by Mark Silva and Paul West
Vice President Dick Cheney will serve as president for part of the day Saturday, while President Bush undergoes a routine colonoscopy at the Camp David presidential retreat.
Bush will temporarily hand over powers to Cheney, as he did for more than two hours during a routine colon screening in 2002 that produced a clean bill of health.
After that June 29, 2002, test, doctors recommended another exam in five years, according to White House spokesman Tony Snow, who called Saturday’s procedure routine and said “the president has had no symptoms.’’
But this hand-off won't happen in Washington. Both men will be in Maryland while the president goes under and Cheney takes over.
Richard Tubbs, the White House physician, will oversee the testing conducted by a medical team from the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md.
Because Bush will be under anesthesia during the exam, he again has elected to invoke Section 3 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which enables the vice president to serve as acting president until the president reassumes his powers.
This will be only the third time that a president has handed over his powers, since the amendment was adopted in 1967. The last handoff to Cheney was the second. The first was used by President Reagan.
Because two polyps were discovered in the president’s colon during exams in 1998 and 1999, while he was governor of Texas, he became a candidate for regular exams. The procedure in 2002 lasted 20 minutes, and Bush awoke quickly but waited to reassume his powers.
The rare power shift this weekend will occur not in Washington, but in Maryland, where both men will be spending the day, though not together.
Bush is to undergo the procedure at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains, about an hour's drive north of the Washington, D.C. area.
Cheney, meantime, will be at one of his second homes (the other is outside Jackson, Wyo.), which is located on Maryland's eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, an hour-and-a-half drive from the capital (but only 30 minutes by chopper).
Cheney purchased his $2.6 million creek-front hideaway near the 300-year-old village of St. Michaels in 2005. His old friend, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, bought a place nearby in 2003, a waterfront estate perhaps aptly known as Mount Misery.
While presidential authority will zip invisibly tomorrow from one side of the Free State to the other and, presumably, back, it's unclear whether the Veep will retain his status as his country neighborhood's top-ranking celebrity for much longer.
According to published reports out of St. Michaels, a recent house-hunter in the area was none other than Michael Jackson, who some still call the King of Pop.
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Comments
Then he must have been in the exam since he was elected. Cheney pulls the string.
Posted by: bill r. | July 20, 2007 1:03 PM
Ummm...does this mean that Cheney will invade Iran? That *is* what he wants, right?
Where are those battleships, anyway?
Posted by: athena | July 20, 2007 1:04 PM
is this some kind of joke? didn't he basically hand over powers to cheney when they were elected?
Posted by: Dan | July 20, 2007 1:06 PM
Doctor,
Take your time up there. Try to dislodge his head.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | July 20, 2007 1:11 PM
Yes, Athena, I hope Cheney sends dozens, if not hundreds, of missiles into Iran. Then I hope Cheney attacks Pakistan. And I just can't wait until Cheney puts on his black helmut and speaks, "Turn to the dark side. Feel the power!" And then Cheney spins in his chair and says, "No. No, you can't get away. From hell's heart, I stab at thee. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee."
Ooops, sorry, you Lefties haven't called him Khan -- yet!
Posted by: John D | July 20, 2007 1:11 PM
START THE IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS ON SATURDAY!
Posted by: John E | July 20, 2007 1:15 PM
Is this going to be the surgery where they pull W.'s head out of Cheney's butt?
Posted by: John E | July 20, 2007 1:17 PM
They should just give GWB a little medical training, then he could keep a lookout for polyps himself once he returns his head to its usual position.
Posted by: C. Foley | July 20, 2007 1:19 PM
Bush is a braver man than I am.
Who knows what kind of unfortunate accidents can happen when you're sedated and Vice Emperor Cheney is getting to sit in the big chair.
Did I say braver? I meant dumber.
Posted by: Tony | July 20, 2007 1:20 PM
"Bush awoked quickly"
did he write this himself?
Posted by: scott Richardson | July 20, 2007 1:22 PM
Well I think the president should keep his powers during the procedure. At least we know where his head WON'T be.
Posted by: Larry | July 20, 2007 1:22 PM
and they call this administration paranoid...
Posted by: dl | July 20, 2007 1:24 PM
Does he hand over power while he takes his afternoon nap as well?
Posted by: Greg C | July 20, 2007 1:32 PM
John D,
Star Trek huh? Star Wars, too? I can see you've been spending a bit too much time in the parents' basement. How about you take a break from the hateful, childish behavior & realize the leadership you cluelessly follow is inept.
I'm not talking about left vs. right. I'm talking about common sense prevailing over all of the horrible things we all do under cover of our worn and tattered flag. We're losing our freedom, integrity & ending lives. Your petty jabs have no place in the public discourse.
Posted by: Mordechai | July 20, 2007 1:40 PM
Don't bother with the scope -- ask Karl...he's know his way around
Posted by: pitsniff | July 20, 2007 1:44 PM
What I want to know is, when performing a colonoscopy on the current resident how does the examiner know when to stop?
Posted by: sam marotta | July 20, 2007 1:47 PM
Chimp constantly scares the more gullible citizens of this country into supporting his asinine actions by claiming al Qaeda is ‘everywhere’. This probe may have been scheduled because he truly believes his own paranoid babblings and is having the Doctor check to see that none snuck in his back door.
Posted by: Gort | July 20, 2007 1:55 PM
Normally I just read these comments and wonder when this John D. guy is going to snap altogether. I have to laugh when he attributes,"From hell's heart, I stab at thee. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee." to the movie, "The Wrath of Khan". It's originally from Capt. Ahab at the end of "Moby Dick". Maybe John D. should read more literature and less comments. Maybe even hate less. (although the Ahab analogy may be fairly apt but Ahab's motivation was more pure than Cheney's.)
Posted by: terry w. | July 20, 2007 2:15 PM
Mordechai -
"...petty jabs have no place in the public discourse."
Introduce your fellow Lefties to the kettle, pot. All you people do is fire off your snarky (some might say "petty") little comments each and every day on this board. Chimp, idiot, pull his head out of...whatever. Don't forget about the constant calls for impeachment (won't happen). The repeated rationale is that the non-Lefties just aren't smart enough to "get it."
If that's the case, why don't the Lefties just outsmart the Righties to get their way on everything.
You probably don't want to hear the real answer on that one, although I'm sure those as smart as you can figure it out with relative ease.
Thanks again for more laughs.
Signed,
The unitelligent (but still in control) side.
Posted by: BV | July 20, 2007 2:21 PM
Wow...
How much longer do we have to deal with these nincompoops? I was brought up in a republican household, but even these republicans give republicans a bad name.
Can we get obama in early?
Posted by: Lolo | July 20, 2007 2:27 PM
Colon cancer is sometimes caused by Ulcerative Colitis. Marvin Bush, George's brother had his colon removed for this reason. If you wish to know the cure for Crohns and UC, please contact me. I would like the world to know the mysterious cause of UC. And I would like it advertised. Is there a medical journal a non-physician can advertise. Please answer. I believe Fidel Castro had crohns disease and is now doing well. This is not for being shown on the internet. It is a tragic problem ending in death very often.
Posted by: Gail Michael | July 20, 2007 2:34 PM
If that's the case, why don't the Lefties just outsmart the Righties to get their way on everything. -BV
Because, despite the efforts of the neocons, it's still a democracy. See you at the voting booth.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | July 20, 2007 2:44 PM
Can we get obama in early?
Posted by: Lolo | July 20, 2007 2:27 PM
Lolo:
Were you referring to the White House, or the subject matter of the thread - the President's rear-end probe with cameras?
[Sorry. I just couln't resist.]
Posted by: John W. | July 20, 2007 2:48 PM
John D,
If you'll notice, I blame everyone for this. Not righties or lefties. All of us. It's the sadly divisive attitude that's bringing us all down.
I don't care which way you lean, as long as you have the common good in mind.
The Roman Empire didn't last forever & if we don't take swift action to hold our elected leaders accountable (Democrat & Republican), American Democracy won't either.
Posted by: Mordechai | July 20, 2007 2:51 PM
Let's hope Cheney, in his concern for Bush, doesn't cut his hunting trip short and go see George straight from the quail fields.
Posted by: davewallen | July 20, 2007 3:18 PM
All you people do is fire off your snarky (some might say "petty") little comments each and every day on this board. Chimp, idiot, pull his head out of...whatever. Don't forget about the constant calls for impeachment (won't happen). The repeated rationale is that the non-Lefties just aren't smart enough to "get it."
Thanks again for more laughs.
Signed,
The unitelligent (but still in control) side.
Posted by: BV | July 20, 2007 2:21 PM
I wouldn't be to sure about impeachment.
Posted by: Former Brainwashed Republican | July 20, 2007 3:57 PM
Apologies,
My reply should have been directed at BV.
Posted by: Mordechai | July 20, 2007 3:58 PM
Wait a minute. Cheney isn't part of the Executive Branch, according to his office. So I guess chimpy has to hand over the reins to.... ta DA! Nancy Pelosi!
Posted by: snitramc | July 20, 2007 4:01 PM
Smarmy Cheney told us all he is not part of the Executive branch of government.
Posted by: Doug R. | July 20, 2007 4:26 PM
If you all think Bush and Cheney are bad, wait until President Hillary gets in office. I can't wait to laugh at all of the Dummycrats!
Posted by: mj | July 20, 2007 5:27 PM
And you know what? Once Nancy is in charge, she is Commander in Chief. She can declare the illegal occupation in Iraq a victory and order the troops home. A win-win for everybody but holyburton, in my view. Man this just gets better and better. It's good to be a Democrat these days.
Posted by: snitramc | July 20, 2007 5:34 PM
Terry W., first of all I have a patent on the living in the parent's basement in regard to the King Loon, John E.
Second, while that quote is from Capt. Ahab, Khan said it in The Wrath of Khan. See, you Loons keep referring to Cheney as Darth Cheney. So, clueless one, I was making fun of you Loons by using dialogue from Star Wars and Star Trek.
Mordechai, I agree with you about the division and the path it takes. However, the inane comments from the Loony Far Left are not representative of most Americans. Most Americans, whether traditional liberal, moderate or conservative will still band together for this country. The Loony Far Left will not.
Not sure where in the spectrum you're from, but you certainly don't seem to be a Loony Lefter. The constant spittle from that ilk that is all this blog is sad and pathetic. This country will survive, despite the best efforts of those on the Lefty Left.
Posted by: John D | July 20, 2007 5:40 PM
Kenny, Kenny, Kenny...you just can't seem to help yourself. The angst you must feel at being 0 for 2 against such an idiot as the president and his evil band of neocons.
I know you feel the "neocons" - one of the left's favorite little nasty words - are attempting to destroy the democracy (republic, actually) you obviously love so much and would defend to the death, but it might be time for you to just get over such a silly notion. Just because "they" do things in a manner different than what you believe in doesn't make them destroyers of the democracy (republic). They are allowed their beliefs as to how such a system should function...unless you don't look kindly on views other than your own.
But then that would make you a bit of a hypocrite, wouldn't it? I dunno, but then again, I'm just a confused, evil neocon. Right, Kenny?
FBR - As for the impeachment, just let me know when it happens. I won't wait up. But if it does materialize, then I'm sure you'll feel rewarded in that you believe you would be evening the score.
Posted by: BV | July 20, 2007 6:48 PM
As Captain (1st interacial kiss on television) Kirk once said...
KKKAAAAHHHNNN!!!!!
Posted by: RomanB | July 20, 2007 8:31 PM
BV, BV, BV...I'll bet your kids hate you.
Posted by: Rick/Sneads Ferry, NC | July 20, 2007 9:06 PM
If you all think Bush and Cheney are bad, wait until President Hillary gets in office. I can't wait to laugh at all of the Dummycrats!
Posted by: mj | July 20, 2007 5:27 PM
I'm sure she'll make a fine president. I also believe she would never stoop to using words (?) like Dummycrat. Your an idiot mj!
FBR - As for the impeachment, just let me know when it happens. I won't wait up. But if it does materialize, then I'm sure you'll feel rewarded in that you believe you would be evening the score.
Posted by: BV | July 20, 2007 6:48 PM
Let's put it this way, if Bush banged an intern I'd shake his hand. I'm sure high crimes and misdemeanors would cover it.
Of thirty-five attempts at impeachment, only nine have come to trial. Because it cripples Congress with a lengthy trial, impeachment is infrequent. Many officials, seeing the writing on the wall, resign rather than face the ignominy of a public trial.
Maybe we should shoot for some resignations. But your right your crooks in the Whitehouse would never have the decency to resign.
Ken Starr conducted the biggest waste of tax payer money ever. The equivalant of a witch hunt.
The infamous “Starr Report” outlining the findings of the Independent Counsel's investigation was delivered to the House of Representatives on Sept. 9, 1998 and subsequently made available to the public. Many felt the report, filled with lurid details of Clinton's sexual encounters with Lewinsky, to be a political attack against the President rather than a legal justification for his impeachment.
George W Bush has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as president and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
BV you are the worst of all crybaby losers. The ones who blindly follow corrupt morons.
Posted by: Former Brainwashed Republican | July 20, 2007 10:52 PM
How about some originality from the left?
The "chimp" comments are a trite reference from the Urban Dictionary, with no attribution from the bloggers.
Like neo-con, which means a liberal
turned conservative (see dictionary). These are just worn out talking points. Let's see something new to make it interesting.
Posted by: Sequim | July 21, 2007 7:21 AM
BV, BV, BV,
They've sworn to uphold the Constitution (yes, subject to interpretation), but in my view (yes, my interpretation), they've gone out of their way to circumvent it, avoid "checks and balances" and to work "on the dark side" as Cheney himself put it. Impeachable? Probably not. Illegal? Ask Scooter. Kosher? No way.
Don't know what you're taking any pride in or even defending...
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | July 21, 2007 8:01 AM
While the comments about my kids hating me and being the "worst of all crybaby losers" cut me to the quick (nah, just kidding), I do agree with part of one of your statements, Kenny.
You don't know...though I doubt the ability to convince you of the factual nature of that.
Oh, and do you think - just maybe - that Cheney was being sarcastic with the whole "dark side" comment?
This whole thing is still about a lost election seven years ago. Always has been, always will be.
Posted by: BV | July 25, 2007 10:51 AM