Doing his best to hide the satisfaction he felt, Osborn relaxed his stance. “You better believe I’m right about this. After all, there has not been a more clear cut case of abuse of power by the Federal government since Reno snatched that little Cuban boy away from his relatives in Miami and sent the poor little wretch back to Castro. And while that was a slap in the face to every freedom loving American, to stand by and do nothing while Federal agents swooped down on your own state to haul away six of its citizens while an appeal over the issue of venue was still pending before the Supreme Court would have been disastrous to our cause.”

Slumping down, GO Thomas brought his arm up onto the arm of his chair and rested his head in his hand. “This is not going to go well for us, you know. The national media will eat us alive. Together with the White House they will tie us to the bombing in Kansas and that incident in Wyoming. Everything we’ve worked for will be swept away.”

Osborn smiled. “I’ve told you, GO, there is no way the FBI or anyone else can tie a single citizen of this state to either of those events. You’ve seen my report on the investigation I chaired.”

Looking up at his Attorney General, Thomas shook his head. “You know as well as I do that the truth does not matter. It’s what people feel to be true that counts. If there is one thing that those people in Washington have managed to do over the past ten years it’s been to train the American people to ignore the facts.”

“That may be so,” Osborn responded. “And the timing may not have been our choice. But there it is. We either step up to the plate like men or step aside and let the redcoats march across the green and take what’s left of our freedoms and the last of our dignity.”

Spinning about, GO Thomas turned until he faced a portrait depicting the Battle of Lexington. “Do you suppose those men knew what they were starting that morning, or where their efforts would eventually lead them?”

Knowing that he had won his case, Osborn’s smile grew. “Unlike those brave lads, I dare say we are better prepared to capitalize upon the opportunity that our foes in Washington have handed us.”