Alternate Gerrolds Read Online Free PDF Page A

refuse to abandon the goals of America. I refuse to quit the job. I refuse to give up halfway across the rushing river.
    “If I do not resist this shameful course of action to the fullest of my ability, then I will be damaging the integrity and authority of this office for all of those who succeed me. My love of this nation and my responsibility to this office demand that I protect the Constitutional balance of power.
    “Accordingly, I am calling a special session of Congress of the United States. I will present myself to a Joint Session to answer any and all charges
that they wish to raise against this Administration. When all of the facts are spoken, it will be demonstrated that I am guilty of nothing more than being unpopular. Being unpopular isn’t exactly an honor, but it is certainly not a crime—and it is definitely no cause for impeachment. More important, if the people of this nation allow themselves to be stampeded into turning their back on the twin responsibilities of hard work and difficult decisions, the shame will not be mine, but America’s.
    “I remain confident in the wisdom and good faith of the American people that this will not happen.
    “Thank you. Good night.”
    I looked at the two speeches, side by side. Not quite my best—I would have preferred a few more jokes; but neither of these speeches lent themselves to the famous Stevenson wit. I put each one into a folder and headed up the hall to the Oval Office.
    His secretary looked red-eyed, as if she had been crying, but she just nodded at me without actually meeting my eyes. The door was standing half-open. “Go on in,” she said.
    I knocked on the door and pushed in. “Mr. President?”
    He was sitting at his desk, reading through a stack of leather-bound briefing books. He held up a finger, a familiar “wait-a-minute” gesture,” while he finished reading. He nodded, initialed the book, scribbled something on it, closed it and put it in the out basket. He looked old, much older than his years—and tired too. But that was a given; nothing aged a man like the presidency. Almost automatically, President Stevenson reached for the next one, opened it, checked out the summary page, then closed it again and put it aside on his desk. At last, he looked up at me. “The work piles up. Even on the eve of impeachment.” He sighed. “What have you got for me?”
    I passed across the two folders.
    “Two drafts?”
    “Two different speeches, sir.”
    “I see.” He massaged his nose between his thumb and forefinger, then readjusted his glasses and opened the first folder. He read it quickly. “Well, that’s short and to the point.”
    “I don’t think anything more than that needs to be said.”
    “You’re probably right. Your judgment in these areas has always been on the nose. What’s the other speech?”
    “Read it.”

    He opened the second folder. I watched his features intently, looking for a clue to his reaction. He frowned, and at one point he shook his head, but I’d seen him do that even with speeches he approved of. At last, he finished and closed the folder. He laid it on top of the first one. “A good speech, Drew,” he said.
    “But?”
    “But nothing.”
    I sat down in the chair opposite him. “Mr. President—don’t resign. It’ll look like weakness.”
    “For what it’s worth, Vice President Kennedy agrees with you. He’s only forty, you know. I think he’s a little afraid of the responsibility. But he’ll handle it, I’m sure.”
    “There’s nothing I can say, is there?”
    “You said it all in the speech.”
    “You don’t agree, do you?”
    He shook his head.
    “In one respect, you’re absolutely right. If I resign, it will weaken the office of the presidency for all who come after me. It will set a precedent.”
    “And you don’t see that as a reason to fight?”
    “No. If anything, it’s a better reason to resign. The office of the presidency has become much too powerful. Roosevelt was as