This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1254028
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1254028
The ultimately irony of their self-inflicted scandal is that if both Trump and Pence are impeached by the House and removed by the Senate, the new president would be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is next in line for presidential succession.
The universe doesn’t love me THAT much.
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“Place your bets: Vice President Mike Pence is either the world’s most clueless politician or a co-conspirator in President Donald Trump’s misdeeds in Ukraine.”
Why not Both?
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Mike Pence is my former Governor. He can lie with a straight face (and apparently a clear conscience) if it suits him. He practices a warped form of what he calls Christianity, that preaches misogyny, ignorance, racism, and discrimination. He is willing to do or say anything that will get himself into positions of power so he can help enact his world vision, which as far as I can tell would be to make the United States into a Caucasian Christian Theocracy. Be very afraid of this man when he attains access to any sort of power.
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I believe he’s screwed the pooch here.
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I think we may just see trump resign when things look clear enough he’s toast.
In which case Pence becomes president.
At that point, we go after Pence. Republicans will insist that tradition means Pence is allowed to nominate a new VP.
Sort of like when a SC Justice passes away, a President gets to nominate a new justice.
So unless Pence nominates Merrick Garland we should treat his nominee the same.
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Who would be the new, read old, Ford to be put into the White House? The dominoes have to fall in a perfect sequence for the GOP to retain top Executive power.
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The ultimately irony of their self-inflicted scandal is that if both Trump and Pence are impeached by the House and removed by the Senate, the new president would be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is next in line for presidential succession.
Sure, the eight last words are technically true, but this is still ridiculous. Both Nixon AND his vice president had to go, but the next president wasn’t the speaker of the house. Like then, the only thing the republicans would need to do is to see they don’t go on the same day.
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I am pretty certain that Moscow Mitch will bring the nominated VP to the floor within 30 seconds of the nomination by Pence. He will likely nominate someone like Bill Barr, to ensure he serves out his term.
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Different situation. In contrast to our current situation, Spiro Agnew was ousted for completely unrelated (corruption) charges, whereas Tricky Dicky went down (later) because of Watergate. Ford was okay’d by both House and Senate, because he was seen as squeaky clean and politically safe. Also clearly not involved in either Agnew’s or Nixon’s corrupt acts.
Dunce and Spankee are involved in the same tawdry affaire, ergo could both go down for the same (corruption/collusion/whatever) charges. If Dunce goes down first, there is no guarantee, indeed very little chance, that Spankee would get a VP approved by the House unless that person was exceptionally palatable to the Dems.
If Spankee goes down first and Dunce becomes prez, again, he’d only get a VP through the House who the Dems approve of.
However, #MoscowMitch will definitely see to it that at least one of them limps through to the bitter end, i.e., both be impeached by the House but one is left staggering through to the election. Which one will depend on just how awful this is when it blows up.
So, yes, I agree, the likelihood of Pelosi getting to the Oval Office is small at best, but there could always be a situation like, oh, say, Spankee is ousted by the Senate and Dunce suffers a heart attack and pops off (or vice versa).
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House has to approve the VP candidate by a majority and LowBarr is absolutely radioactive. No way that’ll get through. Nor will Ivanka.
They might just let Merrick Garland in, though, as a “consolation prize” 
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I would bet Postiche Pious Pence would want to keep Ol’ Billy Barr esquire in BS.
That is immediately disqualifying.
The shorter version of the Mike Pence story he is that is so craven and desperate to ascend to the presidency, that he hitched his star to a faithless, lawless, lying, cheating, insane, serial adulterer, TV reality star. How many of God’s commandments broken is that, Mike?
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Too much “Impeach Pence” talk
leads to “Nancy’s Next in Line” talk
Fueling the right wing talk:
“COUP!!!”
So, for the love of God,
Shut the door on that for the moment.
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Don’t bet the house on it. It’s appalling how many unqualified, corrupt, yes-men have been able to assume positions of authority and power in the Trump maladministration.
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This may be why Mitt has been a first mover on the Trump impeachment. When Nixon lost Agnew, a bi-partisan-acceptable Republican was put in as VP. Mitt would only have to care-take for a year if Trump resigned. Pence also could do jail time like Agnew. We don’t know what he’s done, but he certainly hasn’t been truthful.
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Shorter, yes, but also succinct.
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Yes, and we have McConnell to thank.
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If trump would resign it would be so close to November 2020 that there wouldn’t be time to go after Pence. They only reason he would resign is to get the pardon and he could give a shit about anything, the party or his successor, that might happen after he is no longer in power. His successor probably couldn’t help him with the states charges he would be facing.
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We do!
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