The Post Page #5

---

My God, the fun.

Rand Corporation.

Harry Rowan, please.

This is Harry.

Harry, it's Ben Bagdikian.

You think someone's

bugging your phone?

I think someone might

be bugging yours.

Why would someone

bug my phone?

If I thought the McNamara

study had leaked from Rand,

I'd bug the phone of

the president of Rand.

It's a DOD study.

A copy of which was sent

to Rand for safekeeping.

Two copies,

if I'm not mistaken.

Jesus Christ, Ben, that

leak didn't come from us.

You sure about that?

Look, in my experience,

guys who want stuff like this out

there and have the guts to do it,

they're a particular type--

they've got conscience

and conviction

but they've also got

ego.

Now, there's a guy

that we both know.

Okay? He was there

the same time as I was.

He left right after.

You know who I'm

talkin' about, right?

Isn't he the first

guy you thought of

when you saw the

article in The Times?

Okay, look, I gotta go.

Mr. and Mrs. Rosenthal.

-Oh, yes, I see.

-You're welcome.

Hi.

-Ah.

-Sweets.

I'm just going to

apologize in advance.

Great to see you.

I'm no fun at all, Abe.

-I'm just so nervous about

-Huh?

tomorrow at the Stock Exchange,

I have to make a big speech...

-No, no, no, no.

-I'm so happy for you.

No, going public is a

good move for The Post.

Maybe you can even

think about expanding,

try to be more of

a national paper.

I wish Abe would

let me buy shares.

Ah, that's against

company policy, but

if your nervous and

need distraction, I--

I do happen to have a

copy of today's Times.

-Oh!

-Abe!

Unless you read it already.

You awful man,

you really are.

Can we get you

something to drink?

Bundy argues for

sustained bombing.

He thinks it'll turn the tide.

This is February of '65.

Yeah, 'cause by April,

they realize it's not gonna cut it.

And LBJ sends two battalions.

-Great stuff.

-And get this--

He changes the mission

from base security

-to active combat.

-My God.

It's a huge shift.

He's widening the war.

But he insists on secrecy.

The American people

are not to be told.

Okay, so this is the real deal.

So how long till you

can write it up?

I can have it for Thursday.

Well, what if we pretend you

were a poet and not a novelist?

I...I suppose I could pull something

together by tomorrow night.

Okay, we can run

it on Wednesday.

Just go through all

the research you want

but so help me God if we

don't have these pages

by tomorrow night,

we might as well...

Too late.

-What?

-The Times already has it.

Well of course they have it.

"President Johnson decided

on April 1st, 1965

-"that American ground forces

-Of course The Times have it.

-"were taking offensive

-written by Neil Sheehan.

"because a month of bombing--"

You know, Sheehan's a bastard--

he's been a bastard for years.

Mr. President, the Attorney

General's called a couple of times

about these New

York Times stories.

You mean to prosecute

The Times?

Hell, my view is to prosecute

the goddamn pricks

that gave it to him.

If you can find out

who that is.

Yeah, I know.

I mean, could The

Times be prosecuted?

Apparently so.

As far as The Times

is concerned,

hell, they're our enemies,

I think we just ought to do it.

Son of a b*tch.

Abe Rosenthal.

Oh, good evening.

Your table is

right over there, sir.

On no uncertain terms

not to publish.

Only after Scotty Redstein

threatened to publish

in the Vineyard Gazette

did Punch decide to print.

Wouldn't have had

quite the same impact.

Jimmy.

We've been asked

to refrain from

further publication

by the Attorney General.

Nixon's taking us to court?

Kay, I'm sorry, I uh...

Oh, no.

Gosh.

Why don't I go get the check?

No, sit tight, don't argue with,

be right back.

Mr. Rosenthal had to

leave on business.

Certainly, we'll put it on his tab.

No, no, I'll take the bill, but

could I trouble you

to use your telephone?

But of course, madame.

There's a fella

I overlap with at Rand

he was a bit of a showboat

but smart.

And he worked for McNamara

and he had opinions

on the decision-making

that went into Vietnam.

-Okay.

-Word is

he doved

pretty hard.

Would he have access

to the study?

Pretty sure Rand had a copy.

No sh*t. All right, well,

can you find him?

Thought maybe I'd try.

I've got Mrs.

Graham on the line.

Katharine!

Hey, listen, I've--

-I've got tomorrow's headlines.

-Ah.

Christ, okay, again.

John Mitchell

contacted The Times,

seems the President's going

to seek an injunction

No sh*t!

This means we're in

the goddamn ballgame.

Because if The Times

get shut down...

If they get shut down,

there is no ballgame.

Ballgame's over.

But Katharine, any-anybody

would kill to have a crack at this.

Well, sure, but not if

it means breaking the law.

If a federal judge stops

The Times from publishing,

well, I don't see how

we could publish--

even if we could get

hold of a copy.

So.

Ben?

You have something?

No.

Okay, so then there's nothing

to talk about, really.

No. Nothing to talk

about at all, but uh...

But thank you for the tip,

Mrs. uh, Graham.

What are you still doing here?

Hi.

-How are you, Kay?

-Hi, everyone. Good to see you.

Hello?

Yeah, I'm looking for Dan Ellsberg.

He doesn't work here anymore.

Do you know where he is now?

No, I don't. Who's this?

Thank you.

And it is my great privilege

to welcome

The Washington Post Company

to the

American Stock Exchange!

More than a privilege,

Mrs. Graham,

this is a real honor.

Hello, this is John's.

Yeah, I'm looking

for Dan Ellsberg.

You got the wrong number.

Go check off this day.

Gentlemen.

Thank you all for helping make

The Washington Post

a more robust company.

Center for

International Studies.

Yeah, I'm looking

for Dan Ellsberg.

He's not here.

But he still works there?

Yes.

Can I take a message?

Uh, tell him

Ben Bagdikian called.

Congratulations.

Guys, why don't we get

together for a photograph?

That's a good idea.

Here we go.

Smile, Kay!

What is it?

You just bought a

share of The Post!

I know, I'm so happy!

1.35 million shares

at 24.50 a share.

I believe this will not

only make The Post solvent,

but stronger than

it ever has been.

-To The Post!

-The Post!

He said to call

from a secure phone.

Mm-hmm.

I hear Kennedy said Phil Graham

was the smartest man he ever met.

For Kay's father to hand her

husband the company,

it says something about the guy.

Ben!

You thought it said

something about the time.

-Turn it up.

-Good evening.

The New York Times

late today was barred

at least until Saturday

from publishing any more

classified documents

dealing with the

cause and conduct

of the Vietnam war.

The Times, true to its word,

said it would abide by the

decision of federal judge

Murray Gurfein

but will resist a

permanent injunction

at a hearing Friday.

The Nixon administration

had charged

that the final two parts

of The Times' series

would result in

irreparable injury to the

Rate this script:4.6 / 9 votes