/ Source: The Associated Press
Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe has turned down a White House invitation to attend President Barack Obama's health care summit on Thursday.
The Maine senator is one of the few Republicans the White House has courted throughout the year on the issue, and she received a call from the White House Wednesday morning asking her to attend the bipartisan event.
In a statement, her office said she appreciated the invitation, but since she wasn't chosen under long-standing rules for the event, it wouldn't be appropriate for her to attend.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell selected four senators for the summit.
Snowe was the only Republican to vote for a health care bill during Senate Finance Committee deliberations last year.