Waiting For The Inauguration Music

by hilzoy

Ten more hours.

Comments

[now_what]

From CNN, "No moving trucks needed for Bushes on Inauguration Day":

On Inauguration Day, there's one scene at the White House that won't be playing out exactly as it has during past transitions: the traditional moving of the outgoing first family's belongings.

Anita McBride, chief of staff to first lady Laura Bush, tells CNN that the Bushes have moved almost all of their belongings out of the White House ahead of schedule.

...

The actual clearing out of the Bushes' belongings began over the summer, McBride says, when many items were packed and taken to Crawford, Texas. Then, during the Christmas holiday, the Bushes moved their personal things out of Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, according to McBride.

And some people worried he wouldn't want to leave...

[Jesurgislac]

Wonder what went with the moving trucks? Did anyone inspect them for hidden troves of papers, etc?

[knowdoubt]

Yes, a PERFECT FIT, too bad he never will get it. I love Dylan's music, would have loved to see what he would have come up with for the inauguration if he had been asked. Outside of his music, though, there is really no telling, thinking Vietnam.

[Observer]

Jes:

I understand that everything leaving the White House gets thoroughly screened - and that procedures for Presidential belongings got vastly more stringent after the Clintons departed with, shall we say, a few more items than they should have. I don't think he's smuggling anything out. The degree to which crucial documents were kept out of the record-keeping system entirely, though, is another story - we already know about the shadow e-mail accounts run off of RNC servers; I suspect there will be other revelations in the days to come.

[OCSteve]

And some people worried he wouldn't want to leave...

It’s just a trap to lure the maximum number of Obama supporters into one convenient location. The tanks and troop carriers roll at 11:00.

In all seriousness though, let’s acknowledge that Bush has been nothing but helpful and gracious during the transition.

[Jesurgislac]

OCSteve: In all seriousness though, let’s acknowledge that Bush has been nothing but helpful and gracious during the transition.

Yeah, I hear Cheney moved his own boxes!

Observer: I was being sarcastic. I would guess all destruction of evidence has been done already by a more efficient method than letting Bush clear out the White House a few weeks early. Is the stuff about Clinton taking things out he shouldn't have the last lingering whiff of the first ugly Bush administration lie, that the Clinton administration left the White House in shambles? Really, they were stinky from first to last, weren't they...

...but only hours and they'll be gone. Yay.

[cleek]

"No moving trucks needed for Bushes on Inauguration Day"

Big Dick could've used some help...

Dick Cheney pulled a back muscle yesterday while moving boxes into his new home in Virginia, the White House said yesterday. He will be attending tomorrow's inauguration in a wheelchair, which he will be using for the next few days.

[hilzoy]

OCSteve: yes.

(I'm feeling magnanimous, for some inexplicable reason. ;) )

[Observer]

Jes:

Why assume that I'm spreading canards?

The Clintons, like all First Families, received numerous gifts while in office. There are two separate types of gifts: those intended for the permanent White House collection, and those given directly to the First Family. I'm not suggesting that anything nefarious took place. But the records turned out to be a mess, and the Clintons ended up returning 11 sets of gifts worth $28,000. Since then, the procedures for registering and tracking White House property have been tightened. That's all I was saying.

[Ara]

I so don't believe the Cheney cover story.

[Anarch]

^ Huh. I thought I was the only person who thought that Cheney had collapsed under the weight of his evil.