NEW: The Biden administration arrived in January to find an exodus of foreign service officers at State, climate scientists gone at Interior and EPA, and workplace safety inspectors at Labor dropped under Trump. @rbravender reports on the path ahead. ($)

Inauguration thread: With Joe Biden taking the oath of office tomorrow, what better time to think back 32 years to the inauguration speech of another seasoned former VP and the resounding (and often misunderstood) impacts on US policy toward Iran that linger to this day. 1/15

When George HW Bush took office in 1989, Iran was not near the top of a foreign policy agenda dominated by deterioration of USSR, potential reunification of Germany, and turmoil in China. Iran was severely weakened and its nuclear program and regional influence was limited. 2/15

But Iran-aligned groups continued to hold Americans hostage in Lebanon, an issue that weighed on Bush as it did Reagan. In his inaugural, Bush called on Iran to help bring home those Americans, pledging that "good will begets good will." 3/15

For Bush, resolving the hostage issue was the "sine qua non" of improved relations with Iran.

He signed a classified policy directive instructing US to "be prepared for a normal relationship with Iran" and authorized the beginning of indirect negotiations. 4/15

Iran took the offer seriously, and President Rafsanjani worked to secure the release of hostages, via the tireless UN envoy Giandomenico Picco.

By the end of 1991, all Americans were freed from Lebanon. The US began to offer some promised "good will" in response. 5/15

1/ I don't know why @TheRealCletus1 can't do this himself, but I have to do it for him.

Odd, uncharacteristic and one-off items surrounding the Biden presidency.
1. Biden sworn in 14 minutes early..
2. Trump leaves on AF1, Biden flies small private jet.

1. Inauguration and Your Character, Anonymous: It's truly fascinating. Many patriots, upon seeing Joe B*iden sworn in on TV — nothing but a theatrical production, of course — have lost their minds and surrendered to defeat. They had hoped that military arrests of B*iden would...

Ammo Rant: Things aren’t going to get better. Biden won and the Dems hold all power and that would have sent people flying to the store to get ammo in and of itself. But you have so many more factors than the usual historical shift of power to an anti-gun rights party.