Mrs. America (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 6 - Jill - full transcript

In observance of
International Women's Year

here in the United States,

I have signed an executive order,

creating a national
commission to honor women

and urge ratification of
the Equal Rights Amendment.

I am appointing Jill Ruckelshaus
as chairwoman of the commission.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I will get those last five states, sir.

Four. I just called Senator
Kretschmar this morning,

and he confirmed.

You see? Your wife is my secret weapon.



She just tipped the
scales in North Dakota.

Well, you should be up
front and center, Jill.

Who better to prove that
"feminism" isn't a dirty word

than a Midwestern married mom of five?

You're as American as apple pie.

Thank you, Betty.

Pretty big promotion.

And yet unpaid.

_

- _
- Abort the ERA,

- _
- Betty Ford, get off the phone!

- _
- Abort the ERA...

Abort the ERA!

Betty Ford, get off the phone!



Abort the ERA! Betty Ford...

You might ask yourself what
kind of self-respecting woman

pickets the First Lady of her own party?

... would see abortion-on-demand

mandated at all hospitals.

The, uh, proponents, uh,
see as an unfair, uh, burden

on the mothers that they have
to take care of their babies.

What about popular opinions
of people being for the ERA?

Well, the real poll is the ballot box.

Most American women don't want this.

They... They know it's a fraud,

and all it would do would be to allow...

We can go.

We are mothers and daughters.

We are married, single,
widowed, divorced.

We are homemakers and career women...

You know, not a single leader
of any anti-ERA

or pro-life organization
is represented...

- on her presidential commission.
- Shh!

... to present the Women
of the Year Award

- to nine courageous talented women.
- She is not fooling anyone

in those pearls.

She does have a nice smile.

- Hmm.
- ... who has indicated many...

Five more minutes, Anne.

But "Fifth Dimension" is coming on.

- I fixed him one.
- Oh.

...opportunity for women.

- Oh.
- And I know I speak

- for the president...
- Mother?

Come on. Let's go upstairs.

I'll be up in a minute to tuck you in.

... politicians that...

Between her and Nelson Rockefeller,

there's no place for us.

The Republican Party's in peril.

What happened to all that talk at CPAC

about breaking off and forming
a national Conservative Party?

Oh, Reagan won't run
on a third-party ticket.

He thinks he can beat Ford.

No, he doesn't have the numbers.

... week after week in our polls...

I'm counting 58.

Which brings us close to 10,000.

Now our mailing list has
barely budged in 12 months.

We need to double it
by this time next year.

- Double it?
- It has taken us four years

just to get this big.

Well, NOW has over
40,000 members and growing.

Who cares? We're winning.

Only North Dakota ratified this year.

Yes, but they only need four more.

Now the feminists control both houses,

the liberal media, and Jill Ruckelshaus

has the First Lady shilling for them.

They're everywhere. Now and we only had

30 show up in D.C. to picket.

Now does that sound like winning to you?

I need help drawing a
map of Sherman's March.

- Uh, can...
- I have called every woman

I have ever met in my entire life,

even the ones I can't stand.

There are three teas
I'm dreading attending.

There is no one left to call.

We're going to make a big splash

in the convention.

We're gonna have to start
recruiting women who are not

active in politics.

If they aren't active,
how are we going to find them?

Why do we have to make a big
splash at the convention?

Because the country
thinks Jill Ruckelshaus

is the face of the Republican Party.

STOP ERA. Rosemary speaking.

Oh, hello, Kevin. Yes.

- Tell him I've left.
- No. She's...

on her way home... to you.

Marriage takes work.

You should hear how he talks to her.

He has a temper.

We all have problems.

She needs to learn to manage him.

I saw Bella backstage.

First words out of her mouth...

"When are you gonna
testify for my bill?"

No "How are you?" No "Nice dress."

Oh, it is a very nice dress.

She completely disregards the fact

that her bill is duplicating the work

my commission's already doing.

Bella bosses everybody around.

She bossed me around
when I headed the EPA.

Don't take it personally.

She said your commission has
no authority and no money.

I'm not supposed to
take that personally?

I'm only trying to rescue the ERA

after the Democrats made a mess of it,

and she's right about the money.

I don't understand how the
president expects me to...

To launch a national campaign
for the ERA with no funding.

Am I a magician?

You're the woman of the year.

I presented the Women of the Year.

I'm not one.

- Mmm.
- Honey.

No, they're... they're asleep.

But did you check on Robin's fever?

Yes, and she told me she feels fine.

Wait. She told you she feels fine?

She's sick, so we shouldn't trust her.

I took her temperature
right after you left.

It was only 99.7.

I also fed the kids
something besides pizza,

and I even managed to
dress myself this morning.

And it's a big improvement

from the tweed suits you wore
when we first started dating.

You didn't like me in tweed?

- So stuffy.
- Ah. I was dynamite.

You were square.

Square?

- I just... I'm gonna go check on her.
- Can...

If you want me to be
in charge of the kids,

you have to let me be in charge.

Mmm.

Excuse me.

Do you know how much longer he'll be?

I don't do his schedule.

What exactly do you do?

These young women come to work here

knowing what they're getting into.

You can't blame him.

Oh, you can blame him. It's not right.

When I graduated from law school,

my mother said to me,
"Wear a hat and gloves."

That way, they won't mistake
you for a secretary."

Well, when did the gloves come off?

Campaign spot rang long. Bicentennial.

You're wasting your time, Bella.

I can't support a radical lib agenda

and show my face in Ohio.

Oh, whoa. Who said
anything about radical?

Let's ban that word from our vocabulary.

You brought Jill.

You know I can't resist
when you tag-team me.

Reminds me of my frat days as a Buckeye.

Don't be a jackass, Wayne.

You're making the rest of us look bad.

- Jill.
- Congressman.

Excuse me.

I'm used to suffering for the cause.

The funds for my bill will be
used to sponsor conferences

on women's issues in
each of the 50 states,

culminating in a national convention.

Our goal... to come
up with a plan of action

for Congress to enact
laws that benefit women.

Which in turn will give a
much-needed shot in the arm

to the ERA ratification drive.

Is it me, or are the gals never happy?

Not when the gals are only
making 56% of what the men make.

So you won't be happy till you
make 100% of what men make?

Yes.

Are you gonna help us
whip up votes or what?

What if this national
conference for women

were run through my commission?

There's no question
it would be bipartisan.

It would have the
endorsement of the president

and headed by me, arguably

the most fiscally conservative
person in this room.

State meetings open to the public.

Sounds like a fiasco.

I've never been
associated with a fiasco.

Massacres, yes. Fiascos, no.

We can't do it without you, Congressman.

You have all the clout.

Consider it a gift for
your young new bride.

Do you know some reporter
called us "Beauty and the Beast"?

You don't think I'm a beast, do you?

No, but I was with
General Haig for two years,

so perhaps I'm not the best judge.

You could learn something
from this one, Bella,

especially if you wanna
make a run for the Senate.

It helps to have a sense of humor.

I have a great sense of humor.

Thank you, Congressman.

Don't get too excited.

I still have to sell
it to the president.

For this women's conference,

the American taxpayer will
be paying $6,000 per minute

so that the, uh, libbers can
fly to Miami or, uh, wherever

and complain about
their miserable lives.

Kissinger meets privately

with Ambassador Dobrynin for hours,

and nobody knows why.

Because Jessica's parents

do not supervise their child,
that's why.

Dear Mr. Orben,
I am a big fan of your work

with Jack Paar and Red Skelton.
Stop. But your last...

Please deposit 10 cents.

But your last speech

for President Ford had
seven jokes on wives

and none on the libbers. Stop.

Do you want me to
repeat that back to you?

Uh, no, I'm afraid I don't
have time for you

to repeat it back.

The court upheld the government's suit

to dissolve the Northern
Securities Company.

Now let's see what 20th century Supremes

say about antitrust and
the Sherman Act, shall we?

Mr. Snyder?

What can you tell us about
this week's Supreme Court case?

United States v. Falstaff Brewing Corp.

Well, Falstaff was a regional
beer producer here in St. Louis

that wanted to achieve national status,

so they decided to expand
to the northeast market.

Now instead of breaking into
new markets de novo,

they decided to acquire
the largest beer seller

in New England because they already had

an established infrastructure.

And what was the central
question in the case?

Yes, Mrs. Schlafly?

Was Falstaff successful
in dominating the market?

That is not the central question.

Yes, but it is the most interesting one.

Did Falstaff violate Section
7 of the Clayton Act?

Well, the Supreme Court
found in Falstaff's favor,

and they remanded the case back
to the, uh, district court...

de novo,

a decision... with which I concur.

I would like to make
a person-to-person call

to Georgia Peterson in Salt Lake City.

Elder Packer,
I'm a friend of Georgia Peterson's.

My name's Phyllis Schlafly.

I met a woman at a pro-life rally

who can put us in touch with a
group of rabbis in New Jersey.

Good morning, uh, Rabbi Neuberger?

One of the mothers at Kimmy's school

is active in the Calvary Baptist Church.

Pastor Starr? Phyllis Schlafly.

I'm calling to invite you to
join me in a new organization

for all denominations.

Welcome to the alternative

to the so-called women's
liberation movement.

Welcome to the Eagle Forum.

Now as impossible as it may seem,

our challenge is to have 40,000 members

by the Republican National Convention,

and I feel that, uh,
we'll be far more effective

if we all work together.

Take a look to the right
and to the left of you.

You might be sitting next
to someone you can't save,

but you can be nice to them.

I have a question about your newsletter.

Oh, that's not my newsletter.

Sorry. May I... May I see that?

Can you find out who wrote this?

North Carolina has us
playing a little bit of defense.

Nobody expected Reagan to win.

If he keeps doing well,

there could be a
revolt at the convention.

Don't worry. Audrey and I
will make sure that

the caucus has a strong presence.

Who are these chocolates for?

- One of my secretaries.
- Oh, it's her birthday?

I threw an ashtray at her.

Bella, you're not gonna be
able to do that in the Senate.

- They have standards.
- Just don't delay too long.

We're running out of time on the ERA,

and Reagan has inspired the
right wing religious nuts

to come out of the woodwork and,

Jerry Falwell and Phyllis
Schlafly are his flock.

Or it's the other way around.

Did you see she managed to bring out

a thousand women
to Springfield this year?

Isn't she coming to
the National Press Club

for a debate?

You're not thinking of debating her.

I'm just gonna talk to her.

You think I need to buy her book?

To knock some sense into her.

Did you hear Elizabeth
Ray is writing a book?

She's calling it
"The Washington Fringe Benefit."

It's on my list right
after Betty's new memoir.

Hey, Shirley, look at this.
You were at the wedding.

You believe this?

Ugh. The man served us
wingdings with champagne.

He has no shame.

You know, if a Republican congressman

had to put his mistress on the payroll

as a $14,000-a-year clerk,
you would all be up in arms.

We are up in arms. $14,000 is
way too little to shtup Hays.

She should have
gotten at least 50 grand.

- Shh.
- I'm kidding, of course.

He does have to resign. They all do.

- What do you mean, all?
- Uh...

Why don't we meet in my office?
And we can talk in private.

Ever since the Hays scandal came out,

a few secretaries have confided in me

that sexual favors are an
expected part of the job.

Well...

♪ He put flowers ♪

What a lovely home.

- Excuse us, please.
- Good gravy.

- Well, what are you fussing about?
- I'm trying to help you.

Well, don't get your panties
all in a bunch.

It's like putting socks on a rooster.
I'll do it myself.

All right.

Oh, don't get up. I'm not formal.

Thank you.

Did you hear about
the Bicentennial Drink?

It's called a Paul Revere Cocktail.

After two, you start horsing around

and wake your neighbors.

Thank you for seeing us, Miss Hobbs.

Ooh.

What a pretty little box.

How nice.

Do we still have those mints?

Shot that one myself.

She's out there every
morning during the season.

Well, we've come about
your Pink Lady flyer.

Oh, don't you love it?

I told the printer to
print them on pink paper.

It really dresses it up.

Then I had him find two ladies
in his clip art collection.

And drew the telephone
line around the idea.

And then my sister-in-law
come up with the name.

You know, in the beauty shops,
the women always say,

"Have you heard?" to get attention.

Yes, well,
you certainly got my attention.

Now some of this is
lifted almost verbatim

from, uh, my newsletter.

Without her permission.

So... you want me to rewrite it

without using your words,

and then buy another 15,000
stamps to mail it out again?

You have 15,000 subscribers?

Or you could use all my words,
but we join forces...

Your organization and mine.

Well... isn't that something?

You wanna join Women
Who Want to be Women.

That... That's the name
of your organization?

WWWW for short.

Is that shorter?

No, no, no, we would keep our name.

It's just that we could
be more effective

if we coordinated our efforts.

Now your members would become Eagles,

and we would, uh, handle
all of the organizational costs,

the stamps and the... the printing.

Or we could just sell this bowl.

It used to be if Catholics and
Evangelicals came together,

you'd have a bloodbath.

I'm Presbyterian.

No, no, we all serve the same Lord,

but if we're willing to come together

to fight a common cause,
then we can fight with each other later.

What is your favorite
piece of scripture?

Well... I have so many,
I wouldn't know where to start.

Our Eagle motif is, uh,
from a passage in Isaiah.

"They shall mount up
with wings like eagles.

"They shall run and not be weary.

They shall walk and not faint."

That's right.

We also have a rose motif.

Ah, the rose.

It is a symbol of our struggle.

It's a symbol of our struggle, too.

We want roses, not rights.

It's my favorite slogan because
it's so simple and elegant.

We use the rose...

to honor the martyrdom...

of the unborn.

You know what they do in abortion?

They take the lovely baby

from its natural habitat...

and they...

... rip it out.

And they throw it... away.

Thank you for coming by.

I'll have a think about your proposal.

Here are copies of my book.

You might want to look at
the chapter about Mary.

It shows some of the
papal inconsistencies

involving the virgin birth.

I wrote it... all myself.

Some light reading
before you hit the road?

Jill Ruckelshaus. I didn't get a chance

to introduce myself before the debate.

Yes, I know who you are.

Mind some company?

Oh, you know,
my hands get so dry this time of year.

My daughter asks, "Mommy,
why does Mary Poppins

have the kitchen sink in her purse?"

But I get it. We need to be prepared.

Of course, the question is,
can I find anything in here?

I'm basically Julie Andrews
without the soot or the Oscar.

Thank you.

I bet your purse is perfectly organized.

- How old is your daughter?
- She's 7.

- Oh.
- Then there's Jennifer.

She's 12. Billy Jr.'s 11,
and the twins are 15.

And the twins are from your
husband's first marriage?

I met them when they were infants.

It was love at first sight,

and their dad wasn't too bad either,

so I brought Dr. Spock on
the honeymoon, and...

How about you? How old are yours?

25, 21, 20, 18, 14, and 11.

Oh! Seven more years, and you're free.

Motherhood is freedom, Jill.

I thought of you recently

when I read about Kissinger's
mistake in Nairobi.

- Well, yes.
- Mm-hmm.

And then, of course, uh, the...
the Nobel Committee...

Well, I think they should be ashamed,

because his peace talks took two years

before South Vietnam collapsed.

How was that, uh, noble?

Have a drink with me.

I don't, uh...

Well, maybe a white wine on occasion.

I'm sure they have soda pop.

Your arguments against the SALT Treaty

are exactly what Rummy
now says about SALT, too.

Yes, he steals all his ideas from me,

and soon he'll be talking

about space interceptors
and orbital bombers,

but, uh, if Reagan were the nominee,

now I would advise him to, of course,

get rid of Kissinger but
consider keeping Rumsfeld.

Wow. Your face lights up when
you're talking about defense.

Oh, well...

I haven't been able to figure out

why a Harvard-educated
expert on nuclear arms

with 20 years' experience
in defense policy

would suddenly take up a women's issue.

- It affects me.
- It affects you.

Sure, I scrub
my own kitchen floors, too.

Should we compare dishpan hands?

You've been trying to
get a far-right candidate

into the White House since Goldwater.

Reagan challenges Ford,
and suddenly you're, uh,

growing your power base,
forming alliances

with other conservative
churches, Mormons.

Well, with the direction
the country is going,

I think I need all the help I can get.

And I think that you are using
the fight over women's equality

to build a mailing list
of women who would support

a conservative presidential
candidate like Reagan.

That list is gonna be worth a lot.

Now you and I both know that
the ERA is not about equality.

It's about power.

And the left is making a power grab.

The Reagan revolution is going to fail,

just like the Goldwater
revolution failed.

Goldwater didn't fail.
He laid the groundwork.

There are more of us
than there are of you.

What if I could get you
in a room with Rumsfeld?

Personally, I find him a bore,

but it seems to me that you and he

would have quite a lot to talk about.

Billy likes to say that
we educate men and women

through college to be precisely equal,

but then the men go off
to do interesting things.

Your husband supports you, uh,

leaving your children
on a Saturday afternoon?

Yes. He wants me to have
my own life, my own career.

Well, there's nothing stopping
you from doing just that.

Do you know what I had to do
to get my commission funded?

I had to let more than
a dozen congressmen

put a hand on my arm,
my hip, my backside.

More than a dozen demanded
to see my pretty smile

before they agreed to sign on.

I had to say, "You'd be our hero"

and "You have so much clout"
more times than I can remember.

And that is nothing compared
to what those secretaries

on the Hill are dealing
with on a daily basis.

But don't you think those kind of women

are really just inviting it?

I'm sorry?

Well, virtuous women are rarely accosted

by unwelcome sexual propositions.

Let me tell you something

about those kind of women, Phyllis.

They could be me. They could be you.

They're just trying to get a fair shake.

They wanna go to work,
get paid, go home.

They're not asking to be harassed,

manhandled, degraded, assaulted.

You're so angry.

- How dare you?
- Well, only one state ratified

in over two years,
even with White House support

and a $5 million check from Congress,

it must be terribly frustrating for you.

You wanna get ahead

climbing on the shoulders
of men, Phyllis, fine.

Just know they're looking
right up your skirt.

We are doing something.

The House Fair Employment
Practices Agreement.

Only 62 congressmen have signed it.

Give it time.

And none of the 20 congressmen

accused by their secretaries have.

The secretaries can go
to the Ethics Committee.

Which won't touch a congressman,

or the Justice Department,

which we'll call the congressman.

He'd deny it, and they'd be fired.

We need to go to the press
with these allegations.

- These are our friends.
- Some of them are good friends.

We're heading into an election.

That's 20 liberal votes we can lose.

You think the other side's
a bunch of choirboys?

We only know about our own party.

Nothing is going to change

unless there is a public reckoning.

Even if it hurts us,
they need to resign.

If none of the secretaries
come forward publicly...

They're scared! Can you blame them?

It will be dismissed as a
few office affairs gone bad.

Congressmen are asking young
women in job interviews

if they engage in oral sex.

I feel terrible for these secretaries.
I really do.

But Jim Buckley spends
his days dreaming up ways

to reverse Roe v. Wade.

I'm gonna win that Senate seat,

and I'm gonna kick his
ass back to Connecticut,

and that's good for all women.

Hello? Kids?

I have Razzles and Fun Dip

and all the things I never let you eat!

What are you guys doing?

Dad said no noise,
no footsteps until they're gone.

Who's they?

Men in suits.

Mr. Cheney.

What a surprise... A nice surprise.

Is everything all right
with the president?

Quite. We'll speak soon.

Very good, Dick.

And what was that about?

It seems I am on the short list.

For vice president?

All right!

I can't believe it.

I mean, of course, I can believe it.

You on the ticket with Ford...
I mean, you'll be unbeatable.

Oh, my gosh! Let's go celebrate.

Let's lock up the kids and go to dinner.

Should we hold off
on locking the kids up

until they're done vetting me?

Why didn't they come when I'm home?
They always vet the wife.

They didn't want me to be home.

They came to talk to you about me.

They're very worried
about the Reaganites.

The Reaganites? Oh, they're a band now.

Well, they have to appease them.

And they don't want their number two

to have a mouthy pro-choice
feminist for a wife.

They didn't say "mouthy."
They said "outspoken."

But I told them,
"I don't control my wife." So there.

What?

I-I just wish you'd said,
"She's not outspoken.

"She's the normal amount of spoken.

She speaks about as much as any man."

But you didn't say that
because you want me to lay low.

Just until it's announced.

No, I am going to the convention, Billy.

I am scheduled to give
a seconding speech.

There's gonna be a fight over abortion.

We could do so much
for the women's movement

if we're the second family.

So you just want me to, what, hide out

until the... the last
day of the convention?

No. You make an entrance.

Smile and wave to the delegates
instead of speaking to them.

I-I mean, I don't wanna
interfere with your career.

I hope you're not wearing any perfume.

It spooks the deer.

I thought we might have
got off on the wrong foot.

Now I think it is remarkable
that you have devoted your life

to overturning Roe v. Wade,

but it's gonna take more than devotion.

It's gonna take political power.

I'm not much for D.C. politics.

Because there's no
morality in government?

Well, we can change that.

And now's the time.

Now the left is splintering.

It's too many voices,

so we need to be united.

Now I believe Reagan is our Moses,

and he's gonna lead us
out of the wilderness,

but he's gonna need our help.

I am not convinced
he is a true believer.

Well, would you rather
be ruled by a wise Turk...

... or a foolish Christian?

Now I would like to offer
you a seat on my board.

I was thinking...

... vice president of your Eagle Forum.

All right.

Now our first order of business

is to mobilize as many
of our women as we can

to go to the convention
to support Reagan.

Now once I have your mailing list,

I will send out my most recent,
uh, newsletter

which contains all the
relevant information,

including a terrific
article Rosemary wrote

on the dangers of the ERA.

Now I would advise...

Can you give you some friendly advice?

What scares my women more than anything

is mothers killing their babies

and homosexuals raising our children.

That gets them.

You have children?

Yes, six.

Do you want perverts
teaching in our schools,

touching our children?

Don't you wanna see every
one of those perverts

and abortionists burnt at the stake?

You see?

It's emotional.

Not the head.

Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.

It has been a week
since my last confession.

I have taken the Lord's name in vain.

I have borne false witness.

But...

Father, I have done something that is...

that is far worse.

I have sin that is pressed...

deep in my heart.

My son...

My son's a pervert.

And I know I should have
boundless love for my children.

But some... sometimes I think...

maybe I loved him too much,
or I wasn't around enough,

and he felt distant from me.

But why would God put this fire in me

if he didn't want me to act on it?

Why does he punish me?

Please help me, Father,
'cause I don't know what to do.

Help me, Father.
I don't know what to do.

_

You're running in a tough primary,
so you've found God?

Don't you have a game show to host?

Are you here to pray?

My God is the God of Leviticus,

so I'm here to atone.

I, uh, I should've gone on the
record with you. I'm sorry.

Ugh. Wouldn't have done any good.

No follow-up exposé, no outrage.

You did what you could
do for those women.

You put our colleagues on notice.

They have to be better behaved.

_

_

_

We're all secretaries to them.

Senator Jesse Helms
will lead us in prayer.

I welcome you all to a very
special prayer breakfast

on the eve of our
nation's 200th birthday.

Our founding fathers
prayed for divine guidance

just as we must pray today
for the same guidance

as we work together

to restore our country
to its glorious past.

Let us give thanks.

Amen.

Amen.

Careful with those.

We're gonna go into town,
see the fireworks.

- Okay.
- Can I borrow your car?

Be careful.

- Fred.
- John.

Could you, uh,
stay for a minute, please?

Your mother and I think it's
time you made some decisions

about your future.

I'll have something lined up soon.

Not good enough.

You are lost,

and we are going to
help you find your way.

You can choose law or
medicine or accounting,

but you need to choose something.

I think I'd like law school.

Well, that's settled.

You'll go to Wash U with your mother

and live at home and join my practice.

Or maybe you could, uh,
go to law school out of town.

Get a fresh start.

Under President Ford,
America is on a steady course.

Keep him.

"Keep him"?

That's the best they could do?

Can't imagine the
slogans the guy rejected.

... that he can win in November.

Reagan has made that the big issue here.

- Here's a serious question.
- Hmm?

Do you think Reagan dyes his hair?

... with the slogan,
"He'll be pardoned."

So while he's here...

Should I dye my hair?

- No.
- Uh-huh.

I moved the paragraph on the ERA up.

I added a sentence about your commitment

to fighting anti-choice legislation.

I still think you need a-a short quip

right at the top,

before formally
accepting the nomination.

Like?

Sometimes I'll start a speech with,

"I feel like one of Henry
Kissinger's girlfriends.

"I know what's expected of me,

but I'm not sure how to
make it interesting."

Can I use that?

I'm gonna dig up my speech
from the '72 convention.

You can plagiarize until
your heart's content.

If Daddy becomes vice president,

will we move into the White House?

The vice president's family
doesn't live in the White House.

Uh, they get their own house
at the Naval Observatory.

We need a ride to tennis.

... is to solidify support
among the delegates already...

I'll do it.

Thank you. Good evening.
Thank you. Good evening.

Well, answer it. Answer it!

Be cool.

Ruckelshaus residence. Ruck speaking.

She's right here.

- It's Audrey.
- Oh.

How's it going there?
I was just about to take the girls...

We're in big trouble.

The Antis... They
are here in full force.

They're backing Reagan,
and Phyllis is making a push

to take the ERA out of the platform.

No, no, I-I will call
Mrs. Ford right now.

Reagan won't back down.

I think we can save the ERA,
but there will be concessions.

What kind of concessions?

Abortion?

I wish you could be here.

_

_

Forget credential challenges
and child care subsidies.

Forget Social Security reform.

Well, call off the NOW march.

I don't care what you have to do.

Just hold the line.

Lobby every member on that committee.

Remind them that we were

the first party to
endorse the ERA in 1940.

Excuse me, Congressman.

We have never wavered in 40 years,
and we never will.

Congressman Anderson,

if I could just have a
moment of your time, please.

If we could just have a
moment of your time...

You tell Phyllis and her Eagles

that they do not represent
Republican women.

We are the party of Lincoln.

Please vote no.

And there's no way that we are allowing

the Wicked Witch of the
Midwest to enslave us.

Evil queen.

The most strongly contested issue

on the platform committee

is the struggle over whether to support

the Equal Rights Amendment
to the Constitution.

Conservatives and Reagan supporters

are expected to oppose that.

Republicans have traditionally
backed the ERA,

but there was a strong conservative move

to change that position.

It's extraordinary to me
in our bicentennial year

that we should be debating

whether or not women are equal citizens.

Finally, with 98 votes cast,

we are ready to announce the results

of the platform committee's
position on the ERA plank.

The Republican Party
reaffirms its support

for ratification of the
Equal Rights Amendment...

The ayes are 51 to 47.

It's okay.

Well, you almost pulled off
the unthinkable.

- Almost.
- You planted a flag.

Ron will be impressed.

Come with me to his suite tonight.

Strategy session.

Well, ladies, we put on a good show.

Rosemary.

Come on.

You promised things wouldn't change.

Pamela, nothing is going to change.

Trying to take the ERA
out of the party platform

was more symbolic than anything...

A show of our strength in numbers.

I think Pamela's just
having a hard time at home.

- Hmm?
- Kevin.

And all the hormones,

so it's extra disappointing.

Well, sobbing and whining's
not gonna help.

- Mnh-mnh.
- I really have to go.

I am not gonna be late to
meet Reagan's campaign staff.

Oh, please tell me this
isn't about Kissinger.

We don't give a shit about Kissinger!

Pamela! Language.

Defense policy doesn't make itself.

- You have to fight for us.
- I am fighting for you.

You're not gonna accuse
me of not being a fighter.

We have been with
you since the beginning.

Look, it's all related. Don't you see?

Kissinger, the ERA, abortion.

Now the communists attack on all fronts.

Well, there is a parliamentary loophole

that could allow the
removal of the ERA plank

on the convention floor.

We could try it.

If you don't wanna
fight for this anymore,

we can do it ourselves,

but we need to take this to the floor.

Which is exactly what I am
going to tell Reagan's people

when I meet them.

He's going to pick Bob Dole.

He supported the
pro-life amendment plank.

Audrey said there'd be concessions.

It was a victory to hold our own.

I could've been there.

I should've been there.

Found the speech I gave...

to the '72 convention.

"What a beautiful
morning to be a woman...

"and the best possible time

to be a Republican woman."

- How are you? John.
- Hey, Phil.

- Good to see you. How are you?
- Nice to see you. Good.

John Majors... Phyllis Schlafly.

Phyllis, this is George Phillips.

- George.
- Good to see you.

- Mark.
- Phil.

- How are you?
- Good to see you.

- Mark Jones, Phyllis Schlafly.
- Hello.

Ma'am.

And we have John Sears, Joseph Coors...

Oh, yes.

And, of course,
you know Senator Jesse Helms.

- Jesse.
- Phyllis.

Oh, it's such a pleasure to meet you.

- Pleasure.
- Gentlemen, Phyllis has...

activated a group of apolitical woman.

Oh, yes, we're the fastest growing

organization of women in America.

And since, uh, creating the Eagle Forum,

my, uh, mailing list has
ballooned to over 40,000.

- Including many evangelicals.
- Yes, that's right.

I should introduce you to Jerry Falwell.

- Mm-hmm.
- He wants to get in the game

but doesn't quite know how to play.

Oh, well, I think I could
teach him a few things.

You know, Ron sure would
love to see your mailing list.

Well, if he wants to see my list,
he can call me.

It makes the evangelicals happy,

but the hawks feel betrayed.

Yes, but he should be fighting
for it on foreign policy.

Attack his weakness.
You know, the Helsinki treaty.

I have two words for
Ford... Fire Kissinger.

Oh, Ron can quote me.

Uh, and, uh, if he wants
to keep my ladies happy,

he should support taking
the ERA fight to the floor.

Who here wasn't
hoping that Elizabeth Ray

would take down Kissinger
along with Wayne Hays?

Oh, Phil.

It's one thing not to be
able to control yourself,

but your secretary?

Yeah, well, you know

the best way to shut your secretary up?

- Put a muzzle on her.
- No. Dump her in the Potomac.

No, no, no. Stick it in her mouth.

Mrs. Ford's made it her mission

- to keep the party pro-ERA.
- Mm.

And any challenge will antagonize

the delegates still on the fence.

You'll drop the floor fight.

You haven't touched your Scotch.

Hmm?

Hey, so, the credentials...

Yeah, I don't know.