Knife Fight Page #4

Well, you've got me

without the glam,

and as much as I do

enjoy seeing you,

I don't think you came

all the way across town

to check me out

in my sweaty gear.

- I have a story for you.

- Oh, stop it.

I hear that CNN

may be bringing you to D.C.

To try you out nationally?

Well, it could be.

Well, this could help.

Paul, whatever

you've got for me,

it cannot be as good

as what I'm getting

from Campbell's guys,

which, as I understand it,

involves a tasty treat

from a smokin' hot masseuse.

Well, Peaches,

of course we're gonna deny that.

We are talking about

a United States senator

and a Purple Heart winner

with a documented history

of a bad back

injured, I might add,

in service of his country.

Right, and John F. Kennedy

had a bad back,

but it didn't stop him

from f***ing Marilyn Monroe.

- This is no Marilyn.

- No, Marilyn was a secret.

And not this baby.

She is hot,

and she is mine-oh-mine.

Okay, look.

Like everything else,

there's another side to this.

And I thought that you and I

might be able

to work something out.

Hmm.

Not friggin' likely.

Okay.

What?

I have a friend who tells me

that your newest anchor,

Connie Connor,

went to a bachelorette party

in Vegas a few years back.

And?

Things got pretty wild.

Oh, yeah!

Okay.

Okay, your friends are good.

These on the net?

Not yet.

So...

Some room service?

Mm.

Am I gonna love this?

- Do you love me?

- Deeply.

No, show me the spot first.

I used to be a Navy pilot.

On a mission in Afghanistan,

my helicopter was shot down.

Both of my legs and four ribs

were broken.

The enemy came

to finish us off.

The young officer

that I was transporting

single-handedly fought off

an entire squad of Taliban

until reinforcements

could arrive.

I didn't think

I'd make it through that night.

When the rescue choppers

finally came,

that same officer carried me

over 1/4 of a mile on his back.

By all accounts,

I should be dead.

But I'm not,

thanks to one man.

Stephen Green fought for me

with everything he had,

and now he's fighting

just as hard

for all

of California's families.

I was so very proud to serve

with Captain Johnny Duncan,

a true American hero.

I'm Stephen Green,

and I approve this message.

Some light reading?

Yeah,

it's for that new cruiser,

which costs more

than an aircraft carrier did

when I was coming up.

Well, somebody

will get rich on it.

Yeah, you know,

I got a feeling

it doesn't even do

what the Navy says

it's supposed to do.

But you try

to find real data on it,

then good luck.

Thank you.

You have a call to make.

Mandy Denton.

Sounds vaguely familiar.

She runs commercials

for Campbell.

Oh, God, those cloying, what,

"I believe how a guy

treats his family,"

those "Mr. Family Values

till you want to retch,"

those ads?

Yeah, that's her.

Good night.

You know what

they're doing, right?

The more they pound

family values,

they're just laying track

for you-know-who.

Scum.

First-class.

But it turns out that Mandy

not only makes the commercials

for Campbell.

She also makes his bed.

It's all one big happy family,

along with Roger Fillmore

down at KXSF.

But he's really just

a mouthpiece for Campbell

and his 90 million bucks

he's got earmarked to bury you.

Yeah, family values.

What's Roger actually got?

He's trying

to swiftboat you.

He's got all his guys meeting

with anybody and everybody

you ever served with.

Yeah?

Happy hunting.

What's Mandy's story?

She's good at what she does.

She's got two kids at home.

The husband's a dot-com guy.

I don't think he knows.

So...

Okay.

Roger?

I want you

to blow that a**hole up.

This Mandy thing, kill it.

She's a civilian.

[Sighs]

What is it?

Talking points

for the governor on his budget.

And what do you know

about that?

Six weeks ago, not much.

Okay, but you can fake it.

Yeah, it's nothing.

My parents think

that I'm taking some time off

before applying to med school.

And remember,

you're not Samantha

but a guy named Sam.

Oh, thanks.

[Cell phone ringing]

You're welcome.

Don't be pissed.

- Oh, my God.

- Hey, Paul.

Hey, it's not too late

to call you, is it?

Uh, no.

- Do you remember the, uh...

- [whispers] Hi, Paul.

The football player

who was wanting to run

for mayor of San Diego?

Tony Blanchard.

Right, right.

Right, and doesn't he have

a book coming out?

First and Goal,

something like that.

Let's get him in here.

Okay.

[Indistinct conversation]

Okay, so, uh, 89.

You want to push it?

Eight, nine.

Perfect.

Thank you.

[Sighs]

Hmm.

[Rattles door]

You and me.

Lunch.

- Okay.

- You want pizza?

Yeah?

Okay.

[Car engine idling]

You're gonna have to wait

just a second, honey.

Come on.

Hello.

Hey, guys.

Petitions from people

who want me to run.

Did you have every junkie

in the Mission sign these?

No.

Okay, yes.

But I also got architects,

other physicians,

waitresses, delivery guys,

teachers, painters.

Okay, look, I have no doubt

those people love you.

But you also need the farmers

in the Central Valley,

the soccer moms in Concord,

and the second-

and third-generation Latinos

in San Bernardino

to love you too,

not to mention the golf crowd

in Santa Barbara.

Hey, I was raised

in Santa Barbara.

My dad was a doctor there

for 35 years.

Okay, well, great,

but that's not gonna help you

and your druggie friends.

And then the other side of that,

your parents' friends

don't want to know

about the dirty needle crowd.

And here's the cold reality:

You have no name recognition.

So how the hell

are you gonna pay for this?

That's what the web's for.

There has to be a million people

willing to pay $10

for real change.

Boom.

There's $10 million for you.

California has more

local media markets

than any state in the union.

It costs $2.5 million a week

for a statewide media buy.

$10 million?

Try multiplying that by five

just to get into the game.

Okay, then I'll get

4 million people.

That's only 10% of the state

to pay $10.

You got 40.

You know, I got to...

I got to believe

that one in ten people

will think

for the price

of two frappuccinos,

they'll finally get a governor

who will really change things.

Okay, I get it.

I'm sure you would be

a great governor.

But I'm in the business

of winning.

I thought you were

in the business of helping.

Helping people who can win.

[Phone rings]

Hello?

- Great.

- Would you just...

Would you...

would you just help me?

Would you...

Would you think about it?

Kentucky.

He loved the talking points.

I have thought about it.

I'm sorry.

Hey.

Hey. No.

Come on, buddy.

We got to go.

For a girl born in Seoul,

she's sure got

that Kentucky thing down.

Thank you.

Right?

I think it's

gonna move the numbers a little.

Give me a break.

- What?

- Look.

I played professional baseball

for 15 years

and was fortunate enough

to make the American League

All-Star team six times.

And later, I shared

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