All language subtitles for The.West.Wing.S02E06.WEBRip.x264-FGT

Previously on The West Wing:

You're Aimsley Hayes.
Ainsley, with an "n."

I'm offering her a job.

Where?
Here.

My first day is getting off

to a great start.

About to get better.

Who is this?

This is Ainsley Hayes.
You're an idiot.

I don't think it's that
she's a Republican.

It's that she's a Republican
woman and she's good-looking.

Those are three things,
when in combination

usually spell careerism...

I think if I have
to endure

another disappointment today

from this place
that I have worshipped

I am going to lose it.

17 seconds it took her
to call us liars.

Why don't you keep
your voice down?

What are you
doing here?
Serving my country.

Sam:
Is he meeting
with Nancy McNally?

C.J.:
No, I want to be very clear
about this.

Mr. Konanov, while he's here
in Washington

is not meeting
with the Secretary of State

or any cabinet-level official
for that matter.

He's not meeting
with the UN ambassador

or senior aides
representing NATO allies

and he's certainly not meeting
with the President.

He will be coming
to the White House to meet

with some of the President's
advisors in the Balkans.

Who's next?... Steve?
C.J.!

C.J., Senator-elect
Morgan Mitchel

is going to announce
on Hardball later today

that he'll seek a seat on the
Foreign Relations Committee

and that he'll block
a vote on the Test Ban Treaty

and prevent it
from coming to the floor.

Yeah.
Any thoughts?

We'll have a ratified
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Mitchell says,
"Over his dead body."

I think,
like all freshmen

Senator-elect Mitchel
will discover

that he's one of a hundred
and that his power

is considerably more limited
than he imagines.

The new Senate will ratify the
treaty and we really don't care

what condition
his body is in...

C.J.!
Danny.

Has the President considered
ordering a lame-duck session

so the current Senate
can vote on the treaty?

Okay, anybody but Danny.

C.J.--
No.

He hasn't considered it?

I don't know the President's
every thought

but there have been
no discussions...

That you're aware of.
that I'm aware of.

I'd like to know if
the President's considered it.

Is that something
you can check out

and get back
to us on?
You bet. Who's next?

Josh:
She walked into it.
She knows it, too.

Walked into what?

She can't confirm
that the President
hasn't considered it

unless she asks
the President if
he's considered it

at which point,
he will have considered it.

That sounds
pretty stupid.

It was a better-organized
thought when it was in my head.

Is she almost done?

She's wrapping up.
Let's go.

Has he considered it?

No.
Why not?

Why should he?

If he thinks
he has a better chance

of ratifying
the Test Ban Treaty

with this Congress
than the new one...
He doesn't.

But if Morgan Mitchel's...
Mitchel's not a factor.

The Occupational Safety
and Health Administration...
No.

How do you change
subjects so fast?

Josh...

I mean it-- how do you go
from a Test Ban Treaty

and a lame-duck Congress
to OSHA?

'Cause I'm me.

Do you know how
many people acquire
carpal tunnel syndrome?

It shouldn't surprise you
to learn that I do not.

600,000 Americans a year.

Do you have any idea
how painful it is?

Donna, in the scheme of
things, who really cares...

Do you have any idea
how painful it is?

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

Pain in your forearm.
No grip.

You lose the ability
to pinch.

People who lose
the ability to pinch?

I got to tell you
I don't know from where

they summon
the will to go on.

You guys are on
the wrong side of this.

Aren't you one
of "you guys"?
Not on this.

C.J.--
I know.

You walked
right into it.

There was no other direction
to walk.

Now, please, just answer no
to this question.

Has the President
considered it?

No.
Good.

Not that I know of.
Josh...

He hasn't.
Listen...

What?
He should consider it.

He should consider it
right now.

Mitchel's not going to get
a seat on Foreign Relations.

There isn't a seat open
on Foreign Relations.

There's a seat open
on Appropriations.

Josh:
Kasey'll move?

What's going on?

Kasey wants Appropriations
and he has the seniority.

So he'll have
to give up Budget.

Which Taglio will
jump at it in a second

which clears the way
for Newberry in Senate
Armed Services.

Newberry leaving
opens up Judiciary.

Now who wants to be named
Attorney General

under the next Republican
President?

Howard Westin.
That's right.

So he takes the seat
on Judiciary.

Vacating his seat
on Foreign Relations.

So there's a seat open
on Foreign Relations.

It doesn't mean Morgan Mitchel's
gonna get it, right?

Yes, it does.
Why?

'Cause nobody else
is gonna want it.

Why?
'Cause there's
no money it.

The Senate Foreign Relations
Committee

has no control over money,
so there's no lobbyists

which means
there are no fund-raisers.

The Constitution says, "under
extraordinary circumstances."

It's a treaty that's vital
to national and global security.

What kind of extraordinary
circumstances

do you have in mind?

Sam, do you think we
have less of a chance

with the new Congress?

I think we have no chance
with the new Congress.

And while I've
never lived through

a massive nuclear explosion
of radiation

decimating all forms of life
in a 200-mile radius

I've seen pictures, and I
couldn't agree with Josh more
in his interpretation

of the "extraordinary
circumstances" clause
in the Constitution.

Is Leo free now?

In five minutes.

These people are gone.
The 106th Congress is adjourned.

12 of them were voted
out of office.

This is bad pool-- you go
in there and tell the President

to call a lame-duck session
and he does

it's going to look
like politics.

It is politics.
Toby...

Let's see Leo.

What do we tell the 12 people

out there looking for new jobs?

They may not be done
with their old ones yet.

It's all budget.

He'll want
Appropriations.

And he has
the seniority.

He'll have to give up
the Budget...

And Taglio will
take that.

Which clears the way for
Newberry and Armed Services.

Newberry will vacate
his seat on Judiciary.

Which means Westin leaves
Foreign Relations...

And that's where
Mitchel comes in.

Guys...
It's like running
the country

with Barnum, Bailey
and his sister Sue.

( all talking at once )

Is it possible for just two
of them to speak at once?

Toby?

That was an hour-and-
ten-minute meeting

with Dick Rush, Ed,
Marty Beach and Henry Rodriguez.

I've never seen both political
and legislative liaisons

so unanimous
in a diagnosis.

Leo:
They think
he should call it?

Toby:
Yeah.

Mr. President,
we have a better chance

of winning now
than a month from now.

Not only that... Sorry.
Sam!

Toby.

Not only that

but here's what C.J.
can tell the press:

The world is looking
to the U.S. to ratify
the treaty first.

The longer we wait

the longer it takes
other countries to ratify

the closer we get to more
unstable countries like Pakistan

developing a nuclear threat.

Leo:
Arguments against?

We might lose the vote.

That'll hang around our necks
for two years.

The Senate will
be pissed off.

That might stall
confirmations.

And can I just add
that a senator-elect

C.J.--
announcing what committee
assignment he'd like--

that's not what the founders
would've considered

an extraordinary occasion.

An extraordinary
occasion

is whatever the President
says it is.

( Josh and Sam talking at once)

President:
Charlie!

Yes, sir?

Could I have a
couple of aspirins

or a weapon of some kind
to kill people with?

Yes, sir.

Leo.

Even when they're
here in session

trying to get a hundred
senators in a line

is still like trying to get
cats to walk in a parade.

What do you want to do?

Let's take the leadership's
temperature

on the lame-duck session

and let's also
get some kind of nose count

and see where we are.

C.J., leak it the President's
considering calling

the Senate back.
That is not going to be
a problem.

The source is big enough
so that they go with it

small enough
so we're not tied to it.

Toby, get me a nose count.
What else?

The State Department
wants permission

to change the terminology
from "rogue nations"
to "states of concern."

Not now. What else?

Medicare coverage
of clinical trials.

Not now. What else?

Fraud awareness
for small business owners.

Not now. Anything else?

The four of you
wait in my office.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you,
Mr. President.

Thank you all.

When does Konanov
get here?

In a few minutes.

No high-level
meetings, right?

No.
Okay.

On the lame-duck session?

Yeah?

You don't want to call
this vote and lose.

Yeah, but this
could be a window.

Yeah.

We got to see
if it's doable.

Yeah.

It could be doable.

Yeah.

You got anything
more to say?

Not this minute.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you.

Leo...

There's gonna be
an editorial in the
Posttomorrow.

You're kidding me.

The President's time isn't
being used efficiently.

Schedules are abandoned
before lunch.

That's four in two weeks.

The west wing resembles a
high school yearbook office.

And, I believe, I'm compared
to a substitute teacher.

That's ridiculous.
No, it's not.

Certainly not based on the
display I just saw in there.

So new rules:

You need an answer
from the President

you want to brief him,
you want him to weigh in--

I want to see a summary
on my desk

absolutely no longer
than two pages

and I want my initials on it

before you go into
the Oval Office.

Two-page summary's gonna
kind of cramp our style.

Your style could use
a little a cramping.

Are we understood?

That's fine.
Yes.

Toby, Sam

take some meetings
on the Hill today.

Toby, concentrate on votes

that can be loosened
with Stenson gone.

Sam, dangle reservations
in front of them.

C.J., start the leak.

Oh, anybody
happens to see

Vasily Konanov in the hallways,
walk in the other direction.

Yeah.

That's it.

I can't unleash
my full potential
in a two-page summary.

Listen to me: I'm
gonna meet with
Fox and Fowler.

Sam, you're gonna
go to the Hill.

You think
with Stenson gone...?

I think, with Stenson gone,
I can get Fox and Fowler
to loosen up some votes

that is, if I can ever
get them to order lunch
off the damn menu.

I've never seen
two grown men order
lunch like this.

Fox and Fowler
loosen the votes

Sam, you're up on the Hill

dropping we'd consider
reservations.

It is not out of the realm
of possibility

that that meeting
gets us eight votes.

Their bosses want to speak
to the President,
he's sitting by the phone.

So this is not
an unimportant meeting.

Just so you know,
I also have to take
a 22-page position memo

and summarize it
in two pages

and it's got to be
done sometime today.

You can staff that.
Give it to Ainsley Hayes.

I ask Ainsley
for help...
Get over it.

Okay, but there
are gonna be nine
different jokes

'cause I asked
her for help.

"Reservations," that's the word
you're dropping on the Hill.

You don't have to leave
the meeting with a win

just say the words.
Yeah.

Let's be able to end this day

by telling the President
that he's in striking distance

and he should seriously
consider the session.

Let's be able to do that.

Where's C.J.?

She's looking for a reporter
to leak the story to.

Did you talk to him?

I don't believe it.
What?

You guys launched
another editorial.

Hey, C.J.--
Four in two weeks.

I don't work for
the editorial staff.

Well, that's convenient.
Yeah?

You expect me
to do nothing about it?

What, you gonna cancel
your subscription?
Smack me around?

Any reason I can't do both?

Hey, Carol.
Hey.

Carol, would you get me
the spokesperson

for the majority leader's
office?

House or Senate?
Senate.

So you guys are considering
a lame-duck session.

Who says?

You put in a call
to the majority leader's office.

We do a great deal

of business with
the majority
leader's office.

He leads the majority.
He's not in session.

I believe they'll
track him down.

Can I say "White House
Senior Aides?"
No.

"High-level sources
inside the White House?"

"Certain sources
inside the White House office

of legislative liaisons
who declined to be named."

It sounds like I got it
from somebody's paperboy.

Take it or leave it.
I'll take it.

Anything else?

Nope.

Thank you.

Ken Richmond
on line three!
Who is he?

He's the spokesperson
for the majority leader.

I didn't need him.

See, what I think
you don't understand

is that carpal tunnel
is only one of many afflictions

that fall under the
category of repetitive
stress injuries

or RSI, and which are
covered by the science
of ergonomics.

I'm not in charge
of the science of ergonomics.

You're gonna have
to ask somebody else
who, you know, cares.

You don't have to be
in charge of it; OSHA is.

They've come up with a new
series of industry standards

and I want to know
why the White House
isn't implementing them.

Because the SBA
says that the cost
to small businesses

could exceed
$18 billion
the first year.

There'll be a huge
increase in workmen's
compensation premiums

and Republicans find
the word "ergonomic"
to be silly.

If we backed off
of everything

because of words
the Republicans found silly

we'd have a lot of pregnant
teenagers and no health care.

We do have a lot
of pregnant teenagers
and no health care.

So how's your plan
working out so far?

Charlie:
Josh?

Hang on.

I don't think
this can wait.

Vasily Konanov is here.

I can't see him;
make sure he's not
in the bullpen.

He's not. He's in the driveway.

What do you mean?

He's sitting in the car
in the driveway.

He's refusing to get out unless
he can speak to the President.

This is a joke?
No.

He's sitting
in the driveway?
Josh, they're saying...

What?

They're saying he's drunk.

Really?

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

Excuse me.
Yes?

This is your office.

Yes.

It's very nice here.
Thank you.

You can see sunlight,
and you have a window

that can be opened
for ventilation.

You want to work?

Or do you want to
decorate my office?

You called me?

Yes. I need your help.

Really?

It's not like a
big deal, is it?

No, it's sweet
that you need my help.

Don't need your help,
I'm asking for your help

so let's not make
a federal...

Dad, it's me.
Sam's asking for my help.

Put the phone down.

Got to go, Dad.
I need to help Sam.

You must have had them
rolling in the aisles
back in Georgia.

I'm from North Carolina.

Wherever it was
that you studied baton twirling.

That'd be Harvard Law School.

Yes. So here's the thing.

You need my help.

A favor.
Okay.

I have a position recommendation

for the President
regarding an amendment
to a commerce bill.

This memo's 22 pages long

and Leo's
on a streamlining kick.

You want me to summarize
your recommendation

and give it to
the President.

Yeah, then I want you
to skip to Tijuana
in a dirndl skirt.

Sam...
You're going to summarize it,
and you give it to me.

Fine.

Thank you.

In exchange for?

No.

Then my schedule's
pretty tight.

In exchange for what?

You're going
to the Hill?
Yes.

To take meetings on
the Test Ban Treaty?
Yes.

I want to go.
No.

Why?
'Cause.

I'm not going
to say anything.

I'm going to
spill anything.

I'm not going to get
Republican juice on you.

I'm just going to
sit there and learn.

What?

From the master, Sam.

I want to learn
from the master.

You see, women think
that kind of thing works

but it doesn't.

It really does, Sam.

I'll let you
come to the Hill.

You'll summarize
my memo.

I'll use punctuation
and everything.

You might even get
extra credit.

Have you eaten lunch?
No.

I brought my lunch from home.

That's fine.
I ate it already.
That's fine, too.

Did you bring your lunch?
Ainsley, what the hell...?

Do you think
you'll be eating it?

You can't have my lunch.

Meet me in the lobby
in an hour.

Okay.

I'm helping her out.
You know, she...

Good. We've
got a problem.

Konanov.

Is he here?

In a manner
of speaking.

Leo?

Yeah.

How you doing?

Good.

Vasily Konanov is
in the driveway.

He's drunk, and he won't
get out of the car

until he speaks
to the President.

And we have a winner.

Are you kidding me?

He's sitting in the car
with a woman who I imagine

is either a security
attache or a hooker.

Please tell me it's not...

It's no one
you know, Sam.

Have you spoken to him?

I'm not allowed
to speak to him.

I walked by the car
a couple times

to see what was what.

Leo, we got
to move him.

Tourists are going to
start to ask questions

and Boris and Natasha
are going to answer them.

You now have permission
to talk to him.

Put him in an office,
dry him out

and explain why he can't
see the President.

Good.

Try to avoid
the Situation Room.

Good safety tip.

What?

I'm going to take Ainsley
to the Hill with me
for the meetings.

Good.
She wants me to teach her
a couple things.

Good.
She called me the master.

Get out.

Okay.

Yeah, I think the risotto,
but I'd like it cooked

with chicken broth
instead of oil.
Is that possible?

Sure.

And I'd like
to substitute

the snow peas
for the asparagus.

I'll have the same, but I don't
want the squash soup pureed
with cream or butter.

In fact, does it
even have to be pureed?

Fellas?

I'm just asking.

It's pureed squash.

If it's not pureed,
then it's just squash.

Butter's fine.

New York steak
and a ginger ale.

Would you like that...?
Just cook it.

The rumor's been getting around
like a virus.

Is it more
than a rumor?

I don't know yet.

Toby, our boss is
fishing off the Keys.

Everybody's boss is
fishing off the Keys...

Or skiing in Jackson Hole,
or watching football...

It'd really tear the President
up inside to bring them back

but I want to talk about
if he should.

Well, our guy's not going
to vote to ratify.

Why not?
Same reason he wouldn't before.

We didn't have a vote before.
'Cause you knew you'd lose.

That's right.

What are
you saying?

I'm saying, what if there was
a vote now without Stenson?

Stenson wasn't what's keeping us
from voting for it.

What was?

The voters.

82% of the voters
wanted the Test Ban.

Not in our state.

You were guided
by the 18% who...

Not in our state, Toby.

82% of the voters, Joe

to say nothing
of 150 nations

including Russia, China,
Great Britain, France--

four countries you don't
often see on the same side.

Fine. Now get North Korea,
India and Pakistan aboard.

and we'll have
a ball game.

Checked your backyard?

What?

Have you checked your backyard?

What are you...?

The nose count, Toby.
I don't think you have the votes

you think
you have.

Who did we lose?

Make your calls.

I don't have to make...

Who did we lose?

Make your calls, Toby.

I'm sorry. Did
you say that...

Chicken broth

instead of oil,
snow peas instead of...

Asparagus.
Excuse me.

I don't understand.

It happens.

A member of the
Ukrainian Parliament

can just kind of show up?

Well, he had an appointment

just not to meet
with the President.

The guy's a
little crazy, Leo.

Well, he's just...
Yeah, he's crazy

but he's our kind
of crazy, so...

Got it.
Good.

The girl's not
bad-looking.

Go to work.

Think she knows
how to kill me?

Yes.

Leo?

Hey, Donna.

Leo, can I possibly talk
to you for a moment?

Sure.
That's a very
nice suit.

Thank you.
Is that new?

No. What's on your mind?

The Occupational Safety
and Health Administration

would like to do something

about repetitive
stress injuries

or muscular
skeletal disorders
like tendonitis...

or carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is,
yes, one interesting
example out of several.

We can't afford it.

It costs $18 billion,
Donna. Type slower.

C.J., what have you got?

The State Department
on new vocabulary.

This the two-minute pitch
or the ten-minute pitch?

The two-minute pitch.

Go.

Okay, now you
threw me off my game.

C.J.?
No, I'm nervous now.

I thought if I run over

you're going to have
the orchestra play me off.

I'm getting older
over here, C.J.

State wants us to
change "rogue nations"

to "states of concern."

I say fine. It's
a symbolic gesture

with no real
consequence.

It gains us points
with allies who feel
we've been too harsh

and it signals to
the seven countries
we're talking about

that we're open to taking
positive steps in the future

if they initiate reforms.

Any downside?

I'll feel stupid.

I can live with that.

You certainly have so far.

Well, hey, make sure
you talk to the President

at the end of the day.

Sure. About what?

Danny Concanon
wants access

for a three-part feature.

No.

No? What?

No, he can't have access.

Leo, his editorial staff

just jumped up and down
on your head yesterday

and last Thursday
and the President

twice before that,
four times in two weeks.

That's why everybody's
walking around
with a stopwatch.

He gets no milk
and cookies.

Talk to the President
at the end of the day

and you'll get
another two minutes.

We may be dead already.

What happened?
We lost one
of our people.

Who?
I don't know.

I need some help
on the inside.

Is Tony Marino
in Philadelphia?

I don't know.
I'd like you
to call him

and see if he'd
get on the train.

I told him.
We'll find out
who we lost

and can we
get him back.

Back up.

We lost one of our people.

Who?

They wouldn't tell me, Leo.

I need you to...
Fox and Fowler...

Fox and Fowler
wouldn't tell me
who we lost.

They just said
to check our backyard.

Who the hell...?
I don't know, which is why
I need to talk to Marino.

It's not hard enough
getting new votes.
We got to corral...

I need you
to talk to Marino.

I need you to call him
and set up a meeting with me.

He needs to tell me
who jumped the fence.

He needs to help us
bring them back.

Toby, the guy lost
a bad race bloody.

He's going to want
to come back for this.

I think he's going
to want to sit down.

Not on the Test Ban Treaty.

He spent four years
of his life on it.

Spent a lot longer
than that

and it burned him
in the end.

He lost his seat.

Leo...
The man's done enough.

Obviously, he hasn't.

I set up this meeting,
and what's your pitch?

That this treaty
he wants so bad can happen.

Not only that,
but he can stick it

to every Pennsylvania voter
who put him out of a job

and take Mitchell's knees out

before he has time
to put his pencils in a jar.

Plus, who did we lose?

He might not know
who we lost.

He's been out of town
for a month and a half.

He'll know.

If it was anything
less important than
the Test Ban Treaty

I wouldn't...
Margaret?!

Thank you.

Toby.

Messages?

Yeah, but...

Why are my blinds closed?

Yeah. Listen...

( speaking Russian )

Yeah. Yeah, that deserves
an explanation.

Right in here,
Mr. Konanov.

Errand boys is
what they sent me.

I am a reformer

and I will lead the Ukraine
and you know this

and they send me
errand boys.

As a matter of fact,
I'm the Deputy
Chief of Staff.

( chuckles )

Actually, it's
a very... big...

Never mind.

Mr. Konanov,
please understand.

There's protocol.

Your government has
a leader we deal with.

You wish to deal with me.

We do wish to deal
with you

but right now
President Shevkuh...

You called my embassy?

We're in touch with the embassy
and the capital.

We're seeking permission
to have you speak with
Secretary Shaeffer...

I wish to speak
to the President.

That's not going to happen

and you damn well know it.

You speak to him
in this tone?

He's drunk in my office

and I will speak to him
in whatever tone pleases me.

Donna!

( muttering in Russian )

Put two uniformed agents
outside my door.

Tell Leo
I'm coming over.

Yeah.

Oh, how I miss
the Cold War.

Sam:
This is my fifth...

Man:
Sam...

This is my fifth
meeting in a row.

It's my last meeting
on the Hill.

I want to know
what it's going to take

to get your boss
to loosen his grip.

Sam...

If the Senator moves

he frees up eight,
maybe ten votes.

He gives political cover
to those who...

Why should
he move?

Well, we'll go past

it's the right thing
to do...

You know, Sam,
it's not a holy thing.

You act like if
you're against
the Test Ban Treaty

then you're bloodthirsty.

Senate Republicans aren't
the only ones against this.

Six past Secretaries
of Defense, five former
CIA Directors...

A former Secretary
of State

and a former National
Security Advisor.

31 Nobel Laureates,
the Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs

150 countries
on this planet

and 82% of the people
in this one

say the treaty makes
the world safer.

It's not a safer place
if North Korea and Iran

are making significant
technological improvements

while the President's
handing out commemorative pens.

You can't tell me
the chance we take

with our ability to verify

isn't outweighed by the chance
we take doing nothing.

I've heard all this.

I'm here to ask you this...

Sam...

I'm here to ask you this:

is there no room
for movement?

We'd consider
attaching reservations.

If you can't trust
a man's word

what good is it
to put it on paper?

Is there room for movement?

You wasted a trip.

I'll waste more.

We're done?

Yeah.

Ainsley, I'm surprised
to see you here.

Why?

Before you were on
Bartlet's payroll

you were a vocal opponent
of the treaty.

Well, it's President Bartlet.

I'm on the Government
payroll.

And I believe that politics
should stop at the water's edge.

Okay.

To be honest, I think
it should stop before that

but it turns out
there's no Santa Claus

and Elvis isn't cutting
records anymore.

What is she saying?

See, I don't think
you think

the treaty's bad.

I don't think
you think it's good.

I think you want
to beat the White House.

Yes.

You're a schmuck, Peter.

Today, tomorrow,
next year, next term

these guys will have
the treaty ratified

and they'll do it
without the reservations

he just offered
to discuss with you.

Can I take this muffin?

Yeah.

Leo:
Margaret.

Yeah.

You got that memo?

Any minute now.

Margaret?

Yeah.

What the hell
are you doing?

I'm typing, Leo.

Margaret...

Apparently your response
to Donna's perfectly
legitimate concern

about the White House not
supporting OSHA's recommendation

regarding repetitive stress
injuries was "type slower."

Donna has organized most of
the assistants in the west wing

to do just that.

Margaret?

Yeah.

Look at my face
right now.

Okay.

Leo...

Can you keep
your people in line?

Well, there's been
no evidence of it so far.

Listen...

Inside.

So what's going on?

Well, I've got The Man Who Came
to Dinner in my office.

I'm begging the Ukrainian
Embassy for help.

If I don't get
some soon

I'm going to apply
for a job at the
Ukrainian Embassy.

No, here's what
we're going to do.

All this guy wants
is to be able to say

he met the President
while he was here.

He can't meet the President.

He can meet the President
accidentally.

How do you meet the President
accidentally?

When I was Labor Secretary
we did it with the Dalai Lama.

Obviously Beijing doesn't
want the President

to have any
diplomatic contact.

So they arrange
a low-level meeting--

keep the door open,
the President wanders by.

"Hey, how you doing,
Dalai Lama?"

Well, that's the most

crazy-assed thing
I've ever heard.

It works.

This is how
the world is run?

Yeah.

I'm sticking to
domestic policy.

Yeah, 'cause that has
the ring of sanity to it.

Is Toby meeting
with Marino?

Toby's on a mission.

It's the right mission.

I know you're not comfortable...

Continuing to exert influence

after the people
have voted you out

is an ethically gray area
for me.

They all are ethically
gray areas. Screw it.

If we're going to have
a fighting chance

we've got
to invite Marino.

Marino's going to want in
because...

Marino's a street kid
and lives for revenge.

I was going to say because
Marino's devoted to the issue.

Also we may have lost
one of our guys.

Who?

Toby's going
to ask Marino.

Hey, Norma Rae

get in here.

The man's trying
to run the country.

This is a law that would
prevent 32,000 to 95,000
injuries a year.

Not here it wouldn't.

Why not?

The White House
and Congress

are exempt from the workplace-
related laws they pass.

The White House
and Congress are exempt?

Yeah.

That makes things
considerably easier
for yourselves.

Yeah. Josh, set it up.

You've got
your 4:00.

I got a job for you.

Congress and
the White House
are exempt.

Get past it.

What do you need?

I need Vasily Konanov
to meet with someone

of absolutely
no consequence.

You're my girl.

What the hell are you...

I need you to meet
with Vasily Konanov.

Why?

So the President can
drop in and interrupt you.

Are you kidding me?
No.

So I'm a beard.
Yes.

I'm being used.
Yes.

As a dupe.
Yes.

How am I supposed
to feel about that?

How do you usually
feel about that?

Josh...

Donna.

My value here is that
I have no value.

You have enormous
value to me.

You have no value
to Eastern Europe.

Okay, you know
what this is?

No.

This is an
opportunity.
That's right.

This is an audience
with a man

who understands the
plight of the worker.

Yes.

Or do you think
because he's a reformer

he'll understand the plight
of economics?

Well, he's drunk
and doesn't speak
a lot of English

so I don't think
he's going to understand
much of anything at all.

But set up the meeting
and knock 'em dead.

Sam:
"Can I have this muffin?"

I think you'll discover
that the sharpest remarks

will be blunted
by asking for a muffin.

The minute we left
that room

those guys were calling
their bosses

saying, "They're offering
to attach reservations.

Let's jump on it."

I have no problem
with that.

You did great with
the reservations

and politics stopping
at the water's edge
was touching.

And then you asked
permission to have
a muffin.

I was hungry.

How'd it go
on the Hill?

Much as you'd expect.

But you know
what I think?

What?

I think Ramsey, Roanoke,
maybe even Grace

I think they're going
to vote for it anyway.

'Cause Tony Marino's
going to tell them to.

I just named three Senators
that can't get reelected
without Labor.

Marino may be
out of a job

but he's still going
to swing a big bat
with the unions.

Toby's meeting
with him right now.

Do you think I should give
Danny Concanon access
for a feature?

Yes.

You're wrong.
Okay.

You should.
Why?

He's cute.

I'm leaving.

Do you have my
two-page summary?

I'm sorry?

Do you have my
two-page summary?

Yes.

Could I have it?

Yes.

Thank you.

You reversed my position.

Yeah.

I gave this to you
to summarize

you didn't summarize it--
you reversed my position.

I gave it
a little polish.

You reversed my position.

It's shorter.

And you reversed
my position.

Your position was wrong.

Could you step inside, please?

Sure.

Senator.

How you doing, Toby?

What are you having?

Dewar's rocks.

Appreciate you
coming down.

Sure.

The President's thinking
about calling a session.

You heard?
Yeah.

It was well-leaked.

It's nice we found a use
for our particular talents.

Anyway, I had
a meeting at lunch

with Joe Fox
and Bob Fowler

and they said we may have
lost one of our guys

and I wanted to find out
if it's true

who was it
and is it important?

It's true, and
it couldn't be
less important.

Who is it?

It was me, Toby.

I don't understand.

They were talking
about me.

I don't... Tony,
I don't understand.

You've changed
your mind?

No.

I don't...

No, I haven't
changed my mind.

And I'll do whatever
the White House wants

in terms of spadework.

But if you call
a session now

I can't vote for it.

Dewar's rocks.
Thank you.

Tony...

Toby, I'm a
lame-duck Senator.

The people of Pennsylvania
voted me out

and Morgan Mitchel in.

He gets a seat
on Foreign Relations

we should all
kill ourselves.

I'm going to talk
to Newberry

about staying where he is
and stopping the dominoes.

Senator, there's
no reason why...

They voted me out, Toby,
largely based on my support

of the Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty.

Only because Mitchel
painted them a picture.

That's not
for me to say.

I choose not to assume

that my constituents
feel a certain way

because they were duped.

Senator, nobody expects...

you're not expected to...

Nobody expects.

Toby, it seems to me
that more and more

we've come to expect
less and less
from each other

and I think
that should change.

I'm a Senator
for another ten weeks

and I'm going to choose
to respect these people
and what they want.

You call a lame-duck
session now

and I've got to abstain.

Now, this is the
northwest executive entrance

to the White House

and ordinarily I'd be allowed
to show you more

but the President's
in the west wing right now

and when he's working
in his office

we like to keep the area
as calm as possible.

Toby:
Whole damn world's

flying apart at the equator.

You know that, Bonnie?

This, of course,
is my boss, Toby Ziegler.

Why's a test ban treaty
so important?

Let me tell you.

In 1974,
India set off

a peaceful nuclear explosion.

Indira Gandhi herself said
they had no intention

of building a bomb.

They just wanted to know
that they could.

20 years later

India sets off
five nuclear explosions.

Who gets nervous?
Pakistan.

When Pakistan gets nervous,
everybody gets nervous.

You know why?

'Cause we're all going to die.

Sam, half of America's
workforce

is employed by small business.

That's companies that employ
fewer than 100 workers.

I know what a small business is.

Then you know that
a third of them fail.

One-third of all small
businesses lose money and fail

not because of rent hikes
or big chains squeezing them out

but because of why?

Employee fraud.

That's right!

Yes.

What do you say
to that?

You reversed my position.

Other than that, Sam.

Other than what
you've been saying

for the last
hour and a half.

Sam:
I can't believe

I'm listening
to a Republican

tell me the government

should run background checks
and impede business.

I can't believe I'm listening
to a Republican.

Could it be
that most of the people

you want to fingerprint
have darker skin than you do?

Well, not to let the facts
interfere with a good story

but 80% of violators are white.

Fraudulent employees
are three times

more likely to be married.

They're four times more likely
to be men

16 times more likely
to be managers and executives

and guess what,
they're five times

more likely to have
postgraduate degrees.

You... listen... I, you know...
I can't... all right...

Start from the beginning.

Really?
Yeah.

Are you eating
that donut?

Take the donut.
Start from the beginning.

C.J.:
Hello.

Hey, C.J.
I'm supposed
to see him.

Yeah. There's
a meeting in there

but I think they're circling
for a landing.

You mind if I wait?
No.

Hey, Charlie.
Hey, Danny.

Hey, C.J.
Hey, Nimrod.

Look, I leaked
your damn story for you.

You leaked it for me?

I leaked it to you, pal.

I used you like
so much whatever.

Well put.

Charlie, I'm here
to see the President.

Yeah, he's finishing up
a meeting.

Charlie, Danny's paper--

after savaging us
four times in two weeks--

would like access for Danny
to write a three-part feature.

About what?

About winning a Pulitzer Prize
for writing
a three-part feature.

Look...!
See, reporters
seldom win a Pulitzer.

Feature writers do,
and the Post has been getting

a little outpaced in the
hardware department lately.

You know me here.

Do you suspect my motives
are anything but journalistic?

I'd like to be part
of this conversation.
( door opens )

This doesn't have anything
to do wi...?

C.J.?

Thank you.

Good evening,
Mr. President.

No more rogue
nations, huh?

Yes, sir.

Well, that
was easy.
Sir?

What's doing,
Claudia Jean?

Mr. President,
the Post would like access

for Danny Concanon to do
a three-part feature

inside the Oval Office.

Yeah. Let's do it.

No, I don't think
it's a good idea, sir.

Why not?

Sir, after the editorials

they've run the last...

Yeah, they've been way off base.

Not so much the second one

but the first, third
and fourth were silly

and the fourth
was mean-spirited.

Exactly, so let's
send them a message.

Nah.
Sir...

First of all,
it wasn't Danny.

Danny is their representative.

We have to stop being
a punching bag

and they need a wake-up call.

Ah... it's going to look petty
and petulant. You know why?

Sir?
'Cause it's petty
and petulant.

Nobody elected
this newspaper.

Certainly not
the 48 million people

who chose you
to be President.

Yeah, but not having
to run for anything

tends to help
with honesty and decisiveness.

Thanks, Charlie.

Send Danny in,
would you, please?

Yes, sir.

Mr. President, you have
to send them a message.

I really don't, C.J.

Is this personal?

Excuse me?
I hear things.

I don't understand most of it,
but I hear it.

No, sir, it's absolutely
not personal.

He's a great reporter, and
you're a great press secretary

and that's why
it wasn't going to work

as long as the two of you
had those jobs.

Sir, I...
I can assure you...
Hey, Danny.

Good evening,
Mr. President.

I think you guys have had
your heads up your asses

for the last few weeks.

I hope you don't mind me
saying so.

Of course not,
Mr. President.

Not only that,
but you've been
trying to bait me

which is a waste of time,
paper and ink.

I'm like 50 times smarter

than any of you
will ever hope to be.

I've got an election
to win in two years

and I'm not about to alienate
the Washington Post.

Yes, sir.
I'll tell you what
I will do, though.

I'm canceling our subscription.

C.J.:
Excellent, sir.

The White House buys

1,100 copies of the Post
every day.

Canceling that subscription
should send a message

loud and clear.

No, I meant just
mine and Abbey's.

I'll borrow a copy
from somebody.

Charlie:
Mr. President?

Yeah. Take it easy, Danny.

C.J. will give you
all the access you want.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you,
Mr. President.

I got to go tell circulation
we lost $32.95.

I know about
the job offer.

I figured.

Known about it
for a couple of days.

Yeah.

You don't want to be an editor?

I'm a White House reporter.

I know, I just thought
by taking a job

outside the press room...

C.J., I have no problem
with a reporter

dating a press secretary.

Well... I have
a problem, so...

Yeah.

Okay. I'll see you later.

Okay.

See, the keyboard
forces users

to put their wrists
into a palms-down position

and encourages
a sideways wrist twist

to reach the enter key.

That sideways
twist is called

an "ulnar deviation,"
and it's very bad.

It has a right-hand bias

towards the important
letter and number keys

and frequently-used keys
like enter, shift,
backspace, and control

are placed near
the weakest finger

forcing the wrist to absorb
the added stress of...

What in hell is this woman
talking about?

Sir, I'm talking
about my government's
unwillingness to...

Vasily?

Vasily Konanov?

Why, you're the last
person I expected to be

where they
told me to go.

Mr. President.

Thank you, Donna.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Vasily?

Yes?

I don't know
who this is.

Uh, puhjalsta.

What the hell
are you doing?

Mr. President...

I would like
to talk to you

about commercial landing rights.

I would like to talk to you

about the World Trade
Organization

and I would like
to talk to you

about nuclear compatibility.

I'm not the
Transportation
Secretary.

You will join the WTO
when you reduce

the 300% tariff
on American cars

and with a nuclear weapon
pointed at my head

I will not talk to you
about nuclear compatibility.

Mr. President...

Vasily,
you're a reformer

and you're going to do
good things in Eastern Europe

and I'm looking forward
to the day you're President.

But until that day comes

my State Department

deals with the government
of the Ukraine.

Now, you can go home

and do exactly what
you wanted to do...

which is say you've met

with the President
of the United States.

You just have.

How you doing?

Yeah.

For... yeah.

Thank you.

Dr. Zhivago is out of here.

Good.
What do you have?

The Commerce
Department

wants us to back
an amendment to a bill

that would help small businesses

with fraud prevention
and employee theft.

We want to recommend it.

You have numbers?
Yeah.

This is from an independent
study that I have faith in.

30% of workers

plan to steal from
their employers.

30% give in
to occasional temptation.

Five percent will commit fraud
regardless of circumstance.

85% will commit fraud
given the right circumstances.

Just out of curiosity,
what are the right...?

Need, opportunity

and the ability
to rationalize their behavior.

It's called the fraud triangle.

It's going to help us
when we want to raise
the minimum wage.

It's the small business owners

who are most opposed
to wage hikes.

You weren't going to go
the other way on this?

Yeah, I was.

You got turned around?

Yeah.

Okay, good.

Thanks.
Thanks.

Hang on.
I wanted to...

Thank you, Leo.

That was it?

Yeah.

That was it?

Yeah.

I don't understand.

You don't
understand what?

What just happened.

Leo said yes.
We're in.

I don't understand.

Leo said yes.

That's the end
of the meeting.

I was just talking, Sam.

I was just talking to you.

Well, we play with
live ammo around here.

You convinced me,
I convinced Leo

Leo'll convince
the President.

Sam...

It's a short day, Ainsley,
and a big country.

We've got to move fast.

And so because
I said this in here

the President in there
is going to...?
Yeah.

You got to tell me
when that's going to happen.

Is this how you guys
decide to go to war?

I don't know. I'm usually not
in the room when they do that.

Sam...

Could somebody get her

a cupcake or something?

Sam...!

Charlie:
Mr. President?

Yeah.

Toby's here.

Thanks.

You can take off for the night,
Charlie. We're done.

Thank you,
Mr. President.

Good evening, sir.

Tony Marino's going
to abstain, huh?

Yeah.

He was a great
public servant, Toby.

A great senator.

Didn't Edmond Burke say

that a representative owes
not just his industry

but his judgment

and betrays you if he sacrifices
his judgment to yours?

Yeah, and then he was
voted out of office

five years later
by the people of Bristol.

That's not the point, sir.

I know, but the fact is

the opponents of the treaty,
on both sides of the aisle

you got to respect them, Toby.

They're politicians

and they're flying in the face
of overwhelming public opinion.

I have to respect senators

for defying 82%
of the American people?

Can I tell you something
honestly?

This is one

of those situations

I could give a damn
what the people think.

The complexities
of a global arms treaty--

the technological, military,
the diplomatic nuance--

it's staggering, Toby.

82% of the people
can't possibly be expected

to reach an informed opinion.

You want to call
a session anyway?

No.

No, if we lose, and we will,
we cut off...

Yeah.

( sighs softly )

Anything else?

No, sir.

Thank you, Mr. President.

You know we
forget sometimes.

In all the talk about democracy,
we forget it's not a democracy.

It's a republic.

People don't make the decisions.

They choose the people
who make the decisions.

Could they do
a better job choosing?

Yeah.

But when you consider
the alternatives...

Anyway, Abbey's
in New Hampshire.

You want to come up for a cigar?

The day is over, Toby.

We'll live to fight another one.

Come on up.
I'll beat your ass at chess.

You baiting me, Mr. President?

Yes.

( chuckling )

( clears throat )

Okay.

If anybody's out there,
I'm signing off.

Have a good night.