Eastland Rises Over Westland

Yay! Thank you for saving LBJ! :D Poor Senator Stennis. :( Interesting that you had Nixon's phlebitis kill him off ITTL. I know it sent him to the hospital in OTL where I believe he almost died. Wonder who Spiro Agnew will pick as his new VP? I don't see him picking Ford, but I could be wrong. Great (but unsettling) update, except for saving LBJ, which I liked (obviously). :p

Wait a second, Harry Truman died in December 1972 in OTL, but I didn't see any mention of him ITTL.

You're welcome. Truman died as in OTL, yes.
 
Chapter Five


-HAIG NOMINATED AS DEFENSE SECRETARY


-HAIG CAUSES STIR IN QUESTIONING FROM SENATE OVER VIETNAM POLICY AND DRAFT DODGERS - ATTACKS SENATOR KENNEDY
~Haig labeled American Pinochet by Kennedy


-SENATE NARROWLY VOTES IN FAVOUR OF HAIG NOMINATION


-HOUSE PASSES HAIG NOMINATION BY FOUR VOTES - SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS SIDE WITH GOP


-BORK CONFIRMED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL

---------------------------------------------

June 6th, 1973

My fellow Americans; Today, it gives me great pleasure to announce that I will be nominating for the Office of Vice President of the United States and devoted servant of the American people, a true patriot who believes in duty, honour and the greatness of this great beloved nation of ours. Governor Claude Kirk of Florida and I share a great vision of a powerful, prosperous and great America; which represents and fights for it’s citizens. Therefore it is my honour and privilege to formally nominate Claude Kirk to become the next Vice President of the United States.”

---------------------------------------------

The small television screen abruptly cut to a static black as all those assembled in front of it stared at the screen; wondering what to make of the announcement the President had just made. Seated around the makeshift television set were, White House Chief of Staff, Donald Rumsfeld, his deputy and protege Richard “Dick” Cheney, the kid on the block from Washington state and various other members of the White House staff. After several long moments of silence one of the group spoke up.

“Well, what the fuck was that!?” exclaimed the twenty six year old Washingtonian with his hands gesturing the punctuation.

“What d’you mean?” asked the slightly puzzled Rumsfeld who sat on the side of a desk, smoking a pipe and showing his bleached white teeth as he bit on the pipe.

“You know what I mean Don.”

“What?,- I thought it was a splendid announcement and choice,” cut in Cheney - eager as ever to flank his bespectacled ally and boss.

“Come on cut the soundbites; how the hell are we supposed to get someone like Kirk through Congress, unscathed or even through at all. He’s a bloody ra,-”

“Now come on,” cut in Rumsfeld, his grin having faded from his face, “Kirk is a fine firm conservative and patriot who shares the President,- shares our mission and vision, of a powerful, prosperous and great America; which represents and fights for it’s citizens.”

“But,- he’s spouted racist language and is associated with Walla,-”

“True but he’s a patriotic American and one who fights for our nation,-”

“In... Congress?”

“In Congress.”

The Washingtonian sighed, “that man will, mark my work, not get confirmed and will only succeed in showing weaknesses in the President’s support in Congress! By doing this he’s alienated the liberal party Senators in Congress an,-”

“and,” cut in Rumsfeld, with emphasis on the word, “he will have the support of the rest of the Republican caucus and the Southern Democrats, who’ll leap to such a proposal.”

“I fear they wont; he’s made a right balls up” cursed Bundy to Rumsfeld as he got up and walked out of the room. They continued talking among themselves now, not taking any notice of him. Fools; Kirk won’t be confirmed, Agnew’ll be forced out over his dodgy finances and that drunken midget Albert will get elected in his place. Worse still, he, Theodore R. Bundy would be out of his job, in the most powerful city in the world; in the most powerful building in the world. He needed to get back to Washington and get some good job lined up, before things went pear shaped here in Washington.

---------------------------------------------

President: Spiro T. Agnew
Vice President: Claude R. Kirk, Jr. (Waiting to be confirmed)

Secretary of State: William P. Rogers
Secretary of the Treasury: Milton Friedman
Secretary of Defense: Alexander Haig
Attorney General: Robert Bork
Secretary of the Interior: Rogers Morton
Secretary of Agriculture: Earl Butz
Secretary of Commerce: Peter Peterson
Secretary of Labor: James Hodgson
Secretary of Health Education and Welfare: Caspar Weinberger
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: James Thomas Lynn
Secretary of Transportation: Claude Brinegar

Director of Central Intelligence: Richard M. Helms
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation: Mark Felt
United States Ambassador to the United Nations: William F. Buckley, Jr.

President's Chief of Staff: Donald Rumsfeld
Assistant Chief of Staff: Richard Cheney
Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs: William J. Casey
Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy: Paul Weyrich
Press Secretary: Patrick Buchanan

---------------------------------------------

Secretary of State William Rogers sat awkwardly in the middle of the group assembled to discuss Foreign Policy with the President. The ‘others’ of the group comprised of Chief of Staff Don Rumsfeld, Assistance Chief of Staff Richard Cheney, Special Assistant to the President for NatSec Affairs William J. Casey and Defense Secretary Al Haig. As the group waited in the Oval Office for the President, Rogers couldn’t help but feel that he was a minority among this group of neo-conservatives.

The door then swung open as the President gleefully walked in; his tie still sat draped around his neck and a bowl of soggy cereal in his hand. The President was flanked by his Vice Presidential nominee Claude Kirk, who seemed to be entering into the room for the first time.

The group already in the Oval Office rose from their seats and stood as the President came in; the gesture made Agnew grin and made Rogers think of rolling his eyes; only Rumsfeld’s ever present eagle eyed glare prevented him from doing so.

“Sit down all of you” Agnew said and he sat down, put his feet up on the desk and dug into his bowl of cereal and soaked up milk. “Now William, what’s all this about the UN?”

“Well, Mr President, I think it’s time for us to discuss our position concerning and with the United Nations; in light of the recent censure act by them...”

“I fail to see why we should take any actions to back down from this group of jumped up college society debaters. They’re a bunch of commies and liberals who try to act like they matter.”

“Mr President if I may, the fact that they have censured the...”

“Oh come on William, let them censure us as much as they want; it’s not like it will affect us?” That got a big nod of agreement from the VP nominee.

“It... is rather serious Mr President, I think we...”

“...should withdraw.”

Rogers blinked, numb with the shock of the statement and the bluntness of it. He sat for a second think of what he should say. He didn’t need to as Agnew continued,-

“The time has come for this great republic to assert itself and it’s own free independent foreign policy which isn’t held down by the Ruskies in the Kremlin or the liberal negative naysayers from Europe and elsewhere... I’ve been discussing this with Claude and the others,-”

Good Lord, the madman never got this bad - though the increasingly outnumbered Rogers who snapped in to try and stop the President further digging the grave of US Foreign Policy, “Mr President, please can we discuss... without looking at this issue two dimensionally. I think we should prepare a state,-”

Rumsfeld cut in, “Nonsense William, the last thing we need is to cut in and get down on our knees and start begging to the Kremlin and Peking. The President is right, we need to show we aren’t going to be bullied into groveling to the Commies.”

Agnew grinned while waving his spoon to emphasise his words, “Right there Don. We wont be bullied by the low life lousy leftists!”

“Mr President, we cannot leave the United Nations,-”

“Give it time William, the idea will catch on with the patriotic God-fearing middle Americans.”

There won’t be any patriotic God-fearing middle Americans by the time you’re finished in Office - thought Rogers who acknowledged that he was fighting a losing battle; he wondered if there were any good lecturing jobs at a University or directorships up for grabs if he drafted a resignation letter soon enough.

“Well Mr President, could we please turn our attention to Viet-Nam.” barged in Haig who sensed that there could be a heated exchange over the UN, better to change it to something less divisive like ‘Nam...(!)

“What about it?” asked the President, eager to leave his mark on the South East Asian nation, whether it be the Mekong into a Tennessee Valley like LBJ or a nice big glass crater a la Truman.

“Well as you know we have decided to step up our operation there, as you have said, Johnson wasn’t firm enough.”

“True, true...”

“So, umm... what were you planning for us to do in Vietnam,” asked Rogers; regretting asking and almost dreading the response.

“I think we should get ready to have some talks with the commies in Hanoi.”

“Oh, that sounds good...” said the cautiously optimistic Rogers who was about to put forward proposals for talks with himself as the US representative, naturally.

“...After... we drop a few nukes on the Ho Chi Minh trail and Hanoi. That should get the North Vietnamese, the Chinese and the Kremlin ready for talks.”

“Wh-what!” coughed Rogers as Rumsfeld glared at him. Rogers could feel his skin crawling under his suit; this was beyond a joke now, this man was a nutjob.

“Relax William; it was only a joke; but I think that’s the sort of thing which should get the North Vietnamese ready to listen and talk; and the Kremlin should be ready to question and fear.”

William Rogers couldn’t relax as he knew that Agnew probably wasn’t joking. He shriveled up in his chair and spent the rest of the meeting drafting his resignation memo in his head.

---------------------------------------------

-ROGERS RESIGNS
Cites irreconcilable differences with President Agnew’s strategy

...

-Washington Post article headline, 4/7/1973

---------------------------------------------

Hearings of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the nomination of Claude Kirk, Jr.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA): Mr Kirk, you are a member of the John Birch Society - or rather an affiliate of the group, correct?

Kirk: Indeed.

Kennedy: So... do you stand by the policy of the group that states that the United Nations is a anti-American organisation. Let me see; it's one of the Society's first and foremost campaigns; as it proudly states on literature - such as this one I have here. *Lifts up JBS literature and reads from it* 'One of the first campaigns of The John Birch Society was to get the U.S. out of the United Nations. The global power elites view the UN as their main vehicle for establishing, step by step, a socialistic global government controlled by themselves. Now, more than ever, we need to get out of the UN and remove the UN from the United States.' Do... you stand by that policy and agree with it?

Kirk: Yes I do. President Agnew and myself agree and believe that in light of the recent censuring efforts and drive by the liberal driven United Nations the time has come for this great nation of ours to leave that organisation and reclaim our position as a nation which is free from foreign intervention or control. So yes I do believe that this nation should leave the United Nations as stated by the information flier you have just read.

Sen. Pat Robertson (D-VA): Indeed I agree completely, good Sir. Do you think this country needs to get back to the morals that were set about by the Founding Fathers and not continue along the path set about by corrupting social liberals who wish to end morality in this great nation and take God out of,-

Sen. James Eastland (D-MS) (Chair): Senator Robertson, you are out of order.

Kirk: I answer to the Senator's point [*Eastland tries to protest but is drowned out by Kirk raising his voice*] - I agree that this drive to stop the Lord's word being spread in our schools and in our homes. I agree completely that this nation needs to readjust it's moral compass and restore morality

Sen. Birch Bayh (D-IN): So I take it that the Congressman does not support the right of a woman to choose,-

Kirk: Choose what? The right to butcher her unborn child? I- uhh support the ruling by the Supreme Court on this matter and will stand by the ruling of the Supreme Court.

Bayh: So if the Supreme Court were to change their ruling you would support it's new ruling wholeheartedly?

Kirk: With regards that a completely hypothetically question and I thus answer such a question.

Sen. George H.W. Bush (R-TX): So does that mean the Congressman would not support any liberal rulings by the Supreme Court?

Kirk: I stand by what I said...

Bush: I see. I recall you once denouncing Justice Warren and the Supreme Court as an 'attacker of the little man and his castle' & wished for Earl Warren to be impeached - something the Birch Society supports very much. Do you still stand by your prior statement?

Kirk: Well Earl Warren was an unusual and un-American Justice, but he was an exception like other un-American Justices he should have and should be impeached.

Bush: ...And does un-American mean simply liberal?

Kirk: It may...

Eastland: (Cutting In) Do you believe it is right to compromise your beliefs when your are elected, by proxy albeit to a position as high as that of Vice President and with the de facto Speakership of the United States Senate. Surely in order to maintain fairness and order in the Senate there is a need to compromise your beliefs and work with others?

Kirk: I don’t see why I should compromise with un-American leftists who hate everything this country stands for. I fail to see why we should give any oxygen to it; let alone let it have a say in how this nation is run and spreads it’s freedom loving liberty message.

Eastland: Mr Kirk you do know there is a line between stubbornness and walking the line; could you possibly walk that for us?

Kirk: I see no need to compromise my values with un-American loopy leftists.

Eastland: Apparently. [*Sighs*]

Kennedy: Do you support the increase in troops to Vietnam brought about by President Nixon and now accelerated by Mr Agnew and Mr Haig...

Kirk: That's President Agnew and Secretary Haig to you.

Kennedy: ...Look listen here, do you support troop increases into Vietnam despite the fact that public opinion in this country is wholly against the conflict and wishes for a speedy withdrawal from Vietnam?

Kirk: Well you say that, but I'm inclined not to believe what is written in the Washington Post at face value; from what I have heard the majority of people do in fact support the conflict and wish for a SPEEDY US victory and the spreading capitalism not a speedy withdrawal as a defeatist and appeasers such as your self would.

Kennedy: I take it you would favour an increase in bombing?

Kirk: Indeed.

Kennedy: ...And to what extent?

Kirk: I’d like to see the obliteration of North Vietnam, naturally

Sen. Hiram Fong (R-HI) (Ranking Minority Member): Surely the Congressman means getting North Vietnam to the table and discussing an amicable or even pro-Southern resolution of the conflict?

Kirk: Communism is like a cockroach, no matter what normal technique you try it will still come back and corrode and infest capitalist and freedom loving areas. It is key that we stamp it out and destroy it; a bit like a weed in the garden, you don’t simply chop the head of, you dig it’s roots out and destroy it. You don’t just stop there, you roll it back to it’s source.

Eastland: I see...

---------------------------------------------

The Oval Office

Rumsfeld: Mr President I fail to see why we are putting ourselves through with this self masochism in standing with Kirk. Sure he’s a fine firm conservative patriot by he’s alienating more or less everyone in the country besides the Christ nuts, the Birchers and the a-political-

*The Presidents skims over the transcript of the hearings while chewing on an apple*

Agnew: I don’t see what’s so bad about what he has said,-

Rumsfeld: He’s publicly stated our intentions in Vietnam and it makes Rogers leaving the State Department like a good decision; heck the liberal airheads will feel sorry for him; I didn’t think that was even possible!-

Agnew: Look he said nothing untoward at the hearings; we stand by him,-

Rumsfeld: *About to protest, but then decides against it* Fine

Agnew: Good. Period.

---------------------------------------------

Pat Buchanan (at a press conference at the White House; responding to Press questioning): The President stands by his nominee one hundred percent. Governor Kirk may have had a slip of the tongue or have used some lose metaphors; but at the end of the day he is still a patriotic and proud American, a committed anti-communist and is the best person for the job in President Agnew and my own opinions.


Senate Majority Whip Robert Byrd (responding to Buchanan’s statement): My ol’ hounds could do a better job being Vice President compared to President Agnew’s nominee!

Hunter S. Thompson: I suppose that cock sucker Agnew and Buchanan are right - I mean anyone, even Dick Nixon’s corpse could do a better job at being Vice President compared to him.


---------------------------------------------


The United States Senate had a relatively easy task on paper to do. It had to decide whether to scupper President Agnew’s Vice Presidential nominee or to give Governor Kirk it’s stamp of approval and to send his nomination off to the House; and probably certain death. It was expected that the vote would be close and along partisan lines. The Republican leadership spent most of the period before the vote giving favours to a set of liberal Senators from their caucus (which included Jacob Javits (R-NY), Edward Brooke (R-MA), Margaret Chase Smith (R-ME), Charles Mathias (R-MD), Richard Schweicker (R-PA), Clifford Case (R-NJ),) in order to get their votes. The Republican Whip(s) also lobbied conservative and rebel Democrats with various similar offers. The Democratic leadership on the other hand worked to keep the conservative wing of the party (which included James O. Eastland (D-MS), Herman Talmadge (D-GA), Ernest Vandiver (D-GA), Pat Robertson (D-VA), John Sparkman (D-AL),) from voting for the Vice Presidential nominee and also courted the liberal ‘Rockefeller’ wing of the Republican caucus; only Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith appeared to be receptive. Both parties also courted the various minor and independent parties in the Senate; the New York Conservative Senator, James Buckley was a de facto Republican and thus was all but assured to vote Aye. Independent Democrat from Louisiana, John J. McKeithen (who would after the 1974 Midterms join the Democratic caucus as a Democrat) also indicated he’d vote with the Democratic caucus. Independent Democrats Orval Faubus and Harry F. Byrd were known to be on the fence, despite all the attention they were receiving. One of the stranger votes was to be cast by the equally strange and maverick Maryland Senator, George Mahoney. Mahoney who had won his seat in 1970 thanks in part to Independent Democrats and Republicans running splitting the Democratic and Republican candidates voting totals; allowing him to ‘come up the middle’ with less than 35% of the vote; Mahoney, an American Independent Senator was privately known to be in the ‘Anti-Agnew’ camp by virtue of the latter beating him for the Governorship in Maryland in 1966 (due to an independent Democrat, Harry A. Pressman running and splitting the Democratic vote.)

It was commonly accepted in the media by pundits and many politicians (including Republicans) that Kirk would lose; with predictions ranging from a 60-40 vote to anything as close as 51-49 or even a 50-50 split.

The Senators began the ballot roll call at 11:30 am and was expected to be finished within an hour. The Senators were reminded that they were not allowed or permitted to abstain from the vote or during the vote. A refusal to vote would lead to disciplinary action by the Senate Leadership. The Senate only needed one ballot to decide the fate of the Kirk nomination.

The vote therefore began at 11:30 am (EST - Eastern Standard Time.)


James Abourezk (D-SD) - Nay
George Aiken (R-VT) - Aye
James Allen (D-AL) - Aye
Gordon Allott (R-CO) - Aye
Howard Baker (R-TN) - Aye

Aye = 4 Nay = 1​

Birch Bayh (D-IN) - Nay
Henry Bellmon (R-OK) - Aye
Wallace Bennett (R-UT) - Aye
Allen Bible (D-NV) - Nay
Caleb Boggs (R-DE) - Aye

Aye = 7 Nay = 3​

Edward Brooke (R-MA) - Aye
James Buckley (C-NY) - Aye
Quentin Burdick (D-ND) - Nay
George H.W. Bush (R-TX) - Aye
Harry F. Byrd (I[D]-VA) - Aye

Aye = 11 Nay = 4​

Robert Byrd (D-WV) - Nay
Howard Cannon (D-NV) - Nay
Clifford Case (R-NJ) - Aye
John Chafee (R-RI) - Aye
Lawton Chiles (D-FL) - Nay

Aye = 13 Nay = 7​

Frank Church (D-ID) - Nay
Dick Clark (D-IA) - Nay
Marlowe Cook (R-KY) - Aye
Norris Cotton (R-NH) - Aye
Alan Cranston (D-CA) - Nay

Aye = 15 Nay = 10​

Carl Curtis (R-NE) - Aye
Robert Dole (R-KS) - Aye
Peter Domenici (R-NM) - Aye
Peter Dominick (R-CO) - Aye
Thomas Eagleton (D-MO) - Nay

Aye = 19 Nay = 11​

James Eastland (D-MS) - Aye
Sam Ervin (D-NC) - Aye
Paul Fannin (R-AZ) - Aye
Orval Faubus (I[D]-AR) - Aye
Hiram Fong (R-HI) - Aye

Aye = 24 Nay = 11​

William Fulbright (D-AR) - Nay
Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) - Aye
Albert Gore, Sr. (D-TN) - Nay
Mike Gravel (D-AK) - Aye
Robert Griffin (R-MI) - Aye

Aye = 27 Nay = 13​

Edward Gurney (R-FL) - Aye
Clifford Hansen (R-WY) - Aye
Fred Harris (D-OK) - Nay
R. Vance Hartke (D-IN) - Nay
Mark Hatfield (R-OR) - Aye

Aye = 30 Nay = 15​

Jesse Helms (R-NC) - Aye
Ernest Hollings (D-SC) - Nay
Walter D. Huddleston (D-KY) - Nay
Harold Hughes (D-IA) - Nay
Hubert H. Humphrey (DFL-MN) - Nay

Aye = 31 Nay = 21​

Daniel Inouye (D-HI) - Nay
Henry Jackson (D-WA) - Nay
Jacob Javits (R-NY) - Aye
Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) - Nay
Russell B. Long (D-LA) - Nay

Aye = 32 Nay = 23​

Warren Magnuson (D-WA) - Nay
George P. Mahoney (A-MD) - Nay
Michael Mansfield (D-MT) - Nay
Charles Mathias (R-MD) - Aye
James A. McClure (R-ID) - Aye

Aye = 34 Nay = 26​

Gale McGee (D-WY) - Nay
George McGovern (D-SD) - Nay
Thomas McIntyre (D-NH) - Nay
John McKeithen (I[D]-LA) - Nay
Lee Metcalf (D-MT) - Nay

Aye = 34 Nay = 31​

Howard Metzenbaum (D-OH) - Nay
Walter Mondale (DFL-MN) - Nay
Joseph Montoya (D-NM) - Nay
Frank B. Morrison (D-NE) - Nay
Edward Moss (D-UT) - Nay

Aye = 34 Nay = 36​

George Murphy (R-CA) - Aye
Edmund Muskie (D-ME) - Nay
Gaylord Nelson (D-WS) - Nay
Robert Packwood (R-OR) - Aye
John O. Pastore (D-RI) - Nay

Aye = 36 Nay = 39​

James B. Pearson (R-KS) - Aye
Charles H. Percy (R-IL) - Aye
William Proxmire (D-WS) - Nay
Jennings Randolph (D-WV) - Nay
Abraham Ribicoff (D-CT) - Nay

Aye = 38 Nay = 42​

M. Gordon “Pat” Robertson (D-VA) - Aye
Lenore Romney (R-MI) - Aye
William Roth (R-DE) - Aye
William Saxbe (R-OH) - Aye
Richard Schweicker (R-PA) - Aye

Aye = 43 Nay = 42​

William G. Sesler (D-PA) - Nay
Margaret Chase Smith (R-ME) - Nay
John Sparkman (D-AL) - Nay
Robert Stafford (R-VT) - Aye
Ted Stevens (R-AK) - Aye

Aye = 45 Nay = 45​

Adlai Stevenson III (D-IL) - Nay
Stuart Symington (D-MO) - Nay
Herman Talmadge (D-GA) - Aye
Strom Thurmond (R-SC) - Aye
John Tower (R-TX) - Aye

Aye = 48 Nay = 47​

Ernest Vandiver (D-GA) - Nay
Lowell Weicker (R-CT) - Aye
John B. Williams (D-MS) - Aye
Harrison Williams (D-NJ) - Nay
Milton Young (R-ND) - Aye

Aye = 51 Nay 49​

The clerk of the Senate re-read the roll and pronounced the result. With that the chamber of the Senate suddenly erupted into cheers from the Republican caucus who rose in cheers and claps of applause. While the cheers continued Senate Minority Leader Robert P. Griffin walked over to the downhearted Democratic caucus area and spoke to Majority Leader Mike Mansfield and gave him a pat on the back;

“You win some, you lose some.”

“I suppose.”

The Democratic caucus with Senator’s Mahoney and McKeithen sat in practical silence; stunned that the President had actually won the vote. For the several Democrats who sided with the Republicans, Senate ‘Majority’ Whip Robert Byrd smiled weakly and shook his head. Senators Allen and Eastland rolled their eyes at Byrd, Talmadge and Gravel tried to ignore him and stared at the ceiling of the hall or at their notes; Senator Robertson mouthed ‘fuck you’ to the Whip who simply chuckled and shook his head faster.

---------------------------------------------

"...Senator Gravel (D-AK) when asked about his vote stated that he had concerns over not having a Vice President in place. When pressed about the support of the VP-nominee for an increase in Vietnam, the Senator offered no comment.

...

It has been suggested that the 'off-the-wall,' 'arrogant' and 'abrasive' Senator from Alaska; who has stated in the past that he is annoyed at being 'weighed down by the usual means of seniority-based committee assignments or negotiating deals with other senators' has opted and relied on attention-getting gestures to achieve what he wants, hoping national exposure will force other Senators to listen to him. In the past the maverick Senate Democrat has sided with Southern Democrats so as to raise his image in the media and public; despite the fact that the two are (supposedly) on differing sides of the political divide and the Democratic Party. This would seem to suggest why the 'loose cannon' from Alaska voted with Conservative Democratic colleagues such as - Pat Robertson of Virginia, Herman Talmadge of Georgia, Jim Allen of Alabama and Senators John Williams and James O. Eastland of Mississippi; the large defection by these Democrats lead to the 51-49 victory for President Agnew's nominee.

-Washington Post article

---------------------------------------------

President Agnew and his nominee sat watching the proceedings on a small television that had been wired up in the Oval Office at what appeared to be short notice; all under the watchful eye of Don Rumsfeld and his loyal hound Dick Cheney; who stood watching the proceedings from the side of the room. When the result came in Agnew raised his arms in triumph as did his nominee. Rumsfeld turned to face Cheney and said while shaking his head,

“I don’t suppose anyone has told him that they still need to go through the House...”

---------------------------------------------

-HOUSE VOTES 220-215 FOR KIRK

-KIRK SWORN IN A VICE PRESIDENT

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(A little snippet of the next chapter)

---------------------------------------------
Washington D.C.

The meeting took place at short notice and under completely secrecy in the office of the President pro-tempore. Those in attendance are, President pro-tempore James Eastland (D-MS), Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (D-MT), Senate Minority Leader Robert P. Griffin (R-MI), Speaker of the House Carl Albert (D-OK), House Majority Leader Hale Boggs (D-LA) and House Minority Leader Gerald Ford (R-MI). President pro-tempore Eastland, with a fat cigar in his mouth turns to the others in attendance and addresses them bluntly.

"Gentleman, Agnew is a buffoon and we need to stop him before it is too late. He's dragging this country through the mud and is destroying it in the process - we have to stop him!"

No one disagreed.

House Minority Leader Ford next addressed the group, sporting an equally smoggy pipe in his mouth -

"The question is how we get rid of him without him or anyone else knowing too soon..."

No one disagreed, once again.

---------------------------------------------

Oval Office

"Now we crush the bastards!" exclaimed the President to his Vice President and Chief of Staff. All nodded in agreement.

Rumsfeld grinned and drew a thick black line through a few names on 'The President's Master List' - they'd show the liberal bastards who was boss; one way or another. Now where was that book on Chappaquiddick with all his notes on a certain Senator?

---------------------------------------------

-AGNEW INDICTED
Baltimore Grand Jury Indicts President over Conspiracy, Tax Fraud & Bribery

-Washington Post headline, 8/8/1973

---------------------------------------------

Nicholas von Hoffman (On Point/Counterpoint): "Talk about 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,' in the last two years for President we've had 'The Bad, the very Bad and the the Terrible,' now we're onto the ugly."

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Chapter Six


-SUPREME COURT RULES ON ‘MILLER V. CALIFORNIA’
~Rules 5-4 that obscene speech cannot be banned by the Govt.


-IRAQI PRESIDENT AL-BAKR KILLED IN COUP ATTEMPT
~Vice President Hussein brutally suppresses dissent, maintains power and has plotters executed


-JUAN PERON KILLED IN PLANE CRASH LANDING


-LA MAYOR BRADLEY KILLED AT INAUGURATION
~Mrs Bradley, Fmr. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, California SecState Jerry Brown & 150 bystanders also killed / Assumed to be racially motivated assassination


-RACE RIOTS IN LA, CHICAGO, DETROIT, NEW ORLEANS & D.C.
~50 Killed in the ghetto violence as National Guard called in in several states to quash the rioting and rioters in response to Mayor Bradley's assassination


-PRES. AGNEW & HAIG STEP UP CAMBODIA BOMBING
~‘End of the tunnel in sight’ - Haig


-BATTLE OF THE SEXES
~Riggs beats King in tennis rematch


-CV 66 SUNK BY COMMUNIST SUB TORPEDO OFF COAST OF VIETNAM
~Nearly seventy American lives lost in suspected Chinese attack


-AGNEW NAMES TEXAS SENATOR BUSH AS SEC OF STATE NOMINEE


-SOYUZ 12 CRASHES ON TAKE-OFF


-CABRAL DECLARES GUINEA-BISSAU INDEPENDENCE
~Estado Novo regime in Lisbon condemns move


-CABRAL ASSASSINATED - AS PORTUGAL BEGINS INVASION OF GUINEA-BISSAU
~UN condemns move by Portugal; Agnew gives support to Portugese regime as "defenders of freedom"


-BUSH SET TO BECOME SEC OF STATE
~Senate & House confirm nominee by large margins


-AGNEW INDICTED
~Baltimore Grand Jury Indicts President over Conspiracy, Tax Fraud & Bribery


(Assorted New Headlines from June-August 1973)

---------------------------------------------

A few days after the Agnew indictment hit the press a series of marches and protests were organised to convene and be held in Washington D.C. The protests which sought to emulate the 1963 Civil Rights march on Washington by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.; where the Rev. King gave his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech. The ‘Peacenik March’ as it was dubbed famous in the National Review was headed by Jesse Jackson, Tom Hayden and Jane Fonda headed the march, with Gov. Eugene McCarthy (I-MN) and Rep. Ron Dellums also playing leading roles in the march.

The marches which had the aims of an immediate withdrawal from Vietnam and the resignation of President Spiro Agnew. The protests (which had aimed to have near one million attendees) enlisted some four hundred thousand protests who converged on Washington D.C. for the march. The march was ‘scheduled’ to terminate at/on the Mall at the Lincoln Memorial (where the Rev. King spoke in August 1963.) At the Mall there would be music on the Mall and speaking events situated at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Things at first went on without a hitch with the protest successfully making it’s way into Washington D.C. However the protesters set their sights on the White House and gathered around the fencing of the building’s perimeter and proceeded to chant Anti-Vietnam and Anti-Agnew slogans. Jesse Jackson and Gov. McCarthy attempted to deliver a petition to the President within the White House grounds. While inside the two manage to get into scuffles with the White House Police and are summarily arrested. Seeing this the mood outside turns from peaceful protest to rioting. The President calls in troops to disperse the crowds across Washington, under the orders to use ‘all the necessary force.’ This ‘necessary force’ leads to rioting overnight in Washington leaving forty people dead including six police officers. There are further protests in the severely overcrowded D.C. jails.

~ ~ ~

President Agnew later addressed the American people stating that the actions of the rioters, “proves the moot argument of those on the liberal left... [And] shows their willingness and happiness to use violence against this Administration, law in this great nation and against the law-abiding citizens of this nation.”

Polls show that the President’s net approval ratings have risen in light of his attack on the “long-haired lay-about hippies;” rising from around 45% to 52%.

---------------------------------------------

President Agnew, Attorney General Bork and Chief of Staff Rumsfeld conduct a closed door meeting on the 8th of August (the day after Agnew’s indictment); at which the indictment handed down to the President are discussed. No notes are taken or kept of the minutes and transcript of the discussion.

~ ~ ~

Across Washington another meeting took place a few days later with an altogether different cast of figures in attendance.

The meeting took place at short notice and under completely secrecy in the office of the President pro-tempore. Those in attendance are, President pro-tempore James Eastland (D-MS), Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (D-MT), Senate Minority Leader Robert P. Griffin (R-MI), Speaker of the House Carl Albert (D-OK), House Majority Leader Hale Boggs (D-LA) and House Minority Leader Gerald Ford (R-MI). President pro-tempore Eastland, with a fat cigar in his mouth turns to the others in attendance and addresses them bluntly.

"Gentleman, Agnew is a buffoon and we need to stop him before it is too late. He's dragging this country through the mud and is destroying it in the process - we have to stop him!"

No one disagreed.

House Minority Leader Ford next addressed the group, sporting an equally smoggy pipe in his mouth -

"The question is how we get rid of him without him or anyone else knowing too soon..."

No one disagreed, once again.

“We could scare him out of the job with the threat of jail for his crimes,” said the Louisiana Representative looking around the room and charting the looks and expressions of the other individuals in attendance. There were some nods of agreement, but not nearly as unanimous as before. Ford spoke once again,

“I doubt he could be tempted to go; he’s devoid of normal human thought and reason.” Mansfield and Eastland both guffawed at the remark. After a slight chuckle the House Speaker weighed in his point of view,

“And supposing we get rid of him, we’ve still got his batman to deal with... I think we need to see if we can get him to chose a sensible Vice President... If not then we either get him out before he can cause any trouble or damage.” Jerry Ford nodded his head and breathed in his pipe giving out a large cloud of smoke from it.

“Supposing we do get rid of both of them; that means you Carl will be President an,-”

“Lemme stop you right there Jerry” said the little giant from Little Dixie taking a swipe from his small whiskey flask, “I’ll only be Acting President if that were to happen. I’d first pick a Republican for the Vice Presidency and then resign. The Democratic Party and myself do not have the mandate for the Presidency.”

While the conversation pressed on the President pro-tempore felt a fire of anger in his belly growing, these fools were trying to get rid of the President and then would give it away at a moments notice like that fool Albert. James O. Eastland wondered how close he could get to the Presidency or if he could even maybe clench the prize itself and outfox the liberals, hippies and nigger lovers such as the rest of those in the room...

---------------------------------------------

Former President Lyndon Baines Johnson sat lying on the settee in the living room on his ranch. Ever since his heart attack his doctor had ‘advised’ him not to smoke, drink or do anything particularly stressful. He would have taken no heed of the doctor’s advise if it had not been for the fact that Lady Bird had ensured that he could get no hold of the former two and ensured he had a stress free existence in exile on his ranch.

The former President sat watching the footage of rioting in D.C. all due to that fool Agnew’s actions. The violence on the streets of the capital reminded the President of the violence at the Convention in Chicago in ’68. Thought it probably was more civil that what occurred at the International Amphitheater in Chicago.

Johnson despaired at the state of the nation, a mere four years after he left the Oval Office. It was going to shit and there was nothing that the former President could do here in his self-loathing depressing exile on his ranch in Texas. That was the other thing that Johnson despaired - he was wasting himself away here, when he could be using his many qualities and expertise to the national advantage in D.C.

Agnew’s administration appeared to be like a battleship steaming in enemy waters. It had so far evaded the majority of enemy fire and was quite happily steaming along it’s (destructive) path firing missiles at what it thought was the enemy, but turned out to be their own side. Now the little ship was running out of fuel and all the enemy missiles had locked on and were about to strike - all at once. The President then let out a chuckle - people would soon enough be yearning for his time as President. Johnson in ’76 he thought.

That got Johnson thinking, Senator Bush had just been appointed Secretary of State and there was a vacancy for the Senate seat he had just departed and the Governor was still deciding on whom to appoint for the post; word had it that it could be someone from the conservative wing; something Johnson thought would not bode well for the Texas Democratic Party - especially after the liberal Yarborough had scuttled the election of 'conservative' Democrat Lloyd Bentsen as an Independent letting Bush in through the middle to win. The party needed someone who could unite the wings, not facilitate to the Conservative Connally’s wing (Connally was never appointed Treasury Secretary ITTL and remained a Democrat despite endorsing President Nixon; but did not chair the ‘Democrats for Nixon,’ as he did IOTL.) or the Liberal Yarborough wing.

Then the former President came to a truly outrageous thought. --No it wouldn’t be possible, it’s truly ludicrous. However it might work and would it would be great to get back in the game and to be back in D.C. Sure the left wing would cite his record in Vietnam - but everyone overlooks the ‘Great Society,’ Civil Rights and the many advancements and achievements of the Johnson years, which greatly outweighed the negatives. Sure it would be a good rising from the ashes - phoenix story, especially with him the most popular President (former albeit) living compared to the bone head in the White House now. If it could work for Andrew Johnson when everyone wrote him off after his Presidency, it could work for Lyndon Baines Johnson a hundred years later!

“It might bloody well work!” exclaimed the former President to the otherwise empty room. He felt better than he had in years. He had a few calls to make, namely to Gov. Lloyd Bentsen...

---------------------------------------------

Oval Office

“Word in Austin is that Governor Bentsen could appoint Johnson to Bush’ senate seat,” the White House Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld paraphrased from the selection of cuttings he read to the President routinely every ‘morning’ when the President got up for breakfast at midday.

“Shit!” exclaimed the President as he nearly fell out his chair and splurted out some of the energy drink he had been drinking all over the the newspaper cutting he had in front of him. It was about Chinese PLA troops ambushing Soviet border guards near some island. Nothing serious.(...) “They clearly must be out of good people to chose from in the Texas Democratic Party,” guffawed the President clearly bemused yet anxious at the fact that the former and formidable legislator President could be making a come back.

“So Don,” the bespectaled man looked up from his press cuttings made up of conservative Washington Post columns & articles and the National Review. “Anything else major in the news?”

“Well Mr President, nothing in the news.”

“In the news..., Don?”

The Chief of Staff pulled a chair out and sat on it backwards - facing the President. He began,

“Mr President, now you know that in all likelihood that the liberals in the House will try to impeach and get rid of you.”

“Yes Don, I’ve gathered that may be the case... But nothing to worry about, eh?”

“Yeah...”

“I mean we can rally the Southern Democrats and AIP Congressmen to our aid and defeat such a silly motion.”

“Um... Yes... of course Mr President... However I would like to look into the possibility of us doing things... to neutralise the outspoken liberals in congress and render them mute - the... Ted Kennedys of the political world if you may.”

“I see; I’m all for stoping them, however what exactly do you mean?”

“Well maybe surveillance to stop them from doing anything... un-American.”

“I see... I’m all for it. I’ll discuss it with Helms and Felt and co.”

“Excellent, Mr President. Now we crush the bastards”

The President echoed him - "Now we crush the bastards!" exclaimed the President to his Vice President and Chief of Staff. All nodded in agreement.

Rumsfeld grinned and drew a thick black line through a few names on 'The President's Master List' - they'd show the liberal bastards who was boss; one way or another. Now where was that book on Chappaquiddick with all his notes on a certain Senator? Or would he go after a certain House Committee Chairman who was rather well acquainted with an Argentine stripper - or so Mark Felt had said - he’d need those photos.

---------------------------------------------

Wilbur Mills yawned as he picked up the mail from Washington D.C. residence with a cup of coffee in his hand. The Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means committee was hungover from the late night session of the House the night before. He’d been talking to Peter Rodino, John Conyers, Paul Sarbanes and Don Edwards - the House Managers about presenting motions on the grounds of removing President Agnew due to several counts he had been indicted over in Maryland. He made no secret of his intentions and was enjoying toying with the Administration.

The letters in the pile were mostly constituents concerns; which he would direct towards the office. However one of the letters was a rather large flat ‘parcel’ which immediately caught his eye. He immediately tore it to shreds; his mood of curiosity also turned more or less immediately from sleepy curiosity to a form of raging panic. There in front of him was several revealing pictures of Fanne Foxe, his Argentine stripper mistress who he’d met a year before. It was attached to a note, badly written and Canuck-esque which read -

DON’T TRY ANYTHING STUPID

At first he panicked, what if the press found out about this - or if this was from the press. He’d be finished and destroyed; the Ways and Means Chairmanship would have to go. After he collected his emotions and thought the situation over he stating thinking. Why would the press send this to him in such a manner, or at all. Also would anyone send it to him in such a fashion and not instead to the press. Then he realised that this was probably from some Administration goon who’d overheard his discussions with the others before and including the night before.

His mood turned now to burning rage - Fuck you Agnew he began shouting or rather chanting out loud. He’d destroy the cock sucker now. The Congressman quickly got dressed and made his way to Congress to meet the rest of the House Managers and to inform them that they should press ahead with their plans.


-HOUSE DEMOCRATS INTRODUCE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT
~Headed by Reps. Rodino, Mills among others

~ ~ ~

“That fucker didn’t...!” Donald Rumsfeld exclaimed to his deputy, Richard “Dick” Cheney over Mills’ actions. “Now we really crush the bastards!”

valt27.jpg
 
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IIRC, Dolph Briscoe was the governor of Texas (after the Sharpstown scandal) IOTL.

What happened here, Gonzo?
 
IIRC, Dolph Briscoe was the governor of Texas (after the Sharpstown scandal) IOTL.

What happened here, Gonzo?

In this TL Lloyd Bentsen was elected Governor in 1972 (see chapter 3 for reference) after he lost the Senate race to George H.W. Bush (due to Yarborough opting to go Independent and syphoning of enough votes to allow Bush Snr. to win.) (Picture something like the vote splitting caused by the moderate Republican (turned independent) in the 1994 Senate Race in Virginia (which allowed the Democrat to beat Republican Oliver North by under 3%;) (after the independent took 11%.)
 
Holy crap, LBJ might go back to the Senate! :eek::D
“It might bloody well work!” exclaimed the former President to the otherwise empty room. He felt better than he had in years.
I cannot picture Lyndon B Johnson using the word "bloody". Lol.
 
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Now it's blood! BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!

One query - how did the US political change result in this huge changes in the UK?
 
Now it's blood! BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!

One query - how did the US political change result in this huge changes in the UK?

:D

The POD in this TL is 1968 and is initially from an aborted TL I had before which compromised of a practically hung parliament and the Tories being led by Enoch Powell; plus a splintering of the Ulster Unionists and a general shit storm in Northern Ireland (and it's politics) (-more so that OTL...)
 
I've decided to retcon Rousselot in place of Fmr. Governor Claude Kirk as the VEEP nominee of Agnew.

Also, any more comments or suggestions? (Always appreciated!)
 
Chapter Seven

-HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST PRESIDENT


-KIRK CONDEMNS ‘COUP’ ATTEMPT AGAINST AGNEW BY CONGRESS


-CAR BOMB IN HANOI KILLS SIXTEEN IN HANOI
~North Vietnamese Govt. declared Martial Law: blames south and US


-SEN. EASTLAND’S FIREARM BILL PASSES CONGRESS
~Civil Rights groups and Sen. Brooke attack ‘racist’ elements and intentions of legislation


-BENTSEN APPOINTS FMR. PRESIDENT JOHNSON TO BUSH SENATE SEAT!
~Sen. Tower decries - ‘crooked deal’


-BORDER CLASHES BETWEEN PRC AND USSR INTENSIFY!
~Standoff continues as Sino-Soviet troops trade fire over Zhenbao Island - site of previous border hostilities


-WEST & EAST GERMANY ADMITTED TO UNITED NATIONS AS STANDOFF WITH AGNEW ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES


-CHARLES CROWNED KING GEORGE VII OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
~Vice President Kirk represents the United States at the coronation


-PRC RECALLS AMBASSADOR IN MOSCOW AS VIOLENCE INCREASES ON BORDER!


-AGNEW IMPEACHMENT - ‘VIRTUAL CERTAINTY
~Expected Liberal Republican defection to Democratic voting lobby will cancel out Boll Weevil Democrats’ support for Agnew


(Assorted New Headlines from August-October 1973)

---------------------------------------------

Cabinet Room - White House

Around the large wooden table sat some of the most powerful people in the United States. President Agnew sat at the centre of the table his legs crossed, sitting upon the table. Opposite him sat Vice President Kirk who was busy trying to weigh out the right ratio between milk and coffee in his cup without the drink overflowing onto the saucer and making his biscuit soggy. Elsewhere around the table were Defence Secretary Alexander Haig who sat tapping his fingers on the table while he listened to the discussion unfold and shuffled through his set of big diagrams on slides of card. Nearby, but still isolated was Secretary of State George Bush who hurriedly sorting through his notes and documents in a desperate attempt to try and prevent the President from doing anything (seriously) stupid this day. Elsewhere sat the forever eagle-eyed Donald Rumsfeld, White House Chief of Staff, who maintained a hostile and distrustful watch over the Secretary of State. Standing near the window of the room was Director of Central Intelligence Richard Helms who was, as ever, taking his time to read through the document word by word; this tedious process and habit was known by many in the administration to have annoyed former President Nixon a lot.

Agnew continued the discussion - “Al how is the offensive against the commies going on?,” that got a few looks of curiosity out of Rumsfeld and Helms and a look of dread from Bush who was fast wondering why he had accepted this damned job.

The Defence Secretary was caught seemingly off guard and proceeded to fumble through his collection of cardboard diagrams until he found the appropriate one - “Well we know that the counter offensive by our boys and the ARVN troops has helped to push the NVA and VC nearly out of Cambodia and up to the border on the 17th Parallel. By the fact that the Ruskies and Chinese are looking like that they are getting closer to all out war, the Chinese backing of the NVA has been scaled down and has helped to see a decrease in territory and fighting capacity for the NVA and their Viet Cong allies.

“Ah yes the situation on the Sino-Soviet border - George is looking into that situation; right George?” The Secretary of State looked nervously across the room, first at Haig, then at the eagle-eyed Rumsfeld, then at the Vice President who was still fiddling with his coffee, then to Helms and then to the President.

“Uhh... Yes, I‘m working with our ambassadors in the two nations to try and step the conflict down.”

“Why?,” came from his left and from the mouth of the Vice President; much to the annoyance and confusion of the Secretary of State who responded quickly,

“Why!? It could result in a full blown war and even a nuclear exchange for Christ’s sake!” Bush felt like adding ‘you twit’ on the end of the sentence, but Rumsfeld’s ever present glare made him have second thoughts.

“I don’t see why that should affect us and our endeavor to keep Viet-Nam free. I say let them fire nukes at each other - it’s not like it’ll affect us if they’re only firing at each other.”

Bush quickly butted it, “Well it could sp-spill over onto the international stage and threaten NATO and ourselves!”

“Nonsense,” rebuked the President, “I say let them do it; after all it means we can do what ever the hell we want in Vietnam.”

“Precis-Wait what?” asked the alarmed Secretary of State who nearly spat his milky tea out of his mouth, onto the table and consequently onto the President.

“Well George, I’ve been thinking,” started the President. That’s dangerous thought Bush who tried to maintain his composure and not have a nervous breakdown in front of the four men in the room; despite feeling as ill as a dog. “Harry Truman finally ended the Second World War when he dropped nukes on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Why not end the war in Nam speedily by doing the same thing?”

“You’re joking!,” blurted the Secretary of State out, much to Rumsfeld’s antagonism and disgust. “The Chinese will go berserk and retaliate with their own weapons,-”

“Not if they’re pointing and flying towards Moscow and the Kremlin,” beamed Agnew, clearly feeling full of himself after coming up with such as a policy.

“You’re not planning this are you Mr President?” asked the Secretary of State, who almost dreaded knowing the answer as opposed to the blissful ignorance of not knowing.

“Well see,” beamed Agnew once again as he tapped his nose.

Bush felt ill and needed desperately to go and relieve himself at the toilets; but he daren’t leave the room unless the Nuclear Football was smuggled into the room and the four others decided to have a four aside friendly game with it...

---------------------------------------------

“Checkmate!,” exclaimed Hubert Humphrey grinning at his former boss.

Lyndon Baines Johnson felt happy to be back in the Senate; it was truly where he heart was in politics - even if it meant that he was being routinely beaten by his former Vice President in game after game of Chess. He moved his King away to a safe vantage point behind his remaining Knight.

The two as ever managed to turn any subject from family and interests into one on politics. On this occasion the topic of discussion turned to the impeachment proceedings against President Agnew. Humphrey moved a pawn at once of Johnson’s Bishops and removed it from the board with a grin across his face. He was relishing his inevitable victory - as ever.

“You know Hubert, I have a strange feeling that Agnew will squirm his way out of this and will be back with a vengeance.” Johnson moved one of his pawns and removed a pawn from his former Vice President’s black troops.

“I don’t think so - I believe, I hope, I pray, Albert is running a tight ship in the House, I hear the Boll Weevils will try crossing over and defeating the motion.” Humphrey moved one of his Knights closer to Johnson’s King.

“Suppose Agnew does get booted out; which isn’t likely when a fifth of the Senate Caucus are to the right of Jim Eastland - we’ve got Kirk.” Johnson proposed as he moved his King defensively behind his White Queen.

“Well he was a former Democrat.” Humphrey moved another pawn across the board.

“Yeah, so is Strom Thurmond - he isn’t a shining light.” Johnson moved his Queen across the board.

“I suppose we can keep him in order - I hear Albert will force Kirk to chose a moderate like Percy or Ford for the job. Nobody rabid like Reagan or Ashbrook.”

“Checkmate!,” exclaimed Johnson, taking Humphrey by surprise and completely off guard. Johnson had the Black King cornered on the board by his Queen.

“Dammit Lyndon!,” cursed Humphrey who realised Johnson had been playing him for a fool and had been simply distracting him with the line of discussion.

Johnson grinned. It was great to be back in Washington.

---------------------------------------------

House of Representatives Speaker Carl Albert took a large swipe from his small whiskey flask when House Majority Leader Hale Boggs walked into his office. Without being asked or being given approval Boggs had fetched a rather large and expensive looking glass for the liquor cabinet and slammed it down on the large wooden desk in front of the House Speaker - loud enough to sound out his frustration and make a point, but not hard enough to break or damage the glass. Albert looked at his number two and poured him a conservative amount of cherry for Boggs’ glass - not as generous as he had poured out for his flask, but still quite generous for a man who valued every last drop of his liquor.

“So what happened,” Albert quipped as the glass slowly filled with the expensive cherry.

“It’s those damned Boll Weevils they’re not playing ball.”

“Which one’s?”

“Fisher, Waggonner, Milford, Passman; there’s about ten, fifteen, twenty odd damned idiots not playing ball a4nd are probably going to side with Agnew.”

“That’s no good; but I have had John [McFall] have a look into the liberal Republicans who will side with us,-” Boggs cut in while the noticeably intoxicated Albert took another swipe from his unending flask.

“And?,” there was a long pause as the drunk House Speaker reacted to the quick quip by the Louisianan.

“There’s going to be a contingent led by McCloskey who’ll cross the floor and vote with us.”

“What size?”

“John didn’t specify; but I’d guess something similar.”

“So I guess we’ll have to end up relying on the independents...”

“McCormack is in the bag - she’s a Democrat in all but name. However I do not want to be seen doing deals with the segregationists, neo-segregationists and Birchers of the Wallace Party.”

“Quite rightly so - however it will be damn close then... Either we take the risk and potentially have Agnew for the next three and a ‘alf years. Or we plug or noses and try to pick off Rarick’s band - however odious they may be.”

Albert brooded over that. It was going to be very close if the Boll Weevils voted against impeachment, they probably wouldn’t be cancelled out by the rarer liberal Republicans. This still left a deficit of around five or so votes. He would be prepared to court the likes of Speedy Long, who wasn’t too far from the pale - however his three other cohorts would be out of the equation - they were either Bible nuts, Birchers or segregationists - not something the third most important person in Washington would like to be seen associating himself with the likes of Rarick, Schmitz and Sprouse - but the future of the nation was at risk - he’d have to just swallow his pride and try meeting with the bastards.

Albert grimaced physically and mentally at what he was saying, “Fine Hale I’ll have a word with Long and the others - but don’t expect any miracles,” the Speaker of the House of Representatives then took another swipe from his leather flask as the Majority Leader of the House left his office. From under his desk he took out his whiskey glass and filled up the now empty leather flask full of whiskey - he’d need a lot to talk with Rarick and maintain his composure.

---------------------------------------------

Congressman John Rarick was energetically prancing around the halls and corridors of Congress; he was full of nervous energy. He’d just finished addressing and chairing a discussion of the American Independent Caucus with Senator Mahoney. At the caucus discussions it was revealed that the Democratic leadership had tried to coax the American Independent Representatives with ‘incentives.’ In light of this most generous move by the liberals it was decided by a vote of 4-1 (Mahoney dissenting) to back the President in light of the impeachment proceedings brought about by the liberal Democrats and their leadership. The Congressman was sure that the newspaper reports of a widespread defection by liberal Republicans lead by that sell out Pete McCloskey would certainly fail and would result in President Agnew being saved from the liberals.

While the Congressman from Louisiana was prancing frantically along the corridor he heard a voice call out -

“Rarick... oh hi... John...” Rarick looked up from his magazine he had been reading and snapped from his daydreaming state and was surpised to see Minority Whip Leslie C. Arends of all people talking to him.

“Oh, hi Leslie, sorry I must have been daydreaming there - haven’t had much sleep lately with all this plotting afoot,’”

The Southerner instantly thought something was clearly afoot with Arends talking to him. None of the Republican leadership ever went near any American Independent Representatives, especially not their leader - John Rarick. The Republican from Illinois gave a beaming grin as he extended his hand for a handshake. Rarick grasped the Whip’s hand and received a wet handshake from an equally sweaty hand. He then felt another hand whack his back as Arends ‘patted’ him ferociously on the back, nearly making Rarick recoil in shock and pain.

“I trust we can rely on the votes of the patriotic American caucus - especially after the Judiciary Committee has recommend articles of impeachment against the President?”

The Illinoian continued to weakly shake Rarick’s hand; yet at the same time nearly yanking it out of it’s socket.

“Uhh, sure, sure,-”

“Excellent.”

And like that he was off; Rarick thought it most peculiar, but shrugged it off, there were more important things to brood over, such as what was for lunch at the cafe and how he would get to the front of the cue.

Walking away from Rarick was Minority Whip Leslie C. Arends. Arends was in the process of scrubbing his hand clean from his encounter with the ardent racist and segregationist. Arends tutted and swore at himself, he hated stooping to such lows; especially doing deals with people as odious as Rarick who had once offended the whole of Washington D.C., “sinkhole, rat infested*... the laughing stock of the free and Communist world.” No wonder he wasn’t the most popular one here - and that was only among fellow Congressmen - he often wondered what would happen if you released someone like Rarick into certain areas of D.C., would there be much of him left after the night?

---------------------------------------------

Chinese Premier Mao Zedong was under stress and he felt it. Chinese forces stationed on and near the Zhenbao Island had once again started engaging the Soviets upon the border. Things appeared to being dying and calming down now but intelligence though mostly rumor had it that the Soviets were in the process of moving further units and divisions into the area with the prospect of armed conflict or even war ever present and seemingly inevitable unless someone prevented things from catalysing or unless some firm and drastic action.

The Soviets didn’t seem like they were in any mood to back down; he also didn’t have any intention or willingness of backing down or stepping aside to let of steam and let the situation diffuse itself. He knew (or rather thought he knew) that if he did any such thing then the Soviets would waltz in and would do their damage and utmost to destroy the People’s Republic of China, the people’s revolution and impose their pseudo-fascism on the Chinese people. No - he would maintain the staring contest until one of them - preferably Brezhnev blinked. If not then things could quickly get ugly and spiral out of control on Zhenbao Island and on the Sino-Soviet border.

---------------------------------------------

Central Intelligence Director Richard Helms read over an intercepted North Vietnamese Army (NVA) report and nodded his head while grinning progressively similar to the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. It seemed that the North Vietnamese were becoming receptive and weak due to the President’s all out attack gamble and were actually making moves to withdraw from Cambodia and were moving slowly further north; allowing the ARVN to move slowly further north into North Vietnamese territory for the first time in several years. He’d call Westmoreland later to congratulate him, but first he thought he’d inform Haig; the Defense Secretary would surely want to hear this good news.


1101710201_400.jpg


(*Banner should read - Congress V. Agnew*)
 
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That was really good. I love the way you're portraying Agnew. That's why I like narrative timelines. You can expand a lot more outside of "bad guy does bad things."
 
Interesting. Agnew obviously is gonna give hell in the senate. But if he's convicted Kirk will go as well. All it would take is one liberal march gone wrong.
 
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