Colon all-clear for Bush as Cheney takes charge

United States President George W Bush transferred his leadership powers to Vice President Dick Cheney for more than two hours today while he went 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 am (1209 Irish time), Bush temporarily transferred the powers of the presidency with a signed letter to the leaders of the House and Senate.

Twenty minutes later, after anaesthesia was administered, the procedure was completed.

Fleischer said ‘‘the president awoke’’ two minutes later at 7:31 am (12.31 Irish time).

Bush resumed powers two hours and 15 minutes after Cheney became acting president.

The president said on Friday that while the procedure was routine, the times were not. He cited the war on terrorism as the reason to invoke the 25th Amendment of the Constitution for a standard medical test.

Cheney was at the White House this morning as part of his normal work routine, including a briefing.

White House physician Dr Richard Tubb said on Friday that he recommended the procedure because polyps have been found on Bush’s intestine in the past.

Bush, who turns 56 on July 6, said yesterday that doctors recommended the colonoscopy because benign polyps were found in two previous checks. It is considered a standard preventive procedure for people his age.

A colonoscopy is considered the best way to examine the colon and to find and remove polyps before they become cancerous.

Colon cancer kills more than 50,000 Americans annually and is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, behind lung cancer.

The procedure, performed regularly, is thought to reduce the risk of colon cancer by up to 90%. More than two million are performed annually in the USA.

The procedure uses a flexible tube containing an optical scope equipped with a surgical cutter that enables the doctor to view the entire length of the colon and remove any polyps discovered.

Generally, physicians recommend that people after the age of 50 receive a colonoscopy every three to five years, depending on the patient’s personal and family history of colon cancer. For some patients, the procedure is done annually.

Tubb said Bush had the same procedure in July 1998 and December 1999 while governor of Texas and both times two polyps were found.

‘‘This is preventive medicine at its finest,’’ the doctor said. ‘‘If you’re over 50 you ought to make it part of your practice as well.’’

Section 3 of the 25th Amendment - enacted in 1967, four years after President John F Kennedy’s assassination - has been invoked once before: when President Ronald Reagan underwent surgery for colon cancer July 13, 1985.