OMG it just dawned on me....Baker is going to replace Cheney as Veep

[Perky]

Bush accepte the Recoomendations. CHeney resigns in protest. Making him unimpeachable, Dubya nominates Baker.

It is the perfect way for Poppy to extract Dubya from the Quagmire. Congress Investigates. Bush Resigns. Baker takes over for the last year as care taker so that the new nominee (Baker will not run) will not have the Bush albatross around their neck......



This is almost probable.

[whistle]

1. Then it must begin right away, because when the Bush/Cheney

...impeachment begins it will be too late and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will become president and will also run in 2008 and win!

[bluerum]

2. Just what I was thinking. nt

[Virginia Dare]

Wouldn't surprise me in the least....n/t

[aquart]

3. Only way to dislodge Cheney is with dynamite.

And Dubya will NOT nominate Baker. Baker is relatively sane. Bush will not make impeachment easier under any circumstances. Even if Pelosi has no plans to impeach, Bush knows what he's done.

Not to mention that Baker is unlikely to be a presidential candidate which makes him extremely attractive to both sides.

Cheney is pure impeachment insurance. He stays unless he dies.

Now, just how ruthless are Baker and 41?

[Virginia Dare]

4. Just how ruthless?

you have to ask? There is no depth to their ruthlessness. They'll throw shrubby under the bus to protect their own asses if they have to.

[aquart]

14. But what would they do to Cheney?

[Virginia Dare]

28. Cheney is next imo...and he knows it....

Rummy going was a clear signal to Cheney. Bush can't fire Cheney because he was elected, but there is clearly pressure on him now to resign. It will be announced around Christmas time is my prediction.

[malaise]

5. You could take away the batteries

from that pacemaker :D

[Horse with no Name]

26. Or buy him a microwave for Christmas

:evilgrin:

[Howardx]

8. "Now, just how ruthless are Baker and 41?"

hahahahahaha haha haha ha cmon man! you KNOW how ruthless they are! this scenario suggested by the poster seems as likely as anything else to me.

[Lasher]

37. Ask the US hostages the Iranians were holding how ruthless 41 is.

They were going to be released and 41 conspired with Iran to keep them captive until Saint Ronnie of Reagan was elected and sworn in.

[htuttle]

36. How ruthless? Think: Fredo, Fishing boat.

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. With GHW in charge these last two years...

...he will have been active President more years than FDR.

[NewJeffCT]

7. I think they would only bring a new VP in if

they were going to run in 2008 - Giuliani maybe.

[Perky]

13. That would never happen

The reason it is half the GOP senatoras are going to want to run for Pres and that ould freese the field/. THey would be so pissed. Bush needs any frined hecan find right now.

[aquart]

16. Not a chance.

Does Bush allow Giuliani to get anywhere near him?

Has he ever forgiven him for that Mayor of America headline?

[NewJeffCT]

17. Rudy campaigned hard for Bush in 2004 and

personally hand-picked Bush's first choice for Homeland Security in Bernie Kerik

[WinkyDink]

47. And THAT worked out well!

[theboss]

31. That would be incredibly bold (and a little brilliant)

However, I think the Republican base (at least what's left of it) would freak. And nominating Rudy to VP at this late date would be more than a tacit endorsement from W. It would be an overt endorsement. And I'm not sure he would want to do that.

[smalll]

9. Um, no.

"Making him unimpeachable"? He's pretty unimpeachable now! (Yes, yes, the House "impeaches", the Senate removes, but it's the REMOVAL that matters and that's what we can't do.)

[Mythsaje]

10. Cheney on the loose?

Look out for indictments. Screw impeachment, let's throw his moth-eaten living corpse to a jury and see how much THEY leave.

[shifting_sands]

11. not likely

Baker has had two chances to be VEEP once with Dad and once before the Cheney pick, he turned them both down. He works behind the scenes and has no desire to be any kind of "front man" for the GOP. He doesn't need to be VP to pull the strings on George. He would more likely "pick" cheney's replacement and that replacement would report to Mr. Baker.

[Bucky]

25. James Baker can not be VP to any Texan.

Perhaps by appointment, but certainly he couldn't have been made VP by Poppy Bush as they were both Texans.

[Retrograde]

49. the constitution is a little ambiguous on that

Article II Section 1 states; "The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves", but the 25th Amendment says "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", so it seems to me that Texans are eligible for a replacement slot. But I'm not a constitutional scholar, I just read the thing periodically.

BTW, Art. II Section 4 says the pres, vp and "other civil officers" can be removed from office on conviction for bribery. I say it's time to look more closely at those Halliburton contracts.

[Cooley Hurd]

12. It would be politically STUPID to do...

Baker's what, 150 years old???? They would be wise to stick someone who could have a shot in 2008. Baker's a goddamn MUMMY.

On second thought, let 'em put Baker in. :rofl:

[MadMaddie]

15. Rove will have to be kicked to the curve before serious changes

occur..

[Zensea]

18. It also just dawned on me

that the terrorists have won.
We just had an election which brought the Democratic Party back into power in the legislative branch and yet it only takes a day or two for chicken little, sky is falling posters to start thinking of scary scenarios.
Has everybody infused themselves with fear so damn much they don't know how to cope with a victory?
Sure looks that way regarding some people.
Hey, I've got an idea, if you need an adrenaline kick go watch a scary movie.

[yojon]

19. W : Charlie McCarthy :: Baker : Edgar Bergen

Baker is the fixer. They whip him out when W make a poopoo mess. If Baker tells W to nominate him as VP, W will nominate him as VP. Believe it.

[meldroc]

20. Bush 41 is setting up an intervention for *.

Bush Sr. and Baker are in the Oval Office, pouring out all the booze, taking away his car keys and dragging him off to rehab.

[LibertyorDeath]

21. Well that's a sickening thought...

The Don Corleone of the BFEE

[jaysunb]

22. Well...somebody has got to be president

n/t

[Bucky]

23. Not a chance in hell.

If they sub out anyone into the Veep slot, it'll be someone who can run in 2008. Let's not take
this "Poppy is bailing out the brat... again" meme to silly proportions. It's a useful metaphor,
but James Baker is there to straighten out the kid with a lecture, not take over nanny duty. If
I were a betting man, I'd say Cheney is in for the full remaining term. One thing Republicans do
best of all is keep up a shallow veneer of respectability.

[Swamp Rat]

41. I agree

Baker ain't going down with that sinking ship. Plus, he cannot afford to return to the public conscience. If the average American knew how much he is involved with the Saudis and Bin Ladens, they'd string him up by his nutsack beneath a weeping willow.

[Horse with no Name]

24. Plausible.

However, I think Cheney will resign before the recommendations.
They aren't going to allow it to look like he got pissed off.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

27. howard baker has a better chance.

[seabeyond]

29. would backfire

already for the nation it has been TOO much. for vp to resign and baker fill in, bush resign and baker become president to allow him to be in for 1 year, only to have new election would be WAY OVER THE TOP for the american people. they could not emotionally handle it... all repug would lose period. repug would be done. america would be done with them. they cannot do that. would not be a good or positive thing for the people

too much

[theboss]

30. W ain't resigning

I know enough about the man to know that he is not going to give his enemies THAT satisfaction.

The Baker scenario is not terribly far-fetched though.

[MiniMe]

32. Bush can't fire Cheney, only congress can

Cheney holds an elective office, he is not an appointee. Poppy can push Cheney to quit, but Cheney can tell him to fuck off too.

[Skidmore]

34. I was just wondering about this.

If Cheney would go, what would happen. Does this make the Speaker of the House next in line? If so, Cheney isn't going anywhere.

[MiniMe]

35. If Cheney goes, the pres gets to nominate a replacement a la Gerald Ford

And the Senate would have to confirm him or her.

[Dems Will Win]

33. CondoLIAR will become VP and Baker will go to State

He'll be better at State because of Iraq. THen Condi is the incumbent VP or President (if Bush is impeached), better for the GOP to run her as President in '08. And CondoLIAR can be told what to do, more than Rudy or McCain.

[Imagevision]

48. I agree, it's smarter to simply install Rice now, and she'd be 08 frontrunner

[lies and propaganda]

38. i had to look up at the OP name vbecause i thought it was mine.

was saying the same tjing about any hour ago.

Are you drinking and making cooking as well ;)

[yurbud]

39. bush will be an albstross whether he resigns, is impeached, or finishes

don't buy this crap about impeachment being a bad idea--it would put well-deserved and historic stink on the GOP. If Bush is not impeached, the GOP will rehabilitate his reputation up to a well meaning Jerry Ford inside of five years,

[Sgent]

42. Reputation has little to do with impeachment

or lack thereof.

Andrew Jackson's and Clinton's legacy hardly suffered from their impeachment.

[yurbud]

44. johnson. threat of legit impeachment did hurt Nixon

[upi402]

40. kpete post, Bush1 backdoor coup

The Bush crime family bails out the coked-up drunken child. Well I should specify which one I guess.

[rainbow4321]

43. Or TX Gov Goodhair

Cuz ONE day after his re-election, he told the media that he could not guaranty that he will stay here for his whole term..saying that God may have different plans for him.

[txindy]

45. He did say that.

Made me sick to my stomach, too. I want him out of Texas politics, but I sure don't want him at the national level - not unless he's the US Ambassador to Iraq or Afghanistan and he's actually in those countries. Fat chance. His hair might get sand in it. :eyes:

[Imagevision]

46. It would be wiser to replace Cheney with Rice as a shoo-in for 08 candidate

[Scout1071]

50. Actually, this makes a lot of sense.

It truly wouldn't surprise me to see it happen. They are rightly worried about impeachment now. Whether you think it's right or wrong to impeach Bush, once the investigations get going, it will be hard to stop because he has broken so many laws.

Yes, this does make some sense.