A National Tragedy (2011 Terrorist Attack Changes History)

[justW353]

January 13, 2013 - President Clinton announces American forces will pull out of Iran immediately.  Fighting continues in Pakistan; Pakistani troops are focusing mostly on defending their territory from India, and mostly ignoring American troops that flood in from Afghanistan.  Meanwhile, the United States has begun bombing Islamabad.

January 14, 2013 - India threatens nuclear force against Pakistan if they do not surrender.  They say a new government with a strong anti-terrorist stance must be appointed.

January 15, 2013 - Reports say a coup has occurred in Iran.  

January 16, 2013 - CIA officials confirm that an American backed General has taken control of Iran.

January 17, 2013 - 17 days after the disaster in New York, clearing crews begin moving into Manhattan to clear debris.  It has been confirmed the explosion took place on a small container ship docked at Roosevelt Island, which was utterly destroyed in the explosion.  FEMA says that 170,000 bodies have been recovered (very few identified), and more than 500,000 are still missing.

January 18, 2013 - Governor Deval Patrick announces his replacement for Scott Brown; Representative Richard Neal, the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.  Meanwhile, Washington D.C. prepares for the first inauguration since 2008.

[justW353]

January 20, 2013 - President Clinton is inaugurated to her second term as the 45th President of the United States, and Senator Scott Brown is inaugurated to his first term as the 48th Vice President of the United States. 

In her speech, President Clinton presses the need to move forward.

I understand your concerns.  A national tragedy has occurred.  We have lost two great men, men who deserved more than me to stand before you today.  Indeed, President Obama should be here today.  However, unspeakable, unpredictable acts have occurred in our nation.

We will stand tall; we will redeem the safety and security the United States guarantees.  We will return this nation to prosperity, and we will show the world the willpower of the United States and her people once again.

January 21, 2013 - The military General who successfully took over the Iranian government turns the Presidency over to Mir-Hossein Mousavi.  Later that day, all censorship in Iran is lifted, and the full destruction caused by the Israelis is revealed.  President Mousavi estimates that more than a million people were killed in the explosions.  In Ashdod, 80,000 were killed.

January 22, 2013 - President Clinton announces her desired Cabinet.

The Cabinet of President Hillary Rodham Clinton


President:  Hillary Rodham Clinton

Vice President:  Scott Brown

Secretary of State:  John Kerry

Secretary of the Treasury:  Paul Volcker

Secretary of Defense:  Robert Gates

Attorney General:  Eric Holder

Secretary of the Interior:  Brian Schweitzer

Secretary of Agriculture:  Chet Culver

Secretary of Commerce:  Robert Rubin

Secretary of Labor:  Dick Gephardt

Secretary of Health and Human Services:  Kathleen Sebelius

Secretary of Education:  Joel Klein

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development:  Carlos Alvarez

Secretary of Transportation:  Jim Oberstar

Secretary of Energy:  Arnold Schwarzenegger

Secretary of Veteran Affairs:  Wesley Clark

Secretary of Homeland Security:  Raymond Kelly

[justW353]

January 24, 2013 - Pakistan launches several ballistic missiles into India.  They do not have atomic materials, but the damage is catastrophic.  India returns fire, dropping small yield atomic explosives over Karachi and Islamabad.

January 25, 2013 - Indian forces capture Karachi.  President Mousavi of Iran asks to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on neutral ground.

January 26, 2013 - President Mousavi announces that Iran is no longer interested in fighting the United States or Israel, and asks for international relief for their war torn country.

January 27, 2013 - President Clinton calls for Musharraf to surrender and end the bloodshed in Pakistan.

January 28, 2013 - Pakistan launches a full counteroffensive against India, sending more than one million troops into Kashmir.

January 29, 2013 - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says Russia will consider stepping in to assist the United States and India if President Musharraf does not surrender.  Meanwhile Hu Jintao counters, saying that Pakistan has the undying support of China.

[sentinel]

No.  If the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect cannot take office, the Congress votes for their replacements.

I'm gonna start a new TL soon, starting in 1892 and continuing to today.  This was my first TL, and I'm losing interest.  I'm probably gonna speed it up.

I think your vote for a new President was messy and possibly unconstitutional but whatever floats your boat

[justW353]

No.  If the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect cannot take office, the Congress votes for their replacements.

I'm gonna start a new TL soon, starting in 1892 and continuing to today.  This was my first TL, and I'm losing interest.  I'm probably gonna speed it up.

I think your vote for a new President was messy and possibly unconstitutional but whatever floats your boat

It was intentionally messy...I think I made that pretty clear.

Section 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

Section 4. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.

Don't accuse me of not doing me research.

[sentinel]

No.  If the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect cannot take office, the Congress votes for their replacements.

I'm gonna start a new TL soon, starting in 1892 and continuing to today.  This was my first TL, and I'm losing interest.  I'm probably gonna speed it up.

I think your vote for a new President was messy and possibly unconstitutional but whatever floats your boat

It was intentionally messy...I think I made that pretty clear.

Section 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

Section 4. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.

Don't accuse me of not doing me research.

I'm not saying you didn't do the research. My doubts were  that I would have initially thought the House would vote in-bloc for the President if the circumstances arose just as if there is no majority in the electoral college.

Clinton also wins in the House by a plurality, you never said the Democrats got their act together and voted by the majority that they have.

[justW353]

No.  If the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect cannot take office, the Congress votes for their replacements.

I'm gonna start a new TL soon, starting in 1892 and continuing to today.  This was my first TL, and I'm losing interest.  I'm probably gonna speed it up.

I think your vote for a new President was messy and possibly unconstitutional but whatever floats your boat

It was intentionally messy...I think I made that pretty clear.

Section 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

Section 4. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.

Don't accuse me of not doing me research.

I'm not saying you didn't do the research. My doubts were  that I would have initially thought the House would vote in-bloc for the President if the circumstances arose just as if there is no majority in the electoral college.

Clinton also wins in the House by a plurality, you never said the Democrats got their act together and voted by the majority that they have.

The public hates Clinton; and they're gonna hate anyone who votes for her.  The Reps were trying to save their own asses.

[justW353]

Anyone still interested in this?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Anyone still interested in this?

Sure

[Captain Chaos]

Me too

[yougo1000]

I am

[RosettaStoned]

Anyone still interested in this?

Sure

[justW353]

I thought this was done...I hadn't posted in this in more than a month.

[Progressive]

Oh my G*d. I have never read through a timeline with such eagerness before. PLEASE continue.

[justW353]

February 2013

February 3, 2013 - American forces begin facing heavy resistance by Al-Qaeda forces in western Pakistan. 

February 5, 2013 - Indian military officials confirm that American born Al-Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn was captured in a village on the outskirts of Karachi on January 28.  Gadahn, who faces charges of treason, is expected to be transported to the United States to stand trial in the coming weeks.

February 8, 2013 - Indian forces march into Islamabad, an open city.  It is reported that President Musharraf has retreated into the mountains.

February 19, 2013 - President Clinton travels to Dallas, Texas to give a speech about domestic terrorism.  As she leaves the Dallas Convention Center, an angry protester and evangelical, John Carlson, pulled out a gun and fired four shots in quick succession at the President.  Carlson was a Gulf War veteran, and a supporter of John Thune.  It was later revealed he was involved in Texan militia groups.  He was tackled by Secret Service agents, while President Clinton was thrown into the Presidential Limousine.

Once in the car, it was revealed that President Clinton was critically injured.  She had been wounded three times; one bullet traveled through her leg, one traveled through her pancreas and lodged into her liver, and one traveled through her liver.  The President was rushed to Parkland Hospital, where she was immediately rushed to surgery.  After eight hours of surgery, her wounds were sealed.  While President Clinton was in surgery, Vice President Scott Brown was declared Acting President of the United States.

The President was in shock and had lost nearly half of her blood.  After being stabilized she was transferred to the Critical Care Unit.  The President was in and out of consciousness, and was given a 50% survival rate. 

February 20, 2013 - President Clinton's vitals improved and she remained conscious.  She was given a 60% chance of surviving.  However, that night, the wounds on her liver opened up and she began bleeding profusely internally.  She could not be stabilized, and was pronounced dead at 1:21 A.M. on February 21, 2013, of internal hemorrhaging brought on by a gunshot wound.

February 21, 2013 - As Scott Brown was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, the world was in a state of shock.  President Clinton was expected to survive.  Now, in a time of crisis, the Free World had a new leader.

February 27, 2013 - Citing strong evidence of the location of Osama bin-Laden, President Brown ordered a massive offensive on a small unnamed village in the mountains of Pakistan.  The forces that moved on the city faced extreme resistance by Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces. 

The fighting soon ceased with American forces winning.  In the basement of a building in the center of the village, Osama bin-Laden was found, alive.  He emerged from the basement battered and bruised, but very much alive.

At 6:00 P.M., President Brown released a statement announcing the capture of bin-Laden.

February 28, 2013 - Over the past 24 hours, news has spread of bin-Laden's capture.  Al-Qaeda resistance has largely collapsed without their face leader. 

[Progressive]

Not to be a buzzkill, but according to the law, if Capitol Hill is not available for Congressional meetings, the Congress is supposed to meet at Georgetown University, if not there, then GW, if not there then American.

[rbt48]

"It was intentionally messy...I think I made that pretty clear.

Section 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

Section 4. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.

Don't accuse me of not doing me research."

I'm not accusing you of anything.  However, I am not aware of any law that has been passed that allows the House and Senate to elect a new president and vice president when those elected have died before inauguration.  As things stand now, legally, I would expect the Speaker of the House to become Predient and then, under the 25th Amendment, nominate a new Vice President.

[justW353]

"It was intentionally messy...I think I made that pretty clear.

Section 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

Section 4. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.

Don't accuse me of not doing me research."

I'm not accusing you of anything.  However, I am not aware of any law that has been passed that allows the House and Senate to elect a new president and vice president when those elected have died before inauguration.  As things stand now, legally, I would expect the Speaker of the House to become Predient and then, under the 25th Amendment, nominate a new Vice President.

...What?

Um...the Constitution (the first "laws" of the United States) allows the Senate and House to elect the President and Vice President, respectively.

I quoted the Amendment...What is this anyways?

[Niemeyerite]

continue , please!!!!

[rbt48]

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Sorry if I offended you.  My interpretation of those words, "and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified." is that Congress is authorized to pass laws providing for naming a president and vice president.  I am unaware of any such law having been enacted.  And, it would seem that if such a law existed, it might require a majority, not just a plurality, to have a new president/vice president selected.

But, I am really enjoying what you have written.  Make no mistake, it is fantastic and I applaud your insight and originality.

[justW353]

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Sorry if I offended you.  My interpretation of those words, "and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified." is that Congress is authorized to pass laws providing for naming a president and vice president.  I am unaware of any such law having been enacted.  And, it would seem that if such a law existed, it might require a majority, not just a plurality, to have a new president/vice president selected.

But, I am really enjoying what you have written.  Make no mistake, it is fantastic and I applaud your insight and originality.

I didn't understand what you meant.

I'll admit I'm not a constitutional expert.  I interpreted that Amendment as implying that if the P-Elect and VP-Elect had died, Congress would vote on it.

I'm not sure if this TL is going to continue.  As of now, it is indefinitly suspended as I write my "A Dream Fulfilled" timeline.  I might make an update every now and then, but it will only be semi-active.

This was my first TL, and I'm happy with how it turned out.

[rbt48]

Indeed, you should be proud.  Perhaps you have a future in being a published author!

[Thomas D]

Bumped. In case this is about to happen.

[hawkeye59]

Bumped. In case this is about to happen.

We're off by 13 minutes already.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Is the person who wrote this still on the forum?