US-President-elect visits White House

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Source: CCTV.com | 11-11-2008 13:15

US President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle have visited the White House for the first time since last week's landslide election victory.

U.S. President George W. Bush walks with President-elect Barack Obama during a visit to the White House in  Washington, November 10, 2008. Obama visited the White  House on Monday for his first post-election meeting with President George W. Bush, a strikingly symbolic moment in the transition of power.REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

While Obama waits for the formal handover of power from one president to the next on January 20, 2009 his transition team have begun talking publicly about potential changes Obama may make to US policies, especially by using his executive authority.

Visiting the White House is the first official step in America's intricate minuet of transition from one president to the next.

President-elect Obama has visited the White House in the past... including participating in an emergency leadership session to deal with the financial crisis in September.

A spokesperson for Obama said the president-elect had never been inside the Oval Office before Monday's visit.

Once he is sworn in as the next US president in January, many expect Democrat Obama to use his executive powers to reverse policies already put in place by President George W. Bush.

One of the co-chairmen for Obama's transitional team says Obama has been reviewing Bush's executive orders. And that he's ready to put his own stamp on policy after eight years of Republican rule.

John Podesta, Co-Chair of Obama Rranstional Team, said, "There is a lot that the President can do using his executive authority without waiting for Congressional action and I think we'll see the president do that."