“Better than that.” From her stack of papers, she pulled a fax. “This is a copy of a Federally ordered wire tap I was sent by an old friend.”

Grabbing the fax, Jan scanned it in an effort to discern if it were genuine. After determining that it was, she looked back at Ann. Though she tried to be liberally minded as her profession dictated and her peers expected, Jan could not help but wonder if this “source” was one of Ann’s old Washington lovers.

Ann went on, “Even though he has moved into politics, he’s continued his habit of hand selecting his subordinates. He’s known as the kingmaker in Idaho. Even at county and town level, politicians in that state consider his nod of approval the single most critical element of their campaigns.”

Ann paused as Jan scanned the bio before her. When she reached the section that addressed his service record, Jan smiled. “Oh, he was a Hog driver.”

Ann, who had prepared the bio, made a face. “A what?”

Catching herself, Jan smiled as she glanced over to Ann. “He flew A-10s when he was in the Air Force and during the First Gulf War.”

Not quite sure what an A-10 was, but satisfied that Jan was impressed by that tidbit of information, Ann let the matter drop as her boss continued to scan the bio. “Okay,” Jan said as she placed the bio off to one side for future use. “Next.”

Next Ann opened a file folder containing several news stories she had copied from newspapers. “Mr. Thomas’s PR people were quite obliging about providing us with information. They faxed us most of this material here. Together with what I was able to dig up, you have just about everything you’d need in case you have the insane urge to start a local chapter of the ‘I Love GO’ fan club.”

Jan looked at the stack and shook her head. “Ann, I want to interview the man, not marry him.”

A woman who pursued a quiet life with her domestic partner, Ann forced a smile before she continued. “Our man is not content with just being a local hero. He uses every opportunity to make his views known wherever he can find a forum even when what he says is not what the people want to hear,” Ann pointed out as she shoved a copied news story in front of Jan. “This is part of a speech he delivered to the Christian Foundation.”

“For an American to stand up and claim that he or his group represents the only morally acceptable standards for this country flies in the face of our national heritage. This country was founded on the principles of religious freedom and religious tolerance. Thomas Jefferson, who gave us our Declaration of Independence, felt that his Declaration of Religious Freedom, adopted by Virginia, was his greatest achievement.”

Jan smirked. “I’ll bet that just tickled the members of the Foundation.”

“On the contrary,” Ann replied while Jan scanned the balance of the article. “The news piece states that he was given a fifteen minute standing O when he was finished.”