Bush Prepares for Transfer of Power

W A S H I N G T O N, Dec. 14 -- — With the 2000 election finally decided, President-elect George W. Bush is looking ahead to his stewardship of a deeply divided nation as he prepares to take the reins of government.

“The transition is well under way,” said Vice President-elect Dick Cheney, the head of Bush’s transition team, at a news conference this afternoon, where he accepted the keys — actually, a “smart card” — to the government transition offices in Washington. “We’re going to move as rapidly as we can.”

Amid the chaos and uncertainty of the monthlong recount controversy, the Republican nominee and his team of advisers have been methodically preparing to take power. The Bush camp can now move forward with its White House transition plans with the certainty that the Texas governor will take the oath of office as the 43rd president of the United States.

The day after Al Gore conceded the race for the White House, and Bush delivered his first speech as president-elect, Democratic congressional leaders consoled the vanquished and congratulated the victor, whom they urged to make good on his promise of bipartisanship.

“Democrats are ready to meet with President-elect Bush and Vice President-elect Cheney,” said Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. “The campaign is over; it’s time for the work of governing to begin.”

“While the election ended up in a virtual tie, the American people do not want gridlock,” added House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt. “If the president-elect is, as he says, truly committed to uniting this country, I believe in my head and in my heart Republicans and Democrats can accomplish great things in the next two years.”

Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert sounded a similarly hopeful tone.

“I think we’re starting out fresh,” he told reporters. “The elections are behind us … Now is the time to work together and try to find areas that we can agree on and have good bipartisan support on.”