Truth Page #12

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Dan drinks his coffee. Ready for the fight.

INT. CBS EVENING NEWS -- BROADCAST STUDIO -- EVENING

Dan sits at the anchor desk, delivering the night's broadcast.

DAN:

Those raising questions about the

documents have focused on something

called superscript, a key that

automatically types a raised "th."

IN THE FISHBOWL:

Mary and the others watch on monitors. GRAPHICS of the

documents with Dan's voice-over:

DAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Critics claim typewriters didn't

have that ability in the 1970s. But

some models did.

Shots of a 111th from the Killian Memo and a 111th from an

official memo are shown side by side.

DAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)

In fact, other Bush military records

already released by the White House

itself show the same superscript

here's one from 1968. Some analysts

outside CBS say they believe the

typeface on these memos is New Times

Roman, which they claim was not

available in the 1970s.

(MORE)

73.

DAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)

But the owner of the company that

distributes this typing style says

it has been available since 1931.

Shots of MATLEY looking at the documents and the enlargements

of the signatures.

DAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Document and handwriting examiner

Marcel Matley analyzed the documents

for CBS News. He says he believes

they are real, but is concerned about

exactly what is being examined by

some of the people now questioning

the documents, because deterioration

occurs each time a document is

reproduced. And the documents being

analyzed outside of CBS have been

photocopied, faxed, scanned and

downloaded, and are far removed from

the documents CBS started with.

Shots of Dan and Matley looking at the documents.

DAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Matley did this interview with us

prior to Wednesday's broadcast. He

looked at the documents and the

signatures of Colonel Jerry Killian,

comparing known documents with the

Colonel's signature on the newly

discovered ones.

Cut to Matley, sitting in a chair for the interview.

MARCEL MATLEY:

We look basically at what's called

significant or insignificant features

to determine whether it's the same

person or not. I have no problem

identifying them. I would say based

on our available handwriting evidence,

yes, this is the same person.

VOICE-OVER from Dan:

74.

DAN (V.O.)

Matley finds the signatures to be

some of the most compelling evidence.

We talked to him again today by

satellite.

Dan in the studio, speaking to Matley on a big screen TV.

DAN (CONT'D)

Are you surprised from some of the

questions that comes from these?

We're not, but are you surprised?

MARCEL MATLEY:

I knew going in that this was dynamite

one way or the other. And I knew

that potentially it could do far

more damage to me professionally

than benefit me. But we seek the

truth. That's what we do. You're

supposed to put yourself out, to

seek the truth and take what comes

from it.

INT. CBS EVENING NEWS -- "THE FISHBOWL" -- NIGHT

After the broadcast. Dan pushes through the door and Mary

and Betsy rise to meet him.

DAN:

Told you I had it in me.

BETSY:

I'm calling Andrew right now...

She steps away, dialing her cell. Dan shakes his head.

MARY:

F.E.A.

DAN:

No kidding. What did you think?

MARY:

I think you parked it.

Smith runs up, excited.

SMITH:

Bobby Hodges is on the phone.

75.

INT. DAN'S OFFICE -- NIGHT

Dan at his desk, Mary on his couch. Each with a phone to

their ear. Mary punches through the call.

MARY:

General Hodges, it's Mary Mapes. I

have Dan Rather on the line with me-

GENERAL HODGES (O.S.)

Why is the Washington Post describing

me as your "trump card" in this?

You tell 'em that, Dan?

A beat.

DAN:

I did not, sir.

GENERAL HODGES (O.S.)

It says a highly placed CBS source

referred to me as your trump card-

MARY:

General, that was not me and it was

not Dan-

GENERAL HODGES (O.S.)

Because I'm not. I've seen all the

coverage, and I have to say, I think

the memos are fakes.

MARY:

You-Excuse me?

Dan looks over at Mary -what the hell?

GENERAL HODGES (O.S.)

I do not believe Jerry Killian wrote

those memos.

Mary is frantically going through her notebook.

MARY:

Sir, when we spoke on September 6thI'm

sorry, I'm just going through my

notes- when we spoke, you said the

content of the memos was familiar to

you, is that correct?

76.

GENERAL HODGES (O.S.)

Yes.

MARY:

And that they "reflected Colonel

Killian's mindset at the time".

GENERAL HODGES (O.S.)

They do. But I hadn't physically

seen them-

MARY:

What physically about the memos makes

you now doubt their authenticity?

GENERAL HODGES (O.S.)

Jerry's family says he didn't write

them.

Mary looks like she's about to pop a blood vessel. Dan tries

a different tack.

DAN:

General, the thrust of our story was

about what happened with the

President's guard service. Now if,

as you say, Colonel Killian really

felt this way and the things described

in the memos - pressure from higher

up to get him in and then to give

him breaks is true, we would like to

talk to you about that.

GENERAL HODGES (O.S.)

I'm just telling you I now believe

the memos are forgeries-

DAN:

Forget the memos. Is what we

presented regarding President Bush

accurate?

A beat.

GENERAL HODGES (O.S.)

I don't want to get in the middle of

this.

77.

DAN:

Would you be willing to sit down

with me tomorrow? I can come there-

GENERAL HODGES (O.S.)

I'm sorry. Maybe after the election.

MARY:

General-

GENERAL HODGES (O.S.)

The family says they're fake and I'm

supporting the family. I'm sorry.

CLICK. He's hung up. Silence. And then

MARY:

Sh*t!

INT. ANDREW HEYWARD'S OFFICE -- NIGHT

Thick rugs and leather couches. Mary sits on one. Betsy

working the phones, Josh stands over her. Heyward at his

desk, Gil Schwartz at his side.

ANDREW HEYWARD:

What are we doing about Hodges

recanting?

MARY:

We say we respect General Hodges and

believe him the first time we spoke

with him.

Betsy hangs up the phone. Weary.

BETSY:

ABC is reaching out to two of our

examiners, Emily Will and Linda James.

They say they never authenticated.

MARY:

Of course they didn't. They couldn't.

SCHWARTZ:

Why?

MARY:

Because they're copies!

(MORE)

78.

MARY (CONT'D)

(off their looks)

There's no original ink or paper to

test, so one can say with a hundred

percent certainty they're real or

forgeries. That's why they can attack

us.

Heyward and Schwartz stare at her.

SCHWARTZ:

Jesus Christ...

ANDREW HEYWARD:

But on the internet they are certain,

Mary, and it's killing us.

MARY:

Those are lousy wannabe analysts-

ANDREW HEYWARD:

Then we'll get some lousy analysts

of our own! We are losing this war!

MARY:

Our story was about whether Bush's

connections got him into the Guard

and covered for him when he missed

commitments and every bit of research

we found backs that up! The documents

were just a small part of that, but

they weren't the point of the story-

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