Let?s break down the recent flap over a House Republican caucus meeting last week at which proponents and opponents of legalizing video poker spoke and reporters were excluded.

? Good idea: Exposing lawmakers, especially new members, to the pros and cons of a complex, controversial issue early in the session.

? Bad idea: Doing it as a private caucus meeting rather than a public committee meeting or open luncheon program in the Legislative Building auditorium.

? Good idea: Involving freshmen in the leadership of House committees and subcommittees.

? Bad idea: Involving Rep. Mike Stone in the leadership of a panel overseeing the gambling issue, even though he owns retail property that offers video-sweepstakes terminals. If House leaders didn’t even know about the conflict, then another bad idea was not to ask all potential committee leaders about potential conflicts and then take appropriate action.

? Good idea: Talking to the press, and thus to the electorate, about legislative issues and personal business related to legislative issues.

? Bad idea: Ejecting the News & Observer?s Andy Curliss from last week’s caucus meeting, then giving him poorly reasoned responses to his legitimate questions and expecting the experienced reporter not to follow up with well-researched, hard-hitting articles.

? Good idea: Actively considering any proposal that would both enhance individual freedom and alleviate fiscal stress on next year’s budget.

? Bad idea: Going behind closed doors to hear a pitch from an industry that has been the subject of previous ethics investigations and political scandals.

? Good idea: Learning from these mistakes and avoiding their recurrence in the future.

? Bad idea: Blaming the liberal media, accusing Democrats of similar behavior, and offering other excuses that give the story more legs and conflict with the new leadership’s stated commitment to open government.