All Stand Down

[Dancing with Myself]

Romney/Ryan vs. Clinton/Bayh

[Sec. of State Superique]

LOL for Brown at Veepstakes...  Oh! And I definetly believe that Jerry Brown would make a pledge like this "give me a Democratic Congress and One Term at the Presidency and I can fix D.C". If it was 2008, ok then, but it's 2016 and America is not California!

[badgate]

LOL for Brown at Veepstakes...  Oh! And I definetly believe that Jerry Brown would make a pledge like this "give me a Democratic Congress and One Term at the Presidency and I can fix D.C". If it was 2008, ok then, but it's 2016 and America is not California!

We're on the 2012 cycle

[Sec. of State Superique]

LOL for Brown at Veepstakes...  Oh! And I definetly believe that Jerry Brown would make a pledge like this "give me a Democratic Congress and One Term at the Presidency and I can fix D.C". If it was 2008, ok then, but it's 2016 2012 and America is not California!

We're on the 2012 cycle

Ooops Fixed

[badgate]

XXIV: Restore Our Future PAC

July, 2012 - Major Poll Finds Clinton with 8-point Lead: 49/41.




August, 2012 - Mitt Romney announced Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential nominee.



Tropical Storm Isaac Causes RNC to be cut to three nights

RNC

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie lit up the convention with his Keynote address.

Congressman Paul Ryan was nominated on the second night. His speech was mostly an attack on the record of "the Democrats," which was well received in the hall but fell flat on television.

Former Governor Mitt Romney turned his sights on Senator Hillary Clinton in the first half of his speech. Clinton, who replaced Senator Max Baucus as chairwoman of the Finance committee, was a key author of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Romney criticized "$716 billion in cuts to our seniors' healthcare. That was her idea. She wrote it into the law. And then she went and said she was proud of that law.

...

Everywhere I go in America, there are monuments that list those who have given their lives for America. There is no mention of their race, their party affiliation, or what they did for a living. They lived and died under a single flag, fighting for a single purpose. They pledged allegiance to the UNITED States of America.

That America, that united America, can unleash an economy that will put Americans back to work, that will once again lead the world with innovation and productivity, and that will restore every father and mother's confidence that their children's future is brighter even than the past.

...

If I am elected President of these United States, I will work with all my energy and soul to restore that America, to lift our eyes to a better future. That future is our destiny. That future is out there. It is waiting for us. Our children deserve it, our nation depends upon it, the peace and freedom of the world require it. And with your help we will deliver it. Let us begin that future together tonight."


Post-RNC Electoral Map

New York Senator Hillary Clinton - 257, 48% (-1)
Frmr. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney / Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan - 206, 45% (+4)
Tossup - 75

[badgate]

XXV: The War On Christmas Begins

August, 2012 - On heels of RNC, Clinton announces Indiana Senator Evan Bayh as her Vice Presidential nominee in the state of Indiana. Romney's support in Indiana was already soft, so this puts the state into play.

DNC



San Antonio Mayor Julían Castro delivered the keynote speech, hitting Romney on healthcare and flip-flopping on abortion. To wild applause, Castro cribbed (with credit), the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's classic "multiple choice" zinger.

Evan Bayh was nominated unanimously for Vice President, and electrified the country with an impassioned endorsement of Hillary Clinton and the campaign's platform. Bayh also took a sharp jab at Republican Paul Ryan, saying "last week, my opponent delivered a speech that has been fact checked more than it has been quoted."

New York Senator Hillary Clinton made history, becoming the first female nominee for President by a major party. In Clinton's acceptance, she delivered a masterful takedown of her November opponent:

“When Governor Romney looked into the TV camera and attacked President Obama’s Medicare savings as the ‘biggest, coldest power play,’ I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. So I went to www.mittromney.com, and checked out his tax plan. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, because, that $716 billion is exactly, to the dollar, the same amount of Medicare savings that he had in his own proposed budget.

You got to admit one thing — it takes some brass to attack a guy for doing what you did."

Later, when laying out her vision for America's role in the world,

"You know why we have to do all of this? Because we are the indispensable nation. We are the force for progress, prosperity and peace. And because we have to get it right for ourselves. Leadership is not a birthright. It has to be earned by each new generation. The reservoirs of goodwill we built around the world during the 20th century will not last forever. In fact, in some places, they are already dangerously depleted. New generations of young people do not remember GIs liberating their countries or Americans saving millions of lives from hunger and disease. We need to introduce ourselves to them anew, and one of the ways we do that is by looking at and focusing on and working on those issues that matter most to their lives and futures.

So because the United States is still the only country that has the reach and resolve to rally disparate nations and peoples together to solve problems on a global scale, we cannot shirk that responsibility. Our ability to convene and connect is unparalleled, and so is our ability to act alone whenever necessary.

So when I say we are truly the indispensible nation, it’s not meant as a boast or an empty slogan. It’s a recognition of our role and our responsibilities. It’s why the United States must and will continue to lead in this century even as we lead in new ways."

Post-DNC Electoral Map

New York Senator Hillary Clinton / Indiana Senator Evan Bayh - 290, 50% (+2)
Frmr. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney / Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan - 163, 46% (+1)
Tossup - 85

[Sec. of State Superique]

Hillaryslide please!

[badgate]

XXVI: Election Written By Mark Halperin & John Heilemann

Post-DNC Poll
Clinton/Bayh 51%
Romney/Ryan 46%



September 2012 - Casino Mogul Sheldon Adelson invested a record amount of his wealth into defeating Senator Hillary Clinton.


September 2012 - The Benghazi consulate is attacked, which causes problems of different kinds for both Romney, Clinton, and Sebelius.


September 2012 - A tape of Romney speaking at a private fundraiser makes headlines.


Significant Events of the 2012 Fall Campaign (September)

• By just a hair, unemployment falls to 7.9%.
• Romney vows to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on day one of his first term.
• Clinton expands on convention's economic promise, proposing a $10.10 minimum wage, strict rules forcing American companies to store profits at home, but a lower corporate tax rate to act as a carrot. She also promises a $350,000 tax-free savings account for every American. Some are confused and believe she is promising all voters $350,000.
• Sheldon Adelson begins $50 million ad buy against Clinton/Bayh.
• A rioting crowd outside the U.S. Cairo embassy replaces the American flag with their own; the Embassy tweets that they do not agree with the short film featuring the prophet Muhammed.
• The Romney Campaign releases a statement blasting the administration for "apologizing to extremists."
• 30 minutes later, news breaks that 4 Americans have been killed in a terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.
• Romney is blasted for days for the campaign's impulsiveness and perceived willingness to politicize the tragedy in Benghazi.
• Mother Jones breaks news with a video of Mitt Romney at a fundraiser talking about "47% of people..." http://youtu.be/-6TRlt1HlI4
• Clinton blasts her opponent two days later on the stump, saying "those people, the one he says it isn't his job to care about, they're all around us. We were all students, at one point. We all had low-paying jobs where we only paid payroll tax. And by the way, the poor aren't exempt from those high sales taxes that states without income tax have. Our retired veterans, our retired seniors living off of America's sacred contract: social security. That's who he's written off, he says it's not his job to care about. Can you believe this guy?"
• Early voting begins in 12 states. Clinton gives a major speech in Memphis proposing electoral reforms.

First October Poll
Clinton/Bayh 53%
Romney/Ryan 41%



October 2012 - The Missouri Senate race gains sustained national coverage to election day, helping Clinton and highlighting/hurting conservatives across the country.



October 2012 - The Town Hall debate gained 65 million viewers.



Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson gains national press when his poll numbers rise near the end of October.

Significant Events of the 2012 Fall Campaign (October)

• The First Presidential debate is held in Denver, Colorado. Romney beats expectations, but is challenged multiple times over his shifting positions by Clinton. Republicans criticize moderated Bob Scheiffer for not stepping in. Romney loses the closing statement, and has to go first. Clinton takes the opportunity to whack him for his 47% speech before turning to her promise of continued leadership.
• Romney sees solidification of base, but will it be enough?
• Missouri Sen. McCaskill begins massive ad-buy against Tea Partier Todd Akin.
• Due to Hillary's continued poll strength, Democratic Senate underdogs see new hope and new money.
• The Vice Presidential debate is held without fanfare. The consensus is that Bayh connected easily with voters, but Ryan was clearly bright and a problem solver. Neither performance is expected to seriously impact the race.
• Romney's new attack, about Jeep and GM shipping jobs oversees, is strongly rebuffed by both companies.
• In the Town Hall Debate, Clinton connected well on a question about gun control, and was able to subtly hammer home her argument that Romney will try anything to win throughout the debate. Romney largely lost the debate, and was fact-checked by host Candy Crowley when he accused Senator Clinton of not calling Benghazi a terrorist attack.
• Third Presidential Debate is held, on foreign policy. It is Romney's final chance to make a good impression, but Clinton overshadows him with take downs such as "Governor, we also have less horses and bayonets than we used to." Pundits call the debate a tie but voters see it differently.
• Second third party debate draws many conservative viewers, a record high of 5.5 million overall, and Gary Johnson sees a slight surge nationally.
• Hurricane Sandy pummels the east coast. Republican Governor of New Jersey cancels a Pennsylvania rally with Romney and is blasted by conservatives and Drudge. As part of New York's Congressional Delegation, Senator Clinton visits with President Sebelius and Governor Christie in both New York City and New Jersey to see damage and meet with effected residents and asses the recovery needs. Sebelius announces she will call a Lame-Duck session of Congress to pass disaster relief and address the looming "fiscal cliff." Romney attacks Clinton for politicizing the tragedy.
• Gary Johnson hits 6% nationally in latest PPP poll.
• Clinton votes early with displaced New Yorkers.
• Election Day: Romney votes in Massachusetts.

[badgate]

Republicans....I am sorry.

[badgate]

XXVII: Donkey Stampede, pt. 1

7:00pm

Georgia is too close to call

Indiana is too close to call

Kentucky is too close to call

South Carolina is too close to call

Vermont for Hillary Clinton

Virginia is too close to call

Clinton / Bayh - 3
Romney / Ryan - 0
Too Close To Call - 57

The first states have all been too close to call except for Vermont, which is projected to hit slightly over 60% for the Democratic ticket. While the uncalled states are currently close, there are probably going to be few surprises from what we've seen in the polls this last week. Looking at the Senate, Tim Kaine is looking likely for Virginia's open Senate seat, and Joe Donnelly in Indiana is ahead of Tea Party candidate Richard Mourdock.


Virginia for Hillary Clinton

South Carolina for Mitt Romney


7:30pm

North Carolina is too close to call

Ohio is too close to call

West Virginia is too close to call

Clinton / Bayh - 16
Romney / Ryan - 9
Too Close To Call - 73

Hillary Clinton has claimed victory in Virginia early, surprisingly so. This could end up being bigger than we thought. Voters across the country are saying in the exits that the number one issue in choosing was Romney's willingness to say anything to get nominated and win, and the Democrats' leadership over the last four years. The Democrats' ability to keep the House in 2010 seems to have reinforced voters' perceptions that they have been successful over the last four years.

In other news, Joe Manchin is now reelected to a full term as West Virginia's U.S. Senator. Sherrod Brown has been reelected early, which is a good sign for Clinton in the Buckeye state.


8:00pm

Alabama for Mitt Romney

Connecticut for Hillary Clinton

Deleware for Hillary Clinton

Florida is too close to call

Illinois for Hillary Clinton

Maine (state-wide) for Hillary Clinton

Maine (ME-1) for Hillary Clinton

Maine (ME-2) for Hillary Clinton

Maryland for Hillary Clinton

Massachusetts for Hillary Clinton

Mississippi for Mitt Romney

Missouri is too close to call

New Hampshire for Hillary Clinton

New Jersey for Hillary Clinton

Oklahoma for Mitt Romney

Pennsylvania for Hillary Clinton

Rhode Island for Hillary Clinton

Tennessee is too close to call

Washington, D.C. for Hillary Clinton

...


Kentucky for Mitt Romney

West Virginia for Mitt Romney

Clinton / Bayh - 116
Romney / Ryan - 44
Too Close To Call - 110

Hillary Clinton is leading with 116 electoral votes! That outpaces Barack Obama, who was at 81 at this point four years ago. In the Senate, Bob Menendez has been reelected in New Jersey, and Angus King has been elected the new Senator from Maine. Republican Bob Corker has been reelected in Tennessee, as has Roger Wicker of Mississippi. Claire McCaskill has officially been reelected. We'll be right back after these messages...

[badgate]

XXVIII: Donkey Stampede, pt. 2

8:30pm

Arkansas is too close to call

Ohio is called for Hillary Clinton

Indiana is called for Hillary Clinton


9:00pm

Arizona is too close to call

Colorado is too close to call

Kansas is too close to call

Louisiana is too close to call

Michigan for Hillary Clinton

Minnesota for Hillary Clinton

Nebraska (state-wide) is too close to call

Nebraska (NE-1, NE-2, NE-3) is too close to call

New Mexico for Hillary Clinton

New York for Hillary Clinton

South Dakota is too close to call

Texas is too close to call

Wisconsin is too close to call

Wyoming for Mitt Romney

Clinton / Bayh - 205
Romney / Ryan - 47
Too Close To Call - 177

Senator Hillary Clinton continues to barrel toward the White House. And it looks like her coattails could have an effect on the Nebraska Senate race, where Tea Party candidate Deb Fischer recently came under fire for refusing to condemn Todd Akin when the neighboring state's election became a national story. Tammy Baldwin is now Senator-elect in Wisconsin, and will be the first open Lesbian to serve in the United States Senate. In Arizona, Richard Carmona holds a lead of just 2,000 in the last round of exits. However, Clinton is down by about 50,000, and...yep, Arizona has been called for Mitt Romney. The Senate race is too close to call, however. In Texas, we have an interesting case. Romney will win by a clear 54% of the vote, but former state Rep. Paul Sadler, the Democrat, made the race competitive by earning endorsements from every major state newspaper and drew larger-than-expected attention to the two debates between himself and Tea Party candidate Ted Cruz, both of which were contentious. Cruz still leads by a healthy margin, but this is a surprisingly close race in Texas. Like Nebraskan Deb Fischer, Cruz would not condemn Todd Akin, and Sadler's luck gained him the fundraising necessary to make sure most voters knew. Okay, we have a few more states to call now...

Too Close to Call States:

Texas for Mitt Romney

Kansas for Mitt Romney

North Carolina for Hillary Clinton

Missouri for Hillary Clinton

Wisconsin for Hillary Clinton

Louisiana for Mitt Romney

Colorado for Hillary Clinton

Nebraska (NE-2) for Hillary Clinton

Nebraska (NE-3) for Mitt Romney

Clinton / Bayh - 250
Romney / Ryan - 100
Too Close To Call - 79

10:00pm

Iowa for Hillary Clinton

Montana is too close to call

Nevada for Hillary Clinton

Utah for Mitt Romney



We can now call reelection for Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Klobuchar is seen as a rising star and potential Presidential contender in the future. In Montana, Senator John Tester has comfortably won reelection. Back to Texas, it looks like our praise for the once little-known Paul Sadler was premature. Ted Cruz has won and will take 52% of the popular vote in Texas. Nebraska is very close and Deb Fischer currently leads by about 300 votes. In Nevada, Shelley Berkley has been elected over the nominated Senator Dean Heller. Arizona's Senate race is still too close to call. But we now have some bigger news...


Florida for Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton becomes President-elect


11:00pm

California for Hillary Clinton

Hawaii for Hillary Clinton

Idaho for Mitt Romney

North Dakota is too close to call

Oregon for Hillary Clinton

Washington for Hillary Clinton

Arkansas for Hillary Clinton

Georgia for Hillary Clinton

Arizona for Mitt Romney

Clinton / Bayh - 391
Romney / Ryan - 117
Too Close To Call - 23

Final Map

New York Senator Hillary Clinton / Indiana Senator Evan Bayh - 411, 55.6%
Frmr. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney / Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan - 127, 40.1%
Frmr. New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson / Frmr. Justice Jim Grey - 0, 4.1%
Other - 0, .2%

[Flake]

Final Map

New York Senator Hillary Clinton / Indiana Senator Evan Bayh - 411, 55.6%
Frmr. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney / Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan - 127, 40.1%
Frmr. New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson / Frmr. Justice Jim Grey - 0, 4.1%
Other - 0, .2%

[badgate]

XXIX: President Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton, 48th President of the United States


Evan Bayh, 51st Vice President of the United States

113th Congress
Senate
Republican - 44
Democrat - 54
Independent - 2 (Caucuses with Democrat Party)

House
Republican - 186
Democrat - 249

The Cabinet of President Hillary Rodham Clinton (2013-Present)

• Secretary of State - Ed Markey (D-MA)
• Secretary of Defense - Charles Hagel (R-NE)
• Attorney General - Kamala Harris (D-CA)
• Secretary of Treasury - Patricia Murray (D-WA)
• Secretary of Health & Human Services - Dr. Sanjay Gupta (I-MI)
• Secretary of Labor - Seth Harris (D-D.C.)
• Secretary of Education - Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
• Secretary of Interior - Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-ND)
• Secretary of Agriculture - Tom Harkin (D-IA)
• Secretary of Housing & Urban Development - Benjamin Jealous (D-CA)
• Secretary of Commerce - Terry McAuliffe (D-VA)
• Secretary of Energy - Sheila Widnall (D-MA)
• Secretary of Homeland Security - Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
• Secretary of Transportation - Anthony Foxx (D-NC)
• Secretary of Veteran's Affairs - Claudia Kennedy (D-D.C.)

Significant Events of Hillary Clinton's First Term (2013)

• 2013 - Presideht-elect Hillary Clinton resigns her Senate seat. A week later, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo appoints New York's Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman to the post. Schneiderman says he will not run for the seat.
• 2013 - Hillary Clinton is inaugurated in a small ceremony at the bottom of the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, with about 400 seated on the memorial's steps. This is followed by the inaugural ball that evening. The next day, President Clinton delivers her inaugural address in the traditional Capitol staging, followed by a parade and "day of action," with President Clinton and her husband, and numbers politicians across the country, delivering canned food to food shelters, volunteering at soup kitchens, etc.
• 2013 - Caroline Kennedy is nominated Ambassador to Japan, becoming the only major appointee to be named after the President's swearing-in.
• 2013 - Massachusetts Governor nominates Mo Cowan to fill Ed Markey's Senate seat. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad appoints his Lt. Gov Kim Reynolds to fill Tom Harkin's Senate seat. Washington Governor appoints his Attorney General Bob Ferguson to fill Patty Murray's Senate seat. Alaska Governor Sean Parnell appoints his Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell to fill Lisa Murkowski's Senate seat.
• 2013 - President Clinton delivers her first State of the Union, a sweeping package of government reforms to make the federal government run better and more efficient for the American people. Her major domestic goals were a minimum wage of $10.10, and a more progressive rewrite of the tax code. She called on the Senate to continue its work on immigration reform, and promised to remain vigilant on the economy.
• 2013 - Speaker of the New York City Council defeats Rep Kirsten Gillibrand and Frmr. Governor Elliot Spitzer 41-30-29 in the Democratic primary for New York's Senate seat.
• 2013 - The House passes a tax reform bill 231-204. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid does not say he will bring the House bill to a vote but promises to move new Finance Committee chair Sen. Max Baucus' tax reform bill through the Senate as fast as possible.
• 2013 - NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn beats Republican Peter King 54-43 in the special election to succeed President Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate.
• 2013 - After scientists successfully create a lab-grown ear with 3D Printing, President Clinton calls on the NIH to begin looking for studies to expand on this technology.
• 2013 - Frustrated with the Senate on tax reform, President Clinton nominates Max Baucus to be Ambassador to China, making it logistically impossible for the Senate to pass its own bill in 2013.
• 2013 - Massachusetts State Senator Benjamin Downing wins the special election to fill Ed Markey's Senate seat, but very narrowly against Republican Gabriel Gomez. Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers is the projected winner to replace Patty Murray as Washington's Senator, but the margin is very close and opponent Adam Smith requests a recount. Bruce Braley wins the special election for Iowa's new Senator.
• 2013 - The Senate passes the House's tax reform bill and its own immigration reform bill in the same week in June.
• 2013 - Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi praises the work of the Senate and immediately begins the process of voting on the Senate's immigration bill.
• 2013 - News breaks that the IRS has been targeting conservative political groups that are abusing nonprofit status; Republicans demand hearings in Congress.
• 2013 - The Guardian breaks worldwide news, exposing the NSA's domestic and international spying programs, drawing international ire and souring relationships between the United States and a dozen prominent leaders of various nations.
• 2013 - The House passes immigration reform on a 331-104 vote. President Clinton turns to executive action on the environment for the remainder of 2013
• 2013 - The CIA successfully captures Edward Snowden in transit from Beijing to Ecuador, and Attorney General Kamala Harris appoints a special prosecutor to his case.
• 2013 - The Supreme Court strikes down the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Prop 8 law.
• 2013 - Pfc. Bradley Manning is sentenced, opens up about her gender identity and announces that she will go by Chelsea Manning.
• 2013 - Max Baucus is confirmed as Ambassador to China, and Montana Governor Steve Bullock appoints his Lt. Governor John Walsh to fill the remainder of the term until the next election, Nov. 2014.
• 2013 - Reports surface that Syria has used chemical gas on the rebels as well as thousands of civilians. In an Oval Office address, President Clinton addresses the attacks and puts public pressure on the UN to approve an intervention force to secure and remove the government's chemical weapons. Clinton also called on Bashar al-Assad to resign and allow the nation to create the government it wants.
• 2013 - Secretary of Agriculture Tom Harkin passes away. President Clinton announces that she will not be nominating a new Secretary to the department, stating "this is moving me to say a little early that we have some reforms planned for the cabinet."
• 2013 - The UN resolution on Syria fails; two hours later, President Clinton schedules a news conference after American forces strike military bases across Syria, severely crippling the regime's military infrastructure and destroying all known (by American intelligence) chemical weapons stored in the country. Polls show that Americans are supportive of the action but 78% express concern that President Clinton will commit the country to a long, drawn-out engagement in the country. Six in ten Americans say they hope the rebel forces can finish the job.
• 2013 - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is reelected. State Sen Chap Peterson wins a landslide victory in Virginia's gubernatorial election. Public Advocate Bill De Blasio wins another landslide for the Mayoral election in New York City.
• 2013 - New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg passes away; Gov. Christie nominates New Jersey's Attorney General, Republican Jeff Chiesa, to fill the seat until a special election can take place.
• 2013 - As 2013 ends, 18 states are allowing same-sex marriages. Unemployment stands at 6.6% and the stock market and housing market have surpassed their 2007 highs. President Clinton has accomplished two sweeping domestic achievements and successfully opened the door for Syrian rebels to overtake the Assad regime. Clinton's approval stands at 52%

Senate (as of Dec. 1, 2013)
Republican - 46
Democrat - 52
Independent - 2 (Caucuses with Democrat Party)



April, 2013 - President Clinton and actress Meryl Streep take a selfie after the Presidential Medals ceremony. Streep was the first recipient of the Presidential Medal of Achievements in Art/Film/Theatre/Music.


August, 2013 - President Clinton addresses the press after the strikes on Syria.


October, 2013 - A member of the Syrian Free Army is photographed in a city held by the rebel army.

[badgate]

Okay, I promise I'm done editing that one...

[badgate]

XXX: Presidents Clinton

Significant Events of Hillary Clinton's First Term (2014)

• On Jan. 1, Secretary of State Ed Markey returns from Geneva announcing that the Iran talks have been unsuccessful, and sounding the early call for new sanctions against the Middle Eastern nation.
• Drudge publishes an expose citing "significant sources within the West Wing" saying that former President Bill Clinton had been asked to leave a discussion on President Clinton's second State of the Union address last Wednesday night. The story goes on to tell numerous anecdotes about clashes between the Clintons, his Oval Office privileges being taken away for a brief period in September during the Syria episode. The White House denounced the story.
• In New Jersey, Cory Booker is elected to the U.S. Senate in the special election to replace the late Senator Lautenberg.
• The morning of her State of the Union, President Clinton signed four executive orders, shuttering the departments of Interior, Energy, and Agriculture, and creating the department of Natural Resources. Clinton immediately nominated now-former Sec. of Interior Stephanie Herseth Sandlin to head the new department.
• In her second State of the Union address, Hillary Clinton elaborated on the news of the day, her revisions to the cabinet. "We've actually got one more change," she said. Clinton pulled out two sheets of paper, stating, "these are two more executive orders. I am following through on a desire of former President Obama, and shuttering the department of Commerce and creating a new department, from the ground up. The department of Business." The attendees gave the President a standing ovation as she signed the two orders into law. Clinton then turned to her foreign policy, stating a desire to "see this through" in Syria without putting troops on the ground. "There are ways we can help the good guys." Clinton also called for new, but small, sanctions on Iran, stating that her long-term goal is detente and nuclear proliferation with the nation. The speech was well-received.
• President Clinton nominates Apple CEO Tim Cook to be the Secretary of Business.
• Syrian Free Army forces overtake all the major cities; Assad is publicly hung. UN Secretary of State Samantha Power immediately begins work on getting election monitors approved.
• Congress approves the budgets for the departments of Natural Resources and Business. The Senate approves Sandlin and Cook unanimously.
• Fighting breaks out between remaining regime forces, Free Army forces, and Taliban militia in Damascus. The city undergoes four full days and sixteen hours of artillery and gun fire.
• Republican Senator Ted Cruz filibusters the President's budget for 21 hours, causing a government shutdown over the Democrats' revisions to the new tax code, refusal to remove the Obamacare medical device tax, and other priorities that Republicans had sought during budget negotiations. Overnight, Cruz becomes a rock star to the right, when his first year in office had made him seem bookish and soft-spoken.
• President Clinton's approval goes to net -1 for the first time, 44-45, nine days into the government shutdown.
• Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Senator Ted Cruz break news at 3pm on the twelfth day when they walk from the Republican cloakroom on Capitol Hill to the pedestrian entrance to the White House, where they requested to see the President. Republicans see a rising advantage in the generic ballot test: 45/39
• The government shutdown ends after twenty-one days on June third. President Clinton's approval sits at 42%, while 49% disapprove.
• Elections fail to reach a consensus in Syria and chaos erupts across the country. Iran releases a CIA agent who had pled for help in December 2013.
• President Clinton calls a special session of Congress, and after a 1-hour and 45 minute address declares an invasion of Syria to stabilize the country.
• Republicans look set to take the House, but the Senate remains up for grabs.
• Clinton sees approval rise to 48%/45% after a successful first wave, creating a network of no-fly zones across the country. Ground forces are set to arrive the week before Midterms.
• New Poll: Americans split on Syria - Strongly Approve: 26% Mostly Approve: 17% Disapprove 41% Not Sure 16%
• Midterms - Republicans gained the house with over 40 seats flipping. Democrats look set to hold the Senate by one vote.
• Taliban Militia fire at American troops outside of Aleppo, killing two female combat soldiers. Americans remain split, but resolve to succeed rises.
• Secretary of State Ed Markey announces new deal with Iran, marking major achievement amid tragedy on the foreign policy front.

Significant Senate Races

Kentucky - Sec. of State Alison Lundergan Grimes 51%-Senator Mitch McConnell 45%-Tea Party Candidate Matt Bevin - 4%
West Virginia - Sec. of State Natalie Tennant 44%-Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito 52%
South Dakota - Mark Weiland 14%-Gov. Mike Rounds 33%-Frmr. Senator Larry Pressler 53%
Montana - Senator John Walsh 51%-Congressman Steve Daines 49%
Maine - Shenna Bellows 41%-Senator Susan Collins 58%
Washington (special election) - Congressman Derek Kilmer 54%-Senator Cathy McMorris Rodgers 44%

114th Congress
Senate
Republican - 47
Democrat - 50
Independent - 2 (Caucuses with Democrat Party)
Senator Larry Pressler (Has not declared which party he will caucus with)

House
Republican - 230
Democrat - 203
Independent - 2

May, 2014 - Texas Senator Ted Cruz made national headlines after filibustering the budget in protest of Democrats' control of the entire process.


August, 2014 - President Clinton commits America to stabilizing the chaos in Syria.



Twist!

• 2015 - One day after all new Senators are sworn in, Senators Joe Manchin (D), Susan Collins (R), Jeff Sessions (R), Larry Pressler (I), Joe Donnelly (D), Lisa Murkowski (R), Heidi Heitkamp (D), and Angus King (I) announce the creation of the New Party. Sen. Manchin described the party as being "for the average American who falls in the middle, between the Democrat and Republican parties that are increasingly pushed by their fiercest supporters to the extremes year after year." The New Party announced that Senator Susan Collins would be their Minority Leader, and Senator Joe Manchin would be the party's whip and Senate campaign coordinator. Control of the Senate, which now has no majority, has been thrown into chaos. For years after this day would be known as The Great Schism.

January, 2015 - The creation of the New Party sent shockwaves throughout the country's political culture.

Senate (post-Great Schism)
Republican - 44
Democrat - 47
Independent - 1 (Caucuses with Democrat Party)
New Party - 8

.

[Brewer]

Why does Jeff Sessions join the New Party?

[badgate]

Why does Jeff Sessions join the New Party?

Sessions was once a Democrat.
He would prefer to represent Alabama from the center but does not want a primary challenge.
Maybe he secretly opposes bi-cameral government.



TBH, I meant to have Murkowski instead of Sessions, but I forgot about that and now I like the idea of Sessions joining them too so I'm keeping him. I've added Murkowski the New Party in Chapter XXX

[DKrol]

I like the idea and I will enjoy watching how it plays out, but the name! The New Party? Really?

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Why does Jeff Sessions join the New Party?

Sessions was once a Democrat.
He would prefer to represent Alabama from the center but does not want a primary challenge.
Maybe he secretly opposes bi-cameral government.



TBH, I meant to have Murkowski instead of Sessions, but I forgot about that and now I like the idea of Sessions joining them too so I'm keeping him. I've added Murkowski the New Party in Chapter XXX

I understand all of them leaving, but Jon Tester? He's progressive.

[badgate]

Is he? I know he is on gay rights, but I thought he was more on the center for everything else. If anyone can think of a better replacement I'm open to it



Any thoughts on Clinton's second year? I think I may have accidentally overshadowed it with the formation of the New Party at the end.

[JerryArkansas]

Is he? I know he is on gay rights, but I thought he was more on the center for everything else. If anyone can think of a better replacement I'm open to it



Any thoughts on Clinton's second year? I think I may have accidentally overshadowed it with the formation of the New Party at the end.

]

Alison Lundergan Grimes

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Is he? I know he is on gay rights, but I thought he was more on the center for everything else. If anyone can think of a better replacement I'm open to it



Any thoughts on Clinton's second year? I think I may have accidentally overshadowed it with the formation of the New Party at the end.

]

Alison Lundergan Grimes

Mark Warner or Heidi Heitkampt

[badgate]

I don't think Warner would, but Heitkamp is a good call. I went with her. Thanks

[Brewer]

Why does Jeff Sessions join the New Party?

Sessions was once a Democrat.
He would prefer to represent Alabama from the center but does not want a primary challenge.
Maybe he secretly opposes bi-cameral government.



TBH, I meant to have Murkowski instead of Sessions, but I forgot about that and now I like the idea of Sessions joining them too so I'm keeping him. I've added Murkowski the New Party in Chapter XXX

He's one of the most conservative senators...

But I will stop nagging now because it really isn't that big of a deal. Aweome timeline! Except for the fact that Kirsten Gillibrand loses the Senate seat!

[badgate]

XXXI: A New World

COLLINS: We did it to disarm the nukes
In 2012, Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked the "nuclear option" to confirm Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan. Last week, Senator Susan Collins and a loyal team of Senators left their parties to ensure that it would never happen again.


Significant Events of Hillary Clinton's First Term (2015-early 2016)

• Former Majority Leader Harry Reid declares a "hung Senate," and announces that after speaking with Collins and Cornyn, the new Republican leader, there will be open leadership elections for the positions of Senate Leader and Senate Whip. The three parties will also hold leadership elections three days beforehand for each caucus' Minority Leader, Minority Whip, etc.
• New Poll: Americans support New Party 34-21, while 65% have no opinion or are not sure.
• President Clinton welcomes New Party, hesitantly.
• Kevin McCarthy is elected Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan to Majority Leader, and Cathy McMorris Rogers to Majoirty Whip; after Nancy Pelosi steps down from leadership and announces her retirement in 2020, Democrats elect Xavier Becerra to Minority Leader, and John Lewis to Minority Whip.
• In her third State of the Union, Clinton sets up her reelection by striking broad themes on entitlements and calling for cooperation in the new Congress. Her approval remains steady as most Americans understand she is not expecting to get much out of the new Congress. The major domestic proposal made by Clinton was federal election reforms she had given a speech about in 2012.
• Vice President Bayh causes attention when he slams the Democratic turncoats in the New Party. After nine days of avoiding the press' questions, Press Secretary Hilda Solis says that VP Bayh was not speaking for the President.
• Speaker of the House McCarthy floats piecemeal approach to electoral reforms. The House starts with a voter fraud program, while Senator Christine Quinn (D-NY) introduces a bill creating a uniform federal ballot, and tasking the Department of Business with modernizing our voting systems, voter registration, and voter information database. New Senator Joe Donnelly signs as cosponsor and promises to introduce an amendment creating a uniform minimum of 15 weekdays for early voting and 2 weekends.
• American death toll in Syria hits 100.
• The Senate parties hold their leadership elections.

Democrats
Minority Leader
1st Ballot - Harry Reid: 40; Elizabeth Warren: 8
HARRY REID is elected Minority Leader

Minority Whip
1st Ballot - Amy Klobuchar: 21; Dick Durbin: 19; Chuck Schumer: 8
CHUCK SCHUMER drops out, endorses Amy Klobuchar
2nd Ballot - Amy Klobuchar: 26; Dick Durbin: 22
AMY KLOBUCHAR is elected Minority Whip


New Party
Minority Leader
1st Ballot - Susan Collins: 8
SUSAN COLLINS is elected Minority Leader

Minority Whip
1st Ballot - Joe Manchin: 8
JOE MANCHIN is elected Minority Whip


Republicans
Minority Leader
1st Ballot - John Cornyn: 19; Lisa Murkowski: 6; John Thune: 19
2nd Ballot - John Cornyn: 18; Lisa Murkowski: 9; John Thune: 17
3rd Ballot - John Cornyn: 15; Lisa Murkowski: 14; John Thune: 15
4th Ballot - John Cornyn: 13; Lisa Murkowski: 16; John Thune: 15
JOHN CORNYN drops out of Minority Leader election, endorses JOHN THUNE
5th Ballot - Lisa Murkowski: 19; John Thune: 25
JOHN THUNE is elected Minority Leader

Minority Whip
1st Ballot - Pat Toomey: 4; Kelly Ayotte: 5; Mike Lee: 18; John Boozeman: 8; David Vitter: 9
PAT TOOMEY drops out, endorses JOHN BOOZEMAN
KELLY AYOTTE drops out, endorses MIKE LEE
2nd Ballot - Mike Lee: 24; John Boozeman: 11; David Vitter: 9
MIKE LEE is elected Minority Whip

• The Senate holds what Democratic Leader Harry Reid calls "Administrative elections."

Senate Leader
1st Ballot - Elizabeth Warren: 40; Angus King: 9; Ted Cruz: 27; Lisa Murkowski: 24
ANGUS KING drops out, withholds endorsement.
2nd Ballot - Elizabeth Warren: 43; Ted Cruz: 26; Lisa Murkowski: 31
ANGUS KING endorses ELIZABETH WARREN
3rd Ballot - Elizabeth Warren: 49; Ted Cruz: 29; Lisa Murkowski: 22
4th Ballot - Elizabeth Warren: 49; Ted Cruz: 28; Lisa Murkowski: 23
LISA MURKOWSKI drops out, declines to endorse.
5th Ballot - Elizabeth Warren: 52; Ted Cruz: 48
ELIZABETH WARREN is elected Senate Leader

Senate Whip
1st Ballot - John McCain: 12; Heidi Heitkamp: 19; Claire McCaskill: 37; John Boozeman: 32
JOHN MCCAIN drops out, endorses HEIDI HEITKAMP
2nd Ballot - Heidi Heitkamp: 31; Claire McCaskill: 36; John Boozeman: 33
3rd Ballot - Heidi Heitkamp: 39; Claire McCaskill: 33; John Boozeman: 28
JOHN BOOZEMAN drops out, endorses HEIDI HEITKAMP
4th Ballot - Heidi Heitkamp: 68; Claire McCaskill: 32
HEIDI HEITKAMP is elected Senate Whip

• Clinton hosts new Senate and House leaders at the White House residence.
• A gang of 19 Senators from all three parties block the foreign aid bill from passing in the Senate because of Senate Leader Warren's refusal to allow a vote on new Iran sanctions.
• Tabloids publish photos showing that Bill Clinton has been living in the Clinton's New York home.
• New Party puts Clinton's judicial nominees all on hold, demand replacements for 17.
• Iran reneges on the nuclear deal signed in March of 2015; New and Republican Senators begin calling for new Iran sanctions.
• The House passes two piecemeal election bills, while the Senate moves its omnibus legislation to the floor. Senate Leader Elizabeth Warren vows to pass the bill by July 30.
• Clinton capitulates to New Party on nominees, renominates some but mostly replaces her pending nominees. New Party promises to vote for cloture on all nominees unanimously in return. The News on the Judiciary committee also promise to vote for the President's picks.
• President Clinton vetoes Iran sanctions; the veto is overridden by Congress. In retaliation to the veto, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) openly speculated that perhaps the New Party was more in line with his priorities in the Senate.
• Unemployment barely rests at 6.1% as of September, 2015.
• President Clinton announces that she will run for reelection in 2016.
• In 2016 Senate map, Libertarian and New parties see potential for victories.
• In an evening news interview Clinton lays out the administration's timetable on Syria. In January 2016, new elections will be held, and a security force of 17,000 troops will stay in the country indefinitely while billions are sent to the country to rebuild its cities, roads, and amenities.
• Clinton ends 2015 with a 48% approval and 43% disapproval rating.
• 8 Republicans have lined up for the nomination in what looks to be a heated primary.
• The Clintons file for divorce in New York on Jan. 1, 2016. The White House declined to comment, stating that it was "a personal matter."

February, 2015 - Senator Elizabeth Warren became the Senate Leader, holding court over the legislative body and fostering camaraderie across party lines.


August, 2015 - Following President Clinton's deal with the New Party, Judiciary committee chair Pat Leahy moved nominees through his committee faster than a cheetah chasing its prey.


Late 2015 - Rifts between the Clintons, which had partially been the effect of a former President living in the White House with the new President, became public as Clinton tried to ramp up her reelection campaign.