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Obama meets with Bush in Oval Office
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CTV.ca News Staff
Date: Mon. Nov. 10 2008 9:01 PM ET
President-elect Barack Obama visited the White House on Monday for a private meeting with President George W. Bush in the Oval Office.
A black limousine brought Obama and his wife, Michelle, to the White House on Monday afternoon, as crowds lined the streets in downtown Washington cheering on their motorcade.
The Obamas were greeted by the president and the first lady at the White House's South Portico.
Soon after they arrived, the two leaders got down to business.
The meeting of the sitting president and the incoming president-elect is a long-standing tradition in American politics.
While neither leader released a statement about the face-to-face meeting, it was widely speculated that they talked about several major issues -- including the challenges facing the economy and the transition of power that will take place over the next two months.
The meeting was also Obama's first visit to the Oval Office.
Democratic strategist Peter Fenn said these types of post-election meetings are generally considered photo-ops.
"This one I think will be quite substantive and they'll be discussing what can be done in the next couple of months," Fenn told CTV's Canada AM on Monday morning.
He expected the leaders would be primarily focused on the current economic crisis.
"The effort of course will be to put a stimulus package together even before he takes office on January 20th," Fenn said.
Former White House speechwriter David Frum said although Bush and Obama were meeting with one another, the real story is happening behind the scenes.
"Barack Obama said there's only one president at a time -- that's not exactly true," Frum told CTV's Canada AM on Monday. "Power flows incrementally as well dramatically in January and they're already taking many of the reins of power in their own hands."
While the president-elect met with the sitting president, Michelle Obama went on a tour of the White House with Laura Bush. It was expected that they would be discussing the challenges of raising children in the public spotlight.
Laura Bush's twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara, were 18 years old when their father moved into the White House.
Michelle Obama's daughters -- 10-year-old Malia and seven-year-old Sasha -- will be the youngest children to live in the White House since Jimmy Carter's nine-year-old daughter, Amy, lived there in the late 1970s.
The Obamas' visit to the White House reportedly lasted just under two hours.
On Monday, Michelle Obama also visited Georgetown Day School, a private school that is a short drive from the White House.
Malia and Sasha Obama currently attend a private school in Chicago.
With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
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I applaud the budget, even though Health Care and education may stay unscathed. Sadly this cannot last and I worry to later this year where cuts will become enviable. If anything, this provides the Wildrose Alliance plenty of ammo when an election is called.
Comments are now closed for this story
Dan
said
The wicked face of democratic socialism
said
"Democrats in the U.S. House have been conducting hearings on proposals to CONFISCATE (emphasized) workers' personal retirement accounts - including 401(k)s and IRAs (equivalent to RRSP's in Canada) - and convert them to accounts managed by the Social Security Administration. Triggered by the financial crisis the past two months, the hearings reportedly were meant to stem losses incurred by many workers and retirees whose 401(k) and IRA balances have been shrinking rapidly."
Nobody would listen. They all said we were exaggerating the socialist views of Obama and the Democrats. Now maybe they will have a change of heart when they see the kinds of ways these people are think. So much for private property rights eh?
Big Brother is alive and well in the United States and wants to confiscate the savings of the people.
Sometimes its better the devil you know.....
IM in Ottawa
said
Middilay
said
Middilay
said
MD in Ottawa
said
Who was it that spied on private citizens, arrested and sent people off to be tortured in secret and wanted to do more but was stopped by the few checks and balanced left that he didn't control?
Who was it that rammed the Patriot Act down the United States' throat while they were scared enough to eat anything?
Greg - Signs and Wonders
said
Michael
said
Spin it any way you want lefties.
It is still big government taking what you own into their hands without your permission or will.
Government doesn't know how to invest they only know how to tax and spend.
Anyone who thinks confiscating personal retirement accounts is a good thing must be a communist.
Gail (Hamilton)
said
Sylvie
said
Kevin
said
BB in B.C.
said
Robin the Hood
said
Not in the USA
said
System is great greed is the problem
said
Tom in Winnipeg
said
lynne and john
said
Socialism is killing us
said
AndyL
said
Can't wait until the media honeymoon is over and in a few years we are all discussing the 4 years of failed Obama socialist policies
Time for a change!!! well for drapes anyway!!!!
said
He will indead be a real good President, being able to devote his time at very important and urgent matter!!!
Different President same old thing!!!
KJ in Kingston Ontario
said
Edb
said
Remeber this is Canada, we have NO legal protection in terms of property rights. You are frightening and confusing the Liberal readers here. They find it perfectly normal for any government to loot what is yours. As far as the left are concerned, you own NOTHING, it all belongs to the "people" and the state will decide how to distribute the fruits of your labor.
A Bright Light Comes to Washington
said
Obama is articulate, as evidenced in his clear election platform (tax reform to benefit working Americans); universal health care (for those who are too poor to have no health care); withdrawl from a war that should not have been started (Iraq - Chretien was smart enough to know Al Quaeda was in Afghanistan as was Obama - Harper on the other hand supported George Bush's decision to invade Iraq), etc.
A bright leadership will take hold on January 20, 2009. The World supports Obama (over 75%) - the 25% are Canadian Conservatives who wanted more of George W. Bush under McCain.
Prof. Pye Chartt
said
@ Robin the Hood
If you would occasionally put down your left-wing newsletter (Socialism Today) and attempt to draw your ideas from mainstream media and rational thought, inevitably you would come to the sane, factual understanding that lack of U.S. government oversight and control (by both Democrats & Republicans) and advantage-taking greed by some Wall Street clowns led to the financial meltdown, not the capitalist system itself, and that McCain (a moderate who garnered 47% of the popular vote) lost to the World's Saviour (Obama) only because anti-Bush sentiment crippled him, regardless of the fact the he opposed Bush (and his own party) on many key issues.
I know it's tough for you folks to come to terms with certain realities, because they don't suit your slanted, stubborn thinking. It's okay. Some things take time. I've come to terms with the election of Obama, as I know that once he pulls his wizard wand out of its case, peace and economic prosperity will blanket the globe.
Canuck in Bellingham WA
said
In the US taxes and socialism are dirty words. In Canada its 2 tier health system.
Taxes are necessary. The only argument is how much and who pays the lions share. Everyone's answer is that someone else should shoulder the burden.
Socialism - almost everyone believes in some socialism. Firefighters, police and the military are part of a socialist system. Health care, road construction, clean water supply and education are all socialist ideas. Once again its a question of how much of a roll does the government pay.
2 tier health care. Canada already has this. If you are an pro athlete, government official or have a doctor in the family ... great ... you can jump the queue.
And the second comment up here about 401K's - every thing i have been able to find on this is comments about how bad the idea is, with absolutely nothing backing it up as to being something that the Democrats are suggesting. Just another strawman by right wing jerks.
And I am a big Harper fan so don't paint me a liberal. I am liberal in the US, and conservative in Canada. They are nearly the same thing.
Eye's from the World
said
Cuban president Fidel Castro must be laughing his head off now because his view of George W. Bush as a president of the United States is now correct and coming true. Not sure if everyone remembers, Fidel Castro commented that American elected an idiot as a president when George W. Bush won the election in 2000. Fidel Castro laughed even harder when the majority of American elected George W. Bush for the 2nd term.
As what is happening to the US and the world, it proves that American voted with emotional and irrationality instead of studying a president’s credential and ability. It’s the president of a powerful country that they elected, not the manager of a shoes store. Now, the American, unfortunately the whole world as well, is living with the consequences of their choice of the worst president, George W. Bush, in the US history who drives the whole nation and the world into financial crisis. While many average American are becoming poor and homeless, the president and those big bosses in the White House are cashing in and live their lavish lives.
Not sure why some people who pro Republicans don’t like the president-elect Obama. As the Chinese president said, it doesn’t matter if the cat is a white cat or a black cat as long as the cat can do a good job.
Hank
said
@mariobourque
said
Martin of NS
said
I think regardless of who is president, Obama or McCain, they'd have some hell of a time trying to fix the economy, fixing foreign relations after Bush's reckless policy's.
Angry in Cambridge
said
Clearly, you clowns don't understand what Socialism is because all democracies and all free markets have socialist elements like public education, welfare, emergency response to national crisis like hurricanes and infrastructure collapse and police and fire etc. These are all 'socialist' services that our gov'ts provide with our tax dollars.
You're a group that is not even making any sense; trillions to bail out banks and corporations and save them from their own greed and incompetence that is good government in your eyes but, universal health care so a mother who gets cancer doesnt become homeless fighting for her life, that is evil, devils work socialism.
"Failed Socialist policies" ... as opposed to the catastrophic, apocolyptic disaster of Bush's pro-war, pro-corporation, pro-wealthy policies that have brought the world to it's knees and collapsed global economic markets?
"..hearings reportedly were meant to stem losses incurred by many workers and retirees .." yeah, it's shameful when the gov't attempts to help 'workers and retirees'.
Good lord.
Ken - Ont
said
Roy, Hamilton, Ontario
said
AT
said
Sometimes you need to educate yourself before you can make any statement, because it sounds to me very ignorant to say confiscating private property is always = to communism.
Have you ever heard the word Human Beings Right? Access to basic needs?
Opportunities to have a decent Health System, A decent Education System..instead of spending money invading countries, killing innocent people…
If you have better system there will be more people that would be able to think positive to build a strong country with values.
All I can say is! OBAMA is a great hope for the USA.
Analyze the whole picture Michael.
GutSHOT in THUNDER BAY
said
(yes I enjoy seeing others disappointed)
CY
said
Canuck in Bellingham WA
said
I like Harper but detested Mulroney. I think highly of Obama, hated Bush, disliked Clinton but thought he did a good job, and thought Ford was an exceptional president, just not good at politics. If you can only see the bad on the other side, and not recognize your own parties failings, the you are a narrow minded cretin. But don't take it personally.
None of the liberals, conservatives, democrats and republicans have the market on good government or incompetence. Fortunately some people are MATURE enough to make up their minds on the facts and people running at the time. It would be nice if the rest of you would grow up.
Jim
said