White House welcome
Posted: Sunday, November 09, 2008 4:16 PM by Ian Sager
By Carl Sears, NBC News Producer, Washington
On Monday, the White House will be the center of attention for two families and the nation. At 2 p.m. ET, President Bush and Mrs. Bush will welcome President-elect Obama and Mrs. Obama at the South Portico. The outgoing and incoming presidents will walk along the Colonnade for a meeting in the Oval Office. They will be discussing ongoing policy issues from war, to the economy, and perhaps secrets known only to Presidents.
The First Lady and Mrs. Obama will tour the residence and meet privately following the arrival. It's the first wartime presidential transition in 40 years -- and just 72-days until the Obamas move into the White House.
The Bush administration is promising a seamless transition, but the handoff is always abrupt. As White House Chief-of-Staff Joshua Bolten told C-SPAN on Sunday, "Every White House starts from scratch...when we leave those offices the night of January 19th we will turn our badges and keys in."
Obama plans to hit the ground running -- already vetting potential appointees for key economic slots. Ultimately, the new president must fill about 8,000 jobs.
In an unusual move, the Bush administration is establishing side-by-side workspace for Obama staff at the Treasury Department as it tackles the $700 billion financial rescue plan.
President-elect Obama is already receiving the same national security briefings as President Bush. In coming weeks, members of Obama's staff will be invited to attend at least one simulation at the White House of a national emergency such as a terrorist attack.
The learning curve is steep with a sense of urgency for a smooth transition. There are mountains of materials and comings-and-goings. But Monday's meeting between President Bush and President-elect Obama will set the tone for the known (and unknowable) challenges ahead.
