‘Survivor’ Set as Elite Gather for the Speech

When the U.S. political elite assembles at the Capitol for President Clinton’s State of the Union address tonight, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman will be prepared to take over if disaster strikes.

Glickman, according to a White House official, is designated survivor for the speech, taking his turn in a macabre rotation that ensures that someone in the national leadership will be left to carry on if all those at Clinton’s speech are somehow wiped out.

The practice of designating one member of the Cabinet to stay away from an occasion of state as a national security precaution dates from the Cold War, when it was feared a gathering of the nation’s leaders might present a tempting target for a surprise nuclear attack.

Decapitation, the doomsday term for eliminating a nation’s leadership structure, remains a threat because of terrorism.

Glickman, 52, is eighth in the line of succession for the presidency behind Vice President Al Gore, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Senate President Pro Tem Strom Thurmond and four Cabinet members with more seniority.

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State of the Union

What: President’s annual speech to members of Congress.

When: Tonight, 6 p.m. Pacific time. Most networks set aside 90 minutes for the speech, response and commentary.

Coverage: The major television networks and leading cable news outlets.

Rebuttal: GOP response by Rep. J.C. Watts of Oklahoma is to air immediately after the president’s address.