Chlorophyll

Thanks to Green Jenni for pointing to this, a very unnerving Presidential Directive (is there another kind?). It basically lays out what steps the government would take in the event of another event on the scale of 9/11. On the surface, it all sounds quite reasonable. But I have no doubt that this administration would twist its own words, and I wouldn't put it past them to suspend elections in 2008 if something bad did happen. The directive never mentions elections, though the whole thing is supposedly meant to maintain Constitutional governance. It does, however, mention that it is meant to conform to Constitutional language on... wait for it... succession to the Presidency.

What this means is that if another disaster were to strike, part six of the directive would go into effect:

(6) The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government.

It's altogether possible that Bush could suspend elections. However, the Constitution mandates that he must leave office after two terms of four years each. If he did so without elections being held, Cheney would automatically become President. At that point, the Republic would fall, and a wave of unvarnished tyranny would wash over the planet.