Lady Justice and the Candidate (6 page)

    “I ain’t much on speakin’, but I wanted folks to know how I felt ‘bout Mr. Walt.

    “Ain’t many men dat would take a black man who had lost his way off de street an’ give him a home an’ a job.

    “Mr. Walt done all dat and even mo’, he be my best friend. I gonna miss him too.”

    Dad was the next to step up.

    “I hate to admit it, but I wasn’t there for Walt when he was growing up. I was a terrible father, but Walt somehow managed without me. Maybe it was because I was such a bad example.

    “A parent isn’t supposed to have to bury his child and today I regret all of those years we could have had together, but as I stand here today, I can say that I’m proud of the man my son became in spite of me.

    “These past two years since he took me into his home have been the happiest of my life and I will treasure them forever.”

    After Mary and the Professor said kind words that brought tears to my eyes, I thought that this part of the service was about over, and I was surprised when a figure rose from among the officers --- Lincoln Murdock!

    Murdock had been my nemesis from my very first day on the job. He resented an old guy carrying a badge and he went out of his way to make my life as miserable as possible.

    It wasn’t until Ox picked the guy up by the collar and slammed him against the wall that he began to back off.

    While we never became buddies, his sarcastic remarks had diminished over the years.

    “I can be a real ass sometimes --- oh, sorry, pastor, --- and I wasn’t very kind to Walt Williams. I thought the department had made a mistake starting the City Retiree Action Patrol. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

    “Walt, Vince and Ed Jacobs, all members of the Patrol, were men I have been proud to serve with and now two of them have given their lives in the line of duty.

    “I just want to publicly apologize to Walt for the way I treated him. I just wish I would have done it while he was alive.”

    Somehow, Murdock’s words meant as much or more than anything that had been said up to that point. It meant that I had been accepted by the worst of my critics and that I had the respect of my fellow officers, and that was very special.

    When Murdock took his seat, Maggie rose from her seat.

    You could hear a gasp from the congregation. No one expected the grieving widow to speak.

    “Everyone here today will miss Walt Williams --- no one more than me.

    “While we mourn his loss we can take comfort in the fact that he gave his life doing what he loved the most.

    “A few months ago, I was giving Walt grief because he wanted to take on another one of those bone-headed undercover assignments. I just couldn’t understand why he would want to risk losing everything we had together for the job.

    “I’ll always remember his words,
‘I’m sixty-eight years old and a couple of years ago, I thought that my contributing days were over. I figured that all that was left was social security and maybe three days a week as a greeter at BuyMart.

    ‘Then this came along.

    ‘We did something good tonight. We took two dangerous drug dealers off the streets and just a few days ago, we saved a baby’s life and delivered him back to his parents.

    ‘How many guys my age get to do something like that?’

    “He was right, of course.

    “Just recently, a woman that I admire very much said of her husband, who is very much like Walt, ‘he is a man of passion and what is life without passion?’

    “Walt’s philosophy was that we are all going to die sometime, so if we are going to die it might as well count for something.

    “Walt gave his life for something that counted and something he believed in. We should all be so fortunate.

    “I love the man with all my heart and I’m proud to be his wife.”

    Helen leaned over and patted my shoulder, “You’ve got something pretty special there.”

    When Maggie was seated, the bagpipes played
Amazing Grace,
as is the custom at officer funerals.

    As the strains of the beautiful hymn filled the sanctuary, the camera panned the mourners.

    Tears were streaming down Ox’s face and I was thankful that Judy was there to comfort him.

    Two officers folded the flag that had been draped over the casket and stood at attention as the bugler sounded taps.

    Captain Short saluted and presented the flag to Maggie as the report of twenty-one rifles was heard from the courtyard.

    When the service concluded, Ben took my hand.

    “I think we found exactly the right person for this job. It’s an honor to serve with you.”

CHAPTER 6

    Now that Walt Williams had been officially laid to rest, it was time to get to the business at hand.

    Ben’s campaign had scheduled a rally at the Sprint Center for the day after my funeral.

    Again, closed circuit TV cameras had been set up with a live feed into my hotel suite. This event had been designed as a crash course for me to observe what my role was to be for the next four months and to learn the platform on which Ben was running.

    Participants were being charged $25.00 a head to help defray the cost of the rally and from the looks of the line that had formed outside the Center, the cost hadn’t been a deterrent.

    It seemed that voters were fed up with 'politics as usual.' The public had just been subjected to five months of political wrangling as candidates slung mud at one another in the Republican primary.

    Now that a frontrunner had emerged, the Republican victor and the incumbent President were squaring off for another four months of bare-knuckle politics.

    The problem was that the Democrat’s first term in office had been less than stellar and the Republican challenger was not widely accepted by his own party or by the populace at large.

    What loomed on the horizon was another
presidential race where voters would find themselves, once again, casting their ballots for 'the lesser of two evils.'

    Word of the upstart candidate from Montana had spread quickly through the social media.

    Posts on Facebook and Twitter had quickly made Ben Foster a person of great interest among voters looking for a viable alternative to the two candidates that had been thrust upon them.

    When the Center was filled to capacity, Paul Ford took the podium and a hush fell in the huge auditorium.

    “Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m guessing that some of you are here just out of curiosity to see, in person, the man that is foolish enough to take on the two political machines that control our country, but I’m also guessing that many of you are here because you are dissatisfied with the choice of candidates that will be on the ballot in November and you’re desperately looking for a viable alternative.”

    A round of applause arose from the audience.

    “That’s why I’m here tonight too, and after you hear what this man has to say, I think you will find, as I did, that in November, there
WILL
be a candidate that is capable of leading this great nation.

    “Please welcome the next President of the United States, Benjamin Franklin Foster!”

    Ben took the stage and acknowledged the polite applause of his audience.

    “Thank you for coming tonight. Your presence here is proof that democracy is alive and well in Missouri.

    “You have had four long years to get to know the Democratic candidate and at least five months to know his Republican challenger, but most of you know absolutely nothing about me. I plan to change that tonight.

    “I think that the best way to get started is to tell you how I feel about this nation. When I look at America today, I compare it to that magnificent ocean-going vessel, the Titanic.

    “In its day, it was the largest and most eloquent passenger liner afloat and was sought after by the powerful and elite of the world. It was designed to be the last word in comfort and luxury, with an on-board gymnasium, swimming pool, libraries, high-class restaurants and opulent cabins.

    “Unfortunately, exactly a hundred years ago, the Captain of that ship steered into stormy seas and ultimately set a collision course that would sink the mighty vessel.

    “Like the Titanic, this country has been the most powerful and prosperous nation in the history of the world, but also, like the Titanic, the Captains of this great nation have set us on a collision course that will bring our country to its knees.

    “Within this analogy is both good news and bad news. The good news is that it is not too late to right the course and avert disaster. The bad news is that, like a huge ocean liner, it takes time to alter a course and if we are going to do so, we must do it now.

    “The election this November is our chance to bring a new Captain aboard that will steer our nation back to strength and prosperity.”

    A round of applause filled the auditorium.

    “Wow!” I said. “The man certainly has a way with words. I know absolutely nothing about politics, but his example made it very clear to me what he was trying to say.”

    “You haven’t heard anything yet,” Mark replied. “Just listen.”

    When the applause had died down, Ben continued, “My candidacy is about freedom for the American people --- freedom and choices.

    “I believe that the function of government is to protect its citizens from dangers from both inside and outside our borders.

    “I believe that the function of government is to insure that our infrastructure is sound and meets the needs of a growing nation.

    “I believe that the function of government is to provide financial stability where business can prosper and where the individual, through hard work, can achieve his heart’s desires.

    “I believe that the American Dream is not dead!”

    Another round of applause.

    "I do NOT believe that it is the function of government to legislate morality.

    “I do not believe that the government has any business in the bedrooms of its citizens.

    “I do not believe that social mandates should be shoved down the throats of our people.

    “My candidacy is about freedom and choices, but with this freedom to choose comes responsibility.

    “If American citizens want the freedom to make choices, then they must be willing to accept the consequences of their choices. My presidency will give them that opportunity.

    “If the American people would rather that government bureaucrats make decisions for them, thereby relieving them of any responsibility for the consequences, then either of the other two candidates would do just fine.”

    “Good grief!” I exclaimed. “No wonder this guy is getting people’s attention. He certainly doesn’t beat around the bush.”

    “True enough,” Mark replied, “and he’s not afraid to go into the lion’s den. Watch what happens next.”

    Ben motioned toward three people, some of whom I recognized, seated behind a table covered with microphones.

    “I know that you all have questions and I would love to have time to sit down with each and every one of you, but we both know that time just does not allow that, so I have invited the news anchors from the major networks in Kansas City, people you invite into your homes every evening, to ask any questions they might have. Hopefully, their questions will be ones that you would ask if you could.

    “Panel, please feel free to ask anything. No topic is off limits.”

    The anchor from Fox News raised her hand, “Mr. Mayor ---”

    Ben cut her off, “I haven’t been a mayor for many years. I haven’t been a senator or representative or even a dogcatcher --- I’m just an American citizen, so can call me Mr. Foster, or really, just plain Ben would be fine.”

    The anchor didn’t quite know how to respond, “Uhhh, Mr. Foster, your characterization of our country being on a collision course like the Titanic was quite dramatic. Could you be more specific?”

    “Certainly,” he replied. “Fifteen trillion! That’s the amount of our national debt. Every single day another three and a half billion is added to that amount. Just during the time that I am speaking this evening, another 150 million will be added to that debt.

    “There is no individual and no company that can continue to spend more than they make and survive, and yet our leaders continue to do just that. I could be mistaken, but to me, that is an ice burg directly ahead.”

    The anchor raised her hand again. “The deficit has been a thorn in the side of every presidency. Why is that and how do you propose to change it?”

    “It has been a problem for nearly every
president because no president has been willing to tackle the root cause of our financial dilemma --- waste, fraud, mismanagement and pork-barrel politics.

    “Let’s look at fraud.” He picked up a copy of the
Kansas City Star
. “Your local newspaper reported today that a Medicare fraud scheme was uncovered that bilked $452 million of your tax dollars and that it is estimated that such schemes cost the government between $60 billion and $90 billion each year.

    “Another study discovered that Medicare had paid out over $35 million to a vast network of over 118 ‘phantom’ medical clinics allegedly established by members of a criminal gang. These examples are just the tip of that ice burg.

    “Let’s talk about waste. According to the Heritage Foundation, the U.S. military spent $998,798 shipping two 19-cent washers from South Carolina to Texas and $293,451 sending an 89-cent washer from South Carolina to Florida.

 
 
“
A television production of a Pakistani version of PBS'
Sesame Street
has already cost tax payers $10 million and $20 million more has already been budgeted. More federal funding in the amount of $593,000 went to a primate research center to study where in chimpanzees' brains they get the idea to throw their feces.

    “I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture

    “I know, I know, my critics will say that these things are insignificant in the grand scheme of things --- just a half million here and a billion there --- really just a drop in the bucket compared to the $15 trillion we’re in debt.

    “But I think my namesake, Benjamin Franklin, said it best, 'a penny saved is a penny earned,' and another wise man said, 'take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.'

    “Have we gone so far that these basic truths are no longer valid? My presidency says 'NO!,' and my pledge to you, the taxpayer, is that we will make every effort to eliminate the waste, fraud and mismanagement of the hard-earned money that you have entrusted to us.

    “Now let’s look at one of the biggest problems in our government --- pork-barrel politics.

    “Because of the way our congressmen are elected, they must rely on financial donations from members of their constituency, and unfortunately, those donations come with strings attached.

    “Once the congressman is in office he or she is expected to send as many tax dollars as possible back to his constituents to prove his worth.

    “Consequently, we have grants such as the $615,000 that was given to the University of California at Santa Cruz to digitize photos, T-shirts and concert tickets belonging to the Grateful Dead, and bridges to nowhere costing millions of dollars.

    “If this system is not changed, the hemorrhage of dollars spent on pork-barrel projects will continue to drive our country deeper in debt.

    “These are just a few of the reforms we have in mind, and there are certainly more, but they represent a commitment to fiscal responsibility that has been lacking in Washington for a very long time.”

    An anchor from Channel 9 raised his hand, “Mr. Foster, you just said that the ‘system’ must be changed. If you’re referring to the way we choose our elected officials, just what changes do you have in mind?”

    “Glad you asked,” Ben replied. “The election reforms that I propose are two-fold. The first would be the elimination of the Electoral College. It’s no wonder that voters are reluctant to go to the polls --- they just don’t believe that their votes matter. Were you aware that a candidate can win the popular vote and still lose to his challenger in the Electoral College?”

    The anchor shook his head.

    “By the way, Missouri has ten Electors. By any chance do you know who any of them were in the last election?”

    The anchor shook his head again.

    “Well neither do ninety-nine out of a hundred voters, if that many. I believe that if the president were elected by popular vote, there would be a dramatic increase in voter participation because they would feel that they had a definite impact on the outcome.

    “The second reform involves campaign financing.

    “It is estimated that the Democrat running this year has already amassed a $1 billion dollar war chest, and the Republican will spend somewhere between 500 million and a billion.

    “Where does that money come from? I’m not just talking about the
presidential election, I’m talking about every election right down to the mayor of the smallest town. It takes dollars to run for office and our elected officials spend valuable time that could be used in governing, raising money for their next campaign.

    “No candidate will admit it, but they rely on contributions from business interests ranging from the local car dealer to the giant oil and pharmaceutical companies, and each of these contributors expect something in return.

    “Don’t kid yourselves --- elections are bought and paid for by the companies with the most money.

    “No one wants to take a hard look at campaign finance reform because it would reduce the amount they have to spend on the hundreds of TV ads that flood your living rooms every day.