“He’s bonkers, absolutely bonkers,” Lammelle said.
“You’re speaking of the President of the United States, Mr. Lammelle,” Secretary Beiderman said.
“Unfortunately,” Lammelle said.
“Who, to judge by his sending the Secret Service to the Greenbrier to see if Natalie was really there to play golf, believes there is a plot to remove him from office,” the attorney general said.
“Isn’t there?” Beiderman challenged.
“Let’s talk about seizing the airfield,” Truman Ellsworth said, ignoring the question. “First of all, where is it?”
“It’s in, or on, a dry lake in the middle of Mexico,” Lammelle answered.
“And how difficult would it be to seize, General McNab?”
“I would not accept an order to seize it,” McNab replied.
“But if you were?” Ellsworth pursued.
“Ordered to seize it, you mean?”
“Yes.”
“I would refuse the order.”
“And he would be in his rights to do so,” the attorney general said. “It is not unlawful to refuse to obey an unlawful order.”
“Splitting legal hairs, as we were both taught to do at our beloved Yale School of Law, Freddie,” Ellsworth went on, “that is not precisely the case. Under the War Powers Act—and please correct me if I err—the President can order military action for a period not to exceed thirty days anywhere in the world he feels the need.”
“Point well taken, Ellsworth. I clearly remember Professor Hathaway’s brilliant—”
“Good ol’ Oona,” Ellsworth interjected. “A giant in the law!”
“. . . lectures on the subject,” the attorney general went on. “I believe that would be ‘giantess of the law,’ Ellsworth.”
“Right you are! I stand corrected!”
“Let me ask a question,” FBI Director Schmidt asked.
“Certainly,” Ellsworth and Palmer said over one another.
“If the President ordered Secretary Beiderman to seize this airfield, and Beiderman ordered General Naylor to carry it out, and then General Naylor ordered General McNab to conduct the operation, and General McNab refused, then what?”
“In that circumstance, I would resign,” Secretary Cohen said.
“With all possible respect, Madam Secretary,” Schmidt said, “that question was addressed to Secretary Beiderman and General Naylor. What would you do, General Naylor, if you issued an order and General McNab, in effect, said go piss up a rope? Excuse the language, Madam Secretary.”
“If General McNab refused the order—”
“Presumably you think it would be a lawful order?” Ellsworth asked.
“Yes, sir. I believe the President has the authority to issue such an order.”
“And if General McNab refused to accept it?”
“Then I would have no alternative but to relieve him of his command and place him under arrest.”
“And then what?”