Bush Warns of Vulnerability During Transition

Guess they're not even trying to hide the false flags anymore. Also, look at the nice little bag o' pocket change Congress approved for the transition.

New York Times article: Bush Warns of Vulnerability in a Transition -- excerpts:

WASHINGTON — President Bush, warning that terrorists “would like nothing more than to exploit this period of change,” said Thursday that he intended to talk to President-elect Barack Obama on Monday about issues that will face his administration, including the turmoil in the financial markets and the war in Iraq.

The White House is especially concerned that the nation will be vulnerable during the transition between the Bush and Obama administrations. In one sign of that, Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, flew to Chicago to present Mr. Obama with his first top-secret intelligence briefing on Thursday.

If you are drinking any beverage at your computer, swallow it now before you read the next excerpt, lest you ruin your keyboard and monitor:

...in an emotional speech to hundreds of employees of the executive branch on the South Lawn of the White House, [Bush] urged them to “conduct yourselves with the decency and professionalism that you have shown throughout my time in office.”

Aren't you glad I warned you? Now, back to the serious stuff:

The wind-up:

The Bush-Obama transition is the first since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and much of the work is being conducted with an eye toward national security. At the Department of Homeland Security, for instance, Elaine C. Duke, an under secretary, is developing a “transition and succession plan” to be delivered to the Obama team by Dec. 1, as required by a 2007 law.

The quick Glance O' Fear directed to the second base runner:

“We know that terrorists perceive government transitions to be periods of increased vulnerability,” Ms. Duke said.

...aaaand the pitch:

She cited the bombing of the World Trade Center five weeks after Mr. Clinton took office in 1993; the Madrid train bombings in 2004, three days before national elections in Spain; and the car-bomb plot in London and an attack in Glasgow just days after a new British prime minister took office in 2007.

Now let's look at the costs of this transition:

Congress provided roughly $40 million for transition-related activities in an omnibus spending bill signed by Mr. Bush in September.

Really? $40 million to transition from one administration to another? Let's see how that money is being allocated:

- $8.5 million for the General Services Administration, which will provide office space, computers, telephones and support services to the incoming administration. What, none of those things existed in the Bush administration, and they have to get everything new, from scratch? In the article, it mentioned that Bush addressed "hundreds" of employees -- how many employees will be in Obama's administration that it would cost $8.5 million to set them up for work?

- The new law also provides $8 million for the Executive Office of the President, which will see a big increase in personnel work for officials entering and leaving the government. Uh...okay, what does that mean? Is this essentially $8 million for Human Resources interviewing, hiring and firing activities? Wouldn't you think that would already be covered in a Human Resources budget? And, if this is supposed to be that HR budget, um, do other businesses with similar numbers of employees as the White House spend quite that much for the same services? I somehow doubt it.

- $5.7 million for the White House to prepare electronic records for transfer to the National Archives -- in other words, work that those employed in the administration probably should have been doing all along, and now it'll be a hurry up rush job requiring overtime and extra hands to get the work done quickly (my guess). But again: $5.7 million?

- $15 million for security costs associated with the inauguration -- You know, John Adams just quietly assumed the presidency. Somehow, he managed to be president without a huge to-do. But all our modern-day presidents-elect need a series of giant fetes. Yes, I recognize the historical impact of the first African-American president; I also recognize that taxpayers are spending more for this celebration and its related security costs than we're spending for the General Service Administration and the preparation of electronic records combined.

- about $600,000 to cover the cost of a pension, office space and other benefits for Mr. Bush after he leaves the White House.

That brings us to $37,800,000. So there's a couple of mil plus change not mentioned in the article. Pshaw; you'll never miss it.

Read the closing of the article to get a temperature on the outgoing President. Interesting.