By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer
July 21, 2007
CAMP DAVID, Md. - President Bush transferred the powers of
the presidency to Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday just
before being sedated for a screening to detect colon cancer.
With two signed letters to leaders in the House and Senate,
Bush temporarily transferred his authority at 7:16 a.m. EDT
to Cheney, who was at his home on the Chesapeake Bay in St.
Michaels, Md., about 30 miles east of Washington.
"The vice president is now serving as acting president," White
House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.
He said the temporary transfer of power would end when Bush
sent follow-up letters to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.,
and Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., president pro tempore of the
Senate, advising them that he immediately was resuming the
powers of his office.
Bush relinquished his authority by implementing Section 3
of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment approved
in 1967 four years after President Kennedy was assassinated
has been used only twice before.
The first time was in July 1985 when President Reagan had
surgery and turned over power to his vice president, George
H.W. Bush. The other time was in 2002 when Bush relinquished
his presidential powers to Cheney for more than two hours during
a colon cancer scan on June 29, 2002.
Dr. Richard Tubb, the president's doctor, was supervising
Bush's colonoscopy at the Camp David presidential retreat.
The colonoscopy was being performed by a team from the National
Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md.
"Although no polyps were noted in the exam in 2002, age
and history would suggest that there's a reasonable chance
that polyps will be noted this time," White House press
secretary Tony Snow said Friday. "If so, they'll be removed
and evaluated microscopically."
Two polyps were discovered during similar examinations in
1998 and 1999, while Bush was governor of Texas. That made
the 61-year-old president a prime candidate for regular examinations.
Results were expected to be available after 48 hours to 72
hours, if not sooner.
For the general population, a colonoscopy to screen for colon
cancer is recommended every 10 years. But for people at higher
risk, or if a colonoscopy detects precancerous polyps, follow-up
colonoscopies often are scheduled in three- to five-year intervals.
___
On the Net:
Background on colonoscopy: http://tinyurl.com/2nfltw
(This version CORRECTS spelling of `Bryd' to `Byrd.')
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