What would the GOP Presidential candidates do if and when Dick Cheney can no longer serve out his term? Who among these candidates would step up and serve Mr. Lameluck? Is there a statesman in the House (or Executive Office Building)?
Will the 30% of Americans supporting President George Bush please stand up? It's important for the majority of us to see what a Bush backer looks like. We see it in the form of Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzales and Karl Rove. We see it in the House vote where even more than 30% backed Bush and voted against the winning Democratic plan...a plan to fund the troops like never before, both financially and with compassion of a pullout.
We also see Bush's support on the '08 Presidential trail. McCain, Romney, Giuliani, Brownback, Hunter, Thompson (but not Hunter Thompson). Their gospel reads "Support the President" equals "Support the Troops." But how deep is that love of Bush, troops and our country?
What would this group of conservative, GOP panderers do if and when Dick Cheney can no longer serve out his term? Who among these candidates would step up and serve Mr. Lameluck? Is there a statesman in the House (or Executive Office Building)? They already believe in Bush's Troop Build-up. They defend it everyday. They could step into the VP job without having to change any of their briefing papers. Sadly, that GOP support stops when rubber meets the road. Not one GOP contender would race to the Oval Office any sooner than January 2009. For all the time they spend on the campaign trail, dissing Democrats, praising the President, and trampling over the midterm mandate, not one of these GOP wannabees would come to Bush's rescue. Not one.
Cheney has already blown through his HMO co-pay and flex spending limit. He recently was back in the hospital complaining of leg pain. How appropriate it was his "left" leg causing him discomfort. Cheney no doubt had better results than the men and women returning to nearby Walter Reed, without legs or lives they left with. The aging VP will be a regular at GW Hospital for the rest of his term for follow-up tests on a blod clot.
Imagine the political landscape if Cheney doesn't last through November 2008. Imagine the opportunity for a candidate to start looking Presidential even before the first primary. These GOP's are most alligned with Bush on the troop buildup through their own words:
John McCain-"A substantial and sustained increase in U.S. forces in Baghdad and Anbar province is necessary.
Rudy Giuliani-"I support what the president asked for support to do."
Mike Huckabee-"I'm going to have to trust the people over there sucking that sand into their lungs and putting their boots on the ground every day, that they may know a little more about it than those of us who don't have the stack full of intelligence reports to look at."
Duncan Hunter-"The number of troops that we've got...is still less troops than we had last December."
Mitt Romney-"I believe that so long as there is a reasonable prospect of success, our wisest course is to seek stability in Iraq, with additional troops endeavoring to secure the civilian population.
Tommy Thompson-"We should give this opportunity a chance to work."
Six men wanting to lead the nation. Six men with the same mandate as the current leader. Six men, who embrace lameduck pride and bravado, instead of the voice of the nation. If you needed any foreshadow as to how these six men would lead, let's hope we never see it, whether it's as Bush's #2 or America's #1.