Original subtitles

Previously on The West Wing...

I had to take the summit away from Josh.

Yeah.

Governor Baker, welcome.

Yeah. And he'll have it wrapped up by Super Tuesday.

So, how are your numbers in Iowa?

Iowa and New Hampshire look very good.

I get why you're so worried about Baker,

but why not about Hoynes?

I'm running for President.

I want you to run my campaign.

Russell is on his way to being the nominee, and, God willing,

So get on board or get out of my way.

You're too good at this. You can't just walk away.

Watch me.

( applause )

TOBY: JOSH:Not a real Republican; Hhe's a California Republican.

Are we really saying that there isn't a single Democrat...

President thinks Arnold Vinick is perfect for U.N. Ambassador.

It's your job to feel him out, see if he'd be up for it.

PENN: Thank you.

We can't tell you what an honor it's been to be here.

To actually work here in the White House.

best friend, Zoey Bartlet, I wantthe First Daughter.

I'm not the First Daughter.

Well, I thought...

Zoey Bartlet, the third daughter of the First Family.

ZOEY: Come on, guys. One more trick.

You are just spoiled rotten, aren't you, Zoey.

PENN: PENN:e? Well, you certainly deserve another trick.Just one?

Teller.

( laughter )

( laughter )

( applause )

PENN: I love that trick.

So simple. There is nothing like a vanish. So pure.

a magic trick, a simple vanish, can have no meaning whatsoever.

But what if, instead of using that handkerchief,

a meaningless piece of cloth,

we were to use a piece of cloth

that was nothing but meaning?

What if the piece of cloth we chose

was the flag of the United States of America?

'Cause, you know, with this flag on stage,

there's a lot to think about.

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

in full glory reflected it shines in the stream,

does the Star Spangled Banner, O long may it wave,

o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And what if, instead of using that meaningless piece

we were to use a piece of paper that means more to us

than any other piece of paper in the world--

the Bill of Rights.

The first ten amendments to the Constitution.

Including my favorite amendment, the First Amendment.

It's the one that guarantees, not just everybody in this room,

but every single person in the United States--

every citizen, every visitor, every magician--

It's the one that says, if we want to add a little bit

of, uh, spontaneous combustion

to our simple vanish, we can do that.

We can take a... some tinder and a very eccentric magic wand,

and we can do this...

And it's okay.

'Cause even though the flag is gone,

the Bill of Rights remain.

( applause )

Did they just burn an American flag in the White House?

You guys, I'm just going to run through the highlights real quick.

The President leaves Andrews this afternoon at 2:15 p.m.

with a stop in Louisiana, before departing tonight

from New Orleans for the flight to Beijing.

KATIE: Any indication when the President is going

toThe First Lady will complete U.her visit to India tomorrow

and arrive in Beijing in time

for the state dinner on Thursday night.

How long is the President gonna leave the U.N. post vacant?

Not as long as I'm gonna ignore questions

about anything other than the China trip.

the President will meet with shrimp fisherman and shrimp packers...

They're called shrimpers, Annabeth, not shrimp Whfishermen.

In New Orleans, the President will meet with representatives

of the shrimp industry about their request to invoke

anti-dumping sanctions against imported Chinese shrimp.

on human rights that you Her and President Lian

will put out at the end of the first day of meetings.

Not a word about Tibet? Tibet's in there.

TOBY: We just couldn't use the word Tibet.

Okay, show me where you think the Tibet sentence is here?

Mr. President, what you say in the room is entirely up to you.

What we say afterward in the joint statement is not.

I'm gonna hammer them on Tibet in the room.

And they're gonna hammer you about your Indian reservations.

Indian reservations weren't my idea.

DEPUTY SECRETARY:ATE: I'm just saying the sure they'll Department of Transportation

has a loMr. Secretary, you've right nogot transportation on your plate.

That's all.

I assumed you were going on the China trip

and that we would have another week

to get ourThis is more important than the China trip.

of the United budg States of America we're talking about.

Youwho hasn't submitted a budget proposal yet.

I can't ask OMB to put together a complete budget

estimate until I got... I'll be back.

DONNA: Senator Vinick's confirmed for 11:15,

which means we have to move your OMB meeting to, like, now.

Give me a miAnd then you've got that other thing after wheels-up.

What thing? Me.

Oh, right, sure.

Hey... you're back.

Nah, I just have to sort out some files I left in my office.

Can't Margaret send them to your house?

Be a federal crime if she did.

Your-eyes-only kind of thing? Yeah.

You hear about this Vinick thing?

President ran it by me yesterday.

Vinick's been investigating us for seven years nonstop,

and we're offering him a job?

Sure, we've had some run-ins with him, but...

He has always supportedn-ins?! the President on foreign policy.

Hey, sweetie.

Hey, boss.

Let me tell C.J. you're here.

Just set me up somewhere with those files

and I'll stay out of everyone's way. I moved them over to C.J.'s old office.

Shredder? Engine's running.

BARROW: And this is the statement

on regional security that you and President Lian will put out

The last day shouldn't be about at thregional security.

It should just be about North Korea.

They're only willing to discuss North Korea

in the context of other regional...

Don't they understand that North Korea

is their regional security problem?

Fix that and we've saved half the world.

how much you want to talk about it.

they don't have to talk to me about anything else.

Mr. President,

our agenda with China

is now as long and complex

as it is with any other country in the world.

I know.

To narrow a summit to this one issue...

We can talk about the rest I knoof this stuff on the plane.

C.J.: Mr. President, I think we should

cover as much as we can with the staff here before...

We got 20 hours to kill in the air

over the next two days.

JOSH: We got an election coming up

and we're actually saying there's no Democrat

who can represent us at the U.N.?

The President wants Arnold Vinick.

Was Vinick your recommendation?

I've known the guy 30 years

and I don't know anyone better for the job.

Sorry, I'm... I'm having some trouble

imagining Arnie Vinick as a diplomat.

U.N. could use some tough love these days.

The President wanted to ask him himself,

but you don't want to put them alone in the room

until we know Vinick will say yes.

If he plays hard to get, I'm out of there.

If he says yes, he won't be I'm ninvestigating us anymore.

We doing this just to get him off our backs?

No. The President thinks he's the best we can get.

I'm just trying to give you your motivation.

TOBY: I think we're all anxious about

the subjects because you're insisting on being alone

in the room with the Chinese leaders.

Yeah. You want to be in the room too? I do not.

But I think C.J. and Kate and the Secretary...

I don't want to fly all the way to China

just to participate in another phony ritual

of putting out these joint statements

on what we already agreed to before the trip.

KATE: After the controversy about the Taiwanese flag,

This is my last China summit.l It's my last chance.

I want to walk into that room and show the Chinese

that they are not dealing with some staff-dependent puppet.

I want them to see that I'm ready

to get some real work done right there in the room.

Progress isn't good enough for me now;

I want to get something done.

You like shrimp, don't you?

I love it.

You might be interested to know

how much of the shrimp sold in the U.S.

actually comes from China.

Nice. Okay, go ahead.

Uh, yes, sir. Well,

one of the most difficult trade issues

on the agenda this time is shrimp.

Shrimp.

the agenda will be the security of the region. of the s

WALTER: Does that include North Korea?

Walter, just let me get through the return trip itinerary and we're done.omethes, it does

Annabeth, is it true that Penn and Teller

burned an American flag in the White House last night?

How many times do I have to tell you I'm not taking questions?

Who invited Penn that they and Teller to to burn the White House?

Penn and Teller were invited

to perform at a private party

last night in the East Room.

Because it was a private party,

the White House has no further comment.

Walter, as I said... Was the President a lin the room?

Mark, I'm not taking questions.

ALL: Was the President: Well,in the room or not?st did.

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: Even if we make significant progress

in tariffs and quotas and state-sponsored industries,

if they don't budge on the currency issue,

then we might not actually be able

to achieve any real gains...

"State has confirmed that China has just released

"Wen Jong as a goodwill gesture

"on the eve of the President's arrival.

for six-and-a-halft years on charges..."

Congratulations, Mr. President.

They always give us one before a summit.

We need to draft a Wen Jostatement right now. anyHey, Milly.

Hi, C.J.

Madame Surgeon General,

the briefing book on public health in China

is maybe just a touch too technical

for someone who almost flunked organic chemistry.

What'd you get, a B?

B-plus, as I recall.

Well, I don't remember any of it.

Are your bags packed?

I need a seminar from Excuyou on the plane

about SARS and AIDS in China.

No punch line?

2:15, but we're already Whee20 minutes behind, so...

So you've got plenty of time to pack.

Yes, sir. PRESIDENT: Leonard, go ahead.

Stanley. As I was saying, since the ChineseOkay.

currency remains pegged to the dollar...

The Penn and Teller thing leaked.

I got hit with it when I was giving them the China schedule..

How did the "private party" line go over?

Like a lead balloon.

The President's not gonna let us say anything else.

They want to know who invited Penn and Teller.

And they really want They wanto know if the President who was was in the room.

I knew this was gonna leak the second it happened.

The second what happened?

Hmm?

How do we know what they did or how they did it?k.

Are you saying maybe they didn't really burn the flag?

TOBY: Doesn't matter. People saw them do it.

maybe they just pretended to burn a flag.ed a flag

Okay. Annabeth, get Penn and Teller

to make a statement saying

they didn't really burn the flag and we're done.

I don't want flag questions chasing us all the way to China.

And so we commend the Chinese government

for releasing Wen Jong, but we hope that other...

PRESIDENT: Commend is too strong a word, isn't it?

We were encouraged by the Chinese government.

PRESIDENT: Yeah, that's better.

We need a couple of signatures.

We need to get that statement out

TOBY: Should we talk about who before wthe Chinese government

C.J.: No, we should focus on what we won today.

KATE: So, just a general line then

about what we hope they do in the future?

C.J.: Right. And we need to tie it into the summit.

TOBY: negotiations on all ofeut the issues on our agenda.

Let me take another look at that.

C.J.: So, we're going to get

Penn and Teller to put out a statement explaining

PRESIDENT: What? And ruin a perfectly good bsegment of Crossfire tonight?

I'm sorry; I didn't realize you want

every question in the China summit press conference

to be about flag burning in the White House.

DONNA: You want to see any of these Christmas party invitations

JOSH: Only the ones you're accepting,g which I hope are none.

So far.

Are wheels up yet?

In four minutes.

So that's like what, 50 minutes behind schedule?

Forty-eight.

Okay, so you owe me...

No, no, no. You bet 45 or under and I...

I never bet 45 or under, not on a foreign trip.

a pathological liar over three bucks?

I'm late for Vinick.

Not anymore, you're not.

Did he cancel?

No, I just rescheduled it for you.

This better be good.

Vinick's scheduler was fine with it.

She said later that I mighwould actually be a problembetter for the Senator.

He won't be rushed.

Uh-huh. So?

So, Charlie needs you.

Well, obviously, that means it's a C.J. thing.

He's been passing along stuff for her

since she's been, you know, on the road.

You can say China trip.

Every time you say "on the road,"

it screams trying to avoid saying "China trip."

Me avoid saying something to you?

Let's get two things straight:

First, I'm fine not going on the China trip.

Picking a U.N. ambassador is no small thing.

And second, only I can decide to reschedule Vinick,t pick him

not you and Charlie.

your fragile ego intact, I've been trying to k

to avoid using the phrase "direct order from C.J."

I'll take your coat.

REPORTER 2: Toby, you gonna have a statement on the flag burning?

REPORTER 3: Toby, you have a statement...

I have nothing more ( re on the flag thing.

Toby, one more question...

C.J., I think we've used

about enough presidential time

talking about a kid's birthday party.

Did they really What else you gotburn the flag?

I don't know.

I was in bed five minutes after Zoey blew out the candles.

I have a draft statement for you to look at.

We really should get a statement out

before we land in New Orleans.

"While I do not condone flag burning..."

blah, blah, blah...

"I was not present when..." blah, blah, blah...

It's too long. Let me work on that.

No. Let me. It was a private party.

I'll stress that. No, that's it.

That's my statement. "It was a private party."

TOBY:d. It was in the White House.

There were at least 50 peoplee. there-- we can't just say...

about what happened at my daughter's birthday party.

( knocking )

Landing in New Orleans in 20 minutes.

Thank you.

CHARLIE: Just so you know,

I'm not comfortable with this.

C.J. wanted to call you directly,

but she got pulled into a thing.

On the plane.

She's already had me on the phone this morning

She just can't make every phone call herself.

Anyway, she wants you to help outRight.

Instead of getting us on the a U.N. ambassador?

Not instead of, just before.

27 Congressmen signed this letter

demanding the President explain what happened.

The story's all over cable news.

C.J.'s afraid it's gonna drown out

coverage of the China trip.

She needs you to...

She actually say "put out the fire"?

Tell me she said "put out the fire."

ANNABETH: We're already buried

in calls from all the usual suspects

plus Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood,

Daily Variety, Hollywood Reporter,

Magicians' Monthly...

Why don't you track down Penn and Teller

and get them on the phone with me.

Them? Teller doesn't speak.

Penn told me That's justTeller doesn't speak.

They'll be herebefore You've talkin a couple of hours.

Sounded pretty cooperative on the phone.

Okay, who are we kidding?

You don't need me on this thing.

Hey, just wanted to give you a heads-up

on the Vice President's statement

about the flag burning.

He wants to get it out this afternoon.

"When I was in Congress, I led the fight

"for a Constitutional Amendment to ban flag burning.

"This obscene stunt once again points out

the urgent need for a Constitutional..."

Can the guy open his mouth without pandering?

Let me know when Penn and Teller show up.

You've got to understand my position...

Donna, where's the OMB report on the HHS budget?

Where the OMB reports always are:

in the stack beside the thing.

Right.

Oh, and the, uh... supplements?

They're in the supplementary stack beside the other thing.

Got 'em.

Okay, I'm done helping you ignore Will.

So, how would you suggest the Vice President

handle a flag burning in the White House?

What would you tell him to do?

I would tell him to shut up!

I would tell him to show a little loyalty

to the President and his family.

But then I'd have to explain to him

what loyalty is, wouldn't I?

Do you have time to do that now?

He shook a few too many hands in New Orleans,

but the pilot says we can make up

Yes, China is definitelyme dumping shrimp in the U.S.

at below-cost prices, but so is Vietnam.

So, if we threaten to bring a WTO case against China,

then we have to threaten Vietnam, too.

And, obviously, the U.S. threatening Vietnam

could wake up a lot of sleeping dogs.

How much of our shrimp comes from China and Vietnam?

25 percent.

There's no way that our domestic industry

could replace that much of the supply.

And it would only make it easier for Brazil

to increase their market share.

But I just told those guys in New Orleans

that I would do something.

You'll raise the issue with the Chinese.

You know, Teddy, no one outside of the State Department

thinks that raising the issue

RUSSELL: and doi I was a cosponsor are of the flag burning

amendment every time we brought it to a vote in the House.

JOSH: Big difference between being a Congressman

I know, but I've got a lot of history with this subject.nt

that voters didn't know much about me,howed

but the one thing that they did know

was that Bob Russell was against flag burning.

That's in one Congressional district in Colorado.

Now you have to define yourself nationally.

Do you really want to start with flag burning?

I gotta say something.

China summit is It's the stthe story of the day!

about U.S. relations with theave biggest country in the world,

why are you running for president?

Voters understand loyalty.

They're not expecting you to take a shot at the President

on something that happened at his daughter's birthday party.

Eric Baker is going to New Hampshire today

You know the press is tgonna ask him about this.

If Baker makes a statement about this...

He needs to move to If?! Bakthe right on something.

This is perfect for him.

You think that helps So what?either one of you

get the Democratic nomination?

to think about where I gotta be in the general.

Mr. Vice President, have you seen Baker's numbers?

That's why I can't miss any opportunity,

like this flag thing.

Baker's at 32, you're at 19,

Hoynes and everyone else are in single digits.

You're not gonna catch up to Baker with flag burning.

Baker's just a governor.

He's got to jump at every issue

to get coverage outside of Pennsylvania.

You're Vice President of the United States.

You can't go chasing

every little controversy that comes along.

You can't let Baker dictate your agenda.

You pick your spots carefully,

every speech you give would be treated as breaking news on CNN.

I need you to pick those spots for me.

Will here's been telling me for awhile

that you're the guy to run this campaign.

NANCY: They're ready for you now.

He's not stupid.

That your bumper sticker?

He was smart enough to take your advice.

That was a setup.

He really did want to put out that statement.asn'

I couldn't talk him out of it.

it seemed like the perfect time to put you two together.

This is a write-your-own-ticket offer.

You'd have complete control.

I've never done a national campaign.un it

It wouldn't be fair to him.

Baker's gonna chew him up in the debates.

Even Hoynes'll run rings around him on the issues.

Sure, Baker's gonna be the front-runner,

with enough money to hang in there against Baker.

What about Hoynes?

Damaged goods.

Right. And Baker's not gonna play well in the South.

I heard Hoynes made you an offer.

Has Baker called you?

Bruno runs Baker's campaigns.

Bob Russell might be the next President of the United States.

You get in now, you can make him

After that, we make him the President we need him to be.

Where's Vinick's office?

DONNA: Dirksen 464. Thanks.

Got Penn and Teller's statement.

You're not Let's see.gonna love it.

So, how about a few minutes

after you get back from the Vinick meeting?

For what? For me.

For that talk we were gonna have about...

"The Supreme Court has ruled

"that we can do whatever we want with the flag,

and the Founding Fathers obviously intended..."

Are they still here?

Juggling identical objects, identical weights,

is pretty easy with about, you know, about five years practice,

but juggling different weights, different shapes,

stuff you've just picked off people's desks,

stuff you couldn't possibly have practiced with,

that's when it gets a little bit tricky.

CHARLIE: That's amazing! Thanks a lot.

This statement does me absolutely no good.

I need you guys

to give me a statement saying exactly

what you did last night--

preferably that you did not burna flag.

And if you did actually burn a flag,

I need you to admit it, and emphasize

that you did not clear your act with anyone in the White House

and had you done so, beforeyou now realize

you would have been explicitly forbidden

to burn a flag in the White House,

and you now deeply regret the controversy

you have provoked and apologize to the President and his family

for treating his home with such disrespect.

Hi, I'm Penn Jillette.

This is Teller.

Hi. Josh Lyman.

How you doing?

Doesn't talk like Harpo Marx He dor really doesn't talk?

What's the difference?

Okay, how did you do

We're not going to tell you that.the flag trick

Fine. So if Annabeth goes out there and says

that you did not burn a flag last night,

no one can refute that.

Except the hundred people who saw them burn a flag

You tell me, Charlie,hink that's did we burn a flag,at they saw.

or did we just vanish a flag

in a patriotic flash of fireworks?

Don't know.

What's the difference?

There's a big difference politically.

I mean, what if we burned a flag, not in protest,

but in celebration of the very freedoms

that allow us to burn a flag,

the freedoms that everyone

who has ever worked in this magnificent building

has pledged to preserve and protect?

Did you go to law school?

No. Clown school.

PRESIDENT: Let's find a compromise on shrimp

that I can ask the Chinese to offer Vietnam

without our fingerprints on it.

Something that nudges both of them closer

Okay, everyone, the President to has a phone call to make.

What was all that about?

You okay? I'm fine.

You're not eating.

I'm not that hungry.

You said you were hungry when you were ordering.

Don't worry, I'll eat.

But thanks for getting rid of them.

16 more hours of that would be a bit much.

I don't need to talk shop Send Milwith her.uld you?

Yes, sir.

WOMAN: The Senator will see you now.

Mr. Chairman.

Shine your own shoes, Josh?

No, I can't say that I do.

My father used to say you can't trust a man

who doesn't shine his own shoes.

Does anybody shine those things?

Not really, no.

How many guys left in this town shine their own shoes?

Not a lot.

None.

Is that how many you trust?

That's exactly how many I trust.

Mr. Chairman, the President... I know what you're thinking:

must be lonely being this mean old guy

who doesn't trust anyone.

Well, I trust my brother, my four children,

my nine grandchildren,

and my dog.

I suspect that's more than you trust, now, isn't it?

Yeah.

The Founding Fathers didn't set up

a government based on trust.

They could've designed a government based on trust

in our ability to govern fairly,

but they knew that power corrupts,

so they invented checks and balances.

That was genius.

The Founding Fathers did not want me to trust you,

and they did not want you to trust me.

Well, they must be very proud of us.

MILLY: We're still negotiating Christmas.

Tommy wants to go on an archeological dig

with some heathen professor of his,

and Cleo's doing Christmas with her dad this year.

Then you're doing Christmas with your goddaughter and her family.

I can't afford another Bartlet Christmas

on this government salary.

Way too many presents.

Milly, I can't move my hands.

Ever happen before?

It's usually one or the other.

Never both.

No.

You feel that?

No.

Anything?

No.

You want me to bring in the flight doctor?

Not unless it gets worse.

Well, I guess I'm going to have

to feed you then, aren't I?

( silverware clattering )

Every White House forgets about checks and balances.

You guys are no different.

Checks are fine,

I got a problem with. You need cordovan for those.

You're not leaving this room with shoes like that. brush.

Here's another check you won't like:

I'm going to hold another hearing on your man Margudian.

Taking a Marine helicopter to play golf in Florida.

Come on, that was over a year ago-- we fired the guy.

No, this was another incident a year before that one.

You really think the American people care about this?

But I got a dozen members of my committee who do.

Or think it's a good way to get on TV.

You think I like investigating high school stuff like this?

Fooled me.

I was going to be the best Hinvestigator in the Senate?

Of course not.

This isn't what I came here to do.

I'm here to make this a better government,

And I just wish you guys would to makestop serving upcoun

thesWe've runhings a pretty tight ship lately.

Which is why they had to reach back a couple of years

to find something new to yell about.

But just do me a big favor, will ya?

No more flag burnings in the White House.

I've had four nuts demand hearings on that one already.

So?

So, I told them that the United States Senate

does not investigate what happens

at kids' birthday parties.

Not as long as I have anything to say about it.

Have you decided if you're going to run for another term?

Yep.

Flying home tonight,

making my announcement tomorrow.

Why? You want to make me a retirement offer?

Yeah, I happen to have one on me.

What have you got?

Help the President make the world a better place.

U.N.

That's tempting.

That's very tempting.

But that's not the job I want.

Well, the President didn't send me

with a menu of jobs, just this one.

The President can't give me the job I want.

Which one?

His.

You're running?

Starting tomorrow.

You missed a spot on the heel.

MILLY: The only thing to do is let him rest.

He could feel fine by the time he gets off the plane.

TOBY: Or he could get worse.

Well, if this is as bad as it gets,

no one will notice a thing.

Except when he has to shake hands.

Which he's going to have to do about 200 times

Be good to keep the hand-shaking to a minimum.

You know how many weeks We shouldthe protocol officers the firstspent on that one?

The public events are the only ones the Chinese really care about.

can't publicly shake hands with another head of state...

It'd sure kill the flag-burning story.

Could we get Abbey on the phone?

Yeah.

Who else should we call?

Well,this is the equivalent of a headache.

I mean, who would you want us to call

if you had a headache?

Okay, let's just keep this on the plane for now.

JOSH: Thought you'd be long gone.

More junk here than I thought.

Shouldn't you still be, you know, taking it easy.

I think a two hour nap qualifies as taking it easy.

Did you hook Vinick? Not exactly.

He's going to run for another term.

I don't know much about heart stuff,

but aren't you supposed to... I-I-I... maybe we shouldn't...

Don't worry, you're not going to shock me into my grave.

He's running for President.

He announces tomorrow.

President?!

I don't see how he gets the nomination.

I mean, what's he going to run on,

tax cuts and more tax cuts?

Every Republican candidate will be for tax cuts.

Then what? Flip-flop on abortion?

He's against late-term abortion.

ThHe's got a lot of California for themoney behind him.

Even if he raises twice as...

Sorry, but Eric Baker's live on MSNBC right now.

Says he's not running.

BAKER: And so, I have decided

for family reasons that this is not that time.

This is the time that I can keep my commitment

to the people of Pennsylvania to be a full-time governor

and the commitment to my family to be a full-time father.

Family reasons?

Well, I never decided to get into the presidential race, Unbelievable.

so I can't see how you can say I dropped out of it.

You're never going to get luckier than this. we g

I expect to stay neutral in the Democratic primaries.

C.J.: Milly says you should use the flight to rest.

No moreWe're not going to interrupt you for anything.

Excuse me, Mr. President, Baker just dropped out.ne by me

Baker's not running?! Toby...

It looks like our very own Bob Russell

is the new front-runner for the Democratic nomination.

Mr. President, this is exactly what we're not going to do.

You need to rest, so we're not going to bring you anything

you don't need to know immediately.

But we mean real rest, not studying briefing books.

Are you going to watch me rest?

If I have to.

Get out of here.

LEO: Family reasons.

Go figure.

He's close to Vinick, you know.

Yeah. Baker was on the No,Judiciary Committee staff

back when Vinick was a freshman senator.

They've been tight ever since.

So what? Since when have you seen friendship

trump ambition in politics?

the Democratic nomination's

not worth winning this time,

if he has to go against Vinick in the general.

But there's no way Vinick's getting the nomination.

He's not conservative enough.

Baker's not sitting this out for family reasons.

Could be Vinick, could be something else.

Who's our front-runner with Baker out?

Run a poll without Baker in it

and Russell's going to go sky high.

Hoynes will pop, too.

Russell or Hoynes gets our nomination.

Who gets the Republican nomination?

They've been out of power for eight yearswide

Probably why Vinick figures he has a shot.

You're serious?

Ever see Arnie Vinick campaign, up close?

He'll go into those high school gymnasiums

in Iowa and New Hampshire and blow them all away.

Shake every hand in the joint, kiss every baby,

hug every widow on Social Security,

and sound smarter and more honest than any Republican

they've ever seen-- because he is.

He could win in the early states,

go into the South with some momentum,

then...

who knows what happens?

Republican who wins California wipes us out

in the Electoral College.

Right.

He's not getting the nomination.

we've got no one who can beat him. If he do

where my career in public service began--

right here at City Hall-- to announce my candidacy

to be the next President of the United States.

( cheering )

And I ask you...

I ask all of you who have been with me from the beginning

to set out with me today from this valley on this new quest,

to help me bring the promise

and the opportunity of America to all Americans.

REPORTER: Senator Vinick, do you think you're conservative enough

to get the Republican nomination?

I think I'm Republican enough.

Been a lifelong Republican,

always been loyal to the party, always will.

REPORTER 2: Do you think President Bartlet should

investigate whether a flag was burned in the White House?

No.

I accept the President's statement

I don't think we need tto hear any more about it.

REPORTER: But don't the people

Are you watching?

VINICK: The people have a right to know the President's position

on the issues, but they don't have

the right to know what happens

REPORTER: But if they burnedhter's a flag in the... par

VINICK: Hey, I think this is a perfect demonstration

of what the President is flying halfway around the world

right now to try to teach the Chinese government--

the meaning of freedom.

It's a good thing the magicians

didn't try this trick in Tianamen Square

with a Chinese flag wrapped in the Chinese Bill of Rights

because there is no Chinese Bill of Rights.

REPORTER 3: Senator, Senator...

Thank you.

You have a year to talk me out of voting for him.

( cheering )

We've got a situation.

What?

South Korea.

( knocks )

I thought you were going to let me rest.

State just got a heads-up from the IAEA sorry,

that the South Koreanng government has admitted

to conducting an experiment to enrich uranium.

South Korea is not releasing any details.

We need you to get on the phone

and get the president to come clean.

We can't ask China to help stop

North Korean nuclear experiments

if the South is doing it, too.

Get us a secure line

with the South Korean president.

C.J.

Hold it.

Sir?

I can't move.

He had trouble with his hands, Prnow it's both legs

So much for being staff-dependent in China.ar

Fairbanks is closer, but Anchorage is better for a 747.

PRESIDENT: I've got better doctors up here

than I'd get down there.

Let's not pretend we didn't know takthis was going to happen.

No, Mr. President, I didn't know.

it was going to happen someday.

I'm ready for it.

You better be, too.

Mr. President, we can't land in China with...

This plane is going to China.

That's a direct order from your Commander in Chief.

Okay, we're going to need to clear the room for some tests.

( thunder rumbling, rain pattering )

Got some new numbers.

Tracking poll has us up 16 points

with Baker out of the race.

Hoynes is up, too.

Yeah, but we picked up a lot more.

Russell's the man to beat now.

Yeah.

Listen, we have a breakfast tomorrow

with senior campaign staff.

Why don't you drop by?

Doesn't commit you to anything.

You can just be a fly on the wall, if you want.

See how it feels.

No, thanks.

This isn't a Broadway show, Josh.

We don't just close it down

after a successful eight-year run.

You have to care who's going to sit in that chair

I do. That's why I don't want Bob Russell to be President.

the doctors will talk some sense into him

and get this plane turned around.

and that's the end of his presidency. around,

We'd be saying he can't do the job anymore.

we'll go back to Chinabe as soon as he's up to it.

We might as well just say,

"He's a part-time president.

He can only do the job when he feels up to it!"

he's going to let you turn this plane around?

If we cancel, the Chinese might not believe us.

They'll think we're canceling because the South Koreans

got caught working on nuclear weapons.

We gotta do full disclosure on this.

Milly should do a full briefing with the press--

all the medical facts-- right here on this plane.

Just as soon as we know what...

He knew.

That's why the Surgeon General is on the flight.

He wanted her here to do the briefing.

He knew he was having problems, he knew this might happen.

We're three hours from Beijing.

If we turn around, we're going to have to refuel.

Maybe we should

let the cockpit start checking their options.

Yeah, okay.

He wants to see you.

All of you.

Not there-- in the office.

I just got off the phone with President Wang

anything about the nuclear experiment.now

Said it was just a couple of curious young scientists

and they only enriched about two-tenths of a gram of uranium.

That's not nearly enough for weapons grade enrichment,

is it?

Uh, no, it's not, sir.

at least 90 percent Weaponhigher than that.e to be

Wang says they're cooperating fully

with the IAEA inspectors,

and he's ordered these young scientists

to participate in a joint press conference

with the inspectors tomorrow,

That's not going to make North Korea feel much better.

I know, but it's a start.

C.J., we've got to set up a quick

press briefing for the gang

in the back of the plane right away.

Mr. President, are you, um...

My left hand is back.

I still have no feeling in my legs

and my right arm is in no shape to be shaking hands in China.

Gotta remember to tell the protocol officer that.

Are you in pain?

I'm finas I don't attempt any superhuman feat

like, say, writing my name.

Okay, let's get started.

Think anyone's gonna ask about that flag-burning thing now?

All right, look, when we get out there,

I'll lead off with the MS thing,

I'll leave it to you, Milly, to get into any medical details

if anyone has any questions about that.

C.J.: Oh, I think they might have

a few hundred.

that the President I'm of the United States

will be working from a wheelchair again.

C.J.: Again?

F.D.R.

Do I really have

to remind those kids that Roosevelt

fought World War II from a wheelchair?

Yeah, but...

But he died in office.

Okay, I'll skip the Roosevelt bit.

Bring that thing over here, would you?

I can get them to ask me a question about South Korea?

How much you got?

( clearing throat )

but the President has an announcement to make.

No. I'll take it from here.

( grunts softly )

( grunting with effort )