The only thing worse than a Bush presidency is

[LaurenG]

a Cheney presidency. If something occurs that forces bush out of office lets hope it includes his entire cabinet.

[maddiejoan]

1. I disagree.

Cheney already has the power of the President. I for one would rather have him in the open where he can't hide.

[Marnieworld]

4. Can you imagine a Cheney press conference?

Not like there would be much more of them than Chimpy but Cheney would hate it even more. He's so arrogant and used to lying without being challenged that he maky have a temper tantrum. Personally I will not be happy until they are tried as war criminals but that's just a dream I know.

[bryant69]

2. Cheneys bad

But if the Congress gets both the cojones and the will to take down el presidente, President Cheney will be pretty much out of it - similar to Andrew Johnson after his failed impeachment. For a bit we'd have the legislative as the most powerful branch of government.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Canuckistanian]

3. Here's the order of succession - the top 15

Current president: George W. Bush

1. Dick Cheney, Vice President

2. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House of Representatives

3. Ted Stevens, President pro tempore of the Senate

4. Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State

5. John W. Snow, Secretary of the Treasury

6. Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense

7. Alberto Gonzales, Attorney General

8. Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior

9. Mike Johanns, Secretary of Agriculture

ineligible: Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce (not a natural-born citizen of the U.S.)

ineligible: Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor (not a natural-born citizen of the U.S.)

10. Michael Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services

11. Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

12. Norman Mineta, Secretary of Transportation

13. Samuel W. Bodman, Secretary of Energy

14. Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Education

15. Jim Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_line_of_succession

[unschooler]

5. But Bush and Cheney probably wouldn't go at the same time.

At least one of them would have the chance to appoint a VP, a la Gerald Ford (but you can bet it would be NO Gerald Ford).

[Canuckistanian]

19. So, in reality, the Speaker would never get that chance

Unless both the pres and veep vacated the office at the same exact time. (I'm repeating what you said, aren't I)

[HamdenRice]

23. Not exactly the same time -- the issue is whether the President

The issue is whether the President has time to appoint a vice president and have that nominee confirmed by Congress in accordance with the 25th Amendment. Since any removal would be governed by Congress, through an impeachment process and appointment of a VP, it is inconceivable that they would allow a double vacancy to occur.

The most likely scenario is that Cheney would be removed first, because he is just as guilty as Bush, and then Bush would nominate a VP, probably McCain or Powell. Congress would basically be able to dictate who is appointed, because they have the power of confirmation.

After the new VP is in place, Bush would be impeached and removed. That's how it was done during Watergate. Agnew was forced to resign and Congress basically forced Nixon to appoint the well-liked, bipartisan Gerry Ford.

[monktonman]

6. when is it my turn???

[Canuckistanian]

14. I believe you're scheduled right after Larry the Cable Guy...

Unless you organize a coup and jump in right behind that guy who invented doggie tothpaste.

[LaurenG]

7. Humm

that won't work either. Maybe we can work the vote fraud issue to get them all out of government.

[On the Road]

13. Garrison Keillor Wrote a Subtle Editorial

stating what a good president Denny Hastert would make. He's also mentally working his way down the list.

On Edit: Here's the link:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2006/03/01/keillor/index_np.html (subscription site)

[indie_voter]

8. MHO, we have a Cheney presidency

Bush is just the puppet.

[LaurenG]

11. I agree but I do think Bush is a bit of a nusance for Cheney

When he doesn't have to hide there will be nothing to stop him or slow him down. It would be bad.

[indie_voter]

25. I wonder...

He is so disliked, maybe he wouldn't be able to do the 'aw shucks' shtick that Bush does so poorly yet seems to slide by on.

But then I'm probably wrong, I would never have thought I would live to see the day that the PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES could behave in such a treasonous manner yet stay in office.

Sigh.

[0007]

9. For sure!

[DaveJ]

10. But the leak situation may cause * to fire Cheney

If * wanted to make Cheney take the fall for this.

[Joe Fields]

12. A McCain presidency, though probably not as corrupt,

wouldn't be a whole lot better. He too, believes in this war without end.

[Minnesota Libra]

15. That's what I've been saying - Cheney would definitely be worse nt

[madokie]

16. It won't really matter if we were lucky enough to impeach or he resigns

the successor will be pretty much neutered for all intents and purposes. We are going back to a majority of dems in both houses.

[porphyrian]

17. Another bush presidency. - n/t

[ThatsMyBarack]

18. "M Peach"

That's what the "M Peach" (with the W turned upside-down) bumpersticker on my car is for. I say, chuck out the whole stinkin' lot!! :patriot: :hippie:

[kay1864]

20. You're all MISSING THE POINT with the succession thing...

Since impeachment almost certainly will not happen until we win the House in November (and take power in Jan 2007), the succession will be

Current president: George W. Bush

1. Dick Cheney, Vice President

2. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives

Woo-hoo!


But I agree we need to impeach both Chimpy and Crabby.

[LaurenG]

21. Now that works for me! Yes I like the sound of President Pelosi

more than I can say.

[kay1864]

24. Damn I like this woman!

From Wikipedia:

She has been widely praised by liberals for criticism of steps taken by the George W. Bush administration in the years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. She was a member of the Progressive Caucus until she became the party leader, when she adopted a policy of not belonging to any caucuses. <2>

In San Francisco, however, Pelosi is sometimes seen as more moderate than liberal, since she voted for the Patriot Act (which she now opposes) and authored the Presidio Trust Act, which privatized the Presidio of San Francisco.

Like most House Democrats, Pelosi opposed the resolution authorizing Bush to use military force against Iraq. She has strongly criticized the war effort since then, and introduced an amendment to the FY 2006 Defense Appropriations bill calling on Bush to specify a strategy for success in Iraq, as well as a timetable for a safe withdrawal of American troops.

Quotes:

Response to the State of the Union Address, January 20, 2004: "America must be a light to the world, not just a missile."

Referring to George W. Bush, Fox News, March 17, 2005: "Why should we put a plan out? Our plan is to stop him. He must be stopped."

Pelosi's account of a meeting with President Bush in which she called for the firing of FEMA director Michael Brown, who eventually resigned. ca. September 2005: "He said 'Why would I do that?' I said 'because of all that went wrong, of all that didn't go right last week.' And he said 'What didn't go right?' Oblivious, in denial, dangerous."

Pelosi on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, November 30, 2005: "That's why they had to make up that story about weapons of mass destruction. Because that was the only thing that would sell to the American people, and that wasn't true."

On top of everything else, she looks kinda sorta like Geena Davis, so viewers of "Commander in Chief" would have little trouble accepting her!



(said only half-tongue-in-cheek--lotsa people see TV as reality!)

[Marr]

22. Cheney's already the president.

The only meaningful difference between Bush and Cheney is that Cheney's even more hated. All of W's dictator ideals are Cheney's. All his moronic foreign policy ideas he shares with Cheney.

And besides, Cheney is involved in all of Bush's crimes, too. So if Bush goes, I expect Cheney will go along with him.