按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ld change as the bullet entered her brain。。。 but； no； it was too ugly。 With an effort； Nomuri forced the thought aside as he slipped into her。 If he were to recruit her at all； he had to perform this function well。 And if it made him happy； too； well； that was just a bonus。
I'll think about it；〃 POTUS promised the Secretary of the Interior； walking him to the door that led to the corridor； to the left of the fireplace。 Sorry； buddy； but the money isn't there to do all that。 His SecInterior was by no means a bad man； but it seemed he'd been captured by his departmental bureaucracy； which was perhaps the worst danger of working in Washington。 He sat back down to read the papers the Secretary had handed over。 Of course he wouldn't have time to read it all over himself。 On a good day； he'd be able to skim through the Executive Summary of the documents； while the rest went to a staffer who'd go through it all and draft a report to the President … in effect； another Executive Summary of sorts； and from that document； typed up by a White House staff member of maybe twenty…eight years； policy would actually be made。
And that was crazy！ Ryan thought angrily。 He was supposed to be the chief executive of the country。 He was the only one who was supposed to make policy。 But the President's time was valuable。 So valuable； in fact； that others guarded it for him … and really those others guarded his time from himself； because ultimately it was they who decided what Ryan saw and didn't see。 Thus； while Ryan was the Chief Executive； and did alone make executive policy； he made that policy often based solely on the information presented to him by others。 And sometimes it worried him that he was controlled by the information that made it to his desk； rather as the press decided what the public saw； and thus had a hand in deciding what the public thought about the various issues of the day。
So； Jack； have you been captured by your bureaucracy； too？ It was hard to know； hard to tell； and hard to decide how to change the situation； if the situation existed in the first place。
Maybe that's why Arnie likes me to get out of this building to where the real people are； Jack realized。
The more difficult problem was that Ryan was a foreign…policy and national…security expert。 In those areas he felt the most petent。 It was on domestic stuff that he felt disconnected and dumb。 Part of that came from his personal wealth。 He'd never worried about the cost of a loaf of bread or a quart of milk … all the more so in the White House； where you never saw milk in a quart container anyway； but only in a chilled glass on a silver tray； carried by a Navy steward's mate right to your hands while you sat in your easy chair。 There were people out there who did worry about such things； or at least worried about the cost of putting little Jimmy through college； and Ryan； as President； had to concern himself with their worries。 He had to try to keep the economy in balance so that they could earn their decent livings； could go to Disney World in the summer； and the football games in the fall； and splurge to make sure there were plenty of presents under the Christmas tree every year。
But how the hell was he supposed to do that？ Ryan remembered a lament attributed to the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus。 On learning that he'd been declared a god； and that temples had been erected to him； and that people sacrificed to the statues of himself in those temples； Augustus angrily inquired： When someone prays to me to cure his gout； what am I supposed to do？ The fundamental issue was how much government policy really had to do with reality。 That was a question seldom posed in Washington even by conservatives who ideologically despised the government and everything it did in domestic terms； though they were often in favor of showing the flag and rattling the national saber overseas … exactly why they enjoyed this Ryan had never thought about。 Perhaps just to be different from liberals who flinched from the exercise of force like a vampire from the cross； but who； like vampires； liked to extend government as far as they could get away with into the lives of everyone； and so suck their blood … in reality； use the instrument of taxation to take more and more to pay for the more and more they would have the government do。
And yet the economy seemed to move on； regardless of what government did。 People found their jobs； most of them in the private sector； providing goods and services for which people paid voluntarily with their after…tax money。 And yet 〃public service〃 was a phrase used almost exclusively by and about political figures； almost always the elected sort。 Didn't everyone out there serve the public in one way or another？ Physicians； teachers； firefighters； pharmacists。 Why did the media say it was just Ryan and Robby Jackson； and the 535 elected members of the Congress？ He shook his head。
Damn。 Okay； I know how I got here； but why the hell did I allow myself to run for election？ Jack asked himself。 It had made Arnie happy。 It had even made the media happy … perhaps because they loved him as a target？ the President asked himself … and Cathy had not been cross with him about it。 But why the hell had he ever allowed himself to be stampeded into this？ He fundamentally didn't know what he was supposed to do as President。 He had no real agenda； and sort of bumped along from day to day。 Making tactical decisions （for which he was singularly unqualified） instead of large strategic ones。 There was nothing important he really wanted to change about his country。 Oh； sure； there were a few problems to be fixed。 Tax policy needed rewriting； and he was letting George Winston ramrod that。 And Defense needed firming up； and he had Tony Bretano working on that。 He had a Presidential mission looking at health…care policy； which his wife； actually； was overseeing in a distant way； along with some of her Hopkins colleagues； and all of that was kept quiet。 And there was that very black look at Social Security； being guided by Winston and Mark Gant。
The 〃third rail of American politics；〃 he thought again。 Step on it and die。 But Social Security was something the American people really cared about； not for what it was； but for what they wrongly thought it to be … and； actually； they knew that their thoughts were wrong； judging by the polling data。 As thoroughly mismanaged as any financial institution could possibly be； it was still part of a government promise made by the representatives of the people to the people。 And somehow； despite all the cynicism out there … which was considerable … the average Joe Citizen really did trust his government to keep its word。 The problem was that union chiefs and industrialists who'd dipped into pension funds and gone to federal prison for it had done nothing pared to what succeeding Congresses had done to Social Security … but the advantage of a crook in Congress was that he or she was not a crook； not legally。 After all； Congress made the law。 Congress made government policy； and those things couldn't be wrong； could they？ Yet another proof that the drafters of the Constitution had made one simple but far…reaching error。 They'd assum