Saturday, July 21, 2007

Scary Thought of the Day

Just thought you might like to know.

Following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Senator Bayh and Representative Celler proposed (and the states later ratified) the 25th Amendment of the United States Constitution. Section Three of the amendment states that the President may, by transmitting written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, transfer his authority to the Vice President on a temporary basis. This is more commonly known as voluntary withdrawal.

That was 1967. Dick Cheney, aged 26, was newly married and enjoying his fifth draft deferment from the Vietnam War. He was two years away from the start of his political career as an intern for the Nixon Administration. He was a good twenty years away from becoming Secretary of Defense. He was not the Vice President.

The 25th Amendment has been in effect for 40 years. Let's review the history of Section Three.

In 1985, Ronald Reagan underwent a colonoscopy. The President was told that he would have to enter surgery within two weeks to remove a precancerous lesion. Reagan debated evoking the 25th Amendment, transferring power to George H.W. Bush. He made it clear that he did not want to set the wrong precedent. Historians still debate whether he truly did transfer power to the Vice President. The written statement did not specifically mention Section 3.

That was July 13, 1985.

In 2002, President George Bush underwent a colonoscopy. Prior to the colonoscopy, he transferred authority to Dick Cheney, citing Section 3 of the 25th Amendment.

Otherwise, Section 3 has never been evoked by a sitting U.S. President.

Until today.

Again, prior to a routine colonoscopy, President Bush transferred his powers to Dick Cheney at 7:16 a.m.

No word yet whether the necessary follow-up letters have been sent to Speaker Pelosi or President Pro Tempore Byrd. For all intents and purposes, as noted this morning by a White House spokesman, "The Vice President is now serving as acting President."

May God be with us and protect us in this our time of need.

Vaya con Dios - Ordinary Skill