The old order changeth

The old order changeth

Scripps Howard News Service: We lead the world in a peaceful transfer of power from one president to another. Where we’re not so good is in the details of actually handing that power over to a new team.

Typically, the last of the 3,000 appointees who constitute the old president’s administration are out the door the morning of Jan. 20 and, after the new president is sworn in at noon, the members of the new administration, those of them who have been confirmed or whose appointments have cleared, come flocking in.

The system does not provide any overlap and the transitions are rarely seamless. It is the worst at the White House, where virtually everybody leaves when administrations change.

This transition promises to be different thanks to President Bush. He called together his Cabinet and staff in the Rose Garden to tell them that a smooth transition would be a priority for the remainder of his presidency. And they are to be gracious about the change.