President Bush Greets Obama at White House

Photo by Eric Draper/The White House via Getty Images

President Bush rolled out the red carpet today for his successor, meeting with President-elect Barack Obama in the Oval Office for a talk so private that no one else was in the room.

The White House meeting between the two men followed two years of sharp criticism from Obama about Bush's tenure in office, and came as Obama and his advisers were preparing to undo administration policies on issues ranging from the war in Iraq to stem cell research.

Obama and his wife, Michelle, were greeted warmly by Bush and the current first lady, Laura Bush, at the South Portico about 12 minutes before the Obamas' scheduled 2 p.m. arrival time. After exchanging pleasantries and meeting the White House's chief usher in the Diplomatic Reception Room, the men and the women took separate paths.

Bush and Obama strode along the Colonnade for the cameras before disappearing for their private chat inside the Oval Office, which Obama had not previously visited. Laura Bush, meanwhile, received Michelle Obama in the White House residence before taking her on a tour of the quarters where the Obama family will live after the Democratic senator from Illinois is sworn in as president Jan. 20.

Michelle Obama also planned to spend time today scouting schools for the couple's two daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, according to sources familiar with her plans. Both official and unofficial Washington have been buzzing with speculation since the election about where the girls -- currently in fifth and second grade, respectively -- will be hitting the books come January.

The president-elect and Bush met for about an hour in the Oval Office, then spent some more time together in the residence. Neither spoke to reporters after the talks.

After a visit that lasted slightly less than two hours, Obama left in a motorcade for Reagan National Airport this afternoon and a flight back home to Chicago. He was holding a private meeting at the airport before departure, CNN reported. No details of the participants or subject of the meeting were immediately disclosed.

Both couples were all smiles during their brief appearances before the cameras, giving no hint of any underlying tension between the president and his successor. The president-elect won Tuesday by campaigning against Bush as much as he did against the Republican candidate, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.). Obama repeatedly condemned Bush's "failed policies" and charged that McCain would continue them. He urged voters during the campaign to reject "another four years" of a Bush presidency.

Now, Obama is moving rapidly to undo some of Bush's signature legacies. His transition chief, John D. Podesta, said over the weekend that Obama might use executive orders to ease restrictions on stem cell research, slow down plans to drill for oil offshore and change harsh interrogation and detention policies that Democrats oppose as torture. In the longer term, Obama has pledged to end the Iraq war, reverse almost a decade of Bush economic policy and take a dramatically different approach to health and social policy.

Both Bush and Obama, however, have gone out of their way since Election Day to be gracious and play down the past criticism. Bush advisers said the president is an old political hand who is used to sharp rhetoric on the campaign trail. Experts and officials also said the two sides appear to be working with exceptional cooperation to prepare for the impending transition.

Obama said Friday that he would not "anticipate problems" before today's meeting, while Bush said he was "looking forward to welcoming" Obama and his wife.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said this morning before the meeting that it would be "very private," adding that "I'm sure that this won't be the only time that they speak."

She said Bush and Obama were expected to discuss "a range of issues," headed by the economy.

Perino said Bush also would stress that the transition this time is critically important, not only because of the economy but also because of "the threat of attack that we currently live under." The experience of other nations has shown that the transition period "can be one where a country is vulnerable to attack," she said.

Asked about Obama's campaign-trail criticism of Bush, Perino said, "It's always amazed me how President Bush is able to let heated rhetoric like that just slide off his back."

Obama had never set foot in the Oval Office before today and had only a handful of direct interactions with Bush. In his book, "The Audacity of Hope," Obama describes one of his earliest meetings with Bush at a 2005 White House event for new lawmakers shortly after Obama was elected to the Senate.

Here's how Obama tells the story:

"Obama!" the President said, shaking my hand. "Come here and meet Laura. Laura, you remember Obama. We saw him on TV during election night. Beautiful family. And that wife of yours -- that's one impressive lady."

"We both got better than we deserve, Mr. President," I said, shaking the First Lady's hand and hoping that I'd wiped any crumbs off my face. The President turned to an aide nearby, who squirted a big dollop of hand sanitizer in the President's hand.

"Want some?" the President asked. "Good stuff. Keeps you from getting colds."

Not wanting to seem unhygienic, I took a squirt.

According to the account, Bush went on to offer the new U.S. senator from Illinois a little advice:

"You've got a bright future," he said. "Very bright. But I've been in this town for a while and, let me tell you, it can be tough. When you get a lot of attention like you've been getting, people start gunnin' for ya. And it won't necessarily be coming from my side, you understand. From yours, too. Everybody'll be waiting for you to slip, know what I mean? So watch yourself."

"Thanks for the advice, Mr. President."

Staff writer William Branigin contributed to this report.