- Jul 12, 2018
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Private
WASHINGTON D.C.
Washington National Cathedral
January 10, 2009
2:00 P.M. EST
WASHINGTON D.C.
Washington National Cathedral
January 10, 2009
2:00 P.M. EST
There had finally been a break in the snow that the nation's capital had been getting off and on since New Year's Day. It remained frigid outside, by D.C. standards, but the weather wasn't anything that President Sinclair and his fiancée, Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, weren't used to. The two were destined to be married on January 10th, less than ten days before Sinclair would be ending his first and final term as president. Sinclair wanted to have a small wedding back at home in Maine, but Olympia was in love with the idea of getting married in the White House. It didn't take much trying for her to get Sinclair to agree, he just wanted to make her happy. In return, she agreed that it would not be a massive party with thousands or hundreds of people. The wedding was to be small, intimate, and the food was to be delicious.
There were, however, some special guests. The most notable were: Sinclair's best man, Al Gore, and the Prime Minister of Turkey, Ayşe Çiller. Whilie Sinclair and Snowe were in Istanbul for the opening ceremony of the Olympics, Çiller orchestrated a last-minute, low-profile visit of the two to the Hagia Sophia which was where Sinclair proposed to the Senator. It was emphasized to both Gore and Çiller that while the event itself would be known to the public, it wasn't going to be televised, there weren't going to be press, and it wouldn't be an opportunity to conduct any kind of business. In fact, if Çiller requested it, the Federal Government would take special measures to get her into the country quietly. Gore planned to stay at the Presidential Townhouse, Çiller and whomever she travelled with was invited to use Blair House. Jay
Inside the White House Residence, before the wedding, Sinclair and Gore were sitting together in the White House Library. A fire was raging in the fireplace. Gore was keeping Sinclair talking to avoid his friend from getting nerves. Both of the men were dressed in black tie.
"You're Catholic," Gore said.
"Yeah, you know that," Sinclair said.
"Is she Catholic?"
"She's Orthodox."
"Ah... I don't know much about that. Your church is pretty.. particular. This marriage is okay?" Gore asked.
Sinclair stopped staring at the ceiling and looked at Gore, "Yeah Al, it's alright."
"Well.. how did you arrange that?"
"The marriage?"
"Yeah," Gore said. She was lounged in a comfortable chair, smoking a cigar.
"I picked up the phone and called the Pope."
"He was okay with it?"
"He said that it would be acceptable as long as we promised to raise our children Catholic," Sinclair said.
Gore turned his head and looked at Sinclair and started laughing. Sinclair started laughing too.
"Telling two senior citizens that they have to raise their kids Catholic has to be some kind of Italian joke that the Pope had to use," Gore said.
"I mean, if it works it works. I didn't ask any questions, I told him thank you and I hung up," Sinclair said.
"Did you reach out to Olympia's Orthodox Church?" Gore asked.
"Believe it or not, I called the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople."
"That's a much fancier name than 'Pope.'"
"The Orthodox are like that."
"Well what did the Ecu... What did the Orthodox Pope say?"
"He said that it would be acceptable as long as we promised to raise our children Orthodox."
"You're kidding," Gore said, nearly standing up.
"I'm serious, that's what he said."
"Well you can't promise them both that," Gore said.
"Sure we can."
"I'm not sure that's right."
"Sure it is, Al. Imagine this: you, Al Gore, own a whiskey distillery in Scotland. You make great stuff, it's bought all over the world. Someone wants to sign a contract for $10-million in orders you and their last contingency is that if you ever make a scotch that is 35% alcohol per volume, you are contractually obligated to give the first 100 bottles to them, signed, numbered, and for free. You agree and you sign the contract. Then, a second company comes along and tells you the same thing. You sign the contract. There you go, you've made $20-million in one day."
"Mister President, again, that would be lying. You can't guarantee one thing to both parties. What if it actually happens?"
"In Scotland, the legal minimum APV for whiskey to be considered scotch is 40%. So, you will never make a whiskey that is 35% APV.... Just like two senior citizens aren't going to make a baby."
"Well, you got me there," Gore said.
A few more minutes went by until it was time. Sinclair and Gore went to the East Room where there were assembled about fifty people, all of which were closed family or friends of the Sinclair/Snowe families. A priest led the wedding Mass in the East Room of the White House. Within an hour, Sinclair and Snowe were joined in holy matrimony, their fates bonded together for the rest of their lives. They took traditional vows and held hands throughout most of the ceremony. Sinclair looked at Olympia in her white dress and thought about how beautiful she was, most especially her soul and who she was. One of his few regrets was that he could only make her First Lady for ten days, but she didn't seem to mind. Soon they would be on a honeymoon somewhere special.
There were, however, some special guests. The most notable were: Sinclair's best man, Al Gore, and the Prime Minister of Turkey, Ayşe Çiller. Whilie Sinclair and Snowe were in Istanbul for the opening ceremony of the Olympics, Çiller orchestrated a last-minute, low-profile visit of the two to the Hagia Sophia which was where Sinclair proposed to the Senator. It was emphasized to both Gore and Çiller that while the event itself would be known to the public, it wasn't going to be televised, there weren't going to be press, and it wouldn't be an opportunity to conduct any kind of business. In fact, if Çiller requested it, the Federal Government would take special measures to get her into the country quietly. Gore planned to stay at the Presidential Townhouse, Çiller and whomever she travelled with was invited to use Blair House. Jay
Inside the White House Residence, before the wedding, Sinclair and Gore were sitting together in the White House Library. A fire was raging in the fireplace. Gore was keeping Sinclair talking to avoid his friend from getting nerves. Both of the men were dressed in black tie.
"You're Catholic," Gore said.
"Yeah, you know that," Sinclair said.
"Is she Catholic?"
"She's Orthodox."
"Ah... I don't know much about that. Your church is pretty.. particular. This marriage is okay?" Gore asked.
Sinclair stopped staring at the ceiling and looked at Gore, "Yeah Al, it's alright."
"Well.. how did you arrange that?"
"The marriage?"
"Yeah," Gore said. She was lounged in a comfortable chair, smoking a cigar.
"I picked up the phone and called the Pope."
"He was okay with it?"
"He said that it would be acceptable as long as we promised to raise our children Catholic," Sinclair said.
Gore turned his head and looked at Sinclair and started laughing. Sinclair started laughing too.
"Telling two senior citizens that they have to raise their kids Catholic has to be some kind of Italian joke that the Pope had to use," Gore said.
"I mean, if it works it works. I didn't ask any questions, I told him thank you and I hung up," Sinclair said.
"Did you reach out to Olympia's Orthodox Church?" Gore asked.
"Believe it or not, I called the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople."
"That's a much fancier name than 'Pope.'"
"The Orthodox are like that."
"Well what did the Ecu... What did the Orthodox Pope say?"
"He said that it would be acceptable as long as we promised to raise our children Orthodox."
"You're kidding," Gore said, nearly standing up.
"I'm serious, that's what he said."
"Well you can't promise them both that," Gore said.
"Sure we can."
"I'm not sure that's right."
"Sure it is, Al. Imagine this: you, Al Gore, own a whiskey distillery in Scotland. You make great stuff, it's bought all over the world. Someone wants to sign a contract for $10-million in orders you and their last contingency is that if you ever make a scotch that is 35% alcohol per volume, you are contractually obligated to give the first 100 bottles to them, signed, numbered, and for free. You agree and you sign the contract. Then, a second company comes along and tells you the same thing. You sign the contract. There you go, you've made $20-million in one day."
"Mister President, again, that would be lying. You can't guarantee one thing to both parties. What if it actually happens?"
"In Scotland, the legal minimum APV for whiskey to be considered scotch is 40%. So, you will never make a whiskey that is 35% APV.... Just like two senior citizens aren't going to make a baby."
"Well, you got me there," Gore said.
A few more minutes went by until it was time. Sinclair and Gore went to the East Room where there were assembled about fifty people, all of which were closed family or friends of the Sinclair/Snowe families. A priest led the wedding Mass in the East Room of the White House. Within an hour, Sinclair and Snowe were joined in holy matrimony, their fates bonded together for the rest of their lives. They took traditional vows and held hands throughout most of the ceremony. Sinclair looked at Olympia in her white dress and thought about how beautiful she was, most especially her soul and who she was. One of his few regrets was that he could only make her First Lady for ten days, but she didn't seem to mind. Soon they would be on a honeymoon somewhere special.
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