Wag the Dog Page #5

STANLEY MOSS, A SUCCESSFUL LOOKING FELLOW AROUND SIXTY, COMES THROUGH THE

TURNSTILE, ONE OF THE ATTENDANTS BUSTLES AROUND, HANDING HIM TOWELS. WE HOLD

ON THE SECOND ATTENDANT, WHO SCURRIES UP THE STEPS.

SECOND ATTENDANT

...I'll be right back with your juice...

MOSS CALLS AFTER HIM

MOSS:

...with a carrot in it...

AS HE CLEARS THE FRAME, WE SEE, BELOW HIM, MOSS AND THE FIRST ATTENDANT, WHO

IS GESTURING DOWN TOWARD THE POOL AREA, THEY TURN THEIR HEADS.

ANGLE:

DOWN AT THE DESERTED POOL AREA. ONE NANNY TYPE, WITH A YOUNG KID IN

WATERWINGS, FROLICKING IN THE WATER, AND BREAN, AND AMES, WHO ARE SITTING IN

POOL CHAIRS. BREAN RISES, AND WALKS TO GREET MOSS, LEAVING AMES IN THE B.G.

TALKING ON A CELL PHONE.

ANGLE:

ON MOSS AND BREAN, AS MOSS APPROACHES A BIT TENTATIVELY.

MOSS:

Do I know you?

BREAN:

We have some mutual friends in Washington.

INT POOL CABANA, BEV. HILLS HOTEL, DAY. A CURTAIN IS SWEPT ASIDE, AS MOSS

AND BREAN AND AMES ENTER, IN THE B.G. WE SEE THE NANNY AND THE LITTLE KID IN

THE POOL. MOSS AND BREAN ARE TALKING AS THEY ENTER.

MOSS:

And is it true?

AMES:

Waal, Mr. Moss, I wouldn't....

MOSS STARTS STRIPPING OFF HIS CLOTHES, AND CHANGING INTO A SWIMSUIT.

MOSS:

You wouldn't be here if it wasn't true. It's true,

right?

HE SWITCHES ON THE TELEVISION IN THE CABANA. WE SEE A FEMALE TALKING HEAD.

FEMALE TALKING HEAD

Sexual relations with a girl thirteen years old.

THE SCREEN GOES TO THE PHOTO OF THE PRESIDENT WITH THE GIRLSCOUTS.

MOSS TURNS DOWN THE VOLUME. AS HE AND BREAN TALK THE TV SHOWS IMAGES OF THE

PRESIDENT WITH GIRLSCOUTS, AND WITH OTHER YOUTH GROUPS.

MOSS:

And you're here why...?

BREAN:

I'm here, Mr. Moss, because you've shown yourself a

great supporter of the Party.

MOSS:

Party's gonna need more than a couple bucks now.

THE POOL ATTENDANT ENTERS WITH A TRAY ON WHICH IS A GLASS WITH LIQUID AND A

CARROT STICK IN IT, AND A GLASS FULL OF CELERY STICKS.

MOSS:

Back where I come from they call this Romeo in Joliet.

(HE SHAKES HIS HEAD, REACHES ONTO A

SMALL TABLE BEHIND HIM, AND PICKS UP A

BOOK.)

I, I, and y'know, I like the guy... he signed his

book to me....

HE HOLDS THE BOOK TO BREAN, THE CAMERA SEES THE PHOTO OF THE PRESIDENT ON THE

BACK COVER, THE FRONT COVER READS.

".... FOR TWO GENERATIONS TO AGREE."

MOSS LOOKS DOWN AT THE BOOK, AND QUOTES

MOSS:

"For Progress to occur, it is necessary for Two

Generations to Agree...."

HE LOOKS AT THE TELEVISION SCREEN, WHICH SHOWS THE PRESIDENT WITH A YOUNG GIBL

ON HIS LAP.

MOSS:

Oh, jeez, this guy is f***ed.

BREAN:

What one has to do, Mr. Moss. Is to fight a holding

action.

MOSS:

...holding action. THEY'RE GOING TO TEAR THIS GUY TO

Shreds.

BREAN:

If we can hold the break-in-the-dam for ten days, til

the election, we...

MOSS:

Yeah, hut you can't hold the dam. How the hell,

n'nu'n', I don't get what you want me to ...

THE SCREEN CHANGES, WE SEE THE SEAL OF THE PRESIDENT, AND WE ARE IN THE

NEWSROOM OF THE WHITE HOUSE. A SHOT OF THE RESTIVE REPORTERS, IN THE B.G.

OF THE CABANA WE SEE THE POOL ATTENDANT TAKING HIS LEAVE, HURRYING BACK TO

THE OTHER TELEVISION AT THE POOL DESK.

ANNOUNCER:

(VO)

Allegations that the president had sexual... Ah...

here is the deputy ... assistant under secretary...

WE SEE LEVY TAKE THE PODIUM, ARRANGE HIS NOTES, AND CLEAR HIS THROAT.

BREAN LEANS FORWARD, ANXIOUS, IN HIS SEAT.

MOSS:

I don't ... they're gonna tear this guy to shreds...

LEVY:

(ON TV)

...the illness of the President, which we are assured,

is not serious. I repeat, it is not serious, the

doctors suspect it's a stomach flu, but have advised

him not to fly. He will remain, on the ground, in

China for, they estimate, one or two days, I stress

that, during this time he will, of...

MOSS:

...he's gotta come back sometime, what the hell is two

days gonna buy him.

LEVY:

(VO)

Any questions....Mr. Sklansky, Yes...

MOSS:

(AS HE LEANS CLOSER TO THE TV)

... twelve year old girl... Breir Rabbit couldh t gut

outta this...

ANGLE, ON BREAN AS HE LOOKS AT MOSS, LEANING INTO THE TV. HE THEN

SWITCHES HIS GLANCE TOWARD THE POOL DESK, ANGLE HIS POV. AT THE POOL DESK

WE SEE THE TWO ATTENDANTS, THE NANNY, THE KID AND SEVERAL NEWLY ARRIVED

BATHERS CLUSTERED, RAPT, AROUND THE TELEVISION.

LEVY:

(C) (VO)

Yes...?

SKLANSKY:

(VO)

Mr. Levy...

LEVY:

(VO)

Yes

SKLANSKY:

Would you comment on the rumors... on the rumors that

the President's trip, that the President's delay... is

due to the situation in Albania?

ANGLE:

ON THE TELEVISION WE SEE SKLANSKY, AND SEE THAT HE IS THE CHAP IN THE

BATHROBE WHOM BREAN GAVE THE ENVELOPE TO.

LEVY:

There, uh, I'm not aware of the situation to which you

refer.

SKLANSKY:

Sir:
the heads of the Albanian Desks at C.I.A., and at

the National Security agency have been recalled on

Special Alert, and there are rumors that the B-2

Bomber...

LEVY:

Mr. Sklansky, Mr. Sklansky, I am I am unaware of any,

um, "situation..." The B-2 Bomber?

(PAUSE)

The B-2 Bomber...? There is no B-2 Bomber. Mrs.

Rose...

A WOMAN REPORTER STANDS.

MRS. ROSE

Mr. Levy, early this morning Major General William

Scott flew to Seattle. Is his trip connected with the

B-2 Bomber?

LEVY:

Uh...Mrs. Rose, there, to the best of my knowledge,

there is no...

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