World Without Watergate: The Ultimate Version
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hcallega
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« on: November 19, 2009, 08:16:45 PM »

And so begins my first attempt at a date-by-date timeline. Surprisingly easy and addictive actually, so expect more rapid posts and more pictures and fancy formatting, since it's a lot faster to do. Anyway, be sure to ask any questions. Maybe this one will be more controversial and more people will post!
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1972
[/b]
June 17: Security Guard Frank Wills leaves work early due to a sinus infection. He is later reported to his supervisors who subsequently fire him. He dies in poverty in 2000, with few friends or family left to remember him.

June 23: President Nixon and his Chief of Staff, H.R. Halderman, openly discuss the Watergate Break-In from several days earlier. These tapes will not be made public until after Nixon’s death in 1994

June 28: Nixon ends sending draftees to Vietnam

July 14: Senator George McGovern of South Dakota wins the Democratic Nomination for the Presidency of the United States. He chooses former Ambassador and Peace Corps Director Sargent Shriver as his Vice-Presidential Nominee. McGovern favors an immediate withdrawal of all forces from Vietnam.

August 3: The US Senate votes 49-47 to withdraw all US forces from Southeast Asia within four months

August 4: A Gallup Polls shows that 60% of the public opposes amnesty from draft-dodgers

August 12: The last US combat troops are withdrawn from Vietnam

August 17: A survey of the 456 richest, most powerful and most influential people shows that they are generally supportive of the welfare state, government intervention in the economy, and are opposed to a hard-line anti-communist foreign policy. This group is known as the liberal establishment.

October 26: While campaigning in Kentucky, Nixon assures the country that any difficulties in negotiating a peaceful end to the Vietnam War “can and will be worked out.”

October 31: The US seeks the assurance from North Vietnam that they will withdraw many of their 35,000 troops in the northern part of South Vietnam, even though this is not part of Kissinger’s talks in Paris.

November 1: President Thieu attacks the Paris Peace Talks as "a surrender of the South Vietnamese people to the Communists."

November 7: Nixon is reelected in a landslide

Richard Nixon/Spiro Agnew (R)      59%   520
George McGovern/Sargent Shriver (D)   38%   17

November 11: The US turns over Long Binh military base to the South Vietnamese in line with Vietnamazation


November 22: US intelligence reports that the North Vietnamese have ordered their soldiers to strictly follow a 60-day ceasefire.

December 16: Henry Kissinger reports back to Washington that so far negotiations have failed to achieve "a just and fair agreement" to end the Vietnam War.

December 18: Nixon orders the commencement of Operation Linebacker, the bombing of North Vietnam to pressure them to concede in the Paris Peace Talks. North Vietnam threatens to leave the Peace Talks entirely.

December 22: After five days of bombings, Hanoi is devastated but apparently still in good spirits.

December 26: Former President Harry Truman dies.
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hcallega
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« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2009, 08:17:46 PM »

1973
[/b]

January 22: Former President Lyndon Johnson dies. In other news, the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiff in Roe vs. Wade.

January 27: The Paris Peace Accords are signed by the North, South, Viet Cong, and United States. Elections are to be held in the South, while Saigon and the Viet Cong are to begin talks. The US promises to withdraw all troops within 60 days.

February 2: Nixon is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

February 11: North Vietnam releases US POWs

February 13: The US dollar is devalued 10% against all major currencies

March 12: The US drops the Gold Standard

March 15: South Vietnam begins to grab Communist-held territory such as the Mekong Delta. The North Vietnamese army is in disarray.

May 10: The US House of Representatives narrowly votes to end funding for military operations in Indochina.

May 11: Thailand urges the US to continue their aid to the nation.

May 12: The White House announces that it will still continue its operations in Southeast Asia.

May 14: The Senate Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly votes to cut off funding to bombing Cambodia

May 20: Nixon criticizes North Vietnam for persisting in violations of the cease-fire agreement and for failing to provide adequate information on missing American GIs

May 27: US intelligence reports that the North Vietnamese appear content to pursue political means towards victory, and that the chances of a major military operation are slim.

June 19: The House and Senate pass the Case-Church amendment forbidding further military involvement in Southeast Asia active August 13. However the majorities are not veto proof, and Nixon successfully vetoes them, allowing continued military action.

June 23-25: Soviet Leader Leonid Brezhnev arrives in the US to discuss disarmament talks.

September 22: South Vietnamese troops attack North Vietnamese troops near Pleiku.

September 22: Henry Kissinger becomes United States Secretary of State

October 10: Vice-President Spiro Agnew resigns, pleading no contest to charges of income tax evasion.

October 11: Kissinger warns the Soviets that the US will send troops to the Middle East if the Soviets do.

October 17: Kissinger and Le Duc Tho are awarded the Noble Peace Prize

October 17: An Arab Oil-Embargo begins of nations supporting Israel, until the pre-Six Day War boundaries are restored.

November 6: VC and ARVN forces have been fighting for weeks, with no end in sight. Talks between the two groups seem unlikely.

November 7: The Congress fails to override Nixon’s veto of the Case-Church Amendment

November 24: Congress approves Treasury Secretary John Connally as the new Vice-President. Speculation is instantly generated about him running for President in 1976.

November 27: Nixon signs the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act, allowing for greater control over oil prices, production, and allocation.

December 3: Communist forces destroy 18 million gallons of fuel near Saigon.

December 23: OLPEC doubles crude oil prices

December 28: Congress passes the Endangered Species Act







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hcallega
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« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2009, 11:15:27 AM »

1974
[/b]

January 30: Richard Nixon delivers his State of the Union Address. In it he focuses on his success in foreign policy, particularly détente and the end of the Vietnam War. He also presents his proposal for health care reform (CHIP). CHIP would include three parts: an employer mandate that meets a government-standard for minimum benefits which the employer would pay 75% of with a limit for out-of-pocket expenses, Medicare reform to add coverage for outpatient prescription drugs with an annual limit on out-of-pocket expenses as well as a minimum benefits package, and Assisted Health Insurance. Assisted Health Insurance would replace Medicaid with a federal/state program to those not covered by Medicare or the employer mandate. It would also be available to those with pre-existing conditions denied from private insurers. Out-of-pocket expenses and premiums would vary, but the poor would pay nothing. It would also have the same minimum benefits package as the other programs.

February 2: Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts offers his support to CHIP: “While it’s not the perfect bill, and while it does not provide truly universal coverage, the President’s plan does take a major step forward. I have offered him my support in getting this bill passed, and I will work as hard as I can to make sure that it does.”

February 4: Arab oil producers announce that they will increase oil supplies to nations with a positive attitude towards the Arab world. This is seen as meaning countries opposed to Israel.

February 21: After two weeks of debate, the Senate’s Committee on Human Resources approves CHIP in President Nixon’s proposed form. Both Chairman Harrison Williams (D-NJ) and ranking member Jacob Javits (R-NY) support the bill and only three committee members oppose it.

March 5: The House Ways and Means Committee approves CHIP despite strong Republican and conservative opposition. Illinois’s Dan Rostenkowski takes the lead on the bill, and sums up the fight nicely: “This is big for anyone in congress who didn’t get to sit through the Great Society or the New Deal. I’m sure these young guns are going to be brutal to stop on the House floor. It’s going to be a street fight, and I’m glad we get them on our side.” The bill passes the committee by a narrow vote of 20-17

March 17: Arab oil producers announce the end of the oil embargo against the United States. Libya does not lift the embargo.

April 1: Price increases in the US will be 11.3 percent for the year, while gas will reach 55 cents a gallon. The average household income is $13,900, while the average new house costs $34,900.

April 11: Senator’s James Allen (D-AL) and Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) announce that they will filibuster CHIP. They claim to have enough votes to block the bill from coming to the floor. Senator Goldwater lays it out: “Americans don’t want to see the Government hijack health care, a private industry. The Democrats and the President are on the same page, but we have the votes to stop them.”

April 28: The House approves CHIP by a vote of 254-180. Majority Leader Tip O’Neill calls it “a victory for all Americans, especially the ones that work hard but don’t get paid like it. They’re finally getting the same chance as everyone else.”

May 15: CHIP reaches the Senate floor by a vote of 60-40. 14 Democrats vote for the filibuster, all from the South, while 17 Republicans join with the Democrats. Both Minority Leader Hugh Scott (R-PA) and Robert Griffin (R-MI) support the measure. Senator Ted Kennedy calls it “A great day to be an American.”

June 2: The Senate passes CHIP 56-44, with Senators Ted Stevens (R-AK), Lawton Chiles (D-FL), Dee Huddleston (D-KY) and Marlow Cook (R-KY) all voting Nay to help politically in their own states.

June 31: The House and Senate approve the conference version of the bill which includes the Senate’s small-business tax cut for those who provide health care to their employees.

June 31: Communists begin a military buildup in South Vietnam.

July 4: President Nixon signs CHIP into law. The first pen he signs it with is given to him from Senator Ted Kennedy. Nixon calls this “A fundamental and necessary program that will help millions of Americans.”

July 31: The morale of Saigon’s army is in terrible shape. More than 90% of soldiers do not receive enough pay to take care of their families, and many generals have begun stealing from the payroll.

October 10: President Nixon goes to congress to talk about the inflation crisis. He proposes more food production, as well as greater energy independence. He also demands that the automotive industry cut gas consumption by 40%.

November 5: The Republicans pick up 8 seats in the House and a net gain of one in the Senate. This trims the Democratic majorities to 237-197 and 57-42-1-1 respectively

December 11: Congress passes a defense appropriations bill that cuts funding to South Vietnam’s military.

December 13: North Vietnamese probing attacks into Phuoc Long Province are met with a strong national address by Nixon: “I have this to say to North Vietnam and their Communist Allies in the South. If you do not fall back and stop this act of aggression, the US will retaliate. We are committed to the Paris Peace Accords, and I assure you that we are not afraid to use military force if necessary.”

December 18: North Vietnamese leaders agree that it is best to fall back and continue to focus on political means, or at least wait out the Nixon presidency.

December 27: Nixon vetoes the appropriations bill.

December 30: Congress fails to override the President’s veto.

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Historico
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« Reply #3 on: November 21, 2009, 07:04:00 PM »

Looking forward to the '76 election...Keep it comming HC
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President Mitt
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« Reply #4 on: November 21, 2009, 10:59:36 PM »

If you want any of my old notes/drafts, I'd be happy to send them to you.
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MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!
Kalwejt
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« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2009, 11:16:09 PM »

HC, you're always in form, keep it coming Smiley
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hcallega
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« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2009, 12:12:14 PM »

If you want any of my old notes/drafts, I'd be happy to send them to you.

I may at some point. Your timeline was very good and very original. While I hope mine will be just as good, it will be a little less original and a little more predictable, which I kind of like. To go off on a little rant, my favorite TLs are the ones where I can kind of tell what's coming, but I like to see how it gets there. For instance, while I like all of your TLs, the George Wallace one was really intriguing because it seemed so possible and so frigtening. Anyway, everyone's praise is much appreciated and I hope you enjoy the ensuing years!!
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officepark
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« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2009, 04:25:53 PM »
« Edited: November 22, 2009, 04:28:19 PM by True Conservative »

November 7: Nixon is reelected in a landslide

Richard Nixon/Spiro Agnew (R)      59%   520
George McGovern/Sargent Shriver (D)   38%   17

LOL at Massachusetts.

Also LOL at who they voted for.
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« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2009, 04:29:04 PM »

Very interesting timeline by the way. Looking forward to more.
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hcallega
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« Reply #9 on: November 22, 2009, 06:26:39 PM »

1975
January 1: Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson of Washington declares his candidacy for United States President: “I cannot sit back and watch as our country grows weaker internationally and pulled apart at home.” He is crowned as the party’s frontrunner.

January 2: Vice-President John Connally jumps into the race for President, and within 24 hours is given the endorsement of President Nixon and the Republican base.

January 3: Representative Morris “Mo” Udall of Arizona declares his candidacy for the Democratic Nomination. Attempting to draw on the support that George McGovern received in 1972, he calls on “the youth of America to make the choice between the hateful policies of the past and the policies of tomorrow, policies that you will create and you will make great.” Many see this as a shot against Jackson and his hawkish policies, though Udall insists that is in reference to Richard Nixon’s “Imperial Presidency”. In his memoirs, Udall will later claim that “Of course it was a shot at Scoop…He was the frontrunner, and if I hadn’t called him out I would have simply been an also ran.” With Udall’s decision to run the Democratic field is rounded out. The frontrunners are Senator Jackson, Representative Udall, and Senator Bayh of Indiana. Governor George Wallace is viewed as a regional candidate, while Governor Jimmy Carter and Senators Robert Byrd and Lloyd Bentsen are favorite sons. Terry Sanford and Fred Harris are viewed as long shots to win anything, while Sargent Shriver is many pundits dark horse.

January 5: Governor Ronald Reagan joins the Republican field for President claiming that “While President Nixon has accomplished a great deal, his policies are not perfect. I am running because America deserves strong conservative leadership. Vice-President Connally does not posses that leadership to be our man in the White House. Let’s not forget that he was a lifelong Democrat.”

January 6: Senator Charles Mathias of Maryland joins the race. He will be part of a slew of other liberal Republicans who will join the race in the coming day (Edward Brooke, Charles Percy, and Nelson Rockefeller). While all are immensely popular, they will divide up the left vote.

January 10: Senator Robert Dole of Kansas is the last Republican to join the race. He is attacked by Connally as “a Beltway insider who hasn’t done anything to show for it” and Reagan as “a flip-flopper and a false conservative.” Dole fires back “It’s ironic that I’m being attacked as not conservative enough by two men who spent most of their lives as Democrats.” Dole joins the two men as frontrunners for the nomination.

February 18: Jane Fonda sues the US Government for $2.8 million dollars for intercepting her mail.

February 21: The Vatican Declares the Supreme Court’s ruling on Abortion immoral.

March 15: Aristotle Onassis dies, leaving Jacky Kennedy a widow again.

April 5: Chian Kai-Shek dies.

April 12: The Khmer Rouge encircles the Cambodian capital. The US evacuates its embassy personnel and key Cambodians. President Nixon calls this “a potentially terrible development.”

April 17: The Khmer Rouge forces overrun the capital in Phnom Penh. They promise a policy of neutrality and non-alignment and are greeted with cheering crowds.

April 18: China offers its congratulations to the Khmer Rouge

April 20: Using falce fears of American bombings; the Khmer Rouge evacuates the populace of Phnom Penh

April 21: President Nguyen Van Thieu resigns as President of South Vietnam, stating a fundamental disagreement with the policy of nation-wide elections. Tran Van Huong takes over, promising an increased commitment to the Paris Peace Accords.

April 22: President Nixon reiterates his support for South Vietnam: “The United States has made a commitment to the nation of South Vietnam and its people. We are not going to abandon them simply because progress has been slow.”

April 26: South Vietnamese troops are routed in an offensive against Viet Cong forces. The army’s morale is at an all-time low, despite the fact that the war with the North has for all intensive purposes ended.

May 5: The State Department announces that they believe that Phnom Penh has been entirely evacuated forcibly.

May 12: Khmer Rouge gunboats take possession of the U.S. Mayaguez

May 14: Nixon orders US marines to retake the Mayaguez. While it is retaken successfully, and no crewmembers are hurt, over 40 US marines are killed and two are captured and later executed.

June 5: The Suez Canal is reopened

August 1: The Helsinki Accords are signed, signaling greater peace in Europe. They also include greater human rights provisions. Both the Soviet Union and United States support the Accords.

August 23: A Communist Coalition government takes power in Laos.

September 5: While visiting California, President Nixon is shot and badly wounded by Squeeky Fromme. While not killed, he receives a large loss of blood and will stay in the hospital for several weeks.

September 8: Boston begins its public school bussing program. It is very unpopular and requires National Guard protection.

September 29: President Nixon is released from the Hospital.

October 9: Soviet Scientist Andrew Sakharov is given the Nobel Peace Prize, but is not allowed to travel to Norway to accept it. President Nixon is once again beaten out for the award.

October 10: Israel and Egypt sign the Sinai accord reestablishing the border and opening the Suez Canal to Israel.

November 11: Fidel Castro sends troops to aid the Leftist forces in Angola.

November 20: Francisco Franco dies. Juan Carlos is proclaimed King.

December 3: Laos officially deposes it’s king and becomes a communist government, allying itself with North Vietnam and allowing for the placement of Communist troops within the nation.

December 6: An ethnically charged Civil War begins in Lebanon that will last until 1990.

December 21: Palestinian terrorist kill three and take 91 hostages in a journey that will last into 1976.
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hcallega
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« Reply #10 on: November 22, 2009, 08:57:38 PM »

Also, Senator Ted Kennedy declined to seek the nomination in December of 1975:

"This is not the time. There is too much to accomplish in the Senate. I will campaign as passionately as I can for the Democratic Ticket, and I strongly believe we will win."

This opened the field for everyone else.
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Historico
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« Reply #11 on: November 23, 2009, 10:13:18 AM »

Wow, talk about really opening the field HC...Can't wait to see who the nominee's are...I really want to see Conally/Brooke or Connally/Percy take the nod on the GOP. For the Democrats(I want to set Teddy up for 1980) probably Mo Udall to take the Dark Horse void left by Carter lol...Keep it comming
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hcallega
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« Reply #12 on: November 23, 2009, 07:18:23 PM »

1976

January 19: In the Iowa Caucuses, Senator Bob Dole narrowly defeats Vice-President Connally while on the Democratic side Senator Birch Bayh wins in a contest that does not feature either Senator Jackson or Representative Udall, the two frontrunners.

January 24: George Wallace easily wins the Mississippi Democratic Caucuses

January 27: Vice-President Connally wins the Hawaii Republican Caucuses

February: Mo Udall wins the Maine Caucus

February 4: Senator Bob Dole wins the Wyoming Caucuses

February 7: Favorite Son Fred Harris wins the Oklahoma Democratic Caucuses

February 10: Mo Udall wins the Alaska Democratic Primary

February 24: Ronald Reagan upsets Connally in the Minnesota Caucuses, while Mo Udall wins on the Democratic side. In the crucial New Hampshire primaries on the same day, Reagan once again wins (this time in less of an upset) over a split liberal vote while Udall once again wins on the Democratic side. The March Edition of TIME Magazine puts Udall on the cover, with the title: “Mo Udall: The New Left’s Next Man Up.” Most pundits have him as the new frontrunner.

February 25: Senator Charles Mathias withdraws from the GOP field, sitting a lack of support and a lack of money.

February 28: George Wallace wins the South Carolina Democratic Caucuses

March 2: In the Massachusetts Primary, Scoop Jackson narrowly defeats Udall, keeping his candidacy alive. His victory is attributed to his dominance among white working class voters, in which Udall finished third behind Jackson and Wallace. Udall’s support for bussing and Jackson’s opposition to it were key in blue-collar areas like South Boston and Charlestown. On the Republican side, favorite son Edward Brooke wins easily. In the Vermont “Beauty Pageant” where no delegates are at stake, Sargent Shriver wins on the Democratic side while Ronald Reagan wins on the GOP side. In the Washington Caucuses Reagan defeats Dole and Connally, while on the Democratic side Jackson cruises to a dominate victory.

March 9: Mo Udall wins the Hawaii Democratic Caucuses. George Wallace narrowly defeats Scoop Jackson in Florida, but Udall’s weak third place means that it is a true victory for Jackson. Connally wins the Republican primary.

March 12: Connally wins the South Carolina Caucuses

March 14:  Mo Udall wins the Wyoming Democratic Caucuses. While he is still viewed as the frontrunner, many pundits note that he has yet to win a “big state” after New Hampshire.

March 16: Scoop Jackson scores a big win in the Illinois Primary, giving his candidacy new life. He also receives the endorsement of the UAW in the wake of the victory, giving him the almost total support of labor outside of the AFL-CIO, who is waiting until the nomination is decided. On the GOP side favorite son Charles Percy easily wins.

March 17: Nelson Rockefeller drops out of the Republican field.

March 19: Bob Dole wins the Kansas Republican Caucuses.

March 20: Patty Hearst is found guilty of armed robbery.

March 23: Ronald Reagan wins the Connecticut Republican Caucuses, another sign that Connally is loosing control of the nomination. However he does win the North Carolina primary, which Wallace wins on the Democratic side.

March 27: Connally wins the Mississippi Republican Caucuses.

March 29: Reagan wins the Maine Republican Caucuses.

March 31: Karen Ann Quinlan dies after the New Jersey Supreme Court rules in favor of her parents who supported removing her feeding tube against the hospital’s wishes.

April 1: Steve Jobs and Steve Woznik form Apple Computers.

April 3: Udall wins the Kansas Democratic Caucuses, while Wallace wins the Virginia Caucuses.

April 4: In Cambodia the Prince is put under house arrest by the Khmer Rouge. This is just another part of their culture war in which intellectuals are killed and the entire country is forced to live in collective, rural, poverty.

April 5: Connally wins the Oklahoma GOP Caucuses.

April 6: Scoop Jackson wins the New York Primary, while Udall wins Wisconsin. On the GOP side Reagan wins Wisconsin while Connally wins New York. It is clear that on both sides there are intense showdowns.

April 19: Connally wins the Missouri GOP caucuses

April 20: Jackson wins the Missouri Democratic Caucuses. He is now in the delegate lead on the Democratic side.

April 22: Udall wins the New Mexico Democratic Caucuses.

April 27: Udall wins the North Dakota Democratic Caucuses. Jackson wins the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary, catapulting him into the frontrunner spot. Connally wins on the Republican side, reasserting his support among the party faithful.

May 1: Wallace wins the Louisiana Democratic Caucuses. Dole wins the North Dakota caucuses. Connally wins the Texas primary easily, while favorite son Lloyd Bentsen wins for the Dems.

May 3: Udall wins the Democratic Colorado Caucuses, while Dole wins the Republican one. 

May 4: Wallace wins the Alabama Democratic Primary, while Carter wins his home-state of Georgia, with Jackson winning Indiana. Connally wins both Alabama and Georgia but looses Indiana to Reagan.

May 8: Connally wins the Louisiana Caucuses.

May 11: Udall wins the Connecticut Democratic Caucuses and Nebraska primary, while Robert Byrd wins West Virginia. Dole wins Nebraska while Connally wins West Virginia.

May 14: Connally wins the GOP’s Virginia Caucuses.

May 17: Reagan wins the Utah Caucuses, as does Udall, a Mormon.

May 18: Connally captures Maryland while Reagan wins Michigan. Jackson wins Michigan but it is Wallace who wins Maryland over a essential second place tie between Jackson and Udall.

May 22: Dole wins the Alaska Republican Caucuses.

May 25: Connally wins Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee, while Reagan wins Nevada and Oregon and Dole wins Idaho. Wallace wins Tennessee and Arkansas, while Jackson wins Kentucky and Oregon, and Udall wins Nevada and Idaho.

June 1: Udall wins the Montana primary, while Dole wins the Republican beauty contest. Udall also wins South Dakota, with Jackson winning Rhode Island. Dole wins South Dakota while Reagan wins Rhode Island.

June 8: While Jackson wins Ohio and New Jersey, Udall pulls off an upset in California. This ensures that there will be no victor on the first ballot. Reagan wins the California primary but looses New Jersey and Ohio to Connally, assuring that the Texan will win the nomination.

June 11: Udall wins the Delaware Convention.

June 19: Connally wins the Delaware Convention.

June 26: Dole wins the Montana Republican Convention.

July 4: Israeli Commandos free the hostages at Uganda’s Entebbe Airport.

July 6: The Naval Academy accepts its first class of women.

July 12: A South Vietnamese convoy is completely wiped out by a Viet Cong attack. It has become clear that the tide of the war is turning in favor of the Communists. Nixon begins to pressure Saigon to call for elections while they still can, but the military strongly opposes this. The North continues to bide it’s time.
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hcallega
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« Reply #13 on: November 23, 2009, 07:19:52 PM »

1976 Part Two: Pardon the lack of Pics, it took a long time to do all of this so it was kind of a pain.

July 12: The Democratic National Convention opens in Madison Square Garden in New York City. On the first ballot, Jackson leads Udall with 1296 delegates to 762. However this is not a majority. George Wallace runs in third with 463, Bentsen in fourth with 130, Bayh with 122, Carter 50, Harris 37, Byrd 33, and Shriver with 12.

July 13: On the second ballot Jackson is able to win a majority with 1756 delegates to Udall’s 1126. While Udall gained support from many on the left, Jackson was able to secure most of Wallace and Bentsen’s delegates. In his memoir, “My Life”, Ted Kennedy noted that “this was the year that it was clear to me. The New Left and the Old Left were permanently divided. The intensity of the convention, while not as lethal as 1968 or as outlandish as 1972, was still extreme. It was clear that they needed someone to unite them. Unfortunately Scoop was not that man.”

July 14: Jackson chooses Idaho Senator Frank Church as his running mate to form a “Unity Ticket”. Church was perhaps Nixon’s strongest foreign policy opponent and the face of the anti-Vietnam War movement of the mid-1970s. Many on the left wanted him to run in 1976, but with the memory of 1972 still fresh in his mind, Church was reluctant to give up his top spot in the Senate for a potentially embarrassing defeat. Nonetheless his acceptance gave Jackson more support among young and anti-war voters. The story of the night however, was Mo Udall’s speech: “While we did not win this time, we can still win the war. And I tell this to the youth in America, not just those who supported my candidacy: Never give up, never surrender. The fight goes on, and you will be on the frontlines.” Udall would later note “I don’t know why young folks were so drawn to me. I was never really that liberal. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time.”

July 15: Jackson delivers his acceptance speech: “Tonight is just the beginning. We are a great party made up of so many different faces, and we will win because of it. But we have to keep fighting, pushing, and working hard. If we do there is no force in the world powerful enough to stop us!” The Keynote speakers, John Glenn and Barbara Jordan were the stars of the show for the convention, and both would become favorites of the party in coming years.

July 20: The US refuses to withdraw military forces from Thailand despite strong protests in the country’s capital.

August 4: An outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease kills 29 in Philadelphia.

August 11: At the Republican Party convention, the delegates choose not to endorse the Equal Rights Amendment, leading to boos from many women in the audience including Minority Leader Gerald Ford’s wife.

August 16: The Republican Convention opens in Kansas City, Missouri. Vice-President John Connally wins the nomination on the first ballot with 1204 delegates to Reagan’s 653, with Bob Dole picking up 254 and finishing in third. Charles Percy won 101 delegates with Edward Brooke won 43.

August 17: Connally chooses Tennessee Senator and Republican Senate Leader Howard Baker of Tennessee as his Vice-Presidential nominee. While it is seen as strange to have an all-southern ticket, Nixon praises the move as “smart, resourceful, and politically savvy.”  The choice is also seen as a reinforcement of the Southern Strategy with Connally Campaign Manager Pat Buchanan is so fond of. That night Baker delivers the Keynote Address.

August 18: Two US troops are killed in the Korean DMZ after attempting to cut down a tree obstructing their view.

August 18: Nixon delivers his address to the convention, focusing on the accomplishments of the Republican Party and its ability to govern without congressional power. He intentionally avoids focusing on his personal accomplishments or divisive issues such as CHIP or Vietnam.

August 19: Connally accepts the nomination with a relatively lackluster speech. However the Convention is well received and the strong sense of party unity is clear. Entering the convention Connally led by just three points; he leaves the convention up by seven.

September 9: Chairman Mao dies

September 24: Patty Hearst is sentenced to seven years in prison.

September 24: In the first Presidential Debate, Connally performs well talking about domestic issues. He outlines his support for many of the President’s policies including CHIP, but focuses on his plan to jumpstart the economy with a strong deregulatory package. Jackson doesn’t do too poorly however, as he criticizes Connally for his “Yes-Man” approach to supporting whatever Nixon did.

October 6: Chinese Communist leaders depose Mao’s wife and the leaders of the Cultural Revolution.

October 6: In the foreign policy debate, Jackson performs well. He applauds Nixon for “thinking outside the box” and “taking a huge risk” with détente, but is critical for giving too much away: “I have often said that I’m not a hawk, I just don’t want my country to be a pigeon. While I don’t believe that President Nixon has gone that far, he has certainly given the Soviet’s a leg up that we cannot afford.” Connally performs poorly, going back and forth between sounding hawkish and peaceful. It seems to many that he is actually far more hawkish than he has openly stated, and that he has caved to the President’s will. This debate gives Jackson the boost that he needed, bringing him within four points of Connally.

October 15: In the Vice-Presidential debate between Baker and Church, Baker dominates. He appears calm, collected, and informed. Church is criticized for being too aggressive and dwelling on Nixon and the past. This gives Connally a bump and he leads for the rest of the race by five or six points consistently.

November 2: Vice-President John Connally wins the Presidential Election by solid margin. While the race wasn’t a nail-bitter, it did show that any pretense of a national Republican Dynasty was simply unrealistic. It also showed that the “Old Left” of the Democratic Party faired far better than the “New Left”

Connally/Baker (R) 318 EVs, 53% of the PV
Jackson/Church (D) 220 EVs, 47% of the PV

December 1: Angola joins the UN

December 15: Samoa joins the UN


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« Reply #14 on: November 23, 2009, 07:25:06 PM »

P.S.: 1976 Congressional Results: The Republicans made a net gain of one seat in the Senate (difference from OTL is that Robert Taft Jr. defeats Howard Metzenbaum). This leaves them with a 56-43-1 minority. In the House, Republicans gained two seats, 235-199 being the Democratic Majority.
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Dr. Cynic
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« Reply #15 on: November 23, 2009, 07:33:45 PM »

Give us a Mo Udall Presidency, damnit!!!!!
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« Reply #16 on: November 23, 2009, 07:55:12 PM »


HAHAHAHA not in the cards my friend, not in the cards.
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« Reply #17 on: November 23, 2009, 07:57:57 PM »


HAHAHAHA not in the cards my friend, not in the cards.

Well hell, then I'm not reading anymore Tongue
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« Reply #18 on: November 24, 2009, 01:12:59 AM »

Nice sized win the Connally/Baker ticket...Can't wait to see how that "King of Me" Texan is going to handle the Crisies of the late 1970's. Also if Teddy's planning on starting to run in 1980 from the start, he's going to work hard to atleat make it so that his family life is order. Keep TTL comming.
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« Reply #19 on: November 26, 2009, 11:07:54 AM »

1977
[/b]

January 19: In the early morning hours in America, the NVA launches a massive offensive into the South. ARVN forces are overrun and chaos engulfs Saigon.

January 19: John Connally is inaugurated as the 38th President of the United States of America. In his address, the new President focuses on changing the current course of the economy and inflation: “Most Americans see the government as a force of good. The only question is how much government we need. I grew up in a family where we were taught about the virtues of hard work and self-reliance. I believe those are good values for all Americans. And the government cannot be responsible for always picking up the pieces. Under my Presidency we will see a reduction in inflation and a growth of the economy, but not at the expense of American freedoms or independence.”

January 20: Connally asks congress for emergency funds to intervene in South Vietnam.

January 22: Connally announces his first 100 days plan. It includes a new tax cut, increases in defense spending, cuts to domestic programs (primarily those aimed at the very poor) and a massive new deregulatory plan. Connally also emphasizes increased foreign trade and a stepped up US prescience in the third world. With the urging of Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina, he calls it “Moral Foreign Policy”.

January 22: The Senate rejects the Vietnam aide, fearing the beginning of a “second” Vietnam War. The House will not take up the vote following this serious defeat for the President and GOP. Majority Leader Robert Byrd calls the President’s attempt to intervene “essentially an attempt to restart this war. America is done with Vietnam. This war is over for us.”

January 23: Roots débuts on ABC

February 1: Congress approves Connally’s tax cuts and deregulatory plans, but narrowly blocks his spending cuts. Military spending also passes, though with very little support from liberals. On this night he goes to the nation in support of his energy plan, which calls for greater energy independence through more domestic and off-shore drilling.

February 6: Several major cities fall to the NVA, while bombings and Viet Cong attacks in Saigon kill many government leaders, including the President. The nation is in chaos and many generals begin to “go rogue.”

February 11: Under increasing pressure from anti-Communist groups in America, Connally addresses the issue of human rights abuses in the Soviet Union. He goes as far to say that “there are limits to détente, and one of them is the violation of international law and basic human rights.”

February 13: In a seemingly symbolic display of “Moral Foreign Policy”, Connally requests the Shah of Iran to release many of his political prisoners, which he does.
March 20: Saigon falls to the North. While many rogue ARVN generals are still active, the war in Vietnam is over. President Nixon would address this in his autobiography “of course I thought we could win. But I also always knew that this war would last far beyond me and my term in office. I hoped John could do it, but the Democrats had it in for him and the Republicans feared the voter’s wrath. I always knew it could happen, but I hoped and prayed that it wouldn’t.”

April 15: Congress passes Connally’s energy independence plan, but once again he receives little support from an increasingly vocal group of liberal democrats, including Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill: “We’re not going to sit idly by while the President of the United States ignores the concerns of congress and its leadership.” However new Minority Leader Ted Stevens of Alaska calls Connally “a man of action…he has the votes, and I feel that we must remind the Democrats that they do have a majority. Maybe they should worry more about getting their own folks to support them before they worry about us.”

May 25: Star Wars premiers in the US

June 1: Connally announces that the US will increase research into new missile technology, stating that “détente is politics. It’s not going to last forever.”

June 5: Apple II computers go on sale.

June 15: Due to an increase in the arms race, the chance of nuclear war is increasing, says a Swedish research body.

June 15: Spain has it’s first democratic elections since Franco took power.

June 30: Iranian opposition leader Dr. Ali Shariati dies in London after being released from Iranian jail. The Ayatollah Khomeini is the leading opposition voice in Iran.

July 1: President Connally announces that despite congressional opposition, he will continue the B-1 program.

July 5: Martial Law is declared in Pakistan.

August 16: Elvis Presley dies at the age of 42.


August 18: Steve Biko is arrested in South Africa.

September 5: Connally denounces those supportive of returning the Panama Canal as “unpatriotic” and “looking for America to give up its super power status” privately.

September 12: Steve Biko is beaten to death.

October 26: Smallpox is considered eradicated.

October 31: The Ayatollah’s son is found dead. Many suspect the Iranian secret police.

November 19: Anwar Sadat visits Israel despite strong Egyptian opposition.

November 20: The Shah visits the White House, receiving strong support from the White House which offers him their full support.

December 25: Connally spends Christmas with the Shah and his family, once again offering his strong support to the “stable regime.”

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« Reply #20 on: November 26, 2009, 11:46:30 AM »

1978
[/b]

January 1: The Soviet economy is in shambles and prospects for improvement seem bleak.

January: Protests throughout Iran are inspired by the Shah’s liberalization. Leftists and religious students both take to the streets and are met with deadly force. President Connally refuses to comment on his close allies actions.

February 15: Ted Bundy is arrested in Florida.

April 3: Senator Ted Kennedy criticizes President Connally’s support of the Neutron Bomb, calling it “exactly what’s wrong with this arms race. We care more about keeping up infrastructure than saving lives.”

April 7: The UN forms the World Health Organization.

April 18: The Senate fails to pass a non-binding resolution asking the President to negotiate the Panama Canal back to Panama. Senator Kennedy votes nay.

April 19: Communist leaders are arrested after a funeral gathering in Afghanistan.

April 26-8: Communists forces overwhelm those loyal to the Afghani government. President Daoud and his family are killed. President Connally addresses the coup as “a terrible turn of events” but refuses to intervene.

May 1: Communists officially take power in Afghanistan.

June 6: Prop 13 passes in California, lowering property taxes 60%

August 19: Intense demonstrations erupt in Iran following the burning of a movie theater. Many blame the Shah’s police, though some blame religious fanatics.

September 8: “Black Friday” in Iran. The military clashes with protestors in bloody riots across Tehran.

September 10: Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin agree to allow the self-government of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip after intense negotiations in Ontario, Canada. This is seen as both a great stride towards peace in the Middle East and a victory for Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau who oversaw the negotiations. Senator Kennedy calls out President Connally for “being totally inactive in an extremely important moment in one of the most important regions of the world.” It is clear that the Massachusetts Senator has become the President’s strongest critic and rival.

October 6: The Ayatollah Khomeini goes to France after being exiled from Iraq. He urges revolt and revolution in both Iran and Iraq.

October 16: Cardinal Karol Wojtyl becomes Pope John Paul II, the 264th Pope and the first Polish one.

October 23: President Connally announces his plan to defeat inflation, calling it “Whip Inflation Now”, or Win. He announces plans to cut the federal workforce, cut pay for federal employees, and focus on cutting the deficit over new tax cuts. He draws fire from both the left and the right.

November 7: The Shah promises greater reform and seeks to create a coalition government. However he still keeps the country under military rule and has 13 cabinet members arrested.

November 7: In the Midterm Elections the Senate results are even, as both sides pick up five seats. However in the House the Democrats gain 15 seats, giving them a 250-185 majority. This is seen as a major refute of President Connally and a major victory for the Democrats.

November 18: The Jonestown suicide leaves over 900 dead, including 270 children, Jim Jones, and Congressman Leo Ryan (killed earlier).

November 20: President Connally refuses to cut supplies to Nicaragua, stating that “they are two important of any ally to cut to the winds.”

November: Mikhail Gorbachev, seen as a young innovator within the USSR, is appointed Central Committee Secretary of agriculture.

December 5: The Soviets and Afghani Communists sign a 20 year peace pact including an article that will allow for Soviet intervention to help the Afghani communists.

December 11: China begins the decollectivization of agriculture.

December 25: Hot off of their victory against the South, Communist Vietnam invades the rival Cambodia, smashing them back.

December 27: The Spanish people approve a new constitution creating a democracy.

December 29: Shahpur Bakhtiar is the new PM of Iran.



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« Reply #21 on: November 27, 2009, 10:48:40 AM »

1979

January 1: Full diplomatic ties are established between China and the US. President Connally calls this “the full recognition of a great step towards international peace.”

January 2: Mississippi Governor Cliff Finch is the first to announce his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States as a Democrat.

January 4: Representative Phil Crane announces that he will challenge President Connally for the GOP nomination for President: “Under President Connally we have grown weaker in the world, and we cannot let this continue for four more years.”

January 7: Phnom Penh falls to the Vietnamese Military. The Khmer Rouge is on the brink of defeat.

January 16: The Shah and his family flee to Egypt. Protestors storm the streets of Tehran.

February 1: PM Bakhtiar invites the Ayatollah Khomeini back to Iran. He is greeted by thousands of supporters and calls on the expulsion of all foreigners from the country.

February 5: Senator Frank Church of Idaho announces his candidacy for President.

February 6: Representative John Anderson of Illinois declares that he will challenge Crane and Connally for the nomination: “It’s time for that other Republican party to come back and let it’s voice be heard.”

February 8: Senator Ted Kennedy, flanked by Representatives Boland and Moakley, denounces President Connally for his continued support of the Somoza regime and other dictatorial regimes around the world: “And I say this to President Connally: Today we are being tested, not just by communism but by those who use the fight against communism as an excuse to rape, torture, and kill. Mr. President I urge you to pass this test not with a whimper but with a roar. We cannot afford to turn the other cheek while our allies slaughter their own people.”

February 10: Senator Kennedy announces his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States in front of Boston’s Faneuil Hall: “Our cause is justice. It is freedom. It is equality. If we are united we can do this. If divided we will not. Today we begin something special, and I truly hope and believe that we can finish it.” Kennedy is the frontrunner for the Democratic Nomination and is in a dead heat with Connally.

February 11: The supporters of the Ayatollah Khomeini take to the streets armed with weapons. PM Bakhtiar flees to Paris.

February 14: Extremists capture and kill the US ambassador to Afghanistan.

February 15: China invades Vietnam under the pretense for their mistreatment of the Chinese minority in Vietnam. However the Vietnamese government uses this invasion to rally support for the government and unify the nation behind a cause.

February 22: President Connally announces that all aid will be cut to Afghanistan.

March 13: Maurice Bishop overthrows the Grenada government, creating a semi-socialist state.

March 16: The Chinese withdraw from Vietnam after suffering heavy casualties and gaining little ground.

March: A mutiny in Afghanistan by military officers is crushed.

March 20: Brezhnev refuses to send troops to Afghanistan despite the requests of its communist government. Instead he urges them to seek reforms and promises them weapons.

March 22: On the Island of Rhodes, Egypt and Israel sign a treaty recognizing each other’s existence.

March 28: A partial core meltdown occurs at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant in Pennsylvania.

April 5: In response to growing energy shortages, President Connally proposes greater deregulation of the oil and gas industries. Congress strongly supports this in the wake of the energy crisis.

April 11: Idi Amin is driven out of Uganda.

May 1: Greenland gains self-rule.

May 4: The Conservatives win the elections in Great Britain. Margaret Thatcher is the new PM and promises less government and economic growth.

May 21: Mexico breaks ties with the Somoza regime.

June 1: The Sandinistas begin an all-out offensive against the Somoza regime. President Connally offers no comment.

June 18: President Connally and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II treaty limiting the number of missile launch facilities each side may have.

June 20: ABC News correspondent Bill Stewart and his interpreter are shot and killed by a Nicaraguan National Guardsman with the camera rolling.

July 3: President Connally signs a directive to secretly aid the anti-Communist forces in Afghanistan against the Afghani regime. He hopes to draw the Soviets into the conflict and thus into a potential quagmire.

July 16: Saddam Hussein assumes power in Iraq.

July 17: Somoza flees from Nicaragua to Florida. Many in Latin America applaud his defeat.

July 19: The Sandinistas take control of the Nicaraguan capital.

September 10: President Connally vetoes international aid to Nicaragua. Senator Kennedy calls this “another grave mistake by this administration.”

September 16: Afghani President Taraki is killed. Vice-President Amin takes power.

October 9: Amin announces that Taraki died from an illness.

October 26: The South Korean President is shot by his security chief.

November 4: The US informs Iran that the Shah has arrived in the US to receive medical treatment. In response, Iranian students seize the US embassy and take 53 hostages.

November: Resistance increases to Amin’s regime. He responds by loosening religious controls and smashing resistance fighters, including civilians.

November 21: American embassies all over the Muslim world are attacked after Khomeini blames the US for the siege of the Grand Mosque in Mecca by Islamic radicals.

November 25-30: A Shiite uprising is crushed by the Saudi Government.

December 4: President Connally announces the “Connally Doctrine”, stating that the US will increase its role in the Middle East in supporting nations opposed to Communism and against nations embarking on “the path to radical and anti-American Islam.”

December 10: The US sends the USS Kitty Hawk and other military forces into the Persian Gulf as a show of strength.

December 24: The Soviet Union sends troops into Afghanistan, believing that it is justified after the US’s unilateral deployment of military forces into the Persian Gulf.

December 27: KGB agents shoot and kill Amin, replacing him with Babrak Kamal.

Sorry for the lack of pics. Another tedious year!



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Historico
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« Reply #22 on: November 27, 2009, 03:48:38 PM »

Hmm, Interesting situation with a lack of Iranian Hostage Crisis...Things should be pretty interesting and it seems like we may have another Cuban Missle Crisis over the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan with the Soviets. I also wasn't expecting for Connally to be such a Neo-Isolationist, can't wait to see what happens in the election...Keep it comming.
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hcallega
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« Reply #23 on: November 27, 2009, 05:18:17 PM »

Hmm, Interesting situation with a lack of Iranian Hostage Crisis...Things should be pretty interesting and it seems like we may have another Cuban Missle Crisis over the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan with the Soviets. I also wasn't expecting for Connally to be such a Neo-Isolationist, can't wait to see what happens in the election...Keep it comming.

Oh dear, there is still a Iranian Hostage Crisis Sitaution! I guess I didn't make it clear enough! But yeah, Connally is playing the John Wayne role and trying to stare down the situation for now. In terms of foreign policy as a whole it's more a reluctance to have his administration get bogged down and controlled by foreign policy, like Nixon's last few years were. He also has such little support in congress that he is pretty limited as well.
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« Reply #24 on: November 28, 2009, 12:51:34 PM »

1980

January 1: President Kamal announces that he requested the prescience of Soviet troops in Afghanistan.

January 2: President Connally is able to successfully get the congress to lift the ban on military aid to Pakistan, despite protests from neighboring India.

January 4: Connally announces a grain embargo on the Soviet Union, while also vowing that there will be a US military prescience in the Indian Ocean until the Soviets withdraw from Afghanistan.

January 9: The 63 Islamic Fundamentalists who took over the Grand Mosque are executed. However their views will become quite popular throughout the Muslim world.

January 19: China announces that it will not resume talks with the Russians over improved relations.

January 21: Senator Kennedy wins the Iowa Caucuses by a narrow margin over Senator Frank Church of Idaho. However after this Kennedy will not be closely challenged and runs away with the nomination. On the Republican side President Connally will cruise to victory, and will go on to only loose the Vermont primary to Representative Anderson who refuses to drop out of the race until the convention.

January 23: In his State of the Union Address, President Connally focuses on his plans to reduce inflation: “Organized labor must accept that there needs to be less pay increases, while business also needs to be aware that they cannot afford to raise prices……The deficit must also be cut, and we must accept that the government cannot pay for every program…..Wasteful regulations are cutting into our economy, and we must continue to knock them down.”

January 27: Six US diplomats escape from Iran using Canadian passports.

January 29: The UN calls for the Soviets to withdraw their troops from Afghnanistan.

January 31: In a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, President Connally and Chairman George Brown get into a shouting match over the President’s motivation in Afghanistan. Much of President Connally’s fears are based in the belief that the Soviet’s are attempting to encroach into the Persian Gulf, while Chairman Brown beliefs that it is a defensive measure and calls the President “a thug looking for a fight.” He resigns in disgust the next day.

February 1: A Defense Department Report states that any Soviet invasion of Northern Iran could not be stopped by purely conventional means. It states that tactical nuclear weapons may be the only way to ensure success.

February 2: Senator Kennedy claims that President Connally has created “War Hysteria” in the United States.

February 17: West Germany criticizes the US for not consulting on a plan of action with Afghanistan.

May 20: President Connally announces that the US will boycott the Summer Olympics in Moscow.

March 24: Archbishop Oscar Romero is killed.

March 31: President Connally signs a balanced budget, the first of its kind in 12 years.

April 7: The US severs all diplomatic ties with Iran.

April 26: In the early morning hours, the 101st Airborne Division arrives in Tehran. Proceeded by strategic airstrikes that eliminate most of the Iranian air force and anti-aircraft positions, the 101st arrive in Blackhawk Helicopters. They are given air cover by an AC-130 gunship. Nonetheless one of the five helicopters is shot down by a lone gunman with an RPG. One of the soldiers survives the crash but is quickly taken captive. The other paratroopers surround the embassy and lay siege to it. The Revolutionary Guard put up a tougher than expected fight, and soon Iranian military forces begin advancing on the embassy from all sides. The AC-130 is ordered to be discrete and avoid collateral damage, limiting its ability to prevent the 101st from being encircled. Finally the paratroopers enter the embassy, fighting off the Revolutionary Guard and rescuing the hostages. Eight have already been killed, while many others are badly wounded. Two of those killed were shot execution style in the head, clearly by Iranians. The other eight were likely shot by the 101st in the crossfire. With the embassy encircled, the Blackhawks cannot land to extract the paratroopers and hostages. The AC-130 is given full fire capabilities and lays waste to the surrounding neighborhood with its high powered Bower cannon. Many civilians are killed. The Blackhawks land and recover the team and hostages, but one of the choppers is shot down, killing two more hostages and five paras.

April 27: President Connally delivers a nationwide address describing the events of the past day. He calls the 101st “the bravest of the brave” and honors them for “their magnificent sacrifice.” However the public is quite skeptical of the President’s gung ho decision, and polls show that he is loosing support to Senator Kennedy daily.

April 28: The Soviet Union denounces the US for “barbarically destroying civilian lives.”
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