Another reason to celebrate! As if this day weren’t wonderful enough, it just got better.

Bush’s role was diminished just a bit more today when he signed an executive order that officially begins the transition of his administration to either Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. John McCain, the two men battling to succeed him.

The executive order creates a transitional coordinating council consisting of ranking officials from key White House agencies, including intelligence, defense, homeland security, budget, justice and other departments. Those officials will start working with the Obama and McCain camps so that whoever is elected can begin preparing to take over the reins of government on Jan. 20.

Hear that? He’s really leaving! Here’s your hat, Georgie, what’s your hurry?

Unlike us, W seems down in the mouth about his impending freedom to cut brush from sun up to sun down.

Like many presidents in their last months, Bush has visibly aged and has a thinner schedule than his first seven years in office. He hasn’t held a news conference since July 15 and his spokeswoman says it’s partly because he doesn’t want to get entangled in the presidential race.

Well boo frickin’ hoo. But is it humility that’s keeping him from butting into the campaign or that fact that no one wants him to?

He is no longer the undisputed leader of the GOP. Administration officials check in with John McCain’s campaign nearly every morning to walk through schedules and talking points to ensure the party message matches.

Hardly seems necessary to me but it certainly confirms the lockstep nature of the McCain campaign and Bush White House. Like we needed that confirmed.