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

by **Greater Arab State** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:29 pm

A letter was sent to Representative Vohoffsky’s Congressional Office regarding his scheduled meeting with the House Minority Leader.

To: Representative Theodore Vohoffsky

From: House Minority Leader Thomas Volker

Representative,

It has come to my attention that you have been rather active, both publicly and within the House Republican Caucus, I would like to arrange a meeting for this Thurday at 08:00 in order to discuss these recent developments and your involvement in them. Failure to attend will result in your expulsion from the House Republican Caucus and expulsion from any Committees you currently serve on.

Yours most respectfully,

House Minority Leader Thomas Volker

by **Sao Nova Europa** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:29 pm

Goldwater was smiling, his bright teeth shining, as he was staring at the journalists standing in front of him. His press conference had been organized rather fast and journalists from all the major news networks had arrived. James was trying his best to look good for the press. He was wearing his best suit. Standing to his right was his personal secretary, Alexander MacArthur, Alex for short. The young man gave the senator a thumbs up.

"Thank you for coming here," Goldwater said to the standing journalists. "As you all know, I made some comments that were misinterpreted by some of the Democratic colleagues. I apologized more than once for those comments, but I want to apologize for a third time. What I meant in my Fox interview wasn't that Democrats were intentionally trying to destabilize the country. Rather that Democrats, due to their policy of open borders and mass immigration, are unintentionally aiding groups that do want to harm the United States. I should have been clearer and will not make that mistake next time. Of course, I do have to note the hypocrisy of some members of Congress who have supported open border policies that have cost the loss of so many jobs and tax increases that will rob the American people, being so angry over an honest mistake in an interview..."

Before any of the journalists could say a word, Goldwater continued speaking. "But I have not called you here to talk about my Fox News interview. I have called you because of something far more important. I want to announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America. I am entering the Republican primaries."

"In the United States we have two parties. Not Republican and Democrats; the Party of Davos and the Party of Patriots. The Party of Davos is the party of rich, establishment types and cosmopolitan elites that believe that nation-states are outdated institutions belonging to the past, that borders are simply arbitrary lines and that free trade will enrich everyone. Why would anyone feel pride in being an American or an Italian or a Chinese? That is beyond their understanding. Why working-class people do not want mass immigration of a cheap labor force, which forces wages down and turns the job market into a hellish competition? For them, migration means the brotherhood of mankind - after all, they don't live next to migrants or, when they do, they live next to rich, elite migrants like themselves. Why would people not want free trade? The people of the Party of Davos cannot understand why working-class people don't want to see cheap goods flooding the American market and putting them out of work. Nor do they understand what it is to see your factory closing and being shipped to Mexico or China, where there are no workers' rights and people are paid minimal wages. The answer of the Party of Davos? It depends on the R or D next to their name. Either, 'let us strip our workers of all their rights and drive down wages in order to be competitive' or 'let us give them welfare checks from money we don't have - after all, the next generation will pay the price, not us'."

"Then, there is the Party of Patriots - both Republicans and Democrats. People who say 'you know what, as long as you don't hate other people and you are not judging others simply on their race or ethnicity, it is OK to feel pride in being American'. People who understand what it is to compete with illegal migrants in the workforce, what it is to see wages being driven down and jobs lost. People who understand what is it to live in cities and towns with rampant crime rates but being called a racist or bigot if you dare to cry out for help. People who understand what it is to be a hard-working man or woman, doing your best at work in order to feed your children and then see the factory or shop you were working in close down, moving to Mexico or China, and becoming jobless. People who understand how infuriating it is seeing politicians on TV telling you that your rights as a workers should be dismantled and your wages should go down so that you can 'become competitive'. Or how angry it must make you to hear some suited politician with cash telling you that you should get a 'job retraining'. Abandon the work you've been doing for years, maybe decades, and become a... 'coder'. You can't? Too bad! 'You are a loser!' People who see how many jobless young men without a future become addicted to internet or drugs because no one cares to look them in the eyes, tell them credibly that they have a future and fight for them."

Goldwater smiled, his smile being genuine and warm. "I am not going to lie to you. I am not a working class person. I am not even a middle class person. I am a rich person. I come from a wealthy family. I grew up with all the luxuries my status could get me, going into the best private schools and universities and having a comfortable life. If I wanted to, I could simply continue working as a financial analyst or banker. I may even have gone on to become some kind of CEO. Or I could simply become a rich playboy and not have to work at all. I decided to go into politics. Not because I did not have wealth or because I craved power - I already had both in abundance. But because I wanted to help America. It was a tough decision. Instead of having an easy life, I would be scrutinized by the media, be attacked by political opponents and on the slightest mistake, like the one I made in that interview, I could be 'lynched'. Yet I did it because I love my country, I love my fellow Americans and I wanted to help them in my own way. This is why I am the best person to fight for you - I cannot be bought by corporate donors nor do I need to remain in office. If I lose and am driven out, I can simply retire and live a rather good life. That means I have no reason to play cozy with the political establishment or with corporations."

"I will be your guy in office. I will clean up the swamp in DC. I will cleanse our sacred institutions of government from the influence of corporate donors. I am already rich, so I don't care about their cash. I will take them on and I will make sure that the government works for you. You are the Masters and we the politicians are your Servants. We obey you! You are our boss!". Goldwater bowed deeply, showing in practice that he was a servant of the people. "I am asking you to trust me. Have I made mistakes? Yes, more than once. Have I made some comments that were wrong or impulsive? At times yes. Because I am not a professional politician, despite winning elections before. But I have never lied to you. I have always been honest and telling you exactly what I think. If not, I would be the common, 'clean', soft-spoken politician than says a lot and yet tells nothing of substance."

"My campaign will center on four policies: Gaining control of our borders, Cleansing DC from corporate donors, Stopping outward flow of factories and businesses and Eliminating the deficit. As President, I will continue building President Wolf's Wall and will increase border patrols and deportations. Not because I am 'racist' - many of my voters are Latinos, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Native-American and legal migrants - but because I understand that a large-scale inflow of cheap labor drives wages down and provides an excuse to strip workers of their rights. I shall pass legislation that shall limit corporate donations, will make government completely transparent and open to everyone and put money in the hands of the people directly; in the form of $100 'Democracy Dollars', a coupon each American adult will get and which he will be able to donate to any political campaign he wishes, thus washing out corporate donations. I will continue President Wolf's agenda of tariffs on countries that take advantage of us and ensure that no more factories leave the US - the American corporate leaders will have very low taxes and a good, pro-business environment here but in return I will expect them to invest here. Last but not least, I will eliminate the deficit and start repaying the debt. We cannot keep spending more money than we've got; every man or woman who has had his own job and money knows that principle. The same way you cannot spend like a drunken sailor because you will get screwed, if you will excuse my language, the same way the country will get screwed. I will eliminate useless government departments and cut money we spend on lazy, fat bureaucrats while protecting necessary welfare spending for working-class families and your rights. I want to trim government fat and waste, not attack programs that actually help people. You can expect reforms in our healthcare sector too, in a way that combines a free market system with careful government intervention to aid you the people."

"My principles are small, clean government, rule of law, protected borders and aiding the working and middle classes of this country. I want a government that works for the people, not for bureaucrats. A government that spends money on aiding the poorest in society, not one spending money on various department directors. A government that is not bought out by corporate donors who couldn't care less about you living paycheck to paycheck and only care about numbers and statistics. I want rule of law and border control - to make sure everyone plays fair in the free market and that our border law is not violated and wages are not driven down by mass migration of cheap labor force. I want us to stop spending money we don't have and indebting our children's future. I want us to stop having boots on the ground on far away places in never ending wars - we will be tough, we will bomb the s*** out of terrorists and give them hell but we shall not engage in never ending wars. We will be going fast and furious with air strikes, strike surgically and be done. I will make sure that factories and shops return to your towns and that you can once again find a good, honest job. That you can feel proud to be working again. I want to ensure that our young men and women have a future - because the current system is stacked up against them."

"You may have noticed that some of my policies are not exactly pure Republican: some could even have been uttered by some Democrats. But, as I told you, the two parties in America are not Republican and Democrat; but the Party of Davos and the Party of Patriots. I am with the party of patriots. I am a proud conservative, a strong fan of Ronald Reagan but I understand that we also need new solutions in a new age. Ronald Reagan redefined conservatism. So did President Wolf, a patriotic man who fought against the political establishment and did not cower because of the pure hatred directed against him. A man I adore and admire. So I hope to define our movement. To continue on the path of Mr. Reagan and Mr. Wolf but also to bring new ideas."

"Let us claim our government and our country back. Let us clean the swamp!"

by **Gordano and Lysandus** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:36 pm

Governor Jonah Prendergast Jr.
@JPJ4USA
It looks like April 1st comes early in Texas...

by **Sanabel** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:38 pm

Gordano and Lysandus wrote:
Sanabel wrote:Yes. Nate was here. Good man. He’s a good man. So was Representative Volker. He’s a good man too. He’s also planning on running for president.”

"Mm... I wouldn't be so trustworthy of a man like Richardson, alas, but yes, Congressman Volker is a very good man. He and I have been talking a lot. We don't want to split the vote, and he told me he likes the idea of being my Veep. See, I want to complete the revolution you've started in America, and he wants to help shake up the Congress which has tried to ruin your administration at every avenue. I think we'd make a good team together."

Wolf nodded. “A ticket with you and Representative Volker is something I want to see. What would a Prendergast-Volker administration do?”

by **Gordano and Lysandus** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:45 pm

Sanabel wrote:Wolf nodded. “A ticket with you and Representative Volker is something I want to see. What would a Prendergast-Volker administration do?”

"My first priority is to make sure all the projects you leave us get completed. The Republican Party signed up to your policies three years ago and got elected on that platform. We've got a moral duty to see it all done - bringing down immigration to manageable levels, emancipating business from overbearing, job-killing legislation, building the Wall. It's the best plan for government, so we've got to build from those ideas. So once we've gotten your plan for government finished, I'd like to continue reforming regulations and tax to keep supercharging business - I want to beat China. We've got to beat China, or they'll walk all over us. That's what Democrats and RINOs want." Prendergast shrugged. "Your strength through peace plan is good and I want to expand that. Just like a child should fear their parents, America should fear the world. We've got to make sure they get the message and don't just think that when you're gone, America will go back to being the global patsy." He chose not to go on for too long, knowing the President didn't like being talked at.

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 7:51 pm

Agarntrop wrote:
John Atang
@JohnAtangNY3
I am pleased to announce that on March 14 I am going to begin holding a monthy town hall session in my district, called the #PeoplesQuestions, where ANYONE can ask me questions about ANYTHING and I will answer to the best of my ability. See you there!

John Atang
Huntington, New York
14th March
(Image)

John arrived at the town hall in an excited but anxious mood. He had chosen a large town, one of the largest in his district, and he was sure this would raise his publicity. However, he knew it could take a turn for the worse. Not all questions are easy to answer.

John arrived on the stage and smiled at the crowd to mild applause, and exclaimed politely,

"Hello, Huntingdon, and welcome to my first session of People's Questions! Well, we better get to it. Anyone?"

Anyone can ask him a question IC, don't hesitate!

A young man with a red and white t-shirt appears with a digital tablet.

"Mr. Atang, I'm with a blog called American People. It's a small blog meant to promote objective news content. Here's the question I have provided. A business here in Pennsylvania had forbidden children from entering, because it's mainly a bar. Can children be allowed in business establishments that focus mainly on alcohol, even if they don't drink alcohol?"

by **Azekopolaltion** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 8:41 pm

Tim Westra
@WestraNJ
timwestra.com
Concerned about the entrance of Senator Goldwater into the Republican primary...this is a man who has questioned the allegiance of another party to this country, and a man who has vilified immigrants beyond belief. If this authoritarian-lite message is the direction that the Republican establishment is taking, then we all have a right to be scared.

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 9:15 pm

The World Capitalist Confederation wrote:
Also March the 13th, in literally the exact same place.

Vohoffsky, meanwhile, himself was on the computer, playing CS:GO too. He had picked the Office map, playing as the FBI. He was with a few online friends, who coordinated together as a squad to rack up kills. They called themselves the Iron Corps, and were full of expert players. After all, the good thing about being older is that you get experience at a lot of things, with Vohoffsky having been in this game from the beginning. It was near even, as one of his allies just got killed by LeagueBoi, Vohoffsky, however, himself under the tag CodeOrion (as the rest of his group did), began to close in on him.

Iron Squad Voice Chat (Discord) - CodeBetelgeuse: Wow. that l_r0k guy is certainly a noob. Wait a minute, is he trying to shoot the hostages?
Team Voice Chat - CodeBetelgeuse: Hey, buddy, this isn't-
Team Voice Chat - l_r0k: HELP HELP HELP! ALSO, WHY ARE ALL OF YOU LIKE THIS- I'M DEAD NOW
Team Voice Chat - CodeOrion: He's dead, Betelgeuse, let it go.
Team Voice Chat - CodePolaris: Too bad Sirius is in classes-
Team Voice Chat - CodeOrion: Right, let's keep going. I think I can see a terrorist...

Vohoffsky sneaked up to the terrorist and knifed him in the back. The good thing with having an expensive computer and fast internet is that you win a few milliseconds when it comes to these things, as good latency allows you to kill a bad latency opponent quickly.

General Voice Chat - CodeOrion: Target neutralised.
General Voice Chat - MousePunk40: OH NO OH NO
Team Voice Chat - CodePolaris: Objective spotted, east north east.
Team Voice Chat - CodeOrion: We'll be right there, Polaris.
Team Voice Chat - CodeBetelgeuse: Damn, that Mouse guy is good. I'm too bogged down to help either of you right now, I'm sorry.
Team Voice Chat - CodePolaris: That's fine with us. We're the only 3 remaining, so let's make this worth it.

Vohoffsky shot one of the terrorists supposed to protect the hostages, and began to carry them out. Polaris was accompanying him, as they got ready to move them to the extract zone as Betelgeuse kept the rest of them preoccupied on one hostage with a smoke grenade and his Negev. And soon, one was out...

March 13th, 2019

Mike Montgomery
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Across Online Servers

Team Voice Chat: DEAD MousePunk40: I'm down!
Team Text Chat: DEAD OilSoil69: The fuck?! When did these guys join the game?!
Team Voice Chat: Deblod100: How did you guys die? I was near two people with the hostages, then I leave the room for one second and now half of our team is dead at once.
Team Voice Chat: ScOnEsEE: Wait, did you leave the hostages?
Team Voice Chat: Deblod100: I'm trying to flank these guys! Plus, I'm using a mouse here!
Team Voice Chat: ScOnEsEE: You moron! You left the hostages!
Team Voice Chat: LeagueBoi Shoot the smoke!

LeagueBoi was starting to shoot with his Desert Eagle at the smoke grenade that was being thrown, but he saw a hostage run past. "Come on. Come on." Mike muttered, as he tried to give chase, where he managed to nab one of the CT's.

Team Voice Chat: LeagueBoi: Got one!

by **Puertollano** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 9:51 pm

Gordano and Lysandus wrote:
(Image)
Governor Jonah Prendergast Jr.
@JPJ4USA
Had a chance to speak with @realLilyanaWolf today! An inspiring woman, who shares her father's deep dedication to serving the American people. Her proposals on paid maternity leave are worthy of deep and serious consideration by all presidential and congressional candidates! Making work pay is a Republican priority, whilst making welfare pay is the Democratic alternative!

Lilyana Wolf retweeted.

by **Puertollano** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 10:54 pm

www.Levi2020.com

For the many, not the few

Our Policies

"For the many, not the few
means that we believe in an America where the bottom 99% are treated with the same respect,
same decency and with proper investments into their future. The current system believes that
it's fine to bail out the big banks, the large corporations and the criminals sitting in Wall Street.
We can create an economy that works for all of us, the many, not the few.
That's what I envision and that's what I want to be if I'm given the
opportunity to be elected President of the United States of America."

Meet Levi
Where you can attend campaign events & how you can join our movement!
Download the app here to keep up to date with the campaign!

by **The World Capitalist Confederation** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 12:51 am

Greater Arab State wrote:A letter was sent to Representative Vohoffsky’s Congressional Office regarding his scheduled meeting with the House Minority Leader.

To: Representative Theodore Vohoffsky

From: House Minority Leader Thomas Volker

Representative,

It has come to my attention that you have been rather active, both publicly and within the House Republican Caucus, I would like to arrange a meeting for this Thurday at 08:00 in order to discuss these recent developments and your involvement in them. Failure to attend will result in your expulsion from the House Republican Caucus and expulsion from any Committees you currently serve on.

Yours most respectfully,

House Minority Leader Thomas Volker

Vohoffsky was forwarded the letter in the form of an email, and nodded as he went to attend the meeting from his private jet.

He arrived 5 minutes early, waited in his office and then went to Volker's for the meeting.

by **Sarenium** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 12:52 am

Gordano and Lysandus wrote:
Sarenium wrote:"Bold of you to assume the Presidency would land in my lap," Jillian smiled, "I hope that should that day come, you'd be willing to voice your beliefs as openly as you've done here. Peace is not simply the absence of conflict Congresswoman, it is the presence of justice. Justice itself is the concept that society has deemed an action worthy of a certain repercussion, these are words taught in every law school, societies differ in their view. Our nation was founded on the truths of self determination, its why the House faces the public every two years. The value of self determination, not pacifism, is the orthodoxy I intend to bring to our foreign policy. I want to empower populations to decide for themselves their course of action, not unilaterally intervene on their behalf."

She paused for a moment, hunching forward slightly, "if I am fortunate enough to become the next President of the United States, I would be doing so with the trust of every American to voted for me, and the faith in the systems of our government from every American that doesn't. I assure you, where American lives, and where American interests are concerned, I will enforce our lawful red lines, irrespective of that which our allies desire. However, please don't mistake my caution for pacifism, I like to make informed decisions," she straightened back up, "I can't say for certain exactly what decision I would have made in President Baharia's shoes, although I suspect it would have been different to his."

"I don't like to take anything for granted after Diane lost 2016. She deserved to win. She'd have been an excellent, excellent President." Caroline sighed, shaking her head. "But I appreciate your stance on foreign affairs. It validates that I believe I would be safe with a President Dayton in charge. I'm not so convinced with Westra or Murphy. 'Ending American wars' is a problematic statement. One, they don't appreciate the costs of the kinds of withdrawals they want, and two, they're legitimizing a discourse which suggests the West is the cause of terror, which it is not."

Dayton nodded, "I understand. Secretary Clifford's loss was certainly a political tragedy if nothing else. I hope that if at some point I do make my way into the White House, you'd consider an elevated role in Foreign Affairs under any Dayton Administration. I don't make offers, and I certainly don't intend to snatch you from Helen, but any President would be fortunate to have you by their side and I certainly hope I get to be that President. In the meantime, this Unity Caucus deserves our attention! Beyond our small merry band what are the numbers looking like? How much of the caucus do we anticipate would support such a Unity Caucus?"

by **Gordano and Lysandus** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 2:35 am

Sarenium wrote:Dayton nodded, "I understand. Secretary Clifford's loss was certainly a political tragedy if nothing else. I hope that if at some point I do make my way into the White House, you'd consider an elevated role in Foreign Affairs under any Dayton Administration. I don't make offers, and I certainly don't intend to snatch you from Helen, but any President would be fortunate to have you by their side and I certainly hope I get to be that President. In the meantime, this Unity Caucus deserves our attention! Beyond our small merry band what are the numbers looking like? How much of the caucus do we anticipate would support such a Unity Caucus?"

"Senator Moore's expressed some interest. I think both Representatives Davenport and Nez will be on board, they're good reasonable women. Representative Atang should be on board, and I can talk to Representative Nuñez. I know Senator Volek cares very deeply about party unity. There's a lot of appetite to ensure the Democrats look united and ready to govern."

by **Sarenium** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 5:58 am

Gordano and Lysandus wrote:
Sarenium wrote:Dayton nodded, "I understand. Secretary Clifford's loss was certainly a political tragedy if nothing else. I hope that if at some point I do make my way into the White House, you'd consider an elevated role in Foreign Affairs under any Dayton Administration. I don't make offers, and I certainly don't intend to snatch you from Helen, but any President would be fortunate to have you by their side and I certainly hope I get to be that President. In the meantime, this Unity Caucus deserves our attention! Beyond our small merry band what are the numbers looking like? How much of the caucus do we anticipate would support such a Unity Caucus?"

"Senator Moore's expressed some interest. I think both Representatives Davenport and Nez will be on board, they're good reasonable women. Representative Atang should be on board, and I can talk to Representative Nuñez. I know Senator Volek cares very deeply about party unity. There's a lot of appetite to ensure the Democrats look united and ready to govern."

"Might be useful to lure in some of the less, controversial self branded moderates and progressives, to reiterate the broad nature of the Caucus," she pondered, "would Senator Little be interested?"

by **Gordano and Lysandus** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:02 am

Sarenium wrote:"Might be useful to lure in some of the less, controversial self branded moderates and progressives, to reiterate the broad nature of the Caucus," she pondered, "would Senator Little be interested?"

"I don't know. He's not responded to the email. Not sure he'll take kindly to it though when I vote against his reparations bill though... That's going to hurt us in the Midwest if he goes ahead with it." She sighed, shaking her head. "Not that I don't agree with the principle of it, but the politics aren't feasible."

by **Granluras** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 8:15 am

⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀
IN THE LIFE OF DUNCAN FLANAGAN

Mae Flanagan’s Birthday

The day of March 7 was quite important to the extensive Flanagan family. It was the date of Mae Flanagan’s near-centennial birthday, her 95th celebration. After the first twenty some birthdays, the occasional becomes repetitive and not that important. However, once your family grows and you reach your 60s, the countdown to your inevitable passing becomes increasingly significant. Sorry for the nihilism. So, as the 95th year of Mae’s life many many relatives and dignitaries made the day special for the ole miss. From the week prior, she had several people work behind the scenes to plan ahead her birthday so it was easiest for her to experience. In fact, celebrations began almost two weeks before, during the 91st Academy Awards.

Picture it, Dolby Theatre, a place which is equally eponymous to the American cinematic empire as Hollywood is. Over a thousand dignitaries of Hollywood gathered under one roof, over several million hours of screentime, over $100 billion dollars worth of box office income. Towards the end of the show, a bit after the In Memoriam segment, the stage was taken by Meryl Streep and Kate McKinnon. They approached the microphone, with Streep holding a paper that they both glanced towards every now and then.

“Today we celebrate the 91st Academy Awards. For ninety-one years actors and actresses have been gathered under the same roof to celebrate their peers for industry-changing accomplishments. From that early age in Hollywood’s history, we can’t say that many are still around who experienced it. However, the Golden Age of Hollywood was a lengthy one, and there still remain a few figures from the height of it. We’ve celebrated their lives many times before here and elsewhere, from stars such as the late Katherine Hepburn, to Clint Eastwood, to Doris Day, and many more. Today, or rather eight days from now, we celebrate yet another figure from the era many of us sprouted from,” Streep began, not glancing back at the script more than twice, courtesy of her professionalism, “Miss Mae Flanagan.”

A wave of applause spread across the group, and the cameras that recorded all the artificially well-composed faces captured the reactions of celebrities such as the aforementioned Clint Eastwood, Rami Malek, Ryan Seacrest, Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, and others. After the applause died down ten seconds afterwards, the paper was handed to McKinnon, who read her paragraph over and memorized it.

“Mae Cullingham was born March 7, 1924, predating sliced bread by fifty-two months,” McKinnon started, her little joke promoting scattered laughter, “and started her acting career in 1946. She became noted for her professionalism, good looks, and offscreen charisma. Her breakout role was in 1950, when she appeared in a tertiary role in the film Chain Lighting with Humphrey Bogart. Her acting style and subsequent relationship with Mister Bogart propelled her higher within Hollywood, and by 1960 she was readily apparent in A-list films. Her career has spanned film, television, radio, and, most recently, the Internet after she appeared in the web series 13 Reasons Why a year ago. In general, we remember her for her telltale roles as either an energetic, snarky, intellectual, or conversely foolish character in roles throughout the 70s and 80s. She became a model to young actresses and actors in the late-20th century, especially through her service at the influential Powell Arts Co. School from 1988 to 2001...”

“For me, Miss Flanagan inspired me when she appeared alongside me in my acting debut: Julia. She had a more prominent role, but looked out for her lesser peers, especially me, and she took a great interest in me due to my acting skill. She helped introduce me to Robert De Niro, who introduced me to my role in The Deer Hunter, and mentored me in one of my greatest roles ever in Sophie’s Choice. She looked out for me for many years, and that’s what she became known for, looking out for Hollywood. There are dozens of you out there who share these stories with us because of her extensive career, and almost all of you out there can also state to have been gifted something from her due to her long career...” Streep spoke, primarily ad-libbing this section from her fragmentary memory of what she had typed onto the paper in her hand, but it was still touching. Then the attention went back to McKinnon.

“For me, Miss Flanagan inspired me during my early days at SNL. I was a new actress, and while I had some experience by then, being apart of such a large and influential show was greatly intimidating. When Mae came out of semi-retirement in 2009, and came onto SNL as a recurring star, she took note of me and I parted with some of her old, old...old wisdom onto me. Suffice to say, because of her I adapted to my role well, and she is why, eight years after first meeting her, I am where I am today.” McKinnon added, garnering some light applause and laughter.

“Truly, Miss Flanagan is a legend among us all. She nurtured with either her direct actions or indirect words and methods a new generation of celebrities,” Streep continued, “while planning this segment, we discussed with her family how best to celebrate her milestone. While a monumental occasion, Miss Flanagan is unable to join us tonight due to health issues. However, she was fit and enthusiastic enough to give us the following video. Please, enjoy.”

Streep and McKinnon walked away to take a seat, while a large projector screen descended behind them and the lights dimmed. The cameras hovering about captured the looks of ambiguous celebrities as they inquisitively leered at the beginning video. It started with an out-of-focus image which slowly came to focus on the highly decorated sunroom of Mae’s mother-in-law suite at her prestigious retirement community. She was in a wheelchair wearing a red cotton sweater, large eyeglasses, and a pearl necklace. She was a thin and short lady with spotty and pale folds of old skin covering her body, and frizzy white feathered hair that used to shine auburn in her younger days. Despite her honestly old appearance and age, she was quite steady-handed and as soft-spoken as she had ever been. As the video came into focus, she was seen holding a small picture frame that showed her as a thirty-something and the late Humphrey Bogart with locked arms and beaming styles.

“Oh ho, oh yeah I like this one, but Elijah didn’t,” Mae said, quoting her late husband, “this was taken outside of Pantages Theater in ‘55. That was the first year I was ever nominated for an Academy Award in anything, and as it was for a role I had played beside Humphrey in. We were both happy. A paparazzo snapped this, and I ‘came aware of it a few weeks after Humphrey’s death, and it's been in this frame for the past sixty-one years.”

The view then transitioned to a diagonal view of Mae sitting beside the glass wall of her sunroom, against the bright and green backdrop of her home, and slightly offscreen to the right was an ambiguous interviewer, who in reality was close family friend Joseph Marchese.

“Your career is a most interesting one. From 1946 to 1997 your career flourished and you became a celebrity as easily recognizable as many modern celebrities. Then came your brief retirement which, after growing quite restless, you returned from by taking some minor film roles and recurring roles on SNL in 2009. In the sixty combined years that your career has spanned, what do you most cherish and regret?”

Mae pursed her pruny lips as she thought on the question.

“I believe my greatest regret was not accepting an audition or Star Wars. Otherwise, I think there would’ve been a very good chance that I could’ve been Princess Lea.” Mae answered.

“Really? Wasn’t Princess Lea supposed to be young so she could be Luke’s sister?” Joseph asked.

“Who?”

“Did you not watch the films when they were released?” Joseph asked with a chuckle.

“Hah, n-no, I didn’t. Sci-Fi never resonated with me.”

“I see, I see.” Joseph said.

“Uhh, my second other regret I suppose would be not personally overseeing the education of Sofia Coppola when she came to Powell in ‘91. If I had, I think I could’ve saved The Godfather, Part III. I really loved that series, and wished that she did better, which I think she could’ve.”

To the audience at home watching, a few seconds were taken to briefly switch the attention to Ms. Coppola, who was out in the audience, and had her head lowered in embarrassment while she laughed.

“Now for cherished moments?” Joseph suggested.

“Ah, ok. I think I most cherish meeting Meryl Streep. ‘Cause, to think I had a role to play in that girl’s formative years, whew, that makes me happy.” Mae answered. Again, the camera’s departed to leer onto Streep, who smiled and nodded her head slowly.

“I also cherish the relationship I had with Julie Harris. She was a good lady, and we became close after meeting during the production of Harper. Then we became recognized as sort of an unofficial duo after appearing together nine entire times within the next six years. She was a good lady, so that’s why I cherish our friendship.” Mae continued, her eyes peering off to the side in nostalgic remembrance of olden days.

“Thirdly, I’m proud of Titanic, ‘cause...well, who wouldn’t be proud of being in that movie? Even though I had a lesser role, I was allowed to walk around on set, and sit in the back and watch the main ensemble do their stuff. It-it was a very nice movie to play in and watch.”

“Wonderful moments, indeed,” her interviewer said, “so now, let me ask this: ninety-five years of life, sixty years in Hollywood, dozens of hours of screentime, thousands of special moments, decisions, and more. What is one thing you would’ve wanted to do in your life that you missed the opportunity to?”

Mae pondered the question, scratching her wrinkled forehead and mumbling indecisively. Then, a look of glee came across her face as she cooked up a witty answer.

“I wish I had made the decisions that would’ve let me have sex with Clint Eastwood back in the 60s.”

An uproar of laughter overcame the audience. Celebrities who were dying of laughter, clapping, and stunned were all shown by the cameras. Then the camera came to Clint Eastwood himself, who was a little red in the face and chuckling.

“Oh my, I didn’t know you had those types of feelings for Mister Eastwood.” Joseph said with a soft chuckle.

Mae then turned to the camera.

“Clint, I know you’re watching this, call me.”

After the saucy moment passed over, the video continued.

“I suppose we’ll make this the final point,” Joseph told Mae, “what message do you have for Hollywood now?”

Mae seemed to have had this question answered in her mind already, as she turned to the camera again only a moment after.
“I say to you all: you are all backbones of American society. You make up one of our proudest and largest institutions, the entertainment industry. For a century we in Hollywood have shaped the interests, climate, sentiments, and richness of American society. Apply yourselves and grow yourselves, all of you, to continue that great and superb aspect of our industry. Al-although, I do want to add that despite that, we are not life coaches and we cannot dictate to the masses.”

“Good, that’s nice. Thank you for your time, Miss Flanagan.” Joseph said, extending his hand, and appearing for only two seconds on the screen before the video ended and a graphic of a ribbon inscribed with the words “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAE” appeared.

Applause came from the audience, and Streep and McKinnon returned to the stage.

“So, as we also remember all the memorable faces we’ve lost, we can also be relieved by taking the time to remember those we still have and are still kicking. Happy Birthday, Mae.” Streep said, finishing off Mae’s segment of the show. It was topped off by another round of applause, Streep and McKinnon went and retook their seats, and then the night of accolades continued.

Residence of Isaac Flanagan, 501 Horseleg Creek Road, Rome, Georgia

On the day of Mae’s actual birthday, many relatives gathered under her eldest son Isaac’s roof to privately celebrate her birthday. Close relatives from her side, Elijah’s side, and their family came together. There were also a few faces from Mae’s fabulous career who were special enough to have been extended invitations, such as Miss Streep herself, Kayleigh Thompson, and Clayton Chapman. By 5:00, all these people were together. What had been put together by the family party-planner, Mae’s daughter Renée, was a surprise party. All the guests were situated behind the furniture of Isaac’s great room and in other hidden spots, gathered in the dark. Isaac had gone out with Duncan to take their mother on a small night on the town, which primarily consisted of sight-seeing and dealing with people who recognized her; after which, they’d take Mae back to Isaac’s house. At 5:12, the text from Isaac came that they were pulling up to his driveway.

“Okay everyone, make sure you’re in places! They’re in the driveway.” Renée called out, slinking behind a recliner.

A hushed cacophony of voices came as people rearranged and made sure they were invisible. A moment or two passed, and everyone was content with where they were. Hidden behind an entertainment center was Elizabeth, Duncan’s granddaughter, who had a look of uncertainty on her face.

“Uh...umm...A-Aunt Renée?” She asked.

Renée turned to her slowly.

“Huh?” She whispered.

“Does it make sense to jump out in the dark and surprise a 95-year-old woman...on her birthday?” Elizabeth asked.

Renée’s eyes drifted down, and pursed her lips.

“Oh...you’re right.” Renée said, scratching her head of long black hair. She stood up slowly and then cleared her throat. “Uh, people, last minute revision. Perhaps jumping out and spooking a lady who’s almost 100 isn’t that smart. Christopher, can you turn on the lights?”

Christopher, Renée’s nephew and Duncan’s grandson, nodded and walked over to a light switch a foot from him and flipped it on.

“So, guys, soft voices and let’s not hide.” Renée instructed everyone, who slipped out from their hiding spots and waited for the door to open.

“So, mother,” Duncan’s voice could be heard speaking from the other side of the front door, “is there anything else you’d like to do today?”

Isaac took the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

“Oh, I don’t know...perhaps a steak dinner.” Mae answered. Isaac and Duncan chuckled lightly, and then helped their mother through the threshold of the house.

From the foyer to the great room was several steps, about fifteen feet. Within ten, Mae would be able to see her surprise guests. Isaac and Duncan, with younger eyes, saw the off-colored set up and leered in confusion, but still helped their mother into the barrier between the foyer and the great room.

“Medium rare, nicely seasoned, baked potato—”

“Surprise!” The guests exclaimed, startling Mae but retaining enough calm so that it didn’t startle her too much.

After processing it for a moment, Mae beamed brightly and giggled.

“Oh! Oh my, how nice!” Mae said, trodding into the room and then being met and swarmed by the many people there for her tonight.

“Happy birthday, ma.” Isaac said, leaning over and hugging his mother, who patted him on his cheek.

As Mae dealt with her excited guests, Duncan slipped by and walked over to Renee.

“This is...unusual.” He said to her.

“Oh well, Elizabeth pointed out that it probably wouldn’t be best to, y’know, jump out and surprise an old lady. I mean, we’re trying to see her become a centenarian, right?” Renée said, nodding her head towards Elizabeth.

Duncan snorted, and turned to his granddaughter.

“Oh, Lily, you know your great-grandmother is faint of mind, not heart.” He chuckled, walking over and patting her on the head.

“Can never be too careful, grandpa.” Elizabeth replied.

With all the right people under the same roof, the proper festivities for Mae’s birthday began. A quarter hour of random chatter, primarily focusing on Mae and all that she’d been doing leading up to and on her birthday. With Meryl there, the discussion of her career and her Oscar recognition came up. Meryl also handed Mae a handwritten letter from Clint Eastwood, which was more congratulations for her longevity rather than a reciprocation of her love. At 5:32, Renée corralled the party into Isaac’s dining room, where the large group gathered for a proper birthday meal, which included a - coincidentally - chosen steak dinner for Mae. During this time, Duncan gave to his mother several questions that a few news outlets had sent in regarding her birthday that she could comment on without dealing with press agents directly.

“So, mother, first off we got a question from CNN, XX something, who asks: ‘With the gift of longevity also comes the nuisance of old age. What is something you’ve been unable to do for sometime that you wish you could do once more for your birthday?’”

“Have se—”

“Ma! No, nothing about Clint Eastwood.” Duncan exclaimed.

Mae sputtered her lips and shrugged.

“Less rheumatism so I can be more mobile, I suppose.”

“Alright, that’s much better,” Duncan said, writing down the answer on the paper he was reading from, “this is from E! News, and they ask: ‘In your sixty year career you primarily served as an actress. Your roles as a producer are not numerous, and at the most you’ve worked as an assistant consultant. Do you wish you would have directed or produced anything in your career?’.”

“Oh, that’s a good one. Umm, yes, yes I do. I suppose it started in the 90s, when I started teaching. As I led and taught these prospective entertainers in front of me, I wished I could do that on a more public scale. In other words, produce or direct basically. I was a bit tired and older then, it was when I was only a few years from my retirement, so I didn’t have the energy to really produce a full feature. So that’s why I took some minor production roles, and wrote a few sitcom episodes and such.” Mae replied, her mind drifting over decades of missed and timely taken opportunities.

“Next is from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, more local: ‘Where is it in Georgia that you enjoy celebrating your birthday?’”

“Just places in Rome, mostly. Such as the Coosa riverwalk, that nice restaurant on Broad Street...uhh, Jefferson’s, and strolling down the main street. Mhm.”

“Alright, mother, last one, from Fox 5: ‘Having passed ninety-five of them, how many more birthdays would you like to look forward to?’”

“Quite morbid.” Mae said.

“Yeah, quite.”

“Well...I’d like to see my great-grandkids get into college and do good, so...let’s say ten more.” Mae answered.

Duncan nodded and wrote down the final answer, and then clicked the pen he was using. He folded the paper and set it aside.

“Good, then we can move on.” Duncan said with a sigh, scratching his neck.

They did move on, and the dining ended ten minutes afterwards. At the end, Renée and Isaac came from the kitchen holding a large two-tier cake. The lower tier was two feet across and made primarily for the guests, as the upper tier was much smaller and more easily consumable for Mae. They set it down in front of her, dimmed the lights, and stepped back as everyone came together to sing Happy Birthday.

At the end of the song came Mae’s moment to blow out the 9 and 5 candles, but she hesitated for a moment and giggled.

“Lord knows if I still have the lung capacity to blow these out.” She joked, prompting hearty laughter from her guests. However, Mae took a deep breath, and blew strongly at the candles, putting them out easily.

Following enthused applause, Mae was handed a knife, which she wielded steadily and used to cut the first slice of her cake. Insistent that even the smaller upper tier was too much for her, she cut a quarter of it and gave the other three to her children. The rest of the cake was split into over two dozen three-inch wedges that were handed out to everyone. No seconds, unfortunately. As the party munched on their cake, breaking up into several small groups, Mae ate slowly at the head of the table. Christopher, from a group of his cousins, came up to Mae.

“Hey, Grama.” Christopher said to Mae, sitting across from her.

“Oh, hey, Chris,” Mae said, patting Christopher on his cheek, “aww, what a handsome boy.”

Christopher chuckled at the compliment; what else would a great-grandmother call their great-grandkid than pretty?

“Uh, I was talking to my baseball coach yesterday and he said that the school would like to host the next game this Saturday in your honor.” Christopher told Mae, who gazed in great interest in the offer.

“Ooh, really? H-how would they do that?” Mae replied.

“Ehh, I dunno, it’s a home game so they’ll have some authority over it. You’ll probably be a front-row, VIP spectator. You’ll get an honorable mention before the game starts. Perhaps you’ll also get to toss the coin at the beginning of the game. Yeah, you’ll definitely get to do that.”

“Oh, well that’s nice. You can tell them that I’d like to do that.” Mae said.

“Okay good!” Christopher said cheerily, being pulled in with some unexpected strength by Mae for a kiss on the forehead before being allowed to run back to his friends.

Thus continued the night. Another quarter of an hour later, everyone was back in the great room, with only a few outliers remaining in the kitchen and dining room. Mae, seated in an armchair she always preferred when visiting Isaac, was surrounded by people holding bags and wrapped boxes. Gift time.

“Oh dear, this seems like a lot of gifts. I hope y’all didn’t make any long-term investments for me, ‘cause...y’know.” Mae said, looking and counting the gifts in front of her.

The gift-giving began with her children, who had come together to afford a dashing and shiny silver necklace with an aquamarine gemstone at the end of it. As someone who mildly enjoyed astrological nonsense for the purposes of fancier gifts, Mae adored the gift. Then came a gift from Matthew and his wife, which was a framed “What Happened On Your Birthday” trivia paper. Eva, Mae’s granddaughter through Isaac, gave her the framed documentation that renamed a road in Floyd County as Mae Savannah Road. Anton and Louis, Isaac’s sons, had come together to buy Mae a five-day vacation in her beloved city of Paris from April 6 to 10, which gave her more than enough time to prepare. Next, Hannah, Renée’s kin, revealed to Mae the first edition of a biography of her life that she had made, making her its first owner. Then followed several other gifts of decreasing impressiveness. All in all, Mae was gifted that night with eleven separate presents.

She adored them all, thanked them all, and put them aside (later, Isaac and Duncan would help ferry them to Mae’s car). The remainder of the night consisted primarily of what the beginning did. Talking, laughing, relaxing, and other such activities. Before long, it was 8:20 and things were getting tiring for Mae. Though the night was still young for most of her guests, the party revolved around Mae, so with all things said and done people began taking the que that it was okay to begin leaving. By 8:45, only a small core group of family remained. Isaac, Duncan, and Reneé plus their kids and spouses. Looking at his watch, and at the tired blinks of his grandchildren, Duncan made the decision it was his turn to leave.

“Alright, mother,” he said, walking up beside his mom, “it’s getting late, so I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

Mae nodded and patted Duncan on his head.

“Okay, dear. I’ll see you later.” She replied, resting tiredly in Isaac’s armchair.

“Help me with the gifts first, Duncan.” Isaac asked Duncan, picking up three presents and gesturing ambiguously to the rest.

Duncan picked a few up and carried them out with Isaac. An additional round trip is all it took to get the rest into her car. With that, Duncan said goodbye to everyone he hadn’t came with, and left with everyone he did come within: his wife, Michael and his wife, and Christopher. After he went, the last remaining family left, too, and by 9:10 it was just Isaac and his family, as it was their house. Isaac helped the tired Mae upstairs to one of the two guest bedrooms of his house, and the tired old lady was fast asleep a few minutes later. With dreams of her long life and of Eastwood, she slept soundly. Thus marked the end of Mae’s birthday festivities, a pleasant day she enjoyed and which warmed her heart.

Happy birthday, Mae.

by **Granluras** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 8:16 am

Duncan Flanagan
@theposterpastor

Happy 95th birthday to my great mother, Mrs. Mae Flanagan.

RETWEETSFAVORITE
76,433311,085

by **Gordano and Lysandus** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 8:54 am

FROM: [Representative Caroline Simone]
TO: [Representative Malcolm Douglas]

Mr Speaker,

As you know from my BCCed email to you prior, I've been looking at the potential of establishing a Democratic Unity Caucus. It has, however, been represented to me by colleagues that this would be a function that would be well performed by the structures headed up by the Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. As I understand that position has recently become available, I would respectfully submit my name for consideration with this regard. The unity of the Party is, as you know, a deep concern to me, and I would seek to apply the skills I have to reassure it. It is appropriate that I seek to do so within the existing structures of the Party and seek to make those structures more functional than to neglect them in favor of new and unnecessary organs.

Yours sincerely,

Representative Caroline Simone
U.S. Representative for the 12th District of the State of New York

by **Sanabel** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 9:11 am

Gordano and Lysandus wrote:
Sanabel wrote:Yes. Nate was here. Good man. He’s a good man. So was Representative Volker. He’s a good man too. He’s also planning on running for president.”

"Mm... I wouldn't be so trustworthy of a man like Richardson, alas, but yes, Congressman Volker is a very good man. He and I have been talking a lot. We don't want to split the vote, and he told me he likes the idea of being my Veep. See, I want to complete the revolution you've started in America, and he wants to help shake up the Congress which has tried to ruin your administration at every avenue. I think we'd make a good team together."

“Why shouldn’t we trust Richardson? He’s a good man, a family man. Why shouldn’t we trust him? I like that you want to continue my revolution- a great revolution. You have to continue the revolution. It’s the only way to Make America Great Again. How would you continue my revolution?”

by **Gordano and Lysandus** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 9:15 am

Sanabel wrote:“Why shouldn’t we trust Richardson? He’s a good man, a family man. Why shouldn’t we trust him? I like that you want to continue my revolution- a great revolution. You have to continue the revolution. It’s the only way to Make America Great Again. How would you continue my revolution?”

"Because Richardson's a slick political operator. He's a true politician. He doesn't share your candor, your genuineness. The biggest thing Americans appreciate about you? Your honesty. You speak clear, blunt truth to the American people after generations of lies. That's what I want to preserve. You haven't just changed America's circumstances, you've unchained its soul. That's what I want to continue. Letting people speak their truth. Let's leave the lies to people like Dirty Diane or, well, Risky Richardson." He smiled idly, nodding. "We've got to push laws and pressure the states to protect the First and Second Amendments. We've got to shake up the Senate so we can get reliable 'Wolf' Republicans in. Your daughter Lilyana is interested in replacing [not-Collins]. I can't say that'd be bad for her, or for the Republican Party, or for America."

by **Gordano and Lysandus** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 9:19 am

Granluras wrote:
(Image)
Duncan Flanagan
@theposterpastor

Happy 95th birthday to my great mother, Mrs. Mae Flanagan.

RETWEETSFAVORITE
76,433311,085

(Image)

Liked and retweeted by @JPJ4USA

Governor Jonah Prendergast Jr.
@JPJ4USA
A happy birthday to the great Mae Flanagan, a Hollywood titaness! They don't make actresses like her anymore!

by **Sao Nova Europa** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 10:09 am

James smiled at the camera. He usually wouldn't make another YouTube video so quickly, but with the campaign rolling, he knew he had to make much more videos than usual. YouTube offered the advantage of being a relatively cheap way to communicate with a broad audience and get his message across. While of course he could not rely on YouTube videos alone to get his message across - he needed sooner or later to start buying big TV ads - such videos could allow him to build up and maintain a dedicated base, especially online.

"Welcome to another video of mine. Before going into the main subject of this video, free trade and its impact on our communities, let me first talk a bit about my upcoming trip to Iowa. I want to visit this state not to campaign, yet, but rather to simply meet and talk with my fellow Americans. Sometimes we politicians need to simply shut up and listen to what you the people want to say. As such, when I will be going to Iowa, I will be making almost no speeches; most of the time, I will simply be meeting with ordinary people and listening to their problems, worries and ideas. I want everyone to get this: this isn't a Goldwater presidential campaign, this is an ordinary people versus the establishment campaign. We are in it together; we are going to shake up DC together. I may be the guy in the front but that is a team effort; without your active support, I have no chance to take on the establishment. I rely on you."

"Now, let us go into the main subject of this video; free trade. The politicians of the Davos Party, as I like to call establishment Democrats and Republicans, believe that allowing mass inflow of cheap goods and outflow of capital will be overall good for the country. For them, it is established wisdom. Yet, for the American people, for our working-class, it is a living hell. How many local shops have been closed down because they cannot compete with cheap foreign goods? How many factories have been shipped to Mexico or China? One day you have a good job, it doesn't pay all that much but it does fulfill your basic needs and gives you a sense of worth, a sense of purpose, of doing something, and the next you learn that 'sorry, you are not competitive enough, so we will ship our factory to China where we will pay almost zero in wages and we won't have to worry about basic human rights and dignity'. Even those of you have have not suffered that fate, how many times have you read such stories in the news?"

"Yet, the political establishment seems unwilling to fight for our working class, with a few exceptions. That exception is President Wolf who had the guts to place tariffs despite the rage of the establishment against him. But the Party of Davos does not share that sentiment. What their 'solutions' are? That either working-class people should be paid near zero wages and have no rights at all in order to become 'competitive' or to hand over welfare checks with money we don't have, indebting our future generation and at the same time not helping those people find a good, honest job. The worse part? Some establishment jackass telling laid off people on TV that they 'should become coders'. If you are fifty year old man with a high school degree and you've been a coal miner or factory worker for years or even decades and cannot suddenly, with some magic 'retraining', become a... coder, you are labelled a 'loser'. They don't care about you. For them, you are just another number. Not a human being, but some random number in a statistical paper."

"Since those establishment guys care only about numbers and statistics, let us given them some. Let us show them what they have done to this country and how disastrous and ineffective their policies have been. Let us talk about free trade agreements; US-Korea Free Trade Agreement promised 70,000 jobs but cost us 60,000 lost jobs. That is just one agreement. Everyone knows the disaster of NAFTA. China has been ripping us apart; Chinese imports alone eliminated 2.4 million jobs in the US since the beginning of the century. Ohio experienced an estimated net loss of 750,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs between 1969 and 2009. This has been a slow, long decline that is finally ripping apart the fabric of our country."

"Such disastrous trade agreements not only cause millions of job losses across the US, but also cause deaths. A recent study showed a connection between job loss due to free trade and opioid-related overdose deaths. The opioid epidemic kills about 130 people every day - in 2015, the overdose mortality rate in Appalachia was 65% higher than in other parts of the country. Appalachia also has had the highest rate of trade-related job loss in the US while wages have been driven down due to foreign competition. Most of the victims of overdoses have been less educated white males. The kind of people no one talks about because... 'white privilege'. Why most establishment hacks do not talk about those people? We need, of course, to talk about how African-American, Latino and other communities have been affected by unrestricted free trade but we also need to take a hard look at the impact on older white men. We need to talk about the fact that in any given locality, for every 1000 lost jobs we've seen a nearly 3% increase in drug use."

"Let us talk a bit about the so called... 'job retraining' initiatives our establishment politicians talk about. They say that this is the way to solve the problem of the jobs destroyed by free trade. They don't work. Policy wonks in DC just don't account for the human element. Older workers who have not been in classroom for decades cannot suddenly go back to school, most unemployed workers are unwilling to move and abandon their home and the people they know to search for a job in some faraway place. If those people in DC had a bit of common sense and emotional intelligence, they could get that. But they don't. They just play around with numbers as if those whole thing is some sort of video game."

"Those programs also fail even when people are willing to go through with them the whole way. Take for example the Labor Department’s Trade Adjustment Assistance fund, an agency that has been around since the 1960s and pays up to $11,500 per eligible person for training. A 2012 study found that four years after completing training, only 37% of the employed participants were working in their targeted industries. The incomes of older workers never caught up with their old wages; so much success..."

"Some of the establishment hacks might attack me as 'protectionist' or even 'socialist'. The same way they attacked President Wolf for having the guts to finally talk about this problem and to place tariffs, to fight back against countries that have been taking advantage of us and have been wrecking our communities. I tell them this; I am a conservative, a conservative who believes that the basis of the country are communities of stable, two-parent families with a stable source of income from good, honest jobs. We cannot claim to defend family values if we don't create an environment in which working class people can find good, honest jobs, so that they can create families, engage with their community and not be torn apart by depression and drugs. We need to defend the real America, the towns and cities that have been hit by the disaster economics of the Party of Davos."

"As President of the United States, I will keep the tariffs of President Wolf and increase them if need be, especially against China. I will ensure that all countries that trade with us will not cheat and will not take advantage of us but rather they will play by the WTO playbook. That any trade will be fair and create jobs for both countries rather than creating jobs for the other country and screwing us up. I will stop the outflow of capital. I will make a fair deal with America's corporate leadership: 'you will get low tax rates, almost zero red tape, lax regulations and good infrastructure and in return I will expect from you to invest in this country and create good, honest jobs for our fellow Americans'. That is a good, honest gentleman's agreement. The government provides a pro-business, free-market environment with pro-corporate policies and in return they will invest here. If they don't, this will be considered a war against the US and we shall wreck them with sky-high tariffs."

"I will conclude this video with this message; we need to reclaim our country back. We cannot allow our country to become a wasteland. We need flourishing communities. We need a type of conservatism that centers around communities and families. We need a populist conservatism that cares both for corporations and workers. We need both in order to succeed. Let us shake the political establishment and drain the swamp from DC."

by **Sao Nova Europa** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 10:13 am

Granluras wrote:
(Image)
Duncan Flanagan
@theposterpastor

Happy 95th birthday to my great mother, Mrs. Mae Flanagan.

RETWEETSFAVORITE
76,433311,085

(Image)

Liked and retweeted by @JGoldwaterSenator

James Goldwater
@JGoldwaterSenator

I wish to Mrs. Mae Flanagan a happy birthday, good health and all the best.

by **Imperial Esplanade** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 10:17 am

(OOC: Late response, but finally caught up on most of the reading material. For now.)

To: Rep. Caroline Simone
From: Rep. Emily Davenport
I personally do love the idea of a Bicameral "Unity Caucus." Despite any and all of our policies differences, which do exist, our strengths lie in our unity; and our agreements outweigh our disagreements.

Consider myself wholly supportive of it. Excellent work, Representative.

by **Imperial Esplanade** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 11:04 am

(OOC: Tweeted out by Davenport staffers, not by Emily herself who is on the House floor.)

Representative Emily S. Davenport
@EmilyDavenport
There are many, including Democrats, who will talk the talk. And yet, very few will actually walk the walk. #CorporationsAreNotConstituents #MyVoteMyVoice #28thAmendment

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