V.P. Cheney has had a cold and with his history of heart problems is being checked out at the hospital. His pace maker,installed earlier, has not automatically come into use yet.

My question is- if Cheney were to become incapacitated or passed away are there provisions to replace him as v.p. or what I do not remember?

If memory and the plot to The Contender serves...I think the president choses the replacment VP who is then accepted by a judicary comittee. I think sucession only involves the president.

Jere is right, per the 25th Amendment - the President nominates a new VP, who is then confirmed by a majority in the House & the Senate.

Thanks, turned out to be an upper respiratory infection, sent him home.

Atleast thats what they told the media...;)

What would be the possibility at the time he entered the hospital, that somone could have slipped that little white, crystalline compound, highly pois-----, aka "cya----" under his tongue instead of the nitro-glycerin, and we all would be relieved of our stomach ache?

Here's the deal with Cheney. Simple politics, no tin foil


I've been saying this to my friends for months. Today's health "episode" is just part of the lead-up to Cheney resigning.

The GOP couldn't replace him on the ticket before the election, because it would look really bad.

The GOP doesn't want him as VP anymore, since he has no plans to run for President.

The GOP needs to put its leading candidate in the VP slot, so they have the power of encumbency in 2008.

Now that Bush has been reelected, the logical, smart strategic move is to have Cheney step aside and put a rising star into the VP role.

I'm guessing Giuliani. Rudy can't get the nomination, if he's just an outsider. Too moderate for the GOP hard right wing. But put him actually into office for 3 or 4 years, and he becomes more palatable to the entire GOP, sealing up their nomination before the race even begins.

And the moderate GOP wing really, really wants Rudy to run in 2008.

mmmm...donuts!

Skeeter - interesting theory, makes a lot of sense.

If they're going to replace Cheney, they're not going to do it with someone that pisses off the conservative Christians - they'd do it with someonereally conservative. It'd be easier to get an ultra-conservative elected if he was VP than it would otherwise.

Lionel...if your theory is true...could they put Ashcroft in as VP? Buchanan? This is getting scary...

I seriously doubt it would be one of those names, but the hypothetical situation is one to think about.

Who DO you think would be VP?

I dont think they would go with Gulliani (which was rumored back in 2003) because he socially liberal.

My guess, would honestly be Condoleza Rice.

Originally posted by BorgHunter
Lionel...if your theory is true...could they put Ashcroft in as VP? Buchanan? This is getting scary...

I don't see why not. Of course getting it past Congress would be another story.

Although personally I don't think Cheney is going anywhere.

Vice President is not really a good position to be elected President. Of the 14 Vice Presidents that have assumed the Presidential position only 5 were elected on their own.

Since only a simple majority in Congress is neccessary to approve the President's nominee, the Republicans could choose whoever they want. I do think that if Bush nominated someone who was ultra-conservative, the moderate Republicans might balk at that. It might be a good way for them to give the nominee a little extra boost in the 2008 election however. It will be interesting to see if this scenario materializes.

Originally posted by BorgHunter
Lionel...if your theory is true...could they put Ashcroft in as VP? Buchanan? This is getting scary...

Ashcroft wouldn't win a federal election, VP or not. Buchanon is a paleoconservative. He is anti-trade, against the war, and very anti-immigration. He wouldn't get along with Bush at all. If they wanted a conservative repub with presidential aspirations, it would most likely be Rick Santorum *yuck*.

Originally posted by Idioteque
Rick Santorum *yuck*.

This is for anyone not aware of the official definition of "santorum"

Santorum (http://www.spreadingsantorum.com/)