"I've seen him do it a million times, but I can't tell... you how he does it, Henry." "The right-handed part." "I can tell you what does with his left hand." "He's a genius with it." "He might put that hand on your elbow or your biceps, like he's doing now." "Basic movie." "He's interested in you." "He's honored to meet you." "But if he gets any higher, if he gets on your shoulder, like that... it's not as intimate." "He'll share a laugh with you, a light secret." "And if he doesn't know you that well, but wants to share something... emotional he'll lock you in a two-hander." "You'll see when he shakes hands with you, Henry." "Governor." "Governor Stanton, this is Henry Burton." "I meet your grandfather when I was a boy." "I hitchhiked to Washington to hear him speak." "He was a great man." "Thank you, sir." "He's glad you're coming on board, I can see." "I'm not coming on board." "I'm just meeting him." "No, no." "Take it easy." "Why is he here?" "He's a southern governor nobody knows." "You sound like a campaign manager already." "Howard, I'm not." "I'm kidding." "If I said Stanton's here because he cares about adult literacy..." "you'd say I was full of it." "Yes." "Howard, Henry, this is Mariane Walsh, the librarian who runs these classes." "Thank you, Governor Walsh." "Governor Stanton, I'm sorry." "I'm a little nervous." "I'm sorry." "If you'll walk with me, I'll take you up to the library." "The walls are pretty bad, but the library is much, um..." "Better." "Yes, yes." "We're very proud of the library." "When did you start the reading program?" "Three years ago." "We have very little money." "It's the only reading program like it in Harlem I know of." "There may be others, but I don't,..." "Know of them." "You okay?" "Are you okay?" "I'm fine." "I'm Ruby." "I'm a domestic." "I've been in this class 2 months." "Jack Washington." "I'm a handyman." "Hello, Jack." "Twana Carter, waitress..." "Good to meet you." "Anthony Ramirez, freelance carpenter." "I wanted to say welcome aboard." "What?" "I'm not on board." "I just..." "You're kidding, right?" "Yeah." "Tell the governor a bit about yourself, Dewayne." "I'm a short order chef." "And until I come here, I couldn't read a lick." "Dewayne's dyslexic." "They just kept passing me up." "Third grade, fourth grade." "I just sit the back, sticking to my own self." "It was like no one noticed." "And I went all the way through and graduated elementary school." "They sent me to Ben Franklin..." "that's general studies." "They could have sent me to the Bronx Zoo." "No one ever said:" ""Dewayne, you can't read." "What will you do with... your sorry ass?" Excuse-me." "Anyway, graduation come and my mama come." "She took the day off from the laundry where she worked." "So, we're there..." "Dr. Dalembretti calls out the names on the diplomas... and what each kid done." "Like "Sharonna Harris, honors."" ""Tyrone Kirby, Regents Diploma."" "And then... he come to my name." "And he say, so everyone heard it... he said, "Dewayna Smith..." ""receive a certificate... of attendance."" "You could hear people buzzing." "A couple of folks laughed." "And I had to go up there and get it." "I had to stand up there... just dying... trying not to look at anyone." "Trying not to look too stupid." "And, uh..." "Mama's in front." "She has her hat on and her purse in her lap... tears coming down from behind her glasses... like someone..." "like someone died." "I want to thank you... for sharing that with us, Dewayne." "I want to thank you all for having real courage." "My uncle Charlie was... a war hero, in World War II." "He went to Iwo Jima, where they raised the flag." "He took out four machine gun nests of japaneses soldiers... who had pinned down his buddies." "Did it with one grenade, his rifle, bayonet, and bare hands." "Shit." "President Truman gave him the Medal of Honor." "And when he came home, there was a parade." "The town fathers came to my parents' house and said:" ""Charlie, what are you going to do now" Charlie said he didn't know." "The mayor said, "Maybe you'd like a college scholarship in State University"" "The banker said maybe Charlie didn't want to go back to school." "Maybe he'd like a management job with the bank." "And the sawmill owner said, "Don't be cooped up... in a school or bank." "Come manage my crew."" "And you know what?" "Charlie turned them all down." "What did he do?" "Nothing." "He just laid on the couch and smoked Luckies." "Couldn't get him off it." "Was he messed up in the head from the war?" "No." "It was just that he couldn't read." "He couldn't read and was too embarrassed to tell anyone." "He had the courage to win the Medal of Honor... but didn't have the courage to do what you're doing here." "He didn't have the courage to get the help he needed." "So, know that I appreciate what you're doing." "And I honor it." "When people say, "Jack Stanton, why spend so much... effort on adult literacy?"" "I say to them..." "I say, " Because"... it gives me a chance to see courage."" "I want to thank you." "I want to thank you for allowing me to visit here today." "Let's get him out of here." "He likes it." "Governor Stanton, thank you for coming today." "I will be damned." "I'm..." "Ooh!" "I'm sorry." "You're going to work for him." "Won't you?" "No, I'm not." "I'm just going to meet him and talk." "About what?" "Well, about going to work for him." "How can you quit on Adam Larkin and get in bed with some... cracker who's done piss for blacks in his state?" "I could say the same about Larkin." "But he will." "He has to wait." "He's a black Congressman." "I don't like Larkin." "I don't know what Stanton wants, but..." "I do." "He wants to use the grandson of a civil rights leader... a black man i politics, to get votes." "That's hilarious." "Yeah, put a black man on the team,... that'll roll in these votes." "That's why so many black men run the country." "If politics upsets you, work for the Black Advocate." "We're never disillusioned." "Hand me that tie." "Get your own damn tie." "No, no tie, no suit." "Just leather jacket cool." "I'll be back in 2 hours, then we can discuss the Black Advocate." "Don't be mad." "Okay, be mad, but only for 2 hours." "Wait up for me." "Oh, my God." "My boy." "Henry Burton." "I am mighty honored." "I'm Arlen Sporken, the Governor's media consultant." "Nonfat caffeine?" "I am delighted you're on board." "Honey, get me a sandwich." "Only if you pinch my cheek and call me sugar." "I'll get it." "We're going to win this thing." "Absolutely." "But the big question is Ozio." "You think... has the "cagones" to run." "It's cojones." "I don't know Ozio well enough to judge his cojones." "They're big, but they're glass." "Governor, it's nice to..." "You remember Miss Walsh." "Sorry." "You all right, darling?" "Thank you for this, um, opportunity to discuss the, um..." "The program." "A great program, don't you think, Henry?" "Yes." "It's an excellent program." "Now, tell the board what we discussed." "Yes, I will." "I'll just see my way out." "Thank you." "She's on the board of the teacher's union." "Ah, a teacher and a librarian." "It's the missus." "Hi, darling." "Honey, I'm sorry." "We got stuck here." "But great news..." "We made real progress with the teachers." "Tonight?" "Are you sure?" "Oh, I'm sorry, honey." "Charlie, did we have a meeting with the guy from the..." "Portsmouth Democratic Committee?" "Goddamn it, Charlie." "Are you Uncle Charlie, the Medal of honor winner?" "Well, I'm Uncle Charlie." "And whatever else he says." "If you'll stop popping my eardrum, I'll leave now." "Don't..." "Susan, don't go." "Susan, just stay..." "We better go." "Where's the plane?" "Teterboro." "All the way out there?" "Okay, let's go." "Arlen, see you in D.C. Daisy, go with Howard, Henry..." "Mitch, Charlie, let's go." "Go?" "But I came to talk to you about..." "We'll talk on the plane." "But I teach classes in the morning." "Call in sick." "The kids won't mind." "Can I make a phone call?" "When we get there." "Now, let's talk..." "Hi, honey." "This is Henry Burton." "My wife, Susan." "I met you 25 years ago at your grandfather's." "You were running under the sprinkler in wet underpants." "He was a great man." "Thank you." "Jack could also be a great man if he weren't such a..." "thoughtless, undisciplined shit." "Why is this a big deal?" "Because first impressions count, asshole." "This is New Hampshire." "These people don't know you." "Hey don't even know your state." "They know Orlando Ozio, the Governor of a real state." "But they came to meet you and you didn't show." "I talked to the head of their Democratic party about fly... fishing for an hour and 45 minutes." "Do you realize how... indescribably boring fly-fishing is?" "Do you realize I've now committed to doing this,... this thing with him?" "I'm going fly-fishing because of you, you asshole!" "It's not funny." "You can't do this to me Jack." "We've been at this a month and you're already fucking up." "The only shot we have is to be perfect." "Barely adequate won't swing it." "Jack, you can't blow off..." "Primrose Lane..." "Life's a holiday on Primrose Lane." "When I'm walking down Primrose Lane..." "with you..." "You're not funny." "I have to find a phone." "When we get to the apartment." "Honey, it was so great today, this reading program." "You should have seen the people." "And the teacher was inspirational." "Tell me how good the curriculum was." "We can replicate a good curriculum." "You can't sell a program without a good teacher." "Henry, was the teacher that inspirational?" "Well, she was..." "She was a pretty typical school board bureaucrat, I thought." "We got it on a 6-month sublet." "Better than a hotel." "Cheaper, too." "We can keep clothes and store stuff." "We have privacy." "I don't care about privacy." "I'm here to get know..." "I can't do that in private." "It's like the end of the campaign, not the beginning." "Goddamn it, Charlie." "No cable?" "You can't run for President of the United fucking States without CNN!" "Do you have any bags?" "No, I didn't expect to come." "You want something to eat?" "Yeah." "This is the worst damn place I've ever seen!" "Hey, Darling." "It's four A.M. This is not how to introduce yourself to the neighbors." "I'll make you coffee, Henry." "Well, I'm out of here tomorrow morning." "I know we got to go cheap, but not this cheap." "Not loser cheap." "So, why did you quit Larkin?" "What?" "Why did you stop working for Larkin?" "Careful, it's hot." "I just, um..." "I know... you can't talk about your old boss to your new one." "I don't have a new boss yet." "Larkin's very different from Jack." "Very cool." "Never blinks." "A professional." "Wouldn't swallow tea without testing it." "That's the real thing experience teaches you." "Isn't it?" "How not to get burned." "Do people ever learn that?" "Not the best people." "Adam taught me a lot... but it was all the same." "He never surprised me." "No one ever voted with us because it was right." "They always asked for a lulu." "Lulu?" "It's New York for artificial sweetener." "Anyway, we'd win and then be gutted... in the Senate." "We'd accept heir version." "Then the White House would veto, which was no surprise." "Then we'd celebrate our great moral victory." "We'd forced a veto." "So you dropped out." "So why are you here?" "Tell me." "Tell me." "It's four in the morning." "Let's just tell the truth." "Okay." "Well..." "I wondered how it would be to work with someone... who actually cared about..." "I mean... it couldn't always have been the way it is now." "It must have been different in my grandfather's time." "You were there." "You had Kennedy." "I didn't." "I've never heard a president say "destiny" and "sacrifice"... without thinking, "bullshit."" "Okay, maybe it was bullshit with Kennedy, too, but... but people believed it." "And, I guess, that's what I want." "I want to believe it." "I want to be part of something that's history." "I bet this is the longest answer to a five word... question you've ever gotten." "No, it isn't." "The longest was the one I got to..." ""Do you do much fly-fishing?"" "It's a good answer, Henry." "History is what we're about, too." "What else is there?" "Hei, March." "Some guy about an automobile insurance scam." "It's me." "Don't hang up again." "Fuck you." "I'm in a coffee shop in New Hampshire." "I may not... find another phone." "Listen." "I think this guy could be the real thing." "He's so incredible you could work for him." "I mean, this son of a bitch actually likes these people." "He's worth the risk." "Help me get him out of here." "We have a fund-raiser in 20 minutes." "You bastard." "I waited form you all night." "I can explain about that." "I got you some stuff at the drugstore." "I can't go to Mammoth Falls without clothes." "Give me your keys." "Daisy can pack some things and bring them to you." "Why I can't pack the things?" "Because you're going to Mississippi." "We have to set up campaign headquarters before we go." "Keys." "I thought you told us to hurry." "Susan..." "Mrs. Stanton, I'm not sure." "I mean, I don't know." "I've never helped run a presidential campaign before." "Well, neither have we." "That's how history is made, Henry..." "by the first-timers." "Are you, uh...?" "Is this...?" "Where are the state party people?" "They're tied up with the congressional races." "We're it." "All right." "Get me the national mailing lists of every donor... since the beginning of time." "I also need a complete database of voting records on every candidate... so we can set up a rapid response operation." "How do we do that, honey?" "Don't you, uh...?" "Don't any of you have any special skills?" "I speak Hebrew." "Great." "Now, double click on "Pro-Choice"." "Now call up the Harris vote." "No, no." "Why can't I learn this?" "This announcement is for the candidate briefing on the 23rd." "Put it on five hundred leaflets." "And then what?" "Hand them out." "Call only the Orthodox and Conservative synagogues." "Speak only to the rabbis and start off in Hebrew." "How's that?" "Great." "We need to file that with..." "Excuse me." "Terry?" "Terry!" "Just hold out the leaflets for people." "Don't stalk them." "How y'all doing?" "We're... coming along." "We don't have much staff yet." "No, but what we have is choice." "Meet the most brilliant political strategist in the party." "This is Richard Jemmons." "This is my right arm, Henry Burton." "I sure admired your granddaddy." "Great." "I'll pick you up at 7:00 for dinner." "We can talk politic." "Nice meeting you." "Say hi to Winona for me." "Who?" "He means Jennifer." "Every girl Richard falls for is Winona Ryder to him." "Oh, that's, uh... psychotic." "Does that smell good or what?" "I'm glad you made it." "It smells so good." "We got it all set up for you." "He's down there." "He's got chicken." "Hey, Will, how's business?" "Hey, Amalee, the Gov's here." "You got your mojo working tonight?" "Ain't no end to it, Gov." "Hei, Lo!" "Gov's here." "How are you, honey?" "I had to tell Jackie you were too busy working to baby-sit... and he was not happy." "How are you doing, Will?" "Not so good since my mama died." "I miss her like a pain." "You got to let that happen." "Your mama deserves it." "Your pain will heal, but give your mama her due." "We got to miss our mamas." "Nobody loves us like them." "Your mama still with you, Henry?" "No." "She's in Beverly Hills with her second husband." "You're a lucky man." "Thank you." "And the next time I see my mama, she's blind." "A year later, she's got just one leg from diabetes." "She could have done anything, my mama." "Been anything." "God bless the mamas." "My mama worked her whole life." "My mama raised seven children." "If Ozio doesn't run, we focus on New Hampshire." "He does we focus on the South." "He may wait until New Hampshire." "Shouldn't we wait for the Governor for this?" "He's in a mama-thon." "That'll go on all night in the south." "My mama worked her whole life for her family... and never did anything for herself!" "And now they're cutting her up!" "Cutting pieces out of her!" "Why is that happening to her?" "I looked over Jordan and what did I see" "Coming for to carry me home" "You know what Richard's favorite song is?" "It is the most American goddamn song I can think of." "A Southern governor wrote it." "Know what I'm thinking of?" "You are my sunshine My only sunshine" "You make me happy when skies are gray" "I didn't know a Southern governor wrote that." "You'll never know, dear How much I love you" "Please don't take my sunshine away" "The over night, dear As I lay sleeping" "I dreamt I held you in my arms" "When I awoke, dear I was mistaken" "And I hung my head and cried" "You are my sunshine My only sunshine" "You make me happy when skies are gray" "You'll never know, dear How much I love you..." "I have a list of all grassroots organizations in New Hampshire." "Great." "Put it on my desk." "These rabbis are putty in my hands." "Fantastic." "I started out with 200, I have one left." "Know how I did it?" "I'm speechless." "I think my grandfather would endorse the Governor, Jesse." "Even if you ran." "Okay." "You, to go, my friend, Okay." "Where the fuck are my clothes?" "Relax." "Daisy got sidetracked to Washington." "Does this guy have a chance in hell?" "I haven't canvassed hell lately." "But if we worked for guys who had a chance, we wouldn't have Richard." "Shit." "He's bird-dogging." "Why don't you go over to my hotel room with me?" "You're crushing my originals." "Sorry." "You don't know you're missing." "Wait." "Don't embarrass him." "I got cable." "Want to walk the snake?" "What, you don't believe me?" "Baby, I got a python in here." "Gee, I've never seen one that old before." "Come on, bud." "Park the Mustang back in the garage." "Fuck you!" "Fuck you, you redneck son of a bitch!" "Ever hear of Anita Hill?" "You're lucky she's cool." "I wouldn't have done it if she wasn't." "And you know when a muffin is cool." "When to show her your cock." "Where'd you go to school?" "Hotchkiss." "You're a tight-ass preppie elitist from hotchkiss." "Bullshit!" "Bullshit it's bullshit!" "You called me a redneck, which I'm proud to say I am." "You are a honky." "You just look black, and it's your best part." "Lets you intimidate the palefaces... and work that voodoo sexual shit on white girls." "I'm blacker than you are." "I got slave in me, I can feel it." "You are crazy." "What?" "You got a visitor." "It's not a visitor." "It's me." "Where the fuck is my suitcase?" "I got it." "You can't let a lady carry a suitcase." "Henry, I'm glad you got a wardrobe, because we're having dinner... with a very important person." "Who?" "Governor Ozio's son." "What the fuck does Ozio's son want?" "It could be that Ozio's looking for someone to endorse." "Jesus!" "That'd be something." "You think?" "This must be handled just right." "Just right." "Mind eating pig with your hands?" "Is there any other way." "Not in the South." "Jack, the governor's been watching you." "He was hoping when you next pass our way, you stop in." "Get to know us." "Absolutely, Jimmy." "You got the book." "When can we meet with..." "Jimmy's dad, Governor Ozio?" "Do you mind us talking business?" "No, no." "How else will I learn?" "Next Tuesday we're in Albany, on our way to New Hampshire." "How's Tuesday?" "Let's look." "Tuesday." "Let me just scroll down here." "Tuesday's pretty full, but maybe I can slot you in somewhere." "We land at four then do a drop-by at the Teachers Union cocktail party... before their dinner at the Sheraton." "I'd skip that, but they'd notice." "I'm the only candidate invited to the party." "I know." "The Governor turned it down because he's speaking at the dinner." "Good." "You'll both be at the Sheraton." "You can meet after the cocktail party and before the dinner." "Perfect." "I'll see him there." "Excellent." "Fuck all, Henry!" "You don't know fuck about briefing me!" "You make me look like an amateur." "Like a barefoot, dipshit, third rate, Southern fried... piece of shit alderman!" "You didn't know Ozio was speaking at the dinner... to keep me from shooting my mouth off!" "Hello, Richard." "If you'd like to make a call..." "Shit!" "What kind of operation do we got here?" "How did we get scheduled for a drop in when he's the main speaker?" "Get me Howard!" "You threw the phone out the window." "Stop the car." "Don't kill us, just stop it." "I think it lanted in the brush." "It landed in the trees." "I saw it." "I look like shit going to that cocktail party." "I'm Ozio's... wamp-up, and he knows it." "But we didn't know it." "I told you, it lanted in the trees." "Jimmy probably told his dad he has nothing to worry about." "He would have even if Henry hadn't screwed up." "Here's the phone." "It was in the brush." "Well, you wouldn't have found it if I hadn't thrown it out of the car." "Are you here?" "No." "Sorry, he's not here." "Henry Burton." "Can I take a message?" "Oh, God." "I see." "No, I got it, I got it." "How reliable is Daisy?" "Hundred percent." "Then we just got bad news." "In an interview in Manhattan Magazine, Ozio blasts you." ""His state's last in everything." "He knows shit about education."" "You were right about the meeting." "This is bad." "Hit back, Jack." "Not too hard or you lose the liberals." "You'll lose them anyway." "Richard?" "Give him a poke." "We'll look better when he drops out." "When who drops out?" "Ozio's 24 points ahead of us." "Exactly." "If he's willing to acknowledge us... then he's the stupidest fucking Italian since Nero... or he's not going to race." "He'll sit and snipe." "Doesn't matter." "I won't do it." "Susan, I'm not going negative." "Any jackass can bum down a barn." "It's self-defense." "I'm not doing it!" "Shane!" "Come back, Shane." "Run for president." "How you doing, Henry?" "Uh, fine." "There was a bender on the interstate." "I'm on my way to meet the family, so cancel Howard." "Yeah, okay." "And, um, governor, look... about the Teachers Union dinner..." "I know how much I lay on you." "I know how hard you work for me, and I'm honored by it." "I'm honored." "But I should have thought..." "Forget it." "Now, get out of that office and rest." "Open a bottle of Chablis." "What are you doing this weekend, Henry?" "Setting up a list of meeting..." "Do you think it's possible to get yourself laid?" "Sir?" "I'm serious." "I don't want you too homy to think straight when we need... to start rolling." "What are you going thanksgiving?" "You said you mama's in Beverly Hills, so if you're free... come spend it with Susan, Jackie and me." "It's not... like being with your mama... but we're family, too." "Thank you." "Yes, I'd like that." "Good, good." "And, the reason I won't take on Ozio... is so I don't give that bastard the power to make me the bastard." "All right?" "See you, Henry." "Right." "Dear Lord, thank you for what we're about to receive." "Okay, son." "Here we go." "Happy Thanksgiving, everybody." "Who are all these people?" "Most are from shelters." "You're kidding." "They come every year." "That's the good news." "The bad news is, he also invites his friends." "People he's been collecting so he can take them aboard when he sails." "Some of them really suck." "Henry?" "Daisy?" "She has the same problem." "Meet Lucille Kaufman, an old friend of mine from New York." "I marched with your grandfather." "Lucille and I went to law school." "You're Jack's coordinator?" "Do something about his clothes." "And the campaign posters." "And Arlen Sporken too." "I'm swamped, or I'd join the campaign full-time." "Henry, I want you to meet my son, Jackie." "This is our family doctor, Dr. Beauregard." "You and Jack must find a way to educate them Yankees." "Maybe if they both wear capes." "This is Randy Culligan." "I gave Randy his first job as a law clerk." "Folks, may I have your attention?" "Folks, you'll know me." "I'm Jackie Stanton's mama." "How about if we sing a chorus of..." ""You Are My Sunshine"... in honor of the great governors of the South?" "You are my sunshine My only sunshine" "You make me happy when skies are gray" "You're kidding." "You're kidding." "Hey!" "Hey!" "Wait, wait." "Ozio just dropped out." "That's fantastic!" "Yes!" "Gentlemen, welcome to the first debate of the..." "Democratic Presidential Primary." "Remember to keep your responses to one minute." "God, I'm so nervous, I'm sick." "Health care." "What I want to say about health care is... while it's vital that every American be covered... it's also vital that we conserve as well as expend." "We're providing a safety net for folks on welfare..." "Oh, shit." "Oh, man..." "What did you see?" "Nothing." "No one." "You're missing one of the great assholes of our time." "I can't help feeling sad as I listen to Senator Martin." "I remember a time when being a Democrat... meant more than just giving welfare recipients a safety net." "It meant giving them a ladder... giving them a way to climb back to an equal height." "If we don't control spending... and shore up the economy of this country, it will go under." "This is a new economic era." "Who are we shoring the economy up for?" "Your bond-holding fat cats?" "No, not just bond holders." "Ordinary men and women will benefit, too." "Why is he doing this?" "Because he just has to get on the good side of Lawrence Harris." "A lower deficit means working families... will have lower mortgage rates." "Okay, not bad, but shut up." "Now Governor Nilson's idea has merit." "We must provide jobs for those who need work." "Jack, excuse me." "What, if anything are you against?" "I'm against doing nothing while people are suffering." "I'm against dismissing any idea that might help because it isn't my idea." "Senator, you've met these people." "Are you saying we do nothing to help unless we come up with it?" "Nailed him!" "He's toast!" "What I meant was..." "Kicking ass and taking names!" "How was it?" "You took it." "It was yours." "Governor..." "March Cunningham, The Black Advocate." "Were you ever arrested during the Vietnam war?" "No." "You weren't arrested in Chicago?" "No, I was accidentally detained, then released." "The record was expunged." "How were your released?" "They realized it was a mistake." "It was a long time ago." "Check your records." "Come on." "We'll be late." "You guys go ahead." "I'll meet you." "What are you doing here?" "Why is the Black Advocate interested in Stanton?" "They're not." "I am." "I'm finding out who he is because a friend works for him." "March, don't do this." "Aren't you interested, too?" "Know why he was released?" "He called... a senator to get him out of jail... then persuaded Mayor Daley to expunge his record." "So?" "He was already so manipulative in the 60s that he got in bed with..." "Daley who busted the protestors at the Convention." "I don't care." "Stanton was never a radical." "He's a politician." "He couldn't get elected with a record, so he had it expunged." "You want to work for that?" "A man who just wants to get elected?" "No, I want to work for a man who fights for right, and..." "watch a Republican get elected." "Do you know the difference?" "I know the difference between a man who believes what I do... and lies about it to get elected... and one who doesn't give a fuck." "I'll take the liar." "How did he do this to you?" "Do what?" "What are you..." "Why are you making him into the devil?" "Get to know him." "Spend a few days with us here." "I miss you." "We could be together." "I think you'd fuck me just to get good press for Stanton." "We're in trouble." "What does she have?" "Why is the Black Advocate covering Stanton?" "They're not." "It's... she's..." "It's personal." "Don't matter." "We're fucked." "If some little shitty paper... like the Black Advocate can dig this up... then we're flying blind." "They'll all come after us." "I mean, did you see any other President there tonight?" "We're it." "We're the fucking ball game." "Now every flea that ever nipped his ass will want a piece of us." "It'll be the war thing, the drug thing, the woman thing." "That's the killer." "You talk to him about that." "Me?" "No." "You're the strategy guy." "But you're the body man." "We could talk to Susan." "Are you out of your fucking mind?" ""Mrs. Stanton, we need to know who Jack's plugging..." "so we can have spin control"." "Then let's just quit." "If we won't act,... let's work for someone we're not too chicken-shit to protect." "Okay, set up a meeting." "Him or her?" "Shit, her!" "Goddamn, this is going to be rough." "I have to be in Concord in an hour to meet Jack." "What's the crisis?" "It's campaign business." "It's private." "Oh, please." "Lucille is one of my closest friends and part of this campaign." "What's the crisis?" "You're in the woods, taking a shit... and a wild boar comes charging at you." "Do you pull your britches up and run?" "Or do you try to pull your britches up and grab the doves you just shot... and then try to run, all at the same time?" "Or do you just forget about the doves... pull your britches up and, because you got no time... to aim and button your fly?" "And if you miss... you don't want to die with your dick hanging out." "See what I'm saving?" "I think I speak for everyone when I say no." "Well, I mean... what if you're not prepared for the boar... get caught with your britches down and lose the doves?" "What Richard is saying is... if you get caught in the forest..." "Forget the shit-in-the-woods metaphor." "What are you talking about?" "Okay." "Say this boar is part of..." "I don't believe this." "who do the boars represent?" "The Republicans?" "The press." "The press?" "Yes." "Don't they?" "Yeah, the press." "Now, you're dealing with these boars... and suddenly they say things like "Marijuana"..." ""Chicago." Maybe a woman comes forward..." "Bullshit." "That's not going to happen." "Absolutely not." "I don't think so, either." "But..." "I just want to figure this out." "If it did happen... he won't get trapped like Hart, because we know the rules." "If some bimbo comes forward, we just say "Bullshit."" "Bullshit is right." "What do you suggest we do?" "How do we deal with it?" "Know more than they do." "Be prepared, so when a story hits, we can fight back with the truth." "But how can we know what garbage they'll come up with?" "That's the point, Lucille." "That's the whole fucking point." "We need to hire an operative to do research." "Investigate our lives." "Investigate everything... everything anyone could make into an allegation." "But we don't play that game." "We play the people's game." "We say, "The republicans and media want to talk about trash."" "We talk about your future."" "We don't shot doves in this campaign." "We protect them." "What do you mean?" "Don't the doves represent the people?" "No." "Then who are the doves?" "Forget the doves." "Henry, you agree with this?" "Yes." "We'll do it." "I'll tell Jack." "I want Libby Holden." "If we're hiring someone to find the dirt... we must have someone who knows us, who we trust." "Is she out of the hospital" "Yes." "And she's okay?" "Who is she?" "She was Jack's chief of staff." "She had a breakdown." "She suddenly became incoherent during a press conference." "She's been in and out of sanatoriums for years." "She seems very stable now." "You and Henry can fly back and brief her." "Well, that's good that she's stable." "Because you're putting the campaign in her hands." "Yes, I know." "That's good." "Then are we the doves?" "I think we're the ones taking the shit in the woods." "Henry, I'm just thrilled, thrilled y'all came back." "I have a million messages for you." "He looks like a band leader." "I'm getting rid of it." "Henry, How you doing?" "On behalf of Jack Stanton, thanks for your support." "Call them assistants, not secretaries." "Jennifer, look who's back." ""Shalom"" "You're working on Friday, wearing a yarmulke?" "Actually, I'm dressed for work." "Hi, H.B." "I'm here." "Who's going to talk to me?" "Srta." "Holden." "Henry Burton." "Hi." "I'm Terry Hicks." "Jennifer." "Hi." "Lib." "Hi, shit-for-brains." "You learned to watch your mouth yet?" "I will not let you fuck up this campaign, too!" "That was 20 years ago." "Yes, I was thinner then." "I had a waist." "Peter Goldsmith." "Ella Louise Harriman." "Where is this happening?" "What?" "The fucking meeting." "I'll need a safe house." "I know the one." "Little." "Nice rose garden." "Call Becky Raymond." "673-4982." "Tell her it's for the Governor." "She'll understand." "Now, staff." "I want her." "The one who looks like Winona Ryder." "Gorgeous." "Is she smart?" "Oh, she's smart." "I want her right away." "Start." "A Black Advocate reporter dug up the Governor's Chicago arrest." "We can't stop that." "But we're concerned there may be other things." "Like Cashmere Mcleod." "Who?" "You don't know shit, do you?" "Susan's hairdresser?" "And Jack's porkpie." "What?" "Oh, for Christ's sake, act your age." "Jack Stanton fucks around and has enemies." "But what can Susan's hairdresser do to us?" "Sell her story to the "Flash" for $150.000... minus the 10% she's giving to the slimesucking... shitty night school attorney who's agenting the deal." "You know this?" "No, I imagined it in the booby hatch!" "It's bullshit." "In your dreams, sweetheart." "She can't hurt us." "She's selling a story." "She has no proof, no credibility." "It's the tip of the iceberg." "Jackie's done some pretty stupid things." "He's poked his pecker in some sorry trash bins." "We have to... stop them before they stop us." "Crush them and sweep them up." "From now on, you can call me the Dustbuster." "You know, honey child..." "I'm stronger than dirt." "I believe you." "We could offer her $200,000 not to print it." "Then kill her to make sure?" "The important thing is he did nothing wrong." "He should act pissed off." "But not too pissed off." "More like, "It's too bad, but we don't take it seriously."" ""It's not a frightening as thing that happen to real,... people like losing a job." "Where's the light?" "I'm looking." ""Shit happens, but we're calm in a shit storm."" "Or maybe, "We expected this kind or crap."" "Right." "The usual media trash bash." "But why did he do it?" "Did he think Cashmere would be so... honored she's never tell?" "Maybe it isn't true." "Would it matter?" "It'd be better if it wasn't." "Why?" "Hitler was faithful to Eva Braun." "Does that make him better?" "Or Jefferson or Roosevelt or Kennedy, or any of the... guys who fucked around?" "But we can't say that in interviews." "No." "Of course not." "Today, a potentially explosive development for Governor..." "Jack Stanton is this quest for the Democratic presidential nomination." "A hairdresser has alleged an affair with the married candidate." "The story, unconfirmed, appeared today in the Flash."" "Stanton has made no statement regarding the woman,..." "Cashmere McLeod... but the accusation directly follows the disclosure... that Governor Stanton was arrested in 1968 in Chicago." "Fucking Eyewitness News." "Ted Koppel wants someone for his show." ""60 minutes" too." "Do we have to take this?" "They're treating this garbage like a real story." "We can't ignore it." "They could write off Chicago..." "it was 30 years ago." "Or Cashmere... she was paid for her story." "But the two, right on top of each other?" "People will say, "Do we want a radical who messes with hairdressers?"" "He did not fuck Cashmere McLeod." "If you can't handle that fact, leave now." "Okay, let's think this through." "Who has thoughts about "60 minutes"?" "I think do it." "You agree to all these interviews." "Show them we've nothing to hide." "And soon, because this will cut into the money." "We should act like we expected this..." "Henry." "Sit down, have some coffee." "You going to get some sleep tonight?" "Absolutely." "Don't you worry." "I was just talking to Danny, here." "Danny Scanion, this is my friend, Henry Burton." "Can I get you something?" "Apple fritter?" "Danny works here every night, 12-hour, $5,25 an hour." "Like I was telling the Governor, I don't mind." "I'd mind if I couldn't work." ""Apple fritter?"" "Not for me." "What was the best college game you saw all year?" "Utah state versus San Diego state." "That was a great game." "I saw it." "Great ground game." "You need a good ground game." ""Apple fritter?"" "No, I just said..." "I'll have one, Dan." "But just one." "I'll make some fresh coffee." "If you want some, you call me." "Thank you, Danny." "You look tired, Governor." "Maybe it's time to go home." "They'll kill me with trash." "Don't let them." "It's my own damn fault." "I didn't keep it together." "We can still win this thing." "We're going to win it." "And these problems are nothing compared to what... average folks go through." "Losing their jobs, losing their homes." "Keep that in mind." "Keep the folks in your mind." "It's about them, isn't it?" "It's about them." "It's about history." "That's truer for Susan than for me." "It's always been about them." "Like this fella, Danny Scanion." "He's worked every day since he was 14." "Couldn't get insurance, couldn't get his leg fixed right." "Doesn't complain." "Doesn't do anyone my harm." "Aching to do good." "God, if you let a man like that go down... you don't deserve to take up space on the planet." "We won't let him go down." "Bummer." "Bummer." "What?" "Libby?" "She's got tapes." "Who has tapes?" "Cashmere, the hair slut, you moron." "She's playing them tomorrow." "I have no time for ineptitude!" "Now tell Jack and Susan the cunt has tapes and back to Mammoth Falls." "Honey, I have to run." "I will." "Hold on." "The new member of the swimming team wants to talk to you." "Hey, Jackie Boy." "That's great." "You made it." "That's great." "We're proud of you." "No, that's just a bunch of campaign garbage." "Governor, this can't wait." "We'll call you tonight." "I love you." "Bye." "What is it?" "Libby says Cashmere McLeod has tapes of you and her talking... on the phone and... she's going to play them tomorrow." "I'm sorry." "How bad?" "I don't know." "Did you tell her..." "Henry, excuse us." "Sure." "It's cold here, Sam, but these are friendly people." "Reminds me of home." "I like her hair that way." "It softens her face." "Yes." "It could be longer, though." "If you spent a day with us... you'd see what folks care about is the future." "He's gotten fat." "He jogs, so how much does he eat?" "And what does he eat?" "What's he governor of?" "Let me see... it's not Georgia... not Florida..." "Sam, I'm not going to dignify that trash." "At a time when the American people have a lot to be concerned about..." "I saw a picture of the hairdresser." "Not bad." "I don't think this is fair." "People suffer and struggle and go through all sorts of things." "What matters is, we're still here." "If you want to draw a lesson from that about Jack's character... here it is." "He will stick." "He will work through tough times." "He will bust his butt for the American People." ""Bust his butt." The mouth on her." "He should take her in hand." "She's honest." "They had problems." "Maybe that's when he... screwed the hairdresser." "You watching?" "It's going off now." "And we're out." "Thanks, everyone." "It's over." "How'd it play?" "Wasn't she fantastic?" "Yeah, great." "But they'd like to see hair a little longer." "Hey, Henry!" "How long are you in town?" "Not long." "No time to talk." "We got to get to Sailor's and... watch Cashmere with an expert." "You take care of yourself, dear." "I'll be home for dinner." "We'll take my truck." "So you met Jack and Susan working for McGovern?" "What were they are?" "Glorious." "Golden." "Golden." "Did they have any asoir..." "Please, mister, please..." "Don't play B17..." "It was our song, It was our song" "Sing with me, Henry!" "Please, mister, please..." "If you know what I mean..." "Play that song again." "Sailorman!" "Good to see you, Libby." "How was the booby hatch?" "A better class of drugs than the old days." "Where's the beer?" "Welcome to the world of electronics." "Brewski." "Here she comes." "Recording." "I know just what she looked like in high school." "I'm Sherman Preslay, Miss Mcleod's attorney." "I want to make one thing clear." "We'll take no questions until the tapes are played." "This will not be an inquisition." "Yeah, right." "We get the inquisition." "The tapes were recorded on Miss McLeod's phone machine." "This portion was recorded just before Thanksgiving." "Governor Jack Stanton seduced me... and I have tapes to prove it." "I'm on my way to meet the family." "But you said you loved me..." "You said no one could do the things I did to you." "I could come up there." "God, what a whiny bitch." "Remember that time I met you in Dallas?" "I get hot just thinking about it." "What you doing this weekend?" "Nothing, now that you're leaving." "Open a bottle of Chablis." "Do you think it's possible to get laid?" "I'd say it's entirely possible, if you postpone that trip." "I'm too homy to think straight." "As you can see, these tapes were recorded on..." "Miss McLeod's phone machine." "I'll record the rest of it." "Let's go to work." "I'll kill him." "How could he be so dumb?" "There are some abrupt cutouts." "I'm on my way to meet the family." "An abrupt cutout right there." "What are you doing this weekend?" "That's picked up in mid-sentence, or it could be." "Open a bottle of Chablis." "Do you think it's at... all possible to get laid?" "That breakup in the middle could be static or they used its to cover." "Wait a second." "Wait a goddamn second." "Play that again." "Do you think it' at all possible to get laid?" "Again." "Just again." "Damn it!" "Do you think it's at all... possible to get laid?" "Yourself." "Yourself." "Henry, are you cracking up?" "Two of us would be one too many." "Un-fucking-believable!" "He said, "Do you think it's at all possible to get yourself laid?" "He said he didn't want me to be too horny to think straight." "It was before Thanksgiving." "Play it again from the top." "Just his lines." "Shit!" "I'm on my way to meet the family." "There was an accident, a bender, on the interstate." "That's the family he was going to meet." "Next." "What you doing this weekend?" "An abrupt cutout, right?" "He said, "What are you doing this weekend, Henry?"" "He called me Henry." "I remember the whole call, it meant so much to me." "Christ, we got her!" "You got her." "We don't." "How do we prove it?" "Oh, no, no." "No, Libby, They..." "They can't get away with this." "This cannot be a world... that lets them get away it." "Imagine a black boy saying that." "What a privileged life you're had." "But never mind about the world." "I won't let them get away with it." "I'll track down Ted Koppel and Larry King." "Can you nail their cellular conversations?" "I have to rent a van." "Sure." "We'll pick the best one." "Let's go, Henry." "We have to change the world now." "You asshole!" "Yes, it was off a cellular phone." "But don't pull that outraged puppy shit." "You haven't become an innocent just because the tape is phony." "I wish we'd castrated you when we had the chance." "Libby, you're on a cell phone." "Oh, shit!" "Yes, I'm goddamn sure I know who did it." "Yes." "I'll get it done." "Okay." "Bye." "You know who did it?" "Yes." "Oh, yes, indeed." "A triumphant day, huh, Randy?" "Perhaps your best ever." "Is that Cashmere on the line?" "No." "Then say good-bye to Sherman Presley." "It's not Sherman Preslay, whoever he is." "You're branched out." "Electronics now." "What do you mean?" "You've been recording your friend Jack's private conversations." "Why would I do that?" "I'm a big Stanton supporter." "I always have been." "I've been here 20 seconds and you've already exhausted my patience." "I want a signed confession." "Libby, put that away before you get yourself in trouble!" "Randy, you human turd... you admit you ambushed Jack Stanton, or you die." "You're crazy!" "Certi-fucking-fiably." "At last, a fact!" "You'll go to jail, too." "I knew nothing about this." "He's shocked." "He had no idea." "Now, are you going to write this out?" "I don't know what you mean!" "You know what?" "I'm going to blow your nuts off." "Yes, I am a lesbian." "I do not mythologize the male organ." "Now, you tiny scumbag, I know you did it." "You're on retainer to the Flash." "And you, you stupid shit... the crap Jack actually did wasn't enough... you had to embellish it." "Mister, you're about to become missus." "You have a choice to make." "And quickly." "Just how crazy is Libby?" "And you have to do it now." "One... two..." "This is going to be fun." "Okay." "Okay." "Okay!" "Very good." "Very wise." "Now, I want you to be eloquent in this letter." "Guilt-ridden about your jealousy and greed." "You couldn't live with yourself if you deprived America of this great man." "Tonight, an aide of Governor Jack Stanton, is joining us to play a tape." "I haven't heard the tape, but my producer has." "We'd like to thank her for letting us go on with such... short notice." "Here we go." "I can be there in 14 minutes." "I could come up there." "No, I can't wait." "I have to have it now." "Entirely." "I get hot just thinking about it." "Look at King." "Look at his face." "That sounded like me." "It was you, asking the head waiter at Café Des Artistes... to seat you right away because you hadn't eaten all day." "But how..." "We recorded it off your cell phone." "I'd like to read a letter from the man who did this to Governor Stanton." ""To whom it May concern:" "I am an employee of the Flash"" "I took innocent statements of Governor Stanton's... off his cellular phone... edited them and paid Cashmere McLeod to pretend... she was talking to him." "I did this for my own gain and advancement." "I confess it now because I cannot live with the fear... that I may deprive the American people of a great man."" "Signed, Randy Culligan, Attorney-at-law." "Now I think the media owes Governor Stanton an apology... for spreading this unsubstantiated garbage." "Very good, girl." "It should be harder than this to smear an innocent man." "We'll be right back with your phone calls." "How did you get my cellular?" "Henry, well done." "I want to thank you all for sticking with us through all this." "We haven't much time, but with your help... and the grace of God, we'll get done what needs to be done." "It's been pretty awful, but we're still here." "It would be easy to get laughs... by doing some cheap blow-dry jokes... so I'll get started." "It all started innocently for Governor Stanton." "He walked in one day and asked for a little trim." "And some longer bangs." "They just don't care about the fine points." "No, it would ruin the punch line." "Does anyone survive one of these feeding frenzies?" "If they've been around a while, of maybe." "But this is the first thing people hear about..." "Stanton, so he's history." "Our the land... of the free... and the home of the brave" "Thank you, Phil." "As head of the Portsmouth Democratic Party... it is my pleasure to introduce... one of the south's most progressive governors... and the husband of one the best fly-fishers I've met." "Please welcome Governor Jack Stanton." "Thank you for that kind introduction, Tommy." "And thank you for the fish." "He gave me a big, slab-sided, white bellied fella." "Looked a lot like me." "Put it on the grill, gave it some heat." "Kind of like I'm getting now." "Thank you for coming tonight." "I know you work hard... and have little time to rest." "Some of us got more time than we'd like." "Right." "I understand." "Since this factory closed, how many of you have found work?" "Raise your hands." "How many of you work jobs that just pay the rent, no matter... how many hours you work?" "My mama worked jobs like that after my daddy died." "I remember her coming home from work just bone weary." "I know she wanted to play with me and ask me about school." "But sometimes you're too tired to do anything but blob... out in front of the tube." "You got that right." "I don't have to tell you how hard it is to find work... or anything at all about hard times." "So I'm going to do something really outrageous." "I'm going to tell the truth." "I know what you're thinking." ""He must be really desperate to do that."" "But if you've had to swallow enough sh... garbage..." "You can say "shit"." "We're X-rated." "Me too, if you believe the papers." "Here's the truth." "No politician can re-open this factory or bring back the... shipyard jobs or make your union strong again." "No politician can make it the way it was." "Because we now live in a world without economic borders." "Push a button in New York and a billion dollars moves to Tokyo." "In that world, muscle jobs go where muscle labor is cheap,... and that is not here." "So to compete, you have to exercise a different muscle... the one between your ears." "He's lost them." "Fuck them." "He's got me." "The whole country must go back to school." "We have to get smarter, learn new skills." "And I promise this:" "I will work hard for you." "I will think about you." "I will fight to make education a lifetime thing in this country... to give you the support you need to move up." "But you have to do the heavy lifting your own selves." "Now, I've taken a lot of hits in this campaign." "But you know what that means?" "It means someone thinks you're only interested in that kind of garbage." "So Tuesday, when you go to cast your vote, think about that." "Think about what you're really interested in." "Then pick your candidate." "I don't think I'll be able to take it if he loses." "If he does lose, maybe we could go away for a while." "Try some non-campaign sex." "See if it holds up." "Goddamn it, Richard, why are you always in my room?" "Because it's neater." "Henry, when this is over, we should work together." "Set up a consulting firm." "Both of you, enough "when this is over, we are pros" crap." "You may be pros, but I'm emotionally involved." "Can I sleep here?" "No!" "Okay, shit." "See, a pro knows how to say good-bye.." "Polls are still open in New Hampshire." "Harris is a serious man and has serious things to say." "The people recognize that." "That's why we going to see some upsets today, but the biggest will be for Jack Stanton." "Stanton, like Romney, Muskie and Hart before him, flamed... then burned out." "He's just stirring the ashes now." "They can't understand why we don't quit." "I mean, don't we know we're over?" "An entire industry of political experts has explained... why we're dead." "Why are still walking around?" "Across the upper Midwest." "We predict Lawrence Harris to win in New Hampshire." "Well, so what?" "It's his state." "He has to win here." "Governor Jack Stanton, who is still campaigning, has decided to... fight right down to the wire and is out on this cold and rainy night... working to get last minute votes." "This has been his technique and... many are surprised at how effective it's been." "According to exit polls, an overwhelming number... of Stanton voters say that what decided them was actually... meeting the governor." "So, we predict Governor Jack Stanton... a close second to Lawrence Harris." "I'll be a son of a bitch!" "Don't be discouraged." "We can still win!" "Are you crazy?" "Didn't you hear?" "We're second." "We're alive." "We're a fucking miracle." "We have a chance now, a real chance." "If we could just eliminate Harris." "Harris will take Colorado." "And Florida, unless you hit him." "I'll get Florida." "It's the South." "But it's Jewish." "You must fire a silver bullet in Florida." "Without Harris, we can win." "No." "Negative will boomerang." "I know it." "I'm not going negative." "For President, Jack Stanton or Lawrence Harris?" "I served my country in Korea and my boy Jeff fought in the Gulf War." "Jack Stanton dodged the Vietnam draft..." "And covered up his anti-war arrest record." "I believe in real solutions and telling the truth." "Jack Stanton believes in glib answers to tough question... about his country and himself." "I'm Lawrence Harris." "I'll fight the tough fights." "I won't run away." "It's a question of character." "Paid for by the Harris for President Committee." "Okay." "I'm going to kill the bastard." "Although I think he's a fine man... and agree we need to lower the deficit, I don't agree... with Senator Harris's... proposal to reduce or even freeze cost of living... adjustments for Social Security." "I also disagree with Senator Harris about Medicare." "Senator Harris and I also disagree about the Middle East." "While in the Senate my opponent cast many votes regarding the... security of the state of Israel." "I agree with many of his votes, but some it's important... to stand with our friends." "And America has no better friend than the state of Israel." "We're up three points and climbing... so a meeting with the Rainbow Coalition might..." "Who is it?" "William McCollister." "Can I call you back?" "I'll just be five minutes." "You don't remember me, Mr. Burton?" "Willie, the barbecue place." "Come on in." "What are you doing here?" "I figured it would be easier to talk face-to-face with a brother... than to the Gov, even though he's like a brother." "I, um..." "I flew here because my daughter Loretta's with child... and she says Jack Stanton's the daddy." "Right." "Has he landed yet?" "He's in the men's room." "Is he alone?" "What do you mean?" "Doesn't matter." "We're in the lead." "Good, good." "Harris is second." "Actually, undecided's killing everyone." "Willie McCollister came to see me last night." "His daughter's pregnant and says you're the father." "Who else knows?" "He says no one." "What does he want?" "I don't know." "I just can't catch a break, can I?" "All right, all right." "Is Willie still here?" "No, he went back this morning." "I can't leave before the primary." "If this gets out, it'll kill us." "You... and Howard have to fly back to Mammoth Falls." "Talk to him." "We have to make sure he knows this is a mistake." "They're good people, but not sophisticated." "I want them to know." "Why pick me?" "Because I'm black?" "No." "Because Willie picked you." "You don't have to talk." "Howard knows to say." "But you should be there, because he came to you." "Governor, if I'm doing this, then there's something I need to know." "I am not the father of that child." "Henry, you will never have to be ashamed to be part... of this campaign." "Understand." "You'll never have to swallow it, duck it or apologize for it." "I'll make sure that doesn't happen." "Guys?" "Hey, Mr. Burton." "Hey, Gov." "You remember Howard Ferguson." "He works with the Governor, too." "What can I do for you?" "The Governor is very concerned about this situation with your daughter." "He'd like to see it resolved as I'm sure you would." "He wants her to have an amniocentesis performed... so paternity can be established." "A what?" "It's a medical procedure performed in a hospital." "A needle is inserted into the abdomen." "Amniotic fluid is draw from your daughter's womb." "Genetic material is compared with the Governor's to... to determine if he is the father." "I don't understand." "Normally it's used to determine fetal health." "That's what you'll tell the hospital." "You want to make sure the baby's healthy." "A needle?" "It's a common procedure." "They'd put a needle her in belly?" "Look, Mr. McCollister... some people want to destroy Governor Stanton." "He doesn't think you do." "But he can't allow this." "You can't." "I'm sure Loretta's a fine person, but she's a child." "And children are impressionable." "She ain't said a word to anybody." "She's a good girl." "I'm sure she is." "And the Governor wants to help her... and you, through this." "He is prepared to be very generous." "He will help provide for the baby." "He will do this because he believes you are his friend." "But we must resolve this." "We must determine that he is not father of that child." "I'm sure that you... you know, you understand... our position." "Pull over." "Pull over." "I'm Izzi Rosenblat, with "Schmooze for Jews."" "My guest today is presidential nominee... and JFK lookalike, Governor Jack Stanton." "Jack, when we were talking before... you said your mama liked Vegas." "As a tip to our listeners, where does she stay?" "She's loyal to the MGM Grand." "MGM Grand." "Listen up, you Vegas fans." "And who is her favorite act?" "Is it Wayne Newton?" "Absolutely." "Everyone loves Wayne Newton." "He came on this show." "Of course, that was many years ago." "Now, to satisfy the curiosity of our Vegas fans... when your mother plays blackjack, where does she stand pat?" "Sixteen?" "She's a bit of a gambler." "Sometimes she goes up to 17." "Oh, my." "Excuse me, Governor." "I'm told we have Senator Harris on the phone." "Hello." "This is indeed an honor." "Governor Stanton was telling us his mother loves Las Vegas." "Does your mother have a favorite vacation spot?" "My mother's dead." "Oh." "I'm sorry." "And Jack Stanton should be ashamed of his scaring... elderly people down here." "You mean about going up to seventeen?" "I don't follow you." "He's telling people I want to cut their Social Security." "Larry, it's in your book." "You're playing sleazy politics!" "Izzi, can I speak?" "Be my guest, governor." "What am I saying?" "You're are my guest!" "Larry, I'm looking at your campaign, page 18, paragraph 3." "It says you want to "study" a freeze of cost of living adjustments." "That's one possibility." "We might want to rework how they're calculated." "Cost of living adjustments are calculated to keep up with inflation." "I guess you don't like that." "Wait!" "I don't say that!" "It's in your book." "I said it has to be studied." "Who knows?" "We might want to spend more on cost of living adjustments." "Senator Harris, Who is your favorite comedian?" "I'm just telling folks what my positions are." "No, you're distorting my positions." "That's why no trusts politicians." "You can't defend your positions." "You're playing games." "Folks, we can't keep spending money this way." "But you just said you might to spend more on cost of living adjustments." "No, I, uh..." "Excuse me." "Now listen..." "Excuse me." "What happened?" "Did he hang up?" "Yes, yes." "Well, so tell me, Governor... who's your favorite comedian?" "The phones haven't stopped ringing!" "It was fantastic." "We couldn't believe it when Harris called." "Could we?" "He's fucked." "We'll walk away with Florida." "Wait!" "Turn on CNN." "Senator Harris suffered two heart attacks... the first after a phone call with Governor Jack Stanton... during a Florida radio show." "Jesus." "Oh, shit." "We heard him having it." "He remains in a coma." "His condition is critical." "But hospital sources will not comment... on the Senator's condition at this point." "It's difficult to say what affect this will have on the campaign." "The vote's in 2 days." "What do we do?" "Go back to Mammoth Falls." "Daisy pulls the negative ads." "I understand how you feel, but..." "We go back to Mammoth Falls." "I was so prideful, so fucking smug." "You couldn't have known." "We were going to win." "I could have been gracious." "I'm sorry." "The man cuts a vicious negative ad... ambushes you on a talk show and calls you sleazy... and you're supposed to be gracious?" "Is Jackie okay?" "He's fine." "Go on." "Don't stop the meeting." "Harris is a smart man and he's right about the damn issue." "The bastard rubbed your nose in it." "And I rubbed his nose back." "But that's not how you win the big ones." "I don't know what to do now." "I guess I'll back tonight, address the victory party." "Try to get Mrs. Harris on the phone again." "She hasn't returned my phone calls, but you can't blame her." "What do you think?" "What the fuck were you and Howard staring at?" "Nothing." "No one." "Bullshit." "Who was that woman with Susan?" "It looked like Fat Willie's wife." "Why is she worth staring at?" "Henry, what the fuck is going on here?" "Nothing!" "All right." "All right." "Son of a bitch!" "Amniocentesis, you motherfucker!" "Susan, I'm sorry." "When were you going to tell me?" "!" "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "I know we wish Senator Harris a full and speedy recovery." "I think the people of Florida will understand if I forego... any talk of victory or defeat... and ask them to join me in prayer." "I know New York." "Everything is driven by the tabloids." "Where's Henry?" "Daisy?" "I don't know." "I flew in with you." "Brad, the New York numbers." "You're at 22% and Harris is running at 18%, comatose." "Shit, Henry." "Sorry." "How do you think New York will take the thing with Harris?" "Well, Susan, I think first we have to see if Harris is still in." "That's not very helpful." "Lucille?" "Well, if Harris is out and Ozio doesn't jump in..." "I say we win by default." "My God, this poor woman." "I want to thank all of you... for your remarkable outpouring of affection." "It's obvious my husband will not be able to continue his campaign." "Fantastic!" "I mean, well..." "you know what I mean." "We have asked our good friend former Governor..." "Fred Picker of Florida." "to carry on." "To continue to raise questions in a meaningful, honorable way." "She's not too upset to give us a poke." "Come on." "Her husband may be dying and she thinks Jack did it." "I turn the campaign over to Governor Picker." "Excuse me." "This is a rather emotional time." "Governor, do you think you can win the nomination?" "Well, I'm not out to, win the nomination." "I'm out to continue what Senator Harris began... to give Americans an honest choice on the issues." "But if you won the nomination?" "It's really premature to talk about that now." "I haven't had time to think about it." "What I have thought about is the best way I can help Senator Harris." "As I know him as a man of action rather than words... the best action is for me to go down and donate a pint of blood,... because that's he needs now." "If you want to come with me and donate a pint,..." "Mrs. Harris would appreciate it." "Jesus Christ, we should have thought of that." "Great goddamn move." "How do we run against this guy if he not going to run?" "Shit, he'll run." "But till he announces it he's the flavor of the week... and golden." "We just wait until he comes out." "Lawrence Harris made several negative spots." "His pollsters have advised more." "Will you go in that direction?" "No." "I won't be doing any spots or having any polls,... because I'm not paying any pollsters." "I'm not hiring folks to tell me what you're thinking... or how to get at you." "Then what are you going to do?" "Just talk straight." "Jesus Christ." "Who is this guy?" "Let's not panic." "He's as much as admitted he's running." "So now we'll see some tamish on the golden image." "The media giveth and..." "go fuck yourself." "Governor, why did you quit politics in 1978?" "There were a lot of reasons." "I had personal problems." "This can't be easy to talk about." "No, it's not." "But I guess it's part of the game now, so I'll be candid." "I got too wrapped up in... being governor, and I began to neglect my family." "My wife fell in love with another man." "I quit, in part to see if I could salvage my marriage... but I couldn't." "So then I just wanted to make sure... my boys knew I loved them." "I think if you ask them, they'll say we made it through okay." "They're in college now and when Mrs. Harris asked me to do this... they were very enthusiastic." "I guess you could say..." "I'm doing this for them, too." "Awesome." "The best I've ever seen." "What do we do?" "Well, now we panic." "Hey, amnio man!" "God, how in the hell did you find out?" "Loretta talked to a schoolmate." ""A Current Affair" just offered the McCollisters $250,000." "Fat Willie threw them off the property." "I stashed them in another county." "I could kill Jack." "He says he's not the father." "He's probably not." "It doesn't matter." "Shit begets shit." "Cashmere made anything possible." "Didn't she?" "I'm a good consultant and I know New York, but I'm not a magician." "The rumor's about you and the black girl..." "Say I gave blood to disprove the charge and... we're waiting for the results." "Too defensive." "And look at the contrast between why you gave blood and why Picker did." "I agree." "But it might be good to get on some TV shows... like "Oprah" and "Geraldo"." "You mean strip away those last annoying shreds of dignity... and wallow in trash." "Why campaign in New York at all?" "You can't skip New York." "They'll kill me." "No, it'll just feel like they have." "But you'll survive." "We all find a way to survive." "That's why I'm so happy to be New York... to have the opportunity to..." "If you'd just give me a chance." "Give me a chance to, to answer your questions." "I love New York!" "Bugger, bugger, bugger!" "You're a phony!" "A pederast!" "You're a sick, hetero fuck!" "I can't make much of this." "Tomorrow we start Connecticut.." "Picker's speaking at a rally there." "We hit it, too." "He don't." "He's meeting with the Lubavitcher Rebbe." "What?" "Who the fuck decided that?" "The Rebbe." "You can't win New York without him." "Norman knows New York." "It's his call." "Susan's right." "You go to the rally." "I'll keep the appointment." "Thank you." "Well, this is kind of overwhelming." "He's nervous now." "He's the man now." "I didn't expect this." "And all the folks giving blood in the back..." "I want to thank them." "I really do." "Would all of you do me a favor?" "Don't shout quite so loud." "Thanks." "I really mean it." "I wish everyone would just calm down a little." "When I say "everyone", I mean the press and the TV... crews and all my colleagues... and all the people who advise my colleagues." "I think we need to calm down some." "You know... this is a terrific country." "But sometimes we go a little crazy." "Maybe that's part of... our greatness, party of our freedom." "But if we don't watch out and calm down,... it all may spin out of control." "You know, the world is getting more and more complicated." "Politicians have to explain things to you... in simpler terms... so that they can get their little oversimplified explanations... on the evening news." "And eventually, instead of even trying to explain... they give up and start slinging mud at each other." "And it's all to keep you excited, keep you watching... like you watch a... a car wreck or a... wrestling match." "That's just what it's like professional wrestling." "It's staged and it's fake and it doesn't mean anything." "That goes for the debates." "We don't hate our opponents." "Half the time we don't even know them." "But it seems it's the only way we know how to keep you all riled up." "So what I want to do is quiet things down... and start having a conversation... about what sort of country we want this to be in the next century." "And I want Governor Stanton to know that I... welcome him to this conversation." "Okay." "This show is yours." "You gentlemen know the rules." "No eye-gouging, no chair-tossing." "Three knockdowns, I stop the bout." "I hope he doesn't lose it." "Geraldo will go after... him end Picker's smooth." "He won't lose it." "He doesn't have anything to lose." "Is there any truth whatsoever... to the awful allegation that you are the father of a... child by a teenage girl?" "Oh, shit." "No, it's good it's out there." "Now, if Jack just keeps the answer short... by the publicity over the phony Cashmere McLeod tapes." "Her family are good people." "They're my friends." "I just spoke with the father... and he apologized for causing me so much trouble." "I think that's all we need to know, Jack." "Right, folks?" "Jesus Christ." "Picker actually saved him." "I've never seen that before." "Maybe this is the first time." "Maybe Picker's the real thing." "You know what your problem is, Hotchkiss?" "You got galloping TB." "You don't mean tuberculosis, right?" "No, I mean True Believerism." "You talk and act like a pro... but inside you're just like Libby, who actually goes crazy... when her candidate turns out not to be a rock." "In '78, she actually wore a button that said..." ""I'm Picker person" and nose dived when he quit the race." "Didn't even try to find out why..." "He told us why." "What?" "He wanted to stay home with his kids?" ""I'd rather be dad than president"?" "Give me a break." "The race among Democratic contenders is still a toss-up." "Polls taken after both men appeared on "Geraldo"... indicate that governor Picker... has a substantial lead... but there has been a remarkable 5% increase for Governor Stanton." "Fucking Norman Asher." "I'm taking a leave of absence." "I can't stay and take... orders from Norman Asher." "We're from different parts of the jungle." "The thing's... about gone anyway." "I can't believe this." "Why?" "Henry, I've been through this shit a hundred times." "These guys love you then they stop loving you." "Yeah, but Stanton's different." "Yeah, he's different." "He was worth it." "You take care of your ass, Hotchkiss." "I'll see you next time." "I'm sorry about losing Daisy and Richard... but we're pros and these things happen." "Now, I want to talk about something Richard said about Picker... that I want to find out." "Why did Picker quit in '78?" "AII I heard about was a condo development... named Clearwater Estates... where the state and county matched funds to build a connecting road." "And?" "Nothing specific." "The project developer was a guy named Edgardo Reyes." "Edgardo Reyes is the brother of Antonia Reyes." "Picker's former wife." "Did anyone ever follow this up." "No." "Well, Libby, let's go." "What?" "What?" "I'm trying to decide." "Decide what?" "If I want to do this, you stupid shit!" "I protected you." "I don't do in the opponent." "What is the difference?" "All the difference in the world." "All the moral difference." "I'm not too interested in tearing Fred Picker down." "And if he's bad?" "It'll out." "But when?" "Say he wins the nomination... and then it comes out." "Now, look at this." "Results of the blood test Dr. Beauregard gave me." "Congratulations." "I'm sure this will help." "But it won't." "You know it." "It won't matter my blood doesn't match Loretta's baby's." "It won't matter I can't be the father." "It would only matter if I were the father." "Because... guilt is what's interesting." "Am I supposed to accept this and let Picker slide in... because you were a "Picker Person" in the 70s?" "You mean injustice for all?" "That's a stupid argument!" "Okay, but this isn't." "Picker could be guilty of fraud." "If he used influence to help his brother in-law,... he can't be president." "He could be a real shit." "Forget who you thought he was." "You most find out who he really is." "Get packed." "We are in limbo now, Henry." "We are outside the mainstream." "We are in purgatory." "We are lost." "Libby, if you don't shut up, I'm going to kill myself." "We are testing our limits." "We are in the pits." "Remember the words to "Limbo Rock"?" ""How low can you go"?" "Is there a reason we're meeting in Neo Bwanaland and not his office?" "Two reasons... no recording devices, and I've always... wanted to see this hotel." "Yes, in my work, I'd hoped being the Governor's brother-in-law... would be an advantage." "But Mr. Righteous wouldn't cut me any slack." "We did Clearwater straight up." "It would be God's joke if he got nailed for it anyway." "Freddy didn't know you hired his wife and brother to get to him?" "Know?" "Absolutely not." "Thank you, Mr. Reyes." "My friend and I are very, very grateful." "Know?" "what did he know?" "He was half stoned most of the time?" "Stoned?" "Oh, dear." "I said something I said shouldn't have." "Freddy's staff don't like to hear that." "Stoned how?" ""Toot-toot-tootsie, good bye."" "You don't know he was a fucking maricon cokehead?" "Cocaine." "He loved the shit." "We all did, but he's the only one who's a candidate for sainthood." "I'm afraid that's a little hard to buy." "It just doesn't fit." "Maybe not now." "Twenty years ago... everyone did everything." "Right, Libby?" "But where did he score?" "How could he keep it quiet?" "There was a guy." "A young guy, Lorenzo Delgado." "Upper-class Cuban, a lawyer." "He and the Governor know each other socially." "So it was all right." "The joke is that Delgado just got out of prison... and lives in a halfway house in Hialeah." "And saint Freddy is about to be president." "Yeah, that is a joke." "You must get a lot of laughs telling it at parties." "I don't talk about Freddy." "I'm talking to you because you're from his campaign." "It's just..." "I'm not the only guy who knows this." "He should never have returned to the game." "Now he'll go down." "This is America." "You can bank on it." "Lorenzo Delgado." "On the porch, through there." "Lorenzo?" "Right in there." "Sr. Delgado?" "We're here about Freddy Picker." "sit down, sit down." "Are you from the campaign?" "I've been expecting you." "Tell Freddy he has nothing to fear from me." "Nothing, you understand?" "This happened after him." "I fucked my brains out in jail." "Nothing else to do." "And there were so many boys spent all day in the gym... working out." "I like this porch." "I can't do it all the time." "Depends on the weather." "It's strange." "My body temperature is always off." "Too hot or too cold." "It's never just right." "Sometimes the tiniest breeze can start me shivering." "I can't do anything about it." "I can't turn it off." "I just have to let it ride." "So, are you Freddy's friend now?" "You just knew it would be good." "You knew it would be irresistible." "But this has every fucking thing." "Sex, drugs, corruption." "And none of it-none of it, Henry, my man-is-clear-cut venality." "It's all kind of human and awful and sad." "So now we'll find out." "Find out what?" "We just found out." "Don't play dumb with me." "This is a test... of us and them." "Actually, of us and them, and us again." "I mean, we got the dirt." "Now it's about them-back and Susan." "What will they do with it?" "Isn't that what we're both really after here?" "After 20 fucking years, I get to see what they're about." "Not just hypothesize, not just hope." "This is it!" "Graduation day." "They graduate, or I do." "Be honest." "Isn't that what you're really after, too?" "Watch the road!" "Isn't it?" "Feast your eyes, Governor." "You too, m'lady." "Henry, a transcript of our tour." "Well, this... this is remarkable." "How did he think he could get away this?" "What do we do with it?" "The Times..." "No, the Wall Street Journal more authoritative." "Through an intermediary, someone not connected to the campaign." "I don't think so." "what do you mean?" "I mean there's nothing of use here." "You must be kidding." "Nope." "It doesn't meet my standards." "What do you mean?" "Henry and I don't the use of this material is proper." "We have a moral objection." "And I have an historical beef." "Come on." "Why get it if you weren't going to use it?" "As Susan said, he could have been a shit." "He isn't, but he could have been." "But you're off the point." "The point is we don't do this sort of thing." "I'll relentless busting dust and guarding your ass." "I'd have shot Randy Collegian's weenie off for you." "Well, maybe I would have." "But this is something else." "This is hurting someone." "This sucks." "You want to know why this sucks?" "Because you told me." "Remember when, Jackie?" "Let me refresh your memory." "Weren't they gorgeous?" "But look at you." "You little shit." "I told you I used to have a waist." "Hush up." "Don't ruin it." "You remember when this was?" "You don't, do you?" "Miami headquarters in '72." "This was taken just after the convention." "I'll never forget that convention." "Libby, for Christ's sake, what's the point?" "The point is Eagleton." "Remember, Jack?" "I must have known you, what, two days then?" "We hear that McGovern had chosen a vice president who... had electric shock therapy." "And I consider the possibility that we might lose to that fuckbrain Nixon." "Before that, I was absolutely convinced we would win." "Can you imagine, Henry?" "We were so fucking young." "And this one, he takes me out." "We go to an outdoor Cuban joint." "Remember, Jack?" "My head's in my hands." "I mean, life has ended." "I say, "They did it!" "The CIA."" "I couldn't believe that Tom Eagleton would really be a nutcase." "They had to have take him and made him crazy." "It couldn't be that McGovern was a complete amateur!" "I said to Jack: "We got to get same capability as the CIA."" "Remember, Jack? "We have to do dirt, too."" "And you said, "No." "Our job is to end all that."" ""Our job is to make it clean." "Because if it's clean, we win."" ""Because our ideas are better."" "You remember this, Jack?" "That was a long time ago." "Libby, you said it yourself." "We were young." "We didn't know how the world worked." "Now we know." "If we don't move on this Picker situation, two things will happen." "First." "We're dead." "Everything we've worked for since Miami 25 years ago dies, and fast." "The second thing that happens is someday, soon when they're sick of..." "Picker's quiet, righteous act some intrepid journalist... will stumble onto this." "And if he doesn't, the Republicans will lead him to it next fall." "It will be like Eagleton, only it'll be our fault this time... for letting it happen." "Your fault, Libby." "Honey, you may be right." "All of it may be right." "But we can't do it because it ain't who we're supposed to be." "We could leak part of it..." "the Clearwater." "The Republicans know that." "And they won't get the rest soon?" "You think Reyes will... only tell this story once?" "I'm sorry, Libby." "There's no discussion." "You're right, none." "Henry and I decided." "This dies here." "I don't think so." "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but it does." "And here's why." "Know what this is?" "Test results on Jack's blood and Uncle..." "Charlie's blood taken over the years." "And this is the report Jack gave me that proves he... didn't father Loretta's baby." "And you know what, Jack?" "It's not your blood." "Isn't that a riot?" "The blood Dr. Beauregard took wasn't from you... it was from Uncle Charlie." "You sent him in your place because Dr. Beauregard loves... you and wants to "teach those Yankees a lesson."" "He doesn't love you enough to lose his license." "Once he knows I have proof, he'll fold." "That won't prove you're the father of Loretta's baby." "In fact, I think you're not." "But it proves you thought you might be." "And that proves you fucked her." "And that will kill your chances." "You would do that?" "You would end his political career?" "You see, Jack?" "She hasn't even heard." "She isn't even upset that you fucked your 17-year-old babysitter." "And you know why?" "It's never the cheat who goes to hell." "It's always the one who he cheated on." "That's why you still talk in that tender voice about... being in it for the folks and..." "Susan can only talk in that voice from hell about your political career." "Now what kind of shit is that, Jack!" "Oh, excuse me." "I forgot." "It's the same old shit The shit no one ever calls you on, ever.." "Because you are so completely fucking special!" "Because everyone was always so proud of you." "Me, too." "Me, the worst." "It's just makes it a lot easier for me." "I mean,... it's totally depressing." "What have I been doing this for my whole, pathetic, fucking life?" "!" "So, here's the deal." "If you move on Freddy Picker, who I think we... all agree is a flawed, but decent man, I move on you." "Yes..." "I will destroy this village in order to save it." "Tomorrow we..." "Is that for me?" "No, darling." "Where are we?" "Coming up to my beautiful condo by the river." "You want to come in for some coffee?" "Booze?" "Diet Coke?" "No, darling." "Deliver this for me, will you?" "I'm not going to use it." "You're giving them the blood test info?" "Why not?" "Picker will go down anyway." "We can't save him." "The point of this was to see if they'd turn him in, and they will." "They didn't even fucking hesitate." "So that's that." "Let them swing, Libby, Let them sweat a little." "Oh, honey." "You see that moon?" "That's me." "It's beautiful, huh?" "But Henry... it's only reflected light." "It needs the sun." "The Stanton are my sun." "I lived my life drawing light and warmth from them." "Without them, I'm bleak and cold... and airless for eternity." "You be careful, Henry." "You have something of an atmosphere." "Just find yourself a life, Okay?" "Go home now." "Try to get some sleep." "Can you find your way from here?" "Oh, sure." "From here?" "There are only two ways you can go from here." "Bye, sweetie." "God, no, no." "No, she's a very close friend of mine." "Let me through." "A lot of us grew up with Libby Holden." "She was our friend, our big sister... she bullied us, she drove us crazy." "And, she remembered everything about us." "Everything that we hoped to be, everything we wanted the world to be." "All those young promises made, Libby remembered in the original wording." "Before she died, she wrote me a note." "It said:" ""I am so fucking disappointed in you."" ""Shape up."" "I am so sorry that I disappointed her." "I am so sorry that I can't look at her and say... that I will promise to do better." "She lent us her courage and her warmth... and her madness." "She had the most amazing heart." "Long trip." "No press that I can see." "Not yet." "Follow me Governor." "This is only copy left." "It might help you know what someone else may find." "I shouldn't have looked for it." "I'm sorry." "Fucking cocaine." "I was really so successful in everything I did... business, politics." "I could handle anything..." "except cocaine." "But I didn't know that because of cocaine." "That's what fucked up my marriage, not anything else." "And..." "I did go to bed with Lorenzo once or twice." "It was a coke thing." "I could do anything, so I did that, too." "I'm seeing a really nice woman now." "I suppose I have to tell her." "Hell of a price to pay, isn't it?" "Well, maybe no one will find out." "Well, you did... in a day." "I should never have said yes to Mrs. Harris, but..." "I thought I'd give it a week, and it just took off." "Once I did that blood thing..." "It was great politics." "Yeah, amazing, wasn't it?" "Jack, thank you for coming here." "The honorable way you're..." "I was wrong to stay in." "I just hope when I quit, they won't hit it as hard." "And my boys..." "I don't want them to know about Lorenzo." "But probably the bottom line is I'm going to be a national joke." "And I'll have to explain it to my boys, either way." "Because no matter what I do... the press will find out the rest, won't they?" "If they think it will sell one newspaper, yes." "Oh, my God." "If there's anything I can do, anything to make it a little better..." "I can still hear the soft summer wind..." "In the live oak trees" "And those Williams boys..." "They still mean a lot to me Hank e Tennessee." "I guess we're all gonna be." "So what do you with good ol'boys like me?" "I love that song... the line about the Williams boys." "It's never just Hank." "The picture's not complete without Tennessee." "Governor, I'm resigning from the campaign." "I don't accept your resignation." "I don't feel comfortable about this anymore." "About what?" "This." "This line of work." "I spoke to Richard." "He's back on board." "I'm putting him in charge..." "campaign manager." "I'm bringing Daisy back, too." "That's not what this is about." "Then what is it?" "Libby." "Her test." "You flunked it." "But just now I passed it." "So which grade do I get, Henry?" "If she hadn't died..." "Then I'd have leaked the file and felt bad about it." "But I'd have been wrong not to." "What I did now, I did for Libby." "But it wasn't right." "If Picker hadn't quit, he'd have taken the party down with... him." "Just a matter of when." "And how." "And who took him down." "Those are fine points, Henry." "They're "how many angels fit on the head of a pin points."" "This is hardball." "Do you mean you just realized that and can't handle it?" "I know you better than that." "This is it, Henry." "This is the price you pay to lead." "You don't think Lincoln was a whore before he was president?" "He had to tell his stories and smile his back-country grin." "He did that so one day he'd have the opportunity... to stand before the nation and appeal to our better nature.." "That's where the bullshit stops." "That's what it's all about." "Making the most of it, doing it the right way." "You know that there are plenty of people in this game... who don't think that way." "They'll sell their souls lie to people, divide them,... play on their fears, for nothing." "Just for the prize." "I don't care." "I'm sorry, but I'm not comparing the players." "I don't like the game." "I want to work for something small, like voter registration." "And after that, who do they vote for?" "Who can do this better than me?" "Is there anyone else who can win this election... who'd do more... for people than I would?" "Who'd think about the folks I care about?" "Oh, shit!" "They're here so quick?" "That driver." "I knew it." "Okay." "We'll go talk to them together." "Come on." "Don't shake your head, Henry." "We worked so hard together to get here." "It's there for us now." "We can do incredible things." "We can change this whole country." "I'm going to win this." "And when I do, we're going to make history." "Look at me and tell me it's not going to happen." "Look at me and tell me you don't want to be part of it." "Jesus, Henry!" "You want me to beg?" "I can't do it without you." "Don't leave me now." "You're still with me, aren't you?" "Say you are." "Say it." "come on, Henry!" "This is ridiculous." "You have to be with me!" "Congratulations." "Congratulations." "Now don't break our hearts." "Mazel tov, Mr. President." "Mr. President."