Bush transfers power to Cheney, undergoes colonoscopy screening

President Bush transferred the powers of the presidency to Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday just before being sedated for a screening to detect colon cancer.

With two signed letters to leaders in the House and Senate, Bush temporarily transferred his authority at 7:16 a.m. EDT to Cheney, who was at his home on the Chesapeake Bay in St. Michaels, Md., about 30 miles east of Washington.

"The vice president is now serving as acting president," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.

He said the temporary transfer of power would end when Bush sent follow-up letters to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., president pro tempore of the Senate, advising them that he immediately was resuming the powers of his office.

Bush relinquished his authority by implementing Section 3 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment _ approved in 1967 four years after President Kennedy was assassinated _ has been used only twice before.

The first time was in July 1985 when President Reagan had surgery and turned over power to his vice president, George H.W. Bush. The other time was in 2002 when Bush relinquished his presidential powers to Cheney for more than two hours during a colon cancer scan on June 29, 2002.

Dr. Richard Tubb, the president's doctor, was supervising Bush's colonoscopy at the Camp David presidential retreat. The colonoscopy was being performed by a team from the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md.

"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," White House press secretary Tony Snow said Friday. "If so, they'll be removed and evaluated microscopically."

Two polyps were discovered during similar examinations in 1998 and 1999, while Bush was governor of Texas. That made the 61-year-old president a prime candidate for regular examinations.

Results were expected to be available after 48 hours to 72 hours, if not sooner.

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.

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On the Net:

Background on colonoscopy: http://tinyurl.com/2nfltw