Is the first lady trying to overthrow the president? Award-winning writer Kathleen Antrim's fictional response to this shocking premise is at the heart of her chillingly convincing political thriller, CAPITAL OFFENSE.
A Conversation with Kathleen Antrim
Q: From its first page, Capital Offense sweeps readers into a world of political intrigue where the First Lady of the Land may be plotting to overthrow the President. What was your inspiration for this plot line?
KA: The simple answer is the immense and unregulated power of first ladies. Throughout much of our country's history, they have brandished incredible influence both "covertly" and "overtly." Their position can be one of stealth, working behind the scenes. They also have access to world leaders, the media, and vast monetary resources. There's not much else that you need to wield power. Yet, the Constitution does not regulate them in any way.
Q: Was there a particular first lady on whom you modeled your main character, Carolyn Alden Lane?
KA: The novel was really born when Bill Clinton was elected president and Hillary Rodham Clinton broke with the tradition of all the first ladies before her by not taking an East Wing office and instead, demanding one in the West Wing just a few steps away from the Oval Office. Since leaving the White House, she has parlayed her power into a successful senatorial seat and appears to be positioning herself for a presidential run in 2008. If she became our first Madame President, would Bill Clinton return as First Spouse and, like the first ladies, be accountable to no one?
However, Senator Clinton was not my only inspiration. It is well-documented that Edith Bolling Wilson literally ran the White House when her husband, President Woodrow Wilson, suffered a paralytic stroke while in office in 1919. Essentially, this made her our first female president. Ironically, this happened prior to the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. Amazingly, Mrs. Wilson was against the suffragette movement, yet she grasped the reins of power and ran the country. Of course, her stint as acting president was never formalized and, in fact, she conspired to keep her machinations hidden.
Mrs. Wilson's stewardship, as she liked to call it, also occurred decades before the 1967 ratification of the 25th Amendment, which dictates the succession of power in the event the president is incapacitated. Prior to this amendment, the Constitution did not address the fate of the leadership of the U.S. if the president were disabled.
Q: How much research did you do for Capital Offense?
KA: I did six years of research, which included interviewing ex-CIA, Secret Service, State Troopers, Governor and Senator Security Details, SWAT, local law enforcement, and people in Cabinet level positions.
Q: Your own life took on some shades of a political thriller as, at one point, you were warned to back off. Tell us about that.
KA: I was told that I might be stepping on some powerful toes with my questions and had better be careful. At first, I tried to laugh it off, saying that I was a nobody from California and who would see me as a threat? The individual issuing the warning did not join in my amusement. It was quite a sobering moment and scared the hell out of me. I took about three days to evaluate what I was doing and where I was going with this project. I decided to go forward, but I changed the tack of my questions. I also sent a copy of the manuscript to an undisclosed location out of state, just in case something did happen to me.
Q: What aspect of your novel got you the warning?
KA: Although I was never told precisely, the warning came at a point when I was heavily involved in researching the Clintons' time in Arkansas. Much of this had to do with Hillary's relationship with Vince Foster, and of course, her power as the first lady of Arkansas. I was also learning a lot about Bill's misadventures with other women. This was long before the scandal broke about his affairs. Obviously, my sources proved to be incredibly accurate.
Q: Has there been any reaction from the current residents of the White House to this book?
KA: The mother of a White House press officer read Capital Offense and loved it. So her son had the book personally delivered to Laura Bush. Then, 12 more copies were requested, which I understand were handed out around the White House. I also received a lovely letter from Mrs. Bush's office sending me her best wishes for my success.
Q: Tell us the publishing story behind Capital Offense.
KA: Originally, I decided to publish Capital Offense with a print-on-demand publisher, confident that if I got the book out, it would do really well. With help of several regional Northern California independent bookstores who agreed to stock the book and set up author appearances, the book sold 1,000 copies in its first three weeks of release. Soon after, it was picked up by Costco for its Northern California stores and the local media began to positively review the book. I'm proud to say that, since October 2002, it has sold close to 10,000 copies in the San Francisco Bay area. With ibooks set to launch Capital Offense internationally at the height of the 2004 presidential campaign and election, I am certain that the book will continue to create a buzz around the role of the first lady and whether or not this position should be regulated.
