I'm Pete du Pont with the National Center for Policy Analysis. When you think about it, ten weeks is not a lot of time to get ready to run a government. That's why the transition is so important. And bush — and as we go to press, it's still bush — as leader of the out party has it tougher than Gore would have.
In less than two months, he has to pick his Senior White House staff, 14 cabinet secretaries, and as many subcabinet and agency heads as possible, complete with background checks.
He needs to prioritize his agenda, since much of what presidents achieve they often do in the first year.
That's where Clinton went wrong, squandering time on talk fests in Arkansas and dawdling over key appointments, letting his obsession with forming a politically correct administration burn up his time.
He then dissipated political capital on an ill-conceived, economic stimulus plan, and the misbegotten socialized medicine campaign.
Bush should concentrate on measures ready for legislative action that he can sell to a bipartisan legislature. There's time for the hard stuff later.
Those are my ideas, and at the NCPA we know ideas can change the world. I'm Pete du Pont. Next time, Big Deals in Baseball.