The Liz Cheney Presidency

desertwind was the first to point me to Sally Quinn’s column on a GOP Plan to Oust Cheney. And like desertwind, my first thoughts when I read Quinn’s prediction that Cheney would step down with heart trouble and Fred Thompson would replace him–if Quinn is right, this is really an attempt to install another figurehead president controlled by someone named Cheney.

Most importantly, though, I have imagined that Thompson is the GOP’sbest chance to replicate the un-American structure of the BushPresidency, where all the major decisions appear to be made in themargins, by Cheney, all the while Cheney protects himself by invokinghis creative theories of being a fourth branch of government. You see,I’m really beginning to believe that Thompson is in so that thosecommitted to continuing the basic policies of the Bush Administrationcan do so, once again behind the facade of a puppet president.

And then I read this:

Politico‘s Mike Allen told NPR that Fred Thompson has a notable foreign policy advisor: first daughter of the OVP, Liz Cheney.

If I’m right, then Quinn’s column is nothing more than set-up, the first in a series of columns claiming Dick Cheney was ousted, when all the while Dick retains a tight grip on power through his most trusted advisor, Liz Cheney.

The question is, would it work. As a former Senator, Thompson would have an advantage for Senate confirmation, particularly with Holy Joe in the GOP’s back pocket. And since the one other Senate presidential candidate–McCain–is hemorrhaging support, it’s not clear that he could stop Thompson (particularly now that he has broken with Hagel).

In either case, don’t fall for Quinn’s claim that Cheney is being "ousted." If Thompson ends up as Veep, you can be sure there will still be a Cheney pulling the strings, even if the power is once removed.