The Ides of March Page #5

Just don't need it

and they go away.

We don't have to bomb anyone.

We don't have to invade anyone.

If this is some kind

of f***ing practical

-- I mean --

My f***ing blood pressure's

going through the goddamn roof

right now.

Paul, l'm sorry.

Believe me.

- I just didn't think it was true.

- Oh, it doesn't matter

what you fuking thought!

It matters what you did!

It matters what you didn't do!

- You're right.

- Because if all this sh*t is true

I made a f***ing ass out of myself

in thompson's place,

and l gave away our game plan.

Please believe me.

I honestly believed

you were gonna come back

and tell me we have

Thompson in the bag.

I didn't see the point.

- It doesn't make it right, and I'm sorry.

- Let me think.

Let me think.

If l'm your president,

the first thing l'd put into motion

is 10 years from

the day l take office,

no new car in America is run

on an internal combustion engine.

We will create hundreds

of thousands of new jobs,

we will start the next

technological revolution,

and we will lead the world again,

like we used to.

Get the governor right after

he finishes singing "Kumbaya"

and we give him

everything we know.

- Who do you want?

- You, me and the governor. That's it.

- What's he have after?

- He has a fund-raiser.

Well, he'll be late.

We tell him if he doesn't

offer Thompson the Cabinet position,

he's not gonna get the nomination.

- Is he gonna go for it?

- I don't f***ing know, Stephen!

Find us a room.

How real are the numbers?

We might pick up a few points,

but we lose by 3 or 4 percent.

Who f***ing knows, governor?

But we can't take the chance.

What do you think?

I think we fold up the campaign

in Ohio, take a loss,

blame it on Republicans playing

games, head to North Carolina.

I can't run from Ohio. They'll kill us.

Not if you get Thompson's endorsement.

I'm not gonna do it. What does he want?

Head of the FDA or something?

Cabinet post.

- Yeah, what, labor?

- State.

Are you fukin' kidding me?

I'm gonna give secretary of state

to a guy who wants to cut

the top 10 floors off the U.N.?

Paul, when we started this campaign,

l said I wasn't gonna make those kind of deals.

Governor, if you lose Ohio and they get

Thompson's delegates,

then they get North Carolina,

then they get the lead.

A lead you can't beat.

If we walk from Ohio,

take Thompson,

give him the fukin' Cabinet post,

then we take North Carolina,

his state,

then Pennsylvania, your state,

and then it's simple math, Mike.

Take his endorsement

and the race is over.

Paul, l respect you.

I respect your opinion.

I'm never gonna do it.

So l suggest we find a way

for me to win Ohio.

Anything else?

- lt's not gonna cut it.

- Every car company in north of Ohio.

They've booked every single van

for Tuesday.

F***. Jess, l gotta call you back.

- All of them?

- All of them.

- You're killing me.

- Here's what l got so far.

Independents aren't biting,

but the Republicans are.

They're not gonna tell a pollster

they're voting Democratic.

- I can't find the goddamn polls.

- Alright, I also made a call

and I'm gonna get a hundred vans out of

Convington and Newport, Kentucky.

- We don't need the fuking vans.

- No, no, that's not what I'm saying.

- We don't want Pullman to have the vans.

- We were the underdog before we got into this.

We continue to be

the underdog.

Well, then... Yeah, we always knew

the numbers were gonna get closer

as it get to tuesday.

We're not lowering

expectations.

I mean, have I ever said to you

that we had Ohio locked?

Well then, at least, give me the courtesy

of printing that in your column.

What are you writing?

The greatest speech ever given

on hydrogen power.

The bar is set awfully high

on that one.

Don't l know it.

I was hit up by Mitchell's wife

for you to show up

at her Daughters of

the American Revolution luncheon.

Who's Mitchell?

Congressman from

the First District?

You might wanna

remember that.

F***ing congressman.

Could you imagine doing

this every two years?

No, I can't.

Let's just do it one more time.

Mm-hm.

- In four more years.

- That's it.

It's a deal.

Do you think we'll lose Ohio?

I don't know.

If you took Thompson's delegates,

the race would be over.

Ohio wouldn't matter.

Is Paul working on you?

Stephen.

- They are good.

- Mm.

- Is Thompson so bad?

- He's a sh*t.

- Is he worse than Pullman?

- Yes, Stephen.

Every time I draw a line in the sand

and then I ... I move it.

Fundraisers, union deals,

I wasn't gonna do any of it.

Negative ads.

I can't on this one.

Not Thompson.

Tell Mrs. Mitchell

I'll make her goddamn luncheon.

Let the old ladies

pat me on the head.

- You've got great hair.

- You too, baby.

- Gay marriage.

- It's a silly argument.

- Not to a 50 percent of Americans.

- Over the age of 50.

- That's who votes,

that's who shows up at the polls.

Well, that's changing.

Hopefully, the way we frame

the argument is as well.

- From a religious...?

- From a religious to a civil-rights issue.

But one could argue

a great difference

between gender and race.

Not really, we used to ban

interracial marriages.

Women couldn't vote.

Paul, I have the guy from

Proctor & Gamble.

- Keep an eye on the governor.

- Okay.

- I gotta know what's going on.

- Yeah, yeah, okay.

All right, wait, wait, wait.

She's got a point to make.

Go ahead.

The argument is that

men and women can in fact

be considered separate but equal.

- Races cannot.

- How so?

You have separate public bathrooms

for both men and women,

but it would be illegal to have

separate bathrooms for two races.

- Now.

- Yes, now.

That's what I'm saying.

See, we're framing the argument...

- What time is this thing airing?

- Nine o'clock.

- How'd we do?

- We did good.

Yes, l know, but l tried to reach him,

and l couldn't get through.

- Yeah, just e-mail it to me.

Just e-mail it to me.

- Yeah.

- Then l can give it to him.

Oh, good. So attach that

and send it as an e-mail to me.

Yeah, l missed

my opportunity there.

- Now.

- Yes, now.

We're framing the argument

on the idea

that you choose to be gay,

not that you were born that way,

like being born African-American.

lf you start the discussion

with the idea

that gay is not a life choice

but is actually part of your DNA,

then gay marriage can and must

only be a civil-rights issue.

That's what l believe.

That's where l stand.

Do you think your candor

is your appeal?

Sorry.

F***. lt's not you.

- Molly?

- Hello?

Hey, your phone rang.

- Hm?

- Your phone rang.

It did?

Who's calling you

at 2:
30 in the morning?

I don't know.

Really? Because he asked

for you by name.

- You answered it?

- I thought it was my phone.

Who is it?

I don't know.

Is it one of those interns

drunk-dialing you?

Now, that never happens.

Let me see the number.

- Oh, boy.

- Give me my...

- No. I'm calling him.

- Stephen, stop it.

- It's not funny.

- I'm saying l'm your dad.

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