Duty, Honor, and Treason

Imagine a sinister meeting in which every attendee is a descendant of someone who signed the Declaration of Independence. This secret group of powerful, wealthy, and high-ranking uber patriots are plotting to overthrow the current government.

Fast forward to the evening of the president's State of the Union Address. On occasions with almost universal attendance, the White House requires an odd man out: a cabinet member who refrains from attending the SOTU in case of a crisis. Everything seem...