Ebook604 pages9 hours
Political Ducks: Lucky, Lame and Dead
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
()
About this ebook
You have what it takes to sit in this office. Youre on the launch pad, fueled and ready; Senator, start the countdown, says Republican President Bob Davids, now a lame duck, to ingratiate himself with Democrat Earl Eastwood, offering him a remarkable, unprecedented sharing of presidential authority. Eastwood, unknowingly recruited to redress the Presidents badly damaged image, would receive Davids blessing to bypass bungling federal investigators. He promised the young senator whatever it might take to find the perpetrators of a terrorist attack on Washington, which killed Eastwoods predecessor, the widely beloved Senator Bill Rice.
Just two years ago, Eastwood, an African-American, was Connecticuts attorney general. He was appointed by Governor Domenic Guillermo to succeed Senator Bill Rice, killed by an assassins bullet at the instant a US Air Force F-16 fighter was downed by Washington-based defensive missiles, exploding over Rices head. The aircraft was on an angle of attack toward the US Capitol. Rice had been Eastwoods lifelong mentor, his meal ticket. He had managed Eastwoods appointment to West Point, entry to Yale Law School, court clerkship, Senate staff job, and designation as state attorney general.
Senator Eastwood, with both a carte blanche from the President and surreptitiously provided Israeli intelligence, redirects a feckless federal inquiry to identify the perpetrators of the air attack, and Rices assassin. His success has a few political liabilities; but the rewards cast him onto the national political stage.
Governor Guillermo appointed Eastwood to the senate, hoping he would promote his presidential aspirations. Eastwood is not consciously disloyal to Guillermo; rather, he is swept up by changing political winds. Terrorism moves to the top of the publics issue agenda for the presidential race. Eastwood catches the draft. But Guillermo remains mired in issues of fading significance. His gubernatorial re-election in 2006 is at risk.
With typical guile, Davids makes a proposition to Eastwood. He would appoint Guillermo as ambassador to the Vatican. The deal included a corrupt arrangement with an Italian aviation firm, AviTalia, which had just won a contract to provide the White House Marine One helicopter. The appointment to the Vatican would gracefully remove Guillermo from his failing gubernatorial re-election, opening it to a Republican win but rescuing Eastwood from hostile state Democrats. Some were thinking a recall of Eastwood from the US Senate, believing his quick leap to fame, and a certain presidential nod for the 2008 race, had come at Guillermos expense. But Eastwood rejects involvement in Davids scheme; his high-minded image of the President shattered forever. Even Atlas shrugged, Eastwood thinks.
The story tempts the genre of political thrillers. Washingtons decision-making machinery is portrayed with zealous accuracy. For the neo-realist, facts buttress good fiction. Political Ducks characters live the real hypocrisy and risks of the American political culture. Their pathology of political ambition confirms even the most pessimistic impressions of democracy.
Just two years ago, Eastwood, an African-American, was Connecticuts attorney general. He was appointed by Governor Domenic Guillermo to succeed Senator Bill Rice, killed by an assassins bullet at the instant a US Air Force F-16 fighter was downed by Washington-based defensive missiles, exploding over Rices head. The aircraft was on an angle of attack toward the US Capitol. Rice had been Eastwoods lifelong mentor, his meal ticket. He had managed Eastwoods appointment to West Point, entry to Yale Law School, court clerkship, Senate staff job, and designation as state attorney general.
Senator Eastwood, with both a carte blanche from the President and surreptitiously provided Israeli intelligence, redirects a feckless federal inquiry to identify the perpetrators of the air attack, and Rices assassin. His success has a few political liabilities; but the rewards cast him onto the national political stage.
Governor Guillermo appointed Eastwood to the senate, hoping he would promote his presidential aspirations. Eastwood is not consciously disloyal to Guillermo; rather, he is swept up by changing political winds. Terrorism moves to the top of the publics issue agenda for the presidential race. Eastwood catches the draft. But Guillermo remains mired in issues of fading significance. His gubernatorial re-election in 2006 is at risk.
With typical guile, Davids makes a proposition to Eastwood. He would appoint Guillermo as ambassador to the Vatican. The deal included a corrupt arrangement with an Italian aviation firm, AviTalia, which had just won a contract to provide the White House Marine One helicopter. The appointment to the Vatican would gracefully remove Guillermo from his failing gubernatorial re-election, opening it to a Republican win but rescuing Eastwood from hostile state Democrats. Some were thinking a recall of Eastwood from the US Senate, believing his quick leap to fame, and a certain presidential nod for the 2008 race, had come at Guillermos expense. But Eastwood rejects involvement in Davids scheme; his high-minded image of the President shattered forever. Even Atlas shrugged, Eastwood thinks.
The story tempts the genre of political thrillers. Washingtons decision-making machinery is portrayed with zealous accuracy. For the neo-realist, facts buttress good fiction. Political Ducks characters live the real hypocrisy and risks of the American political culture. Their pathology of political ambition confirms even the most pessimistic impressions of democracy.
Author
Robert Lockwood
Robert Lockwood, a reformed Washington lobbyist, represented many Fortune 500 companies and institutions on matters of taxation, international trade, and defense.
Read more from Robert Lockwood
A Culture of Deception Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Dragon Defanged Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Deflowered Lotus: A Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArtful Murder in the Hamptons: A Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Rouge's Gallery: A Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJacob’S Legacy: Justice for Nazi-Looted Art Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMurdering Matisse: A Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSweet Revenge Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPeter’S Pall: A Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Political Ducks
Related ebooks
The Wisdom of Theodore Roosevelt Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmerican Boy's Life of Theodore Roosevelt Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNovember 22, 1963: Reflections on the Life, Assassination, and Legacy of John F. Kennedy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGreat Expectations: The Troubled Lives of Political Families Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Right War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Childhood of Theodore Roosevelt Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEndangered Species: A Sleeping Dogs Thriller Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn the Words of Theodore Roosevelt: Quotations from the Man in the Arena Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Bodies of Others: The New Authoritarians, COVID-19 and The War Against the Human Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Farewell My Country Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmerican Boys' Life of Theodore Roosevelt: Biography of the 26th President of the United States Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmongst and Above All Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDead Lieutenant in Tampa Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA State of Treason Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Director: My Years Assisting J. Edgar Hoover Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Summary: Rumsfeld: Review and Analysis of Andrew Cockburn's Book Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Spymasters: How the CIA Directors Shape History and the Future Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5All the Way with JFK: An Alternate History of 1964 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Our Wars Overseas and at Home: Ltcol Dominik George Nargele Usmc (Ret) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Essential Edward Stratemeyer Collection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCrimes of the FBI-DOJ, Mafia, and al Qaeda Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Thunders of Silence Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSecrecy and Power Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Ghost of Donald J. Trump Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The Right Words: Great Republican Speeches that Shaped History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Life of Theodore Roosevelt: Biography of the 26th President of the United States Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTheodore Roosevelt (Barnes & Noble Digital Library): An Intimate Biography Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Oath: Formerly Stranger in the White House Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProxy Warriors: The Rise and Fall of State-Sponsored Militias Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Political Fiction For You
The Master & Margarita Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Jungle: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everything's Fine Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prophet Song: A Novel (Booker Prize Winner) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animal Farm Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Animal Farm: A Fairy Story Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Nefarious Plot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prodigal Summer: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Night Agent: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animal Farm And 1984 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nothing to See Here: A Read with Jenna Pick Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Quiet American Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I Am Pilgrim: A Thriller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unsheltered: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51900: Or; The Last President Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Enter Ghost Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Meridian Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mash: A Novel About Three Army Doctors Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Darkness at Noon: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Grapes of Wrath Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My Notorious Life: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Avenue of Mysteries Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51984 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Against the Loveless World: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5House of Cards Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Dog's Heart Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Diary of a Small Fish Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Monkey Wrench Gang Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lacuna: Deluxe Modern Classic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Political Ducks
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Political Ducks - Robert Lockwood
^xRa book_preview_excerpt.html [r$ǵ%:DLEQĢ£
dP fyFxfx \;;Z{G>&;, ϵ_;kwl/ޜIv}2~:'u\7d:e!![yԮk1Evйa&s![]?KcW>)sɿ]X&mۡeB^]NO+<
edvn|xJ説?پ8d;e}WxպkkٛxX]<{[}=$eˎdɿw}ϕv7r^VuocCU__mF7^oߎ}uX8\S\s[J1e}îGlRUxW?bA<ǪCܚ|u3v x{)y\V^V`E-4<9R?JN7*Wvr<Ӌ_W_oWI.VM:|__|~ݷ=htݷ6;=/]\vG?;n.w?fgoNoO/n?7sً?([I^^SSǡ~궬>?)e'BNs>{!U)@mwē^Ⱦ1^v<~(7`_~pe%Tdxi);>~tm[E}YQhFDY}3'w"C(3|wm_?}SO(cuvwq/zGc݀q$p ,2\
x|\dWz"{sz}G}NBe~O狏F2)vsAΦ9y60yŤ俅/DA5f}
Y!]$X~t(;}y/?mKԧ(NcgyXthhjyQ5,;XrravMnq/$@OhgYbЅF^ش$i.ߊa,q=cŋЃuD/jh jG.w6͑
A#i6o5wS=X(KɟR^/>d1ո宰:X/z[DWe|.
ֲRm \,T;!@993t-?0OƦofv;B\U
\Շg('Ѹobr?߬J{/L%dltzWgkWb+{'~K=Fes#:x[1A׳7 r݂ΛqG(Pݾ+9'awTn3rܢ~~su/Z槻W*;we!'vZO$o܉7A<;}>ӵ}-
p]5/<}\ճW,ͽiH<.;evkJKXÓJnWQFT;yBVvtnonNE^\egO߆MJ|WMSѻ֕ٵVދxTXv
=MQVna"zq4&
Rħ^ϟٹwߊ~y߉j~wM^M R`ǟ"^^F!0zfD$m)5NR YEaOǾv|UbnWmo!E0i,G٢H.dO<{ŷNFʄ; N~_r10+-ˣ8bVN{Vm!\˪ӷhs(#P6OI9"dًqBӓ_ue ^:wyq~q+~~";}}q}K\~{%Qj:vu\n|kOw,A
<$ݽKH`_nF.MvxR1Hm[_9@e͜W"y"MV})qq$Kٍ۔z=#xnǓ\___t q
:W)Is*nS뱄J[܌81_FltmOFy&yHr!Iwn[GJGimֈS>_ge%l0XBv_/ DLÝko:=`[a^y-]E<ת6NV gӍ
CY8cY1YvIpa/";6{7VrSn慎Evd#Ϳ3?}|_=kƙψ_kIB'UiJ~CJl">'-JQ8V6
#YmGp}}'t6uE82KDљ8҈]N;;Tsi zP礭IQwA/8ݝX`T%99y+OE]MOK?ݝN,B
+جV(Gö_&w'/~;ӪL(W<ʝa37jI,m5jLLo31}ĥ5G/N0햇U܉]qчG%;.onJ|ڋbwgWt\_^gW3.DzQa&mKOHؔbݼ:ǰH.h6j_S#Eb،Ϭ>rz8|poΉ(bn1_A6Wظ@lZBJGQ*vVC͊bU&zAzFa{%CYS\SSp3@²~ ru>fA]vy/?mmʁr\&Tn@' "-cX_@vz˶DJ7tA]Dl.͜hl1h|2:o῍䍼 ġpiCX]+2!woW7̮z=+^OkW}瀚+HBUJ[B:ܿ+(kz߶mg+'GTK
WҟOOI.=gD}7 @!㞎Q?F,QI!ańrt{vHb
|a]%C3(_@"DW8:gfuC:[
MT>M{b-,JRfE㎫[1[m蹰~`R(^'
P;
}L%g!R5L)MYS5 16x+$^Q16*Oc!u
_U 9"9斶RpFfN3n-;/z'TnlYh"uu U4<]1.勯?m[^tMI
xeD#C?U9h1>2|*(!3$\ ͼ=Ya$4!L
B )?bh~U:SG\O lNVtʜ'ݯ+a-E菾SC<$29Ľ4(Isuݼ=ޝޞNn[|zuvy{s7wX_9=9a۷NzUP;MmS=(wP ޡ;!(Wۙl)izMԬ
XwNK_Qv
X.DŽ<*z!#jdix z^jstbʋ\%\M_ >@+m
^VHj\EU@rGӬ
~3.<`lmq_]_~ZÆ7:dVE6P XkI10=zl[6Yx#DMr"tDVH;AAw2@t] @\o߿$kG5|h6m*0U"f:eK7~H6r?Cz/Bl[8C˿0U-B̳U78DEov#vrK9;W`JHOT>\xpp=6W!e;MCJRHߖrX
փ{ LOrO-Y_k;E fY-6|DBoHAQ5
Jyy*Ac=)D