Original subtitles

Previously on The West Wing:

I don't know if I've served you very well

the past few days.

I won't be a punching bag

for Hoynes and Santos,

and every second- tier welterweight

who wants a quick tabloid hit.

Public opinion is turning.

You're gonna start seeing it

at your events.

SANTOS: You get into this

thinking to yourself that

you're gonna play by your own rules, and then...

bit by bit, you chip away at them until, uh...

you can't even name the game.

Russell Hoynes just made a huge media buyout of Boston.

Close to 1800 gross ratings points.

We need to change

the whole dynamic, or we finished.

( chattering )

Hey, Josh... Hey, Josh...

Josh, Russ... JOSH: On the record,

the only poll that matters is on Super Tuesday.

Off the record, no way is Hoynes up nine in California.

It's an internal poll. JOSH: Of what,

John Hoynes's living room?

His own polling says that...

That you can rig these things any way you want.

It's four days till the California primary.

This thing is wide open.

Russell's internals show him up in New York by five.

He's only campaigned there, what,

157 times?

I think the guy has a hack license by now.

Are you banking on the Latino vote,

like you did in Arizona and New Mexico?

WOMAN: What do your internals show?

We're not releasing those.

I'm through talking about polls.

'Cause you're third in every one?

'Cause we're here to talk about issues.

This is a presidential campaign.

It's not a statistics convention.

But we got Hoynes up by a lot less than nine.

You didn't get that from me.

( Josh sighs )

since the press asked me a policy question.wo day

I think that was about the no-smoking policy

Do you know about this bill oin the California legislature

to bar illegal immigrants from getting driver's licenses?

Yeah. We're staying far away from it.

It's on its way to The legislatthe governor's desk.

You know the Congressman will want to denounce it.

Of course. Third in the polls.

Why not champion the one group of Californians that can't vote?

You'll talk to him?

( sighs )

Yeah.

I really liked those little bacon things

they had at that, uh, fund-raiser in Ohio.

Except for the fact that it was Oregon.

Oregon, Ohio-- it's a plane

to a minivan to a windowless hotel ballroom.

You're lucky I knew it was an O-state.

Yeah. There really ought to be partial credit.

At this point...

...all I do is read the, uh, talking points

they put in front of me, you know.

Miss, uh... uh, Santos!

Pleasure to see you again, it says here.

( laughs )

during our last conjugal visit I had suthat, uh...tim

Page two. Oh.

My staff suggested I follow up,

MAN ( over P.A. ) ( whispe We'll be starting Oh, yeah. WelJOSH:ll themek some thatExcuse me, Congressman.al

The California legislature just passed that bill

to stop illegal immigrants from getting driver's licenses.

Four days before the primary.

JOSH: 'Cause the

Republicans in the legislature know

it'll divide us in half.

on one hand-- You got the Latone third

of primary voters here--

and the ever-popular notion of rewarding illegal behavior

on the other. No matter what Okthe governor does,

he's gonna be accused

I know you're gonna want oto speak out on this...y.

I don't want to speak out.

You don't.

No.

If you'll fasten your seat belts

and prepare for landing, Okay.

we'll start our approach.

Just remind me when we get to the hotel,

I want to talk about our new internal poll.

( elevator bell dings )

Hey. Congressman, you know Bram.

He's heading up California advance.

He was with us on the Missouri-New Mexico swing.

Montana-Arizona. JOSH: Right.

You'll wantThe one with to do a quick change.e big hats

then a quick clutch, followed by a receiving line.

BRAM: You met Backus What's the diffein San Francisco

at the Giants game.

Daughter's an honors student at Loyola.

Congratulate him on his wife's thyroid operation.

So it was successful.

Don't mention the thyroid operation.

Ed Garcia's waiting in your room.

Then we'll do the home health care hit.

Eddie's here?

Couple of last minute details

about La Palabra's endorsement.

They're huge in the Latino community.

Are we gonna bump Gonna be a greasomebody off?

Hey!

Eddy, how are you?

How's my campaign widow?

Oh, just, you know, knitting absentee ballots

for Super Tuesday.

( laughter )

It's good to see a friendly face.

You know, everywhere I go now,

it's, uh, TV cameras and coded produce.

That's the way the press pass messages

They roll oranges.

The news doesn't get any better,

but you really get your Vitamin C.

How long are you in California?

HELEN: Two days.

Red-eyeing to Rhode Island

right after La Palabra's endorsement.

We're excited about that.

SANTOS: Hey, we really

appreciate that. Honey?

Uh, this one. Good.

Thanks.

Matt, we're concerned

about this driver's license bill.

It could be the beginning of a whole new wave

of anti-immigrant legislation.

We need you to denounce it

in your speech to La Palabra tomorrow.

I don't think I could do that, Eddie.

It would define my whole campaign.

I don't want voters to see me as just the Brown candidate.

some of them have Then Iblack-and-white TVs.

( laughs ) The governor wants

to veto this, but he's scared of it.

Doesn't want to be accused of torpedoing

the Democrats' chances.

The governor's already endorsed Hoynes.

This is a moral issue.

Telling the poor immigrants

they can't drive and make a living?

Nothing I say tomorrow's gonna make a difference.

We need to focus on electing

Then we can take on aall the tough causes.e.

Now all we need's a progressive candidate.

Maybe you don't see more friendly faces

'cause your friends have trouble recognizing you.

I can't do it.

So you've said.

How are we doing?

BRAM: You sat

with Backus at the Giants game.

Daughter's getting honors

at Loyola.

I thought I was doing a home health care hit.

They're upset that our health care plan doesn't cover-- Herbal medic

I don't know-- acoustic guitar playing,

so we said that we'd do a meeting

WOMAN:before Congressman Santos...peech. ( chatter )

Congressman, the latest field polls say

that if the election were held today...

because it's normallyprise held on election day.

( chattering )

Congressman, are you urging the Governor to side

I'm not going to tell himriver's how to run his own state.issue?

Doesn't it worry you that Vinick's sweeping

the Republican primaries while the Democrats

are still Oh, they can have their coronation.

the competition makes us tougher for the fall.

And if you believe that...

( laughter )

Hey, Ronna, would you make sure

that Helen's got her speech folder?

We've gI want to talk to youets. positioabout this internal poll. Thanks.

Sue Bowen. Hi.

Chris and I sat with you at the NRDC Gala.

Uh, how come I never hear youod talk about global warming?again.

Oh, I gave two speeches on it last week.

Well, I never hear you talk about it.

( laughs ): There you go. Hi.

People tell me I look exactly like you.

( laughs ): Like looking in the mirror.

I think this internal's really promising. Hi.

We're third in a three-way race.

How is that promising?

The issues, Josh.

We're beating Russell and Hoynes

on-on health care, on education.

No one's covering the issues.

All the press cares about

at this point is polls, process, horse race.

Well, then we got to get more disciplined

about staying on our message, don't we?

BRAM: Congressman, you remember the Ratners?

SANTOS: Yes, hi. Excuse me.

SANTOS: Okay.

You want to meet the Congressman?

I want to meet you.

I'm your new finance director.

You're Hickman, the human cash register.

( laughs ): Call me Paul.

I should call you a cab.

What are you doing in Sacramento?

You should be at a phone bank somewhere

phoneYou know, I wanted to deliver the news in person.

Your job is to give me money, not news.

And since we have no money,

I thought I'd opt for news.

By "no money," you mean...

So you're going with the literal meaning then.

The Super Tuesday polls

have really spooked our big donors.

We're still raising on the Internet,

but once we've paid all the vendors,

our cash on hand will look more like an empty palm.

Give me a couple hours to figure out a plan.

We'll brief the Congressman

tonight.

MAN: The Real Estate Board of New York is delighted

to have with us two Vice Presidents,

two highly distinguished public servants, and the two

front-runners for the Democratic nomination...

Mr. Vice President.

John.

Oh, no. I have no intention to of dropping them.

The most exquisitely-tailored Welstraitjacket known to man.

WOMAN: we're pleased to welcomend Vice President Bob Russell

and former Vice President John Hoynes.

( clears throat )

Guy just got endorsed by the governor of California. ( applau

He looks like he's been drinking out of the reservoir.

I need that education statement with CBO numbers.

Not OMB, CBO. Believe it or not,

these things aren't interchangeable.

Will...

to stop putting soe many acknowledgments

at the top of these stump speeches.

The VPhe's taking to souattendance.

We're not going Have you got a mto California.

Tomorrow?We're gonna focus that he's son New York and Ohio, the whole wplaces we can win.

Maybe this isn't the best time to talk about my job.

Don't go south on me now.

Or at least, make it southeast.

No, I love what I'm doing, master of all tasks...

Fine, I-I just wonder if I might Mistressbe more useful

doing something more specific,

I-I've learned these issues clockwise and sideways.

If you think Read this outit's too soon...

( sighs ): "John Hoynes's education plan

"has the wrong priorities for America,

"tripling funds for character education,

Can I have the pooltion "wover here please?t as..."

Donna Moss has a statement.

Hi.

Congressman, why are you trailing John Hoynes

among suburban women?

sermonizing about I values, but I, uh...

Just pivot to home base.

I got to answer the question first. I was aboutDon't answer.

Just pivot. "When they learn about my health care plan,

"which moves us step-by-step toward universal coverage,

starting with all children, that gap will close."

I just talked to Garcia

about the rollout of the La Palabra endorsement.

You realize it's redundant to say "the" and "la."

Oh. La endorsement is off.

Garcia says la congressman knows why.

Garcia says La Palabra's off.

He wants me

to denounce the driver's license bill.

It's one of the biggest I tLatino groups in the country.

This guy is your ticket to...

You got to... call him, straighten this out.

Now you want me to come out against the bill?

You want to come in fifth in a three-way race?

He's upset, but he's not gonna stiff

the first serious Latino to run for President.

I'll go see him in the morning.

Don't promise anything on the bill.

I'm saying we trailed almost every country

in every area tested last year: geometry, computation...

can blunt Hoynes's surge in California?

This isn't about blunting or surging.

It's about curing polio.

We cured polio.

And let's not be complacent about it.

No one wants to ask about science education?

I do.

You're Bill Brewer.

I don't take questions from Hoynes's advisors.

'cause I was gonna Weask how Bob Russell

can turn up his nose at character education

when parents are out of their gourds

trying to pass on the right values to their kids.

We're focusing on things they can't pass on, like AP Physics.

See, this is why Russell can't beat Vinick in the fall.

He has no appreciation of middle-class values.

Next time you rupture an appendix,

a model citizen whior a trained surgeon?

I never said I had a single-issue appendix.

Honestly, your education plan is closer to my taste.

Really? Hoynes is on a bit of a values kick lately.

legislating my Whkids' values anyway?

Whatever happened to my right

to raise spoiled, selfish little jerks?

So I take it you're single?

I don't answer hypothetical questions.

Well, have a drink with me tonight.

We'll get into specifics.

No...

I mean, you work for Hoynes.

It'd be like sleeping with the enemy.

Not that we'd actually sleep together, I just...

you know what I mean.

So you're the new spokesperson.

I think this was kind of a tryout.

Nice try.

HELEN: Governor Tillman was elected with 71% of the Latino vote.

Yeah, but 67% of Californians think it's wrong to grant

driver's licenses to people who are here illegally.

Yeah, well, nobody told him there'd be math.

Thank you. ( knocking )

Can I take five minutes?

Yeah, sure.

I don't think you've met our new finance director.

Phil, great to meet you in person.

It's Paul. We call him Hickman.

Shouldn't Hickman be dialing for dollars back at headquarters?

I'll let him explain why he's here.

Um... Congressman.

Mrs. Santos.

As much as the press care about polls

and the horse race, donors care about it more.

Now, winning New Mexico and Arizona helped,

but in the last few weeks,

as Hoynes and Russell established leads

in the Super Tuesday states, our fundraising's dried up.

Now, i-if you look at the second page,

we've made our media buy,

but we still haven't made outlays for direct mail,

or payroll or field

and at 800K, that pretty much zeroes out our cash-on-hand.

I thought we had an aggressive Internet program.

That's mostly $10 and $20 checks. College campuses,

local Democratic clubs, typical low-dollar activity.

What's the punch line?

If we don't do something to beat expectations on Tuesday,

I don't see how we can continue the campaign.

Russell's just announced he's not campaigning here.

I want to cancel

the Rhode Island-New York swing,

focus all our resources

here in California.

but maybe we can squeak by Russell, come in second.es,

Let's do it.

Great.

you can definitely raise enough to keep going.her

HELEN: And what happens if we don't?

Let's The Texas primary's when we two weeks away.

Hickman, what are my backup options?

Well...

none.

Even a barebones campaign in Texas

would cost 300,000, 400 grand.

Can we borrow?

Federal election law prohibits any borrowing.

Except from the candidate himself.

Technically, that's right.

So technically, we can mortgage our house

and loan the money to the campaign.

Josh is right. Let's burn the... what he said.

And plan our Texas campaign on the back of a napkin?

Congressman, if you took

on that level of personal debt,

you'd be raising money to pay it off for years.

The only way to do that is by...

By what?

By going back to Congress.

'Cause no one writes checks to retired politicians.

Have the lawyers draw up the mortgage papers.

What, we don't even want the papers as backup?

If we come in second here, it's moot anyway, right?

Probably.

Thank you, Congressman. ( claps hands ) Thank you, sir.me in second.

Mrs. Santos.

( door closes )

( loud thud )

( knocking ) ! Will?

Will?

Will.

Will. Hoynes wants to colonize Mars with non-violent drug offenders.

Recidivism. ( mumbles )

It's 3:00 a.m. What are you pouring on my head?

I couldn't sleep.

I met Hoynes's issues director.

So you decidednvited me to pour it on my head?ink.

I said it was

which of course I sdidn't mean literally.

If you're asking,

should you have slept with Hoynes's issues director, no,

butHoynes was supposed to fly youto California last night.

He's giving two big policy speeches in San Diego.

Why would his issues director be in New York

inviting me for a drink?

Something to do with this whole sleeping-with-the-enemy thing?

What if Hoynes isn't spending three days in California?

What if it's a head-fake so we won't campaign there?

He could have left some staff here.

For Super Tuesday, you campaign Hfrom a gurney if you have to.

( line ringing )

Hi, Susan, sorry to wake you.

No, I'm calling from a fishing trawler.

Yes, I know it's 3:00 in the morning.

I need to know if there's been

any middle-of-the-night change to Hoynes's schedule,

as silly as that sounds.

No. Of course. Thanks.

Hoynes canceled his San Diego fund-raiser.

He's spending a few more hours in New York.

Apparently, it's a sore throat.

Aren't you going to say something?

About what?

Tomorrow's weather forecast?

Seasonably warm.

They don't even have seasons in California.

It's just a backup, Helen.

This is all about Texas, isn't it?

What, we don't even want a backup?

( scoffs )

Don't do this to me.

Here I am trapped in a Tammy Wynette medley,

like I'm supposed to quash

to rake leaves all your life, your ambitI won't. force you

Good. Fine.

Going back to Congress, Matt?

It's a worst-case scenario.

For who? For me? For your kids?

For what's-his-name? Rickman?

and we would retire Onall the debt.r

It's only if we don't come in second.

Like we're betting everything on Papa's Moustache in the fourth,

which we are.

Hey, it's your house, too.

Tell me not to and I won't.

One two-year term and then what?

You have no intention of running for President again?

Tell me not to and I won't.

MAN: Congressman, would you sign my hernia truss?

Uh, oh, boy, I...

No, I manufacture them.

Fourth biggest wholesaler in the state.

Okay.

"Thanks for the support."

Let's go, Congressman. Reporters are waiting.

( radio announcer talking in background )

( knocking ) Come in.

( door opens )

Ms. Santos.

You make me sound like a grandmother or a shop teacher.

The congressman'sr doing TV interviews,

No, I'm looking for you. him

I, um... want to talk about...

Don't sign those loan papers.

There's some bad tradeoffs in this business, but I don't...

For the staff? A lot of bad tradeoffs for the staff?

Oh, those long hours must be dreadful,

I feel terrible about that meeting..

What chance do we have of coming in second, Josh?

( sighs )

We have a chance.

What chance?

Pretty small one.

Well, thanks for talking shop.

SANTOS: Where are the reporters?

These are satellite interviews. You'll hear the questions

through your earpiece. Fake window?

( chuckles ) Do they do, uh, Addhome installations?htness.

We're starting with KSEE out of Fresno.

Thank you.

Hi, Lisa, good to be with you.

more important things to focus on, like health care.

I have a plan which moves us towards universal coverage,

step-by-step, starting with all children.

AIDE: KGET Bakersfield.

Well, I think when they see my health care plan,

which moves us step-by-step...

Uh, that's a decision the governor has to make. AIDE: KNTV San J

I'm focused on national issues like health care.

Well then maybe I better do Ka better job

about educating people about my health care plan.

Uh, I'm sorry, Terry. I can't hear the question,

but I will say that one issue at stake in this election

is health care.

Health care.

Health care.

Eddie, good to see you.

Josh, come in.

Well, I have to hand it to you.

You've taught Matt a lot about politics

in just a few short months.

Well, it took us a while to get our sea legs.

More like concrete shoes.

The Matt Santos I knew wouldn't stay silent

for three seconds on an anti-immigrant assault like this.

Bob Russell just came out in favor of the bill.

He's not even campaigning in California.

He could beat us on this alone.

How do you think voting rights polled in the 1960s?

Jim Crow in the 1870s?

People use driver's licenses You knto buy guns,

Let's come up with a better form of ID.

These people are here illegally.

If why don't we take licenses the isaway from murderers?

Manson probably still has his.

Charlie's not exactly tailgating on the 405.

If we don't give these people licenses,

you think they're going to go back to Mexico?

They'll drive without insurance.

We won't bThis isn't about the to trasubstance of the bill.

Because you know the bill is wrong. 'Cause your old pal

Matt Santos is trying to win in California.

You want him on the losing side

My new pal John Hoynes has the guts to take the right side.

John Hoynes?

Promisewhen he campaigns hewith the governor tomorrow.

Santos is the first viable Latino

to even enter a presidential.

We both know you're

endorsing him. Not unless he takes a stand

in his speech to La Palabra.

The governor needs cover to veto this.

If Hoynes provides it, we'll endorse him.

Having a Latino president

doesn't advance the Latino cause?

If he doesn't stand up for Latinos?

You may have taught him how to live by the polls,

but when you're off

on the next campaign,

he's the one who's got to live with himself.

( phone rings )

LEO: Yeah.

It's Josh.

I'm reading that new biography of James Madison.

Know what his dying words were?

"I always talk better lying down."

How's it going out there? to figure We're stuck in third place,

so we're moving all our money to California.

Our base thinks we've sold 'em out,

and Helen Santos thinks

I'm playing presidential primary parcheesi

with her kids' college tuition.

So about the same as ten minutes ago.

Oh, the middle thing's new.

So, uh... Santos was reading our internals

on the plane last night.

Politician reads polls. Film at 11:00.

He barely looked at 'em before.

You've been complaining about that for months.

I-I know, but the guy's playing this to win,

even when the numbers make you want to... lie down.

It's your job to doubt.

It's his job to believe.

Just don't let him do anything too loopy.

I'll call you later.

BRAM: The site diagram

I'm assuming from all these arrowstion even

We've got fixed camera I'm goinpositions here and here,

so if you stay within this area,

the kids are always in the cutaway shot.

Doesn't matter how Which is goothe press report it.

They can trash the whole event.

from every camera position, it'll scream education.

We're screaming Sorry I'mat, uh, camera Did you positions here.

Thanks, Bram.

Yep.

La Palabra wants to endorse John Hoynes.

Hoynes?

He promised to denounce the driver's license bill

side-by-side with the governor tomorrow.

Let's beat him to it.

If I denounce it, it's a seven-second soundbite:

"Latino comes out for Latinos."

Yeah, it's better

than "Latino ignores Latinos."

right into the Republicans' hands.

You said it yourself.

Plus, no one would hear anything else I would have to say.

It's a bad bill.

You shouldI was wrong wto push the politics on this.

I'm not taking a position.

Garcia's serious about going with Hoynes.

Maybe he should be.

And not for nothing, Josh--

Garcia can tell me if he thinks I'm not Latino enough.

You can't, okay?

( knocking ) BREWER: Who is it?

It's Donna Moss from the Russell campaign.

You know, the "character doesn't count" people?

Can I interest you in a late-morning drink?

They say Manhattan has the champagne of tap waters.

BREWI could've told you that I'm not deyesterday.

I'm busy cooking up ways to legislate

your spoiled, selfish little kids into submission...

I have to have the kids first.

If that's supposed to be a pickup line,

needs a lot of work.

You're not packed for California.

Go on, find somebodylly who's more in the loop,

but when we win the nomination, don't come crawling...

He's just canceled his first policy speech,

and Brewer's not packed, and this isn't a guy

and why would he wbe working on as ipress statement

if they were physically go... Whoa, slow down.

I'll lend you some punctuation.

I don't think he's going to California at all,

and I think we should.

I don't see how we take this to the VP,

not unless we're 1,000% sure.

They're just sitting Thearound buying thishe presore throat nonsense.

If we can't interest them in our education plan,

maybe we can interest them in this.

I've created a monster.

Bad idea?

No. Good idea.

That's what worries me.

Alessandra?

Got a teensy little tip for the paper of record.

that Hoynes lays out this great bigk California strategy

and then fails to show up for it?

Bye!

REPORTER: Congressman! Congressman Santos!

REPORTER 2: Mr. Santos!

should just signu think the driver's license bill?

Won't that deny Vinick the issue for the fall?

I think not enough kids read at grade level.

greater accountability We in our schools.ndards,

You worried you're third place He's pin every state poll?

If our kids don't read at grade level,

how are they going to understand all these polls?

( phones ringing ) Shot was perfect.

Home run.

( indistinguishable conversations )

Hoynes campaign says it's his throat.

You guys are supposed to be journalists,

so unless one of you has a throat swab...

Go over this one more time.

Okay, look, Vice President Russell

was going to campaign in California.

and Hoynes practically announced he was moving there.

But now that we canceled our trip,

Hoynes is holed up in New York,

canceling his California events left and right

like a Foghat reunion tour.

What do you think Hoynes is up to?

Do I look like an investigative reporter?

you're just standing around when you should go do your jobs.

Go.

Been looking at the Los Angeles schedule.

Are we doing enough free media? There's a story

Hoynes might not be coming cominto California.

Not at all? That's the rumor.

His whole itinerary was a fake-out

so that Russell wouldn't campaign here.

Hoynes puts his California lead in the bank,

dukes it out with Russell back east.

If he doesn't come here at all...

Then he doesn't have to take a stand

Doesn't have to keep on this promise to Garcia.

We got about... five of our reporters

They think he may be trying to draw us out.

Latino comes out for Latinos, and Hoynes attacks us

for being weak on immigration and terrorism.

Maybe. So, Matt's the only candidate from either party

who is here in California, and yet, he's in third place.

Now, how many reporters did you say we have

on the story, five?

About.

Let's try and make it ten.

Vice President Hoynes has a mild cold.

He'll be flying to California

and maintaining an aggressive schedule.

If it's mild, why can't he rest on the plane?

His three-day gambit's looking more like a shell game.

Look, John Hoynes is not a gambling man.

And you shake hands with every pretzel vendor

on Manhattan Island, see if you don't come home

Come on, Bill,ig germ cocktail be straight. Look, I'd love to stay and chat.

I'veand wait for your nextoo hectoring phone call.

Will you please find out what in Jane's name

we're still doing in New York City?

( phone rings )

A full 13 and a half minutes. Where you been?

JOSH: So, who cares that Russell's making hay

by saying illegals shouldn't get licenses?

Who cares if Hoynes thrashes us on the issue?

Don't we score courage points

for flying in the face of public op He's not wrong. He'll marginalize himself.

Latino backs Latinos. Dog bites man.

Madison takes a nap.

Fine, but now the guy's talking about mortgaging his house,

stirring up the press about Hoynes,

muzzling himself on issues I know he cares about,

and for what-- a vain hope of a silver medal?

I've seen this in tons of candidates.

Ride's almost over. They want to hang on.

The crowds, the adrenaline. You wait.

He'll even miss the bad headlines.

You think it's almost over.

I think you've done

a remarkable job.

I think you've taken a junior House nobody

and made him a national brand,

a contender for the Vice Presidency, even.

He still believes he can win.

It's his job to believe,

and if he keeps believing, it's probably 'cause he's...

He believes it 'cause I hammered it into him.

I'll call you later.

Have you seen CNN? There must be 50 reporters

in the lobby of Hoynes's hotel in New York.

JOSH: I sent half of 'em there.

Shouldn't the Congressman be doing meet-and-greets?

Uh, they're signing the loan papers first.

You gave him the papers?

Her. Helen. She asked for them.

I don't suppose, in addition to your many skills,

that you're a notary public?

Don't sign those.

We're not sending 'em to the bank unless we have to.

Just want to make sure we're...

covered for Texas.

It's your financial future.

Which is why we're going to come in second.

We can't.

There's no chance.

I'm sorry.

We've got Hoynes staying in New York...

We're not going to win the nomination.

I made myself believe it--

you, too-- but... you can't risk everything for this.

make a strong statement against the driver's license bill.ra,

You should remember who your friends are--

not some names on an index card,

but the people you're going back to.

And then you should take a bow...

and you should step off the stage.

Hmm.

You know, when I got out of the Marines,

I hadn't been around my old neighborhood

in Houston in a few years.

I had just gotten this job offer

from the Pentagon,

and it required a full FBI background check.

After a few weeks, the investigators--

they came up to me, and they said,

"We can't give you the job.

"We've interviewed all your old friends and neighbors.

They can't confirm anything, not even your name."

So I hop a plane, go back to the old block.

I see my neighbor's 11- and 13-year-old kids.

They're-they're sitting on the stoop,

same as always, and they see me coming.

They start running toward me,

and they're shouting, "Tío Matt, Tío Matt--

"Uncle Matt-- "Tío Matt,

"the Feds-- they were here looking for you.

We told 'em we never heard of you."

11 and 13.

You're not the only one who can read bad polls, Josh.

for president I amin that Texas primary...

and those kids are going to see me do that.

And that's the only statement about my skin color

I intend to make in this campaign.

( knock at door )

If you need a minute to... I'm fine.

BRAM: You met Richter in Portland.

he's on DNC site control.

His son's a...

Math major at Princeton.

When you asked our chances before...

you wanted to make sure the loan was ready

when we lost here.

Something's happened to Hoynes.

( reporters clamoring )

Excuse me, I need the congressman for one second.

There are five more supporters there.

an exclusive interview with the former Senate stafferng

claiming that then-Senator Hoynes

made inappropriate sexual advances toward her,

which has to come as bad news to the Hoynes campaign

so close to Super Tuesday.

was still a Georgetown senior at the time,ion

the daugThe campaignominent spent the day in New York

urging the tabloids not to run the story,

excerpts of which appeared

all over the Internet this afternoon.

ANCHOR 3: ...that he is temporarily

suspending his campaign.

We just moved from third to second.

Hoynes is dead; we're neck-and-neck with Russell.

Is that true? There's no way to poll it till the voting starts.

( reporters clamoring )

Anything from the governor?

he's not discussing a new endorsement.

He can't be sticking with Hoynes.

It's a sleazoid tabloid nightmare.

Tell him Matt Santos is a candidate for president.

If that doesn't even warrant a phone call...

Thank you!

( clamoring continues )

Where are we on the congressman's schedule?

BRAM: We've gotten almost

all about Hoynes's overcharged libido.

I assume we want to ride the story.

JOSH: We're not riding it,

The Accept as many it, It's health care and education.

It's the only way he beats Russell.

Every question will be about Hoynes.

But none of the answers.

( bell dings )

( reporters clamoring )

I had no idea about the Senate staffers.

REPORTER: You've been pushing this for two days.

You must have known something.

The man locks himself in a hotel room,

How am I supposed to know he coulwhat he's doing? legs.

WILL: We're going to be landing in California in a few hours.

There's nothing we can do on driver's licenses.

We've already come out in favor of the bill.

Hoynes is an embarrassment,

Santos is a footnote.

Governor, the Vice President needs you on this.

You wanted to see me, sir?

I'm sorry your name is in these stories.

I realize you had no idea what this was about.

No, sir.

TheyIf I believed everything columnthey wrote about me,

I'd be voting for Pat Paulsen again.

That was a joke.

I never voted for Pat Paulsen.

Will's talking to the Governor of California.

'Cause I wouldn't call him myself.

Even if these allegations are true,

it's none of anybody's business.

Yes, sir. You don't agree?

I think if he wanted it to be none of our business,

about character he shouldn't education.d

Set a standard, you have to meet it.

The governor says he's not taking endorsement meetings.

He's yanking his support from Hoynes

and feeling more than a bit burned

by primary politics.

but Santos has beeng there for three days,

and we're not going to be there

for another three hours.

I don't knowYou have to call the what'll happgovernor yourself.

You have to make sure he endorses you,

or no one at all.

Get the governor on the line.

SANTOS: So, how we doing?

We shut down all our field offices,

squeezed out the money to air more health care spots.

and unless your tongue's got Ourepetitive stress injuries...

Keep scheduling interviews.

He's never had so much press coverage in his life.

or my plan Itfor premium reductions.al

What about the governor?

He'Looks likeng he's not endorsing anyone.

This guy could have single-handedly

delivered labor, half the county organizations...

we don't want Whata political meeting?rnor

What are we supposed to meet about, citrus futures?

the Australian Parliament-- The parI'll walk his dog

if I canWhat aboutminutes the driver's license bill?

TILLMAN: You understand why this meeting can't be public.

a little legI can't turn on a TV Governor. d's without seeing you

spout the same three lines about health care.

You ought to mix it up a bit.

Six and a half million Californians

They'd rather hear about John Hoynes's boxer shorts?

You know, Hoynes looked me in the eye

and he told me

had been flogged to death alby the press.ing

Those staffers It were paid for their story.

They were paid by a dimestore tabloid.

I guess if we don't give

the horAnd I've got hordes Well, I outside my office now.

so we could talk about the driver's license bill.

is that Hoynes promised La Palabra that he'd oppose it.

He made that promise to me.

The state Republicans timed this bill

so they could wreak havoc in the Democratic primaries.

I want a future in the party, too.

blow our chanceink I'd to beat Vinick in the fall?dly

What if I was there with you?

I told Russell I'm not going to endorse anybody.

And you wouldn't say one word against that bill

I'm not going to say a wordeeded against it now.my suppo

And I'm not looking for your support.

You veto the bill, I'll be there standing right behind you.

All the words will be your own,

in front of about 50 cameras, all going live.

and you wouldn't even get a bite won the news.

That's right.

Are you so desperate

for the appearance of my support

while I strike down a bill ththat you don't oppose?

Oh, I think the bill is an abomination.

We need to toughen our immigration laws,

make our borders 50 times more secure.

But if we're not really willing to do that,

it's wrong to punish the people that we bring here

to pick our avocados.

Well, why don't you just come out and say that?

( sighs softly )

'Cause people don't need to hear it

from someone who looks like me.

They need to hear it from someone who looks like you.

( reporters clamoring )

TILLMAN: Moments ago,

I vetoed SB-67,

the so-called "driver's license" bill.

We have security problems in this country.

We have immigration problems.

We need to address them.

But we shouldn't prevent

the poorest working people-- the people who are here anyway--

from making a living.

It may make us feel better,

but it doesn't solve the problem.

Thank you.

Well, I'd show you all the, uh, veto pen,

but I've already given it to Congressman Matt Santos.

( reporters clamoring )

You know what you should be writing about?

The six and a half million Californians

who don't have health coverage.

You ought to ask Matt Santos about that.

( reporters clamoring for Santos )

I agree with Governor Tillman 100%.

Uh, and don't forget to vote, Thno matter who you vote for.

Oh, what the hell; vote for me.

( both chuckle softly )

What's next?

Besides the mother of all throat lozenges?

He's done 100 interviews today.

That is the last one.

The California polls are closing.

Russell's won New York, Connecticut,

Rhode Island and Vermont.

Hoynes is crumbling pretty much everywhere.

We don't know about California yet.

Mmm. Okay.

What's this?

It is a campaign plan for Texas.

I'll sell my own house if I have to.

You'd be going to federal prison.

Yeah. Well, I'll need to live someplace, won't I?

I can tell you that it's been a long day--

a tough, close fight here in a state

that usually doesn't see such hotly contested...

They need a margin of error for the margin of error.it p

we're moments away from calling Nwhat has truly been a dogfight

between Vice President Bob Russell

and Congressman Matthew Santos.

So, we urge you to stay by the TV.

In just a moment...

( sotto voce ): I need you guys for one sec.

What is it?

What?

We won California.

( cheering and applause )

Steve Gilbert, co-chair for L.A. County.

Son's big in the College Dems.

Congratulations.

( reporters clamoring )

You're the experts on the horse race.

Maybe folks took a look at my health care plan.

( clamoring continues )