Hearing that Obama was running his campaign buses from DC to New York, Jack went to work and called (anonymously, of course) all the radio stations in Jefferson, Berkley and Morgan Counties. He told them how excited he was that Obama was going to be speaking at The Jefferson County Field House. The only problem is, that building doesn't exist. That important, little fact was overlooked and newspapers picked up the story and reporters were soon calling the DC Capitol Switchboard looking for exclusive access. "No one there knew what we were talking about, of course. But denial is what we all expected when it comes to the President's Itinerary." said Chris Kensley, a senior editor at The Journal - Martinsburgs newspaper of record. "Little did we know we were already pawns in Jack Ledger's game."
Those phone calls did exactly what Jack had hoped. It got the attention of Obama's campaign staff. The next week several phone calls were received at Charles Town City Hall from VERY serious sounding, but tight-lipped Secret Service Agents. They were asking questions about main roads, alternative routes, police strength, number of squad cars, emergency vehicle access, etc. "We got the feeling it was FEMA planning an emergency drill," said Mayor Chad Haynes. "We cooperated and gave them everything they asked for. A few days later I got a call that said President Obama would be making a special detour through Jefferson! We were allowed to announce his visit, but the details of the exact stop would be withheld until the last minute -- for security reasons."
Things were playing exactly into Ledger's hands, but he didn't know it yet. Skilled joker that he was, he continued setting up the ruse just in case. He posted official looking direction signs to the "Jefferson County Field House" all pointing to his family farm. A farm that is down a poorly maintained dirt road in the exact middle of nowhere.
Yesterday, as promised, Obama's campaign bus rolled down that dusty road that dead-ended at Jack's farm. Where they promptly got stuck in the mud, along with Mayor Haynes, Senator Joe Manchin and several other dignitaries and a handful of loyal Democrat voters. "Now, I did a lot of planning, but that mud was an act of God. We've had so much rain lately, that Obama's big ol' black bus and all them fancy, black SUV's got stuck plumb up to their axles. It was a mess trying to dig out and untangle all them cars." Jack chuckled, happily.
Of course, Jack acted surprised, and offered to lend the Secret Service Agents his tractor to help move the bus, while Jack's wife Sue provided refreshments. If Obama was there, no one can say for sure. He never left the bus; not even to get cookies and lemonade. "You know, I'm really not all that political. I would have pulled the same joke on President Bush if I'd thought of it. But I think Bush would have gotten down off that bus, had a cookie, rolled up his sleeves and helped git that thing out of the mud."
Eventually, vehicles departed one by one, having been released from mud -- including Obama's massive bus. "Not a word was spoken in protest as they left," Mayor Haynes said. "My guess is everyone was keeping quiet so they didn't get the blame for the mess. This one will go down in the books as one of Jack's finest!"
Asked if he was ever worried about being found out, Jack shook his head. "I think Obama's got too much to worry about than to go after me. His EPA is shutting down coal jobs in West Virginia and unemployment everywhere else is out of control. And what's with his Health Care thing? First it's a tax, then it's not a tax, now it's a tax again! It's so crazy them Democrat leaders are running scared and ain't going to their own convention. And... I got a close look at that bus. Did you know he had all them campaign buses build in Cananda? With all the American automobile jobs disappearing, how could Obama outsource the very same buses he's using to drive around America asking for votes?"
Ledger added, "It seems to me Obama's campaign got 'stuck in the mud' long before he hit Jefferson County."
