Confirmation Page #11

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against an Afro-American.

The issue isn't discrimination and racism.

It's about sexual harassment.

And I hope we can keep our eye

on that particular issue.

Thank you.

JOE:
Thank you, Senator Kennedy.

CAROLE:
Within the last few minutes,

we just found out

that Professor Anita Hill

has taken a polygraph test,

and according to the expert that

administered it to her, she passed it.

She offered to take a lie detector test.

That's not the hallmark

of someone who's lying.

FEMALE REPORTER:
At a golf outing,

President Bush said he saw no reason

for either Hill or Judge Clarence Thomas

to take such a test.

I don't want to be in a position of advocating

that every nominee takes a lie detector test.

And I think it's a stupid idea.

JACK:
Of course she'll pass a polygraph

because the disorder makes her believe

she is telling the truth.

FEMALE REPORTER:
Republicans complaining

bitterly that, as Orrin Hatch said,

you can find any polygraph tester

to produce any results you want.

He called it "the sleazy tactic

of a two-bit sleaze lawyer."

MALE REPORTER:

It seems to me that in the country

for that great band in the middle somewhere,

that their judgment swings

from session to session.

This afternoon,

Anita Hill's friends and supporters

made a very credible appearance.

Tonight, his friends and supporters

and coworkers

are making credible performances.

He's a man of high moral standing,

and I tell you that it's not possible

that he could be linked

with the kinds of things

that have been alleged against him here.

I have known Judge Clarence Thomas

for more than 30 years,

and I find the allegations by Miss Hill

not only ludicrous but totally inconsistent,

and in opposite to his principles

and his personality.

She played the role of a meek, innocent,

shy Baptist girl from the South

who was a victim of this big bad man.

Chairman Thomas

that I have known for 10 years

is absolutely incapable

of the abuses described by Professor Hill.

In my case,

she had fantasized about my being

interested in her romantically.

Et tu, Brutus?

You, too, Anita?

FEMALE REPORTER:
Extraordinary hearings

on the nomination of

Judge Clarence Thomas continue

and are expected

to go on long into the night.

Tomorrow, Professor Anita Hill

and Judge Clarence Thomas

have been invited back

to wrap up their testimony,

Extraordinary is a word that may be

not quite strong enough, Carole.

This thing has ground on now for hours

through the day and into the night.

Some Republican senators are still trying

to prevent the Committee from hearing

testimony from another witness

who's come forward against Thomas.

MALE REPORTER:

At first, we thought it was going to be

a national encounter on sexual harassment.

And now it has turned ugly.

It's almost a murder-suicide pact

between Democrats and Republicans.

Just no one wins.

I talked to Joel Paul.

He's been getting threatening phone calls,

and he's worried he won't get tenure.

Because he was a character witness for me?

Yes.

If we can get Thomas's porn rental records,

I say we get them.

- Absolutely not, no.

- Joe, this is a dirty fight.

There's no second place.

If we don't win, we lose.

At what cost, Patrick?

I'm getting calls into my office.

Hundreds an hour.

American citizens saying

whatever the hell

you people are doing down there

with the Coke cans and Long Dong Ding,

whatever the f*** it is, stop it.

We have an obligation to make sure

we're putting the right person

on the Supreme Court.

I also have an obligation

to uphold the dignity

and the credibility

of the United States Senate.

Yeah? How's that going?

MALE REPORTER:
If there is

a consensus in this nation tonight,

it is that no one likes what's going on

and there are no real winners.

We have gone from shock to discomfort,

now to a combination of anger,

depression, and shame.

(DOOR OPENS)

No, you are not introducing

that vile, obvious bullshit.

Maybe it's BS, and maybe it's not, Joe.

You don't know.

It's just like this bogus movie

rental stuff and this Angela Wright.

If you want to introduce questionable

testimony on national television,

I've got a doozy right here.

You know we've got the votes back, Joe.

We have a solid 51 in the Senate.

We'll probably pick up

one or two more by Tuesday,

so we can keep talking dirty

to the nation if you want,

but it won't change the outcome.

Jack, is this who you want to be?

This is a free-for-all, Joe.

There are no rules.

Somebody who goes after a woman

like this with no holds barred?

You know this is a street fight, Joe.

And if a friend of mine is attacked

in a street fight,

I'm gonna pick up a crowbar.

Hey, take that sh*t with you.

(DOOR CLOSING)

So I came all the way here for nothing?

The Committee appreciates

your willingness to participate.

"Willingness"? I was subpoenaed.

While it is Chairman Biden's desire

that you testify,

the time constraints we find ourselves under

are making that impossible.

"Time constraints"?

I've been here a day and a half.

So the chairman would like

to withdraw your subpoena.

He will enter your deposition

into the written record unrebutted.

This agreement is by mutual consent.

He would like you to sign it.

What if I don't?

They'll fill the time with other witnesses

so they really do run out of time.

Angela Wright is not going to testify.

- What?

- ALL:
No!

By mutual agreement, they say.

WOMAN:
That is bullshit.

The deposition is going

into the written record,

so the senators will know what she said.

If they read it, which they won't.

- Which they won't.

- Correct.

This was a mistake.

This is why I never came forward before.

What good have we done?

My friends' jobs are being threatened.

My reputation is ruined.

- For what?

- You will testify tomorrow

and set the record straight.

I have said everything that I came here

to say, but they don't want to hear it.

They don't care. They only want to win.

There's got to be something we can do.

There has to be something else

that we can do.

We need to get the names.

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)

You all have worked very hard.

And if I'm letting you down, I'm sorry.

Call Judiciary.

Tell them I'm done. I want to go home.

JOE:
Ladies, thank you so much.

We certainly appreciate

your testimony here today.

Obviously we didn't recognize or realize

we were going to go quite as late

as we did tonight.

- Senator.

- But that's...

Both Professor Hill and Judge Thomas

have decided not to appear tomorrow.

Based on that,

this entire proceeding is ended.

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)

- Fifty-two votes.

- Fifty-two votes! Congratulations!

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)

(SIGHS)

ERIC:
(ON TV) Thomas's supporters claim

that he has the votes

to win the confirmation when the full

Senate votes at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

But the situation is now

so muddled and so confused

after three days of lurid,

inconclusive testimony

that nobody's sure of anything,

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