Still not reading any more of Vince Flynn, but the one I'm reading for my 'project' just had some thing interesting, at least for me --
To explain the circumstance - 1800 issue of slavery;
"Southerners who had been saber-rattling, now returned their rhetorical blades to their scabbards, and everything calmed down. It is hushed, indeed for the moment, concluded Jefferson to Holmes; but this is a reprieve only"...... The slavery issue would remain so volatile, in fact, that by tacit gentlemen's agreement it was not mentioned on the floor of either chamber. Until Now [now being just prior to the Civil War], and some feel the War could have been avoided, had Congress done their job.
Sounds like early training and continuation of Congress to me - and the 'beat goes on' -- don't do today what you can put off 'til tomorrow.