Dave Page #15

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He leads Murray from the chair to the other side of the desk.

Dave reaches down opening the bottom drawer.

DAVE:

See.

INSERT - DESK DRAWER

It is full of money. Neat little stacks of hundred dollar

bills.

ANGLE - MURRAY

He looks at it wide-eyed, frozen by

what he sees.

MURRAY:

(whispering; indicating

the walls)

Are we being taped?

DAVE:

I don't think so

MURRAY:

This is undeclared income.

DAVE:

And who's gonna find out?

MURRAY:

The government

DAVE:

I am the government.

Murray turns and looks at his best friend, speechless. He

stares at Dave for a couple of seconds when a strange look of

wonder crosses his face.

DAVE:

I know -- kind of wild, huh?

(beat)

Let's get to work.

CUT TO:

EXT. WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT

A light is burning in the second floor residence.

INT. PRESIDENTIAL DINING ROOM - LATER

It is a large oak-lined room in the private residence. Dave

and Murray sit on either side of a huge dining table with

papers strewn all around them. In front of Murray sits a

large, leather bound volume of the federal budget.

MURRAY:

I gotta tell ya, Dave. I've been going

over this a bunch of times and a lot

of this stuff just doesn't add up.

(beat)

Who does these books?

DAVE:

I'm not sure.

MURRAY:

I just think they make this stuff a

lot more complicated than it has to

be.

DAVE:

I'm not surprised.

(beat)

Can we save anywhere?

MURRAY:

Well, yeah. But you gotta start making

some choices.

DAVE:

Choices?

MURRAY:

You know -- priorities.

(thinking)

Remember when you couldn't get your

car fixed `cause you wanted to get

that piano?

DAVE:

(hopefully)

You could buy it on payments.

MURRAY:

(thumping the budget)

Yeah. That's how you end up with a

400 billion dollar deficit.

DAVE:

So what do we do?

MURRAY:

Well, there's lots of places where I

think you can save, but I'm not the

one who's ....... I mean, I'm not the

one who's not the Pres...

DAVE:

(cutting him off)

It's alright. I know what you mean.

Let's start at the top.

CUT TO:

INT. CABINET ROOM - DAY

It is jammed to capacity.

The CABINET SECRETARIES are seated around the table while the

White House staff lines the walls. Three television crews

are poised in the far corner of the room.

ANGLE - DOORWAY

Reed enters and crosses to Dave's regular spot at the cabinet

table. He places a stack of 3 x 5 filing cards next to his

water glass and retreats to his seat along the wall.

INT. HALLWAY

Bob moves down the corridor with a little spring in his step.

He is actually whistling a cheery tune as he carries the

morning edition of the Washington Post.

INT. CABINET ROOM

Bob enters with a great big grin and even says hello to C a

couple of aides.

CLOSER ANGLE:

Bob sits down next to Reed unfolding a

copy of the paper.

BOB:

(whispers)

Its a work of art. Look at this thing.

Reed glances down at the paper.

BOB:

(reads softly)

`Vice President's office linked to

First Liberty scandal. Justice

Department may investigate.'

(beat)

Alan, you're a genius -- we're on our

way!

Bob looks up and glances around.

BOB:

(pause)

What's with the cameras?

REED:

Hundredth cabinet meeting. I thought

it was a nice touch.

BOB:

(benignly)

Oh. Fine.

ANGLE - DOORWAY

Dave enters suddenly, moving quickly

into the room. He nods to the various

staff members, crossing to his seat.

DAVE:

Good morning, everybody.

CABINET:

Good morning, Mr. President.

Dave takes a stack of index cards from his own pocket and S

places them next to Reed's. He leans forward, clearing his

throat.

DAVE:

(purposefully)

Before we get started today there are

a few things I'd like to go over in

the budget.

CLOSEUP - BOB

He glances up from his report and leans over to Reed.

BOB:

(whispering)

Do we have anything on the budget today?

REED:

(stunned)

I don't think so.

They look slowly toward the table...

ANGLE - DAVE

He clutches one of the 3 x 5 cards in

his hand.

DAVE:

Now I think I've found some ways to

put back the homeless section of the

Simpson Garner works bill.

ANGLE - CABINET TABLE

A slight murmur moves through the Cabinet.

BOB:

(standing up)

Uh, Mr. President... I don't believe

that's on your agenda today.

DAVE:

(pleasantly)

Well it's a last minute change.

Bob goes completely white as Dave turns back to the Cabinet

table.

SHOT - DAVE

DAVE:

The way I see it we need three hundred

and fifty million dollars in order to

keep the program. Now some of this

can be achieved through some simple

changes in cash management. For

example...

He leans forward onto the table, reading from his card.

DAVE:

According to the O.M.B. we have

seventeen defense contractors who are

delinquent in their contracts.

(scanning the table)

Is that true?

DIRECTOR OF O.M.B.

Uh... I believe so... Yes.

DAVE:

So even though they're late, we keep

paying them on time?

DIRECTOR OF O.M.B.

Well -- in a sense... yeah.

DAVE:

Now instead of giving them money for

something they haven't finished, we

could hold back that cash, put it aside

in some interest bearing...

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