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

[The Orion Islands]

"What's your opinion on the rest of the field so far? Or the rumored candidates?"

"Most of them are alright. Feyrer's a decent woman, though she seems a bit nutty, and so is Calalo, though she seems a bit too liberal. I find myself most in agreement with Gunsley, though his head needs a bit of reorganisation. I vehemently disagree with CHS, though. Can you imagine - a pro-abortion, pro-gun control Republican? Madness. Utter madness."

"And Mr. Ferret, Putnam? He's got a big advantage in New Hampshire."

[Kargintinia]

N. Tripp Baylor

Baylor made his way to Virginia on his private jet. Landing in Richmond and then making his way to the site of the massacre. He spoke with the grieving families and made sure to listen to what they had to say. He promised to pay $250,000 to help the families with anything they needed.

After speaking with the families he spoke to a reporter and gave a brief spiel about the great tragedy and how it could’ve prevented with stricter gun control and background checks. He didn’t mention any politicians by name to alluded to it being a Republican failure.

[The Orion Islands]

"Thank you for the compliment. What can I do for you?"

"The Wyoming Caucuses are fairly early in the primary calendar," Olivia said, "and I'm trying to pull ahead as early as possible. I know it's a bit early for endorsements, but I'd like to get your opinion on the race and the field. Your endorsement could potentially sway a lot of voters."

---

MASS SHOOTING AT VIRGINIA TECH LEAVES 33 DEAD

As soon as news of the shooting hit the air in Des Moines, Olivia raced to Virginia, cancelling her campaign events in Minnesota and Iowa. While waiting at the airport, Olivia called the Virginia state campaign HQ to confirm that none of the college-age interns or volunteers for the campaign had been victims. Fortunately, none had. She also instructed the state campaign director to arrange a volunteer operation with the campaign staff and volunteers, to deliver meals to families of survivors and victims.

Once the plane touched down, Olivia was raced to the hospital, where she visited the families of the victims and survivors. She explained that her campaign staff would be coming around soon to see them, and that the staff would deliver meals to their homes if the family needed it--all on the campaigns dime. She gave only a short, somewhat perfunctory, speech to reporters, focusing instead on visiting with the mothers and fathers and families of those killed. All the while, the Governor held back her own tears.

"Well, Governor, I'm seeing a lot of ferret buttons around here, but he's a bit too socially liberal for my tastes. And then there is Gunsley. I don't like it when someone spends ten hours going on about being a man of the people one day, then buying a million dollars of stocks the next. I haven't heard much about anyone else. What about you? Why should I endorse you for President?"

[The Sarangtus Lands]

"Most of them are alright. Feyrer's a decent woman, though she seems a bit nutty, and so is Calalo, though she seems a bit too liberal. I find myself most in agreement with Gunsley, though his head needs a bit of reorganisation. I vehemently disagree with CHS, though. Can you imagine - a pro-abortion, pro-gun control Republican? Madness. Utter madness."

"And Mr. Ferret, Putnam? He's got a big advantage in New Hampshire."

"He's alright, I suppose. Maybe a bit socially liberal, well, significantly so, but otherwise he's a good, solid member of the coalition. I wish he was more of a team player though. The ferret stuff is actually quite amusing, however."

[New Luciannova]

Amadeus Putnam saw the endorsement of the Free State Project as nothing more than a formality. It was their encouragement that helped him get re-elected. He was already booked to speak at PorcFest that year and spoke at the Liberty Forum. He called their chairman and said, "Dr. Sorens been friends for years, we've worked together, built together, dined together, and helped move New Hampshire in the right direction. I'm already slated to speak at ProcFest as the keynote speaker. I was hoping I could get some grassroots help and be supported by y'all again. Libertarians are pretty broad, and I call myself a "constitutional conservative" for the press, but we are allies and I have a solid chance to take your message more nationally than anyone since Ayn Rand did, and without any of her ego and baggage. You know the bow tie is partially in homage to Murray Rothbard. You guys ranked me with an 'A' or 'A-' every year. I think it's time we lock arms once again."

[The Orion Islands]

"And Mr. Ferret, Putnam? He's got a big advantage in New Hampshire."

"He's alright, I suppose. Maybe a bit socially liberal, well, significantly so, but otherwise he's a good, solid member of the coalition. I wish he was more of a team player though. The ferret stuff is actually quite amusing, however."

"So what do you want to do in office?"

[The Sarangtus Lands]

"He's alright, I suppose. Maybe a bit socially liberal, well, significantly so, but otherwise he's a good, solid member of the coalition. I wish he was more of a team player though. The ferret stuff is actually quite amusing, however."

"So what do you want to do in office?"

"I want to win the war in Iraq, get more tax cuts to our middle class and keep fighting for morality in this country."

[Madrinpoor]

MASS SHOOTING AT VIRGINIA TECH LEAVES 33 DEAD

J.J.'s plane (not Baylor Airlines) touched down in Virginia so he could make a tearful speech about gun control. It would throw the rest of his weekly campaign schedule out of whack but that wasn't as important.

---

Blacksburg High School,
Blacksburg, Virginia
April 16, 2007

In a gym at a school near Virginia Tech, J.J. addressed a crowd of high school students, parents, and Virginia Tech survivors. The speech was hastily pulled together, and few news cameras were there.

"Ladies and gentlemen. What the fuck?"

The microphone rang out in the gym.

"This is America! This is a first world county! This is a safe place, this is a place with a huge military and police budget, this is a school — how did this happen?"

"How can this happen in America?"

We are promised life, liberty, and a pursuit of happiness. Now, there isn't even a credible promise of life, of the literal most basic thing in the world, the most fundamental human right, the right to be alive and safe. Every dictator, every tyrant, every warmonger, every mass shooter, they are breaching the most basic promise given to us by God. I'd like to take a moment of silence for these victims."

Everybody bowed their heads.

"There will be a vigil afterwards. Everybody please join me. We will light candles and place them in front of the school."

"The murderer had serious mental illnesses. In 2005, a court ordered him to undergo mental evaluation. Yet, he still was able to purchase a gun, legally, pass the background checks, buy magazines, plan the shooting, and nobody stopped him, nobody that could have. The law didn't stop him. Gun dealers didn't stop him. Why the hell were the laws like this? Why was this man able to stockpile the weapons he needed? What happened, America?"

"This is not the first shooting in America, not the first school shooting, not the first mass shooting, it won't be the last, unless there is a serious, serious change in how America does things. Who can buy a gun, how they can buy a gun, these aren't issues that can wait, that can be dragged out, or where lobbyists like the NRA can get involved and whine about personal liberty, if the government can spy on citizens, the American people can be safe from guns!"

"The promise to Americans was said to be that of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — but we seem to have only been promised the notion that those things exist. Our lives aren't protected. They sure as hell need to be."

[New Luciannova]

The Concord Monitor is a New Hampshire paper from the city of Concord it generally reports on issues both in the city of Concord and in several local counties including Merrimack, where Putnam resides. The Concord Monitor, despite being a smaller and more localized paper has won the Pulitzer Prize for quality reporting. While the Manchester-Union Leader will likely not endorse until the fall, the Concord Monitor will likely be more interested in being the first and showing some hometown pride.
Hi, Amadeus Putnam here, resident of Merrimack Country (OOC aside, just outside of Concord), and would really like to get my local award-winning paper's backing. I've been reading the Monitor daily since I moved out here for my local news and have always showed up for an interview, a chat, or to write a letter to the editor. Of all the papers, I would love the paper that is effectively my hometown paper to be the first to issue an endorsement. I would love to visit your office the next time I'm in Concord, which should be soon, but would also deeply appreciate your endorsement.

[Lavan Tiri]

"Well, Governor, I'm seeing a lot of ferret buttons around here, but he's a bit too socially liberal for my tastes. And then there is Gunsley. I don't like it when someone spends ten hours going on about being a man of the people one day, then buying a million dollars of stocks the next. I haven't heard much about anyone else. What about you? Why should I endorse you for President?"

"Ferret...oh, Putnam? He seems like a good man. A bit kooky for my tastes, a bit too libertarian. Talking about legalization of pot and gay marriage and all that. Gunsley is a non-factor, honestly."

Olivia smiled at the Senator, hands clasped in front of her. She hoped Colbert didn't see her twisting her wedding ring nervously as she spoke.

"Senator, look at my record. A record surplus, plummeting unemployment, law and order...all things I've accomplished as a Republican in a blue state. The Democrats are likely to hold Congress, even if we take the White House--why should we nominate a partisan hack who will only serve to stroke their own ego? We need someone experienced in dealing with, frankly, a very hostile legislature, someone who can work across the aisle to get crap done. On the other hand, we need a Republican. A conservative. Do you see where I'm going?"

[Meretica]

STATEMENT FROM THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, 04/16/07

The events that have taken place in Virginia today are a travesty that should not have happened. I have spoken with the Governor, the Congressional Delegation, and the lt. Governor of Virginia. I have also reached out to each family that was affected to offer my condolences. This heinous shooting cannot be forgiven and as Senator Hepburn-Smith said, we must be proactive. As more information is released in the coming days, I hope that it is the case that we can stop this from happening ever again.

STATEMENT FROM CONGRESSMAN JOHN AMOS MATTOX III, 04/17/07

I, alongside all Americans, mourn the loss of life in Virginia that we saw yesterday. It is disgraceful that the laws of Virginia and the United States allowed someone with known struggles with mental illness was able to purchase a firearm and use it for such destructive ends. I call on all Americans to come together and pass legislation to stop such a tragedy from taking place again.

---

"John?"

Mattox looked up from his desk and smiled as he saw the Speaker standing in his doorway. "Abilene. What can I do for you?" He motioned to a small waterpot in the corner surrounded by several small bags. "Tea? It's raspberry, the lot of it. And please, sit."

Abilene shook her head. "Not today," she said, taking a seat across from him. "It's a little late for you to be here."

"I could say the same about you," he pointed out. "It's after 4. You need to sleep."

The Speaker shook her head. "It's the 18th, John. The caucus needs a statement. I want you to write it."

Mattox took a deep breath. "I don't want to be involved."

"Nor do I want you to be if it comes to that. I just need a statement drafted and published. Anonymously. If I need you to get involved the way that you're thinking, I'll tell you."

Mattox sighed. "Alright. I'll have it to your office within an hour."

Abilene nodded. "Thank you."

---

STATEMENT FROM THE HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS, 04/18/07

We condemn the violence that has taken place in Virginia and call upon Americans to take this time to come together. The time to act should have been decades ago, but it is too late: lives have been lost that can never be reclaimed. We must honor their memory and act, passing legislation to keep our children safe, with or without Republican support. Republicans are trying to make this political. Instead of deflecting, Democrats are ready to act and stop this from happening ever again.

[Jovuistan]

April 16th, 2007
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Carole Martel

Carole was supposed to be spending the day campaigning in the coastal New Hampshire city of Portsmouth. As she was preparing to take on one of her first full-fledged press conferences of the campaign, news broke of the shooting at Virginia Tech. A rush by campaign staff ensued in light of the tragedy, causing the conference to be delayed by several minutes. After some time, the Senator eventually took the stage to be greeted by camera flashes and already anxious reporters.

"A moment of silence first for the victims of the tragedy this morning...

This is a horrific situation. We don't have all the details at this moment, but it seems that at least dozens were killed today. Students, teachers, and faculty lost their lives today, parents lost their children, children lost their parents, this is a tragedy that strikes not just Blacksburg, but all of America. Eight years after the senseless massacre at Columbine, history is repeating itself, and it can't be more horrible.

All events planned over the next few days are canceled. We will be going to Blacksburg immediately to assess the situation and meet with the victims and parents who are weeping today. We will hold a press conference on the situation tomorrow morning, we won't be taking questions today. All of our country's leaders need to be united on this, we have a responsibility to get on the ground where it happened and be there for our countrymen, for our fellow mothers and fathers who are grieving, for our sons and daughters who lost their friends and to pay respects to those who were murdered in this disgusting attack on innocent lives.

That's all we can say for the moment. Again, we aren't taking questions right now. Let's join together in prayer right now, for the lives lost and for the family and friends who had those they care about taken from them."

After praying for the victims and their families, Carole said a quick thank you to the reporters and took her leave, ignoring the few who didn't get the memo about not taking questions.

April 16th-17th, 2007
Blacksburg, Virginia
Carole Martel

Carole and her team arrived after a short-notice flight in the afternoon. She immediately rushed to the campus to meet faculty and law enforcement to get a clearer picture of what happened. She offered her condolences to those who lost loved ones when she visited the local hospital afterwards. She offered prayers to them and helped her campaign staff and other volunteers to deliver meals and support to the families. After a long day, Carole sat down on her hotel bed, and wept.

The next day, she received updates from law enforcement and public officials in the morning. As promised, she held a press conference on the situation later in the morning, a solemn atmosphere overwhelming the room as she gave her opening remarks.

"Before anything, a moment of silence for those who were murdered so horribly yesterday...

"Blacksburg is bleeding right now, America is bleeding right now. 33 lives were stolen by a monstrous gunman for reasons that at the moment remain unclear. Mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends are all grieving right now. This is an awful tragedy that has left a permanent scar on this community. This is a moment where we can't let our disagreements define us. We need to come together, as Americans, as parents, as leaders, to be there for our fellow Americans. We need to support and pray for the survivors and the families of those who fell victim to this disgraceful killing. And we need to do everything in our power to ensure that after this, after Columbine, after everything, this never happens again.

We don't have all the information right now, we're waiting on law enforcement to do their jobs and figure out how this happened and what led up to it, including the motivation of the gunman. But we do know that this, as tragic as it was, could have been prevented. This is America, the greatest country on earth. College Campuses are places for young people to learn, to inspire for and achieve their dreams and build themselves a future, not places for them to hide in fear that they'll be shot dead where they should feel safe. We need to do better than this, we have to do better than this, otherwise, this will keep happening, and more people will be killed at the barrel of a firearm that the shooter should never have gotten in the first place.

I will now be taking questions."

[Meretica]

April 16th-17th, 2007
Blacksburg, Virginia
Carole Martel

"I will now be taking questions."

"Amos Hammond, New York Times. Have you spoken with anyone in Virginia's Congressional delegation, the governor, or other state leaders regarding the shooting? What steps will you be taking to fight shootings in the future, and how will you work to help the families of the victims move forward. Also, has the event changed your gun policies in any way?"

[Jovuistan]

April 16th-17th, 2007
Blacksburg, Virginia
Carole Martel

"I will now be taking questions."

"Amos Hammond, New York Times. Have you spoken with anyone in Virginia's Congressional delegation, the governor, or other state leaders regarding the shooting? What steps will you be taking to fight shootings in the future, and how will you work to help the families of the victims move forward. Also, has the event changed your gun policies in any way?"

"I've spoken with Governor (Not-Tim Kaine), Congressman (Not-Boucher), and multiple members of the state legislature, and we all seem to be on the same page on this. This horrific event is part of a larger problem, a growing epidemic of gun violence that's taken far too many people. Over the next few days, I will be continuing to meet with state officials as well as with fellow members of Congress to hammer out comprehensive common-sense gun reform, because we need to now more than ever take action to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.

And that's a position I've held for my entire career. So, we don't know all of the details regarding this particular shooting just yet, but we do know that this was a mentally ill individual who was still able to get a gun somehow. Clearly, the background check system needs to be improved, no person who is known to be a potential danger to themselves and others should have a weapon. Moral generally, we should never have let the assault weapons ban passed during the (not-Clinton) years lapse, we need to reinstate that ban to keep these highly powerful firearms out of the hands of criminals and terrorists. We should close the gun show loophole, for sure. Further details are gonna be dealt with during my meetings with other members of Congress, and I believe we can put our differences aside and put together a comprehensive, smart gun reform bill.

As for the families, that's the toughest part of this. There's no way to bring those victims back, all we can do is grieve for them, celebrate their lives, and move forward. As a mother, seeing the tears in the eyes of these parents, it's heartbreaking. My campaign staff and I have been doing all we can for them, helping them with meals and making sure there are people there for them in their darkest hour. We need to cherish our loved ones, stay by them, and we as a country need to come together, because we are the American family, and a loss for one is a loss for all of us."

[Melovinta]

Rep. Harold Pierce Gunsley (OH-5)

Representative Gunsley as soon as he got word of the tragedy IMMEDIATELY hightailed it to Blacksburg, speaking to a crowd of grieving mourners. He was in such a hurry, he simply decided to forego a speech and speak without piece of paper to read off of. He looked deshivilled, his hair was messy, he looked dejected, weak, and shaky, at some points he looked like he was crying, he looked devoid of all color, and his suit was messy, he was even sweating, but nonetheless, he spoke. In the speech, he tried to remain as non-political as possible, but threw in a few statements about the need to not exploit this tragedy for political purposes. About half an hour after the speech, he fainted.

"My fellow Americans... Erm, my thoughts and prayers go out to those killed... And I call on our justice system to be swift and sentence the animal behind this tragedy to death. Uh... I call on my fellow Congressmen to, to... To not use this tragedy for political purposes. I wish all families of the butchered to have some sort of... Solace, in their darkest hour..."

[Kavanis]

I will now be taking questions."

Simon Bollinger, LA Times

“Senator, the perpetrator used two handguns – nothing that the Assault Weapons Ban would have covered. Aren’t you just exploiting this tragedy to push political gun control measures that ultimately wouldn’t have stopped this terrible crime?”

[Jovuistan]

I will now be taking questions."

Simon Bollinger, LA Times

“Senator, the perpetrator used two handguns – nothing that the Assault Weapons Ban would have covered. Aren’t you just exploiting this tragedy to push political gun control measures that ultimately wouldn’t have stopped this terrible crime?”

"I was speaking more generally referring to the assault weapons ban. Look, people's lives aren't political. We as elected officials have a duty to protect and support our constituents, whether that be through economic calamity or a mass shooting. This is a horrible tragedy, and the faces of the crying mothers I've seen today and yesterday I will never be able to forget. But what are we supposed to tell them as leaders, as policymakers? Just give them some thoughts and prayers and say there's nothing that could have been done? We are the only major world power where shootings like this occur on a regular basis, things like this should be happening in the darkest reaches of third world countries, not on a college campus in the greatest country on earth.

Members of Congress have an obligation to ensure the well-being of American citizens, to undo the pains that strike at the American public. We do that through policies, and every time we pushed through a disaster, we didn't wait and kick the can down the road, we took swift action to lift people out of the rut and take steps to prepare and mitigate the chances of it happening in the future. It's my job to change public policy for the better of our country, and I will work hard to do my job for the people who elected me, for the people of Blacksburg, and for the United States of America."

[Meretica]

Attack Ad Sponsored by Feminists for America PAC, Run Nationally

Narrator (a woman): Two men think that it's okay to silence women. Two men think that it's okay to twist their words for political benefit. Two men think that it's okay to treat women as below them.

Vote them out. Deny them the nomination. This is not the path of the GOP moving forward. Real Republicans respect all people, including women, instead of deriding them as childish, stupid, or worse. Do the right thing. Vote for a real American, not a liar or an inside trader.

"Feminists for America" is an independent PAC based in Ohio's 5th Congressional District. We are unaffiliated with Governor Calalo, Senator Hepburn-Smith, and Senator Feyrer. None were contacted in the making of this ad.

---

Ad Sponsored by CHS's Campaign, Run Nationally

Andrea Hoover (Female Victim of Gun Violence): When I was 13... my father, brother, and I were attacked by two men-- two deranged men that had been allowed to own guns despite their mental illnesses because they hadn't been placed in an institution. I watched them die... and I lost a leg. I love the Republican Party, but it's so hard to vote for Republicans when they don't care about people like me who know first-hand what gun violence does to families. That's why I'm voting for Cassie Hepburn-Smith. She knows. She understands. She cares. She's fought for it all along, and she's not afraid to do what it takes to keep our communities safe.

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

[Hopal]

Statement from Representative Greg Shields of California - April 16, 2007

We were all shocked and horrified when we heard the news out of Blacksburg, Virginia.

32 innocent lives taken in cold blood, taken by one vain and cold blooded murderer. Nothing we will do will bring back these lives. These 32 lives with hopes and dreams, with what should have been lifetimes ahead of them. We will never know what we lost in the loss of those 32 lives, we will never know and never see their true potential. But we must be committed to never again.

Nothing we will do or say will comfort those who have a loved one in this tragedy. But I still want to extend my deepest thoughts and prayers to those who have lost a loved one at Virginia Tech. They were among the brightest lights in this country, who had gone to pursue a good education, to learn, to try to advance in their chosen career path, and we are made worse with their loss. I want you to know that the entire country is grieving with you at this dark hour.

I condemn those who have tried to use this tragedy to their own political advantage, nothing is worse than exploiting the loss of innocent lives for your own advantage. There will be a time for action, but that time is not now, I believe at this time that we need to be focused on the victims of this terrible tragedy, and their loved ones. Now is a time for the nation to grieve, to grieve and heal. We must come together, not as democrats or republicans, not as Californians or Virginians, not as men or women, but as Americans, as one America, as the United States of America, to grieve this terrible tragedy. To that end I invite my congressional colleagues to join me on the step of the Capitol tomorrow morning at 7:15, 24 hours after gunfire opened at Virginia Tech for a moment of silence to honour the victims of this terrible tragedy. I ask that all Americans should join in this moment to honor these victims.

I stand with the loved ones of victims and with the survivors of this terrible tragedy, and if anyone, anyone at all needs help and support during this time of national tragedy, I ask them to reach out to my office, where we will help you, or direct you to the supports you need. God bless you all, God bless the victims and survivors of this tragedy and their loved ones, and God bless of the United States of America.

[Dentali]

Hardball with Upton Fleming

HARDBALL: Good evening this is Hardball, I’m Jacob Mathis. Tonight I am joined by presidential candidate Governor Upton Fleming of Pennsylvania. Governor, thank you for joining us.


Fleming: Thank You for having me Jacob, in times like these, the importance of openly and sincerely discussing the issues we face becomes crystal clear.


HARDBALL: I want to start with a matter you got attacked on in the first Democratic Debate. During your time as DA of Philadelphia you were part of a strategy known as broken windows policing. Do you stand by your record during this time in Philadelphia?


Fleming: Violent Crime primarily emerges from broken homes and communities. Broken homes and communities are primarily created by poverty, social neglect and an absence of opportunity. Poverty, social neglect and the absence of opportunity comes from a lack of private and public investment in communities. The type of crime that broken windows policing is intended to fight, tends to deter private investment. In my capacity as DA of Philadelphia, the most effective way I could fight poverty, social neglect, the absence of opportunity and the crime it creates, was through supporting broken windows policing.


HARDBALL: So as President you wouldn’t be focusing on Broken windows policing?


Fleming: As President I would have different powers and responsibilities than I had as a District Attorney, as such, how I'd go about encouraging the type of public and private investment necessary to relieve our communities of poverty, social neglect and an absence of opportunity, would be different. As a DA, you can't fight for a pollutant tariff against dirty goods from china, so that they don't displace good blue collar jobs in our communities. As President, I would. As DA, you can't fight for an agricultural subsidy system that reward producers that care about the quality of their product in eyes of the towns and cities they feed, rather than primarily large agribusiness firms that can afford lobbyists to plead their case. As President, I would. As DA you can't fight for the type education reform that puts students and their excellent teachers first, rather than experiments that try to squeeze private profit out of public good. As President, I would.

My philosophy is and always has been, to accomplish as much as I can, with the powers I have and the position I'm in. Naturally, my focus on relieving economic pain and promoting economic growth would remain an unchanging pillar of the policy I pursue, but the way I accomplish that would differ, as that is what it means to be an executive, you grow to fit your circumstance based on the values that guide you.


HARDBALL: I'd like to take a step back for a moment and focus on that last sentence... Now in the course of the Presidency you will be presented with opportunities and challenges of an ever shifting nature, nothing can fully qualify anyone for the position or fully prepare them... When you have a situation like that you need to rely on your core values to make a decision. So what do you consider your core guiding values?


Fleming: My core values, informed by my faith and tested by practice, are a deep respect for the importance of Solidarity, Justice and Merit, in equal measure. To reinforce our common social bonds and ensure fairness, we need to reward perseverance and skill. As we reward perseverance and skill, we need a society in which those who are thriving reach out to others in their times of need so that they'll reach back when we falter. To ensure that we have a society in which we are all comfortable reaching out to others, we must make sure to carefully account for the wrongs and rights that occur between groups and individuals.


HARDBALL: Which of those wrongs seem most pressing to you? Which do you want to address first?


Fleming: You mean the wrongs that violate these values?


HARDBALL: Allow me to clarify, you talk alot about fairness.. what are some things you find most unfair that you would address as President?


Fleming: Well, when I think of fairness, I look at it from the perspective of values I mentioned before and what doesn't align with them. As such, the two great and recent examples of unfairness I can point to are the Iraq War and the Cush Tax Cuts. The Iraq War was an unnecessary engagement that has harmed our capacity to maintain international solidarity in fighting the war on terror, it has taken away focus from our mission to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice and it functioned as a means to funnel the wealth of the middle class to defense contractors instead of investing here in America. Unfortunately, a war can not be repealed like a law, so as president, I can promise to pursue a safe, timely withdrawal from Iraq, who's specifics are highly dependent on what happens between now and when the next President takes office.

However, the Cush tax cuts are something that can and should be repealed immediately, though I imagine it won't be, as it represents a pillar, however flimsy, of the Cush domestic agenda. It has contributed to undue income inequality, alongside the Iraq war, dismantled the [not-clinton] surplus and curbed our ability to make the type of public investments we need to promote innovation and growth in the 21st century.


HARDBALL: You’ve been critical of other Presidential candidates who voted in favor of the Iraq war. But you also weren’t Congress then. If you were in their position can you honestly say you wouldn’t be in favor of the war?


Fleming: I would share the foresight of the majority of congressional democrats and know to vote against authorizing an invasion, yes.


HARDBALL: If the Fleming administration believed it had evidence that a state possessed weapons of mass destruction what actions would it take?


Fleming: If we had evidence that a state, in contravention of the international order, possessed weapons of mass destruction, I believe we would be able to rally to our side the same coalition that stood with us to fight and die in Afghanistan in the aftermath of 9/11. Unfortunately, the debacle of the Iraq war has harmed our international leadership and so thoroughly failed to disincentivize the pursuit of nuclear weapons that just last year, we saw North Korea conduct a nuclear weapons test.


HARDBALL: So as President what measures would you take against states like North Korea?


Fleming: The straightforward reality of it is, our options when it comes to states like North Korea have been limited by the Iraq War, both for the material costs it consumes and how its harmed our credibility in rallying the world against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. However, we can certainly apply pressure through means short of military force, such as sanctions, along with incentivizes for verifiable good behavior. Additionally, we need to remember that North Korea is the way it is out of the strategic benefit it provides the People's Republic of China. By adjusting the orientation of our policy in regards to the PRC, such that North Korea becomes more of a burden to benefit to them, we'd certainly make tangible headway against the North Korean nuclear program.


HARDBALL: Can you expand on your China policy in that case?


Fleming: We must recognize China as a rising competitor in the 21st century. Whether or not that ends up friendly competition is their choice, but it is competition none the less. A report came out in, August, I believe, of last year, pointing out that between 1979 and 2005, China had seen nearly 10% yearly GDP growth, with the economy growing to be around 10 times what it was a little over 30 years ago. In fact, the report predicts that on theirs and our current trajectory, they are on track to pass us as the largest economy in the world within the next 10 years. Their exports have grown, as well, at the expense of regional allies In order to ensure that the leadership of the world remains in the hands of freedom, especially given the reputational damaged produced by the Cush administration, we must maintain our absolute economic advantage over china. That means we can not allow their economy to disproportionately benefit at the expense of ours. That is part of the purpose of a pollutant tariff, to account for the gap between our environmental regulation and theirs.

But there is more to this than ensuring that China doesn't reach heights by climbing on our backs, we have to engage in large scale public investment to keep our edge as well. Just this April, China has finished the sixth round of their campaign to nearly double average speeds on their railways, constructing hundreds of miles of rail capable of speeds in excess of 150 miles an hour. We ask how it is that steel mills from Minnesota to South Carolina end up getting closed down and sure, some of that is unfair competition from China, of which we must address, but a lot of that comes down to benefits of scale that we simply don't have because we don't build as we should. We need to change our public investment strategy to create good blue collar jobs and fortify the middle class. If we strengthen ourselves relative to China economically, they will have a greater respect for our diplomatic concerns.


HARDBALL: How much public investment are we talking about?


Fleming: Well, let me put it this way, it took roughly 12.5 billion in current dollar value, per year, to build the interstate highway system that was initiated by President Eisenhower, to produce the current backbone of national transportation infrastructure. For the first round of Cush Tax Cuts, in income tax revenue, alone, revenue fell by nearly 140 billion from the previous year. That's not accounting for the other cuts, or what we could have expected from economic growth, or of course the further cuts contained within both the first and second round of Cush Tax Cuts. First and foremost, in a Fleming Administration, public investment would come out of a repeal of the Cush Tax Cuts.


HARDBALL: Assuming you’re not building a second highway system, what kind of infrastructure would you be focusing on?


Fleming: Having spent much of this discussion criticizing those on the other side of the partisan divide, I want to confirm myself in favor of Senator Hepburn-Smith's suggestion that we invest in expanding the Tennessee Valley Authority. I believe it is a model worth deepening both in its current operations but also in widening its reach. We need an all of above energy strategy that accounts properly for environmental costs, in order secure our energy impendence, cutting down on our reliance on foreign oil. We can also find ways, where feasible, to convert fossil fuel consumption to electricity consumption, for example, in by investing in electric rail as a transportation alternative for a greater number of Americans.


HARDBALL: Would that include expanding drilling and permitting for fossil fuel extraction?


Fleming: Look. I support an end to fossil fuel subsidies, largely so that ethanol production in our great corn producing states like Iowa, no longer has to face unfair competition. I support a pollutant fee alongside a pollutant tariff to ensure the cost of pollution is paid for by its source, along with putting all of its revenue towards a Universal Sustainability Credit for the american people as a part of my Energy for All plan. Within the context, I'd have no concern about worthwhile expansions of private or public investment in fossil fuels.


HARDBALL: How would you handle towns in states like West Virginia that owe their existence to extracting coal or some other fossil fuel? Cutting subsidies like that likely means that some places aren’t going to be profitable anymore.


Fleming: I see the point you're trying to make, Jacob, but I don't think that is fair to pit corn farmers and ethanol manufacturers in Iowa against Coal Miners in West Virginia. Nor for that matter pit, oil drillers in Texas or natural gas drilling from Pennsylvania against them. The existence of those sources of energy, have a greater effect on the coal industry than any subsidies, have had, nevermind the fact that both natural gas and oil have, historically, been a greater recipient of fossil fuel subsidies than the coal industry has been. This is about leveling the playing field, for everyone.


HARDBALL: Talking about leveling the playing field… healthcare promises to be a hot button issue this election, how do you improve healthcare access for Americans?


Fleming: One thing I've certainly learned as a governor, is that the most effective government programs, tend to be the most universal of programs. Not only dies it mean fully taking advantage of scale, it means cutting down on the bureaucracy associated with rigidly guarding access to programs. With both of those realities in mind, I have come to a few conclusions. Previously, I voiced support for the implementation of a Universal Health Care system, that isn't new. Secondly, I had said before, I wanted to spend time on the campaign trial to get a feel for what the American people's hopes, dreams and concerns are regarding healthcare. Time and time again I hear two things, aside from general complaints about cost and access.

One, they want to be able to pick and choose where they get care. Unfortunately our current system is such that if one has health insurance their employment, their boss has more influence over who's medical services they receive than themselves, as they constantly face the restrictions of what falls in and out of their network.

Two, they despise the experience of essentially having to fight over the phone to get every bit of coverage that they possibly can. It is clear that the health insurance sector is spending billions of dollars on insurance bureaucracy, finding creative ways to make individuals and businesses pay higher and higher costs while offering less and less care. The view for this sort of interaction is more negative than what people feel for telemarketing.

While details for what this campaign calls the 'Healthcare for All' plan, are not yet ready, as more consultation with patients, doctors, nurses and other health experts is still needed, I can promise that we're well on track to providing a plan by the end of April. I will emphasize, however that the plan that we'll release is intended to preserve choice while drastically cutting down on healthcare bureaucracy.


HARDBALL: A worry people have about healthcare plans is that if they like their plan, doctor or provider, that suddenly they can’t keep them. I understand it’s not done yet but will your plan account for that?


Fleming: in my discussions, it appears to me that people like their plans because they like their doctors, providers and coverage, rather than having some affinity for the employer of the health insurance agent they speak to over the phone or the logo on their health card. As it stands, if they receive health insurance from their place of employment, their bosses can change their doctor, provider and coverage. My plan will ensure consistent coverage, along with increasing choice over doctors and providers.


HARDBALL: How is this going to affect small businesses?


Fleming: It will remove the advantage big business has over small business in hiring workers due to differences in ability to provide healthcare and it will free Americans from having the worry about losing their healthcare should they want to start a small business.


HARDBALL: Can you maybe detail how your plan will affect small businesses?


Fleming: As I said, all versions of the plan being considered will remove the advantage big business has over small business when it comes to healthcare benefits and it will remove the loss of health care as a barrier to starting new businesses. That's about as much as I can say at the moment.


HARDBALL: Let’s switch gears for a second… you are a governor but do have some foreign policy experience. Do you feel that after the fall of the Soviet Union that NATO still has a role to play? If so how do you see the alliance developing over the next decade.


Fleming: In the immediate aftermath of the fall of the soviet union, there were many of the opinion that NATO had served its purpose, that is was unnecessary, that it couldn't find purpose outside of countering the now defunct Soviet Union. I got to be part of the team that proved that wrong, as staff within the ambassadorship to the united nations, when the [not-clinton] administration, through NATO intervention, obstructed genocide against both the Bosnian and Kosovan people. NATO has and can continue to serve as a means of stopping and preventing genocide. Additionally and frankly unfortunately, NATO also has to serve a role as a protector europe, from a Russia that, seems to not have undergone the democratization that'd seem to be be necessary to prevent it from falling back into its centuries old inclination towards expansionism. However only time can tell for sure on that front.


HARDBALL: Do you support further expansion of NATO? And if so, are you concerned it might be viewed by Russia as a direct threat


Fleming: I am very supportive of expansion of NATO to include Albania, Croatia, Georgia, the former yugoslav republic of Macedonia and Ukraine. Russia would have no reason to perceive it as a threat unless it intends to invade its neighbors and if it intends to invade its neighbors, it only makes the case for why expansion is necessary.


HARDBALL: What about outside Europe? Are you concerned about China at all flexing its muscles in the Asia-Pacific?


Fleming: I think, as I implied before, the strengthening of China's economy relative to ours will see it attempting to assert its self more aggressively. That's part of why it's so important that we maintain our economic advantage. China will be a competitor in this century, inevitably, it's just a matter of how hostile or friendly that competition is. For our part, ensuring friendliness must come about by not showing weaknesses, by strengthening ourselves and our allies, but also by finding ways to work with china on common ground, like addressing climate change.


HARDBALL: Beyond your already stated energy policy will you take any other measures to address climate change?


Fleming: In addition to the Energy for All plan, I would use our diplomatic weight to convince other nations to implement stronger policies on climate change and I seek meaningful funding for research into advanced alternate energy sources such as Nuclear Fusion, in the form of both international and domestic programs.


HARDBALL: We are running low on time, but before we go I would be remiss if I didn't mention the horrific shooting at Virginia Tech a few days ago... The gunman killed 32 people and wounded 17 others before taking his own life. We dont have all the details yet but do you have anything you'd like to say on the matter?


Fleming: Words can't describe how tragic this attack was, but they can, possibly, describe hopefully, what we should try to do to prevent this sort of thing from happening again. The killer's weapons of choice were not the assault weapons of the [not-clinton] administration ban, they were handguns, probably purchased legally. There isn't the support to ban our way out of this. What we can do is increase campus security, increase background checks on gun purchases and have a more comprehensive mental health system so we can detect and decrease risks.


HARDBALL: Thank you for your time governor.

[New Provenance]

April 17, 2007
Rose Garden, The White House
President John W. Cush

The morning sun shown down brightly on Washington and the White House as the press corps awaited the arrival of the president. Spring was in the air but so was a feeling of grave sadness and anxiety. Just yesterday, 32 lives were taken during a shooting in Blacksburg, Virginia. President John Cush scheduled an emergency press conference for the next morning, at nine o' clock sharp. The president would have a hard time dealing with the situation as he had for most of his career been pro-second amendment. Now, he was facing a massive gun violence incident that could further destroy his public support as his term slowly came to an end.

The press corps quieted down as Secret Service agents milled out from one of the doors into the White House leading out into the Rose Garden. President John W. Cush walked out into the sun, squinting as he passed into the open air and towards the podium and the gathered press. His chief of staff and several staffers were present as he approached the podium and stopped behind it, his face becoming solemn.

"My fellow Americans."

"Our nation is shocked and saddened by the news of the shootings in Blacksburg at Virginia Tech today. The total confirmed number of deaths have yet to be confirmed, but it appears more than 30 people were killed and more were injured. I have spoken with the governor and Virginia Tech President Charles Steger. I have informed them that myself, Laura and many more across the country are praying for the victims, their families, and the members of the community affected by this devastating tragedy. I have affirmed that my administration will do everything in its power to assist the investigation and the local law enforcement and emergency services working to support the injured and the families affected by this tragedy."

"Schools are supposed to be places of learning. These are the places we entrust our children and their safety to. When that trust, that safety is violated, the impact is felt in every American classroom and every American community."

"Today, our nation grieves with those who have lost friends or loved ones in this horrific tragedy. We hold the victims in our hearts and we keep them in our prayers, and we ask a loving God to comfort those who are suffering."

"Thank you, and God Bless."

[New Provenance]

Frank Taylor [D-CA-17] Campaign Schedule for April 13 to 20

April 13, 2007
Town Hall meeting in Cupertino, CA

After a week or so off the campaign trail Congressman Frank Taylor, for California's 17th District, was back on the trail with a town hall meeting in Cupertino. At a local library he answered questions from local Californians and addressed their concerns. Taylor noted down the issues the audience believed needed to be tackled, which included healthcare and the environment, among other things. On healthcare, Rep. Taylor said, "The American healthcare system is fundamentally flawed, I'm sure we can all agree on that. We need to work out a system that ensures all Americans are insured and their insurance is guaranteed to pay when the time comes."

---

April 14, 2007
Speech to supporters in Alviso, CA

The next day, Taylor hopped a few miles north to Alviso, a residential district along the coast, to speak to supporters face-to-face and via television. Taylor tackled many major issues plaguing the country, particularly the 'ease at which an American can purchase a weapon', healthcare, the environment and immigration.

On the environment, Taylor remarked: "I believe a perfect balance should be struck between supporting farmers and factory workers while protecting our planet. Many are skeptical as to whether such a balance exists, but with enough focus and the willpower to do something, I believe it can be achieved."

On immigration, Taylor said: ". . . America is a land of opportunity, right? If so, it should be an equal land of opportunity. I see no issue with allowing immigrants in, provided they follow the proper process to get in. In the future we must implement a new process of allowing new immigrants into the country without, I repeat without, evicting immigrants already in the country, who are providing a portion of the workforce already."

---

April 15, 2007
Meeting with local police officers in Bayland, CA

The Congressman hopped north again on the 15th to meet with local police officers in Bayland, CA, another residential district, just south of Fremont. Speaking to a crowd of supporters and passersby, with police officers next to him, Taylor emphasized the importance of law enforcement in society and stated that: ". . . Law enforcement are our first line against crime and illegal activity, and as such I think they deserve more respect, more love from the public, don't you think?"

---

April 16, 2007
Interview with KSCU radio in Santa Clara, CA

On the day of the Virginia Tech shooting, Taylor was on campus at Santa Clara University doing an interview with the university-owned and student-run KSCU radio. It serves the San Francisco Bay Area. He was speaking on gun restrictions when news broke of an active shooting in Virginia Tech. He asked that the interview be cut short and went home to his family. Later that evening, Taylor released a statement on the tragedy:

The Virginia Tech shooting earlier today is nothing short of a grave tragedy, not only because of the 30 lives lost, but because of the fact a crime of this scale occurred in the United States. Our country. The parents of our nation entrust the schools of the country with protecting and educating our children and our future generation. Earlier today, that trust was shook by the deaths of 30 students, whom I and my family include in our prayers. Schools are meant to be a safe place for our future engineers, doctors, scientists, pilots and politicians. I am sure the sadness with which I receive the news of the shooting reverberates across the nation.

My heart goes out to the victims and the families of those lost in this massive tragedy. To the law enforcement and emergency services who rushed in and saved the lives of the countless wounded, I am sure I join the nation in commending you for your service.

---

April 17, 2007
Press conference in Santa Clara, CA

The next day, Taylor convened a press conference and declared that he would 'renew focus on curbing gun violence in the country through the restricting of the placing of weapons in the hands of people with whom those weapons would be unsafe'. Citing the Virginia Tech shooting yesterday, the Congressman placed urgency on the matter, stating that 'no further lives must be lost'. He also criticized Cush for not taking action on gun violence in the first place, saying, ". . . the President speaks of doing everything his administration can, yet he takes no action against gun violence and a gun epidemic. Now is the time to take action."

---

April 18, 2007
Meeting with local officials at Milpitas City Hall, Milpitas, CA

Congressman Taylor met with local government officials at Milpitas City Hall in the city of Milpitas, south of Fremont and northeast of San Jose, California, to discuss the urgent need to take action on gun violence as well as programs to support law enforcement and police in particular. The April 16 Virginia Tech shooting would shape most of the meeting, with Taylor repeating that 'this can't ever happen again, not ever, not in a million years'.

---

April 19, 2007
Vigil for Virginia Tech shooting victims in Santa Clara, CA

On the 19th Taylor returned to Santa Clara to attend a vigil for the Virginia Tech shooting victims. He laid flowers and lit candles, and together with his family and members of his campaign team prayed for the victims lost. To an attending news crew, Taylor furthermore with a sorrowful expression asked for 'immediate action' by Congress against gun violence.

---

April 20, 2007
Meeting with the wounded in hospital in Blacksburg, VA

On the 20th, as a personal visit with his wife, Taylor would fly over to Blacksburg, four days after the Virginia Tech shooting, to meet with the wounded in hospital as well as attend one of the many vigils that day in the city.

[Madrinpoor]

Statement from the office of Thomas Sommo

Fellow Americans,

I am appalled, as you all are, at the horror unleashed in Virginia Tech. My prayers and thoughts go out to the victims, of course, but prayers and thoughts are not enough to stop a tragedy like this from happening again. It is very clear now that we need to ensure the safety of everyday Americans; increasing security in schools, expanding sentences for gun crimes, protecting the freedom of the American people. This is not a time to wait.

[Kavanis]

Date: April 19, 2007
Location: 335 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515.

---

“I just still can’t believe it, it’s so terrible,” sobbed Kaley.

“There, there.” Jack patted her shoulder gingerly, doing what little he could to comfort the distressed legislative intern. She’d been deeply affected by what had happened on April 16 and even days later was still emotional.

“It’s the most awful thing imaginable, and it just… happened. Here. In America.” She blew her nose wetly into a tissue paper.

“I know, it shocked me too,” he murmured sympathetically.

“Live on television… he said the f-word!”

Jack shook his head. “It’s just appalling, I know. I really can’t think of anything more horrific. But, listen, kid. I’ve been through this sort of thing before and, the truth is, the best way of getting over it is just to buckle down to some hard work. You think you can do that?”

Kaley, red-eyed and runny-nosed, nodded, wiping a smear of mascara away with the back of her hand.

“Good. Because we have fundraising letters to the NRA, GOA, and NAGR to put out.”

“I’ll get right to it, boss!”

[Mareadmonte]

From: SenRuskieHelms@gmail.com
To: RepBobWoolworth@aol.com

Representative Woolworth...

"Well, whaddaya suppose we do 'bout it?" the Bulldog asked Mary.

"For starters, it wouldn't hurt to invite him over to chat, Bob." she replied.

"I guess so..hey, get me another beer would you? For the Senator."

"Of course, and I'll phone his office right away"

---

Beep...beep...beeeeep....beepbeep....

The dial tone played as Mary stood by the window, gazing out at the cloudy skies over DC. Finally, the call went through. She informed Senator Helms' staffer that Woolworth requested a meeting, and a time later that afternoon was agreed upon.
_______________________________________________________________________

Later that day

A knock at the door interrupted Bob Woolworth's sip of beer, as he stood up a bit groggily. Slowly, pacing himself, he walked over to the door and turned the knob. Senator Helms stood before him.

"Hey!" he chuckled a bit. "How's it goin', Senator Helms? Come on in!"