President Barack Obama hosted a massive party over the weekend with Prince and Stevie Wonder and played a round of golf. One thing he didn’t do was talk to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.  

Pelosi, of course, helped tomahawk his trade agenda Friday after spending weeks trying to find a way to pass it, and Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Obama to work with Pelosi on her concerns. The reality is the White House had been working with her already before she stuck the knife in the deal. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough spoke to the California Democrat earlier Monday, press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters, but he declined to read out the conversation.  

Earnest said the president remains confident his trade agenda will eventually pass the Congress, noting there is a bipartisan majority for it despite the “procedural snafu” last week.  

He also said Obama hopes to talk to Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, later Monday and that McDonough also spoke to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.  

Earnest said the president and first lady paid for the party, and said the president reserves the right to hold private events for friends that are not disclosed on the public schedule. Earnest also said the White House wasn’t likely to make the guest list public either.  

As for the president’s commitment to transparency, Earnest said the fact that the private party was being discussed at the briefing shows his commitment.