The Contender Page #2

No, no, no, no.

Hanson here.

Yeah, of course I'll hold.

Shh. Quiet.

Hello, sir!

I'm great, sir, thank you. Yes.

- As a matter of fact, we're watching him

on C-SPAN now. - No names were discussed.

Yes, she is.

One second, sir.

It's the president.

He wants to talk to you.

You wanna speak to him?

Hello, sir.

This is Senator Hanson speaking.

Oh, Christ.

That's what the prick said to you?

"We can't have another Chappaquiddick. "

No, not Evans. Newman said

the thing about Chappaquiddick.

What the f***

is that supposed to mean?

That doesn't even make

any sense, Jack.

You weren't some drunk

who drove your car...

off a bridge and abandoned the whore

you were f***ing to die.

That's what I told them.

Not in those words.

This is the second time

they f***ed us over.

- Did he say who he was going with?

- No.

- It's gonna be Malloy. F***ing Frank Malloy.

- That's what I'm hearing.

Jack, he isn't worthy of...

- This isn't happening to me.

- You can go.

You're gonna take it up the ass. Want to

bend over and make their job a little easier?

You understand

what's going on here?

This is it.

The whole f***ing plan, Jack,

everything, was to get to this point.

We have one shot at this,

and it's gone!

And you're gonna mope around like some

"Frank Malloy,

that's what I'm hearing. "

- What would you like me to do?

- I'd like you to give a sh*t.

I'd like you to call Shelly Runyon back

and get this f***ing thing fixed!

- Why not?

- You've already gone over it. It's done, ancient history.

I don't feel reconciled

about it yet.

- I'll think about it.

- No, I think it's fine.

Okay, I'm not convinced.

Thanks.

You sure you want to have alcohol on your

breath the first time you meet the president?

- No, you're right.

- No offense. Just wondering.

I'm married

to the vice president, huh?

Whoa, whoa. I haven't been confirmed

yet. I haven't even been asked yet.

You know what we gotta do pronto?

We gotta start working Runyon.

- Runyon's gonna be a problem.

- Why is Runyon gonna be a problem?

- 'Cause he's head of Judiciary.

- But the Senate takes care...

Everything but the vice president.

Twenty-fifth amendment doesn't specify...

who runs the show

on that confirmation.

Rumor has it that the House

has advise and consent on this one.

- Runyon lobbied just hard enough to get his committee the gig.

- Yeah, I think he did.

I know his number-two guy, Ted Baker. We

went to college together. I'll phone him.

- I'll start pummeling him.

- No, no, no. Don't say anything to him yet.

- Why?

- Let's get it on our own merit for now.

You know what?

I'm not gonna argue with you.

Not only are you right, but you're about

to meet the president, and you look great.

- Doesn't she look great?

- Yeah, she looks great.

What do you think, Stevenson?

I'd go for the number six,

slightly right of center, sir.

That's what I was thinking.

That's what I was thinking.

How's your average?

- One forty-five last time out, sir.

- That's not bad.

No!

That's what I get

for my leftist tendencies.

- Senator Hanson and her husband are here.

- Bring 'em in.

Yes, sir.

- I'm gonna need some time with the senator.

- Yes, sir.

- Senator!

- Mr. President.

- You remember my husband.

- Will Hanson. The McMahon campaign.

We tried to steal your husband away.

He runs a hell of a campaign.

You gave me nightmare visions

of having to return to my law practice.

- Hi. Jackson Evans.

- Lewis Hollis.

- What was the first name?

- Hollis.

- No, Lewis is my first name.

- Lewis. Welcome, Lewis.

So, have you guys

been down here before?

- No.

- Johnson, he, uh...

built it in '65.

Right now some terrorist camp in Libya

is being spared a bombing raid...

because I'm obsessed

with beating my 150 average.

- You guys bowl?

- Once in a while.

What's your average?

- Seventy.

- I don't have one.

Hungry? You want some lunch

before we speak?

No, thank you, sir.

I saw this movie once

where the president...

is just tickled that anything he wants

to eat he can get in a moment's notice.

Here. Turns out, it's the perk

of the century.

- Otto?

- Yes, Mr. President?

Sorry for the late notice. For lunch,

could you arrange coq au vin...

with a side of penne?

- Spicy or mild?

- Spicy.

And, uh... Oh...

- hazelnut pudding for dessert.

- No problem, sir.

One day I'll catch him napping.

- Anyway, how much did we win that one by?

- 61 to 33, sir.

It's pretty easy

getting over things when you win.

I guess Sudan is where the press

will make its first hay.

I think if we announce, the press

might have other things on its mind.

But you know, Sheldon Runyon and Jack

Hathaway have been friends for years.

And Runyon is going to come after me

with all guns blazing.

Senator, why do we have to worry about Shelly

Runyon's guns when I control the atomic bomb?

We'll introduce you to the Cabinet in

one hour. I'll make the announcement then.

- That's fine, Mr. President.

- That's the way Jerry Ford did it with Rockefeller.

I always thought it was pretty damn

classy. Have we notified the networks?

Oh, yes. All the pundits

are in a guessing feeding frenzy.

Box of Malomars says

they've already anointed Malloy.

- You look great, by the way. Just great.

- Thank you, sir.

Okay, guys, one hour,

the Cabinet Room.

Off to the races!

- Senator, is this what you're gonna wear?

- She looks fine.

- No, she does.

- You look beautiful, Senator.

- Thank you.

- Very becoming.

I think it works.

Let me explain

how this is gonna work.

In a minute, POTUS is gonna come in,

make an announcement...

- introduce you to the vice presidential designate.

- Jerry.

We hear the president's decision

is Malloy. Can you confirm this?

In ten seconds you're gonna have

your answer. So calm down.

All right. Then after he's made...

Dave.

I'm gonna give you guys

So keep them short

and, hopefully, sweet.

And you can roll starting now.

I'll introduce him

in five... thousand...

four... thousand,

three... thousand, two.

Ladies and gentlemen,

the president of the United States.

Welcome. Good afternoon.

Please.

- Thank you for coming here on such short notice.

- Laine Hanson, from Ohio.

As I embarked on the task

of selecting a vice president...

I was driven by the emotion

of wanting to make a choice...

that would've made Troy Ellard,

my friend, proud.

Senator Laine Billings Hanson

of Ohio is that person.

Sherri, you are first.

Ms. Hanson, do you feel being a woman played

any type of role in the president's decision?

Well, I, uh...

First I would like to say...

what an honor it is to be here

before you in this position.

And I hope to serve up to the standards which

President Evans set for me in that introduction.

Thank you so much, sir.

To answer your question...

- First rate, Mrs. Hanson.

- Thank you. I learned a lot from Will.

Ah, yes, Will.

You, sir, are gonna have

to make yourself scarce.

- No, of course. I'll give you your privacy.

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