Washington ? Dick Cheney is only six years older than President Bush, but his long government resume and graying presence helped offset the Texas governor’s lack of seasoning and foreign policy experience in 2000.

Those same avuncular qualities seem less politically reinforcing now, with Bush facing a difficult re-election battle and Cheney, 63, burdened by political baggage of his own.

Allegations of profiteering in Iraq by oil services giant Halliburton, which Cheney once headed, and his frequent claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction have become standard Democratic targets.

Bush strongly backs the former Wyoming congressman, who served as his father’s defense secretary and President Gerald Ford’s chief of staff. But some Republicans are quietly asking whether Cheney will help or hinder the ticket among voters this November.

That has raised speculation about possible Cheney replacements. Among those mentioned: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee; Rep. Rob Portman of Ohio; Colorado Gov. Bill Owens; former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, now Bush’s homeland security secretary; and two New Yorkers: former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Gov. George Pataki.

Cheney’s ratings trail

A recent Time Magazine/CNN poll showed nearly as many Americans think Cheney should be replaced as kept. Other polls show his popularity trailing Bush’s by about 10 percentage points.

“Let’s put it this way, I’d love to see Giuliani as vice president,” said Jerry Roe, a Michigan historian and former state Republican party executive director. “I think Cheney’s health could be a factor. And then add up all the negatives on the Halliburton thing.”

Few expect a midcourse ticket correction. Cheney remains popular with the GOP rank and file and with social and economic conservatives who are increasingly uneasy about Bush’s deficit spending and immigration-liberalization plans.

Health could be factor

But if the president’s approval ratings continue to slide, and criticism of Cheney intensifies, it could lead to some GOP soul-searching.

Cheney, who has had four heart attacks, could always step aside on his own, perhaps citing health concerns, analysts suggest. That gives him a potential graceful out — if he wants one.

Cheney spokesman Kevin Kellems said the vice president’s health was “fine,” with no recent medical developments that would affect his status.

If not Cheney, who?

Privately, some Republicans suggest a well-established Republican from a populous state, preferably a potential swing state. Wyoming is dependably Republican and offers just three electoral votes.

Portman, actively involved in the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign, said such speculation “is not based on proper analysis of what a vice president brings to the ticket.”

“It’s not about the three electoral votes that he brings from Wyoming. It’s about the sense of stability should something happen. Cheney is viewed as solid … somebody who could step in if he had to,” Portman said.