House of Cards Page #2

FRANCIS:

(in a whisper)

We’re only five minutes from the

house.

CLARIE:

You’re going to make me wait?

FRANCIS:

(with a sly smile)

Patience is a virtue.

CLAIRE:

I’m not feeling very virtuous

tonight.

He smiles, leans in and kisses her.

INT. WASHINGTON HERALD - NEWSROOM - MORNING

A bustling bull-pen of writers, editors and assistants.

Mounted TVs blare with 24 hour news channels. The steady

clacking of keyboards wafts from a sea of cubicles.

ZOE BARNES (mid 20s) - a strong and hungry young reporter -

weaves through the cubicles toward a corner office.

Inside LUCAS GOODWIN (mid to late 30s) - the Deputy Editor -

is talking to BOB HAMMERSCHMIDT (early 50s) - the paper’s

grizzled Editor-in-Chief.

Zoe waits by the open door and listens in.

HAMMERSCHMIDT:

...Only a nine vote majority in the

House. Every bill that hits the

floor will be a cock-fight.

LUCAS:

Yeah it’ll be ugly.

7.

HAMMERSCHMIDT:

Any guess what’s on the legislative

agenda?

LUCAS:

No idea. All my regular sources

won’t say a word.

HAMMERSCHMIDT:

Keep digging.

Hammerschmidt gives him a slap on the back and exits,

brushing past Zoe, whom he barely notices.

ZOE:

Morning Mr. Hammerschmidt.

He tries to place a name to the face.

ZOE (CONT’D)

Zoe Barnes.

HAMMERSHMIDT:

Metro.

ZOE:

That’s right.

HAMMERSCHMIDT:

Keep up the good work.

He’s gone. Zoe leans against the doorway a tad provocatively.

ZOE:

Did it take him over a year to

remember your name?

LUCAS:

What can I do for you Zoe?

ZOE:

I’m sick of the City Council.

LUCAS:

I know you are. You tell me

everyday.

ZOE:

Move me online.

LUCAS:

You want to schlep for the twitter

feed? Be my guest.

8.

ZOE:

No. My own blog. Five hundred

words. First person. Subjective.

LUCAS:

Not gonna happen.

ZOE:

Give me some freedom. I’ll go

underground. Win over staff members

on the Hill. Give them an outlet to

vent anonymously.

LUCAS:

A glorified gossip column.

ZOE:

A forum for the underpaid and

overworked. We’ll lift the veil.

Tap into what’s really going in.

LUCAS:

This is the Washington Herald Zoe,

it’s not TMZ.

ZOE:

You know how many people watch TMZ?

LUCAS:

I couldn’t care less.

ZOE:

Which is why print journalism is

dying.

LUCAS:

If it’s gonna die, it’ll die with

dignity. At least at this paper.

ZOE:

You’re stuck in the 20th century

Lucas. You lack imagination.

LUCAS:

Maybe so, but right now I’m not

interested in imagination, I’m

interested in copy.

ZOE:

You’re telling me to get back to

work.

LUCAS:

I am.

9.

ZOE:

But what you’re really telling me

is to f*** off.

LUCAS:

I’m telling you both.

Zoe is brimming with frustration but she’s too cool of a

cucumber to let it show. She turns on her heels and departs

as quickly as she came.

INT. RUSSO’S OFFICE - MORNING

CHRISTINA MALONE (late 20s) - sexy and headstrong - ushers a

humorless looking LOBBYIST into Rep. Peter Russo’s office.

Christina is Russo’s Executive Assistant. Russo is smart and

amiable, but a bit of rascal.

CHRISTINA:

Mr. Chapman, from Horizon Trust...

RUSSO:

Henry. Great to see you. Thanks

Christina.

She leaves, closing the door behind her. The two men sit.

RUSSO (CONT’D)

How long are you in town for?

Staying for the Inauguration? I

can hook you up if you -

CHAPMAN:

I’m not interested in parties. I’m

interested in the zoning laws you

promised to get changed in your

district. We’ve got 12 million

sitting in escrow for an empty lot

we can’t build on.

RUSSO:

Yes, I know. And believe me, I’m

on it. But you gotta understand,

that’s a local municipal issue. I

can’t just pick up the phone and

CHAPMAN:

You can’t? That’s not what you led

us to believe when you begged for

fifty grand in donations.

10.

RUSSO:

(realizes what he’s up

against)

Right. Well...

The phone rings. Russo looks sympathetically to Chapman.

RUSSO (CONT’D)

One sec.

(picks up the phone)

Christina I told you - no calls.

Not while I’m meeting with Mr.

Chapman.

(pause)

The President-Elect?

Chapman’s eyes widen.

RUSSO (CONT’D)

Put him through Christina.

(short beat)

Mr. President-Elect...Thank you, we

were pleased to win by double

digits...Absolutely, anything you

need...

CUT TO Christina at her desk outside the office. She’s

whispering into a receiver.

CHRISTINA:

I need you to put that long, wet,

talented tongue of yours between my

thighs and make me squeal like

Monica Lewinsky.

CUT BACK TO Russo on his phone. Laughs boisterously.

RUSSO:

Me too, me too...Okay, thanks again

Mr. President-Elect.

And he hangs up. Chapman is impressed.

RUSSO (CONT’D)

I’m sorry - what were we

discussing?

INT. BLAIR HOUSE - OFFICE - DAY

As the Aide lets Francis into the office, we see that it’s

Vasquez, not Walker, who is behind the desk. Francis

registers a whiff of surprise.

11.

VASQUEZ:

Thanks for coming Frank.

(gestures at a chair)

Please...

FRANCIS:

(as he sits)

Will the President-Elect be joining

us?

VASQUEZ:

No. He told me to apologize on his

behalf. I’ll brief him though.

Francis has no other choice but to roll with the punches. He

hands Vasquez a manila folder.

FRANCIS:

This is a memo I drafted on the

Middle East policy we’ve been

developing. I think we need a more

direct way to frame our approach.

We’ll steal from Reagan - trickle-

down diplomacy. If we tackle

VASQUEZ:

Frank - I’m going to stop you right

there.

(half beat)

We’re not nominating you for

Secretary of State.

A huge blow. Francis stares at Vasquez in stunned silence.

VASQUEZ (CONT’D)

I’m sorry, I know he made you a

promise, but circumstances have

changed.

FRANCIS:

The nature of promises, Linda, is

that they remain immune to changing

circumstances.

VASQUEZ:

Garrett has thought long and hard

about this, and he’s decided we

need you to stay in Congress.

FRANCIS:

I built the campaign’s foreign

policy platform from the ground up.

(MORE)

12.

FRANCIS (CONT'D)

I briefed him, I prepped him for

debates. And the deal we agreed

upon was

VASQUEZ:

I’m sorry Frank. If it had been up

to me I would’ve handled this

differently. I wouldn’t have

waited this long to tell you.

FRANCIS:

So you knew this was what you were

going to do.

VASQUEZ:

It’s been an evolving discussion.

FRANCIS:

(slowly)

An evolving discussion...

VASQUEZ:

Frank...

FRANCIS:

I got fourteen conservative

Democrats in key states to endorse

him. I was personally responsible

for raising over six million

dollars in contributions to the

campaign, seven million for House

races to keep hold of our majority

in

VASQUEZ:

You’re right. We wouldn’t have won

without your help. But now we have

to lead, and that means making

tough choices.

(half beat, now she has

the initiative)

Our first order of business is

Education Reform. A complete

federal overhaul. We want you in

the House, doing what you do best -

counting votes and delivering

legislation.

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