What would happen if Vice President Dick Cheney decided to step down because of his health -- or what if he were to have another (debilitating) heart attack? This is not an academic question, as the Vice President was briefly hospitalized this week for an irregular heartbeat, and he has had four heart attacks.

Most likely: the office of the vice president would remain vacant until January 2009 when a new Administration takes office. The procedure for replacing the vice president was codified with the passage of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution in 1967. In the case of a vacancy, the President presents a nominee who must be confirmed by a majority of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

This last encounter between presidential candidates John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL) will be watched by millions, but if trends hold, the ratings will be lackluster. Of course, Neilsen numbers don't count the people watching on their on computers.

Whether or not you've decided to watch the debate, check out this Viewer's Guide to the Third Debate. (Maybe it will convince you to watch, if you haven't quite made up your mind.)

Remember: the debate is from 9.00 - 11.00 pm Eastern. I'll be on NW Cable News (Seattle) for post-debate analysis.

From New Zealand: "A rescued Iraqi puppy is making its way into the hearts of thousands of people all over the world."

That's because the U.S. Defense Department prohibits military personnel from adopting pets (although exceptions have been made). The Army also prohibits soldiers from bringing any adopted pet home. Enter the SPCA, which has helped more than 50 four-legged companions come home to the States since last September.

As of this writing, almost 45,000 people have signed an online petition asking that Ratchet, a rescued pup, be able to accompany Sergeant Gwen Beberg, 28, when she returns home from Iraq later this year.

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Today is the second annual blog action day. The topic is poverty. This post is a compare/contrast: "today" (2008) and "yesterday" (1933). Read more...