Gates to sit out Obama inauguration (as "designated successor")

[onehandle]

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US Defense Secretary Robert Gates will sit out Barack Obama's inauguration at an undisclosed location as the "designated successor" in the event of a catastrophe, the White House announced Monday.

While the eyes of the world are glued Tuesday to Obama's historic swearing-in, attended by outgoing US President George W. Bush and both outgoing and incoming senior aides, Gates will stay away, said spokeswoman Dana Perino.

"In order to ensure continuity of government, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been designated by the outgoing administration, with the concurrence of the incoming administration, to serve as the designated successor during Inauguration Day, Tuesday, January 20th," Perino said.

It is common practice for one senior US official to sit out major events, like the annual State of the Union speech, to ensure that the US government has clear leadership in the event of a disaster or terrorist attack.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090119/pl_afp/uspoliticstransitiongates_20090119162354

[eyesroll]

1. At first, I was wondering "why the Republican?" but then I realized...

...he's the only Cabinet member actually serving in the Cabinet. The rest can't be confirmed until after the inauguration.

[MarcMus]

2. Why Gates?

Did the Bush administration pick Gates because he was part of the Obama one as well?

[VeraAgnes]

6. Gates will remain as Defense Secretary until

May 09.....as that is when General Clark will become eligible to hold a Cabinet seat. Some 10-year rule he has to follow from the military...This is all speculation on my part but I believe this is the future.

[glitch]

11. I hope that is true! nt

[TheWraith]

13. It's May 2010 that Clark is eligible, actually.

They've said that Gates is likely to stay in the job for about a year after Obama takes over.

[bdamomma]

3. ..........................

"It is common practice for one senior US official to sit out major events, like the annual State of the Union speech, to ensure that the US government has clear leadership in the event of a disaster or terrorist attack".


:tinfoilhat:

playing the fear card upto the very last minute aren't they?

[Posteritatis]

4. That tradition far predates Bush (nt)

[Swede Atlanta]

5. I'm onboard with this

I assume this is normal procedure. It does beg the question, however, to ask...what if Obama were not able to be sworn in for some reason? The outgoing President is no longer President because under the Constitution his term has come to a close but the new President hasn't completed what is necessary (i.e. the oath) to become President. Even though Biden is sworn in first he can only assume the Presidency if the President cannot serve. If the President isn't the President yet, then what?

But I find it a bit odd to say that Gates would be 'designated'. I don't think the Constitution says, "hey guys, get together and pick someone to run the show if something happens". I thought it says it would be the Speaker of the House if the President and Vice President couldn't serve. But again Pelosi couldn't succeed someone who was never in the office to succeed.

I think this is indeed a very interesting constitutional question but thank God is not going to happen.

[nsd]

8. By the 20th amendment, if the president-elect fails to qualify ...

before the end of the previous president's term, then the vice president-elect shall act as president until s/he does qualify. So Biden would act as president, even though Obama hasn't become president yet.

[DUlover2909]

9. It would be Pelosi, but she is going to be present at the inauguartion.

They are taking this step in the event that the entire line of succession is destroyed by a disaster. Tom Clancy's Debt of Honor is about this kind of scenario. In his version the entire government is hit by a 747 during a joint session of Congress, Prez, VP, and Supreme Court. I love those books!

[mcjackson]

18. Don't forget what happened in Mars Attacks!

[DUlover2909]

21. Totally, hehe

:D

[Baby Snooks]

10. I believe there would be an interim government...

The outgoing president designates the "successor" in the event that as everyone congregates, prior to the new president being sworn in and his administration replacing the previous administration, a disaster were to happen in which everyone at the Capitol was killed, there would be one "designated" successor to oversee an interim government until new elections could be held. Keep in mind that with regard to inaugurations, you have most of the cabinets of the outgoing and incoming administrations, most of Congress, quite a few governors in attendance. Our government as we know it would cease to exist. You would have to have someone to act as president although as I recall and it's been some time since I read anything about it the position is a temporary one.

If the incoming president and vice-president were both killed, regardless of whether they had been sworn in, the Speaker of the House would become president. This "designee" is in the event that everyone in the "normal" line of succession would be killed as well.

There is also a "designee" during the State of the Union address although it usually is a member of the current cabinet.

If Obama and Biden were sworn in and then everyone was killed, the Secretary of Defense would be in the line of succession, so Gates would become president. That of course is what makes it scary.

I believe the tradition has been there from the beginning and the "designee" is approved of by both the outgoing and incoming presidents although it is made by the outgoing president.

In normal times, no one paid any attention to it. These are not normal times.

[The Stranger]

12. There are a number of others in the line of succession that could be designated instead.

I'm not "onboard" with picking the only Republican, especially not given what this Republican junta has done.

[eyesroll]

19. He's the only sworn-in person in the line of succession.

Well, there's Pelosi and Byrd, but I've never seen them (or their predecessors) sit out a major event.

[TheWraith]

14. It's generally agreed that the incoming Pres is in office whether he's sworn in or not.

At least, that's the legal opinion on the case of Zachary Taylor, who refused to be sworn in on a sabbath, and waited until the next day for the ceremony.

[bdamomma]

7. I just want Obama to be sworn in, even a day before I am nervous.

I do not trust Bush or Cheney.

[Joe Chi Minh]

15. It may send a message to the most homicidally deranged wingnuts,

that if anything untoward happens, the CIA will be on their "wheel" before they know it (I don't mean the "B" Team...). Just conjecture though.

[Iggo]

16. Don't you people watch The West Wing?

They covered this.

:eyes:

[PSPS]

17. What is this? A replay of Al Haig's "I'm in control here" nonsense?

[Baby Snooks]

22. Al Haig?

He was a little deranged. In a strange sort of Dr. Strangelove sort of way. But he liked to gossip and Nancy Reagan liked to gossip.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

20. Obama: You wanna piece of me, huh?

and you get Gates.