Blue Sky

BBC News
November 3rd 2004
Kerry concedes election to Bush

Democratic challenger John Kerry has publicly admitted defeat in the US election, giving President George W Bush a second term in office. "I would not give up this fight if there was a chance we would prevail," he told supporters in Boston.
"Today I hope we can begin the healing," he said.
Mr Kerry earlier telephoned Mr Bush to concede the state of Ohio, whose 20 Electoral College votes held the key to victory in a cliffhanger election.

CNN
November 3rd 2004
Jesse Jackson Jr. defeats Alan Keyes in Illinois Senate race

In what was already a formality, Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr, son of the former presidential candidate Reverend Jesse Jackson was elected to succeed outgoing Republican Senator Peter Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald has had a controversial one-term tenure with frequent battles against his own party leadership both in Congress and in state. The GOP’s disarray especially after the Jack Ryan scandal was never going to see them win the seat even if they did change to perennial presidential candidate Alan Keyes at the last minute. Mr Jackson proclaimed a fresh Democratic change in the state and was joined by State Senator Barack Obama in this message that while originally a rumoured Senate candidate decided to run for Jackson’s vacated 2nd district House seat that he was elected to in a landslide.

BBC News
November 8th 2006
Democrats sweep Midterm elections

Democrats have gained the final seat in the battle for the US Senate, sealing their mid-term poll victory in both houses of Congress. Republican George Allen admitted defeat to his Democratic opponent, James Webb, in the close Virginia Senate race. Democrat Jon Tester narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Conrad Burns in Montana; Sherrod Brown claimed another Democratic win by defeating controversial Republican Senator Mike DeWine in Ohio with Rick Santorum, a Republican 2008 presidential favourite losing in his battle against Democrat Bob Casey. Finally, the Democrats rounded off wins in a three-way battle in Rhode Island with liberal independent Senator Lincoln Chafee losing against Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.
This leaves a close Senate election as the much-contested Missouri Senate election was won by Republican Matt Blunt against Democrat William Clay results in a loss of 5 seats by the GOP leaving them with 50 seats and the Democrats on 48, up 4 leaving them on 48. However, two Independents; newly elected Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut will caucus with the Democrats leaving a 50-50 split leaving Republican Vice President Dick Cheney holding the balance of power with the tie-break vote which can be used to get Bush’s bills past.
The Democrats had already secured the House of Representatives in Tuesday's elections. President George W Bush has pledged to work with his rivals, and says he is open to new ideas on Iraq. He has already accepted the resignation of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, key architect of US policy in Iraq, following the poll defeat.

November 8th 2006 – Donald Rumsfeld resigns as US Secretary of Defense effective December 18th in response to the Republican’s losses in the midterm elections; President Bush nominates former CIA Director Robert Gates to succeed him

2007

January 3rd 2007 – The new Congress is sworn in, Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female Speaker of the House.

January 20th 2007 – Hillary Clinton announces on the Internet that she has formed an exploratory committee for President; polling shows she leads any potential challengers by large margins.

February 21st 2007 – John Edwards announces he will seek the Presidency in 2008

February 25th 2007 – Mitt Romney announces he will seek the Presidency in 2008, days after Congressman Duncan Hunter and former Governor George Pataki also declare their intentions

March 1st 2007 – Joe Biden announces he will seek the Presidency in 2008

March 4th 2007 – Rudy Giuliani announces he will seek the Presidency in 2008

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March 16th 2007 – At a campaign rally in Missouri, Senator Claire McCaskill along with Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius endorse Hillary Clinton for President of the United States. They cite the Senator’s plans on healthcare and equality along with leadership as reasoning for this.

March 29th 2007 – Mike Huckabee announces he will seek the Presidency in 2008

May 17th 2007 – Russ Feingold announces he will seek the Presidency in 2008

July 2nd 2007 – John McCain announces he will not seek the Presidency due to the belief he hasn’t the energy to beat Hillary Clinton, he instead promotes a candidacy by Rudy Giuliani

August 10th 2007 – Congressman Barack Obama confirms he will not seek the Presidency; Senator Jesse Jackson also says this

August 16th 2007 – Former Senator Fred Thompson confirms he will not seek the Presidency

December 12th 2007 – Polls one month before the Iowa caucus show Hillary Clinton with a commanding lead in the Democratic field with Edwards, Biden and Feingold trailing behind her. In the Republican field, Huckabee leads narrowly against Giuliani and Romney with Romney, Pataki and Hunter trailing.

December 30th 2007 – Senator Claire McCaskill campaigns with Hillary Clinton in Iowa along with Governor Chet Culver where it seems set she will win.

2008

January 3rd 2008 – Clinton wins in Iowa with 41%, with John Edwards on 22%, Joe Biden on 20% and Russ Feingold on 17%. In the GOP; Huckabee wins with 30% of the vote to Giuliani’s 28%, Romney’s 23%, Hunter on 11% and Pataki on 8%.

January 5th 2008 – Mitt Romney wins the Republican Wyoming convention with a resounding margin

January 8th 2008 – In the New Hampshire primary; Clinton wins with 53% of the vote compared to 27% for Biden, 12% for Edwards and 8% for Feingold. Under pressure, Feingold announces his withdrawal after two bottom place finishes. On the Republican side, Mitt Romney wins the primary with 31% of the vote compared to 25% for Giuliani, 20% for Pataki, 13% for Huckabee and 11% for Hunter.

January 15th 2008 – Mitt Romney wins the Michigan primary with 31% compared to 23% for Pataki, 22% for Huckabee, 12% for Giuliani and 12% for Hunter. For the Democrats, Clinton wins again with 45%, Edwards on 40% and Biden trailing on 15%

January 19th 2008 – Mike Huckabee wins the Nevada primary while Rudy Giuliani wins a narrow victory over Huckabee in South Carolina due to the Huckabee stretched presence in both states. In the Nevada caucuses, Senator Clinton who is popular with the Latino vote wins with a large (75%) of the vote; John Edwards is in second with a paltry 15% and Biden with 10%. In light of this, Joe Biden withdraws from the race.

January 22nd 2008 – Mike Huckabee wins the Louisiana caucus

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January 26th 2008 – John Edwards squeaks out a win in South Carolina against Clinton by a 51% to 49% margin; he says that he is the only blue dog opposition to Clinton’s moderate stances. Clinton says that she will produce a strong result on Super Tuesday

January 29th 2008 – In what is crunch time for the Republicans, Rudy Giuliani wins in Florida with 29%, Huckabee on 28%, Romney on 20%, Hunter on 14% and Pataki on 8%. Pataki and Hunter both withdraw from the contest; Pataki endorses Giuliani while Hunter endorses Huckabee.

Candidate Totals at the end of January

Democrats
Clinton – Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, Nevada (189 super and non super delegates)
Edwards – South Carolina (86 super and non super delegates)
Biden – Withdrew, no wins (3 super and non super delegates)
Feingold – Withdrew, no wins

Republicans
Romney – Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan (96 delegates)
Huckabee – Iowa, Nevada, Louisiana (95 delegates)
Giuliani – South Carolina, Florida (161 delegates)
Hunter – Withdrew, no wins
Pataki – Withdrew, no wins

February 3rd 2008 – Rudy Giuliani wins the Maine caucus

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February 5th 2008 – Super Tuesday; in a widely expected result Clinton sweeps 17 of the 23 states on offer with Edwards winning only 6, he withdraws that night and endorses Clinton who becomes the presumptive Democratic nominee and the first woman to be nominated for President by a major political party. It is a different story for the Republicans, with the 21 states on offer; 10 go to Huckabee (Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia), 6 to Giuliani (Arizona, California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey and New York) and 5 to Romney (Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts and Montana).

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February 9th 2008 – Mike Huckabee wins in Kansas and the Louisiana primary with Mitt Romney winning in the Washington caucus

February 10th 2008 – Senator Clinton announces she will not select a Vice Presidential nominee until the summer.

February 12th 2008 – Rudy Giuliani wins in the District of Columbia and Virginia primaries with Mitt Romney winning in Maryland

February 19th 2008 – Mitt Romney wins the Wisconsin primary and the Washington primary

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February 23rd and 24th 2008 – Mitt Romney continues his sweep by winning American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico.

Candidate Totals at the end of February

Democrats
Clinton presumptive nominee, no further competition primaries bar write in candidates

Republicans
Romney – Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, Washington, Wisconsin, American Samoa, Northern Marian Islands, Puerto Rico (419 delegates)
Huckabee – Iowa, Nevada, Louisiana, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, Kansas (551 delegates)
Giuliani – South Carolina, Florida, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, District of Columbia, Virginia (693 delegates)

March 4th 2008 – In what is crunch time for the Republicans, Rudy Giuliani walks away with victories in Rhode Island, Vermont and Ohio leaving Mike Huckabee with Texas. Knowing he cannot win, Mitt Romney withdraws from the race and endorses Huckabee giving him his 419 delegates; when asked why he didn’t endorse Giuliani who is closer policy wise, Romney says that Huckabee has the best chance of being a great President that is interpreted as a vote of no confidence in Giuliani’s leadership abilities; this great effort leaves Huckabee a mere hundred delegates away from the nomination

March 8th 2008 – Rudy Giuliani wins in Guam

March 11th 2008 – Mike Huckabee wins the Mississippi primary

Candidate Totals at the end of March

Democrats
Clinton presumptive nominee, no further competition primaries bar write in candidates

Republicans
Romney – Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, Washington, Wisconsin, American Samoa, Northern Marian Islands, Puerto Rico (419 delegates), withdrew and pledged delegates to Huckabee
Huckabee – Iowa, Nevada, Louisiana, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, Kansas, Texas, Guam, Mississippi (1149 delegates)
Giuliani – South Carolina, Florida, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, District of Columbia, Virginia, Ohio (810 delegates)

April 2nd 2008 – Rudy Giuliani refuses to withdraw despite Huckabee being 42 delegates away from clinching the nomination and says that he will “fight for every delegate and every voter”

April 5th 2008 – Rudy Giuliani wins the US Virgin Islands primary

April 22nd 2008 – In a fiercely fought battle, Rudy Giuliani who is neck and neck with Huckabee wins Pennsylvania. However with many southern primaries left, many commentators believe Huckabee will win the nomination

Candidate Totals at the end of April

Democrats
Clinton presumptive nominee, no further competition primaries bar write in candidates

Republicans
Huckabee – Iowa, Nevada, Louisiana, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, Kansas, Texas, Guam, Mississippi (1149 delegates)
Giuliani – South Carolina, Florida, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, District of Columbia, Virginia, Ohio (893 delegates)

May 1st 2008 – Rudy Giuliani meets with RNC leaders; Huckabee is also reported to be invited. The media speculate that Giuliani will be offered the Vice Presidential position in return for withdrawing and endorsing Huckabee. No comment is made from the RNC about the meeting.

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May 4th 2008 – Two days before the Indiana and North Carolina primaries; Rudy Giuliani withdraws from the race and endorses Mike Huckabee who becomes the presumptive Presidential nominee. In a joint press conference, Huckabee announces that the Republicans feel that both men are qualified to lead and says he asked Giuliani to be his running mate and that he accepted.

May 10th 2008 – With the primaries over, focus turns to the various Senate and Governor races. In Minnesota; comedian Al Franken is neck and neck for the Democrats against Republican Senator Norm Coleman. Jack Markell and Beverly Perdue are projected to win the Governor’s mansions in Delaware and North Carolina while the Governorship of Washington is in a toss up with Christine Gregoire and Dino Rossi in a tie.

May 15th 2008 – The Clinton campaign pledges that it will be announcing its Vice Presidential pick in early June. Speculation arises that her shortlist is between Senator Evan Bayh, Senator Russ Feingold, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and General Wesley Clark.

June 5th 2008 – The Clinton campaign announces that the Senator has selected General Wesley Clark as the Vice Presidential nominee due to his firm background as a blue dog candidate and expertise on foreign, military and veteran’s issues

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July 2nd 2008 – In a “dead man” period between the presumptive nominee selection and the conventions, candidates convey the nation in an attempt to gain popularity. Hillary Clinton leads by five points over Huckabee due to disillusion with the Republicans.

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August 25th to August 28th 2008 – The Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Senator McCaskill speaks on the first night endorsing Hillary Clinton as she had done back in early 2007. Other key speakers include Senator Jesse Jackson who made the keynote address in 2004, Congressman Barack Obama who makes the keynote address this year and is believed to be a 2010 governor candidate. Mark Warner, Bill Clinton, Barbara Mikulski, Ted Kennedy and Tim Kaine are also prominent speakers. Both Clinton and Clark are nominated.

Hillary Clinton in her convention speech promises, “to fight every day and every night for America with a fairer moderate society in mind”

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September 1st to September 4th 2008 – The Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota, key speakers include George & Laura Bush, Janet Huckabee, John Boehner, Jon Huntsman, Haley Barbour and Mitt Romney. Senator Norm Coleman makes the keynote speech to support his close re-election battle against comedian Al Franken. Huckabee and Giuliani are both nominated.

In his speech, Mike Huckabee recounts his southern upbringing and says he will be a President for “traditional values and a closer America that can wither these trying times”.

October 2008 to May 2011 – The Global Financial Crisis occurs as many countries slip into recession including the US due to the failures of many banks

October 13th 2008 - Clinton and Huckabee debate the issues, clashing on healthcare, foreign policy and the economic crisis. Clinton is regarded as having won the debate.

October 19th 2008 – An emergency stimulus bill passes Congress to prop up failing banks and insurance brokers such as AIG and Lehman Brothers

BBC News
November 5th 2008
Clinton wins US Presidential Election

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Senator Hillary Clinton, wife of former President Bill Clinton has won the US Presidency in a strong showing for the Democratic Party. Taking much of the country in her bid, she roundly defeated former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee by 361 electoral votes and 53 percent of the vote to Huckabee’s 177 electoral votes and 45% of the vote. Clinton claimed 70 million votes with Huckabee on 58 million. It is believed her remarkable win, similar to that of her husband in 1992 and 1996 is due to the impact of the financial crisis that has hit Republican fortunes.

The Democrats have regained the Senate that had been in deadlock for the past two years; Republican senate veterans Ted Stevens (Alaska), Norm Coleman (Minnesota), John Sununu (New Hampshire), Elizabeth Dole (North Carolina), Pat Roberts (Kansas) and Gordon Smith (Oregon) all were defeated for re-election. In addition, the Democrats also picked up open seats in Colorado, New Mexico and Virginia this leaves the Democrats with a filibuster proof number of seats with 60 in addition to independents Bernie Sanders and Joe Lieberman. The Republicans flounder on 40.

In addition, the House was retained with an increased Democratic majority with Nancy Pelosi remaining Speaker. They gained 24 seats leaving them on 260 seats with the Republicans on 175. Governor’s races saw both parties hold their seats with the only changes being Jack Markell and Beverly Perdue succeeding retiring Ruth Ann Minner and Mike Easley in Delaware and North Carolina respectively.

November 9th 2008 – Patti Solis-Doyle, Campaign Manager for Hillary Clinton from January 2007 to November 2008 is named as the next White House Chief of Staff. George Stephanopoulos, the former Bill Clinton campaign boss is named as White House Communications Director, his former position from 1993 to 1996 with Maggie Williams, formerly Clinton’s media specialist as Press Secretary while campaign aides Terry McAuliffe and David Axelrod are Senior Advisors. Finally, former Congressman and Democratic whip David Bonior who served as the Edwards campaign manager is named as Chief of Staff to Vice President Clark

November 20th 2008 – President-elect Hillary Clinton announces that she has selected New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to serve as Secretary of State with General Anthony Zinni as Secretary of Defense. She rounds out her foreign policy selections by choosing former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig as National Security Advisor and former National Security Advisor Anthony Lake as CIA Director. Chuck Hagel, the recently retired Nebraska Senator is offered and accepts the post of Secretary of Homeland Security.

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November 26th 2008 – President-elect Clinton chooses Congressman Barack Obama to serve as Attorney General; she also chooses to keep Henry Paulson in office as Secretary of the Treasury to calm the financial markets. Austin Goolsbee is named as OMB Director with Robert Rubin, the former Treasury Secretary being selected to head the Commerce department. Georgetown Professor Daniel Tarullo becomes US Trade Representative.

December 2nd 2008 – Rounding off her administration picks, close Clinton ally Tom Vilsack is named as Secretary of Agriculture, Congressman George Miller is nominated for Secretary of the Interior, Dick Gephardt is to be Secretary of Labor, Denis Archer the ex Mayor of Detroit is headed for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Elizabeth Edwards is nominated for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Congressman Jim Oberstar for Transportation Secretary, Linda Darling-Hammond, the Stanford Professor is for Education Secretary; Tammy Duckworth becomes Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs. Finally, Congressman Ed Markey of Massachusetts is for Energy Secretary.

The Clinton Cabinet

President – Hillary Clinton
Vice President – Wesley Clark

Secretary of State – Bill Richardson
Secretary of the Treasury – Henry Paulson
Secretary of Defense – Anthony Zinni
Attorney General – Barack Obama
Secretary of the Interior – George Miller
Secretary of Agriculture – Tom Vilsack
Secretary of Commerce – Robert Rubin
Secretary of Labor – Dick Gephardt
Secretary of Health and Human Services – Elizabeth Edwards
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development – Denis Archer
Secretary of Transportation – Jim Oberstar
Secretary of Education – Linda Darling-Hammond
Secretary of Energy – Ed Markey
Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs – Tammy Duckworth
Secretary of Homeland Security – Chuck Hagel

White House Chief of Staff – Patti Solis-Doyle
White House Counsel – Greg Craig
Director of the Office of Management and Budget – Austin Goolsbee
Chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisors – Christina Romer
National Security Advisor – Richard Danzig

December 10th 2008 – Hillary Clinton resigns from the US Senate; Governor David Paterson announces he will name a replacement by the New Year

2009

January 3rd 2009 – The new Congress is sworn in, Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand is selected to fill Hillary Clinton’s seat

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January 20th 2009 – Hillary Clinton is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States, Wesley Clark is sworn in as the 47th Vice President of the United States. In her inauguration speech, President Clinton says that she will pursue a prudent financial agenda to solve the financial crisis; she will heavily review US presence abroad and will seek to get a public option for healthcare, somewhere where her husband failed.

January 21st 2009 – Most Cabinet members are confirmed and sworn in; the only ones remaining are Zinni, Archer, Markey and Duckworth

January 22nd 2009 – In her first executive order; President Hillary Clinton gives the order to close Guantanamo Bay.

January 27th 2009 – All of Clinton’s Cabinet nominees are confirmed

February 16th 2009 – President Clinton proposes legislation to make working conditions easier for minorities; the Congressional Black and Hispanic Caucuses back it

April 8th 2009 – Clinton’s working conditions bill passes; she then addresses the American people from the Oval Office and pledges a stimulus bill to be sent to Congress

April 27th 2009 – Associate Justice David Souter announces his resignation. President Clinton nominates Merrick B. Garland to succeed him

May 2nd 2009 – A suicide bomber detonates outside the Israeli Embassy in New York; believed to be of Palestinian origin. Israel promises revenge. President Clinton abandons a state dinner at the White House to fly to Jerusalem

May 4th 2009 – After a long two days of negotiation, the Israeli crisis is defused with credit going to President Clinton. However, Palestine does threaten that Israel shall receive good retribution if it tries anything against it’s borders. Secretary Richardson is tasked to create a peace deal

July 21st 2009 – Merrick Garland is confirmed to the Supreme Court and sworn in on July 28th.

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August 25th 2009 – Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) dies in office from a brain tumour. His seat remains vacant leaving a filibuster proof majority absent with the Democrats on 59 and the Republicans on 40

August 30th 2009 – President Clinton’s stimulus package passes both Houses

September 14th 2009 – Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson announces he will retire by the end of 2010, commentators believe he will go sometime in Spring 2010. FDIC Chairwoman Sheila Bair, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and New York Fed Chairman Timothy Geithner are the favourites to replace him.

September 24th 2009 – Paul Kirk, a long-time Kennedy confidante is appointed to his seat until a special election

October 29th 2009 – A spate of suicide bombings in Afghanistan forces the President to divert troops there from Iraq. She announces that combat operations in Iraq will end in August 2010 with all operations ceasing in January 2011.

November 17th 2009 – Guantanamo Bay ceases all new operations but struggles to clear out its prisoners to alternate facilities. White House Counsel Greg Craig battles with Congress on this issue.

December 24th 2009 – Umar Farouk is caught attempting to detonate a bomb in Times Square; he is arrested and placed into trial.

January 19th 2010 – Martha Coakley, the Massachusetts Attorney General wins Kennedy’s Senate seat for the Democrats narrowly defeating State Senator Scott Brown

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January 30th 2010 – In her State of the Union Address, Clinton proposes a comprehensive public option for healthcare to Congress

February 4th 2010 – Senator Coakley is sworn in to the Senate replacing Kirk

February 14th 2010 – Hank Paulson announces his resignation from the post of Secretary of the Treasury, effective as of March 9th.

February 21st 2010 – Jamie Dimon is announced as the next Secretary of the Treasury, the 53-year-old JP Morgan Chase CEO is regarded as one of Wall Street’s toughest regulators and successfully made his bank into a powerhouse. He leaves a large salary to accept the position but has a large fortune as a multimillionaire.

March 31st 2010 – Jamie Dimon is confirmed as Treasury Secretary, he replaces Acting Secretary Neal Wolin.

April 5th 2010 – Clinton’s healthcare bill fails narrowly after blue dog Democrats oppose it, fearing their re-election prospects

April 17th 2010 – Guantanamo Bay is finally closed with the prisoners being handed over to the United Nations. Greg Craig however who has bitterly fought with Congress on the issue resigns after this goes through. Former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder is appointed as the new White House Counsel on April 28th

May 4th 2010 – The Richmond Accords, the summit between the US, Israel and Palestine is signed after a year’s work by all sides. President Clinton and Secretary Richardson. This details an agreement to preserve peace and promote non-violence in the Middle East with a pledge from the US to be out of Afghanistan by 2015. The Richmond Accords are regarded as a hallmark of the Clinton Presidency

June 13th 2010 – Associate Justice John Paul Stevens announces his retirement from the Supreme Court; Clinton nominates Solicitor General Elena Kagan to succeed him.

June 28th 2010 – Robert Byrd, the President pro tempore of the Senate dies of an infection in hospital.

July 2nd 2010 – The US economy shows it’s first signs of growth since 2008; this lessens Clinton’s economic woes. Her poll numbers reside slightly over the 50 percent marks.

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July 16th 2010 – Lawyer Carte Goodwin is appointed to Byrd’s Senate seat. Goodwin is running to fill out the rest of Byrd’s term; Governor Joe Manchin who is an enemy of the President has been forced by the DNC not to challenge Goodwin who Clinton favours

July 28th 2010 – President Clinton while on a visit to Toledo, Ohio narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by a disgruntled car worker who fires a shot at her from a crowd during her speech to the workers. The worker, David Eisenhower is arrested and sentenced to life in prison.

August 18th 2010 – Elena Kagan is confirmed to the Supreme Court and is sworn in on August 22nd.

September 27th 2010 – Christina Romer resigns as Chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisors; Clinton nominates Sheila Bair; the FDIC Chairwoman to succeed her.

October 18th 2010 – Sheila Bair is confirmed as Chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisors

BBC News
November 2nd 2010
Democrats take moderate lashing at midterms

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The Democratic Party of President Hillary Clinton has taken a moderate beating at the polls with them losing 4 Senate seats to the Republicans, those of Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas), former Presidential candidate Russ Feingold (Wisconsin), retiring Evan Bayh (Indiana) and retiring Arlen Specter (Pennsylvania), who defected from the Republicans to the Democrats in 2009. This leaves the Democrats with 56 Senate seats, and the Republicans on 44 with all retiring seats being won by the same party or incumbents winning re-election. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is expected to take blame for this and rumours around Washington circulate he will resign as Leader having narrowly held onto his own Nevada seat.

The House elections resulted in some losses for Democrats, especially those who voted for the failed healthcare bill earlier in the year. The Democrats lost 19 seats, leaving them on 237 with the Republicans on 198. Nancy Pelosi will remain as Speaker for the next term it looks. The Republicans gained 3 mansions from the Democrats with the Governorships of Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania fall to Republican candidates. Speaking from Washington; the President said that the American people while angered had made the right democratic choice and had confidence in the Democrat’s moves forward.

November 19th 2010 – Secretary of Transportation Jim Oberstar announces he will resign in January 2011.

November 23rd 2010 – Harry Reid announces his resignation as Senate Majority Leader, effective January 3rd 2011. Senators Charles Schumer and Dick Durbin are the favourites to succeed

December 12th 2010 – Americans express anger at tight immigration and security laws; Clinton asks Attorney General Obama and Secretary Hagel to review this. Former Justice David Souter is assigned to head a commission into this

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December 18th 2010 – Charles Schumer (D-NY) is elected as Senate Majority Leader for the next session of Congress, Schumer is regarded as the candidate of President Clinton

January 3rd 2011 – The new Congress is sworn in; Nancy Pelosi is Speaker with Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn remaining as Leader and Whip. John Boehner who has resigned as Republican Leader is replaced by Eric Cantor, who is deputised by whip Cathy McMorris Rodgers. In the Senate, Daniel Inouye the most senior Senator remains as President pro tempore with Charles Schumer and Richard Durbin becoming Leader and Whip. Mitch McConnell and Jon Kyl continue in their roles as Minority Leader and Whip also.
 
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I'm planning a large update for that which should move to the next general election (1974); while I'm working that out I decided to write this due to the McCain thread.
 
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January 16th 2011 - Jim Oberstar formally resigns as Secretary of Transportation; his major achievement in office has been a re-vamp of the Mid-West highways network. President Clinton announces that Steve Heminger, executive director of the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Commission will be his replacement. Heminger is a close friend of Nancy Pelosi

January 21st 2011 - The Heminger confirmation hearings start

January 27th 2011 - Newly elected Senator Matt Blunt (R-MO) who replaced Kit Bond earlier in the month along with Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) find during the confirmation hearings that Heminger awarded several dubious contracts to large transport companies during his tenure at the SFMTC. Heminger refutes the allegations.

January 28th 2011 - More allegations surface after the office of Senator Johanns finds that Heminger was implicit in the awarding of contracts and was a paid consultant to such awarded companies. Once again Heminger refutes this

January 30th 2011 - Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller calls upon the Republicans to prove that Heminger was involved or to stop their allegations

February 1st 2011 - The San Francisco Chronicle extracts a confession from a source saying that Heminger was involved and also that kickbacks were received. This is backed up by financial invoices from the SFMTC to various companies.

February 2nd 2011 - Steve Heminger withdraws his name from nomination

February 3rd 2011 - For the first time in her Presidency, Clinton's poll numbers drop below 50% to 45% following the Heminger scandal. She announces PB Consult Chairman and former Deputy Secretary Mortimer Downey as the new nominee.

February 6th 2011 - Questions are raised about the White House vetting process

February 10th 2011 - Patti Solis-Doyle resigns effective immediately as White House Chief of Staff, the media speculate she is taking the blame for the Heminger affair while she says she is "spending more time with her family"

February 10th 2011 - Hours after the Solis-Doyle resignation, Senior Advisor Terry McAuliffe is named as White House Chief of Staff

February 22nd 2011 - Mortimer Downey is confirmed as Secretary of Transportation and sworn in on March 1st

March 4th 2011 – Mitt Romney announces he will not seek the Republican nomination in 2012

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March 14th 2011 – 2008 Vice Presidential nominee Rudy Giuliani announces he will be running for the Republican nomination in 2012

April 3rd 2011 – President Hillary Clinton announces that she will be running for re-election in 2012

April 18th 2011 – President Clinton signs into law her Education Reform Bill which gives schools greater powers and seeks to offer schools an alternative to No Child Left Behind which remains in place

May 1st 2011 – Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announces he will be running for the Republican nomination in 2012

May 9th 2011 – Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana announces he will be running for the Republican nomination against Giuliani and Pawlenty.

May 19th 2011 – President Clinton declares the financial crisis over as the US moves out of recession for the first time since 2008.

May 26th 2011 – Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina announces his contention for the Republican nomination

June 5th 2011 – In an unexpected entry, Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia announces his bid for the 2012 Republican nomination

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June 15th 2011 – President Clinton and Chinese President Xi Jinping sign a historic détente treaty after months of negotiations, pledging to work together on issues of the economy and energy along with a non-aggression pact. Along with the Richmond Accords, this is the hallmark of Clinton’s first term foreign policy and the phrase “Only Hillary could go to China” is coined from the old “Only Nixon could go to China”

June 28th 2011 – Polls show that President Clinton holds a six-point lead over prospective Republican challengers; her approval rating hovers at around 47% with 40% disapproving, especially on domestic issues

July 6th 2011 – Wesley Clark announces he will be running for a second term as Vice President, “so long as the President wants him”

July 19th 2011 – President Clinton withdraws her proposed tax increase for the rich after opposition from prominent business leaders who control party funding. Many view this as a u-turn

August 5th 2011 – Congressman Dennis Kucinich announces he will not challenge the President in 2012 despite rumours

August 12th 2011 – Secretary of Health and Human Services Elizabeth Edwards announces her divorce from former Senator John Edwards; the President supports her in her decision

August 25th 2011 – 2008 Republican Presidential nominee Mike Huckabee endorses his former Vice Presidential selection Rudy Giuliani for the 2012 election

September 10th 2011 – Herman Cain, former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, radio talk show host and long-time Clinton enemy going back to Bill Clinton’s healthcare plan defeat in the nineties announces he will run for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination

September 28th 2011 – President Clinton signs into law her business regulation bill that seeks to regulate large insurance businesses especially after the 2008 – 2011 financial crisis. With the crisis fresh in minds; Clinton wants to make sure another crisis does not hit the teetering economy.

October 13th 2011 – Gunmen seize a campaign office of Rudy Giuliani in New York City; holding four campaign workers hostage. Mayor Bloomberg along with Commissioner Raymond Kelly order a raid into the office that results in the death of the gunmen yet one worker is badly wounded. Giuliani visits the worker, Carmella Martinez in hospital. The Giuliani Campaign Manager, former New York Governor George Pataki announces that Giuliani will be taking a strong stand on the issue of gun ownership

October 20th 2011 – Senator Alexi Giannoulias (D-IL); Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY); Governor Beverly Perdue (D-NC), Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) and Governor Jerry Brown (D-CA) are appointed as regional co-chairs for the Clinton 2012 campaign

November 6th 2011 – One year until Election Day, polls show that Rudy Giuliani holds a narrow lead over Daniels, Pawlenty, McDonnell, DeMint and Cain. Clinton vs. Giuliani matchups show a dead heat race while she narrowly leads all other Republican contenders.

December 5th 2011 – Secretary of State Richardson substitutes Vice President Clark at a state dinner for the Emperor of Japan; speculate mounts that Richardson will be the Vice Presidential nominee in 2012 rather than Clark who could move to State.

December 29th 2011 – Days before the Iowa caucus; it is announced that Senator DeMint has been rushed to hospital with a gall bladder. He is unable to campaign in Iowa, but is substituted by his popular endorser, Governor Sam Brownback of Kansas

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January 4th 2012 – In the Iowa caucus, former Governor Pawlenty wins with 29% of the vote, with 24% for McDonnell, 19% for Giuliani, 10% for Daniels and 8% for DeMint. Herman Cain trails with 2% of the vote. Pawlenty had campaigned heavily in the state while Giuliani had sat it out for New Hampshire. In the non-contested Democratic primaries; Hillary Clinton wins.

January 10th 2012 – In the New Hampshire primary; former Mayor Giuliani wins with a resounding 33% of the vote compared to 20% for Pawlenty; 18% for McDonnell and 18% for Daniels. Jim DeMint gains 10% with Cain on 1%. Herman Cain announces his withdrawal from the campaign.

January 15th 2012 – The Wyoming convention takes place along with the Michigan and South Carolina primaries. Pawlenty wins in Wyoming and Michigan while McDonnell scores a victory in South Carolina; Jim DeMint withdraws from the race due to this.

January 21st 2012 – The Nevada and Louisiana contests take place; Mitch Daniels wins in Nevada albeit narrowly over Pawlenty while a dogfight between Giuliani and McDonnell in Louisiana results in a Giuliani victory.
January 27th 2012 – Bob McDonnell wins The Maine caucus

January 29th 2012 – Rudy Giuliani wins The Florida primary in a landslide after heavy campaigning by former Governor Charlie Crist who is running against Senator Bill Nelson and Governor Rick Scott. Clinton is aiming to win Florida in the election as she deploys Senator’s Bill Nelson and Kendrick Meek to campaign for her.

February 3rd 2012 – Super Tuesday in the GOP; Giuliani wins Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Montana, New York and North Dakota; Pawlenty takes Alaska, California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee. McDonnell wins Georgia, New Jersey, Utah while Daniels ekes out wins in Colorado and Illinois.

February 9th 2012 – Tim Pawlenty wins the Kansas primary while Mitch Daniels wins Washington and Louisiana.

February 12th 2012 – Evidence emerges that while Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani gave a key security contract to a company that contributed to his 1997 Mayoral and 2008 Presidential campaign, in addition photographs are published showing Giuliani in a "cosy" meeting with Albanian business Paol Mirot who has mafia links

February 13th 2012 – With the Giuliani campaign in crisis, Bob McDonnell wins the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia primaries that Giuliani had been expected to take.

February 15th 2012 – Rudy Giuliani announces his withdrawal from the 2012 Presidential campaign over the allegations, stating he is going to clear his name despite the evidence against him.

February 22nd 2012 – Polls show that Clinton will trounce any Republican rival following Giuliani’s downfall.

February 24th 2012 – Bob McDonnell withdraws from the race as his delegate totals are lacking behind his rivals as Mitch Daniels wins the Wisconsin primary.

March 2nd 2012 – In a lacklustre race, Tim Pawlenty wins Texas, Vermont and Rhode Island with Daniels taking Ohio. As such Pawlenty has enough delegates of his own and free ones from the Giuliani and McDonnell campaigns to claim the nomination, Daniels concedes the race to Pawlenty.

March 5th 2012 – After an uneventful Republican primary race since the Giuliani scandal, President Clinton announces that her second term priorities are a strong economy; another attempt at a public healthcare option; reform of energy practises and better housing for the inner cities.

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March 26th 2012 – President Clinton and Vice President Clark launch their re-election bid officially in Little Rock, Arkansas. This squashes rumours of Clark being dropped from the ticket.

April 11th 2012 – Tim Pawlenty states he will announce his selection for Vice President before the end of the month

April 23rd 2012 – Tim Pawlenty announces Governor Rick Perry of Texas as his nominee for Vice President.

May 4th 2012 – George Stephanopoulos resigns as White House Communications Director as he fully dedicates himself to his role as Senior Consultant on the Clinton campaign along with Campaign Manager and Senior Advisor David Axelrod. President Clinton appoints Ron Klein, formerly Chief of Staff to Al Gore in the Bill Clinton Administration as the new White House Communications Director

May 17th 2012 – Dick Gephardt announces he will retire as Secretary of Labor in January 2013 regardless of whoever wins the election. Rumours also circulate that Commerce Secretary Robert Rubin will retire as well; both men with former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson were part of Clinton’s economic management team to deal with the now passed financial crisis.

June 5th 2012 – Polls show that the President holds a narrow lead against Tim Pawlenty as election season opens up.

July 1st 2012 – President Clinton announces an end to the Iraq War as American troops formally hand over to the Iraqi’s after nine and a half years in the province; Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki thanks the President for her co-operation in the transition.

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July 29th 2012 – Former US President Jimmy Carter dies aged 87 following an infection of the lung; President Clinton pays tribute to Carter as a major statesman and campaigner for peace.

August 11th 2012 – The funeral of Jimmy Carter takes place; President’s Hillary and Bill Clinton along with President’s George HW and W Bush attend along with Vice President’s Walter Mondale, Dan Quayle, Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Wesley Clark. Many Congressional leaders past and present along with surviving members of the Carter Administration attend with former and present world leaders

August 27th to 30th 2012 – The Republican National Convention is held in Tampa, Florida. Speakers include Governor Rick Scott, Senator Scott Brown, former nominee Mike Huckabee, Governor Sarah Palin, Governor Mary Fallin, Senator Lindsey Graham, Congressman Aaron Schock and Senator Mitch McConnell are all notable speakers. Congressman Schock makes the keynote address. Tim Pawlenty and Rick Perry are nominated for President and Vice President on the first ballot.

September 3rd to 6th 2012 – The Democratic National Convention is held in Cleveland, Ohio. Senator Mark Warner, Attorney General Barack Obama, Governor Jerry Brown, Senator Alexi Giannoulias, Senator Richard Durbin, Senator Claire McCaskill, Governor Beverly Perdue and Governor Patrick Quinn are all keynote speakers. Senator McCaskill makes the keynote address.

September 15th 2012 – Clinton and Pawlenty debate on the economy in Saint Louis, Missouri. The debate is regarded as a tie

September 24th 2012 – Clinton and Pawlenty debate again on domestic issues in Boston, Massachusetts; Clinton is regarded as the winner of the debate.

October 2nd 2012 – A book by journalist Steven Moreland is published detailing the ins and outs of the Clinton marriage; the Democrats condemn this as a personal attack on the President.

October 4th 2012 – Wesley Clark and Rick Perry debate in Los Angeles, California. Perry is regarded as the winner of the debate.

October 14th 2012 – Polls show that Hillary Clinton holds a narrow lead over Tim Pawlenty.

October 20th 2012 – Clinton and Pawlenty have a final debate in Richmond, Virginia on foreign policy; Clinton is regarded as the winner for her record with the Richmond Accords and the détente with China.

BBC News
November 6th 2012
Clinton re-elected in narrow poll of confidence

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President Hillary Clinton has been re-elected by a narrow margin in America’s Presidential election over former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. President Clinton gained 278 electoral votes with 50.4% of the vote and 64 million individual votes while Pawlenty won 260 electoral votes with 48.5% of the vote and 59 million individual votes; the election also marked one of the lowest turnouts since the Second World War. While Clinton has steered the US out of recession, ended the Iraq War and made several key popular foreign policy decisions; many Americans are still struggling to find jobs and insurance is at an all time high; many believe that Clinton’s promise for a public health option which was defeated in both 1994 and 2009 swung her the vote against a well organised campaign by Pawlenty who gained the Republican nomination after frontrunner Rudy Giuliani was embroiled in a contract scandal.

The Democrats held onto the Senate with three losses as Sherrod Brown (Ohio) lost to Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, Sheldon Whitehouse (Rhode Island) was defeated by Cranston Mayor Allen Fung and Ben Cardin (Maryland) lost to businessman Charles Lollar; despite predictions of losing, Senator Jim Webb (Virginia) held on by an increased majority. The Democrats also held onto the seats of retiring Herb Kohl (Wisconsin), Dianne Feinstein (California) and Jeff Bingaman (New Mexico) that could have fallen also. The new totals are 53 for the Democrats and 47 for the Republicans in the Congress.

The House however was lost as Eric Cantor’s Republicans swept Democratic marginal seats; the Republicans are now on 230 seats with the Democrats on 205; John Boehner will likely be the new Speaker of the House while current Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced she will not be seeking a leadership post in the new Congress. The Democrats, who put up a fight in many key states, especially North Carolina and Colorado, held onto governor’s mansions.

November 13th 2012 – President Clinton announces changes to her administration; Labor Secretary Dick Gephardt, Veteran’s Affairs Secretary Tammy Duckworth and Commerce Secretary Robert Rubin announce their retirements. Clinton nominates Hawaii Congresswoman Mazie Hirono as Secretary of Labor, former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead as Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson as Secretary of Commerce.

November 24th 2012 – In further administration changes; it is announced that National Security Advisor Richard Danzig will be leaving his post along with White House Chief of Staff Terry McAuliffe. A staunch Clinton congressional ally, Ohio Congresswoman Marcia Fudge is named as the next White House Chief of Staff while Secretary of Homeland Security Chuck Hagel is named as the new National Security Advisor. Rounding off her reshuffle, Clinton nominates former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security.

The Clinton Administration – First Term
President
Hillary Clinton (2009 – present)
Vice President
Wesley Clark (2009 – present)
Secretary of State
Bill Richardson (2009 – present)
Secretary of the Treasury
Henry Paulson (2006* – 2010)
Jamie Dimon (2010 – present)
Secretary of Defense
Anthony Zinni (2009 – present)
Attorney General
Barack Obama (2009 – present)
Secretary of the Interior
George Miller (2009 – present)
Secretary of Agriculture
Tom Vilsack (2009 – present)
Secretary of Commerce
Robert Rubin (2009 – 2013)
Randall Stephenson (2013 – present)
Secretary of Labor
Dick Gephardt (2009 – 2013)
Mazie Hirono (2013 – present)
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Elizabeth Edwards (2009 – present)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Denis Archer (2009 – present)
Secretary of Transportation
Jim Oberstar (2009 – 2011)
Mortimer Downey (2011 – present)
Secretary of Education
Linda Darling-Hammond (2009 – present)
Secretary of Energy
Ed Markey (2009 – present)
Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs
Tammy Duckworth (2009 – 2013)
Gary Roughead (2013 – present)
Secretary of Homeland Security
Chuck Hagel (2009 – 2013)
Janet Napolitano (2013 – present)

White House Chief of Staff
Patti Solis-Doyle (2009 – 2011)
Terry McAuliffe (2011 – 2013)
Marcia Fudge (2013 – present)
White House Counsel
Greg Craig (2009 – 2010)
Eric Holder (2010 – present)
White House Director of Communications
George Stephanopoulos (2009 – 2012)
Ron Klein (2012 – present)
White House Press Secretary
Maggie Williams (2009 – present)
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Austin Goolsbee (2009 – present)
Chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisors
Christina Romer (2009 – 2010)
Sheila Bair (2010 – present)
National Security Advisor
Richard Danzig (2009 – 2013)
Chuck Hagel (2013 – present)
Senior Advisor to the President
Terry McAuliffe (2009 – 2011)
David Axelrod (2009 – present)

*Indicates that the Secretary Paulson was a holdover from the Bush administration having been nominated and sworn in in 2006.

December 12th 2012 – The office of the New York DA Cyrus Vance Jr announces that it will be investigating former Mayor Rudy Giuliani for his role in the contract awards in 1996 and 2000.

December 14th 2012 – Attorney General Obama announces that he will not be intervening in the Giuliani issue

January 3rd 2013 – The new Congress is sworn in; Eric Cantor becomes Speaker of the House with Mike Turner as House Majority Leader and Cathy McMorris Rodgers as House Majority Whip; Rob Andrews becomes House Minority Leader after a term as Majority Whip under the retiring Pelosi and Hoyer. Aiding him will be Jim Cooper as House Minority Whip. Senator Charles Schumer and Senator Richard Durbin remain as Senator Majority Leader and Whip; Senator Daniel Inouye remains as President pro tempore. Mitch McConnell resigns as Senate Minority Leader and is replaced by Jon Kyl, Jeff Sessions is the new Senate Minority Whip.

January 20th 2013 – Hillary Clinton is sworn in for her second and final term as President of the United States
 
This looks very interesting. Is Palin still Governor of Alaska in this TL? Has she been reelected?

Keep up the good work.
 
Thank you for the reviews,

Palin is still Governor of Alaska and is in the final 18 months/two years of her second term as of 2013
 
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