The Manchurian Candidate

“I have a question, Mr. Secretary.”

The Secretary peered forward with some irritation at this stranger who had seen fit to take his own slow time about getting to his stupid question. “Who are you, sir?” he said sharply, for he had been trained into politeness to the press by a patient team of wild horses and by many past dislocations, which had been extremely painful, resulting from getting his foot caught in his mouth.

“I am United States Senator John Yerkes Iselin, sir!” the voice rang out, “and I have a question so serious that the safety of our nation may depend upon your answer.” Joh

“Who?” the Secretary asked incredulously, his voice electronically amplified, making it sound like the mating call of a giant owl.

“No evasions, Mr. Secretary,” Joh

The Secretary owned a tyrant’s temper and he had been one of the most royal of big business dynasts before he had become a statesman. “Evasions?” he roared. “What the hell are you talking about? What kind of foolishness is this?” That sentence alone, those few words all by themselves, served to alienate the establishment called the United States Senate from sympathy with his cause for the rest of his tenure in office for, no matter what the provocation, it is the first unwritten law of the United States of America that one must never, never, never speak to a senator, regardless of his committee status, in such a ma

The members of the press present, who now recognized Joh

“I said I am United States Senator John Yerkes Iselin and I hold here in my hand a list of two hundred and seven persons who are known to the Secretary of Defense as being members of the Communist party and who, nevertheless, are still working and shaping the policy of the Defense Department.”

“Whaaaaat?” The Secretary had to shout out his astonishment into the microphones to be heard over the excited keening and rumbling of the voices in the room.

“I demand an answer, Mr. Secretary!” Joh

The Secretary had turned from beet-red to magenta. He was breathing with difficulty. He gripped the lectern before him as though he might decide to throw it at Joh

“There will be no covering up, Mr. Secretary. You will not put your hands on this list. I regret deeply to say in front of all of these men and women that you no longer have my confidence.”

“Whaaaaat?”

“This is no longer a matter for investigation by the Department of Defense. I am afraid you have had your chance, sir. It has become the responsibility of the United States Senate.” Joh

On the following day, consistent with a booking made weeks previously and involving a token “expenses” payment of $250, Joh

Joh

However, on the day of his scheduled appearance, Joh

Raymond’s mother let everything develop in a normal ma

Therefore, Joh

The program was interrupted for the closing commercial right at that point, and it was an enormous success. As Raymond’s mother told Joh