The Distinguished Gentleman Page #22

DODGE:

But I've... I've... I've done

nothing new, nothing at all -- whatare you talking about?

TOMMY:

You're right -- integrity isn't newto you, Mr. Chairman, it's second

nature to you. Still it's a rare

public servant who'll take on thespecial interest money, take on thePACs -

ANDERSEN, wary, senses danger.

TOMMY (O.S.)

take on the lobbyists and fat cats -

CELIA is fascinated.

(CONTINUED)

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TOMMY (O.S.)

... and who'll stand up instead forordinary American citizens...

ON ELLEN AND MICKEY JUBA

TOMMY (O.S.)

... the plain people who just wantpeace of mind -- who just want toknow they're raising their kids insafe neighborhoods and sending themto safe schools.

ON THE DAIS Dodge wants to wrap this up.

TOMMY:

Yes, courage, Mr. Chairman, is aquality that you have in abundance -

DODGE:

Well, yes, thank you, but we have tomove along, if the gentleman would -

TOMMY:

(undeterred)

Ladies and gentlemen, yesterday, theChairman and I had a meeting in hisoffice with Olaf Andersen of Gulf

Coast Power, and his lobbyist,

Mr. Tommy O'Connor -

(indicating)

these gentlemen here. Chairman

Dodge and I listened in astonishmentas Olaf Andersen offered us seven

figures -- that's one milliondollars, ladies and gentlemen.

A BUZZ in the room. O'CONNOR leans forward to Andersen.

O'CONNOR

Dodge double-crossed us.

ANDERSEN:

You're fired.

ON TOMMY:

TOMMY:

One million dollars, if we would

stop the EPA from investigating theconnection between power lines andcancer clusters.

(CONTINUED)

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Shocked MURMURS sweep the room. REINHARDT is aghast.

HOMER and ARMANDO are delighted.

TOMMY:

Isn't that right, Mr. Andersen?

Tommy flicks his eyebrows at Andersen, provocatively,

imitating Dodge.

ANDERSEN:

That's a vicious lie.

Dodge GAVELS sharply, turns to Tommy.

DODGE:

Will the gentleman yield?

ANDERSEN:

That's not possible! You can't

give anyone that kind of money!

Dodge continues GAVELING.

TOMMY:

Oh, yes, you can. As Mr. O'Connor

said to you, quote: "If that's

what you want, we can always finda loophole. No one will know."

Remember saying that, Tommy?

O'CONNOR

I do not!

DODGE:

(standing)

I insist that the gentlemen yield!

Tommy also stands, and produces a video tape.

TOMMY:

You can't deny it, Mr. Andersen! We

have the whole thing on this tape!

The room erupts. THE PRESS loves it. Still cameras CLICK

and WHIR. DODGE despairs. REINHARDT puts his hand overhis face.

TOMMY:

Yesterday, at Chairman Dodge'scourageous suggestion, I taped thewhole conversation. It's all there.

Mr. Chairman, I thank you. The

people thank you. America thanks you.

(CONTINUED)

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AUDIENCE APPLAUDS DODGE. The clapping is considerablysweetened by the Panthers and the rest of Tommy's claque.

DODGE gauges their reaction, gets an inspiration. The

storm leaves his face, and becomes a smile, which he

beams on Tommy.

DODGE:

I thank the distinguished gentleman.

And I thank my fellow citizens. Our

methods in this investigation mayhave been unorthodox, but together -

(indignant, at Andersen)

we have exposed a canker at the veryheart of democracy.

APPLAUSE. Tommy is amazed at Dodge's survival skills.

REINHARDT, delighted at the turn, claps heartily.

ANDERSEN, livid, leaps up and shouts at Dodge.

ANDERSEN:

You bastard! You set me up!

DODGE:

Witness is out of order!

ANDERSEN:

You stood to make a million bucks

off of me! Who offered you more?

I want to know!

A new BUZZ sweeps the room. O'Connor tries to restrain

Andersen, who sloughs him off.

ANDERSEN:

You're as big a whore as he is!

MICKEY JUBA catches Tommy's eye and mouths a question.

MICKEY:

Now?

Tommy shakes his head: no.

161 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY 161

The phone by Eli Marshall's bed RINGS. He answers.

MARSHALL:

Hello? No. You're joking.

(to Man in next bed)

You mind if I put on C-span?

THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN - Rev. 4/3/92 116.

162 INT. POWER AND ENTERPRISE COMMITTEE - DAY 162

ANDERSEN:

There's no loyalty any more, isthere, Dick? What about the three

hundred grand you squeezed from mefor that goddam voter registrationfront of yours -- that just waterunder the bridge?

O'Connor tries again to restrain him.

ANDERSEN:

Don't touch me, you scum!

MICKEY JUBA mouths:

MICKEY:

Now?

Tommy shakes his head again. No.

ANDERSEN:

What about the two hundred k for

your phony foundation, Dick?

How about the ten thousand copiesif your goddam autobiography youmuscled me to buy -- what's allthat, ancient history?

Andersen advances toward the dais, pointing now to six orseven other Members of the Committee among the total of

28.

ANDERSEN:

And you -- what about those bundledchecks from my executives? I gaveyou my condo in Vail! I gave you mycorporate jet to fly all over theworld! I gave your kids summer jobs!

I put up scholarships to put yourkids through college! I hired yourgoddam wife to redecorate my office!

You telling me none of that countsfor anything?

Andersen grabs Dodge by the throat.

ANDERSEN:

I thought you people were for sale!

I was wrong -- you're just for rent!

Dodge struggles free of Andersen, who is dragged away fromDodge by Capitol Police.

(CONTINUED)

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DODGE:

How dare you impugn my integrity!

Everything I've done has beencompletely legal!

TOMMY:

(acting astonished)

Mr. Chairman! You mean to say youdid all that stuff? You took all

that money?

Shock in the room. Some BOOS. IOWA does a nice HOG

CALL. TJ sends a little wave and smile to Celia.

DODGE:

There's nothing I've done that -(

indicating other Members)

-- that these gentlemen haven't done!

Committee Members rush to dissociate themselves from

Dodge.

MEMBERS:

No!... Not me!... Just him!... I

never!... He crossed the line!

ANDERSEN:

They're whores! All of them!

MICKEY JUBA tries again.

MICKEY:

Now?

TJ nods yes.

MICKEY:

Throw the bums out!

LAUGHTER and APPLAUSE. She's touched a nerve. TJ leapsinto the moment.

TJ:

Damn straight! Throw the bums out!

This place is an outhouse!

ON THE PUBLIC. GASPS, WHOOPS, and APPLAUSE. Reinhardt

sinks lower and lower into his seat.

VOICES:

(calling)

Throw the bums out! Throw the bums

out!

(CONTINUED)

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Tommy, enjoying the triumph, can't help rubbing Dodge's nosein it.

TOMMY:

I owed you one.

Dodge wheels on Tommy, exploding.

DODGE:

You lowlife hustler! Who are youto talk? You got into this Housethrough fraud. You think I didn't

check up on you?

He pulls a piece of paper from the pile at his place.

DODGE:

Ladies and gentlemen, I have heresome rather startling revelationsabout this Mr. Johnson before you.

This man is nothing but a con man!

A fresh BUZZ from the room.

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