POLITICS: Ashcroft May Resign

Rumors are apparently circulating concerning John Ashcroft's employment in Bush's cabinet. "Administration officials" have stated off the record that Ashcroft may step down rather than serve the coming term.



Drudge Report is running a snippet on Ashcroft's potential resignation as well.


Considering the controversy Ashcroft brought to the first Bush administration, and the lackluster results amid such controversy, this does not come as a total surprise. In an interview on Fox News last night it was intimated that Rudy Giuliani would have a position in a re-formed cabinet. Why not put "America's Mayor" in the cabinet, especially considering he was the poor soul who's city endured the brunt of 9/11? I wonder if any other shoes will drop in the coming days.

Related News Stories:
Taemag.com
WashingtonPost.com
Reuters


[edit on 3-11-2004 by Banshee]

Yep, i saw this coming.
There are probably going to be some changes in the administration this time around.

Well if Bush was serious about reconciliation this is the best place to start. I can't think of too many republicans that actually like Ashcroft.

I would love to see him replaced with Guiliani. Excellent credentials, moderate views and will place him in the public spotlight should he chose to run for the Presidency in 2008.



B.

are there any other folks that look to be on the way out? i had heard some rumbings about ashcroft and he has seemed to be the lightning rod...but i haven't seen anything about others.

There's been some rumors about Donald Rumsfield and Colin Powell. There has been some speculation that Rice will end up being the first woman to head up the Pentagon.

Originally posted by Jamuhn
There's been some rumors about Donald Rumsfield and Colin Powell. There has been some speculation that Rice will end up being the first woman to head up the Pentagon.

fair enough on rumsies, although i thought most of that is from demos....as for colin i'd be absolutely flat out shocked. do you have any links for the colin rumors i'd love to see those.

Here you go, I can only post the google link because some of these sites require a subscription if you don't go through google. But there are a couple articles about this:

news.google.com...

I can't see how the departure of Ashcroft would be very controversial, and agree that someone else is probably better suited to the job -- although an attorney general should never be all that popular. They are supposed to be jerks.

As for others heading out, I don't expect Cheney to ride out the full second term.

Edit: To elaborate, I expect Cheney will resign with honor (for "personal" [medical] reasons) when the time is right, and his successor will be the 2008 Republican presidential candidate.


[edit on 11/4/2004 by Majic]

Bush should appoint John Kerry his new Secretary of State and John Edwards as the White House press secretary.

Originally posted by dubiousone
Bush should appoint John Kerry his new Secretary of State and John Edwards as the White House press secretary.

Oh boy, you want this so that Kerry can continue with his "New Army of Patriots" plan? Then we will truly see a major draft in effect.

Well that puts the light at the end of the tunnel a little closer
Ashcroft is truly a power hungry and evil man.

geo

Originally posted by Majic
Edit: To elaborate, I expect Cheney will resign with honor (for "personal" [medical] reasons) when the time is right, and his successor will be the 2008 Republican presidential candidate.

Interesting.. is there a process to name an interim VP? Or does the job automatially fall to a member of the Senate?

Time to google..

Originally posted by jsobecky

Originally posted by Majic
Edit: To elaborate, I expect Cheney will resign with honor (for "personal" [medical] reasons) when the time is right, and his successor will be the 2008 Republican presidential candidate.

Interesting.. is there a process to name an interim VP? Or does the job automatially fall to a member of the Senate?

Time to google..

Here you go:

The 25th Amendment also provides a method for filling a vacated office of the vice president. The president must nominate a new vice president, who must be confirmed by a majority vote of both houses of Congress.

Has this process ever been tested? Oh yeah. Back in October, 1973, Vice President Sprio Agnew resigned and President Richard Nixon nominated Gerald R. Ford to fill the office. Then, in August, 1974 President Nixon resigned, Vice President Ford became president and nominated Nelson Rockefeller as the new vice president. Although the circumstances that caused them were, shall we say, distasteful, the transfers of power went smoothly and with little or no controversy.

from usgovinfo.about.com

I guess I originally looked at the post as them being forced out....I didn't consider the possibilities of them voluntarily leaving. As for the vice president stepping down so the next candidate could step up�.vice presidents don�t do all that well in replacing their boss.

Rumsfeld might indeed resign - he's 73, I believe. Might want his retirement. But won't that just mean that Wolfowitz or Feith will take over? God forbid...

Ashcroft - if he resigns will we have to hear him SING again?

Powell - a pity. I liked the guy, but he spent all his credibility trying to defend an indefensible theory, that of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. He may have waited too long to resign.