Ok,
This is taken from memory of reading Edward Zuckerman's "The Day After World War III". I would encourage all T2K players to read it. It's pretty good and lays out government post attack planning during the Cold War very well.
What probably happened was this: At the initiation of tactical nuclear warfare in Europe, FEMA's Central Locator Service (CLS) probably upgraded their reporting requirements. CLS's job is to track all the presidential successors and their whereabouts. The reporting requirements from said successors were usually in time of peace, fairly infrequent. But, I suspect that they became weekly during the conventional phase of the war. Once the tac nukes began to fly? I'd say those requirements became daily.
So, I don't think Munson was so much out of contact, as out of position. Then again, in the midst of a national crisis, I doubt he'd go anywhere too remote. He is 3rd in line for the Presidency, and there's a very good chance the two folks above you are going to buy it in the first five minutes.
Couple that with things being on autopilot after Pemberton gives the nuclear release authority before she dies in the White House, and who knows, maybe they couldn't find a judge nearby to swear Munson in? Or, he was pinned down due to a high rad count or a nuke triggered avalanche? So I don't think he was lost for that entire 22 hours. I think it more likely he was out of position and those 22 hours the government functioned on autopilot. (This is somewhat illegal because of the constitutional provisions of FEP D). Now, what could have happened there is the state governors proclaimed martial law on a state level, which Munson then just reaffirmed on the Federal level. Might not survive the Supreme Court if anybody were to sue...but then again, who the heck's suing at a time like this?
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