White House transitions and operations are the focus of ourtransition preparation program because of the central position ofstaff in governing. A year prior to coming onto the presidentialticket with Governor Bush, Richard Cheney spoke of the criticalimportance of the White House staff to whatever it is a presidentdoes: “It's crucial in terms of how he's going to function aspresident, whether or not he's effective. His reach, his ability tosort of guide and direct the government, to interact with thecabinet, to deal effectively with the Congress, to manage hisrelationship with the press, all of those are key ingredients to hissuccess.” It is the White House staff that on a daily basis managesthose crucial relationships.