swing your partner, promenade

("Joanne darling, dial down the religion.")


------------------------
Doc Long -- "In an evil and twisted derby between the communists and the fundamentalists -- it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em, as far as I'm concerned."


Below is a photograph of the real Doc Long.





In Charlie Wilson's War, Long is portrayed by actor Ned Beatty.





"...6 to 5 and pick 'em..."


Charlie -- No, you're wrong about that, Doc, and you know you don't mean it.


Doc Long (his indignance growing as he speaks) -- "In Pakistan, a blind girl gets raped, but there's a witness.  Now in Pakistan it takes four witnesses.  So the rapist walks away -- and the girl is in prison!  Can you tell me why?"


Doc Long is utterly outraged at this cruel and "draconian" injustice.


Wilson -- "Mr. Chairman, President Zia is the only one willing to shoulder the risk of actively training and funding the mujahideen, while Egypt and Saudi Arabia..."


Long -- "Now, the Saudis are matching any funding from Congress?"


Wilson -- "That's right."  (undercurrent of enthusiasm)
Long -- So when you say 40 million to me, you're really talking about 80 million.
Wilson -- (undercurrent of "tamping it down") "Only forty from us."
[a subtle conversational dance]


Long -- You want to put 80 million dollars in the hands of these people?!





Wilson -- No, see, Doc, now, if you took a trip with me to the border, you'd stop calling them "these people." 





They are farmers and children mostly, and they are fighting our enemies for us.


[Now Long begins to back-pedal, or "back-dance"...]


Long (humbly, wearily) -- I know.


Wilson -- To make it possible for America --


Long -- I know.


Wilson -- To make it possible for America, to sit on the bench, while little kids and their mothers fight our enemies.  Now all you have to do to change that is to support me in the Committee, Mr. Chairman.


Long -- I'm sorry Charlie, but doubling from 5 to 10 million is one thing, but, you know, I just can't get behind this!


CUT TO: 
EXT.  A SWIMMING POOL ON A SUNNY DAY.


One person, Joanne Herring, is in the blue water.
Phone rings.
Female Assistant -- "Mrs. Herring, Congressman Wilson for you."







When Joanne alights from the pool, she is waited on, hand and foot.  A female assistant hands her the telephone receiver, while at the same time a male assistant holds up a robe for her to shrug into...


The Camera is on her; we hear Charlie Wilson's voice through the phone.


Joanne -- "Hello."
Charlie -- "Hey."
Joanne -- Tell me what's happening.
Charlie -- Well, I need Doc Long, and he's not gettin' on board.  Now he's a church-goin' guy, so I thought...you know...maybe you could...


Joanne -- Oh, so now you need God.
Charlie -- (with his usual chivalrous humility) -- Yeah.  Let me give you his private line.
Joanne (breezily) -- I've got it.


-30-