Obama, Bush: Two presidents at a time

by James Oliphant and Christi Parsons

Barack Obama insists America has only one president at a time. But for the next two weeks, this city shows all signs of hosting two - working a mile apart along Pennsylvania Avenue.

On Day One of President-elect Obama's tenure in Washington, the Democrat has introduced a new leader's sense of urgency - meeting with legislative leaders of both parties and promising "a genuine partnership.''

There is, of course, still a sitting president, George W. Bush, consumed with the crisis unfolding in Gaza. But events at the White House Monday served as a backdrop, the final days of a show near its end.

For Obama, the day brought a full dress rehearsal for the role he assumes formally in two weeks, his first full working day since moving to Washington from Chicago over the weekend.

The First Family to-be has taken up residence at the historic Hay-Adams hotel, just one block north and a leafy park apart from the White House. And Monday, they started settling into their new life: Michelle Obama dropped daughters Malia and Sasha off at their new school, Sidwell Friends, a private Northwest Washington enclave that has educated the children of other presidents such as Chelsea Clinton.

The president-elect, meanwhile, working from a transition office a mile from the White House, paid a call on Congress to lobby for his massive economic stimulus plan and later met with his team of economic advisors. And, while Obama has appeared at times reluctant to embrace the trappings of his new office since winning election in November, there was no mistaking the look of the motorcade that rolled toward Capitol Hill Monday morning amid applause, waves and popping flashbulbs.

His was a fully presidential arrival, a day for establishing a new relationship between the White House and a Congress that felt increasingly marginalized during the Bush presidency. Obama swiftly signaled his intentions in a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Republican leadership.

He hopes "to emphasize that, where in the past sometimes we fought about issues in terms of Republican and Democrat, we are in one of those periods in American history where we don't have Republican or Democratic problems - we have American problems," Obama told them. "My commitment as the incoming president is going to be to reach out across the aisle to both chambers to listen and not just talk, to not just try to dictate but to try to create a genuine partnership so that we are actually doing the people's business at this time of extraordinary difficulty for a lot of folks."

Afterward, Pelosi seemed exultant. "It's a new day," the California Democrat said.

Even the poker-faced Sen. Mitch McConnell, presiding over a diminished Republican minority in the Senate, expressed some careful optimism after the meeting, in which Obama expressed his support for massive tax cuts to stimulate the economy, a GOP policy staple.

"I thought the atmosphere for bipartisan cooperation was sincere on all sides," said McConnell (R-Ky). "We welcome the opportunity to be included in the discussion."

One Democratic congressional staffer termed the meeting a "sea change," saying that the Bush administration rarely, if ever, sat down with members of the minority party.

Certainly, the foundation exists for Obama to work hand-in-hand with Congress, not only on the stimulus bill, but also in enacting the sort of major reforms -- in health care, energy and education -- that he promised during his campaign. There is little doubt that is what Democrats expect as well, with Pelosi calling for "full disclosure'' in relations with the White House.

Helping that relationship will be former Rep. Rahm Emanuel, Obama's designated chief of staff, who accompanied Obama on his visit to the Hill. Emanuel's relationship with Pelosi and other congressional Democrats is one reason why Obama tapped him for the post.

"President-elect Obama recognizes the important role his relationship with Congress will play over the next four years," Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

Obama, seated with Pelosi in an arm chair by her fireplace in the speaker's office, told the press what an important ally she is and how hard she has worked for working people all her life.

A while later, he sat with Reid, ignoring questions from reporters about the melee surrounding Obama's appointed replacement in the Senate, Roland Burris. Obama sat joking with Reid and Vice President-elect Joe Biden, who joined him in his tour of the Capitol.

Obama made sure the cameras were getting Biden in their shots, noting what a handsome guy he is and suggesting that his running mate occasionally got propositioned while working rope lines.

Obama will have a vice president wise in the ways of the Senate. Biden served for 35 years as a senator from Delaware.

The president-elect also may have picked up one new enthusiastic supporter as he walked to his afternoon meeting with Democratic and Republican leaders. As Obama left Reid's office in the Senate's venerable Ohio clock corridor, a young boy shouted his name. He was Jacob Begich, the son of Alaska's new Democratic Sen. Mark Begich. Obama stopped to have his picture taken with the entire Begich family.

The moment, and the throng that witnessed it, was a reminder that Obama's star power remains very much intact.

Obama suggested that his administration will strive to change the tone in this city. And Monday evening, when the day's work was done, he did something else that Bush rarely has done during his time in Washington.

Obama stopped by a reception hosted by a fellow Illinoisan, Sen. Dick Durbin.

Backed by Secret Service, Obama waded into a delighted crowd of hundreds in a courtyard at one of Washington's best steakhouses, Bobby Van's. Cell phone cameras rose as Obama made his way through the well-wishers. Diners inside pressed faces against the windows, watching the scene below.

'I'll have what the president's having," one customer told a bartender.