Spring 2017
"I guess it's unsurprising that he would die so soon given all he had to deal with..."
"Well, certainly quite a good choice for a Supreme Court pick..."
"Chelsea Manning is free and now so is Edward Snowden, huh..."
Spring of 2017 truly seemed to sum up the end of an old era and not just with the ascension of President Bernie Sanders. Former President John McCain would pass away from brain cancer over on March 11, 2017. The discovery of his tumor was realized approximately six months sooner, but insisted on maintaining it a secret to finish his duties along with undergo treatment. After some time of treatment, he would cease it days prior before quietly passing away. Regarding his death, President Bernie Sanders declared a national day of mourning and ordered all flags "throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions" lowered to half staff for 30 days after his death. The state funeral of John Sidney McCain III was the official funerary rites conducted by the Government of the United States which occurred over a period of four days from March 13 to March 17, 2017. Several world leaders would come to attend, notably those who experienced national shifts during the McCain adminsitration such as the new Middle Eastern nations along with the president of Venezuela and even the new leader of North Korea, whom McCain met prior during a historic visit to North Korea months prior along with others, such as former Vice president, Mitt Romney. McCain's legacy would be mixed. While his successes in foreign affairs and his commitment to campaign finance reforms were viewed as positives, it was weighed with the opposition to gay marriage, the mishandling of the Great Recession (though many instead view this as the bigger fault of neoconservative economic policies) along with various miscellaneous factors. Despite the disagreement in political stances, President Sanders did give a formal and respectful address. He did make a reference to how the elderly end up in jobs that weigh worse upon with age.
Former President John McCain with former Vice President Mitt Romney in one of his last photos
Around that time, with McCain's death, it did seem to signal more talks on the presence of the old within government, especially with how President Sanders would note on how it would be the repsonsability of the youth to push forward the agenda of tomorrow. However, no one would expect on what follow. In April, a few weeks after the death of McCain would come the news of the retirement of Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg. According to her, discussion of her option to retire were among the first interactions with President Sanders, even before he was sworn in. This was of importanance in part because of her age as well as the assurance that a Supreme Court that would follow her legacy would be sworn in. Sanders had a shortlist of potential options for potential Supreme Court picks and after some interviews and discussions, the new judge was to be decided. Various rumors were flying around on who it could be, with one rumor even claiming that James Michael Papantonio was a potential candidate for a Supreme Court pick. Replacing Judge Ruth Ginsburg would be Judge Jane L. Kelly. a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, she would be noinated by President McCain to the seat vacated by Judge Michael Joseph Melloy, who took senior status, back in early 2013. She would be voted in with relatively little fanfare, but she was on the list for her views and potential decisions. Many applaud her entry as well as her oath to maintain and improve the rights and well-beings of all Americans equally and fairly.
Judge Jane L. Kelly at her 2013 confirmation
Beyond preparations for the Supreme Court along with various other executive actions for the federal government and in supporting progessive candidates (most notably, the victory of Keith Ellison in the election as DNC Chairman), President Sanders also began examining what would become deemed as "wrongfully imprisoned." While Sanders courted controversy for his stances on certain notable individuals, it was more surprising to see him follow as such. Among his first weeks upon the dust settling in, he began going on a pardoning spree. His first action was enacting clemency on prisoners convicted on drug charges, especially nonviolent ones. He would unsurprisingly do this during the weeks in which Congress was preparing for the votings on a national decriminalization of various illegal substances long with working to end the disasterous War on Drugs, which just led to a rise in imprisonment, offenses and helps no one but the industrial prison complex, whom Congress along with the Sanders administration is gunning for. However, that was relatively small for Sanders' other acts of clemency, most notably Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning. Both of them brought controversial though Sanders responded in regards to the importance of the free press and media. More over, he also noted on getting the truth out and not having it be suppressed by anyone or manipulated for the sake of profit. It was a definite sign of difference and not without criticism aimed at Sanders though it did net him growing support. Congress was mxied on dealing with him though the showdown between them and him was not over.
Chelsea Manning two weeks after her release
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