Chapter 6

The talk at the United Nations did result in most countries realizing the importance America meant to their countries and to world peace. There still were exceptions to this but those countries were now receiving a cold shoulder from the countries that were previously friendly to their cause and now were re-thinking their support. If this would last no one knew but while it did there were no major political problems to handle.

True to his word and one year since the day of Hal’s inauguration the Secretary of State tendered his resignation. When the press questioned him on why he was resigning he gave them the straight story. He said his wife was not in good health and he wanted to be able to spend more time with her at their home in Texas.

Hal conferred with the Secretary of Energy if she still wanted the position of Secretary of State and she said she did. He gave her name in nomination for this position to the Senate. Needless to say, her detractors came out in force against her nomination citing her lack of experience in foreign policy. Her supporters championed her nomination by pointing out the many fine things she had done as Secretary of Energy which took most of the wind out of what was being said against her nomination. It was pointed out that she was the person the President wanted for the position and without anything in her background that was of any major consequence she won confirmation albeit on a close vote.

About a month after she was approved to be Secretary of State she was on her first overseas trip and was scheduled to visit many countries including a stop in Moscow. One morning Hal was having breakfast with Joyce in their residence while the Secretary was on her trip. Hal per his custom was perusing the daily morning newspapers when he was surprised to see his Chief of Staff and his Press Secretary come into the room.

“What brings you people up here so early? This must not be good news.”

“Sir, you should be aware that there has been an incident in Moscow. Well, it’s more than an incident as it was an assignation attempt on the life of the Russian Premier. Apparently when the Premier and our Secretary of State were leaving a building where they had been meeting, three gunmen from a country that is still to be determined attacked and started shooting at them. The Russian Premier’s and the Secretary’s security returned fire. The Secretary and the Premier both took cover behind some concrete pillars. What no one except the Secretary saw was a fourth gunman who was on the opposite side running toward to Premier shooting his weapon. The Secretary rose and assumed a two handed combat stance and emptied her pistol at this gunman. Preliminary information is that she put six slugs into this gunman and killed him.”

“Where did she get this pistol?”

“As one news broadcaster so eloquently put it, “The Secretary was packing heat.”

“She carries a gun!”

“Yes Sir, in her large purse she had a 9 mm Smith and Wesson.”

“Was anyone else hurt?”

“Yes Sir, besides the other three gunmen who were killed by the combined security, one of the Premier’s body guards was killed with two others wounded. One of the Secretary’s security was wounded but it wasn’t serious. You should be aware that there is a video on the news of the Secretary standing with both of her arms extended shooting her pistol at this fourth gunman.”

“Thanks for the news and please place a call from me to the Secretary. I need to talk to her and tell her how proud I and the American people are of her. I am sure she is a little shook up about this and I need to calm her down

“When you talk to the press tell them I am extremely proud of the Secretary and the action she took. If they ask about gun control laws tell my position has not changed. I believe that all people have the right to protect themselves and that the guns control laws or restrictions only penalized law abiding citizens and not the criminals. If it gets around to it you can say that most gun control advocates and politicians are people who while saying no one should have guns usually are protected by body guards who are carrying guns or have exempted themselves from gun control laws. It’s one of those do-as-I-say and not do-as-I-do situations and spell out my position that way.”

About ten minutes later Hal was on the phone with the Secretary.

“I was just wondering if anything interesting happened on your first trip to Moscow?”

“Oh Sir, I am sorry but no one saw this gunman and I just reacted. I didn’t mean to cause you or our country any embarrassment. You are... , “

“Please stop right there. You have not embarrassed me or this country, just the opposite in fact. Now you maybe called a pistol packing mama from now on but I and the American people are proud of you. You did what was right and just may have saved the Premier’s life. What has been his reaction?”

“Well outwardly he is thankful I did what I did but inwardly I think he doesn’t want to be beholding to a woman or us for maybe saving his life. I do think that he maybe more amenable to some of the things we want to do but we will have to wait and see on that.”

“You know you can expect SNL to do some skits on you and this incident.”

“It won’t be the first time that they have made fun of me and it probably won’t be the last time either.”

“You are gaining more and more respect from the people and the press. I know it was the right move to make you the Secretary of State. I’ll bet those who were against you becoming the Secretary of State are now having second thoughts. Have a safe trip back and if you haven’t yet please call your husband. I am sure he will worry about you when he sees the news.”

The Secretary quick action received favorable press and media coverage. Her background in guns and hunting was re-visited many times. SNL as Hal had predicted did do a skit about the Secretary carrying a gun. An inside source at the program told a trade paper that Tina refused to do any more skits on SNL mimicking the Secretary as she finally had come to realize she was putting down a woman that she admired even if she was from a different political persuasion.

Things settled down a little after the Moscow incident and Hal needed to make a trip to visit some European countries. There was a trip to Europe to meet with some Heads of State and he loved flying on Air Force One. The luxuries of flying on this plane along with its capabilities were unbelievable.

Joyce was just as excited as Hal to be flying on this plane. True to her word of what she had said in the past she enticed Hal into the sleeping quarters for a quickie. She welcomed him into the mile high club and lovingly admitted to him that this was a first for her as well. As she was dressing she wondered aloud if any of the other Presidents had taken advantage of these accommodations in such a similar manner.

Hal told her he didn’t know but she should be prepared for another initiation on their return trip. He said he was going to make love to her so often that she would be walking funny when she exited the plane. She knew he was kidding her but she blushed anyway at what he was saying. He could really excite her when he made love to her or engaged in this type of foreplay.

This trip involved stops in London, Rome, Berlin and Paris. They were given a warm reception with meetings, speeches and State dinners. This was more of a continuing get to know you type of trip and one to make sure that they all were all singing out of the same hymn book when it came to foreign and economic policy. A large number of the European countries had budget problems because of the government size and salaries and other benefits they had promised their citizens. The reducing of these salaries and benefits along with increasing the retirement age was not being well received by its citizens.

The stop in Paris was the most memorable for Joyce. This was the first time she had visited this famous city. She immediately charmed and was charmed by the city and the French President and his wife. Joyce and the French President’s wife got along with each other seemingly as old friends although they had never met before. The French President’s wife took Joyce and showed her the famous fashion places as well as other points of interest. These two beautiful women became the darlings of the news media and the adoring public.

When Hal and his wife were leaving France the French President’s wife had a moment to speak privately to Hal. She said, “One time I told you I could have you meet some beautiful women. I will tell you now that I could not come close for you to meet someone more beautiful or nicer than your wife. You are a very lucky man.”

To which Hal responded with a sincere tone in his voice, “As is your husband.”

Based on that conversation Hal knew there were solid relations between the two countries if these two women had anything to say about it.

After the Russian incident and the European trip the political situation settled back down with the exception of the middle-east which was always in a little turmoil.

There was an incident of an Ambassador who refused to follow orders on how to handle a delicate situation which occurred in her assigned country about some weapons that were requested by the host country. What had occurred concerned a matter of national security and left Hal with no option other than to remove her from her position. Her removal became a problem in that she was the sister of a Congressman from upper New York.

This Congressman demanded to know the reason for her removal which Hal would not disclose. Hal’s refusal caused the Congressman to file a bill to impeach Hal citing an abuse of power in removing this Ambassador even though it was acknowledge Hal had the power to do that. The Speaker of the House who was still pissed at Hal for the time when he had declared martial law let the bill come to a vote. Twenty one Representatives, all of who were from the same party as this Congressman who were extreme in their liberal views and didn’t support Hal or his policies voted for the impeachment. This put the matter to rest as the vote was not nearly enough to pass the measure. Needless to say Hal and his staff were slightly perturbed of this effort to impeach him had happened.

Approximately two months later Hal was having a meeting with the Attorney General and the Secretary of State.

“You should be aware that we are going to be impaneling a Grand Jury shortly,” said the AG.

“Why, what is going on” said Hal?

“We have been investigating some rather large trades made in stock options just before large contracts are awarded or mergers between two corporations are announced by a certain individual. The wiretap we had on his phone recorded a conversation he had with his sister who was giving him insider tips of what was going to be announced. The sister giving him these tips just happens to be our current Speaker of the House.”

“Oh shit, that is just what this country needs to hear about a high ranking politician giving out insider trading information. This will only confirm what a lot of people think that there is corruption rampant in Washington. Let’s try and handled this a little differently for the sake of the country because of what this will do to the public’s perception of Congress. First of all, I want the brother is to forfeit all of the money he made in doing these trades and agree to not engage in stock market trading for the next three years. There is no if’s or but’s about that and if he refuses I want you to throw the book at him.”

“Secondly I want you to discuss this situation with the Speaker of the House and tell her in the strongest possible terms we expect her to announce that she will not be seeking reelection as “She wants to spend more time with her family.” “If she balks on doing that tell her we will throw the book at her and ask for jail time. As I said the country does not need to know of this and while it would help our party to disclose it, it is best for the country in the long run I think to handle this situation quietly as I suggest.”

The Secretary of State said, “As a point of information you should know that I was approached by that Rep from upper New York, the one who started the impeachment thing. He asked me for a favor and that was to have his son who works for us in the USAID Department to be assigned to our embassy in Canada. Apparently the son and his wife have the Rep’s only grandchild who is 4 months old. The Rep’s wife wants to be able to visit the baby as often as she can.”

“You should know that I told him I wasn’t going to change his son’s next assignment which is to be to our embassy in Senegal. The Rep’s son and his family leave next week for this assignment. That is causing this Rep to be pissed at us and he will be looking to hurt us in any way he can. I hear his home life is a living hell as wife is all over him and said she warned him about his trying to impeach you. It just so happens that there is a strong candidate from our side, a decorated Army Veteran who will be opposing this Rep during the coming elections. I suggest you schedule one of your campaign visits to this area to support our candidate.”

In informing Hal of this information the AG and the Secretary of State could see Hal nodding his head and noticed a slight smile on Hal’s face.