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Executive
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2008
Book Reviews |
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Supreme
Courtship by Christopher Buckley |
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Rating: |
*** |
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(Recommended) |
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Click on title or
picture to buy from amazon.com |
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Honorable Readers
looking to take a break from the presidential election rhetoric and searching
for laughs will find plenty on the pages of Christopher Buckley’s latest
satire, Supreme
Courtship. After two highly qualified nominees to the Supreme Court are
shot down by Senator Dexter Mitchell, President Donald P. Vanderdamp
nominates the most popular television judge, Pepper Cartwright. The Senate
bows to her popularity and she becomes a justice. Here’s an excerpt, from Chapter 3, pp. 26-27: An
hour later, having uncharacteristically not heard back
from his chief of staff, President Vanderdamp decided to place the call to
Judge Pepper Cartwright himself. He was not a man who stood on formality. He
still carried cash, unlike some presidents who went four or eight years with
empty pockets. He got Judge Cartwright's unlisted number in New York from the
White House operator, and dialed it himself. He liked to do that. The truth
was he got a kick out of saying, "Hello, it's Donald Vanderdamp. The
President. Am I calling at a bad time?" In
New York, in a penthouse atop a building that looked out
over Central Park, the phone rang. Pepper
Cartwright opened her eyes, looked warily at the beside clock. 8:49. On
a Saturday? She looked over at Buddy. Sound asleep. He'd come in after she'd
gone to bed. As usual. This marriage needed to sit down and have a little
talk about things. She
looked at the caller ID display. NSF THURMONT What in hell was NSF
Thurmont? She closed her eyes and listened. "Hello.
It's Donald Vanderdamp the President calling for Judge Cartwright."
Pepper opened one eye and looked at the machine. "Would she be kind
enough to call me back at 202-456-1414.
Thanks very much. If it's not inconvenient, perhaps she could call back at
her earliest—" Pepper picked up. "Hello?
Who is this?" "Judge Cartwright?
Screening your calls. Can't say as I blame you. I know it's early, but I
really would like to speak with you. . . ." He talked on as Pepper thumbed
a Google search on her BlackBerry with her other hand. NSF Thurmont. . . The first match came up:
"Camp David—Wikipedia, the free encylopedia." "Jesus Christ,"
Pepper said, sitting bolt upright. "Beg
pardon?" said the President. Four hours later she was in a
U.S. Army helicopter descending onto
the helipad
of Naval Support Facility Thurmont, better known as
Camp David, in the Cactoctin Mountains of Maryland, sixty miles north of
Washington. Through the window she saw
aides waiting by a golf cart. She looked at her watch. Normally at about this
time she might be meeting the girls for a Bloody Mary brunch, then squeezing
in some Pilates. She wasn't sure what she was doing here. The President
wouldn't say exactly what it was over the phone, only that it was
"highly confidential." "Welcome to Camp David,
Judge," one of the aides greeted her. "The President is expecting
you." The President is expecting you.
She felt
fluttery. She climbed into the golf cart, which made her feel somewhat
ridiculous, like she was being given a VIP tour of Disney World. The aide,
accustomed to nervousness in visitors, said, "My wife watches Courtroom
Six every chance she gets." Buckley packs Supreme
Courtship with jokes, characters and scenes that will make the grumpiest
curmudgeon laugh. Steve Hopkins, September 20, 2008 |
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Go to Executive Times Archives |
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The recommendation rating for this book appeared in the October 2008 issue of Executive Times URL for this review: http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/Books/Supreme Courtship.htm For Reprint Permission, Contact: Hopkins & Company, LLC • E-mail: books@hopkinsandcompany.com |
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