Around the world, nations and peoples have sent messages of support and assistance, condemning those who would attack innocent people going about their business in such a horrific manner. The civilized world is united in its horror at what has occurred today. That support will also not be forgotten. Further, all civilized peoples were shocked by the actions of some who consider the death and suffering of our citizens a cause for celebration. That behavior will also not be forgotten.
Finally, I say to those who perpetrated these unspeakable crimes, we will find you. Our law enforcement and intelligence agencies will track you down, you and those who harbor and assist you. Our retribution will be swift ... and final.
I close now with the following thought. America is more than its buildings and America is more than its people. America is an idea, a symbol, a belief. We are a beacon of freedom and opportunity to the world, and the evil of madmen will not shutter that beacon. The price of freedom is never cheap, but it is a price that we must bear, and a price that we will gladly pay. Our nation will emerge from this dark day even stronger and more committed to the ideals we believe in.
Thank you, good night, and God bless America."
I kept looking into the camera and waited until the director said we were done and the lights went out. Even then I kept my mouth shut until after they had the microphones turned off and out of the way. The last thing we needed was an 'Ooops!' moment where I said something stupid while something was still live. The technology wasn't quite at the point where anybody with a cell phone could catch you being an idiot, but it was fast approaching that point. As soon as possible I headed out of the room and went into a bathroom to clean off the makeup. I really needed a shower for that, but just didn't have the time. I think the worst part is the stuff they put on top of my head to keep the glare off my bald spot! I mean, like, thanks a lot, I really needed to be reminded of that!
I came out feeling a little more human, and found Ari and Josh waiting for me, along with some of my own people from my Vice Presidential staff. Frank, Carter, and Mindy were waiting for me. It was obvious Mindy had been crying heavily, and Carter whispered in my ear that her mother had been on Flight 93, which had gone down in Shanksville. I sat her down and told her to take some time off. She nodded and I motioned for an agent to take her home. Then I looked at Frank and Carter. "Guys, this is a bit weird, but we are going to somehow merge our staffs together. If President Bush is rescued, I go back to being the VP, and you come back with me. Otherwise, we are going to have to figure this out."
"Yes, sir.", they both agreed.
I looked at Josh. "Are we lined up to meet Congress? Were you able to set something up?"
He nodded. "Yes, sir. I was able to corral some of them and they promised to get hold of other people. It's at the Capitol, though. Should I have them brought over?"
"That will be fine. Let's get a car and go. You, me..." I looked around and eyed Ari. "Ari, you want to go? Carter's been my press guy, but that's not a big job for the VP. Do you want to take him on as your deputy?"
"We can see how it works out, Mister President.", he answered, noncommittally.
"Carter, if Deputy Press Secretary doesn't work out, we'll fit you in somewhere." I looked over at the nearest Secret Service agent. "Five minutes. We're going to need a car. We'll be just going over to the Capitol, so set it up, please." He immediately began speaking into a microphone on his sleeve.
I stood and stretched a bit. It had been a long day and I was feeling tired and creaky. I grabbed my cane. "After I meet with the people over on the Hill, I am going home. I'll keep living at the Naval Observatory until this plays out. Everybody, you all need to go home and get some sleep at some point. Tomorrow might be even crazier. We've got a major meeting in the morning, and if President Bush, the former President Bush, calls, I want to meet him tomorrow as well. Regardless, go home and get some rest." To my traveling party, I said, "Let's get this on the road." With a Secret Service agent leading us, we headed down to a car. A few minutes later we were at the Capitol.
There were a bunch of people in the Speaker's office, some sitting, but they all stood and faced me when I came in the door. From the Senate we had Trent Lott, Tom Daschle, Harry Reid, Robert Byrd, and Don Nickles; the House was represented by Tom DeLay, Denny Hastert, John Boehner, and Dave Bonior. The only major leader missing was Dick Gephardt, and I knew he was out of town. "Gentlemen, thank you for meeting with me.", I said.
Denny Hastert said, "We all watched your speech from in here, Carl. We all thought it went well. Not too long, but it got the point across."
"How are you doing, Carl?", asked my old friend John Boehner. "You look tired."
I smiled and shook his hand. "I'm beat, but I'll make it. I started out early this morning in Tampa. Good to see you again."
At that, I went around the room, shaking hands with everybody. These were the men I was going to have to work with for the foreseeable future, the Majority and Minority Leaders and Whips, the Speaker, and the Senate President Pro Tempore. Some of them were friends and some were enemies, but all of them had a personal agenda that did not necessarily involve cooperating with one Carling Parker Buckman II.
First steps first. "Denny, Senator Byrd, I apologize for not meeting with you this afternoon, but it just got crazy. Did the Attorney General talk to you? Are you satisfied that everything was done in a proper form?" I didn't need somebody getting a bug up his ass about my 'usurping' power.
Both men nodded. Denny Hastert said, "It was fine, Carl. How long do you think it will last? Or do you think it will be permanent?"
I was feeling a bit tired, so I hoisted myself up and sat on his desk, and faced everyone else. "Right now, Denny, I just don't know, but I have a really bad feeling about this. Those buildings were a thousand feet tall. How many millions of tons of concrete and steel was that? I can't imagine how anybody could get out of that." There, it was out in the open. We needed to consider that the President was dead.
"If that is the case, why didn't you get sworn in as President?", asked Harry Reid in an accusing tone.
"Harry ... Senator Reid, if I was to go out there and declare myself President, then I am saying that George Bush is dead, and that means everybody else in those buildings is dead. I don't think people are ready for that. We'll all know better in a few days time. How long do you think I should wait, sir?", I responded. There, dump it in their laps for a bit, see how they liked it! They couldn't complain about not being informed if I asked them in a group session.
I wasn't given a break on that. These guys were too savvy for a rookie stunt. Dave Bonior immediately asked, "Carl, what did you have in mind?"
I held my hands up in a questioning gesture. "Today's too soon. On the other hand, we are going to need a permanent President sooner or later, and probably sooner. We can't have me be the Acting President until 2004." I looked around the room daring anybody to counter that. A couple of faces looked thoughtful, but nobody argued with me. "Now, let's be blunt. I need to be cleaner than Caesar's wife on this. I cannot be seen to be delaying or denying any form of assistance to the rescue efforts. I ordered all the Cabinet departments to assist. Here are my thoughts. We wait three days. By Friday morning it should be pretty obvious if anybody is going to make it out of there. By lunchtime Friday, I call another Cabinet meeting, and this time I bring in the leaders of Congress – you guys – and we take another vote. In the meantime, why don't you send two people to New York to provide some oversight?"