WASHINGTON – It has been just more than five weeks since the Nov. 7 election, and there are just more than five weeks to go before the Jan. 20 inauguration, leaving half the normal time for Bush to set up shop.
Sources close to the campaign said Bush, who became the president-elect Wednesday night with Democrat Al Gores concession, could make his first staff and Cabinet announcements by end of this week.
Victorious George W. Bush and his team are rushing to fill key White House and Cabinet positions. There’s little secret about Mr Bush’s first Cabinet pick. Retired General Colin Powell will be named secretary of state as early as Saturday, advisers said.
Mr Bush’s choice for secretary of defence is less certain, though former Senator Dan Coats of Indiana has emerged as a leading candidate, according to senior Republicans with ties to the Bush campaign. He is friendly with Vice President-elect Dick Cheney, who is running Mr Bush’s transition team.
Bush has promised a diverse Cabinet, prompting Republicans to circulate names of women, minorities and Democrats. Bush aides said no Cabinet or White House announcements would be made on Friday, but the weekend would bring new names and faces to the Bush team.
The senior White House staff is pretty well set, and soon to be announced: Condoleezza Rice, national security adviser; Karen Hughes, a senior adviser; Josh Bolton, policy director; Larry Lindsey, top economic adviser; and Ari Fleischer, chief spokesman. Each worked on the campaign.
Texas Supreme Court Justice Al Gonzales, former lawyer for Bush in the Texas governor’s office, is mentioned as a potential White House counsel. Campaign strategist Karl Rove’s role has yet to be determined.
Bush has promised to unite the nation after a bruising election battle, and a conservative Democratic senator from Louisiana emerged as a top prospect for a Cabinet post.
General Services Administration officials handed Cheney the keys – actually a computer chip-equipped smart card – to the government-run transition office at 18th and G streets NW, two blocks from the White House.
The government also released $5.7 million in taxpayer money to fund the Republicans transition to power. The transition had already raised $3 million privately and spent $500,000. Cheney said at least some of the rest would be used to supplement the government money.
Nearly 2 out 3 Americans surveyed felt the Bush presidency was legitimate. The House Democratic whip, Rep. David Bonior of Michigan, joined some other Democrats in praising the tone of Bushs speech Wednesday night. But he also warned that Bush will have to address the voting problems that gave rise to the disputed Florida election if he wants the country to rally behind him.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the president-elects younger brother, announced the appointment of an election reform commission to study Floridas widely varying voting technology, which played a central role in Gores challenge of the balloting in the state.
Florida election supervisors decided at a meeting Thursday to ask the Florida Division of Elections whether the race between Gore and Bush can now officially be considered over.
County election supervisors could then comply with media requests to inspect presidential ballots. Then a private, unofficial recount – or set of recounts – could begin.
With Gores concession, Bush became the first presidential candidate since Benjamin Harrison in 1888 to lose the national popular vote but win the Electoral College contest and thus the White House.
Gore topped his Republican rival by more than 300,000 votes out of 103 million ballots cast nationwide. But Floridas electoral votes, to be cast Monday and counted Jan. 6, would give Bush 271 electoral votes to Gores 267.
Gore delivered a gracious and measured concession speech Wednesday evening, calling for national reconciliation and unity. For the sake of our unity and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession, Gore said. I accept the finality of this outcome. Gore also offered his congratulations to Bush.
