All language subtitles for The.West.Wing.S02E14.WEBRip.x264-FGT

Previously on The West Wing:

Five U.S. DEA Agents
have been abducted
in Colombia.

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.

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

When do I see numbers?

There's a 17% response rate.

When do I see numbers?

You'll have the numbers

in five minutes.

It might take
a little longer now.

You're mad at me.

We had a deal.

Abbey...

When did you decide

you were going to run

for a second term?

Mr. President.

It was just three hours ago
I gave the State of the Union.

Yeah.

You believe that?

What are you doing?
It's freezing out here.

I'm not allowed to
smoke inside anymore.

I thought you were
allowed to do

pretty much whatever
you want.

Up to the point where you
accidentally burn holes

in priceless antiques.

You should
stop smoking.
Why?

You'll live longer.

I smoke two
cigarettes a day.

It's a bad example.

For who, Russian
spy satellites?

George Bernard Shaw said

"You don't live longer.
It just seems longer."

I'm not sure
it was Shaw.

I'm not sure
it was either.

Is it time?

Yeah.

Ten-hut.

Where are we?

Sir, a C-141 with
two Delta Force teams
has been in the air

for 85 minutes.

Tell me what happens
when I give the order.

They'll enter
Colombian airspace.

CHRYSLER:
At the same time,
a 19-man unit

a Special Forces Alpha Team

that's already on the ground
at Tres Encinas

will head to
Villacerreno.

What do they do
when they get there?

They'll hike 11 miles
into the jungle and hold still.

Why?

It'll be daylight
by then.

Nineteen guys are going to have

to lie facedown in the jungle
till sunset?

CHRYSLER:
That's when the hostages
are going to be moved.

And that's when we go.

They're moving the hostages
from where to where?

CHRYSLER:
From the Tasco outpost

to the Frente
command center.

On foot?
Yeah.

10.7 kilometers
down the road

there's a plateau
called Mesa del Oro.

That'll give the Deltas
maximum maneuverability.

The code name's Cassiopeia?

Yes, sir.

Mickey, you look like you want
to say something.

Yes, Mr. President.
I, I think you should wait.

For what?
To see how negotiations
continue with Guerra.

Guerra wants Aguilar out
of a Colombian prison.

Are there any other
circumstances under

which he's going to give
these hostages back?

Possibly.
Crap.

We know if we keep talking,
we don't the risk

of these hostages getting shot
during the rescue.

What difference does it make
if they're shot during a rescue

or at Frente command
at Villacerreno?

I believe we can keep them
alive longer

if we let them be taken
to Villacerreno.

Are we going to keep them alive
longer, or is it just

going to seem longer?

Sir?

I've been given
reason to believe

they'll be tortured
at Villacerreno.

They're U.S. drug agents.

They know things
these people want to know.

Sir, the C-141's approaching
Colombian airspace.

Go.

It was second in length
only to his inaugural address

and 75 minutes longer
than Washington's first address

to Congress...

Officer Sloan, would
you be willing to go

on television
tomorrow?

They knew how many
words there were.
In the speech?

Yeah.

About 8,700?

Yeah.

Would you be willing
to go on TV?

I think I'd really
rather just go home.

This is going to be
part of the news cycle

by tomorrow night,
whether you go
home or not.

And how do you know that?

Roughly the same way
I knew there were
8,700 words in the speech.

I have some
experience at this.

What'll happen?

You'll do a quick
satellite interview.

"What was it like being
at the State of the Union?

Did you meet the President?"
"It was a thrill and an honor."

Talk about your
act of heroism

that brought you
to the attention
of the White House.

"Well, I really wouldn't
call it heroism, but..."

"Now, I understand you had some
trouble back in the early '80s?"

"I'm glad I have a chance
to talk about that..."

And you tell your story
just like you told it to me.

Do I wear my uniform?

Coat and tie.

Carol?

Yeah?

Would you make sure
Officer Sloan

gets back
to his hotel?
Yeah.

MARK:
I'd like to thank
all our guests tonight.

Henry Shallick, David Satch

Toby Ziegler, Bob Woodward,
Jeff Greenfield

CJ Cregg.

And of course, the White House

for allowing us to broadcast
live on this historic night.

You've been watching
a special expanded edition

of Capitol Beat.

I'm Mark Gottfried.

Have a good night.

MAN:
We're out.
That's it.

( applause )

Great job, everybody.

You said 20 minutes.
I was called in
for a meeting.

It's now 40 minutes.
I was called in
for a meeting.

At midnight?

It's not midnight
everywhere in
the world, Mark.

What's his story?
He's innocent.

You just decided?
No, a grand
jury, a DA

and a civil court judge
decided 17 years ago.

Nobody brought charges.
The civil suit was dismissed.

Then why on
his record...?

The Detroit Police
Department cited him

for excessive force to calm
down the black community.

It was a robbery; they were
climbing through windows
and jumping over walls.

The guy's leg was already
fractured when Sloan got there.

He's going to do your
show tomorrow morning.

Is he doing
everybody else's show, too?

No.
Why not?

Because you waited
40 minutes.

SAM:
Hey.

Hey.

Bill Dryer
from Gillette's office called.

He wants to have
a meeting with you.

Dryer?

Gillette.

( sighs )

Well...

I'll bet he wants
a meeting with me.

Yeah.

It's not going to happen.
Toby.

It's not going to happen.

We got enough
input from him

during the six weeks
we were writing the thing.

I don't need
to hear his...
He's very upset.

What? I know...

More, I think,
than we calculated
he was going to be.

We've upset him?
Yeah.

Well, we're going to have to
learn to live with that pain.

Look...
He's not the President
of the United States.

He's a junior Senator
from North Dakota
where nobody lives

'cause it's too cold,
and they don't have a
major sports franchise.

Do I need to lay out the ways
in which this man

is important to us?
Nope.

He is adored
by the left.

Stop laying out
the ways.

He is our link
to the environmentalists.

Stop laying out
the ways.

Toby, asking for this meeting
isn't out of line

and you should take it.

In fact, you should take it
tomorrow morning at 7:30
at the Hyatt.

You set it up already?

Just the time and place.

And you expect me
to explain myself to him?

Yes, yes, I do.

Fine.

C.J.

7:30.
Yeah.

The Post is calling it
"sleek, challenging,
and oftentimes witty."

Not unlike myself.

Who is Jack Sloan, and why am
I just hearing about this now?

Sloan was one of
the invited guests.

He was the
police officer.

The one we stuck in
over the weekend?
Yeah.

And what happened?

A long time ago,
he was cited

by the Detroit
Police Department

for excessive force.
Against a
black suspect?

Yeah.
C.J.

Toby...
How was this guy
not vetted?

'Cause he wasn't.
'Cause it was last-minute.

What are you
doing about it?

Mark Gottfried's going to
interview him in the morning.

It's a bad idea.
Why?

Why?
Yes.

'Cause blacks aren't
going to react well

to our supporting
a brutal cop.

He's not
a brutal cop.
Says you.

Says me, a grand jury

two judges, the
district attorney

and common sense.
C.J.

It's going public
anyway, Toby.

Gottfried got the
story on his own.

Fine.
Where's Josh?

He went back to the phone banks.

Is the electricity
back on?
No.

Then what's he doing there?

Hoping the electricity goes on.

Well, that ought to do it.

( sighs )

Josh.
Yeah.

Can I tell you
something about women?

Oh, God, please don't.

We like to
be wooed.
Donna...

She wants you to
ask her out, Josh.
She really doesn't.

You're missing
the signs.
I'm really not.

I know a thing or two
about the ways of love.

No, you don't.
You're missing
the signs.

I'm thinking of firing you.

You fired me twice
already tonight.

I'm impervious.
Among other things.

Josh.
Yeah?

Let's pack it in.

We'll start over
tomorrow night.

Why?
It's already 9:30
in California...

The power
isn't on.

We're missing
half the window.

Joey...
Pack it in.

Okay.

Folks, we'll start over
tomorrow night.

See you.

Take it easy.

Good night.

So, you have to
wait another day.

I'm not good at waiting.

No kidding.
Donna...

Why do you expect
our internal polling

to be any different
than any other polling?

We've got dial groups.
We've got CNN, USA Today.

We've got Gallup.

Why is our poll going
to be any different?

We're asking
different questions.

I'll get your coat.

By the way, right there?

Back when she said, "see you"--
that was a sign.

You're fired.

Impervious.
Yeah.

Mr. President?

Yeah.

You understand we've got
heating inside, right?

This isn't cold.
It's crisp.

No, it's cold.

Well, you're
a big wussy.

Knight to King-4.

It'll leave the Bishop open.

You're going to sacrifice the
Bishop for the Queen's Rook.

Where?

Four moves down.

Oh.

Abbey's pretty pissed at me.

How bad?

Pretty bad.

King's Knight-3.

You know, I have this image
in my mind

of the dead soldiers coming back
from Vietnam...

the caskets coming
off the plane...

but I don't know
from where.

Television.

The caskets coming
off the plane?

Yeah.

Are they down?
Yeah.

The Deltas landed
in Tres Encinas.

Alpha moved out, and they'll be
in Villacerreno at 0700.

Where they wait.

Yeah.

I'll see you in the morning.

Thank you,
Mr. President.

Thank you.

MRS. LANDINGHAM:
Good morning, Charlie.

Good morning,
Mrs. Landingham.

Did you ever solve
the mystery?

Of the $500 check?

Yeah.

Yes I did.
I solved the mystery.

Well, what was it?

I'm a mystery solver.

That's wonderful, sweetie.
What was it?

Mrs. Bartlet wrote
the check to a woman

she read about in the paper

who's now living
in a battered women's shelter.

You know why the woman
never cashed the check?

Because it was
from the First Lady

and she had it
framed instead?

Yep, that was the mystery.

It's a good one.

Does the President know he has
breakfast with Josh and Sam?

He's on his way.
Good.

It was a good mystery.

I just think
you solved it fast

because I loosened
the ketchup bottle for you.

Okay.

Okay.

JOSH:
Can I tell you
something strange?

Sure.

All last night at
the phone banks

Donna was telling me
I should ask Joey Lucas out.

You should.

Fine, but that aside

what do you make of Donna
being the one pushing it?

I don't make anything.

You wouldn't think
she'd be jealous?

She goes out with guys.
Are you jealous?

No.
See?

I don't get jealous.

So...?

I don't like it

and usually do everything

within my considerable
capabilities to sabotage it...

Yes.

Which is why
it's curious

that Donna would do nothing
to discourage

in fact, do everything
to encourage a date

with Joey Lucas,
who, quite frankly, is

a very attractive woman.

Josh?
Yeah.

Your voice just got
really high at the
end of that.

Yeah, sorry.

Hey.

Good morning, sir.

Thanks for having breakfast
with me.

Did you order something?

No, sir.
We were waiting for you.

Billy! You want scrambled eggs?

Yeah, thanks.

Yes, sir?

Can we get these guys
some scrambled eggs?

Yes. Anything for you, sir?

No, I'm fine.

Then we're fine, too.

Sir, we're fine.
No.

Bring them some food, would you?

Yes, sir.

You guys understand

I can't discuss with you
any rescue mission

that may or may not be
in play right now?

Of course.

I'm assuming State has people
negotiating with Nelson Guerra.

Nelson Guerra wants me
to tell President Santos

to release Juan Aguilar
from prison.

I wouldn't make that phone call
with a gun to my head.

I have a gun to my head and I'm
not making that phone call.

I inherited a war on drugs
from a President

who inherited it
from a President

who inherited it
from a President before that.

I'm not a hundred
percent sure

who we're fighting,
but I know we're
not winning.

Ten years ago we spent $5
billion fighting drugs

and we did such a good job

that last year we spent
$16 billion.

60% of federal prisoners
are in jail on drug charges

as opposed to 21/////2% that are
there for violent crime.

We imprison a higher percentage
of our citizens than Russia did

under Communism and South Africa
under apartheid.

Somewhere between
50 and 85% of the
prison population

has a drug or alcohol
abuse problem.

We've tried "Just say no."

I don't think
it's going to work.

I'm mentioning this because I'd
like you to give me any thoughts

you might have on the subject.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, sir.

Hello.

What are you doing here?

I came in early.
Bonnie.

I've been here
for an hour.

Yeah?

Are we releasing
the names of the agents

or are we not
releasing them?

Yeah.

You've got to give me
another chance.

At what?

At meeting
the President.

You met the President
last night.

I was wearing
a bathrobe.

You sat in paint.

I was singing
and dancing.

You were happy.

I threw my drink
up in the air.

Yeah, but not that much of it
landed on your head.

I looked like an idiot
and it's your fault.

How is it my fault?

You arranged the meeting
over my express wishes.

I'm not the one who got you

jumping around
like Joey Heatherton.

You have to do something for me.

Arrange another introduction?

You have to arrange
another introduction.

Last night you were scared
to meet him.

And I'm still scared
to meet him

but I'll overcome that in order
to erase the humiliation

that I've brought upon myself
and my father.

You're just in your own
little Euripides play

over there, aren't you?

Please arrange
another introduction.

Fine.

Really?

Yes.

Thank you.

You should've
given me a heads-up

on the Blue Ribbon, Toby.

Seth...

You should've given me
a heads-up.

It happened five minutes

before the man walked
into the House chamber.

You're a junior Senator
from North Dakota

and you don't get
script approval
on the State of the Union.

Whatever language
you may have couched it in

it was not an
insignificant change.

Seth...

You started off

with "We will not cut
Social Security, period"

and wound up with "We're
announcing the formation

"of a bipartisan
Blue Ribbon Commission

to study new options with
regard to Social Security."

What exactly is the danger
in studying new options?

What's the danger
in the White House

getting behind
my reform bill?

Diverting general revenue

into the trust funds
is not reform.

It's the only Social
Security reform bill

supported by any
Senate Democrats.

How many votes did you get
for it last year?

If the White
House had...

18.

The White House never...

82 U.S. Senators think
your reform bill sucks.

So unless you have a plan
for picking up a majority

I don't know what's so wrong

with saying we're open
to hearing new ideas.

And compromise essential
Democratic Party principles

to cut a Social Security deal
with the Republicans?

It's simply not what
we're doing.

If your commission
recommends raising the
retirement age one day

reducing benefits one
dollar, reducing COLAs

if your commission
recommends

partial privatization
of Social Security...

Are there cameras on someplace?

I will condemn it as
the act of a group intent

on destroying
Social Security.

And ruling the galaxy.

Oh, you think
this is a joke?

You think I won't publicly
condemn a member of my party?

The President's not a member
of your party.

He's the leader of your party.

And if you think
demonizing people

who are trying
to govern responsibly

is the way to protect
our liberal base

then speaking as a liberal,
go to bed, would you, please?

You're running to the right
on the environment.

We admonished
environmental terrorism.

Please...

You're in favor of it?

It was a cheap shot

and you lost
a lot of friends.

We made more than we lost.

And then you go
on TV this morning

with this ridiculous
defense of a cop

who kicked the crap
out of a black kid

'cause you guys
don't want to admit

you screwed up
in the vetting

and he never should've been
invited in the first place.

Seniors,
environmentalists

African-Americans...

You tell me which you think has
a greater chance of happening.

My reform bill getting passed

or the President
getting reelected

without the three groups
I just mentioned?

You just named three groups that
will never desert the President.

Not unless I run
as a third-party candidate, no.

Those 18 votes are
looking a little bigger
now, aren't they

you patronizing
son of a bitch?

I was just thinking
about this cartoon I once saw.

A bunch of tiny fish
are swimming

through the leaves of a plant.

But then one of the fish
realizes that it's not a plant

it's the tentacles
of a predator.

And the fish says, "With friends
like this, who needs anemones?"

Come at us from the left,
and I'm gonna own your ass.

Carrie, if you would

ask someone in my office for
the notes on the noon speech?

Women in the Arts?

Yeah.
Yes, ma'am.

And would you pack a sweater
for the plane?

Yeah.
Hey, Charlie.

Good morning, ma'am.
You heading out?

Not till tonight.
Chicago, then Seattle.

I wanted to check to see

if I had your permission
to draw $500 in cash

and walk it over
to that woman
in the shelter.

Oh, I appreciate that.
Thank you.

Is there anything else
I can do for you?

No.

Thank you, ma'am.
Hey.

Good morning, sir.
I'll be in the office.

What was that about?

Charlie's going to bring cash
over to Jane Robinson.

You're packing already?

Yep.

You're not leaving
till tonight, right?

Yeah.

Men and women are completely
different in this regard.

When was the last time
you packed a suitcase at all?

I don't know.

I just had breakfast
with Sam and Josh.

Toby's having breakfast
with Seth Gillette

who's every bit as pissed
at me as you are.

Abbey, can we...?

Guys, can you give me a minute?

We didn't get a chance
to talk again last night.

I don't think we should.

Talk?
No.

Ever?

Oh, if wishing made it so, Jed.

I don't think
it's a good idea

for us to talk
about this now.

Why?

Because you've got
to focus on Colombia.

I can do two things at once.

You don't have two things
at once.

You have 92 things at once

and one of them is
five hostages in Colombia.

Yes, and I'd like to go
about my day

without this black cloud around
me, so I'd like to talk now!

And I'm saying
this is

a longer conversation
than that

and I don't want you
all over the place

and we can talk
about it later and
you should focus.

What are you,
my Zen master?

Can I be in charge
of my own mind?!

Let me tell you something,
jackass!

Get as chippy as you want
if that makes you feel better.

I am your wife.
I love you.

You have a crisis.
You have to deal with it.

When it's done, we'll talk.

I feel better already.

JOSH:
I'm on hold.

I'm on hold.

I'm on hold.

I'm in some hellish hold world
of holding.

Josh?
I'm on hold.

They'll call us
and tell us when
the power's back on.

They did call us.

What happened?
I'm on hold.

I'll wait with you.

That'll be a lot of fun.

So you never told me
why this poll is different.

Hmm?

You never told me
why you're interested

in these
particular numbers.

There are five
Congressional districts

that are concerning me.

Which districts?

Kentucky 3rd,
that's Louisville...

...and Jefferson.

Yeah, Louisiana 4th,
Missouri 9th

Missouri 6th and Ohio 12th.

What's with those
five districts?

The President last night
announced a crime package

that would,
among other things...

...require a five-day
waiting period for
a background check.

The five Congressmen
in those districts...

...are sitting
on the fence.

Right.
So you want
to know

how the crime
package polled

in those five
districts.
Yes.

If it polled well,
you've got your gun law.
Probably.

If it tanked,
you've got

to shut up or lose
five Democratic
House seats.

Why do you ask me the question

when you're going to have
the conversation by yourself?

Do you want me to hold
the phone for a while?

I can hold the phone.

Take the phone.

Give me the phone.

Why are you trying to fix me up
with Joey Lucas?

I think you'd make
a nice couple.

Fine.

If you got married

you'd be Joshua
and Josephine Lucas-Lyman.

You wouldn't have to get
your towels remonogrammed.

Thank you.

The power's back on.

Excellent.

Yes.

What do we do now?

We wait.

How you doing, Ainsley?

My mouth is dry, my hands
are moist and I have to pee.

Okay.

Hey, you ready?

Yes.

You sure?
Yes.

Let's go.

Call it off.

Here we go.

No, really.
Ainsley.

I'll meet him another time.

What other time?
A better time.

What's a better time?
Tomorrow.

Don't you have
to absolve yourself

of the humiliation
visited on your family

and the House
of Atreus?

Yes, but I believe
I'm going to compound
the humiliation.

It'll never happen.
Really?

No, it probably will.

Hey.

Is he coming?

He's stopping in

on his way
from the thing.

How you doing, Ainsley?

I'm concerned
about peeing on your carpet.

Okay. Well,
now I am, too.

Tell her it's
going to be fine.

Your skirt's
on backwards.

May I use the bathroom?

Yes.

Thank you.

Ainsley...

Hey.

Good evening,
Mr. President.

Is she here?

Ainsley Hayes?
Yeah.

Yes, sir.

Where is she?

She's in the closet,
Mr. President.

Why?

She thought it was a bathroom.

Why is she still in there?

That's kind of hard to say, sir.

Why don't we get her out here?

Yeah.

Ainsley?

Yes?

Ainsley, why don't you
come on out of there?

How you doing?

We met last night.

You were singing
and dancing in a bathrobe.

Yes, sir.

Why were you in the closet?

I had to pee.

They won't let me smoke inside,
but you can pee in Leo's closet?

Mr. President...
I appreciate

your coming to work
for me, Ainsley.

You're an exceptionally
bright young woman.

Is your father
proud of you?

Yes, sir.

I'll bet he is.

Listen...
Mr. President.

Sam.

What happened?

Charlie,
get the door.

What happened?

Mr. President...

Did we lose
the hostages?

The hostages weren't there.

What are you talking about?
Oh, God.

What are you talking about?

The radio communications

we'd been intercepting
on the SigInt were wrong.

When the Deltas got to the area,
it was a dry hole

and that's
when...
No.

one of the two Blackhawk
helicopters was shot down

by a shoulder-mounted
surface-to-air missile.

How many guys
were on the Blackhawk?

The pilot, the engineer
and seven Deltas.

So I've got nine more guys
now on the ground

we've got to get back.

Mr. President...

Sir, the second
Blackhawk went in and
recovered the bodies.

They're dead.

Yes, sir.

I want the President of Colombia
on the phone.

I want a translator in this room
right now.

Damn it!

Damn it!

Sir...

How the hell did
that happen?

It was bad intelligence.

You think?!

The Frente left behind a radio
and a soldier at the outpost

and they were deliberately
sending misinformation.

We've never anticipated
the possibility

that somebody might try that?

Sir...
We weren't
prepared

for someone to try
and out-fox us

with a stratagem
so sophisticated

it's an entire generation beyond

"Hey look, your shoelaces
are untied"?!

Is that how I just lost
nine guys

to a damn street gang
with a ham radio?!

They lured us there

so that they could kill
nine American soldiers.

Where are the bodies?

They're
on their way back.

Where?

Dover

around 4:00 a.m.

Mr. President?

We have a secure connection.

Is somebody translating
on the other end?

Yes, sir.

Mr. President

this is the President
of the United States.

Good evening,
Mr. President.

Mr. President, 90 minutes ago

the United States invaded
Colombian airspace.

Two Blackhawk helicopters

went into Tres Encinas
with 20 Delta Commandos

on intelligence that
the hostages were being moved.

One of the Blackhawks
was shot down.

There were nine
military fatalities.

I'm terribly sorry
to hear that,
Mr. President.

I'd like to ask
for your assistance

in confirming that the five
hostages are still alive.

The hostages are alive.

How does he know that?

How do you know that?

We have
confirmation

that we're transmitting to you
through channels.

Mr. President?

Yes.

I respect and appreciate
your diplomacy

in not yet asking
me to release Juan
Aguilar from prison.

I'm not going to ask you,
Miguel.

I'm willing to do it
at this point.

Say that again?

I'm willing to let Aguilar out

in exchange for the hostages
if you ask me to.

Well, I appreciate
your making that offer

but I don't think
that's a very good idea.

I agree with you

but I'm making the offer
and I'm leaving it up to you.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you,
Mr. President.

SAM:
Wait, Toby...

Hang on a second, Sam.

You give in to
terrorist demands
and that's the ball game.

I understand
the principle

but there are real lives
at stake.

Oh, it's easy to
stick to principle

if nothing's
at stake, Sam.

Well, sir, let's argue
about principles

after these five guys
get home.

Juan Aguilar runs

one of the largest drug
cartels in the world.

Sir...
He has produced
$15 billion

worth of cocaine in two years.

He's murdered or
ordered the murder

of eight Supreme
Court Justices

a pro-extradition
Prime Minister

and three Federal Police
Officers in Bogota.

And from his
prison cell

I guarantee you

he orchestrated
the kidnapping

of five U.S. DEA agents and
the killing of their rescuers.

I believe he did
as well, Mr. President

which is all the evidence
you need

that it couldn't
matter less

whether Juan Aguilar
is in prison or not.

I'm not letting him out.

I'll share a cell
with him before
I let him out.

I want military options.

Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Yeah.

Joey says it's probably
just another hour.

She'll bring
the numbers here?

Yeah.

Josh, how is this
not a no-brainer?

Colombia?

Yeah.

You say get them home?

Of course I say
get them home.

Who doesn't say
get them home?

That should be the person

who has to make the phone call
to the families.

And who calls the
families of the nine
commandos who just died

trying to save five guys

it turns out we could have
freed six hours ago?

That's not a good enough reason.

The good enough
reason is

you give in to terrorists

it gives them an incentive
to keep terrorizing.

Not negotiating with them

hasn't given them
much of a dis-incentive.

How do you know?

You don't think they're going
to kidnap another five people

tomorrow morning and demand
12 months of free cable?

So you give them free cable.

How about the keys
to the Situation Room?

You draw a line.

Where?

She said about an hour?

On the early numbers?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Do we know where they are?

They were moved about 60 miles
into the jungle at Villacerreno.

What would it take
to get them back?

Alive?

Yeah.

Mr. President, um...

What would it take
to wipe them out?

The Frente?

Yeah.

What would it take?

Mr. President

for the kind of victory
Americans are used to

the kind of victory Americans
demand from a war

you need a ten to one ratio.

It was only after
we built up a
ten to one ratio

in the Gulf that we felt
comfortable making a move.

The Frente has 20,000
well-armed, well-trained
soldiers, each of whom has

a financial stake
in heroin and cocaine.

We need to put
200,000 to 300,000
men into a jungle war

and I think we'd lose
as many as half.

Half.

Yes, sir.

( sighs )

You really got to ask yourself

what's the point in being
a superpower anymore.

I wanted to bring that book
for the Governor.

The Truman biography?

Yeah, and you've got
a sweater for the plane?

Yes, ma'am.

And you guys should
both take sweaters.

And then there's the repacking.

Good evening,
Mr. President.

First there's the preliminary,
or the dry run.

Then there's
the actual packing.

Abbey, you're just going away
for two days, right?

Guys.

Right?

What happened?

It was an ambush.

Oh, God.

A guy with a shoulder thing
shot down a Blackhawk.

Everybody's dead.

Nine guys.

Meanwhile, they've
moved the hostages

60 miles
into the jungle

where we'd need a pair
of tweezers to get them out.

You want me to stay?

No.

I can stay.

No.

I didn't make the decision
to run again.

I wouldn't do that without you.

Oh, we don't need
to talk about that now.

When, Abbey?
Jed...

I didn't make
the decision
to run again.

Yes, you did.

If we're going to talk about
this, let's talk about this.

The moves
over the last few weeks

the changes
in last night's speech...

this whole place
is in reelection mode.

That's what we do, Abbey--
we run for things.

From the day
a Congressman
is sworn in

he's got to raise $10,000 a week
so he can get reelected.

A President gets to govern
for 18 months.

We try to get people
to vote for us

and, in the process

we hope the people force us
to do good things.

We had a deal.

Yes, we had a deal.

Yes, Jed.

Look at me!

Do you get the you have MS?

Abbey...

Do you get that your
own immune system is
shredding your brain?

And I can't tell you why.

Do you have any idea
how good a doctor I am

and that I can't tell you why?

I've had one episode
in two years.

Yes, but relapsing/
remitting MS

can turn into secondary
progressive MS--

oftentimes ten years
after the initial diagnosis.

Which is exactly where we'll be
in two years.

Do you know what
that's going to look
like if it happens?

I know what it's...

Fatigue

an inability
to get through the day.

Look...

Memory lapses,
loss of cognitive function

failure to reason,
failure to think clearly.

And I can't tell you
if it's going to happen.

I don't know if it's going
to get better.

I don't know if it's going
to get worse.

But we had a deal

and that deal was
how you justified

keeping it a secret
from the world.

It's how you justified
it to God.

It's how you justified it to me.

( knocking on door )

Mrs. Bartlet?

Yeah.

( door closes )

You sure you don't
want me to stay?

Yeah.

Okay.

Have a good trip.

Call me when you get there.

I will.

I love you.

I love you, too.

Son of a bitch.

I'm sorry.

Five-day waiting period--
that's all.

A person can't wait
five days to buy a gun?

Someone needs
a gun right now

right this second,
isn't that something

the public should be
concerned about?

On the other hand,
taking the feelings

of gun owners into
account, if you've
got to shoot somebody

it probably isn't
something that can wait.

Yeah.

You mind if I take off?

What time is it?

2:00 a.m.

All right, we'll
call that a full day.

But come in
early tomorrow.

Yeah.

You all right getting home?

Yeah.
Good night, guys.

Good night.

They're just
preliminary numbers.

They're not going to change.

No.

A five-day waiting period.

It tested well nationwide.

Yeah.

58 percent.

I didn't need nationwide.

I needed those five districts.

Now we're going to have
to dial down

the gun rhetoric in the Midwest.

Why not dial it up?

Because these numbers
just told us that...

You don't know what these
numbers just told you.

I'm an expert.

I don't know what these
numbers just told you.

We know.

Really?

Numbers don't lie.

They lie all the time.

They lie when 72 percent
of Americans

say they're tired
of a sex scandal

while, all the while,
newspaper circulation

goes through the roof for
anyone featuring the story.

If you polled 100 Donnas

and asked them if they think
we should go out

you'd get
a high positive response.

But the poll wouldn't tell you
it's because she likes you

and she knows
it's beginning to show

and she needs to cover herself
with misdirection.

Believe me when I tell you
that's not true.

You say that these numbers
mean dial it down.

I say they mean dial it up.

You haven't gotten through.

There are people you
haven't persuaded yet.

These numbers
mean dial it up.

Otherwise, you're like
the French radical

watching a crowd run by
and saying

"There go my people.

I must find out where they're
going so I can lead them."

Yeah.

We'll go through the rest
of the numbers in the morning.

Okay.

Good evening, sir.

Hey, Charlie.

You shouldn't
be out here
without a coat.

I'm okay.

Mr. President?

Yeah.

Is there anything
I can do for you?

No. Thank you.

Hey.

I checked outside.

I thought you'd be having
a cigarette.

Let me tell you
something, Leo

after heroin and cocaine,
tobacco's next.

Great.

Another criminal empire
we can give birth to.

There'll be speakeasies
all over Chicago

where you can get smuggled
cartons of Marlboro Lights.

I fought a jungle war.

I'm not doing it again.

If I could put myself
anywhere in time

it would be the Cabinet Room
on August 4th, 1964

when our ships were attacked

by North Vietnam
in the Tonkin Gulf.

I'd say, "Mr. President,
don't do it.

"You're considering authorizing
a massive commitment of troops

"and throwing in our lot
with torturers and panderers

"leaders without principle
and soldiers without conviction

with no clear mission
and no end in sight."

This war is at home.

Its casualties are
in our prisons and
not our hospitals.

The amount of money

the American government
is spending in Colombia

is the exact same amount

American consumers are spending
buying drugs from Colombia.

We're funding both sides
of this war

and we'll never win it that way.

Leo, I can't possibly reverse...

No one...

I can't possibly reverse
our position on negotiating.

No one's going to know.

You don't make
another phone call.

That happens
someplace else.

Santos is going to be
the one to let him out.

There were just 14 people
in the room

who heard Santos
make me the offer.

Those 14 people keep
bigger secrets than this.

You know what
Truman Capote said

was the bad part about
living outside the law?

What?

You no longer have
the protection of it.

What's to stop me?

200 CIA operatives, Black Ops

200 guys with no wives,
no kids, no parents...

I send 200 operatives
down there.

Monday morning, I read in
the paper Juan Aguilar is dead.

What's to stop me?

We lost this one, Mr. President.

It was bad intelligence

and we lost this one.

It was the Queen's Rook.

That's why I couldn't
trade the Bishop.

It was over six moves ago.

Arrange for their
immediate release.

Yes, sir, Mr. President.

If they so much as experience
turbulence on their way out...

Yes, sir.

I want to go to Dover
later tonight.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Carol:
Folks, take your seats please.

The briefing will start now.

Folks, can you take your seats?

Good evening.

Thank you for coming back
so late.

I want now to fill you in
on some events

that have taken place
in the last 24 hours.

When I'm through,
there will be representatives

from the Pentagon,
State Department

and Justice Department who will
continue with your questions.

Yesterday, at approximately
8:00 p.m. Eastern time

five agents from the DEA
were taken hostage

in the Putumayo region
of Colombia by members...

( reporters clamoring )

Let's hang on a second...

Hostages are out.

I'll call their
families after this.

...whose name we're not
releasing at this time.

President Miguel Santos,
acting on his own authority

has informed the President
that he will release the
hostage

if the President...

Left wheel, halt.

Forward, march.