    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [January 7, 2009]
    [Pages 1521-1522]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks During a Meeting With
    Former Presidents and the President-Elect
    January 7, 2009

        I want to thank the President-elect for joining the ex-Presidents
    for lunch. I am--one message that I have, and I think we all share, is
    that we want you to succeed. Whether we're a Democrat or Republican, we
    care deeply about this country. And to the extent we can, we look
    forward to sharing our experiences with you. All of us who have served
    in this office itself understand that the office transcends the
    individual. And we wish you all the very best, and so does the country.

    Note: The President spoke at 12 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. Participating in the meeting were former Presidents Jimmy Carter,
    George H.W. Bush, and William J. Clinton; and President-elect Barack
    Obama. The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also
    included the remarks of President-elect Obama. The Office

    [[Page 1522]]

    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    these remarks.