Sic Semper Tyrannis

[DKrol]

OOC: This is a TL that I'll be doing along with "Political Lions". The idea for this one struck me while sitting through a history lecture at the local state college and I felt like I needed to write it right away.

September 9, 2009: Preface

“In the United States of America, no one should go broke because they got sick...Sometimes the government has to step in to ensure that promise...They also understood that the dangers of too much government is matched by the perils of too little...I know that many in this country are skeptical that the government is looking out for them...I still believe we can act, even when it’s hard...Thank you, God Bless you, and May God Bless the United States of America.”

President Barack Obama (D) called Congress into a Joint Session and addressed the nation on his proposed plan for healthcare reform. Most liberals found the speech as a moving rallying-cry for progress, while most conservatives and some moderates were unmoved. Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued a press release afterwards saying that his caucus “has not been moved by the President’s show of pageantry.” A poll taken by CNN/ORC immediately after the speech found that only 36% of Americans supported the President’s reform, while 41% did not and 23% were unsure. The President is now set to embark on a cross country bus tour to sell the Affordable Health Care for America Act, as it has been named in the House of Representatives.

President Obama Approval Rating
Approve - 47%
Disapprove - 34%
Unsure/No Comment - 19%

[International Brotherhood of Bernard]

Consider me intrigued.

[MadmanMotley]

Go on.... I always enjoy your timelines.

[NHI]

Looks good!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I'm intrigued.

[DKrol]

September 10, 2009: Sic Semper Tyrannis

“We can get this done! I believe that the well being and health of the American people outweigh the partisan differences of Washington’s politicians.”

The bus tour came to a quick end. President Barack Obama (D) was halfway through his speech, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, when three shots were fired at him from the crowd. The first bullet tore through his shoulder, the second ricocheted off the podium and struck a Secret Service Agent in the leg, and the third hit Vice President Joe Biden in the kneck. Panic broke out among the crowd as the President and Vice President were rushed off stage and into their limo, peeling out of the parking lot for Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. It seemed like the President would be alright, since the bullet missed any vital organs, but the Vice President was declared dead before the door closed on the limo. As the President’s motorcade crossed the intersection of Parkway Boulevard and North Main Street, the fatal blow was struck. A school bus sped up and barreled through the blockades police had established, crashing into the limo carrying the President, the deceased Vice President, and various Secret Service agents. The limo and school bus then collided with a brick building, which collapsed on top of the vehicles. Emergency responders found the dead body of Barack Obama at 1:37PM, EST, and the body of Joe Biden at 1:43PM.

[Brewer]

...wow.

[Cranberry]

[Jerseyrules]

Wow...  Fascinating.  Looking forward to seeing where this goes!

[Captain Chaos]

It's President Pelosi time.

[Enderman]

[OnlyAlb]

Holy . Hopefully Pelosi appoints someone to be VP and then resign.

[DKrol]

September 11, 2009: Madame President

“Our nation has been dealt a deadly blow. I can now confirm that President Barack Hussein Obama and Vice President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. have been killed at the hands of a group of terrorists.”

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi addressed the nation on September 11th, 2009 -  the 8-year anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on New York City - to tell the nation it had just been attacked again. Speaker Pelosi was sworn in by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was the only Justice in Washington, and then addressed the nation on TV. The city of Washington has been in lockdown since the President was assassinated, with cars being searched, trains being stopped outside the city limits, and planes being told to land elsewhere. The Democratic Caucus in the House elected Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD-5) as the next Speaker, Majority Whip Clyburn (D-SC-6) as the next Majority Leader, and former DCCC Chairman Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI-1) as the next Majority Whip.

Early reports from the FBI and CIA showed a connection between the shooter and the bus driver, but could not put a name to their group or tell if they had connections to Al Qaeda. The shooter was beaten by attendees at the speech before being apprehended by the Secret Service, the driver was killed on impact with the building. A letter was found in the backpack of the shooter, saying “I am not alone. I have associates around the globe. We will not stop. Sic semper tyrannis.”

President Pelosi Approval Rating
Approve - 67%
Disapprove - 21%
Unsure/No Comment - 12%

[Consciously Unconscious]

I love your timelines.

[DKrol]

I love your timelines.

Thank you, I'm glad!

[OAM]

For a deadly serious topic, the look on Pelosi's face made me burst out laughing.  That's how you know it's tense

[DKrol]

September-October, 2009: The Reign of Terror

The FBI confirmed the identity of the Allentown shooting suspect as Lloyd F. Denmark. Denmark, 29 of Mechanicsville, Virginia, has close ties with the Tea Party movement, according to his Facebook page, and reportedly sent President Obama numerous letters expressing his discontent. The man who was allegedly driving the school bus has been identified as Mark P. Davison, 37 of Panama City, Florida. The FBI has not yet released information on how the two came to meet, but did announce that the two were not acting alone. “It has been determined that the two suspects are part of a far-right anarchist group.” FBI Director Robert Mueller said at a Press Conference “From what we’ve gathered the group refers to themselves as ‘The Sons of Liberty’.”

The Sons of Liberty appear to have members around the world. Plans for attacks around the globe have been uncovered, and a few have been carried out. Nigel Farage, a Member of the European Parliament and the leader of UKIP, was preparing to land his private plane at a small airport outside of London when his landing gear appeared to malfunction, forcing the plane to crash in a small field. Farage suffered cuts and bruises, as well as a bit of head trauma, and is expected to recover fully. An investigation by British police found that the landing gear has been tampered with before hand, with the letters “S.S.T.” etched into the wheel well. Another attack was undertaken in Scotland, where a small computer was thrown at Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s car from the top of an office building. Brown escaped without injury, although his car was ruined. Police stormed the building and detained a 41-year-old man, who allegedly yelled “Sic Semper Tyrannis” when police moved him to the police cruiser.

President Pelosi Approval Rating                 
Approve - 57%                       
Disapprove - 25%                     
Unsure/No Comment - 28%                                   

[DKrol]

November, 2009: Election Day

Two states in the nation held elections, as did New York City. Polls showed close races all around but turnout was expected to be incredibly low due to fears about the Sons of Liberty. President Pelosi was notably absent from the campaign trail, instead spending the month vetting a Vice Presidential designee and building a coalition for healthcare reform. A high police presence kept polling places safe on Election Day.

New Jersey Gubernatorial Election
Governor Jon Corzine/State Senator Loretta Weinberg (D) - 49.3%
Attorney Chris Christie/Sheriff Kim Guadagno (R) - 45.5%
CEO Chris Dagget/Professor Frank Esposito (I) - 5.2%

Some expected Chris Christie to be able to fight the Democratic trend in New Jersey and secure the Gubernatorial mansion for the Republicans for the first time since 2002. Christie played up his non-partisan image and tried to pull together a moderate coalition. However, Jon Corzine’s incumbency gave him the edge and he was able to secure a second term.

New York City Mayoral Election
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R/L) - 40.8%
Comptroller Bill Thompson (D) - 35.5%
Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) - 23.7

No one saw the New York City race to come out the way it did. In August, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani filed to seek the Republican nomination for Mayor. A federal judge ruled that Giuliani could run, since the term limit had been expanded to 3 terms in 2008 and Giuliani had only served 2. Although he won the nomination easily, polls showed him coming in a close third for most of the race - behind sitting Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the city’s Comptroller, Bill Thompson. Once President Obama and Vice President Biden were assassinated Giuliani’s support surged. Many remembered Giuliani’s leadership post-9/11 and welcomed him back into Gracie Mansion.

Virginia Gubernatorial Election
Attorney General Bob McDonnell/Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling (R) - 51.3%
Former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe/State Senator Creigh Deeds (D) - 45.5%
Other (Various) - 3.2

Virginia was the only race that wasn’t considered close. Former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe barely won the primary over Congressman Jerry Moran and trailed Attorney General Bob McDonnell by various margins throughout the entire campaign. Former Senator Chuck Robb was McAuliffe’s main surrogate, while former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum was on the stump for McDonnell.

President Pelosi Approval Rating
Approve - 54%
Disapprove - 32%
Unsure/No Comment - 14%

[OnlyAlb]

Giuliani is back!!!

[DKrol]

December, 2009: Reconstruction

“I have asked the Cabinet secretaries to stay in office for the time being, and most have agreed. However, Secretary of State Clinton has handed me her resignation and I have accepted it.”

On December 8th a primary for the special election  to replace the late-Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) was held in Massachusetts. The Democratic Party Primary was a battle between multiple factions of the party. Attorney General Martha Coakley, Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, Congressman Stephen Lynch, former Boston City Council President Larry DiCara, and North Adams Mayor John Barrett III were the main contenders for the nomination. The Republican side was a beauty contest. Businessman and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez faced only token opposition.

Massachusetts Senate Special Election - Democratic Primary
Former Boston City Council President Larry DiCara - 34%
Attorney General Martha Coakley - 33%
Congressman Stephen Lynch - 12%
Mayor John Barrett, III - 11%
Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray - 10%

On December 19th, President Pelosi called Congress into a joint session to deliver a mini-State of the Union. She pointed out the need to continue the the process of reforming healthcare “in the memory of President Obama”. Many in the media read this as the her final effort to pull together enough votes to pass healthcare reform before the Congress goes on its Winter Recess. Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE), Joe Liebermann (I-CT), Bob Bennett (R-UT), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) announced that they would not support the bill proposed by President Pelosi. The main point of the speech that struck a chord with the media, came at the very end. “Before I close tonight, before the Congress goes off on their winter recess, I have a request. While I assumed the Presidency, there is no line of succession to the Vice Presidency. For the past few months the post has been empty. I nominate Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to fill that vacancy.”

President Pelosi Approval Rating
Approve - 53%                       
Disapprove - 33%                     
Unsure/No Comment - 17%                                   

[NHLiberal]

This is so good!

[DKrol]

This is so good!

I'm glad you like it!

Also, credit be given where credit is due: The format for this TL is inspired by SPC's "President Kerry and On" TL.

[Simfan34]

Quite unusual, but then again things are not normal at all here... I'll be following!

[SPC]

This is so good!

I'm glad you like it!

Also, credit be given where credit is due: The format for this TL is inspired by SPC's "President Kerry and On" TL.

I'm flattered. Good work, by the way.

[DKrol]

January, 2010: Continuity

“I’m honored to be elected to serve as the next United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts!”

A special election was held to replace the late Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA). The election saw no shift in the balance of the Senate, as the Democrat easily held the seat.

Massachusetts Senate Special Election
Former Boston City Council President Larry DiCara - 58%
Former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez - 39%
Other - 3%

The impasse with health care reform also did not change. President Pelosi has much less sway in the Senate than President Obama did. A Group of Twelve Senators, of both parties, came out and announced they would not support the healthcare reform bill proposed by Pelosi. Pelosi’s plan includes a public option, which has pushed back many moderates and keeps most Republicans away. Newly-minted Senator DiCara, however, picked up the late-Senator Kennedy’s torch and has joined President Pelosi in actively pushing for her “Health Care for America Act”.