President Robert Demetrius Burke (2001-2005 and 2009-2013) (D-WA)
Robert Demetrius Burke, colloquially known as Bobby Burke, or RDB was born on April 4th 1962 in Sandpoint, Idaho. His father was a prominent lawyer, while his mother was a schoolteacher. He was, by right of his father, a member of the famous Burke political dynasty in Idaho, a Democratic dynasty and political machine that counted Senator Kenneth Leon Burke Jr (born 1917, the head of the dynasty, think a mix between Robert Byrd and Frank Church with a dash of Huey Long thrown in) and Governor Leroy LeColin Burke (born 1930, a former representative and lieutenant governor who succeeds Cecil Andrus as Governor in 1977 and serves ten years) as its most prominent members. Bobby Burke worked at his uncle's sporting goods store starting at the age of six and frequented Grange meetings and dances as a kid. He was often described by his teachers and peers as a withdrawn and hard-hearted, yet charismatic and persuasive, and outgoing amongst his friends. Bobby Burke lived in Sandpoint until the age of ten, when he moved to Vancouver, Washington as his father wished to start a law practice. It was there, that he met his best friend and future Speaker of the House of Representatives, the half-japanese, half-italian, Tony Hashimura, who was one year his elder.
Burke, despite graduating from high school in 1980 as valedictorian, rejected and offer from Harvard and joined the Marines, wishing to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, a decorated combat veteran of the Pacific Theater. Burke was deployed to Grenada, Lebanon and West Germany throughout the 1980's, eventually attaining the rank of captain. Burke, would be badly wounded in the Invasion of Panama, losing his left eye, two fingers and partial paralysis in his left leg, gaining the Medal of Honor for rescuing five wounded servicemen in the middle of firefight with Panamanian troops despite being wounded himself, loosing the two fingers in the process. After being discharged form the army, Burke was honorably discharged and returned home in February 1990.
Inspired by his grandfather and Tony Hashimura (who had just won election to the House of Representatives the year prior to succeed Mike Lowry in Washington's 7th Congressional District to become the Baby of the House at age 28), Burke ran for election to the House in Washington's 3rd district to replace retiring representative Don Bonker (who ran for one more term ITTL), easily winning thanks to Burke's strategy (a strategy that he would come to master) of appealing to New Deal Liberals, Reagan Democrats and Neoliberals all at once. Burke would become a well known fixture of House debates due to his gruff demeanor, characteristic eyepatch, friendship with a certain independent representative from Vermont, social liberalism (uncharacteristic of someone of both his district and upbringing) and his fusion of left populist and neoliberal economics that had defined his families dynasty back in Idaho. It was during his first term that he would meet Elizabeth Doyle, a staffer for Pennsylvania Senator Harris Wofford. A courtship ensued and, after reporting the nature of their relationship to the House Ethics Committee, Burke married her in January 1994, a bright spot in a year of struggle and catastrophe for the Burke family. They would have three boys, Robert Demetrius Burke Jr. (Born 1994) a future US representative, Anthony Warner Burke (Born 1996) a future Navy SEAL and Jackson Crawford Burke (Born 1999) an aspiring political science professor at the University of Washington.
The Republican Revolution of 1994 broke the Burke Dynasty's grip over Idahoan politics, This was a long time in the making, as despite the Burke family's control over local governments, on a national and state level, Republicans tightened their grip on Idaho. This all came to a head when Kenneth Burke Jr. was up for election in 1994. Having been in the Senate since 1952, Kenneth Burke Jr. was a near legend nationally and was renown for his bipartisan appeal and friendships as well as his firm, brutally honest nature. However, Kenneth Burke Jr had become increasingly seen as no longer the crusader he used to be and drew the ire of those looking for Congressional term limits. Kenneth Burke Jr knew the odds were against him, but he was not going to go out quietly. He rallied the strength and energy of a man 30 years younger and campaigned across the state, announcing that he was running for his final term, and adopting more conservative economic positions. With these efforts Kenneth Burke Jr was neck and neck with his Republican challenger, but a tragedy would strike that would shake up the race when Leroy Burke died in a car crash three days before the election. Leroys death gave Kenneth just enough sympathy votes to win by 42 votes. Leroy's death was the last gasp of a political machine that had lasted almost half a century and Kenneth knew the last of its energy had been spent in the election. Kenneth would retire after the end of his term in 2001 and would die of colon cancer five years later. Bobby was not immune to the collapse of his dynasty either, as he had a very close election that same year due to his votes against DOMA and Don't Ask Don't Tell, as well as his vote for the Clinton healthcare plan angering many rural voters, who had swept out many Democrats statewide. With this Bobby announced he would not be seeking reelection in 1996.
Bobby's fortunes would turn however, when Mike Lowry announced he would not be running for reelection as Washington's governor in 1996. Announcing he would only serve one term, Bobby would easily win the primary and the general election, becoming the youngest ever Washington governor at the age of 34. Burke's administration of the state would be rather nondescript , but competent and other antonyms of corrupt, with Burke raising his national profile due to his efforts to create a system similar to the Alaska Permanent Fund in Washington by using taxes raised from logging and land exploitation, succeeding and creating the Washington Environmental Fund that distributed a UBI to Washington State citizens (much lower than Alaskas, think in the $500-$800 range).
The 2000 Democratic Primary looked, on the outset, Al Gore's game to lose. Most Washington insiders expected Gore to ride of Clintons coattails to the nomination and victory. It came as a shock then, when Gore announced that he would not be running in the 2000 election, saying he wished to spend more time with his family (His marriage was on the rocks and Tipper wanted nothing to do with being the First Lady). Heavyweights throughout the party threw their hats into the ring, including Paul Wellstone, Bill Bradley, Bob Graham, Bob Kerrey, Jay Rockefeller and of course, Bobby Burke. It was anyones game, but it looked like Wellstone, with is aggressive campaigning, would win in Iowa and propel himself to frontrunner status. Which is why it came as a shock when Bobby Burke narrowly edged out Wellstone in the Iowa Caucuses, a result mainly attributable to burkes more calm, Reagan-esque, warm and yet dry charisma and straight-talking nature winning over many moderates. Wellstone would go onto win New Hampshire and Graham would win South Carolina, with all other candidates dropping out. As Wellstone gobbled up the Rust Belt and Graham go the South, Burke swept the plains and the Northwest, fighting intently with Wellstone over the Northeast. However, Burkes victory in the California Primary solidifying his nomination. Nominating Graham as his running mate and making peace with Wellstone (who would come to be a very close friend of Burke), Burke campaigned hard across the country against the Republican ticket of George W. Bush and Tom Ridge, focusing on the Midwest and Florida especially, often campaigning closely with the popular incumbent Bill Clinton. Burke trounced his opponent in the first debate by exposing his opponents lack of experience and "cavalier"foreign policy, a point which Bush never really recovered from. Burke would win a solid victory becoming the youngest president in American history at the age of 38, a victory attributed mostly to his personal popularity and the popularity of Clinton rather than the substance of his policy.
Burke's first term was marked by upheaval. Burke tapped Colin Powell for Secretary fo State and Sam Nunn for Secretary fo Defense and began to push for a domestic agenda that's was markedly more liberal than Bill Clinton's years before and he succeeded, thanks to a workable 52-48 Senate Majority (Schweitzer wins in 2000 and Robb holds on in Virginia) and a razor thin one seat majority in the House (which elevated Dick Gephardt to the Speakership and Tony Hashimura to House Majority Whip), Burke was able to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, the McCain-Feingold Act, the creation of medicare Part D (which authorized the federal government to negotiate drug prices ITTL), a small middle class tax cut, and minor increases in corporate and upper class income taxes. All of these measures made Burke widely popular with a 58% approval rating by the end of summer 2001, which no doubt contributed to Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party and caucused as an independent Democrat. The domestic bliss would be shattered soon after as the world's machinations came into play.
The September 11 Attacks had divested America, and yet it hoped to show the prowess of Brukes ability to effectively command the nation. the attacks came when Burke was visiting NORAD at Cheyenne Mountain, and as soon as the first plane struck the Twin Towers, Burke knew based off gut instinct it was no accident. he ordered the sequestering of Congress and the dispersal fo the cabinet and dispatched military helicopters to evacuate survivors on the upper floors of the North Tower just as the South Tower was hit. Coordinating with Secretaries Nunn and Mineta at the Pentagon, Burke ordered a grounding of all flights and furthermore authorized shootdown orders for any plane that showed no signs of grounding. One of the flights (Flight 77) that was heading towards Washington (is destination unknown) was shot down by the Air Force under Burke's direct orders (an order that would quote "scar his conscience" for the rest of his life) while passengers were able to retake control of the final plane (Flight 95) and the plane managed to land safely in Baltimore, its target being the Capitol Building. Burke, whose approval ratings were at 95%, would address the nation the two days later and would vow vengeance on Al-Qaeda, declaring the global War on Terror that would come to define his first term and beyond. he would also sign the PATRIOT ACT to fight domestic terror (albeit a slightly weaker version)
The Invasion of Afganistan went rather well all things considered. An American led coalition, of over 250,000 troops allied with the Northern alliance, (whose leader, Ahmed Shah Massoud had been sent into a coma by an attempted assassination two days before 9/11). Burke authorized the use of MOABs and bunker busters to deal with Taliban troops hiding in caves, earning himself the nickname of Bloody Bobby Burke by his detractors back home, but making the Taliban bleed wherever they festered. The Taliban and Al Qaeda would eventually retreat into Pakistan and the border regions, and a recovered Ahmed Shah Massoud would become the new President of Afghanistan by the end of 2002.
Burke would retain his congressional majorities in the midterms, with a net gain of one seat in the Senate (Dems hold onto Minnesota and Missouri and gain New Hampshire for a 54-46 majority) and five seats in the House. he would also appoint Merrick Garland to succeed the deceased William Rehnquist in summer 2004. However, an increasing number of hawks in Congress began to push for an invasion, or at least a military intervention against Iraq, who they saw as a rogue state in possession of WMD's and harboring members of Al Qaeda. These arguments were supported by an increasingly hawkish and neoconservative segment of the American population as well as an army of Washington lobbyists. Burke was a hawk, but he was no neocon, but he was caught in a bind: indirectly defend Saddam Hussein by refuting the claims or give in and spread US forces thin in an effort to fight a possible future probable regional threat. To Burke, its wasn't a choice at all, he refused to bow and refused to invade Iraq, However, admittedly, he did a poor job of justifying why and detailing evidence in his favor, leading to a field day for right wing media to attack him over being soft on terror and dictators abroad. This would be a major talking point going into the 2004 Election.
The 2004 Election could be described as the peak of the 2000's culture war and of neoconservatism in the mainstream. Burke, whose approval ratings had declined to 49% over him angering both neoconservatives with his hesitancy for a new war and libertarians for the PATRIOT ACT. Partisan fatigue in the Democratic Party also began to exegete. However, it seemed like Burke had a 50/50 chance of victory against the Republican ticket of Rick Santorum and John Ensign. Burke and Santorum were neck and neck in the polls and Santorum's rabid social conservatism began to turn many moderate voters off, which was only further exposed by Burke in the debates. However, in mid October, a bombshell was dropped. A leak from several White House insiders, stated that Burke was a secret atheist, correlating it with Burkes hesitancy to associate himself with religion in his speeches and his infrequent attendance of church. Burke, later stating that "he would've rather lost and election for telling the truth than to win it based off a lie" admitted the allegations were absolutely true, but that it was a private matter that had no bearing on his ability to be president. This led to a field day for rightwing media, and despite proving his commitment to truth above politics, Burke would narrowly lose the popular vote and would be solidly beaten by Santorum in the electoral college. The Democrats would retain a 53-47 Senate majority (holding Florida ITTL, but losing Tom Daschles seat, leading to Paul Wellstone becoming Senate Majority Leader with Burke's support), but would lose the House by 15 seats, forcing Dick Ghepardt's resignation and propelling Tony Hashimura to the position of House Minority Leader (having succeeded David Bonior in 2002 as House Majority Leader).
Burke would spend Santorum's term increasingly embracing the more left-populist aspects of his ideology. He became a frequent speaker at colleges and institutions across the country, criticizing his successor indirectly, and also spending time with his family. Santorum would make a habit of bombing Iraqi military installations, engaging in deregulation and tax cuts, pushing socially conservative executive orders and staffing the judiciary with conservative justices. The deficit grew massively under Santorum, and his social conservatism pissed off enough moderates to lead o a Democratic Wave in the 2006 congressional elections, winning six seats in the Senate (OTL plus Tennessee) and 40 seats in the House, propelling Tony Hashimura to the speakership, becoming the highest office ever occupied by an Asian-American. Burke, knowing two of his closest allies were in Congress, began to consider running once again, considering Santorum's unpopularity and scandals surrounding John Ensigns extramarital affairs and conviction for bribery, leading to his replacement by Bill Frist. It didn't take Burke long to consider, and he announced his campaign for the presidency in November 2007 as the Great Recession began, easily winning the nomination with token opposition and making the historic pick of Janet Napolitano as his running mate. Burke would propel himself into the pantheon fo greatest political speeches of all-time with his famous "America Bleeds" DNC acceptance speech, blaming neoliberalism, deregulation, corporate greed and Republican economics for not just the recession, but economic inequality, budget deficits and the state of poverty in America. Needless to say, Burke would win in a landslide and the Democrats would come to hold 68 Senate seats and a 75 seat majority in the House.
Burke's second term would be much better than his first. Burke focused primarily on economics and combatting unemployment. He also authorized prosecution of the Wall Street bankers involved in creating the Recession through illegal and unethical trade practices and pushed for labor rights as well, repealing right to work provisions. Burke would anger many tax activists and libertarians, leading to 4 seat Senate losses and 30 seat House losses in the 2010 midterms. Burke would then push on healthcare reform, creating a public option (Burkecare) and giving medicare to anyone unable to afford health insurance and to those over the age of 50. Burke would establish a national id system free of charge and established Election Day as a national holiday. Burke would also appoint many liberal justices, replacing John Paul Stevens and David Souter (same picks as OTL) creating a liberal Garland Court. Hampered by terms limits, Burke left office in 2013, succeeded by Barack Obama and Jeanne Shaheen, who would in turn be succeeded by John Huntsman Jr and Mike DeWine in 2020.
Due to his reforms to American democracy, healthcare and economy, and his polices shifting the Overton Window towards the left over the course of his terms, Burke has been called one of the greatest president in American history, on the level of Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson. His domestic agenda wins widespread acclaim form liberal, who credit him with revitalizing the American welfare state and establishing a social market economy, while conservatives and hawks respect Burke of his expansion of NATO and well done Invasion of Afghanistan, as well as his genuine concern over the deficit. Burke has enjoyed his retirement and is well regarded by American historians and voters alike.
(I hope this doesn't go to much into Current Politics, feel free to blame me if it does)
Robert Demetrius Burke, colloquially known as Bobby Burke, or RDB was born on April 4th 1962 in Sandpoint, Idaho. His father was a prominent lawyer, while his mother was a schoolteacher. He was, by right of his father, a member of the famous Burke political dynasty in Idaho, a Democratic dynasty and political machine that counted Senator Kenneth Leon Burke Jr (born 1917, the head of the dynasty, think a mix between Robert Byrd and Frank Church with a dash of Huey Long thrown in) and Governor Leroy LeColin Burke (born 1930, a former representative and lieutenant governor who succeeds Cecil Andrus as Governor in 1977 and serves ten years) as its most prominent members. Bobby Burke worked at his uncle's sporting goods store starting at the age of six and frequented Grange meetings and dances as a kid. He was often described by his teachers and peers as a withdrawn and hard-hearted, yet charismatic and persuasive, and outgoing amongst his friends. Bobby Burke lived in Sandpoint until the age of ten, when he moved to Vancouver, Washington as his father wished to start a law practice. It was there, that he met his best friend and future Speaker of the House of Representatives, the half-japanese, half-italian, Tony Hashimura, who was one year his elder.
Burke, despite graduating from high school in 1980 as valedictorian, rejected and offer from Harvard and joined the Marines, wishing to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, a decorated combat veteran of the Pacific Theater. Burke was deployed to Grenada, Lebanon and West Germany throughout the 1980's, eventually attaining the rank of captain. Burke, would be badly wounded in the Invasion of Panama, losing his left eye, two fingers and partial paralysis in his left leg, gaining the Medal of Honor for rescuing five wounded servicemen in the middle of firefight with Panamanian troops despite being wounded himself, loosing the two fingers in the process. After being discharged form the army, Burke was honorably discharged and returned home in February 1990.
Inspired by his grandfather and Tony Hashimura (who had just won election to the House of Representatives the year prior to succeed Mike Lowry in Washington's 7th Congressional District to become the Baby of the House at age 28), Burke ran for election to the House in Washington's 3rd district to replace retiring representative Don Bonker (who ran for one more term ITTL), easily winning thanks to Burke's strategy (a strategy that he would come to master) of appealing to New Deal Liberals, Reagan Democrats and Neoliberals all at once. Burke would become a well known fixture of House debates due to his gruff demeanor, characteristic eyepatch, friendship with a certain independent representative from Vermont, social liberalism (uncharacteristic of someone of both his district and upbringing) and his fusion of left populist and neoliberal economics that had defined his families dynasty back in Idaho. It was during his first term that he would meet Elizabeth Doyle, a staffer for Pennsylvania Senator Harris Wofford. A courtship ensued and, after reporting the nature of their relationship to the House Ethics Committee, Burke married her in January 1994, a bright spot in a year of struggle and catastrophe for the Burke family. They would have three boys, Robert Demetrius Burke Jr. (Born 1994) a future US representative, Anthony Warner Burke (Born 1996) a future Navy SEAL and Jackson Crawford Burke (Born 1999) an aspiring political science professor at the University of Washington.
The Republican Revolution of 1994 broke the Burke Dynasty's grip over Idahoan politics, This was a long time in the making, as despite the Burke family's control over local governments, on a national and state level, Republicans tightened their grip on Idaho. This all came to a head when Kenneth Burke Jr. was up for election in 1994. Having been in the Senate since 1952, Kenneth Burke Jr. was a near legend nationally and was renown for his bipartisan appeal and friendships as well as his firm, brutally honest nature. However, Kenneth Burke Jr had become increasingly seen as no longer the crusader he used to be and drew the ire of those looking for Congressional term limits. Kenneth Burke Jr knew the odds were against him, but he was not going to go out quietly. He rallied the strength and energy of a man 30 years younger and campaigned across the state, announcing that he was running for his final term, and adopting more conservative economic positions. With these efforts Kenneth Burke Jr was neck and neck with his Republican challenger, but a tragedy would strike that would shake up the race when Leroy Burke died in a car crash three days before the election. Leroys death gave Kenneth just enough sympathy votes to win by 42 votes. Leroy's death was the last gasp of a political machine that had lasted almost half a century and Kenneth knew the last of its energy had been spent in the election. Kenneth would retire after the end of his term in 2001 and would die of colon cancer five years later. Bobby was not immune to the collapse of his dynasty either, as he had a very close election that same year due to his votes against DOMA and Don't Ask Don't Tell, as well as his vote for the Clinton healthcare plan angering many rural voters, who had swept out many Democrats statewide. With this Bobby announced he would not be seeking reelection in 1996.
Bobby's fortunes would turn however, when Mike Lowry announced he would not be running for reelection as Washington's governor in 1996. Announcing he would only serve one term, Bobby would easily win the primary and the general election, becoming the youngest ever Washington governor at the age of 34. Burke's administration of the state would be rather nondescript , but competent and other antonyms of corrupt, with Burke raising his national profile due to his efforts to create a system similar to the Alaska Permanent Fund in Washington by using taxes raised from logging and land exploitation, succeeding and creating the Washington Environmental Fund that distributed a UBI to Washington State citizens (much lower than Alaskas, think in the $500-$800 range).
The 2000 Democratic Primary looked, on the outset, Al Gore's game to lose. Most Washington insiders expected Gore to ride of Clintons coattails to the nomination and victory. It came as a shock then, when Gore announced that he would not be running in the 2000 election, saying he wished to spend more time with his family (His marriage was on the rocks and Tipper wanted nothing to do with being the First Lady). Heavyweights throughout the party threw their hats into the ring, including Paul Wellstone, Bill Bradley, Bob Graham, Bob Kerrey, Jay Rockefeller and of course, Bobby Burke. It was anyones game, but it looked like Wellstone, with is aggressive campaigning, would win in Iowa and propel himself to frontrunner status. Which is why it came as a shock when Bobby Burke narrowly edged out Wellstone in the Iowa Caucuses, a result mainly attributable to burkes more calm, Reagan-esque, warm and yet dry charisma and straight-talking nature winning over many moderates. Wellstone would go onto win New Hampshire and Graham would win South Carolina, with all other candidates dropping out. As Wellstone gobbled up the Rust Belt and Graham go the South, Burke swept the plains and the Northwest, fighting intently with Wellstone over the Northeast. However, Burkes victory in the California Primary solidifying his nomination. Nominating Graham as his running mate and making peace with Wellstone (who would come to be a very close friend of Burke), Burke campaigned hard across the country against the Republican ticket of George W. Bush and Tom Ridge, focusing on the Midwest and Florida especially, often campaigning closely with the popular incumbent Bill Clinton. Burke trounced his opponent in the first debate by exposing his opponents lack of experience and "cavalier"foreign policy, a point which Bush never really recovered from. Burke would win a solid victory becoming the youngest president in American history at the age of 38, a victory attributed mostly to his personal popularity and the popularity of Clinton rather than the substance of his policy.
Burke's first term was marked by upheaval. Burke tapped Colin Powell for Secretary fo State and Sam Nunn for Secretary fo Defense and began to push for a domestic agenda that's was markedly more liberal than Bill Clinton's years before and he succeeded, thanks to a workable 52-48 Senate Majority (Schweitzer wins in 2000 and Robb holds on in Virginia) and a razor thin one seat majority in the House (which elevated Dick Gephardt to the Speakership and Tony Hashimura to House Majority Whip), Burke was able to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, the McCain-Feingold Act, the creation of medicare Part D (which authorized the federal government to negotiate drug prices ITTL), a small middle class tax cut, and minor increases in corporate and upper class income taxes. All of these measures made Burke widely popular with a 58% approval rating by the end of summer 2001, which no doubt contributed to Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party and caucused as an independent Democrat. The domestic bliss would be shattered soon after as the world's machinations came into play.
The September 11 Attacks had divested America, and yet it hoped to show the prowess of Brukes ability to effectively command the nation. the attacks came when Burke was visiting NORAD at Cheyenne Mountain, and as soon as the first plane struck the Twin Towers, Burke knew based off gut instinct it was no accident. he ordered the sequestering of Congress and the dispersal fo the cabinet and dispatched military helicopters to evacuate survivors on the upper floors of the North Tower just as the South Tower was hit. Coordinating with Secretaries Nunn and Mineta at the Pentagon, Burke ordered a grounding of all flights and furthermore authorized shootdown orders for any plane that showed no signs of grounding. One of the flights (Flight 77) that was heading towards Washington (is destination unknown) was shot down by the Air Force under Burke's direct orders (an order that would quote "scar his conscience" for the rest of his life) while passengers were able to retake control of the final plane (Flight 95) and the plane managed to land safely in Baltimore, its target being the Capitol Building. Burke, whose approval ratings were at 95%, would address the nation the two days later and would vow vengeance on Al-Qaeda, declaring the global War on Terror that would come to define his first term and beyond. he would also sign the PATRIOT ACT to fight domestic terror (albeit a slightly weaker version)
The Invasion of Afganistan went rather well all things considered. An American led coalition, of over 250,000 troops allied with the Northern alliance, (whose leader, Ahmed Shah Massoud had been sent into a coma by an attempted assassination two days before 9/11). Burke authorized the use of MOABs and bunker busters to deal with Taliban troops hiding in caves, earning himself the nickname of Bloody Bobby Burke by his detractors back home, but making the Taliban bleed wherever they festered. The Taliban and Al Qaeda would eventually retreat into Pakistan and the border regions, and a recovered Ahmed Shah Massoud would become the new President of Afghanistan by the end of 2002.
Burke would retain his congressional majorities in the midterms, with a net gain of one seat in the Senate (Dems hold onto Minnesota and Missouri and gain New Hampshire for a 54-46 majority) and five seats in the House. he would also appoint Merrick Garland to succeed the deceased William Rehnquist in summer 2004. However, an increasing number of hawks in Congress began to push for an invasion, or at least a military intervention against Iraq, who they saw as a rogue state in possession of WMD's and harboring members of Al Qaeda. These arguments were supported by an increasingly hawkish and neoconservative segment of the American population as well as an army of Washington lobbyists. Burke was a hawk, but he was no neocon, but he was caught in a bind: indirectly defend Saddam Hussein by refuting the claims or give in and spread US forces thin in an effort to fight a possible future probable regional threat. To Burke, its wasn't a choice at all, he refused to bow and refused to invade Iraq, However, admittedly, he did a poor job of justifying why and detailing evidence in his favor, leading to a field day for right wing media to attack him over being soft on terror and dictators abroad. This would be a major talking point going into the 2004 Election.
The 2004 Election could be described as the peak of the 2000's culture war and of neoconservatism in the mainstream. Burke, whose approval ratings had declined to 49% over him angering both neoconservatives with his hesitancy for a new war and libertarians for the PATRIOT ACT. Partisan fatigue in the Democratic Party also began to exegete. However, it seemed like Burke had a 50/50 chance of victory against the Republican ticket of Rick Santorum and John Ensign. Burke and Santorum were neck and neck in the polls and Santorum's rabid social conservatism began to turn many moderate voters off, which was only further exposed by Burke in the debates. However, in mid October, a bombshell was dropped. A leak from several White House insiders, stated that Burke was a secret atheist, correlating it with Burkes hesitancy to associate himself with religion in his speeches and his infrequent attendance of church. Burke, later stating that "he would've rather lost and election for telling the truth than to win it based off a lie" admitted the allegations were absolutely true, but that it was a private matter that had no bearing on his ability to be president. This led to a field day for rightwing media, and despite proving his commitment to truth above politics, Burke would narrowly lose the popular vote and would be solidly beaten by Santorum in the electoral college. The Democrats would retain a 53-47 Senate majority (holding Florida ITTL, but losing Tom Daschles seat, leading to Paul Wellstone becoming Senate Majority Leader with Burke's support), but would lose the House by 15 seats, forcing Dick Ghepardt's resignation and propelling Tony Hashimura to the position of House Minority Leader (having succeeded David Bonior in 2002 as House Majority Leader).
Burke would spend Santorum's term increasingly embracing the more left-populist aspects of his ideology. He became a frequent speaker at colleges and institutions across the country, criticizing his successor indirectly, and also spending time with his family. Santorum would make a habit of bombing Iraqi military installations, engaging in deregulation and tax cuts, pushing socially conservative executive orders and staffing the judiciary with conservative justices. The deficit grew massively under Santorum, and his social conservatism pissed off enough moderates to lead o a Democratic Wave in the 2006 congressional elections, winning six seats in the Senate (OTL plus Tennessee) and 40 seats in the House, propelling Tony Hashimura to the speakership, becoming the highest office ever occupied by an Asian-American. Burke, knowing two of his closest allies were in Congress, began to consider running once again, considering Santorum's unpopularity and scandals surrounding John Ensigns extramarital affairs and conviction for bribery, leading to his replacement by Bill Frist. It didn't take Burke long to consider, and he announced his campaign for the presidency in November 2007 as the Great Recession began, easily winning the nomination with token opposition and making the historic pick of Janet Napolitano as his running mate. Burke would propel himself into the pantheon fo greatest political speeches of all-time with his famous "America Bleeds" DNC acceptance speech, blaming neoliberalism, deregulation, corporate greed and Republican economics for not just the recession, but economic inequality, budget deficits and the state of poverty in America. Needless to say, Burke would win in a landslide and the Democrats would come to hold 68 Senate seats and a 75 seat majority in the House.
Burke's second term would be much better than his first. Burke focused primarily on economics and combatting unemployment. He also authorized prosecution of the Wall Street bankers involved in creating the Recession through illegal and unethical trade practices and pushed for labor rights as well, repealing right to work provisions. Burke would anger many tax activists and libertarians, leading to 4 seat Senate losses and 30 seat House losses in the 2010 midterms. Burke would then push on healthcare reform, creating a public option (Burkecare) and giving medicare to anyone unable to afford health insurance and to those over the age of 50. Burke would establish a national id system free of charge and established Election Day as a national holiday. Burke would also appoint many liberal justices, replacing John Paul Stevens and David Souter (same picks as OTL) creating a liberal Garland Court. Hampered by terms limits, Burke left office in 2013, succeeded by Barack Obama and Jeanne Shaheen, who would in turn be succeeded by John Huntsman Jr and Mike DeWine in 2020.
Due to his reforms to American democracy, healthcare and economy, and his polices shifting the Overton Window towards the left over the course of his terms, Burke has been called one of the greatest president in American history, on the level of Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson. His domestic agenda wins widespread acclaim form liberal, who credit him with revitalizing the American welfare state and establishing a social market economy, while conservatives and hawks respect Burke of his expansion of NATO and well done Invasion of Afghanistan, as well as his genuine concern over the deficit. Burke has enjoyed his retirement and is well regarded by American historians and voters alike.
(I hope this doesn't go to much into Current Politics, feel free to blame me if it does)
