secret consultations?

There was some kind of off-the-record meeting between the president and a bipartisan group of Senators on Monday night. Senator Bob Corker [R-TN] told a Foreign Relations Committee hearing,

“I know several of us were involved in a very bizarre discussion last night. This continues a very bizarre discussion,” Corker said at another point.

The Tennessee Republican did not say where or with whom the meeting took place (or why it was bizarre).

I hope we learn more, but this is probably a good thing. The president has been criticized for not reaching out to members of Congress more frequently. And Senators are always demanding to be "consulted" and not just "informed" about administration policy.

I believe the best way to restore a collaborative approach to foreign policy, rather than the current highly partisan and contentious one, is to have genuine consultations, respect for the institutional roles of the legislative and executive branches, and a regular order for legislation -- that is, actually passing bills and considering amendments, not just posturing and poison pill amendments.