Original subtitles

♪ Well ♪

♪ Take me back down where cool water flows, y'all. ♪

♪ Let me remember things I love ♪

Dan, your rifle.

All right, kill 'em all.

♪ Stoppin' at the log where catfish bite, ♪

Who's the long hair?

That's Ellsberg--

works with Langsdale at the Embassy.

He's observing.

♪ I can hear the bullfrog callin' me, oh ♪

♪ Wonder if my rope's still hangin' to the tree ♪

Let's move out.

Move out!

♪ Love to kick my feet way down the shallow water ♪

♪ Shoo fly, dragonfly, get back t'mother ♪

-Take good care. -Good luck.

♪ Skip it across Green River ♪

♪ Well! ♪

Bravo-two-seven, this is Kilo-four-tango.

Fire mission:

Grid: Two-niner-eight-four- seven-one.

Lay down.

Hang in there, buddy. They're gonna fix you up.

We're gonna get you outta here, don't you worry 'bout it.

Dan?

Dan?

Dan?

Secretary would like a word, wanna follow me?

Well, y-you can say what you want to the President--

I've read every one of Ellsberg's reports,

and I'm telling you, it's just not the case.

Dan, you know Mr. Komer.

He's been discussing the war with the President

and, well, his sense is that we've made real progress

over the past year, but I've been doing my own review

and it seems to me that things have gotten worse.

But neither of us have been in the field--

you have--you're the one who knows

so, what do you say?

Are things better or worse?

Well, Mr. Secretary, what I'm most impressed by

is how much things are the same.

See, that's exactly what I'm saying.

We put another 100,000 troops in the field,

things are no better?

To me, that seems like things are actually worse.

Thank you, Dan.

Mr. Secretary!

Mr. Secretary, sir!

How was your trip, sir?

Sir?

Good afternoon, gentlemen, I don't have any uh,

prepared remarks but I'd be very happy to take your questions

one at a time-- Jim?

Mr. Secretary, I'm wondering if the trip left you optimistic

or pessimistic about our prospects in this war

and our ability to win it?

Well, you asked whether I was optimistic or pessimistic.

Today, I can tell you that military progress over the past 12 months

has exceeded our expectations.

We're very encouraged by what we're seeing in Vietnam.

In every respect, we're making progress.

I'm especially pleased to have Bob Komer along for the trip--

so he can see for himself that we've been showing

great improvement in every dimension of the war effort.

Derrick.

-Goodnight, Dan. -Goodnight, Dan.

Night, guys.

You okay, Dan?

Yeah, yeah, I thought I'd, uh... forgot something. I didn't.

Next left, on Melrose.

We have committed ourselves

to the cause of a just and peaceful world order

through the United Nations.

May 3rd, 1950.

President Truman approved ten million dollars in military aid

to Indochina.

America's leadership and prestige depend

on how we use our power

in the interest of world peace.

I feel concerned about paragraph six

which gives authority to control general elections in Vietnam.

The United States, as the world knows,

will never start a war.

May 11th, 1961.

President Kennedy orders a full examination

by the Defense Department of a possible commitment

of U.S. forces to Vietnam.

We are not about to send American boys

nine or ten thousand miles away from home

to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves.

President Johnson chose to reaffirm the Kennedy policy's

military operation to be initiated under close political control.

Can we just do the- can we do the numbers one-

just one more time?

The company's selling how many shares?

1.35 million shares.

And the price range is?

Uh, between-between $24.50 and twenty-f--seven dollars per share.

Not exactly a huge difference.

For them but, you know, the bankers always do fiddle with the prices--

but for us, that's over three million dollars and that

represents over five years salary for 25 good reporters.

Good. But why spend in the newsroom?

You're far less profitable than Gannett or Knight and Ridder.

Gannett and Knight and Ridder own monopoly papers in smaller cities

and-and our readers are-are leaders, you know?

they're-they're educated, they demand more.

That's why we invest in really good reporters.

-And so... -B-Because

quality and-and profitability do go hand in hand.

See? You know all this already.

Oh, God!

I don't know if I do.

-I should get to breakfast. -Yeah.

We don't want Paul or Arthur too antsy at this

-No. -at the meeting.

Good luck.

-And thank you, Fritz. -Mm-hmm.

-See you downtown. -I'll see you.

You think this is really necessary?

Oh, God, yes, darling.

You should hear how they talk at these meetings.

It's as if it's in a foreign language.

No, I meant taking the company public.

It seems we are...cash poor.

You know, barely solvent.

That's the newspaper business.

That's our newspaper business.

And we need the public offering to stay in business--

and to continue to grow.

That's what Fritz says.

And he also says that the family can maintain control if we...

Anyway, I'm just not sure your grandfather would've wanted us

to give up any control at all.

Hello?

-Mrs. Graham? -Yes, this is she.

Please hold for the Chief of Staff.

Who is it?

Haldeman.

-Mrs. Graham, Bob Haldeman. -Yes, hello.

We've got a bit of an issue over here.

Oh?

Jesus.

Oh.

I'm so sorry.

-Sorry, sorry, sorry. -Well, good morning.

I'm so late. I had to get all this... stuff together and uh...

then I had an unexpected call.

Well, what is with the suitcase?

Ben, I told you...

this is the day, we're meeting with the bankers

-Oh, yes, yes, right, right. -today, you know this.

-Well, I bet you every dollar -Thank you.

in my wallet that you are the only person in that boardroom

who's read through all their nonsense.

I'm probably the only one who needs to.

What do you think of Neil Sheehan?

Oh, gosh, his coverage of Vietnam is just absolutely marvelous. Why?

You thinking of trying to steal him from The Times?

I'm not sure we can afford him.

He, uh, he hasn't had a piece in three months.

Oh?

You think he's onto something?

Well, I saw Abe at a dinner party last week

and he was looking mighty, mighty smug.

Isn't he always?

-So who was it? -Who was what?

Your unexpected call.

Oh.

I buried the lead.

The White House.

-Haldeman rang. -Yeah?

It seems the President has decided

not to provide Judith with credentials

to cover the Nixon wedding.

-Oh, Jesus Christ. -Yeah.

They said we could send another reporter.

Oh, yeah?

-Can't believe that. -I know.

-I know, but don't... -Jesus.

But what?

I'm not sure I entirely blame the President

-on this one, Dan. -No?

Would you want Judith to cover your daughter's wedding?

Well, my daughter's only ten years old.

I think she burned her bridges when she crashed Julie's reception.

-They're being punitive. -Her pen is so sharp.

-Of course it's punitive. -This is punitive.

Of course it's punitive.

She compared Tricia Nixon to a vanilla ice cream cone.

-She did, yeah. -Yeah.

I mean, why would her father want Judy

to cover his daughter's wedding?

-Oh, come on. -I just...

Are you sure we're striking the right tone here, Dan?

Oh, we're gonna do this again?

No, the new Style section, sometimes the

-stiletto party coverage -I'm handling it.

-can be a little mean. -I'm handling it.

-I'm looking for a new editor. -Yes.

Are you? Because I know I've talked to you about this before.

You are losing female readership, you know, and I think

I think you might wanna focus more on what women--

Katharine, keep your finger out of my eye.

You...

These breakfasts were your idea, you know.

Ah, yes, yes, and you are the publisher

and you are my boss and I uh...

I value the input but I-I-I heard you the first three times.

You know, I just think that there might be another way

that we could cool it with the White House,

maybe we could just send somebody else, you know?

-Nope, nope, nope. -Because it is

I'm not gonna send another reporter.

not hard news, Ben, it's just a wedding.

It's not just a wedding, it's...

It's the wedding of the daughter of the President of the United States.

-Let that girl have her day. -We can't have them--

an administration dictating to us our coverage

just because they don't like

what we print about them in our newspaper.

I wonder if Abe cares so passionately about

who covers the wedding for his paper.

Well, I don't give a rat's ass

what Abe or anybody at the New York Times cares about.

Not true, I give one rat's ass.

One retromingent rat's ass.

Tell 'em it's from Sheehan.

Don't walk.

It's from Sheehan.

Abe, here it is.

Okay, Roder's got Nixon working on a second term.

Osles has something on G.I.s buying heroin in Saigon, but

Ryder's got a rocket on the FBI list of potential subversives.

Ah, save it for the afternoon, I need Chal and Judith.

Judith!

Is that real--a subversives list?

Oh, yeah, Hoover at Justice keep a copy.

Thousands of names.

Geyelin heard the White House is shutting Judith out.

Yeah, I'm workin' on that.

We think editorial should run something.

I just heard somebody say they're workin' on that.

Well, if the White House is gonna take a stance like that,

don't you think we should plant a flag?

Did you see Sheehan at the Kissinger press conference?

No.

What about the Al Haig thing?

No, Times sent the new kid.

New kid.

You think Sheehan's onto something.

Yeah.

Well, Neil has been known to disappear,

No, no, no, I'm telling you he has something.

You want me to do a little digging?

No, that's below your pay grade.

Intern!

You uh, workin' on anything important, chief?

Uh, no, Mr. Bradlee.

Well, everything we do is important...at The Post.

Here's $40, I want you to take the first train

up to New York and go to the--

go to The Times building on 43rd- don't tell 'em who you work for

but find a reporter by the name of Sheehan.

Uh, Neil Sheehan?

Yeah, yeah, find out what Neil Sheehan is workin' on.

Is that legal?

Well, what is it you think we do here for a living, kid?

-Get a receipt for the tickets. -Yeah.

-Morning, Mrs. Graham. -Morning.

Hello, morning everybody.

-Morning, nice to see you. -Mrs. Graham.

-Morning. -Morning, Arthur.

Hello.

So, everyone's here.

-How are you--my Galahad? -Morning.

Thank you.

And I used to be the only one who brought his homework to class.

I think we're all here, should we get started?

Didn't you crash the wedding of Nixon's

other daughter to get a story?

Well, I did get a story, but I didn't crash Julie's wedding.

No, no, just the reception afterwards.

There is a distinction.

Not to the father of the bride, he's paying for play.

I think the American people are paying for play.

Great, let's do a story about that.

-Yeah, let's-- -Judith should crash again.

I didn't crash Julie's wedding.

What would you call it, Judith?

Well, I would call it depth reportage.

All right, come on, come on, everybody.

How are we gonna cover this Nixon-Cox wedding?

Uh, who else is gonna be there?

-Oh, here. -Judith's got the guest list.

No, I mean the other press?

Well, The Times, The Sun, The Globe, all the international papers.

All right.

So, we-we-we call them,

we call all of them and uh,

we say Nixon has shut us out

and then we ask them for their notes.

Ben, there's no way in hell anyone's gonna give me a fill.

No, they'll...i-it'll be an act of solidarity--

they'll be defending the first amendment.

We'll tell them that the only way to protect the right to publish

is to publish.

I don't understand, you said we'd set the price at $27.

No, we said there was a range.

and the demand on the road show us soft.

Why not set it at $26? Or 25 even?

Well, Paul, we feel that setting the price at

24.50 would be more prudent.

It's just a couple of bucks.

It's not just a couple of bucks, it's 1.35 million shares...

so, it is...

Th-Three million.

Over three million dollars less--that's a lot to a newspaper.

I mean, how many reporters is that?

-It's-It's twenty-five-- -Let's not get bogged down...

-It has to be quite a few. -At least a dozen. Fritz?

It's uh, twenty-five reporters--

Twenty-five reporters?

Twenty-five reporters.

Gentlemen, we know it's not ideal,

but a few of our investors balked at the nature of the company.

They don't like newspapers?

They like Gannett and Knight and Ridder

but...frankly they're concerned about

your ability to turn a serious profit.

Gannett and Knight and Ridder

own monopoly papers in smaller markets

-that's why they're more profitable. -Mmm.

The whole point of the offering is to grow--

while investing in the quality of the paper.

Kay and I have talked a great deal about this.

And we believe that improving quality

will naturally lead to greater profitability.

-Unfortunate. -More than unfortunate.

Does this happen all the time? Bankers lowering the price

for their institutional investors? Fritz, isn't this what we discussed?

I think the family should consider giving up some control--

maybe another board seat.

Absolutely not.

This isn't a surprise, Fritz-- ever since Phil's accident.

Arthur.

No offense, Kay, it's unfortunate but...

The buyers are obviously skittish about having a woman in charge

and it's-it's not like it's an easy sell--

it's a local paper with modest margins, modest ambitions.

I think Mr. Bradlee would take issue with that characterization.

Sure, she pads his budget.

Amelia, call my office, tell them I'm gonna miss my lunch at Occidental.

Of course, Mr. Parsons.

Another dozen reporters for what?

To nip at the heels of The Times?

So we can pretend like we're even remotely in the same league?

Make it a 5:00 drink at The Jefferson.

Arthur, Kay was right, Lazard is just trying to

-Come on. -cut a better deal by squeezing us.

-Why do you think that is? -Because they're bankers

which is why they want more control.

They want assurances that she's not gonna squander it all.

I mean, come on.

Fritz, Kay throws a great party,

but her father gave the paper to her husband.

The only reason she's running things is because he-because...

Phil died.

Don't get me wrong, I think she is a lovely woman.

But she got rid of Al Friendly and brought in a pirate

who does nothing but bleed our margins.

I mean, you can't be surprised that the buyers are concerned

that she doesn't have the resolve to turn a serious profit.

Kay, it's your decision.

But in my opinion,

if you want this to be more than a little family paper,

it has to be more than a little family business.

Thank you, Arthur, for your frankness.

All right.

-We're set? -All set, Mr. Parsons.

Accident.

I...

It wasn't an accident.

Phil's suicide--I don't know why

people insist on calling it an accident.

Is it to make them feel better?

Or do they think they're...

being kind? I don't know. I don't know.

So, do you think I should

give up more seats on the board?

Of course not.

We're going to be fine.

Hmm.

This passage...

in the prospectus that I-- I read it earlier today.

The uh, oh, yes...

"In the unlikely instance of disaster

"or catastrophic event in the week

"following the initial public offering,

"Lazard Frères & Co. retains full right to cancel the issue."

It's boiler plate, Kay.

It's standard contractual language.

Uh...but, so, that bankers could pull out?

Only if there's a true disaster.

Ben gets hit by a truck...

the world runs out of newspaper ink...

the...truck goes around the block and hits Ben again...

You think one of those is possible.

I don't but, you know.

The Nixon White House is nothing if not vindictive.

Just this morning,

they barred us from covering Tricia Nixon's wedding.

Somehow, I doubt that will rise to the level of catastrophe.

No, probably not--although,

when Ben sets his mind to plunder,

it's not hard to imagine something more serious.

Catastrophic events...

do occur, you know.

Yeah, but the right to cancel is only for a week.

A week from the public offering.

Seven days after they ring that bell on Tuesday,

the deal is done.

Hm.

It's gonna be fine, Kay.

Do you know what floor the newsroom's on?

Five.

Uh, no, no, no, six, yeah, six.

You think that he's not beneath Pakistan?

Well, five million refugees could destabilize West Bengal.

So, Lindsay's lowering the boom tomorrow.

How's he gonna cut a hundred million?

There's gonna be some blood on the floor of a greasy mansion.

I heard the mayors gave it to Nixon in Philly.

Yeah, I told you those guys are violent.

Take a look at this.

You guys see that piece on the hijacking?

You think six pages is enough?

We got three columns on the front page. I'll take it.

-On the flight? -The flight.

Can I help you, mac?

Just delivering a package to Mr. Mietson.

Maston, I'll see that he gets it.

I knew a couple

whose yacht was shipwrecked in the South Pacific.

Hold on, quiet, quiet.

I know a couple whose yacht was shipwrecked in the South Pacific.

It looks bleak, so the man asks,

"Does the will take care of the kids?"

his wife nods. "What about your mother?"

Yes. Okay.

"Did we donate to Nixon?"

His wife shakes her head. Yes.

"Did we pledge or give?"

"We pledged."

"Thank God!", shouts the man. "Nixon'll find us."

"We're saved!"

Speaking of Nixon, I just talked to Kissinger

who was going on about the end of the China embargo.

He's convinced it's a rather clever geo-political move.

Oh, I think this is our cue, ladies.

Someone at this table of luminaries

must have an idea what they're up to.

I wonder what his buddy Joe McCarthy would say.

The new Style section did a lovely piece on Lawrence Durrell.

Well, it's about time Style had a good piece.

I think it's a bit improved.

I hear he's at work on another series of novels.

I hear he's at work on finding a fourth wife.

I will say, he's one of the few individuals who could

probably cozy up to communist China

without fear of major political cost.

Ah, but is Nixon that smart? He never laughed at one of my jokes.

Oh, Kay, I don't know how you do it.

I don't know how you keep up with it over here--

Have this day job.

-Oh! -Well.

You need to read her book.

Kay, can I have--just a word?

Did you get a chance to read his--

Um.

Everything all right?

-Marg okay? -Yeah, she's- she's fine.

The procedure went very well.

Oh, good, I've been meaning to...

I, uh...

I wanted to tell you and I want you to hear from me first.

There's an article about me

coming out in The Times tomorrow.

It's not flattering.

Running...me?

Now you know me better than that.

Three days and three nights and not a word from you.

Well, I've been very busy.

For all I knew, you were lying in the gutter somewhere

with a knife in your back.

Lying in the gutter?

Now, look, sweetheart, I'll tell ya what happened.

I was in Birmingham.

Hello.

Hello, Ben.

Hello, Katharine.

I'm sorry to bother you so late, but listen.

Were you able to make any headway with Mr. Sheehan?

No, no, no. I haven't.

I just had an odd conversation with Bob McNamara.

And...I think The Times may have a big story tomorrow.

Ah, dammit.

You know, he wouldn't give me any details, but

Bob said it was quite... detrimental to him that--

Ben.

We got 'em.

We got 'em.

-Ah. -Ah?

-Yeah, quite good. -The happy couple?

-Hey! Chief! -Mr. Bradlee.

So, did you track down Sheehan?

No, but I saw a mock up of tomorrow's front page.

There's a big gap.

Nothing there but the name.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit!

-Give us three. -Here you go, here you go, here.

Here, here, here, here. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thanks, got it.

General Haig, sir.

-Hi, Al. -Yes, sir.

How, uh, what about the casualties list--

you got that figure yet?

No, sir, but I think it's gonna be quite low, uh...

Fine. Okay.

Nothing else of interest in the world?

Yes, sir, very significant this uh,

goddamn New York Times exposé of

the most highly-classified documents of the war.

You mean that-that was leaked out of the Pentagon?

The-the whole study that was done for McNamara.

This is a devastating, uh, security breach of

of the greatest magnitude of anything

-I've ever seen -Well...

Well, what, uh, what's being done about it, then?

-I... -Did we know this was coming out?

No, we did not, sir.

I have Dr. Kissinger.

Uh, Henry, that thing to me is just unconscionable--

this is treasonable action

on the part of the bastards that put it out.

I'm absolutely certain

that this violates all sorts of security...laws--

People have got to be put to the torch for this sort of thing.

Christ!

McNamara knew we couldn't win in '65--

that's six goddamn years ago.

Well, at least we got the wedding.

Is anybody else tired or reading the news instead of reporting it?

Do we have any leads?

There's a guy Phil and I know in Boston

who worked at Defense when McNamara commissioned the study.

All right, call him.

Anybody else?

So that's it?

My best goddamn lead is coming from editorial?

We are suckin' high tit in our own backyard.

Ben, come on, it's one story.

No, it's 7,000 pages detailing how the White House

has been lying about the Vietnam war for 30 years.

It's Truman and Eisenhower and...

Jack...

LBJ lying--lying about

Vietnam--and you think that's one story?

Let's do our jobs.

Find those pages.

Ben, uh...

I might...have something... maybe.

Well, let me know when it's a little less...wishy-washy.

I'm gonna go chase down a lead of my own.

Why don't you cut your bangs?

-Mummy, -Just a little bit.

I'm right in the middle.

It's a bit hard to read, isn't it?

Harder for you, I imagine.

No.

Why?

These were your people--McNamara?

And Kennedy and Johnson.

Jack and Lyndon were your father's friends.

You flew down to Texas with Lyndon the weekend after his convention.

Well, that's your fault, you wanted to see his helicopter.

And the instant he saw you, he invited you to the ranch.

Oh, well, he just wanted the paper to endorse--

Yes, but my point is, you had Steve and Bill waiting at home

-who had houseguests -I know.

waiting at the farm.

You had nothing but dirty clothes in your suitcase.

How do you know what I had in my suitcase?

Jumped on Air Force Once, spent the weekend--

-I did not jump, you and -swimming and

Livvie Pearce and said "I had to go!"

speedboating with Lyndon and Lady Bird.

It's hard to say...

no to the President of the United States.

Were you expecting someone?

At this hour?

I hope I'm not too early.

Not at all, must be urgent.

Where's your sister?

It's mine too, darling.

Where's your sister?

Let's go find her.

I trust you saw the New York Times.

Hmm.

The study--the-the one they're working off

that was commissioned by McNamara.

Yeah.

And if he commissioned it, he might have a copy.

I need to tell you that finding a source

is like finding a needle in a haystack.

I don't need the metaphor.

I haven't been a writer for a while

so that old cliché-- that was the best comparison

I could come up with.

I need a copy of that study, Kay.

Give her the ball, Ben.

-Oh, here you go. -Thank you.

You know, Ben, as much as I do relish

a good investigative assignment,

-Bob McNamara's an old friend. -Mm.

He's going through a lot in his life right now. I just--

He's probably said all he wants to say.

Why, do you think?

-Why? -Why?

Why is he talking to you?

Well, I just told you he's my friend, and

Well, is he talking to any other friends?

I'm not sure I appreciate the implication of what you just--

McNamara is talking to you

-because you are the publisher -That's not true!

-of The Washington Post. -No.

-That is not why. -Because he wants you

to bail him out.

-No, there's no ulterior-- -Because he wants you on his side.

No, Ben, that's not my role. You know that.

I wouldn't presume to tell you how to write about him.

Just as I wouldn't

take it upon myself to tell him

he should hand over a classified study,

which would be a crime, by the way,

just so he can serve as your source.

Our source, Katharine.

No, I--no.

I'm not. I'm not going to

ask Bob for the study.

I...

I get it, you have a relationship with Bob McNamara.

But don't you think you have an obligation as well

to the paper and to the public?

Let me ask you something.

Was that how you felt when you were

palling around with Jack Kennedy?

Where was your sense of duty then?

I don't recall you pushing him particularly hard on anything.

I pushed Jack when I had to-- I never pulled any punches.

I-Is that right?

'Cause you used to dine at the White House once a week.

All the trips to Camp David.

Oh, and that drunken birthday cruise on the Sequoia

you told me about.

Hard to believe you would've gotten all those invitations

if you didn't

pull a few punches.

Street protests broke out today across the country

after the publication of more excerpts

of a classified Department of Defense study

in The New York Times.

The study commissioned by former Secretary of Defense

Robert McNamara has ignited further debate

over the ongoing war in Vietnam.

As it makes clear that Kennedy and Johnson

as well as Eisenhower and Truman

deeply misled the country on Vietnam

The bombshell series has appeared for the last two days

in The New York Times.

We don't want your stinkin' war!

♪ I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains ♪

♪ I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways ♪

And my brother Mario said,

"There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious

"that you've got to put your body upon the gears

"and upon the wheels and upon the levers

"and you've got to make it stop!"

One, two, three, four!

We don't want your stinkin' war!

One, two, three, four!

So that the President doesn't have to admit something

the entire world already knows.

You dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Rosenthal's at 7:00 in the Oak Room.

And then I'll meet you tomorrow morning in the lobby at 8:00

so you'll have plenty of time to get Downtown before the offering,

-And the... -and the breakfast.

-Bagdikian. -It's Harry Rowan.

Hey, um...

Let me call you back from outside the newsroom.

Excuse me.

Are you important?

I'm a general standard reporter.

Okay.

Uh, I think I got something.

Be my guest.

And they are the source of the story.

Every time I read The New York Times above the fold--

-Mr. Bradlee? -No.

I feel like somebody's shoving a hot poker up my ass.

I think I got something.

Where'd you get these?

Somebody left them on my desk.

None was secretly suggesting that McNamara

did provoke the North so we'd have grounds for escalation.

Yeah, it was in The Times article. It was a good piece.

You should check it out.

-It was well-- -Jesus Christ.

Give it to someone who can type 91 words a minute.

-Ben. -and have it proofed, okay?

-Ben. -Yeah.

I think we got something.

What is it?

Jesus Christ.

Shit. Are these part of the pages of the McNamara study?

Where did you get these?

Somebody left them on my desk.

On your desk?

I didn't--i-it was a woman.

-What a woman? -We got over a

-hundred pages of the McNamara -What woman?

-study here. -She was a hippie woman,

she had one of those, uh,

-Hey, Debbie, give me Bagdikian. -Don't know what they're called

-but it's one of those skirts -He's uh,

-that looks like your uh, -He's out, he just went

-swirling in colors. -somewhere

-I don't-- -Probably between 5'4 and 5'6.

Well, these are the real thing.

Oh, she's uh,

-We are back in the ballgame. -It was a tie-died, sir.

It was a tie-died skirt.

This is gonna be the front page of tomorrow's

paper. Um...

Give it to uh...

give it to Marder, it's his lucky day.

My God, the fun.

Rand Corporation.

Harry Rowan, please.

This is Harry.

Harry, it's Ben Bagdikian.

You think someone's bugging your phone?

I think someone might be bugging yours.

Why would someone bug my phone?

If I thought the McNamara study had leaked from Rand,

I'd bug the phone of the president of Rand.

It's a DOD study.

A copy of which was sent to Rand for safekeeping.

Two copies, if I'm not mistaken.

Jesus Christ, Ben, that leak didn't come from us.

You sure about that?

Look, in my experience,

guys who want stuff like this out there and have the guts to do it,

they're a particular type--

they've got conscience and conviction

but they've also got

ego.

Now, there's a guy that we both know.

Okay? He was there the same time as I was.

He left right after.

You know who I'm talkin' about, right?

Isn't he the first guy you thought of

when you saw the article in The Times?

Okay, look, I gotta go.

Mr. and Mrs. Rosenthal.

-Oh, yes, I see. -You're welcome.

Hi.

-Ah. -Sweets.

I'm just going to apologize in advance.

Great to see you.

I'm no fun at all, Abe.

-I'm just so nervous about -Huh?

tomorrow at the Stock Exchange, I have to make a big speech...

-No, no, no, no. -I'm so happy for you.

No, going public is a good move for The Post.

Maybe you can even think about expanding,

try to be more of a national paper.

I wish Abe would let me buy shares.

Ah, that's against company policy, but

if your nervous and need distraction, I--

I do happen to have a copy of today's Times.

-Oh! -Abe!

Unless you read it already.

You awful man, you really are.

Can we get you something to drink?

Bundy argues for sustained bombing.

He thinks it'll turn the tide. This is February of '65.

Yeah, 'cause by April, they realize it's not gonna cut it.

And LBJ sends two battalions.

-Great stuff. -And get this--

He changes the mission from base security

-to active combat. -My God.

It's a huge shift. He's widening the war.

But he insists on secrecy.

The American people are not to be told.

Okay, so this is the real deal.

So how long till you can write it up?

I can have it for Thursday.

Well, what if we pretend you were a poet and not a novelist?

I...I suppose I could pull something together by tomorrow night.

Okay, we can run it on Wednesday.

Just go through all the research you want

but so help me God if we don't have these pages

by tomorrow night, we might as well...

Too late.

-What? -The Times already has it.

Well of course they have it.

"President Johnson decided on April 1st, 1965

-"that American ground forces -Of course The Times have it.

-"were taking offensive -written by Neil Sheehan.

"because a month of bombing--"

You know, Sheehan's a bastard-- he's been a bastard for years.

Mr. President, the Attorney General's called a couple of times

about these New York Times stories.

You mean to prosecute The Times?

Hell, my view is to prosecute

the goddamn pricks that gave it to him.

If you can find out who that is.

Yeah, I know.

I mean, could The Times be prosecuted?

Apparently so.

As far as The Times is concerned,

hell, they're our enemies, I think we just ought to do it.

Son of a bitch.

Abe Rosenthal.

Oh, good evening.

Your table is right over there, sir.

On no uncertain terms not to publish.

Only after Scotty Redstein

threatened to publish in the Vineyard Gazette

did Punch decide to print.

Wouldn't have had quite the same impact.

Jimmy.

We've been asked

to refrain from further publication

by the Attorney General.

Nixon's taking us to court?

Kay, I'm sorry, I uh...

Oh, no.

Gosh.

Why don't I go get the check?

No, sit tight, don't argue with, be right back.

Mr. Rosenthal had to leave on business.

Certainly, we'll put it on his tab.

No, no, I'll take the bill, but

could I trouble you to use your telephone?

But of course, madame.

There's a fella I overlap with at Rand

he was a bit of a showboat but smart.

And he worked for McNamara and he had opinions

on the decision-making that went into Vietnam.

-Okay. -Word is

he doved

pretty hard.

Would he have access to the study?

Pretty sure Rand had a copy.

No shit. All right, well, can you find him?

Thought maybe I'd try.

I've got Mrs. Graham on the line.

Katharine!

Hey, listen, I've--

-I've got tomorrow's headlines. -Ah.

Christ, okay, again.

John Mitchell contacted The Times,

seems the President's going to seek an injunction

No shit!

This means we're in the goddamn ballgame.

Because if The Times get shut down...

If they get shut down, there is no ballgame.

Ballgame's over.

But Katharine, any-anybody would kill to have a crack at this.

Well, sure, but not if it means breaking the law.

If a federal judge stops The Times from publishing,

well, I don't see how we could publish--

even if we could get hold of a copy.

So.

Ben?

You have something?

No.

Okay, so then there's nothing to talk about, really.

No. Nothing to talk about at all, but uh...

But thank you for the tip, Mrs. uh, Graham.

What are you still doing here?

Hi.

-How are you, Kay? -Hi, everyone. Good to see you.

Hello?

Yeah, I'm looking for Dan Ellsberg.

He doesn't work here anymore.

Do you know where he is now?

No, I don't. Who's this?

Thank you.

And it is my great privilege

to welcome The Washington Post Company

to the American Stock Exchange!

More than a privilege, Mrs. Graham,

this is a real honor.

Hello, this is John's.

Yeah, I'm looking for Dan Ellsberg.

You got the wrong number.

Go check off this day.

Gentlemen.

Thank you all for helping make The Washington Post

a more robust company.

Center for International Studies.

Yeah, I'm looking for Dan Ellsberg.

He's not here.

But he still works there?

Yes.

Can I take a message?

Uh, tell him Ben Bagdikian called.

Congratulations.

Guys, why don't we get together for a photograph?

That's a good idea. Here we go.

Smile, Kay!

What is it?

You just bought a share of The Post!

I know, I'm so happy!

1.35 million shares at 24.50 a share.

I believe this will not only make The Post solvent,

but stronger than it ever has been.

-To The Post! -The Post!

He said to call from a secure phone.

Mm-hmm.

I hear Kennedy said Phil Graham was the smartest man he ever met.

For Kay's father to hand her husband the company,

it says something about the guy.

Ben!

You thought it said something about the time.

-Turn it up. -Good evening.

The New York Times late today was barred

at least until Saturday

from publishing any more classified documents

dealing with the cause and conduct

of the Vietnam war.

The Times, true to its word,

said it would abide by the decision of federal judge

Murray Gurfein

but will resist a permanent injunction

at a hearing Friday.

The Nixon administration had charged

that the final two parts of The Times' series

would result in

irreparable injury to the national defense.

Hell, why bother fighting the communists?

I think Jefferson just rolled over in his grave.

Have the courts ever stopped a paper from publishing before?

Not in the history of the Republic.

Good thing we're not part of this mess.

I'd give my left one to be in this mess.

There's our front page lead.

Tomorrow, Chal, that's yours.

All right.

Party's over, let's uh, get back to work, germs.

...in a news conference to discuss the Pentagon papers...

Hello.

Hi, it's uh, Ben.

Yes?

Dan?

No.

Oh, um,

I'm trying to get hold of a fella I used to know.

617-597-4580.

Oh!

Hold-Hold on.

-Was it 4580, 61--? -Call from another phone.

Uh, 617

597-4580.

617

597

4580

Hello.

-Yeah, I'm lookin' for-- -Yeah. Hey, Ben, it's Dan.

Dan!

It's good to hear your voice.

Yeah, it's been a while.

Yeah.

-Who is it? -It's Ben.

Ben.

Dan.

The study had 47 volumes.

I slipped out a couple at a time,

took me months to copy it all.

What the hell?

Well, we were all former government guys.

Top clearance, all that.

McNamara wanted academics to have the chance

to examine what had happened.

He would say to us, "Let the chips fall where they may."

Brave man.

Well, I think guilt was a bigger motivator than courage.

McNamara didn't lie as well as the rest.

But I-I don't think he saw what was coming,

what we'd find, but it didn't take him long to figure out--

well, for us all to figure out.

If the public ever saw these papers,

they would turn against the war.

Covert ops, guaranteed debt,

rigged elections, it's all in there.

Ike, Kennedy, Johnson--

They violated the Geneva Convention,

and they lied to Congress and they lied to the public.

They knew we couldn't win

and still sent boys to die.

What about Nixon?

He's just carrying on like all the others.

Too afraid to be the one who loses the war on his watch.

Someone said this at

some point about why we stayed

when we knew we were losing.

Ten percent was to help the South Vietnamese.

Twenty percent was to hold back the commies.

Seventy percent was to avoid

the humiliation of an American defeat.

Seventy percent

of those boys

just to avoid being humiliated?

That stuck with me.

They're gonna come after you, you know?

And I gotta be honest,

the bread crumbs weren't too hard to follow.

I know.

They're gonna lock you up, Dan.,

Wouldn't you go to prison to stop this war?

Theoretically, sure.

You are gonna publish these documents?

Yeah.

Even with the injunction.

Yes.

Well, then, it's not so theoretical then, is it?

I'm gonna go do some work in the studio.

My day was great, thanks for asking.

That picture makes me sad.

Me too.

Bradlee.

I'm in Boston.

I'm gonna need two seats.

Why?

I'm gonna need to buy

two seats on the first flight out tomorrow--

probably first class.

No shit, you have them.

Well, you just get your ass back here, and uh...

Come straight to the house.

Forget Chal and Meg and the others,

I don't want the whole newsroom knowing about this yet.

I gotta go.

Didn't you just invite a bunch of people over?

Yeah.

Yeah, they'll uh,

they'll show up sometime tomorrow.

When, sometime tomorrow? Is this a breakfast thing?

-or a lunch thing? -Don't know. Don't know.

Do you need me to get things?

Yeah, we'll figure it all out.

Okay, well, where are you going?

Out.

-You going to the newsroom? -No. Love you, bear.

I got a cake, I hope it's okay?

Oh, sure, as long as nobody counts the candles.

I'm sorry to barge in again.

Maybe I should give you a key.

Uh, I'm not here to crash your party.

What's up?

Well, I could use a minute.

So, can I ask you a hypothetical question?

Oh, dear, I don't like hypothetical questions.

Well, I don't think you're gonna like the real one, either.

Do you have the papers?

Not yet.

Oh, gosh, oh, gosh, because you know the-the uh

position that would put me in.

You know, we have language in the prospectus...

Yeah, I know, I know

-that the bankers can change -Which, which

their mind, it's-and I know what is at stake.

You know,

the only couple I knew that both Kennedy and LBJ

wanted to socialize with was you and your husband.

And you own the damn paper.

It's just the way things worked.

Politicians and the press, they trusted each other

so they could go to the same dinner party and drink cocktails

and tell jokes while there was a war

-raging in Vietnam. -Ben, I don't know what

what we're talking about.

I'm not protecting Lyndon.

No, you got his former Secretary of Defense

Robert McNamara, the man who commissioned

-this study--he's one of about -I'm not protecting him.

-a dozen party guests -I'm not protecting

-out on your patio. -any of them. I'm

protecting the paper.

Yeah, well, I wasn't a stooge for Jack Kennedy.

The night he was assassinated, Tony and I were down

at the Naval Hospital so we would be there,

meet Jackie when she landed.

She was bringing Jack's body back on the plane from Dallas

and she walked into the room.

She was still wearing that pink suit

with Jack's blood all over.

She fell into Tony's arms and they held each other for

quite a long time and...

And then Jackie looked at me and said, "None of this--

"none of what you see, none of what I say

"is ever going to be in your newspaper, Ben."

And that just about broke my heart, I, uh...

I never...

I never thought of Jack as a source.

I thought of him as a friend. And--

And that was my mistake.

And it was something that Jack knew all along.

We can't be both, we have to choose.

And uh...

And that's the point.

The days of us smoking cigars together

down on Pennsylvania Avenue were over.

Your friend McNamara's study

proves that.

The way they lied.

The way they lied.

Those days have to be over.

We have to be the check

on their power.

If we don't hold them accountable,

then, my God, who will?

Well, I've never smoked a cigar.

And I have no problem holding Lyndon or Jack or

Bob or any of them accountable.

We can't hold them accountable

if we don't have a newspaper.

When I get my hands on that study,

what are you going to do, Mrs. Graham?

Oh, um...

Happy birthday, by the way.

Oh, that's not what I heard.

-Club soda. -Yes, thank you.

Sir,

I'm gonna need to put your seat in a full upright position

-before take-off. -Oh, yeah.

Oh, must be precious cargo.

Yeah...it's just... government secrets.

Oh.

Please fasten you seatbelt.

-You know why we're here? -Beats me.

-Hi, Marina. -Hi.

-Do you want lemonade? -A little early for me.

Ah, loosen up, I'm buying.

What kind of lemonade you have there?

Uh, it's the one with the lemons in it.

Okay.

There you go.

Bill, help me out.

Grab my briefcase.

-Is that...? -Yup.

It's not the full report, but it's over 4,000 pages of it.

Huh, are these in order?

I don't think so.

There are no page numbers.

Yeah, that's where the top secret stamps were.

My source had to cut 'em off.

We're supposed to retire on Friday.

Ben, how are we supposed to comb through 4,000 pages--

They're not even loosely organized.

The Times had three months.

There's no way we get this amount...

Yeah, he's right, we got less than eight hours.

We get two per city, then we have ten.

Hey, hey, hey, for the last six years we've been playing catch up.

And now thanks to the President of the United States

who, by the way, is taking a shit all over the First Amendment,

we have the goods.

We don't have any competition.

There's dozens of stories in here.

The Times has barely scratched the surface.

We have ten hours till the deadline, so,

we dig in.

I think this memo's from McNamara.

Uh "It is my belief that there should be

a three or four week pause in bombing--"

Wait, wait, wait, I saw the other half of that memo.

Uh, anyone have the back half of a cable from Dulles in '54?

I thought I saw one from July.

Yeah, here it is, uh, "The reasons for this belief

"are that we must lay a foundation

"in the mind of the American public."

Th-Th-Th-That's it! Mm-hmm.

So Johnson wasn't trying to make peace,

he was just manipulating the public?

Eyes out for a suspension in bombing from when?

'65 to '68.

What about a memo from Eisenhower's

special committee in Indochina?

Uh, Meg read a part of one to me.

-Meg? -Anybody see a mention

-of the Rand Vietcong study? -Yeah, I think this might be

from your Rand study, "VC are deeply committed."

"South Vietnam is a lost cause."

Whoa! There you go!

-Meg, Meg, Meg, I need the uh... -I put it on the shelf.

A couple of piles.

We're gettin' somewhere.

All right, it's 1:30, at 4:00 story conference.

Can I interest anyone in some lemonade?

Does it have vodka in it?

-I don't, I don't -Hey,

-put vodka in my lemonade. -go easy on the kid.

Why not?

-How much, sweetheart? -A quarter.

It's fifty cents.

-Inflation. -It's going up!

Mr. Bradlee. Roger Clark.

Oh, you're Roger Clark.

Nice to meet you in person.

You...you are our senior legal counsel.

Yes, we've-we've spoken on the phone.

My voice should sound familiar.

When did you finish law school?

-I graduated-- -Rhetorical question.

-You know, -Yes.

the guy we had before you is now Secretary of State?

I did not know that.

A little joke, perhaps not the time--

What exactly can I help you with?

So, why would the CIA director send a memo on work orders?

'Cause they weren't calling it a war yet.

Okay, I've got turkey with mustard,

-roast beef with horseradish. -Oh, I'll take it.

Howard, come look at this.

-Chal, you've gotta see this-- -Take a napkin.

it's a full analysis of McNamara's changing view of the war.

Does it say anything about why...?

So, we knew they were gonna assassinate Diem.

Yeah, and they did nothing to stop it.

I think I got something on McNamara on the fireplace--

the other fireplace.

Murray, where's the back half of this one?

Tell me these aren't the classified documents

from the McNamara study.

-4,000 pages of it. -Hungry?

I need to use a phone.

There's uh, one in the other room.

-Is that it? -This is it, this is it.

This is gonna happen.

Hi, thanks for letting me drop by.

-Marg still napping? -Yeah, yeah.

Do you mind if we talk in the center?

-Just so I can hear her. -No, no

-She wakes... -Of course not.

I can't stay long, I've got a

-big event at the house later. -I guess you've

read everything now.

Yes, I have, I have. Yes.

And I went over it again this morning.

All of it.

And I just...

Forgive me, Bob, I...

know you're dealing with so much, but

but it's just, it's so hard to, um,

try to make sense of why

of how you could have done all these things.

How you could just lie to us all.

Well... i-it's easy

for the papers to characterize us

as liars, we were just trying to push back--

Yeah, but you let it go on, and on, and--

My son is home now and safe--Thank God.

But you watched him go.

You knew we couldn't win over there

for years and years and years, and yet you let me...

You let so many of our friends send our boys off...

Kay, we were doing the best we could.

It was domino theory, containment.

And eventually, we felt that military pressure

was the only thing that was gonna drive Ho Chi Minh to the table.

Our decision-making process was--

"Flawed."

It was flawed. That's what your study said.

Yes.

I do believe

that you were trying to do your best.

And I know how difficult it can be

to make choices that will...

That's kind of you.

Oh, well, what comes next might not be so kind.

You have the papers?

Oh.

Let's just say

I may have

a big decision to make.

They will argue it's a violation of the Espionage Act.

That is a felony, Ben.

That's only-only if the documents we print

could damage the United States.

There's a federal judge in New York

who seems to think that they could.

Well, I've got six seasoned journalists in the next room

who've been reporting on this war for the last ten years.

And I'll lay odds that they have a better idea

of what could damage the United States

than some judge who is just now

wading in this territory for the first time.

"Wading", is that a metaphor for Vietnam?

Okay, Ben, look, we know your reporters are talented.

But The New York Times spent three months

going over these documents.

You've got what--seven hours now until the paper goes to press?

Can you honestly tell me that that is enough time

to make sure not a single

military plan, not a single U.S. soldier,

not a single American life will be put in harm's way,

that this will do no damage to the United States if you publish?

Yes.

You're sure about that?

No! That's why I called you guys.

Look, Kay, I know why The Times ran the story.

But you need to understand,

the study was for posterity. It was written for academics

in the future and right now, we're still in the middle of the war.

The papers can't be objective.

I suppose the public has a right to know.

But I would prefer

that the study not be made widely available

until it can be read with some perspective.

-You understand. -Mm.

We've been through a lot, haven't we?

You and Marg.

You were there for me.

At the lowest point of my life.

You helped me.

You've selected my entire board.

You're my most trusted advisor.

My dear friend.

But my feelings

about that and about you can't

uh, be part of this decision to publish or not.

I'm here asking

your advice, Bob, not your permission.

Well,

then as one of your most trusted advisors,

and someone who knows how much you care about this company,

I'm worried, Kay.

You know, I worked in Washington for ten years

I've seen these people up close.

Bobby and Lyndon, they were tough customers.

But Nixon is different.

He's got some real bad people around him.

And if you publish, he'll get the very worst of them

the Colsons, and the Ehrlichmans and he'll crush you.

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

He's a--Nixon's a son of a bitch!

He hates you, he hates Ben.

He's wanted to ruin the paper for years.

And you will not get a second chance, Kay.

The Richard Nixon I know

will muster the full power of the presidency.

And if there's a way to destroy your paper,

by God, he'll find it!

-Publish information that harms -I told you

-national security. -there' nothing in there.

If there is, the paper will be prosecuted.

Isn't that why you're here?

Yes, Ben, but if we lose--

Oh, with what we pay you, you really shouldn't lose.

Ben, you need to listen to them.

Hey, Fritz, good to see you.

This is about the future of the company.

-and ensuring there is one. -Oh, that's a little melodramatic,

-don't you think? -Melodramatic.

You're talking about exposing years of government secrets.

I can't imagine they're gonna take that lightly.

You could jeopardize the public offering.

You could jeopardize our television stations.

You know a felon can't hold a broadcast license.

You think I give two shits about the television stations?

You should, they make a hell of a lot more money than you do.

And without that revenue, we'd be forced to sell.

If the government wins and we're convicted,

the Washington Post as we know it will cease to exist.

Well, if we live in- in a world where

the government could tell us what we can and cannot print,

then the Washington Post as we know it

has already ceased to exist.

What if we wait?

What if we hold off on printing today?

And instead we call the Attorney General

and we tell him that we intend to print on Sunday.

That way, we give them and us time to figure out

the legality of all of it,

while the court in New York decides The Times case.

You're suggesting we alert the Attorney General

to the fact that we have these documents

that we're going to print

in a few days.

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

Yeah, well,

outside of landing the Hindenburg in a lightning storm,

that's about the shittiest idea I've ever heard.

Oh, boy.

Oh, here's the man of the hour.

Ah, I'm found.

Thank you, Kay, you didn't have to got through all this trouble.

We had to turn him away at the door, didn't we, dear.

-Oh, Gene. -Mrs. Graham.

So, everything okay?

Uh, it's gotten pretty hot over at Ben's house.

Oh, things are not going well?

No, Ben and Mr. Beebe are real loggerheads.

Fritz and Ben on opposite sides?

I made a commitment to publish these papers.

Yes, and if you would tell us who you made that commitment to...

-Enjoying the fight? -Yeah, who's winning?

Nixon.

I didn't see him come in.

Really? He's got his hand so far up Fritz' ass.

Where is Fritz?

That--

That--not in so many words, but you're a bunch of lawyers.

If we're not gonna publish,

why are we busting our rear ends, Ben?

Keep writing.

And uh, what, could--

Could you stop playing chopsticks?

What's up there, Fritz?

Calling Kay.

I'm sorry, Ben.

I know you want this.

There'll be another one.

Like hell there will be.

Uh, hello, hello, I'm making a telephone call.

Yeah, well, it's my house

-so I-I'll be on the call. -All right, Ben.

I just want to- to thank you all

for coming out this evening

to help me launch Harry Gladstein and his

new sailboat into the... Chesapeake Bay.

And into his very well-earned retirement.

Let me just tell you a little bit

about why I'm so wild about Harry.

Mrs. Graham, it's Mr. Beebe on the phone.

In uh, 1949, wasn't it?

Uh, Phil Graham first brought Harry to the company.

-I'm afraid they need you now -And I remember he told me.

Mrs. Graham.

They're now--

Uh, oh, dear. I'm so sorry.

Forgive me, Harry.

I think I'll have to suspend.

Well, you're paying the overtime.

Be right back.

We should wait.

Yeah, I understand, Ben, but if you wait a day...

Fritz on the phone for me?

We should be on this call.

Well, there's an extension in the living room.

Liz, show them where, please, thank you.

-Hello, Fritz? -Hello, Kay.

Would you like me to catch you up?

I say we can, he says we can't. There, you're caught up.

-Ben? -Hello, it's Art.

Uh, Ben, there are concerns here

that are frankly above your pay grade.

Well, there's a few above yours.

Like fucking freedom of the press.

Let's just be civil if we can.

Do you think Nixon is going to be civil?

He is trying to censor the goddamn New York Times.

Yes, The Times, not The Post.

It's the same damn thing!

This is an historic fight. If they lose, we lose.

Hello, is someone on the phone?

This is Phil.

Is that Phil Geyelin?

Uh, yes, Mrs. Graham.

Good, I'd like you to weigh in if you would.

because I-I want to know what staff is feeling about this.

Uh, well, frankly, Mrs. Graham,

Ben Bagdikian and Chal Roberts have uh, both threatened to resign.

If we don't publish, that is.

Come on, Kay, what do you expect?

You've got nothing to lose.

Due respect, we all

have everything to lose if we don't publish

What will happen to the reputation of this paper?

Everyone will find out we had the study.

Hell, I bet half the town knows already.

What will it look like if we sit on our asses?

It'll look like we were prudent.

It will look like we were afraid.

We will lose. The country will lose. Nixon wins.

Nixon wins this one, and the next one.

And all the ones after that because we were scared.

Because the only way to assert the right to publish is to publish.

Fritz, i-is Fritz-Fritz there?

Fritz are you on?

I'm here, Kay.

W-What do you think?

W-What do you think I should do?

I think...

there are arguments on both sides.

But I guess I wouldn't publish.

Let's-Let's go.

Let's-Let's do it.

Let's-Let's--

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

Let's publish.

-What? -Phil?

-What? -What'd she say?

We go.

She says we publish.

-Hot damn. -My God.

-Holy shit. -Let's get this out.

Holy shit.

-I need that, Meg. -Oh, sorry.

W-W-Wait,

-I need the notes. -Sorry, sorry.

We got uh,

two hours to get it to the...

I got it, hold on.

-W-W-Wait, who' takin' it? -I got it.

All right, call uh national desk, tell 'em Bagdikian's coming with us.

Done!

All right, get it in the paper.

Editorial meeting.

-Ben. -Yes.

-That it? -That's it.

You, you got half an hour.

I'm uh, I'm not sure how much thought

you put into this decision, but we still have time.

The print deadline's not till midnight.

I know when the print deadline is.

Look, I'm still, uh, learning how to do this,

but everything I know about business tells me

you're making a serious mistake here.

One that will cost you and your paper dearly.

And hurt every person gathered here,

not to mention the hundreds of others who work for you.

I'm just trying to put my thoughts together.

Kay, all I want is-is what is best for you and your business.

But I just got off the phone with a couple of bankers,

and they think it's possible, likely even,

that a number of their institutional investors will pull out

if you go ahead and publish, and if they pull out...

Kay.

You got a couple of hours.

For your sake

and for the sake of everyone of your employees,

I hope you will reconsider.

Give me a canister.

Get it downstairs, and I want the page editor

standin' over lino till they got it ready to print.

Okay.

Mr. Bagdikian.

I need to know your source.

I thought I was clear earlier.

Well, we weren't going to press earlier.

Yeah, well, my answer's the same.

"This action has been commenced to enjoin The New York Times

"and their agents from further disseminating or disclosing

certain alleged top secret documents"

Are you trying to piss me off?

No, not me, Judge Gurfein.

If you look at the text of his restraining order--

I read his restraining order.

So then you know that if The Times was your source, we would be in

-direct violation of-- -I did not get the study

from The Times.

You're sure?

We done?

Did you get it from their source?

Excuse me?

Did you get the study

from the same source as The Times?

We do not reveal our sources.

"This action has been commenced to enjoin

"The New York Times and its agents--"

-I get it, I get it. -from disseminating or disclosing...

If you got the study from the same source,

that would amount to collusion.

Yeah, we could all be executed at dawn.

And we could be held in contempt of court.

Which means Mr. Bradlee and Mrs. Graham could go to jail.

Mr. Bagdikian,

how likely is it

that your source

and The Times' source are the same person?

It's likely.

How likely?

Very.

-It's very likely. -Yes.

What is all this?

Lemonade earnings.

Marina wanted me to put it away for safekeeping.

Ah, wow.

We're publishing.

Wow.

I didn't think Kay'd do it.

That's brave.

Well, she's not the only one who's brave.

Oh, what have you got to lose?

Uh, my job.

-My reputation. -Oh, Ben, please.

We both know this will do nothing but

burnish your reputation.

And as for your job, you can always find another one.

If you're tryin' to make me feel better,

there's nicer ways to do it.

You're very brave.

But Kay...

Kay is in a position she never thought she'd be in.

A position I'm sure plenty of people

don't think she should have.

And when you're told time and time again that you're not good enough,

that your opinion doesn't matter as much,

when they don't just look past you,

when to them, you're not even there,

when that's been your reality for so long

it's hard not to let yourself think it's true.

So, to make this decision,

to risk her fortune and the company

that's been her entire life,

well, I think that's brave.

-Bradlee. -Ben.

We got a problem.

Remember this?

-The day before the funeral. -Yeah.

Wasn't it?

Yeah.

I didn't...I didn't want to do it, but

Fritz said I should go in and

say a few words to the board and

so,

I-I tried to rehearse something

but it all turned out so awful

and before I knew it, the car was there ready to take me

and then you came out.

I remember.

You came out in your little nightgown and your robe.

You hopped in the car with me, gave me this.

Somehow, you managed to scribble these notes for me

so I'd know what to say.

Well, I-I don't have my glasses up here.

-So, just read it for me. -Mummy.

Oh, come on, just, would you read it to me?

One, thank them.

Two,

there has been a crisis but you know they will carry on.

Three, never expected to be in this

situation.

Four, going off to clear mind

and think about the future.

Five, no changes at this time, paper will remain in the family.

And six, and be carried on in the tradition

-and so well said. -So well said

You know, I just wanted to hold on to the company

for you and Don

-and Willie and Stephen. -You did.

-You have. -Well.

You know that quote--

The quote,

"A woman preaching is like a dog walking on its hind legs,

"it's not done well and

"you're surprised to see it's done at all."

-Samuel Johnson. -Oh, Mummy.

That's a bunch of nonsense.

No, but that's the way we all thought then.

You know.

I was never supposed to be in this job.

When my father chose your dad to run the company,

I thought it was the most natural thing in the world.

I was so proud because, you know,

Phil was so brilliant and he was

so gifted and

but I thought that was the way it was supposed to be.

Everybody thought that way then.

And I was raising you kids and

I was happy

in my life the way it was.

But then when it all fell apart, you know, when

when Phil died, it was just

I was forty-five years old and I had never held a

I'd never had to hold a job in my life.

But I just, I loved the paper, you know, I do.

I do so love the paper, I don't want it to be my fault

I don't want to be the one who...

I don't want to let

Phil and my father and all of you kids

and everybody down.

Mrs. Graham?

You ran here?

Yeah.

There's been a bit of a uh,

a complication.

I didn't understand at first but now everything is of a different light.

Our source might be the same as The New York Times'.

Okay.

If so, we could be held in contempt.

Meaning?

Well, we could all go to prison.

Now putting that aside,

Katharine, I-I've come to realize just

just how much you have at stake.

Paul, I'm glad you're here.

Fritz is sitting with Mrs. Graham now.

-Ben is here. -Yes, I figured he would be.

-Jesus Christ. -Mr. Bradlee,

if you knew Mr. Bagdikian received the study from

-the same source at the time, -Well, I didn't know because

-that would have been useful... -I'm not in the habit of asking

my reporters who their sources are,

and if you've spent any time in a real

goddamn newspaper, you'd know why.

You understand he's trying to help you, Ben?

Mrs. Graham, hi.

We can all-

We can all appreciate why Ben wants to publish

and if these papers had come from someone else,

we might have been able to skirt the issue.

Anything from the folks upstairs?

No.

We gotta start the run

or we won't get to the carriers on time.

I disagreed with you earlier, but I thought it brave, but this?

If we were to publish knowing this,

it would just be irresponsible.

Fritz, do you agree?

Well, I don't particularly like the idea of Kay as a convicted felon.

And then there's the issue of the prospectus.

Based on the conversations I've had with my friends at Kravath,

I believe a criminal indictment would

qualify as a catastrophic event.

And given the likelihood of indictment now...

Kay, it could--

Yes, I...I understand.

We uh, we have a responsibility to the company, to the-

all the employees and to the long term health of the paper.

Absolutely, Kay.

Yes. However, um...

The prospectus also talks about

the mission of the paper which is

outstanding news collection and reporting,

isn't that right?

Yes.

And...

And it also says

that the newspaper will be dedicated

to the welfare of the nation

and to the, uh... principles of a free press.

Yes, but...

So,

one could argue

that the bankers were put on notice.

But Kay, these are extraordinary circumstances.

Are they? Are they? For a newspaper?

One that covers the Nixon White House?

Can you guarantee me that we could go to print

without endangering any of our soldiers--

You can't be considering--

I'm talking to Mr. Bradlee now.

Fritz, you're not gonna let her do this, she can't--

Oh, no, she can, Arthur.

And it's entirely her decision.

Kay, you're allowing Mr. Bradlee

to uh, t-t-to lead you to folly.

The legacy of the company is at stake.

-And if you want to -Arthur.

protect that legacy,

This company has been in my life

for longer than most of the people working there have been alive

so I don't need the lecture on legacy.

And this is no longer my father's company.

It's no longer my husband's company.

It's my company.

And anyone who thinks otherwise

probably doesn't belong on my board.

Can you guarantee me that we--

One hundred percent.

All right then.

My decision stands.

And I'm

going to bed.

It's Ben Bradlee.

Run it.

Yes, sir.

Start it up.

Here we go.

Let's go! Let's go!

More here!

I've got the Assistant Attorney General.

Put him on.

Good morning.

Good morning, this is William Rehnquist

from the office of legal counsel at Justice.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Bradlee, I have been advised by the Secretary of Defense

that the material published in The Washington Post this morning

contains the information relating

to the national defense of the United States

and bears a top secret classification.

As such the publication of this information

is directly prohibited by the Espionage Act,

Title 18 of the United States Code,

Section 793.

As publication will cause irreparable injury

to the defense interests of the United States,

I respectfully request that you publish no further

information of this character.

And advise me that you have made arrangements

for the return of these documents

to the Department of Defense.

Well, thank you for the call, Mr. Rehnquist.

But I'm sure you understand, I must respectfully decline.

I appreciate your time.

What's next?

We're going to court.

Today.

If we get a ruling in our favor or The Times does,

we'll be at the Supreme Court sometime next week.

We're focusing on Johnson.

I don't want any more arguments, it's about shoes and about dresses.

Sorry.

Your Honor, the stories published in The Times

and now The Post have created a diplomatic and security disaster

for the United States.

How exactly have these papers created a diplomatic disaster?

Why would other countries talk to us in confidence

if secrets like these can be leaked?

So, does this make it difficult for the President to govern?

If the President can't keep secrets, he can't govern.

Nothing less than the integrity of the presidency is at stake.

Yes, I know.

I'm sure it has rattled investors, Terry.

That's why I'm calling you.

Yes, I understand a number of them have considered pulling out

but we feel...

Of course. I stand behind the decision.

Well, you know, one could argue it's

raising the profile of The Post.

Would The Post have published military plans for D-Day

if they'd had them in advance?

Well, I don't think there's any comparison

between a pending invasion of Europe

and a historical survey of American involvement in the Vietnam war.

The Supreme Court has decided to hold a hearing tomorrow morning

to resolve the tangle of conflicting decisions

over what of the Pentagon papers can be published

and more broadly, the issue of freedom of the press

versus government security.

But in agreeing to hear the cases

of The New York Times and The Washington Post--

The Supremes granted us a

emergency expedited basis--

We're in court with The Times tomorrow.

What are you so happy about?

I always wanted to be part

of a small rebellion.

I ask him what he considers the most important revelations to date

from the Pentagon documents.

I think the lesson is the people of this country

can't afford to let the President run the country by himself--

even foreign affairs any more than domestic affairs

without the help of Congress.

I was struck in fact by President Johnson's reaction

to these revelations as close to treason.

Because it reflected to me the sense

that what was damaging to the reputation

of a particular administration-- a particular individual

was, in itself, treason

which is very close to saying, "I am The State."

Ben.

What on Earth are you doing?

Oh.

Oh.

They all followed your lead, published the papers.

At least we're not alone.

No matter what happens tomorrow,

we are not a little local paper anymore.

Hm.

I'm sorry.

Mrs. Graham, there's an entrance over on the side for the appellates.

Oh, thank you very much.

I'm sorry I'm walking so fast.

I was supposed to be here half hour ago

but then I had to make copies of the brief

and there was so much traffic and I

just wouldn't think there'd be all these people.

Well, no, you wouldn't.

You work for Roger Clark, then?

I work for the government.

the Solicitor General's office.

Oh, you're on the other team.

Mrs. Graham,

I probably shouldn't say this.

Um...my brother...

he's still over there.

And...

Well, I hope you win.

Besides, I like someone telling these guys what's what.

But don't tell my boss I said that.

He'd fire me just for talking to you.

I told you to be here at 8:00.

Yes, I was here at 8:00, but Richard sent me back.

Is Richard your boss?

No, but you weren't here, so--

I don't want excuses. Just take a seat.

-Mrs. Graham. -Morning.

Morning, gentlemen.

-Morning. -Punch, Ed.

Nice to be on the same side for a change.

I'll tell you what's nice.

Making the front page of your newspaper on the daily basis.

Must be a lot of people from Boston to Washington reading about us.

Yes, well, I suppose it's appropriate

given what's at stake.

All rise.

The Honorable the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices

of the Supreme Court of the United States.

All yea, all yea, all yea.

All persons having business before the Honorable...

Mr. Rosenthal! Mr. Rosenthal!

Sulzberger!

Sulzberger, do you think they'll side to your favor?

Overall we feel encouraged.

27 congressmen filed amicus briefs on our behalf.

As well as the ACLU...

-We should make a statement. -I think that's her job.

I believe everything we had to say we've already said.

Meg Greenfield.

Okay.

Everyone, listen up!

Listen up.

We've got a decision.

We've got a decision.

The Supreme Court, the decision's in.

The vote is...

Six to three...

Six to three, we win! We win!

And so does The Times!

Whoo!

Yes!

No shit.

Nice job, Gene.

Whoo!

-No gloating. -I'm just satisfied.

What?

I can't hear you, it's too loud.

Oh, okay.

Listen up, everybody, listen up.

Uh, Justice Black's opinion.

Okay.

The Founding Fathers gave the free press

the protection it must have

to fulfill its essential role in our democracy.

The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.

Thank you.

That's great.

Do you know what my husband said about the news?

He called it the first rough draft of history.

That's good isn't it?

Oh, well, we don't always get it right, you know.

We're not always perfect but I figure we just

keep on it, you know?

That's the job, isn't it?

Yes, it is.

Oh, Ken Clauson came by to see me earlier.

Oh?

Apparently Justice is still considering

criminal charges against us

And you're not worried?

Nope. No, Katharine, that's your job.

I suppose it is.

Oh, thank God, the court ruling was very clear.

Yeah, yeah, I know.

I'm sure Nixon will fall right in line.

Good. Because you know I don't think I could

ever live through something like this again.

I want it clearly understood that from now on,

never

no reporter from The Washington Post

is ever to be in The White House. Is that clear?

Absolutely.

Never, never in The White House.

No church service.

Nothing with Mrs. Nixon does, you tell Connie.

Don't tell Mrs. Nixon 'cause she'll approve it.

No reporter from The Washington Post

is ever to be in The White House again.

And no photographer either.

No photographer, is that clear?

None ever to be in.

That is a total order.

And if necessary, I'll fire you. You understand?

-I do understand. -Okay. All right. Good.

D.C. Police, 2nd Precinct.

Yes, hello, this is Frank Wills.

I think we might have a burglary in progress at the Watergate.

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