The G20 leaders have come from all over the world to work together to prevent future meltdowns, and their host US President George Bush is probably the weakest participant at the table.

George Bush is a lame duck president with just two months left in office. His successor Barack Obama is not even attending the summit saying America has only one president at a time.

"He just does not have enough time left in office to make any large commitment on anything far reaching since he will not be the one implementing this so just as Obama has a responsibility not to interfere with President Bush who is still the President. President Bush has a responsibility not to tie the hands of the next president with any large initiative," said Kim Holmes, VP, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation.

Moreover, the outgoing president and the president-elect don't agree on every thing.

Obama wants to introduce another stimulus package, but Bush opposes it.

Bush is pushing for promises of free trade at the summit. Obama has been skeptical of some of the free trade agreements Bush supports.

But participating nations, including India, hope Obama's absence from this stage is not going to render the host nation, America, helpless to make commitments to help resolve the global crisis.

"Obama has said that at any given time the US only has one President but I am assuming that the president administration is consulting closely with the transition team," said Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission.

"I think the issues that are being talked about of global prosperity and stability are not issues where there will be big differences between the present and the future administration," he added.

President Bush has called for this unprecedented summit to try and rescue the failing global economy and avoid leaving a yet messier legacy.

At a time when markets need signals and actions that are credible, with a lame duck president at the helm, at the Summit on financial markets, the one thing that is in short supply is credibility.