With VP having more heath problems today . . .

[Sugarcoated]

more pain in his leg, a very dangerous symptom and that he's basically superglued together, I'm wondering. If his time comes and he passes on would Speaker Pelosi automatically move into that spot? Or will the little dictator-in-chief decree "executive powers" and put someone else in?

[maxsolomon]

1. no, gerald ford wasn't the Speaker

he'll appoint condi

[jobycom]

2. 25th Amendment. President chooses, Congress ratifies.

Section 2 of the 25th Amendment provides that "Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress."

[kestrel91316]

8. What if they decide not to confirm, or not even hold a vote on it?

Two can play at this little game, you know.

[jobycom]

9. The wording is right there. The president chooses. If Congress refuses to ratify

then the president's choice does not become VP. So he has to pick someone else. There is no way for Congress to choose without the president, and no way for the president to ratify without Congress. There is also no time limit on the selection.

The story on Ford is that Congress basically told Nixon they would ratify anyone he chose, as long as it was Ford. The rules are set in stone, but how the game is played is not.

[Toots]

10. Anything in the Patriot Act about this? Supposedly Federal Attorneys are supposed

to be approved by Congress, at least the Senate and yet Patriot Act changed that one. What else is in there that no one has ever read?

[jobycom]

11. Dunno. The Patriot Act can't change the Constitution.

That doesn't mean our SCOTUS will uphold the Constitution, though. I'm not up on the nuances of federal attorneys, but I don't think they are mentioned specifically in the Constitution. The VP succession is.

[ewoden]

3. 25th ammendment

Section 2. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

I believe he can't appoint anybody w/o congressional confirmation.

[merci_me]

4. If memory serves

When Spiro Agnew "resigned", Nixon appointed Ford. When Nixon resigned and Ford became president, Ford appointed Nelson Rockerfeller to VP.

When Reagan was shot, Haig thought he was "in charge, here" lol. Guess he didn't want Poppy Bush to get a foothold, either. I laugh at Haig, but evidently he had a crystal ball that foretold the Bush dynasty and thought he could stop it.

[Bitwit1234]

5. No body can move to the VP spot UNLESS congress approves them.

[merci_me]

6. Given the timeframe here

Congress could certainly drag their feet, leaving us without a VP, which in itself, would be a vast improvement. Then if "something" should happen to "the boy", ta da, Nancy Pelosi steps up.

[Bucky]

7. Dragging feet on the VP nominee would be a bad move, politically.

But what they can do is hold thorough & expedited hearings, vetting fully whether the nominee meets the standards of the people's representatives. Bush would have to put in a moderate or at least a sane conservative. My guess would be Tom Ridge or Condi Rice. Either would get through. I doubt the neocons want Rice, she's been talkin' peace way too much for their tastes (altho that would take her off the Iran beat for a spell).

[jobycom]

12. You know, that's an interesting aspect. Gives us incentive, in that case,

to block Bush's choices until we could impeach him. I wonder how badly the Freepers would protest if we managed to sneak a president into office despite that person not having been elected...

[madokie]

13. nope the little dictator would put in his choice,