Path to War

Congratulations, Mr. President.

Just the beginnin, Bob.

Sir! Mr. President, over here, please.

Thank you.

She is pretty.

Havin a good time, George?

Great night, Mr. President.

What a night.

Senator Dirksen,

the President would be delighted

if you'd join him in the Oval Office

after the ball.

I will.

One thing I can say

about the Great Society:

it sure is crowded!

Up all night writing this one, Dick?

Uh, this is one speech

I'll gladly disavow.

Got a clippin here.

Quotes my honorable defeated opponent,

Senator Goldwater.

Calls my Secretary of Defense

an IBM machine with legs!

Outrageous!

Now, I stand here tonight

to tell you this,

that I regard Bob McNamara here

as not only one of the smartest

but one of the most humane men I know.

Right here.

And that goes

for all my blue ribbon men

you see here tonight.

Never in our history

has there been such

an abundance of brain and talent,

why I've got three

our four Rhodes scholars,

four or five graduates of Harvard,

a couple from Yale, and why,

there's even one here tonight

from Southwest Texas

State Teachers College!

And don't you know,

that one rules the roost!

Thank you.

Watch broken, Jack?

Timin it.

Timin what?

The applause. He'll ask.

In a land of great wealth,

families must not live

in hopeless poverty.

In a land rich in harvest,

children just must not go hungry.

In a land of healing miracles,

neighbors must not suffer

and die unattended.

In a great land of learning

and scholars,

young people must be taught

to read and write.

A bit more volume, please,

Mr. President.

I want to hear every brilliant word

that Dick Goodwin wrote

for your marvelous speech.

Goodwin!? Who told you Goodwin wrote

that speech?

A dozen people work on my speeches,

and nobody more than I do.

Why Jack here's been writin some

of my best stuff for seven years.

My penance for marryin away

his last secretary.

But, thank you for the credit,

Mr. President.

All right, good night, Jack.

Good night, Mr. President.

Good night, Senator.

Good night, Jack.

Yeah, Goodwin wrote

maybe a word or two.

Mhm. Great being one.

Society the other.

Smart sonovabitch got

that out of a book.

Now, listen to me, Ev and listen well.

You're a good friend,

I don't want to see

you retire prematurely.

But as this reception

plainly shows you,

the American people ain't

gonna stand for you

fellahs in the other side

of the isle draggin your feet

in any of my programs.

Now, FDR passed a handful of bills

in his first hundred days.

I'm gonna pass a bucketful.

Poverty, education, healthcare.

I'm gonna finish what I started

on Civil Rights, too.

I'm tellin ya, Jim Crow put a collar

on more smart men,

sure as they were sentenced

to an Illinois chain gang.

Whoa-whoa-whoa. I take offense, sir.

We are most humane to our condemned.

The Great Society

is my beautiful woman, Ev,

and I'm takin her by the arm.

And as the greatest republican leader

in this century,

Edward Dirksen's gonna take her

by the other

and help me escort that lady home.

Yes, and knowing what is likely

thence to ensue, Mr. President,

that is where I shall take my leave.

Lyndon, I apologize for interruptin,

I thought

perhaps you'd like some sandwiches

from the kitchen.

Mrs. Johnson, my most abject apology.

I have kept your husband far too long

on this most festive occasion.

No.

Mr. President,

my heartfelt congratulations, sir.

Outta here.

Good night.

Good night.

...in abundance of what we'e learned

from heartache.

Democracy rests upon the people.

Freedom is a gift,

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