Perino: Bush Will Focus on Economy, Threat of Attacks

Giving scant details about what will be discussed at the first meeting between President Bush and President-elect Obama at the White House this afternoon, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said Bush wants to focus on the economy and the threat of terrorist attacks at the private, one-on-one meeting.

“I know one thing that the President will want to talk about is what he’s been talking about in the phone call that he had with the President-elect and in his radio address and in the two statements he gave to you all last week, which is the transition of power this time around is so critically important — one, in regards to the economy, and two, in regards to the attacks — the threat of attack that we currently live under,” Perino told reporters at a news conference today.

Perino said America could be vulnerable to attacks (presumably from terrorists or enemy nations) during the transition of power, hitting on a theme first expressed by Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) during the presidential campaign–that America’s enemies may test a new President Obama. “

“We all know that as we’ve seen in other countries that that period of transition can be one where a country is vulnerable to attack,” Perino said “And we really want to make sure that we work with them through joint exercises, through providing briefings, so that when we hand the baton to them they’re able to move forward and continue to protect the country.

Perino stressed that the meeting, where Obama and Bush will be alone in the Oval Office without the presence of aides, will be private.