pjbooks Chapter 189 Sanders' Jerusalem
Chapter 189 Sanders' Jerusalem
Just as Leo was planning how to persuade all the industrial cities in Pennsylvania to join his industrial revitalization alliance, the phone on his desk suddenly rang.
Leo glanced at it, then answered the phone.
Good evening, Senator Sanders.
"Leo".
Daniel Sanders' voice came through.
"I've seen the news," Sanders said bluntly. "You did a great job in Pittsburgh, and Murphy's vote share in western Pennsylvania was incredible."
"This is not a miracle, Senator."
As Leo replied, he pondered the purpose of Sanders' call.
"This is the result of calculations, the inevitable return on investment."
"We gave workers jobs, and the workers gave us their votes. It's fair."
"fair……"
Sanders snorted on the other end of the phone, his tone laced with sarcasm.
"In Washington, fairness is a luxury word."
"The situation is complicated, Leo. Although we retained our seats, the centrists are rallying and blaming us for the close race."
"They want to cut all the radical agendas," Sanders' voice deepened. "They say our approach won't work in red states, that we only spend money and don't make it, and that we're scaring away suburban housewives."
"Are they right?" Leo countered.
"Of course they're talking nonsense!"
Sanders' volume increased instantly.
"But they have the data, the deficit reports, the endorsement of those damn economists, while I only have slogans." Leo paused for a moment on the other end of the phone.
He astutely caught the implication in Sanders' words.
"Mr. President," Leo communicated with Roosevelt in his mind, "Sanders' call at this time is not simply to congratulate Murphy on his victory or to complain about the establishment's attacks."
"Yes, son," Roosevelt's voice rang out. "He's asking for help."
"Ask for help?" Leo asked, puzzled. "He's a bigwig in the Senate, a leader of the progressives. Does he need to ask me for help?"
"Politics is not about who has the bigger title," Roosevelt explained. "The establishment's attack hit him where it hurts."
"Sanders' problem has always been that his theories are great, but he lacks successful examples in reality. Especially during a recession like this, when pragmatic solutions are needed, his revolutionary slogans sound hollow and dangerous to centrist voters."
"And you, Leo, happen to have what he needs."
Leo understood instantly.
Sanders needs Pittsburgh, and he needs it more than ever before.
Leo knew how to answer.
"You have more than just slogans in your hands."
Leo said into the microphone, "You also have Pittsburgh."
"You still have me."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
"Daniel."
Leo changed his form of address; this was a strategy to build rapport and also a declaration of equality.
"They are attacking your ideas as utopian, saying that developing green energy, industrial upgrading, and worker cooperatives in those traditionally declining industrial areas is a pipe dream."
"But please look at Pennsylvania."
"Look at the South Side of Pittsburgh, look at the docks in Erie."
"Murphy won. He won the election in the reddest district with a progressive platform."
"That's the proof."
Leo's voice became steady and powerful.
"Everything we're doing here—the workers' cooperatives, the inland port logistics chain—is exactly what you described in your speech, and now it's gradually becoming a reality."
"But the establishment is distorting all of this."
Leo's voice became urgent.
"They acknowledged Murphy's victory, but they attributed the credit to the $500 million in bonds, to the power of capital."
"They say this is just another Keynesian government investment stimulus, an effect of the dollar, and has nothing to do with our progressive ideals."
"They are deconstructing our victory, vulgarizing it, reducing it from a victory of ideas to a victory of money." "What if Pittsburgh falls, what if this showroom collapses because of a broken funding chain?"
"It's not just my failure, Leo Wallace's failure, but also the bankruptcy of your theory."
"That was telling all of America that progressivism was just a costly hoax."
"The establishment will step over the corpse of Pittsburgh and throw your progressive ideas into the dustbin of history."
"But if it succeeds, it will be the Jerusalem of progressive ideas across America."
Sanders remained silent for a moment.
"I do need Pittsburgh," Sanders' voice turned serious, "but what I need isn't a successful economic case; I need a political symbol."
"I need Pittsburgh to be thoroughly imprinted with the progressive spirit."
"I want this name to be firmly linked in the hearts of all voters across the country with words like universal healthcare, green energy, and workers' rights; it must become the banner of our movement."
Sanders paused for a moment before making his request.
"I need you in Pittsburgh to be the first to pilot those core bills we're pushing through Congress. Even if it's just symbolic, even if it's just in one community, I need to see action."
"Only in this way can I use the Pittsburgh case to refute the attacks from the establishment. Only then can I tell everyone that our ideas are feasible and have a future."
Leo understood.
Sanders wants an ideological victory.
"That's fine, but Pittsburgh needs more support."
"What do you want?" Sanders asked.
"I need money."
Leo answered crisply and decisively.
"To truly establish this model home, we need significant investment from the federal level."
"I've already spoken with Murphy."
Leo said casually, "I had him prepare a federal grant in Washington specifically for the transformation of post-industrial cities. "Two billion dollars."
"We want to target this money to the western Pennsylvania urban cluster centered around Pittsburgh."
"Wait a moment."
Sanders suddenly interrupted Leo, and the voice on the other end of the phone instantly turned cold.
"What did you just say?"
Sanders asked, his tone carrying an unsettling sense of pressure.
"You said you've spoken with Murphy?"
Leo paused for a moment.
"Yes, just now, I had a video call with him, and I told him about this idea..."
"Leo".
Sanders' voice turned stern.
You've crossed the line.
"What?" Leo frowned.
"It's true that Murphy has your support."
Sanders said, emphasizing each word.
"But in Washington, he is first and foremost a member of the Democratic Progressive Caucus, and only secondarily a representative of Pennsylvania."
"And in this caucus, I am the leader."
"Regarding the legislative agenda, regarding such a major proposal worth two billion dollars, that's a strategic decision."
"You should have communicated with me about this first, instead of directly ordering Murphy around."
Sanders' tone was full of anger.
"You want Murphy to introduce a bill? What does he know? He's just a new recruit. If he rashly introduces a bill in the Senate that is bound to be targeted by Republicans, he will become a laughing stock and may even disrupt my overall strategy in the Appropriations Committee."
"From now on, any action involving the federal level, any major operation that requires Murphy's cooperation."
You have to call me first.
"You must get my permission first."
"Did you understand?"
"I don't want to see you bypass me again and give orders directly to my men. He's my ally, not your puppet." Leo gripped the receiver, feeling offended and displeased.
Murphy was his chosen one, someone he financed and promoted. Now he wants to use someone he invested in, but Sanders warns him he's overstepping his bounds. What is this? Is this a case of crossing the river and then burning the bridge?
"Mr. President?" Leo asked inwardly, "What does this old man mean? Is he wary of me?"
"certainly."
Roosevelt's voice echoed in my mind.
"He's teaching you the rules of Washington, Leo."
"You think you and Murphy are equal partners? You think that just because you got him into the Senate, he's one of yours?"
You're wrong.
"Once Murphy stepped into that dome, he became part of that vast power structure."
"In that system, Sanders was a senior senator, a vice chairman of the committee, and a faction leader."
"Given the flow of power, Murphy has to listen to Sanders. Sanders sees Murphy as an asset in the Senate, a bargaining chip for him to expand his sphere of influence."
"And you, a local mayor, want to directly command a federal senator to charge into battle?"
"In Sanders' view, this was not only overstepping his bounds, but also a challenge to his authority."
He's worried you'll lose control.
"He's worried that you're using Murphy as your personal henchman, sacrificing the overall progressive strategy in Washington for the sake of Pittsburgh's interests." "That's called a claim of ownership."
"He's telling you: Murphy is now under his control, and if you want to use Murphy, you have to get his approval first."
As Leo listened to Roosevelt's analysis, he couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
He recalled how Sanders had swiftly and decisively abandoned Murphy for the sake of the so-called "bigger picture."
Now that Murphy has pulled off a stunning comeback and won the election, this senator is once again asserting his sovereignty.
That's a really unseemly way to eat.
Although Leo thought this to himself, he immediately adjusted his tone to the most humble state.
"Understood, Senator."
Leo's voice returned to calm, 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 phone, Sanders' breathing calmed down.
"very good."
Sanders' tone softened again.
"I'm not trying to restrict you, Leo. I'm doing this to protect you, and also to protect Murphy."
"Washington is a deep place; throwing stones will only hurt your own foot."
"Regarding the two billion dollar bill."
Sanders paused for a moment.
"In the current congressional environment, this is practically an impossible task. Republicans will obstruct it relentlessly, and even Democrats will face significant resistance."
"That's why we need you," Leo said.
"I will use this money to turn Pittsburgh into the first carbon-neutral heavy industrial city in the United States."
"I will turn those unemployed steelworkers into technical experts who manufacture wind turbines, and I will turn those dilapidated communities into smart, green neighborhoods."
"At that time, you can bring a congressional delegation and media from all over the United States to stand on the streets of Pittsburgh."
"You can point to all of this and tell them: Look, this is the future, this is the path we are going to take."
"This is a good deal, Senator."
"Use two billion to gain political control for the next twenty years."
All that could be heard on the other end of the phone was heavy breathing.
Sanders is weighing the options.
This bet is too big.
Two billion dollars is not a small amount, even for the federal budget.
More importantly, in the current highly polarized Congressional environment, passing such a controversial targeted appropriations bill is virtually an impossible task.
"Leo, two billion is too much," Sanders replied. "I can't get such a large amount for you all at once; that would trigger a full-blown backlash within the party. We can do it in batches."
"Let's apply for the first loan, $500 million, as seed funding," Sanders proposed. "Once this first loan comes through and you achieve results, subsequent funding will follow naturally."
"But you must present a bill text that can convince Congress."
"Leo, you have to understand, the term Green New Deal is poison in Washington right now."
"Although the establishment and Republicans don't say it, they know in their hearts that the Industrial Regeneration Alliance you created is the result of our progressives. If you directly included your workers' cooperatives and community welfare in the bill, Republicans wouldn't even glance at it and would tear it up."
"Even the moderates within our party will vote against it."
"You need to learn to package yourself; you can't be too blatant."
"Understood," Leo nodded in agreement.
The phone hangs up.
Leo turned around and looked out the window at the city engulfed in the roar of machinery.
He had become accustomed to this rhythm of fighting on two fronts.
They build on Pittsburgh land and ask for money in Washington's swamps.
This is the fate of a mayor with a rust belt.
He pressed the call button on his desk.
"Ethan, Marcus."
"Come to my office."
"Bring your laptops and coffee."
"We have to work overtime tonight."