Chapter 4
"I don't think we're to that part of our agenda yet,
Lou." Josh kept his voice even.
"I think that should be the only thing on our agenda right now,
Joshua." Lou countered.
"Listen, it's for a House seat out of Minnesota. It's not a
big deal and it won't take a lot of our resources. I'll take
responsibility for it."
"Regardless of the fact that it's a House seat in the upper
mid-west it's still going to take a chunk of change and
resources." Allen Parker chimed in. Allen was their number expert;
polling numbers, budget numbers, you name it…Allen could have it
dissected on a powerpoint spreadsheet faster that you could say
actuarial scientist.
"It's a drop in the bucket for us." Josh argued.
"I hate to pile on here, but if you're determined to have a hand
in this race, though for the life of me I can't figure out why you
would, why not take on Taylor as a client? I've already had a call
from the DNC. Tom said you gave him some story about hockey?" Mandy
Hampton-Torrance asked. As the Chief media strategist for Lyman Campaign
Consulting she too, was very curious about Josh's interest in this
race and in this candidate.
"I think everyone is getting a little too wound up here." Josh
tried again.
"And damn it, that's your job, right Josh?" Donna teased
from her position across the desk from her husband. They had the
speakerphone on and Ben was sitting near them listening in, but had
orders not to speak. Donna figured he'd keep that promise another 3
minutes unless someone said something negative to say about Julie
Peterson. Her son seemed to have quite a crush.
"Right…" Josh drawled.
"We didn't like Taylor?" Toby, their speech advisor guessed.
"After interviewing him, Ben declared he was a tool, Toby. Any idea
where he might have learned that phrase?" Josh threw out.
"Nah-uh." Toby lied without a moment's hesitation.
"Regardless of the phrase used, I concur with the sentiment."
Liz added. "The man is NOT a team player." Liz had been the
office manager and wearer of 50 different hats since they first opened
their doors soon after Sam was elected Governor. She was an honorary
Lyman.
"Then again I ask, why are we even in this? Do you have a dog in
this fight we don't know about, Josh?" Lou asked.
"No…the DNC asked me, asked us, to take a look at the race."
Josh reminded her.
"They asked you to look at Taylor." Lou countered. "You want
to explain how Peterson became part of this equation?"
Josh took a minute to put his thoughts together and caught the anxious
expression on his son's face. "It doesn't matter how she got
into the equation; she's in it now. I've met with her, I've
interviewed her and based on my experience and intuition she's the
right candidate to run and she'll never make it through the
primaries without our help. I'd like to have a consensus on taking
this client on our list."
Although it was a democracy in the company, Josh knew he could plow
right through them if he wanted too; nobody would fight him over a House
seat from Minnesota if he really pushed. But his team had never worked
like that, and he didn't intend to start now.
"Fine with me." Toby threw his vote in, hoping Josh and Donna
would forget he'd taught Ben how to use the word `tool' as a
human descriptor.
"Do you want me to put together some fundraising options?" Peter
Torrance asked, tacitly giving a `yea' vote. Peter was more of
an introvert, especially in contrast to his wife Mandy, but get him in a
room full of donors and he could gather more money than a leprechaun.
"I can put together some stuff for you to look at in a day or two,
but I'll need her full bio." Mandy promised. "Are you going
to cover opposition research?"
Ben's head popped up in surprise.
"Yeah, I'll take it." Josh agreed.
"I'll start pulling stats for the district in Minnesota."
Allen spoke up.
"Liz?" Josh polled his office manager.
"I only met her briefly, but Ben gave her the thumbs up and I trust
the kid." Liz replied and earned the undying gratitude of the oldest
Lyman child who was beaming.
"This is how we're picking candidates now?" Lou asked the
group at large.
"You should have seen how he picked Santos." Donna gave her
husband a warm smile. "You know I'm in."
"Fine. Take on Peterson." Lou gave in. "But it better not
end up on my plate, is all I'm saying."
"Great. Thanks team." Josh said and his smile matched his
son's. "Allen, Lou told me you have good numbers from Virginia
for me?"
"That I do. The numbers there are showing a definite shift in our
favor. The tide is turning."
"That's all you Madeleine!" Josh tossed out the kudos.
"Thank you, thank you. I'd like to thanks all the little
people-" Mandy began.
"Shut up." Toby cut her off. "Plus, don't I get any
credit? I worked the speeches."
"Yes, but you also taught my son to use the word `tool' to
describe people he doesn't care for." Donna replied.
"Fair point." Toby muttered.
"Anything else?" Josh queried and several other pieces of
business were brought up, debated, and settled before they ended the
call.
"Why are you running opposition research on Julie?" Ben asked as
soon as his father hung up.
"It's a standard part of each campaign, Ben. You know that."
Donna reminded him.
"But Julie didn't do anything bad. I know it." Ben objected.
"She's the real thing, right Dad?"
"It's pretty tough to get as old as we are and not have
something we regret doing in our past." Josh answered carefully.
"I have things I regret doing."
"Me too." Donna added.
"But if they're the real thing…"
"Believe me Ben, even the people who are the `real thing'
make mistakes. Nobody is perfect." Josh let his mind drift back to
when he was told about the M.S.
Ben let that idea sink in for a minute. "Are you going to call her?
Today?"
"Yep, that's the next order of business." Josh responded.
"We'll invite her to come back in tomorrow and start the ball
rolling."
"But I'll be in school tomorrow."
"I know." Josh replied simply.
"But I could really help!" Ben protested.
"And you will, but not tomorrow; school comes first. There'll be
other meetings and trips to Minnesota as well."
Ben nodded dejectedly and got up to leave.
"Where are you going?" Donna asked him.
"I'm going to start researching." Ben called back over his
shoulder. "I need to know more about hockey. It's a really big
thing there."
"That is SO your child." Josh accused.
"Are you kidding? With that ego? He's all you." Donna shot
back. "You do realize that even with our help, Julie Peterson is a
long shot, right?"
"That's the part that worries me a bit." Josh admitted.
"Afraid of taking a loss there, Joshua?" Donna taunted.
"I can handle a loss. I've handled all kinds of them." Josh
refuted.
"Then this is about Ben?"
"Yeah." Josh nodded. "He's really taken with her.
I'm worried he may be a little too taken with her."
"Well, it's true that Lyman men are easily ensorcelled."
Donna quipped.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Josh protested.
"Want me to talk to him?" Donna offered.
"No. I think this may be a guy thing." Josh said sullenly.
"You could start on the opposition research, though."
"So when you said you'd cover that?"
"I may have been overstating things a bit." Josh smiled and his
dimples did the rest.
"You're lucky I love you, Lyman." Donna said as she moved
over to the computer.
"Don't I know it?" Josh said before he planted a grateful
kiss on her cheek and went in search of his son.
***********************************************
"Good morning, Ms. Peterson." Liz greeted her the next day.
"Julie, please, and you're Liz, right?" Julie confirmed as
they walked back to Josh's office.
"Yes. Would you like something to drink?"
"Some water would be great. My mouth has been dry since Mr. Lyman
called me last night."
"He DOES have that effect on people." Liz laughed. "Rachel,
would you grab a bottle of water for Ms. Peterson? She'll be in with
Josh. Thanks."
"It's a lot busier around here today." Julie noted.
"Our work here requires different scheduling than most offices, so
almost everyone is on some sort of flexible schedule. But on Monday
mornings, everyone gathers for staff so we are all up to date on
what's going on for the week. That's why it looks so crowded
today." Liz knocked briefly and opened Josh's door. "Welcome
aboard."
"Thanks." Julie smiled gratefully and entered Josh's office
once more.
"Good morning, Mr. Lyman." Julie smiled nervously.
"If we're going to be working together you better start calling
me Josh. Have a seat."
His door opened again and Julie saw the bottle of water she'd
requested in the hand of Donna Moss-Lyman. Julie hadn't met the
woman before, but she'd certainly seen her enough on television to
recognize Josh's business partner and wife.
"Hi Julie, I'm Donna. I believe you asked for some water?"
"Yes, thanks. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"We're very excited about your run; in fact I think our son is
considering moving to Minnesota and getting a fake ID just so he can
vote for you." Donna smiled.
"He's a very charming young man; quite articulate too."
"It's sort of a family trait….the articulate part not
necessarily the charm." Donna quipped and threw a look at her
husband who smirked but didn't respond immediately. As Julie
observed their interaction she couldn't help but notice the love
that was palpable between them and hoped that someday she might be on
the receiving end of a look like that.
"It's really a matter of self-preservation at our house."
Josh informed Julie. "We have some papers to go over; a contract,
some information on the details of how we work, names/phone
numbers/email addresses, but the first thing I will say is this: I
demand honesty from the candidates we work for. If something has
happened in the past or does happen in the future that could affect your
campaign, I need to be your first call. As I was explained to Ben, we
never get to adulthood without making mistakes or having regrets about
something we said or did. Those aren't problems for me. I can work
those things out when I know about them in advance. If I'm
blindsided by something you've left out, then we're done.
Understood?"
"Yes." Julie said quietly.
"Okay. We're going to get the wheels started moving on your
announcement and the paperwork ready for filing day. Your first job is
to think carefully over your entire life and list out ANYTHING you think
might be relevant to this campaign or useful to your opposition.
We'll be doing the same at this end, then we'll go over it
together."
"Got it." Julie replied.
"Your second job is to get plenty of sleep, see your friends and
family, and enjoy a quiet book curled up in front of your fireplace in
Minnesota because once you file, you won't get a chance to do any of
that for a long time."
"Way to get her excited there, Joshua."
"Do I not speak the truth, Donnatella?"
"I'm just saying you could couch it a little differently so that
she doesn't feel she's being sent off the plank."
"A dose of reality is required here. That's what I think."
"I can see that. The smoke is still coming out of your ears."
Donna's sweet smile belied her words. "Maybe you could practice
some of the diplomatic skills you worked so hard to acquire in your
position as Chief of Staff."
"I think that supply has been exhausted. There is nothing I take
more seriously than-"
"a political campaign. I know. We ALL know." Donna rolled her
eyes. "Julie, do you have any questions for us?"
Julie was momentarily startled by the question directed to her after
getting sucked into the rapid fire back and forth between Donna and
Josh.
"About a million of them." Julie laughed nervously. "But
I'll wait until after I read through all of this before I bombard
you."
"Take your time and go through it. We can meet back here at
4:30?" Josh suggested.
"Okay." Julie stood up with the armful of papers Josh had given
her.
"I know it seems overwhelming. Just take it one step at a time and
think it through carefully. It's a big commitment." Donna
advised.
"Thanks. I'll do just that." Julie shook both their hands.
"I appreciate you giving me this opportunity."
"You'll be earning it." Josh assured her. "We're
glad to be working with you."
Donna waited until Julie closed the door behind her before she turned on
her husband.
"4:30 Joshua?" Donna asked.
"Did you see the pile of stuff I sent with her? She's going to
need most of the day to go through it."
"So you were just thinking of HER?"
"Who else would I be thinking of?" Josh started picking up
things on his desk; one of his classic `tells'.
"I just thought it was ironic that you chose the same time Ben gets
home from school." Donna noted.
"Oh? Yeah, I guess you're right. He does get home at 4:30. Lucky
break for him, huh?" Josh continued to re-arrange items on his desk.
"Very lucky." Donna smirked and exited without any other
comment.