Historic White House Luncheon Assembles Present, Future, Past Presidents

January 7, 2009 6:02 p.m. EST

Washington, DC (AHN) - President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday met President George Bush for the second time and ex-presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter in a historic gathering of all living U.S. leaders at the White House.

"Each of them expressed their desire for President-elect Obama to have a very successful presidency. During the lunch, they had a wide-ranging discussion on many different issues facing the United States, and they all look forward to remaining in contact in the future," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said, according to CNN.

Obama thanked Bush for hosting the meeting. Quoted by the CNN, the incoming president, who will be inaugurated on Jan. 20, said he was grateful for the opportunity to get "advice, good counsel and fellowship" from the group.

The White House meeting of the present, future and past presidents arranged by the incumbent president was the first since 1981 when then president Ronald Reagan hosted predecessors Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Carter.