Original subtitles

?? [Upbeat]

??

I just don't understand it, Bob.

I mean, I've logged a lot of miles,

I've followed the sales textbook by the letter.

I mean, I've applied myself diligently.

I mean, I try and I try...

and l just cannot get in the door.

- I mean, whatam I doin'wrong? - Earl. Sit down.

Sure, you've got a great product,

but you have to remember what you're really selling: Yourself.

So it's not necessarily what I say as how I say it?

That's right, Earl. A good salesman can sell anything.

And I remember when you were a good salesman...

at the beginning.

But something seems to have changed.

Now, I don'twant to pry, but is everything all right at home?

Everything's all right with Margie, right?

- Will there be anything else, gentlemen? - Leave it.

- Just leave it. - Yes, sir. Thank you.

- Thanks. - [Man On Film] I watched you...

walking back and forth in front of my desk in an agitated manner,

smoking a cigarette without having asked if you could smoke in my presence...

- [Men Talking] - 01.'21, Mark.

Okay, listen up. Fire team discipline in there at all times.

Keep your radios on atall times during the entire penetration.

Check yourselves. False I.D. S?

- Jim. - No wallets, no keys?

We rendezvous where? The Watergate, room 214.

When? At0300 hours.

Jawohl, mein "fartenfuhrer."

I swearto God, Frank, I'm gonna make you a new asshole.

- Let's getthe fuck outof here. - Years of clean living are over.

If anything goes wrong, justsit tight You'll hearfrom me or Howard.

Personally, ifanything goes wrong...

I'll be calling the president ofthe United States.

[Earl On Film] I'm not gonna be just a good salesman.

- I'm gonna be a greatsalesman. - That's the spirit.

Thanks.

And remember, Earl: Always look'em in the eye.

Nothing sells like sincerity.

[Newscaster#1] Five men wearing white surgical gloves, business suits...

and carrying camera and electronic surveillance equipment...

were arrested early today in the headquarters...

ofthe Democratic National Committee...

in Washington.

They were unarmed.

Nobody knows yetwhy they were there orwhat they were looking for.

[Thunder Rumbling]

[Guard] Good evening, General Haig.

Good evening, sir.

[Male Newscaster#2] JudgeJohn Sirica today...

sentenced the Watergate burglars to terms ranging up to 40 years.

The White House continues to deny any in volvement.

[Male Newscaster#1] Presidential counselJohn Dean...

testified before the Senate Watergate committee...

that the scandal reaches to the highest levels.

[Female Newscaster#1] Presidential aides Haldeman and Ehrlichman...

were ordered to resign today.

In a stunning announcement, White House aide Alexander Butterfield...

revealed the existence of a secret taping system.

[Male Newscaster#1] Vice President Agnew resigned today...

after pleading no contest to a charge ofincome tax evasion.

[Female Newscaster#1] The president has fired...

the Watergate special prosecutor, Archibald Cox,

provoking the greatest constitutional crisis in American history.

[Male Newscaster#1] On Capitol Hill today,

eight resolutions calling for the impeachment ofthe president...

were referred to the judiciary committee by the House of Representatives.

[Female Newscaster#3] Itwas disclosed toJudge Sirica...

that there is an 18-and-a-halfminute gap...

in theJune 20, 1972 taped conversation...

between the president and Bob Haldeman.

Reactions ofshock and angerare coming from all sectors ofthe nation.

[Male Newscaster#1]JudgeJohn Sirica has ordered the president...

to turn over his tapes to special prosecutor LeonJaworski.

The tapes contain conversations between the president and his aides...

and are believed to include discussions ofthe Watergate scandal.

The White House has notyet responded toJudge Sirica's order,

and it is notyet known whetherthe presidentwill comply.

- ?? [Clarinet] - [Knock On Door]

[Man] Yeah.

?? [Continues.' Singer]

??

These are the tapes you requested, Mr. President.

Okay.

Cocksucker!

Nixon's never been good with these things, AI.

I'll take care ofit, sir.

Do you mind, sir?

Oh.

- Sorry. - Okay. Go on.

[Pills Rattle]

You know, AI,

if Hooverwere alive,

these tapes would never have gotten out.

[Chuckles] I wantthe little shit back.

- [Laughs] Mr. Hooverwas a realist. - Yeah.

Not like the others.

Dean, McCord, the rest.

We never gotour side ofthe story out, AI.

People have forgotten.

Such violence.

The teargassing; the riots;

burning the draft cards;

the... black panthers.

We fixed it, AI, and they hate me for it.

'Cause it's Nixon.

They always hated Nixon.

You're all set, sir.

- Okay. - Good night, Mr. President.

Good night, AI.

Hey, AI.

Men in your profession...

give 'em a pistol and then leave the room.

I don't have a pistol, Al.

- [Audio: Tape Rewinding] - Oh. Goddamn it.

- [Clicking] - "Pause."

"Start."

[Nixon On Tape] They did what?

[Haldeman] Evidently to install bugs and photograph documents.

Itwas a fishing expedition. Itwas theirfourth attemptatthe D.N.C.

[Nixon] O'Brien doesn't even use that office.

[Haldeman] It's possible theywere looking for evidence...

of an illegal Howard Hughes donation to the Democrats.

The Democrats could make an issue of your Hughes money.

[Nixon] Itwas a legal contribution.

It's not clearthe burglars even knew what they were looking for.

They were headed for McGovern's office laterthatsame night.

- Did Mitchell know aboutthis? - I don't know.

Mitchell's outof his mind right now. Martha put her head through a window.

[Laughs] Jesus. Through a window?

Yeah, they're taking herto Bellevue. Maybe she'll stay this time.

Martha's an idiot. She'll do anything to get Mitchell's attention.

If Mitchell had been minding the store instead ofthat nut Martha,

we wouldn't have this kid MacGruder running some third-rate burglary.

We feel the bigger concern is Gordon Liddy.

- Liddy? Thatfruitcake? Whatabout him? - That's just it, sir.

He is a nut.

He used to work here with the plumbers, turns up running this Watergate caper.

Remember his plan to firebomb Brookings using Cubans as firemen?

- What's Liddy got? - He was using some campaign cash...

thatwas laundered for us through Mexico; the F.B.I.'s onto it.

We could have a problem with that.

Butthat's justa campaign finance violation.

So, if... Yeah, if Liddy takes the rap forWatergate,

we can take care ofhim and that lets us offithe hook.

I don't have time for all this shit. Just handle it, Bob.

Keep itoutofthe White House. I gotta see Kissinger.

He's throwing a tantrum, threatening to quit. Again.

Whatelse?

Well, sir, uh,

one ofthe people implicated is still on the White House payroll.

Who? Notanother goddamn Cuban.

Uh, no, sir. Aguy named Hunt.

Howard Hunt, sir.

Hunt? Howard Hunt?

Dumb bastard left his White House phone number in his hotel room.

[Haldeman] He works forColson.

He used him on the Pentagon papers.

This guy dumped his wiretapping stuff into his White House safe.

We're trying to figure outwhen he stopped being a White House consultant.

Howard Hunt is working forthe White House?

Jesus Christ.

This is goddamn Disneyland. Since when?

[Ehrlichman] Since Chappaquiddick. He wanted dirton Kennedy.

- Colson brought him in. - You know Hunt, sir?

Yeah, on the list of horribles.

I knowwhat he is and I know what he tracks back to.

- He was involved in the plumbers? - [Haldeman] Oh, definitely.

Colson had him break into Bremer's apartment after Bremershot Wallace...

to plant McGovern's campaign literature.

- [Gunshots] - [Woman Screaming]

I had nothing to do with that.

- He was in this Ellsberg thing too? - Yes. You approved it, sir.

I did?

Itwas rightafter the Pentagon papers broke.

Theywent in to get his psychiatric records. We were working on China.

Fuck.

Out!

- [ShutterClicking] - Whatthe fuck?

You're notsupposed to take pictures of me! Take pictures ofthe files!

Give me thatfucking film!

Howard Hunt.

Jesus Christ.

You open up thatscab, you'll uncover a lotof pus.

What do you mean?

- Where's Hunt now? - [Haldeman] He's in hiding.

He sent Liddy in to talk to Dean.

- And? - He wants money.

Then pay him.

I told him to getoutofthe country. It's crazy to starta relationship...

Whatthe hell are you doing, John, screwing with the C.I. A?

I don'tcare howmuch he wants. Just pay him.

Whatare we paying him for, sir?

Silence.

[Haldeman] But, sir, you're covered.

It's only this Ellsberg thing,

and ifthatcomes out, it's national security.

I saywe cutourselves loose from these clowns, and that's all there is to it.

No, it's more than that. I want Hunt paid.

We've never done that before, sir. How do we do it?

We should set up a Cuban defense fund on this and take care of all of'em.

- Should we talk to Trini about paying? - No, keep Trini out ofthis.

And for God's sake, keep Colson out.

It's time to baptize ouryoung counsel here, Mr. Dean.

That meansJohn can nevertalk about it. Attorney-client privilege.

- So getto it. - Uh-huh.

- John, you stay close to this, okay? - Don'tworry, sir.

Good.

[Sighs]

Okay.

Did I approve the Ellsberg thing? Huh?

You know, I'm glad we tape all these conversations, but...

I never approved the break-in atthe Ellsbergs'.

Oh, maybe I approved it afterthe fact.

Somedaywe gotta start transcribing these tapes.

You approved that before the fact because I wentover itwith you. But l...

- But no one's gonna see these tapes. - That's right.

And it's really more of a problem for Ehrlichman.

He's the one who fixed Hunt up with the phony C.I.A. I.D.s.

Butwhatelse does Hunt have on us?

We gotta turn off the F.B.I., Bob.

You go to the C.I.A. And tell Helms that Hunt is blackmailing the president.

Tell him Huntand his Cuban friends knowtoo damn much,

and if he goes public... if Hunt goes public...

itwill be a fiasco forthe C.I.A.

- He'll knowwhat I'm talking about. - All right.

Play ittough. That's the way they play it, and the waywe're gonna play it.

Don't lie to Helms and say there's no involvement.

Justsay this is a... comedy of errors... bizarre... without getting into it.

And, uh...

Say the president believes it's gonna open up the whole Bay of Pigs again.

And tell Helms he should call the F.B.I., call Pat Gray...

and say thatwe wish, forthe sake ofthe country,

that, uh, don't go any further into this... hanky-panky, period.

Bay of Pigs?

Thatwas Kennedy's screw-up. Whywould thatthreaten us?

Just do what I say, Bob.

[Haldeman On Tape] The only problem with that, sir...

It does get us into obstruction of justice.

It's got nothing to do with justice, Bob. It's national security.

[Haldeman] How is this national security?

[Nixon] The presidentsays it is.

Now, this isn't a moral issue, Bob.

My job is to protect this country from its enemies,

and its enemies are inside the walls.

We gotta keep our enemies at bay...

orourwhole program goes down the tubes.

Uh, Vietnam, China, the Soviet Union.

When you look at the big picture, Bob,

- damn. - We end up doing good in this world.

So let's notscrew it up with a shit-ass, third-rate burglary.

[Haldeman] Whatshould I tell Zieglerto tell the press?

Tell'em whatwe always tell'em.' Anything but the goddamn truth.

- [Tape.'Nixon Laughing] - Fuck!

Say the president believes it's gonna open up the whole Bay of Pigs again.

- Putme in this position... - [Haldeman] Bay of Pigs?

- Expose me like this. - Why would that threaten us?

Why don'tthey justfucking shootme?

[John F. Kennedy] In the election of 1860,

Abraham Lincoln said the question was whetherthis nation could exist...

half-slave or half-free.

In the election of 1960 and with the world around us,

the question is whetherthe world will exist half-slave or half-free.

And I think, in the final analysis,

it depends upon whatwe do here in the United States.

- It's time America started moving again. - [Applause]

[Moderator] Mr. Nixon?

When itcomes to experience,

through the years I have sat on the National Security Council;

I have been in the cabinet; I have met with the legislative leaders...

- Aaah! - [Men Murmuring]

Relax, everybody, relax.

I've had discussions with 35 presidents, 9 prime ministers,

two emperors and the Shah of Iran.

Jesus Christ. Has he told them howmany push-ups he can do yet?

Let's take hydroelectric power.

- What the hell happened to him? - He just got out ofthe hospital.

He hasn'ttaken one hour off during this campaign, thanks to you.

When we consider the lineup ofthe world,

we find there are 590 million people on our side,

800 million people on the Communistside...

- Shoulda slapped makeup on him. - It's nota beauty contest.

- We'd better hope not. - And 600 million people are neutral.

Whatare you doing to him, Murray? Look at him. He's notwell.

- He doesn't have to debate Kennedy. - The odds are 5-3 against us.

- When itcomes to politics... - He can win without doing this.

[Moderator] Senator Kennedy, you have one minute fora rebuttal.

Castro is only the beginning of our difficulties throughout Latin America.

Oh, shit, he's gonna do it. Here itcomes.

We have seen Cuba go to the Communists.

Eight jet minutes from the coast of Florida.

We mustattemptto strengthen the democratic anti-Castro forces in exile.

These fighters have had virtually no support from our government.

- Son of a bitch! - What? What?

Kennedywas briefed lastweek by the C.I.A.

He's using itagainst us. He welshed on the deal.

Lfwe had provided aid, we might never have had Castro. Why didn'twe?

[Moderator] Mr. Nixon?

- [Haldeman] Man, he's treading water. - All right, come on.

He violated national security, Dick. Attack the bastard.

...the Constitution ofthe United States, so help me God.

[Applause, Cheering]

[Moderator] Mr. Nixon.

Yeah. Uh... [Coughs]

Uh, I think...

I think that's the sortof, uh,

very dangerous and irresponsible suggestion...

- It's over. More coffee? - [Whispering]

Helping the Cuban exiles who oppose Castro would, uh,

notonly be a violation of international law,

itwould be an open invitation for Mr. Khrushchev...

It's still very close.

[Chet Huntley] Uh, Senator Kennedy's lead...

is about, uh, 700,000.

[Haldeman] Think maybe Daley stuffied the ballot boxes himself??

In Texas, they had the goddamn cattle voting.

The closest race in history, Dick, and he stole it. Son of a bitch.

He outspent us and he still cheated. Aguywho's goteverything.

I can't believe it.

We came to Congress together.

We were like brothers, for Christ's sake.

- It all figures. It's an obvious fraud. - We ask fora recount.

[Haldeman] Don't be ridiculous.

Nobody has evercontested a presidential election before.

Who's gonna do the counting? The Democrats control Texas, Illinois.

We shift 25,000 votes in two states.

And how long will thattake? Six months, a year?

Meanwhile, what happens to the country, Herb?

- If I'd called his shot, I'd have won. - That's what I say.

Made me look soft.

- "I feel very sorry for Nixon... - No.

"Because he does not know who he is.

"Ateach stop he has to decide which Nixon he's going to be atthe moment,

which must be very exhausting." Jack Kennedy.

- It's a disgrace. - " Nixon is a shifty-eyed goddamn liar.

"Lfhe had to stick to the truth, he'd have very little to say.

Lfyou vote for Nixon, then you oughta go to hell. " Harry S. Truman.

That's what killed us, Dick. Not Cuba.

It's the personality problem. You gonna letthe Democrats getawaywith this?

Goes to Harvard.

His father hands him everything on a silver platter.

All my life they've been sticking itto me.

Not the right clothes; not the rightschools; not the right family.

And then he steals from me.

He says I have no class, and they love him for it.

You're only 47.

If you contestthis election, you'll be finished.

You gotta swallowthis one.

They stole it fair and square.

We'll get'em nexttime, Dick.

We'll get'em nexttime.

Whatmakes you think there's gonna be a nexttime, Murray?

Because if he's not this Nixon,

he's nobody.

- Good morning, sir. - Hi.

Hi.

Hi.

We lost.

I know.

I hate to lose.

Itmakes us human.

It's notfair, Buddy.

I can take the insults.

I can take the name-calling.

But I can'ttake the losing.

I hate it.

We don't have to putourselves through this again, Dick.

We worked for it. We earned it.

It's ours.

It is. We knowthat.

And it's enough thatwe know.

Just think ofthe girls.

They're still young.

We never see them.

I lostmy parents when I was young.

I don'twantthem to lose theirs.

[Sighs]

Ohh.

Maybe I should... getoutofthe game.

What do you think, Buddy?

And go back to being a lawyer.

End up with something solid, some money atthe end ofthe line.

You know, I, uh,

keep thinking of my old man tonight.

He was a failure too.

You're nota failure, Dick.

You know howmuch money he had in the bank when he died?

Nothing.

He was so damned honest.

But I miss him.

I miss him a hell of a lot.

- Dad! Dad! - I gotthe beets for him.

- Dad. - Is she in there?

- Come on, give me a chance. - I don't have time foryou right now.

I gotwork to do.

- How is thy son? - Verywell, thank you.

What'd he say?

He said, " In life, there's no free ride."

- What'd you say? - "I didn't need a ride, I need a suit."

Oh, no. Harold.

He doesn't respond well to humor.

Maybe Mother can help straighten itout.

I'd rather geta whippin'than listen to another of hertalks.

- Shh! - Relax, Dick.

Donald, finish thy sweeping then pick outthe bad apples.

Yes, Mother.

I'm working.

Richard, come with me, would thee?

Wh-Why me?

Ooh.

[Mother] Because Harold hast father's will is no reason to admire him.

Let Harold's worldliness be a warning to thee, notan example.

Yes, Mother.

Harold may have losttouch with his bible,

butthee must never lapse.

Now, give itto me.

Do nottell a lie, Richard.

The corn silk cigarette Harold gave thee behind the store this morning.

I don't... have them. Mother, l...

I promise I didn'tsmoke.

I see.

Well, then, Richard, we have nothing more to talk about, do we?

Please! Please.

Mother, I'm sorry. Itwas...

Itwas justone time.

I'm sorry.

So am I.

Thy fatherwill have to know ofthy lying.

No, please, don't... don't... don'ttell him.

I'll never do itagain. I promise. Please.

Richard, I expected more from thee.

Please, Mama.

I shall never letthee down again.

Then this shall be our little secret.

Remember, I see into thy soul.

Thee may fool the world,

even thy father,

but notme, Richard.

Neverme.

Mother,

think of me always as thy faithful dog.

- Thank you. - We'll be in the next room.

Richard.

Is itmy turn?

O heavenly Father, we humbly thank you...

I'll do it. There's a couple ofthings I wanna say.

Could thee at least remove thy apron, Frank?

This blood pays the bills, Hannah.

I'm notashamed of how I earn my money.

[Frank Clears Throat]

Heavenly Father,

you told Adam in the garden, afterthat business with the snake,

thatman would have to earn his way by the sweatof his face.

Well, as far as I can tell, Father,

whatwas true in Eden is true in Whittier, California.

So we ask you nowto remind certain ofouryoung people...

the onlyway to geta new suitto go to the promenade with Margaret O'Herlihy...

who happens to be a Catholic, by the way...

is to work for it.

- Amen. - Amen.

- Amen. - [Hannah] Amen.

Are we gonna pray now, Daddy?

- [Laughter] - Don't be silly.

You think this is funny?

Maybe a trip to the woodshed'll straighten you out.

Pretty soon you boys are gonna have to getoutthere and scratch.

'Cause you're not gonna getanywhere on your good looks... justask those fellas.

Charity's only gonna getyou so far,

even with saints like yourmother around.

Struggle's what gives life meaning. Notvictory, struggle.

When you quitstruggling, they've beaten you.

And then you end up in the street with your hand out.

[Nixon's Voice] My motherwas a saint,

but my old man struggled his whole life.

They could call him a little man, a poor man,

but they never beat him.

I always tried to rememberthat...

when things didn't go my way.

- Let's really getfired up now! - Get on yourstand, Nixon!

- ?? [Fight Song] - 28! 44!

[Grunting]

?? [Continues]

Come on, get in there!

- What's Nixon doing here? - He thinks he can make it.

Fouryears ofbeing a tackling dummy. Poor guy.

- [Groans] - Let's go, Nixon!

- Hike! - [Grunting, Groaning]

- [Whistle Blows] - Worstathlete I've ever seen.

But... he's got guts.

- [Clapping] - [Panting]

[Player] Okay, let's go! Let's do it!

[Announcer] In California's gubernatorial race,

Richard Nixon has returned to the political arena...

in what is shaping up to be a long and acrimonious bid...

against popular incumbent Edmund G. Brown.

Brown's campaign has benefited greatly from the supportof President Kennedy,

while Nixon has had trouble convincing voters...

this is not another run forthe presidency.

With only a few precincts left unreported,

all indications are of anotherdefeat for Nixon,

who lost the presidency just two years ago by a paper-thin margin.

Itseems his briefpolitical comeback...

- You making a statement? - [Crowd Cheering On Television]

Thank you, Fidel Castro.

- You're not going to blame Castro. - I sure am!

Goddamn missile crisis united the whole country behind Kennedy.

And he was supporting Brown. People were scared, that's why.

I suppose Castro staged the whole thing justto beatyou.

Buddy, before you join the jubilation of my being beaten again, remember:

People vote notoutof love butfear.

They don't teach that at Sunday school orthe WhittierCommunity Playhouse.

- ?? [TV: "Happy Days Are Here Again"] - I'll go check with our people.

I'm glad they don't, Dick,

because life is tough and it is unfair,

and sometimes you forgetthat in your self-pity.

- ? Happy days are here again? - You forgetsometimes, Dick,

that I had a life before you, before California...

? Let us sing a song ofcheeragain...??

- [Pounds Piano Keys] - Cocksucker!

?? [TVOff]

Don'tyou want to listen to Gov. Brown's victory speech?

Nope. Not going to listen to any more speeches ever again.

Amen to that.

- It's over, Dick. - I'll concede in the morning.

- ?? [Piano] - Notthat.

?? [Stops]

Buddy?

I have always stood by you.

I campaigned foryou when I was pregnant.

During Checkers, when Ike wanted you out, I told you to fight.

This is different, Dick.

You've changed.

You've grown more bitter, like you're atwarwith the world.

You weren'tthatway before.

I'm 50 years old now, Dick.

Howmany millions of miles have I traveled?

Howmany millions of peoples' hands have I shaked that ljust don't like?

Howmany thank-you notes have I written?

It's as if I, I don't know, justwentto sleep a long time ago...

and missed the years between.

I've had enough.

Whatare you saying? Whatare you talking about?

I wanta divorce.

My God. Divorce?

Whataboutthe girls?

The girls'll grow up.

They only knowyou from television anyway.

It'll ruin us, ourfamily.

You're ruining us. Lfwe staywith you, you'll take us down with you.

This isn't political, Dick. This is our life.

Everything's political, I'm political; you're political.

No, I'm not. I'm finished.

Well, this is just whattheywant, Buddy.

Don'tyou see?

Theywantto drive us apart, to beat us.

We can't letthem do it.

We've been through too much together, Buddy.

We belong together.

That's whatyou said the firsttime we met.

You didn'teven knowme.

Oh, yes, I did.

I asked you to marry me, didn't I?

On ourfirst date.

I said it because I knew...

I knew you were the one.

So solid.

So strong.

- So beautiful. - I'm Pat Ryan.

Uh,

- Richard Nixon. - Pleasure to meetyou.

- Pleasure to meetyou. - [Bell Clanging]

- [Pat] Are you happy I called? - [Nixon] In a way, yes.

Don'ttell me you've been cutting my part.

Of course, honey, you know I would never deceive you. Don'tyou?

[Fireworks Whistling, Bursting]

You were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

I don'twantto lose you.

Ever.

Dick, don't.

You reallywantme to quit?

We can be happy.

We really can.

The girls and I love you, Dick.

And if I stop...

there'll be... no more talk of divorce?

I'll do it.

No more.

Are you serious?

Yeah. I'm out.

Is thatthe truth?

I'll never run again.

I promise.

Yeah.

I love you, Buddy.

[Sniffles] I love you.

[Whispers] I love you.

Where are they?

Dick, you don't have to make a statement. Herb covered 'em foryou.

No!

[Herb] Gentlemen, Mr. Nixon is a man who is graceful in defeat,

and if he was here with us...

[Reporters Shouting]

Can I have some quiet, please?

[Shouting Continues]

Give the... just a second!

Can I have some quiet, please? Quiet!

- Thank you! - [Reporters Quiet]

- [Reporter] Mr. Nixon! - Uh... [Clears Throat]

- I believe Governor Brown has a heart, - [Shutters Clicking]

Even though he believes I do not.

Uh, I believe he's a good American,

even though he feels I am not.

I'm proud ofthe fact that I defended my opponent's patriotism.

Uh, you gentlemen didn't report it, but I'm proud that I did that.

And I would appreciate it, for once, if you would just printwhat I say.

[Nervous Chuckle] Uh, for 16 years,

uh, ever since the Hiss case, you've had a lotoffun.

A lotoffun.

But recognize you have a responsibility,

if you're againstthe candidate, to give him the shaft.

But ifyou do that, at least put one lonely reporteron the campaign...

who will report whatthe candidate says now and then.

Uh, I think,

all in all, I've given as good as I've taken.

Butas I leave you, I w... I wantyou to know...

Justthink whatyou're gonna be missing.

Uh, you won't have Nixon to kick around anymore.

[Echoing] Kick around anymore.

[Reporters Murmuring]

Uh... [Chuckles]

Uh... [Clears Throat]

Because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference.

- Thank you and good day. - Mr. Nixon!

- Is this the end of politics foryou? - [Reporters Shouting]

[Shouting Continues]

?? [March]

[Announcer] Here in California...

we can officially write the political obituary of Richard Milhouse Nixon.

Asmall town lawyer like Lincoln, Nixon became a representative at 33...

and a senatorat 35...

as partofthe postwar Republican sweep ofthe congressional elections...

that attacked F.D.R.'s big-government new deal.

Running as a South Pacific veteran,

victories overCongressmanJerry Voorhis and Senator Helen Gahagan Douglas...

made it clearthat, to Nixon, politics was war.

He didn't have opponents, he had enemies.

Why, she's pink, right down to her underwear!

Nixon became one of the leading lights...

on the notorious House Un-American Activities Committee,

questioning labor leaders, Spanish Civil Warveterans, Hollywood celebrities.

If I had myway, they'd all be sent back to Russia.

But itwas the Alger Hiss case that made Nixon a household name.

One ofthe architects ofthe United Nations,

intimate of F.D.R. And Oliver Wendell Holmes,

Alger Hiss was a State Department diplomat...

accused by freelance journalist WhittakerChambers...

ofpassing secret documents to the Soviet Union.

- Hiss is lying. - Hiss claimed he was being set up...

by Nixon andJ. Edgar Hooverto discredit the new deal's policies.

I am not, and never have been, a member ofthe Communist party.

The case came down to an Underwood typewriter...

and a roll offilm hidden in a pumpkin patch.

- [Men Murmuring] - I asked Hiss if he'd known Chambers.

When he said "no," I knew he was lying; I knew I had him.

Aftertwo trials, Hiss was convicted not ofspying but ofperjury.

To some, Nixon was a hero and a patriot.

But to many, he was a shameless self-promoter.

Eleanor Roosevelt angrily condemned him.

Nixon continued to tear into Truman, Acheson and the Democratic party...

for losing mainland China in 1949...

and blamed the Korean War on a weak foreign policy.

I promise to expose and to continue to expose...

the people that have sold this country down the river!

His speeches, ifmore subtle than those ofhis Republican allyJoe McCarthy,

were just as aggressive.

The direct result of Truman's decision is that China has gone Communist!

Mao is a monster! Why?

Who in the State Department is watching overAmerican interests?

Who has given the Russians the atomic bomb?

The Soviet Union is an example ofa slave state in the ultimate development.

Driven by demons thatseemed more personal than political,

Nixon became Eisenhower's vice presidential candidate in 1952.

Then came the Checkers crisis.'Nixon was accused ofhiding a secretslush fund.

About to be kicked offithe ticket, he went live on national television...

in an unprecedented appearance.

I'm going to give to this television audience a complete financial history.

- Everything I've earned, spent, - The list included their house,

- theirOldsmobile, Pat's cloth coat. - Everything I own.

And lastly, in whatwas to become history,

a sentimental gift from a Texas businessman.

You knowwhat itwas? Itwas a little cocker spaniel dog...

in a crate that he'd sentall the way from Texas... black and white, spotted.

And our little girl Tricia, the six-year-old, named it Checkers.

- 58 million people saw it. - And like all kids, they love the dog.

- Itwas shameless; itwas manipulative; - ljustwanna say right now,

regardless ofwhatthey say about him, we're gonna keep him.

Itwas a huge success.

- [Crowd Cheering] - He stayed on the national scene,

serving two terms as vice president under Eisenhower.

Against Khrushchev at the Kitchen Debate in Moscow...

and stoned by Latin mobs in Venezuela,

Nixon once again became a national hero.

But it all came to a crashing end against Kennedy in 1960...

and Pat Brown in California in '62.

And thus ends a great American political story.

The truth is, we never knewwho Richard Nixon really was,

and nowthat he is gone we neverwill.

?? [March Slowing, Ends]

?? [CocktailJazz]

[People Talking]

- [Woman] Poor little Tricia. - Herdaddy couldn't get a job...

in this city when he gotoutof Duke.

Everywhite-shoe lawyerfirm turned me down. Didn't have the right look.

- I couldn'teven get into the F.B.I. - [Man] Hi! How are ya?

Did you catch that picture ofyou in the news lastweek, Dick?

- You were standin' on Fifth Avenue. - Oh, yeah.

You were lookin' straightahead...

and everyone else was lookin'the other way, like you justfarted or somethin'.

[Laughing] Itsaid... Itsaid,

"Who remembers Dick Nixon?"

Unbelievable. I was screamin'.

Yeah, thatwas hilarious, Martha.

Theywere were waiting forthe lightto change.

Typical ofthe press, theywouldn'tcorrect it...

We oughta catch Rocky before he leaves.

[Man] I'm sure it's just a run ofbad luck, Mr. Nixon.

- He can walk this direction, can't he? - [Laughs] I don't know.

- I've read some nice things aboutyou. - Maybe where you come from.

Butwhere I come from, Dick Nixon is as misunderstood as a fox in a henhouse.

And do you knowwhy?

Because, my darlin', they all think thatyour smile and yourface...

are never in the same place atthe same time.

You and me, we're gonna have to work on that, sweetie.

Someone freshen Martha's drink. She's down a quart.

Well, zip-a-dee-doo-dah!

- I think he is frightened by my charm. - I know I am.

- Patcan'tstand her. - It's a thing she does.

She talks at night.

Talks all day too. Howthe hell can you put up with her, John?

Well, I'm in love with her. And she's great in bed.

Lfa Rockefellercan't become president ofthe United States,

then what is the pointof democracy?

The point ofdemocracy is...

that even the son ofa grocer can become president.

And you came damn close, Dick. How are you? Hi, John.

New York treating you all right? I'm sorry I haven't been able to see you.

- You're looking "happy," Rocky. - "Happy." Happy, Dick Nixon.

- You remember him. - Nice to see you again.

- You're obviously making him happy. - Ohh! Repartee, Dick! Marvelous!

- [Chattering, Laughing Continue] - Whatyou predicting?

Your boy Goldwater gonna split the party?

- Some say you are, Rocky. - Letme tellyou something.

Every time the Republican party is a home to extremism, we lose the election.

- You oughta know betterthan anybody. - Yeah.

This guy Goldwater is as stupid as McCarthy.

And McCarthy never did you any good in the long run, now, did he?

That's right.

[Nixon] I hate these cocktail parties.

John, I'm in hell.

I'll be mentally dead in two years and physically dead in four.

Make some money, Dick.

Prove yourself to the Wall Streetcrowd.

Let Goldwater and Rockefeller take the fall against Kennedy.

I don't know. I miss making love to the people.

I miss entering a room.

I miss the... pure acting of it, John.

I gotta get back in the arena.

?? [Fanfare]

Ladies and gentlemen, it's showtime!

- Rightthis way, ladies and gentlemen. - [Audience Applauding]

It's foryou, it's forme. It's Studebakerfor 1963.

Amen. Bless you for being here.

- There's a man that loves Studebakers. - Can I getyour autograph?

- The ex-vice president... - Mr. Nixon, please run again!

Ofthe United States, Richard M. Nixon!

- [Audience Applauding, Cheering] - [Laughs]

You throw a hell of a party, Jack.

The party ain'teven started yet.

I've asked these gals outto the ranch for a little private thing.

We're gonna have some fun, I guarantee ya.

And there's some fellas I'd really like you to meet.

Trini and I gotan early plane. We're hoping to be back in New York for...

These guys are real interesting. And quiettoo. The girls are too.

It's notoften us Texans getan opportunity...

to entertain the future president ofthe United States.

Like you said, Jack, I'm justa New York lawyer.

- We'll see about that. - Mr. Nixon, are you gonna run again?

- I don't know aboutthat. - He will! I guarantee it!

- ?? [CocktailJazz] - [Chattering, Laughing]

Whoo-hoo! [Giggling]

[Woman] Buy me a convertible?

[Man] I'll buy you a diamond ring.

- Hello, baby. - Hey, wait, wait, wait.

This isJulie there.

- And that's Tricia. - Oh, yeah.

- She reminds me a bitof you, Sandy. - She really is wholesome.

But, um, whataboutyou? What do you like?

- Well, I like music. - I like jazz.

Jazz, yeah. Guy Lombardo.

- How about rock'n' roll? Elvis Presley? - Yeah, he's good.

Yeah. Decent guy.

Well, I guess forme italso, um, depends on...

what I'm doin' to the music, Dick.

[Mutters] Yeah.

So, uh, what's it like bein' so famous and all?

Avice president!

Well, it's, uh, not like that, Sandy.

You see, the reason I got into politics in the first place was,

well, uh, to do something forthe people.

So, how are you two doing?

You know, Dick, there's more privacy in the back ofthe...

No, Trini, we're fine here.

Okay.

Hell, Kennedy just pissed Cuba away to the Russians. Just pissed it away!

And he doesn't knowwhat the hell he's doin'in Vietnam.

These are dangerous times, Dick, especially for business.

- Agreed. - We knowwhatyou tried to do for Cuba.

Lfyou had been elected in '60, Castro would be dead now.

Gentlemen, I tried. I told Kennedy to go into Cuba.

He heard me and he made his decision.

I appreciate yoursentiments. I've heard them from many fine Cuban patriots.

But it's nothing I can do anything about.

It's a long drive to Dallas, and Trini and I have a plane to catch tomorrow.

- So... - Dick, these boys wantyou to run.

- Absolutely. - [Man] That's right.

Now, they're serious. They can deliver the South and putTexas in your column.

Only if Kennedy dumpsJohnson. That'll never happen.

I don'tthink you know howmuch people hate Kennedy down here.

He's comin'to town tomorrow, and they will run his ass outta town on a rail!

- Damn right. - [Man] Thatwe will.

We are willing to give you a shit pot full ofmoney to get rid ofhim.

More than you ever dreamed of.

[Chuckles]

Nobody's gonna beat Kennedy in '64 with all the money in the world.

Suppose Kennedy don't run in '64.

[Chuckles] Not a chance.

Yeah.

Well, gentlemen, I promised mywife I, uh... I'm outof politics.

You justcame down here forthe weather. Is that right, Mr. Nixon?

I came down here to close a deal for Studebaker.

Whatabout'68, Dick?

Five years, Trini.

In politics, that's an eternity.

Dick.

Your country needs you.

Unfortunately the country's notavailable right now.

[Billiard Balls Colliding]

[People Chattering]

[Man] President Kennedy's due in from Fort Worth in aboutan hour.

- [Trini] Kennedy is due in. - [Nixon] Yeah, I know.

- [Children Laughing Excitedly] - [Girl] Come on!

- Let's go through here. Excuse us. - Excuse me. Coming through.

- Excuse us. - Thank you.

- Please step away from the gate there. - [Nixon] Sorry.

Go find the pilot. Let's getoutof here.

Look, Edgar, these, uh... these guys were really strange.

I mean, you know, extremists.

- [Hoover On Phone] "Strange"? - Right-wing stuff.

- Birchers? - [Nixon] Birchers, yeah.

- This thing's pretty straight, Dick. - [TV] In Dallas, Lee Harvey Oswald...

Oswald's got a Cuba connection?

- [Nixon] To Castro? ...maximum security facility.

- He's a Communist. That makes sense. - [Continues, Faint]

Okay, well, thank you, Edgar.

SenatorTed Kennedy, arriving early this morning...

with his mother and sister, Eunice.

Hoover says this Oswald checks outas a...

a beatnik, a real bum.

Dick, you should call Bobby.

Ah, he doesn'twantme atthe funeral.

- You don't have to go. - DeGaulle's gonna be there.

McMillan. Adenauer.

[TVContinues] We go nowto the rotunda...

Nixon can't not be there.

Then call him. I'm sure itwas an oversight.

- [TV] Thousands, ofmourners... - [Mutters] Yeah.

- Will pay their respects... - Jesus.

To theirfallen leader.

It's awful. It's an awful thing forthis country.

[Pat] Dick.

Huh? No, it's his way, uh...

He hates me.

He and Teddy.

They always hated me.

They losttheir brother. You knowwhatthatmeans, Dick.

...relaxed with his family in Hyannis Port.

These are perhaps the last images of him alive with his family.

Please make itstop!

- [Arthur Screaming, Whining] - Hold him tighter.

- Hold him tighter. - [Screaming]

Hold him tighter.

Daddy, please! Make itstop!

- Hold him tighter. - [Screaming Continues]

The infection's spread to his spine.

[Boy] Come on!

[Yelling, Shouting]

[Dog Barking]

[Thunder Rumbling]

Stop it!

- [Donald Laughing] - Getoff!

- You're it! - [Yelling, Laughing]

- [Dog Whining] - [Footsteps]

No. No, don't!

[Weeping Quietly]

If I'd been president, they neverwould've killed me.

Vice PresidentJohnson, shown here being sworn in...

- Dick, are you gonna call? Bobby. - Hmm?

...has taken the reins ofpower in a smooth transition.

I'll go throughJohnson.

We'll be invited.

[Johnson] This is a sad time forall people.

I ask foryour help.

[Johnson]... and are going to see Vietnam through...

to an honorable peace...

to defend an honored cause,

whateverthe price, whateverthe burden,

whateverthe sacrifice...

that duty may require.

Accordingly,

I shall notseek...

and I will not accept...

the nomination of my party for anotherterm as your president.

Good night, and God bless all ofyou.

[Newscaster]Johnson's withdrawal resurrects Richard Nixon...

as a strong Republican candidate with a secret plan to end the war.

His mother, Hannah Nixon, just before herdeath lastyear,

commented on herson's chances.

Mrs. Nixon, do you think your son will ever return to politics?

L-I don'tthink he has a choice.

He has always been a leader.

Do you think he'd make a great president, Mrs. Nixon?

If he's on God's side, yes.

You must be very proud ofyourson.

I have always been proud of all of my children.

[Hannah Nixon] Ofcourse, no one can see into the future.

We didn't know this day would come.

- [Man #1] Where'd he go? - [Man #2] In the side door.

- Is that Mitchell? - Shit!

- [Buzzing] - [People Chattering]

[Haldeman] I thought that guy was gonna kiss your hand.

- Congratulations, sir. - Yeah, thanks.

Jesus, Dick! I've never seen anything like it.

Even the goddamn Times is saying you've got it.

Vietnam's gonna put you in there, Chief.

- We gotthe press this time. - We gotthe "big mo." We're back.

- [Conversation Stops] - So you've decided.

Were you planning to tell me?

We haven'tannounced anything yet, but...

Jesus, uh... [Coughs] Pat.

Uh, wait in the living room, willyou, fellas? What is it, John?

You need her, Dick. In '60, she was worth five, six million votes.

Yeah. Don'tworry. I'll use the old Nixon charm.

[Whispers] In there. Okay?

Who could resistthat?

[Sniffs]

Buddy?

You should be going. Primaries are soon, aren'tthey?

- New Hampshire. - I love you, Buddy. I need you.

I don'twantthem to love me.

But I need you outthere.

Itwon't be like the last time.

The war's crippled the Democrats.

I can win. We deserve it.

It's ours, Buddy, at last.

Nobody knows that betterthan you.

Frank Nixon's boy.

Do you remember what Mom said?

"We're not like other people. We... We don'tchoose ourway."

We can really change things, Buddy.

We got a chance to get it right. We can change America.

Itwas our dream, Buddy, together, always.

- Do you really wantthis, Dick? - Yeah. This, above all.

- And then you'll be happy? - Yeah, you know I will.

Yes! I will. Yeah.

Then I'll be there foryou.

And we are gonna win this time. I can feel it.

Yeah! [Laughing]

You're the strongestwoman I evermet, Buddy.

- Can ljustask for one thing? - Anything.

- Would you kiss me? - Yeah!

[Pat Giggling]

[Both Laughing]

I'm a new person. Hey!

My thanks to all of you. And now it's on to Chicago, and let's win there.

- Thank you very much. - [Crowd Cheering]

I would never question, uh, Senator Kennedy's patriotism.

- But promising peace at any price... - Rightthere.

Is, uh, exactlywhat the North Vietnamese wantto hear.

- [Scattered Applause] - [TVDirector] Cue the crowd.

[Haldeman Stuttering] Go to this bald guy. Yeah, he's great, isn't he?

[Nixon On TV] I, unlike Senator Kennedy,

have a plan to end the war immediately.

But not for peace at any price,

- but peace with honor. - [TVAudience Applauds]

What do you think this plan is, Edgar? A nuclear attack?

He's lying, Clyde. Always has.

That's why Nixon's always been useful.

- Gracias, amigo. - [Waiter] De nada, senor.

- Hold still. - [ShutterClicks]

- Okay, who's next? - The Negro.

No, we gotta have a Negro. This guy right here.

Negro, front row.

- Mr. Nixon, sir. - Yeah.

We-We all knowthatyou have builtyour career...

on smearing people as Communists.

And nowyou are building your campaign on the divisions in this country,

stirring up hatred and turning people against each other.

Whatthe fuck's he doing? He's making a speech!

- Cut him off. - I can't. This isn't Russia.

He sounds like a negro. He's saying all these negro things!

- What's he doing? - He sounded white when we screened him.

He doesn'tsound white now. He sounds like Angela Davis.

When are you going to tell us whatyou really stand for?

- Puton a commercial. - There are no commercials.

- Go to commercial! - You boughtthe whole half hour, baby.

- Are you going to take offithat mask... - Shit!

And show us who you really are?

- [Man] Shut up and sit down! - Okay. Okay.

- It's a high hard one, Chief. - Okay, okay.

- Park it. - There are divisions in this country...

- That's because you created them. - I did not create them.

The Democrats did. If it's dialogue you want,

you're more likely to get itfrom me than from people burning down cities.

- Dr. King said the same thing. - Oh, please.

Do you know, young man, who a great hero is? Abraham Lincoln.

- Abraham Lincoln. - Lincoln. Is he beautiful, huh?

He believed in common ground. He broughtthis country together.

- [Applause] - I love thatman. I love him.

I wantthe son of a bitch who gotthatagitatorto be fired!

- I have another question. - There's a little girl sitting here.

- A little girl sitting with a sign. - [Ziegler] Bag the spook.

- Can you see the little girl? - Okay.

[Nixon] There are three simple words.' "Bring us together."

That is what I want, and that is what the greatmajority of Americans want.

And that is why I wantto be president.

- To bring us together. - [Applause]

- Give me a break, Mary. - Now, you all know me. I'm one ofyou.

I grew up here, a stone's throwfrom here,

on a little lemon ranch in Yorba Linda.

Itwas the poorest lemon ranch in California, I can tellyou that.

The poorest lemon ranch in California, I can assure you ofthat.

My dad sold it before they found oil on it.

My dad sold it before they found oil on it.

- But itwas all we had. - But itwas all we had.

- My dad built the farm. - Huh. You're new here.

- What's your name? - Joaquin, Mr. Hoover.

Oh.

My fathersacrificed everything he had...

so that his sons could go to college.

- Agentle Quaker motherquietly wept... - Oh, Christ.

- When he went to war. - Turn this crap off, Clyde.

It's giving me a headache.

You may go, Joaquin.

I wantto see him, Clyde.

Edgar, he works in the kitchen.

Notthe boy, you idiot. Nixon.

- [Sound Off] - You hearwhat he said in Oregon...

aboutme having too much power?

It's between Nixon and a Kennedy again. Who do you want?

Kennedy? [Laughs]

Never.

He'll fry in hell forwhat he did to me.

But Nixon don't knowthat.

Which is why I'm gonna have to remind him that he needs us...

a hell ofa lot more than we need him.

- ?? [Trumpet.'Fanfare] - [Growls]

- [Bell Rings] - [Announcer] And they're off!

- [AnnouncerContinues, Faint] - [Cheering]

[Announcer, Cheering Continue]

Your boy's on the way up.

You know, I met this guy years ago in Havana. You knowthat.

Come on!

He's folding, Johnny.

Now, now, now. You justwaita second now.

[Announcer] Olly's boy on the inside!

[Whinnying]

[Crowd Yelling]

[Announcer] And a tragedy!

A bitextreme, isn't it?

It's the drama. Look, the crowd loves this shit.

[Women Shouting]

[Johnny] Hey, there's Randolph Scott overthere. Look at that.

Cash these forme, would you, Johnny?

- [Whinnying] - Easy! Easy, easy!

It's a two-dollar bet, Edgar. You got thousands coming on this.

- I mean, whatthe fuck? - I told you, justcash it, Johnny.

And don'tswear around me. Come on.

Uh-huh. Hello.

Edgar. [Coughs]

- Wonderful to see you. Clyde. - Mr. Nixon.

- Hi. [Laughs] - Thank you for coming, Richard.

Okay. Oh. Winning?

Actually, I've just had a bitof luck. Are you gonna win?

You should ask Bobby.

- Little Bobby. - Yeah, Bobby Kennedy.

[Laughing] Yeah.

Walk with me down to the paddock. I'd like to look atthe horses.

Uh, can we talk here? I gotthe police chiefs in San Diego.

Actually, I'm trying to spare you an embarrassment.

ThatwasJohnny Roselli you just passed.

He's on his way back.

Roselli? Johnny Roselli?

Yes. You know him, Richard? No?

From Cuba?

?? [Mambo]

[People Speaking Spanish]

Hey, Johnny Roselli. How're you doin'?

- Dick. - How are you?

I nevermetthe man. Uh...

Well, I knowyou've, uh,

been very careful notto.

That's why I'm so concerned.

- [Chuckling] - Okay.

- [Bell Rings] - [Announcer] And they're off!

[Hoover] You'll win the nomination.

Yeah, itcould be 1960 all over again, Edgar.

[Woman] Love you, Dick!

And Bobby's gotthe magic like a goddamn rock star.

They climb all over each other justto touch his clothes.

He'll ride his brother's corpse right into the White House.

Hmm.

Lfthings remain as they are.

He's got the anti-warvote.

Or he'll steal it, like his brother.

Bobby's a mean little son of a bitch, Edgar.

He had the I.R.S. Auditmy mother when she was dying in the nursing home.

- I know. - We should shootthe son of a bitch.

- [Horse Whinnies] - [Nervous Chuckle]

I wanna fight justas dirty, Edgar.

His women. Use his women.

Any information you have.

The son ofa bitch is not going to steal from me again.

Can you back me up on this?

Can I count on your support?

I look at itfrom the pointof viewthat the system can only take so much abuse.

- Itadjusts itself eventually. - Yeah.

Butthere are times there are savage outbursts.

The late Dr. King, forexample.

- Amoral hypocrite. - [Snorting]

Screwing women like a degenerate tomcat,

stirring up the blacks, preaching against oursystem.

Sometimes the system comes very close to cracking.

We've already had one radical in the White House.

I don't believe itwould survive another.

[Whinnying]

Well, like I said, uh, Edgar...

You ask... if you can count on my support.

As long as I can count on yours.

[Nixon] Yeah, the old queen did it on purpose.

No, he wasn't protecting me. He was just putting me on notice.

- [Haldeman] That he knew Roselli? - No.

Hoover knew a lotof gangsters.

Johnny Roselli wasn't justany gangster.

Johnny Roselli was one ofthe gangsters...

who set up Track 2 in Cuba.

No, I know his name. Itwas Bob Engel.

Oh, well, I know all aboutthat.

I don't understand that. Track 2 is Chile.

[Nixon] Yeah, Chile, the Congo, Guadalajara, Iran, Cuba.

Whereverthere was need for an executive action capability,

there's Track 2.

In Cuba, Track 1 was, uh, the Bay of Pigs invasion.

[Chuckles] Track 2 was our idea.

We thoughtthat the invasion wouldn'twork...

unless we got rid ofCastro.

So we asked ourselves, uh,

who else wants Castro dead?

Was itthe Mafia ormoney people?

So we puttogether Track 2.

[Gunfire]

Firstassassination attempt was, uh, in '60.

- Uh, just before the election. - Before?

- Eisenhower approved that? - Yeah.

Well, he didn'tveto it.

I ran the White House side...

and, uh, the mob contact wasJohnny Roselli.

One ofthe C.I.A. Guys was this jackass...

Howard Hunt.

Jesus.

Yeah. Not just Howard Hunt, but Frank Sturgis...

and all those other Cubans.

All ofthem in Watergate...

Uh, they're all involved in Cuba.

Yeah, Hunt reported to my military aide.

I don't know how much Hunt knows, or, orthe Cubans,

but... you never know.

So you wanted Castro dead.

Everybodywanted Castro dead.

You know, if Hunt and the others are C.I.A.,

why don'twe just dump this back in the C.I.A.'s lap,

let Dick Helms take the fall?

- Because. - [Drink Pouring]

Because Helms knows, knows too much.

Lfthere's anyone in this country who knows more than me,

it's Hoover and Helms, and you don'tfuck with Dick Helms, period.

All right.

Butwhy, if Kennedy was so clean in all this,

- didn't he cancel Track 2? - Because he didn'teven know about it.

The C.I.A., uh, nevertold him.

They just kept it going.

It had a life of its own like itwas some, uh,

kind of a thing, you know?

It doesn'teven know itexists. Iteats people when it doesn't need 'em anymore.

[Nixon On Tape] Two days afterthe Bay of Pigs,

- Kennedy called me and reamed me out. - ?? ["Fever"]

He justfound out aboutTrack 2.

- You nevertold him? - I didn'twant him to getthe credit.

He said I'd stabbed him in the back...

and called me a two-bit grocery clerk from Whittier.

? Fever if I kissed you fever if I held you tight?

- Huh. - ? Fever in the morning?

- ? Feverall through the night? - That's the lasttime I ever saw him.

? Play it on the runway in Paris??

See, when I saw Bobby lying there on the floor,

[People Yelling]

Arms stretched out like that, his eyes staring,

[Woman Crying]

I knewthen I'd be president.

His death paved the way, didn't it?

[Chuckles] Yeah.

Vietnam, the Kennedys...

cleared a path through the wilderness justforme.

Overthe bodies.

[Sighs]

Four bodies.

You mean two.

Two bodies.

- [Rain Falling] - Four.

[Thunder Rumbling]

Howmany did you have?

Hundreds ofthousands?

Where would we be without death, huh?

Abe?

Who's helping us?

Is it God, or is it...

death?

[Coughing, Spitting]

[Retching]

[Coughing Continues]

[Screen DoorSqueaks, Closes]

[Harold Grunts]

[Coughing]

[Wheezing]

Harold.

- [Wheezing Continues] - Why don'tyou sit down, huh?

Here.

[Labored Breathing]

Thatwas a whopper. [Coughs]

You'll be able to do it now.

- What? - Go to law school.

- Mom and Dad'll be able to afford it. - Harold.

Mama expects greatthings from you.

Can l... Can I getyou anything?

Relax, Dick.

It's justme, huh?

The desert's so beautiful, isn't it?

[Labored Breathing] I wantto go home, Dick.

Time to go home.

You...

You're not gonna quiton me now, are you, Harold?

[Labored Breathing Continues]

? Down came the rain and washed the spiderout?

?? [Continues]

Richard.

I can't.

You must.

This law school, it's a gift from thy brother.

He had to die forme to get it?

Something has to come ofthis.

It's meant to make us stronger.

Thee artstrongerthan Harold, strongerthan Arthur.

God has chosen thee to survive.

Whatabout happiness, Mother?

Thee will find thy peace atthe center, Richard.

Strength in this life,

happiness in the next.

[Microphone Feedback]

[Flashbulbs Popping]

?? [Band.' "Battle Hymn ofthe Republic"]

?? [Continues]

[Laughing]

Hey! Hey!

Nowtell me you didn't wantthis, Buddy.

[Laughing]

- Hey! - [Laughs]

When the strongest nation in the world can be tied down...

forfouryears in a war in Vietnam...

with no end in sight;

when the richest nation in the world can'tmanage its own economy;

when the nation with the greatest tradition ofthe rule of law...

is plagued by unprecedented lawlessness;

when a nation that has been known for a century for equality of opportunity...

is torn by unprecedented racial violence;

when the presidentofthe United States cannottravel abroad...

orto any major city at home...

withoutfear of a hostile demonstration,

then it is time for new leadership forthe United States ofAmerica.

[Cheering]

As we look at America, we see cities enveloped in smoke and flame;

millions ofAmericans crying out in anguish,

"Did we come all the way forthis?

Did American boys die in Normandy and Valley Forge forthis?"

I pledge to you thatthe currentwave of violence...

will not be the wave ofthe future.

[Cheering]

- Let us begin by committing ourselves... - [Flashbulbs Popping]

To the truth... to find the truth, to speak the truth...

and to live the truth.

A newvoice is being heard across America today.

It is not the voice ofthe protesters orthe shouters.

It is the quietvoice ofthe majority ofAmericans who've been forgotten...

the non-shouters, the, uh, non-demonstrators.

They're the good people. Theywork hard and they save and they pay theirtaxes.

Now, who are they? Letme tellyou who they are.

They're in this audience by the thousands.

They're the white Americans and black Americans,

- Mexican and Italian Americans. - [Woman Screaming]

They're the great silent majority,

and they have become angry, finally.

Angry, notwith hate, butangry, my friends,

because they love America...

and they don't like what's happened to America these lastfouryears.

- [Cheering] - Let us understand.

North Vietnam cannot defeat or humiliate the United States.

Only Americans can do that!

[Cheering]

I say to you tonight... [Clears Throat]

I say to you tonightwe must have a newfeeling of responsibility,

ofself-discipline.

We must look to renew state and local government.

We must have a complete reform ofa big, bloated federal government.

- [Shouts] - Those ofus in public service know...

we can have full prosperity in peacetime.

Yes, we can cut the defense budget.

We can reduce, uh, conventional forces in Europe.

We can restore the natural environment.

We can improve health care and make it more available to all people.

And yes, we can have a complete reform ofthis government.

We can have a new American revolution!

[Cheering]

[Chanting] The whole world is watching!

The whole world is watching!

[Man] It'd be a disaster.

There's a lot ofsympathy out there forCambodia.

Tiny, little, neutral Buddhist country.

They'll be rioting in the streets, on yourfront lawn!

Building the Cambodian army up?

My God, thatwould be harder than a Vietnamese Army.

They have no tradition.

Mr. President, the government there will collapse.

- So you're saying, do nothing. - No, sir, continue the bombing.

The same old horseshit. Well, that's not good enough.

I'm sick of being pushed around by the, uh, Vietnamese...

like we're some, uh, you know, pitiful giant.

They're using our P.O.W. S to humiliate us.

Whatwe need now is a bold move into Cambodia,

and go rightaftertheir, uh,V.C. Base camps,

and, uh, uh, make 'em scream, hit'em in the ass.

- What do you think, Henry? - Well, as you know,

mostof my staff have weighed in againstthis incursion.

They believe itwill fail to achieve anything fundamental militarily...

and will result in crushing criticism domestically.

I didn'task whatyour staffthinks. What do you think, Henry?

What I think is, they're cowards.

Theiropposition represents the cowardice ofthe eastern establishment.

They don't realize, as you do, sir,

thatthe Communists only respectstrength,

and theywill only negotiate in good faith...

- ifthey fearthe madman, Nixon. - Exactly!

Unpredictability is our best asset.

We gotta take the warto 'em, hit'em where it hurts, right in the nuts.

More assassinations. Right, AI?

That's whatthey're doing, Mr. President.

See, your people in the State Department, Bill, they don't understand.

- You gotta... - Mr. President.

You gotta electrify people with bold moves. I mean, bold moves make history.

Like, uh, Teddy Roosevelt, T.R.,

rushing up SanJuan Hill.

Small event, but dramatic. People took notice.

Yes, well, they'll take notice, all right.

Lfwe sneak outofthis war,

anotherwill start a mile down the road.

We bite the bullet here in Cambodia. There.

We bomb the hell outofthese people.

[Bombs Whistling]

[Nixon] Tonight American and South Vietnamese units...

will attack the headquarters ofthe entire Communist military operation...

in South Vietnam.

This is not an invasion ofCambodia.

We take this action not forthe purpose ofexpanding the war into Cambodia,

but forthe purpose ofending the war in Vietnam.

[Explosions]

- [People Screaming] - [Newscaster] All across the nation,

majorstudent protests against the U.S. Invasion ofCambodia...

- rocked college campuses. - [Screaming]

AtJackson State, two Negro students were killed and ten were wounded.

- Unanimously united behind... - In the streets of New York City,

student protesters were attacked by construction workers...

supporting President Nixon's policies.

In Washington, protesters have barricaded the White House...

and are camping out at the Lincoln Memorial.

[Applause]

[People Chanting] We don'twantyourfucking war!

See, when I think ofthose kids out there in Vietnam, doing theirduty,

uh, I bet they were scared.

L-I was when I was there.

Butwhen itcomes down to it, you really have to look up to these men...

because they're the greatest.

[Applause]

[People Chanting] No more war! No more war!

I mean, you see these bums, you know, blowing up the campuses,

burning books and so forth.

And they call themselves, uh, flower children.

I call them spoiled rotten.

And I tell you what would cure them.

Agood, old-fashioned trip to my Ohio father's woodshed.

- Right, Julie? - Right, Dad.

That's what these bums need. Well, Kurt, thanks and congratulations.

- Thank you, sir. - Yeah. Okay. Thanks, everybody. Bye.

[Rifles Cocking]

[Gas Bombs Hissing]

[Gunfire]

[People Screaming]

[Screaming Continues, Sirens Wailing]

[Newscaster] Less than 24 hours after president Nixon called them bums,

fourstudents were shot dead at Kent State University in Ohio.

Enraged student groups across the country...

are calling fora general strike tomorrowto shut down...

I tellyou, the soldiers were provoked. Now, stop this pussyfooting around.

I mean, dead kids. Howthe hell did we give the Democrats a weapon like this?

Well, one way orthe other, KentState is not good.

We have to getout in frontofthis thing.

- Followthe money. Followthe money. - [Haldeman] Sir?

These kids are being manipulated by the Communists,

like Chambers and Hiss.

- What's the matterwith you? - This isn't'48.They'll never buy it.

How do you knowthat, John? What's Hooverfound, for God's sake?

Well, he called the other day, sir. He asked for President Harding.

[Laughing]

- We can have a national prayer day. - Never complain, never explain.

Come on, these are not fraternity pranks, John.

No, this is anarchy. It's a revolution.

- I wouldn't go thatfar, sir. - Why not?

Is itworth it, sir? I mean...

Is the warworth a one-term presidency? Because that's whatwe're looking at.

I will not go down as the first American presidentto lose a war.

Going to Cambodia, bombing Hanoi, bombing Laos,

buys us time so we can get out and give the South Vietnamese a fighting chance.

- Exactly, sir. - Lfwe keep our heads, we'll win.

- What, win Vietnam, sir? - No, no.

No, butwe can drive a stake through the heartofthe Communist alliance.

Henry's getting strong signals from the Chinese.

They fearthe Vietnamese more than the Russians...

and they're worried abouta united Vietnam.

Now, ifwe stick itout, we'll end up negotiating separately...

with both the Chinese and the Soviets.

And we'll get better deals than we ever dreamed offrom both.

That is triangular diplomacy, gentlemen.

Exactly, Mr. President.

That's what geopolitics is about.

The linking ofthe whole world for self-interest.

Ron, how I can explain that on TV to a bunch ofsimpleminded reporters...

and, uh, weeping mothers.

Yeah, butwhat am I telling the press about Kent State?

Ah, tell 'em whatthe hellyou like. They don't understand anyway.

Excuse me, sir.

Are you saying you're going to recognize Red China?

Thatwould cost us our strongestsupport.

No, I can do this because I spentmywhole career...

building anti-Communist credentials.

If Kennedy orJohnson tried it, they'd have crucified them, and rightfully so.

Damned risky, Mr. President. Why don'twe wait until the second term?

- This will get us a second term, John. - This will getme a second term.

Damn it, without risk, there's no heroism, there's no history.

Nixon was born to do this. Give history a nudge.

- Come on! - Hear, hear.

I mean, if Cambodia doesn'twork we'll bomb Hanoi ifwe have to.

That's right. And if necessary, I'll drop the big one.

We have to entertain the possibility.

Goddamn it! Who cooked this damn steak?

Manolo, there's blood all over my plate. Take it away.

I'm sorry, sir.

Are you all right?

Yeah.

My brother, Harold, was the same age as those kids, John.

- Tuberculosis got him. - Come on, itwasn'tyourfault.

The soldiers were kids too. They just panicked.

Yeah.

Theywere throwing rocks, John, just rocks.

[Quiet Chuckle]

They don'tthink I feel,

but... I feel too much sometimes.

Ljustcan't letourwhole policy be dominated by our sentimentality.

You're doing the rightthing. Don't let'em shake you.

No.

You know, it broke my heart when Harold died.

- Thatwas a long time ago. - Yeah.

I think that's when itstarts... when you're a kid.

The laughs and snubs and slights you get...

because you're poor or Irish orJewish...

or... just ugly.

Getoffthat. That leads nowhere.

Butyou should offer condolences to the families ofthose kids.

Sure.

I'd like to. I'd like to offermy condolences.

But Nixon can't.

[Man] Enraged student groups across the country...

are calling for a general strike tomorrow...

to shut down the entire university system until the Vietnam War is ended.

[Nixon] Oh, this is nothing compared to Venezuela.

When I was vice president, Ike sentme down there like a blocking tackle.

They threw rocks. Broke out the windows.

Almostoverturned the car. Read Six Crises, Bob.

- I did, sir. - Boy, Patwas brave.

[Indistinct Chanting]

Jesus, they're serious. Why are we stopping? Come on. Move it!

[Jeering Continues]

- Jesus! - Get that little punk!

Tackle him. Go on. Get him!

Yeah. No. Reminds me of my days atWhittier.

These kids are useless. Probably flunking.

Nothing to do except come down here and chase girls.

Parents'fault. It's a poison in the upper classes.

They've had ittoo soft. Too many cars. Too many colored TVs.

Don'tforgetthe South, West. Good football colleges. Straight kids.

- More are with you than againstyou. - Let's notforget, sir.

They're just kids. They don'tvote.

[Haldeman] This is the fall ofthe Roman Empire, John. Are you blind?

They're putting the fig leaves on the statues.

- Mr. President. - Bob.

I don't know whatto say, sir.

As soon as we learned from the secretservice you were en route,

the directorwas notified.

- He should be here any minute. - Oh? Where the hell is he?

Uh, well, he's rushing back from his tennis game, sir.

So, let's go.

He told me to take you to his conference room, sir.

No, his office. I wanta very private conversation with him.

- I don'twanna be bugged. - Then, his office will be fine, sir.

Okay.

Hi.

How's the job going, Bob?

Frankly, itstinks, sir. I have no access.

We'll see to that.

He's nervous, sir. He's heard you're looking for a new director.

He certainly isn'tacting like it.

That's Helms. He's the epitome of Sangfroid.

Aworld-class poker player.

Yeah? Well, I own the fucking casino.

I'm honored, Dick, thatyou've come all the way out here to Virginia...

to visit us at last.

- My friends call me "Mr. President." - And so shall I.

Mr. Helms.

Arrange for some coffee, willyou, General Cushman?

Gentlemen, please.

Bob Cushman is a lieutenant general in the marine corps.

Deputy director ofthe C.I.A.

Is this whatyou use him for?

I didn't choose him as my deputy, Mr. President. You did.

You live prettywell out here.

Now I understand why you want to keep your budgets classified.

I suppose you're unhappy...

because I haven't implemented your domestic intelligence plan.

Yeah, you're correct.

I'm concerned these students are being funded by foreign interests,

whetherthey know it or not.

The F.B.I. Is useless in this area.

I wantyourfull attention on this matter.

Ofcourse, we've tried, butso farwe've come up with nothing.

Then, find something. And I want these leaks stopped.

Jack Anderson, the New York Times, the State Department.

I wanna knowwho's talking to them.

I'm sure you realize, Mr. President, thatthis is a very tricky area,

given our charter and the Congressional Oversight Committee.

Oh, screw Congressional Oversight.

I know, going back to the '50s, this agency reports what itwants,

and buries what it doesn't want Congress to know.

Is there something else that's bothering you, Mr. President?

Yes. It involves some old and forgotten papers.

Uh, things I signed as vice president.

I wantthe originals in my office, and I don'twantcopies anywhere else.

You're referring, I believe,

to chairing the Special Operations Group...

- as vice president. - Yeah.

As you know, thatwas unique.

Notan operation so much as an organic phenomenon.

It grew. Itchanged shape.

It developed appetites.

It's not unusual in such cases...

thatthings are not committed to paper.

Thatcould be very embarrassing.

I sawto itthatmy name was never connected with any ofthese operations.

- Dien. - [Gunfire]

- Trujillo. - [Birds Chirping]

Lumumba. Guatemala.

Iran.

Cuba.

It's a shame you didn'ttake similar precautions, Dick.

I'm interested in those documents that put your people...

togetherwith the gangster elements.

- I'll hold the documents. - Kennedy threatened to smash the C.I.A.,

into a thousand pieces.

You could do the same.

I'm notJack Kennedy. Uh, your agency is secure.

Not if I give you all the cards.

[Sighs]

I promised the American people peace with honor in SoutheastAsia.

Now, thatmay take time.

Two, maybe three years.

But, in the meantime, your agencywill continue...

atcurrent levels offunding.

Current levels may not be sufficient.

Well, the president will support...

a reasonable request for an increase.

And me?

Of course, you will continue as D.C.I., Dick.

You're doing a magnificent job.

Of course, I accept. I'm flattered.

And I wantyou to knowthat I serve only one presidentata time.

Yes. And you will give General Cushman full access.

[Sighs] Itcould take a little time,

but I will order a search foryour papers.

- Good. - But it does raise a troubling issue.

- What? - Castro.

Yes?

We have recent intelligence thata Soviet nuclear submarine...

has docked at Cienfuegos.

Well, we'll launch a formal protest.

I don't think we can treat this as a formality.

Mr. Kennedy gave the Russians a verbal promise...

that he would not invade Cuba.

Did you authorize Dr. Kissinger to putthis in writing?

Are you tapping Kissinger?

My job... unpleasantattimes...

is to knowwhatothers don'twantme to know.

Not if you have spies in the White House, it isn't.

It is notmy practice to spy on the president.

Dr. Kissingermanages to convey his innermostsecrets withoutmy help.

Dick, we've lived with Communism in Cuba forten years.

But it has never been the policy ofthis governmentto acceptthat,

and it is certainly not C.I.A. Policy.

C.I.A. Policy?

The C.I.A. Has no policy exceptwhat I dictate to you.

I tried to, uh, adjust to the world as it is today,

notas you or I wanted it to be ten years ago.

Is thatwhy you and Kissinger are negotiating with the Chinese?

This is a very dangerous direction, Mr. President.

Terrible consequences can result from such enormous errors of judgment.

But ifwe were able to separate China from Russia once and for all,

we can... we could create a balance of power...

thatwould secure the peace into the nextcentury.

And offer Cuba to the Russians as a consolation prize?

Cuba would be a small price to pay.

So President Kennedy thought.

No. I neverthought Kennedy was ready forthe presidency.

But l...

I would never, uh,

have considered, um...

His death was awful.

Itwas an awful thing forthis country.

Yeah.

Do you ever think of death, Dick?

The flowers are a continual reminder of ourmortality.

Do you appreciate flowers?

No.

No, they make me sick, and they smell like death.

I had two brothers die young.

Letme tellyou. There are worstthings than death.

Yes.

There's such a thing as evil.

You must be familiar with my favorite poem by Yeats:

The Second Coming.

Black Irish. Very moving.

"Turning and turning in the widening gyre...

"the falcon cannot hear the falconer.

"Things fall apart.

"The center cannot hold.

"Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.

"And everywhere the ceremony ofinnocence is lost.

"The best lack all conviction.

And the worst are full of passionate intensity."

But it ends so beautifully ominous.

"What rough beast,

"its hour come round at last.

Slouches toward Bethlehem to be born."

Yes.

This country...

stands atsuch a juncture.

- [Dishes Rattling] - Manolo?

Manolo?

- [Manolo] Mr. President. - Yeah.

L-I'm sorry. L... I was asleep.

Whatcan I getyou?

- Well, you know. - Of course.

[Ice Cubes Drop In Glass]

Do you miss Cuba, Manolo?

Yes, Mr. President.

We letyou down, didn'twe?

Your people.

Thatwas Mr. Kennedy, sir.

Oh.

[Drink Pouring]

You don'tthink he was a hero, do you?

He was a politician.

Did you crywhen he died?

Yes, sir.

Why?

I... don't know. [Chuckles]

He... made me...

see the stars.

How did he do that?

Those kids.

Why do they hate me so much?

[Distant Siren Wailing]

[Men's Chorus]? He has loosed the fateful lightning?

? Ofhis terrible swiftsword?

? His truth is marching on?

? I have seen him in the watch fires ofa hundred circling camps?

? They have builded him an altar in the evening dews and damps?

? I can read his righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps?

- ? His day is marching on? - [Gunfire]

? I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows ofsteel?

? As ye deal with my contemner so with you my grace shall deal?

? Let the hero born ofwoman? [Girl] It's the president.

- ? Crush the serpentwith his heel?? - [People Murmuring]

Hi. I'm Dick Nixon.

Hi there.

- Hi. Where you from? - Syracuse.

Oh, yeah, the, uh, Orangemen.

Now, there's a football program, uh...

Jim Brown and that, uh, other, uh,

tailback... the one with the blood disease.

- Ernie Davis. - Yeah, right, right, right.

[Boy Laughing]

I used to play a little ball myself atWhittier.

Of course, they used to use me as a, a tackling dummy.

We didn'tcome here to talk aboutfootball.

Yeah, I understand that.

- Uh, how old are you, young lady? - Nineteen.

Yeah.

Well, probably mostof you think I'm a real S.O.B. I knowthat.

- [Murmuring Agreement] - I understand howyou feel.

But, you know, I want peace too.

- But peace with honor. - [Girl] What does that mean?

[Quiet Murmuring]

Well, you can't have peace withouta price.

Sometimes you have to be, uh, willing to fightfor peace...

and sometimes to die.

Yeah? Tell that to the G.I. S who are going to die tomorrow in Vietnam.

[Girl] What lets you kill women and children?

Whatyou have to understand is we're willing to die forwhat we believe in.

- [Girl] That's right. - [Boy] It's the truth.

Yeah.

Look, thatman up there,

he lived in similartimes.

Oh, he had chaos, civil war, hatred between the races.

- [Boy] This is all bullshit. - Sometimes I go to the Lincoln Room...

atthe White House and just pray.

But, you know, Liberals...

act like idealism belongs to them.

That's nottrue. No.

My family...

went Republican because Lincoln freed the slaves.

My grandmother was an abolitionist.

Itwas Quakers who founded Whittier, my hometown,

- [Impatient Murmuring] - Uh, to abolish slavery.

Theywere, you know, conservative bible folk,

butthey had a powerful sense of rightand wrong.

Forty years ago... [Chuckles] I was like you.

Looking foranswers.

- See? - [Murmuring Continues]

[Boy] Tricky Dick himself.

My mother used to feed hobos stopping overat our house.

- [Haldeman] We got him. - [Boy] Don't push, pig

- [Agent] Move away. - We're just rapping, my friends and I.

In fact, we agree on a lot ofthings, don'twe?

[Girl] No, we don't.

You say you wantto end the war, so why don'tyou?

Change always comes slowly.

[Sighs] I pulled out more than halfthe troops.

I'm trying to cutthe military budget forthe firsttime in 30 years.

I wanta volunteer army. But it's also a question of American credibility.

- Our... Our position in the world. - Come on, Mr. Nixon.

It's a civil war between Vietnamese.

You don'twantthe war. We don'twantthe war.

The Vietnamese don'twantthe war.

- So why does it go on? - [Faint Voice On Radio]

- You should be going, Mr. President. - Okay.

Please.

You can'tstop it, can you?

Even ifyou wanted to.

- 'Cause it's notyou, it's the system. - [Coughing]

The system won't letyou stop it.

[Boy] That's right.

There's... There's more atstake here...

- than whatyou wantorwhat I want. - Then what's the point?

What's the pointof being president? You're powerless!

- No! - No, I'm not powerless.

Because... Because I understand the system, I believe I can, uh...

I can control it, maybe notcontrol ittotally,

buttame itenough to make it do some good.

Sounds like you're talking abouta wild animal.

Yeah, maybe I am.

We really must go, Mr. President. Please.

- [Girl] Hey, what about the war, man? - When you gonna get us out?

[Agent] The old man's moving.

- [Haldeman] Move it. Getaway. - [Nixon] She got it, Bob.

- Nineteen-year-old college kid. - What? Who?

She understood something that's taken me 25 years in politics to understand.

The C.I.A., the Mafia, those Wall Street bastards.

- Sir? - The beast.

- She called ita wild animal. - Yes, sir.

? Before his judgmentseat?

? Oh, be swift, my soul to answer him be jubilant, my feet?

- ? OurGod is marching on? - [Gunshot]

- ? Glory, glory, hallelujah? - [Growling Sound]

- ? Glory...?? - [Explosion]

[Newscaster] In Washington, the size ofthe crowds...

have swelled to overa quarter ofa million demonstrators...

protesting the ongoing war in Vietnam.

There must be a quarter million ofthem out there, Edgar.

You know, they've been at it nowfor a whole year.

Young kids, just like Tricia.

I don't know. Do you think they gota point, Edgar?

This whole damn system of government.

Rememberwhat Lenin said in 1917, Mr. President,

"The powerwas lying in the streets, waiting for someone to pick it up."

The Communists have never been closerthan they are now.

Now's the time to get back to the old themes.

The ones that made you president.

Letthe Communists know you're onto them.

Those bastards. Think they can ruin Tricia's wedding...

by dancing naked in the reflecting pool.

Well, don't listen to them and don'tquit.

Remember, Kennedy and King were against the war.

Where are they now? [Chuckles]

Howthe hell the Times gota hold of this Ellsberg stuff is a disgrace.

Yeah. You know, we can't keep a damn secret in this government.

They're stealing papers rightoutofthis office.

Johnson had the same damn problem,

till he bugged his own office.

We took thatsystem out.

Butthatwas a mistake.

The White House was full of Kennedy people then.

Itstill is.

- Who do you think's behind this? - Well,

you have C.I.A. People all overthis place.

Helms has seen to that. And then there's Kissinger's staff.

Kissinger himself, I believe, may be the leaker.

- Kissinger? - He's obsessed with his own image.

He wants his Nobel peace prize a little too much.

And as the late Dr. King proved, even an ape can win a prize with good press.

Jesus, I'd like to book him into a psychiatrist's office.

He comes in here ranting and raving,

- dumping his crap all overthe place. - [Laughing]

Could you prove it, Edgar?

Mr. President, I always getmy man.

Yeah, you do. This damn tie.

- Could you help me? - Yeah.

See, I'd be bugging myself.

Who'd getthe tapes?

No one. Your property.

And itwould prove your case.

Why do you think Kissinger is taping allyour calls?

For history. Hmm?

His word againstyours.

And right now... he's gotthe records.

I'll get Manolo to do this.

Thanks.

Churchill once said to me, " If you want your own historywritten properly,

you'd betterwrite it yourself."

The only thing is, Edgar, I don't wantthis to come back and hauntme.

Itwon't, as long as I'm here.

Good.

Uh, [Chuckles] This way.

What's wrong?

We're just not going to buckle to these people.

No more war!

[Chuckling]

It's beautiful.

Yes, thank you.

Princess, may I?

- [Applause] - Thank you.

I'm very proud of you today, Princess. Very.

Thank you, Daddy.

[Applause]

?? [Ends]

Yeah?

Some very secretessays on Vietnam have been leaked to the New York Times.

- I know, I know. Not now, Chuck. - ?? [Orchestra Resumes]

- The New York Times. - Get Ron over here.

- It's the happiest day of my life. - [Chuckling]

[Newscaster] The New York Times began publishing today...

the first in a series of47 volumes...

oftop-secret Pentagon tapes...

relating to the war in Vietnam.

The papers, leaked by defense analyst Daniel Ellsberg,

reveal a pattern of government lies and American involvement in the war.

[Kissinger] Mr. President, we are in a revolutionary situation.

We are under siege. The Black Panthers, the Weathermen.

The State Department under Rogers is leaking like a sieve.

And nowthis little, insignificant little shit Ellsberg...

publishing all the diplomatic secrets ofthis country...

is destroying ourability to conduct foreign policy.

I wonder if many people here wouldn't think thatten years in prison...

was very cheap ifthey could contribute to ending this war.

The man has become a drug fiend. He shot people from helicopters in Vietnam.

He's had sexual relations with his wife in frontoftheir children.

He sees a shrink in L.A. The man's all fucked up.

And now he's trying to look good forthe Liberals.

And if he gets awaywith it, everybodywill follow his lead.

This man must be stopped atall costs.

I'm as frustrated as you are, but don't you think this is a Democrat problem?

They started the war. Itmakes them look bad.

But, Mr. President, the Russians, the Vietnamese...

- It makes you look like a weakling! - Goddamn it.

How long have we had this jackass dog? Two years?

He still doesn't come. We need a dog that looks happy when the press is here.

- He's photogenic. Try new biscuits. - Aw, fuck it.

He doesn't like me, John. It's yourfault, Henry.

- I beg your pardon? - It's your people talking to the press.

Uh, this Ellsberg, wasn't he a student ofyours at Harvard?

I mean, he's your idea, Henry. So why are you running for cover?

[Kissinger] Well, yes, we taught a class togetherat Harvard,

butyou knowthese back-stabbing Ivy League intellectuals.

- No, I don't, Henry. I don't. - Prosecute the New York Times.

Yeah, but it's not, bottom line, gonna change a goddamn thing, John.

The question is how do we screw Ellsberg so bad...

it puts the fear of God into all leakers?

The other issue is how do we stop these leaks once and for all?

Now, someone is talking to the press. We gotta stop these leaks at any cost.

You hearme? Then we can go forthe big pic... China, Russia.

- [Colson] Sir, if I might? - Go, Chuck.

We can do this ourselves.

The C.I.A. And the F.B.I. Aren't doing the job.

Now, we can create our own intelligence unit right here inside the White House.

Well, why not?

- Our own intelligence to plug the leaks? - [Colson] Yeah.

- Like plumbers. - Plumbers.

I like it. I like the idea.

Yeah, but, uh, is it legal?

Has itever been done before?

Oh, sure.

Lyndon,J.F.K., F.D.R.

Truman cut the shit out ofmy investigation ofthe Hiss case in '48.

What he did was illegal.

You know, with this kind ofthing, you gotto be brutal.

A leak happens, the whole damn place should be fired.

Really, I mean, you do it like the Germans in World War II.

Theywentthrough these towns, and a sniper hitone of'em,

they'd line the whole goddamn town up and say,

"Untilyou talk, you're all getting shot."

Really, I think that's what has to be done.

I don'tthink you can be Mr. Nice Guy anymore.

[Colson] You justwhisperthe word to me, and I'll shoot Ellsberg myself.

- [Ehrlichman] We're not Germans. - Yeah.

Ellsberg's notthe issue.

The Pentagon papers aren'tthe issue.

It's the lie.

- [Crowd Cheering] - [Chambers] Mr. Hiss is lying.

Yeah.

Remember, John, back in '48?

Nobody believed Alger Hiss was a Communistexceptme.

Well, they loved Hiss like they loved this Ellsberg character.

He was their kind... Ivy League establishment.

I am not, and never have been...

- Mr. Hiss is lying. - Mr. Hiss?

- I was dirt to them, nothing. - And Dick kicked the shitoutof'em.

I wouldn't have if Hiss hadn't lied about knowing Chambers.

The documents were old and outof date, just like these Pentagon papers.

The key thing we proved was that Hiss was a liar.

Then people bought that he was a spy.

It's the lie that gets you.

All right, Henry, we're gonna go yourway.

Crush this Ellsberg same waywe did Hiss.

There is no other choice, Mr. President.

We're gonna hit him so hard, he'll look like everything that's sick and evil...

aboutthe eastern establishment.

You and your plumbers, you're gonna get all the dirton this guy.

Let's see him going to the bathroom in frontofthe American public.

And when we finish with him, they'll crucify him.

Then we'll get our second term.

- ?? [Mambo] - [RoosterCrows]

[People Yelling In Spanish]

[Clucking]

[Angry Screeching]

The claws are out, Frank.

- You seen the guys? - They're around.

- Why? You gota customer? - [RoosterCrows]

The White House.

- You're fuckin' me. - We're gonna be plumbers, Frank.

We're gonna plug leaks.

- Who are we workin'for? - Aguy named Gordon Liddy.

He thinks he's Martin Bormann.

He wants to meetyou.

Gordon Liddy, Frank Sturgis.

Hey, Frank.

[Nixon] Did you see the look on Hoover's face? He's redderthan a beet.

That little closetfairy's got no choice.

He hates McGovern and Kennedy so much, he's gotta love me.

- And Lyndon? - He looked old, didn't he?

[Haldeman On Phone] Have you talked to Lyndon?

Yeah, I asked him, " Lyndon, whatwould you do on a scale of one to ten?"

He said, "Bomb the shit out of Hanoi, boy. Bomb them where they live. " Yeah.

Bob, tell Trini I'll be in Key Biscayne at 4:00.

- [Haldeman] With Pat? - No, alone.

Uh, Pat's staying here with Mrs. Eisenhower.

- Yes, sir. - Good. [Hangs Up Receiver]

Hi, Buddy. Whatare you doing here?

I missed you.

Why don'twe go down to Key Biscayne together?

Because... I have to relax.

You know, I was, uh, justthinking tonight.

Rememberwhen you used to drive me on dates with other boys?

Yeah.

You didn'twantto letme outof your sight.

Yeah. Sure.

Itwas a long time ago.

Yes, it's been a long time.

Now, look, Buddy.

I don't need that.

I'm notJack Kennedy.

No, you're not.

So stop comparing yourself to him.

You have no reason to.

You have everything you everwanted.

You earned it.

Why can'tyou justenjoy it?

[Sighs]

I do. I do in my own way.

Then whatare you scared of, honey?

I'm notscared, Buddy.

You don't understand.

They're playing for keeps, Buddy.

You know, the press, the kids, the Liberals out there.

They're outthere trying to figure out howto tearme down.

- They're allyour enemies? - Yes.

You, personally?

Yes!

Listen, this is aboutme.

Why can'tyou understand that?

I mean, you of all people.

It's notthe war.

It's Nixon!

It's not Vietnam, it's Nixon. Theywantto destroy Nixon.

If I expose myselfjust the slightest bit, they'll tear my insides out.

You want that? You know?

You wantto see that, Buddy? It's not pretty!

Sometimes I think that's whatyou want, Dick.

Whatthe hell are you saying?

Are you drunk?

Jesus, you sound just like them now.

I gotta keep fighting, Buddy, forthe country.

These people running things, the elite!

They're justsoft, chicken-shit faggots.

They don't have the long-term vision anymore.

They justwantto covertheir ass and meet girls and tear each other down.

Oh, God, this country's in deep, deep, deep trouble, Buddy.

I have to see this through, you know.

Motherwould have expected no less of me.

I'm sorry, Buddy.

I justwish you knew how much I love you, that's all.

Ittook me a long time to fall in love with you, Dick, but I did.

And it doesn't make you happy.

- You want them to love you. - No, I don't. I'm notJack Kennedy.

They neverwill, Dick.

No matter howmany elections you win, they neverwill.

[Murmuring]

Gentlemen, the president.

All right, gentlemen. This is our last damn leak.

It's no way to run a goddamn government.

We're going to prosecute the hell outof Ellsberg and any else who wants to leak.

And, uh, that means anyone ofyou here who crosses the line,

I'm personally going afterthem, okay?

The permissiveness ofthis year is over.

The belts are coming off and people are going to go to the woodshed.

'Cause the governmentcannotsurvive with a counter-government inside it.

I know howtraitors operate. I've dealtwith them all ofmy life.

It's neverthe little people. Little people do not leak.

It's always some, uh, smooth son ofa bitch like Ellsberg.

You know, the Harvard Hebrew boys...

who leak.

Now I hear people say, " But Ellsberg did itforthe good ofthe country."

You know, " The people's rightto know." You know.

Well, well, neverthe case,

Alger Hiss said the same damn thing, and so did the Rosenbergs.

Look what happened to them. [Imitates Electrical Charge]

Old Sparky got'em. They always underestimated old Nixon, see.

We're gonna fight just as dirty. This is sudden death, gentlemen.

We're gonna getthem on the ground, stick in our spikes...

and twistand showthem no mercy.

So, uh, starting today, no one in this room talks to the press,

uh, withoutchecking first with Mr. Haldeman here.

And, uh, thatmeans, Ron, a complete freeze on the New York Times, CBS,

PBS, Jack Anderson and the Washington Post.

Um, Mr. Haldeman is the chief high executionerfrom now on,

so don'tyou come whining to me when he tells you to do something.

That's me talking, okay? And ifyou do come to me, I'll be tougherthan he is.

Anyone who screws with us, his fucking head comes off. You gotthat?

Well, thank you very much, gentlemen, and, uh, good day to you.

- [Glass Breaking] - [Nixon] History will never be the same.

- [Man Speaking Spanish] - We're taking a step into the future.

- Liddy, give them the folder. - We have changed the world.

- Five, ten. - Let's see whatelse you got.

?? [Anthem]

[ShutterClicking]

- I mustsay, you look very good. - [TranslatorSpeaking Chinese]

- [Speaking Chinese] - [Translator] Looks can be deceiving.

Uh, we knowwhat risks you've taken in inviting us here.

[Translator] I took no risk.

I am too old to be afraid ofwhat anyone thinks.

- [Mao Speaking Chinese] - [Translator] Don'tevertrustthem.

They nevertell the truth...

or honor theircommitments.

- [Continues In Chinese] - Vietnamese are like Russians.

Both are dogs.

Mr. Chairman, there's an old saying in my country:

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

[Speaking Chinese]

[Translator] That has the added virtue ofbeing true.

[Kissinger] Yourwritings have changed the world, Mr. Chairman.

[Translator Speaking Chinese]

- [Speaks Chinese] - [Translator] Bullshit.

My writings mean absolutely nothing.

[Mao Speaking Chinese]

[Translator] I want to knowyoursecret.

[Kissinger] My secret, Mr. Chairman?

[Mao Speaking Chinese]

How a fatman gets so many girls.

- Heh-heh-heh-heh. - [Laughs]

Power, Mr. Chairman,

- is the ultimate aphrodisiac. - [TranslatorSpeaking Chinese]

- [Laughs] - [Thunder Rumbling]

[Mao Speaking Chinese]

[Translator] You know, I voted foryou in your last election.

[Nixon Laughs]

- I was the the lesseroftwo evils. - [Speaking Chinese]

[Translator] You are too modest, Mr. Nixon.

You are as evil as I am.

[Translator] We are the new emperors.

- [Mao Continues In Chinese] - We are both from poorfamilies...

and others pay to feed the hunger in us.

In my case, millions ofreactionaries.

In yourcase, millions ofVietnamese.

Uh, civil war is always the cruelest kind ofwar,

butourtwo nations were forged by revolution.

- The United States, China. - [Mao Speaking Chinese]

[Translator] Peace? Is peace all you're interested in?

The real war is in us.

[Continues In Chinese]

[Translator] History is a symptom ofourdisease.

- [Thunder Rumbling] - [Explosions]

[Newscaster] In a surprise Christmas bombing of Hanoi,

Nixon delivered more tonnage than was used at Dresden in World War II.

It is without doubt the most brutal bombing in American history.

Newspapers are calling it a Stone Age tactic...

and Nixon a maddened tyrant.

Nixon's response.'

"When the Vietnamese take the Paris peace talks seriously, I'll stop."

[Machine Gun Fire, Explosions Continue]

A penny foryourthoughts.

Justthink ofthe...

Think ofthe life Mao's led.

In '52 l... I called him a monster.

Now he could be ourmost importantally.

Only Nixon could've done that.

You're a long way from Whittier.

[Nixon] Yep.

Yes, I am.

Congratulations, Dick.

- [DoorOpens] - [Man] Mr. Ziegler.

Mr. President, the press guys asked if you could come back.

- The hell with them. - I'll go back, Mr. President.

No, uh, theywantyou, Mr. President. I, uh... I think itwould be a good move.

Oh?

- Who's back there? - Everybody.

Okay.

Gentlemen, I go nowto discover...

the exact length, width and depth ofthe shaft.

[Reporters Laughing, Talking]

Ladies and gentlemen, the president.

- [Woman] Oh, it's the president. - Hi.

- Hi. - Hi.

- Mr. President... - Congratulations, sir.

- Well done! - [Reporters Talking Simultaneously]

- Thank you, sir! - [Applause Continues]

- Bravo, sir! - Thank you.

- [Reporters Laughing] - Congratulations!

Well,

it looks to me like we're gonna lose a warforthe first goddamn time.

[Man] Yep.

[Jack] And you're goin' right along with it, Dick,

buyin'into this Kissinger bullshit,

this... detente with Communists.

[Scoffs] Detente. Sounds like a couple offags dancin;

- Ha! - [Others Laugh]

[Nixon Laughs]

Jack, we're not living in the same country you and I knew in '46.

Our people are just not gonna sacrifice in major numbers forwar.

Can'teven get'em to accept cuts in their gas tax.

Now, the Arabs and theJapanese are draining the gold reserves...

lfwe'd won in Vietnam, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

It's nobody's fault, Jack. It's change. It's a factof history.

Even thatold cocksucker J. Edgar Hoover's dead.

- Who'd have thoughtthat possible? - [Men Laughing]

How's the food overthere in China, Mr. Nixon?

Oh, it's delicious, if you're president.

- [Nixon Chuckles] - So, uh,

what are you gonna do about that Allende fella...

nationalizing our businesses in Chile?

You gonna send Kissinger down there?

We're gonna get rid of him... Allende, I mean... justas fastas we can.

- He's atthe top ofthe list. - How about Kissinger along with him?

Now, Kissinger's misunderstood.

He acts like a Liberal for his establishmentfriends,

- but he's even tougherthan I am. - So Kissingerstays.

Just like Castro, Mr. Nixon.

Yeah. He stays.

And you are comfortable with that decision, huh?

[Jack] Desi's got a point.

What the hell are we gonna do about the Communists here in ourown backyard?

What do you really mean, Jack?

I mean I got federal price controls on my oil.

And the ragheads are beatin' the shitoutof me, Dick.

And your E.P.A. Environmental agency...

has got its thumb so far up my ass it's scratchin' my ear!

- I think it's time for us to be... - Let him finish, Bob.

I gota federaljudge orderin' me to bus my grandkids halfway across this town...

to go to school with some nigger kids.

Now, Dick... Mr. President...

Aren'tyou forgetting who putyou where you are?

The American people putme where I am, Jack.

Really.

Well, thatcan be changed.

In a heartbeat.

[Man Clears Throat]

Jack, I've learned politics is the art of compromise.

I learned itthe hard way. I don't know if you have.

Well, letme tellyou this, Jack.

If you don't like it, there's an election in November...

and you can take yourmoney out in the open and give itto Wallace.

How about it, Jack? You willing to do that?

Hand this country overto some pansy poetsocialist like George McGovern?

'Cause ifyou're not happy with the E.P.A. Up yourass,

try the I.R.S.

Goddamn, Dick.

You're notthreatening me, are ya?

Presidents don'tthreaten, Jack.

They don't have to.

Good day to you, gentlemen. Thank you.

[Newscaster] With candidate George Wallace out ofthe race,

paralyzed by an assassin's bullet,

Richard Nixon has crushed George McGovern...

in the 1972 presidential election.

It is the second-biggest landslide in American history.

[Crowd Chanting] Fourmore years!

As the newterm begins,

it does notseem the Watergate investigations have damaged Nixon...

in any significantway.

Probably our biggestachievement as an administration,

when it's all said and done,

isn't China or Russia.

It's pulling outof Vietnam withouta right-wing revolt.

I believe you're right.

Buteven the presidency isn'tenough anymore.

Sir?

The presidency by itself won't protect us, Bob.

We're beyond politics now.

Mr. Ehrlichman.

Yeah.

Sir, just in from Paris. The Vietnamese have accepted Henry's peace proposal.

Good.

- The bombing worked. They're caving. - Congratulations!

Thatmad bombertheory wasn'tso crazy after all.

Henry is coming back to join us. He wants to be included in the photographs.

[Haldeman] There's a surprise.

This could be it. This could be it. Four long years. Jeez.

Incidentally, I don't know ifthis is the right time, butyou should know...

Bill Sullivan atthe F.B.I. Got back to us with his report on Kissinger.

- I didn'twanna bring it up because of... - Go on.

Well, Sullivan, uh, thinks he's the one.

Henry's the leaker.

Yeah, I knew it. I knew it from '69 on and I said itall along.

- [Ziegler] Yeah, I remember. - No, you didn't, Bob.

- Come on. - [Ehrlichman Sighs]

Looks like he talked to, uh, Joe Kraft and the Times.

Claims that he was dead set against the bombing,

thatyou were unstable and that he has to handle you with kid gloves.

[Haldeman] That explains his press notices.

Working both sides ofthe fence. Jew-boy Henry.

My God.

- He talked to the New York Times? - Yes, he did.

[Haldeman] We oughta fire his whining ass right now, when he's on top.

And it'd set the right example forthe rest ofthis administration.

[Ehrlichman] I would personally volunteerforthat assignment right now.

No. No.

He's ouronly star right now. He'd go crying to the press.

He'd crucify us.

Son of a bitch.

Getsomeone on our staff on his ass.

Tap his phones. I wanna know everyone he talks to.

[Haldeman] Let's see how long the Kissinger mystique lasts.

So, John, whatabout these Watergate clowns?

This, uh, Sirica's crazy.

Thirty-five year sentence. No weapons, right?

No injuries. Uh, there's no success. It's just ridiculous.

Sirica's just trying to force someone to testify, but they're solid.

Whataboutthis Washington Post crap?

Uh, Woodwind and Fernstein.

- Bernstein, sir. - Who the fuck are they, anyway?

Bob, you working on revoking theirtelevision license?

- Yes, sir, I am. - Good.

Well, uh, they're trying to connect Bob andJohn with the secretfund.

- But they don't have much. - They don't have anything.

The F.B.I.'s feeding me their reports.

L-I didn'tthink you should lose any more sleep over it, sir.

Good man, John, good man.

[Air Hissing, Loud Thump]

Ohh!

I can therefore announce that our long and tragic involvement in Vietnam...

is atan end.

- Ourmission is accomplished. - [Shutters Clicking]

[Clears Throat] Uh, we have a cease-fire...

and our prisoners ofwar are coming back home.

South Vietnam has the right to determine its own future.

So, we have peace with honor.

[Haldeman, Ziegler Applauding]

The presidentwill take some of your questions now.

[Reporters Shouting] Mr. President! - Dan.

Isn't ittrue little has been achieved in this agreement...

thatthe Communists have not been offering since 1969,

that in factyouradministration has needlessly prolonged the war...

and escalated itto new levels of violence?

I will, uh, try to, uh... [Chuckles]

Answerthatquestion in some detail.

- Mr. President! - [Reporters Shouting]

What is your reaction toJames McCord's statement...

that high-levelWhite House officials were involved in the Watergate break-in?

- That's the dumbestthing I've heard. - [Reporters Shouting]

The Washington Post is reporting that Mr. Haldeman and Ehrlichman...

secretly dispersed up to $900,000 in campaign funds.

- Is there any truth to that? - Now, letme make this perfectly clear.

I will not respond to the charges ofthe Washington Post.

Norwill I commenton a matter that is currently before the courts.

[Shouting Continues]

Sir, do you intend to cooperate with Senator Ervin's committee?

Will you agree to the appointment ofa special prosecutor?

- Mr. President! - Mr. President!

- Mr. President! - [Shouting Continues]

[Haldeman] Thank you!

Mr. President, shouldn'tyou...

Ron, get in there and do something!

- [Shouting Continues] - [Shutters Clicking]

I end the longestwar in American history...

and they keep harping on this chicken-shit... Aaah!

- [Glass Breaks] - God!

You knowwho's behind this, don'tyou? Teddy Kennedy.

Yeah, he drowns a broad in his car, and he can't run for president...

[Ehrlichman] He did get pretty burned at Chappaquiddick.

My pointexactly! Somebody had to die before he got his shit in the papers!

Fucking Kennedys getaway with everything! Goddamn them!

[Chuckles Sarcastically] You see me screwin'everything that moves?

For Christ's sake, I did what the New York Times editorial page...

said forme to do!

I ended the war!

I gotS.A.L.T. One with the Russians; I opened China.

So why are these assholes turning on me?

'Cause they don't like the way I look, where I wentto school!

- Because they're notAmericans. - Yeah, right. They don'ttrustAmerica.

Whywould they? Hmm? They justcome here to stick their snouts in the trough.

Who are these people? Sulzberger.

Their parents are gold traders from eastern Europe, with due respect, Henry.

They buy things. They come to "Jew" York city and buy up things.

And one ofthe things they buy, Mr. President, is the New York Times.

You knowwhat? You should be proud, because they'll nevertrustyou, sir.

Because we speak forthe average American.

You knowwhy they're turning on me?

It's because they're not serious about power, that's why.

They're playing with power. They're forgetting the national interest.

In the old days people knew howto hold power, howto set limits.

Theywouldn't have torn this country apart over a third-rate burglary.

ForChrist's sake, now all they care about are theiregos,

looking good atcocktail parties.

Beating outother papers and chasing girls.

Wondering whethersomeone said something nice about them.

All short-term, frivolous bullshit.

Ben Bradlee worrying about Teddy Kennedy liking him.

Get Mr. Dean in here, willyou?

Mr. President, I fearwe are drifting toward oblivion here.

We are playing a totally reactive game.

We have to getahead ofthe ball.

Now, we all know thatyou are clean. Right?

Then let's take off the gloves.

- Let's do a housecleaning. - Housecleaning?

No, itcould be ugly, Henry, really ugly.

It must be done, sir. Your government is paralyzed.

All kinds of shitcould come out. The Ellsberg thing.

- You knew aboutthat, didn'tyou, Henry? - Well, I heard something.

- Itsounded idiotic. - "Idiotic." Yeah, I suppose itwas.

I thought itwas your idea to expose Ellsberg as a sex fiend.

I guess somebody just took you too literally.

I never suggested a bunch of imbeciles break into a psychiatrist's office.

It doesn'tmatter. The point is you might lose yourmedia darling halo...

ifthe media startsniffing around our dirty laundry.

Sir, I never had anything to do with thatand I resentthe implication...

Resent itallyou want, Henry, butyou're in with the restof us.

Cambodia. Ellsberg.

The wiretaps you put in.

The presidentwants you to knowyou can't just click your heels...

and head back to Harvard Yard.

It's your ass too, Henry, and it's in the wind twisting with everyone else's.

Sir.

Yeah?

There are times when even the presidentcan go too far.

You played it perfectly, sir.

Thatcocksucker'll think twice before he leaks again.

[Nixon Chuckling] Yeah.

He'll be looking in his toilet bowl every time he pulls the chain.

- Huntwants more money. 122 thousand. - Fuck!

He says ifhe doesn't get it right away,

he's gonna blow us outofthe water, and he means it.

Ever since his wife died in the plane crash, he's been overthe edge.

Pay him what he wants.

We've gotto turn the faucet off on Huntand these Cubans.

They are outof control. John, you mightwantto just burden me with...

It's Helms. It's gotta be Helms. He's behind it.

- I think we could leverage Helms. - How?

When I metwith him, he kind oftipped his hand.

'Cause this entire affair is related to the Bay of Pigs. If itcomes up...

This has nothing to do with the Bay of Pigs!

I have no concern aboutthe Bay of Pigs!

I couldn't believe it.

This is whatthe president told me to relay to you, Dick.

[Haldeman Explaining] I had to remind him who he was talking to.

So, I was wondering, what's such dynamite in this Bay of Pigs thing,

sir?

Although itwas clearly effective, because all of a sudden...

itwas no problem for Helms to go to the F.B.I. And puta lid on Watergate.

Whataboutthe documents he promised?

He'll give us the documents. But I think ifwe offer him an ambassadorship,

the ambassadorship to Iran, we can get rid of him.

No, I, uh, I promised Iran to Townsend.

No. PutTownsend in Belgium, sir. It's available.

He gave us 300 grand. Belgium's not worth more than, I don't know, 100, 150.

- Whatabout England? - Brandenberg's paid three times that.

Helms wants Iran orthere might be a problem.

Sir, all his old buddies are over there making a fortune offthe shah,

- and he wants... - When does this end, Bob?

- Executive clemency. - What?

Huntand the Cubans have nothing to lose now. Pardon them all.

Nobody's going to investigate for which the criminals have been pardoned.

- Yeah, I like that. - Yeah, but it'll neverdo.

Pardoning them means we're all guilty. The press, the people'll go nuts.

Am I supposed to justsit here and watch them coming closer,

eating theirway to the center?

Lyndon bugged; so did Kennedy.

F.D.R. Cut a deal with lucky Luciano.

Christ, even Eisenhower had a mistress.

What's so special aboutme? Huh?

I mean, whatabout Lyndon? He could make a couple of calls hell and...

[Clears Throat] Shutthis whole damn thing down.

- Anyone talk to him? What did he say? - I did. No dice.

- He hitthe roof. - Why?

He said if you go outwith a story about how he bugged your plane,

he's gonna reveal...

[Whispering, Indistinct]

All right. All right, Bob!

What's the matter with you?

I know. Ljust knowwe've made too many enemies.

There's anotherthing. Bob and I have to testify before the Urban Committee.

No, you're not. You're going to claim executive privilege.

You're gonna stonewall it all the way.

Plead the Fifth Amendment. I don't give a shit.

They can'tforce the president's people to testify.

Executive privilege willjustmake it look like we're covering up.

We are covering up, for God's sake.

Some petty, stupid shit.

There are things I can saywhat other people said, and they'd be lies.

When I say them, nobody believes me anyway.

Then, we're going to have to give them Mitchell.

Mitchell's family.

Either it goes to Mitchell, or it comes here.

John's right, boss.

It's not personal.

It's justthe way the game is played.

Sometimes you gotta punt.

Jesus. I'm so goddamned worn outwith this.

- So, are you gonna tell Mitchell? - You do it.

- Why me? - 'Cause he hates you.

It's worse when you get it from someone you trust.

[Chuckles] He's wrong, you know.

- About Kennedy and L.B.J. And Truman. - How so?

Well, I mean, sure, they did stuff, Bob, but nothing like this.

I mean, forgetaboutthe break-in, the, the enemies list,

the, uh... You know?

You gotthe attempted firebombing of the Brookings Institution.

Planting McGovern stuff on the guy thatshotWallace?

Trying to slip L.S.D. ToJack Anderson?

The old man plays politics harder than anybody else, John.

You think this is about politics?

Do you think L.B.J. Would have ever asked Huntto forge a cable...

implicating Kennedy in the assassination ofthe presidentof Vietnam?

- How long have you known Bob, 20 years? - This is the Roosevelt Room,

named after our 26th president.

Twenty years, you ever shake hands with him?

Have a real conversation with him? Hmm?

[Scoffs]

No, this...

This is about Richard Nixon.

You got people dying because he didn'tmake varsity football.

You gotthe Constitution hanging by a thread...

because he wentto Whittier, notto Yale.

- And what is this Bay of Pigs thing? - Mmm?

Goes white every time you mention it.

- It's a code or something. - Well, shit, even I figured thatout.

I think he means...

The Kennedy assassination.

- Yeah? - Theywentafter Castro...

and in some crazyway it gotturned back on Kennedy.

I don'tthink the old man knows what happened.

But he's afraid to find out.

He's shitting peach pits every time he thinks about it.

Created a Frankenstein with those damn Cubans.

Eightwords back in '72:

"I covered up.

"I was wrong.

I'm sorry."

And the American public would've forgiven him.

Butwe never opened ourmouths, John.

We failed him.

Dick Nixon saying "I'm sorry"?

[Laughs] That'll be the day.

His whole suitof armor would fall off.

So, you tell Mitchell.

Yeah.

AndJohn, you do know thatwe're next, don'tyou?

[Thunder Rumbling]

You're early, John.

If you'd been thatstealthy atthe Watergate, we wouldn't be in this mess.

- I was sorry to hear aboutyourwife. - Yes.

Take outthe money.

The presidentwould like to know if thatwas the last payment.

[Chuckles] I'll bet he would.

Is it?

In Richard Nixon's long history of underhanded dealings,

he's never had bettervalue for his money.

If I were to open my mouth, all the dominoes would fall.

Can I ask you a question?

You have the temerity to blackmail the presidentofthe United States?

That's notthe question, John.

The question is, why is he paying?

To protect his people.

I'm one of his people. The Cubans are his people.

And we're going to jail for him.

Howard, you will serve no more than two years, then he'll pardon you.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Butyou don't leave yourmen on the beach, John.

You don'tmake them beg fortheirmoney like thieves.

You don't dump men with families who've served their country.

He didn't know. This thing has gotten outof hand.

You think a man as controlled as Richard Nixon would've allowed a break-in...

at the Democratic National Headquarters without knowing it?

You think Mitchell or Haldeman wouldn't have run it by him at leastonce?

The president's men did nothing... nothing...

without Richard Nixon's permission.

John, sooner or later...

sooner, I think...

You're going to learn the lesson that's been learned...

by everyone who's ever gotten close to Richard Nixon...

that he's the darkness reaching out forthe darkness.

And eventually it's eitheryou or him.

Your grave's already been dug, John.

[Newscaster] F.B.I. Director-designate L. Patrick Gray...

shocked the Senate by revealing thatJohn Dean...

has been secretly receiving F.B.I. Reports on Watergate.

- Crown, this is Echo Six. - How are you, sir?

Gray also said that Dean lied when he claimed Howard Hunt...

did not have an office in the White House.

- How is he? - He's in a bad mood.

He's running late. Have a seat.

[Dean] This is the sortofthing Mafia people can do.

Washing money and things like that.

We just don't know aboutthese things because we're notcriminals.

How much you need?

I would say these people will costa million dollars...

overthe nexttwo years.

- We could getthat. - Uh-huh.

Geta million dollars in cash. I knowwhere itcould be gotten.

I'm still notconfident we can ride through this.

Some people are gonna have to go to jail. Hunt's not the only problem.

Haldeman let me use the $350,000 cash fund in his safe...

to make the payments.

Ehrlichman had a role... a big role... in the Ellsberg break-in.

Oh, I don't know aboutthat.

And... And I'm...

[Clears Throat]

I think it's time we begin to think in terms of cutting our losses.

- [Nixon] Yeah. - ?? [Whistling]

[Clears Throat] You're saying cut our losses, John, and, uh, all the rest.

And, you know, suppose the thing blows and they indict Bob and the others?

Jesus, you'd never recover from that, John. I mean, uh...

No, it's betterto fight it out instead and not let people testify.

Sir, I, I still don'tthink we can contain this anymore.

There's a cancer on the presidency, and it's growing...

- with every day... - Jesus, you know, every...

Everything's a crisis among the upper intellectual types, the softheads.

The average people don'tthink it's much of a crisis.

For Christ's sake, this is not Vietnam. No one's dying here.

- I mean, isn't it ridiculous? - I agree. It's ridiculous, but, uh...

It's goddamn crazy! Goldwaterwas rightwhen he said,

"For Christ's sakes, everybody bugs everybody else."

We knowthat.

It's the cover-up, John, notthe deed, that's really bad here.

If only Mitchell could step up and take the bruntof it, you know.

- [Chuckles] - Give 'em the hors d'oeuvre.

Maybe theywon'tcome back forthe main course.

You know, that's the tragedy in all this.

Mitchell's gonna get itanyway, so it's time he assumed responsibility.

You're not paying attention.

He won't. He's told Ehrlichman he won't.

You tell my good friend Dick...

I got into this by not paying attention to whatthese bastards were doing.

I don't have a guilty conscience, and he shouldn'teither.

Yeah.

Well, he's right.

Maybe it is time to, uh, go the hang-out route, John.

Uh, a full and thorough investigation.

Uh, we've cooperated with the F.B.I.

We'll cooperate with the Senate.

- What have we gotto hide? - No, we've nothing to hide.

No. Nothing to hide.

You know, the only... the only fault in the plan is,

they're not gonna believe the truth; that's the incredible thing.

I agree. It's, uh, it's tricky.

[Inhales] Everything seems to lead back here.

- People would never understand. - No.

John, I wantyou to getaway from this madhouse.

I want... these reporters.

I wantyou to go up to Camp David forthe weekend and write up a report.

Puteverything you know aboutWatergate in there and say,

"Mr. President, here itall is." Okay?

You wantme to put itall in writing overmy signature?

Well, uh,

nobody knows more aboutthis thing than you do, John.

You know, the details. Thatstuff I don't know. But, uh... Heh.

Uh-huh. [Clears Throat]

Sir, I'm not going to be the scapegoatforthis.

Haldeman and Ehrlichman are in it justas deep as I am.

No, now, John, you don'twanna start down that road.

I remember, uh,

Whittaker Chambers telling me back in '48...

He was a man who suffered greatly.

And he said, " On the road ofthe informer, it is always night."

Now, uh... It's beyond you, or even me, John.

- It's the country. The presidency. - I understand that, sir.

You know, l... You know how I feel about loyalty.

L-I'm not gonna letany of my people go to jail, that I promise you.

The importantthing is to keep this away from Haldeman and Ehrlichman.

I'm trusting you to do this, John, and I have complete confidence in you. Okay?

- I'll work on it. - Say hi to thatwife of yours.

- Yes, sir. - Good.

- [Doorknob Snaps] - Shit.

- [Chuckles] - It happens.

The place is a shambles. Hey!

I was determined thatwe should get to the bottom ofWatergate...

and the truth should be fully brought out, no matterwho was involved.

Today, in one ofthe most difficult decisions of my presidency,

I accepted the resignations oftwo ofmy closest associates in the White House,

Bob Haldeman andJohn Ehrlichman,

two ofthe finest public servants it has been my privilege to know.

More light, Chief?

No, Bob.

[Whispers] Six bodies.

[Nixon On TV] The counsel to the president, John Dean, has also resigned.

I will not place the blame on subordinates,

on people whose zeal exceeded their judgment...

and who may have done wrong in a cause they deeply believed to be right.

[Nixon On Television] In any organization,

the man at the top must bear the responsibility.

That responsibility, therefore, belongs here in this office,

and I acceptthat.

There can be no whitewash atthe White House.

Two wrongs do notmake a right.

Now, I love America.

God bless America, and God bless each and every one of you.

- And we're clear. - [Men Talking]

[ShutterClicks]

[Whispers] Out.

[Thunder Rumbling]

[Pat] Thank you.

Are you going to Key Biscayne?

- Yeah. - When?

Tomorrow.

Ron told me that, um... [Clears Throat]

Bob Haldeman has been calling butyou won'ttalk to him.

If he's convicted, willyou pardon him?

No.

Why are you cutting yourself off from the restof us?

- Can'twe discuss this? - Whatexactly do you wantto discuss?

You. Whatyou're doing.

- Whatam I doing? - I... wish I knew.

You're hiding.

Hiding what?

- Whatever it is you've been hiding. - [Silverware Drops]

You're letting it destroy you, Dick.

[Bell Ringing]

You won't even ask for hel... - [Ringing Continues]

Manolo, uh,

Mrs. Nixon's finished.

I am the only one left, Dick.

Lfyou don't even talk to me...

Brezhnev's coming in three days.

I don'twanna deal with them and him... and you.

Howmuch more... Howmuch more is it going to cost?

When do the restof us stop paying off your debts?

I'd like to finish my dinner in peace,

if it's nottoo much to ask.

No, it isn't.

I won't interfere with you anymore.

I'm finished trying.

Thank you.

"Thank you"?

Dick, sometimes I understand why they hate you.

[Gavel Bangs]

[Sam Ervin] The committee will come to order.

Counsel will call the firstwitness.

[Counsel] Mr. John W. Dean, III.

After I departed the president's office,

I wentto a meeting with Haldeman and Ehrlichman to discuss the matter.

The sum and substance ofthat discussion was,

the way to handle this nowwas for Mitchell to step forward.

[Dean On TV] Itwas a disappointment to me because itwas quite clear...

that the cover-up, as faras the White House was...

Was concerned, was going to continue.

Why is he doing this? He's our goddamn lawyer.

If he had a problem, why didn't he come talk with us?

- Remember, the weasel's got no proof. - [TV: Dean Continues]

It's still an informer's word againstthe president's.

[Dean]... were all indictable forobstruction ofjustice.

Thatwas the reason I was disagreeing with all thatwas being discussed.

Give 'em hell, general.

[Speaking Russian]

[Translator] Mao taught me in 1963...

[Continues In Russian]

[Translator] If I have nuclearweapons,

let 400 million Chinese die,

- [Russian] - 300 million will be left.

[Speaks Chinese Word Meaning "Bullshit"]

- Mao... Phfft! - Yeah.

- [Russian Continues] - I can tellyou what happened.

You want names? I can give you Haldeman.

- I'm talking aboutthe president. - [Brezhnev] Mao!

- [Translator] We all know... - [Dean] I can give you the president.

...this man in his dog heart.

- [Speaking Russian] - You want him to be yourally?

Uh, well, he was your ally for 20 years, Leonid.

Yes, yes, Dick. Da, da, da, da.

- [TranslatorSpeaking Russian] - Da.

[Speaking Russian] ...Mr. Nixon...

[Continues In Russian]

[Translator] Life is the best teacher, and therefore it must not interfere...

with the building ofthe S.A.L.T. Two treaty between our greatcountries.

[Brezhnev Speaking Russian]

[Translator] Peace in ourera is possible.

- Excuse me, uh, Leonid. - It's okay, Dick. It's okay.

[Speaking Russian]

He's spilling his guts to the Ervin committee. And, uh, unfortunately...

Da.

Did you,

Daddy?

What?

Did you cover it up?

You think I'd do something like that, honey?

Well, then you can't give up.

You justcan't.

You're one ofthe best presidents this country has ever had.

You've done what Lincoln did... brought this country back from civil war.

You can't letyour enemies tearyou down.

You've gotta stay and fight.

I'll go outthere and make speeches.

Nobody knows the realyou, how sweet you are, how nice you are to people.

I'll tell them.

You're the most decent person I know.

Ljust hope I haven't letyou down, Kitten.

They just don't know the realyou.

They just don't know.

Tricky Dick always knew whatwas goin' on.

Every last goddamn detail.

And my husband is not going to take the rap this time.

They knowthey can'tshutme up. Probably end up killin' me.

She doesn't knowwhatshe's talking about. Stop bothering her!

Hell, she's nuts. You bastards have seen to that.

Are you and Martha gonna get back togetheragain?

Ourmarriage is finished, thank you very much. Stick that up your keister!

Now, were the visitors thatwent into the White House warned...

that theirconversations with the presidentwould be taped?

[Butterfield On TV] Again, I am not aware ofthe technical details.

On Friday, we have the high school students from Ohio.

Saturday is the National Women's Republican Club.

[Newscaster] In a development that could break Watergate wide open,

former White House aide Alexander Butterfield...

testified today before the Senate Select committee.

He revealed a taping system that may have recorded conversations...

in the White House, the executive office building,

and even members ofhis own family.

All calls to the White House,

ofwhatever nature and character, would be taped?

Yes, the tape would not discriminate.

None ofthem had knowledge that theirconversations were being taped?

[Newscaster] This is a stunning revelation.

Lfsuch tapes exist, they could tell us, once and forall,

what did the president know, and when did he know it.

[Nixon On Tape] I want Hunt paid.

- It's time to go the hang-out route. - [Voices On Tape Overlap]

[KissingerOn Tape] Lfthey fearthe madman...

[Nixon] It's a legal contribution. Who the hell authorized this?

- Colson? - [Haldeman] The Bay of Pigs.

[Nixon] lfyou tell Helms that Howard Hunt...

[Dean On Tape] There's a cancer on the presidency, and it's growing...

- with every day... - [Voices Continue Overlapping]

[Nixon On Tape] If Hunt goes public, it'll be a fiasco forthe C.I.A.

- They're like love letters. - [Buttons Clicking]

- [Audio: Tape Rewinding] - You should burn 'em.

Why didn'tyou?

They're evidence. You can't legally destroy evidence.

You don'texpectme to believe that for one minute, do ya?

- Huh? - Does itmatterwhat's on 'em?

Really? Murder, Dick?

Sex? Yoursecrets, yourfantasies?

- Or is just me and you and... - Don't be ridiculous.

I remember Alger Hiss.

I know how ugly you can be.

You're capable of anything.

It doesn't really matter at the end ofthe day what's on them,

because you have absolutely no remorse.

No conceptof remorse.

You wantthe tapes to getout. You wantthem to see you atyourworst.

- You're drunk. - [Laughs] Oh, yeah!

No one'll ever see those tapes, including you.

And whatwould I find out that I haven't known foryears?

What makes it so damn sad...

is thatyou couldn't confide in any of us.

You had to make a record forthe whole world.

[Sighs] Theywere forme. They're mine.

They're not "yours."

They are you.

You should burn them.

[Gasps]

- What has changed in you, Richard? - Ohh! Go away!

[Nixon] These guys wentafter Castro seven times, ten times.

What, do you think people like that, just gave up? They just don'twalk away.

- [Nixon] What, seven, ten times? - I never said this.

- Ten ti... Never. - You think people like that gave up?

[On Tape] Castro. These guys wentafter Castro.

[On Tape] lfthis gotout, they'd blame me for everything.

Forget Kennedy orJohnson. It's Nixon!

- ?? [Orchestral, Backward] - [Nixon's Voice Backward]

- [Voices Murmuring, Backward] - [Soldier Shouts]

[Arthur Screaming, Backward]

[Backward Voices Cease]

[Nixon On Tape] Whoever killed Kennedy...

came from this thing we created, this beast.

[Newscaster] In the latest bombshell,

the president's lawyers revealed that there is an 18-and-a-halfminute gap...

- in a critical Watergate tape. - [Coughing]

Reactions ofdisbeliefand anger are being heard across the country.

[Retching, Coughing]

Aah!

[Wheezes] My God.

Pat!

Pat!

- Has he had chest pains? - He woke up coughing blood!

- I'm in charge here! - Has he been short of breath?

- No, and he's sure that he has T. B! - Why T. B?

Because his family had it. His brother had it.

- [Doctors, Nurses Talking] - [Nixon Coughing]

- [Doctor] I think it's flooded. - [Hannah's Voice] Richard.

- [Loud Groaning Voice] - [Nurse] Get those I. V. S started.

- [Grunting, Groaning] - [Pat] Please lie down, Dick.

- They need you to lie down! - Sedate him!

- Dick. Dick. - [Grunting Continues]

- [Loud Groan] - [Hannah] Richard?

Mother.

Maybe a trip to the woodshed'll...

- [Machine Beeping] - [Julie] Daddy?

[Beeping Continues]

[Coughing]

[Respirator Hissing, Clicking]

- [Thunder Rumbling] - [RespiratorContinues]

[Newscaster] Vice President Agnew has resigned today,

pleading no contest to charges ofincome tax evasion.

This follows Special Prosecutor Cox's continuing investigation...

- into President Nixon's finances. - [Voices Murmuring]

- The president paid no income tax... - [Pat] Lie down, Dick.

- In the years 1970, '71 and'72... - They need you to lie down.

And may have used funds to improve his residence in San Clemente, California.

[Pat] Where's the blood coming from? What's wrong with him?

He's gotan acute viral pneumonia and a very serious phlebitis.

- It could go into his lungs. - Oh, no.

[Newscaster] The president has returned to the White House.

But Archibald Cox has declared war... by issuing a subpoena...

for nine ofthe president's tapes.

[Nixon] Never! Over my dead body. It's the president's personal property.

I'll never give up my tapes to a bunch of Kennedy-loving, Democratcocksuckers.

- This could triggerthe impeachment. - Ahh.

They'll go to the Supreme Court.

I appointed three ofthose bastards. They'll never getmy tapes.

[Haig] Can the president affiord to ignore a subpoena?

Who the hell does Cox think he is? I've nevermade a dime from public office.

I'm honest. My dad died broke. Jesus.

Thatson of a bitch Cox, he went to the same law school asJack Kennedy.

The last gasp ofthe establishment.

Hmph. Yeah, they gotthe hell kicked outof'em in the election,

so nowthey gotta squeal aboutWatergate...

'cause we were the first real threat to them in years.

We would've changed itso they couldn't have changed it back in 100 years.

[Nixon] Yeah.

If only the, uh...

- Mr. President. - What?

- Sir, Congress is, uh... - [Man] No, over here, sir.

Sir, Congress is considering fourarticles ofimpeachment.

- Yeah. Forwhat? - They're very serious charges, sir.

- First, abuse of power. - Yep.

- Second, obstruction of justice. - Yeah, whatelse?

Third, failure to cooperate with Congress.

- And last, bombing Cambodia, sir. - [Faint Applause]

They can't impeach me for Cambodia; the presidentcan bomb anybody he likes.

- [Ziegler] That's true. - We'll win that, but the otherthree...

- You know, Fred, they sell tickets. - It's Ron, sir.

They sell tickets to an impeachment like a damn circus.

Okay, so they impeach me. Well, fuck'em! [Laughs, Coughs]

Yeah, well, it's just a matter of mathematics.

- Howmany votes we have in the Senate? - [Haig] About a dozen.

Adozen? Jeez, I got... half of'em elected.

Okay, so I got the South and, uh,

Goldwater and his boys.

- I'll take my chances in the Senate. - Yes, we should.

- This damn leg. - Well, then, sir, we'll, uh,

have to deal with the possibility ofremoval from office,

loss of pension and possibly...

possibly even prison.

Yeah, well, plenty of people did their bestwriting in prison.

- Gandhi, Lenin. - [Ziegler] That's right.

What I know aboutthis country, I could rip itapart.

Lftheywanta public humiliation, that's whatthey'll get.

- Yes, theywill. - I will never resign this office. Never.

- Where the fuck am I? What's in there? - ?? [Brass Band]

- The P.O.W. S and theirfamilies. - Oh. I'm supposed to be...

- Compassionate, grateful... - Proud.

- Sir? - Proud. Ofthem.

- Oh, yes, of course. - Fire him.

- Who? - Cox. Archibald Cox. Fire him!

- [Chuckles] - He works forthe attorney general.

- Only Richardson can fire him. - May I echo my concern here, sir?

Then tell Richardson to fire him!

Well, Richardson won't do that, sir. He'll resign.

The hell he will. Then fire him too.

If you have to go all the way down to the janitor atthe justice department,

- fire thatson of a bitch. - He's asked for it.

Mr. President, may I justsay something, sir?

I think thatyou should welcome this subpoena.

- Why? - Well, sir,

the tapes can only prove that Dean was a liar. Right?

That's right, sir.

Well, there's more.

There's more than justme.

You can't break, my boy.

Even though it's ended.

You can'tadmit, even to yourself, when it's gone.

Uh, do you think those P.O.W. S in there did?

?? [Continues]

Now, there's some people, and we both knowthem, AI,

think you can go stand in the middle of a bull ring and cry "mea culpa,"

while the crowd is hissing and booing and spitting on you.

Well, a man doesn'tcry. I don'tcry.

You don'tcry.

You fight.

- ?? [Finishes] - [Faint Applause]

Okay.

- [Applause Continues] - Ladies and gentlemen,

the president ofthe United States!

- ?? [Brass Band.' "Hail To The Chiefl'] - [Applause Continues]

We interrupt this program for a special report from NBC news.

The country is in the midst ofthe mostserious constitutional crisis...

in its history.

President Nixon has fired special prosecutorArchibald Cox.

Attorney General Elliot Richardson has quit...

and his deputy William Ruckelshaus was fired when he refused to fire Cox.

Acting Attorney General Robert Bork has executed President Nixon's orders...

and fired the special prosecutor.

[Female Newscaster] In an attempt to head offiimpeachment proceedings,

the president has agreed to release transcripts of46 taped conversations.

[Male Newscaster#2] Gerald Ford was sworn in as vice president.

Citing wrongdoing, a judge has dismissed all charges against Daniel Ellsberg.

Agrand jury has indicted former Nixon aides Haldeman, Ehrlichman...

I mean, you're a lawyer, for God's sake. How can you letthis shit go through?

Look. This. Nixon can'tsay that.

- Well, you did say it, sir. - Never! I never said thataboutJews.

Makes me sound like an anti-Semite.

- We can check the tapes again. - No need. I knowwhat I said.

Have you lostyourmind? Look, AI! Nixon can'tsay this!

- "Niggers. Niggers." It can'tsay that! - We could delete it.

- We're doing the bestwe can. - Well, it's not good enough!

- Would you have us black it out, sir? - We could write "expletive deleted."

Cut all these "goddamns" and "Jesus Christs" out.

- Jesus. - Mr. President.

Don'tyou see that all these deletion marks in the transcripts...

make it look as though you... you do nothing butswear?

Itsoils my mother's memory.

You think I wantthe whole goddamn world to see my mother... like this?

Raising a dirty-mouth?

We could startagain, sir, butwe don't really have the staffito do that.

Then start over! Juststart over!

The world will see onlywhat I show'em!

From page one, AI. Page one, Ron!

Ron, get in there and do something. All this stuff...

Five seconds, Mr. President.

And four, three, two...

Good evening, my fellow Americans.

Tonight I'm taking an action...

unprecedented in the history ofthis office.

I had no knowledge ofthe cover-up tillJohn Dean told me about it...

- on March 21st, a yearago. - I think I'm going to throw up.

...no paymentto Hunt or anyone else be made.

- He's losttouch with reality. - I've made my mistakes,

but in all my years of public life, I have never profited...

Can you imagine what this man would have been...

- had he ever been loved? - I've earned every penny.

In all of my years of public life,

- I have never obstructed justice. - It's a tragedy,

- because he had greatness in his grasp. - I welcome this examination.

But he had the defects of his qualities.

- I made $250,000 from a book... - [Haig] They'll crucify him.

[Kissinger] Does anybody really care anymore?

Which many of you were good enough to purchase.

And what happens... after?

...every year.

When I, in 1968, decided to become a candidate forthe president,

I decided to clean the decks...

and to put everything in real estate.

So, that's where the money came from. That's all I own.

That's whatwe have, and that's whatwe owe.

Because people have got to know whetheror not their president...

president is a crook.

Well, I am nota crook.

- I've earned everything I have... - [Nixon.'Checkers Speech]

She does have a respectable Republican cloth coat.

And I always tell her, uh, she'd look good in anything.

There has never been any feathering ofnests.

Not in this administration.

Now, let me justsay this...

And I want to say this to the television audience.

The Supreme Court ruled today eight to nothing that President Nixon's claims...

ofexecutive privilege cannot be used in criminal cases...

- and must turn oversubpoenaed tapes. - The HouseJudiciary Committee...

has voted 27 to 11...

to recommend impeachment to the full House.

The deliberations now go to the House floor.

In its report, the committee offiers evidence Nixon obstructed justice...

on at least 36 occasions;

that he encouraged his aides to commit perjury;

and that Nixon abused the powers ofhis office.

In a separate report, the Senate Select committee...

details the misuse ofthe I.R.S.

The F.B.I., the C.I.A. And the justice department.

It denounces the plumbers and it raises the question...

ofwhetherthe United States had a valid election in 1972.

?? [Record Player.' Victory AtSea]

??

?? [Knocks On Door]

?? [Continues, Loud]

?? [Knocking Continues]

?? Come in.

??

?? [Continues, Loud]

Victory at Sea, Al. Henry.

The Pacific Theater.

Christ, you can almost hear the waves breaking overthe decks.

- [Laughs Quietly] - [Turns Volume Down]

[Clicks Off]

I'm afraid we have another problem, Mr. President.

[Manolo] Excuse me, gentlemen.

June 23rd, '72, sir.

Your instructions to Haldeman regarding the C.I.A. And the F.B.I.

So?

Your lawyers feel that...

it's the smoking gun.

That's totally outof context. I was protecting the national security.

Sir, the deadline is today.

Can we getaround this, Al?

It's the Supreme Court, sir.

You don't getaround it.

Lf, uh...

If you resign, you can keep yourtapes as a private citizen.

You could fightthem foryears.

What if I stay?

You have the army.

The army?

Lincoln used it.

We'll have civil war.

How do you see this?

[Inhales Deeply]

[Sighs] Oh, God.

We can'tsurvive this, sir.

They also...

have you instructing Dean to make the payoffto Hunt.

There's nothing in thatstatement the presidentcan'texplain.

Sir, you talked about opening up the whole Bay of Pigs thing again.

- That's right. - On theJune 20 tape.

The one with the 18-minute gap.

I don't know anything aboutthat.

You mentioned the Bay of Pigs several times.

Sooner or later, they're going to wantto knowwhatthatmeans.

They're going to want to knowwhat's on that gap.

It's gone. No one will ever find outwhat's on it.

They might...

ifthere was another recording.

We both know it's possible.

?? [Whistling]

I know fora fact...

that it's possible.

I've spoken to Ford.

There's a very strong chance...

that he'll pardon you.

I don't need a goddamned deal, for God's sake. L...

This is something that you will have to do, Mr. President.

I thought you'd rather do it...

now.

I'll waitoutside.

Sir.

May I say, sir, that if you stay now,

itwill paralyze the nation and its foreign policy.

You always had a great sense oftiming, Henry.

When to give...

and when to take.

How do you think Mao and Brezhnev will react?

Do you think they'll remember us, Henry,

after all the greatthings you and I did together,

as some kind of...

of crooks?

Theywill understand.

To be undone by a third-rate burglary is a fate of biblical proportions.

Historywill treatyou farmore kindly than your contemporaries.

Yeah. Depends who writes the history books.

I'm nota quitter, never have been.

But I'm notstupid either.

Atrial would kill me. That's whattheywant.

Theywon't get it.

Fuck'em.

[Sighs]

Lfthey harass you, I too will resign, and I will tell the world why.

Don't be stupid. The world needs you, Henry.

You always saw the big picture.

You were my equal in manyways.

You're the only friend I got, Henry.

Do you ever pray?

You know, believe in a supreme being?

Uh, not really.

You mean on my knees?

My mother used to pray a lot.

It's been a long time since I... really prayed.

Let's pray, Henry.

Let's pray a little.

Justyou and me. [Sniffs]

I hope this doesn't embarrass you, Henry.

No. Notatall, no.

This is not going to leak, is it? [Chuckles]

Don't be too proud, Henry.

Never be too proud to go on your knees before God.

[Sighing Heavily, Sniffling]

[Weeping] God.

[Sniffling]

How can a... [Sniffles]

How can a country come apart like this?

[Weeping] What have I done wrong?

I opened China.

I made peace with Russia.

I ended the war.

[Sniffling]

I did what I thought was right.

Uh... [Sobbing]

God, why do they hate me so?

It's unbelievable. It... It's insane.

Oh, M-Mom, I'm sorry. God, please forgive me, God.

I didn'tmean it. I didn't knowwhatto do.

I don't knowwhy this is happening to me.

I can't believe... [Sobbing]

Al.

[DoorCloses]

[Nixon] They smelled the blood on me this time, AI.

I gotsoft, you know?

A rusty, metallic smell.

[Haig] I know itwell, sir.

Itcame overfrom Vietnam, you know?

- Sir? - Thatsmell.

I mean, everyone suffered so much.

Their boys killed.

Uh, they need to sacrifice something.

You know, appease the gods ofwar.

Mars, Jupiter.

I am that blood, General.

I am thatsacrifice.

In the highest place of all.

Yeah. All leaders must finally be sacrificed.

Things won't be the same afterthis.

No, I played by the rules.

Rules changed right in the middle ofthe game.

There's no respect for American institutions anymore.

[Scoffs] No, people are cynical.

The press... ah, the press is outof control.

People spiton soldiers.

Governmentsecrets mean nothing.

I pity the next guy who sits here.

Good night, gentlemen.

Mr. President.

When they look atyou,

they see whattheywantto be.

When they look atme,

they see whatthey are.

Dick, please don't.

I can't.

I don't have the strength anymore.

It'll be over soon.

No, it's going to start now.

Oh, Buddy.

If I could justsleep.

[Whispering] If I could justsleep.

- There'll be time forthat. - Yeah.

You know, once...

when I was sick as a boy,

my mother gave me this stuff...

and she made me swallow it.

Itmade me throw up all over her.

[Grunts]

I wish I could do that now.

[Sighs]

- [Sniffles] - I'm so afraid.

[Whispering] There's darkness outthere.

I could always see where I was going.

But it's dark outthere.

God, I've always been afraid ofthe dark.

- Buddy. - [Weeping Quietly]

[Nixon] There are many fine careers.

This country needs good farmers,

good businessmen, good plumbers,

good carpenters.

I remember my old man.

I think thattheywould have called him sort of a...

sort of a little man, a common man.

Well, he didn'tconsider himselfthatway.

[Clears Throat] You knowwhat he was?

He was a streetcar motorman first.

Then he was a farmer.

Then he had a lemon ranch.

Itwas the poorest lemon ranch in California, I can assure you.

He sold it before they found oil on it.

[Laughter]

Then he was a grocer.

But he was a great man...

because he did his job.

And every job counts up to the hilt,

regardless ofwhat happens.

Nobodywill everwrite a book, probably, aboutmy mother.

Well, I guess all ofyou would...

say this aboutyour mother.

My motherwas a saint.

And I think ofher,

two boys dying oftuberculosis,

and seeing each ofthem die.

And when they died...

[Sighs]

Yes, she will have no books written about her.

Butshe was a saint.

Now, however, we look to the future.

I remembersomething, uh, Theodore Rooseveltwrote...

when his firstwife died...

in his twenties.

He thoughtthe light had gone from his life forever.

But he went on, and he not only became president,

butas an ex-president, he served his country,

always in the arena, tempestuous, strong,

sometimes right, sometimes wrong.

But he was a man.

And as I leave,

that's an example I think all ofus should remember.

See, we think sometimes when, uh,

things happen that don't go the rightway;

we think thatwhen someone dearto us dies;

uh, when we lose an election...

orwhen we suffer defeat,

thatall is ended.

Not true.

It's only a beginning, always,

because the greatness comes, notwhen things go always good foryou,

but the greatness comes...

when you're really tested,

when you take some knocks, some disappointments,

when sadness comes.

Because only ifyou've been in the deepestvalley...

can you ever know how magnificent it is...

to be on the highestmountain.

[Cheering]

[Nixon Continues] So I say to you on this occasion,

we leave, proud ofthe people who have stood by us...

and worked for us and served this government and this country.

We wantyou to continue to serve in government,

ifthat is whatyou wish.

Remember, always give your best.

Never get discouraged.

Never be petty.

Always remember, others may hate you.

But those who hate you don'twin unless you hate them.

And then, you destroy yourself.

And so we leave with high hopes and good spirits...

and with deep humility.

And I say to each and every one ofyou,

not only will we always rememberyou,

but always you will be...

in our hearts.

And you'll be...

in our prayers.

And only then will you find whatwe Quakers call...

"peace at the center."

[President Bill Clinton] He gave of himselfwith intelligence and energy...

and devotion to duty.

[Narrator] Richard Nixon was buried and honored by five presidents...

on April 26, 1994,

less than a yearafter his beloved wife, Pat, had died.

Nixon always maintained that ifhe had not been driven from office,

the North Vietnamese would not have overwhelmed the South in 1975.

In a sideshow, Cambodian society was destroyed and mass genocide resulted.

[Senator Robert Dole] The second halfofthe 20th century...

will be known as the age of Nixon.

[Narrator] In his absence, Russia and the United States returned...

to a decade ofhigh-budget military expansion and nearwar.

Nixon, who was pardoned by President Ford,

lived to write six books...

and travel the world as an elderstatesman.

Forthe remainderofhis life,

he foughtsuccessfully to protect his tapes.

The National Archives spent 14 years...

indexing and cataloging them.

Out of4,000 hours, 60 hours have been made public.

?? [Band.' "Star-Spangled Banner"]

?? [Ends]

[Train Horn Blows In Distance]

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? And hear?

? Your rolling river?

? Oh, Shenandoah?

? I long to see you?

? Way?

? We're bound away?

? Across the wide?

? Missouri?

? I long to see?

? Yoursmiling valley?

? And hear?

? Your rolling river?

? I long to see?

? Yoursmiling valley?

? Way?

? We're bound away?

? Across the wide?

? Missouri?

- ? 'Tis seven long years? - ? Shenandoah?

- ? Since last I seen you? - ? Shenandoah?

? Oh, to hear?

? Your rolling river?

- ? 'Tis seven long years? - ? Shenandoah?

- ? Since last I seen you? - ? Shenandoah?

? Way?

? We're bound away?

? Across the wide?

? Missouri?

? The wide Missouri?

? The wide?

? Missouri?

? Oh, Shenandoah? ? I long to see you, I long to see you?

? Away?

? You rolling river?

? Oh, Shenandoah?

? I long to see you?

? Way?

? We're bound away?

? Across the wide?

? Missouri?

? Missouri?

? Oh, Shenandoah?

? Oh, Shenandoah?

? Oh, Shenandoah?

? Oh, Shenandoah?

? Oh, Shenandoah?

? Oh, Shenandoah??