Staff emotional as President George W. Bush passes reins to Barack Obama
BY KENNETH R. BAZINET and RICHARD SISK
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Updated Tuesday, January 20th 2009, 4:06 PM
Monsivais/AP
President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush pass the White House reins to incoming President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
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WASHINGTON - President Bush took a final solo stroll on the South Lawn and later blew a departing kiss to the White House Tuesday to end two terms marked by crisis at home and abroad.
As huge crowds eager to see his back overflowed the National Mall, Bush was for the last time the First Gentleman in graciously welcoming his hugely more popular successor, who was soon to call the time of the 43rd President a "collective failure."
"Hey, hey," said a smiling Bush as he joined with First Lady Laura Bush to greet President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, at the North Portico of the White House. "Morning, morning," both Obamas said.
Bush put his arm around Obama and briskly patted him several times on the back to usher the group inside for the traditional morning coffee before the inauguration.
Michelle Obama brought a gift for the outgoing First Lady in a white box decorated with a red ribbon. It was a pen inscribed with the date Jan. 20, 2009.
The pentup emotion of the moment was too much for some of Bush's loyal staff, who stayed true as the ratings of their boss sank to historic lows.
Laura Bush cheerily waved and said "Bye, Dana" to White House press secretary Dana Perino as she entered the White House after greeting the Obamas. The moment was too much for Perino, who burst into tears.
White House officials said the Bush administration was over. There would be no last-minute executive orders or pardons, and the remaining staff began turning in their BlackBerrys.
Moving vans began pulling up right after Bush and Obama left for the Capitol at 11 a.m. Before leaving, Bush left behind a note for Obama in the top drawer of the Oval Office desk.
The custom is not to disclose the contents, but Perino said the general theme was "about the fabulous new chapter President-elect Obama is about to start, and that he wishes him the very best."
Bush slept late - for him - on the last day of work, arriving at the Oval Office at 7 a.m. rather than the usual 6 a.m. He took phone calls from Secretary of State Rice, national security adviser Stephen Hadley, former White House chief of staff Andrew Card and T.D. Jakes, the pastor of a Texas megachurch who has often spoken at Bush events.
Perino said Bush was in good spirits. "He's the President of the United States, the way he always is. He hasn't changed," but "he gave me a big kiss on the forehead."
Following the inaugural address, the latest former President and Laura Bush boarded a Marine helicopter at the Capitol's East Front to Andrews Air Force Base. In a break with tradition, President Obama and Vice President Biden and their wives lined up on the steps to wave goodbye.
The Bushes rode home aboard a 747 from the Air Force One fleet now dubbed Special Air Mission 28000 since he was no longer President.
"I gave it my all," a jovial Bush told a welcoming crowd in Midland, Tex. "Sometimes what I did wasn't popular, but that's okay. Popularity is as fleeting as the Texas wind. When I get home and look in the mirror tonight, I'm not gonna regret what I see."