President Bush Promises Cooperation

In order for there to be a smooth transition to a new president, the previous president and his staff has to be dedicated to helping his successor. Public statements by President Bush indicate that he is dedicated to just such a smooth transition. In a speech today to employees of the Executive Office of the President, President Bush remarked:

This peaceful transfer of power is one of the hallmarks of a true democracy. And
ensuring that this transition is as smooth as possible is a priority for the
rest of my presidency. We face economic challenges that will not pause to let a
new President settle in. This will also be America's first wartime presidential
transition in four decades. We're in a struggle against violent extremists
determined to attack us -- and they would like nothing more than to exploit this
period of change to harm the American people. So over the next 75 days, all of
us must ensure that the next President and his team can hit the ground running.
For more than a year now, departments and agencies throughout the federal
government have been preparing for a smooth transition. We've provided
intelligence briefings to the President-Elect, and the Department of Justice has
approved security clearances for members of his transition staff. In the coming
weeks, we will ask administration officials to brief the Obama team on ongoing
policy issues, ranging from the financial markets to the war in Iraq. I look
forward to discussing those issues with the President-Elect early next week.
Offices within the White House are at work preparing extensive transition
materials. We're preparing career employees throughout the administration to
take on added responsibilities to help prevent any disruption to the essential
functions of the federal government. Taken together, these measures represent an
unprecedented effort to ensure that the executive branch is prepared to fulfill
its responsibilities at all times. As we carry out this transition I know that
you will continue to conduct yourselves with the decency and professionalism you
have shown throughout my time in office.

So far so good with the Obama transition: a new chief of staff on board and the current president pledging his cooperation.