When U.S. President Harry S. Truman signed the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, the “man from Independence” surely did so with the best interests of the American people in mind. But the feisty thirty-third president could not have imagined the potential impact of that act 60 years later.
The bill signed by President Truman revised the order for succession to the presidency. Under the revised law, the U.S. Speaker of the House is in line for succession to the presidency, after the vice president.
For a full description of the order of presidential succession go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_line_of_succession
No one anticipates that either George Bush or Dick Cheney will die anytime soon, and certainly it seems most unlikely that both men would expire at or about the same time.
Nonetheless, prudence dictates that we remain mindful of the fact that Dick Cheney has a history of serious heart disease. And although George Bush seems in excellent physical health, he did just turn 60 years old, and has been, and continues to be, under enormous stress owing to everything from the war in Iraq to Mark Foley’s sexually explicit Instant Messages.
Although we Americans are loath to face it, the fact is that a tandem of terrible events could conspire to leave America without a president or vice president.
In that unlikely but catastrophic situation, the reign of U.S. power would automatically pass to Dennis Hastert, current speaker of the U.S. House.
However, if the Democrats were to gain majority status as a result of the November elections, that doomsday scenario would become even more of a nightmare because the new Speaker of the U.S. House would be none other than Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Democrat from California. She would thus become the forty-fourth President of the United States and the most powerful person on the planet.
Let me repeat that very slowly: If the Democrats regain majority status in the U.S. House, Nancy Pelosi would be in line to become president of the United States should tragedy befall the president and vice president.
Can you even imagine the bug-eyed Pelosi a mere two or threat heartbeats from the Oval Office?
Just the thought of a Pelosi presidency should cause all voters--regardless of party loyalty--to think twice, or more, before voting for any Democrat!
