Political Quotes

“Mr. President, every 4 to 8 years our country achieves a feat that is very much the exception to the rule when placed in the context of the long roll of history: through universal suffrage the people select a new president, and the president-elect assumes power in a peaceful manner. It is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of past presidents, presidents-elect, civil servants and private citizens that this latter task, the presidential transition, is now seen by many Americans as routine; a new president is selected in November, and in January, he or she swaps places with the incumbent president. Life goes on as normal. Of course, the task of transferring command of an organization with more than 5 million employees and a $3.7 trillion annual budget is a bit more complex than our recent successful track record may suggest. Domestic and international threats further complicate this process. Perhaps more than any of its counterparts, the Bush-Obama transition was dealt the longest odds for attaining the uneventful standard our country has come to expect from transfers of power. As my colleagues well know, the Bush-Obama transition was the first of the modern era to occur during wartime, and the first to follow a general election in which the incumbent president or vice-president did not vie for the presidency.…”