Posted on 07/14/2004 8:07:55 PM PDT by conservative in nyc
ASHINGTON, July 14 - In the annals of Washington conspiracy theories, the latest one, about Vice President Dick Cheney's future on the Republican ticket, is as ingenious as it is far-fetched. But that has not stopped it from racing through Republican and Democratic circles like the latest low-carb diet.
The newest theory - advanced privately by prominent Democrats, including members of Congress - holds that Mr. Cheney recently dismissed his personal doctor so that he could see a new one, who will conveniently tell him in August that his heart problems make him unfit to run with Mr. Bush. The dismissed physician, Dr. Gary Malakoff, who four years ago declared that Mr. Cheney was "up to the task of the most sensitive public office" despite a history of heart disease, was dropped from Mr. Cheney's medical team because of an addiction to prescription drugs.
"I don't know where they get all these conspiracy theories," said Matthew Dowd, the Bush campaign's chief strategist, who has heard them all. "It's inside-the-Beltway coffee talk, is all it is."
It may be inside the Beltway, but in recent days the Washington summer clamor about dropping Mr. Cheney has so greatly intensified that Mr. Cheney himself was forced to address it on Wednesday. Asked in a C-Span interview if he could envision any circumstances under which he would step aside, Mr. Cheney replied: "Well, no, I can't. If I thought that were appropriate, I certainly would."
In the interview, to be broadcast Sunday, Mr. Cheney also said that Mr. Bush "has made very clear he doesn't want to break up the team," but that chatter of his stepping down was to be expected.
"I suppose right now, because we're in the run-up to the convention, people don't have much to talk about so you get speculation on that," he said. "It's normal. When we get to the convention, I think that'll put an end to that." Who would replace Mr. Cheney has nonetheless became a favorite Washington guessing game, with the names of Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and Senator John McCain of Arizona whispered about the most. Never mind that neither has a particularly cordial relationship with Mr. Bush, and that neither has expressed interest in the job. Other names that keep popping up include Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, and Bill Frist, the Senate majority leader.
There is also something of an under-the-radar campaign among Republicans promoting their friends for a job that may never come open. As an example, boosters of Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, have long tried to toss his name in the mix, despite the fact that friends of the president say he would never pick Mr. Giuliani.
The rumblings about Mr. Cheney are similar to those that plagued Vice President Dan Quayle in 1992, when Secretary of State James A. Baker III led efforts to push Mr. Quayle off the ticket. But the reasons are different.
Mr. Quayle was seen as a bumbler who could not spell "potato," making him an easy target for Bill Clinton's campaign. Mr. Cheney, who has suffered four heart attacks, has faced persistent questions about his powerful role in promoting the war in Iraq and insisting that Saddam Hussein had unconventional weapons.
But like Mr. Quayle, Mr. Cheney suffers from low approval ratings. Last month, a New York Times/CBS News poll found that 21 percent of voters had a favorable impression of Mr. Cheney, compared with 39 percent for Mr. Bush.
Democrats, as part of their campaign to discredit the competition, are energetically promoting the idea that Mr. Cheney is a drag on the ticket. But none of them are suggesting that Mr. Bush should drop him.
"He has come to be a polarizing figure who repels voters," said Tad Devine, a senior adviser to Senator John Kerry. But asked if that did not make Mr. Cheney a dream candidate to run against, Mr. Devine demurred. "I'm not going to lob one in that direction," he said. "I don't want to be the Kerry guy who says 'We want Cheney.' "
Republicans close to the Bush campaign say that the Democrats are using Mr. Cheney as a powerful way to attack Mr. Bush and undermine the White House. "When the Democrats attacked Dan Quayle, it didn't matter a lot," said Vin Weber, a former congressman who is the Bush campaign's chairman for the upper Midwest. "Nobody thought Dan Quayle was the president's most trusted adviser, with broad responsibilities. But Democrats understand that when you go after this vice president, you really go after the administration.''
But even some Republicans are now questioning whether Mr. Cheney should stay on the ticket. As one House Republican said, conspiratorially, outside the House chamber this week, "Watch Cheney." Another Republican member of Congress said that Mr. Cheney was increasingly viewed as a political liability.
"I don't think you fix the problem by changing the No. 2 horse, but Bush is facing so much heavy baggage going into November, he's going to have to throw some of that baggage off," said the Republican, who insisted on anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
One recent contribution to the buzz about Mr. Cheney came Tuesday in a column by Charlie Cook, the editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. "Stipulating that dumping a totally loyal, integral part of his inner circle is something that is absolutely not in George W. Bush's DNA, losing with plenty of notice does not appear to be part of his genetic makeup either," Mr. Cook wrote. He concluded that in an election year as close as this one, "the president badly needs something to shake this race up, and I can think of just one thing. Cheney may need to watch his back."
Mr. Cook's column came less than a week after Alfonse M. D'Amato, the once-influential Republican senator from New York, said on the cable station NY1 that Mr. Bush should replace Mr. Cheney with Mr. Powell or Mr. McCain. Mr. D'Amato's motives have stirred speculation among New Yorkers, although some who know him well said that getting attention might have been primary among them. An assistant in Mr. D'Amato's office said Wednesday that he would have no further comment on the matter.
Representative Peter T. King, Republican of New York, said that Mr. D'Amato's comments had not thrown the White House into any evident frenzy. As Mr. King recounted it, he was recently at the White House with another member of Congress and had a brief conversation with Mr. Bush. The other member of Congress mentioned Mr. D'Amato's comments to Mr. Bush, Mr. King said, and Mr. Bush laughed.
"He didn't seem concerned or angry," Mr. King said. "And then I said that Al is getting married on Sunday and he's got other things on his mind." Mr. Bush responded, Mr. King said, by saying, "Tell him the president wishes him well on his wedding day."
These people are relentless!
At the NYT the "gossip" and "news" are interchangable.
"The newest theory - advanced privately by prominent Democrats, including members of Congress - holds that Mr. Cheney recently dismissed his personal doctor so that he could see a new one, who will conveniently tell him in August that his heart problems make him unfit to run with Mr. Bush. "
Do not rule that out!
what Edwards is doing now for Kerry, the attack dog role, Cheney cannot do effectively. his unfavorable numbers are too high. we probably have to keep Cheney, but we also have to recognize that he is essentially a non participant on the campaign trail with anyone except the base. sure, he will likely do well in the VP debate - but how many people will actually watch it?
that said, let's see what happens with the polls after the Dem convention, how big and how long the bump lasts.
Dubya-Rummy04
Especially if you're a witless Dimocrat, grasping at straws for a way to defeat President George W. Bush in November.
Even if dick was replaced its not like he would not still have a job at the white house. I would like to see Condi if its going to be anyone.
They WISH! LOL
Leave it to the NY times to have fewer "anonymous sources" in gossip articles like this one than in their front page "news." 12 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
Replace Dick Cheney with Colon (not a typo) Powell or John McCain?
What sort of insanity would inspire speculation like that?
Just wishful thinking amongst the Dims, who would love to find a candidate pairing that could cause conservatives to stay home in droves on Election Day!
How could anyone not be totally crazy about Dick Cheney? What's wrong with these people? Don't they realize that he's CUTE?
A dirty tricks campaign by the RATS to sow fear uncertainty and doubt. To make the GWBush campaign waste time responding to this garbage created in the Democrat rumor factory......
I see by some of the posts here that Edwards is very afraid of debate with Cheney.
This is a lot of BS. Vice President Dick Cheney WILL NOT skate. He's a patriot to his country. I think he's the kind of guy who would prefer to drop dead serving his country than sleeping it away at home. Rummy is in the same mould. These guys are something that the Dimwits cannot understand. The libs cannot, and will not, ever, understand loyalty and patriotism. They are allergic to those terms.
Keep Cheney. There's a good chance the RATS will lose VERY bigtime. Big edge in house and senate for GOP, then they have a free hand to pick another VP if Cheney wants to retire sometime in next couple of years.
I don't know about cute...
I didn't know too much about Cheney when he was first announced but when I heard a news report from 2000 that Cheney and his Missus refused "cuts" while waiting in line to vote...It was just so refreshing. And it told me most of what I needed to know about him.
And his recent adventures only make me more of a Cheney fan.
LOL
Drudge had the advance on this gossip piece and some of us had our say on that thread.
BTW, re the "close race" talk, I thought it interesting that Newt was on H & C tonight and said to put him down for Bush 53/Kerry 42 (I'm going by memory but it was something in that area).
Cheney must be sitting at home laughing to himself, because all this prissy noise against him reveals a singular truth: The Democrats and the Old Media fear him.
This shows you how much they fear Cheney.
FEAR CHENEY!
FEAR CHENEY!
They obviously fear the man.
Of course, if Cheney hadn't dropped his old doctor, the media would be harping on how Cheney was seeing a drug addled quack since he was the only doctor who would ever give him a clean bill of health.
Your opinion on Cheney is very close to being dog sh*t as is Mr. Edwards in the debates. Unless, of course, you think Mr. Cheney should avoid the debates since "his unfavorable numbers are too high".
Oh Paleeze! Don't these NYT people have anything better to do?
Rumey and Cheney are doing just fine where they are.
Wow. Our two posts about how they fear Cheney were only 20 seconds apart from each other.
"Just wishful thinking amongst the Dims, who would love to find a candidate pairing that could cause conservatives to stay home in droves on Election Day!"
You are right on target. Putting General Powell - a pro choicer - would cause many conservatives to stay at home.
If I was going to speculate about VP Cheney stepping down, it would be after the November election if, God willing, President Bush is reelected. Cheney could step down and Bush could put someone in his place that would be a top candidate for pres. in 08.
He looks and sounds like my dearly departed father whom I miss very much.
Yes, my Dad was a cutie, too! :-)
Hmmmmmm..... the doctor in question was a GP to the VP and not his cardiologist/heart doctor.....
FEAR HIM!
When an old coot, who use to wield power, marries the obligatory significantly younger woman, the brain has been known to turn to mush. The Fonz was obviously trying to impress his soon to be Mrs. by getting his name in the paper, an event that has been sorely lacking in his recent life. 
The truth is that Cheney's heart function is only marginal at best at 40% EF. 55-65% is normal. Less than 30% is prima facia evidence of SSA disability eligibility.
Bush should cut him loose in favor of Richard Lugar. Lugar would compare very favorably to Edwards who has no foreign policy experience.
Just add Colin to the ticket as vice-vice president and call the ticket Bush/Dick/Colin '04. Should appeal to the gay crowd.
(steely)
FEARING CHENEY!
Bigtime.
Dems are running scared!!BIG TIME!
I don't believe the republicans are doing this for a minute. The only ones who might would be someone trying to move in to gain clout for the next election. Hm....McCain, Powell, Rudy?
Cheney stays. We are not about to allow the media to determine who the President of the U.S. picks as a running mate.
They treat President Bush like a stupid idiot and then expect him to allow them to chose his VP? I'm afraid not you stupid fools (the media).
If one needed yet more proof that the New York Times is in bed with the Democrat operatives and advances the Democrat agenda in their 'news stories', this is it. The story has no substance because, as President Bush said of VP Cheney "He can be President." Cheney is the best Vice President we've had in decades, and is a great asset; President Bush knows it. If Cheney was such a problem for Bush, then why are Democrats planting anti-Cheney rumors?
Even that (post-election switchover) is a bad idea. It's sneaky and subverts our primary-based system. Besides, doesnt the *Congress* get involved with a replacement?
Do not rule what out? That the NYT is simply a Democratic Party propaganda sheet. Rest assured, I don't.
We not only need to be thinking about winning this election, we need to be thinking about winning in 2008 and Cheney is unelectable. He needs to step aside and become a cabinet officer and let Condi or some other electable conservative take over as VP.
Now there by golly is something I haven't heard of, but it sure sounds great!
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