The Presidency of America's Maverick

[OSR stands with Israel]

I don't want to interrupt the flux of 'Election Night' posts, but so the major Republican who didn't run in real life was George W. Bush? Wow. That was an ace up your sleeve.

Anyway... the long time lost when Southern suburbs were all Titanium Republican. I hope Saxby Chambliss overcomes the odds and the Rick Wilson shenanigans, differently from our timeline.

George W Bush is running for the senate not governor , it’s just that with Bush being the nominee that senate race is Safely Republican.


Also you mean Max Clelend right

[OSR stands with Israel]

CNN: Election Night in America 2002(Part 2):



8:00:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchmoqssrQw&t=0s

Shaw: Its 8 PM in the east and we can now project the Republican will retain control of the House of Represenatives

Breaking News: Republicans to Retain Control of the House of Representatives

Shaw: Further we can project Republicans will make gains in the house tonight as Republicans will have at least 229 house seats at the end of the night and that number could go as high as 243 seats.

Greenfield: That range isnt really much of a surprise but one reason why Republicans are making gains is not only the fact that harder for house races to be individualized  but that President McCain has taken away a key issue that Democrats usually try to use against the Republicans which is Republicans are the party of special interests.

Woodruff: I would agree with that


Greenfield: Since its 8 PM we also have lots of poll closings so CNN can project the Republicans will win seats in Alabama- where Senator Jeff Sessions will be reelected, in Kansas- Senator Pat Roberts will be reelected, in Maine- Senator Susan Collins will be reelected, in Mississippi- Senator Thad Cochran will be re-elected , Oklahoma- Senator Jim Inhofe will be re-elected , in Tennessee - Former Education secretary Lamar Alexander will be elected and in Texas - Governor George W Bush will be reelected

We can also project the Democrats will win seats in Deleware- where longtime senator Joe Biden will be reelected, in Illionis- where Senator Dick Durbin will be reelected, in Massachusetts- Senator John Kerry will be reelected in Michigan- Senator Carl Levin will be reelected.

We are unable to make projections in Missouri , New Jersey

Republicans: 40
Democrats: 39

Schnider: In Governors races we can project that in Connecticut - where Governor John Rowland will be reelected while in Illinois- Represenative Rod Blagojevich will be the next governor of the state  . We are unable to make a projection in Alabama ,  Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma , Pennsylvania, Tenneessee and in Texas

 

Schnider: As expected with many gubernatorial races , they are really close and we probably wont get results from many of them until later . The results though are starting to come in places like South Carolina where currently the Republican candidate is leading due to strong performances in Western part of the state and is winning Charleston county by nearly double digits .


Greenfield: Whats interesting is in the senate race in South Carolina currently the Democrat, Mrs.  Tenenbaum is leading due to the fact that Governor Beasley is losing some of the votes to third parties then and that could be the difference. As for Georgia its a long way to go but I would want to remind you that if noone hits 50% we will have a runoff their next month as well. Something I wanna show our viewers is a new feature we have create and that is we can click on a state and on the state we can click on the option key counties. When you do that we will see how first the state is currently voting vs last time, and some key important counties of how they are voting this time compared to last time. Take South Carolina for example and you can see in places like Greenville County a key republican county , the GOP is doing worse than they did last time.


8:30

Woodruff: The polls have closed in Arkansas- and we can project the Democrat Mary Pryor will be the next senator of the state , while in North Carolina- we can project Elizabeth Dole,  the wife of former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole will be the next senator of the state

Republicans: 41(-1)
Democrats: 40(+1)


Woodruff: In the Governor's race we can project that Governor Mike Huckabee will be reelected in Arkansas

Woodruff: Bill any updates in Texas


Schnider: Yes and it isnt good news for the Democratic candidate as Tarrant County a key county in the state has gone to the Republican Rick Perry by 7 points and Harris County a count Democrat must win to win the state of Texas is being led right now by Rick Perry as well. Now the Democrat is performing really well for a Democrat in the Texas Panhandle and is winning Dallas County, at this point Mr.Perry definetly would seem to be the favorite .

King: Ann do you agree

Richards: Sadly I do as its very hard for me to see a Democrat lose Tarrant County by 7 points, and is basically tied in Harris and win the state of Texas. I see this race being a 3-4 point Republican win at the end of the day and even worse news is Texas local media are now saying its more than likely Republicans will take the Texas House as well. On the other hand not everything is in Harris and Tarrant so there is still some hope left


Woodruff: Jeff how are things going in New Jersey

Greenfield: Well it seems like it will go down to the wire as Cumberland County is pretty much tied and that is a key belweather there.

Woodruff: Bill what about in Pennslyvania

Schnider: So far good news for Mayor Rendell as he is doing really really well in the Philadelphia area including so far managing to even win the Republican stronghold of Chester County and getting over 60% in Montgomery County. So I would say here Mayor Rendell is definitely favored

[OSR stands with Israel]

CNN: Election Night in America 2002(Part 3):



9:00:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchmoqssrQw&t=0s

Shaw: Its 9 PM in the east and CNN can now project that in Arizona- Senator Grant Woods will be elected to finish out the Rest of President McCain's term in the senate, in Nebraska- Senator Chuck Hagel will be reelected , in New Mexico- Senator Pete Domenici will be reelected and in Wyoming - Senator Mike Enzi will be reelected . we can also project in Rhode Island- Senator Jack Reed will be reelected

We are unable to make projections in Colorado, Lousiana, Minnesota, South Dakota

Republicans: 45(-1)
Democrats: 41(+1)

Schnider: In the Gubernatorial races CNN Can now project in Colorado- Governor Bill Owens will be reelected , in Massachusetts- The Republican Mitt Romney will be the next governor of the state,   in Minnesota - The Republican Tim Pawlenty will win, in Nebraska- Governor Mike Johanns will be reelected , in New York- Former New York City Mayor Rudy Guliani will be the next governor of the state , in Rhode Island- The Republican Donald Carcieri will win and in South Dakota- The Republican Mike Rounds will win

We can also project that in Kansas - the Democrat Kathleen Sebelius will be the next governor of the state , in New Mexico- Former Energy Secretary Bill Richardson will win , in Pennsylvania- Former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell will knock of the Republican Governor to win

We are unable to make a projection in Arizona, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Greenfield: In The Senate race remember while Senator Landrieu will easily get the most votes the question is can she get to 50% cause if she cant there will be a runoff there in December as well. Also some more updates in the seante , if we go to New Hamsphire we can see Congressman Sununu up 6 points which seems pretty solid , in New Jersey the race is basically a tie and in Missouri the Republican Jim Talant is leading so far and much of the reason is currently he is tied in St Louis County which is huge and if it continues he probably win. Now if we go to the senate what if board here you can see the problem the Democrats have as if you assign all the Safe Seats to their parties you get the Republicans at 48 Seats vs the Democrats at 43 and if you give New Hampshire to the Republicans then the GOP only needs one remaining seat to get to the majoirty . So at this point barring a huge upset its very hard to see the Democrats taking the majority.

If you assign it the way its going and also give the Republicans Colorado, Missouri that takes them up to 52 with 5 seats still outstanding so at this point I will say there is a good chance Republicans also make gains in the senate.

Woodruff: yes and some news we can make at this moment is that in New Hampshire- Congressman  Sununu will be the next senator of the state

Republicans: 46(-1)
Democrats: 41(+1)

Woodruff: Furthermore in the house we can now project that the Republicans will win between 234- 242 seats when the night is over.

9:33:

Schnider: In some more Gubernatoiral projects we can now project in Vermont - The Republican Jim Douglas will win while in Michigan- the Democrat Jennifer Granholm will win

Schnider: In Texas , Governor Perry still holds around a 3.5 point lead but all Tarrant is in and Perry won it by 7 and while he lost Harris county it wasn't as much as a Democrat needs to win the state given near by Fort Bend County voted for Perry by 6 points . Further bad news for Texas Democrats is according to local outlets , its now very likely the Republicans take the Texas House so at this point the Republicans look ready to have a trifecta there plus redistricting power. Also in Georgia while the Republican candidate still has over 50% at this point given whats outstanding its likely this race will go to a runoff. Now lets go over to John King


King: With Former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani being elected Governor of New York many people are now asking is this a start of a potential national career for Governor-Elect Guiliani. With us is a friend of the Governor-Elect, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo .

Cuomo: Well the most important question in our minds right now should be what type of job he will do for the state of New York. Being a governor of a state as large of New York is a major job as well and I think Mr.Guiliani will face some challenges that make his job as Governor different then mayor

King: Such as

Cuomo: Well the state of New York is just more than just the city and many parts of the state have more competing interests than the different boroughs so he will have to manage that and that has been a challenge for many governors and its certainly a challenge he will face. Knowing him, I think he has the potential to do a great job but we have to hope the potential turns into reality.




Woodruff: Thanks Larry and now we have another project and that is that in the state of Tennessee- The Democrat Phil Bredesen will be the next governor of the state

[OSR stands with Israel]

CNN: Election Night in America 2002(Part 4):



10:00:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchmoqssrQw&t=0s

Shaw: Its 10 PM and the polls have closed in a few more states and CNN can now project that in Colorado- Senator Wayne Allard will be reelected, and in Idaho - Senator Larry Craig will be reelected. CNN can also project that Iowa- Senator Tom Harkin will be reelected and in Montana- Senator Max Baucus will be reelected .

Republicans: 48(-1)
Democrats: 43(+1)

Greenfield: That Colorado call means that unless the Democrats can pull of a huge upset in either Oregon or Alaska , the Republicans will hold the senate for at least two more years and possibly more as if we go through the races you see the Republicans are leading in New Jersey, Missouri and Georgia at the moment too which would give the Republicans 53 senate seats. Now of course it seems likely Georgia will end up going to a runoff so even if you remove that it would be 52

Schnider: In The Gubernatorial races we can project in Idaho- Governor Dirk Kempthorne will be reelected , in Nevada- Governor Kenny Guinn will be reelected, and in Iowa - Governor Tom Vilsack will be reelected . We are also able to say in Texas- The Republican Rick Perry will be the next Governor of the state and he will have a majority in both houses of the Texas legislature

Woodruff: In the House we can say the Republicans will win between 234-240 house seats at the end of the night which would be a gain of anywhere from 8 seats to 14 seats.

Greenfield: And with Republians now having full control over the Texas Government they will get to redistrict in the way they want meaning that whatever amoung of seats the Democrats have to gain two years from now to gain the majority, you can functionally add 2 more to the total they have to gain.


10:31

Greenfield: CNN is now able to project in New Jersey- Former Governor Christine Todd Whitman will defeat Former Senator Frank Lautenberg to become the next Senator of the state . In Georgia, we can now officially project that there will indeed be a runoff as neither Senator Clelend or Congressman Chambliss will get over the 50% mark

Republicans: 49
Democrats: 43


Schinder: We can also say in Georgia's Gubernatorial race there will indeed be a runoff as neither candidate will reach 50% in that race either. On the other hand we can project in Maine- The Democrat John Baldacci will be the next Governor of the state and in Maryland - the Republican Bob Ehrlich will win becoming the first Republican Governor in over 32 years.

Schnider: In Alabama currently the Governor Don Siegelman is leading by 1.3 points, in South Carolina the Republican  Bob Peeler is winning by around 1.5 points, in Oklahoma and Arizona things are currently tied.


Shaw: Jeff,So what do you think are some of the reasons for the strong Republican performance tonight

Greenfield: Well my opinion is first the fact is President McCain is probably the most popular president we have had going into a midterm in a while, plus the Republicans since 1994 have become stronger downballot wise than they have since the 1920s and along with the Democratic party unable to campaign on we are the party against special interests given President McCain's policy on campaign finance reform, against pork barrell spending and for more transparency I think is what led to the night

Schnider: I think the fact that the reason Republicans at a state-level aren't doing as well is that they dont have a popular figure like President McCain leading their parties and Democrats are still able to campaign on the we are the party against special interests is why the Democrats are doing much better at the Gubernatorial level.

King: Id agree with that


10:51:

Schnider: We have two more gubernatorial calls to make and that is in Alabama- We can now project Governor Don Siegelman has been reelected while in South Carolina- the Republican  Bob Peeler will defeat the incumbent democratic governor to be the next governor of that state

[OSR stands with Israel]

CNN: Election Night in America 2002(Part 5):



11:00:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchmoqssrQw&t=0s

Breaking News: Republicans to Retain Control of United States Senate
Shaw: Its 11 PM in the East and CNN can now project that Republicans will retain control of the United States Senate as CNN can now project that Senator Gordon Smith will be reelected in the state of Oregon .

Republicans: 50
Democrats: 43

Greenfield: So far in South Carolina the democrat Inez Tenenbaum holds a little more than a 1 point lead, in Lousiana Mary Landrieu while significantly ahead isnt getting 50% and if that holds there will be a runoff in that race and its seems likely her opponent, in that case, would be Republican Suzanne Terrell who is narrowly leading over the other Republican candidates. In Missouri, the Republican Jim Talent holds a little more than a 2 point lead , while its basically tied in Minnesota and South Dakota.

 In the House, we can say that Republicans will have between 235 and 239 house seats in the next congress which would mean they would gain anywhere from 9 to 13 seats.

Schnider: In the Gubernatorial races we are unable to make projections in California, Oregon or Hawaii but in Wisconsin - we can project the Democrat Jim Doyle will be the next governor of the state

Schnider: In California Richard Riordan, moderate Republican hopes he can win the state by reducing the Democratic margins in LA county to single digits and he believes is tenure as Mayor of LA could help him do that and he believes he can also do better than republicans usually do in the Democratic stronghold of the Bay Area which could make it easier for a Republican to win.

King: One interesting thing I have seen in this election is while Nationally people seem happy with the status quo and are reaffirming it, at the state level you are seeing massive changes at the gubernatorial level with over 13 seats having changed hands with possibly even more. In my opinion I think this shows that while the President of the United States is popular, that doenst mean Americans are happy with everything that is going on and the gubernatorial results show that. I would say that its almost a warning sign to both the President and Congress that while they arent blaming you now, if problems that the people want solved dont get solved these results could happen at the federal level as well.

Schnider: I absolutely agree and the fact is there will be issues over the next two years Congress will have to address such as the economy, healthcare and if they dont you could see two years from now many incumbents at a federal level losing as well


11:37:

Greenfield: CNN is now able to project in Missouri- The Republican Jim Talent will be the next senator of the state and in South Carolina- The Democrat Inez Tenenbaum will be the next senator of the state

Republicans: 51
Democrats: 44

Woodruff: In South Carolina many Democrats are probably thanking the Constitution Party candidate for getting over 5% of the vote which enabled them to pull of this narrow one point win.

Greenfield: Oh without a doubt without the constitution party candidate in the race , Governor Beasley definitely wins but the fact is even if the constitution party did as well as right-wing third parties usually do then then even in that case he most likely wins so the fact is you have to blame Governor Beasley partly for this failure.

Schnider: Yes I agree and I am of the belief that blaming third parties for costing you elections while may make sense from a math sense , it doesnt from a practical sense because the fact is if these third parties did better then they normally do especially in a case like this when the candidate wasnt really high profile at all, it was your party's problem of failing to get their votes.

11:51:

Schnider: CNN is now able to project that in Arizona- the Republican Betsey Bayless will be the next governor of the state, and in Oklahoma - the Democrat Brad Henry will upset Republican Steve Largent in a stunning upset to be the next governor of the state

Woodruff: Democrats hoped to win in Arizona as it would be a huge win in the President's home state but it seems like the President last minute rally in Phoniex helped put Mrs. Bayles over the line .

Schnider: Oh absolutely a loss in Arizona would have been a blow for the President but it did not happen. In Oklahoma a race where there was a huge upset, the third party candidate got over 10% of the vote which many believe would otherwise go for the Republican.

Shaw: How are things looking in California

Schnider: Well so far Mr.Riordan has the lead but its still early so what matters more if Mr.Riordan is getting what he needs in key counties for a Republican to win here. The first key point is despite being a moderate Republican could he do as well as he needs to in conservative strongholds such as Orange and San Diego counties and yes you can he is as he is getting over 60% of the vote in Orange and over 55% in San Diego. Next is can he bring down the Democrats margins in Los Angeles County and again yes he is as he currently only trails there by around 5 to 6 points and lastly can he make inroads in the Bay Area and yes he has as he is getting nearly 40% of the vote for a Republican in counties like Marin county. If he can hold these numbers I would say Mr.Riordan would win but there is still a long way to go before we know a winner here

[OSR stands with Israel]

CNN: Election Night in America 2002(Part 6):



12:00:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchmoqssrQw&t=0s

Shaw: Its midnight in the east and CNN can now project in Alaska- Senator Ted Stevens will be reelected and in Lousiana, there will be a runoff between Senator Mary Landrieu and Republican Suzanne Terrell.

Republicans: 52
Democrats: 44

Greenfield: In Minnesota The Republican Norm Coleman has jumped to over a one point lead as the more of the Republican areas come in and in South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson has taken a one point.


Schnider: For Alaska Gubernatorial race , we currently do not have enough information to make a projection .

Schnider: A Democrat in shocking fashion leads in Wyoming which is one of the 3 most Republican states in the country. In Oregon the Republican Ron Saxton is currently leading but remember at this moment the more Republican areas have come in so that number is misleading. A key in Oregon is one Washington County a major suburban county and currently, Mr.Saxton is winning but there is still much of it to report in. Also in Multnomah county, Mr. Saxton hopes to make some inroads there as doing so would make it really hard for Mr.Kulongoski to have any chance of winning.

12:36:

Schnider: We can now officially project in Wyoming- a Democrat will win the race meaning Dave Freudenthal will be the next governor of the state while in Hawaii - we can project that the Republican Linda Lingle will be the next governor of the state

Woodruff: So arguably the most Republican state will have a Democratic Governor and arguably the most Democratic state will have a Republican Governor

Shaw: Yes that is indeed very interesting, Bill anything more in California

Schinder: In California, more votes have come in and the Republican  Mr.Riordan is still leading and is still managing to do really well in counties like LA County where he is only losing it by 6 points and is doing better than Republicans usually do in the Bay Area while performing about the level they usually do in Orange County and San Diego . So at this point Mr.Riordan is the favorite to win but there is still a long way to go but in a few hours if he is still doing this well in key ares , we should be able to call it for him.


10:53:

Greenfield: CNN is now able to make a projection in the Minnesota Senate Race and we can project the Republican Tom Coleman will defeat former Vice President Walter Mondale and will be the next senator from the state. This means for sure Republicans will make gains in the senate as even if Senator Tim Johnson is reelected in South Dakota and Democrats win both the Georgia and Lousiana runoffs they will have 47 seats at most compared to the 48 senators they have now.

Republicans: 53(+1)
Democrats: 44(-1)


In the House we can say Republicans will have between 235 and 238 house seats when all the votes are counted tonight meaning they will gain anywhere from 9 to 12 seats in the House this election year.

Woodruff: Their are rumors that many in the Democratic caucuses arent happy with the type of campaign run by House minority Leader Gephardt and their may be a push to replace him due to this.

Shaw: Well I dont think there was much he could have done about it with the President's popularity

King: Much of this is reminiscent how Republicans used to act during their 40 year tenure in the minority in the house and now its the Democrats acting that way after their 5th consecutive house election where they failed to win the chamber. Republicans now will be going on in the next election with being in control of the house for 10 years and if they are able to continue the momentum created by this election, they could potentially have the house for another 10 years.

Shaw: We will be back after a short break

[OSR stands with Israel]

CNN: Election Night in America 2002(Rest of Results):



1:38
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchmoqssrQw&t=0s

Schnider: In the Oregon Gubernatorial Race- CNN can now project the Republican Ron Saxton will be the next governor of the state

Schnider: The reason Mr.Saxton won can be attributed to the fact that he was able to Win Washington County a key bellwether in Oregon, get over 33% in Multnomah county which is huge for a Republican, and managed to do really well in the rural parts too. He also will be the first Republican governor in Oregon in 16 years .

Woodruff: How are races in California and Alaska going

Schnider: Well over 70% of the vote is in California now and Mr.Riordan still holds a lead and is still meeting all the benchmarks we have talked about. In Alaska due to how slow results are reported I dont think we will have a result until probably the morning and probably not until 9 AM so we wont be able to call it in our election coverage.

2:35:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchmoqssrQw&t=0s

Greenfield: With 99% of the vote in South Dakota-  we can project Senator Tim Johnson will be narrowly reelected by somewhere around 1 point

Republicans: 53(+1)
Democrats: 45(-1)

Greenfield: Thats it for the senate until the runoffs which will take place on December 7th where while it won't decide which party controls the senate , there still is a lot at stake cause if democrats lose both seats , they probably would not have a chance at taking control of the senate for the foreseeable future while if they win both they may have a chance at taking back the senate in 2006 and even in 2004 if 2004 turns out to be a wave year for them


3:35

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchmoqssrQw&t=0s

Schneider : We can now project in California - Republican Richard Riordan will be the next governor of the largest state in the union

Schnider : the question now is will this be the beginning of a comeback for the California Republican Party after 6 disastrous years or will this victory be viewed as an aberration. We will know the answer in the coming years .


Shaw : Ok thanks for watching CNN Coverage of the 2002 midterm elections and we will do full analysis with our team at 8 PM Eastern .

9:43 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchmoqssrQw&t=0s

Blitzer : We can break from are regular Coverage as we can now project in Alaska - Governor Fran Ulmer will be re-elected

[OSR stands with Israel]

2002 Election Results:

Senate Results:

Republicans: 53(+1)
Democrats: 45(-1)
To Be Decided by Runoff: 2

Results of Battleground Senate Races:

Georgia: Clelend 49.27% Chambills 49.23%
South Dakota: Johnson 50% Thune 49.1%
South Carolina: Tenenbaum 47.8% Beasley 46.7%
Minnesota: Coleman 49.3% Mondale 47.6%
Missouri: Talant 50.5% Carnahan 48.3%
New Jersey: Whitman 50.9% Lautenberg 48.4%
New Hampshire: 51.5% Shaheen 46.1%
Colorado: Allard 51.7% Strickland 45.3%

North Carolina: Dole 53.1% Bowles 45%

Arkansas: Pryor 54.5% Hutchinson 45.6%
Lousiana:  Landrieu 48.1% Terrell 26.1% Cooksey 13.4%

House of Representatives:

Republicans: 237(+11)
Democrats:  198(-11)

Note: Bernie Sanders included as a Democrat as he caucuses with them


Gubernatorial Races:

Why Republicans made gains in Congress:

Woodruff: So Jeff after looking at the data what are some of the reasons you think Republicans made historic gains tonight

Greenfield: One I think its the fact that the power of the party has once again increased during the past 10 or so years which is more or less a reversal of the trend that had went on in the past 25 years where it seemed like the power of party was declining and due to that when national environments are favorable to a party as this one was to the Republicans you will see the party as a whole benefit. Number two is the reason for this and that is the party is more tied to the President and given President McCain is really popular that leads to the Republicans being more popular, and an example of this being the opposite is 1994 led to the Democrats losing 20 more house seats than they did in 1980 as the Democrats in 1994 were more tied to President Clinton who was then unpopular than the Democrats in 1980 were to the even more unpopular President Carter. Third and lastly it is the Republicans really took a huge issue away from the Democrats and that is standing up against special interests: and whether it was in passing campaign finance reform, restricting pork barrell spending it made the Republicans the party viewed as against special interests which removed a huge advantage Democrats usually use to try to win in environments that arent favorable to them


What do Congressional Democrats do from here:

Shaw: After a defeat that could lead Congressional Democrats in the minority for a while, what is their next step

King: I would say it has to be winning both senate runoff races as doing so would put the Democrats in my opinion in good shape of taking back the Senate by 2006 so Democrats must go all in to win these two races. Next they must run a strong candidate for the presidency in 2004 even if President McCain gets reelected because if the thesis of a party's fortune is tied to the President, if 2004 is a McCain landsldie then it will result in Republicans making huge gains in congress that would give them majorities for the foreseeable future. The fact is its not 1972 anymore where Democrats can afford to lose a landslide but stay even in Congress so even if they lose in 2004 a strong candidate who can keep it close is important. Lastly, like any party out of power they must find issues that the party in power isnt addressing and propose policy to address them as remember last time we had the house flip in 1994 , the republicans for the first time in 40 years had a clear policy agenda they ran on and specified what they would do .


Are the Gubernatorial Results a warning  sign for the Republicans


Woodruff: Bill are the gubernatorial results a warning signing for the gop


Schnider : absolutely they are as the reason we had such historic changes in gubernatorial level is cause people were unhappy about how things in their state such as the economy, healthcare and education are going and due to that we saw a historic number of flips even in deeply republican states like Wyoming and Deeply Democratic ones like Hawaii.

Number two the results in the Midwest particularly Pennsylvania are worrying for the president as Governor elect Rendell took the state in a way national democrats try to win . It creates a potential blueprint of how they can take neighboring Ohio too as while Pennsylvania is a battleground state democrats must win , Ohio is a battleground republicans must win .


 

[OSR stands with Israel]

President McCain reacts to result of 2002 Midterms in Press Conference

Reporter 1: With Republicans making historic gains in both houses do you take any credit for the win

McCain: I sure am pleased by the fact the Republicans made gains in the house and senate but I will leave the idea of deciding who gets credit to you guys in the press .

Reporter 2: What do you think these election results mean

McCain: They mean that the American people believe that our nation must take an active role in stamping out terrorism all across the world and if you look at the results of election results, candidates regardless of party who made it clear they believe that our nation should be the leaders in the global war on terrorism won while candidates who believed that we shouldnt lost. Second I beleive on the domesitc front Americans believe that we are progressing on our reform agenda but have made it clear they want us to continue to implement it rather than sit back and do nothing but argue.

Reporter 3: Do you think the major shifts in the gubernatorial races send Washington a message as well

McCain: I think they are more of a warning that if we dont work to fix our healthcare system and continue to improve our economy, the results of the state's election could happen nationally in a few years. I believe that its imperative members of both parties work together to make sure that first and foremost we win this global war on terror, and at home fix our healthcare system, our economy and improve our political system as well because at the end of the day our jobs is not to put our parties first but put our country first.

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Ohio Supreme Court Justice Deborah L Cook Confirmed to the Supreme Court by a 67-33 margin in the Senate



Source: https://www.sconet.state.oh.us/SCO/formerjustices/cook/

Woodruff: Ohio Supreme Court Justice Deborah L Cook was confirmed to the Supreme Court by a 67-33 margin in the Senate, where she will fill the seat of former Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Conner. She is set to take the oath of office in a few hours and Justice Thornburgh who was temporarily appointed to the supreme court will no longer be a justice as soon as Justice Cook finishes taking the oath of office. The Senate confirmation hearings did at times get heated but overall went smoothly .

President McCain congratulated Justice Cook on her confirmation as well and said that he believes she will do a good job at trying to live up to the incredible legacy set by former Justice Sandra Day O'Conner.

[OSR stands with Israel]

I wonder what the polls for the GA and LA runoff look like. A likely single-digit race in Georgia, it seems.

Landrieu leads by 3 points , Chambliss leads by 2 points

The gubernatorial race is tied

[OSR stands with Israel]

President McCain and Prime Minister Tony Blair hold a joint press conference about Iraq strategy


Blair: It was an honor to talk to President McCain in the White House and I let him know that the British people stand fully behind the American people in this global war on terror and that we will also will hill assist the United States in a potential conflict with Iraq.

McCain: The friendship shown by Prime Minister Blair to our nation over the past year is something the nation will never forget and truly shown the world why the US and the UK have a truly special relationship


Media Member 1: Prime Minster Blair do you mean that you would send ground troops along with the US on March 1st

Blair: Yes the United Kingdom will assist the United States in whatever means possible and that includes ground troops . We also will be trying to convince the United Nations to authorize a potential invasion if terms and conditions aren't met by March 1st so we can truly have a global coalition against the Iraqi government and rebuilding it as well.

McCain: To add to what the Prime Minister said, we believe a global coalition will show tyrants around the world along with nations who fund terror that the world is united in making sure their tyranny wont stand just like we did against Fascism in World War Two and Communism during the Cold War.


Media Member 2: President McCain what would be your strategy to get UN approval given it van be vetoed by Russia or China

McCain: Well the fact is it is in their best interests as well to be a partner in this global war on terror because terrorism isnt something that is effecting the United States or the United Kingdom but effects the whole world which is why we need to be united agaisnt terrorism and any nation who abetts terrorism the way Iraq has numerous times  since 1991 in an attempt to get revenge for losing the gulf war.

Blair: What the President said is absolutely correct and it is in the best interests of nations across the world to unite in this effort

Media Member 3: Did you discuss any other issues

McCain: The issue we primarly discusses was how we could best deal with Iraq and the global war on terrorism but we did talk about how we can further improve economic ties between our nations as well which is important as well as it can further help improve our relationship

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CNN: Election Night in America 2002(Runoff Coverage):



7:00 PM:

Shaw: Welcome to the CNN Coverage of the Runoff Elections in Georgia and Louisiana. The polls have just closed in Georgia and at this moment we are unable to make a projection in either the Senate or Gubernatorial Race. While we dont have much we can say at the moment, Jeff there are some things we need t watch tonight

Greenfield: Yes first is how is turnout because in Georgia elections not held in November, working-class white voters and minorties tend to have their turnout drop more than  affulent white voters in the suburbs which is a problem for Democrats given their coalition in Georgia over the past decade has been to build a coalition of African Americans and Working Class whites so its critical for Democrats that turnout not drop by much in those counties for them to win either race tonight.

Second it is margins in key counties because if Democrats can get to 74% in DeKlab County or 63% in Fulton County its likely game over for them. On the other hand if Republicans cant get arond 57% in Gwinnett County and around 74% in Forsyth its likely over for them. If both parties hit their goals we likely will be waiting all night for reuslts


Schnider: Id also like to add looking at exit polls turnout doesnt seem to be much down from November as it usually does due to the fact both parties put a lot of energy into this race but its still has dropped so we will see when more results come in as it still could mean much if the areas where Democrats need dropped more than the Republican ones


7:45:

Schnider: Like expected Republicans, Saxby Chambliss has taken a huge lead but remember that Fulton County hasn't come in but a key rural county has come in that being Candler county and the Republican Chambliss has won it by 3 points and even in the gubernatorial race the Republican Sonny Perdue has won it as well though by less.  

Greenfield: So Far good news for the Republicans but there is some ways to go


8:30

Schnider: With DeKlab County coming in the Republican margins are dropping but at the same time more of Gwinnett and Cobb have come in and while both parties hit their bench marks in DeKlab and Gwinnett , Cobb is where things get interesting. If you look at our key county list , Cobb County is going to Saxby Chambliss by 16 points but in the Gubernatorial race, Sonny Perude is winning it by less than 7 points and while much of that is due to the fact Governor Barnes is from Cobb County, if both races are close that race would be the difference is a lot.

Woodruff: From what we can see more of rural Georgia is in

Greenfield: Yes and while we cant look at indivual counties for them what we can tell you like expected the rural areas in the South West and central part of the state are Democratic , the Northern Parts Republican while the ones in the South east are swing and it seems like both parties are performing about expected there


9:00

Shaw: The polls have closed in Lousiana and we are unable to make a projection in that race at the moment so Bill what do exit polls show

Schnider: Exit polls do show Senator Landrieu is the favorite but we want to see the results in the next hour before making any judgment

Shaw: What are some of the things you will look for in Lousiana

Greenfield: East Baton Rouge Parish is a key bellwether parish and we will see what the results are there cause if Senator Landrieu wins it she likely is taking this race by around 3 points. Also whether or not she can get 78% in New Orleans because if she can she will be reelected


10:00 :

Shaw: CNN Can now project in the Lousiana - Senator Mary Landrieu will be reelected

Republicans: 53(+1)
Democrats: 46(-1)

Schnider: The reason we could make that projection is that not only did Senator Landrieu win East Baton Rouge Parish but will win it by more than 3 points and is getting over 80% in New Orleans meaning she will probably take the state by more than 5 points which is why we could make that projection.



Woodruff: What about Georgia


Greenfield: Results take time to come in Georgia but what we can tell you both parties have reached their bench marks all across the state in most of the cases so all that matters now is the margins but if I had to pick favorites I would say that at this point the Republican Saxby Chambliss is narrowly favored in the senate race while Governor Roy Barnes is narrowly favored in the Gubernatorial race and that 10 point difference in Cobb County will be critical for Governor Barnes if he wins.


11:30

Shaw: Both Republicans still lead in Georgia but Mr.Chambliss has a larger lead

Schnider: Yes and its likely at this point whne Fulton Comes in Mr.Chambliss still will narrowly hold the lead and thus win, while Governor Barnes will take the lead and be reelected


12:30:

Shaw: We are able to make two critical projections now and that is that in the Senate Race- Republican Saxby Chamblis will become the next senator of Georgia while in the Gubernatorial Race - Governor Roy Barnes will be reelected as governor  of Georgia

Republicans: 54(+2)
Democrats: 46(-2)

Greenfield: The Results went like the polls expected and it turned out Cobb County voting 11 points differently in both races was the reason they split. Also keeping Lousiana means Democrats could have a possible pathway to take the senate by 2006 albeit a very narrow one but still a path while if they lost it the path proabably would be foreclosed till 2008 if not longer.

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Interesting idea : McCain gets Alveda King to run for GA Senate in 2004 and helps her win

Hmm that’s interesting , but was she still involved in politics then

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Nice read so far. Keep up the good work man!

Thanks

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Interesting idea : McCain gets Alveda King to run for GA Senate in 2004 and helps her win

Hmm that’s interesting , but was she still involved in politics then

Very, she's been active ever since the State Senate, but has been under the radar due to her politics.

Ok I will definitely think about it , thanks for the idea

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Just wondering, what is the unemployment rate now in this scenario?

5.5% so slightly lower than OTL thanks due to the infrastructure bill signed in early 2002

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House Democrats select Nancy Pelosi to be their new leader after Dick Gephardt steps down after house losses in midterms



Woodruff: After last months disappointing defeat in the midterm elections, the Democratic leader Dick Gephardt stepped down from his role leading to a leadership election that took place yesterday between the moderate candidate in Representative Harold Ford from Tennessee and the more liberal candidate in Representative Nancy Pelosi and the election was won by Mrs. Pelosi who will become the first women to leader either party in congress. So Bill how was the choice viewed

Schnider: Well Mrs. Pelosi easily won the leadership vote but the question now is can she manage to help the Democrats get back on track to maybe not take back the house in two years but set out a clear road map to do so or will the fears of many blue dogs come true and lead house democrats further into the wilderness and put the party in a similar position the republicans were in for the 40 years before 1994 of seemingly being in the permanent minority. Only time will tell


Chair of NRSC , Slade Gorton to become new Senate Majority Leader after current Senate Majority Trent Lott resigns due to controversial comments about outgoing Senator Strom Thurmond



Shaw: After Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott resigned yesterday after controversial comments praising the presidential bid of outgoing senator and former Sergenationist Party Candidate Strom Thurmond, Senator Slade Gorton of Washington was named the new Republican leader of the senate after receiving backing for the job by President McCain and due to that will be the new Senate Majority Leader


Schnider: Senator Gorton was named to the head of the NRSC after President McCain took office and now will be the next Senate Majority Leader which is a dramatic rise from just two years ago when he didnt even chair a single major committee. The new Senate Majority Whip will be Arizona Senator John Kyl

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Prescription Drug Reform Reintroduced in the House:




Woodruff: The chair of the subcommittee on health , Congresswomen Nancy Johnson reintroduced a prescription drug bill today in the subcommittee. If you don't remember the bill here are some of the details of the bill


-  Covers the cost of all prescription drugs above 15 dollars under medicare

-  Provides a subsidy for large employers to discourage them from eliminating private prescription coverage to retired workers

- Allows medicare advantage to offer part D plans

- it requires higher copays from wealthier seniors



Shaw: Yes with a new session , the President and Congress say it will be on the top of their domestic agenda to get this passed and also expect it to be bipartisan as well

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Colin Powell makes case for why the UN should authorize an invasion of Iraq:



Powell: Thank You, Thank You. As you know 12 years ago this very body voted to authorize military action against Iraq to expel its forces from Kuwait and then let Iraq surrender in exchange for them agreeing to follow resolutions this body passed to ensure Iraq can never be a threat to its neighbors and the world again. Over the past 12 years its been clear that Suddam Hussain has never had any intention of following those resolutions and despite all the chances we have given him, he has refused to take a single one. Instead, he has kicked out Weapons of Mass Destruction Inspectors time and time again, funded terrorist attacks against nations he views as his enemy , has oppressed his people more than ever and shows to be a clear and present danger to the world. If we do not act, it will not be just Suddam Hussain we have to worry about but tyrants all around the world will take a message that they can get away with committing any crime they want and that message must not be allowed to be sent.


It is time we put an end to Saddam Hussain's reign as dictator of Iraq and free the people of Iraq and send a message to tyrants and terrorist groups all across the world, that we will sit by and stand by the atrocities you commit.

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Excerpts from President McCain's 2003 state of the union address:



Souce: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/app/uploads/2019/02/RTX6LFXE-1024x683-e1549455385158.jpg

Speaker Hastert: Ladies and Gentleman , its my high honor to welcome to you , the President of the United States!!

Congress Floor: Standing Ovation


President McCain: Mr Speaker, Mr.President Pro Tempore, members of congress, and my fellow Americans over the past year and 4 months we have shown the world why the state of our union is stronger than it ever has(Applause). Despite being hit by the worst terrorist attack in history our nation has shown over the past 16 months that while they may have taken down one of our largest buildings , they have not only failed in taking down our nation but made us stronger than ever and now we are on verge of not only bringing justice for the vicitms of the attacks but making sure these types of terrorist groups are completely and utterly destroyed(Applause). We also must continue to let these groups now we will show them no quarter along with nations that harbor them(Applause) as they must never be allowed to rise again(Applause).

We will not view any difference between nations who directly  harbor terrorism and nations that abbett them by obstructing the global war on terror like Iraq has constantly done(Applause) . Instead of working with the international community to help destroy terrorism and follow the conditions of the Gulf War cease fire agreement , Suddam Husain instead has time and time again kicked out inspectors , and in the past has funded terrorists to murder former President Bush in attempt to get revenge for President Bush defeating him in the gulf war and despite all the chances the world community has given him he refuses to cooperate in the fight against terrorism . The time for waiting has come to an end  and we cannot afford to trust Suddam Husain to not support terrorism to advance his sick goals in the future because his history has shown he has done that in the past and will do it again if he wants to. That is why the United States is sending a Suddam Husain an ultimatum for which there will be no negotiation, either strictly follow the cease fire agreement and start cooperating with the world community in the global war on terror by the first of March or we will remove you from power (Applause). If you think you can win a war against the United States , well you were wrong the last time you thought that and you will pay the ultimate price if you believe you can risk war against us because we will end you regime if you force us to go to war against you(Standing Ovation).

Now while winning the global war on terrorism is critical to ensure the strength of our union , we must continue to deal with problems at home (Applause). Over the part couple decades the prices of prescription drugs have gone up by an astronomical number that for so many seniors they are unable to afford the medicine they need and to pay for them they have to cut down on other needs and that problem must be fixed (Applause). Which is why we must pass a bill which will cover  prescription drugs under Medicare so every senior can get the medicine they need (Applause). We also need to make sure that we reform the price structure of prescription drugs as a whole so working families can also afford the medicine they need(Applause) which is why should incentive more competition and we need to make sure to crack down on price gouging  as nothing is more despicable than gouging the prices of medicine people desperately need(Applause).

If we make these reforms we can ensure the strength of our union for generations to come and that is why I intend to make sure they get passed (Standing Ovation). Thank You , May God Bless you and May God Bless America

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President McCain's Hopes for UN Security Council authorizing an invasion of Iraq to fall apart after Russia and China promise to veto such a resoultion



Woodruff: Hopes the McCain Administration had for the UN to authorize an invasion of Iraq fell apart after the leaders of China and Russia announced they would veto any resolution which would authorize such an invasion. President McCain hoped that he could convince Russia and China to take the same stand France did and decide to abstain on the resolution as if they did only 6 votes would be needed to pass a resolution on the security council.

Shaw: Despite the UN's decision, President McCain announced that the timetable he gave to Suddam Hussain has not changed and said if Suddam Hussain didnt agree to meet all the demands by March 1st he will be authorizing nearly 500,000 US troops to invade Iraq with the goal of removing Suddam Hussain from power. Many may be questioning why we need to send so many troops to invade Iraq and to answer that question is former Gulf War general and current national security advisor to the President, Mr. Norman Schwarzkopf. So General Schwarzkopf why does the US need that many troops

Schwarzkopf : The reason the President is sending so many troops is not only to ensure we can remove Suddam Hussain from power as quickly as power , but also to ensure the US can keep Iraq stable in the immediate aftermath of an invasion and not let any power vacuum be formed which in a region like the middle east could lead to really bad consequences. As for other reasons, I am not at liberty to say

Shaw: We understand but we are thankful for the reasoning

Schwarzkopf: No problem


Breaking News: UK Parliament authorizes invasion of Iraq



Shaw: We have some breaking news to report to you and that is the UK parliament has just authorized the invasion of Iraq as well by an overwhelming fasion with more than 425 MP's in parliment voting to authorize an invasion. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said in response this will show the world that the UK stands side by side with United States in their efforts and always will.

President McCain responded by thanking Prime Minister Blair for backing the US in this effort and called the UK our closest friends in the world.


More than Two-Thirds of Americans support invading Iraq despite rallies of opposition in many parts of the US


Shaw: Despite demonstrations against the war in Iraq being conducted in many parts of the nation most polls show that the American public overwhelmingly backs the President in his effort as we see in this poll.


Do you support Invading Iraq:

Yes: 68%
No: 29%

President McCain's Approval:

Approve: 66%(+3%)
Dissaprove: 30%(-3%)

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Breaking News: The US , the UK along with other nations invade Iraq as Suddam refuses to meet demands



Shaw:  The Deadline that President McCain set for Suddam Hussain to meet the demands of our nation has come and gone and due to that the US , the UK along with other nations such as Australia , Italy, the Netherlands and Poland have begun their joint invasion of Iraq. They began by bombarding Iraqi military infrastructure to weaken the Iraqis ability to respond to the ground invasion of nearly 500,000 US troops, 55,000 British troops  and another 5,000 from those other nations which will begin shortly.  Christine do we know when the actual ground invasion will begin

 Amanpour: We dont know the exact time but we do know it will begin very soon once this opening air operation is completed. The goal of this air operation is clear to destroy the iraqi military ability to properly commnicate with each other and destroy their supply lines as doing so would make an invasion much easier as well. What we dont know is when they will invade and of course we dont know how they will but we do know that it will be very soon.


Shaw: Stay with us as the President will be speaking from the oval office shortly

President McCain speaks from the oval office to announce invasion:



Note: Photshop done by DPK


McCain: My fellow Americans, today I have just ordered our military to begin the first stages of a operation to remove Suddam Hussain from power and liberate the people of Iraq. While this decision was not an easy decision to make, Suddam Hussain gave us no choice with his constant defial of the cease-fire agreement he agreed to 12 years ago and with his constant obstruction of the fight agaisnt terrorism. Over the past 12 years he has also further oppressed his people taking out his anger on two failed wars of conquest he began on the people of Iraq and I can tell the Iraqi people that soon they no longer will have fear from his evil as we will liberate Iraq and bring him to justice.

For the families of the men and women in uniform , I can assure you we will do all in our power to make sure that they return to you in good health and I can also assure you that we have dont every bit of planning possible to make sure that not only can we successfully remove Suddam Hussain from power with as little casualties as possible, but to stabilize Iraq with as little casualties as possible. To my fellow Americans, I want you tonight to include the men and women in uniform in your prayers tonight to guarantee their health and safety . Thank You and May God Bless our Men and Women in Uniform

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US and Coalition forces take Baghdad after 3 weeks since the invasion begun:



Shaw: Today US and coalition forces were able to take Baghdad the capital of Iraq after just 3 weeks since the invasion begun on March 1st. On their way to taking Baghdad, coalition forces also took other major cities in Iraq such as Basra, Karbala, Fallujah and we are told that many coalition forces will be going north to Mosul too. In Baghdad, coalition forces faced the heaviest fighting since the invasion begun but at the end of the day it too fell within a week with every major area of the city including the palace now is in coalition hands. We are told that Suddam Hussain was able to flee the city before coalition forces arrived but other major figures from the Iraqi goverment have been arrested by coalition forces. They will be sent to the International Criminal Court where they will be tried for war crimes committed during the Iran-Iraq War and the Gulf War along with the atrocities they committed to the Iraqi people as well. To mark the liberation of Iraq , people in Baghdad along with help of US troops took down the statue of Saddam Hussain which stood as a symbol of his regime for decades. Now the question is what the coalition plans to do to help rebuild Iraq

CNN Military Analyst: Well the first goal of the coalition we are told is to ensure stability and not let a power vacuum form which is why divisions of troops will be sent to major cities around Iraq to secure them which could stop it from being breeding grounds of potential insurgency from Suddam Hussian Loyalists or Terrorists coming from other nations to take advantage of a potential power vacuum.  The most pressuring issue now is what will happen to the hundreds of thousands of  troops in the Iraqi military , will they be allowed to remain in the military or will it be disbanded to allow a new military to be built from the ground up and the same goes for the many bureaucracies. That question will be answered by Defense Secretary Tom Ridge in the coming days.

Shaw: The President released this statement about the news of the fall of Baghdad

McCain: Thanks to the work of our troops and the troops of the many nations who took part in this coalition we were able to end the reign of one of the worst tyrants on the planet and free the Iraqi people. Now our mission to help create a democratic republic in Iraq has just begun and I am sure we will succeed.


Defense Secretary Ridge: Members of the Iraqi military will be allowed to remain part of the Iraqi military on a case by case basis.




Ridge: Since the fall of Baghdad , there have been many questions of what we plan to do of the members of the Iraqi military and many other government agenices. After consulting with generals on the ground and with the President we have decided that we will let members of the Iraqi military stay in the military on a case by case basis . The new military will be led by new leadership for the provisional government of Iraq and later a new Democratic state in Iraq and we believe many members of the military can help us in our mission to create a stable Democratic state in Iraq.

As for other government agencies, we will decide again whether to keep them on a case by case basis where agencies that were used mainly to enforce the dictatorship of Saddam Hussain will be abolished  while agencies that are essential to govern any nation will remain in place and people who worked in these agencies will be kept or removed again on a case by case basis.


Media Members: Wouldnt keeping the military and other agencies hamper the ability to create a democracy as it keeps the remnants of Suddam Hussain's Iraq in charge


Ridge: Agencies that were used for the main purpose of enforcing Suddam Hussain's tyranny will be abolished and only agenices that are used for basic governance will be kept as the only way you can create a democracy is if you have stable goverance.  As for the military regiments such as the Republican guard will be abolished but other parts of the military will be allowed to stay on a case by case basis.

This is similar to what we did in post war Japan as if you remember during the occupation of Japan following WW2 we kept many agencies in place to ensure governance while abolishing the ones that were there mainly to promote the tyranny of that goverment and eventually we were able to build a democracy there. I believe the Occupation of Japan is the model we should follow in the coming years in Iraq.

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Former Vice President Al Gore and New York Senator Hillary Clinton both announce they will not be running for President




Woodruff: Earlier today both former Vice President Al Gore and New York Senator Hillary Clinton announced they will not be running for president. They made these comments

Clinton: Over the past many months, many of you have asked if I would run for President and the answer to that is no I will not be a candidate for President of the United States. I promised the voters of New York that I would serve a full term if I was elected senator and I intend to keep that promise. That does not mean I wont help do all I can to make sure that whoever our nominee is wins the election next November as our party has the better policies to help our nation move forward in the future and we have many great potential candidates who can implement those policies.


Gore: After thinking long and hard about a potential run for the Presidency of the United states, I have decided that I will not be a candidate for the presidency. It is time to pass the torch of leadership to a new set of leaders and the only way to do that is if we step aside and let them have the chance to lead. It was the honor of my life to be a senator for 8 years, Vice President for 8 years and the candidate of the Democratic party in 2000 and I will always be thankful to be given that opportunity but now its time for new people to get that chance.