Gail Collins of the New York Times thinks it’s time for President George W. Bush to go. She’s right, but her solution — Bush and Cheney resign, Nancy Pelosi becomes President — is half-baked.
There’s a better way. Cheney resigns. Under Section 2 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, Bush nominates Obama to become Vice President, asking Congress for an expedited confirmation. The next day, Congress obliges. Obama is sworn in as Vice President. Bush resigns. Obama becomes President, immediately nominating Biden as Vice President and asking for an expedited confirmation. Congress again obliges. On 20 January 2009, Obama and Biden are sworn in for their first elected terms.
But that’s not enough. It’s also time for the members of the lame duck Congress who are not coming back in January to surrender their seats. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by leaving them in a position to jam a monkey wrench in the spokes of progress. In the states where the governor can appoint a replacement for the remainder of a term, the person who won the term on 4 November should be appointed to fill the position. If not, the seat should remain vacant.
The result? A defacto shortening of the interregnum from 75 days to 30 days. The people have spoken. Bush and Cheney and the members of Congress who are not coming back in January are more than lame ducks. They’re menaces to democracy. Every day they remain in office, they’re in a position to thwart the will of the people. After Franklin D. Roosevelt thrashed Herbert Hoover on 8 November, 1932, he had to wait until 4 March 1933 before taking office. In the meantime, Hoover continued the Republican policies that led to deflation, an unemployment rate of 24+ percent, and widespread suffering and gloom.
In 1937, as a result of the Twentieth Amendment, the inauguration of the President was moved up to 20 January. Now it is time to move it up again. Both the new Congress and the new President and Vice President should take office on Thanksgiving of the year in which they were elected. This requires a constitutional amendment. Congress can approve it by 15 January 2009. The states can ratify it by June, sooner if they get the lead out.
I wish I were the first to suggest this. But I’m not. Sandy Levinson beat me to it, both today, just before the election, and rather frequently.