I'm not sure I've ever heard of Sally Quinn before, which is all well and good, because she may be the most clueless person writing for a mainstream media outlet in the whole of the United States -- and that's saying something.

I say that based on nothing more than her ludicrous column in the Washington Post that explains how Republicans are obsessed with...immigration? No. The War in Iraq? No. The 2008 elections? Not really. With....aw, you have to read it for yourself,

"The big question right now among Republicans is how to remove Vice President Cheney from office. Even before this week's blockbuster series in The Post, discontent in Republican ranks was rising.

As the reputed architect of the war in Iraq, Cheney is viewed as toxic, and as the administration's leading proponent of an attack on Iran, he is seen as dangerous. As long as he remains vice president, according to this thinking, he has the potential to drag down every member of the party -- including the presidential nominee -- in next year's elections.

Removing a sitting vice president is not easy, but this may be the moment. I remember Barry Goldwater sitting in my parents' living room in 1973, in the last days of Watergate, debating whether to lead a group of senior Republicans to the White House to tell President Nixon he had to go. His hesitation was that he felt loyalty to the president and the party. But in the end he felt a greater loyalty to his country, and he went to the White House.

Today, another group of party elders, led by Sen. John Warner of Virginia, could well do the same. They could act out of concern for our country's plummeting reputation throughout the world, particularly in the Middle East.

For such a plan to work, however, they would need a ready replacement. Until recently, there hasn't been an acceptable alternative to Cheney -- nor has there been a persuasive argument to convince President Bush to make a change. Now there is.

The idea is to install a vice president who could beat the Democratic nominee in 2008. It's unlikely that any of the top three Republican candidates -- former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Sen. John McCain of Arizona or former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- would want the job, for fear that association with Bush's war would be the kiss of death.

...That leaves Fred Thompson. Everybody loves Fred. He has the healing qualities of Gerald Ford and the movie-star appeal of Ronald Reagan. He is relatively moderate on social issues. He has a reputation as a peacemaker and a compromiser. And he has a good sense of humor."

First of all, the idea that Republicans are obsessing over -- of all things -- removing Dick Cheney is crackers. Although Dick Cheney isn't particularly popular, he is better liked amongst the activist crowd than George Bush and the idea that he's more of a problem for the GOP nominee in 2008 than W. is just goofy.

Additionally, the whole idea of taking one of the top contenders in the 2008 field and sliding him into Cheney's spot? Just as goofy. George Bush is incredibly unpopular with the general public and his support, even among Republicans, is plunging. Becoming a veep in his administration, especially for Fred Thompson, who has been steadily gaining strength week after week, would be like becoming first mate on the Titanic right after it hit the iceberg.

I consult for the Duncan Hunter campaign.