♪ you can get it
if you really want ♪
♪ you can get it
if you really want ♪
♪ you can get it
if you really want ♪
♪ but you must try,
try and try,
try and try ♪
♪ you'll succeed at last
♪ Listen
♪ persecution, you must fear
♪ win or lose,
you've got to get your share ♪
♪ got your mind set on a dream
♪ you can get it now,
hard it may seem now ♪
♪ you can get it
if you really want ♪
♪ you can get it
if you really want ♪
♪ you can get it
if you really want ♪
♪ but you must try,
try and try,
try and try ♪
♪ you'll succeed at last
♪ And I know it
♪ listen
♪ Rome was not built in a day
♪ opposition
will come your way ♪
♪ but the harder the battle,
you see ♪
♪ leads to sweeter victory,
yeah ♪
♪ you can get it
if you really want ♪
♪ you can get it
if you really want ♪
♪ you can get it
if you really want ♪
♪ but you must try,
try and try,
try and try ♪
♪ you'll succeed at last
- Governor... we are not, not,
not going to be explaining.
When we're explaining,
we're losing.
Now, we'll protect you from
this bullshit.
We will attack, attack and
attack again.
This is Paul Turner,
former presidential aide and
the guy for politicians
in trouble.
He's called the master
of disaster.
- But I need Sophia
by your side.
- I've got the, uh,
Vermont gov. Calling.
...and this is me,
Kerstin Rhee, his assistant.
I learned more in my first week
with Paul on how it all really
works than in four years
of college.
- All right, O.K.
I'll call you later.
You... don't worry.
Just, just don't.
- Thank you.
- Hey, listen.
- I didn't have much.
Absent father, mother with two
low-paying jobs and my sister
Mary, my big sister, who always
dreamed of becoming a doctor.
But, hard as my mother worked,
she couldn't keep up the
payments on our little house.
And one day the bank came
and foreclosed on us.
Larry Becker was
born to run for office.
He's taken on the wall street
banks, who in return,
have declared jihad
against him.
And he's in a bare-knuckled
reelection campaign against a
crazy ex-baseball player.
- First we moved into a
homeless shelter, but that
wasn't safe.
Eventually we found a tiny
one-bedroom apartment--
the three of us.
- The press will most likely
have questions about Afghan
troop levels, the Travis base
closing, levies, the budget
debates-- just blow through
those questions and pivot to our
message of the day.
- All right, great.
Got it.
Thank you guys.
Ah.
All right, show time.
Stephen Green is the
real deal.
War hero, cares, actually knows
the facts and he's cruising
for reelection against
Duff Campbell, who has none of
those things, but duff does
have good hair and unlimited
money, which is the mother's
milk of all politics.
- My mama struggled day and
night, but it wasn't enough.
Eventually, my, my sister Mary,
she had to quit high school,
get a job as a waitress.
Both of them working just to
provide me with some food,
clothing and a roof over
- What do you say about
Campbell's charge that you're
- What is the air force
going to do about the Travis
base closing? - As a former
Navy seal, what do you think of
the way they handled it?
- Gas prices are at a record
high, companies are making
enormous profits--
what's your response?
- O.K., guys, these are great
questions, I'm going to get to
all these, but my primary
purpose here today is to talk
about our most precious natural
resource, which is our children.
We now live in a country where
over two-thirds of the
population is overweight.
Now 90% of our middle schools no
longer have daily gym classes.
- At night I'd hear my
mama come home from her late
shift at the tanning plant.
As I lay there in bed...
I could hear my mama cry.
And I ask you, how is it
possible that a country that can
afford to bail out the wall
street banks to the tune of over
$2 trillion-- trillion--
how could that country not
afford to have those same banks
from taking away the American
dream from so many hard-working
Americans?
It's just not right!
- This is a crisis.
And it's a crisis that we owe it
to our children to solve.
And the time to solve it is now.
- ...Afghan troop levels,
senator!
- Hey, Reed?
Hey.
Why don't you go fishing for the
three-day weekend, we'll dump
the divorce news after
five on Friday by tipping
the A.P. To the legal filings on
an embargoed basis.
They'll play on the wires after
seven, it's the perfect time for
a document dump.
All right, talk to you later.
He'll live.
- Whoo!
- Ca-ching!
Money shot-- message of the day.
- This one's yours, all right?
Oh, God!
- Sir, are you O.K.?
- Yeah, I'm all right.
All right!
Come on!
- Same thing?
- Yes, yes.
- Now, as I stand here in the
governor's house-- the people's
house-- I am using the power of
this house to help keep the
people of Kentucky in
their houses.
Today I am sending a bill to the
State Senate that offers
real and solid protection from
the kind of cruel foreclosures
that my mama and so many
hard-working Kentuckians
have been forced to endure.
And I'm asking for you to
back me on this.
It's... it's fair, it's decent
and it is right!
...you don't have to do that--
you're an aide, not a waitress.
- It's my pleasure.
And can I ask you something?
- Of course.
- How much of that story you
just told is true?
- Helena...
One hundred percent.
- Really?
- Aw...
Come here.
- Room 1600?
- You're tawny?
- To the rescue.
1600?
- Down the hall to your left.
Hey, could you be a bit
more obvious?
- I thought he was getting a
masseuse, not some starlet
playing a masseuse.
- Hey, she and her company
were vetted.
She had the recs.
- Yeah.
She has the killer bod,
that's the only rec that counts.
You know, come to think of it,
my back feels stiff too.
- Yeah, that's not the only
thing, you jerk.
- In Kentucky, we're going to
the mattresses.
- I've got some ideas
on the statement.
- Well, they'd better be good
because if he goes down,
it's gonna be a four-day school
week there, minimum wage will
drop to 75 cents an hour,
you'll be able to light the
Kentucky rivers on fire.
- How late are we?
- Real time or Paul time?
Exactly on time.
How do you know this person?
- She's my law school
roommate's sister.
But the object is to get in,
get out and get back to the
Kentucky mess.
- Max!
Julia!
- Yes?
- Get me Paul.
Get him now.
- Senator, let's just go
through this bit by bit.
What are we talking about here?
- She's claiming that
we did it.
- Well, did what?
A happy ending, or...
- More.
I'm sure she thinks it'll
get her a bigger check.
Look man, I am dying because of
your photo op and now I'm dying
because of this fucking psycho.
- And what kind of masseuse is
this, like a masseuse-masseuse
or an escort?
- Julia got her from the
speaker of the assembly!
- We're in room five.
- O.K., how many people know
about this?
- Just us.
Come on man, this is--
this could be a career killer.
- O.K., I need 15 minutes
here-- make it 10-- and I'm
on this.
- Look out the door:
Malnourished children,
aids rampant, people looking for
decent jobs-- or any job for
that matter.
The victims of an education
system horribly broken,
and hope, something in extremely
short supply.
- I completely agree and I can
only imagine what it's like to
try to run this every year.
And next year, you're going to
have even less money for
this clinic.
So in terms of fund-raising,
I think I should put you in
touch with some deep pocket guys
in Woodside, Pacific Heights,
Internet do-good-er--
- I want to run for governor.
- Excuse me?
- I want to run for governor.
- Well, I guess that's
one way to solve your problem.
O.K., do you mind if I ask
you why?
- For nine years, I have worked
12, 14 hours a day here,
seeing what's working in our
society and more importantly,
what isn't.
And I'm not just
a physician, I--
- I'm really sorry.
- What do you want me to tell
- nothing from children's?
O.K., we're going to have to
road trip it.
Get in their faces, guilt them
into the transplant.
And ask the O.R. nurses when
Chris Anderson gets out of
his last surgery.
- Sure.
Dim sum on the way back?
- Perfect, thanks.
Sorry. My life.
Anyway...
I'm not just a physician, I also
do community organizing, a job
qualification that didn't hurt
our president.
And uh, not to sound too
immodest, but I think I can make
people's lives better.
- Look, forgive me.
You're Dan's sister and I love
him and you seem like a very
nice person yourself, but I
gotta tell you, and I think as a
doctor you'll understand when
I say this, you need to have
your head examined.
I mean, seriously, because this
is insane.
- Running a free clinic with
what the state gives me,
that's insane too.
- O.K., um, all right, we had
something that came up, so I
don't have a ton of time,
but let me just walk you
through this.
If you are ballsy enough or
crazy enough to do this, I can
promise you an unending barrage
of innuendo, vitriol and lies.
Everything will be on the public
record, from the dope that you
smoked in the 11th grade,
to the blow you did with your
girlfriends during your college
lesbian experimentation period.
There's not one moment of your
past that will not be
scrutinized in
excruciating detail.
- Done?
- Not yet.
After that all comes out and
more, the facts will be twisted,
stomped and exaggerated to the
point that you will no longer
recognize them.
And if that doesn't do it,
new facts will be made up so
they can destroy you.
- Done?
- Not yet.
And then they'll say--
and, I'll say it right now--
what the hell qualifications do
you have to be governor?
- In my job, I work with every
sort of person, a giant array
of problems.
I run a team that daily
produces real, tangible results.
I see our problems up close, and
I think that I can bring people
together to accomplish things--
good things.
- Good things? - Yes.
- Excuse me.
This isn't a high school
service club, O.K.?
Getting elected isn't the
Harvard-Yale debate society
where the best argument carries
the day.
These are steel cage
death matches.
And even if you win-- which,
with all due respect, would be
laughable-- they will
hobble you.
They will shatter you.
The process itself will change
you in ways that you cannot even
possibly imagine.
Is that what you want?
And is that what you want
for you, for your family?
Do you have a family?
- I'm a single mom.
I have a six-year-old son.
- What about the kid's dad?
- Irrelevant.
- Not if you're going
to do this.
Nothing will be irrelevant.
Despite this being the bluest
state in the country, it still
knocked down gay marriage
and the legalization of pot.
Over half of the people in the
state self-identify as
born-agains or regular church
goers-- not exactly the profile
of someone who's going to be
voting for you.
This is a blood sport, O.K.?
I have worked for men who were
shot at in Vietnam and the
campaign literally broke them
down to tears.
A man I loved-- who America
loved-- with the Navy cross and
two purple hearts, sat crying on
my living room couch because of
what the press said about him
and his family.
You're too good a person
for this.
Look...
To win in politics, you have got
to be the person who's willing
to bring a gun to a knife fight.
- Is this your usual pep talk?
- No.
- Well, that's good, I guess.
- No, this one's for friends
and family-- usually it's worse.
- Hmm.
- She wants to be governor.
Oh, man.
- I liked her.
She was cool and sharp and
seemed like she really
wanted it.
- Well, I want to play
shortstop for the giants,
but it's not gonna happen in
this lifetime.
...O.K.
Jimmy, you want to start us off?
- This is our friend tawny
Shearson-- courtesy of YouTube--
at her massage school
graduation picnic.
- So she is an actual masseuse,
this is not a set-up?
- Licensed and with six years
experience.
- Oh, that sucks.
- But with other
experience too.
She had the misfortune of being
arrested twice for prostitution.
The first time she pleaded
guilty and was sentenced to
probation, the other time,
charges were dropped.
- O.K., so we're not dealing
with the virgin Mary here.
- Exactly, and you, sir, are a
war hero who served your country
in the freezing mountains of
Afghanistan while she was
selling her pussy at the Beverly
hills hotel.
So if it becomes her word
against yours, you should be
O.K., that's the good news.
- O.K., tell me the bad news.
- She's a pro and you're on her
massage table in your boxers.
That's our bogey.
- Do we know what she's
asking for?
- Two million.
- Oh, forget that.
Jimmy, could you bring up the
next thing?
We just threw this together,
probably a little early, but we
had to know.
You want to know why you're up
seven points?
This is why.
Soccer moms, 35 to 45,
these are your people.
- No way would I
believe him.
- And if she had a shady past
and was a known and proven liar?
- I don't know.
Someone who looks like that?
He's still a guy.
- Guys do what they're
gonna do.
- And how about if someone told
you that he was in a state of
semi-consciousness because of
all the pain, and that's why he
didn't realize how bad it might
look, him being in there
with her?
- If my husband said something
like that, not only would I
think that he a cheating jerk,
but that he can't make up a
halfway decent lie.
- O.K., they were my people.
- If I told you that because of
a war injury, sometimes he takes
strong pain medication which
makes him drowsy and that's why
this happened?
- Well, that's 10% better,
but 90% pure lame-o.
Come on.
Really.
- They love you when
you're talking about smaller
class sizes, but not so much
when you're trying to explain
away a quickie with tawny.
- I am such an idiot.
- You are anything but.
But you got caught up in some
nasty shit.
We're going to figure out a way
to get you out of it.
- How is she going to
spill it?
- She's got some kinda in
this asshole they brought in to
run KXSF-- Roger Fillmore--
he's practically smacking his
lips on this one.
Not to mention his riding-high
tea party pals.
This is their wet dream.
- So what are they waiting for?
- She's teed it up, but hasn't
given the deliverables.
This is straight-up pay to play.
And even if we do pay, Roger is
still probably going to run
with it.
- O.K., look, we're going to
figure out a way to inoculate
you against this and we're going
to dig up the shit on this girl.
What do you think is the best
- Carl Ludwig at KCOP loves us.
- Or Maggie Darcy?
- I have two words for you.
Peaches o'Dell.
- Hey.
- Can I buy you another coffee?
- No thanks, I've got enough to
last me all night which, at the
rate you're dumping your garbage
on me, is where I'm going
to be again.
- You did a great job with that
tawny mug shot.
- She's a ho.
- She's a ho with a story.
- Yeah, well, like all of us.
- How much did it cost you?
- Nothing.
I did a little thing for an
interpol guy running a buttoncam
video on a dot-com gazillionare.
- A thing?
- A thing.
You don't wanna know, trust me.
And... I got you a
little present.
- This wouldn't have anything
to do with health-related
issues, would it?
- Try everything.
Your buddy in Kentucky--
the ex-left fielder for the
Baltimore orioles, no less--
guess what?
He's mortal.
- I'm heartbroken.
- Yeah, me too.
Who would have thunk it?
Leagues-while-you-were-a-pussy-
in-the-peace-corp,
arrogant prick fuck.
- And this is solid?
- Platinum.
- Actually seen,
or talked about?
- What do you take me for?
- As our friend the gipper
always said,
"doveryai, no proveryai."
Trust, but verify.
- O.K.
Well, no pro-pro-pro--
look at it.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
You can kiss me if you like.
- Irregular heartbeat.
He's had it for years.
And one of the great truisms of
the game is when voters start to
worry about a candidate's
health...
It is a gigantic numbers suck.
But I can't exactly tell a local
news honey I just happened to
sneak a peek at Perkins'
medical records.
- Well, no, I mean,
not like that.
- How, then?
- It's all about how you frame
the narrative.
Look, this is a race about
leadership.
One guy is using his position in
the State Senate...
To conduct a completely
meritless witch-hunt against
a man who has served the public
his entire adult life, a man
who works for the state of
Kentucky 24/7.
Look... look what time we're
talking now.
It's what, it's 3:15 in the
morning your time.
- Yeah.
- What you do...
Is incredibly difficult.
It requires tremendous strength
and stamina.
- Yeah, you're fucking
telling me.
Trying to get my
anti-foreclosure thing...
Through this wing-nut
legislature is like trying to
run a Red Sox flag up in
yankee stadium.
- How's it going?
- Ah, you know, two steps
forward, one-and-a-half back.
And not to sound like some kinda
ad you guys do, but my mama
could've used something
like this...
And if these assholes want a
fight, they're going to get
a fight.
- And it's an incredibly
difficult fight, right?
And look, all we're doing is
asking the voters to compare the
two candidates' health records
and make an informed choice.
I mean, you're going to release
everything you have, right?
I mean, and is there anything in
there that I need to be
worried about?
- Nothing.
- Really nothing?
- Trust me.
Despite decades of avoiding the
gym like that's where you get
dengue fever, I have--
probably unfairly-- been dealt a
pretty good hand.
- I'm going to have my guy look
it over anyway.
And then when we do release it,
every day, at every stop through
every news cycle, we hammer him
to release his.
- What if he doesn't go for it?
- Well, that's exactly
what we want.
More than anything else,
it's the refusal to release that
creates the story.
Look...
Campaigns always come down
to one thing above all else:
Who do you trust?
And by not releasing,
that causes people
to lose trust.
And once you've lost the public
trust, you're a dead
man walking.
- Better him than me.
- And that's just
then we get some credible third
parties down there to just
pound him...
Ask him, "has he ever
failed a steroids tests?"
You think Roger clemens on
steroids was a big story?
How about a guy running for
governor on the juice?
And the nurses are with us...
Big time.
We get them out there, picketing
his fucking office every week
and then we get our blog buddies
to float a story that he may be
suffering from some sort of
S.T.D. And then we put the
flyers on the windshield at the
churches and then we follow that
up with a killer push poll.
- Well, that's nice,
considering he's got none of
those things.
- Well, maybe he has and maybe
he hasn't.
We're just asking questions.
Look, your guy loves to talk
about hitting major league
pitching?
Well, politics is the N.F.L.
And we're gonna hit him
helmet to helmet.
- Let's say he does release
them and people feel sorry
for him?
Then I just look like some kind
of a jerk for bringing it up.
- You didn't know what
was in it!
You're as surprised as
he was an all-star baseball
player, for Christ's sake.
Of course, you feel for him...
And you'll keep him in yours and
Sophia's prayers, but what
you're more interested in
is who's best qualified to lead
a state that nobody could
possibly care about more
than you.
- Got it.
Crazy times, man.
Hey, is it true Stephen green
got a hummer from a pro?
- Where did you hear that?
- I heard it.
- Come on.
- One of green's guys did the,
uh, the webb race with
one of mine.
That makes my stuff look
like a walk in the park.
Was she hot?
- I can neither confirm nor
deny the story.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Was she hot?
- Allegedly, very.
...hey, peaches!
- Really, you're coming to me?
- Always. - Oh, come on.
When I'm looking my worst?
- Your worst is a thousand
times better than most
people's best.
Weren't you a miss-something?
Nebraska? - Arizona.
- Arizona. - Miss Arizona.
Some of us had to get ahead
without the fancy schools.
- Hey, while you were polishing
your tiara, I was busting my ass
on construction sites up
in Minnesota.
- Oh, please.
Didn't you go to Harvard law
or something?
Sounds kind of silver-spoony
to me.
- Try wooden spoon.
My dad was a building trades
union steward.
That's how I got all my cushy
jobs lugging lumber up four
flights of stairs.
- Well, you've got me without
the glam, and as much as I do
enjoy seeing you, I don't think
you came all the way across town
to check me out in my
sweaty gear.
- I have a story for you.
- Oh, stop it.
- I hear that CNN may be
bringing you to D.C. to try you
out nationally?
- Well, it could be.
- Well, this could help.
- Paul, whatever you've got for
me, it cannot be as good as what
I'm getting from Campbell's
guys which, as I understand it,
involves a tasty treat from a
smokin' hot masseuse.
- Well, peaches, of course
we're gonna deny that.
- We are talking about a united
states senator and a purple
heart winner with a documented
history of a bad back--
injured, I might add, in service
of this country.
- Right, and John F. Kennedy
had a bad back, but it didn't
stop him from fucking
Marilyn Monroe.
- This is no Marilyn.
- No, Marilyn was a secret.
And not this baby.
She is hot and she is
mine-o-mine.
- O.K., look.
Like everything else,
there's another side to this.
And I thought that you and I
might be able to work
something out.
- Hmm.
Not friggin' likely.
- O.K. - What?
- I have a friend, who tells me
that your newest anchor Connie
Connor went to a bachelorette
party in Vegas a few years back.
- And?
- Things got pretty wild.
- Oh, yeah!
O.K.
O.K., your friends are good.
These on the net?
- Not yet.
So... some room service?
- Mmm.
- Am I going to love this?
- Do you love me?
- Deeply.
No, show me the spot first.
- I used to
on a mission in Afghanistan,
my helicopter was shot down.
Both of my legs and four ribs
were broken.
The enemy came to finish us off,
but the young officer that I was
transporting single-handedly
fought off an entire squad of
Taliban until reinforcements
could arrive.
I didn't think I'd make it
through that night.
And when the rescue choppers
finally came, that same officer
carried me over a quarter mile
on his back.
By all accounts,
I should be dead.
But I'm not, thanks to one man.
Stephen green fought for me with
everything he had.
And now he's fighting just as
hard for all of California's
families.
I was so very proud
to serve with captain Johnny
Duncan-- a true American hero.
I'm Stephen green and I
approve this message.
- Yeah, it's for that
new cruiser, which costs more
than an aircraft carrier did
when I was coming up.
- Well, somebody will get rich
on it.
- Yeah, you know, I got a
feeling it doesn't even do what
the uh, Navy says it's supposed
to do, but you try to find real
data on it?
I mean, good luck.
Thank you.
- You have a call to make.
Mandy Denton.
- Sounds vaguely familiar.
- She runs commercials
for Campbell.
- Oh, God.
Those cloying, what, "I believe
how a guy treats his family,"
those "Mr. family values till
you want to retch," those ads?
- Yeah, that's her.
- Good night.
- You know what they're doing,
right?
The more they pound family
values, they're just laying
track for you-know-who.
- Scum.
- First class.
But it turns out that Mandy
not only makes the commercials
for Campbell, she also makes
his bed.
It's all one big happy family--
along with Roger Fillmore,
down at KXSF-- but he's really
just a mouthpiece for Campbell
and his 90 million bucks he's
got earmarked to bury you.
- Yeah, family values.
What's Roger actually got?
- He's trying to swiftboat you.
He's got all his guys meeting
with anybody and everybody you
ever served with.
- Yeah? Happy hunting.
What's Mandy's story?
- She's good at what she does.
She's got two kids at home,
the husband's a dot-com guy.
I don't think he knows.
So...
- O.K., Roger?
I want you to blow that
asshole up.
This Mandy thing, kill it.
She's a civilian.
- What is it?
- Talking points for the
governor on his budget.
- And what do you know
about that?
- Six weeks ago, not much.
- O.K., but you can fake it.
- Yeah, it's nothing.
My parents think that I'm taking
some time off before applying to
med school.
And remember, you're not
Samantha, but a guy named Sam.
- Oh, thanks.
- You're welcome.
Don't be pissed.
- Oh, my God.
- Hey, Paul.
- Hey, it's not too late
to call you, is it?
- Ah, no.
- Do you remember the, uh...
- Hi, Paul.
- ...football player who was
wanting to run for mayor
of San Diego?
- Tony Blanchard.
- Right, right...
Right, and doesn't he have a
book coming out?
First and goal,
something like that.
- Let's get him in here.
- O.K.
- O.K., so, ah, 89.
You wanna push it?
8-9, perfect.
Thank you.
Hmm.
You and me, lunch.
- O.K.
- Want pizza, yeah? O.K.
We're going to have to wait just
a second, honey.
Come on.
Hello.
Hey, guys.
...petitions from people who
want me to run.
- Did you have every junkie in
the mission sign these?
- No.
O.K., yes.
But I also got
architects, other physicians,
waitresses, delivery guys,
teachers, painters.
- O.K., look, I have no doubt
those people love you.
But you also need the farmers in
the central valley, the soccer
moms in Concord and the second
and third generation latinos in
San Bernardino to love you too.
Not to mention the golf crowd in
Santa Barbara.
- Hey, I was raised in
Santa Barbara.
My dad was a doctor there
- O.K., well, great, but that's
not gonna help you with your
druggy friends.
And then the other side of that,
your parents' friends don't want
to know about the dirty
needle crowd.
And here's the cold reality:
You have no name recognition.
So how the hell are you going
- that's what the web's for.
There has to be a million people
willing to pay $10 for
real change.
Boom-- there's $10 million
for you.
- California has more local
media markets than any state
in the union.
It costs $2.5 million a week for
a statewide media buy.
$10 million?
Try multiplying that by five
just to get into the game.
- O.K., then I'll get four
that's only 10% of the state to
pay $10.
You got 40.
You know, I gotta, I gotta
believe that one in 10 people
will think for the price of
two frappuccinos,
they'll finally get a governor
who will really change things.
- O.K., I get it.
I'm sure you would be a
great governor.
But I'm in the business
of winning.
- I thought you were in the
business of helping.
- Helping people who can win.
- Hello?
- Would you just, would you,
would you just help me?
Would you, would you think
about it?
- Kentucky.
He loved the talking points.
- I have thought about it.
I'm sorry.
Hey, hey... no.
- Come on, buddy, we gotta go.
- For a girl born in seoul,
she's sure got that Kentucky
thing down... - Thank you.
- Right?
I think it's going to move the
numbers... a little.
- Gimme a break!
- What?
- Look.
- I played professional
baseball for 15 years and was
fortunate enough to make the
American league all-star team
six times and later, I shared in
the highest honor in team
sports-- winning the
world series.
And after that amazing season,
I came home to serve in our
State Senate, where I stood up
for small businesses,
cutting your taxes and cracking
down on bloated pensions for
overpaid and underworked
bureaucrats.
But the greatest honor I could
ever have is going to bat for
all of Kentucky as your
governor.
I'm Justin Perkins,
and I approve this message.
- Oy.
- Yeah, right?
- Now, I don't have an F.B.I.
Badge, but I know blackmail when
I see it.
- As I'm sure you can
understand, we see it rather
differently.
My client has suffered enormous
emotional damage.
Imagine, you're hired to do a
job, you do it exceptionally
well for six years,
then suddenly out of the blue,
you're hit on by a united
states senator.
- Senator green has a
completely different
recollection of these events and
with all due respect,
if it comes down to his word
against your client's,
I think we both know who wins.
- You're a bit overconfident.
Do you have any idea what faces
your boss if he doesn't settle
this case?
A legal colonoscopy without
anesthesia.
- O.K., I want to know
what you want.
- Finally!
What I want is a check--
- sweetheart, please.
Let me handle this.
What Ms. Shearson wants is three
things: $3 million.
What your clients wants--
- wasn't it two million?
- It was two, until your boss
accused my client of extortion--
a million dollar costly mistake.
- Look, even if we were to pay
that outrageous amount,
what guarantee do we have that
we still wouldn't hear this
story from peaches o'Dell or any
of your other media buddies?
- Paul, I keep my promises.
How do you think I built this
law firm?
- O.K.
All right.
This is what I'm prepared
to offer you.
And I really want you to think
because this is as high as it
will ever get.
Zero.
That's my offer.
- Well, I guess we're going to
be hearing a lot more about a
particular senator.
Now, Paul, I want you to
understand this is not a threat.
- You don't have much to go on.
On our side: A sterling silver
reputation.
Your side: Multiple prostitution
arrests.
But we have something that you
don't have.
We have a lab report
from a forensic lab in
Mountain view.
It shows tawny's shirt.
- You want to guess
what's on it?
- I don't think I want to.
- D.N.A., in a stain,
perfect match to your senator.
It seems as if your guy is being
screwed again.
Mr. green, in the bedroom,
with his happy little gun.
- Why did he do it?
- Look, politicians are
politicians because they have
completely interrelated
strengths and frailties.
They can be incredibly committed
to truly changing the world and
also be wildly self-destructive.
- I'll take the first and pass
on the second.
- It's not so easy in
the real world.
The qualities that make a star
politician-- the need for the
spotlight, the quest for power,
the ability to use people then
discard them when you're through
with them-- is the exact same
skill set that enables an
FDR to create the new deal.
Saving the country and having
multiple affairs.
Or eisenhower, liberate a
continent and be carrying on an
affair with his aide the
or president Clinton presiding
over an unprecedented period of
peace and prosperity and then
banging Monica Lewinsky.
- To all of our detriment.
But is this that we gotta have
or just something that we've
just bought into?
- You don't get the outsized
talent without the outsized
weakness.
And look, this isn't a video
game or a TV show.
This is the real thing.
People in power truly impact
our lives.
You know, do they screw up?
Are they perfect?
Look.
Stephen green could be
president, right?
And he would be a great one.
Because of some blackmailing
hooker, are we going to throw
away all of the good that he's
done, all of the good that he's
gonna do?
- Yeah, but still.
- When it gets like this,
you just gotta get revved and
ready and say: W.W.M.D.
What would machiavelli do?
- This better work, man.
- Look at it this way: If it
doesn't, I've got you back on
the road to get in shape.
- I'd rather be riding down
that road on my harley.
A lot more fun.
- What?
- What what?
Looking at the new me,
sweetheart.
- Really?
- Don't sound so skeptical.
I used to be in pretty
hey, I still am in reasonable
shape... sorta.
Oh, come on.
What'd you bring 'em for?
Hey!
- Tony Blanchard.
So nice to meet you, sir.
- God.
The pleasure is all mine.
Tony Blanchard.
I used to watch you all the
time, just in awe of
your talent-- amazing.
- Thank you, thank you.
I appreciate it, sir.
Thank you.
Hey, I hear you're going to be
the next mayor of San Diego.
- Oh... trying, hoping.
- Where did you think I heard
it from?
- Governor!
- Tony, over here!
- Just a few questions.
Governor, do you have any
releasing his medical records
later today?
- Just that it's long overdue.
We both, we both owe it to the
voters to be completely up-front
and open.
As you know, I released my
records over two weeks ago.
But I think if you want to
occupy this fine house, well,
the voters have a right to know
the state of their
governor's health.
- Is having Tony Blanchard with
you today related to
the release?
- Absolutely not.
This is one of the finest
athletes this country has ever
produced and when Tony offered
to take time out of his busy
schedule to come here, I jumped
at the chance.
Not every day you get whooped by
an all-pro.
- Tony, what do you think of
the governor as a jogging
partner?
- I think, and let me stress
think, that I can beat your
governor today.
But if I'm in as half as good
a shape as governor Becker is
when I hit his age, I'll be
one happy guy.
- "His age."
Get off, go, go long.
Want to join us?
- Not in these heels, but have
a good run, governor.
- Thanks, governor.
- O.K., here we go.
- Man, you are fast!
- Not as fast as you and Tony.
- Cheers to that.
- For state senator and
gubernatorial candidate Justin
Perkins, it was a major day
indeed.
Perkins finally released his
medical records this morning and
as we've been reporting,
they showed an
irregular heartbeat.
All over the capitol and,
in fact, the state, this has
been topic number one.
And earlier the Perkins campaign
made every effort to diminish
the damage, including having his
personal physician speak to
reporters here at mercy
hospital.
- Thank you.
Welcome to mercy hospital.
I'm Dr. Ryan Johnson,
I'm senator Perkins'
cardiologist and his
attending physician.
Senator Perkins has arrhythmia,
a condition commonly known as an
irregular heartbeat, a condition
shared by millions of Americans.
He is a former professional
athlete, as everybody in
Kentucky knows.
He is in superb health.
There will be no physical
limitations for him because of
this condition.
- But what about the reports
of steroids?
- Excuse me, one at a time,
- why were his records not
released earlier?
- I'll refer you to the
campaign on that.
Again, he's in superb condition.
His arrhythmia will have
no impact.
- Any evidence of S.T.D.S?
- That's an offensive question
that I won't be answering.
- ...at the same time,
our current governor had a
different take on the
day's events.
- Let me begin by saying that
the issue of a person's health
is far more important than any
political campaign, but this is
really about the public trust.
If the public can't trust you to
be up-front about your own
health, then how can they trust
you with the health of
our state?
Of course, Sophia and I will
have state senator Perkins in
our hearts and our prayers
tonight, when it comes to his
overcoming this very serious
health problem.
...I think if you want to occupy
this fine house, the voters have
a right to know the state of
their governor's health.
- And later in the day,
Tony Blanchard spoke to a
packed-to-the-rafters crowd at
leland middle school and then
afterward, signed autographs.
And for those lucky kids getting
to meet our governor's all-pro
jogging partner, it'll be a day
they remember their
entire lives.
- Lucky!
- And we caught up
with governor Becker as he
attended a talk and book signing
for football superstar Tony
Blanchard at the pine
valley mall.
...some rush there, governor!
- Well, I promised I'd come
hear Tony speak, he's a good
friend and I'm running
a little late.
You know, like everyone else in
America, I cheered when he made
that unbelievable super bowl run
and I'm cheering for him now
that he's setting such a fine
example for Kentucky's children.
- Thanks for your time,
governor.
- Wow.
- It's a Picasso.
- Sure.
A Picasso.
- The escalator was genius.
- And you had the cameras
everywhere they needed to be.
Just a great job.
It's great, a great job.
- Thanks, sweetheart.
I owe you.
Well... that is it for jogging!
- No, no, no.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Once a week, every week until
the campaign ends.
- What?
Can't we just release some
photos or something?
- Just one, because you and I
are going to the Seville bar
later.
- The wine bar?
- The wine bar.
- Seems a little upscale
for you.
- Upscale?
Really, why?
What do you mean?
- The girls keep their clothes
on, for one thing.
- Don't be so sure.
- There's this waitress there
named Lara.
Oh, my God, she's absolutely
gorgeous.
- Is she the new thing?
- Well, actually, she's more
your type.
- Why are we going
to the Seville?
- O.K., Lara, who is becoming
very tight with myself,
has agreed to show
some pictures.
- Really?
- Yeah. - Clothed?
- Kinda, sorta.
- Regarding... bite marks...
Of a certain set of teeth...
From a person of interest.
Regarding a certain fleshy part
of the body.
- What are you still
doing here?
- You're here, boss.
Anyway I love this spot.
- Love it?
- Swiftboat the
swiftboaters, dude.
It's still rough, and my voice,
but we'll get don in here
tomorrow, if you like it.
- Let's have a look.
- Jimmy on computer:
Imagine this: You attend
Annapolis.
You play football there...
And did so well, you had the
chance to go on and play
professionally.
But instead, you turned down the
NFL and went to fight for
your country.
Your leadership was recognized
with the Navy cross and then,
years later, someone begins
knocking on the doors of those
who served with you.
- They came into my house and
started asking me questions
about Stephen green and all the
bad things he had done when he
was a lieutenant in my unit.
Bad things?
There wasn't an officer in all
of Afghanistan as respected as
he was.
- Yeah, they asked me the same
thing, and every time I said
something good about Stephen
green, they wanted
something bad.
This is the guy who put his body
between us and the Taliban.
And what they're doing is
un-American.
So I asked them to please leave
my house.
Far too many of our friends are
buried here.
And it shocks me that instead of
honoring those that fought and
died for this country,
duff Campbell is spending his
money looking for some kinda
dirt that doesn't even exist on
the finest officer I had the
honor to serve under:
Lieutenant Stephen green.
- Fuck you, motherfucker!
- Ohh!
That is a Rembrandt!
Yeah!
Kerstin's still here?
- Yeah, she's on the roof.
- Hey.
- You gonna jump?
- I should.
- Is that the Stephen green
stuff?
- No, it's not that.
Read.
- "I first aspired to go to
medical school when, as a small
child, I would accompany my
Uncle to his small pediatric
clinic in seoul where he was a
beloved figure"-- what is this?
- Well, that's my life.
The cliche of my life.
It's what you do when you're
first generation American and
your parents run a fruit market
in the shadows of Berkeley.
They work, like, 15 hours a day,
just so that one day, you can go
to that very same college.
- And become a surgeon.
- Not just that.
I could be an internationally
renowned concert pianist, or a
Professor in electrical
engineering.
- But you ended up here.
- I thought it was a
good thing.
- Well, I can't offer you a lab
coat, but... the truth of it is,
is that, as fucked up as things
are and as bad as they may seem,
that most people really believe
that leaders can make a
difference.
If you're helping great leaders
get in, aren't you doing a
service?
- Yeah, I know, but...
- It doesn't fit the narrative.
The cliche that we work with
every day.
- Like being the daughter of
outrageously hard-working Korean
immigrants who one day goes off
to Johns Hopkins medical school.
- You broke out of your cliche.
I think that's a great thing.
Look... on election night,
when your guy goes over the top,
the feeling is
un-fucking-believable.
It courses through your veins
like nothing else.
- See, that's what I want
to do, I...
I want to do what you do.
I want to make kings and queens,
but I can't do what you do.
- You can.
And you'll be better than I am.
- No...
I can't.
- Then you'll be a great
doctor...
A Penelope-great doctor.
I'll write a letter of
I'll get the vice-president of
the United States to write a
letter of recommendation
for you.
- I'm sorry, but thank you.
Thanks.
- That photo probably cost him
five grand.
- For you.
- You're kidding.
- Not at all.
I go to meetings all the time
and all I get from them
is a headache.
Now, at least, you'll have
something good to remember our
little talk by.
Sit.
- Well, hopefully we'll be able
to provide a happy memory
of our talk.
- We can all use them, or more
to the point, uh, your man
Stephen green can.
Not happy times for our junior
senator, huh, Paul?
- Well, I don't know
about that.
He's up nine points in the
latest field poll, he's got 16
major newspaper endorsements and
more importantly, he's doing
great things for the state.
- Spare me.
We're in a no-spin zone
here, Paul.
We both know that he's got a
giant bull's-eye painted on his
back and I have a huge fuckin'
archer standing right
behind him.
- But you haven't fired.
- I wanted to see what you had
to offer first.
- You're interested in
our story?
- Of course.
We're fair.
We're balanced.
We're a news organization,
for Christ's sake, Paul,
- Well, I'm not sure
that I agree with any of
those claims.
Our story is that there
is no story.
Nada.
Nothing.
Zilch.
- Mmm.
That's too bad.
Then I guess we'll be hearing a
lot more from miss Shearson.
It's horrible, what that poor
girl experienced.
- Something tells me she's
going to be just fine.
I was hoping you would do me a
personal favor.
I'd like you to kill any stories
with her ridiculous claims.
- You must be joking.
- Not at all.
You see, I've recently become
aware of a waitress at the
Seville wine bar named Lara.
She tells a pretty incredible
story.
- I've never been there.
- The story is, guy comes in,
is drinking, he's interested.
He bites her ass in the bar.
Now, it's, it's-- that was my
reaction as well.
So she tells her friend,
who also works there, and it
turns out, the same guy did the
same thing to her too.
- Really?
- And there's more.
Apparently the guy is so rich--
he was brought in to run a
television station or
something-- that both girls,
looking for opportunities as
people are wont to do in these
tough economic times,
take pictures... - Hmm.
- ...of the bite marks and
what this guy did to them.
I thought you'd want to know.
I can have this story up on
Gawker before I get back
to my office.
Most of the major media outlets
will probably pick it up.
Certainly the chronicle.
Maybe some other television
stations?
But I'm guessing, not here?
- Probably not.
This has been great.
Paul, best.
- Thanks for the mug.
- Absolutely.
- Hey, guys.
- I'd like you to meet Angela.
- Hi.
Sorry, I was working all day,
and Dimitris... - What?
- He spent, like, half your
company's budget on me tonight.
- Just few drinks.
This girl can go toe-to-toe with
the best.
- You look familiar.
- Very good, Jimmy!
There's something in between
your ears besides
unlistenable punk.
Very nice.
O.K., now tell me, from where?
And Paul's disqualified.
Oh, come on, nobody?
- The tawny video,
orange bikini.
- That's my girl.
- It was red and it's my
favorite.
- Red, blue, yellow, who cares?
You looked that fucking
beautiful in it.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
- O.K., Dimitris says that you
are a proud graduate of the bay
city school of massage therapy?
- She is the all-star graduate.
She has, she won like the, what,
the president's award or the
iron cross or something--
- Hey.
Hi, I'm sorry.
- Oh, my God!
- I'm sorry I'm late.
- Oh, my God!
I watch you all the time!
You're peaches o'Dell!
You're the best!
You are very sweet to say that.
All I ever wanted to be when I
was a little girl was a TV
reporter and you did it.
Look at you.
And you're like, wow,
you're here, like, right here,
on the couch beside me!
- Angela went to school
with tawny.
- Oh?
What is she like?
- Mean. - Oh.
- Well, she's not always,
but when she drinks, she gets
that way. - Mm-hmm.
- Um, pretty, tell her what you
uh, told me about the Baja.
- Oh, right, yeah.
We were out drinking and, well,
something she did a lot of--
well, but to be honest, kind of
something I did a lot of too--
and we'd had this crazy happy
hour, where we did way too many
Tequila shots at the Baja
Cantina.
You know it?
In venice?
- I don't. - It's awesome!
- O.K.
- So when we left, we passed
this rollerblading place and she
picked up a pair of knee pads
and she said, "these guys--
a ticket to Washington and this
body and I'm golden!"
- Nice.
- But how'd she end up in
Sacramento?
- Oh, she had some thing with,
like a politician dude that she
thought was gonna go like a
week, but then he got elected
speaker of the assembly.
And when he moved his whole
family up there, then he brought
her up too.
- Wow.
- I kinda didn't think much
I didn't think it was that big
of a deal.
But then Dimitris...
- Yes, I did.
- ...found me and it all
came back.
Dimitris found me.
- Would you be willing to tell
this story on camera?
- You want me?
Peaches o'Dell, you want to,
you want to interview me?
- Yep.
- Hell, yeah!
Yeah! Yes.
Absolutely, I would, yes.
- Thank you, thank you.
This is a story that needs
to be heard.
- Yeah.
- Mm-hmm.
Yes.
- Just keeping the media happy.
- Fat and happy.
- Fat?
I don't think so.
- Just be glad you're
not on camera.
Do you know what I think?
- Hmm?
- I think you're running a con.
- I bring you to the best Sushi
restaurant in the town and
this is the thanks I get?
- Are you?
- No hidden microphones or
secret cameras?
- Wanna pat me down?
- Absolutely. - No.
- I think we're surrounded by
the con.
"Tax breaks for the rich will
help the poor, diet drinks will
help you lose 20 pounds and you
snag the man of your dreams.
Paul, please give us the inside
scoop, we promise we'll treat
your guy fairly in the story."
- "And the guy you elect today
will change your world
tomorrow."
- You know the first race I
ever ran was for my dad's
childhood friend, Ron Gerace.
Great guy.
Just very little formal
education, but smart and honest.
He was running for mayor against
a corrupt asshole who had been
in office forever and was
considered unbeatable.
I was, like, 20 and had no
experience, but a lot of energy
and a lot of ideas, but really,
I didn't know shit.
- Like now.
- Even more so.
- But what I did know was that
if I worked hard enough and a
miracle happened and Ron got in,
that the world would somehow be
a better place.
- Did he win?
- He killed.
He was the best mayor
Minneapolis ever had.
So, as corny as it sounds,
if you believe, it happens.
- So what do you believe?
- That if you get the right guy
elected, you are so far into a
place that is beyond running a
campaign or reporting the
news-- you are making the news,
and that's what we dream of.
So, do I believe?
Yeah, I believe.
- Conning me?
- I am not.
It's the truth.
Straight up.
Swear to God.
- Oh, yeah, right.
That'll be the day.
That... that is your God.
You believe in the God
of BlackBerry.
- Please, it's only a tool.
- Right.
Then, don't answer it.
I dare you.
You love that thing more than
- well, that would be crazy.
What are you-- what the fuck!
- It's merely a tool.
- What?
- We did a sweeps piece
I know it looks really weird,
but the rice will bring it back
to life.
- It better.
- Hmm.
- Oh, you have some right
there.
There you go.
- I'm not too much of a vapid
beauty queen?
- I don't know.
Not too much of an overeducated,
BlackBerry-addicted guy running
a con?
- Paul, where the hell
are you?
I've been emailing you
every two minutes!
- You know, I had a long night.
I had meeting after meeting and
then I just lost track of time.
And then I had a BlackBerry
technical malfunction.
It works!
Did you send it to the iPhone?
I'll look at it there.
O.K.
- And we just learned
tonight that a local man claims
his girlfriend is having an
ongoing affair with the
governor.
And he claims he has her diary
to prove it.
- Sounds like this is one
explosive story.
And what was the governor's
response?
- Well, nothing yet, Dani.
And to be fair, this just
came in...
- This is terrible.
We need to get down there.
What's the first flight
we can get?
- Oh, God.
- Fuck a duck!
- No, honey-- you fucked
an intern.
That's why we're all here.
- Has anyone actually
seen the diary?
- Hey, darlin'.
- Do we even know that the
diary's real?
- We don't and if it's
electronic, that would be
a huge break.
Is she a nutter?
- No, no.
She's solid.
I like her.
I mean, I, you know what I mean.
- Paul, as much as I want to
violently disagree with every
single thing, every word,
every syllable, my alleged
husband says, that one thing
is true.
She's the daughter of one
of our professors.
- And?
- And you're not going to kobe
Bryant her, turn her into some
sort of predatory slut.
- We're just getting
started here.
- She may not be perfect,
or even completely innocent,
I have no idea.
But you are not going
to trash her.
- Look, honey--
- no, honey.
You guys trash her and I won't
be there to do my
stand-by-my-man thing and then
you're really fucked.
Honey.
So what do we do?
- Sweetie, we have entered a
deep, dark, unspinnable place.
- Ah, it's nice to know no
matter how bad things get,
there's gonna be a naked girl on
a pole to cheer you right up.
- Try many, many girls, hi.
You object?
- Enjoying.
- That's my girl.
There's a gentleman sitting
across the way in a
football Jersey.
That's the boyfriend.
His name is junior, believe it
or not, junior Conway.
He's here all the time.
- Don't get me wrong, I could
stay here all day, but you've
got to do better than that.
- Patience, my friend,
patience.
- Junior?
He sells coke to everyone:
Girls, customers.
Shit, he probably even sells it
to the cops that come in.
- O.K., what about her?
- I did see her once.
- And did junior there provide
the refreshments?
- Yes and no.
- What do you mean?
- One time we were all,
like, three girls from the club,
junior and a couple of his
buddies-- we were at a frat
party in Lexington, doing a
bunch of junior's blow and he
kept telling her to do it.
- But she didn't want to do it?
- Not really.
She kept saying no and junior
wouldn't let it go.
He was buggin' on it and he kept
saying over and over,
"are you 22 or 62?
Just go for it!"
- Did she do any?
- She did a tiny bit of the
blow and then, five minutes
later, she went home alone.
I mean, if I had to guess,
that was probably the beginning
of the end.
I mean, they're just so
different.
- Did you ever see her do the
drugs again?
- I mean, I barely saw her
- It's go time.
It's do or die,
but it's your call.
- Sophia's going to
go bat-shit.
- You should look at this.
They've made a major ad buy.
It's about to hit.
A guy at the station slipped
it to me.
- Larry Becker wants us to
give him another term as
governor so he can a.) Continue
to use the governor's office as
his personal sex spa...
B.) Use our tax dollars to pay
the state troopers who guard him
when he's on the prowl...
Or c.) Convince you that a girl
just out of high school really
isn't the first mistress of
Kentucky, so he can have four
more years in office?
Is this really the kind of man
you would trust with
your daughter?
Or your state?
- I'm Justin Perkins.
And I'll restore dignity back to
the governor's office.
- I don't know where
to fucking start.
And by the way, since when is
22 just out of high school?
- She could have been 32,
they'd have used the same line.
- Know what's weird?
She's a good girl... really.
- Well, the boyfriend is
asshole central.
Dimitris already got him
getting a 100k payday and double
that if you go down.
- Oh, fuck me.
Six months ago, the only way I
could lose this thing was to get
caught in bed with a dead girl
or a live boy.
Now this.
- So what's it going to be?
Sonny or Michael?
- Sonny.
Go nuclear.
- Bloggers. - Yep.
- TV reporters. - Yeah.
- Talk show bloviaters and
newspapers.
All of them. - Newspapers.
- City, community, college.
I want all of our big guys and I
want every newbie looking to
break in.
- O.K., they're set up.
Got it.
Background-- just follow the
money, it leads straight back
to Perkins.
...listen, I'm doing you this
favor so you don't get
you did all the legwork, but you
definitely did not get this
information from us.
...now this story is yours and
yours only, but remember,
whatever you do, don't source
back to us.
...and remember this is
embargoed for a seven A.M.
Online posting tomorrow.
But you're not giving this to
because, let's face it, my blog
drives the cable coverage.
All the insiders come
to us first.
- No, absolutely, you get the
first pop.
- This is going to be more
when I heard about this story,
I had a blogasm.
- Now you get multiple
blogasms.
- Perkins and his buddies are
rat-fucking Kentucky.
...so we're talking about the
Sunday edition above the
fold, right? - Right.
- So I hear that you two are
Kentucky's answer to woodward
and Bernstein. - Who?
- Never mind.
But I am deep throat.
- Hey, didn't you go to school
with that major anchor in
Lexington, Dani whatever?
- I competed against her.
- Well, that's close enough.
But, if you slipped her the
- we're not exactly friends.
- But you can call her, right?
- Paul.
- I don't understand
what's wrong.
- Paul, shut up and fuck!
- It had been nearly a week
since governor Becker last
answered reporters' questions,
but when he came out of church
this morning, the governor
was finally ready to speak to
the media.
- Governor, would you
like to make a statement?
- Yes, I would.
Uh, more than anything,
these charges are complete and
utter fiction.
John Grisham could have written
this, or better still,
Stephen king, because this has
truly been a horror story for
my family.
And this alleged diary the man
claims to have is just more
fiction, pure and simple.
- And what about
Helena St. John, the woman at
the center of all of
these charges?
- Well, Dani, Ms. St. John
returned to her parents' home
near Boston, where she was
briefly seen yesterday.
- Helena, over here,
we have a question!
Why are you denying the affair?
- Why did you do it,
Helena?
Was all the sex consensual?
Has the governor been in touch
with you? - Can we get
- Is the governor
going to divorce his wife?
- Helena, are you in
rehab now? - Helena!
- And Ms. St. John also came up
back home, when we caught up
with the governor heading for a
performance of the good Shepherd
youth choir, run by Lexington
police officers.
- The lady in question is a
good girl, who like so many fine
people, from good families,
fell into that terrible,
terrible abyss of drugs.
I wish her all the luck in the
world in getting her life
together and I know that with
assistance of clergy, she will
be just fine and can become
clean and sober once again.
- That's good.
O.K.
Here's the spot Jimmy just cut.
We're running it at 2,000
points, heavy rotation for the
next two weeks, major cable buy.
Lifetime, Ellen, just buying the
shit out of the mom demo.
- Some things are pretty
darn expensive and it makes you
wonder where all that money
comes from.
The cost of incarcerating a
cocaine dealer in Kentucky for
15 months? $28,313.
The cost of a brand-new pickup:
$34,201, which was purchased two
days after claiming he had a
diary for sale.
The cost of cocaine rehab for a
month? $14,000.
The cost of wall street banks
trying to ruin the reputation of
a man who has served the
commonwealth of Kentucky his
entire adult life: Priceless.
- Booyah, motherfucker!
- I owe you, man!
But you better get your ass
outta dodge.
- Hey, next time you think
about running for office,
try France.
It's a better fit.
Well, merci
beaucoup.
- Taxi'll be here in five.
So you also have the--
- Paul.
You son of a bitch.
I can't fucking believe it.
Here.
When you graduated law school,
you know where I was, right?
- Sure.
You were two years behind me.
- Right, in the same class with
your favorite pal.
I gotta tell you,
I have taken a lot.
- I know you have.
- I'm not sure you do.
My father was an artist who
struggled his whole life to
support us and he told me if I
worked hard, got good grades,
and got into Harvard, I could do
whatever I wanted.
Guess what I did when
I got there.
I fell for one Larry Lincoln
Becker, who dragged me back to
this godforsaken place.
- Godforsaken?
- If you grew up in Brooklyn,
absolutely.
You know, I've been a
I've done my stand-by-your man
thing for a guy who will fuck
anyone-- anything-- in a skirt.
Honestly, it must be so
confusing for him when those
Scottish bagpipers come here
to play.
But it was all between me and
him, but now you go ahead and
you drag this girl through
the mud.
A girl with her whole life ahead
of her?
Is that what it's come to?
- Hey, she did the coke.
- Big deal!
Half of America has done a line
once in their lives.
- And she wasn't raped.
She was a completely willing
participant. - Hardly.
- She knew what the score was.
- What the fuck, Paul?
Is it worth it?
- Let me tell you what
I'm doing.
I am playing to win, so that
your guy gets another
four years.
So that that asshole Perkins--
who is diametrically opposed to
every single issue that you care
about: Foreclosures,
minimum wage, clean air and who
doesn't so much as take a shit
without first having it stamped
and approved by wall street
banks and the mega-mining and
health care industries--
doesn't get to sit where
Larry sits.
- And doesn't it bother you?
The way you get there?
It's just you and me here, Paul.
- Thought you'd never make
it home. - Hi. - Hi.
- Is that more Kentucky stuff?
- No.
Penelope's petitions.
And they're not just petitions.
I mean, they are, but there's
also notes on them.
- Oh, boy.
- For example: "Best doctor
I ever had."
"Yes," followed by four
exclamation points.
"I wish I could sign 10 times,
because you are going to be 10
times better than what we got."
- And 10 times as likely to
get slaughtered.
- Why not Penelope?
There's 101 reasons why she
can't win.
- Yeah, I know.
And they're all really good
ones, but I just feel like if
she won, this world would be a
better place.
Not so?
No?
- I didn't know you were
in town.
- Can I talk to you for
a minute?
- Yeah, sure.
Look, I know that you're still
upset about Helena, but...
This is what happens.
- Paul, Helena tried to
commit suicide.
She took a container full of
pills, but her mother found her.
It happened over the weekend.
They're keeping it quiet.
It's not in the media
and won't be.
But her mother called
to tell me.
And I thought you should
know too.
- I had no idea it would...
I didn't think it would play
like this.
- This is what happens.
- Professor St. John, this is
Paul Turner calling again, um,
I know it's a hard time for you
and your family, but if you
could give me a call at the
number that I left earlier,
that... that would be great.
Thank you.
Hello, Helena.
It's Paul Turner calling again.
Um, look, if you'd like me to
stop calling you, just text me
and I will.
O.K., thanks.
- Please, I just need five
minutes of your time.
Ple-- five minutes and I will go
home, I promise.
Please.
I can't begin to tell you how
sorry I am.
We never should have done it.
I never should have done it.
- But you did.
Why?
Why me?
- I dunno.
No... I do know.
What we do is like a military
guy in Virginia piloting a drone
over Afghanistan and launching
a missile.
It seems like a video game and
there aren't real people
involved, and you hit the fire
button and you're thinking,
"how'd we do?
Did we hit it?"
And sometimes we hit the target,
and other times...
We destroy the building with the
red cross painted on the top.
- It's not right.
It's so not right.
For years, after a bad day at
school, I'd jump on that
trampoline.
And I'd feel better, feel like I
was free, floating in space.
But at some point, my mom would
come out and tell me that I
couldn't stay here all night.
The last thing that I wanted
was to come back to earth.
- And this is a big dose of
coming back down to earth.
- Giant dose.
And my dad teaches power
and politics.
I should've known.
- No. Nobody really
understands power.
I think that's why we all abuse
it so easily.
- I'm sorry, but that's just
not good enough.
Actions have consequences.
And I think you do understand.
- Hey.
You know better than that.
- Oh, yes, I do.
Foreclosure stats and we're
cutting the spot now.
- Good... where's the big guy?
- You got me.
- What's he doing, hiking the
appalachian trail?
- Yeah, something like that.
- We're talking about the most
electronically connected dude on
the planet.
Where the hell is he?
- I have no idea.
...hi, I'm so sorry for calling
you so many times and I know
you're really busy and I called
you yesterday.
- It's fine, really.
- Um, you haven't heard from
him yet, have you?
- I haven't, but if I do I'll
call you or text you.
Are you O.K.?
- Just a little worried.
- Well, I'll let you know
if I do.
O.K., bye.
- I think you need a shot.
- That's my line.
- This is what you're up
against.
Trip Simmons: Internet tycoon
who, after two grueling months
teaching, is running as a public
school teacher, albeit a public
school teacher willing to spend
$45 million, 95% of which is
his own money.
- Serious stuff.
- If you happen to get past him
in the primary, and that is a
gigantic "if," this is who you
will face: Hammering Hank
Harrison, beloved television
star and tea party hero, who is
running as the outsider in this
race in spite of having
$65 million already in the bank
and off-the-charts name
recognition.
- And what do we have?
- You.
- I'm flattered.
But anything else?
- Us.
- Are you sure you're
up for this?
No more appalachian trail
walkabouts?
- You know, I actually was on
the appalachian trail in Maine.
- Well, welcome home.
- So, Jimmy is going to be
following you around 24/7.
He's going to be filming you.
We'll cut together some spots
about who you are, what you're
about, your commitment to
service, your dedication to this
office, that kind of thing.
- And people are going to want
to see this?
- We can only hope.
- Thank you.
Thank you so much.
...in the words of the great
Hubert Humphrey, "I am proud to
be here today to represent the
people who don't always
have a voice."
Those in the dawn of life,
our children; Those in the
shadows of life, our poor,
and those in the dusk of life,
our elderly.
I am proud to be here on behalf
of those who work to make
California work.
The people who build our houses,
teach our children, care for our
sick, put out the fires,
protect our streets, cook our
food, pick our fruit, drive the
trucks and clean our offices.
I am here because we are all in
this together when it comes to
standing tall and standing
strong to fight for the
California dream.
- Field poll.
- Where are we?
- Still in the single digits,
six percent. - Oy.
- Oh, there's still time.
- While they will protect wall
street banks and lower taxes for
corporations and millionaires,
we will fight for jobs.
- Can you do that again,
but really emphasize, "we will
fight for jobs"?
- While they will protect wall
street banks and lower taxes for
corporations and millionaires,
we will fight for jobs.
And while they will complain
about what is wrong in America,
we will focus on what is right
in America.
Today, our party, which has
saved this nation from
depression, from fascism,
from racism, from corruption,
is called upon to do it again.
This time to save the state from
confusion and division, from the
threat of eventual fiscal
disaster and from those who lack
the courage and vision to
understand that we are all in
this together.
- A little higher.
Yeah, up... yep.
- Now how is it?
- Perfect!
- What do you think?
- I think it's gonna be a knife
fight in a phone booth.
- Protein shakes.
- Are you sure you're gay?
- Nope.
- Then what the hell am I doing
with peaches?
- Peaches?
Peaches?
Is this a thing or a fling?
- We need her.
- We need her?
What if I told you I was
screwing some hair product
reporter because we needed him?
What would you say?
- Is he local or national?
- You would not!
What?
- You gotta get here now!
- No, we'll be there, we'll be
there in less than five.
We're in the mission now,
we're on our way.
- You're going to give them to
me now, huh?
You're going to give me
'cause I will cut your fucking
throat, little girl.
- Excuse me, excuse me!
Hey, hey!
- You gonna give 'em to me now,
little girl, huh?
- Put it down, stop!
Ah!
- You too, Penelope?
You going to fucking dis me too?
Huh?
Fucking dis me too!
- Hey, Tommy, Tommy, marisol is
one of the sweetest,
nicest people I have ever met.
She would never intentionally
disrespect you.
And you know that, right?
- It's not true.
- No, never.
We don't even have the pills you
want, Tommy.
- O.K., Tommy.
Give me the knife, O.K.?
Please.
- No, I need my meds.
- I know.
Give me the knife.
Give me the knife, Tommy.
Please.
Give me the knife.
- No!
- Give me the knife.
- I can't.
- Please.
Give me the knife.
- I need my meds, Penelope!
My meds, Penelope.
- Are you O.K.?
- Yeah.
- We should get you
back inside.
- Holy... shit.
- I'm glad you're O.K.
- I'm fine.
- I'm glad.
I'm, um, so sorry.
Really, really, sorry, you know?
- Don't be sorry.
No, we're just glad that
everyone's O.K. And that Jimmy
called us.
- Yeah, I mean, you were
amazing out there.
- Yeah. - Incredible.
- No, no.
You see one of the biggest
cliches about this neighborhood.
Normally it's not like this,
really.
You're probably right.
If I can't even control my own
little space, how can I control
an entire state?
Right?
- So this is what you've
wrought: Facebook likes,
1.2 million and counting.
Number of YouTube views of you
taking the knife away from the
crazy person: 4,318,000.
- And counting.
And watch this.
- She's awesome.
She's really inspiring.
- That lady is definitely
walking the walk.
- O.K., you cannot take that
bandage off until the election.
- It's been almost two weeks,
I think it's time.
You've got to give me at least
another month.
- I'll give you a week.
- Sold.
- What the fuck?
- What?
- Check it out.
- Helping the homeless is
nothing new for San Francisco.
We have a long history of it in
our city.
But what is new is a program
one of the volunteers here
has started.
- Exhale.
- Ahh!
- Tawny Shearson is
no ordinary volunteer. - Out.
- She has started a
special program for San
Francisco's homeless children.
- Well, the idea is why should
only rich children get all the
amazing benefits of yoga?
These kids love it!
They can't get enough of it.
And honestly, I can't get enough
teaching them.
- Tawny Shearson, a woman truly
making a difference for those
who need it most.
Rick Sanchez, KXSF news,
at Saint Mary's church in
the tenderloin.
- O.K., so when she's not
blackmailing us, she's running
for Saint?
- Those guys are good.
- Mandy Denton behind this?
- 100%.
And we violated the number one
commandment in politics-- we had
her down and we did not put
in the shiv.
...all right, when you think of
family, what are the first
- Love, protection,
warmth. - Security, fun.
- Caring.
A bond, support.
- Strength as a unit.
Shelter.
- That's good.
When we get back-- incoming.
- Penelope Nelson
runs this clinic.
The same Penelope Nelson who
claims she's qualified to be
your governor.
What she doesn't tell you is 28%
of those who come here are not
Americans, but illegal aliens.
And it's all funded by you.
You pay far too much in taxes
already so that Penelope can
spend your money on illegals?
You work hard, you play by the
rules, why doesn't she?
Hank Harrison-- let's make
California great again.
- I'm Hank Harrison and with
your help, we can take back
our government.
- That's good.
- Now it's really incoming.
Tawny's lawyer.
- Erik the red has scheduled a
press conference with tawny
tomorrow at six.
- He'll call it off if we
deliver him $2 million tomorrow
at four.
- Down a million.
- It's still blackmail.
- And the answer is still--
- no fucking way!
- Good, good.
O.K.
Good, O.K.
All right.
First, tawny has a story, but so
does peaches and her new
BFF, Angela.
How is that going?
- All set. - Good.
And second, starting on the
five o'clock news, we're
launching a saturation buy of
the downed helicopter spot with
your war buddy.
Three, we are making your name
and the word "family"
synonymous.
Think Stephen green,
think family.
- Take all the things that
family means and go from there.
Like love, warmth, strength,
protection, support, caring.
- And with each one of those,
we do a photo and message
of the day.
- Like what?
- Well, let's start with the
last one on the list: Caring.
As in caring for your
children's future.
We've worked something up around
your affordable college program,
which I love, incidentally.
- We'll send you to a school
or something.
- Fourth: Editorials.
Tawny's going to cry to every
reporter with a laptop that
you're a bad guy.
We get editorials saying that
the last thing anybody needs in
this economy is more lipstick
and pig stories.
Everybody should be focusing on
real issues that affect
real Americans.
- O.K., O.K., how about this:
We suggest-- gently, but serve
it on a silver platter--
that tawny is a complete
distraction from real issues and
let them hark back to when
mark twain was a reporter here
and that he could see through
all the smoke and nonsense,
like this smoke and nonsense.
- Mark twain.
They love mark twain.
I love quoting mark twain.
- Well, she actually uses zero
fossil fuels and thus has
zero emissions.
She can go at highway speeds,
and what's more, she was built
entirely by the class you
see here.
- Thank you all for coming.
This is tawny Shearson.
- She's going to tell you quite
a story about a woman wronged by
a United States senator.
- Senator, last month we went
to the California solar
challenge. - Mm-hmm.
- And of the five finalists,
we were the only public school
there, but we won.
And what we're showing here is
that what it takes to achieve in
science isn't all about money.
It's about inventiveness and
creativity and brain power.
All of which this class has
in abundance.
- Well, this is amazing.
This is truly amazing.
And I think I speak for myself,
but I also think I speak
for every senator when I say
that we can learn a lot from
Mr. Quinn's class.
It's truly amazing!
Give yourselves a round
of applause.
- Thank you so much for coming.
- Senator green, senator green.
Are you aware of the press
conference tawny Shearson
just gave?
She's claiming you had
an affair!
- I was just thinking about
something that mark twain once
said which is, "when in doubt,
tell the truth."
Well, here's the truth:
I have a bad back.
I injured it in the service
in Afghanistan.
And I receive physical therapy
for that injury,
including massages.
And during one of those
massages, I crossed the line.
And, uh, here's some more truth:
There is, there's no one to
blame for this but me.
There is no excuse for what
I did.
It was, it was wrong to do to my
family, it was wrong to do to
the people that I set an
example for.
It was just plain wrong, period.
Now, I could stand up here and I
could spin the facts and I could
maybe fool some of you, but I
believe that the people of
California deserve better.
I think that we are all tired of
the spin.
So, I am just here to offer my
sincere apology.
And it is my hope that the
citizens of California will
forgive me for this mistake and
will choose to reelect me.
I promise I will be your
senator, and I will work
tirelessly for the things that
matter most to you, like classes
taught by Matt Quinn here,
where our children are truly
inventing the future.
And to that end, I am proposing
an oil company windfall profit
tax with the revenue providing
the funds for every student in
America with a b-plus average
and above to go to college!
I'm prepared to do everything
for you, as a not-perfect, but a
truly dedicated man, who will
always fight for you.
- ...mission in Afghanistan
when my helicopter was
shot down.
Both of my legs and four ribs
were broken.
The enemy came to finish us off,
but the young officer that I was
transporting single-handedly
fought off an entire squad of
Taliban until reinforcements
could arrive.
- Up, up, up!
Senator, you have jumped
five points!
It is off the charts!
- Whoo!
- On the other hand, tawny is
going to kick ass if she ever
decides to open a chain of
massage parlors.
- Oh, sweet.
Tell him to check his email.
Jimmy just sent us all
a present.
- Check your email, we got
something coming your way.
- And then tawny went
up to the Rollerblade guy and
took two knee pads and she said,
"these guys-- a ticket to
Washington and this body
and I'm golden."
- How did that make you feel?
- Um...
Now that is room service.
- Oh, my God.
Penelope's video just got five
million views on YouTube.
- You see, when you're doing
God's work and you're at the
right place at the right time,
good things happen.
- Best hundred bucks
you ever spent.
- What do you mean?
- What do you mean,
what do I mean?
- What are you talking about?
Does somebody want to tell me
what's going on?
- It's O.K.
- Oh, my God.
I just assumed that
she told you.
Your girl here had me send the
guy to the clinic.
- You did what?
- O.K., in her defense, I gave
the guy a hundred bucks, I told
him to scream and wave the knife
around a little.
In no way... Did I
think that he was gonna take
a hostage.
I didn't think that was
- you gave a junkie a knife?
- Yeah, well, in retrospect.
- Meg Whitman spent 175
million-plus running for
governor.
We spent a hundred dollars and
took Penelope's name recognition
from nonexistent to omnipresent.
Am I fired?
- You are a brilliant,
beautiful woman.
- What happened to the guy?
- He's doing 90 days.
I'll give him another $500 when
he gets out.
He'll send me flowers for such a
nice payday.
O.K., I'll give him a thousand.
- As we've been reporting,
Stephen green had an easy
reelection tonight, but the real
story is right here.
In a gubernatorial race that's
too tight to call between
upstart candidate Penelope
Nelson and Hollywood megastar
Hank Harrison.
- We have really done something
incredible.
No matter what happens tonight,
we have done something
incredible.
-It was a very steep
hill to climb indeed.
Ms. Nelson is going to need a
huge turnout in Los Angeles and
the bay area if she has any hope
of eating into Mr. Harrison's
margins.
Again, very discouraging news
for Ms. Nelson's campaign and
her supporters.
Hank Harrison, one of the
country's most popular
television and movie stars,
has been in the public eye for
over three decades.
And with 76% of precincts
reporting, if he can maintain
that lead, he'll be our next
governor.
We have just learned that Santa
Barbara, San joaquin and
Sacramento counties,
all bellwether counties,
have reported and all three have
gone narrowly for Hank Harrison.
This is a devastating blow to
Ms. Nelson's campaign.
Sacramento must also be
particularly disappointing
for her, as traditionally...
- You O.K.?
- Yeah, I'm O.K.
- ...As goes
Sacramento county, so goes
California.
And we're still waiting for
results from Los Angeles county
and the bay area to come--
O.K.
We just got word, Los Angeles
county has reported and Penelope
Nelson is over the top.
- Hey!
Hey!
- My God!
- What an incredible victory
for Penelope Nelson.
Penelope Nelson, who ran her
campaign on passion and promise,
but so very little money,
will be the next governor...
- Un-fucking-believable.
Un-fucking-believable!
- Thank you!
Thank you!
- Thank you, California!
- And at the governor's mansion
earlier, this was the scene.
- What a feeling!
- Nice!
Hey!
- There she is!
- Thank you, thank you,
thank you.
And you.
Thanks.
- Wow!
- I think it's,
"wow, governor."
- Absolutely!
Wow, governor!
- I got a lot of work to do.
And so do both of you.
- Well, I'm losing her.
I'm losing her to
medical school.
This is her swan song.
- Actually, I'm gonna withdraw
my apps.
- Really? - Really.
- Well, I gotta get reelected
in four years and I can't get
stabbed twice, you know.
- Oh, we'll think of something.
- ♪ mine eyes have seen
the glory of the coming
of the lord ♪
♪ he's trampling out the vintage
where the grapes of wrath
are stored ♪
♪ he hath loosed
the fateful lightning
of his terrible swift sword ♪
♪ his truth is marching on
♪ glory, glory, hallelujah
♪ his truth is marching on
♪ glory, glory, hallelujah
♪ his truth is marching on
♪ I've read a fiery gospel
written burnished
rows of steel ♪
♪ as you deal
with my contentment ♪
♪ so with you,
my grace shall deal ♪
♪ let the hero born of woman
crush the serpent
with his heel ♪
♪ since God is marching on
♪ he has sounded
forth the trumpet
that shall never call retreat ♪
♪ he is sifting out
the hearts of men
before his judgment seat ♪
♪ be swift my soul
to answer him,
be jubilant, my feet ♪
♪ his truth is marching on
♪ glory, glory, hallelujah
♪ his truth is marching on
♪ glory, glory, hallelujah
♪ his truth is marching on
♪ in the beauty of the lilies,
Christ was born across the sea ♪
♪ with a glory in his bosom
that transfigures you and me ♪
♪ as he died to make men holy,
let us die to make men free ♪
♪ while God is marching on
♪ glory, glory, hallelujah
♪ his truth is marching on
♪ glory, glory, hallelujah
♪ his truth is marching on
♪ marching on
♪ the truth is marching on
♪ the truth is marching on.