All the President's Men (1976) - Quotes

Bernstein: This is practically a high school reunion for us, Jane—I would have sprung for a classier place.

Foreign editor: I don't think either Metropolitan or National should cover the story. I don't think we should cover the story, period. It's a dangerous story for this paper.

Bradlee: How dangerous?

Foreign editor: It's not that we're using unnamed sources that bothers me, or that everything we print the White House denies, or that almost no other papers are reprinting our stuff.

Simons: What then?

Foreign editor: [[George McGovern|McGovern; [Hubert Humphrey|Humphrey; [w:Edmund Muskie|Muskie] Look, there are two thousand reporters in this town, are there five on Watergate? When did the Washington Post suddenly get the monopoly on wisdom? Why would the Republicans do it? ]'s self-destructed just like ], ], the bunch of them. I don't believe this story. It doesn't make sense.

National editor: Let me tell what happened when I was having lunch today at the Sans Souci.

Rosenfeld: Correction—when you were drinking your lunch at the bar of the Sans Souci.

National editor: This White House guy, a good one, a pro, came up and asked, "What is this Watergate compulsion with you guys?

Rosenfeld: Complusion? I think it's a story. This is not a compulsion.

National editor: I said, "Well, we think its important." And he said, "If it's God damn so important, who in the hell are Woodward and Bernstein?

Rosenfeld: Ask him what he's really saying—he means take the story away from Woodstein and give it to his people at the National Desk.

National editor: Well, I've got some pretty experienced fellas sitting around, wouldn't you say so?

Rosenfeld: Absolutely—and that's all they do, sit sit sit—every once in a while, they call up a Senator, some reporting.

National editor: Well, what if your boys get it wrong?

Bradlee: Then it's our asses, isn't it?

Simons: And we'll all have to go to work for a living.

Bradlee: Where's the goddamn story?

Woodward: The money's the key to whatever this is.

Bradlee: Says who?

Simons: Deep Throat.

Bradlee: Who?

Simons: Oh, that's Woodward's garage freak; his source in the executive department.

Bradlee: Garage Freak? Jesus, what kind of a crazy fucking story is this? Who did you say?

Simons: He's on deep background, I call him deep... throat.

Woodward: This should take only a minute, Mr. Dahlberg, but we're doing a follow-up on the break-in...and I was kind of curious about your check.

w:Kenneth H. Dahlberg|[Kenneth H.] Dahlberg: Check?

Woodward: The twenty-five thousand dollar one....The one with your name on it...In Bernard Barker's Florida account...Bernard Barker, the Watergate burglar.

Dahlberg: You're definitely doing a story?

Woodward: Yes, sir.

Dahlberg: [pause] I'm a proper citizen, I'm a decent man, I don't do anything that isn't decent or proper. I know I shouldn't tell you this...That twenty-five thousand dollars is money I collected for Nixon in this year's campaign.

Woodward: I see. And how do you think it reached Miami?

Dahlberg: I don't know; I really don't. The last time I saw it was when I was in Washington. I gave it to the Finance department of the Committee to Re-Elect the President. How it got to that burglar, your guess is as good as mine.

Woodward: [[G. Gordon Liddy|Gordon Liddy] This man ]—he's going to be tried along with Hunt and the five burglars—we know he knows a lot, we just don't know what.

Deep Throat: You changed cabs? You're sure no one followed you?

Woodward: I did everything you said, but it all seemed—

Deep Throat: Melodramatic? Things are past that—remember, these are men with switchblade mentalities who run the world as if it were Dodge City.

Woodward: What's the whole thing about—do you know?

Deep Throat: What I know, you'll have to find out on your own.

Woodward: Liddy—you think there's a chance he'll talk?

Deep Throat: Talk? Once, at a gathering, he put his hand over a candle. And he kept it there. He kept it right in the flame until his flesh seared. A woman who was watching asked, "What's the trick?" And he replied. "The trick is not minding.

Potter: [trying to copy Lawrence's snuffing a match with his fingers] Oooh! It damn well hurts.

Lawrence: Certainly it hurts.

Potter: [[trick] Well, what's the ], then?

Lawrence: The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts.

Deep Throat: [Woodward nods] You thought I'd help out on specifics? I'll confirm what you get, try to keep you on the right track, but that's all. Are you guys really working? How much?

Woodward: I don't know maybe sixteen, eighteen hours a day—we've got sources at Justice, the FBI, but it's still drying up. The story is dry. All we've got are pieces. We can't seem to figure out what the puzzle is supposed to look like. John Mitchell resigns as the head of CREEP, and says that he wants to spend more time with his family. I mean, it sounds like bullshit, we don't exactly believe that...

Deep Throat: No, heh, but it's touching. Forget the myths the media's created about the White House. The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Woodward: Hunt's come in from the cold. Supposedly he's got a lawyer with $25,000 in a brown paper bag.

Deep Throat: Follow the money. Always follow the money.

Woodward: What do you mean? Where?

Deep Throat: Oh, I can't tell you that.

Woodward: But you could tell me that.

Deep Throat: No, I have to do this my way. You tell me what you know, and I'll confirm. I'll keep you in the right direction if I can, but that's all. Just... follow the money.

Librarian: Library.

Bernstein: Hi. Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post. I was just wondering if you remember the names of any of the books that Howard Hunt checked out on Senator Kennedy.

Librarian: I think I do remember, he took out a whole bunch of material. Let me just go see.

Bernstein: What do you think?

Woodward: Hunt doesn't seem like your ordinary consultant.

Bernstein: Maybe a political operative of some sort.

Woodward: A spy, you mean?

Bernstein: It makes sense; Hunt worked for the C.I.A. and the White House was paranoid about Teddy Kennedy.

Librarian: Mr. Bernstein?

Bernstein: Yes, ma'am.

Librarian: [pause] What I said before? I was wrong. The truth is, I don't have a card that Mr. Hunt took out any Kennedy material. I remember getting that material out for somebody, but it wasn't Mr. Hunt. The truth is, I've never had any requests at all from Mr. Hunt. The truth is, I don't know Mr. Hunt.

Bernstein: How's it going?

Woodward: What're you doing?

Bernstein: I'm polishing it a little.

Woodward: You're what?

Bernstein: Polishing.

Woodward: What's wrong with it?

Bernstein: Nothing, nothing, it's good.

Woodward: Then what are you doing with it?

Bernstein: I'm helping it, it's a little fuzzy.

Woodward: May I have it?

Bernstein: I don't think you're saying what you mean.

Woodward: I know exactly what I mean.

Bernstein: Not here. I can't tell from this whether Hunt works for Coulson or Coulson works for Hunt-

Woodward: May I have it, please?

Bernstein: -so many conclusions to this-

Woodward: May I have it?

Bernstein: Yes, I'm not looking for a fight.

Woodward: I'm not looking for a fight either.

Bernstein: I'm just aware of the fact that you've only been here nine months.

Woodward: What's that got to do with anything?

Bernstein: Well, I've been in the business since I was 16.

Woodward: What're you saying?

Bernstein: Look, I'm trying to tell you that if you'd read mine, and then read yours-

Woodward: Can I read yours?

Bernstein: [Woodward takes Bernstein's version and reads them side-by-side] Yeah. I walked by, gave yours a glance, it didn't look right, so I figured I'd just refine it a little. The first paragraph has to have more clarity, the readers gotta understand. You don't mention Coulson's name till the third paragraph. I think mine's better, but you go ahead and read. If you think yours is better, we'll give yours to the desk. I've got Coulson's name up front. He's a White House consultant and nobody knows-

Woodward: [Goes to his desk, comes back with a bunch of papers] You're right. Yours is better. If you're gonna do it, do it right, here are my notes. If you're gonna hype it, hype it with the facts. I don't mind what you did, I mind the way you did it.

Simons: Did you call the White House press office?

Woodward: I went over there; I talked to them. They said Hunt hadn't worked there for three months. Then a PR guy said this weird thing to me. He said, "I am convinced that neither Mr. Colson nor anyone else at the White House had any knowledge of, or participation in, this deplorable incident at the Democratic National Committee.

Simons: Isn't that what you'd expect them to say?

Woodward: Absolutely.

Rosenfeld: So?

Woodward: I never asked about Watergate. I simply asked what were Hunt's duties at the White House. They volunteered he was innocent when nobody asked if he was guilty.

Simons: Be careful how you write it.

Hunt: Howard Hunt here.

Woodward: Hi, I'm Bob Woodward of the Post and—

Hunt: Yes, yes, what is it?

Woodward: I was just kind of wondering why your name and phone number were in the address books of two of the men arrested at Watergate?

Hunt: Good God!

Woodward: [[Charles Colson] Who's ]?

Rosenfeld: [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin; [Leon Trotsky|Trotsky; [Joseph Stalin|Stalin] I would liken your query to being in Russia half a century ago and asking someone, "I understand who ] is and ] I got too, but who's this yokel ]?

Woodward: Who's Colson, Harry?

Rosenfeld: [[John Ehrlichman|Mr. Erlichman; [John N. Mitchell|Mr. Mitchell] The most powerful man in America is President Nixon, probably you've heard his name. The second most powerful man is Robert Haldeman. Just below him are a trio: ] is Haldeman's friend, and they protect the President from everybody which is why they are referred to as either The German Shepherds or the Berlin Wall. ] we've already discussed. Mr. Colson is the President's special counsel.

Woodward: Thanks, Harry. Know anything about Colson?

Rosenfeld: Just that on his office wall there's a cartoon with a caption reading, "When you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.

Simons: Anything?

Rosenfeld: Woodward's onto a new wrinkle with the break-in thing—absolute page one stuff—

Simons: In other words, you got nothing, you're thumbsucking.

Rosenfeld: [shrugs] Could develop.

Judge: Will you please state your professions.

Barker: Anti-communists.

Judge: Anti-communists? That, sir, is not your average profession. Your name, please.

McCord: James McCord.

Judge: Will you step forward, sir? And what is your occupation, Mr. McCord?

McCord: Security consultant.

Judge: Where?

McCord: Government, uh, recently, uh, retired.

Judge: Where in the government?

McCord: Central Intelligence Agency.

Judge: Where?

McCord: The C.I.A.

Woodward: Holy shit.

Richard Nixon: The White House has had no involvement whatever in this particular incident.

John Mitchell: All that crap, you're putting it in the paper? It's all been denied. You tell your publisher—tell Katie Graham she's gonna get her tit caught in a big fat wringer if that's published. Good Christ! That's the most sickening thing I ever heard.

Hugh Sloan, Jr.: I've been looking for a job but it's been... hard. My name's been in the papers too much. Sometimes I wonder if reporters understand how much pain they can inflict in just one sentence. I'm not thinking of myself. But my wife, my parents, it's been very rough on them. I wish I could put down on paper what it's like—you come to Washington because you believe in something, and then you get inside and you see how things actually work and you watch your ideals disintegrate. The people inside, the people in the White House, they start to believe they can suspend the rules because they're fulfilling a mission. That becomes the only important thing—the mission. It's so easy to lose perspective. We want to get out before we lose ours altogether.

White House spokesman: [[w:H. R. Haldeman|Bob Haldeman] On the record let me say just this: the story is totally untrue. On background, I'd like to add that ] is one of the greatest public servants this country has ever had and the story is a goddamned lie.

Harry Rosenfeld: [to Ben Bradlee] Benjy, we got a present for you. Above the fold on page one for sure. It may not change our lives one way or the other. Just a good, solid piece of American Journalism that The New York Times doesn't have.

Harry Rosenfeld: [to Woodward] I can't sell hints to Simons—you called everyone you know? Call someone you don't know.

Harry Rosenfeld: Woodward, Bernstein, you're both on the story, now don't fuck it up.

Ben Bradlee: [[w:Gallup Poll|Gallup Poll; [Watergate scandal|Watergate; [First Amendment to the United States Constitution|first amendment to the Constitution; [freedom of the press] You know the results of the latest ]? Half the country never even heard of the word ]. Nobody gives a shit. You guys are probably pretty tired, right? Well, you should be. Go on home, get a nice hot bath. Rest up... 15 minutes. Then get your asses back in gear. We're under a lot of pressure, you know, and you put us there. Nothing's riding on this except the, uh, ], ], and maybe the future of the country. Not that any of that matters, but if you guys fuck up again, I'm gonna get mad. Goodnight.

Ben Bradlee: WOODSTEIN!

Ben Bradlee: Now hold it, hold it. We're about to accuse Mr. Haldeman, who only happens to be the second most important man in America, of conducting a criminal conspiracy from inside the White House. It would be nice if we were right.

Ben Bradlee: I can't do the reporting for my reporters, which means I have to trust them. And I hate trusting anybody.

Ben Bradlee: [[w:Lyndon B. Johnson|Lyndon Johnson; [J. Edgar Hoover; [Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI] Once when I was reporting, ]'s top guy gave me the word they were looking for a successor to ]. I wrote it and the day it appeared Johnson called a press conference and appointed Hoover head of the ] for life... And when he was done, he turned to his top guy and the President said, "Call Ben Bradlee and tell him fuck you." I took a lot of static for that—everyone said, "You did it, Bradlee, you screwed up—you stuck us with Hoover forever." I screwed up but I wasn't wrong. You guys haven't been wrong yet, is that why you're scared shitless? You should be.

Ben Bradlee: [Mitchell; [w:Katharine Graham|Kathy Graham; Gives a light chuckle, then hands the notes back to Woodward] really said that about ]? Cross out the words "her tit" and run it...this is a family newspaper.

Ben Bradlee: Goddammit, when is somebody going to go on the record in this story?!...You guys are about to write a story that says the former Attorney General, the highest-ranking law enforcement officer in this country, is a crook! Just be sure you're right...Leave plenty of room for his denial.

Carl Bernstein: [to Martin Dardis] Look, you've been jerking my chain all day. If there's some reason you can't talk to me—like the fact that you've already leaked everything to The New York Times—just say so.

Carl Bernstein: I lived here all my life, I got a million contacts, but they're all bus boys and bellhops.

Bob Woodward: [To Bernstein, getting on an elevator] Is there any place you don't smoke?

Bob Woodward: This is terrific work, if you like rejection.

Bob Woodward: [about Martha Mitchell] I just don't get it; a CREEP secretary being scared, that's one thing. But what does the wife of one of the most powerful men in America have to be afraid of?

Bob Woodward: Hi, I'm Bob Woodward of the Washington Post—and—what's that?--you've never heard of me?--I can't help that—you don't believe I'm with the Post?--what do you want me to do, Madam, shout "extra--extra"?

Bob Woodward: The head of security for the reelection of a Republican President got caught bugging the national offices of the Democrats? What the hell does that mean?