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Pres-elect Coming to Casa Blanca for POTUS-Palooza

January 02, 2009 12:12 PM

ABC NEWS' JENNIFER DUCK REPORTS:

President-elect Barack Obama will meet with President George W. Bush and former Presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter at the White House Wednesday.

The leaders will be photographed briefly in the Rose Garden before meeting privately in the Oval Office Private Dining Room for lunch.

This will be the first meeting at the White House for all living former presidents, President Bush and President-elect Obama.  The last time Bush and the former presidents were together was Jan. 2, 2007, for former President Gerald Ford's funeral.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Gordon Johndroe was asked about the incoming president's move to the Hay Adams Hotel Sunday, which is within waving distance from the White House.

"They won't have to wave to each other, because President-elect Obama will be here with all the other -- with the former presidents on Wednesday," Johndroe said. "So, they will not only have a chance to wave to each other but have a chance to have a nice conversation and a good meal. I think that will be a very interesting and historic lunch." 

He added President Bush had "very good conversations with President-elect Obama -- several over the last few weeks."

When asked about the Middle East and the current administration's contact with Obama, Johndroe said, "Secretary Rice has spoken to the president-elect at least once in the last week. The president-elect receives the same intelligence briefings that President Bush receives. So, he is familiar with the intelligence and what we know about what's taking place there in Israel and Gaza. But we are staying in close contact. I can't speak to any other staff discussions. But we're providing them the information that they are seeking."   

- Jennifer Duck

January 2, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (20)

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Why are we being fed this ridiculous puff piece at a time of war? Why are we wasting time with the work of this so journalist when our Constitution is in jeopardy and we are facing a potential Civil War in our own neighborhoods?

Hey Taper, we don't have a President elect. Nobody is not "President Elect until the Electoral College and the U.S. Senate says we have a President.

Still the media's propaganda machine with their crew of fake journalists are trying to make us think the whole election process is over. It is not! It won't be over until the Senate says it's over.

And PNEBO is not "President Elect."

In fact, as of Friday, many of the Electoral votes from the states where PNEBO won the popular vote that were cast in December and are due in DC on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 have not been submitted due to questions and legal actions surrounding the ineligibility of PNEBO.

As of Friday, PNEBO only has 170 of the 270 votes necessary for election.

Now isn't that a delightful little surprise for the American public. It will really surprise the stupid lazy idiots who sit on their behinds and rely on television for the news.

Because the so-called journalists at ABC, NBC, and CBS have hidden the story of PNYEBO a Civil War is likely when and if the Supreme Court happens to do its duty and throw out PNEBO. The likelihood of Civil War increases with every day the truth is kept from the American people. I'm sure the Saudi controlled mainstream media is manipulating the media in order to take advantage of the surprise factor if PNEBO is declared ineligible to be President under the U.S. Constitution. The surprise could help generate the unrest necessary for Civil War. Implying PNEBO's election is an accomplished fact is WRONG. He has not been elected.

We no longer know the news. We only hear enemy propaganda.

Face it America, the news media has been bought out by our richest enemies. They are not on our side.

But they may be underesitmating the power of the 'new' media of the Internet. On the Internet, everyone is a publisher.

Stand back Saudi controlled media, the Internet will be flexing its muscles in 2009.

Posted by: Attention please | Jan 5, 2009 10:45:48 PM

Obama is still smart
He is the consummate politician. He chimes in on issues where he can gain credibility or political points and says "there's only one president at a time" on the controversial ones. Sort of like voting "present".

Posted by: RMBarley | Jan 3, 2009 10:06:57 AM

billp, Obama may be (or may not be) a citizen. But the issue is, he is most definitely not an Article II "natural born citizen" which is a constitutional requirement, a unique requirement, to be President. "Citizen" is NOT the same thing as "natural born citizen".

Posted by: Ted | Jan 3, 2009 1:48:53 AM

Obama should listen carefully to the Bushes; over half of the total national debt to date was accumulated under those 2 administrations. That's an impressive family legacy.

I wish Obama would ask Bush I about a comment he made back when it mattered:

"No, I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God." - George H.W. Bush, Presidential Nominee for the Republican party; August 27, 1988.

Posted by: billp | Jan 2, 2009 11:50:23 PM

ted---- obama is a citizen with out a doubt. do you think with all the pull power and resourses at the republicans disposal do you think obama could have got this far if he was not born in america....?

Posted by: T | Jan 2, 2009 11:11:50 PM

I think the meeting is an excellent idea. Hopefully, Obama can gain from the collective knowledge. God knows with all he is going to inherit in 3 weeks, he needs all the help he can get. I do wonder though how cordial the meeting will be between Carter and Clinton. They don't 'get on' as they say on the other side of the pond. If only Clinton had possessed Carter's moral self restraint and if only Carter had possessed Clinton's sense of making things happen, agh, what a different world we would live in today. Can you say the late Governor Reagan and President Gore for a start?

Posted by: Michael ONeal | Jan 2, 2009 10:27:19 PM

MESSAGE TO EVERY MEMBER OF CONGRESS:

When counting the electoral votes, either Congress finds by 1/8/09 that Obama, not being an Article II “natural born citizen”, fails to qualify as President whereupon Biden becomes the full fledged President under 3 USC 19 (free to pick his own VP such as Hillary) or thereafter defers to the Supreme Court to enjoin Obama’s inauguration with Biden becoming only Acting President under the 20th Amendment until a new President is duly determined.

The preferable choice, at least for the Democrats, should seem obvious.

Posted by: Ted | Jan 2, 2009 10:16:06 PM

CASA BLANCA - Play it again Sam; we'll always have Paris - Hilton anyway. Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we? could we? Misty water-colored memories, Of the way we were - aren't mixed metaphors of no particular meaning to the context just swell?

Posted by: oneStarman | Jan 2, 2009 4:20:13 PM

What he "stated" and whats contained are two different things!

Posted by: try the truth | Jan 2, 2009 3:30:23 PM

They can debate who was more of a failed president: Carter or Shrub. Carter failed, but in a nice, innocent way. Shrub failed in a belligerent, aggressive way. I always believe that if someone doesn't know what they're doing it's always better to have them do less (like Carter).

Posted by: hopesprings52 | Jan 2, 2009 3:25:58 PM

Mike: Hawaii was admitted to the union in 1959. Our President-elect was born on Aug. 4,1961 in Honolulu, so he is a native citizen of the US. Back in 1961 Kenya was still a British colony. As a Kenyan native, the President elect’s father was a British subject whose citizenship status was governed by The British Nationality Act of 1948. That same act governed the status of Obama Sr.‘s children. Since President-elect Obama did not renounce his U.S. citizenship or swear an oath of allegiance to Kenya, his Kenyan citizenship automatically expired on Aug. 4,1982. What you really need to investigate is the truth on these issues: whether NASA faked the moon landings, or if the US government was behind 9/11, or if Princess Diana was really murdered, or if Lizard People run the world along with the Illuminati.

Posted by: CaliRules | Jan 2, 2009 3:18:39 PM


If we do not watch out for our freedoms, we do not deserve to have them!
Annenberg FactCheck intentionally omitted: John A. Bingham, framer of the 14th Amendment, stated that a “natural born citizen is one that was born in the U.S. territory to parents that don’t owe allegiance to any other sovereignty”. Mr. Obama’s father clearly without any question was a citizen of Kenya! Clearly Mr. Obama does not qualify as a natural born citizen unless you rewrite the Constitution to fit Mr. Obama’s needs. Mr. Obama will cause a Constitutional crisis in this country, and our military may not follow him, other countries will reject him as he is ILLEGAL.

FactCheck intentionally omitted: that Hawaii Statute 338 allows foreign born children of Hawaiian residence to obtain a Hawaiian Certification of Live Birth (COLB) based on a statement of one relative with any corroborating evidence.

Its time for some truth on this issue!

Posted by: Mike | Jan 2, 2009 2:54:33 PM

In the immortal words of the sarge in Stripes, "Lighten up, Francis." I think Ms. Duck's writing is just fine. Casa Blanca is fun, like calling the President-Elect PEBO. And the fact that all the living presidents will be assembled is historic, so we emphasize it with the "all living presidents." I have a degree in English and nothing in this post troubles me.

What pleases me about this news is that, once again, George Bush is showing what a class act he is. He arranged this historic meeting to help welcome Obama to the White House and to give Obama the opportunity to chat informally with the only people in the world who truly know the role into which he is about to step. I am so proud of our president for the wonderful way he has handled the transition.

Posted by: moderate | Jan 2, 2009 2:49:49 PM

who cares: The great irony here, from a political perspective, is that Republican lack of oversight allowed well connected Democrats – like Bernie Madoff – to run wild for a decades. All these Presidents should worry about increased scrutiny of hedge funds – they have been big time backers of politicians, left and right. As the festering economic disaster continues to be exposed in the days ahead, maybe, just maybe, the public will finally rise up and support changing regulation, oversight, and new laws surrounding campaign contributions and lobbying.

Posted by: center One | Jan 2, 2009 2:19:12 PM

Who cares- please, your source? He worked for Clinton back in the day, never PEBO, stop hating! :)

Posted by: try the truth | Jan 2, 2009 1:59:42 PM

ANOTHER brewing scandal..Proseutors looking into ties between Obama and felon Norman Hsu, "Ponzi Scheme?"
ABC SILENT

Posted by: who cares | Jan 2, 2009 1:43:00 PM

Send her back to college? What will that do? Writing is so outdated. Bear in mind that the internet has an audience which often speaks broken English as a second or third language. Simple soundbites which attract the reader and communicate something are what is called for, and the article more or less delivers that.

Posted by: Carl | Jan 2, 2009 1:18:20 PM

Please send whoever wrote the story title back to College too. "Casa Blanca" instead of "White House"???? What the heck? There isn't even a single hispanic person listed in the story. What was the purpose to switch to a foreign language? Do you have a better explaination than what appears to be a bald face attempt to make Obama sound foreign and different, not like the rest of 'us'?

Posted by: Nixon | Jan 2, 2009 1:07:52 PM

"This will be the first meeting at the White House for all living former presidents"

For god's sake, what was the use of writing "living presidents"!!!
Those who have passed away of course can not attend. Was it not enough to write for all former presidents namely.......

Posted by: Rita | Jan 2, 2009 1:01:27 PM

Please send Jennifer Duck back to College, she can't write.

Posted by: Peace Train | Jan 2, 2009 12:33:27 PM

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