“They’ve got some serious money. At any rate, he says he won’t vote for your budget unless all of the funding for the Rural Electrification Administration is cut.”
The President let out a loud laugh and asked, “That’s the only thing he doesn’t like about it?”
“No.” Garret shook his head. “He says the whole thing sucks, but he’s willing to sign on to it if, and only if, you cut the funding for the REA.” The President frowned at the word sucks.
“That’s ridiculous. We’d lose half the votes we already have, and we wouldn’t gain more than a handful.”
“Exactly.”
“Well, let’s call him and find out just how serious he is when he’s got the President of the United States breathing down his neck.” Stevens pressed a button on his phone console. “Betty, would you please get Congressman O’Rourke on the line for me?”
“Yes, sir.” Stevens looked up from the phone. “What else can you tell me about him?”
“Not much. He’s an unknown. I’m banking on the fact that once he hears your voice, he’ll be in such awe that he’ll roll over like a good-old, small-town boy.”
O’Rourke was deep in thought when Susan’s voice came over the intercom. He finished the sentence he was working on and pressed the intercom button. “Yes, Susan, what is it?”
11
“Michael, the President is holding on line one.”
“Very funny, Susan. I told you I didn’t want to be bothered. Please, tell the President
I’m a little busy at the moment. I’ll try to get back to him after lunch.”
“Michael, I’m not kidding. The President is holding on line one.”
O’Rourke laughed to himself: “Susan, are you that bored?”
“I’m serious, he’s on line one.” O’Rourke frowned at the blinking light and pressed it.
“Hello, this is Congressman O’Rourke.” The President was sitting behind his desk, and
Stu Garret and Mark Dickson were listening in on the call from separate phones on the other side of the room. Upon hearing O’Rourke’s voice, the President enthusiastically said, “Hello, Congressman O’Rourke?” Michael leaned forward in his chair when he heard the President’s familiar voice and said, “Yes, this is he.”
“This is the President. How are you doing this morning?”
“Just fine, sir, and how are you?” O’Rourke closed his eyes and wished Susan would have listened to him. “Well, I would be doing a whole lot better if I could get some of you people over there to back me on this budget.”
“Yes, I’d imagine you would, sir.” O’Rourke’s monotone response was followed by a brief silence. “You know, Congressman, that’s a beautiful part of the country you’re from.
One of my roommates at Dartmouth had a little cabin up near Grand Rapids. I spent a week there one summer and had a fantastic time.
That is, with the exception of those darn mosquitoes. They could pick you up and carry you off during the middle of the night if you weren’t careful.”
“Yes, they’re pretty bad at times.” O’Rourke had yet to show an ounce of emotion in his voice. The President pressed on, speaking as if he and O’Rourke had been friends for years. “Well, Michael, the reason I’m calling is to tell you that I really need your vote tomorrow.
And before you tell me yes or no, I want to talk to you about a couple of things. “I’ve been doing this for over twenty-five years now, and I remember when I was a freshman representative. I came here filled with piss and vinegar. I was going to change this place
… I was going to make a difference. Well, I quickly realized that if I didn’t learn to take the good with the bad, I was never going to get anything done.
I’ve been there, Michael. I know what you’re going through. “I remember the first
Presidential budget I had to vote on. There were some things in that budget that made me want to vomit. I vowed to fight it, until some of the older guys pulled me aside and pointed out that there would never be a budget that I would completely agree with.
12
I took another look at it, and then after a closer review, I realized that I agreed with about eighty percent of the stuff that was in there.
“Michael, there are four hundred and thirty-five members in the House of
Representatives. There is no way I will ever be able to send a budget up there that everyone agrees with. Now, I know you want the REA disbanded, and to be honest, we wanted to kill the damn program for the past twenty years, but we’re in a goddamned war here, Michael. If I torpedo the REA, my budget will be sunk faster than the Titanic. I
agree with you in theory. The REA has to go, but in the real world if I want to pass all the other things that will help make this country a better place to live, I have to make some compromises. And the REA is one of those ugly things I have to let slide, so we can achieve what is best for the country.” The President paused for effect, and O’Rourke offered no response. “Michael, do you understand the position I’m in?
I will never be able to present a budget that will make everybody happy. I need you to ask yourself if you’re being realistic …. I’m up here taking the heat. I’m running the show, and if this budget doesn’t get passed, I will be severely hampered in my ability to put this country back on its feet. I’m asking you for a big favor …. I was in your shoes once before
…. I need you to ignore the twenty percent that you don’t like and help me pass this budget. If you come on
