Media Will Just Have to Suck it Up and Wait

Angst on PBS Over Too-Long Wait for Obama's Inauguration
In the midst of a discussion about President-elect Barack Obama's national security team, Washington Week host Gwen Ifill on Friday night's program sought confirmation for her theory that "what people are beginning to say is that this President-elect should be President now" as "people are saying why isn't Barack Obama leading the fight about the auto-makers?" New York Times reporter Peter Baker agreed: "That's right, exactly." He proceeded to fret over how "people voted for change and this strange, odd 77-day waiting period that we impose...between our election and our inauguration" just isn't compatible with the "hyperactive 24/7 fast-moving culture that we have today." Baker admired how "Obama is trying to find some balance between respecting President Bush," whom Baker conceded is "still in charge," and "finding a way to assert leadership."

Rather: Biggest Crisis Since Pearl Harbor, So Inaugurate Sooner
Appearing on Friday's Morning Joe on MSNBC, former CBS anchor Dan Rather chided President Bush for not doing enough during his lame duck period and argued for moving Inauguration Day up to December 1. And although Rather didn't explain specifically what Bush wasn't doing enough about (The financial crisis? The terrorist incident in India?), he did hyperbolically fret: "But, we're in possibly, possibly the biggest crisis we've been in since December 7, 1941 and maybe since the time of the Civil War." Addressing the past practice of inaugurating presidents in March, Rather lobbied: "Thank heaven, we now swear them in, new Presidents, in January. I'd be in favor of moving it up to December 1st."

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