President Bush Welcomes President-Elect Obama, Former President Clinton, Former President Bush and Former President
Carter to the White House
12:00 P.M. EST
Click to enlarge
PRESIDENT BUSH: I want to thank the President-elect for joining the ex-Presidents for lunch. And one message that I have
and I think we all share is that we want you to succeed. Whether we're Democrat or Republican, we care deeply about this
country. And to the extent we can, we look forward to sharing our experiences with you. All of us who have served in
this office understand that the office transcends the individual. And we wish you all the very best. And so does the
country.
Click to enlarge
PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA: Thank you.
I just want to thank the President for hosting us. This is an extraordinary gathering. 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.
But, again, thank you, Mr. President, for hosting us.
ENDS