2010 US Presidential Election

[AbetterAmerica15]

Lassiter Yard Sign

 

[Westbrook]

Oh, well hell, I screwed that up! Sorry!

I'm not so sure about the timeline though. It says that Bartlet was a 2-term Governor of New Hampshire, but NH operates on a 2-year term, not a 4 year. So Bartlet was elected Governor in '94, reelected in '96, and ran for President in '98. So what was he doing in those 4 years in between retiring from Congress and running for Governor?

 

[Tim Thomason]

Oh, well hell, I screwed that up! Sorry!

I'm not so sure about the timeline though. It says that Bartlet was a 2-term Governor of New Hampshire, but NH operates on a 2-year term, not a 4 year. So Bartlet was elected Governor in '94, reelected in '96, and ran for President in '98. So what was he doing in those 4 years in between retiring from Congress and running for Governor?

The timeline for governor is screwy, because he was once referenced as serving 8 years as governor (8 years, but two terms?). But he was definitely a Congressman in the early '80s, because of Ellie Bartlet. Ellie was 24 when introduced (2001, meaning she was born in 1976 or 1977). In a very touching scene, we learn that a 4 or 5 year-old Ellie, in his first term, went on a CoDel with her father to East Germany. This would've been between 1980 and 1982.

So I realized I made a mistake. He was a congressman from 1981-1987 (or 1979-1985). In those 4 to 10 years, he was a retired Professor at Dartmouth University. He had that Nobel Prize to retire on afterall.

 

[AbetterAmerica15]

Walken Yard Sign

 

[Westbrook]

That works!

This is going to sound morbid, but....

When would President Bartlet die? He recently lost control of his legs and eye, and he's wheelchair bound, so the MS is obviously progressing. The life expectancy of someone with MS is fairly normal, unless it's secondary-progressive.

So if his MS didn't become secondary-progressive, how long would he have to live? Or how long would he live if it was secondary-progressive?

 

[AbetterAmerica15]

Yes there are still President Santos Supporters in New York State contrary to what the national exit polls reveal

 

[Tim Thomason]

That works!

Not to bog the thread down with chatter, but here's Congressman Josiah Bartlet with his daughter Zoey:

(Awesome resolution from "Twenty Five" - played by Emilio Estevez, actually)

This is going to sound morbid, but....

When would President Bartlet die? He recently lost control of his legs and eye, and he's wheelchair bound, so the MS is obviously progressing. The life expectancy of someone with MS is fairly normal, unless it's secondary-progressive.

So if his MS didn't become secondary-progressive, how long would he have to live? Or how long would he live if it was secondary-progressive?

Well, no one wants to kill off Bartlet. His days may be numbered, but it might not be as bad as you think. See this.

Bartlet was diagnosed relatively late (early '90s when he was in his 50s), so the "30 years after onset" probably doesn't apply. 5-10 years off his life expectancy would be between ages 67 and 72 (between 2009 and 2014), and we can rule out suicide as a cause of death, since he ruled it out explicitly in "Abu El Banat."

Unlike, sadly, most MS patients, he's got access to the best health care available, and is watched 24 hours a day by his wife, family, and lifetime Secret Service protection. No MS attacks in the bathroom to be undiscovered for six hours.

Rosslyn, Virginia - Ten Years Later
Friday, August 20, 2010

In the site of the former Newseum in Rosslyn, Virginia, lies the site where an botched assassination attempt nearly killed President Josiah Bartlet on August 7, 2000. The Newseum, which moved to Washington, DC in 2008, was the site of a town hall event sponsored by fledgling news network MSNBC. The Rosslyn incident helped increase MSNBC's viewership dramatically.

Amongst the others injured were current DNC chairman Josh Lyman, who reportedly suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, former Secret Service Director Ron Butterfield, and student Stephanie Abbott. The attack was perpetuated by three white supremacists from West Virginia White Pride intent on killing the President's Personal Aide Charlie Young who was dating Zoey Bartlet at the time (they are now married). This is unrelated to the 2003 Zoey Bartlet kidnapping.

The surviving assassin, Carl Leroy, was arrested the next morning at The Dixie Pig Bar-B-Q. He is currently serving a 20-to-life sentence for the attempted assassination. Flowers are continually left on the site where the President nearly lost his life due to racial hatred. Liberals and Conservatives alike have denounced the Rosslyn incident and Secret Service protection underwent heavy scrutiny for their failure to protect the President under a tent or canopy following the town hall meeting.

President Santos and Congressman Walken did not make speeches at Rosslyn this year, but instead made them on the campaign trail two weeks ago. Both praised Josiah Bartlet for his courage following the event. Walken joked on how Jim Hohner was ready and willing to serve as Acting President, preparing his best jokes for the occassion. Charlie Young, now an Attorney in DC for the Franklin Hollis Foundation, appeared with Santos in DC on the day, and is believed to have privately visited Rosslyn with his wife, Zoey Bartlet.

 

[Westbrook]

Good. I don't want to have to write or see the "Bartlet Dies" episode.

Campaign Schedule for the Next Week.

President Santos: The President will be in Washington for the next week, with one day trips to Maryland and Virginia for campaign events on Tuesday and Thursday.

Vice President Tripplehorn: The Vice President will be going home to South Dakota on Saturday for 2 days, with trips to North Dakota on Monday and Montana on Tuesday, before heading to Minnesota for 4 days. He will be returning to Washington next Sunday.

Campaign Events:
Senator Andrew Thorn: Will be home in New York for a week, campaigning for President Santos and his colleague Senator Michael Daschowitz, before traveling to California, Florida and Illinois starting the 30th of August.
Governor Mark Katzenmoyer: Will be traveling next week, to Louisiana for 3 days, Iowa for two, then back home to Wisconsin.
Former Governor Gabe Tillman: Will be campaigning in California for Senate candidate Sam Seaborn and the Santos-Tripplehorn campaign for the next week. Starting on the 30th, he will be traveling to Oregon, New Mexico and Nevada.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Grr... I wrote this, was finishing up, and then I rememberd that I forgot James Ritchie. I don't know how, when, or why, James Ritchie disappeared, but I had to destroy a perfectly well-written character in order to "re-introduce" Ritchie into the cast:

535.com Special Report
Part 14 of 50
Previous entries
April 10th - Indiana
April 12th - Oregon
May 4th - South Carolina
June 2nd - Maine
July 13th - Maryland
July 23rd - Texas
July 30th - Montana
August 2nd - Arizona
August 3rd - Massachusetts
August 7th - California
August 8th - Hawaii
August 12th - New York
August 20th - New Hampshire
We've covered 189 of the 535 Congressman, and will be presenting our 14th state. We're a quarter of the way through the fun. In our 14th installment, we cover another 'big' state, with only a few more left before smooth sailing.

That's right, the Great State of Florida. We've enlisted the help of Washington expert, White House correspondent, and most importantly, native Floridian Steve Noland to walk us through the congressional delegation. Take it away, Steve:

Thank you. The Sunshine State is, like most states, a regionally diverse section of America with the only ties really being geography. Old and young, black and white, English-speaking and non-English speaking, everyone is represented in good quantity in the Gulf State. 17 out of 25 of our Representatives are Republican, but we're not an overwhelmingly conservative state, despite what some Ritchie Republicans will tell you.

Senators:

• Senior Senator: Rafe Framhagen, Republican
  Senator Framhagen is a giant amongts giants. The long-served Republican Senator started as a fresh young-faced Republican in 1969, but now dominates that institution and the GOP from behind-the-scenes. He is the second oldest Republican behind Robert Miner, and his retirement at the end of this year is heartbreaking to many old ladies.
  Electoral Prospects: Framhagen is out, retiring in his prime amidst possible, unconfirmed health issues. Governor Eric Swenson and Congressman John Tandy are just two of the many people vying for his coveted Senate seat. That seat has been pretty much unchallenged since 1980.
• Junior Senator: Seth Randall, Republican
  Randall won his seat in the midterms of 2004. He is one of the more predominant Vinick Republicans in the Senate today, with passing support of the Santos Administration and often-times eye-rolling at the more conservative elements in his party. Although a new Senator, he's not that much younger than Framhagen and probably only has one or two more terms left in the Senate, if that. He's the son of the late Bill Randall who once held his seat in the Senate.
  Electoral Prospects: Randall's moderate stance has helped him quite well in Florida in the past, and his approval is so high, that only a miracle can make him lose the primary in two years. It's premature to report, but I don't think we'll be saying "Former Senator Randall" for at least another nine years. Unless he does something foolish, like run for pretty much anything else.

Representatives:

• 1st: Lawrence Locke, Republican
  Locke is a former Gulf War Colonel and Vietnam hero in his younger days. He's been in Congress for quite some time, and is a former Chairman of the Armed Services committee.
  Electoral Prospects: Locke's overwhelming support for General Alexander during most of the primaries don't really hurt him in the predominently pro-Alexander portion of the state. He's incredibly popular in Pensacola and it's very unlikely he'll lose in November, especially since he managed to scare away any primary competition this year.
• 2nd: Max Parrick, Democrat
  The bluest Blue Dog imaginable, Parrick has struggled to hold onto his seat more often than not. Since winning in 2000, the Panama City native has fought against special interests and upstarts from Tallahassee vying for his seat. A relatively young mildly liberal idealist in his first campaign, he has moderated views to the point that he is interchangable from surrounding Republican Congressmen Locke, Xavier, and Wilson.
  Electoral Prospects: Parrick is facing challenges from within and without. He's neck-and-neck in the primary with Jolene Bennett, and will likely face Republican Lynn Haven (from Lynn Haven, Florida) in November.
• 3rd: Len Segal, Democrat
  Segal is best remembered as a former FBI agent who helped stop an assassination attempt on Congressman Mark Richardson in 1997. He retired from the Bureau and entered politics, running and winning in his district in 2000. In 2005, he was elected head of the DCCC and maintains Vice-Chair today, after losses in 2008.
  Electoral Prospects: Although his district had predominently elected black members before Segal's run, his precedence among them for taking and handling African-American issues has overcome the color of his skin. The Republican candidate in 2004 nearly unseated him with vicious attack ads, but his power in the DCCC has thwarted most primary challengers and helped funnel money towards his campaigns.
• 4th: Evelyn Wilson, Republican
  Mrs. Wilson is both the daughter and wife of her two predecessors, Michael Wilson and Oscar Chandler. Everyone remembers Evelyn Chandler, who defied her politician father in the '70s and became a Playmate centerfold. Well Ms. Chandler grew up and married a lawyer who her father helped make into his replacement. She won a special election after her husband's heart attack in January 2001 and is considered one of the more vibrant politicians in Florida today. She ran in the Republican primary for Governor in 2004, losing out to Eric Swenson.
  Electoral Prospects: She's done little wrong to people in her district, the are of North Florida bordering Georgia that covers most of Jacksonville and runs all the way towards Tallahassee. At first there were some moral obligations to her past rebellious life, but today she is every bit a classy Southern woman. She has faced little Democratic opposition and no Republican opposition in the district that her father built.
• 5th: E.B. Poek, Republican
  The Democrats have Harris, and for a while they had Wake, to serve as their non-voting members. The Republicans have Poek. Poek, who suffers from ALS, has been paralyzed for several years, and has not made it out to Washington since shortly after her swearing-in in 2009. She has served in the House for three terms, the first Lesbian member elected in that body. Along with Vermont Representative Matt Skinner, she was one of only two LGBT Republicans in the House, and I believe one of only five of any party in Congress.
  Electoral Prospects: She rightfully retiring. Her seat, nominally a toss-up, has been favored to Republicans since the Lassiter days.
• 6th: Adam Xavier, Republican
  "Adam X" was famous for years as an infomercial personality who told people of the best ways to squeeze money out of the governments through grants and initiatives in his various books. Apparently, if unfounded allegations are true, he has found the best way to do so since joining Congress in 2006.
  Electoral Prospects: Xavier learned a thing or two from his late-night advertising lifestyle. He's faced three election campaigns thus far and has come out with over 70% of the vote each time. He has no viable challenger this time around, meaning we don't have to sit through any of his two-hour long infomercials this year.
• 7th: Audra Weaver, Republican
  Fitting for a district situated around Daytona Beach, Audra Weaver is the wife of NASCAR tycoon Wally Weaver. I guess being the wife of a billionaire was boring enough that she decided to run for Congress out of the blue in 2002. She is very conservative, to the right of Ritchie in most respects, and it's a surprise that she successfully unseated a Blue Dog Democrat in her district.
  Electoral Prospects: Everyone likes the First Lady of NASCAR. Her polling is consistently in the 80s, which is surprising in someone who really doesn't do much active campaigning, other than appearing at most racing events. She has her first credible challenge this year in the form of war hero Marianne Falworth. But it still seems awfully unlikely for her to win.
• 8th: Brian Wayne, Republican
  Another rich billionaire playboy before entering politics, Wayne owes everything to his rich parents and the Wayne Foundation. As expected, he consistently votes for corporate issues, although he is also the poster boy for law enforcement.
  Electoral Prospects: Wayne can easily outspend any opponent and he knows how to work the streets of his native Orlando. He has the Republican nomination tied up, but will have a slight challenge with Orlando Mayor Jason Napier.
• 9th: Tom Riddle, Republican
  Since election in '02, Riddle has slowly moved to the right on most issues. He's young, and many see him as eyeing the big chair, Governor of Florida. Some see him as too much of a Rob Ritchie clone to be a viable gubernatorial candidate.
  Electoral Prospects: He seems a tad too conservative these days, even for his Northern Tampa district, but he's a four-term incumbent with many contacts within the state party and House Republican Caucus. It seemed a shoo-in that he would be beaten by former Democratic Congressman Wade Boggins, but Boggins is headed for an upset against Mayor Sheila Chiles of New Port Richey. It's going to take more than an unknown Mayor to unseat Riddle.
• 10th: Adrian Galway, Republican
  Galway is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, who has done more to stamp out local corruption than any other Congressman I'm aware of. He unseated the government of his local Largo, managing to get elected for a term as Mayor, before running for Congressman stating he'll end corruption in Washington as well. Despite being Republican in a fairly Democratic district, his views mirror those of his constituents: fiscally conservative, socially moderate, and free-market liberal. Republicans, such as Glen Allen Walken and Jeff Haffley, welcomed him with open arms when he joined in 2008 and supported his cause.
  Electoral Prospects: Galway was a 68-year-old retiree with no political experience when he ran for Mayor of Largo. That was his stepping stone to Congress, but it remains to be seen whether he can win in a general election. He did little campaigning in the primary this year, with only one challenger who did even less campaigning than him. He'll be facing well-funded Democrat Charles Stackhouse, but it remains to be seen if Stackhouse can beat the "people's Congressman."
• 11th: Lucy Royle, Democrat
  The Eleventh, which is mostly just Tampa, is held by Lucy Royle. A former aide to Gelsey, Royle seems very similar to the Carol Gelsey of 14 years ago. She's a young woman in the House, highly respected among her peers in Florida, with a very good possibility of winning the Governorship in an upset. Only time will tell if history will repeat or correct itself.
  Electoral Prospects: Royle isn't running for re-election. Unlike Gelsey in '96, she is firmly staying in the race for Governor and its do or die for her. Republican Road Commissioner Chaz Nesmith is running against Democratic Tampa Mayor Steven Stevens. Stevens is the odds on favorite by a mile.
• 12th: Randall Simons VI, Republican
  Simons father was NFL Commissioner in the '80s, and his grandfather was the personal secretary of Massachusetts Governor Thomas Pierce. Despite the fact that he owes family name to the Democratic Party and the NFL, he has denounced the use of professional sports as a modern-day crutch and is a paleoconservative in many respects. He believes the one true faith is that of the Southern Baptists. He is firmly anti-immigration, believing we shouldn't naturalize anyone and close down our borders. And he is firmly pro-gun, pro-life, and pro-war.
  Electoral Prospects: It's amazing he's managed to be remain elected in a swing district like the 12th. I'd say there was zero chance of him getting re-elected, but his primary candidate, Louis Whitford, dropped out because of illness, and his Democratic candidate seems to be running an ineffective campaign.
• 13th: Ted Broderick, Republican
  Ted Broderick, the younger brother of former Senator Alan Broderick, is desperately trying to follow in his brother's footsteps. When Alan was appointed Senator following Bill Randall's death in 1997, Ted stepped up as caretaker congressman of his brother's seat, winning in the special election. When Alan unexpectedly resigned from his seat in 2004, Ted attempted to have himself appointed but was blocked by Seth Randall's ascension. There's no love lost between the Randalls and the Brodericks since then, and it's practically a gang-fight in the Florida GOP, if there wasn't just one of each and no actual fighting.
  Electoral Prospects: Broderick will pout and pout, but it'd take a miracle to get him out of his seat. Or maybe one of the other Randalls.
• 14th: Mike Pinkerton, Republican
  Mike Pinkerton is a born-and-raised politician. He majored in politics, entered law school, entered the Florida State House, then the State Senate, and finally the US House. He's consistently voted with his party on all issues and his views are little developed outside of party-line Republican.
  Electoral Prospects: Pinkerton, the son of the former Governor of South Carolina, is well-adept at the political game and has faced no serious challenge in his ten years in Congress.
• 15th: Kay Mort, Republican
  Kay Mort is better known as "Eric Swenson's shadow," so much so that for a good portion of 2005 it was heavily believed that they were having an affair (this has been debunked as a vicious rumor). She was his senior aide during the '90s, when he led the Florida State House. He helped get her elected to Congress while she was helping get him elected Governor. A Swenson rally without Kay Mort is like a peanut butter sandwich without jelly. It just seems off.
  Electoral Prospects: The 15th is Swenson-territory, so as long he and Kay don't "break up," she'll always have a place in Congress.
• 16th: "General" Thomas McKenzie, Republican
  McKenzie, who preferred to be called "The General" long before Alexander made it fashionable, has held his seat since its creation in 1993. He's called the General, not because of his military experience (he has none), but because of his work as Chief Deputy Whip for the House from 1997 to 2005, where he was known for organizing alot of the voting under Jim Hohner's and later Glen Allen Walken's leadership. He would "rally the troops," so to speak, against President Bartlet and was their chief "general." He's adopted the nickname so much that the 2008 ballots said "GENERAL THOMAS McKENZIE."
  Electoral Prospects: McKenzie's an institution by now. His constituents don't know how to vote for anyone else. He butted heads with the fractional Haffley a time or two, costing him his position, but he seems to get along well with Jim Arkin and may be able to return to his old status should the Republicans re-take the House.
• 17th: Maria Consuela Garcia de Trenton, Democrat
  The daughter of a Civil Rights leader and a Puerto Rican activist, Maria Garcia de Trenton took over the district after Al Trenton's retirement in 2008. Due to the fact that she is only one-fourth African-American, there was controversy on whether to admit her into the Congressional Black Caucus, but these were quickly decried publicly by Mark Richardson. In 2009, Garcia de Trenton was accosted and arrested by Capitol Police who didn't recognize her in her night-out clothes and a public embarrassment ensued with the police officers.
  Electoral Prospects: Her father runs a well-oiled machine in North Miami, and it's unlikely he'll let his daughter lose unless he wants her to lose.
• 18th: Glen Stanley, Republican
  The first to announce his candidacy for Governor after Swenson entered the Senate race, Stanley seemed-to-be out of the loop with regards to the Swenson/Ritchie deal. A good friend of the Ritchies, he surprised many by not dropping out of the race immediately after James Ritchie declared his candidacy.
  Electoral Prospects: He's in for a hard fall. His Democratic opponent is polling ten points over him and he's focused all his attention on the Governor's race. He's sure to lose in the primary against Ritchie and will lose his election against his opponent, leaving him out of work come January 3rd.
• 19th: Carol Gelsey, Democrat
  Madame Speaker is a born-and-raised Floridian. Her story was reported on ad nauseum during her takeover of the House earlier this year, so their's nothing I can tell you you don't already know.
  Electoral Prospects: She's polling at probably 97% or some high number that no one's really watching because it's already set in stone.
• 20th: John Tandy, Democrat
  Tandy is the Junior Senator-wannabe from California. He's got a bit of a climb to make to oppose Eric Swenson and become the first Democratic Senator the state's had in, well, my college-age daughter's lifetime. His constant image changes on the campaign trail aren't helping matters either.
  Electoral Prospects: Like Gelsey, Tandy has had a very safe seat that makes it possible for him to think of the big picture and not sweat the small stuff. If only Mark Sellner had it so easy. His closest race was in 2002 when Nan Lieberman nearly deposed him. She learned a lesson. Of course, running for the Senate means he loses his chance at House re-election, so if he's in Washington next year, it'll be in a different chamber.
• 21st: James Ritchie, Republican
  "Rob Ritchie, Jr." is actually a more modern, moderate version of his father. The spitting image of young Robert Ritchie, James has had some liberalized views on immigration and gun control that conflict with the state and national party's agenda. But people still see him as a clone of his father and I can't really blame them. He's second only to Richard Lassiter in shamelessly defending his parents at all times (this is a bad thing?).
  Electoral Prospects: Running for Governor instead, where he's the odds on favorite. His dad helped push the state from moderate haven to conservative underdog and everybody's taking advantage. The Republican who wins the primary (either Michael Judge or Judy Nicholas) will win in November against whomever.
• 22nd: Jeff Johnson, Democrat
  Thomas Jefferson Johnson was a notorious small-time con artist before running and winning in the seat formerly held by the late Congressman Jeffrey Johnson (originally the 15th district, redistricted in 1993). He helped expose corruption in the Power & Industry Committee, and was nearly expelled when his past was discovered (his high esteem in his district helped him remain in Congress). Despite testing the waters briefly in the 1994 presidential election, it seems likely that he will remain in Congress for the foreseeable future. It's been rumored that, should Mark Richardson retire, Johnson would be a shoo-in for head of the Congressional Black Caucus.
  Electoral Prospects: Johnson has been in Congress since 1991. Following the '91 dethroning of Dick Dodge, the Democrats were keen to keep Johnson, helping gerrymander his district to support a black Democratic majority. Even when the Republicans took Congress they kept his district to ensure proper representation by their side. Johnson, who was originally elected on a third-party ticket, is respected enough in his district that it's unlikely that he would ever lose to any other Democrat.
• 23rd: Alicia DeSantos, Democrat
  Alicia DeSantos is the wife of the late Congressman Daniel DeSantos, who was killed in 2005. In her first term, she didn't do much, acting as a "caretaker Congresswoman" for her husband. But she was persuaded and ran in the '06 election, and has held strong since, being seen as a voice for the people amidst adversity. She has outed herself as an opponent of Gaza interests, and is one of the key Congressional members urging for withdrawal from that region.
  Electoral Prospects: DeSantos will be re-elected for as long as she wishes to be. Although she lives in a racially divided district, no one wants to run against her, and the Republican party can't gain a foothold in her district.
• 24th: Raul Montero, Republican
  Montero was born and raised in Cuba before migrating at the age of fifteen in 1973. He is a second cousin of former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. As a member of Congress, he has constantly opposed the nation of Cuba, decrying attempts to reach out to the country during the latter days of Bartlet's presidency and the early days of Santos'. He personally volunteers to rescue Cuban immigrants and praised President Bartlet in 1999 following the rescue of 137 Cubans seeking asylum.
  Electoral Prospects: Montero is a hero to the Cuban-American community. His moderate views are seen as a necessity to the Republican party in keeping the seat, although he famously held a shouting match with Speaker Haffley in 2004 (and was nearly kicked out of the party for doing so). The Republicans don't dare to support any primary challenge against Montero, knowing that the victor will lose to a Democrat if it wasn't Montero. Like many other Republican-leaning Hispanic districts, it voted for President Santos in 2006 and would likely vote for a Democrat in 2010 if given the opportunity.
• 25th: Silvia Montero, Republican
  Silvia Montero is the wife of long-term Congressman Raul Montero. From 1995 to 2007 she served as the Republican Representative for Arizona's 7th District. She lost to Antonio Rodrigues and moved to her husband's district in late 2006. Even after winning in Florida in 2008, she is still erroneously referred to as an Arizona Congresswoman for her interests in Arizona and border security in particular. A child of illegal immigrants, her position on the far right of conservative idealogy is an interesting one. If her parents were still alive and had not been successfully naturalized, would she support their deportation?
  Electoral Prospects: Montero has done little to support her district, and is seen by many constituents as a modern-day carpetbagger. Although she received election on her husband's coattails, it is unlikely she'll win the primary let alone the general election. She is eight points behind her primary opponent, Richard Martin.

 

[KahukuMan10]

Hello again from 535.com! From Florida the sunshine state, to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Keystone State, the Quaker State, the State of Independence, a state that has become remarkably democratic in recent years and has begun showing it in the past few elections. In the past three Presidential elections, it has voted democrat, and while its congressional delegation was generally balanced before the 2000 midterms when it began leaning democrat. We'll now hand it over to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Harry Gardner.

Thanks! I'm beyond honored that I've been asked to write this up for 535. It's a great project, and I feel privileged to be a part of it. Now I'm from Pittsburgh, and I was the deputy-campaign manager of Jackson Kennedy's run for Mayor two years ago. I hope that gives the readers an understanding of my politics and where I'll be coming from in this report. Pennsylvania as it was previously mentioned, has become increasingly more democratic in recent years, but it is still a fairly divided state politically. And if it weren't for former Vice-President Baker, and the democratic political machine that is working non-stop, President Santos might not be doing quite as well. Here we go:


Senior Senator: Robert Royce, Republican
Senator Robert Royce has the support of every republican in the senate as he is Majority Leader. First elected in 1992, he was young and charismatic, and a Republican elected over popular Senator Eddie Calhoun. He is very moderate, and has helped woo independents to the GOP with his stances on abortion (he's pro-choice), the environment (he believes in Global Warming), and of course, tax cuts. He has been very popular in the state for most of his career, and seemed poised to be elected to a fourth term. Until...
Electoral Prospects: Tossup. Stephen Collins, a Congressman from the 7th district, surprisingly has given Royce a run for his money. He was on a roll after winning the nomination, and in mid-July even took a narrow lead of Royce. However, Royce got lucky with rumors of Collins being tied to a PMC that survived his investigation, and has pulled ahead, still within the margin of error.
Committee Assignments: Intelligence (ex officio) as Majority Leader

Junior Senator: Morgan Mitchell, Republican
Still getting his feet warm, Mitchell was the Attorney General of Pennsylvania before 2006 when he decided to run for the Senate. Facing a popular incumbent in Senator Dayton McKenna, his moderate positions in contrast to McKenna who was a little more left-leaning, gave him the razor thin edge, winning 50.1-49.5. He has since made quite the name for himself, he is a libertarian at heart, but has been able to wear the moderate cap since joining the Senate. He has recently been put in the spotlight for taking a bribe from a health insurance company to vote no on the Healthcare reform package President Santos sent to congress in 2008.
Electoral Prospects: Lean Republican. While Mitchell, prior to these allegations, was incredibly popular, and still is, there are many rumors flying amuck as to who might challenge him in 2012. Many democrats are pointing the finger to Mayor Jackson Kennedy of Pittsburgh, who despite only being in charge of one city, is very popular in the state. There is still over two years to see what happens, but if Kennedy decides to run, this Lean Republican seat, could become a tossup or even a Lean Democrat.
Committee Assignments: Finance, Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

1st: Jacob Klein, Democrat
Ahhhhh, to the good ol' days of D. Wire Newman... Klein was elected in 1986 and ran pretty much on the exact agenda that Newman did. He was in favor of fighting directly against the might of the USSR, and described himself as: "Socially moderate, fiscally liberal, and foreign policy wise a die-hard conservative." He may perhaps be most famous for his speech at the 1994 democratic convention and his, "declaration of war on wall street." He has long been an advocate for harsher regulations on Wall Street, and sees it as biggest threat to America today.
Electoral Prospects: Safe Democrat, Klein's district sits on the edge of Philadelphia, and scouts around, nearing New Jersey, and into Delaware county. The GOP is running Jimmy Harrington, the mayor of Darby. Klein leads in the polls on average by 17 points.
Committee Assignments: Judiciary, Financial Services (Chairman)

2nd: Arthur Conforth, Democrat
Arthur Conforth, the resident utopianist of congress, forever believing in the good of mankind. He was an early supporter of President Santos' education plan, as a good first step for the country to modernize its education system. He has put himself in jeopardy numerous times as he defended the Russian Revolution of 1917, and praised Lenin and Trotsky as, "Brave men to be admired." However, most people have learned to tune him out when he starts talking about communism and such... And while he is a bit older(67), he definitely has had an impact on some members of the Youth in Revolt, speaking at some of their rallies, notably the one in mid-July that led to the arrest of 5 activists.
Electoral Prospects: Likely Democrat, the only reason its a likely democrat, is that Conforth is seen by many as a "loony on the left." And that if the GOP picked the right candidate to run, he could feasibly be defeated. The GOP has no idea what its doing in Philadelphia, so Conforth will hold his seat.
Committee Assignments: House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform

3rd: Alberto Moltisanti, Republican
If Arthur Conforth is the modern day reincarnation of Sir Thomas More and his Utopia, Alberto Moltisanti is the modern day equivalent of Niccolo Machiavelli. He has, on numerous occasions, stated that he believes in capitalism more than he does democracy. He believes that so long as the government does not interfere with people's right to their own money, it is fine. But as soon as a bit of regulation touches the economy, his hands jump to vote nay.
Electoral Prospects: Lean Democrat, it's a wonder Moltisanti has stayed in office for eight years, but now the dems finally have someone with a pulse running against him in District Attorney of Eerie County, Natalie Taylor. Taylor is quite liberal and has been endorsed by many major Pennsylvania democrats, her positions regarding Wall Street mirror those of Jacob Klein.
Committee Assignments: Small Business, Energy and Commerce

4th: Erin Gatwood, Democrat
Blue dog, blue dog, blue dog. Gatwood, in her 14 years in congress, has only voted with her party 57% of the time. Stoker Hanson of Georgia, the independent who caucuses with the dems, votes with the dems more than Gatwood does. She claims to do it in the name of progress and getting things done, but on several occasions she's been left with a deciding vote and turned to the GOP instead of her own party. Because of her membership in the Blue Dog coalition, its a bit hard to tell what her political positions actually are, but she is not a supporter of Speaker Carol Gelsey at all, and it is quite possible that she defects to the GOP in the 112th congress.
Electoral Prospects: Odd Tossup, The dems couldn't find someone more liberal to beat her in the primary, so they're going to try it in the general. Former Lance Corporal David Green of the marine corp tried to beat her in the primary, and lost by .4%! He's been encouraged by party elders to run in the general, and is doing just that. Noah Gellman has stated he still supports Gatwood, but he hasn't thrown her tons of money. And the Republicans have even thrown their support to Gatwood! We'll see what happens, but if the house ends up in a 217-217 stalemate, don't be surprised if Gatwood leaves the party for greener pastures.
Committee Assignments: Budget, Natural Resources

5th: Charles Widen, Republican
Widen's name, unfortunately, fits him well, and he makes Glen Walken circa 2003 look like a supermodel. He is but 5'10, and weighs 320 pounds!!! But he is a giant cuddly ball of kindness, one of the absolute nicest people on the hill, he's always someone you can converse with. He's been known to strike up conversations with random citizens on the streets of Washington, and in his home district. He is a moderate republican who almost always votes with his home districts' best interests, be that with the party or not. He tends to hold town hall meetings once every month so that he will always know what they want. He truly represents what a member of the House of Representatives is supposed to be.
Electoral Prospects: Safe Republican, the district is certainly GOP-leaning, but if it weren't for Widen's widespread popularity, it could be a swing district. And the dems don't really feel the need to take out Widen, as he has voted with them on certain issues.
Committee Assignments: Appropriations, Foreign Relations

6th: Alex Walker, Republican
Walker is simply a place holder. A place holder for one of the greatest house battles the country has seen in decades. He won in 2008, but has no intention of running again, he is 83 years old, and did it to get his mind off the fact his wife of 60 years did in early 2008.
Electoral Prospects: Ultimate Tossup, this will be one of the best house races to watch this fall. Two mayors, with a long history of facing each other, from rival towns, will go head to head this fall. The Republicans have selected Mayor Lydia Daniels of Phoenixville to lead the charge in the fall against Mayor Gino Medici of Pottstown. The two towns' high schools have a resident rivalry that has put the two parts of the district against each other. Medici has a narrow lead by about 1.5 points, but this is going to be a nail bitter to follow to the end.
Committee Assignments: House Administration

7th: Stephen Collins, Democrat
One of the more promising names for the democrats. He is a strong, ardent liberal that has fought hard against corruption while in the House, and has been heavily influenced by both state and national democrats to run for higher office. A member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, he has been portrayed by republicans as a firebrand partisan, however that is very untrue. In 2008 and 2009 during his congressional investigation into Private Military Companies, he worked closely with many republicans. He is pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, pro-unions, pro-environmental reform, and pro-wall street reform. One of the key factors of his campaign for Senate against Robert Royce, is that he is able to run almost a completely positive campaign.
Electoral Prospects: Likely Democrat, while Collins is off fighting for a senate seat, the democrats look to secure the hold on this once swing district seat. They are running a heavyweight in district attorney of Philadelphia County, Kristin Porter. The GOP is hoping that former wall street big-shot Ronny Romero can use his money to take the seat.
Committee Assignments: Foreign Relations, Ways and Means, Financial Services

8th: Matt Claussen, Democrat
Claussen is an up-and-comer, who, if he was in a different state might have a brighter future in the democratic party. With Collins, Kennedy, and Kellner as the major players of the Pennsylvania democrats, he'll have to wait a bit longer to get his chance to shine. But that doesn't mean he is not impressive. He has shown his prowess in working with Republicans and conservative democrats on key legislative issues, and many see him, as one of the reasons the dems were able to squeeze out a victory on the education bill in the house. If he waits a few more years, he might make a run for the governorship, but for now, he's a rising star in the house at only age 40, he's got a while to make a name for himself.
Electoral Prospects: Safe Democrat, while the district is generally only a lean dem, Claussen's popularity makes this far more safe. The GOP is trying its best with city councilman Daryl Brick of Quakerstown, but its unlikely he'll do anything, even with his relatively moderate positions.
Committee Assignments: Judiciary, Financial Services

9th: Travis Hoyt, Republican
Hoyt was once the mayor Altoona and made waves at the 2002 Republican National Convention as he denounced President Bartlet and his "communist economic policies," and further claimed that anyone who didn't call themselves a conservative was "unpatriotic" and "guilty of treason," and while his positions are very far out there, he is very well educated. He went to Pitt for undergrad, and Yale law school and has engaged on the congress floor in debates with well reasoned arguments. And the best news for the republicans: He's only 45. Elected in 2000, his star will continue to rise, and he's being encouraged by national republicans, including Liz Clark, to prepare to run for the governor's house in four years.
Electoral Prospects: SAFE Republican, no democrat has challenged in this district since the days of Truman. And they won't challenge now.
Committee Assignments: Natural Resources, Budget

10th: Debby Dawn, Democrat
Congresswomen Dawn has a very funny name, If only her last name was "Dawner," then we could all call her "Debbie Dawn-er (as in downer!)" Her biggest blunder came in 2004 during a summit with Brazilian President Marco Da Luca. When she greeted the President, she said, "Hola como estas?" which is spanish. She failed to realize that in Brazil, the people speak Portuguese. And while President Da Luca didn't seem to be offended, his staff did, and demanded an apology. She's made many democrats do the "face-palm" movement, but still standing.
Electoral Prospects: Likely Democrat, even though Dawn has made her fair share of blunders, she is genuinely liked in her district. Her ditzy nature make her constituents that she is simply down to earth. She'll hold the seat unless she shoots herself in the foot.
Committee Assignments: Natural Resources, Judiciary, Science and Technology

11th: Anna Alberin, Democrat
Alberin the famed liberal "kicked out of California," she was the last democrat to hold the California 47th congressional district, which was in 1990, before Chuck Webb took over. She then quickly moved to the east to restart her life, getting a job in Harrisburg as a lawyer, before retiring to a town where her older sister lived in Hazleton. Then, in 2006, the district that was held by a moderate-right leaning republican in Sidney Krause, and the DCCC came calling, and Alberin won the democratic nomination and became one of the only people to serve more than one state in congress.
Electoral Prospects: Lean Democrat, the district is a mild swinger, but always leans dem. Alberin will attempt to break the trend that she set in California and win a fourth term. She leads Carbon County Assistant District Attorney Brian Roberts in the polls, 56-40.
Committee Assignments: Appropriations, Foreign Relations

12th: Brayden Greene, Democrat
While he is young, and new to Washington, looking for reform, he is not the same kind of young, outsider, reformer the democratic party has seen flood its numbers. While the Youth in Revolt have the limelight, Brayden Greene has a different approach. Instead of seeing America become too liberal, or too conservative, he wants to see the collapse of the partisan politics of the country. He wants to see the country unite on every issue, rather than be divided by all of them. He has become very popular and his mindset on a different kind of change has drawn a lot of attention to himself. He is only 32 years old, and will easily win a second term.
Electoral Prospects: Likely Democrat, while the district tends to lean ever-so-slightly to the right, Greene's popularity and approach on politics makes it more likely to be a democratic hold this fall.
Committee Assignments: Science and Technology, Budget

13th: Lydia Hemmer, Democrat
Hemmer is a unique blend of what some call "Modern Americanism," her moderate-left social positions, moderate-right economic positions, and moderate positions on education and healthcare reform has made pretty much everyone happy. Democrats love her because she is generally a reliable vote (however there is rumbling this may change soon with Speaker Gelsey running the show, and soon, the caucus) on social issues, willing to work towards the best education and health care reform packages, and often enough on economic issues. While on the GOP side, they've appreciated her positions on wall street reform (virtually none) and gun control.
Electoral Prospects: Safe Democrat, though the district is generally more liberal than Hemmer, she's got so much support from party establishment, no real challenger could do any harm. The republicans aren't even running a candidate against her. However, the libertarians are, choosing Glenside independent mayor, Evan Musian as their nominee. He's doing better than expected, with Hemmer leading in the polls 70-28, but that's 25 points better than most thought he could do.
Committee Assignments: Financial Services, Ways and Means

14th: Kim Sanderson, Democrat
The ancient, truly ancient, Sanderson has been a legend among congressional democrats. One of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, she's made her reputation on ushering younger people into taking part in their democracy. Her organization, Into Action, is very popular in Pittsburgh and has a proud face behind it in Jackson Kennedy, and Governor Michael Kellner has attempted to make it more broad in cities across the state. She's retiring this year, but will leave behind quite a powerful legacy in 20 years in the house.
Electoral Prospects: SAFE Democrat, While Sanderson is retiring this year, she will be replaced by someone who stands in the big shadow of their younger brother. Samantha Kennedy, the older sister by 4 years of Mayor Jackson Kennedy. She is currently a law professor at University of Pittsburgh, and is guaranteed to win the seat against former City Councilman Lowrie Vorten, leading 77-20.
Committee Assignments: Judiciary, Foreign Relations, Ways and Means

15th: Albert Francis, Republican
Francis is the Republican equivalent of James Gatsby. It's as if he's from a different time, his manners make all the ladies, even those that are married, quite flattered. His policies are somewhat of a blur, however, his mastery at words in foreign policy is what makes sure he stays in power. He was quite masterful on a trip through Latin America in 2000 with then Vice-President John Hoynes, when the latter offended every single head of state (8 in total) on a 5 day trip. He somehow managed to salvage it with his magical words.
Electoral Prospects: Tossup, Francis is retiring, fed up with Washington politics, he plans on returning home to his home town of Bethlehem and running for mayor.
Committee Assignments: Foreign Relations, Science and Technology

16th: Jeff Pitter, Republican
Pitter is a stereotypical republican. A member of the christian-right, against big government, anti-bank regulation, believes the government has no place in ordinary citizens pocket books. He's ready and willing to call out democrats on their incorrect beliefs, but also hasn't hesitated in hitting republican leadership, and he's been particularly keen on hitting Robert Royce. Mainly because he's too moderate for Pitter!!! Pitter is seen as a leader of the conservative "ACA/Haffley Wing" of the Republican party, and if Royce doesn't get his support for the campaign, the conservative base might not show up for the big day.
Electoral Prospects: Safe Republican, Pitter's district is fairly gerrymandered and is in no danger of losing his seat anytime soon.
Committee Assignments: Financial Services, Oversight and Government Reform

17th: Anthony Cipriani, Democrat
Cipriani has a funny reputation. Once a proud and prominent member of the Leone Crime Family(mafia) in Philadelphia, rumor had it that he was actually so high up in the ranks that he had reached the position of "Caporegime." A position that would put him 3rd or 4th in the line of succession. Then, he left. For some reason, he had enough and retired to Harrisburg, where he was born. A few years past, and in 2002 he decided to get into politics, and ran for mayor of Harrisburg. His opponent then, Martin O'Malley, hit him hard on his past and has ever since. He is pro-life, anti-gay marriage, but very much in favor of wall street regulation, higher taxes for the rich, and serious Health care reform. Making him an odd socially conservative, fiscally liberal democrat. He refers to himself as a "traditional democrat."
Electoral Prospects: Lean Democrat, while the district is fairly conservative outside of the capital (Harrisburg), Cipriani's unique political positions make him fairly popular.
Committee Assignments: Financial Services, Judiciary

18th: Joseph Bruno, Republican
Bruno has been a unique member of congress. Some have called him a "loony in the middle," as he votes pretty much whichever way he wants to. Simply put, he votes which ever way he wants to. He has never really stood for anything and is being portrayed by the DCCC as a fool who has no morales. National Republicans are calling him a maddening maverick. He's not getting much support from either side.
Electoral Prospects: Tossup, while it is generally a likely republican, Bruno is just so far out of the loop that most see anyone else as a better candidate. Mayor of Greensburg Talon Boswell, who is incredibly popular in his city, and has about 4 million of his own personally raised money for the campaign, let alone cash Noah Gellman will throw him to help him win. Bruno will need some help from Royce and Mitchell if he hopes to get any momentum to get back on track.
Committee Assignments: Natural Resources, House Administration

19th: Chris Franklin, Republican
Franklin is part of a dying breed. A breed he's done his best to revive. As the republicans drift further and further to the left, guys from the 80s like Franklin and leaving the wake of everything. He is a self-described "Rockefeller Republican," and has done his best to find guys that can replenish the moderate/liberal wing of the GOP, he helped bring about the rise of Mitchell Morgan who will be his lasting legacy. He has said this is his last year he'll run.
Electoral Prospects: The dems have no real desire to unseat Franklin, when he has been a proven deal maker for the past 24 years. But the greens do. Ralph Pardon, a democrat who the party refused to back, switched to the Green Party, and is doing surprisingly well, all facts considering. Franklin leads 62-35, which is incredibly for Pardon to be doing, and in a generally GOP leaning district.
Committee Assignments: Judiciary, Natural Resources, Budget

 

[Tim Thomason]

Morgan Mitchell's been around since 2001. As a Senator-Elect he was instrumental to the plot of "The Lame Duck Congress" (he beat Dem Senator Tony Marino and they were freaking out about his opposition to the Test Ban Treaty and appearance on Hardball).

Other than that (do I have to find fault with everything?!), awesome. Here's one of these things:

 

[Marky Bunny]

CNN.COM
Saturday August 21st 2010

Lastest Poll
State by state

Safe Walken 200
Lean Walken 61
Total Walken 261
Safe Santos 166
Lean Santos 19
Total Santos 185
National Poll
Walken 52%
Santos 45%
Hall 3%

 

[Marky Bunny]

CNN.COM

Saturday August 21st

Qumar launches attack on last Bahji enclave

The Qumaria army has launched an offensive on the last remaining enclave held by the Bahji terrorist group.
The Bahji which had been supportive of the old regime which was swept out of power in the March 2007 coup, had suffered a series of defeats, by the army.
We believe a force of around 3,000 troops is involved in an assault around the city of Ali Jerask in the north of the country close to the Iranian boarder.
Prime-Minister Zuben Ahmed has come under increasing pressure in recent months espically from US Secretary of State of Arnold Vinick to finally purge the country of the Bahji and also to increase domestic reform, especially in regards to women's votes.

Lastest pictures of the Qumarian offensive taken earlier today.

 

[Tim Thomason]

I went through the last 25 pages and picked out all the Congressmen mentioned or developed since I last posted my full House list. I discounted the 535s, or the ones later added into a 535.

Here are the 7 (or 6) Congressmen that have been mentioned:
* Camille Aubry (D) : Mentioned as coming from the "1st District of Colorado." Since that spot has already been taken up by Perry Wallingford, I'd rather move her to Colorado's 4th. That still leaves the Three Republicans (5, 6, 7) unnamed
* Josie Bail (D) : Former Governor and ran in the Senate primary (but lost to Han Solo). Must be in the 9th, 13th, or 18th Districts. I like 9th, just to think they elected a Governor from Sandusky at some point.
* Jasper Irving (R) : From Illinois' 10th District. Doesn't conflict with anything, so good job urisade.
* Maxwell Jones (R) : State and District unnamed. I'm probably going to toss him into New Mexico's 2nd District.
* Simeon Puller (R) : One of the Congressmen who work with Cody Riley. Would fit perfectly well in Alabama's 3rd.
* David Schuler (R) : I think Westbrook is going to place him into Illinois. Not sure where, so I'll give him leeway on that.
* John D. Vincent (R) : Mentioned as a Representative of California's 39th District. He ran in the Gubernatorial primary, but I'll just assume he was a former Congressman, as it conflicts with both Kahuku's later 535 (Democrat Erin Baker) and my earlier House list (which had an unnamed Democrat).

Also, Minnesota Congressman Jarod Daniels is not named "Jarod Samuels" despite my previous insistence (sorry, disputed). And "Ashley Hark" - who was in my original California list, was removed by Kahuku and I'll place her in, um, Washington's 1st.

I also wrote a character, "Scott BigHorse" for Florida, but moved him to South Dakota in order to re-insert James Ritchie.

So, the updated House list is:


(215 Democrats, 215 Republicans, 4 Independents, 1 Vacancy)

Alabama - 7 Seats

• 5 Republicans: 1 (Stanley Valence), 3 (Simeon Puller), 4, 5, 6 (Roger Callahan)
• 2 Democrats: 2 (Sian O'Bannon), 7 (Ralph Neonakis)

Alaska - 1 At-Large Seat

• 1 Democrat: A/L (Franklin Woodside)

535 - Arizona - 8 Seats

• 7 Republicans: 1 (Quentin Collier), 2 (James Culkin), 3 (Louise MacDonald), 4 (Sarah Collins), 5 (Bill Jones), 6 (Sam Fellows), 8 (Jack Darnell)
• 1 Democrat: 7 (Antonio Rodrigues)

Arkansas - 4 Seats

• 3 Democrats: 1, 2, 4 (Hubert "Arkansas" Smith)
• 1 Republican: 3 (Bonnie Thayer)

535 - California - 53 Seats

• 32 Democrats: 1 (Marvin Hallifax), 5 (Julianne Wake), 6 (Claudia Greenwood), 7 (Kristin LeBrandt), 8 (Jack Caton), 9 (Stephen Savage), 10 (April Fearon), 12 (George Simmell), 13 (Diane Sherman), 14 (Wiley Reed), 15 (Floyd Miles), 16 (Ernesto Granado), 17 (Sam Howard), 18 (Veronica Carmalita), 20 (Andrew Pascal), 23 (Harry Wade), 27 (Marie Noelle Castro), 28 (Guillermo Augusto), 29 (Eve Howard), 30 (Justin Harrison), 31 (Luis De Herrera), 32 (Linda Wang), 33 (Russell Lewis), 34 (Megan McKeena), 35 (Tavon Glass), 36 (Martha Blaine), 37 (Ronny Reynolds), 38 (Kellen Cahill), 39 (Erin Baker), 43 (Landon Carmen), 51 (Rebecca Burgoon), 53 (Ellen Bloomberg)
• 21 Republicans: 2 (Jarrod Graves), 3 (Linda Brass), 4 (Bradley Gilmore), 11 (Annie Cao), 19 (Alan Ross), 21 (Caitlin Fern), 22 (Winchester Roberts), 24 (Samir Hansia), 25 (Kristin Vazquez), 26 (Daryl Hamilton), 40 (Riley Church), 41 (Johnston Meek), 42 (Aaron Holmes), 44 (Sarah Alberson), 45 (Mary Eaton), 46 (Reed Halvin), 47 (Waylon Johns), 48 (Robert McCallister), 49 (Alton Moore), 50 (Peter Herger), 52 (Joe Reese)

Colorado - 7 Seats

• 4 Democrats: 1 (Perry Wallingford), 2 (Alan Hammond), 3 (Harper Colfax), 4 (Camille Aubry)
• 3 Republicans: 5, 6, 7

Connecticut - 5 Seats

• 3 Democrats: 1 (Christopher Wick), 3 (Blane Daniels), 5 (Earl Brennan)
• 1 Republican: 2
• 1 Independent: 4 (Mackenzie Allen, caucuses with the Democrats)

Delaware - 1 At-Large Seat

• 1 Republican: A/L (Robert Robertson)

535 - Florida - 25 Seats

• 17 Republicans: 1 (Lawrence Locke), 4 (Evelyn Wilson), 5 (E.B. Poek), 6 (Adam Xavier), 7 (Audra Weaver), 8 (Brian Wayne), 9 (Tom Riddle), 10 (Adrian Galway), 12 (Randall Simons VI), 13 (Ted Broderick), 14 (Mike Pinkerton), 15 (Kay Mort), 16 (General Thomas McKenzie), 18 (Glen Stanley), 21 (James Ritchie), 24 (Raul Montero), 25 (Silvia Montero)
• 8 Democrats: 2 (Max Parrick), 3 (Len Segal), 11 (Lucy Royle), 17 (Maria Consuela Garcia de Trenton), 19 (Carol Gelsey), 20 (John Tandy), 22 (Jeff Johnson), 23 (Alicia DeSantos)

Georgia - 13 Seats

• 8 Republicans: 1, 3, 4 (Norman Dryer), 6, 7 (David Horton), 9, 10, 11
• 4 Democrats: 2, 8, 12, 13
• 1 Independent: 5 (Stoker Hanson, nominally caucuses with the Democrats)

535 - Hawaii - 2 Seats

• 2 Democrats: 1 (Evelyn Bindo), 2 (Brian Kapahala)

Idaho - 2 Seats

• 2 Republicans: 1 (Jim Arkin), 2

Illinois - 19 Seats

• 11 Democrats: 1 (Todd Evers), 2, 3 (J.R. Jennsen), 4, 5 (Mary Maskaleris), 7 (John Baxley), 8, 9, 12 (James Newhouse), 14, 17
• 8 Republicans: 6, 10 (Jasper Irving), 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19

535 - Indiana - 9 Seats

• 5 Democrats: 1 (Tom Peterson), 2 (John Greene), 7 (Olivia Buckland), 8 (Rick Enders), 9 (Brad Stone)
• 4 Republicans: 3 (Mark Stillman), 4 (Richard Krause), 5 (Dale Burger), 6 (Mitchell Harris)

Iowa - 5 Seats

• 3 Democrats: 1, 2, 3 (John Martin)
• 2 Republicans: 4, 5

Kansas - 4 Seats

• 4 Republicans: 1, 2 (Tawny Cryer), 3 (Jardine Mantell), 4

Kentucky - 6 Seats

• 5 Republicans: 1 (Pauline Gardner), 2, 4, 5, 6
• 1 Democrat: 3 (Raymond Lamons)

Louisiana - 7 Seats

• 6 Republicans: 1, 2, 3 (Thomas Evers), 4, 5 (Eugene Tewes), 6
• 1 Democrat: 7 (Rebecca Goldman)

535 - Maine - 2 Seats

• 2 Democrats: 1 (Peter Zelowsky), 2 (Diane Frost)

535 - Maryland - 8 Seats

• 6 Democrats: 2 (Sam "Judge" Weston), 3 (Daniel Ross), 4 (Janelle Carson), 5 (Andrew Fitzpatrick), 7 (Elijah Mays), 8 (Andi Wyatt)
• 2 Republicans: 1 (Donald Richter), 6 (Claire Palmer)

535 - Massachusetts - 10 Seats

• 10 Democrats: 1 (Mark Sellner), 2 (Sean Adams), 3 (Stephen Reed), 4 (Eli Gold), 5 (Caroline Martin), 6 (Raj "Ray" Sindh), 7 (Edward Giles), 8 (Alan Trent), 9 (Peter Swanson), 10 (Theo Demaskos)

Michigan - 15 Seats

• 9 Republicans: 2, 3, 4 (John Brennan), 6, 7, 8 (Darren Gibson), 9, 10, 11 (Gerald Somerfold)
• 6 Democrats: 1 (Becky Reeseman), 5, 12, 13, 14, 15

Minnesota - 8 Seats

• 5 Democrats: 1, 4, 5, 7, 8 (Jarod Daniels)
• 3 Republicans: 2 (Leif Erikson), 3 (Pauline Gardner), 6 (Janine Miller)

Mississippi - 4 Seats

• 3 Democrats: 1, 2 (Charles Inboden), 4
• 1 Republican: 3

Missouri - 9 Seats

• 6 Republicans: 2 (Zach Thibodeaux), 5 (Oswald Lillienfield), 6 (Glen Alan Walken), 7 (David Owens), 8, 9
• 3 Democrats: 1, 3, 4

535 - Montana - 1 At-Large Seat

• 1 Republican: A/L (Scott Lynch)

Nebraska - 3 Seats

• 3 Republicans: 1 (Anthony Bentley), 2, 3 (Gail Trent)

Nevada - 3 Seats

• 2 Republicans: 2, 3
• 1 Democrat: 1

535 - New Hampshire - 2 Seats

• 1 Democrat: 2 (Benjamin Benoit)
• 1 Republican: 1 (Franz Duke)

New Jersey - 13 Seats

• 7 Democrats: 1, 6 (Eileen Davis), 8, 9 (Harvey Lewton), 10, 12, 13 (Annie Long)
• 6 Republicans: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11

New Mexico - 3 Seats

• 2 Republicans: 1 (Steven Scott), 2 (Maxwell Jones)
• 1 Democrat: 3 (Simeon Ratner)

535 - New York - 29 Seats

• 21 Democrats: 2 (Steven Brown), 4 (Karen Lawson), 5 (James Gatsby), 6 (Keaira Biggs), 7 (Jane Calhoun), 8 (Jerry Blower), 9 (Tim Burrell), 10 (Walter Conyers), 11 (Mark Richardson), 12 (David Ramirez), 14 (Nathan Petrelli), 15 (Antonio Williams), 16 (Gabriel Martinez), 18 (Steve McKenna), 19 (Mary Fitzgerald), 20 (Scott van Damm), 21 (Paul Harper), 22 (Gregg Rockwell), 24 (Joe Gorzelanny), 27 (Mark Jenks), 28 (Melissa Castle)
• 8 Republicans: 1 (Joe Calhoun), 3 (Jack Johnson), 13 (Donny Larkin), 17 (Martin Reid), 23 (Patrick Dade), 25 (Tom Phelps), 26 (Andrew Casey), 29 (Frank Whitley)

North Carolina - 13 Seats

• 7 Democrats: 1 (Sue Borden), 2 (Brett Logan), 4, 5 (Bertram Coles), 7, 12, 13 (Julius Schreibman)
• 6 Republicans: 3 (Nick Jarrett), 6 (Phil Eeling), 8, 9, 10, 11 (Barbara Layton)

North Dakota - 1 At-Large Seat

• 1 Democrat: A/L (Harry Conroy)

Ohio - 18 Seats

• 11 Republicans: 1, 2, 3 (Alan Tomlinson), 4, 5, 7, 8 (Robert Mitchell), 12, 14, 15 (Ruth Norton-Stewart), 16
• 7 Democrats: 6 (Brett Radford), 9 (Josie Bail), 10 (Justin Willis), 11 (Marcus LeBrandt), 13, 17 (Jim Marino), 18

Oklahoma - 5 Seats

• 4 Republicans: 1 (Bradley Wooden), 3, 4, 5 (Darryl Lukins)
• 1 Democrat: 2

535 - Oregon - 5 Seats

• 4 Democrats: 1 (Arthur Carney), 3 (Paul Chang), 4 (Will Bailey), 5 (Karl Blinken)
• 1 Republican: 2 (Curtis Ryan)

535 - Pennsylvania - 19 Seats

• 11 Democrats: 1 (Jacob Klein), 2 (Arthur Cornforth), 4 (Erin Gatwood), 7 (Stephen Collins), 8 (Matt Claussen), 10 (Debby Dawn), 11 (Anna Alberin), 12 (Brayden Greene), 13 (Lydia Hemmer), 14 (Kim Sanderson), 17 (Anthony Cipriani)
• 8 Republicans: 3 (Alberto Moltisanti), 5 (Charles Widen), 6 (Alex Walker), 9 (Travis Hoyt), 15 (Albert Francis), 16 (Jeff Pitter), 18 (Joseph Bruno), 19 (Chris Franklin)

Rhode Island - 2 Seats

• 2 Democrats: 1 (Jim Velasquez), 2 (Marion Thiele)

535 - South Carolina - 6 Seats

• 2 Republicans: 1 (Max Johns), 4 (Susan Day)
• 2 Democrats: 5 (Sam McCord), 6 (Grant Spencer)
• 2 Independents: 2 (Sam Wendt, caucuses with the Republicans), 3 (Nathan Templeton, "Independent Democrat" caucuses with the Republicans)

South Dakota - 1 At-Large Seat

• 1 Democrat: A/L (Scott BigHorse)

Tennessee - 9 Seats

• 5 Democrats: 4 (Harvey Mann), 5 (Dick Rollins), 6, 8 (Carolyn Reed), 9 (John Kimball)
• 4 Republicans: 1, 2, 3, 7

535 - Texas - 32 Seats

• 21 Republicans: 1 (Charles Miner), 2 (Barry Strickman), 3 (Michelle Rodriguez), 4 (John Hancock), 5 (Rep Omundson), 6 (Patrick Quinton), 7 (Mark Cumberland), 8 (Rosemary Barton), 10 (C.C. Robertson), 11 (Ronald Gennings), 12 (John Peters), 13 (Gary Oliver), 14 (Ron Paul), 19 (John Connally), 21 (Benedicto Romero), 22 (Peter Lien), 24 (Merchant Tanner), 26 (Uriah Rathburn), 27 (Rick Pintero), 31 (Christopher Finn), 32 (Jake Blackman)
• 11 Democrats: 9 (Patsy Burns), 15 (Maria Consuelo), 16 (Oscar Huerra), 17 (Charlene Andrews), 18 (Ana Flores), 20 (Cal Tillinghouse), 23 (Angelo Valencia), 25 (William Mulder), 28 (Francis Suarez), 29 (Tim Fields), 30 (Eddie Cullen)

Utah - 3 Seats

• 3 Republicans: 1, 2 (Paul Dearborn), 3

Vermont - 1 At-Large Seat

• 1 Republican: A/L (Matt Skinner)

Virginia - 11 Seats

• 8 Republicans: 1, 2, 4 (Colvin Newman), 5, 6, 7, 10 (Kurt Cameron), 11
• 3 Democrats: 3 (Gina Pratt), 8, 9 (Noah Gellman)

Washington - 9 Seats

• 6 Democrats: 1 (Ashley Hark), 2, 3, 6, 7, 9
• 3 Republicans: 4, 5 (Jeff Haffley), 8

West Virginia - 3 Seats

• 2 Democrats: 1, 3
• 1 Republican: 2

Wisconsin - 8 Seats

• 5 Democrats: 2 (Bud Wachtell), 3, 4 (Sheila Fields), 7, 8
• 3 Republicans: 1 (Samuel Botrell), 5, 6

Wyoming - 1 At-Large Seat

• 1 Vacant: A/L (Congressman Harris has resigned and the special election will take place during the regular election)

 

[KahukuMan10]

Straus continues his climb
Toldeo, Ohio

Two weeks ago saw a great reversal in Ohioan politics. Online blogger and Civil and Human rights activist Hayden Straus took over in the Ohio U.S Senate seat up for grabs. He made his climb to the to using populist policies and mixing it with his promise to be an honest senator. He is open to his liberal socialist background, and while managing to keep voters focused on what he stands for rather than what his "title" is.

His policies resemble modern New Deal economic plans. His appeal to the middle and working class, along with the liberal nature of the bottom poor class, has given him a large lead in the polls. Straus leads his Republican opponent Caroline McIntosh, former congresswomen and CEO, 50-42. His debate performance an his uncanny knowledge of the issues has surprised and pleased voters in Ohio.

 

[AbetterAmerica15]

Binghamton Press and Sun Bulletin
August 22, 2010

A recent college poll was taken as part of a summer political science class that wrapped up two weeks ago. The poll asked 26 out of the 37 students a series of questions regarding the 2010 Presidential Election. Professor Brian E. Poleski targeted the poll to students in the classroom between the ages of 19-21 due to the fact that this would be the targeted audience's first eligible year to vote for President. The results from Professor Poleski's classroom poll are as followed:

Do you think President Matt Santos Has had a successful first term in office?

No 12 46.1%
Yes 9 34.6%
Undecided 5 19.2%

Which candidate has a stronger domestic policy?

Walken 16 61.5%
Santos 7 26.9%
Undecided 3 11.5%

Which candidate has a stronger foreign policy?

Walken 19 73%
Santos 5 19.2%
Undecided 2 7.6%

If need be, which Vice Presidential candidate would be best qualified to step in as President?

Tripplehorn 18 69.2%
Clark 6 23%
Undecided 2 7.6%

If the election were today, who would you vote for?

Walken/Clark 14 53.8%
Santos/Tripplehorn 10 38.4%
Undecided 2 7.6%

Professor Poleski's classroom poll was a non-partisan classroom participation project

 

[Tim Thomason]

I guess the Youth in Revolt never made a foothold in that school.



The Once and Future First Family
Monday, August 23, 2010

President Walken is a private man who has always kept his work and family life seperate. As a matter of course, his family isn't well-known, outside of some liberal gossip blogs. Mrs. Walken has been profiled recently, so now we'll focus on the rest of the Walken kin.

Photo by William Windom
Alan Dennis Walken
born February 22, 1920
Known as the "Towering Inferno" in his hometown, the 90-year-old Alan Walken is a legend for founding the Walken & Sons General Drug Store, which now has three branches. Alan always wanted his son to follow him in the family business, and there was a period of disagreement when Glen decided to enter politics instead. In recent years, they've made up. With Walken & Sons now in the care of President Walken's younger brother Joseph, Alan is expecting to spend some of his retirement living in the White House.

Glen Allen Walken's mother, and Alan's first wife, Patty, passed away in 1992.

Photo by Audrie Neenan
Laraine Walken
born April 9, 1950
Born Laraine Wilson, Mrs. Walken is Alan Dennis' second wife (married in 1993) and President Walken's step-mother. Laraine and Glen Allen did not meet until after he reconciled with his father in 2001 after he became Speaker of the House. She is expected to move into the White House with her husband and the Walken's should they win the election.

Photo by Colin Hanks
Michael Dennis Walken
born June 12, 1975
The first-born son of Glen Allen and Mary Walken, Michael, like his father before him, did not follow the family plan. He did not enter Walken & Sons nor does he have any intention of entering politics. A career soldier, Michael enlisted in the United States Army in 1996, and is a mustang, currently serving as a Captain in the 101st Airborne Division.

Photo by Macaulay Culkin
Stephen Glen Walken
born August 29, 1982
Stephen is the "quiet one." He's worked professionally for the Kelso Templeton Agency for years and is the only Walken child to be married, having married Nadia Elkton in 2000. They have no children.

Photo by Cassie & Connie Powney
Claire Mary Walken
born April 15, 1989
Claire is famous as an online blogger in Walken's 2006 and current campaigns, maintains her personal opinions over at http://itsclaireyall.com . She attends Truman State University in Kirksville, when she's not on the campaign trail.

Laura Winston Walken
born April 15, 1989
Laura, also attending Truman State, is the youngest child of the Walken's, albeit by a few minutes. Like her brother Stephen, she makes rare and infrequent trips on the trail, and prefers to stay at the Walken Compound in Liberty. She recently announced her engagement to fellow student Charles Wentworth, and they plan on having a lavish White House Wedding like Ellie Bartlet's in 2006 or Richard Lassiter's in 1993.

 

[Tim Thomason]

I found this old 100 dollar bill from Kundu. Too bad it's practically worthless in the US.

 

[Marky Bunny]

Breaking my own rule again, just to complete Tim's excellent casting of the Walken family.
Julie Harris as Patty Walken, The Mother of Glen Allen Walken who passed away in 1992 from Cancer aged 69.

Fred Malamed as Joeseph Walken, the younger brother of Glen Walken born in 1954

 

[KahukuMan10]

I'll be breaking the rule as well, however Mark is already aware of it:

James Earl Jones as Senator William Wiley of Washington (I had casted him as Harry Wade, but didn't know Wade was on the show. So after much deliberation, here is the man behind the legend)