Kate put a hand on his cheek. “I think maybe you’ve had your last good night’s sleep for a while, too.”
13
Will had already made coffee in his hideaway office when Tim and Kitty arrived. “First things first,” Will said. “I want each of you to write a campaign manager’s name on a piece of paper; I’ll do the same.”
They each did so.
“Let’s see yours, Tim,” Will said.
Tim held up a sheet that read Sam Meriwether.
Kitty held up hers: Sam Meriwether.
Will grinned and showed them his: Sam Meriwether. “It’s unanimous. You both realize, you’re going to be working for him, as well as me.”
They both nodded.
Sam Meriwether was Will’s own congressman, representing Georgia’s fourth district, which included Delano. He was in his late thirties, smart, energetic, and supremely well organized.
“Kitty, call Sam at home and ask him to come and see me here as soon as he can.”
Kitty went to the other side of the room and picked up a phone. She came back a moment later. “He’s on his way; he was already in his office.”
“Good. Now, tell me: Who did you two come up with for the Holy Man?”
“Mason Rutledge,” Tim said, “known as Rut to his friends.”
“I know him vaguely,” Will replied. “Bring me up-to-date on him.”
Tim read from a sheet of paper. “Harvard Law, class of ’52; private practice with Woodman & Weld in New York for thirty years, with occasional leave for public service; worked for Archibald Cox when he was independent counsel, during the Watergate investigations; was axed with Cox during the Saturday Night Massacre; an assistant attorney general under Griffin Bell during the Carter years, responsible for, among other things, campaign-law violations; said to have turned down the AG job when Clinton offered it to him. Clinton appointed him to the Court of Appeals. Rumor had it he would have appointed him to the Supreme Court, but the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee would have obstructed, so he walked away from that. Last year he retired from the court, and he now holds a chair in constitutional law and legal ethics at Harvard Law. Married forty years, two sons — one an assistant AG, the other at Woodman & Weld. Old New England stock, spotless character, only a little pompous.”
“Will he do it?”
Kitty spoke up. “I know the son, Arthur, who’s at Justice. We had lunch a couple of weeks ago, and Artie said his father missed public life a little. My impression is he’ll do it, if he can stay in Cambridge.”
“No reason why he couldn’t do it with a phone and a fax machine, is there?”
“Not that I can see. I don’t think Harvard Law would require him to take a leave if he’s just a consultant on campaign law and ethics.”
“Put him high on the list to call on Friday.” Will consulted his notes. “Who to run the advance operation?”
Tim shuffled some papers. “We think Leo Berg would be good.”
“Secret Service guy?”
“Retired. He ran the White House detail for four years; before that he was their top advance man. He’d be good for liaison with the Secret Service detail, too. He’s well liked in the Service.”
“Good choice; I would never have thought of him. Tim, you call him Friday afternoon.”
“Right.” Tim made a note. “Kitty and I both think that Mimi Todd would be good to run Issues. She’s done a great job in the Senate office, and she’s already trained an assistant.”
“I agree. On Wednesday, have her start rewriting everything, removing references to Georgia and putting a national cast. I want us all to review each issue before anything is carved in stone.”
There was a rap at the door, and Will pressed the button under his desk that released the lock. Sam Meriwether walked in. Tall, shambling, always slightly disheveled, he gave an almost opposite impression of the man he really was.
“You’re up early, Sam,” Will said.
“Shoot, I’ve been at my desk for at least two hours.” Sam grinned.
“Come sit down,” Will said. “I’ve got some good news for you.”
Sam folded his length into a chair. “Always like getting good news.”
Sam,” Will said, “I’ve decided to make you a United States senator.”
Sam smiled broadly. “Well, I guess I could choke that down.” He half rose. “You want to switch seats now?”
“Sit down, Sam.” Will laughed. “I didn’t say I was going to do it today.”
“How long do I have to wait?”
“A little over three years, if you’re lucky.”
“What do I have to do to get lucky?”
“You have to get me elected president of the United States.”
“Is that all?”
“It’s the only way you’re going to pry me out of my Senate seat.”
“Well, shoot, it might be worth it to get you out of the state of Georgia. How am I supposed to help you?”
“I want you to manage my campaign.”
Sam looked at Will narrowly. “You’re still drunk from New Year’s Eve, aren’t you?”
“I’m as sober as a Supreme Court justice.”
Sam looked around at his companions. “Are you three planning to assassinate Joe Adams? ’Cause, if so, I’m calling the Secret Service right now.”
“I can’t tell you all the details until Friday, but around noon on Saturday, on the Capitol steps, surrounded by friends and supporters, I’m going to announce.”
Sam stared at him, speechless.
“Sam,” Tim said, “it’s all right; he’s not crazy. Say yes.”
“Hell, yes,” Sam said. “You want me to resign from the House?”
“No, keep your seat. You’re going to be based in Washington, anyway, so you can make all your votes. If you get me elected, you can come to the White House with me, and after two years, you can run for my seat against whoever the next governor of Georgia appoints to replace me.”
Sam frowned a little. “If our Democratic colleague gets elected to that office, who do you think he might appoint to fill your term?”
Will laughed. “Okay, Sam, if I get elected, and you want my seat right away, I’ll do everything I can to get you appointed. If he won’t do it, or if the Republican beats him, then you stick with me?”
“Jesus,” Sam said, “I don’t think I can get a better deal than that.” He leaned over and shook Will’s hand.
“Welcome aboard,” Will said. “Your first job is to find us a national campaign headquarters without letting on to anybody that it’s for me.” Will scribbled a name on paper and handed it to Sam. “This guy just built a new office building downtown that’s renting. I think there’s some storefront space available, and we’ll need a floor for offices, too. Feel him out.”
“I know him a little,” Sam said. “I don’t think he’ll figure out that I’m doing it for you.”
“Good. You’ve got to play this very closely until, say, Friday afternoon. If we can really get rolling this week, we’ll have at least a few days’ jump on the competition.”
“Who else knows about this?” Sam asked.
“Just the people in this room and Kate.”
“Does Joe Adams know about it?”
“I can’t answer that right now, Sam. You’re going to have to trust me to do the right thing.”
“Shoot, Will, I trust you, and I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
“As soon as I announce, you’re going to have to get your own office organized to run pretty much without you. I’m going to keep you real busy.”
“Whooeee!” Sam said. “Sometimes your life just changes in the blinking of an eye!”
14