Obama's Bipartisan Economic Meeting
From CBS News' Allison O'Keefe:
(WASHINGTON)– Barack Obama met behind closed doors with a bipartisan group of business and economic leaders today including Warren Buffett and former Bush Administration officials Paul O'Neill and William Donaldson.
Before the meeting began, Obama quipped, "This is going to be a working meeting but since I'm running for president, we have to invite the press."
He then said the reason for the meeting was "to discuss the deteriorating economic situation that we're in right now, from our automobile manufacturers and our banks to small business owners and the families sitting around the kitchen table wondering how they're going to pay the bills." He went on lay out his strategy for "short-term relief and long-term growth" and said he supports "a second round of economic stimulus."
Obama added that the group that was gathered is "a group that I will be convening periodically over the next few months because of the dynamic situation and one that the next president will need to be prepared to deal with the moment he takes office."
The list of attendees was long and impressive: Warren Buffett participated by phone; former Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J.; Gov. Jon Corzine, D-N.J.; JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, former SEC Chairman under President Bush, William Donaldson; Chairman of Pepsi, Indra Nooyi; Former Treasury Secretary under Bush, Paul O'Neill; Former Treasury Secretary under President Clinton, Robert Reich; Google CEO, Eric Schmidt; AFL-CIO President John Sweeney; former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, among others.
Following the meeting, Donaldson, who served under Bush, told reporters that he is impressed with Obama.
"I think that obviously the country has a lot of problems and I believe that Sen. Obama brings a new approach to things." Donaldson went on to say that he wants to do help Obama in any way he can.
Meantime, speculation is running rampant that Obama is getting into serious veep vetting mode as he was spotted entering the office building where one of his veep vetters, Eric Holder, works. Also, several of his inner circle accompanied him to D.C. today including campaign manager David Plouffe and chief strategist David Axelrod.