Presidential transition planning isn’t presumptuous; it’s ‘necessary.’
Presidential transition planning isn’t presumptuous; it’s ‘necessary.’
Yesterday, The Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder reported that “Sen. Barack Obama has directed his aides to begin planning” for his presidential transition, should he be elected. Sen. John McCain’s campaign responded with derision, saying that Obama had “poor judgment” and was “dancing in the end zone” by making such preparations. But over at the Wonk Room, Center for American Progress Action Fund Director of Homeland Security P.J. Crowley argues that such advance work is necessary for any potential president:
Why is this important? Attempted attacks have become a staple of groups like al Qaeda. Given this heightened risk, one of our earliest conclusions was that the two candidates cannot wait until November to focus on this challenge. Advance work will be necessary to have an effective leadership team ready, establish relationships with key stakeholders across the country, prepare the public for what lies ahead and outline concrete priorities for the first 100 days and first year in office.
This is not being presumptuous. Actually, it is being presidential.
Crowley notes that the Center for American Progress Action Fund is launching a Homeland Security Presidential Transition Initiative “to help the president-elect, regardless of who wins, assess what will need to be done during the transition and in the first year to keep the country safe.” Perhaps, to avoid being hampered like the Bush administration, McCain’s team should concern themselves with preparing for the presidential transition process.
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Had the GW Botch sh|theads (Condi) done their advance work and paid attention to intelligence reports 9/11 would have NEVER HAPPENED!!!!
This is why Obama is right!!!
July 25th, 2008 at 7:32 pmOr maybe, deep down, even McDepends knows HIS advance work would be a total waste of time.
July 25th, 2008 at 7:35 pmBTW, These sh\theads ignored the Clintion admin because of hatred of Democrats!!! That’s why 3000+ in this country and 4000+ in Iraq died.
For hatred of the Democrats!!!!!
People have died for the hatred the RePugniScums have for everyone not like them!!!!
July 25th, 2008 at 7:35 pmMcCain McSame McBush whatever. End result he is dangerously incompetent, no matter who will pull the strings for him from behind the scenes.
July 25th, 2008 at 7:42 pmPlanning??? Since when is the “new” GOP known for planning?
McCain’s camp has far more serious problems in the here and now, and wasting any time planning for an administration he will never have will only confuse the heck out of McBefuddled.
Obama has proven beyond any shadow of doubt that he’s ready for anything that comes his way. Can you imagine McPhony trying to “my friends” Europe and the Middle East? Head spinning humor!
PEACE
July 25th, 2008 at 7:43 pmJohn McCain: Ready on Day 467
July 25th, 2008 at 7:47 pmPerhaps McCain’s team less concerned about preparing for the presidential transition because he’s running for Bush’s third term.
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I realize this is a bit of a snark comment, but I see some truth in it. Transitions with a party change are bound to be more work and take longer than when the party in charge stays the same. For example, Dubya (succeeding a Democratic president) no doubt had a bigger transition to deal with than his father, who succeeded a president from the same party. Likewise, Reagan had a bigger transition succeeding Carter than he would have had succeeding a Republican president.
But even when succeeding someone in the same party, it’s still prudent to have a leadership team in place and have a vetting process ready to go for appointing a staff.
Obama would be expected to have a bigger job with his transition than McCain would. But McCain still would have a transition significant enough that he should shut up and get busy.
July 25th, 2008 at 7:51 pmPfffft! How preposterous! Who needs a prepared president?
July 25th, 2008 at 7:56 pmmisshusseinmolly,
You state, “But McCain still would have a transition significant enough that he should shut up and get busy.”
Not really. He’s going to assume the lease and keep phucking the rest of us just like Botch!
July 25th, 2008 at 7:57 pmdixie blood Says
July 25th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
misshusseinmolly,
You state, “But McCain still would have a transition significant enough that he should shut up and get busy.”
Not really. He’s going to assume the lease and keep phucking the rest of us just like Botch!
_______________________________________________________
Yes, but…is he REALLY expecting Cheney to hang around?
July 25th, 2008 at 8:02 pmI’m bored… can someone call the trolls and tell ‘em we have Cheetos?
July 25th, 2008 at 8:04 pmmccain is saying he’s not going to be ready to take command?
July 25th, 2008 at 8:05 pmShhhhhh! You guys are ruining it!
The McCain Transition Plan(TM) is being given to McFlubber for this 72nd birthday on August 29th.
He’ll have forgotten all the details by August 30th, but please at least try to keep it as a surprise!
PEACE
July 25th, 2008 at 8:13 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
——————————————————————————–
dixie blood Says
July 25th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
misshusseinmolly,
You state, “But McCain still would have a transition significant enough that he should shut up and get busy.”
Not really. He’s going to assume the lease and keep phucking the rest of us just like Botch!
_______________________________________________________
Yes, but…is he REALLY expecting Cheney to hang around?
Most leases have no attached employees so Cheney would go, but, nothing changes. More corporate fascist hatred in on the way with McCorp!
July 25th, 2008 at 8:14 pmWhat is McCain to do about convincing the public that he has an “effective leadership team” assembled? This is a major part of proving your “military prowess” as a stalwart of international knowhow and America’s protector from all those scary brown people. Who is left to fill these reich wing positions? The small and ever-shrinking team of loyalists that the bush has left can’t spare anyone from their mess of a circle jerk. All that’s left are the chimp’s stale leftovers. Could McCain stand even less of a chance in Hell of winning with a crew of sycophantic misfits like Rummy, Wolfie, Feith, Hadley, Scooter, Gonzo etal? All the usual suspects are either too busy ignoring Congressional subpoenas, scouring the international news wires for mention of war crime trials or looking over their shoulders for pissed off Americans!
July 25th, 2008 at 8:20 pmI really don’t like to say it, but it sounds like pre-9/11 thinking on McCain’s part. Has he forgotten? He is getting old, you know.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:21 pmAside from that, Barack and his team will have the additional burden of taking over after an incompetent administration that only had their partisan self-interest in mind the whole time.
Maybe mccain will just take Obama’s plan, like he’s doing with the time-line, and pretend it was his idea…
July 25th, 2008 at 8:23 pmBREAKING: Senate Republicans Block Oil Speculation Bill.
TP, sorry to put this in a place it doesn’t belong. It would be great to see this story on your front page.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:29 pmRepublicans don’t prepare for anything. They think they already have all the answers, just like the Smirker-in-Chief, an ignorant punk if there ever was one.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:33 pmI’m sure the reason why the Obama’s want to get started early is so they’ll have a detailed plan to get all the disease, scum, and fungus left behind after the last tenants.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:34 pmYet more evidence on why he graduated Annapolis #894. If it hadn’t been for Pater and Grand-pater, he might have commanded a garbage scow.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:37 pmOh, good. Jim got the message.
Hey JIm Wilke! Cheetos! Over there by the soda pop. Help yourself.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:39 pmMy friend John McGeography should be starting to plan his transition to the Dog Catcher I Position in Dead Gulch, Arizona which should be available in late January, 2009…
July 25th, 2008 at 9:06 pmIt amazes me that so many who claim to “love” America,are frothing at the mouth for Obama to stumble overseas.If one truly loved this country and NOT just party,they would be overjoyed at seeing our flag waived once again with pride by foreigners.Instead the republicans have only proven as fact that they are nothing more than cultists,die hard supporters of the party no matter what.No matter how much spin is applied to McSame,you cannot shine that turd.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:09 pmIf Sen Obama didn’t plan ahead, where would he find time to push: atheism, immorality, communism, lycanthropy, Islam, black racism, Ebonics, white racism, radical black Christianity, free-love, unilateral disarmament, abortion, vegetarianism, mopery and dopery, gay marriage, surrender, polygamy, pacifism, bestiality, voodoo, pedophilia, misogyny, miscegenation, kiddie-porn, socialism, appeasement, globalization, isolationism, high taxes and foreign languages?
On a more serious note, what kind of idiot would NOT be planning to deal with the host of emergencies the next administration will need to deal with? If Flip-floppy McSpin thinks the Bush Administration will aid in a smooth transition? He’s more delusional then I thought.
The new guys, even if McSpin wins, will get nothing but wiped hard drives and a stack of Past Due notices.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:13 pmMcCant’s team has trouble planning a simple campaign event…… green screen, canceled oil rig appearance,conflicting messages, bad timing, small crowds, those annoying wind chimes during the wiener house interview, etc
How can they be expected to handle presidential transition planning?
July 25th, 2008 at 9:18 pmOops! “than I thought”. And I forgot the “redacted documents”. The next administration will have piles of redacted documents on every subject.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:18 pmNo, Sen McConnell. The most pressing issue facing the U.S. and the World is cleaning the rot out of our government. Nothing good will happen until that happens.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:20 pmPete,
July 25th, 2008 at 9:22 pmI am not sure, but I think if the documents exist, the sitting President can view them in their entirety?
Suffice to say then most probably there will be only empty file cabinets and hard drives.
“Perhaps McCain’s team is less concerned about preparing for the presidential transition because he’s running for Bush’s third term.”
Nice ;)
July 25th, 2008 at 9:22 pm27 pete – Lycantropy: Obama is a werewolf ? I didn’t know !
What gets me is that McCain is a good military man (by his own admission). I thought the military stressed preparation.
It seems like the only thing the repubs prepare for is swift-boating the opposition.
And I see a certain Irony that McCain’s war cry in many comparisonbsis that Obama “will do anything in X, but ignore Y”. Yet, who is more likely to do anything than the Neocons of Rove et al ?
July 25th, 2008 at 9:25 pmMcCain? Getting prickly over Obama’s studies of his transitional team as President-elect, in July?
No one…
July 25th, 2008 at 9:29 pmMapleStreet Says:
27 pete – Lycantropy: Obama is a werewolf ? I didn’t know !
Why else would people be so afraid of him?
And it is deliciously ironic that the same people who scream, INEXPERIENCED! would have the gall to fault Sen. Obama for planning ahead.
The inside of their heads must be swirling like a blender. Maybe that would explain the apparent brain damage?
July 25th, 2008 at 9:37 pmMcCain & Co. so un-presidential. They prove it on a daily basis.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:37 pm.
The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing today…
Did T.P. bother to notice? If Americans want accountability, ignoring monumental events to bring about accountability is a sure fire way to DUMB DOWN the Nation… EH TP?
WHY is TP aiding the cover the BushCo needs to go unaccountable?
.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:47 pmall mcchimpy does is insult, lie and mock.
this will make a perfect repug prez!
he has no plan except to bomb Iran.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:48 pmPresidential Transitional planning was discussed in the House Judiciary Committee Hearing today…
Great info discussed today about the Bush fumble…
July 25th, 2008 at 9:49 pmThus far, every poster has missed the ultimate irony of Obama’s transitional planning process.
At the rate he is going, Obama will complete his transition plan before GDumbya is finished with his . . . and he’s already had eight years to do it.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:04 pmWith all do respect to McCain…he doesn’t have to do any thinking or planning for his presidency (the beer lords help us). He will just have to pick up the notes left on the desk in the Oval Office and away he goes. It’s kind of like leasing a new car. The one you get is just like the last one you had. Just put the key in and go.
On the other hand, there is someone willing to do things different. How different is yet to be seen but different the least. Obama…’08
July 25th, 2008 at 10:09 pmSo, presumably this means John McCain doesn’t have any sort of transition team ready to take over if he’s elected President. He’s going to try to make this a winning issue for him in the campaign? We’re supposed to be reassured because McCain isn’t doing any preparations for becoming president? Seems like pretty tortured logic to me.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:16 pmpete Says:
The next administration will have piles of redacted documents on every subject.
Sen. Obama and his smart administration will use forensics to get to all the dirt. this will be an eye opener.
mcchimpy would rather hide chimpy’s wrongdoings than to bring them to light.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:21 pmNecessary and wise.
no wonder mcchimpy isn’t doing it.
July 25th, 2008 at 11:24 pmWhat else should one expect from people who called anyone who suggested they make plans for a hypothetical withdrawal “anti American” and “Surrender Monkeys”.
10 effing days ago! McSpin claimed talk of time lines was “unrealistic” and “surrendering on the brink of victory”!! 10 effing days ago!!!
And today he’s taking the position that “16 months matches his original plan”.
WTF?
July 25th, 2008 at 11:51 pmOops! #45 was meant for a different thread, but, I guess it would apply to planing a transition too.
July 25th, 2008 at 11:53 pmWow! McCain doesn’t even understand sports metaphors.
‘Dancing in the End Zone’ refers to a celebration after a touchdown, thus rubbing it in the other teams face.
He should have used ‘booking your superbowl hotel rooms at the start of the playoffs’. The Steelers and Chargers are famous for that.
He is so out of touch.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:24 amPerhaps America should be asking itself who is managing their campaign better>? Might give you a clue as to who would be the better Chief Executive.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:49 amjay, perhaps McIIIrd was referring to the dolts who fumble at the six yard line, clowning their way to the end zone??
July 26th, 2008 at 12:51 amMcCain doesn’t need a transition team. Since he’s running for Bush’s 3rd term, there won’t be any transition.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:56 amG’night good people.
You too trolls.
And I leave you with a thought.
Why does Katie Couric still have a job? Dan Rather is eager to know.
July 26th, 2008 at 1:14 amI heard an interesting comment tonight: As McCain complains about the media coverage this week over Obama, it has actually worked t his advantage because no one is paying attention to his flip-flops, his ridiculous comments and gaffes. He’s whining but his path to the White House remains undisturbed.
July 26th, 2008 at 1:28 amObama is getting media attention, and with that, a lot of scrutiny. The media awaited any hint of a gaffe this week, but when none came, they began to criticize Obama personally for acting too presidential.
McCain was lost in the shuffle this week, but the upside is that his mistakes were lost too.
Marie@52
they began to criticize Obama personally for acting too presidential.
How sad is that?
Sen. Obama looks confidence, natual, intelligent and proud. Good God what does that mean, looking presidential? How does mcchimpy look and act? he’s lacking all the good qualities that Sen. Obama naturally has.
repugs want our country/us to look like the fearful, artificial, bullies, out-of-touch-idiots like them.
repugs hate the US
July 26th, 2008 at 1:48 ammcchimpy thought Sen. Obama visit to Europe would be a bust.
It’s a huge success!
Another mcchimpy’s misguided bs.
July 26th, 2008 at 2:11 amI like this response from the McCain campaign:
“The American people are more concerned with Barack Obama’s poor judgment and readiness to lead than his inaugural ball.”
By preparing for his presidency (like any reasonable presidential candidate should) Obama shows good judgment. He knows anyone who becomes president needs to be ready to lead from day one.
The McCain campaign seems to think you dont need to prepare. That you just put on a magic President-hat which fits McCains head but not Obamas.
July 26th, 2008 at 3:20 amIs it true that the only preparations of Bush and McCain have a big letter H at the end?
July 26th, 2008 at 7:47 amThe question should then be, if McCain is seriously trying to become the President of the United States, why isn’t HE thinking this strategically as well????
Because he doesn’t think.
July 26th, 2008 at 7:48 amWhy would Obama prepare for winning, after all he’s supposed to think he’s going to lose. This is just another example of the media treating him with distain. He can’t possibly win, he black. No Presidential candidate worth his salt would not prepare, just in case. If he wins in November and isn’t prepared they will use that against him too. What this amounts to is a “damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t” attitude by the media. I’m sure McCain’s team is preparing too, remember them saying “Phil Graham will make a good Secretary of Treasury”. What’s that wishful thinking? I wouldn’t expect anything less of Sen. Obama’s campaign. The talking head have nothing better from the “Cry Baby” McCain camp, so they focus on complete Buiishit. Just look at all of the whinning the media did after “cry baby” started crying foul over this trip.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:29 amOne very important part of this preparation will be identifying all the partisan employees that were appointed by Chimpy or were hired by those appointees. The time consuming part will be auditing the changes made by these junior operatives and developing the steps to correct the legal, fiscal, and enviromantal damage caused by Chimpy’s administration.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:39 amMcCain is whining and ignoring precedent.
Bush was naming cabinet members before the 2000 “recount” was over and before the Supreme Court had declared him the winner.
In recent years, pretty much all major presidential candidates have begun planned for a transition six months or more before inauguration day. To not do so would be irresponsible, since it would mean that whoever won would not be prepared to begin governing immediately.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:46 amMcCain doesn’t need to prepare for transition. Bush Sr. and Cheney will still be running things if he wins just like they’re doing now.
July 26th, 2008 at 9:04 amThis is all well and good but May 9,2007 Bush signed into law:
National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 51.
July 26th, 2008 at 9:42 amBush could incite war with Iran involving Israel, install Martial Law — and cancel the 2008 election.
What if the House Judiciary Committee held hearings about Bush’s Imperial Presidency and NONE of the so-called progressive blogs even mentioned it?
Is every one still high from the Netroots Nation parties to notice, or even care?
I watched the whole thing and it was incredible! Why has no one said one word about this?
July 26th, 2008 at 9:44 amhe might have commanded a garbage scow
That’d actually be a step up. McCain never commanded a ship.
July 26th, 2008 at 10:28 amOnly in Bush-McDunce World could planning ahead be considered a character flaw.
July 26th, 2008 at 10:57 amBush didn’t the planning and guess what happened in some months after his nomination.
July 26th, 2008 at 11:14 amMapleStreet Says:
What gets me is that McCain is a good military man (by his own admission). I thought the military stressed preparation.
McCain finished 494 out of 498 at the Naval Academy.
July 26th, 2008 at 11:52 amNot very impressive.
He also lost 5 jets while flying. I’m not saying they were all his fault but what are the odds on that?
And I believe that was in the span of just a few years, we’re not talking 20 years of flying here.
His claim to fame is he was shot down and held as a POW for 5 1/2 years. That is quite an ordeal, but I don’t see how it is a qualifier for being President.
Exit Stage Left Says:
Only in Bush-McDunce World could planning ahead be considered a character flaw.
Unfortunately a large segment of the American voting population lives in dunce world.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:00 pmThat’s how we got a 1 trillion dollar useless war, a record deficit, a looted Treasury filled iwth IOU’s, a declining dollar etc.
Average American voter, Joe McDunce got fleeced by the sharpies.
Way to go Homer!
D’OH!!
How stupid does the McCain campaign think we are? If anything, we ought to be kicking Ambinder in the nuts.
The Washington Post
June 4, 2000, Sunday, Final Edition
Start Thinking Transition
BYLINE: David S. Broder
SECTION: OP-ED; Pg. B07
LENGTH: 800 words
If you call the Bush or Gore campaigns, as I did last week, and ask if anyone is planning the transition to the presidency, the answer is an astonished “No!” It’s months until the conventions and the focus is entirely on the fall campaign, they say. First things first. It would be presumptuous to think otherwise.
But the strongly held view of those who have been through this sequence before is that George W. Bush and Al Gore ought to be thinking about the takeover of government now, and starting to plan the process very soon, well before they know which of them will be successful on Election Day.
“Remember you have only 73 days” from election to inauguration, Theodore C. Sorensen, the counsel in the Kennedy White House, said last week at a conference sponsored by the Heritage Foundation. “You better begin planning before Election Day.”
That advice was echoed by veterans of the Johnson, Carter, Reagan and Bush White Houses–and by a trio of scholars who have been plumbing the records of past transitions.
In fact, such advance planning has been done in many past campaigns–but covertly, to avoid conveying a sense of smug overconfidence to the voters. Jack Watson, who became Jimmy Carter’s chief of staff, told the Heritage audience that he had retrieved a memo from the Carter archives he had written the former Georgia governor on May 11, 1976, soon after Carter won the Pennsylvania primary and established himself as the favorite for the nomination. It suggested that as outsiders to Washington, they needed to start organizing themselves soon for the possibility of taking over the executive branch. Carter gave him the go-ahead on May 27–just about this point in the cycle–but ordered secrecy.
July 26th, 2008 at 2:47 pmOf course, the polls which show Sen. Obama leading would suggest it’s prudent to have multiple teams working on solutions to Bushco’s messes.
Can anyone really believe that they won’t have to “hit the ground running” after the Worst, President, EVER?
Are, even, sock puppets so stupid?
July 26th, 2008 at 4:21 pm69 Flavorino – I tried to lend some sarcasm by adding “by his own admission”.
Pilots plan for their take off by running a preflight checklist. I wonder if McCain skipped those – may explain a few crashes.
July 26th, 2008 at 11:03 pm