Bob Roberts (1992)

1. Captioning made possible by Artisan Home Entertainment

2. Cobra Two, Cobra One. It's Whitey One. It's showtime.

3. West quadrant secure. Whitey Two moving into east quadrant.

4. Here we go.

5. Bob Roberts is a stalwart American.

6. Bob's a championship swordsman.

7. Bob is a tireless worker.

8. So full of life.

9. - Man of vision. - Dynamic personality.

10. Unique individual.

11. - He's one of a kind. - He's a people person.

12. - Bob is— - He's a genius.

13. - He's an inspiration. - He's a man of the people.

14. - I love Bob! - Bob's a paragon of virtue.

15. He's a people person.

16. Bob is the leader of a generation.

17. …when all of a sudden, a young man with a guitar

18. starts singing a song

19. right in the middle of the restaurant.

20. This is happening in Brophy's now.

21. And this sort of thing just does not happen.

22. Here was a man that not only had a brilliant mind

23. and a wonderful wit,

24. but could also sing.

25. And he finishes the song, and tremendous applause

26. and then boom, out the door. He's gone.

27. I look at Mr. Hart and I say,

28. "What was that?"

29. And he says, in his own inimitable way,

30. "That, my friend, was a gold mine."

31. And then?

32. And then it happened.

33. - He became a star. - That's correct.

34. - Overnight. - That is correct.

35. He is a tremendous talent,

36. an artist in the true sense of the word.

37. And the next Senator from the great state of Pennsylvania.

38. Seize the day!

39. Bob Roberts—fencing enthusiast,

40. poet, folk singer, businessman,

41. senatorial candidate.

42. This controversial,

43. yet extraordinarily popular entertainer,

44. first appeared on the music scene

45. three years ago,

46. with his debut album

47. The Freewheelin' Bob Roberts.

48. Despite being assailed by the music critics

49. as a corrupt,

50. unfair diatribe against the '60s,

51. the album remarkably

52. soared to number 23 on the Billboard charts.

53. Backed by a team of novices,

54. without the support of a major record label,

55. relying on word of mouth

56. and his own team of businessmen and associates

57. who seemed more suited to a townhouse than a tour bus,

58. Roberts created a niche for himself

59. in a business that at first had contemptuously rejected him.

60. His second album— Times Are Changin' Back

61. peaks at number three.

62. Quite an achievement for a journeyman folk singer

63. that Spin Magazine once called "a crypto-fascist clown".

64. This is a press conference.

65. Yes, that's true, but you have the wrong pass.

66. I don't see the problem here.

67. The problem is you need to go to the police department,

68. and get the proper pass.

69. On July 4th of this year,

70. Bob Roberts announced his candidacy

71. for the U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

72. This documentary chronicles the man

73. and his quest for election.

74. Eight years ago, I had had enough!

75. I had seen the dreams of a generation squashed

76. by an evil menace,

77. an evil menace called Drugs.

78. I made up my mind there and then

79. to dedicate my life

80. to seeing that this problem

81. end in our lifetime!

82. I contacted my friend Lukas Hart,

83. and I enlisted his help.

84. And it is because of Lukas Hart's

85. diligence and efforts

86. that eight years ago

87. Broken Dove was born.

88. Broken Dove is hard at work

89. fighting the war on drugs,

90. but it will take time.

91. We must start the war early, ladies and gentlemen.

92. We must start the war with our children

93. at home, and in our classrooms!

94. Hey, mister, can I see your gun?

95. What makes you think I have a gun?

96. Come on over this way.

97. There's some great shots with the kids.

98. All right, John, you got me.

99. Good work, kids. I'm dead.

100. Here's Mrs. Roberts.

101. Here's Mrs. Roberts— Holly.

102. Holly and Bob.

103. Why don't you let us take a picture with the kids, all right?

104. Why don't you sit right there on the table?

105. Bob is a tireless worker.

106. Unbridled energy. As his doctor, I know.

107. I tell him to slow down. He won't listen.

108. Without his organization, Broken Dove,

109. this clinic would not exist.

110. Now, I want you all to say, "Vote Bob".

111. Vote Bob!

112. Robert Roberts Jr.,

113. was born on January 3, 1955,

114. in Saint Vincent's Hospital, Philadelphia.

115. In his early years,

116. Bob lives on a commune in rural Pennsylvania.

117. It was an idealistic attempt.

118. This was the late '50s,

119. pre-hippie.

120. We tried to establish a community

121. based on the idea of collective responsibility.

122. It's a crazy idea.

123. It was nuts.

124. It was an unrealistic environment

125. for a child to grow up in.

126. We moved to Philadelphia when Bobby was 3.

127. It'll be cold today.

128. Chilly, chilly, chilly—

129. as the leaves of autumn make way

130. for the chill wind of winter.

131. Early snow was reported in some mountain regions.

132. Don't dust off the skis yet, folks.

133. Here in Philly, it's a brisk 43.

134. That's the news of the top of the hour.

135. Now, our own Kelly Noble

136. interviews senatorial candidate,

137. - Bob Roberts. - Firstly, I must say upfront that

138. I'm not a fan of your music.

139. I find it offensive.

140. And I'm sorry,

141. but I wouldn't vote for you

142. if my life depended on it.

143. Good morning, Philadelphia!

144. Our guest today is Bob Roberts,

145. Pennsylvania senatorial candidate

146. and folk singer.

147. Our viewers are curious

148. about where it all began.

149. Where did it start for you?

150. Where did what start?

151. Well, was it—

152. a small colonial home

153. with a mom in a yellow starched dress

154. and a dad in a seersucker suit?

155. You're speaking of my upbringing?

156. Yes, your upbringing.

157. Well Kelly, I came here to speak about the issues,

158. but I will happily indulge your personality search.

159. I was born and raised lower middle class

160. right outside this city of brotherly love—

161. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

162. My father was a fry cook, my mother a peacenik.

163. I had no brothers or sisters.

164. Make your judgments, if you must.

165. He was a model student,

166. so full of life and energy.

167. Some of the other kids didn't like him very much.

168. Oh, but I did. Very much.

169. Increasing restlessness

170. and trouble with authority figures and classmates

171. create problems for Bob in high school.

172. And by his senior year, his grades have fallen.

173. I know what it's like to be without a home.

174. I was homeless when I was 17.

175. Get this straight, Jack.

176. I didn't ramble. I didn't roam.

177. No, sirree. No boxcars or park benches.

178. No panhandling for me.

179. I went straight to work.

180. Earned enough money out on my own

181. to enroll myself in a school of my choice,

182. a school I wanted.

183. That's not quite true.

184. Bobby enrolled himself in military college

185. by forging my signature on a check of mine.

186. He was happy there.

187. He said it was because he needed discipline,

188. more structure in his life.

189. Felt we offered too much freedom.

190. And you know what?

191. He was right.

192. I was trying to instill different values in him

193. than the ones he has now.

194. Let's just leave it at that.

195. Well, the '60s are,

196. let's face it—

197. a dark stain on American history.

198. At no other time has lawlessness and immorality

199. been so widespread.

200. And you're speaking of Watergate

201. and our invasion of Cambodia?

202. No, I'm not.

203. I see. I'm speaking of you.

204. I'm speaking of lawlessness and immorality

205. with regard to drug use and sexual practice.

206. - Excuse me? - Disregard in the press

207. for the sacred institutions

208. that have made this country

209. what it is today.

210. Is social protest

211. disregard for our laws and institutions?

212. Certainly, it is.

213. And yet it is a guaranteed right in our constitution.

214. So is burning the flag. Need I say more?

215. Yes, you need say more.

216. Or are we to believe

217. that what Bob Roberts wants to see in America

218. is a compliant and silent public

219. which respects the wishes and actions

220. of its presidents,

221. no matter how immoral or illegal?

222. - Are you a communist? - Excuse me?

223. Self-determination—

224. a choice to be what you want to be,

225. and I wanted to be…

226. Rich!

227. Roberts graduates

228. from Westmoreland Military Academy

229. with honors in 1977,

230. and is selected as a candidate

231. for a master's degree in business

232. at Yale university.

233. In 1980, Roberts graduates from Yale

234. and begins his phenomenal rise

235. on Wall Street.

236. You have just said that our chief executives

237. are immoral criminals.

238. I take offense at that deeply.

239. I'm an American that believes intensely in morality,

240. and I believe in the sanctity

241. of the office of the Presidency.

242. I trust that the American public

243. does not share your cynical, anti-American views

244. and will cast their votes accordingly

245. with pride and conviction.

246. Thank you Kelly and Bob.

247. I certainly hope not,

248. because it means you want Americans

249. to cast their votes

250. based on hatred and ignorance.

251. You are taking sides, ma'am.

252. You're abusing your responsibility as a journalist.

253. I am offended by you, sir.

254. If I ignore my feelings, I'm taking your side.

255. Yet isn't your job one of objectivity?

256. You're not talking about objectivity.

257. You're talking about ignorance.

258. Is he one of yours?

259. Oh, Jiminy.

260. Hey, brother…

261. Does getting in on the ground floor

262. mean checking your skin at the door?

263. Wait a minute.

264. Can't black people have more than one opinion?

265. - Oh, you're still black? - Yeah, I'd like to think so.

266. I guess we all have to adhere

267. to the same militant black party line.

268. Your albums just get better and better.

269. I don't want to hear it!

270. Wonderful work on the news.

271. Oh, you think so?

272. - Oh yeah. - We always watch you.

273. You're now a member of our campaign team.

274. You think I can get another one for my son?

275. Of course, we'll send you several.

276. - Take care, Dan. - Take care.

277. You're welcome here anytime, Bob.

278. Good luck on the campaign trail.

279. Great.

280. Bob Roberts is yet another of that faction

281. that lives to destroy

282. whatever good came out of the '60s,

283. to rewrite the history of that important period,

284. a period where the American people

285. actually were informed

286. and aware and realized

287. that they had a voice.

288. They demanded that a war end.

289. Bob Roberts is Nixon,

290. only he's shrewder,

291. more complicated, this Bob Roberts.

292. Now, here is a man

293. who has adopted the persona and mind-set

294. of the freethinking rebel

295. and turned it on itself.

296. The rebel conservative.

297. That is deviant brilliance.

298. What a Machiavellian poseur.

299. Bob! Bob! Bob!

300. Mr. Roberts!

301. My name is Bugs Raplin.

302. I'm from Troubled Times Journal.

303. I was wondering if it could be possible to arrange an interview?

304. Certainly. My pleasure.

305. Here's our number. You can call our campaign headquarters.

306. Yeah, right.

307. Let's fire it up.

308. Koji, are you there?

309. Nikkei is up 24,041.45.

310. As tensions continue to mount in the Mid-East—

311. Members of the 101st Airborne prepare—

312. final step on American soil—

313. for Operation Desert Shield. Chuck.

314. Thank you, Carol.

315. Senator Brickley Paiste

316. was on the campaign trail yet again yesterday.

317. Paiste sampled homemade goodies

318. while visiting the local ladies' auxiliary

319. in Duquesne.

320. Paiste also presided over the dedication

321. of the steam torpedo monument in Pittsburgh.

322. I think it highly suitable today,

323. that as war clouds once again

324. are upon the horizon,

325. that we dedicate the steam torpedo

326. as symbol of the 13 million of us

327. who fought in World War II…

328. Carol.

329. Thanks, Chuck.

330. Senator Paiste's opponent, Bob Roberts,

331. is creating quite a sensation

332. in his Pennsylvania election tour,

333. playing to sold-out audiences

334. from Scranton to Pittsburgh.

335. The candidate was in town today

336. paying a visit to the local Menck Clinic.

337. With this story, Rose Pondell.

338. Rose?

339. This is the Menck Clinic in Scranton,

340. a clinic set up with money raised by Broken Dove,

341. Senatorial candidate Bob Roberts'

342. private relief organization.

343. The Menck Clinic and Broken Dove

344. honored Bob Roberts this afternoon

345. in a ceremony at the clinic.

346. Honoring you as Patriot of the Year!

347. Bob has a great vision

348. for the future of our country

349. and a great vision for the future

350. of the children of our country.

351. He is the only man to vote for.

352. He's amazing.

353. He's a poet and a genius.

354. It's clear to all present here

355. that drugs are a tough problem

356. and that a tough man is needed to tackle that problem.

357. From all indications,

358. Bob Roberts just might be that man.

359. Yes!

360. At the Roberts campaign in Scranton,

361. This is Rose Pondell, WAPW, Action News.

362. Thank you, Rose. Chuck.

363. Thank you, Carol.

364. Recent polls show incumbent Senator Paiste

365. in the lead over Roberts by 10 percentage points.

366. but sources in the Roberts' campaign

367. say that Roberts will be a strong finisher.

368. I could use a strong finisher myself sometimes, Carol.

369. How about you?

370. Mr. Hart loves it!

371. What about Bob?

372. - Does he like it? - Bob loves it, too!

373. What is Lukas Hart's connection

374. with Bob's success?

375. No connection.

376. Lukas Hart is helping send

377. Bob Roberts to Washington.

378. They do this every morning.

379. It could last for hours.

380. This throws me behind schedule.

381. And it pisses me off.

382. I'm that one that gets the speeding tickets, not him.

383. I really don't give a shit, but I just try,

384. do the best I can.

385. Good morning, Philadelphia.

386. Senator Brickley Paiste angrily denied allegations today

387. regarding a report

388. that ran in the Pittsburgh Post Times

389. accusing him of an extramarital liaison

390. with a campaign worker.

391. The girl in question

392. is a friend of my granddaughter.

393. If the entire photograph had been shown,

394. you'd have seen my granddaughter

395. sitting in the back seat of the car.

396. I deeply resent this slander.

397. You can be sure that I'm going to find out

398. who's behind it.

399. Overnight polls show that Senator Paiste's lead

400. has slipped considerably

401. and is now ahead of Roberts by only a narrow margin.

402. We are doing very well

403. in every area of the state.

404. The key thing, I think is,

405. that we're doing well in the depressed areas.

406. These areas have been hit very hard.

407. They're very depressed economically.

408. Plants have closed.

409. Supporting industries have closed.

410. People don't have jobs.

411. They can't afford to feed their families.

412. They're foreclosing on their homes.

413. Something has to be done for these people.

414. and Bob's going to do it.

415. Art, check your security coordinates.

416. We're gonna be there in a minute.

417. Call… Henry.

418. Come on. Next! Key in! Key in!

419. Next!

420. - 5,000 at 6! - 20,000 at 2.

421. Next.

422. - 5,000. - I sent a fax on that, Bob.

423. We get faxes when all you got is a slow boat to Tiananmen Square.

424. Bob Roberts is a living tribute

425. to the possibilities of the American dream.

426. A self-made man at the age of 35,

427. he is rumored to have a net worth

428. of something over $40 million.

429. Today I'm waiting to meet Bob Roberts

430. in the sanitary confines of the Pride—

431. his functionally designed

432. two-room trading floor on wheels.

433. Ever since this Iraq business,

434. talking to your broker's like talking

435. to a rambling, insecure child.

436. - Who was that? - Lavalle.

437. There goes the pool.

438. There goes the house in the country.

439. Tell me something.

440. The world markets have been in a tumultuous

441. state for the last three years,

442. ever since the crash of '87.

443. So how did you do?

444. Did you lose money in the crash?

445. Yeah, right.

446. What's funny?

447. Back to work.

448. The slow lost money in that crash.

449. Smart money got out before the junk bonds hit the fan,

450. if you know what I mean.

451. Granted that information was

452. up-to-the-minute gold-plated information

453. cost me considerable effort and diligence.

454. And if I had been out when those calls came in,

455. I would have been screwed, but I'm a smart businessman.

456. I know the market importance

457. of paging systems and mobile phones.

458. What's getting everyone nervous nowadays

459. is the lack of control

460. over the political situation overseas.

461. You can't readily obtain that type of information,

462. but you can stay in touch.

463. I'm not going to say too much,

464. but there are things you can do,

465. There are ways you can read the world.

466. What I read excites me, frankly.

467. Now's the time to invest.

468. We mustn't be intimidated

469. by third-world madmen.

470. We must stay strong and market-confident.

471. Reluctance feeds the aggressor.

472. Or as we say on the Pride,

473. if you're afraid of an active market,

474. You're a dead man!

475. Paragroup, prepare to dock. Let's lock and load!

476. There'll be a resolution in the Mid-East

477. and a bull market before you know it.

478. Mark my words.

479. Thank you for your time.

480. Cobra! Whitey-One, we're on the move!

481. Good luck, Bob!

482. To the right, please.

483. Everybody, to the right, please!

484. Step away. Thank you.

485. To the right, please!

486. We're walking around on the campaign.

487. Mr. Roberts, Mr. Roberts!

488. I contacted your campaign office.

489. They said I had to be connected to a major news network

490. or newspaper in order to get a press pass.

491. That's ridiculous. You talk to Chet MacGregor

492. He'll take care of it.

493. What is your name?

494. Bugs.

495. Bugs?

496. John Alijah Raplin.

497. John Raplin.

498. Publication?

499. Troubled Times.

500. There'll be a pass waiting at the door tonight.

501. Yeah, sure.

502. It scared the hell out of me.

503. I don't think so, Chet.

504. Course not. It's a bad idea.

505. You wanted to see it through.

506. Mr. Hart thinks we should just stick with

507. Bob Roberts and the red, white, and blue.

508. Simplicity and strength.

509. Well, I tend to agree with Mr. Hart.

510. This one is just too basic, too simple.

511. This one - severe, strong.

512. I like it, but it's too strong.

513. And this one's a nightmare.

514. Scares me.

515. I tend to agree with Mr. Hart as well.

516. Stick with the current campaign—

517. red, white, and blue.

518. - Bart? - Absolutely, Bob.

519. Straight up, Bob.

520. Terry, what do you think?

521. Me? I think there's no question.

522. - That's the one. - How about you?

523. - You. - Nigel?

524. The naughty Nigel.

525. Thank you.

526. All right. Next up—

527. our new television commercial.

528. Alright guys, get out of the way. Bob, you sit here.

529. - Scat, Bart. - Sorry.

530. It's 15 seconds,

531. It makes its point strongly.

532. It starts airing tomorrow.

533. What do you think, Bart?

534. I love it, Bob.

535. - Perrigrew? - Great, Bob.

536. - Dockett? - Chilly most, Bob.

537. - What'd he say? - Chilly most.

538. What the heck is that?

539. It means terrific, Bob.

540. Glad you like it.

541. Now, we have about two more spots in production.

542. We'll be able to do them at the end of the week.

543. Now, next up.

544. We have the mayor's wife right outside. Lovely lady who wants to see you,

545. and three boys who want to say hello to Bob Roberts

546. - Right this way. - Cobra Two, we're on the move.

547. - Hi. - Mrs. Davis, this is Bob Roberts.

548. We're so happy to have you here.

549. We are so proud to play your music in our home.

550. Sometimes I play it when I'm alone,

551. but don't tell my husband.

552. We won't.

553. Anyway, Frank and I both agree

554. that you are an excellent example

555. for the youth of this country.

556. We wish there were more singers like you,

557. and we intend to vote for you.

558. We're so tired of Brickley Paiste

559. and all his philandering.

560. Anyway, this is my son Roger

561. - Hi, Roger. - and his two friends, Burt and Kevin.

562. We got all— both album…

563. - Nice to meet you. - Hey, hi.

564. Ohh!

565. Yeah!

566. We got a band. We actually—

567. We play some of your songs.

568. We play Retake America

569. and This Land Was Made For Me.

570. What instrument do you play?

571. We all play guitar.

572. I must admit that when young Roger

573. first wanted his guitar,

574. my husband and I were fit as birds.

575. But my husband trusted that

576. his son would take the lessons of the Lord with him,

577. no matter what instrument of the Devil caressed his hand.

578. Mr. Roberts?

579. You inspire us to do, like, some stuff.

580. to the w—

581. You're great, you know.

582. We wish that there was, you know, stuff.

583. Like, you know, if there was, uh,

584. you know, when I heard that…

585. Are there any more stuff?

586. Has—when's the new album?

587. Election Day.

588. We're releasing it Election Day.

589. Mr. Roberts has to be on his way.

590. What are the songs about?

591. Well, various things—

592. Congress, liberals, Iraq.

593. We heard about that.

594. - What? - Iraq.

595. Oh, yeah, we heard about that.

596. I hope we kick their ass.

597. So do I.

598. Do you think it will be necessary to use force?

599. Well, we must be strong and resolute

600. whenever democracy is threatened.

601. We want to avoid violence by any means,

602. but I'm afraid it might be necessary.

603. Hussein is a madman.

604. Excuse us now. Bob has a show to get ready for.

605. Bob Boberts, it has been a pleasure meeting you.

606. I just wish there was a way I could

607. vote for you a hundred times.

608. - There is, actually. - Really?

609. Yes.

610. Just kidding.

611. Let's not shoot this.

612. Come on over here with me.

613. In order to understand who Bob Roberts is,

614. you have to understand who Lukas Hart III is.

615. Lukas Hart is a spook,

616. one of the Langley crowd new guard.

617. Hart has been living in the shadows for years.

618. He was a lieutenant— Vietnam, Special Forces,

619. worked on the infamous Phoenix program,

620. transferred to south American operations,

621. helped overthrow Allende.

622. messed around in Central America—

623. he probably popped a couple of heads—Boom, boom.

624. set up an organization called Broken Dove,

625. which supplied transport planes

626. to U.S. government operatives,

627. got his hands real dirty in Iran-Contra.

628. But the Senate washed him clean.

629. I can't recall, sir.

630. You can't recall. I see.

631. Did you or your organization Broken Dove

632. have anything at all to do with a transport plane

633. - that was downed in Nicaragua… - Sir?

634. …on May 23rd, 1987?

635. The plane was contracted

636. to fly humanitarian supplies into impoverished regions

637. in southern Honduras.

638. Broken Dove is a private relief corporation.

639. So you had no knowledge of the guns

640. that were on that plane?

641. No, sir.

642. But the three men were all close business associates of yours?

643. Rest their souls, yes.

644. They were patriots acting on their own volition,

645. their own beliefs.

646. Can you sum up these beliefs for us?

647. That the U.S. Congress

648. was restricting the growth and safeguard

649. of democracy in Central America.

650. That the actions of these men,

651. although against the Boland Amendment,

652. were nevertheless on the side of goodness and decency.

653. I have a copy of an FBI report

654. regarding traces of cocaine found on one of the transport planes.

655. Mr. Chairman, this is sensitive material

656. that should be dealt with in closed session.

657. This is not an investigation.

658. This is just another example of the depths

659. to which the U.S. Congress is prepared to sink.

660. This is a travesty.

661. The charges against Broken Dove

662. were found to be groundless.

663. The organization was completely exonerated.

664. The whole investigation was a sham.

665. They discovered a secret government

666. of liars and drug smugglers.

667. They didn't do a thing about it.

668. Slap these traitors on the wrist.

669. Big deal! The story died in the major press.

670. It's idiots like me who keep investigating

671. who find out just how deep it goes.

672. I'm meeting with a contact later

673. who claims to have evidence that connects Broken Dove

674. to a failed Savings and Loan.

675. Can you believe it? This could be big.

676. I gotta go.

677. I cannot believe

678. the lies and innuendo

679. that you have been the victim of.

680. It is clear that you had no involvement

681. with this escapade,

682. and that we are wasting your time.

683. I am sorry.

684. I appreciate that.

685. Is there anything that you would like to add, Mr. Hart?

686. These allegations are erroneous at best—

687. always have been, always will be.

688. How much more of this fiction

689. does my family have to suffer?

690. God knows I would have thought that I had done enough…

691. …by now to make my position on narcotics perfectly clear.

692. Hey!

693. Despite recent economic indications

694. showing a stagnant economy,

695. at least one business

696. is showing an increase in profit.

697. Ribbon manufacturers are showing a tremendous increase in demand

698. as Americans everywhere are showing their support

699. of our troops in the Persian Gulf.

700. Well, Mr. Bob Roberts has suggested

701. that he knew which way I was leaning

702. on the question of war in the Middle East,

703. and I'm totally opposed to it.

704. It's the Enemy-of-the-Month club again.

705. Saddam Hussein—

706. I believe he's— he's the most evil man—

707. what did the President say,

708. since Adolf Hitler.

709. Before that, there was Noriega.

710. He was the most evil man since Fu Manchu.

711. And there was Qaddafi,

712. and then there's Castro,

713. and these figures are thrown out

714. through the media and made into great monsters.

715. Why, because we must justify the military budget.

716. In order to do that, you must have enemies.

717. So we blow up these local thugs

718. into these huge Hitler-like figures

719. and pretend it's World War II all over again.

720. Do not pin your hopes and dreams

721. on transport planes.

722. They're only going to build transport planes

723. if the shooting war is prolonged.

724. Something tells me that

725. it is not going to be another Vietnam.

726. A little bird tells me this.

727. - Was it Hart, Dockett? - Oh, hi, Lisa. Mr. Bourne will…

728. Come on. Get it.

729. Buy 6,000 at 12.

730. Next. Sell 25.

731. Trust me, hang on to those puts.

732. Hang on a second.

733. How can I help you vote Bob?

734. Bob, you're the best.

735. That was amazing.

736. We love you, Bob.

737. Cheez whiz, Calvin! Don't be a fag!

738. God!

739. Do you support Broken Dove?

740. Yes. Proudly.

741. Broken Dove is an organization

742. that works effectively to keep children off drugs.

743. Before its current incarnation

744. as an anti-drug organization,

745. Broken Dove bought transport planes

746. that were involved in the smuggling of drugs.

747. That is completely absurd and subversive and old news.

748. Broken Dove was already exonerated

749. of these ridiculous charges

750. by the United States Senate. Thank you for your time.

751. Recent evidence, however, suggest that these planes

752. were purchased with money from a low-income housing loan

753. given to your organization

754. by West Pennsylvania Savings and Loan,

755. a now insolvent thrift.

756. What are you saying?

757. You took money meant for housing

758. to buy planes to smuggle drugs.

759. That's completely ridiculous.

760. - Chet, did you hear that? - Yes!

761. Then where is the money from those loans?

762. Building housing.

763. Where exactly are these houses?

764. Do you feel any responsibility

765. for the illegal activities

766. carried out by groups you support?

767. I told you already that Broken Dove

768. was exonerated of these charges.

769. Why would you ask me?

770. Didn't you hear me?

771. Why would you ask a question like that?

772. What would motivate you?

773. I am talking about new evidence

774. connecting Broken Dove to the failed S&L.

775. - So, what' your question? - What?

776. Ask the question. What is your question?

777. A group that you support was recently implicated—

778. and how do you explain—

779. What is meant by the word "implicated"?

780. To suggest.

781. Suggest, not to prove.

782. Not to indict.

783. Are you making allegations you're willing to back up in court?

784. - Allegations? - Because the camera has just documented

785. - all this on film. - Everything.

786. I don't think you're being fair.

787. - You don't think he's being fair? - No, I don't.

788. Where is your evidence?

789. I have a sworn affidavit.

790. I don't think you're showing even the slightest respect.

791. And more importantly, you're abusing your responsibility

792. - as a journalist. - Shut off the camera!

793. No, leave it on.

794. Is being responsible as a journalist

795. to ignore the issues, to gloss over the facts,

796. to paint only favorable portraits?

797. No, responsible journalism is objective.

798. The interviewer does not bring his own opinions

799. into the interview.

800. - He's objective. - I feel I'm being objective.

801. I've asked you a question, and you have evaded it.

802. I have evaded nothing.

803. You have asked an incredibly slanted question

804. based on lies and conjecture,

805. and I have responded with an answer

806. appropriate to that kind of yellow journalism.

807. And that answer is…

808. I don't talk to liars

809. And I don't talk to gossipmongers.

810. Now, this interview is over.

811. - Thank you for your time. - Turn the camera off now, please.

812. OK, let's go.

813. Hey, the interview's over.

814. Bart, would you please escort this gentleman to the door?

815. Mr. Roberts,

816. is it true that you referred to crack

817. as being the great equalizer?

818. Camera off!

819. Are you callously suggesting that crack serves to reduce

820. the African-American population?

821. When Bob says cut it off, you cut it off.

822. What the hell is this?

823. - Is that off? - Yes, it's off.

824. - Isn't it off? - What the hell is this?

825. This is a meltdown!

826. Where were your men?

827. They took the wrong door.

828. Clark, this can't happen!

829. It can't!

830. You were supposed to go where?

831. You were supposed to meet me upstairs.

832. You have to learn to listen to me, man.

833. - I can't do this. - Come here.

834. We have a campaign we've got to win.

835. You understand?

836. Listen to me.

837. Jesus!

838. Ladies and gentlemen, our finalists are—

839. Miss Crucible…

840. Miss Broken Dove…

841. Miss 3-mile Island…

842. Miss Pittsburgh…

843. Miss Roadkill…

844. Miss Philadelphia.

845. Goodbye, mother!

846. You're a drug smuggler, and you're going to pay!

847. You sold out your country, Mr. Roberts,

848. and I'm going to get you!

849. You're looking at me?

850. I'm going to get you, Bob Roberts!

851. I am gonna get you.

852. A recent report on homelessness

853. by the Coalition for the Homeless

854. estimates that over, uh…

855. I can't read that.

856. Americans live without homes, and, uh,

857. a lot of Americans live below the poverty level.

858. At a press conference today,

859. Senator Brickley Paiste addressed the problem.

860. I've just been discussing the Paiste amendment,

861. which I shall introduce into the Senate the following week.

862. This will earmark $200 million

863. for the homeless throughout the country.

864. Where does the money come from?

865. Well, it's the famous peace dividend,

866. which I hope very much

867. the President will not transform

868. into an investment in war.

869. On a lighter note,

870. the Miss Independence Beauty Contest

871. was held tonight at Altoona Town Hall.

872. Contestants came from throughout the state,

873. vying for top honors

874. and the chance to represent Pennsylvania

875. in the national finals.

876. Current Senatorial candidate Bob Roberts was there,

877. lending his support for the contest.

878. The winner was Miss Crucible.

879. We talk a lot about your childhood.

880. You do? That's exciting.

881. She had really great rhythm.

882. You know, she told me she's never even had fried chicken before.

883. Well, what do you know?

884. Recent polls show Bob Roberts

885. jumping ahead of Senator Brickley Paiste

886. in their race for the Senate,

887. as Paiste can't seem to shake

888. the accusations of sexual misconduct

889. that hit his campaign last week.

890. Senator Paiste, have the allegations hurt your campaign?

891. Of course not. This is America.

892. Virtue always prevails.

893. Senator Paiste,

894. recent reports suggest that the Roberts campaign

895. has been behind the leak of the story regarding yourself

896. - and a teenaged campaign worker. - That is a lie.

897. - Mr. Roberts. - The whole thing is a lie.

898. I've already explained that the girl in question

899. is a close friend of my granddaughter, and I was driving them both home.

900. I am also distressed

901. that a 16-year-old who has done nothing wrong

902. should be so publicly vilified.

903. As for Bob Roberts,

904. I could imply guilt by association,

905. which I think you would like me to do,

906. but I won't,

907. because I do not believe, and I have never believed,

908. in negative campaigning.

909. Ladies and gentlemen, why can't you get ahead?

910. Why can't you have the home of your dreams,

911. the fast car,

912. a nice vacation?

913. Let's tackle the homeless problem.

914. Let's tackle childcare, healthcare.

915. Why has your American dream

916. been relegated to the trash heap of history?

917. I'll tell you why.

918. Because of the wasteful social programs

919. of Brickley Paiste.

920. Let's put people back to work,

921. create jobs,

922. encourage industry.

923. I can see a brighter future,

924. but we have to work hard,

925. and, dare I say it,

926. sacrifice.

927. And I remind the public

928. that Brickley Paiste still has not told us

929. how he will vote on the use of force

930. in the Persian Gulf.

931. We need a strong America

932. dedicated to issues that matter.

933. We need to care…

934. About people.

935. Let's cut taxes.

936. Let's make it possible for the working man

937. to keep the money he earns.

938. Because that is what politics

939. is really about—

940. reality,

941. not image.

942. Vote for me,

943. and I will bring the values of the common man

944. to bear in Washington, D.C.

945. I will bring youth and experience

946. and passion and belief.

947. So let us…

948. be real together.

949. Thank you for your vote.

950. I was quite disturbed during our famous debate,

951. if it could be called that.

952. Series of photo opportunities

953. is perhaps more precise.

954. I get vibrations from Mr. Bob Roberts

955. of a very disturbing sort.

956. I haven't any idea who he is.

957. I haven't any idea what he's like.

958. I don't think I'm supposed to have any idea.

959. I know that he proved to be a master of

960. pushing racist buttons

961. and sexist buttons, this and that—

962. the politics of emotion.

963. Uh, he's very good at that.

964. What's behind it?

965. I don't see anybody at home,

966. but I will say that once or twice

967. in the course of our debate,

968. I detected a slight whiff

969. of sulfur in the air.

970. Right.

971. I've been up all night. I had to meet the deadline.

972. Lead story: "Bob Roberts and S&L" by Bugs Raplin,

973. And I quote, this based on a source I spoke to last night—

974. "October 22nd. Today's—

975. An unidentified source

976. involved in the West Pennsylvania

977. Savings and Loan disaster

978. told this reporter that in 1986,

979. an organization called Broken Dove

980. procured real estate loans

981. under the pretense of building housing for the homeless

982. and proceeded to use the money

983. to buy transport planes for private enterprise.

984. Active board members at the time

985. included businessman Lukas Hart III

986. and U.S. Senatorial candidate Bob Roberts."

987. Roberts and Hart ripped off Savings and Loans

988. to buy planes.

989. The money meant for low-income housing

990. went to buy planes to smuggle drugs.

991. This is an astonishing accusation.

992. This is the smoking gun.

993. He's going down for this one.

994. If the majors pick up this story, I'll be very surprised,

995. I don't expect that they will.

996. But I have a contact at a TV station in Harrisburg.

997. Maybe he'll run it.

998. This could be big. Hey, I gotta go.

999. Hey, you keep that.

1000. How about a big hand for Clarissa Flan?

1001. Thanks, Clarrie.

1002. This next little ditty is dedicated to—

1003. Bob stinks!

1004. This next little ditty is dedicated to you.

1005. What's going on?

1006. Bob Roberts doesn't represent the common man.

1007. He represents big business.

1008. Contemptible yuppie scum.

1009. It's about his money.

1010. He talks about traditional American values

1011. as if he defined what they were,

1012. as if traditional American values

1013. meant greed, distrust, and avarice.

1014. He passes the buck of blame onto the silent

1015. who he knows will not respond.

1016. According to Bob Roberts,

1017. the disenfranchised are the problem,

1018. the reason for the mess we're in,

1019. kind of like blaming the woman for the rape

1020. or the dead for the murder.

1021. The way that I learned about traditional American values

1022. were that they had something to do with altruism,

1023. equality, and kindness.

1024. Forget human rights.

1025. Forget women's rights.

1026. Forget helping the homeless.

1027. Let me tell you that. All that's gonna go away.

1028. They'll take all the money that everybody makes

1029. and use it for their own benefit.

1030. Bob Roberts, he's not for the people.

1031. He's for himself and the people who have made him powerful.

1032. He reminds me of the roast beef,

1033. you know, at the butcher shop up front—

1034. the good piece of meat that they bring out.

1035. The big and the powerful, whoever they are,

1036. are bringing out this guy,

1037. but underneath that beef,

1038. something smells, let me tell you.

1039. You guys are both commie liberals!

1040. - Get away! - What are you doing?

1041. Why are you doing this? What are you doing?

1042. Die Wiedersehen, Peter.

1043. Good evening. At the top of our news,

1044. violence broke out during a Bob Roberts concert

1045. at Penn State University tonight.

1046. Sources say that between 20 to 30 students

1047. began verbally abusing the popular singer/candidate

1048. midway into the concert.

1049. As they were being removed from the hall,

1050. the protesters attacked security guards,

1051. and a melee ensued.

1052. Sources close to the candidate say that he is unharmed

1053. but, quote, "upset at the preponderance

1054. of radicals on college campuses today."

1055. "The '60s are over," said Roberts.

1056. I couldn't agree more, Tawna.

1057. Polls released today indicate that

1058. Brickley Paiste is running neck and neck

1059. in his race against the folk-singing politician Bob Roberts.

1060. Paiste has been hurt recently by rumors of

1061. of an affair with a teenage campaign worker, Tawna.

1062. Although he's denied the allegations,

1063. Paiste has not fully recovered in the polls.

1064. A bombshell dropped overnight, Chuck.

1065. And the morning finds us with a story

1066. destined to prove troubling

1067. for the Bob Roberts campaign.

1068. From our sister station in Harrisburg,

1069. correspondent Rock Bork.

1070. I'm standing in front of what once was

1071. the West Pennsylvania Savings and Loan,

1072. which until last year

1073. was a viable, functioning thrift.

1074. Only a year ago, federal regulators

1075. closed the bank and began an investigation

1076. of improprieties involving misuse of funds.

1077. Today comes information that Lukas Hart III,

1078. Bob Roberts' campaign chairman,

1079. may be subpoenaed to tell the regulators

1080. what he knows about an organization

1081. called Broken Dove

1082. and its involvement with unpaid housing loans.

1083. Hello, reality check.

1084. Broken Dove ripping off S&Is?

1085. The Broken Dove whose altruism far surpasses net worth.

1086. Broken Dove, whose donations to hospitals

1087. work effectively to keep youngsters off drugs.

1088. Accuse your enemy of your own worst crime.

1089. - A victim of disinformation. - Credo hypocritus.

1090. Pot calling the kettle black.

1091. You know, Terry,

1092. most political campaigns would pale in comparison, but

1093. but this one is a peach.

1094. It's like a vicious, hard-fought game, you see?

1095. Close to the final minutes,

1096. absolute chaos reigns,

1097. and then one team explodes

1098. right through the proverbial roof, as it were.

1099. The dust settles,

1100. the blood is flowing, it's a massacre,

1101. but that one team is jumping up and down

1102. with big silly grins on their faces.

1103. That's going to be us, Terry.

1104. Fun, that's what it's all about, fun.

1105. There's nothing like the unbridled fun

1106. of a hard-fought campaign.

1107. - He's down! - Bob!

1108. - Come on! - Bob!

1109. Oh, Bob!

1110. Go back!

1111. Call for help!

1112. Bob! Bob!

1113. Seal the wounds!

1114. Call an ambulance!

1115. Seal the wound! Move out!

1116. Come on, he's hurt! Call an ambulance!

1117. Get your goddamn hands off me, you fag!

1118. Move it! Move it! Come on!

1119. Forget the goddamn bike!

1120. Put your guns away!

1121. Let's move.

1122. You get on the goddamn bus!

1123. Security's falling apart.

1124. Bush league, pal!

1125. Bush league!

1126. Get the goddamn camera out of here!

1127. Terry, ride behind in the van.

1128. We'll see you at—

1129. Today, children, I am talking hypocrisy.

1130. Hypocrisy that winds itself down every day

1131. from Washington, D.C.

1132. The hypocrisy of an organization

1133. that calls itself the U.S. Congress!

1134. The hypocrisy of an investigation

1135. that seeks to implicate patriots,

1136. our dearest friends,

1137. in the constant struggle to make this

1138. a pure one again.

1139. Lord, pave the way for a rebel's path

1140. to Washington, D.C.

1141. Make the road a smooth one for Bob Roberts,

1142. a man who can clean up the devil's mess

1143. in our capital!

1144. Say Amen.

1145. Amen.

1146. Say A-men!

1147. A-men!

1148. - A-men. - A-men.

1149. Despite his efforts to rise above

1150. what may or may not be the truth,

1151. trouble seems to be following the Roberts campaign.

1152. - Chuck? - Yes, Carol, it seems more bad news

1153. has come for Roberts.

1154. This morning, it was announced that

1155. Lukas Hart III, Bob Roberts' friend

1156. and campaign chairman, was subpoenaed today

1157. to appear before the Senate Subcommittee

1158. investigating the West Pennsylvania

1159. Savings and Loan scandal.

1160. Partisan maneuvering, unsubstantiated innuendo.

1161. These allegations are hogwash!

1162. The timing is obviously meant to hurt us,

1163. but there's not a chance it will.

1164. The voters are gonna see straight through

1165. this pathetic attempt to derail our campaign.

1166. The subpoena has come as a shock to the campaign,

1167. and campaign staffers fear slippage in the polls.

1168. Despite Hart's denials, this could spell trouble

1169. for the Roberts campaign. Carol?

1170. More news in a moment.

1171. The current Senator of Pennsylvania

1172. believes in giving free rides to welfare recipients.

1173. The current Senator of Pennsylvania

1174. believes in giving unqualified men and women

1175. jobs that could be yours.

1176. The current Senator of Pennsylvania

1177. voted to give himself a pay raise last year.

1178. Paiste—as he sleeps,

1179. we live his nightmare.

1180. Wake up. Vote Bob.

1181. One week before the election,

1182. amidst controversy and declining polls,

1183. the Roberts campaign travels from Pennsylvania

1184. To New York City.

1185. Can't touch these!

1186. Immigrants!

1187. Bob has been invited to perform

1188. on a highly rated television show—

1189. cutting edge live.

1190. The top-rated show reaches 20 million people nationally,

1191. One million in Pennsylvania alone.

1192. We hope, we hope, we hope so.

1193. Not in a real interesting way.

1194. more like in expense of the immigrants.

1195. No, no, immigrants love—

1196. - My grandfather's an immigrant. - Excuse me.

1197. - Bob, how are you? - Hi.

1198. - It's nice to see you. - Good to see you, too.

1199. This is Polly Roberts. Michael.

1200. - Hello. How are you? - Pleasure.

1201. I'm Michael James.

1202. Such a pleasure for us to be here.

1203. I can't tell you what big flan—fans we are.

1204. I'm so nervous, I guess.

1205. It's an honor to be here, it really is.

1206. Well, it's an honor for me to be here…

1207. I guess.

1208. Uh, this is my assistant Carol.

1209. - Hello, Carol, it's a pleasure. - Yeah.

1210. My wife, Polly.

1211. Our guest host is, uh…

1212. Working on his lines.

1213. Immigrants!

1214. I love the Kornhausers.

1215. It's my favorite.

1216. "Can't touch these".

1217. Is the Lobster Family going to be on?

1218. Polly's favorite is the Lobster Family.

1219. Sorry to interrupt.

1220. Just, uh, carry on. Bye-bye.

1221. Bye, Bob.

1222. Michael, Michael, Michael…

1223. - Yes. - What's up with Bob Roberts?

1224. - Musical guest. - You said to me

1225. KRS-One was gonna be the musical guest.

1226. Right, and they're sick.

1227. Standards.

1228. In L.A., I think.

1229. - Standards. - No, they're sick.

1230. They got sick in L.A., and they couldn't make their flight, I think.

1231. I think it's an ear thing, and they can't fly.

1232. because, you know, I mean—

1233. Standards.

1234. In 5…4…3…2…

1235. Hi, come on and join us for Cutting Edge Live,

1236. and watch me grovel before the video altar.

1237. with a special guest, who I thought was going to be KRS-One.

1238. - Can't touch this. - Stop saying that.

1239. I'm not gonna say that.

1240. - Good. I love it. - Are we at time?

1241. - How'd we do? - That was good for time.

1242. That was good for time, except he didn't say,

1243. - "Can't stop saying that." - Oh, it's fine. We'll do it later.

1244. Bob, if you could just strum a little bit.

1245. - Sure. - You'll say the first part again.

1246. I'll have to do a, you know—

1247. …to pull them together, and we'll do it.

1248. - And they have to stand together. - All right, here we go.

1249. This is promo number 2.

1250. You want me to say, "Can't touch this"?

1251. In 5…4…3…2…

1252. Hi. I'm sorry.

1253. I'm, uh, leaving.

1254. Offhand, I would not say that

1255. being a professional singer

1256. is the best background

1257. for a legislator of the United States, but—

1258. I believe in Mr. Bob Roberts' background,

1259. if it is true that he has had some experience

1260. with the CIA,

1261. then he comes better prepared

1262. than most people do to the Senate,

1263. with a knowledge of what the real

1264. government of the United States is,

1265. which is the National Security Council.

1266. This was created in 1950 by Harry Truman,

1267. and the country is governed

1268. by the National Security Council,

1269. which is the Defense Department, CIA,

1270. in combination with the

1271. great makers of weapons around the country.

1272. So he's already had some initiation

1273. into true power.

1274. In the beginning, our great company provided appliances for the neighborhood.

1275. We heated your home, refrigerated your food,

1276. improved the quality of your life.

1277. We prospered, and you loved us,

1278. and we grew into a large multinational corporation.

1279. In fact, we own this very network.

1280. Don't Vote and a new song.

1281. - Brand-new. - But Don't Smoke,

1282. that's what we agreed on. I believe

1283. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't Smoke and Prevailing Tides

1284. - Michael… - Our chief source of income, however,

1285. is the arms industry.

1286. Yes, we rely heavily on those

1287. fat government contracts

1288. to make these useless weapons of mass destruction.

1289. And even though we have been indicted and convicted for fraud

1290. several times,

1291. you don't hear too much about our bad side because—

1292. we own our own news division.

1293. Bob doesn't care what we agreed on.

1294. - Oh, really? - He made it quite clear to me

1295. the last we spoke

1296. that he feels very strongly about the new material.

1297. And he feels it should be said right now

1298. And he will not back down.

1299. Chances are pretty slim

1300. that you'll hear reports of our environmental mishaps, or

1301. the way we bust those unions.

1302. We even have a highly rated Saturday night show

1303. that the public buys as

1304. entertainment, with a leftist slant.

1305. I'm really sorry, but we actually have a policy

1306. on Cutting Edge that no new material is ever performed

1307. until it's proven to work. I mean, you know,

1308. this is live television. This is not a party.

1309. - It doesn't work. - It's not funny.

1310. You can't do that. It's like self-hating.

1311. It's shooting your paycheck in the foot.

1312. It's crazy, it's self-destructive,

1313. - and it's not funny. - I think it's funny.

1314. Yeah, but you don't have to come to work here next week.

1315. We all want to change the world, but we'd like to do it slowly,

1316. and keep our jobs, too.

1317. I personally find him repulsive.

1318. I fought his appearance on this show from the word go,

1319. but the network has new owners.

1320. And they like Bob Roberts.

1321. You know, they like a lot of things we don't like.

1322. You can't, you know, they are the boss.

1323. I mean, they can tell us Bob's on the show.

1324. Forget it! You've got to be crazy

1325. if you think we're gonna let that

1326. fascist yuppie on live television

1327. and just sing whatever he wants to!

1328. - Oh really? - Calm down.

1329. Let me assure you of something, Michael.

1330. Bob told me personally he will walk off this show

1331. if he is not allowed to express himself freely.

1332. Let him walk!

1333. I think we're gonna go to my office

1334. and we're gonna talk about this privately.

1335. Carol, I want you to call Bonnie,

1336. immediately, and have her place a call to Lukas Hart.

1337. Oh, well, how do I find which jail is he in?

1338. - Now, that was uncalled-for! - Oh yeah?

1339. - That is totally uncalled for. - Excusez-moi!

1340. She is a loud, abrasive woman!

1341. - Oh, shove it! - And she's rude!

1342. It is not funny!

1343. Been a real crazy week, full moon and all.

1344. I don't know, we're an hour away from air, and

1345. I can't find the host.

1346. - Where is he? - I don't know.

1347. Yeah, well, that's not an answer. Find him.

1348. - Now. - Yeah.

1349. - What are you guys watching? - The news.

1350. Michael!

1351. - Excuse me, guys. - Michael, it's taken care of.

1352. Network wants a copy of the lyrics. He won't give it.

1353. - He's ready to walk. - Mr. Hart's on his way down.

1354. I think we're gonna be ok.

1355. Can't touch can't touch these! These!

1356. And now, once again,

1357. pride recording label artist

1358. Bob Roberts!

1359. I was going to sing a song tonight

1360. called Don't Smoke,

1361. but in the spirit of live television,

1362. I'd like to sing a song I just wrote

1363. a song about courage and conviction

1364. in these troubled times.

1365. Shit!

1366. Come on, turn it off!

1367. Goddamn, Carol.

1368. Alright, get the camera out now.

1369. - Go to commercial. - No, no!

1370. - You lied to me! - The network wants it on.

1371. You can't fucking do this!

1372. The network reviewed the material,

1373. - and they want it on. - Oh, how dare you!

1374. This is obscene! This is a fucking commercial

1375. for a fucking political candidate!

1376. You've got nothing left, Michael.

1377. You're nothing but a fucking shell

1378. with goo inside!

1379. Are you having your period?

1380. Cocksucking Nazi! Fuck you.

1381. It's around here somewhere!

1382. What happened?

1383. You get out now!

1384. This is it! You're through! You are finished!

1385. - Boo-hoo! - You get out of here now!

1386. No problem!

1387. Move it!

1388. - Ready with the lobster sketch? - Yes!

1389. I'm really sorry

1390. Very, very humble apologies. You're gonna be on this show again.

1391. And everybody, I really would love to give

1392. a nice round of applause,

1393. please, to Bob Roberts.

1394. Where's Polly?

1395. She's stayed behind to watch the lobsters.

1396. but I'm sure she'll join us at the hotel later.

1397. We're coming out.

1398. Mr. Roberts!

1399. Did you read my article, Mr. Roberts?

1400. Come on, go, go!

1401. It's not me! It's not me!

1402. Call an ambulance!

1403. Get back!

1404. Somebody call an ambulance!

1405. We can't wait for the ambulance. Let's just get him in the car.

1406. Let's go.

1407. Get it all clear!

1408. Hold the door!

1409. - Hold the wound! - Hang on, Bob!

1410. Listen to me, Bob, you're going to be fine!

1411. Clear the door!

1412. Easy, easy, easy!

1413. You're going to be all right!

1414. Don't go on me, Bob!

1415. Get the door! Get the door!

1416. Hang on!

1417. Watch the steps!

1418. Watch his head!

1419. Easy! Easy, easy, easy!

1420. Nigel, come on, hurry up!

1421. Watch his head, Bart!

1422. Move, move, move!

1423. This is how it happened.

1424. I was waiting for Bob, when all of a sudden, gunshots.

1425. Seven or eight of them.

1426. I quickly jumped on top of him to protect him.

1427. That's when I saw the Arabs. Seven or eight of them.

1428. I found the main guy, disarmed him,

1429. knocked him unconscious.

1430. - Terry Manchester? - Who wants to know?

1431. Hey, don't get smart with me.

1432. - You Terry Manchester? - Yes, I am.

1433. We understand you were filming during the shooting.

1434. - Yes. - We'd like to look at that footage.

1435. It might provide us with some evidence.

1436. Footage is in my van. I'll get it.

1437. If he dies, I swear to god,

1438. I'm going to fucking find that guy.

1439. Please, Jesus.

1440. Save Bob, save Bob.

1441. At 12:17 A.M. this morning,

1442. Pennsylvania Senatorial candidate Bob Roberts was shot

1443. as he was leaving the Cutting Edge Live television show.

1444. He was shot twice at close range

1445. with a.22 caliber pistol.

1446. His condition has been listed as critical.

1447. Is there a suspect in the shooting?

1448. Yes, we have a suspect in custody.

1449. He's under interrogation.

1450. - Who is it? - What's his name?

1451. I cannot reveal that information at this time.

1452. Well, he's in serious condition, Jack,

1453. and they don't know if he'll live or not.

1454. Now, just minutes ago,

1455. we learned the name of the suspect

1456. from Frank Ryan of the NYPD.

1457. His name is John Alijah Raplin,

1458. nickname 'Bugs'.

1459. Quiet! Shh!

1460. He's an ethnic male, approximately 35 years old.

1461. Not much else is known about the suspect at the present time,

1462. but we do know that they'll be moving him shortly

1463. from the 33rd Precinct for further questioning.

1464. This is Ernesto Galleano reporting live

1465. from Mid-Manhattan Presbyterian Hospital.

1466. - Where's the 33rd Precinct? - Ssh…!

1467. Alijah. He's an Arab.

1468. I told you - Arab.

1469. Come on, let's go.

1470. —kill him.

1471. Come on, let's go.

1472. Come on, let's go.

1473. What's going on? Come on.

1474. Stop it.

1475. Stop it!

1476. - Are you all right? - Get off me!

1477. - Fuck you, man! - Did you get that?

1478. Kill him!

1479. Did you get that?

1480. I'm evil.

1481. I killed him. It was my fault.

1482. I'm bad luck.

1483. He said I could.

1484. He said I could kiss him.

1485. Who said?

1486. Who said you could, who?

1487. One of the Bob men,

1488. men with the black strings in their ears,

1489. He said, "you can kiss Bob."

1490. He said, "Bob wants you to give him a kiss."

1491. And I kissed him, and he was shot.

1492. - I just came for some air. - How's Bob?

1493. He's gonna live. Thank God.

1494. He probably won't walk, uh, for a while,

1495. but he's gonna live, and that's what counts.

1496. You've all had a very rough evening.

1497. I'm sorry we have to bother you.

1498. That's OK.

1499. Just… No mind.

1500. Um…I'm…I'm gonna go back up.

1501. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a doctor here

1502. who can shed some light on

1503. Mr. Roberts' medical condition. Dr Caleb Menck.

1504. I'm Bob Roberts' personal physician.

1505. I flew out from Philadelphia

1506. the moment I learned of the shooting.

1507. Mr. Roberts' condition is critical.

1508. One of the bullets, regrettably,

1509. entered the spinal column at the L-5 vertebra.

1510. Paralysis has incurred in both of his legs.

1511. Mike, right here!

1512. Is there any truth to the rumor

1513. that the assassination attempt was filmed?

1514. Yes, there was a documentary filmmaker

1515. present at the scene of the crime,

1516. and we are now in possession of that film.

1517. Tony.

1518. Does the film identify the assassin?

1519. I—I have no answer for that particular question at this time.

1520. The film is being analyzed frame by frame.

1521. We will inform you as soon as we know.

1522. Well, there's no question it was Raplin.

1523. I was standing right behind him.

1524. I saw him shoot Bob.

1525. And the fact that men like Raplin exist

1526. shows what you get with a liberal agenda.

1527. You pump people full of drugs and pipe dreams,

1528. and what happens, they come gunning

1529. for people like Bob.

1530. But those folks don't realize something.

1531. You can't kill the truth.

1532. Bob Roberts is not gonna be stopped by any bullet.

1533. He'll be back, and man, you better watch out.

1534. coz he's headed straight for Washington.

1535. That's all I've got to say.

1536. Excuse me.

1537. I have to go pray.

1538. The film offers no concrete evidence of any kind

1539. regarding my client.

1540. Mr. Raplin asserts the gun was placed on his person

1541. at the scene of the attack, that he was set up.

1542. Who did it then, if not Raplin?

1543. That's not my job, sir. That's for the police to find out.

1544. I'm merely representing the accused.

1545. Is it true that the assassin

1546. was a card-carrying member

1547. of the American Civil Liberties Union?

1548. I do not know. If he was, so what?

1549. Will Raplin be released?

1550. No, there are witnesses who assert they saw him pull the trigger.

1551. He's being held in custody without bail.

1552. That'd be all for now. Thank you very much.

1553. After the attack on Bob's life,

1554. the media outcry is unprecedented.

1555. His face echoes across the American landscape

1556. on the covers of magazines,

1557. in newspapers,

1558. and on television news broadcasts.

1559. Roberts is proclaimed an American hero,

1560. a martyr of the new Right,

1561. a crippled prophet for the future.

1562. We want Bob!

1563. One week after the shooting,

1564. word comes that Bob will be released

1565. and transported to Pennsylvania

1566. by Medevac helicopter in time for the election.

1567. He's coming from the back!

1568. Let's go!

1569. We want Bob!

1570. We want Bob!

1571. What are the possibilities of complete recovery?

1572. Well, like I said, it's up to the individual.

1573. After surgery and extensive rehabilitation,

1574. he could begin moving his toes in a couple of years

1575. and be walking 4 or 5 years after that.

1576. To tell you the truth,

1577. it would be a miracle

1578. if he ever walks again.

1579. As you've been denied access to him,

1580. Mr. Raplin has asked me to convey his feelings to you.

1581. First, he asserts his absolute innocence.

1582. Given that due to a restrictive palsy in his right hand,

1583. he would never have been able to fire the gun in question.

1584. Second, he'd like to express again his beliefs

1585. that Bob Roberts is involved in dirty dealings—

1586. involving guns, drugs, and Savings and Loans.

1587. And lastly, and most importantly,

1588. he would like to say that as a witness to this incident,

1589. he saw the gun fired twice into the ground,

1590. - not at Bob Roberts. - What?

1591. Mr. Raplin contends

1592. that Bob Roberts was not shot that evening.

1593. Charges were dropped today for lack of evidence

1594. against businessman Lukas Hart III

1595. in the Senate investigation

1596. involving the West Pennsylvania Savings and Loan scandal.

1597. The case, which gained momentum with new evidence last month,

1598. was said by committee chairman Henry Haydn to be, quote

1599. "utter contrivance and ludicrous fantasy."

1600. Meanwhile, tensions continue to mount in the Mid-East today.

1601. Recent intelligence suggests that Iraq is very close

1602. to developing a nuclear bomb.

1603. Sources say that Saddam Hussein

1604. could have a nuclear device in a matter of months.

1605. On Election Day,

1606. His new album entitled 'Bob on Bob' is released

1607. and debuts with a bullet

1608. at number two on the charts.

1609. His single and video filmed before the shooting

1610. and ironically entitled 'I Want to Live'

1611. go to number one.

1612. Paiste and Roberts each with 48%.

1613. Moving west to Lebanon county

1614. with 20% of precincts reporting,

1615. Paiste has 44%, Roberts—49%

1616. in Lehigh county, Roberts has the edge 52 to 47%.

1617. Senator Paiste leads in Franklin county,

1618. but Bedford, Huntingdon and Somerset give the edge to Bob Roberts.

1619. In the northwest, Erie seems to be leaning towards Paiste,

1620. but Roberts shows strength in Crawford, Elk, and Clarion counties

1621. In Allegheny, Cambria and Westmoreland, with 30% of the vote reporting,

1622. it's too close to call.

1623. But the Roberts' campaign is depending on the late returns

1624. to tip the balance in the southwest.

1625. That's the news of the hour. Now more music with Tim Freeman.

1626. It's as if he knew what was going to happen to him,

1627. We have to use the word "prophestic".

1628. This is Tack Manners, APW News.

1629. Voters throughout the state of Pennsylvania

1630. have been turning out in record numbers tonight

1631. to cast their votes in a Senatorial race

1632. that has been full of controversy and drama.

1633. Brickley Paiste and Bob Roberts

1634. have been running neck and neck all night,

1635. but in the last five minutes,

1636. APW News has learned that a winner has been declared.

1637. With 98% of precincts reporting,

1638. Brickley Paiste shows 48%

1639. and Bob Roberts—52%.

1640. Bob! Bob!

1641. Bob! Bob! Bob! Bob!

1642. Bob! Bob! Bob! Bob!

1643. Thanks are due a lot of people,

1644. but I would like to take a moment out of this festive celebration

1645. to remember a good friend of ours,

1646. who lies at home tonight.

1647. A man who was shot for having the courage

1648. to take a stand.

1649. A young man who speaks his mind

1650. For a better America.

1651. Let's all bow our heads

1652. and pray for the safe recovery

1653. of Senator Bob Roberts.

1654. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

1655. Thank you, Lukas.

1656. I am truly honored to be selected…

1657. As the next Senator

1658. of the great state of Pennsylvania.

1659. I hereby humbly vow

1660. to serve you, the people,

1661. to the best of my ability

1662. as long as God will allow.

1663. Polly and I thank god

1664. and thank you

1665. For this wonderful opportunity.

1666. We won't let you down.

1667. Bob! Bob!

1668. You know, it's almost exactly 30 years since I came to the Senate.

1669. It was 1960.

1670. Jack Kennedy had been elected president.

1671. "We're going to get America moving again."

1672. There was going to be a new frontier.

1673. The world was going to be a better place.

1674. Well, the new frontier turned out to be…

1675. Vietnam, and we sort of…

1676. fell off the edge.

1677. Our top story this hour:

1678. With the agreement yesterday

1679. among the five permanent Security Council members,

1680. the broad coalition the United States has mustered

1681. against Iraqi president Saddam Hussein

1682. has crossed a crucial threshold—

1683. authorizing the use of military force.

1684. The United States has won the backing of the Soviet Union,

1685. China, Britain, and France

1686. for a U.N. Resolution threatening to use—quote—

1687. "all necessary means to drive Iraq from Kuwait

1688. if it does not leave by January 15th."

1689. Six weeks after the shooting,

1690. We receive a call from Chet MacGregor.

1691. Bob wants to see our footage of the tragic incident

1692. at the "Cutting Edge" live television show.

1693. We have transferred the film to videotape

1694. and are just arriving at Fair Acres,

1695. Bob's palatial estate at Bryn Mawr in suburban Pennsylvania.

1696. Oh, this is precious.

1697. Bob, sweetie, look at this.

1698. It's from a little girl.

1699. "Dear Bob, even though it's not Valentine's day,

1700. "will you be mine?"

1701. Signed, Amy Bittle Richman, age 7.

1702. Oh, that's sweet.

1703. Look at that.

1704. See that?

1705. Why don't we send a letter back to her?

1706. "Dear Amy, your kind Valentine

1707. "has made this difficult transition a great deal easier.

1708. "Be good in school, and don't do crack, it's a ghetto drug."

1709. Straight up, Bob.

1710. To Amy,

1711. and all the future soldiers throughout the land.

1712. Hear! Hear!

1713. "Make America great for Christian people and walk again, too.

1714. "God bless, Doreen Graf, Millersville, Pennsylvania."

1715. Somebody got off an early Christmas card.

1716. "We wish you a merry Christmas

1717. and a year filled with song,

1718. and where the body is, there will the vultures be gathered."

1719. Love, Billy LaRay.

1720. Here's one from the whole Board of Directors at Interunys.

1721. "Dear Bob, we here at Interunys wish to extend our support,

1722. "best wishes for your quick recovery.

1723. "As you may know, Interunys is a Fortune 500 company

1724. "specializing in waste management and genetic engineering.

1725. "Our philosophy here is much attuned with yours, Bob,

1726. "And in fact, we play This Land as an anthem before—"

1727. The gun right there.

1728. "We play This Land

1729. "as an anthem before all of our board meetings.

1730. "The best to you and yours. God bless you, Bob".

1731. Bob.

1732. "May he rot in hell.

1733. "May God's vengeful sword

1734. "carry that…terrible man that shot you's heart

1735. "to the pit of hell for eternity.

1736. "Signed, James McCobb, Boston, Massachusetts.

1737. P.S. Don't…Do more songs like Don't Vote."

1738. More champagne?

1739. Well, I'm going.

1740. Goodbye, all.

1741. Dolores, maybe you better lie down for a while.

1742. I'm tired and sick.

1743. - Dolores, this is very— - Something wrong?

1744. Well, she's been working very hard, Terry,

1745. and I think she's got a bit of the bubbly.

1746. She could never say no to the Pérignon.

1747. You better watch yourself, my friend!

1748. I've got my eye on you, my friend!

1749. You're dead!

1750. Why do you think it's a frame?

1751. It appears that the gun in question

1752. was placed on my client's person

1753. by a third party present at the time of the shooting.

1754. How do you know that?

1755. Fingerprints indicate that the gun

1756. was fired by Mr. Raplin's right hand.

1757. Mr. Raplin cannot pick up a fork,

1758. let alone fire a gun with his right hand.

1759. He has constrictive palsy

1760. which cripples motor functions in that limb.

1761. And furthermore, there were no powder burns of any kind

1762. on any of his clothing.

1763. Why has he been in custody so long then?

1764. Well, you tell me.

1765. Dolores?

1766. Dolores?

1767. Dolores.

1768. - I can't talk to you, Terry. - Have you left Bob?

1769. Are you no longer working for him?

1770. That is correct.

1771. What happened?

1772. It was a mutual decision. I felt that it was time to move on.

1773. - I don't believe you. - I'm sorry about that.

1774. Raplin's been released.

1775. They found he couldn't have fired the gun.

1776. Is there something we should know?

1777. You see, the truth of this is—

1778. that American taxpayers have been paying for covert war

1779. illegal covert war

1780. waged in countries we haven't even heard of.

1781. Central America…

1782. Thousands have died. Chile…

1783. Indonesia, Africa.

1784. Up until now, Americans paid for these wars

1785. every time they did cocaine or crack or heroin

1786. or any other illegal drug,

1787. smuggled in by these self-proclaimed patriots.

1788. But now…

1789. Now, we have a situation…

1790. where all Americans will soon pay

1791. for the smugglings of drugs in the form of taxes

1792. to bail out failed Savings and Loans,

1793. Savings and Loans that misused people's funds

1794. and provided money to illegal, covert,

1795. drug-smuggling operations.

1796. And surprise…

1797. We find ourselves

1798. with a seemingly insurmountable drug problem.

1799. Bob.

1800. How do you feel, Bob?

1801. Great. There's a new breeze blowing, a new day dawning.

1802. Any comment on the release of Elijah Raplin?

1803. Well, it's obvious that the legal system

1804. is too lenient on criminals of this country.

1805. As a United States senator, I'll see through it that this leniency

1806. ends in our lifetime, and that criminals like Raplin get their just due.

1807. Have you ever been to Washington before?

1808. Yes, but this time is special.

1809. - It's a new town now. - Why is that?

1810. Because Bob Roberts is here to stay.

1811. The reason Iran-Contra happened

1812. is because no one did anything substantial about Watergate,

1813. and the reason Watergate happened

1814. is because there were no consequences from the Bay of Pigs.

1815. They're all the same operatives, didn't you notice?

1816. the foot soldiers in the Bay of Pigs,

1817. the plumbers that got busted at Watergate,

1818. the gunrunners in Iran-Contra- all the same people.

1819. Same faces!

1820. Now, it doesn't take a genius to figure out the connection here

1821. A secret government beyond the control of the people

1822. and accountable to no one.

1823. And the closer we are to discovering the connection,

1824. the more the Congress turns a blind eye to it.

1825. "We can't talk about that in open session," they say,

1826. "National Security reasons."

1827. The truth lies dormant in their laps, and they stay blind out of choice.

1828. A conspiracy of silence.

1829. I think the entire Congress is quite aware

1830. of the National Security Council and its powers and its functions

1831. and the fact that this is a national security state

1832. and less and less of a representative one, but—

1833. it's—you know—

1834. the story of the frog in the—

1835. in the pan of cold water.

1836. If you throw a frog into hot water,

1837. it'll jump around and suffer greatly and die.

1838. If you put the frog in a pan of cold water,

1839. you put that on the stove,

1840. you heat it to the boiling point,

1841. the frog doesn't stir.

1842. He doesn't feel it. He doesn't notice it.

1843. At the end of it, he's dead.

1844. These things happen incrementally. They're gradual.

1845. Are we complicit? Yes, we are.

1846. Are we revolutionaries?

1847. How do you do it once you're here?

1848. There are no Mr. Smiths in Washington.

1849. Mr. Smith has been bought.

1850. Just a bunch of deal-makers—

1851. no visionaries—

1852. no one really concerned with the disenfranchised—

1853. just a secret state

1854. of business liaisons out of control,

1855. so out of control

1856. they're willing to send American soldiers to war

1857. to protect their prurient business interests.

1858. No poll will tell you the truth.

1859. Corporations and the big businesses that own the networks,

1860. major newspapers, they won't tell you the truth.

1861. It's not in their interest to tell you the truth.

1862. It's too dangerous to them.

1863. If you want the truth in this country,

1864. you have to seek it out.

1865. You must be vigilant…

1866. unrelenting…

1867. uncompromising…

1868. I will get Bob Roberts.

1869. I don't need a gun to do it.

1870. Then I finally found him,

1871. scooped up Calvin.

1872. He had all the candles ready.

1873. I was the first one to find out, though.

1874. He's in that room up there.

1875. I saw him in the wheelchair earlier.

1876. He waved. I couldn't believe it.

1877. I think he recognized me.

1878. Which room?

1879. Three up, seven to the left.

1880. The curtain's closed now. It was open before.

1881. So how's the documentary going?

1882. Well, I'm learning a great deal about Bob Roberts.

1883. You know, you're lucky to be spending so much time

1884. with Bob Roberts.

1885. I don't know if I'm lucky.

1886. What do you mean?

1887. I…don't know if I really like him.

1888. I don't know if he's healthy for your country.

1889. Why do you like him?

1890. Because he's righteous,

1891. and he sticks up for you.

1892. - In what way does he stick up for you? - He believes in America,

1893. believes in making money, being rich.

1894. He's not one of those sensitive liberals

1895. that makes you feel responsible

1896. for everything that's gone wrong.

1897. Have you heard about his connection

1898. to the failed Savings and Loan, and his involvement with drug-smuggling?

1899. - No. - Yeah, I heard about that.

1900. That's bullshit.

1901. It may be, yes.

1902. It's the press. They always lie.

1903. That may be as well.

1904. Roger! Calvin! Roger, Calvin!

1905. He's dead!

1906. - They got him! - Who's dead?

1907. Bugs Raplin. He's dead!

1908. Bob! Bob! Bob!

1909. Journalist John Alijah Raplin was shot at 6:30 this evening.

1910. at close range by a man describing himself

1911. as a member of the "Arm of Justice",

1912. a radical right-wing group

1913. dedicated to undoing injustices in the criminal system.

1914. Outside the 3rd Precinct in downtown Philadelphia,

1915. the as-yet unidentified radical

1916. yelled at reporters and police, saying that that

1917. he is one of many throughout this country

1918. and that his action is the beginning of a new era for justice in the United States.

1919. Mr. Raplin died at 8.30 this evening,

1920. after a prolonged attempt to revive him failed.

1921. Raplin, who suffered from cerebral palsy,

1922. was released last month from police custody

1923. and cleared of any connection

1924. to the attack on Senator Bob Roberts.

1925. Raplin is a self-professed radical and leaves no surviving family.

1926. A United Nations delegation led by Secretary General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar

1927. left Baghdad tonight

1928. after a last-minute attempt at diplomacy with Iraq.

1929. The Iraqis have steadfastly refused to withdraw from Kuwait

1930. as the U.N.-mandated deadline approaches tonight at 12 midnight.

1931. President Bush said yesterday

1932. that every attempt at diplomacy has been exhausted

1933. and that the job of repelling the aggressor

1934. has reached a crucial stage.

1935. On Capitol Hill today, the Senate voted overwhelmingly

1936. to support the President if force becomes necessary.

1937. Two weeks ago, 48% of Congress had been opposed to the use of force in the Persian Gulf.

1938. The Democratic majority leader said today that since war appears imminent,

1939. it is important that we stand behind the President.

1940. An overnight poll released this morning

1941. shows that the American public has shifted their opinion

1942. and are now supporting the use of force in the Persian Gulf.

1943. Two weeks ago, 58% of the American public opposed intervention.

1944. Tonight, on the eve of war, only 40% oppose the use of force,

1945. the poll says.

1946. Captioning made possible by Artisan Home Entertainment

1947. —www.ncicap.org—