The White House-2017 Washington RP

[Sanabel]

West Wing, White House

"This is not going to hurt the honeymoon phase, so we probably should do it now. If anything it will make you more popular in the short term. But there will be hell to pay in the long term when we need to impose austerity."

Simon sighed, and folded up the paper.

"We need to do it. Now is best. There's no need to discuss semantics-- this is tightly written. That means it's time to contact Eberhardt and Winslow."

[Prolieum]

January 21, 2017
West Wing

Cal nodded, visibly pleased at the praise.

"I've sent off some messages to Winslow's office already, but I haven't heard back yet. I did manage to get in touch with the President Pro Temp about putting it forward, and it looks like everything is on place with that. Villanueva de Peña got back to me, said she was confident about the votes, but I'll have to get her the final form here. I hadn't gotten to Eberhardt yet, thought it would be best to start it in the Senate."

Cal fiddled with the chair for a moment, then kept going.

"I've spoken to the Senator who's going to introduce it, too, so as soon as I give her the final draft, I think we're all ready to go as soon as the session starts Monday."

[Sanabel]

West Wing, White House

"Two questions. Which senator is introducing it, and how confident is Villanueva de Pena?"

He looked the president directly in the eyes, unwaivering in his stoic expression. It was a serious matter, one that would have a direct impact on the course of the Reed presidency as both a success and a long term potential crisis. It would also directly impact Denisevich's career.

[Prolieum]

January 21, 2017
West Wing

Put off slightly by the stare, Cal delivered his response.

"Senator Medina, of Georgia. As for Villanueva de Peña, she seemed pretty sure about it. I think it's going to be very, very difficult for anyone in this party, or any red or even purple state Democrat to vote against this and still try to make themselves out as fiscally responsible."

[Sanabel]

West Wing, White House

"Interesting decision to have a Democrat introduce it. Any reason for that in particular?"

[Prolieum]

January 21, 2017
West Wing

"Well, it is a bipartisan effort, and this makes that pretty easy to see. We're not going to get all the Democrats of course, but we're going to have at least a few, and this really is a nonpartisan kind of thing, we're not setting the budget now, just saying that we're not going to spend money we don't have on it this time." Cal replied.

[Prolieum]

January 23, 2017

Oval Office

A clenched fist whipped through the air, slicing down towards the Resolute Desk, and finally, with a belated force of will, stopping just inches above it, then being punched out horizontally, a less destructive expression of anger.

"Three days. Three days."

Cal dragged his fingers through his hair in frustration, dipping down his head then pulling himself back up.

"I have been President for three, blessed, God-blessed days, and I already have the one thing that I am doing falling apart."

"That stupid, stupid woman. Three days!"

This was some kind of an embarrassment. Everything had been set up. Everything had been ready. He had given the speech he had spent three months writing. He had been constantly talking with Medina, making sure everything was perfect. He had double-checked with Denisevich. All that needed to happen was for her to put the bill forward, they'd make it through, and the train would leave the station.

Instead the boiler had burst, the former Purdue student angrily reflected. Nothing going. The most basic thing still had managed to collapse, and now he was going to have to scramble desperately to throw things together to make this happen with a timeframe that had already closed. So much for the great Monday kick-start.

He was furious at her. Maybe it was anger at himself, for being so thoroughly suckered. He'd done everything so nicely, so complimenting, things were working so smoothly, he was being so generous-he was basically giving her her seat for another six years when she should be tossed out of her red state. One simple task. Something that everyone wanted anyways. But she had made him believe that it was going to happen. Completely, one hundred percent suckered, and now he was off his feet, on his face, trying just to get back to his feet.

Most of it wasn't public at least, he tried to forcibly remind himself. Actually, none of it was. That was the benefit trying to make the whole thing a surprise. Literally three people, he and Medina, and Denisevich, knew about this. Well, a fourth, sort of, Al had been half-tipped off. All any outside observer would notice was a weird procedural hiccup. He was obsessing over something nonexistent. Even Denisevich didn't have the timing or circumstance. He sighed. He would need to go and tell him what had happened, wouldn't he? Blast it.

But not nonexistent. It was known to him, and he was probably overreacting-or maybe he wasn't, it wasn't like he had context for this sort of thing. Whatever the appropriate level of response was, he was going to make blasted sure that she wouldn't be returning to the Senate.

He finally unclenched his fist, made a pointless kick at the air, and sat back down behind the desk in the still loomingly-empty room. Just the third day, already putting out a fire from nowhere. This had better be the first bump before a smooth road.

Right. Time to go do something about it. He pushed out the chair he had just sat down in, and made his way to the door, and out it, heading over to the West Wing. A brisk walk and long strides brought him to his Chief of Staff's office in a few minutes, and he addressed him as he came in.

"Well, looks like we have a problem."

[Sanabel]

West Wing, White House

The Chief of Staff was in his office, hanging the final painting on the wall, an original Winslow Homer. It depicted a dramatic scene of New England, with a sweeping hill beyond a dark lake, beneath a stormy sky. A farmer stood in the foreground, admiring the coming force of nature. Something to remind him not just of home, but that he must remain like the farmer, stoic in the face of calamity.

Denisevich was still going strong, however. He felt himself riding the wave of a career high. The three days spent in the White House was far different and more exhilarating than years in the Hartford Governor's Mansion.

While he had yet to assist with legislation, in those four days he had come close to accomplish the hurculean task of establishing a successful administrative apparatus from the bottom up. It had been a sleepless three days, but the West Wing was up and running. Which would be good news for the President when he finally visited Denisevich's now finished office. Something to be proud of.

The old adage "speak of the Devil and the Devil appears" came to mind as the President passed through the door, bringing in his whole body weight's worth of negative energy, compounded by the look on his face.

"A problem with the legislation, I take it. Or the legislature, perhaps. Just a guess."

[Prolieum]

January 23, 2017

Chief of Staff's Office

"Basically." Cal admitted. He sighed. "No reason to make it long-Medina's out, and we need a new sponsor." He put his hands on his hips. "I have a backup, figured you should know anyway."

[Sanabel]

West Wing, White House

"This is the danger in crossing party lines too much. Things get flaky. Especially with the potential long term ramifications of this bill. No Democrat wants to be on the stage of the primary debate in 2020 getting grilled on why they introduced a bill that caused austerity."

He took a sip of his coffee, and stood up from his desk, crossing the room to straighten a portrait of Teddy Roosevelt.

"Who is the replacement?"

[Prolieum]

January 23, 2017

Chief of Staff's Office

"It's Brankers. I've already talked to him about it, and I'm a lot more confident in him going through with it." Cal shook his head, glancing up briefly at the portrait Denisevich had adjusted before returning focus. "No way we're letting Medina win after this."

[Sanabel]

West Wing, White House

Denisevich remained standing, pacing the room with his arms folded. Brankers might be a good future partner. If only he was a Republican, they would be very close to a super majority. He took a mental note to meet with the freshman senator at a later date.

"We should have gone with Brankers from the beginning."

Denisevich ran his fingers through his hair.

"We need to send a message with Medina. Trickery with our Democratic colleagues to undermine this administration cannot be tolerated."

[Prolieum]

January 23, 2017

Chief of Staff's Office

"Brankers had always been almost a Republican anyways. Medina-she'd been here a few years. More conservative, but still part of that party. I thought she gave us a better angle." He ran a hand through his hair, unconsciously, perhaps ironically, the same motion his Chief of Staff had just performed. "Still would have, but, well, there just wasn't trust. Brankers will come through."

"I don't really know what we can do with Medina, we can't make this public. Smash her re-election, for sure."

[Sanabel]

West Wing, White House


"We could give her a thrashing, but that would be in 2020 or 2022. I agree that this shouldn't go public. And it won't."

[Prolieum]

January 23, 2017

Chief of Staff's Office

"I'll deal with getting Brankers the document, make sure it can still get put up this week, tomorrow or the next day at worst." Reed affirmed. "Guess that's all there is to it."

[Sanabel]

West Wing, White House

"Is there anything you need me to do, Mr. President?"

[Prolieum]

January 23, 2017

Chief of Staff's Office

Reed shook his head, and put his hands on his hips, glancing around the room. "Not that I can think of. I just wanted to make sure you were in the loop." He stretched out his arms, interlocking and cracking his fingers briefly, before returning to a more relaxed position. "Anything you want my help with for the cabinet nominations?"

[Sanabel]

West Wing, White House

Denisevich shook his head. "No, I don't think so. As far as policy goes moving forward, what is your next move after this bill? I'd like to get my hands dirty any way that I can."

[Prolieum]

January 23, 2017

Chief of Staff's Office

"I've got-well, I've got one I wrote myself." Cal said with a grin. "I was trying to figure out how the timing for it would work, was thinking of doing the first day, obviously doesn't seem like such a great idea now, but the start of next week should work. I'd actually had a plan for an event at Camp David about this, on one of the weekends, was trying to figure out logistics about it. It's not one of the big broad policy things, but something I think would be great to get done."

[Sanabel]

West Wing, White House

"You'll have to keep me posted, Mr. President."

[Prolieum]

January 23, 2017

Chief of Staff's Office

"I can run down a copy of it, or have someone run it down for me-it's in my office right now." Cal paused a moment at the thought of that. He was actually referring to a side room of his rather than the Oval Office but still-the Oval Office! It still felt unreal. He snapped out of the brief fugue with a snap, and snapped his fingers.

"That actually reminds me of something-a suggestion from Aubrey, actually. Anyways, the idea was to go a little more analog on things, especially the important stuff-to just use paper copies of critical or sensitive stuff especially rather than emailing it. I know you were in Intelligence, you know more about these sort of things than I do-good idea, or mostly pointless?

[Sanabel]

West Wing, White House

"I'll have my secretary pick up a copy after this meeting."

Denisevich thought for a moment.

"No. That is not a bad idea at all, Mr. President. Especially given the fact that we could very well be going toe to toe with some very dangerous international enemies in the next four years. While I trust in our cybersecurity, old school is not a bad idea. I'll release a memo regarding that to the staff by the end of the day."

[Prolieum]

January 23, 2017

Chief of Staff's Office

Cal nodded. "Excellent. We'll keep the ink companies in business, eh?"

Cal cracked his neck, and let out some breath as his face turned more dour. "Well, I have a domestic issue to deal with, so I'll set to that..." His mind clicked for the second time in that meeting as a memory was triggered.

"Oh-before I do, that reminds me, how are things going with Catherine?"

[Sanabel]

West Wing, White House

Denisevich let out a big sigh, and sat down.

"Things aren't going well, sir. I feel like we are living our lives parallel to each other. We are only together for a few hours each evening."

He leaned back in the chair.

"I don't know what to do."

[Prolieum]

January 23, 2017

Chief of Staff's Office

"I'm not-well, I'm obviously not engrossed in everything here, you have the pulse of the place better than I do-but do you think there's any place in this administration that could work for her?" He shook his head. "I guess it's nepotism, but it seems almost impossible that with the number of layers of departments and positions we have that we couldn't offer her a job where the two of you would could at least do some long lunches, get more of a chance to do something, even if it ends up involving contracting or something."