The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is Sally Quinn. She gets the award for the following.

The big question right now among Republicans is how to remove Vice President Cheney from office. Even before this week's blockbuster series in The Post, discontent in Republican ranks was rising.

As the reputed architect of the war in Iraq, Cheney is viewed as toxic, and as the administration's leading proponent of an attack on Iran, he is seen as dangerous. As long as he remains vice president, according to this thinking, he has the potential to drag down every member of the party -- including the presidential nominee -- in next year's elections.

Removing a sitting vice president is not easy, but this may be the moment. I remember Barry Goldwater sitting in my parents' living room in 1973, in the last days of Watergate, debating whether to lead a group of senior Republicans to the White House to tell President Nixon he had to go. His hesitation was that he felt loyalty to the president and the party. But in the end he felt a greater loyalty to his country, and he went to the White House.

Today, another group of party elders, led by Sen. John Warner of Virginia, could well do the same. They could act out of concern for our country's plummeting reputation throughout the world, particularly in the Middle East.

For such a plan to work, however, they would need a ready replacement. Until recently, there hasn't been an acceptable alternative to Cheney -- nor has there been a persuasive argument to convince President Bush to make a change. Now there is.

Here we go with the almost predictable Dick Cheney is leaving specualation. Sometimes its about who will replace Cheney and sometimes why he will be replaced. Ms. Quinn's column falls into the former. For she throws another name into the ring, one we've never heard before in previous speculation.

That leaves Fred Thompson. Everybody loves Fred. He has the healing qualities of Gerald Ford and the movie-star appeal of Ronald Reagan. He is relatively moderate on social issues. He has a reputation as a peacemaker and a compromiser. And he has a good sense of humor.

He could be just the partner to bring out Bush's better nature -- or at least be a sensible voice of reason. I could easily imagine him telling the president, "For God's sake, do not push that button!" -- a command I have a hard time hearing Cheney give.

Not only that, Thompson would give the Republicans a platform for running for the presidency -- and the president a way out of Iraq without looking like he's backing down. Bush would lega be left in better shape on the war and be able to concentrate on AIDS and the environment in hopes of salvaging hiscy.

Yep and Bush will withdraw all troops from Iraq, Kiss Usama Bin Laden on the White House Lawn, find a cure for cancer and do other wonderful deeds. NOT! My favorite blogger James Joyner at OTB sums up Ms. Quinn's column very well-

This has to be the dumbest thing I’ve seen from a major journalist in quite some time.

If you excuse that he doesn't read the Palm Beach Post on a regular basis, James is correct in his statement. The stupidity of the author ranks with the Karl Rove will be indicted scenario story of last year or AP's reporting on the contents of Rove's garage back in 2005. Don't forget Dana Milbank counting how many times President Bush blinked either. For reporting her personal fantasies, Sally Quinn is today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Also blogging on Sally Quinn's column- Dr. Taylor at Poliblog
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