"Kim Stanley Robinson - Sixty Days and Counting" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robinson Kim Stanley)

phone rang again, and this time it was Phil Chase himself.
тАЬCharlie, how are you?тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm fine, Phil, how are you? Are you getting any rest?тАЭ
тАЬOh yeah sure. IтАЩm still on my postcampaign vacation, so things are very relaxed.тАЭ
тАЬUh huh, sure. ThatтАЩs not what Roy tells me. HowтАЩs the transition coming?тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs coming fine, as I understand it. I thought that was your bailiwick.тАЭ
Charlie laughed with a sinking feeling. Already he felt the change in PhilтАЩs status
begin to weigh on him, making the conversation seem more and more surreal. He
had worked for Phil for a long time, but always while Phil had been a senator;
Charlie had long since gotten used to the considerable and yet highly circumscribed
power that Phil as senator had wielded. It had become normalized, indeed had
become kind of a running joke between them, in that Charlie often had reminded Phil
just how completely circumscribed his power was.
Now that just wasnтАЩt going to work. The president of the United States might be
many things, but unpowerful was not among them. Many of the administrations
preceding PhilтАЩs had worked very hard to expand the powers of the executive
branch beyond what the constitutional framers had intendedтАФwhich campaigns
made a mockery of the тАЬstrict constitutionalistтАЭ talk put out by these same people
when discussing what principles the Supreme CourtтАЩs justices should hold, and
showed they preferred a secretive executive dictatorship to democracy, especially if
the president were a puppet installed by the interested parties. But never mind; the
result of their labors was an apparatus of power that if properly understood and
used could in many ways rule the world. Bizarre but true: the president of the United
States could rule the world, both by direct fiat and by setting the agenda that
everyone else had to follow or be damned. World ruler. Not really, of course, but it
was about as close as anyone could get. And how exactly did you joke about that?
тАЬYour clothes are still visible?тАЭ Charlie inquired.
тАЬTo me they are. But look,тАЭ passing on a full riposte, as being understood in
advanceтАФalthough Phil could no doubt see the comedy of omnipotence as well as
the comedy of constraintтАФтАЬI wanted to talk to you about your position in the
administration. Roy says youтАЩre being a little balky, but obviously we need you.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm here already. I can talk twelve hours a day, if you like.тАЭ
тАЬWell, but a lot of these jobs require more than that. TheyтАЩre in-person jobs, as you
know.тАЭ
тАЬWhat do you mean, like which ones?тАЭ
тАЬWell, like for instance head of the EPA.тАЭ
тАЬWHAT?тАЭ Charlie shouted. He reeled, literally, in that he staggered slightly to the
side, then listed back to catch himself. тАЬDonтАЩt you be scaring me, Phil! I hope
youтАЩre not thinking of making appointments as stupid as that! Jesus, you know
perfectly well IтАЩm not qualified for that job! You need a first-rate scientist for that
one, a major researcher with some policy and administrative experience, weтАЩve
talked about this already! Every agency needs to feel appreciated and supported to
keep esprit de corps and function at the highest levels, you know that! IsnтАЩt Roy
reminding you? You arenтАЩt making a bunch of stupid political appointments, are
you?тАЭ
Phil was cracking up. тАЬSee? ThatтАЩs why we need you down here!тАЭ
Charlie sucked down some air. тАЬOh. Ha ha. Very funny. DonтАЩt be scaring me like
that, Phil.тАЭ
тАЬI was serious, Charlie. YouтАЩd be fine heading the EPA. We need someone there
with a global vision of the worldтАЩs environmental problems. And weтАЩll find someone