America the Beautiful: An American Political RP (IC)

[Meretica]

"I don't cook many things, but I can rely on myself to cook a good steak," Mattox answered. "As for children, I was blessed with two sets of twins but unfortunately lost my second son early on. Henry, Isabella, Abigail, and the grandchildren more than makeup for it, though."

"Hmmm...Henry...my wife likes the name Henry for if we have a second boy. I'm not sure I wanna have another kid yet, with me being across the country and all. My little ones are William IV and Ella."

William pulled out his phone, proud to show off his kids. He pulled up his Photos app. He showed a picture of his two six-year-old children on horseback, holding blue ribbons.

"Kate sent me this photo from earlier today...the twins both did well at the 4-H horse show at Winter Fair. It's the first year that they get to compete, and except for the cold weather, she said they had a really good time. I've thought about transferring them to school out here, but they like growing up in Montana."

"Such wonderful children..." Mattox reached for his phone, pulling up his three kids, their spouses, and their nine children. "They had three each. I was born in a group of three, and both of my parents were, too... Isabella did move down here from Boston... always favored me over her mother, until she married her husband, Al. Al's a humorist-- excuse me, a public speaker. He travels all across Tennessee talking about how people should keep a sense of humor to live better lives or something like that. Anyways, Bella lived her from sixth grade to her senior year. Went to school over in Arlington and loved every minute of it. Abby and Henry schooled in Boston. He's gone on to work as a campaign manager in New York. Abby is my Chief of Staff in Boston, but she comes to visit at times, occasionally brings the grandkids. Nothing like having grandkids asking to tour the Capitol for the millionth time, let me tell you," Mattox chuckled.

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Bryan Burgess
Washington, District of Columbia
Monday 8th February, 2021

"...And the President extends his deepest condolences to his wife, two daughters, and grandson. With that, that's all I have for you. Any questions?"

A reporter from MSNBC spoke up.

“There has recently been calls from Congress to put the Equality Act on the House Agenda, which as it stands currently isn’t. What are the thoughts of the White House?”

"There have been calls from Democrats in Congress, let's not get our wires crossed about that. President Richardson is a champion of personal liberty and civil rights, but this Administration cannot support the Democrat-drafted Equality Act for a number of reasons, primarily revolving around constitutional concerns under the First and Tenth Amendments. It's incumbent upon the Democrat sponsors of this bill to resolve outstanding concerns about religious freedoms, freedom of speech, and the balance between federal and state authorities."

[Velahor]

William Rogers arrived at the office, wearing his best work suit, hoping to make a good impression.

Max's secretary Emily answered the door, smiling brightly. "Senator Rogers? The Minority Leader is waiting for you."

She gestured William into the inner office, unabashedly checking him out when he walked past her. Max rolled his eyes at her, stood shakily, and shuffled over to Rogers. "Hey, William--can I call you William?--how are ya? Sit, sit, let's get some lunch and drink and talk."

The old man sat down in his leather armchair, gesturing at the opposite one with a gnarled hand. "I know, ah, I'm probably not your usual conversation partner. But ever since I joined Leadership, I've tried to keep close to a few Democrats...Democrats who are, uh, well. On the right side of things, as much as you can be."

Rogers nodded while the Senator spoke and he sat down in the opposite armchair.

“William is fine, thanks. I’ll talk with anyone, I really don’t pre-judge people based on their party. The way I see it, good conversation comes from listening to each other, not necessarily agreeing."

[Velahor]

"Hmmm...Henry...my wife likes the name Henry for if we have a second boy. I'm not sure I wanna have another kid yet, with me being across the country and all. My little ones are William IV and Ella."

William pulled out his phone, proud to show off his kids. He pulled up his Photos app. He showed a picture of his two six-year-old children on horseback, holding blue ribbons.

"Kate sent me this photo from earlier today...the twins both did well at the 4-H horse show at Winter Fair. It's the first year that they get to compete, and except for the cold weather, she said they had a really good time. I've thought about transferring them to school out here, but they like growing up in Montana."

"Such wonderful children..." Mattox reached for his phone, pulling up his three kids, their spouses, and their nine children. "They had three each. I was born in a group of three, and both of my parents were, too... Isabella did move down here from Boston... always favored me over her mother, until she married her husband, Al. Al's a humorist-- excuse me, a public speaker. He travels all across Tennessee talking about how people should keep a sense of humor to live better lives or something like that. Anyways, Bella lived her from sixth grade to her senior year. Went to school over in Arlington and loved every minute of it. Abby and Henry schooled in Boston. He's gone on to work as a campaign manager in New York. Abby is my Chief of Staff in Boston, but she comes to visit at times, occasionally brings the grandkids. Nothing like having grandkids asking to tour the Capitol for the millionth time, let me tell you," Mattox chuckled.

"Man, you've built quite the family. I'm looking forward to having that some day," said Rogers, looking at the picture. His eyes were drawn back to the food.

"Mind if I start in on my steak? I had to take my lunch break to catch up on emails and skipped eating."

[Meretica]

"Such wonderful children..." Mattox reached for his phone, pulling up his three kids, their spouses, and their nine children. "They had three each. I was born in a group of three, and both of my parents were, too... Isabella did move down here from Boston... always favored me over her mother, until she married her husband, Al. Al's a humorist-- excuse me, a public speaker. He travels all across Tennessee talking about how people should keep a sense of humor to live better lives or something like that. Anyways, Bella lived her from sixth grade to her senior year. Went to school over in Arlington and loved every minute of it. Abby and Henry schooled in Boston. He's gone on to work as a campaign manager in New York. Abby is my Chief of Staff in Boston, but she comes to visit at times, occasionally brings the grandkids. Nothing like having grandkids asking to tour the Capitol for the millionth time, let me tell you," Mattox chuckled.

"Man, you've built quite the family. I'm looking forward to having that someday," said Rogers, looking at the picture. His eyes were drawn back to the food.

"Mind if I start in on my steak? I had to take my lunch break to catch up on emails and skipped eating."

"Of course, don't let me keep you," Mattox replied as he put his phone back on the table. Mattox took his fork into his hand and cut off a piece of the pie, bringing it to his lips, chewing, and then swallowing. "I take it that you post-Senate aspirations? Or, let me guess-- you can neither confirm nor deny?"

[Lavan Tiri]

Max's secretary Emily answered the door, smiling brightly. "Senator Rogers? The Minority Leader is waiting for you."

She gestured William into the inner office, unabashedly checking him out when he walked past her. Max rolled his eyes at her, stood shakily, and shuffled over to Rogers. "Hey, William--can I call you William?--how are ya? Sit, sit, let's get some lunch and drink and talk."

The old man sat down in his leather armchair, gesturing at the opposite one with a gnarled hand. "I know, ah, I'm probably not your usual conversation partner. But ever since I joined Leadership, I've tried to keep close to a few Democrats...Democrats who are, uh, well. On the right side of things, as much as you can be."

Rogers nodded while the Senator spoke and he sat down in the opposite armchair.

“William is fine, thanks. I’ll talk with anyone, I really don’t pre-judge people based on their party. The way I see it, good conversation comes from listening to each other, not necessarily agreeing."

"Exactly, exactly," Max said, nodding. "I was very close friends with your predecessor, despite our parties and views. Very close. And with Robin Diehl, Ted Kennedy, (not-Paul Wellstone). I don't agree with the...hyperpartisan nonsense on the Hill, these days. Especially in the Senate."

Max smirked. "That's the sort of stuff that belongs in the House, if you ask me. Guinness?"

[Velahor]

"Man, you've built quite the family. I'm looking forward to having that someday," said Rogers, looking at the picture. His eyes were drawn back to the food.

"Mind if I start in on my steak? I had to take my lunch break to catch up on emails and skipped eating."

"Of course, don't let me keep you," Mattox replied as he put his phone back on the table. Mattox took his fork into his hand and cut off a piece of the pie, bringing it to his lips, chewing, and then swallowing. "I take it that you post-Senate aspirations? Or, let me guess-- you can neither confirm nor deny?"

Rogers started eating his steak, having three solid bites of it before replying. Damn...I gotta keep some snacks in my office...he thought to himself. After chewing and swallowing, he spoke.

"I'm letting it take me where it will. I will say, I've had my eye on being the first Montanan in the Oval Office since I was a little kid. But that's more just a fantasy. I'm liking the position that I'm in, and I know that Democratic leadership definitely doesn't want my seat to go back to a Republican after they spent all that time and effort on getting not-Tester, and then me, into that seat. So, while I really would like to throw my hat in the ring in '24, there's a lot to think about before I could ever go that way."

"I'd take a Supreme Court seat if somebody handed me it though. Any lawyer would wanna take that offer, I think. But again, this is all just hypothetical. I'm starting to like the Senate a bit more than I did at first."

He ate some vegetables while giving Mattox his turn to speak.

[Velahor]

Rogers nodded while the Senator spoke and he sat down in the opposite armchair.

“William is fine, thanks. I’ll talk with anyone, I really don’t pre-judge people based on their party. The way I see it, good conversation comes from listening to each other, not necessarily agreeing."

"Exactly, exactly," Max said, nodding. "I was very close friends with your predecessor, despite our parties and views. Very close. And with Robin Diehl, Ted Kennedy, (not-Paul Wellstone). I don't agree with the...hyperpartisan nonsense on the Hill, these days. Especially in the Senate."

Max smirked. "That's the sort of stuff that belongs in the House, if you ask me. Guinness?"

"Sure, why not?" said William, grabbing a bottle.

"A lot of good guys you mention there, guys who cut through that partisan BS you're talking about. I like when people can cut an honest deal and get things done; gridlock and grandstanding isn't good for anyone."

[Meretica]

"Of course, don't let me keep you," Mattox replied as he put his phone back on the table. Mattox took his fork into his hand and cut off a piece of the pie, bringing it to his lips, chewing, and then swallowing. "I take it that you post-Senate aspirations? Or, let me guess-- you can neither confirm nor deny?"

Rogers started eating his steak, having three solid bites of it before replying. Damn...I gotta keep some snacks in my office...he thought to himself. After chewing and swallowing, he spoke.

"I'm letting it take me where it will. I will say, I've had my eye on being the first Montanan in the Oval Office since I was a little kid. But that's more just a fantasy. I'm liking the position that I'm in, and I know that Democratic leadership doesn't want my seat to go back to a Republican after they spent all that time and effort on getting not-Tester, and then me, into that seat. So, while I really would like to throw my hat in the ring in '24, there's a lot to think about before I could ever go that way."

"I'd take a Supreme Court seat if somebody handed me it though. Any lawyer would wanna take that offer, I think. But again, this is all just hypothetical. I'm starting to like the Senate a bit more than I did at first."

He ate some vegetables while giving Mattox his turn to speak.

Mattox nodded, satisfied with the answer. "My grandfather and father, First and Second John, were both lawyers. They wanted me to take up law, but I joined the Marines instead. I always considered a run for Senate, but a member or two of the party always said that it wasn't the right time or that there was no reason to challenge Ted Kennedy... Now, they say I'm too old and that my Twitter puns have grown worse with age. Hell, they could be right. I've contemplated retirement. But I want to make my mark first, whether that's with legislation or... something else." Mattox paused and took another bite of pie. After swallowing, he started to speak again. "Back when they were still a group to be reckoned with, I had quite a few Dixiecrat colleagues. One of them was fond of a very vulgar story-- crude. A Native American walks into a bar with a gun and a bucket of shit then asks for a beer. The tended gives him a beer, the native drains it, but then throws the bucket into the air and leaves. A week later, the same native comes back with his gun and a new bucket of shit, asking for a beer. The bartender says, Hold on, now! The last time you came in here, you made a helluva mess and it took me ages to clean up! What was that all about? The native answers, I'm training for a job in politics. All they do is drink, shoot shit everywhere, and make someone else clean it up. As racist as that story is, there's a grain of truth in it. I've done my best not to shoot shit everywhere, mostly because I don't want it coming back to me. Now, though, I'm more focused on people than before. The MEAT Act had more pros than cons. I disobeyed the Whip. I've explicitly told Hertzog and Crawford that I'm going to meet with the president regarding electoral reforms with or without their blessings. I'm going to get some work done this session, that's for sure."

[Dentali]

Serah Kurian

Representative for Wisconsin' 8th, Serah Kurian's D.C. Office


Serah Kurian had a good idea of the type of race she'd run and it's theme, based on what she saw from both Christopher Duncan Jr. and Dan Gundersen's campaign so far and luckily, it wouldn't require much deviation from what she had planned from before her competition released their ads. She'd get to her call with the President, after which she'd officially launch her campaign through a tweet, followed soon after by her first campaign speech, then, it'd be off to the races.

But first, she waited at her desk for the appointed time for the presidential call.

"Congresswoman, its a pleasure to hear from you... congratulations on your announcement for Senate." Richardson's tone was warm and friendly, speaking with both ease and poise.

[Dentali]

Bryan Burgess
Washington, District of Columbia
Monday 8th February, 2021

---

(Image)

Daily Press Briefing

"Good morning everyone, great to have you all here. The President is, of course, deeply grateful for the strong bipartisan support shown for the Endless Frontier Act in the Senate and is confident that the House will be putting it on his desk sooner rather than later. And he's grateful to both Leader O'Halleran and Leader Hertzog for moving quickly on the American Recovery Act. There's a reception for the American National..."

"...And the President extends his deepest condolences to his wife, two daughters, and grandson. With that, that's all I have for you. Any questions?"

FOX: The President has yet to publiclly weigh in on the Wisconsin Senate race. How closely is the President following events?

[New Cobastheia]

Email To: Senator Benjamin Hertzog, Congressman Phillip Crawford
Email From: Congressman John Mattox
Re: The Electoral College
Senator and Congressman:
I have intentions to request a meeting with the president regarding the Electoral College results from 2016 and 2020. These elections were just out of our reach because of an absurd, outdated system that relies too heavily on obscure borders. I believe that, despite his partisan leanings, we can at least host a civil discussion on Electoral College reform; the Republicans will not be open to abolishing that wretched system outright. However, we may be able to convince a few Republican leaders to support special reforms such as ranked-choice voting, standardized ballots, and proportioning electoral votes based on the outcomes of the states. As an elder among the party and the Democratic Caucus, as well as one of the most outspoken supporters of changes to the system, I should at the very least be included in potential discussions. I am not sending this email to request permission, but to ask if I will have the party's support if the president and I are to come to a consensus. I will not request a meeting until after I have received replies from both of you.

Sincerely,
Congressman John A. Mattox III

From: [Sen. Hertzog]
To: [Rep. Mattox]
Cc: [Rep. Crawford]
Subject: Re: The Electoral College

---

I'm not sure if you'd be able to get anything out of Richardson when it comes to electoral reform, but I'd be interested in seeing what you two agreed on if any agreement is reached.

Signed,
Senator Benjamin Hertzog

[Velahor]

Rogers started eating his steak, having three solid bites of it before replying. Damn...I gotta keep some snacks in my office...he thought to himself. After chewing and swallowing, he spoke.

"I'm letting it take me where it will. I will say, I've had my eye on being the first Montanan in the Oval Office since I was a little kid. But that's more just a fantasy. I'm liking the position that I'm in, and I know that Democratic leadership doesn't want my seat to go back to a Republican after they spent all that time and effort on getting not-Tester, and then me, into that seat. So, while I really would like to throw my hat in the ring in '24, there's a lot to think about before I could ever go that way."

"I'd take a Supreme Court seat if somebody handed me it though. Any lawyer would wanna take that offer, I think. But again, this is all just hypothetical. I'm starting to like the Senate a bit more than I did at first."

He ate some vegetables while giving Mattox his turn to speak.

Mattox nodded, satisfied with the answer. "My grandfather and father, First and Second John, were both lawyers. They wanted me to take up law, but I joined the Marines instead. I always considered a run for Senate, but a member or two of the party always said that it wasn't the right time or that there was no reason to challenge Ted Kennedy... Now, they say I'm too old and that my Twitter puns have grown worse with age. Hell, they could be right. I've contemplated retirement. But I want to make my mark first, whether that's with legislation or... something else." Mattox paused and took another bite of pie. After swallowing, he started to speak again. "Back when they were still a group to be reckoned with, I had quite a few Dixiecrat colleagues. One of them was fond of a very vulgar story-- crude. A Native American walks into a bar with a gun and a bucket of shit then asks for a beer. The tended gives him a beer, the native drains it, but then throws the bucket into the air and leaves. A week later, the same native comes back with his gun and a new bucket of shit, asking for a beer. The bartender says, Hold on, now! The last time you came in here, you made a helluva mess and it took me ages to clean up! What was that all about? The native answers, I'm training for a job in politics. All they do is drink, shoot shit everywhere, and make someone else clean it up. As racist as that story is, there's a grain of truth in it. I've done my best not to shoot shit everywhere, mostly because I don't want it coming back to me. Now, though, I'm more focused on people than before. The MEAT Act had more pros than cons. I disobeyed the Whip. I've explicitly told Hertzog and Crawford that I'm going to meet with the president regarding electoral reforms with or without their blessings. I'm going to get some work done this session, that's for sure."

“I like that. It's a good attitude, seeing the pros and cons of things and pushing it in the right direction. I don't see a problem with doing what needs to be done to get work done...it's what we're here for, and while I'm hoping to stick around for awhile, I don't mind taking action when something as obvious as MARKET needs done."

Rogers drank some iced tea.

[New Cobastheia]

Hertzog was a bit shocked at the mention of Jack's name, he obviously hadn't known that the new Senator from Iowa felt the need to Whip against his own amendment. Regardless, he hid it well. After calming take a sip from his mug he replied, "Well as long as you're vote was influenced by Jack instead of the leader of the Republicans in the Senate I don't see a problem there."

"Now, let's talk about MARKET. Tell me, why should I put it on the agenda?"

Rogers thought for a second about just how he would pitch this, taking another drink of coffee to cover the silence.

"It's a good reform. The way I've always seen it, the Democratic Party should stand with small farmers over big meatpackers, the same as it stands with unions against big business. I'll give you an example from my own constituency. The Montana Stockgrower's Association, which is the state association for cattle ranchers, supports MARKET. The NCBA, which is mostly funded by the big-four packing corporations, doesn't support MARKET."

"Now...I have other bill ideas on the backburner that both the little guys and the big guys in the ag industry like. After MARKET gets through the Senate, I'll be proposing those. I'm not trying to burn bridges, but as someone who literally grew up surrounded by ag industry insiders, I can definitely attest that meatpacking in America is practically a monopoly in effect."

"I think this has been construed as a Republican deregulation bill by people who don't understand just how necessary MARKET is to fixing a skewed industry, and don't understand how safe food inspected by the states actually is. This is a bill with Democratic values of valuing small farmers and workers over big corporations, and preventing monopolies and consolidated industry from dominating the marketplace."

"Even if you don't agree with the bill itself, I'd like for you to see how I believe that MARKET is in the spirit of what our party is all about."

"I can see how you'd believe is in the spirit of our party, and I respect it, but the problem is that as far as I can tell you're the one of the few in the Caucus who isn't worried about deregulation when it comes to this issue. And it's not just policy I'm worried about right now, we're gonna need every vote we can get in Wisconsin and if our party lets through a bill a good chunk of our potential voters see as deregulating the meat industry, well that's gonna hurt us on election day. Like I said, it's not just the policy, it's keeping the majority."

"But trust me, I know just as much as you that meatpacking in our country is a monopoly and that we need to do something to take on the big companies in that field, you don't become a Democratic Senator from Michigan without being on the same side as the workers. I just don't think MARKET is the right way to do it. A bill that'd put power into the farmer's and the contractor's hands to help them fight against Big Ag would be something the party could get behind and it'd be something I'd whip for, but as far as the majority of the caucus sees it, MARKET isn't that bill."

Hertzog took another sip from his mug. While explaining all this to Rogers he didn't want to come off like he was against him, he did respect the man's reasoning for supporting the bill, he just couldn't see a world in which the majority of the caucus would support the bill.

"But what about your other bill ideas? It's in both of our interests that you can go back to Montana and convince people that they should vote for you again and I'm here to help as long as it doesn't go against what the majority of our caucus wants."

[Meretica]

Mattox nodded, satisfied with the answer. "My grandfather and father, First and Second John, were both lawyers. They wanted me to take up law, but I joined the Marines instead. I always considered a run for Senate, but a member or two of the party always said that it wasn't the right time or that there was no reason to challenge Ted Kennedy... Now, they say I'm too old and that my Twitter puns have grown worse with age. Hell, they could be right. I've contemplated retirement. But I want to make my mark first, whether that's with legislation or... something else." Mattox paused and took another bite of pie. After swallowing, he started to speak again. "Back when they were still a group to be reckoned with, I had quite a few Dixiecrat colleagues. One of them was fond of a very vulgar story-- crude. A Native American walks into a bar with a gun and a bucket of shit then asks for a beer. The tended gives him a beer, the native drains it, but then throws the bucket into the air and leaves. A week later, the same native comes back with his gun and a new bucket of shit, asking for a beer. The bartender says, Hold on, now! The last time you came in here, you made a helluva mess and it took me ages to clean up! What was that all about? The native answers, I'm training for a job in politics. All they do is drink, shoot shit everywhere, and make someone else clean it up. As racist as that story is, there's a grain of truth in it. I've done my best not to shoot shit everywhere, mostly because I don't want it coming back to me. Now, though, I'm more focused on people than before. The MEAT Act had more pros than cons. I disobeyed the Whip. I've explicitly told Hertzog and Crawford that I'm going to meet with the president regarding electoral reforms with or without their blessings. I'm going to get some work done this session, that's for sure."

“I like that. It's a good attitude, seeing the pros and cons of things and pushing them in the right direction. I don't see a problem with doing what needs to be done to get work done...it's what we're here for, and while I'm hoping to stick around for a while, I don't mind taking action when something as obvious as MARKET needs done."

Rogers drank some iced tea.

"Precisely," Mattox agreed. "MARKET was the right way to go, even with some of the things I didn't like involved. The only reason I didn't amend it is because I don't traditionally amend agriculture bills. I never have, mostly because I'm not a farmer-- unless the little garden box outside my bedroom window counts. But when I met with some small-time farmers and some corporations and they told me what they wanted, I knew exactly how to vote."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

FOX: The President has yet to publiclly weigh in on the Wisconsin Senate race. How closely is the President following events?

"The President's absolute first priority is to ensure that there is substantive economic relief going out to Americans in response to the ongoing situation, and he's hard at work to that end. That comes before his partisan concerns as the leader of his party. Obviously, the ideal situation would be for Wisconsinites to elect a Republican who is in line with the President's values and who will support his agenda to strengthen the economy. But at this time, the President will be keeping his focus on ensuring the passage, signature, and implementation of the American Recovery Act with all due speed."

[Cybernetic Socialist Republics]

Serah Kurian

Representative for Wisconsin' 8th, Serah Kurian's D.C. Office


Serah Kurian had a good idea of the type of race she'd run and it's theme, based on what she saw from both Christopher Duncan Jr. and Dan Gundersen's campaign so far and luckily, it wouldn't require much deviation from what she had planned from before her competition released their ads. She'd get to her call with the President, after which she'd officially launch her campaign through a tweet, followed soon after by her first campaign speech, then, it'd be off to the races.

But first, she waited at her desk for the appointed time for the presidential call.

"Congresswoman, its a pleasure to hear from you... congratulations on your announcement for Senate." Richardson's tone was warm and friendly, speaking with both ease and poise.

"Thank you Mr. President, and it's an honor to speak with you. I don't have to tell you the importance of this race. I run because I believe I have the best shot at securing the seat now and through the mid terms and representing my state in the senate. Now I don't intend to spend this call trying to convince you of that, as you're above intra party conflict, I'm sure, but I do want to say I have a legislative project that I'm working on. The EFA and the ARA include ample investment in R&D and infrastructure, which will in our economic conflict with china, but neither by their nature give us an immediate edge, while still having a more immediate impact on the debt and likely inflation due to their lack of pay-fors. My office has an outline for a program that could immediately increase our competitiveness with China and lower unemployment, while simultaneously making retraining and education in this country more market friendly. Not that it'd be a panacea, but I believe it could lower entitlement spending and the uninsured rate as well. I just wanted to use this opportunity to run the skeleton of the concept by you." Serah's tone was careful, but competent. She'd been in politics long enough to balance not being intimidated by power nor provoking it's wrath.

[Velahor]

Rogers thought for a second about just how he would pitch this, taking another drink of coffee to cover the silence.

"It's a good reform. The way I've always seen it, the Democratic Party should stand with small farmers over big meatpackers, the same as it stands with unions against big business. I'll give you an example from my own constituency. The Montana Stockgrower's Association, which is the state association for cattle ranchers, supports MARKET. The NCBA, which is mostly funded by the big-four packing corporations, doesn't support MARKET."

"Now...I have other bill ideas on the backburner that both the little guys and the big guys in the ag industry like. After MARKET gets through the Senate, I'll be proposing those. I'm not trying to burn bridges, but as someone who literally grew up surrounded by ag industry insiders, I can definitely attest that meatpacking in America is practically a monopoly in effect."

"I think this has been construed as a Republican deregulation bill by people who don't understand just how necessary MARKET is to fixing a skewed industry, and don't understand how safe food inspected by the states actually is. This is a bill with Democratic values of valuing small farmers and workers over big corporations, and preventing monopolies and consolidated industry from dominating the marketplace."

"Even if you don't agree with the bill itself, I'd like for you to see how I believe that MARKET is in the spirit of what our party is all about."

"I can see how you'd believe is in the spirit of our party, and I respect it, but the problem is that as far as I can tell you're the one of the few in the Caucus who isn't worried about deregulation when it comes to this issue. And it's not just policy I'm worried about right now, we're gonna need every vote we can get in Wisconsin and if our party lets through a bill a good chunk of our potential voters see as deregulating the meat industry, well that's gonna hurt us on election day. Like I said, it's not just the policy, it's keeping the majority."

"But trust me, I know just as much as you that meatpacking in our country is a monopoly and that we need to do something to take on the big companies in that field, you don't become a Democratic Senator from Michigan without being on the same side as the workers. I just don't think MARKET is the right way to do it. A bill that'd put power into the farmer's and the contractor's hands to help them fight against Big Ag would be something the party could get behind and it'd be something I'd whip for, but as far as the majority of the caucus sees it, MARKET isn't that bill."

Hertzog took another sip from his mug. While explaining all this to Rogers he didn't want to come off like he was against him, he did respect the man's reasoning for supporting the bill, he just couldn't see a world in which the majority of the caucus would support the bill.

"But what about your other bill ideas? It's in both of our interests that you can go back to Montana and convince people that they should vote for you again and I'm here to help as long as it doesn't go against what the majority of our caucus wants."

"I'm glad you can at least see where I'm coming from. But again, I don't love the deregulatory framing of the bill that some have used...I've thought of it all more as a transfer of regulatory authority to units of government that can better handle the issue. States could still even enact their own "continuous inspection" requirement if they do have meat inspection programs, and that "continuous inspection" requirement still applies to any state that doesn't."

"I don't think anyone will change my mind on MARKET. But if you keep it off the agenda, I won't make too much of a fuss, because I have a slimmed-down version of it that's a bit more Democrat-friendly that I'll be trying in committee to get added to the five-year Farm Bill."

Rogers had plenty of other bill ideas rattling around in his head, so he figured he would let them spill to the majority leader. He drank a little more coffee and then continued.

"But you mentioned my other bill ideas. For ag-related things, I want to do a bill that mandates the USDA to make better, more frequent commodity market reports. A bill giving a more official status to undocumented farm workers could be helpful, and that's something that the ag industry from top to bottom supports. I want to do a wildfire relief bill. I would like to codify into statute the recent USDA interim rule that allows for interstate shipment of industrial hemp. I'm interested in doing a bill that provides relief to farmers on the borders whose property gets damaged by undocumented immigration, that's something we could probably get through a Republican House too. Farm Bureau backs the reintroduction of some updated version of the Fighting Hunger Incentive Act of 2014, and I think that would be a good idea. There was a bad tax rule that hurts farmer co-ops, put out at the end of Wolf's term, that I would like to fix. And I would be cool with increasing grazing permits on BLM land...which would hopefully slow the Right's insistence on devolving federal lands into private hands like that Oregon rep is trying to do. Generally, I would like to expand grazing and recreational use of public lands, to help people see public lands as a service rather than a land grab by the feds. Too many people back home see BLM land as the latter rather than the former."

"Finally, and this is the big one for me, I want to reinstate country-of-origin labeling laws for meat products...since you said you're on board with finding a way to fix the profit disparity between ranchers and meatpackers, it's another good step in that direction. It just depends on if we can find an appetite for it."

"Other than that stuff? I want VA reform...especially on facilities, making sure all 72,000 remaining WWII veterans have full VA services (because they currently don't), and increasing nurse pay; and I want to do more on veteran's housing. I'd like to amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to give States the option to extend the Medicaid drug rebate program to the Children's Health Insurance Program. I want to do something involving forestry and logging. And I would like to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to expand the definition of whistleblower and increase anti-retaliation protections for whistleblowers."

Rogers cleared his throat and sipped a bit more coffee.

"What do you think? Sorry for the rant, I get pretty excited about my ideas sometimes. Any of that sound like something you'd work with?"

[Velahor]

“I like that. It's a good attitude, seeing the pros and cons of things and pushing them in the right direction. I don't see a problem with doing what needs to be done to get work done...it's what we're here for, and while I'm hoping to stick around for a while, I don't mind taking action when something as obvious as MARKET needs done."

Rogers drank some iced tea.

"Precisely," Mattox agreed. "MARKET was the right way to go, even with some of the things I didn't like involved. The only reason I didn't amend it is because I don't traditionally amend agriculture bills. I never have, mostly because I'm not a farmer-- unless the little garden box outside my bedroom window counts. But when I met with some small-time farmers and some corporations and they told me what they wanted, I knew exactly how to vote."

"That's a good way of doing things...so tell me...you mentioned you might be meeting with the President some time on electoral issues? What's that all about?" asked Rogers.

[Meretica]

"Precisely," Mattox agreed. "MARKET was the right way to go, even with some of the things I didn't like involved. The only reason I didn't amend it is because I don't traditionally amend agriculture bills. I never have, mostly because I'm not a farmer-- unless the little garden box outside my bedroom window counts. But when I met with some small-time farmers and some corporations and they told me what they wanted, I knew exactly how to vote."

"That's a good way of doing things...so tell me...you mentioned you might be meeting with the President some time on electoral issues? What's that all about?" asked Rogers.

Mattox nodded. "The GOP hasn't won the popular vote since 1992-- excluding 2004, of course. I'm going to see if there's something we can do to keep turnout rates going up, maybe standardize ballots, alter how the college works... Hell, we might even come to an agreement on gerrymandering."

[Velahor]

"That's a good way of doing things...so tell me...you mentioned you might be meeting with the President some time on electoral issues? What's that all about?" asked Rogers.

Mattox nodded. "The GOP hasn't won the popular vote since 1992-- excluding 2004, of course. I'm going to see if there's something we can do to keep turnout rates going up, maybe standardize ballots, alter how the college works... Hell, we might even come to an agreement on gerrymandering."

"You oughta talk to Representative Loloma about gerrymandering, he's brought it up to me that he wants to come up with a solution to it. I myself am pretty worried about gerrymandering because I don't want to see Montana make its future second House district into a GOP-lock seat."

Rogers took another bite of steak and then spoke again.

"But good for you on that. We need to have a system that better reflects the votes of the people. And my state actually stands to benefit from most electoral reforms in its current status...Montana is one of the states with the least House seats per capita. That might change after redistricting, but I want to see them do it right."

"Have you ever met with President Richardson before? What is he like? I haven't been introduced yet."

[Meretica]

Mattox nodded. "The GOP hasn't won the popular vote since 1992-- excluding 2004, of course. I'm going to see if there's something we can do to keep turnout rates going up, maybe standardize ballots, alter how the college works... Hell, we might even come to an agreement on gerrymandering."

"You oughta talk to Representative Loloma about gerrymandering, he's brought it up to me that he wants to come up with a solution to it. I myself am pretty worried about gerrymandering because I don't want to see Montana make its future second House district into a GOP-lock seat."

Rogers took another bite of steak and then spoke again.

"But good for you on that. We need to have a system that better reflects the votes of the people. And my state actually stands to benefit from most electoral reforms in its current status...Montana is one of the states with the least House seats per capita. That might change after redistricting, but I want to see them do it right."

"Have you ever met with President Richardson before? What is he like? I haven't been introduced yet."

"Ive never met him personally, but he seems like he might be open to some sensible negotiations," Mattox answered. "I, like everyone else, was angry when he proved victorious in 2020. But I've accepted the results. Now I just have to work with what I've got."

[Velahor]

"You oughta talk to Representative Loloma about gerrymandering, he's brought it up to me that he wants to come up with a solution to it. I myself am pretty worried about gerrymandering because I don't want to see Montana make its future second House district into a GOP-lock seat."

Rogers took another bite of steak and then spoke again.

"But good for you on that. We need to have a system that better reflects the votes of the people. And my state actually stands to benefit from most electoral reforms in its current status...Montana is one of the states with the least House seats per capita. That might change after redistricting, but I want to see them do it right."

"Have you ever met with President Richardson before? What is he like? I haven't been introduced yet."

"Ive never met him personally, but he seems like he might be open to some sensible negotiations," Mattox answered. "I, like everyone else, was angry when he proved victorious in 2020. But I've accepted the results. Now I just have to work with what I've got."

“I was in the same boat when he beat Diehl…but I will say, he seems a lot easier to work with than Wolf, so it was a bit of a pleasant surprise to see him take their primary. I just hope he follows through with the ARA and everything else the way he says he will. But it’s good to see a bit less extremism.”

Rogers finished his steak and sides and started on the pie.

“I have a lot of ideas for bills coming up that might be kind of up your alley. I want major overhauls of the VA, for starters. Is that something you'd be interested in?"

[Dentali]

"Congresswoman, its a pleasure to hear from you... congratulations on your announcement for Senate." Richardson's tone was warm and friendly, speaking with both ease and poise.

"Thank you Mr. President, and it's an honor to speak with you. I don't have to tell you the importance of this race. I run because I believe I have the best shot at securing the seat now and through the mid terms and representing my state in the senate. Now I don't intend to spend this call trying to convince you of that, as you're above intra party conflict, I'm sure, but I do want to say I have a legislative project that I'm working on. The EFA and the ARA include ample investment in R&D and infrastructure, which will in our economic conflict with china, but neither by their nature give us an immediate edge, while still having a more immediate impact on the debt and likely inflation due to their lack of pay-fors. My office has an outline for a program that could immediately increase our competitiveness with China and lower unemployment, while simultaneously making retraining and education in this country more market friendly. Not that it'd be a panacea, but I believe it could lower entitlement spending and the uninsured rate as well. I just wanted to use this opportunity to run the skeleton of the concept by you." Serah's tone was careful, but competent. She'd been in politics long enough to balance not being intimidated by power nor provoking it's wrath.

"I'm all ears" Richardson replied, managing to sound cheerful despite knowing the pitch was already too good to be true, "Let's hear the elevator pitch."

[Meretica]

"Ive never met him personally, but he seems like he might be open to some sensible negotiations," Mattox answered. "I, like everyone else, was angry when he proved victorious in 2020. But I've accepted the results. Now I just have to work with what I've got."

“I was in the same boat when he beat Diehl…but I will say, he seems a lot easier to work with than Wolf, so it was a bit of a pleasant surprise to see him take their primary. I just hope he follows through with the ARA and everything else the way he says he will. But it’s good to see a bit less extremism.”

Rogers finished his steak and sides and started on the pie.

“I have a lot of ideas for bills coming up that might be kind of up your alley. I want major overhauls of the VA, for starters. Is that something you'd be interested in?"

"Most definitely," Mattox said as he took another bite of steak. "I'm a retired Marine. I served over in Vietnam. Simultaneously some of the best and worst years of my life. Veterans don't always get the care and attention they need. I got lucky. Others don't."