WI: Bush, Cheney, Rice and Rumsfeld die on 9/11.

Again, does Hastert have the authority to nominate a VP as acting president?

I'm not sure, I don't think he does (seeing as Gerald Ford became president). That being said, I don't think that most of Congress or the American people would really mind at that point. People like Ron Paul might be screaming, but post-9/11, the American people would want stability, and Colin Powell seems much more like the type to produce it than some crazy nut fringe screaming about the Constitution.
 
There is no such thing as acting President. Once the deaths happen he takes over and is the President. Then he nominates his VP and Congress will conform that person. This nonsense of him then giving up the job. Well no one who reaches that high of a rank (Speaker of the House) gives up being POTUS. He may or may not run for President in 2004. That will depend on how feels about his chances. I would expect he would run. The last time an American President who wanted to run and did not get his parties nomination was Arthur in the 1880's I think he would pick John McCain to be his VEEP. Powell would want to stay in the SS job.
 
Perhaps the wiki lies, but it seems to disagree:

While none of these officers would succeed to the presidency as would a Vice President, the provisions of the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, now codified in Title 3, Chapter 1, Section 19 of the United States Code, create a line of succession that allows the Speaker of the House, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and Cabinet officers, to serve as Acting President in the case of removal, resignation, death or inability of both the President and Vice President, and also in the case of failure to qualify of both a President-elect and a Vice President-elect.

The President pro Tempore would effectively take over the role of Vice President, both as next in line and as the presiding officer of the Senate.

I do not believe a President or Vice President could legally be selected until the 2004 election.
 
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Perhaps the wiki lies, but it seems to disagree:



The President pro Tempore would effectively take over the role of Vice President, both as next in line and as the presiding officer of the Senate.

I do not believe a President or Vice President could legally be selected until the 2004 election.

Under the 25th amendment Hastert would become President

Also under the 25th he would appoint a new VP subject to approval by the House and Senate.
 
It's definitely a bit of a constitutional grey area, simply because it's never really happened before.

Legally, Hastert would not be the President, just the Acting President. Of course, that's not a huge distinction, since legally the Acting President has the exact same power and authority as the President. It's certainly possible that we just end up with a repetition of the precedent set by Tyler, that regardless of legal technicalities, Hastert is the President now.

I would think that, given my understand of the law, Hastert could nominate a new VP. The Acting President has all the legal authority of the President, which under the 25th Amendment would include the right to nominate a new VP.
 
if the president and vice president are dead then the speaker is president. I agree that he probably would nominate McCain as vice president. He probably would run in 2004 and would stand a good chance of winnng.
 
Powell's views on abortion would alienate much of the Republican base.

That's three years away from being an issue though, and in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 Powell's defense and foreign policy credentials are going to be far more important than any domestic social issues. Plus, it's certainly possible that as part of becoming VP Powell agrees to keep silent on the abortion issue, much like Cheney did in regards to gay rights OTL.
 
... With possible black SF raids into Iran, Pakistan, and other countries. America pulls out of Afghanstan by the end of 08. The country will not be swimming in debt, and overstreght.

You do know that the Iranian government at the time hated the Taliban, had only backed off a war with them a couple of years earlier because of American pressure, and offered their complete co-operation in the Afghanistan operation until Bush threw it in their face with the Axis of Evil speech.

9/11 provided a historic opportunity for Western reconciliation with Iran, which was sadly wasted.
 
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