1978 Midterm Elections
FBI Director Mark Felt retires, Richard Nixon (R-CA) nominated as replacement by President Buckley.
- Sacramento Bee
"Listen Dick, we've got a quarter of the seats in Congress. That just doesn't cut it. I need leverage, and fast, or I'm gonna end up like Pepper."
[...]
"Yes this is a secure line."
[...]
"A list?"
[...]
No. In person. No copies.
- Recorded phone conversation between President Buckley and FBI Director Richard Nixon.
"Mr. President"
"Cut the small talk Dick, what's in this folder anyway?"
"Nineteen Senate seats"
"... tell Don to cancel my appointments, I've got a meeting with Mr. Thurmond this afternoon."
- Recorded conversation between President Buckley and FBI Director Richard Nixon.
"Mr. President"
"Good to see you Strom, have you looked over my plan?"
"Yes, but these Urban Enterprise Zones... they give the Federal Government too much control over our southern cities an-"
"Let me stop you there Strom, let's talk colleges."
"Yes sir, entirely too much federal funding goes to Negro institutions an-"
"No no, California State University. My state. I know the students well, and I think you do too. One in particular anyway."
"..."
"Do we understand each other Strom?"
"I'll, uhh, get my people to vote for the UEZ bill an-"
"No. They vote for all my bills. Understand?
"Mecham will oppose me an-"
"Then get rid of him. Passman and Jenrette too. Understand?"
"Yes... Mr. President."
"Good."
[1]
- Recorded conversation between President Buckley and States' Rights Floor Leader Strom Thurmond.
"That's 44 seats, still not what we need Dick."
"With Foss' men that's 58. We can kill any gun control law that comes to the table. With Conscience that's 56, we can block any peacenik from interfering with the war effort. With Covenant that's 52, stops any kike-favoring agenda from getting off the ground. There's als-"
"With Grange. With Conscience. With Covenant. Kill. Block. Stop. Dick, when do we get to propose? Act? Govern? When will this country do anything again?"
"Without at least half the chamber in our pocket any pissant can run roughshod over us. I'm sorry sir bu-"
"Then get me half the chamber."
"The next election cycle doesn't favor us that much sir, I-"
"Doesn't it? Aren't you my FBI director? Do some investigating."
"... I have this list, not everything is concrete bu-"
"Good. The gloves come off now Dick. Get a team together."
"Well sir, I have a few people I'd like to bring on board..."
"Everyone's guilty of doing something in the dark Dick, put spotlight on em' and it all comes tumbling down..."
- Recorded conversation between President Buckley and FBI Director Richard Nixon.
"Roy!"
"Yes sir?"
"How many"
"What?"
"How many?"
"... just one so far sir"
"This cycle?"
"Yes sir"
"Get me two"
"I'm on it"
1978 Senate Races
Note: All "crimes" committed by the Senators in question are OTL. Races marked with a (*) indicate that something untoward occurred during the campaigning process ITTL.
Class 2 Senators
Alabama: George Wallace (SR)
Seat held.
*Alaska: Ted Stevens (I)
Indicted on corruption charges, seat won by Republican challenger.
*Arkansas: Wilbur Mills (V)
Gave drunken an interview to an unknown reporter in a burlesque house, seat won by States' Rights challenger.
*Colorado: Richard Lamm (G)
Jailed for possession of schedule 1 drug (marijuana), seat won Republican challenger.
Delaware: Peace Incumbent
Seat won Conscience challenger.
Georgia: Jimmy Carter (V)
Seat held.
*Idaho: George V. Hansen (G)
Jailed for corruption, seat won Republican challenger.
*Illinois: Dan Crane (G)
Exposed as homosexual, jailed under U.S. anti-sodomy laws, seat won Republican challenger.
*Iowa: Harold Hughes (G)
Committed suicide, seat won Republican challenger.
Kansas: Bob Dole (G)
Seat held.
Kentucky: Republican Incumbent
Seat won by States' Rights challenger.
*Louisiana: Otto Passman (SR)
Convicted of bribery, committed suicide, seat retained for States' Rights by "Thurmondite" candidate.
Maine: Peace Incumbent
Seat won by Conscience challenger.
*Massachusetts: Gerry Studds (D)
Exposed as homosexual, jailed under U.S. anti-sodomy laws, seat won Republican challenger.
Michigan: Peace Incumbent
Seat won by Conscience challenger.
Minnesota: Gene McCarthy (P)
Seat won by Conscience challenger.
Mississippi: SR Incumbent
Seat won by challenger
Elvis Presley (V).
Montana: Republican Incumbent
Seat held.
Nebraska: Republican Incumbent
Seat held.
New Hampshire: Conscience Incumbent
Seat held.
*New Jersey: Barney Frank (C)
Exposed as homosexual, jailed under US anti-sodomy laws, seat won by Republican challenger.
New Mexico: Democratic Incumbent
Seat won by States' Rights' challenger.
North Carolina: Covenant Incumbent
Seat held.
Oklahoma: Republican Incumbent
Seat held.
*Oregon: Bob Packwood (C)*
Convicted on several accounts of sexual assault, seat won by Republican challenger, party leader eliminated.
Rhode Island: Conscience Incumbent
Seat held.
*South Carolina: John Jenrette (SR)
Convicted of bribery, did not stand for re-election, seat retained for States' Rights by "Thurmondite" candidate.
South Dakota: Joe Foss (G)
Seat won by Republican challenger,
party leader eliminated.
*Tennessee: Abe Fortas (V)
Found to have consorted with a convicted felon, seat won by States' Rights challenger.
Texas: Charlie Nesbitt Wilson (G)
Jailed for possession of schedule 1 drug (cocaine), seat won by challenger Marion Morrison (R).
Virginia: Covenant Incumbent
Seat held.
West Virginia: Republican Incumbent
Seat held.
Wyoming: Grange Incumbent
Seat held.
Results
Although details of their imprisonment would not come to light for a number of years, convicted felons in the Buckley Administration were subject to various forms of torture. Ex-Senators and other high ranking officials alike were subject to medical neglect and "diesel therapy" a form of punishment in which prisoners are painfully shackled and then transported for days or weeks without rest. [2]
The election was a GOP landslide. The Statue of Liberty Attack and the subsequent Jewish Internment laws saw Buckley cut through Grange's support base with a "tough on terror [Jews]" stance. Further, the Buckley Administration successfully ended the Sagebrush Rebellion by opening up large swaths of federal land in the west for private ownership. This angered environmentalists but solidified GOP support in the Grange heartland. Further, the capture of Jerusalem by American-led forces cut through PDP support like a knife. Floor Leader Muskie, who had been arguing the war was futile, now looked the fool. The atrocities committed by America's
Concordant allies had not yet come to light, and the war effort was popular among the general public at this time. These factors, combined with an end to the oil crisis, resulted in the GOP picking up an unusually high number of seats for an incumbent party.
The Republicans, who had been labeled "the janitors" for their constant harping about the need to clean up corruption, were vindicated by the outbreak of several scandals surrounding the other parties. The Conscience Party was forced to replace Floor Leader Packwood after his implication in a sex scandal. George Aiken, who had help found the party decades earlier, was selected with the blessing of Senator Smith. Smith, who was re-elected to her seat in Maine, was 81 years old at the time and assumed a position of Elder Stateswoman.
The Republicans selected Major Marion Mitchell Morrison, hero of the Black Ditch and Former Governor of Texas, to replace Nixon as their leader after the latter resigned to become Director of the FBI. The GOP picked up nine seats and joined States' Rights to form a majority government. The coalition, which held 56 seats between them, was well positioned to do some actual governing over the next two years...
Footnotes
[1] If it wasn't clear, President Buckley is blackmailing Thurmond.
[2] IOTL at least one person on this list, George V. Hansen, was subject to these forms of torture while imprisoned. The practice is more widespread ITTL.
[3] A leader with a grey portrait indicates that his party has been destroyed politically. Ted Stevens was the only member of his "party" and thus it died with his defeat for re-election.