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( music playing )
( birds chirping )
( helicopter blades whirring )
Man on radio: Top story is the unprecedented criticism of President Foster
by the veteran chairman of the joint chiefs of staff General Lloyd
at the National Press Club yesterday.
Lloyd: Let's just say that on this issue
President Foster and I have agreed to disagree.
Man: General Lloyd stated
that the president's lack of support of the military
would leave the country vulnerable and crippled
at this time of high global uncertainty.
The president wants to shrink the armed forces
and put this peace dividend into his domestic program.
The general believes there is no...
So what's the program today?
Polish the doorknobs,
cut the grass and...
wash Mom's car.
Then to your room. No TV.
Now go change your clothes.
Yes, sir.
Morning.
( turns off radio )
Why is everything always an order?
He knows what he did.
Can't lick a problem if it licks you first.
Mac, he's 13.
He was born into this family. He didn't enlist.
Todd!
( door opens )
You handle yourself properly today,
watch the game together tomorrow.
Orlando's going to win it 4-zip.
No way. Knicks are going to take it.
Character!
Okay?
Okay. See you later.
All right. Love you.
( car engine starts )
Man on radio: Well, Mr. Secretary, with all due respect,
we're not the only ones questioning the president's indecision.
The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff
publicly criticized the president for not signing the bill.
Man #2: As far as General Lloyd's remarks go, you in the media
have taken his agreement to disagree
with the president out of context...
( beeping )
( quiet chatter )
Morning, Billy.
Morning, Colonel.
Situation normal?
Uh, we lost another one in Bolivia last night.
Coke patrol.
Any friendly casualties?
Goodness, no. That wouldn't be nice.
Bolivia's fine. The Knicks got their back against the wall.
They need me.
Hey, who's the old man like?
Not into it.
Negative. He's into it big-time.
"Call on Slam Dunk. All bets in by 8:00 PM Saturday."
He's got a betting pool on the finals.
Thinks it'll go till then. Been sending stuff out all week
under his own personal code-- Blue 6 code.
Get caught plugging into the old man's code, you know what's going to happen to you.
You should see who's got a share in his action.
Cross down at Tampa. Jacobs at NORAD.
Allen down at Fort Benning.
Mucho brass. Looks like everybody's already in it.
Has he said anything about it to you?
What, to me? Nah.
You can ask him about it, though. He wants to see you.
What, he's here?
On a Sunday?
Yeah. Bookie's best day.
You wanted to see me, sir?
Sit down, Mac.
Ah, it's days like this that I wish I never accepted this lousy job.
The only problem is...
I can't bear the thought of anyone else having it.
The intel is the president loses his job first.
Is that the intel? Well, we'll know next Tuesday,
my day on the carpet.
Uh, should have kept my big mouth shut!
You spoke up. Straight. Honest.
It's time somebody did.
Publicly? Hmm? Commander-in-Chief?
I don't think it's perceived as an attack, sir.
The president may be a good man,
but he doesn't know shit about national defense.
At least when his wife was alive, he had a reality barometer.
The way things were going Election Day,
nobody bothered to ask him about it. Here.
You know, I used to know who my enemies were.
Who'd have guessed five years ago that Iran and Iraq would be allies?
The next fight in the Middle East...
it's going to make the Gulf War look like a family picnic.
And when it comes, we won't be ready.
Look at us. We're cops. We're builders.
We're health-care providers.
Worst of all...
we're politicians.
- It sucks. - Ah.
Hell, let's not mince words.
It's what my son always says about everything.
Mac, uh...
last couple of weeks, uh...
you've been kind of tense.
You're not uptight about the alert this weekend, are you?
No. It's Todd.
He's 13.
He's working at an appliance store, Kraemer's.
He stole eight video recorders.
Took him months.
He doesn't know why he did it, and neither do I.
But somehow, it all...
comes down to me being a bad father, sir.
He's a good kid.
Mac...
good kids often lose their way.
Don't be so hard on yourself.
I've been trained that way. I'm a Marine, sir.
"It sucks." I like that.
You going to watch the playoffs this weekend, sir?
Playoffs. Would you believe it?
I don't even know who the hell's playing this year.
( overlapping chattering )
( reporters clamoring )
Dave.
Mr. President, can you tell us what you thought of the latest CNN poll?
My chief of staff, Miss Corcoran, likes to say
that a poll is what you hang a politician from.
I don't pay any attention to them.
It's a different number every day.
- ( clamoring ) - One last question. Helen.
General Lloyd has publicly accused you
of turning your back on the military.
Would you care to comment?
General Lloyd's remarks were taken out of context
and blown way out of proportion.
But make no mistake about it...
the general was freelancing.
But I am smart enough to know
when I'm being shot at by a professional,
and I'm still in one piece.
- ( reporters laughing ) - Thank you for asking.
Well, Betsy, from one herd of jackals to the next.
The cabinet, Mr. President.
With a 29% approval rating, you can't tell them what to do.
If you don't build a consensus, you're going to pay a price.
And here I thought the cabinet was supposed to be the president's team.
- ( chatter ) - You bet, you bet.
- Ladies and gentlemen. - Man: All right.
- Cheryl. Steven. - Mr. President.
Harry.
We have a lot of ground to cover in a short time, as usual,
so I suggest we get started right away.
Let's begin with something easy--
- taxes. - ( men laugh )
Foster: Well, as you all know,
I have on my desk right now
a bill that gives a huge budget increase to the military.
Suppose I just don't sign it?
Suppose some of that goes over to domestic,
to farm subsidies,
and the rest of it to policing our streets?
Do you really think that's wise, sir?
I don't know, Art. What do you think?
If you do that, Mr. President, I'm told that our readiness
and force structure will suffer severely.
That sounds just like General Lloyd's position.
If you veto that bill, Mr. President,
you're going to get a huge public reaction.
Then I'll take the heat, Tom.
Look, I know most of you don't like this idea.
And I'm not going to ask for a show of hands,
but I will need the support of each and every person in this room.
We're going to need to pull together on this.
Now let's be clear...
about what we will not do.
We will not any longer
defer our urgent domestic needs
in order to satisfy
the inflated demands of the military.
We will not add $40-60 billion to the budget
without having any idea where the money's coming from.
I ran on a pledge to cut the deficit.
That's why we're all here today.
I'm going to do it or I'll die trying.
Oh, let's not talk about death.
Taxes is depressing enough.
Why, Walter, I always thought that death
was a vice presidential obsession.
( laughter )
Where is it written that if your president's from the heartland,
your vice president has to be a backroom boy from the East?
It was a winning combination.
But a terrible marriage.
I should have gone with Charlie Potter.
He gets things done.
Are we pushing too hard?
We don't have a choice.
If things don't change remarkably,
there won't be a second term.
We've come a long way, Betsy.
I couldn't have done it without you.
Thank you, sir.
( touch tones beeping )
Man: Central Command.
Yeah.
It's Colonel Casey from the joint staff.
I need the deputy commander, please. Thank you.
O'Malley.
Colonel O'Malley. Yeah.
We noticed a little item up here
preparing a readiness report for the alert this weekend.
It's just a routine exercise,
but it says here you guys ordered live ammo.
Not exactly standard.
Well, that's classified.
Excuse me?
I'm sorry, Colonel. No one but General Allen
is authorized to discuss that operation.
Maybe you can call back tomorrow.
Sure. Tomorrow's fine.
( touch tones beeping )
( rings )
- Hello. - Walter.
- Yeah. - Mac Casey.
- Hey, Mac. The rising star. - Yeah. I got the duty.
- How's the puzzle palace? - Look, Walt...
I'm checking out this live ammo request.
Jesus, Mac. I wish you guys would get it together.
You added the live ammo for your Slam Dunk thing.
- Don't you remember? - It's for Slam Dunk?
Yeah. It's the damnedest thing.
We're training more for seizure than defense here.
- ( knocks ) - Lloyd: Come.
Mac.
This will only take a moment.
Yesterday, I ran across a little glitch in the printouts.
There was live ammo ordered for some operation
called Slam Dunk?
I'm sorry you got left out, Mac.
It was the president's idea to keep this one down to the short list.
Slam Dunk is a covert exercise
we're running with the CIA.
It's extremely sensitive, Mac.
Extremely sensitive.
A team is practicing
to go into a Third World country
to seize a nuclear weapon.
I could show you the file if you're curious.
I wouldn't mind taking a look. Thanks.
Can I have it now, sir?
I'll shoot it to your e-mail.
You'll have it tomorrow morning.
Thank you, sir.
( chatter )
Stand by.
Mac: 15 points down.
Take a shot or give it up.
So what was your program today?
I saw the therapist.
Yeah?
You like her?
Well, she's okay.
Don't lock your knees.
She ask you lots of questions?
Well, sh-she asked if
I felt a rush...
when I was stealing.
And I told her I felt awful.
And she says, "Why?"
And I say...
"'Cause I knew I'd get caught."
Take your hands out your pocket.
Take a shot.
Then she says...
"Why did you do it?"
And you say...
what?
'Cause--
'cause I-- 'cause I couldn't stop.
And she asked how we get along.
How do we get along?
You're close to fouling out.
Trying to stay in the game, Todd.
Trying to stay in the game.
Take your shot or give it up.
I don't think the son of a bitch can shut up even if he wants to.
He's a born politician...
and not a bad one at that.
Name one successful general who isn't.
Well, I have rapidly lost my appetite for the daily battle.
Tell me what would happen to my poll numbers
if I were to fire a living legend?
You'd become nostalgic for the days when you had 29%.
But look at the upside--
Lloyd will be retiring soon with full honors
and you'll have one less problem,
though, of course, replacing him may be a problem
since you've almost run out of women.
Very good, Mr. Secretary.
Where would I be without you, Charlie?
I've been advised, General, to fire you.
I frankly know of no reason why, sir.
But you know I serve at your disposal, Mr. President.
Yes, but you've gone and got yourself
a pretty good constituency.
I'm asking a lot of the American people already.
I can't liquidate their Captain Marvel.
( chuckles )
The people want to know they're defended.
They are, at a cost of 230 billion a year.
May I remind you, Mr. President,
that the sole purpose of our military
is to wage and win wars
and protect our shores from foreign aggressors?
You are a compassionate man, sir,
but you are withholding funds
which will leave our military degraded.
You are recklessly placing this nation
in a position of weakness.
And may I remind you, General,
that I, with the help of Congress, will make policy.
You will follow it.
If you want my job, go out and win your party's nomination
and get yourself elected!
I have no interest in becoming president.
My sole concern is there be a country left to defend.
Another war is coming, sir, and when it does,
we're going to have to call on Israel to defend us
because our own forces will have become impotent
in the interests of social experiments
and global public relations.
Keep your opinions to yourself, General,
or confine them to this office.
Thank you.
( clock chiming )
( phone ringing )
Man on P.A.: The meeting of the category 2
weapons systems evaluation group
has been rescheduled for tomorrow.
( Billy laughs ) After midnight, right? Say, quarter to 1:00.
I leave her there parked, right, in that driveway?
It's the White House. It's late at night. She's alone.
I come back and I show her this envelope.
And I say, "Shit, we got to rush this out to the CIA at Langley."
And this gets you laid?
I am six for six on this. It's great, trust me.
Uh, yes, sir.
- Situation normal? - Uh, yes, sir.
How's the traffic on the old man's betting pool?
Uh, something came in this morning.
Correct me if I'm wrong,
but Reagent Alpha One--
that's an advanced chemical disabling weapon, right?
Mac: Yeah. What's the point?
Billy: It's been okayed for the alert.
Don't ask me why, but national command authorized it.
Punch up where General Lloyd is. Now.
- ( boat horns blaring ) - ( seagulls screeching )
( dog barking )
( door opens )
( footsteps )
Jean: It was good to see you two playing ball together today.
He's getting better.
He's starting to realize what he did wrong.
You know, I'm sorry.
You know, the way I've been lately.
It's just I've just got so much on my mind.
Is this, um, about seeing Todd's therapist tomorrow?
Do we need this?
I don't know this woman.
She doesn't know us.
She knows Todd. He likes her.
I said I'd be there,
so I'll be there.
Mac.
Thanks.
( phone ringing )
( traffic blaring )
( ringing continues )
Woman: Good morning. Chief of Staff's office.
May I help you?
Chief of Staff, please.
Who's calling, please?
This is the director of current operations at the Pentagon,
Colonel Mac Casey.
Could you tell her it's urgent?
And private, please. Thank you.
( siren wailing )
Betsy: What's so urgent?
Betsy? Betsy, Betsy, I need to talk to you.
That's it? No hello, how are you? Where are you anyway?
I'm sorry, this is really important.
It's a matter of national security.
Aren't you pretty far out of channels, Mac?
- You have a boss. Talk to him. - I can't.
Jesus, Mac, I'm catching javelins here. What the hell is going on?
Can't you give me some idea?
Yeah. I need to talk to you in person.
You and everyone else.
Betsy, you've known me for a long time.
I've been a Marine for 19 years.
By me calling you, I may be throwing it all away.
Hang on for a second, Mac.
- ( softly ) Move my 7:30... - ( horn blaring )
- Betsy? - Grant Memorial, 8:00.
Oh, okay.
Uh...
can you make it 8:30?
This is not a negotiation, Colonel.
Okay.
Grant Memorial, 8:00. See you then. Bye.
Woman: Office of the Attorney General. Please hold.
Secretary Potter to see you.
- Good morning, Sarah. - Good morning.
- How are you? - I'm fine, thank you, Mr. Secretary.
- Good, good. - Morning, Charlie. Come in. Sit down.
- Thank you. - Thank you, Sarah.
The general tells me that you have misgivings, Arthur.
I have always had misgivings, Charlie.
The Constitution is--
is in my care.
Others before us have tried to manipulate the Constitution,
but, Jesus, this thing makes them look like a Sunday picnic!
I, uh--
I can't be a part of subverting the Constitution, Charlie.
Not as a means to an end,
even if that end is saving the country itself.
Oh, my.
You should reread the Constitution, Arthur.
I have.
You unleash this thing...
how do you know what will ultimately happen?
Because I control what happens.
What if something goes wrong?
Arthur, nothing is going to go wrong.
You have a backup plan.
I don't want to hear about that,
including that exercise this Saturday, you hear?
Very well.
I understand you have misgivings, Arthur.
What I need to know is
what do you intend to do about them?
Nothing.
Do I have your word on that?
Yes.
Damn you!
I respect that, Arthur.
Lloyd: Afternoon, General. Admiral. Come on in.
- Good afternoon, General. - Oh, Mac, uh, you can sit this one out.
Therapist: Colonel, there appears to be a lot of pressure
at home right now.
Todd talks about you a great deal.
Seems clear you've always had a strong relationship.
He's my son and I love him.
But I don't see what that's got to do with this.
Don't you?
Mac: Look, Doctor,
I'm sure you're very good at what you do,
but I don't think this is getting us anywhere.
Todd made a mistake.
He's got to deal with his punishment, learn from it,
and move on.
Right, Todd?
You and your dad live by a pretty tough code of behavior,
don't you, Todd?
Todd: I guess so.
Therapist: Let me ask you something.
Did you ever wonder what would happen
if you failed to live up to that code?
I'd get in a lot of trouble.
- Jean: Dr. Jarvis-- - Jarvis: See, maybe it was possible
you were trying to test things,
see if your dad still loved you just as much,
even after you got caught.
Todd.
We'll watch the game together tonight.
You're leaving?
Jean: Now?
I got to go. I'm really sorry.
How could you do this?
I'll be there for tip-off.
Save me a seat, huh?
Sorry.
( distant siren wailing )
I was just getting ready to leave.
Anybody but you, I'd be gone by now.
It wasn't exactly convenient accommodating your schedule.
You got exactly six minutes.
Make it good.
Have you ever heard of a classified covert exercise
involving the military and the CIA called Slam Dunk?
Could the president have approved this exercise
without you having known?
The political answer? Sure.
The truth? No.
Last Sunday I learned
that General Lloyd was operating a betting pool
over the NBA playoffs.
Pentagon's always got betting pools. So what?
The general told me he doesn't even know who's playing.
Betsy, that's not like him.
- He's never lied to me before. - ( car horn honks, passes )
The same day, I noticed that, um...
live ammunition had been ordered
for this weekend's alert.
So I did some checking, and I found out two things.
First, that they were training more for seizure
than for protection,
second, this live ammunition was ordered
for this Operation Slam Dunk.
And?
I talked to the general.
Told him that...
there must have been a communications glitch,
because I was not informed of the situation.
And?
He said that the president wanted to keep the list short on this one.
Said he'd send me the file, but he hasn't shown it to me yet.
Go on.
General Lloyd...
has been meeting privately
with Secretary Potter,
other members of the cabinet.
Doesn't add up.
You have absolutely nothing but your own conjecture.
Standard exercise calls for 10,000 men.
This weekend, we're deploying 100,000 troops
into 12 major cities of this country.
And there's one more thing.
What's that?
The troops have been armed with chemical weapons.
I need to talk to the president.
Hi.
How are you? Good to see you.
Man: And now, our guest this evening,
Arthur Daniels,
the Attorney General of the United States.
Always a pleasure, ma'am.
( applause )
Ambassador. How are you?
( music playing )
Honey, I'm going to call you in the morning.
( laughs )
( gasps )
Mr. Daniels!
- ( people gasp ) - Mr. Daniels!
Sir! Sir!
Get him on his back.
( woman screams )
One...
and two, three...
Somebody call the paramedics.
( crowd cheering )
- Announcer: And slam dunk! - Come on, man!
Announcer: The Knicks have tied the game 101 to 101 against the Magic.
- Trying to avoid the screen... - No!
Announcer #2: We interrupt this program for a special report.
Good evening, this is Iris Gitter in front of the Watergate Plaza
in Washington, DC, where just moments ago,
US Attorney General Arthur Daniels collapsed and died
- of an apparent heart attack. - Hello?
You can see that the police are closing off the area.
- People are still leaving... - Yes, he is. May I ask who's calling?
- ...that the attorney general was attending. - Just a minute.
He had no previous record of a heart attack or heart problems.
- Mac, it's for you. - All right.
Thanks.
Yes?
Betsy: Our friend would like you to come for a visit.
East gate, 40 minutes.
Right, 40 minutes. I'll be there. Thanks, bye.
- ( dog barking ) - ( engine starts )
Ready?
( knocking )
Mr. President, Colonel Mac Casey.
Please sit down, Colonel.
I prefer to stand. Thank you, sir.
Tell me about the general.
Sir, this is very uncomfortable for me
because it concerns a superior officer that I admire and respect.
Understood.
The general believes that war is inevitable...
and the next time we will lose
because we have lost our ability to fight.
I'd like to ask you a question, sir.
Go ahead.
Yesterday I saw a private memo.
An advanced chemical disabling weapon called Reagent Alpha One
had been authorized for this weekend's alert.
Only the National Command Authority can do that, sir.
I didn't order it.
The only other person with that authority is Secretary Potter.
Yes, sir.
Now let me ask you a question.
You believe General Lloyd is a hero.
Yes, I do.
Can a hero be a traitor?
I'm afraid he could be.
So you think there's a military plot
to take over the government.
Naked military takeover?
Not in this country. The people would never stand for it.
The men-at-arms are just regular American kids.
They wouldn't stand for it either.
There has to be something more.
The military action has to be supporting something,
something within the law that the people could accept.
The attorney general...
he died of a heart attack, sir?
Art Daniels just had his physical a week ago at Bethesda.
We asked about it.
He was in perfect health.
The KGB
used to use smoke and prussic acid.
Death was instantaneous. Looked like a coronary.
Our boys could have done the same thing.
You believe Art Daniels was assassinated?
What I do not believe in, sir, is coincidence.
Maybe Daniels found out.
Maybe he was even involved in it.
Maybe he just had a heart attack.
Maybe.
Mac has a list of 22 names.
They're the commanders of the exercise this weekend.
He thinks they'll make a move during the alert.
If it is true, all you can do is fire them now.
What about the other generals?
Do I trust them
just because Colonel Casey hasn't found their names yet?
If I fire my top 22 generals,
claim they're traitors without proof...
You could be impeached.
It's a possibility, sir.
And a chance you might just have to take.
Mac: Sir, we don't know what they're planning
or what they'd do to protect themselves
if they suspected that we knew.
They might move it up. They might go immediately.
We tip our hands right now,
we are giving up our tactical advantage of surprise,
and, frankly, sir, that is the only advantage that we have.
And what are we supposed to do with our tactical advantage?
We're going to find out who they are, what they're planning,
and how to stop them in 69 hours.
You're career military.
You're General Lloyd's protégé.
Why didn't you join them?
They didn't ask me.
If they had?
The military exist
to support and defend the government,
not to be the government, sir.
Should I worry about where your loyalties lie?
I'm here.
I'm the one who blew the whistle, sir.
( crickets chirping )
( car alarm chirps )
Good night, sir.
( engine starts )
( tires squealing )
- ( birds chirping ) - ( dog barking )
- Stop! - ( gasps )
Sorry.
What time did you get in last night?
What?
Mac, you've done classified work before.
You've always told me something.
- It's different. - How?
Is there something you should let me know?
If I could, I would.
I see.
You run out on us twice in one night.
You don't come back home until 3:00 in the morning.
Honey...
For 15 years...
I mean, I ever give you trouble like that?
I never thought so.
I'm no angel, Jean.
I may be a lousy father,
but I promise I'll be there for him.
I'm trying really hard
to believe that.
( overlapping voices ) Good morning, Mr. President.
How does it look this morning?
Did our colonel just have a bad dream?
I'm afraid it's not going to go away.
Thank you.
What amazes me is
that this thing hasn't leaked yet.
I want you to scrub my meeting with John at the fed.
Throw some smoke at the press
that I'm working on foreign affairs for a change.
Tell me about Casey. You confident about him?
I've known him for a long time.
We're making a big bet on one man.
What do we do, bring back the national security adviser from Kiev?
Nope. Charlie Potter would smell a rat right off.
I thought Charlie was my friend.
If we get lucky, find a guy who's not a conspirator.
How do we know he'll even help us?
FBI? Secret Service?
If Daniels could have been in on it...
Why not the FBI?
Why not anybody?
We might get a hand from Daniels' private secretary, Sarah something.
She's not too bright.
I'll make up a story, give her a call.
- ( band playing ) - ( cameras clicking )
( phone rings )
- Yeah? - Woman: Colonel Casey, please.
Yeah, he's right here. Hang on. Mac?
Yeah?
Hello?
- Please hold for the chief of staff. - Yeah.
Betsy: The attorney general's secretary is a Sarah McCann.
You'll be meeting her tonight at the Justice Department.
- Okay. - Ninth Street entrance, 7:00.
That'll give the building time to clear.
Oh, your name is Wycliffe, Philip.
I-- I got to go now. I got to go.
Hey, saw you checking out of the White House last night.
What are you, special adviser to the president?
It wasn't me, pal.
Mac?
Sir?
Did you forget something, sir?
You've been working too hard.
Just take care of this briefing,
and then take a three-day pass
and spend some time with the family.
That's an order.
Thank you, sir.
Sarah: Mr. Wycliffe?
I'm Sarah McCann.
Could he have had another appointment book?
A private one, maybe?
No. Just that one, I think.
Did General Lloyd come here often?
Just that once.
Can you remember anything about that--
how the general looked when he went in,
when he came out?
The attorney general's mood after the meeting?
Well, they fought.
I heard both of their voices raised through the door,
but I couldn't hear any words.
And when they came out, they were smiling.
Sarah,
could you sit down for a second?
Thank you.
What did Miss Corcoran tell you about the situation?
Miss Corcoran didn't call me.
The president called me himself.
He said I should give you anything you ask for
and to keep this a secret
because Mr. Daniels had some enemies
and that you were defending Mr. Daniels' good name.
He wasn't a perfect man,
but he was a good man.
You see, the president said
for you to give me whatever I ask.
But what we're looking for is a secret.
So I don't know what to ask.
You know.
This wasn't anything like Watergate.
This was just for his memoirs.
And he wouldn't have written anything
until after everyone had retired.
And then he would have handled everything with...
integrity.
I need the tapes, Sarah.
Especially the ones from Tuesday.
He didn't give them to me.
They're at his house, I think.
Is there anybody there?
No, after the divorce, he lived--
he lived by himself.
I have a key.
( door closes )
Scorched tapes and ashes.
Betsy: Damn! Well, at least it proves we're right.
This thing does go deeper than the military.
It proves it to us. It doesn't prove it to the country.
Now we're down to 48 hours.
45.
I'll update the president.
Okay.
( birds chirping )
What's the matter? You tired?
You run. You run home.
Run home now. Let's go. Go! Go!
I don't have time to explain. Now, go.
( grunts )
We just want to talk to you.
( clock chiming )
Colonel Casey!
Who are you?
Call me Jake.
Jake?
Would you prefer Joe?
No. Jake is fine.
I didn't know you guys were still in business.
Yes. We Russians have a great respect for our traditions.
What am I doing here?
You are Colonel Lyle MacArthur Casey,
and you are tracking your own superior, General Lloyd,
and reporting back to the White House.
That is why I wish to speak with you.
We know that you are facing a conspiracy
in your government, Colonel.
We wish to help.
President Foster is a humanitarian,
sympathetic to the plight of my people.
And a militarily controlled US
is not in our best interests.
Fort Benning.
Here is NORAD.
Now Tampa.
Troop movements, all from this morning.
How'd you get these photographs?
We accessed your high-resolution satellite.
Very simple.
Next...
hunting lodge...
Blue Ridge Mountains.
Four meetings in six weeks--
always these very same men.
You know, Colonel,
the Pentagon is the best news manager in the world.
Your general has all he needs--
the politicians,
the military, public opinion,
and the next president.
Vice President Kelly.
Foster: Walter Kelly.
Why am I not surprised?
And Jack Giddings,
more money than God and the moral sense of an ant.
Fire everybody in sight, the whole fucking cabinet.
I can't fire the vice president,
and I can't fire Jack Giddings.
What's worse, I can't prove anything.
What about these photographs?
You want me to go on TV and say,
"I got these photos from the Russians of our bases,
which incriminate the most popular hero in the United States."
The vote to impeach would end gridlock.
It'd be unanimous and bipartisan.
And then Walter Kelly waltzes into the Oval Office
through the front door.
We still have some time, sir.
Go back to your friends, Mac.
There's got to be more.
Get me some proof I can use.
We're down to 35 hours. We have to do something.
I know what I'm doing.
- Yes? - Man: Excuse me, sir.
The president's on line one.
Foster: Good afternoon, General.
Good afternoon, Mr. President.
General, I'll come straight to the point.
I want to cancel the alert this weekend.
If I may, sir, um...
this exercise is vital to our readiness,
as we discussed.
I agree, General.
I'm not suggesting we cancel it indefinitely,
but with everything that's happened,
I want to postpone it.
Well, of course, the final decision is up to you, sir,
but I must say I cannot endorse your decision.
I'd take that under consideration, General,
but I'm afraid my decision is final.
I want it canceled.
Good-bye, General.
( clicks, dial tone )
( button clicks )
Bye, Mr. President.
( thunder rumbles )
Priest: Arthur Daniels had the same respect for life,
family, and God
as for the law he swore to uphold.
He left us a legacy of decency.
Decency in every aspect of his life.
For those of us who knew him,
we learned to admire and respect him.
We shall miss him greatly.
Let us pray.
Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
O, my God, I trust in Thee.
Let me not be ashamed.
Let not mine enemies triumph over me.
Let none that wait on me be ashamed.
Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
Show me Thy ways, O Lord,
teach me Thy paths.
Consider mine enemies,
for they are many,
and they hate me with cruel hatred.
So keep my soul and deliver me.
Let me not be ashamed,
for I put my trust in Thee.
- Billy. - Hey, I thought you were off.
- Dear Lord... - I came to see you.
...let Your son, Arthur Daniels,
be with You today.
Man: One and...
ready...
aim...
- fire! - ( gunshots )
Ready...
aim...
- fire! - ( gunshots )
Ready, aim...
- fire! - ( gunshots )
Ready, aim...
- fire! - ( gunshots )
Ready, aim...
- fire! - ( gunshots )
Try it again.
Present arms.
Order arms.
It's unfortunate that this was necessary.
We're going to get our hands dirty
no matter how antiseptically we do this.
Billy: They're shutting it down.
Try it again.
Look, I've already gone where no lieutenant's gone before.
Try it again, Lieutenant.
Colonel, this ain't kosher.
Damn it, Billy, you just--
you go have a cup of coffee, okay?
We're in agreement.
This thing is a go for tomorrow.
Colonel.
Lieutenant.
Sir?
Was that Colonel Casey?
No, sir.
He's on a three-day pass, sir.
Thank you, Lieutenant.
Carry on.
Sir.
( cheering )
If I don't get some hard proof by 8: 00 tomorrow night,
there'll be no second chances.
We came forward to you.
Why would I hold back hard proof?
Because it compromises some other interest of yours?
Maybe an agent you have in place?
( spectators cheering )
Jake: Hypothetically speaking,
if such an agent existed,
I presume one could bargain.
One can always bargain.
- Coach: Come on, all the way now. - ( bat cracks )
- All the way. - Man: Oh, yeah!
Jordan almonds. I'm addicted.
I need a witness to testify, Jake.
( sighs ) The agent in place
has been a bit of a problem to us
for reasons that I cannot say.
Going to the other side, is he?
Let's just say emotional problems.
Let me think on this.
The third baseman...
- Umpire: You're out of there! - ...my child!
( shouts in Russian )
I love this game!
Mac: The Russians are hoping for a deal.
Get me proof...
and their agent goes home.
Yes, sir, I'm to be contacted on that.
Let's pray it's soon
because with 20 hours to go, we've got nothing.
The ultimate would be a confession--
someone inside the conspiracy.
Why would anybody do that?
Especially since they'd be confessing to treason.
Maybe even murder.
( clock chiming )
I keep thinking about Art Daniels.
One thing he would never do
is go against the Constitution.
We live in a highly evolved democracy.
They're going to have to do something
to give this thing the appearance,
the illusion of legality.
Betsy: Amendment 25, ratified after Kennedy.
Presidential Disability and Succession Act,
Section 4.
"Whenever the vice president"
and a majority of either the principal officers
"of the executive departments"--
sound like the cabinet, sir?
- Foster: Keep reading. - "Or of such other body"
as Congress may by law provide,
transmit to the president pro tempore of the Senate
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
their written declaration that the president
is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,
the vice president shall immediately assume
the powers and duties of the office
"as acting president."
Just by sending a letter,
you can be removed from office?
If I write a letter saying that I am not disabled,
I don't automatically get my job back.
The other side gets four days
to say that I am disabled, which they will,
and then the Congress gets 21 days to meet and vote on it.
And through all that time,
Walter Kelly,
that backbiting...
remains president.
I'll be damned, that's it.
That's what, sir?
They want a new president they can control.
The 25th Amendment makes it legal.
That's their cover.
Kelly: This letter was delivered at 8:00 this evening.
Accordingly, I speak to you now
as your president.
We are going to try the issues
of Will Foster's mental and emotional stability.
Not tonight. These issues will be tried in the Congress
as required by our Constitution.
And the system will work its will in this crisis
as it has in others.
Every man is imperfect by nature,
and every nation throughout history
has been ruled by men.
Every nation but ours.
I have, therefore, decided,
in consultation with other government leaders,
as a purely temporary measure,
that for the next 72 hours
there will be a dusk to dawn curfew.
The writ of habeas corpus will be suspended during this time.
Accordingly, I have placed in the hands of our joint chiefs of staff--
Potter: We may want to change that.
It smells of a military junta.
When you say you place the power into their hands,
there's a sense that you're giving up control.
Wrong. You're the president.
They're simply your traffic cops.
So, I've given an order to-- I've given orders--
And just lighten up the tone a little through this section here.
Let the words carry the power.
A purely temporary measure.
They don't like Will Foster any more than we do,
but he is the elected president.
You're simply letting them off the hook.
They'll feel relieved.
That's what they want to feel.
Nurture that.
Let's do it again.
( band playing )
( indistinct chatter )
Sarah?
Mr. Wycliffe.
When I was a little girl, if somebody told me
that I was going to end up as a spy...
Oh, well.
Jake ordered me...
to cooperate with the president.
That's why I told you about the tapes.
You got to help us now.
Meaning?
You got to testify to what's on those tapes.
Well, it won't prove anything.
Arthur never said anything incriminating.
No, no. You're all we've got.
Well, and if the CIA finds out what I was doing in the Justice Department,
what's going to happen to me?
The president promised you will be protected.
No, no, no, no. I need to think about this.
Hey! You're not listening to me.
You got to tell the president what you know now.
No.
- ( gunshot ) - ( people screaming )
Woman: Oh, my God!
Call 911.
( horn blares )
Jean!
Todd!
Jean!
Todd! Jean!
Mac? What's the matter?
Take Todd and go to your mother's house.
- Why? - I don't got time to explain right now.
- Dad, what's going on? - Todd, I want you to go with your mother.
Take care of your mother, okay? I'm proud of you.
Let's go! Let's go! I'm telling you, it's not safe.
- ( phone rings ) - Don't answer that!
Hello?
Yes, sir. Dad, it's General Lloyd.
Just go! You got to go! I love you, but now.
Both of you, you got to go now! You got to go now.
Mom, where are we going?
Mac: No, you want to talk to me,
you talk to me in a public place.
Lloyd: One hour, you pick it.
Fine.
Hey, don't worry.
Anybody asks, all I saw was the inside of my empty desk.
What do you mean?
I've been transferred to Hawaii, effective immediately.
I put in for it a few years ago,
but I never heard anything, now suddenly...
You take care, okay?
You, too.
( beeping )
( jet flies overhead )
This is symbolic.
We could've met over a beer
like a couple of Marines.
I thought it better we meet here in front of the Marines who died
defending the things you're trying to destroy.
Leave the speeches to the politicians.
If there'll be any left after you.
( chuckles )
What have you been doing, Mac?
I've been watching your covert exercises.
It was agreed that no one under the rank of general would know.
That's why you were left out of the discussions.
Potter is no general.
Jack Giddings is no general.
You've been managed.
You're not going to get what you want
unless Potter and Giddings get what they want.
We all want the same thing--
a country secure from foreign aggression.
Well, we can have that as long as we have a country worth fighting for.
But who is going to want to fight
for Jack Giddings or Potter?
Not me. You can count me out.
You would stand by and watch
everything that we fought and died for
betrayed by a man who never wore a uniform?
He is the elected president.
It will be put to the people
by way of referendum.
We'll still be a democracy.
No, it will be a scam.
Mac, you are a fine soldier and a good man,
but I don't want to see you make the wrong choice.
You got to stop this thing, General.
It's too late.
Power will change hands by constitutional process.
Don't get caught in the path
of righteous change, son.
You are a traitor.
This conversation's academic.
If you'll excuse me,
it's my turn to go to the White House.
( gunshot )
( snaps )
( gunshot )
( ticking )
( tires squeal )
( horns honking )
( shouting )
Man on bullhorn: This is an exercise.
This is only an exercise.
Thank you for your cooperation.
This is an exercise.
This is only an exercise.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Mr. President.
It's time.
Bring them in.
Hello, Betsy.
Mr. Secretary. General.
The president will see you now.
You've had a long run, Mr. President,
but it's over.
If you try to stay in office now, it will only get worse.
You'll be isolated.
And no one in Congress
is going to risk alienating the voters by backing you.
If you have any respect for the office, you'll resign.
You are some piece of work.
I'm a patriot, Mr. President.
Then why the hell don't you have any faith in the system of government
you're so hell-bent on protecting?
You win a mandate at the ballot box.
You don't steal it after midnight when its back is turned.
This game has been played
everywhere else in the world.
I guess I just took it for granted
that it could never happen here.
I want your resignation, Charlie.
Walter's, the cabinet,
the joint chiefs, every snake in the nest.
Including you, General.
Lloyd: Why is that, Mr. President?
Murder, for one.
That's absurd.
Is there anything else?
Treason!
I presume, Mr. President,
you are prepared to back up that charge.
I canceled this weekend's alert, General.
You have disobeyed a direct order.
In addition, you have used defense funds
to plan a covert military operation--
designation Slam Dunk--
whose sole purpose was to overthrow the presidency.
I beg your pardon, Mr. President,
but every detail for Slam Dunk was authorized
by your Secretary of Defense here,
who is in the national chain of command.
It seems to me, Mr. President,
that I made a note in my diary
the day you and I decided to go ahead with Slam Dunk.
There's nothing treasonous in that.
What proof do you have that we're conspiring
to overthrow the presidency?
I can't fire Walter, I'm sorry to say,
but both of you and the rest of the cabinet
are hereby terminated forthwith.
You mean, before we sign the letter?
The letter's already been sent, Will.
Walter's been president for over an hour.
Your failures of judgment can no longer be indulged.
I'll see you in hell first.
That's a date.
I didn't think you'd mind.
What have you got, Mac?
We don't have much time, Mr. President.
- Go ahead. - You start calling.
You order back the troops,
you kill the letter, and you cancel the telecast.
And when you are done calling,
this whole thing, it never happened.
And if we don't, what are you going to do?
I'm going to confess.
I'm going to confess to my complicity in our plot.
To the press. To the networks.
A military plot to overthrow the government
led by these gentlemen.
I know all the details.
I have a request
for live ammo for Slam Dunk.
I will explain how Arthur Daniels was murdered,
causing his body to be exhumed.
And I will confess to the ordered murder
of his secretary Sarah myself.
"The Post" will find memos
in General Lloyd's private code
tucked away in some very interesting files.
There's a memo from Lloyd to Daniels.
It sets up most of the plot,
clear about my involvement,
and, of course, yours.
Who's going to believe you?
Nobody knows who you are.
You're just another colonel.
Mac: So was Oliver North.
People are funny.
They won't believe an accusation from the president,
but they'll believe a confession from just about anybody.
You'd go all the way with this?
Career, family--
you'd lose it all.
I'll lose it all anyway if you're in charge.
Here's what we're going to do.
We're going to stagger the resignations
over the next year.
I'm not going to fire you.
Not yet.
First, you're going to stand behind me
while I announce the general's resignation,
which I want now.
Alert the networks, get everything ready.
I want to talk to the nation in 10 minutes.
I don't propose, General,
that the country ever find out
just how close you came to tearing it into pieces.
- Mac. - Sir.
Thank you.
Make sure the general carries out my order.
Yes, sir.
Let's go.
You've got some phone calls to make.
( door opens, closes )
Do you know who Judas was, Colonel?
Yes.
I know who Judas was.
He was a man I worked for and once respected
until he disgraced the four stars of his uniform.
Foster: My fellow Americans,
tonight I must announce with deep regret
that I have asked for and accepted
the resignation of General R. Pendleton Lloyd
as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.
I have the highest regard for the general.
However, he recently conceded to Secretary Potter
and to me
that our differences are just too great to reconcile.
That being the case,
I had no choice but to accept his resignation.
In recent months,
there has been abroad and in this land
a whisper that we have somehow lost our greatness.
Well, it is not so.
We must not allow ourselves
to be persuaded
to exchange our liberties
for anyone else's order.
We must not be dismayed
if democracy, even in crisis,
is an untidy form of government.
We are united
in remaining strong and proud,
peaceful,
and committed to laying down our lives
for our way of life if need be.
Thank you.
Good night
and God bless you.
And God bless the United States of America.
( music playing )