Pittsburgh City Hall, Mayor's Office.
CLICK.
Leo Wallace placed the red phone back onto its receiver. His expression was grim, his fingers drumming absentmindedly against the desk. On the other end of the line was the White House Chief of Staff, David Stern.
Leo's original plan had been perfect. Leveraging the massive town hall meeting, he had successfully packaged the fury of Pennsylvania's working class over high inflation into a political nuke. He had taken this nuke to negotiate terms with the White House. He wanted more federal infrastructure budget and a promise to redirect a portion of the booming wartime military orders to the Rust Belt, thereby securing greater political gains for Pennsylvania.
He thought he held enough voting leverage to force the White House to compromise. But he was wrong.
Stern had been unusually uncompromising, speaking with a condescending disdain.
