A Dignified Departure?

Ornstein told Ward: "I give Bush credit. It sure seems to me that he's made a determination that making this work as well as possible is important for two reasons: This is a wartime transition and we really are in some danger here; and the second is that it becomes a part of his legacy."

Ornstein himself writes for Roll Call: "I wrote earlier about how pleased I was that Bush and his chief of staff, Josh Bolten, who is chairing the council, had signaled their commitment to make this work. After meeting with the full council, I am even more delighted at the administration's across-the board commitment."

The White House issued a statement on Tuesday: "With our Nation at war, our homeland targeted by terrorist adversaries, and our economy facing serious challenges, the Administration is committed to establishing and executing a transition plan that minimizes disruption, maintains continuity, and addresses the major changes in government since the 2000 transition, including the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, as well as the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Homeland Security Council. . . .

"The President has directed his Cabinet and staff to be forward-leaning in all of their efforts to ensure a smooth and effective transition. It has never been more critical that a transition from one Administration to the next be as seamless as possible. This Administration has gone to great lengths to prepare the Federal government for the transition to a new Administration and to help the major-party candidates prepare for a Presidential transition. For example:

"* Federal agencies and White House offices are preparing briefings for the President-elect's team on significant pending policy issues as well as the structure of those agencies and offices.

"* Career executives within each agency who may assume added responsibilities before the arrival of new political appointees have been identified, briefed, and included in a wide range of preparatory activities. . . .

"All interactions with the candidates and their transition teams have been equitable. The cornerstone of the Administration's contact has been uniformity of access. Materials, meetings, and guidance given to one transition team are simultaneously offered to the other."

David Hirst writes in his opinion column for the Australian paper, The Age: "The world's economic future may well be determined by the attitude President Bush takes to the handover team. Barack Obama (let us for the sake of this discussion assume that he is victor next Tuesday) is keen to hit the ground running, as he knows economic policy is his first and greatest challenge. . . .

"Much will be dependent on close co-ordination and co-operation beginning immediately and definitely involving the president-elect in the G20 meetings. . . .

"If President Bush cares a hoot about his legacy he must invite the president-elect to that summit and give him all the help he can in building a store of knowledge of the true state of the US economy. He must instruct his top economic advisers, particularly Ben Bernanke and Henry Paulson, to treat the president-elect with the deference due his position. . . .

"History will be much kinder to him if in this lame-duck period he walks tall and stands beside the man who next will be king and orders his officials to serve their leader in waiting as they would himself."

Some Causes for Concern

Nevertheless, a recent Congressional Research Service report outlines some of the problems that may be ahead: "Interparty transitions in particular might be contentious. Using the various powers available, a sitting President might use the transition period to attempt to secure his legacy or effect policy changes. Some observers have suggested that, if the incumbent has lost the election, he might try to enact policies in the waning months of his presidency that would 'tie his successor's hands.' . . .