The New Republic: Negroponte to replace Rice when Rice replaces Cheney?

[Newsjock]

http://www.tnr.com/blog/theplank?pid=69432

Because standards are lower on weekends... here's a new rumor straight from an insidious "Washington cocktail party": John Negroponte is becoming deputy secretary of state as preparation to replace Condi Rice when she leaves her job. Why would she do that? To take over for an "ailing" Dick Cheney as vice president. Sure, Cheney resignation rumors are about as old as the Bush presidency. But one well-informed person said that, while he doesn't think this will happen, he also doesn't dismiss it out of hand.

--Michael Crowley

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. more than a few threads here discussed that a lot earlier.

but, good to see them following our logic.

[Robbien]

2. The TNR gets it wrong more often then they get it right

Negroponte is being moved because he told BushCo he doesn't want to surge, so Cheney had him removed. Nothing more complicated than that.

[Bucky]

5. I wonder what got him to conclude the surge was a bad idea.

I suspect he spent too much time hanging around intelligence people, which is anathema to Republican planning.

[Bucky]

3. Birdbrained scenario.

Of course my saying that doesn't affect the plausibility of this happening. But I'd put good money on it not happening. Cheney is many things. "A quitter" ain't one of them.

[SoCalDem]

4. That's what i predicted last week

Cheney's heart will "act up", he'll go back to WY (his health and the travel will prevent him from testifying)

Condi will be "oh so busy..and traveling a lot, so that may get her off the hook for testifying)

The repubes will gloat about being the first political party to have a female and BLACK vice president.

She will defer to McCain and agree to "stay on as veep"..

Mccain's a one-termer..which brings us to '12

wait for it'

wait for it

wait for it

[Jackpine Radical]

7. Who's that schmuck in the green tie?

A walking argument for eugenics, if ya ask me.

[Nay]

12. Isn't that Jeb Bush? Hard to tell, he looks especially idiotic.

[Jackpine Radical]

15. I dunno, but you can clearly see

he's some kinda congenital moral defective.

[ewagner]

6. That was my suspicion

I think Cheney will bail out to keep from becoming "a distraction" as the investigations proceed....

of course, he'll still have a direct line to Junior's earpiece....

[Jackpine Radical]

16. I dunno, ewagner, but if being Veep affords him any kind of

protection, he won't let it go. He's just not the type to throw himself on the grenade for the team. I somehow expect Shrubler to pardon him before anything too major hits the fan. Can you be pardoned & still sit as VP? I actually think maybe you can.

[ewagner]

17. Interesting question

I'm not a lawyer (whenever somebody says that, you can be certain you're about to get a legal opinion.... :evilgrin: ) but I don't see anything that says he couldn't sit as VP even if he was pardoned...there are some bushco officials serving now who actually were pardoned by George I (42) for their participation in Iran-Contra.

I think the bottom line on whether Cheney will or will not resign, is what has been the guiding parameter for Bush &co since day one....
that is:

Will it help them politically?

at this point I don't see a scenario that Cheney's resignation will help them with....unless investigations start getting close to home....

:hi:

[originalpckelly]

8. I think it may be more likely that Negroponte said Iran's nuke program...

was five to ten years off from producing nukes.

It looks to me at least that the fix is in and someone is advocating to nuke Iran. Can't have the DNI gallivanting around talking discrediting their fucking nutty claims, can they now? No of course, it may be true.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5751609

[Bitwit1234]

9. Congress HAS to APPROVE

bush can nominate anyone he wants BUT the congress of the United States must approve anyone he nominates. Section2 of the 25th Admendment. Now does anyone seriously think democrats or republicans would approve a person who knew.."terrorist want to fly airplanes into tall buildings"
and is running around the middle east logging 500,000 miles and nothing to show for it, except new shoes and a piano recitial.

[Hailtothechimp]

14. She would pass with 75 votes or more.

I hate to say it, but the Bidens and the Landrieus and many others would fall over themselves to make sure the president got "his nominee." I think anyone who can envision some great Dem stand over this is giving them too much credit.

[JohnnyLib2]

10. My hunch: Rice is the more likely to depart.

She can move to the presidency of a major university and try to salvage her reputation and she's the only one of this bunch young enough to be thinking
post-Bush. That would leave Negroponte, with his experience in Iraq and at the U.N., as a more or less malleable Sec. of State, with the rest of BushCo. plunging ahead.

[stillcool]

11. On PBS/Emily Rooney's...

little get together of the 'press', this was mentioned almost as in passing...weird. The legal ramifications must be getting pretty significant...although I don't understand what the difference is whether someone is in or out of office...except maybe a compliant Congress will be placated?

[NashVegas]

13. Talking Points Memo Has It, Too

..

[applegrove]

18. That is worrisome.

[DemReadingDU]

19. a different rumor: Negroponte did not go voluntarily to State

read more...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=3059532