The Newsroom (2012–2014): Season 1, Episode 3 - The 112th Congress - full transcript

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Twenty seconds to VTR.

Stand by, 13-27.

Joey, ready on graphics.

Let's check the stack on file 102.

Fifteen seconds to VTR.

Stand by, roll-in, stand by, SOT 1.

- Standing.
- 10 seconds.

Ready, roll-in, ready, SOT 1.

- Ready.
- In four, three, two, one.

- Roll-in.

I welcome these hearings
because of the opportunity



that they provide to the American people

to better understand
why the tragedy of 9/1 1 happened

and what we must do
to prevent a reoccurrence.

I also welcome the hearings
because it is finally a forum

where I can apologize

to the loved ones of the victims of 9/1 1.

To them who are here in the room,

to those who are watching on television,

your government failed you.

Those entrusted with protecting you

failed you.

And I failed you.

Good evening. I'm Will McAvoy.

This is News Night, and that was a clip



of Richard Clarke,
former counterterrorism chief

to President George W. Bush,

testifying before Congress on March 24, 2004.

Americans liked that moment.

I liked that moment.

Adults should hold themselves
accountable for failure.

And so tonight I'm beginning this newscast

by joining Mr. Clarke in apologizing

to the American people for our failure.

The failure of this program during the time
I've been in charge of it

to successfully inform and
educate the American electorate.

Let me be clear that I don't apologize

on behalf of all broadcastjournalists,

nor do all broadcastjournalists
owe an apology.

I speak for myself.

I was an accomplice to a slow
and repeated and unacknowledged

and un-amended train wreck of failures

that have brought us to now.

I'm a leader in an industry
that miscalled election results,

hyped up terror scares,
ginned up controversy,

and failed to report
on tectonic shifts in our country.

From the collapse of the financial system

to the truths about how strong we are

to the dangers we actually face.

I'm a leader in an industry that misdirected

your attention with
the dexterity of Harry Houdini,

while sending hundreds of thousands

of our bravest young men and women

off to war without due diligence.

The reason we failed isn't a mystery.

We took a dive for the ratings.

In the infancy of mass communication,

the Columbus and Magellan
of broadcastjournalism,

William Paley and David Sarnoff,

went down to Washington
to cut a deal with Congress.

Congress would allow the fledgling networks

free use of taxpayer-owned airwaves

in exchange for one public service.

That public service would
be one hour of air time

set aside every night
for informational broadcasting,

or what we now call the evening news.

Congress, unable to anticipate
the enormous capacity

television would have to
deliver consumers to advertisers,

failed to include in its deal
the one requirement

that would have changed
our national discourse

immeasurably for the better.

Congress forgot to add
that under no circumstances

could there be paid advertising

during informational broadcasting.

They forgot to say that taxpayers
will give you the airwaves for free,

and for 23 hours a day
you should make a profit,

but for one hour a night, you work for us.

And now those network newscasts,

anchored through history
by honest-to-God newsmen

with names like Murrow
and Reasoner and Huntley

and Brinkley and Buckley
and Cronkite and Rather

and Russert, now they have to
compete with the likes of me,

a cable anchor
who's in the exact same business

as the producers of Jersey Shore.

And that business was good to us,

but News Night is quitting
that business right now.

It might come as a surprise to you

that some of history's greatest
American journalists are working right now,

exceptional minds with years of experience

and an unshakeable devotion
to reporting the news.

But these voices are a small minority now

and they don't stand a chance
against the circus,

when the circus comes to town.
They're overmatched.

I'm quitting the circus, switching teams.

I'm going with the guys
who are getting creamed.

I'm moved they still think they can win,

and I hope they can teach me a thing or two.

From this moment on,
we'll be deciding what goes on our air

and how it's presented to you
based on the simple truth

that nothing is more important
to a democracy

than a well-informed electorate.

We'll endeavor to put information
in a broader context

because we know that very little news is born

at the moment it comes across our wire.

We'll be the champion of facts

and the mortal enemy
of innuendo, speculation,

hyperbole, and nonsense.

We're not waiters in a restaurant

serving you the stories you asked for,
just the way you like them prepared.

Nor are we computers
dispensing only the facts

because news is only useful
in the context of humanity.

I'll make no effort to
subdue my personal opinions.

I will make every effort to expose you

to informed opinions that
are different from my own.

You may ask,
"Who are we to make these decisions?"

We are MacKenzie McHale and myself.

Ms. McHale is our executive producer.

She marshals the resources
of over 100 reporters,

producers, analysts, and technicians,

and her credentials are readily available.

I'm News Night's managing editor,

and make the final decision
on everything seen

and heard on this program.

Who are we to make these decisions?

We're the media elite.

We'll be back after this with the news.

It would be accurate to say it started

with his on-air apology.

Pardon, it would be accurate to say
what started?

Was he aware that he went on television

and said everything his network had done

up until that point was trash?

I think he was fully aware of what he said

and that he was on television when he said it.

He also took responsibility for himself

and not the network or the company.

What are we talking about?

Mmm. Hey.

You're working late.

Well, it was either this or go home.

- So...
- Listen, I was at a bar.

I saw the show tonight at a bar.

And I may have been overserved.

I'm fine, I'm just... If I say anything...

You want to sit down?

How much did you have to do
with writing that opening tonight?

Uh...

It was something Will wanted to do.

- He passed it around.
- I would have loved to have been part of that.

I could have done the show
you guys want to do.

I'm equipped for that.

God, Don, that's...

You can. You can.

You guys can follow up.
You can expand, you can rebut.

I've got a mandate.

Bring viewers to 10:00.

I don't, and they'll try someone else
until someone does.

I have to cover Natalee Holloway.

And you guys just set me up
to look like an asshole

before I even got a chance to get started.

- That wasn't...
- No, shut up.

That wasn't our intent.

And you can insist...

You can insist on...

That's what you were reading
on your BlackBerry, right?

Yeah.

I mean, it said, "Eyes only," baby.

I've got eyes.

The apology was a Monday.
The following Saturday

was the Times Square bomb.

By Tuesday, we had all the facts.

This is the kind of story that
makes people want to turn on the news,

so you want to take advantage of it.

- That's News 101, right?
- What is this meeting?

- Is it News 101?
- To artificially hype the threat of a bomb?

You're confusing it with Douchebaggery 101.

- And the Muslim?
- That was a borderline call,

but they're qualified to make borderline calls.

- What is this meeting about?
- Keep going.

By comparison, CBS had Katie
open her show from Times Square,

while News Night
gave it three minutes and 20 seconds.

Basically said
there was nothing to worry about

and, as you said,
mentioned that one of the people

who notified the police was a Muslim.

That's called
squandering an opportunity.

These are the important facts.
First, it was a lone wolf.

Shahzad was trained in Pakistan,
but he wasn't connected to a terror network.

Second, the situation was
handled by first responders

and law enforcement, not an army.

And finally, the system worked.

He was taken off the plane by a final check

of the flight manifest by a US Customs officer.

What about the fact he was allowed
on the plane in the first place,

10 hours after the Feds
put him on a no-fly list?

The airline hadn't updated its files yet,

which is why Customs and Border Protection
does a second check.

- That's the system working.
- Three minutes at the top.

- Will?
- Agree.

You understand
we're making a conscious choice now

to do the boring version of the story?

- That's not how I'd put it, but...
- Great.

- Mac, there's one more thing.
- Yeah?

Everyone's reporting that
it was a T-shirt vendor

named Lance Orton who
spotted the smoking car and called 911.

- It was.
- I know, but it turns out Lance Orton

was alerted to the smoking car
by a photograph vendor named Aliou Niasse,

- an immigrant from Senegal.
- Why haven't we heard about this guy?

Two possible reasons.
One is that he didn't make the call.

He said, umm...

"I thought I should call 911,
but my English is not very good

"and I had no credit left on my phone.

"So I walked over to Lance, who has
a T-shirt stall next to mine and told him."

What's the second possible reason
we haven't heard about him?

- He's a Muslim.
- How'd you get this?

- A Pakistani blog.

It's not the world's most reliable source.

I know, so I confirmed it
with the NYPD, and it's true.

And The Times of London has it online.

And I think if the religion
of the bomber is important,

then so is the religion of
the guy who saved everyone's life.

- So do I.
- All right.

3:20 at the top.

How many viewers did he lose that night?

Well, we all know he made enemies that night

out of Fox and right-wing radio.

- A lot of negative press.
- How many viewers did he lose?

People want the most
up-to-date information.

They were getting it.

Didn't feel like it when everyone else
was saying it's a genuine threat,

- and he's talking about...
- It didn't feel like it?

- How many?
- 7%.

He gave back the gains
he made after Northwestern.

And that's the kind of thing
that would ordinarily scare Will straight.

But it didn't.

Media Matters, Think Progress,

Howard Kurtz,
and the Columbia Journalism Review

all praised our coverage
of the Times Square bomb.

Do any of them advertise on our network?

I don't believe they advertise anywhere.

And by any chance
was it around this time

that Will had some kind of
epiphany about the Tea Party?

The Tea Party isn't what it started out to be.

Have you slept?

I got up at 2:00 a.m.
and broke down polling data

from the Republican Senate
primary race in Utah.

I never heard anyone say that before.

Someone faxed me the polling data.
I don't even know who.

But that doesn't matter.
Bob Bennett, the most conservative member

of the Senate, is going to lose
his primary race to a guy named Mike Lee

'cause Lee found room to the right of Bennett.

You wouldn't think that was possible.

Back in 1968, when Rennie Davis
and Hayden and their guys

organized the SDS,
it was specifically to end the Vietnam War.

But that movement
got eaten by Abbie Hoffman

and Jerry Rubin and the Yippies.

Hoffman and Rubin
were a lot more charismatic.

Yeah, but it was impossible to define
what the Yippies were protesting.

They were about giving the finger
to anyone over 30,

generically hating
the American establishment,

- dropping out, and getting high.
- And?

That's how the progressive movement
would be painted for the next 40 years.

People passing out daisies to soldiers

and trying to levitate the Pentagon.

- I was there. That damn near worked.
- No, it didn't.

The Pentagon's a really big building.
You can't levitate it.

How is there room to
the right of Bob Bennett?

For starters, a centerpiece
of Mike Lee's stump speech

is effectively eliminating
the part of the 14th Amendment

that says a citizen born
in the US is a US citizen.

It's an applause line, and he's
going to win his primary by double digits.

Charlie, I understood the Tea Party
in the beginning,

just like I understood the SDS.

The Tea Party was a middle-class movement

responding spontaneously to bad trends.

Wages were stagnant,
jobs were disappearing,

Wall Street got trillions,
and everybody was laughing at them.

- But?
- They've been co-opted by the radical right,

which in turn has enslaved
the Republican middle.

So you think the '60s radicals and
the Tea Party are roughly the same?

With one big exception.

Even at the height of 1968,

the Democrats wouldn't have
nominated Abbie Hoffman

or Jerry Rubin for any office,

and no candidate would have
sought their endorsement.

Can you imagine Humphrey or Kennedy

standing for a photo op with
Bernardine Dohrn or Allen Ginsberg?

- Get there.
- Oh!

- I didn't even know you were here.
- Get there.

The Tea Party is being radicalized

and their original
organizing principles obliterated.

And no one should be laughing anymore.

They should be scared shitless.

My party's being hijacked,
and it's happening in real time.

How is this not our top story every night?

- Thank you.
- Seriously, how did you get there?

You're not gonna be
very popular with Republicans.

Hoffman and Rubin weren't Democrats,

and these guys aren't Republicans.

It needs to be a Republican saying it.

Top story every night till the plant
from Little Shop of Horrors

goes back to its planet.

I think you've got the boy coming around.

You're the one who faxed him
the Utah polling data, right?

In four, three, two... Rolling.

Your candidate Mike Lee
is a fierce supporter of the Constitution.

That's why he's our candidate.

Should he win in the general election,

which seems likely since Utah
hasn't sent a Democrat

to the Senate in 40 years,

he'll have to swear an oath
to protect and defend the Constitution.

And I'm looking forward
to being there when he does.

He's also signed a note
to Grover Norquist not to raise taxes.

- That's right.
- Which oath is he bound by?

He'll be bound by both.

- Is that possible?
- Of course it is.

And that's how we're going to
rein in government spending.

Do you think part of a senator's job
should include listening to experts,

considering new information,
hearing dissenting opinions,

- and then casting his best vote?
- I sure do.

If 10 Nobel Prize-winning economists
were to walk into his office

and say, "This is a national emergency
and we need to increase revenue

"by asking for a small sacrifice
from the wealthiest 1% of us."

Mike Lee wouldn't even discuss it?

Based on his zero years
of experience in economics

and tax policy,
he's taken an oath not to learn anything new

while a member of the US Senate?

When you blur the distinction
between public and private,

there are problems.

Same thing when you blur the distinction
between answers and nonsense.

Does a private restaurant in Kentucky

have the right to
deny service to black people?

What it gets into is this.

If you decide that
restaurants are publically owned.

Restaurants are privately owned,

and it was a yes or no question
that should be easy to answer.

Does Rand Paul believe
that a private business

should be allowed to discriminate
on the basis of race?

Sharron Angle's angry because the press

is reporting what she says to the press.

The statement goes on.

"We needed to have the press be our friend.

"We wanted them to ask the questions
we want to answer."

Do not laugh.
I felt the exact same way about the bar exam.

Will just made a joke.

When did that newsroom
become a courtroom?

I was going to say the same thing.

- He was a prosecutor.
- I'm sorry?

Before he was an anchor,
before he was a reporter,

before he was a speechwriter,
he was a prosecutor.

He graduated college at 19, law school at 21,

and had signed up
with the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office,

where he racked up a 94% conviction record.

The newsroom turned into
a courtroom, Reese,

because I made the decision
that American voters need a fucking lawyer.

"You know, our Founding Fathers,

"they put that 2nd Amendment
in there for a good reason,

"and that was for the people
to protect themselves

"against a tyrannical government.

"I hope that's not where we're going,
but, you know,

"if this Congress keeps going the way it is,

"people are really looking towards
those Second Amendment remedies."

Syntax problems notwithstanding,

that was a Republican nominee
for the US Senate

saying she hasn't ruled out
a violent overthrow of her government.

Terry Smith is up next
with The Capitol Report.

I'm Will McAvoy. Good night.

And we're clear.

- Hello.
- Hi.

You're dressed much too nicely to work here.

No, I'm meeting Will. We're going out.

- You're going out?
- Yeah.

Are you a relative of Will's? Are you related?

No. No, we're going on a date.

That's fantastic!

I don't know why I said that so loud.

How do you guys know each...

- How did you meet?
- Mac, I think...

- Not now.
- Okay.

- How do you know Will?
- I work for the Jets, and Will's a big fan.

- The New York Jets?
- Yeah.

- We met in the owner's...
- That's sensational.

- ...suite.
- What do you do for the Jets?

- I'm head of the Flight Crew.
- You're a pilot?

I'm head of the cheerleading squad.
We're called the Flight Crew.

- You're a cheerleader.
- And choreographer.

- It pays for graduate school.
- Hey, Danielle.

- Hey, dude. That was awesome.
- No.

I was sitting watching you right there,
while you were right there.

You want to hear something
that will blow your mind?

In about three hours,
he'll be on TV on the West Coast,

while at the same time out with you on a date.

Unless he gets tired,
which happens sometimes because he's old.

This is MacKenzie McHale.
She's my secretary.

Multiple Peabody-winning
executive producer.

- I'm Danielle.
- That's a beautiful name!

- Why are you shouting?
- Can I talk to you for a second?

Just give me a minute to change.
We'll be out of here.

You're going on a date with a cheerleader?

Not a high school cheerleader.
A professional cheerleader.

- That doesn't make it better.
- Can I help you?

- She's a student.
- A graduate student.

- In philosophy?
- Physical therapy.

There are better ways to get back at me.

I'll put up a suggestion box.

Can I warn you about something?

You're a rich and famous person.

And for that reason only,
she may want to sleep with you.

That didn't sound like something
that should come with a warning.

That sounded like something
that should come with balloons.

I loathe you right now.

- You've got ink on your face.
- I work with pens!

- Get a grip.
- Yeah, I know!

- Hello.
- Whatever!

- Good show tonight.
- Thank you.

He was talking to me!

Stay on the Tea Party.

Hardcore conservatives are getting primaried.

In six weeks, I haven't heard
anything from the 44th floor.

- How are they with this?
- Good. Good.

I'll tell you
when there's something to worry about.

So now we've really got something
to worry about 'cause he goes out...

What problem do we have? 7% drop?

We lose that when the Yankees
are playing the Red Sox.

Brad, why did you say, "Now we've really
got something to worry about"?

He goes after Jim DeMint.

Mr. Wexler, I'd like to
talk about Senator DeMint's

recent statements about gay marriage.

He said it shouldn't be legal
because of the diseases

prevalent in the homosexual population.

- Am I mischaracterizing that?
- No, sir, you're not.

By diseases, Senator DeMint
is referring to HIV and AIDS?

- 18,000.
- Exactly. Normal, God-fearing

heterosexual couples
don't spread those kinds of diseases.

18,000.

As a matter of fact,
the rate of contraction of HIV

among gay couples is now lower
than it is among heterosexual couples.

18,000. Nod if you copy.

Well, if you're talking about Africa,
I'd have to see the statistics for myself.

They're in a packet right in front of you.

But let me ask you something.
Do you believe that the American soldiers

who fought in World War I
were good, moral people?

I'm sure they were, and God bless them.

I don't think He did bless them

because 18,000 US troops were
sidelined by VD during that war.

That sounds a little high to be believed.

- Did you pull those numbers out of...
- I'm sorry.

- That number was wrong.
- That's what I thought.

It was 18,000 every day.

So that second segment was too long.

- Yes, it won't happen again.
- Good.

Uh-oh.

Let's see who we have tonight.

Hi.

You must be waiting for Will.

Yes, I'm Darshana Yadav.

MacKenzie McHale. So has he...

- Hey, Darshana.
- Hey. I caught the end.

- You were great.
- Oh, thank you.

Do you mind waiting just a second
while I change?

- Sure.
- Nice meeting you.

Spinning instructor?

Neurologist at Columbia Presbyterian.

Chief of Surgery.
That would make her a brain surgeon.

Literally a brain surgeon.

That's not hard to be.

I just couldn't be less interested in WikiLeaks.

You're nuts.

The open sourcing of classified information

is going to be an absolute game changer
for journalists of our generation.

All I heard was sounds
coming from the mouth of a nerd.

- Have you scanned the WikiLeaks cables?
- No, Neal.

Because I spend my time
trying to find and protect my sources.

This, right here, is always
the swan song of the obsolete

when you stare the future paradigm
in the face.

"He on the side of technology wins."
You know who said that?

- It was you. I was sitting right here.
- Napoleon.

Things worked out well for him.

Weren't there girls
standing here a minute ago?

Yes, you scared them off
with your WikiNerd pitch.

Hey.

I've been sitting here for two-and-a-half hours
and I still don't know why.

It's like being in the cast of a Fellini film.

Was it all GOP bashing,
or did we cover anything else?

We did almost three times
as many international news stories

as Fox and MSNBC combined.

And unless we're all blind,

the Tea Party is the one
doing the GOP bashing.

- Charlie, give me a break.
- Ask Bryce Delaney.

Bryce Delaney became
the sixth GOP incumbent

to be ousted by a Tea Party candidate.

The American Conservative Union

gives Delaney a 97% rating
over his 10 terms in Congress.

He was a Deputy Whip, he was state co-chair

of the McCain-Palin campaign,

and he sponsored or cosponsored
38 pieces of legislation

that were signed into law.

He lost his primary to a dentist,

72-28.

Congressman Delaney,
thank you for joining us.

Thank you.

Congressman, you have
a consistent voting record

on conservative issues,

and in the past five elections
you've won your district

by double digits. What happened?

My pollster tells me

that I gave the wrong answer
at a town hall meeting.

What was the question?

Is President Obama a socialist?

And your answer?

My answer was that I disagree with the man

on how to run a government,

but the talk of him being
a socialist or a Marxist

or a Kenyan was a silly distraction.

You paid a big price for that.

You were leading in the polls at the time.

Will, there are brilliant conservative minds
in the Republican Party,

and the individual price we are paying

for not pretending to be crazy is nothing

compared to the price that
the country is going to pay

for not having a reasonable opposition party.

You made another mistake, too, right?

- You're referring to H.R.2559.
- Yes.

- I cosponsored a bill.
- With a Democrat.

Once you're elected, you have a duty

to work with other people
who have been elected.

My friends across the aisle had been elected.

What did H.R.2559 provide for?

It provided for homeless veterans

to receive housing vouchers

and services such as counseling, job training.

Thank you for your service
to your country, sir.

You'll be missed in Congress. Good luck.

Thank you.

It's not strange I'm not hearing
anything from the 44th floor?

What were you expecting?

It's just bizarre because
the show's taken a pretty sharp turn.

Big fan. Keep it up.

She never watched the old show.

- What?
- Maybe once or twice.

Too dumbed down?

Has she seen the new show?

That's a fair question.

Charlie.

She's a Democrat. She gives money.

She gives money to everybody.
She bets on all the horses in the race.

If there was a problem, I'd have heard about it.

There's a retreat in Telluride
my mother and I have been invited to

every year for the last nine years.

We're not here talking about ratings, are we?

I wonder if what we're about to see

has anything to do with
why we weren't invited this year.

Does anybody mind if I start drinking
a lot of bourbon right now,

and then a little while later
put my fist through his head?

I think you've had enough bourbon
for one lifetime.

Not my lifetime.

We lost David and Charles.

Thank you
for staying late tonight.

I really want to get this one right tomorrow.

Don't we want to get them all right?

You know what, Hef?

There's a Hooters a few blocks from here
just filled with waitresses

who are stocked like a game fishing pond

for you to go out like a fish with...

- You lost the thread, right?
- Yeah.

Let's start from the top again.

Maggie.

Ah, the Tea Party presents itself

as a grassroots movement,
uh, which means

it should be fiercely resistant
to central control,

especially traditional...

Sorry. Ahem.

Especially traditional power structures.

We're joined from Manhattan, Kansas,
by Mike Lyndall,

a construction contractor,

and Sheryl Bell, a registered nurse.

Mr. Lyndall and Ms. Bell
are the founders and co-chairs

of the Riley County Tea Party Express.
Welcome.

They're gonna say
the Tea Party represents the voice

of the true owners of the United States.

Mike, tell us why you became involved
with the Tea Party movement.

Well, first and foremost,
we want to take our country back.

All right, just to be clear,
is your country my country, too?

- Of course.
- Okay.

Who do you want to
take our country back from?

We want to take it back from
a Congress and a president

who've forgotten that government
derives its power from the consent

of the governed,
and instead is at the beck and call

of special interests and corporations.

You describe the Tea Party
as a grassroots movement, right?

Absolutely. We have no central control,

no traditional power structure.

And that is something that
seems to confound the media.

- I'm sorry?
- That's what confounds the media.

It's what the media doesn't get.

We are not being run
by a George Soros-type figure.

We are "We the People."

- There it is.
- They walked right into it.

If you follow the money,
nearly all of it eventually leads to AFP.

Where does your funding come from?

What little funding we have
comes from private citizens

who mail in $5, $10, $1,
whatever they can spare.

Okay, have either of you
ever heard the name David Koch?

- I'm sorry?
- David Koch.

No.

Have you ever heard the name Charles Koch?

No.

Have you ever heard
the name Koch Industries?

Are you talking about Coca-Cola?

K-O-C-H. Have either of you
heard of Koch Industries?

- Nope.
- I think that very soon you will.

Koch Industries is the second-largest

private company in the country.
Bigger than Coca-Cola.

And the Koch brothers'
personal wealth of $50 billion

is exceeded only
by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates,

and they could buy and sell
George Soros 10 times over.

They own dozens of
companies and industries,

including oil and gas, refining and chemicals,

minerals, fertilizer, forestry,
polymers and fibers and ranching.

You two both attended the Texas
Defending the American Dream Summit

over the July 4th weekend?

It was a Tea Party event.

The invitation...

Excuse me. The invitation read...

"Today, the voices of average Americans

"are being drowned out by lobbyists
and special interests.

- "But you can do something about it."
- Yes.

That summit was paid for
entirely by Americans For Prosperity,

AFP, which has two founders,
David and Charles Koch.

In the last six months,
they've bankrolled Tea Party candidates

in excess of $40 million.

Sheryl, Mike, are the Koch brothers
average Americans

whose voices are being drowned out
by lobbyists and special interests?

I'm confounded.

If we review the graphics package...

- Would you excuse me for a minute?
- Yeah.

- Tamara?
- Yeah.

Call this SS-101.

And I'm gonna want
these reviewed three times

once they're loaded in.

We screw this up,
that's all people talk about tomorrow.

- Excuse me.
- Yeah.

SS-101.

- Hey, Don.
- Yeah?

Have you seen Maggie?
She seemed a little funny

in the conference room,
and then she walked out.

Yeah, she's okay.

She gets panic attacks.

She starts to get dizzy and shake
and she thinks she's dying.

Is she all right?

She's fine. She just needs to be left alone.

She went out on the terrace to get some air.

Okay. You guys did a good show tonight.

I wasn't aware of what was going on
with the McRib sandwich.

Yeah. Go fuck yourself.

Do not come down on the Kochs
without checking upstairs.

- Do you understand?
- Get your finger out of my face, Reese.

- Look...
- We stand for something.

It's a moral obligation. Get used to it.

About 10 minutes ago.

About 10 minutes ago at a staff meeting.

Yeah, I have... I need to get back in there.

No, they're not in my pocket.

They're not in my purse because

they weren't in the medicine cabinet.

Lisa, the guys you bring to the apartment

have got to stop taking my Xanax.

- Shoot. Hang on a second.

But don't hang up.

- Sit back down.
- I'm fine.

Sit back down.

- Tell me what's happening.
- I just need a minute.

I'm gonna feel your pulse, okay?

You really don't need to.

I'm gonna ask you some questions.

Where are you right now?

Are you having trouble breathing?
Can you hear me?

I'm on the upper terrace of the AWM building,

yes, and obviously yes. Are you a nurse?

Some guys I was embedded with
got panic attacks.

- I'm gonna pass out.
- It feels like it, but you won't.

You're in the second stage
of the A-anxiety table

of Army Field Manual FM 22-51,

"New Infantry Adaptation
to a Threatening Situation."

I'm in Midtown Manhattan, Gomer Pyle.
You're in Fallujah.

Start breathing from your abdomen.

Imagine yourself in a safe place

or something you like. YouTube kittens.

I wish your face would stop moving,
so I could punch it.

You're here. You're part of this group.
Everyone likes you.

Well, except for Carla in bookkeeping
who thinks you're a rube.

Should get back to the meeting.

The meeting's over. Stay put.

- Did the copy for...
- Everything's done.

You can check it yourself later.

He's going after the Koch brothers.

If you want to panic about something,
I think it's six-to-five and pick 'em

this time tomorrow night
the building blows up.

Did you see a doctor?

Yeah, he prescribed Xanax.

- Did you take one?
- I didn't have them with me.

Someone like you should always have one
in your pocket or in your purse.

- I'll remember that.
- Keep breathing, okay?

You're safe. You're awesome.

I'm gonna check your pulse again.

- How is it?
- Better.

A minute ago, it was like
you were taking sniper fire.

They were good guys?
The guys you were embedded with?

They were the best people I've ever met.

You guys are a close second.

Don's hands are tied.

He got marching orders to
get the numbers up at 10:00.

And he's driving a different car than Mac.

Elliot's smart, but he can't do what Will does.

Plus, his salary is tied to ratings.

Why are you telling me this?

He's a great guy
and you two should be friends.

In the five months I've been here,

you two have broken up four times
and gotten together five times.

So there must be a strong connection.

- Was that sarcastic?
- No.

- Really?
- Yeah.

All right.

That was obviously sarcastic.

It wasn't.

I never knew what the word "smug" meant
until I met you.

You're 26 and you didn't know
what the word "smug" meant until this year?

- Right there.
- I wasn't being sarcastic.

You guys obviously have something.

My suggestion is stop breaking up.

Learn how to have a fight.

Go on, Dr. Phil.

You're breathing normally?

Follow my finger.

You've got a graphics producer
waiting in the edit bay.

Are you still there?

Yeah, that was him.

I think the best analogy I can use is Rocky Il.

Are you sure that's the best
analogy you can use?

Hear me out.

I'd be very surprised
if my mother has seen Rocky Il.

Mrs. Lansing, Rocky Balboa was a lefty.

- Rocky was political?
- Left-handed.

And for his rematch with Apollo Creed,

his trainer Burgess Meredith
makes him train as a righty.

And he fights round after round as a righty

until Burgess Meredith shouts, "Now,"

and Rocky comes at him with his left.

What the fuck are you talking about?

Just that MacKenzie McHale got here,
shouted, "Now,"

and Will started swinging away.

Leave...
Hey, leave Mac out of this.

I shouted, "Now." I'm Burgess Meredith.

This guy,
he don't just want to beat you, see?

He wants to murder you.

That was my best Burgess Meredith.

Is there something here that's funny?

Yeah. We've been talking about Rocky Il.

Brad, wrap it up.

Here you go.

- How much do you like me?
- I'm...

You know, I don't know
what's happening right now.

- Don and Maggie broke up.
- When?

Last week.

I'm sure they've married
and divorced three times since then.

- No, it's real.
- What do you mean?

Tess told Tamara, Tamara told Kendra,

and Kendra talked to Maggie,
who confirmed it was over.

So get in there.

- Get in there?
- Yeah.

- I'm not gonna "get in there."
- Why not?

I'm not going to swoop in
like she's a rent-controlled apartment.

She's probably really upset.

Plus, I was the one who advised her

to stay together during these times,

so it would be pretty hypocritical of me
to suddenly...

- Wait.
- What?

You advised her to do what?

I told her if she wants to stay together,
she has to not break up.

Based on what
are you giving relationship advice?

It...

This time it was logic.

I know the answer to this question,
but I just want to hear you say it anyway.

What are you working on there?

The story about people voting
against their own interest.

I'm not swooping in.

The health care law hasn't taken effect yet.

TARP was signed into law
by George W. Bush.

Name me the freedoms that
you had the day before

President Obama was sworn in
that you don't have today.

What is someone supposed to do
with a bleeding Mexican?

What state, what city,
what county in this country

is in danger of falling under sharia law?

Tea Party candidate Allen West.

Tea Party candidate Michele Bachmann.

Tea Party candidate Tom Graves. Tim Griffin.

Sean Duffy. Jeff Duncan.

No, ma'am, teen pregnancy
rose over that period.

The largest demographic
of Americans living in poverty are children.

Abolishing the minimum wage
would create jobs.

You know what else would? Slavery.

The public school system has failed you,

as did three of your college professors.

It's going to come down, as it always does,

to who shows up.

And that takes us to last night.

Here's something I want everyone
to watch at home tonight.

All right, precincts are closing
in Kentucky and Indiana.

AP's already calling it for
Rogers, Pence, and Burton.

John Yarmuth just picked up
the Kentucky 3rd.

I'm looking at Patty Murray up 1% with 60 in.
Are we headed for a recount?

Arkansas State Secretary
just certified it for John Boozman.

We've still got Reid up
by 12 in Clark County.

Why's Sportsbook still taking bets
at even money?

- You're getting these?
- Yeah.

I'm looking at the exits.
Did anyone under 70 vote in this election?

I apologize, ma'am. Happy birthday.

Charlie.

Those polls closed 20 minutes ago.
What's going on?

I know he's a friend of yours.

He was a great public servant.

Call it red.

Maggie. Ohio 12, red.

We're gonna need to
pre-pro that map graphic.

Joey, can you get that ready
and let Jake know when it's there?

- Yes, sir.
- Two's down. I need you on Sabbith.

We'll need a photo graphic
for the congressman-elect

and a baseball card of his opponent.

- He's getting a dropline for that.
- Sabbith, two's down.

No, he's back up. Okay, go wide.

Do me a favor.
I need you to fix 1918 and add the source.

I'm looking at the stack
and you're missing 1825.

I see it. It's just not in the stack.

Will, the brand-new governor
of Wisconsin just said,

"Tonight, I want to tell every worker,

"every family, and every business
big or small in this state

"that you have an ally
in the governor's office."

Isn't he the one who wants to bust
the unions? Am I mixing him up?

Can you get him to go to Elliot a little more?

Can you get Elliot to
say something other than

how beautiful it is
to see democracy in action?

- I'm trying.
- Easy, man.

Let's go to three.

Elliot, tell us what we're looking at.

Well, we are looking at
American democracy in action, Will,

and it is really a beautiful sight to see.

Yes, it is. Sloan Sabbith.

We're looking at an electorate
that's older and more conservative.

Early exits suggest a quarter of all voters,
at least so far,

were 65 and older, and 41%
identify themselves with the Tea Party.

Kyle, we all remember those Tea Party signs

that said, "Keep your government hands
off my Social Security."

How do you explain
people who are on Social Security

voting for candidates who could
well endanger Social Security?

I can't.

Well, they don't call you
an analyst for nothing.

We've got 12 minutes
before the next round of polls close.

We'll throw it now to Terry Smith
and her team in Washington

and see you on the other side.

Terry, I don't know how you're gonna
follow Kyle, but give it a try.

We're out.

Hey, you want to give me a break?

- I'm sorry.
- Jesus.

It was a joke.

Come here.

Get in the game, would you, please?

I am in there doing everything I can
to get Mac to get him

to go to you, and he is doing it.

He is inviting you to become a star.

Would you stop being so fucking enthralled
with the act of punching a ballot?

Get back here. Get back here.

Don't talk to me like that.

I mean, I don't know who you think I am,

but don't talk to me like
I am a disappointing child.

You got three choices.

One, get back together with Maggie

so you can be the regular prick that I like

and not the bonus prick
that I've been getting for the past week.

Two, don't get back together with Maggie

and get over it.

Three, you're fired. Choose.

Hmm.

Everything you just said was right.

Let me also say I'm not the one

who wants to be a star, Mama Rose.

I don't know that reference.

It's from Gypsy.

Ethel Merman's a stage mother
who really pushes her daughter...

I don't have time to explain the plot of Gypsy.

Yeah, sure, okay. Just...

Pretend I gave a better pep talk.

- Okay?
- Done.

I printed this hot note.
I'm adding it to your binder.

Lexington, Kentucky, just elected
their first openly gay mayor.

You might want to keep it in your pocket.

Here's what the Grayson camp
sent us on his concession.

And I want to say something to you

that's both inappropriate and insubordinate.

What was the last one?

I want to say something to you
that's inappropriate,

insubordinate, and grounds for termination.

You could give Mac a break and
have the women meet you at the restaurant.

That was inappropriate and insubordinate,

- but I don't care.
- Thank you.

You should know your head's up your ass.

- Will, I know...
- You don't know anything, Maggie.

I've got the image of MacKenzie with that...
With her ex-boy...

It won't come out.

I need the team from Inception
to come and remove the image from...

Look, I'm not doing it on purpose.

I'm not rubbing her face in anything.

I'm simply not considering her feelings at all.

Yeah, I just heard myself say that.

Lexington, Kentucky,
and the Grayson statement.

The Times are reporting
Rick Scott spent 75 million

on his campaign in Florida.
That's the most ever on a gubernatorial race.

Joey, I'm sending you the quote.

- Make it a tear on the NYT background.
- Copy.

- You got a second?
- Are you joking?

I wanted to tell you that I shouldn't have...

- I wanted to apologize.
- This operation is unbelievable.

You guys are like air traffic controllers.

Honey, you're gonna tell me
if I'm in the way, right?

No, you're... No. Wade, this is...

I know who this is. I am not worthy.

You keep kicking
the Tea Party to hell and back.

They won the battle, you win the war.

And I'll tell you what else,
it's good business, too.

Where would Murrow have been
without McCarthy?

- Good to meet you.
- This is my friend, Wade Campbell.

She's so British.
We're a little more than friends.

Mac, you want a cyber panel
next to Will or a lower-third?

She's not British. She's American.

Your call. A cyber panel. Will...

Mac said I could watch tonight so long
as I promised to stay out of your eye line.

She said you never come in here, so...

Yeah, no. I think I got lost
on my way to the men's room.

Martin, would you take Wade
and show him the decision desk?

I would love that.

Sure.

We've been dating for about three months.

I'm sorry.

No. This is exactly
what was supposed to happen.

You're doing great in here.

- Thanks, Will.
- Thanks.

The McClatchy masthead has
to go with that 35-50 graphic.

- Will.
- Yes, ma'am?

You've got to ask the Tea Party
about the debt ceiling.

The debt ceiling.

Boehner'll keep them in line
on the debt ceiling vote.

They're freshmen. They sit in the back.

Half of them won their primaries by
beating candidates Boehner endorsed.

It's pro forma.
It's one sentence on one piece of paper.

It doesn't give the government
permission to borrow more money.

It gives the government permission
to pay back the money we already borrowed.

Do their constituents know that?

- In three, two, roll in.
- Fuck.

Welcome back to ACN's
election night coverage.

If you're justjoining us, the Republican Party

will be the majority party
in the House of Representatives

for at least the next two years.

We're joined live now by the newest member
of the 112th Congress,

Frank Guidry, representing
Colorado's 8th district.

Congressman-elect, congratulations.

- Thank you for joining us.
- Good to be here.

Mr. Guidry, you campaigned
on a promise of fiscal responsibility.

And I plan to govern the same way.

Mr. Guidry, in a few months,
you'll be asked to cast

the most important vote
you'll ever cast as a member of the House.

Will you be voting to raise the debt ceiling?

Will, I will not be casting a single vote

to spend a single dollar that we do not have.

- Sir, that's not what... That's not...

Mr. Guidry, this is Sloan Sabbith.

That's not what the debt ceiling...

I'm having trouble hearing you.

We've got some happy people
here behind me.

That's not... Sir, that's not
what the debt ceiling does.

- Are you able to hear us?
- Just barely.

Are you aware of the consequences
of not raising the debt ceiling?

I'm sorry, say that again.

Are you aware of the consequences,

the immediate global consequences

of the US defaulting on its loan payments?

I'm sorry, guys. I just can't hear you.

We'll have to pick this up another time.

All right.

Tess, good job. Go home.

Thank you.

Martin, nice work. Get some sleep.

- Hey, Jim.
- Yes, sir?

Smart people are gonna offer you
jobs for more money.

Before you take one, talk to me, okay?

That won't be an issue, sir.

Come have a drink with Will and me.

Oh, thank you very much, but it's pretty late

and it's a work night and I got to be in early.

Oh, be a damn newsman, would you?

- Yes, sir.
- Kids.

The final tally, colon,

Republicans pick up
63 seats in House, comma,

six seats in Senate, comma,
and eight governorships.

Colorado, Alaska, and Washington
still too close to call, period.

This is ACN's Live Election Blog
signing off, period.

I'm sorry, Dave, but I'm afraid I can't do that.

Laugh all you want,
but Kubrick got it exactly right.

HAL malfunctioned in a very realistic way.

Stop.

Good work tonight.

Hey.

I'm just gonna

go tell her she did a good job.

Brutal.

No words.

I have no words to describe what I just...

- But you're still talking.
- No words.

That's it. That's the last six months.

- Thanks, Brad.
- Could we have the room, please?

Moses and Jesus are playing golf.

Moses steps up to the tee
and hits a beautiful shot,

250 yards straight down
the middle of the fairway.

Jesus steps up to the tee
and hooks the ball into the trees.

Jesus looks up into the heavens,
raises his arms.

Suddenly, the sky darkens.

A thunderclap rings out.

Rain pours down and
a stream rises among the trees.

The golf ball, floating on top,
finds its way into the mouth of a fish.

Then a bird flies down
and takes the fish and the ball

out over the green,
drops it in the cup for a hole in one.

Jesus turns to Moses with a satisfied grin.

And Moses says, "Look,

"you want to play golf
or you want to fuck around?"

What in God's name has happened
to News Night over the last six months?

- Leona...
- Do not laugh.

Leona, the ratings have stabilized.

We're doing a show you can be proud of.

And I'll get them back
to where they used to be.

What happened to human interest stories?

Obesity, breast cancer, hurricanes,

older women having babies, iPhones...

He was great at that shit.

He was sleeping during that shit.

And whose idea was it to wake him up?

- For the third time, it was mine.
- Yeah.

I engineered a situation
wherein an executive producer

with a unique ability to
bring out the very best in an anchor

with a unique ability were paired

to do a news broadcast
this company can and should be proud of.

And rebrand ACN as MSNBC's
more combative brother?

- We did the news.
- For the left.

- For the center.
- Are you fucking out of your mind?

For the center, Leona. Facts are the center.

Facts. We don't pretend that
certain facts are in dispute

to give the appearance of fairness
to people who don't believe them.

Balance is irrelevant to me.

It doesn't have anything to do
with truth, logic, or reality.

He didn't go on the air
telling people to give peace a chance.

But evolution? The jury's back on that one.

He humiliated congressional candidates
on my air.

- It's not your air, Leona.
- Excuse me.

- He needs to continue.
- Listen to me.

Listen to me! America just elected

the most dangerous and
addle-minded Congress in my lifetime.

I have business in front
of this Congress, Charlie!

Reese, why don't you give us a minute?

He can stay.

Reese, get the fuck out.

I'll be right outside.

How would you like me to respond

to your unfiltered contempt for my son?

By telling him to get a paper route.

Look, pal...

What the hell is his job, anyway?

President of this company.

Yeah, I don't know what that means.

It means he's gonna have my job one day.

Please, please let me be dead by then.

I'd be happy to arrange it.

So Will pissed off whoever you were
sitting next to at dinner Saturday night?

I thought you got where you are
by being fearless.

No, I got where I am by knowing who to fear.

And the Koch brothers
are not playing around,

if that's what you're talking about.

They drop Brink's trucks
on people they disagree with.

You and me.

Leona, you can't possibly expect us to tailor

our news coverage to
what best suits our corporate...

Let's start over.

And this time, disabuse yourself of the idea

that this is a conversation between equals,

where I make an argument,
you make a counterargument,

and we agree to disagree.

Our cable news division
accounts for less than 3%

of AWM's annual revenue.

You don't make money for stockholders,

which I have a fiduciary responsibility to do.

Well, last night,
the voters ousted 21% of Congress,

including seven members
of the House Subcommittee

on Communications and Technology.

Three of those seven are AWM's
most reliable friends on the Hill.

Now, the congressmen that
will be replacing them

are the same people that
Will has been making look

like fucking morons for the last six months.

They've done a pretty good job
making themselves look like morons.

I have business before this Congress, Charlie.

And whatever you may think of these people,

which is the same thing I think of them,

they hold the keys to the future of AWM.

Anything more than a pack of gum,
and I have to go to Congress for permission.

I don't make the rules, but I do abide by them.

- News organizations...
- Careful with the lectures.

...are a public trust with an ability to inform

and influence the national conversation.

I know. That's why I bought one.

All right,

they're not candidates anymore.
They are congressmen,

and he is gonna lay off.

He's not gonna lay off anything.

- Oh, yes, he is.
- Let me ask you something.

And don't forget I've known you for 20 years.

If Joe McCarthy sat on
the House Subcommittee

for Communications and Technology,

would you have told Murrow to lay off?

- No.
- Why?

Because he was a genuinely bad guy.

Michele Bachmann's called
for Congress to be investigated

to ferret out House members
who are un-American.

Michele Bachmann is a hairdo.

I'm not worried about Michele Bachmann.

I wonder how many people
weren't worried about McCarthy.

You know, Charlie, a lot of people
might argue that Will is on a witch hunt.

And a lot of people might argue
there are witches out there.

I'll fire him, Charlie.

What?

I'm not asking him to lie.

I'm not asking him to cover anything up.

But he's going to tone it down,
or I'm going to fire him.

Well, best of luck trying
to program against him.

Oh, I don't have to. He's got
a non-compete clause in his contract.

He's gonna have to stay off
television for three years.

That's a death sentence.

It is.

How would you possibly explain firing

the second most-watched anchor on cable?

By creating what we call context.

His firing would be viewed as a noble step

on the part of a corporation
willing to sacrifice ratings for integrity.

You'd manufacture a reason to do it?

I've got a really good job, Charlie.

Now you want to play golf
or you want to fuck around?

Fellas, that was election coverage.
Tell 'em, Charlie.

Where the hell are we?

It's my understanding this is a karaoke bar

with affordable food and drinks
that stays open late

and staffers come here after work to socialize.

When you describe it,
it really sounds like Brigadoon.

- Hey, you know what?
- Shut up?

- Yeah. You know why?
- Where's MacKenzie?

- That's why.
- I didn't meet him until tonight either.

That's all right. I like being here.

Election night. Just the guys.

And... Yeah.

Elliot got in trouble tonight
for saying something

that was worth saying.

Every two years, we drive to a fire station

and overthrow the government

and there isn't a policeman in the street.

I love doing the news.

Hang on.

Who e-mails you at 2:00 a.m. during a toast?

I think whoever it is
probably didn't know about the toast.

Leona Lansing wants to see me at 10:00 a.m.

on the 40th floor conference room.

What do you think it's about?

I think she wants to say good job.

All right, to the 112th Congress.

Godspeed and God bless America.

God bless America.