Brad Blog: Is Cheney's Heart Ailment Real - Or Could It Be a Pretext for His Resignation?

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Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't seem odd that a vice president's health problem might be discovered "incidentally" --- or that his spokeswoman is, well, speaking about it. But this is Dick Cheney. And it brings us to a question: Is this story real, or could it be a fabrication meant to set the stage for Cheney's resignation?

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Both Cheney and Bush are undoubtedly desperate to keep the presidency in the hands of their allies. There probably aren't enough shredders in the world to destroy all the evidence of criminal acts they've perpetrated against this great nation. Whatever they have done will become immediately known to the next president, who, if he or she is a Democrat, could decide to seek justice.
The next president will also have the option of opening up the presidential records of the George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan administrations --- records that were supposed to be unsealed in 2004 but that George W. Bush embargoed indefinitely. (There was wide speculation that these records show that Bush Sr. was not "out of the loop" on Oliver North's illegal sales of weapons to Iranians, as he claimed at the time.)

Finally, if it were to happen that Bush and Cheney were impeached together --- say for lying to prosecutors about their roles in covering up their conspiracy to reveal the secret identity of CIA agent Valerie Wilson --- the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, would become president. If Cheney retires and is replaced now, the presidency will stay in the hands of the GOP until January 2009, at least. ..... At some point the normal rules of gravity in party politics have to kick in. For starters, the GOP powers-that-be must by now be near the limit of their tolerance for the damage being done to their party by Dick Cheney and George Bush. If so, the time to demand a remedy is now. We are approaching the final moments of the eleventh hour before votes are cast in the 2008 primaries.

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This year, in the absence of a clear choice, Republicans find themselves facing a roster of unacceptable candidates: a philandering liberal, a Mormon, an aging warrior who's considered insufficiently doctrinaire, a lazy television actor, a former preacher with a weak record as governor of Arkansas and a Libertarian kook.

The strain of this disorderliness must be tormenting the GOP power base. And all of it could be wiped away in a simple fiat --- the replacement of Dick Cheney with a new vice president whom they could anoint right away to become Bush's successor.
So who might fit the bill --- who could be counted on to beat the Democrats next November and keep the Bush family secrets for at least four more years?

Only one name comes to mind. He is experienced and available, and tanned and rested --- and his name is Jeb.

Subpart B--Emergency Exceptions

§310.201 Coverage

This subpart applies to an office, agency, or other establishment in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Federal Government, and in the government of the District of Columbia.

(5 U.S.C. 3110)

§310.202 Exceptions

When necessary to meet urgent needs resulting from an emergency posing an immediate threat to life or property, or a national emergency as defined in §230.402(a)(1) of this title, a public official may employ relatives to meet those needs without regard to the restrictions in section 3110 of title 5, United States Code, and this part. Appointments under these conditions are temporary not to exceed 1 month, but may be extended for a 2nd month if the emergency need still exists.

<60 FR 3058, Jan. 13, 1995>

ANTI-NEPOTISM ACT: 5 U.S.C. § 3110
Public Law Number: Pub. L. 90-206, Dec. 16, 1967; Pub. L. 95-454, Oct. 13, 1978
Legislative History: S. Rep. No. 801, H.R. Conf. Rep. No.1013, 1967 U.S. Code Cong. and Adm. News, p. 2258; S. Rep. No. 95-969, H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 95-1717, 1978 U.S. Code Cong. and Adm. News, p. 2723
Synopsis: A public official is prohibited from employing, appointing, promoting, advancing or advocating for appointment, employment promotion or advancement any relative for a civilian position in the agency in which the public official is serving.