Wag the Dog Page #2

BREAN TAKES A NOTEBOOK OUT OF HIS POCKET, AND LOOKS AT IT.

BREAN:

(AS HE READS FROM HIS NOTEBOOK)

Alright, now, here: he stays on the ground in China

til Tomorrow.

CAIN:

...why?

BREAN:

...you the Press Office?

CAIN:

...Yes.

BREAN:

(SHRUGS)

Earn your money. ...He's ill, the Plane is sick...

CAIN:

(MAKING NOTES)

...Good...

AMES:

When do we bring'em back?

BREAN:

You gotta give me a day. I need a day.

(PAUSE)

He's sick, get it out now. Get him on the phone'n tell

him how sick he is. We got to get it out before the

story breaks, so we aren't quote, responding to it.

Issue is as a bulletin. He's got some rare strain

of...

AMES:

It won't hold.

BREAN:

All I need is the one day.

AMES:

It won't even hold the one day, Ronnie --

BREAN:

Yes -- It will... Now: why is the President in China?

LEVY:

Trade Re1ations.

BREAN:

You're goddamn right. And it's got nothing to do with

the B-2 Bomber.

(PAUSE)

LEVY:

There is no B-2 Bomber,

BREAN:

That's what I'm telling you.

(PAUSE. HE GLANCES AT HIS WATCH.)

The two things:
the two things: Rare strain of flu,

No Cause to Be Alarmed. And the B-2 Bomber...

(TO AIDES)

Clear me a space. Get me a copy, go rob one, get it

off the computer, Wash Post, N.Y. TIMES,

AIDE:

You want some research, flu? Side-effects of medi....

BREAN:

Naw, we can't play this one catch-up. That's how long

since you stopped beating the wife. We have to...

AMES:

We're going to have to explain away the...

BREAN:

They caught him in the closet with a Girlscout. Side-

effects of a pill ain't gone trump that. You have to

keep'em guessing for

(HE GLANCES AT THE CALENDAR)

Two weeks. You don't have to Cure Cancer, Pal, you

just have to give them something more interesting

than...

CAIN:

What's more interesting than boffing the girlscout?

BREAN:

Well, that's what we're doing here...

BREAN IS SUNK IN THOUGHT. AN AIDE STARTS TO SPEAK. AMES SILENCES HIM, BREAN

BECKONS AMES OVER.

BREAN:

(SOTTO)

Gemme twenty thousand dollars....

AMES NODS, AND WAVES AN AIDE OVER AND WHISPERS TO HER.

BREAN:

(CONT.)

And gemme a car.

AMES:

Car and a driver, Mr. Brean, the Westgate, Now,

please...

BREAN:

Okay, look, who's takin' the press conference today?

CAIN:

Is there a press conference today?

BREAN:

What do you think? What I need from you: I need a

base of operations. Some place in the District. I

need some clean money ...

LEVY:

How much...?

AMES GESTURES HIM TO BE QUIET.

BREAN:

And, to hold it together, I need two days. There is no

B-2 Bomber:
here's what you do ahout that: whoever is

leaking stuff to that geek at the Post, lets it slip,

"Geez, I hope this doesn't screw up the B-2 Program..."

"What B-2 Program, and why should it screw it up?" "If

the president moves to deploy the B-2 before it is

fully tested." "Deploy the B-2, Why?" "In the

Crisis."

AMES:

What crisis?

BREAN:

I'm working on it. Same time, you call Billy Scott at

Joint Chiefs, and pour him onna plane right now to

Seattle, y'got that...? All flustered and worried. To

talk to the Boeing people.

AMES:

(TO LEVY)

Do it...

LEVY MOVES TO A TELEPHONE.

BREAN:

(TO CAIN)

And you?

CAIN:

But there isn't a B-2 bomber.

BREAN:

Where'd you go to school, Kid. Wellesly?

CAIN:

Dartmouth

BREAN:

Then show a little spunk. There Is no B-2 Bomber,

General Scott, the best of your knowledge, is not in

Seattle to talk with Boeing...

AMES:

It won't hold.

BREAN:

One day, Two days? Course it's gonna hhhh....

CAMERA TAKES THEM DOWN THE HALL, WHERE WE SEE THE CLEANING PEOPLE, WITH FLOOR

POLISHERS, LOOKING UP AT THE PICTURE OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE GIRLSCOUTS, AND

SNICKERING.

ANGLE:

ON BREAN AND AMES LOOKING ON.

THE CLEANING PEOPLE NOTICE THEY ARE BEING WATCHED AND DISPERSE.

AMES:

It won't hold, Ronnie, it won't prove out.

BREAN:

We don't need it to prove out. We need it to distract

them for two weeks til the election.

AMES:

What would do that...?

HOLD, ON BREAN THINKING.

AMES:

(CONT.)

What in the world would do that?

BREAN:

I'm working on it.

HE TURNS AROUND AND STARES AT THE WALL.

BREAN WALKS TO THE COUNTER WHERE THE COFFEE AND ROLLS ARE STEAMING. ON THE

WALL ARE HUNG TWO WIPE-OFF SLATES. ONE READS "DAYS TO ELECTION 12," THE OTHER

READS "% IN FAVOR 63" BREAN PICKS UP A ROLL, DOWNS A COFFEE, AND STARTS OUT OF

THE DOOR.

ANGLE:

CAMERA TAKES THEM OUT INTO THE HALL.

BREAN LEANS CLOSE TO AMES.

BREAN:

Gimme twenty thousand dollars.

HE STARTS INTO THE HALL, FOLLOWED BY THE ENTOURAGE, AND THE CAMERA.

BREAN:

I'll be back within the hour. Now,

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote