Tuesday November 28 12:15 PM ET White House to Start Security Briefings for Bush

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday it would start daily national security and intelligence briefings for George W. Bush's team to ensure a smooth transition if the Texas governor sustains his claim to have been elected the next president.

President Clinton's chief of staff, John Podesta, said White House National Security Advisor Samuel Berger would contact the Bush team later in the day to set up the sessions with Central Intelligence Agency briefers normally given to a president-elect.

``We want to make sure that Governor Bush has up-to-date security information, intelligence information,'' Podesta said in an interview on CNN.

The offer to brief Bush, a Republican, was at the suggestion of Vice President Al Gore, Podesta said.

Gore, the Democratic presidential nominee, is contesting Florida's decision on Sunday to award its decisive 25 electoral votes to Bush, enough to assure his election in perhaps the closest U.S. presidential race in history.

Gore already has access to intelligence and national security briefings on a daily basis as a member of the Clinton administration, Podesta said.

``We want to be helpful to both sides ... so that the new administration can hit the ground running,'' Podesta said.

Podesta discussed tentative transition arrangements on Monday night with Andrew Card, Bush's White House chief of staff designate.

Among other things, Podesta offered Justice Department help for background checks on Bush's choices for Cabinet and other government jobs that ultimately will require security clearances.

Card said he had had a ``good'' telephone conversation with Podesta. In an interview on ABC's ``Good Morning America,'' he said any failure by Bush to begin making transition efforts would be ``irresponsible'' given the responsibilities he may assume when a new president is sworn in on Jan. 20.

Podesta defended the decision by the General Services Administration -- which doles out both the $5.3 million earmarked for the incoming administration and temporary office space in the capital -- to hold off until there was a ``clear'' winner.

Both Bush and Gore have legal challenges pending growing out of the disputed vote tally in Florida from the Nov. 7 election.

White House to Start Security Briefings for Bush

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2000