[Lanny_MacDonald]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Are you freakin kiddin me?

Not kidding at all. It's all FACT.

Lanny...you are suggesting that incoming elected Presidents have no status whatsoever in the White House until the inauguration takes place...that simply is false.

What I am suggesting is that the incoming president has no legal status to do anything on behalf of the country, at the very earliest until the electoral college confirms the result of the election. That is the law, based on the constitution. You do remember that document don't you? The one your BBFL Bush has pissed all over and made a mockery of?

There is a transition team dispatched into the WH once an election has been decided, in this case it was a freaking landslide for Reagan and no need for the rubber stamp of the electoral college to wait and see any possible recounts changing the outcome.

Transition team. That team is responsible for assisting in familiarizing the incoming president and cabinet as to what initiatives are under way, and the status. They don't just throw open the doors and say, here you go, you won the election, the country is yours.

In this case, and because it was front and center the issue of that particular election, there most assuredly was statesmen brought up to speed IMMEDIATELY upon Carter conceding defeat. You really trying to tell us all that when there is a major issue going on at election time, that the winner isnt made a part of the info and negotiations that have been on going?

That's what the transition team is to do. And Reagan was far from a statesman. Jesus, what other parts of history are you going to rewite? Ronald Reagan was the first man to walk on the moon, cured polio, and wrote the gospels himself. Reagan would have been brought up to speed as to what was going on, but he would not have been let near the negotiations, not until after his inauguration.

Carter was still trying to negotiate a deal right up until inaugaration day (as evidenced by apparently having a phone by his side until the ceremony) and still was unable to secure the release of the hostages....thats not re-writing history its a simple and indisputable fact.

Or is PBS re-writing history as well??

Who was that??? Carter??? Really? I thought it was Ronald Reagan on the sly. You mean Ronald Reagan wasn't the one communicating with the Iranians using his super secret decoder ring??? No, say it isn't so! And I was certain that Reagan, upon winning the election secretly took control of the White House, used his wealth of international connections and diplomatic skills, and convinced the Iranians to cough up the hostages mere hours after the inauguration. Wow, to think things didn't unfold like that. Whodathunk?