Thompson to replace Cheney as VP?? That is the rumor. A Liz Cheney V. Presidency>>>

[hang a left]

June 26, 2007
The Liz Cheney Presidency

by emptywheel

desertwind was the first to point me to Sally Quinn's column on a GOP Plan to Oust Cheney. And like desertwind, my first thoughts when I read Quinn's prediction that Cheney would step down with heart trouble and Fred Thompson would replace him--if Quinn is right, this is really an attempt to install another figurehead president controlled by someone named Cheney.

Most importantly, though, I have imagined that Thompson is the GOP's best chance to replicate the un-American structure of the Bush Presidency, where all the major decisions appear to be made in the margins, by Cheney, all the while Cheney protects himself by invoking his creative theories of being a fourth branch of government. You see, I'm really beginning to believe that Thompson is in so that those committed to continuing the basic policies of the Bush Administration can do so, once again behind the facade of a puppet president.

And then I read this:

Politico's Mike Allen told NPR that Fred Thompson has a notable foreign policy advisor: first daughter of the OVP, Liz Cheney.

http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/

[bluestateguy]

1. He'd never be confirmed by Congress

The Constitution requires confirmation of a VP appointee by both houses, and while I suspect that the consensus obsessed, Gang of 14 cocktail party crowd might get Thompson through the Senate, he would fall well short in the House. This poorly written article takes congressional confirmation for granted.

[MNDemNY]

3. I think Thompson would sail through conformation.

Why do you think not?

[gatorboy]

7. Because....?

[TwilightGardener]

9. Dems in the Senate, and McCain, and Brownback, would confirm him?

Why give someone that advantage going in to '08?

[johnfunk]

20. The House Dems would LOVE to start talking about "K Street Fred"

Thompson would have to be confirmed by BOTH houses of Congress.

APJ is hearing Thompson would hit a brick wall in the House, not only denying him sloppy seconds as Junior's veep but scuttling his prez campaign. Read the whole piece. It outs Thompson's sudden "popularity" into a telling perspective.

[Warpy]

4. I think he'd get through

as would all the candidates except Brownback, Tancredo and Huckabee.

The rationalization would be that there would be a short term to fill, that people would see what a total zero he is with enough light shining on him, and that being VP is only a stepping stone to the presidency when the president has a cult behind him, as Reagan did.

[MannyGoldstein]

2. Romney Will Be VP

Cheney goes... Romney installed as VP... Bush goes... Romney is president. Romney's been pandering to that crowd - it may well happen.

I know that virtually nobody believes me, but Romney is extraordinarily dangerous - perfectly amoral, but brilliant.

[dancingme]

5. the image of Thompson's child bride sitting behind him

during confirmation hearings might shock religious right voters who have not seen Thompson's current wife. Especially if Thompson's grown children look older than wife sitting behind him - and his grandchildren are mixed up with his younger children.

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. First things first.

Impeach Cheney. Impound the safes. Pursue investigations and charges against addelson. Destroy The Neocon Powerbase In The Whitehouse.

In the process, repukes from all over, aids & such, will continue to turn over, but more & faster. When Congress moves agressively against Cheney, it will be the signal that the party is truely over and it will be every puke for him/herself.

First things first. Force Congress to Impeach Cheney. Don't be distracted by media sideshows.

[TwilightGardener]

8. Here's a question I have:

If someone like Fred, or Romney, gets appointed/confirmed, and then Chimpy dies, would we have the first president ever that wasn't elected by anybody to anything at the time of appointment? How is it possible to have a Prez that was not elected, or at least wasn't holding a cabinet position? I find this highly disturbing.

[AlGore-08.com]

10. I think it would be found to be constitutional because the Congress approved him/her to be VP

I'm not saying it would be a good development, but it would almost certainly be constitutional.

[TwilightGardener]

11. I suppose--but I would hope they would refuse to confirm someone that

does not currently serve as an elected official or serves as a cabinet officer. Seems to me a very easy gateway to disaster to have someone possibly able to become Prez without having recently passed the muster of at least ONE group of constituents (and Congress confirmation doesn't count as an election, frankly!). A FORMER gov, or Senator, or mayor, shouldn't be allowed through the process-- to me, anyway--this really bothers me for some reason.

[onenote]

12. constitution doesn't limit who can fill VP vacancy

and, playing devil's advocate, one could argue that at least Thompson once upon a time was elected by an entire state, while Jerry Ford managed to parlay being elected by the voters of a single congressional district into being president.

[TwilightGardener]

13. Thompson was last elected in 1996. Ford was currently elected

when he was tapped--I see a very big difference there, despite the size of the representation. Who's to say Thompson WOULD have been elected again? Maybe he would have been found to be unfit, at that time. I find this scary. Thompson is essentially, right now, a nobody--he's you and me. Same with Romney, Rudy, Huckabee. That's why, if this scenario ever occurred, I would HOPE that Congress would take its confirmation process very seriously, with the thought that this person COULD be Prez. Thompson wants to bomb Iran, and he could get into that position without ANY election by any body of constituents.

[onenote]

16. they shojld take the process seiously no matter who is named

Lieberman was just elected. He wants to bomb iran. God help us if he was named to be vp.

[TwilightGardener]

17. LOL! Good point about Lieberman. This is one case where

it's good to have the majority--minus Turncoat Joe, who would surely cast a vote in favor of whatever crackpot R appointee was presented, as long as this person PROMISED to bomb Iran.

[KoKo]

14. Quinn says Thompson because McCain has conflicted with Bush...BUT lately McCain

seems to be running on all Bush policies and they've been hugging it up. I've thought for awhile that McCain went far right just in case something happened with Cheney. It's just taken longer for Cheney to be exposed when everyone predicted he was in such "poor health" he would have gone from "natural causes" before now.

McCain could get confirmed because he's in the Senate and the RW would be fine with him because many RW like Lindsey Graham were really McCain supporters.

If I had to bet, I'd say McCain. Also because it would give a boost to him in the Election. But...who knows if Cheney will even leave.

[TwilightGardener]

15. I agree--it would be McCain--there's no daylight between him and the Chimp.

And he would be much easier to confirm. Quinn is talking out of her ass.

[KoKo]

21. The other possibility is that McCain is such a "good fit" that Chimperor will Reject him and pick

some Doofus that surprises EVERYONE... I wouldn't put it past him...he just LOVES Surprises if they are EVIL!

[pansypoo53219]

18. is fred a bushie?

only a dyed in the wool bushie will do for georgie. i see condi more easily. you knows georgie needs a security blanket.

plus, GEORGIE wants all the attention.

[Poiuyt]

19. Cheney will never step down and he'd crush anyone who tried to oust him

That said, if he really did need to step down for health reasons, Bush's nominee would be confirmed by the Senate. There are enough Democrats who think that the President should be able to choose whomever he wants (unless it's someone REALLY bad). Even Russ Feingold has said this regarding Bush's cabinet etc.