Advise and Consent Page #8

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Are you sure it was Fletcher | who called you?

I made sure.

I called him back at his home.

Has he told this to anyone but you?

He said not.

Why in hell did he open | up this can of beans?

He felt he should do the right thing.

Nuts. He's protecting himself.

Bess, get through to the | president at Camp David.

Tell his secretary I want him next.

I don't care who's ahead of me. | The queen of England.

And it is not enough that the subcommittee | has permitted a great man to be smeared.

Now the chairman of that subcommittee | is deliberately blocking the committee vote.

It's one more thing to add to the most | unfair hearing in the history of the Senate.

Sir, will the senator | yield for a question?

- Will the senator yield for a question? | - I'll yield to the senator.

Mr. Rresident, I admit I'm not | a supporter of Mr. Leffingwell...

but I watched the hearing on TV, | and it seemed eminently fair to me.

Mr. Rresident, I'm sorry if the senator was | not perceptive enough to grasp the obvious.

I am telling the Senate | exactly what happened.

As much as I appreciate hearing about | the senator's particular view...

I must say I will need more substantial | proof than the senator's own description.

Sir, is the senator calling me a liar?

The record must stand as is, | Mr. President.

How the senator interprets that | is his problem, not mine.

Mr. President, the senator from Kansas | is welcome to take advantage of her sex.

Oh, Fred, come off it.

You think it's funny?

You think the world thinks it's funny?

The world thinks it's funny that we're trying | to smear a man who believes in peace?

Do you think the people of this | country think it's funny?

Does the senator from Utah | think it's funny?

Will the senator from Utah tell us | why he is blocking the vote?

I'll tell you. He's assassinating the character | and reputation of Robert Leffingwell!

The senator asks me a question | and answers it himself.

I prefer to make my own | reply, Mr. President.

As chairman of the subcommittee, | I seek only to do my duty.

And that I will do despite the hysterical | tantrums of the senator from Wyoming.

The senator is frightening no one | except the children in the visitors' gallery.

I'm not too sure the senator | from Utah can't be frightened.

There are ways to frighten any man, | even the senator from Utah.

- Every man has his Achilles... | - The chair is tolerant, as everybody knows.

But there'll be no threats | made in this chamber.

- What happened to Harley? | - I don't know.

I apologize to the chair.

In my anxiety for a great cause, | I was carried away.

- Will the chair hear a motion? | - Make your motion.

I move that the Committee on | Foreign Relations be discharged...

from consideration of the nominee | for secretary of state...

and that the Senate vote on | Robert Leffingwell now.

- Did he clear this with you? | - He did not.

Bob, I can't let this pass. | I'm gonna have to open up.

I'll try and stop it.

Make Van Ackerman withdraw the motion. | Tell him we haven't enough votes.

- Mr. President. | - The senior senator from Michigan.

Mr. President...

it would certainly be a dramatic | affirmation of the nominee...

if we were to bypass | the regular procedures...

of the Senate | and vote him into office now...

I won't withdraw. | He should make a motion himself.

The balance of power in our government, | as created by the Constitution...

is the most brilliant device for the | protection of liberty conceived by free men...

We're not ready for this, Fred. | Don't you understand?

I'm ready for it.

That none can become absolute has made | this government the miracle of the ages.

We must always guard this balance...

so this great dream of liberty within | discipline, which is America, will die.

I tell you, we haven't got the votes.

You'll get him beat before we | get him out of committee.

Citizens of this republic | for almost two centuries.

Now Senator Van Ackerman's motion | proposes to ride over those procedures.

Though I hope for the eventual | confirmation of the nominee...

I ask that this motion be defeated.

It won't hurt Mr. Leffingwell | if he isn't confirmed...

by sundown today | or even sundown tomorrow.

But it might hurt us most grievously | if we do what suits us...

in the heat and passion | of the passing moment.

Is there a request for the yeas and nays?

Squarehead Anderson can't block this.

Senators, do I hear a request for the | yeas and nays? A quorum, maybe?

What got your tongue today? | You're usually shaking the rafters.

It's my day for sunning myself, Mr. Majority | Leader, like an old bullfrog on a lily pad.

- You've got to withdraw. | - Does anybody want to say anything at all?

- Mr. Rresident. | - Saved by the senator from Wyoming.

Mr. Rresident, I have decided to heed the | wisdom of the esteemed majority leader...

who has pointed out | the danger in my motion.

I would not wish to abuse | this citadel of freedom.

I will instead humble myself | before my peers and withdraw the...

This news about Leffingwell | hit the president pretty hard.

- He put a lot of faith in him. | - I'm sorry.

He's coming to the correspondents' | banquet tonight. You going?

I plan to.

He'd like to see you, Brig. | Would you come up to my place afterwards?

What can I tell him I haven't told you? | All he has to do is withdraw the man.

Did I eat crow nicely, Bob?

Yeah, you did fine, Fred. | Thanks for your cooperation.

Is Brig cooperating?

Any time old Brig isn't cooperating, | I might be able to change his mind.

Just let me know.

Get off my back, Fred.

Bob, see you a minute?

Okay for after the banquet, Brig?

Sure, all right.

I said you made a mistake | with him. He's trouble.

Fred, will you please butt out of this? | You're not doing Leffingwell any good.

Okay, but if you want Brig whipped | into line, I've got the whip on file.

I'm sure we can manage without your file.

Gentlemen, tonight is the one night | in the year when we're honor-bound...

not to be reporters.

Our guests may speak freely...

and not have to read a hundred versions | of what they said in the morning papers.

So with that assurance, I give you | the president of the United States.

Fellow members of the White House | Correspondents' Association...

the man says there are | no reporters present tonight...

but I'm going to exercise the privilege | given me by my gold membership card...

and reverse that traditional ruling.

Tonight, gentlemen, | there are reporters present.

So get out your pencils. | We'll write ourselves a story.

- This planned? | - Not by me.

I see down there at table number three | the senior senator from South Carolina.

Hello, Seab.

And over there at table seven...

I see the senator from Utah, | Brigham Anderson.

Hi, Brigham.

I said, hi, Brigham.

Now, a few days ago, | the president of the United States...

nominated a man for secretary of state...

who the president thinks | is a pretty good man...

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