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Bush invites McCain, Obama to discuss bailout

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-25 09:00

WASHINGTON - With extraordinary stakes on the line, President Bush has invited both presidential candidates and the leaders of the House and Senate to the White House on Thursday in hopes of securing a bill to rescue the economy.

President Bush waves as he returns to the White House in Washington, Wednesday, September 24, 2008, after a trip to New York to attend the UN General Assembly meetings. [Agencies]

Bush took the unusual step Wednesday night of calling Democratic Sen. Barack Obama directly to invite him to the meeting, White House press secretary Dana Perino said. An Obama spokesman said the senator would attend. The White House has also invited Republican Sen. John McCain.

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Perino said the goal of the session is to make progress — fast — on a bipartisan solution to the biggest economic crisis in decades.

She said the call between Bush and Obama lasted several minutes and was "a good conversation."

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the Democratic presidential contender "will continue to work in a bipartisan spirit and do whatever is necessary to come up with a final solution."

The move by Bush came just a short time before he was to address the nation about the financial crisis.

Details of the meeting were still being determined.