John McCain (An Independent in 2000)

The Vice Presidency of the Edwards administration is marked by two men to share the office in two separate terms. Former US Senator from Arizona John McCain served as VP during Edwards' first term, but was fired by April 2004; and Ret. General Wesley Clark was promoted to the office from his position as Defense Secretary for Edwards 2nd term.
[edit]The 2000 Compromise

With the election going only so far in Edwards' favor, the Independent candidate for president makes a historic promise to take members of both parties and add them into his cabinet. The most notable of which is his Running Mate John McCain. McCain is widely credited to be the key factor in Edwards' victory, acting as a bridge between two ideologies. The Compromise continues when Edwards asks' Al Gore, whose candidacy is almost certainly doomed, to head up a more powerful position as Secretary of the Environment. Gore agrees, and Edwards wins his Unity ticket with a respectable plurality.

While McCain proved an excellent co-pilot during 9/11, and the War in Afghanistan, it wasn't long until many began to suspect McCain's determination to go to war with any country that appeared to be the enemy of the United States. In 2003 when Iraq began to appear to be in the process of making a WMD, McCain was the first person to suggest that the UN send inspectors into Iraq. The President agreed with the initial evidence to send in weapon's inspectors, and when it was confirmed that the Hussein regime used VX Nerve gas on the Kurds, Edwards and McCain prepared for a strategic invasion to arrest Saddam. McCain did suggest that a larger invasion would be necessary to handle a potential nuclear threat, but the President was confident that Saddam did not yet have access to nuclear technology. Iraq, however, was believed to be a significant security interest by then Director of the CIA, Dick Cheney, who argued that a full scale invasion and US occupation of Iraq would ensure the US long term control over middle easter oil. Edwards shot down the idea as imperialistic and unnecessary. Working in concert with the Project for the New American Century, Cheney eventually coerced McCain to push for a direct invasion, which Edwards promptly rejected with the only basis for a direct US invasion being unconfirmed rumors of nuclear weapons programs. McCain then requested that the CIA find what could force the president to order a direct invasion of Iraq; and Cheney presented McCain with the same data that the Bush administration fabricated in OTL. Edwards was willing to trust his VP enough to prepare for a larger invasion. The invasion was ultimately brought down when CIA agent Valerie Plame discovered the inaccuracy of the data, and brought it to the President's attention. Edwards' immediately called for a stand down of troops. No investigation was necessary when the VP asked the President why he called down the invasion. McCain admitted to asking Cheney to find evidence, professing that he would protect the country if Edwards' wouldn't. Edwards fired McCain the next day, and an investigation eventually found Cheney, NSA director Pearl, DHS Secretary Rumsfeld, and several Congressmen and military professionals guilty of fabricating the evidence to invade Iraq. McCain was never charged for his involvement in NeoConGate.

## 2004 Election

Almost immediately after the end of the Columbia Trails, the Republican party quickly sought to make a martyr out of McCain, and win back the support they had lost during the scandal.
The Republican Party primaries began on July 4th, 2003, one month after the start of NeoConGate. McCain ran on a national security oriented campaign, claiming to have been in the right with his goal of invading Iraq. The strategy fell on deaf ears as the war came to a close in Afghanistan, and President Edwards continued to champion government accountability. McCain lost the election with dismal numbers.