The Long National Nightmare (Edition 2.0)

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter I: Tricky Dick.

Thursday, August 8th, 1974:

8:51 PM, The White House, Washington, DC.

Nixon aide Alvin Snyder watches as the President rehearses his planned speech.

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The rumor-mill in Washington was spinning with such force that it could have burst into flames; the White House was practically under siege, with the press staked out for hours in anticipation of the inevitable. The stories of the increasingly despondent and erratic President’s latest actions proliferated themselves through the city. One such rumor – which no doubt originated from the Secretary of State himself – described how Nixon broke down in tears in the presence of Henry Kissinger, sobbing on the floor in despair at the twilight of his presidency. Others described a rabid drunk who was dependent on Dilantin, constantly terrorizing his wife, daughters, and staff behind the scenes. But the most accepted rumor however was the report that Al Haig had all but taken control of the White House in the recent weeks, effectively becoming a de-facto Prime Minister of sorts as Nixon’s political situation became increasingly precarious.

Now, the moment had come. The lone camera, supplied by CBS, would broadcast the speech to all three major networks. A camera crew and a gaggle of Secret Service agents filled the room and were busy at work when the President finally arrived. His family had already gathered upstairs to watch the fateful broadcast, and there was no staff to be seen. The reality was beginning to sink in for the President. It was over.

He took his seat behind the Resolute Desk, where one of the CBS cameramen had broken protocol by taking a seat in order to review the lighting. “Hey, you’re better looking than I am, why don’t you stay here!” cracked Nixon, asking sheepishly afterwards that “blondes, they say, photograph better than brunettes. That true or not?” “I'm a redhead, sir” replied the camera technician. “Then we’re basically the same” replied the President as he pouted his arms and leaned back in his chair, his face displaying that famed smile, whose insincerity betrayed the sense of insecurity that had brought him here. “You’re from NBC?” asked the President of the crew, to which another one of the camera technicians affirmed simply with “CBS.” “CBS” said Nixon aloud, “CBS. CBS. This is a CBS camera, correct?” The technician gave the same answer.

“Are the lights proper?” asked Nixon, “when you’re past sixty...” he continued before being distracted by the flash of a camera. Briefly stunned, Nixon turned with a scowl that quickly gave way to a forced smile towards his photographer. “My friend Ollie always wants to take a lot of pictures” he joked to the crew from CBS, who continued to work diligently to ensure the feed would be up in time for the planned address. “I’m always worried when he’s taking all these candid pictures” continued Nixon, “I’m afraid he’ll catch me picking my nose! You wouldn’t print that, right Ollie?” Nixon chuckled, but everyone was too busy with the preparations to respond. The President’s mood was light, almost jovial, and it slightly unnerved some of those present who expected the typically sober minded President to be withdrawn and defeated.

He began quickly reading through the speech, making it through the first page as the crew tested the broadcast feed and made some final adjustments to the lighting and microphone placement. “Ollie, only the CBS crew is to be in here now” ordered the President. “What about the picture?” asked the White House photographer, who was interrupted instantly by the President. “No, no, no” interjected Nixon, “there will be no picture. You’ve gotten enough shots already.” The photographer exited, and he turned towards the few Secret Service agents in the room. “All Secret Service agents in the room, OUT” he barked. “We are under orders to stay” replied one. “You can stay, fine” growled Nixon, who shuffled his prepared remarks as the CBS crew’s head producer briefed him quickly ahead of the broadcast.

The camera was trained on the President, with instructions to pan in and out at certain parts to emphasize certain parts of the speech. “Thirty seconds” warned the producer as the Oval Office fell dead silent. “Twenty seconds” he again warned after a silence; Nixon felt a stirring sensation in the pit of his stomach. If he had a loaded gun, he’d had have used it right then and there. “Ten seconds.” The room remained silent. “Three…two…one” counted down the technician, who whispered afterwards towards the President: “we’re live.”

"Good evening. This is the 37th time I have spoken to you from this office, where so many decisions have been made that shaped the history of this nation. Each time I have done so to discuss with you some matter that I believe affected the national interest. In all the decisions I have made in my public life, I have always tried to do what was best for the nation. Throughout the long and difficult period of Watergate, I have felt it was my duty to persevere, to make every possible effort to complete the term of office to which you elected me.

In the past few days, however, it has become evident to me that I no longer have a strong enough political base in the Congress to justify continuing that effort. As long as there was such a base, I felt strongly that it was necessary to see the constitutional process through to its conclusion, that to do otherwise would be unfaithful to the spirit of that deliberately difficult process and a dangerously destabilizing precedent for the future. But with the disappearance of that base, I now believe that the constitutional purpose has been served, and there is no longer a need for the process to be prolonged.

I would have preferred to carry through to the finish whatever the personal agony it would have involved, and my family unanimously urged me to do so. But the interest of the nation must always come before any personal considerations. From the discussions I have had with Congressional and other leaders, I have concluded that because of the Watergate matter I might not have the support of the Congress that I would consider necessary to back the very difficult decisions and carry out the duties of this office in the way the interests of the nation would require.

I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body. But as President, I must put the interest of America first.

America needs a full-time President and a full-time Congress, particularly at this time with problems we face at home and abroad. To continue to fight through the months ahead for my personal vindication would almost totally absorb the time and attention of both the President and the Congress in a period when our entire focus should be on the great issues of peace abroad and prosperity without inflation at home.

Therefore, I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon tomorrow. Vice President Ford will be sworn in as President at that hour in this office.

As I recall the high hopes for America with which we began this second term, I feel a great sadness that I will not be here in this office working on your behalf to achieve those hopes in the next two and a half years. But in turning over direction of the government to Vice President Ford, I know, as I told the nation when I nominated him for that office ten months ago that the leadership of America will be in good hands. In passing this office to the Vice President, I also do so with the profound sense of the weight of responsibility that will fall on his shoulders tomorrow and, therefore, of the understanding, the patience, the cooperation he will need from all Americans. As he assumes that responsibility, he will deserve the help and the support of all of us. As we look to the future, the first essential is to begin healing the wounds of this Nation, to put the bitterness and divisions of the recent past behind us, and to rediscover those shared ideals that lie at the heart of our strength and unity as a great and as a free people.

By taking this action, I hope that I will have hastened the start of that process of healing which is so desperately needed in America. I regret deeply any injuries that may have been done in the course of the events that led to this decision. I would say only that if some of my judgments were wrong, and some were wrong, they were made in what I believed at the time to be the best interest of the nation.

To those who have stood with me during these past difficult months, to my family, my friends, to many others who joined in supporting my cause because they believed it was right, I will be eternally grateful for your support. And to those who have not felt able to give me your support, let me say I leave with no bitterness toward those who have opposed me, because all of us, in the final analysis, have been concerned with the good of the country, however our judgments might differ. So, let us all now join together in affirming that common commitment and in helping our new President succeed for the benefit of all Americans.

I shall leave this office with regret at not completing my term, but with gratitude for the privilege of serving as your President for the past five and a half years. These years have been a momentous time in the history of our nation and the world. They have been a time of achievement in which we can all be proud, achievements that represent the shared efforts of the administration, the Congress, and the people. But the challenges ahead are equally great, and they, too, will require the support and the efforts of the Congress and the people working in cooperation with the new administration.

We have ended America's longest war, but in the work of securing a lasting peace in the world, the goals ahead are even more far-reaching and more difficult. We must complete a structure of peace so that it will be said of this generation, our generation of Americans, by the people of all nations, not only that we ended one war but that we prevented future wars. We have unlocked the doors that for a quarter of a century stood between the United States and the People's Republic of China. We must now ensure that the one quarter of the world's people who live in the People's Republic of China will be and remain not our enemies but our friends.

In the Middle East, 100 million people in the Arab countries, many of whom have considered us their enemy for nearly 20 years, now look on us as their friends. We must continue to build on that friendship so that peace can settle at last over the Middle East and so that the cradle of civilization will not become its grave.

Together with the Soviet Union we have made the crucial breakthroughs that have begun the process of limiting nuclear arms. But we must set as our goal not just limiting but reducing and finally destroying these terrible weapons so that they cannot destroy civilization and so that the threat of nuclear war will no longer hang over the world and the people. We have opened the new relation with the Soviet Union. We must continue to develop and expand that new relationship so that the two strongest nations of the world will live together in cooperation rather than confrontation.

Around the world, in Asia, in Africa, in Latin America, in the Middle East, there are millions of people who live in terrible poverty, even starvation. We must keep as our goal turning away from production for war and expanding production for peace so that people everywhere on this earth can at last look forward in their children's time, if not in our own time, to having the necessities for a decent life.

Here in America, we are fortunate that most of our people have not only the blessings of liberty but also the means to live full and good and, by the world's standards, even abundant lives. We must press on, however, toward a goal of not only more and better jobs but of full opportunity for every American and of what we are striving so hard right now to achieve, prosperity without inflation.

For more than a quarter of a century in public life I have shared in the turbulent history of this era. I have fought for what I believed in. I have tried to the best of my ability to discharge those duties and meet those responsibilities that were entrusted to me. Sometimes I have succeeded and sometimes I have failed, but always I have taken heart from what Theodore Roosevelt once said about the man in the arena, "whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again because there is not effort without error and shortcoming, but who does actually strive to do the deed, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumphs of high achievements and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly."

I pledge to you tonight that as long as I have a breath of life in my body, I shall continue in that spirit. I shall continue to work for the great causes to which I have been dedicated throughout my years as a Congressman, a Senator, a Vice President, and President, the cause of peace not just for America but among all nations, prosperity, justice, and opportunity for all of our people. There is one cause above all to which I have been devoted and to which I shall always be devoted for as long as I live.

When I first took the oath of office as President five and a half years ago, I made this sacred commitment, to "consecrate my office, my energies, and all the wisdom I can summon to the cause of peace among nations." I have done my very best in all the days since to be true to that pledge. As a result of these efforts, I am confident that the world is a safer place today, not only for the people of America but for the people of all nations, and that all of our children have a better chance than before of living in peace rather than dying in war. This, more than anything, is what I hoped to achieve when I sought the Presidency. This, more than anything, is what I hope will be my legacy to you, to our country, as I leave the Presidency.

To have served in this office is to have felt a very personal sense of kinship with each and every American. In leaving it, I do so with this prayer: May God's grace be with you in all the days ahead."

Jerry.

Thursday, August 8th, 1974.

10:00 PM, Alexandria, VA.

Vice President Ford & the Second Lady.

2

The Vice President, his wife Betty, and children watched the resignation address in silence at their private residence in northern Virginia. Betty sat lifeless, her hand shakily clutching the stem of a martini glass, her other holding a cigarette. Jerry was also quiet, listening intently to the President’s parting words. Their children contained their anxieties to themselves, knowing their lives were about to be forever changed. As the speech concluded, Ford – who generally liked Richard Nixon – couldn’t help but share the same feeling of indignant rage that so many Americans were feeling. There was no apology, no sincere accounting of his underling’s misdeeds, only a rambling defense of his legacy and a half-hearted call for unity. It didn’t pass muster in Gerald Ford’s view.

The Secret Service surrounded the property, with agents posted in the yard, the porch, and up and down the street. In the morning, a limo would come to collect him and his family to bring them to the White House. It was to be their final night in the home in which they had spent so many years. The soon to be first family prepared to retire to bed, but the Second Couple remained firmly planted on the couch in virtual silence. Finally, the Vice President spoke up.

“I think we’re going to need the National Guard to drag Haig out of there” he opined to his wife, “we’re going to face quite the resistance I’m sure.” Betty was well versed in the power networks that defined Washington, and was in many ways the consummate political wife. Like her predecessor, Pat Nixon, Betty Ford was appreciative and mindful of the traditional duties that came with the title. But whereas Mrs. Nixon was perfectly content to keep her political opinions to herself, the lively and vivacious Mrs. Ford planned to make her mark. “You have to change things” she warned, “you have to change the mood of the country. We must be more open, more transparent. You know, down to earth.” “Well....aren’t we?” replied Jerry with a laugh. Betty smiled and leaned in on her husband, who wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "I think we do good enough at it" laughed Betty nervously as she took another sip from her martini.

“And you wanted to be Speaker of the House!” she cracked, reminding Jerry of his greatest ambition – a goal great in and of itself – that had now been surpassed, the result of an accident of fate. Betty had wanted to leave Washington once this goal had been reached, which at the onset of Nixon’s second term in 1973 had already seemed impossible. Now she was to stay there, for better or for worse, indefinitely. But if there was one thing Betty did best, it was to make the best of a bad situation. “What if something bad happens to me?” asked the Vice President, “it’s a dangerous job.” “You’re a dangerous man, so what difference does it make?” ribbed Betty once again. “You know what else is dangerous?” asked Betty, as she stood up from the couch and moved towards the stairs.

“What’s that?” asked Jerry as he stretched himself out on the couch and struck up a cigarette.

“Assuming the Presidency without a good night of sleep” she warned. She flicked the lights off and went up the stairs, leaving the Vice President alone in the glow of the television.
[1] Taken from Wikipedia Commons.
[2] Taken from Wikipedia Commons.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Pat.

Friday, August 9th, 1974.

9:30 AM, The White House, Washington, DC.

The Nixon farewell address.

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"Hail to the Chief" was struck up one final time as the Nixon family entered the White House's East Room to thunderous applause from the staff, aides, cabinet, housekeepers, groundskeepers, cooks, and friends who had gathered to see off one of the most accomplished and controversial statesmen of modern times. It had ended all too early, a Presidency on the cusp of being on par with that of Teddy Roosevelt's sunk by a scandal that could have all too easily been avoided. Pat Nixon had sacrificed a lot, and suffered even more, for her husband to achieve his quest for power. Now it was all over, and the whole affair had left a bitter taste in her mouth. On one hand, she was more than glad it was done and over with. She had never liked political life, had little in common with the women of Washington Society, and wanted nothing more than to regain her privacy. On the other hand, all those years of campaigning, hand-shaking, forced smiles, and abuse from the opposition were now sent down the drain. They had won. They had beaten Dick once and for all. Three decades down the drain.

She held her husband's hand as they walked through the throngs of well-wishers to the podium, their daughters and son-in-laws in tow. Kissinger, Chief Justice Berger, and their spouses sat in the front row with other dignitaries. The Chief Justice had been flown in the night before on a military jet, his vacation in Paris interrupted by the reality that he'd be needed for the swearing in of Gerald Ford at noon. To her left, Julie began to quiver as tears began to roll down her face. Her husband, David Eisenhower, put his hands on her shoulders to comfort her as Pat stood there, almost in shock. Tricia and her husband Edward Cox likewise remained composed, the only hint of emotion being the downward drift of their eyes.

The President delivered a solemn speech with glimmers of hope and moments of self-depreciation. He spoke of the White House as being the people's house, not as grand or ornate as Buckingham Palace or halls of the Kremlin, but more firmly rooted in the American spirit. He praised his record as President, he spoke of his mother being a saint, and he cracked the familiar joke about his father selling their virtually worthless farmland before oil had been discovered under it. He thanked those he worked with, from the butlers and maids on up to the heads of the various cabinet departments.

As he spoke, Pat remembered everything. She remembered typing literature for his '46 campaign only for their opponent's to destroy it. She remembered the Latin American tour of '58. She remembered the women who called her "Plastic Pat." She remembered when JFK stole the Presidency from her husband. She remembered when he was humiliated again in '62. She remembered the smears, the lies, the phoniness, the back-stabbing, the fundraising, and the Checkers Speech. She remembered it all. She hated it all.
The polite applause died down as Chief Justice Burger took to the podium to administer the presidential oath of office. The clock had just struck noon; the Nixon presidency had officially expired, with a secret service agent even confiscating the nuclear football as Air Force One soared through the skies of middle America, carrying the disgraced former President into a self-imposed internal exile. Back in Washington, Vice President Ford had now officially ascended into office as America's 38th Commander-in-Chief. The Chief Justice now stood before the cameras, broadcasting the image live to what felt like every pair of eyes in the world. "Mr. Vice President" he began, "will you repeat after me?"

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"I, Gerald R. Ford, do solemnly swear."

"I, Gerald R. Ford, do solemnly swear."

"That I will faithfully execute."

"That I will faithfully execute."

"The office of President of the United States."

"The office of President of the United States."

"And will to the best of my ability."

"And will to the best of my ability."

"Preserve, protect, and defend."

"Preserve, protect, and defend."

"The constitution of the United States."

"The constitution of the United States."

"So help me God."

"So help me God."

"Congratulations, Mr. President."

The room broke out in quiet respectful applause; the Chief Justice removed himself from the podium, and took a seat next to Betty Ford, who watched on as her husband began his inaugural address. The Chief Justice watched on, weighing in his mind the possibility of resuming his Paris vacation now that this long chapter in American history had been wrapped up.

Mr. Chief Justice, my dear friends, my fellow Americans:

The oath that I have taken is the same oath that was taken by George Washington and by every President under the constitution. But I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances never before experienced by Americans. This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts. Therefore, I feel it is my first duty to make an unprecedented compact with my countrymen. Not an inaugural address, not a fireside chat, not a campaign speech - just a little straight talk among friends. And I intend it to be the first of many.

I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your President by your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me as your President with your prayers. And I hope that such prayers will also be the first of many. If you have not chosen me by secret ballot, neither have I gained office by any secret promises. I have not campaigned either for the Presidency or the Vice Presidency. I have not subscribed to any partisan platform. I am indebted to no man, and only to one woman - my dear wife - as I begin this very difficult job.

I have not sought this enormous responsibility, but I will not shirk it. Those who nominated and confirmed me as Vice President were my friends and are my friends. They were of both parties, elected by all the people and acting under the Constitution in their name. It is only fitting then that I should pledge to them and to you that I will be the President of all the people. Thomas Jefferson said the people are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty. And down the years, Abraham Lincoln renewed this American article of faith asking, "Is there any better way or equal hope in the world?"

I intend, on Monday next, to request of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate the privilege of appearing before the Congress to share with my former colleagues and with you, the American people, my views on the priority business of the Nation and to solicit your views and their views. And may I say to the Speaker and the others, if I could meet with you right after these remarks, I would appreciate it.

Even though this is late in an election year, there is no way we can go forward except together and no way anybody can win except by serving the people's urgent needs. We cannot stand still or slip backwards. We must go forward now together. To the peoples and the governments of all friendly nations, and I hope that could encompass the whole world, I pledge an uninterrupted and sincere search for peace. America will remain strong and united, but its strength will remain dedicated to the safety and sanity of the entire family of man, as well as to our own precious freedom.

I believe that truth is the glue that holds government together, not only our government but civilization itself. That bond, though strained, is unbroken at home and abroad. In all my public and private acts as your President, I expect to follow my instincts of openness and candor with full confidence that honesty is always the best policy in the end.

My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.

Our constitution works; our great republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule. But there is a higher Power, by whatever name we honor Him, who ordains not only righteousness but love, not only justice but mercy. As we bind up the internal wounds of Watergate, more painful and more poisonous than those of foreign wars, let us restore the golden rule to our political process, and let brotherly love purge our hearts of suspicion and of hate.

In the beginning, I asked you to pray for me. Before closing, I ask again your prayers, for Richard Nixon and for his family. May our former President, who brought peace to millions, find it for himself. May God bless and comfort his wonderful wife and daughters, whose love and loyalty will forever be a shining legacy to all who bear the lonely burdens of the White House. I can only guess at those burdens, although I have witnessed at close hand the tragedies that befell three Presidents and the lesser trials of others. With all the strength and all the good sense I have gained from life, with all the confidence my family, my friends, and my dedicated staff impart to me, and with the good will of countless Americans I have encountered in recent visits to forty states, I now solemnly reaffirm my promise I made to you last December 6th: to uphold the constitution, to do what is right as God gives me to see the right, and to do the very best I can for America.

God helping me, I will not let you down. Thank you.
Friday, August 9th, 1974: Immediately after being sworn-in as President, Gerald Ford enters the Oval Office and orders official telegrams and letters be sent to leaders across the globe to formally inform them of the transfer of power in the United States. Afterwards, he meets with the Congressional leadership of both parties in the Oval Office, where he is invited to address a joint session of Congress.

Meanwhile, Ron Ziegler - the White House Press Secretary widely viewed as the official mouthpiece of the Nixon administration - is sacked. He is replaced by Jerry terHorst, a reporter for the Detroit News and a longtime friend of President Ford. After this decision is reached, Ford holds a series of meetings with top economic advisers and Ambassadors from NATO powers throughout the afternoon.

President Ford summons White House Chief of Staff Alexander Haig to the Oval Office at sundown and offers him the position of Supreme Allied Commander of NATO once the position becomes open in December, when Andrew Goodpaster is slated to retire. Haig agrees to take the position, but asks to remain Chief of Staff for the duration of the transition. Ford is reluctant to retain Haig in the White House, but ultimately agrees for the sake of ensuring a smooth transition.
Saturday, August 10th, 1974: Pat Buchanan, a top speechwriter and aide to former President Nixon, is offered the job of Ambassador to South Africa by White House Chief of Staff. When Ford is informed of the offer, he is furious and threatens to fire Haig on the spot. The President vetoes the appointment, but asks Buchanan to remain on the White House staff. After this incident, Ford resolves to remove Haig from the White House.
Sunday, August 11th, 1974: In a interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (D-MT) warns President Ford that the Democratic congressional majority will not accept "just anyone" for the Vice Presidency and urges the President to appoint an independent place holder instead of a fellow Republican. Mansfield names Milton Eisenhower, brother of former President Dwight Eisenhower and a former President of John Hopkins University.

The Heir.

Monday, August 12th, 1974:

9:00 PM, The Capitol, Washington, DC.

Ted Kennedy, Camelot's last hope.

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"Mr. Speaker" bellowed the Sargent-at-Arms, "the President of the United States!" Immediately, the entire chamber burst out in sustained and spontaneous applause, followed by a wave of cheers as the President entered. As Senator Ted Kennedy watched with his arms folded, he could not help but think of 1976. The opportunity that Watergate presented gave the Senator hope for a return of Camelot in the White House, but the fresh memory of Chappaquiddick could not yet be fully erased from the public's perception of him.

As President Ford meandered through his address, a bored Senator Kennedy drifted in and out. "I do not seek a honeymoon" vowed the President, "I seek a good marriage." "Oh Lord" Kennedy thought to himself, he thinks he's going to stay President. The President was not only focused on establishing himself as the legitimate successor to Nixon; he laid out an ambitious agenda to defeat inflation, to continue the foreign policy of detente, to restore the public's faith in their governing institutions.

The difference between Ford and Nixon was like that of the shore and sea; whereas the neurotic Nixon believed the worst in everyone, the jovial Ford joked with even the most hostile reporters and assumed the best. Whereas the Nixon's embraced rigid formality, the Ford's let their hair down. Whereas Nixon fought his enemies, Ford sought out new friends. But there was some consternation about this, and the suspicion was shared by many of Ford's Washington colleagues. "You don't suspect treachery in someone until you've been kicked in the balls three times" said Robert T. Hartmann, the President's most trusted adviser and the man he hoped would ultimately usurp Haig from the position of White House Chief of Staff. "In a person, that's a virtue" Hartmann offered, "but in a president, that's weakness." Ted could see the difference between two men. Nixon fought dirty. Ford fought fair. Maybe he'd have a shot in '76 after all.

Ted leaned over to his neighbor, rival, friend, and foe, Senator Robert Byrd. Though the West Virginian had fought Jack on civil rights, had demeaned Bobby Kennedy as "Bobby-come-lately" during the '68 campaign, and most notably, challenged and defeated him in 1970 in order to take up the position of Majority Whip. Ted, however, had by this time largely forgiven Byrd. The two found themselves natural allies on a number of legislative initiatives that helped them overcome their personal animosity.

"He thinks he can salvage this" Ted murmured. "He's delusional" smirked Byrd, "they ought to just run Reagan and nip that problem in the bud." The two men's quiet conversation, interrupted only by applause breaks in which they rose to insincerely hail the new Commander-in-Chief. "He's not going to be able to stem the tide. Not now. And he's one of us. If he takes a big hit here, we might be able to knock him out early." Kennedy was confident about his prediction, but Byrd was less sure. "You think that'll be enough? He's been around forever! Sure, he 'aint made many inroads here, but they won't dump him. Not that quickly." Kennedy was intrigued by the insight of his West Virginian colleague. "If they were smart" Byrd continued, "they'd get someone who couldn't touch Nixon with a ten foot pole. Someone like Reagan...or Rockefeller. Hell, it don't matter! But their bosses, they'll stick with Jerry. And we'll beat Jerry."

"We'll." Ted didn't like that choice of words. He wanted to hear "you'll beat Jerry." Or at least a "you could." Everyone knew Mansfield was set to retire in 1976. The race for Majority Leader in the Senate was as tight as the quest for the Presidency, and Ted knew damn well that Byrd's ambitions led there and nowhere else. Humphrey was also thinking of making a gander for his old job, but nothing he said fooled anyone - he was too old and too sick to take the reins once again.

"We'd make one hell of a team, Bob" said Ted.
Tuesday, August 13th, 1974: The President convenes the council of economic advisers in the Oval Office and instructs them to develop a comprehensive plan to curtail inflation within a years time. Afterwards, Ford meets with Secretary of State Kissinger and instructs him to embark on a tour of Europe after the conclusion of the scheduled state visit of King Hussein of Jordan. Kissinger is charged with reassuring NATO partners about the continuity of American foreign policy in the wake of the Nixon resignation.

In the background, Ford's chief counselor Robert Hartmann begins quietly assembling a "shadow staff" of new aides in the event that Ford decides to fire the Nixon staff leftover. He brings in Ford's former law partner (and best friend) Phillip Buchen to serve as the potential White House Counsel, former Nixon staffer Brian Lamb to take over as Communications Director, former Kissinger aide Larry Lynn as a potential Deputy National Security Security Adviser, and former cabinet secretary Elliot Richardson for a yet to be determined role in the White House. Notably, the plan would not have a titular Chief of Staff, as Ford blamed a powerful Chief of Staff for Watergate. The "shadow staff" will take over once Haig's allies are removed from their positions in the White House - if the President agrees to it.
Wednesday, August 14th, 1974: Former Governor Ronald Reagan hosts his first major press conference since the resignation of President Nixon, whom he praises as "a true statesman" who "will be redeemed in the eyes of history." Reagan dodges questions about his potential 1976 candidacy, and voices support for President Ford considering the "difficult" circumstances.

In Cyprus, Turkish troops stationed in the northern part of the island (they had established a beach-head there in July) break out from their positions after talks fail and launch a second "peacekeeping mission" in which they occupy forty percent of the entire island in a matter of hours. President Ford summons Secretary Kissinger to the White House for an emergency meeting on how to address the crisis, which could threaten to split NATO's presence in the Mediterranean.
Thursday, August 15th, 1974: President Ford hosts King Hussein of Jordan at the White House, making him the first foreign head of state to meet personally with Ford. The two discuss Middle East peace initiatives in the Oval Office, where they are joined by Secretary Kissinger. Afterwards, First Lady Betty Ford - with less than one week's experience in the role - hosts a state dinner for the Jordanian royal family. It also marks the Ford's first night in the White House (the President had been commuting to his private residence in Alexandria while the Nixon's personal items were cataloged and removed)  since his ascension to the Presidency.

South Korean President Park Chung-hee delivers a speech in the National Theater in Seoul during a ceremony to celebrate the nation's deliverance from Japanese colonial domination 29 years before, when presumed North Korean agent Mun Se-gwang opens fire at Park from the front row with a small revolver. Park was hit by one of the bullets, another of which killed his wife Yuk Young-soo. The wounded President continued his speech as his dying wife was carried off of the stage and is rushed to the hospital only after finishing his speech to a rousing ovation.
Friday, August 16th, 1974: In a lengthy interview published by the Washington Post, President Ford reflects on his first week in office and jokes that "the only thing related to 1976 on my mind are the Olympics and the bicentennial." Ford claims that the biggest national security threat to the United States is inflation, a statement that irks hawks in the Republican Party, especially in the aftermath of events in Korea.

South Korean President Park Chung-hee survives surgery to remove a bullet lodged in him following an assassination attempt; the South Korean military dictator orders a state of martial law from his hospital bed, and the army begins rounding up suspected communists. The situation along the DMZ is tense, with both President Ford and North Korean leader Kim Ill Sung ordering troops to be on alert.
Monday, August 19th, 1974: The President addresses the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Chicago, where he voices support for the granting of clemency to Vietnam era draft dodgers. The news is welcomed by anti-war activists, who sense the Ford administration is taking a more moderate course on the issue than the law and order minded Nixon.
[1] Taken from Wikipedia.
[2] Taken from Library of Congress.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter III: Wallace.

Tuesday, August 20th, 1974:

11:20 AM, Montgomery, AL.

1

Every inch of George Wallace's body was in agony, a constant, torturous pain that never ceased in the wake of the 1972 assassination that left him crippled from the waist down and reliant on a wheelchair. The Governor of Alabama sat at his desk in his office in the Governor's mansion in Montgomery, reviewing a new series of polling done in states across the country that had been commissioned by some wealthy supporters. It was no secret that the Governor, who was well on his way to reelection to a third term in November, was planning for another presidential campaign in '76.

Sitting before him as he silently worked his way through each packet of data were his top aides. Tom Turnipseed, who managed his 1968 campaign and was currently seeking a State Senate seat in South Carolina, was joined by Charles Snider, his personal pilot turned campaign manager and confidant. Though Turnipseed had moved considerably to the left of Wallace since the '68 campaign, the firebrand Governor was determined to bring him back into the fold in order to have a better understanding of the liberal wing of the party.

"I want to go live with this in the spring, not too long after the inauguration" the Governor declared, "and I want to go to New Hampshire at least once, too show that we're doing these different these times. Tom, if you're able and willing, I'd love for you to accompany me up there. You know all the right people." Both the Governor and the State Senate candidate knew this was impossible, but Wallace liked to put people in tough positions; “he won’t come to New Hampshire, but sure as sh**t he’ll be at my beck and call” thought Wallace to himself, “he’ll owe me one.” Likewise, Turnipseed had his own suspicions, which he exercised visually when he looked over to Snider with a perplexed expression on his face. He was in Wallace’s glance; the eye movement betrayed him.  

“George” interjected Snider, “if you can run up your numbers in New Hampshire and get enough support out of Massachusetts, then they’ll say you’re viable in the north and competitive nationally and are more than just a regional candidate.” These words were music to Wallace’s ears. “The south offers us a breadbasket of delegates to build a base upon” Snider continued, “and the best part is, all you’ve got to do is be truthful, to be yourself." Wallace rolled himself backwards away from the desk and propped himself more upward in the chair. “You don’t think someone like ‘Assjew or Carter will try and give us a run for our money here? After all, times is changing!” snarled the Governor contemptuously of his potential rivals. “I know one thing, Bayh or Kennedy ain’t gonna bring the south into play for the Democratic Party.”

Turnipseed remained quiet, regretful at accepting the Governor’s invitation and worried about the possibility that his absence from the campaign trail would negatively impact him. The south was changing, and Wallace was intelligent to know it. It was Turnipseed who managed Wallace’s 1968 campaign as an explicitly segregationist candidate, and that legacy was hard enough for him to overcome, even in South Carolina. Working with Wallace again just seemed a dead-ender. At some point, he’d have to politely turn down the offer. But the country was angry, and Wallace was and always had been an angry candidate. Perhaps he had a chance, which to Turnipseed offered up the opportunity to exercise much greater influence than a mere State Senator could. “Maybe I’ll consider it more later” he thought to himself, “but I’ll have to buy some time.” So he decided to speak up.

“Governor” he said, “I think you ought to delay an announcement until at least the summer. It’ll make people question your motives for seeking a third term, and it would deny you the chance to better asses the field from the sidelines." His explanation was strong enough to gain Wallace’s agreement – it was official, it had always been – George Corley Wallace was running for President in 1976. Where that ship would sail, and who was to be at the helm however remained undetermined.
[1] Taken from Wikipedia Commons.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter IV: Jerry.

Sunday, September 1st, 1974:

4:00 PM, The White House, Washington, DC.

1

The time had come; barely in office but for a few short weeks, the lingering presence of nefarious Nixon acolytes continued to hamper the new administration. The last straw for the President was the decision by Al Haig to offer Pat Buchanan the Ambassadorship to South Africa without even informing the President, much less ask for his consent. A few of his closest and most trusted aides were gathered quietly in the Oval Office for a meeting about the future of many of Nixon's men inside the administration. "Haig has to go" insisted the President with a bang on his desk - he wasn't entirely sure if he was being taped or not - as he reviewed his own "enemies list" compiled for his by Hartmann. Another proposal was to weaken Kissinger's influence over the entirety of the administration's foreign policy, which was to be done by retaining him as Secretary of State but replacing him with someone fresh (ie, no Nixon ties) as National Security Adviser.

"Do we know anything about Pat's role in this....this mess?!" asked the President, turning to his friend, former Congressman and current US Ambassador to NATO Donald Rumsfeld, who was to replace Al Haig in the coming days. "Nothing I've heard around here indicates that" replied Rumsfeld, "but do you really want someone so...closed minded influencing our policy?" Jerry laughed; he knew Rumsfeld was somewhat right about the idiosyncratic blend of conservatism that Buchanan largely espoused, but he couldn't help but like Pat. He had a way with words and was a wizard when it came to predicting the base's move. "Why do you finger him as the culprit?" asked Ford in a perplexed manner. "Pat's a press man, don't forget where he got his start" warned Rumsfeld, "I've known this for five years now; he's loyal to Dick Nixon but nobody else. He'll root out leaders and then simply take their place. I think you ought to send him somewhere like Rhodesia where people will actually care to listen to him."

"No, no" said Ford in disagreement, "he's got no diplomatic experience and he's sort of useful to keep around because of his connections and his writing abilities." Rumsfeld thought differently. "You know he's been calling up people, talking about taking on Harry Byrd next cycle." The President looked up from his papers, a look of consideration on his face. "That wouldn't be a bad idea" he said, before turning his attention back to the documents before him.

"Can we just focus on the big question at hand here" warned Hartmann, "how do we get rid of Haig and how do we make him go quietly?" "Easy" replied President Ford, "we just send him back to the Pentagon and make sure it's his patriotic duty to be there." The decision was made final, and it was agreed to keep the meeting under wraps to prevent Haig from rallying the remaining Nixon loyalists into staging a mass walk-out.
Monday, September 2nd, 1974: The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 is signed into law by President Ford at a Rose Garden ceremony surrounded by members of AARP and a few of the older veterans of the Second World War. It was passed partly in response to Studebaker employee pension losses in 1963. The US Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) was set up to insure the bulk of corporate America’s pension plans as a result of this legislation.

In Atlanta, Governor Jimmy Carter announces at a press conference that he will seek the Democratic Party's nomination (which is to be filled by the party's state committee members) in the wake of the death of Senator Eugene Talmage, and will appoint Bert Lance - the State Highway Director - as the interim Senator. Lance, who previously ran to succeed Carter in the 1974 gubernatorial primary but placed third, will not seek reelection and will only hold the seat until the term expires in January. A contributing factor to Carter's decision to not appoint himself Senator was the fact that Lt. Governor Lester Maddox would have ascended back to his old office, where he was free to reinstate his own segregationist agenda and undo much of the progress made under Carter.
Tuesday, September 3rd, 1974: President Ford fires White House Chief of Staff Al Haig, and names former Congressman and Ambassador to NATO Donald Rumsfeld as his replacement. The new Chief of Staff immediately cancels his planned return to Brussels and goes to work for the President practically instantly.
Friday, September 6th, 1974: The Democratic Party of Georgia formally nominates outgoing Governor Jimmy Carter to replace the late Eugene Talmage on the ballot. The incumbent appointee, Bert Lance, will hold onto the seat until the new Congress assembles in Georgia.
Sunday, September 8th, 1974: President Ford shocks Washington and angers many Americans in both parties when he announces in a prime time, televised address from the White House that he intends to issue a full pardon to former President Nixon, which would bring Watergate to a final close. Protesters descend upon the White House for days, while opponents of the President float theories that the pardon was part of a corrupt deal with the former President.
[h]
Tuesday, September 10th, 1974: A new Gallup poll shows the President's approval rating has plummeted in the wake of the Nixon pardon from 71% to 48%. A number of potential presidential contenders, such as Senators Birch Bayh (D-IN), Humphrey (D-MN), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Walter Mondale (D-MN), and Stevenson III (D-IL), all release statements expressing their opposition to the pardons.
Wednesday, September 11th, 1974: Anti-Pinochet demonstrations in Chile are brutally suppressed on the first anniversary of the 1973 coup. Hundreds of people are arrested and simply disappear into the judicial system, often being tortured, executed, and disposed of without any documentation.
Thursday, September 12th, 1974: Haile Selassie is deposed by a shadowy leftist clique of officers known as the Derg in a coup d’etat that rocks Ethiopia. The Emperor’s mental competence has eroded to the point that he is unaware that he was even deposed, and goes about his subsequent house arrest as if he is still the sitting monarch. The Derg tolerates him, at least for now, as they set out to build a revolutionary state with Cuban, Eastern Bloc, and Soviet assistance.

The start of court-ordered busing to achieve racial integration in Boston's public schools is marred by violence in South Boston, with protesters blocking school buses and loudly shouting angry chants all day long outside of a number of schools.
Friday, September 13th, 1974: Japanese Red Army members seize the French Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands. The ambassador and ten other people were taken hostage and a Dutch policewoman, Hanke Remmerswaal is injured after being shot through the lung during a gunfight.

After lengthy negotiations that last several hours, the hostages were freed in exchange for the release of a jailed Red Army member (Yatsuka Furuya), $300,000 and the use of a plane. The plane flew the hostage-takers first to Aden, South Yemen, where they were not accepted and then to Iraq, where they were arrested and turned over to French authorities for trial. Unknown to them, Iraq was at the time involved in negotiations with the French government to acquire a nuclear reactor. The ransom money disappeared, but was believed to have been taken by Iraqi authorities (who claimed that the Yemenis had seized the cash).
Sunday, September 15th, 1974: A group called Restore Our Alienated Rights (ROAR) held a rally at City Hall Plaza in protest of busing. Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), who happened to be in Boston, approaches the demonstrators and attempts to start a dialogue, but is instead booed and jeered by the crowd when he voices his support for the busing policy.
Monday, September 16th, 1974: President Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam War deserters and draft-evaders. Limited amnesty is offered to Vietnam-era draft resisters who would now swear allegiance to the United States and agree to perform two years of public service. The plan is hailed by anti-war and peace activists.
Tuesday, September 17th, 1974: Just a month after his defeat by State Representative George Busbee in the 1974 gubernatorial primary, Lt. Governor Lester Maddox - fresh off his failure to be appointed to or nominated for the Senate - announces he will instead run for Governor on the ballot line of the American Independence Party. He is immediately endorsed by Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC), Governor George Wallace (D-AL), and Congressman John Rarick (D-LA) among others.
Thursday, September 19th, 1974: Prime Minister Harold Wilson announces a second general election will be held on October 10th after the February election resulted in a hung parliament. The goal of the Prime Minister is to expand Labor's seat count in the House of Commons in pursuit of a majority. Wilson's decision to call an election is a risky gamble, and could not only cost him the government but also his leadership of the Labor Party period.
Saturday, September 21st, 1974: President Ford announces he will be traveling to Mexico in a month’s time to address bilateral trade matters with the Mexican President. It will mark the first overseas visit of his Presidency.
Sunday, September 22nd, 1974: Former President Nixon is hospitalized after a blood clot in his leg causes a severe attack of phlebitis; media figures the physical ailments that plague Nixon are the result of physical fatigue after the draining crisis that was Watergate. Despite the serious nature of his illness, Nixon remains mentally alert and is listed in stable condition at the hospital.
Wednesday, September 25th, 1974: The Hunger Relief Act of 1974 passes the Senate by a vote of 97-3, despite a threatened filibuster by conservative Senators. The three no votes come from Senators Jim Buckley (C-NY), Barry Goldwater (R-AZ), and Jesse Helms (R-NC). The bill now advances to the House.
Friday, September 27th, 1974: Argentina's government passes the Economic- Subversion Act, which provided prosecutors with a legal umbrella to pursue anyone suspected of undermining public disorder. This is concerning to human rights activists who already believe the military and the regime of President Isabel Peron holds too much power.
Monday, September 30th, 1974: General Spinola steps down as Portugal’s interim head of state since the Carnation Revolution. Spinola, who ruled as a moderately conservative transitional figure, now sparks a wave of intrigue in Portugal as leftists see opportunity to seize power ahead of the planned transition to democracy and decolonization.

Brown.

Monday, September 30th, 1974:

12:00 PM, Redding, California.

2

Even in the conservative heartland of Northern California, Jerry Brown could still draw a crown. In a state that had already produced radicals like Tom Hayden and Ron Dellums, Jerry Brown was an entirely new kind of phenomena. California's Secretary of State, aged 36, was something of a rock star in the world of politics. Born the son of Pat Brown, the Governor who humiliated Richard Nixon in 1962, he had been immersed in political activism from the early years of his life. Now with the Reagan administration winding down in California, 1974 offered the Democrats a new opportunity to seize back Sacramento. Facing moderate Republican businessman Houston Flournoy in a tight race, Brown was locked in a tight race that was one of the most watched in the nation.

A charismatic, young, energetic, progressive and idiosyncratic character, Brown's campaign was documented prolifically in magazines like Rolling Stone as youth flocked around his campaign. Though he was a fiscal conservative, perhaps even more of a deficit hawk than his arch-conservative predecessor, his passion for environmental issues and social justice made him a star on the national stage, with his name already being floated for President in 1976 or 1980. But Brown's first priority was bringing change to Sacramento, particularly in regards to ecological issues and regulation.

As Brown waved a final goodbye to a mob of enthusiastic supporters after a brief campaign appearance at a Democratic Party outreach office in Redding, the Governor and his girlfriend Linda Ronstadt - yes, that Linda Ronstadt - entered the station wagon that would transport the two plus his bodyguard and two aides to the nearest airport. The skies were gray and gloomy, but Brown was not bothered by the drizzling rain. He had made another successful appearance, drawing the biggest crowd a Democratic candidate had seen in those parts since the days of JFK.

"If I win this thing, they'll start pushing me to run for President....but if I run for President, I'll have to have something accomplished, or else I'll look like a complete and total jackass" laughed Brown nervously. "It is the symbol of the Democratic Party" cracked the State Trooper, who worked as a bodyguard part time for the Brown campaign when off duty. He was also, as he loved to note with great frequency to Brown's minor annoyance, "a Reagan Republican." "So" replied Linda, "just hit the ground running. You have, like, an entire year to accomplish all your goals...and I know you can do it Jerry."

"Do I even want to be President though?" asked the Governor with a grimace. "Well, everyone else wants you too" replied Linda, "you could easily beat Ford. You could run with that Congresswoman Chisholm! You could truly bring change to this country! Brown smiled as he draped his arm across her shoulder, the sound of the rain hitting the windows with a slight crackle being all that they could hear for a few fleeting seconds.

"Who do you think will take on Ford?" asked Ronstadt. Before Brown could answer, the Trooper shouted "Reagan!" The others laughed contemptuously at the idea. It was no secret that the outgoing Governor was planning on running to succeed Nixon way before Watergate entered anyone's vocabulary, and Brown was keen on facing him. But he wouldn't be alone. Wallace, Askew, Carter, Stevenson III, Harris, Humphrey, Mondale, Jackson, Bayh, Kennedy, Bentsen, Church...the list went on and on.

It was obvious....for him to break out, he'd have to stand out...
[1] Taken from Wikipedia.
[2] Taken from Wikipedia.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter V: Scoop.

Tuesday, October 1st, 1974:

2:00 PM, Washington, DC.

1

Henry "Scoop" Jackson downright detested communism, and was preparing to run a second presidential campaign in 1976 in order to halt it's spread once and for all. Ford was weak both at home politically and abroad diplomatically, and Jackson smelt blood in the water. Though he lacked the charisma that the Kennedys and the Reagans of Washington possessed, he was none the less a well established policy wonk and one of the leading environmentalists in America. So respected by his colleagues was he that he was considered a front runner for the Vice Presidential nomination by John F. Kennedy, though the position ultimately went to Lyndon Johnson. A stint as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee likewise exposed him to a broader national audience in the early 1960s.

But Jackson was best known as the leading hawk in the Democratic Party; a fierce defender of both President Johnson and Nixon's Vietnam policies, Jackson was fundamentally against any withdrawal plan that would leave South Vietnam endangered by their communist neighbors. Unfortunately for Jackson, this was the exact decision that Kissinger and Nixon ultimately agreed to. Over the years, the Washington Senator built a network of like-minded politicians, bureaucrats, diplomatic personnel, and think-tank policy wonks who pushed his agenda in favor of a "strong national defense."

Jeanne Kirkpatrick, a young socialist turned centrist internationalist, was a professor at Georgetown University and a close ally and friend of Jackson's. She was ushered into the Senator's office, as she had been so many times before, to brief the Senator on the latest geopolitical information. Though Jackson's ambition was to be President, he also had his eyes on the State Department, and had worked hard to cultivate a strong relationship with Senator Ted Kennedy, the only potential primary rival whom he was certain he could lose to.

"Professor" he said, greeting her warmly with a firm handshake, "good to see you." She took a seat at the Senator's desk and laid out a spread of documents. "We have some interesting developments in the Kremlin" she continued, "you'll find our full analysis here, and some brief profiles of a number of figures rising within the Communist Party. The Senator began reading the introductory section, which stated several sources inside and outside of the ruling party who all made claims similar in nature to one another about Brezhnev's health and waning influence over the party. Two influential figures, Yuri Andropov and Mikhail Suslov, were competing with one another within the Kremlin as to whom should succeed the ailing Brezhnev.

"So who is the heir" asked Jackson, "somebody's gonna have to take over." "We don't really know" said Kirkpatrick, "because we're not entirely sure if their is one. They may resume the system of a troika like they did a decade ago. Power will most likely be shared, and decisions made collectively by the Politburo." Jackson laughed; "like tried and true socialists!"

"It's not the reds I'm worried about" said Kirkpatrick, "it's the Arabs." The Senator, who was remarkably pro-Israel, expressed his interest in her concern. "You don't think the ceasefire in the Sinai will hold?" "It's not the Sinai so much as Cyprus" she warned, "my friends in Ankara tell me that they have a second force readied to take control of the entire island if necessary."

"What is the source of this information?" asked Jackson fruitlessly, knowing his friend would never betray the network of informants that gathered information. "Some friends in Athens" she continued, "they're fearful that if the Turks take the entirety of Cyprus, than they'll be forced into action to protect ethnic Greeks." The thought of a war taking place in the strategic straits near Istanbul, and worse yet, the nearby presence of the Soviet navy in the Black Sea, sent chills down Jackson's spine. "The preservation of NATO in the Mediterranean is essential" said Jackson, knowing that opining as much was akin to preaching to the choir. "I'm going to do my best to sell Cyprus to the President. This isn't some African backwater. This is he underbelly of Europe and Israel" he continued, "and it must be protected."

"The Democrats aren't going to listen to you unless you make them" warned Professor Kirkpatrick, "if you want a strong America, than you have to be strong. And I know you are. You're thinking about 1976 aren't you?"

"I've been thinking about '76 since '72" joked the Senator.
Tuesday, October 1st, 1974: Five former Nixon aides, chiefly former Attorney General John Mitchell, former White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman, former adviser John Ehrlichman, plus two aides Kenneth Parkinson and Robert Mardian, are charged with their involvement in the Watergate break-in and the subsequent cover-up.
Wednesday, October 2nd, 1974: Senator Hubert Humphrey (D-MN) hits the campaign trail in Indiana with incumbent Senator Birch Bayh (D-IN), fueling speculation that either (or perhaps even both) are preparing for a 1976 presidential campaign.
Saturday, October 5th, 1974: The Hunger Relief Act is passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 385-50. It is sent to the President’s desk, where it is virtually guaranteed to be signed into law.
Monday, October 7th, 1974: President Ford weighs the possibility of a military intervention to defuse the Cypriot crisis and prevent a rift in NATO among it's Mediterranean members. However, in the wake of the Vietnam War, there is little appetite for further intervention.
Tuesday, October 8th, 1974: The President announces the "Whip Inflation Now" (WIN) campaign during a televised address in response to dire economic forecasts. Prices of consumer goods rose 12% in 1974, while unemployment jumped from 5% to more than 7%. Interest rates climbed to 12%, the stock market fell 28%, and automobile sales collapsed. In 1974 real economic growth was projected at negative five percent. The WIN program, introduced by Ford to a national television audience, included tax and spending assistance to hard-pressed industries, a five percent tax surcharge, reduced federal spending and tighter monetary policies.
Wednesday, October 9th, 1974: Franklin National Bank collapses after mobster and stakeholder Michele Sindona embezzles over $3,000,000 to cover loses in the foreign exchange markets. This move stripped the bank of the funds needed to cover basic operating costs, leading to its eventual collapse. At the time, it was the largest bank failure in American history. Treasury Secretary William Simon weighs a federal bailout to preserve the market's stability.
Thursday, October 10th, 1974: The British public goes to the polls for the second time since February; though the earlier general election saw Harold Wilson's Labor Party forming a minority government, they could not maintain the supply and confidence of the Liberals and quickly faced a vote of no confidence. This time around, Labor picks up a bare majority of merely one seat. This gives Wilson the green light to form a majority government.
Friday, October 11th, 1974: The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted bombs in two public houses in Guildford, Surrey, England, which killed five people and injured a further 54. The pubs, the Horse and Groom and the Seven Stars, were targeted because they were frequented by off-duty British soldiers.
Saturday, October 12th, 1974: The PIRA carried out two bomb attacks on clubs in London. At 10.30 PM, a hand-thrown bomb with a short fuse is tossed through a basement window of the Victory, an ex-servicemen's club in Seymour Street near Marble Arch. A short time later an identical bomb was thrown into the ground floor bar at the Army and Navy Club in St. James's Square. Only one person was injured in these two attacks.

Stéphanos I Sidarouss, the Coptic Christian Patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt is gunned down by two Islamist militants as he left his home. The assassins, who are apprehended later, declare they are acting in solidarity with the oppressed Muslims of Cyprus. President Sadat orders his security forces to crack down on the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and other extremist forces in the country.
Sunday, October 13th, 1974: Popular TV host Ed Sullivan dies at the age of 72 from cancer in New York City.
Tuesday, October 15th, 1974: General George Brown USAF, the newly appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, tells an audience at Duke University that that Israel was becoming a burden to the Pentagon and believed that the reason for continual military aid was due to Jews having control over America's banks, newspapers and elected officials. His exact words were: “They own, you know, the banks in this country. The newspapers. Just look at where the Jewish money is.” General Brown is compelled to resign over his remarks by President Ford and is replaced as Joint Chiefs Chairman by General Robert E. Cushman Jr., the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. General Cushman is the first Marine Corps officer to hold the position.
Wednesday, October 16th, 1974: President Ford signs an amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act that formally establishes the Federal Election Commission and implements a number o new limitations on how campaigns can raise money.

32 Turkish Cypriot school children are killed when government tanks open fire on a school. The Cypriot military authorities later claim that Turkish guerrillas were firing at them with anti-tank rockets and using the school buildings as cover. Turkish President Fahir Koroturk pledges Turkey’s complete support for the guerrillas on Cyprus. Turkey is openly arming their forces, and President Koroturk indicates that Turkey will not hesitate to occupy the whole island “no matter the cost or the damage to our alliances” in defense of the Cypriot-Turkish population.
Friday, October 18th, 1974: Outgoing Governor Ronald Reagan hits the campaign trail in Florida in opposition to Governor Reuben Askew; it is the first of many campaign stops for Reagan as he plans to dramatically boost his national profile. There is speculation in Washington that he is testing the waters ahead of a potential Presidential campaign.
Monday, October 21st, 1974: In his first overseas visit as President of the United States, Gerald Ford travels to the border city of Nogales, Mexico for talks with the Mexican President over bilateral trade and water rights regarding the Colorado River.

All the while, in Washington, the Senate Rules Committee begins hearings for the Rockefeller nomination after some delay due to disagreements between the Chairman, Senator Howard Cannon (D-NV) and the Republican ranking member Senator Marlow Cook (R-KY) over scheduling. The first hearings are relatively quiet, besides a tense exchange between Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) and the Vice Presidential nominee over his wealth and the possibility that it could be used to buy political favors. Senator Jacob Javits (R-NY) comes to Rockefeller's defense, calling Byrd's line of questioning "shameful" and describing Rockefeller as "the most adept civil servant in America."
Tuesday, October 22nd, 1974: A day after talks with Mexico, President Ford hosts his second foreign leader in the White House. Ford and French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing discuss a number of issues ranging from inter-NATO relations to the various hot spots in southern Africa. The two host a press conference afterwards, in which both Presidents vow to maintain the diplomatic status quo despite the international whiplash generated by Watergate and Nixon's subsequent resignation.
Wednesday, October 23rd, 1974: Rockefeller appears before the Senate Rules Committee for a second time, clashing with Senator Byrd again. This time the point of contention resolves around the use of executive privilege, a major point of contention during the drawn out Watergate affair. Aside from Byrd's aggessive style of questioning, the hearing is by and large uneventful.
Saturday, October 26th, 1974: Leftist officers led by Mathieu Kerekou seize power in a military coup in the West African nation of Dahomey. The new regime immediately begins arresting and in some cases executing officials loyal to the former regime, while Kerekou takes the title of President and declares the transition to a "revolutionary state."
Sunday, October 27th, 1974: After a series of contentious meetings the Arab OPEC nations and Iran agree to reinstate the oil embargo against the west. This is presented as an expression of Islamic solidarity for the people of Palestine, and the “oppressed, endangered Muslim brothers and sisters in Cyprus.” OPEC calls on the west to protect the Turkish population of Cyprus and remove the Sampson military government from power. The Shah of Iran and Venezuelan President Carlos Perez had argued for lifting the sanctions. However, even the moderate Islamic governments in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait would not endorse that position, for fear of a backlash against them by their populations. There have been large anti-Israel/Greece and pro-Turkish Cypriot demonstrations in many Arab cities, and the Cyprus violence in particular has become a political hot potato for Islamic governments. The Shah agrees to go along with his fellow Islamic leaders, but Venezuela formally withdraws from OPEC after this meeting. All the while, the Ayatollah Khomeini denounces the Shah’s position at the OPEC conference as outright treason to Islam – “the blood of all the martyrs of Cyprus flows from the claws of this heretic.” Khomeini issues a fatwa calling for the Shah’s death.

All the President's Men.

Monday, October 28th, 1974:

7:30 AM, The White House, Washington, DC.

President Ford with Chief of Staff Rumsfeld and his Deputy Dick Cheney.
3

The President was tired but still alert as Hartmann, Rumsfeld, and Rumsfeld's new deputy, a Nebraska native from Wyoming by the name of Richard "Dick" Cheney were ushered into the Oval Office alongside Secretary Kissinger and Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger. The President was beleaguered from a long night on the phone with these same men as he pondered how to handle the latest energy crisis.

"They're trying to pinch us on Cyprus" warned Ford. Kissinger concurred; "it is also a message to Israel. They're trying to scare us out of the peace process." The President turned to his Defense Secretary. "This has to be the definition of a national security crisis" he declared, before asking Schlesinger to "check on the strategic reserves and be sure that you have allocated as much fuel has you need. We cannot let our international reach retract at this time." The Secretary nodded dutifully as Kissinger chimed in. "The growing domination of the OPEC nations is going to drive a wedge in the organization" he said in his heavy German accent, "but there are alternatives. Look to Venezuela, Equatorial Guinea, and so on."

"Hell, have any of you guys been to Alaska?" asked the newly minted Deputy Chief of Staff Dick Cheney, "it's a petrol gold mine up there." "That oil is more useful in the ground" replied Secretary Schlesinger, "it would be a core component of our strategic reserves." Hartmann also had ideas as how to tackle the latest oil crisis; "why don't we use this opportunity to develop a comprehensive domestic agenda to tackle energy consumption?" Though Ford had plenty of such ideas of his own, the phrasing of Hartmann's question led him to respond negatively. "No" he said, "I cannot and do not want to be the first President who has to tell Americans to live with less."

"We don't need to live with less" agreed Cheney, "they do." The others laughed, though the joke betrayed a harsh reality. To end this second embargo, they would have to play a delicate game, a close balancing act between the Arab interests and the preservation of Israel's territorial integrity. The President had full confidence in Kissinger, though the choices they'd have to make in the coming months ahead would have to based on solid reasoning. The stakes were too high, the economy too fragile, and the citizens too cynical.

The Vice Presidency, John Nance Garner famously opined, "was not worth a bucket of warm piss." For the first time, however, Ford found himself pondering the burdens of the office. Was it all worth it? Is it worth extending all the way through January, 1981? These questions weighed on Ford's mind as strongly as the OPEC embargo, and they did not have simple answers.
Wednesday, October 30th, 1974:
The “Rumble in the Jungle” takes place in Kinshasa, Zaire, where Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in 8 rounds to regain the Heavyweight title, which had been stripped from him 7 years earlier. The widely viewed fight was financed by Zaire’s eclectic dictator General Mobuto, who watches the boxing match from a diamond gilded throne.

Cypriot troops burn down two Mosques they claim are being used as operation centers and arms depots by anti-government guerrillas. News of this inflames feeling throughout the Islamic world.

Rioting breaks out overnight in the London neighborhood of Stepney, where racial tensions and economic anxiety boil over. Sparked by a sporting dispute that got out of hand, the discontent rapidly swelled as neighborhood residents took to the streets to clash with police and each other. Raging against “the system,” the rioters inflict millions of pounds worth of damage. Seventeen rioters are left dead, with well over two hundred being seriously injured. Five police and one solider are killed, more injured, but the authorities do not disclose how many.
[1] Taken from FloridaMemory (Public Domain).
[2] Taken from Wikipedia.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter VI: Mike.

Friday, November 1st, 1974:

7:00 PM, Washington, DC.

1

Senators Byrd, Kennedy, and Mansfield sat down in a booth at a small, discrete Washington dive bar. They would be able to enjoy a few drinks in private - or relative quiet - Edward Brooke and Barbara Walters were only three booths to the right, both drunkenly pretending not to realize the three major Democratic Senators behind them. Byrd in particular took pride in ruining Brooke's date night, and was keen on telling his beloved Erma what he had witnessed. Gossip was the lifeblood that kept many a Washington wife going, and Erma Byrd was no exception to this. She'd no doubt be bored by the rigors of running a national slate of candidate in any case. Mansfield understood this well, and God knew Mrs. Joan Kennedy would agree.

"We're looking at quite a few pickups. Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Florida....hell, even Kansas is in play!" said Byrd, failing to contain his delight. "I almost feel sort of sorry for Jerry" added Kennedy, "he's going to find out what lame duck really means." The others laughed; the midterms were days away, and Democrats were more optimistic than ever. "We're going to run the table" said Byrd, his patrician Appalachian accent complementing his rustic term of phrase, "we're going to hit them like a fireball tearing through a coal mine!"

The midterms were always expected to be a wave for Democrats from the very onset of the Watergate break-in, but the numbers they were facing were beyond their wildest dreams. The President was still personally popular, though his "Whip Inflation Now" campaign was failing to make much of an impact or inspire public confidence. The 1974 midterms would basically freeze the Ford presidency in its tracks, and open the floodgates for a wave of candidate declarations. Mansfield was ready to leave Washington, the drama of Watergate eroding his passion for politics and exhausting his physical constitution. Byrd, on the other hand, was close to reaching the zenith of his power and eagerly awaited the opportunity to advance to Majority Leader after 1976. Kennedy, like his brothers and father, had his eyes on the biggest prize of all: the presidency.

"I am going to file for the WV ballot" said Byrd matter of factly, "and I'm going to take all those delegates to the convention." Mansfield slightly grimaced; why was Byrd opening old wounds between the two men? After all, he had no interest in the Presidency. Why antagonize Kennedy? What Mansfield did not know is that Kennedy had privately informed Byrd only minutes before the incumbent Majority Leader had arrived that he had no intentions of actually running for President. His family concerns were pressing, and his wife and him were dependent on alcohol to get through each day. Though it was no secret that Ted harbored presidential aspirations, 1976 simply wasn't his year. But the longer he kept this secret to himself, the more powerful he became. Byrd knew this, which is why he felt it necessary to prepare a favorite-son presidential campaign.

"Don't outshine the master" is an ages old cliche, but to Robert Byrd, it was the gospel of politics. He was going to Majority Leader, and Kennedy, Humphrey, Bayh, Mondale, Gravel, Cranston, and the whole damn lot of the liberals in the Senate could go to hell if they disagreed. At least Kennedy was smart enough to understand this.

Mansfield all the while listened in on the conversation between Byrd and Kennedy, wondering just how long their apparent alliance of convenience could possibly last. Though he was the Majority Leader in the Senate, he was a considerably less partisan figure than Byrd or Kennedy and had enjoyed relatively warm relations with the Nixon White House. In fact, the disgraced former President had routinely sought Mansfield's wisdom out on Vietnam related matters, and the Majority Leader repaid the favor by speaking out in support of Nixon's foreign policy on the Senate floor. Byrd was a master orator and an exquisite parliamentarian, but he was also fiercely active in party politics.

But Byrd possessed one weakness that Mansfield did not - an innate ability to at one point or another ruffle the feathers of every member of the Democratic Senate caucus. But whereas Byrd commanded respect, Mansfield invited it. As his years in Congress wound down, he couldn't help but ponder the future and likewise lament the partisanship of the recent years.

"Thank God I'm getting out while the getting's good" he thought to himself.
Sunday, November 2nd, 1974: President Ford hits the campaign trail in support of several embattled incumbents across the midwest. His twelve hour day involves multiple campaign stops in Indiana for Senate candidate and Indianapolis Mayor Richard Lugar, who is challenging liberal incumbent Birch Bayh, a potential rival to the President. Lugar has been widely named as a rising star in the GOP, and should he fail to unseat Birch Bayh, the opportunity to run in 1976 will still be available to him.
Monday, November 3rd, 1974: With the midterms a day away, the mood inside the GOP is grim. Chairman George Bush, anticipating horrendous midterm results, has already dictated his resignation letter. Inside the White House however, Bush's stock is still flying high. Unknown to him, President Ford has decided to name him as the Chief of the American Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China. Though the position is not officially an Ambassadorship due to the US government's refusal to diplomatically recognize the communist regime of the ailing Mao Zedong, the President has found Bush's diplomatic qualities suitable for the critical post.
Tuesday, November 4th, 1974: Senate, House, Gubernatorial, and Mayoral elections are held across the country.
1974 Alabama Senate Election
(D) James Allen: 95.88%
(PHB) Alvin Abercrombie: 4.12%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Alaska Senate Election
(D) Mike Gravel: 54.68%
(R) C. R. Lewis: 45.32%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Arizona Senate Election
(R) Barry Goldwater: 58.31%
(D) Jonathan Marshall: 41.69%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Arkansas Senate Election
(D) Dale Bumpers: 84.85%
(R) John Jones: 15.15%
(Democratic hold)
1974 California Senate Election
(D) Alan Cranston: 60.45%
(R) Hubert Richardson: 36.20%
(AIP) Jack McCoy: 1.70%
(P&F) Gayle Justice: 1.65%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Colorado Senate Election
(D) Gary Hart: 60.25%
(R) Pete Dominick: 37.24%
(I) John King: 1.59%
(PHB) Joe Hyskell: 0.59%
(AIP) Henry Olshaw: 0.33%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Connecticut Senate Election
(D) Abe Ribicoff: 65.00%
(R) James Brannen: 35.00%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Florida Senate Election
(D) Bill Gunter: 45.33%
(R) Jack Eckerd: 39.48%
(AIP) John Grady: 15.19%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Georgia Senate Election
(D) James Carter: 53.61%
(R) Jerry Johnson: 24.40%
(WI) Lester Maddox: 21.99%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Hawaii Senate Election
(D) Daniel Inouye: 81.95%
(I) James Kimmel: 18.05%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Idaho Senate Election
(D) Frank Church: 56.18%
(R) Robert L. Smith: 41.70%
(AIP) Jean Stoddard: 2.12%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Illinois Senate Election
(D) Adlai Stevenson III: 65.02%
(R) George Burditt: 34.98%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Indiana Senate Election
(D) Birch Bayh: 50.89%
(R) Richard Lugar: 45.78%
(AIP) Don Lee: 3.33%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Iowa Senate Election
(D) John Culver: 50.20%
(R) David Stanley: 49.80%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Kansas Senate Election
(D) William Roy: 50.32%
(R) Robert Dole: 49.68%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Kentucky Senate Election
(D) Wendell Ford: 54.10%
(R) Marlow Cook: 43.65%
(AIP) Bill Parker: 2.25%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Louisiana Senate Election
(D) Russell Long: 100.00%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Maryland Senate Election
(R) Charles Mathias: 56.73%
(D) Barbara Mikulski: 43.27%
(Republican hold)
1974 Missouri Senate Election
(D) Thomas Eagleton: 60.44%
(R) Thomas Curtis: 38.94%
(I) Cliff Talmage: 0.62%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Nevada Senate Election
(D) Harry Reid: 45.11%
(R) Paul Laxalt: 45.01%
(AIP) Jack Doyle: 9.88%
(Democratic gain)
1974 New Hampshire Senate Election
(D) John Durkin: 50.41%
(R) Louis Wyman: 49.59%
(Democratic gain)
1974 New York Senate Election
(D) Ramsey Clark: 40.33%
(R) Jacob Javits: 39.15%
(C) Barbara Keating: 20.52%
(Democratic gain)
1974 North Carolina Senate Election
(D) Robert Morgan: 62.13%
(R) William Stevens: 37.87%
(Democratic hold)
1974 North Dakota Senate Election
(D) William Guy: 49.71%
(R) Milton Young: 47.29%
(I) James Jungroth: 3.00%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Ohio Senate Election
(D) John Glenn: 58.75%
(R) Ralph Perk: 36.35%
(I) Katleen Harroff: 2.61%
(I) Richard Kay: 2.29%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Oklahoma Senate Election
(D) Ed Edmondson: 50.46%
(R) Henry Bellmon: 48.29%
(I) Paul Trent: 1.25%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Oregon Senate Election
(D) Betty Roberts: 50.25%
(R) Bob Packwood: 49.75%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Pennsylvania Senate Election
(R) Richard Schweiker: 50.17%
(D) Peter Flaherty: 48.64%
(C) George Shankey: 1.19%
(Republican hold)
1974 South Carolina Senate Election
(D) Fritz Hollings: 67.43%
(R) Gwen Bush: 30.35%
(I) Harold Hough: 2.22%
(Democratic hold)
1974 South Dakota Senate Election
(D) George McGovern: 52.46%
(R) Joseph Foss: 47.54%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Utah Senate Election
(R) Jake Garn: 51.50%
(D) Wayne Owens: 48.50%
(Republican hold)
1974 Vermont Senate Election
(D) Patrick Leahy: 51.96%
(R) Richard Mallary: 48.08%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Washington Senate Election
(D) Warren Magnuson: 60.75%
(R) Jack Metcalfe: 36.74%
(AIP) Gene Goosman: 2.51%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Wisconsin Senate Election
(D) Gaylord Nelson: 61.87%
(R) Thomas Petri: 38.13%
(Democratic hold)

1974 Senate Elections
Democrats: 67 (+10)
Republicans: 31 (-10)
Independent: 1
Conservative: 1

Ted & Joan.

Wednesday, December 6th, 1974:

4:33 AM, Washington, DC.

Senator Kennedy pictured with fellow Democratic Senator Jimmy Carter.

2

"Where the fINKs have you been?!" screamed Joan as her husband tried to quietly creep into their Georgetown townhouse. "I was out with the staff, we were just celebrating the midterms." said a beleaguered and visibly drunken Senator. So drunk was Ted Kennedy that he was completely unaware of the fact that his wife was even drunker than him. "The midterms were almost a week ago! Were you with one of those whores?" asked Joan, bluffing in the hopes of catching her chronically unfaithful husband. "I don't think Senator Brooke appreciates you calling him that" cracked Kennedy as he stumbled towards the stairs. "You've got an answer for everything, don't you Ted." "Well I am a politician" he replied, laughing as his wife's face turned red. She turned towards the liquor cabinet behind her and withdrew a bottle of Wild Turkey, which she hurled across the room at him. It shattered against the wall, the alcohol pouring out on the carpeting. "You're not Jack....you're not anything or anyone! You'll never be President because everyone knows you're no better than a fINKsing murderer!" Ted turned violently around halfway up the steps to face her, his eyes bulging with rage. "You fINKsing stupid drunken bitch!" he shouted.

The disintegrating marriage between Ted and Joan had been slowly eroding away since Jack was slain in Dallas. Afterwards, Ted changed. He became more ambitious, almost obsessed with the pursuit of the presidency after Bobby was killed in '68. But these ambitions were hampered by frequent allegations of alcohol abuse and extramarital affairs, not to mention Chappaquiddick.

It was to be a short night for Ted, who was due to fly down to West Palm Beach in the morning to weigh his options with a close gaggle of longtime aides, friends, allies, staff, and donors about a possible 1976 candidacy. He could perhaps work past the incident in Chappaquiddick, but so long as his marriage remained as rocky, such a campaign would be doomed to failure. Joan was the Achilles heel, feared Kennedy, who was much more willing to discuss his wife's battle with alcoholism than his own.

Four hours later, he was on board a private plane with trusted aide and confidant Paul Kirk enroute to the Kennedy compound in Palm Beach. "I don't know what to do" moaned Kennedy, "she's getting worse. And her problem isn't going to go away in time." There was a brief pause, almost a haunting silence aside from the ever present buzz of the propeller. "Have you thought....thought of, you know, leaving her? Divorce isn't as big of a deal as it was ten years ago. Rocky's probably going to be the Vice President for Christ's sake!" "It wouldn't work" groaned Kennedy, "because everyone already knows my dirty laundry. It just wouldn't look good with Chappaquiddick lingering in the background."

"It's been a long night for you, Teed. Maybe you should just get some sleep. We have time on our side still." The Senator gladly took Kirk's advice. His political advice was always on point, but his personal life couldn't be so easily handled. Divorce had consequences, parentally and politically. He'd need the advice of a wise friend, one of greater morality than he ever dared to aspire to. Paul couldn't save his marriage, but maybe Jimmy Carter could.
[1] Taken from Wikipedia.
[2] Taken from Wikipedia.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter VII: Reubin.

Tuesday, November 5th, 1974:

10:45 PM, Tallahassee, FL.

1

The Governor of Florida had just left his election night victory party at the esteemed Hotel Duval in the capital of Tallahassee, where he had addressed cheering supporters after his landslide victory in the 1974 gubernatorial election. Now entering his second term, chatter about a possible presidential candidacy was growing louder, particularly among the party hacks who filled the offices on Monroe and Duval Streets. It was understandable; Reubin Askew, alongside his neighbor to the north Jimmy Carter, were the faces of the "New South." Moderate on economic issues with a slight populist bent, supportive of civil rights and taking mostly conservative stances on the moral issues of the day while still retaining a dialogue with the youth, Askew was on paper a very strong candidate. He had dodged and delayed any talk of higher ambitions, and his landslide reelection only increased his stock among Democrats eager to win back the Presidency.

After the inaugural festivities ended, the Governor gathered a close circle of aides, consultants, donors, and political allies in the legislature to a meeting at Tallahassee's famed Governor's club. The Speaker of the State House, T. Terrell Sessums, had called this meeting on behalf of his friend, the Governor. Present were aides such as Jim Bacchus and Michael Kimber, politicians like Sessums and Lt. Governor Jim Williams, and a number of bunglers and donors who have provided the sustenance that sustained Askew's political career.

A latter day liberal in a state dominated by the "Good 'Ol Boys" network, Askew had gained a lot of attention since his election in 1970 over firebrand Republican incumbent Claude Kirk and then held off Republican Jerry Thomas to win reelection in a landslide. A supporter of the civil rights movement and an opponent of the war in Vietnam, Askew first entered national spotlight with his keynote address at the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami. So impressed by his speech was then nominee George McGovern that he offered Askew a spot on the ticket, though like Senator Walter Mondale (D-MN), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), and Boston's Mayor Kevin White, he refused this offer. The following Watergate scandal left the GOP nearly fatally injured. There has never been a better time to run, his friends would say, but Askew was hesitant. He had just taken up the role as head of the Southern Governor's Conference, a roll that he assumed would give him greater national exposure.

"Governor" said Bachus, "the polling we commissioned has you in a generally favorable position....at least among the people who know you." Askew leaned back in his seat, and confidently asked "so what's the bad news?" Bachus and Kimber laughed out loud. "Well, the good news is that nearly 60% of those polled have a favorable opinion" continued Kimber. "Ok" said Askew, his question still unanswered, "but how many people know who I am period?" There was another silence. "Five percent." Askew chuckled, but there was little time for jokes. After all, there were inaugural festivities that still needed to take place. "Five percent....nationwide?"

"Statewide." The room again fell silent for a brief pause of no more than a handful of seconds. "Where the hell do you find these people? What kinda poll is this! Junk poll! That's what it is!" The Speaker spoke up. "Reubin" he said, "I was up in Atlanta last week. Governor Carter has this wonderkid employed by him. His name is Pat Caddell." The name rang familiar in Askew's mind; "you mean McGovern's pollster? The one from Jacksonville?" At just 24 years of age, Pat Caddell was widely hailed as America's leading pollster.

"Yes" replied Sessums, "and despite his talent, he's having a very hard time finding work. He's too tied to McGovern for the likes of Scoop Jackson, Humphrey, or Bayh." This was a golden opportunity for the Governor. "Give him a call, Terrell" Askew declared, "and get him down to Tally in the next few weeks."

1974 Gubernatorial Election.

1974 Alabama Gubernatorial Election
(D) George Wallace: 82.99%
(R) Elvin McCary: 14.91%
(PHB) Jim Partain: 2.10%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Alaska Gubernatorial Election
(R) Jay Hammond: 49.32%
(D) William Egan: 46.28%
(AI) Joe Vogler: 4.40%
(Republican gain)
1974 Arizona Gubernatorial Election
(D) Raul Castro: 50.96%
(R) Russell Williams: 49.04%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Arkansas Gubernatorial Election
(D) David Pryor: 66.67%
(R) Ken Coon: 33.33%
(Democratic hold)
1974 California Gubernatorial Election
(D) Jerry Brown: 51.78%
(R) Houston Flourney: 44.71%
(AIP) Edmon Kaiser: 2.40%
(PF) Elizabeth Keithley: 1.11%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Colorado Gubernatorial Election
(D) Richard Lamm: 52.84%
(R) John Vanderhoof: 46.33%
(PHB) Earl Dodge: 0.63%
(LAB) Lann Meyers: 0.20%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Connecticut Gubernatorial Election
(D) Ella Grasso: 60.22%
(R) Robert Steele: 38.06%
(AIP) Thomas Fallone: 1.72%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Florida Gubernatorial Election
(D) Reubin Askew: 65.00%
(R) Jerry Thomas: 35.00%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Georgia Gubernatorial Election
(D) George Busbee: 70.72%
(R) Ronnie Thompson: 29.28%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Hawaii Gubernatorial Election
(D) George Ariyoshi: 55.04%
(R) Randolph Crossley: 44.96%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Idaho Gubernatorial Election
(D) Cecil Andrus: 70.85%
(R) Jack Murphy: 27.79%
(AIP) Nolan Victor: 1.36%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Iowa Gubernatorial Election
(D) Robert Ray: 58.70%
(R) James Schaben: 40.40%
(AIP) Ralph Scott: 0.90%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Kansas Gubernatorial Election
(D) Vern Miller: 50.52%
(R) Robert Bennett: 49.48%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Maine Gubernatorial Election
(I) James Longley: 38.29%
(D) George Mitchell: 37.25%
(R) James Erwin: 23.39%
(I) Stanley Leen: 0.82%
(I) William Hughes: 0.25%
(Independent gain)
1974 Maryland Gubernatorial Election
(D) Marvin Mandel: 63.58%
(R) Louise Gore: 36.42%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Massachusetts Gubernatorial Election
(D) Michael Dukakis: 53.32%
(R) Francis Sargent: 42.30%
(AIP) Leo Kahian: 3.45%
(SWP) Don Gurewitz: 0.93%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Michigan Gubernatorial Election
(D) Sander Levin: 53.35%
(R) William Milliken: 44.49%
(I) Zoltan Ferency: 1.19%
(AIP) Hugh Davidson: 0.86%
(C) Eldon Andrews: 0.11%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Minnesota Gubernatorial Election
(D) Wendell Anderson:  62.88%
(R) John W. Johnson: 28.65%
(I) James Miles: 5.61%
(AIP) Harry Pool: 2.59%
(SWP) James VanDeusen: 0.27%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Nebraska Gubernatorial Election
(D) James Exxon: 59.42%
(R) Richard Marvel: 32.81%
(I) Ernie Chambers: 7.77%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Nevada Gubernatorial Election
(D) William Swackhamer: 68.57%
(AIP) James Houston: 15.75%
(R) Shirley Crumpler: 15.68%
(Democratic gain)
1974 New Hampshire Gubernatorial Election
(D) Richard Leonard: 52.89%
(R) Mel Thomson: 47.11%
(Democratic gain)
1974 New Mexico Gubernatorial Election
(D) Jerry Apodaca: 51.01%
(R) Joe Skeen: 47.52%
(AIP) Gene Gonzalez: 1.47%
(Democratic hold)
1974 New York Gubernatorial Election
(D) Hugh Carey: 50.27%
(R) Malcolm Wilson: 46.64%
(C) Wayne Amato: 3.09%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Ohio Gubernatorial Election
(D) John Gilligan: 50.89%
(R) Jim Rhodes: 45.72%
(I) Nancy Lazar: 3.39%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Oklahoma Gubernatorial Election
(D) David Boren: 60.19%
(R) James Infoffe: 39.81%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Oregon Gubernatorial Election
(D) Robert Straub: 56.78%
(R) Victor Atiyeh: 43.22%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election
(D) Milton Shapp: 56.47%
(R) Andrew Lewis: 42.09%
(C) Stephen Depue: 1.16%
(SWP) Fred Stanton: 0.28%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election
(D) Phillip Noel: 75.00%
(R) James Nugent: 25.00%
(Democratic hold)
1974 South Carolina Gubernatorial Election
(R) James Edwards: 50.25%
(D) W.J. Bryan Dorn: 49.75%
(Republican gain)
1974 South Dakota Gubernatorial Election
(D) Richard Kneip: 52.87%
(R) John Olson: 47.13%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Tennessee Gubernatorial Election
(D) Ray Blanton: 55.88%
(R) Lamar Alexander: 44.12%
(Democratic gain)
1974 Texas Gubernatorial Election
(D) Dolph Briscoe: 64.59%
(R) Jim Granberry: 29.61%
(LR) Ramsey Muniz: 5.80%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Vermont Gubernatorial Election
(D) Thomas Salmon: 57.40%
(R) Walter Kennedy: 40.50%
(LU) Martha Abbott: 2.10%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election
(D) Patrick Lucey: 60.14%
(R) William Dyke: 38.62%
(I) Crazy Jim: 1.04%
(S) William Hart: 0.20%
(Democratic hold)
1974 Wyoming Gubernatorial Election
(D) Edgar Herschler: 55.01%
(R) Stanley Hathaway: 44.99%
(Democratic gain)

WASHINGTON, DC: Democrats rode a wave of popular discontent and cynicism to dramatically expand their majorities in both chambers of Congress. Picking up a total of 50 seats in the House of Representatives and ten in the Senate, the Democratic Party is both jubilant at the results nationwide and determined to carry on this winning streak through 1976. Exit polls taken at precincts across the country showed widespread anger at the presidential pardon granted to Richard Nixon, as well as concerns about inflation, energy, and corruption in government. The President, whose approval rating plummeted down to just 38% in the wake of the Nixon pardon, described the results this morning as "a wake up call" and vowed to work with the even larger Democratic majority. "We must come together now as a country" urged Ford, "and put the unpleasantness of our recent past behind us."

The Democratic majority will have two years ahead of the 1976 elections to fight President Ford's agenda. "We've got the keys now" said Speaker Carl Albert (D-OK), who is expected to stand down after the 1976 campaign. Likewise, also retiring is Senator Mike Mansfield (D-MT), the majority leader in the upper chamber. While House Democrats have largely united around Congressman Tip O'Neill, who is expected to succeed Speaker Albert, the Senate caucus is more divided. Both Senators Robert Byrd (D-WV) and Hubert Humphrey (D-MN) are reportedly interested in taking on the most influential role in the Senate.

The midterm wave was one of the largest in memory; among the more noticeable Republican casualties were Senators Marlow Cook (R-KY), Bob Dole (R-KS), Jacob Javits (R-NY), and Bob Packwood (R-OR). In New York, popular moderate Jacob Javits was surprisingly bested by former Johnson era Attorney General Ramsey Clark, who ran as a fiercely anti-war progressive. In Kansas, two term Congressman William Roy narrowly unseated Senator Bob Dole, whom many had viewed as a rising star within the Republican Party.

The midterm's conclusion now brings about the opening of the 1976 presidential campaign. Though the President has not clearly signaled his intent to seek or not seek a full term, a number of potential candidates are lining up to challenge him. The Democratic field is expected to be the largest on record, while it is considered widely plausible in Washington that a conservative challenger to the President could emerge following his decision to nominate Nelson Rockefeller for the Vice Presidency. Potential candidates include Senator Kennedy (D-MA) - far and away the front runner should he choose to run - would possibly face several fellow lawmakers, including Senators Birch Bayh (D-IN), Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX), Frank Church (D-ID), Hubert Humphrey (D-MN), Jackson (D-WA), George McGovern (D-SD), and Walter Mondale (D-MN). Governors Reubin Askew of Florida, Jerry Brown of California, and George Wallace of Alabama have also been named as potential candidates. On the Republican side, President Ford could possibly face Congressmen John Ashbrook (R-OH) or Phil Crane (R-IL), former Governors like Claude Kirk of Florida or Ronald Reagan of California, or Senators James Buckley (C-NY) or Jesse Helms (R-NC).

So far, only one candidate has announced his intentions to challenge Ford. Former Senator Eugene McCarthy has formed an exploratory committee to consider whether or not to seek the White House as either a Democrat or independent candidate. President Ford is slated to meet with Speaker Albert and Senator Mansfield later this afternoon in the Oval Office.
[1] Taken from Florida Memory (Public Domain).

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter VIII: Birch.

Wednesday, November 6th, 1974:

11:45 AM, Washington, DC.

1

The Senator had the presidential bug for a good while by the twilight of 1974; he had entered the 1972 primaries but was forced to withdraw from the race early due to his wife's cancer diagnosis. Though his wife was still all these years later battling cancer weighed heavily on the Indiana Senator's mind, but he was determined take the White House as she was to conquer her illness. Which is why, despite her health, she had given the green light for another presidential campaign. This time would be different, he vowed, "this time we're going to win." Which is why he gathered a smattering of political allies, friends, and patrons in his office inside the Indiana Capitol Building, where he conducted business when he was out of Washington.

Jay Berman, one of Bayh's most trusted staffers, had organized the meeting. Bayh had asked him to chair his aborted '72 campaign, and had done so again when he decided in the spring of 1974 to run again. He had brought Ann Lewis into the fold as well; the feminist activist was a consultant who had assisted Boston's Mayor Kevin White during his campaigns, and was devoted to the New Deal liberalism that had defined the politics of the Democratic Party for decades. Bayh's colleague Vance Hartke was also present, as were a handful of Iowa politicians led by Congressman-elect Berkley Bedell.

"McGovern-Frasier is a dream come true for us" said Lewis, as she briefed those present on the planned campaign strategy, "because it allows us to go directly to the people, and they're going to be looking for the complete opposite of Nixon....which of course means Birch." Bayh immediately voiced his first concern; "the caucuses though?" "The caucuses should be easy" Lewis predicted, "because only the faithful turn out." She was right, and she was ahead of her time. The sleepy caucuses had gone almost completely ignored thus far, with no prospective candidates bothering to actively campaign there. "You ought to think about investing in Iowa" said Bedell, "if you run, I'll be the first to sing your praises back home. You know that. And I know that you're tailor made for my state, especially the eastern counties, and if you dominate there you'll be all they're talking about heading into New Hampshire. It's worth a shot."

Bayh listened respectfully, but he wasn't convinced that the incoming Congressman was telling him the entire truth of the situation. "Iowa picks corn. New Hampshire picks Presidents" he quietly thought to himself, but none the less he understood Bedell's broader point. "I think we can work in a few visits there" said Bayh as he relented. He tried and tried to come up with an excuse to not travel to Iowa in the heart of winter, but there was none to be found. "But I don't plan on going there anytime soon" he continued, "because I don't want to launch this until May. I don't want to commit publicly until Marvela's health is stabilized in any event."

"That's understandable" agreed Senator Hartke, who was preparing for a hard fought campaign in 1976 for reelection. Perhaps with Bayh on the Democratic ticket (either slot would work) it would generate enough enthusiasm to keep Hartke in the Senate, despite an expected challenge from Indianapolis Mayor Dick Lugar. For this reason and this reason alone, Hartke was more on board than anyone else. "Well" said Bayh, "I trust your lips are all sealed?" Everyone in the room murmured in quiet agreement.
Thursday, November 28th, 1974: Thanksgiving Day is observed across America, with tensions about Watergate spoiling over at countless tables in every state of the union. So common was this phenomena that it earned itself a segment on the CBS Evening News the following night as part of Walter Cronkite's commentary.
Friday, November 29th, 1974: The Senate Rules Committee votes to send Nelson Rockefeller's nomination to the full Senate to the vote, after a final round of hearings. Tensions between Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) and Rockefeller boil over, with Byrd comparing questions about his finances to the "drip drip drip" of information relating to Watergate that came out over time. Rockefeller angrily interrupts the Senator, and claims to bitterly resent the contrast.
Sunday, December 1st, 1974: Lucio Cabanas, leader of a communist rebel group called the Party of the Poor, is killed in a shootout with Mexican soldiers during an attempt to bring him into custody. This results in Mexican leftists decrying Cabana's death as an assassination.
Wednesday, December 4th, 1974: Former Governor and presidential perennial candidate Harold Stassen announces he will run for President in 1976 as a Republican. Stassen, who served as the Governor of Minnesota before World War II, had ran for President in 1944, 1948, 1952, 1964, and 1968 as well as making several other bids for local office in Pennsylvania, where he had run for Governor and Mayor of Philadelphia as well with little success. Stassen is the first Republican candidate to declare, though President Ford and his aides do not view the Minnesotan war hero as a serious threat should the President seek a full term.

Former Governor Harold Stassen
2

Sunday, December 8th, 1974: The military regime in Athens conducts a referendum on the abolition of the monarchy. The voters overwhelmingly pass the measure, declaring Greece a republic as a result. The Greek monarch, King Constantine II of Greece, has spent several years in exile in London, sheltered by his relative the Duke of Edinburgh. All the while the military until this point had ruled in his name, despite his opposition.
Monday, December 9th, 1974: A summit in Paris attended by Prime Minister Harold Wilson of the UK, Chancellor Helmut Schmidt of West Germany, and French President Valery Gascard d'Estaing results in an agreement calling for the creation of a European parliament.
Wednesday, December 11th, 1974: A little over a year after seizing power in a violent coup, General Augusto Pinochet is elected by the Chilean legislature as President of Chile. Though the military junta is officially dissolved, the Pinochet regime makes it clear that liberalization or reform are far off prospects for the time being.
Saturday, December 14th, 1974: President Ford and French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing on the French island of Martinique in the Caribbean to discuss bilateral trade relations and the role of NATO in defending Europe. The meeting is hailed as a success by both participants.
Monday, December 16th, 1974: The Senate votes 80-20 to confirm Nelson Rockefeller as the next Vice President. His nomination now proceeds to the House of Representatives, where hearings before the House Judiciary Committee begin.
Tuesday, December 17th, 1974: Several witnesses testify in favor and in opposition to Rockefeller's nomination before the House Judiciary Committee. Among the more noticeable figures are Lyndon LaRouche (leader of the politically enigmatic National Caucus of Labor Committees and an alleged cult leader), who in a bizarre and rambling testimony alleged that Rockefeller was an agent of the British Queen and the KGB among other claims. But the most controversy by far is generated by the decision of Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) to invite several former inmates who were paroled after the Attica riots, in which they condemn then Governor Rockefeller's response. Giving positive testimonials in favor of Rockefeller's nomination were Senators Robert Dole (R-KS) and Jacob Javits (R-NY), both of whom were recently defeated for reelection.
Wednesday, December 18th, 1974: The House Judiciary Committee votes 28-10 in favor of Rockefeller's nomination. The most vocal dissenter is Congressman Rangel, while Congresswoman Barbara Jordan also rejects his nomination, which now advances to the House floor as the Christmas recess approaches.
Friday, December 20th, 1974: The House of Representatives vote 287-128, with twenty abstentions. Afterwards, he is shuttled to the White House, where he is sworn in as Vice President by the Chief Justice in a small ceremony in the White House east room.
Sunday, December 22nd, 1974: In his first major interview since being sworn in as Vice President, Nelson Rockefeller appears on CBS's "Face the Nation," where he rules out a presidential campaign in 1976 due to "current circumstances" but refuses to shut the door completely.
Wednesday, December 25th, 1974: The nation observes Christmas Day.

[1] Taken from Wikipedia.
[2] Taken from Wikipedia.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter IX: Jerry.

Wednesday, January 1st, 1975:

4:40 PM, The White House, Washington DC.

1

"Mr. President" said an unfamiliar voice on the line; the President's secretary had just patched the Ambassador through the line due to an apparent emergency, and President Ford was intrigued by the news. "What could possibly be an emergency in the Bahamas? Did a cruise ship sink? Did they find Blackbeard's buried treasure?" Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld watched on, amused. The President's face suddenly shifted, his half-smile turning into a full frown, his eyes twitched quickly as he pushed back slightly in his chair.

"Oh my God" he said, "yes, I understand.....ah uh....yes, I'll certainly see to that...I'm very sorry to hear that, Mr. Ambassador, thank you. The President sat there in silence for one brief moment, then turned to Rumsfeld. "Don" he began, "Justice Douglas died." There was another short pause; "we'll have to find a replacement, I guess."

The President was prepared for the process of filling a seat on the Supreme Court; Justice Douglas was increasingly in poor health to the point that he had basically ceased going into work accept for the major cases. Under pressure from the Chief Justice, Douglas refused to retire but agreed to take a trip to the Bahamas in order to relax and recuperate. It was not to be.

"Betty wants a woman" said the President to his Chief of Staff. "So did Pat Nixon" agreed Rumsfeld. "You know Judge Kennedy, right?" "Cornelia?" asked the President, to which his Chief of Staff affirmed. "She's absolutely fantastic, and if we pick a woman, we're picking her" argued the President. Rumsfeld, however, was less inclined to her nomination. "She's only a federal district Judge" warned the Chief of Staff, "have you considered appointing her Chief Judge over there in East Michigan? It'd give her valuable experience and would make her an easier choice down the line."

Rumsfeld wasn't entirely wrong thought the President, but he was equally skeptical of his own instincts. "The President does not make history" Ford declared, "they are shaped by it." Of course Cornelia Kennedy wasn't the only person on the list. "What about William Brown?" asked Rumsfeld. "I don't really know him" answered the President, "he was the chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, he's a brilliant lawyer, and he'd be a historic choice as the second black Justice on the Supreme Court. "True" answered the President, "I'd imagine that Cornelia Kennedy would generate more interest. Ask the Attorney General - "

" - the acting Attorney General, sir - "

"Yes, the acting Attorney General...have him draw up a list of the top ten candidates that you two believe belong on the court and bring it to me tomorrow so the counsel and I can review it."
Wednesday, January 1st, 1975: President Ford signs a series of executive orders and passed legislation. The first creates a blue ribbon panel to be chaired by Vice President Rockefeller with the mission of exposing and correcting abuse committed by the intelligence community. He also signs legislation into law creating a national speed limit of 55mph, as well as legislation raising the minimum wage to $2.15.

In Cambodia, the rebel forces of the Khmer Rouge begin encircling the capital city of Phnom Penh as the forces of the Khmer Republic rapidly crumble in the face of the rebel advance. President Ford weighs airstrikes, but legislation passed by Congress has forbidden him from expanding the war in Indochina.

Attorney General William Saxbe is named by President Ford as the next Ambassador to India, freeing up the top position at the Justice Department for a Ford loyalist. The President is determined to break free from Nixon's shadow, and refuses to consider any nominee with political ties to the previous administration.

Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas suffers a stroke while vacationing in the Bahamas. He is rushed to a Miami hospital by way of an ambulance plane, where is listed in critical condition.

The Beatles are legally dissolved as an entity after five years of legal wrangling; in the interim, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr all have gone on to pursue their own musical ventures to continued critical acclaim.
Thursday, January 2nd, 1975: Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas dies in Miami from complications from a stroke. President Ford promises to nominate a replacement Justice to the bench in the coming weeks and months ahead.

Former Senator Fred Harris (D-OK) makes a trip to Iowa, where he spends the next three days rallying former supporters and meeting potential voters. Harris, who ran for President in 1972, is hopeful that his populist rhetoric will push him over the top of the caucuses. The former Oklahoma Senator speaks honestly and candidly to reporters, confirming that he is "exploring" a second campaign but is not ready to commit.
Friday, January 3rd 1975: The 98th Congress convenes, with Speaker Carl Albert (D-OK) and Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (D-MT) retaining their leadership roles. Mansfield and Albert are both considered likely to retire after the 1976 elections. With a veto proof super majority in the Senate, many commentators rush to declare the President a lame duck.

Egypt announces a series of economic liberalization programs among a reform package put forward by President Anwar Sadat. Minor political reforms, such as amnesty for Muslim Brotherhood members, are also implemented.

Former Attorney General John Mitchell and top Nixon aides John Ehrlichman and H.R. Haldeman are convicted for their roles in the Watergate break-in and cover up.
Monday, January 6th, 1975: Former Senator Burton Wheeler (D-MT), who during his quarter century long tenure in the Senate from 1923-1949 was one of the leading isolationists in Congress dies at the age of 92.
Tuesday, January 7th, 1975:  Just four days after the death of Justice Douglas, the White House confirms that a shortlist has been developed and that an appointment will be made within the next few weeks.

The South Vietnamese province of Phuoc Binh is overrun in a massive Viet Cong attack; the local military forces in the area are quickly slaughtered as tens of thousands of fighters flood into the southwest region of South Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh trail. Watching these events gave Kissinger a sense of alarm, but that was to be expected. Privately, the Secretary of State is pessimistic about the odds of South Vietnam's survival and warns President Ford that the North Vietnamese regime may use the uptick in Viet Cong activity to launch a full scale invasion of the south.
Wednesday, January 8th, 1975: With a full day passing since the large scale thrust into South Vietnam without any American military intervention at all, the politburo of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam secretly approves a plan to launch a full scale invasion of the south with the goal of uniting the country under the rule of Hanoi. The NVA, the fifth largest military in the world, begins preparation for the massive attack.
Friday, January 10th, 1975: Chrysler announces it will offer rebates of up to $400 on specific models of new cars and light trucks. The move was fueled by a surplus inventory of nearly 350,000 unsold 1975 models, with the incentive of paying customers rather than reducing the sticker price.

Fred.

Saturday, January 11th, 1975:

12:15 PM, Tulsa, OK.

Senator Fred Harris (D-OK) enters the race.

"Both the economy and the politics of our country are in deep trouble. Too few people have all the money and power, and most people have little or none. Yet, we have a rare chance in 1976 to help return America to its most traditional principle: the right of all of our people to a fair chance and a fair share by their own efforts.

What stands in the way is privilege. Privilege is the issue. It prevents full employment and fair taxes. It drives up prices and corrupts democracy. The basic question in 1976 is whether our government will look after the interests of the average family or continue to protect the super rich and the giant corporations.

I am a candidate for President because I want to make a difference in this country. I will enter the Democratic Primary in New Hampshire, where we will compete vigorously as if our nation depended on it - and it does. LaDonna and I are deeply grateful for the warm friendship and support which we have found in New Hampshire already, and are excited to return there in the coming weeks.

This campaign will be a people's campaign - both in strategy and in beliefs. The strategy is simply this: we will go to the people. The beliefs are these: people are smart enough to govern themselves; and a widespread diffusion of economic and political power ought to be the express goal of government. Some speak of unifying the Democratic Party. I call for the unity of America, unity around principle and national purpose. We must lower taxes for most Americans and raise them for the Nelson Rockefellers and the J. Paul Gettys. We must stop the EXXONs and the Safeways from using their monopoly power to squeeze out competitors and then overcharge consumers. The government must stop emptying the pockets of those who have to work for a living in order to subsidize the Lockheeds and the Penn-Centrals.

1976 can be the year of the people – because several vital things have occurred. Most people now know how they are victimized by money and power. It is tragic that it took Watergate, inflation and recession for some of them to see it. But they now do see it. The change in the presidential campaign financing laws mean that a handful of rich people won't choose our President in 1976. Federal financing, including federal matching funds in the primaries, together with severe restrictions of contributions and spending, mean that the people now have a fighting chance against the ITTs and the Gulf Oils.

We have kept the reforms which democratized the Democratic Party. So, no few powerful politicians can anoint a nominee. It is up to us. The power is in us - the people of the country - as our founders intended. I ask Americans to join in this effort to return America to its people. Let’s get to work for America!
Sunday, January 12th, 1975: Superbowl IX is won by the Pittsburgh Steelers, who defeat the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Monday, January 13th, 1975: In a prime time speech from the White House that is carried on all three networks, President Ford announces a comprehensive plan to tackle inflation as part of his "WIN" (Whip Inflation Now) campaign. The speech does not sit well with the public, particularly after Ford suggested that inflation was the greatest threat to American security since the Second World War. Likewise, his suggestion that Americans buy symbolic "WIN" buttons to express a sense of wartime solidarity.....the only problem of course is that America is no longer at war, and even when it was, the sense of unity was entirely fractured.
Tuesday, January 14th, 1975: Congressman Ron Dellums (D-CA), one of the most reliable left wingers in Congress, announces he will be undertaking a tour of several historically black colleges across the country. The exposure he will gain throughout January (starting with DC's Howard University and ending with FAMU in Tallahassee, FL) generates buzz about a possible Dellums candidacy for President in 1976. Dellums declines to comment when pressed by reporters, claiming that the tour is simply a "listening tour" designed to allow him to hear national concerns that he can address in Congress.

3

WASHINGTON, DC: President Ford delivered his first State of the Union address since his ascension to the Presidency at the end of last summer. "The State of the Union is not good" he declared to a silent chamber, a stark opening to the optimistic addresses to Congress in years past. In his hour long address, the President outlined an ambitious forty point agenda in order to curb inflation and increase unemployment that has been received with a mixed reaction in Washington.

Ford listed a litany of problems facing the country, including inflation, unemployment, affordable housing, increased crime, the debt, and most importantly, the resumed oil embargo. One of Ford's most novel ideas was a proposal to reduce taxation for a year while simultaneously giving each American a check for one thousand dollars in the hopes that it will stimulate the economy and lead to job creation. This proposal in particular was popular among liberals in Congress, though a number of them led by Congressman Ron Dellums (D-CA) were skeptical. Dellums expressed concern that the program could be a subtle move to slowly defund and eventually abolish programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

"Part of our trouble is that we have been self-indulgent" complained the President."For decades, we have been voting ever-increasing levels of Government benefits, and now the bill has come due" the President warned. Other lawmakers were less enthralled by the proposed tax cut, which Senate Majority Whip Robert Byrd (D-WV) warned would be dead on arrival in the Senate. The official Democratic response was delivered by Senator Hubert Humphrey (D-MN), who dismissed the President's proposals and further went on to criticize the President for pardoning Richard Nixon after his inauguration. Neither Ford's address nor Humphrey's response drew strong reactions, and the estimated ratings of this years speech on television were considerably lower than in recent years.
Thursday, January 16th, 1975: President Ford announces the selection of Edward Levi, the President of the University of Chicago, as the next Attorney General. The Senate Judiciary Committee schedules hearings for later in the month.
Friday, January 17th, 1975: Former President Richard Nixon met with grand jurors at a California Coast Guard Station to testify under oath about the Watergate affair.

At the first meeting of China's National People's Congress in over a decade, Zhou Enlai is retained as Premier and Deng Xiaoping, who had been purged from the Communist Party during the Cultural Revolution, was elected as a Vice-Premier and Vice-Chairman of the party. Yeh Chin-ying was made Defense Minister, replacing the deceased Lin Biao (the position had been vacant since the 1971 coup attempt). A new Constitution for the People's Republic is also approved. Mao Zedong remains the General Secretary of the Communist Party and continues on as the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China. The return of Deng Xiaoping makes Mao's wife Jiang Qiang and his nephew Mao Yuanxin nervous, as they had been at odds with the more pragmatic communists like Zhou and Deng. A small clique of devoted hard line Maoists begin plotting a power grab as an ailing Mao's life comes closer to its close.
Friday, January 24th, 1975: In New York City, the FALN, a militant group seeking independence for Puerto Rico, sets off a bomb in Frances Tavern. Four people were killed and 53 injured. President Ford immediately orders an FBI investigation immediately after the FALN took credit for the bombing by placing an anonymous call to a local radio station.
Wednesday, January 28th, 1975: A bomb explodes inside the State Department in Washington, DC. The small blast damages a bathroom but fails to injure or kill anyone. The Weather Underground takes responsibility for the attack, as does the FALN. The FBI does not have any reason to suspect a connection between the two groups as the investigation into the recent Frances Tavern bombing and the blast in Washington.
Friday, January 31st, 1975: Gallup releases their first poll for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations in 1976, as well as the President's approval rating.

1976 Democratic Primary.
Ted Kennedy: 33%
Birch Bayh: 16%
George Wallace: 11%
Hubert Humphrey: 10%
Henry Jackson: 8%
Reuben Askew: 8%
Lloyd Bentsen: 5%
Frank Church: 3%
Fred Harris: 2%
Jerry Brown: 2%
Ron Dellums: 1%
Eugene McCarthy: 1%

1976 Republican Primaries
Gerald Ford: 51%
Ronald Reagan: 46%
Charles Percy: 3%
Harold Stassen: 0%

Gerald Ford Approval Rating
Disapprove: 61%
Approve: 30%
Neutral: 9%
[1] Taken from a source that I can't even remember, but these were not deleted automatically so I'm assuming it's public domain. I will delete and replace it if necessary.
[2] Taken from Wikipedia.
[3] Taken from Wikipedia.

[LoneStarDem]

I'm assuming this TL included the death of Argentine President Juan Peron ?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter X: Ted.

Saturday, February 1st, 1975:

9:00 AM, Washington, DC.

1

The Kennedy compound in West Palm remained their primary getaway location; complete with high walls, a pool, and a beachfront behind the mansion, it was a haven for Senator Kennedy when he needed to escape the rigors of Washington life. He walked up the beach a ways with his chief confidante, Paul Kirk, knowing that by the time the sun set, they'd already be back in Washington, facing the pressures of politics.

"I was nice to get down here" said Kennedy, "'because, 'er, because Joan's really been hitting the sauce." Kirk grimaced; he had seen Joan at her best but he had also seen her at her worst. Then again, was that any different from what he had witnessed in Ted over the years? "If you run, the public is going to want to know her. But they can't see her like this" Kirk advised, "I think you'd be best off trying to get her some treatment. "She'd never agree to go" sighed Ted, "and I don't blame her..,,,besides, what about the kids?

The conversation soon turned from personal concerns to political ones. The President - who was once very popular in the wake of Watergate - now enjoyed an approval rating of merely 35%. The second oil crisis was hitting American's hard, but not as hard as the previous embargo. Prices were going up, but the country was still moving forward as it had before, if only at a slower pace.

"Helms is bring up Chappaquiddick every chance he can" groaned Ted, "it's only a matter of time before he brings it up on the floor and gets reprimanded. But that won't stop him." Paul was not deterred by Helms. "He's a bircher, nobody takes him seriously anyway" said Paul, "besides, he isn't the type who makes any real impact.

"I'm leading in the polls. I know Helms isn't having impact. Not on Democrats at least. It's after the convention that I'm worried about" said the Senator, "money isn't an issue either. It's just....reputation that is holding me back." Kirk understood the challenges Kennedy would face following the incident in Chappaquiddick, but he was surprised that the Senator was hesitant to embrace the challenge. "Ted, if you run, then you win. We can make this happen. We can have a return to Camelot." The mythology of the slain JFK continued well into the next decade after he was struck down in Dallas, and Kennedy was in a prime position to capitalize on the nostalgia.

"I just....I'm not entirely sure if this is my time" said Ted, "we should turn back Paul, we're going to have to catch that flight at in a few hours and if we go any further down the shore, we'll be in a major rush when we get back." Kirk agreed, and they turned around, returning to the discussion they had earlier about Joan's drinking. "I'll think about our options on the flight though" the Senator affirmed. Kirk was satisfied; "just think about it, Ted, just think about it."
Sunday, February 2nd, 1975: In an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press, President Ford outlines his proposed budget for the 1976 fiscal year. He immediately comes under fire from the conservative flank of the Republican Party due to the deficit of $52 billion dollars, which critics including Governor Reagan claim is "the largest in peacetime history."

Tuesday, February 4th, 1975: A massive earthquake rattles Haicheng, China. The secretive regime of the ailing Mao Zedong suppresses information about the true extent of the damage and death caused by the quake. Foreign journalists are forbidden from traveling to the city, though whispers reach Peking claiming that the city is virtually in ruins and that casualties number possibly as high as 100,000.

As the Chinese government, primarily led by Premier Zhou Enlai (who likewise in ailing health) begins coordinating rescue and reconstruction efforts, a shadowy clique of hardline Maoists led by Mao's wife Jiang Qiang and his nephew Mao Yuanxin slowly begin to recruit more high ranking military and party officials into their orbit.
Wednesday, February 5th, 1975: The Conservative Party of the United Kingdom holds the first round of a leadership election triggered by right-leaning monetarist MPs. The vote was triggered by the 1922 Committee in the wake of the two disastrous performances of Heath in the 1974 elections, and many were regardless dissatisfied with the One Nation brand of liberal-conservatism espoused by former Prime Minister Ted Heath in any event.

Heath's sole challenger on the first ballot is Margaret Thatcher, the first woman to seriously contest the leadership of a major British political party. On the first ballot, Thatcher bests Heath 130-119, with a further 16 votes for backbencher Hugh Fraser. Though neither candidate reaches a majority, it is clear that Heath does not command the confidence of even half his MPs, and as a result resigns as the leader of the party. The next ballot will take place next week; in addition to Thatcher, several other candidates including William Whitelaw, Geoffrey Howe, and Jim Prior announce their intention to stand.

In other news, President Ford's selection of Edward Levi is confirmed by the Senate following a voice vote. He is sworn into office the following day in the East Room in the presence of President Ford and the First Lady.

2

Scoop.

Friday, February 7th, 1975:

4:00 PM, Seattle, WA.

3

"At this juncture in our history, the long shadow of Watergate has darkened our faith in our democratic government, and has exposed an underlying cynicism that permeates throughout the land. And indeed, in these times, it easy to fall prey to such a prevailing attitude. Because we have seen, all to our shared horror, what the excesses of power can do to a nation. Through the reckless and criminal actions of an imperial President and his henchmen, our nation has been brought to it's knees.

But the American people are rising again, and so is this country.

They are rising against our zig-zag foreign policy, which has seen the fall of Hanoi and the resurgence of the Soviet's abroad. In the Middle East, a fragile peace is threatened daily by rising tensions and domestic turbulence. In Europe, the Iron Curtain shows no sign of rust. And at home, where inflation eats away at our savings, where the plague of joblessness has led to an even worse epidemic of hopelessness, where crime is at an all time high and trust in our institutions is at an all time low.

At this hour, I believe it is necessary for a candidate to emerge who can restore America's prestige both at home and abroad. One who is equally conscious and equally concerned with the plight of the working families and the brutal realities and ever present dangers of the world in which we live. A candidate who will speak truth to power bluntly. I believe I am that candidate.

That is why today, I am here to announce that I am once again a candidate for the Presidency of the United States of America!"
Monday, February 10th, 1975: Argentine President Isabel Peron orders the military to use "any means necessary" against leftist insurgents active in Tucuman Province, part of an overall campaign within the country to eradicate communist resistance to the regime. Isabel Peron, the first female President of the country, had taken office in July of 1974 following the death of her husband, the iconic Juan Peron. The elder Peron had only recently returned from exile in Spain before assuming the Presidency, making his third wife Isabel the Vice President and successor in the process. In the wake of her ascension to the Presidency of Argentina, the widow Peron has been forced to take hard handed measures to assert her authority and ensure the support of the right leaning military.
Tuesday, February 11th, 1975: Margaret Thatcher defeats three other rivals to win the leadership of the Conservative Party. This makes her the first woman to lead a major British political party, and immediately speculation swirls as to whether or not she can be elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the next general election.

Wednesday, February 12th, 1975: A referendum in South Korea approves a new constitution, with 80% of the people voting in favor of granting President Park Chung-hee greater authority. South Korean dissidents, who have largely been suppressed by the military backed regime, claim that the vote was fraudulent. Supporters of Park however insist it is a sign of the President's strong support among the South Korean people, a claim that is dubious at best.
Thursday, February 13th, 1975: A large fire in the upper floors of the north tower of the World Trade Center results in large scale damage, but no casualties. The New York Fire Department's analysis of the fire and it's cause later reveals that had the fire broken out during the work day, the potential for causalities would have been "on the scale of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire."
Thursday, February 14th, 1975: President Ford nominates Judge Cornelia Kennedy of the Federal Appeals Court to the Supreme Court; she is the first woman ever nominated to the federal bench, and her selection to the court is hailed by women's right's activists.

Congressman Jerry Pettis (R-CA), the Deputy Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, is killed while flying his private plane from Palm Springs to San Bernadino, California, where he was due for a press conference. His widow Shirley Pettis will go on to win the seat in a special election.
Tuesday, February 18th, 1975: Amir Asadollah Alam, the former Iranian Prime Minister and the Shah’s closest adviser, is killed when a briefcase filled with explosives is thrown at him during a speech at Mashad University. The assailant is immediately detained and later tortured to death, is a supporter of exiled cleric Khomenei.
Friday, February 21st, 1975: Former Attorney General John Mitchell, former White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman, and former presidential counselor John Ehrlichman are all sentenced to a minimum of two and a half years in prison for their role in the organization of the Watergate coverup.
Tuesday, February 25th, 1975: Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam and the central figure of America's black Muslim movement, dies in Chicago at the age of 77. His disciple Louis Farrakhan and his more moderate son, Warith Deen Muhammad, will soon be engaged in an intense internal struggle for control of the organization.

I'm assuming this TL included the death of Argentine President Juan Peron ?

Good catch! I've made a reference to it in this update, which addresses the status of Argentina.
[1] Taken from PastDaily.com.
[2] Taken from Wikipedia.
[3] Taken from Wikipedia.
[4] Taken from PicClickImg.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter XI: More Ted.

Thursday, March 6th, 1975:

10:10 AM, Palm Beach, FL.

Ted Kennedy, pictured at an airport press conference.

1

The Kennedy compound in West Palm remained their primary getaway location; complete with high walls, a pool, and a beachfront behind the mansion, it was a haven for Senator Kennedy when he needed to escape the rigors of Washington life. He walked up the beach a ways with his chief confidante, Paul Kirk, knowing that by the time the sun set, they'd already be back in Washington, facing the pressures of politics.

"I was nice to get down here" said Kennedy, "'because, 'er, because Joan's really been hitting the sauce." Kirk grimaced; he had seen Joan at her best but he had also seen her at her worst. Then again, was that any different from what he had witnessed in Ted over the years? "If you run, the public is going to want to know her. But they can't see her like this" Kirk advised, "I think you'd be best off trying to get her some treatment. "She'd never agree to go" sighed Ted, "and I don't blame her..,,,besides, what about the kids?

The conversation soon turned from personal concerns to political ones. The President - who was once very popular in the wake of Watergate - now enjoyed an approval rating of merely 35%. The second oil crisis was hitting American's hard, but not as hard as the previous embargo. Prices were going up, but the country was still moving forward as it had before, if only at a slower pace.

"Helms is bring up Chappaquiddick every chance he can" groaned Ted, "it's only a matter of time before he brings it up on the floor and gets reprimanded. But that won't stop him." Paul was not deterred by Helms. "He's a bircher, nobody takes him seriously anyway" said Paul, "besides, he isn't the type who makes any real impact.

"I'm leading in the polls. I know Helms isn't having impact. Not on Democrats at least. It's after the convention that I'm worried about" said the Senator, "money isn't an issue either. It's just....reputation that is holding me back." Kirk understood the challenges Kennedy would face following the incident in Chappaquiddick, but he was surprised that the Senator was hesitant to embrace the challenge. "Ted, if you run, then you win. We can make this happen. We can have a return to Camelot." The mythology of the slain JFK continued well into the next decade after he was struck down in Dallas, and Kennedy was in a prime position to capitalize on the nostalgia.

"I just....I'm not entirely sure if this is my time" said Ted, "we should turn back Paul, we're going to have to catch that flight at in a few hours and if we go any further down the shore, we'll be in a major rush when we get back." Kirk agreed, and they turned around, returning to the discussion they had earlier about Joan's drinking. "I'll think about our options on the flight though" the Senator affirmed. Kirk was satisfied; "just think about it, Ted, just think about it."
Friday, March 7th, 1975: Negotiations between Iran and Iraq break down over several relatively minor disagreements. Iran refuses to quit arming Kurdish separatists where as Iraq continues to insist that they receive at least a quarter of the disputed territory.

In Tel Aviv, the Savoy Hotel is seized by eight Al-Fatah commandos after they rowed ashore to Israel from the Mediterranean Sea. Thirteen persons were taken hostage in the early morning hours, resulting in the Israeli counter-terrorism unit Sayeret Matkal storming the hotel later in the day. Seven of the eight guerrillas. Eight hostages and three of the Israeli soldiers died in the operation

The Zapruder film, which depicted the assassination of JFK as it happened, is aired on ABC for the first time on television. Host Geraldo Rivera is stunned and shocked by the graphic footage, as was the studio audience who collectively gasped at the gory film.
Monday, March 10th, 1975: As the sun rises over South Vietnam, the North Vietnamese pounce. Tens of thousands of soldiers come down the Ho Chi Minh trail and regroup with local Viet Cong guerrillas before pouring over the borders and launching multiple attacks on South Vietnamese forces in the southwestern highlands. President Thieu calls the invasion "the ultimate betrayal" and urges the United States to intervene. However, there is little appetite for a second war in Indochina after the 1973 Paris Peace Accords.

Nancy.

Tuesday, March 11th, 1975:

12:42 PM, Las Angeles, CA.

The Reagan Family, circa 1975.

2

The former First Lady of California had her eyes on a bigger title, which would compliment the glamour in which she exuded almost naturally. Once a star of the silver screen, Nancy's latest role was that of her husband's protector. The charismatic and charming Governor was in his private life deeply aloof and introverted towards everyone outside of his family, and even longtime aides and allies would go on to claim that they never quite really knew the real Ronald Reagan.

Nancy had her faults of course; the largely Democratic leaning state of California viewed her with mixed reactions. Detractors claimed she was a vain and vindictive witch who terrorized anyone who got in the way of her beloved Ronnie's ambitions. Others joked about the (unfounded) rumors that she threatened to stab an aide with a stiletto. But the most controversial aspect of her tenure was the extravagance she commanded; when Reagan first was elected Governor in 1966 and sworn in to office in 1967, she refused to move the family into the historic Governor's mansion in Sacramento as she deemed it to be a firetrap.

Instead, a group of wealthy businessmen (predominately bankers and affluent automobile dealers) had purchased a smaller, but considerably more modern and private residence for the Reagans to reside in. They sold the house to Nancy for a grand total of one single dollar. Leftists and liberals in San Francisco would tear into her with fury, but this was balanced by the almost fanatical support that Ronald and Nancy Reagan would generate in conservative bastions like Orange County.

Nancy walked in to a small bistro in Las Angeles, recognized by all present but bothered by none, where she found her friend waiting in a small booth by the corner. After some pleasant small talk about their families, the weather, and their planned vacations. "We don't have a lot of time" said Nancy, "we're going to be in Jamaica next week, and Ronnie said that a final decision would be made" Her guest smiled; "we're heading down to Mexico for three days" he said, "but I'll be back before you guys are." Nancy smiled, took a sip of her coffee, and continued on. "I don't know for sure if he's running....he hasn't made a decision, he says, but I know my husband, and I sure as hell know that if he thinks he could change things....well, then he'll do it. Has he told you anything?"

"Your guess is as good as mine" replied Nofziger; Lynn Nofziger was a longtime Reagan loyalist. At the age of 50, he had a long resume. He had served in the military in the waning days of World War II, and afterwards worked as journalist for almost two decades before joining Reagan's campaign for Governor in 1966. After Reagan's victory, Nofziger worked as the spokesman and communications director for the actor turned Governor. Later, he worked as Chief of Staff to the Republican caucus in the California State House, where his talents reached the ears of President Nixon, who offered him the position of White House Chief of Staff after Haldeman's resignation. Seeing the writing on the wall as the Watergate scandal ballooned, Nofziger declined the offer and returned to California, where he was immediately drafted by Nancy to help prepare for a possible presidential campaign.

"The bunglers are all lined up, right?" asked Nofziger; "yes" answered Nancy, "all our friends are on board." Nofziger was comforted by this news, but there was still another hurdle to face. "What about the President?" he asked, "what if he runs again." Nancy laughed. There was a brief pause, before she realized he was being serious. "Gerald Ford hasn't a snowballs chance in Death Valley...not after the midterms, at least." "I agree, to some extent" said Nofziger, "I think he does run. And I think we beat him."

"If he wants to embarrass himself, fine" said Nancy as she struck a match on the corner of the table and cinematically sparked a cigarette. "But remember, it isn't about us. It's about Ronnie."
Tuesday, March 11th, 1975: A failed coup by officers loyal to the toppled fascist government of Portugal is reversed by soldiers loyal to the leftist government. Forces loyal to the new government are able to quickly seize control of the capitol of Lisbon before the Prime Minister, Vasco Goncalves, can be forced from power. Politically independent of the two main political parties operating in the country following the Carnation Revolution, Goncalves aligns himself with the Communist Party led by Alvaro Cunhal. Goncalves begins referring to himself as "an independent Marxist" but does not join Cunhal's party. Afterwards, he delivers an emotional and at times erratic speech, in which he calls for "a perpetual revolution" to rid Portugal of "the fascist cancer."

Three Turkish boys, aged 10, 11, and 8 are gunned down by a ethnically Greek member of EOKA, a nationalistic group that fought for Cyprus's independence in preference for a union with Greece.
Wednesday, March 12th, 1975: Anti-Greek rioting breaks out over night in Istanbul, after the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, Alparslan Turkes, whips the mob into a frenzy. They first attempt to march on the Greek embassy, but President Fahri Koruturk orders the army to block the mob. Instead of clashing with their fellow Turks, they instead move on to the residence of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, Demetrios I. Upon reaching his home, the angry mob of Turkish nationalists storm his residence and savagely beat and assault him. Turkish police stand by for hours as his home is ransacked and burnt. Another two aides to the Patriarch are killed trying to defend him. When army units arrive, the mob disperses. Eventually brought to a hospital, the Turkish government fears his death under their care, and thus immediately arrange for his transportation to an American military hospital in West Germany. The incident greatly increases tensions between Greece and Turkey.
Thursday, March 13th, 1975: When news reaches Cyprus of the attack on the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, riots break out across the island. Several mosques are burnt across the island as infuriated Greeks demand more decisive action against the Turkish occupiers.
Friday, March 14th, 1975: Alsparan Turkes, leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party and their Grey Wolves paramilitary allies, leads a massive march on the presidential palace in Ankara to call for President Koruturk’s resignation as President. The mob surrounds the heavily guarded palace, and a quiet siege begins.
Saturday, March 15th, 1975: The sit-in at the presidential palace in Ankara continues into its second day, with security forces barricading the doors and shuttering up the windows to prevent the crowd from entering.

As the world watches the political crisis unfold in Turkey, another crisis began inside the Kremlin. Leonid Brezhnev, the long serving General Secretary and paramount leader of the USSR, dies following a heart attack. In recent months as his health began to seriously fail, and the scramble for succession was well under way. The news is not immediately announced.
Sunday, March 16th, 1975: Soviet state television announces the death of Leonid Brezhnev following a heart attack at his dacha outside of Moscow. Deputy General Secretary Mikhail Suslov ascends to power as General Secretary, being the most prominent and influential member. However, his power is not infinite. A troika emerges in which KGB chief Yuri Andropov and the reform minded Premier Alexei Kosygin also exercise a considerable degree of influence. Nikolai Podgorny remains the nominal head of state as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, though his position is virtually powerless.

Leonid Breznhev, leader of the USSR (1906-1977)

3

Monday, March 17th, 1975: The New York Times reveals that former Vice President and Senator Hubert Humphrey (D-MN) agreed to pay back taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service, after his claim of a deduction of $199,153 for the donation of records from service as Vice President of the United States was disallowed. Nearly a year earlier, then-President Richard M. Nixon had also been disallowed a more than $450,000 deduction for his vice-presidential papers. Some speculate in Washington that the tax scandal in conjunction with rumors about his health might damage his odds as he ponders launching a fourth campaign for the White House.
Tuesday, March 18th, 1975: Herbert Chipeto, leader of the Zimbabwean African National Union (ZANU) is killed by members of the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organization after a bomb attached under his car explodes. Robert Mugabe assumes the leadership of the underground rebel organization in the wake of his death,

In Turkey, the sit-in at the President's palace continues. General Ahmet Kenan Evren negotiates with the followers of Alsparan Turkes to end their “occupation” of the palace, but the occupiers refuse to budge and the army refuses to attack. The incident greatly erodes public confidence in the government of President Koruturk.
Tuesday, March 25th, 1975: King Faisal of Saudi Arabia is shot and killed by his nephew, Prince Faisal bin Musa'id bin Abdul Aziz. The mentally ill prince had his passport seized by the King after he had gotten in trouble with authorities for selling LSD in the United States. The King is succeeded by his brother, who takes the throne as King Khalid.
Wednesday, March 26th, 1975: In a White House press conference, Press Secretary Jerry terHorst reaffirms American support for the Saudi government, and voices concern about the growing radicalization of Muslims in the country. Ironically, this official statement will be used against the House of Saud by Islamists, who claim the King is merely a pawn of American interests and Zionists.

During the same White House press briefing, Press Secretary Jerry terHorst confirms the President will be attending the annual NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium, before making stops in Austria, Italy, the Vatican, and Spain in June.

Senator William Roth (R-DE) and Congressman Jack Kemp (R-NY) announce their intention to introduce the Tax Reduction Act of 1975; the bill would give each American a 10% rebate from their taxed income, as well as creating several new reductions. Though the bill is championed by the conservative wings of both major parties, it is strongly criticized by the left for creating what they see as loopholes designed to benefit the rich.
Thursday, March 27th, 1975: Former White House Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman appears on the first of two interviews by Mike Wallace on the CBS news program 60 Minutes. The appearance, and Haldeman's answers to questions about ex-President Richard M. Nixon and the Watergate scandal, were divulged by Haldeman for a payment of $25,000.

After a quiet and smooth process, the Senate votes to confirm Judge Cornelia Kennedy to the Supreme Court by a vote of 95-5; the five nay votes for the first woman Justice come from Senators Jesse Helms (R-NC), Strom Thurmond (R-SC), John Tower (R-TX), Harry Byrd (I-VA), and Fritz Hollings (D-SC).
Friday, March 28th, 1975: South Vietnamese forces hunker down in Saigon as the invading North begins to encircle the city. Within a matter of hours, the NVA is bombaring the outskirts of the city, forcing throngs of terrified residents into the city center.
Monday, March 31st, 1976: With the help of the North Vietnamese forces active in their country (due in part to the Ho Chi Minh trail's route), Khmer Rouge forces rapidly break through the last line of defense of the capitol of Phnom Penh. President Lon Nol announces that all Khmer Republic forces are to surrender at midnight before he too fled the country alongside the US Ambassador.

Gallup releases their second poll ahead of the 1976 elections.

1976 Democratic Primary.
Ted Kennedy: 30%
Birch Bayh: 14%
George Wallace: 14%
Hubert Humphrey: 11%
Henry Jackson: 9%
Reuben Askew: 6%
Lloyd Bentsen: 5%
Frank Church: 5%
Fred Harris: 1%
Jerry Brown: 1%
Ron Dellums: 1%
Eugene McCarthy: 1%

1976 Republican Primaries
Gerald Ford: 49%
Ronald Reagan: 46%
Charles Percy: 4%
Harold Stassen: 1%

Gerald Ford Approval Rating
Disapprove: 59%
Approve: 29%
Neutral: 12%
[1] Taken from Wikipedia.
[2] Taken from Wikipedia.
[3] Still from a YouTube video.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter XII: Bentsen

Tuesday, April 1st, 1975:

11:00 AM, Washington, DC.

Senator Lloyd Bentsen announces his candidacy at a Washington press conference.

1

"Good afternoon; I am here today to announce my candidacy for the nomination of my party for President in 1976. Today, our country is a nation in crisis. The arrogance of power has corrupted our leaders and eroded our faith in our government. Economic concerns weigh on the mind - and wallet - of working Americans across the country. Abroad, it seems our enemies are more emboldened and our friends more distant. This must and will change.

In seeking the Presidency, I know that I will be joining a contest that includes many of my colleagues and friends in Washington. These men are fine men. They are seeking the Presidency out of a sense of duty and compassion, not for personal gain or profit. In the coming months, each of us will be required to distinguish themselves before the rank and file Democrats who make up the party and are now responsible for the nomination of a candidate.

I believe my record in particular will attract wide support from all wings of the party. As a Congressman and later a Senator, I have always fought first and foremost for the working class, the small businessman, the single mother trying to make ends meet, and for the farmers who sustain this country and people's around the world. I have made it my mission to voice the concerns of our elderly, particularly our veterans. I have made it my cause to fight for a measure of justice for all Americans, black, white, or brown.

Representing a diverse state, I believe I am uniquely able to reach out to Americans of all stripes and backgrounds. In many ways, Texas is separate and unique in the United States. In many other ways, it is a microcosm of American life. We speak two languages in the Lone Star State, yet we worship one God. We work in the fields, the factories, the oil rigs, the railroad yards and the mines and the gas fields and the chemical plants. We have the gross domestic product that compares in size and scope to many sovereign and independent nations. And we have a long tradition of law and order, rule of law, and representative democracy that dates back to the Alamo.

Texans have never wanted a hand-out; but many in Texas and across America do need a hand up. I am running and I am reaching out to them, and together, we will pull this country up to where it needs to be. I will be happy to take your questions now."
Tuesday, April 1st, 1975: Chiang Kai-shek dies in Taipei aged 87; the longtime leader of Nationalist China is succeeded by Vice President Yen Chia-kan. His death marks the end of an era in China, which is still held in the absolute control of his dying rival Mao Zedong for several decades.

Neak Leung, an important supply depot near Phnom Penh, falls to the Khmer Rouge. With President Lon Nol fleeing the country, Senate President Saukam Khoy becomes acting President of the Khmer Republic. Within hours of assuming office, he begins organizing the surrender of republican forces to the communist rebels.

The first license ever issued in the United States for a same-sex marriage was issued by Clela Rorex, the County Clerk for Boulder County, Colorado. Dave McCord and Dave Zamora had consulted with the county's District Attorney, who decided that there was nothing in Colorado law that prohibited same sex marriage, and Rorex gave approval for the two men to marry. However, the couple's license was invalidated by Colorado's Attorney General J.D. MacFarlane.
Wednesday, April 2nd, 1975: As North Vietnam's army advances on Da Nang, a World Airways Boeing 727 which had been evacuating refugees lands again to find an even larger crowd than before; though the plane is only capable of carrying 150 passengers, over 400 South Vietnamese soldiers forcibly took control of the sitaution and forced the pilot to evacuate them first, fearing that VNA or Viet Cong will persecute, imprison, or execute them after the war. The plane was so overloaded that it had to take off with the back stairs down, with other soldiers even cramming themselves into thee wheelwells or the undercarriage of the jet.

President Ford meanwhile orders the evacuation of all Americans from Cambodia, which goes into action immediately. American special forces are sent into more isolated parts of the country to rescue American citizens in the region.
Friday, April 4th, 1975: Bill Gates and Paul Allen incorporate Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

President Ford orders the American Navy, Marine Corp, and Army to assist in he evacuation of Americans from South Vietnam. Crowds in Saigon mass outside many of the foreign embassies, particularly the American compound. An airlift begins to evacuate people from the rooftop by helicopter, but the throngs of people grow larger and larger by the hour.
Sunday, April 6th, 1975: Appearing once again on NBC's "Meet the Press," Senator Walter Mondale (D-MN) denies any presidential ambitions and instead endorses his colleague, Senator Humphrey for the nomination. Humphrey is not actively campaigning for the nomination but has signaled that he could enter the race at the Democratic Convention.
Tuesday, April 8th, 1975: Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) appears on CBS's Morning News, where he criticizes Presidents Nixon and Ford for being the "men who lost Vietnam." Goldwater's criticisms are part of a growing current of conservative discontent within the GOP.
Friday, April 11th, 1975: North Vietnam occupies the Spratley Islands, which are claimed by South Vietnam and the China as well. Almost 70% of the country is under the occupation of the communists, with Saigon in chaos as thousands upon thousands attempt to flee in one way or another.
Saturday, April 12th, 1975: The President orders Operation Eagle Pull to commence. The operation is an evacuation mission designed to secure American citizens working or living in Cambodia, but is also viewed as a dry run for a similar but larger in scale rescue mission in the event that Saigon falls.
Sunday, April 13th, 1975: President Francois Tombalbaye of Chad is killed in a bloody coup after fifteen yeas in power; a military junta of lower ranked officers take control of the country for the time being. Many suspect French involvement, as Tombalbaye was pursuing a socialist path and had nationalized several French owned businesses during his rule.
Monday, April 14th, 1975: President Ford addresses the nation from the Oval Office in which he formally requests Congress pass a massive foreign aid package to help relieve some of the strains faced by South Vietnam. His proposal is met with little enthusiasm, however, and both Speaker Albert and Senate Majority Leader Mansfield tell the President that the bill is dead on arrival.
Thursday, April 17th, 1975: At sunrise, the Khmer Republic capitulates to the Khmer Rouge, who enter the city triumphantly and declare the creation of "Democratic Kampuchea." The rebels begin sweeping through the city that very same day, deporting thousands upon thousands to the countryside, where they will be forced to toil in rice paddies as a form of "socialist reeducation."

The funeral of Chiang Kai-shek is held in Taipei, headlined by President Ford and a number of Asian leaders. Noticeably absent is the President of South Vietnam, who is attempting to hold off the overpowering North Vietnamese onslaught.

Former Treasury Secretary John Connally is acquitted in a bribery trial; most observers note the number of prominent character witnesses (including First Ladies Lady Bird Johnson and Jackie Kennedy, Billy Graham, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, and former Secretary of Defense Robert MacNamara among others). The verdict sparks speculation that the vindicated Connally might seek the Presidency in 1976 as a Republican, though he denies any interest in a campaign when pressed by reporters as he leaves court.
Tuesday, April 22nd, 1975: With Cambodia now in the hands of the communists, the NVA and the Viet Cong tighten the noose around Saigon.

Despite a relatively decently sized draft movement within the GOP, Senator Charles Percy (R-IL) rules out a presidential campaign in 1976, and throws his support behind President Ford.
Tuesday, April 27th, 1975: "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" is played on the radio in South Vietnam, the prearranged single for evacuation. Within minutes, all American citizens remaining in Saigon immediately leave for the American embassy. Operation Frequent Wind begins, with helicopters evacuating scores of American contractors and businessmen as well as thousands of Vietnamese refugees. The Ambassador to South Vietnam, Graham Martin, is the very last person to leave. The last American helicopter lifted off the rooftop as North Vietnamese tanks smashed through the gates of the presidential palace and raised the Yellow Star flag of the now united country over the legislature's building; after almost a decade of brutality, chaos, destruction, and death, the Vietnam War was over.

The fall of Saigon, immortalized by the evacuation of the American embassy.

2

[1] Taken from Texas Archive of the Moving Image; though their videos are licensed, I believe the images are considered public domain. I might be mistaken, and if there is any complaint fell free to remove it.
[2] Taken from Wikipedia.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter XIII: Church.

Thursday, May 1st, 1975:

2:25 PM, Washington, DC.

1

Senator Frank Church (D-ID) and Congressman Otis Pike (D-NY) were leading the charge to expose the clandestine and often outright illegal activities both at home and abroad. Among the salacious details the two had uncovered were the use of wiretapping, blackmail, espionage, sabotage, and worst of all, assassinations. It gave them no pleasure nor vindication in discovering these unsavory truths. Church outright feared, with justifiable cause, a public reaction that would permanently erupt the people's trust in their governing institutions. Senator Philip Hart (D-MI), another member of the Committee, had also come to read the briefing documents.

"People are going to have to go to jail for this" Hart sighed, his disappointment in the conduct of the intelligence services evident to all. "I thought the Ellsburg burglary was as bad as it was going to get" said Church, "we were never told any of this." Worse yet, it was not so much about the cover-up as Watergate had been - this time, it was about the actual crimes. One such example was in Zaire, formerly known as the Congo. This former Belgian colony had only gained its independence in 1960, and despite being blessed with an abundant natural wealth, a succession of governments failed to assert control over the vast country in the dark, steamy heart of Africa.

"We helped them kill Lumumba" Church continued, "our own guys were there. They even helped the Belgians chop him off and dissolve the body in acid. And then, if that wasn't enough, our men were present when Mobuto's men crushed the bones into dust and scattered the fragments into the Congo River." Senator Hart ran this finger through his beard; "Jesus"" he said, "only in Zaire could attrocities like this take place. There is no central government. No infrastructure. No roads. Most of the foreign aid gets swallowed by Mobuto in any event."

Church was pragmatic as well as principled; he managed to affect the perfect balance between the two. There were no ties to Kissinger or Rockefeller or even to Nixon. In fact, most of the embarrassing information had more to do with the Kennedy or Nixon administrations than anything else. "This won't hurt anyone at the top" Church surmised, "it's Colby who we can get. There's just too much information....he either perjures himself or he pleads the fifth just enough times to hit the resignation limit. His credibility will be crushed.

"Well" said Congressman Pike, "it looks like we've got the bastards!" They all laughed as Church pulled out a large bottle of expensive whiskey.
Friday, May 2nd, 1975: Arthur Fletcher, a former Assistant Secretary of Labor and city councilman from Pasco, Washington, announces he will run for the Republican nomination despite having virtually zero name recognition outside of Washington State, where he ran for Lt. Governor in 1968 unsuccessfully as a Republican. Fletcher's aim is to become the first African American President, but he remains at the very bottom of the pack.

Just days after Saigon had fallen, the last South Vietnamese soldiers cornered at the southernmost part of the country begin to desert immediately when the North Vietnamese army begins to move against their positions.
Saturday, May 3rd, 1975: The Politburo of the Communist Party of China meets as part of the 11th Party Congress; in a stunning and welcomed reversal of fortune for Jiang Qiang and her radical allies, an ailing Mao Zedong declares the ascent of the theory of "perpetual revolution".  In doing so, he is endorsing the radical wing of the party to take charge of the nation after his demise. This comes as a great surprise to China-watchers, who had expected Mao to name moderates Hua Guofeng and Deng Xioping to higher positions in the party.

Instead, the party names Mao's wife Jiang Qiang, his nephew, the sadistic Mao Yuanxin, and Wang Hongwen were elevated. Mao's wife was named head of state as Chairwoman, a position that renders her powerless, while Wang replaces the Zhou Enlai as Premier. Zhou, who is "retired" for health reasons, is placed under house arrest. Deng is less lucky; he again is returned to the notorious re-education camps. Mao Zedong remains the Chairman of the Party, but his title is elevated to "Chairman Emeritus" while most day to day functions are split between Mao Yuanxin and Premier Wang.

The shift in power in Red China disturbs the current American liaison officer George HW. Bush, who hurriedly cables information about the ascent of the "Gang of Four" over the People's Republic. The Secretary of State orders a planned state visit to the PRC in December to be quietly postponed.

Madame Mao prepares to take the helm of Red China.

2

Sunday, May 4th, 1975: After five months of skirmishes and siege, the last outposts of the Khmer Republic fall to Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, In the capital of Phnom Penh, they began evacuating thousands upon thousands of residents on forced marches to the countryside, where they are forced into hard labor as part of the "Year Zero" policy of the newly minted radical Maoist government of "Democratic Kampuchea."
Wednesday, May 7th, 1975: President Ford announces that the "Vietnam Era," as legally defined for the purpose of appropriating funds for veterans, is over. The period would cover 1961-1976.
Thursday, May 8th, 1975: The People's Republic of China announces it has canceled further negotiations with representatives of the European Economic Community, and further orders the closure of several foreign embassies (aside from the Eastern Bloc nations and the USSR) due to them being "centers of counter-revolutionary activity" and "shelters for capitalist-roaders."
Friday, May 9th, 1975: The new Laotian regime begins a crackdown on the Hmong people, who aided American efforts during the Vietnam War. The official newspaper of the ruling Pathet Lao explicitly calls for their extermination.
Sunday, May 11th, 1975: 70,000 anti-war protesters gather in Central Park to celebrate the end of the Vietnam War. Organized and hosted by folk singer Phil Ochs, with performances by Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Paul Simon, and Joni Mitchell among others.
Monday, May 12th, 1975: The USS Mayaguez, an American flagged freighter, is captured by Khmer Rouge members off the coast of Cambodia. 39 crew members are taken hostage while the ship is left to drift at sea. Hours later, an American helicopter is able to deliver Marines, who take control of the ship and sail it towards Bangkok for repairs. Meanwhile, a rescue mission is authorized by President Ford, under the condition that the planned action merely be an extraction expedition. The President specifically warns Defense Secretary James Schlesinger to avoid any kind of mishap that could draw the US back into conflict in Southeast Asia.
Tuesday, May 13th, 1975: Faced with a crippling general strike and rising fuel prices, demonstrators take to the streets in Ankara demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Suleyman Demirel. When the Prime Minister attempts to speak one on one with a small group of the protester he is punched in the face by a 34-year-old unemployed man, Vural Onsel. Demirel suffers a broken nose, but otherwise is unharmed. Deputy Prime Minister Alsparan Turkes calls for the President too sack Demirel as Prime Minister and instead appoint him in his place.
Wednesday, May 14th, 1975: 35 American marines are killed during the successful rescue of the crew of the USS Mayaguez, marking the very last combat incident of the Vietnam War. The mood in America is grim; South Vietnam no longer existed, a relic of the all too recent past. Likewise, Laos and Cambodia were likewise under radical regimes, while the new leadership of China once again turn the nation inwards from the west.
Monday, May 19th, 1975: Jane Goodall narrowly avoids being captured by a Marxist rebel group that had invaded her nature sanctuary and research center in the remote region of the country near Lake Tanganyika. Goodall had turned her lamp off to retire to bed before the rebels arrived, and hid under the bed when the disturbance awoke her. This results in her would-be kidnappers overlooking her hiding place, and they eventually flee into the night after failing to find her. The incident shakens the famed Gorilla researcher, but she continues her work regardless.
Wednesday, May 21st, 1975: President Ford announces a major cabinet shakeup; the Secretary of State will remain in his office, though Kissinger will no longer hold the position of National Security Adviser. This position will go to Brent Scowcroft, who will give the President daily briefings while Kissinger will be deployed overseas more often. Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger will be replaced by White House Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld, who in turn will be replaced by Dick Cheney.  

On the domestic side, Interior Secretary Rogers Morton is replaced by former Congressman Thomas Kleppe, who has been Director of the Small Business Administration since 1971. Frederick Dent, the Secretary of Commerce, is replaced by Elliot Richardson, one of the most seasoned administrator and bureaucrat of his time. Peter Brennan is dismissed as Secretary of Labor, and the President nominates economist John Dunlop to replace him. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Caspar Weinberger, is particularly offended by his dismissal and will soon after enter Ronald Reagan's orbit. He is replaced by Forrest David Matthews, the President of the University of Alabama. Assistant Attorney General Carla Anderson Hills is named as the next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Transportation Secretary William Coleman Jr., who was appointed in February to replace Claude Brinegar, is retained.
Thursday, May 22nd, 1975: The Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975 was signed into law by U.S. President Ford, providing for resettlement of South Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees into the United States. The legislation was quickly and quietly passed with minimal opposition after the fall of Saigon.
[1] Still from C-SPAN, whose archives are totally open to the public to my understanding.
[2] Taken from Wikipedia.

[Transgender for Everybody]

Bayh 1976!

[Cold War Liberal]

Kennedy ‘76! The dream shall never die!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter XIV: Kissinger.

Sunday, June 1st, 1975:

Air Force One.

The President with Kissinger and Scowcroft in the Oval Office.

1

Air Force One glided through the skies over West Germany, carrying the presidential entourage and the accompanying press corps towards Austria for a major summit that would, potentially, have global consequences. Awaiting the President was the Austrian Chancellor, the host of the meeting, and Egyptian President Anwar Saddat. Ford was eager to complete Nixon's dream of affirming a lasting peace between Egypt and Israel, a goal that both Presidents believed would stabilize the region and make it easier for Israel and Palestine to come to a final agreement. Though obstacles remained, and indeed, there were many in the way, the President and Kissinger were hopeful that they were close to achieving their goal.

The President and First Lady had retired to their private quarters; now, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense to-be sat alone in the plane's presidential office, with only a few hours left on their journey towards Salzburg. The NATO summit and subsequent visit to West Germany had been successful if not predictable, but all eyes were on Salzburg. Air Force One was not alone in the air; there was considerable tension on board.

White House Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld was expecting an imminent promotion; the Senate was due to vote on his nomination as Secretary of Defense within twelve hours, and the plan was to have him sworn in as soon as possible with the hope of him assuming office before meeting Sadat. Kissinger was annoyed; typically, as White House Chief of Staff, he'd travel with the President but would be largely left out of the private conversations of the foreign policy team, only to be informed or instructed afterwards. Since his nomination to the Pentagon, a role he lobbied fiercely for, he had become an increasingly powerful influence outside of the White House. Kissinger resented this, and knew that Rumsfeld was surely working to isolate him. It was he, the Secretary of State believed, who was most likely responsible for his removal from the position of National Security Adviser, a role now held by Brent Scowcroft.

"Big day tomorrow" Rumsfeld confidently said aloud as he came in and sat across from Secretary Kissinger in what was supposed to be the President's seat. It was the minor kind of breach of protocol that Rumsfeld enjoyed, fueling his expanding ego and inflated sense of importance. With a look of annoyance, Kissinger gruffly replied "so I've heard." Rumsfeld could feel the tension, and took it as some sort of victory.

"What do you think Sadat's gonna demand?" asked Rumsfeld of Kissinger, knowing surely that he'd be in the loop. Kissinger was horrified to a degree upon realizing that the man due to become Secretary of Defense was woefully unprepared for the summit, but also not surprised that Rumsfeld was chatting him up like an under-prepared schoolboy before an exam. The Secretary of State was tempted to feed him bad information, but knowing that such a move would almost certainly create an unnecessary rift between the State and Defense departments, decided against it.

"He will want the Sinai back" answered Kissinger, "but he knows that any deal with have to include recognition of Israel's right to exist. This will inflame the Muslim Brotherhood in his own country, it'll embolden Islamists in Saudi Arabia, and it will draw Libya, Syria, and Iraq further into Moscow's orbit."

"Sadat and Nasser expelled the Soviets years ago" Kissinger continued; Rumsfeld remembered. He was NATO Ambassador at the time, and had before that served three terms in Congress. Kissinger underestimated him in his mind, and to some degree, he was right. Kissinger knew that Rumsfeld knew about the basic geopolitical realities surrounding the summit; but that didn't stop him from giving the lecture. It was important that Rumsfeld know that his job was defense - Kissinger would set the foreign policy, and Rumsfeld's role was to react to whatever decision would be passed down from the State Department.

Kissinger smirked at the thought of this arrangement; he wasn't exactly known for his humility either, after all. The history lecture would continue until the wheels touched down. Rumsfeld regreted asking. "Next time," he thought, "I'll go straight to the President."
Sunday, June 1st, 1975: President Ford arrives in West Germany's capitol of Bonn after the NATO summit, where he makes a few brief remarks at a press conference about both the result of the Brussels meeting and the fall of Saigon.
Monday, June 2nd, 1975: The Senate votes to confirm Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense by a vote of 52-48; his nomination was able to squeek by after gaining the support of the Dixiecrats who were likewise hawkish on defense, as well as Senator Henry Jackson's (fairly tepid) endorsement.

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Technology Committee confirms the nomination of Elliot Richardson by a vote of 11-1. The only dissenter on the Committee was Senator James Buckley (C-NY), who repeatedly inferred that Richardson had demonstrated himself to be a "foe of freedom." His nomination advances to the full Senate for a final vote, where it is widely expected that he is likely to be overwhelmingly confirmed.

Air Force One touches down in Salzburg, Austria. The visit opens on an awkward note when the President takes a tumble down the stairs while leaving Air Force One. This is largely forgotten later on in the day, when President Ford and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat meet quietly to discuss the Middle East peace process. The President describes the discussion as "productive" and praises Sadat as "a true statesman." While in Salzburg, Ford also meets with the Austrian Chancellor.

President Ford and President Sadat.

2

Tuesday, June 3rd, 1975: The next day of President Ford's European tour takes him to Rome and the Vatican, where he meets the Pope and the Italian Prime Minister. He also undertakes a tour of several ancient landmarks in the city, and afterwards travels to an American air force base in Aviano to greet soldiers and airmen stationed there.

Uganda's erratic President Idi Amin decrees the nationalization of all privately owned land in Ugana; just years earlier, he had expelled the East Asian minority popularity and expropriated their property, creating a brain drain that decimated the country's middle class.
Wednesday, June 4th, 1975: The Senate confirms Elliot Richardson by a vote of 95-5 as the next Secretary of Commerce. The Senate Committee of Energy and Natural Resources begins their own hearings for Thomas Kleppe's nomination to be Secretary of the Interior.
Friday, June 5th, 1975: A referendum in the United Kingdom sees two-thirds of voters opting to remain as part of the European Economic Community.

Marshall Tito of Yugoslavia pays a state visit to Portugal. He appears beside Prime Minister Goncalves and Minister Alvaro Cunhal on the balcony of the São Bento Palace in Lisbon. Tito privately warns Goncalves about becoming overly involved with the Soviet Union, a warning that Goncalves takes lightly.
Sunday, June 8th, 1975: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources confirms Thomas Kleppe, clearing the way for a full Senate vote next week. Meanwhile Forest David Matthews, President of the University of Alabama, goes before the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee for his own set of hearings.
Monday, June 9th, 1975: Portuguese Prime Minister Vasco Gonçalves sends a letter to “The People’s State Council of the People’s Republic of China” inviting the People’s Republic of China to re-take possession of Macau. Premier Goncalves tells the Chinese that “a Socialist Portugal” wishes to re-dress the wrongs of “past imperialist regimes.” At first, Goncalves letter receives no response. The move is widely viewed as an attempt by Goncalves to assert himself independent of the Soviet Union.
Wednesday, June 11th, 1975: With the Turkish economy crippled by a general strike, the President relents and dismisses his Prime Minister in favor of ultra-nationalist Alsparan Turkes. The leader of the "Grey Wolves" militia and leader of the Nationalist Movement Party immediately lashes out at NATO, threatening to abridge Turkey's membership unless the west guarantees the rights of ethnic Turks in Cyprus.  

Calvin.

Thursday, June 12th, 1975:

Concord, NH.

3

Governor Calvin Rampton was a three term Governor who was far from ready to retire; though his term as Governor expired after January, he was still running for office - this time for President. He had decided to run not long after Ford pardoned Nixon, but had only made his intentions known to his family and closest allies in Utah the week before. Since then, they had hurriedly put together a small political action committee in which to fund exploratory trips to the early primary states. What he found was encouraging. Though barely anyone in any of those state's had heard of him before, but his anonymity was an advantage. "I'd vote for you over those other clowns" an old man had once said to him, "because you're not from Washington and you haven't eaten out of the trough."

"Out west, we've built roads that are the envy of our neighboring states" said the Governor, who enjoyed record high approval ratings throughout his tenure, "and we have the best schools and the cleanest hospitals" he added, before continuing on. "And I think every American should enjoy the life we have in Utah" he declared, "so together, we can build a country that works for everyone." The reception he was receiving was uplifting, and his bread and butter brand of politics was welcomed after the years of partisan bickering under Johnson and later Nixon.

"I want a country that is as good as it's people" he'd conclude every speech (a quip he appropriated from Senator Carter) with. It was a popular line that resonated with the public in the wake of Watergate, though every other candidate was using some other variation of the cliche. It uniquely appealed to both the cynics who were disgusted with Washington in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal as well as those optimists who still believed in the promise of America.

The Governor was surprised at the crowd size; only forty people had bothered to show up to his inaugural campaign appearance in the Granite State. Ever the optimist, he wasn't necessarily troubled - he was a virtual unknown, after all - but he had just pictured the crowds he was used to drawing in Utah, where he had been elected three as Governor three times.

But he wasn't in it for the crowd size, or to feed his ego, or even to profit. He was in it because he believed he could win it. He was in a prime position - a populist alternative to Wallace without the racial baggage. With Jimmy Carter taking a Senate seat over a presidential campaign, there was no true alternative to Wallace. Askew was too liberal, Bayh to feminist friendly, Humphrey was old news, Jackson too hawkish, Muskie too northern, Dellums too radical, and Bentsen too boring.

He wasn't sure if Kennedy was going to run; no one was. But he was sure of one thing: if he could hit the ground running, he could get ahead of the Massachusetts Senator....a Senator who, after all, had plenty of skeletons in his closet. "What this country needs after Watergate" Rampton told a reporter from the Union Leader confidently, "is a good clean Mormon."  
Friday, June 13th, 1975: The Iraqi and Iranian governments sign a treaty in Algiers ending a border dispute between the two nations, much to the displeasure of Iraq's increasingly influential Vice President Saddam Hussein.
Sunday, June 15th, 1975: The new leader of the Nation of Islam, Warith Deen Muhammad, angers many of the faithful within the Black Muslim movement when he rejects his father's teachings that white people were "devils." As a result, many begin to gravitate around the more outspoken Louis Farrakhan.
Monday, June 16th, 1975: Portuguese Prime Minister Vasco dos Santos Gonçalves sends a letter to “The People’s State Council of the People’s Republic of China” inviting the People’s Republic of China to re-take possession of Macau. Premier Goncalves tells the Chinese that “a Socialist Portugal” wishes to re-dress the wrongs of “past imperialist regimes.” At first, Goncalves letter receives no response. The move is widely viewed as an attempt by Goncalves to assert himself independent of the Soviet Union, which remains on bad terms with the People's Republic of China.
Wednesday, June 18th, 1975: Faisal bin Musa'id, the assassin of King Faisal, is beheaded in Riyadh.
Thursday, June 19th, 1975: Chicago area mob boss Sam Giancana is shot several times while cooking sausages in his Oak Park, Illinois home. However, he manages to toss a pan full of frying sausages at his attacker, thus saving his own life. Mobster Charles Nicoletti is witnessed fleeing Giancana’s house screaming, with apparent burns to his face, by FBI agents. They enter Giancana’s house and find the bleeding mobster. Giancana suffers several injuries and is paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life, but manages to survive the assassination attempt.
Sunday, June 22nd, 1975: Former Governor Ronald Reagan announces during an interview with Meet the Press on NBC that he has formed an exploratory committee to weigh whether or not to run for President in 1976. Anonymous sources close to the Governor tell the press that “his mind is made up” and that “everything’s 100% a-go for ’76.”
Monday, June 23rd, 1975: Dennis Hills, just one day before his scheduled execution, is pardoned by Ugandan dictator Idi Amin after Queen Elizabeth II personally intervened on his behalf. The British expat in Uganda was facing death for criticizing the military regime of Idi Amin, the eccentric and iron handed ruler of the central African nation. He is spared death, but is permanently forbidden from returning to Ugada.
Wednesday, June 25th, 1975: Indira Gahndi, India’s Prime Minister, is allowed by the Supreme Court of India to remain in office until a corruption conviction is reviewed by the nation's highest judicial organ.

Mozambique is granted independence by the revolutionary government in Portugal, ending the colonial liberation struggle in the now former African colony. Samora Machel is named President of the newly independent state, and he immediately begins pursuing socialistic policies inspired by the new left leaning government in Portugal.
Thursday, June 26th, 1975: In the wake of large scale protests calling for her resignation as Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi declares a state of emergency and orders the military to begin arresting her main political opponents. The declaration gives her near dictatorial powers over the country.
Friday, June 27th, 1975: Carlos Illich Ramirez Sanchez, better known as "Carlos the Jackal," eludes capture by French police in Paris and escapes to South Yemen by way of Algiers on a false passport. The French security services were attempting to capture the South American born terrorist, who in recent years had become a key asset of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and has been connected to numerous attacks across Europe, particularly in France.
[1] Taken from George Washington University archives.
[2] Taken from Wikipedia.
[3] Taken from Dessert News.

[Arson Plus]

Kennedy ‘76! The dream shall never die!

KENNEDY/HARRIS

[Arson Plus]

This timeline in my opinion belongs in the pantheon of Atlas timelines! I love it!

[LoneStarDem]

No way Teddy Boy runs in 1976, especially after killing his mistress in 1969.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter XV: July, 1975.

Tuesday, July 1st, 1975: New York City announces it will slash nearly 37,000 city jobs to cut over one billion dollars in spending to curb the city’s debt crisis. Among those being fired is 2,000 cops, 5,000 firemen, 3,000 garbage men, 10,000 healthcare workers, and 17,000 teachers.

Former North Carolina Governor Terry Sanford forms an exploratory committee to consider seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. Sanford, who was as Governor of North Carolina from 1961 until 1965, was a candidate briefly in 1972 and has also served as the popular President of Duke University, a position he faces giving up should he go through with a second presidential campaign.
Thursday, July 3rd, 1975: The US Civil Service Commission removes homosexuality as a reason to deny employment to a prospective federal employee. The decision to remove the barrier now means that gay and lesbians can live openly while working on behalf of the federal government. The military however will continue to maintain that gay, lesbian, and transgender (officially known as sexual inversion) Americans will not be allowed to serve.
Saturday, July 5th, 1975: Cape Verde officially becomes independent of Portugal, the latest nation to gain their freedom from their former colonial overlords as the country continues the decolonization process in the wake of the Carnation Revolution of 1974.

Reuben.

Saturday, July 5th, 1975:

Tallahassee, FL.

1

"I am a candidate for President of the United States of America. I will seek the nomination of the Democratic Party in every caucus and every primary in every state, and with the help of the American people, I hope to be elected to lead this nation.
 
I hope to forge a new union of the American people that will create new hope for all people for freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and peace. For two centuries, America has worked because we Americans have united again and again to form a more perfect union.  And today we must unite once more.  Today we must come together and work together in an entirely new way.
 
For ours is a time of change, of change as basic and as profound as any since you the Industrial Revolution.  Ours is a time of transition, for America and for the world. Our national economy has become international.  We face fierce competition, here at home and around the world.  And our growing lack of competitiveness with other nations is robbing many of us of jobs, our profits, and our futures.

This know sweeping transition is straining our democratic institutions, endangering our standard of living, and sorely testing the friendships we’ve shared for many years with the nations of Western Europe, with Japan, and with other democratic nations. And, throughout the world, many are eager to exploit the tensions caused by this great global transition.
 
Yet, here in America, ours is becoming a house divided. The hopes of still another administration are fading away. And not even an end to a long recession will be enough to restore a lasting vitality to an economy in transition. After two centuries, some Americans are beginning to wonder whether America can still work. But I have faith that we can not only survive, but we can prosper from the current transition.
 
My faith is founded on nearly twenty years of experience in government. And I seek the Presidency because I truly believe my experience qualifies me to lead this nation during this time of transition.
 
For example, as Governor for the last six years, I helped lead Florida during a rapid and remarkable transition from a promising southern state into a great and growing metropolitan state of increasing international importance. And, as President, I believe I can provide practical and progressive leadership that will unite the American people and help make America work again.
 
But I know I’ll need help. And I’ll reach out to the American people to ask for their help during this campaign.

I will reach out to the broad majority of the American people – to the middle class, to the working people, to business and agriculture as well as labor, to the vital central mainstream of American life that is apprehensive to change. I will reach out to all Americans. I’ll ask them to help me create a constituency for candor. I will ask them to help me forge that consensus for change. I won’t ask the people just to trust me. I will ask them to trust themselves, trust their neighbors, trust the ideals and the dreams we’ve long shared as a nation. I won’t ask the people just to follow me. I will ask them to follow our proven national tradition of shared sacrifice for the sake of the common good. And I will try not to create unrealistic expectations by making promises I can’t keep. There have been more than enough promises in recent years.
 
But this one promise I do make, and this one promise I will keep, to every American: as president of United States, I won’t belong to any one person. I won’t belong to any one group. I will belong to each and every one of you as Americans.

I don’t want to become President by pretending that we live in a world that no longer exists. Some Republicans seem to believe this is still the 1950’s. Some Democrats seem to believe that this is still the 1960’s. But this is the 1970s, and I know that the future of freedom itself may well depend on our willingness and our ability to accept and adjust to the changed the nature of the world.
 
We must not underestimate our great strength as a nation and our great resiliency as a people. We must regain our self-confidence and restore our clarity of purpose in the eyes of the world. For, even now, America remains the single strongest economic power in the world. And, even now, only America can lead the free economies of the world safely through the current transition.

And now you must learn anew the lesson of unity.
 
For America will work again only if we address the real root cause of our continuing economic decline -- which is the growing lack of competitiveness of much of American industry. And this can best be done by a President who has credibility with both business and labor and who is free to challenge them both to abandon their adversarial relationship and work together to improve American products, increase American productivity, and assure lasting jobs for the American people. Therefore, as President of United States, I will challenge business and labor, along with the agriculture, education, and government, to enter into a fundamentally new relationship, a new union, with one another and with all the American people.
 
As President, I will challenge the Congress, the Federal Reserve Board, and the executive agencies of the Federal government to join in this new union by working together to ensure fair and far-sighted fiscal and monetary policies that will help shape a more competitive future for the American economy. From our new union will emerge new structures and a new national strategy for making America work again. We will define the new role the government must play as a catalyst for competitiveness. And we will use government in new ways that will assure capital formation and enable business and labor to come together and work together as they must.
 
Among the goals of our new union will be:
 
A trade policy that opposes both undue protectionism and unfair trade practices while seeking expanded opportunities for American commerce on freer and fairer terms. A renewed national commitment to education as a key to growth as well as new investments in scientific research and development, plus new incentives for training, retraining, and relocating our work forces and for small business that create the vast majority of new jobs.
 
A domestic Marshall plan to modernize and revitalize our vital industrial base and to assure the continued growth of advanced technologies. An effective response to agricultural problems that recognizes that agriculture is equally vital to our economy and to our security. A public works program to put many of our people back to work rebuilding our roads, bridges, ports, and other public assets.

An urban policy that recognizes the essential role our cities must play in recovery and growth. A voluntary program of both military and non-military national service to give young Americans a chance to learn new skills and earn educational benefits as they serve their country. An environmental policy that protects our natural resources while allowing for proper growth. An energy policy that stresses the significance of conservation and the importance of developing safe domestic alternatives to the uncertain flow of foreign oil. A fairer and simpler tax code that offers incentives for investment and growth. A tax code that pardons the poor rather than rewards the rich.

None of these goals will be achieved easily or overnight. Not four years, and perhaps not even eight years, will be enough to achieve them all. But all these, and more, must be among the ambitions of our new union -- ambitions I will outline more specifically during the course of the coming campaign.
And, just as I will seek a new union here at home, so too will I challenge our friends among other democracies to enter into a new partnership as members of the family of freedom. I will encourage those nations to work more closely with us, so that together we will find new ways to restore the health of our economies, redefine our common goals, and reassure the longing millions of humanity that hope still lives and freedom still flourishes on this troubled planet.
 
For the sake of our very survival, I will challenge the leaders of the Soviet Union to negotiate with us, not just a freeze, but mutual, verifiable, and substantial reduction in the development and deployment of nuclear arms. And from a position of national strength, and consistent with the protection of our vital interests abroad, I will challenge the Soviet Union to work with us, and with other nations, to secure, not just arms control, but an enduring peace.
 
I will have no higher priority as President. But, most of all, as a candidate, and as President, I will challenge the American people. I will challenge them to turn to one another, and not away from one another, and to work with one another in a new and generous spirit of harmony and affirmation. I will challenge them to make the union more perfect than ever before. Then, united, we will answer the challenge of the great global transition.
 
And, united we will prove, to ourselves and to all the world, that America can work again."
Note: This is virtually the same speech Askew made in OTL upon announcing his candidacy in 1984, with minor edits and adjustments to fit the context of the alternate world in which the speech is occurring.
Tuesday, July 8th, 1975: President Ford files paperwork with the FEC to run for the Republican nomination; he officially announces his candidacy in a written official statement later released by the White House. Alongside former Governor Reagan and perennial candidate Harold Stassen and civil rights activist Arthur Fletcher, the President is the fourth Republican to enter the 1976 campaign and immediately wins the support of the GOP establishment.
Friday, July 11th, 1975: With Angola slated to achieve independence from Portugal in November, squabbles over the leadership of the soon to be sovereign nation spark a civil war between the two main guerilla factions. Until the Carnation Revolution, both the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA) and the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) had been locked in an independence struggle with the former fascist regime in Lisbon. With Soviet and Cuban support, the MPLA launches a daring assault on the main city of Luanda, forcing back the more moderate and non-aligned FNLA forces. Fearing a Marxist takeover of Angola, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld urges President Ford to begin sending aid to the FNLA.
Monday, July 14th, 1975: The South African regime begins sending arms and ammunition to assist FNLA forces in order to bolster their position in the southern part of Angola and create a buffer zone between the Marxist MPLA forces and the South African territory of South West Africa.
Wednesday, July 16th, 1975: New Hampshire Governor Meldrim Thomson announces he will seek the Presidency as the candidate of the “Conservative Party,” a new political party that he registers with the FEC on the day of the announcement. Though he has yet to name an official running mate, he will begin spending the next several months touring the country and quietly (and largely unsuccessfully) courting support for his new party.
Friday, July 18th, 1975: President Ford privately requests an appropriation of six million dollars to combat Marxist rebels in Africa. Though the name of this Operation, much less the location, remain unknown to Majority Leader Mansfield and Speaker Carl Albert, they agree to acquiesce to the President’s request. It will later become known that these funds were sent to bolster anti-MPLA rebels in Angola and support South African counterintelligence operations within the soon to be independent Portuguese colony.
Monday, July 21st, 1975: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 officially goes into effect, requiring schools to equally fund both men and women’s athletic proposals. The godfather of this amendment, Senator Birch Bayh (D-IN), highlights his efforts to pass this legislation while visiting Iowa. The prospective Democratic candidate, who briefly sought the Presidency in 1972, is considered one of the leading candidates for the nomination.
Thursday, July 24th, 1975: The Apollo program, which put man on the moon, is officially ended by NASA.
Friday, July 25th, 1975: The thirty man Supreme Revolutionary Council, which has served as the executive organ of Portuguese politics in the year since the Carnation Revolution. Instead, a three man Presidium consisting of Premier Goncalves, Communist Party General Secretary Alvaro Cunhal, and General Francisco de Costa Gomes take power, further strengthening the powers of Prime Minister Goncalve’s leftist inspired regime.
Saturday, July 26th, 1975: The Ethiopian military regime takes another leftist turn, this time nationalizing all privately held land in the former Empire. The military government, known widely as “the Derg,” is largely ineffective in initially implanting this program due to divisions amongst the ruling officers.
Monday, July 28th, 1975: In a lengthy interview with the Montgomery Advertiser, Alabama Governor George Wallace claims that he has yet to make a decision about running for President for a fourth time in 1976, but does make clear that should he enter the race he’d run as a Democrat and not as the nominee of the American Independence Party, which he founded in 1968.
Tuesday, July 29th, 1975: President Yakubu Gowan of Nigeria is overthrown by the military in a coup while he attends the Organization of African Unity summit in Kampala, Nigeria, where he is given asylum by President Idi Amin. Gowan pledges his loyalty to the new regime, led by Murtalla Mohammed, though it is unclear whether he will be able to return to his home country as a private citizen.

A series of small riots and revolts by Muslim citizens in China’s southern Yunnan province is brutally put down by the People’s Liberation Army, with the military massacring thousands of civilians reportedly on the order of Jiang Qiang herself. Mao’s nephew, Mao Yuanxin, is rumored in Peking to be personally in charge of the PLA’s efforts to crush the dissident religion inspired protesters.
Wednesday, July 30th, 1975: Despite the threat of impeachment, President Koruturk of Turkey refuses to resign. The Prime Minister, Alsparan Turkes, hopes to use the opportunity presented by the resignation of Koruturk to elect a more pliable head of state. The increasingly autocratic and nationalistic regime of the Turkes is only expected to further entrench themselves as a result, leaving some military officials to begin whispering about a potential coup attempt to remove Turkes.
Thursday, July 31st, 1975: Cuban leader Fidel Castro makes a state visit to Portugal, the latest sign that the new regime in Lisbon is drawing itself further and further away from the NATO orbit.
[1] Taken from The Florida Squeeze.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Keep it up. I tried finding some pictures of Ninoy & Cory Aquino for some of the TL's, but haven't had any luck in posting them.

Pictures are sometimes hard to find - they’re either too small or big, copyrighted, or in the case of Mao Yuanxin or Calvin Rampton, simply barely exist.

I tried to post some from Gerry Images. I can see your point of view on it.

The best source, IMO, is Wikipedia but they only have so many images themselves. Unless you use Wikipedia Commons, but even that doesn't help much aside from the major major politicians like Reagan or Ted Kennedy or Ford or HW etc, etc.

I'll try and get August '75 up tonight or tomorrow. 

[Lord Byron]

Nice to see this rebooted, and waiting for more, of course...

[LoneStarDem]

Keep it up. I tried finding some pictures of Ninoy & Cory Aquino for some of the TL's, but haven't had any luck in posting them.

Pictures are sometimes hard to find - they’re either too small or big, copyrighted, or in the case of Mao Yuanxin or Calvin Rampton, simply barely exist.

I tried to post some from Gerry Images. I can see your point of view on it.

The best source, IMO, is Wikipedia but they only have so many images themselves. Unless you use Wikipedia Commons, but even that doesn't help much aside from the major major politicians like Reagan or Ted Kennedy or Ford or HW etc, etc.

I'll try and get August '75 up tonight or tomorrow. 

Wikipedia Commons doesn't help that much, although it looks good, sounds good, then I'll take another shot at it next week.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Chapter XVI: Jerry.

Friday, August 1st, 1975:

10:20 AM, Helsinki, Finland.

1

The President was still jet-lagged from the long flight to Helsinki, and he wasn’t particularly enthused by the agreement he was about to sign. The President’s chief foreign policy adviser, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, had gone so far to dismiss the negotiations leading up to the signing of the treaty as merely a “grandstand play to the left.” The treaty, Kissinger argued, was meaningless. It would only create standards for the west to live up to, while the nations beyond the Iron Curtain were sure to do whatever possible to get around the new standards. The United States and Canada joined 35 other European nations (representing the entire continent spare for the microstate of Andorra and the isolationist regime of Enver Hoxha in Albania) in the hopes that the agreement would settle all post WWII territorial disputes and expand protections for human rights.

“I still see this as some sort of shakedown” President Ford said to Kissinger, who had entered his hotel suite to find the First Lady hard at work attempting to fix the President’s tie while carefully dangling a cigarette at the same time. “You know that that’s how fires start” cracked the usually sober Kissinger; even his delivery seemed stale and humorless, though the Ford’s were well aware that beyond the Secretary’s hardened exterior was a warm and fun loving man who enjoyed a much stronger personal bond with Ford than he did with his famously paranoid predecessor.

Kissinger continued; “they aren’t going to abide to any of it, but if we’re looking to…to um, score some points at the UN, then this would be the way to do it.” “A sharp statement of condemnation won’t stop an ICBM” warned Ford, “but this could present an opportunity.” Ford’s statement was based on the reports that Kissinger himself had prepared for Scowcroft, one of the numerous examples of the Secretary attempting to reassert himself as National Security Adviser even though he had been stripped of the role.

Ford was beginning to share in the private resentment of Kissinger that Nixon would later come to be known for; he had a habit of leaking information to the press and exaggerating, often grossly, his own indispensability. His position was secure and he knew it. His chickens were never coming home to roost.

"We have twenty minutes before we depart" advised Kissinger, "zeh press do not like to be kept waiting."
Friday, August 1st, 1975: The Helsinki Accords are signed in Finland, creating new human rights standards and settling old boundary disputes. The summit also marks the first face-to-face meeting between President Ford and General Secretary Suslov.
Saturday, August 2nd, 1975: Returning from Helsinki, Air Force One accidentally strays into restricted Swedish airspace over a nearby military base; in response, believing the flight to be a Soviet spy plane, jets are sent into the skies to intercept it. However, upon recognizing the plane is in fact the iconic Air Force One, the jets retreat. The Swedish Foreign Minister later calls the President midflight over the Atlantic to apologize for the incident, which takes President Ford by surprise as he had been unaware of the incident even taking place.
Sunday, August 3rd, 1975: The Superdome opens in New Orleans, Louisiana. The venue is one of the largest indoor sports arenas in the entire western hemisphere, and took several years to construct.
Monday, August 4th, 1975: A plot by Japanese Red Army terrorists to take hostages at the American embassy in Kuala Lampor is busted by Malaysian security services hours ahead of the attack. A large cache of weapons smuggled into the country is also discovered, and phone records later show several calls being made from their hotel suites to the Libyan embassy. As a result, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger accuses Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi of supporting terrorist groups around the globe.
Friday, August 8th, 1975: The Banqiao damn in China’s Henan province collapses following a typhoon, leading to mass flooding that kills 26,000 people and a following famine that causes tens of thousands more deaths over the coming weeks. The Chinese government blames western sabotage for the incident, and threatens to expel all western diplomats in response. Most western governments dismiss the PRC’s statement as mere bluster.
Sunday, August 10th, 1975: In a surprisingly candid interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, First Lady Betty Ford appears to defend premarital sex and drug use, claiming that she wouldn’t be surprised if her daughter had “an affair” and stating that marijuana “is just one of the things that young people are bound to experience.” Unknown to the public is the First Lady’s private struggle with alcoholism, which may have been a factor in the controversial interview.
Monday, August 11th, 1975: As East Timor begins moving towards independence from Portugal, the Union of Democratic Forces (UDT) and Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN) find themselves locked in a civil war. Fearing a possible leftist takeover in their sphere of influence, the Indonesian regime of Suharto begins eying the possible seizure of the eastern portion of the island.

Reagan.

Monday, August 11th, 1975:

Washington, DC.

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"Good morning; I have called this press conference this morning to make a major announcement.
I am a candidate for President as of this morning, and I ask all Americans who share my philosophy to join me as we work together to restore America to greatness and correct the course before it simply is too late. I believe my candidacy will be healthy for the nation and my party; by raising the issues that Washington runs from, I believe we will empower the people to take their destinies back into their own hands.

In the last few years, we have seen three vital measures of economic decay – inflation, unemployment, and interest rates – creep up well beyond 10%. Government at all levels consumes nearly 50% of all our income, and has become more coercive, more intrusive, more meddlesome, and less effective. Our access to cheap, abundant energy has been interrupted and our reliance on foreign oil remains as strong as ever.

A decade ago we enjoyed military superiority. Today, we are endangered of being surpassed by a nation that never made any effort to hide their hostility towards us. The policy of détente has sought to extend an olive branch to our enemies; however, we should make it clear that we seek a stronger indication of their commitment to a lasting peace before going any further with such a policy. I admire the President and Secretary Kissinger’s efforts to bring the Soviet Union to the table, but I fear that at this present time the United States simply cannot negotiate with the Soviets from a position of weakness.

In my opinion, the root of these problems lies right here in Washington, DC. Our nation's capital has become the seat of a "buddy" system that functions for its own benefit - increasingly insensitive to the needs of the American worker who supports it with his taxes. Today it is difficult to find leaders who are independent of the forces that have brought us our problems - the Congress, the bureaucracy, the lobbyists, big business and big labor. If America is to survive and go forward, this must change. It will only change when the American people vote for a leadership that listens to them, relies on them and seeks to return government to them. We need a government that is confident not of what it can do, but of what the people can do.

For eight years in California, we labored to make government responsive. We worked against high odds - an opposition legislature for most of those years and an obstructive Washington bureaucracy for all of them. We did not always succeed. Nevertheless, we found that fiscal responsibility is possible, that the welfare rolls can come down, that social problems can be met below the Federal level. In the coming months I will take this message to the American people. I will talk in detail about responsible, responsive government. I will tell the people it is they who should decide how much government they want.

I don't believe for one moment that four more years of business-as-usual in Washington is the answer to our problems, and I don't think the American people believe it either. We, as a people, aren't happy if we are not moving forward. A nation that is growing and thriving is one which will solve its problems. We must offer progress instead of stagnation; the truth instead of promises; hope and faith instead of defeatism and despair. Then, I am sure, the people will make those decisions which will restore confidence in our way of life and release that energy that is the American spirit."
Wednesday, August 13th, 1975: Senator Hubert Humphrey (D-MN) announces he will not seek the Democratic presidential nomination actively in the primaries, but makes himself available as a draft nominee should the Democratic Convention deadlock. Humphrey is seeking reelection to the Senate, despite his failing health which is kept hidden from the public.

Friday, August 15th, 1975: President Sheik Mujib Rahman of Bangladesh escapes a coup attempt as he is forewarned of plotters intentions to murder him and his family in his house on August 15. An anti-Mujib government is formed in Dhaka by the coup plotters while Sheik Mujib flees to his native Tungipara in the southeast of the nation, where he tries to martial resistance to the coup. He instead finds that he is unpopular due to his regime’s poor governance over the previous three years, and after several skirmishes between Mujib loyalists and the junta in Dhaka, he slips across the border into India and goes into exile. There he begins to pursue alliances with various Islamist groups as the vehicle to bring him back to power.
Wednesday, August 20th, 1975: Businessman Howard Morgens announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination.

Morgens For President

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am honored by your presence today. Anne and I thank you for joining us in this new chapter of our lives. Going forward, we will appreciate every ounce of love and support you can send our way. History suggests that we'll be needing it.

Many of you may harbor some confusion about why we're going forward with this. Many of you may think that because I'm not politician, I shouldn't involve myself in these affairs. I hardly disagree.

I am running for President of the United States, now let me tell you why.

During my time at Procter and Gamble, I've had the pleasure of being part of a team that has turned it into one of the largest and most successful companies in America. We've quadrupled the size of the company and I'm glad my leadership was a part of that.

I've spent many years of my life dedicated to the success of Procter and Gamble. We've hired new workers, opened new plans, and helped build this country for many years.

That's the honor and value of serving in business. The business community makes so many lives better by simply existing. The private sector is crucial to the success of every part of our society.

I've had the distinct honor of serving several charitable organizations in my life. Through my work with the Cincinnati Children's Hospital, I can tell you that rarely is progress made without private backing. As a board member for the Museum of Natural History, I can tell you the many millions of families and schools that visit the museum would not enjoy that opportunity if not for the private sector. The Red Cross depends on the support of millions of businesses, workers, and families across the country to bring help to those in need. Our society needs entrepreneurship and the private sector to move forward.

So what does this have to do with my running for President?

I believe that the private sector is hurting and because of that our society is hurting. Millions of American families are hurting.

Many people in Washington will look at this announcement, smirk, and drop the newspaper. That is what is wrong with Washington.

When prices go up and wages don't, Washington shrugs. When people are forced to depend on government for their living, Washington looks away. When the worker struggles and the small business closes, Washington is nowhere to be found. When we start a half-a-billion dollar deficit, Washington retreats.

Why is this? Because Washington is doing just find. Your pain isn't pain to them. The taxes out of your paycheck are paychecks into their pockets.

I believe that with an outsider in charge we can get this country moving in the right direction. We can fix Washington. We can make life better for every American.

That is why I'm running for President. Thank you.

Note: This was copied and pasted from POTUS2036 during the 1972 campaign game we had a few years back in which I played Nixon. I thought this was too unique an opportunity to rehash Morgen’s candidacy in a timeline to miss, so credit to POTUS2036 for this.
Saturday, August 23rd, 1975: Former Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie dies after being smothered to death by soldiers in his palace, where he has been under house arrest and suffering from dementia since his overthrow by the Derg.

The Turkish Foreign Minister meets with the Soviet Politburo in Moscow. The extent of their discussions produces a non-aggression pact between Turkey and the Soviet Union. Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko and the Turkish Foreign Minister initial the agreement at a formal ceremony in Moscow, which they claim will usher in “a new era of peace” in the region.

Congressman Ron Dellums (D-CA) announces his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in 1976 at a rally in Oakland, California.

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"I choose to run for President, to paraquote President Kennedy, not because it is easy, but because it is hard. I undertake this journey in pursuit of the values that have defined America: peace, justice, liberty, and equality. The current administration has abandoned these values. President Nixon and Jerry Ford's America is an America where the hungry go unfed, where the naked go unclothed, and where the sick are left to die. This must end. And we'll do the honors!"
Friday, August 29th, 1975: The Libertarian National Convention concludes at the Statler-Hilton Hotel in New York City. Party activists nominate former State Representative (and faithless elector) Roger MacBride for President and activist David Bergland for Vice President. 1976 will mark the nascent party’s second presidential campaign, with considerably greater ballot access this time around.
[1] Taken from Stripes.com (not initially deleted so I'm assuming it's public domain).
[2] Taken from Press.org
[3] Taken from NYT and not deleted (see 1).