Chapter 56

56
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, CHICAGO

Candidate Jerry Oxford strolled into the "boiler room" of the National Democratic Headquarters in Chicago with his chief political aide, Marvin Boone.

His thoughts drifted back through his political career. In the beginning he had actually been drafted to run against opponents who couldn't be beat. He knew what that felt like. Incumbent President Robert Haskill was younger than he was and damned good looking on television. The little weasel had the dough this time, too, thanks to the deep pockets of his Republican friends. So what was new?

His campaign had pulled a strong thirty-five per cent in every state's primary. That was good, but not nearly good enough

President Robert Haskill had his incumbency and the general popularity to back it up. Haskill's administration had launched the Algerian Libyan intervention and won it. The glory for that senseless military violence was squarely in Robert Haskill's pocket. The polls had loved it.

"Okay, Marvin, what's up? What about Brazil?" Oxford asked in a tired voice.

"I'll tell you what's up. Haskill and the Joint Chiefs launched a damned naval blockade with elements of the Caribbean fleet. That's what they did after the Brazilian Government refused to let Jesus Robeles leave." Marvin Boone's face showed a growing excitement.

"I don't get it. Jesus Robeles is here and the Caribbean Fleet is in the Strait of Taiwan. What do you know that I don't?" A glimmer of vicious opportunism that only a candidate can have showed through Jerry Oxford's eyes.

"I mean that the Haskill Administration ordered that fleet to sail to Brazil, you know, to shake 'em loose. What happened was that the Navy couldn't get itself wet in South Atlantic waters. Everything that was supposed to spark didn't. Everything that was supposed to turn didn't." Marvin Boone continued. "I have personally spoken to crewmen. Those seven capital ships were dead in the water for two days, bobbing like corks two hundred miles from Barbados.. Out of commission. Even the Defcon communication systems were out -- the Navy Department was flying PBY's out of Florida to drop messages to the skippers. Mostly asking what the hell had happened."

"Marvin, I assume that you are getting ready to tell me what the hell happened. Right?" Oxford asked impatiently.

"Okay Jerry, according to the crews -- you better be sitting down for this part -- Jesus Robeles stopped those ships. He just shut 'em off right in the water. And He did that from his yacht in Rio." Mr. Boone peered into Jerry Oxford's face for a sign of how the man was reacting to the idea.

"Do you believe this Marvin? That is one hell of a far-fetched story, although probably not too far-fetched to hit print. I don't want this campaign to look like we believe it for second. The voters would think we were crazy." Oxford turned to face the younger man again. "We need to fix it up and leak it. Stick it on Haskill like shit on a pig. Nail it on! Do what you have to, just keep it on him. Even if it won't sell in the press, it'll drive him nuts."

"Jerry, this guy can't really do stuff like this can He? I mean, stop a Naval squadron with, like, His mind or something?" Marvin Boone asked pensively.

"No, Marvin. Don't be crazy. That kind of stuff doesn't make any sense. That's why we have got to stay away from it in the campaign. The United States Navy isn't going to surrender to one Brazilian peasant. This kind of thing is gossip." the candidate continued, "Even as far back as Vietnam the guys would come up with this stuff. They'd drop playing cards, Aces of Spades, along the trails. I heard they even rubbed garlic on their cartridges. There's nothing to this, but that doesn't mean we can't lay it on Haskill and his boys. Just get it into the tabloids. It can't hurt."

"Later on, when the wind is out of it, we can come back on the military preparedness line. Haskill's congress has spent a zillion dollars on preparedness. Why is the fleet stalled in the Caribbean? No spare parts? Every little bit helps in this campaign."