Bush says won't second guess Obama's decisions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush said on Thursday he would not be second guessing Barack Obama's decisions after he hands over the White House keys next month.

Bush would not reveal what he and President-elect Obama discussed at their private Oval Office meeting after the November election, but said, "I was impressed by the questions he asked."

"And I've told him I wouldn't reveal them so that if he ever asked for my advice again, he would feel comfortable doing it knowing that it wouldn't be out there for public consumption," Bush said at a question-and-answer session hosted by the American Enterprise Institute.

One small noncontroversial tidbit did slip from the president about Obama: "The guy loves his family a lot." They discussed what it was like to be a father with two daughters in the White House, he said.

Bush and Obama have differed in their views on many policies including the need to do another economic stimulus, with the incoming president calling for aggressive measures.

"We're not going to tell President-elect Obama how to run his administration, nor will I spend a lot of time second-guessing him," Bush said when asked about their policy differences.

"I believe, once the president gets off the stage, you get off the stage and let the next man do the job," Bush said.

"As a matter of fact, I worked hard to make this transition a smooth transition. I want him to succeed," he said.

Bush has invited Obama and three former U.S. presidents to lunch at the White House on January 7 to share experiences and views.

(Reporting by Tabassum Zakaria; Editing by David Wiessler)