Mission: Transition

By Samantha Hayes in Washington, DC

Think about this: Before you even head to the polls to vote for the President of the United States, preparations for the transition of power have already begun.  It may seem presumptuous on the part of the campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain, but both candidates want to be as prepared as possible before one of them walks into the Oval Office next January 20th. Senior Bush administration officials have been working with a bipartisan Transition Coordinating Council for several months,  Members include the current President’s Chief of Staff, the Attorney General, the Director of National Intelligence, Director of the Office of Management and Budget and others.

Presidential transition is a formal matter, and required an Executive Order. Today White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said in a statement, “The EO will help to coordinate efforts already underway to ensure a seamless presidential transition. This is especially important as our nation is fighting a war, dealing with a financial crises, and working to protect ourselves from future terrorist attacks.” It almost makes you feel sorry for the next guy. While transitions of power at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have been going on since before the White House was built, Perino added that the level of preparation this time is unprecedented.

Samantha Hayes is a national correspondent for CNN Newsource based in Washington, D.C. She contributes political stories to KSAT-12. You can learn more about her here.

Explore posts in the same categories: Politics

Tags: barack obama, cnn, dana perino, democrat, george w. bush, john mccain, ksat, presidential campaign, republican, samantha hayes, san antonio

You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.