Scary thought of the day: President Alberto Gonzales...

[Virginia Dare]

Had there been a catastrophic event last night such as an asteroid or a nuclear bomb hitting the Capitol Building, that's what we would have been waking up to this morning, he pulled doomsday duty (heard it on the radio, no link)...:scared:

[Just-plain-Kathy]

1. What is this? October 31?

...that's scary alright. :)

[kerry-is-my-prez]

2. The people who support him are racists - they'd never put up w/a Hispanic Prez.

n/t

[krispos42]

3. Oh dear god

We'd all be in jail. Just because!

[El Fuego]

4. But it would be cool if the asteroid stopped short of Nancy Pelosi.

Then we'd wake up to President Pelosi!!!

[Captain Hilts]

5. Congress should have made Barney Frank stay at home to be Congress! nt

[hlthe2b]

6. Maybe not... Did Senator Byrd go to SOTU?

He is in line after Pelosi.

[Virginia Dare]

7. Byrd doesn't attend apparently..

the President chooses a member of his cabinet as "designated survivor".

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

[hlthe2b]

8. Yes, so Byrd would ascend--not Gonzo boy...

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, one Representative and one Senator of each political party have also served as designated survivors concurrently with the Cabinet member, so they can ascend to the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives or President Pro Tempore of the Senate (the offices which are first and second in the line of succession to the Presidency, respectively, after the Vice President). Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) does not attend the State of the Union Address, opting instead to watch it at home on TV.

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

[Virginia Dare]

9. I don't think so...

my reading is Byrd would be essentially "the Senate", and the next in line, the designated House of Rep. survivor would be "the House" third in line, and the cabinet member would be "the President".

[hlthe2b]

10. No, read it again...

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, one Representative and one Senator of each political party have also served as designated survivors concurrently with the Cabinet member, so they can ascend to the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives or President Pro Tempore of the Senate (the offices which are first and second in the line of succession to the Presidency, respectively, after the Vice President). Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) does not attend the State of the Union Address, opting instead to watch it at home on TV.


Byrd is the current PRO TEMPORE and would ascend. In addition, a selected Senator stays home to become the PRO Tempore (back fill Byrd) and a Rep would similarly become the successor on the House side. The only thing that has changed (the line of succession is tied to the Constitution), is this spells out further succession, beyond the Presidency (and for the Presidency, beyond the Pro-Tempore). I believe after 911, they fleshed out the line of succssion beyond VP, Speaker of House, Pro-Tempore, so that the AG higher in the line of potential successors- but STILL After the VP, Speaker of the House and Pro Tempore--

[Virginia Dare]

11. Assuming Byrd is not the chosen survivor...

and somebody else is in line to be PRO Tempore, you are correct, he would be next in line, so you would essentially have four survivors in that case.

[hlthe2b]

12. You misunderstand... Byrd IS the Pro Tempore--Currently...

The president pro tempore of the United States Senate is the second-highest-ranking official of the Senate and the highest-ranking senator. The Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate ex officio, and thus is the highest-ranking member of the Senate; during his absence, the President pro tempore presides over the Senate. The President pro tempore is elected by the Senate; by custom, he or she is typically the most senior senator in the majority party. Normally, neither the Vice President of the United States nor the President pro tempore presides; instead, the duty is generally delegated to other senators in the majority party. The President pro tempore, after the House of Representatives' Speaker of the House, is third in line of succession to the Presidency.

The current President pro tempore of the Senate is Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia). He replaced Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who held the office from January 3, 2003 to January 3, 2007.

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