In November, we predicted that Vice Pres. Dick Cheney would be ousted in 2007, “resigning” purportedly due to health problems or an overwhelming need to get back to the private sector.
There are rumblings from the capitol today that Cheney’s resignation could be in the works:
Spurious rumor alert: Negroponte to State to replace Rice, who is tapped to replace ailing Cheney.
Our prediction was that John McCain would take Cheney’s place (despite the president’s loathing of him, and vice versa), and will stick to that scenario for now.
Appointing the first woman and first African-American into the second chair may appeal to Bush as a much needed positive bullet point on his legacy, the GOP powers that be would likely prefer having someone like McCain waiting in the wings for 2008.
But if McCain accepted, that would mean in 2008 when things are no better and possibly worse in Iraq, he would be to blame and there goes his presidential dream down the crapper. “Why take the hit?” he’d have to be asking. But I can easily see Bush and Rove putting Condi in. It’s the perfect distraction and it makes him look so damn progressive.
I can see Cheney jumping ship. He wants us to believe now that he had only a minor part of invading Iraq. That it was all King George that wanted to move into Iraq. Cheney probably sees the writing on the wall with Dems controlling congress and wants to leave before the authorities come knocking on his office door.
McCain won’t accept the VP post. IT would cause those people outside the Republican Party that liked him in 2000 to take a closer look at him. That would cost him in 2008. I can see Condi moving on up. That way, Bush at least has one “positive” accomplishment on his record.