Obama's Transition Plans
By Tom Shoop | Thursday, July 24, 2008 | 11:38 AM
By Tom Shoop | Thursday, July 24, 2008 | 11:38 AM
My colleague Marc Ambinder at the Atlantic reports today that Barack Obama's campaign already has begun planning for a potential transition.
"Barack is well aware of the complexity and the organizational challenge involved in the transition process and he has tasked a small group to begin thinking through the process,” a senior campaign adviser told Ambinder. “Barack has made his expectations clear about what he wants from such a process, how he wants it to move forward, and the establishment and execution of his timeline is proceeding apace.”
This will inevitably lead to talk that Obama is jumping the gun, acting like he's already won, etc. But the truth is, the sooner a would-be president starts directing people to figure out exactly what will happen after he's elected, the better. As Ambinder notes:
New presidents have only three months to complete a herculean remaking of the equivalent of ten of the world's biggest companies. Most presidential candidates don’t spend precious campaign time thinking about [what] to do, so the questions come fast and furious: how do you your turn your ideas into policy? What do you do first? What does Congress expect? What last-minute executive orders should you overturn? What will your first 100 days look like? How will you vet and when will you appoint major cabinet secretaries and political appointees? What’s the proper balance of power between executive departments? Budgets, costs, logistics?
If Obama and John McCain are smart, they'll have their teams dig fairly deeply into the bureaucracy to address these kinds of questions. One thing they'll hopefully learn quickly is that there are key efforts underway in the areas of information technology, federal procurement and personnel issues involving agencies like the Office of Management and Budget, the General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management. These efforts may initially seem arcane and bureaucratic, but they could make all the difference between effectively using the levers of government and being tainted by embarassing mismanagement.
The transition is not just about who gets to be Secretary of State. It's about establishing an appropriate, efficient structure for running the government from day one.
Comments
Sorry Dan - you (and McSame) have your facts all backwards.
Barack Obama will reduce taxes on the 90% of us that make less than $250k per annum. I guess you (not surprisingly) also don't understand that the current occupant of the White House expanded government (prescription benefit, creation of DHS, unnecessary war in Iraq, etc.) more than any other chief executive since FDR!
What the next Chief Execuitve needs is the ability (law) to seek immediate removal of poor performing government employees and replacing those with much more comptent contractors.
The United Nations Global Poverty Initiative will cost the United States less than what the current occupant of the White House has spent in African Aid this year alone.
His health care for all would only include LEGAL citizens and NO illegal immigrants.
PLEASE, get your facts straight before you put your feet in your mouth!
Interesting statement, M. If that was sarcasm, I stand corrected and will not pursue farther. If it was intended as a “Skeeter wannabee”, I have no comment for no logic will sway your beliefs. But, if you are a serious government worker; you might want to examine the issues a bit more.
I would think that McCain’s continuation of NSPS implementation would do more for driving out competent, well-educated career professionals than Barack. In GovExec’s “McCain pledges to reorganize federal workforce” 21 May 07, he sounds like a reformer, but the reforms fall right in line with the NSPS initiative. I suppose if you are for that, he would be your man.
In GovExec’s “Obama unveils reform proposals” 22 Jun 07, he pledge to “free government from undue political and financial influence”. "We need a president who sees government not as a tool to enrich well-connected friends and high-priced lobbyists, but as the defender of fairness and opportunity for every American," Obama said.
It goes on to show a laundry list of changes I personally feel will benefit the CS, the public we serve, will help in fiscal reforms, and avoid abuses found under the current regime. It’s a good read; I recommend it.
Competent , well-educated career professionals must be rooted out and hounded out of the government service. How else can we have change?
M | Friday, July 25, 2008 | 10:12 PMScot Faulkner is correct about the timing of Reagan transition efforts and the need for the transition planning and effort to remain low key during the election process. I was involved in both the Reagan Transition and the Presidential Transition efforts for George H.W. Bush. Even as a sitting Vice President, Bush had to maintain a very low profile pre-transition planning effort which was completely divorced from the campaign staff and effort. Hardly anyone was aware that six of us were working as a Pre-transition Planning Group. Hopefully Obama and McCain are making a substantial effort in this area and, at least until the election day, are keeping the focus on policy and away from the day-to-day poltical jockying that will be inveitable.
Bill Russell | Friday, July 25, 2008 | 05:39 PMHe has to in case he wins the amount of taxes he will need will dwarf and other undertaking since the New Deal. At a minimum he said he'll need $1 per gallon increase in gas taxes just to fund his Global Poverty Initiative. His health care for all which has 25% of the total uninsured are illegal immigrants will require another $100B.
Your looking at tax rates increasing by 50% and anyone not working for government will be selling apples in the street the great depression will look like nirvana
Obama is actually behind schedule. Ronald Reagan tasked Ed Meese with transition planning on November 13, 1979. Meese completed a draft transition plan with Penn James in March 1980. Transition Planning was well underway by the end of the GOP Convention on July 17, 1980.
A successful transition requires substantial planning. It is unfortunate that this leaked out as it should remain behind the scenes.
Appearances and sound bites at home or abroad aside; I can only pray that BOTH candidates are preparing for the transition regardless of who wins; because as Tom said “New presidents have only three months to complete a herculean remaking of the equivalent of ten of the world's biggest companies.” After all, we ARE the largest employer in the nation, and despite detractors like Skeeter, we have the most critical missions in the country.
I must believe that of the two candidates, Obama faces the toughest challenge; as “Transition could create leadership void, report says” dated May 6, 2008 pointed out:
1. “There are roughly 7,800 political positions, half of which are part-time jobs on boards and commissions”
2. “The remaining positions include 1,200 appointments requiring Senate confirmation, 1,400 Schedule C officials, 800 noncareer senior executives and 800 members of the new White House staff.”
The numbers are daunting. Preparation, for any competition manager, seems a requirement but particularly so for a possible opposition party transition since “President Bush named 12 percent more political appointees and 33 percent more Schedule C appointees than President Clinton.”
With each new appointment made as this long night draws to a close and dawn paints the sky rose, the chiggers are digging under the skin in a tenacious effort to continue their nefarious mission; and it will take a considerable, persistent, even dogged effort to excavate them without eviscerating the body politic. How many recent GovExec articles have quoted the plans, actions, and measures Department leaders and HR personnel have and will be taking to ensure the continued installation of NSPS and the dismantling of our meritocracy, may I ask?!
I can not see Sen. McCain having half that difficulty since, in his effort to assume the mantle of the Party Pachyderm’s favored son, he has cast aside his former convictions and legislative stances even as a snake sheds its skin. Shrub has saved heir-apparent much trouble and this ship will continue on its course of self destruction with little of no need for new personnel; except for the relatively few personal friends, party apparatchiks, yes-men, and posse members John wishes installed.
This guy acts like he's already elected president. Then I see this "person" making a major speech in Germany, putting down America. Give me a break...
JD | Friday, July 25, 2008 | 09:37 AMI believe both candidates should be giving some serious thought and action to the transition even though the electorate will be making the final decision as to who is elected in 11/2008.
Beto | Friday, July 25, 2008 | 09:09 AMWith all due respect to the writer, the federal government is filled with competent, well educated career professionals that will continue to manage and lead the government for weeks/months until any new Administration is in place to dicate their policy and direction. In most agencies, there should not be any urgent need for immediate changes if career staff are doing their jobs. In fact, after many Administration changes, we have found that the best are the ones that come in and review the current infrastructure for a few months to determine if modifications are needed. So I disagree with the writer that the transition is about ....... establishing an appropriate, efficient structure for running the government from day one. That already exists. There is no hurry, we just want either Obama or McCain to lead and spend taxpayer dollars wisely when they implement their changes because of their political philosophies. That will be their biggest challenge.
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Government Executive Editor Tom Shoop takes a look at news and events affecting the federal bureaucracy, from the perspective of a longtime observer of government.
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