Reply #19: Yes

[HamdenRice]

If Cheney were removed, resigned or died in office and Bush were impeached before he could appoint a VP, then the Speaker would become president.

But remember, impeachment is a political process that is managed by the congressional leadership. I doubt they would allow impeachment to proceed at a pace that would heap a another constitutional crisis on top of what would already be several existing political crises.

Even if the Democrats were the majority party (as they were during the Nixon Watergate crisis), they would not want to cause a switch in party control of the presidency, because of fear of being accused of having completed a constitutional coup. As during Watergate, the leadership would prefer a consensus politician from the party already in control of the presidency.

Now an interesting parlor game is guessing what "clean" republican a Democratic leadership would insist on as the replacement for Cheney. Because of the consent requirement, Congress can basically dictate the VP's replacement because they have an iron clad veto over the president's choice.

My guess is that Bush will be forced to appoint McCain as VP, or even possibly Powell, with everyone realizing that they were really choosing the next president.