2010 US Presidential Election

[WestVirginiaRebel]

TIME Magazine's Man of the Year: Secretary of State Arnold Vinick

[Westbrook 49]

Wow....Thanks WVR!

But I already had one printed.



A MAJOR Thank You! to Tim Thomason for making the image.

And the article will be up shortly.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Well, here's another one just in case:

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Presidential election voted top news story of 2010

NEW YORK – The presidential election of 2010, which saw the Republicans retake the White House after twelve years of Democratic control, was voted the top news story of 2010, according to The Associated Press' annual poll of U.S. editors and news directors.

The election received 54 first-place votes out of 180 ballots cast for the top 10 stories. The death of actress Ellen Trudy was next, with 30 first-place votes. The Houston train crash was third.

In fourth place was the Mexico City earthquake.

Here are 2010's top 10 stories, in order:

THE 2010 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Matthew Santos's domestic and foreign policy troubles, which included a stagnating economy, a horrific train crash in Houston, a war between Greece and Turkey, and the departure of Josh Lyman as Chief of Staff added to the image of a president who appeared to have lost control over events and even his own administration.

Enter Glenn Allen Walken. The former Acting President campaigned heavily on his "Everyman" image, which included late-night visits to supermarkets, and successfully portrayed himself as the alternative to four more years of Santos. Despite his "Good ol' boy" demeanor, Walken has a reputation for having one of the sharpest political minds on Capital Hill, as he demonstrated while serving as Speaker of the House. Whether Walken will be able to translate his proven political skills into a successful agenda as President remains to be seen, but there can be no doubt that he has turned Republican Party politics on its head.

ELLEN TRUDY EXECUTION

For two years, actress Ellen Trudy enjoyed the status of being the wife of a country's leader, even if that country was North Korea. That all came to a shocking end in December, when Trudy was executed for allegedly trying to escape her formerlly "happy" marriage to Kang Sun-u. The execution resulted in worldwide outrage, and has caused increased tension between North Korea and the United States.

HOUSTON TRAIN CRASH

The worst train accident in American history wasn't notable just for the scenes of devestation and destruction that played out across television screens. It was, sadly, the lack of a coherent response from the Santos administration, which by turns appeared either out of touch or uncaring. That left Texas Governor Phil Prior to be the real hero of the hour, as the image of the governor crawling over the wreckage to help the victims made him into a national hero and possible future Presidential candidate.

MEXICO CITY EARTHQUAKE

A tragic natural disaster, which left behind growing questions about the death of a CNN reporter, continues to affect Mexico as relocation efforts for refugees displaced by the disaster continue. United States Ambassador Ted Barrow and United Kingdom Ambassador Sir Reginald Styles were among the high-profile names lost to the earthquake, but the true story is how the international community came together to help Mexico in its hour of need.

PENETROBE ENGINEERING SCANDAL

The still-growing scandal, which has ensnared Congressman Roger Baker and his family, threatens to bring members of both parties into its web as details of the case continue to emerge. At the very least, it means the downfall of at least one prominent lobbyist, Andy Seldes, and Baker's reputation as a reformer has been seriously compromised if not permanently damaged.

OHIO SENATE RACE

The ongoing saga/soap opera that is the Ohio Senate race continues to fascinate others even as it leaves Ohio voters frustrated over not knowing who their next Senator will be. To date, this remains the last undecided race of the 2010 campaign. Republican nominee Carrie McIntosh is currently in the lead with a razor-thin margin of 17 votes according to the last recount. The case took a strange twist as 1,000 marked ballots for Thomas Ford, who was knocked out of the race in the Republican primary due to a sex scandal, were found and, at last report, will be allowed under consideration by the judge presiding over the latest legal challenge from Hayden Straus. Expect this one to continue well into next year, as the drama goes on.

YOUTH IN REVOLT

The grassroots protest movement, which sought to get the Democratic Party to stay true to its liberal roots, was perhaps the next biggest political story of 2010 after the election itself. Although it failed to affect the outcome (and had its East Coast Director Christopher "Bud" Eckertt, involved in a messy scandal) the Youth In Revolt movement looks to build on future momentum.

U.S. WITHDRAWS FROM KAZAKHSTAN

A legacy of the Bartlet administration, the end to the U.S.-led intervention in Kazakhstan looks to be on course with most of its main objectives-keeping the peace between Russia and China, allowing Kazakhstan time to hold elections and build up its own armed forces-seems to be on track for a full withdrawal next year. Much credit can be given to Arnold Vinick for his work with representatives of all three countries in establishing a workable timetable for what could have become a quagmire, and it's one of the reasons why he is a Nobel Prize laurate.

ARNOLD VINICK

A former Republican Senator who ran against his boss as the Republican nominee in 2006 and initially raised some eyebrows when Santos picked him for Secretary of State was the year's 9th most important story. Vinick was initially written off as another failed Presidential contender when Santos brought him on board to help deal with the Kazakhstan crisis, and he's been particularly invaluable during the last year, helping to end the Greek-Turkish war and coordinating relief efforts in Mexico following the earthquake. Perhaps more importantly for President Santos, he provided a steady hand during the internal upheavals of the last two years.

JOSH LYMAN

The outspoken, controversial DNC chairman made plenty of news in 2010, from his leaving the White House, where he was memorably unsuccessful as Chief of Staff, to his more successul run as top Democrat. It was, after all, during Lyman's tenure that his close friend Sam Seaborn was elected Senator from California. Lyman, who has gained a reputation as the Party's attack dog, may not be working for another Democratic administration in the future, but his position in the Party as one of its top leaders seems secure, for now at least.

Stories that failed to make the Top Ten included: The election of Carol Gelsey as the first female Speaker of the House, the assassination of Central African Federation President Benjamin Boma, the New York City terrorism hoax, the death of former Secretary of State Sydney Gregg, and the aforementioned Greece-Turkey war.
________

Well, those are my top ten stories. If any of them seem out of place or if anyone has any other ideas, let me know!

[Prometheus_2300]

Here's a fourth cover for Time's Person of the Year: Arnold Vinick. Decided to give it a shot.

Writing a piece now about Alexis Howard

[Westbrook 49]

Originally Posted by WestVirginiaRebel

Well, those are my top ten stories. If any of them seem out of place or if anyone has any other ideas, let me know!

How could you forget Carol Gelsey?! The woman deposes the sitting Speaker and becomes the first female Speaker of the House, and she doesn't get so much as a mention?

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Originally Posted by Westbrook 49

How could you forget Carol Gelsey?! The woman deposes the sitting Speaker and becomes the first female Speaker of the House, and she doesn't get so much as a mention?

Added as an honorable mention

[KahukuMan10]

theprogressive.com

Thorn taking charge

As the blood feud between the liberal and moderate wings of the democratic party continue to unfold, the man who has become the uniting figure for the party is both surprising and expected. Senator Andrew Thorn (D-NY), generally considered to be one of the more liberal members of the democratic party, decided that it'd be best in the name of the party to step up to help decide what the Senate democratic leadership will look like.

The battle rages on. Mainly between George Montgomery (D-IL) and Llyod Russell (D-NM). However Senator Arthur Breech (D-HI) has been involved in discussions about a future party leader, and has gotten several key endorsements. All three men have been invited this week, with the closing of the lame-duck session, to Thorn's Hampton retreat to enjoy a week with his family. However, there is likely more to it than just that.

The four men, Montgomery, Russell, Breech, and Thorn arguably represent the four factions of the party. Montgomery is representative of the old school, new deal democrats, and the hardcore liberals, he's loved by anyone on the left, and has received strong support from the Youth in Revolt, but he has almost no friends in the middle. Thorn represents younger liberals and those who may be slightly more pragmatic, while being generally liked by everyone in the party. Breech, while liberal, holds true to the center-left spot, and believes in working together on a lot of things, but holding true on the big-time issues, and like Thorn is popular with a lot of people in the party. Russell though, is a moderate who has caved and bolted to the other side, angering many in the party and the entirety of the left-wing by doing so. Quietly, many party elders don't believe that Russell should even hold the Whip spot.

With both Montgomery and Russell ideologically opposite and unlikely to elicit support from either the opposition or the middle ground, the leader position would likely go to Breech or Thorn in the name of party unity. Thorn is considered by many to be far too inexperienced as he has never been in the leadership to begin with. He has admitted this and is likely looking to take the DSCC Chair spot to gain some experience. So in that case, it looks like the Leader spot would fall to Breech. Could the party really be ready to accept a hippie, island-stoner boy, as their leader?

[Westbrook 49]

The New Architect of Politics and Diplomacy.
by Jennifer Turner.



There were any number of figures that we could have chosen for this year's Person of the Year. GlenAllen Walken and his return from the heartland to the Oval Office, transforming from a historical footnote to a man who can make history (Fun Fact: Due to the three days he spent as Acting President, Walken will be the longest serving one-term President in history, assuming he doesn't win reelection). President Matt Santos, hit with a major financial disaster and bequeathed a war he didn't want, seemed done for-Until he shook the grave dust from his shoulders, and found his voice, going down fighting to the end. Liz Clark emerged as a dealmaker in Washington, and then was picked as Vice President for Walken, bringing women flocking to the Republican banner and handing Texas-and the White House-to the Walken campaign. Meanwhile, Carol Gelsey, mentioned as a potential Vice President and for another run at Governor of Florida, instead pulled off a doubly-historical feat: She removed the unpopular Mark Sellner as Speaker, making Sellner a historical footnote as the first Speaker to ever be removed during a session of Congress. And she became the first woman Speaker in history, gaining a large House majority while she was at it. And that's just in the United States: North Korean Supreme Leader Kang Sang-U continued pushing for power, and a nuclear agenda; in China, President Lian continued to push the limits of China's growing power and economic dominance, and also negotiated for as much of Kazakhstan's oil as he could get. And on the other side of the table, President Valery Davydov proved a strong leader, willing to go toe-to-toe with Lian and the US, and Prime Minister Pyotr Chigorin continued his popular reforms-While also tightening the grip on freedoms, and continuing to run Russia with Davydov as his partner/puppet.

But one figure stood out in all of these narratives, connecting the incredible domestic politics of the US with the often-tangled web of international diplomacy: Secretary of State Arnold Vinick, the winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, and a transformational figure in Republican politics, perhaps the last honorable man.

Arnold Vinick has always prided himself on being a straight-talker, but he's displayed a diplomat's touch when he needed it. And he has needed it. Vinick has been globetrotting practically since he was confirmed (A unanimous vote, with the Santos Administration having to pressure Democrats in order to get it), with his staff estimating that the Secretary has spent close to one whole year out of the country on official US business. From dealing with a pair of delicate situations in Kazakhstan and Israel, to handling new crises like the government shutdown in Indonesia and the flare up in the Mediterranean, Vinick has been a lynchpin of US strategy abroad and a key figure in negotiations. His strategy at the Antwerp Accords set in motion the entire withdrawal of US forces from Kazakhstan, while creating a democratic government and keeping the oil flowing to both Russia and China. Along with
solving the conflict with Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey, this was one of the key reasons that Vinick was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, in addition to his work in locating weapons of mass destruction (WMD's) and preventing them from falling into the hands of terrorist organizations and rogue nations.

However, it is Vinick's impact on the domestic political scene which is most intriguing-In an election in which he wasn't even running. While Vinick has, for the most part, avoided politics for the past 4 years, his imprint on the Republican Party cannot be overstated. Once a bastion of conservative, white, Christian Southerners, and moderates being driven out in droves, the Republican Party suddenly has an element of the big tent to it. There are now Vinick Republicans-Socially moderate or libertarian, environmentally-friendly, fiscally conservative people who are willing to work with Democrats. Disciples of Vinick's principles made a resurgence in the primaries, with Marcus Blakemore, Ray Sullivan, Matthew Skinner and even Nicholas Alexander to some extent, proving that the phrase "moderate Republican" is not a punchline to a joke. Even GlenAllen Walken, once thought of as an archconservative dictator, modified some of his former social positions, and is now thought of as a confident, caring leader willing to consider options.

But what truly made Vinick the right selection is a sense of disquiet. It is a sense of what could have been. If the American people had elected Arnold Vinick 4 years ago, would we be in this same situation as we are now? We will never know, but having him as our Secretary of State, our representative to the world, standing as a man willing to lay down partisanship and personal feelings in order to best serve his country, to work for peace and succeed, and to change the face of politics in this country, makes us grateful that such a great person still exists in the realm of politics.

For those reasons, we are proud to select Arnold Vinick as TIME's Person of the Year for 2010.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

msnbc.com

The Year In Images


Houston Train Crash


President-Elect Glenn Allen Walken

US Troops Leaving Kazakhstan

Secretary of State Arnold Vinick, TIME Magazine's Person of the Year

[Alexander Hamilton]

OOC: As I may have said to some members of this forum in private messages, Andrew Shepard (of The American President) and Jed Bartlett were Aaron Sorkin's dream of what Bill Clinton could have, and should have, been. Matt Santos was Sorkin's hope as to what someone like Barrack Obama could be. I have also believed that Arnold Vinick was Sorkin's take on a "kinder, gentler" John McCain with more "maverick" and less "conservative" tendencies.
Now, the august and learned members of this forum have made my favorite character form the West Wing, Arnie Vinick, Time's Person of the Year and in so doing have made this Bull Moose Republican (perhaps the last one in Texas) very happy.
Thank you and Merry Christmas to everyone in both this universe and the West Wing universe.

Your servant
AH

[KahukuMan10]

CNN.com

Minolli lashes out at Yahoo

As Alex Minolli fights for his political life in the Massachusetts senate primary against appointee senator Jimmy Fitzsimmons, he has begun what many in the YIR had been waiting for him to do. Trash the mainstream media. Following Yahoo.com's list of the Top 10 biggest stories of the year, he responded directly to their line:

"'Although it failed to affect the outcome the Youth In Revolt movement looks to build on future momentum.' Who is the crackjob writing this stuff for yahoo? We didn't affect the outcome? I don't think you can find a sane, knowledgable person that would say that. In Washington, Colorado, California, and across the country we made our movement felt. In all honesty, President Santos lost because he wasn't liberal enough, he didn't energize the true base of his party. But whoever wrote this got one thing right. We're going to build on our momentum, and we're going to get even more liberals elected in the 2012 midterms, and then we're going to replace Glen Walken with a liberal President in 2014. The mainstream media beware. We're about to change this country to the way it's supposed to be."

[WestVirginiaRebel]

msnbc

Gianelli Rebuffs Minolla; Says Tea Party Has "Big Future If They Don't Blow It"

Speaking on Hardball, longtime political strategist and former Vinick campaign advisor Bruno Gianelli seemed to rebuff Alex Minolli, who's currently in a tough primary race against Senator Jimmy Fitzimmons im Massachusetts by advising the Youth In Revolt candidate to "stay focused on the race, and don't shoot the messenger." Gianelli was responding to Wednesday's outburst by Minolli, in which he lashed out at the media, particularly Yahoo News, which he claimed had given an innacurate portrayal of the movement's impact on the 2010 Presidential election. Minolli did not address the scandal that rocked the movement when East Coast Director Christopher Eckertt was arrested by police in a Los Angeles Hotel room, which some believe cost the group some of its credibility as a serious political movement.

"The Youth In Revolt got its message across this year, and that made a huge difference in some races," Gianelli said. "President Santos lost for a wide variety of reasons, mostly because he seemed to lose control of events. Honestly, given the mood of the country, I don't think being more liberal than he already was would have helped. And blaming the media for your troubles is never really a good idea in the long run, even if it might excite your base for the moment. I know he's in a tough campaign, so I'm chalking this one up to stress."

Bruno Gianelli is currently a free-lance commentator and consultant.

[KahukuMan10]

CNN.com

BREAKING NEWS: Breech to be leader!

Two days ago Senator Andrew Thorn took the aggressive step to attempt to unite the party and broker a deal to give the party a united leader for the Senate, and a solid group of people to fill out the other parts of the leadership. No one had expected him to have succeeded so quickly, if at all, yet today a press secretary for Thorn announced that a deal had been reached.

Senator Arthur Breech (D-HI), generally seen as a liberal but one who works with the other side when its in the best interest of the country, has been viewed the past few weeks as a possible compromise candidate between George Montgomery (D-IL) and Llyod Russell (D-NM). However today when he was introduced by Thorn, the young senator widely seen as the future of the party had only great things to say about the man. "Arthur Breech is a great man, and a great friend. In these difficult times for the democratic party, I see no better man in the democratic caucus than Arthur Breech to become our next senate leader. He is the only man I know that can be both a fighter and a uniter at the same time. He will keep the party in touch with its liberal roots, while also being able to work with the opposition. It just so happens that many others agree with me."

This was followed by the endorsements of Breech by both Russell and Montgomery before Thorn retook the stage to formally introduce Breech. Once the man himself was on stage, he took the chance to speak for himself. "Thank you Andrew, thank you George, thank you Llyod. For me, the decision to throw my name into the competition for the leadership spot was not out of personal desire, but for desire for this party. In these tough times for our country, we need our leaders to be able to both work together and butt heads to get things done, but also done in ways that actually benefit the American people. And to do this, both sides need to be heard in order to achieve the best results for the american people. I promise you today, that that is exactly the attitude I will take to the leaders spot." All that's left to do is have the members of the democratic senate caucus vote to confirm him as leader. However with the endorsements from the big three and outgoing leader Tom Grissom, its expected that he'll win easily.



Senator Arthur Breech at the announcement of his ascension to the Minority Leader spot in the senate

[Marky Bunny]

Some more images of 2010


Texas Governor Phil Prior comforts a surviour of the Houston Train crash in July.

Ron McClinton, the man credited with the now famous "Walken Road-trip" being interviwed on Election Night, Tuesday November 2nd 2010.

In one of the greatest political comebacks in UK history, Former Conservative Prime-Minister Henry Reed was elected Mayor of London. Reed is pictured at work with some advisers at City Hall.

After a dramatic leadership election, Andrew Carter became the new leader of the Conservative Party in July.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

msnbc

Pictures of the Year


Embattled Congressman Roger Baker (R-MI)


Actress Ellen Trudy (1987-2010)


President Santos at a campaign rally

[Westbrook 49]

OOC: My personal best Holiday wishes to all of the thread posters! And you lurkers/readers as well! Merry Christmas!

IC:

whitehouse.com, Saturday, December 25th, 2010.

Seasons Greeting Everyone!

From all of the Santos family-Matt, Helen, Peter, Miranda and our as-yet unnamed son-we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas! This will be our last Christmas in the White House, and we want to thank everyone for the wonderful gifts and wishes that we have received over the past 4 years. We wish you safe travels, warm welcomes and a joyful spirit this season.
Happy Holidays!

Official White House Press Release.



From the Desk of President-Elect GlenAllen Walken.

My friends, my family and I want to wish you a Merry Christmas, and thank you for all of the support that you have given us over the past year.

We've seen and done some amazing things, and I can't thank you enough for all of your support. As we move into the next year and toward the Inauguration, I can only imagine the challenges that we as a nation will face.

But today, I remember that God is with us, and Americans have endured far worse.
But enough with the doom-and-gloom! I and my family giving gifts to the needy and the homeless in Missouri before spending Christmas in Liberty. So God Bless you and your families, and have a Merry Christmas!

[WestVirginiaRebel]

CNN

President Santos pays Surprise Christmas Visit To Troops

Baikonur Cosmodrome-President Santos made his final visit to U.S. troops serving in Kazakhstan by paying a surprise Christmas Eve visit to U.S. Marines stationed at the historic former Soviet space launch facility. The Cosmodrome, which was a subject of contention between the United States and Russia at the beginning of the intervention, has continued to provide service for both Russia and the United States under an agreement reached through Secretary of State Arnold Vinick. The Cosmodrome was one of the first staging areas of the American-led intervention and it remains one of the largest American bases of operation left in the country.

"For many of you, this will, God willing, be your last Christmas in this great country," Santos told thousands of supportive Marines. "You've done your country and your uniform proud by the way you've conducted yourselves, and no President could be more honored than I am to be here to celebrate the holidays with you."

The visit by Santos also prompted a surprise appearance on WWE's annual "Tribute to the Troops" program, which aired live on the USA Network on Christmas Eve, where Santos delivered his speech. President Santos then spent some time meeting with the WWE stars backstage before returning to Washington where he will celebrate the holiday weekend with his family.
________

Merry Christmas to all!

[Prometheus_2300]

San Francisco Chronicle

Howard Family Reunion at Christmas

The Howard Family has achieved great success on the West Coast recently: Eve and Sam Howard both were re-elected, Andrew Howard won a tough race in Washington, even the Mayor Cousins (Ryan, Cameron, and David) were all celebrated by the family matriarch, Rose Johnson, widow of Charles Howard. Even Hailey Roberts who only became a DCCC consultant recently received a 3 layer cake at the family reunion for her accomplishment. However at the party it soon became evident that one person was not being honored. The reunion held by Rose Johnson, seemed to order the removal of any reference to Alexis Howard who had recently been named as President Walken's pick for Under Secretary of Energy, and if Bertrand fails to make it past confirmation, could easily be Secretary of Energy, yet Rose Johnson snubbed her eldest granddaughter's not insignificant accomplishment. Apparently the incident colored the whole reunion, with Alexis leaving after only 30 minutes and Sam and Eve, Alexis' younger siblings leaving only about 20 minutes later after talking to their grandmother.

According to sources close to Alexis, she decided to take up an invitation from Secretary Vinick, who was spending Christmas with his Grandchildren at his home in San Luis Obispo. Alexis apparently earned her grandfather's ire in 1988 when she as valedictorian arranged for then Senator Vinick to address her class. A cover of the San Francisco Examiner in 1994 with a picture of Lassiter and a campaign staffer Alex P. Howard, as "HOWARD SCION ENDORSES LASSITER", (she was just a staffer on the campaign while working on her MBA at Stanford) even furthering the gap between Alexis and her grandparents

>>>>>

Rose Howard-Johnson (I just realized that horrible pun. Shame on you Kahuku) hates her grandaughter with a fiery passion for being a Republican. What the media didn't get was the quote from Rose where she called Alexis a "Lassiter-style fascist".

[Westbrook 49]

neworleanstimespicayune, Tuesday, December 28th, 2010.

Villegas Family Mentioned as Possible Group Leaders in Bid for Hornets.

The NBA recently announced that they would be taking control of the New Orleans Hornets, as the bid of the minority ownership for full control fell through. They have opened the bidding process, and one of the names mentioned is the Villegas family.

The Villegas' have deep roots within the city, and plenty of cash and clout. Of course the most prominent member of the family is Senator William Villegas, who has been nominated for UN Ambassador. But his father Robert has made a fortune in several industries, including oil and shipping, and his brother Thomas is a Roman Catholic priest, one of the more prominent in the city.

While the specific details of the possible bid are unknown, it believed that Robert Villegas is heading an ownership group that is actively looking for investors to buy the Hornets.

It is unknown what affects, if any, this will have on the Senator's confirmation hearings.