 The plot thread with Sen. Geary is a direct reference to "The  Godfather" when Vito laments that he wanted Michael to be a "big  shot" who "pulled the strings." In particular, he had hoped Michael  would become a Senator. Michael assures him, "well get there, Pop."  At the opening of Part II, we see Michael explicitly rebuffing the  demands of a US Senator, turning the tables by making demands of his  own.