Bush says 2008 race wide open, Clinton 'formidable'

Reuters ^ | 1-27-06

[Indy Pendance]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush said on Friday the race for the White House in 2008 was wide open and called potential Democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton "formidable."

"This is an unusual year because this is the first time there hasn't been a kind of natural successor in the party," Bush said in an interview with CBS News. His vice president, Dick Cheney, has ruled out a run for the top job.

Told that Clinton, a former first lady and current New York senator, seemed to be running pretty hard for the Democratic nomination, Bush replied, "She's formidable."

The president said it was "hard to tell" who the leading Republican candidates might be.

"The minute I start speculating, you'd make all kinds of news with it, and it would interject me in the race. ... Two wide-open primaries with no sitting vice president running in either primary, so this is -- I can't remember a time when it's been this open."

Bush said the presidency had not changed his priorities and he highly recommended the job.

"I will tell you, if given a chance to do it again, I would have said, 'You bet.' It's been a fantastic experience."

His biggest disappointment?

"The bitterness in Washington, D.C. ... the tone in Washington."

[COEXERJ145]

As I was reading through all the Constitutional Amendments out there, I found another one.

H. J. RES. 9

As a side note, some of the bills that get submitted are totally off the wall like "Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States respecting the right to decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing."

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

"This is an unusual year because this is the first time there hasn't been a kind of natural successor in the party," Bush said in an interview with CBS News.

Hey, George... call your brother in Florida...

[Txsleuth]

Hey,in the dem's world that isn't such an off the wall resolution...

[F16Fighter]

"This is an unusual year because this is the first time there hasn't been a kind of natural successor in the party," Bush said in an interview with CBS News. His vice president, Dick Cheney, has ruled out a run for the top job."

If the Prez and GOP had half a brain, they'd replace VP Cheney NOW with a viable replacement and groom him/her (NO, not Condi) for the run in 2008.

[COEXERJ145]

Hey,in the dem's world that isn't such an off the wall resolution...

That particular bill (and most of the other moonbat amendments) was written by Jesse Jackson Jr.

[Graymatter]

Who, me?

[Raycpa]

Belieze? If so, its Central America with islands and mainland.

[Raycpa]

"Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States respecting the right to decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing."

You are against decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing? You want indecent, unsafe unsanitary and unaffordable housing?

[Txsleuth]

Oh...yeah...chip off the old man's back.

[Txsleuth]

OOOPS...back = BLOCK.

[ASA Vet]

If the Prez and GOP had half a brain, they'd replace VP Cheney NOW

No it's a little to early. One day after the half way point in W's 2nd term VP Cheney will resign citing health reasons thus making room for 44's next promotion.

[F16Fighter]

"It's a little to early. One day after the half way point in W's 2nd term VP Cheney will resign citing health reasons thus making room for 44's next promotion."

You may be right -- although I HOPE it's not Condi.

[ClarenceThomasfan]

I hope it IS Condi. The democrats will go crazy if the first minority woman VP is a REPUBLICAN!

Go Condi! Go!

[daybreakcoming]

"Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States respecting the right to decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing."

That sounds like the residents of a FEMA camp near Baton Rouge who demonstrated today saying "Let us have everything free for 18 months." They were upset because they were going to have to begin paying for their own propane gas for their free trailers which include free electricity, free water, free sewage.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1566614/posts

[The people have spoken]

This is an unusual year because this is the first time there hasn't been a kind of natural successor in the party," Bush said in an interview with CBS News.

2004 incumbent Bush
2000 VP Gore
1996 incumbent Clinton
1992 incumbent Bush
1988 VP Bush
1984 incumbent Reagan
1980 incumbent Carter
1976 incumbent Ford
1972 incumbent Nixon
1968 VP Humphrey
1964 incumbent Johnson
1960 VP Nixon
1956 incumbent Eisenhower
1952 neither incumbent nor VP

That's as far back as I can remember. Can anyone carry this further back?

[Indy Pendance]

I think the point was, the presiding VP ran for presidential office. Cheney isn't planning on running.

[MrEdd]

Rove/North '08.

[The people have spoken]

Agreed. My point was that this hasn't happened since 1952.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Hey lurking DUmmies, did you hear that, W is going to run again...

He could. According to their convuluted thinking, this is the start of his first term. Afterall, Algore won in 2000.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Lets make those Dem heads explode, with a bill to repeal Amendment XXII. I don't think the President really wants a third term, but it'd be fun to watch them freak.

Bill Clinton suggested that shortly after Bush was sworn in in 2001.