The Land Of The Free: An American Political Roleplay (IC)

[The Fair Republic]

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Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.
June 28th, 2019

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(Image)

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Sean got off the elevator started walking to the end of the hallway, where Senator Sullivan's office is located. "I never imagined Charlotte to willingly step down and retire, it is going to be strange without her in Congress." It was the end of an era in Rhode Island politics. Charlotte was the Queen of Rhode Island every moment during Sean's career. She was Governor when Sean was first elected to the Statehouse. She was Senator when he was first elected to Congress. She was the one who stopped by his office almost twenty years ago, holding binders filled with polls and campaign strategy and convinced him to run for Senate. While he was pleased that Francine chose to become a temporary Minority Leader, he was concerned about caucus unity. Charlotte was a Democratic icon with undisputed progressive and liberal credentials; Francine's moderate stances sometimes angered the left of the party. If Sullivan was going to succeed as Minority Leader, she needed a skilled vote counter as her deputy. He stopped by Sullivan's office and knocked on the door.

The door swung open, with a number of staffers moving around the room. Francine was at the center of the room, speaking to her chief of staff, when she looked up to see the Senator. She handed a few papers to a male staffer on her left, telling him a brief comment before handing him her reading glasses. Sullivan returned her gaze to Sean.

"Hello friend, you're a sight for sore eyes. Look at all this, chaos to get some things in order. Not only was it reelection season but suddenly I have to lead a whole caucus now." she said, gestured around the office.

"Come, come, to the conference room." added Frankie, leading him to other room that was neatly organized and with an empty table, "Sit down Sean."

"Thank you, Francine. I wanted to stop by and congratulate you on becoming Minority Leader. Succeeding Charlotte is no easy task, but I cannot think of a better person for the job. Have you done a temperature check of the caucus to see how everyone is feeling?"

[New Cobastheia]

"Mhm.." Eliza hummed along, wanted to ask if that included nuclear launch orders, but not completely sure if that would cross a line or anything like that. "I figured as much from your confirmation hearing, although it is nice you'd say so in such a plain fashion." Eliza wasn't completely sure what to ask next, feeling just slightly anxious if nothing else, although not showing it.

"I am... habitually blunt, Madam First Lady, it is not always an endearing trait. Nevertheless, I thought I should be clear in case... these are conversations that you have been having with other officials."

"I suppose it's a good trait for a military man to have, my Father was the same way, and if I have been having these conversations with other officials I've only been doing so to look out for both my Husband and the Republic." She said making the second half of her statement quite clear, just in case, as he had put it. Although she had no idea of knowing just what the Secretary was insinuating, she didn't like what she taught he could be insinuating.

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"I suppose it's a good trait for a military man to have, my Father was the same way, and if I have been having these conversations with other officials I've only been doing so to look out for both my Husband and the Republic." She said making the second half of her statement quite clear, just in case, as he had put it. Although she had no idea of knowing just what the Secretary was insinuating, she didn't like what she taught he could be insinuating.

"Frankly, I'm just hoping we can navigate this situation in the Gulf without too much escalation. I should probably speak with the Secretary of State about this." He pinched the bridge of his nose, looking down. "I suspect the President will want me to lay out retaliatory options, but uh... with respect, ma'am, I'm not at liberty to discuss details with you."

[New Cobastheia]

"I was about to ask you about that." Started Kathleen as she reached for what looked like a rather fancy Boston Cream, "What do you think of it all, not to mention, any idea if Illinois and Ohio do special elections or just appointments?"

"Illinois and Ohio are both appointment states, composition of the Senate won't change and we won't have any elections to fight. Frankly, it hurts us more than them. Everyone knows the GOP is corrupt but they expect better of us." She sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Honestly, I'm less worried by the loss of a Senator and more by the fact we're about to have a new tug-of-war over the leadership."

"If nothing else maybe it could be used to show the country we're just as mature as the Senate," She said, mentioning Carrie's long time itch, "Any take on any of the potential contenders?"

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"If nothing else maybe it could be used to show the country we're just as mature as the Senate," She said, mentioning Carrie's long time itch, "Any take on any of the potential contenders?"

"I don't want the boat rocked. Sullivan's obviously making a play but she's frankly too conservative and the GOP'll leap at the chance to humiliate us by winning Alaska and thus knocking out our Senate leader. I know Senator Volek, he taught me how to survive here. I believe he's the man to bring stability, at least for the rest of this Congress."

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

FROM: [Francine Sullivan]
TO: [Senate Democratic Caucus]

All,

With recent events and my recent announcement, I would like to make a few things clear. This caucus must first and foremost be united. Thus, I am immediately calling for an end to unnecessary grandstanding arguments and votes on the Senate floor. If you have disagreements with a bill or a vote, please seek out whomever necessary, including myself, for help in a calm and orderly manner. Not by using valuable political capital and time on the Senate floor to tear down another peer for a poll boost or some tweets. This will be especially enforced for those Caucus members in the primary race.

Additionally, regarding the Iran situation, a sanctions bill appears to be moving through the House GOP. If this is a concern to any senator, especially if you disagree with the principle of additional sanctions, please see me. If not, I will assume you are in favor. Remember, I do not like to be surprised. Also, for the ongoing DOJ investigation, I will be speaking with our respective members on Ethics. And let me be clear: all communications between anyone of you and the Senators and Congresspeople under investigation should be immediately set aside and left alone. While I doubt I need to explain why, please cooperate with the investigation fully. The sooner this is over, the faster we can resume our agenda.

Sincerely,
Francine Sullivan
Senior Senator for Alaska (D-AK)

[Bruke]

"It would be good to keep that in mind when considering who to put on key committees or promote for leadership. Positions are always tangible rewards for loyalty."

"I'm well aware. I had some trouble from Lowell in charge of Appropriations not too long ago and I felt like pulling strings on the matter but she apologized for the mix-up so hopefully I shan't have any more fuss on that front." She frowned. "I think I'm particularly popular with the freshmen but that does me little good if we lose it all next year."

"I'm sure the committees won't give you too much trouble in the future. It would be good to have more activity from the DNC in the lead-up to next year. Some high-profile surrogates wouldn't hurt either."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"I'm sure the committees won't give you too much trouble in the future. It would be good to have more activity from the DNC in the lead-up to next year. Some high-profile surrogates wouldn't hurt either."

"Yes, of course. I know Texas is a victory lap for us but I can't help feeling Clara's taking it a little bit granted when we've got Kentucky and Louisiana up this year."

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

The door swung open, with a number of staffers moving around the room. Francine was at the center of the room, speaking to her chief of staff, when she looked up to see the Senator. She handed a few papers to a male staffer on her left, telling him a brief comment before handing him her reading glasses. Sullivan returned her gaze to Sean.

"Hello friend, you're a sight for sore eyes. Look at all this, chaos to get some things in order. Not only was it reelection season but suddenly I have to lead a whole caucus now." she said, gestured around the office.

"Come, come, to the conference room." added Frankie, leading him to other room that was neatly organized and with an empty table, "Sit down Sean."

"Thank you, Francine. I wanted to stop by and congratulate you on becoming Minority Leader. Succeeding Charlotte is no easy task, but I cannot think of a better person for the job. Have you done a temperature check of the caucus to see how everyone is feeling?"

"I have not." responded Sullivan, shaking her head.

"Thank you for the compliment but to be honest, I wasn't too prepared. I liked my role in the caucus, not suddenly giving marching orders. Though I've always been told I'm tough and demanding, so maybe that's just what we need to whip our Caucus back into working order. Reminds me of my days running a NASA lab. Experiments on deadlines, everyone held to the highest expectations, no room for mistakes."

She put her hands together, crossing her legs.

"But I imagine everyone is just a bit shaken, Virginia and the gun bill, then Iran, and now Windsor and the DOJ."

[New Cobastheia]

"I suppose it's a good trait for a military man to have, my Father was the same way, and if I have been having these conversations with other officials I've only been doing so to look out for both my Husband and the Republic." She said making the second half of her statement quite clear, just in case, as he had put it. Although she had no idea of knowing just what the Secretary was insinuating, she didn't like what she taught he could be insinuating.

"Frankly, I'm just hoping we can navigate this situation in the Gulf without too much escalation. I should probably speak with the Secretary of State about this." He pinched the bridge of his nose, looking down. "I suspect the President will want me to lay out retaliatory options, but uh... with respect, ma'am, I'm not at liberty to discuss details with you."

"I'm hoping for the same thing, and no offense taken, I'm plenty used to it by this point," She paused for a quick second, "I believe that's all I needed to discuss with you, so unless you have anything else you're at liberty to discuss with me, it probably won't hurt to be just a little bit early for your meeting with my Husband."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"I'm hoping for the same thing, and no offense taken, I'm plenty used to it by this point," She paused for a quick second, "I believe that's all I needed to discuss with you, so unless you have anything else you're at liberty to discuss with me, it probably won't hurt to be just a little bit early for your meeting with my Husband."

"Of course, Madam First Lady." He nodded, going to stand up, his motions a bit stiff, reflective of a long military tradition that was hard to buck. Gnawing at the back of his mind though was the fact that it seemed the First Lady was actively planning to invoke the 25th Amendment. That was a serious thing to do, and he needed to make his mind up first just how mentally competent the President was... It was a real intrigue he found himself in.

[Bruke]

"I'm sure the committees won't give you too much trouble in the future. It would be good to have more activity from the DNC in the lead-up to next year. Some high-profile surrogates wouldn't hurt either."

"Yes, of course. I know Texas is a victory lap for us but I can't help feeling Clara's taking it a little bit granted when we've got Kentucky and Louisiana up this year."

"Reminds me of another asset I'd bring to the table- fundraising. We need to make sure Kentucky and Louisiana go our way.... Trahan would be a good stumper in Kentucky, and a colleague from the South would be a good stumper in Louisiana."

[New Cobastheia]

"If nothing else maybe it could be used to show the country we're just as mature as the Senate," She said, mentioning Carrie's long time itch, "Any take on any of the potential contenders?"

"I don't want the boat rocked. Sullivan's obviously making a play but she's frankly too conservative and the GOP'll leap at the chance to humiliate us by winning Alaska and thus knocking out our Senate leader. I know Senator Volek, he taught me how to survive here. I believe he's the man to bring stability, at least for the rest of this Congress."

"I agree about Sullivan, especially on her politics, if you want a caucus were Progressives and Moderates can get along than she's probably the worst option, but that's just me, in the meantime, I'm sure it'll be fun to watch what happens."

[New Cobastheia]

"I'm hoping for the same thing, and no offense taken, I'm plenty used to it by this point," She paused for a quick second, "I believe that's all I needed to discuss with you, so unless you have anything else you're at liberty to discuss with me, it probably won't hurt to be just a little bit early for your meeting with my Husband."

"Of course, Madam First Lady." He nodded, going to stand up, his motions a bit stiff, reflective of a long military tradition that was hard to buck. Gnawing at the back of his mind though was the fact that it seemed the First Lady was actively planning to invoke the 25th Amendment. That was a serious thing to do, and he needed to make his mind up first just how mentally competent the President was... It was a real intrigue he found himself in.

"Like I said, earlier, congratulations on your confirmation Mr. Secretary," She said, standing up in a much more human way as she offered up her hand for another handshake before the Secretary left.

[Sanabel]

Secretary George M. Berentsen
The White House
Monday 1st July, 2019

(Image)

The ongoing crisis in the Middle East was a hell of a situation to walk into, but it seemed that that was where George was going to be. Despite any personal difficulties he had, his country needed him, and after the formalities of his confirmation and swearing-in had passed, it hadn't really set in just how heavy a burden he now bore when he got to this point.

He'd been summoned to the Oval by the President and he'd promptly made the journey there from the Pentagon where he'd been settling in. This, however, was leaving him with a terrible pit in his stomach. Where on God's Earth could this go?

The President had already met with the Director of National Intelligence, the Joint Chiefs, and the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency before meeting with the Secretary of Defense. It was essentially a formality- they had the capability to do what the President wanted, and he fully expected the meeting with his brand new Secretary of Defense to be a rubber stamp.

As the man entered the room, he smiled and gestured for him to sit. “Hello Secretary Bernstein. Great job in your hearing. Great job. I can tell you’re a smart guy- you’re smart, you’re smart. You have a big head! Strong general, smart general- it makes sense. Your head is so big for your big brain!”

After the other man was seated, a staffer emerged from the corner of the Oval Office to hand the newly minted Secretary a leather bound dossier.

“Our fireworks plan for the Fourth of July. Boom! It’s going to be great, it’s going to be so great,” he said while smiling as the man read. He was visibly energized and excited by the contents of the dossier’s pages.

[Puertollano]

FROM: [Francine Sullivan]
TO: [Senate Democratic Caucus]

All,

With recent events and my recent announcement, I would like to make a few things clear. This caucus must first and foremost be united. Thus, I am immediately calling for an end to unnecessary grandstanding arguments and votes on the Senate floor. If you have disagreements with a bill or a vote, please seek out whomever necessary, including myself, for help in a calm and orderly manner. Not by using valuable political capital and time on the Senate floor to tear down another peer for a poll boost or some tweets. This will be especially enforced for those Caucus members in the primary race.

Additionally, regarding the Iran situation, a sanctions bill appears to be moving through the House GOP. If this is a concern to any senator, especially if you disagree with the principle of additional sanctions, please see me. If not, I will assume you are in favor. Remember, I do not like to be surprised. Also, for the ongoing DOJ investigation, I will be speaking with our respective members on Ethics. And let me be clear: all communications between anyone of you and the Senators and Congresspeople under investigation should be immediately set aside and left alone. While I doubt I need to explain why, please cooperate with the investigation fully. The sooner this is over, the faster we can resume our agenda.

Sincerely,
Francine Sullivan
Senior Senator for Alaska (D-AK)

TO: Senator Sullivan
FROM: Senator Murphy

Yes, I will be opposing it.

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

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Louisville International Airport
Louisville, Kentucky
July 1st, 2019

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The commercial flight landed, with Vandel leading the applause among the other passengers. Rosanne hated when he did that, but well, he enjoyed it. Plus, he hated flying while she did, so at least they would be even. As the pair collected their baggage and left the plane following a number of handshakes and "God Bless You's", they took off down the terminal. They had already arranged for a friend to pick them up, nothing fancy. Just a nice former staffer who now was working for the Dalton campaign, though they did not intend to meet with the gubernatorial candidate just yet. Instead, they had invited her to a nice dinner at the hotel they were staying at. Well, not at the hotel but a nearby restaurant in Louisville.

It was a visit to get to know the Dalton lady, not really anything else yet. Of course, this was probably going to be the first of many visits to the state, especially as the Diehls intended to do more following the victory in Texas. It had energized them, though Rosanne had long tried to get Vandel out and about on campaign trails across the country to uplift him after the gene test. It had left him a bit broken, and she could not blame him. Her husband had been robbed of the possibility to become President, first by the Cliffords and then by his own DNA. A disaster. But not one that some good ole campaigning could at least help rectify and feel better. The two had made it to their baggage claim, immediately recognizing their staffer friend and his wife, who helped the former Second Family gather their belongings. They headed out to the parking garage, greeting many surprised travelers on their way to the car and once again when they arrived at the hotel.

[The Fair Republic]

"I have not." responded Sullivan, shaking her head.

"Thank you for the compliment but to be honest, I wasn't too prepared. I liked my role in the caucus, not suddenly giving marching orders. Though I've always been told I'm tough and demanding, so maybe that's just what we need to whip our Caucus back into working order. Reminds me of my days running a NASA lab. Experiments on deadlines, everyone held to the highest expectations, no room for mistakes."

She put her hands together, crossing her legs.

"But I imagine everyone is just a bit shaken, Virginia and the gun bill, then Iran, and now Windsor and the DOJ."

"Don't forget a primary cycle for president and a Senate to take back. Our campaign finance system is broken, but it is political malpractice to tie one hand behind our backs and not do high dollar fundraisers"

He folded his hands together and leaned forward a little.

"Have you thought about your leadership team? I think there needs to be an ideological balance. I worry that a center leaning leadership will cause the left-wing members of our party to revolt"

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

"I have not." responded Sullivan, shaking her head.

"Thank you for the compliment but to be honest, I wasn't too prepared. I liked my role in the caucus, not suddenly giving marching orders. Though I've always been told I'm tough and demanding, so maybe that's just what we need to whip our Caucus back into working order. Reminds me of my days running a NASA lab. Experiments on deadlines, everyone held to the highest expectations, no room for mistakes."

She put her hands together, crossing her legs.

"But I imagine everyone is just a bit shaken, Virginia and the gun bill, then Iran, and now Windsor and the DOJ."

"Don't forget a primary cycle for president and a Senate to take back. Our campaign finance system is broken, but it is political malpractice to tie one hand behind our backs and not do high dollar fundraisers"

He folded his hands together and leaned forward a little.

"Have you thought about your leadership team? I think there needs to be an ideological balance. I worry that a center leaning leadership will cause the left-wing members of our party to revolt"

"You've got that right. So much going on, but hey, cut me some slack Sean!" she joked, "I'm running in a tough race, can't juggle everything. So I guess that's where the leadership team comes in."

Sullivan crossed her arms.

"I want all the other positions filled, for the long-term, by the time we vote for the permanent leader. Just so that the leadership team is ready and at least prepared, without more politics erupting. And I agree, we need progressives. But I also don't want any presidential candidates either. It'll go to their heads."

[The Fair Republic]

"You've got that right. So much going on, but hey, cut me some slack Sean!" she joked, "I'm running in a tough race, can't juggle everything. So I guess that's where the leadership team comes in."

Sullivan crossed her arms.

"I want all the other positions filled, for the long-term, by the time we vote for the permanent leader. Just so that the leadership team is ready and at least prepared, without more politics erupting. And I agree, we need progressives. But I also don't want any presidential candidates either. It'll go to their heads."

"I think running for president already requires a healthy ego and an above averaged sized head" he laughed, "One nice thing about Rhode Island is that I never had to stay in a hotel overnight in while on a statewide campaign".

I agree that presidential candidates would be a poor choice for leadership. I doubt they would be effective considering that they will be in Iowa or New Hampshire every weekend for the next six months. Do you have any progressives in mind for a position?

[Rijkenlandd]

Rep. Kevin Villalobos @ElDiablo #NewHeaderPic

Rep. Kevin Villalobos @ElDiablo Just came back to Jacksonville to the news of Congress.. the usual order of business.. ...until a REAL leader can #DrainTheSwamp

[Rijkenlandd]

To: Bernard Porter, Fmr. Secretary of Defense
From: Kevin Villalobos, Representative from Florida's 4th Congressional District
Subject: Meeting

Good Evening Secretary Porter,

I'm gonna be in Florida for this recess. You want to meet over in Jacksonville? I'll treat you to some burgers and beer at one of my favorite joints or maybe we could go on a morning jog.

Regards,
Kevin Villalobos (R-FL)

[Puertollano]

"Uhm, no. No, no, no, no. You can't run as an independent, I'm sorry. Just, don't do it. I'll tip the primary scales in your favor, just at least try to win the Republican Primary first. Okay?"

Eliza, hearing what sounded like just a bit of panic in Lil's voice quickly backed off from the topic, "Well I didn't know you'd be so against the idea, but like I said I haven't decided against one or the other yet, but I'll definitely look more into the primary if that's what you want."

"Definitely. Otherwise, in reality, I'd be put in the unfortunate position of campaigning against you, rather than for you. And of course I want to join you in helping you win," she tried to explain. "Think about Dad when it comes to this. If we don't feel comfortable belonging in the Wolf Party, where do we belong?"

[Agarntrop]

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Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.
June 28th, 2019

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(Image)

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"Let me put it this way, if I vote how you want me to, against, you all will still run some Republican against me. If I vote for this, the Democrats will make sure there's no funny business in my primary. Putting aside the points of policy, there's nothing helping me in this 'very, very' vulnerable seat if I vote against, no?"

Francine grabbed a pen, flipping it in her hands.

"Well, I could arange something if you want to."

[Dentali]

"I'm very happy with how tough Wolf has been on Russia and Iran... taking a tough road on sanctions, coordinating with NATO and ensuring Europe can rely on us for natural gas and oil so they don't have as much weight to throw around. But I want to step it up on China. My largest policy proposal is my industrial plan which has the explicit goal of beating China when it comes to industry and tech while fortifying ourselves digitally. The first step is making sure our defenses are strong and then we take the offensive pushing back against their aggression and hurting them economically by leading an Asia-Pacific alliance building on ties with Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan."

"Getting them to play by international rules first, making sure any digital attacks or theft is answered for and then building up our naval capacity to answer aggression in the South China Sea and wherever else they might threaten. This focus will boost our economy and give our nation an enemy to unite against, to say nothing of the fact its the morally right thing to do."

Senator Colbert: “Could I hear more details about your plans on China?”

“Firstly we need to acknowledge this is a long term endeavor, no quick wins here. It is a process that needs a feasible approach leveraging our alliances, free market, strong military and advantages in technology and intelligence.”

“The first step is to get new full fledged trade agreements in Asia, using the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue as a basis. If we have to we should expand partner by partner, commit to a full on deal with Japan and resolve our issues with India, though a full scale trade deal can wait. All the while we look for active partners to bring in to the Quad such as South Korea.”

“Taiwan should get a free trade agreement and we should be advocating for it to fully join the global community. This is our front line, it should be given support and recognition. We cannot allow it to be taken over by China and subject to the same tortures we are seeing in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. On that note we need to use the Global Magnitsky Act to punish those abusing human rights and do what we can to keep the world focused on Hong Kong.”

“We need to take on China in international organizations as well. Not just the UN or the WHO, but the International Telecom Union and the International Civil Aviation Organization, things like that which affect our international economy. Their influence goes from the leadership to the working level and is detrimental to our efforts.”

“In Europe we need to make sure we cooperate with them on freedom of navigation, export controls and investment regimes. This is incredibly difficult given their relationship with China, but if we continually demonstrate real concrete threats from China we will find partners in our endeavour. I believe we can start with the WTO and human rights abuses and then continue on from there. But frankly any investment we make in Europe will pay dividends that make up for it.”

“All the while restructure the military in the Indo-Pacific. I’m not a military man so that is going to require consultation with the DoD but the “Regain the Advantage” plan presented by Admiral Philip Davidson who commands the Indo-Pacific is a good place to start. So we are talking about $20 billion over the next 6 years just for that region. I plan on announcing my official support of the plan very shortly.”

“I also want to establish a digital warfare academy, like West Point or the Naval Academy. When it comes to fighting digital wars we recruit people who already have training, frankly their aren’t enough of them. We need to make warriors like we do for every other branch of the military.”

“My industrial plan calls for investments in areas that allow us to compete long term with China. Heavy industry, pharmaceuticals, rare earth minerals and 5G just to start. Providing tax credits and incentives for those areas is going to be vital towards building our capabilities. Its vital that this isn’t corporate welfare, this is targeted, efficient, and with tangible goalposts towards taking on the strategic objective of China.”

“2 years ago Congress passed the Export Control Reform Act and the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act. This was vital and now its time to go full bore on those laws that enable us to protect against the China threat in the digital realm. We need to streamline and invest in 5G yesterday and ensure American companies without significant Chinese ties are taking the lead.”

“The DoJ has started a “China Initiative” to fight against theft by the Chinese from American companies and universities. This includes sanctions against foreign entities that have launched Cyberattacks, these should come from the treasury department and the WTO if possible.”

“Thats the short version”