The iCongressman, page 11
part #2 of The Michael Bennit Series Series
“Fine. Why are you guys telling me this?”
“Rumor has it Bennit is avoiding going after moderates. Our bosses are slaves to the powerful liberals in the party. I’m sure Republicans in the Liberty Caucus and other Blue Dog Democrats feel the same way.”
“So?” I ask impatiently.
“Michael can change the dynamic of the House if he can pull this off. Our bosses think that may be in the country’s best interests. We want you to let him know that if he does, we’re willing to work with him.”
“Yeah, only we all know that he won’t survive this ethics hearing. It doesn’t matter that he didn’t do anything wrong.” It’s the truth, and I knew it as soon as I heard. There is nothing we can do to fight this.
“Chelsea,” Amigo Three says with a chuckle, “you’re his chief of staff. You can’t think like that. I know you’re new to this game, but you’re his top advisor. If he’s in trouble, it’s on you to get him out of it.”
“Most of our colleagues just think you wandered off your school tour and ended up as a chief of staff. Time to prove them wrong,” Chris says as he and his two pals head toward the Rayburn Building.
“How?” I call out to them, instantly regretting it.
“That’s for you to figure out.”
* * *
I made it as far as the grand rotunda of the Cannon Office Building before I break down. Seated on a simple wooden bench nestled among the grandeur of the arched portals and high ceiling, I bury my head in my hands and cry.
I knew the pressures of this job would be difficult to manage, but I never prepared myself for this. There was no realizing that I would have to fashion a plan to keep my mentor from getting kicked out of here. Is he really expecting me to do that? Is that why he’s so disappointed in me lately?
“Chelsea?” the soothing voice of Kylie asks as she hovers over me.
“Uh, yeah, hi, Kylie,” I say, trying to stifle my tears and hide the puffiness of my eyes.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” she asks, genuine concern all over her face and in the tone of her voice.
I want to be strong. I want to tell her that I just needed a moment of emotional release. I want to pick up the pieces and show her that I have it all under control. “I can’t do this anymore, Kylie!” is what I blurt out instead. Yeah, fail.
“Okay, we are long overdue for a girl chat. Let’s go.”
“No, I can’t, I have―”
“It wasn’t a request, Chelsea. C’mon, work can wait,” she says. She’s very compelling. I suppose that’s a reason why she’s such a good journalist.
Kylie reflexively knows where to go. She doesn’t say anything as we leave the Cannon building and walk around to the set of stone stairs on the West Front of the Capitol. With no effort, she leads me right to my favorite spot and has a seat facing the National Mall. It may not be sunset, but I instantly feel better.
For the next ten minutes, I open up to her like I have never opened up to anyone since my mother died. I was just going into high school when I lost her, and although my father did a great job as a single parent, there is no substitute for a girl’s mother. Kylie’s a little young to fulfill that role, but she’s doing a damn good job listening to me spill my guts to her.
“I just can’t do this job. I can’t be the chief of staff he needs me to be,” I conclude, finishing my emotional rant between sobs.
“Then don’t, Chelsea,” Kylie says so matter-of-factly, it almost sounds insincere.
“You think I should quit?” almost not believing what I just heard.
“Oh, God no. I think you should stop trying to be what you think people expect and just be who you are.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Long before I met you guys, I was on a career trajectory that resembled something NASA would launch. I was covering politics for the New York Times, and I was in heaven. But I realized all that glittered in Washington was not gold, and I set out to purge the town from the corruption I thought was choking democracy. After all, I was Kylie Roberts. I was untouchable.”
“And you got fired.”
“Yup. I was pretty resentful about that for a long time. I thought I had made a mistake by straying from what was expected from me. Then I met you guys. A group of students working so hard to get their teacher elected to Congress was inspiring. It made me realize that I was focused on being the journalist everyone expected for so long, I needed to lash out and break away. I think deep down I wanted to be fired.”
“But you joined our campaign because you wanted revenge.”
“I never said I wasn’t vindictive,” Kylie says with a laugh and a smile.
“So you think I want to be fired?” I ask, not sure what the point of the story is.
“Not at all. I think you are trying to be something you’re not and sacrificing who you are. He didn’t ask you to be his chief of staff because he wanted you to be some political sleaze ball. He asked you for the same reason he chose you to run the campaign. He trusts your judgment enough to listen to your advice and let you lead the troops.”
“It doesn’t feel like he ever takes my advice.”
“He’s a free thinker, Chels. Believe me, he won’t follow anyone blindly, but I don’t think him not taking your advice is really what’s bothering you.”
“What do you mean?” If there is one person’s judge of character and behavior I trust, it’s hers.
“Michael is like a second father to you. Just like you were always terrified of disappointing your own dad, the same applies here. I know how you feel. When I first met Michael, he was larger than life. I didn’t want to disappoint him for different reasons, but I understand what you’re going through because he has that effect on people.”
“Never seems to bother Vince or Vanessa.”
“Vince learned this lesson much sooner than you are. Remember back to when your campaign was first starting? He had his meltdown.”
She’s right. The day we announced our first campaign at the Perkfect Buzz, Vince tried to be something he wasn’t and it turned into a disaster. I had forgotten about that.
“When I started working with you guys, I struggled with knowing that Michael would be a terrible politician if he played by the traditional set of rules. The same applies to your situation. You will be a horrible chief of staff for the same reason, because it’s not in either of you two’s DNA.”
“That’s not how people are supposed to act around here. It’s all about deal making and schmoozing and networking. I’m not good at any of that.”
“You don’t know that. You have no clout to bargain with, schmoozing is overrated, and you can’t network if the members have been directed by their leadership not to work with you. Nothing that has happened over the past year has anything to do with your abilities.”
“What if you’re wrong about all this, Kylie?” For so long I have believed everything that has gone wrong is my fault. I’m still not sure what to do or what to think, and I’m getting tired of feeling that way.
“Trust me, sweetie, I’m not.”
Kylie and Michael have a relationship most women can only dream about. They are both stubborn, so when they fight, it’s epic. But in the end, they are completely in love with each other and loyal to a fault. Even only after dating for a year and a half, they know each other better than most couples who have been married for ten.
“So what do you think I should do now?”
“Frankly? Say screw it and be yourself. Michael needs you to be the same tenacious, fiery redhead that got him here.”
“I’m not sure how to start doing that.”
“I do,” she says, rising and prompting me to get up from my own seat on the stairs. “He’s up there meeting with that shark Viano right now. This is as good a time to start as any.”
-TWENTY-ONE-
SENATOR VIANO
We are a half hour into this meeting when Michael’s chief of staff finally decides to grace us with her presence. She walks in with Kylie Roberts, who’s a bit of a tart, but otherwise a capable journalist. Chelsea’s eyes are puffy and red from crying, and I’m willing to bet Kylie was acting as a supportive girlfriend. For a chief of staff in this town, she needs to develop a thicker skin. What a weakling.
After greetings are made, Michael quickly gets Chelsea and Kylie up to speed on our discussions with Blake handling most of the questions. I only deal with principals, not questions from the staff. That and I know of the history between Chelsea and Blake going back to their first campaign. Keeping her intimidated and on edge can only benefit me.
“Have you vetted all these people?” Chelsea asks, I suppose getting the obvious questions out of the way.
“It’s not complete,” Blake replies patiently, “but we are working on it. They all passed the cursory look for anything potentially embarrassing.”
“What do you think?” Michael asks her. I am not sure if asking someone who can’t legally buy a drink for her political opinion is out of sympathy or legitimate. Hopefully the former more than the latter.
“She thinks going after the extremes is a mistake,” Blake says, drawing a fiery stare. “I’m sure she thinks we need to target moderates to get bigger numbers.”
“Don’t presume to think you know anything about what my thoughts are, Mister Peoni.” I look over at Kylie who has a look of almost maternal pride on her face. I may have to account for her being more involved in the happenings of the Bennit camp than I thought.
“I was assuming that―”
“You were assuming that I would balk at taking on the most firmly entrenched representatives in the House. That we don’t have the resources or time to target entrenched incumbents in heavily gerrymandered districts. And you were most afraid that I would convince Congressman Bennit of all that, which is why you leaked it to the Three Amigos.”
“The who?” Michael asks, not quite understanding the reference. I only can guess, but I assume it is some of the staff members I told Blake to reach out to in preparation for this meeting.
“They work for three of the New York moderate Democrats,” she explains. “They seem to be very well informed about the senator’s plan here. How do you imagine that is?”
“Now Chelsea, we’re all on the same team here,” Blake chides. Best if I come clean now before she launches into an Alec Baldwin-like tirade.
“I had Blake talk to some of staff members for moderates in the House. I had my former chief of staff Gary Condrey talk to a few others.”
“Why would you tip them off like that, Senator?” Kylie asks me. I didn’t even know she was invited to this meeting.
“Because I don’t want moderates to panic when the word spreads about this,” I reply, a little annoyed I have to justify myself to a simple journalist.
“No, that’s not why, Senator,” Chelsea intercedes. “You cut us off at the knees. It was your way of manipulating us to do what you want. If we fight you on this, and decide to push forward with going after more vulnerable members, you’ll have leverage to make us look like bungling fools.” Very astute. That was part of my thought process.
“That’s patently untrue, Miss Stanton. I discussed this at length with Gary and he advised me that this was the best route to take based on our ultimate goal. We are working toward the same thing.” There is no part of what I said that’s true, but I almost believed it myself. Damn, I miss politics.
“So you guys keep saying. But if we’re a team, then you should start being team players.” I am about to say something before Michael stops me.
“Senator, Chelsea is right. I understand the course of action, but it should have been pursued after we had this meeting, not before.”
“I understand, Michael. It won’t happen again.” Not that it matters, because it served its purpose.
“Why are you doing this, Senator?” Chelsea barks without preamble.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Why are you doing this? Let me answer your next question before you ask it,” she says, getting up and pacing around the office now. Michael is paying rapt attention, almost confused by her behavior. “When Kylie began helping us during the last campaign, she had reasons she never shared with us until after the election. Turns out they were good ones, but I’m not so sure about yours. I’m not willing to put that kind of faith in you. So tell us now, why are you helping us?”
This little teenager is showing me a side of her I haven’t seen yet. I will have to do a little more homework and keep a closer eye on her. Dealing with one loose cannon on the ship is bad enough, but two could be a disaster.
“Are you accusing us of―”
“It’s okay, Blake,” I interrupt. “I understand your concern, Chelsea. And yours, Michael, assuming she is speaking for you as well. Let’s just say I’ve harbored a lot of resentment toward the elites in my party since my defeat. That’s as much detail as I am going to provide.”
“That’s not good enough,” Kylie says, butting in again.
“It’s going to have to be, Miss Roberts, because that’s all you’re going to get. I want to help you change the system. From here, you can either choose to accept my help or not. I’ve shown you all my cards and have asked nothing in return.”
“Yet.”
“I’m trying to help you, Chelsea. That’s all. God knows you both need it.”
“Yeah, right. I don’t know what your game is, but I don’t buy your reasons for a second. You expect us to believe you are doing all this out of the goodness of your heart? This is Washington, and the very notion of that is laughable.”
“I don’t think I like what you’re accusing me of.”
“I don’t think I give a damn.” She’s turning into quite the feisty one, isn’t she?
“Chelsea,” Michael warns. She’s ignoring him, so maybe it’s time to test the strength of their relationship. Chelsea is too young to be an effective political player in this town, if for no other reason that so much work is done in restaurants and bars over drinks. Her crying also makes me question her mental toughness. You need an iron will to hack it in this town. Blake would be far better suited for this role, and him being an insider instead of just a liaison would be beneficial to me as well.
“Michael, if you don’t want my assistance, I will happily leave you to try to pull this off yourself.” He looks at me for a long moment, and I’m convinced he’s about to ask Chelsea to leave the room. If he does, her future working for him will have a life expectancy of minutes, not years.
“Senator,” he says to me with a serious tone he rarely uses. “I suggest you listen to what my chief of staff has to say, and listen hard.” Well, what do you know? He’s backing her after all.
“I’ve had a rough year and I am at my wits’ end, but I’m done playing games,” she proclaims, not wasting any time seizing the opportunity her mentor just gave her. “You cross us and you’ll find out the hard way what your lying tongue tastes like after I rip it out and feed it to you.”
I regard her for a moment, quickly glance over to Michael, and then let out a laugh. The girl is finally showing some spunk. I admire that. I may need to rethink my opinion of her.
“Chelsea, you might just make a good chief of staff after all.”
-TWENTY-TWO-
SPEAKER ALBRIGHT
Power in Congress may transfer between political parties, but the one constant in the lives of the congressional elite is the power lunch. Between noon and two o’clock, restaurants in and around Capitol Hill fill with members and staff who meet to negotiate and clinch deals. Charlie Palmer Steak is one of the most popular places for these gatherings and, depending on the week, serves about a quarter of the House and a third of the Senate.
“You’re late,” I say to the majority leader as he takes a seat across from me. The restaurant sports a rooftop with scenic views of the city, but is also replete with private dining areas including the one we’re seated in now.
“Sorry, it’s already been one of those days. I acquired this as a peace offering.” Harvey hands me an innocuous looking manila file folder and orders seltzer water from the waiter while he waits for me to peruse the contents.
“It’s a list of names and districts. So what?”
“It is a list of icandidates planning to run in the next election.” Oh, not this again.
“Where did you get this from?” I ask, more than a little curious as to where he gets his information. As Speaker of the House, I get wind of a lot of rumors, but it’s nothing compared to what Harvey seems to uncover.
“I have a source friendly with Bennit and willing to do my bidding. Do you notice anything peculiar about where those candidates are running?”
I give Harvey a long, hard look before turning my attention back to the file. I look through the associated districts next to each name again. By a third of the way down the sheet, I know what he is referring to.
“They’re all safe districts,” I say, scanning harder for one in particular. Members who hail from districts who almost always support a particular party tend to be slackers. Because they never face serious threats, they don’t know how to campaign well. They also are the most ideologically rigid representatives in the House, as reflected in their voting records. Taking a hard-line position on controversial issues is fodder for a crafty opponent in a tight race.
“Your district is on the second page. Do you know the lady?” I find the line with my South Carolina district and trace across the spreadsheet at the name of my soon-to-be foe.
“Damn.”
“You do know her then?” Harvey asks, amused.
“Yeah, she’s a well-respected small business owner and longtime Republican supporter. I never imagined I would have to worry about her, much less face her in an election.”
“Welcome to the age of the icandidate,” Harvey laments.
“Your district is on this list too?”
