Prediction: Cheney WILL resign: - Democratic Underground

SteppingRazor

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Fri Feb-10-06 03:53 PM
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Prediction: Cheney WILL resign:

From my blog, blog.myspace.com/dansweeney:

The only question now is when. National Journal has reported that Lewis "Scooter" Libby has testified that Cheney told him to leak classified information, including a highly classified National Intelligence Estimate. He hasn't said yet whether Cheney gave him the go-ahead to out Valerie Plame, but that, too shall come to pass. (see: http://nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2006/0209nj1.htm..)

Once the dust settles, Cheney will have to go. And the dust will most certainly settle before 2008, when these rats will be leaving office anyway. If things can be hurried along, Cheney may resign within six months. But I doubt the likelihood of that outcome. Libby's lawyers will stall for time, waiting until after the 2006 election. At that point, Cheney will resign for "health reasons."

The question then becomes, who will replace him, and what good will it do? Ordinarily, one would think that the Bush branch of the GOP (as opposed to the McCain folks and other would-be presidential contenders for '08) would install its pick for a Bush successor. But that could be a bad idea -- the slime of the VP's office may rub off on the new No. 2, miring him or her in a morass of inescapable, unelectable greed and stupidity. If the Bush folks anticipate this, they will bring in one of their sometime allies but longterm rivals, like Bill Frist or John McCain, to take the VP slot in what they will term a "healing, reach-across-the-aisle" sort of move. But if the Bush boys think that the new VP can escape the shadows of the former, they'll install their likely successor.

But who? The GOP in '08 doesn't look as if it will bend toward the neocon side. The likely candidates -- Bill Frist, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Sam Brownback -- have all had their problems with this administration. Given past precedent, and also given the few friends it now has in Congress, I expect the Bush White House to promote from within. Maybe Condoleeza Rice. That'll set the stage for her to run in '08. But, of course, she'll get hammered in the GOP primary. The party is full of racists and misogynists, and running a black woman is not the smartest thing they could do. But for Bush and his cronies, Rice may be the only option. The Taint Is Too Big.

Besides, naming Rice as VP serves another function. It gets Cheney out of the press. Sure, the Vice President of the United States just resigned for bullshit health reasons. Sure, he REALLY resigned for a sheer landslide of law-breaking committed with the sort of fuck-you-I-don't-give-a-damn-what-anyone-thinks mentality that we haven't seen in a politician since Caligula. But all of that will leave the papers as journalists across CNN, Fox News and all the major newspapers all scream: IS THE COUNTRY READY FOR A BLACK FEMALE VICE PRESIDENT??!!!!!?!?!

While talk over the new VP reaches a fever pitch, Dick will reach some agreement with the prosecutor and retire to a life of duck hunting, ranching, and bathing in the blood of nubile virgins.

Final Prediction: Cheney resigns in Dec. '06, after the election, but before the newly elected come to power. Filled with their own hubris, and also wanting to cover Cheney's ass, Bush Co. will install Rice as the new VP.