The Quiet Transition

Seventy-seven days. That's the length of time between Election Day and Inauguration Day, and the New York Times reports today that the campaigns of John McCain and Barack Obama are quietly trying to figure out how to make the most of it.

Obama's team is led by John D. Podesta, former chief of staff to President Clinton. McCain's transition work is being done under the leadership of William E. Timmons, a longtime Washington lobbyist.

While the campaigns are staying mum on their specific transition efforts, Clay Johnson, deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, says "the amount of work being done before the election, formal and informal, is the most ever.”

Elaine C. Duke, an undersecretary of homeland security, told the Times that her department was “poised and ready” to work with the McCain and Obama campaigns. But neither camp has contacted the department yet.

President Bush has requested $35 million for transition activities, but Congress has yet to approve the funding. That gives transition experts some heartburn, because a delay in funding could make it difficult for the president-elect to hit the ground running after the election.