Fugue America

"What's on the radar today, Erin?" Scott Fields looked tired, but then again, he always looked tired. Three years as the Director of Communications for the President had aged him in ways he could have never guessed prior to the end of the election. He liked to watch 'West Wing' reruns and wonder whether or not Toby Zeigler died his hair to hide the white strands that had crept into his own.

"Coke."

"Company or scandal?" It wasn't as much of a joke as it sounded.

"Company. The DNC flipped it our way for approval."

"What's the deal?"

"The chairmanship of the Committee on Foreign Affairs is opening up. Wexlar is retiring."

"Right. I forgot Paul was stepping down. Are they primarying him again?"

"To the hilt. NRA and Xo are hosting a major music festival in his district, and it looks like CCI, Ithaca and Haliburton are helping underwrite it."

"Let me guess. Because of his bill from last year. Trying to introduce a waiting period on handguns again?"

"His challenger has called him the 'greatest threat to America since Hitler'. The local affiliate out of Cincinatti is showing the Paul Wexlar Movie of the Week. GE did the buy, where they show films about fascism bookended by commercials saying this is Wexlar's dream for America. Ford, Panasonic and First Alliance Energy dropped him last week." There was nothing they feared as much as their endorsement deals getting pulled.

"That's Paul's own fault, pretending this is 1995 or something. Back to Coke?"

"Three ad buys, all split between state and federal candidates in Georgia. $10 million across regular channels, and a buy in on post season if the Braves stay in first."

"Not weighted to a candidate?"

"The state party decided to do all their deals as a single body; economies of scale, you could say. If they want the buy, they all have to play ball. Anne Sherman sent us an email yesterday. Exxon is thinking about targeting the state. They know if Beechem loses to Johnson, they pick up another vote on overturning the off shore drilling impact liability clause."

"Hmm." Scott rubbed his chin with his forefinger, turning over what it meant for the President's agenda. "So if we agree to the buy...?"

"Beechem moves over to chair Foreign Affairs. The Senate Majority Leader will play ball if the President asks and includes him in the new deal with Sony and Telus."

"What's the angle, though. I mean, Coke doesn't-- they want MFN status for, what, who?"

"Yup. Not significantly. There's a shell company getting set up for that targeting the President's re-election year. They want it applied to Columbia, which is a major bottling nexus for their entire South American network. The income will go right to officials there, who have promised to 'expedite' their efforts to control the market."

"Ten is a little cheap."

"They could go to twelve, and they're dangling bait."

"What's that?"

"Walmart."

"Fuck off. That's not happening."

"If it works out, they say they can bring them. It'll be a bloodbath with labour, but in every store, the first and last thing shoppers will see is the President and his campaign for re-election."

"Walmart. Shit, that's the ballgame there. Coke is sure?"

"Anne seemed to think so. It's very hush hush right now, since they're heavily invested right now in GOP state assemblies eliminating minimum wage in Nebraska, Kansas and Tennessee. But those are supposed to be finalized by the end of the year."

"I'll talk to the President. One condition though. He's not going to wear one of those blue caps with the Walmart smiley face on it."

"No?"

"This is the office of the President of the United States, Erin. It's supposed to have some dignity."

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