GoTfan
GoTfan21
Junior Chimp
Posts: 7,707
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« on: April 13, 2018, 07:38:34 PM » |
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Senator Richard Westbrook (D-MI class 2)
Ideology: Roosevelt-esque Social Democrat. Strong internationalist; very focused on human rights.
Offices held:
US Senator for Michigan (2015-present)
Assisting Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (2007-2013)
Attorney-General of Michigan (2003-2007)
Solicitor-General of Michigan (1999-2003)
US Attorney for Eastern District of Michigan (1994-1999)
Wayne County Prosecutor (1989-1994)
Backstory: Westbrook was born into a priveliged family in Detroit in 1955. His great-great grandfather, Harold Westbrook, had founded the Westbrook Armaments Manufacturing Company in the 1850s, and was one of the main suppliers to the Union during the Civil War. They became fairly widespeard; manufacturing parts for Springfield rifles as part of an agreement between the companies. They also produced arms for the US Army during the World Wars.
It seemed Richard's destiny to take over the company from his father, but upon graduating high school in 1973, he announced his intention to study a joint degree of Law and International Policy at Stanford Law School, which enraged his father to no end. The two never spoke again and the company would eventually pass to his younger brother.
After completing his studies, he became an employee at the State Department, working as a lawyer under the Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. In 1983 however, he left the Department to become a human rights lawyer for Amnesty International, enjoying a stellar career, successfully prosecuting dozens of international criminals. During this time, he developed strong views on human rights, ones that he insists on to this day.
In 1989, he decided he wanted to work as a domestic prosecutor, and accordingly, ran for Wayne County Prosecutor as a Democrat, and won in a landslide. Following 5 years of service in the office, President Clinton nominated him for East Michigan US Attorney. After a rough confirmation battle, he filled the office and perfomed a job good enough to his appointment as the state Solicitor-General in 1999. After just one term, he decided to run for Attorney-General in 2002, and despite a close race, in both the primary and general election, he managed to squeak out an unlikely victory.
He declined to run for another term in 2006, which proved to be fortuitous. His history of work in human rights law led to his 2007 appointment to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia as a prosecutor. He describes this as the best job he's ever had, due to his strong views on human rights.
In February 2013, he retired from the Tribunal, intending to live a quiet life. However, he was approached by Democratic operatives. With the 2014 midterms looking like a blowout, they wanted him to run. After consulting with his wife Maria, he decided to. After defeating Congressman Gary Peters in the primary, he defeated Republican nominee Terri Lynn Land in the general, thus winning the seat.
Since taking office in 2015, he's established himself as a strong left-winger, and identifies as a social democrat in the vein of FDR and Teddy Roosevelt. He has spearheded much pro-worker legislation, largely due to the views he formed under the influence of his uncle, an AFl-CIO officer. He also is currently writing sweeping anti-torture legislation with John McCain, and is hoping to get it passed into law.
However, like all politicians, his record is not squeaky clean. He has been accused of being an open borders advicate, and this is made worse by his fairly muted response on the issue. The big one though is that he made comments he made while on the ICTY, saying that the US failure to ratify the Rome Statute was an "error of the size of Texas." He also has been vocal about repealing the American Service-Members' Protection Act, stating that "That bill was a travesty that never should've existed. You commit a war crime, you get subject to the ICC. Simple as that."
He has thus been accused of wanting to surrender the American sovereignty to the ICC and UN, and again, his lack of response here has made it worse for him.
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