The Blue Folio

What if the American public rebels at business as usual in Washington, D.C.? That’s the interesting question at the heart of McMahon’s so-so near-future political thriller. The narrative alternates between 2059, when President Beth Roche-Suarez faces a treason charge, and 2037, when delegates gather in Philadelphia to draft an entirely new constitution. The Second Constitutional Convention creates a provision that makes it an act of high treason for presidents to veto legislation they have previously supported. During her campaign for president, Roche-Suarez advocated for the South American Free Trade Act. Now she’s against it, and the penalty is death if she’s convicted. McMahon doesn’t make that premise more palatable with plausible supporting details. In 2059, for example, federal judges and the U.S. attorney general are elected, putting those officials, who are supposed to be nonpartisan, directly into the political fray. Even those disgusted with governmental gridlock may find the central concept too over the top. [em](BookLife) [/em]