Paul Sorvino credited as playing...
Henry Kissinger
- Richard M. Nixon: [on TV] ... because people have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I am not a crook.
- Henry Kissinger: Oh, God, I think I'm going to throw up.
- Henry Kissinger: History will treat you far more kindly than your contemporaries.
- Richard M. Nixon: Yeah. Depends who writes the history books.
- Henry Kissinger: If they harass you, I too would resign, and I would tell the world why.
- Richard M. Nixon: Don't be stupid. The world needs you, Henry.
- Henry Kissinger: If a Rockefeller can't be the President of the United States then what is the point of democracy?
- Richard M. Nixon: The point of democracy is that even the son of a grocer can become president.
- Nelson Rockefeller: And you came damn close, Dick. How are you?
- Richard M. Nixon: Hi, John.
- Nelson Rockefeller: New York treating you all right? I'm sorry I haven't been able to see you at all.
- Richard M. Nixon: You're looking happy.
- Nelson Rockefeller: Happy, Happy, Dick Nixon. You remember him.
- Happy Rockefeller: Nice to see you again.
- Richard M. Nixon: You're obviously making him happy.
- Nelson Rockefeller: Repartee, Dick. That's marvelous.
- John Ehrlichman: Excuse me, sir. Are you saying you're gonna recognize Red China? That would cost us our strongest support.
- Richard M. Nixon: No, I can do this because I spent my whole career building anti-Communist credentials.
- H. R. Haldeman: If Kennedy or Johnson tried it, they'd have crucified them, and rightfully so.
- John Mitchell: Damned risky, Mr. President. Why don't we wait until the second term?
- H. R. Haldeman: This will get us a second term.
- Richard M. Nixon: This will get me a second term. Damn it, without risk, there's no heroism, there's no history. Nixon was born to do this. Give history a nudge. Come on.
- H. R. Haldeman: Hear, hear.
- Richard M. Nixon: If Cambodia doesn't work, we'll bomb Hanoi if we have to. That's right. And if necessary, I'll drop the big one.
- [everybody in the dinner table stays silent]
- Henry Kissinger: We have to entertain the possibility.
- Richard M. Nixon: Goddamn it! Who cooked this damn steak? Manolo, there's blood all over my plate. Take it away.
- Manolo Sanchez: I'm sorry, sir.