by Van Torrey
An immediate and brutal purge of the People’s Army removed all senior officers who were not judged personally loyal to General Fhang. Those deposed officers were stripped of their military titles and sent to live among the peasant prisoners in many of the less harsh labor camps, where they would be offered a future opportunity to become rehabilitated by acknowledging apostasy to the former Chong leadership, pledging loyalty to the new reality of General Fhang. His rationale for this act of mild compassion was these were experienced and intelligent men who could possibly be selectively useful later to the benefit of the new regime. Within days of his rise to supreme power General Fhang declared himself the founder and sole guardian of the “Brilliant New Light” of North Korea as his ruthless purge continued. For three weeks after General Fhang seized power no information from the government of the DPRK was heard by the outside world.
Then, in a rare televised broadcast beamed to all the citizens of the Korean Peninsula, General Fhang Jhai, accompanied by a completely new group of sycophant generals, was seen reviewing a military parade in Pyongyang from the same stage that only weeks ago showed the Visionary Leader doing the same. Conspicuously absent from the surrounding scene were the ubiquitous, larger than life photos of three generations of the Chong family dynasty that had decorated every street and public building in Pyongyang since the 1950’s. No Chong family members could be seen on the reviewing stand.
As the analysts of every intelligence agency in the free world watched in amazement, there came a collective expression of bewilderment in the form of “Who in the hell is that?” as they gazed at a confident and commanding General Fhang Jhai.
Fhang had done what the rest of the world thought impossible. He had displaced the Chong family that had held the DPRK in a vice-grip of power and brutal oppression for over half a century. ‘The Fhang,’ as he would come to be known by his adversaries in the West, was the new power and a totally unknown person in control of the Hermit Kingdom of North Korea and her unknown quantity and quality of nuclear weapons. He never gave Madam Chong’s allusion to certain sleeper cells any more thought after their last conversation in the prison.
CHAPTER 7
CONFIRMATION
“Politics is the art of the possible.”
Otto Von Bismarck
*
Rachel Hunter spent a restless night in her home in Palo Alto after having been left off by her Secret Service driver and escort. The proposal by Jonathan Braxton to offer her the Vice-Presidential nomination had been a surprise but the subsequent detailed conversations with him and Philip Johnson gave her a new sense of respect for how detailed the thought process had been and what a shrewd judge of character Johnson was. When several names of others had been raised as possible contenders for the job, Johnson had immediately responded with cogent reasons why that person would be a poor choice or could not be confirmed. Philip Johnson was clearly a man with both feet on the ground, a savvy political operative, and a valuable and loyal assistant to President Braxton. In the end, it was clear to Rachel that her selection had been based on careful analysis with a vision toward the future, grounded in the art of the possible.
She thought back to one of the last conversations she had with Michael Ryan when he had observed that Rachel would probably not stay at Stanford forever. As much as she loved the sanctuary and the cloistered academic environment of this fine university, she knew she could not stay on as president. The traumatic incident in the city would forever haunt her to the point that she would probably never visit there again except out of professional necessity.
The pleasure of the intellectual challenge of her former national intelligence work had stayed with her. In rare periods of boredom at Stanford she had found herself missing the challenge of connecting the dots to reveal a fundamental truth that would lead to one of those moments of clarity all intelligence professionals relish. Realistically, Rachel knew that the Vice-Presidency would have many mundane moments, but Braxton had not chosen her for purely political purposes. Because Braxton was not eligible for reelection and he could afford to turn her loose with little fear of the political consequences. She was sure that Braxton would put her intellectual capabilities to good use as they had discussed in their recent meeting.
The frightening thing to Rachel was really the follow-on to the Vice-Presidency. If Braxton and Johnson were prescient about the nomination process following Braxton’s last term, she could have the nomination, perhaps to the point of being drafted, and have a relatively clear path to the White House. Never in her dreams had she thought either one of these was a possibility, and suddenly they were now within her grasp. For once in her life Rachel wished she had a significant other with whom to discuss matters of such import. But, in the final analysis, Rachel believed in destiny and karma. She was intelligent and had proven herself to be a clear-headed, strategic contributor to Braxton when the chips were down and had lived a purposeful life. Perhaps what was being offered was meant to be.
At noon Washington time Rachel called Philip Johnson and said, “Mr. Johnson, I humbly accept the President’s offer. Please let me know what happens next.”
*
Jonathan Braxton asked the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader to meet with him and Philip Johnson in the Oval Office at the end of the day. “Gentlemen, tomorrow morning I intend to announce at the morning press briefing that I am nominating Rachel Hunter, currently President of Stanford University, and former Director of National Intelligence, as my nominee for Vice-President of the United States.” Before either of the men could respond, Braxton continued his positive lead with, “I hope we can have a swift and positive confirmation so this administration can get on with other pressing business at hand.”
“But, Mr. President...” the Majority Leader sputtered...
“Sy, you’ll get your say, just let me continue,” interrupted Braxton. “Before you give me your objections, if any, let me remind you all of her impressive resume. First off, it’s Doctor Hunter. She has a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics. And yes, she was a classmate of mine at Harvard Law. That‘s not a prerequisite for anything except practicing law, but it is a credential that means a great deal to some. She lawyered on Wall Street for Goldman, and that, too, is not necessarily a requirement for future greatness, but that speaks to her knowledge of the global financial picture that is increasingly important to our economy. I know she still has many contacts from that experience. Lastly she has an impressive career in public service that you all are aware of. As Director of Central Intelligence and, later, as Director of National Intelligence, I doubt there is anyone more knowledgeable about America’s interests in the international community than Rachel Hunter. Once again, I know her Rolodex is impressive. She thought she escaped by retreating to academia, but like Michael Corleone, “...they pulled me back in”,” Braxton said with a wry grin. “Gentlemen, she’s solid as a rock and you all know it,” Braxton concluded confidently.
Braxton was not a man of trial balloons, so neither Congressman had any prior knowledge of the President’s unprecedented move. As much as they may have tried to disguise their feelings, Philip Johnson could see a deflation in the countenance of Speaker Sturgis and a look of bewilderment from Majority Leader Burgess as they digested the startling news. Having no prior knowledge and, as such, no time to prepare a response, both Congressmen were initially at a loss for words after Braxton made his announcement.
Speaker Sturgis, a member of Braxton’s own party led off. “Mr. President, I’m sure Ms. Hunter is a fine person, and I am aware of her exceptional intelligence and service, but, with all due respect, sir, she has no...ah...political experience.” In a nod to Majority Leader Burgess, hoping to achieve an instant, if unlikely, alliance, he continued by saying, “After all, Mr. President, she would have to preside over the Senate, and perhaps make a decisive vote.”
“I believe it’s the latter you’re worried about Mr. Speaker,” Braxton replied with uncharacteristic sarc
asm. “Are you concerned that she may vote her conscience, rather than along party lines?” That question went unanswered.
“What about you, Senator Burgess?” continued Braxton.
“Well, sir, she used to work in your administration, so I assume she’s philosophically reliable and loyal to you. I know that is an important factor. However, I have to go along with the Speaker here and raise a concern about her political instincts. I’m concerned she’s not used to the rough and tumble, the give and take if you will,” he replied somewhat lamely. As an afterthought he mumbled, “I don’t even know what party she belongs to.”
President Braxton paused for a moment and chuckled before continuing. “You mean you don’t think she’s smart enough to be a politician? If the press ever heard you even allude to that you’d never live it down. Next you’ll be saying that she shouldn’t get the nomination because she’s a woman. Trust me, that’s a mine field neither of you even want to get close to. What about foreign relations? I suggest both of you gentlemen talk to your respective intelligence committee chairpersons about her. They’ve both had extensive experience with her in private intelligence briefings. I’d be very surprised if they don’t give her glowing marks for her analytical abilities and insights into the nuances of our enemies, as well as many of our so-called friends. Let’s face it gentlemen, she’s solid and she’s a woman. I won’t even play the emotion card she’ll undoubtedly receive after the assassination attempt she has survived recently. I’m guessing that a vote against her is going to be hard for any member to explain except to the hard-core ideologues back home.”
Speaker Sturgis spoke up again in an imploring fashion. “Sir, have you considered how politically popular it might be to choose a minority in this case? It would make things a lot easier.”
“She is a minority, Mr. Speaker...at least by one tenth of a percent according to the last census...she’s female,” remarked Braxton jocularly.
“That’s not what I meant, sir,” as Sturgis trailed off.
“Gentlemen, unless either of you can come up with some objective reason why Rachel Hunter shouldn’t be respectfully and seriously considered for confirmation as vice-president, I intend to make the announcement tomorrow. So far the only people who know about this are Rachel Hunter and those in this room. I would appreciate it if we could keep it that way until tomorrow morning.”
Philip Johnson could hardly contain a smirk. He knew both of these Congressmen would be on their cell phones within moments after leaving the White House wailing to their colleagues about the affront of Braxton not choosing one of their own, or more specifically, them personally!
Like it or not, Braxton had released the largest trial balloon seen in Washington, D.C., in recent memory.
Braxton immediately called Rachel Hunter in Palo Alto and asked her if she could come to Washington the day after tomorrow for the obligatory meetings with members of Congress that would follow on the heels of his announcement. “I’ll send Air Force two out for you tomorrow with some security. Better get used to it. Meanwhile it might help if you did a little homework on names and faces. There are some egos in play here, as you well know.”
In less than an hour Rachel Hunter saw two dark SUVs pull up outside her home and several men exited. A Palo Alto uniformed police officer knocked on her door. When Rachel answered, the policeman said, “Ms. Hunter, please pardon the intrusion. This is agent Martin of the U.S. Secret Service. He would like to introduce himself and spend a few minutes with you.”
“Yes...yes, of course,” replied Rachel. It’s begun, she thought, with a sense of profound unease.
*
The morning press briefing exploded in a frenzy after President Braxton made his announcement. Flummoxed network anchors and commentators struggled to find controversial information about Rachel Hunter, and finding none had to fall back on the recent events on the streets of San Francisco which only served to make their path toward potential objections to her candidacy even more difficult. More dovish commentators proposed that her appointment might be “too hawkish”, and “impede detente with our adversaries due to her professional past”, but even the staunchest liberals disassociated themselves from such remarks, labeling them as “extremist” and “naive.”
Rachel’s wide experience in dealing with important, and self-important, figures during her tenure at Goldman Sachs, and meeting with American allies at the highest level while Director of Central Intelligence and later as Director of National Intelligence, had prepared her well for the pro-forma meetings she was obligated to have with Congressional leaders prior to her confirmation vote. Rachel was poised, confident, and ever the good listener as she was often privately lectured by certain more egotistical members of Congress about what they saw as her duties as Vice-President and how to properly get along with Congress. Braxton’s opponents in the Senate were quick to point out that she had a duty to “vote her conscience” rather than automatically adhere to President Braxton’s philosophy if it came to her breaking a tie in the Senate on an important vote. To those admonitions, she always smiled and nodded in affirmation, saying, “I understand”.
The twenty-fifth amendment to the U.S. Constitution specifically states that the President must nominate and the both houses of Congress must confirm the nomination by a simple majority vote. It makes no mention of whether there will be confirmation hearings before such a vote. However there was precedence in the two cases where the amendment had been tested. Both Gerald Ford’s and Nelson Rockefeller’s nominations for Vice-President resulted in hearings before the Judiciary Committees for both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Gerald Ford’s nomination was overwhelmingly approved by ninety-three percent of the Congress after less than two months, but the Rockefeller hearings lasted nearly four months largely due to questions about the former governor’s vast personal wealth and previous business dealings.
Try as they might, the media was frustrated in their efforts to dig up any damaging information about Rachel Hunter. Given the fact that few mainstream members of Congress went out of their way to express objection to her candidacy, the media essentially gave up on the subject. They began to treat the upcoming hearings and vote as a fait accompli worthy only of below-the-fold coverage in the influential papers or after the first commercial on the evening newscasts.
Nonetheless, in the anarchy of the Internet, stories abounded about Rachel Hunter being a member of the hated Trilateral Commission, Council on Foreign Relations, the Masons, and because she was a Roman Catholic, a secret member of Opus Dei, a controversial lay force in the Catholic Church, seen by some as a religious cult. None of this was true, but the old waggish adage of “it’s on the Internet, so it has to be true”, was enough to build up fringe group opposition to her appointment. If one happened to be a frequent listener of talk radio at three in the morning, or a reader of the supermarket tabloids, one could also learn “the frightening truth” about Rachel Hunter.
Given the amount of respect that members of Congress serving on both judiciary committees had for Rachel Hunter’s public service, her brief but distinguished service as President of a prestigious university, and the fact that she was a woman with no political or personal baggage, the hearings were more of a coronation than investigatory in nature, and her nomination was forwarded by the two committees to their respective membership without objection.
When the day came, the Congressional vote was anti-climactic. The Senate voted 98 to 1, with one abstention, and the House voted 410 to 23, with two abstentions, for confirmation of Rachel Hunter to become Braxton’s Vice-President.
That evening Jonathan Braxton hosted a dinner party in his private quarters for Rachel, Philip Johnson, Speaker Sturgis, and Majority Leader Burgess, and their wives as a low-key celebration of the event. Braxton graciously toasted the Congressmen, thanking them for their understated assistance in achieving this Constitutional milestone with a minimum of controversy. Rachel thanked the President for his confidence in he
r and pledged she would do her best to validate his confidence in her abilities.
After the guests had left, Braxton, Philip Johnson, and Rachel were left alone. Braxton said simply, “No time for a victory lap here friends. Tomorrow we go to work.”
CHAPTER 8
A SINISTER STRATEGY
“Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.”
Virgil
*
General Fhang, already in control of the People’s Army of North Korea, knew it was vital to gain control of the political aspect of the impoverished country as well, thus consolidating his absolute grip on power. Keeping control would depend on getting supplies of food and fuel to the semi-starving people and the critical industrial and agricultural infrastructure of a society teetering on the brink of societal chaos and potential rebellion. The Chong family had been bleeding the country dry for decades. They lived lavishly themselves and poured most of the scarce hard currency earned from meager exports and illicit drug and counterfeit money trafficking into the military infrastructure, with no ethical vision for the future that would benefit the North Korean people. Fhang rationalized his brutal putsch with the thought that if it wasn’t him, it would have been only a matter of time before someone else put the Chongs out of business.