World

Obama set for White House visit

by Sanjay Jha | November 10, 2008 at 02:23 am

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US President elect Barack Obama will meet President George Bush for key talks at the White House for the first time since becoming the first black US president-elect in history.

The two leaders, who have both stressed the need for a smooth transition of power in a time of war and global economic crisis, will discuss the serious challenges facing America during the Oval Office talks. Bush has hailed the victory by Obama -- the son of a black Kenyan father and white American mother -- as a "dream fulfilled" for civil rights.

It will be a stirring sight to watch President Obama, his wife Michelle, and their beautiful girls step through the doors of the White House," Bush said the morning after the election.

The Obamas have a 2:00 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) appointment with Bush and first lady Laura Bush.

Less than one week after his historic victory, US President-elect Barack Obama heads to Washington on Monday to learn firsthand from President George W Bush about the challenges that await him on January 20.

Obama, 47, who swept to office after two years of campaigning on a theme of change -- particularly from Bush's
economic and foreign policies -- will put politics aside as he visits the White House.

Accompanied by his wife Michelle, Obama will visit for about 90 minutes. The Obamas will look around the house that will become their home, and Bush and the president-elect will then sit down to discuss issues including the transition of power, the ailing US economy and the war in Iraq.

Bush, whose sagging popularity helped propel Obama and the Democrats to a resounding victory in last week's presidential election, has said he will do all he can to help Obama in his transition.

"Ensuring that this transition is seamless is a top priority for the rest of my time in office," Bush said on Saturday in his weekly radio address.

"In the coming weeks, we will ask administration officials to brief the Obama team on major ongoing policy issues, ranging from the financial markets to the war in Iraq."

Bush has said he would keep Obama informed on important decisions he makes over the next two months, particularly on issues related to the struggling economy and the war in Iraq.

While Obama has made it clear that he is aware that Bush is still the president until January 20, he is working on quickly forming a government and preparing policies so he can "hit the ground running" when he takes office.