Chapter 1: The Best Intentions
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world
The Second Coming, William Butler Yeats
"While the full impact of the demise of the Fifth Party System on American politics continues to unfold and redefine itself with speed and fluidity which drives many experts to frustration the causes are well understood. The current consensus is, without a doubt, this great shift was the direct result of the disastrous presidency of Ronald Wilson Reagan. While many of his policies continue to be criticized across the political spectrum there is little doubt the fateful meeting with National Security Adviser Robert MacFarlane in early 1985 at Bethesda Naval Hospital was the beginning of the end of his presidency."
The Partisan Muddle: The Birth of our Fractured Political System, by Professor Matthew Levendusky, Chicago, IL, University of Chicago Press, 2009
"I'll tell you what really bugs me, it's all those damn socialist liberals saying they're patriots even though they are constantly finding ways to take down America from the inside! Just look at when they took out President Ronald Reagan. They knew he was standing up to their Commie buddies in Moscow and they couldn't have it so they made up Iran-Contra to bring him down!"
Clip from AM Coast to Coast with Rush Limbaugh, 1:30AM April 12th, 2005
Footage of the October 14th press conference plays in the backgroundTurning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world
The Second Coming, William Butler Yeats
"While the full impact of the demise of the Fifth Party System on American politics continues to unfold and redefine itself with speed and fluidity which drives many experts to frustration the causes are well understood. The current consensus is, without a doubt, this great shift was the direct result of the disastrous presidency of Ronald Wilson Reagan. While many of his policies continue to be criticized across the political spectrum there is little doubt the fateful meeting with National Security Adviser Robert MacFarlane in early 1985 at Bethesda Naval Hospital was the beginning of the end of his presidency."
The Partisan Muddle: The Birth of our Fractured Political System, by Professor Matthew Levendusky, Chicago, IL, University of Chicago Press, 2009
"I'll tell you what really bugs me, it's all those damn socialist liberals saying they're patriots even though they are constantly finding ways to take down America from the inside! Just look at when they took out President Ronald Reagan. They knew he was standing up to their Commie buddies in Moscow and they couldn't have it so they made up Iran-Contra to bring him down!"
Clip from AM Coast to Coast with Rush Limbaugh, 1:30AM April 12th, 2005
Audio: In 1984 President Reagan promised "Morning in America"
Audio: Larry Speakes: "The White House considers the Boland Amendment to be an infringement on the powers of the Executive branch"
Screen fades to black
Audio: Why does this sound like a nightmare?
Cut to clip from the Nixon-Frost interview
Audio: Richard Nixon: "When the President does it, that means it is not illegal."
Fade to black
Nationwide Campaign Ad Aired by the DSCC October 22nd, 1986
July 1986 - Hezbollah agents trade a Catholic Relief aid worker for arms as part of the network established by Oliver North.
July 28th, 1986 - Medhi Hashami, a devoted supporter of the Iranian Revolution, has had enough with the secret arms deals with the United States. Hashami, after hearing of the recent hostage for arms trade, contacts the Lebanese newspaper Ash-Shiraa and arranges the leak.
August 4th, 1986 - Hashami meets in secret with Lebanese reporters in Beirut and gives them specific information confirming his story.
August 12th, 1986 - Ash-Shiraa editors approve following up on the arms-for-hostages deal following subsequent investigation.
September 23rd, 1986 - Ash-Shiraa publishes the story on the arms-for-hostages deal. The Iranian government confirms the story the next day.
October 5th, 1986 - CBS News runs a story on the arms for hostages swaps.
October 6th, 1986 - Ronald Reagan takes to the airwaves to defend the actions of his administration, addressing the American people from the Oval Office in a nationwide broadcast:
"My purpose was to send a signal that the United States was prepared to replace the animosity between us with a new relationship. At the same time we undertook this initiative, we made clear that Iran must oppose all forms of international terrorism as a condition of progress in our relationship. The most significant step which Iran could take, we indicated, would be to use its influence in Lebanon to secure the release of all hostages held there."
October 7th, 1986 -House Majority Leader Jim Wright and Senate Minority Leader Robert Byrd hold a joint press conference. They condemn the Reagan administration for violating the terms of the Boland Amendment which expressly forbid the use of government funds to support Contra efforts to overthrow the Nicaraguan government.
October 12th, 1986 - Nicaraguan forces shoot down a cargo plane running supplies to Contra forces. In a press conference held by the Nicaraguan government the lone survivor, Eugene Hasenfus, claims the flights were directly supervised by the CIA.
October 13th, 1986 - The headline on every television and newspaper today is the growing arms for hostages scandal. Many are openly wondering if this will be a new Watergate, leading to some to dub it Irangate.
October 14th, 1986 - In a contentious press conference the White House responds to the growing publicity. Press Secretary Larry Speakes says the administration position is Congress does not have the right to dictate foreign policy through its power of the purse.
October 16th, 1986 - Wright and Byrd, with all the current Democratic Congress members in attendance, hold a press conference denouncing the White House's high-handed behavior. Jim Wright denounces Reagan as another Richard Nixon.
October 20th, 1986 - New polls are in on the growing Iran-Contra scandal. A New York Times/CBS poll puts the President's approval rating at 46% down from 67%, the largest single drop in approval ratings in Presidential history. Pollsters are predicting the Democrats will retake the Senate with a strong majority and strengthen their domination of the House.
October 21st, 1986 10:00AM: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Peter W. Rodino announces the committee is beginning investigations into the Iran-Contra arms deals. The Committee issues a subpoena for all relevant National Security Council records and documents.
October 21st, 1986 3:00PM: Capitol Police charged with carrying out the subpoena enter the White House to find Colonel Oliver North and his secretary, Fawn Hill, attempting to leave the premises with National Security Council documents specified in the subpoena. The two are arrested for contempt of Congress. (1)
October 21st, 1986 6:00PM: Congressman Rodino, with the House Democratic leadership in attendance, holds a prime-time press conference denouncing the attempted obstruction of the Judiciary committee's investigation. Rodino compares North's actions to the Nixon White House's destruction of audio tape during the Watergate scandal. He vows Congress will get to the bottom of it, making the investigation top priority for the new Congressional term.
October 28th, 1986: New polls are in on the Iran-Contra affair, the President's approval ratings, and the upcoming elections. Reagan's popularity following the North incident is plummeting rapidly, reaching a new low of 36%. Senate races across the country are seeing boosts for the Democratic challengers with Missouri now too close to call and Idaho looking like a Democratic pickup. Especially noted by commentators is the silence from the White House. (2)
November 3rd, 1986: Election day results are in. The Democrats have won in a landslide. In the Senate the Democrats took control with a 57-43 majority with pickups in Florida, South Dakota, Washington, North Dakota, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, and Idaho. The House Democrats increased their majority by 8 seats.
November 4th, 1986: Hot on the heels of the mid-term results is a new development in the growing scandal. The White House announced the resignation of Vice Admiral John Poindexter from his position as National Security Adviser and the termination of Oliver North from his White House position.
November 5th, 1986: President Reagan announces the creation of a Special Review Board to investigate, "the circumstances surrounding the Iran-Contra matter, other case studies that might reveal strengths and weaknesses in the operation of the National Security Council system under stress, and the manner in which that system has served eight different Presidents since its inception in 1947." On the following day he appoints former Senator John Tower, former Secretary of State Edmund Muskie, and former National Security Adviser Brent Snowcroft to the board.
November 11th, 1986: The Tower Commission begins its investigations into the Iran-Contra affair.
November 12th, 1986: Reagan testifies before the Tower Commission. His testimony is contradictory and misleading with the President stating he had authorized the arms sales early in his testimony while later when asked claimed he, "Did not recall".
December 19, 1986: Lawrence Edward Walsh is appointed as Independent Counsel to investigate the Iran-Contra affair.
1. OTL Ollie North went to shred the documents 18 days after news of the scandal broke. I'm assuming he's going to take as long to get everything together so they can try to sneak them out. It's his bad luck the House Judiciary Chairman is the same guy who impeached Nixon.
2. OTL Ronald Reagan remained silent following the initial address from the Oval Office for three months. When he broke his silence he claimed his reasons were to let all the facts come out.
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