Bush implicated in Iran-Contra, Reagan unscathed

What if it was found that Bush perpetrated Iran-Contra behind Reagan's back? If Bush was impeached, who would serve as Reagan's VP for the remainder of his second term? What would become of Lee Atwater?
 
The question is a bit odd. Are you asking what if Reagan had never been involved but it was Bush who devised the plan? In all actuality it was Reagan's program directed on his orders and he even admitted public responsibility for the scandal. Bush knew about the arm sales and was highly informed of the details, but Lawrence Walsh concluded that there was no evidence that Bush had any operational role or actually took part in the scandal beyond not reporting it to the proper authorities. So that would be complicity in the scandal, not perpetration of it as the OP says. Now, had he been the secret Mastermind behind Reagan's back, Bush could conceivably be forced to resign and take a plea deal like Spiro Agnew.
 
Then like I said earlier, if there's enough evidence to convict then Bush takes the same plea deal Agnew took in 1973. He pleads guilty, in exchange he resigns with no prison time.
Thanks.

I wonder who would be VP for the remainder of Reagan's term.
 
Interesting. Do you think Lee Atwater would work for either of them in 1988?

Maybe. It depends on what kind of camapign they'd want to run. Bush hired him because he was losing to Dole and needed a more aggressive campaign strategy. The 1988 election would be really interesting in this scenario. The corruption in the Reagan admin. is amplified, but if Dukakis is still nominated he'll have all his baggage and foul-ups (tank photo, decision to return to MA to spend more time governing instead of campaigning, refusal to counter attack during the campaign).
 
Bush wasn't that stupid. I really don't think there's any chance that he'd have come up with such a plan.

Could he have claimed responsibility to protect Reagan, and the GOP? That, I suspect is possible. And might get the result you want.
 
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