Chapter 2 Summary

President Stevens is meeting with Garret and his budget director, Mark Dickson. They are calculating the number of votes they still need to pass the budget. The men plot to obtain the rest of the votes. Garret informs the President that he is blackmailing one congressman with the help of a mysterious man named Arthur Higgins. Higgins is greatly feared. Most believe that Higgins was in charge of a very secretive branch of the CIA. He was later forced out and is surrounded by mystery. No one really knows much about him.

Garret encourages the President to lie during an upcoming press conference if he is asked any specific questions about the budget. Garret also tells President Stevens to look at his watch and end the questioning early if he becomes uncomfortable with the media's questions. He is to lie and say that...