Reagan Page #14

PETER JENNINGS:

A Lebanese newspaper, Al-Shiraa,

has reported that the United States

government has been involved...

INT. NBC NEWS BROADCAST - SAME

TOM BROKAW:

...Selling weapons to Iran at a

substantial profit and using the

proceeds to fund anti-communist

fighters in Nicaragua...

83.

INT. CBS NEWS BROADCAST - SAME

DAN RATHER:

Iran has confirmed the story, as

has the Sultan of Brunei, whose ten

million dollars were supposed to go

to the Contras and ended up in a

Swiss Businessman’s bank account...

INT. OLIVER NORTH’S OFFICE - SAME

It’s pandemonium. PAPERS are flying everywhere and SHREDDERS

are grinding down evidence as Fawn and Oliver desperately try

to destroy everything in the office.

INT. NBC NEWS BROADCAST - SAME

TOM BROKAW:

Sources are naming names at an

alarming rate..

INT. CBS NEWS BROADCAST - SAME

DAN RATHER:

Some of the biggest names on

Capitol Hill...

INT. OLIVER NORTH’S OFFICE - SAME

Oliver yanks jammed paper out of the shredder as Fawn

inefficiently cuts up documents with scissors.

INT. ABC NEWS BROADCAST - SAME

PETER JENNINGS:

The question is not whether

impropriety occurred, but rather

how far it all goes up.

INT. OLIVER NORTH’S OFFICE - SAME

FBI AGENTS kick in the door to find Fawn and Oliver,

surrounded by shredded and intact papers, trying to look as

casual as possible.

OLIVER:

Hey guys.

84.

Fawn slowly tries to rip one last piece in half.

INT. CASPAR’S OFFICE - THAT DAY

Caspar watches as his television shows Oliver and Fawn being

hauled away in handcuffs by the FBI. The CHYRON reads: ‘IRANCONTRA

SCANDAL:
EVIDENCE DESTROYED.’

He calmly turns off his television. Pauses for a moment. Then

he removes a SIGNED BASEBALL BAT from its display.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - HALLWAY - LATER

Caspar casually walks down the hall. STAFFERS eyes grow wide

at the sight of his weapon. He returns with a friendly smile.

INT. OUTSIDE DON’S OFFICE - MINUTES LATER

Frank reads the headlines. Peggy rumbles to his desk.

PEGGY:

You knew about this, didn’t you?

FRANK:

Peggy, listen...

PEGGY:

Don’t lie to me! You knew-FRANK

It’s not as simple as that. I

promise, I had nothing to do with it.

Caspar arrives...and takes a swing at him with the bat!

FRANK (CONT’D) PEGGY

Whoa! Oh my god!

Poindexter and Don rush to restrain Caspar. Peggy is stunned.

CASPAR:

You f***ing sh*t-stain! It was you,

wasn’t it! You f***ing killed us!

FRANK:

Don killed you way before then!

DON:

Keep your voices down!

85.

FRANK:

Oh, I know. The truth is toxic

around here.

DON:

Office. Now.

PEGGY:

Mr. Regan...!

DON:

Later, Peggy. Later.

They pull Frank into the office, slamming the door on Peggy.

INT. DON’S OFFICE - MINUTES LATER

Its as tense a meeting as Frank’s had since the basement.

He’s beyond caring. Everyone tries to remain calm.

POINDEXTER:

So. You leaked the Enterprise.

FRANK:

I chose the lesser of two evils.

(pointedly to Don)

Learned from the best.

Don glares at Frank, almost proud. Caspar sips a drink.

CASPAR:

What the f*** do we do?

DON:

Deny. We deny and deny and deny.

POINDEXTER:

And what about the President?

DON:

(beat)

He knew all along.

FRANK:

Bullshit! He didn’t know anything!

CASPAR:

You lost your vote in this room!

FRANK:

You can’t implicate the President.

86.

POINDEXTER:

If Reagan doesn’t know about this,

then we all committed treason.

CASPAR:

Yeah, I wouldn’t categorize treason

as one of the better crimes.

FRANK:

The president doesn’t know his

phone number, let alone-

DON:

Frank, you’re excused.

FRANK:

You can’t get rid of me! I’m-

DON:

Oh I know, you’re the only one

Reagan thinks he can trust. First

rule of politics: be indispensable.

Brilliantly played.

Poindexter and Caspar’s faces echo that sentiment.

FRANK:

It was you or me. You did this.

DON:

If you’re going to lecture us on

the Greater Good, you’d better

understand what it means.

Frank lingers before leaving the office for the last time.

INT. SENATE MEETING ROOM 206 - DECEMBER 2, 1986

SENATOR JOHN TOWER (60, slicked side-part, diligent) sits

next to a STENOGRAPHER who records every word.

JOHN TOWER:

The date is December 2, 1986. This

is Senator John Tower. Will you

state your name for the record?

We intercut between each of the interviewees.

DON:

Don Regan. Chief of Staff.

87.

CASPAR:

Caspar Weinberger. Secretary of

Defense.

POINDEXTER:

John Poindexter. National Security.

BUD:

Robert McFarlane, retired.

OLIVER:

Oliver North. Marine Corps.

FAWN:

Fawn Hall. Executive Assistant.

FRANK:

Frank Corden. Director...of Media.

JOHN TOWER:

Were you aware of the sale of

military equipment to Iran?

DON:

No.

JOHN TOWER:

Did you authorize transactions on

behalf of other parties?

POINDEXTER:

We don’t say ‘no’ in the Navy.

JOHN TOWER:

Did you know about the hostages?

BUD:

(beat)

I quit! This is why I quit! I swear!

JOHN TOWER:

Were you aware these transactions

violated the Boland Amendment?

CASPAR:

The f*** do you think?

JOHN TOWER:

Answer the question please.

POINDEXTER:

...Yes.

88.

JOHN TOWER:

Was the plan to turn a profit on

the sale of military equipment?

OLIVER:

And the drugs. What?

JOHN TOWER:

The drugs?

OLIVER:

What drugs?

FAWN:

Oh yeah, the drugs went to Texas.

They’re really expensive.

JOHN TOWER:

Were you arming the Contras since

the Boland Amendment?

DON:

It became necessary to go beyond

the law.

JOHN TOWER:

Are you aware of your previous

statements to the contrary?

CASPAR:

Lawyer.

JOHN TOWER:

Are you aware of the president’s

statements to the contrary?

The rotation freezes on Frank. He breaks from his daze.

FRANK:

His what?

John Tower presses PLAY on a TV/VCR COMBO. A video flicks on:

THE VIDEO:
President Reagan gives a speech in the wake of the

breaking scandal. A speech Frank coached him to make.

REAGAN:

We did not, repeat did not, trade

weapons or anything else for

hostages nor will we.

The video pauses on the President, who appears to be looking

right at Frank.

89.

JOHN TOWER:

Did the President know?

DON:

Yes.

CASPAR:

Yes.

POINDEXTER:

Yes.

BUD:

Yes.

Frank doesn’t say anything. But he knows he has to.

JOHN TOWER:

Mr. Corden? Did Reagan know?

INT. WHITE HOUSE - OFFICE - MARCH 4, 1986

Frank sits alone in the empty office. His eyes turn to the

LAMP that Caspar correctly said would be the only one left.

INT. OVAL OFFICE - LATER

The President speaks to a camera and the American people.

REAGAN:

Your trust is what gives a

President his powers of leadership

and personal strength.

Faces are sullen around the room. No one is more disappointed

than Peggy, who is closer to Frank than she wants to be.

REAGAN (CONT’D)

As angry as I may be about activities

undertaken without my knowledge, I am

accountable for those activities.

PEGGY:

The Selective Memory Bug is going

around. He finally caught it.

FRANK:

People make mistakes.

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