Deception Point Page 7

Gabrielle ran a hand through her straightened black hair. I hear the White business firm struggle staff is as complicated as we be. The hot seat is offering no explanation for his vanishing act, and everyone over on that point is furious.Any theories? sexton asked.Gabrielle gazed at him over her scholarly glasses. As it turns show up, I got just around interesting data this morning from a contact of mine in the White House.sacristan recognized the look in her eyes. Gabrielle Ashe had scored some insider information again. sexton wondered if she were giving some presidential aide backseat gust jobs in exchange for run secrets. sexton didnt care so farsighted as the information kept coming.Rumor has it, his assistant said, lowering her voice, the chairwomans weird behavior all started last week later an emergency confidential briefing with the decision maker of NASA. Apparently the President emerged from the repleteing looking dazed. He immediately cleared his sched ule, and hes been in close contact with NASA ever since.Sexton certainly liked the sound of that. You think maybe NASA delivered some much bad rude(a)s?Seems a logical explanation, she said hopefully. Although it would clear to be pretty critical to make the President drop everything.Sexton considered it. Obviously, whatever was going on with NASA had to be bad news. Otherwise the President would cave in it in my face. Sexton had been pounding the President pretty hard on NASA financing lately. The lay agencys recent string of failed missions and gargantuan budget overruns had pull in NASA the dubious honor of becoming Sextons unofficial poster child against queen-size government over consumption and inefficiency. Admittedly, attacking NASA one of the most prominent symbols of American superbia was non the way most politicians would think of winning votes, but Sexton had a weapon few other politicians had Gabrielle Ashe. And her impecc competent instincts.The savvy te en woman had come to Sextons attention several months ago when she was figureing as a coordinator in Sextons Washington campaign office. With Sexton trailing soberly in the primary polls and his message of government overspending falling on deaf ears, Gabrielle Ashe wrote him a note suggesting a radical new campaign angle. She told the senator he should attack NASAs huge budget overruns and continued White House bailouts as the quintessential example of President Herneys care little overspending.NASA is costing Americans a fortune, Gabrielle wrote, including a list of financial figures, failures, and bailouts. Voters have no idea. They would be horrified. I think you should make NASA a governmental issue.Sexton groaned at her naivete. Yeah, and season Im at it, Ill rail against singing the national anthem at baseball game games.In the weeks that followed, Gabrielle continued to send information about NASA across the senators desk. The more than Sexton read, the more he realize d this young Gabrielle Ashe had a point. thus far by government agency standards, NASA was an astounding money pit expensive, inefficient, and, in recent years, grossly incompetent.One afternoon Sexton was doing an on-air interview about education. The host was pressing Sexton about w present he would find funding for his promised overhaul of public schools. In response, Sexton decided to test Gabrielles NASA scheme with a half-joking response. Money for education? he said. Well, maybe Ill cut the space program in half. I figure if NASA can spend cardinal one million million a year in space, I should be able to spend seven and a half million on the kids here on earth.In the transmission booth, Sextons campaign managers gasped in horror at the careless remark. After all, entire campaigns had been sunk by far less than taking a potshot at NASA. Instantly, the phone lines at the radio situation lit up. Sextons campaign managers cringed the space patriots were circling for the ki ll.Then something unexpected happened.Fifteen billion a year? the first caller said, sounding shocked. With a B? Are you telling me that my sons math class is overcrowded because schools cant afford enough teachers, and NASA is spending fifteen billion dollars a year taking pictures of space dust?Um thats right, Sexton said warily.Absurd Does the President have the power to do something about that?Absolutely, Sexton replied, gaining confidence. A President can veto the budget request of any agency he or she deems overfunded.Then you have my vote, Senator Sexton. Fifteen billion for space research, and our kids dont have teachers. Its outrageous Good luck, sir. I hope you go all the way.The next caller came on the line. Senator, I just read that NASAs International Space Station is way overbudget and the President is thinking of giving NASA emergency funding to keep the project going. Is that dependable?Sexton jumped at this one. True He explained that the space station was primar ily proposed as a joint venture, with twelve countries sharing the costs. But after construction began, the stations budget spiraled wildly out of control, and many countries dropped out in disgust. Rather than scrapping the project, the President decided to cover everyones expenses. Our cost for the ISS project, Sexton announced, has uprise from the proposed eight billion to a staggering one hundred billion dollarsThe caller sounded furious. Why the hell doesnt the President pull the plugSexton could have kissed the guy. Damn good question. Unfortunately, one third of the building supplies are already in orbit, and the President spent your tax dollars putting them there, so pulling the plug would be admitting he make a multibillion-dollar bobble with your money.The calls kept coming. For the first time, it seemed Americans were waking up to the idea that NASA was an option not a national fixture.When the show was over, with the exception of a few NASA diehards transaction in wi th poignant overtures about mans eternal quest for knowledge, the consensus was in Sextons campaign had stumbled onto the holy grail of campaigning a new hot dismission a yet untapped controversial issue that struck a nerve with voters.In the weeks that followed, Sexton trounced his opponents in five crucial primaries. He announced Gabrielle Ashe as his new personal campaign assistant, praising her for her work in bringing the NASA issue to the voters. With the wave of a hand, Sexton had made a young African-American woman a rising political star, and the issue of his racist and sexist voting record disappeared overnight.Now, as they sit down together in the limousine, Sexton knew Gabrielle had yet again proven her worth. Her new information about last weeks secret meeting between the NASA administrator and the President certainly suggested more NASA troubles were brewing perhaps another sphere pulling funding from the space station.As the limousine passed the Washington Monum ent, Senator Sexton could not help but feel he had been anointed by destiny.8Despite having ascended to the most powerful political office in the world, President Zachary Herney was average in height, with a slender build and narrow shoulders. He had a freckled face, bifocals, and thinning black hair. His unimposing physique, however, stood in unconditional contrast to the almost princely love the man commanded from those who knew him. It was said that if you met Zach Herney once, you would locomote to the ends of the earth for him.So glad you could make it, President Herney said, reaching out to shake Rachels hand. His grasp was warm and sincere.Rachel fought the frog in her throat. Of course, Mr. President. An honor to meet you.