Simons Anything?
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.
6th most-quoted character in All the President's Men (1976): in 6 of its 67 quotes
Most scenes with: Ben Bradlee (4), Harry Rosenfeld (3), Bob Woodward (2)
Scenes with Simons
6 scenes Simons Simons 
According to White House personnel, Hunt definitely works there as a consultant for Colson. But when I called the White House Press office, they said he hadn't worked there for three months. Then the P.R. guy said the weirdest thing to me. [reading] "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?
Absolutely.
So?
I never asked them about Watergate. I only said what were Hunt's duties at the White House. They volunteered that he was innocent when nobody asked was he guilty.
National editor
Let me tell what happened when I was having lunch today at the Sans Souci.
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 and I said, well, we think it's important and he said, if it's so goddamn important, who the hell are Woodward and Bernstein?
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?
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?
Then it's our asses, isn't it?
Simons And we'll all have to go to work for a living.
Foreign editor
I don't think either Metropolitan or National should cover the story. I don't think we should cover the story, period.
Go on.
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
I don't believe the goddamn story, Howard, it doesn't make sense.
It will, it just hasn't bottomed out yet, give it time.
Foreign editor
Ben, Jesus, there are over two thousand reporters in this town, are there five on Watergate? Where did we suddenly get all this wisdom?
Where's the goddamn story?
The money's the key to whatever this is.
Says who?
Simons Deep Throat.
Who?
Simons Oh, that's Woodward's garage freak; his source in the executive department.
Garage Freak? Jesus, what kind of a crazy **** story is this? Who did you say?
Simons He's on deep background, I call him deep... throat.
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.
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
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? McGovern's self-destructed just like Humphrey, Muskie, the bunch of them. I don't believe this story. It doesn't make sense.
