Entering the West Wing reception area for my last interview with President Bush is a surreal experience. There is no one there, other than two Secret Service agents, a White House police officer and a receptionist. The place used to teem with people eager for a moment with the commander in chief, now people speak in hushed tones. A small TV set in the coatroom is tuned to Fox News. That will soon change. The news anchor is talking only about President-elect Barack Obama. With two weeks to go in the Bush administration, it’s all about the “O,” not the “W.”

Inside the Oval Office, I sit in the chair opposite the president’s desk, the one reserved for visiting heads of state, the one, no doubt familiar to television viewers.