All language subtitles for The.West.Wing.S02E13.WEBRip.x264-FGT

A woman named Ainsley Hayes.

"Aimsley?"

We should hire her.

Welcome to the White House.

JOSH:
Your poll says that?

I said that.

"Vox populi vox Dei."

"The voice of the people
is the voice of a dog"?

The voice of God, Joshua.

God.

Yes.

Hello, pumpkin.

Abbey?

Hello, gumdrop.

Shake my hand.

We just formed it.

Formed what?

The Committee to
Reelect the President.

WOMAN:
We are, by my watch,
six minutes away

from President Bartlet's
entrance

onto the floor
of the House of Representatives

this, his third
State of the Union address.

We'll hear
the familiar introduction

from the Doorkeeper
of the House, Edgar Finney.

Perhaps some people don't know

that in order for the President
to address Congress

he must first receive permission
from the Speaker...

I'm still here.

...a tradition
that dates back to Parliament.

All right. Is that a yes?

Is it a yes?

Sam.
Give me half a minute.

Yeah?
Ed.

Delete "vigorously"
from the first sentence.

LEO:
Which paragraph?

Three, Section Seven.

We're not going to vigorously
pursue campaign finance reform?

No, we'll
pursue it regular.

Not vigorously?

McGowan says we're fine.
He feels the word "vigorous"
is inflammatory.

Change "choke-hold"
to "tight grip."
Is that it?

Yeah.

No, Sam's still on.

We got, like,
four minutes, Toby.

PRESIDENT:
Where are we?

LEO:
Sam's still on.

Bob Novak just said
this was the speech
of my political life.

You know how many times
I've heard that?

Senator McGowan says
we're fine if we
cut "vigorously."

Do it.

How you feeling?

Good.

Yes, sir.
!
Abbey's already in her seat?

Yes, sir.
I say, my wife's in her seat?

We got four minutes.
We'll get them in
the car. Let's go.

SAM:
I'm going to tell him
it's a "yes."

Thank you.

What'd they say?
We put our weight
behind SB380.

It's a highway
improvement bill.

What else?
We set aside
some U.S. parkland.

What else?

That's it.
I want to be clear.

This is the understanding:

we build him a highway
and name a park after him

and we have his support
for the Blue Ribbon?

Yep.
Mr. President?
Do it.

Yeah?
Ginger.

Tell C.J. it's a green
light on the Blue Ribbon.

She'll know what it means.

Yes, sir.
We'll write it in the car.

LEO:
Sir.

PRESIDENT:
Yeah.

It's a good thing.

The Blue Ribbon?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Excuse me, what are you doing?

I'm just...

You were putting
gum in your mouth?

Yeah, 'cause I...

It's a good idea
to be chewing gum

when you're
taking a poll

for the President
of the United States.

That's the sound
people like to
hear on the phone.

The polling
hasn't started yet.

Well, thank
you, Mr. Helper.

Josh.

Yeah?

These people have
done this before.

They're not
our people.

They're Joey
Lucas's people.

None of them
have accents?

They're all out
of the Midwest.

I'm saying
Joey Lucas is deaf

and would have
no way of know...

Do any of you people
have accents?

Oh, my God.

Do any of you people
have the power of speech?

They're fine.

I should be
there right now.

He's fine.

LEO:
"Therefore I am asking
the leaders of Congress

"and members of both parties
to join me in establishing

a Blue Ribbon National
Commission to fashion..."

Yeah.

I want it for him
when he walks in the door.

NEWSCASTER:
Gail Schumer, can we expect
the White House is doing

their own polling tonight?

ANALYST:
You better believe it.

This may well be the speech of
the President's political life.

Excuse me,
I've got a heads-up.

There'll be
a last-minute addition.

The President will be announcing

a bipartisan
Blue Ribbon commission

to study the long-term future
of entitlement programs.

Obviously,
there'll be more details

in the address.

Why last minute?

When I say
"last minute," I'm wrong.

We're just
under three minutes.

C.J., why last minute?

It's something
he's been going
back and forth on.

He wanted to make
sure he had support with
the Democratic leadership.

And he does?

Yes. I also wanted
to remind you

that Capital Beat
is broadcasting live

from the west wing
for the two or three hours

following the address,
so that area's

going to be off-limits
for carousing.

Capital Beat's
doing postgame

Yes.
live from
the White House?

So why do they get
special treatment?

Because they're special.

Enjoy the show, everybody.

TOBY:
"To build this new future

"will demand boldly setting
aside our partisan blinders

and abandoning our
ideological..." what?

Entrenchment.

"To build this
new future

"will demand boldly
setting aside

"our partisan blinders
and abandoning

our ideological
entrenchment."

Yeah.

( sighs ):
That's it.

Okay.

This is it.

Yeah.

Phone it to
the prompter.

TOBY:
Mr. President?

Thanks.

( applause )

Sir.

Amen.

CHARLIE:
Amen.

Mr. Finney

would you
tell the Speaker

I'd like
to see him, please?

Mr. Speaker!

The President of
the United States!

( applause )

through every age,
against every challenge

a people of great works
and greater possibilities

who have always, always
found the wisdom and strength

to come together as one nation

to widen the circle
of opportunity

to deepen the meaning
of our freedom

to form a more perfect union.

Our best days lie ahead.

God bless you, and God bless
the United States of America.

( loud cheering )

Way to go.

JOSH:
Oh, you, too.

DONNA:
Oh, he did good.
Tell me about it.

He can bring it
up there.

"Up there" is where
this President eats.

That is his place
of business.

Yes, he did well!

Yeah!

Let's find out how well.

This is exciting.

Yeah.
Yes.

So, what do I do?

What do you mean?

What do I
tell them?

Tell them to start.

Didn't you talk
to Joey?
Yeah.

What did she say?

She said
her plane was late.

What did she say
I should tell
the callers?

She didn't say anything.
Donna...

Tell them to start, Josh.

They're not supposed to receive

special instructions
based on...
What?

Time zones, I don't know,
I'm not a pollster.

I-I thought Joey called.

She called
from the plane

and said she was late.

When's she going
to be here?

Joshua Lyman,
you have the

cutest little butt in
professional politics.

Kenny, really

that better have
been her talking.

I'm here.

Where the hell have you been?

My plane had
mechanical difficulties.

This is the State
of the Union.

There was nothing you
could do about it?

No, because
as a child

I never paid attention

during Airplane Mechanics class.

Is this the kind of
Noel Coward-esque wit

I can expect all night long?

Yes.

I want to start the
phone banks-- they
need instructions.

Is anyone
chewing gum?

ALL:
No!

Okay... start.

I'd already taken care
of the gum thing.

MAN:
In five, four, three...

ANNOUNCER:
Live, from the White House
in Washington, D.C.

it's Capital Beat
with Mark Gottfried.

Tonight on Capital Beat,
a special expanded edition:

The State of the Union.

GOTTFRIED:
Good evening,
I'm Mark Gottfried

and tonight our show is live
from the White House.

We'll be joined all night long

by Republicans and Democrats,
lawmakers and pundits

and we'll be talking
to focus groups

around the country.

On the panel with me right now

is Deputy House Majority Whip
Henry Shallick

and the very lovely,
very talented

Ms. Claudia Jean Cregg,
White House Press Secretary.

C.J., on a scale
of one to ten

how did the President
do tonight?

Fourteen.

You know, Mark, the President
is a commanding public speaker

and the bar is usually set
quite a bit higher

when he makes
a major address

but tonight he cleared
it with room to spare.

My unofficial tally has him

interrupted for applause
73 times.

C.J.:
I have 72 times,
but I'll take your count.

( C.J. chuckles )

GOTTFRIED:
Henry Shallick, how did
the President do tonight?

Well, C.J. is right.

The President is
a gifted public speaker.

We've always known that

and it's an admirable talent
not unlike juggling.

Now, if only he'd
said something.

By my count, 23 of
the interruptions for applause

were for co-opted
Republican ideas.

GOTTFRIED:
Let's take
a quick break.

We're just getting started
with our postgame analysis

of President Bartlet's third
State of the Union address.

We've got guests standing by
around the country

and we'll back
with more Capital Beat

right after this.

MAN:
We're out.

C.J.'s not wearing any pants.

Yes.
( applause )

No pants whatsoever.

It's cable. Carol?

MAN:
90 seconds back.

Could I see you
a moment?

Yeah.

Could I see you
over there?

Why?
Can we do it here?

I'm not wearing any pants.
Can we do it here?

Sure, we're fine here
as long as there aren't

any microphones
or cameras around.

Carol?

Yeah.

Thank you.

You look like
a Rockette.

Yeah.
Yeah?

You know why I'm
not wearing pants?

I just assumed it was
the usual reason.
I sat in paint.

Right after the speech

I went to
the Sculpture Garden

to get some air
and take it in and
I sat on a bench.

And it didn't say,
"wet paint"?

It did,
it turns out, but...

The clothes are coming.

Where'd you get
the bathrobe?
The gym.

There are bathrobes
at the gym?

In the women's
locker room.

Yeah.
But not the men's.

Now, that's outrageous.

There's a thousand
men working here
and 50 women.

Yeah, and it's the bathrobes
that's outrageous.

MAN:
30 seconds.
What's going on?

Jack Sloan has an official
reprimand in his jacket.

For what?

Excessive force.

How long ago?

17 years ago.

There was a criminal
charge-- it was dismissed.

There was a civil suit--
it was dismissed.

There was enormous
community and political

pressure from local
black Democrats...

Our people?

It was 17 years ago.

MAN:
15 seconds.

Okay, so they gave him
an official condemnation.

Yeah.

Does anybody have
the story yet?

They will.

MAN:
Ten seconds.

I need to see
the police officer--

what was his name?

SAM:
Sloan.

Hi.

Take the desk away,
I pick up three share points.

MAN:
In five, four, three...

MARK:
We're back with our panel

including Deputy House Majority
Whip Henry Shallick

and White House Press
Secretary C.J. Cregg...

Welcome back.

How'd it look on TV?

It looked good.

Charlie, is it possible

that C.J. isn't wearing
any pants right now?

Yeah, she sat
in wet paint.

And she's not
wearing any pants?

Well, she's wearing
underwear, Mrs. Landingham.

She hasn't gone smokeless.

Okay.

I didn't understand
this note.

The President was
balancing his checkbook

and came across
an outstanding check for $500

that was never cashed.

The check was written
by the First Lady

to a woman the President
has never heard of

and he'd like you
to ask her about it.

Yeah.
The President
was balancing
his checkbook?

Why?

He does it to relax.

Yeah.
Okay.

And why doesn't he just

ask the First Lady

about the $500
check himself

in the normal course of,
you know

being married to her?

When the President inquires

into the First Lady's
personal bookkeeping

the First Lady gets angry
with him and yells.

Well, she's going to get angry

and yell when I inquire
into it, too.

Well, the President doesn't care
so much about that.

Yeah, okay.

This is a good job.

I saw you on TV.

Cool.

( tape rewinding )

PRESIDENT:
To build this new future

will demand boldly setting aside
our partisan blinders

and abandoning
our ideological entrenchment.

Therefore, I am asking
the leaders of Congress

and members of both parties

to join me in establishing

a Blue Ribbon National
Commission to fashion...

( tape rewinds )

PRESIDENT:
...boldly setting aside
our partisan blinders

and abandoning
our ideological entrenchment...

( knocking on door )

Come in.

PRESIDENT:
Therefore, I am asking
the leaders of Congress

and members of both parties

to join me in establishing

a Blue Ribbon National
Commission to fashion...

Mrs. Bartlet?

Hey, Charlie.

Am I disturbing you?

I just came up
to change my clothes.

Did you sit in paint?

I'm sorry?

C.J. sat on wet paint.

In the Sculpture Garden?
Yeah.

No, I'm not supposed
to go to the reception

in the same clothes
in which I went
to the speech.

Yeah.

I could just
tell people that I have

two outfits exactly alike.

That's what I do.

What do you need?

Ma'am, I'd like you
to bear in mind that

I'm not wearing pads or a helmet
or contact gear of any kind.

A $500 check that
hasn't been cashed?

It's written to
a woman he doesn't...

Oh, how long has that
been up his ass?!

Well, I wouldn't know,
ma'am, but...

Her name is Jane Robinson.

I read an article
a few months ago...

Her husband threw her out?

He set fire to the bed.

And she'd bought the kids'
Christmas presents early

and they
were ruined.
So I sent her $500.

Well, she hasn't cashed it.

I'll make sure
it got to her.

Thank you.

Thank you,
ma'am.

PRESIDENT:
...join me in establishing

a Blue Ribbon National
Commission...

MAN ( over microphone):
Ladies and gentlemen

Mr. Sam Seaborn!

( applause )

See, and you guys said
I couldn't write comedy.

( laughter )

You talked
to C.J.?

Yeah.

The dial groups are huge.

Middle class tax cut,
Social Security...

What about polling?

Josh and Joey'll have
early numbers in an hour.

My point is,
this police officer?

The President pointed to him
and asked him to stand.

Leo?

Let C.J. talk to him.

Is he here?
Yeah.

No pictures anywhere near
the President.

Yeah.

They need you
in the Situation Room.

What's going on?

Leo, we believe five
U.S. DEA agents

have been abducted
in Colombia.

Where?

On a road
between Bogota

and a training
base in Putumayo.

Was it the CRF?

We don't know.

Do we think
it was the CRF?

Yeah.

Can the agents be identified
as U.S. Drug Enforcement?

They're carrying
badges.

On a road from
Bogota to Putumayo?

They're going
to shoot these guys.

Leo, I...

The White House
Press Corps' upstairs

and there's a live TV show
being broadcast next door.

I need to meet with State,
Justice and the Pentagon

and it needs
to happen softly.

Yes, sir.

This was almost
a good night.

Donna.

Yeah?

It's going well.

It's a 17%
response rate.

Great.

Jack Sloan was
reprimanded

for excessive force

by the Detroit
Police Department.

How long ago?

Seventeen years.

DONNA:
What happened?

I don't know...

he made a bust,
he broke the guy's leg

the DA couldn't
make the case

the civil suit
was dismissed

but it's there.

Who's Jack Sloan?

From tonight.

The police officer.

JOEY:
I wasn't there.

I was on a plane
with mechanical difficulties.

Officer Jack Sloan
of the Detroit Police Department

was added at the last minute
to the invited guests

that are recognized by
the President during the speech.

He was the
off-duty cop...
At the
elementary school?

Yeah.
He wasn't vetted?

It was last minute.
When do I see numbers?

Joey says it going good.

Great. When do I see numbers?

There's a 17%
response rate.

Fantastic.
When do I see numbers?

You need patience, Joshua.

I need numbers, Tonto.

The poll's an hour old.

You get early numbers.

And when I get them,
you'll have them.

What do you do

in the meantime?

I'm getting a donut.

Okay.

( sighs )

We're plagued by this nonsense,
Donna.

I swear, it's just...
reaching epidemic proportions.

Those numbers are going to tell
us we had a big night

and the bounce is going to be
dragged down

by a news cycle that
won't shake the cop story.

You should ask her out.

I'm sorry?

You should ask Joey out.
Tonight could be the night.

The night to do what?

To ask her out.

Get a donut.

Okay.

MARK:
Before we go to commercial again

let me just ask for predictions.

How big a bump does the
President get off the speech?

Congressman Shallick...

Excuse me,
Mr. Secretary?

Yes.

I'm sorry to interrupt,
but Leo McGarry
was wondering

if you'd come say hello
to an old friend of his.

Certainly.

Would you excuse me,
please?

Sit Room.

Thank you.

LEO:
Are we verifying exactly

who was at the lab?

We've verified
Agents McGrath and Nun

but we still can't confirm
the other three.

I don't want
to mis-notify
the families.

TROOP:
Leo?

Mickey, 2:00 p.m.
local time in Bogota

five DEA agents assisting police
in evidence gathering

at a cocaine lab were taken
by the CRF.

Are they alive?

We think so.

MICKEY:
Okay. The Putumayo's
a Frente stronghold.

The scene the
agents were at

was one of their top-producing
cocaine labs.

We're going to open
a dialogue

and to do it through the
Colombian Army commanders.

Who are they talking to?

They'll tell us.
I think it'll be
Nelson Guerra.

He's a Frente jefe.

Get me everything on him.

Yes, sir.

Is there anybody close by
on the ground?

The closest we've got
is Tres Encinas.

Who's there?

Six commanders
and 13 support.

Really.

Yeah.

How many people are
going to be guarding

wherever these guys
are being taken to?

Five, six hundred.

Not the numbers
you're hoping for

if you're contemplating

a massive
attack and rescue mission.

No.

Tell Special Operations Command

at Fort Bragg

to submit three plans
for a unilateral op.

They have an hour.

Yes, sir.

We should let these 19 guys
at Tres Encinas know

they're in it now, too.

OFFICER:
Yes, sir.

I challenge all our schools
to teach character education

to teach values,
to teach citizenship

and if it means our kids
will pay more attention

to mathematics
and English literature

and history and science
and the arts

and less attention
to designer labels

then our public schools should
be able to require students

to wear school uniforms.

MARK:
"School uniforms,"
from a liberal Democrat.

What was that sound
we just heard?

Joining us now on our panel is

Associate White House Counsel
Ainsley Hayes

and to my left

Gretchen Tyler,
Director of Public Education

for the ACLU.

Gretchen, let's start with you.

Were you surprised?

I was surprised, Mark.
I was disappointed.

This President
has always had

strong First Amendment
credentials.

What's the position
of the ACLU?

The position
of the ACLU is

that every child in the country

has a legal right
to public school education

and that right can't be
conditioned upon compliance

with a uniform policy.

Ainsley?

I think Gretchen's point
is well taken

in that I'm not 100% sure

what the President suggested
tonight was Constitutional.

What I can tell you is
he's concerned about the kid

who's left out because
he can't afford the clothes

some of his friends wear.

He's also taken serious notice
of any number of studies

done by education experts
that say, by and large

kids will do better
wearing uniforms.

GRETCHEN:
It should be noted that there
already are

dress restrictions
on public school kids.

They're not allowed to wear
inappropriate clothing

or wear something obscene
on their T-shirt.

It should also be noted
that those restrictions

were over the strong objection
of the ACLU.

Ainsley, gauge for us

how strongly the President
feels about this.

Well, he included it
in a State of the Union Address.

But from your conversations
with him personally.

I haven't had any conversations
with him personally.

On this?

On anything.
I've never met him.

I'm an associate counsel.

The Chinese food guy's
got more access than I do.

And yet they have you out here
speaking for the White House.

Yeah, it's a really big night
for me.

All right, we'll be back
with Gretchen Tyler

and Ainsley Hayes and more
guests as the night goes on.

We're going to send you
to New York for some other news.

Stay with us.
Here's Frank and Judy.

MAN:
We're out.

You crack me up.

Thank you.

Hey, Gracie.

Hey, Sam.

Mark, does she have time?

It's a five-minute
news break.

Have you been watching?

Yes.

Aren't I delightful?

Yes.

You know what I'd like?

I'd like it if you didn't
say you weren't 100% sure

that the President's
proposal is Constitutional.

The ACLU has a reasonable case
to make against the President.

They'll do a fine job
of making it

without the help
of the President's lawyer.

That's a fair point.

How have you never
met the President?

I haven't.

You've been working here
three months.

He works
in the Oval Office

and I work in the steam pipe
trunk distribution venue.

I can't believe we haven't run
into each other.

I'll set up
an introduction.
No.

You can meet
him tonight.
No way.

It's no problem.
Yes, it is.

Are you scared to meet
the President?

I'm not scared to meet
the President.

Yeah, you are.
I am not scared to meet

the President 'cause I'm not
going to meet the President.

Ainsley...
I'm having a good night.

I just want to keep having
a good night.

I don't want to live in fear
of the inevitable bungling

of the English language
that will occur

and the mortification
that will ensue.

That sounds pretty bad.

I am, yes, I am indeed

yes, I am scared to meet
the President.

Now it sounds really bad.

Yes.
Okay, well

when you meet him, you meet him.

No need to rush that day along.

Right.

Okay, can I talk to you
about adrenaline for a second?

Adrenaline?

Yeah. You're feeling
it right now

and it's going
to get even more

'cause it's a big night
and we're a hit

and you've never experienced
anything like this...

And you think
I'm going to have a nutty?

I'm saying don't drink till
you're off television.

God, thanks, Sam,
for that debating tip,
your feel for nuance.

You say I shouldn't be drunk

when I'm representing
the White House?

Yeah, and please
don't forget

you're a blond
Republican girl

and that nobody likes you.

I'm going back
on television now.

Try and remember
you're on our side.

( laughter )

ABBEY:
Thank you, thank you.

Sam Seaborn wrote that line
for me.

( laughter )

You know, there's a lot
of poll-taking

going on right now.

The instant dial focus groups

predict tonight's speech
was a success.

( applause )

And I'm sure where Josh is
over at the phone banks

they'll be confirming that

but when the numbers
are crunched

and the polls are taken,
I think everyone here realizes

that the truly important thing
is that I changed my hair.

( laughter )

Seriously, this is
not my official toast.

My official toast is later.

I just wanted to say informally
before the President got here

thank you so much
for your hard work

and enjoy tonight's success.

( applause )

Your hair looks
great, by the way.

So, what's going on
with Jack Sloan?

C.J.'s on it.

So we were able to
get in the language

about the Blue
Ribbon Commission.

Yeah.

We were able to get it
in at the last minute.

We got our guys.

We changed the language
to broaden...

I was there, Leo.

We changed the language
at the last minute, Abbey.

If you want to be pissed
at someone

the architect
of this speech...

I don't want
to be pissed at anyone

but thanks for asking.

And I don't need to be told

who the architect
of tonight's speech was.

MAN:
Toby Ziegler,
ladies and gentlemen!

( cheers and applause )

( whistling )

I want to see you
in your office

in half an hour. You got it?

Yes, ma'am.

Keep shaking hands.

MAN:
Hang on...

He didn't say that,
and we can roll the tape.

He said...
What he said was that
standardized testing

would be more acceptable
if its vast limitations

were understood.

What about the New York City
testing scores

that Hal Chafey just cited
a while ago?

Six out of ten
were black or Hispanic.

...Chafey also
forgot to mention

that six out of ten
of those New York City students

were either black or Hispanic.

Right on the button.

So, Josh...
No.

I was wondering.
We're still doing this?

Have you
asked her out yet?
Donna...

'Cause the last time
I asked you

you hadn't
asked her out yet.

What is taking so long?

"Joey, would you like
to go out Friday night?"

You know,
you have to say it.

You have to ask a girl out
on a date.

You can't just randomly
tumble into a girl sideways

and hope she breaks up
with you soon

the way you always do.

Why not?

Because you can't.

You just said I always do.

I can help you or I can
not help you. It's up to you.

Then I absolutely choose
not helping me.

You want me to ask her out
for you?

Yeah. That's exactly
what I want you to do.

Joey...

Sit down.

Where are the first numbers?

Soon.

How soon?

Five minutes.

You said five minutes,
15 minutes ago.

The response rate slowed down.

Why?

People are going to bed.

Yeah, but the response rate
didn't stop, right?

Everybody didn't go to bed.

If they did

that would
be phenomenal.

It would be a phenomenon.

The response rate
slowed down

and you need to have
some juice and crackers.

America is talking

and I'm trying to hear
what they're saying.

They're saying
that you're an egomaniac

who needs to know
that the public loves you

and that you'll have the numbers
in five minutes.

I don't think that is
what they're saying

but absent any
other information...

Josh...

Joey, it's the State
of the Union.

We worked on the speech
for three months.

You will hear America speaking.

In five minutes?

In five minutes.

It may take a little longer now.

SHALLICK:
Excuse me, excuse me

but this White House uses
the First Amendment

to protect flag burning,
to protect pornography

to ban school prayer.

Why, when the Second Amendment
clearly says

that the Federal Government
will not infringe

upon a citizen's right
to keep and bear arms...

TOBY:
Because it clearly
doesn't say that.

Toby...!
In fact, it doesn't
say that at all.

The only way
it says that is

if you remove some
words from it.

Oh, look,
what you're trying to do...

It says, "A well-
regulated militia

"being necessary for
the security of a free state

the government
shall not infringe..."

The words "regulated"
and "militia"

are in the first sentence.

I don't think
the framers were thinking

of three guys
in a Dodge Durango.

You don't really know what the
framers were thinking, do you?

No, but I do know that
if you combine the populations

of Great Britain, France,
Germany, Japan, Switzerland

Sweden, Denmark and Australia

you'll get a population

roughly the size of
the United States.

We had 32,000 gun deaths
last year.

They had 112.

You think it's because Americans
are more homicidal by nature

or do you think it's because

those guys have
gun control laws?

We're going to talk
to some people

and hear answers
to that question.

You're watching an expanded
edition of Capital Beat.

We're coming live

from the west wing
of the White House.

We'll be back after this.

MAN:
We're out.

Toby?

Yeah.

Mark, I'm going to sit out
the next segment.

Yeah?

Yeah. I've got to see someone.

We'll get you a body.

Has she been waiting long?

No.

I'm sorry I'm late.

It's fine.

I was on the air.

I wanted to ask you...
Mrs. Bartlet?

Toby?
Excuse me
for interrupting.

I just wanted to remind you

that there's press
coming in and out of this area.

Are you under
the impression

I'm going to have
a fit of some kind?

No, ma'am.
So, what was the deal?

He gets a highway,
and you name a park after him?

Mrs. Bartlet,
the Blue Ribbon Commission...

The Blue Ribbon
Commission

is swell.

I am not talking
about the Blue Ribbon Commission

and you know it, and don't talk
to me like I'm other people.

You've never done that.

It was the language.

Mrs. Bartlet...

The draft I read said

"The first fiscal priority
of the government must be

will be, insuring Social
Security and Medicare."

Now, how did that turn into

"boldly setting aside
our partisan blinders"?

Is the White House

considering
new options?
Look...

Like raising the
retirement age?
Abbey...

And how did school
uniforms get in such
a prominent spot?

It was
in a section

on education reform, Abbey,
and considering other options

doesn't mean we're caving
on the retirement age

and you know it, so what was
your concern with the language?

The draft said

"Our commitment
to the full benefits

promised to America's
greatest generation
is absolute."

I was there when
you wrote that.

And our commitment
is still absolute.

We're open to new ideas,
and that's what it said.

Oh, please...
Believe me, we gave

Republicans plenty
to be pissed about--

the surplus, missile defense,
capital gains

and I was just on TV
for the 900th time

and alienated gun owners

to say nothing of people
who own Dodge Durangos.

So, what exactly

was your problem
with the language?

It seemed...

Abbey?

I was just thrown
by the last-minute changes.

You should get back on TV.

He's here?

Yeah.

Officer Sloan?

Yes, ma'am.

I'm C.J. Cregg.

I'm the White House
Press Secretary.

I'm sorry to get you
out of the party.

Oh, that's all right.

I'm sorry to be abrupt

but I'm racing the
clock a little bit.

Could you tell me what
happened 17 years ago

with a suspect named
Walter Tappis?

( sighs )

I can access
the information
through the FBI.

I can call the
Wayne County DA.

Do I need to have
my lawyer here?

I don't think you do

No.
but if you'd like to call...

There was an armed robbery
in progress.

I was pursuing Walter Tappis
on foot

through a series
of fenced-in storage areas

behind a warehouse.

I apprehended him
and tried to cuff him

during which
he broke my hand and nose.

So you fractured his leg?

I didn't fracture his leg.

He said you kicked
him repeatedly

while he was handcuffed.

He was suing the city

for $5 million.

What possible motivation
would he have had to lie?

Officer...

He was 19 years old,
six-two, 190 pounds

and he won two bronze medals

at the state high school
Track and Field Championships.

Miss Cregg, look at me.

Do you think there is any way

I'd catch up to this guy if
his leg isn't fractured already?

It didn't happen.

Why didn't you tell anybody

this was on your record
when you were invited here?

I just assumed...

I mean, 'cause of what happened
over the weekend

at the elementary school?

Yeah.

I assumed, you know,
that it was okay now

that I was okay.

I didn't think it was going
to all come up again.

Does the press know?

No, but I have
to tell them.
Why?

'Cause they'll find out

and I have to stay
ahead of the pitch.

If I issue it in
a brief statement

then it doesn't look like we
we're trying to hide anything

and I get to control
the story for a while.

There is no story.

Officer...

The DA couldn't bring
a case.

The civil suit was dismissed.

The President pointed
to you as an example.

I am an example.

It's a story.

'Cause you're giving it
to them.

'Cause they'll find it anyway.

You don't know that.

Yes, I do.

( sighs )

M-my, um... my wife and kids
are back at the party.

You should go back there.

Yeah.

Don't talk to anybody
about this.

Yeah.

I wish you'd said something
to us before...

Yeah. I just assumed...

I thought it was okay now.

Okay.

JOSH:
What's happening?

Good news. The Potomac
Electric Power Company says

the outage was caused
by a 13,000-volt cable

that caught fire in a building
on N Street and Wisconsin.

How is that good news?

Well, we have
hard information now.

When's the power
going back on?

That information isn't available
at this time.

Donna...
I can tell you
that the outage is affecting

some 2,000 customers

and it was likely started
when a repairman...

mis-spliced... something.

Call Sam.

I want the numbers!

You know, Josh, everybody else
is having fun with this.

You're the only one
who's having fun with this.

Nobody else is having fun
with this.

Boo!

How you doing?

Are those numbers safe?

Yes.

Are we going to be able to make
the West Coast calls?

That depends on when
the power goes on.

When's that going to be?

Do I look like
Electricity Girl?

Sam.
No.

I'm thinking
of leading everybody in song.

Is that Sam?
Yeah.

Give it to me.

Sam.
What's going on?

The power's down.

I know.

We were five minutes away
from an East Coast sample.

We got nothing west
of Indiana/Illinois.

You need anything?

A lightning bolt, a key
and a kite.

Donna told me to tell you
you should ask out Joey Lucas.

Hey, can I tell you,
Donna's been acting kind of...

I've got to go.

We're in.

PRESIDENT:
Hey.

Sir.
How's it going?

They lost power
at National Strategies.

I heard.

WOMAN:
Well done,
Mr. President.

Thank you.

Listen, you scored big
on some of the stuff

I fought you on.

Yes, and I know a way
you can repay me.

Repay you for what?

For you being wrong
in the face of me being right.

I owe you money
for that?
Oh, not money, sir.

I owe you anything
for that?

Great job,
Mr. President.
Thank you.

Ainsley Hayes has been
working here for three months

and she's still a
little frightened
of meeting you.

If you should happen to
run into her in the halls

maybe you could
make a point of
introducing yourself

and welcoming
her personally.

Don't you already get paid?

Randomly,
in the hallways,
in the next few days

you two are bound to
be in the same place
at the same time.

I'm just saying...

Mr. President?

Hang on. Is there anything in
particular you'd like me to say?

I think if you
said something

along the lines of

"You know, a lot of people
assumed you were hired

"because you were a blond
Republican sex kitten

and they were obviously wrong,
and keep up the good work."

That's really good.

Yeah.
CHARLIE:
Mr. President?

Yeah.

LEO:
Mr. President...

What's going on with
the police officer?

C.J.'s looking into it.

We're going to get knocked off
the story by a last-minute...

The cop isn't what's going
to knock us off the story.

What is?

We have a situation
in Colombia.

They're dressed
as civilians, but
they've got DEA badges.

Yeah, that may
have blown
their cover.

CHRYSLER:
Sir...

Mickey, how do we know
they're still alive?

Human sources paid
by the Colombian National Police

confirm they're in
a CRF outpost.

And they
kill our guys

unless Santos releases Juan
Aguilar from a prison in Bogota.

Which the Colombian government
isn't going to do.

Why not?
It doesn't matter.

The Frente doesn't care
about Juan Aguilar

and how long he stays in jail.

They want to kill these guys.

I don't think...

McGARRY:
They want to
drag their bodies

through the streets.

These people provide
70% of the world's cocaine.

They have
122,000 hectares of coca.

The Putumayo region
alone produced

$400 million
in cocaine for
them last year.

The government
has no control over the region

there is no law,
and they're going

to shoot these
guys in the head

and then have a parade.

If they wanted to kill them,
they'd already be dead.

Robbie?

Okay, Mr. President

this plan is called Cassiopeia:
three MH-60 Black Hawks

two MH-6 Little Birds
and an AC-130 gunship.

Each Black Hawk
has ten Delta commandos

from Special
Forces.
How long?

Five to seven minutes.

How many
Frente casualties?

Do you care?

No.

Mr. President

I want to strongly urge
that we continue negotiating.

Do you think
we're headed for Vietnam?

I think if we make an
armed attack, the Frente
will hit back.

I think they'll
bomb our embassy
How?

I think
they will kill diplomats

I think they'll kill citizens
in captivity

all of which will require
a military response.

It could unify
the drug lords.

It could destabilize
the region.

Yes, I think
it could lead to a war.

Lead to a war?
We're in a war.

We're sending people
down there to fight
a war on drugs.

Those guys aren't hostages.

They're prisoners.

How long's it going to take
Special Forces to mobilize?

They're in 141s right now
on their way to Tres Encinas.

You can give them
a "go" order in three hours.

Well, then, I want our people
to keep talking to Nelson Guerra

but in three hours, I want to be
ready to kick in the back door.

Leo, I'd like
Yes, sir.

the senior staff.
Would you round them up?

Yes, sir.

I'm going to
wandering the halls.

Thank you, sir.
Thank you, Mr. President.

You know what I'm
surprised about?

What?

We haven't seen
a lot of looting.

Yeah.

Usually in these cases,
you see a lot more looting.

Yeah.

General civil unrest...

Yeah.

People get on
each other's nerves.
Okay.

Joey?

Can I ask you
what may be a silly question?

Sure.

It's not possible, is it,
for us to just open up

one of these computers
with a screwdriver

and get the numbers
that are in there, right?

Why did you think that'd
be a silly question?

( yelling ):
I want these numbers!

Josh?

Yeah?

Sam.

Yeah.

You got to come back.

What's going on?
I don't know.

Leo wants everybody back.

Leave Joey and Donna
for a while.

I'll be right there.

Yeah?
Ginger?

Isn't Ainsley Hayes

supposed to be
meeting me now?

She's in her office.

Isn't she supposed
to be meeting me here?

She needs to meet you
in her office.
Why?

She can't wear her pants.

( music blaring )

* Blame it on the bossa nova

* With its magic spell

* Blame it on the bossa nova

* That he did so well...

Ainsley!

* With just a little dance

* And soon it ended up
a big romance... *

Well, I hardly know
where to start.

I was feeling so good
after my segments

so I went out
to the Sculpture Garden.

You know, you guys, really
there's a "wet paint"
sign on the bench.

My assistant went
to get me clothes.

Why are you
moving like that?

I'm blaming it
on the bossa nova.

Okay.

I know what you mean

about that adrenaline high.

I definitely think I got it.

Plus, the bartender made me
a Pink Squirrel

so you see, I am not
the teetotaler you think I am.

Is there any alcohol
in that at all?

There's a dash
of creme de cacao, my friend.

I came down here to tell you...

Oh, dance with me, Sam.

* ...a family

* And when our kids ask...

( screams )

( glass breaks )

What's up?

Oh, Mr. President.

I never even knew we had
a nightclub down here.

Oh, my God.

( turns music off )

Mr. President, I don't believe
that you've met Ainsley Hayes.

Yeah, Ainsley.

I wanted to say hello
and to mention, you know

a lot of people
assumed you were hired

because you were a blond
Republican sex kitten

and, well..

they're obviously wrong

and keep up the good work.

Yes, sir.

You know
we're meeting?

Yes, sir.

Okay.

That could've
been worse.

No, probably not.

MARK:
And take us behind the scenes.

What are
the President and First Lady

doing right now?

Well, the reception's
still going on.

I don't know if you
can hear the music

and President
and Mrs. Bartlet

are likely to stay
up late with friends.

All right,
we're staying up late, too.

Maybe we'll get invited
to the party.

We're going to take a break
and come right back.

MAN:
We're out.

How you holding up?

You got a second?

Yeah.

I've laid off it
all night because
we've done some

things together
and I didn't want
to ambush you, but...

Yeah. C.J....
You know about Sloan. Mark...

Mark, I talked to the guy

and before the stampede begins,
please give me a chance...

C.J.?

Let me talk
to you before...

C.J.?

Leo McGarry would like you
to meet an old friend of his.

Mark, give me 20 minutes
before you break the story.

Why?

We've done things together.

I'm looking at my watch.

Hey.

Hey.

They said you
were in here.

Yeah, just for a minute.

Fellas?

You're mad at me.

Jed, you know what?

I'm not your mommy.

Abbey, so I indicated
we were open to new ideas.

How did I fail you this time?

You didn't fail anybody, Jed.

They've been giving you

some pretty decent
style points.

I have a meeting.

At what point
in the process

did you decide
not to mention

the Violence Against Women Act
in tonight's address?

Things had to be cut.

Jane Robinson,
by the way

is the name of the woman
I made the check out to.

It wasn't cashed
because she framed it.

Charlie tracked her down

at a battered
women's shelter.

Now, that's what
made me think

about the Violence
Against Women Act.

To make a 90-minute speech
into an 80-minute speech

things had to go.

It's a good thing
it didn't have to be any shorter

or school uniforms
might not have made the cut.

Abbey...

We had a deal.

Right now...

We made a promise.
You made a deal.

Abbey...

When did you decide you were
going to run for a second term?

That's not what tonight's...

That's all
that tonight's speech was about.

You kicked off
your reelection campaign

and I'm sitting here
eating a sandwich

'cause we had a deal.

That was three years ago.

Yeah.

I have Special Forces

headed to Colombia
on ready-alert.

They'll be ready
for an order

in a little less
than three hours.

What happened?

The Frente took five DEA agents
in Putumayo.

Mr. President?

Yeah.

The senior
staff's together.

Yes, sir.
I'll be right there.

Abbey...

No, you got to focus right now.

All right.

( sighing )

I've got to go.

I'll stay up with you.

( music playing )

MARK:
Welcome back.

If you're just joining us,
we're here live tonight

from the west wing
of the White House

with an all-star panel

and we're talking about
the State of the Union

and it appears
that it's a blockbuster.

Claire Willow joins us now
from the Chicago Sun-Times...