The Contender Page #13

have told us that the president...

- It's gonna be okay.

- Does intend to withdraw the name of Senator Laine B. Hanson...

I still have a year and a half on

my term. That's a long time to recover.

- Then there's always...

- Given the stunning charges made against Governor Hathaway...

- Laine, honey, it's gonna be fine.

- Those on the inside are suggesting...

- It's gonna be okay.

- The president will designate...

- Ambassador Francis J. Malloy as his number two.

- Yeah, thanks.

Pace me at five to ten, okay?

...after the greeting

of the president of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, the president

of the United States of America.

Thank you.

Napoleon once said, when asked to explain

the lack of great statesmen in the world...

that, "to get power...

you need to display

absolute pettiness.

To exercise power,

you need to show true greatness. "

Such pettiness and such greatness

are rarely found in one person.

I look upon the events

of the past weeks...

and I've never come so to grips

with that quotation.

So, ladies and gentlemen

of this Congress...

it pains my soul to tell you that you have

brought blood and shame under this great dome.

Your leadership has raised

the stakes of hate to a level...

where we can no longer separate

the demagogue from the truly inspired.

And believe this,

there are traitors among us.

And I'm not talking about those of you

who sided against your party leadership.

I'm talking about those of you

who were patriots to your party...

but traitors

to the necessary end result:

That of righteousness,

the truth...

the concept of making

the American dream blind to gender.

And you know,

I am not free of blame.

Right from the start

I should've come down here...

pointed a finger your way...

pointed a finger your way...

and asked you,

"Have you no decency, sir?"

Yesterday...

I met...

Mr. Runyon...

you may walk out on me,

you may walk out on this body...

but you cannot walk out

on the will of the American people.

Americans are a good people,

they're a just people, Mr. Runyon...

and they will forgive you,

but they will not forget.

Hate and ego

have no place residing...

in what my good friend Laine Hanson

calls the chapel of democracy.

So, let me make one thing clear.

You come at us with whatever weapons

that you have in your arsenal...

but there is

no weapon as powerful...

as that of an idea

whose time has come.

A woman will serve in the highest level

of the Executive. Simple as that.

Yesterday...

I spoke with Laine Hanson.

I told her that she could decide

her own destiny.

If she wanted to continue

her fight for confirmation...

that I would stand beside her.

She has asked me

to allow her to step aside.

She told me that she wanted

my administration to end on a note...

of triumph

and not controversy.

Understand, those of you who worked

to bring Laine Hanson down...

that she asked to have her name

withdrawn from consideration...

not because she isn't great,

but because she isn't petty.

Because those two

conflicting leadership traits...

could not live as one

within her body or her soul.

Greatness.

It comes in many forms.

Sometimes it comes in the form

of sacrifice. That's the loneliest form.

Now, it turns out

that Laine Hanson is a woman...

an American

of devout principle...

and she has inspired me

to act alike...

and I cannot accept

Senator Hanson's withdrawal.

And I'm now calling for an immediate

vote of confirmation of Laine Hanson.

And, Mr. Speaker...

I would like to make this

a live roll call.

I want to see the faces

of those of you...

who would eliminate the possibility

of greatness in American leadership...

because of half-truths,

lies and innuendoes.

I will not be deterred

by partisanship.

I will not be deterred

by misogyny.

I will not be deterred

by hate.

You have now come face-to-face

with my will.

Confirm my nominee,

heal this nation...

and let the American people

explode into this new millennium...

with the exhilaration of being true

to the glory of this democracy.

Thank you.

How's that for a swan song?

You're back, Laine.

Yeah, I know.

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