Mrs. Clinton Goes to Washington

NickCT

NOVEMBER 2, 2004 - ELECTION DAY COVERAGE BEGINS

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7:00 PM Polls have just closed in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia. We will be projecting Georgia, Indiana, and Kentucky for George W. Bush giving him 34 electoral votes. We are also ready to project the state of Vermont for Senator Hillary Clinton and Governor Richardson giving them 3 electoral votes. CNN can now confirm that President Bush does indeed have a powerful head start in the race for the Presidency but these are states we knew would go for President Bush, after all.

7:30 PM It is now 7:30 PM which means that polls have closed in West Virginia and Ohio. We can now project that West Virginia and its 5 electoral votes will go to President Bush, giving him 39 electoral votes with Senator Clinton still at 3 electoral votes. Polls will close across the East Coast in only half-an-hour and that's going to be a big boost for Senator Clinton and her campaign.

8:00 PM The time is 8:00 and that means polls are closed in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, the District, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. CNN can now project Alabama, Oklahoma, and Tennessee for President Bush; Connecticut, Delaware, Washington DC, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine (at-large vote and first congressional district), New Jersey, and Vermont for Senator Clinton. We now have the electoral count at 76 electoral votes for Senator Clinton and 66 electoral votes for President Bush.

8:21 PM With the time now at 8:21 PM we can now project South Carolina and its eighth electoral votes for President Bush.

8:22 PM We're now able to project Virginia and its 13 electoral votes for President Bush.

9:00 PM We can also call New York and its 31 electoral votes for Senator Clinton; North Dakota, South Dakota, and Kansas for President Bush. That brings our total tonight to 107 electoral votes for Senator Clinton and 99 electoral votes for President Bush.

9:04 PM We're able to project Texas, Nebraska, and Wyoming for President Bush as well as Maine's 2nd' Congressional District for Senator Clinton. Our running total tonight is 141 electoral votes for the President and 109 electoral votes for Senator Hillary Clinton. Florida remains too close to call at this time.

9:45 PM We can now call Michigan and Minnesota for Senator Hillary Clinton. Giving the Senator 136 Electoral Votes.
 

NickCT

Chapter Ten

NOVEMBER 2, 2004 - ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE CONTINUES; CAN DEMOCRATS WIN CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENCY ALL IN ONE NIGHT?

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10:00 PM We're now able to call Wisconsin and its 10 electoral votes for Senator Hillary Clinton.

10:07 PM We're able to call Rhode Island for Hillary Clinton while the President will win Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. That means the President leads with 162 electoral votes while Senator Clinton is not too far behind with 146 electoral votes.

10:39 PM We can now project that North Carolina will go for President Bush while Pennsylvania and New Hampshire will go for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. This election is continuing to be tight.

10:41 PM We can call, at this time, the state of Missouri for President George W. Bush. In the meantime let's show the results coming in from Florida at this time - but wait we have a very big projection, two actually. We can call Iowa for Senator Clinton and Ohio for Senator Clinton, two critical swing states squarely in the Democratic column tonight.

11:00 PM With all polls closed except Alaska and Hawaii we can call Washington and California for Senator Clinton, this puts Senator Clinton at 268 electoral votes and two away from the presidency. However, we have a few states to call for George Bush: Montana, Idaho, and Utah will all be going for President Bush.

11:16 PM I have breaking news CNN can now project New Mexico will go for Senator Clinton and therefore America has elected the first female President of the United States! We're also ready to call Oregon for the Senator as well. We wait to go live to the Senator's victory speech.

11:21 PM We can call Arizona for President Bush and Nevada for Senator Clinton.

11:28 PM CNN can now project George W Bush will win Florida by a very slim margin, that's 27 electoral vote to the President who has already lost this election. We can also confirm that President Clinton will carry over 50.5% of the popular vote.

11:31 PM At this time we're confident in projecting Colorado for President Bush.

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
DEMOCRATS - 218
REPUBLICANS - 217

UNITED STATES SENATE:
REPUBLICANS - 51 (GAINS: GA, LA, SC) (LOSSES: CO, IL, KY)
DEMOCRATS - 49 (GAINS: CO, IL, KY) (LOSSES: GA, LA, SC)
 

Wendell

Kentucky does not strike me as a credible loss for the Republicans in the U.S. senate race short of a Democratic sweep nationally.
 

Paul V McNutt

Banned
Wendell said:
Kentucky does not strike me as a credible loss for the Republicans in the U.S. senate race short of a Democratic sweep nationally.
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OTL the 2004 margin was close. Im frequent Good News timelnes I has Edwards win the 2004 Democratic nomination and do better than Kerry. There would be no Swiftboats for Truth and he could make a credible case against NAFTA not having voted for it. I has the increased Democratic votes win the close Seante races in Kentucky and South Dakota.
 

NickCT

The Clinton Cabinet

Hillary Rodham Clinton's Cabinet

Secretary of State: Joe Biden
Secretary of Treasury: Laura D'Andrea Tyson
Secretary of Defense: Solomon Ortiz
Attorney General: John Conyers
Secretary of Homeland Security: Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy
Secretary of Interior: Mark Udall
Secretary of Agriculture: Tom Vilsack
Secretary of Commerce: Olympia Snowe
Secretary of Labor: Dick Gephardt
Secretary of Health & Human Services: Jeanne Shaheen
Secretary of Housing & Urban Development: Wellington Webb
Secretary of Transportation: Rodney Slater
Secretary of Energy: John Breaux
Secretary of Education: Maria Shriver
Secretary of Veteran's Affairs: Max Cleland
 

NickCT

2005

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Of all the first years for Presidents, 2005 was on the Top 10 for all the wrong reasons. Her inauguration was the beginning of it all. The press was jubilant, the country was celebrating, and there was Hillary: regal and Presidential. She wore a simply black dress with a black coat that was as long as her dress – all of it accented with a green scarf wrapped delicately around her neck. Her appearance was critiqued: it was the first inaugural address delivered by a female in U.S. History. In the debates Hillary had set the tone for style in one manner but now things were completely different – she had won and the entire world was watching. She took the Oath of Office at precisely noon as her former opponent, George Bush, sat only a few feet away. Bush was not bitter in fact he was somewhat relieved, disappointed he’d followed in his father’s footsteps, but relieved that the responsibilities were passed to a new leader. He had seen too much in his first four years and he prayed for Hillary that she was more successful than he was. As Chief Justice Rehnquist concluded the Oath of Office and Hillary said the final words, “So help me God”, the largest inauguration crowd in American history burst into applause and cheers. She shook the Chief Justice’s hand, hugged Bill and Chelsea, and then turned to face the sprawling crowd beneath her – this was really happening. The moment she had wanted for her entire life had finally arrived and there was no one prouder than she, it was time to knock ‘em dead. She started off with a little bit of humor, “President Bush, the other President Clinton…” with small laughter scattering through the reviewing stand Clinton took the time to gather her thoughts and proceed. Her address was short, she knew that, but it wasn’t the length that mattered it was the substance and the style that would count.

Her address was only 1,499 words, but in it the simplistic and straightforward approach won her much praise. She talked of an America where the country was not despised but admired on the world stage. She talked of an America where schools were well-funded and the kids well-taught. She talked of country where all people were truly created equal. She briefly touched on the fact that she was the first woman President but instead of directly mentioning it she said, “You made history in November with my election, I hope to make history these next four years with your assistance.” The line was likely the most memorable. Furthermore she positioned herself as a forceful Commander-in-Chief by reminding the world stage that she was simply in office to continue the legacy of the United States and that her presidency should be treated no differently than any of her predecessors. Finally she thanked the nation and left the reviewing stand. Like Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter before her she walked the entire parade route back to the White House with Bill and Chelsea by her side. When she returned to the White House she held a brief meeting with White House Senior Staff, including her Chief of Staff: Patti Solis Doyle. Her administration was off to a strong start with the Inaugural Ceremonies beginning that night.

“MR. SPEAKER: THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,” the voice boomed as Hillary Clinton walked onto the floor of the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives where she would deliver her first State of the Union address. The date was February 1, 2001 and President Clinton was about deliver the outline for the first year of her Administration. She shook hands with Vice President Richardson and Speaker Steny Hoyer before turning to address the Congress. Her speech began by touching on the issue of the economy. Clinton announced she wanted to raise the minimum wage and pass the Fair Pay Act – both of which were reasonable expectations she had the votes in the House and could expect at least one Republican to cross over on both bills and that would be all she needed, the problem would be getting Senator Frist to agree to bring them up for a vote. She also touched on national defense, promising to “bring justice” to the families of 9/11 victims. Furthermore she reminded the Congress that the reasons for the Iraq War were purely political and that it was time to respect the nation of Iraq and to bring the troops home. She informed the nation she wanted all troops home by 2007. The speech was not as memorable as her Inaugural Address but it was forceful and bipartisan. “In the spirit of cooperation,” Clinton said, “we must work to rebuild the American dream – together.”

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The rest of February was much of a success for Clinton. She issued several executive orders that included canceling the “Mexico City Policy” as well as suspending “enhanced interrogation methods” on Guantanamo Bay – she planned to close the camp in the middle of her second term. Hillary immediately got to work with Congress, calling the top congressional leaders from both parties for both houses into the White House to discuss her first priority which was largely a softball issue: energy reform. The Senate wouldn’t go for it without at the very least a “small” oil subsidy as well as a subsidy for coal. Though it may cost Hillary some support she was able to shore up Democratic support with the bill’s main goals: increased environmental protection and billions of dollars of research in alternative energy sources. The bill was passed by razor thin margins in both the House and Senate but Clinton was able to sign it before her first 100 days in office were over. The President was also given the opportunity to veto her first legislation: the “Class Action Fairness Act of 2005” – her veto was not overturned by Congress. The next matter for her to lead was the Minimum Wage increase. She toured the nation, touting her bill and calling on Congress to “man-up and support the middle class!” When at a town hall event an older man stood up and said, “Mrs. President: are you trying to bankrupt small businesses on purpose or are you just clueless?” Clinton handled the question like a pro. “I see you’ve bought into the Republicans’ myth as well and that’s really sad – it’s sad that so many Americans buy into it. The fact of the matter is there is zero evidence to suggest there is a link between increased minimum wage and decreased business profit. Yes it sounds like it makes sense because the business has to pay their workers more but in reality they’re making more income because families can spend more: a minimum wage increase is completely necessary to support the middle class.” Her answer won her praise among leading Democrats and it was constantly replayed by the media. When the bill passed the House public support was largely in favor of it and Frist was forced to bring it up for debate and eventually a vote. With the support of a few Republicans the bill passed 52-48. As Clinton signed the bill the minimum wage became set to increase to $7.25 an hour and with that her first 100 days in office had slipped by.

In May Hillary went overseas meeting with European Leaders and eventually with U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The trip was very important as it was the first time a female Head of State from the U.S. went abroad. Clinton would later write in her memoirs that she was very nervous about the trip and how it would be seen but admits she enjoyed meeting with Angela Merkel of Germany the most – except for her time with the troops. While meeting with the troops Hillary began to get a real feel for how the War was going, the troops needed support and she would not cooperate with Democrats who wanted to hold funding hostage to push their agenda. The most threatening part of her visit came in Iraq where a young man, about 21, attempted to storm the military base the President was visiting with a bomb strapped to his chest. The man was apprehended well before he reached the entrance to the base and his bomb failed to detonate but it was a gruesome reminder that the President was at risk of terrorist attack wherever she went. After her return from the trip the President was informed that Sandra Day O’Connor had announced her resignation from the Supreme Court and that she would need to come up with a new appointment to the bench. O’Connor was a swing vote and Clinton had the ability to tip the balance of the court, but with a Republican-controlled Senate she would need to be careful not to pick someone too liberal. The name at the top of the President’s list was Carlos Moreno and the President announced his appointment in mid-July. However the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist meant that the President would withdraw Moreno’s nomination and appoint him as Chief Justice. The search resumed for someone to replace Sandra Day O’Connor. The President then decided to appoint Merrick Garland to the bench to replace O’Connor meaning that the Supreme Court had been reduced to one female. Moreno was confirmed 59-41 and was sworn-in on October 3rd. Garland was confirmed 61-39 and sworn in on November 18th.

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On August 25th the President was briefed about Hurricane Katrina, a Category 2 Hurricane that was expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico before turning into the Florida Panhandle. The next day the President was informed of that not only had the storm been upgraded to a Category 3 it was no longer likely to hit Florida’s Panhandle but was expected to make landfall along the Mississippi coast. The President met with her Chief of Staff and several other advisers before declaring a State of Emergency in selected regions of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, three days before Katrina made landfall. The director of the National Hurricane Center met with the President on August 27th where he said there was a good chance that the storm could surpass the levees in New Orleans – the President called Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco and advised them to evacuate the city. She forced the Governor’s hand and the Governor announced an evacuation immediately. At noon on August 27th Mayor Nagin ordered a mandatory evacuation for the city. President Clinton ordered FEMA to assist the New Orleans City Government and Louisiana State Government in preparing the Superdome with food, water, and other supplies in anticipation for the storm. When the hurricane made landfall it was even worse than expected and eventually broke the levees in New Orleans. On Wednesday night Air Force One touched down in Louisiana and President Clinton joined Blanco and Nagin in assisting the refuges. The President visited the Superdome where she met with refuges, handed out water bottles, and talked with thousands of people. The President returned to Washington Friday morning. Clinton’s response to the Hurricane seemed too good to be true and thought the death toll exceeded 1,000 many credit Clinton with doing “all she could” her approval soared to 63% in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Some said she had put the state in play for her 2008 reelection bid.

Two days before Thanksgiving the President was informed of a potential terrorist attack. Two Afghani-Americans were being monitored until they dropped-off the radar. When the FBI entered the home they found plans to attack well-populated malls in New York City on Black Friday. Debate ensued about whether the public should be immediately notified but the President decided not to make the news public right away instead they decided to apprehend the third member of the group who they suspected to be linked to the two that went missing. The third suspect refused to cooperate and President Clinton was forced to decide whether or not to use enhanced interrogation techniques against the suspect in custody. It went against everything she stood for but Bill urged her that it was necessary to authorize the methods because of the short time frame. Finally the President told the Situation Room they were to do what was necessary to extract information but she only wanted the end result presented to her – if she heard that torture methods were used she would not tolerate it. The Attorney General understood her implication and authorized the enhanced methods by FBI officials. At 5:55 p.m. on the night before Thanksgiving the President was given the location of the two suspects and one additional member – all three were apprehended and the President addressed the nation from the Oval Office warning them to be safe this Holiday Season. By informing the American public of the general situation she raised the awareness level but didn’t launch the country into a full panic. Her statements were broad during her speech but she made it clear that she would “not tell my own family or friends it was unsafe to shop, but we should exercise extra caution this holiday season.” No attacks occurred on Thanksgiving.



Thank you to Jay Roosevelt for the picture of Hillary on Inauguration Day
 

Paul V McNutt

Banned
I always knew that a Democrat would do better with Katrina. I think Hillary would appoint a woman to replace O Conner. I know she had an altzhiemer's husband but I am not sure if O Conner would retire if there was a Democrat in the White House.
 

NickCT

Paul V McNutt said:
I am not sure if O Conner would retire if there was a Democrat in the White House.
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To be honest I thought the same but I came to the conclusion that her husband's condition was far too great for her to ignore and with Clinton being somewhat moderate I think it's fair to assume she could've trusted Clinton enough to exit the bench.
 

NickCT

2006

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In late-January the President found herself again standing in front of the United States Congress. She had aged considerably in only a year. Her first year in office was spent battling terrorists, establishing foreign relationships, fighting congress, and dealing with Natural Disasters and Supreme Court Appointments. Here she stood, ready to address the country on the last year but also to look forward to the year ahead. The speech loaded on the teleprompter had undergone finishing touches as late as the car ride over to the Capitol Building – tonight was her chance to unveil her attempt to significantly scale back U.S. Involvement in Iraq. Her State of the Union Address was 35 minutes long, including breaks for applause – so it was short but the overwhelming emphasis was spent on Iraq. The President told Americans how committed she was to the mission and that she fully expected to bring the War under control. She announced that she was prepared to propose a timetable for withdrawal. In 2005 the war had taken a sudden turn for the worst and things weren’t expected to get better the President felt it was time to cut our losses and get the hell out of there and instead focus on what she saw as the more important mission: Afghanistan. Her statement was greeted with only minimal applause. She could probably pass the timetable through the House of Representatives but getting it through the Senate was a major problem. As soon as her speech was over the President headed across the nation to gain support for her message of bringing the troops home. She also spent time in her State of the Union Address demanding tougher regulations on banks, something that she had been unsure about until her Secretary of Treasury advised her to include – odds were nothing would happen but it was important to be on the right side of the issue.

With her State of the Union Address now in the past the President focused on translating it into words. She released her proposed timetable to the American public – all American troops would be out of Iraq by April 2008. Republicans called it “overly political” but Clinton pointed out that no troops were withdrawn during the summer months (which are usually the bloodiest time for the war overseas). Public opinion polls suggested 52% approval, 39% disapproval, and that 9% had no opinion. It was time to make the case that the American people were being ignored by the Republican Congress. Almost always the President’s incumbent party lost seats in the MidTerm Elections but Clinton painted the Republicans as wrong on the issue of Iraq and some predictions suggested Democrats could actually gain seats. The President’s first 100 days had been very productive with bipartisan compromises and solutions to energy and the minimum wage. Middle Class Americans approved of Clinton’s job performance (55% to be exact), 89% of women viewed the President as successful, and if the 2008 Election were held in March 2006 the President would win with 53% against a Generic Republican opponent. The President didn’t give up however as she wanted to take nothing for granted. She toured the nation with Democrats and fought to protect the gains they’d made in 2004.

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In April the President was informed that David Souter would be stepping down from the bench. The President began vetting potential candidates for the seat and narrowed the list to two names: Jennifer Granholm and Barack Obama. Either choice would be historic but President Clinton wanted a fellow woman on the Supreme Court, so on June 2004 the President announced Granholm has her replacement for Souter. The Republicans in the senate weren’t too keen on the choice but they felt they could have an easier time in the Michigan Gubernatorial Election with Granholm out of the way so they agreed. Granholm was confirmed 55-45 with many Republicans voicing objection over the fact she’d never been a judge but Clinton assured the Senate she had an acute legal mind. Clinton was packing the court with liberals and Republicans were starting to hold up many key pieces of her agenda including banking reform and the War in Iraq. The Republicans in the Senate succeeded in preventing the bill from reaching the floor to the point where a new timetable had to be drawn-up, forcing the President to lash out in frustration. At a nationally-televised event for Senate Candidate Ned Lamont in Connecticut the President said, “I want to get us out of Iraq and so does Ned Lamont – but senators like Joe Lieberman are preventing that! Send Ned Lamont to Washington, send a Democratic Congress to Washington and we can bring our troops home!” It was a sound bite Clinton used over and over again: give me a Democratic Congress and we’ll bring our troops home!

The country was evenly split and it was becoming very obvious that even if Democrats took the Senate there was just no way for them to achieve a filibuster-proof majority and odds were a Republican would attempt to prevent the bill from passing. Clinton fought hard and toured the nation speaking in key Senate races, but she found herself continuing to visit Connecticut where Joe Lieberman the Independent was facing-off against Ned Lamont. Clinton felt very strongly that Lieberman should be stripped of any committee assignments should he win. “Traitors,” she told Bill, “have no place in the Democratic Party.” Meanwhile there had been little progress on banking regulations. When it was clear that nothing would happen on that front, Clinton authorized her Fed Chairman to loosen monetary policy. The MidTerm elections were fast approaching and the President was nervous. She’d barely accomplished a thing in her second year in office and the MidTerms would probably be too close to make a difference. By November 7, 2006, there was nothing for the President to do but sit back and wait for the results to come in from across the nation.
 
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Plumber

Plumber

I doubt Clinton would appoint Garland. She'd appoint a woman. The first appointment probably wouldn't be a woman though.
 
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NickCT

2006 MidTerm Election Results

GOVERNOR ELECTIONS​

OTL Differences:
Colorado: Bob Beauprez elected
Massachusetts: Mitt Romney reelected
Michigan: Dick DeVos elected
New Mexico: Diane Denish reelected

Before MidTerms:
Republicans - 28
Democrats - 22

After MidTerms:
Republicans - 25
Democrats - 25


SENATORIAL ELECTIONS​

OTL Differences + Gains:
Connecticut: Ned Lamont elected
Maryland: Michael Steele elected (+1 GOP)
Missouri: Jim Talent reelected
Montana: Jon Tester elected (+1 DEM)
Ohio: Sherrod Brown elected (+1 DEM)
Pennsylvania: Bob Casey, Jr. elected (+1 DEM)
Rhode Island: Lincoln Chafee reelected
Virginia: George Allen reelected

Close Races w/ same OTL result (within 5%):
Michigan: Debbie Stabenow, D reelected (51.9%)
New Jersey: Bob Menendez, D elected (50.1%)
Washington: Maria Cantwell, D reelected (52.3%)

New Senate Composition:
Democrats - 51
Republicans - 49

HOUSE ELECTIONS​

Old House Composition:
Democrats - 218
Republicans - 217

New House Composition:
Democrats - 220
Republicans - 215
 
Plumber

Plumber

The Conservative Fellah said:
Clinton appointed a woman in 2006.
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Yeah, but I don't think she would wait that long. On the other hand, I could see her being less woman-friendly as Obama to the Court, because it's easier to accuse a woman President as tokenism for that.

And the midterm Senate results are plausible, the House ones a lot less so, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt there. Not even JFK after the Cuban Missile Crisis gained in the House.
 
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