Confirmation Page #8

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that this kind of response is not atypical,

and I can't explain it.

It takes an expert in psychology

to explain how that can happen.

But it can happen.

'Cause it happened to me.

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

Well done.

MALE REPORTER:

But the fact of the matter is that

Anita Hill was a very compelling witness

who told in graphic detail

how she was sexually harassed

by Judge Thomas.

There's a feeling here that, that this witness

has held up pretty well this afternoon,

and there has been

a sense of apprehension about it.

- Here she is.

- (APPLAUSE)

ARLEN:
Let's face it, Clarence has

his work cut out for him tonight.

No sh*t. We got to do

everything we can to back him up.

- Everything.

- Excuse me. Excuse me, Mr. Duberstein.

I was asked to tell you that Senator Biden

decided to adjourn till tomorrow,

so they're not gonna need

Judge Thomas tonight.

What? No f***ing way. Move.

- You are not adjourning.

- Ken, everybody is completely exhausted.

- We had an agreement. Same news cycle, Joe.

- I already got a tooth that's killing me.

This country's gonna hear

Clarence Thomas tonight.

It's either gonna be in there

at the witness table

or parked right outside this door

explaining to a bank of television cameras

why Joe Biden is denying him

the right to defend himself.

Clarence. The car's here.

We're going to be late.

Did you talk to Jamal?

Yes.

- How is he?

- Angry.

He's confused.

What do I say to him?

How can I explain all of this stuff

that they say about me?

Hmm?

Vile things no child should ever have

to hear about their father.

And these men judging me,

half of them are under an ethics cloud

at this very minute.

Money charges, sex charges.

You don't see their lives

going up in flames around them, do you?

Do you?

No.

They're gonna be just fine.

(GAVEL BANGING)

- JOE:
Judge, you may want...

- Senator, I would like to start by saying

unequivocally,

uncategorically...

That I deny each and every single allegation

against me today

that suggested that I, in any way,

had conversations

of a sexual nature

or about pornographic material

with Anita Hill,

that I ever attempted to date her,

that I ever had any personal

sexual interest in her,

or that I, in any way, ever harassed her.

Second...

And I think it's the more important point.

I think that this today is a travesty.

I think it is disgusting.

I think this hearing

should never occur in America.

How would any member on this Committee,

any person in this room,

any person in this country

like sleaze said about

him or her in this fashion,

or this dirt dredged up

and these lies displayed in this manner?

This is a circus. It's a national disgrace.

And from my standpoint,

as a black American,

as far as I'm concerned,

it's a hi-tech lynching

for uppity blacks who in any way

deign to think for themselves,

do for themselves,

to have different ideas.

And it is a message that,

unless you kowtow to the old order...

This is what will happen to you.

You will be lynched,

destroyed,

caricatured...

By a Committee of the US Senate

rather than hung from a tree.

(CAMERAS CLICKING)

(CROWD MURMURING)

(EXHALES)

(CLEARS THROAT)

Judge, tomorrow we will reconvene.

I assume, Judge... It's your choice.

I assume you wish to come back tomorrow.

The Committee is not demanding

that you come back.

Would you like to come back tomorrow?

I think so, Senator. I'd like to finish this.

(GAVEL BANGS)

Most, most of the senators

who were, uh, on the Committee tonight.

Uh, I think, were stunned at the anger...

It is impossible to absolutely

resolve these two stories.

MALE REPORTER:
Does he not have a point

when he says the leakage of this stuff,

the dirty character of it

amounts, in part at least,

to an attempting

lynching of Clarence Thomas?

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

- This is about sexual harassment.

- Agreed.

And about his fitness to be

an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court.

None of what he said has any relevance.

But this is not a judicial proceeding.

This is political theater,

and Thomas just performed.

- So he got you?

- No.

- I'm not saying anything he said was relevant.

- (SCOFFS) Mmm-hmm.

And I hate that it was him of all people,

but he did tell a truth.

"A truth"? By saying that supporting me

is synonymous with supporting lynching?

- No, no, no. I'm not trying to say that.

- He is not the victim here.

I'm not trying to say that, either.

- Then what are you trying to say, Charles?

- Listen.

White folks are already talking this bullshit

that this can't be about race

'cause you're both black, right?

- So what Thomas just did...

- No, listen to me. Listen to me!

My grandfather fled Arkansas

because he was threatened with lynching.

- I appreciate that.

- A real lynching.

Not this metaphoric kind

that Thomas is talking about.

But he doesn't care about that.

He only acknowledged race

because it was about him.

But that's not right.

- I'm not saying it is right.

- It's not the issue.

- The issue is sexual harassment.

- But it was effective. Now, you think

any of those white boys on that Committee

are prepared to challenge him now?

(SIGHS)

You know what really pisses me off?

He's trying to dismiss you

precisely because you're a black woman.

- Hmm.

- You and I both know

that this hearing and his nomination

would be in a very different place

if you looked like his wife.

Hmm. (SCOFFS)

Good, you're still here.

You're not gonna believe this.

There's another woman.

Her name is Angela Wright.

She worked for Thomas after Anita Hill.

They never met,

never even heard of each other.

She's a newspaper editor now, but what

she really wants to be is a columnist,

so to prove herself to her bosses,

she wrote a sample column.

"I know Thomas is capable of doing

these things because he did them to me."

We need to depose her.

(CLEARS THROAT)

I can tell you that during the course of

the year that I worked for Clarence Thomas,

there were several comments that he made.

And Clarence Thomas

did consistently pressure me to date him.

- Right, and was there...

- ANGELA:
At one point,

Clarence Thomas made comments

about my anatomy.

- Can you...

- ANGELA:
He often said,

"I've got some fine women on my staff."

I remember him saying

that one woman had a big ass.

Clarence Thomas commented

on a dress that I was wearing

and asked what size my b*obs were.

Clarence Thomas came

by my house at night...

- Miss Wright...

- ...uninvited, spoke in general terms,

but then tried to move the conversation

over to the prospect of me dating him.

- Is this on?

- We're talking about a thing that, you know..

She can hear?

...pretty much pops out of

Clarence Thomas's mouth

whenever the hell he feels like saying it.

Does the White House know about her?

We sent over a copy of her deposition.

Oh. (CHUCKLES)

- They're gonna love that, aren't they?

- Yeah.

Okay, triple-check her credibility.

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