Do Not Pray for Easy Lives
- Thread starter Israel
- Start date
Milwaukee, WI
"So we bought him out?"
"We did, for sure... fucking sure, we did."
Smith hands John a cup of coffee.
"He must have some ad time, right?"
"Not the time he wanted."
"That's good."
Robert sighs.
"What?"
"There's another thing now."
"`Course there's another thing..."
"He's... he's trying to get the Governor on his side."
Kennedy groans.
"It's not as if he's going to get his support," assured Smith.
"I swear, though, every time we stall him one place, he just puts his head up somewhere else, I... Bob, it's-"
"He's trying to get to us, and... and he fucking won't!"
"Do we need to talk to Nelson now?"
"Best to be caught up."
"If we're gonna follow him everywhere he-"
"Bob, if he gets Nelson's support, then we're gonna be done here."
"Whatever."
John sips the coffee.
"Who made this, anyway..."
"So we bought him out?"
"We did, for sure... fucking sure, we did."
Smith hands John a cup of coffee.
"He must have some ad time, right?"
"Not the time he wanted."
"That's good."
Robert sighs.
"What?"
"There's another thing now."
"`Course there's another thing..."
"He's... he's trying to get the Governor on his side."
Kennedy groans.
"It's not as if he's going to get his support," assured Smith.
"I swear, though, every time we stall him one place, he just puts his head up somewhere else, I... Bob, it's-"
"He's trying to get to us, and... and he fucking won't!"
"Do we need to talk to Nelson now?"
"Best to be caught up."
"If we're gonna follow him everywhere he-"
"Bob, if he gets Nelson's support, then we're gonna be done here."
"Whatever."
John sips the coffee.
"Who made this, anyway..."
Milwaukee, WI
"... this?"
Rowe hands Humphrey a copy of the Journal.
Humphrey chuckles.
"'I'll shoot first,' huh?"
"You know, honestly, I never thought I'd see anyone draw you as... as a cowboy."
Humphrey shrugs.
The car pulls up toward the Governors' House.
A staffer shows them the way inside. Outside the Governor's Office, Senator Kennedy and Robert Kennedy are waiting. The two teams exchange a glance.
"The Governor should be ready to see you in a couple minutes."
The staffer leaves.
After a pause, Humphrey puts the newspaper down on the couch.
"We saw it," said Robert. He mumbles something.
The staffer returns.
"The Governor will see you now."
"Thank you."
The staffer opens the door, and Humphrey and Kennedy enter.
Governor Nelson gets up from behind his desk.
"Good morning."
He shakes hands with them. The three sit down.
"I'd like to speak first."
"Oh yeah..."
"Of course..."
"The both of you are candidates for President, and... and, well, the both of you have been vying for my endorsement."
He pauses.
"Have you had coffee?"
"I'll be fine," Kennedy interposes.
"Fine."
The Governor returns to his desk, picks up his cup of coffee.
"The thing is, as Governor of this state, I cannot issue an endorsement for either of you."
"Oh?" says Humphrey.
"I just believe that it... it would draw me into this contest, which well..."
"'Well' what?"
"Which has become rather... muddied."
"I... I think that you're a bit wrong there, Governor."
"Now... now, since I am the Governor, and since I am a Democrat, I offer to be with the both of you in a televised... a joint appearance."
"Of what sort?"
"I will give you both my support, and... and it will assure local voters that this race has not become about which one is more this or which one is more-"
"Governor," interrupted Humphrey. "I have a lot of doubts about this."
"If you don't want to participate, that's fine. But if you don't do this, then... then I'm just going to be next to Senator Kennedy."
Both candidates pause.
"I think I can do it."
"I'll have to talk with my..."
"Oh, that's fine," says the Governor. "Just get me a confirmation by this evening."
They shake hands and leave the office.
"... this?"
Rowe hands Humphrey a copy of the Journal.
Humphrey chuckles.
"'I'll shoot first,' huh?"
"You know, honestly, I never thought I'd see anyone draw you as... as a cowboy."
Humphrey shrugs.
The car pulls up toward the Governors' House.
A staffer shows them the way inside. Outside the Governor's Office, Senator Kennedy and Robert Kennedy are waiting. The two teams exchange a glance.
"The Governor should be ready to see you in a couple minutes."
The staffer leaves.
After a pause, Humphrey puts the newspaper down on the couch.
"We saw it," said Robert. He mumbles something.
The staffer returns.
"The Governor will see you now."
"Thank you."
The staffer opens the door, and Humphrey and Kennedy enter.
Governor Nelson gets up from behind his desk.
"Good morning."
He shakes hands with them. The three sit down.
"I'd like to speak first."
"Oh yeah..."
"Of course..."
"The both of you are candidates for President, and... and, well, the both of you have been vying for my endorsement."
He pauses.
"Have you had coffee?"
"I'll be fine," Kennedy interposes.
"Fine."
The Governor returns to his desk, picks up his cup of coffee.
"The thing is, as Governor of this state, I cannot issue an endorsement for either of you."
"Oh?" says Humphrey.
"I just believe that it... it would draw me into this contest, which well..."
"'Well' what?"
"Which has become rather... muddied."
"I... I think that you're a bit wrong there, Governor."
"Now... now, since I am the Governor, and since I am a Democrat, I offer to be with the both of you in a televised... a joint appearance."
"Of what sort?"
"I will give you both my support, and... and it will assure local voters that this race has not become about which one is more this or which one is more-"
"Governor," interrupted Humphrey. "I have a lot of doubts about this."
"If you don't want to participate, that's fine. But if you don't do this, then... then I'm just going to be next to Senator Kennedy."
Both candidates pause.
"I think I can do it."
"I'll have to talk with my..."
"Oh, that's fine," says the Governor. "Just get me a confirmation by this evening."
They shake hands and leave the office.
Milwaukee, WI
"... what?"
"Telephone."
Rowe sighs and nods. Entering the studio's hallway, he picks up the phone.
"Yes?"
"How's your day Jim?"
"Fine, fine... how's Washington?"
"Same old shit, yeah... guess I signed up for that when I become Majority Leader, didn't I?"
"Guess so... you watching this?"
"What's there to watch?"
Rowe chuckles.
"Seriously, though, what're we going to do about this?"
"Far as I can tell, Kennedy lost most of his momentum."
"Yeah, but since we can't get Nelson's endorsement, we are not likely gonna win here."
"Forget about that fucker."
"Well, what else can we do?"
Johnson mumbles.
"I'll call you back, Jim."
He hangs up.
"... what?"
"Telephone."
Rowe sighs and nods. Entering the studio's hallway, he picks up the phone.
"Yes?"
"How's your day Jim?"
"Fine, fine... how's Washington?"
"Same old shit, yeah... guess I signed up for that when I become Majority Leader, didn't I?"
"Guess so... you watching this?"
"What's there to watch?"
Rowe chuckles.
"Seriously, though, what're we going to do about this?"
"Far as I can tell, Kennedy lost most of his momentum."
"Yeah, but since we can't get Nelson's endorsement, we are not likely gonna win here."
"Forget about that fucker."
"Well, what else can we do?"
Johnson mumbles.
"I'll call you back, Jim."
He hangs up.