Bush to hand power to Cheney during operation

US President George Bush will have a routine colonoscopy today and temporarily hand presidential powers to Vice President Dick Cheney, the White House said.

Press secretary Tony Snow told reporters that Bush will have the procedure at his Camp David mountaintop retreat.

He last had a colorectal cancer check on June 29, 2002.

“As reported at the time and in subsequent physical exams, absent any symptoms, the president’s doctor recommended repeat surveillance in approximately five years,” said Snow, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer.

“The president has had no symptoms.”

Two polyps were discovered during examinations in 1998 and 1999, while Bush was governor of the state of Texas.

That made Bush a prime candidate for regular examinations.

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.

“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,” Snow said. “If so, they’ll be removed and evaluated microscopically.”

Snow said results would be available after 48 hours to 72 hours, if not sooner.

The procedure will be supervised by Dr Richard Tubb, the president’s doctor. It will be done by a team from the National Naval Medical Centre.

Because the president will be under the effects of anaesthesia, Bush has elected to implement Section 3 of the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, making Cheney acting president until Bush indicates he is prepared to reassume his authority.

In 2002, Bush transferred presidential powers to Cheney for more than two hours.

During today’s transfer of power, the vice president will be at his home about 30 miles east of Washington, Snow said.

The 2002 transfer was only the second time that the Constitution’s presidential disability clause was invoked.

President Ronald Reagan was the first to invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment since its adoption in 1967 as a means of dealing with presidential disability and succession.

The earlier colonoscopy for Bush was also done at the medical facility at Camp David.

Bush, 61, felt well enough afterwards to play with his dogs and take a four-mile. Bush then went to the gym for a light workout.

Snow had his colon removed in 2005 and underwent six months of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with colon cancer.

On March 26, he underwent surgery to remove a growth in his abdominal area, and doctors determined that cancer had spread to his liver.