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alternatehistory.com
In my two previous TLIAW productions, "Red Alert In Red Square" and "On To Berlin", I delved into events from the distant past. This time around I'm going to tackle some more recent history-- the 1994 Republican midterm Congressional election landslide, to be more precise. Those midterms marked the first time in nearly four decades the GOP had control of Congress and you're probably asking yourself: "What could be more dramatic than that?"
Well, stick around and you'll find out as I present....
Heart Of The Matter: How A Single Case Of Cardiac Arrest Changed The Course of American History
PART 1
ABC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
November 8th, 1994
“We had expected to be coming back from the commercial
break with further news about tonight's midterm election
results, but in the last few minutes a bulletin has come
to us from Washington that must take precedence even over
the election returns. The White House has confirmed that
President Bill Clinton has been rushed to Bethesda Naval
Hospital with what Clinton's press secretary describes as
a 'life-threatening' heart problem. Doctors at Bethesda
are preparing to attempt emergency surgery to correct the
problem, and as you can probably imagine the President's
family and closest friends are extremely anxious about his
condition..."
NBC NEWS SPECIAL BULLETIN
"There are reports coming in to our studios in New York that
the President's condition has taken a sharp turn for the worse
in spite of Bethesda Naval Hospital doctors' efforts to revive
him...."
CNN SPECIAL REPORT
"Ordinarily the Republican landslide in this year's midterm
elections would be our biggest story of the night, but what's
happening at Bethesda Naval Hospital right now has pushed the
election results into the background. We've been informed that
Vice-President Gore is at Bethesda right now and a U.S. Supreme
Court justice is waiting to be flown there from Washington to
administer the presidential oath of office to Gore should worst
come to worst..."
CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
"The White House has confirmed within the last few minutes that
President Clinton is dead. According to a statement released by
the White House press secretary's office, the President died at
1:48 AM this evening of complications from cardiac arrest....We
will be going shortly to Bethesda Naval Hospital, where Al Gore
will take the oath of office as the 43rd President of the United
States..."
NEW YORK TIMES
November 9th, 1994
CLINTON DEAD;
GORE SWORN IN AS 43RD PRESIDENT
Sudden Passing Of 42nd President Overshadows
Historic Republican Landslide In Congressional Midterms
WASHINGTON POST
GORE TAKES OATH OF OFFICE
AS NEW PRESIDENT
Calls On Congress To Continue Work Started By Clinton;
Will Meet With House And Senate Leaders Tonight
BBC BREAKFAST NEWS
“Not since Lyndon Johnson took over the Oval Office following
the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 has a man assumed
the American presidency under such tragic circumstances, and he
has never before had to do so in the wake of a decisive midterm
Congressional election defeat for his party...”
GOOD MORNING AMERICA
“It's a somber day for now-former First Lady Hilary Clinton as
she begins preparations to leave the White House following the
death of her husband Bill Clinton. The 42nd President, who died
late last night at Bethesda Naval Hospital of complications from
cardiac arrest, will be buried Sunday at Arlington Cemetery....”
WALL STREET JOURNAL
November 10th, 1994
DOW OPENS DOWN 128 POINTS
Economy Still Feeling Repercussions
From President Clinton’s Death
NBC’S THE TODAY SHOW
“Former House Speaker and newly sworn-in Vice President Tom
Foley will meet with President Gore and members of the National
Security Council this afternoon for a debriefing on the current
situation in the Balkans....”
CNN HEADLINE HEWS
“Mourners are gathering by the thousands at the Capitol rotunda
to pay their final respects to President Clinton, whose body will
lie in state at the rotunda until his funeral on Saturday....”
ABC’S WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
“Following his meeting with the NSC, President Gore spent two
hours on the phone this afternoon making a condolence call to
the late President Clinton’s brother Roger...”
TIMES OF LONDON
November 11th, 1994
THOUSANDS GATHER AT U.S. EMBASSY
TO PAY FINAL RESPECTS TO PRESIDENT CLINTON
Queen, Prime Minister Major Among Those
Signing Condolence Book
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
VICE-PRESIDENT FOLEY TO MEET WITH CALIFORNIA'S
U.S. HOUSE & SENATE DELEGATIONS
Conference Aimed At Addressing Lawmakers' Concerns
About Federal Aid To State
CBC NEWS AT SIX
“Canada Post is estimating tonight that more than four hundred
thousand condolence cards and letters have been mailed in the
past three days by Canadian citizens to former U.S. First Lady
Hillary Clinton since the death of her husband, 42nd President
Bill Clinton....”
THE NBC NIGHTLY NEWS
“James Carville, the political strategist and Bill Clinton
confidant who managed Clinton's successful 1992 White House
run, will deliver the eulogy at the 42nd President's funeral
service tomorrow....”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
November 12th, 1994
A NATION MOURNS
President Clinton To Be Laid To Rest Today
NBC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
“Just off to the right of our camera you can see Mrs. Clinton
and her daughter Chelsea preparing to leave the White House for
what will probably be the last time as they go to Washington’s
National Cathedral for President Clinton’s funeral...”
EXCERPT FROM JAMES CARVILLE’S EULOGY FOR PRESIDENT
CLINTON
“This country has lost a great leader and a great man. We can
only hope that the new President won’t falter in his commitment
to continuing the work Bill Clinton began....”
ABC’S WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
“Tonight former First Lady Hillary Clinton and her daughter
Chelsea are on their way home to Little Rock and an uncertain
future...”
CBS’ FACE THE NATION
November 13th, 1994
“The sudden death of Bill Clinton five days ago has not only
triggered seismic power shifts in his own party, it has also
compelled the Republicans to retool their political strategies
for the coming year. GOP senators and representatives who had
expected to be dealing with a Clinton White House when the new
session of Congress begins in January now instead must adjust to
the reality of a Gore presidency....”
BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE
MOST CLINTON CABINET MEMBERS LIKELY TO STAY ON
AS PART OF GORE ADMINISTRATION
President Will Hold Press Conference Tuesday
To Announce Nominee For New Secretary Of Agriculture
TEN EYEWITNESS NEWS(AUSTRALIA)
“A spokesman for the Australian embassy in Washington has
confirmed tonight that current Australian ambassador to the
United States Dr. Donald Russell will be meeting tomorrow
with President Gore for a discussion on trade, security and
defense issues, and the environment....”
THE CBS EVENING NEWS
“In one of the first major military policy decisions of his
administration, President Gore has approved a request by the
government of Kuwait for the delivery of additional F/A-18s
to the Kuwaiti air force in response to what Kuwait’s emir is
calling ‘dire threats’ by Iraq against Kuwait’s security....”
WASHINGTON POST
November 14th, 1994
SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT TO MEET WITH
NATO OFFICIALS IN BRUSSELS TOMORROW
Conference Aimed At Reaffirming U.S. Commitment
To Atlantic Alliance
THE CBS MORNING NEWS
“The next presidential election in this country is still
almost two years away, but that hasn't stopped political
junkies and Washington insiders from beginning to speculate
about who might challenge Al Gore for the Oval Office when
the time comes....At least one veteran political columnist
for one of the country's biggest magazines has suggested to
CBS News that longtime Kansas senator Bob Dole may take one
final run for the presidency...”
WFAA-TV(DALLAS) 12:00 PM NEWS
“Governor Ann Richards’ press secretary declined to comment
this morning on rumors that newly sworn-in Vice President Tom
Foley has approached her about the possibility of taking an
advisor’s job in the Gore White House when her term in Austin
expires next January....”
BBC NINE O’CLOCK NEWS
“American Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has arrived in
Brussels, where she will be meeting with foreign ministers from
twenty-seven other NATO countries tomorrow in a conference which
the U.S. State Department describes as being intended to reaffirm
Washington’s commitment to the alliance....”
LOS ANGELES TIMES
November 15th, 1994
KUWAITI DEFENSE MINISTRY CLAIMS INCURSIONS
BY IRAQI AIR FORCE JETS
Alleges F-1 Fighters Have Violated Kuwait’s Airspace
Twice In 36 Hours
EXCERPT OF OFFICIAL IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTRY RESPONSE
TO KUWAITI DEFENSE MINISTRY
“These accusations are completely baseless. No Iraqi military
aircraft have left Iraqi airspace during the period when these
alleged incursions into Kuwait’s territory are supposed to have
occurred...”
WCVB-TV(BOSTON) 5:30 PM NEWS
“President Gore will wrap up his first week in office tonight
with a press conference in the White House East Room outlining
his approach for resolving the latest Iraq-Kuwait border crisis
and announcing his nominee to succeed the outgoing Secretary of
Agriculture, Mike Espy....”
THE CBS MORNING NEWS
November 16th, 1994
“South Dakota senator Tom Daschle has been named by President
Gore as his nominee to succeed outgoing Agriculture Secretary
Mike Espy....”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
BETWEEN IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE
Congress divided on Gore Administration's strategy
for tackling Kuwait crisis
ABC'S WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
“United Nations observers in Africa are urging President Gore
to take action to halt the genocide in Rwanda....”
BBC BREAKFAST NEWS
November 17th, 1994
“The civil war in the Balkans is threatening to escalate into
a broader regional conflict this morning as Serbian president
Slobodan Milosevic warns that Serbian air force jets will bomb
Bosnia's capital Sarajevo within the next 48 hours unless the
Bosnian government agrees to end hostilities with Serbia....”
THE CBS MORNING NEWS
“The Bosnian government is rejecting Serbian president Slobodan
Milosevic’s demand that it capitulate to Serbia in order to end
the Balkan conflict...”
WASHINGTON POST
HEARINGS ON DASCHLE NOMINATION
SET TO BEGIN TODAY
BBC NINE O’CLOCK NEWS
“The U.S. State Department has announced that President Gore
will hold his first formal meeting with Prime Minister Major
in two weeks’ time....”
NEW YORK TIMES
November 19th, 1994
SERBIAN JETS BOMB SARAJEVO;
BOSNIANS PROMISE RETALIATORY STRIKES
Secretary Of State Albright En Route To Belgrade
GOOD MORNING AMERICA
“The Pentagon has confirmed within the past hour that U.S.
Military forces in Europe are on a heightened level of alert
in response to the Serbian air strikes on Sarajevo...”
BBC WORLD NEWS
“Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic is refusing to halt air
strikes against the Bosnian capital Sarajevo despite pleas from
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to open cease-fire
discussions with Bosnia....”
THE CBS EVENING NEWS
“Saying she hasn’t given up on the possibility of securing a
ceasefire in the Balkans, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
is attempting to arrange another meeting with Serbian president
Slobodan Milosevic for tomorrow...”
MEET THE PRESS
November 20th, 1994
“We begin this week’s broadcast with some potentially alarming
news this morning from the Persian Gulf: sources at the Pentagon
have told us within the past hour that Iraqi soldiers stationed
along Iraq’s border with Kuwait have apparently fired shots into
Kuwaiti territory....”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
SERBS YOU RIGHT
Milosevic’s ambassador in D.C. quits over snub of Albright
ceasefire proposal
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
“Despite Secretary of State Albright's continuing efforts to
bring Serbia and Bosnia together to negotiate a cease-fire to
end the war in the Balkans, sources at the White House say the
Gore Administration is pessimistic about the prospects for her
mission in Belgrade....”
EXCERPT OF OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY THE UNITED NATIONS
ON THE IRAQ-KUWAIT BORDER CRISIS
“We remind the governments of Iraq and Kuwait that it is their
individual and collective responsibility to maintain peace along
their respective frontiers....”
BOSTON HERALD
November 21st, 1994
BALKAN AT SERB INVITATION
Ted K declines Milosevic invite to attend
“peace parade”
THE CBS MORNING NEWS
“Critics of Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic today are saying
that the 'peace parade' his government is planning to hold in the
Serbian capital Belgrade later this week is little more than just
a propaganda ploy meant to distract the world from alleged Serbian
war crimes against Bosnian civilians....”
MSNBC
“A Pentagon spokesman has confirmed that additional U.S. fighter
jets are being deployed to the Persian Gulf to enforce the U.N.'s
designated 'no-fly zone' over southern Iraq....”
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS
“Two huge stories to tell you about as we come on the air: first,
Tom Daschle’s nomination to succeed Mike Espy as U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture hits an unexpected snag, and second, the government of
Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic has categorically rejected an
appeal from the Gore Administration to resume ceasefire talks with
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright....”
TIMES OF LONDON
November 22nd, 1994
MILOSEVIC INSISTS PEACE PARADE WILL GO FORWARD
No comment on when Serbia will resume discussions
with U.S. State Department
GOOD MORNING AMERICA
“Vice President Tom Foley is expressing disappointment at Serbian
president Slobodan Milosevic’s decision to break off discussions
with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright which the White House
had hoped might lead to a cease-fire agreement between Serbia and
Bosnia to end the war in the Balkans....”
BBC BREAKFAST NEWS
“Ministry of Defence sources in Whitehall have declined to comment
on rumours that RAF fighter jet units are scheduled to be deployed
to the Persian Gulf to assist United States Air Force personnel in
enforcing the U.N.'s no-fly zone over southern Iraq...”
CBC NEWS AT SIX
“Canadians of Balkan descent are scheduled to gather in Toronto
tomorrow for what is being described as 'a national town hall' to
discuss the ongoing civil war in the former Yugoslavia...”