# What if Bush said: "Screw it. Dick, you can take over till Jan. 20th." **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 7, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716 "2008-11-07T20:48:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716/21 "2008-11-07T23:58:35Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Then he doesn’t get any supper. Actually, I have an image of him tied and gagged in his chair while a grim faced Secret Service agent with a Presidential handpuppet answers for him. Official : “So, ah, what should we do in response to Putin’s most recent statement ?” - Agent, in a squeaky voice \* “I want a hard line ! Tell him we won’t concede a thing !” ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716/22 "2008-11-08T04:20:51Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > And if President Cheney were to, say, have an unfortunate hunting accident, then Ms Pelosi would become the first woman President of the US. That probably would not greatly upset Obama, but Senator Clinton would (I suspect) be furious! Or, to be truly a dick, Mr. Cheney could resign first; Mr. Bush could call an emergency session of Congress to install his ultra-short-term nominee as VP, Dr. Rice; and THEN Mr. Bush resigns, robbing Obama of his first black president gig. ETA: I really should read the entire thread before responding. Ah well, I’ll just swear vengeance, per usual. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716/23 "2008-11-08T04:38:08Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > No way if W going to quit in advance. Unless Cheney tells him to do it. Then he’ll be off in a flash. I can’t complain, “I was going to post that!” since I’m six hours late. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716/24 "2008-11-08T05:09:57Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Even better, he could pick Rice, so that she’d end up the first female president, and the first black president. > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Or, to be truly a dick, Mr. Cheney could resign first; Mr. Bush could call an emergency session of Congress to install his ultra-short-term nominee as VP, Dr. Rice; and THEN Mr. Bush resigns, robbing Obama of his first black president gig. He’d still be the first African-American elected president, and the fact that Kennedy was the youngest man _elected_ president seems to take priority over the fact that Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest man _to become_ president in terms of presidential milestones. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716/25 "2008-11-08T05:21:20Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > He’d still be the first African-American elected president, and the fact that Kennedy was the youngest man _elected_ president seems to take priority over the fact that Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest man _to become_ president in terms of presidential milestones. Even so, it would give the Republicans bragging rights. The fact that they do no deserve and and few would be convinced would not trouble the current party leadership, as they are idiots. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716/26 "2008-11-08T10:20:12Z")
I believe the President can do appointments without the approval of the Senate when they are not in session. I think they are for a limited period (a year??) before he/she has to stand for confirmation. (Bolton as UN rep comes to mind). On the silly side, with enough resignations/appointments we could have some combination of Rice - Palin leadership for a short period at End of Times. Could be quite the cat fight over red phone privileges. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716/27 "2008-11-08T16:54:48Z")
As the Commander In Chielf this would be the definition of AWOL. Actually desertion since we’re at war, right? But we all know GWB would never conscience doing _that_. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716/28 "2008-11-08T17:04:40Z")
**NO-CON NEO-CON Congress Gives Bush Vote of No Confidence Cheney Assumes Mantle of Emperor Announces Vast Clone Army, Declares War on Jedi Jar-Jar Binks Declared Unperson** ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716/29 "2008-11-08T17:45:44Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > **Jar-Jar Binks Declared Unperson** “…Aided and abetted by restless, power-hungry officials in the government, and the massive organs of commerce, the ambitious Darth Cheney caused himself to be declared Emperor; a feat enabled by his sudden popular appeal due to his formal denouncement of an even more widely reviled individual, whose name History does not now recall.” _–excerpt from the Journal of George Whill_ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716/30 "2008-11-08T18:24:35Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > I believe the President can do appointments without the approval of the Senate when they are not in session. I think they are for a limited period (a year??) before he/she has to stand for confirmation. (Bolton as UN rep comes to mind). Only for executive offices and some judgeships. The Constitution clearly says: > [@XXnd Amendment](#): > > 1. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress. If Congress does not confirm, the post is not filled. And a Democratic congress is not going to go along with such a plan. If Cheney resigns, they’ll just wait until January 20. Of course, Bush can resign after Cheney, making Pelosi the first woman president. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716/31 "2008-11-08T20:13:17Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Only for executive offices and some judgeships. The Constitution clearly says: > > If Congress does not confirm, the post is not filled. > > And a Democratic congress is not going to go along with such a plan. If Cheney resigns, they’ll just wait until January 20. > > Of course, Bush can resign after Cheney, making Pelosi the first woman president. But that would only be worth doign if he were being succeeded by Hillary Clinton. I guarantee you that Senator Obama’s grandmother never assured him that America’s promise meant that one day he’d be the first female POTUS. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716/32 "2008-11-08T20:26:05Z")
> [@](#): > > No way if W going to quit in advance. Unless Cheney tells him to do it. Then he’ll be off in a flash. > > Cheney then starts a war with Iran or whoever, declares martial law, says that during an national emergency that it would be a sign of weakness for him to step aside for Obama, etc. Then, on January 20th, if he hasn’t yet vacated the White House, President Obama orders the Secret Service to arrest him for trespassing. Yeah, that wouldn’t be so bad, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716/33 "2008-11-08T20:27:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Then, on January 20th, if he hasn’t yet vacated the White House, President Obama orders the Secret Service to arrest him for trespassing. Yeah, that wouldn’t be so bad, after all. I think he’d be ordering Marines, but yeah. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-bush-said-screw-it-dick-you-can-take-over-till-jan-20th/471716.md?page=1)