Westman Timeline Pt. I

[Dr. Cynic]

Hey... I was off the forum dealing with some personal health issues for the longest time and it's taken me awhile to just come back I need to catch up on the Westman timeline.

[Dr. Cynic]

Well, just re-read through everything that I last left off on.

Insanely fun read!!! Looking forward to what happens with me (Err... Yeah) as well as Westman, Caroline, D'Israeli and others in the future.

[Mechaman]

Well, just re-read through everything that I last left off on.

Insanely fun read!!! Looking forward to what happens with me (Err... Yeah) as well as Westman, Caroline, D'Israeli and others in the future.

Yeah, Watson is one of a very few actual social democratic politicians in the Democratic Party.  In the election he is a strong backer of former Oklahoma Senator and 1980 Vice Presidential candidate Fred Harris, a social democratic Democratic running for the presidency.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I just gotta say, I love the incredibly political changes that have taken place in America. Not just with the list of Presidents, but with all the demographic changes within parties, and all the different parties that came to a head in 1980. I love it!

[Dr. Cynic]

Well, just re-read through everything that I last left off on.

Insanely fun read!!! Looking forward to what happens with me (Err... Yeah) as well as Westman, Caroline, D'Israeli and others in the future.

Yeah, Watson is one of a very few actual social democratic politicians in the Democratic Party.  In the election he is a strong backer of former Oklahoma Senator and 1980 Vice Presidential candidate Fred Harris, a social democratic Democratic running for the presidency.

Seems like if the social democratic Dems go down to the more centristic ones, I wonder what Watson would do. Remember, he is young, handsome, charming, a sex god... Err.. Whoops!!! LOL... But seriously, with my character always having some sort of eye on the future as he did for Americana, do you think he'd bolt the Dems before he went down? So many interesting things going on. Butterflies are everywhere!!!!

[Mechaman]

Well, just re-read through everything that I last left off on.

Insanely fun read!!! Looking forward to what happens with me (Err... Yeah) as well as Westman, Caroline, D'Israeli and others in the future.

Yeah, Watson is one of a very few actual social democratic politicians in the Democratic Party.  In the election he is a strong backer of former Oklahoma Senator and 1980 Vice Presidential candidate Fred Harris, a social democratic Democratic running for the presidency.

Seems like if the social democratic Dems go down to the more centristic ones, I wonder what Watson would do. Remember, he is young, handsome, charming, a sex god... Err.. Whoops!!! LOL... But seriously, with my character always having some sort of eye on the future as he did for Americana, do you think he'd bolt the Dems before he went down? So many interesting things going on. Butterflies are everywhere!!!!

With the Democratic Party under the de facto leadership of Democratic House Leader Jonathan LT Debs, a Kefauver liberal, and Democratic Senate Leader Tobin MacMahon, a Kennedy liberal, the future of the Democratic Party is uncertain.  There are more progressive New Deal type Democrats in the US House but the more centrist "Kennedy liberal" types are in the US Senate.  Due to this difference the two groups often fight over the direction of the party.  There have been a few "compromise tickets" in the past between the two, namely the 1960 ticket of James Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, the 1968 ticket of Robert F. Kennedy and Frank Church, the 1972 ticket of Robert F. Kennedy and Ronald W. Reagan, and the 1976 ticket of Ronald W. Reagan and James Carter.
If you use "social democratic" to mean "New Deal type progressive" or what have you there are probably quite a bit more than I have mentioned.  I meant Watson as a "social democrat" as in he was as left as the average European leftist (in other words he would be as left as Ralph Nader or Dennis Kucinich IRL).  The biggest difference between the "progressive" and "liberal" wings of the Democratic Party is that the "liberal" wing strongly supports free trade, something that many "progressives" are skeptical of.  "Liberals" also are less hesitant to cut government spending but are known to raise a ruckus if conservatives propose cutting back on healthcare, which they argue is "a right, not a privilege".
Actually, healthcare seems to be the biggest rallying issue for Democrats, with more Democrats supporting the funding of the US Public Healthcare System than those who supported Social Security.

[Dr. Cynic]

Well, just re-read through everything that I last left off on.

Insanely fun read!!! Looking forward to what happens with me (Err... Yeah) as well as Westman, Caroline, D'Israeli and others in the future.

Yeah, Watson is one of a very few actual social democratic politicians in the Democratic Party.  In the election he is a strong backer of former Oklahoma Senator and 1980 Vice Presidential candidate Fred Harris, a social democratic Democratic running for the presidency.

Seems like if the social democratic Dems go down to the more centristic ones, I wonder what Watson would do. Remember, he is young, handsome, charming, a sex god... Err.. Whoops!!! LOL... But seriously, with my character always having some sort of eye on the future as he did for Americana, do you think he'd bolt the Dems before he went down? So many interesting things going on. Butterflies are everywhere!!!!

With the Democratic Party under the de facto leadership of Democratic House Leader Jonathan LT Debs, a Kefauver liberal, and Democratic Senate Leader Tobin MacMahon, a Kennedy liberal, the future of the Democratic Party is uncertain.  There are more progressive New Deal type Democrats in the US House but the more centrist "Kennedy liberal" types are in the US Senate.  Due to this difference the two groups often fight over the direction of the party.  There have been a few "compromise tickets" in the past between the two, namely the 1960 ticket of James Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, the 1968 ticket of Robert F. Kennedy and Frank Church, the 1972 ticket of Robert F. Kennedy and Ronald W. Reagan, and the 1976 ticket of Ronald W. Reagan and James Carter.
If you use "social democratic" to mean "New Deal type progressive" or what have you there are probably quite a bit more than I have mentioned.  I meant Watson as a "social democrat" as in he was as left as the average European leftist (in other words he would be as left as Ralph Nader or Dennis Kucinich IRL).  The biggest difference between the "progressive" and "liberal" wings of the Democratic Party is that the "liberal" wing strongly supports free trade, something that many "progressives" are skeptical of.  "Liberals" also are less hesitant to cut government spending but are known to raise a ruckus if conservatives propose cutting back on healthcare, which they argue is "a right, not a privilege".
Actually, healthcare seems to be the biggest rallying issue for Democrats, with more Democrats supporting the funding of the US Public Healthcare System than those who supported Social Security.

Ah ok. Thanks for clearing that one up for me., There are a few variations between this Watson and my real views, but that makes it more fun for me to read. I look forward to the next update.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

How's my man Mattingly doing with the eighties economy?

[Mechaman]

How's my man Mattingly doing with the eighties economy?

Meh a little bit better than he was in the late seventies.
He is helped in the beginning by funding from outside sources like William Westman (who put a significant chunk of his remaining portion to help Mattingly start up his dealership) but also by a demand for more fuel efficient cars after the end of the Persian War.  The Persian War, which the United States intervened in from the late 1950's-early 1970's was a war between the state of Iran and the Persian Socialist Republic that was being supplied by Moscow.  Inevitably the PSR would reign supreme in Iran and as a result they would jack up the price of oil to the United States.  Other Soviet allied states (like Iraq and Turkey) would follow suit leading to a spike in the price of oil.  Inevitably this would benefit dealership owners like Mattingly who based their business around fuel efficient cars more than average dealers.
Mattingly comes awfully close to closing the business in 1982 until the economy starts to turn around in August.........ever since then he's been having record profits.  He has also become more vocal about politics as of late, some speculating he might even make an attempt at running for the US House for his district (MI-02) either as a Constitution, Conservative, or an Independent.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Cool. I find seeing an alternate version of my character really intresting.

[Mechaman]

Coming soon: the new electoral college map (after the 1980 census).

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I like compiling things, and this is as good an excuse as any to bump this thing, so here goes:
Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Losing Tickets, and Electoral Maps 1948-1988

Presidents and Vice-Presidents
34. Thomas Dewey (Republican-New York), January 20th, 1949-January 20th, 1953
     35. Earl Warren (Repubilcan-California) January 20th, 1949-January 20th, 1953
35. Estes  Kefauver (Democrat-Tennessee) January 20th, 1953-January 20th, 1961
     36. James Roosevelt (Democrat-California) January 20th, 1953-January 20th, 1961
36. Charles Percy (Republican-Illinois) January 20th, 1961-February 18th, 1963
     37. Thurston B Morton (Republican-Kentucky) January 20th, 1961-February 18th, 1963
37. Thurston B Morton (Republican-Kentucky) February 18th, 1963-January 20th, 1969
     38. Hiram Fong (Republican-Hawaii) January 20th, 1965-January 20th, 1969
38. Robert F Kennedy (Democrat-New York) January 20th, 1969-May 8th, 1973
     39. George HW Bush (Republican-Connecticut) January 20th, 1969-January 20th, 1973
     40. Ronald W Reagan (Democrat-California) January 20th, 1973-May 8th, 1973
39. Ronald W Reagan (Democrat-California) May 8th, 1973-January 20th, 1981
     41. James E Carter (Democrat-Georgia) January 20th, 1977-January 20th, 1981
40. Phillip M Crane (Constitution/Independent/Conservative-Illinois) January 20th, 1981-?
     42. Senator Jesse Helms (Constitution-North Carolina) January 20th, 1981-October 1st, 1982
     43. Ray Hutchinson (Republican/Conservative-Texas) October 21st, 1982-?

Losing Tickets
1948: President Harry S Truman (D-MO)/Senator Alben W Barkely (D-KY), Governor J Strom Thurmond (SR-SC)/Senator Richard Russell Jr. (SR-GA), Former Vice-President Henry Wallace (P-IA)/Senator Glen Taylor (P-ID)
1952: President Thomas Dewey (R-NY)/Vice-President Earl Warren (R-CA)
1956: Former Governor Harold Stassn (R-MN)/Congressman Hugh Scott (R-PA), Former Governor Herman Talmadge (SR-GA)/Congressman Thomas Werdel (SR-CA)
1960: Vice-President James Roosevelt (D-CA)/Senator John F Kennedy (D-MA), Senator Harry F Byrd (SR-VA)/Governor Orval Faubus (SR-AR)
1964: Senator Mike Monroney (D-OK)/Former Governor John Burroughs (D-NM)
1968: Governor George Romney (R-MI)/Senator Frank Church (D-ID), Governor George Wallace (SR-AL)/Actor John Wayne (SR-CA)
1972: Governor Spiro T Agnew (R-MD)/Former Governor James Rhodes (R-OH), Former Governor Lester Maddox (SR-GA)/Congressman John Jarman (SR-OK)
1976: Former Ambassador to the United Nations Elliot Richardson (R-MA)/Senator Dole (R-KA), Congressman Thomas J Anderson (C-TN)/Congressman John G Schmitz (C-CA)
1980: Senator Beauregard D'Israeli (R-WY)/Congressman Jack Kemp (R-NY), Senator Walter Mondale (D-MN)/Former Senator Fred Harris (D-OK), Senator Jacob Javits (MR-NY)/Senator Robert Stafford (MR-VT), Attorney Edward Clark (L-CA)/Senator Scott Westman (L-MT)
1984: Former Senator Fred Harris (D-OK)/Senator Daniel Lynch (D-MA), Congressman Michael Harrison (R-CA)/Senator Harry Callahan (R-WA)

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Electoral Maps

1948

Thomas E. Dewey (New York)/Earl Warren (California) Republican Party 305 electoral votes 48.12% popular vote
Harry S. Truman (Missouri)/Alben W. Barkley (Kentucky) Democratic Party 176 electoral votes 44.02% popular vote
Strom Thurmond (South Carolina)/Richard Russell Jr. (Georgia) State’s Rights Democratic 50 electoral votes 4.38% popular vote
Henry A. Wallace (Iowa)/Glen Taylor (Idaho) Progressive Party 3.08% popular vote
Other 0.4% popular vote

1952

Estes Kefauver (Kentucky)/James Roosevelt (California) Democratic Party 268 electoral votes 49.24% popular vote
Thomas Dewey (New York)/Earl Warren (California) Republican Party 263 Electoral Votes 49.44% popular vote
Other: 1.34% Popular vote

1956

President Estes Kefauver (Tennessee)/Vice President James Roosevelt (California) Democratic Party 366 Electoral Votes 52.11% popular vote
Former Governor Harold Stassen (Minnesota)/Representative Hugh Scott (Pennsylvania) Republican Party 120 Electoral Votes 43.81% popular vote
Former Governor Herman Talmadge (Georgia)/Representative Thomas Werdel (California) States Rights Party 45 Electoral Votes 3.61% popular vote

1960

US Senator Charles H. Percy (Illinois)/US Senator Thurston B. Morton (Kentucky) 270 Electoral votes 48.52% Popular Vote
US Vice President James Roosevelt (California)/US Senator John F. Kennedy (Massachusetts) 240 Electoral Votes 48.39% Popular Vote
US Senator Harry Byrd (Virginia)/Governor Orval Faubus (Arkansas) State’s Rights Party 27 Electoral Votes 2.65% Popular Vote
Other: .44% Popular Vote

1964
1964 US Presidential Election:

US President Thurston B. Morton (Kentucky)/US Senator Hiram Fong (Hawaii) Republican Party 390 Electoral Votes 55.72% Popular Vote
US Senator Mike Monroney (Oklahoma)/Former Governor John Burroughs (New Mexico) 148 Electoral Votes 42.88% Popular Vote
Other: 1.4% Popular Vote

1968
     -General Election
     

Robert F. Kennedy (New York)/Frank Church (Idaho) 247 Electoral Votes 42.88% Popular Vote
George Romney (Michigan)/George HW Bush (Connecticut) 238 Electoral Votes 43.22% Popular Vote
George C. Wallace (Alabama)/John Wayne 53 Electoral Votes 13.58% Popular Vote(California)
Other: .32% Popular Vote

     -House Election
     

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

1972

President Robert F. Kennedy (New York)/Senator Ronald W. Reagan (California) Democratic Party 425 Electoral Votes 54.10% Popular Vote
Governor Spiro Agnew (Maryland)/Former Governor James Rhodes (Ohio) Republican Party 43 Electoral Votes 29.21% Popular Vote
Former Governor Lester Maddox (Georgia)/John Jarman (Oklahoma) Constitution Party 70 Electoral Votes 15.82% Popular Vote
Other: .87% Popular Vote 1 Electoral Vote*

*An elector in Colorado would cast a vote for the infant Libertarian Party, giving an electoral vote to John Hospers of California and Theodora Nathan of Oregon.  This would make Nathan the first female to receive an electoral vote.

1976

President Ronald Reagan (California)/Vice President James Carter (Georgia) Democratic Party 282 Electoral Votes 44.61% Popular Vote
Elliot Richardson (Massachusetts)/Robert Dole (Kansas) 233 Electoral Votes 44.20% Popular Vote
Representative Thomas Jefferson Anderson (Tennessee)/Representative John G. Schmitz (California) 23 Electoral Votes 9.11% Popular Vote
Other: 2.08% Popular Vote

1980
     -Map One
      

Representative Phil Crane (Illinois)/Senator Jesse Helms (North Carolina) Constitution Party 249 Electoral Votes 30.12% Popular Vote
Senator Beauregard D'Israeli (Wyoming)/Representative Jack Kemp (New York) Republican Party 220 Electoral Votes 31.08% Popular Vote
Senator Walter Mondale (Minnesota)/Former Senator Fred Harris (Oklahoma) Democratic Party 36 Electoral Votes 21.04% Popular Vote
Senator Jacob Javits (New York)/Senator Robert Stafford (Vermont) Moderate Reform Party 33 Electoral Votes 11.56% Popular Vote
Attorney Edward Clark (California)/Senator Scott Westman (Montana) Classic Liberal Party 5.74% Popular Vote
Others=0.46% Popular Vote

     -Map Two
      

Representative Phil Crane (Illinois)/Senator Jesse Helms (North Carolina) 253 Electoral Votes 34.03% Popular Vote
Senator Beauregard D'Israeli (Wyoming)/Representative Jack Kemp (New York) 242 Electoral Votes 33.99% Popular Vote
Senator Walter Mondale (Minnesota)/Former Senator Fred Harris (Oklahoma) 40 Electoral Votes  29.81% Popular Vote
Senator Jacob Javits (New York)/Senator Robert Stafford (Vermont) 3 Electoral Votes 2.17% Popular Vote

     -Map Three
      

Representative Phil Crane (Illinois)/Senator Jesse Helms (South Carolina) 313 Electoral Votes 51.82% Popular Vote
Senator Beauregard D'Israeli (Wyoming)/Representative Jack Kemp (New York) 225 Electoral Votes 47.22% Popular Vote
Other: 0.96% Popular Vote.

1984

President Philip Crane (Conservative-Illinois)/Vice President Ray Hutchison (Conservative-Texas) 48.41% Popular Vote 450 Electoral Votes
Former US Senator Fred Harris (Democratic-Oklahoma)/US Senator Daniel Lynch 32.41% Popular Vote 61 Electoral Votes
US Representative Michael Harrison (Republican-California)/US Senator Harry Callahan (Republican-Washington) 16.03% Popular Vote 27 Electoral Votes
Other: 3.15%

[Mechaman]

Very good.

This will save me some time later on.

[Mechaman]

Hellgate High School, Missoula, Montana
September 11th, 1975:

Scott Westman had just finished teaching class when the principal, Ronald J. Bleiker, Jr., came into the room.
Bleiker: Mister Westman, do you have a moment?
Westman: All the moment in the world hmphy dmpth.
Bleiker: Excuse you?
Westman chuckles.
Westman: I'm sorry, I had to clear my throat.
Bleiker: Sure you did (under breath)asshole.  Sorry, I had something in my throat too.
Westman: Stay classy Ron.  I assume you aren't here for a dick waving contest so what are you here for?
Bleiker: Such professional language and demeanor Scott.  I wonder why the police never saw it.  I mean besides beating up police corporals and all you are a really pleasant guy!
Westman pulls out a tin package and some paper.  He opens the package and pulls out some green substance and rolls it up in the paper before putting it to his lips and smoking it.  He puffs it in Bleiker's face.
Westman: Yeah, I'm a real class act.  You want a puff?
Bleiker gets red faced.  He begins to stammer.
Bleiker: I ought to kick your ass out of this institution right now you immoral degenerate!  Drugs are against the law on these campuses!!!  How dare you!
Westman puffs more smoke into Bleiker's face.
Bleiker: I don't know what's more disgusting: your blatant drug use against not only the rules of this institution and the laws of this state, or your even more blatant romancing of the fine young women of this high school.  You're an adult teacher goddamn it, your place is to teach these ladies, not to bring them with you to the drive-in!
Westman laughs.
Westman: Whatever man.  Free love is free love, I didn't put a gun to their heads.  They consensually agreed to go with me, and last time I checked we were all older than 16 years of age.
Bleiker stammers.
Bleiker: I OUGHT TO FIRE YOUR ASS RIGHT NOW BUT GODDAMN IT YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE HERE WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE IN HISTORY AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE YOU YOU LUCKY MOTHERF***ER!
Westman laughs even harder.
Westman: That's right prude.  You better remember your place because in a few years from now your job could be mine!  God knows I could use the Principal's Office for more comfortable purposes than you could.
Bleiker, red faced, swipes his hand across Westman's desk knocking over a paperweight and a bobblehead of Jimmy Nissan, the pitcher for the Seattle Chuckers.  He then stomps out of Westman's classroom redfaced.
Westman: Ha, noob.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Whatever happened to former Vice-President Bush? Maybe a run for Governor or Senator or a diplomatic appointment?

[Mechaman]

Whatever happened to former Vice-President Bush? Maybe a run for Governor or Senator or a diplomatic appointment?

Meh he served as the Ambassador to Great Britain some time in the 70's.

[Mechaman]

June 26th, 1984
Westman Estate
Flathead Lake, Montana

Maine Representative Thad O'Connor approached the large split level log cabin style mansion owned by Scott Westman located on the shores of Flathead Lake, Montana.  Despite the presence of many mountains in the background he felt at home near the expanse of the large lake.  Having grown up in rural Maine he with the constant closeness to lakes and other bodies of water he felt at peace being near the lakes.
Great great choice of residence Scott, he thought.
It wasn't really common for two men of their stature to be hanging out.  Scott Westman, the prominent, confrontational former Democratic Senator from mountainous Montana, and Thad O'Connor the quiet, non-confrontational current Republican Representative from Maine's 2nd Congressional district.  Since Scott had moved back to Montana after losing re-election to the US Senate in 1982 he and Thad talked less often.  In fact Westman's schedule since he was booted out of office was so burdensome that the two men hadn't talked in months.  This was mostly due to Westman's marriage to Caroline Kennedy in mid 1983 that ended up taking a lot of his personal time.  In the words of his friend Carl Herschelwitz: "To Scott Westman there are two women in his life: Caroline Westman and women who are not Caroline Westman."
Another problem that had plagued Westman as of late was the custody hearing over his son Patrick Hennigan, his son with his former flame Laura Hennigan.  He and Laura had a good relationship......or so he thought.  Almost immediately after he and Caroline had married Laura Hennigan's lawyer showed up at Westman's estate with papers for Westman.  Westman, not wanting to give away his parental rights as Patrick's father, would fight the custody suit for all of his worth.  Deep down inside Westman couldn't help but wonder if Laura's sudden suit had more to do with her jealousy over Caroline than his presence as Patrick's father.  He had never really been the most present father in Patrick's life, but he hadn't really ever been present in Brea's early life either.  It was just a sad fact of life that man of his profession would rarely get to see his children.  If he could have it any other way he would've been there for every birthday and every baseball game of Patricks, Laura knows that.  It just seemed so heartless for her to pick this time of all times to strip Westman of his (so far) only son, and god knows sons are a rarity within the Westman family!
Add on top of that Westman's current gambit for the Montana Governorship after a brutal Democratic Primary against current Democratic US Senator Max Baucus (who would be out of a job in November, something that Westman won't lament) Westman's life was pretty hectic as is.
Thad O'Connor had been pretty busy as well.  Over the past few years or so he has been attacked for his status as a single politician with the moralist brigade claiming he was either a chronic womanizer or a homosexual.  And then there were the visits to the William Westman Rehab Clinic in Schenectady, New York, a clinic founded in 1947 by the late US Senator and Secretary of Commerce William Westman (Scott's grandfather), a former alcoholic himself, to help those struggling with alcoholism.  Thad knew that at the dinners that Scott had with President Crane the two often had alcoholic beverages: Scott had his Irish beers and Crane had wine from the wineries of Virginia.  The press had a field day with the two of them, Westman, the radical liberal (in the traditional sense of the word not like the New Dealers who hijacked his party) Democrat and Phil Crane, the conservative Independent, dining at the same dinner table with their wives laughing off the matters of the day with a few brewskies!  Though neither of those two men seemed to let alcohol be as destructive to them as it did to Thad.
He knew that by coming here he probably put him at risk as Westman would most likely be holding a Killiken Irish Red Beer.  That was the one thing about Westman: he was almost Nazi like when he talked about beers.  His strong strong preference of Irish beers (especially the Irish Red beers) sounded a lot like Hitler talking about the "Aryan Race".  His utter contempt for "lite" beer (which was what Thad drank most of the time due to the low amount of carbs), which he called "piss beer", bordered on Hitlerian.  Thad could bet his dead aunt's grand fortune (that didn't really exist) that two minutes into his conversation with Westman he would rant and rave about how much American lite beers are the scum of the earth and of society and if Scott was a dictator he would ban them while requiring college cafeterias to stock their beverage sections with nothing but "mick beer" and how he would call for the execution of anybody who drank "piss beer".
He could control his impulses, he could control them.
Thad reaches the front door and knocks on it.
Female voice: Just a minute!
Huh?  That doesn't sound like Caroline.  Or Brea.  I wonder....no it can't be!
The door opens to reveal a gorgeous 5'10" Asian looking redhead.  It took Thad ten seconds to remember that Scott Westman had a younger sister.
Nora: Hey Thad, you here for Scott?
Thad stood there for a few seconds, obviously distracted.  He had forgotten about how gorgeous of a woman Nora Westman was.  It had been years since he last saw her and it seemed that with the passage of time she had only gotten more beautiful.  She looked a little different from Scott: same red hair and pale skin, but a lot more oriental looking face.  It was a very cute mix.
Nora giggles.
Nora: Distracted much?
Thad stammers.
O'Connor: No, not at all dear.
Nora giggles again before taking Thad's arm.
Nora: I had no idea we were that far in our relationship Thad. (giggles) Well come this way, honeybear.
Oh this is torture, Thad thought.  He forgot how flirtatious Nora Westman was.  Last time he hung out with Scott Westman with his sister in tow (November 1979?) she was wearing some tight gold leather pants and a long sleeve button up black shirt.  They are watching a movie at Westman's place in DC.  Thad offers her a seat on the loveseat, she decides to sit on a different love seat.  It was hard for Thad to keep focused on Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Nora walks him upstairs into a large open panoramic room with reinforced glass window walls going out to a view of the surrounding lake and mountains.  Thad heard from somewhere that this room alone cost Westman around $282,000, which is at least seven times as much as Thad's lake house back in Maine (which is admittedly quite a small place to begin with).  But when one considers that the room takes up the entirety of the fourth floor and everything from the TV to the lights to the refrigerator and even the f***ing roof are remote controlled, it seems like a bargain.  Yes, Westman had somehow convinced whoever was building the house to include a retractable dome cover over a glass roof!
Many would like to accuse Scott of living off of his late grandfather's wealth, but Thad knew better.  He knew that Westman's ability to buy such an expensive mansion was not due to his own inheritance, but rather his ability to play the stock market.  In the early seventies (1971 and 1972) Scott had bought a lot of stock with his meager earnings from various college jobs.  Those stocks later sold in early 1980 for 125 MILLION DOLLARS.  How Scott Westman managed to earn that much money in an economic downturn still amazes Thad.  Overnight Scott Westman went from a somewhat well off person to being on the cover of Fortune 500 and Forbes due to his uncanny ability to gauge the stock market.  This estate probably cost him more money than most people will ever see in their entire lives.  Something that class warfare politicians in Westman's own party greatly lamented.  Nevermind that out of the 125 million that Westman earned he gave away all but 50 million to various charitable organizations.
It was kind of ironic how, one of the foremost leaders of the counter culture of the early seventies, had overnight become a symbol of excess and greed amongst the far left.
Ironic, indeed.
Thad and Nora walk over to the far side of the room where Scott is watching something on TV.  Scott picks up a remote controla and presses a button that retracts the wood paneling on the walls to reveal the window wall of the surrounding landscape and the dome roof retracts allowing sunlight to get into the room.
Quite breathtaking.
Thad approaches Westman and is surprised to see him really tan.  Nora sits down with him as he sees Westman open a mini refrigerator with a bottle of Blackheart Rum and pours himself a drink.
Westman: Good to see you again Thad.  You want some of the hard stuff this time, piss drinker?
O'Connor: Well it's good to see you too Scott.

(more to come)

[#CriminalizeSobriety]

Fantastic stuff, as always. Good to see this is still around.

[Mechaman]

Warning: next entry could be pretty icky for those of you who have aversions to cocaine use and semi-incest.  For what it's worth it won't be overkill this time.
(cont.)

Thad relaxed on the couch next to Nora Westman.  As he was resting Nora picked up his left arm and then snuggled into his shoulder.  She stares at Thad for a few seconds and then she leans in and gives him a ten second kiss.  After the kiss she leans onto his shoulder.

Nora: (whisper) I missed you, my love.
O'Connor: That's a very warm greeting to get from you young lady.
Nora takes O'Connor's hand and holds it, interlocking her fingers with his.
Well, looks like I might have a pretty warm bed tonight.........
Westman pours himself another glass of Blackhearts.  He takes a small sip before looking back at O'Connor.
Westman: Anyway Thad, let's get down to business.
O'Connor: Business?  I thought I was here for (looks down at Nora) pleasure.
Nora play slaps him across the face.
Westman: There's always pleasure here, especially when Nora's around.  She's a sweet little thing isn't she?
Oh right, that's just a little creepy Scott.  He had heard rumors that Scott Westman and his sister developed romantic feelings for each other after his first wife's passing.  He first heard the rumor in 1972 from a friend of his who was campaigning for Kennedy/Reagan.  He remembers the day quite well:

September 11th, 1972
Portland, Maine
Ronald Riecker's house:

Thad O'Connor, a veteran of the Persian War, is over at his friend Ronald Riecker's house.  The two had spent the past two hours smoking some bud.  O'Connor, thoroughly impressed with the bud had to ask:
O'Connor: So, where'd you find this sweet weed?
Riecker chuckles.
Riecker: Montana man.  The great Rocky Mountain outdoors man.  100% pure Missoula Romulan Candy man.
O'Connor: No sh*t?
Riecker: Yep, and you won't believe who gave me it either man.  You know about that one fellow, guy who keeps getting thrown into jail for beating the hell out of police officers at anti-war rallies and wearing t-shirts that say FUCK THE WAR on them?  Skoot Wastemun?
O'Connor: Scott Westman?
Riecker: Oh yeah, that's his name.  I couldn't really remember because he has like some kind of weird accent that's like Scottish meets Canadian or something.
O'Connor: Huh interesting.  You do know that his grandfather was a pretty famous Senator from New York right?
Riecker: Really man?  I just thought he was some hippie who never got a hair cut who hates war and loves his sister a little too much.
O'Connor: Wait a minute.....what?
Riecker: I guess it must be a Montana thing or something man but his sister was layin all over him just kissin his neck and stuff man.  N' they were both high as a kite.  They had to be takin' some serious sh*t man.  Like maybe White China or somethin like that.  I just know that one minute I'm talkin' to these two really chill people and the next they are into some pretty heavy petting with each other.  Like I said they probably took some real quality sh*t and started feeling freaky.  It just weirded me out man, they seriously looked like a couple of people about to do the naked rub.
O'Connor: Meh, hippies.  I guess nothing is too radical for some of them.  Why go across the street when you can go down the hall?
Both men laugh.
Riecker: He's a pretty cool guy actually, and his sister is one sweet flower girl.  I would definitely like to party with them all night man.

Back to the present:
Thad: Meh, you guys seem to be in a chipper mood.
Westman: Oh we just in a higher state of enlightenment right now you know?
Nora: Totally man.  Just going with the rays and the bees in the flow.
Westman then picks up a dossier from under the couch and puts it on the table between him and O'Connor.
Westman: Time for the business friend.
O'Connor: You think you can seriously talk about government related work when you're this buzzed?
Westman: Oh it's just super easy my friend.  You see when I was still with the big boys I was planning on having a bill that would make information easier for the little boys.
O'Connor: Okay.....WHAT!?  ARE YOU SMOKING?
Westman: Oh that's a bad way?  I'm sorry massa let me explain it a little better this time: you know what the interweb is?
O'Connor thought for a second before he finally got it: HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL COMPUTER NETWORK!  ICN was first developed by the military sometime in the mid 1960's to help with better communications between Langley and field ops in Asia.  Since the end of the Soviet Union the military had been using it mostly for "humanitarian rescue missions" for the Freedom Corps.
He had an idea of where Scott Westman was going with this.
O'Connor: Are you suggesting-
Westman: somebody proposed a bill that would legalize the usage of the ICN for non-military purposes.  Can you imagine how much efficiency can be created if somebody got something like this passed?
O'Connor: Of course, but in your enlightened state you forgot a few things.  Care to guess?
Westman: Okay what?
O'Connor: Okay first off you do realize there is something called a profit motive right?
Westman: Um yeah why do you think I get in too many fights with the progressives again?
O'Connor: Um right, well if we are going to just legalize the internet there is going to be a demand for private enterprise.  There is no way we could get away with legalizing the net but keeping it under military control.  We would ultimately end up surrendering quite a bit of space to private companies that will probably sell internet usage to people like phone service is charged.  Secondly, isn't it a bit rash for us to adopt something that's never been tried before?  As we speak there are no states that have signed any pro-ICN bill, perhaps a test in a fast growing tech state, like Washington or Montana, would be a good practice stage?
Westman: Why that's just genius man!  I'll put that into my platform plank: ICN use for every Montana school child and parent!
O'Connor: Good luck explaining this "series of tubes" bull.  It'll just go over everybody's head.

Four Hours Later:

Westman: Well Thad, it's getting a little late and I think me and Nora need to catch some Z's.
O'Connor: Come on, it's like 9:30.
Westman: Yeah we're going to need like a lot of rest for tomorrow.
O'Connor: Hey, where's Caroline?
Westman: Visiting the folks in Mass.  We got a guest bedroom set up for you on the first floor just in case a bear comes in it will eat you up first.
O'Connor: Meh, cool.

Later that night:

Thad O'Connor is trying to get to sleep but can't.  It's too damn quiet out here.
He gets out of bed and heads for the refrigerator to find a beer to calm him down.  He finds one, a Killian's Irish Red, and takes it with him as he walks back to his room.  On his way back he hears some giggling coming from the higher levels.  He goes up to the second floor and doesn't find anything happening.  Then he notices a light on on the third floor.  He goes up to the third floor and walks out into the big room to see Scott and Nora Westman, wearing nothing but silk bathrobes, sniffing what looked like cocaine off of a metal plate.  After five minutes Scott collapses on the couch he was resting earlier as Nora collapses on top of him.  He then witnesses Scott putting his arms around Nora from behind as she twists her head  towards him and then she begins to kiss him for no less than a minute and a half.
Oh my god, that is not normal.  O'Connor gets a disturbing vomit taste in his throat and runs down to a restroom on the second story and throws up in the toilet.  Afterward he went to bed with a lot on his mind.

Maybe when he wakes up he'll realize it was all a dream..........

[Mechaman]

The Next Morning:

Brrng!  Brrng!:
Thad wakes up to the sound of a telephone going off in the distance.  As he regains consciousness he hears the answering machine pick it up.
Answering Machine: Hello this is Thad O'Connor's answering machine.  i am not available at the moment so please leave a message.
*Brrp*
Voice on the Machine: Thad!  Thad!  Are you still alive?  Well if you are please call me.
It's Scott!  Wait a minute that means....
Thad gets the sleep out of his eyes, looks around and then notices that he awoke in his small house on the outskirts of Bangor, Maine.
Oh sh*t oh sh*t.  I f***ing blew it.
He remembered what really happened last night: he drank himself into a stupor and then he passed out HARD.  He failed his sobriety big time and he ended up missing his flight to Missoula this morning at 7:30 AM.
Then he looked over to his digital watch and noticed something:
8:11:22 June 27th, 1984
My God, did I just get myself into a 33 hour alcohol induced coma?
It was then that he knew he couldn't afford to go to Scott's place.  For his own sake he had to stay in Maine until he got himself rehabilitated.
It was just his kind of luck that this sh*t started happening to him in a re-election year.  Even in Maine-02, one of the most Republican districts in the nation, stuff like this could end somebody.
He just hoped he got it under control soon lest the citizens of Maine put him on unemployment.
He dials a number.
Westman: Yes this is Scott Westman how may I help you?
O'Connor: Hey man this is Thad.  I won't be able to make it.
Westman: Oh man, you go overboard again?
O'Connor: Yes, I think I went through two cases of Miller Lite.
Westman: Damn son, you could've at least overdosed on something other than piss beer.  Anyway I hope you get better soon.
O'Connor: Hey Scott, have you seen Nora lately?
Westman chuckles.
Westman: Buddy, I haven't talked to my sister since last February.  That girl is so screwed up right now, with that demon Coke.  I'm so glad I gave it up years ago.
O'Connor lets out a huge sigh of relief.
Westman: Why do you ask?
O'Connor: Oh nothing really, just wondering if she would be in the area.....
Westman: Oh right.  Let it go Thad.  She's way too f***ed up right now, even for a piss addict like yourself.  Good day friend.
O'Connor: Good day.
Whoa, it really was a dream.  I just hope his house is as cool in real life....meh, probably not.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

You see me now a veteran...of a thousand Persian Wars...

[Mechaman]

Political idiom:

"going west", "went west", etc. An expression meaning a well favored politician's sudden demise in a political race due to factors beyond their control. ex: Michael Floria's mayoral bid went west after that freak hurricane hit Miami.  The idiom gets it's namesake from Scott Westman, whose campaign slogan was "go west" during the 1982 US Senate race in Montana.  The day before the race Westman was still widely considered to pull off a victory due to his aggressive campaigning throughout the state.  On the day of Election, however, a vicious blizzard would prevent thousands of Democratic voters from going to the voting booth and allowing David Walters, a third party conservative, claim the upset victory.

[Mechaman]

Character Bio

Name: Brooke Aine Westman
Birth: August 7th, 1938 in New York City, New York
Death: November 11th, 1959 in Miami, Florida (age 21)
Family: Daughter of William and Anne Westman
Political Identification: Democratic
Profession: Female pop singer from 1955-1959 (her death).
Claim to fame: a number of hit singles, namely "Diamond of Your Eyes" released in September 1958 that stayed in number one for two weeks.  Also famous for her tour with Elvis Presley for two months from May-July 1959.  Would release another #1 chart single, this time a duet with Frank Sinatra, called "The Rhythm of Love" that would stay in #1 for a week and stay in the top ten for almost a year.
Languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish, and some Irish
Ethnic Makeup: 1/4 Dutch, 1/4 English, 1/2 Irish
Religion: Unitarian
Education: Elementary and Middle schooling done in various Seminaries in New York State, High School education done at Westminster School for Women in London, England.  No College.
Notes:
Born into a family of privilege, Brooke Aine Westman had many chances at a bright future.  By the age of 6 she knew she wanted to be a singer when she grew up.  An accomplished Violinist in her own right, by the age of 14 she had wowed the London crowds that came to see her perform at the opera houses.  By age 16 she had caught the eye of American record producer Robert L. Beaman who approached her father, then US Ambassador to Great Britain, about the possibility of a record deal.  After a few strong refusals from William Westman ("I do not want my daughter singing with some reefer addicts!") Mr. Beaman convinced the elder Westman to let his daughter go promising to give her 30% of the royalties to each song.  Brooke Westman would become an instant hit back home in the US, generating over a dozen pop singles and touring with greats like Chuck Berry, Tony Valentine, Marcus J. Wooham, Elvis Presley, June Carter, and Frank Sinatra.  She also was quite gifted at songwriting, having wrote most of her songs (in a time when songwriting was done mostly by writers hired by studio execs).  In addition to her legendary vocal talent she was a note worthy violinist, playing a few of her well known songs (like the aforementioned "Diamond of Your Eyes") with her signature gold string violin.
However, like a lot of musicians of her time, the lifestyle of Brooke Westman wasn't one of clean and sober living.  Beginning in 1956 she began experimenting with pills and opiates.  Her abuse of these drugs would become legendary, with fellow singer June Carter claiming "sometimes she would forget what venue she was at or talk about how the "Outsiders" were screwing with her head".  Brooke Westman, once an ideal picture of the woman of the 1950's, would lose her high class image she had her first three years in the business and would by 1958 take upon the appearance of an artsy gypsy who preferred wearing morose loose fitting black gothic blouses with tight blue men jeans.  Her appearance would very much bely her real life codependency on the drugs that had slowly devoured her nature.  Her fashion style the last two years would become very popular amongst ladies of the counter culture of the 50's as Beatniks, previously turned off by her "prim and proper" appearance would line up in droves to buy her records.
During her time touring she met her half brother Daniel Westman in Montana and became very close to his children Scott and Lenore Westman.  Often she would write poems of love for her niece and nephew for Christmas, as a symbol of the pain she held in her heart for being so long separated from her family.
Inevitably Brooke Westman's out of control lifestyle of non-stop opiate abuse with prescription narcotics would take it's toll.  While in Miami, Florida her friend Bryan Adams Jennings would introduce her to a "new cool drug" called "cocaine".  The power of the new drug, combined with her previous intoxication to pills and other opiates, would ultimately cost her life.  Brooke Westman, one of a few women music pioneers of the 1950's, would die at the young age of 21, a tragic victim of the tumultuous and treacherous road of the American musician.