Lethal Trajectories - Michael Conley [104]
“I think it’s a bold and brilliant vision,” Burkmeister stated. “You’ll have a modest honeymoon period as the new president and some solid support, given the crisis we are facing. This can all be put to good use, but your honeymoon will be fleeting. Your greatest challenge will be to put your grand strategy to work before it has a chance to unravel. We’re talking days and weeks, not months and years.”
“I agree with that analysis, Mr. President. The best we’ll be able to do is lay out a broad outline of guiding principles and strategies and then meld them together on the run. Pete Canton has done a lot of groundwork already on energy and climate-change, and we’ve been working the economic problem for quite some time. The challenge will be to integrate all of our efforts in a short timeframe.”
“Aren’t you forgetting one thing? Where is China in all this? A lot hinges on locking up a deal with China,” Burkmeister asked.
“I think we’ll need a grand plan with or without China, but it’ll be infinitely more difficult without them—particularly when it comes to generating leverage against the Saudis. We’ll also need China’s active cooperation if we are to address climate-change in any meaningful way.”
“It’s almost impossible to contemplate, Clayton, and I admire your courage and willingness to try it. I will do whatever I can to help—but I’m afraid I’m now on a very short string.”
“How are you doing, Mr. President?”
“I don’t want to complain, Clayton, but I had another severe attack last night. Doc Toomay said it’s the new norm, not just an aberration. I’ll need to take stronger pain medications, and that makes it harder to work. I’m not sure I can hold on until the fourteenth. I … if it comes to that, I’m so sorry. But I’ll do what I can to buy you more time.”
Clayton looked at his hands for a moment, unable to face a man apologizing for his own looming death. “Lyman, you … don’t apologize. I wish more than anything that you didn’t have to worry about your job—that you could kill the pain without fear. Look … if it’s too presumptuous of me, I’d like to take you up on your offer right away.”
“Absolutely. How can I help?”
“Here’s the deal, Mr. President, with the geopolitical tsunami in front of us, piecemeal efforts won’t work. I need your help to mobilize our efforts to make it happen. I would like to put forth my strategy before a joint session of Congress on October sixteenth. That means we have about two weeks to create a workable plan. To do it, I’m going to need the help of a lot of high-level people committed to knocking down turf walls and making the impossible happen.”
Burkmeister nodded, motioning for Clayton to continue.
“As a starting point, I’d like to convene the NSC later today to brief them on the Camp David meeting and engage them in developing our new grand strategy. I can’t get this cranked up without your strong endorsement and lead.”
Burkmeister leaned back in his chair and said, “I quite agree with your sense of urgency, and I think the NSC SWAT team’s the appropriate group to engage first.” He paused to think.
“Let me suggest that you host an NSC meeting at your house—later today, if that would work for you. The White House is swarming with reporters who would quickly pick up on a procession of NSC members. That’s attention we don’t need right now. I’ve asked the SWAT team to stick around