GW Bush and Saakashvili get blown up on May 10, 2005.
Dick Cheney is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. However, the London terror attacks and hurricane Katrina prove too much for his fragile heart. He dies 4 months into his presidency, without having had the time to propose a VP.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (IL-14) then ascends to the presidency, a first in the history of the US. From there, you've got two (mutually-exclusive) routes to further trouble:
1) At about that time IOTL, famed whistleblower Sibel Edmonds levelled accusation of bribery against Hastert. If more comes out (which is a very distinct possibility, as the fact that he is president ITTL will attract a lot more attention to the case), and with general trend of dissatisfaction with the Republican administration, that would make for nice Articles of Impeachment...
2) The Sibel Edmonds-thing is butterflied away, the Democrats still regain control of Congress in the 2006 midterms and the shit hits the fan in January 2007 when the House elects a Democratic Speaker, because neither the Constitution nor the Presidential Succession Act 1947 state whether someone who ascended to the presidency as speaker remains president after the end of his speakership.
So what do you think about my little scenario?
Dick Cheney is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. However, the London terror attacks and hurricane Katrina prove too much for his fragile heart. He dies 4 months into his presidency, without having had the time to propose a VP.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (IL-14) then ascends to the presidency, a first in the history of the US. From there, you've got two (mutually-exclusive) routes to further trouble:
1) At about that time IOTL, famed whistleblower Sibel Edmonds levelled accusation of bribery against Hastert. If more comes out (which is a very distinct possibility, as the fact that he is president ITTL will attract a lot more attention to the case), and with general trend of dissatisfaction with the Republican administration, that would make for nice Articles of Impeachment...
2) The Sibel Edmonds-thing is butterflied away, the Democrats still regain control of Congress in the 2006 midterms and the shit hits the fan in January 2007 when the House elects a Democratic Speaker, because neither the Constitution nor the Presidential Succession Act 1947 state whether someone who ascended to the presidency as speaker remains president after the end of his speakership.
So what do you think about my little scenario?
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