It just didn't make sense to me why Leo, of all people, would say it's better to send a campaign person to this meeting with Victor with me. Especially someone who has NO IDEA what the thing is about.
Especially when, if not for me, she woulda been sitting there, staring at Victor as he rambled in Spanish, finally ending with "¿Si?" and Connie nodding blankly.
Plus she was wrong. She was wrong and she screwed up and now we're gonna feel the effects of it - she let someone else get what they want. This is a time when we CAN'T give people what they want if it isn't what WE want because we look weak enough already.
She screwed up.
And that's when I realize. I mean I'm sittin' in my office when it hits me.
That's why he let Bruno insist she was there.
So Bruno sees that maybe we White House veterans know what we're doing a little more than people who've been in town less than a month. So he sees that even I, who am seen as being the low-man on the Senior Staff Totem Pole, know what I'm doing.
That's why Leo put up the little fight that he knew would end in Bruno getting his way.
'Cause, let's face it, if Leo really says the word Bruno DOESN'T get his way, he gets shown the door if Leo deems necessary.
That had been bothering me all day - how Leo had just let Bruno win and let him send Connie even though it screwed things up worse and Leo must've known it would 'cause he, like the President, isn't big on new people, especially not when there's old people - or young old people - who can do the job damn well.
He sent Connie with me 'cause, well, she thinks she's so smart, she thinks she knows exactly what Doug's saying and that's exactly what's right.
She's got another thing comin'.
She may be able to help run campaigns, I'm sure she could be damn good if she'd separate herself from Doug…hell, separation from Bruno could help, too.
But she doesn't know the first thing about running the White House. I'm not saying we did at first, either. But it's been a few years since that.
And we've gotten pretty damn good at it.