U.S. president-elect Barack Obama and President George W. Bush met at the White House Monday for the first time since he won the last week's presidential election.
Obama and his wife Michelle Obama were greeted by Bush and first lady Laura Bush on the South Portico shortly before 2 p.m. eastern time (1900 GMT),
It's Obama's first-ever visit to the Oval Office and Laura Bush offers Michelle Obama a tour of the property at the White House.
No public announcement about the meeting, which is expected to last 90 minutes, is expected.
The meeting between the president and president-elect is a historic formality, but it's also a time for serious talks.
The two are expected to discuss "a broad range of issues," focusing on the economy, according to a leader of Obama's transition team.
"It's clear that we need to stabilize the economy, to deal with the financial meltdown that's now spreading across the rest of the economy. The auto industry is really, really back on its heels," Obama's transition team leader John Podesta said.
The president and president-elect also are expected to talk about national security and the war in Iraq.
White House press secretary Dana Perino said Monday that Bush and Obama were going to have a "private meeting" in which they would discuss "a range of issues."
"I don't think any of us can understand what it's like for two people ... who understand what it's like to be the commander in chief, to be the leader of our great country," she said.
"And so they'll have a private conversation. I'm sure they'll talk about a range of issues," added Perino.
Obama, a Democratic senator from Illinois, beat Republican opponent John McCain in the presidential election on Nov. 4, becoming the first African American elected as U.S. president in history.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article