Chapter 2

Bill Denied

"Madame President," Vince the president's assistant said as he stepped into the oval office, "The House vote is in on your welfare legislature."

President Mackenzie Allen was on the phone with Chief of Staff Jim Gardner and raised her hand to receive the file that Vince had in his hands. "The vote is in Jim, Vince is just handing it to me." Mac looks at the bill that was completely rejected, it named no concrete reason as to why. Except that she knew why. Nothing had been easy since she took office, not that she expected it to be.

"Jim, why do I even bother proposing anything?" Mac said throwing the file across her desk.

"Because if you didn't, you wouldn't be doing your job." The chief of staff responded into her ear. "I think I could root out a congress person that agrees with the bill to see if we can get it passed."

"Find out what you can will you? I still have to see what else I can use as leverage. Maybe I can find something in these other pieces of legislature that they want passed that can help me out." She says looking at the files on her large oak desk.

"I'll talk to you later." Jim said hanging up on his end.

"Shit," Mac said hanging up the phone in frustration.

"President Allen, ma'am" Vince said peeking back into the room. When Mac looked to the door he said, "Press secretary is here."

Mac groaned running her fingers through her shoulder length auburn hair. "Mac?" A beautiful blond woman in her late twenties or early thirties stepped inside the oval office.

"Don't tell me... The news of the rejected legislature has leaked already." the president said rubbing her temples, her head was pounding now.

"See, you're smart! That's why you are my hero." Kelly Ludlow, President Allen's press secretary said. She is feeling a lot more comfortable in her new role as Press Secretary. She had learned to relax around the President, very confident that she could spin just about everything for Mac as long as she stayed the way she was.

"Why can't I just get my way just once without fighting." Mac said.

"It's not just that it was rejected, what really happened was that the house failed to bring the legislature to the constituency in an effective manner or at all. No one has heard it, so they don't vote on it, congress votes against it and you get screwed." Kelly stated sitting at the desk across from the president.

"What should I do to get it visible Kelly?" Mac said catching Kelly's confident vibe. "I know you have something up your sleeve."

"You can extend your radio address to talk about your legislature," Kelly answered, "I know that the situation could get worse by tomorrow, but the bill is really good."

"Of course." Mac said, "But Nathan is not stupid enough to think that I wouldn't try something like that."

"I think he only did it to slow the process down. He underestimates you at every turn Mac."

"I'm not so sure that he hasn't planned for this outcome, but that sounds like a plan," With a sigh Mac looked at her watch, It was only noon and she already wanted to shoot herself. "Please arrange for the address to be extended." She stood up and walked toward the door to check with Vince to see if she had any further appointments within the hour.

"No ma'am, Just the meeting with Speaker Templeton in twenty minutes." Vince said.

"Cancel it, I don't want to see him right now. I am going to the gym I don't want anyone to disturb me unless it's Jim, Rod or the kids got that?" the president said as she walked towards the White House gym.

Mac was so frustrated that after twenty minutes on the treadmill she went to the sandbag and pounded on it for an hour. Thoughts from the past few weeks ran through her mind feeding her intensity. Jim Gardner who is now her Chief of staff along with Templeton's aide had asked her to step down. Later President Bridges himself asked for her resignation, and she almost gave in until Templeton himself tried to shame her out of the position.

It was Templeton's fault that she was the president anyway, he was asked to be Vice President, and he turned it down. Once you have the opportunity to be the president who turns that down?

If she had decided to run for the presidency after Bridges, her opposition wouldn't have been as great, but she still would have had no chance of winning. Mac was anything but stupid. Just like she understood that she was the one that got Bridges listened to by the masses, the issues that he raised during his campaign were what got him respect in congress.

Then there was the matter of her family. Should she resign because of them? She hadn't spent time with her kids. Sure Horace was proud of her, but Becca hated living in a fishbowl. Amy totally missed her, and Rod... he was supportive and everything, but she could tell that his ego was bruised.

Rod... God I haven't been with you in weeks. She thought and sat on a bench wiping down her brow, and drinking bottled water. Just the thought of her husband set her nerves on edge. She was flushed and the feel of the towel on her chest aroused her a little. God I need to get laid.

"Ma'am?" Jim stated stepping into the gym.

Mac was broken out of her thoughts, and turned to face him a bit frustrated but it did not show on her countenance. "Hi Jim, What's up?"

"I have got some information that you might find useful to get the bill passed." Jim said. He was a tall and fit black man. He looked out of place there in the gym wearing his three-piece suit.

Mac nodded and stood up from the bench. "Sure Jim, let me just get dressed here and I'll be right