My view of the CU

[Mark Rand]

My view broke from the main view of the CU when an expolsion destroyed the Capitol moments after Dubya started his 2006 State of the Union Address.

 

Said explosion made James Collingsworth, the Secretary of Education and the member of the Cabinet that stayed away from the State of the Union Address, the new President. His wife, Kathryn, refused to give up her job as head nurse of the George Washington University Medical Center's eye clinic and their adult daughter, Holly, decided to stay on as the Ross Broythers Circus cat trainer.

 

The various intelligence and law enforcement agencies don't always cooperate. In fact, sometimes they "step on each others toes".

 

Additionally, some agencies don't trust the DOSPA to fairly work with superheroes. This has led them yo assign their own liaisons to teams. Although these liaisons, technically agency representatives, have no official authority, some hope to get people to think in their favor.

 

In one case, this led to a public fistfight. The DOSPA liaison had them both thrown in jail.

[Mark Rand]

Re: My view of the CU

 

The campaign is set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

 

Multi-billionaire industrialist Daniel Carter is the team's financial backer. Neither he nor his people have any control over the team.

 

The base is team member Doctor Arcane's fastness, a moderate-sized house in the city's Schenley Farms Historic District. Due to the nature of the district, the team stays low-key.

 

The house, like any fastness, is bigger on the inside than the outside.

 

In addition to Doctor Arcane, the team consists of Mecha, a woman in a suit of powered armor that resembles a combination of several mecha, and the PCs.

[gojira]

Re: My view of the CU

 

I thought the speaker of the Senate is third in line after the P and the VP. Then the speaker of the House. Did they all get blowed up? Time for new elections, I think...

[Shaft]

Re: My view of the CU

 

I thought the speaker of the Senate is third in line after the P and the VP. Then the speaker of the House. Did they all get blowed up? Time for new elections' date=' I think...[/quote']

 

The Speaker of the House of Representatives (Congress) is third, followed by the Senate Majority Leader.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_line_of_succession

 

The Secretary of Education is 14th in line. Or 47th if your inspiration is from the 12 colonies.

 

-courtesy of one of your Canadian friends up North!

[Mark Rand]

Re: My view of the CU

 

I thought the speaker of the Senate is third in line after the P and the VP. Then the speaker of the House. Did they all get blowed up? Time for new elections' date=' I think...[/quote']

 

The Speaker of the House and President Pro Tem of the Senate were in the Capitol when it was blown up.

 

The replacement senators will be appointed by the state governors. The new House members will be elected.

[Sundog]

Re: My view of the CU

 

The succession list is quite long.

 

Speaker of the House

 

President Pro-Tempore of the Senate

 

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

 

Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

 

etc.

 

You'd have to go a LONG way down to to get to the Secretary of Education.

[Mark Rand]

Re: My view of the CU

 

The succession list is quite long.

 

Speaker of the House

 

President Pro-Tempore of the Senate

 

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

 

Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

 

etc.

 

You'd have to go a LONG way down to to get to the Secretary of Education.

 

True, but they all were in the Capitol for the State of the Union address when, according to FBI and Secret Service reports, someone flew a fully-loaded jet airliner into the building.

 

While air force jets would've been scrambled, I doubt they'd shoot it down. If they did, their would be a lot of little pieces raining down on Washington instead of just one huge one.

 

One furthur thought, although Jim Collingsworth disowned Holly when she joined the circus slightly over five years ago, his wife didn't.

[Teflon Billy]

Re: My view of the CU

 

Every time there is a State of the Union there is one Cabinet Secretary who is not in the Capitol area just in case something catastrophic should happen.

 

It really isn't that much of a stretch for something like this to happen.

 

You have both houses of congress, the Pres, VP, Supreme Court, and the entire cabinet (with most of the JCS) all in one room.

 

Didn't any of you guys read Executive Orders?

 

TB

[Teflon Billy]

Re: My view of the CU

 

The succession list is quite long.

 

Speaker of the House

 

President Pro-Tempore of the Senate

 

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

 

Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

 

etc.

 

You'd have to go a LONG way down to to get to the Secretary of Education.

No one on the JCS or the SCOTUS is in the Presidential Line of succession. After the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate it runs down the list of Cabinet Secretaries. So SecEd is right in the order of succession.

 

TB

[Mark Rand]

Re: My view of the CU

 

Every time there is a State of the Union there is one Cabinet Secretary who is not in the Capitol area just in case something catastrophic should happen.

 

It really isn't that much of a stretch for something like this to happen.

 

You have both houses of congress, the Pres, VP, Supreme Court, and the entire cabinet (with most of the JCS) all in one room.

 

Didn't any of you guys read Executive Orders?

 

TB

 

I have.

[Teflon Billy]

Re: My view of the CU

 

I have.

That much is obvious

 

TB

[Mark Rand]

Re: My view of the CU

 

That much is obvious

 

TB

 

Yeah, you're right.

 

I've read both Debt of Honor and Executive Orders. I also watched The West Wing and have the first two seasons of it on DVD.

 

As I recall, one Cabinet member, two senators, one from each party, and two members of the House, one from each party, stay in an undisclosed location while such speaches are being given.

 

Given the fact that Holly is estranged from her father, she may or may not be taken to an undisclosed location for a few days. If she is, once the Secret Service agents know that she's going to stay with the circus, they'll come up with a plan that keeps her safe without stepping on anyone's toes.

 

As far as Kathryn's detail goes, there will probably a few agents wearing either scrubs or a lab coat over street clothes near her and she'll probably wear body armor under her scrubs.

[Mark Rand]

Re: My view of the CU

 

Getting back to the superhero team, the support staff includes a housekeeper, a secretary/receptionist, a nurse, and an engineer. We also, of course, have givernment liaisons.

 

Three kinds of animal life are evident in the area, the base's domestic animals, party animals and wild animals.

 

The base's domestic animals consist of six cats, Ginger, the secretary/receptionist's guide dog (probably a black Lab), an aquarium of goldfish, and Amber, Doctor Arcane's familiar, a Western screech owl.

 

The party animals are a combination of noisy neighbors and people from Pitt.

 

The wild animals consist of the normal city wildlife. This group includes peregeine falcons from Pitt's Cathedral of Learning (which is only one block away), hawks from nearby Schenley Park, and wild turkeys.

[Sundog]

Re: My view of the CU

 

No one on the JCS or the SCOTUS is in the Presidential Line of succession. After the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate it runs down the list of Cabinet Secretaries. So SecEd is right in the order of succession.

 

TB

 

 

Ah? I'm sorry, I must have been misinformed.

[Superskrull]

Re: My view of the CU

 

You do realize this is gonna really freak the collective people of America out, right? I hate to say it but the most important thing about whatever suit-wearing monkey you just swore into office as POTUS is that he's sweating bullets that he's next on the kerblammo list unless they find out why Washington DC went boom. People aren't gonna be worried that his daughter trains lions or where his wife works, they're going to start screaming at him to make it all better. Large-scale death really rattles the average American. He/She tends to start yelling and thowing blame at people. Expect every supertype to be blamed for causing/not stopping the explosion.

 

In the CU-variant you've got here, people are going to start screaming about how it's the work of Destroyer and point to Millenium City. Then others start yelling that it was the work of VIPER/Argent/terrorist group de jour/random monocolored pajama/hat group/what have you. Is anyone taking credit for this mess? How many costumed nuts are now gunning for that person?

 

Where's he going to be POTUSing at, now, BTW? Wherever it is, expect people to flee in droves.

[Mark Rand]

Re: My view of the CU

 

You do realize this is gonna really freak the collective people of America out, right? I hate to say it but the most important thing about whatever suit-wearing monkey you just swore into office as POTUS is that he's sweating bullets that he's next on the kerblammo list unless they find out why Washington DC went boom. People aren't gonna be worried that his daughter trains lions or where his wife works, they're going to start screaming at him to make it all better. Large-scale death really rattles the average American. He/She tends to start yelling and thowing blame at people. Expect every supertype to be blamed for causing/not stopping the explosion.

 

In the CU-variant you've got here, people are going to start screaming about how it's the work of Destroyer and point to Millenium City. Then others start yelling that it was the work of VIPER/Argent/terrorist group de jour/random monocolored pajama/hat group/what have you. Is anyone taking credit for this mess? How many costumed nuts are now gunning for that person?

 

Where's he going to be POTUSing at, now, BTW? Wherever it is, expect people to flee in droves.

 

Good points. I owe you rep.

 

I suspect that within moments of the explosion, various law enforcement agencies, the fire department, and the paramedics, not to mention the military and red cross, were on site to rescue everyone they could, recover bodies, and find clues to the identity of the guilty party. The intelligence agencies will be looking for leads, too, as will many superheroes and, possibly, some honorable supervillans.

 

The military and/or national guard will probably be called out to keep the general population off the streets in Washington, D.C. This way, emergency vehicles will have an easier time coming and going.

 

I also suspect that at least one terrorist group will take credit for dropping a plane on the Capitol Building. No doubt Jim Collingsworth will consider sending the military in to "wipe them off the face of the Earth".

 

Oh, not that it matters, but Jim Collingsworth is Jewish.

[Mark Rand]

Re: My view of the CU

 

I should've mentioned that the campaign would start in early July of 2006, about two weeks before the first running of the Pittsburgh Vintage Car Grand Prix.

 

Although the real Vintage has been going on for around 20 years, I thought that having the first race during the campaign would make things more interesting.

[Mark Rand]

Re: My view of the CU

 

In truth, I've never been a fan of VIPER as it has been presented. I prefer to use the realistic model, an international criminal comspiracy controlled by a group of big shots that run Fortune 500 cpmpanies.

 

There intent is to take over control of organized crime worldwide. They do this by removing whatever gets in their way. Petty crime, on the other hand, they might not care too much about it, but they also might be involved in it.

[Shaft]

Re: My view of the CU

 

You do realize this is gonna really freak the collective people of America out, right? I hate to say it but the most important thing about whatever suit-wearing monkey you just swore into office as POTUS is that he's sweating bullets that he's next on the kerblammo list unless they find out why Washington DC went boom. People aren't gonna be worried that his daughter trains lions or where his wife works, they're going to start screaming at him to make it all better. Large-scale death really rattles the average American. He/She tends to start yelling and thowing blame at people. Expect every supertype to be blamed for causing/not stopping the explosion.

 

In the CU-variant you've got here, people are going to start screaming about how it's the work of Destroyer and point to Millenium City. Then others start yelling that it was the work of VIPER/Argent/terrorist group de jour/random monocolored pajama/hat group/what have you. Is anyone taking credit for this mess? How many costumed nuts are now gunning for that person?

 

Where's he going to be POTUSing at, now, BTW? Wherever it is, expect people to flee in droves.

 

Here's a suggestion for you, Mark:

 

Make it that Dr Destroyer destroyed the bulk of Washington DC, instead of Detroit (no offense, Darren) during Dubya's first State of the Union address in 2001. Millenium City, named for the fact that the old city was destroyed at the start of the millenium, was built from the ashes of the nation's capital and is more than the the "City of the Future" as it serves as the example of the nation's future and it's ability to overcome disaster. Rebuilding the city also gave a constructive direction for everyone's fear and panic.

 

Collingsworth would have been sworn in 2001, and been eligible to rerun in 2004 and 2008, potentially giving him a span of 12 years: not quite as long as FDR, but it would make him stand out. (on a grimmer note, Dubya's death would suggest that Tecumseh's curse was still in effect, despite Reagan's surviving the attempted assassination on him back in '81).

 

The logical extension of this is that Dr. Destroyer is viewed the same way as Osama Bin Laden is- possibly worse, for his other offenses. Perhaps Dr Destoyer took over Afghanistan after the Soviet pullout and was using it as a base. A further link (legitimate or not) might have been made between Dr Destroyer and Iraq, causing the equivalent Gulf war II over there. However, the polarization between the West and the Middle East might not be as bad, since having your captial city wiped out (or any city for that matter) makes it easier to get the international community to side with you. However, it's not inconceivable that Dr Destroyer might instigate such a polarization to preserve his hold on power. There are a lot of possibilities here, but preserving the ugly politics of our current reality might not be on your agenda.

 

On that note, remember that Dr Destroyer can teleport into his base in the asteroid belt, or wherever, should the US forces get too close, so he can still be out there.

[Mark Rand]

Re: My view of the CU

 

Here's a suggestion for you, Mark:

 

Make it that Dr Destroyer destroyed the bulk of Washington DC, instead of Detroit (no offense, Darren) during Dubya's first State of the Union address in 2001. Millenium City, named for the fact that the old city was destroyed at the start of the millenium, was built from the ashes of the nation's capital and is more than the the "City of the Future" as it serves as the example of the nation's future and it's ability to overcome disaster. Rebuilding the city also gave a constructive direction for everyone's fear and panic.

 

Collingsworth would have been sworn in 2001, and been eligible to rerun in 2004 and 2008, potentially giving him a span of 12 years: not quite as long as FDR, but it would make him stand out. (on a grimmer note, Dubya's death would suggest that Tecumseh's curse was still in effect, despite Reagan's surviving the attempted assassination on him back in '81).

 

The logical extension of this is that Dr. Destroyer is viewed the same way as Osama Bin Laden is- possibly worse, for his other offenses. Perhaps Dr Destoyer took over Afghanistan after the Soviet pullout and was using it as a base. A further link (legitimate or not) might have been made between Dr Destroyer and Iraq, causing the equivalent Gulf war II over there. However, the polarization between the West and the Middle East might not be as bad, since having your captial city wiped out (or any city for that matter) makes it easier to get the international community to side with you. However, it's not inconceivable that Dr Destroyer might instigate such a polarization to preserve his hold on power. There are a lot of possibilities here, but preserving the ugly politics of our current reality might not be on your agenda.

 

On that note, remember that Dr Destroyer can teleport into his base in the asteroid belt, or wherever, should the US forces get too close, so he can still be out there.

 

Wonderful ideas. I owe you rep.

 

however, I don't think he'd be able to run in 2008 if he took office in 2001.

 

I'll logic more of it out later and post it.

[Shaft]

Re: My view of the CU

 

You're correct. If a VP has served more than two years as Pres. as a result of succesion, he can only be re-elected once.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

 

Also, FDR only served 12 years.

 

Hey, I'm Canadian- I think I'm entitiled to make an error or two about a political system that I'm not actually a part of.

[tomd1969]

Re: My view of the CU

 

Here is the order:

• The Vice President Richard Cheney
  
• Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert
  
• President pro tempore of the Senate (Note 1) Ted Stevens
  
• Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
  
• Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson
  
• Secretary of Defense Vacant
  
• Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
  
• Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne
  
• Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns
  
• Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez (Note 2)
  
• Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao(Note 3)
  
• Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt
  
• Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson
  
• Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters
  
• Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman
  
• Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
  
• Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson
  
• Secretary of Homeland Security(Note 4) Michael Chertoff

Here are some notes and caveats:

1. The president pro tempore presides over the Senate when the vice president is absent. By tradition the position is held by the senior member of the majority party.

2. Carlos Gutierrez was born in Cuba and is ineligible.

3. Elaine Chao was born in Taiwan and is ineligible.

4. In late July 2005, the Senate passed a bill moving the Homeland Security secretary to number 8 on the list. The bill is awaiting House approval.

 

Source: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0101032.html

 

Interestingly, this makes Condi one of the most powerful women in the world (fourth in line to the US Presidency is nothing to sneeze at). Also, the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tem of the Senate will be changing at the next session of Congress, since the Democrats now have the majority of both houses.

[Mark Rand]

Re: My view of the CU

 

Working from Shaft's suggestions and my ideas:

 

Holly was 18 when left her family to go to the Ross Brothers Circus in 1999. Mr. Collingsworth disowns her, but Mrs. Collingsworth accepted it.

 

In 2001, Mr. Collingsworth is now the Secretary of Education and his wife is a nurse at the George Washington University Medical Center. After a frank talk with his wife, Secretary Collingsworth tells Dubya that he's going to the circus's winter quarters and, hopefully, make peace with his daughter.

 

Dubya agrees, informing him that he'll be the Cabinet member that stays away from the State of the Union Address just in case something happens and that he'll have a lot of people with him. Secretary Collingsworth agrees and the President has his Chief of Staff make the arrangements with the circus management.

 

The Collingsworths are very nice people. For the most part, their associates are, too. A couple rowdy reporters are tended to by the show's doctor and nurse practitioner and one drunkard spends a night in the local drunk tank. Secretary Collingsworth himself spends a fair amount of time watching his daughter, who has forgiven him, handling her big cats.

 

At 9:14 P.M. Eastern, just after Dubya steps to the podium to deliver his address, Washington, D.C. is destroyed. Mr. Ross informs everyone, just before Doctor Destroyer takes credit for the action.

 

Everyone is in shock. As some of the numbness wears off, Holly goes to her motorhome and retreives her copy of The Holy Scriptures while a military aide goes to one of the vehicles and comes back with the Nuclear Football.

[Shaft]

Re: My view of the CU

 

Working from Shaft's suggestions and my ideas:

 

...In 2001, Mr. Collingsworth is now the Secretary of Education and his wife is a nurse at the George Washington University Medical Center. After a frank talk with his wife, Secretary Collingsworth tells Dubya that he's going to the circus's winter quarters and, hopefully, make peace with his daughter.

 

 

I'm flattered you took my suggestion.

 

I assume Hollingsworth is a Republican, though I suspect he's far more of a centrist then Bush 43 is/was.

 

Any details about Hollingsworth's career before he was appointed to Secretary of Education?

 

I also assume he must have done a good job to get re-elected in 2004.

 

What about the Senate and Congress? Any noteworthy figures in those ranks? I'm interested in hearing how a legislative body that loses all its experienced veterans deals with the issues. Ideally, it brings in a new era of cooperation as the old divisions become a thing of the past with no one left to carry the old grudges, but I'm sure that mistakes are made along the way.

 

I don't know if you have read the old 4th ed supplement "Normals Unbound" (if not, find yourself a copy- it's easily the best supplement ever written for Champions). Senator Jeremiah Relm ® and Representative Shana Armbruster (D) are excellent NPCs to work in.

[Mark Rand]

Re: My view of the CU

 

I'm flattered you took my suggestion.

 

I assume Hollingsworth is a Republican, though I suspect he's far more of a centrist then Bush 43 is/was.

 

Any details about Hollingsworth's career before he was appointed to Secretary of Education?

 

I also assume he must have done a good job to get re-elected in 2004.

 

What about the Senate and Congress? Any noteworthy figures in those ranks? I'm interested in hearing how a legislative body that loses all its experienced veterans deals with the issues. Ideally, it brings in a new era of cooperation as the old divisions become a thing of the past with no one left to carry the old grudges, but I'm sure that mistakes are made along the way.

 

I don't know if you have read the old 4th ed supplement "Normals Unbound" (if not, find yourself a copy- it's easily the best supplement ever written for Champions). Senator Jeremiah Relm ® and Representative Shana Armbruster (D) are excellent NPCs to work in.

 

Mr. Collingsworth was a distinguished teacher, principal, and school administrator before becoming Secretary of Education. He had also written a number of books and papers on educational topics.

 

I'd forgotton to mention a few things in my previous posting. The Collingsworths arrived around noon on Saturday, allong with the press, security, and a few aides. The Army Signal Corps trailer, military aide with the Nuclear Football, and a military doctor and nurse arrived Tuesday afternoon. The night of the incident, many people were in the big practice barn, listening to the band practice.

 

After the announcement was made, the bandmaster sounded Taps for those who had been killed and Mr. Ross offered his show's services. The practice barn was the site of Mr. Collingsworth's swearing in as President and a number of meetings.

 

Not that it means anything, but Mr. Collingsworth is the first Jewish President of the United States.