Chapter 12
Peyton steered his colleague toward Josh Lyman. It took several minutes to get
through the surrounding group of people, but Peyton finally got Josh’s attention.
“Josh Lyman, this is Rosita Sanchez.” Peyton introduced them. “Rose has worked
several initiatives with me and has media contacts most of us only dream of.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Sanchez.” Josh shook her hand.
“Rose, please, and the pleasure is all mine. You’re something of a legend in this
business.” Rose revealed.
Josh barked out a laugh. “I may ask you to sign a statement to that effect as proof for
my wife.”
“I’m sure she’s aware of that already.” Rose stated. “I asked Peyton to introduce us
because I want to work for you on this campaign.”
“You want to help Sam Seaborn get elected Governor?” Josh clarified.
Rose shrugged. “He seems like a decent man and a solid candidate. With your
experience and my contacts we can put him in the Governor’s office.”
“Oh, WE can?” Josh smirked and looked over at Peyton who smiled wryly.
“Yes.” Rose answered simply. Josh gave her a penetrating stare.
“I’m a little tied up today.” He said pointedly looking over his shoulder at the President.
“Talk to Fred about setting up an appointment tomorrow afternoon.”
“Who’s Fred?” Rose asked Peyton after Josh left them alone.
“His deputy.” Peyton replied. “I told you he’d be a tough sell. Josh Lyman isn’t exactly
what you’d call a trusting soul.”
“I told you; all I needed was the introduction. I can handle the sale.” Rose guaranteed.
Peyton looked at his colleague at little more closely. Rosita was good at her job, there
was no doubt about it, but he could never quite shake the feeling that her interest in
issues and people was more self-serving than anything else.
*******************************************
“You handled that like a pro.” Helen commented once she and Sam were back in their
car.
“Practice, practice, practice.” Sam replied.
“Tell me we’re heading back to meet Ainsley and Matt now.” The First Lady requested.
“We’re headed back to meet Ainsley and Matt now.” Sam dutifully answered. “But we
have a long drive yet.”
“I got to meet your father last night.” Helen mentioned. “He seemed to be enjoying
himself.”
“He always does.” Sam said snidely, then immediately regretted it. “My father and
I…haven’t been close for awhile. We’re still working our way back from the precipice.”
“You should talk to Matt sometime about black sheep relatives. His brother has
caused more than his share of trouble for Matt and the rest of the family. And yet,
when push comes to shove, Matt always invites him back for more.”
“Do you disagree with that, Ma’am?” Sam asked.
“Not at all; or at least, not much. I tend to get angrier on Matt’s behalf than Matt gets
himself. In the end, he’s Matt’s brother and when it comes to family, we need to be a
little more compassionate than we would be with anyone else. I think it’s great that you’
re trying to make amends with your dad. Now that you have Caitlin, you understand
how important that father/child bond is.”
“You aren’t kidding.” Sam muttered. “Kids bring a lot of perspective with them, don’t
they? Look at Josh and Donna. Normally, nothing comes before a political campaign,
but when it’s Ben or the new baby, they’d drop everything.”
“Do you disagree with that, Sam?” Helen asked.
“Josh has been one of my best friends for years. He’s a brilliant politician who’s had
amazing experiences on his resume, but the one thing he never had was that
personal stake in the game…until Donna joined the campaign. Now, I watch him with
Donna and Ben…and I’m glad he’s got more in his life than politics.”
It was nearly 7 when they re-grouped with Matt, Ainsley, and Josh at the labor rally.
They had an amazing turnout and the energy was at fever pitch. By 9, Peyton was
attempting to move them toward an exit and Sam realized he hadn’t seen Josh for
awhile. The reason for his disappearance was made evident when they got in the
limo. Josh was watching a tape and talking into his cell phone at the same time.
“When did it start airing?...I want a copy of their ad buys emailed to me
immediately…No, nothing came up at the rally, but everyone there hadn’t been near a
TV for hours and there was no press inside…Right, bye.” Josh hung up. “A local 527
bought airtime in the 6 major markets and they’re running an ad featuring you and
President Santos. Reportedly, they’ve got a follow up ad featuring you and President
Bartlet.”
“Saying what?” Sam asked point blank.
“I’ve got a copy.” Josh replied and hit play.
“Sam Seaborn has had political history most men only dream of; White House Deputy
Communications Director under President Bartlet and White House Deputy Chief of
Staff under President Santos. Now he wants to bring his Washington ‘experience’ to
California; experience in catering to unions, experience in pushing left wing social
agendas, and experience in corruption. Tell Sam Seaborn and the California
Democrats that’s the kind of experience we will do without.” There was a photo of Sam
and President Santos, arm and arm in the background and an overlay of statistics
from the Santos administration in the foreground.
“Josh Lyman.” Josh answered his phone. “Yeah, I’m showing him now. I’ll call you back
in 5.” Josh closed his cell again. “That was Toby. He’s drafting something now for you
to look at.”
“You want to issue an immediate response? Isn’t that giving these wacko’s a little too
much credence?” Sam questioned.
“Who are theses people? The Progress for America Voter Fund?” Ainsley demanded
quoting the sponsor of the ad mentioned at the end.
“They’re a 527 that’s closely tied to the Republican National Committee.” Josh
answered Ainsley first. “We have to answer it immediately. Ignoring it is what will give it
credence.”
“As much as it pains me to admit it, Josh is right.” Santos joked. “You have to respond
now. That way the rebuttal will be aired on free media when the news comes on at 10.
The stories will run side by side and take the wind out of their sails.”
“Okay, then what do we say?” Sam asked the group at large.
Josh got back on the phone and put Toby on speaker. “Whatcha got Tobias?”
Toby read them a pithy slap down statement that began with Sam’s selfless
Government service and ended with an unequivocal demand for a change in the
regulations around 527 political groups.
“Sounds good.” Josh determined. “Sam?”
“Yeah, okay.” Sam shook his head. “We’d better have a response for the Bartlet add,
too.”
“Working on it.” Toby called out right before he hung up.
“I just got the numbers from Fred on the ad buys.” Josh announced while he read the
email on his Blackberry. “They’re going to be plastering the airwaves with them over
the next 48 hours.”
“Why so heavy on the next 2 days?” Helen asked.
“Strategically, I’m guessing they want to negate the free media we’ve been riding from
the visit by the President and First Lady.” Josh noted.
“You’re getting painted with the Santos/Baker brush.” The President chimed in. “If you
need to take a giant step back at this point; then that’s what you do now, Sam.”
Sam took a minute to appreciate the symmetry in that President Bartlet once gave him
the same advice when Sam left to run in the 47th.
“That’s not the kind of campaign I’m interested in running, Mr. President.” Sam said
sincerely. “I believe in the things we did together in the White House and I have no
problem saying so.”
President Santos smiled wryly and nodded his head. “Then come out swinging and hit
him hard.”
They saw the President and First Lady off at the airport before Josh went back to the
office. Billy Fernandez was hard at work even though it was after midnight.
“Fred. You’ve got tape for me on the 10 o’clock news?” Josh asked when he came in.
“It’s cued up in your office. All the locals carried it and 2 cable channels picked it up,
too.” Billy reported.
“Thanks.” Josh shut the door to his office and watched the tape Billy had edited
together for him. It seemed to play well, but he’d have to wait for new polling to see if
either side got any traction from this. He put his head down on his desk for a minute
and cursed the fact that Donna wasn’t there with him. He wasn’t used to having to do
this without her and he wasn’t sure how he’d manage to get through this on his own. It
was going to be a long 3 months.