CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Judge Grantham, after administering the Presidential oath, extends his hand to Mitch Ishnik, and says, "Congratulations Mr. 'Acting President,' serve our nation well!"
"Thank you, Mr. Justice, for your service to me and the nation. May God bless our nation, and all its patriots, may His frightening power fall on all of Americas enemies." Ishnik then turns from the cameras and leaves the room, and along with Secretary Strate and General Yates, returns to his office.
"If I am now the 'Acting President,' I am going to act as President! I am going to act against our nation's enemies, so that the people will unite behind me."
"What do you mean?" asks General Yates.
For three weeks North Korea has been shooting artillery at South Korean islands that they say belong to the North. The Communists also have been seizing South Korean fishing boats they say are actually involved in spying. Satellites show the North has moved troops closer to the Demilitarized Zone. I don't know if they think they can do what they want because the U.S. is distracted with our political problems …or if the Koreans are the cause of our leadership problems, but I intend to show them that the U.S. is still alert and able to respond.
Yates interjected… "Did I understand you right, are you saying you think the North Koreans are responsible for the assassination of President Carr?"
Ishnik replied, "I don't know, I didn't say that, but it is a possibility. I mean no one has claimed responsibility, but the lack of evidence points to a highly sophisticated organization, probably with military and intelligence capabilities. …The North Koreans could have done this. They could have even gotten help from other renegade nations, maybe the Iranians, or Syrians."
"Maybe the radical Uzbeks, or even the Chechens," said Secretary Strate. "Those two have fought the Russians in Russia, and made attacks in Moscow. They could have helped the North Koreans at Mobile."
"Exactly," said, Ishnik.
"That would mean war!"
"Yates, I am not sending us to war yet, don't get too agitated."
"What are you going to do?"
"This situation permits me to do two things. First, I can give orders that demonstrate at home and abroad that I am actually the 'Acting President,' not Pinchon. At the same time, I can also demonstrate that I am going to be strong against anyone who harms America or its allies or interests.
Circumstances have given me a convenient opportunity to do both. Two days ago the aircraft carrier James Monroe, and its battle group, left from a port call in Japan. They are supposed to be heading south to rendezvous just off Guam, with naval units from Australia, Thailand, India, and the Philippines. The joint forces are to conduct a mock assault on the island of Luzon. I am going to order the Monroe group to quickly turn northwest and sail through the South China Sea and into the Yellow Sea off the west coast of Korea. I will also issue a warning to North Korea that if does not stop its provocative actions, the U.S. is prepared to punish them severely."
Yates said, "Won't that raise a Chinese response. They don't even accept that our carriers and ships are allowed in the South China Sea, let alone in the Yellow Sea, and especially to threaten their ally and Communist neighbor."
"Yes, I am counting on the Chinese to react. That will motivate the American people, the Congress, and Cabinet officers to necessarily back me as leader because I am standing up to Communist aggression, and the possible assassins of our President. After a short period of stand-off and tension, we will make another agreement with the Chinese and the two Koreas to restore the stalemate. But I will have acted as President, and by this the nation will see me as being President, and I can dispose of Pinchon as an unconstitutional usurper. Don't worry Yates, I know what I am doing, now you go and keep the rest of the Joint Chiefs on board."
"Yes Sir," Yates says, and heads out of the office.
When he and Ishnik are alone Secretary Strate says, "That is the first time I have seen General Yates get a little skittish. He never thought that the North Koreans could be behind President Carr's assassination. ...And he really didn't like the idea of rattling the chain of the Chinese."
"Yes, I saw that too, but Yates is a soldier, and especially a General. I have known him for years, and he will do what he is told to do, especially when I am the one telling him. No, Yates is a soldier, a sword, and an arm, to do what he is told."
"I hope you are right, especially if he ever finds out what we have not told him."
"He doesn't need to know about that. Only the two of us, along with our two Senate friends, and Chief Justice Grantham, have knowledge of all that we have done to achieve our goal for America. The Patriot Council while useful, does not know everything either. They are all just necessary followers. They don't think these things through; we do! We are the intellect, the mind; we are the ones who will bring America back to greatness. …But now we have to act quickly, and get our plan in motion, we must not give Pinchon time to show himself a President too, or to consolidate power.
"Strate I want you to leak to the media that a foreign intelligence agency is claiming they have evidence that the North Koreans were involved in the Carr assassination. Say we have not been able to see or confirm that evidence yet, but we take such information very seriously, considering North Korea's recent military belligerence since the assassination. That information ought to spread like wildfire. Just make sure the leak cannot be traced back to you."
"Right, and I will have Senators Olds and France raise the matter in the Senate, and call for both Houses of Congress and all the American people to back President Ishnik at this dangerous time."
A short while later on TV, at Network News.
"...Merv Tanner here, I am getting information ...from sources ...that is very disturbing."
"What is the information, Merv?"
"John, sources are saying that a foreign spy agency has passed on intelligence that the North Koreans were behind the assassination of President Carr, and that they may have been assisted by other nations or militants."
"That would be astounding," said John Sanker. "Do you know who the foreign intelligence agency is, or who they say the militants are that assisted the North Koreans?"
"The information is sketchy, but it is reported to have come from unnamed friendly Arab security agencies, passing on information that they have gleaned from interrogating captured foreign militants."
"Merv, who might that be?"
"Well the Saudis, or the Yemenis might do this, or the Moroccans. It also could have been the Egyptians or Libyans, but since their uprisings years ago, their intelligence agencies aren't as close to us as before. The Afghans aren't Arab, but their interrogations could have raised some of this intelligence too. My sources haven't said where it came from, or they don't know for sure."
"Yes, Roanna Jackson, go ahead from Capitol Hill."
"John, it's amazing, we have a crisis going on at the White House and outside the State Department, with troops and 'Acting President' Pinchon going out and meeting with someone about something. Now we have this startling news coming at the same time.
Here at the Capitol, Senators France and Olds have just issued a statement that they too have heard from unnamed sources, of this possible North Korean involvement. They are calling on the nation to stand united against Communism, aggression, and an attack on our nation's President. They are calling on 'Acting President' Ishnik to investigate this information and act in the interests of our nation and democracy."
"They called on 'Acting President' Ishnik to investigate, not 'Acting President' Pinchon?"
"Yes, John, these two Senators have made it quite clear that they do not accept Pinchon as 'Acting President.' They say that Ishnik is the Constitutional successor of President Woods."
"Stanley Worth here, John, I am still standing a distance away, outside the White House fence watching the situation here, and wondering what is going on down near the State Department, where 'Acting President,' or Spe
aker, or General, or just Mr. Pinchon, seems to have gone. The situation is growing more significant because events are happening that means that the nation and the world needs to know who really has the powers of the President. Is it Ulysses Pinchon or Mitch Ishnik? Right now I do not know!"
"Neither do I, and if we do not know who is 'Acting President,' does the American Armed Forces know, do our friends and enemies know ...the American people certainly do not know."
"No John, they cannot possibly know, this is unprecedented. It is necessary to ask the question in such a situation; who is in charge, which President does the Armed Forces, and for that matter, the government take orders from?"
Merv Thompson spoke up, "I would expect the military and Pentagon would turn to Mitch Ishnik."
"What about Pinchon's relationship with the troops as a much respected General?"
"Pinchon has that going for him, all right, but he has been retired for a while. Besides there is not just the Army to consider, but also the reaction of the Air Force, Navy, and Marines. I still think that Ishnik gets the support of the military."
"That could prove critical in the short term, John Sanker said, because the Army is already in the streets of the capital. The military may decide who leads our republic."
Roanna Jackson chimes in, "Congress will not be happy with the Armed Forces being the decider of this issue. The houses of Congress are elected by the people, and they will want to make that decision."
Stanley Worth, the White House reporter, said, " those that support Pinchon argue that the House of Representatives already decided the issue when they elected the General to be Speaker, and then President Woods incapacity made him 'Acting President.'"
"But there are regrets over here, and the House is already having second thoughts about that," Roanna said.
"Buyers remorse it may be, but they did what they did, I don't know if the House can turn around and change it now. If you buy something, and then think you made a bad deal, you still own it."
"If you made a bad deal on something you return it where you purchased it and get your money back ... it happens all the time, we all do it, so the House can change its mind."
"But where do you return an 'Acting President?' ...and how do you do so? You cannot just "un-elect" him from being Speaker, ...besides, Pinchon resigned that position concurrent with the moment he took the oath of President. Do you then have to impeach him, that would take time and considering past impeachments be a fractious activity in the House, and not necessarily lead to a conviction in the Senate. And what would you charge him with?"
"You would charge him with usurping the Presidency," said Jackson.
"But the House elected him Speaker, and then he succeeded to the office. So the House would in effect be charging him with doing what they knew and elected him to do. That is strange."
John Sanker joined in, "And Stanley Worth may have a point, how do you impeach Pinchon. It seems to me that if the House impeached him, it would first necessarily be recognizing that the General, or Speaker, actually was the 'Acting President.' Otherwise, how can you impeach a President who is not really the President?"
"Exactly," said Stanley Worth. "There is another point too. Some in the House may talk about buyers remorse, but there are a couple other phrases that come to mind. One is, 'If You Break It, You Bought It!' Yet another is 'possession is nine-tenths of the law.' The House broke it, so the House bought the Presidency of Pinchon, and cannot try and welch on the deal. ...And it is going to be difficult to dislodge the man who already is in the White House."
John Sanker said, "Well Pinchon was in the White House, but he is not there now, he stepped out! Right now we do not positively know where he is or what he is doing, or able to do. He left the White House, apparently agreeably, got into an Army vehicle, and drove towards the State Department. We do not know if the colonel that was seen, arrested him, if Pinchon is still in Foggy Bottom, or if he is able to exercise any authority."
"This is terrible. This is not how our government is supposed to work. The Constitution, and the laws of this land, are supposed to keep us from this chaos. We are not surprised at what goes on in many backward countries; we hear and see the effects of rigged elections, coups, and counter coups, often followed by another rigged election. We are looking foolish to the world."
Merv Tanner said, "Worse! America is looking weak. And that may well be why in this time of crisis they turn to the sure hands of Mitch Ishnik."
"I think you underestimate the strength of our constitutional system," said Worth. "I think also you vastly underestimate the man who is called "Bull."
For those just joining in, this is John Sanker, at the anchor desk of Network News. We are following unfolding live events. At this moment we have a very confused situation. The nation has two different men who have been sworn in by two federal judges to serve as 'Acting President' of the United States. We have then seen 'Acting President' Pinchon drive away from the White House to whereabouts unknown. We have also learned that 'Acting President' Ishnik has begun issuing orders to the military about an international incident relating to North Korea.
Obviously they cannot both be' Acting President.' Stay tuned to Network News for continuing coverage of these unprecedented events. Your nation's future depends on what happens now."
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