Obama, McCain meet post-election
Just 13 days after the election and a month after their last face-to-face debate, President-elect Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain sat down to talk Monday at Obama's Transition headquarters in Chicago.
(Brian Jackson/Sun-Times)
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Obama, McCain meet
Off to McCain’s right was his close ally, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. To Obama’s left was his newly announced chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.)
“The national press is tame compared to the Chicago press,” Obama quipped as the press filed in for a 90-second photo shoot.
The four men sat in front of a blue curtain with three flags behind them and four glasses of water laid out for them on a coffee table. .
Asked what they planned to talk about, Obama said, “We’re just going to have a good conversation about how we can do some work together to fix up the country, and also offer thanks to Sen. McCain for the outstanding service he has already rendered.”
Obama’s aides started trying to clear the press out, reminding them there were not supposed to be questions.
That did not stop ABC-7 political reporter Andy Shaw from asking McCain if he planned to work with Obama to help him get things done.
Even as the aides shouted louder not to ask questions, McCain said, “Obviously.”
Obama smiled and told the reporters still asking questions they were “incorrigible.” Then he proceeded to lean over to McCain and tell him a campaign-trail story about one of his aides.
The meeting was on the 38th floor of the Kluczynski Federal Building.
The windows of Obama's Transition offices overlook the South Loop including the top floor of the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
This is one of the earlier meetings between presidential rivals.
President George W. Bush had a White House meeting with President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore on Dec. 19, 2000, about six days after Gore conceded the race.
President George H.W. Bush met former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis on Dec. 2, 1988, in Washington, D.C.
On Nov 18, 1980, President Jimmy Carter had Ronald Reagan over to the oval office for 90-minute chat.
Following their meeting, Obama and McCain issued this joint statement:
"At this defining moment in history, we believe that Americans of all parties want and need their leaders to come together and change the bad habits of Washington so that we can solve the common and urgent challenges of our time. It is in this spirit that we had a productive conversation today about the need to launch a new era of reform where we take on government waste and bitter partisanship in Washington in order to restore trust in government, and bring back prosperity and opportunity for every hardworking American family. We hope to work together in the days and months ahead on critical challenges like solving our financial crisis, creating a new energy economy, and protecting our nationąs security."