Ultimatum by Matthew Glass Read Free Book Online Page A

that in your speech.”
     
    “A second Gettysburg Address,” said Eales, only half in jest. “Five score years ago, a man stood in this place . . .”
     
    Benton smiled briefly.
     
    “Senator, I’m concerned that if you do that, it’ll deal a blow to your presidency you’ll never recover from.” Jackie frowned. “It’s not the same as Roosevelt. When Roosevelt came to power, the problem was clear. Two years of depression and an administration that was utterly unable to deal with it. Roosevelt could pose as being the solution. He didn’t put a drastic new problem in front of the people. When you get up on that podium January twentieth, Senator, there is no problem. Not this problem, anyway. Not until you start speaking. You put it there. And even though you didn’t make the problem, you become tainted with it. You’re the messenger. And the other thing is, Roosevelt had a solution. We don’t. All we can say is, if we convince other countries to get on board, then we’ll have a solution. If that’s all we do, if we just go with the problem, my fear is the problem is all anyone’s going to think about.”
     
    “But we do have a solution,” said Ball. “We put it into Kyoto 4.”
     
    “With respect, Alan, that’s a process, not a solution, and it’s not a process most of the American people have a lot of respect for. Senator, as it is now, what you’re going to be judged on is New Foundation. That’s something we can deliver, that’s something we can control. But if you put this out there on Inauguration Day, then that’s what the administration is going to be judged on: whether you get a solution out of Kyoto 4. And negotiations over setting up Kyoto 4 are going to take the best part of the next two years, which is when we should be getting your major programs in place. That’s the most viable period of your first term. So if your ability to execute New Foundation is hostage to progress on Kyoto 4, I think that’s a huge risk to everything we’re trying to do. Let’s be judged on New Foundation. Kyoto’s something you can’t control. In fact, the more that other countries see you’re being judged on it, the less control you have, and the more they’ll hold you hostage on it.”
     
    “This is the single biggest problem we face,” said Benton. “Isn’t it right that I should be judged on it?”
     
    “But there are other things, Senator. There are other things you want to do right away. Even if you can’t win on this thing, we can still do them. And like I said, they’re things we can control. Education. Health. Jobs. Relocation. Again and again, you’ve said you’re going to be a domestic president. I fear you won’t have a chance to do any of those things if you invite people to judge you on Kyoto 4. Senator, look how many years of Republican administration it took to get the chance to do something about these things, and I fear that if you stand up on Inauguration Day and start talking about what John has told us tonight, we’re going to lose it in the course of a single speech.”
     
    “That’s a grim thought,” said Benton.
     
    “Yes, sir. It is.”
     
    “And if we keep it quiet,” said Eales, “and the day after the inauguration some journalist finds out about this—if Gartner decides to leak because he wants to dis us before we can dis him—we look like we’ve started off by deceiving the American people. Do we ever recover from that?”
     
    “I know,” said Rubin. “I know. Senator, can I ask, what’s your inclination?”
     
    “My inclination is to do the thing that will best serve the interests of the American people.”
     
    “Which is?”
     
    Benton smiled. “I’m not sure yet.”
     
    ~ * ~
     
    Heather was still awake when Benton went upstairs.
     
    “Problems?” she asked.
     
    Joe shook his head.
     
    Heather watched him for a moment. “Okay.”
     
    Joe sat on the edge of the bed. But he didn’t do anything. He stared at the