The Ides of March

This film contains very strong language

I'm not a Christian. I'm not an Atheist.

I'm not Jewish,

I'm not Muslim.

My religion, what I believe in,

is called, The Constitution Of The United States Of America.

MIMICS CRICKETS CHIRPING

DESCENDING WHISTLE

MIMICS EXPLOSION

-Hang on.

-Did you get that?

Let me open these up.

OK, go ahead.

If I'm not religious enough for you, don't vote for me.

If I'm not, uh...

experienced enough for you, don't vote for me.

You know what, Don't vote for me.

Don't do it.

Whatever you do, don't vote for me. How's that?

-OK.

-OK.

-OK, thanks.

Can we get the monitors up a little,

-I'd like the governor to be able to hear himself?

-You got it.

Also, are we going to put risers under these podiums,

like we discussed in the preconditions?

No, I know. We didn't get the specs till last night.

-They're making something slide under there.

-OK, thank you.

It's just they're few inches short.

It makes it hard for him to read his notes. OK.

Gentlemen, thank you and I'll see you in few hours.

I didn't know the governor has trouble reading his notes. Why doesn't he wear glasses?

No, he doesn't. Just, Pullman's just 5'8". He's going to look like a Hobbit.

Well, it all comes down to this.

We are one week away, from the Ohio Primary

Two Democrats are left standing -

Senator Pullman of Arkansas

trailing Governor Morris of Pennsylvania.

Governor Morris has mounted a sizeable lead,

with 2,047 delegates,

winning New Hampshire, California, New York and Michigan.

But Senator Pullman with 1,302 delegates

is still in the hunt,

having won Florida and Tennessee, and Virginia and Missouri.

A win in Ohio could turn it all around for the Arkansas Senator.

One week from Tuesday, the all-important 161 Ohio delegates

could be the deciding factor.

Once again, it is true "As goes Ohio, so goes the nation."

But you call yourself a Christian.

-How would that matter?

-Let me quote.

" I have no Idea what happens when we die.

"Maybe, nothing. Maybe, it's like before we were born."

-You did write this, Governor.

-Let me be specific.

Please do.

I was raised a Catholic, I am not practising Catholic.

And I have no idea what happens after we die.

If the senator does, then maybe he should be president.

-I'll vote for him!

-Is that your idea of being specific?

Let me be more specific.

Thank you.

I'm not a Christian or an atheist. I'm not Jewish or Muslim.

What I believe, my religion is

written on a piece of paper called The Constitution.

Meaning, that I'd defend until my dying breath your right to worship

in whatever god you believe in.

As long as it doesn't hurt others.

I believe, we should be judged as a

country by how we take care of the people who cannot take care of themselves.

That's my religion!

If you think I'm not religious enough, don't vote for me.

If you think I'm not experience enough or tall enough,

then don't vote for me, cos I can't change that to get elected.

'I just want you to say out loud

'if you believe in the teachings of the Bible?'

'Is this a democratic primary or a general election?'

'Well, Governor whoever wins this contest will be running for President.

'And if you think that these questions

'won't be central in a general election,

'then, you're living in fantasy land!

'I'm simply pointing to the obvious.

'We are running for President Of The United States.

'Not, student council president.'

LAUGHTER

APPLAUSE

Double?

-Yeah, double.

-Fucking national security.

-Out of the park.

-Home run.

ANNOUNCER: The alumni of Miami University of Ohio

thank you for attending tonight's debate

and ask you to remain in your seats until candidates have left the stage.

You know, I'm trying to remember if

the Democrats have ever nominated an atheist before.

Well, we know they've nominated a jackass before.

That must've been you, that did the prep work, Stephen.

Paul's not that clever.

You've always had the brains, Duffy, but me...I've had the balls.

Well, it looks like you've got some brains now too.

Be careful, I just might have to steal him from you.

What a prick!

# We'll meet again

# Don't know where

# Don't know when

# But I know

# We'll meet again

# Some sunny day... #

Paul, tell me something I don't know.

Tell me what's going to happen on the 15th?

HE CHUCKLES

What?

HE LAUGHS

What do you think, Stevie?

I think it's ours for the taking. What do you think?

-Yeah...

-Ben?

-We'll win

What do you think, Ida?

I'm asking you.

Well, you tell me, I'll tell you.

If I have to say, I'd say it will be close, but you'll eke it out.

Eke? You see, she's trying to get under my skin.

-So, what's going to happen?

-Us by nine.

So, you're certain you're going to win here?

Certain? No. Confident? Yeah.

-You just said, you'll win by nine.

-And I think that we will!

But I'm not going to tell you it's a sure thing!

Fucking Saint Gabriel could blow his horn on election day

and get his four horsemen to rig the ballot boxes for Pullman

and it wouldn't surprise me.

Six presidentials that I've done and I've never felt this good.

But, I'm not going to sit here and say, yeah, hey, we'll win Ohio.

Not a chance.

In the last 30 years, 73 Democrats

have run for president - how many have won? Three.

That means, 70 guys ran who thought that they had a chance,

and they all lost.

So, you're saying here's a good chance that you won't win?

Don't twist my words, Ida. What I'm saying is

I'm not going to promise you we'll win.

But he's decorated by Bush Senior from the first Gulf War,

he protested the second and he left the state with a balanced

budget and the fourth-highest education rate.

The Republicans

have no-one out there, that can touch this guy.

So, for this moment,

this election, this primary is the presidential.

And that, Ida, is the state of the union.

And on that note I'm going to take a shit.

-So, Stephen?

-So, Ida.

-Stephen, Stephen, Stephen.

Ida, Ida, Ida.

-Paul's going to the airport.

-Yeah.

-And getting on a plane.

That's what you do, at the airport. Yeah.

Where's that plane going?

OK, I'll give you three guesses.

-He's not going back to headquarters.

-Correct.

He's not going to Texas?

No need. We're going to split Texas, so it's a wash.

What if I've said, North Carolina?

Is that your guess?

-He's going to North Carolina.

-I can neither confirm or deny that.

I knew it. Now, tell me why?

I cannot do that.

-I hate you.

-You love me.

I love Paul. You, I hate.

You love him, because he gives you the scoops.

-Sexual favours.

-You're engaged.

If it meant a good scoop, my fiance would understand.

You really buy into all this crap.

All this take-back-the-country nonsense.

Ida? I'm not naive, OK?

I've worked on more campaigns

than most people will have by the time they're 40.

I'm telling you - this is the one!

You really have drunk the Kool-Aid?

I have drunk. It's delicious!

Look...I don't care if he happens to be leading in the polls,

I don't care if he happens to have all the right tools,

the truth is, he's the only one

that's going to actually make a difference in people's lives -

even the people that hate him.

If Mike Morris is President, it says more about us

then it does about him.

I don't give a fuck if he can win.

-He has to win.

-Or what?

The world's going to fall apart?

It won't matter...

not one bit...

to the everyday lives of the everyday fuckers, who get up

and work and eat and sleep, go back to work again.

If your boy wins, you get a job in the White House.

He loses, you're back at a consulting firm on K Street.

That's it!

You used to know that, before you got goosebumpy about this guy.

Mike Morris is a politician.

He's a nice guy. They're all nice guys!

He will let you down. Sooner or later.

# 'Scuse me

# While I

# Disappear. #

-This is off-off-off the record.

-What?

-Franklin Thompson.

-Seriously?

Off the record. Only people who know are the Governor, Stephen and me.

My lips are sealed.

Tomorrow, I have a meeting at Thompson's house.

He's going to endorse?

After I'm done talking to him, what do you think?

That's huge!

It's more than huge.

There's 356 pledged delegates, they all travel with him -

puts us over the top.

He said publicly he's not going to endorse anybody.

Yeah, well, that's what they all say,

until you get 'em alone at the room.

-So, this is for real?

-Yup.

-Just about in the bag.

-When are you going to announce?

Nope, that's all you get for now.

OK, listen up! These are your new cellphones.

Shelley's pre-programmed the numbers,

thank you, Shelley. No personal calls.

Kevin? If you lose them, the DMC will come to your house.

New cellphones...

I'll get it later.

'I gotta believe we can do it.

'We have enemies.

'We have to understand, why our enemies are our enemies

'and see if there's something we can do about it.

'Besides, just using force.

'As we know from history, the answer to extremism can't be extremism.'

Fucking kill me.

Where did we get this?

Some meeting in Pennsylvania before he announced.

Thank God, it wasn't overseas. Just get rid of it.

-Yeah, but I mean if...

-Are you fucking stoned?

This is exact same piece the Republicans, are going to run against him in the general.

We don't need to brag about it.

"Hi, I'm Neville Chamberlain. I'd like to be your commander-in-chief."

This is going to come out anyways.

It's going to come out, but it's not

going to come out paid for it by us, pal.

You think there's any truth in this Pullman having investments

in diamond mines in Liberia?

Still checking on it but, we got it from a blog, who the fuck knows?

I don't care, if it's true I just want to hear him denying it.

If it's true, great! Find out. If not, let them spend the day

telling the Post that he doesn't own a diamond mine in Liberia.

Win-win.

OK.

We gotta counter that Christian shit, we're taking from last night.

I need the new 30 in 60 seconds spot.

We can show him in staff meeting this afternoon.

-Hey.

-Hey.

Ben wanted me to get you sign off on this before the staff meeting.

Thank you, I've been waiting for this.

Anything interesting?

Just these some white paper I've to hand out tonight.

What's white paper?

Negative shit.

Our guys do research, we feed it to the press and we see what sticks.

What kind of negative shit?

You'll read it in the paper tomorrow.

-Which paper?

-Any...any paper.

-So, it's something big?

-I wish it was something bigger.

It's just these transportation numbers -

I'm going to have to spin pretty hard to make it stick.

-That's what you're good at though, right?

-I guess.

Tell him it's fine.

-Did you get your new phone?

-Mm-hm.

It's really exciting, isn't it?

What are you, a Bearcat?

-Am I a what?

-Cincinnati Bearcat?

Ohh! No, I'm not from here.

I worked with you in Iowa, actually.

That's right.

You changed something.

-My hair?

-You changed your hair.

No.

I see.

-I bet I like a real dumbass right now, huh?

-No! Not at all.

You're the big man on campus. I'm just a lowly intern.

Oh, it's not like that.

You get to stay at The Millennium.

OK? They put us in a motel on the other side of the river.

You're right. I am the big man on campus.

Now you're starting to see.

-Mm-hmm.

-We do have a better bar though.

I've heard that.

You should come by one night. Have a drink with the worker bees.

I might do that.

I might do that. What's a good night?

-Tonight's good.

-Tonight?

-Tuesday night?

-Yeah. It's quite.

Quite's good.

Well, you have my number.

I do?

It's programmed right there on your phone.

Ah-hah.

Under 'Mary'.

I know your name is Mary.

My name is Molly.

That's what I'm hearing since

Super Tuesday - all of a sudden, I am a popular guy.

What are the polls telling you?

That Pullman's negatives are high. Mid-40s.

Senator, we have an open seat in the White House.

Republicans have dick.

They're disorganised, they can't find a nominee

that's not a world-class fuck up.

They look like Democrats.

No Republican's going to show up to vote for their guy.

If Pullman gets the Democratic nod,

they will show up to vote against him.

You think they won't for your guy. Morris gets the independents.

I sure do. Senator, I'm a bit confused.

We need your delegates.

We need you.

Your fundraising.

And I guess...

it was my understanding that your endorsement

a week before Ohio would win this for us.

-Thank you.

-Stella...

hand me that ice bucket.

-Is this Paul, or is this you?

-Paul knows and Paul agrees.

Ben, where's my op-ed piece on national service?

-It's easier for me to work off of that.

-Got it right here.

-Give me a hard copy.

-Can we print it out?

-Molly, can you grab it?

-One second.

HE SIGHS

-So if you want to change or refresh...

-Just give me a second, will you?

PRINTER WHIRS

Your national service isn't polling the same as the rest of your policy.

I don't give a shit about the polling.

I'm not going to play this game.

Your good-cop, bad-cop act with Paul.

-Good-cop, good-cop.

-I'm not changing it.

WHIRRING CONTINUES

Here we go.

All right, let's see.

It says we're going to help people get an education,

going to create national unity, teach young people a trade,

and get them out of debt for their loans.

-Where does that fail?

-All of that's exactly right.

Just, if you're going to do it, do it.

Make it mandatory, not voluntary.

-Now, that'll poll well.

-Mandatory.

Everybody who turns 18 or graduates high school

gives two years of service to his or her country.

It can be in the military, Peace Corps,

planting fucking trees, I don't care.

For that, your college education is paid for, period.

We do all of that here.

No, sir, you don't, not all the way. Do it all the way. Mandatory.

-Paul likes this?

-Mm-hm.

You're my brain trust.

The beauty of it is that everybody

who's over the age of 18 will be for it.

-Why not?

-And all of the others...

-Can't vote.

Too young.

PEOPLE CHUCKLE

Too bad.

You can't lose.

-Uh, Stephen?

-Mm?

You have a call on line three. It's your dad.

OK.

You and Ben work it into the speech.

Get me a hard copy and I'll write it in my own words.

-You have Charlie Rose at six.

-Right. Yeah. Why am I doing him?

It's long-form. He's flying in.

-Paul going?

-Paul won't be in, but Ben and I will take you.

Just don't tell me someone's died.

-DUFFY:

-Hey, Steve.

-Who is this?

-'Tom Duffy.

'Sorry about the Dad bit.

'I just figured you wouldn't want my name called out

'at a Morris campaign office.'

-What do you want?

-You got a couple minutes?

-I'd like to sit down with you.

-What for?

'Well, I think it's important.'

If it's important, don't you think you should be calling Paul?

I'm calling you.

'This is on the up-and-up. Give me five minutes.'

-I can't be talking to you.

-'I hear you.'

But I'm going to be at the Head First for the next couple hours.

I can't, Tom.

There won't be anybody there. OK?

You get a chance, there's something I want to show you.

Paul, call me back. It's important.

-You're working for the wrong man.

-You are.

Oh, on the contrary, you are working for the wrong man.

You got something the other guys don't have.

-Oh, yeah?

-What is it exactly?

"Charm" is not the right word.

-It is the right word.

-No, it's more than that.

You exude something. You draw people in.

All the reporters love you. Even the ones that hate you, love you.

You play them like pieces on a

chessboard and make it look effortless.

And we both know how hard it is,

constantly being on guard, weighing every word, every move.

But from the outside, you make it look easy.

People are scared of you.

They don't understand how you do it, and they love you for it.

That's the most valuable thing in this business.

The ability to win people's respect

by making them mistake their fear for love.

You can guess what I'm going to say next.

-I don't think that I can.

-I want you to work for us.

-What, are you kidding?

-No, not in the least.

-You're going to lose Ohio.

-I am not.

Oh, you're sitting on about a six per cent lead in both polls.

Six per cent of all Democrats polled.

-Eight.

-No, six. Doesn't matter.

Ohio's an open primary, right?

Independents and Republicans vote on the Democratic candidate.

Do you think they like your guy?

-A pro-choice, tax-and-spend liberal?

-No. Fuck, no. No, they hate him.

They think they can beat my guy.

But they're very worried about yours.

So starting tomorrow morning, you're going to see a fucking blitz.

Limbaugh, Hannity, all those right-wing blogs

are starting a get-out-the-vote campaign.

It's started already.

Every conservative in Ohio is going to line up around the block

to punch my guy's ticket, and that's just one step.

Ohio's gone. Polls don't mean shit.

Tomorrow, everybody's going to know.

That's why I want you to handle the

fallout that we'll have in the press.

Oh, and we got Thompson in the bag too.

I know you don't have Thompson.

We promised him secretary of state.

Ohio's over. It has been over for weeks.

And now with Thompson's delegates? Huh.

I'm thinking down the road here, man. That is why I want you.

-I can't do it.

-Bring you in at the top.

-I can't do it.

-All right. I don't need an answer right this moment.

-Look, I've played dirty.

-I'm sorry to hear it.

But I don't have to play dirty any more. You know why? I got Morris.

None of this is about the democratic process, Steve.

-This is the shit Republicans pull.

-You know what?

This is the shit the Republicans pull,

and it's time we learned from them.

They're meaner, they're tougher,

they're more disciplined than we are.

I've been in this business 25 years.

I've seen too many Democrats bite the dust

because they wouldn't get down in the mud with the fucking elephants.

-Paul's my friend.

-Want to work for the friend

or do you want to work for the president?

Think about it. You got my number.

-Paul.

-'Hey, they don't make Quaaludes any more, do they?'

Not that I'm aware of. What's going on with Thompson?

Uh, he wants something, but...

We'll be fine. What was so important?

Nothing. Figured it out.

All right. I'll be on my cell if you need me.

I fly to DC tomorrow, back tomorrow night.

OK. I'll work on the Quaaludes.

Good man.

INDISTINCT

Check the blogs, see if there's any chatter, would you?

-What kind of chatter?

-I don't know.

-Just see what they're talking about.

-Stevie, you still single?

I'm married to the campaign, Governor.

He's married to the campaign. Good answer.

Wall Street Journal has our numbers holding.

-Pullman dropped a point.

-When did they do that?

-Checking now.

-Governor, Pullman's down a point.

We're moving in the right direction.

Ben, are you still single?

-Married to the campaign, Governor.

-Crack team.

Make sure Charlie Rose has those numbers before he goes on.

I'm on it.

Get a copy of the show before we leave too.

Is it a difficult decision? I have to believe it is.

Would I do it? No.

But I can't see myself or anyone

telling a woman what she should do with her body.

You would appoint a judge...?

I would consider it arrogant to

judge anyone until I've walked in their shoes.

But you're against the death penalty?

Because of what it says about us as a society.

Suppose, Governor, it was your wife.

And she was murdered, what would I do?

It gets complicated when it's personal.

Sure. Well, if I could get to him,

uh, I would find a way to kill him.

So you, you, Governor, would impose a death penalty.

No, I would commit a crime

for which I would happily go to jail.

Then why not let society do that?

Because society has to be better than the individual.

If I were to do that, I would be wrong.

What about guns?

Isn't it time for a commercial?

This is public television. We don't have commercials.

That's unfortunate.

STEVE: Where did you go after Iowa?

California. For Super Tuesday.

Oh.

-I had to go to New York.

-I know.

You guys needed a lot more help over there.

Yeah.

HE SIGHS

So why politics?

Because the pay is so good, obviously.

HE CHUCKLES

It seems like a very odd fit.

My dad is Jack Stearns.

-Oh, he's a good guy.

-He's an asshole.

But he's your boss.

He's not my boss.

He's the head of the DNC.

You don't work for the Democratic National Committee?

I work for Paul. Paul works for Morris.

And if Morris wins, he's going to be your dad's boss.

Don't tell my dad that.

Don't tell your dad a lot of things.

Never.

What time you gotta work tomorrow?

9am. I'm showing the new interns how to robocall.

It's because I'm the experienced intern, you see?

I see.

How old are you?

How old do you think I am?

30.

-You think I'm 30?

-Sorry. How old are you?

30.

How old are you?

How old do you think I am?

21?

-20.

-Yep.

That's young.

Is that too young to fuck a 30-year-old?

Well...

..the laws are different in different states.

Here, at your hotel here in Kentucky, it's frowned upon.

-Oh.

-But if we go across the bridge into Ohio...

-Where your hotel is.

-Yeah, surprisingly,

they're very lax about their child-endangerment laws.

-Do you have a car? I don't drive.

-I took a cab.

I have the keys to the campaign bus.

ON TV: 'This has been tried before.

'Operation Chaos, as Limbaugh called it,

'where Republicans voted for a

'Democrat they could beat in the general election.

'We asked Senator Pullman's campaign manager

'if he's happy getting the votes of right-wingers.'

'Is it decisive? No, of course not.

'But we believe the polls are within the margin of error

'and that the senator will win Ohio.'

Yeah, what time's Paul get in?

Shit. Who do we talk to about polling?

I gotta get some internal polling on the independents and wing nuts.

Do you want me to go?

What's that guy's name from the Wall Street Journal?

-You sound busy. I should go.

-Hold on, I'd like to talk to you.

Adler, yeah. Get him on the line.

Nobody. The cleaning lady.

Tell him we're going to take the same position we've always said -

the race is a lot closer than the polling.

No, don't say that. Don't.

Just get him on the line and call me. I'll take care of it.

I'm sorry.

-Cleaning lady?

-Yeah.

You called me the cleaning lady.

You're not mad about that, are you?

-No, why would I be mad?

-Right.

Oh, hey. Look.

-STEARNS:

-'I know you're looking for a reaction, but listen.

'We have two great candidates in a very tight race.

'And at the end of the day, the voters will decide

'who best can represent this party.'

'But doesn't this kind disruption

'take away from what you want to be pushing this year?'

You're right. Your dad is an asshole.

-I'm going to tell him you said that.

-Heh. Yeah, do that.

You wanted to talk?

I just want to be clear. I don't want there to be any confusion.

I'm not going to tell anybody about last night.

-That'd be great. You know how people are.

-Yeah.

Really wouldn't look good if you screwed an intern.

It's not like that.

It's not like I got drunk. I like you.

I just don't want there to be any expectations.

-You don't have to say anything.

-All right.

I just don't want you to think I'm a player.

You are kind of a player, but...

-I was being polite.

-Bullshit.

-You were trying to pick me up.

-No, I wasn't.

-You were pretty obvious about it.

-I was?

-Yeah.

-I thought I was being subtle.

-No, you were pretty forward.

You were pretty forward asking me to the bar.

Well, been trying to fuck you for a while.

Wow.

-It's kind of slutty of me, huh?

-Not at all.

-I respect it in some strange way.

-Good.

-You have no idea how to tie a tie.

-No, no, not a clue.

You're very mature.

For a teenager.

When are you coming back?

'I'll be at the event a little late.'

These cocksuckers, fucking dirty shit.

-'What happened with Thompson?'

-Nothing. Prick.

'We had him all sewed up, motherfucker.

'How bad is it?'

I don't know. I just... I'm running the numbers, Paul.

'All right. I'll... I'll be there in three hours.

'I want hard numbers and a strategy.'

Yeah, I'm on it. I gotta go.

-You OK?

-Yeah. Trying to figure out our stops.

Think the weather might determine that.

If we get there.

We're going to be fine.

We have to do it. It's the right thing to do.

Nothing bad happens when you're doing the right thing.

Is this your personal theory? Because I can shoot holes in it.

Roberto Clemente on a humanitarian flight.

Well, there's... There's exceptions to every rule.

So how we doing?

-I think we're fine now.

-No, the campaign. How we doing?

Oh, great.

Stephen, you're not Paul.

I pay Paul to use the word "great." I pay you to tell me the truth.

I think that we are solid.

OK, Paul.

Governor, there's a big difference between Paul and me.

Paul only believes in winning, so he'll do or say anything to win.

But you wouldn't.

I'll do or say anything if I believe in it.

But I have to believe in the cause.

You'll make a lousy consultant

when you're out of this line of work.

Well, I won't be out of this line of work as long as you're in it, sir.

So at best, you got eight years.

Then you end up at a nice consultant firm off Farragut North,

making 750 grand a year, eating at The Palm,

pimping out ex-senators to Saudi princes.

Pimping out ex-presidents.

Then I better win.

Yeah.

Now, I've been married for 11 years.

We have a normal marriage.

Which means when we disagree, she wins.

AUDIENCE LAUGHS

What we don't disagree on

is how we're going to leave this planet for our daughter.

Are we going to leave it better off or worse?

The richest people in this country don't pay their fair share.

And when they're asked to, they cry socialism.

They use phrases like "redistribution of wealth."

That scares everybody, and they all run and they hide.

For the record,

my campaign is vehemently against the distribution of wealth

to the richest Americans by our government.

AUDIENCE CHEERS

And I will run on that.

I didn't think it was true, but I should've told you.

-Slow down.

-I'm sorry.

I met with Tom Duffy yesterday.

What?

You were on a plane. He called me and asked if we could meet.

I said, "Why?" He said it was very important, so I did.

-And I should have told you.

-Stop. Let me get this straight.

-You met with Tom Duffy.

-Yeah.

What'd he want, Stephen?

The gist? He wants to hire me. He wants me to jump ship.

This is really fucking bad.

He told me they had poll numbers that had Pullman ahead.

We're in big trouble. He laid out their strategy.

Doing robocalls, traffic jams, fake lit, and Thompson.

They offered Thompson secretary of state.

Know how you fight the war on terror?

You don't need their product.

Their product is oil. Just don't need it and they go away.

We don't have to bomb anyone. We don't have to invade anyone.

If this is some kind of fucking practical... I mean...

My fucking blood pressure's going through the goddamn roof.

Paul, I'm sorry.

Believe me. I didn't think it was true.

It doesn't matter what you fucking thought.

It matters what you did, what you didn't do.

-You're right.

-If this is true,

I made a fucking ass of myself and I gave away our game plan.

I honestly believed you were going to come back

and tell me we have Thompson in the bag.

I didn't see the point.

-It doesn't make it right, and I'm sorry.

-Let me think.

Let me think.

If I'm your president, the first thing I'd put into motion

is ten years from the day I take office,

no new car in America is run on an internal combustion engine.

We will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs,

we will start the next technological revolution,

and we will lead the world again, like we used to.

AUDIENCE CHEERS

Get the governor after he finishes singing Kumbaya

and we give him everything we know.

-Who do you want?

-You, me and the governor. That's it.

-What's he have after?

-He has a fundraiser.

He'll be late. We tell him if he doesn't offer Thompson the position,

he's not going to get the nomination.

-Is he going to go for it?

-I don't fucking know, Stephen.

Find us a room.

INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE

How real are the numbers?

Might pick up a few points but we lose by three or four per cent.

Who fucking knows, Governor? But we can't take the chance.

What do you think?

We fold up the campaign in Ohio, take a loss,

blame it on Republicans playing games, head to North Carolina.

-I can't run from Ohio. They'll kill us.

-Not if you get Thompson.

I'm not going to do it. What's he want? Head of the FDA or something?

Cabinet post.

-Yeah, what, labour?

-State.

Are you kidding? I'm going to give secretary of state

to a guy who wants to cut the top ten floors off the UN?

When we started, I said I wasn't going to make those deals.

If you lose Ohio and they get Thompson's delegates,

then they get North Carolina, then they get the lead.

A lead you can't beat. If we walk from Ohio,

take Thompson, give him the Cabinet post,

then we take North Carolina, his state,

then Pennsylvania, your state, and then it's simple math, Mike.

Take his endorsement and the race is over.

Paul, I respect you.

I respect your opinion.

I'm never going to do it.

So I suggest we find a way for me to win Ohio.

Anything else?

-BEN:

-It's not going to cut it.

-MOLLY:

-Every car company.

They've booked every van for Tuesday.

Fuck. I gotta call you back.

-All of them?

-All of them.

-You're killing me.

Here's what I got so far.

Independents aren't biting, but the Republicans are.

They're not going to tell a pollster they're voting Democratic.

-I can't find the goddamn polls.

-We can get 100 vans out of Kentucky.

-We don't need the vans. PAUL:

-That's not what I'm saying.

-We don't want Pullman to have vans.

-We were the underdog before.

We continue to be the underdog.

Well, then... Yeah, we always knew

the numbers were going to get closer.

We're not lowering expectations.

I mean, have I ever said to you that we had Ohio locked?

Give me the courtesy of printing that in your column.

What are you writing?

The greatest speech ever given on hydrogen power.

The bar is set awfully high on that one.

Don't I know it?

I was hit up by Mitchell's wife for you to show up

at her Daughters of the American Revolution luncheon.

Who's Mitchell?

Congressman from the First District?

You might want to remember that.

Fucking congressman.

-Could you imagine doing this every two years?

-No, I can't.

-Let's just do it one more time.

-Mm-hm.

-In four more years.

-That's it.

It's a deal.

Do you think we'll lose Ohio?

I don't know.

If you took Thompson's delegates, the race would be over.

Ohio wouldn't matter.

Is Paul working on you?

Stephen.

-BOTH CHUCKLE

-They are good.

-Mm.

-Is Thompson so bad?

-He's a shit.

-Is he worse than Pullman?

-Yes, Stephen.

Every time, I draw a line in the sand, and then I move it.

Fundraisers, union deals, I wasn't going to do any of it.

Negative ads.

I can't on this one.

Not Thompson.

Tell Mrs Mitchell I'll make her goddamn luncheon.

Let the old ladies pat me on the head.

-You've got great hair.

-You too, baby.

-Gay marriage.

-It's a silly argument.

-Not to 50% of Americans.

-Over the age of 50.

That's who votes, that's who shows up at polls.

That's changing. Hopefully, the way we frame the argument is as well.

-From a religious...?

-From a religious to a civil-rights issue.

But one could argue a great difference between gender and race.

We used to ban interracial marriages. Women couldn't vote.

Paul, I have the guy from Proctor & Gamble.

Keep an eye on the governor.

-I gotta know what's going on.

-Yeah, yeah, OK.

AUDIENCE GROANS

All right, wait, wait. She's got a point to make. Go ahead.

The argument is that men and women can be considered separate but equal.

-Races cannot.

-How so?

You have separate bathrooms for men and women,

but it would be illegal to have separate bathrooms for races.

-Now.

-Yes, now.

See, we're framing the argument...

-What time is this thing airing?

-Nine o'clock.

-How'd we do?

-We did good.

-WOMAN:

-I know, but I tried to reach him, and I couldn't get through.

PEOPLE CHATTER

-WOMAN:

-Oh, good. So attach that and send it as an e-mail to me.

-WOMAN:

-Yeah, I missed my opportunity there.

-MORRIS ON TV:

-'Now.

-'Yes, now.'

'We're framing the argument on the idea

'that you choose to be gay,

'not that you were born that way, like being born African-American.

'If you start the discussion with the idea

'that gay is not a life choice but is actually part of your DNA,

'then gay marriage can and must only be a civil-rights issue.

'That's what I believe. That's where I stand.'

'Do you think your candour is your appeal?'

Sorry.

Fuck. It's not you.

BOTH LAUGH

MOBILE PHONE VIBRATES

Hello?

Hey, your phone rang.

-Hm?

-Your phone rang.

It did?

Who's calling you at 2:30 in the morning?

I don't know.

Really? Because he asked for you by name.

-You answered it?

-I thought it was my phone.

Who is it?

I don't know.

Is it one of those interns drunk-dialling you?

Now, that never happens.

Let me see the number.

-Oh, boy.

-Give me my...

-No. I'm calling him.

-Stop it.

-It's not funny.

-I'm saying I'm your dad.

-It's not funny. Give me my phone.

-Hang up.

-I have a shotgun.

-Stephen, hang up the phone.

Why is the governor calling you at 2:30 in the morning?

Molly.

Why is the governor calling you at all?

I'm in trouble.

With the governor?

What's going on?

I was working on the campaign in Iowa.

There was a party in Ben's room after the rally.

There was a party with you and Ben and the governor?

-No, he wasn't there.

-Where was he?

I took him up a hard copy of the polling numbers.

After the party?

It was around midnight.

I just stood in the doorway with him,

just talking for a really long time.

He just reached behind me and closed the door.

Jesus fucking Christ.

HE SIGHS

Were you drunk?

Not that drunk.

-How many times?

-It was just that once.

-Just the once?

-Just once.

-Does anybody know?

-No-one knows.

-Anybody see you?

-No.

-How could you know?

-I know.

Then why is he calling you right now?

I called him first.

-Why?

-I didn't know who else to go to.

And I needed 900 bucks.

For what?

I can't go to my dad.

We're Catholic.

So, what should I do?

Stephen?

INDISTINCT CHATTER

What's up?

What's our limit on petty cash?

-It's probably 500. Why?

-I need everything we can get.

Everything OK?

-Need help with anything?

-Yeah. Don't put it on the books.

That's all.

-What should I put it down as?

-Don't put it down as anything.

-Anything over 100, I gotta put down...

-Just do it.

Molly.

-OK.

-I'll take it back.

PAPER TEARS

That's all.

-Yes, Ida?

-'Stevie, off the record...'

No, I cannot tell you what happened in North Carolina.

'That's not what I wanted to ask you about.'

-OK. What?

-'You met with Duffy.'

-Who told you that?

-'A little bird.'

-Who?

-'Did you meet with him?'

Where are you?

I know you met him with at a bar in Cincy

just before the press conference.

-Duffy ordered buffalo wings.

-Who said that? Duffy?

Anonymous. What happened with Duffy?

You're supposed to be my friend.

Why you want to stick the knife in me?

-You thought we're friends?

-I've given you everything you wanted.

Every story, every scoop, your profile on Paul.

You've given me a lot, but get real.

The only reason you treated me well was that I work for the Times.

You give me what I want, I write you better stories.

Why'd you meet with Duffy?

-Go fuck yourself.

-OK, I'll make it easier on you.

What happened at Paul and Thompson's meeting?

Keep your voice down. Do you have any idea what this could do to me?

That's why I'm giving you a choice.

I could get fired.

So it's not a difficult one, is it?

I've got to file by 3pm tomorrow.

You've got till then to make up your mind.

-You motherfucker. DUFFY:

-'Excuse me?'

-You leaked it.

-Leaked what?

'Don't bullshit me, Tom.'

Bullshit you? I have no idea what you're talking about.

-I just spoke to Ida Horowicz.

-'Yeah?'

She's threatening to release the story.

-'What fucking story?'

-That we met. That we fucking met.

-How did she find out?

-'Don't play dumb, Tom.'

-You think I leaked it to her?

-'Yeah. Who else?'

I didn't leak it to her.

'I know I didn't, so that leaves you.'

OK. Well, what does she know?

'She knows whatever you told her.'

I swear to Jesus I did not leak it to her.

I don't want this out any more than you.

-Well, too late.

-'What did she tell you?'

She knows where we met, she knows when we met,

she knows you had fucking buffalo wings.

-'She has a source?'

-Yeah, she has a source.

'And you have no idea who it could be?'

Yeah, you.

-HE SIGHS

-Well, for the record, it wasn't me,

and I didn't have fucking buffalo wings.

So it's gotta be someone else.

-Did you tell anyone?

-'No. Did you?'

-No.

-'Did you admit to meeting with me?'

-No.

-'All right.

'Then we stonewall her and she's got nothing.'

She's going to take the story to

Drudge or Roll Call or some shit like that.

You can't stop her?

'She's trying to blackmail me. She wants info about Thompson.'

Well, then tell her what she wants to know.

'I can't do that.'

-You can't let this get out.

-'I'm not going to be blackmailed.'

You don't have much choice here, Steve.

If I tell her about Thompson,

I have to tell her he's endorsing you.

'Then tell her. I can handle it from my side

'if I start getting calls.'

No fucking way.

Paul told her we had Thompson.

It's going to make him look like a fucking fool.

'He's going to look like a fucking fool anyway when Thompson endorses us.'

I can't do it.

-DUFFY CHUCKLES

-'You know, you're on a sinking ship.

'Tell her what she wants to know and jump.

'Come over to our side. We can control this thing.

-'Steve?'

-I gotta go.

I'm up here.

You scared the shit out of me.

Here.

It's almost 1,800 bucks.

You gotta make the appointment now, like today, from a pay phone.

I'll take you to the clinic and pick you up, but no-one else.

You understand?

Yeah.

Take the rest of the money and buy yourself a ticket home.

Can't be here. We can't afford it.

Not with everything that's going to happen in the next week.

And this situation just can't be here.

-You mean I can't be here.

-Right.

Stephen, I wouldn't tell anyone.

I hope not.

Then why?

Because you fucked up.

-He and I both fucked up.

-That's true.

But I have a responsibility to him

and, more importantly, to this campaign.

I could go to North Carolina and work.

Molly, you gotta wake the fuck up. This is the big leagues. It's mean.

When you make a mistake, you lose the right to play.

Make the appointment. Tell me when and where we have to go.

Listen to this. I got the placement in the Times.

Bumped like 600 fucking articles. Tom Duffy, 2008 -

"This is a matchup between hope versus fear.

"Nine times out of ten,

"the fear candidate tends to be most experienced.

"But in our presidential races, the least-experienced candidate wins.

-MOBILE PHONE CHIMES

-"JFK vs Nixon. Carter vs Ford. Bush vs Gore.

"I like our chances with the new kid on the block."

End quote. Thomas fucking Duffy.

He's gotta be having a stroke right now.

MOBILE PHONE VIBRATES

HE SIGHS

INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE

So just call me when you can leave, OK?

I hate this shit.

I'm going to come back, and this is all going to be over.

Yeah.

Absolutely. There's no question about it.

KNOCKING ON DOOR

Yeah, but we gotta think broader strokes here.

Just rethink everything.

Uh... Well, yeah, I know how to handle it.

Um, look, Stevie just got here.

Can I call you back in a few minutes?

OK, bye. Ahem. The governor.

We had a good long talk on the way back.

He's up to speed with everything.

How'd he take it?

Better than I thought he would.

Still won't take Thompson's endorsement.

I gotta tell you something I don't know how to tell you.

What's up?

Ida knows that I met with Duffy.

I don't know how she knows, but she knows.

And she tried to blackmail me.

She's going to release the story unless I tell her

about your meeting with Thompson.

So it's going to hit the papers.

Probably.

And whoever she takes it to is going to call me for a statement.

If I deny the whole thing but Duffy admits to it,

it's going to look worse.

And if I just say, "No comment," they're not going to let up.

I leaked it to Ida.

CLEARS HIS THROAT

At the event.

-I don't understand.

-We made a deal.

Paul, they're going to...

They're going to print that story in the paper tomorrow.

I know.

So why'd you do it? Why would you do that?

Why would you do that to the campaign?

The campaign will survive.

-Why would you do that to me?

-Makes it easier to let you go.

What?

Why'd you meet with Duffy?

I made a mistake. I made a stupid mistake.

No, you didn't make a mistake, you made a choice.

You left a message to call you back, it was important.

When I did, you told me to forget it.

You chose not to tell me. Why'd you make that choice?

Because, Paul, I didn't think it was important.

Oh, fuck, yes, you did.

You went because you were curious.

You felt flattered, you felt special.

To think that Duffy wanted to speak to you instead of me.

You thought, "Maybe I can get something out of this."

Because it made you feel big.

You know, the first campaign I ran,

it was a tiny little race in Kentucky.

State Senate seat,

working for some redneck nobody named Sam McGuthrie.

No staff, no money, no fucking office.

Everyone thought we didn't stand a chance.

No way we can compete, right? About this time,

this guy running this campaign a few districts over

gives me a call, and he says,

"I really like what you're able to

"do for poor old Sam, but he's a goner.

"Why don't you come work for me?" What did I do?

Well, Stephen, this is where you and I are different.

I told Sam about the call. And Sam says to me,

"Paul, if you think this other guy's got a chance at winning

"and he can pay you more

"and if it's what you need to do, then I won't get in your way."

And I say, "Sam, you took a chance on me

"and hired me when I was even more of a nobody than you are.

"I'll be damned if I'm going to jump ship

"just because the shit hits the fan."

We lost that race, but when Sam decided to run for governor,

who do you think he called?

We won that race, and 20 years later, I am where I am fucking now.

There's only one thing I value in this world, and that's loyalty.

Without it, you're nothing and you have no-one.

And in politics, in fucking politics,

it's the only currency you can count on.

That's why I'm letting you go.

Not because you're not good enough or I don't like you.

But I value trust over skill and I don't fucking trust you any more.

It doesn't matter whether you trust me.

It matters whether the governor does.

The governor already knows,

and he thinks it's the right thing to do.

-He does?

-Yeah, and you know what?

If I were you, I'd get a good night's sleep,

because you're going to get pounded by calls from the press in the morning.

INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE

KNOCKING ON DOOR

DOOR OPENS

-MOLLY:

-Hey.

-BEN: Hey.

-Where were you today?

Um, I'm not feeling great today, Ben.

You picked a hell of a day to call in sick.

-Jesus, it was a fucking wild-ass day.

-Why? What happened?

Stephen's off the campaign.

Paul fired him. Some setup about loyalty.

Stephen may have been doubling down with Duffy.

I was sitting in the room when Paul told Stephen he was fired.

Stephen said, "Who's going to take over?" And Paul said me.

I know, and I'm like, "Easy there, soldier."

Stephen goes ape-shit, Paul gives him this speech

and then shits on Stephen like I've never seen before.

-Humiliating shit.

-When was this?

Molly, listen to me.

I'm going to run the campaign under Paul.

Stephen's going to Duffy. I just jumped three years ahead.

So starting tomorrow morning, we go into full damage control.

And I'm telling you, Stephen's going ape-shit.

-He said he's taking everybody down on his way out.

-Morris, everybody.

MOBILE PHONE VIBRATES

Shit. I gotta take this. Do you need anything?

No.

Paul. What's up? I'm mailing you all those files.

DOOR CLOSES

-Where's Duffy?

-You got an appointment?

Can we have the room for a minute?

Thank you.

It's not too bright walking in here like that, Steve.

I'm in.

-I'm coming to work for you.

-A reporter phoned me this afternoon.

-Yeah. I know who leaked it.

-Who?

-Paul.

You told Paul?

-I told Paul, and he leaked it.

-Oh, Steve.

-You shouldn't have told him that.

-I felt like I should.

Yeah. I've worked with Paul. He gets paranoid.

-Obviously.

-So he fired you.

-I quit.

-No, you're lying to me. Come on.

I quit. I'm going to give you everything.

I'm going to give you Morris, his whole strategy...

I already have it. Paul gave it all to Thompson.

What if I had something else?

You would do that to Morris? To Paul?

-Yeah.

-Oh, no.

Revenge makes people unpredictable.

I can't have someone who's unpredictable, unstable.

-I'm not.

-If this had been a clean break,

if you had left Morris before the story broke,

that, we could control.

But like this?

Paul fires you, and then you want to come work for me?

It makes me look like I'm picking up scraps.

It puts Morris in the driver's seat. I can't have that.

-What if I had something big?

-Like what?

Something big.

Something that'll put Morris down.

What is it?

Give me the job.

HE CHUCKLES

No, that's not going to happen. I'm sorry.

Go take a nice long vacation. You're a smart guy.

Everything that I said the other day is absolutely true.

But, you know, maybe politics isn't for you.

Politics is my life.

You know what? Do yourself a favour. Get out now, while you still can.

Go into entertainment or business.

Go open a fucking restaurant in Costa Rica. Anything.

Do something that's going to make you happy, OK?

You stay in this business, you're going to get jaded.

-Like you.

-Yeah, just like me.

You knew I was going to fucking tell Paul, didn't you?

No, I didn't know. I thought you might, but I didn't know.

You knew I was going to tell him, and you knew he was going to fire me.

That's the thing about Paul. He's big on loyalty.

Yeah, I know. I just got a big speech on it.

You were never going to hire me.

Put yourself in my shoes, Steve.

Your opponent has the best

media mind in the country working for his team.

What are you going to do?

You're either going to hire him, or you're going to work it

so if you can't have him, the other team can't either.

This is a win-win situation for me.

You come work for me, great. Paul doesn't have you.

Then again, Paul fires you, I don't want you, fine.

Paul still doesn't have you.

Either way, I win.

And the moment I got you to sit down in that chair...

-I knew I'd won.

-This is...

It's my life that you're talking about.

It doesn't make me happy doing this.

Don't think it gives me any pleasure.

No, I'm sorry for you. I really am.

Take care of yourself.

CHATTER ON RADIO

No. No, ma'am. She's not breathing.

I don't know. 15 minutes.

Do you know her?

She's gone.

I'm sorry, what?

-SIRENS WAIL

-Oh, yes, now, I can hear them now.

We're on the third floor.

Yes.

Yes, ma'am.

Yes, ma'am.

Yes, ma'am.

-MOLLY ON RECORDING:

-'Um...

'Where are you? It's, uh... It's four-something.

'They're going to close up in a few minutes.'

VOICEMAIL BEEPS

-BEN:

-'Stephen, it's Ben. Listen, what the fuck?

'Jesus. What are you going to do?'

VOICEMAIL BEEPS

-MOLLY:

-'Stephen, um, I just heard from Ben.

'Please, don't do anything fucked up.

'Goddamn it, you motherfucker, pick up the phone.

-'Don't do this.'

-VOICEMAIL BEEPS

-'I'm not going away.'

-VOICEMAIL BEEPS

ON TV: 'The coroner stated that based on evidence found in that hotel room,

'this was an accidental overdose,

'a lethal cocktail of alcohol and drugs.

'Police Chief Darryl Matthews has called for a full investigation

'pending a toxicology report, which could take up to two weeks.

'Just a terrible, terrible situation

'for the former senator, now-DNC chairman Jack Stearns

'and his family.'

I want on the ticket.

You need me on that ticket, and you could use my delegates.

And you need them before Tuesday.

Make a fine story on the Sunday-morning news cycle.

So I expect to hear from you by noon tomorrow

or I endorse Pullman and take that Cabinet seat.

Anything else you want to talk about, Stephen?

The entire staff is... We're in a state of shock.

We send our condolences to Jack and Joanna Stearns and their family.

Of course, our hearts go out to them.

It's hard to imagine what they must be going through.

What we know right now is that it appears to have been a drug...

An accidental prescription overdose.