All the President's Men quotes

View Quote Hannah: [to Bernstein] Aw baby, you can get it up... I just wonder if you'll ever be able to get it together.

View Quote 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.

View Quote 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.

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

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

View Quote Bernstein: I want you to know that I understand why you're afraid--a lot of good people down there at the Committee are afraid. I'm really sorry for what you're being put through.
Bookkeeper: All those articles you people write--where do you find that stuff?
Bernstein: We don't tell anyone that. Which is why you can talk to us. And if we can't verify what you say someplace else, we don't print it. That's another reason you can relax.
Bookkeeper: I'm relaxed--light your cigarette.
Bernstein: You were Hugh Sloan's bookkeeper when he worked for Maurice Stans at Finance, and we were sort of wondering, did you go work for Stans immediately after Sloan quit or was there a time lapse?
Bookkeeper: I never worked for Sloan or Stans.
Bookkeeper's sister: Would you like some coffee or anything?
Bernstein: Please, yes, thank you. Can I sit down for a minute?
Bookkeeper: One minute but then--
Bernstein: Right, right, I've got to go. Why did you lie just then? I was just curious--you don't do it well, so I wondered. Have you been threatened, if you told the truth, is that it?
Bookkeeper: No... never in so many words...
Bernstein: It's obvious you want to talk to someone--well, I'm someone.

View Quote Bernstein: The General Accounting report said there was a 350 thousand cash slush fund in Stans' safe. Did you know about that from the beginning?
Bookkeeper: There are too many people watching me--they know I know a lot.
Bernstein: It was all in hundreds, wasn't it?
Bookkeeper: A lot of it was. I just thought it was sort of an all-purpose political fund--you know, for taking fat cats to dinner, things like that.
Bernstein: Could buy a lot of steaks, 350,000 dollars.
Bookkeeper: I can't be positive that it was used for the break-in but people sure are worried.
Bernstein: Which people?
Bookkeeper: The ones who could disburse the money....I don't want to say anymore.
...
Bernstein: You haven't finished telling me about the money.
Bookkeeper: Omigod, there was so much of it, six million came in one two-day period--six million cash, we couldn't find enough places to put it. I thought it was all legal, I guess I did, til after the break-in, when I remembered Gordon got so much of it.
Bernstein: Gordon Liddy, you mean?
Bookkeeper: [nods] It was all so crazy--the day after the break-in he gave us a speech, bouncing up and down on his heels in that loony way of his--Gordon told us not to let Jim McCord ruin everything--don't let one bad apple spoil the barrel, he said. You just know that when Gordon Liddy's calling someone a bad apple, something's wrong somewhere. It's all so rotten... and getting worse... and all I care about is Hugh Sloan. His wife was going to leave him if he didn't stand up and do what was right. And he quit. He quit because he saw it and didn't want any part of it.
Bernstein: Think Sloan's being set up as a fall guy for John Mitchell? Sometimes it looks that way.
Bookkeeper: If you guys... if you guys could just get John Mitchell... that would be beautiful.

View Quote Bernstein: This is practically a high school reunion for us, Jane--I would have sprung for a classier place.
Jane: Anyplace really public, they'd know about it--they know everything at the Committee, Carl.
Bernstein: You don't really think you're being followed?
Jane: This girlfriend of mine at the Committee, the other day she went back to the D.A. to tell the things the FBI didn't ask her. That night, her boss, he knew what she'd done. They control everything; that's how they know it all.
Bernstein: FBI too?
Jane: You don't believe me? Well, I was working the weekend of the break-in and my God, all the executives were running around like crazy--you had to practically wait in line to use the shredding machine--and when the FBI came to investigate, they never even asked me about it.
Bernstein: If you don't like it down there, why don't you quit?
Jane: I don't know what they'd do to me.
Bernstein: Hey, easy...
Jane: We're a long way from high school, Carl, and I'm scared.
...
Jane: They found out I saw you. They wanted to know everything. Don't call me again.
Bernstein: I can help if you'll...
Jane: Stay away from me, Carl!

View Quote Bernstein: We were hoping that maybe now you could... We know why you left the Committee. We know you're not guilty of anything. But we know you know who is.
Sloan: Look, come in. We'll have to be quiet--my wife's asleep...I'd like to talk to you, I really would, but my lawyers say I shouldn't until after the Watergate trial.
Woodward: You handed out the money. Maybe there's a legitimate explanation for the way it was done.
Bernstein: Then again, maybe things are even worse than we've written...
Sloan: They're worse. That's why I quit.

View Quote Bernstein: You heard? They put us both on the break-in thing. Simons liked the way we worked together.
[Woodward nods]
Bernstein: Listen, I'm sorry I said your story was bullshit.
Woodward: It's OK; I'm sorry I called you a failure.
Bernstein: Forget it, the main thing--did you call me a failure?
Woodward: I was sure trying.

View Quote Bradlee: All non-denial denials--we're dirty guys and they doubt we were ever virgins but they don't say the story is inaccurate.
Bernstein: What's a real denial?
Bradlee: If they ever start calling us goddamn liars, it's time to start circling the wagons.

View Quote Debbie Sloan: This is an honest house.
Woodward: That's why we'd like to see your husband.
Bernstein: Facing certain criminal charges that might be brought against some people that are innocent, we just feel that it would be...
Woodward: It's really for his benefit.
Debbie Sloan: No, it's not.
Woodward: [long pause] No, it's not.

View Quote Deep Throat: What's the topic for tonight?
Woodward: Rat****ing.
Deep Throat: In my day, it was simply called the double cross. I believe the CIA refers to it as Mind****. In our context, it simply means infiltration of the Democrats.
Woodward: I know what it means--Segretti wouldn't go on the record, but if he would, we know he'd implicate Chapin. And that would put us inside the White House.
Deep Throat: Yes, the little rat****ers are now running our government.
Woodward: Who?--be specific. How high up?
Deep Throat: You'll have to find that out, won't you.

View Quote Deep Throat: 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? [Woodward nods] 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.
Deep Throat: Then there must be something, mustn't there. Look, 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: If you don't like them, why won't you be more concrete with me?
Deep Throat: Because the press stinks too--history on the run, that's all you're interested in. You come up with anything?
Woodward: John Mitchell resigned as head of CREEP to spend more time with his family. That doesn't exactly have the ring of truth. Howard Hunt's been found--there was talk that his lawyer had 25 thousand in cash in a 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.

View Quote Deep Throat: You were doing so well and then you got stupid, you went too fast--Christ, what a royal screw up.
Woodward: I know, I know, the pressure's off the White House and it's all back on the Post.
Deep Throat: You've done worse than let Haldeman slip away: you've got people feeling sorry for him. I didn't think that was possible. In a conspiracy like this, you build from the outer edges and go step by step. If you shoot too high and miss, everybody feels more secure. You've put the investigation back months.
Woodward: Yes, we know that. And if we're wrong, we're resigning. Were we wrong?
Deep Throat: You'll have to find that out, won't you?
Woodward: I'm tired of your chickenshit games. I don't want hints, I want what you know!