Bush to undergo colonoscopy Saturday

AP White House CorrespondentWASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush said he will undergo a colon check Saturday that will require him to be sedated. The powers of the presidency will be briefly transferred to Vice President Dick Cheney, he said.

Bush said doctors recommended the procedure -- a colonoscopy -- because benign polyps were found in a previous check.

The White House said the procedure could take an hour or so.

Bush said he decided to transfer powers to Cheney out of extra caution because the nation is at war. Cheney will be "standing by -- realizing he's not going to be president that long."

The procedure will be conducted at the Camp David presidential retreat, Bush said.

"I'm going to be sedated for a period of time and we'll transfer power to the vice president during that time and I look forward to exercising tomorrow afternoon after the procedure takes place," the president said.

Bush said the test is routine but the times are not, the reason he will be transferring power.

"I'm the first president to have done so under this type of procedure of physical examination. I did so because we're at war and just want to be super cautious," he said.

According to records released by Bush's presidential campaign, two benign polyps were surgically removed from his colon in July 1998.

"The doctors recommend that I have another one because the last time they found some benign polyps so this is a routine physical examination," Bush said.