Process of elimination

the long version

On a bright Saturday morning in May, the nation is jolted by the news that the Vice President of the United States has perished in a plane crash. After a respectable period of mourning, President James J. Hartman begins the arduous task of vetting and choosing a successor. But as White House correspondent Gideon Burnett soon learns, forces intent on undermining the administration are plotting to influence the President's decision - by any means necessary.