"Well, that makes Virginia, Louisiana and Michigan ours; we just have Oregon next week, then we go into Super Tuesday with all the momentum behind us." Charlie gave Nate a pat on the back.
"I'm worried about Roman Young coming up on my right; he and Gil Kay seem to have switched places over the last three states. They ran about even in Michigan but Young took second place overwhelmingly in Virginia and Louisiana." Nate took a seat in the chair and pulled his cigars out of the drawer.
"Don't forget we also lost Montana, South Dakota and Kansas to Young." Peach pulled the two of them out of their upbeat talk.
"Those states put together don't add up to Virginia. Besides, when was the last time anyone left of Joe McCarthy won Kansas?" Charlie responded as Nate handed him a cigar. The two men bit off the ends and spit them into the hotel waste-bucket.
"There's no smoking in here, you two have to go out on the balcony with those." Peach gave him a little push on the back toward the sliding door on the balcony. The sliding door opened and Nate stepped out with Charlie.
"So, there's the Oregon race next week." Nate started.
"Don't forget, there's the Arkansas race too, a trip to Little Rock may be in order just so we can show that we're not foregoing the red states as having been lost to Young. I know you had intended on going to Rhode Island for a day before we swing out to Oregon, why not pick up the Arkansas race on the way?" Charlie asked.
"Think I can win Arkansas?" Nate asked as he puffed on the cigar.
"You're polling within nine tenths of a percent of Young in Arkansas, if you as much as touch down in Little Rock and have coffee at a Dunkin' Donuts, you'll get a bump of at least four percent." Charlie was still trying to get a flame on his cigar.
"We collect all of them this week what does that give us going into Super Tuesday?" Nate asked.
"If we collect seven of the thirteen states on Super Tuesday, we can secure the nomination. Pennsylvania's on the ticket on Super Tuesday, so is New York, California, Texas and Florida along with a collection of key middle power states." Charlie finally got his cigar lit. "Let me ask, have you thought about a running mate if you secure the nomination?"
"I don't make plans that show too much hubris." Nate laughed, his teeth holding the cigar in his mouth.
"Times thinks you should pick Kay if you win. Popular Senator from Maine, gives you intensive credibility with the party's far left. On the other hand, USA Today thinks you should pick Young, another popular senior Senator, this time from a traditionally Republican state, gives you credibility with Independents and moderate Republicans." Charlie shrugged his shoulders.
"I want to balance the ticket but Young is too far to the right and Kay is too far to left." Nate paused and took the cigar out of his mouth, clutching it between his index and middle fingers. "You know why FDR picked Truman as his Vice President?"
"Because he needed help with the New Deal platform in the South and Midwest in the '44 election?" Charlie ventured.
"No, because FDR was stalwart but political diplomat with a real knack for domestic policy, that in the minds of many Republicans, lacked the toughness the President should have. Truman was a forceful Missouri firebrand and a compromise, he was an internationalist. Together they comprised the best one-two punch the Democrats have ever seen. I'm a painfully honest firebrand internationalist, what I need is a political animal with a knack for domestic policy." Nate gave Charlie a pat on shoulder.
"You're going to try and find your own running mate aren't you?" Charlie asked.
"As Frankie said, I did it my way." Nate smiled at Charlie who headed through the room toward the hotel lobby.
SAME TIME
SQUID'S TAP AND GRILL
WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
The combined weight of seven stars walked into the bar. Keeter was in from Pearl Harbour for a meeting with the CNO. Bax and Harm dragged themselves out of their dreary Pentagon back offices and into the dankness of this seedy bar. Sturgis came in from Falls Church just to gather with his old Academy buddies. "I can't believe that Mac and Bobbi let the two of you out of the house!" Keeter shouted over the loud strains of country music.
"Not all of us can be forty-five and single, when are you going to settle down with a nice girl, Jack?" Harm asked at the four of them reached for their pool cues.
"I found a nice island girl. I've actually been in a relationship for a couple of months." Keeter answered, downplaying his answer.
"Keeter in a relationship? It must have been twenty years since I heard that line." Harm joked as he chalked the pool cue.
"So, it's just the ranking officer who is currently without female companionship, there's a new one. With what a three-star makes in the Navy nowadays, I'm surprised you don't have a bunch of pretty young blondes falling at your feet. Not to mention, you've passed twenty years, so you're guaranteed your benefits and pension." Sturgis passed a pool cue to Bax. "Usual teams from the old days? Keeter/Baxter versus Rabb/Turner?"
"Got to be. I think that you and Harm are still about fifty-seven games under 500 from those days." Bax taunted. "That is, if memory serves."
"Alright, alright, I suck at pool and you couldn't get a girlfriend to save your life. I think we've once again lapsed back to being nineteen, you would think that would have evolved at some point in the last twenty-six years." Harm racked the balls on the table.
"It's your break, Sturgis." Keeter motioned. Sturgis drew his arm back and shot the cue forward to commence the game of pool. "So, Sturgis, when are you going to grace the world with another generation of submarine commanders, Bobbi's clock must be ticking pretty loudly by now."
"Don't mention her clock around her please. I get enough of it from her and from my dad, both of whom want to badly hear the pitter patter of little feet. I don't know how Chegwidden did it, I don't think I've gotten out of JAG Headquarters before 2300 most nights, I know Senior Chief Coates is getting a little annoyed. Woman that age wants a personal life and sixteen hours of work a day doesn't exactly lend to her wishes." Sturgis answered as he shot
"Young woman, huh? How's this Senior Chief Coates built?" Bax asked as he lined up the 15 ball and sunk it.
"Bax, the ideal words here are Senior Chief, Vice Admiral." Harm shot a look across the table at Bax.
"Hey, last time I checked the Navy didn't institute a policy against looking. I just wanted to know because it might be worth dropping in on Sturgis a little more often." Bax lined up another shot and sank the 10 and 12 balls.
"Bax, we've known you for over twenty years, it never stays as just looking with you. You practically invented the level after looking just so you'd have some place to go when you got bored." Harm reminded his friend. "I just don't want to see your career torpedoed by fraternization."
"Harm, you don't have to worry about my career. I've spent two and a half years in the Navy's big office, I've seen more then a few flag officers' careers get scuttled by their inability to keep their zipper zipped." Bax's last shot launched the remaining striped balls into the holes.
"I will never understand how you can do that." Sturgis jumped in, believing that the previous conversation had run its course.
"So our former boss is running for President." Keeter steered the conversation. "You going to vote for him, Harm?"
"I don't see anyone in the Republican field that I give a damn for. As a parent I can tell that Hunt's economics will bankrupt my kids' generation, not to mention more then a few moral inconsistencies in his speeches. Lloyd Heller, that Governor from Tennessee, couldn't find Kosovo or Kuwait on a map. Neither of which is particularly encouraging." Harm sighed. "There's no real choice but to vote for Nate. What about you Bax?"
"Vote for him? I intend on stumping for him at Naval bases around the country in the general election. Of course I'm going to vote for him. You look at the Democratic roster of Presidents and FDR, Truman, Kennedy, Carter and Clinton have a better foreign policy track record then Nixon, Reagan and Bush Sr. The only reason Andrew Russell has a respectable record on foreign policy is because Nate was his Secretary of State for three years." Bax and the guys walked up to the bar. "Let me guess, Sturgis, the Chaplain is pulling the Turner clan toward the GOP?"
"Actually, my dad sat down with Governor Ross back in January, he intends on supporting his bid for President. Ross is the only one who knows anything about the military and he's got them all on foreign policy by a mile." Sturgis ordered a beer.
"That just leaves you, Keeter." They all turned down the bar toward Jack.
"Nate's a good guy, he'll make a good President." Keeter answered.
"That's inspired, Jack." Harm gave his old friend a pat on the back as the four of them prepped to play another game.
1708 ZULU
WENDY'S OLD FASHIONED HAMBURGERS
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS
The plane had touched down in Little Rock at around 1115 that morning and the waiting motorcade was unaware of where they were headed. The only directions that Nate had given them was the main drag of the city. A vague direction at best. The driver took them down a heavy commercial street and when Nate saw a crowded Wendy's parking lot, he ordered the driver to pull them into the restaurant. The driver did and Nate prepared to greet the people of Arkansas. This was what Charlie called 'retail politics'. But Charlie would contend that Nate gave it his own unique spin. He never did anything by the book or used the prepared lines but as Peach argued, that was part of his appeal. He was speaking from his heart rather then a cue card. Nate climbed out of the car dressed in his old Marine issue beige overcoat tied over a Philadelphia Flyers sweater and Pittsburgh Pirates baseball hat sat on his head.
He walked through the door with his family and Peach took the boys up to get meals from the counter while Nate and Charlie moved out into the gallery. Nate started to shake hands with people. "Hi, I'm Nate Ross, I'm running for President." Nate said as he shook hands with few people as he introduced himself.
"We know who you are, Governor Ross. We want to know why you're here." One man in a union cap and dark blue shop overcoat said.
"Well someone told me that you folks were voting in a primary this week and I figured I should talk to you about the issue and let you know where I stand." Nate sat on the table with his feet on the chair. "So, what's on your mind?" Nate asked with his fingers loosely intertwined. The restaurant was silent. Nate looked around at the blank faces. "Come on, I want to know what's on your mind. This is your chance to tell the Democratic Party what the people of Arkansas want from us."
"Well, Governor, I personally would like toy know what you intend to do about education. I don't think my kids are learning what they need to know." One middle aged woman with a few young children stepped forward.
Nate smiled; his reformations to the education system in Pennsylvania had been his biggest triumph of his term in office. "That's a good question and I'll tell you what I intend to do. First of all, a good education has to be for the body and the mind. Obesity is a growing epidemic in this country and we can no longer acknowledge what a serious health concern that is so, we have to amp up our Physical Education program to match that. That means more running, more callisthenics, more exercise and mandatory participation. On the academic side of the coin, we need to deal with the fact that we're still running our school year on an Agrarian calendar of 184 days, I'd like to extend that to 210. Our kids can't just have all this information packed into their heads and then be expected to flawlessly comprehend it. Let's give them the time they need so that they can get the most of their education. Finally, in high schools I want to streamline the programs to target the end of high school goals of the students. If a student wants to go to University, there should be an academic program that's suited to fit those needs. Similarly if a student wished to attend trade school, they're going to need a different set of skills so let's provide them with the tools they need because I'll tell you not every student meets the one size fits all state of our current education system and University isn't everyone's destiny and thank God it isn't, because some of the best people I know back in Pennsylvania are Tool & Dye Makers, Mechanics and Millwrights." Nate's comment about university graduates some snickers and nods of approval from the blue collar boys in the back.
"What about you, sir? I'm willing to bet that you've got a question." Nate pointed at the one man who had commented earlier.
"I still want to know why you're here, Governor." The man sipped at his drink. "The primary may be a tight race here between you and Senator Young, but I'm no fool I know that you winning in Oregon and Rhode Island makes the outcome of Arkansas meaningless."
"No vote is meaningless. Let me ask you folks a question, why do you consistently send Democrats to the State House and the Senate?" Nate looked around the room.
"Because they brought us a lot of industry and they kept our taxes low. Anyone who can create jobs without a hand in your pocket deserves your vote." One of the other workers answered and his answer seemed to be the consensus in the room.
"Democrats have always been the party of the working class but the truth is that without your vote, we wouldn't have had the power to bring that industry or to prevent your taxes from being raised." Nate looked around the room. "We rely on each other. You rely on us to help you keep the money you earn and provide the country with jobs and in turn we rely on you to put us in power." There was an almost reverent silence in the room as Nate spoke.
"Governor Ross, I have a question about our healthcare system. My husband works part time over at the auto plant and we're having trouble with our health insurance company. What do you intend to do about healthcare?" Another woman asked from the line-up at the counter, she was in line behind Peach and the kids.
"There's no escaping the fact that we need to move toward a more public system. Having nearly fifty million Americans without health insurance is a disgrace. So, let's start out by providing it to kids and those people who hold steady employment but whose workplaces don't provide them with health benefits. America was built on the back of the blue collar worker; it's time they got something in return." Nate shifted a little on the table before just giving up and getting to his feet.
"How do you intend to pay for all this?" One of the union boys challenged.
"We can start by getting rid of the big upper class tax cuts. I never understood why those who made the most needed a break more then those who were making less then them. But I promise you put me in the Oval Office, I will never raise taxes on the working class, and there's a promise you can take to the bank!" Nate's voice grew in intensity as he reached the end of his answer and the restaurant erupted into applause.
Charlie had alerted the local ZNN affiliate about the trip and they showed up just before the education question. They taped right through the Q&A session as Nate took a few more questions. Once Charlie decided to pull the plug on the event, Nate thanked everyone for listening and they all lined up to shake his hand before he left. The one union man who had pressed Nate with questions was last in line. "Well, Governor Ross, I'd say that you made a believer out of me. I was hoping you'd come by the auto plant later and talk with the fellas around quitting time. I think we could use a good man like you for President and the guys at the plant, we could drum up some real support for you." The man shook Nate's hand.
"You tell them I'll be there, hard hat in hand." Nate answered with a smile.
2311 ZULU
MCAS NEW RIVER
JACKSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
Sergei Rabb walked into his house on base. It had been a long day, he had just been promoted to First Lieutenant and as Harm would often remind him, the additional rank came with additional responsibilities. He tossed his bag down on the floor and threw himself down on the couch. It had been a long day. The SuperCobra was a demanding mistress but all in all, he couldn't think of another place he would rather be, he guessed that was how his big brother used to feel about his beloved Tomcats. Sergei flipped on the TV to a rerun of The Simpsons then he walked into the kitchen to microwave a few Hot Pockets.
Even at the beginning of March, the cockpit of a SuperCobra was hotter then hell and Sergei's uniform shirt and undershirt were soaked right through. He peeled off the offending garments and threw them out of the kitchen. "Nice way to greet a guest." A familiar voice said and Sergei turned around to see the newly appointed Captain Anna Ross peeling his shirts off her face.
"I am sorry; I didn't know you were here." Sergei was suddenly very aware of his own topless state. "How did you get in?"
"You left the door open. Not the wisest move with the March winds we've been getting." She smiled and tossed the shirts back at him. "That's the greeting I get? No 'hi, how are you?', no 'nice to see you didn't die strafing North Korean ships in the Sea of Japan?'"
"Hi, how are you? Nice to see you didn't die strafing North Korean ships in the Sea of Japan." Sergei repeated verbatim trying to conceal his smile.
"Harm and Mikey teach you sarcasm and that's the one part of your English you master perfectly." She teased.
"I was worried." He admitted shyly.
"I know, my brother called me and told me. He speaks Russian, you know? It's probably not safe to revert to it in order to swear around him." She joked as she sat at the kitchen table with him. "Sergei, I'm a Marine, too. I don't need anyone to look out for me when I'm in the air other then my wingman."
"Your brother looks out for you." Sergei pointed out.
"And if I thought I could get my point through his thick skull, I'd make the effort, but I don't own a jackhammer that powerful." The two of them shared a laugh. "It was kind of funny to hear that the big bad Rabb SuperCobra pilot was scared for me."
"I was not scared." Sergei protested. "I was worried, there is a difference."
"Not much of one." Anna replied. "Mikey was worried, too, he told me but he didn't go calling Democratic National Headquarters to get my brother's cell number."
"I was very worried." Sergei attempted to cover.
"Well, I'm a very big girl, you don't need to worry about me." Anna put her hand on top of his on the table.
"I only have one best friend, I'd like to keep her around for a little while longer." Sergei answered with the typical Rabb charm and smile. "Why are you here?"
"I got orders for the Second Marine Aircraft Wing. The Corps is sending one of the squads of Hornets from MCAS Beaufort to Cherry Point. I don't have to report with my new squadron until 0900 Monday so I figured that I'd come down here and hang out with you." She smiled at him fondly.
"You on staying here for the weekend?" Sergei asked.
"As long as that's okay with you and I don't get orders to report elsewhere." She answered.
"How about a movie tonight in the living room?" Sergei asked.
"I'm in, what have you got? I'll even make the popcorn." Anna got up from the table and went rummaging around looking for popcorn.
"In the way of movies, I have the four that my nephew and niece gave me last Christmas." Sergei went into the living room and crouched down to look in the cubby under the TV. "I have The Devil's Brigade, Full Metal Jacket, Flying Leathernecks and The Bridges at Toko-Ri."
"You think Harm sent you enough war movies?" Anna asked as she punched a few of the buttons on the microwave and began cooking the popcorn.
"Which one do you wish to watch?" Sergei asked.
"Better put in The Bridges at Toko-Ri." Anna called back. Sergei slid the DVD into the player and hit the play button. Anna came walking in from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn. The two of them sat together on the couch, before the movie ended shortly after 2234. Anna was asleep against Sergei's chest and Sergei had fallen asleep with his tongue half-lulled out of his mouth and his arm wrapped securely around Anna.
0251 ZULU, TUESDAY
QUIET NIGHTS HOTEL
MCMINNVILLE, OREGON
"We did it!" Charlie came running over to Nate. "We took all the states this week. Arkansas came in at 42.1 Percent, Roman Young came in at 34.6 and Gil Kay came in at 12.3 percent with the fringe candidates coming in with a few single digit figures. You were at 55.9 in Oregon and 59.9 in Rhode Island." Charlie was smiling from ear to ear.
"How did the Republicans come out?" Nate asked as he leaned up against the wall.
"Governor Heller of Tennessee won Arkansas and Senator Wayne of Nevada won Oregon. Right now all three of them are polling around 31 percent in Rhode Island with 47 percent of precincts reporting." Charlie leaned up against the wall next to Nate. "Hell of a thing for a sitting Vice President to trail in the primaries but George Hunt's campaign loses all momentum if he gets shut out in Rhode Island tonight." Charlie looked around. "Where's Nicole?"
"She's in the bathroom. I think she came down with a bug of some kind of twenty-four hour bug while we were in Rhode Island this week. I told her to wear a thicker coat." Nate smiled a little.
"Shouldn't you help her?" Charlie asked.
"I tried, I was told to quote, 'mind my own damn business', so that's what I'm doing and if there's anything I've learned from being around Peach for thirteen years it's doing what your told will minimize the trouble you get into." Nate informed Charlie. "Remind me what states are on tap for Super Tuesday next week."
"California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Ohio. We plan to spend the first two days in the Southwest. Once we can thank the Oregon team, we have to get on the plane and go to Nevada tomorrow and we do Nevada and California tomorrow. Then we do New Mexico, Arizona and Texas on Thursday. We've got Florida on Friday and the Carolinas on Saturday. Saturday night we fly up to New York, I had Mrs. Ross talk with her mother; we've got New York that Sunday morning and Ohio that afternoon. We fly to West Virginia that night. We'll do West Virginia in the morning then New Jersey that afternoon and night. On Tuesday morning we fly into Pennsylvania and we spend Tuesday practising the same retail politics in Pennsylvania that put you in the Governor's Mansion back in '04."
"After which point everyone in my family is going to take two days and sleep because we're going to be exhausted after doing thirteen states in seven days. What are you trying to do, Charlie, kill us?" Nate asked sarcastically.
"I want to see you go thirteen for thirteen on Super Tuesday. You've already got every New England state except Maine which is Kay's home state and Massachusetts which hasn't held a primary yet. You've got Delaware, Virginia, Louisiana, Michigan, Iowa, Oregon and Arkansas. If you take the thirteen states on Super Tuesday you secure the nomination and you have four months before the convention to prepare to run for the big Presidential race in the fall." Charlie explained. "Let the Republicans beat the hell out of each other while we promote you as the American candidate, the man who was able to breech the divisions in the Big Tent Party."
"He's not Superman." Peach said as she snuck up behind them. "Besides if your plan for Super Tuesday works, my children are spending some time with their parents and their family in Pennsylvania before I take them out on a campaign trail, something which I'm not to all fired happy about to start with."
"I know, honey, I know. But think there's only one of two outcomes to this campaign, either we win and my work and residence are under the same roof, which allows me to spend more time with you and the kids. Or, we lose, in which case, we take it one day at a time to see what I do next." He lightly rubbed her shoulders and kissed her forehead.
"You're lucky I love you." She smiled lovingly. "Go make your speech and then we'll climb on the plane." She gave him a pat on the back and pushed him toward the main ballroom of the hotel. The last campaign stop before what would become known as the Super Tuesday Campaign-a-thon.