Politics

CHICAGO (CBS) ― President-elect Barack Obama held a meeting with former rival Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) Monday morning.

As CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports, Obama and McCain met Obama's transition office at the Kluczynski Federal Building downtown.

After the meeting, the two issued a joint statement: "At this defining moment in history, we believe that Americans of all parties want and need their leaders to come together and change the bad habits of Washington so that we can solve the common and urgent challenges of our time.

"It is in this spirit that we had a productive conversation today about the need to launch a new era of reform where we take on government waste and bitter partisanship in Washington in order to restore trust in government, and bring back prosperity and opportunity for every hardworking American family. We hope to work together in the days and months ahead on critical challenges like solving our financial crisis, creating a new energy economy, and protecting our nation's security."

The private meeting was the first since Obama beat McCain, the Republican candidate, in the Nov. 4 election.

The two men sat down for photographers Monday, but took no questions after the meeting. One reporter asked President-elect Obama what the goal of the meeting was. "Just to have a good conversation about how we can do some work together to fix up the country," Obama said.

When asked if he planned to help the Obama administration, McCain replied, "obviously."

Obama also commended McCain "for the outstanding work he's already rendered."

CBS 2's Mike Flannery reports that one report before the meeting occurred claimed that McCain would bring up Iraq. It's an issue on which the two differ sharply. McCain opposes Obama's plan to set a timetable for withdrawing American troops.

That report as well as today's face-to-face meeting came as no surprise to McCain's former Illinois campaign co-chair.

"This was a rough election. It's only two weeks old," said State Rep. James Durkin. "But I think John McCain's love for the country is greater than the politics you see in Washington."

While posing for pictures with McCain, Obama had fun with local journalists.

"The national press is tame compared to the Chicago press," Obama said.

Rep. Durkin acknowledged what many believe which is that John McCain is never going to run for president again. There is also speculation that Obama may award McCain the Medal of Freedom. There's a precedent for that as President Bill Clinton gave that to his 1996 Republican opponent after he defeated Sen. Bob Dole.

The two men were joined by McCain's close friend and confidant, Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R-S.C.) and Rep. Rahm Emanuel, (D-Ill.), who is also Obama's pick for his White House chief of staff.

The meeting comes as Obama, who resigned his Senate seat on Sunday, has been interviewing some of his one-time political opponents to help him run the country.

Obama has been working mostly in his transition office since the election, and he has also hosted former Democratic primary rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) at either the transition office or his Hyde Park neighborhood home.

Advisers on both sides say they do not expect Obama to consider McCain for a position in his administration, as he is with former primary rival Hillary Rodham Clinton for secretary of state. But he'd like to have McCain as a partner in the Senate on legislation they both have advocated on the campaign trail, like climate change, earmark reform and torture.

The bipartisan meeting is not just for show, political experts say.

"We're facing very uncertain times. Things economically, of course, are much more dire than they've been in a long, long time, and even if John McCain stays in the Senate, the amount of support that he got throughout his campaign and the kind of pull he's going to have in the Senate is going to be important," said political analyst Stephen Caliendo of North Central College, "and so I'm not surprised that Barack Obama wants to speak with him."

All this fits with an idea that Obama often talked about on the campaign trail, as he praised the presidency of Abraham Lincoln as described by Doris Kearns Goodwin in her book "Team of Rivals." Lincoln put political enemies in his cabinet.

Obama would only say Lincoln was a very wise man, and that he will soon be announcing political appointments for the Obama administration.

On Sunday, Obama and his wife Michelle sat for their first interview since the election appeared on "60 Minutes." When pressed by Steve Kroft, Obama refused to be specific about cabinet appointments, but said he would make them soon.

When asked if Republicans will be a part of his administration, he said yes. But more than one?

"You're not getting more out of me," Obama told Kroft.

CBS 2's Joanie Lum, Mike Flannery and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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