THE PRESIDENCY

- a Citizen

 Raising his head from the table, he couldn't see. Grabbing something hiding his eyes a piece of paper, a document stuck to his forehead, as he flung it off it sailed into the air falling, gliding through the air coming to rest, unfurling onto the floor it read "TOP SECRET - FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY." Is this the way, he thought to himself, the way a President should present himself and look in all his grandeur. He had fallen asleep at his desk in the Oval Office, while poring over endless communiqués, position papers and C.I.A. intelligence reports, and this task was becoming quite arduous. It was becoming nearly impossible for one man to remain updated about worldly events. Intelligence kept pouring into the Oval office, an endless stream, he was becoming addicted to the office of THE PRESIDENCY..

His hot line rang. a voice on the other end of the line as if speaking from a well said, "Mr., Mr., President (sounding rather intimated) this is Red-1-Code 3 we have a confirmed missile launch from Islamabad toward New Delhi. We will stand by for any orders and provide impact confirmation on the target in New Delhi, The President was dumbfounded replying, God-damn Pakistanis." This had caught The President off guard, for his foreign policy had been under-fire since the beginning of his administration and had always been in disarray since the beginning of his term but he was too ashamed to admit it. The President demanded from Red-1-Code 3, "How long until the impact?" the voice replied "Mr. President impact will be 14:04 Hours Eastern Standard Time your time." The President looking at his watch said "that's in 10 minutes." He proceeded to bark out orders over his hot line to assemble and assimilate more information. The National Security Team had already been informed and was in route to the White house where they would meet and work in the War Room. Running as hard as he could hurrying to the War room he wondered what in the hell was happening to this world.

The President and his advisers were up all night, for after receiving the final confirmation of the missile impact in New Delhi and the subsequent nuclear detonation, they worked feverishly to avert an all out nuclear exchange between Pakistani and India. India had managed to fire one Nuclear Missile which landed short of Islamabad. So over a two week period following the tragedy they miraculously managed to stabilize the situation. Where he thought to himself would the next crisis break-out. He had been schooled at all of the greatest schools in the United States starting in George Washington University, that Ivy League school Yale Law School, had received a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, in England that bastion in the schooling of future world rulers. Yes he had been schooled alright but at times it seemed more like a conditioning into, or to a certain state of being, a state of thinking and acting, yes perhaps at times an acting out that was predictable. Madness he thought always led to change at least it was a good technique to use to effect change. He mulled these thoughts over as if not totally convinced and somewhat unsure, unsteady.

Additional thoughts some second thoughts seemed to be creeping into his mind. The pressure was unbearable and the most powerful interest groups in the world were continually pushing for more world government and less U.S. autonomy. This at times wrenched his gut and at nights troubled his conscience , for each and everyday he seemed to be loosing his identity, behaving more like a puppet. These were a few of his thoughts while he ascended the United Nations Podium before giving a speech in support of the United States and the community of nations in establishing a world gasoline tax to fund a U.N. Army. This U.N. Army would be he was told the final enforcement mechanism to build-down the nuclear capability of renegade nations.

Later that evening in the living quarters of the White House he watched the Gerald Louis fund raiser broadcast live from Las Vegas. There was one special boy on the show they did a special piece on. The President had been following this boy's life for several years. The first experience with this boy was when The President met him while stomping around the country campaigning. The broadcast was from the boy's hospital room. Watching intently The President was so moved that he immediately called his transportation chief and commanded him to ready Air Force One for a flight to the hospital where Johnny lay close to death, The President felt compelled to be by his side. On the flight The President flew only with his normal military attaché had time to think for the First Lady feigned sickness the thought to avoid having to go on the trip. His first three years in office were a surprise to him, he hadn't realized how many people The President had to rely on. This placed most presidents in an almost begging position. having to cajole, humor, politic and sometimes threatening those that were career employees or even elected officials. It was a vicious game and he had always enjoyed the game but when major international crises were imminent than the game playing halted and a real game began. Upon arriving the Secret Service had to sweep the hospital for bombs, the president's life had been threatened 15 times since he had first taken office. It mattered not whether the trips were announced or not the threats seemed to happen anyway. There was a leak at the white house level but neither the FEB. nor the Secret Service had been able to uncover the leak. The White House leaked like a sieve.

As they walked into Johnny's room a nurse was leaving and she exclaimed out loud "by god its the president" to everyone's embarrassing delight. Earlier when the president entered the hospital it seemed that everyone knew the president was coming and the hospital vibrated a special nervous tension all its own. He started talking to Johnny as if they had known each other all their lives. Johnny choking nearly inaudible ask the president, "Mr. President is that really you?" The president replied, "yes Johnny it's me your president, and how are you doing kid?" It was rather a non-describe conversation up to this point. "My president you know I'm dying don't you?" The president cast his eyes down and said "Johnny I know, but people all over America are praying for you." Johnny started crying, it was difficult to cry Johnny thought to himself, it was so painful. During the following deafening silence only the whimpering cry of a boy about to die was heard. The President moved to Johnny's bedside, holding Johnny in his arms, Johnny faded, the life force leaving his body, moments passed before everyone present realized that Johnny was gone, though the tears streaming down the president's face wouldn't stop. No one immediately in the hospital room had realized that the whole scene had been broadcast to millions viewing the fund-raiser. Needless to say the return flight to Washington was sad all that happened that day made the return trip sad.

The next day the White House was deluged by millions of E-mail letters (they're the first to get into the pipeline). Later Telegrams streamed into the White House followed by letters, so great an influx that the White House staff hired temporary workers to handle the mounting mountain of telegrams and letters. The pile was so high that if stacked in a pile would have exceeded the height of the White House. The response was overwhelmingly favorable to The President for millions had seen the touching scene on television. The President's spirits soared along with his new found popularity. A second term that seemed just recently impossible was beginning to be a reality. But there was something missing in the president's gait. He said the words but they seemed to ring hollow to him, even others were not buying into his speeches and influencing rhetoric anymore. He pondered long and hard trying to perceive the difference. Late one afternoon after a particular trying and painful meeting he found himself and his Chief of Staff alone. "Bud what's wrong with me, have you noticed anything different in me?" The president paused waiting intently for a reply for he not only valued Bud's advice but he admired Bud's honesty. "Mr. President if I may say so, that dying boy has given you new political life but for some reason unknown to me your not the same man as you were before that boy's death. "Bud, you're right as rain, I'm not the same man, I no longer believe in the things I'm saying, its just rhetoric." Bud listening intently replied. "Mr. President if I were you I would go out and lay under the stars and decide what's right for this nation, I've tried to suave you as much as I can but I do not hold the office of THE PRESIDENCY. The chief of staff excused himself and left hurriedly, his daughter was performing in her first play that night and he couldn't miss that not for the world. That play seemed so far from Washington's ICY COLD politics, a gust of chilly cold wind blew his overcoat open just as he was getting into the limousine. Driving away from the White House he thought this moment perhaps was his moment, a moment to help change the world, a moment to think about his dearest wife and daughter, a moment to live, a moment to relish, a moment.

The President after his talk with his Chief of Staff didn't know what to think. He didn't have time to stargaze but he responded immediately after his Chief of Staff had left. "Mr. Goodson (Director of the F.B.I.) I want a complete profile on a boy his name is Johnny and he recently died, I mean passed away." The file the F.B.I. delivered to the president was fairly thick, "he asked the director later why the dossier was so thick and the Director replied "Mr. President this boy was an anti-abortion protester and was jailed in juvenile detention facilities for his anti-abortion activities fifteen times." the president responded, Director why has the F.B.I. been keeping files on anti-abortion protesters?" Mr. President the new Attorney General you appointed authorized the surveillance and data compilation on these protesters." The President without revealing his shock said, "thank you director but I need more information on this boy, my god I don't believe he did one wrong thing in his life." the director answered "Mr. President I have studied the dossier and talked to the interviewing agents who compiled the dossier and they dug pretty deep and they found Johnny to be an exemplar human being who loved everyone he knew and cared deeply about unborn babies." They hung up and the President thought am I only looking for human weakness and hypocrisy, but I can't find any in this boy's life, just a good kid named Johnny. He cried, it wrenched his stomach, he felt hollow, like scum, like a nothing.

The next day as the sun was rising, the president was jogging with his Chief of Staff running by his side, and said, "Bud we need to talk later." That talk would launch what the president named "Clean-up America", which was his code word for the operation that would turn America, his new found country around. He had when he was young, evaded the draft to avoid service in Vietnam and ever since he had taken office had never fully been accepted by the military. He had a number of people to prove his worth to and had also their trust to gain. He and his Chief of Staff worked night and day to affect a plan that would turn the country around.

One year had passed and the news that his wife had announced she would seek the Democratic Nomination for President had nearly devastated him. He had gone on a three day drunk flying all over the country like a man without a country for he had lost a wife, but after sobering up he realized that he had lost nothing and the country had gained everything. He realized now that his decision had been correct in not disclosing his plans to her about operation "Clean-up America" for she was particular dangerous now. These thoughts were running through his mind as he walked up to the podium to deliver a State of Union Address to a joint meeting of Congress. He had written his own speech because it contained too many secrets especially about operation "Clean-up America".

Speech:

"President of the Senate, Speaker of the House

"Today I come on a very important mission which will be disclosed to you in a few moments but first let me brief you on a journey I've been on for the past year. That Journey started with the last breath of a dying boy and leads me today to this Joint Session of Congress." occasionally he would glance over at The First Lady sitting next to the podium on the speakers stand and smile. She detected instead of a sincere smile, a smile of disgust and it worried her, her announcement for the democratic nomination utterly destroyed the little that was left of their marriage. During the last three years she had become more and more absorbed into The Women's Movement. She had been moderately active in the movement before her husband's election to THE PRESIDENCY but during the last three years in the White House she had become increasingly involved in The Women's Movement and the women around her had persuaded her to seek the Democratic nomination for THE PRESIDENCY. That she might be the first woman president of The United States, was awe inspiring. She felt that her husband, Mr. President was not representing women enough especially after that incident when he had reprimanded her closest friend the Attorney General over her policies and then without justification dismissed her soon thereafter without explanation. The President continued. "Would the special Federal Marshall's Task force take their positions. The Federal Marshals fifty members strong flinging the double doors open walked in the chamber carrying attaché cases in one hand and shotguns in the other taking their positions interspersing evenly through-out the Chamber. The President Chimed in, "these special marshals have been called in for my security and have a special task to do later. One could see some of the members squirming in their seats. Several members of congress tried walking out but were turned back at the exits. The President continued on. "This country has been under attack especially since 1913, the year that two infamous and unconstitutional laws the Federal Reserve Act, and the Federal Income Tax laws were passed. The Federal Reserve has been from it inception privately owned thus the power of money creation has never been in the people's hands. The owners of the Fed have used their power to corrupt our freedoms and I must admit I have up until a year ago done my sorrow part. That boy dying in my arms and the last words he said to me were "Mr. President preserve our freedoms, they are more precious to me than my life. That experience forced me to realize, that I, a so called well educated Ivy League Man was merely a small boy indeed and had been controlled by my wife among others and had not been a real leader but instead was merely an actor, acting out a script written by others." These realizations ricocheted through his mind exploding into millions of inspirational shattering impulses, resulting in a change of direction a change of heart. He paused for fifteen seconds, it seemed more like an hour to the listeners for he damn sure had their attention now.

"I acting through my power as President of The United States do hereby and have ordered the following to be done:

FIRST: That all members of Congress be arrested that are or have been members of The Committee on Foreign Policies. This organization since 1929 has been working feverishly to undermine our Constitution and our way of life." The Federal officers moved quickly pulling handcuffs and leg chains out of the attaché cases and arrested those members that were members handcuffing them and also using leg chains and leading them to the front and making them stand facing the joint meeting below the speakers podium. As The Marshals grabbed the First Lady she especially struggled and yelled out-loud. "You sorrow bastard, you've been in with me the whole time, you're real slick you son-of-a-bitch." He smiled and laughing under his breath said to the Joint Congress, "she won't be able to seek the Presidential nomination anymore" the congress erupted exploding into laughter as she was led down moving with difficulty down the stairs with her leg chains on and placed with the other arrested. But the biggest surprise came when they arrested the vice-president he went meek as a lamb, shooting the President the bird as he was led to his place handcuffs, leg chains and all.

"SECOND: That all former and current members of the Committee on Foreign Policies in this country be arrested. I placed this arrest order into action 3 hours ago and am proud to report to congress that 90% of the membership has already been arrested. In addition that all of their assets be seized by the government under the RICCO law.

THIRDLY: That all members, officers, and directors of the Federal Reserve banks are hereby dismissed.

FOURTH: That the Federal Reserve be federalized placing the money creation power back in the people.

FIFTH: That the Federal Income laws are hereby declared to be in violation of The Constitution and the next sitting Congress is hereby charged with establishing a fair, lawful and equitable tax system to finance our government.

SIXTH: That those arrested under my Special Presidential orders above be charged under the Syndicalism Act of 1910 as unregistered agents of foreign powers.

SEVENTH: That during this joint Meeting, I order that all existing committees of congress be abolished and Congress sit again as a democratic decision making body.

EIGHTH: That from henceforth on all bank deposit holders be joint stockholders in common of the Federal Banking system thus all will participate in the creation of money for one another, resulting nevermore in the monopoly of any group having exclusive money creation powers in the United States of America."

signed: The President of The United States

As he was driven away in his limousine, a car bomb exploded nearby. Feeling frightened and fearful but undaunted he felt better about himself, and his country for this time he had not avoided his responsibility to serve, had not run away but had faced the facts. He knew there would be other battles in the future for he was the first President since 1913 that did what was right. For the first time during his presidency he had truly

honored the office .............of .....

THE PRESIDENCY.

He was driven back... alone ...to the White House.