width=”100″ height=”126″ border=”0″ title=”Clintonbillhillary_3″ alt=”Clintonbillhillary_3″ src=”http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/files/images/clintonbillhillary_3.jpg” /> It’s by no means a foregone conclusion that Sen. Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2008, but that hasn’t stopped anyone from speculating about running mates, from Barack Obama to Al Gore.
Or now, her loving husband, Bill.
A story in the Washington Post has fun with the concept, consulting various legal scholars to determine whether the Constitution would allow Bill Clinton to return to the White House as vice president. The conclusion, which seems somehow fitting: It depends how you parse a certain word.
While the 12th Amendment seems to unambiguously bar from the vice presidency anyone who’s ineligible to be president, the 22nd Amendment says, "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice." So some scholars conclude that Clinton could be vice president because he is only barred from being elected president a third time, not from serving as president.
It’ll never happen, of course. But if you follow the link, be sure to note Bill Clinton’s own thoughts on the subject at the end.
Posted by Dave Knadler
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19 Comments
There are people who would love that to happen. Hell, there are people who would like to scrap the election process altogether and appoint the Clintons as King and Queen. ;)
But that being said. When Hillary runs in 08, if she selects Al Gore as her running mate, at least the supporters can recycle their “Clinton/Gore” bumber stickers and yard signs. Since they still have them in their garage and on their cars, why not?
The proposition that Bill Clinton could run as VP is a non-starter. The Supreme Court, in any time in the past half-century, whether left-leaning or right-leaning would rule that the purpose of the 22nd Amendment was to prohibit a single individual from serving more than 2 terms as President, and thus Clinton is ineligible to ever BE president again, not just ineligible to be ELECTED president again.
This is just idle parlor talk.
Gore running as VP candidate with Hillary as P candidate? Not gonna happen.
Barak Obama running as VP candidate with Hillary as P candidate? Highly doubtful.
Joe – I don’t know anyone who wants to “appoint the Clintons as King and Queen” but it sure seems to me that your sude wants to appoint Bush as lifetime “beloved leader”
The good Al Gore playing second fiddle to a Clinton again? No way would he do that nor would I wish him to. Hillary can be VP if Gore so chooses.
lostinspace,
Thanks for the laugh!
Bill Clinton cannot run as a VP for anybody. Not Hillary, not anybody. The Supreme Court would have to rule against this. They would have no choice. Why? Because if anything happens to the president, it’s the VP who steps in to fill the vacated spot. In the case of Bill, that happening would be unconstitutional.
As for a husband/wife team in the White House, that would be the height of stupidity. The reasons are many, but we can start by taking a look at the above scenario. Can you imagine what would happen if the prez in that situation died or even became incapacitated for a short period of time? Whether man or woman, that VP would be too emotionally focused on the loss or whatever to be able to run the country.
Get real.
I think Hillary will distance herself from Bill alot more than he did from her in a run and if she did become President. She was an asset in his case, he is a liability to hers.
I’d love for Bill to be president again, but it’s not going to happen. Nor vice president.
pmom jsut wants him, like monica
Personally, I think Richard Nixon was right.In his later years, he advocated for nonconsecutive 6 year terms for president.It would sure help a lot in the quagmire that is fundraising.
Actually whether or not Bill can serve as VP is subject to interpetation. The Constitution states that someone can not be elected more than twice, not that they can’t serve more than twice.
I agree with mrcontroversy, it seems like whenever we have presidents that are serving two terms in the office, in the latter haft they seem to get sour and tiresome to the public.The presidents also seem to get out of step and out of touch with the consensus of their constituencies.
Jimmy Carter advocated that as well Mr. C.It’s not a bad idea. The first four years of a Presidency seem about keeping one’s job in most cases.
1 6 year presidential term makes a lot of sense. To oversimplify the current setting:New president spends the first 2 years learning the job, and the next two years running for re-election. If re-elected, he then has 4 years to do the job.
With a 6 year presidency, there woudld be the 2 year learning curve, then 4 years of doing the job.
Makes perfect sense to me…
6-year presidency. hummm.
Let’s ask Mexico how well that works.
This country needs Bill Clinton more than it needs any other politician. He is smarter than Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice all put together. He is articulate. He is not afraid to pick up the fucking phone to solve a problem. I expect Al Gore to run and Hillary to be VP.I would vote for Gore in a heartbeat….most of the country will too.The Bush episode has destroyed so much of our countries dignity. Much much more than a blowjob ever did.Stew in your own shit all you GOP asswipes who voted Bush into office. He is killing our soldiers with his ignorance.
What a great idea! If presidents had 6 yr terms with no chance of re-election, then Bush would almost be outta there! As it is I’m counting the days.
An interesting hypothetical; it surely would bedevil the courts. My personal belief is that the 22nd Amendment was intended to prevent anyone being elected as President more than twice; nothing more, nothing less. If this was the “original intent”, then Bill (or W) could be VP, as they were not elected President; could serve as President, in the event of the death or incapacity of the elected President; but could not run for reelection.
A fun academic process.
Hillary Clinton President and Bill her Vice President, wouldn’t that just frost Rush Limbaugh’s’ butt.