I’m imagining a big flourish of an invite to the White House.? “Joe,” Rahm says, “the president wants you to come to the Oval Office? I’ll meet you at the front portico.”? Joe smiles with satisfaction as he hangs up, says to the chief of staff, “call the car around.? Get cameras to the front portico.”
Joe walks his power walk to the car, the driver opens the door, and Joe rides in style up to the front portico.? Flash bulbs pop, cable covers it live.? Joe shakes hands with the Marines guarding the entrance, and there’s Rahm, smiling.? Rahm gives him a good union hand shake, “glad you could make it, Joe,” and hustles him past waiting luminaries who are spending their time in the most fantastic waiting room in the world, The White House.? Generals, titans of industry, the top of the top, all turn their heads to see Joe Lieberman walk right by them to the Oval Office.
Arriving at the door to the Oval Office, Rahm points out a small chair next to the president’s secretary’s desk.? “I’ll tell him you’re here,” says Rahm with a smile.? “Have a seat.”? Joe watches Rahm enter the Oval Office, and takes his seat next to the secretary.
Time passes.? Joe looks at his watch.? Joe notices the people he was shuffled past coming and going through the Oval Office door.? The generals, the titans of industry.? An hour goes by.? Joe begins to sweat.? Cable news goes to full on crisis mode, reporting the long meeting between Joe Lieberman and Barack Obama that simply must be going on.? Joe’s now looking at his watch every 5 minutes.? Some tourists are ushered in to meet the president, and they look at Joe like he’s the kid at the principle’s office.
Another hour passes.? Joe’s getting tired of the office coffee.? His collar is soaked with perspiration.? The secretary is too busy to even notice him sitting there, until two hours in, she looks up, and he’s still there.? “Oh, I’m sorry Senator, were you waiting?”? Joe smiles, and nods.? “Let me get you more coffee.”
A third hour passes, and finally after Joe Lieberman has watched every single human being who’s entered the White House since he did come and go, including Harry Reid (who came and went in something like Hour 1.5) Barack Obama comes out the door.? “Hey Joe!? Come on in!”
It lasts a total of 5 minutes.? No one knows what went on, but as Joe leaves the back door of the White House and sees the waiting cameras, he’s a wreck.? The assembled media swarm like flies on a dead carcass, and Joe has to say something, anything.
After Rahm does Joe like that, I think Joe will say to the waiting cameras whatever the hell president wants him to say.
Budget Watch
