Obama lunches with Romney

President Barack Obama and former Republican rival Mitt Romney met for a private lunch at the White House yesterday, their first meeting since the 
6 November election, fulfilling a promise Obama made in his 
victory speech.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Mr Obama had no specific agenda for the meeting, but he said the president wanted to discuss Mr Romney’s ideas for making government more efficient. The president has proposed merging some functions of government related to business and has asked Congress for authority to undertake some executive branch reorganisation.