President Bush Greets Obama at White House

By Dan Eggen and Michael D. Shear
President Bush rolled out the red carpet today for his successor, meeting with President-elect Barack Obama in the Oval Office for a talk so private that no one else was in the room.

The White House meeting between the two men followed two years of sharp criticism from Obama about Bush's tenure in office, and came as Obama and his advisers were preparing to undo administration policies on issues ranging from the war in Iraq to stem cell research.

Stephanie Cutter, an Obama spokeswoman, described the meeting as "productive and friendly."

"They had a broad discussion about the importance of working together throughout the transition of government in light of the nation's many critical economic and security challenges," Cutter said. "President-elect Obama thanked President Bush for his commitment to a smooth transition, and for his and first lady Laura Bush's gracious hospitality in welcoming the Obamas to the White House."

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