Nixon Page #16

CROSSCUT TO:

DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE - 7. The young CHICAGO DEMONSTRATORS

are chanting rebelliously at POLICE.

DEMONSTRATORS:

The whole world is watching! The

whole world is watching!

DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE - 8. A B-52 unloads BOMBS and NAPALM

over jungle.

SUBTITLE READS:
"LAOS - SECRET BOMBING CAMPAIGN, 1969-70;

242,000 MISSIONS."

CUT TO:

OMIT SCENE #58

EXT. THE WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT

The lights are blazing late with war talk.

INT. THE WHITE HOUSE - SIDE OFFICE - NIGHT

In a small paneled room, the talk is angry: BILL ROGERS,

Secretary of State, MEL LAIRD, Defense Secretary, to one

side; KISSINGER with HAIG, seen earlier, but now

Kissinger's assistant, to the other side of the desk, as

NIXON listens; HALDEMAN takes notes. ZIEGLER looks on.

Though a stand-up chart displays a large map of Cambodia's

border with South Vietnam, we may note there are no

military personnel in the room.

ROGERS:

... It'd be a disaster for us, Mr.

President. There's a lot of sympathy

out there for Cambodia, a tiny,

neutral Buddhist nation. There'd be

protests in the streets, right out on

your front lawn ...

LAIRD:

... Building this Cambodian army up

will be harder even than the

Vietnamese army. They have no

tradition of ... The government there

would collapse if we ...

Nixon's eyes narrow, furious.

NIXON:

So you're saying, "Do nothing" --

that's what you're saying. The same

old sh*t. Well, that's not good

enough. I'm sick of being pushed

around by the Vietnamese like some

pitiful giant. They're using our POWs

to humiliate us. What we need now is

a bold move to Cambodia; go right

after the VC base camps, make 'em

scream. That's what I think. You,

Henry?

A pivotal moment for Henry. Nixon is clearly scrutinizing

Kissinger, who glances at his rivals.

KISSINGER:

Well, as you know, most of my staff

have weighed in against this

"incursion." They believe it will

fail to achieve anything fundamental

militarily, and will result in

crushing criticism domestically ...

NIXON:

(interrupts)

I didn't ask what your staff thinks,

Henry. What do you think?

KISSINGER:

(pause)

What I think is ... they're cowards.

Their opposition represents the

cowardice of the Eastern

Establishment. They don't realize as

you do, Mr. President, that the

Communists only respect strength, and

they will only negotiate in good faith

if they fear the "madman," Richard

Nixon.

Nixon lets a dark smile curl one side of his mouth.

NIXON:

Exactly! We've got to take the war to

them. Hit 'em where it hurts -- right

in the nuts. More assassinations,

more killings. Right, Al?

HAIG:

That's what they're doing.

NIXON:

These State Department jerks, Bill,

don't understand;

you got to electrify people with bold

moves. Bold moves make history, like

Teddy Roosevelt -- "T.R." -- rushing

up San Juan Hill. Small event but

dramatic. People took notice.

ROGERS:

They'll take notice all right.

NIXON:

The fact is if we sneak out of this

war, there'll be another one a mile

down the road.

(pause)

We bite the bullet here. In Cambodia.

We blow the hell out of these people!

ZIEGLER:

What should we tell the press?

DOCUMENTARY:

FOOTAGE - 9. Bombs dropping over Cambodia.

DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE - 10. Combined U.S. and SOUTH

VIETNAMESE TROOPS invade CAMBODIA.

SUBTITLE READS:
"APRIL 1970"

NIXON:

Tonight, American and South Vietnamese

units will attack the headquarters for

the entire Communist military

operation in South Vietnam. This is

not an invasion of Cambodia. We take

this action not for the purpose of

expanding the war into Cambodia, but

for the purpose of ending the war in

Vietnam ...

CROSSCUT TO:

DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE - 11. The Administration Building at

BERKELEY is burning. POLICE in riot gear move in. A

BATTLE between STUDENTS and POLICE is taking place.

REPORTER (V.O.)

Across the country, several hundred

universities are in turmoil as

students battle police in protest

against the invasion of Cambodia ...

CUT TO:

DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE - 11. KENT STATE UNIVERSITY - (1970) -

A phalanx of NATIONAL GUARDSMEN advances. They look very

young and scared. A CROWD of STUDENTS taunts them.

NIXON (V.O.)

(a speech)

When I think of those kids out there,

kids who are just doing their duty ...

CROSSCUT TO:

IN. THE WHITE HOUSE - EAST ROOM - DAY

The end of a ceremony for a released VIETNAM POW. NIXON,

with JULIE, stands before emotional WIVES, DEFENSE

DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES, and UNIFORMED OFFICERS. The POW sits

in a wheelchair at NIXON'S elbow, emaciated, the blue

ribbon of the Congressional Medal of Honor around his neck.

PAT is also there.

NIXON:

(continues)

I'm sure they're scared. I was when I

was there. But when it really comes

down to it ...

(turns to the POW)

... you have to look up to these men.

They're the greatest!

Applause. The POW manages a smile.

DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE - An ugly stand-off. The STUDENTS

confront the GUARDSMEN, jeering. The GUARDSMEN lower their

bayonets.

STUDENTS:

(chanting)

One-two-three-four. We don't want

your f***ing war.

Someone throws a rock.

BACK TO SCENE:

NIXON:

(continues)

You see these bums, you know, blowing

up the campuses, burning books and so

forth. They call themselves "flower

children." Well, I call them spoiled

rotten. And I tell you what would

cure them -- a good old-fashioned trip

to my Ohio father's woodshed. That's

what these bums need!

DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE - More STUDENTS are throwing rocks.

The GUARDSMEN are momentarily panicked, confused.

Then, suddenly:
they open fire. A melee. Screaming.

STUDENTS running.

Then:
half a dozen BODIES lie on the ground. A young WOMAN

crouches over a BODY, crying.

REPORTER 1 (V.O.)

Today, less than twenty-four hours

after President Nixon called them

"bums," four students were shot dead

at Kent State University in Ohio.

EXT. POTOMAC RIVER - YACHT SEQUOIA - NIGHT

NIXON sits at the head of an outdoor dinner table with

HALDEMAN, EHRLICHMAN, ZIEGLER, KISSINGER. They are being

served steaks by MANOLO, Nixon's Cuban valet.

REPORTER 1 (V.O.)

Enraged student groups across the

country are calling for a general

strike tomorrow to shut down the

entire university system until the

Vietnam War is ended.

MITCHELL joins them.

NIXON:

(grim)

How many?

MITCHELL:

Four. Two boys. Two girls. And

eight wounded.

NIXON:

Jesus Christ!

MITCHELL:

One of the fathers was on the TV

saying, "My child was not a bum." And

it's playing like gangbusters. Hell,

Hoover told me one of the girls was a

nymph.

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