Obama Meets with Rev. Billy Graham

(Photo Credit: White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Before his trip to West Virginia to mourn the miners, President Obama met with a famous figure he's been meaning to catch up with for some time, the Rev. Billy Graham.

After a mini vacation with his family in nearby Asheville, North Carolina, the President stopped by Graham's mountaintop log cabin in Montreat, North Carolina.  The two men had a private prayer and conversation.  "He is extraordinarily gratified that he took the tiem to meet with him, " White House spokesman Bill Burton said.

Rev. Graham's son, Franklin Graham, was also in attendance.

Obama is the 12th president Billy Graham has prayed with.  The two were hoping to meet up in 2008 when Obama was running for president and preparing for a debate nearby, but Graham was not feeling well that day, so the visit had to be scrapped.  Graham takes few visitors these days.  Before Sunday's meeting with Obama, the two last spoke on the phone on Billy Graham's 91st birthday, last November.