Original subtitles

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

Liberty's moving.

The 10:15 has been moved to the Indian Treaty Room.

- Ten-fifteen is American Fisheries? - They're giving you a 200-pound halibut.

Janie, make a note. We need more events where somebody gives me a really big fish.

- Yes, sir. - Janie, I'm kidding.

- Of course, sir. - Hey, Cooper.

Morning, Mr. President.

Mr. Rothschild asked to have a moment with you this morning, sir.

Is he upset about the speech last night?

He seemed concerned.

Well, it wouldn't be a Monday morning unless Lewis was concerned...

...about something I did Sunday night.

- You skipped the paragraph. - And Monday morning, it is.

"Americans can no longer afford to pretend they live in a great society."

And then nothing. You dumped the handguns paragraph.

SHEPHERD: This is a time for prudence, Lewis.

LEWIS: But, sir, that was the kick-ass section.

Well, I thought, what with being president and all...

- I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to imply... - I thought you'd be turning cartwheels.

Sixty-three percent job approval.

LEWIS: That is good news. - Morning, Mr. President.

- Charlie. - Morning, Charlie.

LEWIS: Sir, the press is gonna need an explanation.

SHEPHERD: For what? - You dumped the whole kick-ass section.

Now we've just got this thing hanging out there.

There's this "thing"?

"Americans can't afford to pretend they live in a great society"...

No explanation, no context, just this thing.

- And it's hanging out there. - Yes, sir.

- Maria. MARIA: Morning, sir.

- Did they tell you I'll need the consumer... - Overall consumer spending.

- We'll have it in 15 minutes. SHEPHERD: Thanks.

- Mr. President, we need to focus on... - Lewis, reduce your morning coffee by half.

I don't drink coffee, sir.

Hit yourself over the head with a baseball bat, would you?

LEWIS: Yes, sir. - Happy birthday, Laura.

- Laura, happy birthday. - Thank you.

- I should send her flowers. - You did, sir.

- Good. CHAPIL: Good morning.

- How are you today, Mrs. Chapil? - Fine, thank you.

Mr. Kodak left a detailed breakdown of the approval poll for you.

He seemed to indicate that it was good news.

Sixty-three percent of it, at any rate.

Lucy called. You forgot to sign her permission slip for her class.

Uh, the museum trip. I'll get it.

- What time's she getting home? - Three-twenty.

- How's my afternoon? - Very crowded.

Schedule some time at 3:45.

[SPEAKS IN SPANISH]

SHEPHERD: Too Tall McCall. So how was Mexico?

[IN ENGLISH] I didn't truly appreciate it...

...till I discovered that America isn't a great society.

- He dumped the whole section. - There's this, uh, thing hanging out there.

Not a great society, sir?

With you away it wasn't. Now that you're back we're great again.

Well, the press is saying, "What did he mean by that?"

A.J., did you get one of these?

Is that the letter from Solomon at the GDC?

It's from the environmental community. These people are out of control.

Well, they're frustrated.

Are they blaming the president for global warming?

Well, they don't think he caused it.

I'm on the phone with them twice a week. I honestly don't know what they want.

They want a 20 percent reduction in fossil-fuel emissions.

- Won't pass at 20 percent. - Well, we haven't really tried.

Lewis, McSorley, McCluskey and Shane hold too many markers.

If we try to push this through and lose...

...there'll be a loud thud when we hit the ground.

That's not what you want in an election year.

Talk to GDC again, A.J.

Tell them I resent the implication I've turned my back on the environment.

Tell them I'll send 455 to the floor...

...but I'm gonna ask for a 10 percent reduction.

They wanna pull their support, fine.

With a 63 percent job approval rating, I don't need their help.

- Good deal. - All right, let's get going. Where's Leon?

John, will you call Mr. Kodak and tell him the president's waiting?

JOHN: Oh, sorry, my fault.

Never mind, John.

Excuse me.

- Morning, Mr. President. SHEPHERD: You all right?

They keep moving that big ficus plant.

[ALL CHUCKLE]

We're all here, Mr. President.

Okay, first of all, I wanted to say congratulations.

Three years ago we were elected by one of the narrowest margins in history.

And today Kodak, here, tells us...

...63 percent of registered voters think we're doing a good job.

Wait. You wanted me to poll registered voters?

[ALL CHUCKLE]

The poll also tells us what we already know:

If we don't get our crime bill through Congress...

...those numbers are gonna be memory.

So, starting today, we're shifting it into gear.

- Can I tell the press that gun control... A. J: Crime control, Robin.

Gun control means we're wimps and soft on crime.

- Hang on. - Lewis.

We're not putting back handgun restrictions?

No. We're leaving them out.

Mr. President, we campaigned on this issue.

We took them out in the low 40s, but we could push it through now.

After the elections, Lewis.

We may never have an opportunity like this again.

Sir, let's take this 63 percent out for a spin. Let's see what it could do.

We can't take it for a spin. We need it to get re-elected.

For reasons passing understanding, they don't relate guns to gun-related crime.

Robin, you can brief the press this afternoon. As of today...

...the crime bill is priority one on the president's domestic agenda.

- Got it. - Leon, you run the war room.

We're gonna need detailed projections for all the target districts.

Oh, and, Leon, don't be the nice, sweet guy from Brooklyn on this.

Do what the NRA does.

- Scare them? A. J: Exactly.

I can do that, heh.

Lewis, you're legislative liaison. You're gonna run the show on the hill.

Can I just say that it might be easier to fight a war on drugs...

...if we weren't arming drug dealers? - We gotta fight the fights we can win.

Yes, sir.

A. J: We want to announce the crime bill...

...at the State of the Union, 72 days from today.

Last notice count put us 18 votes short.

Eighteen votes in 72 days. Thank you, everyone.

ALL: Thank you. - Janie, what's next?

Security briefing, sir.

[HORNS HONKING]

[PHONE RINGS]

WOMAN: Morning, Global Defense Council.

You wanted to see me?

- I just got off the phone with A.J. - The president read the letter?

The president's pissed. That letter was a stupid move.

- We should stand by every word of it. - This isn't the guy...

...who needed our help four years ago. He's incredibly popular.

He's gonna win re-election. He could give a shit what we stand by.

If he passes the most important piece of environmental legislation in history...

...despite our negative endorsement, our political weight in the future...

...will rank somewhere below the Save the Spotted Owl Society.

I'm bringing in some help.

Heh, we don't need another expert to confirm what everyone already knows.

Not an environmental expert.

A professional political strategist.

We are playing hardball with Andrew Shepherd and we need a heavy bat.

- Who? - Sydney Ellen Wade.

Gah, christ, she doesn't know the first thing about the environmental lobby.

She's a closer, Susan. She gets the job done.

SHEPHERD: What if I lose this?

LEWIS: Then move this up here.

Sasser from the Times called.

Wanted to know what a "great society" was.

What'd you tell him?

I can't speak for the president, but for my money, Bermuda.

Perfect.

Your cousin Judith got the flu and won't be able to join you Thursday night.

I'm sorry to hear that. Remind me to call her later.

Yes, sir.

- You're gonna go stag? - Not a problem.

No, we've never gone wrong parading you around as the lonely widower.

I can't believe I said that.

That was a thoughtless remark.

I wouldn't never dream of insulting you or your wife's memory.

That's okay. Forget it. What time is it?

It's 3:30, sir.

I'm gonna go up and say hi to Lucy.

Ah, you have the attorney general at 4 and the trade rep at 4:30.

And you promised NPR five minutes.

- Mr. President... - Robin...

Don't worry about it.

[TROMBONE HONKING]

Well, don't stop. It sounds great. What is it?

Scales.

Well, you're playing with gusto.

- Are my lips swollen? - Are they supposed to be?

- Yeah. - Yeah, well, you're doing just fine.

- What you got behind your back? - I have a little surprise for you.

- Is it a dirt bike? - No, ha, ha.

Hmm.

Is it a really old, seventh grade textbook of yours...

...that you want me to read and discuss at dinner and drive me crazy with?

Well, I'm not comfortable with the "really old" part, but the rest was true.

[LUCY GROANS]

Understanding the Constitution.

Your social studies teacher said you'll be studying the Constitution this week.

Wait, you talked to Mr. Linder?

Yes, it's called a parent-teacher conference and Mr. Linder and I were the key players.

So why don't you like social studies, Luce?

I like it fine, Dad.

Oh, come on, all your other teachers say you're happy and enthusiastic.

Mr. Linder says you never participate unless he calls on you.

Even then, it's a one-word answer.

I don't know, Dad. I guess I'm just not...

I don't know.

Luce...

Take a look at this book. This is exciting stuff.

It's about who we are and what we want.

Read what it says on the first page.

"Property of Gilmore Junior High."

The next page, Luce.

"We, the people of the United States...

...in order to form a perfect union"... - It grabs you right away.

This is a page-turner.

I can't wait.

Well, good. It's possible this subject may come up at dinner.

Do you see it as part of your job to torture me?

No, just one of the perks. See you tonight.

Yeah.

[PLAYING "HAIL TO THE CHIEF"]

The C-STAD hardware's been in place for a month.

We have 22 instructors from the Army Air Defense School...

...waiting to go and train the Israelis.

How soon can you deploy them?

We can airlift them by morning. They'll have C-STAD operational in 20 days.

Any security concerns?

If anybody wanted to hit it, they'd have hit it by now.

Okay, let's move on it. Thank you, gentlemen.

[MEN CHATTERING]

MAN: Good night, gentlemen. - Thank you.

- Good seeing you. Good night. - You too. Good night.

Have a good evening, Mrs. Chapil. Janie, I'll see you tomorrow morning.

- You will. - Good night, Janie. Night, Mrs. Chapil.

- Mr. President, sir. - Thank you.

[SHEPHERD SIGHS]

Leo Solomon brought in a hired gun at the GDC.

- It's about time. - She's a lawyer from Virginia.

Her name is Sydney Ellen Wade. I know her pretty well.

She's had a lot of success getting congressmen elected.

- Maybe we should try to steal her, heh. - Ha, ha.

Ten percent. Don't let them leave the room till they're clear about that.

A. J: Yes, sir.

If you've got a free second, stop in and say hello.

It might smooth the way.

SHEPHERD: Mention it to Janie tomorrow. A. J: Good deal.

SHEPHERD: Let's clear this off the table and focus on the crime bill.

I don't want to just win. I want to win by a couple of touchdowns.

We will, Mr. President.

- A. J? - Sir.

Robin said something to me today...

...and I know she wouldn't have said it if, uh...

I mean, she wasn't saying it to me, I realize.

- Forget it. I'll see you in the morning. - Good night, Mr. President.

- A. J? - Yes, sir?

When we're out of the office and alone, you can call me Andy.

I beg your pardon?

You were the best man at my wedding, for crying out loud. Call me Andy.

Whatever you say, Mr. President. Good night, sir.

Good night, A.J.

- Hi. I'm Sydney Ellen Wade. - He needs your driver's license.

- From Virginia. - He doesn't care.

- I'm meeting with Mr. Maclnerney. - He doesn't need to know that.

Oh, forgive me.

This is my first time at the White House.

- I'm trying to savor the Capra-esque quality. - He doesn't know what that means.

Yeah, I do. Frank Capra. Great American director.

It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Sydney Ellen Wade of Virginia, knock them dead.

Thanks.

We'll start subsidizing private schools the day we give up on public education.

I know the proposal only scratches the surface, but it's the least we can do.

We'll let Harold look at it. We'll revisit it next week.

Jerry, say hello to Linda for me. Have a good Thanksgiving.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you.

- How are we doing? - You're four minutes ahead of schedule.

- Ahead? - Yes, sir.

That's unprecedented. I don't know what to do with myself.

- Mr. Maclnerney asked me to remind you... - Oh, the GDC meeting. Yeah.

Rest assured your concerns are not falling on deaf ears.

The environmental lobby has known no greater ally than President Shepherd.

Hardly an impressive distinction, A.J.

Sydney, we should leave Mr. Maclnerney alone now. He's already...

He doesn't want us to leave him alone...

...because Mr. Maclnerney has not yet done what he needs to do today.

Sir, uh, Miss Wade's been thrown into the deep end of the pool on her first day.

She hasn't even had a chance to read the report of the Quebec Conference.

You're right. I haven't read it.

If someone asked me yesterday, I would've told them...

...that it was made up of six professional hockey teams.

[ALL CHUCKLE]

But what I do know is that it's time for the president to run for president again.

Kodak is as good as it gets when it comes to electoral strategy.

I'm sure he's told the president what I'd tell him:

Grab Michigan and California, where they make cars, planes and burn fossil fuels.

But if I'd read these 800 pages I would've discovered...

...that the burning of fossil fuels is responsible for global warming...

...and the 20 percent reduction recommended by the GDC...

...is a step toward arresting the catastrophic greenhouse effect...

...which has gone unchecked by this administration.

SUSAN: It's time to... - The chief of staff won't let us leave...

...until he's broken the bad news.

I'm afraid Sydney's right, although not about Michigan and California.

The president asked me to convey to you he's sending his energy bill to the floor...

...with a call for a 10 percent reduction.

The president is willing to go it alone on this...

...but he's asking... Frankly, he's expecting the full support of the GDC.

He is expecting our full support?

- Yes, he is. - The president's dreaming.

The president has critically misjudged reality.

If he thinks the environmental community...

...is gonna whistle a happy tune while rallying support...

...around this lame mockery of environmental leadership...

...just because he's nice and done better than his predecessors...

...then your boss is the chief executive of Fantasyland.

Let's take him out back and beat the shit out of him.

- Morning, Mr. President. How are you? - Couldn't be better.

My apologies for the interruption. A.J. Suggested I come by and say hello.

You wouldn't be Sydney Ellen Wade by any chance, would you?

Mr. President, I'm, um...

I don't know what to say. I'm speechless.

All evidence to the contrary.

Mr. President, we haven't met. I'm Susan Sloan.

I used to work with Congressman Myers. I hope this incident won't jeopardize...

Sydney?

- Yes, sir. - You have a second?

Uh, of course.

I thought maybe we might talk in private, someplace less intimidating.

- Janie. JANIE: Yes, sir.

This is Janie Basdin, my personal aide. Show Miss Wade to the rec room, please.

This way.

I'll be with you in a second.

[CLOCK TICKING]

Sorry to keep you waiting.

- Mr. President... - Is it all right if I call you Sydney?

Of course. Mr. President...

Have you ever been in the Oval Office?

Uh, I've just been on the regular tour. It didn't include...

I hear it's pretty good.

Mr. President, what you saw in there was vanity run amuck.

I was showing off for a colleague who doesn't think much of me.

It would be a real injustice to hold the GDC accountable for my behavior today.

On top of which, I am monumentally sorry for having insulted you like that.

Are you under the impression I'm mad at you?

Well, I...

Seldom does a day go by when I'm not burned in effigy.

Not by a professional political operative standing 30 feet from the Oval Office.

Now, I'll grant you that.

When the city planners sat down to design Washington, D.C., their intention was...

...to build a city that would intimidate and humble foreign heads of state.

- It's true. - I didn't know that.

The White House is the single greatest home-court advantage in the modern world.

I learned that one the hard way.

Sydney, this bill is important to me.

Yes, sir. I'll convey your message.

But you don't believe me.

The GDC is asking for 20 percent, sir.

It's not gonna pass at 20 percent. It's a long shot at 10.

How do you know that, until you put the White House behind it?

Sydney, at 20 percent...

...we're 34 votes shy in the house. It can't be done.

But I'll tell you what.

I'll make you a deal.

If you can get 24 votes, I'll get you the last 10.

Twenty-four votes?

If you can swing 24 votes by the State of the Union...

...I will promise you full White House support.

Do I have your word on that, sir?

Absolutely.

Listen, um...

Are you hungry? I skipped breakfast.

You wanna have a doughnut, coffee or something?

Sir, I'm a little intimidated by my surroundings and yes...

...I have gotten off to a rocky and stilted beginning...

...but don't let that diminish the weight of my message.

The GDC has been at every president for the last decade and a half...

...that global warming is a calamity...

...the effects of which will be second only to nuclear war.

The best scientists have given you every reason to take the GDC seriously...

...but I'm gonna give you one more:

If you don't live up to the deal you made, come New Hampshire...

...we're gonna go shopping for a new candidate.

You can't do that, Sydney.

With all due respect, Mr. President, who's going to stop me?

Well, if you go through that door, the United States Secret Service.

That's my private office.

- Ah. - You have to go out that door over there.

[CHUCKLES]

McSorley, McCluskey and Shane know we're moving on the crime bill.

They're circling the wagons on assault weapons.

Should I meet with them?

- Let Lewis take a pass at them first. - Fine.

Two ball in the side.

Nice shot, Mr. President.

"Nice shot, Mr. President"?

You won't even call me by my name when we're playing pool?

I will not do it playing pool, I will not do it in a school.

I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them, Sam I am.

At ease, A.J. At ease.

- Would you get away from the pocket? - I beg your pardon, sir.

Nine ball in the corner.

Solomon phoned. He said he was thrilled with the deal you made this morning.

I forgot to tell you.

- It's a waste of time. - But it's not ours.

GDC makes a big push to get the votes. When they come up short...

...we move in with a softer bill, get it passed. We're everybody's hero.

Three ball in the side.

Also, Sydney Wade called.

Sydney Wade?

She wanted to apologize one more time for her behavior.

Excuse me, sir.

[A.J. CLEARS THROAT]

Three in the side.

Did she say anything about me?

- Miss Wade? - When she called.

Did she say anything about you?

We had a nice couple of minutes together. She threatened me, I patronized her.

We didn't have anything to eat, but, uh, I thought there was a connection.

- Hmm, excuse me, sir. - Sure.

Thirteen in the corner.

She didn't say anything about me?

No, but I could pass her a note before study hall.

Well, tell me this. Hypothetically...

I feel a nightmare coming on.

What would happen if I called Sydney Wade...

...and asked her to be my date at the state dinner on Thursday evening?

- You're not serious. - Don't I sound serious?

- The president can't just go out on a date. - Well, why not? Jefferson did. Wilson did.

Wilson was widowed during his first term. He met a woman, Edith Galt.

He dated her, courted her, married her.

And somewhere in there he managed to form the League of Nations.

Uh, Mr. President, this is an election year.

If you're looking for female companionship...

...we can make arrangements that will ensure total privacy.

I don't want you to get me a girl. What is this, Vegas?

No, sir. This is the White House.

I'm talking about something that is not a conflict with my oath of office.

I'm a single adult. I met a woman who I'd like to see again socially.

How is that different from what Wilson did?

The difference is he didn't have to be president on television.

You said it yourself a million times:

If there had been a TV in every living room 60 years ago...

...this country does not elect a man in a wheelchair.

So what are you saying?

- I'm saying we'll take a hit. - How big?

I don't know. Five points, maybe more.

- We're talking here about five points? - Could be more.

I'd drop five points if Wisconsin doesn't make it to the Rose Bowl.

Five ball in the corner.

Want me to have Kodak put together some numbers so we know?

Yeah. Yeah.

No. I don't want a checkup polling sample to see if it's okay...

...like I'm asking permission to stay out an hour past curfew.

This is not the business of the American people.

With all due respect, sir...

...Americans have a funny way of deciding what is and what is not their business.

I like her, A.J.

Stop being my chief of staff for one minute.

Give her a call.

Janie!

She didn't say anything about me?

Uh, she did say you were taller than she thought you'd be.

Well, that's something.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

Yes, sir.

Janie, I need you to track down a phone number for me.

SYDNEY: Richard, Richard...

It wasn't funny.

I acted like a college freshman at a protest rally.

Tell him about walking out the wrong door.

Oh, God. I forgot about that.

No, Richard, no. No, I don't want to hear your Andrew Shepherd imitation.

I want to hear it.

I'm hanging up now, Richard.

Uh, tonight I was gonna go to bed early and wake up when there's a new president.

[CHUCKLES]

Pssh, the president must think I'm a third-rate jerk.

If he thinks you're a jerk, he thinks you're a first-rate jerk.

I'll tell you one thing, boy. I regrouped.

You gotta give me that. I pulled it together at the end.

I stood in the middle of the Oval Office and made it clear that from now on...

...he who doesn't take the GDC seriously, does so at his peril.

And then you walked out the wrong door.

You gonna throw that at me the rest of my life?

That's my current plan, yes.

[PHONE RINGS]

Oh, that's gonna be Leo Solomon. He said he'd call at 9.

- Hello? SHEPHERD [OVER PHONE]: Yeah, hi.

Is this Sydney?

- Leo? - No, this is Andrew Shepherd.

Oh, it's Andrew Shepherd.

Yeah, you're hilarious, Richard. You're just a regular riot.

No, this isn't Richard. This is Andrew Shepherd.

Ah, well, I'm so glad you called...

...because I forgot to tell you today what a nice ass you have.

I'm also impressed that you got my number, given the fact that I don't have a phone.

- Good night, Richard. - Uh, this isn't Rich...

[LINE DISCONNECTS]

This used to be easier.

[PHONE RINGING]

- I can't believe this. - You want me to deal with him?

No way. I may choke in front of Shepherd. Richard Reynolds, I can handle. Hello?

Sydney?

Are you learning-impaired?

Listen, do me a favor. Hang up the phone.

What?

Hang up the phone, then dial 456-1414.

When you get the White House operator...

...give her your name and tell her you want to speak to the president.

Oh, my God.

This isn't happening to me.

What's going on?

No, it's not possible I did this twice in one day.

[SIGHS]

WOMAN [OVER PHONE]: Good evening, the White House.

- Hello? - Hi.

My name's Sydney Ellen Wade. I'd like to...

The president's expecting your call, ma'am. I'll put you right through.

[LINE BEEPS THEN RINGS]

SHEPHERD [OVER PHONE]: Hello?

Mr. President, heh, um...

Uh... Uh, I'm sure there's an appropriate thing to say at this moment, uh...

Probably some formal apology for the "nice ass" remark would be in order.

I don't quite know how to word it.

It's my fault. I shouldn't have called you at home.

- Should I call you at the office tomorrow? - No, no. Of course not.

I mean, yes. You can call me any time you want. This is fine, right now.

When I said "of course not," I meant...

Know what? The hell with it. I'm moving to another country.

What did you mean when you said you didn't have a phone?

Oh, I just moved here over the weekend and my apartment isn't ready yet.

This is my sister's apartment. Come to think of it, how did you get this number?

How did I get the number? That's a good question.

Um, I don't know. Probably the FBI.

Oh, the FBI. Sure.

Because if you want to find someone, and you're the president, that's who you'd call.

You know who else is good at that?

Uh, CIA?

I was thinking of the Internal Revenue Service.

They have these computer files that, uh...

Well, I, ahem, should stop stalling.

Um, as you probably know, the French have elected themselves a new president.

We're having a formal state dinner at the White House and I was wondering...

...and, uh, you're under no obligation of law, but I thought it might be fun.

I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go...

...with me and, um...

Well, that's it. That's why I was calling.

Sydney?

- Sydney, Congress doesn't take this long. - Mr. President...

[CHUCKLES]

You have asked me to join you in representing our country.

I'm honored. I'm equal to the task. I won't let you down, sir.

This is just dinner. We're not going to be doing espionage or anything.

No, of course, ha, ha.

I'm a little, um... Uh...

What do I do? Ha-ha-ha!

I mean, you know, where do I go? I mean, will you meet me?

I'm gonna have a very nice woman named Marsha Bridgeport call you.

She's the White House social secretary.

She's gonna help you with anything you want.

Now, when she calls you and tells you her name is Marsha Bridgeport...

...it'll help if you give her the benefit of the doubt.

[CHUCKLES]

- Of course. - And I'll see you Thursday night.

Mr. President, thanks for asking me, really.

- This is a first for me. - Me too.

Okay, who's on Indiana? New people? I can't remember your names.

Raise your hands if you're on Indiana. Put your hands down. You're on Illinois.

- We got Jarrett. - What?

George Jarrett. He's ours, solid "yes."

I don't believe it. You, new guy...

Jarrett, Democrat, Minnesota, slide his name on over to "yes."

He was undecided. How did you get the fence pole out of his butt?

Wish I could take credit. He says, "Lewis, I support the president 100 percent.

Not the bill, the president."

We're gonna win this. It's like a kissing booth at a carnival:

Give us a vote, get a photo op with number 63.

- We should've gone after the handguns. - One thing at a time.

We don't have time to do one thing at a time.

DAVID: Yeah, hi. It's David in Sydney Wade's office.

Yeah, I'll hold.

I'm from Sydney Wade's office. I wanna confirm her lunch with the congressman.

We can do with a little party leadership.

I mean, is the Majority Whip taking a break?

Congress is in session, right? I'm not wrong about that.

I just got off with Luther Simons.

- Brock's on board. DAVID: Terrific.

All right, well, have him get back to me.

You okay, Syd?

Sure, why?

I don't know. You seem a little tense.

What do you mean?

What do you have, big date tonight?

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

Senator, Senator Rumson, if I can have a moment with you, sir.

Certainly.

I'm standing here with Senate Minority Leader Robert Rumson...

...one of the many guests arriving at what, for the next few hours...

...will be a nonpartisan White House.

Senator, the latest public-opinion surveys show the president...

...with approval ratings that would make him all but unbeatable come next November.

Is there a Republican who can mount a serious challenge...

...and are you that candidate?

It's a long time till November. Right now I'm looking forward to a pleasant evening.

Thank you, senator.

That's a little tight, Luce.

It's supposed to be. It's supposed to make you look regal.

Is it supposed to cut off the blood flow to my face?

All done.

Well, that's not bad. Where'd you learn how to do that?

Social studies.

Very funny. No, really, where'd you learn that?

I don't know. I just... Guess I picked it up somewhere.

Sweetie, did Mom teach you how to do that?

Yeah.

Lucy, is this okay, my having dinner with a lady?

Dad, it's totally okay.

You sure? Because if there's anything you want to talk about...

Dad. It's cool. Just go for it.

Okay.

[SIGHS]

You know, I'm a little nervous.

You'll be fine. Just be yourself.

Be myself?

Yeah, and, um, compliment her shoes.

Her shoes?

Yeah. Girls like that.

Okay. Thanks.

- Thank you. - Miss Wade?

- Oh, hi. - Good evening.

The president would like you to join him in the residence.

- May I show you the way? - Of course.

[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

[PEOPLE LAUGHING]

Sydney, come on in. You look beautiful.

Thanks. I have no idea what I'm doing here.

- I promise you, there's no hidden agenda. - Heh.

You know my wife, Esther.

- Nice to see you again. - Sydney.

Andrew Shepherd. We spoke on the phone.

Yes, sir. I remember.

- Excuse me one minute. A. J: Ha, ha.

The president told me how you two met, Sydney. I think it's priceless.

One minute I was calling him a mockery of an environmental leader...

...the next minute I had a date.

Men like being insulted by women. It makes them feel loved.

Don't ask me why.

Mr. President, allow me to introduce to you Sydney Ellen Wade...

...of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

This is President René Jean D'Astier and...

...his wife, Monique Danielle D'Astier, of France.

- It's a great pleasure to meet you. - It's an honor to meet you both.

I'm so pleased to meet you.

Ahem, Mr. President, I'm sorry to interrupt. The receiving line is in place.

Sydney, I think our table's ready.

I've got to do a thing at the bottom of the stairs, but you'll be escorted...

- They took me through it. - Oh, good.

Do you do this often, sir?

This is actually only our second state dinner.

The first one was for the Emperor of Japan...

...who died shortly after, so we stopped having them, just in case.

I meant do you go out on, uh... Do you often...

- Do I date a lot? - Yeah.

No, how about you?

Me? Well, lately I seem to be going out on a lot of first dates.

- You're experienced at this. - You could ask me anything.

How are we doing so far?

It's hard to say at this point. So far it's just your typical first-date stuff.

Damn, I wanted to be different from the others.

MAN: Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States.

By the way...

MAN: Accompanied by... - Nice shoes.

MAN: The president of France and Madame D'Astier.

[BAND PLAYING "HAIL TO THE CHIEF"]

[JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING INDISTINCTLY]

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

[ALL SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

- Mr. President? - Yeah?

The president and Mrs. D'Astier look bored.

They're not talking to anybody.

- They're hammered. - Ha, ha.

- Esther, do you speak French? - Latin.

- I thought you spoke French. - No, Latin.

Great. Next time Julius Caesar comes to town, you're our gal.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

Sydney, I don't suppose that...

[SPEAKING IN FRENCH]

That's my date.

[SPEAKING IN FRENCH]

[IN ENGLISH] Really?

[SPEAKS IN FRENCH]

You didn't dissolve our trade agreements, did you? Heh.

Heh, no. I just said we're sitting in this beautiful room...

...listening to the music of this wonderful orchestra...

...and I wondered why nobody was dancing.

[IN ENGLISH] I told Miss Wade that, in my country...

...a guest of the palace of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette...

...would soon find their head in a guillotine...

...if they made the impertinent gesture of dancing...

...without so much as a by-your-leave from the king and the queen.

[LAUGHS]

I bet no one accused Louis of being soft on crime.

[ALL LAUGHING]

- There's a lesson there, Mr. President. - More beheadings at the White House.

Bob Rumson would embrace it.

Yes, I'm sure he would.

I have a better idea.

Would you like to dance?

Ah.

Yeah, I guess.

I mean, yes, sir...

...I'd love to.

They're dancing.

[SIGHS]

[IN LOW VOICE] I don't know how you do it.

- It's Arthur Murray. Six lessons. - Ha-ha-ha.

That's not what I mean.

Two hundred pairs of eyes are focused on you right now with two questions:

"Who's this girl?" and, "Why is the president dancing with her?"

Well, first of all, the 200 pairs of eyes are not focused on me.

They're focused on you.

And the answers are, "Sydney Ellen Wade.

Because she said 'yes."'

[SIGHS]

MAN 1: Does the setup here work? MAN 2: How's it going?

- Good morning, Mrs. Chapil. CHAPIL: Morning, Mr. President.

Mr. Rothschild and Miss McCall are in the office.

They said they need to speak with you.

Janie, can you get me the number of a local florist?

Where do you want them sent?

No, I want to do it myself. I just need the number.

I don't understand.

I want the phone number of a florist.

You just want the phone number.

Yeah.

- Sir, is there a problem... - I want to send some flowers.

I want to do it myself. I don't want to staff it out. No executive orders.

I just want a phone number.

I'll get it for you right away, sir.

- Morning. ROBIN: Good morning.

We need five minutes of your time.

SHEPHERD: I'll be with you in two minutes.

I just need to make a call.

Thank you, Janie.

Who are we calling, sir?

The Organization of United Brotherhood of It's None of Your Damn Business.

- I'll be with you in a second. - Yes, sir.

[SIGHS]

Yeah, hi, good morning.

How do I get an outside line?

[DIALTONE]

Well, that was simple.

- Janie? - Yes.

What's the president doing?

I'm sorry, I'm really not at liberty to say.

Yes, hi, good morning. Is this Carmen's House of Flowers?

Good. I'd like to order some flowers, please.

Well, tell me, what is the state flower of Virginia?

Does this have something to do with Sydney Wade?

I'm really not at liberty to say.

Well, is there anybody there who might know?

No, I'm not trying to be difficult. Uh...

Hang on, please.

Janie, what is the state flower of Virginia?

- Mrs. Chapil, state flower of Virginia? - The dogwood.

The dogwood, sir.

Thank you.

It's a dogwood.

Really?

Ah, hold on, please. Ahem.

Janie, the dogwood's a tree, it's not a flower.

Actually, it's a tree and a flower.

- Are you sure? - Yes. What's going on?

JANIE: Sir, it's a tree and a flower.

The dogwood is a tree and a flower. I'd like a dozen, please.

Really, no dogwoods?

[SIGHS]

How about, uh, roses?

Simple, classic. Two dozen?

Janie...

I'm the president's senior domestic policy advisor. Now, it's important...

SHEPHERD: Janie, do you know where my credit cards are?

They're in storage in Wisconsin with the rest...

...of your personal items. - All right.

Perhaps it would be better if you bill me. I'm sure it'll be all right with your boss.

I don't know if you recognize my voice, but, uh, this is the president.

Of the United States.

Hello?

Leo, you wanted to see me?

So there I was thinking:

Maybe I should give Sydney a call.

She's new in town, doesn't know many people.

Then I picked up the Times.

Leo, it was crazy. He called me at home.

- What's going on? - Nothing.

It was innocent. His cousin got the flu at the last minute.

- Did you sleep with him? - Leo.

- Did you sleep with him? - That's none of your business, Leo.

- Yeah, it is, Sydney. - You wanna tell me how my personal life...

Because when it's the president, it's not personal.

I hired your reputation, Sydney. I hired a pit bull, not a prom queen.

- That's unfair. - It's incredibly unfair.

You spent time over the years telling me the trouble with the environmental lobby...

...is that we don't understand the fundamental truth...

...that politics is perception.

This is a bad time to develop ignorance.

- You're making way too much of this. - Am I?

This is your time, Sydney. You're sitting at the grown-up's table.

You have a chance to get everything you want:

Run a national campaign, be a major player inside the party.

This relationship better go all the way...

...because with the leader of the free world, there's no halfway.

Politics is perception...

...and if this doesn't work out...

...the time it'll take to go from being a hired gun...

...to a cocktail-party joke can be clocked with an egg timer.

Leo, there's no relationship. It was one night. It's done.

Mr. Solomon, this was just delivered by a White House messenger.

It's marked "perishable."

The White House sent me something perishable?

It's for Miss Wade.

- Here we go. - Relax, Leo, I'm sure it's just a formality.

- It's from him. - Of course it's from him.

So he had some staff flunky send me a fruit basket.

- Well, he wrote the note himself. - I'm sure he didn't take the time...

The messenger waited 10 minutes while the president wrote the card.

Okay, listen...

- It took him 10 minutes to write the card? - Apparently, he went through several drafts.

[CHUCKLES]

[LAUGHS]

What is it?

- A ham. - A ham?

[LAUGHS]

He sent me a Virginia ham.

Dig it, Miss Wade, you're the president's girlfriend.

There's never an egg timer around when you need one.

Thanks.

ROBIN: They'll be pressing today...

...if we're prepared to soften the assault weapons section of the bill.

There's no need to entertain that at this point.

How do you want me to handle the Sydney issue?

"The Sydney issue"?

We should have a consensus on how the White House will handle it.

I certainly hope "the Sydney issue" refers to a problem we're having with Australia.

- If it's anything other than that... JANIE: Ahem, Mr. President...

Miss Wade is here to see you.

Have her come in, please. I am finished here.

JANIE: Yes, sir.

There is no Sydney issue.

LEWIS: Good morning. - Oh, hi. Hi.

Uh, thanks for seeing me on such short notice.

No problem. Did you, uh, get the ham?

Ha, ha, yes, I got the ham.

I wanted to send you some flowers, but there appear to be kinks in the system.

I'm so glad you stopped by. I had such a good time last night.

- So did I. Um, it's just that I... Um... JANIE: They're 45 seconds away.

I have a luncheon speech at the governors' conference. I'm sorry.

- Are you free for dinner tomorrow evening? - Dinner?

Casual, in the residence...

...without the United Nations. - Heh.

My daughter will be there, so it may seem like it.

- I'd love to meet Lucy... - She'd love to meet you. Excuse me, Jeff...

Actually, I have some concerns that I...

JEFF: Yes, sir. - I can't do this.

- Robbins or Stackhouse? - Either. I have to be in and out.

Stackhouse needs 10 minutes. I think it's about the assault weapons.

He wants to talk about grazing rights. Trust me.

I'm sorry. You have concerns?

Yes, uh, not many. A few.

One. I have one concern.

This wouldn't have to do with the fact that one of us is president?

Ha, ha, you like to make jokes about this...

I'm not mocking you. I'm just a guy asking a girl over for a meal.

[HELICOPTER WHIRRING]

What's that?

That's my ride.

Oh, um...

Leo Solomon has some serious concerns about me exploring a social...

...you know...

...scenario with the president of the United States.

Put that way, it doesn't sound good to me either.

Have dinner with Lucy and me. It's meat loaf night.

- How presidential can that be? - Uh...

Seven-thirty?

Mm.

Mm-hm.

- Hi. Are you Miss Wade? - Hi. Uh, Sydney.

- Hi. Lucy Shepherd. Nice to meet you. - Hi. Nice to meet you.

Um, my dad told me to tell you that he's on the phone with his dentist...

...and I should behave myself and entertain you until he gets back.

Ah. Your father's on the phone with his dentist?

No. He told me to tell you that he's on the phone with his dentist.

- He wants you to think he's a regular guy. - Heh, all right.

- Well, who's he on the phone with? - The Prime Minister of Israel.

- They're probably not discussing his teeth. - I hope not.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

They're discussing that abbreviation I can never remember.

- Mm, C-STAD? - Yeah.

- Capricorn Surface-to-Air Defense. - Right.

Okay. Let meat-loaf night begin. Hi.

Hi. How's everything with your teeth?

- My teeth? - The dentist.

Oh, right. Right, right.

Yeah, I got a cavity in my upper bicuspid region.

You have a short-range weapons system outside Tel Aviv.

I think somebody told on me.

[LUCY SHOUTING]

[JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING ON SPEAKERS]

[ALL CHATTERING]

A. J: Congressman...

You're over-thinking this.

Voters aren't interested in how to achieve economic growth.

They don't want to hear our plans to strengthen foreign policy.

So it comes down to character.

Press like him. The networks, the newspapers...

Reporters like him.

Networks and newspapers like ratings and circulation.

For all the bitching we do about liberal bias in the press...

...when it comes to a good character debate...

The press is an unwitting accomplice.

The character debate didn't work for us.

Because it couldn't.

Our polling told us that attacking him less than a year after he'd lost his wife...

...was gonna be a turnoff, was gonna make people feel sorry for him.

We couldn't run the campaign we wanted because the opponent was a widower.

But he's still a widower, Bob. Time's passed but...

[ALL CHUCKLE]

You'll have to forgive my friend.

He was on a hunting trip. He's been cut off from the world.

Why? What's going on?

The president's got a girlfriend.

So you're studying the Constitutional Convention.

- She's not having any fun, though. - Dad.

You're not having any fun?

This is a nightmare. This is a social-studies nightmare.

They're doing a mock congress.

Each kid plays one of the original delegates and they debate the amendments.

What's not fun?

- Good night, Dad. - Good night, sweetheart.

- It was nice meeting you, Sydney. - It was nice to meet you.

- Sleep well, honey. I love you. - Love you too, Dad.

She's wonderful.

She's her mother.

She's you.

Would you like the 25-cent tour?

Okay.

I thought C-STAD wouldn't be operational until January.

It was ready ahead of schedule. We've just been waiting for the personnel.

- The Israelis? - No, our guys.

We sent a team of army instructors to train the Israelis. Good evening.

I think, uh...

Yeah, this is the Dish Room.

[SYDNEY CHUCKLES]

It's not the "Dish Room."

Yes, it is. It's the room with, uh, all the dishes.

It's the China Room.

Well, I'm more of a West Wing president.

If you're curious about the mansion, I'm sure there's a book you can get.

There are about 7000. Heh, I'll get one for you.

Sydney.

Mr. President...

...have you ever noticed how similar the Van Buren flatware is...

...to the Buchanan flatware?

Do you think there'll ever be a time...

...when you can stand in a room with me...

...and not think of me as the president?

This isn't a state of mind.

You are the president.

And when I'm in a room with you...

...oval or any other shape...

...I'm always going to be a lobbyist...

...and you're always going to be the president.

I have news for you, Sydney.

As a lobbyist...

...you'd never be alone in a room...

...with the president.

Do you think this is a good idea?

Probably not.

MAN: Mr. President.

We have a secure call from the Sit Room.

Excuse me.

- I'm sorry, ma'am. - Oh, no, of course.

We're gonna have to cut our evening short. The Libyans have just bombed C-STAD.

I'll try to call you in the morning. Would you please show Miss Wade out?

MAN: The response scenario's in place.

The F-18s are fired up on the Nimitz and the Kitty Hawk.

They're just waiting for your attack order, Mr. President.

And we're gonna hit Libyan Intelligence Headquarters?

The NSA confirmed they're the ones who planned the bombing.

- And what's the estimate? - We'll level the building.

Libyan I.H.Q. Looks like it's in the center of Tripoli. What else are we going to hit?

Nothing, unless we miss.

- Are we gonna miss? - No, sir.

- How many people work in the building? - We went through this.

How many people working in the damn building?

I have the numbers here, Mr. President. There are three shifts.

The fewest. What shift has the fewest people? The night shift?

By far, sir. Mostly custodial staff...

What time does the night shift start?

They're on now, sir.

A. J?

Sir, it's immediate...

...it's decisive, it's low-risk...

...and it's a proportional response.

Someday someone's gonna have to explain to me...

...the virtue of a proportional response.

Mr. President?

Attack.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

A. J: Once our planes have cleared Libyan airspace, you can call the press.

But I don't know when we'll have the full B.D.A.

- General Rork says around 0800. A. J: 0800?

Sir, what do you think about a national address?

Last thing I want to do is put the Libyans center stage.

LEON: Well, I think it's a great idea.

You know Rumson is gonna be talking about your lack of military service.

It's not about Rumson.

What I did tonight was not about political gain.

Yes, but it can be, sir.

What you did tonight was very presidential.

Leon...

Somewhere in Libya right now...

...a janitor's working a night shift at Libyan Intelligence Headquarters.

He's going about doing his job...

...because he has no idea in about an hour he's going to die in a massive explosion.

He's just going about his job...

...because he has no idea that about an hour ago...

...I gave an order to have him killed.

You've just seen me do the least presidential thing I do.

[REPORTERS CHATTERING]

Mary?

MARY: Is there anything about the C-STAD system...

...that could have been mistaken as offensive rather than defensive?

No. We did everything but show them the blueprints.

The hardware had been sitting in an airplane hangar for more than a month.

They didn't hit it until the American personnel arrived.

Sir, there's an unconfirmed report that you were with Sydney Wade...

...when you learned of the attack. Comment?

- Yes, we had just finished dinner. - Get him off.

Last question.

Sir, would you care to comment on your relationship?

We don't have a relationship, we just had dinner. Thank you.

Did she spend the night at the White House?

Folks, a lot of people were killed last night.

Let's try to keep our eye on the ball, okay? Thank you.

[REPORTERS SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

That was my fault. We should have prepped you.

There's nothing that needs prepping. A. J?

Let's meet with the leadership after we meet the Security Council.

Newsweek is begging for 10 minutes today. Any 10.

Nobody gets 10 minutes today.

Tell the speaker to wait. I want to talk to him.

No, I'll be right down.

RUMSON [ON TV]: Last night, the cost of those liberal programs...

...was raised to include the blood of 22 American soldiers.

Mr. Shepherd's read a lot of books...

...but it doesn't take a Harvard degree to see this one coming a mile down the road.

I went to Stanford, you blowhole.

He has never served one day in uniform.

BETH: This box just says "miscellaneous."

Is it bedroom miscellaneous...

...or kitchen miscellaneous?

- Sydney? - Why did I have to kiss him?

- You kissed him? - Yeah.

- You didn't tell me. - I kissed him.

- Where? - On the mouth.

- Where in the White House? - In the Dish Room.

- The "Dish Room"? - The China Room.

And then what happened?

- He had to go and attack Libya. - It's always something.

Yeah, I gotta nip this in the bud. This has "catastrophe" written all over it.

In what language?

Sydney, the man is the leader of the free world.

He's brilliant, he's funny, he's handsome, he's an above-average dancer.

Isn't it possible our standards are just a tad high?

[PHONE RINGING]

Answer the phone.

- It's him. - Answer the phone.

He's gonna ask me come over.

- Answer. - I don't want to go.

Answer the phone.

All right. But I'm gonna end it on the phone.

Uh, I just came over to tell you why I can't see you anymore.

Come on in. Thanks, Coop.

Uh, look, I know you've had a tough day.

Not as tough as some. Want a drink? Let me take your coat.

Mr. President, this isn't gonna work.

- Sure it will. Button the top button... - That's not what I mean.

- I didn't think it was. - I've really enjoyed our time together...

...this has "catastrophe" written all over it.

Please, Mr. President, don't pursue me outside the political arena.

I have no intentions of pursuing you inside of it...

...and that leaves everything out and that's unacceptable to me.

If I were on your staff...

...I'd tell you that the worst thing you can do, coming into an election year...

...is open yourself to character attacks. The quickest way to do that...

...is to prance around like the playboy of the Western World.

Let's clear up a couple of things here. Number one, I seldom prance.

Number two, I have no intention of engaging in a character debate.

- Number three, you're not on my staff. - But if you'll follow the immutable...

Why is that, by the way? Please.

- Why is what? - Why aren't you on my staff?

- You can't afford me. - How much do you make?

More than you do, Mr. President.

The name is Andy. How much money do you make?

What does it matter how much I make?

You raise your voice to the president?

Ugh, I'm only thinking about the health of your presidency.

You know this morning's press conference won't be the end of this.

Bob Rumson's gotta be drooling over this.

Are you attracted to me?

- I beg your pardon? - I asked if you were attracted to me.

That's not the issue.

Tell you what. Let's make it the issue. Let's try something new...

...because when most couples first get together, they're inclined...

...to slam on the brakes because they're concerned about Bob Rumson's drool.

- You're not most people. - You know what your problem is?

What's my problem?

Sex and nervousness.

- Sex and nervousness is my problem? - Yes.

Last night when we were looking at those place settings in the Dish Room...

...I realized those place settings were provided by the first ladies.

I'll bet none of those first ladies...

...were nervous about having sex with their president husbands.

And you know why?

- No, but I'm sure you'll explain it to me. - I will.

Because they weren't presidents when they first met them.

That's not the case here.

- Ah. - You see what I'm getting at?

Yes.

[SIGHS]

- May I use your bathroom for a moment? - Right through there. Right behind you.

I just want to freshen up.

As you pass through, you'll see a large closet on the right.

If you want, hang up your coat.

Then I'll fix us a drink...

...we'll sit on the couch, and I'll explain to you my plan.

SYDNEY: You got a plan? Don't make me wait. You're on a roll.

Okay, you're attracted to me...

...but the idea of physical intimacy is uncomfortable...

...because you only know me as the president.

It's not always going to be that way.

The reason I know that is there was a moment last night...

...when you were with me and not the president.

And I know what a big step that was for you.

So, Sydney, I'm in no rush.

Here's my plan. We're gonna slow down...

...and when you're comfortable, that's when it's gonna happen.

Perhaps I didn't properly explain the fundamentals of the slowdown plan.

No, you explained it great.

Are you nervous?

- No. - Good.

My nervousness exists on several levels.

Number one, and this is in no particular order:

I haven't done this in a pretty long time.

Number two, uh:

Any expectations that you might have, given the fact that I'm, you know...

- The most powerful man in the world. - Exactly, thank you.

Remember that it's a political distinction that comes with the office.

I mean, if, uh, Eisenhower were here instead of me he'd be dead by now.

- And number three... - Andy.

RUMSON: Does New Hampshire want...

...traditional American values back in the White House?

[ALL CHEERING]

Does New Hampshire want the pride back?

My name is Bob Rumson, and I'm running for president.

[PHONE RINGING]

Yeah. Ahem.

Put him through.

Lewis, it is 5 a.m. You've got to get yourself a life, man.

Yeah.

All right.

- Sydney. - Hi.

Uh, what are you doing?

Uh, I wanted to leave the building before the press corps got here.

I have those same thoughts every day of my life.

[SYDNEY CHUCKLES]

You know Lewis Rothschild, don't you?

Sure. Boy, Lewis would go nuts if he knew I spent the night.

- Well, he's on his way up. - What?

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Come on in, Lewis.

Morning, Mr. President. Hi, Sydney.

Hi, Lewis. Well, Mr. President...

Uh, thanks for taking the time to go over those fossil-fuel numbers.

I'll just get my coat, be on my way.

- So, what's the situation? - Camped out at every exit.

Who? Who's camped out?

- The press. - The press is camped out?

You should have taken a cab.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

- They know my car? - Good morning, Sydney.

- I came as soon as Lewis called. - Oh, thank God.

Let's not look like we're panicking.

See, the important thing is actually not to be panicking.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

- Morning, Mr. President. - Morning.

- Morning, Miss Wade. SYDNEY: Hello.

I see everyone's getting an early start today.

How do we exit Sydney from the building and, uh, what do we say to the press?

- We need a diversion. - A diversion?

I'm not suggesting that we burn the White House.

Oh, please, let's do.

I state clearly that I can't be party to anything illegal.

Good for you.

It's always the guy in my job who ends up doing 18 months...

...in a minimum security prison.

- Rest easy. We won't create a diversion. - No diversion.

- Somebody will take you home. A. J: Esther's over in my office.

- She has the station wagon standing by. - Good. Now, press statement.

Sydney...

When you leave here, you're gonna run into reporters and photographers.

They're gonna take your picture every day. They're gonna ask you questions every day.

Answer them, don't answer them, it's entirely up to you.

The White House has no official position except to say, "No comment."

- No comment? - The White House does not comment...

...on the president's personal life. - We can't leave it at that.

I tell you what, Lewis. We just did.

- But, sir... - Thank you, Mr. President.

Come, friends. Let us away.

- Thank you, Mr. President. ROBIN: Thank you, Mr. President.

Sydney. Esther will be in my office.

- Take your time. - Thanks, A.J.

Heh, I'm sorry about this.

We'll do it better next time.

I'm no expert, but I thought we did it pretty good this time.

- No, I didn't mean that. - I know.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

I had a good time.

Me too. I'll call you.

- I'll be in Panama, but I'll call you. - I'd like that.

Great.

- Bye. - Bye.

All right. Okay. This is good.

SYDNEY: What about an incentive program?

REPORTER 1: Sydney Ellen Wade, the political strategist...

...who accompanied President Shepherd to last week's state dinner...

...spent the night at the White House as a guest to the president.

REPORTER 2: The president returned from Panama this evening...

...after a three-day tour through Central America.

His first order of business:

An intimate dinner with Sydney Wade at a romantic Georgetown bistro.

REPORTER 3: Conservative and religious family organizations...

...are starting to smell blood in the water...

...as the polling numbers of the president are dropping.

MAN: Can you tell us how they met?

REPORTER 4: Showbiz Weekly was in Hollywood for the star-studded gala.

Also on tonight's program, Day 15 of the Sydney Watch.

Is the world's most eligible bachelor off the market?

MAN [ON RADIO]: All right. Next caller, you're on the air.

WOMAN [ON RADIO]: What about Lucy Shepherd?

Is anyone concerned about this little girl?

Can we now finally have a serious debate about family values?

- Americans can no longer... REPORTER 5: Political analyst, Ed Earl.

With the president's job approval taking an eight-point dip...

...from his personal best of 63 percent three weeks ago...

...should the White House be concerned that the girlfriend...

...has left Shepherd vulnerable to the questions...

...he was able to avoid three years ago?

EARL: They sure ought to be concerned.

REPORTER 5: How much will this new wrinkle affect his ability...

...to put together a win on his crime bill?

REPORTER 6: We'll take a commercial break.

When we come back, we'll meet a junior high-school classmate of Sydney...

...who has some intimate details to share.

RUMSON: I agree with you 110 percent, Mrs. Harper.

That's why I'm up here in the dead of winter...

...talking about it with you folks. Ha-ha-ha.

That's very generous of you. And I'll be taking...

...that money off your hands right now.

What've you got?

Call me Santa Claus, senator. She's got an FBI file.

- Oh, shit, Stu. My mother's got an FBI file. - Yeah, but...

...I got art.

It's a demonstration outside the Department of Commerce.

The picture's old and some of the faces are obscured by the fire, but...

...that's a burning flag...

...and that's Sydney Ellen Wade right there in front.

[SING-SONGY] It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Harry. No...

Harry. Think like a father for a second.

Wouldn't you like your kids to be able to take a deep breath when they're 30?

Thank you.

You're doing the right thing.

Tote board's heavy.

How's this?

[ALL CHEERING]

Terrell, North Carolina.

Hey, Syd. I, uh, saw on your schedule...

...you're meeting with McSorley, McCluskey and Shane?

Yeah. The Motown Three said they'd give me 30 minutes next week.

Sydney, these are people who represent people...

...who make cars for a living.

- Yeah? DAVID: Cars, you understand...

...run on gasoline.

Hey. I know it's a long shot.

But if I can get one of them, it'll be a huge payoff in visibility.

If we're gonna try, we should do some prep work. Want to, uh, order in?

Uh, I can't. I'm having dinner at the White House.

- Uh, so let's start early tomorrow. Say, 7:30? DAVID: Okay.

I'm, uh, having lunch at the Kremlin, so we'll have to...

...start even earlier than that. - Good night.

DAVID: In order for me to catch the plane to Moscow.

Good night, David.

[THUNDER CRASHES]

Douglas, does the NRA have videotapes of you playing golf with Satan?

We've softened the assault weapons.

We're leaving the SKS, the Mini-14 and 250 other types on the street.

I mean, how much pull can one lobby have?

Uh, we'll continue this conversation tomorrow.

I'm late for the party fundraiser and, Douglas, I'll put in a good word for you.

You're incredibly late.

Excuse me, I spoke with the federal mediator in St. Louis.

Management walked off. Baggage handlers, pilots...

...and flight attendants are getting set to walk out in 48 hours.

I studied under a Nobel-Prize-winning economist. You know what he taught me?

- Never have an airline strike at Christmas? - I'm going to St. Louis.

- You can leave straight from the fundraiser. - Thanks, A.J.

Good luck, Mr. President.

Liberty's moving.

- Mr. President. Can we have a moment? JANIE: He's incredibly late.

Hop in, we'll talk in the car.

SHEPHERD: What is it? LEWIS: We have a small problem.

ROBIN: It could've been small. It's a medium nightmare.

LEWIS: It's an opportunity. ROBIN: It could have been if we'd caught it.

- We caught it. - At 5:45.

It doesn't do me any good. Network news is in make-up.

- Twelve people work for you... - Guys, do I have to be here for this?

Sorry, sir. Uh, it's on the evening news, it's buried as the third story.

It's got a bullet.

Sydney was at a protest rally. They burned a flag.

- Today? LEWIS: About 13 years ago.

In front of the Department of Commerce. Anti-apartheid.

Uh, let me see if I got this.

The third story on the news...

...was that someone I didn't know 13 years ago, when I wasn't president...

...went to a demonstration where no laws were broken, in protest of something...

...that so many people were against, doesn't exist anymore.

Just out of curiosity, what was the fourth story?

Right. See, I think it's important when we deal with it...

SHEPHERD: Don't deal with it.

- Excuse me? - Trying to get us to swing at the dirt.

Nobody wins these fights. It'll go away.

LEWIS: Sir, I'm not sure that's the wisest course of action.

SHEPHERD: Hell. ROBIN: It's already distracting you.

SHEPHERD: No. You reminded me

I'm supposed to have dinner with Sydney tonight.

Oh, it's terrific. Beth, I love it.

I can't believe I'm loaning you clothes. I thought you owned everything.

Well, work clothes.

I always wear a suit at the White House. I thought a dress would be nice.

Go ahead. Try it on. I brought earrings too.

[PHONE RINGING]

- Hello. SHEPHERD: Hi, what are you doing?

Uh, just trying on dresses.

I feel terrible, but I'll have to cancel our date tonight.

SYDNEY: Another woman? - Heh, no.

I've gotta go to St. Louis to avert a massive airline strike.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that one.

Thanks for understanding. I'll call you later.

Okay, bye.

Oh, I hate doing that. She was trying on dresses.

LEWIS: I tell any girl I'm going out with...

...to assume that all plans are soft until she receives confirmation...

...30 minutes beforehand. - And they find this romantic?

I say it with a great deal of charm.

Look! There it is! Carmen's House of Flowers.

- Coop, we gotta stop. LEWIS: What?

I gotta get her flowers.

- Here? - Now?

That's what men do when they break a date.

That's not what men do. I don't know men who do that.

I'm gonna hop out at the flower shop.

- You'll "hop out," sir? - He's not hopping.

No hopping, sir.

- Stay in the car. I'll get the flowers. SHEPHERD: It's not gonna be personal.

LEWIS: Let them do a security sweep. We don't know who's in there.

The florist is planning an assassination on the off-chance I might stop by?

It's possible.

WOMAN: No, no.

You're not hearing me. Listen to what I'm saying.

It was at the basketball game.

Excuse me.

No, girl, at the game. Kiki wasn't even there.

- Excuse me? - Ha, ha. Ugh, hold on.

I will be right with you.

SHEPHERD: I don't know if you're the one I talked to on the phone...

Virginia, dogwood, president...

Does any of this ring a bell?

Same girl, she remembered me.

RUMSON: I'm glad to see that the president has a girlfriend.

Never mind...

...that she's the hired gun of an ultra-liberal political action committee.

Never mind...

...that the president takes the 5th...

...any time a reporter has the temerity to ask him a question about a woman...

...in a position to exert enormous influence...

...over a huge range of issues.

Never mind that this woman's idea of how to unwind at the end of a tough day...

...is to get together with her ACLU pals...

...and to set American flags on fire.

No reaction from the White House.

SHEPHERD: It doesn't need to be dignified with a response.

There's no upside. I'm leaving it alone.

SYDNEY: What do Lewis and Robin think?

Brutus and Cassius, heh?

They want me to get into a character debate and mix it up.

Lewis and Robin are very smart.

- Sydney says you guys are really stupid. SYDNEY: I didn't say that.

- She's questioning your loyalty. - I question it all the time.

Wait a minute. Here comes my favorite part.

My name is Bob Rumson and I'm running for president.

Glad he cleared that up because the crowd was about to buy some Amway products.

His numbers are climbing.

Sydney, his numbers have nowhere to go but up.

SYDNEY: What about yours?

Ugh, we'll be back up in the 60s once I get the votes for the crime bill.

So, what are you doing this weekend?

Uh, I've got work I was going to bring home. Why?

Well, negotiations are going pretty well.

Looks like the nation's going to keep on flying and, uh...

...Lucy's spending Saturday night at a friend's house.

What do you have in mind?

You ever been to Camp David?

[CHUCKLES]

Camp David. Sure. I used to go there all the time...

...but then they changed chefs and I...

It's sass, right? You're sassing me.

Ha, ha, yes.

I'm gonna have somebody pick you up on Saturday morning.

Okay. Bye.

Bye.

SYDNEY: Mm, good God. SHEPHERD: What?

SYDNEY: I'm looking at your college transcripts. This isn't human.

Nobody gets this many A's. You were like a Stepford student. Ha, ha.

Still reading that ridiculous biography?

No. I finished Shepherd: Road to the White House.

Now I'm on to Shepherd: The Early Years.

SHEPHERD: Seven trillion dollar communication system at my disposal...

...and I can't find out if the Packers won. - Oh, Andy. C-minus in Women's Studies.

That course wasn't about...

...what I thought it was going to be about. - Ha-ha-ha.

MAN [ON TV]: President Shepherd was in Maryland this week...

...for his routine physical exam.

Doctors at Bethesda Naval Hospital pronounced him in excellent health.

Who cares? Just give us the scores.

REPORTER [ON TV]: While the president spent the day at Camp David...

...GOP presidential hopeful...

...Robert Rumson, continued his attacks on President Shepherd's character.

During the Saturday news program, Capitol Review with Kenneth Michaels...

...Senator Rumson suggested that...

...GDC political director, Sydney Ellen Wade...

...whose close personal relationship with the president...

...has caused the White House headaches for two months...

...may have traded sexual favors for key votes in the Virginia State Legislature...

...while lobbying for the Virginia Teachers Association.

- That's a heck of an accusation to make... - I'm not saying...

Let me be very clear. I'm not making an accusation.

I am saying, when you hear one thing, you dismiss it.

You hear two, you dismiss it.

But when several, several well-respected members and former members...

...of the Virginia State Legislature... MAN: Can you give us names?

- He's making this up as he goes along. - I'm so sorry, Sydney.

I don't know what we call her. The First Mistress?

Oh, man. My father heard that.

He's just gonna have to turn a deaf ear.

My father doesn't have a deaf ear. He hears fine out of both.

So do I and so does my sister and so does my friends.

You're the only one who...

I can't challenge a school bully to a fight because he picks on my girlfriend.

I'm not asking you to. I can take care of myself. It's not about me.

How can you keep quiet?

How do you have patience for people who claim to love America...

...but clearly can't stand Americans?

I have one election left. I don't have the luxury of losing my patience.

I, um... I want to say something to you but I'm going to fumble it a little bit.

So, please, just wait till I'm done before you respond.

[SIGHS]

I'm in love with you. I'm certain of it.

And I want to be with you more than anything...

...but maybe things would be better for you if I just disappeared for a while.

Things will be better when I pass the crime bill.

And if you disappeared...

...I'd find you.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

SHEPHERD: Hi, Gil. GIL: Mr. President...

Um, Mr. President, militant women are out to destroy college football in this country.

SHEPHERD: Is that a fact? GIL: Yes, sir.

Have you been following the situation down in Atlanta?

No. Uh, these women want parity for girls' softball, volleyball, field hockey...

If I'm not mistaken, the courts ruled on Title IX about 20 years ago.

Yes, sir, but what I'm saying now is these women want that law enforced.

- It's a world gone mad. - It is, sir.

- Merry Christmas. - Merry Christmas.

Come meet some people.

LEON: You see, the country has mood swings.

LEWIS: Mood swings? LEON: Yeah.

Nineteen postgraduate degrees in math and your best explanation...

...for going from a 63 to 46 percent approval rating in five weeks...

...is mood swings?

Well, I could explain it better, but I'd need charts, graphs and an easel.

Fellas, we haven't slept in three years.

Can't we forget about work for one night and enjoy each other as friends?

- It's Christmas. - It's Christmas?

Yeah. You didn't get the memo?

ESTHER: Sydney. Merry Christmas. - Hi, Esther, hi.

A. J: Hello, Sydney.

Merry Christmas, A.J.

And a merry Christmas to you. Where have you been?

I got stuck on Dupont Circle.

[ALL CHUCKLE]

I can never remember which lane I'm supposed to take.

Then I got cut off by this idiot cab driver...

...who starts screaming at me that it's my fault.

Come on, it's Christmas.

Hi, Syd. Did you get stuck on Dupont Circle again?

[ALL LAUGH]

It's not funny. I hate that place.

Can't you declare it a federal disaster area?

- I'll look into it. - What were you doing up on the hill?

Oh, I had a terrible meeting today.

I totally lost my cool with McSorley, McCluskey and Shane.

Heh, you went up to see the Motown Three?

I pitched them the bill.

- On its merits? - The woman has no fear.

She'd lobby the Carolinas for the American Lung Association.

- It was a disaster. A. J: You're in good company.

I sat with them. They said there was nothing on the domestic agenda...

...they were more committed to defeating than the crime bill.

Well, congratulations, fellas.

Because McSorley told me the only thing on the domestic agenda...

...that they were more committed to defeating was the fossil-fuel package.

- You're kidding? SYDNEY: No, I'm not kidding.

It's funny, that he used the same words.

Yeah, Pep Boys don't know too many words.

I'm gonna get a drink and shake this off. Then I'll have some Christmas spirit.

Okay.

Are you okay?

I'm fine, yeah. Heh, I'm fine.

- Come on, I'll lead the way. - Thank you.

BOB: Merry Christmas, Mr. President. - Happy holidays, Bob.

Did what I think just happened just happen?

Did the GDC's political director tell the president and the chief of staff...

...that three votes on the crime bill can be bought...

...by sticking the fossil-fuel package in a drawer?

No, GDC's political director didn't tell us anything.

Sydney Wade told her boyfriend and his best friend that she had a lousy day.

It doesn't change the facts, Mr. President.

If Sydney gets her 24 votes and we're three votes shy, there's maneuvering to be done.

- I made a promise. - You made a deal.

- I made it with Sydney. - With the GDC.

It's all academic. We won't need those three votes.

Sir, if your approval rating continues to drop, things are going to get tight.

I've been hearing rumors that your boss is wavering on the crime bill.

Heh, I wouldn't listen to rumors. You know this town.

That's what I wanted to hear.

I'll tell you, my boss is starting to waver on the crime bill.

Sydney, everybody cares about the environment during a phone survey.

On election day, nobody gives a damn. That's, uh... That's why you have a job.

Congressman, on election day...

...people give a damn about what I tell them to give a damn about.

That's why I have a job.

She got Pennybaker.

[CHEERING]

LEWIS: It was our understanding we had your support.

Look, I like you, boy. Always have.

But for God's sake, does the woman have to spend the night?

We've got the full backing of the White House, Katherine.

Yes, at 20 percent.

Three more votes. The president sends it to the Hill.

Katey, Katey...

Ten years from now, any car with an internal combustion engine will be a collectible.

Come onboard. We'll make your Volvo a classic.

Congressman, the assault weapons are gone.

The bill is priced to move.

The bill isn't the issue.

I'm facing a serious challenge in November.

The president's coattails aren't what they used to be.

The president's coattails will have room for you. You just leave that to us.

We left that to you and now the president's in a free fall.

LEON: I wouldn't say he's in a free fall... - Fellas.

I just can't give you my vote.

A.J., the well is drying up. He's gotta make a move or we'll die fast and quiet.

So, what if I do a detailed, public-opinion poll?

- And we put Sydney in the new model. - Right.

A.J., it's meaningless unless we ask them about Sydney.

All right, fine. Let's do it.

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

[OPERA MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO]

Mm. Mm. Oh!

It's delicious. Thank you.

- Is there any more? - Tons. I didn't think you liked it.

You kidding? Of course, I did.

It's not for me. The agent who checked the food thought it was delicious too.

I told him I'd bring him some.

- So you didn't like it. - No, I loved it.

- You're lying. - No, I'm not.

I can tell when you're holding something back. You do a thing with your face.

When have you ever seen me do a thing with my face?

Two days before I met you.

You gave a speech for the Daughters of the American Revolution. I was there.

- You were? - You remember the speech?

Vaguely.

"Americans can no longer afford to pretend they live in a great society."

Ah, yes.

- There was supposed to be something after. - How did you know that?

I've told you, the face.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

Ooh, wow! Mm.

What's the occasion?

You're looking at a lady who's two votes shy of the promised land.

- Two votes? - I got Pennybaker.

- That got me Cass and Zimmer. - That's great. That's great work, Sydney.

Well, I'm not there, yet.

No matter what happens, you have every reason to be proud of yourself.

No, I'll be proud when I see you sign the bill.

Well, yeah.

Andy...

You're doing that thing with your face.

How are the numbers?

- Bad. ROBIN: How bad?

Forty-one. Character, across the board.

Oh, come on, George, don't tell me that!

- Who is Lewis on with? LEON: Jarrett.

Trying to keep his fingers in the dam.

You're supposed to be a United States' Congressman.

But we're not gonna stay at 41. The numbers are gonna go back up.

But they're gonna go back up.

All right, George... Congressman.

Congressman Jarrett... Look, George, listen to me.

It's crunch time. It's personal.

This is one of those moments. It's just you and the president.

Now, what's it going to be?

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, all right. Can I tell you something?

We're gonna win this thing. We'll get the votes and we'll win.

You know what I'm gonna do that very night?

I'll go to Sam and Harry's and order a big steak...

...and make a list of everybody who tried to fuck us this week!

- Lewis! - Yeah, well, just vote your conscience...

...you chicken-shit lame-ass!

We lost Jarrett.

I hope so. If that was an undecided, then we need to work on our people skills.

Yeah, hi, Karen, it's Lewis.

I need you to find Congressman Quincy for me right away.

We lost Quincy too.

Did he give a reason?

Yeah, he thinks your numbers aren't likely to rebound.

LEON: We're three votes down again, sir.

Mr. President, as of this morning, Sydney only needed one more vote.

The Motown Three have gotta be scared blind.

I don't think there will be a better opportunity.

The press expects an announcement on the crime bill by the State of the Union.

If you agree to stick 455 in the drawer until after the elections...

...they'll give you the three votes. ROBIN: And we declare victory, sir.

We said, "as a last resort."

We're there, sir. State of the Union is 48 hours away.

- There must be three votes someplace. LEON: There isn't.

- Bullshit! There's gotta be. LEON: There isn't.

- Storch. - Beg your pardon?

- What about Storch? - No, Storch is a "no."

Mr. President...

- Wagner? LEON: No.

- Sobel? Clark? - No. No.

Not that Clark. The one from Indiana.

That one too, sir.

Mr. President. I think we have to do this.

A.J., she is one vote away.

It's important legislation that for the first time has a legitimate chance.

- She deserves every opportunity. LEWIS: "She"?

You meant "it," didn't you, sir?

"The legislation" deserves every opportunity.

- Lewis, shut up. - You have something to say to me, Lewis?

Respectfully, sir...

We should examine the new poll for something more...

- They don't like me going out with Sydney? - It's not that simple.

I think this poll brings a murky problem into specific relief.

Whose problem are we talking about, Lewis? Yours?

You worried about losing your job?

Because this poll isn't talking about my presidency.

This poll is talking about my life!

- Two hundred sixty-four million people... - They don't give a damn about your life.

- They give a damn about their own! - All right, that's enough.

[LEWIS SIGHS]

Mr. President...

You raised a daughter...

...almost entirely on your own...

...and she's terrific.

So, what does it say to you, that in the past seven weeks, 59 percent of this country...

...has begun to question your family values?

- The president doesn't answer to you. - Oh, yes, he does. I'm a citizen.

This is my president.

In this country, it's not only permissible to question our leaders, it's our responsibility.

But you already know that, don't you, Mr. President?

Because you have a deeper love of this country than any man I've ever known.

And I want to know what it says to you that in the past seven weeks...

...59 percent of Americans have begun to question your patriotism?

- If people want to listen... LEWIS: They don't have a choice!

Bob Rumson is the only one doing the talking.

People want leadership. In the absence of genuine leadership...

...they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone.

They want leadership.

They're so thirsty for it, they'll crawl through the desert...

...and if there's no water, they'll drink the sand.

Lewis, we have had presidents who were beloved...

...who couldn't find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight.

People don't drink the sand because they're thirsty.

They drink the sand because they don't know the difference.

Mr. President...

What do you want to do about 455?

Make the deal.

A. J: Yes, sir.

[PEOPLE LAUGHING]

I just want to go on record and apologize for my attitude towards you...

...since your arrival. - I didn't notice. Was there an attitude?

Well, I think that, uh... That I have a lot of pent-up hostility...

...and I'm wondering who I should blame that on.

I'm not qualified to...

I've been blaming it on my mother and my ex-husband...

...and, well, that doesn't seem to work. - Syd. Leo needs to see you.

- Well, tell him to get in here. It's a party. - He needs to see you in his office.

It can't wait?

He just got off the phone with Maclnerney. There's been a development.

Good evening.

[LUCY PLAYING TROMBONE]

Sounds good.

- It's progressive. SHEPHERD: I'll say.

Dad, what's wrong with Sydney? Did you have a fight?

What do you mean?

LUCY: She seemed pretty mad. - You saw her?

- Yeah, she's here. SHEPHERD: Where?

In your room. Dad, why's she mad?

Don't worry about it, honey.

LUCY: Were you a dork? - Practice your music.

If you were a dork, you should say you're sorry.

Girls like that.

Syd?

SYDNEY: Did you see a gray cable-knit sweater?

Gray sweater? No.

I called you at the office today.

It's Beth's. I wore it here one time. I didn't wanna leave it.

- Where are you going? - I'm going home. Then to Hartford.

- Connecticut? - Yes. Did it go with your dry cleaning?

What's in Connecticut?

Uh, Richard Reynolds' campaign. He may be able to get a job.

When did you decide to get a new job?

Not long after Solomon fired me from my old one.

- Beth's gonna kill me. - Why did he fire you?

Oh, total failure to achieve any of the objectives for which I was hired.

I told him he was being unreasonable.

After all, I did dance with the president and ride in Air Force 1 a couple of times...

...but those prickly environmentalists. There's always something.

If it's not clean air, it's clean water.

Like it's not enough that I'm on the cover of People Magazine.

I'll call him.

You'll call him? You'll call him yourself?

It will come from the president?

That's a great idea. You should call Leo and make a deal.

He hires me back for 72 days.

I go around scaring Congress...

...making them think the president will drive through a damaging and costly bill.

They'll believe me because I'm the president's Friday-night girl.

I don't know if we can dip into that well twice. I've lost all credibility.

But you never know. I might be able to pull it off again.

I might give you the leverage you need...

...to pass some ground-breaking piece of crime legislation.

A mandatory three-day waiting period before a 5-year-old can buy an Uzi.

Fuck the sweater. She'll have to learn to live with disappointment.

What do you think went on here today?

I know exactly what went on here today. I got screwed.

You saw the poll, you needed the crime bill.

You couldn't get it on your own, so I got screwed.

The environment got screwed, Sydney. Nothing happened to you.

Governing is choosing. Governing is prioritizing.

I made no secret of the fact the crime bill was my top priority.

Well, then congratulations. It's only taken you three years...

...to put together crime-prevention legislation that won't prevent crime.

Syd, please.

I don't want to lose you over this.

Mr. President, you've got bigger problems than losing me.

You just lost my vote.

What's in Hartford?

Richard Reynolds' district office. She might run his campaign.

Twelve in the corner.

Hartford, the insurance capital of the world.

Have a good time, Syd.

I'll have Janie clear your schedule for the weekend. You need to get some rest.

- You handling me? Good. - No, sir.

But I will if you don't start taking your head out of your ass.

- Excuse me? - Lewis is right. Go after this guy.

- Has he lied? - What?

- Has Rumson lied in the past seven weeks? - Has he lied?

Other than not knowing the difference between Harvard and Stanford...

...has he said something that isn't true?

Am I not a commander in chief who's never served in the military?

Am I not opposed to a constitutional amendment banning flag burning?

Am I not an unmarried father sharing a bed with a liberal lobbyist...

...down the hall from his daughter? - You think you're wrong?

You don't win by telling 59 percent of them that they are.

"We fight the fights we can win"? You fight the fights that need fighting!

Is the view pretty good from the cheap seats, A. J?

I beg your pardon?

Because it occurs to me that in 25 years I've never seen your name on a ballot.

Now, why is that? Why are you always one step behind me?

If I wasn't, you'd be the most popular history professor...

...at the University of Wisconsin.

Fuck you!

Have Lewis put the final draft...

...of the State of the Union on my desk in the morning.

Yes, sir.

If Mary hadn't died...

...would we have won three years ago?

Would we have won?

If we had to go through a character debate three years ago...

...would we have won?

I don't know.

But I would have liked that campaign.

If my friend, Andy Shepherd, had shown up...

...I would have liked that campaign very much.

Yeah.

ROBIN: Because the president feels there is no value in this kind of character debate.

Will the president respond to Senator Rumson's question...

...about being a member of the American Civil Liberties Union?

Yes, he will. Good morning. It's all right. Please keep your seats. Good morning.

[REPORTERS MURMURING]

For the last couple of months, Senator Rumson has suggested...

...that being president of this country was to a certain extent about character.

Although I have not been willing to engage in his attacks on me...

...I've been here three years and three days...

...and I can tell you without hesitation...

...being president of this country...

...is entirely about character.

For the record:

Yes, I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU.

But the more important question is: Why aren't you, Bob?

Now, this is an organization...

...whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights.

So it naturally begs the question: Why would a senator...

...his party's most powerful spokesman and a candidate for president...

...choose to reject upholding the Constitution?

Now, if you can answer that, folks, then you're smarter than I am...

...because I didn't understand it until a few hours ago.

America isn't easy.

America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad...

...because it's gonna put up a fight.

It's gonna say, "You want free speech?

Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil...

...who's standing center stage, advocating at the top of his lungs...

...that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.

You want to claim this land as the land of the free?

Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag.

The symbol also has to be...

...one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest.

Now, show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms.

Then you can stand up and sing about 'the land of the free."'

I've known Bob Rumson for years and I've been operating under the assumption...

...that the reason Bob devotes so much energy to shouting at the rain...

...was that he simply didn't get it.

Well, I was wrong. Bob's problem isn't that he doesn't get it.

Bob's problem is that he can't sell it.

We have serious problems to solve...

...and we need serious people to solve them.

And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you...

...Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it.

He is interested in two things and two things only:

Making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections.

You gather a group of middle-aged, middle-income voters...

...who remember with longing an easier time. You talk to them...

...about family and American values and character.

Then you wave an old photo of the president's girlfriend, scream patriotism...

...tell them she's to blame for their lot in life...

...and you go on television...

...and you call her a whore.

Sydney Ellen Wade has done nothing to you, Bob.

She has done nothing but put herself through school...

...represent the interest of public-school teachers...

...and lobby for the safety of our natural resources.

You want a character debate, Bob?

You better stick with me...

...because Sydney Ellen Wade is way out of your league.

I've loved two women in my life.

I lost one to cancer...

...and I lost the other because I was so busy keeping my job...

...I forgot to do my job.

Well, that ends right now.

Tomorrow morning...

...the White House is sending a bill to Congress for its consideration.

It's White House Resolution 455...

...an energy bill, requiring a 20 percent reduction...

...of the emission of fossil fuels over the next 10 years.

It is by far the most aggressive stride ever taken...

...in the fight to reverse the effects of global warming.

The other piece of legislation is the crime bill.

As of today, it no longer exists.

I'm throwing it out.

I'm throwing it out and writing a law that makes sense.

You can't address crime prevention...

...without getting rid of assault weapons and handguns.

I consider them a threat to national security and I will go...

...door-to-door if I have to...

...but I'll convince Americans that I'm right and I'm gonna get the guns.

We've got serious problems and we need serious people.

If you want to talk about character, Bob...

...you'd better come at me with more than a burning flag and a membership card.

If you want to talk about character and American values, fine.

Just tell me where and when and I'll show up.

This is a time for serious people, Bob, and your 15 minutes are up.

My name is Andrew Shepherd and I am the president.

[ALL SHOUTING]

Well, you don't see that every day.

He's got the whole press corps asking how to spell "erudite."

- Call the printer. - We gotta rewrite the State of the Union.

A. J: Every word. It's a whole new ball game.

You have exactly 35 minutes.

Oh, good. I thought it was gonna be rushed.

I don't want a limousine, I don't want an escort.

I want a plain ordinary, non-bulletproof automobile.

Well, somebody around here must have a Chevy I can borrow.

Well, find one and have it outside the West Wing entrance in five minutes.

A. J: Excuse me, sir, where are you going?

I'm going over to her house. I'm gonna stand outside her door till she lets me in.

I'm not leaving until I get her back.

And how are you going to do that, sir?

I haven't worked that out yet. But I'm sure groveling will be involved.

You're just gonna drive over?

I'm commander in chief of the most powerful army in the world.

You don't think I can drive 10 blocks?

Just, uh, stay away from Dupont Circle. I hear it's murder this time of day.

Hi, A.J.

Nice to see you, Miss Wade.

Well, if anyone needs me, I'll be in the Roosevelt Room...

...giving Lewis oxygen.

I heard your speech.

I was in my car.

It just kind of steered its way over here.

I'm glad.

Sydney...

I didn't decide to send 455 to the floor to get you back.

And I didn't come back because you sent 455 to the floor.

Mr. President, you might want to...

Hi, Sydney.

Hi.

I moved Social Security up front.

Mr. Leventhal at Treasury wants two minutes. Hello, Sydney.

Mr. President? Excuse me, Miss Wade. Miss McCall is on her way over, sir.

Well, I got some...

...things to do.

Yes, you do.

REPORTER: We're only a moment away from the arrival of President Shepherd...

...and his State of the Union address.

You've served on the staffs of several past administrations.

What kind of last-minute activity is the president engaged in right now?

There's something I've wanted to give you since our first date.

I've tried to do it a number of times, but somehow I've always managed...

...to trip over my job...

...but here...

...these are for you.

[CHUCKLES]

They're beautiful.

Ahem, Mr. President?

Well, I've gotta go.

Uh, should I stay here?

Walk with me.

SYDNEY: How'd you finally do it?

Do what?

Manage to give a woman flowers and be president at the same time?

Well, it turns out I've got a rose garden.

MAN: Mr. Speaker. - Heh.

The president of the United States!

[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

[English - US - SDH]