A GOP Coup to Oust Cheney?

Fred Thompson for Vice President? It's possible.

There's a growing movement led by Senator John Warner of Virginia, among others, to get Cheney out of the White House as soon as possible. For some reason, many Repugs now consider Cheney "toxic."

The thinking is to oust Cheney and install someone who has a chance to become president in 2008. It's not believed that Guiliani, McCain or Romney would want to be associated with Bush and the baggage he carries including Iraq. The Washington Post claims Thompson might just be the guy to pull this off:

"...Everybody loves Fred. He has the healing qualities of Gerald Ford and the movie-star appeal of Ronald Reagan. He is relatively moderate on social issues. He has a reputation as a peacemaker and a compromiser. And he has a good sense of humor.

"He could be just the partner to bring out Bush's better nature -- or at least be a sensible voice of reason. I could easily imagine him telling the president, "For God's sake, do not push that button!" -- a command I have a hard time hearing Cheney give.

"Not only that, Thompson would give the Republicans a platform for running for the presidency -- and the president a way out of Iraq without looking like he's backing down. Bush would be left in better shape on the war and be able to concentrate on AIDS and the environment in hopes of salvaging his legacy."

If there is a palace coup it's expected to take place this summer when Cheney has to undergo surgery to replace the batteries in his pacemaker.

Actually, replacing Cheney with Thompson might have another beneficial side effect - it could build a fire under the backsides of the Democrats in congress to actually do something. They've been acting an awful lot like a party that's waiting for the existing regime to enable them to win by default. Come to think of it, that sounds a lot like a certain party up here.