Report: Cheney Expected to Retire After Midterm Elections

Insight magazine, which is put out by the conservative Washington Times newspaper, is reporting that Vice President Dick Cheney is expected to retire within a year, sometime after the midterm elections this fall. Citing what are described as senior GOP sources, the magazine says Cheney would be persuaded to step down as he becomes an increasingly political liability to President Bush.

Insight cites the sources as saying there's a growing rift between Bush and Cheney and their staffs, citing the vice president's failure to immediately tell Bush about his recent hunting accident. One source said, "Nobody on the president's staff could get to Cheney, let alone tell him what to do." They also say the White House expects Cheney to have to defend himself against charges from Scooter Libby, his former chief of staff, that the vice president ordered him to give classified information to reporters.

The sources said Bush has rejected advice from people close to his father, former President George H. W. Bush, to dismiss Cheney. They say Bush sees Cheney as being experienced in national security and trusted by the conservative base of the Republican Party.

Would you like to see Cheney leave? If so, who would you like to see take his place?