Moses "Mo" F. Clearwater

NS Nation Name: Sanabel

 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
 Predecessor
 Successor

 Birth name
 Nationality
 Political party
 Children
 Residence
 Profession
 Religion

Character Name: Moses "Mo" F. Clearwater
Character Gender: Male
Character Age: 52
Character Height: 5'11"
Character Weight: 200 lbs
Character Position/Role/Job: Clearwater served in the United States Air Force from 1983 until 1995. He was a Cadet at the US Air force Academy until 1987, when he became a commissioned officer and F-16 pilot. In 1993 he entered the reserves, where he remained until 1996. That year he also ran for the House of Representatives and represented Virginia's 3rd Congressional District, a position he held until he resigned from public office in 2003 at the end of his fourth term. Clearwater then carried out his dream of being a writer, becoming a fixture New York Times Bestseller lists through his loosely chronological novels on the Cold War, most of which were from the perspective of his renown pilot characters. In 2010 when he finally allowed for his books to be put to film, he also became a screenwriter and producer. Now he is running for Governor of Virginia, at the urging of his friends and family.
Appearance:
(Image)
Character State of Origin: Virginia
Character State of Residence: Virginia
Character Party Affiliation: Democratic Party
Main Strengths: Clearwater is an established anti-war Democrat with a fairly moderate record in the House. However he has recently become known more for his writing and film producing than his political career. While this has lead to greater renown for him among a wider audience. He is known as a good speaker and positive campaigner who is both knowledgeable and amiable. While he is popular for his well researched and well written military novels, he is a political has-been for many. His base includes the black community and he is very well known by the upper middle class white men who read his books.
Main Weaknesses: Clearwater is a rusty campaigner and has taken to social media, which has left him gaffe prone. He is very stubborn, while at the same time leads in an attempt to please everyone, which lands him in awkward situations that often end with burning bridges. On top of this he tends to be overly optimistic which leads to becoming complacent. His biggest weakness is that he had an extra-marital affair, the exposure of which is what lead to his resignation from Congress and a public divorce, leaving many with the impression that he is promiscuous. He is strongly disliked by party leadership due to his rejection of Danders, revealing in an interview that he was "mulling over a decision between Reed and Walton."
Biography:
Moses Franklin Clearwater was born in 1965 to Herbert Clearwater and his wife Molly. He was raised in Suffolk, Virginia, the city where his parents themselves were born and bred. The Clearwaters lived a solidly middle class lifestyle, with his mother being an elementary school teacher and his father being an engineer for the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. This was fortunate for the family, being African American in 1960s Virginia. Moses did well in school and was an industrious worker. He spent summers sailing in the Chesapeake Bay and fishing with his friends. After school he worked as a cashier at a local butcher's shop. More importantly he was a skilled writer, having read with his mother for years. His father also instilled in him a desire for public service, a Korean War veteran himself. So, when it came time to apply for college, he applied to the Naval Academy. He did not get in. Fortunately for Moses, he was accepted to the Air Force Academy with a recommendation from his Senator. While he would miss Virginia and the life he lead there, he went to Colorado Springs.

While at the Air Force Academy, Clearwater slipped into a near depression. The weather and the science classes were almost too much for him. But he could not drop out and face his father so he stuck through it. After his graduation in 1987 he became a commissioned officer as an F-16 pilot. He served first in West Germany, then at Luke AFB in Arizona. In 1990 he served in the Gulf War, fighting in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Sabre. Shortly after the war in 1993 he joined the reserves in Virginia and left active duty.

In 1993 Clearwater published a series of essays on his time in the Gulf War (dramatized, of course) in local Hampton Roads regional newspapers. This drew the attention of the state Democratic Party, as they were searching for a nominee to replace their retiring incumbent. A fairly moderate and level headed guy, Clearwater did well in the primary, and was considered to be a young star within the Democratic Party for a little while. While campaigning in '94 he met his wife who was a volunteer for his Suffolk office. They were married shortly after his swearing-in. He was re-elected repeatedly until 2002.

While in the House, Clearwater focused on voters rights and military issues. He sponsored bills like the Taxpayer Bill of Rights II and III, the 2002 Farm Bill, the Help America Vote Act, and more. He also voted for the Defense of Marriage Act. Clearwater's most prominent role in the House was when he served as Chair of the House Black Caucus from 1998 until 2001. While in the House he fathered two children with his wife, though he also maintained a long term affair with one of his legislative staffers. Being considered a rising star of the Democratic Party and being chair of the Black Caucus this affair became a public scandal when it was discovered in early 2002. Clearwater issued a public apology, began divorce proceedings with his wife, resigned as Chair, and declined to run for re-election that year.

With his life having fallen apart, Clearwater slipped into a depression. He moved to his old family home with his still-living mother in Suffolk. There he took up sailing once more and sought to make his childhood dream of writing become a reality at the encouraging of Molly. His first book, "Yebanko's Chess" was published in 2004 and was a smash hit. The book focused on the Cold War nearly becoming hot during a proxy war in Iran, told from the perspective of a pilot in the 1970s. Critics and audiences ate it up to the point that it became the first in a series that would come to be called "Atlantic Fire." His extensive subject research and unique writing style were major focal points of his acclaim. Film studios approached him in 2006 to make a movie and repeatedly thereafter, but he refused until 2012 when he could secure and agreement to serve as an executive producer and screenwriter.

His political history was resigned to the dustbin and he built a new life for himself in the film industry, while still living in Virginia. He donated a sizable cut of his money back into Suffolk and to his mother personally. Since 2012 he has turned three of his eight books into movies, and has written two other novels in the franchise. Yet he found himself unfulfilled, growing ever more distant from his children and watched his ageing mother near the end of her life. Seeking something more, and with the support of a small group of friends, he resolved to run for office once more, this time in the 2017 Virginia gubernatorial race.

Other Info: Clearwater is a practicing Baptist. He has an ex wife and two adult children. One attends the University of Virginia, and the other attends Williams College.