Fritz is Back!

[ComradeLenin22]

April 5th, 2009 North Korea launches a rocket from its Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground, which it says is carrying the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 satellite, prompting an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

April 8th, 2009 Somali pirates hijack the Maersk Alabama, an American freighter, four days later the Somali pirates are killed by American snipers in an operation executed by President Gore. The ship, it's crew, and it's Captain Richard Phillips are rescued.

April 21st, 2009 President Gore signs the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act a bill to bill reauthorize and expand the AmeriCorps program that was first established in 1993. However more than that it's importance is no more greater to the person it's named after. Senator Kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer in May of 2008. By early 2009 Kennedy was spending more time from the Senate, he surrendered his committee assignments to others like Chris Dodd and hadn't voted since March on anything. During the final drafting of this bill it was renamed to honor the Senator for his lifetime of service.

April 28th, 2009 Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) switches parties to become a Democrat, giving the Democrats a 63-seat majority in the Senate. This brings a lot of attention to this Senate seat as it's up for grabs in 2010.

May 11th, 2009 Defense Secretary Walter B. Slocombe removes the top US commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, replacing him with Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal. Gates states a new approach is needed in Afghanistan. McKiernan is the first general to be dismissed from a combat command since Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War.

 

[jack_donaghy_is_the_shado]

Hopefully McChrystal keeps his personal opinions to himself this time.

 

[ComradeLenin22]

May 19th, 2009 President Gore announces vehicle emissions and mileage requirements. Under the new federal rules, vehicles will use 30 percent less fuel and emit one third less carbon dioxide by 2016. The changes will add $1,300 to the cost of each new vehicle.

May 25th, 2009 North Korea announces that it has conducted a second successful nuclear test in North Hamgyong Province. The United Nations Security Council condemns the reported test.

June 3rd, 2009 Governor John Lynch signs a bill allowing for same-sex marriage in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is the sixth state in the union to allow same-sex marriage.

June 13th, 2009 Mass protests erupt across Iran following a disputed presidential election in which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reelected president, the largest demonstrations in the country since the Iranian Revolution. Deaths resulting from protests are disputed between the opposition and government.

June 24th, 2009 Commerce Commissioner of Alaska Sarah Palin announces her intentions to run for U.S. Senate in 2010. This is somewhat of a bombshell as the incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski is a Republican. Palin supported her candidacy by pointing out more of Murkowski's more moderate or liberal voting record. With that Palin feeds into a growing group of voters called "The Tea Party Movement".

July 3rd, 2009 After months of court battles and definitive recounts, the Supreme Court of Minnesota reaffirms Senator Mark Kennedy's slim victory from November. The DFL releases a short statement saying "Although we had wished for a different outcome last November, we accept a definitive outcome that affirms our function democratic system. Our party fully expects a competitive race in 2014".

 

[glenn67]

Attorney General Sarah Palin? She has to be a lawyer to be eligible for that job.
And the POD is 2002.

 

[Sir William Jol]

Attorney General Sarah Palin? She has to be a lawyer to be eligible for that job.
And the POD is 2002.

Yeah, wasn't she a Mayor IOTL before getting elected Governor in '06?

 

[EarthmanNoEarth]

Attorney General Sarah Palin? She has to be a lawyer to be eligible for that job.
And the POD is 2002.

She was mayor of Wasilla from 1996 to 2002. OTL she was offered the job of commissioner of commerce before settling on a position in the oil and gas conservation commission. Later she claimed that she was better suited for commerce commissioner and would have benefitted more career-wise from it. That could be a better fit.

 

[ComradeLenin22]

yes the pod is 2002 but her gubernatorial election iotl wasn't until 2006, and she wasn't even a candidate in this timeline for that race.

 

[ComradeLenin22]

July 22nd, 2009 Microsoft releases Windows 7.

August 3rd - September 4th, 2009 The 111th Congress takes its summer recess. Their work in their respective congressional districts focuses heavily on healthcare reform. Congressmen and Congresswomen host public forums and town halls in their respective congressional districts across the nation which focus on healthcare reform issues such as whether or not a public option, stricter regulation of the healthcare industry, or the status quo should be offered.

August 4th, 2009 North Korean leader Kim Jong-il pardons two American journalists, who had been arrested and imprisoned for illegal entry earlier in the year, after former U.S. President Bill Clinton meets with Kim in North Korea.

August 5th, 2009 Supreme Court Justice David Souter privately notifies the White House of his impending retirement. Souter reveals the news publicly 5 days later in the Rose Garden. Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee Patrick Leahy announces that the Committee won't interview the selected nominee until the end of the summer recess. President Gore announces "we'll have a nominee before they get back".

August 17th, 2009 Political pundits across the spectrum go on the news to give their opinions and even "short lists" of the Supreme Court nominee. Judges like Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Diane Wood, Merrick Garland, Ronald Lee Gilman, and even Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm a Canadian were all speculated.

August 25th, 2009 Ted Kennedy Senator of Massachusetts, "Lion of the Senate", Presidential candidate, and Kennedy family royalty loses his battle with cancer at age 77. Mourning came from across the county and the world over his passing. President Gore "today marks the passing of an extraordinary leader". President pro tempore of the Senate Robert Byrd "My heart and soul weeps at the loss of my best friend in the Senate, my beloved friend, Ted Kennedy". Mitt Romney "the kind of man you could like even if he was your adversary".

August 29th, 2009 Kennedy's funeral procession traveled a 70-mile (110 km) journey from the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, past numerous landmarks named after his family, to the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts, where his corpse lay in repose and where over 50,000 members of the public filed by to pay their respects. Present at the funeral service were President Gore and former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush (also representing his father, former President George H. W. Bush, who decided not to attend), along with Vice President Shaheen, three former Vice presidents, 58 senators, 21 former senators, many members of the House of Representatives, and several foreign dignitaries. President Gore delivered the eulogy. The funeral service also drew celebrities and other notables from outside politics from Boston, Washington, and across the United States, including journalists Bob Woodward, Tom Brokaw and Gwen Ifill; singers Tony Bennett and Plácido Domingo; cellist Yo-Yo Ma; actors Jack Nicholson, Lauren Bacall, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Kennedy's remains were returned to Washington, D.C. and laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, near the graves of his assassinated brothers. Former Cardinal and Washington D.C. Archbishop Theodore McCarrick presided over his burial service, which was attended by Shaheen, Kennedy's widow Vicki, and other members of the Kennedy family. Kennedy's grave marker is identical to his brother Robert's: a white oak cross and a white marble foot marker bearing his full name and years of birth and death.

​

September 1st, 2009 President Al Gore announces his nomination of United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Judge Diane Wood to succeed Supreme Court Justice David Souter. Wood was renowned as a defender of women's rights, abortion, and gay rights. Wood was seen as one of the most progressive nominees ever due to her membership in the American Law Institute (ALI) a institute which promotes the clarification and simplification of United States common law and its adaptation to changing social needs. Immediately Republicans began criticizing the choice of Wood especially ones like Randall Terry who lambasted the choice based off of Wood's pro-choice stance. Liberals believed that Woods would bring upon real and effective change to the court, while moderates respected her stance on the 1st Amendment.

 

[ComradeLenin22]

September 9th, 2009 President Gore addresses a joint session of Congress on the importance of healthcare reform. Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) shouts, "You lie!" as Gore says illegal immigrants would not be covered under his healthcare proposal. The heckling received widespread media attention for many days.

September 12th, 2009 The first Senate Judiciary convenes for the first day of Judge Diane Wood's confirmation hearing. Off the bat, Senator Charles Schumer proclaimed that "Judge Wood has a tenure and the credentials to serve this seat", and "if I can say for my side that we're all excited to hear from you but will be more happy to confirm you". However the day was remembered more for the outbursts and heckling. Throughout the speeches of the day within the gallery people would cry out things like "What about the unborn?" or "you'll destroy marriage!". Even Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" in the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case about abortion rights yelled during Senator Dianne Feinstein's opening statement. While committee Democrats generally praised Wood, Republicans expressed skepticism about Wood's ability to be judicially impartial. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) brought up Wood's American Law Institute membership and. Wood's opening speech was a simple retelling of her upbringing, her years learning at the University of Texas, being a clerk for Justice Harry Blackmun and attorney-advisor at the Justice Department. Public polling conducted by networks like NBC and Fox News showed that a majority of Democrats and moderate Republicans liked Wood but a lot of socially conservatives disliked or hated Wood.

September 24th, 2009 President Gore becomes the first US President to preside over the UN Security Council. Also, at the United Nations, Gore outlines stances that his administration will take on climate change, multilateralism, and nuclear proliferation and disarmament.

September 25th, 2009 At the G-20 Pittsburgh summit, world leaders announce that the G-20 will assume greater leverage over the global economy, replacing the role of the G8, in an effort to prevent another global financial crisis like the one that started in 2007.

September 28th, 2009 In Massachusetts the Republican Party their and it's organizers begin a draft-Romney campaign, it's main goal is to get enough signatures and attention to get the former Governor and Republican nominee to become a candidate in the 2010 Senate special election. The website Romney2010 is established with almost $400,000 raised on it's first day up via it's donation section. However without any statements from the man himself the media outside of local Massachusetts channels and Fox News stays mum about the campaign. However for Democrats many begin circulating around Attorney General of Massachusetts Martha Coakley with a sizeable minority looking to get a Kennedy family member to run.

 

[Anacostia Pol]

One point of contention: membership in the American Law Institute is like membership in a professional association for jurists. Membership or participation in the American Constitution Society activities – liberals attempt at a response to the Heritage Foundation – would rile some feathers.

 

[ComradeLenin22]

September 29th, 2009 An 8.3-magnitude earthquake triggers a tsunami near the Samoan Islands. Many communities and harbors in Samoa and American Samoa are destroyed, and at least 189 are killed.

October 1st, 2009 The unemployment rate peaks at 10.0%, the highest since June 1983.

October 2nd, 2009 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is chosen by the International Olympic Committee chosen to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, beating early favorite Chicago.

October 5th, 2009 The United States Senate confirms Judge Diane Wood's nomination to the Supreme Court with a 68-31 vote. The only group to vote nay were the more conservative Republicans of the Senate.

October 9th, 2009 After weeks the Draft-Romney campaign achieves enough signatures for Romney to be a candidate for the Senate race. Romney appears on Fox 25 News Boston to announce that he'll be making a definitive decision "imminently".

October 12th, 2009 The Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball team files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

October 14th, 2009 President Gore signs the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 an act that designates millions of acres in the US as protected and establishes a National Landscape Conservation System. It includes funding for programs, studies and other activities by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, and in some cases bars further geothermal leasing, oil and gas leasing, and new mining patents on certain stretches of protected land.

October 15th, 2009 Mitt Romney in front of crowds at the Boston Convention Center officially announces his candidacy for the United States Senate. Romney delivers a humble speech recognizing this announcement's proximity from the last election. "Today I stand less than year after election night a loser, but in 97 days I will stand as a winner and no better than for the great state of Massachusetts!".

 

[ComradeLenin22]

October 17th, 2009 In response to Mitt Romney's candidacy announcement President Al Gore announces his endorsement of Democratic frontrunner Martha Coakley. Following this a majority of the Democratic Party endorses Coakley raising her in the Democratic primary polls well into the double digits.

October 28th, 2009 President Gore signs the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, extending federal hate crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

November 3rd, 2009 About a year after Gore's victory in the Presidential election. Voters returned to the polls to give their early input of Democratic control in a few gubernatorial and several statewide elections. The biggest races were in New Jersey and Virginia both for governor, including 5 special elections in the House.

The New Jersey gubernatorial election different from 2005 was always going to be competitive. Jon Corzine tenure as governor hadn't been as easy as many Democrats hoped. Corzine was criticized by GOP leadership for granting contract concessions to state workers, by granting them an additional seven paid days off, after threats were made to protest the primary election night event where Vice President Shaheen was the keynote speaker. In terms of policies Corzine had been lacking in addressing issues in the economy and environment leading to being challenged by Democrat Mayor Gina Genovese in the primaries. Corzine beat Genovese in the primaries but due to events following the payoff of state workers led Genovese to declare an independent run in the general election. Genovese even attended the debates and lambasted Corzine for being a "faux-Democrat". For the Republicans their primary was less heated but still split. Thomas Kean Jr. announced a run in early 2008 and spent the last year building not just support but a pedigree of financial contributors. Some conservatives like Lou Dobbs and Steve Forbes flirted at running but eventually chose to not, however the latter would endorse and donate for Kean's campaign. Eventually Kean won the Republican Primary 56% to 39% and 4% to both Steve Lonegan and Michael J. Doherty respectively. During the general election campaign many around New Jersey saw Kean as a refined, moderate, and respected candidate much more than the two coming from the Democrats. Kean also benefited well from his namesake and his father Kean Sr. did make several keynote speeches across the state down the stretch of the race.

In Virginia things were similar. Governor Leslie Byrne was not eligible to run due to term limits established by the Virginia Constitution, though others in the state's executive branch were not restricted. Creigh Deeds was selected as the Democratic nominee, having defeated former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe and former state Delegate Brian Moran in the Democratic primary election. For the Republicans they nominated Bob McDonnell a former state Attorney General. The Republicans were widely expected to win due to the unpopularity of incumbent Governor Byrne. Byrne had failed to pass bipartisan legislation through a Republican State House and at the same time failed to moderate on a lot of liberal legislation. Moderates shifted in droves towards McDonnell especially down the stretch as campaign ads tied Deeds to Byrne's shortcomings as a member of the Virginia Senate.

In the House the Democrats won 5/6 races with the Republicans maintaining one. House Layout: (D) 258 (R) 177

The national implications of these gubernatorial races reflected that Democrats were failing with moderates when needed and failed with progressives when needed as well. Republicans saw that moderation especially in Northeastern states would be prevalent to victory as well. This message was taken to heart no more than Mitt Romney who's election was slated for January and immediately on November 4th, made a public congratulations specifically to Governor-elect Thomas Kean Jr.

 

[ComradeLenin22]

November 4th, 2009 The New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies to win their 27th world championship.

December 1st, 2009 Virginia's smoking ban for most restaurants and bars goes into effect. The bill had broad public support.

December 7th - 18th, 2009 The UNFCCC's 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference is held in Copenhagen, Denmark. At the conference the United States plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 17% below 2005 levels by 2020, 42% by 2030 and 83% by 2050. On the final day of the conference the United States including a few other nations agree to sign the Copenhagen Accord which would endorse the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol, underlines that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and to propose development of technology to help the environment, among other agreements. President Al Gore said that the agreement would need to be built on in the future and that "We've come a long way but we have much further to go." Gregg Easterbrook noted that Gore's speech was exactly what George H W Bush had said after the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. However, there had been no progress in regulating greenhouse gases since 1992.

December 8th, 2009 In Massachusetts the United States Senate Primaries are held. Expectedly for the Republicans former Governor Mitt Romney wins the primaries by a 70%+ margin. For the Democrats it was a wider field however Martha Coakley wins her primary by a 15%+ margin. All eyes tilt towards the general election in January of 2010. For the most party early polling favors Coakley, but Romney isn't polling far behind and even went up after winding the primary by such a wide margin. However as the race got closer to January many in the media began speculating over Coakley's record as Attorney General especially in her lack of investigation over her own District Attorney's and the Mayor of Boston.

 

[jack_donaghy_is_the_shado]

Oof
Martha Coakley is the Massachusetts Democrat version of Harold Stassen.

Thank you for the fantastic work!!

 

[BigVic]

Romney v Coakley will be a fun Senate race. Why did Gore won MO but not FL?

 

[ComradeLenin22]

Why did Gore won MO but not FL?

in otl Missouri was very close in 2008 and a mix of Gore being from the area and that Clinton historically did well in 92' and 96' in Missouri led to Gore picking it up. Florida as in otl and historically trended to the right in politics and I wouldn't expect Romney to lose like McCain did. Of course it'd still be close but I couldn't imagine Gore winning by the margins Obama did. Given that the two men give fairly different forms of energy and the whole thing of Obama being the first Black president.