Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 25, 1993 TAG: 9301250272
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
EMPTY OFFICES
A LOT OF AMERICANS probably wearied, as we did, of all the self-promoting, gloating, self-righteous entertainers and the Hollywood glitz that dominated much of the festivities in Washington last week.But at least the inauguration itself was a majestic exercise. Following the long, acrimonious election campaign, the peaceful transition of power seemed a monument of civility and good will.
If you didn't look too closely.
Behind the scenes, we're now coming to understand, the transfer was less than orderly. And, George Bush's reputation for good manners notwithstanding, it was less than gentlemanly.
Two examples:
Bill Clinton made more of worker safety, during his presidential campaign, than Bush did as president for four years. Suddenly, just days before he left office, Bush resurrected an advisory committee on worker safety that had been moribund for years.
At the last minute, he filled all 12 seats on the committee. Clinton won't have influence on the board for at least two years. One of Bush's new appointees represents a firm that Bush's own Labor Department was suing for worker-safety violations.
Considerably worse was Bush's demand that all senior political appointees resign by Inaugural Day.
In the past, senior officials have submitted their resignations before their boss leaves office, but incoming presidents have accepted the resignations gradually. That way, some of the old team stay in office while their successors are chosen.
This time, the outgoing president left his successor with practically no top officials. Until new people can be selected and confirmed by Congress, there will be few senior advisers, analysts or managers to help guide President Clinton's early days.
"We know the Clinton people don't have the necessary expertise," explained Kevin Moley, deputy secretary of health and human services, last week. "That's what the American people voted for on Nov. 3. Now the consequences will come home to roost."
Consequences? Moley seems to be saying that, not only should Clinton be punished for winning the election, the American people should be punished for electing him.
And so the Bush administration, as its parting gifts to Clinton, left not only at least two wars and possibly a third for the new administration to deal with.
It left not only the largest national debt in American history, and budget deficits as far as the eye can see.
It also left, vacant, high offices all around Washington.
This is not good sportsmanship, but is a good example of the sort of petulance that was all too evident during the presidential campaign, and which may help explain why Clinton is in the White House while Bush is in Texas, hoping Clinton fails.
Washington can manage without help from the politically correct in Hollywood. It also can do without the Kevin Moleys from the Bush administration. But the latter might at least have stuck around a bit, to help out while they mail out resumes.