The Office of Senator LumineVonReuental (A Farewell to the Senate)

[Velasco]

I have to say that I've been reading this and comrade TNF's threads and I found them highly entertaining. Are you going to engage in a campaign debate? Will you smoke Havana cigars during the interludes? Is there a trade embargo on them in Atlasia? Questions are extensive to comrade TNF. ModerateVonHero is a great nickname.

[Lumine]

I have to say that I've been reading this and comrade TNF's threads and I found them highly entertaining. Are you going to engage in a campaign debate? Will you smoke Havana cigars during the interludes? Is there a trade embargo on them in Atlasia? Questions are extensive to comrade TNF. ModerateVonHero is a great nickname.

Smoking Havana cigars? In the words of Francis Urquhart: you might very well think that, but I couldn't possibly comment...

Now, in all fairness, this is by far the most amusing and entertaining political campaign of my political life! TNF can be quite harsh, but I do enjoy this, ModerateVonHero is pretty much the best nickname he could have given me (although I do like Bombs Away Lumine). Not only I wish to have a debate, I want to have several of them on all kinds of issues; foreign policy, the economy, political philosophies, etc. I have a distinct problem finding a moderator that would be a 100% neutral, though, but as soon as I find one acceptable for both Senator TNF and me I will proceed to challenge him to debate the issues.

[TNF]

I would love to debate Lumine as I debated Rooney last go around. The voters have a right to know where we stand on the issues.

[Lumine]

I would love to debate Lumine as I debated Rooney last go around. The voters have a right to know where we stand on the issues.

Excellent! Do you have anyone in mind for moderator, Senator? I believe Maxwell would have been ideal, but sadly he is gone for the next two months...

[DC Al Fine]

I would love to debate Lumine as I debated Rooney last go around. The voters have a right to know where we stand on the issues.

Excellent! Do you have anyone in mind for moderator, Senator? I believe Maxwell would have been ideal, but sadly he is gone for the next two months...

TJ's pretty non-partisan. Or perhaps we could choose a moderate Labor moderator like Mr. X

[TNF]

Perhaps a Federalist moderator would be best, as there doesn't seem to be a Federalist running?

[Lumine]

Perhaps a Federalist moderator would be best, as there doesn't seem to be a Federalist running?

I would be happy with that, how about Tmthforu or (as DC suggested) TJ?

[TNF]

Perhaps a Federalist moderator would be best, as there doesn't seem to be a Federalist running?

I would be happy with that, how about Tmthforu or (as DC suggested) TJ?

I would be fine with either.

[windjammer]

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Mr Governor,
This bill has passed the Althing
Best regards,
Windjammer

[Lumine]

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Mr Governor,
This bill has passed the Althing
Best regards,
Windjammer

Excellent! Still, Windjammer, this is my campaign thread, not my office, xD

[Napoleon]

Do you support the President's health care reform bill?

[Lumine]

Perhaps a Federalist moderator would be best, as there doesn't seem to be a Federalist running?

I would be happy with that, how about Tmthforu or (as DC suggested) TJ?

I would be fine with either.

Tmthforu accepted the offer to be moderator, so we just have to decide the day and we're ready to go.

Do you support the President's health care reform bill?

You mean the Healthcare Modernization Act or the Reforming Atlasian Public Health Act? I stand in support of both them, despite the belief that they need a few small changes. The Modernization act requires some changes to increase privacy, but Senator Tyrion's amendments were quite successful addressing that. While Senators Shua and Spiral raised the point of Doctors forced to quit for a lack of "technological" knowledge, I agree with the President: we are bound to do this at some point, and it's better to do it now. The Reforming Atlasian Public Health Act has not been discussed yet, but I would vote for it. It serves the purpose of increasing federal help (like covering 50% of experimental treatments) while at the same time creating a better balance in Health Care, and it also introduces a very innovative free market element, which has many of the advantages of the Chilean Health Care system while laking most (if not all) of the disadvantages.

[Velasco]

Random questions.

And the abortion part also goes too far. I am personally pro-life, but I'm willing to maintain a certain "truce" or "balance" in order to prevent what we saw in the Mideast, but to openly state a right to abort on demand... Not only shows a lack of respect for pro-life positions, it also shows a complete disregard for the life of those future human beings. Call me a conservative or a reactionary on this one, but there's just no way I can support that.

Which is the acceptable "balance" for those who defend pro-life stances? Would you accept a compromise in abortion on demand if it's for a limited period of time, or the simple idea is unacceptable?

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I think complete embargoes use to be counterproductive; see Cuba or Irak. However, the "gradual process of negotiation" has proved to be fruitless in the Israel-Palestine conflict. How "assertive pressure" would force the parts involved to accept a negotiated solution? May I suggest this Republic should reconsider the military aid to Israel if that state persists in its attitude towards settlements and occupation?

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I think it's going too far calling it "child abuse". Anyway I doubt homeschooling is a desirable option except if you live with your family in an isolated hut -and still, children may attend lessons by radio in remote areas; see Australia-. Which are the reasons to defend homeschooling instead of normal education?

[Lumine]

Thanks for the questions!

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Even being pro-life I try to be pragmatic on this and acknowledge that sometimes, an abortion is certainly much preferable to the alternative. Of course, I'm talking about incest, rape and danger to the mother's life. Is it a moral crime to kill that baby? Perhaps, but I'm not going to force a woman to have that child on those circumstances, that would be wrong. I decided not to set an specific point of balance, but I could accept something between abortions only in the cases mentioned before and abortions in the first weeks of the pregnancy, up to seven/ten weeks. In this case, pro life people are a minority in Atlasia, and it's up to us to compromise on the matter. That said, abortion on demand goes a little bit to far for me, specially considering that at six months we're talking about a human being. (Why does that make compulsory pregnancy Lumine? I don't know)

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That was precisely what I wanted to do to force Israel, and I said so back in my Presidential bid in October. There's no reason as to why we should literally dump billions of dollars on military aid on Israel, and whoever thinks this is stabbing an ally on the back is clearly unfamiliar with the current state of their armed forced. I believe in a massive cut in military aid as some sort of warning shot to signal that, for once, we plan to go all the way with negotiations, and that goes for Palestine to. If the Palestinians resume terrorist attacks and if Israel continues to build settlements, well, then they'll have to face some consequences. If Israel is willing to take things seriously after cutting military aid, then great, we can begin a new negotiating process.

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I'd like to speak from experience here: I have Asperger syndrome (thankfully it wasn't extreme, so I eventually managed to overcome some of the challenges with therapy and other methods), which means that for me, engaging in social relationships involves a lot of trouble, and that is now that I have more skills. As a children, I did not enjoyed school (and I wasn't diagnosed yet, making things even more impossible). When I think of children with similar conditions (and specially those who have high levels of autism), I can fully understand why homeschooling is a good choice, as many of them are simply not ready to face normal education (some of them might never be ready). That said, this is also an issue of freedom in Education, for I don't believe we can deny that choice to the parents. Our public education system works, but that doesn't mean that we can force everybody to join.

[Lumine]

Speech on Record, Activity and Efficiency:

January 12th, 2013:
Midwest Governor LumineVonReuental is preparing for the upcoming debate with long debate training sessions, but in the meantime he continues his tour of the Midwest, this time addresing a crowd in Topeka, Kansas.

"Nice to see you today, Topeka! I was seeing the news today, and I was frankly surprised by our esteemed Senator's change of career. I had no idea that the Senator was such a brilliant lyricist! But don't take that the wrong that, I feel it's a good thing. As the great Tom Leher would have said: At least we got a Senator who can really sing and dance! Now, going into more serious territory, I feel honored to be the subject of a version of a song from Phil Ochs, and I certainly commend the Senator for taking the time of adapting the lyrics. I would have preferred if he used that time to actually debate the bills he didn't sponsored in the Senate, but there you go, our esteemed Senator chose instead to have some fun at my behalf.

Should I bother with answering some of the charges? Perhaps I shouldn't, but I'll take the time to answer some of them. First, it's LumineVonReuental, not "Bombs Away Lumine", not "Compulsory Pregnancy Lumine", not "Israel First Lumine", and certainly not "LumineVonReunthal". "ModerateVonHero" is fine with me, though, so I would ask the Senator to address me by that name, unless he thinks I should call him Big Brother TNF, for I believe an Orwellian analogy is always good and effective in politics. Second, I don't stand for Israel's mistreatment of Palestine, but unlike you, Senator, I want to find a solution that won't lead to another war in the Middle East, a war that, let me remind you, our forces won't be able to face thanks to your efforts in foreign policy. Third, I was a member of the Liberal Party for... ten minutes, so I commend you for doing that research. Fourth, I have been a strong voice for Regional Consolidation, mind you, and as a Presidential candidate I was the most vocal on that matter. If you want to create a weird Pacific/Midwest hybrid, that's up to you.

Then again, we all know that this fights are not going to get much done, right? Our Senator likes to jest, nickname and offend, sure, and he says his record in much better, and he says he is an effective Senator. Forgive me, Senator, but should I remind you that most of your bills died on the Senate? "But some of them passed!" You might say, and I say sure, but only after being toned down because the rest of the Senate couldn't bear to vote on them. And yet, I'm the do-nothing. Mind you, I have been a Regional Executive, I was in charge of the Midwest legislative process, and I was a Mideast Assemblyman. This election comes down to two candidates who make a very good contrast, you can choose between compromise and bitterness, between working for all Midwesterners and working for just a few, between efficiency and getting the Senate filled by bills that will never pass, between a man who answers the questions instead of answering tl:dr, between standing up for great players (like Scott, Flo, PJ, Maxwell and the rest you mentioned on that song) and Xahar's ally.

Please, citizens of the Midwest, do not be fooled by my opponent's methods to win. Do not be fooled empty rethoric, by empty appeals from a man who says that fights for freedom while trying to nationalize everything, by empty charges of fascism and moderate heroism against his many opponents (so far I have only seen a couple of Atlasians defending him), by an attempt to paint me as a corporate puppet fascist while describing our esteemed Senator as the "Lion of the Senate"; the man who is never wrong, the man whose bills are the only ones worthy of discussion. Look at the ideas, look at the standing on the issues, look at the way on which we have reacted to our respective enemies, and ask this question to ourselves: Who represents me better? Who is more willing to listen to my ideas? Who can work with others and get things done? Ask yourselves that question, citizens of the Midwest, and you'll know the answer.

[Lumine]

Speech on Senate Style:

January 16th, 2013:
Midwest Governor LumineVonReuental has taken a few days off the campaign trail to work with the Althing and draft his proposals for the next legislative session of the Midwest. Today he returned to the campaign trail with a small intro for his upcoming platform and his promises related to his style as a Senator.

Good day, citizens of the Midwest.

I have always believed that the differences between a Regional Senator and an At-Large Senators are crucial, and that said difference is often forgotten. Many times we have seen Regional Senators that tend to ignore their respective regions, ignoring that their purpose is representing their citizens. I can't criticize my opponent for pursuing his agenda, that's what all Senators do, but I feel that we need Regional Senators that are more in touch with their respective regions and that have a stronger connection with them. Therefore, I decided to give you a preview of my platform related to my style as a Senator. I won't go in full detail until the platform is ready, but there are some things I wish to discuss and propose at the same time.

One of the things that I found quite interested about the Senate a few months ago was the committees that the Senate used to have, and they were certainly interesting. I can still recall, for example, the detailed discussions on North Korea that surged in one of the committees (I believe Clarence took a very strong position against North Korea), or the attempts at Social Security reform in a committee not long ago. I feel that our current At-Large Senators are all active, and I think we can expect the same of the future Regional Senators. Thus I want to sponsor an attempt to return to said system in a more simplified version (two or three committees?), or at least discuss if we are ready now for the use of such a mechanism. The Senate has no problem passing bills, sure, but I feel that along with activity we should be concerned as to how interesting and attractive is our legislative body.

When talking about the differences between At-Large/Regional I mentioned the constituency, and I pledge to keep my office open at all times to take any bills that my future constituents wish to send to the Senate, even if I disagree with it, I am perfectly willing to let their voice be heard (unless of course we're talking about something that amounts to serious trolling, but I don't think it will ever come to that). Some Senators have worked very hard on wiki reform and keeping the wiki up to date, and I am more than willing to help on that effort to keep our records up to date and perfectly accurate. One of the other ideas I was thinking about was that we seem to lack positions on the Senate. Granted, we have the President Pro Tempore and the Senate Dean, but I always wanted to see whips, caucuses and minority/majority leaders. Granted, this depends on the parties and not me, but I also want to work with other Senators to see if this works, specially if two or more Progressives enter the Senate next month.

I think the people can expect me to be a good Senator for various reasons, many of them listed before on one of my ads or in my opening speech. I don't feel bipartisanship is overrated, I feel it's necessary for a fully functional democracy. Otherwise a majority pushes legislation, then another majority comes and destroys those bills. What is left for the future if we ever end up going that road? I have been critical of many individuals, and yes, my attacks towards TNF get out of hand sometimes, but nobody can say that I haven't worked with other parties. I did so in the Mideast Assembly, and I did so as Archduke and Governor. I have always been an independent or in a political minority in all of my offices, but that never proved to be a problem, I always managed to build a few bridges, some of the lasting until today. That's why I'm proud of my endorsements, for example, for that proves that there several individuals who (I hope) think positive of me and think I can perform a decent job. Polls say something similar as well, and while I don't expect a landslide, you have to remember that I live in a region with a Labor/Cultural Marxist majority, and as someone who is centrist/center right so if I have the levels of support that I have now is because other parties can trust me.

Sure, I'd like to be the first Progressive Senator (Napoleon doesn't count for me), sure I'd like to make history as the man who managed to unseat a formidable opponent, and sure, I'd like to be known as the man who used Youtube to get elected. But more than that, and as cliched as it may sounds, I would prefer being just "the Senator from the Midwest" (Tmthforu is At-Large, after all). And that's what I am going to be. I think I can win this election, I think the voters are behind me, and I think I will give a very eloquent surprise to Atlasia in a few more weeks. And that will be the beginning of the true challenge: proving that my message is not empty, that my rhetoric is not useless, that I can be a truly active and efficient Senator.

The question is, are you willing to help me and give me a chance?

[Lumine]

Campaign Update:

January 16th, 2013:

With the campaign in full swing and after a lot of discussion, the Lumine Team has decided to change strategy and go for something more positive. Because of that, two positive ads are being created and the full platform prepared for a weekend release. Along with that, Governor Lumine has decided to give a small surprise and change the dynamics of the race, so he has assembled a new team of Atlasian politicians to help and advise him on some matters. While the names are bound to remain a secret until next week, the team includes members from the three main parties, from the left and the right, and from three regions as well.

The Senate platform has a focus on environmental proposals, but it also includes ideas on foreign policy (including potential NATO reform), domestic policy (Educational reforms, Social Security issues and such), game reform and the already mentioned senate style. With a lot of input from the campaign team, it is expected to counter Senator TNF's detailed plans for his third term in a very efficient way, and prove that Governor Lumine is more than willing to take stands on all the political issues.

Stay tuned!

[TNF]

Speech on Senate Style:

January 16th, 2013:
Midwest Governor LumineVonReuental has taken a few days off the campaign trail to work with the Althing and draft his proposals for the next legislative session of the Midwest. Today he returned to the campaign trail with a small intro for his upcoming platform and his promises related to his style as a Senator.

Good day, citizens of the Midwest.

I have always believed that the differences between a Regional Senator and an At-Large Senators are crucial, and that said difference is often forgotten. Many times we have seen Regional Senators that tend to ignore their respective regions, ignoring that their purpose is representing their citizens. I can't criticize my opponent for pursuing his agenda, that's what all Senators do, but I feel that we need Regional Senators that are more in touch with their respective regions and that have a stronger connection with them. Therefore, I decided to give you a preview of my platform related to my style as a Senator. I won't go in full detail until the platform is ready, but there are some things I wish to discuss and propose at the same time.

One of the things that I found quite interested about the Senate a few months ago was the committees that the Senate used to have, and they were certainly interesting. I can still recall, for example, the detailed discussions on North Korea that surged in one of the committees (I believe Clarence took a very strong position against North Korea), or the attempts at Social Security reform in a committee not long ago. I feel that our current At-Large Senators are all active, and I think we can expect the same of the future Regional Senators. Thus I want to sponsor an attempt to return to said system in a more simplified version (two or three committees?), or at least discuss if we are ready now for the use of such a mechanism. The Senate has no problem passing bills, sure, but I feel that along with activity we should be concerned as to how interesting and attractive is our legislative body.

When talking about the differences between At-Large/Regional I mentioned the constituency, and I pledge to keep my office open at all times to take any bills that my future constituents wish to send to the Senate, even if I disagree with it, I am perfectly willing to let their voice be heard (unless of course we're talking about something that amounts to serious trolling, but I don't think it will ever come to that). Some Senators have worked very hard on wiki reform and keeping the wiki up to date, and I am more than willing to help on that effort to keep our records up to date and perfectly accurate. One of the other ideas I was thinking about was that we seem to lack positions on the Senate. Granted, we have the President Pro Tempore and the Senate Dean, but I always wanted to see whips, caucuses and minority/majority leaders. Granted, this depends on the parties and not me, but I also want to work with other Senators to see if this works, specially if two or more Progressives enter the Senate next month.

I think the people can expect me to be a good Senator for various reasons, many of them listed before on one of my ads or in my opening speech. I don't feel bipartisanship is overrated, I feel it's necessary for a fully functional democracy. Otherwise a majority pushes legislation, then another majority comes and destroys those bills. What is left for the future if we ever end up going that road? I have been critical of many individuals, and yes, my attacks towards TNF get out of hand sometimes, but nobody can say that I haven't worked with other parties. I did so in the Mideast Assembly, and I did so as Archduke and Governor. I have always been an independent or in a political minority in all of my offices, but that never proved to be a problem, I always managed to build a few bridges, some of the lasting until today. That's why I'm proud of my endorsements, for example, for that proves that there several individuals who (I hope) think positive of me and think I can perform a decent job. Polls say something similar as well, and while I don't expect a landslide, you have to remember that I live in a region with a Labor/Cultural Marxist majority, and as someone who is centrist/center right so if I have the levels of support that I have now is because other parties can trust me.

Sure, I'd like to be the first Progressive Senator (Napoleon doesn't count for me), sure I'd like to make history as the man who managed to unseat a formidable opponent, and sure, I'd like to be known as the man who used Youtube to get elected. But more than that, and as cliched as it may sounds, I would prefer being just "the Senator from the Midwest" (Tmthforu is At-Large, after all). And that's what I am going to be. I think I can win this election, I think the voters are behind me, and I think I will give a very eloquent surprise to Atlasia in a few more weeks. And that will be the beginning of the true challenge: proving that my message is not empty, that my rhetoric is not useless, that I can be a truly active and efficient Senator.

The question is, are you willing to help me and give me a chance?

No

[Lumine]

Speech on Senate Style:

January 16th, 2013:
Midwest Governor LumineVonReuental has taken a few days off the campaign trail to work with the Althing and draft his proposals for the next legislative session of the Midwest. Today he returned to the campaign trail with a small intro for his upcoming platform and his promises related to his style as a Senator.

Good day, citizens of the Midwest.

I have always believed that the differences between a Regional Senator and an At-Large Senators are crucial, and that said difference is often forgotten. Many times we have seen Regional Senators that tend to ignore their respective regions, ignoring that their purpose is representing their citizens. I can't criticize my opponent for pursuing his agenda, that's what all Senators do, but I feel that we need Regional Senators that are more in touch with their respective regions and that have a stronger connection with them. Therefore, I decided to give you a preview of my platform related to my style as a Senator. I won't go in full detail until the platform is ready, but there are some things I wish to discuss and propose at the same time.

One of the things that I found quite interested about the Senate a few months ago was the committees that the Senate used to have, and they were certainly interesting. I can still recall, for example, the detailed discussions on North Korea that surged in one of the committees (I believe Clarence took a very strong position against North Korea), or the attempts at Social Security reform in a committee not long ago. I feel that our current At-Large Senators are all active, and I think we can expect the same of the future Regional Senators. Thus I want to sponsor an attempt to return to said system in a more simplified version (two or three committees?), or at least discuss if we are ready now for the use of such a mechanism. The Senate has no problem passing bills, sure, but I feel that along with activity we should be concerned as to how interesting and attractive is our legislative body.

When talking about the differences between At-Large/Regional I mentioned the constituency, and I pledge to keep my office open at all times to take any bills that my future constituents wish to send to the Senate, even if I disagree with it, I am perfectly willing to let their voice be heard (unless of course we're talking about something that amounts to serious trolling, but I don't think it will ever come to that). Some Senators have worked very hard on wiki reform and keeping the wiki up to date, and I am more than willing to help on that effort to keep our records up to date and perfectly accurate. One of the other ideas I was thinking about was that we seem to lack positions on the Senate. Granted, we have the President Pro Tempore and the Senate Dean, but I always wanted to see whips, caucuses and minority/majority leaders. Granted, this depends on the parties and not me, but I also want to work with other Senators to see if this works, specially if two or more Progressives enter the Senate next month.

I think the people can expect me to be a good Senator for various reasons, many of them listed before on one of my ads or in my opening speech. I don't feel bipartisanship is overrated, I feel it's necessary for a fully functional democracy. Otherwise a majority pushes legislation, then another majority comes and destroys those bills. What is left for the future if we ever end up going that road? I have been critical of many individuals, and yes, my attacks towards TNF get out of hand sometimes, but nobody can say that I haven't worked with other parties. I did so in the Mideast Assembly, and I did so as Archduke and Governor. I have always been an independent or in a political minority in all of my offices, but that never proved to be a problem, I always managed to build a few bridges, some of the lasting until today. That's why I'm proud of my endorsements, for example, for that proves that there several individuals who (I hope) think positive of me and think I can perform a decent job. Polls say something similar as well, and while I don't expect a landslide, you have to remember that I live in a region with a Labor/Cultural Marxist majority, and as someone who is centrist/center right so if I have the levels of support that I have now is because other parties can trust me.

Sure, I'd like to be the first Progressive Senator (Napoleon doesn't count for me), sure I'd like to make history as the man who managed to unseat a formidable opponent, and sure, I'd like to be known as the man who used Youtube to get elected. But more than that, and as cliched as it may sounds, I would prefer being just "the Senator from the Midwest" (Tmthforu is At-Large, after all). And that's what I am going to be. I think I can win this election, I think the voters are behind me, and I think I will give a very eloquent surprise to Atlasia in a few more weeks. And that will be the beginning of the true challenge: proving that my message is not empty, that my rhetoric is not useless, that I can be a truly active and efficient Senator.

The question is, are you willing to help me and give me a chance?

No

Always so eloquent, Senator. Thanks for taking the time to come here!

[Lumine]

Senator, there you go again:

January 19th, 2013:
Governor Lumine chose to counter Senator TNF's hyperbolic claims on fascism by using a rather simple public statement. With his campaign busy with the platform and other policy proposals, there is not enough time to answer in full detail to such ridiculous comments, and the Governor has chosen to use his time in a productive way instead of wasting it.

Good day, ladies and gentlemen!

I guess I have a few things to talk about today, all of them courtesy of our great, likeable and friendly Regional Senator. I'll go with the more friendly question from him first, and I have to say that I find it frustrating that the esteemed Senator is so impacient. I said I was going to release my platform, and I will do so soon. There’s still a month left to the election, so forgive me if I choose to take the time to make a detailed and good platform so the voters get a clearer idea. I am trying to be as prepared as possible so the voters feel represented and they approve of my ideas for the Senate, which have recieved input and approval from members of several political parties, including members of the esteemed Senator's party.

Now, when it comes to those ridiculous claims of fascism, what should I say? It’s sad to see a member of the Senate of Atlasia to call his opponents like that, for it's unbecoming of a man who holds such a high office, and I want to make this clear: I will not stand for being called a fascist anymore, even as a joke. I will not stand for further mockery of compromise in politics and further attacks on what makes this country strong. I will not stand for further defense of some Atlasians who made caused severe damage for this game, not anymore. Since this campaign started I have been called a moderate hero, a fascist, a corporate puppet, IsraelFirstLumine, a fascist, a man who advocates for cumpulsory pregnancy, a friend of the extreme right, a fascist, a coward, a fascist and a fascist. Sometimes it gets old, sometimes I find myself amused by how hard this man tries to destroy my public image with his attacks.

Should I remind you of the "Federalist's Rich Man Party"? Or how about "Love me, love me I'm LumineVonReuental?". Perhaps the child abuse line will suffice? Or perhaps his attacks on the Progressive Union? The voter is probably sick and tired, and I'm sick and tired of this game of hyperbolic claims. I do not care if they are made for the Senator's own amusement, a Senator should know how to behave. And let me make this clear: We do not have fascism in Atlasia, and there is not a single Atlasian willing to serve such a horrible and morally bankrupt ideology. The only thing we have here that is detrimental to the game is trolls, and we have lots of them. These men chose to destroy an entire region, causing unemployment, poverty and suffering, all for their own amusement. Our Senator chose to defend this kind of behavior, and he still does. Those men are "Freedom Fighters", he said. I choose to play nice, and I am the enemy of the people. They destroy lives (imaginary lives, but so is everything else on this game).

I want to ask you, the voter, a question:

What is more damaging to the game? Inexistent imaginary fascists or inactive anarchic trolls?
What is better for the game? The willingess to work with all parties to get things done or bombastic hyperbolic attacks on the character of our politicians?

I seriously considered releasing another ad with TNF quotes, or my very own hyperbolic article comparing my opponent to politicians with a similar style (and there are some infamous examples), but that is a waste of time, and I will not engage on this war of words any longer. If the Senator wishes to demonize me, that his choice, and the voters will punish him for his behavior. I will not be a part of it, and I will devote myself to post my platform and then fight for it.

Thank you very much.

[Potus]

100% endorsed.

[Lumine]

100% endorsed.

Thanks, Riley!

A Small Statement:

Quite a few things to say here:

First: The platform only needs a few finishing touches, so I will finally release it in a few hours. The Senator has been very impatient on the whole affair, so I'm sure he will he filled with happiness when he reads it. Then he will call me a fascist and the game will resume.

Second: Senator TNF, you may say whatever you want, but the fact remains that this Most Serene Republic deserves a better Senator to represent it's citizens, and your activity does not excuse your behavior as a Senator. I am taking my stand now, and I'm telling you right away: I will not abandon this race. I will not surrender to a man who sees it proper to call me a fascist and then cast himself as a freedom fighter.

Third: I congratulated JCL, and while we have quite a few disagreements in policy (like gay marriage, which I strongly support), he has always been respectful and a friend to me. I joined the Disney Caucus at the beginning because I am seriously committed to fight for the environment, and I do not care about your attempts at going back at the 1930's and 1950's rhetoric to brand me as a fascist as if you suddenly were Joseph McCarthy.

Fourth: Just to make things clear again: I am not going to quit, for I have done nothing wrong. I have worked hard for this campaign, I have tried to make my case, I have tried to counter many of your false and ridiculous statements, and I have tried to do all of that without trying to be disrespectful, even when quoting your own statements on my ads. And Senator, I have nothing to do with private conversations of which I am not a part of, so I would ask you to actually ask the people in February and let them decide.

With all due respect, this is my stand, Senator.

If that's not enough for you then go ahead, call me a fascist moderate hero again, I am not going to change my mind.

[TNF]

100% endorsed.

Thanks, Riley!

A Small Statement:

Quite a few things to say here:

First The platform only needs a few finishing touches, so I will finally release it in a few hours. The Senator has been very impatient on the whole affair, so I'm sure he will he filled with happiness when he reads it. Then he will call me a fascist and the game will resume.

Second: Senator TNF, you may say whatever you want, but the fact remains that this Most Serene Republic deserves a better Senator to represent it's citizens, and your activity does not excuse your behavior as a Senator. I am taking my stand now, and I'm telling you right away: I will not abandon this race. I will not surrender to a man who sees it proper to call me a fascist and then cast himself as a freedom fighter.

Third: I congratulated JCL, and while we have quite a few disagreements in policy (like gay marriage, which I strongly support), he has always been respectful and a friend to me. I joined the Disney Caucus at the beginning because I am seriously committed to fight for the environment, and I do not care about your attempts at going back at the 1930's and 1950's rhetoric to brand me as a fascist as if you suddenly were Joseph McCarthy.

Fourth: Just to make things clear again: I am not going to quit, for I have done nothing wrong. I have worked hard for this campaign, I have tried to make my case, I have tried to counter many of your false and ridiculous statements, and I have tried to do all of that without trying to be disrespectful, even when quoting your own statements on my ads. And Senator, I have nothing to do with private conversations of which I am not a part of, so I would ask you to actually ask the people in February and let them decide.

With all due respect, this is my stand, Senator.

If that's not enough for you then go ahead, call me a fascist moderate hero again, I am not going to change my mind.

FYI, I was asking you to call for Tmthforu94's resignation, not quit the race. Actually reading my posts might make it easier for you to respond to them, y'know.

[Talleyrand]

Governor, what is your stance on Senator Tmthforu's vicious behind-the-scenes bullying and attempted intimidation of Senator X?

[Lumine]

Governor, what is your stance on Senator Tmthforu's vicious behind-the-scenes bullying and attempted intimidation of Senator X?

Thanks for the question. You will probably think that is the most moderate hero answer ever, but I sincerely believe that there is not enough evidence to call for the resignation of the Senator, which would be over the top for me. Do I disagree with the Senator to a certain degree? Yes, I do, and if he was indeed blackmailing X I would openly disapprove of such a tactic. But those remarks could  easily been taken out of context and they are not definite proof, which is why it's hard for me to tell what is really going on. Even if I were to only consider the messages that were posted by Griffin, they show a part of the story, and that part does not indicate blackmailing (I believe that the messages state twice that it's not blackmailing).