Season I: Episode II: “Vince Black”

Pour some sugar on me

Vince wakes up the next morning after he has casted his vote for the economic bill and knowing that tomorrow is the day the president is suppose to sign it, he is excited to know that something he is supporting is about to come into law.  As he approaches his front door he sees his two daughters standing there in their blue and light yellow school uniforms with their bookbags on their backs.  He walks up to them and smiles and hugs each of them with a big long hug.

VINCE BLACK: You know I love you girls, right?

BOTH DAUGHTERS: We love you too, daddy!

VINCE BLACK: Alright! Now lets get ready for school and I shall see you girls in the evening.  If I get back early enough we can go out for ice cream.

They both shake their heads up and down with big grins on their faces as they walk out the door in front of him to head towards the truck.  They get in the backseat and he gets in on the front passenger seat greeting his driver with a big smile.  Who couldn’t tell that he didn’t like his job as being Senator?  Or maybe he is just so happy to have his daughters with him every step of the way.  For whatever the reason is Vince is happy this morning and ready to tackle today’s issues whatever they are.  Once he drops off his girls at their school he then proceeds to his office in Washington, D.C. and as he gets closer to the Capitol the traffic is heavier and heavier.  He turns to his driver and asks him does he know why traffic is so heavy today than other days.  His driver couldn’t answer that question and proceeded frustrated through the streets of the capital.

As soon as he gets up to the checkpoint and sees the officers approaching to ID them, he sees the front steps of the Capitol full of people.  He asks the officer at his passenger side window what is going on and the officer replies, “I believe the majority leader is having a press conference about what happened here yesterday.”  Vince looked at him in a confused look and the officer picked up on it and elaborated a little more.  “Yesterday we had an individual attempting to ram the gate on the other side off of First Street.  Once he ran into the barrier he proceeded to run towards the Capitol, but we tackled him before that could happen.”  Vince smiled knowing that the situation was defused before it got out of hand and that tells him why he saw police officers running down the hallway last night.

Once everything checked out okay they proceeded through the gate and his driver dropped him off at the front of the Capitol.  This was unusual, but the curiosity of Vince got the better of him.  He exited the truck and stood behind all the reporters and cameramen and trying to listen to what was being said at the podium.  He couldn’t hear the majority leader speaking and proceeded to walk up the steps and got to the step where the police chief was standing.  They greeted each other with a head nod and they both drew their attention quickly to the majority leader speaking.  Knowing that this has happened before he was wondering why such a big deal with the person ramming the gate.  You don’t hear this much attention when people attempt to climb over the White House fence.  Then his question was answered by the following statement.  “………like I said earlier the gentlemen that attempted to gain illegal entry into the Capitol was not a U.S. citizen.  We ID’d him as being a Yemen citizen and possibly a member of a terrorists organization.”

Vince heard that and his heart dropped as to how could this have happened.  He is not nieve to where he doesn’t think bad things can happen, but he knows that alot of things can be prevented by his colleagues just getting off of their asses and doing something about it.  He proceeds up the steps and one reporter recognizes him and so does other reporters.  The attention through the crowd rapidly draws towards him and makes the chief of police turn around.  Vince freezes and the majority leader stops speaking and for a moment everyone forgot that this news conference was live.  One reporter, a female from channel 7 news, asks him a question about yesterday’s events.

CHANNEL 7 NEWS REPORTER: Senator Black, with you attempting to run for president in a couple of years how would you resolve this issue?

VINCE BLACK: I…….ummmm…..I would resolve this issue by finding out how this Yemen national got into the country and what his intentions were for doing what he did.  It is possible that he was not conducting a terrorists plot, but a probe to see how we respond to such an act.  We have to remember that terrorists watch television too and believe me they are keeping records.

CHANNEL 7 NEWS REPORTER: Thanks Senator for your answer.

That was a very good answer apparently because he was expecting more barrage of questions from the reporters, but that didn’t happen.  Once that was over he rapidly went up the stairs to proceed to his office and to do his work.  He enters his office and sees Amanda and greets her as he walks in and she replies.  Once he settled in his office for a few minutes he called Amanda into his office.  She entered with nail polish in her hands and he could clearly see that she was doing her nails.

SECRETARY AMANDA: Yes, Vince?

VINCE BLACK: That woman that was in my office last night, who is she?

SECRETARY AMANDA: I don’t know what woman you are referring too.

VINCE BLACK: (Looks at her to see if she was honest and he could tell that she was.)  Well, whoever she is she was in here and how she got in is a mystery.  Okay well, that’s it thanks for your help.

She goes back to her desk and glances back at him and then she goes back to her desk.  Later on Vince lets his secretary know that he is heading to lunch with Congressman Nicholson and that if any calls come in for him to take a message and give them to him when he returns.  He meets Nicholson in the lobby and they go out the front door and decided to walk to a deli that is on a corner about three blocks away.  They enter the deli and some people recognize them immediately and go up to them to greet them and shake their hands.  Once they ordered their food and sat down waiting for it some people were curious about the economic bill that was going to be passed and proceeded to ask them about it.

One customer started the mini debate on the economic bill.

CUSTOMER #1: Senator Black, I was wondering this economic bill that is to be passed by the president tomorrow, does it speak anything about Veteran’s care?

VINCE BLACK: The bill speaks about better care for our veteran’s whether in or out of the military.  We are putting about $10 million dollars ontop of the funds we already supplied to the Veteran Affairs Administration just last year.  Our veteran’s need better care, health wise, mentally, and financially.

CUSTOMER #2: It that really the case, Senator?  From my understanding the economic bill is going to better the upper middle-class.  Anyone making less than 65k a year will be pretty much on their own.

Vince and Nicholson attempting to see who was the person that made that remark about the economic bill.  They go to the counter and retrieve their order and Nicholson pays for it.  They both face the customers and asks who was that customer that made that statement.

CUSTOMER #2: It was me (He was sitting in the corner of the deli) I said it.  I know a few people who lets me know how things are going inside the government.

VINCE BLACK: Are you saying you have connctions to the government?

CUSTOMER #2: I wouldn’t call them connections just people who I have helped in the past and throughout their time in government I’ve saved their career from being damaged.  The econcomic bill that is to be passed tomorrow by the president will not alone get our country out of massive debt.  The government that we have elected into office will have to do more and give more to us citizens here on the street.  We need to solve the homeless situation in this country for good and know when to stick our nose into other nation’s business.

CONGRESSMAN NICHOLSON: Well, folks thanks for your time and we appreciate your support as we continue to make this nation the strongest one on earth.

VINCE BLACK: Thanks sir.  I would like to know your name. (As he approaches to shake his hand and get closer.)

CUSTOMER #2: Anytime, my name is Alexander Hamilton.  Nice to meet you.

VINCE BLACK: (He smiles at him and shakes his head up and down.)  Nice to meet you and I hope we can have an opportunity talk some more.

Vince waves at everyone and walks out of the deli back to the office with lunch in hand.

CONGRESSMAN NICHOLSON: That guys knows too much about the economic bill.  Who do you think he is?

VINCE BLACK: (Stops at a crosswalk)  A very informative citizen.