Original subtitles

[Mac] Previously on Commander in Chief:

Country won't recover until we have a vice president.

He won't be confirmed. Not with what I know.

There's nothing in my background that'll embarrass you.

Don't you worry about a thing. It's done. Buried.

- I won't forget. - I'm counting on that.

We own him.

You're keeping a secret puts the administration at risk.

I felt it was a private thing.

- We haven't found the crash site. - What was on board?

One hundred of our latest generation Block III Stinger missiles.

The group leader found 50 handheld launchers.

- And the other 50? - Missing. They're out there.

[woman] ...civil unrest continue in Prince George's County today.

Many mothers, wives, and daughters in Hyattsville and Langley Park

have taken their concerns to the streets.

They're fed up with the increasing number of murders in their communities.

They are demanding more investigative follow up

and increased protection on the part of police.

Now, county supervisors, thus far, have declined to comment,

but there is growing concern the protests could escalate

if action isn't taken soon.

- [women chanting] - [male reporter indistinct]

...some protesters are turning to other methods.

One mother has gone on a hunger strike

until police arrest a suspect in her son's slaying.

[phone beeping]

Carl, I knew you'd be up.

I have someone from CRS heading over to assess the situation.

The protests have spread to other communities.

All in Maryland. I'm getting you the stats.

Good. Good. Carl, thanks for coming in so early.

Oh, sure. By the way, I, uh, I was sleeping when you called last night.

I was doing that whole "I was awake" thing with my voice

in case attorney generals aren't supposed to sleep.

Carl, am I overreacting to be so concerned about this?

I don't think so. No. It doesn't take much for protests to turn into riots.

- I'll see you later. - Sir.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

The NSC and CIA directors are in the Oval Office.

Intelligence briefing isn't until 7:30.

Thank you.

- Morning, ma'am. - Morning.

Thought you'd wanna know, we've got a lead on the missing Stingers.

This may be the first time you've brought me good news, Anthony.

A field operative in Prague was approached by a weapons dealer

named Jan Mannus.

He was asked to negotiate the sale of 50 state-of-the-art

surface-to-air missiles.

We're sure these are our weapons?

The third party showed one to him. Definitely ours.

Then he knows where the weapons are kept.

No. Only that when a buyer was found,

the weapons could be delivered inside two hours.

Meaning every potential target on the continent is at risk.

Will he lead us to the seller? Is he trustworthy?

The agency's used him as an intelligence asset many times.

- His information always checked out. - Has Warren weighed in?

We were unable to reach the vice president this morning. I left word.

OK. Let's continue our search.

But tell Mannus we'll work with him if he will with us.

- Yes, ma'am. - Yes, ma'am.

You're known for being tough on terror, but with the Templeton Act,

you've turned your focus to domestic crime.

Why the shift? Is it, as some are saying,

a chance for you to pander to panicked soccer moms

in a rumored presidential bid?

You know, listen, this bill of mine

streamlines the appeals process,

closes the loopholes in Three Strikes,

increases the mandatory minimum for drug offenders.

If you take criminals off the streets, Gordon,

crime is reduced, end of story.

Mr. Speaker, you've had a long and remarkable career,

and yet you've never attached your name to a bill before.

Is it fair to say this is the one you want to be remembered by?

Honestly? Nothing would make me prouder.

If the Templeton Act lands on the president's desk in its current form,

she'll be forced to veto it.

I don't know how much simpler I can put it.

The speaker's bill focuses on punishment and prisons.

The president believes that the taxpayer money

is better spent on policing and prevention.

[knocking]

Well, look, I would take more cops over more stockades any day.

Yes, that's on the record. You're welcome.

[sighs] Walk you to senior staff?

Know what's sad? That's as close as I've come to being asked out in weeks.

I know. If you come to work when it's dark, and leave when it's dark,

did the day actually happen?

Keep this up and you're going to get jilted.

Josh has been calling me Lady Di.

Because, you see, there are three people in this marriage.

Speaking of which, did you ask her yet?

The president? No. I don't want to put her on the spot like that.

Far be it from me to advise anyone on their personal life,

but she'd be hurt if you didn't ask her to the ceremony.

- Someone getting married? - Something like that.

[Jim] Where are we on this airline pilot strike?

NLRB is scheduling mediation for Tuesday next.

Catch Templeton peddling his crime bill on Gordon Blake this morning?

- Does anyone watch Gordon Blake? - Did somebody change the subject?

- What's the latest tally? - Closer than it was in the house,

- but still expected to gain passage. - She can't veto.

Why can't she?

- Ma'am. - Please.

With the hit we took with the AG confirmation,

we're better off grabbing the speaker's coattails.

I'm a former prosecutor.

I don't need the speaker's coattails to prove that I'm tough on crime.

But you stop it with more police, more education,

more community involvement, not harsher sentencing.

That nuance doesn't play in a 30-second spot.

Sage advice, but I'm vetoing the bill. What's next?

Advance expects coverage at the first gentleman's speech

at the Youth Council gala.

Teen People hopes to do a blurb on Horace attending.

Let's stick to the rule. No press for the kids.

Vince. Need me?

Actually, Mr. Gardner has a visitor calling from the northwest gate.

Louis Highsmith. Said you might know him better as Bobo?

Excuse me.

- [horns honking] - [whistle blows]

- [screaming] - [sirens]

- [man] Mr. Calloway! - Hi!

[screaming continues]

Want an autograph?

- Yes. - All right.

- Thank you so much. - Will you sign my t-shirt?

- Sure. - Hey, Horace,

stick to paper if you know what's good for you.

- Thank you. - Have a good one.

- Do you want an autograph? - Actually...

[chuckles]

Jimmy, it's good to see you, man.

- I know this is out of the blue... - It's been a while.

Well, I've seen you on TV and in the papers

and, you know, I've never been one to ask for favors...

I'm sorry. I got a conference call. You mind walking while we talk?

Sure, sure.

That Creole place still there? What was it called? Big Tiny?

Nah, that got torn down years ago. Low income high-rise there now.

- You got the write-up on the summit? - Within the hour.

You remember Theresa, right?

- Probably heard we got married. - I did, yeah. How's she doin'?

She got killed, man.

Four days ago. Shot.

[sobbing]

I'm so sorry.

Some punk looking for drug money.

I'd just dropped her off at work.

Maybe 20 feet away from where it happened.

Police haven't even taken my statement yet.

- Well, I'm sure that they will. - No, they won't. They don't.

The last six months, 11 people have been killed in Hyattsville.

Terry's the 12th. And nobody's done anything.

We got kids, me and Terry.

I can't tell them their mother's a number no one gives a damn about.

Excuse me, Mr. Gardner. The call's on the line.

I'm not sure what I can do here.

Yeah, well, just whatever you can see your way to.

I'll let you get back to work.

Vince will show you out.

Take care of yourself.

So, uh, was that the mysterious Bobo?

An old friend asking for a favor.

Oh, yeah. Give me the president's autograph, can she abolish taxes...

- I get it all the time. - His wife was murdered.

Oh. Jim, I'm sorry. I had no idea.

[Mac indistinct]

- Dickie, good work on that focus group. - Thank you, ma'am.

Do you have time to go over the results?

Sure.

Need something, Jim?

No, ma'am. Thank you.

After the speech, we present the Hagen Scholarship

to the five young people who logged the most hours of community service

and call Horace up on stage.

- Hey, that's great. - By the way, like the beard.

You're the only one.

Here's one of our scholarship winners now. Molly.

Mr. Calloway, Horace, meet Molly Parker.

Molly is leading the rebuilding effort of the Episcopal Church

- in her town after a tornado hit. - [Rod] Really.

My parents were married there. My brother and I were baptized there.

- Sounds cool. - Sounds like a special place.

- This is you. - Excuse me.

- Mr. Rod Calloway. - [applause]

[Rod] Thank you.

You know, I have spent the last hour

listening to some of the inspiring works being done...

I can't believe I'm hanging out with the president's son.

[Rod] Well, that's not good enough. Molly, can I speak to you?

Uh, Molly? I'm going to make a deal with you.

You finish building that church,

and I'm going to be at your very first Sunday service. What do you think?

- [applause] - Fair?

I just think there's a danger in being seen as a president

who intervenes every time a local crisis can't be handled locally.

It's hypocritical to focus on national issues

when this is happening in my backyard, which is what we're talking about.

- Sorry. Gaggle ran long. - That's OK.

Carl was lecturing me on State's rights.

Thinks I should keep my nose out of Prince George's County.

I was more graceful than that.

PG County. Isn't that where you're from?

We've been talking about this. Why didn't you mention it?

It didn't seem relevant.

It's a local situation. Not a national one.

A president shouldn't be concerned with local issues?

No. I'm saying that we risk looking like

- a big government in a small pond. - The point I was trying to make.

Ma'am, they're asking for you in the Sit Room.

Thank you, Vince. Uh, Jim?

Get the Governor of Maryland. See if we can help him out.

Yes, ma'am.

And I'm telling you, you're making a mistake.

Ten-hut.

Good morning to you, too, Warren.

We cannot make a deal with this character Mannus.

- You know him? - We crossed paths in uniform.

I wouldn't trust him to park my car.

He sells weapons to terrorists and he will find some way to double-cross us.

Ma'am, Mannus has agreed to lead us to the missile seller.

- We've negotiated a deal with him. - Which is?

He's asking for a $20 million broker's fee.

- Is that all? - Pretty standard rate.

Why would he accept a $20 million fee

when the weapons are worth five times that?

His associations with us have benefited him greatly.

- He'd be crazy to jeopardize that. - Oh, yeah.

An illegal arms dealer would never do anything crazy.

Ma'am, right now Mannus is the only contact we have.

The fact is, he could be working us any number of ways.

He could already have the weapons. He could have lied from the beginning.

But until we find the weapons ourselves, we need to keep using him.

Your call, ma'am.

Oh, just the person I wanted to see.

- What can I do for you, Dickie? - Uh...

...protect my boss and yours.

I did some sniffing around.

You and Vince are good buddies, right? You socialize, hang out.

Your point being?

I need you to tell him, friend to friend,

that, in retrospect, you think it would be a bad idea for him

to let the president in on his upcoming nuptials.

Why would I do that?

Because, it'll cross-pressure her base with women and kill her over 65's.

Not in the context of civil unions.

She cannot hide behind semantics on this issue.

This isn't an issue. It's Vince and his partner...

Yes. I know.

There's a time and place for that sorta thing...

...after the election cycle.

You know what?

This is absolutely none of your business.

[door slams]

[man] As staged sit-ins and traffic blockades increase,

some are turning to other methods.

One mother has gone on a hunger strike until police arrest a suspect

in her son's slaying.

[Jayne] It's getting ugly out there.

Not to leave this room, of course, but

this business in Maryland, tragic as it is,

couldn't have come at a better time.

Whip says we're holding at 52-48.

Which means next week this time, the Templeton Act will be law.

Unless she vetoes, of course.

Jim says she's determined to shut it down.

I guess it's safe to say this isn't a social call.

You have 12 unsolved murders in one neighborhood

and protestors on the streets.

We're doing everything to contain the situation.

The president is aware of the problem and wants to offer her help.

Does she? Or does she just want to make up for lost polling points?

- Governor, thank you for coming in. - Of course.

With all due respect, all I'm trying to say

is that this is a waste of your valuable time.

We have a problem in Prince George's County.

We are taking steps to remedy it.

Glad to hear it.

We just wanted to see if we could help you figure out

where your resources might best be directed.

The funding for local law enforcement is distributed on a per capita basis.

Hyattsville has ten times the crime of Bethesda, Potomac, or Chevy Chase.

This is not a per capita issue. You need more police officers.

Give me a grant and I'll hire more troopers.

Or you could re-assign troopers to PG County

until this murder epidemic is under control.

All this attention on one community. Do you mind if I ask why?

We have to start somewhere. We might as well start in the community

with one of the fastest growing crime rates in the country.

I will consider your recommendation.

- Thank you, governor. - Thank you.

That went well.

[knocking]

Ma'am, may I?

Warren.

[sighs]

I wanted to apologize for being curt before.

Thank you. I appreciate that.

You've been a great help to me in all of this.

- Ma'am. - Sorry to interrupt.

The CIA just picked up some disturbing intelligence on Mannus.

Looks like our $20 million didn't buy us much.

- He made a deal to sell the missiles. - To whom?

The Islamic Jihad Front.

[Warren] That is what I said would happen.

He was never trying to get us the missiles back. He was playing us.

Hopefully we found out in time.

If the Islamic Jihad Front gets those weapons, they'll use them.

Our focus has to be on gathering enough intelligence to disrupt the sale

and recover the missiles.

Tell me our intelligence is so bad,

we don't know if he's negotiating with more than one buyer.

He can be playing terrorist groups off against each other

- to jack up the price. - Let him sell to the highest bidder.

We'll send in CIA operatives posing as terrorist buyers,

make the highest bid, get the weapons, and arrest him.

If Mannus sells military technology to a non-sanctioned,

non-governmental entity,

he's just broken about two dozen American, Dutch, and international laws.

Let's get on this, Tony. We'll report back, ma'am.

Thank you.

Did you talk to Horace or your dad?

- Huh? - Did you talk to Horace or your dad?

Oh, yeah, Horace. Just now.

- Oh, I didn't hear the phone. - He IM'd me.

Um, you know, instant messaging?

When someone types you something and you type back online,

without having to talk.

So you can do other things, like surf the Net or download MP3 files.

- Stuff like that. - I know what IM'ing is.

- Oh. - Having a typed conversation

during which you're half paying attention.

Do you even know this person, or is that too retro?

- Grandma. I don't ask you about Bill. - You could.

- Jim? - Ma'am?

Have you noticed anything unusual about Warren lately?

No. Why?

I don't know if he feels under-utilized or overburdened,

but he just hasn't been himself.

I doubt if he'd tell you if there were something wrong.

He's a... private man.

He is. As are you.

Jim, Theresa Highsmith

is the name of the latest murder victim in Hyattsville.

Any connection with your visitor this morning?

She was his wife.

Why didn't you tell me?

I didn't want to impose upon you. I, uh...

I didn't know what to do.

You were close?

We were, uh, old classmates.

Terry and I dated actually. I even took her to the junior prom.

She was my first kiss.

Feels like a million years ago.

I wanna help if I can, Jim.

That's up to you, ma'am.

But I'm not asking you to.

- [pop music] - Hi.

- Hey. - I didn't think you were coming.

Well, here I am.

Yeah.

[woman] In Annapolis today,

Governor Preston kicked off his re-election campaign

with a gala fundraiser at the convention center.

Extra police were called in for the event as the popular incumbent

drew a crowd of business executives and political leaders.

It's as if you never even had the conversation.

He'll double police presence for a fundraiser,

but he won't assign more to the county with the fastest-growing crime rate.

It's a slap in the face.

Jim, has a sitting president ever visited Hyattsville?

- Nice try. - Oh, hey.

Sick of it already, huh? The beard.

- So you want to talk about this? - Not really.

Well, that's too bad 'cause we're going to.

- [sighs] - Do you care about this girl?

- Or... - [scoffs]

You gotta have respect, Horace. For yourself and...

- ...for whomever you're with. - I know.

Good. Good.

You know, sometimes the things that we think we want,

will get us into trouble.

- Wow. - I couldn't believe it.

Hey, look. Great with my dress, right?

Gorgeous. Love it.

Yeah. I hope they have a return policy.

Why?

We're not gonna have it. The ceremony.

I mean, we are, but just the two of us and not in D.C.

- We're gonna go to Vermont. - You're kidding me, right?

I just think it's better this way.

Better for who? What...? What happened?

- Nothing. - Don't look at me.

Who talked to you? Dickie?

Look. We'll take a lot of pictures. It'll be fine. OK?

- I, uh... I gotta go to work. - Bye.

- [chattering] - What have we got?

We just got a coded message from Wurzburg.

They recovered all 50 missiles intact.

- Good. - Unfortunately, Mannus got away.

Our people had to make some fast choices, ma'am.

They decided the priority was the missiles.

- They did the right thing. - He got away with half the money.

Worth any price to keep missiles out of terrorist hands.

Let's keep the indictment against Mannus sealed.

If he doesn't know he's a priority for us, he'll turn up.

- If he does, we'll get him. - Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

By the way, ma'am, I'm out all day tomorrow.

Warren, you'd tell me if there was a problem, right?

- Madam President, motorcade's ready. - Wonderful.

If you'll excuse me.

Ma'am, if it's all right with you,

I have a tremendous amount of follow-up on the summit...

- Meaning you're not coming. - I'd rather not, no.

And the real reason for this is?

Look. Frankly, I just don't want my participation in this

to be perceived in the wrong way.

I can appreciate that.

Not enough to let you off the hook. Let's go.

[woman] This impromptu town hall is seen as a daring move,

given the rising tensions in the area. But a unique move.

No sitting president has ever visited Hyattsville.

And here she is, arriving with a small motorcade...

[sirens]

[crowd cheers]

[reporters clamoring]

Madam President, can you say why you're in Hyattsville.

To meet some people and try the chops.

I know you've been through some difficult times

and I want to thank you all for being here.

I know many of you are on your lunch hour, so I'll get right to it.

I'd like to thank Chief of Police Davison for being here,

and for being willing to hear what you have to say.

As a woman and a mother, I...

I can't imagine the horror of losing a child.

I want to hear about your experiences and I want to learn from them.

I also want you to share any ideas you have

for addressing the crime rate in your community.

- More cops. - [man #1] More better cops.

- [man #2] That's what we need. - [crowd murmuring]

All right, well, let's start there.

Yes, in the blue jacket.

My name is Yolanda.

Five months ago, my daughter...

...she's just six years old. She got caught in some crossfire.

They're junkies. Always high on something.

There was a warrant out for this guy and they never picked him up.

She was a mother of three and a grandmother of six.

They had no problem coming around to accuse my son of selling crack.

[crowd murmurs]

But when he got killed in a drive by,

they seemed to have a much harder time finding the guilty.

[crowd] That's right.

[crowd continues indistinct]

[sirens blaring in the distance]

How does it feel?

To be back.

- A little strange. - Hmm.

What do they say? Can't go home again?

When was the last time?

It was William's funeral.

Hell of a b-ball player.

Of course, so were you.

You remember that time we had to use Terry as our fifth man?

Smacked you in the back of the head with that pass.

- That was on purpose, I'm sure. - No doubt, no doubt.

Boy, she had a temper on her.

Pissed her off when you chose Duke over Howard.

She never said it, but...

...she thought you did good for yourself.

We all did.

Hey. Thanks for arranging all this.

Gotta pick up the kids.

Last year, Prince George's County reported 135 murders.

One hundred and eight of them still unsolved.

We've met with the governor, the chief of police.

Clearly, nothing is going to happen any time soon.

Talk to me about the legality of direct federal intervention in PG County.

Ma'am, I would just caution that we not overreach here.

Your friend didn't come to ask you to establish some blue ribbon commission.

Direct federal intervention in local law enforcement is rare.

It's usually reserved for terrorists, drug traffickers.

Well, there have been cases of, uh, federal agents working in concert

with local police to round up murderers and gang members.

But the results have been mixed, at best.

Carl, what agencies are you talking about?

Most of these crimes involve drugs or guns.

So you'd be talking about the DEA, the FBI, the ATF.

You send them into PG County,

you're going to be cutting a pretty wide swath.

Let's do it.

- Afternoon, everybody. - [reporters] Afternoon, sir.

I've just come from a meeting with Senate leaders and I am pleased to say

that my Smart Sentencing Act will pass the Senate with room to spare.

- Mr. Speaker! - Uh, Connie.

It's been said this bill is close to your heart.

Can you tell us why?

You know, we live in a world

where each of us, at one time or another, is touched by crime.

We've just gotten word that President Allen has sent 40 US Marshals

into PG County, Maryland.

The speaker is here to answer questions...

Hang-hang on a second.

It's obvious that this is a political shell game.

Mackenzie Allen is sending in the cavalry

in a painfully desperate attempt to tout that she is tough on crime.

But it's not tough, it's capricious.

- It's a drop in the bucket. - At least she's doing something.

- You're just talking. - You don't get it, do you?

She's doing something to cause a lot of talk.

I'm talking something to cause a lot to get done.

[man] Response to the federal action has been varied,

with many beltway politicians suggesting the president

has ignored states' rights. Very few...

How can The Wall Street Journal call me a bleeding-heart liberal

on the same day The National Review calls me an ultra-conservative?

That's the dilemma of the Independent.

The press only sees black and white in political spectrum.

Well, here's a keeper.

The bloggers are calling us fascists in jackboots.

I always wondered how I'd look in a pair of those.

[man] Not surprisingly, the most vocal critic of the president

- is Governor Stan Preston of Maryland. - Now what?

She can try to hide behind political platforms,

but the truth of the matter is

that the president is micro-managing the situation in Prince George's County,

not because she has any great desire to reform crime legislation,

but because her chief of staff is from Hyattsville.

[woman] Are you saying the president is doing him a personal favor?

Well, I don't see any federal troops in LA

- or Detroit or Chicago. Do you? - Excuse me.

[reporters clamoring] Governor!

- [woman] ...is to influence Congress. - [TV clicks off]

I just ran into Senator Quint's chief of staff.

I'm sure our colleagues from Maryland

are none too pleased with what she's doing.

They're not, but their constituents are.

Both senator's offices have been flooded with phone calls

in favor of the actions.

It's knee-jerk. It'll pass.

Not in time for our vote. Quint's flipping.

Huh.

Huh. Yeah. Kurlander?

More than likely.

Should we get the Maryland delegation in here?

No. No. This can't...

[stammering] This bill must pass.

It will pass.

I need to see the vice president. Right away.

That's very encouraging.

Thank you. And please give my gratitude to all the agents in the field.

Goodbye. Hey.

- You're back. - Mm-hmm.

- And you shaved. - Yep. Got a little itchy.

- Did you have a nice time? - Yeah. Yeah. It was good for me.

- And Horace? - He had fun.

- Good. - I'm gonna go check on Amy and Becca.

OK.

Kelly.

Hey. What's that, or should I not ask?

Initial results of your actions in PG County.

82% of those polled in Maryland support your decision to federalize.

Nationwide? 74.

- Percent? - Mm-hmm.

Well, at least the public's not calling me fascistic.

Ma'am, not that you asked, but...

...what you're doing could really make a difference.

I hope so. I was just on the phone with the FBI director.

He says they have suspects in two of the Hyattsville murder cases

and leads on several more.

Vince doesn't call you "Billy Mac" for nothing.

- Where's he going anyway? - Ma'am?

He asked for time off, but he didn't say why.

Uh... Vince had a family event he needed to attend.

What is it? A funeral? Wedding? What?

[sighs]

[musical tone]

- What's up? - Oh, nothing.

- How was your trip? - Awesome.

- Really? - Mm-hmm. The best.

[musical tone]

- [footsteps] - [knocking]

Jim.

I just got a call from the FBI.

They think they may have found Terry's killer.

Thank you, ma'am. I'm sure her husband will be relieved.

Ma'am, I'm not proud of the way I handled things here. I, uh...

Jim, you may be

one of the most principled individuals I have ever met.

You would never abuse your access to me, I know that.

And I recognize that its being perceived that way bothers you.

Tremendously.

But the truth is, I didn't do it for you.

I did it because it needed to be done.

Well, I appreciate everything you did for my hometown.

I can't imagine there are a lot of Republicans

coming out of Hyattsville.

No, ma'am.

So can I ask,

why did you become a Republican?

It was the party of Lincoln.

The party that encouraged black entrepreneurs to open businesses.

Work hard.

It was a party that, at it's best,

represented everything my mom taught me

and lived her life by.

- Good night, Jim. - Good night, ma'am.

[Nathan] Hey, Warren.

- Thank you for stopping by. - Nathan.

- Have a seat. - I don't have much time.

You're aware that the speaker's crime bill is on the floor of the Senate.

It's hard not to be.

- It's going to vote tomorrow. - And will pass, if memory serves.

The senators from Maryland buckled under pressure

and are now supporting the president's crime efforts.

Right now we're looking at a 50/50 split,

which as you know, is a loss.

This is an important piece of legislation, Warren.

Not just for me, but for the nation.

I know that you would support this bill's goals and intentions.

I know this because you've supported

similar sentencing guidelines in the past.

You're your own man.

A fact that's well known, well-respected.

And you're constitutionally empowered

to break this tie.

You expect me to go to the Senate

and stand up before the world and vote against my commander in chief?

Yes.

Because you're of a generation that values honor,

because you love the American people.

And because,

if you recall,

we made a deal.

[Mac] Pam.

Will you veto the Templeton Act if it passes?

Looks like I won't have to. It's tied in the Senate.

- Thank you, everyone. - [reporters clamoring]

Here we go.

Mr. Keaton is in the building.

[woman] ...to cast that deciding vote on the Templeton bill.

[Warren] On this vote, the yeas are 50

and the nays are 50.

Thanks. Times, Trib, and Post, they're all leading with Safe Cities

above the fold.

- What's this? - Vote on the Templeton Act.

- [Warren] The Senate... - OK, so why is Warren there?

...being equally divided...

The only reason he would be is to vote yes.

And why would my vice president do that?

Maybe because Templeton asked him to.

He was in the speaker's office last night.

[woman] ...will cast the deciding vote on the 50-50 split on the bill.

Come on, come on.

[woman] And it looks as if he's ready to speak.

Vice President Keaton.

The Vice President votes...

...in the negative.

The nays have it.

- The bill fails. - [gavel pounds]

[woman] The Templeton bill has failed.

What the hell was that about?

Whatever the reason for his appearance, the act is a failure.

- Wouldn't have thought it a week ago. - He lost ground.

- Church-going moms under 45. - And we gained.

Without trying.[chuckles]

Dickie, hang back, will you?

- There a problem? - Yeah. A pretty big one, actually.

A few weeks ago, I asked for, and received, a commitment from you.

- I believe I've honored it, ma'am. - See, that's where I beg to differ.

You convinced my personal assistant, no, a very dear friend,

to keep something clearly very important to him from me.

In all fairness, Vince was leaning toward not telling you already.

I just gave him a nudge in the right direction.

- You politicized a personal situation. - With all due respect...

Mr. McDonald, consider this strike two.

Let's see if we can move up the cabinet meeting as well.

I want a working lunch with the attorney general on the task force.

Yes, ma'am. Anything else, ma'am?

Yes. Uh, I wonder if you could answer a question for me.

Sure.

Were you being protective?

Or were you just afraid to invite me?

I wasn't afraid exactly, I just didn't...

Oh, it doesn't matter. It's done.

It'd be nice to meet him sometime.

- [man] Madam President. - Warren?

Ma'am, I apologize for arriving without advanced notice.

Not a problem. Nice work on the floor today.

Odd protocol, but thank you.

- Uh, may I? - Please. Sit.

Ma'am, my wife has been ill.

- I'm so sorry. - Actually, she's, uh...

...she's dying.

Oh, my God. Warren.

She's been diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer.

And uh, it's been quite a shock to us, as you can imagine.

It... it all happened so quickly.

Do they know? The doctors...

How much time she has?

[exhales] Three months. Six months.

Maybe a year.

But, regardless...

- ...I want to be with her. - Of course.

So...

[exhales deeply] This is hard.

I respectively request that you accept my immediate resignation

as your vice president.

I am so sorry, ma'am.

You will be a tremendous loss to this administration.

But I understand completely.

You know, every day,

your every move is put under the microscope

because you are the first female president.

And not one of those people that judge you

has ever spoken of your compassion.

Not as a president. Not as a friend.

- It's truly remarkable. - Thank you.

My wife is a very proud woman.

I will see to it that your privacy's respected.

I know that's a lot to ask

'cause if I leave without an explanation,

they'll fault you.

You will be missed.

It's been an honor and a privilege to serve you, Madam President.

Thank you, Warren.

Mr. Gardner.

- Goodbye. - Sir.

Ma'am, everything all right?

Let's talk about it later.

This someone you want me to meet?

Yes, ma'am.

Madam President, I would like to introduce you to my old friend,

Louis Highsmith. Bobo.

- Pleasure to meet you, Bobo. - It's an honor, ma'am.

- A real honor. - Thank you. Thank you.

[indistinct chatter]