1980: Carter out of field and onward

[Senator Jefferson John C. Breckinridge Dent IV (D-AL)]

2006 Congressional elections

Democratic Party made a severeal gains in the Senate, yet failed to achieve ultimate goal: 60-seats filibuster proff.

Senate

Democratic Party: 58 seats
Republican Party: 42 seats

Leadership:

President of the Senate: V.P. George Mitchell (D-ME)
President pro tempore: Robert Byrd (D-WV)
Majority Leader: Al Gore (D-TN)
Majority Whip: Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Minority Leader: Mike Enzi (R-WY)
Minority Whip: Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

Full list of the 110th Congress Senators

Alabama:
George Wallace, Jr. (D), Don Siegelman (D)

Alaska:
Ted Stevens (R), Mike Chenault (R)

Arizona:
Jon Kyl (R), John Shagedd (R)

Arkansas:
Mike Huckabee (R), Blanche Lincoln (D)

Connecticut:
Christopher Dodd (D), John Ronwald (R)

California:
Leo McCarthy (D), Barbara Boxer (D)

Delaware:
Joe Biden (D), Mike Castle (R)

Colorado:
Tim Writh (D), Pete Coors (R)

Florida:
Buddy MacKay (D), Bill Nelson (D)

Georgia:
Max Cleland (D), Roy Barnes (D)

Hawaii:
Daniel Inouye (D), Daniel Akaka (D)

Idaho:
Larry Craig (R), Butch Otter (R)

Illinois:
Carol Moseley-Braun (D), Dick Durbin (D)

Indiana:
Dan Quayle (R), Mitch Daniels (R)

Iowa:
Chuck Grassley (R), Tom Harkin (D)

Kansas:
Pat Roberts (R), Sam Brownback (R)

Kentucky:
Jim Bunning (R), Daniel Mongiardo (D)

Louisiana:
John Breaux (D), Mitch Landrieu (D)

Maine:
Olympia Snowe (R), Joe Brennan (D)

Maryland:
Barbara Mikulski (D), Ben Cardin (D)

Massachusetts:
Ted Kennedy (D), Jim McGovern (D)

Michigan:
Carl Levin (D), Debbie Stabenow (D)

Minnesota:
Mark Dayton (D), Arnie Carlson (R)

Mississippi:
Thad Cochran (R), Trent Lott (R)

Missouri:
Kit Bond (R), Mel Carnahan (D)

Nebraska:
Ben Nelson (D), Hal Daub (R)

Nevada:
Harry Reid (D), John Ensign (R)

New York:
Rudy Giuliani (D), Chuck Schumer (D)

New Hampshire:
Steve Merrill (R), Jeanne Shaheen (D)

New Jersey:
Frank Lautenberg (D), Richard Codey (D)

New Mexico:
Pete Domenici (R), Jeff Bingaman (D)

North Carolina:
Elizabeth Dole (R), Heath Shuler (D)

North Dakota
Kent Conrad (D), Byron Dorgan (D)

Ohio
George Voinovich (R), Sherrod Brown (D)

Oklahoma
Don Nickles (R), Tom Coburn (R)

Oregon:
Ron Wyden (D), Barbara Roberts (D)

Pennsylvania:
Arlen Specter (D), Charlie Dent (R)

Rhode Island:
Jack Reed (D), Lincoln Chafee (D)

South Carolina:
Lindsey Graham (R), Jim Hodges (D)

South Dakota:
Larry Pressler (R), John Thune (R)

Tennessee:
Al Gore (D), Lamar Alexander (R)

Texas:
Phil Gramm (R), Tom Poe (R)

Utah:
Robert Foster (R), James V. Hansen (R)

Vermont:
Pat Leahy (D), Howard Dean (D)

Virginia:
Chuch Robb (D), John Warner (R)

Washington:
Jack Metcalf (R), Maria Cantwell (D)

West Virginia
Robert Byrd (D), Jay Rockefeller (D)

Wisconsin:
Russ Feingold (D), Ron Kind (D)

Wyoming:
Mike Enzi (R), John Barrasso (R)
 

House of Representatives

Democratic Party: 261 seats
Republican Party: 173 seats

Speaker: Dick Gephardt (D-MO)
Majority Leader: David Bonior (D-MI)
Majority Whip: John Lewis (D-GA)
Minority Leader: John Boehner (R-OH)
Minority Whip: Tom DeLay (R-TX)

[Northeast Lt. Governor Barnes]

Georgia:
Max Cleland (D), Roy Barnes (D)

Majority Whip: John Lewis (D-GA)

I love it!

[Senator Jefferson John C. Breckinridge Dent IV (D-AL)]

Shorthy after the New Congress convences, Gravel plan to “rule and divide” became endangered with Vice President Mitchell suprise announcment.

I feel really accomplished (reffering of course to his participation in resolving Middle East Crisis). Unfortunatelly, my health is now allowing me to continue a role of the Vice President of the United States. Accordingly, I shall resign soon the position.


Vice President George J. Mitchell

Mitchell indeed has a good medical reasons to step aside: a prostate cancer, treatable but needed a therapy.

Gravel was now on a hot spot. It was not easy to repeat a trick with a placeholder, to force Democratic leaders to work for him in a sake of their future presidential aspirations. This time the President had to choose a Vice President, who would be a possible candidate in future. This would displeased everyone not chosen, ane only one could be chosen. And he was really limited this time to currently powerful Democrats.

Potential list:

Senator Joe Biden of Delaware
Senator Mark Dayton of Minnesota
Senate Majority Leader Al Gore of Tennessee
Speaker Dick Gephardt of Missouri
Secretary of State John Kerry of Massachusetts
Senator Bill Nelson of Florida
Governor Barack Obama of Illinois
Senator Tim Writh of Colorado

As the President commented privately: Why the hell the Vice Presidents are alternating so frequently?

[Senator Jefferson John C. Breckinridge Dent IV (D-AL)]

Natural frontrunner, Al Gore, 58-year old Senate Majority Leader and highly experienced politican. Perhaps closest to Gravel from all mentioned politician, as he served as his deputy in Senate for a number of years. Yet, Gore still was bitter after his 2004 defeat. Senator, who despite moving considerably to the left, remained very popular in his home state, now Republican-leaning. Also, for now, his influence over the Senate may be useful of Gravel, as he’s still in office.



Another Congress master, 66-year old House Speaker Dick Gephardt, who unlike Gore (his chief enemy within the party for many years) did not shared as cordial relationships with the incumbent. Also, he was attacked for simply lacking of flash, not to mention that his DLC roots made him vunerable among party base. Gephardt was regarded as a very good Speaker, yet not a presidential candidate material.



Barack Obama, quite young (45), yet experienced second term Governor of Illinois, who served in the House and as Director for Urban Security in Gregg Administration. He tried to run for President already in 2004, but failed, yet was one of the best known-Democrats, and one of those, who can still stress a relatively fresh face, yet experience, on both domestic and external fields.



Secretary of State John Kerry (62), who has been discussed as a presidential material from many years, was one of the closest cabinet officers to the President and previously a close Senate ally as well. There were his big advantages. However, as he represented a safe Democratic state, there were doubts if he can be good candidate in future elections.



Joe Biden, one of the longest-serving Senators also was on the top of all speculation for years. Althought he failed twice to win a nomination, his experience as well as electoral appeal were useful. Soon, he became a co-frontrunner.



Bill Nelson, a former austronaut and Senator from Florida, who quickly advanced throught the Senate rank and became unofficial Folsom, then Gravel, ambassador to the Blue Dogs. His support would be much needed, yet he seemed to be not really acceatable for the core of the party base.

[Senator Jefferson John C. Breckinridge Dent IV (D-AL)]

Gravel relized that the selection of either Gore or Gephardt as Vice President is potentially dangerous, because in each case he would antagonize one of the party’s wing.

And more than even he needed a party unity, as he was about to propose his own agenda.

Yet, he was aware that picking another caretaker like Mitchell, would be risky move as well.

So, what to do, chose one of the leading Democrats, who would then become leading presidential candidate in 2008? Then the others would lose the hope and thus their relations with the administration would worsen.

As he knew, that there’s no other way, he decided to pick his former Senate deputy, counting that his Senate influence would still help him, even when he move to the Vice Presidency.

The nomination was announced on February 2, two days after Mitchell officially resigned. Speaker Gephardt reportedly went angry and throw a TV in his own office to the wall, after Gravel informed him earlier. I can’t have both of them, worried President told to close aid.

While Gore was eaisly confirmed, the real battle begun after that.


Albert A. Gore (D-TN), 51st Vice President of the United States
April 12, 2007 - present


I’ll make sure the Vice Presidency will be the last office he ever held...

[Senator Jefferson John C. Breckinridge Dent IV (D-AL)]

Less than 2 years to end?

I am talking to myself?

[jbm4pres]

I'm right there with ya chief. Keep it up

[Senator Jefferson John C. Breckinridge Dent IV (D-AL)]

Anyone beside jbm4pres?

[Northeast Lt. Governor Barnes]

I'm reading it intently, too. I just usually don't post comments on timelines.

[SOEA HappyWarrior]

This is an excellent TL.

[Senator Jefferson John C. Breckinridge Dent IV (D-AL)]

President Gravel during a visit to Cleveland, Ohio, with Rep. Dennis Kucinich

Halfway throught his term, President Gravel has a lot reasons for satisfactions. He continued an economy recovery program, set by his tragically deceased predecessor, even expanding it by futher points and investments. By 2007 economy was, due to large crash before and worldwide effect, far from total recovery, yet it was clear situation improved a lot and will continue to improve.

Also, he scored a really huge point (yes not alone and with close cooperations with other governments) in ending of Iranian-Iraqi Second War.

But Gravel seems unsatisfacted, as he always dreamed about his own agenda, once he reach the highest office of the land. For little over first half of his term he had to deal with other urgent problems. Also, now with Vice Presidential change, it became obvious that he could lose a vital, unofficially of course, support from some powerful party leaders.

Yet, in April 2007 President announced that he will now focus on his former pet issue while in Congress: a National Initiative: a project to allow for ballot initiatives at the federal level.

A old man appearing with Gravel on the stage during the announcment was no one than former Vice President Hatfield, who largerly dissapeared from public eyes after his defeat in 1984 presidential race. In Senate, Hatfield was one of the key proposers of such measures, and now he returned to became a head of NI task force.

 
Former Vice President Mark O. Hatfield (R-OR)

[Senator Jefferson John C. Breckinridge Dent IV (D-AL)]

The rest of Gravel term, as he announce in mid-2007 that he will not seek reelection, becoming this the first non-term limited incumbent to do so since Carter in 1980, went under a sing of recovering economy and stabilization in foreign affairs.

Yet, despite his own popularity, things did not went good with National Initiative. Beside Republican leadership, the first to oppose that was no one else than Speaker Gephardt, who raised a topic of “constitutionality”. Before the end of 2007, the project was indeed drafted, but stucked in the Congress, and there were no doubts that nothing can be done in this term.

To save the amendment project for future, Gravel decided to help his new V.P. get elected (as Gore pledged privately to him to push this if he win the election) in first place.


Ready for 2008 race?

[Senator Jefferson John C. Breckinridge Dent IV (D-AL)]

Naturally, everyone widely expected that Vice President Gore would seek the Democratic nomination in a place of retiring inumbent. And indeed, he announced earlier than any future opponent, he nothelessly expected to face. Like during his two previous bid, he declared formally on the Carthage County, Tennessee, courthouse on June 16, 2007.


Vice President Al Gore (D-TN)

It’s now or never, Speaker Gephardt told to his closest aides just before declaring himself, in his Missouri district on July 1, 2007. He played va banque, declaring also he’ll not seek reelection for the House and will also step down as a Speaker in order to pruse presidential bid in August.


Speaker Dick Gephardt (D-MO)

Also in July, Governor Barack Obama of Illinois declined interest in running and quickly endorsed Vice President Gore.

I believe he’s the best prepeared man to continue all the progress which was done in last three years, he said. Obama is now considered as a leading candidate for vice presidential spot.



Next candidate was not a suprise at all: Senator Joe Biden, who succeeded Gore as Majority Leader, outranking formal second-in-command, Whip Dick Durbin.


Senate Majority Leader Joe Biden (D-DE), campaigning in Iowa

Rumored as potential candidate, former Governor of Virginia Mark Warner declined to run, in order to seek a Senate seat of retireing John Warner, and he was favored to make this gain for the Democratic Party. Yet, the field get a darkhorse candidate in his place: his successor in the gubernatorial mansion Tim Kaine, who jumped in the race in late August.


Governor Tim Kaine (D-VA)

September was a very eventful month with joining of three more candidates.

Senator George Wallace Jr. of Alabama, once a close friend and ally to late President Jim Folsom (ironically, fathers of both, Jim Folsom Sr. And George Wallace, served as Alabama Governors, and were allies-turned-opponents) decided to run as a “Folsom Democrat”. Just like his mentor, he was a strange yet so appealing political figure: progressive popular in the Deep South.


Senator George Wallace, Jr. (D-AL)

Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, another appealing candidate: popular in key-Midwest and among Jewish population, satistactinf for the liberal base as well. I’ll do whatever I can to ensure our progressive values would prevail, he said in announcment.


Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI)

And another dark horse: moderate-to-conservative Utah Governor Jim Matheson, who joined in the last day of the month.


Governor Jim Matheson (D-UT)

[Senator Jefferson John C. Breckinridge Dent IV (D-AL)]

The Republican Party still was in a poor condition after 2004 disaster. Thus, many analystyst asumed that a number of potential high-profile candidates would rather stay away and wait until 2012 than take such a risk.

The first candidate to declare was a second-term Governor Sam Brownback of Kansas. Considered a religious conservative, Brownback presented himself as a “true conservative who can win”.


Governor Sam Brownback (R-KS) announcing his bid in Topeka, April 14, 2007.

The next to declare was second-term Governor Mitt Romney of Massachuestts. Elected in both 2002 and 2006, a Democratic years, he represented GOP moderate wing. Generally pro-business, but also pro-choice, more friendly to LGBT rights and accepting much of Democratic reform (such like universal health care), Romney may have a serious problems with the base, yet could turn out, if prevail, to be really appealing candidate in general.


Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA)

Second-term Senator Mike Huckabee from Arkansas became the first lawmaker to join the race (June). He was described both as hard-core social conservative and more liberal economically (thus not “a liberal”).


Senator Mike Huckabee (R-AR)

Jim Douglas, Governor of Vermont and a clear representative of quickly fading “Rockefeller Republican”, announced in the late June.


Governor Jim Douglas (R-VT)

In August crowd was joined by a real political power withing party: Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona, a master of parliamentary procedure and radical conservative.


Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

In September Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado declared as well. He was described, despite holding a strong conservative wiews, as a “single-issue” (ilegal immigration) candidate.


Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO)

Defetaed in landslide in 2006 race, former Pennsylvania Governor Rick Santorum announced his candidacy in September as well, but was quickly wrote-off as a “fringe candidate”.


Former Governor Rick Santorum (R-PA)

And another potential dark-horse in a person of 4-terms, little-known Alaska Congresswoman Sarah Palin, who upset longtime incumbent Don Young in 2000 primaries.


Representative Sarah Palin (R-AK)

The crowd was closed with entry of second-term (since 2003) Governor Charlie Crist of Florida, a maverick, who was advised from behing the scene by John McCain.


Governor Charlie Crist (R-FL)

[Northeast Lt. Governor Barnes]

Things look exciting! The Democratic filed looks very hopeful. Don't know about the Republicans, though, yuk.