Andrew Card, the second-longest serving White House chief of staff, scanned the Oval Office. With red eyes and a catch in his voice, he looked directly across the room at his successor and said: "It is a differentseason, and Josh Bolten is the right person for that season."

While that statement was a reflection of Mr Card's modesty, it also reflected the grim reality of President George W. Bush's second term. Just a third of Americans currently approve of his presidency and he has been forced to ditch his signature second-term domestic policy initiative, Social Security reform.