Executive Orders

CH 69: Promises, Promises - and Conversations

There was a reason Olivia's office had four mid-sized monitors on the wall to the left of her desk. One was kept on her preferred twenty-four hour breaking news channel, the second on the current C-Span congressional session; the third she kept open and roaming between the major networks, serving up food for thought and review, while the fourth was the current focus of her attention on a live channel featuring the first official educational summit, with Susan heading the panel.

After both the media's and the politicians' surprise on both sides of the aisle had subsided after learning that Susan had been appointed by the president, she had gone on to prove that she'd been a smart choice.

Susan had said that she had had a lot of homework ahead of her and her actions now proved that she must have studied well, Olivia thought; in the beginning Susan showed a trace of nervousness, but as the hearings went on, she rose to the occasion, being gracious and well-spoken but making it increasingly it clear that she took her position as chairwoman very seriously. She allowed those who were speaking their due while at the same time, kept the panel in equally gracious check. There was very little grand-standing actually happening in spite of the many attempts to do so on either side of the floor.

Olivia smiled at the screen in approval.

As Olivia watched, Susan and Gayle were having an exchange regarding the evidence of the benefits of early intervention and the real time benefits both of them have seen, Gayle through her experience as a teacher and curriculum developer and Susan recounting a brief story about her own daughter and the importance of having a well-trained and empathetic teacher to bring out the best in her. Susan's way of telling a story - heartfelt and honest - brought a smile to more than one person in the room. Every parent in America could - and would - relate.

And Gayle was turning out to be the perfect foil for Susan's words; she wrapped up her testimony with facts and figures that emphasized the benefits of early education and its life long benefits for the youth of America. It was the perfect note to end the session on and Susan took it, thanking everyone present for their time and attention and as they had agreed on, promising that there would be a transcript available both online and in the evening newspapers and it would be available before she closed the afternoon session.

Olivia sat back, very much satisfied at what she'd just watched. So far, things were coming together nicely. It didn't hurt that the day before, Will Caldwell had just announced a new state-wide initiative that he planned to put in place after the beginning of the new year. He and Gayle were easily on their way to becoming a rising popular power couple in political circles, something that would not only benefit themselves, but the party as well. The fact that Fitz had given Will his endorsement during Will's run for governor would be a boost for the both of them.

Olivia smiled. Timing was everything.

She jotted down a few more notes; she'd have Abby go over the rating numbers for the session as well as check in with some of their media contacts to see if they needed any extra information for their broadcasts and articles.

When she was done, Olivia picked up her remote control again and began flipping through the channels before pausing on one of the big networks where they were showing yet another news segment discussing Fitz and Susan arriving back in DC together on Air Force One, with the now familiar speculation between a familiar set of journalists and political pundits as to what it might - or might not - mean for the newly appointed Chairwoman to Republicans, Democrats and Independents.

Some of them seemed to especially dwell on the fact of Susan's appointment having come after their arrival from the Caldwell event and questioning what could have possibly prompted President Grant's decision.