I think the rationale for keeping so many Clintinoids was part of the "new tone." There's also that reluctance to admitting any mistakes.
Bush got off to a late start with appointments because clinton used the chad wars as an excuse not to allow him any transition period.
Bush's new tone worked well in Texas. The Dems were fairly cooperative while he was governor, evidently. But you could see it failing at the national level within the first few months of his first term.
I understand why he remained polite, but I don't understand why he never cleaned house. I quoted Machiavelli at the time. If you need to do something politically unpopular (like killing your enemies) do it soon, do it quickly, and do it all at once. Then you can spend the next few years making nice.