Vice President Cheney hospitalized

[Tattila the Hun]

But no Donatella Moss.

[Sava]

Originally posted by snoopy369

Hastert would become president

[Spiffor]

Oh well, maybe next time...

[Provost Harrison]

There's always assassination to hope for

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
Hmm ... he's had four heart attacks, a triple (or was it quadruple?) heart bypass, the arteries behind his knees are going to hell ... just how long is it going to be before they need to put him in a Darth Vader-like suit just to maintain his critical life support functions?

Gatekeeper

It's the only thing missing

[Imran Siddiqui]

As Kuci said, the VP post doesn't automatically go to anyone - only President does. HOWEVER, Hastert would become president if both Bush and Cheney died quickly enough that a new VP couldn't be nominated. After him IIRC come the cabinet secretaries, and somewhere in there is the President Pro Tempore of the Senate (possibly after Speaker of the House, I forget)

No, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate is next in line after the Speaker.

Here is a list:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_line_of_succession

The Presidential line of succession, as specified by the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 (United States Code, Title 3, Section 19) is as follows. The current office-holder is in parentheses.

Vice President (Richard B. Cheney)
Speaker of the House of Representatives (J. Dennis Hastert)
President pro tempore of the Senate (Ted Stevens)
Secretary of State (Condoleezza Rice)
Secretary of the Treasury (John W. Snow)
Secretary of Defense (Donald H. Rumsfeld)
Attorney General (Alberto Gonzales)
Secretary of the Interior (Gale Norton)
Secretary of Agriculture (Mike Johanns)
Secretary of Commerce (Carlos Gutierrez, ineligible)
Secretary of Labor (Elaine Chao, ineligible)
Secretary of Health and Human Services (Michael Leavitt)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Alphonso Jackson)
Secretary of Transportation (Norman Y. Mineta)
Secretary of Energy (Samuel W. Bodman)
Secretary of Education (Margaret Spellings)
Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Jim Nicholson)

[Last Conformist]

Why is Cheney such a boogieman, anyway? He's just another corporate whore - I'd trust him more than St Shrub.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Though interestingly (in the line of succession), from the same wiki link:

Several constitutional law experts, such as Akhil Reed Amar, have raised questions as to the constitutionality of the provisions that the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate succeed to the Presidency [3]. James Madison, one of the authors of the Constitution, raised similar constitutional questions about the Presidential Succession Act of 1792 in a 1792 letter to Edmund Pendleton [4]. Two of these issues can be summarized:

The term “Officer” in the relevant clause of the Constitution is most plausibly interpreted to mean an “Officer of the United States”, which must be a member of the Executive or Judicial Branch. The Speaker and the President pro tem are not officers in this sense.

Under the principle of separation of powers, the Constitution specifically disallows legislative officials from also serving in the executive branch. In order for the Speaker or the President pro tem to become President, they must resign their position, at which point they are no longer in the line of succession.

[Kuciwalker]

In what situation would that law ever be challenged?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
In what situation would that law ever be challenged?

Um... if the President and Vice President die at the same time and different parties control the Congress and Presidency?

Say the Speaker and Pres Pro Temp were Democrats and the executive branch was controled by Republicans. I can bet you that the Secretary of State would be pressured (and probably would) challenged the Presidential succession act on those grounds.

[Kuciwalker]

They would probably only both die in some major crisis (like a nuclear attack), in which case the courts would not be interested in messing with the leadership (or even able to do so).

[Sava]

Vice President (Richard B. Cheney)
Speaker of the House of Representatives (J. Dennis Hastert)
President pro tempore of the Senate (TED STEVENS)


DEAR GOD HELP US

[Odin]

Shortness of breath and water retention probably means congestive heart falure is just around the corner. Have a nice trip to the hot place, Dick.

[Winston]

And the gospel according to the Left is that Conservatives are evil, heartless, vindictive bastards..

[Sava]

Originally posted by Winston
And the gospel according to the Left accuses Conservatives of being evil, heartless, vindictive bastards..

no you see... it's okay to wish bad things to bad people...

but the conservatives (in question) are evil, heartless, vindictive bastards to the American people... not just the evil people who deserve such vindictiveness

[Provost Harrison]

I will be praying for his quick and speedy death...after I've done so for Thatcher