Kenny's right, and the President looks away in frustration.
KENNY (CONT'D)
I'm your political advisor, and I'm
giving you political analysis here.
This is a setup. The Chiefs want to go
in. It's the only way they can redeem
themselves for the Bay of Pigs. They
have to go in, and they have to do it
right. It's that simple.
THE PRESIDENT
I'm gonna protect those pilots.
Thep President stares intently at Kenny. Kenny glances at
the door, his voice hushed. He hesitates.
KENNY
They're boxing us in with these rules of
engagement. If you agree to 'em, and
one of our planes gets knocked down or
one of the ships won't stop for
inspection, the Chiefs will have us by
the balls and will force us to start
shooting. They want a war, and they're
arranging things to get one. If you
don't want one, we have to do something
about it.
The President understands. He shakes his head, paces away.
THE PRESIDENT
How does a man get to a place where he
can say, 'throw those lives away,' so
easily?
KENNY
Maybe it's harder for them to say it
than they let on.
At the very least, they believe it's in
our best interest. And at the end of
the day, they may end up being right.
The President turns away, considers. Then turns back.
THE PRESIDENT
Triple check everything the Chiefs say
to us with the guys who actually have to
do it. No one's to know about this but
Bobby. I need redundant control over
what happens out there. And if things
aren't as advertised, you're going to
make sure they come out the way I want
them to come out, starting with this low
level flight thing.
Jesus Christ...Kenny is daunted. For a beat he just stares.
KENNY
That's going to be tough. You know how
these guys are about their chains of
command...
THE PRESIDENT
Any problems, you remind them those
chains of commands end at one place.
Me.
INT. WEST WING HALLS - DAY
Kenny and the President head for the Cabinet Room. Rusk
comes out before they get there.
RUSK
Mr. President. The OAS meeting starts in
an hour. I haven't prepared at all. We
can't expect --
THE PRESIDENT
-- we need this one, Dean. The
quarantine's legal if we get a mandate,
otherwise it's an act of war in the eyes
of the world. Get me that vote. Make
it unanimous.
RUSK
Mr. President, The Organization of
American States hasn't had a unanimous
vote since --
The President moves for the Cabinet Room.
THE PRESIDENT
-- unanimous, Dean.
Kenny slaps the dismayed Rusk on the back, heads off down a
hall away from the Cabinet Room.
INT. WHITE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD - DAY
Kenny opens the door to the White House switchboard room. A
half-dozen OPERATORS work their lines, making connections on
the old-fashioned switchboard. Unnoticed, he sizes them up,
their skill. They're all courteous, pretty, professional.
The CAMERA PANS down the line... and stops on a middle-aged
matron at the end - the sternest, most scary of them all.
Her name is MARGARET.
MARGARET
White House Operator. Yes sir.
(beat, harsh, booming)
Speaker McCormack, hold for the Vice
President.
Her voice is so severe, so smoker-gravelled, it makes the
blood run cold. This is the woman Kenny's looking for.
KENNY
Ma'am, would you mind helping me out
with a few special calls?
INT. READY ROOM - KEY WEST NAS - DAY
Ecker, Wilhemy and their Pilots are in angry debate.
ECKER
Orson Welles is a hack. Now you want to
talk about a director, you talk about
David Lean...
WILHEMY
Welles is a G-d. Lean's the hack.
ECKER
Bullshit, Bruce, nobody but Lean is
making decent movies these days.
(to Young Pilot)
Get that fixed yet?