well, if you already know you're not going to win the election, why bother wasting the time and money on a transition team?

orange

It's pretty much a forgone conclusion that Republicans don't give a hoot for governing or for that matter, government. They win elections but can't be bothered with the plethora of responsibilities that goes with it. What they do do (or is that dodo) is make sure to line the seams of government with their lackeys so as to render it non-functional...

Are there any grownups in the GOP anymore? I think a transition team/transition process question would be very appropriate for the final debate. "One of you will be President in late January, and that Presidency has to hit some challenging ground running. How is that preparation work being handled by your campaign?" something like that

Oh it will be so nice having adults occupying the White House again.
The Democratic nominee has enlisted the assistance of dozens of individuals -- divided into working groups for particular federal agencies -- to produce policy agendas and lists of recommended appointees.
Instead of "Why do you support the Republican Party and what is your religious affiliation?

This is so characteristic of the McCain depicted in that Rolling Stone article. He's fixated on himself and regards the presidency as a fitting reward for his greatness. As for the hard work of governing, well, that's just a bore.

If McCain wins, his transition will consist of announcing on November 5th that he has decided to fire Donald Rumsfeld.

a superstitious belief that the campaign shouldn't put the cart before the horse.

This isn't the first time I've read about McCain's superstitions. This kind of stupid shit helps explain why his campaign is so erratic and mindless.

Anyway, if he's prone to magical thinking, we REALLY need to keep him out of the presidency.

Who needs to plan ahead? As President all you have to do is appoint a half-dozen or so blue-ribbon commissions, bang the members' heads together, and then go take a nap.

Yeah - jimBOB makes a point I was going to make. This isn't the first time we've heard about McCain's irrational superstitions. When superstitions start to get in the way of actually doing your job, there's a problem there.

On the other hand, McCain may just be planning on keeping the current Bush team around, so he doesn't actually need a transition plan. Of course, he'd probably never say that out loud but I'll bet that's his fallback in case he somehow manages to win this thing after all.

jimBOB makes the point I wanted to. Now all of us have silly little superstitions -- I won't light a pipe when the opponents are up during a Mets game -- but McCain seems to really believe in his, and that is scary.

JustBill beat me to the snark. The reality probably is that no new people would be brought in for most spots. They plan on using all of the current Bush people. Really truly more of the same.

Orange

Well, since McBush wants to give us another four years of the same-old, same-old that we're getting right now from the likes of Queen George-toria, there's really not going to "be" a transition of any sort. We'll just exchange one burnt-out lightbulb for another burnt-out lightbulb---and stay in the dark....

"On the other hand, McCain may just be planning on keeping the current Bush team around, so he doesn't actually need a transition plan."

Bing.

Exactly. McCain doesn't need a transition team because there won't be any significant transition. All the brownies stay in office and keep doing the hecks of jobs they have been doing.

Sorry NonyNony you also beat me to the punch. Great minds and all that.

It's pretty much a forgone conclusion that Republicans don't give a hoot for governing or for that matter, government.

I'm reminded again of P.J. O'Rourke's apt observation that Republicans claim that government doesn't work and then get elected and prove it.

And he made this comment during the Reagan Administration, when Dubya's political career had hardly begun.

You overlook the obvious...

No transition "team" is needed.

Only the President and Vice President's name plates need to be changed. Dick Cheney's will now read "Chief of Staff", and Dubya's will go in a display case in the library.

DONE.

Frankly, Obama is WAY behind in prep work compared with our next tyrannus-in-Chief. This is what he means when John says Obama's not prepared to be president.

Obama is repeating what he's done with his campaign: see far ahead, strategize, find the best people for the job, get it done. Any more comments out there about his lack of executive experience?

Egotistical, not particularly bright, morally rudderless, opportunistic, prone to inappropriate anger and deeply superstitious. Damn, what's not to like?

But Obama is definitely not ready to lead though, see? Ask Mr. "I know tough times and I know how to do this and that and the other thing my friends". He's got the smack!

Interestingly, just as i read this, I walked into the living room -- where the tv is -- and discovered that Bush,today, signed the funding law for the transition. Don't have details yet.

Two friends are asking you to help move:

One starts has a garage sale for unwanted items, collects boxes, rents a truck and picks out the the nearest pizza place that will deliver to the new apartment three weeks before moving day.

The other buys a few boxes of giant trash bags the night before the move after closing down the bar then wonders if you know anyone with an SUV or minivan.

The single scariest word in there: Superstition.

This senile old goat is basing his transition on superstition.

Groundhog day. I hear Nancy Reagan knows of a good astrologer.

This is preposterous. McCain *has* prepared for his transition into the White House.

He's picked out a lovely new table where he can sit and then all of the problems will magically go away.

Why is McCain running for president again?

The Obama transition team is not premature at all. In fact, it's good practice for any responsible elected official, especially the POTUS.

If these fools want to criticize, ask VP Dick Cheney just what the hell he was doing back in 2000--during the Florida vote-counting battle?

Gellman's book, Angler, details Cheney's executive branch staffing quite well. Cheney all but ignored the legal battle, opting to people the Bush administration as quickly as possible, having just about everyone ready for Senate confirmation hearings, etc. by Inauguration Day.

I enjoyed McCain ever so much better when he was simply playing his Gabby Hayes role to Shrub Rogers.

For me and perhaps others realize several political economic actions will stun the system, or what we call the free market system. Thousands upon thousands of government cronies are about exit from their government jobs. With that said a huge array of incompetents or do nothing departments are about to be severely changed. Especially from agencies like Homeland security to FISA, FBI, CIA, any all Pentagon expenditures for the past eight Bush years. Estimates are that trillions of tax dollars are unaccountable and may endure deep long and penetrating investigations that will need reclassification in National Security Secrets.

Likely, what the media is hiding from the electorate, is that millions of corporate officers across the spectrum in America and Internationally are liquidating their fortunes in stock options. Most of these people don’t care what they get. Just get out, and this leads to a huge disturbance. Many of the guidelines in options can only be exercised while being employed. So, from a corporate perspective in the civilian and military industrial complex that is far reaching in corruption that will take years to untangle is also modified by the Government transition in employees and contractors that are an extensive proportion, no more like the biggest portion of the economy.

To relieve this stress in a down market seems laughable to remedy with even a trillion dollar bail out.

Even though this seems cynical, for me, the future is optimistic with a Democratic controlled government for a time. You have to be a fool to think the Democrats will not address this corruption after Bush is gone. Here, America can move on the right track with energy and education as the economic engines of the future. Universal health care alone is going to turn the stock market on its head. Imagine all the portfolio’s lined up from the fundamentals in past decades based on the “old Jekyll Island� economic system which is basically the Federal Reserve Board, or more accurately can be called Bush’s piggy bank.

"both out of a desire to have complete focus on winning the election as well as a superstitious belief that the campaign shouldn't put the cart before the horse."

Why doesn't he just put Sarah Palin's witch doctor in charge of his transition team. He wouldn't have to worry about pesky supersitions.

This is because McCain assumes he'll just use Bush's staff.

Serious. "Bush's third term" is not just a slogan. It's a reality.

Both approaches are ridiculous, in light of how parliamentary governments work in Europe.

Wet-Start Johnny doesn't have a transition team since there will be no need of one.

My bet is his staff are all in search of properties in countries that do not have extradition treaties with the U.S.

Fuck 'em.

Obama could cure all cancers, bring peace to the ME, end the world-wide financial crisis, and find a free, non-polluting substitute for oil and the right would bitch about how uppity and elitist he was to do these things.

Just wait until Friday. It's beginning to look like an early Christmas this year.

In McCain's defense, you don't need much of a transition team in order to continue the Bush presidency.

Both approaches are ridiculous, in light of how parliamentary governments work in Europe.

Most parliamentary governments in Europe have multiparty systems and rarely see a complete cabinet turnover; those that use two-party systems and consequently usually see a complete cabinet turnover as a result of a change of PM, like the UK, are exceptions. But, even in the UK, because it is a parliamentary system, there is a shadow cabinet, and so there is a de facto transition plan and team in place even before the election campaign starts.

Really, there isn't much point in comparing transition planning in a parliamentary system with that in a presidential system, and even less where there parliamentary system is a multiparty rather than a two-party one.

Anonny said exactly what I was going to - McSame isn't just a slogan, it's a truism.

One approach is deeply irresponsible. The other approach is Obama's.

That is about the best one line summary of this election that I've seen.

The McCain campaign has no ethics policy in place for the transition

That statement implies they have an ethics policy at all about anything.

john mccain doesn't need an ethics policy, only crooks need ethics policies, since JSNIII is the most honorable man since Brutus, he doesn't need such policies to keep him and his good friends in control.

and a transition team? are you all joking? being PResident isn't hard, all you have to do is get everyone in the same room and tell them to cut the bullshit out. piece of cake.

as for the superstitions, they are common among gamblers and those who know they have little control over fate and destiny. That's why pilots and sportsmen are especially prone to them, they both play in worlds where the random has and overlarge impact on performance. these aren't planners, they trust in their own ability to perform on the spot, but hedge their bets by acknowledging the random. it's perfectly reasonable for a pitcher. completely bonkers for a President.

Thank you for this posting: real news I haven't seen elsewhere. It's especially important with this financial crisis. I would like to know who the people are that Obama has working on these matters and, quite frankly, I would like to be among them.