Acts of Sedition

by Dennis Stephan

  As was routine now, there was a limit of two speakers before the vote; one in support of the proposal and one against it. This process was instituted years ago when it was customary to drag proceedings out for days as Congressman after Congressman stood and repeated the same arguments as his predecessors for the sole purpose of being seen "doing their jobs" by the press and their constituents.

  The first speaker, Rashad Amin, of California, a staunch supporter of President Abbas began. “Members of Congress, I know that I was slated to speak on behalf of this issue, but I’m feeling a little under the weather and wish to relinquish my time to the good senator from Montana, Senator Barry Eastwick.

  "Members of Congress,” Eastwick began. "This should be an easy vote. Everyone in this chamber understands that in a democracy, the people get to vote for their elected officials. As you all know, I was against this at first. But when I stopped to think about it, I realized that term limits are anti-democratic in that they deprive the American people of their right to select the best-qualified candidate just because he has served two terms. How many of you who are sitting here have already served more than two terms? How many outstanding presidents like Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and most recently Justin DuPont were denied the ability to carry out essential programs simply because of this amendment?

  The Twenty-Second Amendment robs the country of its most experienced leaders. Like most, there is a learning curve to this job. Just when the president has mastered the job and built up strategic alliances both here and abroad, he is forced to leave office, and the training of his successor must begin again. We lose continuity by doing this.

  For those who would argue that term limits ensure that the country can rid itself of a badly performing president, I give you two instances. Consider cases where we've had mediocre to bad presidents like Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter, who were voted out of office by the American people, who through their right to vote, actually do set terms limits on each and every one of us. If you don't do a good job, the people will remove you from office.

  Lastly, term limits by their very nature limit the ability of the president to carry out programs. No sooner has he started his second term when he's faced with the reality that he is a lame duck president who will face stiff opposition in the implementation of any of his programs during his second term. The tendency of us all is not to work with the current chief executive but to look forward to the next administration thereby rendering the current president impotent.

  My dear colleagues, our forefathers and the framers of the original document had the foresight to reject the notion of the president serving but one term. Let us follow their wisdom by example. Let us repeal the Twenty-Second Amendment. Thank You.”

  Senator Franklin Wallace from Alabama followed.

  "Thank you for stating your case so eloquently, Senator Eastwick, but I could not disagree more. My fellow Senators, The Twenty-Second Amendment was ratified to prevent the office of the president from becoming more like the reign of King George of England. While my distinguished colleague pointed out that the citizens can surely prevent re-election by voting for a new president, we all know for a fact that many people vote based on name recognition. The president is very visible, and he has the power of the presidency behind him. As commander in chief of our military, he can stand before our nation and command respect. Along with this comes the ability to raise large sums of money for his reelection bid. Potential challengers cannot even imagine raising comparable funds. Should we expect the best and brightest among us to go up against such daunting odds?

  Lastly, the presidency sometimes calls for new ideas and a new way of looking at past problems. When we re-elect a president, we are also giving him the power to name his key advisors and key members of the cabinet. In a third term, stagnancy could result as he and the key members of his staff look at the problems they face with the same biases as in the past. Doesn't our country need a fresh pair of eyes on what are sometimes very complex matters?

  Our founding fathers with all of their wisdom and knowledge could not have foreseen the complexities of the world in which we currently live. Had they been able to do so, they surely would have realized the strain that our complex society would place on a mortal man, and they would have limited the terms of future presidents. We have the ability to view the world of today. Let's not make the mistake of repealing this amendment. Thank You."

  Senator Aamir Nazari of Virginia, the sponsor of this proposal, asked for a roll call vote. As expected, the roll call vote ran along party lines but there were two exceptions. Despite their recent and very vocal objections to the measure, Senators Eastwick, who surprised everyone by speaking out in favor of the measure, and Flannery voted for it.

  The chamber was abuzz.

  The roll call vote was completed, and the clerk handed the tabulation to the president pro tem who announced the results. “Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, the yeas have it. The proposal has passed by a vote of 67 yeas; 33 nays. The joint resolution will be sent on for subsequent forwarding to the 50 States for ratification.”

  As they left the chamber, both Eastwick and Flannery were surrounded by their colleagues demanding an explanation for their change of heart.

  Both men rushed out saying “I have no comment. My vote stands”.

  Chapter 12

  Ahmad had the next day’s staff meeting, originally called for 1 pm, pushed back to 2. Following lunch, he had decided to take a walk in the park, a practice that riled the secret service, but one that allowed Ahmad to digest his meal and clear his head.

  As his team of six key advisers filed in and took their designated seats, the president’s mind raced across a lot of what has been happening and what this meeting would be about.

  This meeting was not going to include the full cabinet. It was more of a preliminary strategy meeting that Ahmad had adopted. His most trusted and loyal followers attended this meeting and then set about ensuring that the agreed upon agenda was followed by the rest of the cabinet. It usually was, because these six men were the White House movers and shakers. The remaining cabinet members, especially the mild mannered Interior Secretary Larry Richter, were mere minions who followed their directions.

  These were the people who shared Ahmad’s vision of “The New America.” Ahmad was not what one would call a "Radical Islamist.” He was not as extreme in his views as radical groups like ISIS. He thought of himself as more of a "Modern Islamist.” But America needed a jolt, and while he would allow freedom of religion as promised by the US Constitution, Ahmad would make sure that the laws of Sharia would guide him and his administration. Initially, he had to take a very hard line approach because Americans were like lost sheep. He had eased his harsh policies in recent months and how was he repaid? Someone tried to kill him, doing irreparable harm to his lovely wife.

  So he now needed to be their shepherd, but one with a heavy hand; tough love is what was needed. To Ahmad, what was foremost in his mind was that the members of his inner circle supported his views. In a general sense, they would be guided by the Five Pillars of Islam. The outward behaviors like prayer and fasting were necessary, but these actions were simply a natural progression from Shahada, the first pillar and the belief that there was no deity but Allah and that Mohammed was his prophet. Their actions in their social and political lives would be in keeping with tradition.

  “Salam wa aleikum, Mr. President,” they all said as they entered and bowed before sitting.

  The first to enter was his Vice President Syed Rashad, followed by the rest of his most trusted advisors and Ayatollah Mohammad Khatami, a descendent of the great Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran. Being a Shiite, it was important to Ahmad to have an Ayatollah as his spiritual leader and to include him in all important decisions and matters of public policy. Ahmad wanted the hand of Allah guiding his every decision. He had to admit that the Ayatollah was a little too old world for his tastes. After all, Ahmad was not born in Iran but the US. But as recent events
showed, America needed a very harsh dose of medicine if it was to return to greatness.

  Each of the men that Ahmad selected for his inner circle believed in what Ahmad wanted for the country, and each behaved in accordance with how Ahmad wanted them to act. They were the leaders of the cabinet and the rest of America. But to Ahmad, these men were his closest friends and advocates. These were the people who he put in the most important positions because they could be trusted, they could control others, and because he had confidence that these were the people who could stamp out the vermin who were trying to infest his presidency.

  As he looked around at the men, Ahmad couldn’t help but marvel at the greatness of this team he had assembled. Each was dedicated to Ahmad and an expert in their particular area.

  The Ayatollah was his spiritual leader. While not the power broker that he would be in his native Iran, he ensured that any decisions being made by the administration were in keeping with the will of Allah and the writings in the Quran. He didn't say much during the meetings, but he helped shape policy nonetheless. It was the Ayatollah who had helped the president with his initial reforms, and it was he who told the president of the importance of distancing himself from some of the wayward ways of the West and toward the teachings of Islam and the traditions of the past.

  Ahmad’s Vice President, Syed Rashad, was born in the US of Jordanian descent. He was a top Harvard B-school grad and among the top 5% at Yale Law School. He worked for five years at one of the top law firms in international law in the country. Syed’s strength was that his language fluency enabled him to interact with the heads of foreign countries like a native. He was very aggressive in his approach and had the uncanny ability to predict a country’s position and potential actions before even it knew.

  His Secretary of State, another US born and raised Muslim, was thirty-one-year-old, Saeed al-Bashir. His father, originally from Saudi Arabia, had been a principal advisor to King Badr, the youngest son of King Ahmad, before migrating to the the DC area in 2014. Saeed studied foreign languages at Georgetown and attended Georgetown Law. He spoke seven languages fluently including English, Arabic, Russian, German, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, and Italian which him the perfect choice to represent the country worldwide.

  Defense Secretary Colonel Hakim Bahar, born Tucker Matthews, was an African American raised in a strict upper middle-class household in Raleigh NC. He was the son of a Baptist Minister who converted to Islam in his late 40s after an illustrious career in the military. At 63 years of age, he was the oldest member of the cabinet but also the most traveled having lived in the Middle East. He was also one of the foremost military strategists.

  Secretary of the Treasury, Thomas Hilton, is a former Tea Party leader. His education and expertise were in finance. Hilton was the one who came up with the new simplified tax code. Many hailed it as revolutionary, but all it did was eliminate a lot of paperwork, give large tax breaks to businesses and individuals based on their tithing and the amount of time they spent working for their respective churches, and increase the tax burden on everyday Americans. No one complained since the result was a surplus.

  Ahmad’s White House Chief of Staff, Omar Khalid did an outstanding job managing the White House staff. But his primary value to Ahmad was that of a trusted advisor and friend. He was more important to Ahmad than the VP or any other member of his cabinet because Omar was not only the president’s speech writer and first point of contact with the outside world but also the eyes and ears of the administration. He had an extensive network of people across the country that kept him informed of the mood and actions of the people, especially potential foes of the president.

  This was quite a team that Ahmad had put together, and he was proud of all of these men and what they have been able to accomplish in just three short years.

  There was one additional person at this meeting who was important to Ahmad and that was his deputy chief of staff. While not in this inner circle Tarif Mansour was another boyhood friend of Ahmad. Because he had studied Geology at the University of Arizona, the leading college for Geological Studies, Tarif asked the president to appoint him to the position of Secretary of the Interior. Ahmad wanted to help his friend fulfill his dream but he wanted more for him, and he needed to keep him close. Ahmad in private called the Department of the Interior the Department of the Inferior as he had little respect for their work. No, Tarif was a brilliant man and Ahmad valued his judgment too much, so he appointed him deputy chief of staff. That would ensure that Tarif was close by should Ahmad need advice and would also prepare him for a future position in the administration. While he usually attended to the White House staff during meetings like this, Ahmad wanted him to attend this particular session.

  “Gentlemen,” Ahmad began. “First off, I would like a moment of silence for us all to say a short prayer to Allah for the safe return of Senator Flannery’s daughter who was apparently abducted in a carjacking early this morning in Nashville.”

  After a few moments of silence, The President continued.

  “We’ve done it.” It was a very close vote but thanks to Omar’s hard work wheeling and dealing behind the scenes, the Senate this morning agreed to repeal the 22nd Amendment.”

  Everyone applauded.

  “Now if we can get the leaders of every state to get out the vote in our favor, we’ll be able to stay in office to complete the many improvements that we’ve proposed.”

  They again applauded.

  The president mockingly took a bow.

  With that out of the way, the president proceeded to brief everyone on the agenda for this meeting; namely to reaffirm their purpose, discuss other upcoming votes in Congress, and to develop a strategy to deal with the growing unrest in the country.

  “We had to make a few promises to pull this off. Omar made a promise that I would change my position on the gay rights legislation that is up for a vote in Congress in a few months. I intend to ask for a delay in that vote. I’ll say that I’d like more time to re-evaluate the bill. That will send a signal that I’m leaning toward supporting the bill.”

  “Is that wise, Mr. President?” said the Vice President. “Your position against gay rights helped you get elected. To change now will hurt your chances for re-election.”

  “I understand, and I have no intention of changing my position on this legislation. I’ll only send the signal that I’m open to discussing it further. During the delay, we need to get the votes lined up to ensure that this legislation never reaches my desk. That way I can keep my promise but not have to deal with it.”

  “And if the bill passes, then what?”

  “Well it will be unfortunate, but I’ll use the veto. I know we had to promise this to Eastwick but as president, I have to weigh what is good for all of America, not just the fringe element. So there is no way that I’m going to sign new gay rights legislation.”

  “Now, what is the word on the street? “

  One by one, the advisors told of what they had heard from friends, business leaders, and others outside of Washington. And all agreed that the president’s approval rating had been slowly declining over the years. The last to speak was Omar. “Mr. President, at its height, your approval rating was 52%. That was shortly after you took office. Last month it dipped to just under 20%. People are very frustrated, Mr. President, and frustrated people do irrational things. Look what that Carol Carson did out of frustration.” Everyone mumbled and nodded.” And we have been witnessing more and more unrest, especially in our large cities.”

  Ahmad nervously made a gesture with his hands mocking the idea that Americans would do anything in the way of trying to get him out of office. “I know there have been a few protests, but that is good. It makes people think that they matter. But let’s be honest, gentlemen. Have we not seen how simplistic and apathetic Americans are? Given the chance of being active and making a difference, most prefer to sit at home and watch TV or play video games. Given a choice between living in the real world or the fant
asy of reality TV, most choose the fantasy. Most of them have the attention span of a flea, a lazy flea at that” said Ahmad.

  They all laughed

  “But gentlemen I do share your concern about some of the dissenters in our country who have taken up the hatred for us. They too have been inspired by Iblis just as Carol Carson was when she shot the First Lady. During her trial, Carol promoted violence by telling Americans to stand against what she called my tyranny. She’ll be dead soon, and I’m hoping that her cause dies with her. But we need to make sure that happens. And, we need to smoke out any leaders and bring them to swift justice. Do you understand?”

  They all nodded.

  “Good. Keep vigilant so that we can be aware of any rumors of intifada.”

  Tarif was still locked in thought over the timing of the disappearance of Senator Flannery’s daughter and his subsequent changed vote. How convenient he thought. His thoughts then shifted to Carol Carson’s actions and what the others had reported about how people were forming secret prayer clubs as a cover for meetings to discuss Ahmad and who knew what else. He had heard that some were outraged and were prepared to mobilize for change. Despite what Ahmad has just said, Tarif believed that he was taking the notion of another Carol Carson or these congregations forming too lightly. Tarif had inside information about these meetings and knew that they were more than rumors. This was serious business and something of grave importance. He would take it upon himself to keep his ears open so that he could learn more. After all, that was one of his primary responsibilities and the reason that Ahmad wanted him nearby. That was what made Tarif valuable.