Tatum Kelly starting political career over, running for Congress in Damoign

KOKOMOKALO, Damoign -- She's remembered as the young and fiery former lieutenant governor of East Deschire who was forced out of office after a verbal tirade of insults aimed at her constituents was caught on camera.

Tatum Kelly, who briefly served as lieutenant governor of the Harvest State in 2009 until her boss and running-mate Gov. Lynn DeMont demanded her resignation, is now living in suburban Grassadellia City, and is planning a run for Congress.

Kelly confirmed her interest in running for the National Assembly in an interview with the Mavocke Capitol newspaper.

"My life in East Deschire is behind me, I have started a new life here in Damoign, I love the people of Kokomokalo, I love the energy in this community, and I have the skills and experience needed to help represent my fellow constituents in Mavocke," said Kelly, 44, who now lives in the upscale suburb of Kokomokalo, southwest of Grassadellia City.

Known for its many celebrities residents, Kokomokalo is among the most affluent communities in the nation, a place where power, glamour and money meet unabashedly.

And despite her notoriety in the political world, Kelly's fame pales compared to other residents of Kokomokalo.

The incident that sank her political career back in 2009 is still fresh in the memory of some East Deschireans.

"I remember her coming in here and calling us all 'hicks' and 'rednecks,'" Beth Barry told the Mavocke Capitol.

Barry was a local NAT party member who was in the audience when Kelly unleashed her fury on her constituents.

Kelly's rant was caught on camera, and there was no doubt her behavior would compel her boss, Gov. Lynn DeMont, to ask for her resignation.

When asked about that stunningly un-politician-like moment, Kelly says it was not reflective of her character.

"I was having a bad day that day. I was under a lot of stress, and there were some staffing issues that were going on within the governor's office, and I just didn't handle it well. I snapped. All the stress that had been building...it literally came crashing down. It was the last straw. And I said some unfortunate things, things I didn't even truly believe and things I would never have said in my right frame of mind."

After resigning, she attended anger management and anxiety classes to help reduce stress and manage her emotions.

"I decided it was time to move and get a fresh start. I needed a change, so I moved to Damoign and ended up here," she said.

Upon moving to the big city, Kelly left behind her shattered political life in the West and took jobs in Kokomokalo's burgeoning fashion and interior design scene.

"After my episode, the calls (from political friends and allies) stopped. No more invitations to speak at this luncheon, or do an interview on TV, or campaign for this person. I was politically toxic and no one wanted to associate with me. I was viewed as the young, immature blond who has anger issues," Kelly said. "So I took up fashion and design, and I love it!"

"But I see what's going on with Mavocke, with the Conservatives running the show, and I see what's going on in England with Brexit, and America with Trump, and Australia with the effort to stop gay marriage, and France with Le Pen, and I'm just enraged and appalled at what's happening. I feel like I should be doing something to help stop all these radical conservative movements from taking away our freedoms and harming our citizens," she said.

Her old boss, Lynn DeMont, would not comment for this story. But Conservatives had plenty to say about the former lieutenant governor.

"I hope she does run. She has no chance of winning. She's still black-listed in the NAT party and Conservatives would have a field day with attack ads against her," Larry Edwards, a Conservative party strategist, told the Capitol.

When asked for his thoughts about Ms. Kelly running for Assembly in Damoign, former Damoign Gov. Sid Hoffa said he didn't even know who she was.

"Who? Who are you talking about?" a confused Hoffa said during an appearance on the GBC. "I'm not sure I know who that person is that you mentioned."

While Conservatives might love the idea of a scandal-scarred NAT politician running for office again, Kelly has an uphill climb in the NAT primary alone, not to mention the general election.

"Kokomokalo is a very liberal town, there are no doubt many progressive people who would run for Assembly from Kokomokalo, so if Tatum Kelly runs, she will be one of many. And as an outsider, her opponents will cast her as a carpet-bagger. It's going to be very difficult for her to convince her fellow Nationalists to vote for her in the primary, much less in the general," said Dr. Tony Short, a political science teacher at nearby Cabry College.

Kelly says she will forge on with her campaign anyway, and if she's unsuccessful, she can go back to her design work.

"I love what I do, so if it doesn't work out, I will still be happy doing what I love."

Assemblywoman Jessica Blaine not running for re-election in 2018, moving to Roddenshire

PORT PHILLIP, Damoign -- Assemblywoman Jessica Blaine will not run for re-election in 2018, and is moving out of the electorate she has held since 2008.

Blaine, a hawkish Democratic-Reformist who often votes with Conservatives in the National Assembly, announced she was stepping down at a news conference in Mavocke, Thursday.

In addition to stepping down, she will be moving out of state to neighboring Roddenshire, where she was born and raised.

"I will not be a candidate for the seat of Corma in 2018," she announced. "After I leave Congress, I will be moving to Roddenshire. Those of you who know me know that I was born and raised in Roddenshire, and my elderly mother still lives there. I want to be closer to her as her health deteriorates."

Blaine has represented the electorate of Corma for nine years. The coastal electorate lies northeast of Grassadellia City on Cape Joyner and includes the GC suburbs of Corma, Port Phillip, Nivena and Norlasse.

Colleagues and political pundits have noted that Roddenshire Sen. Anita Ugorachin (N) is up for re-election in 2018, and some have speculated the respected assemblywoman may be moving for more than family reasons.

Chris Judson, an NAT political consultant based in Mavocke, raised the issue on the GBC's "Grace Li Show," saying Blaine may run against Ugorachin in Roddenshire, a much easier feat than running for a Senate seat in Damoign, where the state's NAT senators are popular and difficult to defeat.

"Anita Ugorachin is vulnerable. She's definitely beatable by the Conservatives, or a Democratic-Reformist like Jessica Blaine who is mostly conservative," said Judson. "If you are trying to win a seat in the Senate - and Jessica Blaine has ran for the Senate already in Damoign - would you rather run against a popular incumbent in the most expensive state to run a campaign? Or would you rather run against a vulnerable incumbent in a small state?"

Blaine denied she is planning to challenge Ugorachin in the 2018 election, saying her focus is on her family.

"This move is not politically-motivated. It's family-motivated. My mother has Alzheimer's and I want to be closer to her. That's why I'm moving, plain and simple," she said.

Blaine's seat in the National Assembly is a boon to the NAT, as Conservatives have struggled for relevance in the area in the past few election cycles. However, it's possible the CNS could field a moderate candidate that may appeal to the upper-income, educated, and socially-liberal electorate.

With the Conservative Party's backing, Blaine ran unsuccessfully for the Federal Senate in 2012. She narrowly lost to Debbie Madronas (N), taking 42% to Madronas' 44%, respectively.

Six airmen suspended at Kidd Air Force Base for sexual misconduct

CROSSLEY, Damoign -- Six airmen with the Grassadellian Royal Air Force have been suspended after alleged sexual misconduct, the Defense Department announced Monday.

The six airmen, all of whom are based at Kidd Air Force Base in Crossley, western Damoign, were suspended with pay after the Air Force Inspector General's office was alerted to an alleged non-consensual sexual encounter involving the six men and a female cadet.

The alleged incident occurred eight months ago in a barracks building on-base, where the victim says she was forced to perform sexual acts with her male peers, including oral sex and sexual intercourse.

The alleged victim says she did not consent to any of the activities. It's unclear if alcohol or drugs were involved.

Little information about those involved was released by Air Force officials, but the six men, all of whom are in their 20s and 30s, have been suspended, are not allowed contact with the alleged victim, and have been re-assigned until an internal investigation is completed.

The alleged victim is receiving counseling and has been re-assigned to another base.

Because the alleged incident occurred on-base, any potential criminal charges will be laid by the Federal Prosecutors Office instead of local authorities.

Top Air Force leaders spoke out emphatically against sexual assault and harassment in the military.

"In the Air Force, we expect all of our airmen and officers to protect and support each other at all times. We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to sexual harassment, sexual misconduct and sexual assault. Any individual that is found to be guilty of these offenses will be dealt with swiftly and justly in the Air Force Internal Conduct System and if applicable, in the criminal justice system as well," said Gen. Andrew Pezacek, Deputy Director of the Grassadellian Royal Air Force.

Damoign governor's race uncertain after court ruling

MATTINOW, Damoign -- The 2020 election is still years away, but the political parties and potential candidates are already preparing for the forthcoming Damoign governor's race. And after a ruling by the Damoign Supreme Court on Friday, the race for governor took an unexpected turn.

The court struck down a proposed constitutional amendment to the Damoign State Constitution that passed in the 2016 election.

The proposed amendment, officially "Amendment 14," would have changed Damoign's rules surrounding elections for governor and would have allowed a governor to serve two consecutive  four-year terms instead of just one single term.

The current law limits a governor to one four-year term. A governor can serve more than one term but non-consecutively. The current law was enacted by voters back in the 1980s, after decades of corruption in the governor's office. The one-term limit was pushed as a way to curb corruption among the state's top executives.

Amendment 14 sought to extend the term limits. The argument from Amendment 14's supporters - which included former governors Rod Penora (N) and Sid Hoffa (C) - was that a mere four years is not enough time for a governor to enact real reform or a meaningful agenda.

"Four years is really very little time to get big changes done," said Penora back in 2016. "If we want real reform, if we want to make the broad, sweeping changes that we desperately need in Mattinow, then it would behoove us as citizens of our state, to give the governor more time to enact his or her agenda, and to allow the governor to shape a better agenda and allow time for that agenda to make its way through the legislature."

The Damoign legislature approved Amendment 14 in spring 2016, and in the fall 2016 election, voters affirmed that decision, with almost 56% voting in favor of Amendment 14.

But despite the legislative approval and affirmative vote from voters, by a vote of 7-2, the Damoign Supreme Court invalidated the amendment, saying the legislature must clarify the amendment adoption process before the law can take effect.

"It is not enough for the voters to affirm with a simple majority. It must be a 'broad majority' to precipitate a constitutional amendment," Charles Johnson, associate justice, wrote for the majority in the six-page opinion. "The question is, what amount constitutes a 'broad majority?' The law in its present form is vague and the legislature must clarify before Amendment 14 can be certified."

The law is unclear as to exactly what percentage of the vote a constitutional amendment must attain from voters, if the matter is put to the voters. Most amendments to Damoign's constitution have been done solely in the state legislature with no electoral input from voters.

The current law states amendments, "if they be put to the voters of Damoign, must receive a broad majority of votes in the affirmative thereof."

Some have suggested a 'broad majority' means a simple majority. Other's have said two-thirds of the vote (66%) or merely 60 percent. Opinions vary on the issue.

The matter is now remanded to the Damoign House Elections Committee and the Damoign Senate Governing Rules Committee for clarification.

In past elections and referendums, 60% has been the magic number, and a number of state senators and representatives suggested a 60% threshold would receive bipartisan support in the legislature, while at the same time invalidating Amendment 14.

"There's no question that 60% has been the ideal standard for the last 100 years, and I think Conservatives in the legislature will push that mark as the new codified standard," said state Senator Charles Andrews (C-Arnelleson).

The court's ruling puts the race for governor in limbo. Incumbent Gov. Jenna Duvan, a Nationalist, is hoping to run for a second consecutive term in 2020. She will now have to wait on the state legislature to make a decision.

The ruling throws a kink in Duvan's plans, and all the other candidates, because they don't know if Duvan will be able to run again for re-election or if she will have to step down and let someone new take her place.

For the sake of the candidates, the court asked the state legislature to make the matter of "urgent consideration."

"Certainly, it would be in the best interest of both political parties, both caucuses in the legislature, and all the prospective candidates to resolve this matter with the utmost expediency," Judge Charles Johnson wrote in his majority opinion.

Griffin Jenkins (N), the speaker of the Damoign House of Representatives, and Gerry Sianoupolous (N), the state Senate Majority Leader, said they will make sure the issue gets attention immediately.

"For the governor's sake, for the other candidates that are considering entering the race, it would be helpful if we could fix this technical issue sooner rather than later," said Speaker Jenkins.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Jenna Duvan said the governor is planning on running for re-election.

"Governor Duvan is working every day to benefit and help Damoignites, and she plans to continue her work in 2020 by running for re-election unless she is statutorily not permitted, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there," said spokeswoman Maryann Cady.

The top NAT candidate considering entering the race, should Amendment 14 be nullified and Duvan be barred from running for re-election, is former Gov. Rod Penora (N), who now serves as Attorney General, a position he held prior to his governorship from 2013-2017.

Other prospective NAT candidates include Secretary of State Rob Mercheck, Lt. Gov. Jeff Zeme, former Lt. Gov. David Armasson, Mattinow businessman John Brumley, and Assemblymen Bill Blair and Mark Ryutt.

On the Conservative, twice-unsuccessful gubernatorial nominee Mercer Diego has ruled out a third run.

Former Gov. Sid Hoffa is considered the leading Conservative candidate. Hoffa served as governor from 2009-2013.

Other CNS candidates include Assemblyman John DeGallio and Assemblywoman Pat Leemore.

Grassadellia City Mayor Kellan Kastol, an Independent, is also said to be considering running for governor, though the mayor has maintained his focus is on local issues, not state politics.