Richard V. Allen Quotes

As to the presidency, the two happiest days of my life were those of my entrance upon the office and my surrender of it.

There's something about a new family moving into the White House that's kind of interesting, even if you didn't vote for them.

We further decree that the Senate of the United States elect a prominent Democrat as their presiding officer, to act as President until the next election, and to reconstruct the Cabinet according to our wishes hereafter to be declared.

When George W. Bush picked Dick Cheney, it was a reassuring sign that the Texas governor would have an experienced, prudent voice at his side.

As you probably know, I've written a lot about the presidency, so it's obviously exciting when you get to interview a president and write about it.

The powers that are surrendered [by Congress] to one President remain to be used by others.

The presidency is an office for which none of us is great enough.

In 2020, there will be a new president, and I will be an ex-president.

As far as I understand, the president-elect of the United States [Donald Trump] is ready for such joint work. We do not know yet what it will be like in actual practice. We have to wait for him to take office and form his administration.

The Clinton White House today said they would start to give national security and intelligence briefings to George Bush. I don't know how well this is working out. Today after the first one Bush said, 'I've got one question: What color is the red phone?'

I made a mistake by being ejected from the presidency. Next time, I will choose a Cabinet which will allow me to be life President.

The standard rumor at the time was that Rumsfeld, as chief of staff, had persuaded President Ford to appoint George H.W. Bush as director of Central Intelligence, assuming that that got rid of a potential competitor for the presidency.

Serving as President of the United States is a privilege that is afforded to few in our country.

We wait here to meet the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam to discuss together a ceremony of orderly transfer of power so as to avoid any unnecessary bloodshed in the population.

I have directed all of my cabinet to work to prepare a transition plan for the incoming administration.

People who run for president seriously and people who become president enter a bizarre secret society in which they have had an experience that none of us will ever have.

Naming a transition team varies with the intentions of the candidate; some candidates have been careful to name a transition team as much as a year in advance.

Jimmy Carter began his planning in the early summer of 1976, Ronald Reagan a year prior. The Clinton Administration, elected in 1992, lingered in naming its team, and as a result, took almost a year to staff its ranks.

Usually, those persons closest to the incoming President will be the main leaders of the Transition effort. They are most familiar with his policies and practices, and are able to interpret his wishes regarding the structure and staffing of the new Administration.

We have been waiting for you so that we could turn over the government.

I was circulating around briefing these guys. Starting with Mitchell, and Haldeman, and [domestic policy adviser] John Ehrlichman, and all the guys. Just sort of circulating around with a briefcase. I cobbled together a briefing of a sort that would do the trick. And introduced them to technical systems of one kind or another.

The transition is probably the most important part of the President's administration.

Bernard Baruch is the acting President of the United States.

But Mr. President, every President keeps the seat warm for his successor.

At the end of 4 years, you have a President who turns over all this enormous power without a single shot being fired.