Strong Medicine (76 page)

others-was a two-year-old boy. Supported by an unseen hand behind him,

he was looking into the camera with what seemed soulful eyes. His

expression was blank.

"This child," the neurologist informed his silent audience, "will never

think like you or me, and almost certainly will have no awareness of what

is going on around him."

The young face reminded Celia sharply of Bruce at the same age, sixteen

years ago. Bruce, who had written only a few days before from Williams

College, which he was now attending.

Dear Mom and Dad:

College is great! I love it here. What I like most is, they

want you to think, think, think . . .

Celia was glad the lights had been lowered for the slides, then realized

she was not alone in using a handkerchief to wipe her eyes.

Senator Donahue, when the doctor had finished, seemed to be having

trouble with his voice. Yes, Celia thought, despite all his grandstanding

and politics, he cares too.

Whatever softness there had been in Donahue had clearly vanished when,

on the afternoon of the hearing's fourth and final day, Celia was

recalled as a witness. Even in exchanges with his own staff, the senator

seemed impatient and irritable. Before Celia was called, Quentin

whispered to her, "Be careful. The great man sounds as if he ate

something during lunch which disagreed with him."

Celia was questioned by subcommittee counsel Urbach concerning other

testimony as it related to her own, earlier.

When queried about Vincent Lord's assertion that he would have delayed

Montayne had the responsibility been his, she replied, "We have since

discussed that. My own recollection differs from Dr. Lord's, but I see

no point in disputing his statement, so let it stand."

As to her visit to the headquarters of Citizens for Safer Medicine, Celia

said, "There are differences in interpretation. I went to see Dr. Stavely

on impulse and with friendly intentions, thinking we might learn

something from each other. It did not turn out that way."

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Urbach asked, "Did you go there intending to talk about Montayne?"

:'Not specifically."

'But you did discuss Montayne?"

"Yes."

"Did you hope to persuade Dr. Stavely and Citizens for Safer Medicine to

cease, or moderate, their campaign to have the FDA's approval of Montayne

withdrawn?"

:'I did not. The thought never occurred to me."

'Was your visit an official one, on behalf of your company?"

"No. In fact, no one else at Felding-Roth knew of my intention to call on

Dr. Stavely."

In his seat beside Urbach, Donahue seemed displeased. He asked, "Are all

those truthful answers, Mrs. Jordan?"

"All my answers have been truthful." Anger seized her as she added, "Would

you like me to take a polygraph test?"

Donahue scowled. "You are not on trial here."

"Excuse me, Senator. I hadn't noticed."

Glowering, Donahue motioned for Urbach to continue.

The questioning moved on to the Felding-Roth Doctrine.

"You have heard Dr. Stavely describe the document as a 'shameless piece of

sales promotion,' " Urbach said. "Do you agree with that assessment?"

"Of course not. The doctrine has no objective other than the declared,

straightforward one of charting future company policy."

"Oh, really. Are you convinced, then, it will have no sales promotion value

at all?"

Celia sensed a trap being sprung. She decided to be wary.

" I didn't say that. But if-as an honest declaration-it eventually has that

kind of value, it was not the original intention."

Donahue was fidgeting. Urbach turned to him inquiringly. "Senator?"

The chairman seemed uncertain whether to intervene or not. Then he said

dourly, "It all comes down to interpretation, doesn't it? Whether we should

believe a selfless, dedicated persop like Dr. Stavely, or a spokeswoman for

an industry which is so obsessed with profit that it regularly kills people

or mutilates them, using drugs it knows in advance to be unsafe?"

There were gasps from spectators. Even Donahue's aides looked uneasy,

sensing he had gone too far.

Ignoring all else, Celia asked acidly, "Is that a question directed

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at me, Senator? Or is it what it appears to be: a totally biased,

unsupported statement, revealing this hearing as a charade which reached

its verdict before any of us arrived?"

Donahue pointed to Celia, as he had to Mace. "Let me warn the witness:

there is an offense in this place called contempt of Congress."

Not caring anymore, she shot back, "Don't tempt me!"

The senator thundered, "I order you to explain that remark!"

Celia had progressed beyond all caution. Scarcely hearing a whispered

plea from Quentin, and shaking off his hand, she leaped to her feet.

"I explain it by pointing out that you, who sit here in judgment of

Montayne and Felding-Roth and FDA, are the same person who, two years

ago, complained about a delay in approving Montayne, and described it as

ridiculous."

"That is a lie! Now you are in contempt, madam. I made no such statement.

"

Celia felt a wondrous glow of satisfaction. Donahue had forgotten. It was

hardly surprising-he made so many statements on so many subjects. And his

aides, if they knew of what was said earlier, had failed to brief him.

On both counts, Quentin had been wrong.

There was a folder in front of her which she had not opened until now.

She had brought it, just in case. From it Celia produced a batch of press

clippings stapled together. She chose the one on top.

"This is from the Washington Post of September 17, 1976." She was still

standing as she read:

"Referring to the drug Montayne, now under review at

FDA and intended for women during pregnancy, Senator Den-

nis Donahue today described the FDA's lack of a decision as

'clearly ridiculous in the circumstances.' "

She added, "The same report was in other newspapers."

Celia stopped. "And there is something else, Senator." She selected

another paper from her folder.

Donahue, who had flushed a deep brick red, reached for his gavel. As he

did, Senator Jaffee on the minority side called out, "No, no! Let the

lady finish. I want to hear."

"You accused our industry of killing people," Celia said, addressing

Donahue. "I have here your voting record on tobacco subsidies ever since

you entered Congress eighteen years ago. Every one of those years you

voted 'yes' for subsidies. And with those votes,

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Senator, you have helped kill more people from lung cancer than the

pharmaceutical industry has killed in most of its history."

The last few words were lost in a tumult of confused shouting, some of it

Donahue's as he banged his gavel, declaring, "This hearing is adjourned."

14

What started, for Celia, as a dismal experience ended-or so it seemed-as a

personal triumph.

The same evening as her explosive clash with Senator Donahue, the

television networks-ABC, CBS and NBC--carried almost the entire dramatic

scene on their evening newscasts. As a critic subsequently wrote, "It was

great theater, and TV at its immediate best."

Newspapers, next day, accorded the story similar prominence. The New York

Times headed its report:

A Spunky Lady Bests a Senator

The Chicago Tribune had it:

Sen. Donahue Crosses Jordan

Afterward Wishes He Hadn't

There was other emphasis.

In this instance, it emerged, reporters-both for television and the

press-had done their homework and some digging. As one explained it to

Julian Hammond, who passed the information on to Celia, "Most of us found

out about Mrs. Jordan's resignation over Montayne, also her insistence when

she came back that the drug be withdrawn without waiting for the FDA. What

no one seemed sure of was how to use that bit of background, so we saved

it. As it turned out, holding it proved more effective in the end."

Thus, most reports after the showdown had Celia standing tall in two ways.

First, both her departure from Felding-Roth and her retum-now recorded

publicly-revealed her as a person of strong moral principle. Second, her

refusal to make herself look good at

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the Senate hearings at the expense of her employer demonstrated a

noteworthy loyalty.

The Wall Street Journal began an editorial:

There is usually more honor in business than business re-

ceives credit for. How pleasant it is, then, to have some honor

not only plainly shown but widely acknowledged.

A few days after her return from Washington, Celia and Julian Hammond

were together in her office. The public affairs vice president had

brought in, happily, a newly received batch of press clippings which he

spread over Celia's desk. Moments later, the arrival of Childers Quentin

was announced.

Celia had not seen the Washington lawyer since their final day on Capitol

Hill. His visit now was to review, with her, some more proposed

settlements of Montayne lawsuits.

She told her secretary to send him in.

He looked tired and sounded moody, she thought as they greeted each other

and she asked him to be seated.

Hammond said, "I was just leaving, Mr. Quentin." He pointed to the news

clippings. "We were savoring the spoils of victory."

Quentin appeared unimpressed. "Is that what you call them?"

"Certainly." The public affairs chief seemed surprised. "Wouldn't you?"

The answer came grouchily. "If you think that, then you're both

shortsighted."

There was a silence, after which Celia said, "All right, counselor.

You've something on your mind. Tell us."

"All of that," Quentin motioned to the clippings, "as well as the TV

coverage you've had, is heady stuff. But in a few weeks, most will be

forgotten. The publicity will count for nothing."

It was Hammond who asked, "What will count?"

"What will count is that this company-and you personally, Celia-have

acquired a formidable enemy. I know Donahue. You made him look a fool.

Worse, you did it on his own home ground, the Senate, and-as it turned

out-with millions watching. He'll never forgive that. Never. If, any time

in the future, he can do harm to Felding-Roth or to you, Celia, he'll do

it and enjoy it. He may even look for ways, and a United States

senator-as I told you once -has levers of power he can pull."

It was, Celia thought, as if she had suddenly taken an icy shower. And

she knew that Quentin was right.

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She asked, "So what do you suggest?"

The lawyer shrugged. "For the moment, nothing. For the future, as best

you can, be cautious. Don't put yourself-or Felding-Roth -in any

situation where Senator Donahue can do you harm."

15

"What's Mrs. Jordan like?" Yvonne asked Martin.

He thought before answering. "Attractive. Strong. Intelligent. Extremely

good at her job. Direct and honest, so that when you deal with her, you