Girl Power (6 page)

couple years ago. How are you, Ms. Rollins?"

Lindy took his hand. "I'm fine, call me Lindy, please."

"All right. Have a seat Lindy, Brenda. What would you like to drink?"

After they'd received their drinks and placed their orders, Lindy got down

to business. "Brenda said you told her that you could help us get the word out about SAFE. We are curious. What exactly do you have in mind?"

Mickey dipped a chip in the salsa bowl and lifted it toward his mouth.

"First, let me say, I think this is an awesome, no make that a revolutionary idea—

a political party based strictly upon gender equality."

"No Mickey. That's not what we're about. True, after a year of vicious

unending attacks on women's rights from the right, that's a main issue with

SAFE, but we won't be classified as a one issue party."

Mickey frowned. "What are you then?"

"We intend to be America's third party, sitting right between the

Democratic Party and the GOP—reasonable and practical. It's what America

needs, should have had all along and we intend to fill that need. Tell me Mickey, if there had been a third party, do you think Congress would be in gridlock? The way Congress is set up, with two parties somewhat equally represented and one

party says no, there's nothing the other party can do—gridlock."

"Yeah, seems like that's what we have."

Lindy sipped her margarita. "No 'seems like' about it. If one party stands

lock, stock and barrel with arms across their chest, haughtily sticking their chins out, and saying no, nothing can or will happen, nothing will. No matter how

reasonable or necessary the legislation is, it's doomed."

"That's exactly what's happening."

"And the funny thing is if the Republicans were to get control of the Senate with less than sixty seats, the Democrats would probably do the same thing

back—tick for tack."

Brenda, who'd been quiet as a mouse, said, "I get what you're saying. If

none of the parties has a majority they can't pass legislation by themselves so

they would be forced to get support from the other parties."

"That's right. What's the most important problem facing the country right

now. Brenda?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, there're so many. I guess jobs."

"Fair enough. What do you think, Mickey?"

Mickey set his elbows on the table and twined his fingers. "Brenda's right, that's very important, but so is the deficit. The country is getting in so deep we may never get out."

Lindy grinned. "Brenda is a former democrat. Are you by any chance, a

republican?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm more of an independent."

"Hmm. Well, I agree with both of you, out of dozens of problems America

faces those are huge and one works against the other. That's why the parties can't agree. One sees jobs as the answer and to speed up their creation want to spend

money, while the other wants to curb spending—even make cuts, which actually

creates more unemployment and more debt."

Mickey leaned back. "Yep, that's the way things are."

Brenda scrunched her nose. "That's terrible."

"I know. Here they are fighting and squabbling and neither party represents the largest block of voters."

Mickey's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Your party, or should I say your un-party—the independents—are the

largest block of voters, and your un-party is virtually unrepresented in

Congress."

Mickey leaned back against the cushions and smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're

right. We are unrepresented, but independents aren't monolithic. They run the

gamut from socialist to fascist."

Lindy pushed the issue. "True, but polls show most fall in the middle, like you. If successful, SAFE, could change things. I believe our members will come

from the moderate sector of the republican wing, with some liberal and

progressive democratic women, but most of all, independent women."

Mickey signaled time out. "Whoa, don't write men off. I'll bet lots of men

would be interested in a middle-of-the-road party. I probably would."

"Good. I guarantee you, we would always vote on the merits of the

legislation in question and we would never order our politicians to vote a certain way. What's more, we would not allow our members to sign some lobbyist's

special interest pledge. Now, how do you propose to help us?"

"I think Brenda makes a fantastic spokeswoman for your movement. I

would merely like to offer my expertise. I sent your press release out to all major news services, publications, and media centers late last night so I wouldn't be

surprised if word of your movement is beginning to filter out. SAFE is not big

news yet. It will take time to build credibility. But once you get going it'll be like a freight train barreling through the media."

Lindy took a quick sip of her margarita. "Any suggestions?"

"Certainly. That's where I come in. I will keep your name in the forefront.

"Is Ms. Cummings available for interviews?"

"Of course."

"What about you?"

She shrugged. "If need be."

"Do you have other candidates, yet?"

Lindy pursed her lips. "Not yet, but we hope to."

Mickey leaned forward, elbows on table, and stared intently at Lindy.

"Okay, here's what I want. I want to be your media coordinator."

Lindy's blue eyes narrowed. "Have you ever done anything like that?"

Mickey flipped a hand as if to flip away the question. "No, but I can do it and I can make Brenda's life easier."

She sighed. "I don't know."

"Try me for a month. If you're not happy with what I've done, get someone

else." Lindy held out her hand. "All right. One month, then we'll evaluate."

Mickey grinned and took her hand. "You won't be sorry.

Chapter Four – Day Four

There is no one more vicious on their own than conservative women on

conservative women. -
Nicole Wallace

Sally's intercom buzzed. "Yes, Millie?"

"You have a call from Madelene Wilson on line one."

"Thank you. I'll take it." Sally counted to ten before answering. "Good morning, Maddy."

"Hi, Sal. Long time."

"It has. What've you been up to?"

She laughed. "Not much, but it looks like I can't say the same about you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean your women's party. Word is getting out. You're on the internet.

There's even a small article in this morning's Herald."

"Really, I hadn't noticed. I guess I'd better look."

"Yeah, you'd better. Is it going to fly?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your women's party. Is it going to fly?"

"We're going to try our best. Is there something you want?"

"Sally, I know we didn't always get along, but I always admired your skills."

"Well, we sat on opposite sides of the aisle. Actually, I felt the same about you. You're a good politician, Maddy."

"Was. I was a good politician."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I'll be frank with you. My party doesn't want pro-choice moderates any

more. I was looking to keep my seat as an independent, when I discovered

something better, your new SAFE party. Great acronym by the way. What does it

stand for again?"

"Stand Aligned For Equality."

"I love it. I went to your website and was impressed. Sally, I want in. Are you accepting former republican politicians as candidates?"

"For the House?"

"Ah-huh."

"Maddy, we'd love to have you."

About an hour after Sally hung up, her intercom buzzed again.

"Yes, Millie?"

"You have a call from Dixie Jenkins."

Dixie Jenkins? Who's she? "Ask her what she wants."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Sally thumbed through an appropriation bill she'd received the day before.

"Sally."

"Yes, Millie."

"She wants to join the party and run for office."

"Thank you. I'll take the call, but if anyone else calls, take a message."

"Sally Cummings, can I help you?"

The woman on the end of the line spoke in a singsong, southern accent. "I

hope so. My name is Dixie Jenkins and I am a currently a representative in the

Lower House of the great state of Virginia."

"Yes, Ms. Jenkins, what can I do for you?"

"I'm interested in running for the House of Representatives under your new

party's banner."

"Really. Tell me more."

After Dixie explained her background and reasoning, Sally asked, "Dixie, do you have an email address?"

"Certainly."

"I'll email a couple forms for you to fill out. Email them back a.s.a.p. and we'll get back with you. What is your email address?"

"d-i-x-j-e-n-k-i-n-s at live dot com."

"Thank you, Dixie. We'll get that right out to you, and thanks for calling."

After ending the call, Sally went into the reception area. "Millie, I'm going to see Lindy. Take messages."

"Yes Ma'am. Here's another call that came in, from a Florence Petersen in St Paul, Minnesota."

"Let me have it. Keep taking messages. I'm going to run over to Lindy's for a minute."

"Hi Lindy."

Lindy glanced up. "What brings you to my humble abode?"

"This." Sally flipped the message on Lindy's desk.

She picked it up. "Florence Petersen, D, MN, wants to join, run for U.S.

Senate." She looked up. "What's wrong with this?"

"Nothing, except now that word is out, it's the third call I received in little more than an hour. Did you put my name and number out?"

Lindy pursed lips sideways. "Yes. You are the president of SAFE and our

most visible person."

Sally frowned. "That's fine. Put my name out, but I'm an elected official. I shouldn't take calls about SAFE in my congressional office. Have them call

someone else, like you."

Lindy raised her hands. "I can't. I'm too busy working on SAFE, for my

regular clients and now your Senate campaign. I'll tell you what I can do

though."

Lindy handed two sheets of paper to Sally. "What this?"

"A lease for our SAFE National Committee office."

"Committee office?"

"Certainly, you realize if we're going to be a credible party we have to have a large Comittee office."

"And it's…?"

"In a mostly vacant office building in Silver Spring, near Washington D.C ."

"Jesus, we need people and you hand me a big empty building."

"We'll get the people, but we need someplace for them to be and go."

Sally started to read the lease. "Hmm, good location, twenty thousand feet.

My God, the place is huge. How will we ever fill it?"

"Too small is a problem, too big is a blessing."

"Oh my God! The rent." Sally lowered the lease. "We can't afford this. The rent is twenty thousand a month."

"No, that's what the rent would be if it wasn't the owner's charitable

deduction. The only thing the office will cost us is the utilities, which I

understand will still be fairly substantial."

"Who's the owner?"

Lindy shrugged. "Don't know him. Kelly brought this in not an hour ago.

The owner is a friend of Kelly's husband named William Jones. From what Kelly

says, the building has been vacant for over a year and Jones will at least get a write off with us in there." She lifted and jangled a ring with at least a dozen keys. "It's only twenty miles away. Wanna go look?"

Meandering through the one story office building, Sally turned to her

friend. "Lindy this building is a…effing mess."

Lindy grasped Sally's arm. Yes, but it's virtually in D.C. and costs us

nothing."

Sally's eyes began to water. "It doesn't matter. There's graffiti & vandalism and it's a big old barn. No offices, no furniture. I wouldn't know where to start."

"We start by sectioning off an area…say four thousand feet by the entrance

into a reception area, a call center with cubicles, a conference room, a break room and a couple offices."

"And how do we furnish it?"

"With donated or loaned office furniture. What we can't borrow or beg, we

buy. We're not broke, we have money and we have money coming in."

Sally took a deep breath. "All right, let's go for broke. I'm counting on you to make this fly."

"With a little help from our friends and members, I will. Wait a minute, I

have a text."

Lindy, where are you? All hell is breaking loose.

Call me, Brenda

"Christ! It's from Brenda. She says all hell has broken loose and wants me to call." Lindy punched in Brenda's number and waited for her to answer.

"Lindy, I need you. A barrage of hits caused our web site to crash and

Twitter and Facebook are going absolutely nuts."

"I don't understand. Is something causing this?"

"You might say that. You know that nutty right wing talk show guy?"

"Which one, there're so many and they're all nutty?"

"The big one—the pope of the Republican Party."

"Oh him. What about him?"

"It's all over the news. He started ranting and raving about some poor

Georgetown University law student, calling her a slut and prostitute and a whole lot more. Lindy, I've never seen everyone so mad. Men and women, but mostly

women. I swear, if he were to wander into a crowd of these women he could get

torn to pieces."

"That's good."

"You want to see him killed?"

"Hmm, have to think about that one. I guess not. No honey, it's good for

us." "I'll say. We signed three thousand new members this morning, but we're not getting any now because the site crashed."

"I'm on my way."

"What's happening?" Sally asked.

"Our website crashed. I'll explain on the way back."

~ * * ~