That’s why I used the word “technically” in saying that the veep serves at the pleasure of the prez.

You are correct that Cheney cannot be forced out. The office would be vacated only in the event of death or incapacitation, resignation or a guilty verdict after an impeachment trial in the Senate, and I think constitutional scholars and lawyers would have a field day before there ever would be a Cheney proceeding.

– Best Wishes, Karl Mullen

sorry ’bout that.

Wow. What a pile.

However, all these probabilities depend on gaining enough support for impeachment. Since Cheney carefully stays out of the stage light, a real scandal is needed to draw attention to his wrongdoings. This could come from a congressional investigation of the special treatment of intelligence that led to the war or from evidence in the Libby trial that would put the blame on Cheney. Maybe one, the other, or both will happen, but it will still take some months for the chance to materialize. And time is running short, the campaign 2008 has already started and an impeachment half a year before the end of term wouldn’t make sense. Also, if a republican candidate becomes president, it would hurt the chances of the Dem candidate. I guess these are the problems Dem leaders see in impeachment.

When are the Democrats going to learn: that once you have won the argument, you stop arguing.

In two years, the Democrats will have control of Congress and the White House. They can then make all of the changes that they want.

No. The Vice-Presidency is a constitutional office – voted into office at the same time as the president – and, unlike Cabinet members, does not serve at the pleasure of the president. A president can, of course, drop his running mate from the ticket in a re-election as FDR did to put Truman on the ticket. However, there is no way Bush could remove Cheney from office if Cheney did not want to go. The American people put him in there, not Bush. Impeachment is the only other option.

You mention the Valerie Palme “outing” as the grounds for impeachment. However, the care Fitzgerald is taking in dancing around whether any law was broken in this “outing” in the Libby trial suggests you are mistaken here. Libby is on trial for perjury, not leaking. If a Special Prosecutor is avoiding this issue, I doubt this holds much water outside the left side of the blogosphere.

However…from a Machiavellian perspective…your words to Pelosi’s ears. If the Democrats go the impeachment route for Bush or Cheney, it would unite the right, force Iraq out of the headlines, and be the distraction the Republicans desperately need right now.

Hmmmm…maybe Karl Rove has stolen Shaun’s online identity?