The Contender Page #7

tab C-25 of the ledger,

a transcript of the Q-and-A session...

between the nominee and several students

from Harvard University.

- Page 16?

- Page 16 at the bottom of the page.

You'll see the following remarks

in reference to a question...

regarding the separation

of church and state.

The nominee said, and I quote,

"The separation exists...

because we cannot have a fairy tale

govern a nation. "

What, sir, is the point?

The senator just swore an oath

to an entity she does not believe in.

Madam Senator,

you understand...

that you have promised

to be truthful to this committee?

- And that lying to this body is perjury, punishable by law?

- Yes, I do understand that.

Well, I think

we're all agreed...

that even though the senator

has shown a disdain...

for religion

and those practicing it...

which is her constitutional right...

that does not necessarily,

Mr. Webster, make her a liar.

I'm confident we can proceed.

- Madam?

- Yes?

For the record, would you

state your name and address?

Yes. My name is Laine Hanson.

My address is...

You can just do that,

pull phone records?

I work

for a pretty powerful guy.

Yeah, we're close,

we were close for a while.

That's till recently, of course. Our career

paths sort of went in different directions.

At least you have your life.

There's nothing sinister going on here.

At this point,

we just need...

to look at every aspect of her life

and find everyone that knew her.

You never know

what you're gonna find.

- Did you find anything?

- No, no, not really.

Not really?

You mean...

A little bit, actually.

I did speak to other classmates,

and they told me she was pretty wild.

Wild? Yeah, she was wild.

Wild enough you can be sure the tabloids

are gonna have a field day.

Have you spoken to them?

Um, me? No.

But somebody somewhere's gonna talk.

- But not you.

- Uh-uh, no.

- It's okay if you have. We're not gonna lock you up.

- No, I haven't.

So no one like,

maybe, the National Enquirer...

or one of those

silly television programs...

- that show, um... Access...

- Confidential?

No, no, no.

I don't know anything.

The last time I talked to her it

was just, "The kid this, the kid that. "

According to our records,

you spoke to her on the 15th.

- Three weeks ago?

- Yeah.

Yeah, that makes sense.

I... She was going to Vegas.

Oh, is that right? Vegas?

She asked me to go along with her.

It was gonna be her treat.

I couldn't go

because I had to work.

We were gonna stay at one of those

ritzy new places. The, um, Bellage..?

- The Bellagio? Right.

- Yeah.

- With the contortionist.

- I've never been.

You've been going through my desk.

It never crossed my mind

when I was a younger woman...

that I'd be this age

and not have kids.

Somehow in my mind, kids.

Raising them,

making them good people.

That's what I wanted.

Then I met you,

and I realized that I'd be...

trading my dreams

so that we could live yours.

We sacrificed all of that

so we could do good.

We have done good.

I was never prouder when you fought to make

hate crimes a capital and federal offense.

You stood so tall,

defying the world, and you won.

It was then that I realized that all

of our sacrifices were not in vain...

that you were a good man.

And now, everything you have

ever achieved will be eliminated...

because, with this horrible filth...

you'll go down

as a second-rate Joe McCarthy.

Your problem, Shelly, is that

you have no sense of history.

She's no good.

Come on!

Come on.

See, Daphne? This is

how you get to the top.

Lew?

I have an issue to speak of,

and I'm most gravely concerned.

If this body will indulge me,

I have before me...

a perfect example of the need

for this institution...

to pass the Internet Libel

Protection Act.

In the Nichols Report piece...

posted to 40 million

Internet subscribers...

it is claimed that you,

Senator...

were involved in a sexual imbroglio

while in college.

That is...

trading favors...

with several partners in exchange

for entry into a sorority.

Though I will not waste

the committee's time with such...

nefarious and sleazy innuendoes...

I will not deny the senator

her right to respond.

Mr. Chairman,

I have nothing to...

I will not respond

to this article.

I say "Bravo" to you, Senator.

Bravo to you.

First let me state...

that I encourage

every American...

and every citizen

on this planet to boycott...

the Nichols Report.

This is the type of filth

and degenerate pornography...

that should not see

the light of day.

I can only assume, Senator,

that you will...

not only bring suit

against the perpetrators of...

but also against the remarkable look-alike

who appears in these disgusting photos.

And when you do file suit, know that it

comes with my full support.

Your refusal to deny this report

of sexual deviance...

will not have an effect

on this committee...

on whether or not it votes to advise

and consent to your nomination.

Mr. President, do you have a comment on

the allegations made on the Internet today?

I'm not gonna discuss any allegations,

especially those on the Internet.

But, sir, the sexual allegations were made

very public today by Congressman Runyon.

And I'm sure he quite regrets that.

Sir, if you agree with the allegations,

or agree the allegations are accurate...

do you think that Senator Hanson

is morally fit to take office?

I'll tell you what.

I'm sure that

President Mateo and I...

would both welcome the votes

of only those people...

with sexual indiscretions

in their past.

We'd be landslide victors

every time.

Hey, Sheila.

- They've been waiting for you for about ten minutes.

- Okay. Hey.

- Henry, I gotta talk to you in five minutes, okay?

- Okay.

How about "Her involvement

in prostitution"?

No, no. You gotta couch it

like it's something...

for the FB...

the AG to investigate.

- Hi, Reggie.

- Hi.

Well, how about,

"How embarrassing it is...

- that the... " No, no, no.

- Who...

- What?

- Where's Gilmore?

- Gilmore.

- Um, Idaho? Iowa?

Can I interrupt for one second?

We're all set with America Live.

What are you guys

talking about?

We're just going over

our statement...

in response to

The Washington Post story.

- What story?

- The one that says the secret investigation is ongoing...

to determine whether

she accepted money...

for her activities

in college.

I didn't hear about this.

Well, it's, uh...

It's, um...

It'll be in...

tomorrow afternoon's edition.

Just in time for the congressman

to make his statement...

and just in time for it to stick in

the minds of Americans over the weekend.

Wh... What's the source?

Where'd they get the story?

- Unnamed sources close to the investigation.

- I see.

Al.

- Al!

- Yes?

We can, um... Let's...

Let's dot the I's, cross the T's

on this one later.

All right, thank you.

I, uh...

I think I have some self-righteous

indignation coming my way.

Well, is there any truth

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