Am I paranoid? Is this a possibility?

[Mist]

Unified Field Theory of what the hell’s going on:

The Repubs are desperately trying to get W to step down. They know Cheney won’t be acceptable as Pres, and besides Cheney doesn’t want to be Pres, in name anyway. He’s happy where he is. Cheney steps down (his heart), McCain is appointed VP, W is removed for “medical reasons” (actually, that doesn’t need quotes around it—he’s technically insane, but “medical reasons” sounds better than “crazy”), Cheney has a big “improvement” and comes back as VP. Hillary is being groomed as the next Presidential contender, which is why the corporate media is cramming her down our throats. Hillary is DLC and will play ball with TPTB, as she thinks she’ll be able to accomplish at least some good, even if she’s dancing to someone else’s tune. The Repubs know the pooch is good and truly screwed, and that there’s revulsion and distrust of Repubs in general, so put in a ringer. Either way, with McCain OR Hillary, TPTB can continue, though having a Dem Pres for one term would mean the budget could become a bit healthier; Repubs depend on Dems raising revenue, that they can then give away as tax cuts the next time a Repub is President.

With Shrub “retired,” he’ll be unavailable for questioning, which is a perfect example of a “passive-aggressive” strategy. McCain will be presented as “a new beginning,” and it will be spun as inappropriate somehow to look too closely at Bush’s doings. Investigations will go ahead, but without the linchpin of Bush, they won’t go as deeply into detail as they would if Bush is still in office. This is the perfect way to perpetuate the fiction that Bush was in charge during his presidency, and a perfect way to avoid responsibility for the many crimes of Bushco—Bush was responsible for everything, but unfortunately can’t be questioned.

Yes, I think they’re desperate enough to try something like this.

[Oleladylib]

1. Hope the paranoia isn't permanent

[Mist]

3. Me too--it's just that every once in a while, I have to try to figure out the whole thing. nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. If W "retires," he's still available for questioning.

In fact, it's a whole lot easier to get a subpoena for a private citizen than for a sitting president. So even if he were to step down (or get pushed down), he's not home free by any means, and he very definitely could be prosecuted for whatever evil deeds he's committed.

It wouldn't get them off the hook, not for a minute. In fact, I can imagine a scenario in which Bush, coward that he is, rolls on Cheney in an attempt to save his own sorry ass. Don't think he wouldn't do it.

[Mist]

5. Well, Foley's been unavailable. I thought they might try it. nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Foley was unavailable only because he was supposedly in rehab.

Then it was decided they didn't have enough evidence of actual child molestation to prosecute him. But if such evidence ever does turn up (within the statute of limitations), he is very definitely still subject to prosecution.

Same goes for Bush. God knows he could use a little rehab treatment, but he can't hide from prosecutors after he is out of office, assuming there are any with the cojones to go after him and he's not hiding out in Paraguay.

[Totallybushed]

4. Seems a little far-fetched to

me.

Here's a more likely scenario. Bush and Cheney serve out their terms. "Investigations" lead nowhere. Oh, there will be some political ammunition unmined for use in 2008, but impeachment will never get off the ground. 2008 will be hard fought, and will, in fact, be another close and disputed election.

The spirits have not yet informed me as to which Party's candidate will actually be sworn in as President, but I am cautiously optimistic.

[Mist]

6. The part about * serving out his term is a problem--he seems like a loose canon

right now, with little support for his "surge" nonsense. His stubbornness is bringing things to a head. He's quite the liability. He blew off Poppy and Baker, and the Pentagon and his own advisors are split, not to mention the "lawyering up" going on.

[Totallybushed]

19. I didn't say it

would be a good thing, just that that is what I think will happen.

[JohnnyLib2]

8. No guts, no removal.

I just can't identify anyone--with power--who will take him on. My bet is that he rides it out, God help us all.

[iamahaingttta]

9. It's always been my contention...

...that Bush would be assassinated by his own sometime at the end of his term.
Kinda like in that movie...

[MADem]

10. Well, anything is technically possible, but I'd say you are a bit paranoid

Your scenario reads like a cheesy political thriller!

Then again, who'd ever have thought we'd end up in the mess we are in right now!

[Mist]

11. Some people do crossword puzzles--sometimes I do a "whole ball of wax" theory. nt

[MADem]

14. What the heck, beats a lot of other hobbies, I reckon... nt

[NI4NI]

12. But you have to admit

that this is a rotten cheese smelling administration.

[MADem]

13. You got that right...it's seriously 'STANKY!' NT

[leftofthedial]

15. at best, McCain will be the repuke's new Ford

a placeholder to make us forget that the repukes are rapacious criminals

[monmouth]

16. If I were a Republican (gasp, wretch) and going to invest millions of dollars

in a campaign, some of it mine I would most definitely want Bush and Cheney to resign. Repugs must realize by now that Americans are not at all pleased or semi-pleased with them. Repugs running in the next election have a very high hill to climb and St. McCain is just building that hill higher. They just don't get it!

[leftofthedial]

17. repukes willingly invested millions in two campaigns

for a known degenerate idiot

they don't give a shit as long as the "election" is close enough to steal and Plan B for them is a corporatist "democrat"--they'll keep raking in billions for every 100 grand they use to bribe a politician.

capitalism has utterly and completely corrupted our democracy. the game is rigged and the capitalists either win or we lose.

[Totallybushed]

20. McCain

hasn't got the chance of a snowball in Hell of being the Repuke candidate.

[leftofthedial]

21. since nixon

they've only chosen idiot figureheads

[Totallybushed]

22. maybe, but

it doesn't change the fact that the Republicans will not vote for McCain, in the primaries.

[leftofthedial]

23. he doesn't even realize he's their joker

[Totallybushed]

27. The man is

something of an ass. Too liberal to be a Republican; too conservative to be a Democrat. Sorta like the Repuke's own Leiberman, but without the class. ;-)

[SaveElmer]

18. I think you need to back away from the computer....

Take a big long break from politics for a while...

[Conscious Confucius]

24. America's Democracy is little better than Russia's

so this could certainly be a possibility. It all depends on how much Bush has been consulting his pal Pooty.

[Redneck Socialist]

25. Yeah, you're paranoid.

I can see cheney stepping down, but no way is mccain going to be the pick and bushCo. aint' goin' no where.

[MasterDarkNinja]

26. I don't think McCain is much of a threat, even if he gets the presidential nomination

Around a month ago I read an article on CNN about how McCain could be in for a rude awaking if he were the republican nomination, and find things far more difficult then he imagined to win the general presidential election. I can't find the article unfortunately. But some of the things I remember it mentioned were how he's prowar in Iraq. Plus he supports a troop surge (it didn't actually talk the surge, that wasn't in the news yet when the article was written), and if it happens, and fails miserably (which it will if the surge happens) it'll make him even more vunerable on the Iraq war issue, since democrats can just say "Despite top ranking generals and most of the military being against it, McCain supported the troop surge that failed miserably, just like most experts predicted it would". It also mentioned that McCain's popularity has taken a beating with the independents with his attempts to move farther to the right to secure a presidential nomination. I think he's also opened himself up to attacks about him being a flip flopper with his change of heart on stuff like abortion.

There were some other things it mentioned to that could hurt McCain, but I just can't remember them.