Chapter 104: August 2012 – January 2013
“I think that we’re all mentally ill. Those of us outside the asylums only hide it a little better – and maybe not all that much better, after all.”
– Stephen King (OTL)
The two Governors met at Brown’s office in Idaho’s capital of Boise. Grammer held back a slight feeling of antipathy toward his situation, of trying to appeal to the unkempt Idahoan before him. But, the man had done his homework, researching motorcycles and watching Harley’s purportedly favorite film in order to develop some “common ground” ahead of the meeting.
The two men discussed Brown’s role in a potential Grammer administration, with Grammer promising Brown that the VP would participate in “all major cabinet meetings,” then proceeded to watch the 1967 movie “Hells Angels on Wheels.” After doing lunch (KFC, naturally), the two men concluded the meeting with a brief exchange in Brown’s inner office.
“Harley, you understand that the extensive vetting process will not be some astringent assault on your background.”
“Hey, I’m an open book, Kels,” Harley smiled, “I’m done nothing to be ashamed of, and the stuff people say I should be ashamed of just don’t know what they’re talking about.”
“Yes, well,” replied Kelsey, “Pending the discovery of some skeleton so massive that it would make Jake Butcher blush, I think I’ve found my running mate.” The California Governor feigned a smile and reached his hand out to his Idahoan counterpart. He only winced internally at the surprisingly greasy and sweaty feel of Harley’s recently-washed palm as they shook hands on it.
“Glad to be on board, sir,” Harley chuckled.
“Likewise,” Kelsey lied.
– John Sides and Lynn Vavreck’s A National Gamble: Choice And Chance In The 2012 Presidential Election, Princeton University Press, 2014
Kelsey visited my office in Boise, desperate that I join his ticket. He knew he wouldn’t be able to win over the Goetzites, but I could convince them to give the GOP another chance. I walked right in and began practically begging me, almost on his hands and knees, to take on the important role of second-in-command. It was a good thing for his sake that I sort of liked Kelsey. Sure, his alleged charm came off too often as him being a smug enlist, but I appreciated his stance on law-and-order, and his devotion to improving the American landscape.
To see if he was worthy of my time and energy, I made him sit down and watch the 1967 movie “Hells Angels on Wheels,” one of the greatest films ever made. He watched his reacts and we talked about it afterward. He seemed very accepting and supportive of the rugged frontier culture. I was surprised to learn how much he actually already knew about motorcycles and the Mud Marines. I was impressed. So I figured, “Why not?”
– The Wildest Ride: The Autobiography of Harley Brown, 2021
GRAMMER PICKS HARLEY BROWN FOR RUNNING MATE
…while several other politicians were rumored to be considered, Grammer has chosen Brown to be his running mate in what may be a move to appeal to dissatisfied members of other factions of the Republican party and unite the GOP. ...While such "unity" tickets have worked to secure victory in the past, history also suggests that such tickets do not make for stable White House administrations. The best example of this from modern history would undoubtedly be the "unity" ticket of Walter Mondale and Mike Gravel, the pairing of a moderate with a progressive that resulted in the President and Vice President having a cold, icy, and rocky relationship that only worsened as their time in office worsened…
– The Washington Post, 8/8/2012 [1]
On August 10, a saw mill exploded near Great Falls, Montana, killing six workers. The incident was a tragic example of bureaucratic oversight, of a state government that had grown to become too big for its britches. I made note of this in my very next newsletter, and called for higher worker rights. …I think I only wanted state-level attention, but when my comments caught the attention of technetters, my words went fervid. Suddenly, I was receiving more attention than ever before. I find it to be thrilling and uplifting, but at the same time absolutely terrifying… Maybe I wanted to get caught. Maybe I was just tired of living a lie for twenty years. Well, at least I caught the attention of some people, and convinced at least some of my fellow members of humanity to oppose all systems that do not work for them, the people…
– Lee Harvey Oswald’s autobiography Call Me By My Real Name: Confessions From a Fallen Hero, published posthumously
…The inability of the Wellstone administration to resolve the Sudanese Conflict peacefully had somewhat damaged the President’s image and reputable abroad despite his administration essentially pinning the blame on the State Department, with there being serious internal discussions of replacing US Secretary of State Harvey Gantt with the US Ambassador to Egypt, or with former diplomat Bill Gwatney. Regardless, the violence unfolding in Darfur had the potential to significantly hinder Wellstone’s re-election bid that year, and as a result, in August 2012, Wellstone called on the leading members of the UN, especially Western European leaders such as UK and France, as well as Canada and Australia, to “carry the weight” of the peace talks process. While the UK’s Mary Creagh was enthusiastic, her Parisian counterpart was reluctant in contributing to rising accusations in Sudan of “western imperialism…returning” to Africa…
– Walter Allen McDougall’s The Promise And Potential Of US Foreign Policy In The 21st Century, Dove Books, 2019
TEHRAN OLYMPICS END WITH RECORDS BROKEN, FRIENDSHIPS FORMED, AND MEMORIES MADE
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 12/8/2012
…The Governor’s image consultants went to the archives to dig up footage from when Colonel Sanders had visited the set of Cheers in 1980s. Being a teetotaler, The Colonel did not approve of the setting or the show’s handling of alcoholic characters such as Norm, the former President did appreciate the humor, and visited the set as part of a larger tour of the studio. The consultants seized upon one image from the visit, a photograph of The Colonel standing alongside Kelsey Grammer on the stage of Cheers. The image was the perfect way to visualize Grammer’s message of dignity and “compassionate and rational” conservative, and a way of suggesting that Grammer was destined for the White House by drawing parallels between the two Republicans in the photo. The image ended up being placed throughout the convention, covering walls and posters in a celebration of what the GOP was, what the GOP is, and what the GOP could be…
[pic:
imgur.com/KOfFb7g.png ]
– Anne Meagher Northup’s Chicken and Politickin’: the Rise of Colonel Sanders and Rational Conservatism in the Republican Party, 2015
“Good evening America, I’m listening.”
“This campaign is all about truthfulness. And the truth is that I oppose hateful rhetoric being it is not productive. If we are to have a meaningful conversation with the American public this autumn, it must be a conversation focused on the issues – the benefits of smaller government, the rewards of lower taxes, the need to assure that all Americans can pursue prosperity.”
“I said earlier that I’m listening, but, you know what, was a sound bite, people. For a President does more than simply listen – to the people, to advisors, to experts, to what their own heart, head and guts have to say. He reacts. He takes action.”
“I believe that everyone wants to be responsible for it themselves. I truly don’t believe that everyone wants the government to take care of every problem they have, I truly don’t believe that. But that’s the story that the Democrats sell and that is what we are fighting at.”
“I am not Dr. Frasier Crane. I am not Dr. Schwarzchild. I am not Ebenezer Scrooge and I am not General Patton. I am Kelsey Grammer. I am a patriot who has the experience to serve in the Oval Office. The Presidency is not a role for which I am auditioning, it is a job for which I am applying, and the primaries have shown that no less 10,305,032 people have taken a look at my resume and think I am the right person for the job!”
– snippets from Kelsey Grammer’s acceptance speech at the 8/14-17/2012 Republican National Convention, 8/17/2012
FORMER US REP. JASON BUCK ANNOUNCES POPULIST BID FOR PRESIDENT!
…Jason Buck (b. 1963), a former NFL player, was elected to congress from Utah’s most conservative House district in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008, and was succeeded by Jonathan E. Johnson III in 2010. …Buck proclaimed, “This is a bid not just for those who feel betrayed or unsatisfied with the nominee of Kelsey Grammer. This is not just for those who feel that Harley Brown has become a sellout. This is a bid for everyone who is sick of the two-party system, for everyone who is sick of congressional gridlock, sick of American weakness abroad, and sick of America continuing down the wrong path year after year. America is not meant to be this weak. America is a strong nation, a nation built and preserved by strong people. We were like that before and we an be like that again. …Genuine leadership is lacking in our capital and in our actions overseas, and when I am in the White House, we will return strength to the capital, to the military, and most importantly to the workers, the hardworking core of America’s greatness!”
– The New York Times, 8/16/2012
THE COMPLEXITY OF BALLOT ACCESS
When running for President as a third-party candidate, one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome is not debate access, but something even more basic, something that is right at the start of it all – ballot access. The hurdles a candidate must go through to get their name on a state ballot vary from state to state, and range from signatures to monetary charges to deadline clearances. These hurdles are even more challenging for last-minute entrants, who must scramble to gain access before deadlines lock them out.
For example, when Jason Buck entered the race for President in 2012, half the states had already finalized their ballots, giving Buck only two months to get on at least 273 Electoral College Votes worth of state ballots (one of the two requirements needed to get into the major-party Presidential debates, the other one being an average of at least 10% in certain polls).
As a result of this short window, Buck’s campaign had to act quickly, and work in tandem with state-level affiliates and allies. He ended up running on the official Boulder Party ticket in only 14 states. In West Virginia, Buck was listed as the nominee of the Strong Party, which was the Boulder Party’s state affiliate. In five states where the Boulder Party was not “officially recognized” due to failing to gather enough signatures, Buck was endorsed by, and received the nominations of, the state versions of older minor conservative third-party organizations and labels such as the Defense Party, the Country Party, and the Exposure Party. And in Minnesota, the local Action party convinced its nominees to drop out and be replaced by Buck’s ticket, requiring the ballots to be redone. Additionally, Buck received write-in access in six states.
For all of Buck’s efforts, the candidate ended up on the ballot in only 21 states, which totaled 289 EC votes. Concurrent with these efforts, though, came the even more daunting challenge of the race – climbing to at least 10% in the national polling…
– minorpartiesmatter.co.usa/history/2010s/article#47863095
OAKLAND MAYOR CAUGHT UP IN D.U.I. SCANDAL
…Mayor of Ignacio De La Fuente of Oakland, California was given a “moving violation” citation after being pulled over by Oakland Police for reportedly “swerving back and forth”… De La Fuente subsequently failed to pass a sobriety test…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 8/26/2012
Mayors of
OAKLAND (California)
5/1/1966-6/30/1977: 44) John H. Reading (R, 1917-2003) – former businessman; previously served on the city council from 1961 to 1966; was instrumental in the expansion of the Oakland International Airport; appointed by city council to finish predecessor’s term after he resigned; was on good terms with President Colonel Sanders and with US Senators Thomas Kuchel and Richard Nixon; retired; later served in the Denton administration as a special advisor for the Small Business Administration
1967 (special): Sam K. Cook Jr. (I) and Paul Montauk (I)
1969: Lawrence A. Joyner (Natural Mind) and Henry H. Haight III (I)
1973: Bobby X (Black Rights) and Otho J. Green (I)
7/1/1977-6/30/1997: 45) Lionel Joseph Wilson (D, 1915-1998) – previously served on the Alameda County Municipal Court and as a judge of the Alameda County Superior Court; city’s first African-American mayor; worked to develop the city’s downtown area and improve city transportation (supported the 1995-to-2001 multi-state proposal to introduce maglev train station linking San Diego to Seattle during his final term); praised for his handling of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, visiting hospitals and working with the city council and experts to address repair and rebuilding efforts to improve safety features in new buildings; won in 1993 after main opponent jokingly promised “fried chicken in every pot,” which he later claimed was an attempt to reach out to Republicans (alleging it was a reference to President Colonel Sanders) but was still considered by many to be a “racist” and “demeaning” comment, allegations which Harris challenged due to him being African-American; retired over declining health due to cancer
1977: John J. Miller (D)
1981: Hector “Reno” Reyna (I) and Dave Tucker (I)
1985: Armand Leo Choinard (I) and George W. Sams Jr. (Black Rights)
1989: Hugh E. Bassette (D), Cestra E. “Ces” Butner (D) and Alex Rackley (Black Rights)
1993: Elihu M. Harris (D)
7/1/1997-11/11/2008: 46) Wilson Riles Jr. (D, b. 1947) – city’s second African-American mayor; began his political career by working on Shirley Chisolm’s 1972 campaign for President; served on the city council from 1979 to 1996; worked on neighborhood non-profit housing, alternatives to incarceration, bilingual education, and addressing the root causes of city homelessness such as housing rates and an apparent lack of city rehab centers; resigned after winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (and served from 2009 until losing re-nomination in 2017); currently works as a special advisor for an Anaheim-based law firm
1997: Leo Bazile (D), Audrey Ricer Oliver (D), Hector “Reno” Reyna (I) and Shay X (Black Rights)
2001: Mary V. King (D)
2005: Desley Brooks (D)
11/11/2008-6/30/2009: 47) Edward J. Blakely (D) – city’s third African-American mayor; former educator and urban planner; previously served on the city council from 2001 to 2008; appointed by city council to succeed Riles; lost bid for a full term; later elected back to the city council
7/1/2009-6/30/2013: 48) Ignacio De La Fuente (D, b. 1949) – born in Mexico and immigrated to California at the age of 21; previously worked as a union representative and served on the city council from 1992 to 2009; opposed recreadrug legalization measures amid concerns over “abuse as well as control, certification, and monitoring of caregivers”; known for criticizing President Paul Wellstone's handling of numerous issues; lost re-election over a scandal involving him driving recklessly while intoxicated; currently works for a Mexican-American rights lobbying firm
2009: Edward J. Blakely (D) and Hector “Reno” Reyna (I)
7/1/2013-6/30/2021: 49) Don Richard Perata (D, b. 1945) – son of Italian Immigrants; previously served in the state assembly from 1996 to 1998 and in the state senate from 1998 to 2012; staunchly supported efforts to improve gun control, support mental health improvement efforts, better regulate the legal recreadrug industry, and support immigrant workers; investigated by the FBI in 2018 but was cleared of campaign fund misuse in 2020; retired due to low approval ratings
2013: Ignacio De La Fuente (D)
2017: Libby Schaaf (D)
7/1/2021-present: 50) Sheilagh “Cat” Polk Brooks (D) – city’s first female Mayor and city’s fifth African-American Mayor overall; former progressive political activist, theater artist, poet, businesswoman, and talk radio show host; ran on a platform focused on education and racial justice; incumbent, having entered office just three days ago
2021: Pamela Price (D)
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
ISAAC MOVES IN: Hurricane Winds, Rain Envelop Metro Areas
– The Times-Picayune, Louisiana newspaper, 8/29/2012
…Hurricane Isaac dissipated on September 3, leaving in its wake 23 direct deaths, 4 indirect deaths, and nearly $3billion in damages, primarily across the states of Florida, Puerto Rico, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi and Alabama, as well as Cuba, Hispaniola, The Bahamas and the Leeward Islands…
– clickopedia.co.usa/Hurricane_Isaac_(2012)
Neurotically Yours: How Foamy the Squirrel Is Already A “Cult Classic”
…the smoothly-animated series with crude, disturbed and foul-mouthed characters only just began its second season, but already the show has accrued a strong base of fans. While rather small when compared to other fan bases, “Foamers” are passionately invested in the semi-syndicated lives of the show’s characters, with the Fourth-Wall-breaking Foamy being a clear favorite among these fans…
– Vice, Canadian-American arts/lifestyle/culture magazine, September 2012 issue
WELLSTONE/ROSS RE-NOMINATED ON FINAL NIGHT OF DNC
…the party’s platform calls for a greater focus on education in a second Wellstone term, calling for college student loan debt forgiveness for low-income graduates in order to discourage dropouts. The platform also calls for even bolder steps to combat Global Climate Disruption, as well as promoting more job creation via a stronger FJG program, a stronger green energy policy, empowering labor, more affordable housing, and “a return to the subject of police reform,” which could mean a return to the police precinct reform efforts attempted during the Jesse Jackson administration…
– The Minneapolis Star, 9/5/2012
…After the 2012 DNC concluded, Grammer laid out a specific outline for revenue and spending for his tenure if elected. He explained that he would simplify the tax code and change the tax bracket system from nine brackets to six. President Wellstone’s inner circle immediately began considering releasing a tax plan of their own to combat its media presence, and ultimately release a less detailed outline three weeks later...
– John Sides and Lynn Vavreck’s A National Gamble: Choice And Chance In The 2012 Presidential Election, Princeton University Press, 2014
“America is at its best when it has no major foreign enemy, when it can’t blame its internal problems on external affairs. We are at our best when we focus not on pop culture or paranoid claims, but on systemic issues still unresolved. Four years is not enough time for any politician to amend such deeply-rooted woes.”
– former Vice President Jerry Litton (D-MO), Wellstone’2012 surrogate, 9/8/2012
SENATORS BACK WELLSTONE’S CALL FOR A CLEAN ELECTRICITY STANDARD
…the plan to have all us electricity standards come from clean sources by 2030, and to make the US power sector carbon-free by that same year, are a part of Wellstone’s re-election platform. US Senator Charles Dean (D-VT) pledges to see the US adopt the standard under a second Wellstone term. …The proposed bill to implement a policy/standard would allow for homeowners who generate solar power and other clean energy to earn tax credits for zero-emission electricity, including through means that are renewable and/or hydropower in nature. …Opponents claim such a policy will damage the economy by trying to control the energy market, which is responsible for over a quarter of the US’s greenhouse gas emissions at the moment…
– The Washington Post, 9/10/2012
FORMER WEST VIRGINIA GOVERNOR JOINS JASON BUCK’S 3RD PARTY TICKET
…Bob Wise was the conservative Governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2009, and served in the US House of Representatives from 1983 to 2001. …According to an anonymous former member of the Buck campaign, another consideration for the position of running mate was Louis Barletta, the conservative Republican mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania since 2000 who was one of the first elected officials to endorse Buck’s populist candidacy. However, Buck, who served in the US House as a Republican from Utah for eight years (retiring to unsuccessfully run for the US Senate in 2010, reportedly wanted a running mate with “more weight, but without taking attention away from himself.” Other rumored considerations for the Buck ticket included US Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), former US Rep. Barbara Coe (R/B-CA), US Senator and former NASA astronaut Jon McBride (R-WV), and former Governor Doug Swanson (R-NV)…
– Associated Press, 9/12/2012
“Do not underestimate the power of the Boulderites to influence the results of this election. Trying to resolve issues concerning trade and market freedoms are virtuous pursuits, but the wealthy backers of Jason Buck use scapegoating tactics to ignore the economic woes that afflict us all.”
– Bern Sanders, Wellstone’2012 surrogate, 9/13/2012
…the Republican Party sought to frame the election as a referendum on the incumbent, while the Democrats sought to frame it as a choice between two candidates and what the next four years should look like. Biggest benefit to the Democrats was the possibility that the Buck/Wise ticket would split the anti-Wellstone vote in enough states to spoil the election in their favor. Republicans were very much aware of this potential result, given that internally polling revealed that, even with the populist Harley Brown on the ticket, Grammar’s campaign was not winning over “unwanted” support from white supremacists, who instead flocked to the likes of Buck and other third-party candidates – a trend that gave many in the GOP mixed emotions…
– Richard Wolffe’s The Message: Reselling the Wellstone Way, Hachette Book Group, 2013
…As the 2010s continued, the notion of KFC expanding into Africa became more palatable as early reports indicated that markets in Morocco, Tanzania, Mozambique and even the once war-torn Rwanda would not be hostile to a western/American franchise. Even Angola and Uganda, two countries that the US briefly invaded in the mid-1970s, were reportedly open to the idea of allowing the franchise to open an outlet in their respective national capitals on a trial basis. The consensus among analysts was that the promises of hospitality stemmed from KFC reputation of being a symbol of peace. The 1979 Atlanta Peace Treaty that stabilized the Middle East, and The Colonel’s famous contributions to the temporary ceasefire between India and Pakistan, that had lasted for much of the 1990s, had convinced many that the Eleven Secret Herbs And Spices had a way of calming hostilities in a way that would be welcomed to troubled regions. These reports led to the FLG Board of Directors taking an even closer look at expansion into the few remaining countries on Earth that were without at least one KFC outlet…
– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020
WELLSTONE/ROSS: 46%
GRAMMER/BROWN: 43%
BUCK/WISE: 7%
OTHER/UNDECIDED: 4%
– Gallup national poll, 9/16/2012
“This country’s going to hell under Paul Wellstone and it won’t get that much better under another Republican administration. Vote Buck/Wise.”
– actor Dean Cain, endorsing the Buck/Wise ticket, 9/17/2012
“Both Democrats and Republicans are wolves in sheep wool. But of the two wolves, the Democrats are more obvious, and so are the lesser of two evils. I will vote for the Green party candidate, but I understand it if my supporters and followers go and vote for Wellstone. I understand. He has been a more active, pragmatic and productive President than I expected him to be. Of the corrupt pack of selfish wolves making their den out of the federal district, Wellstone seems to be the least heinous.”
– Former US Senator Peter Isaac “Pete” Diamondstone (LU-VT), 9/19/2012 interview
…Republican Senators have vote down a proposed bill that would have allowed the federal government to overview billion-dollar transactions, and also increase the Federal Inheritance Tax…
– ABC News, 9/21/2012 broadcast
“Maybe the Democrats are purposely introducing legislation, knowing we’ll vote it down, in order to have these rejections to run on in the general election. To paint us as the party of ‘no,’ like what Grammer said in one of the debates a while back.”
– US House Majority Whip to House Speaker McMaster (allegedly, possibly anecdotal), c. 9/21/2012
…In response to Wellstone’s tax outline going public, Grammer reiterated his own proposals in stump speeches – especially in the Rust Belt, where residents were becoming increasingly critical of what they were viewing as “wasteful” government spending – highlighting the benefits of his aforementioned outline for revenue and spending for his tenure if elected...
– John Sides and Lynn Vavreck’s A National Gamble: Choice And Chance In The 2012 Presidential Election, Princeton University Press, 2014
LEBANON ELECTS A NEW PRESIDENT, ENDING LEADERSHIP VOID
…the nation’s leadership crisis came to a close with the election of Albert Mansour over Suleiman Frangieh. Mansour, b. 1939, is Lebanese Greek Catholic who has served in Lebanon’s parliament since 1972, and has been heavily involved in Lebanese issues concerning Treasury and Defense for decades…
– The Daily Telegraph, 23/9/2012
SIMON & SCHUSTER’S NEWEST KW2 BOOK SALUTES THE CONFLICT’S HEROES
…Commander Ken Armstrong’s
1996: The Second Korean War offers a gripping and detailed overview of the conflict that defined the mid-1990s and forever changed the face of the Korean peninsula. The experienced author covers the subject from multiple angles to lay out a rich and comprehensive understanding of how the conflict unfolded, how it concluded, and who was involved in the liberating of an imprisoned nation…
[pic:
imgur.com/f6glLx8.png ]
Above: Commander Ken Armstrong
– The New York Times, book review section, 9/24/2012
TAOISEACH OF IRELAND CALLS FOR CLOSING OF “HEINOUS” TAX LOOPHOLES
…Dermot Ahern (Fianna Fail) is trying to get the Irish government to reassess the nation’s treatment of foreign businesses versus domestic producers, despite the country’s courts already voting in favor of the major corporations four years ago. The sudden push may be a political tactic, given that Ireland’s next parliamentary elections are to be held next month…
– The Daily Guardian, UK newspaper, 25/9/2012
…While Harley Brown worked vigorously to help the GOP reabsorb voters that had splintered away to vote for the Boulder Party in 2008 and, to a far lesser extent, in 2010 as well, Kelsey Grammer was faced with the juggling act of appealing to anti-Democrat voters while concurrently reaching out to conservative Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents that could make or break the election even without a prominent showing from the Boulderite nominee...
– John Sides and Lynn Vavreck’s A National Gamble: Choice And Chance In The 2012 Presidential Election, Princeton University Press, 2014
McTEER’S APPROVAL RATING AVERAGE IS DROPPING OVER NEW TAX HIKES
…The Prime Minister has placed herself in a precarious position, and is increasingly vulnerable to political criticism from opposition leader George Arthur Rogers (PC-AB)…
– The Vancouver Sun, Canadian newspaper, 9/28/2012
ON THE LIGHTFOOT TRAIL: Following The Gordon Lightfoot Tour of All Ten Provinces in Ten Hectic Days
– The Walrus, Canadian general-interest magazine, September 2012 issue
CHICK-FIL-A’S NEW SANDWICH SELLS OUT JUST THREE WEEKS AFTER ITS LAUNCH!
…Crispy, crinkly, and crunchy, with a golden-brown texture, this delightfully tender, robust, flavorful, and juicy new chicken sandwich has a unique kick. Few chicken sandwiches work without pickles, but the culinary development team at Chick-fil-A have made a breakthrough with a new sauce that has a “prickly” taste to it, along with it having a creamy, rich Cajun-style that is
decidedly spicy without being
too spicy…
– knn.co.usa, 10/1/2012
MODERATOR: “Gentlemen, foreign policy has taken a backseat in this election, so let’s discuss it for a moment. Right now, Darfurian forces are fighting off Sudanese soldiers in the city of El Daein while South Sudanese separatists fend off a similar attack from Khartoum on their city of Aweil. President Wellstone, your efforts to end the conflicts have not been as successful as you had hoped they would be over a year ago. In light of all this, what can we expect from a second Wellstone term in regards to the Sudanese conflict.”
WELLSTONE: “What is happening in Sudan, Darfur and South Sudan is an atrocity because of the actions of the peace at the top. The Sudanese government refuses to negotiate, and the people of Darfur and South Sudan have lost hope in the idea of the pen being mightier than the sword. But the answer to bloodshed is rarely ever more bloodshed. In a second term, this administration will work with allies in the region and around the world to pressure the Sudanese into a meaningful ceasefire so talks on a lasting peace deal can resume.”
MODERATOR: “Thank you for your reply. Governor Grammer, the situation in Sudan requires foreign policy experience. Do you have any?”
GRAMMER: “Yes, actually I do. As the Governor of one of the largest economies in the world, I worked with the head of states of several major countries in order to obtain binational and international trade deals that benefited American workers. That required me to meet with diplomats and important figures from around the world. As for the situation in Sudan, well, the great thing about being in charge is that you’re never alone. The President can always surround himself with the leading diplomatic experts that America has to offer, which is something that the President has unfortunately failed to do.”
[snip]
GRAMMER: “In short, the size and responsibilities of government are reflective of the freedoms its people enjoy at the state, community and individual levels.”
[snip]
WELLSTONE: “While I appreciate Governor Grammer’s enthusiasm for my job, the fact remains that history has shown time and again that small-government policies only benefit the rich.”
[snip]
MODERATOR: “Governor Grammer, how would you approach human rights violations such as those occurring in places such as Tajikistan and Myanmar?”
GRAMMER: “I would handle them similar to how I handled the human rights violations in L.A. sweatshops. I worked with law enforcement to crack down on corruption and enforce the worker rights laws that are meant to protect workers from such atrocities. I also promoted business transparency, because every single government system can be corruptible, from socialism to anarchism to fascism to monarchism. Libertarianism works best when businesses are honest and principled, and business transparency in California has worked to combat the corrupt businesspersons that soil the reputation of the good businesspersons.”
WELLSTONE: “Can I reply? Thank you. I believe Grammer’s comments are misleading. According to the corruption watchdog group, the Public Integrity Agency, corruption in California has only decreased 0.9% since 2007 – ”
GRAMMER: “So you admit it’s decreasing!”
[snip]
WELLSTONE: “We’ve talked quite a lot about the value of human life tonight, about suffering, about the maligned, the mistreated, and the massacred. Both of us here on this stage tonight have experience of these points, different experiences, but experiences nonetheless. And while I couldn’t tell you the difference between a Kalashnikov and a Carcano, I see that as a plus, because it allows me to take a step back from cold calculating military tactics and see the humanity of the problem. I let military experts help me determine how best to approach a conflict, but only after all avenues, opportunities and attempts at negotiating peace have fallen through. And we still have opportunities and avenues to peace in Sudan. I have not given up, I still have hope and faith in the American peacemaking process.”
[snip]
GRAMMER: “One major difference between the President and I is that I am less willing to cling to negotiations when obvious elements do not want peace. If a hostile element refuses to even come to the table for a peace deal, it is our moral duty to do whatever we have to do to end the carnage, even if it ironically means greenlighting the carnage of war.”
– snippets from the First Grammar-Wellstone Presidential debate, Tuesday 10/2/2012
GRAMMER/BROWN: 48%
WELLSTONE/ROSS: 44%
BUCK/WISE: 6%
OTHER/UNDECIDED: 2%
– Gallup national poll, 10/4/2012
…Paul McCartney’s latest album, “Reunion,” is a collaborative effort by McCartney, Martin Glover and Denny Seiwell, among other contributors, to try and recapture the energy and rigor of their youth, at which they have mixed success…
– Variety, review section, 10/5/2012
MODERATOR: “Governor Brown, how can the people trust you to be an ally of and not undermine a Grammer Presidency when you have gone on record saying that God told you that you are destined for the Presidency?”
BROWN: “Now that’s a factual lie, ma’am! God never used the word ‘Presidency.’ He told me I was, quote, ‘you will be destined to lead this country to glory,’ end-quote. And, you know, look at Vice President Ross, and his leadership on preserving America’s natural beauty. Look at Wellstone, when he was VP and he was in charge some important stuff – important to Democrats, that is. And VPs, uh, Meredith, Litton, and even Mike Gravel at times. They all played important roles in their respective administrations. The VP is not just an understudy position, it’s a tactical position. It’s a platform for maneuvering the make sure everything on the administration’s agenda, it, uh, what on it that the President can’t get to, the VP finishes up. It’s a tag-team effort. I can do a lot of good to promote real American values while Kelsey deals with taxation and regulations. I’ll preside over the Senate, he’s preside over the White House stuff.”
[snip]
ROSS: “I’ve often said that everyone sees nature in their own way. There are summer people, there winter people. The same goes for politics. I think that people in charge have a responsibility to help all people, to lend a helping hand. I believe it should be a generous hand, and Harley believes it should be a tiny little hand, and that’s okay. That’s why we’re here, to talk about what he supports, what I support, and what the good people of America want.”
[snip]
ROSS: “I’m happy that Harley agrees with me on the importance of land conservation and forest restoration. But that is the very reason why I think it’s a good idea to have a strong central government, to set up some ground rules for how to best go about it, make sure nature isn’t being protected in only some states, and ignored and discarded in others. I agree with Harley’s comment that a lot of good work is done at the state and local levels, where implementing these policies are a lot more visible, but at those levels, it’s the responsibility of each and every one of us to do our part to make a better world for each other. That’s a big responsibility. And a strong government can really help with that.”
– snippets from the Brown-Ross Vice President debate, 10/9/2012
…The VP debate showcased the sharp contrast between the boisterous Brown and the soft-spoken Ross. Brown refrained his colorful language as best he could and for the most part kept his cool, while Ross easily maintained a patient demeanor throughout the discussion. With Ross promoting “kindness” and Brown supporting “good ol’ American rugged individualism,” it was debate was surprisingly cordial. While Ross’s closing line, which suggested, either in an offering of unity or in a moment naiveté, that “this country belongs to all of us – so let’s make it the way all of us want it to be,” did cause some head-scratching from some analysts who over-thought the comment, post-debate polling showed that a slim majority of viewers believed that it was the Vice President who “won” the debate. And after Wellstone’s poor performance in the first Presidential debate, the Democratic Party needed such a “victory” to pull them up in the polls…
– John Sides and Lynn Vavreck’s A National Gamble: Choice And Chance In The 2012 Presidential Election, Princeton University Press, 2014
BURGER COMPANIES INCREASING ADVSPENDING AS MARKETS KEEP WIDENING
…The comptetion among fast-food franchises is heating up. ...Most recently, Wendyburger has rolled out a new sandwich, and just weeks after rival chicken seller Chick-fil-A released a new sandwich of their own. Wendyburger’s is a chicken filet topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayonnaise (optional), homestyle, and a brand-new sauce recipe!
– usarightnow.co.usa, 10/11/2012
WELLSTONE BOUNCES BACK IN SECOND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
…Notable comments from Grammer included “Separation of church and State doesn’t mean separating state from human decency” and other attempts to try and appeal to religious voters, and discussing how Thomas Jefferson warned that the “bigger the government gets, the smaller the people’s individual rights get” in his closing statement...
– The Washington Post, 10/16/2012
…A last-minute blow to the Buck/Wise ticket came in the form of audio resurfacing on October 19 and quickly going fervid ontech in a moment that proved polarizing and damaging. The audio was from a 2008 interview on KDWN’s late night political call-in talk radio program Coast to Coast AM, in which the former Governor described his experience of a UFO sighting at O’Hare International on November 7, 2006
[2]. Circulation of the audio clip increased coverage of and ontech discussions over Wise’s 2006 UFO sighting. Suddenly, instead of attracting disgruntled conservatives currently or formerly in the Democratic column such as Toby Keith and Bart Gordon (which was the original intention of having a former Democrat on the ticket), Wise’s presence was attracting ufologists, cryptid enthusiasts, and fans of paranormal paraphernalia, leading to some critics joking that the ticket was that of “The Bigfoot Party” while technetters discussed the merits of the sighting and what this said about Bob Wise, with some applauding his honesty, while other claimed it delegitimized the ticket. Nevertheless, the Buck/Wise remained popular in formerly heavily Goetzite places such as Idaho, Montana and Wise’s home state of West Virginia…
– John Sides and Lynn Vavreck’s A National Gamble: Choice And Chance In The 2012 Presidential Election, Princeton University Press, 2014
IRELAND PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS: Fianna Fail Majority Gains Even More Seats
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 21/10/2012
GRAMMER: “Nobody should have to pay more in taxes than they do on food, shelter and clothing combined. I’m not making monstrous mountains out of milquetoast and mundane molehills, I’m talking about the real bread-and-butter, salt-of-the-earth, Mom-and-Pop-shop issues here!”
[snip]
WELLSTONE: “Government intervention in the private sector is what got rid of slavery and child labor, and gave the American workforce and workplace things like woman worker protections, the 80-hour work week, minimum wage, and sick leave. And a strong federal government is needed to maintain and protect these rights!”
[snip]
GRAMMER: “As President, I will support Victim’s Rights legislation to make louder the muted voices of the survivors of tragedy and what they want to have happen to perpetrators found guilty of heinous acts. Now I will admit, this is a personal issue for me, because my father was killed in a home invasion. …A killer may live with remorse for the rest of their lives, but the next-of-kin have to live with tragedy for the rest of theirs.”
– snippets from the Third Grammar-Wellstone Presidential debate (considered a “draw” by most viewer polls), Monday 10/22/2012
GRAMMER/BROWN: 47%
WELLSTONE/ROSS: 47%
BUCK/WISE: 3%
OTHER/UNDECIDED: 3%
– Gallup national poll, 10/22/2012
Hurricane Sandy, also unofficially referred to as
Superstore Sandy, was the deadliest, strongest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane season, costing billions of US dollars in damage and killing 195 people
[3] across eight countries. …The storm formed on October 22, developing from a tropical wave in the western Caribbean Sea before quickly strengthening; it became a hurricane on October 24, and made landfall near Kingston, Jamaica a few hours later…
– clickopedia.co.usa
TONIGHT’S GOVERNOR DEBATE: Candidates Try And Fail To Take Down McCain
...frontrunner Barack “Rocky” McCain, a moderate-to-conservative Republican state senator, proclamation “
What I believe in is a tax system that is fair. I don’t think government can solve every problem. I think that we should make sure that we’re helping young people go to school. We should make sure that our government is building good roads and bridges and hospitals and airports so that we have a good infrastructure here in Montana,” was well received by the debate audience
[4]. …Schweitzer flopped, while Independent candidate Lloyd H. Reese was the surprise breakout candidate, calling for a form of government that all three other candidates labelled “socialistic.” …Garrison subjectively had the worst performance of the night. At one point in the debate, he began a spiel that almost led to him uttered the N-word, only for him to immediately claim he was somehow mentioning a Italian beverage called a “Negroni cocktail” in the middle of a sentence about McCain’s voting record. Then, in his closing remarks, Garrison claimed both McCain and Schweitzer are “socialistic control freaks,” advocated for the Gold Standard and for the abolition of seatbelt laws and background checks on guns, and opined “If Montanans need to secede from the union to retain their freedom, then so be it.”…
– The Billings Gazette, Montana newspaper, 10/24/2012
…I still can’t believe I got onto that stage. The state of Montana’s Election Committee Board decided to allow all four candidates on the ballot to participate, and, after fearing that my absence would raise suspicions, I readied myself for the opportunity to get my ideas – but not necessarily my face – out there, onto my biggest-ever soapbox. I am very proud of my performance that day. It was my first real time in the spotlight and it really wasn’t that bad!…
– Lee Harvey Oswald’s autobiography Call Me By My Real Name: Confessions From a Fallen Hero, published posthumously
[pic:
imgur.com/epurJ0C.png ]
– still/frame from a Rocky McCain For Governor advertisement (commercial), c. October 2012
STATE FORECAST: A CATASTROPHE!
…With parts already flooded, many coastal communities are evacuating. Governor Clark is coordinating with ODERCA and state emergency organizers in preparation for what is expected to be one of the worst storms to hit the Garden State in recent memory…
– The Star-Ledger, New Jersey newspaper, 10/29/2012
Hurricane Sandy reached a top speed of 109mph as it swept through The Garden State, tearing up communities, disabling power lines and ultimately killing 29 people in the state before flooding parts of New York City and beyond…
[5]
– clickopedia.co.usa
…Wellstone traveled to New York and then New Jersey to inspect the extent of the damage. A 40-foot chunk of New Jersey’s Atlantic City Boardwalk had been washed away, and National Guardsmen were actively working to help those hit in places such as Hoboken and Bergen County. In both states, hundreds of thousands remained without power, and dozens of thousands of homes had been damaged beyond repair or obliterated by the wrath of the storm.
In a showing of bipartisanship, Grammer and Wellstone placed country over politics and agreed to a 48-hour truce in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, in order to assist charitable organizations seeking to raise relief money in obtaining better news coverage. Both candidates visited areas that had been hit worst by Sandy and met with victims as well as with members of ODERCA and the National Guard...
– Richard Wolffe’s The Message: Reselling the Wellstone Way, Hachette Book Group, 2013
WELLSTONE/ROSS: 49%
GRAMMER/BROWN: 48%
BUCK/WISE: 2%
OTHER/UNDECIDED: 1%
– Gallup national poll, 11/5/2012
…Well, it’s just turned 2:00 AM, Eastern Standard Time, and it looks like we just might be able to call the Senate before the Presidency…
– CBS Evening News, 11/6-7/2012 broadcast
November United States Senate election results, 2012
Date: November 6, 2012
Seats: 35 of 104
Seats needed for majority: 53
New Senate majority leader: Webb Franklin (R-MS)
New Senate minority leader: Gary Locke (D-WA)
Seats before election: 55 (R), 48 (D), 1 (I)
Seats after election: 56 (R), 47 (D), 1 (I)
Seat change: R ^ 1, D v 1, I - 0
Full List:
Arizona: Grant Woods (R) over David Garcia (D), Richard Mack (Liberty) and Jim Pederson (I); incumbent Harry Braun (D) retired
California: incumbent George Deukmejian (R) over Judy May Chu (D)
Connecticut: incumbent Warren Mosler (D) over Penny Bacchiochi (R)
Delaware: Ruth Ann Minner (D) over Kevin Wade (R); incumbent Daniel Frawley (D) retired
Florida: Allen West (R) over incumbent Alexander Penelas (D)
Hawaii: incumbent Mazie Hirono (D) over Linda Lingle (R)
Indiana: Jackie Walorski (R) over Brad Ellsworth (D); incumbent Katie Hall (D) retired
Maine: incumbent Olympia Snowe (R) over Benjamin Pollard (D) and Andrew Ian Dodge (Independent)
Maryland: Carl Frank Stokes (D) over incumbent Michael Steele (R)
Massachusetts: incumbent Kathleen Hartington Kennedy-Roosevelt (D) over Brian Paul Lees (R)
Michigan: Hansen Clarke (D) over incumbent Andrew “Rocky” Raczkowski (R)
Minnesota: incumbent Hubert Horatio “Skip” Humphrey III (D) over Rod Grams (R) and Michael C. Colley (Country)
Mississippi: incumbent William Webster “Webb” Franklin (R) over Roger Weiner (D)
Missouri: Sarah Hearne Steelman (R) over incumbent Alan Wheat (D)
Montana: Denise Juneau (D) over incumbent Stan Jones (R)
Nebraska: incumbent Don Stenberg (R) over Chuck Hassebrook (D)
Nevada: incumbent Patricia Anne “Patty” Cafferata (R) over Barbara Buckley (D)
New Jersey: Upendra Chivukula (D) over incumbent Thomas Kean Jr. (R)
New Mexico: incumbent Debbie Jaramillo (D) over Greg Sowards (R)
New York: incumbent Tom Suozzi (D) over George Maragos (R)
North Dakota: incumbent John Hoeven (R) over Pam Gulleson (D)
Ohio: incumbent Sherrod Brown (D) over Larry Lee Householder (R)
Pennsylvania: incumbent H. J. Heinz III (R) over Jason Altmire (D)
Potomac: incumbent Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) unopposed
Puerto Rico: incumbent Luis Fortuno (R) over Cirilo Tirado Rivera (D)
Rhode Island: incumbent Myrth York (D) over Barry Hinckley (R)
Tennessee: Mae Beavers (R) over incumbent Bob Clement Jr. (D) and Zach Poskevich (Independent Republican)
Texas: incumbent Kay Granger (R) over Henry Cisneros (D), Gene Kelly (I) and Rick Noriega (La Raza Unida)
Utah: incumbent David D. Marriott (R) over Benjy McAdams (D)
Vermont: incumbent Anthony Pollina (D) over H. Brooke Paige (R) and Boots Wardinski (Liberty Union)
Virginia: incumbent Ben Lewis Jones (R) over Harris N. Miller (D)
Washington: incumbent Norm Rice (D) over Mike Baumgartner (R)
West Virginia: incumbent Betty Ireland (R) over Natalie Tennant (D)
Wisconsin: incumbent Russ Feingold (D) over Kris Kobach (R)
Wyoming: incumbent John S. Wold (R) over William Bryk (D)
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
…The addition of five more women elected to the US Senate rose the number of female lawmakers in that chamber to a new record of 36 – 20 were from the Republican Party (17 incumbents, plus newcomers Jackie Walorski, Sarah Hearnes Spellman and Mae Beavers) and 16 were from the Democratic Party (14 incumbents, plus newcomers Denise Juneau and Ruth Ann Minner)…
– clickopedia.co.usa
…The new Senators suggested a shift in the ideological factions of both parties. In the Republican camp, former state Attorney General Grant Woods of Arizona promised moderation in a campaign that contrasted with the rest of the incoming GOP freshman. Senators-Elect Allen West of Florida, Jackie Walorski of Indiana, Sarah Hearne Steelman of Missouri, and Mae Beavers of Tennessee introduced a more “strongheaded” element to the chamber with their aggressive and relatively populist campaigns... Meanwhile, Democratic newcomers indicated that rural populism and urban progressivism were still prominent parts of the Democratic base. Ruth Ann Minner of Delaware, Carl F. Stokes of Maryland, Hansen Clark of Michigan, and Upendra Chivukula of New Jersey reflected Democratic gains in their respective states, while Senator-Elect Denise Juneau of Montana had narrowly achieved victory by appealing to fiscally-conscious voters via libertarian-leaning talking points that won over Republican-leaning independents and undecided voters…
– John Sides and Lynn Vavreck’s A National Gamble: Choice And Chance In The 2012 Presidential Election, Princeton University Press, 2014
United States House of Representatives results, 2012
Date: November 6, 2012
Seats: All 441
Seats needed for majority: 221
New House majority leader: H. Dargan McMaster (R-SC)
New House minority leader: Barbara B. Kennelly (D-CT)
Last election: 249 (R), 192 (D)
Seats won: 239 (R), 202 (D)
Seat change: R v 10, D ^ 10
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
…In the House of Representatives, Democrats performed better than they had anticipated for tonight, gaining a net total of ten seat. These results go against initial projections suggesting that the party could end up with a net loss of anywhere between 5 and 15 seats...
– CBS Evening News, 11/8/2012 broadcast
[pic:
imgur.com/aLppaja.png ]
…non-profit organizer and former Miss Indiana pageant winner Shelli Renee Yoder (D) defeated businessman John H. Schnatter (R)…
– clickopedia.co.usa
United States Governor election results, 2012
Date: November 6, 2012
Number of state gubernatorial elections held: 12
Seats before: 29 (R), 21 (D), 2 (I)
Seats after: 28 (R), 22 (D), 2 (I)
Seat change: R v 1, D ^ 1, I - 0
Full list:
Delaware: incumbent Jack Carney (D) over Jeff Cragg (R)
Indiana: John R. Gregg (D) over incumbent Rupert Boneham (R)
Missouri: incumbent Perry B. Clark (D) over Dave Spence (R)
Montana: Barack “Rocky” McCain (R) over Brian Schweitzer (D), Lloyd Havaw Reese (I) and Ben Garrison (Boulder); incumbent Michael R. Cooney (D) retired
New Hampshire: incumbent Rushern L. Baker III (D) over John Henry Sununu (R) and William Byrk (I)
North Carolina: James V. Taylor over incumbent Fern Shubert (R)
North Dakota: incumbent Heidi Heitkamp (D) over Rick Berg (R)
Puerto Rico: incumbent Hector Luis Acevedo (D/PD) over Dr. Ivan F. Gonzalez Cancel (D/NP)
Utah: Robert Wood Young (R) over Jim Matheson (D); incumbent Karl Christian Rove (R) retired
Vermont: Bernard Peters (R) over Charles Dean (D); incumbent Deborah L. “Deb” Markowitz (D) retired
Washington: incumbent Lisa J. Simpson (D) over Rob McKenna (R)
West Virginia: Charlotte Pritt (D) over incumbent David McKinley (R)
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
[pic:
imgur.com/cLGj6Uk.png ]
– clickopedia.co.usa, 2012
PRITT PROMISES PRAGMATIC POLICY AS POPULIST POPULACE PREPS FOR PROGRESSIVE POLITICAL PUSH
…Governor-Elect Charlotte Pritt “is the refreshing change of pace that our state so badly needs,” says one of her supporters…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 11/8/2012
[pic:
imgur.com/ChQeShn.png ]
– A promotional image of Governor-Elect Charlotte Pritt (D-WV), c. November 2012
…In the gubernatorial races, both parties essentially broke even. While Democrat John Gregg unseated Republican incumbent and former Presidential candidate Rupert Boneham in an upset, Republican “darling” Rocky McCain cruised to victory in Montana’s open race. …Wealthy businessman and politician Robert Wood Young, a descendant of the LDS Church leader Brigham Young, was elected Governor of Utah with almost 80% of the vote... Bernard Peters’ election to the governorship of Vermont over Democrat Charles Dean was one of the biggest surprises of the night. After nearly a decade of Democrat Governor Deb Markowitz’s rising tax rates and business regulations allegedly driving away small business owners and struggling families, the conservative Republican former state legislator Bernard Peters capitalized on the sense of voter fatigue by running on a moderate platform. His low-cost TV, radio, and technet ads highlighted his non-political life as a hunter and logger to appeal to blue-collar Vermonters. Meanwhile, his general election opponent did more harm to his own campaign than he realized by praising Markowitz and reminding voters that he was the brother of another state lawmaker, the less-popular Howard Dean. Depicting Dean as a corporate elitist who would continue Markowitz’s tax hikes, Peters successfully mobilized middle-class and rural Vermonters to turn out in droves. Peters pledged to lower taxes and promote small business growth to “make sure the next generation of Vermonters won’t have to leave the state to find work and start families,” while Dean seemed to run a very vague campaign filled with generic platitudes. Furthermore, polls showing Charles Dean winning by a margin anywhere between 10% and 5%, plus Dean’s own lackluster campaigning – essentially dismissing the general election due to how easily he won his party’s primary election – supposedly contributed to Democratic turnout being below average on Election Night. The result was Peters edging out Dean, 51% to 48%...
– John Sides and Lynn Vavreck’s A National Gamble: Choice And Chance In The 2012 Presidential Election, Princeton University Press, 2014
…The President has performed better in the Midwest due to him doubling down on his local roots in the final weeks of the campaign over concerns that Grammer and Brown were targeting ‘vulnerable’ states such as Iowa and Wisconsin. However, the President’s campaign team seems to have underestimated libertarian strength out west, and the complete deflation of the Buck/Wise ticket in the final weeks and days of the campaign... With all but two of the states called, but with neither candidate receiving a majority of Electoral College votes, the election now falls onto Pennsylvania and, of all places, New Jersey. While Pennsylvania is typically a swing state, New Jersey voters have usually leaned toward Democratic candidates in recent election cycles, so it is possible that this election could be a realigning moment. Either that, or, as New Jersey’s Governor Clark pointed out on our program yesterday, results are slow to come in due to the Garden State still reeling from the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy…
– KNN, 11/8/2012 broadcast
ELECTION UPDATE: RECOUNT REQUIRED IN NEW JERSEY AND PENNSYLVANIA!
…many polling stations had to be relocated after the storm, while voting ontech, a more recent alternative to mail-in ballots, does not have a strong infrastructure in New Jersey…
– The New York Times, 11/11/2012
13 November 2012: On this day in history, a total solar eclipse occurs in parts of Australia and the South Pacific.
– onthisday.co.uk
…In an interesting development, the Presidential recount in New Jersey will continue for longer than initially thought, as several early-voting ballots have been found in a sunken mail truck in Burlington County. The mail truck was most likely hit by Hurricane Sandy. The whereabouts of its driver remain unknown...
– The Overmyer Network, 11/14/2012 news broadcast
“This whole thing with the mail truck being overlooked, it could be a ploy to steal the election for Wellstone. I don’t have any more evidence than the police do, I’m just pointing out that it’s all very fishy, and not because the storm threw fish on everything. I just think that this needs to be investigated further.”
– Harley Brown (R-ID), 11/15/2012 KNN interview
…This just in – in the Presidential election, the state of New Jersey has been called for President Wellstone, narrowing the contest down to Pennsylvania... If Grammar wins the recount in PA, he will become President despite having lost the popular vote, albeit by razor-thin margin…
– KNN Breaking News, 11/17/2012
“What I want to know is, well, where is the driver of that mail truck? Was he paid off, was he bumped off, is he innocent, or is he guilty? Where is the driver?”
– Harley Brown, 11/18/2012 KNN interview
BODY OF MAILMAN FOUND IN PINE BARREN SWAMP IDENTIFIED
…he was last seen driving the mail truck found in a river in Burlington County that was at the center of several controversies concerning the Presidential recount in the Garden State. It is most likely that he and his truck were swept off the road by the destructive wind of Hurricane Sandy, with the driver being blown roughly one mile away from the truck…
– The Star-Ledger, New Jersey newspaper, 11/21/2012
PENN RECOUNT ENDS: GRAMMER WINS ELECTION!
– The New York Times, 11/29/2012
[pic:
imgur.com/Z9p9yLv.png ]
Tickets:
Gov. A. Kelsey Grammer (CA) / Gov. Harley Davidson Brown (ID) (Republican) – 68,896,770 (47.7%)
Pres. Paul D. Wellstone (MN) / VP Robert Norman “Bob” Ross (AS) (Democratic) –
70,630,023 (48.9%)
Fmr US Rep. Jason Ogden Buck (UT) / Fmr Gov. Robert E. “Bob” Wise Jr. (WV) (Boulder (Strong on the WV ballot)) – 3,033,191 (2.1%)
Mr. Peter Coors (CO) / Fmr Lt. Gov. Warren Mosler (VI) (Moderate) – 722,288 (0.5%)
Mr. Rich Whitney (IL) / Mr. Harley Mikkelson (MI) (Green) – 587,750 (0.4%)
Pstr. Terry Jones (FL) / Ms. Susan Gail Ducey (OK) (Salvation) – 433,313 (0.3%)
All other votes – 134,238 (0.1%)
Total Votes – 144,437,674 (100.0%)
– clickopedia.co.usa
“Ay Caramba!”
– Katherine Soucie (the voice of Bart Farnsworth, enemy of Dr. Schwarzchild (a retired recurring character voiced by Kelsey Grammar) on the long-running TV series “Futurama”), public comment on the social blogging site FriendLink.co.usa, 11/29/2012
“So, he isn’t going to be in the 2014 Frasier Reunion Special, is he?”
– David Hyde Pierce, FriendLink.co.usa, 11/29/2012
“Now THIS is some bullcrap!”
– Dan Butler, portrayer of Bob “Bulldog” Briscoe on Frasier, PalChat.co.usa, 11/29/2012
“If they had just given him an Oscar for playing Patton in that drama movie, this all wouldn’t have happened.”
– former political analyst James Carville, 11/30/2012
GOVERNOR-ELECT MEETS WITH OUTGOING GOVERNOR
…incumbent Governor Karl Christian Rove (Republican; b. 1950) is leaving office after a single term. Rove had retired last year to run for President, but declined to try for a second term after dropping out of that race early, before the primaries had even begun, due to poor fundraising and low polling...
…Our next governor will be Robert Wood Young (Republican; b. 1947), a conservative with a diverse background. Young is an author and former broadcast journalist who served as the Mayor of Augusta, Georgia from 1999 to 2005, and as the Regional Director of the US HUD Department for the Atlanta Region from 2005 to 2006. President Jackson appointed him to the President’s bipartisan Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in 2007, the year before Young left D.C. and moved to Utah to become the President and CEO of the Southwestern Natural Sciences Academy. Young is a conservative and a direct descendent of Brigham Young…
– The Standard-Examiner, Utah newspaper, 11/30/2012
The Story Behind The Collapse Of The GOP In West Virginia
…With the incumbent Republican Governor failing to address the issues of mining-related health issues, irresponsible and underage recreadrug use, and poor road infrastructure, voters opted for either the Democratic of Boulderite nominee. With former Governor of West Virginia Bob Wise being Jason Buck’s running mate, the Buck/Wise ticket received more attention and appeared more appealing to conservative voters as an alternate to the Republican Party. The subsequent splitting of the non-Democratic vote was a boon to the campaign of Charlotte Pritt… At the Presidential level, West Virginia voters preferred Buck to Grammer and Wellstone, but at the gubernatorial level, the Boulderite/Strong Party candidate, Clark Barnes, was uninspiring and a poor debater. As a result, voters in the state split their tickets, dividing the conservative vote enough for Pritt to be elected Governor, while support for the “squeaky-clean elitist” Grammer, as Governor McKinley call him, plummeted enough for Buck/Wise to win a narrow plurality and win the state’s Electoral College votes…
– thewashingtonpost.co.usa, 11/30/2012
“There is legitimate fear on the American Left that the ‘New Progressive Era’ that we’ve been living in since 2001 – an era of compassionate governance, of civil service reform, and of some trustbusting here or there – has suddenly come to an end.”
– political commentator Janice Fine, 12/1/2012
…There were few incidents of Wellstone supporters reacting to the election results with violence, with the most passionate of Wellstone’s supporters being seen crying into their hands beside discarded stickers, banner and signs showcasing their approval of the now-outgoing President. Nevertheless, THN exaggerated the moments. The network’s most legitimate point, however, was their argument that, since the total number of votes for both the Democratic Party and Green Party did not equal 50%, but the total number of votes for all conservative tickets did, then Grammer is mathematically the people’s choice, and would have won a majority of the popular vote if the election had been held either with ranked-choice voting or in a two-round system.
…Calls for EC abolition went into overdrive on both sides of the political aisle, with Republicans now being joined by Democrats. However, it was still noticeable that many Republicans stopped complaining about the E.C., while others with the G.O.P. supported it over the notion that third-parties would no longer be able play spoiler to their party’s candidates under seemingly any E.C.-free system…
– Roberta Gillespie’s Watershed: An Assessment of The Wellstone White House, Princeton University Press, 2016
REP. JACK BROOKS, DEAN OF THE HOUSE, PASSES AWAY AT 89
...Jack Bascom Brooks (D-TX) had just won re-election to what he swore would be his last term. Brooks had served continuously in the US House of Representatives for almost 60 years, starting on January 3, 1953. The new Dean of the House is Al Quie (R-MN), who has been serving in the House for almost 55 years (since entering office on February 18, 1958), and was planning on retiring from his seat in 2014, at the age of 91...
– The Washington Post, 12/4/2012
4 December 2012: On this day in history, Typhoon Bopha, the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines in this year, makes landfall on the island of Mindanao; no casualties are reported, but many are reported injured by flying debris and falling trees, and multiple homes and buildings are destroyed, cutting power and forcing the cancellation of flights and ferry services for several days.
– onthisday.co.uk
HANNON OUT, R&D HEAD MCNAUGHTON IN AT KFC HQ
…While the energetic Mary Lolita Starnes Hannon, age 81, has retired from the position of CEO of Finger Lickin’ Good, Inc., but will remain "actively invested" in the company as a Senior Advisor…
– usarightnow.co.usa/business, 12/5/2012
…and in a curious and interesting development, the Federal Election Commission has revealed that they are working with law enforcement agencies as part of an investigation into former Independent gubernatorial candidate Lloyd Havaw Reese…
– KTVQ Channel 2, local news station for Billings, Montana, 12/8/2012 broadcast
VARVARIS LEADS LIBERALS TO VICTORY!
…At the age of 38, Nick Varvaris has lead the Liberal Party to returning to power. ...The election was set in the midst of rising taxes from the Warren Williams administration in response to rising inflation rates, which Varvaris has claimed is being brought on by an increase in international trade and outsourcing jobs to India... The Liberal Party received a comfortable majority of seats of the Labor Party, meaning they will not have to work with the Christian Democratic Party (led by Alasdair Webster) or with the Outsiders Party (led by Mark Latham) to form a working government…
– The Northern Territory News, Australian newspaper, 12/12/2012
…In political news, Prime Minister Mary Creagh is promising to work with incoming American President Kelsey Grammer to form a, quote, “meaningful partnership,” unquote, in the hope of working with him on concerns relating to trade, commerce and foreign affairs…
– BBC, 14/12/2012 broadcast
SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR BOB ROSS?
At 70, the cancer survivor describes himself as “fit as a new fiddle,” but when asked if he will run for President in 2016, he suggested that it was “premature” to say, and suggested that his political career is effectively over with the comment “This job has tired me out, and I have seen the number Paul [Wellstone]’s job has done on him. It’s not something anyone can do, or do lightly. …I think I’ve have enough of this place.”
…In 2008, Ross handed over his instructional art TV show to his son and other instructors. He may simply appear on that series on occasion as a guest, or begin hosting a new series to continue spreading joy to new generations of aspiring artists…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 12/16/2012 e-article
…A December 2012 report on how the SARS lockdowns affected Indian student learning revealed that early education in India from 2002 to 2005 was impacted far more greatly than initially feared. To sum up the report bluntly, only 10% of Indian families could afford homeschooling, while most school districts had to choose between holding schools at parks and sports fields or cancel the school year entirely. Many parents who sought to continue their children’s education relied textbooks donated to them, but those without charity suffered the most. The report clearly shows a correlation between poor test scores and districts hit worst by the pandemic. Uttar Pradesh was the worst affected region, where school was effectively cancelled for 2.5 years...
– Rajiv Ahir and Kalpaha Rajaram’s A Brief History of Modern India, Borders Books, 2021
UNITED KOREA ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT
…Han Myeong-sook, 68, who previously served as the country’s Prime Minister, will become United Korea’s second female President …Han won over Kim Jung-sook, 64, a lawyer and member of parliament whose candidacy was inhibited by assumptions from uninformed voters that he is related to the former Kim Family Regime despite Kim being a very common surname in Korea...
– The Daily Telegraph, side article, 19/12/2012
>MOTHER-POST: Wait, Wasn’t The World Supposed to End Yesterday?
I remember a lot of people saying in, like, 2009 and 2010, that something called a Mayan Long Count calendar predicted that the world would come to an and yesterday. Did Earth miss the memo or something?
>REPLY 1:
It was just another Y2K-level scare, only with less clout. And like how most people freaked out over Y2K in 1997 and 1998 and less so in 1999, talk of 2012 being the End of Days lost momentum as the date approached. Guess it’s only fun to talk about everyone dying when the date isn’t right around the corner or so.
>REPLY 2:
I remember I kept saying that the Mayans ended their calendar there and just continued with the dates on some other tablet or what-have-you that we just haven’t found yet.
>REPLY 3:
I’m surprised no big-time Hollywood people tried to make it into a movie. The closest we got was the 2009 Alex Proyas film “Knowing.”
>REPLY 4:
There were lots of people praying last night. Several channels covered how hundreds traveled to the Yucatan to pray at the temples there. Personally, I think the power of prayer prevented the world from coming to an end last night. Our fear of losing all the beauty of this world, combined with great strides toward peace and universal brotherhood in recent years, convinced The Powers That Be to spare us from destruction.
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 4:
Or maybe the End of Days is meant to begin yesterday and slowly come about. Maybe the wheels are in motion and things will only worsen in the upcoming days, weeks, months or even years.
>REPLY 5:
I remember there being a lot of Anti-Semitism attached to this prediction after Wellstone won re-election. A lot of now-banned people on this site claimed he would help Israel take over the Middle East somehow and kill all the non-Jewish people there for some reason, somehow leading to a global thermonuclear war. Glad to see that none of the theories were even remotely close to reality!
>REPLY 6:
I completely forgot about this end-of-the-world claim! I remember it being kind of prominent in like 2008. Oh well, it morbidly fun to imagine what it would look like at the time while it lasted. So, when’s the next time the world’s to come to an end?
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 6:
I heard some religious fundamentalist somewhere say that 2020’s a good bet.
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 6:
Huh.
– conspiracytheoriesforum.co.usa, 12/22/2012 thread
“Friends, as we close this year and this chapter in American history, I am reminded
of a quote that has motivated me throughout my life. It is my favorite quote. It is from Wendell Phillips, an abolitionist from the 1840's. At that time both political parties were very weary of the slavery issue and they weren't sure how to confront it. But not Wendell, he just said slavery was a moral outrage, that it was unconscionable, and he wouldn't equivocate. He wasn't afraid to speak out.
After he gave a particularly fiery speech about abolition, a friend came up to him and said, "Wendell, why are you so on fire?"
And Wendell turned to his friend and said, "Brother May, I'm on fire because I have mountains of ice before me to melt."
As long as we still have blood pumping through our veins, we too will always have the ability to melt whatever mountains of ice lie before us.
Thank you all for your energy, for your time, and for your contributions to fulfilling the American promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Thank you all for your love for your country, for your love for your fellow Americans, and for your love for your fellow human beings. And thank you for your passion to do what is right. It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve here. Thank you all, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays.”
– US President Paul Wellstone’s private address to staff, White House Office Christmas Party, 12/23/2012 (published 2015) [6]
FUTURAMA DRAMA: I MISS DR. SCHWARZCHILD
His last speaking role, all the way back in early 2006, wasn’t that stellar, and the character’s next appearance after that was in a non-speaking bit in 2007, showing he’d taken over a planet in a clear reference to his voice actor becoming Governor of California. He then appeared in minor line-free cameo appearances, typically as a background character or on a poster. In the most recent episode [of the long-running animated TV series Futurama], the Semi-Mad Doctor’s wordless cameo was even smaller than the 2007 one, showing he had “promoted himself” to controlling a solar system of 52 planets “and an asteroid designated for federal administrative use.” The bit just reminded me of the show’s slow decline in quality over the years. I really think that they should have just done a recast with a Grammer sound-alike, instead effectively retiring the role, because at this point, I think it’s very unlikely that Grammer will come back to give the character the proper send-off that he (and, I dare say, his fans) so definitely deserved. A real shame.
– euphoria.co.usa, a public pop-culture news-sharing and chat-forum-hosting netsite, 12/27/2012 posting
“I was getting briefed on an update on the cleanup stuff happening in the Garden State, and apparently, and I know you’re going to tell me if I’ve got this wrong because the media usually knows more about these things, but according to the data stuff I’ve seen, over seventy people drowned, died by drowning, during Hurricane Sandy. I think that’s just awful, it’s awful that New Jersey’s Governor, uh, a Democrat, uh, basically just let that many people drown during that storm. I’m all about government leaving people alone, but there’s a difference between minding your own business and letting your own people die.”
– Vice President-Elect Harley Davidson Brown (R-ID), KNN interview, 12/28/2012 gaffe
“I would just like to apologize for some comments I made yesterday, not because I said them, but because of how I said them. They may have come off the wrong way. I did not mean to offend, and in light of additional information, um, coming to light, I would like to apologize to Governor Clark for misunderstanding the nature of the situation still ongoing in his state.”
– Vice President-Elect Harley Brown, 12/30/2012 statement
“NO CLEAR END IN SIGHT”: Post-Sandy Cleanup Efforts Expected To Continue For “Several More Months”
…Hurricane Sandy slammed into New Jersey and New York almost three months ago, and the tiresome recovery efforts are still ongoing, as homes and businesses are repaired, rebuilt and reopened. However, many are still struggling in the aftermath of one of the most ferocious storms to hit the region, and due to the extent of the damage, it does not look like the cleanup crews with be celebrating a job well done in the immediate future...
– The Wall Street Journal, 1/3/2013
WELLSTONE SIGNS $48BILLION HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF AID BILL INTO LAW
– The Washington Post, 1/5/2013
…President Wellstone met with President-Elect Grammer and New Jersey Governor Joe Louis Clark in Trenton, New Jersey today to assure locals that help is being delivered, as parts of New Jersey are still reeling from the disastrous Hurricane Sandy. The trip to the Garden State was the fourth time that the outgoing and incoming Presidents have met to discuss foreign and domestic policy in what has been, apart from some comments by Vice President-Elect Harley Brown, an overall smooth and genteel transition of power…
– KNN, 1/7/2013 broadcast
…The president’s brother is dead at 76. Stephen Wellstone of Minneapolis passed away on January 9, the family of President Wellstone announced earlier today. An avid gardener and dog lover, Stephen Wellstone taught elementary school for 24 years in Arlington, Virginia before working at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis for 14 years. He is survived by several nephews and nieces, his brother Paul, and by many close friends. His funeral service will be a private affair on the 12th...
– ABC News, 1/10/2013
FORMER GOVERNOR CANDIDATE LLOYD HAVAW REESE MAY BE INDICTED
…documents and records of his existence only going back to 1992 has raised questions over the former candidate’s background. …While Reese has proclaimed he has a “right to privacy,” the fact that law enforcement have reportedly requested that he not leave the country until the F.E.C. matter is resolved is concerning…
– The Washington Post, 1/14/2013
NET TRAFFIC REPORT: Electoral College Abolition Petition Gaining Thousands Of Signatures
…a petition funded by the Americans For Lawful Electoral Change Committee is calling for the abolishing of the U.S. electoral college is circulating ontech. The action is similar those taken by conservative-leaning netsites four years ago, except now the petition is receiving heavy circulation on both conservative-leaning sites and liberal-leaning sites as well. Furthermore, this petition’s number of signatures has already surpassed the number of signatures that had been gathered for the AFLECC’s 2008 petition by the end of May 2009…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 1/16/2013
MOTHER-POST: My opinion:
The Top Five Best and Worst Aspects of the Wellstone administration
BEST
1 – Major Tax reform – passed legislation that benefitted the poor at the expense of the rich
2 – Electric Power push – launch massive electric power grid projects to back green energy and create jobs
3 – Intervention in Africa – Wellstone being anti-interventionist meant that he send diplomats instead of military ground troops to troubled areas abroad
4 – Strengthened Universal Healthcare and the NITR – worked to ensure anti-UHC members of congress could not easily dismantle the popular institutions
5 – Combated Racist and Anti-Semitism – collaborated with his Attorney General to combat voter suppression and other issues
WORST
1 – Put the Balanced Budget Amendment to the test – paying for social programs was expensive, so Wellstone has relied on a healthy economy and low unemployment to get by (though many credit the work of Treasury Secretary Timothy Johnson for keeping things in check)
2 – GOP Obstruction – Wellstone failed to pass several laws in 2011 and 2012 due to GOP opposition
3 – Race relations did not improve – If anything, his predecessor’s comments led to a rise in racist activities under his term
4 – Controversial Comment – First Lady Sheila’s comments and VP Bob Ross’s actions were also heavily criticized by the likes of THN
5 – Unfinished Business – failed to address “the Doomed State of Sierra Leone,” and its regional refugee crisis – the place is a virtually lawless state overrun with recreadrug lords, warfare, slavery, famine, death, disease, and corruption, leading to millions fleeing to neighboring countries.
Thoughts, anyone?
COMMENTS SECTION:
Comment 1: You can't really blame the obstructionism on Wellstone. Sierra Leone is going to be too big of a Gordian knot for any President to try to untangle. And as for point #4... THN, really? You're sourcing those guys?
Comment 2: I think the BBA was his biggest inhibitor, not a "failure"
Comment 3: I can't tell if this list is biased in favor or against Wellstone
– whitehouserankings.co.usa, thread opened 1/18/2013
“I, Allen Kelsey Grammer, do solemnly swear… People, you don’t spend six years as the governor of one of America’s largest states without learning a few things about politics. …“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not to blame the past but instead accept our own responsibility for assuring the brightness of the future. …The time has come for our national lawmakers to show America and the world was successful bipartisanship looks like. We have to showcase fiscal responsibility with unity and rationality, not obstructionism to the detriment of the American citizen. We have to reign in wasteful spending without depriving people of badly needed programs. We are a moral people, and so our good consciences compel us to help those that cannot help themselves. To use a limited government to support those who are truly without, and to allow the individual freedom of each American citizen to flourish and determine the path of their life. …Humanitarian fiscal conservatism has come at last to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!”
– Kelsey Grammer inaugural address (abridged), 1/21/2013
QUERY:
Why Was The 2013 Inauguration A Day Late? (And does it mean Speaker McMaster was President for 1 Day?)
TOP ANSWER:
The official inaugural ceremony was delayed by one day because January 20, 2013 fell on a Sunday. This sort of delay has happened seven times before, in order to not upset or interfere with Christian services that occur every Sunday. However, while the inaugural ceremony is delayed, the swearing-in of the new President is not. President-Elect Kelsey Grammer and Vice President-Elect Harley Brown were both sworn into their respective offices by Chief Justice Alan Page at noon on January 20, 2013, in a private, official ceremony hosted in the Blue Room of the White House. The public, formal ceremony was held at the US Capitol Building the next day.
– queries.co.usa, 2013 query
26 January 2013: On this day in history, DC goes back to being Washington, DC. In one of his first actions as US President to be done via an Executive Order, US President Kelsey Grammer officially changes the name of the US Federal Capital District, reverting it from “District of Columbia” back to “Washington, District of Columbia.” Grammer cites the name’s historical significance, and that the name is not used by the state of Potomac, the state which surrounds the nation’s capital, and thus should not have been retired after all.
– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk
…Grammer is the first US President to have been married four times. First, to dance instructor Doreen Alderman from 1982 to 1990 (with whom he had two children), then to makeup stylist Barrie Buckner from 1991 to 1995 (producing one child), and next to Tammi Baliszewski from 1997 to 2001 (also producing one child), before finally (after being briefly engaged to French actress Juliette Binoche) marrying actress-turned-First Lady Marissa Joan Hart
[M1].
Best known for her role as the titular character in the TV franchise “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” (1996-2003), Hart met Grammer while both of them were working on the Steven Spielberg film “Bandito: The Life of Patton” in 2002, in which Hart played the love interest in a B-plot; she and Grammer, who played General George S. Patton in the film, shared two scenes together. The two soon began dating and were married on January 7, 2004 in Hart’s home town of Sayville, New York. Grammer was 49; Hart was 28. The marriage has produced three children (in 2005, 2007 and 2010, totaling seven for Grammer) as of the publication of this book.
Their time in the White House is not the first time that there was a two-decade age difference between the President and the First Lady. President Grover Cleveland had caused a stir marrying someone roughly 27 years younger than himself, and President John Tyler set the record by marrying someone thirty years younger than himself (and younger than three of his children from his previous marriage). Up until their entrance into the Presidential residence, though, the most recent example of such a wide age gap was the twelve-year age difference between Claudia Sanders and The Colonel.
First Lady Marissa Joan Hart is known for having a very energetic personality, redecorating the Executive Residence to give it a “more modern and lived-in feel,” in contrast to First Lady Sheila Wellstone’s retention of its more traditional aesthetics. A gracious host like the First Ladies before her, Marissa is a passionate supporter of a number of causes, charities and organizations, including March of Dimes, several conservation societies, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, anti-bullying measures, Feeding America, The Art of Elysium, and IFS Virus research. However, her most prominent actions have concerned “child protection” causes such as eliminating child hunger, child homeless, child abuse, child neglect and child poverty...
– Kate Andersen Brower’s FLOTUS: The Grace And Power of America’s Modern First Ladies, Book on the First Ladies, Harper-Collins Publishers, 2013
REESE DISAPPEARS! The Secluded Publisher Vanishes From Cabin Home Near Missoula Amid Investigation Into Background!
“Innocent people don’t flee,” says one anonymous member of the F.E.C.’s investigative task force team…
– The Missoula Independent, Montana newspaper, 1/29/2013
THE KELSEY GRAMMER ADMINISTRATION AT THE START OF 2013
Vice President: Governor
Harley Davidson Brown (R-ID)
CABINET
Secretary of State: campaign advisor and former Dean of Stanford University’s Institute for International Studies
Richard L. Morningstar (R-NY)
Secretary of the Treasury: US Senator
William Floyd “Bill” Weld (R-MA)
Deputy Secretary of the Treasury: former Democratic Party of Maryland Treasurer
Osman “Oz” Bengur (D-MD)
Secretary of Defense: USAA Chairman, US Air Force Colonel (ret.), retired NASA astronaut and former US Air Force test pilot
Eileen Collins (I-TX)
Deputy Secretary of Defense: Lawyer and general counsel for the US Veterans’ Affairs Department
Ivan Kenneth Fong (I-PO)
Attorney General: state Attorney General, former District Attorney and former Assistant District Attorney
Susana Martinez (R-NM)
Deputy Attorney General: lawyer and state deputy attorney general
Boyd Rutherford (R-MD)
Postmaster General: outgoing US Attorney General, former US Senator, former Administrator of the National Roadways Safety Administration, former US Transportation Secretary, former EPA Administrator and former US Labor Secretary
Ralph Nader (I-CT)
Secretary of the Interior: former US Deputy Secretary of Community Development
Alphonso R. Jackson (R-TX)
Secretary of Agriculture: businessman and entrepreneur
Harold Lee Scott Jr. (R-KS)
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture: US Representative and former West Kendall, Florida councilwoman
Martha Bueno (R-FL)
Secretary of Commerce: businessman, banker and former CEO of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
R. Severin Fuld (I-NY)
Secretary of Labor: US Representative
Steven Craig Gunderson (R-WI)
Secretary of Education: Dean of Texas A&M and former state Secretary of Education
Margo Spellings (R-TX)
Secretary of Health and Humane Services: US Representative
Michelle Eunjoo Park Steel (R-CA)
Secretary of Transportation: US Representative and former businessman
Frank Alo LoBiondo (R-NJ)
Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs: outgoing US Deputy Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs and former US Representative
Rodney Alexander (R-LA)
Secretary of Energy and Technology: businessman
Harold Glenn Hamm (R-OK)
Secretary of Community Development: physician and former Marstronaut
Patricia Consolatrix Hilliard “Doc” Robertson (I-PA)
CABINET-LEVEL POSITIONS
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): US Marine Corps Commander (ret.) and former state senator
Winsome Sears (R-VA)
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): former IRS Commissioner and former state Lieutenant Governor
Wilford V. Oveson (R-UT)
US Trade Representative: former US Deputy Secretary of Community Development
Catherine Austin Fitts (R-PA)
Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA): biochemist, inventor, businessman and philanthropist
Robert L. Barchi (I-NY)
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Administrator of the California Environmental Protection Agency
Terry Tamminen (D-CA)
Administrator of the Overwhelming Disaster Emergency Response Coordination Agency (ODERCA): businessman
John W. Hickenlooper (I-CO)
THE PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE OFFICE
White House Chief of Staff: gubernatorial Chief of Staff
Susan Kennedy (D-CA)
White House Deputy Chief of Staff: gubernatorial Deputy Chief of Staff
Patricia Clarey (R-CA)
Counselors to The President: campaign Chief of Staff
Paul Wachter and campaign strategist
Steve Schmidt
Chief Domestic Policy Advisor: “conservative healthcare” advocate and former nurse
Renee Amoore (R-NY)
Chief Economic Policy Advisor: venture capitalist and Wall Street securities analyst
Mary Meeker (I-IN)
Chief Foreign Policy Advisor: Kansas-born Iranian-American energy lecturer
Rob Sobhani (R-MD)
Chief National Security Advisor: Seattle Chief of Police, former Los Angeles Chief of Police, and former Boston Police Commissioner
William J. Bratton (D-WA)
Director of the Office of Management and Budget: Harvard University economics professor
Kenneth Rogoff (I-CT)
Director of the Domestic Policy Council: former US Deputy HHS Secretary and former Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources
Claude Allen (R-PA)
Other Counselors, Advisors, and Key Personnel: speechwriter
Peter Grigsby and
John Decker; finance professor
Murray Sabrin (R-NJ); former US Representative and attorney for political malpractice and toxicology
Nancy Lord (R-SC); economists
Larry Summers and
Frederic Mishkin; staffers
Mona Mohammadi,
Daniel Ketchell,
Greg Dunn,
Karen Baker,
Daniel Zingale, and
Gary Delsohn
White House Communications Director: author, columnist and campaign communications coordinator
Armstrong Williams (R-SC)
White House Assistant Communication Directors: campaign communications directors
Adam Mendelsohn and
Rob Stutzman
White House Appointments Secretary: campaign appointments secretary and hemophilia awareness advocate
Ryan Wayne White (R-IN)
White House Press Secretary: campaign Chief of Protocol
Charlotte Schultz (I-CA)
OTHER MEMBERS
Solicitor General (representative of the Federal Government before the Supreme Court): US Representative
Tom Campbell (R-CA)
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: US Navy Admiral and Commander of the US Pacific Fleet
Derwood Clayiborne “D.C.” Curtis (I-IL)
Secretary of the Army: former Governor and former Major General of the Mississippi Army National Guard
Hudson Holliday (R-MS)
Secretary of the Navy: US Navy Admiral
James George Stavridis (D-FL)
Federal Reserve Chairman: banker, businessman and former CEO of Goldman Sachs
Henry Paulson (R-FL)
NASA Administrator: Deputy NASA Administrator and former Aeronautics Research Mission Director
John McAfee (Liberty-CA)
NOTABLE AMBASSADORS
To the United Nations: banker, conservationist, former US Ambassador to Belgium and US Navy Commander (ret.)
Theodore Roosevelt IV (R-FL)
To Argentina: former Treasurer of the US
Bay Buchanan (R-VA)
To Australia: former US Representative and former Crabb, TX Mayor
Brian Christopher Zimmerman (R-TX)
To Bangladesh: former Special Assistant to the US Secretary of State
James Francis Moriarty (I-PO)
To Brazil: former RNC Chair
Ralph Reed (R-GA)
To Canada: outgoing Chair of the US President’s Auto Industry Task Force
Harry J. Wilson (R-NY)
To China: former Federal Reserve Chair, former US Representative, and former Chair of the US International Trade Commission
John Kasich (R-OH)
To Egypt: former US Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau and former US Ambassador to Senegambia
Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat (D-NJ)
To France: President of the Minaret of Freedom Institute libertarian think tank
Imad-ad-Dean “Dean” Ahmad (R-MD)
To Germany: Governor
Mary Starrett (R-OR)
To India: former US Ambassador to China and former US Assistant Secretary of State
Winston Lord (R-NY)
To Indonesia: businessman and former CEO of Marvell Technology Group
Sehat Sutardja (I-CA)
To Iran: former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan and husband of Zeyno Baran
Matthew James Bryza (I-PO)
To Italy: former US Senator
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
To Japan: former Governor
Kenneth James Fanning (Liberty-AS)
To Korea: historian and Oberlin College professor
Sheila Miyoshi Jager (I-OH)
To Mexico: businessman, inventor, entrepreneur and professional survivalist
John Ellis “Jeb” Bush (R-FL)
To New Zealand: businessman, political activist, former US House nominee and US Army Brigadier General (ret.)
Keith Russell Judd (R-AZ)
To Nigeria: former US Ambassador to Bangladesh and former US Ambassador to The Philippines
Harry Keels Thomas Jr. (I-NY)
To Pakistan: former Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Anne Woods Patterson (I-AR)
To The Philippines: former US Representative
John Eric Ensign (R-NV)
To Russia: former Los Angeles Chief of Police and libertarian political activist
Norma Jean Almodovar (R-CA)
To South Africa: addiction treatment advocate and former Deputy Director for the Office of Nation Recreadrug Policy
Andrea Barthwell (R-IL)
To Spain: outgoing Governor
Kelley Ashby (R-NH)
To Tanzania: former US Ambassador to Cameroon, former US Ambassador to Peru, former US Ambassador to Colombia, former US Ambassador to Morocco, and former US Ambassador to Kenya
Myles Robert Rene Frechette (I-PO)
To Thailand: former state Representative, former City Council member, and former US Representative
Charles Kong Djou (R-HI)
To Turkey: scholar, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute think tank, and wife of Matthew James Bryza
Zeyno Baran (I-PO)
To the U.K.: investment bank director, lecturer, and former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
George John Tenet (R-NY)
To Vietnam: former state Representative and former US Representative
Hubert Vo (D-TX)
To Yugoslavia: outgoing US Ambassador to South Africa
Jenean Michelle Hampton (R-MI)
– KelseyGrammerPresidentialLibraryAndPerformingArtsCenter.org.usa/cabinet_composition/2013
NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] Based on the results of the poll as of 2/10/2012
[2] The full comment can be found in Chapter 92!
[3] The hurricane is less deadly ITTL due to earlier administrations more actively/aggressively/pragmatically addressing Global Climate Disruption (climate change) here.
[4] The italicized line is an OTL quote from the article “Obama says he’d be seen as moderate Republican in 1980s” by Ian Swanson, 12/14/2012 (the hill.com)
[5] The hurricane is slightly less powerful here due to the same explanation given in note/source #3
[6] Italicized parts are from here:
http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2013/12/paul-wellstone-is-more-prescient-than.html
[7] IOTL, Melissa Joan Hart was named after the 1972 Allman Brothers song “Melissa,” which was named that due to serendipitous circumstances (according to the sources that were linked on Wikipedia, Gregg Allman was struggling with finding the right name for it, and when he went to a grocery store one day, a woman there was talking to someone named Melissa. What are the odds that those exact events still occur so many years after this TL’s POD?), so here, different events unfold, and either the song is called something similar, or Hart is named after something or someone different...
The next chapter’s E.T.A.: February 26 at the very latest!
I expect and hope for a number of Peanuts related parodies in regards to the current VP.
Good grief!
Wonderful updates as usual. I loved what you did with Doug and James there. My interest in the Technet is how the timeline version of YouTube looks like. Does it have the same problems of monetization? Does it have similar trends? I think it would also be interesting to see how the videogame industry looks like here. Excellent story and I hope it wins the Turtledove.
I'll cover the history of ontech videos and the monetization issue in the next chapter for ya. I admit, I don't know that much about video game histories but since I mentioned some games many chapters ago I'll write up an update. Thanks for the compliments!
How did the Cold War end in TTL?
The Soviet Union collapsed in 1984, as covered in the 1984 chapters