rlfj: Blog

So much to write about with these chapters!

Much of what occurred in the NSC meeting is factually accurate. Leaked minutes of the NSC meetings reveal that an Iraq invasion was being contemplated as early as February of 2001, long before 9-11 happened. Additionally, Paul O’Neill was horrified by what was happening with the budget, and after making some public remarks about the effects of the tax cuts, was forced to resign in 2002.

In the beginning of 137 I mention that the intel was being gamed in order to justify an invasion of Iraq. Again, this has been proven to be true, in multiple instances. The CIA was providing intelligence that matched what Bush and his handlers wanted, not what was true. The Valerie Plame Affair was simply the most egregious example.

Am I being too rough on the Secret Service? I don’t think so. By every report from neutral observers and reporters, there is a level of institutional arrogance and conceit that is astonishing to behold. George Will once reported on the ABC Sunday morning show that Bush once came to his home for a dinner party. Before he arrived, however, an advance team of agents scoured his neighborhood and ordered, on pain of arrest, everybody to leave their yards and go inside their homes and close the drapes! I can’t make this shit up! In another case, a writer said she had left a book as a personal gift in a protectee’s mailbox, and then was gang-tackled afterwards as a terrorist.

A number of people have written that Carl is being much too hard on Bush. George was actually really smart but managed to surround himself with a bunch of evil geniuses who led him to the dark side. He had a lousy ability to figure out who he should listen to, etc. If that helps you sleep at night, fine by me. I am going to lose a bunch of readers with this chapter anyway. On a personal note, no, I am not a Democrat! I think Obama has been a lousy President. I also think more than a few of the Republican challengers would have been even worse. Why anybody would actually want the job is beyond me in any case!

I have had a number of people wonder how Carl was going to become President or otherwise take the reins of power. I told you it would be a dark place, but some of you just didn’t listen. On the plus side, you won’t have to read any more rants about Bush! There’s a positive side to everything.

Could the ‘football’ ever be forgotten like that? Yes! It has happened several times, in fact.

To those who thought Carl couldn’t be that ruthless or cold, that has been his history from almost the first chapter! In school, when he got in fights, he didn’t just beat up the bullies, he crippled and maimed them! Some of those injuries I described would leave people with lifelong damage. After Lieutenant Numbnuts told the narcos in Nicaragua they were Americans, Carl murdered them, and there is no getting around that. Likewise, rather than let his brother go, Carl murdered him as well. Carl doesn’t leave an enemy upright and has no compunctions about it. As Asimov wrote in Foundation, “Never let your sense of morals stand in the way of doing what's right.”

Well, Carl is still alive, and apparently the Vice President. What kind of trouble will he get into now? There will be surprises coming up, and Carl goes to a dark place. You’ll know soon.

For the nitpickers on 135: It would be Cheney as Secretary of State who would have chewed on the Nicaraguans about the warrant. Bush might be President but Cheney would have the State Department make it work.

I received a couple of notes that after 18 months Charlie would have made it to E3, Lance Corporal. In my defense, I reply that I had earlier received a note that he wouldn’t have made it by then but would certainly make Lance Corporal by the end of his first hitch. I am leaving it as it is. By the next time we see Charlie, he will be a Lance Corporal.

For those curious about the statement that Doctor Buckman was qualified to teach half a dozen subjects, this is accurate. At one time I was an adjunct at a community college. The big thing about teaching college is the degree the teacher has. A master’s degree is needed at a community college and a doctorate at a four-year school, but once you’re in, it doesn’t matter what you teach. He would certainly be qualified to teach mathematics and computer science. Being a self-made multibillionaire qualifies him to teach business or finance. Being a vet with a medal lets him teach military science (ROTC). Five terms in the House and election as Vice President would let him teach political science.

Quite a few readers have wondered how much influence Carl will have on Bush. Some have envisioned him being the eminence grise, the power behind the throne. The role of Vice President has varied greatly in the last century. John Nance Garner was one of FDR’s Veeps and he described the office as ‘not worth a bucket of warm piss’, usually euphemized as ‘spit.’ FDR changed his VP candidates twice and never had much use for them. Truman wasn’t even told about the atomic bomb until after being sworn in as President. Likewise, JFK and Johnson despised each other, and Johnson was cut out of most things. On the other hand, Cheney and Biden were highly trusted advisers and intermediaries. Cheney eventually fell out of favor, but he had a long run pulling Bush’s strings.

For those who think I am being too hard on Bush 43, sorry, but every interview and report I have read on the man shows he was not intellectually gifted. Even some of my readers have met him and agree with that. He had wonderful political instincts, a photographic memory for names and faces, and could schmooze with the best of them. Otherwise, he really didn’t know the difference between a Gentlemen’s C and a real C and thought the degrees his father bought him were earned.

And finally, for everyone who wondered if the twins were going to show up anymore, you are getting your wish, in spades!

Could the recall to active duty and court-martial actually occur? Actually, in theory, yes. Carl has certainly completed his active-duty commitment, and his medical retirement wipes out his inactive commitment. However, you are an officer for life, unless you actually resign your commission, and are thus theoretically subject to recall. Historically a number of retired officers have voluntarily asked for recall, usually during wars, to help. I think we can safely say that Carl wouldn’t have resigned his commission. In any case, while it might be far-fetched, it would be possible. Currently the Trump administration is attempting to recall to active duty the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Milley, and several Congressmen who were in the military, all so they can be court-martialed.

Chapter 134 is the end of Book 6. Do we get a repeat of what happened in Carl’s first life, with Gore recanting his conciliation, or did Bush actually win? What would a Bush Presidency look like with Carl around instead of Cheney? Momentous times are ahead for Carl and the nation, and Carl will be going to a very dark place.

At the end of 131 we see something come up that quite a few people have been expecting before now. I always expected to have this surface but just wanted to play with the timing. There will be a lot more to come in future chapters.

Several people commented on the various illegalities committed during the leak of the classified information from 1981. This law was broken or that law was broken. The critical thing is that this is about politics, not the law. The odds of anybody actually going to jail are incredibly low. If this were to actually happen Carl would be dumped from the ticket, so he could ‘focus on fighting the unjust allegations.’ Dumping Carl almost certainly dooms the Bush ticket, no matter who takes Carl’s place. Meanwhile, with Carl out of the way, the spigot of leaked info is shut down, since no more needs to be leaked. The papers and networks will never give up who gave them the info. Carl can’t fight it because he can’t fight a ghost. He is out of politics completely, after he loses reelection. On the other hand, if Carl doesn’t quit all bets are off! Whoever leaked the info will probably be forced to double down. It should be…interesting.

Leaking information is a spectator sport in D.C. It happens on a daily basis, and almost never gets prosecuted. For one thing, the reporters and media have an ironclad get-out-of-jail-free card in the First Amendment. It is nigh on impossible to force a reporter to divulge a source. Politicians and staffers leak info to show how important they are, to impress people, to seal the deal with a girl – information is power and power is the ultimate aphrodisiac. The only sin is in getting caught, which simply proves you aren’t ready to play the game.

The average Washington politician or staffer has the attention span of a beagle. They don’t think of long-term consequences. Long term is the span of the next news cycle. Most of them would sell their mother in a Moroccan bazaar if it bought them favorable coverage on the evening news today. There is no penalty if they do. If they get caught they can weasel out of it based on their ‘principles.’

So, in reality, nothing will happen to whoever leaked Carl’s file. It just won’t happen. If Carl quits the race in disgrace, the spigot gets shut off and his enemies go away happy. The only way it gets worse is if Carl doesn’t go away. Hmmm…what might happen then?

For the readers who commented that a single 60 Minutes episode wouldn’t be enough to fix the problem – of course not! Never said it would. I hope you’re happy now.

Does the Presidential candidate really want the Vice-Presidential candidate to be such a good speaker at the convention? Doesn’t that detract from his own performance? The answer is NO. He wants every speaker to be great, for several reasons. First, if everybody else is good, the pressure is less that he has to be great. Second, if the VP candidate nails it, the Presidential candidate looks wise and statesmanlike for picking the VP. Third, an exciting and well-run convention can boost donations and poll numbers significantly. Bush ran good and well-organized conventions both times. McCain’s was good. Obama’s were better. Romney’s wasn’t good. These are just my opinions, but it shows there are good conventions and bad ones.

Everybody seemed to like the convention speech. Have I ever been a speechwriter? No, but I have heard my fair share of speeches. An important thing to remember is that there are different types of speeches. With a convention speech one of the biggest goals is to amp up the energy level. It isn’t a policy speech like a State of the Union address or a service academy graduation. You are in front of thousands of fellow true believers and the real goal is to fire them up on national television. They will be prepared ahead of time with posters and signs, and you want them rocking and rolling by the end, ready to go out and riot in the streets. Sound bites, syncopation, and catchphrases are critical. It is not the time for calm and cool-headed thought. Most real politicians who do these things practice them for hours ahead of time in front of critics (which we saw Carl doing.)