The Land of the Free: American Political Roleplay (IC III)

[New Cobastheia]

Nez put her forearms onto the table and clasped her hands together as she leaned towards Russell, "Well, nothing against you're character, competency, or capability to be a good diplomat or chairman, but last time I checked I ran a place worst off than Louisiana could ever hope to be and had to deal with a whole lot more intervention from the federal government than any Southern Republican could ever dream of and actually did well enough to get re-elected, and then I did well enough again to the point where I could of ran for and won a third term if the Supreme Court didn't rule against it."

"I know I'm ready to be the Commander in Chief if Levi gets shot or goes awol. But I'd have to agree with you that you probably wouldn't be the best diplomat in the world if you want to do this over barbeque."

Overall, there wasn't anger in Nez's voice per say, but one could definitely tell she wasn't happy with the fact that she came here to get some wings and now had this going on.

"Ouch," Russell chuckled, as the waitress arrived with their food, "and to the contrary, difficult conversations should always be had with good food." He tore a strip off a hot wing and chewed thoughtfully before swallowing. "Eating is elemental. Essential to every one of us. Families eat together. You ever read The Cathedral? The jackass main character can't see his wife's blind friend as human--until they eat dinner together. It's exaggerated, sure, but the basic premise is true. But I digress."

He shook his head and sighed. "Kathleen, I'm not attackin' you. Or at least I don't intend to. And I'm sorry for any offense I've caused you. But these are questions you'll have to face up to, from journalists, colleagues, ordinary folks. There's definitely a way to use your relative obscurity, define you in the eyes of a public that hasn't seen you yet, and if that's what we're doing then we'll do that. I'll stand by Levi's choice and do my damndest to make it work."

There was a moment's pause as Russell ate another wing.

"Now see, that's a good response right there. Hit back. Show some spine. Don't take shit. Democrats are terrible at fighting back and everyone knows it. Break the stereotype."

"Maybe between the tense moments, but not during. Food is best when celebrating, not debating if you ask me. And I haven't heard of it before, sounds like a good read though." She said before Russell apologized as she took a wing for herself and started biting at it, dipping it in various dressings between bits.

She waited for Russel to finish off until she spoke again, having downed her wing by that point, "What do you think I've been doing it all my life? Sitting still and watching the world go by?" After speaking she grabbed another one off the plater.

[Greater Arab State]

(Image)

BiPartisan Crisis Meeting
Oval Office

Senator Warrick waited patiently in the Oval Office, the first of the group to arrive for the meeting to handle the crisis. The invitation to Democratic leadership was public and if they didn't show it would be political suicide. They had to act NOW if they had any hope of sparing the American people the worst of the crisis.

House Minority Leader Volker arrived soon after the Chief of Staff. Arriving at the Oval Office a short while behind the others, he approached Majority Leader Warrick and Burton.

“My apologies, Majority Leader, Chief of Staff. I was just finishing up on a bill that might be of use for this meeting.” Thomas explained discreetly to the two Republicans.

[Alozia]

(Image)

BiPartisan Crisis Meeting
Oval Office

Senator Warrick waited patiently in the Oval Office, the first of the group to arrive for the meeting to handle the crisis. The invitation to Democratic leadership was public and if they didn't show it would be political suicide. They had to act NOW if they had any hope of sparing the American people the worst of the crisis.

Entering the Oval Office last, Tawney greeted the group already gathered in the room. "My apologies for the delay. Now, please, take a seat. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

[Democratic Peoples republic of Kelvinsi]

James Burgun
@RoughriderGovernor
We are ready to STORM the Capitol with right-wing populism!

[Azekopolaltion]

"The 'old man' could take your kneecaps if he heard you say that." Caroline remarked with sly amusement. She knew Tim well enough that he knew her sense of humor, and in earnest, she was trying to lighten the mood. They were dealing with a very heavy subject - she was no stranger to having to deal with exceptionally dark topics at the State Department, and dark humor was a coping mechanism as much as any other.

"I'm very grateful that you've already gotten the ribs of a package together, Tim, though there's some people already trying to make this a fight about stimulus checks. Now, we all know that stimulus checks are one of the least important things that could form a package like this but we'll see whether we need to throw them in, might want to have language for that ready. Better to do too much than too little in this situation. Eviction moratorium's making the rounds, and Atang's drafted language on that frontier..." She fishes through a pile of documents, setting a printout of Atang's draft bill on eviction freezes. "Depending on the resilience of the US oil market from Middle Eastern pressures, we might want to consider SPR purchases but that gets us into sticky territory with the environmental lobby, and we were looking at expanded green investment to offset that..." She looks down over her lists, humming. "Tawney's blowing a one-hundred and eighty billion dollar hole in Social Security, Volker wants to make that hole bigger, so that's something we need to tackle head-on, and we need a backup plan to stabilize the health insurance market because I suspect that the final bill won't contain your Medicare package - good as it is, you know Warrick'll never budge on it. I definitely want to keep it in the package was pass in the House though the first time around."

Tim stroked his chin and looked over his notes as he listened to Simone. He was encouraged by her tone, and it made him fairly confident that Democrats weren't about to preemptively dilute their package before the Republicans even made any demands. "I'm sure you can guess how I feel about SPRs, but I'll leave that call up to you and Senator Volek." He cleared his throat a bit with a sip of water before continuing, "healthcare access has to be a priority, no matter what the final product is. The fact of the matter is that no conservative solution, whether it's easing restrictions on health savings accounts or whatever other bullshit idea they keep talking about, is going to solve the massive uninsurance crisis that this will spur and is already spurring. The nation's biggest insurer just went under, I'm sure Warrick realizes how bad that is. Not just for the nation, but for his conference's reelection prospects if the don't meet the challenge."

"There are two options I plan to present to them on healthcare, and we have to make it clear that these are the only two options with a chance of working. One is the Medicare emergency coverage option. The other is expanding ACA subsidies. It puts them in a tight spot; either they endorse a bigger, albeit incredibly popular, healthcare expansion with Medicare, or they have to begrudgingly back the more moderate solution using their favorite electoral punching bag, Bahariacare. In my view the former gives you more bang for your buck. But, if the GOP is really that insistent on keeping costs low over keeping people insured, I already introduced a bill to committee a few months ago with the ACA stuff." He pulled out the text of the bill to give her an idea of the language and provisions.

Official Name: The American Health Insurance Improvement Act
Nickname: ACA 2.0

Sponsor: Tim Westra (D-NJ)
Cosponsors: John Atang [D|NY-3]

Overview: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law in 2010, made the biggest stride in American healthcare since the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid with the Social Security Act Amendments of 1965. The goal of reaching universal healthcare in the United States has been shared by several American presidents, from Lyndon Johnson to Richard Nixon to Rashid Baharia. And while the ACA was successful in expanding coverage and providing more Americans with access to healthcare, it was far from completely successful in terms of affordability. This bill seeks to finish the job with new provisions that limit insurance rates, expand the value of health insurance tax credits on the ACA exchanges, and cap the costs of prescription drugs. With these provisions, we can make affordable and universal healthcare a reality in America.

Section 1: AFFORDABILITY
Hereby amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to implement the following:

a) Imposes a new 8.5% of income cap on premium costs for all ACA beneficiaries;

b) Eliminates the 400% of the federal poverty line cap on eligibility for ACA premium tax credits;

c) Increases the value of premium tax credits by calculating amounts based on the cost of a “gold” plan, as opposed to current law that calculates credit size based on medium-generosity “silver” plans.

d) Caps out of pocket prescription drug costs for those on private plans at $250 a month per person or $500 per family;

e) Prohibits “surprise billing” by disallowing providers from charging patients out-of-network costs for all emergency care.

d) Expands the value of cost-sharing subsidies and tightens marketplace standards such that every ACA beneficiary has access to a plan that 
covers 80% of out-of-pocket costs.

Section 2: INSURANCE INDUSTRY CONTROLS

a) Requires that private insurance plans spend 85% of the premiums they receive on paying out claims;

b) Imposes a limit on insurance company profits to match what those private insurers can earn from Medicare and Medicaid;

c) Requires that insurers who sell Medicare Advantage or Medicaid managed care plans offer coverage on ACA exchanges that have limited competition.

This bill is then honorably presented to the Senate for consideration in order to expand access to affordable health insurance and is backed by Tim Westra on June 10th, 2019

---

(Image)

BiPartisan Crisis Meeting
Oval Office

Senator Warrick waited patiently in the Oval Office, the first of the group to arrive for the meeting to handle the crisis. The invitation to Democratic leadership was public and if they didn't show it would be political suicide. They had to act NOW if they had any hope of sparing the American people the worst of the crisis.

Westra had entered the Oval quietly just after Karel, not wanting to be late for such a meeting. He was the Senate leader's plus one, and was grateful for the invitation. An audience with the president was a big step, and not an opportunity Tim was willing to miss. It had been a while since he had last graced this office with his president––it had seen him several times during the Affordable Care Act push. But this was the first time he would be meeting with a Republican president.

He sat silently, only nodding his head at the more senior officials that were in the room. He had many ideas, many thoughts, but he'd only have a few chances to speak his mind. He would have to do it right. He took a seat as the President finally entered, wondering whether this meeting would amount to anything. If anecdotes about 2008 were anything to go by, they didn't have much hope.

[Greater Arab State]

Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.

Friday 20 March, 2020

It was once again that time of the week for the House Minority Leader to hold another press conference. Approaching the site of the press conference. He began his introduction.

“I thank the ladies and gentlemen of the press for being here today. Before we begin, I have a short statement to make on recent events.”

“Recently, the United States has seen a fiscal downturn as a result of Chinese economic actions that has resulted in a number of bankruptcies and a consequential decline in the number of Americans that are employed. We in the House Republican Conference understand the concerns of countless Americans across this great nation, and it is our intention to fully reassure those concerns through a firm, decisive course of action to reverse this fiscal downturn.”

“To that end, I, as well as the rest of the House Republican Conference fully support the executive order issued on March 18th by President Tawney providing a deferral of payroll tax. Furthermore, I can announce that I plan to introduce a bipartisan bill to the House floor over the next few days that will go further and provide a three month payroll tax holiday that Congress will have the opportunity to renew the provisions of. I call upon the House Democratic leadership to make this bill an immediate priority so that we may begin to take remedial action at the earliest point possible.”

“I am now able to take questions from the press.”

[Echo Chamber Thought Police]

Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.

Friday 20 March, 2020

It was once again that time of the week for the House Minority Leader to hold another press conference. Approaching the site of the press conference. He began his introduction.

“I thank the ladies and gentlemen of the press for being here today. Before we begin, I have a short statement to make on recent events.”

“Recently, the United States has seen a fiscal downturn as a result of Chinese economic actions that has resulted in a number of bankruptcies and a consequential decline in the number of Americans that are employed. We in the House Republican Conference understand the concerns of countless Americans across this great nation, and it is our intention to fully reassure those concerns through a firm, decisive course of action to reverse this fiscal downturn.”

“To that end, I, as well as the rest of the House Republican Conference fully support the executive order issued on March 18th by President Tawney providing a deferral of payroll tax. Furthermore, I can announce that I plan to introduce a bipartisan bill to the House floor over the next few days that will go further and provide a three month payroll tax holiday that Congress will have the opportunity to renew the provisions of. I call upon the House Democratic leadership to make this bill an immediate priority so that we may begin to take remedial action at the earliest point possible.”

“I am now able to take questions from the press.”

'How do you expect to manage the shortfall in revenue caused by the suspension of payroll tax?'

[New Cobastheia]

"The 'old man' could take your kneecaps if he heard you say that." Caroline remarked with sly amusement. She knew Tim well enough that he knew her sense of humor, and in earnest, she was trying to lighten the mood. They were dealing with a very heavy subject - she was no stranger to having to deal with exceptionally dark topics at the State Department, and dark humor was a coping mechanism as much as any other.

"I'm very grateful that you've already gotten the ribs of a package together, Tim, though there's some people already trying to make this a fight about stimulus checks. Now, we all know that stimulus checks are one of the least important things that could form a package like this but we'll see whether we need to throw them in, might want to have language for that ready. Better to do too much than too little in this situation. Eviction moratorium's making the rounds, and Atang's drafted language on that frontier..." She fishes through a pile of documents, setting a printout of Atang's draft bill on eviction freezes. "Depending on the resilience of the US oil market from Middle Eastern pressures, we might want to consider SPR purchases but that gets us into sticky territory with the environmental lobby, and we were looking at expanded green investment to offset that..." She looks down over her lists, humming. "Tawney's blowing a one-hundred and eighty billion dollar hole in Social Security, Volker wants to make that hole bigger, so that's something we need to tackle head-on, and we need a backup plan to stabilize the health insurance market because I suspect that the final bill won't contain your Medicare package - good as it is, you know Warrick'll never budge on it. I definitely want to keep it in the package was pass in the House though the first time around."

Tim stroked his chin and looked over his notes as he listened to Simone. He was encouraged by her tone, and it made him fairly confident that Democrats weren't about to preemptively dilute their package before the Republicans even made any demands. "I'm sure you can guess how I feel about SPRs, but I'll leave that call up to you and Senator Volek." He cleared his throat a bit with a sip of water before continuing, "healthcare access has to be a priority, no matter what the final product is. The fact of the matter is that no conservative solution, whether it's easing restrictions on health savings accounts or whatever other bullshit idea they keep talking about, is going to solve the massive uninsurance crisis that this will spur and is already spurring. The nation's biggest insurer just went under, I'm sure Warrick realizes how bad that is. Not just for the nation, but for his conference's reelection prospects if the don't meet the challenge."

"There are two options I plan to present to them on healthcare, and we have to make it clear that these are the only two options with a chance of working. One is the Medicare emergency coverage option. The other is expanding ACA subsidies. It puts them in a tight spot; either they endorse a bigger, albeit incredibly popular, healthcare expansion with Medicare, or they have to begrudgingly back the more moderate solution using their favorite electoral punching bag, Bahariacare. In my view the former gives you more bang for your buck. But, if the GOP is really that insistent on keeping costs low over keeping people insured, I already introduced a bill to committee a few months ago with the ACA stuff." He pulled out the text of the bill to give her an idea of the language and provisions.

Official Name: The American Health Insurance Improvement Act
Nickname: ACA 2.0

Sponsor: Tim Westra (D-NJ)
Cosponsors: John Atang [D|NY-3]

Overview: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law in 2010, made the biggest stride in American healthcare since the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid with the Social Security Act Amendments of 1965. The goal of reaching universal healthcare in the United States has been shared by several American presidents, from Lyndon Johnson to Richard Nixon to Rashid Baharia. And while the ACA was successful in expanding coverage and providing more Americans with access to healthcare, it was far from completely successful in terms of affordability. This bill seeks to finish the job with new provisions that limit insurance rates, expand the value of health insurance tax credits on the ACA exchanges, and cap the costs of prescription drugs. With these provisions, we can make affordable and universal healthcare a reality in America.

Section 1: AFFORDABILITY
Hereby amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to implement the following:

a) Imposes a new 8.5% of income cap on premium costs for all ACA beneficiaries;

b) Eliminates the 400% of the federal poverty line cap on eligibility for ACA premium tax credits;

c) Increases the value of premium tax credits by calculating amounts based on the cost of a “gold” plan, as opposed to current law that calculates credit size based on medium-generosity “silver” plans.

d) Caps out of pocket prescription drug costs for those on private plans at $250 a month per person or $500 per family;

e) Prohibits “surprise billing” by disallowing providers from charging patients out-of-network costs for all emergency care.

d) Expands the value of cost-sharing subsidies and tightens marketplace standards such that every ACA beneficiary has access to a plan that 
covers 80% of out-of-pocket costs.

Section 2: INSURANCE INDUSTRY CONTROLS

a) Requires that private insurance plans spend 85% of the premiums they receive on paying out claims;

b) Imposes a limit on insurance company profits to match what those private insurers can earn from Medicare and Medicaid;

c) Requires that insurers who sell Medicare Advantage or Medicaid managed care plans offer coverage on ACA exchanges that have limited competition.

This bill is then honorably presented to the Senate for consideration in order to expand access to affordable health insurance and is backed by Tim Westra on June 10th, 2019

"Sounds like we should start with the Medicaid expansion and keep Bahariacare in our back pocket then in case the Senate isn't in a populist mood when the bill gets over to them," Kathleen commented, "If we think the Republicans are going to make their own bill we should figure out what we exactly want in ours as soon as possible. And just for the record, I think we should go with stimulus checks."

[Dentali]

Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.

Friday 20 March, 2020

It was once again that time of the week for the House Minority Leader to hold another press conference. Approaching the site of the press conference. He began his introduction.

“I thank the ladies and gentlemen of the press for being here today. Before we begin, I have a short statement to make on recent events.”

“Recently, the United States has seen a fiscal downturn as a result of Chinese economic actions that has resulted in a number of bankruptcies and a consequential decline in the number of Americans that are employed. We in the House Republican Conference understand the concerns of countless Americans across this great nation, and it is our intention to fully reassure those concerns through a firm, decisive course of action to reverse this fiscal downturn.”

“To that end, I, as well as the rest of the House Republican Conference fully support the executive order issued on March 18th by President Tawney providing a deferral of payroll tax. Furthermore, I can announce that I plan to introduce a bipartisan bill to the House floor over the next few days that will go further and provide a three month payroll tax holiday that Congress will have the opportunity to renew the provisions of. I call upon the House Democratic leadership to make this bill an immediate priority so that we may begin to take remedial action at the earliest point possible.”

“I am now able to take questions from the press.”

'How do you expect to manage the shortfall in revenue caused by the suspension of payroll tax?'

“The same way Baharia did when he did it”Warrick said flatly “any measures we take are going to run up the debt and deficit.... this is not the time for fiscal conservatism, let’s save the economy.”

[Bruke]

"The 'old man' could take your kneecaps if he heard you say that." Caroline remarked with sly amusement. She knew Tim well enough that he knew her sense of humor, and in earnest, she was trying to lighten the mood. They were dealing with a very heavy subject - she was no stranger to having to deal with exceptionally dark topics at the State Department, and dark humor was a coping mechanism as much as any other.

"I'm very grateful that you've already gotten the ribs of a package together, Tim, though there's some people already trying to make this a fight about stimulus checks. Now, we all know that stimulus checks are one of the least important things that could form a package like this but we'll see whether we need to throw them in, might want to have language for that ready. Better to do too much than too little in this situation. Eviction moratorium's making the rounds, and Atang's drafted language on that frontier..." She fishes through a pile of documents, setting a printout of Atang's draft bill on eviction freezes. "Depending on the resilience of the US oil market from Middle Eastern pressures, we might want to consider SPR purchases but that gets us into sticky territory with the environmental lobby, and we were looking at expanded green investment to offset that..." She looks down over her lists, humming. "Tawney's blowing a one-hundred and eighty billion dollar hole in Social Security, Volker wants to make that hole bigger, so that's something we need to tackle head-on, and we need a backup plan to stabilize the health insurance market because I suspect that the final bill won't contain your Medicare package - good as it is, you know Warrick'll never budge on it. I definitely want to keep it in the package was pass in the House though the first time around."

Tim stroked his chin and looked over his notes as he listened to Simone. He was encouraged by her tone, and it made him fairly confident that Democrats weren't about to preemptively dilute their package before the Republicans even made any demands. "I'm sure you can guess how I feel about SPRs, but I'll leave that call up to you and Senator Volek." He cleared his throat a bit with a sip of water before continuing, "healthcare access has to be a priority, no matter what the final product is. The fact of the matter is that no conservative solution, whether it's easing restrictions on health savings accounts or whatever other bullshit idea they keep talking about, is going to solve the massive uninsurance crisis that this will spur and is already spurring. The nation's biggest insurer just went under, I'm sure Warrick realizes how bad that is. Not just for the nation, but for his conference's reelection prospects if the don't meet the challenge."

"There are two options I plan to present to them on healthcare, and we have to make it clear that these are the only two options with a chance of working. One is the Medicare emergency coverage option. The other is expanding ACA subsidies. It puts them in a tight spot; either they endorse a bigger, albeit incredibly popular, healthcare expansion with Medicare, or they have to begrudgingly back the more moderate solution using their favorite electoral punching bag, Bahariacare. In my view the former gives you more bang for your buck. But, if the GOP is really that insistent on keeping costs low over keeping people insured, I already introduced a bill to committee a few months ago with the ACA stuff." He pulled out the text of the bill to give her an idea of the language and provisions.

Official Name: The American Health Insurance Improvement Act
Nickname: ACA 2.0

Sponsor: Tim Westra (D-NJ)
Cosponsors: John Atang [D|NY-3]

Overview: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law in 2010, made the biggest stride in American healthcare since the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid with the Social Security Act Amendments of 1965. The goal of reaching universal healthcare in the United States has been shared by several American presidents, from Lyndon Johnson to Richard Nixon to Rashid Baharia. And while the ACA was successful in expanding coverage and providing more Americans with access to healthcare, it was far from completely successful in terms of affordability. This bill seeks to finish the job with new provisions that limit insurance rates, expand the value of health insurance tax credits on the ACA exchanges, and cap the costs of prescription drugs. With these provisions, we can make affordable and universal healthcare a reality in America.

Section 1: AFFORDABILITY
Hereby amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to implement the following:

a) Imposes a new 8.5% of income cap on premium costs for all ACA beneficiaries;

b) Eliminates the 400% of the federal poverty line cap on eligibility for ACA premium tax credits;

c) Increases the value of premium tax credits by calculating amounts based on the cost of a “gold” plan, as opposed to current law that calculates credit size based on medium-generosity “silver” plans.

d) Caps out of pocket prescription drug costs for those on private plans at $250 a month per person or $500 per family;

e) Prohibits “surprise billing” by disallowing providers from charging patients out-of-network costs for all emergency care.

d) Expands the value of cost-sharing subsidies and tightens marketplace standards such that every ACA beneficiary has access to a plan that 
covers 80% of out-of-pocket costs.

Section 2: INSURANCE INDUSTRY CONTROLS

a) Requires that private insurance plans spend 85% of the premiums they receive on paying out claims;

b) Imposes a limit on insurance company profits to match what those private insurers can earn from Medicare and Medicaid;

c) Requires that insurers who sell Medicare Advantage or Medicaid managed care plans offer coverage on ACA exchanges that have limited competition.

This bill is then honorably presented to the Senate for consideration in order to expand access to affordable health insurance and is backed by Tim Westra on June 10th, 2019

Karel, having been here the entire time but focusing on reading through the documents, decided to speak up.

“First of all, Tim, I want to commend you on your instincts....” He would have made a joke about ‘not taking anyone’s kneecaps today’, but chose not to ruin the moment. “Making the Republicans choose between going with Medicare or going with the ACA is a win-win for us. One of our red lines, I suppose you could call it, should be on healthcare. If the Republicans open up the discussion by bringing up any of their larger healthcare ideas, we’ll walk out right then and there. Of course, we should try and nudge them towards picking the ACA route if we can.”

[Puertollano]

James Burgun
@RoughriderGovernor
We are ready to STORM the Capitol with right-wing populism!

Randy Cramp re-tweeted.

[Louisianan]

James Burgun
@RoughriderGovernor
We are ready to STORM the Capitol with right-wing populism!

"Woah!" Hypolite said when he saw Storm the capitol, "Ah!" he said after he read the whole message,

Liked and Retweeted By @HGLouisianaFirst

[Puertollano]

Randy Cramp @RandyCrampy I don't think the Elites are ready for Representative Randy Cramp!

[Theasor]

Isabel Revere
@GovRevere

---

Direct relief to Americans is key. Only that way will we help many, many Americans put food on the table when right now, so many have lost jobs and markets continue to fold. I urge Congress and Pennsylvania's two senators to craft a solution that puts this first, before any bailout.

[Sarenium]

(Image)
Isabel Revere
@GovRevere

---

Direct relief to Americans is key. Only that way will we help many, many Americans put food on the table when right now, so many have lost jobs and markets continue to fold. I urge Congress and Pennsylvania's two senators to craft a solution that puts this first, before any bailout.

Liked and Retweeted by @Lowell_WI

[Bruke]

Governor Jim Slim @GreenMountainGov I am working with the leadership of the General Assembly on a bipartisan response to the looming economic crisis. Congress and the White House must also work together on a bipartisan response at the federal level.

[Sarenium]

---

San Juan, Puerto Rico
Wednesday, March 18
Jillian Dayton

---

Flying out for what would be a very highly public visit in her capacity as Senator, not campaigner, she met with local leaders to discuss relief efforts. This visit would be beamed across the country by any journalist who stalked the Senator. She also toured parts of the city worst effected by 2017's Hurricane Maria, to witness the recovery which had largely occurred prior to the passage of the Relief Act, then also visited families still searching for loved ones from the impact of Hurricane Dorian the preceding year. She helped distribute relief packages for a little in the afternoon then caught an evening flight up to Washington D.C.

---

New York City, New York
Thursday, March 19 to Saturday, March 21
Jillian Dayton

---

The three day visit to New York was city-centric. She focused nearly exclusively on the boroughs and Long Island, met with volunteers and the city's diverse population. On each of the three days she delivered a speech targeting different aspects of the American Demography.

On the Thursday, she spoke to the issues confronting young Americans;

"....For the second time in a decade, Washington tells young Americans to brace themselves for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime economic crisis. Once again, Washington is bracing to bailout Wall Street," she pointed over to Manhattan, the speech was being delivered in the Bronx, "a generation is about to enter a jobs market that looks too shaky for stability, and as some will fight to get us back to normal, I intend to fight to ensure that such crises don't lead to the abundant homelessness, unemployment and uncertainty that they do now. If I am elected President, we will put an end to predatory college debt, and reform our economy to ensure there is a surplus of good paying, full-time work available for those with trades and college degrees alike...."

The Friday was a speech given on policing;

"....I have said it before, and I'll say it again, Black. Lives. Matter," she waited to allow the crowd to respond, she'd chosen Queens for this address, "we must end qualified immunity. We must reorient federal dollars towards rehabilitation, training and smart policing, not shoot first and ask later equipment...

She spent Saturday on Long Island and Staten Island, the two more Republican parts of the state within proximity to the City.

---

Georgia
Saturday, March 21 to Monday, March 23
Jillian Dayton

---

Savannah, Macon, Atlanta & Atlanta's suburbs were her destination over the Saturday evening, Sunday and Monday before Tuesday's primary. Firing up the crowd was crucial here before she spoke in Atlanta on Monday evening.

Subsequently she delivered this address in Atlanta on Monday evening;

"...now look, I think Ray Charles said it best and I have to agree with him," she smiled, saying in a slightly sing-songy tune, "Georgia, oh, Georgia," the crowd roared with approval as she sang those opening words, "this beautiful state, a melting pot of a range of Americans, I have spent many a day in the past year visiting bits and pieces of this state and tomorrow, that's right, TOMORROW, you can select our nominee for President. In this two-way race, only one candidate has devoted themselves to approaching justice through all levels. The Supreme Court slashes voting rights across the board, and Republican Governors like Richie Rich engage with near-surgical precision, the suppression of the vote of Black Americans. Congress languishes in gridlock and too many Americans are left behind by federal program after program. We must be better than this, and my friends, together we will!"

"We must raise the standard of politics, restore decorum to our civic process, and fortify voting rights. We must expand voting registration access, and reunite our broken nation by repairing the rifts within our democratic process," she called.

"We must raise the standard of healthcare, a provider such as United Health going under should not mean that millions of Americans are left without healthcare, we must offer a choice-based healthcare alternative," she continued.

"We must raise the standard of education, ceilings fall and government ignores our public schools, if I am elected President, we shall repair our broken schools and pay our teachers a fair wage at last!"

"Join me tomorrow, vote tomorrow, and in November and my friends, together we shall raise the standard for every American!" she concluded vocally.

[Sarenium]

---

Ohio Attorney-General Jack Vichter
Press Conference
Cuyahoga County

---

Flanked by a the Cuyahoga County D.A., two local police officers, three local city officials of diverse backgrounds and a few others, Jack Vichter arrived to take the podium.

"Good afternoon," he greeted the press, he looked over at the one journalist fiddling with his equipment, smiled and waited for them to give him some indication of being prepared before he glanced down for a split second before speaking, "good afternoon," he repeated for the journalist, "a few weeks ago, two Cuyahoga County corrections officers joined two of their colleagues in being sentenced for abusing inmates the State of Ohio had entrusted to their custody. For four of out state's corrections officers, whom we trust to ensure the safety of those who've broken the law to torture and mistreat Ohioans in this way, for those who missed it, the full footage can be found on the department's website. This appears to be a perpetual chain of occurrences among our state's corrections officers, with now, ten officers thus far indicted, convicted or sentenced for varying degrees of assault charges. My predecessor dealt with the same issues among our corrections officers, and in light of these continual occurrences which threaten the stability of our justice system, I am commissioning a full top-down review of Ohio Law Enforcement Procedures. This commission will include existing state police guidelines, existing corrections officer guidelines and will seek to solicit recommendations from a panel of experts as appointed, to reform as needed our system. I will take your questions," Jack welcomed the questions.

[Louisianan]

---

Ohio Attorney-General Jack Vichter
Press Conference
Cuyahoga County

---

Flanked by a the Cuyahoga County D.A., two local police officers, three local city officials of diverse backgrounds and a few others, Jack Vichter arrived to take the podium.

"Good afternoon," he greeted the press, he looked over at the one journalist fiddling with his equipment, smiled and waited for them to give him some indication of being prepared before he glanced down for a split second before speaking, "good afternoon," he repeated for the journalist, "a few weeks ago, two Cuyahoga County corrections officers joined two of their colleagues in being sentenced for abusing inmates the State of Ohio had entrusted to their custody. For four of out state's corrections officers, whom we trust to ensure the safety of those who've broken the law to torture and mistreat Ohioans in this way, for those who missed it, the full footage can be found on the department's website. This appears to be a perpetual chain of occurrences among our state's corrections officers, with now, ten officers thus far indicted, convicted or sentenced for varying degrees of assault charges. My predecessor dealt with the same issues among our corrections officers, and in light of these continual occurrences which threaten the stability of our justice system, I am commissioning a full top-down review of Ohio Law Enforcement Procedures. This commission will include existing state police guidelines, existing corrections officer guidelines and will seek to solicit recommendations from a panel of experts as appointed, to reform as needed our system. I will take your questions," Jack welcomed the questions.

(Image)

"Ben Derhover, CNN, how are you feeling about your Senate Campaign? Any thoughts on being considered a 'Boomer' by your opponent?"

[Louisianan]

---

Ohio Attorney-General Jack Vichter
Press Conference
Cuyahoga County

---

Flanked by a the Cuyahoga County D.A., two local police officers, three local city officials of diverse backgrounds and a few others, Jack Vichter arrived to take the podium.

"Good afternoon," he greeted the press, he looked over at the one journalist fiddling with his equipment, smiled and waited for them to give him some indication of being prepared before he glanced down for a split second before speaking, "good afternoon," he repeated for the journalist, "a few weeks ago, two Cuyahoga County corrections officers joined two of their colleagues in being sentenced for abusing inmates the State of Ohio had entrusted to their custody. For four of out state's corrections officers, whom we trust to ensure the safety of those who've broken the law to torture and mistreat Ohioans in this way, for those who missed it, the full footage can be found on the department's website. This appears to be a perpetual chain of occurrences among our state's corrections officers, with now, ten officers thus far indicted, convicted or sentenced for varying degrees of assault charges. My predecessor dealt with the same issues among our corrections officers, and in light of these continual occurrences which threaten the stability of our justice system, I am commissioning a full top-down review of Ohio Law Enforcement Procedures. This commission will include existing state police guidelines, existing corrections officer guidelines and will seek to solicit recommendations from a panel of experts as appointed, to reform as needed our system. I will take your questions," Jack welcomed the questions.

(Image)

"May I. Tuchem, The Vindicator, there are many people who believe that criminals deserve whatever they have coming to them, are you able to tell us what the criminals were in Prison for?"

[Louisianan]

Hypolite Gaspard
@HGLouisianaFirst

---

All Lives Matter. Period. If a candidate can't say that, then THEY are the RACIST ones. We will not tolerate rioters in Louisiana, no way, no how.

[Meelducan]

---

Ohio Attorney-General Jack Vichter
Press Conference
Cuyahoga County

---

Flanked by a the Cuyahoga County D.A., two local police officers, three local city officials of diverse backgrounds and a few others, Jack Vichter arrived to take the podium.

"Good afternoon," he greeted the press, he looked over at the one journalist fiddling with his equipment, smiled and waited for them to give him some indication of being prepared before he glanced down for a split second before speaking, "good afternoon," he repeated for the journalist, "a few weeks ago, two Cuyahoga County corrections officers joined two of their colleagues in being sentenced for abusing inmates the State of Ohio had entrusted to their custody. For four of out state's corrections officers, whom we trust to ensure the safety of those who've broken the law to torture and mistreat Ohioans in this way, for those who missed it, the full footage can be found on the department's website. This appears to be a perpetual chain of occurrences among our state's corrections officers, with now, ten officers thus far indicted, convicted or sentenced for varying degrees of assault charges. My predecessor dealt with the same issues among our corrections officers, and in light of these continual occurrences which threaten the stability of our justice system, I am commissioning a full top-down review of Ohio Law Enforcement Procedures. This commission will include existing state police guidelines, existing corrections officer guidelines and will seek to solicit recommendations from a panel of experts as appointed, to reform as needed our system. I will take your questions," Jack welcomed the questions.

(Image)

“Rob Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch. Why did you, and furthermore your department, allow this to happen?”

[The Grand Duchy Of Nova Capile]

Team Levi Rally
Atlanta, Georgia
March 18, 2020

When Team Levi contacted Buster about joining the mega-rally, he had had his concerns. Georgia was not exactly the most fertile ground for many of the policies the Californian hoped a Murphy presidency would enact, and when approaching African American voters, the core of the state's Democratic electorate, he was definitely out of his element. Even as a gay man, he had never experienced anything like the discrimination they endured on a daily basis, which made him nervous. Would he appear like an out-of-touch hack to these disenfranchised Americans, and alienate them from Murphy's camp?

A morning spent in Midtown, the heart of Atlanta's flourishing LGBT+ community, had assuaged his nerves, somewhat. Buster had spent his entire adulthood helping queer people of all walks of life, from the indigent to the ultra-rich, the ones who had locked their feelings away like Fort Knox to those who wore them on their sleeves— and so making his first activity in the Deep South a task as familiar to him as riding a bike was a shrewd decision from the campaign team. The frazzled Senator who landed in Atlanta was nothing like the energetic, smiling man who emerged several hours later after canvassing the neighborhoods, coffee shops, and community centers of Midtown.

Still, a lot of weight now rested on his shoulders, only seeming to get heavier as each speaker at the rally delivered a monologue that would bring Cicero to tears. More than once, the desire to run up to Murphy and tell him that he couldn't do it gripped Buster. Each time, he closed his eyes and took deep, measured breaths, practicing the stress control exercises his therapist had taught him many years before. He also focused on the words his predecessors spoke, trying to concentrate on how moving they were and not how much they would outshine his own. At last, it was Buster's turn to speak. Ibrahim Simpson was a hard act to follow— again, Bunker was reminded that he was not black and therefore could never fully understand the issues plaguing at least half of the crowd— but he would give it his damndest.

"Hello Atlanta!" Buster began, his cheerful façade not entirely masking his anxiety. "It is an honor to be here. Your city has such a unique and vibrant culture, from the Canopy Walk giving you a breath of fresh air in the middle of urbanity, to the food district in which nearly every ethnic palate on Earth is represented, to the reminders of your legacy as a leader in the Civil Rights movement such as Martin Luther King Jr. Park and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. I recognize everywhere the hallmarks of social progress that I know from my beloved San Francisco. Tolerance, acceptance, love— you are a city of the millennium, Atlanta!"

Buster's oratory was slower, more deliberate, and perhaps more stilted than was typical. It did not have the same rolling cadence of, say, Russell Long's, but it was the style which the Senator had long practiced to minimize his humiliating stammer. "I truly believe that, as a people, we are ready to move forward. That is not to say that we are free from prejudice. Of course not. Sadly, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and a million other stigmas will not disappear overnight. In fact, they are rooted in the very institutions into which we are asked to put our trust. How is that fair? How can we be asked to trust our police force to keep our communities safe when they are twice as likely to use force on people of color? How can we trust our economic system when white people have thirteen times the wealth that African Americans do? How can we trust Congress to represent all Americans when it is 80% white, 79% male, 91% Christian, and almost entirely cishet?"

Buster paused not only for dramatic effect, but to collect his composure before pressing on. "The simple truth is that we can't. We cannot put our trust the current system. It is dysfunctional, and, in many cases, oppressive. But there is hope. There is hope not only in the simple but great acts of love, kindness, and acceptance that we show our fellow humans everyday, but also in our country. Change is on the horizon. And as dark as the sky may be, the sun is shining behind the storm-clouds. We may not be able to trust our current government as a whole, but we can put our trust in Levi Murphy.

"What makes Levi Murphy different from any other Congressperson? Take this from his colleague: he has a heart. He may not be a person of color, or a member of the LGBT+ community, but he is willing and eager to sit down and not just hear, but understand the issues facing them. What's more, millions of Americans, both white and black, queer and straight, have grappled with poverty. It's a horrifying feeling knowing that you can't put food on your family's table, straight out of the Middle Ages. It's dehumanizing. Our government has the power to stop every person in the United States from ever feeling it again— but they won't. Levi will. He's felt that feeling, and he will do everything in his power as President to prevent anyone from ever feeling it again.

"But Levi won't stop there. He knows that starvation is just one of the awful crises the average American family faces every day. Healthcare, or a lack thereof, is another. How can our government ignore the fact that children die simply because their parents can't afford operations? Or that many Americans are denied treatment because of whom they love, or their gender identity? Levi won't ignore it. Medicare for All has been the cornerstone of his platform from day one. The universal right to healthcare will be included in the Second Bill of Rights, so that no matter how much money is in your pocket, whom you love, or what the color of your skin, you will have healthcare.

"Guaranteed social security for our pensioners, the right of employment, protections for small businesspeople and farmers from predatory corporations, the right to housing, universal education— I could gush about Levi's platform all day. It is a checklist for progress. It will bring us up to speed with the democracies of Europe, so that instead of being a worldwide embarrassment, we will once again be the benchmark for human rights. Because, at the end of the day, that's what we want. A great nation— not so that we can brag about it, but so that we love to live in it. A nation we want to raise our kids in. A nation we are proud of, because it reflects our values, not the whims of the super-rich."

Buster took a deep breath, smiling as he began his peroration. "Atlanta, I see in you the hope for America. The values of tolerance and love for humanity you exude, from the young to the old, the white to the people of color, the queer to the allies; we are all human. You are the buds of peace that Reverend King planted all those years ago, that John Lewis and Rashid Baharia nourished, that are waiting for the sun to finally come out so you can bloom. Levi is our sunrise. Thank you."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Speaker Caroline Simone
Washington, District of Columbia
Sunday 22nd March

The first rule, Malcom had told her, was not to put her tumb on the scale. It was the strictest condition of her joining leadership, was that she not wade into the primary fight. It was a rule she had imposed on others, reprimanding Senator Sullivan and pushing her into retirement. Wielding the authority when she released Representative Nez from the same condition. And yet, a direct phonecall from President Baharia had served as a commandment to the contrary - not just a thumb, but a fist on the scale, to swing the primary away from Levi Murphy. It was a heavy thing to consider. That wasn't to mention the fact that she had her ideological gulfs with Rashid Baharia. She saw him as timid and unwilling to take a stand for the greater good, which was ironic in a way. He hadn't listened when Secretary Clifford had told him they needed to ground the Syrian Air Force, and disaster had resulted - scores dead from chlorine and sarin weapons, some of the most horrific ways to die. That had been the price of non-intervention then, and now he sought to twist her arm on non-intervention now. The irony was quite palpable.

It had taken her some time to make her decision, weighing up the pros and cons. Discretion was the highest order though, and she didn't discuss the matter outwardly with anyone. It would be her personal demon to bear one way or the other. In truth, the quandary got under her skin more than she expected it to. She knew that she was unlikely to manoeuvre Levi Murphy into being in a position that broadly reflects governability. She could see the headlines now - nominee after nominee defeated in the Senate, utter impotence in government leading to a total stall on legislation. In the midst of an economic crisis, that'd mean a rout for Democrats in 2022 when the Senate could have so many opportunities... Not to mention the foreign consequences: Handing Afghanistan back to the Taliban on a silver platter, abandoning the Kurds to their fate in Syria, destroying the US' relationship with Israel and leaving them to go rogue... No, that wouldn't do at all. Yet at least Caroline knew she could restrain some of those worst impulses, couldn't she? If she took this step, there'd be no going back - she would have taken a position. And if it got out that she, as Speaker of the House and as leader of the Democratic Party in opposition, had sought to influence the results of the primary, the consequences would be drastic. Progressive outrage would never end, and threats would exist to her ability to remain as the Speaker. And yes, she could happily settle in as Dayton's Secretary of State but was anyone ready to take on the mantle of Speaker? Nez was almost there, but unready. The CBC would want Crawford, who was unrefined. The time simply wasn't right for her to give up the leadership of the Party, not in Congress.

The risks were enormous. Two cliff-edges either side of her, precarious and dangerous. And the bridge on which she stood crumbling. A side would have to be taken - intervention for the greater good, or non-intervention in the hope that the situation would improve. No sight of the bottom of the cliff, whether the landing would be safe or treacherous. No certainty of knowing. With two days to go until the Georgia primary, there was no further time for delay. If she was going to do this, she had to do it now. So going to her home office, she sat at the desk, took out a notepad, and a black pen and a red pen. And in the black ink, she scribbled down the name of the key players in the Congressional Black Caucus. Omitting Simpson's name, she only listed those who were long time operators and could be trusted not to stab the Party in the back. People she knew could do the groundwork for her, move the CBC in the direction that was clearly desired.

There was a long swallow. She had the list, she had the means, her fingers ghosted over the phone. It had been the first rule that Malcom had instilled in her - don't put your thumb on the scale. Her relationship with her one-time superior had been uncomfortable, at times. And yet, she reminded herself, fundamentally, that it had not been Malcom who taught her the rules. Malcom had his rules, and he had set them, but they were not the rules of the game. No, Karel taught her those, and what would the old man do? Whatever it took. Picking up the phone and dialling, she put her thumb on the scale, and began making discreet calls to leaders in the Congressional Black Caucus. Dancing around the topic with catch-up talk, making sure she was speaking to them alone, and then nudging them in furtive innuendo - to push their colleagues to make their endorsements before Georgia. Acknowledging firmly that this call never happened in each case. Dayton's name was never mentioned, but it was obvious from the names she chose which circles she was... prodding into action. Crossing off each name in red ink once the call was done. And once the string pulling was over, a heavy breath was drawn in.

The list was torn from the pad, along with a few sheets from underneath it, and tossed into the fireplace, and she poked and prodded them to make sure they burned to ash. A paranoid measure, perhaps, but one borne from the magnitude of what she had done. A brandy was poured, and she went to the window, gazing out from it towards Capitol Hill. A heavy breath was let loose, and she drank, remembering a performance at Cornell of Richard III.

"The secret mischiefs that I set abroach, I lay unto the grievous charge of others... Then I sigh; and, with a piece of scripture, tell them that God bids us do good for evil: And thus I clothe my naked villainy with old odd ends stolen out of holy writ; and seem a saint, when most I play the devil."

[Louisianan]

TO: Senator Buster Bunker
FROM: Representative Linda D. Lazare
Subject: HPPSO Act

Buster,

Hey! I hope you're doing well! I know you're over in Georgia currently, so I'll email you rather than bore you with a call or a meeting. I have recently, with help from some Republicans as well as most Democrats, passed the HPPSO Act in the House, and I'd like to know if you can work with Senator Moore and Senator Volek to help raise support for HPPSO should it be considered or taken to a vote at whatever time that may be. No hurries though, the current economic crisis needs your utmost attention, but I think that HPPSO could help, albeit a slight amount of help, but every little bit counts!

Yours Truly,
Linda D. Lazare
Representative of Texas' 7th District