Transition of Power: The Presidency Page #10

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There's the two person rule:

it has to be approved by the

secretary of defense as well.

The secretary of defense can't

initiate a nuclear response

or a nuclear attack,

but the secretary has

to be the second person

to approve a presidential

nuclear launch.

NARRATOR:
The hand-off

of the nuclear football

on Inauguration Day

is a critical moment

that's carefully timed

and choreographed.

METZGER:
On the way to the, uh,

the swearing-in on the Capitol,

the duty military aide

is in the motorcade, as always,

with the president

of the United States.

The president-elect

of the United States

then takes a separate route

to the Capitol.

Until the moment

the president-elect

says the words...

-So help you God?

-So help me God.

-Congratulations, Mr. President.

-Thank you, sir.

...and becomes president,

the military aide's loyalty

is to the sitting president.

At that moment,

it changes and becomes

the relationship

with the newly elected

president.

LICHTMAN:

At the moment

the new president

becomes the president,

the old nuclear codes

become inactive,

and the new nuclear codes

become active.

And the president,

regardless of what's going on

in the ceremony, he or she

has their finger

on the nuclear button.

So that is the transition

of power

in the most literal way,

that briefcase

moving from person to person,

through history.

(applause)

OBAMA:

I stand here today

humbled by the task before us.

NARRATOR:

As the new president delivers

the inaugural address

at the Capitol,

just a mile away...

...it's moving day

at the White House.

WALTERS:

Nothing occurs

until after the president

and the president-elect

and their families

leave the White House

on their way to the Capitol.

We want to have them

moved in entirely

in a period of about five hours.

From noon...

until the inaugural parade

is completed,

which is usually around 5:00.

I've always referred to it

as organized chaos.

NARRATOR:

For security reasons,

no outside contractors

are brought in.

The massive moving job

is done entirely

by the nearly 100 members of

the existing White House staff.

The White House chief usher

oversees the entire operation.

There's so much going on

and so many moving parts.

It is quite like

a military maneuver.

NARRATOR:
Former chief usher

Stephen Rochon should know.

He was a rear admiral

in the U.S. Coast Guard.

My concentration is to make sure

that everything is done

in a timely manner.

NARRATOR:
His predecessor, Gary

Walters, worked as chief usher

for 21 years,

serving four presidents.

WALTERS:

Our objective is to make sure

that when the family moves in,

they move into their home.

ROCHON:
Their toothbrush

is on the counter,

and their towels

that they selected

are on the racks,

and their bed is made.

NARRATOR:

And that's just the residence.

In the West Wing,

the working offices

also get a complete makeover

in a matter of hours.

McBRIDE:
The General Services

Administration

is working on painting offices,

taking down walls,

putting up walls.

Reconfiguring it

to the way that the incoming

transition team has directed,

so that when people show up,

it's the new term.

NARRATOR:

By 5:
00 p.m.,

the oath of office

has been taken,

the parade is over,

and the White House is ready

for the new First Family

to move in.

The transfer of power

is complete,

but the transition to being

president is just beginning.

How will a new president

put his stamp

on the transition of power?

(crowd cheering)

NARRATOR:
After the pomp

and circumstance

of the inauguration,

America's new leader

has one more important

transition to make,

from citizen to president.

GEORGE W. BUSH:
The day

in which you're sworn in

is an action-packed day.

And I remember,

finally came back up here

and decided to go

into the Oval as, uh, you know,

as president

of the United States.

And, uh, I went over there

and then called my dad

and asked him to come.

And it was, uh...

it was a very touching moment,

a very emotional moment for me.

And I think for him, too.

NARRATOR:

The president's new home

at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

features 132 rooms

with living quarters on

the second and third floor.

ROCHON:
Inside

the executive residence--

the mansion, as we call it,

or the president's house--

there are, approximately 95

full-time staff members.

The engineers, the carpenters,

the plumbers, the housekeepers.

WALTERS:

The curators that take care of

the White House

fine arts collection.

We have a florist shop

who takes care of all

the cut floral arrangements

in the, in the residence.

We made this very, uh, thin pod

out of dark chocolate.

WALTERS:

We also have a kitchen staff.

NARRATOR:
Most meals are

prepared for the First Family,

and there's basically

24-hour room service,

but with one caveat.

WALTERS:

One of the things

that most people don't

understand about the White House

is that the president

and the first lady

are responsible for all

their personal expenses.

McBRIDE:
When you're eating

your three square meals a day,

you're paying for that,

and you're paying

for things that you would

no matter where you lived.

Your dry cleaning,

items for your pets,

toiletries.

WALTERS:

The first time I presented

a bill to Mrs. Reagan,

she said,

"What's this?" And I said,

"Well, Mrs. Reagan,

you're responsible

for all of your

own incidentals."

And she said, "I'll have

to talk to Ronnie about this."

And certainly after that

it was never a problem,

she was just

somewhat taken aback by it.

NARRATOR:

At the time,

Ronald Reagan's salary as

president was $200,000 a year.

Today, the job pays $400,000.

And, of course,

transportation is included.

The president travels

in a fleet

that includes

two customized 747s...

-See the hot tub?

-(laughing)

...five identical

marine helicopters,

and the presidential state car,

also known as the Beast,

a 15,000-pound

rolling fortress.

METZGER:
There are always

two presidential limos

in the motorcade,

for obvious reasons.

Then there's the Secret Service

right behind that,

the very heavily armed agents.

NARRATOR:
From now on,

the new president is isolated

in a bubble of protection.

The office of the presidency

is a lonely office.

McBRIDE:
You're never

really fully prepared

until you are sitting

in the Oval Office.

You can't fully feel

that weight

of the responsibility

until you're sitting

in that chair.

NARRATOR:
Some presidents

look to make a statement

on day one

with bold policy moves

to quickly cement

the transfer of power.

On his first day,

Jimmy Carter pardons

all of the Vietnam

draft dodgers.

Ronald Reagan's first move

is to carry out his campaign

promise to cut spending

by putting a freeze

on all hiring

of civilian federal workers.

BRANDS:

In fact,

there is some incentive,

if you get elected

by running against

your predecessor,

then you probably want

to make a sharp break.

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