“Yes. I talked to him about ten minutes ago. After you enter we are going to turn it over to him to run the vote.” He slid over a proposed ceremony. “Let’s just hope we never have to dust this off again in the future.”
“Agreed!”
“Did you prepare something to say?” he asked.
I tapped my coat. “I had Matt and Mike whip something up quick. I won’t be long, but I do need to say a few things.”
“Do you have any idea how we are going to run a funeral without a body?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I had the guys simply jot something in that next week we will begin a month of national mourning. We can come up with something over the weekend. Hell, Denny, I was eight years old when Kennedy died! I just remembered it screwed up my cartoon watching schedule! Somebody is going to have to dig through the archives.”
We talked a bit more as I glanced over the ceremonial plan, and then there was a knock on the door. An aide stuck his head in and said, “We need to get ready.”
I glanced at Denny and nodded. He responded to the aide, “Are the Leaders and Whips out there?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Let’s go.” He led the way out of his office and into the corridor beyond, where the others were waiting. A flash went off and I realized there was a photographer there. Not one of the reporters, but an archival photographer for the President. For the rest of my Presidency I would be under constant scrutiny.
John Boehner and Harry Reid were there, and I thanked them for getting back. “Any changes?” I asked.
John shook his head sadly, and Harry simply answered, “None, Mister President.”
“Thank you.”
Denny glanced at his watch and got us in order, and then said, “At the signal, just escort the President down the aisle and take your seats. Wait here until somebody comes for you.” We murmured something and he left.
A few minutes later the same aide as before hustled up. “They’re ready now, gentlemen.”
John Boehner looked over at me and said, “Are you ready for this, Carl?”
“Is anybody?” I answered with a sad smile. “It’s the job I signed up for, John. Let’s do it.” I started forward and the others stepped out and caught up to me. I had two Republicans on my right and two on the left, the same with the Democrats, and two Congressman on each side and two Senators on each side. I didn’t want anybody claiming I wasn’t being ‘bipartisan’ or some such shit.
We halted before the large double door, which then was opened, and the stentorian voice of the House Sergeant at Arms called out, “Mister Speaker, the Acting President of the United States of America!”
Several eyes glanced at me, and I just nodded resolutely and stepped out. The others were in lockstep as I marched down the aisle. There was a low murmur, but it was the quietest I had ever heard the place. We marched down to the well at the bottom, and I continued on and up to the podium. I waited there silently as the others took their places. In their appointed places were the Cabinet members present, the Justices of the Supreme Court, and the Chiefs of Staff of the military services. I glanced over at the Cabinet and saw John Ashcroft holding a leather covered clipboard. He nodded at me discreetly and it was show time. “Mister Speaker, I call on the Attorney General to come forth and preside.” Then I stepped away from the podium. I saw John stand and come forward and I moved around to my regular seat next to the Speaker. That was when I saw the first President Bush sitting next to Denny on the other side. His face was blank and he simply stared forward.
John Ashcroft stepped up to the podium and opened his covered clipboard. He looked out at the audience and began speaking. “Mister Speaker, Mister President Pro Tempore, Congressmen, Senators, distinguished guests… Pursuant to Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the Cabinet voted unanimously to confirm Vice President Buckman as Acting President of the nation. Tonight we meet to vote again, to confirm Acting President Buckman as the President and to swear him in as such. I have consulted with Chief Justice Rehnquist as to how we should commence.”
His voice took a slightly more formal tone. “Congressman Boehner, Senator Reid, you have returned from the site of the World Trade Center in New York, where you witnessed the recovery efforts. Is it your opinion that there is any chance that President Bush will be found alive?”
Both John and Harry stood up and said in a loud voice, “No!”
I glanced over at the former President, and tears were streaking down his face, yet he sat there stock still. I remembered hearing that this was his second child to die. Their second child, a daughter, had died as a toddler from leukemia.
My contemplation was short lived. Ashcroft was speaking again. “I will now poll the Cabinet, in order of seniority. A vote of Yes will be to confirm the Acting President as President, a vote of No will be to maintain him as Acting President. Secretary O’Neill?”
Paul stood and said clearly, “Yes!”
“Secretary Powell?”
“Yes.”
When it came to his own name, John voted Yes. Then he continued down the list. Everybody voted Yes. At the end, he reached into his clipboard and pulled forth the Yes vote from Dick Cheney, read it aloud, and asked that it be placed into the record. Then he continued on, going down the list of the House and Senate leadership. All eight voted Yes, as did Denny and President Pro Tempore Byrd.
“The vote is unanimous. Chief Justice Rehnquist, would you please administer the oath of office?” John moved away from the podium and went back to his seat.
I stood up and moved towards the podium, as did Chief Justice Rehnquist. There was a muted gasp from the room as President Bush also stood. He moved woodenly and slowly, and his face was a blank mask of pain, but he came down to the podium with us. I pulled my Bible from my jacket pocket. It was the same King James Version copy I had been sworn in with after all my previous elections, an inexpensive small travel edition Bible, with lightweight paper and a zipper cover. It had been given to me by my parents at my confirmation, back in the days before Hamilton went crazy and I still had a family. When President Bush stood next to me, I handed him the Bible. He stared at it for a second, and then nodded to himself and stood up straighter. His right hand was rock steady as he held it in his palm.
I placed my left hand on the Bible and raised my right hand. Rehnquist discreetly read off a crib note in his hand. “I, Carling Parker Buckman the Second, do solemnly swear… that I will faithfully execute… the Office of President of the United States… and will to the best of my ability… preserve, protect and defend… the Constitution of the United States… so help me God.”
That was it. I was President of the United States. When I had recycled, I had spent years working to meet Marilyn and win her again. This… this was different. I had never gone into politics in a desire to become President, simply a desire to make things better. I had never considered becoming President. Now what?
When I finished, President Bush seemed to stumble a touch and slump, and Justice Rehnquist took his elbow. At the touch, he straightened and looked me in the eye. “Good luck, Mister President.”
“Thank you, Mister President.”
President Bush turned and went back to his seat, and the Chief Justice went to his seat. I moved to the podium and pulled my speech from my coat pocket and flattened it out. It was typed in large print, double spaced. There hadn’t been time to get it to a teleprompter. I took a deep breath and began.
“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union… That is how our Constitution starts. Over two hundred years ago our Founding Fathers created one of the most amazing documents in human history, a robust yet flexible system of governing that has become one of the strongest in the entire history of mankind. Over the last few days we have seen that wisdom in action.