novelnext Chapter 121 The Key to Breaking the Stalemate
Chapter 121 The Key to Breaking the Stalemate
Chapter 121 The Key to Breaking the Stalemate (Bonus Chapter for 16000 Monthly Tickets)
Lonner Regan Washington National Airport.
Leo, carrying a simple suitcase, walked out of the covered bridge.
The moment I stepped onto this land, a strange feeling spread throughout my body.
This is not just a change of geographical location, but more like stepping into a huge force field.
"Can you feel it, Leo?"
Franklin Roosevelt's voice echoed in his mind.
The president, who had served four terms, no longer spoke with the usual fervor; instead, his voice was filled with deep disgust and indifference.
"This city is rejecting me."
Leo dragged his suitcase through the bustling crowd. He was surrounded by elites in dark suits, hurrying about.
They held Blackberries or the latest iPhones in their hands, talking about hearings, lobbying groups, and amendments.
"Rejecting you?" Leo asked in his mind. "You are one of the greatest masters in the history of this place."
"That's precisely why," Roosevelt scoffed. "They've made far too many preparations, set up far too many defenses, all for one purpose."
"To prevent another Roosevelt from emerging."
"They were afraid," Roosevelt continued. "They were terrified of me. I broke all precedents; I extended the tentacles of the federal government into the pockets and bedrooms of every American."
"I used unprecedented executive power to bypass Congress and directly command the country."
"In their eyes, I am not a savior."
"I am Caesar."
"I am the tyrant in their nightmares."
"So, after I died, they immediately sprang into action."
Roosevelt's voice carried a hint of sarcasm.
"They passed the Twenty-Second Amendment, which put term limits on the president, as if they were afraid that someone else would end up like me, sitting in the White House until their heart stops beating."
"They established a massive and cumbersome civil service system, and formulated countless rules regarding hearings and reviews. They reduced administrative efficiency to a minimum to ensure that no one could ever again wield that kind of power."
"This entire city is like a giant cage."
"It was designed specifically to restrain the monster of power. It is precise, robust, and ruthless."
"And now."
Roosevelt let out a sigh.
"The two of us who wanted to release the monster walked into this cage on our own initiative."
Leo walked into the parking lot alone.
He found the black Chevrolet he had reserved in the long line of rental cars.
He threw his suitcase into the trunk with a dull thud.
My phone vibrated in my pocket.
A new text message popped up: "Dear Mr. Wallace, your hotel reservation has been confirmed, room number 802."
Have a pleasant stay.
It's very late, and that's the only place I can stay tonight.
Rio opened the car door and got into the driver's seat.
The doors closed, and the narrow carriage instantly shut out the noise and humid air outside the airport.
He did not start the engine immediately.
As he gripped the steering wheel, his thoughts involuntarily drifted back to an hour earlier, to the strategic simulation he had conducted with Roosevelt in the cabin at 10,000 meters altitude, amidst the monotonous roar of the aircraft.
That was a reflection on how to break the deadlock.
Looking out at the clouds, Leo asked the crucial question: "Who should we contact? Is Sanders' list even useful?"
Roosevelt gave a negative answer.
The reasons are harsh, but also realistic.
"Sanders can't help us, not only because he doesn't want to, but also because he can't."
"In Pennsylvania's political landscape, Aston Monroe is the Democratic establishment's chosen successor, a weapon meticulously crafted by the entire party machine to win a Senate seat."
"The party's top brass, including the Democratic National Committee, will never allow anyone to undermine this overall situation."
"Sanders may be a progressive leader, but he's also a Democrat. He can help you within the rules, like securing funding or restoring your data access. But he would never openly support you in dismantling the party's presence in Pennsylvania just for the sake of a Pittsburgh mayor."
"That's a red line."
"If you go to those people on Sanders' list, those deputy ministers, those advisors, they'll greet you politely, drink your coffee, listen to your complaints, and then tell you, 'Please wait patiently for the proceedings to begin.'"
"They'll kill you with the program."
"Because this is the will of the Party."
Leo remembers asking himself at the time, "So we're doomed?"
"No."
Roosevelt smiled.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
7
"This is an ancient and eternal truth."
"Leo, step outside that damn partisan framework. Stop thinking of yourself as a Democrat and start thinking of yourself as a gambler who just wants to win."
"In this situation, besides us, who else would least want to see Aston Monroe win the midterm elections?"
"Who else would least like to see the Democratic Party united and sweeping through Pennsylvania?"
The answer is obvious.
A current Republican senator from Pennsylvania.
Russell Warren.
That old conservative who had been entrenched in Washington for thirty years, representing the interests of energy giants and the military-industrial complex.
"Think about Warren's situation," Roosevelt analyzed on the plane. "He faces a tough re-election battle, Pennsylvania is turning blue, and demographic changes are working against him."
"If Aston Monroe wins the Democratic primary."
"So Warren will be facing a candidate with a perfect resume, a mild image, and the ability to unite all factions within the party."
And a formidable opponent with a massive campaign budget.
"That will be a tough battle, and Warren is very likely to lose."
"but."
"What if John Murphy wins the primary?"
"A nice guy who coasts through the House of Representatives, a freak labeled as radical left, an opportunist who barely rose to power by relying on the populist slogans of a young mayor."
"Moreover, in order to win the primaries, Murphy and Monroe will inevitably go through a bloody civil war. The Democratic Party will be split in Pennsylvania, with activists and the establishment attacking each other, and centrist voters will be disgusted."
"For Warren, this is simply a gift from God."
"A chaotic, divided, and radicalized Democratic Party is far easier to deal with than a united Democratic Party."
"He dreams of Murphy winning the primary."
"Because the stronger Murphy is, the more chaotic the Democratic Party becomes. And the more chaotic the Democratic Party becomes, the more secure Warren's re-election will be."
This is the key to breaking the deadlock.
Leo doesn't need the Democrats' help, because the Democrats want them dead.
What they need is the help of the Republican Party.
Leo gripped the steering wheel tightly; he knew exactly what that meant.
In that phone call, Sanders drew a red line for him; once he crossed it, he would become an opportunist in Sanders' eyes, a Judas who betrayed the camp.
But he had to cross that line.
He had to become the traitor.
Because in this dead end, his party colleagues wanted him dead, and his political allies were powerless to save him.
Only his enemies have a reason to let him live.
The car started, drove out of the parking lot, and merged into the traffic flow in Washington.
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