Condoleezza Rice on the Moment She Thought President Bush Could Have Been Poisoned

ABC News ^ | November 1, 2011 | George Stephanopoulos

[EternalVigilance]

It was just a few weeks after September 11, 2001 when Condoleezza Rice accompanied the president on a trip to China for the APEC summit. In Shanghai Vice President Cheney appeared on a secure video conference line and delivered President George W. Bush this message:

“The Vice President came on the screen and said that the White House detectors have detected botulinum toxin, and we were all– those of who exposed were going to die,” Rice told me.

He said that?

“Yes, he said that. And I remember everybody just sort of freezing, and the President saying, ‘What was that? What was that, Dick?’” Rice, who was the National Security Advisor at the time, said.

Botulinum toxin is, according to the Center for Biosecurity, the “most poisonous substance known” and “extremely potent and lethal.”

The exposure time meant that she and those on the trip — Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Chief of Staff Andy Card — were all at risk, Rice told me. -----

“[Hadley] has this very dry sense of humor. And he said, ‘Let me put it this way. If the mice are feet up, we’re toast. If the mice are feet down, we’re fine,’” Rice told me.

“Wait a second. For 24 hours we didn’t know if the President had been poisoned?” I asked.

“For 24 hours, we were in Shanghai, we did not know the results of those tests,” she said.

[Yaelle]

Whoa. Unbelievable. Was he allowed to tell Laura? Omgosh.

[BuckeyeTexan]

... there’s a pretty good argument that if the VP can’t be sworn in, he can’t take the office.

Article II, Section 1 - ... "Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:" ...

IMHO, there is no argument. "Shall" leaves no doubt. But, IANAL.

[greeneyes]

Yeh, well, most Congresscritters don't measure up to the founders intellectually or otherwise.

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

What if the VP is brain-dead?

That's the situation we now face!

Regards,
GtG

[BuckeyeTexan]

Rumor has it that after the President-elect receives his first threat matrix, he realizes exactly what he got himself into. I’m told it’s not a pretty sight and that not one has been visibly unmoved following said security briefing.

[beaversmom]

“The Vice President came on the screen and said that the White House detectors have detected botulinum toxin, and we were all– those of who exposed were going to die.”

Then he said, "Psych!"

[rmh47]

LOL!!!

Now that's funny right there, I don't care who you are!

[EternalVigilance]

:-)