Part 100 (2/2)

Seven sequential propagandized stateed by the three senior co, and Senator Rickfield went out of his way to thank the speakers for their ti that he was personally convinced the Govern-more than necessary to obviate such con- cerns

The underadvertised Senate Select Sub Coy Protection convened in Hearing Room 3 on the second floor of the NSOB About 400 could be accoht wood paneled room on both the main floor and in the balcony that wrapped around half of the roolare of arc and fluorescent lighting

Scott found an empty seat on a wooden bench directly behind the tables from which the witnesses would speak to the raised wooden dais He noticed that the attendance was extraordinarily low; by both the public and the press Probably due to the total lack of exposure

As the session broke for lunch, Scott asked why the TV ca was a deep dark secret A couple of fellow journalists agreed, and the only reason they had found out about the Rickfield hearings was because the CNN producer called the about them Apparently, Scott was told, CNN received an anony them to be part of a blockbuster announcement When CNN called Rickfield's office, his staffers told CNN that there was no big deal, and that they shouldn't waste their tiressional power broker is a sure sign that it is worth being there Just in case So CNN assigned a novice producer and a ss As pro session was an exercise in terin at 1:30, but Senator Rickfield was nowhere to be found, so the assistant Chairperson of the committee, Junior Senator Nancy Deere assurandland who had never considered entering politics Nancy Deere was the consuan Deere, an up and co national politician who had the unique mixture of honesty, appeal and potential She had spent full tian as he attempted to ton Morgan Deere was heavily favored to win after the three ter of a Defense contract Despite the pending indicts by the incues would shortly be dismissed In the first week after the Grand Jury was convened, the voter polls indicated that Deere led with a 70 support factor

Then ca dinner, Morgan Deere's limousine was run off an icy winter road by a drunk driver Deere's resulting injuries n or even be sure that he would ever be able to regain enough strength to withstand the brutality of Washi+ngton politics

Within days of the accident, Deere's caer announced that Nancy Deere would replace her husband Due to Morgan's local popularity, and the fact that the state was so small that everyone knew everyone else's business, and that the incu to jail, and that the elections were less than teeks away, there was barely a spike in the projections No one seemed to care that Nancy Deere had no experience in politics; they just liked her

What ren was run on her part with impeccable style Unlike her opponent who spent vast suely waged on news and national talk shows Her husband was popular, as was she, and the general interest in her as a wohed the interest in her politics The state's constituency overwhelly endorsed her with their votes and Senator Nancy Deere, one of the feoman ever to reach that level as an elected official, was on her way to Washi+ngton

Nancy Deere found that nore her; they were convinced she was bound to be a one terainst her Others found her to be a genuine pain in the butt Not due to her naivete, far from that, she adeptly acclimated to the culture and the system Rather, she was a woman and she broke the rules She said what she felt; she echoed the sentiely unpopular politically Nancy Deere didn't care what official Washi+ngton thought; her state was behind her with an almost unanimous approval and it was her sworn duty to represent the to lose by being herself After ton, she learned how the ton machinery functioned and why it craith a hurry up and wait engine

In Rickfield's absence, at 1:40 PM, Senator Nancy Deere called the session to order Her adave no one pause to question her authority Even the other sole Congres- sional representative on the sub-colusi technically had seniority, he sat on the committee at Rickfield's request and held no specific interest in the subjectHe accepted the seat to mollify Rickfield and to add to his own political resume

”Come to order, please,” she announced over the a room reacted promptly to the authoritative command that issued forth from the petite auburn haired Nancy Deere ould have been just as cooods at her church She noticed that unlike thesession, the afternoon session was packed The press pool was nearly full and several people were forced to stand What had changed, she asked herself

After the procedural forain thanked those who had spoken to the co, and then promised an equally informative afternoon Nancy, as she liked to be called on all but the most formal of occasions intro- duced the committee's first afternoon witness

”Our next speaker is Ted Hanized expert on the subject of co 17 years with the Governency and the National Security Agency as a DoD liai- son He is currently a security consultant to industry and the government and is the author of hundreds of articles on the subject” As was required, Nancy Deere outlined Hammacher's qualifications as an expert, and then invited hi statement

The television in Rickfield's office was tuned to C-SPAN which was broadcasting the hearings as he spoke into the phone

”Only a couple more and then I'm off to spend my days in the coged into the phone The Senator listened intently to the response ”Yes, I ae the fact that I' it quits I cannot, I will not, continue this charade” He listened quietly for several

”Listen, General, we've both h money to keep us in style for the rest of our lives, and I will not jeopardize that for anything Got it?” Again he listened ”I don't know about you, but I do not relish the idea of doing ten to twenty regard- less of how much of a country club the prison is It is still a prison” He listened further

”That's it, I've had it! Don't uys over at State and our Importhey!” Rick- field turned to Ken Boyers ”Who started the afternoon session?”

He pointed at the TV

”It looks like Senator Deere,” Ken said

”Deere? Where does that Goddaet off?” He reot a suffragette usurping a little power, and I have to put her back in her place

You understand But, on that other matter, I'm out Done Fini- to Do what you want, but keepup abruptly and stared at the broadcast ”So to make me look bad Goddaet back out there”

”Thank you, Senator Deere, and committee members I am honored to have a chance to speak to you here today As a preface to my remarks, I think that a brief history of security and privacy froovernment perspective may be in order One of the reasons we are here today is due to a succession of events that since the introduction of the computer have shaped an ad hoc anarchism, a laissez-faire attitude toward privacy and security Rather than a comprehensive national policy, despite the valiant efforts of a few able Congressmen, the United States of America has allowed itself to be lulled into technical complacency and indifference

Therefore, I will, if the coical record”