2010 US Presidential Election

[Marky Bunny]

BBC.CO.UK/News
Sunday August 1st

Breaking News Breaking News

Former Conservative Leader James Taylor rushed to hospital

James Taylor, the leader of the Conservative party until he was ousted in May was tonight rushed to hospital, following what is being described as a "major depressive episode".
There are rumours that the former Tory leader attempted suicide. He left Parliament in July as an MP.

 

[Dee Chat]

You have to look at where we are, 12 years, 3 terms of Dems Presidents, it would be swinging towards the Republicans.
I think this story has not been biased, I am a British Conservative, but in many ways I am very liberal, and I loved the show so much, hence this thread, taking up the last 20 months of my life.
If I wanted to make it a GOP wank, I would have Walken way ahead, yes he is ahead, but it is still close.
I have not dedcided on the final outcome, although at the moment, Walken is the fav, there is from me no bias!!
I had a couple of ideas regarding Clark's son, but I think Disputed is against that due to what happened with palin's daughter 2 years ago.

I have to agree with Marky here, I believe himself and others have done a very good job and as someone who has worked on campaigns they are very close. There is only one thing I don't see happening, but Marky already knows what that is and I'm not going to talk about it here.

If this was real life I could see Walken being the favorite, but Santos was well loved by the youth and that would cause Walken problems. Last time a party held the White House for this long their party didn't win a second term in the White House for 50 years. Keep up the good work and I look forward to the election.

PS, My brother is a big time movie buff and he is going to school to get into that field and he told me that they are talking about making a movie, that would be great.

 

[Westbrook 49]

"....he told me that they are talking about making a movie, that would be great."

PLEASE GOD YES!!!!

There are somethings I wish a Season 8 would have been around to cover(Some of which we've covered on here):

-How the newborn Santos Administration would have reacted to the Bartlet pardon of Ziegler(The Republicans would have thrown a shitstorm that would have made the Clinton pardons look like a breeze).

-The confirmation of Baker and Vinick

-The Kazakhstan situation

-The Administration's relationship with Mark Sellner as Speaker

-The first 100 days-We never saw that in the series.

On a personal level:
-The Josh-Donna relationship(Though this would probably become too much of a focus)

-Could Sam reconcile with Toby?
This was an underrated plot point in my mind. Sam was always the most idealistic (Sam Seaborn: It was high treason, and it mattered a great deal! This country is an idea, and one that's lit the world for two centuries and treason against that idea is not just a crime against the living! This ground holds the graves of people who died for it, who gave what Lincoln called the last full measure of devotion, of fidelity.
You understand that last full measure devotion to, treason against them is-Quote from "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail.")
With that stated, Toby was always one of Sam's closest friends, a mentor, big brother figure. So could Sam and Toby remain friends, with that being said?
-Bartlet's MS.

Finally, as the last episode, I would have liked to have seen a jump-ahead episode, about 20 years, as the series finale. See how they all ended up, if Sam ever became President-That sort of thing.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Day 93

Sadly, I don't know if any of that West Wing film stuff is more than just wishful thinking (I don't see anything on the web).

But then again, I thought the same thing about The X-Files and Star Trek, once upon a time...

Here's what Westbrook has solved so far on the Crossword (all of his answers were correct):



Some very easy ones are still blank.

And speaking of movies, here's a review of our movie-within-a-story, that was based on real life, but only in a very meta way that would make my brain explode:

 

[KahukuMan10]

politicalbios.com

Mark Kerrison

On June 20th, 1959, Mark Warren Kerrison was born in Hollywood, California. The only child born to actors Jack Kerrison and Gwen Murphy. From a young age, he took a keen interest in acting and did small roles in TV shows, and films his parents stared in. However, his father had always wanted to do something more, and pushed his son to pursue another line of work.

He was educated K-12 at the Hills Academy in Beverly Hills, he graduated as the Valedictorian of his year (1977). Following which, he attended UCLA, per an agreement with his father, which allowed him to double major in law and acting. He was deeply moved by the gay rights movement sweeping across the country, and spent the summer of his senior year working on Harvey Milk's campaign for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He graduated college in 1980, and having become lost with his work, he decided to take a few years off and travel the world. However, he didn't get very far as he stopped in Cuba to see first hand how bad things really were. He quickly realized that much of it was American propaganda, as people in Cuba generally and genuinely loved their country. His love-affair with Cuba would be short lived however, when in late 1981, his father passed away and he returned back to a normal life.

In early 1983, he published his book titled, "Lies," which detailed all of the significant lies the American government had given to the public during th span of the cold war. It was a hit, and his mother put wheels in motion to have the book to be made into a film, under the condition he follow his late-fathers last wish. That his son do something worth doing. His mother suggested he use his popularity to run for some sort of public office. However, Mark felt that his talents might be better suited for the role of a political activist. He began campaigning for gay rights among other things, but found his calling card in fighting for election reform. He advocated that in today's world, America needed to rise up to it's potential by becoming a real democracy. He is strongly in favor of the abolishment of the electoral college.

In 1988 he married an old friend from high school, Beth Van Murton. The two had two children, Two girls, Reese (1990) and Emily (1995). In 1998, however, Mark's mother passed away with one request of her son. To do something worth doing. The same request his father had made 17 years prior. He decided to honor his parents, and in 2000, he ran for Liutenent Governor of California and won. He wasn't sure if this is what his parents had in mind, but for then, it settled his mind.

In 2006, with Arnold Vinick's decision to run for President, many heavyweight democrats were tossing around possible ideas to run. Eventually Kerrison ran, and fought against Congresswomen Claudia Greenwood for the nomination. In a grueling primary battle, he eeked out a victory. In the general election he faced former Governor Teddy Bridges. Due to campaign missteps on Bridges fault, Kerrison was able to outmanuever his better known opponent.

His time in the Senate has been marked with his attempts to revamp the electoral system. Along with fighting for human rights to be a major part of the Santos agenda. In 2006, after his upset victory of Bridges, he began working on a screenplay about his late-friend and influence Harvey Milk. It was eventually picked up by a studio under the title of "Milk." it would end up getting made and released in 2008 and won numerous academy awards, including best actor (Sean Penn), and was nominated for best picture. He is currently still serving in his first term, but has not made his intentions clear for reelection. It is well-known he would like to return to Hollywood, and if he opts against running for a second term, many prominent democrats would be ready to fill the seat.

 

[disputed]

politico.com, Sunday August 1st

Walken Under Fire For "Unpatriotic" Comment

Senior Democrats and Civil Liberties groups have attacked Republican nominee Glen Walken after he claimed that anyone who opposed the killing of Abdul Sharif was guilty of being "unpatriotic".

Walken speaking on Fox News Sunday told Chris Wallace that he remained fully supportive of the decision and stuck by the comments he made at the time.

The former acting President's comments were seized upon by leading Democrats and Civil Liberties groups. Isaac Sidley, the Chairman of Democratic Governors Association told MSNC that "this is what you can expect from a Walken administration, divisive politics where the government decides who is patriotic and who isn't."

The Democrats found support from the American Civil Liberties Union for whom Sally De Monteford said "I think it's disgraceful to described Americans as unpatriotic just because they don't agree with state sponsered assasination. It was the wrong decision then and it remains wrong now."

 

[Marky Bunny]

Just a little bit of re-casting for the British stiryline
Rupert Graves as Liberal Democrat Leader Richard Corbett, MP For Cambridge

 

[Westbrook 49]

Crossword:

7 Down is Peter

2 Down is Salvatore

9 Across is Bartlet

19 Across is Manchester

8 Across is Ross

10 Across is Vincente

 

[Marky Bunny]

BBC.CO.UK/News
Sunday August 1st

Breaking News Breaking News

James Taylor "fighting for his life" after suicide bid

The former leader of the Conservative Party James Taylor is tonight fighting for his life, after it is believed that he attempted suicide Saturday night.
He was found by his Wife, Janet, at there home in Windsor. It is believed that he took an overdose. He was rushed to Windsor Hospital at around 12.15 this morning.
Taylor was ousted as Conservative Leader in May. He left Parliament last month.

 

[AbetterAmerica15]

Walken/Clark Bumper Sticker

 

[Tim Thomason]

Day 93 (Part II)



C'mon. How many Second Ladies have there been? How many former Presidents went to the DNC this year?

And now, with all this talk about biasing one way or another politically, I'm going to my best and... um... okay here's some non-partisan Supreme Court junk! (I'm no help)

politicalbiographies.com

Modern History of Supreme Court Nominations

Instead of focusing on an individual, we're going to focus on an institution, the often overlooked third branch of the United States. The Supreme Court has been around since the Constitution was approved, but in order to expedite coverage, we're just going to cover the last twenty years or so. Sorry, John Marshall and Harry Blackmun fans.

During the crisis that led to the passing and approval of the Special Presidential Election in 1986, Chief Justice Burger had asked his Associate Justices to remain with the Court throughout the special election season. Although three Justices were intending to retire, they stayed on. When Governor Newman was elected President, the Justices, appointed by Republican Presidents Nixon and Ford, vowed to remain until a Conservative entered office.

Newman, however, would get three chances to shape the Supreme Court. Two justices, who had waited since the Johnson administration, immediately announced their intention to retire. Newman appointed two top jurists, Henry Clark and Marianne Brannigan, for the seats. Both were noted centrists, and Newman was demonized by the left for appointing centrists to replace some of the most liberal Justices on the Court. Newman's administration was still young, and he had just lost a bitter confirmation battle for Secretary of State-nominee Howard Stackhouse. With a Senate largely controlled by the Republican minority, Newman's staff made an agreement to appoint to moderate Justices to avoid the Supreme Court nomination battles that had rocked the previous administration.

It worked, and both Brannigan and Clark are the last two Justices to have been confirmed unanimously. Newman would get one more chance at the White House, following the death of another Justice in November 1989. Newman, facing an election season, nominated another centrist judge, Patrick Lafayette. He would state in his memoirs that he hated nominating non-liberal judges to the Supreme Court, but that it was a "political necessity." Lafayette's nomination was opposed by fifteen Democrats and one liberal Republican, despite assurances that it would be unanimous.

Newman never got anymore chances, before losing the 1990 election. Like Newman, incoming President Lassiter also faced a Supreme Court battle right away. Chief Justice Henry Staub, elevated in late 1986, had stated during the campaign that he would retire once Lassiter took office. He did, and Lassiter was forced to appoint a replacement. He had wanted famed, young conservative jurist Owen Brady on the court, but this was seen as a non-starter with a Democratic Congress (and even, conceivably, a moderate Republican Congress). He exhausted all his political contacts trying to get Brady confirmed as Chief Justices, but they were not enough, and Brady was denied very harshly in a 37-73 vote.

Matters were more complicated in March, with the death of yet another Justice, and the nomination of Douglas Dreifort to the seat. Dreifort's nomination, juggled with Brady's, was seen as just as unlikely. Dreifort would be confirmed, but at a very narrow 50-49 vote, with 1 abstention. The public, and Chief Justice Staub, were getting furious at Lassiter's failure to appoint a successor. Lassiter didn't want to follow Newman's example of appointing only centrists, and he declined to do so in Staub's case, Democratic congress or no.

The idea was said to have spawned in young staffer Mike Reed's mind. Reed, who would later serve as Deputy Communications Director, had written a memo that detailed a way to get a new Chief Justice *and* Owen Brady on the court. When President Lassiter read the memo, Reed's popularity amongst the staff rose tremendously, and it led to his White House, and later political career taking off.

What Reed detailed, and what later occurred, was for the appointment of the most liberal Associate Justice, 69-year-old Roy Ashland, as Chief Justice, and the appointment of Owen Brady in Ashland's old seat. Staub was already quite conservative, so the Court wouldn't be too unbalanced, but the appointment of liberal idealogue Ashland as Chief Justice appealed to many Democratic congressmen. So much that they allowed Brady's appointment as well (in a 52-48 vote). Lassiter was lauded by the public for his bipartisanship in the situation. He wouldn't face another Supreme Court nomination until his second term.

With another retirement came another nomination, this time of the more moderate Jackson Hoyt. Lassiter was in his second term, and was no longer beholden to his promise of only appointing conservative Justices. Although a centrist, Hoyt leaned far right on some issues, notably the death penalty and gun control. For this the Democratic congress fought back, and nearly succeeded in getting Hoyt's nomination not confirmed. Hoyt would be confirmed by enough moderate and Blue Dog Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader John Hoynes, that he passed 59-34. Incidentally, Hoyt was one of the youngest Supreme Court Justices, a fact raised but denied by Lassiter who considered age to "not be an issue."

Lassiter, who publicly stated he hated Supreme Court nominations, was faced with one more (his record-setting fifth) at the end of his second term. With the retirement of Justice Tom Weddington, Lassiter simply nominated a left-leaning centrist to the court, Rachel Carmine. This was decried by Speaker Hohner and the Republican Congress, but the Democrats were still in control of the Senate (until 1999), and they confirmed Carmine 62-38.

During the early years of the Bartlet administration, it was rumored that Kennedy appointee Joseph Crouch would retire, but he consistently denied it. It was not a surprise, however, when he confirmed it late in 1999. Despite having faced a failed confirmation for AG earlier that year, Bartlet did not go the Newman-route, and instead nominated one of the most liberal Judges on his short list, Roberto Mendoza. In one of the most tense confirmation battles of the last twenty years (even more tense than Dreifort or Brady), Mendoza was confirmed by the Republican Senate 52-48.

Mendoza's appointment was one of Bartlet's key victories in his shaky first term. Many were disappointed, however, when Mendoza shifted his opinion on gay rights and gun control, although he greatly strengthened his opinion against illegal searches and racial profiling. With an increasingly harsh Congress, it was believed that Mendoza would be the last liberal nominated to the court. That would not be the case.

Owen Brady died suddenly of a heart attack in February 2004. The growing consensus was that another centrist would be appointed, and some of the top jurists, such as Howard Kagan and Sharon Day were considered. They were ultimately rejected when senior staffers decided on moderate Brad Shelton, who would later be replaced by liberal Evelyn Baker Lang. In order to ensure Baker Lang's nomination, Bartlet took the bold move of asking Chief Justice Ashland to resign, replacing him with Baker Lang, and replaced Brady with ultra-conservative Judge Christopher Mulready. The Democrats agreed to unanimous support for the controversial Mulready in order to insure Baker Lang's nomination. Only one Democrat voted against Mulready, with one abstention.

With Santos' election in '06, it was thought that he would continue Bartlet's policy of predominantly appointing liberal Justices, should the opportunity arise. However, Santos followed his Arnold Vinick's example of not having a litmus test for potential nominees. When Henry Clark retired half-way through Santos' first term, he nominated Florida Supreme Court Justice Edward Appleton, a noted centrist. Appleton was supported by both sides of the aisle with very little debate and a smooth nomination.

 

[Prometheus_2300]

5 Down: D Wire Newman

 

[Jay Cruger]

Senate Polling across the board:

New York

 

[Jay Cruger]

California Senate Race

 

[Marky Bunny]

Charlotte Stewart as Associate Chief Justice Marianne Brannigan

Rip Torn as Associate Chief Justice Patrick Lafayette

Anthony Zerbe as Associate Chief Justice Douglas Dreifort

William Hurt as Associate Chief Justice Jackson Hoyt

Dawn Wells as Associate Court Justice Rachel Carmine

 

[Westbrook 49]

535.com Special Report.
Part 8 of 50.

From the West, we go to the Southwest, Arizona to be specific, and the award-winning reporting of the Arizona Republic's renowned political columnist, Richard Blue.

Arizona is most conservative in the rural areas, and the continuing stream of the elderly flocking to the state will keep Republicans in play. However, the continued influx of Hispanics, particularly in the urban areas of Tuscon and Phoenix, also give Democrats an edge. Thus, Arizona politics are a combination of steady representation and sweeping change.


Senior Senator: Matt Hunt, Republican.
Hunt is a legend in the state-He's represented the state for 24 years, a friend and follower of Barry Goldwater. Before that, he had fought in the Korean War, and was a real estate developer before entering politics.
Hunt has made himself an expert on the military, and has investigated several military contractors for corruption and missed or late payments, most recently Mueller-Wright Aeronautics. He's a strong advocate of checking the rising power of China in the East, having authored several bills for billions of dollars in defense systems and weapons programs in Taiwan.
Hunt is well-respected in Republican circles, and has raised several million dollars in appearances all over the country. A close friend of current Presidential candidate GlenAllen Walken, Hunt is part of Walken's inner circle, reportedly one of his closest advisors. Many speculate that if Walken wins, Hunt will be named Secretary of Defense.
Election Status: Leans Republican. Hunt is facing Phoenix Mayor Amber Sawyer, an immensely popular woman and a very effective Mayor. While many do not give Sawyer a chance, she has high approval ratings, and plenty of support from women's rights organizations. Hunt is currently polling at 56%, with 2.6 million in the bank.
Committee Assignments: Armed Services(Chairman); Veteran's Affairs; Energy and Natural Resources.

Junior Senator: Bill Marienhoff, Democrat.
Marienhoff is a native Arizonan, and has connections deep within the state, as he's 1/4th Native American.
Marienhoff has an interesting reputation-As a businessman, he cultivated relationship with Taiwanese business interests that were, shall we say, "in the gray area." He then ran a fierce, dirty(Expensive!) campaign to unseat Senator Pat Barrett in 2000, by two percentage point(A campaign that was run by former White House Communications Director Lou Thornton by the way). Running again in 2006, he won his seat due to a major campaign gaffe by his opponent(The Republican was caught on tape saying, "Hell, if we want to fix Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, all those problems, all we have to do is cut them off to all those old geezers and hombres here! That'll fix the deficit in a fucking hurry!"). Marienhoff won in a landslide, and the candidates gaffe was considered part of the reason Santos won Arizona.
As a Senator, Marienhoff hasn't been a major player. He's a reliably Democrat vote against Republican tax cuts and for Medicare and Medicaid. Due to his previous image, he's steered clear of foreign policy, though he did support his fellow Arizonan(And often-times opponent) Matt Hunt on the Taiwanese flag controversy of a few years ago. Marienhoff has made it a point to push for Indian issues, working for better health care, education and overall improvements to reservations(Though he's also sniffed controversy here for pushing for licenses for Indian casinos, which donate heavily to him, over other businesses).
Election Status: Not Running. Marienhoff is currently in okay shape-His polls currently hover in 51% to 48% range. He's got 3.6 million in the bank, and could probably use some more for 2012.
Committee Assignments: Indian Affairs(Ranking Member); Finance; House Rules and Administration.


Arizona 1st: Quentin Collier, Republican.
The 10th largest district in the nation is represented by the biggest man in Congress, Quentin Collier. Standing 6'10 and 275 pounds, Collier is a mountain of a man.
His story is interesting-He earned a basketball scholarship at Georgetown, where an interest in political science was ignited. He was drafted by the Phoenix Suns, and spent 5 years with them before an injury ended his career. He was living in Flagstaff at the time, and ran for City Council, and then Mayor. Inspired by the Presidential campaign of Owen Lassiter, Collier worked to get him elected, and then ran for Congress in 1992, where he's been ever since.
Collier is pretty much a standard Lassiter conservative through and through, and his celebrity status has helped him stay afloat(He's received several contributions from NBA stars, and can often be seen at Suns games). He has worked on Democrats for funding for after-school programs, and is also one of the biggest supporters of an "energy-independent" America, working with the other side of the aisle on solar and wind power, and also nuclear power.
Election Status: Leans Republican. Collier has the advantages of incumbency, but is facing his toughest challenge yet, from popular Yavapai District Attorney Anne Killen. Killen is currently polling at 48% with with 1.3 million, while Collier is at 50% and $2.1 million.
Committee Assignments: Education and Labor; Energy and Commerce.

Arizona 2nd: James Culkin, Republican.
One of the most conservative members of Congress, Culkin has been called "near-Fascistic" by the Women's Leadership Council and a "blight on the American political body" by the DNC. Still, he manages to win reelection.
Elected in 1998, Culkin has never had a Republican White House, and has been one of the biggest opponents of the Bartlet/Santos Administrations. He was one of the first to call for impeachment hearings against Bartlet over the MS scandal(And later one of the biggest voices complaining about the censure), and has consistently hammered the Santos Administration at every turn.
Culkin's district, the 2nd, is oddly shaped-This is due to gerrymandering over the two Native American tribes that reside there, the Navajo and the Hopi. Owing to long-term tension between the two, it was decided that they not be represented in Congress by the same Member.
Election Status: SAFE Republican. The 2nd is extremely conservative, and Culkin has plenty of cash. The Democrats will name some lamb to be slaughtered.
Committee Assignments: Judiciary; Natural Resources.

Arizona 3rd: Louise MacDonald, Republican.
One of the highest ranking Republicans in the House, MacDonald is the Chief Deputy Minority Whip. She's a close ally of both Jim Arkin and GlenAllen Walken, and many tab her for Whip or even Leader if the Republicans can regain the majority.
MacDonald is an interesting case. She's staunchly pro-life, but that also includes no death penalty. She has 6 children. When her 6th child, son Christian was born, it was discovered that he had Down's Syndrome. MacDonald bore on, saying, "I knew Christian could have Down's, and I had a chance to abort him. But God has a plan for all of us, and I couldn't do it." Due to her son's illness, she's worked with Democrats on children's health and mental development issues, most notably with Maryland Democrat Andrew Fitzpatrick introducing the Childhood Mental Illness Act, also known as Thomas and Christian's Law.
MacDonald is conservative, but not venomous. She's got a future in politics, whether in the House or back home-Many say that she has an eye on Bill Marienhoff's Senate seat in 2012.
Election Status: Safe. MacDonald has 3 million on hand, and 77% approval ratings. The Democrats have nominated a State Senator who will loose in a landslide.
Committee Assignment: House Rules.

Arizona 4th: Sarah Collins, Republican.
Voted "Hottest Member of the House," Ms. Collins is quite a looker. She was Ms. Arizona in 1990, and has posed for several magazines(Including Playboy, an issue that was harped on repeatedly in her campaigns).
Collins is moderate to liberal for a Republican-She's pro-choice, pro-gay marriage and has voted with Democrats more than Republicans. Collins was elected in 2006, riding on the coattails of Arnie Vinick and the death of popular Congressman Iggy Miller. She won by a single point, 48% to 47%. In 2008, she barely survived a challenge from the right in the primary, and was nearly defeated in the general, winning only due to a last-ditch effort from the RNC. This included a large infusion of cash, and visits from Republican notables like Ray Sullivan, Matt Hunt and Jim Hohner.
Election Status: Democratic Win. Collins is facing Jason Rios, the state's extremely popular Attorney General. He's polling at 62%, and has 4.2 million in the bank, and is raising more even as we speak. Collins is done in politics, unless a miracle occurs-Which, considering she had a pair of miracles already, seems unlikely.
Committee Assignments: Transportation and Infrastructure.

Arizona 5th: Bill Jones, Republican.
Jones has to be one of the most boring men alive. He's canned and bland, even for a politician. He's been elected for one reason, and one reason only-He's got loads of cash. With a personal fortune estimated at $100 million(Inherited from his father, legendary real estate and construction mogul Dale "Bull" Jones), he's not going to run out of funds anytime soon, and usually just buries his opponents. He's never sponsored a major(or minor) piece of legislation, and is considered by Republicans to be a reliable vote, but a "waste of a seat."
Election Status: Toss-Up. Jones is finally facing an opponent who can match him in Tempe Mayor Ken Harris, a former communications mogul. Harris has raised 7.3 million, and has a personal fortune of 50 million to fight with. He's also been getting support from big names in the party, like Vice President Wendell Tripplehorn. Harris is a Blue Dog, and the DCCC has made the 5th a "Blue Zone" pickup opportunity.
Committee Assignments: House Administration; Budget.

Arizona 6th: Sam Fellows, Republican.
One of the most respected, intelligent members in Congress, Fellows is a character-A conservative Mormon, quite soft-spoken, who works with Democrats.
Fellows is quite powerful, the result of backing every successful Speaker candidate since Hohner. He was some of the earliest supporters of Hohner, GlenAllen Walken and Jeff Haffley. He also supported Jim Arkin for Minority Leader.
He's quite conservative, but shows a willingness to work with the most liberal members of Congress. When he was challenged in 2004-A move that was widely regarded as one of the stupidest decisions in Arizona political history)-Fellows was attacked for working with Democrats. His response: "Since when did working with someone else to make our country better become a bad thing?"(Fellows won the primary with 98% of the vote).
The 6th has one of the highest concentrations of Mormons in the country, making this district a perfect fit for it's Congressman.
Election Status: SAFE Republican. Fellows is a legend, untouchable, and has 5 million to boot. He'll hold this seat until he retires.
Committee Assignments: Permanent Select Intelligence(Ranking Member); Foreign Affairs; Ways and Means.

Arizona 7th: Antonio Rodrigues, Democrat.
The 7th is larger than Hawaii, Delware, New Jersey and Connecticut combined, and takes up the vast majority of Arizona's border with Mexico.
Rodrigues was elected in 2006, riding on the tails of Matt Santos' victory. He's considered a leader in the Hispanic community, the first of many "Santosians"-Hispanic leaders running for office, inspired by Santos' win.
Rodrigues is young, and has mainly focused on constituent services so far, working on local issues. However, he's been growing in stature, and was recently given the honor of casting Arizona's vote for Santos as President at the Democratic National Convention, which he did bilingually.
One of Rodrigues' pet projects is immigration reform. He's surprisingly conservative, stating that, "My mother and father came to this country legally, and it took them a few years before they became citizens. We cannot just give every illegal immigrant amnesty. The cries of Lady Liberty to 'give me your tired, your hungry, your huddled masses' must not drown out the cries for law and justice."
Election Status: Safe Democrat. Rodrigues has worked hard to integrate himself with his constituents, and holds town halls several times a year. He's got $1 million in the bank, and is polling 9 point ahead of his opponent.
Committee Assignments: Natural Resources; Foreign Affairs.

Arizona 8th: Jack Darnell, Republican.
The 8th is a swing district, comprising the southeastern part of the state.
Congressman Jack Darnell is another example of political nepotism. His grandfather was the Congressman for the area represented by the 8th, and his father served as the state's Secretary of State.
Darnell is currently running for Governor, but is trailing in the polls to Lieutenant Governor Peter Mitchell. Darnell had to give up his seat in order to run, so he might be unemployed at the end of this.
Running to replace Darnell are Republicans State Senator Peter Simmons and Douglas Mayor Bill King. King has the edge-He's a much more respected candidate, and a better record-but Simmons refuses to quit, bankrolling his campaign and engaging King in a bitter battle. There have been rumors that whoever wins, the loser will enter the general election as an Independent Candidate.
On the Democratic side, things are much more peaceful. The Democrats have nominated businessman Tom Reilly as their candidate. Reilly has focused on his campaign, and ignored the Republicans, broadcasting a positive message. He's raised 3 million, and is currently leading either of his opponents by 10 points, and the 8th has been designated by the DCCC as a "Blue Zone" pickup.
Election Status: Leans Democratic. Darnell is dealing with the Governor's race, and if he loses, could run again in 2 years. But he's unlikely to endorse either of the Republicans-King has been a consistent critic of Darnell, and Darnell has never liked Simmons.
Committee Assignments: Appropriations.

Total Picture:
The Arizona delegation is likely to change soon. Collins is going to lose, the only question is by how much. The 8th could go Democratic, and with Ken Harris' resources and political backing, it's likely that Bill Jones could fall as well. Matt Hunt could also be leaving, with either an upset by Sawyer, or an appointment in a Walken Administration. If Hunt does leave, Sawyer's got the edge in a special election.

 

[KahukuMan10]

Minor recast here:

David Schwimmer as Congressman John Tandy. Originally I recast Tandy with Peter Gallagher, but I have a feeling Gallagher is a bit older than Tandy would be.

 

[Tim Thomason]

5 Down: D Wire Newman

Of course. 5 more unanswered.

Charlotte Stewart as Chief Justice Marianne Brannigan... et cetera

Thanks for the casting. By the way, they're all "Associate Justices." Their's only one Chief Justice, and she's already been cast.

I didn't cast them because of both the moratorium on casting and the fact that most of the Supreme Court was visible in "Take This Sabbath Day" (mostly stand-ins, including a Ruth Bader Ginsburg-imitator). Herb Mitchell was cast as a Justice in that episode, but I was unable to find a picture of him (he would've been Dreifort, the only non-Mendoza/Lang/Ashland/Brady Supreme Court Justice mentioned by name outside of "The Supremes"). He looks a little like Zerbe, I guess.

I also realized today that Joseph Crouch's 38 years on the bench (when he retired in S1) would be the longest in history (longer than William O. Douglas' 36 years). I don't know why Toby was so concerned about someone sitting on the bench for 45 years. Too bad actor Mason Adams, and probably character Joseph Crouch, is now deceased. It would've been great having a retired Justice from Roe v. Wade still around for future commentary.

 

[Marky Bunny]

I cast the rest of the Supreme Court because I thought it was important to the story, I broke my own rule, but thought it was required.

 

[Jay Cruger]

Royce for Senate