Barack Obama will put politics aside in his first post-election visit to the White House on Monday, but he is already reviewing some of President George W. Bush's executive orders with an eye to reversing them.
The president-elect repeatedly attacked Bush's "failed policies" on the campaign trail and once said the outgoing Republican president had a lot to answer for after eight years in office.
The co-chair of his transition team, John Podesta, said on Sunday that Obama was likely to move quickly after he was inaugurated on Jan. 20 to reverse certain executive orders by Bush's administration. These include orders to limit stem cell research and expand oil and gas drilling in some areas.
Obama, 47, swept to office after two years of campaigning on a theme of change — particularly from Bush's economic and foreign policies.
Financial markets, which are struggling in a global credit crisis, are awaiting news of Obama's appointments for key jobs such as Treasury secretary, but a spokeswoman for Obama said on Monday he would not make any Cabinet announcements this week.
Obama said in his first post-election news conference on Friday he would not be rushed into making hasty decisions, and aides have pointed out that previous newly elected presidents had taken time to make Cabinet appointments.
Incoming presidents typically visit the White House to get acquainted with their future home and be briefed by the current president and first lady. Obama's trip is unusually early in the transition process, due in part to the severity of the economic crisis. It is also the first transition of power during wartime in decades.
Accompanied by his wife, Michelle, Obama will visit the White House for about 90 minutes. The Obamas will look around the house that will become their home, and Bush and the president-elect will then sit down in the Oval Office to discuss issues including the transition of power, the ailing U.S. economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
BUSH PROMISES HELP
Bush has said he would help Obama in his transition.
"Ensuring that this transition is seamless is a top priority for the rest of my time in office," Bush said on Saturday in his weekly radio address.
"In the coming weeks, we will ask administration officials to brief the Obama team on major ongoing policy issues, ranging from the financial markets to the war in Iraq."
Bush has said he would keep Obama informed on important decisions he makes over the next two months, particularly on issues related to the struggling economy and the war in Iraq.
Bush is due to host a global summit in Washington on Saturday on the financial crisis, which experts say threatens a worldwide recession. Obama is not expected to attend.
Obama is working to form a government and preparing policies so he can hit the ground running when he takes office.
Bush has hailed the victory by Obama — the son of a black Kenyan father and white American mother — as a "dream fulfilled" for civil rights.
"It will be a stirring sight to watch President Obama, his wife Michelle and their beautiful girls step through the doors of the White House," Bush said the morning after the election.
The Obamas have a 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) appointment with Bush and first lady Laura Bush.
Obama said he looked forward to working with Bush.
"This speaks to a fundamental recognition that here in America we can compete vigorously in elections and challenge each other's ideas, yet come together in service of a common purpose once the voting is done," Obama said on Saturday in his radio address.
