by Dan Donovan
“Being in the front wave of a stampede is not a position of leadership.”
(Applause from spots around the chamber.)
“The United States has over one million military personnel, and enough hardware, aircraft and naval vessels to handle several opponents the size and strength of Mexico in a conventional conflict. If I decided as Commander-in-Chief to obliterate the northern portion of Mexico with a torrent of conventional stand-off capacity weapons in order to ’re-solve’ the cartel problem, such an assault would clearly end up with us being the ’winner‘.
“’Oh, no!’ you might say, ’that would be too drastic. Find another way.’”
“Perhaps I could send in ground forces—a quarter of a million, a half million—and let them hammer their way south in search of an enemy indistinguishable from the civilian population. There would be considerable ’collateral damage’; however, eventually, two years, five years, who knows, we could declare victory and withdraw. The inhabitants of Mexico, good and evil alike, would have been taught a lesson.”
“’Oh, no!’ you might say again, ’that would be too dreadful also. Find another way.’”
“One of my predecessors is said to have remarked that the first important lesson you learn about the Presidency is how much you cannot do. I, or any other President, have the Constitutional responsibility to make decisions. What a President understands is that decision-making on vitally critical issues can often be a choice between horrible and disdainful options.”
“There is no easy, one-advance-fixes-all decision I can make regarding Mexico. Doing nothing costs lives, interven-ing militarily would cost lives, anything in between would cost lives. And none of these options can guarantee success for the long-term.”
“I am painfully aware of the tragedy that has struck our border region. I want to end the threat posed by the cartel so that it can never again afflict this nation’s citizens. The best way to accomplish that goal is to aid the legitimate forces of democracy in Mexico to regain control of the government, so that the government can regain control of Mexico. The law-abiding citizens of Mexico are also suffering in this crisis. Our response must not be such that these citizens are victimized again. I had planned to meet with the heads of Government of the OWHS nations. I would propose a multi-national force be sent to Mexico to restore President de Valera to power. America would be a major contributor to this force in terms of personnel and material. I also planned to announce the Federalization of the National Guard in the four front-line States, and the dispatch of 10,000 Marines to the border area. These matters are not on hold. The Secretary of State will meet today with the OWHS leaders, and the Marines are already on the way.”
(A strong round of applause from many sections of those assembled.)
“We are an extraordinary civilization. America, unlike other dominant powers in the history of the world, chooses not to bulldoze her way through the course of events. We often seem to have greater feelings for people in other lands than the residents of such countries have for each other or their neighbors. Everyone here can trace their family’s roots to a starting point somewhere else on the planet. As the song says, ’We are the world‘. No nation wants us involved in their internal affairs until they start yelling at us for ignoring them. We cannot solve every problem. We can do our best in helping to ameliorate those conditions where our participation can make a helpful difference.”
“You know who I am. I am a plain-spoken man who will tell you directly what I want to do. You know that I am thoughtful and deliberate, as anyone who has directed the military resources of America needs to be. You know that I am not a coward. You know that I am more than capable of conducting the powers and duties of the Presidency. In a time of crisis, this nation needs calm, effective, resourceful, intelligent, proven leadership. You know that I am the man for this job.”
“In this endeavor I need your help. The Constitution has bestowed upon the Members of Congress the responsibility of deciding conflicts of Executive authority. America can have only one President at a time. America needs a leader who can be President, not just act as President. You know that I am the man for this job! Help me help America! God bless you all! God bless the United States of America!”
Perhaps without thinking, perhaps by pure emotional response to a dynamically delivered appeal, perhaps without reflection on how they would vote, at least a 2/3 majority of the House and Senate were on their feet loudly applauding Cory Stratton.
Still at the podium, Cory Stratton looked up at his wife and waved. Elizabeth Stratton replied by snapping off a salute crisper than any DI on Parris Island.
The speech had been transmitted to the nation and the world. Tens of millions of people witnessed the drama, reactions varying according to their hopes and fears. Several miles from the Capitol two men sat in the study of the Naval Observatory, their hopes turning to fear.
“Damn him to hell!” muttered Bert Maurus. “Doesn’t he understand how much trouble he’s in? Does he expect anyone to believe that wasn’t intensely rehearsed? No one is that good extemporaneously. He can’t get away with it… can he? We have to re-write my remarks. First, he can’t do anything; now he thinks he’s Michael Morrison, the Great Communicator. It took us three days to work up what we have. How can we re-do it by tomorrow morning?”
Alex Poller stood and walked to a window. After a moment, he said, “We can get started in about twenty minutes. You should relax, Mr. Soon To Be President. It isn’t practical in these circumstances to lock yourself into a set schedule. Evolving eras breed instability. Get something from the bar. Let me do some preliminary work before we sketch out refinements in the text. Don’t worry. History will judge us fairly in the long run.”
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9TH:
Enrique Cardinale Don Francisco routinely started his day at 4am since arriving in Washington as Mexico’s envoy. Besides the more mundane functions of his position, Cardinale was also responsible for being his Government’s life-line to the outside world. He had finally convinced the American President that a multi-national rescue force would be accepted by the Mexican people, provided its sole purpose was the restoration of the de Valera Administration. Yesterday’s initial session with the OWHS heads of government had gone well. The Ambassador believed they would endorse President Stratton’s call for collective action. The President’s speech certainly aided the cause. Today’s session would be critical.
Normally, Cardinale departed his Georgetown residence by 6 o’clock. The series of telephone calls he had to make this morning delayed Cardinale. It was nearly 8 before he was prepared to leave. Actually, this was alright. The traffic would be somewhat lighter along his intended route, since his neighbors were dedicated go-getters who would already be at work. Cardinale drove his own car, in keeping with de Valera’s policy of a less regal government.
The street outside his home was still. There were no vehicles moving, and only two vans parked along the roadway. Cardinale stepped out through the front doorway, calling back over his shoulder a farewell to his wife. She thought he called out again, but the sound was strange. She did not hear the car being started, so she went to the door…then collapsed to the floor, calling his name.
Within half an hour the news shook the city and country. A typical breaking-news bulletin went as follows: “This just in. Washington, D.C. police and the FBI are investigating the shooting death of Mexico’s Ambassador to the U.S.; the Ambassador was gunned down by an unknown assassin as he left his Georgetown home this morning. A police officer with knowledge of the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the police have no witnesses or suspects. The single shot, which struck the diplomat in the chest, is believed to have been fired from a high-powered rifle. As you may be aware, Mexico is embroiled in a civil war pitting the Government against the Durango drug cartel and an insurgency of dissident army and political factions. The officer stated it was too early to rule out any possibility; however, the murder in Georgetown could be
the latest tragedy in Mexico’s turmoil.”
Saturday October 10th:
The joint session of Congress scheduled for Friday was post-poned as reports of the assassination reached Capitol Hill. A measure of heightened anxiety was added to the prevailing somber mood of Washington as nature capped the scene with a slate-gray overcast and a bitter east wind.
Vice President Bert Maurus stood before the gathering of lawmakers shortly before 10am. Little had changed in the makeup of the audience, save the absence of the President and his Cabinet supporters. The eight Secretaries who endorsed Maurus’ invoking of 25/4 were seated in a front row.
Maurus had not requested permission for a grand entrance down the center aisle. The House chamber, where the joint sessions are held, did not have any rules for an address by a Vice President. A new provision would have to be proposed, studied by a committee and finally voted on by the Representatives; Maurus did not have time for such a delay. Instead, he chose to make a simple but dignified entrance from a side door.
The Speaker introduced him in a straightforward manner. “Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congress, the Vice President of the United States.” A mild wave of applause rippled across the chamber. The Members had come to listen, not to declare their intentions just yet. Maurus went to the heart of the issue immediately. “The evil that is destroying Mexican society has now dared to strike at the soul of America. Timid policies do not deter lawlessness. Caution is seen by criminals as evidence of weakness. Swift, strong crackdowns emphatically alert thugs to the danger of assailing a people who respect and defend the rule of law.”
“An assassin stalks the streets of this city. A murderer has defiled America’s capital. Evil has come to confront those who lacked the courage and foresight to confront it head-on when it first raised itself out of the sewers of hell.”
“I have spoken out from the very beginning concerning the critical need to eradicate this terror. My warnings were ignored. Another brave man now lies dead. His name must be listed beside those Americans who have also fallen victim to the violence consuming our southern neighbor. If we do nothing about these murders, we mock the victims and dishonor ourselves. If we continue the ineffective measures offered by Cory Stratton, we will be further shamed.”
“America has been violated three times by the terrorists of the Durango drug cartel in military-style assaults. These criminals have killed Americans in cold-blooded defiance of what they perceive as a timid, confused society. The inad-equate reaction to the first outrage directly contributed to the occurrence of the other atrocities. Our Ambassador was almost killed. When do we stop wringing our hands, stop whining in fear, and take arms against this sea of terror?”
“We are at war! As surely as if a foreign nation, suddenly and without warning, attacked and destroyed a United States military base. We are at war!”
“The enemy may not parade about in fine uniforms. The enemy may not march as a conventional army. Yet that enemy exists! That enemy has assassinated American citizens. So far the White House seems to have fired off more press releases than our troops have fired off bullets. If a fatally flawed response to aggression is not treason, at least it must be considered incompetence of the worst order.”
“We have a man you know in the Oval Office who acknowledges the self-evident gravity of the Mexican crisis, who listens to a small clique of puppets for advice, and who is unable or unwilling to act decisively.”
“Our country is in grave danger. We cannot as the responsible members of the Government allow this mortal threat to continue. Cory Stratton is a fine speech-maker; but, he is not responsibly discharging the powers and duties of the Presidency. Cory Stratton has failed to perform his Constitutional obligations. Cory Stratton is unfit to serve as President.”
“He has been given advice by myself and the majority of the Cabinet on the urgent need for a different Mexican policy. He has failed to heed that advice.”
“He has called upon foreign regimes for permission to undertake a limited-goal operation that does not guarantee the safety of Americans. He has failed to exterminate the citadel of the enemy’s network—a site known to the Pentagon, the OSS, the National Reconnaissance Office and the news media.”
“Cory Stratton has failed as President. His words on Thursday did not offer any hope for improvement. He made a plea to be allowed to do more of the same, more of the same failures that have led to the deaths of Americans.”
“We were elected by the American voters to defend this country, her people, her laws. If we allow Cory Stratton’s failed Presidency to continue, we will also be judged as incompetent.”
“I ask for your support in upholding the Constitution-based call, by a majority of the Cabinet and myself, that Cory Stratton be removed from office for his failure to carry out the powers and duties of the Presidency.”
“Your duty under the Constitution is clear! Your duty to the American people is clear! You must vote to remove Cory Stratton! You must vote to protect America!”
Bert Maurus had not been interrupted a single time by applause, shouts of approval or opposition. The Members had listened in cold, intense attention. As he completed his oration, Maurus departed the chamber uncertain if he had failed or succeeded.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 12TH AND TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH:
The House of Representatives assembled for these two days under intense scrutiny and extraordinary pressure. The gallery had been given over to the news media, and virtually every information outlet on the planet had a delegate in attendance. On the floor, each Member was allotted three minutes to state their view on 25/4; this required more than 22 hours of debate, which was spread over the two-day period. One Member was in hospital when the debate began; the Speaker arranged for a telephone link which allowed the Member to announce his opinion from the comfort of his hospital bed. He had an ambulance standing by to deliver him to the House chamber when the vote would be held on Thursday the 15th.
The opinions expressed by the Members keenly reflected the agitated and conflicting views of the American people. The offices of the Representatives were bombarded by telephone calls, e-mail, faxes and yes, even telegrams. On day two of the debate the public’s admonishments were reduced to a simple “YES” (in favor of removing Cory Stratton) or “NO” (in opposition to his removal.) As in the House national opinion polls, perhaps influenced by the Mexican Ambassador’s murder, showed a plurality of Americans saying “YES.” Head counts in the House showed the “Yes” total still short of a 2/3 majority. No new ground was broken in the debate. The arguments and pleas which had rebounded across the chamber for months were again presented. Tempers and voices flared. Ominous predictions by supporters of either view point were made and derided.
By Tuesday night all but four of the lawmakers had declared their intention. The fate of the proposal depended on these Members; for the measure to pass it would require a “Yes” vote from all four. One belonged to the opposition party, the others were veteran Representatives of the President’s party. Two were from the West (neither from a Border State), one from the Mid West, and one from the Northeast. They met with Speaker Poorberry at 1am Wednesday morning in his office. They promised to have a decision by Thursday’s session. Making use of decoys and Capitol Hill security guards, the Speaker aided the four Members in eluding the hunting packs of the news media waiting to pounce on them. He had obtained the use of four suites at the Whitewater apartment complex. Each Member could lock themselves in a well-stocked suite until Thursday morning. They each needed time to think separately, and Poorberry (despite his own set view) understood their need for private reflection.
Thursday’s session would open at 10am; the four would each have three minutes to speak. While any one of them was at the podium, the others who had not spoken would be kept off the floor of the House so that there would be no undue last minute influence. They had drawn numbered cards in the Speaker’s office on Wednesday morning, indicating their order of addressing the House. The fin
al spot went to Representative Sean Deise of New Jersey’s Staten Island/Bayonne district. When he saw the number 4 on the card he selected Deise said he felt as if he had been whacked in the forehead with the Speaker’s gavel. This pang of anxiety was insightful. The deciding vote in the drama would be his.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH, 12:07 AM
The sound roused him from the sitting room couch. Sean Deise had drifted off into a fitful sleep, and the sudden noise jarred him awake. He realized after a moment that the sound was not an alarm clock, but rather the door chimes of the apartment in the Whitewater complex. He stood and padded to the door in his bare feet. Sean began to undo the locks, however he hesitated on second thought. He glanced through the peep hole and was surprised by who he saw. Standing in the hallway was Alex Poller. “What does he want?” the Congressman muttered to himself.
The chimes rang again, stirring Deise out of his delay. Disengaging the final lock, he pulled open the double doors, and greeted the Vice President’s Chief of Staff with a blunt “How the hell did you find me?”
Poller laughed. “You should know by now that very little stays secret for very long in this town.” When Deise made no sign of inviting him inside, Poller added “Do you want to discuss this where the neighbors can hear us?”
Deise withdrew a few steps, closing the doors but not locking them once Poller entered. “Did the Speaker send you?”
“No,” replied Poller. “Todd wasn’t in a sharing mood, so I tapped into alternate sources for information.” Waving at the surroundings he added, “This is all very melodramatic if you ask me.”