Bush, Obama Will Sit Down Monday

President George W. Bush will meet with Barack Obama early next week to discuss plans for transition, the Washington Post reports. Obama received his first intelligence briefing this morning, and key staffers have been given expedited security clearances. “We face economic challenges that will not pause to let a new president settle in,” the President said, explaining the hasty measures.

“All of us must ensure that the new president and his team will hit the ground running,” Bush continued. He also noted that terrorists might “exploit this period of change,” which is the “first wartime transition to a new president in four decades.” The comments mark Bush’s second public appearance in as many days, in contrast to relative seclusion during the campaign’s final weeks. (More George W. Bush stories.)