Chapter Nine C: Dinner with the Boss

Aaron pulled up in front of the hotel/conference center complex with chuckle. It was a fulcrum point in the change of American politics and the intervention of the free press. That was how Dr. Jack Diggory had described it in his American Government class at Indiana University in 1971. American politics would never be the same, he said, now that the press has stepped up as the watchdog of the government. The question, he said, was who would safeguard the people from the press?

The Watergate itself was not Aaron’s goal. He was headed to the posh 600 Restaurant to meet with Pol. She had been unavailable after his first day in Washington and set up this late night dinner on Thursday. Well, it was late for Aaron, or any mid-westerner used to sitting down to eat at six. East coast time runs differently and dinner at eight was far more common. Pol told him in her message that dinner would also last for at least two hours at this restaurant, so they should have plenty of time to discuss his first week at work. Two hours, just to eat! This would be the longest period they’d spent together since the plane trip out from Indianapolis. It seemed like a month ago instead of two days.

Aaron found the staff to be very friendly and open after his initial interview with Nina. He half expected everyone to share her hostility, but found that they were a highly efficient crew that managed the Congresswoman’s office with grace and aplomb. He’d spent a lot of time with Jason, the legislative aide, and with Al Sisson who was officially Pol’s researcher. He had piles of reports on his desk and seemed to know the status of everything that was happening on The Hill. If Aaron had a question about what percent of steel industry revenues were generated from Indiana, Al knew the answer. If the question was “who was the cute aide to the Representative from California?” he knew that answer as well.

Wednesday night the staff left the office to have a beer at a local brewpub and welcome Aaron to the team, even though he was not part of the legislative staff. Aaron was surprised that Nina had joined them. They carefully avoided any direct contact with each other, but it was obvious that she was respected if not loved by her staff. What an enigma. Aaron put it on his list of questions to ask Pol. Nina left early with a reminder that she didn’t want any hangovers in the office in the morning. Taking the warning to heart, all but Al left by nine o’clock. He and Aaron shared one more beer and then walked from the pub to Aaron’s hotel, enjoying the crisp, but not frigid air. It wouldn’t be long before things started blooming in DC and Aaron thought of the several inches of snow still on the ground in northern Indiana.

“Aaron,” Al said as they walked along, “mind if I ask you a couple questions that are way off the record?”

“Shoot,” Aaron replied.

“You have to know that there isn’t any other campaign staff, don’t you?” Al asked.

“I know that I’m the first she’s hired,” Aaron responded.

“You’re the first she’s ever hired,” Al added. Aaron wasn’t aware of that. “All her other campaigns have been run by volunteers and the office staff. Some of us were with her on previous campaigns and can’t help wondering what hiring a campaign staff is going to mean to us.”

“Well,” Aaron considered, “I don’t know what effect it’s going to have. I think she is just concerned that someone be on-site in Indiana full-time so that we don’t miss anything. I didn’t really ask about her hiring plans for the rest of the campaign. Who manages it for her?”

“Nina,” Al responded. “She manages everything. It surprised us all that she wasn’t the one to hire you.”

“Ah. That explains a lot.”

“To get right to the point,” Al said, “there’s been a lot of rumor about the Congresswoman running for the Senate, all of it denied, but having you hired as a press relations person makes everybody think that we must be headed for a big campaign that will be state-wide, at least. I have to admit, I can’t think of any other reason that she would make a hire at this time. Bluntly, are we getting ready for a Senate race?”

“Understand Al,” said Aaron facing him, “that I’m not controlling what the Congresswoman does. But in asking me to do this job she asked me to specifically run press relations for her re-election. I’m telling you straight-forward that to my knowledge there is no Senate race this year.”

“In spite of my internal desires to say you’re lying,” Al laughed, “somehow I think I have to believe you. I’ve got a raft of info that you are going to be needing. I’ll start briefing you tomorrow if you can get in at 6:00 we can have a lot of it done before staff meeting.”

“That’s fine,” Aaron said and they parted.

Now as Aaron stood in front of the Watergate he had to wonder if his understanding of what Pol wanted was accurate. He felt that she wanted to run for the Senate, but was being held back. It was not unheard of to use the House of Representatives as a stepping stone to the Governorship, but it wasn’t all that common either. If she faced a draft nomination to the Senate, would she accept? That would have to be an unprecedented activity since Senators ran in binding primary elections and weren’t subject to the nomination of a convention. No, she had to be targeting the Governorship. His understanding had to be correct.

Before he walked into the restaurant, he made one last call on his cell phone. Jack answered.

“Anything lined up for tomorrow night?” Aaron asked without preamble.

“Friendly game of poker,” Jack responded.

“I’d like to play with Will Anderson and Susan Ganshorn if you can get them in,” Aaron said casually.

“Hmmm,” Jack paused. “They usually only want to play when there is substantial money on the table.”

“There’s money on the table,” Aaron said. “Let’s say to the tune of 50k.”

“Client anybody we know?” Jack answered curious.

“Me,” Aaron said. “See you tomorrow.” He hung up before Jack had managed to ask more questions. Sometimes it was good to have your own research organization to call on, even if you were spending your own cut of earlier hard-earned profits. He glanced up as he finished the call and saw Pol sitting with a portly man in a three-piece suit at a table near the windows. Before closing his phone he quickly snapped a picture. He recognized this guy.

“Excuse me, sir,” the maitre’d came up to him. “The restaurant is a cell phone free zone. If you’d like to make a call, please step into the lobby.”

“Just turning it to stun,” Aaron smiled. “I’m to meet Representative Stamos for dinner.”

“Name?”

“Aaron Case.”

“Right this way, Mr. Case.”

Pol and Alex both stood as Aaron approached the table.

“Aaron, welcome,” Pol said warmly, taking his hand. “I’d like you to meet my Uncle Alex Jasper. Alex, this is Aaron Case, my new Campaign Press Manager.”

“I’ve heard so much about you, Mr. Case,” Alex said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine,” Aaron returned. “I know I’ve seen you before.”

“Oh, I’m a meddlesome old fool,” Alex said, “so I try to keep tabs on what my niece is up to. No doubt you’ve seen me around sometime. I trust that you will be able to meet all her expectations,” he continued. “They are quite high.”

“Well, I assure you I will do my best,” Aaron smiled. “She will certainly have it.”

“There was never a doubt about that, Aaron,” Pol laughed. “Come sit down. Uncle Alex just joined me for a drink and was about to leave.”

“I’m not displacing you, I hope,” Aaron said turning to Alex.

“I certainly hope not,” Alex responded enigmatically. “See you soon, Pol. Mr. Case.” The older gentleman left quickly, Aaron staring after him as they were seated. A waiter placed a clean place setting before Aaron.

“Well, tell me all about your first week on my staff,” Pol said energetically.

“It’s been an interesting three days, Congresswoman,” Aaron began.

“Aaron, please,” she interrupted, “when we are alone use my first name. I know you know the difference between when that would be appropriate and when not.”

“Thank you, Pol,” Aaron responded warmly. “When one is in Washington one is inundated with formalities and it’s not always easy to switch gears. Believe me, I don’t want to ever appear too familiar, so correct me or warn me when it’s appropriate.”

“I agree. I did ask you a business question,” Pol said. “I get confused myself sometimes. But I hope that much more than being my press manager you will be my friend.”

“If one ever interferes with the other,” Aaron said, “I’m afraid you will lose a press manager.”

“Fair enough,” Pol said. “So informally and off the record, how were your first two days with my staff.”

“Very productive. They put the lie to all tales of Washington bureaucracy. I can only hope the rest of our government runs as smoothly.”

“It doesn’t, unfortunately,” Pol sighed. “Go on.”

“Well, everyone seems to accept more responsibility than one would expect their jobs specifically require. There aren’t any here that are looking for new jobs. Their loyalty is incredible. They are ready to put everything they’ve got in their non-office hours into your campaign for re-election.”

“Have they accepted that I’m not running for Senator?” Pol asked.

“Tentatively. They can’t imagine why you would hire a press manager when you’ve done all other campaigns without a paid staff unless you were running for something bigger. Frankly, when I found that out, I had to wonder myself,” Aaron paused to give Pol a chance to step in with an answer to his question without being more explicit.

She calmly failed to take the bait. Instead she asked, “And are they satisfied with the answers you’ve given. Are they disappointed I’m not running for Senate?” Now Aaron paused to think back over his conversations with the staff. Were they disappointed?

“I’d have to say that in most cases there has been a tentative sigh of relief. I don’t think anyone there underestimates the kind of risk that would be involved in giving up this office to challenge a highly entrenched incumbent for the Senate. They would follow you to hell and back, but they are happy you are only going half way.” The both laughed. There was a little relief even in Pol’s sigh of acceptance. Aaron almost hated to burst the bubble. “Of course, there is some holdout regarding your political future. I think some people have other plans for your career.”

“Nina,” Pol answered matter-of-factly. “Between liberalism, feminism, and personal loyalty, she would have me crowned queen tomorrow and do away with all the political nonsense.” Pol smiled and shook her head as though at a private joke. They were interrupted by the arrival of their salads and the ritual grinding of pepper. Aaron tried to remember if he ever peppered a salad at home or if that was strictly something that was reserved for fancy restaurants. But the distraction was not enough to divert his line of questioning.

“I have to ask, Pol,” Aaron said after a bite or two of salad. “Why Nina? Don’t get me wrong. It’s easy to see that she runs the most efficient and motivated staff in congress, but her style and her sense of command, I’d have to say that even what I can tell of her values, seem so contrary to everything else I know about you… or perhaps that I’ve assumed about you.”

“Yes,” Pol said thoughtfully, “I assumed we would get to that question pretty soon. I wanted to warn you in advance, but it wouldn’t have been fair.”

“Fair to whom?” Aaron asked.

“Fair to Nina, and to you,” Pol said. “I had to give you the chance to step up to the situation on your own, and for her to test herself against you without my interference. Especially the latter. I really didn’t have any question about how you’d handle the situation, and I’m glad to say that I understand you did not disappoint me in that area. Just the right mix of challenge and acquiesce, though I do wish that it had not come to the point of promising to resign if you can’t deliver steel to the campaign by Primary time. I’m afraid that it might not be that easy.” Aaron was surprised to find out that Pol even knew about that. As far as he was concerned only he and Nina knew the substance of that conversation, and he hadn’t told anyone. He couldn’t imagine Nina broaching the subject with Pol.

“Nina is an extraordinary individual, Aaron. But she’s been jaded in her opinion of how things work in this world. She believes that the answer to the world’s ills, the nature of which we are in complete agreement, is to gain absolute power and dictate the answers.” Pol paused to finish her salad. Aaron interjected an aside.

“It sounds very Machiavellian.”

“Machiavelli would have been overshadowed by Nina had they been in the same court.”

“But that is so unlike you,” Aaron protested.

“Yes, but it is very like Uncle Alex,” Pol continued. “He hand-picked my staff from the roster and pulled a few strings to make sure they were assigned to me before last year’s election.”

“He seems to be pretty influential,” Aaron surmised. “Do I owe my position to him as well?”

“No. In fact he opposed it adamantly,” Pol said. “I over-ruled him. And I would consider over-ruling him on the issue of Nina except that he is right about her. She is exactly where she should be. I will not repay such loyalty as she has to me with anything less than my support for her. That is not to say that I agree with all her methods, nor that I will tolerate outright unethical behavior on her part. But continue questioning the staff. I think you will find that they have as deep an unswerving loyalty to Nina as to me, if perhaps she does not inspire their love as well.”

“It still doesn’t add up,” Aaron said. “I can appreciate that you were saddled with someone that you are not happy with, though I’m not sure why Mr. Jasper should hold that deep a sway with you. I won’t ask, because right now I don’t really want to know the answer to that question. There is something else about Ms. Patterson that binds her to you, I think.”

“I expected you to perceive as much,” Pol said. “It is not, as you might suspect, anything like your unique circumstances when we met,” she smiled, “nor is she a long-lost family relative, nor a person to whom I owe a great debt. The reason Uncle Alex chose her is because we all need to be in touch with ourselves.” She paused again as the entrée was served. Aaron had chosen the Maryland Crab Cakes while Pol went with the somewhat more standard Chicken Watergate. Aaron wasn’t sure they would get back to the topic as they commented on the exquisite preparation of the food. But Pol returned to the subject without his prompting.

“So why?” Pol mused. “Nina reminds me of myself at her age, filled with fervor and zeal for a just cause.”

“You are still filled with fervor and zeal,” Aaron chuckled. “I’ve witnessed it.”

“Yes. Well…” Pol actually blushed a bit. “Nina would never allow that to have occurred, as you have probably been well-informed. She has an innate understanding of politics and how to play political games. She would never have allowed a direct confrontation to occur unless she knew that the outcome would improve my electoral prospects. It is not likely that, for all your endeavors in the next two months may accomplish, that this even will help me politically.”

“Ms. Patterson made it very clear that I was responsible for what happened at Burns Ditch,” Aaron said. “And I wouldn’t have taken the challenge if I didn’t feel somewhat responsible.”

“Yes, well, I still wish it hadn’t come down to such high stakes,” Pol said, “but I really can’t interfere in what is between you two.”

“I wouldn’t have taken the challenge if I didn’t believe I could win it,” Aaron said.

“Really?” Pol looked genuinely surprised. “Aaron, do you think you can actually win the steel industry vote?”

“If not the official industry, then the laborers in that industry. That is what will really count in the end. The industry lobby won’t be able to pour too many funds into your opponent’s campaign if the labor unions come out in your favor. That’s all I can really say at the moment. What we have to do is put a face on the worker and put it face to face with the face of the industry.”

“You give me new hope, Aaron.”

“I wouldn’t attempt this if you didn’t give me hope, Congresswoman,” Aaron replied.

“Aaron, I said…” Pol began.

“It was very deliberate,” Aaron interrupted. “It’s not just the hope that your friendship gives me, but that your office, your goals, and representation of the people give me. If we were not friends, you would still have that.” Pol and Aaron locked eyes for a long moment. Her eyes were moist, not quite tearful.

“I sincerely hope that you never need to make that choice, Aaron,” Pol said. “In a very short period of time you and your opinions have come to mean a great deal to me.” She paused again as they simply held each other’s eyes. “That is why I have to finish telling you about Nina. She is in many ways my alter-ego. She is the one who would make me into more than I am. I want to embrace her image of me, but I am very afraid of it. By keeping her close by, I am constantly reminded to weigh every action between the political animal that Nina represents in me, and the reasons that I have for being here. In private, she is free to argue every point of my platform and liaisons with me. I guess you could say she represents everything I believe in for all the wrong reasons. I will win her over eventually and she will have the right reasons. Until then, she will intervene when I’m making bad political choices and remind me every step of the way that I have to work in a political system, not one where everyone instinctively responds to what is good and right.”

They waited while the waiter cleared their dishes and ordered dessert and coffee. It was clearer to Aaron now, but still left many questions. Could someone like that be trusted to give good advice to the candidate? Perhaps, as Sir Thomas More said to the King’s counselors, “We must tell the king what he should do, not what he can do.” That politically savvy view could carry a candidate a long way as long as the Machiavellian in her was kept in check. Well, he’d have to deliver on his part as well.

When they left the restaurant they decided to walk down to the Mall through the twisting pedestrian ways that led them across the I-66 interchange and down Rock Creek Parkway to the Lincoln Memorial. As they passed Kennedy Center Pol was suddenly struck by an idea.

“Why don’t you stay in town the weekend, Aaron?” she asked suddenly. “The symphony is playing Saturday night and I’m sure I could get tickets.” The smile she turned on him was breath-taking. Aaron was at a loss for words. Two aspects of this relationship were warring within him.

“I don’t think… I mean,” he stammered. “I have a commitment tomorrow evening that is kind of important,” he finally managed.

“Oh.” Pol said. “Of course. I’m sorry, Aaron. I didn’t even stop to consider that you might not be unattached. Please don’t assume that I’m asking or requiring anything above your job and your friendship,” Pol hurried on.

“It’s not that,” Aaron said quickly. “Pol, I am open to more than friendship, but didn’t think it was appropriate. It’s just that I really have an appointment with Jack tomorrow night that is pretty important. I still have some research projects that he’s helping me wrap up for book deadlines and all.”

“I wasn’t suggesting…” Pol began then stopped. “Oh damn! Of course I was. This is so ridiculous. A Congresswoman in her forties should not be stumbling around asking a man for a date. It just isn’t fair.” They both burst out in laughter. “I just enjoyed our time together this evening so much that I thought it would be fun to spend more of it that way.”

“I’d love to spend non-business time with you, Pol,” Aaron said. “And believe me being in your forties, or even fifties, doesn’t exempt you from being embarrassed about broaching personal subjects.”

“Well,” Pol said recovering a bit. “Go back to finish your project with Jack tomorrow. I’m coming home next weekend. Would you consider dinner with me Saturday night?”

“I’d consider it an honor,” Aaron said making an elaborate bow to her. As they rounded the corner to approach the steps to the Lincoln Memorial, he slipped his hand into hers and they climbed to the top.

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