39, 41, 42, 43, 44 Have Lunch at the White House

Barack Obama met with a pair of George Bushes, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter today for a photo-op and lunch at the White House, the Chicago Tribune reports. "I want to thank the president-elect for joining the ex-presidents for lunch,'' Bush said, looking to Obama. "And one message that I think we all share is that we want you to succeed.”

"Whether we're Democrat or Republican, we care deeply about this country,'' Bush said. Obama thanked Bush for his hospitality, adding: “All the gentlemen here understand both the pressures and possibilities of this office, and for me to have the opportunity to get advice, good counsel and fellowship with these individuals is extraordinary and I'm very grateful to all of them.”
(More George W. Bush stories.)