The Post Page #8

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and he'll crush you.

I know, he's just awful, but I--

He's a--Nixon's a son of a b*tch!

He hates you, he hates Ben.

He's wanted to ruin

the paper for years.

And you will not get

a second chance, Kay.

The Richard Nixon I know

will muster the full

power of the presidency.

And if there's a way

to destroy your paper,

by God, he'll find it!

-Publish information that harms

-I told you

-national security.

-there' nothing in there.

If there is, the paper

will be prosecuted.

Isn't that why you're here?

Yes, Ben, but if we lose--

Oh, with what we pay you,

you really shouldn't lose.

Ben, you need

to listen to them.

Hey, Fritz, good to see you.

This is about the

future of the company.

-and ensuring there is one.

-Oh, that's a little melodramatic,

-don't you think?

-Melodramatic.

You're talking about exposing

years of government secrets.

I can't imagine they're

gonna take that lightly.

You could jeopardize

the public offering.

You could jeopardize our

television stations.

You know a felon can't

hold a broadcast license.

You think I give two shits

about the television stations?

You should, they make a hell of

a lot more money than you do.

And without that revenue,

we'd be forced to sell.

If the government wins

and we're convicted,

the Washington Post as we

know it will cease to exist.

Well, if we live in-

in a world where

the government could tell us

what we can and cannot print,

then the Washington Post

as we know it

has already ceased to exist.

What if we wait?

What if we hold off

on printing today?

And instead we call

the Attorney General

and we tell him that we

intend to print on Sunday.

That way, we give them and

us time to figure out

the legality of all of it,

while the court in New York

decides The Times case.

You're suggesting we alert

the Attorney General

to the fact that we

have these documents

that we're going to print

in a few days.

Well, yes, that is the...idea.

Yeah, well,

outside of landing the

Hindenburg in a lightning storm,

that's about the shittiest

idea I've ever heard.

Oh, boy.

Oh, here's the man of the hour.

Ah, I'm found.

Thank you, Kay, you didn't have

to got through all this trouble.

We had to turn him away

at the door, didn't we, dear.

-Oh, Gene.

-Mrs. Graham.

So, everything okay?

Uh, it's gotten pretty

hot over at Ben's house.

Oh, things are not going well?

No, Ben and Mr. Beebe

are real loggerheads.

Fritz and Ben on opposite sides?

I made a commitment

to publish these papers.

Yes, and if you would tell us who

you made that commitment to...

-Enjoying the fight?

-Yeah, who's winning?

Nixon.

I didn't see him come in.

Really? He's got his hand

so far up Fritz' ass.

Where is Fritz?

That--

That--not in so many words, but

you're a bunch of lawyers.

If we're not gonna publish,

why are we busting

our rear ends, Ben?

Keep writing.

And uh, what, could--

Could you stop

playing chopsticks?

What's up there, Fritz?

Calling Kay.

I'm sorry, Ben.

I know you want this.

There'll be another one.

Like hell there will be.

Uh, hello, hello, I'm

making a telephone call.

Yeah, well, it's my house

-so I-I'll be on the call.

-All right, Ben.

I just want to-

to thank you all

for coming out this evening

to help me launch

Harry Gladstein and his

new sailboat into the...

Chesapeake Bay.

And into his very

well-earned retirement.

Let me just tell

you a little bit

about why I'm so

wild about Harry.

Mrs. Graham, it's

Mr. Beebe on the phone.

In uh, 1949, wasn't it?

Uh, Phil Graham first brought

Harry to the company.

-I'm afraid they need you now

-And I remember he told me.

Mrs. Graham.

They're now--

Uh, oh, dear.

I'm so sorry.

Forgive me, Harry.

I think I'll have to suspend.

Well, you're paying

the overtime.

Be right back.

We should wait.

Yeah, I understand, Ben,

but if you wait a day...

Fritz on the phone for me?

We should be on this call.

Well, there's an extension

in the living room.

Liz, show them where,

please, thank you.

-Hello, Fritz?

-Hello, Kay.

Would you like me

to catch you up?

I say we can, he says we can't.

There, you're caught up.

-Ben?

-Hello, it's Art.

Uh, Ben, there are concerns here

that are frankly above

your pay grade.

Well, there's a few above yours.

Like f***ing freedom

of the press.

Let's just be civil if we can.

Do you think Nixon is

going to be civil?

He is trying to censor the

goddamn New York Times.

Yes, The Times, not The Post.

It's the same damn thing!

This is an historic fight.

If they lose, we lose.

Hello, is someone on the phone?

This is Phil.

Is that Phil Geyelin?

Uh, yes, Mrs. Graham.

Good, I'd like you to

weigh in if you would.

because I-I want to know what

staff is feeling about this.

Uh, well, frankly, Mrs. Graham,

Ben Bagdikian and Chal Roberts

have uh, both threatened to resign.

If we don't publish, that is.

Come on, Kay,

what do you expect?

You've got nothing to lose.

Due respect, we all

have everything to lose

if we don't publish

What will happen to the

reputation of this paper?

Everyone will find out

we had the study.

Hell, I bet half the

town knows already.

What will it look like

if we sit on our asses?

It'll look like we were prudent.

It will look like

we were afraid.

We will lose. The country will lose.

Nixon wins.

Nixon wins this one,

and the next one.

And all the ones after that

because we were scared.

Because the only way to assert

the right to publish is to publish.

Fritz, i-is Fritz-Fritz there?

Fritz are you on?

I'm here, Kay.

W-What do you think?

W-What do you think I should do?

I think...

there are arguments

on both sides.

But I guess I wouldn't publish.

Let's-Let's go.

Let's-Let's do it.

Let's-Let's--

Let's go, let's go, let's go. Let's--

Let's publish.

-What?

-Phil?

-What?

-What'd she say?

We go.

She says we publish.

-Hot damn.

-My God.

-Holy sh*t.

-Let's get this out.

Holy sh*t.

-I need that, Meg.

-Oh, sorry.

W-W-Wait,

-I need the notes.

-Sorry, sorry.

We got uh,

two hours to get it to the...

I got it, hold on.

-W-W-Wait, who' takin' it?

-I got it.

All right, call uh national desk,

tell 'em Bagdikian's coming with us.

Done!

All right, get it in the paper.

Editorial meeting.

-Ben.

-Yes.

-That it?

-That's it.

You, you got half an hour.

I'm uh, I'm not sure

how much thought

you put into this decision,

but we still have time.

The print deadline's

not till midnight.

I know when

the print deadline is.

Look, I'm still, uh,

learning how to do this,

but everything I know

about business tells me

you're making a

serious mistake here.

One that will cost you

and your paper dearly.

And hurt every person

gathered here,

not to mention the hundreds

of others who work for you.

I'm just trying to put

my thoughts together.

Kay, all I want is-is what is

best for you and your business.

But I just got off the phone

with a couple of bankers,

and they think it's

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