What happens if Bush were to resign?

[Duer 157099]

I mean, after all the cheering.

Cheney steps in, and then what? And what if Cheney resigns, too?

Do they get to appoint their successor, or?

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. By law, there is a chain of succession

If both the President and Vice President were to resign (or be impeached), the next in line is...


The Speaker of the House. :hi:

[LostinVA]

2. A woman President!!!

[Duer 157099]

3. Well, that's what I had thought, but I heard a caller on...

someone's show, either Mike Malloy or Hartmann, who said something different, although I wasn't listening closely enough, but the host's reaction was "oh, that's a good point" (re: why to not impeach).

Just trying to retrace the thinking...

The point was they'd install a strong R candidate who would be able to win 08, especially being incumbent

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. How such a scenario would work

1) Cheney resigns, Bush does not.

2) Bush appoints a new Vice President with the consent of the Senate.

3) In 2008, the new VP runs as a near-incumbent.

[LeftishBrit]

7. That's how Gerald Ford got in, isn't it?

[roguenkatz]

11. Works in theory...

but in practice... ehhhh... not so well. Ask Gerald Ford.

[eleny]

5. Was it because there would be a new vice prez if W resigns?

Let's say W resigns first, Cheney then becomes prez and annoints a new vice prez. So, even if Cheney then resigns, maybe the new vp becomes prez.

[TechBear_Seattle]

12. That would work, too n/t

[dflprincess]

13. But any appointed VP has to be approved by the Senate

n/t

[eleny]

16. right - but it keeps the speaker from becoming president

[dflprincess]

17. If the Senate approves a VP

and assuming Bush and Cheney aren't thrown out together (or flee the country at the same time).

[lumberjack_jeff]

15. In practice....

Newly appointed President Cheney :puke: would appoint someone as Vice President. THEN he would resign.

[tigereye]

6. yeah, that'll happen

:wtf:

[Jack Rabbit]

8. Line of succession and the 25th Amendment

Line of succession:

1. President (Frat Boy)
2. Vice President (Big Dick)
3. Speaker of the House (Hastert until January 3, then Pelosi)
4. Senate President ori tem (Stevens until January 3, then probably Byrd)

Amendment 25

1. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

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.

3. Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

[demokatgurrl]

9. Please, can I have some of

whatever you're smoking???:smoke:
Of course he could have a nervous breakdown, or an alcoholic relapse, and then if something happened to Cheney REAL fast before they could figure out how to impose another VP on us, NANCY would take over.

[TheWraith]

10. It would depend on whether Cheney appointed someone.

Under the 25th Amendment, the POTUS has the power to appoint a replacement VP in the event that the post in unoccupied, subject to that appointment being confirmed by a majority of both the House and Senate.

[Strawman]

14. Unlikely but the Pelosi elevation scenario would probably go something like this

1)Cheney resigns (not entirely unlikely).
2)There is a delay in the confirmation of his replacement. This is unlikely because I would expect Bush to nominate an easily confirmable moderate.
3)God forbid (and I say that honestly as much as I dislike the man) Bush dies or becomes incapacitated, Pelosi would be acting President due to the 1947 law on Presidential succession. I suppose the Dems could try and invoke section 4 of the 25th Amendment in response to some public sign of Bush losing it (that's not totally beyond imagination if you've seen some of his rougher performances). A bare majority could bump him from office but would need 2/3 of both Houses to keep him out (same as impeachment and conviction). If they could make a convincing case that he was losing it, it might be hard to convince Republicans to take the blame for voting back in a potentially nuts and unpopular lame duck, but such a scenario strains the imagination. Not even the Republicans are that Machiavellian. The Dems certainly aren't.

It'll never happen (Pelosi being elevated to the Presidency through succession/vacancy, that is), and if it does, it would probably be due to something catastrophic. I doubt anyone would be cheering.

On edit, I take back the comment about the Republicans not being Machiavellian enough to try and invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment given the opportunity to elevate their Speaker. I wouldn't have put it past them when Newt was in power to pull this given the opportunity. They just weren't given it. Gore stood in the way. Had Gore resigned, would anyone have been shocked at them trying to declare Clinton a "sex addict" (or some similar nonsense) who was incapable of discharging his duty as President? It could have been an Express Impeachment, but for Gore.