Nixon Page #10

HENRY KISSINGER (40's), intense, holds a martini.

KISSINGER:

Well, if a Rockefeller can't become

President of the United States, what's

the point of democracy?

Laughter.

NIXON:

The point of democracy is that even

the son of a grocer can become

president.

Laughs.

ROCKEFELLER:

And you came damn close, too, Dick.

As Rocky clutches Dick, who doesn't like to be touched:

ROCKEFELLER (CONT'D)

Howya doin'! New York treating you

okay? I'm sorry I haven't been able

to see you at all--

NIXON:

(cutting off the apology)

Well enough. You're looking "happy,"

Nelson.

With a look to Happy.

ROCKEFELLER:

Oh, Happy!

(introduces his new wife)

Dick Nixon ... You remember him.

NIXON:

Hi, Happy. Well, you're obviously

making him happy.

ROCKEFELLER:

Repartee, Dick -- very good. Hey, I

feel ten years younger! It makes a

helluva difference, let me tell ya!

How's the lawyer life?

NIXON:

Never made so much money in my life.

But my upbringing doesn't allow me to

enjoy it. I did get to argue a case

before the Supreme Court.

ROCKEFELLER:

Won or lost?

NIXON:

Lost.

ROCKEFELLER:

Someday, Dick.

OTHERS are pressing in on Rockefeller, who is obviously the

"star" of the party, so there is pressure to talk fast.

NIXON:

But being out of the game gives me

time to write.

ROCKEFELLER:

To what?

NIXON:

Write. You know, a book. I'm calling

it "Six Crises." It's a good thing,

Rocky -- take some time off to write.

ROCKEFELLER:

(shaking another hand)

Hiya, fellow ... What were they?

NIXON:

What?

ROCKEFELLER:

The "crises"?

NIXON:

"Checkers" of course, Hiss, Ike's

heart attack, Venezuela, the Kitchen

Debate, and Kennedy.

ROCKEFELLER:

Sounds like you got a crisis syndrome.

Aren't you exaggerating a bit, Dick?

Call it three-and-a-half, maybe four

...

NIXON:

(laughs awkwardly)

Let's wait and see how you survive

your first crisis, Rocky ...

ROCKEFELLER:

Whatcha mean by that?

NIXON:

You know:
how the voters are gonna

play your divorce.

Rockefeller, who still clutches the visibly uncomfortable

Nixon, gives him a squeeze before finally releasing him.

ROCKEFELLER:

Don't you worry about it, fella, and I

won't.

About to rejoin his wife.

NIXON:

Well, in any case, Rocky, I'll send

you my book. "Six Crises."

ROCKEFELLER:

Whatcha predicting -- your boy

Goldwater going to split the party?

NIXON:

Some say you are, Rocky.

ROCKEFELLER:

The Republican Party was never home to

extremists. You should know better.

This guy's as stupid as McCarthy, and

McCarthy never did you any good in the

long run, now did he?

A pause. It lands home on Dick. Rockefeller turns to

Kissinger, who's been listening.

ROCKEFELLER (CONT'D)

Hey, you know Henry Kissinger -- he's

down from Harvard. On my staff,

foreign policy whiz ...

NIXON:

(shakes hands)

No, but I liked your book on nuclear

weapons. We have similar views on the

balance of power ...

ROCKEFELLER:

Well, that's wonderful. So get me

this "crisis" thing, Dick; I'll be

glad to take a look at it.

He raps Nixon one more time on the shoulder and moves of

into a waiting GROUP.

NIXON:

... as the old alliances crumble.

KISSINGER:

Finally someone who's noticed! I'm a

great admirer of yours, too, Mr.

Nixon. You are an unusual politician.

We share a mutual idol -- "Six Crises"

sounds like a page from Churchill.

NIXON:

Churchill, DeGaulle, Disraeli. They

all went through the pain of losing

power.

KISSINGER:

(smiles)

But they all got it back again, didn't

they?

(proffering a card)

We should have lunch sometime.

TIME CUT:

NIXON and MITCHELL move to the edges of the PARTY, which is

now diminishing. They bypass PAT, who is absently staring

off in conversation with MARTHA and SEVERAL OTHER LADIES

who lunch ... Nixon looks back at ROCKEFELLER leaving --

KISSINGER hovering near him.

NIXON:

(seething)

Rocky's full of sh*t! No way he's

going to get nominated west of the

Hudson with a new wife. He's gonna be

drinking Scotches in retirement at

some goddamn country club with the

rest of the Republicans.

MITCHELL:

Goes to show you all the moolah in the

world can't buy you a brain.

NIXON:

(snags a drink from a passing

tray)

Well, he seems to have bought

Kissinger.

MITCHELL:

The Jewboy's a Harvard whore with the

morals of an eel -- sells himself to

the highest bidder.

NIXON:

(brays loudly)

You're the one who should be in

politics, John. You're tougher than I

am. You never crack.

MITCHELL:

That'll be the day.

NIXON:

Let's get out of here; it's too

painful. I hate it.

(then)

We went bowling last weekend. Next

weekend we're going to the zoo.

Whoever said there was life after

politics was full of sh*t.

MITCHELL:

Make some money, Dick, prove yourself

to the Wall Street crowd and let

Goldwater and Rockefeller take the

fall against Kennedy.

Nixon looks at him.

NIXON:

Yeah. John, I'm in hell.

(then)

I'll be mentally dead in two years and

physically dead in four. I miss -- I

don't know -- making love to the

people. I miss -- entering a room. I

miss -- the pure "acting" of it.

John, I've got to get back in the

arena.

On Pat glancing over:

CUT TO:

INT. DALLAS CONVENTION SITE - DAY (1963)

SPOTLIGHT on a sexy Studebaker car of the era. A DRUM

ROLL, and suddenly out of the various apertures of the car

pop six half-naked HOSTESSES doing the twist. Wild cheers.

The ANNOUNCER describes the new gimmicks on the car (AD

LIB) as we swing to reveal NIXON, looking uncomfortable in

a Stetson cowboy hat shaking hands with AUTOGRAPH SEEKERS

and car buffs, posing for cheese-cake photographs. A

banner behind him reveals: "Dallas Welcomes Studebaker

Dealers."

The Studebaker GIRLS are fanning out through the sales

booths, whistling, swinging whips, as a large man in a

Stetson, JACK JONES, accompanied by a suave-looking Cuban

born businessman, TRINI CARDOZA, breaks through the

autograph hounds to rescue Nixon.

JONES:

That's enough now, let him be. He's

just like you and me, folks, just

another lawyer ... Let's go, let's go,

break it up ...

Moving Nixon out of there.

NIXON:

Thanks, Jack. You sure throw a

helluva party.

JONES:

Party ain't started yet, Dick. Got

these gals coming over to the ranch

later for a little private "thing,"

y'know ... There's some fellows I want

you to meet.

NIXON:

Well, uh, Trini and I have an early

plane. We were hoping to get back to

New York in time for ...

TRINI:

It'll be okay, Dick; these guys are

interesting ... real quiet. And the

girls are, too.

JONES:

Y'know, it's not every day we Texans

get to entertain the future President

of the United States.

NIXON:

Like you said Jack, I'm just a New

York lawyer now.

JONES:

(chuckles, with a look to

Trini)

We'll see about that.

New FANS circle up, their WIVES giggling.

FANS:

Oh, Mr. Nixon could you sign ...? My

wife and I think you are just the

greatest. Please run again ...

More fans flood in, circling him. On Trini and Jack

watching this.

EXT. JONES RANCH - DAY

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