Power lunch at the White House

U.S. President George W. Bush and his successor, Barack Obama, joined all the living U.S. presidents on Wednesday for a historic meeting at the White House two weeks before Obama take office and confronts the worst economic crisis the U.S. has seen since the Great Depression.

Bush, Obama, met privately for about 30 minutes ahead of the wider gathering involving Bush's father, George H.W. Bush, and Democrats Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. The five men met in the Oval Office for a photo session with journalists.

"I want to thank the president-elect for joining the ex-presidents for lunch," the younger Bush told Obama, who stood next to him, nodding.

"One message that I have and I think we all share is that we want you to succeed. Whether we're Democrat or Republican, we care deeply about this country," Bush continued.

"All of us who have served in this office understand that the office itself transcends the individual and we wish you all the very best, and so does the country," Bush said to his successor. "To the extent we can, we look forward to sharing our experiences with you."

Obama called the gathering extraordinary and thanked the current president for hosting it.

"All the gentlemen here understand both the pressures and possibilities of this office, and for me to have the opportunity to get advice, good counsel and fellowship with these individuals is extraordinary," he said.

Wednesday's event was the first such gathering of former U.S. heads of state at the White House in 27 years. After their meeting in the Oval Office, the five men had lunch in a private dining room. The White House didn't even reveal what was on the menu.

Obama's press secretary Robert Gibbs said all the presidents "had helpful advice on managing the office as well as thoughts on the critical issues facing the country right now. The president-elect is anxious to stay in touch with all of them in the coming years."