Maggie Coates easily confirmed by Senate as next NEXIS chief

MAVOCKE -- The Senate overwhelmingly confirmed President Jim McCaren's choice to lead the country's premier spy agency today.

By an astonishing vote of 85-7, Margaret "Maggie" Coates was confirmed by the Senate to lead NEXIS, the government's largest and most influential intelligence agency.

The seven dissenting senators were all hardline Conservatives: Brad Bearns and Driscoll Sherber (Biere.), Cathy De Beers (Monomi), Pete Deetch (N. Ceona), Shaylene McCullough and Mark Eisinger (Remm.), and Craig Svenson (S. Ceona).

Coates' opponents criticized her for being too soft on terrorism suspects because she opposes the use of torture in interrogations.

"The Grassadellian people must be protected from terrorism, and unfortunately, Ms. Coates does not believe in doing everything possible to protect our nation. She takes a rather weak position on the issue of terrorists and enhanced interrogations, and that will put our national security at risk," said Driscoll Sherber, who led the opposition movement to Coates' nomination.

Remmington Senator Mark Eisinger voted against Coates for a different reason, however.

A staunch libertarian, Eisinger criticized Coates for her support for government surveillance.

"We have a constitutional issue in this country. Innocent, average, every-day Grassadellian citizens are being surveilled and spied on by this country's government and intelligence agencies and law enforcement. It's completely unconstitutional, it violates everything our founding fathers supported, and I can't support someone who is OK with the government spying on millions of innocent people without warrants," Eisinger said on the Senate floor.

There was little doubt about Coates' chances though.

She enjoyed widespread, bipartisan support.

Even Conservative stalwarts like Minority Leader Jon Ralston (Ansleigha), and the hawkish Jim Frasier of Deschire, threw their support to Coates.

"I think she's probably one of the best people we could expect the president to nominate for this position," Frasier told reporters outside the Senate chambers.

"This position is a non-political position, and I think my colleagues should be able to separate Ms. Coates and her decades of service from politics," Sen. Dana Glow (Armana) said.

In a statement following her confirmation, Coates thanked the Senate for their vote of confidence, and said she plans to "get right to work."

"National security and protecting our country is a 24/7 job, and I intend to jump right into my new role and do everything I can to make our country safe and strong," said Coates.

McCaren praised the Senate for not letting politics halt Coates' nomination, and said Coates would be a "great addition" to the national security team at Collester.

Contentious gubernatorial primaries divide Monomi politicians

TRIETON -- Looming primaries in the race for governor have caused a split among Monomi's top politicians.

In the NAT primary, former governor Scott King Jr. is running to reclaim his seat, after being recalled by voters in disgrace back in 2010.

King was accused of corruption, but was never indicted. An effort to impeach him failed in the Monomi Senate, but voters subsequently recalled him by a narrow margin.

His reputation seems to have improved since his corruption scandal eight years ago, however.

Recent polling has shown King's approval rating among Monomians has risen into the 45%-50% range.

King is facing Beth Gowan in the NAT primary.

Gowan is a wealthy businesswoman and CEO of a sports supplies company. She ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2014 against Conservative John Densy.

Old wounds over King's past have re-emerged in the NAT, as King's former foes, many of whom called on him to resign during his scandal, have coalesced around Gowan.

Included in this group is King's former lieutenant governor Erica Kinsley, who famously turned against King in the midst of his scandal and succeeded him in the governor's mansion after King's recall.

Former Senator Brad Fiodora is also backing Gowan, saying Monomi needs to move forward, not backward.

But not all Nationalists have turned their backs on King.

Many prominent NAT leaders have endorsed his redemption bid, most notably Federal Senator Nathan Lister and former attorney general Ed Casey.

Most NAT politicians are remaining neutral though, including Trieton Mayor Felipe De Orondes, the NAT's most high-profile figure in the state.

Former Senator Hanna Gorbachy, previously the dean of Monomi's NAT party, has also remained uncommitted, though she has previously supported both King and Gowan in prior campaigns.

The Conservative contest is just as divisive.

Incumbent Governor John Densy is not running for re-election, which has opened the doors to a wide-open race on the CNS side.

The front-runner appears to be Attorney General Will Huxton, who is popular with the Conservative Party base, but has a history of gaffes and has struggled in general elections to win over independent voters.

Huxton is a hardliner on immigration and voter ID laws. He's also fiercely anti-tax and anti-Mavocke.

Former Trieton Mayor Doug Aker and current Heydworth Mayor Pete Campbell are proving to be strong contenders as well, though Aker has been criticized for running a low-energy campaign, and it's unclear if he can win after losing re-election as mayor to Felipe De Orondes last year.

Retired businessman Don Imber from Midvale is not well-known, but has a vast personal fortune and has already donated $1.9 million to his campaign from his own personal funds.

Like Huxton, Imber is taking a hard-line on immigration, taxes and gun rights. He's criticized both Aker and Campbell for being "establishment" candidates.

Trieton state senator Collin Farnsworth is also running for the Conservatives. He's well-known in Trieton, but lacks name recognition outside the capital.

Many see Farnsworth as a compromise candidate; someone who is conservative enough to satisfy an anxious CNS base, but moderate enough to appeal to independents and disaffected Nationalists.

Finally, John Densy's lieutenant governor, Nick Garringer, has also thrown his hat into the ring.

But despite appointing Garringer as his deputy last year, in recent weeks, Densy has distanced himself from Garringer, and privately, aides to Densy say he is hoping Campbell or Farnsworth emerge victorious in the CNS primary election.

Aides to both Densy and Garringer say the two have had a strained relationship since Garringer took over as lieutenant governor following the departure of his predecessor Kerry Paul, who won a Federal Senate seat.

So far, Kerry Paul and fellow CNS Senator Rill Stevens have remained neutral in the governor's race.

But their colleague Cathy De Beers, the most conservative of Monomi's four senators, has openly endorsed Will Huxton.

"Will is committed to the ideals of liberty and freedom from government intrusion that Monomians hold dear," De Beers said at a recent Huxton fundraiser.

Privately, Paul and Stevens are said to favor the establishment candidates: Doug Aker, Pete Campbell, or Collin Farnsworth.

But neither senator has publicly endorsed any candidates.

"I think we have several good candidates in the CNS primary this time around, and I'll wait and see and let the voters make the decision," Paul said earlier this week at her office in Mavocke, when asked about the race.

There are more registered Conservative voters in Monomi than Nationalists, but the state has a history of electing moderate NAT candidates to statewide offices.