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Background checks could start, to aid transition Although Vice President Al Gore seems determined to continue to fight the election's outcome in court, thereby casting enough doubt on the ultimate outcome to prevent the federal General Services Administration from giving either the Gore or Bush transition team access to presidential transition offices and funds, in the national interest the work of a presidential transition must get under way. Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Gore publicly have named transition directors. At this point in the process, both men probably have given thought to their top Cabinet appointments, but there are some 6,000 presidential appointments to be filled in all. For hundreds of those, FBI background checks and Senate confirmation is required. That's one place where the transition work can begin under these unusual circumstances. Both campaigns by now have in hand thousands of resumes from people seeking the less glorious but nonetheless important jobs in the new administration -- the middle political management positions where the policy rubber meets the road. Without public disclosure and without even naming specific posts, both campaigns could provide to the FBI information on those people likely to be considered for appointments requiring confirmation. This would make more work for the FBI during a process that at its best is chaotic, but it would at least allow the processing of presidential nominees to begin. The alternative is to allow the transition to be postponed in its entirely until the eve of inauguration day. By beginning now at least with background checks, once the legal fights actually are resolved the president-elect would not have to begin at a cold start. Just as important, this would allow background work to be completed on enough prospective nominees to provide the Senate with ample material for confirmation hearings early next year. America has been blessed with orderly transitions of power throughout its history. In the modern era the transitions have been relatively smooth precisely because the transition teams have been able to ramp up quickly following an election; indeed, since 1980, when Ronald Reagan first employed the strategy, campaigns have set up shadow transition operations as soon as the party nomination is secured. But some work, such as FBI background checks, can only be done post-election and with the cooperation of the departing administration. Bill Clinton should do one presidential thing and order the FBI to begin working with both campaigns to begin the process. |
