Obama, McCain Vow To Cooperate

President-Elect Meets With Republican Former Rival At Transition Office In Chicago

(CBS/AP)  The bitter general election campaign behind them, President-elect Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain met Monday to discuss ways to reduce government waste, promote bipartisanship and find other ways to improve government.

The two former rivals met in Obama's transition headquarters in Chicago. Mr. Obama said before the meeting that he and McCain planned "a good conversation about how we can do some work together to fix up the country, and also to offer thanks to Sen. McCain for the outstanding service he's already rendered."

Mr. Obama and McCain sat together for a brief picture-taking moment with reporters, along with Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Obama's incoming White House chief of staff, and South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, McCain's close friend. Mr. Obama and McCain were heard briefly discussing football, and Mr. Obama cracked that "the national press is tame compared to the Chicago press."

When asked if he planned to help the Obama administration, McCain replied, "Obviously."

After the meeting, Obama and McCain issued a joint statement saying: "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," it said. "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 nation's security."

"As a matter of symbolism, the pictures of these two former rivals is important as Mr. Obama begins plotting the kinds of changes he discussed during the campaign," said CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs. "As a practical matter, John McCain is going to remain an important voice in the U.S. Senate on issues such as Iraq and it's never a bad idea to build that relationship."

For McCain and Obama, improving education, ethics reform, torture and the future of the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba are all areas of potential cooperation, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds.

But will it be McCain, the bipartisan maverick who re-emerges in the senate, or the campaign conservative who might want to join fellow Republicans in frustrating the new president's plans?

"This is a man with a very rich appreciation of history and his place in history," says Jim Vandehei, executive editor at Politico.com. "And I think he'll want to fix any damage that he did in his campaign by ending on a high note in the Senate."

The meeting comes as Mr. Obama, who resigned his Senate seat on Sunday, has been interviewing some of his one-time political opponents to help him run the country.

Several times recently, Mr. Obama has noted Abraham Lincoln's decision to bring his political adversaries into his administration, reports Ververs. This was chronicled in great detail in the Doris Kearns Goodwin book, "Team of Rivals" - specifically three men who Lincoln surprisingly defeated for the Republican nomination in 1860. (Read more from Ververs on this in our Horserace blog.)

In an interview on CBS' 60 Minutes that aired yesterday, Mr. Obama said he had met recently with Sen. Hillary Clinton, who he battled in the Democratic primaries, but he would not reveal if she was up for a cabinet position.

"She is somebody who I needed advice and counsel from," Mr. Obama told 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft. "She is one of the most thoughtful public officials that we have. Beyond that, you're not getting anything out of me Steve."

Click here to read more from the interview.

Mr. Obama also told Kroft he would have Republicans in the cabinet. But advisers to the former candidates have said they don't expect Mr. Obama to consider McCain for an administration job.

Mr. Obama and McCain clashed bitterly during the fall campaign over taxes, the Iraq War, and ways to fix the ailing economy. Things got ugly at times, with McCain running ads comparing Mr. Obama to celebrities Britney Spears and Paris Hilton and raising questions about his rival's distant relationship with a 1960s-era radical, William Ayers.

Mr. Obama's campaign, meanwhile, labeled the 72-year old McCain "erratic" and ran a campaign ad falsely suggesting that McCain and Rush Limbaugh shared similar anti-immigration views.

McCain delivered a gracious concession speech on Election Night, paying tribute to Mr. Obama's historic ascendancy as the nation's first black president. The two agreed that night to meet after the election when McCain called Mr. Obama to concede defeat.

In announcing the meeting on Friday, Mr. Obama's transition office said the president-elect and McCain "share an important belief that Americans want and deserve a more effective and efficient government, and will discuss ways to work together to make that a reality."

[longtree-2009]

guess obama''s aboard that old saying, keep your friends close but your enemies closer. something like it.

[docpeter1953]

This is the right thing to do for the sake of our Country. Don''''t any of you folks get that? Partisanship in a very extreme form has brought our Country to the economic state it is in. Time to stop that foolish *** and finally do the right thing.McCin lost the election because he was turning into a bush wannabe and the voters had enough of that. Time for change and this is part of it. There are good solid points on both sides of the fence.

Posted by armydog2 at 07:40 AM : Nov 18, 2008
__________________

Very true. Obama''s landslide victory was only in the electoral college and not in the popular vote. Obama won the popular vote by 6% (53% Obama to 47% McCain). That isn''t a landslide by any definition. What it does mean is that there are still many conservatives out there with opinions that have to be considered. Obama is making the right decisions right now to try to brink some sort of unity into the overall picture.

[omnibus66]

The fact that Lindsey Graham went with McCain says it all. He is an air-headed obstructionist who will lead the Republican charge to block anything and everything that the Obama Administration will try to do.

Unless a bipartisan coalition of at least 60 senators who actually want to change the way Washington works emerges, nothing, absolutely nothing, will change.

One thing for sure, Lindsey Graham will not be a part of any such coalition. Whether or not McCain would be is pure speculation, but doubtful.

[armydog2]

This is the right thing to do for the sake of our Country. Don''t any of you folks get that? Partisanship in a very extreme form has brought our Country to the economic state it is in. Time to stop that foolish *** and finally do the right thing.McCin lost the election because he was turning into a bush wannabe and the voters had enough of that. Time for change and this is part of it. There are good solid points on both sides of the fence.

[auscross1277]

Mr. Obama''s campaign, meanwhile, labeled the 72-year old McCain "erratic" and ran a campaign ad falsely suggesting that McCain and Rush Limbaugh shared similar anti-immigration views.
*** I hate amnesty mccain because he supports the over 20 million illegal latinos, more than he cares about hard working americans! I voted for Obama so that Amnesty Mccain would stay out of White house! The american people voted and showed that they do NOT want mccain involved in the next administration! Mccain needs to move to Mexico now so he can live among his people... oh yeah... most mexicans are already over here because bush/mccain have no spine enough to kick all the illegals out!

[wardoglrs]

Torture %u2013 "Yes We Can"

[solarsavvy]

Rabid partisanship hasn''t worked, folks. Look at all the thinking, influential Republicans who endorsed Barack Obama''s intelligent, prudent proposals to get this country working again. It''s time for a new kind of bipartisanship that works to find middle ground to render solutions, not foster stalemate. President-elect Obama has the right idea. His approach will allow everyone to participate in the heavy-lifting that''s needed to restore America''s dignity.

[nocatnowaco]

If "the national press is tame", GOP needs to stay together like the DNC has always been doing and to speak louder and to stand up on the core principles and reach to all Americans. GOP, now you are more than the check and balance.

[solarsavvy]

This country is in deep trouble on so many levels, we need intelligent, level-headed, pragmatic leadership to get us out of this quagmire. Let''s give President-elect Obama a chance. It''s a sign of his strength and confidence that he''s reaching across party lines to put together the most effective team possible. As the holiday season approaches, let''s join Senator John McCain in not only congratulating President-elect Obama, but offering him our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together to address the many problems plaguing this troubled nation. Our collective enemy is this economy, poverty, poor education, the lack of health-care and, internatlionally, Al Qaeda, not our fellow Americans! Let''s unite to restore America''s dignity.

[tiredofthebs]

To work together on what?

You were elected to get us out of the Bush/Hannity/Limbaugh-Depression. It''''s one thing to bring in your rivals but you have to make it clear to them that we are going back to FDR and away from Ronald Reagan''''s ''''trickle-down'''' nonsense.

Quit praising Hank the Snake Paulson and shut-down the private Federal Reserve System NOW!!!

Paulson and Co. are trying to hurry up and salvage their Quadrillion in Derivatives krap and dump the hollowed out economy onto the next administration.

TAKE ACTION NOW AGAINST BUSH AND PAULSON!!!!

YOU WERE ELECTED TO STOP THEM NOT JOIN THEM!!!!!

Posted by whitemale08 at 12:15 AM : Nov 18, 2008


This is but a preview of what is to come. President Obama is a POLITICIAN, just like the rest. He just spent two years doggin'' Hillary & John McCain. Now Hillary is poised to be Secretary of State, and he''s taking photo ops with McCain?! Guess alll that in the campaign was for show. Slick. Finally, something I like about Obama.

[whitemale08]

To work together on what?

You were elected to get us out of the Bush/Hannity/Limbaugh-Depression. It''s one thing to bring in your rivals but you have to make it clear to them that we are going back to FDR and away from Ronald Reagan''s ''trickle-down'' nonsense.

Quit praising Hank the Snake Paulson and shut-down the private Federal Reserve System NOW!!!

Paulson and Co. are trying to hurry up and salvage their Quadrillion in Derivatives krap and dump the hollowed out economy onto the next administration.

TAKE ACTION NOW AGAINST BUSH AND PAULSON!!!!

YOU WERE ELECTED TO STOP THEM NOT JOIN THEM!!!!!

[tiredofthebs]

Please John, go on back home and take a well deserved rest. You lost. There really is nothing left for you to sh*i*t on.

Posted by Obama_Dkhed at 11:57 PM : Nov 17, 2008

Another disrespectful Obama supporter. McCain is a well respected US senator, and a wealthy one at that. And you are?

[tiredofthebs]

TiredoftheBS ... Yawn!!!

Ouch! What a sore loser ...




Posted by powersmaker at 10:05 PM : Nov 17, 2008

POWERSMAKER ...... BIGGER YAWN!

What an infantile response.

[jamshied]

OBAMA''S MISSION, GOAL, JOB, CHALLENGES ARE TO FIX THE ILLS OF COUNTRY. TO DO THIS HE NEEDS EVERY HELP AND SUPPORT HE CAN GET. HE IS SMART AND KNOWS THAT CAMPAIGHN RIVALRY IS A HISTORY AND BEHIND HIM. AND SO DOES MACCAIN. SURE, DEMOCRATS HAVE THE MAJORITY IN BOTH HOUSES AND CAN PASS ANY LEGISLATION OBAMA WANTS , BUT THEY RATHER DO IT WITH COLABORATION OF THE PROGRESSIVE AND CENTERIST REPUBLICANS.

OBAMA WILL MAKE A HISTORY AND THOSE WHO COLABORATE WITH HIM WILL BE PART OF IT BUT THOSE WHO DON''T WILL BE THE LOSERS. MACCAIN AND SOME SMART REPUBLICANS KNOW THIS.

[powersmaker]

TiredoftheBS ... Yawn!!!

Ouch! What a sore loser ...

[likenoone-2009]

the next 4 years will be fun I am well armed

[perk235]

Redistributing your wealth would not require changing the Constitution.....
ador3
-------------
Did everyone know that people making over $93,000 don''t pay social security taxes on the money over $93,000?

So the CEO''s millions pay into the social security system for only $93,000 of their $millions.

[perk235]

Market down 223.
Thanks Barry.....
Posted by CPelzar at 05:08 PM : Nov 17, 2008
--------------
Obama takes office in 2009. The world-wide financial crisis is due to DEREGULATED risk bets (derivatives) that the cowboys in the financial industries go drunk on.

Derivatives were deregulated in the Commodities Modernization Act in 2000. They are estimated to be debt worth $60- $160 trillion.

The world-wide markets are so scared, that they pushed the value of the dollar up by using it as a safe haven. This makes our debt more expensive, but makes oil prices much lower.

[andor3]

finally McCain does something truly like a maverick.

[andor3]

Rowdydfw: "I intend to have another 8 happy years d will not make myself subject to ...government dole bull *****... intend to ship 25 jobs to Mexico... relieve me of having to prove 75% of their insurance premiums ... I am NOT going to provide insurance plans for their children... will never find the trail for taxes on that money either. "

Finally! publicly admitting a life of crime, wealth from a mix of shady and downright illegal activity.

Redistributing your wealth would not require changing the Constitution, it is justice--old-fashioned Texas style. And it is not called Communism, but has other names: ill-gotten gains, victims compensation, asset forfeiture, punitive damages, and tax penalties.