Josh Singer

Do you know what my husband said about the news? He called it the first rough draft of history.

My decision stands, and I'm going to bed.

Well, I've never smoked a cigar. And I have no problem holding Lyndon or Jack or Bob or any of them accountable. We can't hold them accountable if we don't have a newspaper.

I'm here asking your advice, Bob, not your permission.

This is no longer my father's company. It's no longer my husband's company. It's my company.

For them! But, you know, the bankers always fiddle with the prices. But, for *us*, that's over 3 million dollars and that represents over 5 years salary for 25 good reporters.

The Nixon White House is nothing if not vindictive. Just this morning they barred us from covering Trisha Nixon's wedding.

No. Probably not. Although, when Ben sets his mind to plunder, its not hard to imagine something more serious. Catastrophic events - do occur, you know.

Ben, that's not my role. You know that. I wouldn't presume to tell you how to write about him. Just as I wouldn't take it upon myself to tell him he should hand over a classified study, which would be a crime, by the way, just so he can serve as your source.

When Phil died it was just - I was 45 years old and I had never held - I never had to hold a job in my life. But, I just, I loved the paper, you know. I do. I do so love the paper. I don't want it to be my fault. I don't want to be the one - I don't want to let Phil and my father and all of you kids and everybody down.

This company has been in my life for longer than most of the people working there have been alive. So, I don't need the lecture on legacy.

Alright, then. My decision stands. And I'm - going to bed.

Well, if we live in a world where the government could tell us what we can and cannot print, then the Washington Post as we know it has already ceased to exist.

Are you suggesting we alert the Attorney General to the fact that we have these documents, that we're going to print, in a few days?

We have to be the check on their power. If we don't hold them accountable, then, my God, who will?

Jack Kennedy. The night he was assassinated, Tony and I were down at the Naval Hospital so we would be there to meet Jackie when she landed. She was bringing Jack's body back on the plane from Dallas and she walked into the room. She was still wearing that pink suit, with Jack's blood all over it. She fell into Tony's arms and they held each other for quite a long time. And then Jackie looked at me and said, "None of this. None of what you see. None of what I say, is ever going to be in your newspaper, Ben." And that just about broke my heart. I never - never thought of Jack as a source. I thought of him as a friend. And that was my mistake. And it was something that Jack knew all along. We can't be both. We have to choose. And - that's the point. The days of us smoking cigars together on Pennsylvania Avenue were over.

You know, the only couple I knew that both Kennedy and LBJ wanted to socialize with was you and your husband.

When I get my hands on that study, what are you going to do, Mrs. Graham? Oh, happy birthday, by the way.

No matter what happens tomorrow, we are not a little local paper anymore.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that we spend most of our time stumbling around the dark. Suddenly, a light gets turned on and there's a fair share of blame to go around. I can't speak to what happened before I arrived, but all of you have done some very good reporting here. Reporting that I believe is going to have an immediate and considerable impact on our readers. For me, this kind of story is why we do this.

We need to focus on the institution, not the individual priests. Practice and policy; show me the church manipulated the system so that these guys wouldn't have to face charges, show me they put those same priests back into parishes time and time again. Show me this was systemic, that it came from the top, down.

"The church had no interest in knowing what The Globe's questions would be." Work it in somewhere before the jump. Anything else?

We've got two stories here: a story about degenerate clergy, and a story about a bunch of lawyers turning child abuse into a cottage industry. Which story do you want us to write? Because we're writing one of them.

Mmm. I ran track. You know, I went to Providence yesterday to talk to one of Father Talbot's victims. He played hockey here. And he's one of the better ones. He's got a wife, kids, good job. About ten minutes into the conversation, the guy breaks down. You know, couldn't stop crying. Said he could never figure out why Father Talbot picked him. Father Talbot coached the hockey team. So… I gues we just got lucky. You and me.

It's time, Robby! It's time! They knew and they let it happen! To KIDS! Okay? It could have been you, it could have been me, it could have been any of us. We gotta nail these scumbags! We gotta show people that nobody can get away with this; Not a priest, or a cardinal or a freaking pope!

They knew and they let it happen! It could've been you, it could've been me, it could've been any of us.

I know there's things you cannot tell people. But I also know there's a story here people will hear about it.

Yeah, there's a reason I didn't see it. Nobody reads a Phoenix anymore... they're broke, they don't have any power. The Globe does. If we cover the story, everybody will hear about it.

Robby, it's incredible. Law knew about Geoghan for years, no question. There's a letter to Law from a woman, Margaret Gallant, who lived in Jamaica Plain in the early '80s when Geoghan was there. Listen to this. "Our family is rooted in the Church. Our desire is to protect the Holy Orders, even in the midst of our agony over the seven boys in our family who have been violated." Seven, Robby. Seven boys. "It was suggested we keep silent. We did not question the authority of the Church two years ago. But since Father Geoghan is still in his parish..." But she sent it to Law and Law did shit. Here's another to Law, same year. Listen to this. "A word on the recent assignment of Father Geoghan as an associate at St. Julia's in Weston. Father Geoghan has a history of homosexual involvement with young boys. I understand his recent departure from St. Brendan's may be related to this problem. I wonder if Father Geoghan should not be reduced to just weekend work while receiving some kind of therapy. You know how grateful I am to you for your constant concern. Sincerely yours in our Lord, Most Reverend John M D'Arcy, auxiliary bishop of Boston. December 7, 1984."