All language subtitles for The.West.Wing.S07E14.WEBRip.x264-FGT

Previously on The West Wing...

VINICK:
...Power is a completely

safe, dependable energy source.

Of course we should build
more nuclear power...

SANTOS:
Completely safe?

NEWSCASTER:
More than a dozen states
that have been squarely

in the Vinick column,

including his own state
of California-- all states

with nuclear power plants--
are now

within the margin of error.

Cancel everything here
after the morning rally.

We got to get on the ground
in the battle states.

Vinick's gonna have
to head south.

What we need to do
is curb Santos's momentum.

Keep these folks undecided
long enough

for this nuclear mess
to fade.

You remember Jane Braun?

It's time to start talking
about values.

By which you mean what,
gay marriage?

I'm the senator from California.

And I'm gonna make a statement
before we get on that plane.

You have to wait.

That is how we change the story.

( applause and cheering )

VINICK:
Hey!

Hi. Good to see you.

How are you?

I need your help
on election day, all right?

Need your vote.
Need your vote.

Hi. Hey.

Thank you.

Thank you. Hey.

Thanks for your vote.

( loud cheering,
indistinct chatter )

I need your help
on election day.

Hey.

Thank you.
Thank you.

Okay. Good to see you all.

( cheering continues,
chanting )

JANE ( on TV ):
No, Joe, there's nothing new

about this issue
in this campaign.

Senator.

We've been very consistent
about this.

Senator Vinick has always been
opposed to gay marriage...

Always opposed.

Still sore?

Feels like it's gonna fall off.
Here you go.

5,000 more handshakes
till the election.

How could I be always opposed

to something I never heard about
until a couple years ago.

BRUNO:
She is not helping.

Keeping us locked in a tie
Swith two weeks left is what.

I call not helping.
She stopped the slippage
in the South.

She's scaring away
Independents.

Turning this
into a gay bashing campaign...

We lost the Independents
because a nuclear power plant

almost had a meltdown

after I said nuclear power's
completely safe.

Water under the bridge.
Now you've got to...

If it's water under the bridge,

how come I'm still be ducking
reporters on the campaign trail?

Next event-- Small Business
Association, Chicago.

We got to get out of there fast

because Santos is
scheduled to speak
right after us.

Happening a lot lately.

This is the way
it always happens

the last couple of weeks
in swing states.

Chicago'd like me a lot better
if I stayed in Florida

and let the Santos
motorcade create all
the traffic jams.

Senator!
Senator!

Senator!

Sorry, we don't have any time
for questions.

We're running behind schedule.
WOMAN:
Senator!

Thank you very much.

ELLEN:
Senator!

Senator, do you still feel

nuclear power
is completely safe?

Oh, how are you?
Nice to see you.

( applause )
Hi. How are you?

Hi.

Hello.

Hi.

( loud applause
over P.A. system )

MAN:
We're going to have the honor
of hearing

from both presidential
candidates today.

You know, I've been in
some pretty hard-fought...

MAN 2:
Let's give a big Chicago welcome

to the Republican candidate for
President of the United States,

Senator Arnold Vinick.

( applause, cheering
and whistling )

Thank you.

Can you bend all
the fingers?

Yeah, a little bit.

Try to extend the fingers
straight out.

No.
Does it hurt
when you do that?

No, it doesn't hurt
when I do that.

It kills me when I do that.

We really need a set of X rays.

No, no way.
No, no, no. Doctor,

we've got a busload

of reporters following us.

We stop for an X ray,
the headline's gonna be,

"Handshake Breaks
Vinick's Hand."

I can't say for sure
without an X ray, but...

I think you got
a metacarpal fracture,

and you're gonna need a cast.

No cast.
Senator, you have to...

I can't look like an old man

falling apart
on the campaign trail.

BRUNO:
And he's got a crowd

waiting for him in Pittsburgh
right now.

Well, I... I guess
I can realign the bone

and give him a cast

that he can take off
when he's in public.

Welcome to politics, Doctor.

Anyone asks you what you were
doing in the car with me,

we were discussing
health care policies.

Well, actually, I do have some
suggestions about Medicare.

MAN:
And now, it's my honor

to introduce
the Democratic candidate

for President
of the United States,

Congressman Matthew Santos.

( applause, cheering
and whistling )

Hey, Chicago!

We can't leave him
in Ohio for two days.

We got a full day in
Cleveland tomorrow,

plus promises to keep in
Columbus and Dayton...

I want him out of Ohio
by midnight tomorrow

and on the set of
Good Morning Miami at 7:00 a.m.

Yeah.
Guest list
for the Cleveland event.

Uh, yeah, right there.

Here?

Uh, no, on top
of the other pile.

Then after a full day
in Florida, we can...

Someone named Bob for you.

Twice in one week?

What are your latest numbers
in California?

Hey, you work
for this campaign now?

You should have new numbers
by now. Check, will you?

Do we have the new
California numbers?

Yeah, we just
got 'em.

Uh, we're up by two, but
that includes all the leaners,

so, uh, basically a tie.

You got to get Santos out there
right now.

Yeah, we got him in Illinois
and Pennsylvania today,

Ohio tomorrow, Florida
the next day, and then we're...

California's the whole
ball game, so...

Yeah, we're pushing up
the media buy in California,

but we got to keep the candidate
working in the states

where he can shake enough hands
to make a difference.

Yeah, but California...
Retail politics doesn't work

in California,
place is too big.

I'm not talking
about retail politics.

TV is the only way
to reach those voters.

Exactly. That's why...

So, I have to cut my media buy
in Ohio and Pennsylvania...

Josh, Josh, Josh,
listen to me.

...to pay
for more California TV...

Josh, Josh.

You're getting three hours
of sleep a night,

you've got 300 urgent calls
to return,

you're not thinking straight
in that place.

Now take a deep breath
and listen to me for one second.

Okay, I'm listening.

You can win this thing

if you get him out to California
right now.

All right.
Yeah.

Thought you were going
to stay at headquarters.

Got tired of being ignored.

Annie, you got that thing
the doctor gave me?

Uh, yeah.

You know, while you're out
there shaking your hand off,

Matt Santos is running his new
game plan, and it's working.

Criss-crossing
the swing states,

talking nonstop
about energy policy.

Throws in a line
about the nuclear accident

to keep the pressure on you...

All right, we're gonna have
Pittsburgh all to ourselves

this afternoon, but we gonna
cross paths with Santos

tonight in Philadelphia.

He's speaking
at the Constitution Center

just before us.

Tell Advance no rope lines
in Pittsburgh or Philly.
Okay.

And tell them no one gets
to shake the Senator's hand,

not the police chief,
not the mayor, no one.

How are they supposed
to enforce that?

I... Tell advance
to do that.

Two weeks out,
we've lost our lead.
We?

You. You have lost your lead,
and we still

don't have a strategy
to get it back.

I thought the gay marriage
nonsense was the new strategy.

You're opposed to gay marriage.

There's nothing wrong with
letting values voters know that.

The federal government
has nothing to do

with marriage law, nothing.

No one should care what I think
about gay marriage.

Well, no one should care
how tall you are, or

what kind of hair you have, but
you know they do, so let's...

I'm not going to win this thing
on gay marriage.

JANE:
Oh, you don't know that.

Gay marriage is a state issue,
it's not a federal...

Okay, spare me
the political science lecture.

Bruno's 50-state strategy
was ridiculous

even before the accident.

Republicans have won 49 states
twice in the last 30 years.

Yeah, I've heard you say that
1,000 times on TV.

Do you think nothing's changed

in the last 20 years
in the Republican party?

Oh, yeah. People like
you have taken over.

People like me think
a win's a win.

51% is plenty for us.

People like you want to get into
the campaign Hall of Fame...

No one is talking about
a 50-state strategy anymore.

Not since the nuclear thing,
okay?

If you hadn't wasted
the last five months

trying to win Massachusetts,

then we wouldn't be
behind in the South now.

We had a lead in
every southern state

before the nuclear accident.
But you didn't have
any good will there.

You were the lesser
of two evils.

they wouldn't have
abandoned you so fast.ed you,

MAYER:
They haven't
abandoned us.

They've moved us into
the undecided column.

No one outside of Texas has
moved from us to Santos.

Oh, well, Texas only has
34 electoral votes,

so why worry about them?

Think we're
not worried?

We were never counting
on winning Santos's state.

Latino registration is up...
You're counting on winning
Vinick's home state?

We'll bounce back
in California.
When?

MAYER:
We're okay
in California.

We're only two points
behind Santos,

and that's after
a nuclear accident

that scared half the state
into trying to evacuate.

JANE:
Nothing is okay in California.

The nuclear accident
cost you that state.

You don't have the time
or the money to win it back.

I can't win California
by going to the right.

For every voter
you win me in Alabama,

I lose two in California.

That's why
we should be back

in the South this week,
especially Florida. You can...

We followed
your advice.

We spent

all last week
in the South.

Where did it get us?

It stopped the bleeding.

And if you were still
in the South right now

talking tax cuts,
strong on national defense,

tough on crime in front
of flag-waving crowds,

I wouldn't have to be on TV

trying to talk
to the Republican base.

And I could shut up
about gay marriage.

I'm saying,

we stay in the South
until we get a solid lead.

Then we spend a week,
maybe ten days,

closing the deal in Missouri,
Pennsylvania and Ohio.

You don't have to say anything
to Alabama voters

to lose you California voters,

but, Senator, you have got
to energize the base

of the Party if we're gonna get

the turnout we need to
get 51% on election day.

Senator, you can't pretend...

( knock on door )

Yeah?

Can I come in?

Just you.

Hand feel better in that thing?

They say replacing Sheila
was a sign of weakness.

Inside baseball.

No one cares except the press.

I shouldn't have let
Sheila quit.

She thought it would send
the message that

the campaign had a fresh start.

Ah, Sheila was right about...

I should have just put Jane out
there in front of the cameras,

let her energize the base,
and then ignore her.

We are ignoring her.

Press is doing
Santos' work for him.

Santos could take a vacation,
just let the press

keep hammering me
on this nuclear thing,

and he wins.

President sends troops
into Kazakhstan,

and that's still not enough

to get this nuclear power quote
out of the news.

When is old news
going to be old news?

( sighs )

Know what I really hate
about Jane?

She's not always wrong.

We need a new strategy
for the last two weeks.

So what do you got?

I wish I could tell you

I had a better idea than Jane.

( cheering and applause )

SANTOS:
Thank you, Philadelphia!

( cheering and applause )

California?

Yeah.

I thought you said we
weren't going to California

because it was
too big for...

Yeah, that was then.

Yeah, that was yesterday.
Right.

JOSH:
Then I rethought
the whole thing.

You rethought it?
Yeah.

You know,
I talked it over...
Talked to who?

Uh, usual suspects,
party people,

experienced campaign types.

And we agreed that
because California media

is way more expensive
than Ohi...

Excuse me, I'm sorry.

Can we have the room please?

Uh, it's going to be
a lot cheaper for us

to campaign in California

and buy TV time
in Ohio and Florida.

LOU:
You'll get
five minutes for free

on every local station
all over California,

instead of spending big bucks
on one 30-second commercial.

JOSH:
If we can push you up
a few more points in California,

get your lead
outside the margin,

press is going to explode

with stories about Vinick
losing his home state.

It's going to build momentum
for us everywhere else.

Yeah, knock Vinick off his game.

LOU:
He's off his game.

out of the game.
NCalifornia's the key.m

You get a real lead there,

Vinick's gonna have to give up
his home state,

bet everything
on a Southern strategy.

Now, he didn't
play well in the South

when he was riding high.

He's sure as hell
not gonna play any better

now that he's desperate.

Okay, get me there tonight.

But I want a full schedule
of California events tomorrow

from breakfast till lights out.

It'll be full.

REPORTERS:
Senator! Senator!

MAN:
Do you think
your poll numbers are dropping

because of the nuclear accident?

REPORTERS:
Senator! Senator!

MAN:
Can you win without California?

When do I go on?

They're gonna start your intro
in a couple of minutes.

MAN:
Congressman, we're
ready for you.

SANTOS ( on TV ):
I have time
for a couple questions.

Tell them I'm not going on
till he's out of the building.

I don't want the cameras
covering his press conference

when I'm doing my speech.

SANTOS:
...talk to the people
of Pennsylvania

about what this country should
be doing in the next four years,

about energy policy,
about education...

I want to hear

what he has to say.

...about pension security.

I don't want to get into

a whole political blame game
about what happened

at the San Andreo
nuclear power plant.

Sure you don't.

It was an accident.

It was exactly the kind
of accident that I foresaw

when I opposed the building
of nuclear power plants

in the state of Texas.

Saint Santos.

...that the governor
of California and the President

responded to the problem
immediately,

and they contained it.

MAN:
Do you support

President Bartlet's decision

to send troops to Kazakhstan?

He'll sidestep that one.

We're not gonna figure out

how to run this campaign
by watching the Santos campaign.

This is the time
you ignore the other guy

and sprint
to the finish line.

You keep pushing
your tax cut message,

you talk about...
Press won't let me.

They're not
gonna let up

on this nuclear accident.
Forget about the press.

That's not how I got this far.

I don't duck the
tough questions.

I say what I think.

That's how I get elected.

Look, Senator, I love
the straight talk thing,

but it doesn't work
in every situation.

VINICK:
That isn't me

out there
campaigning now.

That's the problem.

We're gonna get past
the nuclear accident.

No, we're not.

Not unless we deal with it.

If we open the whole
nuclear power can of worms...

It's already open.

Wide open.

I got to close it.

I got to start answering
their questions.

There is no one in this
campaign, no one in the party

that thinks you should be
talking about nuclear power now.

MAYER:
Maybe insert a new
energy paragraph

in the stump speech
about safe energy sources.

You wouldn't have to
mention nuclear...

That's not gonna work.
What are you gonna do?

Say you were wrong
about nuclear power?

No, I still think
we need nuclear power.

This is the worst possible time
to say that.

I should do a till-they-drop
press conference

on the nuclear accident.

That's a big mistake.

Explain my role in
getting the plant built,

talk about where we go from here
on nuclear power.

Answer every
reporter's question.

Stay at the microphone
until I bore them to death.

That'd look desperate.

Worked for Andrews
in that Senate race

when he had that problem
with his tax returns.

We're going to California
tomorrow.

I'm going to do a press
conference in front of

the San Andreo
nuclear power plant.

Okay.

My work's done here.

What, are you
quitting?

It's been fun.
Good luck.

BRUNO:
Whoa, hold on.

Jane, Jane,
hold on, please.

I can't afford to get blamed

for the mistakes
this campaign is making.

And we can't afford
to have another story

about trouble
with the Vinick campaign staff.

It would look like

we're completely
out of control.

I don't want you to quit.

I have a reputation to protect.

Quitter?

Better than loser.

Then don't lose.

The press conference
is a mistake.

Campaigning in your home state
is a mistake.

I let them ask me every nuclear
question they can think of.

We get one more round
of stories on this,

and then it's
behind us.

It's a sign of weakness.

If I win the election,
you're gonna get all the credit.

You came onto a sinking ship,
and you saved the day.

If you lose?

Then you came onto
a sinking ship and it sank.

How about we go with
It's my strategy tomorrow,

and then we go
with your strategy

for the rest of the campaign?

And if you disagree
with my strategy?

Then we'll fight about it.

And we'll end up
doing it your way.

You'll win some,
and you'll lose some.

ANNIE:
They're ready for you on stage.

Party's gonna flood California
with surrogate speakers

after your day of free media.
Good.

Your speech
for San Francisco.

Can I get my briefcase?

It's not in here?

Uh, no.

Yeah, I'll get it.

Congressman needs
his briefcase.

I thought you had it.

I had it in Chicago,
you had it in Philadelphia.

No, I had it in Pittsburgh,

then I put it back in his cabin
for the flight to Philly.

Well, it's not there now.

Did we take it to the
event in Philadelphia?

I don't know.
I had my arms full of stuff.

I don't remember the briefcase
in Philadelphia.

Did you notice the Congressman's
briefcase in Philadelphia?

No, but the candidate
wasn't carrying anything.

Does he need it right now?

He asked for it.
That means right now to me.

We can't tell him we lost it.
You were the one who had it.

He asked you for it.

Tell him we'll search
the overhead compartments.

Worst case scenario, it somehow
got slipped into checked baggage

and we'll have it to him
by the time we get to the hotel.

LOU:
Get the L.A. schedule

to the press right away,
so they can schedule

news network satellite trucks
to cover us live.

You get my briefcase?

Not exactly.

I thought Otto had it,
he thought it was in here.

We're searching under the seats
and the overheads right now.

You lost my briefcase?

Worst case, it got
slipped into checked baggage,

and we'll have it to you

by the time you get
back to your room.

Call Philadelphia
and retrace our steps.

Check the cars we used,
check the rooms that we were in.

I left my wallet in that thing.

I hope you don't have

any super-secret strategy memos

in that briefcase.

We have super-secret
strategy memos?

I wish we did.

REPORTER:
Did you schedule this trip

because Santos is starting
to pull ahead in California?

JANE:
That's not what our polls show.

MSNBC right now.

REPORTER:
Did you change your schedule

after the Santos campaign

decided to go
to California tomorrow?

JANE:
We didn't know
about the Santos trip

when Senator Vinick
decided to go to California.

She's a terrible liar,
isn't she?

TOBY:
Team Vinick's in a panic.

JANE:
Senator Vinick is still ahead
in the southern states.

And he's very confident that
his home state of California

is going to support him

as it always has
in his Senate campaigns.

They're trying to steal
our free media,

get the local TV cameras to
abandon Santos and cover Vinick.

TOBY:
It won't work if you spin it as

Vinick trying to chase Santos
out of California.

Then every Vinick story

becomes a story about the Santos
surge in California.

That's right.

I need Lou on the plane.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Hey, it looks like Vinick

is going to follow you
out to California tomorrow.

How desperate is that?

They're trying to steal our
free media coverage out there.

You have to spin it

that Vinick is chasing Santos.

Turn every Vinick story
into a Santos story.

Okay, I'll start working
the press cabin now.

Hey, Josh.

Yeah?

The Congressman's briefcase,
what's inside there?

Road stuff, toothbrush,
electric razor,

sometimes a wallet. Why?

We seem to have lost it,
and he seems kind of worried.

The guy's running a tie
for the presidency,

and he's got two weeks left.

You can expect him to look
worried once in awhile.

So there's nothing bad in there.

Like?

I don't know-- heroin, porn?

No, that's all mine.

I'm gonna go now.

ANNIE:
Okay, thanks.

San Andreo press conference
is set for 12:00 noon.

News networks are gonna
cover it live.

MAYER:
You got two choices
for the evening event:

San Diego and L.A.

Problem with the L.A. thing is
that Santos is gonna be there.

Thought he was going to
be in Florida tomorrow.

They put out a press advisory
a half an hour ago.

They're gonna do
a California swing tomorrow--

San Francisco, San Jose,
Fresno, L.A.

Thinks he can take my state
away from me in a day.

The mayor's gonna introduce
Santos at the L.A. event,

so San Diego
makes more sense.

No. No. L.A.

I want to get
in his face.

I want Santos to see if he
wants to take California,

he's gonna have to rip
it out of my hands.

Story's gonna be "Vinick chases
Santos to California."

If he skips
Florida tomorrow,

that's where we should be.

We already announced the trip.

We can't change
our public schedule again.

No, but we can get
out of California

as quick as we can.
No.

We could have Florida
all to ourselves.

Santos takes California,
game over.

JANE:
A republican can
win the presidency

without California.

And a Democrat can't.

This isn't some sentimental
home state thing.

This is about winning.

I don't have a 50-state
strategy anymore.

I have a one-state strategy.

The one state that
has everything.

Big cities, small towns,

mountains, deserts,

farms, factories,
fishermen,

surfers, all races,
all religions, gay, straight,

everything this country has.

There's more real
America in California

than anywhere else.

If I can win California,
I can win the country.

JANE:
That's a nice speech.

Just don't say it
into any microphones

'cause everybody
in the 49 other states

thinks that California
is a giant psycho ward.

VINICK:
California
hasn't been competitive

in a presidential race

in 25 years.

They don't know how to
campaign there, I do.

Let's get out there,
see how it goes.

Okay, just, please,
forget about the power plant.

Go home to Santa Paula,
remind the country,

especially the South,

of your home-town roots
in a farming community...

I can't go to California

without dealing
with the nuclear accident.

Take questions
about the nuclear thing

but in your home town,
surrounded by friends,

where you'll actually
get some applause

instead of standing in front
of a radioactive danger zone

where property values
have just collapsed

and everyone's ready to vote
for anybody but Vinick.

I've got to be there
to show them that I believe

that we've contained the leak,
that it's safe,

that the cleanup
is working.

Standing in front
of the power plant says,

"The accident was my fault.
Blame me."

We'll talk about Florida
tomorrow night.

If you're right,

then they'll be chasing me
out of California by then.

Annie,

I want an updated
briefing book

on the nuclear cleanup

tomorrow morning
on the plane.
Okay.

BRUNO:
Hand any better?

Do I sound crazy to you?

Been a tough couple of weeks.

Tough?

I've been
in tough campaigns before.

This is way beyond tough.

This is a nightmare.

Nuclear power plant works
perfectly for 24 years...

The race was gonna tighten by
now even without that accident.

Wasn't gonna get this tight.

We were heading for
at least a five point win

and California was
going to give us

a big Electoral College win.

We had this thing locked.

Still do.

Now you're sounding crazy.

That isn't mine.

I know.

It belongs
to Matt Santos.

Yeah, very funny.

I'm not kidding.

I don't know this joke.
What am I supposed to say now?

It's not a joke.

That's Matt Santos's
briefcase?

Yeah.

And how did
you get it?

You won it in a raffle?

I was the last one out
of the holding room tonight.

I saw it,
I thought it was one of ours.

There was no name on it,
I opened it up...

That's really
Matt Santos's briefcase?
Yeah.

I don't want to know anything
more about this.

I want to be able to say
I had nothing to do with this,

I didn't know anything about it.

You stole Matt Santos's
briefcase?

I didn't steal it; I found it.

But you didn't
give it back.

You could've got it back
to him easily.

You could've given it
to the Secret Service.

Didn't think of that.

Yes, you did.

And you would've done it
in a second.

Unless you found something
in there,

something...

something that would
hurt Santos.

You just told me you don't want
to know anything more about it.

Who else knows about this?

No one.

It can make you president.

I need to talk to a lawyer.

I need-I need to think
this through.

As soon as that information
comes out,

the Santos campaign...

it's over.

So, you do not have to go
to California tomorrow

and do that painful press
conference which is gonna play

as if that nuclear accident
was somehow your fault,

and you do not have to draw
any more attention

to the fact that your polls are
not looking very good right now.

And you can keep campaigning
in the South and Midwest,

look like you're driving
your own train

instead of jumping
on Santos's train.

That briefcase can kill us.

He's got sort of a journal
in there...

I said don't tell me.

It's a day planner.

It has notes about meetings,

people, lots of stuff
that can be embarrassing,

what he really thinks
about the Vice President,

how bad a campaigner
Leo McGarry is.

And he also has a checkbook
in there.

It's a strange one.

Just says "M. Santos."

It's not a joint account
with the wife.

There's no address
on the checks.

He just uses it
for ATM withdrawals

and one check each month,
same amount,

made out to someone
named Anita Morales.

There is an Anita Morales,

29 years old, never married,

one child,
seven-year-old girl,

she's a clerk
in Houston City Hall.

Hired nine years ago
by Mayor Matt Santos.

Come on.

We've all heard the rumors
about Matt Santos.

There are rumors
about all of us.

Do you have a checkbook
like that?

Child support payments
for a kid nobody knows about?

Hush money for an affair?

You have to give back
that briefcase.

When this comes out,

he's gonna have to take
a DNA test.

He's gonna have to prove that
he did not have an affair with

or a child with a woman

he's been making
monthly payments to

for who knows how long.

We can't do this.

I can't do it.

I work for you.

I am not going to do anything
you don't want me to do.

Give this thing to the
Secret Service right now.

Tell them... I don't know
what you tell them,

but you jut give it to them.

Just think about what other
secrets this guy might have.

This may be
the tip of the iceberg

of what we don't know about him.

Look, how about
I keep the briefcase,

we sleep on it, and we'll
talk about it tomorrow.

Just tell me
what you want me to do, Senator.

Keep it.

( crowd cheering )

SANTOS:
Hi. How are ya?

How's it going?

( people talking excitedly )

SANTOS:
Really great to be here
in Fresno.

Thank you so much.

LOU:
Oh, yeah, we had a huge crowd
in San Francisco this morning.

The Silicon Valley event
was bigger than we anticipated.

Right now,
Fresno's going nuts for him.

California loves our guy.

The news networks aren't giving
you any live coverage yet.

You got enough cameras
out there?

Yeah, we got all the local
TV stations.

We're gonna rule the 6:00 news
all over the state.

CROWD ( chanting ):
We want Matt...
Hi. Good to see you.

Good to see you.

( laughs ):
Whoa!

( chanting ):
We want Matt. We want Matt.

Thanks for coming.

Don't forget to vote.

Good afternoon.
This is Fresno's 12:00 news.

Matt Santos is in town today...

Still no word
on the briefcase?

It wasn't in
the checked baggage.

Told the Congressman yet?

Gonna wait
till he asks.

Very brave.

Hey, if he's not worried
about it, why remind him?

In a surprise move,
the Vinick campaign

followed the Santos campaign
to California today

and we're going to go
to live coverage

from our sister station KRAC
in San Andreo

where Senator Arnold Vinick...

Call me from L.A.
Hey, Bram's on line two.

He says it's urgent.
Hang on, Lou.

Yeah, Bram?

They cut to Vinick?

Lou, Fresno TV is going live
with Vinick.

Get Santos onto the stage
right now,

tell the Fresno camera crews
they have to stay live

with the guy who actually
came to Fresno.

VINICK ( on TV ):
Good afternoon.

I just finished a complete
inspection tour of the facility,

and I'm here to report

to the people of California
Maybe not.

that the cleanup
is ahead of schedule

and radiation levels
in and around the plant

are back to normal...

Do you think it's safe
to live near this plant?

Yes, I do.

I just spent two hours
inside the plant,

so I'm convinced it's safe.

Completely safe?

Obviously,
I never should've said

that nuclear power
is completely safe.

I said that in the heat
of a debate.

Nothing is completely safe.

We're never going to figure out

how to make driving a car
completely safe,

but Californians are still going
to do it every day.

Living near
a nuclear power plant

is a lot safer
than driving a car.

The top priority
in every nuclear power plant

has to be safety.

This is one area where I think
we need more federal regulation

and more strictly enforced
safety standards.

Are you blaming
the Bartlet Administration

for failing
to enforce...
Not blaming anyone.

President Bartlet
did everything he could

within current law to maintain
safety at these plants.

When I'm president,

I'm going to strengthen
those safety regulations.

That wasn't your position when
this plant was being built.

You wrote
several letters

to the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission urging them

to expedite the
approval of this plant.

Yes, I did.
And in one of
those letters

you complained the
project was being delayed

because of what you called
"burdensome regulation."

I was very eager
to make sure that California

had an adequate supply
of low cost electricity.

You know, the governor

and most of the state's
congressional delegation

supported the building
of the plant.

But no one pushed harder
than you did, Senator.

I don't do anything
halfheartedly.

( scattered chuckles )

So, you no
longer think

regulation of nuclear power
plants is burdensome?

No.

Do you regret saying it was?

I wouldn't write
that letter today.

Do you regret it?

That was 25 years ago.

We've all learned a lot
since then.

Do you regret writing
the letter, Senator?

Yes.

Next question.

What the hell is he doing?

TOBY:
Trying to get it behind him.

If he does a "till they drop"
press conference,

it just might work.

If he does a
"don't worry, be happy" routine,

he's gonna look nuts.

You're not gonna get that lucky.

He's starting to sound like the
straight-talking Arnie again.

If this works...
Worked for Andrews
in the senate race.

Got the tax thing behind him.

And he's killing your
free media day in California.

Yeah, whose bright idea
was that?

I forget.

LOU:
Vinick's gotta
wrap this thing up.

How long has
he been on?
Over an hour.

Doesn't look like
he's quitting any time soon.

Yeah, he's cutting into
our press coverage.

Okay.
Look at that.

Yeah, we'll do it now.

No one has even tried to start
building a nuclear power plant.

Josh wants us
to go back inside,

set up a quick
press conference,

see if we can get
some cameras turned on you...

Dueling press
conferences. No.

Hey, I'd love to tell you
I had a better idea.

REPORTER:
Are you saying
environmentalists...?

Okay.
Fresno!

( crowd cheering )
I love you guys.

Thank you again so much
for coming out.

Thank you all.

Come on inside, we're going
to talk some more. Come on in.

...according to our new
environmental impact regulation,

but no one's saying

we should get rid
of all those gas stations.

I think the American people...
Two hours and 48 minutes.

...practical about these things.
He's just getting
warmed up.

We can do a better job...
Why didn't you
fight him on this?

You know this is a bad idea.

...while still allowing
Think he may have
a better feel

for California politics
than we do?

You drinking the Vinick
Kool-Aid this morning?

If he goes on much longer,

he's gonna turn this
into a miniseries.

The people who are most worried
about global warming...

There's no way we're going
to be able to spin this.

...are the very same people
who are most opposed

to the use of nuclear power.

Over a 26-year career
in public service,

I'd probably do
a lot of things differently

if I could do them over again.

But my job is to make
the best decision I can

with the information
I have at the time.

You know, if you do something
for 26 years,

you should keep
getting better at it.

I'm better than I used to be

because I have
better information.

I have more experience
making tough decisions,

and I have more
mature judgment.

And that's what I think
this country needs now,

more than ever.

We have troops on the ground
in Kazakhstan,

and we have more on the way.

That's the tough choice
that President Bartlet made

to try to keep Russia and China
from slipping into war there.

Now, the next president
is going to have to

take over that situation
the first hour on the job.

That's the most important issue
that's facing the country

in this campaign--

not who said what about
nuclear power 25 years ago,

or did one of us use
too strong a word in a debate.

The real decision the American
people are going to have to make

is who do they want as their
next Commander in Chief?

All right, next question.

Anyone?

Ellen?

Nope.

All right, thank you.

Thank you very much.

Damn, this guy is good.

Son of a bitch.

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

( applause and cheering )

MAN:
Yeah!

( applause subsides )

What's the word on the street?

Speaker thinks the press
conference was brilliant.

I hope you took full credit.

MSNBC wants someone
from the campaign

to go live
right now.

I can do it.

MAYER:
Senator?

How we doing on time?

Uh, not bad,
20 minutes late.

Better for us,
Santos will be
out of the building

by the time
we get there.

Bob?
Yeah?

Tell the Secret Service

I want to get five minutes
with Santos before he leaves.

Alone.
You serious?

They'll want to know
what it's about.

Yeah, well,
just tell them...

it's personal.

Yes, Larry, I think that he has
put this issue behind him.

He answered every question,
( cell phone rings )

didn't duck
the tough ones.

You saw today what
kind of president

Arnold Vinick...
Yeah?

What's this about
your guy wanting

a meeting tonight
with Santos

at the L.A. thing?

BRUNO:
Hi, Josh,
What's this about?

First I've heard about it.

JOSH:
The message we got is it's

something personal--
what's that supposed to mean?

Maybe it's personal.

I'm not sending my guy

to a meeting if we don't know
what it's about.

Good.

What do you mean "good?"

I don't like sending my guy
into a meeting

I know nothing about.

If you can stop it,
I owe you one.

( knocking )

Yeah.

Just got a call from Josh.

He wanted to know what
the Santos meeting is about.

What'd you tell him?

The truth--
it was the first I heard of it.

You think Santos will show up?

Not if Josh has anything
to say about it.

I want to give him back
his briefcase.

I figured it.

"When in doubt,
do the right thing.

"The rest...

BOTH:
"...of the time, get away

with whatever you can."

Who said that?

Must have been one of those
Louisiana governors.

Yeah, probably
from his jail cell.

You know, Santos never got
the vetting a front-runner gets.

He wasn't supposed to get
the nomination.

The press gave him
a free ride in the primaries.

Until now, he's been
running way behind you,

so the press still hasn't
done their digging on him.

But they will now.

So...

it really doesn't matter what
you do with that briefcase,

it's going to come out.

If it comes out when Santos
is in the White House...

I don't know what happens.

All hell's going
to break loose.

Wouldn't be the first president
with an illegitimate child.

How far do you think
he's going to get

with that defense?
You know what?

If I agreed with a candidate
on the issues,

and I was ready to vote for him,

and something like this
came out about him...

I'd still vote for him.

Good. That's you.

And that's maybe
most Santos voters.

And it is every voter in France.

But it is not this country.

Not yet.

I don't want
people wishing

they could
change their votes

after this comes out.

The voters have a right
to know about it

before making
their voting decision.

Bruno, come on.

This is me you're talking to.

Please don't try
to turn mudslinging

into a respect-the-voters spiel.

Don't tell anyone,
but I do respect the voters.

That's why I win.

I find out
what they care about.

I don't try to tell them
what to care about.

Not exactly my idea
of leadership.

Yeah, well, it's
my idea of democracy.

The voters set the terms
at the elections, not us.

They get to decide
what's important, not us.

That's why I think
voters have a right

to this information
about Santos now

instead of
six months from now.

They could be
electing a president

who's drowning in scandal

when he's supposed to be
trying to stop World War III

from starting in Kazakhstan.

And that is not the kind of guy
most of the country wants

to be the next
Commander in Chief.

Not now.

( cheering )

SANTOS:
Yeah!

Thank you!

( cheering and applause )

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

( cheering and applause
continue )

( muffled cheering )

( muffled cheering
and applause continue )

SANTOS:
Well, what harm
can it do?

LOU:
It's the principle
of the thing.

Which is?

We like to know
what a meeting is about

before we agree to it.

( muffled cheering continues)

Five minutes, huh?

That's what
they said.

( door opens )

( door closes )

Whose idea was
the press conference?

Couldn't let you
have California
all to yourself.

Ah, should've known.

Well.

Got something for you.

Bruno found it in the
holding room in Philadelphia.

He looked through it?

No name tag on it.

Took 24 hours
to get back to me?

Find anything interesting
in my notes?

Didn't read them.

Bruno did.

You don't have
to worry about that.

I don't?

No one else knows
about this.

Bruno, you and me?

That's it.

And we're not
going to tell anyone.

Well, maybe I should
tell the press

that Bruno stole my briefcase.

Didn't steal it;
found it.

It's not your notes
you should be worrying about.

The checks you've been writing
are a much bigger problem.

You think so?

We're not going to tell
anybody about the checks.

But you should.

So, that's what
this meeting's all about?

You just wanted to give me
a little advice?

Obviously, it's up to you
how you handle this...

That's right, it's up to me.

We're not going to use it.

But it's going
to come out eventually.

The press is
going to find out.

They're going to find
Anita Morales.

Camera crews are
going to follow

her daughter to school.

Bruno really did
his homework, huh?

You think the people
who work for you

wouldn't have done
exactly the same thing

if they had found
my briefcase?

If the press finds out
about this next week,

then all that happens is
you lose an election.

But if you win and
the press finds out

next month or next year,

then I don't know
what happens

to you or your presidency.

That's what you have
to think about.

Right now.

You have a responsibility
to the voters to think

about that.
Don't lecture me
about responsibilities.

You really think that
you can handle this

if it comes out
while you're living

in the White House
with your family?

You really think
you want

to put the country
through that?

Put your wife
through that?

My wife knows all about it.

My brother's never been
very good

about living up to
his responsibilities.

He went out with Anita
for awhile then...

disappeared
like he always does.

He's never really been able
to hold onto a job.

When I found out about the baby,

I figured someone
had to step up.

You know, it would have
looked a lot better

if you'd given
your brother the money

and let him pay
the child support.

Yeah, well, I wish
I could trust him to do that.

You don't believe me.

Doesn't matter
what I believe.

You know the truth.

This is a family thing.

This has nothing to do with what
kind of president I would be.

( door closes )