TRUTH

WAR HOGS HIDING THE TRUTH READ MORE BELOW


TAKEN FROM A HIDDEN POST

DO YOU TRUST YOUR GOVERNMENT?

FOOL

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It was a good day overall, though stressful as it often is. If it weren't for the Obama Administration, my job would honestly be a lot easier. Imagine my surprise and vague embarrassment, then, when I stumbled across my good friend and political rival Ozzie!

Ozzie's a good man even if we don't always politically agree - balding, a bit thin and wiry, and paunchy through the face, but a good guy. The years haven't been as kind to him as they have to me, but I'm not about to tell my old Harvard room mate that. I might be the so-called "Bastard of Washington", but I'm not the Marquis du Sade, and besides, I have other things to speak with him about...

He was sitting in a little booth to the back of the Capital Grille, a favorite luncheon spot of mine here in DC, when I spotted him, looking just as alarmingly innocent as usual. It's awful difficult to hate a man that looks like your bumbling Uncle Dan, after all.

I sat down with him, calling out in greeting as I did so.

"Richie, how are you, you ol' bear?" He replied, giving his warm smile. "You been taking care of yourself?"

"Been doing fine, just fine," I responded, shaking his hand in friendly camaraderie. "And yep, been trying to, though I swear I'm going to go hoarse from all the debate lately. That forthcoming budget decision, you know. Been hearing an awful lot of rumors too, actually... something about the House getting in a huge to-do earlier today..."

I glanced him over poignantly, smiling disarmingly. Ozzie looked nervous, I could see it in his eyes. Something I just said sat wrong with him, and I knew exactly what it was. He knew, too. Hell, half the senate knew by now... It was just the thing to hang over his head, and it'd make a good point in any future debates against him, too. After all, we both intended to run for president in 2016...

"Really?" he murmured, folding his hands over to hide their jittering. The man was never a very good liar. "Hadn't heard about all that. I was completely swamped over this past week, haven't even had a chance to sit down!"

"Right, right. Something about a scholarship's funds being diverted and embezzled for bridge repair in Manhattan. I believe it was supposed to be a scholarship for those poor, underprivileged minority students, too, bless their hearts... You know, so many of them grow up in abject poverty, and so many can't afford college... a scholarship in the political sciences might really do them some good."

Ozzie swallowed hard, and took another sip of his pinot noir. He was thinking... thinking deeply.

Time to go in for the kill.

"You wouldn't know anything about all that, would you, Ozzie old pal?"

As if the alcohol had dissolved a clog in his mind, he looked up to me with purpose... and laughed.

"Well you know, Richie," he replied smoothly, "It might have. Awful odd claim for someone like you to be making, what with that earmark I heard you slipped into that Net Neutrality bill..."

My gut clenched. How had he known about that? Nobody reads the whole bill except a damned fool! A damned fool, and apparently, a dirty liberal like Ozzie.

"Did you now?"

"Oh yeah, it was all over the place a few months back... something about only voting in favor of it if you could get some money on the side for... oh, what was it...? Some new oil refinery in Delaware?"

His grin looked like it could scoop up all the manure on the farm and swallow it whole. What a dirty bastard, using my own tactics against me like that! That was, I suppose, why I admired him so much. Ozzie was willing to do anything - whore himself, destroy his reputation, ruin others' plans - if it meant he'd take his target down with him. Truly, God meant for us good friends to be perfect rivals.

"You wouldn't say a word about it..."
"I knew it was true... and you know I would."
"Look, it was a temptation, and I took it. That refinery needed the money in order to build. I've already confessed my sins, and -"
"Give me a reason not to speak one work of it."

We sat in tense silence, the air electric for all but a moment, before I broke it.

"Because," I murmured severely, "If you speak a word, I'll confirm the rumors about you."

"They aren't true."
"Ozzie, you're shit at lying. Out with it, man."
"I have nothing to say."
"No, maybe not... but I do."

Another long pause, this one seeming to last forever, as he reconsidered his options.

"... Touche," he murmured, backing down once more. "Touche."

The discussion turned away from politics a moment as the waiter came, taking our orders and going to prepare our food. We talked of the workplace, of classic literature, of catching up again sometime and of playing golf together next Saturday, perhaps at noon or so after a quick lunch. All the while, Ozzie sat awkwardly, almost more interested in his wine than in the discussion.

I broke his thoughtful silence some time after the food arrived.

"So, Ozzie... about that sin of yours, hmm?"

"Quiet, you," he scolded. "Besides, you know as well as I if you say a word, they'll investigate. And if they investigate, we're both done for. You willing to make that sacrifice, old friend? What would your family say?"

That hit me right in the heart. The one downside to being friends with a rival - they knew your weaknesses down to the very letter. Besides that... he was right. Where else would ratting him out get me but in the same position as him? It would be an absolute media circus, not just one but two senators shamed for personal interest projects.

"Look, I'm willing to compromise..."
"Are you now?" Another of his doughy smiles. "You always were, friend. Playing devil's advocate."

Ozzie cut and savored a bit of steak, the meat oozing juices as he cut into it. A chasing swallow of wine later, and he spoke once more.

"Why not try this instead?" He proposed, looking at me seriously. "Why don't we both agree to stop this silly little schoolyard rumor game, so long as you vote yes on one of my proposals...?"

"Buying my vote?" I murmured. "What kind of harlot do you take me for, Ozzie?"

"You didn't let me finish - I'm not buying your vote," he responded. "I'm doing us both a favor. There's no money involved here, it's not a bribe. I might be the Bastard of Washington, but damn if I'm going to buy a man's opinion with cheap paper."

"Explain then." I leaned forward in interest.

"Well." Another sip of his wine. "The next bill to pass through is supposed to be some sort of Department of Defense initiative. Now, I don't know all the particulars, but it's intended to be some sort of insurgency strike on those ISIS bastards overseas. Seems right up your alley, and besides - I have an earmark for finishing the New York bridge project in that bill. Hell, I could even add one for your little refinery project, since that last bill with it didn't fly. It's simple - you do me a favor by voting for the bill to pass, I'll do the same, and then we both win. And neither of us are ratted out by the other."

I mulled it all over, thinking back to college. Ozzie always did do the best of cheating and never being caught, even right in front of the professor's nose. It's a wonder he was never expelled for academic dishonesty... Aside from all that, his proposal was a decent one... there wasn't any reason for me to vote against the bill, nor was there any incentive for him to go back on his end of the deal. It was the perfect way for both of us to slide under the radar... and atone for our past sins by doing something with at least some national approval.

"Ozzie, you old fox," I murmured, smiling to myself, "You don't say a word about my sins, and I won't say a word about yours. If it's one thing the Lord has taught me, it's that God always forgives us poor sinners."

"Right, of course," Ozzie replied, taking my hand and shaking it warmly. "It's a deal, then?"
"You've got yourself one. See you on Thursday for the meeting?"
"I'll be there. You take care of yourself now."
"I plan on it. Take care."

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IT IS A FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF GOD

REPENT