Reporting for Duty: The Presidency of John Kerry and Onwards.

[Blair]

A great Timeline & poses one of the most interesting hypotheticals; was the the 2004 race worse losing? I really think the double bounce of both 06 & 08 for the Democratic Party & the clobbering the GOP take over the economy allowed a lot of growth and the people who dominated democratic politics in the mid 2010s came up through this era. 

[Huey Long is a Republican]

One would think Jim Douglas would've ran in 2006 ITTL against Sanders since he was the best possible choice to beat him that year IOTL and here, the RNC would've really pushed him to run. IDK if he'd had run, but it might've been far, far closer.

[One Term Floridian]

A great Timeline & poses one of the most interesting hypotheticals; was the the 2004 race worse losing? I really think the double bounce of both 06 & 08 for the Democratic Party & the clobbering the GOP take over the economy allowed a lot of growth and the people who dominated democratic politics in the mid 2010s came up through this era. 

I don’t think 2000 was worth losing but yes 2004 probably was

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Friday, November 10th, 2006: Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) announce they have both formed exploratory committees.
Sunday, November 12th, 2006: On NBC's Meet the Press, Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) announces she will run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.
Monday, November 13th, 2006: The Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal convicts Saddam Hussein on charges of crimes against humanity, and sentences him to be hanged. The former Iraqi dictator is dragged away screaming by soldiers after he attempts to make a statement in protest of the verdict. The news is met with celebrations across Iraq.
Tuesday, November 14th, 2006: Iranian President Ahmadinejad claims Iran's nuclear enrichment program will largely be completed by 2007.
Wednesday, November 15th, 2006: Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) announces his presidential candidacy at a rally in Wichita, KS.

Sam

Wednesday, November 15th, 2006.

12:00 PM, Wichita, Kansas.

[1]

"I am declaring today my candidacy for President of the United States. Ours is a great nation and I make one pledge to you, to use our greatness for goodness. We are a great nation because our greatness is built on the foundation of fundamental goodness. If ever we lose our goodness, we will surely lose our greatness. Our purposes, from the time of our nation's founding, have always been bigger than we are. They must be if we are to fulfill our destiny.

But destinies are built on daily achievements. Inch by inch, step by step, we press on to our higher calling. Today I wish to state what I believe those next steps are, for our nation and for our people.

Two hundred years ago this year, a little known British Parliamentarian by the name of William Wilberforce finally achieved success after a lifetime of effort to end the slave trade in the British Empire. A committed Christian who believed his faith should be a force for good in Britain and around the world, Wilberforce had two great passions: ending the slave trade and renewing the culture. Although his goals appeared impossibly lofty, both were achieved.

He used Britain's greatness for goodness.

Our mandate today has a similar feel. If William Wilberforce were alive today, I believe he would be passionately fighting for the dignity of every human life everywhere, without regard to race, wealth, or status. He would also feel compelled to take up the vital cause of renewing the family and the culture. These are our fights today.

But, our land needs healing. Our people need hope. Our world needs help. We need reconciliation. Lincoln properly observed that, 'a house divided against itself cannot stand.' We are divided and need healing. We need to rebuild our families. We need stronger families! We need people belonging and committed! By doing so, we will reduce poverty, strengthen our nation and increase hope. We need to support the foundational institution of marriage as the union of a man and a woman for life. We should support marriage, not tax it. It's wrong to take away welfare benefits just because someone gets married. Marriage remains the best place to raise children--not the only place, but the best. We must stop wasteful spending that steals a families' income and then insults them by throwing their money away on pork-barrel projects. And we need more opportunities--not more taxes. I've never voted for a tax increase, and I certainly will never sign one!

At the end of the day, it comes back to the basics: faith, family, and freedom. America is great because she is good. That goodness is not based in Washington, or New York, or even Topeka. It is based in the hearts of the American people. This is a goodness whose author is the divine. A goodness that doesn't let us rest until our neighbor is at peace. A goodness that feels the chains of another rub on our own skin. A goodness from God that demands our vigilant action.

And so, together, we are setting out on a journey towards truth and justice, for a more generous and genuine American experience. I thank you all, and I ask humbly only for your encouragement and vote as we undertake this effort."
Friday, November 17th, 2006: The Democratic House caucus reelects Nancy Pelosi as Minority Leader, while Steny Hoyer (D-MD) beats out Jack Murtha (D-PA) to serve as Minority Whip. The Senate Republicans meanwhile elect Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to serve as Majority Leader, replacing the soon to be retired Bill Frist.
Saturday, November 18th, 2006: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) announces the formation of an exploratory committee, joining a rapidly ballooning field of challengers to President Kerry. Gingrich's announcement is botched, with his website accidentally releasing a pre-recorded announcement video while he and his wife were out of the country on a Mediterranean cruise.
Sunday, November 19th, 2006: Retiring Republican Senate leader Bill Frist confirms he will not be a candidate for President, instead throwing his weight behind former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who has not yet announced his candidacy.
Monday, November 20th, 2006: Former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko is poisoned at a London sushi bar and pronounced dead upon arrival by the time he could be rushed to the nearest hospital by ambulance. Prime Minister Tony Blair opens up an MI6 investigation into the matter as the media speculates that the murder was ordered by Vladimir Putin himself.
Tuesday, November 21st, 2006: Governor Mark Sanford announces he will not seek the presidency in 2008, and will not endorse any candidate in the interim.
Wednesday, November 22nd, 2006: On CNN's Larry King Live, Governor Jeb Bush admits people are "asking" him to run for President, and that he is considering the possibility. When pressed by Larry King on who exactly is asking Jeb to run, he sheepishly replies "not my mom."
Thursday, November 23rd, 2006: Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) announces he will run for the position of Minority Whip in the Senate, putting him on a collision course with Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) for the Senate GOP caucus's second most important roll.
Friday, November 24th, 2006: Senator Stephen Lynch (D-MA) announces he will run for reelection in 2008, though rumors swirl in Washington that Congressman Jim McGovern might primary him from the left.
Sunday, November 26th, 2006: Philippine security forces break up an Al Qaeda backed plot to target numerous tourist destinations across Manila. 18 suspects are taken into custody.
Thursday, November 30th, 2006: Gallup releases their first monthly 2008 tracking poll. Congressman Duncan Hunter forms an exploratory committee.

2008 Republican Primary (Nationwide)
Jeb Bush: 23%
George Allen: 17%
Rudy Giuliani: 14%
Mitt Romney: 12%
Mike Huckabee: 12%
Elizabeth Dole: 8%
John McCain: 8%
Ron Paul: 4%
Newt Gingrich: 4%
Rick Perry: 3%
Lincoln Chafee: 3%
George Pataki: 1%
Sam Brownback: 1%
Duncan Hunter: 1%
Tom Tancredo: 1%
[1] Taken from Wikipedia Commons (IowaPolitics.com)

[KaiserDave]

Re-elect the President!

I guess....

At this point as a Dem I'm planning on winning big in the 2010 midterms

[BigVic]

Will Trump primary Kerry as a Democrat?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Friday, December 1st, 2006: Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney tells The Boston Herald that he will not decide on whether to run for President until after his second gubernatorial inauguration, with an official announcement one way or the other not slated until the spring of 2007.
Saturday, December 2nd, 2006: Secretary of Defense Sam Nunn announces that the NATO force in Iraq will begin a major "mop up" operation aimed at disarming and disbanding various militias while continuing to snuff out the insurgency and stabilize the security situation by the summer of 2007 in time for Kerry's desired withdrawal deadline.
Sunday, December 3rd, 2006: President Kerry sits down with NBC's Tim Russert for an extensive Meet the Press interview, which is capped with the President officially announcing he will run for a second term in 2008 (which surprises nobody).

Hugo Chavez is reelected handily by the people of Venezuela in an election marred by allegations of voter intimidation and fraud.
Monday, December 4th, 2006: Secretary of Health and Human Services Howard Dean announces he will resign ahead of the New Year, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. Dead had overseen the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, but was criticized by many for not responding quickly enough to a number of problems with the ACA's online enrollment. The President thanks Dean for his service in a statement released by the White House, and confirms that he will name a successor in the coming days.
Tuesday, December 5th, 2006: The Washington Post reports that Howard Dean's resignation from the administration came as a surprise to the President, who is facing a much stronger and more conservative Republican Senate majority. Angered by the fact that his next HHS Secretary will likely face a strident list of demands and requirements by Senator McConnell, Kerry reportedly had an angry Oval Office confrontation with the now former Secretary when Dean offered his resignation. Dean's resignation was motivated by anger over largely being sidelined during the ACA's legislative drafting process and public backlash against the Department of Health and Human Services during the ACA's roll out.
Wednesday, December 6th, 2006: Senator George Allen (R-VA) tells Politico that he's in "no hurry" to decide on whether or not he'll seek the Presidency in 2008, but speculates that he'll make his final decision in January or February.
Thursday, December 7th, 2006: President Kerry and Vice President Edwards attend a memorial service at Pearl Harbor to mark the 65th anniversary of the Japanese attack which pulled America into World War II.
Friday, December 8th, 2006: Though this is not known to the public until 2011, President Kerry reportedly asks Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to replace Howard Dean as HHS Secretary. Clinton declines the offer, keeping her options open for 2012.
Saturday, December 9th, 2006: Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet dies in London, alluding trial one last time to the great disappointment of those who were imprisoned and tortured under his regime.
Monday, December 11th, 2006: Taliban militants kill 9 American soldiers in Kandahar province, resulting in American led coalition airstrikes in retaliation for the ambush.

John

Wednesday, December 13th, 2006.

11:30 AM, the White House, Washington, DC.

[1]

Inside the Vice President's west wing office, John Edwards lounged leisurely in his chair, his feet kicked up on the desk as he reclined and watched MSNBC's coverage of the day's political concerns. It was true what they said. The Vice Presidency wasn't worth a bucket of warm piss, and Edwards knew it. Even his crazy wife (if only they knew the real Elizabeth thought the Vice President bitterly) had more influence than him. During the fight for the Affordable Care Act, Edwards saw his role as President of the Senate reduced to merely that as messenger boy, often finding himself stifled by Senator Clinton or the President. Like Secretary Dean, the Vice President simply found himself cast to the sidelines, a spot he loathed. The Secretary had the luxury to resign. Edwards did not.

There were alternative exit strategies. He could simply not seek a second term and cite his wife's health as a reason, though he knew Elizabeth would never go for this. Alternatively, he could have filed to run for Senate again 2008 in his home state of North Carolina. Senator Dole was already seeking the GOP nomination, which would distract her of course and give the Vice President plenty of time to build a lead over her or whomever the Republican nominee may be. There was some precedent to this; Hubert Humphrey and Alben Barkley had both returned to the Senate after their tenures as Vice President, as did Walter Mondale briefly in more recent history.

It was a tempting possibility. A few phone calls in the lead up to the midterm election and a few weeks worth of waiting afterward stirred up enough political gossip for the President to confront his Vice President in the days leading up to the November elections. The bluff worked, and Kerry agreed to delegate Edwards a greater degree of influence over their reelection effort.

All of this pushing and pulling led up to the Vice President's phone ringing. Picking up the receiver on the end of the desk, the secretary informed him that a small group of campaign employees along with Cameron Kerry had arrived. Rising from his desk to let them in, the small gaggle of political axmen, spin doctors, and communications and media specialists would be briefing Edwards on the regular from then on out. Edwards would also be soon taking up an aggressive and grueling schedule of fundraisers and rallies that would escalate over the course of 2007 as the reelection campaign got underway.

"Mr. Vice President" said Cameron, "I want you to meet some of the folks from the campaign." All of them were faces that Edwards did not know, but one stood out among the others. "This is Rielle Hunter" said Kerry when he finally gotten around to introducing her along with the others, "and she will be doing a lot of our online video content."

"Interesting" replied the Vice President, "I've, um, I've been really interested seeing what we can do with the internet next year. It's uncharted waters. We have a good shot at setting the mold."

"What I'm thinking of doing" answered Hunter, "is a series of web episodes depicting the side of the campaign that the public rarely sees." Cameron Kerry wanted to cringe; Rielle's proposal was hardly original by that point, and the presidential brother, like everyone else, could see through the Vice President's facade which hid his obvious motivation. Honestly, Cameron couldn't find a valid reason that justified bringing Hunter on board; before her stint as a digital media specialist she had been known to be a hacky writer of news inspired novels. Yet Steve Elmendorf, who was set to manage the President's reelection campaign after Mary Beth Cahill opted to retain her White House role, insisted that Hunter was an asset. Though Cameron could clearly see the sparks (and brewing trouble) between Edwards and Hunter, he chose to accept Elmendorf's judgement.

The Vice President did the same, with much more enthusiasm.
Thursday, December 14th, 2006: Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) suffers a brain hemorrhage during a live radio interview from Washington. Rushed to a nearby hospital, the Senator dies on the operating table hours later, leaving the state's Republican Governor Mike Rounds to name a replacement, which puts the Republican caucus one seat closer to having a super majority in the Senate.
Friday, December 15th, 2006: In an interview on NBC's "The Today Show," country singer Willie Nelson again reiterates his interest in running for President as a Green Party candidate and claims he could fund both his campaign as well as assist various social justice causes with a series of concerts and rallies. Nelson vows to reject corporate money and help from political consultants, promising "a true grassroots effort."
Saturday, December 16th, 2006: Time Magazine names President John Kerry as "Person of the Year" after his successful efforts to pass sweeping healthcare and immigration reforms.
Sunday, December 17th, 2006: Former Governor Mike Huckabee forms an exploratory committee, announcing his entry into the race during an appearance on Fox News Sunday.
Tuesday, December 19th, 2006: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announces the merger of several scattered left wing parties into the United Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement, further strengthening his regime's political position.
Thursday, December 21st, 2006: The Islamic Courts Union goes on the offensive against the Somali provisional government and their Ethiopian backers near the city of Baidoa. Should the Islamist militants push back their enemies, their control of Somalia's capital Mogadishu and surrounding areas would be solidified.
Friday, December 22nd, 2006: Turkmenistan's President Sapurmurat Niyazow dies at 66; the eccentric dictator ran the former Soviet Republic with an iron hand and a pervasive cult of personality.
Monday, December 25th, 2006: Christmas Day is observed across the globe.
Tuesday, December 26th, 2006: Former President Gerald Ford dies at the age of 93, sending the country into a period of official mourning as preparations for his state funeral commence.
Saturday, December 30th, 2006: Saddam Hussein is hanged in Baghdad in the early morning hours after being convicted of numerous crimes against humanity; the former Iraqi dictator refuses the hangman's offer to put a hood over his head, bitterly cursing America and Iran right until the bitter end.
Sunday, December 31st, 2006: New Years Eve is celebrated across the world as President Kerry prepares to enter his third year in office.
[1] Taken from Wikipedia Commons (Public Domain).

[KaiserDave]

RIP Tim

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Monday, January 1st, 2007: The world marks New Years Day with celebration despite a slowing global economy and continued conflict in the Middle East. In Somalia, an attempt by government forces and Ethiopian troops to dislodge the Islamic Courts Union from southern Somalia near the Kenyan borders fails after 3,000 Islamist fighters hold off their attack on the city of Jilib.
Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007: With Congress due to meet to elect a speaker the following day, the Republican caucus holds a vote on who will replace Hastert as Speaker. Congressman Roy Blunt, the acting Majority leader since DeLay's resignation, is elected over Congressmen John Boehner (R-OH) and David Drier (R-CA) to serve as the Republican nominee for Speaker.

Governor Mike Rounds of South Dakota appoints Lt. Governor Dennis Daugaard to fill the late Tim Johnson's Senate seat. Daugaard will hold the seat through the 2008 election, when Johnson's term was set to expire. Daugaard is widely expected to seek reelection in the 2008 election.

Gerald Ford's state funeral is held at the National Cathedral; his body returns to Grand Rapids for burial the following day. President Kerry leads the tribute to the deceased former President, and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) also eulogize the 38th President.
Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007: The 110th Congress convenes; Roy Blunt is elected Speaker, while Eric Cantor is elected Majority Whip.
Thursday, January 4th, 2007: A binder found inside a New York City cab is discovered, containing hundreds of pages outlining the Giuliani campaign's planned strategy, including key talking points, the names and phone numbers of key financial backers, a list of desired endorsers, internal polling of key primary states, and scheduled events. The Giuliani campaign claims the binder had been leaked intentionally and that it had not been misplaced.
Friday, January 5th, 2007: Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) announces the formation of an exploratory committee on C-SPAN's Washington Journal. The libertarian Republican is the first anti-war candidate to enter the Republican Party.
Saturday, January 6th, 2007: David Petraeus is named Commander of the multi-national force in Iraq.
Sunday, January 7th, 2007: The Democratic National Committee announces the 2008 Democratic convention will be held in Denver, Colorado.
Monday, January 8th, 2007: Former Governor Mike Huckabee announces his candidacy in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Huckabee

Monday, January 8th, 2007.

11:00 AM, Hope, AR.

[1]

"It's a long way from a little brick rent house on 2nd street in Hope, AR to the White House. But here in this small town called Hope, I was raised to believe that where a person started didn't mean that's where he had to stop. I always believed a kid could go from Hope to Higher Ground. Like a lot of Americans, I grew up in a small town far removed from the power, the money, and the influence that runs the country. But power and money and political influence have left a lot of Americans lagging behind. They work hard, lift heavy things and sweat through their clothes grinding out a living, but they can't seem to get ahead or in some cases, even stay even. My parents were like that. My Dad wasn't an educated man, but he was a smart man. He and my mother didn't have much, but they had honesty to the bone, and taught me the basic lesson of life that I was to do unto others as I would have others do unto me.

It was here in Hope that I learned how to swim, how to ride a bike, how to read, how to work, and how to play fair. I learned the difference between right and wrong. I learned that God loves me as much as He loves anyone, but that He doesn't love some more than others. I learned about America. In Miss Mary's Kindergarten and Brookwood Elementary School, I learned the pledge of allegiance, the Lord's Prayer, and Preamble to the Constitution. We prayed at the start of each day and before lunch. I learned that this exceptional country could only be explained by the Providence of God. I learned how to handle a firearm and a fishing pole and spent many hours with both. I got my first BB gun at age five-a Daisy model 25 that I still have and that's in mint condition. I learned the basic rules of gun safety and never thought of using a firearm to murder someone.

I ran trotlines all night at Bois D' Arc Lake with my Dad and Grandfather to catch catfish that we'd freeze and live off of for weeks. It was here I was baptized in the Garrett Memorial Baptist Church after accepting Jesus in a Vacation Bible School when I was ten years old. I truly went from Hope to Higher Ground. It was here that I met the girl who would become my wife of 41 years and give me three hildren and share what will soon be five grandchildren. We knew each other from elementary school and started dating our senior year of high school. It was here that I got a job at KXAR Radio at age 14 that would not only pay my way through school, but give me the opportunity to be mentored by Haskell Jones, the station manager and one of the few Republicans in the entire county. It was here that I became the first male in my family lineage to graduate from high school at the same campus that stands today and from here that I went on to college at Ouachita Baptist University. And it was here that I first ran for elected office when I ran for Student Council in Hope Junior High School.

So it seems perfectly fitting that it would be here that I announce that I am a candidate for President of the United States of America...."
Tuesday, January 9th, 2007: The Islamic Emirate of Somalia is established by the leadership in the Islamic Court's Union in Mogadishu. Though they lay claim to the whole of the country, they in reality only control the southern portions of the country.
Wednesday, January 10th, 2007: Citing a lack of support and resources in the party, Jerome Corsi ends his Republican candidacy and announces he will instead seek the nomination of the Constitution Party in 2008 instead.
Thursday, January 11th, 2007: American planes bomb an alleged Al Qaeda training camp in Somalia, where the terrorist group's Somalia branch has been sheltered by the Islamist regime which has taken over a significant portion of the country. The new regime in war-torn Mogadishu is recognized by Pakistan, the first government to establish relations with Somalia's new government.
Friday, January 12th, 2007: The Chinese military successfully uses a missile to destroy one of their decommissioned satellites in a display of their capacity to wage war in space.
Monday, January 15th, 2007: Former Navy Secretary Jim Webb announces he will run as a Democrat against Republican incumbent Virgil Goode in Virginia's 5th district.
Wednesday, January 17th, 2007: Abdul Sulaiman, the most feared Islamic militant in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, is killed by Philippine security forces during a raid on his hideout.
Friday, January 19th, 2007: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki claims that the United States is slowing down their withdrawal from Iraq due to the poor equipment used by Iraqi security forces. "Give us your guns" says al-Maliki in a speech, "and we shall win your war for you." The Prime Minister had made a similar plea with the President days earlier.

William Corr is quietly confirmed 78-22 to succeed Howard Dean as Secretary of HHS; Corr had served as Dean's Deputy and was easily pushed through the Republican Congress, who viewed him as a more palatable choice than his predecessor.
Saturday, January 20th, 2007: Governor George Pataki of New York tells the New York Times that he is considering a presidential bid, but has not made a final decision about entering the race.
Sunday, January 21st, 2007: Mayor Rudy Giuliani receives the endorsement of New Jersey's outspoken Governor, Chris Christie. In the first year of his term as Governor, Christie's clashes with the teacher's union has made him a popular figure with conservatives, and his endorsement of the former New York City Mayor
Monday, January 22nd, 2007: President Kerry announces the nomination of former Senator Tom Daschle to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services. The former Democratic Senator had been the Senate Majority leader until his 2004 defeat by Congressman John Thune (R-SD). The Senate will take up the vote in February.
Wednesday, January 24th, 2007: Former Governor Bill Weld, a Republican turned Libertarian, states in a live interview on NPR that he has been invited by figures in the Libertarian Party to seek their presidential nomination in 2008, though he admits that the more ideological wing of the party would prefer Ron Paul.
Thursday, January 25th, 2007: Ahmed Abdi Godane, leader of the Al Qaeda aligned Islamist militia Al Shabaab, pledges his allegiance to the government established by the Islamic Courts Union in Mogadishu. Though Al Shabaab believes the Islamic Courts Union and the Islamic Emirate of Somalia to be too weak, they see opportunity in the new regime established by Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
Sunday, January 28th, 2007: Facing mounting casualties and fearful of Somali sponsored incursions into the Ogden, the Ethiopian government begins pulling forces out of Somalia.
Wednesday, January 31st, 2007: Gallup releases it's monthly tracking poll.

2008 Democratic Primaries (Nationwide)
John Kerry: 89%
Dennis Kucinich: 10%
Mike Gravel: 1%

2008 Republican Primaries (Nationwide)
Jeb Bush: 18%
George Allen: 15%
Rudy Giuliani: 13%
Mike Huckabee: 11%
Mitt Romney: 11%
Elizabeth Dole: 9%
John McCain: 5%
Ron Paul: 4%
Newt Gingrich: 3%
Lincoln Chafee: 3%
Sam Brownback: 3%
George Pataki: 2%
Rick Perry: 1%
Tom Tancredo: 1%
Duncan Hunter: 1%
[1] Taken from Wikipedia Commons (Public Domain)

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Thursday, February 1st, 2007: Author J.K. Rowling announces the final installment of the widely read Harry Potter series will be published towards the end of the year.
Friday, February 2nd, 2007: Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush announces his candidacy at a rally in Miami, Florida.

Jeb!

Friday, February 2nd, 2007.

10:00 AM, Miami, FL.

[1]

Thank you all very much. I always feel welcome at Miami-Dade College. This is a place that welcomes everyone with their hearts set on the future – a place where hope leads to achievement, and striving leads to success. For all of us, it is just the place to be in the campaign that begins today. We are 22 months from the time for choosing. The stakes for America’s future are about as great as they come. Our prosperity and our security are in the balance. So is opportunity, in this nation where every life matters and everyone has the right to rise.

Already, the choice is taking shape. The party now in the White House is planning a no-suspense primary, for a no-change election. To hold onto power. To slog on with the same agenda under another name: That’s our opponents’ call to action this time around. That’s all they’ve got left.

You and I know that America deserves better.

They have offered a progressive agenda that includes everything but progress. They are responsible for the slowing down of what was once, only a few short years ago, the fast growing economy in human history. They are responsible for the biggest debt increases ever, a massive tax increase on the middle class, the relentless buildup of the regulatory state, and the swift, mindless draw-down of a military that was generations in the making.

I, for one, am not eager to see what another four years would look like under that kind of leadership. This is what it comes down to. Our country is on a very bad course. And the question is: What are we going to do about it?

The question for me is: What am I going to do about it?

And I have decided.

I am a candidate for president of the United States.
Sunday, February 4th, 2007: On CBS Sunday Morning, Willie Nelson says "I'm not trying to get all political" and announces that he will not seek the Green Party presidential nomination. Despite this, Nelson endorses Kucinich for President and lists a number of causes, including criminal justice reform, advocacy for the homeless, and anti-war activism that he will continue to promote.
Monday, February 5th, 2007: Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah announce a tentative truce; the two political movements have seen sporadic flareups of violence due to disagreements about their approach to Israel.
Wednesday, February 7th, 2007: President Hu Jintao of China embarks for an eight nation tour of southeast Africa, traveling to Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Angola, Namibia, and Zambia to promote Chinese investment in the region.
Thursday, February 8th, 2007: President Kerry makes a state visit to Iraq to work with outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair to plan the withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq. His arrival in London is greeted with protests, and afterwards, the President and First Lady have an audience with the Queen at Buckingham Palace and later attend a formal state dinner.
Friday, February 9th, 2007: Addressing the British Parliament, President Kerry claims that "a roadmap to peace" has been devised and that negotiations with the government of Nouri al-Maliki will begin soon on how to proceed with the withdrawal. The President also extends an invitation for the Queen to visit the United States in May.
Saturday, February 10th, 2007: A Senate inquiry chaired by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) begins an investigation into whether or not American intelligence agencies manipulated the intelligence purporting to show Saddam Hussein's WMD program.
Sunday, February 11th, 2007: Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney announces the formation of an exploratory while appearing on CBS's Face the Nation.
Monday, February 12th, 2007: Rudy Giuliani, while campaigning in South Carolina, gives the first major policy speech of the campaign when he addresses students at The Citadel, calling for a continuation of American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan while also noting the need for more direct action against Islamic groups in Somalia.
Wednesday, February 14th, 2007: Former Speaker Newt Gingrich appears on The O'Reilly Factor on Fox, where he confirms he will be announcing his candidacy in the coming weeks at a rally in Atlanta. During the interview, Gingrich criticizes some of the economic aims of the "Tea Party" movement as "right-wing social engineering," which alienates some conservatives within the GOP.
Friday, February 16th, 2007: In a bombastic audio tape, Al Qaeda's number two Ayman al-Zawahiri calls former President George W. Bush "a drunkard and a gambler" who "wagered on Iraq and lost."
Saturday, February 17th, 2007: Protests in Kosovo demanding independence from Serbia grow increasingly tense as Serbian parliament rejects a UN sponsored plan that would result in the secession of the Albanian majority region.
Sunday, February 18th, 2007: Senator Lincoln Chafee (I-RI) expresses interest in seeking the Republican nomination in 2008 in an interview with the New York Times but remains skeptical about his electoral prospects outside of Rhode Island.
Monday, February 19th, 2007: President Kerry delivers his second State of the Union address, calling for greater global action against Climate Change among other policy goals for the coming year. Speaker Blunt and Senator McConnell have no intention of working with the President, in particular on climate change.
Tuesday, February 20th, 2007: Brittany Spears shaves her head for some reason.
Wednesday, February 21st, 2007: Former Vice President Dick Cheney is hospitalized following yet another heart attack. He is listed in stable condition after another stent is inserted.
Friday, February 23rd, 2007: Prince Harry will be sent to Afghanistan to serve on active duty as part of his membership in the British army. For obvious security reasons, NATO does not reveal where in Afghanistan the Prince will serve, nor is he expected to be placed in combat situations.
Saturday, February 24th, 2007: After spending a year exploring a presidential bid, former Ambassador Alan Keyes enters the Republican primary. The official announcement is made by video posted to YouTube and his campaign website.
Tuesday, February 27th, 2007: Senator George Allen (R-VA) forms an exploratory committee.
Wednesday, February 28th, 2007: A suicide bomber strikes Bagram Air Force while Vice President Edwards makes a surprise visit. Al Qaeda claims responsibility for the blast, which they say was intended to kill Edwards. However as Edward's visit was unannounced, the attack was viewed as pure coincidence. The Vice President was never in any danger, though 25 civilians and two American soldiers are killed.

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) formally declares his candidacy for President on The Late Show with David Letterman.
2008 Democratic Primary (Nationwide)
John Kerry: 88%
Dennis Kucinich: 11%
Mike Gravel: 1%

2008 Republican Primary (Nationwide)
Jeb Bush: 20%
George Allen: 17%
Mike Huckabee: 12%
Rudy Giuliani: 12%
Elizabeth Dole: 10%
John McCain: 6%
Ron Paul: 6%
Newt Gingrich: 4%
Lincoln Chafee: 4%
Sam Brownback: 4%
George Pataki: 2%
Rick Perry: 1%
Tom Tancredo: 1%
Duncan Hunter: 1%

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Monday, February 19th, 2007: President Kerry delivers his second State of the Union address, calling for greater global action against Climate Change among other policy goals for the coming year. Speaker Blunt and Senator McConnell have no intention of working with the President, in particular on climate change.
Tuesday, February 20th, 2007: Brittany Spears shaves her head for some reason.

"And now for something completely different."

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Lost a big update but I’ll try and get it up today.

[KaiserDave]

Lost a big update but I’ll try and get it up today.

I feel your pain

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Thursday, March 1st, 2007: Texas Governor Rick Perry says that a decision about running for President won't be made until early April at the earliest.
Friday, March 2nd, 2007: Cuba acknowledged that Fidel Castro is seriously ill, confirming speculation that had been building for weeks. It is widely believed that his brother and intended heir Raul Castro has been leading the government.
Saturday, March 3rd, 2007: Senator George Allen (R-VA) wins the CPAC strawpoll, besting second place finisher Mitt Romney and third place Jeb Bush to take the prize.
Sunday, March 4th, 2007: Two British soldiers are killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan's Helmand province.
Monday, March 5th, 2007: With his time in office coming to a close, Prime Minister Tony Blair announces plans to push through legislation that would dramatically alter the House of Lords. The plan would limit the House of Common's mandates to every four years while the elected "Lords" would be elected by proportional representation midway through the House's term.
Wednesday, March 7th, 2007: A raid on a safe house in Baghdad leads to the arrest of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, leader of a small Al Qaeda aligned Sunni militia active in Iraq's capital. Several weapons and boxes of ammunition are also seized.
Thursday, March 8th, 2007: President Kerry hosts Russian President Vladimir Putin at the White House for a state dinner and direct negotiations about the proposed NATO missile shield in Eastern Europe.
Friday, March 9th, 2007: Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) launches his presidential candidacy in Nashua, NH.

Ron

Friday, March 9th, 2007.

12:00 PM, Nashua, NH.

[1]

After serious consideration with my family, and in response to many requests, I am announcing today my candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. My concerns for the future of our country are deeply held. The Republican Party has floundered in its effort to shrink the size of government and restore our constitutional republic. The Democratic Party meanwhile has pure contempt for these ideals.

Instead, in recent years our deficits have exploded, entitlements are out of control, and our personal liberties are threatened. We have embarked on a dangerous and expensive foreign policy, acting as the world's policeman and nation builder. Put very simply, we no longer can afford the extravagance of this ever growing and intrusive government, both at home and abroad. Last year alone our long-term obligations increased by $7.6 trillion dollars. The problems seem overwhelming, but in reality they are not complex. We only need the will to go forward with the solution.

We have lost our way and strayed from the free society our Founders secured for us in the Constitution, but there's no reason the principles that made us the greatest nation ever can't be restored. We merely need to respect and follow the rule of law and the Constitution – and elect leaders determined to stand firm in its defense.

Liberty once again must become more important to us than the desire for security and material comfort. Only in a free society do individuals have the best chance to seek virtue, strive for excellence, improve their economic well-being, and achieve personal happiness. It is only through this personal effort that peace and freedom can be secured.

The worthy goals of civilization can only be achieved by freedom loving individuals.

When government uses force, liberty is sacrificed and the goals are lost. It is freedom that is the source of all creative energy. But If I am to be your president, these are the goals I would seek which would preserve both our liberty and expand our prosperity.

I reject the notion that we need a president to run our lives, plan the economy, or police the world. Our goal always should be the preservation of liberty. It is much more important to protect individual liberty and privacy than to make government even more secretive and powerful. These goals are worth fighting for.

There is hope for America. Please support me in these efforts. And thank you for listening.
Saturday, March 10th, 2007: Two British soldiers are killed in action in Helman province in Afghanistan after their unit's position came under attack from Taliban militants.
Sunday, March 11th, 2007: On Fox News Sunday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich criticizes a number of his conservative rivals for supporting "right wing social engineering." George Allen and Ron Paul both use this quote to fire up the support of the Tea Party wing of the GOP. The remarks by Gingrich overshadow his announcement rally, scheduled to take place in Atlanta the following morning.
Monday, March 12th, 2007: Newt Gingrich launches his presidential campaign in Atlanta, Georgia.

Newt

Monday, March 12th, 2007.

10:00 AM, Atlanta, GA.

[2]

Today, I’m announcing my candidacy for President of the United States because I believe we can return America to hope and opportunity, to full employment, to real security, to an American energy program, to a balanced budget. I worked with President Ronald Reagan in a very difficult period. We got jobs created again, we restored the public's trust in America, and the Soviet Union just flat out disappeared.

As Speaker of the House, I worked to reform welfare, balance the budget, control spending, to cut taxes to create economic growth – unemployment came down from 5.6% to under 4%. For four years we balanced the budget and paid off $405 billion in debt. We’ve done it before, we can do it again.

I want your help because no one person from the oval office can get this done. We Americas are going to have to talk together, work together, find solutions together, and insist on imposing those solutions on those who don’t want to change. There are some people who don’t mind if America becomes a wreck so long as they dominate the wreckage. But you and I know better.

We owe it to our children, our grandchildren, our country and frankly to ourselves. So let’s get together, look reality in the face, tell the truth, make the tough choices and get the job done. There’s a much better American future ahead: with more jobs, more prosperity, a better health system, longer lives, greater independent living, in a country that is decentralized under the 10th Amendment, with power once again back with the American people and way from the Washington bureaucracies.

No one person can accomplish this. It can’t be done from the oval office. We have to work together. We Americans have to get it done. I hope you will decide to join me. Let’s work side by side. Let’s get this done for ourselves, our children and grandchildren, and for our country. I hope you will come to our website, see what we are trying to get done, and to join us in getting American back on the right track.
Tuesday, March 13th, 2007: Businessman and radio host Herman Cain tells Fox News's Neil Cavuto that he is considering entering the Republican primary.
Friday, March 16th, 2007: Thousands of anti-war demonstrators converge on the Pentagon demanding a faster pullout of American troops from Iraq. Congressman and Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) is one of the keynote speakers to address the anti-war rally.
Saturday, March 17th, 2007: Governors Jeb Bush, Rick Perry, and Mike Huckabee join Senators Sam Brownback and George Allen at a "Family First" forum in Iowa hosted by socially conservative Governor Bob Vander Plaats.
Sunday, March 18th, 2007: Khalid Sheikh Muhammad confesses to interrogators at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba that he was indeed, as prosecutors argued, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks and was in charge of organizing, funding, and executing the plot. He also confesses that he took his orders, via a network of couriers, directly from Bin Laden himself. The Al Qaeda leader's whereabouts remain unknown.
Thursday, March 22nd, 2007: Second Lady Elizabeth Edwards announces a malignant tumor has been discovered in her breast. Despite the diagnosis, the Second Lady continues on with her busy schedule of working with and on the behalf of breast cancer related causes across the country.
Friday, March 23rd, 2007: New York Governor George Pataki's office states that an "important announcement" will be made in early April in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Saturday, March 24th, 2007: President Kerry hosts Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at the White House; after the reception, the two travel to Camp David where negotiations about the phased withdrawal of American troops from Iraq will take place.
Sunday, March 25th, 2007: 55 people are killed in a suicide car bombing in Baghdad.
Tuesday, March 27th, 2007: Iraqi PM al-Maliki and President Kerry announce an agreement has been reached that will result in the withdrawal of all western coalition active duty troops from Iraq. Only a small garrison in Baghdad will be maintained by the United States to protect the American embassy and train and support Iraqi forces.
Wednesday, March 28th, 2007: Iranian naval forces seize a British frigate in the Straits of Hermuz, claiming the ship was in Iranian territorial waters. All 15 crew members seized from the ship are taken into Iranian custody.
[1] Taken from Wikipedia Commons (Iowa Politics)
[2] Taken from Wikipedia Commons (Gage Skidmore)

[KaiserDave]

Of these Republicans I find much of them just awful

I'm okay with Ronnie on a personal level but I can't go along with his economics, and Mitt is fine I guess.


I guess I'd prefer Pataki or Chafee, but I'd be a full Kerry supporter. That being said he has little to no chance of reelection barring a crisis that helps him.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Sunday, April 1st, 2007: Fox News and the Republican Party of South Carolina announce a GOP debate will be held in Greenville, SC on May 15th.
Monday, April 2nd, 2007: Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) announces he will not seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. The announcement is made on Rush Limbaugh's nationally syndicated radio show.
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007: The Republican National Committee announces that MSNBC and Politico will host the first Republican debate on May 3rd at the Reagan presidential library.
Wednesday, April 4th, 2007: Senator John McCain (R-AZ) aggressively hits the campaign trail in New Hampshire for the first time since announcing his candidacy. The Arizona Senator known for his maverick reputation in Washington is aiming to repeat the success of his 2000 presidential campaign.
Friday, April 6th, 2007: Businessman Herman Cain travels to South Carolina in the latest sign that his presidential ambitions are growing. Afterwards, Cain tells CNN that he found voters in the Palmetto State to be "very receptive" of his proposed "9-9-9" tax plan.
Saturday, April 7th, 2007: Governor George Pataki announces his 2008 campaign in Portsmouth, NH.

George

Saturday, April 7th, 2007.

11:00 AM, Exeter, NH.

[1]

Thank you. Thank you all for being here.

As I look around this room I see so many friends from Peekskill and New York, from Texas and Illinois, and of course from here in New Hampshire. THANK YOU. Many of you helped me get elected Governor of New York four times. And you are here again. Thank you for your loyalty!

Y tambien gracias a todos mis amigos que estan con nosotros hoy.

We are here in Exeter, NH, birthplace of the Republican Party. It first was Abraham Lincoln's party, who saved the Union and brought the promise of freedom to all Americans. Teddy Roosevelt's party, who fought for the Square Deal, to make sure the rich and powerful couldn't limit the freedom of working Americans. And Ronald Reagan's party, who restored Americans' belief in ourselves and in the transcendent value of freedom; the freedom that has given us the greatest country the world has ever known; the freedom a man named Amos Tuck, declared as the foundation of that party right here in Exeter, NH.

The same freedom that I fear is at risk today from an ever more powerful, ever more intrusive government in Washington. It is to preserve and protect that freedom for us that I stand here today. It is to preserve and protect that freedom for future generations that I rise. It is to preserve and protect that freedom that I am announcing I am a candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States.

I am running because our freedoms are under attack. At this crucial junction, our allies must trust us. Our enemies must fear us. And they will. We will defend our freedom, but we will not be the world's policeman.

Libby and I have a son, Teddy, who is a Marine Lieutenant currently deployed to Iraq for a year. We
know what it's like to lie awake dreading a call in the middle of the night when your child is in harm's way overseas. I do not want one parent, one husband, one wife, one child or loved one to experience that fear unless it is absolutely necessary. But we will do whatever is required to protect the American people.

While I saw the horror of Sept 11th firsthand, in the days, weeks, and months that followed, I also saw the strength of America on display. For those months, we were not Republicans or Democrats, black or white, young or old. We were Americans. We had been attacked and we were going to stand together to show the world that we were unbowed, unafraid, and would come back stronger than ever.

I completely reject the idea that we can only unite in adversity…we’re so much better than that. I know we have true greatness within us because I have seen it countless times. I have seen what Americans can do when we understand we share common dream, a common future, a common destiny. I know that working together, with the support of a government dedicated to restoring freedom rather than restraining it, we will once again astonish the world with what we accomplish.

Let us come together as Americans and unite to face the challenges ahead. Let us transcend those challenges and seize the unlimited opportunities the future holds. Let us move forward so that just as the dreams of that young child growing up in Peekskill came true, so too the dreams of a young child born today, whether in downtown Baltimore or Upstate New York, can come true.

Stand with us, let's go forward together and I guarantee you the 21st Century is going to be America's greatest century!! Thank you, God Bless you and God bless America.
Sunday, April 8th, 2007: Zimbabwe's Roman Catholic bishop calls for President Robert Mugabe's resignation in the wake of new anti-government protests.
Monday, April 9th, 2007: Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, calls on President Kerry to institute a no-fly zone over Sudan in response to alleged attacks on civilians in Darfur.
Tuesday, April 10th, 2007: Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore announces he will run for the Senate seat held by incumbent John Warner, who announces his intention to retire.
Wednesday, April 11th, 2007: 39 people are killed in two separate car bombings in Algiers, Algeria. Al Qaeda claims responsibility for the attacks.
Thursday, April 12th, 2007: Sources close to Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) confirm to the Las Angeles Times that an official announcement by will be made the following day in San Diego, California.

Duncan

Friday, April 13th, 2007.

5:00 PM, San Diego, CA.

[2]

Thank you ladies and gentlemen. The reception you have given me and Lynne warms our hearts.

The genius of the founding fathers is that they put together a government that can be run by ordinary people. I'm a very ordinary guy, but folks, I have a very extraordinary family. I had a very average tour of duty in the military and didn't do anything special, but my son, Duncan, quit his job and joined the Marines after 9-11 and served two tours in Iraq. I was a less than average student, but my brothers Bobby and John are world class physicists and Jim is a great civil engineer. My son Sam, just graduated from San Diego State University a few weeks ago. I was a pretty average lawyer on the San Diego waterfront, but my sister Bonnie is a superb and respected lawyer. I was blessed in having a Mom and Dad who together embodied character and love.

I will tell you what I was great in though, I was great in marrying over my head to the most wonderful girl in the world, Lynne. We've been lucky to have two sons in whom we could not be prouder. They have added to our family two lovely daughter-in-laws Theresa and Margaret and four grandchildren whom we dearly love, Duncan III, Sissy and Sarah, Marin.

In WWII, we prevailed and brought freedom to millions of people in dozens of countries. In Vietnam, we failed to expand freedom. In Iraq, our success hangs in the balance, but the proposition that expanding freedom is an American interest cannot be questioned. Who can argue that it is not in our interest to have a free and democratic Japan on the other side of the Pacific? That it is not in our interest to have nations like Poland as U.S. allies today. When Ronald Reagan brought down the Berlin Wall, we freed hundreds of millions of people from behind the Iron Curtain. That was in our interest.

Now, it is in our interest to expand freedom in a difficult and dangerous places called Iraq and Afghanistan. In each nation we are following the basic pattern we've used for many years: 1. We stand up a free government; 2. We stand up a military capable of protecting that free government; and 3. We leave.

In San Diego, we built the double fence that reduced the smuggling of hundreds of thousands of people and tons of drugs by more than 90%. The fence works and the new fence law that I wrote extends the San Diego fence more than 700 miles across the Arizona, New Mexico and Texas borders. As President, I will do what John Kerry is simply unwilling to do. We will complete the border fence from start to finish in six months. The "mission impossible" crowd who runs Washington, DC is trying to stop it, but we will overcome them. We need more agents, we need the fence. I'll tell you why.

Since 9-11, border security has become national security. In 2005, we stopped 155,000 people coming across from Mexico who weren't citizens of Mexico. They came from nearly every country in the world, including from Communist China and Iran. You know, for all the critics, America has the most generous legal immigration system in the world. I call that the front door. And as President, I will have a message for folks who want to come to our wonderful country: "Knock on the front door because the fence will be up and the back door will be closed."

It takes more than walking across a border to be an American. It takes the willingness to serve your country when called. It takes the commitment to be honest in your work and the heart to help your neighbor. To be a person like Wendell Cutting, who in January 2005 was discovered to be missing from his sick-bed where he lay with terminal cancer. "Where is Wendell?" we asked. Then we got our answer, he was on a plane to the center of the tsunami disaster scene. There, sick with chemo-therapy, he aided the victims with his beloved Rescue Task Force. "God re-energized me," he told me later.

What's most special about Wendell was he was not alone.

Millions of Americans help across our nation and across our globe. To our international critics I say: When you had floods the Americans were there. Asking for nothing, taking nothing, only helping. When you had fires and earthquakes and tsunamis, the Americans were there. When you had disease Americans brought medicine, when you were hungry, the Americans brought food. When you were attacked, Americans left the safety of their homes to defend you. Sometimes the Americans came under their government, but many times they just came because of the goodness of their hearts. America is great because America is good.

The reason our citizens are good is because of our faith and because we believe that all mankind is endowed by our creator with inalienable rights. We believe in the value of the human soul. When we appoint judges, we are handing great power, the power of life and death, to individual people. As President, I want judges with discernment. If a judicial candidate can look at a sonagram picture of an unborn child and not see a human being worthy of protection, I will not give him an appointment to the court. I will, however, get him an appointment with an optometrist for a set of eye glasses.

This country spends millions of dollars a year searching for life on distant planets. We should be able to see it easily in the beating heart of an unborn child.

I said at the start of this speech that the first rays of sunlight lit up Arlington Cemetery at 7:22 this morning. In two and a half hours from then the sunrise will spread across America and reaches another national cemetery 3,000 miles from here on the Pacific Ocean. That cemetery, Rosecrans National Cemetery, stands guard over the entrance to San Diego Bay.

In 1945, a young Marine returning home from the South Pacific to San Diego wrote these words:

"I think that just to be able to live with your wife and family...to be able to take care of them every day is the greatest privilege a person can enjoy." 61 years later another Marine returned to San Diego from a place called Fallujah and wrote: "At some point in a dangerous environment you forget about your own safety and you try to keep your men safe and place your own life in the hands of God, but your family, your wife and kids never leave your mind. Families lift our country up. They support us with fidelity, morality, faith in God, and raising the next generation of Americans."

The first Marine was my dad, R.O. Hunter, to whom I owe all that I am or ever will be. The second was my son Duncan, here today. These letters over 60 years apart reflect the truth of America: God still loves this nation. We are still a people of character and strength and kindness.

My fellow Americans, with the support of our families, with faith in God and with confidence in the goodness of the American people, let's begin this race for the Presidency. Let's win.
Friday, April 13th, 2007: A suicide bomber strikes the cafeteria of the Iraqi National Assembly; though Al Qaeda is initially suspected, a smaller (but AQ aligned) group called the Islamic State of Iraq takes credit for the blast. 15 people are killed,  and an investigation into security lapses is immediately launched.
Monday, April 16th, 2007: Seung-Hoi Cho, a student at Virginia Tech, locks the doors of a campus building and proceeds to go on a shooting spree inside, killing 33 students and injuring 38 more as panicked students try and flee for their lives. President Kerry labels the news "an unspeakable and evil crime" and calls for stricter gun control measures in the wake of the massacre.
Tuesday, April 17th, 2007: In a devastating blow to the Christian right, the Supreme Court rules 6-3 that the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act is unconstitutional. In response, Governor Mike Huckabee, Senator Sam Brownback, and Congressman Ron Paul all call for a right-to-life amendment to the constitution.
Wednesday, April 18th, 2007: President Kerry addresses a memorial service at Virginia Tech in the wake of one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history. Though the speech is perfectly apolitical and praised even by conservative pundits, the White House is quietly scheduling meetings with the congressional leadership to work out a future compromise on further regulations of firearms.
Thursday, April 19th, 2007: The first new photos and video footage of Fidel Castro in nearly a year are broadcast by Cuban state television. The images and footage show an aged and noticeably weaker Castro meeting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007: Secretary of Transportation Juanita McDonald dies after a long battle with colon cancer. President Kerry vows to name a successor in the coming days.
Monday, April 23rd, 2007: The Senate votes 79-21 to confirm Tom Daschle as Secretary of Health and Human Services after a quiet, if not occasionally stalled, confirmation process.

Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin dies in Moscow aged 76.
Wednesday, April 25th, 2007: 21 Yazidis in Iraq are dragged off a bus that was stopped by Islamist militants and are shot execution style one by one. The Islamic State in Iraq takes credit for the massacre.
Thursday, April 26th, 2007: Secretary of Defense Sam Nunn announces at a Pentagon press conference that five thousand American soldiers in Iraq will be redeployed to Kuwait on May 21st.Fri
Saturday, April 28th, 2007: The Department of Defense announces that the US military will cease construction of a "security wall" intended to divide the Sunni and Shia neighborhoods of Baghdad as part of the effort to clamp down on sectarian violence.
Sunday, April 29th, 2007: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) criticizes the Kerry administration for the "appeasement strategy" of withdrawal, warning that the American military presence must continue. "We will seek the appropriations required to maintain a fighting force in Iraq" claims McConnell, "and we won't take no for an answer. Iraq is not going to be another Vietnam."
[1] Taken from Wikipedia Commons (Gage Skidmore)
[2] Taken from Wikipedia Commons (Iowa Politics)

[KaiserDave]

Patakimentum time

[Grassroots]

Duncan Hunter was probably the first person to propose a southern border wall. What a hero. It's a shame his son brought him so much dishonor.

[Continential]

Duncan Hunter was probably the first person to propose a southern border wall. What a hero. It's a shame his son brought him so much dishonor.

Biden supporters that support building a Wall in a nutshell.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

In lieu of a regular narrative update, the next chapter will have an (abbreviated) recap of the debate. Should be up tonight or tomorrow at some point.

[Grassroots]

Duncan Hunter was probably the first person to propose a southern border wall. What a hero. It's a shame his son brought him so much dishonor.

Biden supporters that support building a Wall in a nutshell.

I'm not a Biden supporter. I just prefer him to Trump by a hair.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Tuesday, May 1st, 2007: Newscorp CEO Rupert Murdoch offers to purchase the Wall Street journal from Dow Jones for the price of five billion dollars.
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007: Texas Governor Rick Perry tells Fox New's Bill O'Reilly that he is "disappointed" at some of the policy proposals being floated by the Republican candidates and claims that he is still undecided about a possible presidential bid.
Thursday, May 3rd, 2007: The first GOP debate is held at the Reagan Library in California, sponsored by MSNBC and Politico.

The MSNBC/Politico Debate

Thursday, May 3rd, 2007.

5:00 PM, Reagan Library, Simi Valley. CA.

[1]

Chris Matthews: Good evening, and welcome to NBC and Politico's first debate of this election cycle. Tonight, I'll be joined by John Harwood and Jim Vandehei of Politico, both of whom will co-moderate this debate. In the interest of saving time for our east coast viewers, we will skip opening statements and get straight to the substance. The rules are pretty standard - three minutes to answer a question, two for rebuttal. All candidates will have the opportunity to speak should their name be referenced.

We are here at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California, and are most thrilled to be joined by former First Lady Nancy Reagan, the keeper of the flame and according to many, the matriarch of the modern conservative movement. Please join us in thanking Mrs. Reagan for her hospitality.

(Applause)

Please hold your applause...well, accept for now as we, uh, as we welcome the candidates to the stage. First up is Senator George Allen of Virginia...Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas...former Governor of Jeb Bush of Florida...Senator Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina...former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich of Georgia...former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York City...former Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas...Congressman Duncan Hunter of California...Senator John McCain of Arizona...former Governor George Pataki of New York....Congressman Ron Paul of Texas...and Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts.

John Harwood: Mayor Giuliani, you're up first by luck of the draw. In a recent NBC-Wall Street Journal poll, only 33% of Americans think the country is on the right track. Mayor Giuliani, how does America get back to Reagan's morning in America?

Rudy Giuliani: We get back to it with optimism. The same situation that I faced in New York City; when I became mayor of New York City, 65% to 70% percent thought New York City was going on the wrong track. And what I did was, I set policies and programs of growth, of moving people toward prosperity, security, safety.

And what we can borrow from Ronald Reagan, since we are in his library, is that great sense of optimism that he had. He led by building on the strengths of America, not running America down. And we're a country that people love to come to, they want to come to this country with a shining city on the hill. So we should solve our immigration issue, including illegal immigration, from our strengths, not our weaknesses. We're a country that has the greatest health care system in the world. It's flawed, it needs to be fixed, but we should fix it from our strengths. We shouldn't turn it into socialized medicine. Those are the things that Ronald Reagan taught us: You lead from optimism.

Jim Vandehei: Senator McCain, most of the public pessimism today has to do with Iraq. What would you need, as commander in chief, to win the war in Iraq?

John McCain: I would need the support of the American people. I would need to be able to show them some success in Iraq, both on the battlefield as well as with the Maliki government. We have a new general; we have a new strategy. That strategy can succeed.

The young men and women who are serving are the best of America. I believe that if we bring about stability in the neighborhoods in Iraq and have the Maliki government govern, you are going to succeed. My friends, when the Democratic President acts like we've already lost the war, the men and women that are serving in Iraq reject that notion.

And, if we lost, then who win? Did Al Qaeda? When the President literally hails the incoming withdrawal of troops, what does he really mean? Surrender? Defeat? We must win in Iraq. If we withdraw, there will be chaos; there will be genocide; and they will follow us home.

Chris Matthews: Congressman Hunter, if you're commander in chief and you want to win this war in Iraq, what do you need to do to win it?

Duncan Hunter: Chris, the key to winning in Iraq is standing up the Iraqi military. There are 129 battalions in the Iraqi army. We need to make sure that every one of those battalions moves into an operational setting, gets a three or four month military operation in a contentious zone. At that point, they can move into the combat field. They can start displacing American units. And America's heavy combat units can rotate out. That's the right way to leave Iraq.

John Harwood: Governor Romney, in that same NBC-Wall Street Journal poll that Chris mentioned, 60% of Americans say victory is just not possible in Iraq. They've made up their minds on this war. Why shouldn't they have a president who will listen?

Mitt Romney: We need leadership that's strong and that shows America what we can do to lead the world. Ronald Reagan was a president of strength. His philosophy was a philosophy of strength: a strong military, a strong economy, and strong families.

With regards to Iraq, there are a lot of people that say, let's just get out. I want to get our troops home as soon as I possibly can. But, at the same time, I recognize we don't want to bring them out in such a precipitous way that we cause a circumstance that would require us to come back. If we leave in the wrong way, the Iranians could grab the Shia south, or Al Qaeda could play a dominant role among the Sunnis, or you could have the border with Turkey destabilized by the Kurds -- and, as a result, you could have regional conflict develop.

But with that occurring, you could have our neighbors get involved, our friends get involved around Iraq, and we could have to come back again. That's why it's so essential for us at this critical time to support the al-Maliki effort to bring strength and stability to Baghdad, to Al Anbar. Hopefully they're good signs that we're going to see increasing, and we'll be able to bring our troops home safely.

John Harwood: That's time, Governor.

Jim Vandehei: Speaker Gingrich, what do you think America needs to get back on track?

Newt Gingrich: We're seeing a slowing economy, which of course has many Americans fearing another recession. You mentioned morning in America in an earlier question. That expression is our creed as a party. We are the party of progress because we are the party of growth and free markets, and I think it's high time for another Contract with America to lay out exactly what are we going to do to restore our country to prosperity.

Chris Matthews: Senator Dole, you're the first prominent Republican woman in modern history aside from Margaret Chase Smith to pursue your party's nomination. Despite this milestone, your campaign has failed to generate the same traction that other candidates like Senator Allen have made. Do you think the Republican Party is willing to nominate a woman to it's ticket?

Elizabeth Dole: Well Chris, I wouldn't be here tonight on this stage if I thought that was true, now wouldn't I?

(Thunderous applause)

Chris Matthews: But Senator Dole...

Elizabeth Dole: Ask me about the issues. I think that question was insulting and frankly, a bit sexist.  I'm not a female candidate for President, I'm a Republican candidate!

(Applause)

Chris Matthews: It's a fair question -

Elizabeth Dole: It's a ridiculous question. Who do you think Republican voters are? 

Chris Matthews: I think John has the next one.

John Harwood: Let me to go to Senator Brownback with the next question. Recent polls in the Islamic world reveal a sea of hostility toward the United States, feeding what General Petraeus calls the central front of Al Qaida in Iraq. How do we win this war if every dead terrorist is so easily replaced?

Sam Brownback: I think we win the war by standing up for our values and working with those who will work with us. I think you have to remember that while we're in a war on terrorism, there are a number of people that are with us, that work with us around the world, and also in the Islamic world. We're partnering with a number of moderate Muslim regimes. And that's something I think we need to convey into the Muslim world as well, that these are groups...the Al Qaeda group, the militant Islamic fascists...they're trying to unseat moderate Muslim regimes.

And I think we need to engage those regimes -- regimes in Pakistan, regimes in Egypt -- as long as we also confront those regimes, like in Iran, that are the lead -- Iran is the lead sponsor of terrorism around the world. And we've got to be very confrontational and very aggressive there. So it's to engage those that'll work with us, contain and confront those that won't, and convey that to the Muslim world....
Friday, May 4th, 2007: Senator Lincoln Chafee (I-RI) announces he will not seek the Presidency in 2008, citing a desire to remain an independent Senator rather than rejoin the Republican Party.
Saturday, May 5th, 2007: Congressman Dennis Kucinich's presidential campaign receives it's one and only congressional endorsement in the form of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who will campaign for Kucinich in New Hampshire.
Sunday, May 6th, 2007: The French people go to the polls to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac; in the final runoff, Union for a Popular Movement candidate Nicholas Sarkozy defeats Socialist Party nominee 55-45%.
Monday, May 7th, 2007: The FBI breaks up a plot to attack Fort Dix in New Jersey; all six suspects are Muslim immigrants from Macedonia, and the threat presented by the group is described by Homeland Security Secretary Jane Harman as "credible and imminent." Assault rifles and bomb making materials are found by investigators shortly after the arrests.
Tuesday, May 8th, 2007: Congressman Tom Tancredo announces he will not seek the Republican nomination, instead choosing to endorse Senator Allen's campaign.
Wednesday, May 9th, 2007: Governor Rick Perry endorse Jeb Bush for President, ending months of speculation that he'd pursue the Presidency in 2008.
Friday, May 11th, 2007: Outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair gives his backing to Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown ahead of the Labor Party leadership election which will determine his successor.
Sunday, May 12th, 2007: Ailing former Congressman and 1996 Republican Vice Presidential nominee Jack Kemp announces he will endorse Newt Gingrich for the nomination.
Tuesday, May 15th, 2007: Evangelist Jerry Falwell dies at 73.

The second GOP debate is held in South Carolina.

The Fox Debate

Tuesday, May 15th, 2007.

8:00 PM, Reagan Library, Simi Valley. CA.

[2]

Brit Hume: Here is the format for this debate. Each candidate will be asked a series of questions on foreign policy and domestic issues. Answers are limited to one minute each. If we decide rebuttal time is needed, that will be 30 seconds. We have green, yellow and red lights to help the candidates keep track of their time, and if an answer runs long, candidates, and possibly much of the world, will hear this bell ring.

We ask the audience please to limit applause during the question and answer portion of the debate so we can devote as much time as we can to the candidates themselves. We want to note that many of the campaigns and the candidates have issued statements of regret and condolence over the death of the Reverend Jerry Falwell today, so we will not be seeking any more reaction from the candidates on that matter during the debate.

Now, to start to the questioning, my colleague Chris Wallace.

Chris?

Chris Wallace: Thank you, Brit. Senator McCain, you say that you are willing to be the last man standing for U.S. involvement in Iraq. But the Iraqi government has failed to meet one political benchmark after another for political reform. Why should Americans continue to fight and die while Iraqi politicians continue to do so little?

John McCain: We have to continue because it's not just the Iraqi vital national security interests that are at stake here, it's America's vital national security interests. If we fail in Iraq, we will see Iraq become a center for al Qaeda, chaos, genocide in the region, and they'll follow us home.

After we lost the war in Vietnam, we came home, they didn't follow us home. You read Zarqawi, you read bin Laden, you read al Qaeda, they'll tell you they want to follow us home. I believe we have a new strategy and a good strategy. Only four of the five brigades that are -- that we need to implement the strategy are there.

It's long, it's hard, it's tough, it's difficult. Americans are frustrated because of the mishandling of this war. But our national interests -- the United States' national interests are at stake. I believe the Maliki government has got to improve. They've got to pass certain laws that we all know about. But we must succeed, and we cannot fail, and I will be the last man standing if necessary.

Chris Wallace: Governor Romney, can you foresee any circumstances under which you would pull out of Iraq without leaving behind a stable political and security situation?

Mitt Romney: Well, I'm certainly not going to project failure, and those kind of circumstances that you would suggest would be projecting failure.

It is critical for us to remember that Iraq has to be considered in the context of what's happening in the Middle East and throughout the world. There is a global jihadist effort. Violent, radical jihadists want to replace all the governments of the moderate Islamic states, replace them with a caliphate. And to do that, they also want to bring down the West, in particular us.

And they've come together as Shi'a and Sunni and Hezbollah and Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda with that intent. We have to recognize that what we're doing in Iraq has enormous impact on what's going to happen in this global struggle, and that's why it's important for us to understand that if we were to just walk out precipitously, we could conceivably see the border with Turkey be destabilized by virtue of the Kurdish effort, we could have the Iranians take over the Shi'a south, and perhaps most frightening, you could have al Qaeda play a dominant role among the Sunnis and then have a setting where you'd have something far worse than Afghanistan on their hands. So it's necessary that we recognize that it's critical for us to provide the stability to allow a central government to survive and thrive.

Chris Wallace: Congressman Paul, you are the only anti-war voice on the stage tonight. Why are your colleagues wrong, when 77% of GOP voters oppose President Kerry's decision to end the war?

Ron Paul: But you have to realize that the base of the Republican Party shrunk last year because of the war issue. As good as 2006 was to our party, it'd have been so much stronger had our party offered a foreign policy platform that was good as our economic goals. But that percentage represents less people. If you look at the 65-70% of the American people, they want us out of there. They want the war over.

In 2002, I offered an amendment to International Relations to declare war, up or down, and it was -- nobody voted for the war. And my argument there was, if we want to go to war, and if we should go to war, the Congress should declare it. We don't go to war like we did in Vietnam and Korea, because the wars never end. And I argued the case and made the point that it would be a quagmire if we go in.

Ronald Reagan in 1983 sent Marines into Lebanon, and he said he would never turn tail and run. A few months later, the Marines were killed, 241 were killed, and the Marines were taken out. And Reagan addressed this subject in his memoirs. And he says, "I said I would never turn tail and run." He says, "But I never realized the irrationality of Middle Eastern politics," and he changed his policy there. We need the courage of a Ronald Reagan.

Mike Huckabee: I'm sorry, but-

Brit Hume: Governor Huckabee, you're-

Mike Huckabee: I can't let Congressman Paul's comments and distortions of history fly by unaddressed. I think it's critical that if you're going to be commander-in-chief, then you need to know how to make tough decisions. You'd better get the best advice that you possibly can get. And that advice comes from the people who have earned the right to say to the president, "Mr. President, this is what it's going to take to do the job right." Listening to defeatists in suits like Ron Paul will do little to advance the cause of freedom in Iraq.

Chris Wallace: Congressman Paul, your response?

Ron Paul: Well, I think the party has lost its way, because the conservative wing of the Republican Party always advocated a non-interventionist foreign policy. Senator Robert Taft didn't even want to be in NATO. George Bush won the election in the year 2000 campaigning on a humble foreign policy -- no nation-building, no policing of the world. Republicans were elected to end the Korean War.

Chris Wallace: Governor Pataki, many Americans are feeling the economy will soon slow down. How does your experience as Governor relate to your view of the economy and fiscal issues?

George Pataki: During my time as Governor, the credit rating of our state was raised three times. I worked together with a Democratic legislature in a Democratic state to foster a culture of economic development all while cutting taxes -

George Allen: That's all well and good, Governor, but-

Chris Wallace: Senator Allen-

George Allen: The problem with Governor Pataki's experience is that everything is on the table to him. But many Americans, particularly Republicans, feel there are some things that can never be compromised. In Virginia, when I was Governor, the sanctity of life wasn't up for debate. We didn't compromise on moral issues. And don't be mistaken - welfare without a work requirement isn't just a moral failing, it's bad policy.

Chris Wallace: Mayor Giuliani and Governor Bush, Congressman Hunter and Senator Browback have both campaigned on tougher border regulations and have criticized your positions on immigration...
Wednesday, May 16th, 2007: Nicholas Sarkozy takes office as President of France.
Friday, May 18th, 2007: The British Labor Party elects Gordon Brown as leader of the Labor Party and thus Prime Minister. Brown is set to take office in the coming week; as was the case with recently inaugurated French President Sarkozy, President Kerry phones the incoming Prime Minister as the transition begins at Downing Street.
Sunday, May 20th, 2007: A suicide bomber kills 7 people, including three German soldiers, in Afghanistan.
Monday, May 21st, 2007: Three Israelis are killed after thirteen rockets are fired by Hamas militants into Israel.
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007: In response to recent rocket attacks, Israel begins an aggressive campaign of aerial vengeance on the Gaza Strip. Several Hamas affiliated sites and military installations are destroyed in the airstrikes.
Thursday, May 31st, 2007: Rudy Giuliani confirms he will officially launch his candidacy in early June.
2008 Democratic Primary (Nationwide)
John Kerry: 88%
Dennis Kucinich: 11%
Mike Gravel: 1%

2008 Republican Primary (Nationwide)
Jeb Bush: 20%
George Allen: 16%
Mike Huckabee: 11%
Rudy Giuliani: 10%
Mitt Romney: 8%
Elizabeth Dole: 7%
John McCain: 7%
Ron Paul: 7%
Newt Gingrich: 5%
Sam Brownback: 5%
George Pataki: 3%
Duncan Hunter: 1%
[1] Original wikibox made by yours truly.
[2] Still from a YouTube video (Public Domain)

[KaiserDave]

Not surprised that Pataki is being shouted over by the far right




Well, I'm very excited to see what happens, and I love the writing!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Friday, June 1st, 2007: The American destroyer USS Chafee bombards an alleged encampment of Somali pirates aligned with the Islamist government based in Mogadishu. At an event sponsored by the Hudson Institute, former Governor Jeb Bush calls for an increased American role in the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean.
Saturday, June 2nd, 2007: Working in conjunction with the FBI, the NYPD announces that an alleged terrorist plot to bomb and shoot up JFK International Airport in New York City. Three Yemeni immigrants and a Sudanese national living illegally in the United States are taken into custody on numerous terrorism charges, all of whom confess and claim to have been inspired by fugitive Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.
Sunday, June 3rd, 2007: President Kerry tells ABC's George Stephanopoulos that the United States will not expand a missile defense system in Eastern Europe after Russian President Vladimir Putin vows to increase economic pressure on both Iran and North Korea in regards to their nuclear ambitions.
Monday, June 4th, 2007: As President Kerry embarks for Europe ahead of the G8 summit set to take place in Germany. The meeting between the President and his Czech counterparts is frosty due to the recent decision to
Tuesday, June 5th, 2007: Rudy Giuliani files his candidacy with the FEC, formally making him a candidate for President. The former New York Mayor states that he will officially kick off his campaign on July 4th at a rally in New York City.

President Kerry nominates Congressman Ray LaHood (R-IL) to serve as his next Secretary of Transportation, taking over the position which fell vacant after the death of Secretary Juanita McDonald.
Wednesday, June 6th, 2007: Pope Francis and his security team are startled after a mentally disturbed man jumped over the barrier and attempted to hurl himself into the popemobile. He is quickly dragged away by security while the Pope continues his round through Saint Peter's Square.
Thursday, June 7th, 2007: At a meeting of the G8 leadership, President Kerry teams up with Chancellor Angela Merkel to push for an agreement that would dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Senator McCain and Mayor Giuliani both confirm that their campaigns will not aggressively target Iowa, and will spend more time campaigning in New Hampshire, where their more moderate views are more commonly supported.
Friday, June 8th, 2007: CNN hosts the first New Hampshire primary debate.

The CNN Debate.

Friday, June 8th, 2007

8:00 PM, Manchester, NH.

Senator Allen interviewed after the debate.
[1]

Wolf Blitzer: Let's begin tonight with a question from The New Hampshire Union Leader's Tom Fahey.

Tom Fahey: Governor Romney, I wanted to start by asking you a question on which every American has formed an opinion. We have lost 3,400 troops, civilian casualties are even higher, and the Iraqi government does not appear ready to provide for the security of its own country. Knowing everything you know right now, was it a mistake for us to invade Iraq?

Mitt Romney: Well, the question is, kind of, a non sequitur, if you will. What I mean by that -- or a null set -- that is that if you're saying let's turn back the clock and Saddam Hussein had opening up his country to IAEA inspectors and they'd come in and they'd found that there were no weapons of mass destruction, had Saddam Hussein therefore not violated United Nations resolutions, we wouldn't be in the conflict we're in. But he didn't do those things, and we knew what we knew at the point when we made the decision to get in.

I supported the president's decision based on what we knew at that time. I think we were underprepared and underplanned for what came after we knocked down Saddam Hussein. But Harry Reid was wrong. We did not lose the war in Iraq. And that's not the sort of thing you say when you have men and women in harm's way. We did, however, not do a great job after we knocked down Saddam Hussein and won the war to take him down and his military.

So at this stage, the right thing for us to do is to see if we could possibly stabilize the central government in Iraq so that they can have stability, and so we can bring our troops home as soon as possible. Not to do that adds an enormous potential risk that the whole region could be embroiled in a regional conflict.

Wolf Blitzer: Governor, thank you, but the question was, knowing what you know right now -- not what you knew then, what you know right now -- was it a mistake for the United States to invade Iraq?

Mitt Romney: Well, I answered the question by saying it's a non- sequitur. It's a non -- null set kind of question, because you can go back and say, "If we knew then what we know now, by virtue of inspectors having been let in and giving us that information, by virtue of if Saddam Hussein had followed the U.N. resolutions, we wouldn't be having this discussion." So it's a hypothetical that I think is an unreasonable hypothetical. And the answer is: We did what we did. We did the right thing based on what we knew at that time. I think we made mistakes following the conduct or the collapse of Saddam's government.

Tom Fahey: Governor Bush, do you agree that your brother's administration made some of the errors that Governor Romney is suggesting?

Jeb Bush: Well, I'm not running for President just to run away from the awkward questions. Did officials in my brother's administration make mistakes? Sure, some did. But I think Americans are missing out on the broader context that Governor Romney has conveniently forgotten. We did not just target Saddam because he was making weapons of mass destruction, but because he has a history of using chemical weapons.

Tom Fahey: Where did the weapons of mass destruction go then?

Jeb Bush: Well, nobody knows really...

Tom Fahey: You don't have a hunch-

Jeb Bush: My brother was the President of the United States. I was the Governor of Florida. I didn't have access to information surrounding the search for the WMDs at the time -

Tom Fahey: You believe there were WMDs somewhere still hidden in Iraq?

Jeb Bush: I, uh, I would, um....I would kind of expect them to be in Syria or -

Tom Fahey: If US intelligence showed that the weapons of mass destruction were now in Syria, would you expand American combat operations into Syrian territory?

Jeb Bush: I would not be afraid to use force to secure these weapons, nor would I hesitate assuming the intelligence is good.

Wolf Blitzer: Senator Allen, how do you think this problem can be solved?

George Allen: I agree with Governor Bush that the security of these missing weapons - assuming there were weapons to begin with -

Jeb Bush: Hey, what are you -

George Allen: Jeb, Jeb -

Jeb Bush: - implying?

George Allen: I'm not implying anything. We went in, we got Saddam, and we should now get out. Now, I'm not advocating Ron Paul or Ron Paul-ism. I don't think we can leave Iraq in it's current state and I was relieved when President Kerry took the advice of myself and Senator McCain and Senator Lieberman and launched the surge. But there needs to be an end game. There needs to be a goal of some sort that we must meet before we leave. And Jeb Bush, he doesn't see an end game. He doesn't have one. And he doesn't want one. And that is going to have massive consequences in the Middle East.

Wolf Blitzer: Senator McCain, arguably going to war is the most important decision a member of the Senate can make. Did you read the national intelligence estimate, which included all the caveats on whether or not there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?

John McCain: I did not read that particular document. I didn't have to. I received hundreds of briefing, tens and hundreds of hours of study and background and information on it over two decades. And the fact is that the sanctions were breaking down. The sanctions were not going to hold. We had a multi-billion dollar scandal in the form of oil for food.

The fact is that Saddam Hussein had used weapons of mass destruction before on his own people and on his enemies. And if he'd gotten them again, he'd have used them again. That was his commitment and his belief, that he was going to. And we did the right thing.

The problem was the mismanagement of the conflict.

Wolf Blitzer: Senator Brownback, you're also a member of the United States Senate. Did you read that classified national intelligence estimate?

Sam Brownback: I remember that report. I had a number of briefings and I held a number of committee hearings as well. At that time, I was chairing the Middle East Subcommittee on Foreign Relations. And we held hearings on this topic and what was taking place and what Saddam was doing.

But the issue is that we've got to put forward, now, a political plan. And that's something I'm going to introduce tomorrow, a political plan to create a three-state solution in Iraq: a Kurdish state, a Sunni state, a Shia state. Because Iraq is more three groups held together by exterior forces. And that's what we've lacked is a political plan to get us moving forward in success.

Ron Paul: I have to interject. Senator Brownback's proposal, which he is sponsoring with Joe Biden, is absolutely against the constitution and violates the sovereignty of the Iraqi people. This will leave the Sunni people of Iraq with virtually nothing but dessert land while the Kurds and Shia Muslims will take control of the oil pockets. This is a dangerous idea that will breed opposition and hatred for America.

Sam Brownback: The problem with Congressman Paul's thinking is that he does not believe America should be involved in the Middle East. Congressman Paul also believes that the holocaust was not enough to merit American entrance to World War II. Congressman Paul's vision of the Middle East is not only naive, but also dangerous, and I don't think the Congressman has spent the time studying the present because he's still stuck on the past.

Ron Paul: I'm not a magician, Senator. I can't undo the conflict, I can't give life back to the men who died there face down in the sand. But I can spare American families further pain by immediately pulling our troops out -

John McCain: But the Generals don't want that -

Ron Paul: If the Generals don't listen to me, then they will be relieved. The constitution says the President is the Commander-in-Chief, and he is responsible to the American people who reject this war entirely.
Saturday, June 9th, 2007: As the USS Chafee travels down the eastern coast of Somalia just south of Puntland province, a speedboat laiden with explosives crashes into it and explodes. Along with the two suicide bombers, the blast kills 38 American sailors and injures virtually everyone else onboard after the explosion sets off shells and guided missiles off. The ship burns in a raging inferno off the Somali coast, where hundreds of onlookers watched in the dark of the night. The ship sinks, though the survivors cling on to floating debris and are rescued nearly twelve hours later. President Kerry warns that "Al Qaeda will have a price to pay" for the attack, and orders cruise missile attacks on Al Qaeda training camps as well as on compounds associated with the Islamic Courts Union.
Sunday, June 10th, 2007: Despite the Russian and Serbian government's fierce opposition, President Kerry calls for the UN to pass a recognition allowing for Kosovo's independence.
Monday, June 11th, 2007: Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe announces that all white owned farms in the country will be seized and redistributed among the landless peasants.
Thursday, June 14th, 2007: The Pentagon confirms that an American airstrike resulted in the death of a senior Taliban militant, though the identity of the target is not revealed immediately. This results in speculation that the target may have been Mullah Omar, though the Taliban denies their leader has been killed.
Friday, June 15th, 2007: New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg announces he will leave the Republican Party and become an independent.
Sunday, June 17th, 2007: 35 people are killed in Afghanistan when an Al Qaeda suicide bomber strikes a bus carrying police officers.
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007: Fatah al-Islam, an Al Qaeda aligned militia in Lebanon, takes control of a Palestinian refugee camp in the south of the country. Israel demands the Lebanese government take action, or face a second invasion by the IDF.
Friday, June 22nd, 2007: The King of Jordan announces he will host talks between the West Bank backed Fatah, Gaza's Hamas, and Fatah al-Islam, in order to unify the Palestinian people under one government.
Sunday, June 24th, 2007: Gordon Brown takes over as leader of the Labor Party, setting him up to succeed Tony Blair within days.
Wednesday, June 27th, 2007: Tony Blair leaves Downing Street for the last time, resulting in Gordon Brown ascending to the office of Prime Minister.
Friday, June 29th, 2007: The Senate votes to confirm Congressman Ray LaHood (R-IL) as the next Secretary of Transportation.

Gallup releases their new monthly tracking poll.
2008 Democratic Primary (Nationwide)
John Kerry: 89%
Dennis Kucinich: 10%
Mike Gravel: 1%

2008 Republican Primary (Nationwide)
George Allen: 16%
Rudy Giuliani: 14%
Jeb Bush: 14%
Elizabeth Dole: 12%
Mike Huckabee: 10%
Mitt Romney: 9%
Ron Paul: 7%
Sam Brownback: 6%
John McCain: 4%
Newt Gingrich: 4%
George Pataki: 3%
Duncan Hunter: 1%

Kerry Approval Rating
Disapprove: 53%
Approve: 35%
Undecided: 12%
Saturday, June 30th, 2007: New polling reflects a changing race as conservative Virginia Senator George Allen takes the lead over frontrunner Jeb Bush, as some establishment Republicans alarmed by the former Florida Governor's poor performance in the recent debate as a sign that he is a weak candidate. This leads to a bump in the polls for former Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
[1] Taken from Wikipedia Commons (Fred Thompson)

[KaiserDave]

Jeb! Gets Jebbed