CHICAGO – Barack Obama began his first full day as president-elect with the simple pleasure of having breakfast with his daughters, the type of everyday family activity he often had to sacrifice during the long campaign.
Afterward, Obama left the house alone, clad in workout clothes, a ball cap and sunglasses, and spent an hour at a friend’s apartment building, where he uses the gym. Then it was back home to clean up before heading to the office – a downtown office building where he was holding a conference call to thank campaign staff around the country. The president-elect wore a suit but no tie, and carried a black satchel.
Asked how much sleep he’d gotten on the night of his historic victory, Obama told reporters: “Not as much as I’d like.”
Obama planned to stay in Chicago through the week, with a quiet weekend at home. He was still trying to figure out arrangements regarding his grandmother, who died Sunday. A trip to Hawaii for the small private memorial she requested was likely by the end of the year.
Obama’s staff said he would address the media by the end of the week, but Cabinet announcements were not planned that soon.
In addition to the many decisions he faces in getting the Obama administration up and running, he has personal decisions to make, too. Such as when to move his family to Washington and where his 10- and 7-year-old daughters will go to school.
And then there was the matter of choosing the family pet. “Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House,” Obama told his daughters in his victory speech.
In a congratulatory call to Obama Tuesday night, President George W. Bush pledged to make a smooth transition and extended an invitation to the Obama family to visit their new home at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
On Wednesday afternoon, Laura Bush and Michelle Obama spoke by telephone, and the first lady also invited her successor to visit the White House with her daughters, according to Michelle Obama’s spokeswoman, Katie McCormick Lelyveld. – AP