I predict that * will pardon Libby and Cheney will resign shortly

[rzemanfl]

thereafter for "health reasons." * will deny that it was quid pro quo but the conservative pundits will paint him as "doing the right thing" by forcing Cheney to resign in exchange for a pardon for his butt buddy. Then * will try to be king-maker by appointing the future Repuke Presidential nominee as V.P. who will be anointed as "God's chosen" by the red heifer breeding lunatics, snake handlers and their ilk. Note that Cheney is getting bad press on the NSA thing and his "routine" heart checkup (like he has one). Mess with my tinfoil if you want.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. darth will NEVER let go of power. NEVER.

martial law will happen before he gives in. He and his jarvik heart, iron lung and ice cold soul will never give up.

[TransitJohn]

2. He's more machine now than man,

twisted and evil.

[emilyg]

9. You got it right.

[PurityOfEssence]

15. So very, very true

This proto-masculine thug will never admit mistakes, ask for directions or cede the reins of power. As he's propped up and in his last throes, he'll still have his minions staple the feet of farm-raised little birds to fence posts so he can kill scores of them for sport.

[Blue-Jay]

3. Cheney won't resign.

Libby, OTOH, will likely never see the inside of a prison cell. He was a "good soldier", took one for the team, and will be rewarded. Look for him to be a political analyst on FoxNews within a few years.

[ToeBot]

4. And you'd be half right at best. n/t

[Fridays Child]

5. Cheney would betray Libby a thousand times, before he'd ever resign.

[elfin]

6. The "out" for Cheney MAY be today's heart check up

But I doubt it. As long he is VP, he has "protection" via his interpretation of the laws, supported by the infamous Gonzo.

I thought he would be long gone to position someone to run in '08.

I was wrong - "misuderestimating" his death grip on power.

[jgraz]

7. If that happens, get ready for Preznit Jeb

Appointed to Veep, run as an incumbent. :tinfoilhat:

[Tom Joad]

8. hat? More like pipe...

But i am sure it is for medicinal purposes only.

[northzax]

10. Not a chance on the second

And i am dubious of the first. Remember, any replacement for cheney would need to be confirmed by the senate, which means it would need to be a sitting senator to have a chance, and that's mccain, who won't get picked for two reasons: first the antagonism of 00, second, it's a lost seat for the rupubs, the governor is a dem. No good.

[rzemanfl]

11. I AGREE WITH YOU 100%!!! Me. n/t

[youngdem]

12. Dude, pass that shit over here!

Your arrangement has Libby's freedom over Cheney's power. PUH-LEEZE.

The quid pro quo here was as obvious as it could be. Libby followed Cheney's orders to smear and destroy Plame and Wilson for daring to speak the truth. When the charges surfaced, the arrangement became that he would keep his fucking mouth shut, take the slap on the wrist, and sit in white-man prison for a few months, get his pardon, a cush job and go home. BUT, if he rolled on Cheney or the Chimp to save his skin, he would be tossed overboard.

Remember, Bush is only a puppet on Cheney's hand. Sometimes Cheney and Pappy Sr. fight over who's hand goes up his ass, but that is as far as the Chimp's mental flexibility goes.

[PATRICK]

14. That sets one thinking

that likely one thing will make Cheney exit besides an unlikely(at this point) Congressional probe or impeachment making it necessary. Cheney wouldn't be self-slated to leave until Iran is hit. That would complete the cycle of the Cheney agenda for his term. He might even be perceived as taking the hit- without any truly legal repercussions following him of course. You are supposed to be so relieved to be rid of him as not to pursue any of his crimes, or for that matter, any of the crap he has left in place, including his disciples.

The main reason for that is that there is a tug of war of sorts going on between the dynasty headed by Bush I and the neocons. They don't necessarily want a risky hit on iran just yet. It hardly is a commitment to peace or change and exactly how it is out of odds or a typical Bush betrayal between Israel and the Saudis is murky even among all the parties involved. Cheney wants to have his way but Junior is the "Decider" stumbling between advisers like Reagan without his meds. In the end, despite his neocon, messiah complex AND problems with his father, Bush II will likely run true to blood not all those loony and tyrannical bents he is now famous for. All of this, remember is for the good of the dynasty which Cheney serves with gritted teeth to get what he wants. The Saudis, the oil companies, etc, must be satisfied at the end of the day as this thing "works out". The Israelis are not the innermost part of this crowd and the Bushes certainly regard the Arabs as tools as well.

In all of this, it would be nice if someone in the world remembers how few, incompetent, destructive and doomed these few people are and just start disassembling them and their power. This might be fascinating reading as the fiction of power struggles on high, the intrigue, the drama, hoohah, the glory. In real life they should simply be escorted from their thrones to jail.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

13. Pardon Libby and he'll have no excuse not to testify

before a grand jury or before Congress about the Plame affair. Bush can't let that happen.