All for Naught, or All for Us: An RFK Timeline

"President Thieu is hitting the campaign trail."

"Good for him. He's trying to look as if he's trying to gain the support of the people."
 
"Despite all the hype of this... this election, most left-wing parties are banned from the ballots... it, it doesn't seem to me to be very democratic."

"Will the Senator from Minnesota shut his mouth?"

"The Senator from Washington will be quiet or will be removed from the Senate Chamber."
 
"I... I don't know about this, Carl... I mean, sure the Agency commits assassinations, everyone knows that. But the evidence that you're presenting... it's weak to say the least."

"Ben, you... I've got a case here... look, this is as far as I can get for now... I got one guy talking to me in a dark parking garage and the other, he's a payroll bureaucrat!"

"Exactly... Carl, isn't there a chance that this is all... planned?"

"What are you saying, the Agency is... is manipulating me so that any accusations will look dumb?"

"It's not out of the realm of possibility."

"I've got to keep pursuing this."

"Fine... on your own time."
 
"Calm down, Carl."

"No, I won't fucking calm down! No more games! What's going on?"

The man sighs.

"There's... there was a group of South Vietnamese officers and ministers... opposed to the upcoming election. In fact, they were behind the bombing... the one at the clubhouse. Once we found out about them, we decided to eliminate the contingent."

"'Executive action,' as it's called."

He nods.

"Who's 'we?'"

"The Agency, some other-"

"No! How high does this go?"

"The President authorizes it, yes..."

"I need something more substantial."

"This isn't just you, Bernstein... I've got to think about myself as well."

"You... you fucking petty, selfish-"

"Shut up! For fuck's sake, I'm trying to help you!"

"So... what now?"

"I have to leave..."
 
"... instructions taped to the cassette. The key is encased, of course. Goodbye, Bernstein... I'm sorry about the other day."
 
Bernstein enters the bus terminal, searches the row of lockers.

"103... 102..."

He inserts the key into one of the locks, and opens the locker. He removes the cache, and closes the locker.

...

"All right, Carl, I'll print this... but you know that this will put you in a very uncomfortable position."

"Yeah... but it's worth it."
 
Central Intelligence Engages in Assassination!

...

"What the fuck! What the fucking fuck! How did this happen!"

"Mr President-"

"No, Richard! God, I should have your ass for this! Find me who did this... boy, you're lucky I trust you... not like Edgar..."

...

"Director Hoover, are you all right?"

"Tears of joy... tears of joy..."

...

"Well, Carl, you got it published... how'd it feel?"

"Mildly effective, mood-wise."
 
"Mr President, Mr Sorensen."

The White House Counsel enters.

"Sir."

"Ted... what have you got?"

"I've looked over the records..."

"And?"

"I've found the leak."

"Who fucking did it?"

"I don't think you're going to like it."
 
John Seigenthaler enters the Oval Office.

"Sir, I've... I've prepared my letter of resignation."

He hands him an envelope.

"Well, um... you did it."

"Yes, sir, I... I did."

"Are... are you going to be a shit or are you going to be decent enough to tell me why?"

"I... I didn't feel comfortable with-"

"Oh, fucking great! You 'didn't feel comfortable!'"

"Sir-"

"Do you know what I'm trying to do? Huh, John? Do you, because apparently serving as Assistant to the President did not assist you in your studies!"

"I-"

"I'm trying to bring democracy to a country we have half a million troops defending, that's fucking what... and so, to see the situation improve even the tiniest bit, I decided that a few self-serving bastards had to go... I, I don't have to explain myself to you."

Seigenthaler nodds, and proceeds to exit the Oval Office.
 
"Senator Eugene McCarthy has formed a special committee... the Senate Select Committee on Behavior and Actions by the Intelligence Community..."
 
"Carl."

"John... I can call you that now?"

"Of course... my dual-egos are available for the whole public."

"You got anything for me?"

"I... I have something else, something which I believe should not be brought up during a Congressional hearing. I like the President, you see... what I did, was out of opposition to organized killings."

"I'm listening."

...

"Seigenthaler went to the Watergate last night. So did Bernstein."

"What did they talk about?"

"Unfortunately, it was difficult to be surveying them in a parking garage, however dark-"

"Answer me, boy!"

"They talked about a conversation you had with the President."
 
"Boy, if they find out about my little war with Edgar, they'll have both our heads."

...

"The actions undertaken by the Kennedy administration prove the failure of the two-party system. We need a socialist alternative!"

...

"Kennedy's approval rating has dropped from 67 percent to 53 percent..."
 
"We now call to the stand... James Taylor."

The CIA officer goes to the stand.

"Put your right hand on the Bible."

He obeys.

"Do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do."

"Mr Taylor, how long have you been in the employ of the Central Intelligence Agency?"

"I've been with the Agency since... since 1950, sir."

"How long have you been working in the Administrative section?"

"Since... since the beginning."

"Your official record confirms that... tell me, Mr Taylor, you're a veteran?"

"Yes, sir, I served in the United States Marine Corps, First Division, Fifth Regiment, and have fought at Guadalcanal."

"Yes, that is true... but, tell me, afterwards, where were you re-assigned?"

"I went with my unit-"

"No, Mr Taylor, you were recommended for "extensive re-training in the field of covert means" by your commander, were you not?"

"I-"

"You were re-assigned to the Office of Strategic Services, and have served on no less than eleven missions through the course of the war."

"That's... that's-"

"This information I have acquired from the Agency... so tell me, when did you join the CIA?"

"I... I joined the Central Intelligence Agency in, er... 1947."

"At it's conception?"

"Yes, sir."

"And how long have you been in Administration."

"Since two years ago, per my request."

"And what did you do beforehand?"

"I served in the Special Activities Division."

"Thank you."
 
"You lied to me."

"So I did... Bernstein, I helped you. The fact that I knew about the lock-box because I was in the field at some point, doesn't change anything. I was putting myself on the line, and there was nothing wrong with at least not throwing myself overboard completely."
 
"This grand jury has found the case of John Lawrence Seigenthaler, on the charges of illegally leaking classified government information... suitable for trial, and thus the defendant is hereby indicted..."
 
"Edgar, if I'm going down... if it's because of you, then I sure as hell am taking you with me. Is that clear?"

"Of course..."

...

"We need to... escalate the investigations into the Administration... without implicating certain actions undertaken by the Bureau."

"Yes, Director."
 
"Here you are, sir: tapes from the first Kennedy administration, the ones including the German woman being marked red."

"Good... but now we need to dispose of the evidence pertaining to my... conversation with the President."
 
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