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I'd probably use palaver. My assumption is that the meeting is for the benefit of Phelps, to help him frame the issues in the way they are likely to be framed by the media and the public, so as to come off a bit better in future, more public, discussions. The word has several shades of meaning, definition one is

1a : a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication
1b : conference, discussion

And there is this historical note on the etymology -

During the 18th century, Portuguese and English sailors often met during trading trips along the West African coast. This contact prompted the English to borrow the Portuguese palavra, which usually means "speech" or "word" but was used by Portuguese traders with the specific meaning "discussions with natives." The Portuguese word traces back to the Late Latin parabola, a noun meaning "speech" or "parable," which in turn comes from the Greek parabolē, meaning "juxtaposition" or "comparison."

"Palaver." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2017.

I like this word specifically because the LGBT issue in the military has long been framed as a battle over "military culture" in the US.
https://www.cmrlink.org/content/military-culture-and-diversity
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/06/18/glaad-military-roundtable-culture-change-gay-bisexual-transgender-lgbt-lesbian-homosexual-troops/28919291/

Considering the highly loaded subject matter, which could, and possibly still can, get a govt employee fired just for expressing (the wrong) opinion about it, I am assuming that the meeting was not for the public record. If it was, I wouldn't use the term.

I'd probably use palaver. My assumption is that the meeting is for the benefit of Phelps, to help him frame the issues in the way they are likely to be framed by the media and the public, so as to come off a bit better in future, more public, discussions. The word has several shades of meaning, definition one is

1a : a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication
1b : conference, discussion

And there is this historical note on the etymology -

During the 18th century, Portuguese and English sailors often met during trading trips along the West African coast. This contact prompted the English to borrow the Portuguese palavra, which usually means "speech" or "word" but was used by Portuguese traders with the specific meaning "discussions with natives." The Portuguese word traces back to the Late Latin parabola, a noun meaning "speech" or "parable," which in turn comes from the Greek parabolē, meaning "juxtaposition" or "comparison."

"Palaver." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2017.

I like this word specifically because the LGBT issue in the military has long been framed as a battle over "military culture" in the US.
https://www.cmrlink.org/content/military-culture-and-diversity
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/06/18/glaad-military-roundtable-culture-change-gay-bisexual-transgender-lgbt-lesbian-homosexual-troops/28919291/

I'd probably use palaver. My assumption is that the meeting is for the benefit of Phelps, to help him frame the issues in the way they are likely to be framed by the media and the public, so as to come off a bit better in future, more public, discussions. The word has several shades of meaning, definition one is

1a : a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication
1b : conference, discussion

And there is this historical note on the etymology -

During the 18th century, Portuguese and English sailors often met during trading trips along the West African coast. This contact prompted the English to borrow the Portuguese palavra, which usually means "speech" or "word" but was used by Portuguese traders with the specific meaning "discussions with natives." The Portuguese word traces back to the Late Latin parabola, a noun meaning "speech" or "parable," which in turn comes from the Greek parabolē, meaning "juxtaposition" or "comparison."

"Palaver." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2017.

I like this word specifically because the LGBT issue in the military has long been framed as a battle over "military culture" in the US.  https://www.cmrlink.org/content/military-culture-and-diversity

Considering the highly loaded subject matter, which could, and possibly still can, get a govt employee fired just for expressing (the wrong) opinion about it, I am assuming that the meeting was not for the public record. If it was, I wouldn't use the term.

I'd probably use palaver. My assumption is that the meeting is for the benefit of Phelps, to help him frame the issues in the way they are likely to be framed by the media and the public, so as to come off a bit better in future, more public, discussions. The word has several shades of meaning, definition one is

1a : a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication
1b : conference, discussion

And there is this historical note on the etymology -

During the 18th century, Portuguese and English sailors often met during trading trips along the West African coast. This contact prompted the English to borrow the Portuguese palavra, which usually means "speech" or "word" but was used by Portuguese traders with the specific meaning "discussions with natives." The Portuguese word traces back to the Late Latin parabola, a noun meaning "speech" or "parable," which in turn comes from the Greek parabolē, meaning "juxtaposition" or "comparison."

"Palaver." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2017.

I like this word specifically because the LGBT issue in the military has long been framed as a battle over "military culture" in the US. 
https://www.cmrlink.org/content/military-culture-and-diversity
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/06/18/glaad-military-roundtable-culture-change-gay-bisexual-transgender-lgbt-lesbian-homosexual-troops/28919291/

Considering the highly loaded subject matter, which could, and possibly still can, get a govt employee fired just for expressing (the wrong) opinion about it, I am assuming that the meeting was not for the public record. If it was, I wouldn't use the term.

I'd probably use palaver. My assumption is that the meeting is for the benefit of Phelps, to help him frame the issues in the way they are likely to be framed by the media and the public, so as to come off a bit better in future, more public, discussions. The word has several shades of meaning, definition one is

1a : a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication
1b : conference, discussion

And there is this historical note on the etymology -

During the 18th century, Portuguese and English sailors often met during trading trips along the West African coast. This contact prompted the English to borrow the Portuguese palavra, which usually means "speech" or "word" but was used by Portuguese traders with the specific meaning "discussions with natives." The Portuguese word traces back to the Late Latin parabola, a noun meaning "speech" or "parable," which in turn comes from the Greek parabolē, meaning "juxtaposition" or "comparison."

"Palaver." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2017.

Considering the highly loaded subject matter, which could, and possibly still can, get a govt employee fired just for expressing (the wrong) opinion about it, I am assuming that the meeting was not for the public record. If it was, I wouldn't use the term.

I'd probably use palaver. My assumption is that the meeting is for the benefit of Phelps, to help him frame the issues in the way they are likely to be framed by the media and the public, so as to come off a bit better in future, more public, discussions. The word has several shades of meaning, definition one is

1a : a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication
1b : conference, discussion

And there is this historical note on the etymology -

During the 18th century, Portuguese and English sailors often met during trading trips along the West African coast. This contact prompted the English to borrow the Portuguese palavra, which usually means "speech" or "word" but was used by Portuguese traders with the specific meaning "discussions with natives." The Portuguese word traces back to the Late Latin parabola, a noun meaning "speech" or "parable," which in turn comes from the Greek parabolē, meaning "juxtaposition" or "comparison."

"Palaver." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2017.

I like this word specifically because the LGBT issue in the military has long been framed as a battle over "military culture" in the US. https://www.cmrlink.org/content/military-culture-and-diversity

Considering the highly loaded subject matter, which could, and possibly still can, get a govt employee fired just for expressing (the wrong) opinion about it, I am assuming that the meeting was not for the public record. If it was, I wouldn't use the term.