Forging America: My Campaign Manager is Roosevelt

Chapter 404: Chapter 188: Sanders’s Jerusalem

Leo understood.

Sanders wanted an ideological victory.

"That’s not a problem, but Pittsburgh needs more support."

"What do you want?" Sanders asked.

"I want money."

Leo’s answer was blunt and to the point.

"To truly establish this as a showcase, we need a major investment at the federal level."

"I’ve already spoken with Murphy."

Leo said matter-of-factly, "I told him to get ready to introduce a federal appropriations bill in Washington aimed specifically at the transformation of post-industrial cities."

"For a total of two billion US dollars."

"We want to direct this money toward the Western Pennsylvania City Cluster, with Pittsburgh as its core."

"Hold on a second."

Sanders suddenly cut Leo off, his voice on the other end of the line turning cold in an instant.

"What did you just say?"

Sanders asked, his tone laced with a disquieting pressure.

"You said you spoke with Murphy?"

Leo froze for a moment.

"Yes, just now. I had a video call with him and told him about this idea..."

"Leo."

Sanders’s voice grew stern.

"You’ve crossed a line."

"What?" Leo frowned.

"Yes, you supported Murphy. That’s a fact."

Sanders said, emphasizing each word.

"But in Washington, he is first and foremost a member of the Democratic Party’s Progressive caucus, and only second a representative of Pennsylvania."

"And in that caucus, I am the leader."

"When it comes to the legislative agenda, to major proposals on the scale of two billion dollars, those are strategic-level decisions."

"Something like this, you should have communicated with me first, not gone and given orders directly to Murphy."

Sanders’s tone was filled with anger.

"You had Murphy introduce a bill? What does he know? He’s just a rookie who just took office. If he rashly introduces a bill in the Senate that’s guaranteed to be shot down by the Republican Party, he’ll become a laughingstock. It could even disrupt my entire strategy in the Appropriations Committee."

"From now on, any action at the federal level, any major move that requires Murphy’s cooperation..."

"You must call me first."

"It must have my approval first."

"Do you understand?"

"I don’t want to see you bypassing me and giving orders directly to my people again. He’s my ally, not your puppet."

Leo gripped the receiver, feeling a flash of indignation.

’Murphy was his pick. He was the one who spent the money and effort to get him elected. And now, when he wanted to make use of the person he’d invested in, Sanders was warning him he’d crossed a line.’

’What was this? Was he burning the bridge after crossing it?’

’Mr. President?’ Leo asked inwardly. ’What’s this old man’s game? Is he wary of me?’

’Of course.’

Roosevelt’s voice echoed in his mind.

’He’s teaching you the rules of Washington, Leo.’

’Did you think you and Murphy were equal partners? Did you think that just because you got him into the Senate, he belongs to you?’

’You’re wrong.’

’The moment Murphy walked into that domed building, he became part of that vast system of power.’

’In that system, Sanders is a senior Senator, a committee vice chairman, and a faction leader.’

’By the logic of power, Murphy must listen to Sanders. Sanders sees Murphy as his asset in the Senate, a bargaining chip to expand his sphere of influence.’

’And you, a local Mayor, think you can directly order a Federal Senator to lead the charge?’

’In Sanders’s eyes, that’s not just overstepping your bounds—it’s a challenge to his authority.’

’He’s worried you’ll get out of control.’

’He’s worried you’ll treat Murphy as your personal soldier, sacrificing the Progressives’ overall strategy in Washington for the benefit of Pittsburgh.’

’This is a declaration of ownership.’

’He’s telling you: Murphy is under his authority now. If you want to use Murphy, you have to get his approval first.’

Leo listened to Roosevelt’s analysis, sneering inwardly.

’He remembered how cleanly Sanders had abandoned Murphy for the sake of the so-called "greater good".’

’Now that Murphy had made a comeback against all odds and won the election, the good Senator was jumping out to claim ownership.’

’The shamelessness of it was a bit too much.’

Although Leo thought this, he immediately adjusted his tone to its most humble.

"Understood, Senator."

Leo’s voice was calm again, even carrying a hint of apology.

"It was my oversight."

"I was just too eager to get this plan implemented as soon as possible."

"Next time, I will report to you first."

On the other end of the line, Sanders’s breathing grew even.

"Good."

Sanders’s tone became gentle again.

"I’m not trying to restrict you, Leo. I’m trying to protect you, and to protect Murphy."

"The waters in Washington run deep. If you throw stones carelessly, they’re liable to land on your own feet."

"About that two-billion-dollar bill."

Sanders paused.

"In the current climate in Congress, that’s a practically impossible task. The Republican Party will do everything they can to block it, and you’ll even face significant resistance from within the Democratic Party."

"That’s why we need you," Leo said.

"I’ll use this money to turn Pittsburgh into the first carbon-neutral heavy-industry city in the entire country."

"I’ll turn those unemployed steelworkers into technical experts who build wind turbines. I’ll transform those decaying communities into smart, green neighborhoods."

"When the time comes, you can bring a congressional delegation, bring the national media, and stand on the streets of Pittsburgh."

"You can point to all of it and tell them: Look, this is the future. This is the path we must take."

"It’s a worthwhile trade, Senator."

"Two billion in exchange for the power to shape the political narrative for the next twenty years."

Only heavy breathing could be heard from the other end of the line.

Sanders was weighing his options.

The stakes were too high.

Two billion US dollars was not a small sum, even for the federal budget.

More importantly, in the current congressional environment of intense partisan division, passing such a controversial, targeted appropriations bill was a nearly impossible task.

"Leo, two billion is too much," Sanders replied. "There’s no way I can secure that large an amount for you all at once. It would trigger a full-scale backlash within the party. We can do it in installments."

"We’ll apply for the first tranche—five hundred million US dollars—as start-up capital," Sanders proposed. "As long as that first sum comes through and you can show results, the subsequent funding will follow naturally."

"But you have to come up with a draft of the bill that can persuade Congress."

"Leo, you have to understand, the term ’Green New Deal’ is poison in Washington right now."

"Even though the Establishment Faction and the Republicans won’t say it out loud, they know full well that your Industrial Revival Alliance is an achievement of our Progressives."

"If you write your worker cooperatives and community welfare programs directly into the bill, the Republicans won’t even glance at it before they tear it to shreds."

"Even the moderates in our own party would vote against it."

"You need to learn how to frame it. You can’t be too blatant."

"Understood," Leo agreed with a nod.

The call ended.

Leo turned and looked out the window at the city, alive with the roar of machinery.

He had already grown accustomed to this rhythm of fighting on two fronts.

Building on the ground in Pittsburgh, and begging for money in the swamp of Washington.

This was the fate of a Rust Belt Mayor.

He pressed the intercom button on his desk.

"Ethan, Marcus."

"Come to my office."

"Bring your laptops and coffee."

"We’re working late tonight."