VICE PRESIDENT HASTERT? IT COULD HAPPEN

Mustang Bobby at the Miami-Dade blog Bark Bark Woof Woof notes that the Washington Times magazine Insight has published a piece which says that Vice President Dick Cheney could retire after the mid-term elections in November.

The story says that, considering the reportedly growing rift between the president and vice president and their staffs, as well as the possible crisis regarding the Scotter Libby classified leak case, there is a concern that Cheney is becoming too much of a political liability for the administration. What the magazine calls "senior GOP sources" are anticipating that the vice president will be encouraged to resign next year several months following the congressional elections.

"Nothing will happen until after the congressional elections," a GOP source said. "After that, there will be significant changes in the administration and Cheney will probably be part of that."

Under the rules of succession in the Constitution, in such a case the President will nominate a Vice President who would take office upon confirmation by a majority of both houses of Congress. The Speaker of the House --- currently Congressman Dennis Hastert (R - IL) --- is third in line and would be the most likely individual selected, especially for such a relitively short period (about 1 1/2 year until after the 2008 election).

That could have some interesting ramifications for our local congressman, Adam Putnam (R - FL), who is a close ally and friend of the speaker and has hosted Hastert at his residence near Bartow.