Four Days In February Read online

CHAPTER EIGHT

  In the EEOB Pinchon is brooding as to whether this plan to make him Speaker of the House can possibly succeed. Suddenly the door opened. "It's you again Melman, ready to kidnap me again and fly me off somewhere? If you are, please take me someplace with fewer problems."

  "No Sir, not now. General Pinchon, I have just been told to take you to the Capitol building. You will be received at the door by some of the Speaker's staff."

  "Then let's not keep the Speaker waiting."

  "Sorry Sir, our mode of transportation may seem unusual. I have been instructed to take you to the Capitol as inconspicuously as possible. We are not taking an official SUV or sedan. We are taking a taxi."

  "You called a cab?"

  "No, Sir, it is one of our vehicles, it just looks like a taxi. ...If you will come this way with me, General."

  Melman and another agent lead Pinchon down the hall, through security, and out an exit. There to all appearances a "taxi" waited for them. The driver didn't ask where they are going, but drove away.

  "There are a lot of taxis in Washington, Melman."

  "Yes, General, we should fit right in. No one should pay us any attention."

  "The driver did not start the meter, we may be over charged on the fare. I hope you have enough money."

  "No Sir, there is no fare, this isn't a real taxi."

  As they drove down Pennsylvania Ave., Pinchon said, "Melman, I had a little sleep on the plane as we flew here from Hawaii, but you didn't. On the plane, every time I woke up you were wide awake. Have you slept since we got here this morning?"

  "No Sir, but I have had some coffee. My team and I are still assigned to you for today; most of the other agents are involved in the assassination investigation. That is what I would like to be doing too, but important people say that you need to be protected too."

  "Well, Melman, don't go to sleep, you may need some more coffee, because this day is not nearly done."

  "Yes, Sir," Melman said, "we are approaching the Capitol. The Speaker's aide is to be waiting for us at the door. Yes, there he is."

  At the entrance under the Capitol steps stood a tall muscular man, wearing a brown pin stripe suit.

  "He is all dressed up, but he looks like he was once in the Army," Pinchon said.

  "General, I am Wilbur Burt, legislative aide to Speaker Burlson, please follow me quickly as I lead you to the Speaker's Capitol office. We need to hurry; the way we are going should be clear so that we hopefully do not run into any reporters. Because the House is in secret closed session the reporters know something big is going on, and they are searching for anyone to talk to. They have been speculating wildly whether the house is going to find a reason to impeach President Woods, because he has not been doing anything after the assassination."

  Pinchon, followed by agent Melman, went with Burt and walked quickly to Burlson's office. As they went he asked Burt, "which Sevice were you in?"

  "I was Army, Sir. ...Rangers. I was in Desert Storm and was shot up pretty bad. After a year in hospital, I went to college and got a degree in history. I taught in a local high school for a few years, and then I volunteered to work for the Speaker in his district. After the election two years ago, he brought me to DC."

  They came to an unmarked door, and Burt opened it, and said, "this is the Speaker's small secret office. It was once a store room I think. He uses this when he does not want to go to his official office. We are very near to the door of the house."

  Pinchon had not sat down yet, when the phone rang. There was not room for a secretary, so Burt answered the phone. "Yes, he is here. We can come immediately. Yes. ...General Pinchon, the House has ended the closed session, and is now open for business. We need to go, you are being called to the House. The clerks are standing by to meet you at the door."

  "All right, let's go Burt. Melman keep the meter running on the taxi, we are going to need it soon. As they walk through the door of the House, Pinchon does not hear any open talking. There are hushed whispers, and every eye has turned to look at the door.

  The Clerk of the house leads Pinchon in, and announces, "Mr. Speaker, I introduce General Ulysses Pinchon."

  It is a surreal atmosphere. There is no clapping, no talking, everyone seemed to be holding their breath, and watching. The house had just done something never done before. They had elected a new Speaker in secret session, and that Speaker was not even an elected representative of the people, but an Army General.

  They proceed down the aisle, and Bull is escorted up towards the chair of the house. Ryan Burlson, Dora Vinnity, and Henry Onan are up at the rostrum.

  Burlson says: "Bull it is my good pleasure, and great relief to inform you that this house has just elected you as Speaker. Don't be concerned about the details right now, it is done. The oath of office was taken by Bull, and Burlson said, "Please gavel the house to order, and say a very few words, and then go see the President. If at all possible, you must be seen with him before he dies."

  Bull took the gavel, and struck it twice, quite loudly, and said, "the House will come to order." Pounding the gavel was superfluous, because the House was already in extremely good order, in fact it was uniquely quiet. Pinchon spoke again. "I am honored by you electing me Speaker of this House. You have done something extraordinary not because of me, but because of our national distress. You have put aside political divides, and personal ambition, because you want to maintain constitutional order in government. I have little time now, and must hasten to see President Woods, ...but I pledge to you my fidelity to this nation, its Constitution, government, people, freedom, and welfare. I will defend the Constitution and will not back away today, tomorrow, or ever, from my duty. I have fought this nation's wars, and I am still ready to serve, and if necessary, to give my life for this country. I ask you patriots of the Congress, for your counsel, support, and prayers. May God bless the United States of America."

  Suddenly the whole house stood and clapped; a loud cheer went up: "God bless the United States of America."

  Burlson, touched Bull's shoulder, and said: "Mr. Speaker, you need to leave now. God be with you."

  Pinchon said, "and with America." As they exited the house photographers flashes were going off, and reporters were shouting and asking questions about what was happening? "Why had Speaker Burlson resigned? Why had the house elected a General as the new Speaker? What was going on? Where was General Pinchon going?"

  Pinchon was not stopping to give them answers; he headed straight for the stairs and then the door. As he stepped out under the Capitol steps he said: "Melman, lets get this taxi to the White House."

  "Yes Sir." As they drove away, Melman said, "may I ask what happened back there, I have not been told."

  "Yes, in an extraordinary session of the House, Speaker Burlson resigned, and they then proceeded to elect me to be the Speaker of the House."

  "Why, Sir? Why are you Speaker?"

  Because the Speaker of the House is presently next in line to be President of the United States, and if President Woods dies, I will succeed to the presidency."

  Melman sat stunned for a moment. "Is President Woods dying, Sir? Is that why the Congress wants you to be Speaker? That is the only thing that makes sense to me."

  "Yes, sadly, I fear all too soon your observation will be true. The President is dying. We are to go see him now while he is alive, to confirm his part and agreement in this plan."

  The 'taxi' went back Pennsylvania Avenue through normal traffic and entered the White House grounds. Outside the White House there were various groups of people milling about. Some were just ordinary tourists, others were protestors carrying signs calling for the U.S. to attack one nation or another to take revenge for killing President Carr. Still others were there just maintaining a vigil in these difficult times. As the vehicle drove through the White House gate, a man called out, "Who called a taxi for the President?"

  The taxi pu
lled up to the White House behind a black sedan that was already parked there. As Bull got out of the taxi, just coming out the White House door was Secretary of Defense Mitch Ishnik, and two of his aides. Pinchon's eyes met Ishnik's, who said, "General, you are never going to get away with this, you are not going to be President of the United States. I will fight you every step of the way, and I will have all American patriots with me. I especially will have the American Armed Forces with me, and we will stop you. We will defeat this treasonous coup' dètat."

  Bull said, "I cannot stop to chat Mr. Secretary. You don't seem to be in the mood anyway. But I will give quick advice, be careful what you say, and especially what you do now; don't get yourself into trouble. I guess you just saw the President, and now it is my turn."

  Charles Adams met Pinchon, just inside the door. "Congratulations, General, everything is coming together. As you can see, the President just had a visit from Mr. Ishnik. I think it can safely be said that it did not go well."

  "What did Ishnik want from the President?"

  "He wanted the presidency!"

  "Did he now! That would not be the least bit constitutional, there are four others ahead of the Secretary of Defense in Presidential succession."

  "That did not interest him; he said he was the only man who could save the nation at this critical time. He was very modest!"

  "Yes, well, he just threatened me. I am certain we will have to deal with him soon."

  "Let's go see the President, you need to be seen with him. Ishnik's visit and demands riled him, he rallied a little, and is waiting for you."

  "Was the President able to sit up in bed to speak to Ishnik?"

  "Oh, he did better than that! He was sitting in the chair behind his desk in the Oval Office, and that is where he is waiting for you. He was determined to use the power of the Office to withstand the Secretary. The Oval Office is an intimidating place. Any President has an amazing advantage over even disgruntled people who come there. People are awed by the office, and the power it exudes. Even though it is an "Oval Office," I have seen Presidents corner powerful men there."

  As they arrive at the Oval Office, the President's private Secretary said: "You may go right in Gentlemen."

  "Thank you," Adams replied, and opened the door.

  It had been a few years, but Pinchon had been to the Oval on a number of occasions. This time was different, however. In the past he had always been there to brief a President; and others would be in the room too, whether it was a Secretary of Defense, high DoD official, or senior military officers. Others of the group might have been seated but Pinchon had always stood at the back of the room the entire time, and did not speak until and unless being spoken to. This time he was the primary one the President wanted to see, and he would be speaking for himself.

  "Charles," President Woods said with a strong voice, "We succeeded?" Pinchon was surprised. After seeing and hearing Woods on his sick bed, the President was not only in the Oval office, but was looking much stronger.

  "Yes, Mr. President," your plan has succeeded. I present to you the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ulysses Pinchon."

  "Good show, Charles, well done, I picked the right man to reach out to the two parties in the House; you got this done."

  "The Speaker, and the House leaders did the heavy lifting, Mr. President."

  "Yes, I am sure they did, but you were making your contacts too. Well done, Sir." Turning his eyes on Pinchon, Woods said, "'General' or I should say 'Speaker,' it is good to see you here. I wish I could say I looked forward to a long and productive relationship, but that is not so."

  "Thank you, Mr. President, you are looking better than this morning."

  "Well, the Oval Office also works on Presidents, it motivates us, and stirs us up. There was no way I was going to let Ishnik lean over my bed and have an advantage on me. So I insisted on getting dressed and coming here. No one sits down in the Oval Office unless the President invites them to. I had Ishnik stand like a misbehaving school boy before the principal. I caught him off guard, and it made him uncomfortable. ...Oh yes, go ahead and sit down gentlemen, you are not in trouble with me."

  "Thank you Mr. President."

  "Ishnik is an audacious man. He told me that the Constitution and the nation itself was in perilous trouble, and that I was too sick, and therefore was not, and could not handle the situation. The Secretary said that likewise the Speaker and Senate pro tempore were too old and slow to get anything done, and that he was the right, and only man, capable of saving the nation from all domestic and foreign danger. He thought by his demeanor that he could bully me into handing him the Presidency."

  Adams said: "Ishnik's plan would have skipped over the other lawful Cabinet officers who preceded him in the line of ascension."

  "Yes he was prepared to have us ignore them. He said he would gain their consent or their silence. When I told him he would not have to be concerned about the Secretaries of State and Treasury, because Bull Pinchon was being elected Speaker of the House, and upon my death would succeed me, he was momentarily stunned. He finally regained his wits, and challenged the constitutionality of the change in Speakers. He called it a sham and a fraud, and said it was against the Constitution."

  "He dared to say that when he was prepared to take the Presidency ahead of the prescribed succession order of State and Treasury."

  "Oh yes," the President said, "He again said he was the only person able to lead America at this time. He was the one who was defending the Constitution."

  "He always did have too high an opinion of himself, and he accepted no one who challenged his plans. I know from firsthand experience," said Pinchon.

  "Yes, General, we both have a history with Mitch Ishnik," Adams said.

  "He must not be underestimated," Pinchon continued. "He is a capable man, and highly motivated and organized. He will have made plans and contingencies to get what he wants."

  The President said: "But he can be wrong and overreach too. He underestimated the Constitution, that it could be lawfully used to meet a situation. He also thought too little of the Speaker and pro tempore. He thought their age kept them from being able to act quickly.

  "Yes," Adams said, "when the President told them his plan, they agreed quickly, and put all their years of experience, leadership and influence to work, and brought about today's result. Ishnik never considered such a possibility, he was blinded by his own ambition."

  The President went on: "What was done in the House today was truly astounding. There was opposition to the plan at first, and challengers in both parties, but the Speaker and the leadership laid the stark reality out, and convinced the naysayers, or most of them at least."

  "Yes, that the General is seen as not of either political party was a big thing. It meant neither party would get 'their President,' nor would they have to give in to the other. You will be a consensus President, General ...Mr. Speaker.

  "If things get rough we will test that consensus," Pinchon said. "I dare say some will change their minds about me."

  Adams said: "Oh that goes with the territory. A President doing his best cannot please even his friends all the time. To please Congress long is impossible. There are Republicans and Democrats, but they are divided into many factions: blue dogs, hawks, doves, moderates, liberals, conservatives, progressives, tax and spend, pork barrellers, balanced budget, country, urban, and many others too. You will displease some of them whatever you do."

  "Mr. President, you are looking and acting stronger right now, I hope you are able to continue, and I will stand with you," Pinchon said.

  "No, General, that is not going to happen. The presidency is not a part time job. It is twenty-four, seven, fifty-two weeks a year. When you go on vacation, you are on the job. ...And when you are sick, you are still on the job. I am too sick. I put on a show today, but I cannot keep it up."

  "Mr. President, frankly how are you going to do
this?"

  "Well, Ishnik I think is counting on the situation festering until I die. That would give him a few hours or days to further work his will. I am going to short circuit that. You are not going to have to wait until I die to serve. As the twenty-fifth amendment requires, I have here letters drawn up, to be sent to the Speaker and President pro tempore stating that for health reasons I am unable to fulfill my responsibilities, and that since there is presently no Vice President, the Speaker will become 'Acting President,' with full powers of the office at 4:00 p.m. today. I am going to sign it right now."

  The President took a pen from his pocket, and signed the letters. "As you are standing right in front of me, Mr. Speaker, I am handing you your letter; and the second is going by my aide to the President pro tempore.

  The Cabinet is now also being notified. I am going to make a brief statement on television at 3:45 p.m. That is being arranged with the media, by my Chief of Staff, as we speak. General, I want you to be standing beside me as I read my statement to the nation. That way there will be no question about whether I was able, aware or even agreed with this. You will not have to deal with those questions."

  "Thank you Mr. President for your confidence in me. I will protect and defend the Constitution and nation."

  "Yes, General, and the President has Circuit Court Justice, Nancy Kogan, standing by to swear you in."

  "General, it is your decision, and will be your pleasure, but I recommend you keep my present Cabinet, at least for a while. It is Carr's Cabinet, but the Senate had confirmed the last Cabinet Secretary just hours before she was assassinated. To start appointing a new Cabinet, with the need for confirmation, is in my opinion something you do not need right now. It also presents a bit of stability to the nation and the world."

  "I agree Mr. President, with the exception of Secretary Ishnik. I cannot leave him there with his hands on the military levers. I am not sure even about his deputy and assistants. He always required total loyalty. He could be a problem even after being removed. At least I can count on Army Chief, General Yates. He can be a big help to me controlling the situation."

  Adams spoke up, "General, use your wisdom on the situation. I would be careful on who you lean on over at DoD, including command officers until you know their loyalty. There have been some curious meetings going on."

  "Yes, I never did learn why Yates wanted to see me in Hawaii. I think O' Yates will land straight, especially with me, we go way back. He was my right hand man."

  "I hope you are right, but remember, he may have been the 'left hand' of somebody else the last few years."

  "If I remove Ishnik, and some of his cronies, I have confidence the DoD will follow this old General. You have to take charge of the military. It is used to obeying orders; it responds to orders. It especially responded to my orders. I don't think they will have forgotten."

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