Bush transfers power to Cheney
Then he takes it back after undergoing colonoscopy
WASHINGTON -- President Bush transferred the powers of the presidency to Vice President Dick Cheney for more than two hours Saturday while under sedation for a routine colon screening.
The test revealed no polyps or other abnormalities, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said in a statement after Bush became just the second president to invoke the Constitution's succession-of-powers clause.
"The president says he feels great and will resume his normal routine at Camp David," Fleischer said after the 20-minute procedure conducted by a team of military doctors at the presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains.
At 7:09 a.m., Bush temporarily transferred the powers of the presidency with a signed letter to the leaders of the House and Senate. At 9:24 a.m., he resumed powers.