Creating America: My campaign manager was Roosevelt

Chapter 37 Philadelphia Dinner

"We don't have any state-level resources," Leo thought to Roosevelt in his mind. "How are we going to ask the states for help?"

Roosevelt reminded him.

"Think about it, who gave you the opportunity to stand on this construction site? Think about what promises they made to you?"

Leo understood immediately.

He found a quiet corner and dialed John Murphy's number.

He laid out all the difficulties he was currently facing.

“Mr. Senator, Cartwright is using all his executive power to try and kill my project in the bud,” Leo said. “I need someone to keep him in check, a voice he absolutely cannot ignore. You promised me you would introduce me to Senator Daniel Sanders.”

Congressman Murphy sounded very serious on the other end of the phone.

"I know the situation is urgent, Leo Cartwright, that idiot. He's digging his own grave. He thinks he's attacking you, but he's actually attacking the federal project I worked so hard to get back. He's slapping me in the face."

"Perfect timing! Tomorrow night in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party headquarters is hosting an important charity fundraising dinner, and Senator Sanders is the guest of honor. Hurry up and come over; I'll arrange for you to meet."

On the afternoon he was heading to Philadelphia, Leo prepared to change into the only decent clothes he had.

He took out the suit he'd found at a thrift store from his closet; it had given him confidence at the city hall hearing.

Just as he was about to put it on, Roosevelt's voice rang in his mind.

"Stop, child."

Leo stopped moving.

"You can't wear this." Roosevelt's tone was firm.

"In the community center, in front of the workers, this old suit is your medal; it proves that you stand with them, that you belong to them."

"But in tonight's banquet hall, in front of those sharks who judge a person's worth by their clothes and titles, this outfit will only be your weakness. It will make you look cheap, unworthy of being taken seriously, more like a troublesome beggar than an ally for negotiation."

"Remember, politics is an endless stage play, and you have to choose the right costume for different scenes."

Leo looked at the slightly worn suit in his hand and understood what Roosevelt meant.

He thought for a moment and then dialed Frank's number.

An hour later, Frank arrived in his old pickup truck with a suit wrapped in a dust bag.

"This is the most expensive suit I've ever bought in my life." Frank handed the suit to Leo. "This is what my daughter wore to her wedding. She only wore it once. You're about the same size as I was when I was young, so it should fit you."

Leo changed into that suit.

It was a dark gray suit, made of fine fabric and tailored to fit perfectly.

Although the style wasn't the latest trend, it made Leo look completely refreshed.

He stood in front of the mirror, and the young man in the mirror had a straight posture and a determined look in his eyes.

The student-like and shabby feeling that the old suit brought was completely swept away.

Roosevelt's voice carried a satisfied smile.

"Very good. Clothes make the man. Now you look like someone they'd be willing to sit down and talk to."

Leo straightened his tie and headed to Philadelphia.

He stood at the entrance to the banquet hall of the five-star hotel in Philadelphia, where he was greeted by Kevin, an assistant to Congressman Murphy.

Kevin led Leo into the elegant banquet hall, where people dressed in fine clothes and clinking glasses.

This place is a gathering place for the power elites of the entire state of Pennsylvania, and even Washington.

Governors, state legislators, members of Congress, CEOs of large corporations, partners at top law firms...

They were dressed in expensive evening gowns, holding champagne glasses, chatting and laughing.

Leo felt a sense of unease and apprehension.

"Relax, son," Roosevelt chuckled in his mind. "Imagine them as a flock of turkeys in evening gowns, waiting to be served at the Thanksgiving table."

"You're not here today to beg for their mercy; you're here to show them your worth."

Congressman Murphy is in talks with several major financial backers.

He saw Leo come in, nodded to him, and gestured for him to wait a moment.

A few minutes later, Murphy shook off his sugar daddies and walked over to Leo.

"Come with me," he said.

He led Leo through the noisy hall to a secluded terrace.

An elderly man, nearly seventy years old with gray hair, stood alone, gazing at the distant night view.

He was dressed in a simple dark suit, exuding a mixed air of idealistic scholar and seasoned politician.

He is Senator Daniel Sanders.

"Daniel." Murphy stepped forward and greeted him warmly. "Let me introduce you. This is the young man I've mentioned to you several times, Leo Wallace."

Senator Sanders turned around and looked Leo up and down.

"You're the young man who stirred things up in Pittsburgh?" Sanders said. "John mentioned you to me. You're doing a good job."

"Tell me, what trouble have you run into, and what do you need me to do for you?"

Leo took a deep breath, preparing to begin recounting the predicament he was facing.

But Roosevelt's voice immediately stopped him.

"Never complain to an important person on the first meeting; it will only make you look weak, incompetent, and unworthy of investment."

"You need to talk about vision, ideals, and your shared goals."

Leo immediately changed his story.

"Senator, I'm not here today to complain about my personal troubles," Leo said. "I want to talk to you about Pittsburgh, about the future of the entire Rust Belt."

"We who live in forgotten corners are tired of empty promises and politicians who use us as election tools. What we need is real change, change that allows us to regain our jobs and dignity."

"And you, for decades, have been the voice of us. You are someone we can trust."

These words softened Senator Sanders' expression somewhat.

"Find your common enemy and establish your common goal," Roosevelt continued to instruct.

"Progressives like Sanders hate nothing more than incompetent establishment figures within the Democratic Party like Cartwright. You need to convince him that helping you is helping him clean house and purify the party ranks."

Leo continued.

"But right here in Pittsburgh, within our own Democratic Party ranks, there are still politicians like Mayor Cartwright who collude with real estate developers and betray the interests of the working class. They are the biggest stumbling blocks to our progress."

"All the trouble I'm having today stems from this. I'm trying to use the federal funds we worked so hard to secure to do something practical for the working-class community in Pittsburgh."

"But Mayor Cartwright is trying every means to stop us because our success would highlight his incompetence and corruption over the years."

Roosevelt continued, "Show him your investment value, tell him why you deserve his help. Because you can do things he can't do himself. Prove to him that you are the sharpest sword in his Rust Belt."

"Senator, I know you've been working hard to push for a national Green New Deal bill that aims to revitalize our Rust Belt regions through massive infrastructure investment," Leo said.

"What we are doing now in Pittsburgh is a successful microcosm of your great vision. We have proven that the work relief model is feasible, and that federal funds can be used effectively to improve people's lives, provided there is the right leadership."

"I need your help to remove Mayor Cartwright's interference, and I, along with the working class of Pittsburgh behind me, will be your strongest ally in Pennsylvania. We can make Pittsburgh the first national model for your Green New Deal ideas."

Senator Sanders fell into a long silence after hearing Leo's statement.

He looked at the young man in front of him with a scrutinizing gaze.

Finally, he raised an extremely pointed question.

"Young man, your plan sounds good, and you're very eloquent."

"But Pittsburgh's problems are deep-rooted and complex; even if you bring down one Cartwright, another one may emerge."

"What kind of fundamental changes can you bring to this city, and to those of us who are willing to support you?"

This question gets straight to the heart of the matter.

Leo knew that his answer would determine his success or failure that night, and also his future path.