Dave Page #23

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DAVE:

(stunned)

Now he's making stuff up about me.

REED:

He's not.

They turn and look at him.

DAVE:

(sighing)

He's not making it up.

Dave stares at him stunned. Ellen gets it immediately.

ELLEN:

(softly)

Bob never left Bill's side. He knows

where all the old bones are buried...

Dave glances back and forth between them but neither one of

them speaks...

EXT. WHITE HOUSE - DAY

A long line of black sedans with congressional plates pulls

up to the South Portico. In the distance, beyond the fence,

a crowd of protesters shout at the White House.

INT. PRESIDENT'S PRIVATE DINING ROOM

A small delegation of congressional leaders has requested a

lunch with the President. Reed and Ellen are also present.

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE leans forward over his plate.

SPEAKER:

(a Southerner)

Mr. President, I don't know another

way to put it, but 'This dawg just

won't hunt.'

Dave just stares at him without responding.

MAJ. LEADER

We may be able to hold off this First

Liberty thing for a little while1 but

if you go running around the country

with this new jobs idea...

SPEAKER:

They're gonna put us on a spit an'

bring in the sauce.

FEMALE SENATOR:

If you just waited for a little while...

DAVE:

I don't want to wait for a little while.

SPEAKER:

Mr. President, I understand that. But

sometimes ya fight an' sometimes ya

run.

ELLEN:

(suddenly)

That's not what you said during your

ethics investigation.

WIDER:

Every eye in the room turns toward

her. The Speaker stares daggers across

the table.

SPEAKER:

I beg your pardon?

ELLEN:

When you needed the President's help,

you got it.

SPEAKER:

(controlled)

Ma'am, no one appreciates your husband's

help more'n me. I'm just saying that

this jobs thing is a little unwieldy...'

NANCE:

(chiming in)

It is not.

Every eye shifts to the Vice President.

Ill.

NANCE:

There's lots of ways to make it work.

You could have targeted tax credits

for on-site training... You could

have a public private partnership like -

J.T.P.A...

SPEAKER:

Excuse me for interruptin' but this

ain't some city council silliness that's

gonna blow over. We're talking about

obstructing federal regulators and

violating election up on the Hill who

are talkin' impeachment. We got a real

problem on our hands.

CLOSEUP - DAVE

He just stares straight ahead...

CUT TO:

CLOSEUP - BOB ALEXANDER

It is a video clip from his lethal press conference. Bob

faces the camera directly.

BOB (V.0.)

... At least fifteen separate acts

of intervention by this

administration, most with full

knowledge of the President..

NANCE (0.S.)

Guess they're coming at you now,

too.

FREEZE FRAME.

INT. OVAL OFFICE

Dave sits in front of his bookcase with a remote control in

his hand. He turns to see the Vice President, standing by

the edge of the carpet.

DAVE:

Oh... Hi.

NANCE:

(glancing at the screen)

Dirty business we're in sometimes.

DAVE:

(quietly)

Yeah.

NANCE:

He's not gonna win -- not in the

end... They never do.

Dave looks back at him.

DAVE:

... Sometimes they do.

NANCE:

(nodding)

Yeah... Sometimes they do.

Nance shifts a little by the bookcase.

NANCE:

Mr. President, whatever happens I

just wanted you to know that I think

that your jobs program is a wonderful

idea...

DAVE,

Not that anyone's gonna pay much

attention now... But thanks.

Neither one says anything. Dave motions to a chair.

DAVE:

Want to sit down?

He takes a seat across from the desk. Nance glances over

at the TV as both men look at the freeze frame of Bob.

DAVE:

You ever think back to how you

started.

NANCE:

(turning)

What?

DAVE:

You know. Your first campaign.

You ever think back to how you did it all...

NANCE:

Yeah...

(thinks about it for a

moment...)

.. I was a shoe salesman.

(beat)

and not very happy about it.

They smile together for a moment.

NANCE:

One day my wife says to me 'Why don't

you try running for office. You talk

about it all the time, why don't you

just do it?'

(beat)

So I tell my boss I have a dentist

appointment and I go down to the

registrar of voters on my lunch break.

(shakes his head)

Next thing I know, I'm a councilman.

DAVE:

Really?

NANCE:

(nodding)

My wife was my campaign manager. We

had a two thousand dollar budget.

Dave smiles.

NANCE:

With advertising.

Dave just looks at him for a long moment.

NANCE:

How'd you get started?

DAVE:

(quietly)

Oh... Kinda the same way.

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