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President Barack Obama will attend a community service forum hosted by former President George H.W. Bush .

(CNN) – President Barack Obama will be at Texas A&M University to attend a community service forum Friday hosted by one of his Republican predecessors, former President George H.W. Bush.

The two leaders will meet at Bush's presidential library to celebrate almost two decades of work from the Points of Light Institute, which was
founded with Bush's encouragement in 1990 to "encourage and empower the spirit of service," according to the group's Web site.

The Institute takes its name from Bush's 1989 inaugural address, where he referenced "a thousand points of light ... all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the nation, doing good."

Obama latched onto the theme during last year's presidential campaign. He signed a measure in April designed to strengthen national community service efforts by boosting federal funding for thousands of volunteers in fields ranging from clean energy to health care and education.

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President-elect Obama, President Bush, and the three living former presidents posed briefly for pictures before meeting privately at the White House Wednesday. (Getty Images)

(CNN) - President-elect Barack Obama, President Bush and all of the surviving past presidents got together Wednesday for a historic meeting at the White House.

"One message that I have, and I think we all share, is that we want you to succeed. Whether we're Democrat or Republican, we care deeply about this country," Bush told Obama before lunch with the former presidents.

Bush and Obama were joined by Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Watch: 'We want you to succeed,' Pres. Bush tells Obama

Obama thanked the president for hosting them and said he was grateful for the opportunity to get "advice, good counsel and fellowship" from the group.

Obama's press secretary said the presidents had a "very constructive conversation" and Obama appreciated "the spirit of bipartisanship they showed" in wishing him success.

"The president and the former presidents had helpful advice on managing the office, as well as thoughts on the critical issues facing the country right now. The president-elect is anxious to stay in touch with all of them in the coming years," Robert Gibbs said.

Presidential historian Doug Brinkley said it's "very smart politics for Obama to keep a channel open" with the former presidents.

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Former President George H. W. Bush says son, Jeb, possesses all the qualities necessary to win the White House.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – His son hasn’t left the White House yet, but former president George H. W. Bush is already thinking about the next Bush who might one day move in. The elder Bush says his oldest son, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, has all the qualities necessary to occupy the Oval Office.

“I’d like to see him run, I’d like to see him be president some day,” the nation’s 41st chief executive declared on “Fox News Sunday.” He is “as qualified and as able as anyone I know in the political scene."

However, the senior Bush acknowledged, “Right now is probably a bad time, because we've got enough Bushes in there.”

In the meantime, the former president suggested his son would make an “outstanding senator” because Jeb “really has a feel for people, the issues in Florida and nationally, and his political days ought not to be over, says his old father.”

The current President Bush agrees, openly saying he would like to see his brother run for the Florida Senate seat, replacing outgoing Republican incumbent Mel Martinez in 2010.

HOUSTON (CNN) - Former President Bush endorsed Sen. John McCain for the presidency on Monday, saying, "No one is better prepared to lead our nation at these trying times than Senator John McCain."

"Few men walking among us have sacrificed so much in the cause of human freedom," he added.

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Sources: Former President Bush will endorse John McCain before the Texas primary.

(CNN) - CNN has learned that John McCain will travel to Texas, most likely next week, to accept the endorsement of former President George H. W. Bush.

The campaign is working on the scheduling with the former president's office but the goal is for an event in Texas next week, accordoing to two Republican sources familiar with the discussions.

The endorsement is part of the Republican rally around McCain nationally. But it is also aimed especially at Texas, where voters will weigh in March 4.

There is a vocal faction of social conservatives in the state who regularly sparred with President George W. Bush during his presidency and his days as governor.

The former President Bush is no favorite of these social conservatives either, but his embrace is being orchestrated as an important signal to the state's broader Republican establishment that it is important to back McCain and participate in the primary.

–CNN Chief National Correspondent John King

Former President Bush made a surprise appearance at a McCain event Monday in South Carolina.

(CNN) - There was a surprise guest, albeit by videotape, at the final stop of John McCain's "No Surrender" tour in South Carolina on Monday night.

Former President George H.W. Bush spoke to the crowd at The Citadel in Charleston, thanking McCain for "standing tall" in his support of the war in Iraq.

"The bottom line is we must persevere, we must not surrender. We must not quit and run away," Bush said. "God bless our troops and everyone involved in the 'No Surrender' rally there in Charleston."

The Bush camp was quick to point out the appearance was not an endorsement of McCain, and was a one-time-only event.

Bush spokeswoman Jean Becker told CNN Bush was asked to make the tape by his longtime close friend Robert Mosbacher, the former Commerce Secretary and party fund-raiser who backs McCain and is serving as his general chairman.

The timing of McCain trip, following Gen. David Petreaus' report to Congress and the president's speech Thursday on war policy, is what led Bush to agree to the taping, she said.

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