This week ABC featured a new TV series starring Kiefer Sutherland, called "Designated Survivor."  The storyline revolves around an attack on Washington, D.C. during the State of the Union address.  The President and all Cabinet members are killed, and Kiefer Sutherland (playing the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development) is sworn in as the successor to the President.  Nice theme, and one may wonder if it is wishful thinking or inside information, as Hollywood is just as much an extension of the Obama administration as the media.

Under COG (Continuity of Government), there is just such a plan in effect.  The Designated Successor (aka Designated Survivor) is usually a Cabinet member who is physically distant and away in a secured location during events such as the State of the Union.  The location is also kept a secret.  This is a precaution that is taken in the event of some kind of attack or catastrophic event that manages to zap the President and his line of succession.