What would it take to buy out the terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney?
If we offered them blanket immunity for all their past crimes plus $100 billion---wrinkled bills, small denominations, mixed serial numbers and in a respectable currency like Euros, or Dubai Dirhams---might they retire to Paraguay and let us get on with the Free World?
What would convince the Norquists, Gingriches, Delays and Hannitys and their Tom Foleys, Larry Craigs, Haley Barbours and Sun Myung Moons to ooze on down and join them?
Sanctions would suffice for their middle managers, shills and concubines. But given their constitutional powers, Bush and Cheney require some negotiation.
A big pile of greenbacks---turquoise-backs---might be cheaper than rebuilding our economy after they grind up the foundations and sell it for road fill in Beijing, not that Beijing doesn't deserve the road fill.
Disclaimer: I’m for putting them in prison, but I could see paying the bastards off.
I suggest we open formal negotiations with Bush and Cheney to ransom America, what remains of it.
We’ll have to reconcile ourselves to the fact that a huge injustice will go unpunished, in this life anyway. That’s the biggest downside I can see.
We’ll have to settle the claims of all the people they have hurt, that’s the price of forgiveness. But we’ll have to do that in any event, so it’s a wash.
Should Bush and Cheney both resign, the Speaker of the House assumes the responsibilities of President.
With three-and-a-half months of GOP Armageddon to endure, presumably Rep. Pelosi would consult closely with Sen. Obama and his incoming presidential staff.
So it couldn’t possibly get worse and there’s a good chance it could get better.
At the moment, we’re on the hook to huge investment banks for $700 billion. By the time Lehman tips out all its hired help, how much could Bush and Cheney will walk away with? $1 billion? $3 billion?
I’m guessing a $100 billion payoff would tighten their cheeks. And it might be cheap: think of the damage they can do in 15 weeks.