A moment from the final presidential debate. (Photo: Getty)

Earlier today, the White House announced President Barack Obama and his one-time rival, Mitt Romney, would be sitting down for a bite to eat tomorrow, but outside of the event being scheduled no additional information was provided. Various journalists, naturally, weren't satisfied and attempted to score more details from Mr. Obama's press secretary, Jay Carney. They mostly did not succeed.

However, we did learn Mr. Obama is not planning to offer Mr. Romney a cabinet secretary position tomorrow, or at least that's not his intention. Additionally, the president was the one to invite Mr. Romney, instead of the other way around, but apparently has no specific questions in mind for his former opponent. And no, despite an earnest request, they won't reconsider opening the meeting to the press.

"I appreciate the request, but we’re going to let the two men, who spent a great deal of time in the public eye over the course of the past year, both of them, have a private lunch together," Mr. Carney explained.

Below you can find the official White House transcript of their back-and-forth on the topic:

Q One is, you all announced this morning a meeting tomorrow, at lunch, between the President and Mitt Romney. What does the President expect to get out of that meeting? Certainly during the campaign they didn’t seem to agree on much, but is there overlap in their positions on certain things that they could discuss?

MR. CARNEY: Let me take tomorrow’s lunch first. During his news conference two weeks ago, the President said that there are aspects of Governor Romney’s record and Governor Romney’s ideas that he believes could be very helpful. The President noted that Governor Romney did a terrific job running the Olympics and that that skills set lends itself to ideas that could make the federal government work better, which is a passion of the President’s. As you know, he’s requested reorganization authority from the Congress to do just that.

I don’t have an agenda for the lunch. The President, as he said then, looked forward to having this meeting with Governor Romney. It’s a private lunch; only the two men will be in the room. And I’m sure it will be a useful discussion.

Q A couple of quick follows on previously asked questions. The meeting with Romney -- can you give us a little bit on how that came about? Did the President call and invite him? When? And the President I think said he respects his ability to create efficiencies in the Olympics -- that’s a rough memory. Does he have a specific ask of Governor Romney in the meeting?

MR. CARNEY: He does not have a specific ask. I’m sure that the topics will be many in their lunch. The President noted during the press conference that Governor Romney was very successful in running the Olympics. He was obviously a successful businessman and I’m sure has some ideas that the President will find helpful. But I don’t want to -- I don’t have an agenda for you and I don’t have outcomes before the meeting itself.

The way it came about was that the President expressed interest in the immediate aftermath of the election in meeting with Governor Romney, and so the staffs of the two men got together and worked out a time for that to happen, and that time is tomorrow.

Q One more about the meeting, the lunch tomorrow. The language that you're using today about the meeting and about Governor Romney's strengths and what we heard the President say in the press conference, it reminds me a little bit of what was being said last January when we were talking about the reorganization of the Commerce Department. Is Governor Romney here tomorrow in some kind of Cabinet-level position? (Laughter.) In some kind of audition for that position?

MR. CARNEY: No.

Q Beyond that, is there some kind of reorganization in the Commerce Department where Governor Romney could play a role?

MR. CARNEY: Again, there is -- the President does not have a specific assignment in mind for the Governor. He looks forward to discussing with Governor Romney a variety of issues, including the President's interest in making the federal government more efficient -- an interest that was demonstrated by that very broad proposal that he put forward asking Congress for reorganization authority, the same authority that Presidents up through Reagan had had for a long time -- and adding what he felt was a helpful enticement, which is that he would only use that authority with the promise that any action he took to reorganize government would result in savings to the federal government. And that’s what his proposal with regards to all the entities in government that deal with exports and commerce would do.

Q Jay, the strengths that Governor Romney brings do comport with the kind of vision that the President has for that reorganization --

MR. CARNEY: Well, I think Governor Romney has many strengths, but I know that the President will look forward to having a discussion about broadly the issues of government efficiency.

Q Jay, both then-candidates for the Oval Office seemed to have such disdain for one another, particularly when they were debating. What is the President's stand on his emotions and his feelings with Mitt Romney now? (Laughter.)

MR. CARNEY: Well, first of all, I would say that elections are serious business, and they tend to represent a clash of ideas and they're hard fought. And it's certainly no different this time than it has been in every election that I've been around for and covered in the past.

But the President, as he said in the aftermath of the election, believes that Governor Romney has ideas that he's interested in that were developed through some of the experiences that Governor Romney has had in his life, and he looks forward to discussing them with Governor Romney.

I think the President feels pretty good about how the election turned out, if that’s what you mean. (Laughter.)

Bill.

Q How long is the lunch for? Is it an hour, hour and a half, two?

MR. CARNEY: I don’t have an end time for you. I think it will be a substantial lunch, if not on the plate than in the discussion.

Q Just one -- would you please reconsider opening the President’s meeting with Mitt Romney to press coverage since it’s -- (laughter) -- no, just so -- to cameras, because it’s closed coverage and this was an historic election. This is the first time they’re meeting, and I would just respectfully request --

MR. CARNEY: I appreciate the request, but we’re going to let the two men, who spent a great deal of time in the public eye over the course of the past year, both of them, have a private lunch together.

President Obama speaking to reporters this afternoon. (Photo: Getty)

This afternoon, President Barack Obama held his first solo press conference with the White House press corps since June 8. One question that came up during the lengthy grilling was whether President Obama has met with his erstwhile election rival, Mitt Romney, or made plans to do so in the future.

"We haven't scheduled something yet," the president said. "I think everybody forgets that the election was only a week ago. I know I've forgotten. I forgot on Wednesday."

The president went on to say he believes "everybody needs to catch their breath" after the marathon campaign and the he hoped to meet with Mr. Romney before the end of the year. As far as what they might discuss, President Obama said he believes Mr. Romney has some expertise that makes him a worthy person to consult. He went on to provide a bit of praise for Mr. Romney that many observers on Twitter quickly characterized as rather faint.

"To give you one example, I do think he did a terrific job running the Olympics."

Along with Mr. Romney's past experience, President Obama also said he'd be eager to talk with Mr. Romney about some of the ideas he put forth during the campaign that the president characterized as being "just smart ideas" rather than "partisan ideas." Specifically, President Obama cited Mr. Romney's plans for making the "federal government more customer friendly" and "consolidating" the government.

A Secret Service counter-sniper team keeping watch over President Barack Obama as he campaigned in New Hampshire earlier this month. (Photo: Getty)

This election may have been far more exciting than anyone realized. According to a GQ story about Mitt Romney and his security entourage, "several assassination plots were nipped in the bud" by the Secret Service during this year's presidential campaign. 

The story, which was written by Marc Ambinder, was about Mitt Romney saying farewell to his Secret Service detail and the tantalizing tidbit about "assassination plots" was not made until the eighth paragraph. Mr. Ambinder did not elaborate beyond saying the "several" plots were thwarted.

Politicker reached out to the Secret Service to confirm whether or not the claim of "several assassination plots" was correct. Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan told us the agency did not participate in the story and wasn't sure where he was getting his information.

"We didn't work with Marc Ambinder on that article, so I don't know what his sourcing is," Mr. Donovan said.

The Secret Service provided security to multiple candidates during this year's election. As a sitting president, Barack Obama has had Secret Service protection throughout his time in office. Mr. Romney got a Secret Service detail earlier this year and, as Mr. Ambinder detailed, his agents left his side after the results came in on election night. Herman Cain became the first Republican presidential hopeful to receive Secret Service protection last November, one month before he ended his candidacy amid a growing sexual harassment scandal. Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum also received Secret Service protection.

During the campaign, multiple people were arrested for publicly threatening President Barack Obama and Mr. Romney, but none of these situations seemed to rise to the level of serious "plots." However, Mr. Ambinder hinted he may reveal more information about his "assassination plots" claim soon when asked about the line in his story on Twitter this morning.

"Might be elaborated upon in a print piece soon," Mr. Ambinder wrote.

We emailed Mr. Ambinder to discuss the claim, but, as of this writing, we have yet to receive a response.

Update (2:50 p.m.): Mr. Ambinder responded to our email and said he was simply referring to instances of threats that have already been publicly acknowledged. 

"Just off the top of my head: there was that guy who shot at the White House from across the ellipse, and then the soldiers arrested for plotting the assassination of the president and others. All public record. All serious enough, I think," Mr. Ambinder wrote. "I don't know any details about any non-public attempts, if there were any. "

Though his tweet this morning promising his story "might be elaborated upon" came as a direct response to a question about the assassination plot line of the story, Mr. Ambinder also said the forthcoming print piece will not include any further details about assassination attempts. 

"The print piece elaboration Tweet has nothing to do with assassination plots," he wrote.

(Photo: ABC)

Mitt Romney, unsuccessful in his second quest for the White House in four years, took a gracious exit in his concession speech tonight.

"I have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory. His supporters and his campaign all deserve congratulations," Mr. Romney said to begin his address. "This is a time of great challenge for America and I pray the president will be successful in guiding our nation."

The brief concession speech contained the occasional frustrated shout from audience members, but overall most of the crowd reaction consisted of clapping and cheering for the applause lines, such as when Mr. Romney gave shout-outs to his wife, his running mate and America.

"The nation as you know is at a critical point. At a time like this, we can't risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people's work," Mr. Romney continued. "I believe in America. I believe in the people of America. And I ran for office because I'm concerned about America. This election is over. But our principles endure. I believe the principles upon which this nation was founded are the only sure guide to a resurgent economy and a new greatness. Like so many of you, Paul and I have left everything on the field. We have given our all to this campaign. I so wish I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another leader, and so Anne and I join you to earnestly pray for him, and for this great nation."

As he walked off the stage, Mr. Romney exclaimed, "Thank you and God bless America! You guys are the best! Thank you!"

President Obama campaigning in New York in September. (Photo: Getty)

President Barack Obama has been declared victorious in the presidential election, earning himself another four years in the White House. NBC News projected President Obama the winner shortly after 11 p.m. making him just the fourth Democrat in the last 100 years to win a second term. 

President Obama won in spite of a sluggish economic recovery and a well-financed campaign from his Republican rival, Mitt Romney. Last month, after Mr. Romney was widely seen as the victor in the first presidential debate, he began to enjoy some momentum in the polls, however it was apparently not sufficient.

According to the White House press pool report, President Obama is currently meeting with staff at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. He is due to make a victory address in McCormick Place later this evening.

(Photo: Getty)

President Barack Obama has a pre-election ritual where he plays a friendly game of basketball as the votes are cast. Today was no exception and the president hit the court this afternoon as voters across the country cast their ballots in what he has referred to as "my last election."

According to tweets from Alexi Giannoulias, a longtime friend of Mr. Obama's and a former Illinois State Treasurer, Mr. Giannoulias and Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen joined the president's team to face off against former Obama body man Reggie Love and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Mike Ramos, a childhood friend of Mr. Obama's from Hawaii, and Martin Nesbitt, who befriended Mr. Obama in Chicago, were reportedly in on the action too, as was Bulls veteran Randy Brown, Sam Kass, who serves as Assistant Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives at the White House, and Michelle Obama's brother Craig Robinson. Mr. Giannoulias tweeted that  Bulls alum Randy Brown was also involved. It wasn't immediately clear which team these players were on.

Nevertheless, based on a recent tweet from Mr. Giannoulias, Mr. Obama's team apparently came out on top.

"What a day! 'Coach Obama' coached us to victory! Great win, way to play, Pip!" Mr. Giannoulias wrote.

Now we'll have to see how well the president does off the court.

Update (5:17 p.m.): More details from the pool: 

The two five-player teams played four 12-minute quarters. Referees were brought in to call fouls. Each team had substitutes, though Giannoulias did not know exactly how many. The Potus team won by “like 20,” with a score of “like 102, 105, 108 or so to 80-something.”

“It was a lot of fun,” Giannoulias said. “We won. I scored more points than Scottie Pippen, which was my dream come true.”

Giannoulias said Potus “played very well" but did not say how many points he scored. Giannoulias scored 32, he said, and Pippen 21.

Giannoulias declined to identify the game’s other participants.

President Obama and Bruce Springsteen today. (Photo: Getty)

In a conference call this afternoon, President Barack Obama's re-election campaign had one central message for their supporters when Election Day arrives tomorrow: They should "keep calm," even if they hear snippets of information favoring Republican Mitt Romney.

"My warning, we need to stay calm for much of the day," Stephanie Cutter, Mr. Obama's deputy campaign manager, said, touting thousands of early ballots already submitted by voters. "We've already banked a pretty big portion of our vote."

The fear, she explained, was early numbers leaking before voters have finished going to the polls, creating unnecessary panic and pessimism among Democrats.

"Keep calm and tweet on," Ms. Cutter said. "So, no matter what you hear tomorrow about turnout in Republican counties or exit polls, particularly early in the day, please remember and remind your readers that, because of early votes, we're where we need to be to win....I don't think there's going to be official exits until the end of the day, but if things leak out that aren't validated or weighted, please stay calm."

(Photo: Getty)

In a surprising announcement this afternoon, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who left the Republican Party in 2007 and has been courted extensively by both presidential candidates, endorsed President Barack Obama for reelection. Mr. Bloomberg publicized his decision in a Bloomberg View op-ed and said Hurricane Sandy's destruction and the need to tackle long-term climate change motivated his decision.

"We need leadership from the White House -- and over the past four years, President Barack Obama has taken major steps to reduce our carbon consumption, including setting higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks," he explained. "His administration also has adopted tighter controls on mercury emissions, which will help to close the dirtiest coal power plants (an effort I have supported through my philanthropy), which are estimated to kill 13,000 Americans a year."

In contrast, Mr. Bloomberg said Republican candidate Mitt Romney was "abandoning the very cap-and-trade program he once supported," and the issue is simply "too important" to let slide.

In his announcement, the mayor, who has been coy about whether he'd make an endorsement in this campaign, also cited his agreements with Mr. Obama's social policies.

"The two parties’ nominees for president offer different visions of where they want to lead America," he wrote. "One believes a woman’s right to choose should be protected for future generations; one does not. That difference, given the likelihood of Supreme Court vacancies, weighs heavily on my decision. One recognizes marriage equality as consistent with America’s march of freedom; one does not. I want our president to be on the right side of history."

The actual value of Mr. Bloomberg's endorsement is unclear.With election day only days away, it will be difficult for Mr. Obama's team to use it to leverage his appeal among the business community for additional contributions or to distribute targeted campaign mailers featuring the announcement.

(Photo: Getty)

President Barack Obama, who had been campaigning in Florida as Hurricane Sandy began to batter states in the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, has canceled further events in the Sunshine State in order to return to Washington, according to a dispatch sent out by the White House this morning.

"Due to deteriorating weather conditions in the Washington, DC area, the President will not attend today's campaign event in Orlando, Florida," Jay Carney, Mr. Obama's press secretary, announced. "The President will return to the White House to monitor the preparations for and early response to Hurricane Sandy."

Additionally, in a subsequent press release, Mr. Carney announced Mr. Obama's Tuesday plans have also been scuttled, stating, "The President will no longer travel to Green Bay, WI tomorrow for a campaign event, so that he can stay in Washington, DC on Tuesday and closely monitor the impact of and response to Hurricane Sandy."

The president's Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, also had to adjust his schedule to avoid campaigning in states where emergency resources are needed for storm response efforts. Mr. Obama's position, however, may be much more politically beneficial to him as he manages a crisis just seven days before voters head to the polls.

“If there is a serious disaster in the next few days anywhere on the Eastern seaboard, no one talks about Romney then," the Brookings Institution's John Hudak explained to the Fiscal Times. "Romney is no part of any story, except, of course, I’m sure he’ll hold a press conference to speak on the tragedy, as anyone would do as the challenger. But all eyes are on the president. It’s something money can’t buy.”

Update (10:19 a.m.): Mr. Obama's Tuesday cancellation was added.

"Support the Sandy RELIEF EFFORT. Paid for by Romney for President, Inc." (Photo: Facebook)

With Election Day only a week away, President Barack Obama and his Republican rival, Mitt Romney, can't afford to slow down much in terms of campaigning, but over the past 24 hours, their campaigns have both taken the time to ask for contributions to something that isn't their own war chests. For example, as Mr. Obama was boarding a plane to do some politicking in Orlando this evening, his campaign's deputy press secretary, Jen Psaki, made sure to note the president was also focused on the potential victims of Hurricane Sandy.

"We urge everyone to take appropriate safety precautions and to follow the guidance of emergency management and public safety officials, and we will continue to monitor the storm to ensure the safety of our supporters, volunteers and staff," she said, according to a recent pool report. "On Facebook, Twitter, and BarackObama.com, supporters are being invited to donate to the Red Cross to support the relief effort."

Indeed, on Mr. Obama's campaign website, there is a button in the lower-right that connects supporters to the Red Cross, and related messages were posted to his Facebook and Twitter pages. Also on Mr. Obama's Twitter account is one of those elusive tweets signed by the president himself, stating, "If you're on the Eastern seaboard, please make sure to follow the instructions of your state and local officials today. Stay safe. -bo."

For his part, Mr. Romney also recognized the storm and similarly directed his Twitter and Facebook followers to support the Red Cross.

In addition to its potentially serious winds and ocean surges, Sandy has had its inconveniences in the presidential race. Events along the Eastern Seaboard have been postponed for both campaigns, with the extra time usually allocated to the increasingly important State of Ohio.