Twilight's Last Gleaming: An American Political RP IC (Open)

[Meretica]

To: Governor O. Calalo of Hawaii
From: Senator C. Hepburn-Smith of Virginia
Re: Potential Phone Call

---

Governor Calalo,
Enclosed is my personal number. I would like to discuss a small matter in the current presidential race with you, particularly regarding the future of the Republican Party. If you would please give me a call, that would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
C. Hepburn-Smith

[Kavanis]

Campaign itinerary
May 18 – May 27

Fundraising

Lacking money for national TV ads (and being amazed at other campaigns having already amassed such large warchests in this regard!) they concentrated on small donors.

In Iowa, a mailer with a picture of Ben on a hunting trip with his family. He was in hunting gear and holding (with proper trigger discipline) a rifle. On the back, his five promises: “stand strong for the right to keep and bear arms”, “protect veterans from being denied their constitutional rights”, “uphold the not-Tiahrt amendment and prevent any national registry”, “institute nationwide concealed carry reciprocity”, and “veto any return of the so-called ‘assault weapons’ ban”.

In New Hampshire, a mailer with a picture of Ben delivering a speech at the Oklahoma Capitol. “Honest government, good government, Eriksen government.” On the back, his five promises: “one-in-one-out for the Federal Register to roll back overreach”, “a Plain English rule for all new rules and regulations”, “PAYGO rules to cap the deficit”, “strict ethics rules to root out corruption”, and “ban on Congressional insider trading”.

In South Carolina, a mailer with a picture of a Marine saluting at the Vietnam Memorial, and a young GWOT veteran in a hospital bed. On the back, his five promises: “complete overhaul of VA health care”, “every veteran has the right to choose their own health plan”, “defend gun rights of veterans”, “tax credits for companies who support veteran retraining”, and “pass the Flag Burning Amendment”.

All mailers had a return address, campaign website, and invitation to donate in $10 amounts up to $50.

Targeting bigger money donors, he also held a $500-a-plate fundraising dinner in Florida on his first night in Miami.

Endorsement outreach

While in Florida, Ben tried to arrange the following endorsement meetings:

Endorsement #1: Speaker of the Florida House

He enthusiastically praised not-Rubio at his events in Miami and Tallahassee, saying that Florida and America needed talented young conservative leaders who were willing to pursue radical solutions to the country’s problems. Meeting with him, he said how much he admired all he’d accomplished and his strong stances on gambling, emissions taxes, and government spending, and that he felt the two could work together, mentioning – without any specific promises – the next Florida Senate election as one he’d be following with interest.

Endorsement #2: Cuban-American Congressman

“As President I will continue the embargo against Cuba for as long as they continue to imprison and persecute advocates for liberty. Modern day ‘reformers’ are sleepwalking into the arms of communism, and that’s not something I’m prepared to let happen.” Ben conducted the meeting in English – he could speak some Spanish, but struggled with the Cuban accent – and pledged to honor promises to afford refugee status to Cuban emigrants, and to work on renewed diplomatic pressure on the Cuban regime to keep up multilateral sanctions. “I am under no illusions that the transfer of power means any slackening of the threat, whichever Castro happens to be at the head of this murderous, corrupt communist regime.”

Endorsement #3: American Legion Department of Florida

Promised a multi-billion dollar reform of the VA that would include tax credits for hiring and retraining veterans, an overhaul of health care with his specific promise that veterans would be able to choose their treatment center, and more money for mental health and homelessness prevention. Spoke about the Cragie-Pierce bill and said that he would as President ensure veterans would not be denied their Second Amendment rights. Proudly backed the war in Iraq and American military personnel, and said critics of the war were un-American.

Radio ad

To be played in drive-time in Iowa, Michigan, South Carolina, and as much of Florida as they can afford.

Ben Eriksen understands America’s farmers. As Governor, he led a pro-farmer agenda that cut down on unfair environmental regulations, fought back against federal mandates, repealed the estate tax once and for all, tackled farm property theft, and overhauled workers compensation.

As President, Ben Eriksen would support America’s farmers at home with tax relief, rollback of overreaching federal environmental laws, and new trade deals opening new markets.

Eriksen for farmers. Eriksen for [state]. Eriksen for America.

“I’m Governor Ben Eriksen, and I endorse this message.”

Events

May 18: Travel from Reno, NV to Miami, FL

Ben flew from Reno to Miami. He met with Miami Republicans and with members of the Cuban-American community, voicing strong support for the embargo. In the evening, he held his fundraising dinner at the Hyatt Regency in Miami, giving a pro-business speech in which he focused on supporting business with tax relief, all-of-the-above energy, litigation reform, and increased investment in infrastructure and vocational training. He strongly supported CAFTA and new trade deals with Latin American countries, and struck a tone on immigration reform: “We must ensure any new immigration deal preserves the supply of agricultural labor and prioritizes STEM-capable employees who can contribute to the next generation of American industry” while also saying he was for “stricter enforcement at the border”.

May 19: Miami, FL
Sarasota, FL
St Petersburg, FL
Tampa, FL

Ben attended a breakfast in Miami where he met with local business and civic leaders. It was an informal and he concentrated more on trading tips about local golf courses than on laying out detailed spending plans. After this, they hit the road in a Florida version of the tour bus, heading north to Sarasota where he attended a lunch and shook more hands. He did some mainstreeting in Sarasota, and then on to St Petersburg where he gave a modified stump. He also visited an arts and crafts street festival and bought a picture frame which he said he was going to use for a photo of his grandchildren. By the evening they were in Tampa where he ate at a local restaurant and did some more mainstreeting. He also delivered a speech about his pro-trade views and advocated for stronger trade links with Central America and the Caribbean and Latin America in general. “Trade helps American farmers find new markets for their crops; it enhances America’s strength around the world; and it brings down prices for consumers through the awesome power of the market. As President, I vow to get the WTO talks restarted without surrendering concessions, and to tackle foreign price cartels.”

May 20: Tampa, FL
The Villages, FL
Orlando, FL

He attended two church services on Sunday: a Catholic service in Tampa, and then a Baptist service in The Villages. In between he had done some mainstreeting in Tampa and spoke about all-of-the-above-energy. Continuing the theme of tackling foreign price cartels he said he would take on OPEC. He also said he supported renewable energy “so long as it’s handled responsibly” and said that “research and development tax credits could spur new innovations”. However he criticized wind power. “A wasteful boondoggle that won’t help America’s future energy needs.” In The Villages, he steered clear of entitlement reform talk and instead spoke at some targeted events. With a group of Jewish seniors he repeated his promise to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize Jerusalem as undisputed capital of Israel, as well as saying he would support new settlements and blaming the violence in the West Bank on Palestinian agitators. With Catholic seniors, he said he supported the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban and said he would appoint pro-life judges. At another Seniors event he said any gun control laws should not deny seniors their second amendment rights. He also said he would take on crime including financial elderly abuse and ensure proper fiduciary care. He supported independent retirement accounts. Whenever asked about raising the retirement age he said he supported “entitlement reform” in general and tried to get the hell out of there. He ended the day in Orlando giving another speech about all-of-the-above energy.

May 21: Orlando, FL
Tallahassee, FL
Macclenny, FL
Jacksonville, FL

Monday it was back to school, or at least, a focus on education. (Or at least, an attempted focus on education… Ben kept wandering off topic, spending an hour talking gun rights at his town hall in Tallahassee and half an hour on securitization in Jacksonville.) Advocating for renewed investment in vocational education, he promised tax credits for retraining veterans, and pushed for school choice. He voiced tepid support for school prayer but much stronger support for school choice with voucher options for parochial and religious schools. He mocked “liberal elites who oppose sending poor kids to good schools with vouchers but send their own kids to expensive private schools”. And he said he would aggressively pursue accountability reform. “If you want a President in the pocket of the teachers’ union, you’ll have to look elsewhere.” After starting the day in Orlando, they went north to a town hall in Tallahassee, stopped in the afternoon for a meet-and-greet in the small town of Macclenny, and finished up in Jacksonville where he gave an evening stump speech followed by a meeting with local Republican leaders.

May 22: Jacksonville, FL
Travel to Charleston, SC

After a breakfast with business leaders, mostly a day off from public events. Ben met with campaign staff and signed off on a controversial push polling strategy, then went to a studio to record a radio ad. Then they drove up to Charleston for a three-day swing through South Carolina.

May 23: Charleston, SC

Ben met with local Republicans, did a coffee shop meet-and-greet, did some mainstreeting, did a lunch at a historic local diner, toured some local landmarks, did more mainstreeting, and spoke at a veterans event in the evening. The theme for the day was agriculture, with his new radio ad having aired that morning, and he pushed his support of trade deals, of pushing back on regulations, and of permanent federal estate tax repeal. He pointed to his record as Governor with his taskforce on agricultural crime, his tax cuts, and his reform of workers compensation.

May 24: Columbia, SC
Pontiac, SC

In Columbia, he breakfasted with local Republicans, did some mainstreeting, and did three speeches at various city locations. He was on tax cuts today, talking about renewing and extending the Cush cats, delivering tax cuts to every income bracket and increasing the brackets with inflation, permanently repealing the estate tax, passing aggressive corporate tax reform to get the top rate down, and promising never to raise taxes to balance the budget, instead targeting spending cuts.

May 25: Spartanburg, SC
Greenville, SC
Anderson, SC

In Spartanburg, he did a breakfast and a coffee morning, where he talked about all-of-the-above energy. In Greenville, he did a lunch and some mainstreeting, followed by meeting with local Republican leaders. He advocated for secure borders but said that high-tech visas should be increased and that immigration reform should concentrate on allowing in high-skilled immigrants. In Anderson, he did a dinner and some mainstreeting, and did a speech on infrastructure, advocating for 21st century investment.

May 26: Travel from Anderson, SC to Washington, DC
May 27: Travel from Washington, DC to Des Moines, IA

2 days off from aggressive campaigning as Ben traveled to DC to have some endorsement meetings, and to meet with campaign staff. On the next evening he took the red-eye to Des Moines.

May 28 on…
TBA.

[New Luciannova]

Monday 21 May- Anchorage, Alaska
Putnam will be sampling local game meet from moose chili to elk sausage. He is amused by how moose and grizzly are common sights on city streets and also how cold it is, even in May. Putnam met with a group of grassroots supporters and organized an Alaska-wide phone bank. He had a town-hall event that night.

Tuesday 22 May- Anchorage, Alaska
Amadeus Putnam phone banked for much of the day and visited a number of small businesses. He knocked on some doors even and met with the Republican Town Committee that night.

Wednesday 23 May- Fairbanks, Alaska
Amadeus Putnam took a small plane to visit Fairbanks. Putnam met with the Fairbanks police to discuss the crime problem in the city. He visited the school and a few local attractions. That night Amadeus and Kenzie saw the northern lights and had their picture taken


Thursday 24 May-Juneau, Alaska
Amadeus Putnam visited the state capital in Junaeu and hosted a town hall. He managed to string together some local grass roots types to help him do another phone bank that day and the following day.

Friday-25 May-Juneau, Alaska- Putnam makes phone calls with local supporters and hosts a rally in downtown Juneau. He flies on a redeye back to Logan Airport.

Saturday 26 May- Newbury, New Hampshire
Amadeus Putnam relaxes with his family in Newbury, New Hampshire.

[Free Ward Marchers]

Littenbaum Campaign Ad playing in rural and majority farmer districts in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina

Deep older male voice with a light southern twang: Today it is harder than it has every been to make a good honest living



for too long greedy elites and republican lawmakers have frequently sold out the farmer and toiler for the CEO and the Business Insider



But you can stop that, by helping Senator Littenbaum help you, Littenbaum knows the struggle of America's forgotten heroes



Littenbaum believes in common sense practices such as higher commodity prices, farm price supports, grain storage programs, and beef import controls



She supports being stricter on monopoly laws when it comes to big business farms to help the small American farmer



But most of all Littenbaum supports you as a farmer, as a parent or grandparent, as an american



"I am Julie Littenbaum and I approve this message"

[Meretica]

June 1st: Memphis, Tennessee
John Amos Mattox III at a Carole Martel Rally

Mattox waved to the crowd as they cheered for him, the man that had run for vice president in 2004. Oh, how he had missed the national campaign trail! It was really something, something he had missed, something that it was good to look forward to.

"I feel impelled to speak today on an issue that is, in a sense, new," Mattox began. "That issue, my friends, is the 2008 presidential election. Just a few short years ago, I stood on a stage in Boston and welcomed Senator Ward as he accepted the nomination for president from our party. That same day, he welcomed me as I accepted the nomination for vice president. We lost our battle that November, but we did not give up.

"For decades, we labored to conquer this continent. For decades more, we worked to build America into what it is today. President Johnson built the Great Society, President Roosevelt crafted the New Deal. Now, we stand on the edge of a new era, an era that will change the fate of our nation. We are on the brink of being able to create a Greater Society, to have a Better Deal. There is one candidate in the Democratic Primaries that can bring this about, and I believe that this candidate is Senator Carole Martel.

"You know what I know, for real. The people here today-- these are the people who are the heart and soul of this country. It's the America that I know. The America that Carole knows. You know, I've known Carole for many years. Before she was the Senator from California. We have served together in the United States Congress. And during her years as secretary of the HUD, she would often be at the Capitol, speaking to the members of Congress to get her work done.

"Everybody knows she's smart. Everybody knows she's tough. But I know what she's passionate about. I know Carole. Carole understands. Carole gets it. Carole understands that a college loan is about a lot more than getting a qualified college education. It's about saving the mom and the dad from the indignity of having to look at their talented child and say, sonny, honey, I'm so sorry, the bank wouldn't lend me the money, I can't help you to get to school.

"I know that about Carole. Carole understood that for years, millions of people went to bed staring at the ceiling thinking oh my God, what if I get breast cancer or he has a heart attack? I will lose everything. What will we do then? I know about Carole Martel. Ladies and gentlemen, we all understand what it will mean for our daughters and granddaughters when Carole walks into the oval office as president of the United States of America. It will change their lives.

"My daughters and granddaughters can do anything any son or grandson can do, and she will prove it. So let me say as clearly as I can: if you worry about your job and getting a decent pay, if you worry about your children's education, if you're taking care of an elderly parent, if you’re worried about your housing, then there's only one, only one person in this election who will help you. There's only one person in this race who will be there, who's always been there for you. And that's Carole Martel's life story. It's not just who she is. It's her life story. Carole’s looked out for people for her entire career, from the Mayor of San Francisco to the Secretary of HUD, to the US Senate.

"As such, today, at this stage, I am officially endorsing Senator Carole Martel for president. A life of service has brought Senator Martel to this point. And she is uniquely equipped to lead our party in a time of need. We need her leadership. America needs her leadership. We need the kind of leadership that embodies the values that made this country great.

"I urge all of you to join me in supporting the senator who has been there and fought for us all these years. A vote for Senator Martel is a vote for the kind of leadership that made our country great."

[New Luciannova]

New Bedford, Massachusetts
0900 Hours
Friday June 01 2007
Amadeus Putnam had made Massachusetts a priority, he increasingly began using his full name in Massachusetts “Amadeus Quincy Putnam,” noting that like the Sixth President of the United States he was named after the city of his birth. Putnam continued efforts in New Hampshire, but began directing resources more heavily into the Bay State. He previously had gone to Boston where he met state legislators, courted Massachusetts politicians and ran a phone bank, and held a rally in Quincy Market.
Endorsement Pitches-
Boston Herald- Gentlemen, I’m so glad you could meet with me this morning. Like you, I’m a Republican from New England, just because my home is in New Hampshire, I grew up in Quincy and never lost any love for the Bay State. My father runs one of Boston’s largest brokerage firms and I practiced law in Massachusetts before New Hampshire, working in the same courts as John Adams. So why me instead of one of the other Republicans? I think a little hometown pride and the familiarity I have with the Boston Republican Party should be sound enough. We’re from the same state, cut from the same cloth, and in these trying times, Yankee Republicans ought to stick together.
Not-Bill Weld- Mr. Governor, I’m delighted to meet with you today, and I would be proud to carry your endorsement with me to the White House. I understand we don’t agree on everything, so why me instead of one of the other non-true believers like Calalo or Hepburn-Smith? First, like you I’m fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Second, we’re both have ties to the Boston area, are both certified to the Massachusetts bar and Yankee Republicans are rare and ought to stick together. You were always a man who thought outside the box and favored creative strategies and I think I’m that same man,
Republican Town Committees of Boston, Quincy, Cambridge, Worchester, Salem, New Bedford, - My friends, America is in dire straights right now and I’m the only candidate who wants to address the real concerns facing America. Democrats and my fellow Republicans have only offered the same, predictable platforms and it’s all more of the same. Nobody but me wants to cut spending, nobody but me wants to rethink our foreign policy toward defense and away from nation building, nobody besides me has a plan to cut spending and taxes.
Tom Brady- Mr. Brady, thank you for finding time for me. I think you know that I’ve been a Patriots fan even before you made it easy to be one. I want to wish you good luck this season. I heard you said in 2004 becoming a US Senator would be your craziest ambition and you attending the State of the Union as a guest of John Cush. So you’re no stranger to politics. Endorsing me, another man from New England would make me proud. Even if you’re not going to endorse me, could you kindly sign this football for my son, Thomas Aquinas? He’s a hardcore Patriots fan, he wears a tri-corn hat every time the Pats play on TV. You’re his favorite player and it would make his day.


Putnam Campaign Press Release
June 1 2007
The recent polls that have come in show that Amadeus Quincy Putnam has a definitive lead in New Hampshire and continues to grow support in California, Massachusetts, and other states. We are disappointed by the numbers shown, but feel that Goldwater Polling has been under-sampling some of the unique constituencies that Amadeus receives wide support, like younger voters, first-time voters, and Independents. We are still going to do outreach to all voters and that’s why we’re in Massachusetts today and are going to be in Rhode Island and Connecticut next week. Our fund-raising is healthy and strong and we’re ready to drop an ad next week to show all the kids of voters for Putnam. We’re going to upset our rivals in many locales, and show that the spirit of 1776 and freedom is alive and well.

[New Luciannova]

Saturday 2 June
Providence, Rhode Island
Amadeus Putnam met with state legislators in Providence this morning touting himself as a Yankee Republican. He held a small rally in Providence before heading to Connecticut for an event in Groton, "the submarine capital of America." Sn
Groton, Connecticut
Snippet: "I'm proud to be in the Submarine Capital of America and in Connecticut where innovation thrives. I want to let the people of Gorton know that I will never cut funding for nuclear submarines, I view them as among the most essential asset in the American armed forces. As liberal as Connecticut supposedly is, it's great to see some real conservatives out here. I love being in New England, especially Connecticut, you guys aren't just known for these great submarines, but for the revolver, vinyl, the dictionary, the frisbee, vulcanized rubber, the hamburger, the lobster roll, you have the best pizza I've ever had, and I've been to Italy. I'm proud to be from New England."



Endorsement Courted: Not-Penny Bacchiochi- "State Rep. Stafford Springs, Republican Committee Chair- "I'm really glad you wanted to meet with me, for an old-fashioned Connecticut lobster roll, we could really start some real change in New England. You and I have a great fiscal track record for conservative principles and are a dedicated supporter of our Second Amendment. I know we have some reason to be skeptical of big government and undermining our civil liberties and it's great you look to be coming around on legalizing marijuana."

Amadeus Putnam had a fund-raiser that evening at Mohegan Sun where he touted his credentials as a Yankee Republican. He served those there lobster, clams, oyster, and soft-shell crab as a classic Connecticut-style seafood bake.

Sunday, June 3
The Putnam campaign pulled into New Haven, where Amadeus and Kenzie attended Mass. Amadeus Putnam attended the home of the original hamburger, Louie's Lunch .

Putnam held a town hall event on the New Haven Town Green.

Amadeus Putnam had lunch at Pepe's Pizza and toured Sikorsky Aircraft in nearby Stratford, where he reassured the workers that he would not remove funding from their helicopter programs. Amadeus Putnam also held a fund-raiser at New Haven's omni hotel that night.

Monday, June 4 - Amadeus Putnam caught a flight to Baltimore, Maryland from LaGuardia. His driver was encouraged to take advantage of the density to take The Freedom Express back to Newbury "the long way round.

Amadeus Putnam would be visiting West Virginia and Delaware that week.

[Meretica]

"How about (Stuart Spencer)?"

Cassie shook her head. It was May 28, and she was lounging on one of the two beds in their hotel room at the Sheraton in Sacramento. Her husband, Glenn, was already asleep next to her; he hadn't bothered to change his clothes and had been snoring before his head hit the pillow. Alistair Durant, her campaign manager, was seated on the other bed in the room, pouring over notes and documents. "(Spencer) worked for Reagan, he wouldn't bet on us."

"He was Nelson Rockefeller's campaign manager, Cass," he pointed out. "Y'know, the guy that told him to summon that fabled nexus of money, influence, and condescension known as the Eastern Establishment?"

"And then Rockefeller answered, You are looking at it, buddy, I am all that is left. I'm in a similar state, Alistair, there really aren't too many people we can go after. We've locked down Regan Storm and we've approached Pender. All we can do now is peel away from the moderates and pull in some support from the border states and independents."

"We have to pick up more than just them--"

"I know," Cassie interrupted. "But we need more. We need something else, something different. Short of allowing Democrats to vote in the Republican primaries, there's not much we can do."

"We need to be more state specific. You've gone up one point in Nevada according top our internal polling, and it's been the same elsewhere. Except in Iowa, you've only been going up about a point at a time. Campaigning in every state isn't going to be enough. You haven't hit your ceiling anywhere yet, and that's mostly because of Calalo. We've got your win numbers in every state figured out, and we know what your path to victory. You're likeable, you're a good speaker, you outperformed at the debate. But we need more. Let's do some more ads, make them state specific. And go after (Stuart Spencer)."

Cassie heaved a sigh. "Alright. Set something up for Nevada, then, and only Nevada. Actually, add Alaska to that-- we've not been up there yet, but they love a good maverick. And any states that have 50% or more federal ownership. Let's see how that does, and if it does well, then we'll do a few more. I think that the June debate and July polling will really push me ahead, though, so let's be sure that the ads are working."

"Agreed. Now, let's talk about the Cubans..."

---

Ad Run in Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Alaska from June 1st to July 31st

Voiceover: Something is wrong with this picture.



Voiceover: Five states have more federal ownership than any other. The federal government has more control over your state than your local leaders do. Only one candidate has announced that she wants that to change-- Cassandra Hepburn-Smith. If you want your state to have more control over how it is run, then CHS is the candidate for you. No other candidate has vowed to reduce federal control over land that rightfully belongs to the states.


CHS: My name is Cassandra Hepburn-Smith, and I approve this message.

---

Endorsement Pitch via Phone Call: (Stuart Spencer)
Alistair Durant: Mr. (Spencer), I grew up watching your career flourish. I've studied you and the way you do things. Like me, and like Senator Hepburn-Smith, you're a moderate. I've been running statewide campaigns since 1996-- you've managed over 400 in your lifetime. Needless to say, I'm a fan and supporter. I'm not one to draw parallels, but what I'm doing for the Senator-- well, it's kinda like what you did with Governor Rockefeller and President Ford. You're responsible for Reagan reaching the White House. Mr. (Spencer), you know how the game is played. We're working hard, just like you worked hard with Quayle in '88. You don't have to answer me now-- heck, you can wait until after the primaries have started if you like-- but we'd appreciate your endorsement."

[Madrinpoor]

Tommy Sommo [R-NY-1] submits his official candidacy for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

[New Luciannova]

Tommy Sommo [R-NY-1] submits his official candidacy for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Amadeus Putnam will endorse Sommo for Speaker.

[Kargintinia]

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE FROM N. TRIPP BAYLOR


I have been so humbled by the support shown over the last several months. I have met so many incredible people, seen so many great places. The passion that people have for ending bigotry and increasing equality in our society is simply incredible.

I have made the decision to end my campaign for President. I know many may be disappointed with my decision, but I feel it is for the best health of our nation to do so. We need a Democratic candidate who can get things done without resorting to petty vendettas or insults. Thus I formally endorse North Dakota Senator Everest Laakso to be the next President of the United States.

Senator Laakso will bring our troops home from Iraq, fight for the average American and help bring a better society for all and he has my full support.

[Meretica]

From: (hepburn.smith@senate.gov) Cassandra Hepburn-Smith
To: (pierce@senate.gov) George Pierce Jr.

---

Senator Pierce,
Though I'll be actively campaigning for the next several weeks, I'd love to sit down and have a meeting with you regarding the GOP primaries and the gun bill. If you are willing, I'd like to drop by your office on June 9th. I'm a bit late compared to a few of the others that I'm sure have already swung by, but late is better than never, is it not?
I hope to see you soon,
Senator Hepburn-Smith

---

---

June 9th, 2007: Senator Pierce's Office

Cassie knocked on the door of Senator Pierce's office. She was dressed rather plainly (for her, at least), wearing a simple black pantsuit. She waited patiently for the door to open, a calm smile on her face.

[Kavanis]

Campaign itinerary
May 28 – June 1

May 28: Des Moines, IA
Cedar Springs, IA

Ben stayed in Des Moines for three days, using it as a base from which he traveled out through the counties of Iowa. Small rallies and meet-and-greets. In Des Moines, he held a town hall where he answered questions that included his support for small business tax and regulatory relief, his plan for a national right to concealed carry reciprocity law, his support for continuing and strengthening the border fence to stop drug traffickers and illegal immigrants, further immigration plans on employment verification and fighting Social Security Number fraud, and on restoring state control of education. In Cedar Rapids he gave a speech about the surge in Iraq, finding Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan, opposing Iran and fighting radical Islamic terrorism, staying strong against a rising China, and supporting veterans with transition assistance and health care.

May 29: Des Moines, IA
Urbandale, IA
Ames, IA

A number of further small stops in central Iowa, meeting at local diners and coffee shops, plus a couple of sit-down meetings with county and state party officials. He sought a meeting with the minority whip in the Iowa legislature. He was asked about immigration and said he did not favor general amnesty and said illegal immigrants should pay back taxes before being allowed to apply for citizenship. He was asked about legalizing marijuana and said it was a dangerous gateway to full legalization; instead a mixture of enforcement and treatment should be pursued, beginning with securing the borders against traffickers. He gave a short speech in support of vocational education and job retraining programs. He spoke to a veterans group in Urbandale and said that he wanted to reform the VA and make improving veterans health care a priority. And in Ames he gave a speech in support of increasing military spending, pursuing the Global War on Terror with a troop surge in Afghanistan to match the one in Iraq, and rejecting a global arms treaty.

May 30: Des Moines, IA
Sioux City, IA

Finally, he swung out west after morning meetings in Des Moines. Topics for the day included gun rights, farming, immigration, Iraq, tax cuts, and education. He advocated repealing the estate tax permanently and said the next Farm Bill had to cut down on waste while ensuring America's food independence. He said that ensuring a steady supply of agricultural workers was important but promised more money into enforcement to prevent visa overstays. He said that the surge was working and argued bitterly with an anti-war activist to a point where his staff had to all but drag him away. He said he opposed any use of race in college admissions.

May 31: Travel from Des Moines, IA to Columbia, SC

Over the last two weeks, the coach had been brought back from the west to meet Ben in preparation for another campaign swing, this time through the South. Meanwhile he left Des Moines and returned to South Carolina.

June 1: Columbia, SC

He kicked off his campaign tour in Columbia, with a speech on science and technology: investment in high speed infrastructure and expanding rural broadband access, enhancing the research and development tax credit, all-of-the-above energy solutions, STEM-trained immigrants given priority, vocational education and trade adjustment assistance in computing and technology and clean energy, and next-gen military hardware acquisition.

[The Sarangtus Lands]

Seeing his slow climb in the race, Northwoods decided to send a message over to Governor Eriksen asking him to meet him at his private island in the Caribbean if he so choosed to accept.

[Kavanis]

Campaign itinerary
June 1 – 4

Campaign bus tour from Columbia, SC to Jonesboro, AR

Approximate route map

June 1: Columbia, SC
Greenville, SC
Atlanta, GA

After his morning speech in Columbia, he met voters at a local diner and talked about his plans for government reform including a “Plain English” requirement for new agency regulations and a one-in-one-out cap on additions to the Federal Register. They drove up to Greenville, where he stopped and spoke in support of gun rights, presenting himself as a “no-compromise” Second Amendment advocate and pointing out his work as Governor, when he passed Oklahoma’s concealed carry law. He advocated national concealed carry reciprocity again. Then they drove for several hours in Georgia. It was a first tilt at a non-pre-ST state, with Carla arguing that building national momentum was now important given Ben had got his name out there, and repeat trips to Iowa and New Hampshire were going to have diminishing returns in mid-2007. In Atlanta, he spoke at an American Legion event in the evening in support of reforming the VA, particularly with respect to health care and housing, and also mentioned his support for increased military spending.

June 2: Atlanta, GA
Birmingham, AL
Hoover, AL
Tuscaloosa, AL

Ben had a breakfast with local business leaders in Atlanta, before they drove on into Alabama. In Birmingham, he did a town hall. He was asked about military spending and said he advocated increased defense spending overall, but said that bloat and pork in the budget should be eliminated. He cited the first debate when he had called out unnecessary pork projects in Alaska and Hawaii. Asked how long he would keep troops in Iraq, he said that the surge was actually making it so troops would be able to come home sooner: a short sharp shock rather than a long drawn out engagement. He then waffled about pride in America’s valorous heroes until, he hoped, everyone forgot he hadn’t answered the question. He was asked about the Cato/Heller case currently working its way through the courts and he said he’d wait for a decision but hoped the Supreme Court upheld the right to keep and bear arms, and that he would appoint judges to the federal bench who respected the Constitution, “all of the Constitution”. An angry young woman asked about the minimum wage and he said he did support increasing the minimum wage so long as small businesses weren’t hurt, that he would create new regulatory relief for small business owners and invest in women’s business centers. They then drove on to Hoover, and then Tuscaloosa, stopping for an hour or so of mainstreeting and door-to-door canvassing.

June 3: Birmingham, AL
Tupelo, MS
Memphis, TN

Ben attended church in Birmingham on Sunday morning. They then drove to Memphis, stopping en route at Tupelo to give a modified stump concentrating on gun rights, veterans and military affairs, Iraq, immigration, tax cuts and the economy, and education reform.

June 4: Travel from Jonesboro, AR to Indianapolis, IN, via St. Louis, MO

From Jonesboro, AR, Ben took a flight to St. Louis, MO, and then changed for a flight to Indianapolis, IN. In St. Louis he met with local Republicans briefly but didn’t do any public events, and spent the day on debate prep ready for the evening debate.

---

Carla returned Northwoods’ message, saying that while Governor Eriksen would be happy to meet with the Mayor, he couldn’t take time off campaigning to fly to a tropical island, so it would have to be a meeting on the campaign route.

“The one bullet in our gun,” she explained, “Is that Governor Eriksen isn’t in office. The Senators, the Congressmen, all have to attend Congress. They can’t spend every day on the road campaigning, not without resigning their seats. Same for Governor Calalo. We have to make the most of the opportunity by having Governor Eriksen out on the stump as much as possible.”

[Meretica]

June 1, 2007
Reagan International Airport
Arlington, Virginia

Abilene Wilson-Carter-- the former Speaker of the House and now-resigned Congresswoman from Michigan-- was not happy to see the press following her as she made her way through airport security. The last-ditch attempt to get a final comment or two out of her would fail, whether her staffers thought that was wise or not. She didn't want to answer questions, she wanted to get home to see her granddaughter for the first time since January 3-- and to see Mother for the first time since Christmas. It had been sheer, dumb luck that had provided for an easier way to leave office; if not for Mother's ailing health, it might have been messier to leave Washington, D.C. for a few years.

Abilene hid her face behind a copy of The New York Times, trying to focus on an article written by Amos Hammond about Amadeus Putnam. She'd heard a rumor that they had a meeting recently, but she hadn't been sure what would come of it-- based on what her staff was able to dig up, Hammond would naturally be aligned with Putnam.

Amadeus Putnam is many things, and chief among them is that he is a political philosopher. I had the time to sit down with the self-proclaimed libertarian Republican. recently; we discussed the campaign trail, political philosophy, and a touch of history.

We started the interview with the campaign trail. Putnam is frequently one of the top two Republicans that are ridiculed by the broader GOP establishment, with the other being a certain Senator from Virginia; however, according to Goldwater Polling on May 1, Putnam is dead last while CHS is in the top three. I asked for his thoughts on this, and he said that he wasn’t far behind. While this is technically true (Congressman Harold Gunsley and Governor Benjamin Eriksen are at 10% and 9% respectively compared to his own 7%), Putnam is 8 points behind the lowest-ranking member of the top three Republicans– fairly disappointing given there is a surprisingly competitive primary this year.

Putnam echoed Henry Clay, a Whig Senator from Kentucky in the 1800s, and said, “I’d rather be right than be president.” He promptly pointed out three Democrats he considered to be failures: Jimmy Carter, Franklin Pierce, and Woodrow Wilson. As Wilson led America through World War One, I inquired as to whether or not he was throwing the baby out with the bathwater. “To deny they did some things that may have been positive does not mean we cannot see them as having been ineffective or outright harmful,” was his only reply before he pointed out a few things that Democrats have been the cause of, seemingly ignorant of the fact that Republicans are just as guilty of many of the same things.

Our conversation then carried into the idea of what makes a president the “best person to lead the nation.” Here, Putnam was rather unsure of himself, saying, “To think I know what's best for anyone besides myself is the pretense of knowledge.” Putnam is seemingly ignorant of the fact that a president must make decisions for other people, lest things spiral out of control; his inability to outright state that he understands that there are times when a president must put aside his ideological leanings for the benefit of all– regardless of partisan beliefs– is inherently dangerous in a president. Putnam has also advocated ending the Departments of Education, Housing & Urban Development, and Commerce while weakening the power of the Federal Reserve.

Congressman Putnam is the perfect example of an ideologue that has forgotten the uses of pragmatism. Much like Barry Goldwater (whom I look to the most on political matters as a guiding force), he fails to see that sometimes the answer to a problem is not getting the government out of the way but getting the government involved. However, Putnam cannot embrace the legacy of Senator Goldwater– not when he makes a better philosopher than he does a politician. Amadeus Putnam should not be the person that people looking to protect the individual liberties of their fellow man; they are better off finding that with (Mike Gravel), (Bob Barr), or (Steve Kubby).

Hammond's critique of Putnam somewhat surprised her, but she supposed that the man was probably getting a larger paycheck for bashing Putnam than singing his praises. After reading the article, she turned the page to actually examine the polls for herself for the first time. She'd asked her staff to let her read the numbers in the news herself rather than have them delivered to her. Over the din of a few more questions being lobbed at her by reporters as the line slowly began to move, the national polling for the Democrats caught her eye. She glanced between the results and then to one of her aides. Raising her voice slightly so that she might be heard by one or two of the reporters but quietly enough that she wasn't yelling, Abilene said, "Fleming's dropped two points, that's to be expected. The day he becomes the nominee is the day the party loses itself to (Gravel)-esque governance." The aide shrugged and Abilene went back to reading a different article. Maybe the reporters heard her, maybe they didn't-- but if they had, that would only mean good things for Senators Martel and Laakso.

Forty-five minutes later, Abilene was happily seated on the plane, free from reporters and able to rest for the first time in months.

[Meretica]

Hepburn-Smith Campaign Schedule, June 1st to June 15th

June 2: El Campo, Texas (CHS) and Washington, D. C. (GHS)
Cassie returned to Texas for a two-hour rally in the morning followed by a four-hour town hall that afternoon. Her goal was to emphasize her goals regarding the border, specifically mentioning her strong support for Governor Pender’s efforts to maintain the border fence and protect Americans. CHS also brought up her anti-crime initiatives and threw in references to the MEAD Act and her healthcare plan. Additionally, Cassie’s website began offering free signs to each household; additional signs could be ordered in groups of five for a few dollars plus shipping fees. An additional logo was added to her website as well.

Meanwhile, Glenn Hepburn-Smith (husband to the Virginian Senator) returned to his home turf. A retired corporate lawyer, Glenn hosted a dinner party and fundraiser at the Firefly with around 100 people in attendance. After the meal, many left after giving donations to CHS’s campaign, but some particularly close friends (mostly former clients from Glenn’s days as a lawyer) stayed for drinks and a few rounds of charades and cards.

Excerpt:

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming here tonight. I’m sorry that Cassie couldn’t be here today, but the campaign trail has called for her! She’s been working hard on behalf of the people of America, from the poorest to the richest citizen. Many of you know her almost as well as you know me, or vice versa, and we’re proud to see what you, your businesses, and your families have become. I think that it’s very appropriate to say that each of you holds some responsibility for putting us where we are today. I’ve been fortunate enough to retire a couple of years early, and she’s out there changing lives. Thank you– all of you, I won’t keep you from your food for much longer, so an old friend of mine is going to bless our food, and then we can all dig in…”

June 3: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Cassie attended a church service in Albuquerque and returned that evening for the later service. She got to know several members of the congregation, having lunch with some of the church-goers.

June 4: Albuquerque, New Mexico (CHS) and Boston, Massachusetts (GHS)
Cassie held an eight-hour-long town hall in Albuquerque, keeping the focus on crime, healthcare, cutting spending, and job creation. She gave a very detailed response on healthcare specifically, and Cassie reaffirmed her support for the EPA by simply saying “Yes” when asked if she stood by her previous statements on climate change. Meanwhile, Glenn attended a meeting of the Suffolk County GOP, making a few contacts with local Republicans that Cassie could speak to at a later date. He also donated $2,000 on behalf of himself and Cassie to the Suffolk County GOP.

Excerpt:

“Healthcare is one of the top concerns for Americans today. Too many Americans cannot cover their healthcare costs. Too many Americans drive further than they should have to so that they can have access to ERs, hospitals, and the like. Too many Americans are denied healthcare coverage because they have preexisting conditions. I support malpractice reform, making it illegal to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions, building new hospitals in rural areas, and making it illegal to impose individual mandates on Americans. We need to create a system that works for all Americans, and we need to do it now.”

June 5: Tombstone, Arizona, and the Southern Border
CHS and GHS teamed up in Tombstone, the former meeting with local leaders about protecting the Second Amendment while fighting crime while the latter got to know local business owners and address concerns about his wife’s MEAD Act. Later in the day, both toured part of the Southern Border, with CHS remarking that it was necessary to secure additional funding to combat illegal immigration.

June 6: Lake Mead, Nevada (CHS) and Salt Lake City, Utah (GHS)
Cassie hopped over to Nevada to visit Lake Mead. While there, she hosted a press conference about climate change and proposed investments in renewable energy and job retraining for coal workers to fight climate change. She also advocated for building desalination plants along the West Coast and building pipelines that would give the people of the Southwest access to more freshwater. Meanwhile, Glenn went to dinner with an old Mormon client in Utah where several Utahn investors were present, several of whom had connections with infrastructure workers. Glenn talked about the MEAD Act some more and emphasized that Cassie wants to work closely with private companies nationally to focus on infrastructure projects while helping businesses grow.

June 7: San Bernardino, California (CHS) and Des Moines, Iowa (GHS)
Cassie largely focused on crime, repeating her anti-gang rhetoric and promising to get illegal guns off the streets. She also emphasized that the creation of good-paying jobs would help fight crime, noting that history has shown that whenever the minimum wage has increased, crime has gone down. Having previously promised to raise the minimum wage to $6.55 an hour. Meanwhile, Glenn spent the day in Des Moines, overseeing the formation of a team of precinct captains. The Hepburn-Smith campaign set up a special fund to go towards hiring professionals most familiar with the individual caucus contests and the often archaic rules of individual caucuses, and it will also be used to set up training facilities in Iowa to train more precinct captains.

Excerpt:

“Raising the minimum wage means raising the living wage– and that means good things for San Bernadino. It means fewer young people are going to get involved in criminal activities. It means that more workers will be able to buy the goods produced by businesses, spurring economic growth and stability. It means that you, the American people, get to be a part of America’s next session of the Great Prosperity. Some of my opponents will claim that increasing the minimum wage will take from the growth of the economy, but they’re wrong– it’s going to add more jobs, and more opportunities, and help Americans flourish. A Hepburn-Smith administration will have a minimum wage increase within the first 100 days.”

June 8: San Jose, California (CHS) and Des Moines, Iowa (GHS)
Cassie went to San Jose next and opted to embrace a message of hope rather than simply a message of national unity and bipartisanship. She renewed her vow of competence in government and said the following:

Excerpt:

“The problems we face did not come from the heavens. They are mistakes made by humans. The great thing about mistakes is that we can learn from them and make changes. We’re going to change this nation. We’re going to make sure that America is back on top in education, healthcare, and more. We’re going to create millions of good-paying jobs, and we’re going to fix our roads, bridges, and public buildings. We’re going to invest in Americans and revive the Great Prosperity.”

Meanwhile, Glenn continued overseeing recruitment efforts and met with local religious and business leaders, hoping to build more financial support within Iowa.

June 9: Washington, D.C. (CHS) and Cedar Rapids, Iowa (GHS)
Cassie met with Senator Pierce to earn his endorsement (or at least his private support). Glenn attended a meeting with a large number of pastors from Linn County. He focused on how he and his wife based their political beliefs on Biblical doctrine and described how their lives had been changed by their membership in the Methodist Church.

June 10: Carson City, Nevada
While in Carson City, CHS attended a church service before holding three two-hour town halls while GHS met with local business leaders to fundraise while talking about potential endorsements. The issue of gay marriage came up with a woman that had a doctorate. The woman said she had a local radio show that talked about God, religion, and politics; she asked how CHS felt about “the abominable people that walk around and call themselves gay and how she would handle them like the sinners they are.” A conversation ensued with the radio host questioning whether or not homosexuals should have rights of any kind, leading Cassie to scold the woman for suggesting that there were some people that did not have basic human rights. After this, CHS gave a proper answer after someone much more congenial asked the question (along the lines of "Where do you stand on gay marriage?"). CHS said that she supported civil unions, believing them to be the best of both worlds as marriage is explicitly defined as being between a man and a woman. Someone else asked why she was so harsh with the radio host, and CHS gave this response:

Excerpt:

“The Bible tells us to love one another, regardless of our wrong-doings. Love one another. Be kind to one another. Treat our enemies as we would our families. If you ask a question full of hatred, full of malice, full of anti-human sentiment, I will have no problem tearing that question to shreds in moments.”

June 11: Medford, Oregon
Cassie hopped up to Oregon next. Arriving in Medford, she talked about how despite crime falling nationally, crime in Oregon had spiked. She emphasized protecting the gun rights of law-abiding citizens, keeping illegal items off the streets through harsher punishments, and then held a three-hour town hall before meeting with local small business owners.

June 12: Eugene, Oregon
Cassie spoke about infrastructure and the MEAD Act for an hour before hosting a three-hour town hall. One person questioned whether or not national problems truly had national solutions this person then belittled the idea of good governance and suggested cutting taxes was the only answer, lest the government have an unfunded mandate. Cassie responded firmly but calmly, handling the question much better than she had the gay marriage question a few days prior. Meanwhile, Glenn met with local business leaders to raise additional funds to be used in the state later on.

Excerpt:

“There are times when there are fifty states and there are times when we’re one country with national needs. The way I know this is that Oregon didn’t fight Germany in World War Two or establish civil rights. You think states should do the governing wall-to-wall, and that’s a legitimate opinion. But a state like Florida got $146 billion– roughly $8000 per capita– in federal money last year from Nebraska, New York, Kentucky, here… Oregon pulled in money from other states, too… The money sent to each state goes to schools, hospitals, libraries, infrastructure, and so much more. While I certainly agree that there are cuts that need to be made, there’s no real reason to go to the extreme of cutting everything. That would be disastrous for me, for you, and every person in this country.”

June 13: Salem, Oregon (CHS) and Des Moines, Iowa (GHS)
Cassie moved on to Salem, hosting a six-hour town hall. Most of the questions she received were about business deregulation, the MEAD Act, and her upcoming tax simplification plans. Glenn fundraised among evangelicals, promising that his wife’s campaign wouldn’t be as outrageous as some in the media had suggested.

Excerpt:

“Some regulations are unnecessary, outdated, or too costly. If elected, I would order every federal agency to eliminate rules that don’t make sense. There’s one rule in place from four decades ago that forces dairy farmers to spend $10,000 a year proving that they could contain a spill… because milk was somehow classified as an oil. An oil. With a rule like that, I guess it was worth crying over spilled milk. I am confident that a farmer can oversee a milk spill without the government staring over his shoulder– but I will not back down from making sure that an oil company can contain a real oil spill. I will not back down from protecting our kids from mercury poisoning or making sure our food is safe, and our water is clean. We are not going to go back to the days when a traveling salesman would give you snake oil with God knows what mixed in. We’ve got to use good government to bring together the best in business and the best in the working class. We need to develop a mutually beneficial relationship between public interests and private enterprise.”

June 14: Portland, Oregon (CHS) and Davenport, Iowa (GHS)
Cassie focused on crime, fielding questions about how to combat violent crime and how crime decreases as more jobs become available to the public. Glenn met with field operatives to discuss how to spend funds more efficiently without cutting corners and taking unnecessary risks.

June 15: Tacoma, Washington (CHS) and Waterloo, Iowa (GHS)
Cassie continued her anti-crime, pro-jobs platform, believing that was the best way to win the Pacific Northwest; she also threw in some references to bringing down the cost of living. Glenn met with more operatives and led phone-banking measures for the entire day.

[Madrinpoor]

J.J. St. Cierge
Campaign events June 1-15, 2007

6-5-07
Bronx, New York
3 hour rally, two 1-hour interviews, 6 hours retailing in poor neighborhoods

After the day before was spent in Brooklyn, JJ spent the 5th in NYC's poorest borough — the Bronx. There, he held a large rally in a local park, decked out with black-and-white bunting (his campaign colors) and handing out free signs, frisbees, and little pens. NYC is an expensive media market, and not one JJ was prepared to blow his campaign's cash on entirely, so he scrambled aboard a local TV interview, a newspaper ad by a pro-JJ deli, and a local radio host's show where he was forced to choose between the Mets and Yankees ("I'm an Orioles fan...") so his name could be more recognized. Not necessarily his biggest problem, though...the rest of the day was spent in a well-coordinated door-knocking effort thanks largely to the liberal students at Fordham, where he targeted poor minority voters, specifically focused in Mott Haven, Melrose, Hunt's Point, and Longwood. He met with not-Jose Serrano, one of the most progressive congressmen, who was born in Puerto Rico and represented the South Bronx. He ate lunch in the Bronx's famous Little Italy, with elderly imigrants who didn't care much about his politics but were impressed by how quickly he ate.

6-6-07
Queens, New York
12 hours "retail" visits

As a part of JJ's NYC tour, he visited Queens after the Bronx. The day would be less "campaign" and more "grin and shake hands" at two elementary schools, a Catholic school, a food bank, Jamaica Hospital, Astoria Community Center, and the NYC Taxi Workers Alliance. At all three schools, JJ led a short speech on civic involvement, and why that's so important (not many students paid attention). At the food bank, JJ didn't campaign, and didn't even allow cameras to report on the time spent there — instead he served saltines in the food bank line and tried to make some real connections with the most unfortunate members of the city. Of course, not bad PR...in Jamaica Hospital, he didn't meet any patients for safety/ethics reasons, but he held a short televised interview with some nurses about their needs, priorities, and complaints about the current healthcare system. Then came the Astoria Community Center, where JJ met with seniors to talk about Medicare/Social Security expansion and the cost of living on pensions, followed by his last stop — the NYC Taxi Workers Alliance, where JJ pitched an endorsement to the New York signature.

"Dear Cabbies,

On my way to this building, I took a cab. I asked the driver about his story — he told me his name is Ram, he is from Palestine, he moved here two years ago, he has a wife and a baby daughter, and he's in night school, studying to become a mechanic and make more money. His is a very common story in this country. But it might end up a tragic one soon, and become another time of very common story.

Because taxi drivers don't have protections other jobs have, people like Ram don't have the wages to support their families, you know all this, I don't need to be telling it to you — I need to be telling it to other people, and I am. I am advocating for healthcare for people who don't have it provided by their employer or their union, I'm advocating for expansion of tax credits to families with children, like Ram's family, I'm advocating for us to repair roads, to buy American products, and I'm advocating for you! With your support behind the most pro-union candidate in the Democratic primaries, we can actually win this thing...and change how America thinks about its lifeblood, people like you."

6-7-07
Brooklyn, New York
2 hour synagogue meeting, 1.5 hour police station/DA rally, 5 hour park cleanup, 1.5 hour interview

On the last day of JJ's NYC tour, he stopped in Brooklyn to meet with working class Jews at the Temple Beth Zion, in Borough Park, and talk about everything other than Israel. The topic did eventually turn to Israel, where, contrary to the temple name, JJ advocated for an "Equal States" solution that would provide Israelis and Palestinians with their own self-governing territories, and for an "end to the needless strife" in the region. He called for Israel to meet with Palestinian groups to negotiate a peace. He also took some time to learn about Jewish culture and heritage, which he knew embarrassingly little about, and take photos with Rabbi Joel before heading off. The next stop was a joint meeting with the King's County D.A. and NYPD precinct 84, where he praised the work of first responders and prosecutors for their efforts to protect the community. One of the officers gave a pre-written speech calling for an end to stop-and-frisk as the other officers stood around awkwardly, while JJ nodded agreement... the focus of the day was on a cleanup of Prospect Park, which took five hours, though he didn't do as much cleaning as posing for photos of him cleaning... nevertheless, not a bad PR strategy dreamed up by Lyman Connor. The end of the day saw a prime-time interview with a local TV anchor about schooling.

6-8-07
Boston, Massachusetts
4 hours museum visits/Bunker Hill speech, 2 hour Commons rally, 1.5 hour BU rally

J.J. started the day with a visit to Boston's premier U.S. history museums, where he went on a tour accompanied by the press. He wanted to stress his American history knowledge and the fact that he would be the only nonwhite president... after the museums, his entourage went to Bunker Hill, to "commemorate" America's independence and give a lengthy speech about how America is "the greatest country" because it has "the greatest promise of any country" and is relying only on "a new generation of sons and daughters from all over the world" to make America "as great as we are promised that it is". He told the reporters it was a stirring speech, whether it was or not is up to them to decide.

[Cybernetic Socialist Republics]

GOVERNOR FLEMING'S DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY CAMPAIGN SCHEDULE
May 18th-June 2nd 2007

Date: Friday, May 18th, 2007
Location: California, Alameda County, Oakland
Time Spent:3 Hours Public Meals, 2 Hour meeting with local leaders, 3 Meeting with California Nurses Association
Summary: Governor Fleming, after taking some time of the trail to fill his duties as Governor and fundraise, gets back to campaigning, this time for a short stop in California, specifically Alameda County, Oakland. Alameda County is highly dense in democratic votes and has gone firmly democratic since 1960, even though years where California was swingy and frequently won by Republicans. Oakland specifically has the largest black population of the county cities, but all are highly diverse. However Governor Fleming isn't only in Oakland for a typical campaign stop, but specifically for a meeting with the California Nurses' Association. His main focus was pitching his Healthcare for All plan of being highly inclusive of the interests of healthcare workers. The First Lady of Pennsylvania, being a nurse and a former leader in organized labor for nurses, she proved a capable assest in the discussions.

Date: Saturday, May 19th, 2007
Location: California, San Bernardino County, San Bernardino
Time Spent: 3 Hour Public Meals, 2 Hour Meeting with local leaders, 2 Hour retail, 1 Hour Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral
Summary: Governor and First Lady Fleming head into one of the largest majority Hispanic cities in the united states in San Bernardino. The city shares it's name with it's county, the third largest in the united states, containing a variety of rural communities. As such, it's not all that surprising that the only times democrats have won the county since '64 was during both [not-clinton] elections and a very high third party vote.

In addition to meeting with civic and religious leaders, Governor Fleming and First Lady Fleming would do a considerable amount of door to door retail, with Talise frequently pitching in on healthcare and women's issue questions. They finished off the day with mass at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral.


Date: Sunday, May 20th, 2007
Location: California, Santa Clara County, San Jose
Time Spent: 3 hours Public Meals, 2 Hour Local Leader meetings, 2 Hours Fundraiser
Summary: Governor and First Lady Fleming head decide to spent sunday in Santa Clara, San Jose, with the Governor beginning his opening pitch to silicon valley. Santa Clara it's self has been voting democrat since 1988 at the presidential level by a consistently increasing percentage. While he did some of the typical meeting with local leaders, his main concern for this trip was speaking to representatives of tech businesses. Governor Fleming tried an innovative pitch of his Energy for All and Healthcare for all programs as an oppertunity for the tech sector to play a leading role both in finding alternatives to fossil fuels and enhancing services for healthcare providers freed from the shackles of private health insurance.

Date: Monday, May 21st, 2007
Location: Nevada, Carson City
Time Spent: 3 Hours Public meals, 2 Hours meeting with local leaders, 2 Hours Town Hall
Summary: The Flemings arrived in Nevada, for the Governor's second trip to the state this campaign. This time, he arrived in the independent city of Carson. The city is heavily republican, having voted for the republican presidential candidate in ever election since 1944 except 1964, very slimly. Given that, Fleming's pick was cnetered on his bipartisans successes as Governor of Pennsylvania.

Date: Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007
Location: Nevada, Clark County, North Las Vegas.
Time Spent: 3 Hours Public meals, 4 Hours meeting with local leaders
Summary: Governor Fleming would arrive in Clark County on Tuesday and he would remain that for the duration of his trip and right through Memorial Day Weekend. As such, he'd front load his meetings with local leaders. In North Las Vegas, that Primiarily meant talking with manufacturing businesses and those that supplied them.

Date: Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007
Location: Nevada, Clark County, Sunrise Manor
Time Spent: 3 Hours Public meals, 4 meetings with local leaders
Summary: The Flemings continued their spiral towards Las Vegas proper. still focused primarily on meeting with local leaders. This time Governor and First Lady Fleming spoke with those involved in and set to be involved in building, staffing and supplying the new East Career and Technical Academy under construction, along with general discussions about education in the area and it's improvement.

Date:Thursday, May 24th, 2007
Location: Nevada, Clark County, Whitney
Time Spent: 3 Hours Public Meals, 4 Meeting with local leaders.
Summary: this would be the last day of front loading meetings with local leaders, as the following day would be Friday. In Whitney, the discussion primiarily focused on how to rethink transportation infrastructure in ways that help rather than harm communities, using Whitney's struggles as a result of Interstate 515 by passing it, leading to people going further out further to buy goods and services leaving the geographically closer area to be neglected.

Date: Friday, May 25th, 2007
Location: Nevada, Clark County, Enterprise
Time Spent: 3 Hours Public meals,, 3 hour Rally.
Summary: In Enterprise, Governor Fleming switched to focusing primiarily on campaigning to the voters at larger rather than just speaking to local leaders. However those discussions certainly did inform him on the types of speakers to bring to the really and what exactly he should say in his speech. He essentially recapped the frustrations he had heard from local leaders while filtering them through his record in politics and his presidential platform.

Date: Saturday, May 26th, 2007
Location: Nevada, Clark County, Spring Valley
Time Spent: 3 Hours Public Meals, 4 Retail Politics. 1 Hour mass at Guardian Angel Cathedral
Summary: Both Flemings continued their retail focused campaign, this time in Spring Valley, this time putting considerable effort into reaching out to the considerably sized local asian community and it's Chinatown, including eating food there. On account of the town's rapid growth, more than doubling between 1990 and 2000, Governor Fleming focused on his pro-housing record, particularly his policies to cut down on vacant land and increase access to affordable homes. He and his wife finished off the day attending catholic mass.

Date: Sunday, May 27th, 2007
Location: Nevada, Clark County, Summerlin South
Time Spent: 3 Hour Fundraising Dinner.
Summary: Taking somewhat of a predetermined break, Governor Fleming had a major fundraising dinner in Summerlin South, the wealthiest community in the era. There he presented himself as an electable steady pair of hands capable of incentivizing economic growth and investment, particularly in technology.

Date: Monday, May 28th, 2007
Location: Nevada, Clark County, Las Vegas
Time Spent: 3 Hours Public meals, 3 Retail, 2 Hour rally, 2 Hour town hall.
Summary: On Memorial day itself, in Las Vegas proper, Governor Fleming had a veteran focused rally and town hall, speaking about the importance of withdrawing from Iraq and integrating the leadership of American vertans into our economy as part of the solution for dealing with a variety of problems that the Governor had picked up the last few days on the trial. This would up being the longest day on the campaign trial for Governor Fleming so far, with Talise picking up a significant part of the load when it came to door to door retail.

Date: Tuesday, May 29th, 2007
Location: Arizona
Time Spent: Rest
Summary: Governor and First Lady Spend the day resting after their busy campaignin nevada at a family ranch of the first lady.

Date: Wednesday, May 30th, 2007
Location: Arizona
Time Spent: Rest
Summary: Another Day of Rest for the Flemings, this time puntiated with more governorship duties by phone on the part of the governor.

Date:Thursday, May 31st, 2007
Location: Arizona
Time Spent: Rest
Summary: Last day of their three days of rest, this time press is allowed to take a few pictures of Talise Fleming on horse-back.


Date: Friday, June 1st, 2007
Location: South Carolina, Richland County, Columbia

Time Spent: 3 Hours Public meals, 2 Hours meeting with African American Church leaders, 2 hour Rally.
Summary: Governor and First Lady Fleming's first trip back on the campaign trial involve d heading directly to the capital of South Carolina. Richland County has been voting democratic at the presidential level since 1992 and it has a considerably low third party vote. During his meeting with with the church leaders and representatives he emphasized the importance of moral leadership in the White House and in the Democratic party that recognized the critical contributions of African American faith. During his rally he reiterated the points that he made on the meeting while emphasizing other points that had been brought up.


Date: Saturday, June 2nd, 2007
Location: South Carolina, Charleston County, Charleston
Time Spent: 3 Hours public meals, 4 Hours Retail, 1 Hour Mass at Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist
Summary: Governor Fleming spends his second trip to Charleston, with his wife, primiarily focused on reta campaigning. They focused on younger people and African Americans in general in order to maximize their reach to potential democratic primary voters. Governor Fleming's message is one of electability, particularly his ability to reach out to and winning the votes if swing voters in swung states by pointing to his pragmatic record throughout his political career.

[Meretica]

Endorsement Pitches Made on June 9th to Various Senators:

"Senator, like you, I'm a maverick. I like to get things done and help people, not lobbyists or special interest groups. Unlike most Republicans, you and I believe in the threat of climate change. We know that there are small steps we can take to fight it off without hurting our economy. We're similar on abortion. I've fully supported the (McCain) Doctrine. We're very similar in our political beliefs and how we do things. We're a pair that puts country over the party on a daily basis, and we're devoted to keeping Americans safe. Like you, I want to close Guantanamo Bay and move the prisoners there elsewhere so that they can have due process and the like. So, what do you say? Will you help me make history by giving me your endorsement?

"Senator, as much as I hate to say it, I'm the only Republican seeking the presidency that is actively running on proposals to help farmers across our nation. Corn prices are at $3.19 per bushel, and I'm willing to bet I'm the only Republican in this race that can tell you that without glancing at a notecard first. I can promise you that if elected, I will do everything in my power to make sure that more of that cost is profit than it is money to pay for regulations. My potential administration would start exporting more corn and create additional subsidies for farmers that would be useful to the American agricultural industry. Our farmers deserve a chance to succeed, and I think that I'm the best person that can give them that chance. Please, Senator, give me your endorsement so that our farmers can prosper more than they ever have before."

"Senators, as much as I hate to say it, I'm the only Republican seeking the presidency that is actively running on proposals to help farmers across our nation. Corn prices are at $3.19 per bushel, and I'm willing to bet I'm the only Republican in this race that can tell you that without glancing at a notecard first. I can promise you that if elected, I will do everything in my power to make sure that more of that cost is profit than it is money to pay for regulations. My potential administration would start exporting more corn and create additional subsidies for farmers that would be useful to the American agricultural industry. Our farmers deserve a chance to succeed, and I think that I'm the best person that can give them that chance. We understand agriculture-- you both serve on the Agriculture Committee, and as Senators from Kansas, you represent one of America's key farm states. Gentlemen, I promise that if you take a chance on me and I am elected, the farmers of your state are going to prosper more than they have before. Please, let me have your endorsements, and I will do everything within my power to make sure that the farmers prosper."

"Good afternoon, Senators, Congressman. Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice-- I'm sure you're aware of why I'd like to meet with you, so I'll keep it simple. We're moderates, the three of us, and we're aligned on most issues-- abortion, logging, economics. We believe in people, not the government, and we're willing to cut useless spending so that people have more control over how their money is spent. We know how to get things done. We know that we can drill for oil without damaging the environment. We know that all Americans deserve a chance to succeed, and we're willing to make that happen. We can do great things, and I'd like to do great things with you. With your endorsements, we can get a lot done."

"Senator, as much as I hate to say it, I'm the only Republican seeking the presidency that is actively running on proposals to help farmers across our nation. Corn prices are at $3.19 per bushel, and I'm willing to bet I'm the only Republican in this race that can tell you that without glancing at a notecard first. I can promise you that if elected, I will do everything in my power to make sure that more of that cost is profit than it is money to pay for regulations. My potential administration would start exporting more corn and create additional subsidies for farmers that would be useful to the American agricultural industry. Our farmers deserve a chance to succeed, and I think that I'm the best person that can give them that chance. Please, Senator, give me your endorsement so that our farmers can prosper more than they ever have before."

[New Luciannova]

1 June 2007

"Do you think the Hammond piece is going to hurt us, Ashley?" asked Kenzie to his current press director, Ashley Moss. {Author's note, this is the same one from Nevada, although I probably changed the name a bit."
"Oh please, nobody reads the Treason Times," said Amanda snarkily, " a little love of wisdom would be good to the press. I haven't gotten anything from it and
"Putnam was never great to the press," said Kenzie, "but this is reading like a hit piece, I thought Hammond would have a better grasp of who he is."
"Hammond is a typical New York City dipshit who forgot his principles, he probably studied philosophy in a correspondence school," aid Amadeus, in a rare moment of vulgarity, "Hammond seems to forget that the polls looked good for Barrabas too. Educated people will see through this pathetic tool. Seriously, dismissing Henry Clay and defending slave catcher Franklin Pierce and the most racist President since him, Woodrow Wilson as someone who lead us through World War I, gave us a ton of deleterious programs, not to mention Jim Crow and the stupid League of Nations. How many men died in World War I, I mean Americans, 117,000 for a few inches of soil in France, dwarfing Nam, our population was a fraction of what it was then too. I can't believe this clown doesn't even know what the 'pretense of knowledge is.' Bastard needs to stop chasing the Pulitzer he's never going to get and read Hayek, the origin of that phrase."
"Stoicism, Amadeus," said Kenzie.
"I'm in control, can't believe I gave that prick an interview and he writes a hit piece," said the Congressman, "guy doesn't understand history at all. I'd say put the Times in the bathroom, but this article isn't fit to line Outlaw's cage."
"Lecturing us on ability to lead is insane," said Amanda, "what the f--- has that guy ever led?"
"Nothing," said Amadeus, "if the guy wants to defend Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Pierce, he obviously doesn't understand what makes a good President."
"Okay, we're going to have a press conference and issue our own rebuttal article today," said Ashley.
Having regained his usual unflappable composure, Putnam asked one more think, "Amanda, has Sarah Hayward gotten anything on this?"
"Sarah called me in for a quick morning brief," said Amanda, "nothing. Let's at least count our blessings he dropped this steaming pile of manure on a Friday. It's the least likely day to make news."
"Sarah should find someone in a rolodex of reporters your office trusts," said Ashley, "we don't want to explode this, so writing a letter to the Editor of the Times won't work, but we'll circle back on Monday if needed."
Ashley say down, prepared to write a rebuttal. She was only twenty-seven, but more or less understood Amadeus well enough to make statements on his behalf. She had worked in Press Relations for CUFI when she had joined Putnam's team a while ago. Her low profile is exactly what Putnam wanted though, it made her a better learner and humble."

[Sarenium]

"What do you think of the primary so far?" she asked Kenny.

"I think you and Calalo are both good candidates...The debt ceiling thing worries me though. Very stupid, honestly."

"The debt ceilin' thin?" Deborah asked, knowing she had never raised the phrase debt ceiling up herself.

[The Sarangtus Lands]

"I think you and Calalo are both good candidates...The debt ceiling thing worries me though. Very stupid, honestly."

"The debt ceilin' thin?" Deborah asked, knowing she had never raised the phrase debt ceiling up herself.

"Oh, I mean for Calalo. Very stupid answer. I'm a businessman, and I know that sometimes you need to spend money to make money...though, of course, on the right people, not on the ones who'll just waste it on drugs and, I don't know, prostitution?" he said, without a blink to his hypocrisy, "In either case, I think her answer is verging on the sort of, how shall we put this, idealism that is exemplified by people like Ferret man, who put ideals above reality. We need a pragmatic leader, one who'll make sure that the right people are in the right place and the wrong people are in the wrong place. I don't want to see someone who follows these ideals, economically speaking, as though they were the Bible, I want an intelligent, pragmatic manager of the economy. As you know, I'm an economic arch-conservative: the guy behind Reaganomics, cut taxes in New York City, blah blah blah...So what can you do for me in that regard?"

[The Sarangtus Lands]

Carla returned Northwoods’ message, saying that while Governor Eriksen would be happy to meet with the Mayor, he couldn’t take time off campaigning to fly to a tropical island, so it would have to be a meeting on the campaign route.

“The one bullet in our gun,” she explained, “Is that Governor Eriksen isn’t in office. The Senators, the Congressmen, all have to attend Congress. They can’t spend every day on the road campaigning, not without resigning their seats. Same for Governor Calalo. We have to make the most of the opportunity by having Governor Eriksen out on the stump as much as possible.”

Northwoods sent a message back, asking him to meet him in his antebellum-style Alabama mansion.

[Prince Kropotkin]

After that, Ben placed a call to SmL Tom Krueger.

Tom took the call…