Revisiting VP debate

In answering a recent question about whether a former president had ever been nominated for vice president (no), I noted that a president who had served two terms couldn't be vice president because the 12th Amendment bars anyone from being vice president who would be ineligible to be president, and the 22nd Amendment limits presidents to two terms.

Two readers wrote to argue the point. Steven and another reader noted that the 22nd Amendment refers to someone "elected" to the presidency, not to someone elected vice president who assumes the presidency. They say it's at least arguable that a former two-term president could run for vice president.

I went back to my original source, Norman Provizer, a Metropolitan State College political science professor who specializes in constitutional law. Provizer said he would "bet the ranch" a court test would determine that the intent of the amendment is to limit a president to 10 years: two four-year terms on his own and up to two years of an unelected term - for example, a vice president stepping up after the death of a president.

That would mean a two-term president couldn't serve another term and so couldn't run for vice president. But without a court test we won't know for sure, Provizer said.

Try this one:

Years ago the highway department widened I-225 to three lanes in each direction, yet huge sections are still two lanes. There's stop-and-go traffic at rush hour with an empty lane next to you. Why is this? - Joe

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