Obama, Romney meeting today at White House

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will host former political rival Mitt Romney for a private lunch today at the White House in their first meeting since the election.

Obama aides said they reached out to Romney's team shortly before Thanksgiving to secure a date for the meeting. The men will meet in the White House's private dining room, with no news coverage expected.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama was looking forward to having a "useful discussion" with his former competitor. But he said there was no formal agenda.

While in Washington, Romney also will meet with his former running mate, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, according to a Romney campaign aide. Ryan is back on Capitol Hill, and involved in negotiations to avert a series of automatic tax increases and deep spending cuts.

The White House sees Obama's victory as a signal that Americans support his tax proposals.

Obama and Romney's sit-down likely will be their most extensive private meeting ever. The men had only a handful of brief exchanges before the 2012 election.

Even after their political fates became intertwined, their interactions were largely confined to the three presidential debates.

Former aides confirm that Romney is expected to move into an office at the Boston-area venture capital firm Solamere Capital. The firm was founded by his oldest son, Tagg Romney, and Spencer Zwick, who served as his presidential campaign's national finance chairman. It's unclear what role, if any, Romney will play.