The Voorhies family adapted quickly to their new urban home. A Realtor quickly placed them in a temporary apartment. While Alicia started her new job with the Lamoni city-planning department, Senator Fletcher hired Jeremy as an assistant. Soon, Jeremy learned the inner workings of politics, such as which people to form alliances with and who could best help him win the congressional seat. Senator Fletcher pointed out that even though he would endorse Jeremy’s candidacy, he really needed an endorsement from an Iowa political leader.
Jeremy’s political career got a big boost when he learned that a top political analyst named Kimberly Talbot had taken in interest in his campaign. She wanted to become Jeremy’s campaign manager. Senator Fletcher promised that Ms. Talbot would do a good job for his campaign.
Jeremy smiled when he met Ms. Talbot in person. She was the Kim Mullen he had known in Grinnell. Now Jeremy understood why she was so interested in his campaign. With Senator Fletcher’s endorsement, Jeremy gladly hired Kim Talbot as his campaign manager.
One of the first services Kim provided to Jeremy was to show him a map of his congressional district. It consisted of most of the two southernmost tiers of Iowa counties, except for two Missouri River counties in the southwest and three more counties in the southeast. Lamoni was by far the largest city in the district, especially when suburbs such as Leon, Decatur City, Davis City, and Pleasanton were included. He needed to make a strong showing in this area.
Then Kim pointed out some other significant communities in the district. He would make campaign stops in Osceola to the north, Centerville, Ottumwa, and Fairfield to the east, and Creston, Clarinda, Shenandoah, and Red Oak to the west. In those areas, agriculture was a much more important issue than it was in the Lamoni area. He needed to convince these constituents that he would represent their needs as well as those in the Lamoni area.
The biggest challenge Jeremy faced was that he had just moved to Lamoni from another state. He might seem like an outsider. The fact that he had lived in Iowa before starting his military career helped. But he had never lived in this congressional district. His best appeal was that he was such a well-known hero. People respected him for his bravery, honesty, fairness, and devotion to the country. Celebrities could get big support from the voting public.
Between preparing for the campaign and his job with Senator Fletcher, Jeremy often put in long hours. He often came home after ten o’clock at night. He frequently worked full days on Saturdays and Sundays. Alicia became concerned for two reasons. Naturally, she was concerned that Jeremy might overwork himself. The other was that he did not have much time with her and the children.
Jeremy understood. One Saturday he took his family to some of the major sights in Lamoni. They toured the capitol and the White House. An elevator ride to the top of the Washington Monument provided a splendid view. They also visited the Lincoln, Jefferson, and Vietnam Veterans Memorials. They also found out that a new memorial to Troy Adair would soon be built.
Jeremy was so wrapped up in his work that he did not even check the Major League Baseball standings until August. To his surprise, it had expanded to thirty-six teams. There were eighteen teams in each league. The leagues had three divisions, each with six teams.
The leagues and divisions were aligned like this:
National League: East: New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami. Central: Cincinnati, Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans, St. Louis, Houston. West: Denver, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland.
American League: East: Toronto, Montreal, Boston, New York, Baltimore, Tampa. Central: Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Kansas City. West: Texas, San Antonio, Anaheim, Oakland, Seattle, Vancouver.
Jeremy wondered if baseball had enough talent to support so many teams. He also wondered if the leagues could generate enough revenue to support so many teams. But at least more aspiring young baseball players could realize their dreams of playing Major League Baseball. Jeremy also noted with interest that Nebraska won the College World Series.
Right before Jeremy was ready to announce his candidacy, he raised a concern with Kim Talbot. He asked if the publicity from the campaign would alert the Virginians of his location. Perhaps they might try to strike against him.
Kim assured Jeremy that Virginia had never shown any interest in congressional elections. It might show interest in someone running for a higher office. With that, Jeremy announced his candidacy for Congress the next night. His announcement was published in newspapers across Iowa, particularly in the southern part of the state. It was also broadcast on radios and televisions in much of the state. As anticipated, the worst criticisms involved him having just moved into the district. But his fame as a hero nonetheless made him popular.
Kim Talbot arranged to have his first campaign visit in Ottumwa. She told Jeremy that the key issues in Ottumwa were agriculture and manufacturing. Virginia was a hot topic anywhere. He should always mention it on his campaign stops.
Meanwhile, fundraising for Jeremy’s campaign picked up. Soon, signs started appearing in many parts of the district proclaiming “Voorhies for Congress.” Ads promoting his campaign appeared in television, radio, and newspapers.
Kim Talbot carefully instructed Jeremy on how to campaign: emphasize the issues that he himself had suffered from in Virginia and his determination to liberate his family, relatives, and friends.
For those interested in agricultural issues, the best topic to discuss would be the environment. Kim pointed out that before the dissolution, global warming had been a worldwide problem. This global warming was caused by the excessive use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. The gases emitted by these fuels trapped more heat from the sun. Not only did temperatures go up, but disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, and floods became more frequent and more severe. The polar ice caps and the ice in Greenland started melting, threatening to flood out major coastal cities and some whole Pacific Island countries.
After the dissolution, fossil fuel consumption plummeted. People could not afford to buy gasoline to drive their cars. Factories and power plants cut way back because of the drastically decreased demand for their products. The beneficial side effect was that global warming reversed. The climates were now almost back where they were before. The major ice shelves were rebuilding.
Kim explained that Iowa was little affected by hurricanes, wildfires, and rising sea levels. But floods were a significant issue, as they often ruined crops and caused major damage to buildings. He needed to convince voters that he would support efforts to increase production of energy generated by wind, sunlight, and other nonfossil sources.
Regarding foreign policy, Kim pointed out that it was not the contentious issue it had been before the dissolution. Most countries wanted a fully united and prosperous United States. The main thing he needed to realize was that President Mesta’s aid to Mexico was not just helping his ancestral home country.
Before the dissolution, Mexico had a serious problem with the manufacture of illicit drugs. This drug manufacturing was driven by groups of criminals called cartels. These cartels fought against one another, resulting in high murder rates. Up in the States, where many of the illicit drugs were sold, thousands of people were killed by overdoses. Drug users also committed robberies and even murders to obtain the money they needed to buy their drugs. Crimes, including murder, were committed by rival gangs in the United States too.
The dissolution drove the drug cartels out of business, just like it did to so many other businesses. President Mesta’s goal was to strengthen Mexico’s infrastructure, law enforcement, and education to help prevent this from happening again. Our soldiers were also down there trying to eradicate the plants that were used to make these drugs. Therefore, the United States would benefit greatly if President Mesta’s plan succeeded.
Jeremy’s speech in Ottumwa was a huge success. Not only was there a large turnout, but the crowd cheered several times. Afterward, people swarmed around him to shake hands with him. Several people wanted his autograph. By the time Jeremy got home to Lamoni, he was totally exhausted.
After the Ottumwa speech, Jeremy’s opponents began to criticize him. They mainly focused on the fact that he had just moved into the area, ostensibly to run for this congressional seat. Jeremy replied that he had strong ties with Iowa, was aware of its issues, and would effectively represent this district’s interests.
When school started, Brenda left home to live in the dorms at Southern Iowa. It was Julie’s job to look after her younger sister and brother after school. Quite often, Wendy liked to go off with her friends. Nine-year-old Vincent liked his one-on-one time with Julie.
Jeremy continued to make campaign appearances. His next big rally was in Creston, then on to Clarinda. His campaign got a big boost when he was endorsed by Charles Conklin, the governor of Iowa. The polls showed Jeremy opening a big lead in the congressional race.
Absorbed by his campaign and family responsibilities, Jeremy did not find out that Cleveland had won the World Series until several days after the series was completed. He frequently made public appearances and speeches. He met with Kim Talbot almost daily to talk strategy.
The strategy became moot when Jeremy got his biggest break yet. President Mesta, well remembering how much Jeremy had helped Texas, endorsed Jeremy’s candidacy. After that, it was not a question of if Jeremy would be elected but of how much of the vote he would get.
After the votes were counted, Jeremy won handily, with 62 percent of the vote. He would be sworn into office in January. Kim Talbot faded from the main activity. Jeremy spent more time with fellow politicians, planning for the next session of congress. He worked with the other Iowa representatives in the House while also becoming acquainted with Iowa’s two senators. They strategized about the key issues. The other Iowa congresspeople liked Jeremy’s hawkish stance against General Krakowski.
The country got an early Christmas present when New Mexico approved the new constitution. Now there were just two states left to bring into the union. The world watched to see how the United States would gather in the two remaining states. It was obvious that negotiating for them was not feasible. General Krakowski would never relinquish anything.
Jeremy spent quality time with his family one Saturday afternoon, watching the national college football championship. That year, they watched Maryland claim the national title, defeating San Jose State.
For Christmas, the Voorhies family visited Alicia’s family in Des Moines. They were all impressed by Jeremy’s success. They also expressed confidence that he would make a good congressman for Southern Iowa and the nation. They also praised Alicia for being so supportive of Jeremy. Not every woman becomes a congressman’s wife. They also praised the four children for their successes.
Next, the family traveled via train to Pennsylvania to visit Jeremy’s relatives. They also praised Jeremy and the family for their successes. Jeremy’s grandmother was particularly happy to see Jeremy again. She also lavished the highest praise on Jeremy. She was a proud grandmother.
Upon arriving back in Lamoni, Jeremy further prepared for his new job. Alicia continued her work with the Lamoni city-planning department. The four siblings enjoyed the remainder of their Christmas break.
As his first day on the job approached, Jeremy was told that the first order of business involved the banking system. The original Federal Reserve System consisted of twelve federal reserve banks. Every federal reserve bank had been restored except for the one in Richmond. Instead, a federal reserve bank was placed in Detroit, taking the place held by the former Richmond bank.
Except for the federal reserve bank in San Francisco, no federal reserve banks were located further west than Dallas. Banking interests out west wanted three new federal reserve banks, one in Denver, one in Los Angeles, and one in Seattle. The argument in favor of the new banks was that the banking interests in the West would be better served. The argument against it was that it would cost the federal government more money. Omar Fields abhorred excessive government spending because that was what had caused the dissolution in the first place.
Once Jeremy was sworn into office, he was immediately placed on two committees. One, not surprisingly, dealt with issues regarding Virginia and General Krakowski. The other was on the environment.
The federal reserve banking issue was the first item of business on Jeremy’s first day in the house chamber. Jeremy did not speak, just listened to both sides of the debate. When the vote was called, Jeremy decided to support the expansion. The measure passed by a narrow margin. Then it was on to the Senate.
Jeremy did not do much speaking at his first environmental meeting. He listened as the other committee members talked about how to further minimize the use of fossil fuels. While electric trains had reduced the amount of car and airplane travel, both modes of transportation were becoming more prevalent. Electric cars were becoming more popular. But air travel was still necessary. They needed to devise ways to cut back on the amount of fossil fuels needed by the airline industry. A congressman from New Jersey said that an inventor in his district was working on a type of cable that could transport cars safely at particularly high speed. While that possibility sounded good, it still did nothing to reduce air-travel pollutants.
Jeremy was much more vocal in his first meeting with the Virginia committee. He mentioned the beatings, imprisonments, rejections, lies, and his friend seeming to get brainwashed. He suggested a full-scale invasion to liberate Virginia and West Virginia. Many of those present agreed with Jeremy. Some were not so sure. Concern was raised over casualties and a possible nuclear risk. Nothing substantive was decided at this meeting.
After that meeting, Jeremy requested military maps of Virginia and West Virginia. These were quickly provided. Using his military experience, Jeremy started deducing the best ways to move against General Krakowski. Sometimes he would take the maps home to study them there. Vincent often liked to watch him. Jeremy enjoyed the quality time with his son. He liked telling Vincent how to read the map. For example, when the brown contour lines were close together, it meant there was a steep hill.
Dallas won the Super Bowl that year, though Jeremy hardly noticed.
Soon after, Jeremy met Governor Conklin. Jeremy was impressed by the governor’s quiet yet astute demeanor. He asked Jeremy questions about various issues. When Jeremy spoke his replies, the governor typically nodded his head in agreement. At the conclusion, the governor shook Jeremy’s hand and thanked him for his time. The governor also told Jeremy that he would be a fine representative for Iowa and its Southern district.
Alicia complained to Jeremy that he was spending too much time doing his work and not enough with her and the children. Jeremy admitted that his job as congressman was taking up far more of his time than teaching at Holmes did. More nights, more weekends. At least he always came home to sleep.
Jeremy’s challenges increased. A gun-rights lobbyist tried to influence Jeremy to support a constitutional amendment to loosen gun restrictions. The lobbyist offered Jeremy $100,000 for his support. Jeremy refused. The lobbyist kept raising his offer by increments of $25,000 until he got up to $300,000. Jeremy still refused. He had to put the interests of his constituents and the American people first.
A week later, Jeremy was visited by House Speaker Harold Wagner of Pennsylvania. He had heard about Jeremy’s encounter with the lobbyist. He congratulated Jeremy, claiming that Congress needed people who would support the welfare of the people over his own interests.
Time went by in a flurry. People in Iowa celebrated when Drake won the men’s college basketball championship. Jeremy cheered when he learned that Creighton had won the women’s championship. But the demands of his job prevented him from celebrating much.
Jeremy got an invitation to visit President Mesta in the Oval Office. Jeremy could not turn down that invitation. Upon arriving, the president gave Jeremy a firm handshake. Then Jeremy sat down across the table from the president. He looked at the respected statesman, with his neatly groomed dark hair with traces of gray, dark brown eyes, and slightly darker skin. This was certainly a dignified looking man.
President Mesta started the conversation. “I have heard some good things about you,” he began. “You are one of our best freshman congresspeople.”
“Thanks,” replied Jeremy. “I am just doing my job.”
“That’s what we want,” continued the president. “You refused a bribe. You do the right things. On top of that, you are a national hero.”
Then the president got into the main thing he wanted to talk with Jeremy about. “You are a very strong proponent for liberating Virginia by invading. I have decided to take a different approach. We are trying to liberate Virginia by inciting the citizens to topple General Krakowski from within. If anything disruptive happens in Virginia or West Virginia, we must disavow any connection with it, even though we probably instigated it.”
“Understood,” replied Jeremy.
“One more thing,” continued President Mesta. “Please tone down your rhetoric about invading Virginia. We think the Virginians know you are a congressman. Right now, they don’t appear to have an issue with it. But if you keep speaking out about invading Virginia, General Krakowski might send someone over here to get you. So tone things down a little.”
“Will do,” replied Jeremy with a sigh.
“I understand how you feel. You want to liberate your family, friends, and relatives,” empathized President Mesta. “But you also have great potential. You are both an astute politician and a national hero. I honestly believe you could someday be elected to this office.”
With that, Jeremy shook hands with President Mesta and thanked him. The thought of becoming the nation’s president caused him think hard about his performance and his future.
From then on, Jeremy maintained a more reserved approach on the Virginia issue. When asked about it, Jeremy just said he supported President Mesta’s strategy. But nothing more, though he still believed an attack would work better.
The bill creating three new federal reserve banks passed in the Senate. Now it needed President Mesta’s approval.
Following the news, together with the reports he received as a congressman, Jeremy watched the situation in Virginia closely. He noted how three bridges located near Fredericksburg, Virginia, had been destroyed. That would disrupt travel between Richmond and Arlington. President Mesta declared that the United States was not involved in those sabotages. Jeremy believed that the United States was somehow the instigator.
Spring gave way to summer. Arkansas won the national championship in men’s basketball, Indiana the women’s. Detroit won the National Basketball Association. Meanwhile, Jeremy followed the news from Virginia carefully. Two more bridges were sabotaged. One connected Newport News with Suffolk. The other connected Hampton with Norfolk. Next, a warehouse near Leesburg was intentionally burned down.
General Krakowski stepped up his rhetoric against the United States for the criminal activity. President Mesta continued to assert that the United States was not to blame. The general then used a tyrannical way of dealing with his problem. Promptly, he ordered for twelve people who lived in the Leesburg area to be killed by firing squad. Another sixteen people living in the Fredericksburg and Suffolk areas were similarly executed. There was no evidence that any of the twenty-eight people killed had any involvement.
While President Mesta abhorred the senseless killings, he continued trying to stir up unrest. Perhaps the tension in Virginia was mounting to the point where people would finally attempt an overthrow.
Next, the United States intercepted another missile fired from Virginia. It seemed like it was headed for Lexington, Kentucky. While this missile did not have nuclear capabilities, it had enough explosives to do significant damage. Tensions escalated.
Jeremy uneasily followed the news coming from Virginia. How was this affecting his family, friends, and relatives? Leesburg was so close to Arlington. Could he do anything to help them? Unwillingly, he had to admit he could not do anything. He could only use his job to influence things favorably.
Jeremy tried to ease his concerns by doing fun things with his family. One weekend, he took his family to Kansas City to watch a Major League Baseball game. It was the first time any of them had attended a Major League Baseball game. On the way back home, Vincent asked his father if he could take him to an NFL game. Jeremy replied that he would try.
One part of his job that Jeremy liked was interacting with constituents. Because his district included half of the capital city, people visited his office frequently. Often, he could not see his visitors because he was in Congress, in a meeting with his committees, or too busy at his office to see people. But he enjoyed it every time he could see his constituents, greeting them with a smile and a handshake. He also liked having his picture taken with these constituents.
Dealing with pressures from his job, Jeremy started scheduling time for diversions. He started following baseball more closely. He liked it when Southern Mississippi won the College World Series, even though he did not have any ties with the team. In Major League Baseball, he started watching closely as Baltimore hotly pursued New York in the American League East.
On weekends, he arranged activities with his family. Sometimes they would visit relatives in Des Moines. Another time, they went to St. Louis, where they visited a local zoo and a botanical park. Of course, Alicia always enjoyed a romantic date at one of Lamoni’s growing roster of fine restaurants. One time, Julie took Vincent to the capitol so they could see their father at work while Congress was in session. At lunchtime, Jeremy treated them to lunch in the Congressional cafeteria.
When school started, something happened that Vincent did not like. A boy named Marvin Short took Julie on a date. They seemed happy together. Vincent did not like having this rival for Julie’s attention. Alicia tried to comfort Vincent, explaining that Julie was old enough to start having boyfriends. It did not mean that Julie loved him any less. She also added that someday he would want the same kind of companionship with a girl. Vincent admitted that sometimes he did feel attractions toward girls at his school.
Jeremy traveled more during the fall. First, he traveled to southeastern Nebraska to visit Falls City. It looked just as modern and prosperous as Lamoni, only smaller. He was told that before the dissolution, Falls City did not even have five thousand people. Now its population was over thirty-five thousand.
Another time, a Maryland representative invited Jeremy to Baltimore for a baseball game. While there, he visited several places in Baltimore and nearby areas, learning about the challenges faced by the state, with its long border with Virginia.
Jeremy’s biggest trip started when he was invited to meet with Albania’s ambassador to the United States. The Albanians at the embassy gave him the royal treatment. The Albanian ambassador asked Jeremy if he would like to visit Albania. His nation had long considered the United States a valuable friend. They invited him to visit their country. Jeremy, wanting to maintain good relations, accepted the invitation. Before leaving, House Speaker Wagner told Jeremy not to make any promises on behalf of the United States.
The following week, Jeremy left on his long journey. After saying farewell to his family, a subway train whisked him off to the Lamoni airport. From there, he had to make three connections: one in New York, one in London, and one in Rome, before landing at Tirana. After getting his baggage, an embassy employee drove him to the United States embassy.
Jeremy enjoyed his time in Albania. It certainly looked different from the United States. The architecture utilized more arches. The streets, while narrower, were often occupied with pedestrians and bicyclists. The view from the Clock Tower of Tirana amazed him. He was awed by the blue waters of the Adriatic Sea. But most of all, he liked the friendly people.
Because Jeremy did not know any Albanian, he always needed an interpreter. He spoke with diplomats about how interested the United States was in maintaining favorable relations with Albania. The diplomats replied that they wanted to maintain those favorable relations too. But they expressed disappointment with the United States over the dissolution, claiming that it had damaged their country.
Jeremy admitted that the United States had made mistakes. He assured the diplomats that the current leadership in the States was determined not to let that happen again. Indeed, the national leadership was being cautious about government borrowing. In fact, since the Bryant Administration, the federal government had been paying down the national debt.
While Jeremy enjoyed his visit, he was happy to go home to his family. They all exchanged hugs and kisses when he got home. Furthermore, House Speaker Wagner commended him for his performance. Jeremy’s first assignment as a foreign dignitary was a success. But Congressman Wagner also told Jeremy that, among foreign nations, Albania was among the easiest to deal with.
Jeremy was pleasantly surprised to learn that Baltimore had won the wild-card position in the American League playoffs. At that point, New York led the best-of-seven playoff three games to one. Then Baltimore won three straight to continue to the league championship series. But then they lost to Minnesota in that playoff. It was Minnesota against Pittsburgh in the World Series. Then Pittsburgh won the World Series in six games.
The nation’s attention then turned to football. Jeremy teased Alicia when Creighton beat Iowa State. Brenda’s big thrill came when Southern Iowa defeated Northern Iowa. An early loss damaged Nebraska’s playoff chances. When Drake defeated Nebraska in the second-to-last game of the season, it assured Drake of a tie for the conference title. Drake won the title with a win against Iowa State the next week.
A loss to Wyoming in the quarterfinal round ended Drake’s season. Then Wyoming lost to Oregon in the next round. It was Oregon against Alabama in the championship game, which was won by Oregon.
The old playoff format remained unchanged. Cleveland won the Super Bowl that year, defeating the New York NFC team.
Jeremy completed his first year in office satisfied with his performance. He received good grades from his peers. His voters gave him a high approval rating. President Mesta even praised him. Now Jeremy just wanted more action toward liberating his home state and its western neighbor. What could be done to speed up the process?
Early in the new year, many Americans, including Jeremy, were glad to hear about a major escape from West Virginia. Starting north of Morgantown, close to the Pennsylvania border, miners dug a tunnel beneath the wall at the state border, opening the other side in Pennsylvania. Over two hundred people escaped before Virginia authorities found out and blocked the tunnel.
Soon, General Krakowski started doing some turnabout-is-fair-play with the United States. Three bridges near downtown Pittsburgh were sabotaged. Within days, three more bridges crossing the river at Davenport were also sabotaged.
President Mesta retaliated by targeting Virginia military air bases. The base that Lt. Williams had used to escape was among the first ones hit. Soon, bases near Charleston, Morgantown, Lynchburg, Norfolk, and Danville were also hit.
Virginia struck back, sabotaging US military air bases near Annapolis and Dover. Strategic Air Command in Bellevue, Nebraska, was put on high alert. Many people in the US believed the final showdown with Virginia would soon happen.
Instead, the two sides kept on jabbing at each other. A destroyed bridge here. A bomb exploding in a railroad depot there. One time, bomb experts prevented a bomb from exploding near a Wheeling high school. Some speculated that President Mesta was willing to continue this terrorist type of war because the United States could easily replace anything that was damaged or destroyed. General Krakowski had far fewer resources to repair his losses.
This type of attrition reminded Jeremy of the tactic used by Ulysses Grant against Robert E. Lee in the Civil War. But Jeremy noted one critical difference. As tough as the people living in the Confederacy had it, they were not suffering under a tyrannical dictator. Meanwhile, the press in both Maryland and North Carolina urged President Mesta for more drastic action.
Basketball season wound down to its conclusion. Utah won the men’s college basketball championship, while Rutgers won the women’s. Detroit won the NBA.
As summer advanced, Jeremy organized his reelection campaign. With Kim Talbot at the helm, he knew his campaign was in capable hands. Jeremy started making visits to various communities in his district. Among his first stops was a small town northwest of Lamoni called Kellerton. With its proximity to Lamoni, it was growing rapidly. Jeremy assured the people there that he would work to get Kellerton the support it would need.
Later in the campaign, a bomb exploded near a bridge in Ottumwa. While nobody was killed or injured, Jeremy quickly went to Ottumwa. At this point, he reemphasized his belief that the United States should invade Virginia and depose General Krakowski as soon as feasible.
One weekend, Jeremy and Alicia travelled to Omaha to watch Creighton play in the College World Series. While Creighton lost the game to Jacksonville State, they both enjoyed the game. Jacksonville State went on to win the series that year.
While Jeremy’s reelection campaign roared ahead, his opposition floundered. Three other candidates ran against him, but none of them had the financial backing nor the organization to mount much of a threat. By fall, it became certain that Jeremy would be reelected.
Brenda started her junior year at Southern Iowa. Julie became a high school senior, while Wendy became a high school freshman. Vincent started sixth grade. Alicia told Jeremy that it was amazing how quickly their children were growing up. Jeremy agreed.
The major national event that fall was the presidential election. President Mesta sought a second term, supported by the Constitution Party. He maintained his support for Vice President Cassidy. The Union Party endorsed the candidacy of Maryland Governor Harold Lofton, who in turn wanted California Senator Jason Lewis for his vice president.
Jeremy was disappointed when Baltimore failed to make the Major League Baseball playoffs. The World Series featured Kansas City against Los Angeles. A base hit in the bottom of the ninth inning in game seven scored the winning run for Los Angeles, which became the first West Coast team to win the World Series since the dissolution.
The presidential race provided its own excitement. While President Mesta was a popular incumbent, Governor Lofton’s fiery rhetoric against Virginia stirred passions. Polls indicated a close race.
Things continued to be close until about a week before the election. Then Governor Lofton blew his campaign by claiming that he was a full-blooded American, calling Mesta a Mexican who was not completely American.
After that, Mesta coasted to an easy win, getting 56 percent of the vote. Vice President Cassidy won by only a fraction of a point less. Their team would remain together for a second term.
Jeremy’s bid for a second term in the House won more easily, with 72 percent of the vote. He started considering himself a member of the Constitution Party because of his ties to President Mesta. Kim Talbot supported him, advising that political parties were becoming more prominent in political loyalties. They could also support his future campaigns.
Jeremy’s highlight during the football season was attending a game at Southern Iowa, hosting Northern Iowa, with his family. While Southern Iowa had no chance of making the playoffs, local fans were pleased with the performance of such a new program.
Oregon, Stanford, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Miami, Maryland, and Notre Dame all won in the first round of the college football playoffs. In the second round, Oregon topped Stanford, Minnesota defeated Oklahoma, Arkansas trounced Miami, and Maryland won against Notre Dame. Minnesota and Arkansas advanced to the championship game, which was won by Arkansas. In the NFL, Pittsburgh defeated Philadelphia in a Keystone State Super Bowl.
As Jeremy started his second term, he admitted that on the Virginia issue, he liked Governor Lofton’s stance better. Being from Maryland, the governor wanted more aggressive action against Virginia. Jeremy agreed that it was needed. He would continue to urge aggression during his second term.
The House committee on Virginia issues discussed ways to hasten Virginia’s liberation. One congressperson suggested that the tunnel linking West Virginia to Pennsylvania could be reopened. Jeremy pointed out that strategy sounded like the Battle of the Crater during the Civil War. Union troops dug a tunnel beneath the Confederate lines and set off a large explosion. That explosion opened a hole that Union troops could climb through, but they were easily gunned down by Confederates who knew they were coming.
The congressperson who mentioned the idea said that a loud explosion would not be needed this time. That would make it easier to sneak US troops in. Jeremy still did not like the idea. Virginia troops would likely soon figure out what was happening. They could surround the opening and do just what the Confederates did.
In New Jersey, the cable invention designed for safe, rapid car transportation was started with a connection from Camden to Jersey City. The speed and safety of the new cable system assured its success. Plans were underway to build them nationwide. The next step was to expand it from New York to Baltimore. France and Germany were also showing interest.
In addition to his work with the Virginia and environmental departments, Jeremy became more involved with foreign policy. Now his workload became even heavier. He spent more nights and weekends at work, having less time to spend with constituents. Alicia complained that he was spending too much time working and not enough time with his family. Jeremy compensated by bringing more of his work home. Life was not easy for a United States Congressman.
Jeremy maintained a good attendance record in Congress. He was respected for his tact, thoughtfulness, and even-handed approach to issues. The only issue on which he spoke fiercely was Virginia. He wanted a full-scale invasion. But President Mesta continued his efforts to break down the military dictatorship from within.
While sabotage attacks continued in Virginia and West Virginia, retaliations kept happening in the United States. One morning, an unexploded bomb was found next to an elementary school in Osceola. Even though police disarmed the bomb without incident, the entire nation was shocked that General Krakowski would target innocent children. Jeremy quickly rushed up to Osceola and urged his constituents there to remain calm. At least nobody was hurt.
The Osceola bomb incident heightened security around schools everywhere in the nation. Nowhere was this truer than in Lamoni. Vincent commented on how many more policemen and military personnel were guarding his school. Brenda acknowledged that Southern Iowa was getting similar protection.
Despite the general’s terrorist attacks, sports continued. Cheers went up in the east when Princeton won the men’s national basketball championship, while Syracuse won the women’s. In the NBA, several teams battled for supremacy until Detroit emerged with the championship. Shortly after, it was announced that a new WNBA would begin that fall.
At the end of the school year, the Voorhies family celebrated Julie’s high school graduation. Jeremy and Alicia had to admit that their children were growing up. Julie decided to attend Grinnell College that fall. Naturally, Vincent did not want his favorite sister to leave home. But once Julie started seeing boys, he did have to admit that he and Julie were not as close as they once had been. Besides, some girls were starting to look good to him.
While Jeremy paid scant attention to Major League Baseball that summer, he was happy that Baltimore was leading its division. His focus was on Virginia. His main concern was that while the United States was taking out bridges, tunnels, and other infrastructure, Virginia was increasingly trying to kill people. When a Virginia terrorist bomb killed six people near Oil City, Pennsylvania, the citizenry increased its pressure on President Mesta to attack.
President Mesta then shifted his strategy. Instead of going after bridges, tunnels, and railroad tracks, he started having his troops sabotage the walls surrounding Virginia and West Virginia. US forces breached a wall just north of Morgantown. While they were able to establish a toehold in West Virginia, Virginia defenders quickly pinned them down. One Virginia soldier tried to escape. His fellow Virginians shot and killed him.
Baltimore defeated Oakland in the opening round of the American League playoffs. Meanwhile, Detroit ousted wild card New York. In the National League, Pittsburgh triumphed over wild card St. Louis, while Portland won against Cincinnati. Detroit and Portland won their respective league championship series. Then Detroit won the World Series. Even though it was the first time Detroit had won the series in eleven years, they also had won it six times, more than any other team.
The nation’s attention turned away from Virginia briefly when a man attempted a school shooting in Jerome, Idaho. But the shooter had only a twelve-gauge shotgun. He fired off three shots before he needed to reload. While he was reloading, school officials overpowered and disarmed him. Three people were wounded, none killed. It was soon learned that the shooter was not affiliated with General Krakowski. The shooter was soon jailed in the Idaho state prison. Jeremy’s father-in-law commented that if that shooter had a high-powered assault rifle, which was often used in school shootings before the dissolution, many people would have been killed.
In college football, Jeremy was most pleased when Creighton opened the season with a surprise win against Nebraska. But his hopes for a great season were dashed when his alma mater lost to Northern Iowa in the next game. When Drake defeated Nebraska in the second-to-last game of the regular season, it seemed like Drake might make the playoffs. But those hopes ended when Iowa State defeated Drake in the season finale.
The college football playoffs generated plenty of excitement. In the west, Oregon routed Boise State, while San Jose State defeated UCLA in a game dubbed the “California Bowl.” In the south, UTEP defeated Rice to win the “Texas Bowl,” while Arkansas downed Mississippi. Up north, North Dakota State convincingly defeated Air Force, while Wisconsin spoiled Ohio State’s first postseason appearance since the dissolution. To the east, Georgia Tech stopped Wake Forest, while Boston College defeated Fordham.
Oregon, North Dakota State, Boston College, and Arkansas all won in the second round. Then North Dakota State and Boston College won in the semifinals, setting up the championship showdown.
The championship game started close, tied 14–14 at halftime. But North Dakota State took over in the second half, winning the championship by a score of 42–17. The game showed that while the bigger schools were gaining domination, the smaller ones could still compete.
The NBA started the season with its full roster of teams. The NBA East would have the following teams: Atlantic: Boston, Brooklyn, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto. Central: Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana, Milwaukee. Southeast: Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando, St. Louis. In the West, the alignment would be: Southwest: Dallas, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, San Antonio. Northwest: Denver, Minnesota, Portland, Seattle, Utah. Pacific: Golden State, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, San Diego.
Because interest in hockey had not recovered in warmer climates, the NHL focused on more northerly cities. Its Atlantic Division would have Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. The Metropolitan Division consist of Brooklyn, Columbus, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. The Central Division would have Chicago, Colorado, Milwaukee, Minnesota, St. Louis, and Winnipeg. The Pacific Division teams would be Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San Jose, Seattle, and Vancouver. Sports were gradually reaching their pre-dissolution strength.
Jeremy had little time for sports as he prepared for the next session of Congress. He spent much of his time visiting various locations within his district. While agricultural issues pervaded much of the area, he could not overlook the industrial concerns in Ottumwa or the urban issues with Lamoni and its suburbs.
Jeremy also visited Western Pennsylvania at the request of his colleague Jerry Moose, who represented that area. Jerry Moose showed Jeremy how it was optimizing its space to accommodate Pittsburgh’s growth since the reunification process started. This growth was tailored to the needs of the medical, electronics, and transportation industries in the city. Jeremy wished Alicia could have come with him.
While visiting Pittsburgh, Jeremy got to attend his first-ever NFL game. He also got to spend quality time with his grandmother, his aunt Cindy, and his uncle Warren. While Jeremy could tell that his grandmother was slowing down, she still seemed to have her wits. His grandmother expressed great pride in Jeremy becoming a congressman. His aunt and uncle were also greatly impressed.
When Jeremy got home, one of the first things he did was to pass along to Alicia some of the things he had learned about city planning while he was in Pennsylvania. Alicia appreciated his input. People living around Lamoni were complaining about losing too much useful farmland to the sprawling city.
For Christmas, Alicia’s parents hosted a big family get-together. Julie could not help but tease Brenda over how the Grinnell College women’s basketball team had defeated Southern Iowa. Brenda took it with good humor. Jeremy observed how many people were there. Between Alicia’s parents, their daughters, their sons-in-law, the grandchildren, and two of Alicia’s grandparents, it was a crowded gathering. But Alicia’s folks could not have been happier.
Jeremy wondered if he would ever have such a reunion with his relatives. It had been twenty-six years since he had seen his parents, his siblings, or any of the relatives on his mother’s side of the family. He could not help but wonder if some of them were no longer alive.
Soon, Jeremy began his fourth year as a member in the House of Representatives. While he paid the needed attention to all issues, he primarily focused on Virginia. He often brought maps of Virginia, West Virginia, and surrounding areas home with him. Alicia also looked at some of the maps with interest. Jeremy surmised that her interest in maps had to do with wanting to spend more time with him or her work in city planning. Perhaps both.
Michigan Senators and House members cheered when Detroit defeated Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl. It seemed like they had a friendly wager with the Pennsylvania congresspeople.
One weekend, Jeremy drove the family up to Grinnell to visit Julie. He showed his family where he lived, his high school, and other places where he frequented. While they all enjoyed the quality time with Julie, they also liked hearing about Jeremy’s time there.
As spring progressed, talk about the fall elections increased. The biggest news was that Milo Hughes, Iowa’s senior senator, would retire at the end of this term. Soon, Jeremy’s closest associates were asking if he would consider running for that senate seat. It caused Jeremy to pause and think. Being a congressman had been a demanding job. He surmised that senator would be even tougher.
First, Jeremy mentioned running for senator to Alicia. She could nix the whole idea if she wanted to. But instead, she told Jeremy that she liked the idea. She expressed confidence that Jeremy could win the seat and, if elected, do a good job. She would stand behind him 100 percent.
Next, Jeremy conferred with the other Iowa House members. While two of them had thought a little about running for the Senate seat, they all agreed that Jeremy would make a good senator. Ophelia Mason, from Waterloo, assured Jeremy that he would run very well in her district.
Next, Jeremy consulted with Governor Conklin. In his usual polite, quiet manner, he advised Jeremy to run. The governor pointed out that Jeremy was popular, had performed well in the House, and would wield more influence if elected senator. Therefore, he would have more influence in issues regarding Virginia.
Jeremy then conferred with House Speaker Wagner and Congressman Moose. They both liked the idea. While their state would not have any bearing on an Iowa election, they agreed that Jeremy had demonstrated the political skills to be a good senator.
Finally, Jeremy talked with Kim Talbot. She also encouraged Jeremy, saying that she would be happy to manage his campaign in a run for the Senate. The stage was set.
While Kim and Jeremy performed the tasks required to get Jeremy’s name on the Senatorial ballot, basketball season wound down. Louisville won the NCAA championship, while Detroit won the NBA title. It was a good sports year for Detroit. But Boston won the NHL title, preventing a complete sweep.
One of the proudest moments in Jeremy and Alicia’s lives was when Brenda graduated from Southern Iowa. She had accepted a job as a teacher in Chillicothe, Missouri. Now she was ready to start her career. She would stay with her family until it was time to start her new job.
Jeremy soon announced his decision to run for the Senate. He made the announcement on the north side of the national capitol. He declared that if elected, he would well represent Iowa’s best interests while also furthering the nation’s cause. He emphasized his position that the United States should invade Virginia, forcing General Krakowski from power.
Then he started his campaign. Thanks to Kim Talbot’s good fundraising, he was able to visit many cities to make his campaign appearances. Des Moines. Davenport. Dubuque. Waterloo. Cedar Rapids. Iowa City. Clinton. Marshalltown. Ames. Fort Dodge. Sioux City. Council Bluffs. Ottumwa. Mason City. Jeremy also made campaign stops in smaller cities. Grinnell. Storm Lake. Atlantic. Decorah. Oskaloosa. Algona. Jeremy had never been on the go like this before.
Jeremy was elated when Creighton won the College World Series. But he did not say it in public. He did not want to risk losing votes by revealing that a Nebraska school was his favorite sports school, even if he had graduated from it.
Kim’s work was plainly evident everywhere: posters, yard signs, billboards, and radio and television advertisements. For most of the summer, Jeremy felt like he was the only candidate running for this Senate seat. Then an opponent emerged. A state senator named Lucas Foster, from Harlan, Iowa, decided to run for the seat. Kim advised that Foster’s candidacy was promoted by supporters of the Union Party. They wanted the Union Party to gain the seat currently being held by Jeremy’s Constitution Party.
At first, Jeremy held a seemingly insurmountable lead over Foster. But as Union Party supporters started backing Foster, it became clear that this would not be an easy victory. Kim emphasized campaigning hard where Foster had the most support, which was in Western Iowa. Kim scheduled additional speaking appearances in Council Bluffs, Sioux City, and Atlantic. Jeremy also visited LeMars and Denison. All the while, he kept shoring up support in the major population centers around Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Lamoni.
Lucas Foster’s campaign tactic claimed that Jeremy would be too focused on the Virginia issue if elected, while he would have a more balanced approach to all issues. Jeremy avoided saying anything negative about Lucas Foster while assuring Iowans that he was very good about carefully considering all important issues. His constituents backed him up.
While Cincinnati defeated Detroit in the World Series, the race intensified. Polls showed Jeremy with a substantive but not insurmountable lead. On election night, the whole Voorhies family gathered at home to watch the results.
Small precincts in the western part of the state gave Foster a small lead. But Jeremy gained the lead as precincts in the south and east reported in. Gradually, the larger precincts started reporting their votes. Jeremy maintained his lead.
Finally, at about ten o’clock, Jeremy was declared the winner of the election. The Voorhies family, with friends, cheered. Lucas Foster conceded the race. At that point, Jeremy stepped outside his house with Alicia, welcomed by an applauding and cheering crowd. There were also news reporters and camera operators. Wendy and Vincent stayed inside so they could see their parents on television.
“First of all,” Jeremy started, “I would like to thank the voters of Iowa for choosing me as its next senator in Congress. It has been twenty-seven years since I first arrived in Iowa. Much progress has been made in that time. When I arrived here, only twelve states had reunited under the plan conceived by our great President Adair. Since then, that number has increased to forty-eight. We now have the great task of restoring to the citizens in two states the rights and privileges that all Americans must have. Liberating these two states from tyranny must be top priority.
“We also must not forget our other responsibilities. Foreign relations have never been better. We must capitalize on these relations to improve the standard of living everywhere in the world. Our environment has greatly improved since the dissolution. We must all work together to keep our environment healthy. This will help reduce natural disasters and maintain our food supply. We must also promote education. We must all strive to make sure that all people get equal rights. These are lofty goals. But working together, we can achieve these goals, making a better quality of life for everyone.”
The rest of the year passed quickly. In the national college football championship, Oregon defeated Pittsburgh in an east-vs.-west showdown. Then Pittsburgh shaded Dallas in the Super Bowl. Before Jeremy even knew it, the new year had started. Soon, he moved his belongings to his new Senate office, located on the Missouri side, south of the capitol.