you haven't got it. a librarian and a secretary say hunt looked at a book. not good enough.
how senior?
just tell me his title.
is he on the level of assistant to the president or not?
get some harder information next time.
--and we printed that, didn't we, harry? and when the frigging audit's done, we'll print that too--
then it's our asses, isn't it?
go on.
it will, it just hasn't bottomed out yet, give it time.
you saying the democrats bugged themselves?
this is a daily paper, we'll explain it tomorrow. you're certain on mitchell?
--goddamnit, when's somebody gonna go on the record on this story--
--deep throat?--
leave plenty of room for his denial.
he really made that remark about mrs. graham? this is a family newspaper--cut the words "her tit" and run it.
once when i was reporting, lyndon johnson's top guy gave me the word they were looking for a successor to j. edgar hoover. i wrote it and the day it appeared johnson called a press conference and appointed hoover head of the fbi for life.  and when he was done, he turned to his top guy and the president said, "call ben bradlee and tell him fuck you." i took a lot of static for that-- everyone said, "you did it, bradlee, you screwed up--you stuck us with hoover forever--" --i screwed up but i wasn't wrong.
you guys haven't been wrong yet, is that why you're scared shitless? you should be.
--all non-denial denials--we're dirty guys and they doubt we were ever virgins but they don't say the story is inaccurate.
if they ever start calling us goddamn liars-- --it's time to start circling the wagons.
in a state of anger, pacing around the tiny teletype room. woodward hurries in.
i thought you guys were supposed to be working on this story-- --you think i like being aced out?
--it would have been nice to have had this, i sure would have liked to have had this--
--it makes the break-in real--it's a major goddamn story-- --i'm not going to kick ass over this, but i'd like you to know i hate getting beat, i just hate it-- don't forget that i hate it--
i got clawsen on hold--
--what do you think?--
i could care less about where it happened; what happened is what counts. (calling out to his
it's like they taught us at harvard: few things are as gratifying to the soul as having another man's nuts in a vise.
look, i wanted to talk because things are getting really hairy and there's a couple of things we've got to be careful of because--
--either of you want a drink or should i order?-- --because--
--because our cocks are on the chopping block and you've got to be sure that you're not just dealing with people who hate richard nixon and want to get him through us. you see, i don't give a shit who's president--i really don't, it's an adversary situation between them and us and it's always gonna be. i never had a closer friend than jack kennedy and once i printed something that pissed him off and for seven months i didn't exist.
ok, you've had your preamble; who the hell are you?
that didn't sound to me like a non- denial denial; could you have been wrong? you had a good source? did he have an ax?
all right, you made a mistake maybe, we all have, just don't make another. and watch your personal lives, who you hang around with. someone once said the price of democracy is a bloodletting every ten years. make sure it isn't our blood.
--i don't know, i don't know, it feels thin--
--well shit, we oughtta be tense-- we're about to accuse mr. haldeman who only happens to be the second most important man in america of conducting a criminal conspiracy from inside the white house-- --it would be nice if we were right--
--bernstein, are you sure on this story?
--what about you?--
--i'm not sure, it still feels thin--
roaring out of his office doorway.
woodstein!
my non-denial denial.
fuck it, let's stand by the boys.
you couldn't have told me over the phone?
we can't talk inside either?
anything else from mr. throat?
he's wrong on that last, we're not in the least danger, because nobody gives a shit--what was that gallup poll result? half the country's never even heard the word watergate.
look, you're both probably a little tired, right? you should be, you've been under a lot of pressure. so go home, have a nice hot bath, rest up fifteen minutes if you want before you get your asses back in gear-- --because we're under a lot of pressure, too, and you put us there-- not that i want it to worry you-- nothing's riding on you except the first amendment of the constitution plus the freedom of the press plus the reputation of a hundred-year-old paper plus the jobs of the two thousand people who work there-- --but none of that counts as much as this: you fuck up again, i'm gonna lose my temper. i promise you, you don't want me to lose my temper. move-move-move--what have you done for me tomorrow?