The Crusader (An Interview with Scott)

[Lumine]

A spiritual heir of sorts to The Political Tracker, The Crusader is a center-right leaning newspaper that intends to provide regional and national coverage of events, races and legislation combined with its own commentary on the issues, seeing to offer perspectives as well as facts. Like its predecessor it will also feature extended coverage of the biggest races across the nation (such as the Presidential Elections), and welcomes Atlasians into asking for interviews or presenting editorials of their own if they so desire. As this newspaper belongs to the Reuental Media Group, former President Lumine makes himself responsible of newspaper remarks and commentary outside of external collaboration.

[Lumine]

National News:

January 28th:

Was Atlasia involved in the Turkish coup?

Blair v. ClarkKent: With Siren's election to the Senate the House of Representatives has one empty seat, one which will decide the balance of power between 4 Laborites and 4 Federalists. The current special election for the seat is being fought between heavyweights former Speaker Clark Kent and former President Blair, an election in which turnout has already passed 30%. Current results show Blair trouncing Kent with 62% of the vote, a potential victory which would seal Laborite control over the House of Representatives (plus the Senate).

A Very Turkish Coup: Shocking news came up for those of us interested in foreign affairs, as Turkish President Erdogan charges the Republic of Atlasia with involvement in the failed coup in Ankara a few months ago, leading Erdogan to condemn Atlasia and seek closer ties to Russia. The Crusader is open on its skepticism over the allegations from the Turkish Government, but expects the State Department to clarify the situation as soon as possible.

Miami Protests: The fall out of former President Blair's decision to lift sanctions in Cuba continues as exiles and victims of the totalitarian Cuban regime protest the decision in the streets, protest that turned violent after local police charged at the protesters and the arrest of over 50 people. Governor dfwlibertylover has pledged to meet with Cuban-Atlasian leaders and asked them to remain peaceful in their protests, suggesting a presidential visit to Miami as helpful. The Crusader, on the other hand, remains hopeful that this will provide a chance for Atlasia to stand firm alongside the victims of Castro and retake an active role in sanctioning the Cuban regime and returning to the embargo.

Fremont News:

January 28th:

Now the symbol of a new mental disorder bill in Fremont, Carrie Fisher's legacy goes on

Regional Parties on the move: Following the passage of the Regional Party Label Act in Fremont over 19% of current citizens have registered in the three currently existing parties, thus giving to the Free Soil Party (of SoS Ted Bessell) on the center-right, the Liberal Democratic Party (of Fremont Speaker 1184AZ) on the center-left, and the Ecosocialist Party (of Senator Siren) on the left. The Crusader welcomes not only the switch towards active and new regional parties, but particularly the current unity between the forces of the center-right and the right that the Free Soil Party represents.

Ongoing Legislation: Several key pieces of legislation continue to be voted on or debated by the Legislative Assembly, having passed a measure concerning Gender Identity and a regulatory bill concerning Abortion (a most welcome initiative), and being on course to debate both a bill on Mental Disorder issues (in the memory and honor of the recently deceased Carrie Fisher) and a bill on tax reduction and economical benefits for renewable energy companies. All we can say from The Crusader is, carry on with the activity!

[Lumine]

A interview with the President: (I)

Former President Lumine and President Yankee sit down to discuss relevant topics of the week:

Lumine: Mr. President, a pleasure to speak with you today.

Yankee: Great to be with you once again, thanks for having me!

Lumine: I would like to begin with a brief look at the past, particularly given the unprecedented controversy we saw on the last Presidential Elections. Two months in, Mr. President, was the Potomac Agreement the right decision and did it work as intended?

Yankee: Yes, I think it was the right decision as it brought stability and an orderly transition to a chaotic and unfortunate set of circumstances and I think it did work as intended. There were some parts that didn't work as planned because those components rested upon Senate confirmations and one of the confirmations was rejected.

Lumine: Among other situations, the Republic has had four Presidents in less than three months, and an inactivity crisis in the Fremont Region resembling that of the old Pacific. Is Atlasia facing a crisis, or merely specific problems to be solved?

Yankee: I think we had two crisis situations on top of several lingering problems and both of those stemmed from a lack of clarity in constitutions.

We had a Constitutional Crisis created by two back to back ties and conflicting interpretations of the law and the constitution regarding voter requirements. Ironically since this was a carry over text, it wasn't a product of the Con-Con, but a much longer term problem that only know came to light. Laws and Amendments are being worked on and about to proceed to the other chamber or even final completion. I support those efforts in full including the one addressing potential conflicts of interest because it is important that people have faith that everyone will be treated fairly. On that note, I also made a pledge to make sure that Rpryor was succeeded by a Laborite SoFE to restore faith from that side in the elections process. I am grateful to Peebs for taking on that extra responsibility.

Fremont lacked the type of experience that was present in other regional convention bodies when it drafted its constitution and there wasn't the necessary quality review. This meant there were portions that conflicted to a severe degree crippling the elections process, the consequences of which came to a head just when Governor GAworth went inactive.

My first act as President was to sign the "Fremont Reconstruction Act" and immediately appointed Rpryor as the Fremont Commissioner. Elections were scheduled and then held, and those elections produced both a Governor and an active legislature (knock on wood). Secretary of the Interior Truman moved to the region, ran for Governor and presided over the formation and adoption of a new constitution, which has passed the Legislature and is now going to the People.

As President, I have held two IRC meetings with Regional Executives, the first just before those Fremont elections were held and the second on Monday, the day after the Constitution had been passed. As President I am deeply involved in ensuring success in all three regions and promoting/encouraging/supporting Governor/Secretary Truman, Governor Wells and Governor Dfwlibertylover in forming ideas, pushing towards competitive elections for regional legislature and exploiting all opportunities to involve the people of a region in their region's projects.

This includes the North's Renaming Project and also the fact that Fremont is joining with the South in establishing a regional party system separate and apart from the national parties, similar to a system the IDS once had. In fact the idea to bring this back, originated from an interaction with Justice Jbrase in my campaign thread for President, leading to the South adopting it late last year under Governor PiT. It is my view that these will boast competitiveness and provide opportunities for a challenge of ideas even within region that might lean left or right nationally.

As we both know Fremont's predecessor the Pacific had a long history of these events, so what matters is the next step. We have a better constitution there and an active Governor, just like happened in 2014. What is necessary now is to make sure that the Parties and officials are mentoring/encouraging/supporting newer members who are seeking to get started in that Region and also that new ideas are conceived of to spark interest there and it is a topic that I am constantly working on, as I stated above. That is the path to building a sustainable future. Is kind of like domestic nation building. Stopping now would be like clearing a neighborhood in Iraq of insurgents only to leave and let them flood that neighborhood again. There has to be an ongoing effort and a on-going understanding that there needs to be an active base to maintain the progress.

Lastly, one thing that keeps going away in Atlasia is the Press and it is something that is desperately needed. Reviving and maintaining the Atlasia press has to be an area of effort and to that end I have created my Fantasy Elections Board White House thread as a White House Press Office and I hope to give my best Josh Earnest/Sean Spicer impersonation at least a few times a week: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=256020.0

Presently stemming from the last press briefing is a question time for press and public. It is my hope to likewise have a British style question time in the AFG board for members of Congress and cabinet in the very near future. Once the formatting stuff gets worked out, it would my desire to see these held on a regular schedule.

[Lumine]

A interview with the President: (II)

Lumine: Mr. President, I’d like to turn to Administration policy. Clearly the White House has been involved in the debate of issues like food conservation and a new health care system, do you expect to make significant headway in this area while contending with a Labor Congress? And furthermore, what can Atlasia expect in terms of future legislation promoted by the White House?

Yankee: As you know I was in the Senate, well forever, so it is comfortable for me to be hands on and I know what it was like to be blindsided by Presidents in the past, so it very much natural for me to go in and lay out where I stand and request updates on progress. I think a good example of this was the Come out of the Shadows bill and the Clean Coasts and Seas bill. There is room for agreement but we are past due for a biometric entry/exit system and an immediate dead in our tracks ban on fracking is in my view the best Nyman policy that Vladimir Putin can buy. Instead, I detailed an alternative path towards clearner energy production.

My involvement in Senate debates, also means more eyes on bills looking for problems or issues that could arise from legislation, particularly during a challenging economy. Finally, a product of my involvement like with the Hunger bill has meant that we actually had in the most recent meeting with the Governor's, a discussion over how we could better involve the regions in that policy.

On healthcare, you participated in the passage of the 2014 Act, and you can perhaps see some of the same aspects reappearing in the bill we are currently debate. As you will recall one Regional Executive at the time who showed interest in pursuing that bill's regional angle was then Emperor Scott. Senator Scott is of course now the lead Senator on this issue.

It is true that the overall lean of both chambers means that a bill will be more liberal, but I think the basic outline of what I like and want to see is achievable and I have posted: Reform across all areas of healthcare access including the entitlements, Expanded Choice in coverage, a substantial degree of involvement for the regions, and subsidized care for those who need it. Basically, all the fundamentals of the 2014 bill signed by Duke. This time there is the need for further actions beyond the healthcare access issue and therefore bills on technology, medical records, litigation and even education of doctors will be necessary as subsequent steps.

I think we can get a lot done even if at some point it comes down to me locking Scott, Siren, NeverAgain and myself in IRC like Duke did with us, until we can came up something. The biggest delay at this juncture has been getting a feel for the costs of the project.

Lumine: Taking a brief detour into foreign affairs and leaving Russia aside for the moment, I’d like to ask you regarding the United Kingdom and its whole Brexit process, particularly as the idea of a Common Market between Atlasia and the UK has gained steam. Where do you stand on the issue?

Yankee: Well first off, I want to say that foreign policy has been a major focal point since taking office. I have had two NSC meetings on IRC, the first of which included former Presidents Blair and Truman. I would very much like to have more on varied topics including that expanded audience but scheduling when all five/six can be on is difficult, particularly with some being in different time zones. The NSC itself (Chairman Rpryor, Enduro and TedBessell) has met with just me and Acting COS Leinad since then and it is a priority of mine that we can get a complete Foreign Policy Review to Congress next month.

To start with we have a special bond with the United Kingdom and I am devoted to continuing and improving that relationship. As for the Common Market, we have to remember the situation in both countries. We also have to remember that Britain has domestic concerns about an open market and also the complexity of the Brexit process makes entering a similarly complex arrangement, at the same while leaving another, a daunting task. This is doubly so because the political situation is far more complicated especially with the partisan upheavals reported by the Game Moderator.

I think we should seek to obtain a trade arrangement of some sort but I think Parliamentary ratification of the Common Market agreement is unlikely at this point because of the way the situation has transpired. Now it is possible that with intense effort that could change and I certainly plan to engage further and move in a direction that obtains the best result feasible.

Lumine: Moving into constitutional matters, a recent bill known as the Atlasian Timeline Act which, among other things, establishes our current backstory as product of a sudden Communist Chinese invasion and then War of Independence. Concerns over storyline aside, many contend this erases the legacy of 12 years of Atlasia. Do you believe this is a suitable solution as it stands?

Yankee: This was actually brought up during one of our meetings by the sponsor. It is tough issue if for no other reason than it still leaves a rather difficult and complex series of questions relating to the fact that many things were not reset like membership and parties and Presidents. I am the 41st President, Labor and Feds were founded in 2012 and we have members dating back years like Duke, PiT and myself to 2008 and Bgwah, who was continuously registered from early 2004 until December 2016.

I think we need to balance two important priorities in this process. The story line has to be compelling and engaging, but on the other hand it also has to not complicate the game in a way that is counterproductive to that engaging, particularly with newer members.

Lumine: My final question, evidently, can only point to the future. Will be see a President Yankee running for a full term in February?

Yankee: Well is definitely something I am considering heavily and will probably have a final decision and an announcement probably next week.

A lot of the things I ran on, I am in the middle of accomplishing. We are causing interaction between cabinet and President and both and Congress. The activity and involvement of the Vice President serving as Fremont Commissioner, serving as NSC Chairman and as President of Congress, has improved though more progress is needed obviously.

We are involved with regional action/improvements, including direct interactions with Regional Executives and the Federal gov't over policy implications. We are working with Congress on Healthcare, Education bills are in the works as well. Foreign Policy is being reintroduced to Atlasia in a way that I hope is more engaging and more interactive. We going to begin integrating the Game Moderation team into that process so that is fully operational with classified intel and foreign stories/information driving discussions in NSC meetings and leading to policy by the Administration and Congress. Question Time is being brought back in two new forms to boost interaction with the public and among gov't officials once again.

I like that new members are engaging in things like the North Renaming Project and while I still hope to create a recruitment task force, a lot of recruitment has occurred through natural processes during the two month interim as well. It is our responsibility to do everything we can to engage them and energize them properly whether it is through outreach by officials or through the press. In a sense, we need to welcome them into ranks of active Atlasians and give them the support and knowledge necessary to do that.

Thank You President Lumine, both for returning to game and for giving me this opportunity to speak with you and with the people.

Lumine: Thank you for your time, Mr. President.

[Lumine]

Breaking:

Ken Clarke new British PM:

Ken Clarke, Prime Minister at last

New Coalition Government in the UK: Months of political negotiations in the UK have finally reached their end, an unexpected Grand Coalition of the now reunited One Nation Tories and Owen Smith's Labour forming a (barely) majority Government to replace the caretaker government of longtime statesman and patriot Lord Heseltine (the first Lord to become PM since Alec Douglas-home in 1963). This turn of events makes political heavyweight Kenneth "Ken" Clarke, aged 74, Britain's new Prime Minister, the fourth in a few months.

An MP for Rushcliffe since 1970, John Major's popular Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer, and eternal candidate for the Tory Leadership in 1997, 2001, 2005, Clarke was one of the most popular politicians in Britain during the Major and Blair years, yet his hopes for the Premiership appeared crushed after his poor result in the 2005 Leadership Election. But Mr. Clarke has pulled off the most impresive comeback in British politics since Winston Churchill, and is to lead a Coalition Government with Owen Smith as Deputy Prime Minister and Theresa May as Foreign Secretary, a government whose handling of Brexit will be something to watch.

Carry on, Mr. Clarke!

[Blair]

Glorious news, and now Ken Clarke gets to leave the fabled list of best PM's the UK never had. 

[Lumine]

Breaking:

Blair defeats Kent: Labor takes the House:

A new (new) dawn has broken, has it not?

Special Election ends: A special election to determine Siren's successor in the House (and the control of said chamber) ended with little more than 50% turnout, Former President Blair (Lab) besting former Speaker Clark Kent (Fed) with over 63% of the vote, now Representative-Elect Blair proving an interesting skill in terms of crossover vote with the center. His new job as a Congressman and his simultaneous position as Labor Chairman would suggest the former President would not challenge President Yankee in the upcoming Presidential Election, but speculation for said contest has not even started despite the relative proximity of the election. In the meantime, this leaves the Labor Party in control of both chambers of Congress.

A Recall on the Making: A petition has been started by Senator Scott concerning the position of Northern Senator Clyde, who's been inactive a month after taking a LOA without a formal end despite having just voted in the last House Special Election. Over fifteen signatures are calculated as necessary for this recall effort, which if successful would see Governor Mike Wells appoint an Acting Senator while a special election for the seat is held. This would suggest there's little chance of Senate control leaving Labor's hands before March, but if successful it would be an interest event to watch. In The Crusader, in the meantime, we hope Senator Clyde is recovering well.

[Lumine]

Presidential Approval Rating,
 January 2017:

Approve: 68.2%
Disapprove: 22.7%
Undecided: 9.1%

The first month of the Yankee Presidency appears to have recieved a warm welcome from Atlasians, as the latest approval rating poll from The Crusader places the President at almost 70% approval. While no confirmation on whether the President is to run for a second term has been issued, it is to be expected President Yankee would wish for a full term instead of retaining just half a term under the terms of the Potomac Agreement. At the very least, the President would enter with the advantage of being a popular incumbent.

[Lumine]

Presidential Election Special:

The Cast:

Federalist Party:

President Yankee (Fed - Speculative)
Former President Leinad (Fed - Speculative)

Labor Party:

SoFE Peebs (Lab - Announced)
Southern Legislator Santander (Lab - Announced)
Former President Blair (Lab - Speculative)
Former President Truman (Lab - Speculative)
Speaker NeverAgain (Lab - Speculative)

Others:

Southern Governor dfwlibertylover (Fed - Announced as an Independent)
Former Governor Winfield (Ind - Announced as an Independent)

Yes, folks, it's that time of year again! The frenzy of the February 2017 Presidential Election has just begun, and it should be one for the ages. Already we have an unusually high number of candidates running, and if leaks and sources are to be believed, the number is only to rise in the coming hours and days. So let us take a look at the main parties and to those candidates running outside the incumbent Federalists and the challenging Laborites:

The Federalist Party: Now holding the White House after a double-tie against Labor in October 2016, the Federalist Party faces the unenviable task of holding onto the White House despite being outnumbered on the ground by the larger numbers of the Labor Party. All signs point to President Yankee running for a full term and provide the Federalists with the advantage of incumbency and Yankee's high approval ratings, but already a challenger has emerged outside the party: Southern Governor dfwlibertylover, who has apparently declined a potential challenge to the President and decided to run outside the party on "the time for a revolution", platform with a seemingly libertarian tone.

The Governor is expected to appoint a running-mate by Friday, but insiders question the viability of his campaign and whether he'll indeed run outside the Federalist Party. More interesting is the decision by Former President Leinad to leave an announcement open by tomorrow, which, while probably unrelated to the Presidential Election is something to be followed. With Winfield also running (although with a sharper turn to the left than past runs), it remains to be seen if the center-right vote will march united into the February Election. And, of course, there's the question of what if President Yankee surprises us all by not running...

The Labor Party: Unsurprisingly on their role as the challenger, Labor enters this race with a crucial registration advantage and a large bench. Even more than that, with the primary expected to come in the next few days there's talk of an unusually large number of Labor members testing the waters and reaching out to each other, meaning several individuals not yet announced could do so soon. Currently, the field limits itself to SoFE Peebs (who has seen a remarkably impressive rise in the past six months) and Legislator Santander, one of the most colorful figures in the political stage at the moment.

From the side of speculation, sources close to former President Blair appear confident he won't put his hat in the ring barring unforeseen circumstances, speculation which is likely to extend to former President Truman on account of his dedication to Fremont and his now official run for Prime Minister should the next constitution prevail. On the other hand, there's growing talk of a particular officeholder being strongly drafted to run by many of his colleagues, which we cannot confirm nor deny.

Independents and Others: Governor dfwlibertylover aside, the man who appears to have started the presidential speculation was none other than Former Governor Winfield (The Crusader thanks the Governor for that), who announced another Presidential bid of his own as an independent, on a populist platform of his which appears to have moved significantly to the left in terms of economic policy. Atlasia being Atlasia we expect more candidates to run from either the center or the radical left, but so far we haven't picked up on any rumours on this area.

[Lumine]

Breaking:

Betrayal in the Presidential Race?

Was dfwlibertylover's campaign sabotaged?

Our first days in the Presidential Election already come with constant shifts, particularly after the withdrawal of Peebs and dfwlibertylover from the contest. Yet the withdrawal of the Southern Governor was the most dramatic one, hinting at “betrayal” from allies and promising to reveal the true story behind his sudden departure from the race. Sources inside the Federalist and Labor parties have talked to The Crusader, and provided some interesting (if to be confirmed) claims regarding this unexpected situation.

As it stands, it’s being rumoured that the Governor was planning his independent bid as a unity ticket, joining forces with a relevant and respected Laborite as his Vice-President in a joint Federalist-Labor ticket, a VP pick which some identify as none other than Speaker Never Again's running mate Southern Gothic. Furthermore, our sources hint this unity ticket suffered from severe pressure from high figures inside the Labor Party and was eventually sabotaged, leading to the sudden departure of dfwlibertylover’s potential VP and the end of his presidential campaign to what we speculate was indeed the "betrayal" hinted at.

While our sources appear reliable on the sequence of events (and some details we've chosen not to publish as it would be irresponsible), we repeat that this is a breaking story that will need further clarification, but nonetheless one that should deepen the intrigue of the first days of the presidential campaign. Given the sensitive nature of the story and the identities of those involved, The Crusader hopes this issue will be clarified, and once again we thank those who come forward to speak with our journalists on the issues of Atlasia.

[Modernity has failed us]

I have no information to provide, but I hardly think of it as "sabotage" to convince a member of the party to join a ticket with another member of the party, instead of defecting to an Independent ticket that would impede Labor from retaking the Presidency. This is how party politics work. The NeverAgain/Southern Gothic ticket is a strong one, and has a much greater chance of winning than a split field of Independent defectors crowding the ballot and splitting the vote. I applaud Southern Gothic for joining the Labor ticket, and I look forward to supporting the ticket in this month's election.

[Lumine]

A interview with Gov. dfwlibertylover

Questions on the Presidential Race:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Lumine: Governor, it's good to have you here today. I'd like to backtrack a bit from the main issue at the start of this interview. What motivated your run for the Presidency?

DFW: I wanted to run a truly independent campaign based on some of the concerns that I had heard from everyday citizens I met within the South and elsewhere, I also wanted to start a major conversation on foreign policy and out presently somewhat "hawkish" policies in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Lumine: It is interesting to note, though, that this announcement came before it was clear whether the President would be running or not. Would you have run against President Yankee?

DFW: Yes Sir, President Yankee and I talked about it before I ran and although I can't say he was "happy" about my running, he understood the concerns I was bringing up, so I wasn't running so much "against" him but "for" the Atlasian people.

Lumine: It appears this campaign would have been a unity effort of sorts, a Federalist and a Laborite. How was the process of finding your prospective VP?

DFW: My VP choice and I had talked many times previously about running together and initially he seemed very happy to accept this, even saying earlier in the day that we would make a great ticket, we have great "chemistry" together as a ticket and many of our policies line up well, but he was bringing a populist flare while I was bringing a libertarian flare of sorts. It had nothing to do with party and entirely to due with who the person was.

Lumine: Moving into the situation itself, Governor, how was this process you spoke of?

DFW: Initially, Mr. Southern Gothic did indeed express concerns about running as the party leadership of Labor had been "giving him Helsinki" about running with me, a Federalist. However, after a bit of discussion, he did agree to be my VP, which is why I announced a special VP announcement on Friday at 7 PM Eastern in my campaign thread. You will recall at the time that Peebs was also running for the Presidency as a laborite and I assumed she would have her prospective run go well as well. However, Representative Blair, the leader of the Labor Party, did two things in this instant. The first thing was that he pressured Representative Southern Gothic to join up on a ticket with Speaker NeverAgain, despite the fact that Mr. Gothic had already agreed to be on a ticket with me. The second thing was that he asked Peebs to run for President despite the fact that he had already known "weeks in advance" that Speaker NeverAgain was running for President. I find these to be two separate acts of betrayal by the leader of Labor, one against me, the other against Peebs.

Lumine: A fairly strong accusation, Governor, can you sustain these allegations concerning the presidential campaign of the SoFE?

DFW: I would prefer Ms. Peebs give her side of the story on this, but my claims CAN be substantiated by logs I have.

Lumine: Had this not taken place and the ticket run as projected, how do you think you would have performed?

DFW: I believe we really could've won due to the four-way split that was likely to occur in any given case. A dfwlibertylover/Southern Gothic ticket could've taken a sizable chunk of the laborite vote, a large portion of the "moderate" vote, and at least 20% of the Federalist Vote. I believe this is why Labor's party leadership so heavily pressured Representative Southern Gothic to leave the ticket.

Lumine: Well, Governor, what would be your view on the alleged pressure applied to Southern Gothic?

DFW: Representative Southern Gothic cited the fact that he had voted for me for Governor back in November along with the fact that Blair had made numerous promises in the past such as on the Labor platform and the duly noted fact that he had retained being a Representative due to their GOTV effort. You will recall that when Representative Peebs agreed to be Former Senator Tmth's VP, it was viewed as "betrayal" by many in the party. It is unfortunate that this continues to happen, as I'm confident that the Federalist Party would not react in this manner at all, as you can see by Fremont Speaker 1184AZ's support of the NeverAgain/Southern Gothic ticket.

Lumine: Finally, what can Atlasia expect of the future of Governor dfwlibertylover?

DFW: For now, I will focus on my re-election campaign to be Governor of the South, I will be supporting my good friend President North Carolina Yankee in his re-election campaign to be President of Atlasia. I look forward to continuing the conversations on the economy and foreign policy that I tried to start up in my campaign.

Lumine: Governor, thank you for your time.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

DFW: You will recall at the time that Peebs was also running for the Presidency as a laborite and I assumed she would have her prospective run go well as well. However, Representative Blair, the leader of the Labor Party, did two things in this instant. The first thing was that he pressured Representative Southern Gothic to join up on a ticket with Speaker NeverAgain, despite the fact that Mr. Gothic had already agreed to be on a ticket with me. The second thing was that he asked Peebs to run for President despite the fact that he had already known "weeks in advance" that Speaker NeverAgain was running for President. I find these to be two separate acts of betrayal by the leader of Labor, one against me, the other against Peebs.

After learning that Nev wanted to run, I confronted him about it, first on PM, then in my obligatory Presidential channel. Realizing that I'd have no chance against him (but then again, I, fresh off the Fed ticket, got 4 votes against Truman and I didn't even want to win ), I withdrew my candidacy.
After the fact, Blair mentioned that he was receiving PMs that he "'was playing [me] and Never-Again' against each other in the primary- which is hilarious considering that [he] found out about [my] bid last night, and went to bed thinking [I]'d still be a candidate" and that he "was actually looking forward to a competitive primary purely because [he's] a nerd, and [he] wanted to see how it played out."
Also, for the record, I wasn't asked by Blair to run. I announced before he could.

[Blair]

I was going to respond to the news story that had been briefed before, but seeing as the Governor is spreading some rather questionable claims I'll come out and deal with them.

1.) I did not ask Peebs to run for President. I didn't tell her to run, I did not expect her to run. Truman can confirm this, as we discussed her entering the race and talked about how the race would look. We would hardly need to discuss this if I'd already approached her about running.

My Job as Party Chair is to make sure that we had a viable and strong candidate- I was concerned that Never-Again may not be running, so told Peebs that she was one of the people I had listed on our bench to run if Never-Again hadn't run. I spoke to Peebs about this this evening, and she doesn't see it as an act of betrayal at all.

2.) I didn't 'pressure' Southern Gothic into backing out of the ticket. I told him, what I tell every Labor member- 'we can achieve more together, than we can alone' It's the basic foundation of Labor that we're stronger when we work, and support each other. I also said that Never-Again had planned to approach Southern Gothic to be on the ticket, and that I felt it would be better for the game, the party and himself if he ran on a ticket with Never-Again.

I'm the Chair of Labor. It's my job to know what is going on in the party, and work who's running for stuff. The idea that I have some sort of grand master plan in all of this is laughable, because I really don't see how I benefited from asking Peebs to run (which I didn't even do!)

 sure that Labor is in the strongest position going into the election Cycle. People can attack me all they want for making sure that Labor functions.

[Lumine]

For the record we'll be having another interview on the subject later on, stay tuned.

[Lumine]

Labor goes illuminati?

Well, I, for one, welcome our new Illuminati overlords. I'd like to remind them that as a trusted media personality, I can be helpful in rounding others to toil in their underground socialist caves.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Welcome to the brotherhood, Lumine! The New World Order has always made it a priority to control cultivate friendship with the media, and we are pleased to count you among our minions supporters. As a symbol of our gratitude, expect a large check thank-you note by the next post.

In fraternity,

Harry S Truman
Senechaux of the New World Order

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

And yeah, I can confirm that the "Peebspiracy" narrative is a bunch of baloney. I don't know where DFW get's his intel, but that source is either very confused or very dishonest. Neither of us had any idea that Peebs was going to run for president until the moment she made her post in the candidate declaration thread. We were both pretty confused at that point, since Never Again had told both of us he was considering running back in December, but we hadn't heard from him in a while and weren't sure if his recent personal emergency had led to a chain of plans. We ended up concluding that Peebs had the potential to be a strong candidate and that a competitive primary would be good for activity, which is where we left it when Blair logged off yesterday evening. Then Peebs dropped out and I was confused all over again (she can confirm this) until she told me herself that the decision to leave the race had been completely voluntary, at which point I endorsed NeverAgain.

This is the PM I received from Blair after Peebs entered the race (posted with his permission):

She [Peebs] is the type of person who could float through and win- if that makes sense. Is extremely un-partisan/active/served in non-party roles/ran with Tmth. She's so unoffensive that she could somehow win+ or flame out.

Did AZ's poll have DFW as an indie? Something is going on here... Soutern Gothic also told me that DFW wants him to be his running mate, so alarm bells are going off for me but I'm too apathetic to really care about what newbies are doing/have planned over IRC

[windjammer]

Anyway, can federalists start running tickets that do make sensé idéologically? It's so annoying, I offer any laborites the VP seat in order to get his vote.

[Lumine]

A interview with Peebs

Discussions on the Presidential Election and other matters:

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Lumine: Madam Secretary, good night and thanks for joining us. I’d like to begin on a lighter note, if you don’t mind. You’ve had one of the most impressive careers in Atlasia in the last months, now holding two crucial cabinet offices. What do you make of your time in Atlasia thus far?

Peebs: It's been one hell of a ride. I believe I've done a lot of good for the Republic of Atlasia, and I think I can do a lot more.

Lumine: Moving closer into the recent controversy, what was that drew you to this brief Presidential Campaign?

Peebs: The fact that we were on track to nominate Santander, of all people, was what did me in. Otherwise, I wouldn't have run unless asked.

Lumine: Had you continued to run, do you think you could have won a Labor Primary?

Peebs: I wouldn't bet on it. NeverAgain is a solid candidate, and almost certainly more qualified than I am right now. Then again, when I was fresh off the Federalist ticket, I still got four votes for Vice Chair. Now with even more experience, imagine if I actually campaigned.

Lumine: Now, Madam Secretary, I am bound to ask, what do you make of the allegations made by the Southern Governor?

Peebs: While I'm annoyed that NeverAgain hadn't told me that he wanted to run sooner, I respect his decision, and I don't consider his candidacy a betrayal. I must have misinterpreted Blair when he said he was about to ask me to run.

Lumine: Still, Madame Secretary, the talk is of Southern Gothic being pressured to withdraw from the dfwlibertylover campaign, a situation that's been compared to your potential participation in a ticket with a Federalist some time ago. What is your stance on that matter?

Peebs: If he was directly pressured, then that is highly unethical. The most I got while running with Tmth was Blair telling me that I should have told him first. Still, they could have had my head on a silver platter, and yet they didn't.

Lumine: On the same subject, what are your views concerning the current primary process in the Labor Party?

Peebs: I believe that anybody who runs should be allowed on the ballot, hence why I nominated Santander in the October convention thread.

Lumine: Finally, Madam Secretary, after this brief presidential exercise do you have any concrete intentions for the future?

Peebs: Right now, I'll definitely run for re-election. Beyond that, nothing is set in stone. If nobody steps up to run against PiT and dfw, I'll probably run against them. If NeverAgain loses, and NeverAgain runs for President (at least, not in June), then I'll consider running again.

Lumine: Madam Secretary, thank you for your time.

[Lumine]

A interview with Gov. Mike Wells:

Questions on Labor and the North

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Lumine: Governor, so good to join us here today.

Mike: And it's nice to be here as well.

Lumine: I think the first question is evident, given how relevant the job of Governor may be. How would you describe your experience in the office?

Mike: If I were to sum it all up in one word, it would be progress. To my detractors it may seem like I'm not doing much for activity, but the situation in the North has improved drastically under my leadership and the leadership of my good friend R2D2. We have an Assembly that runs smoothly with many active members participating in many substantive policy-oriented debates and constantly improving the North. I started the Governor's Council on Regional Activity and have already put out some ideas that you can be sure I will act on. I've written and signed numerous bills that were aimed at improving our struggling economy. As you can see, I have worked and will continue to work to make progress and improve the region in terms of activity and policy.

Lumine: Do you have any regrets, or decisions that you now think you could or should have done in a different way?

Mike: I have made mistakes and done things I regret, but looking back on my first term as Governor, I believe I have done a lot of good for this region and have no real regrets. However, during my short time as an Assemblyman, I voted for The Regionalization Atlasian Security Act. This bill created a Department of Northern Defense, which to me sounded like a good idea at the time, but if I were to vote on that bill again I would vote against it since I don't see any reason for a region to have their own military.

Lumine: Governor, moving onto the issue of your upcoming reelection campaign, what do you intend to offer in a second term that would be different than your first for the North?

Mike: I can promise that after one term of experience as Governor, my second term will be better than my first term, which was already pretty good. For example, you can see how my bill writing has improved to become more detailed just by comparing the first ever bill I ever wrote and the most recent one I've written in the Northern Assembly Legislation Introduction Thread. Both bills are coincidentally about job creation, infrastructure, and improving the economy. As for the specifics, like I mentioned in my announcement speech, I plan on introducing two very important bills in my second term, one about protecting our veterans and a universal health care bill. I believe both of these bills will improve the health and lives of all citizens in the North, especially marginalized groups such as the poor and working class. And no matter what, I will remain an active voice on Atlasian politics throughout my career.

I also challenge my opponent Kingpoleon to a debate about our different visions for the North. I'm sure we will come to an agreement about the terms of the debate, if little else.

Lumine: And Senator LLR joins us now. Moving onto presidential politics, the subject in everyone's minds, what do both of you make of the latest controversies?

Mike: I initially thought that dfw was perhaps just ticked that his choice for vice president had turned down the offer, but after discussing it with him on IRC and seeing some pieces of evidence, I do realize that there is truth to his claims. However, I do not pretend to know the full story nor will I speculate on things I don’t know. If they are true, it is disturbing. I believe Labor’s response to this was over the top.

LLR: I think everyone acted of their own volition and there wasn't much suspicious about the actions. I certainly feel bad for dfw to have his run ruined, but I'm sure it'll all work out.

Lumine: It seems Labor is set to have a large number of candidates on their upcoming primary. What do you think of the current candidates?

Mike: I believe that Labor has a fantastic slate of candidates up for nomination. I have already made an endorsement of Peebs and LLR, as I believe that they are the best candidates in the race. Never Again and Southern Gothic are also good candidates, but the recent scandals make me question whether Southern Gothic wanted to be on the ticket. I don’t know why Santander is running.

LLR: Well, i'm obviously biased to my own ticket, but Nev will make a fine president, I know that much.

Lumine: Governor, you've decided to invite LLR to be present on this interview, and I believe you have an announcement to make.

Mike: You are correct. I've decided to run for Labor Party Chair with LLR as Labor Party Cochair. We have some ideas for Labor that will be revealed in more detail later, but our main goals are to give Labor a much more populist platform and allow more freedom among members. We believe this will expand and solidify Labor's support.

LLR: Woo yay populism party chair yeahhhh

Lumine: Okay... thank you gentlemen, and best of luck.

[Lumine]

Breaking:

Labor Primary in Progress

Will Speaker NeverAgain prevail?

As the field consolidated in three candidates in SoFE Peebs, Speaker NeverAgain and  Santander, the Labor Party is finally voting for its presidential nominee. So far it has been an interesting race to watch, particularly after the events of the past days (more on that later). Let's take a look at the current vote:

NeverAgain 8 (57%)
Peebs 4 (29%)
Santander 2 (14%)

Despite a strong opening for Peebs NeverAgain takes the lead in the past hours, surpassing 50% in a first ballot. While by no means over, it will take a major effort on behalf of his challengers to defeat the frontrunner to become the next Labor nominee. Polling appears to place the Speaker ahead of President Yankee, so the upcoming election (which is not that far ahead) is becoming more and more interesting.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Just to remind everyone, DFW has publicly said that the situation with Southern Gothic was a misunderstanding, rather than a case of Blair and assorted baddies going full Underwood behind the scenes:

I would like to at this moment apologize to the leadership of the Labor Party, or more specifically Representative Blair2015, for some of the accusations I made in my interview with Mr. Lumine yesterday and elsewhere. I believed at the time that based on the evidence that I had from every possible member involved that something suspicious had occurred. However, I believe that I jumped the gun and let my anger get the best of me in my actions. I believe that the chain of events that took place a couple of days ago were more about a lack of communication between all of the parties involved rather than an intentional act of "game of thrones" in essence. I hope to continue my good friendship with Representative Southern Gothic and to continue to work with everyone involved to make the Southern Region and Atlasia a better place!

DFW made the same error that so many of us have made over the years and assumed the worst before the facts were fully known. It appears to have been an honest mistake, and his explanation ought to be good enough for all of us.

[Lumine]

Just to remind everyone, DFW has publicly said that the situation with Southern Gothic was a misunderstanding, rather than a case of Blair and assorted baddies going full Underwood behind the scenes:

I would like to at this moment apologize to the leadership of the Labor Party, or more specifically Representative Blair2015, for some of the accusations I made in my interview with Mr. Lumine yesterday and elsewhere. I believed at the time that based on the evidence that I had from every possible member involved that something suspicious had occurred. However, I believe that I jumped the gun and let my anger get the best of me in my actions. I believe that the chain of events that took place a couple of days ago were more about a lack of communication between all of the parties involved rather than an intentional act of "game of thrones" in essence. I hope to continue my good friendship with Representative Southern Gothic and to continue to work with everyone involved to make the Southern Region and Atlasia a better place!

DFW made the same error that so many of us have made over the years and assumed the worst before the facts were fully known. It appears to have been an honest mistake, and his explanation ought to be good enough for all of us.

To be fair, I continue to recieved mixed signals about what actually happened by doing research on the situation and hearing from some sources. On the other hand, I set a limit on what exactly I am willing to publish (and some things I've seen and heard I cannot publish).

In any case, I hope the situation hasn't left a bitter taste for any of the players involved.

[Wells]

Just to remind everyone, DFW has publicly said that the situation with Southern Gothic was a misunderstanding, rather than a case of Blair and assorted baddies going full Underwood behind the scenes:

I would like to at this moment apologize to the leadership of the Labor Party, or more specifically Representative Blair2015, for some of the accusations I made in my interview with Mr. Lumine yesterday and elsewhere. I believed at the time that based on the evidence that I had from every possible member involved that something suspicious had occurred. However, I believe that I jumped the gun and let my anger get the best of me in my actions. I believe that the chain of events that took place a couple of days ago were more about a lack of communication between all of the parties involved rather than an intentional act of "game of thrones" in essence. I hope to continue my good friendship with Representative Southern Gothic and to continue to work with everyone involved to make the Southern Region and Atlasia a better place!

DFW made the same error that so many of us have made over the years and assumed the worst before the facts were fully known. It appears to have been an honest mistake, and his explanation ought to be good enough for all of us.

I am aware of dfw's apology, but I'm also aware of his IRC statements and a PM that was sent to him. I won't reveal any more.