If the clot forces him out, who gets the job?

Bucky

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Tue Mar-06-07 06:29 PM
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Poll question: If the clot forces him out, who gets the job?

I've heard the suggestions of Giuliani or McCain, but won't picking one of the current contenders piss off about half the Republican party? It would be such a boost to whoever got it, I think the resentment would really tear them apart when they really need to be unified. And who would Bush really back stab? He's openly flirted with both men.

There's the Rice option, what with all the "firsts" she'd bring to the job. First PhD to be Vice President. First former national security advisor to become VP. First unmarried VP. Maybe a couple of other demographic firsts, but I can't think of anything else right off the bat. The problem with Rice is two-fold. First, you have to wonder if the people who put her in as a token babysitter really want her filling Dick Cheney's shoes. It's okay to have a woman giving you some office diversity. But give her real power? I don't think there's much of a groundswell for that. After the ISG spanking Bush got last fall, I don't think he's got the free reign he once had in appointments. Plus there's Laura.

Second on the downside here for Dr Strangerice is that if nominated, she'd have to face the Congress. They're not in a giving mood these days. Her record as a grownup member of the administration is a bit mixed. She loses paper work. She ignores memos with titles like "Bin Laden torturing orphans in our fire escape right now... Oh My Gawd!" Will they really want that type of performance scrutinized right about now?

They could always go with the senior statesman: one who won't upset the party members fighting over the upcoming nomination. A Dick Lugar, an Orrin Hatch, or some similar graybeard with gravitas but none of those annoying backbone issues that bother corporate America so. If an older guy isn't to their liking, if they need more pizzazz, then some future graybeard with a safe voting record but no big scandals running down their sheet. Mitch McConnell would fill that bill, being the GOP's current Bob Dole clone. Or old time Bush buddy Tom Ridge, who was Bush's first love in the veepstakes in 2000.

If they do appoint a senator, bet your last bippy it'll be one from a state with a Republican governor. You never know when Lieberman could flip. For that matter, why not nominate Lieberman? That right there solves a lot of problems... from regrabbing the Reagan Democrats to opening up a slot from a state with, you guessed it, a Republican governor, ergo a senate-flipper. They can then play that "bipartisan" card out the wazolla.

This opens up possibilities for the Republicans stealing the eco-friendly issue in '08 and will keep the White House looking above the fray and unafraid of bringing in their own critics. And seriously, how can the Dems ever say "no" to Joe? I mean, just look at those puppy dog eyes. Awwwww.

The perfect answer is Colin Powell, of course. Yeh, like that's gonna happen. Bush is pissed at Powell for defecting to the side of fact-lovers. Grrrr. It may satisfy all sorts of interest groups, but there's also the president's personal predilictions to factor in in these kinds of choices.

Interest groups aside, then, Bush will ultimately be the one selecting Cheney's successor. We really can't rule out Harriet Myers.