to the White House by Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel the evening before Wednesday's vote on the $819 billion stimulus bill.

"The invitation was part of a full-court press the new president and his staff employed as they tried to get at least some bipartisan support for the bill," the newspaper reports. "House Republicans had high praise for Obama’s willingness to visit them, but were not swayed by the personal appeal."

The Hill also reports that U.S. Sen Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., was on the guest list for the bipartisan White House cocktail reception that followed Wednesday's vote.