World | USA
Obama to steer clear of world economic summit
World leaders hoping to meet President-elect Barack Obama at an economic summit this weekend in Washington will be disappointed.
- Agencies
- Published: 08:56 November 12, 2008
Chicago: World leaders hoping to meet President-elect Barack Obama at an economic summit this weekend in Washington will be disappointed.
The President-elect does not plan to be in the US capital or receive foreign visitors in Chicago over the weekend. He long ago ruled out attending the summit, saying the nation has only one president at a time, and it is still George W. Bush.
The president-elect has several reasons to avoid the scene, even though he has expressed strong interests in international affairs and leaders.
He could be accused of stealing scenes and acting presumptuous if he received world leaders at a Washington site while Bush makes one more stab at battling the global
economic crisis. And the more closely he ties himself to that effort, physically and philosophically, the more he risks being associated with any new economic pain that arises in the next few weeks.
"He wants a clean, clear demarkation between the Bush administration and the Obama administration," said Thomas Mann, a scholar at the Brookings Institution public policy centre.
Before the election, Bush announced that the world's 20 largest industrialized nations and emerging economies would meet in Washington this Saturday. Obama has consistently said not to expect his presence.
Obama's aides plan to keep tabs on, possibly participating in the summit where world powers hope to craft remedies to the global financial crisis.
"We have one president at a time, and it's important that the president can speak for the United States at the summit," John Podesta, Obama's transition chief, told
reporters Tuesday.
Share this article
News Editor's choice
-
Reader helps police to bust brothel
More than 20 gang members recently arrested from running brothels in Dubai
-
Philippine areas under emergency rule
Toll rises to 46 in brutal kidnap and murder in the south
-
Obama seeks to reassure Singh on ties
Singh is on elaborate state visit that will include talks on US ties with Pakistan
