All language subtitles for West Wing S07E20 The Last Hurrah.DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en.WB

Previously on The West Wing...

The RNC has a team of lawyers
who want to file for a recount. No.

If this happens and
you don't challenge it,

you're gonna regret it
for the rest of your life.

I was just going
to get the mail.

Of course, sir. We'll
just need a few minutes

to shut down the street.

To walk to the mailbox?

To come by and have a hot dog,

everyone had to
be issued ID pins.

Get the President-Elect
on the phone.

I want to congratulate him.

Arnie Vinick made
this a better campaign

and he's made this a
better country for all of us.

Santos! Santos! Santos!

With the cold front
moving into the Midwest,

it's expected to drop a foot of
snow in downtown Des Moines

and at least 15 inches
in the outer-lying areas.

We're getting reports
in the last hour of flurries

in Washach County...

Gentlemen, good morning.

Good morning, sir.

This is Senator Vinick's office.

No one can take your
call at the moment...

Senator, what are
you doing here?

My office, isn't it?

At least for another month.

Where's Sheila?

She had a breakfast
meeting; job interview.

With who?

Royce.

Majority Leader wants her, huh?

Everybody wants her.

Seems like every
message I take now

is a job offer for Sheila.

I want to call every
state party chairman

starting with Iowa
and New Hampshire,

thank them for what they did.

Uh, should I pack these up

and ship them to California

or do you want...?
Did you hear me?

Yeah, state party
chairmen. Sure.

Today.

I'll go get the list.

And I want to call every member

of my fund-raising committee.

And I want to send letters
to all the big contributors.

Oh, and I should call
every Republican governor.

And give me that
set of index cards

you were keeping on everybody,

you know, in every
state we were in.

Again, I don't want to, uh,

start making announcements
about cabinet posts

until we have first
made a decision

about the vice presidency,

which you all know
is very important.

Uh, I thank you all.

I have a very busy
day today. Thank you.

Well, I just wanted
to thank you again

for all your hard work
and to let you know

if there's ever anything
I can do for you,

I'll be on the next
plane out of here.

Okay.

Thanks, Al.

Who's next?

Hey!

To what do we owe the honor?

I need to make some calls.

Senator Vinick's office.

Well, we could use
some help with the boxes.

So, Royce, huh?

Maybe.

Is he going to
run for president?

Well, he knows he
doesn't have a chance,

but I told him to
keep the buzz going.

It'll help with
the fund-raising.

So he wants you to run

the Majority Leader's
office for him, huh?

Dr. Wexler's office says

they can move your
physical up to today.

Good, good. I want to
get that done right away.

But you got to get
over there right now.

Annie, get the thank
you letters done

and I'll sign them
when I get back.

And I want ten minutes with
every Republican senator

before they kick me out of here.

Not too many of them around

with the Senate out of session.

I'll go to them.

I'll go to their home
states if I have to.

I got to thank them.

I got to let them know...

Hey, tell Bob, I want to go over

the exit polls with him later.

Who's gonna tell him?

What?

That the campaign is over?

Adam, I am not trying

to tell you or the Times
how to cover a story.

What I am saying is that if
you report that he's picked

a vice president, you will
make the best paper in America

very, very wrong.

Yes, Senator, the
President-Elect

will certainly take
that into consideration.

This is Linda.

I have an aunt named Linda.

That's great.

Do you have any
friends named Linda?

No.

Well, you do now.

And this is Kevin.

Linda and Kevin are going to
be with you most of the time.

Now, because a lot of
people know who your dad is...

Everyone knows who my dad is.

Yeah, I guess you're right.

Some of them might
try to talk to him

or get a message to
him through you guys.

You think that's a good idea?

Um... no?

That's right, Peter.

We need to talk VP.

If anyone tries to do that,

you should tell Linda or
Kevin about it right away.

And they'll give the
message to my dad?

Well, it's not
quite that simple.

Our lawyers now have
a very solid legal theory

that your electoral college
delegates are free to vote

for whomever they
want for vice president.

Theory?

There's no precedent for this.

A theory's the best we can do.

Supported by four
former Democratic

and Republican
Attorneys General.

And they'll say so publicly?

They'll take out a full page
in the New York Times.

By which, of course, I mean

they'll sign a full-page
ad if we pay for it

as will a handful of
former Solicitors General

from both parties.

So I can pick whoever I
want and the electoral college

will elect them next
week, simple as that?

Republicans might try
to challenge it in court.

But we'll win.

It might take a while.
You done here?

We're just... It's
scary in there.

Honey, the kids
seem okay with it.

How would you feel if
you were five years old

and some people with
guns were telling you

that they were going
to take over your life?

Sorry.

I guess this is my fault. This
has nothing to do with you.

What you are talking
about out here can wait.

What we're talking
about in there

is keeping your children alive.

Your hand healed
faster than I expected.

Maybe that's 'cause I went from

a thousand handshakes
a day to none.

I'll have your blood-cholesterol
levels in a few days.

If they're anything
like last year,

you got nothing to worry about.

You get much exercise
on the campaign trail?

None.

A lot of stress, though.

I hear that keeps you young.

If I had your stress levels,

you'd have been called on
to deliver an eloquent eulogy

for me ten years ago.

So?

So you're fine.

Fine?

You're in great shape.

For a man my age?

For a man half your age.

You're kind of a
medical miracle, actually.

President Bartlet
and the First Lady

are on their way
to Brussels today

for the President's
last G-8 meeting

where the crisis in
Kazakhstan will be...

Do you have the list for
Assistant Secretary of Defense?

There are 15 Assistant
Secretaries of Defense.

You've got to stay
focused on the big stuff.

All right, let me
take another look

at the file for State, please.

The Kansas City Star wants me

to confirm or deny
Keenitz for Agriculture.

How did that leak? Once the FBI

starts doing the
background checks,

neighbors figure it out.

If we could leak a couple other

cabinet names,
it might pull some

of the press heat
off the VP selection.

I've decided on a VP.

Do we have Nancy McNally's

financial disclosure statement?

Who is your choice
for vice president?

Oh. Baker.

You should probably
announce that right away.

And publicly ask the
Democratic electors

to vote for Baker for VP

when the electoral
college meets.

The only way we'll get Baker.

If you wait and submit Baker

for congressional confirmation

the Senate Republicans
won't let you have him.

They're not going to confirm
a strong VP who could

win the presidency
eight years from now.

Handing this off to
the electoral college

just doesn't feel right.

The American
people will not stand

for 272 people they never
heard of electing a VP.

The American people don't care.

They don't vote VP.

They vote the top of the ticket.

If he has to take
over the presidency,

then people should
know how he got there.

If he goes through a
congressional confirmation...

Hearings of the House,

the Senate, the works...

Then the country will
know everything about him

before he takes
the oath of office.

If you're going to submit a name

to Congress, it can't be Baker.

Got a lot of offers
to sit on boards.

All the pharmaceuticals
want you, all the airlines.

As your lawyer, I have to advise
you to avoid the bankrupt ones

unless you just love
giving depositions all day.

I don't want to
sit on any boards.

Letters to the governors. Great.

You don't have to do anything

as a member of a
board of directors.

Show up a few times a year.

Hundred thousand in salary

and a lot more in stock options.

You sit on maybe half a
dozen boards, you're making...

Wouldn't look good.

Who cares what it looks like?

No offense, Arnie, but nobody
notices what former senators do.

What else you got?

A lot of university offers.

You can write your own ticket.

Full-time faculty,
guest lecturer,

whatever you want to teach.

Where?

NYU, Princeton, Penn...

University of Pennsylvania?

Yeah. UVA, Duke,
Emory, Florida State,

Ohio Wesleyan, William & Mary.

All right, let's
do guest lecturer

at Penn, Florida State
and Ohio Wesleyan.

All three?

I can write my
own ticket or not?

I'm sure they'll go along
with it, but why do you...?

What offers do we
have in California?

You don't want to be...

the official greeter
at a vineyard, do you?

21 and a half.

Obviously, that violates
Houston's zoning laws,

but we can get a waiver.

This fence is
essential to securing

the perimeter of your property.

21 feet high?

That's because the homes
next door are so close to yours.

What's this?

That's the guardhouse
we'll build on the sidewalk.

Everyone... friends,
delivery men, et cetera...

Will have to pass
through the guardhouse

to get into your house.

Does it have to be so big?

It's actually smaller
than we usually build it.

We're trying to let it blend
into the neighborhood.

Really? Who else on the
street has a guardhouse?

The plans might be able to be

reined in a bit
depending upon how often

members of the First Family
are going to use the house.

Use it? We're going
to be living in it.

We've decided to let the kids

finish their school
year in Houston

and then bring them to
the White House in June.

So the First Lady
and the children will be

living there full time
until June. Pretty much.

Could you excuse me a minute?

Is there a problem?

He's got to let the
Director know immediately.

It's going to put a lot
of strain on the PPD.

PPD? Presidential
Protective Division.

Permanent split
in the First Family's

gonna stretch us kind of thin.

It's not a permanent
split. I understand.

But we're really not set up for
the President and the First Lady

to be apart for more
than a couple of weeks...

International trips,
that sort of thing.

Got the exit polls for him.

Great.

Now he can really
obsess over why he lost.

You got to talk to
him about money.

You're his oldest friend...

If you can't get
through to him, I can't.

He's refusing to
join any boards.

He just wants to do guest
lecturing at universities

in Pennsylvania,
Ohio and Florida.

He's going to be bored to death,
and he won't be able to afford

the Republican
lifestyle he deserves.

My apologies, sir.
The Director would like

for us to redo the security
plan for your home,

including sealing the street
with guardhouses at each end.

Sealing the street?

Only residents allowed
to drive on the street;

all visitors to any house on
the street will have to pass

through the guardhouses.

We'll check Social Security

and birth days... same level

of security as the White House.

So our neighbors
are going to become

prisoners in their own homes?

Well, they'll be living on...

The safest street in
Houston. Yes. Excuse us.

Wow.

You okay? No.

You know, they're just
trying to do their job.

This is not going to work.

We should all move
to the White House

with you in January.

We better start looking for
schools for the kids, huh?

Yeah.

Hey, Bob, you
got the exit polls?

Right here. Pretty simple.

We lost Nevada by 70,000 votes
because of the nuclear accident.

Which page is
Nevada? Right here.

You're not set
for life, you know.

Jim tell you I don't
want to waste my time

with corporate boards?

I think he mentioned
something about that.

The senate pension
will be plenty.

And I'll pick up some pocket
change on the lecture circuit.

Where's the
demographic breakdown?

You should take a
job with a DC law firm.

I won't do lobbying.
It wouldn't look good.

You wouldn't have
to do any lobbying.

Wouldn't look good?

Lecturing in Pennsylvania,
Ohio and Florida...

Are you thinking
about running again?

Flip 40,000 votes
in Nevada and I win.

Senator, you can't be
seriously thinking about...

Doctor says I'm in great shape.

Tell me who the front-runner
for the Republican nomination

is going to be.

Huh?

One of the seven
dwarfs that I just beat?

Come on, those guys have
"loser" written all over them.

Ray Sullivan's the
front-runner already.

Everybody said he did a
great job with the VP campaign.

I created Ray Sullivan.

Where would he be if I
didn't put him on the ticket?

He won't run if I run.

You want to bet on that?

Everyone in the Republican
party knows I had this thing locked

until the nuclear accident.

That would've killed any
Republican candidate.

The party can't
blame me for that.

We would've had an
electoral college landslide if...

Look at these exit polls.

Nuclear power was
the number one issue

all over the West.

That's not going to
happen next time.

Everything will
be back to normal.

Nuclear won't even show up

in the next
presidential exit polls.

I know what you're thinking.

Go on, say it.

You think I'm too old.

Don't worry about
that; I feel great.

I'm telling you,
70 is the new 60.

The confirmation
will be a breeze

for Connor or
Rosenthal for Treasury.

Connor would be a more
popular choice within the party,

and, obviously, Rosenthal's
more respected on Wall Street.

I think Rosenthal

would be more effective
selling my tax plan.

He has no administrative skills.

Treasury is a huge department...

Jurisdiction over the IRS,

Bureau of Engraving, the Mint.

Let's go with Rosenthal and
get him a deputy secretary

who's got a lot of
executive experience.

Good.

So, we've got Treasury,
Defense and Attorney General.

You know, if you make a choice
on State, we could announce

the big four the same
time we announce VP

and show some real
progress with the transition.

Nancy McNally's great,

but I think she'd be a
better U.N. ambassador.

Well, how about Noah for State?

Schmidt? No.

I want a fresh take
on Kazakhstan,

someone who was never part
of the team that got us in there.

That leaves Reynolds.

I had a good meeting
with Reynolds,

but I didn't get anything from
him that I didn't already know.

No one has more
experience than Reynolds.

I like him, but...

Want to take another
look at his file? No.

Let's move on.

We'll come back to State.

Okay, well,

we've got a couple of great
candidates for Commerce.

Yes, sir... General Corley

will give you the latest
update on Kazakhstan

as soon as you
get off the plane.

I'll get them on the line now.

Margaret, I need Stanley
at State and Henry at Trade

for a conference call with the
President on Air Force One.

When? Right now.

What's up, Amy? Here's
where we are so far.

We've got someone ready to go

for every one of
those job titles.

The people in those
jobs should be ready

to move out by Inauguration Day.

I'll let them know.

Thing's aren't moving
so fast with State.

The President-Elect doesn't want

any empty desks at State with
the Kazakhstan crisis still hot,

so he'd like all the
undersecretaries

and assistant secretaries

to plan to stay in
place for awhile.

He's having trouble
picking a secretary?

He's still staring
at the shortlist.

Nancy McNally?

I have no idea, I'm
just the messenger.

She's on the shortlist.

Good.

Helen Santos is here.

And Stanley is having
his teeth whitened

right now, so they're trying
to find someone at Trade

who can do the conference call.

Okay. My once proud team.

I'll just duck out this way.

Problems with the
First Lady-Elect?

I'm just not her
favorite person today.

Come on.

It's nothing really.

I'll just slip out of your way.

Hello, Mrs. Santos.

I'm C.J. Cregg. I know.
We get CNN in Texas.

Do me a favor? Sure. Anything.

Please call me Helen.

Okay.

How are we doing?
Got everyone ready,

but now the President's
on another call.

The First Lady would've loved
to have shown you around,

but she's on her way to
Brussels with the President.

They've asked me to
make you feel at home.

Oh, in this place?

Well, you'll see the residence

does have some homey touches.

Ah. Like?

Uh, you could get
bunk beds for the kids.

I got to find a
school for them first

before I think about bedrooms.

Jim Kane can help you with that.

The Secretary of Education?

Yeah.

Mr. Chairman, I'll
definitely let you know

about the vice president
before the press knows.

Drudge Report says it's Baker.

How does Drudge do it?

Is it Baker?

I am not going to reconsider.

I want Eric Baker
for vice president.

Now with the
Democrats in the House,

Baker will have
no problem there.

How many Republican votes
would we need in the Senate?

Five. At least.

Maybe more if anyone
decides to filibuster.

They won't try that
on a VP confirmation.

But they could.

Not if you talk to
the Majority Leader,

give him the feeling
he's being consulted,

let him suggest some names.

No, that'll give him the chance

to try to jam me into
taking someone I don't want.

Well, if we can't count on

enough Republican
votes in the Senate,

then I strongly recommend
that you ask the electoral college

to vote on Baker next week.

Don't want to do that.
You might have to.

Baker's name is already
starting to leak, so if you're not

going to pretend to consult
the Senate Republicans,

we need to make the
announcement soon.

Got to put pressure on the
Republicans to confirm Baker.

How?

I want to see Arnold Vinick.

You really think he's in the
mood to help you with this?

I want to see Arnold Vinick.

Right wing is saying
we lost because

you weren't conservative enough,

not because of
the nuclear thing.

Exactly.

That's why I have to run
again, to prove that isn't true.

I wasn't just running
for the presidency.

I was fighting for
the soul of my party.

And you won that fight.

Ray Sullivan,

the most popular
guy in the party,

is a Vinick Republican now.

You created him as
a national candidate.

He is your legacy.

Pro-life voters like him,
moderates love him.

You give him your blessing,

you can guarantee
him the nomination.

You can be the kingmaker.

But not the king?

I just got a call
from Barry Goodwin.

Yeah?

Matt Santos wants to see you.

About what?

Sounds like he just wants to
do a post-election handshake,

a nice bipartisan photo-op.

Smart move by Santos.

I'm not going to be a prop
in some phony unity picture.

If you don't go,
they'll leak that you

were invited and
turned them down.

Santos will look bipartisan...

And I look like a sore loser.

Your personal staff is waiting
for you in the East Room.

Most of them have
been here a long time.

They really know their stuff.

All I need is a nanny-type

and someone to help
clean up the kids' bedrooms.

I think they can manage that.

This is Curtis Schaefer.

Nice to meet you.

My pleasure, Mrs. Santos.

Mr. Schaefer is the Chief Usher.

Chief Usher?

Means he's the
man in charge. Ah.

If it's all right with you,

I thought we'd begin with a
quick introduction to everyone,

then split off into
individual meetings

with the executive chef.

The pastry chef, I imagine
your children might have some

favorite deserts he'll
want to know about.

Then the head florist
would like a few minutes

just to get a general
impression of your preferences

and the President-Elect's
preferences.

Um, the President-Elect
doesn't have a flower preference.

So for the Oval Office?

Oh, he'll never
notice the flowers.

Whatever you like
is fine. I understand.

You don't need to meet with
the butlers and maids individually,

but it would be very helpful if
you could spend a few minutes

with the President-Elect's
valet today.

Because he needs to finalize...

Um, I'm sorry.

Could you excuse us
for one minute, please?

Thanks.

This is too much.

We don't need all these people.

Okay. Which ones
do you want to fire?

President-Elect's
office, please hold.

President-Elect's
office, please hold.

The President-Elect's
office, please hold.

Senator Vinick, Mr. Goodwin
will be right with you.

He's just finishing up a call.

If you'd like to take a seat?

President-Elect's
office, please hold.

This was a terrible idea.

You had no choice.

I'm standing here,
waiting like a...

Sit.

Just keep talking to me
as though I'm too busy to sit.

Okay.

What do I have tomorrow?

Uh... you have a
haircut at 10:00.

Okay, then what?

That looks like it.

For the rest of the day?

For the rest of the year.

Okay, well, let's confirm
all that and make sure

I have the updated
schedules today.

Arnie, good to see you.

Congratulations, Barry.

Listen, you ran one
hell of a campaign.

We just got lucky.

Let me take your coat.

I'm, uh, sorry for the wait,

but the President-Elect
had to step out with the wife

to check out some
schools for the kids.

He asked me to
have you wait in here.

It won't be long.

Can I get you anything?
No, I don't think so.

Senator Robertson's
on line three.

Excuse me. I've
got to take this.

Do you think St. Albans
was a little, you know, stuffy?

A little?

Bancroft was more down-to-earth.

Yep.

What?

The idea of spending $25,000

for fifth grade.

Ridiculous.

What would public school be like

if we spent $25,000 per pupil?

In one year, we will
spend more for two kids

than my entire education cost.

Hey, I actually got a
paycheck at Annapolis.

Where is the next school?

What next school?

I thought we were only
doing two schools today.

I told your scheduler that we
had three schools to check out.

Honey, I-I can't do
another school today.

I-I have to get
back to the office.

I've got Arnold
Vinick waiting for me.

The President-Elect
is on the line for you.

Hello.

Hey, Arnie, thanks for
coming in to see me.

Listen, I'm, uh,

really sorry about
the scheduling mix-up.

We're looking at
schools for kids,

and it's taking longer
than we thought.

I understand.

Can we push our meeting
back for about an hour?

Well, my schedule's
pretty busy these days.

Let's see what our
staffs can work out.

Yeah, sure.

I really appreciate any time
that you can give me today.

And, again, I'm sorry
about having to reschedule.

No problem.

Grande, nonfat Chai for Jim.

Coffee of the day.

Tall, grande or venti?

Huh?

What size?

Whatever's the biggest.

Name?

Sen...

Arnie.

Venti coffee of
the day for Ernie.

I wouldn't send our kids

to that school if they paid us.

I didn't see a single
kid smiling in there.

So, it's Bancroft, I guess.

Maybe we should look at
some public schools, too.

DC public schools are
the worst, aren't they?

Didn't Vinick say something

about DC having the lowest
test scores in the country?

There's gotta be some good
public schools in the District.

Hello?

Yes, we are on
our way right now.

I am late for the
White House decorator.

There's gotta be at least
one good public school.

Do you know any
congressmen who send their kids

to DC public schools?

What's this about, honey?

You afraid they're
gonna get spoiled

going to a rich kids' school?

A little, yeah.

You think having one
maid pick up their socks

and another pick
up their underwear

is not going to spoil them?

Going to a fancy private school

is gonna be the most
normal thing about them.

Yeah, but...

If you want to look
at a public school,

we'll look at a
public school, okay?

I need the schedule for
tomorrow's G-8 meeting

and the draft of the joint
statement on Kazakhstan.

Trade Rep wants
you to okay this memo

on agriculture subsidies
going to the President.

Hi.

Hi.

I-I have a 3:00.

With the decorator.

Oh, right. That's in there.

Oh. Thanks.

And this is the language

State approved for
tomorrow's briefing.

Mrs. Santos.

Mrs. Santos.

I'm Gail Addison.

It's nice to meet you.

Um, as you know,

we have very little in the
budget for redecorating.

Oh, well, how
much is very little?

$200,000.

You might want to establish

a fund-raising committee

to raise a few
million and do it right.

There really is a lot to do,

especially in this room.

I've never liked the
colors of this rug,

but the Bartlets...

Well, it's all up to you now.

Well, it looks good to me.

Oh, but there are many ways

that you can put your personal
touch on the White House.

Well, I will leave
that up to my kids.

I'll tell you right now,
there're going to be

a lot of crayon
marks that we're going

to have to remove when we leave.

Speaking of the kids,

here's what I've sketched
for Peter's room...

A cowboy theme.

And here's what I came
up with for Miranda's room...

A place a princess would love.

That'll work.

Yeah. okay.

Arnie, thanks so
much for coming in.

I'm really sorry about

that schedule screw-up
this afternoon. It's okay.

They've got me booked
every minute of the day now.

It's worse than the campaign.
No time to think at all.

In any event, I appreciate
you rescheduling so fast.

Where are the cameras?

This isn't a photo-op.

Would you like some coffee?

No, thanks.

Please.

I need your advice.

My advice?

Yeah.

On what?

The vice presidency.

What about it?

I have a legal memo that says

that I can ask the
electoral college

to vote for whoever I want...

You can't let 272 people
no one has ever heard of

elect the Vice President of
the United States of America.

If you're going to
have an unelected VP,

then you've got to at least

let the democratically
elected representatives

of the people vote for him.

You have to submit the name
for congressional confirmation.

You got to go through
an open process,

a public process that people
understand and accept.

I agree.

You do?

Yeah.

Do you think the Senate
Republicans will get rough?

Well, it depends
on who you pick.

Is the vice presidency something
that you would consider?

Are you, are you offering it?

Would you consider it?

If you offered
it? If I offered it.

To a Republican?

To you.

Would I consider it?

And if I'd consider it, you
put me on your shortlist?

Yes. You still gonna
try to raise taxes?

Only on incomes over a million.

So you'd actually offer
the vice presidency

to someone who, if
anything happened to you,

would be trying
to cut those taxes

while your body was still warm?

I might.

If I'd consider it?

Nice try.

I know your game.

You get me to
say I'd consider it,

then you have your
people leak it to the press,

that gives you a
couple of days of stories

about how bipartisan
Matt Santos is.

Hey, he's even got a Republican

on his shortlist
for vice president.

You figure that'll soften
up the Senate Republicans,

and they'll get them about a
speedy confirmation for Vinick,

then you announce
who you really want,

which I assume is Baker,

and then you put public pressure
on the Senate to give the same

speedy confirmation to Baker

that they were
going to give Vinick.

Huh?

Huh?

What do you think of Baker?

I think he wins
you Pennsylvania.

I think he has a lock on
the presidential nomination

eight years from now.

Senate Republicans will
have a little problem with that.

What are you gonna do next?

I'll do what I'm...
what I'm good at.

You're going to run again?

I hope you get
your tax increase.

It'll give me something
to run against.

You got a minute

to talk about Kazakhstan?

I'm not getting a daily
intelligence report anymore.

All I know is what I
read in the papers.

A lot of what you
read in the papers

is better than our intelligence.

I was impressed with
what you had to say

about Kazakhstan
during the campaign.

I always had wished
that I had said it first.

The good cop/bad cop routine

that you and Bartlet
have worked up.

That seems to be the
only thing you can do now.

What do you mean?

Oh, come on. You two must
have coordinated your messages.

You're not reckless enough
to undermine the President

on foreign policy in
the middle of a crisis.

You're trying to
make the Russians

and the Chinese
believe that it's gonna be

tougher to deal with
you than with Bartlet.

Put pressure on them
to negotiate a settlement

with Bartlet now.

Well, that could work.

I'm going to need another
cop when Bartlet leaves office.

How about Secretary of State?

Well... You going
to go with Reynolds?

Maybe.

If I don't get my first choice.

Who's that?

That would be you.

Secretary of State?

You've got better relationships

with all of the important
heads of state than I do.

You know the diplomatic corps.

You're respected in every
capital around the world.

You agree with me
on foreign policy.

And you are the best
strategic thinker I know.

I'm not asking you if
you'd consider it, Arnie.

I'm asking you to do it.

What happened to the game
of getting him to consider VP?

Oh, he read that play
instantly. The guy is brilliant.

He is a Republican.

He's who we need.

You're saying there's
not a single Democrat

who could handle
State as well as Vinick?

Well, that's not exactly
what I would go out there

and say publicly, but yeah.

Well, he's not
going to accept it,

but he's going to make
sure the press finds out

whoever we end up
with was a second choice.

He's not going to leak it.

Sure, he is.

Well, he never leaked

that Bartlet offered
him that U.N. job.

Was he serious about
running again? Yeah.

Well, then he's definitely
going to leak this.

Maybe, but this is the
risk I've decided to take.

Secretary of State?

He gave me the hard sell.

"The country needs
you." The whole bit.

What did you say?

I turned him down on the spot.

And then he asked
me to sleep on it,

and give him my
final answer tomorrow.

You got to do this.

It's perfect for you.

You ran a campaign to
try to unify the country.

Now it looks like Santos

is trying to put together
an administration

that will unify the country.

The President says he needs you.

The country needs you.

I disagree with him
about everything.

Not everything.

You don't disagree
on foreign policy.

You think about it differently,
you use different rhetoric,

but you agree on the objectives.

He just wants to take
me out of the campaign.

He's afraid to run
against me again.

Okay.

He's just using me.

He appoints a Republican
so the Republicans will

let him have Baker
as vice president.

He doesn't really want me.

You think they'd horse-trade
with a job like State?

I don't know.

You really don't think
I can win, do you?

Maybe, if you were
ten years younger.

Baby boomers are turning 60.

There's going to be a huge

over-60 vote the next election.

You're not a boomer.

Should have started lying
about my age a long time ago.

It's not just your age.

Stevenson got the
nomination twice in a row.

50 years ago, and
he lost both times.

You know, the only thing
that tempts me to do this

is Santos' second
choice... Reynolds.

You want to see how fast

the Secretary of State
can screw up the world,

just give the job to Reynolds.

You can enter the history books

as maybe the last
honorable senator

and a great Secretary of State.

Or you can be the guy who
just didn't know when to quit.

The students seem
pretty happy here.

We've got a great group of kids,

and the parents
are very supportive.

What's the makeup
of the student body?

41% African American, 30% White,

19% Hispanic and
nine percent Asian.

How many free-lunch kids?

Eight percent.

That sounds low
for the District.

It's the lowest.

I must say, I was
a bit surprised

that there are no metal
detectors in the school.

DC doesn't have
any metal detectors

in the elementary schools.

Oh. That's okay.

We know what
our public image is.

That's why it really is
such an honor for us

that you would even consider
sending your children here.

And, needless to say,
it would be an incredible

show of support for the
system if you would...

Sorry. I shouldn't...

Cathy, you're running a
really great school here.

You're be hearing from
us very soon. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

What do you think?

It's perfect.

Yeah. Mm-hmm.

The President-Elect's
office. Please hold.

Senator Vinick, the
President-Elect is waiting for you.

I'll let him know
that you're here.

I want you to let it
leak that I'm considering

asking the electoral
college to vote for Baker.

The Republicans will
start screaming, demanding

confirmation hearings.
Well, then I say I'm concerned

that congressional
confirmation will take too long.

That this is too dangerous
a time to be without a VP,

even for a single day.

Force the Senate Republicans

to swear to run a
quick confirmation.

Then call them on it.

Get that new Democratic House

to run a quick
confirmation and a vote.

Put pressure on the
Senate to act fast.

Don't give them any time

to come up with phony
reasons to vote against Baker.

Vinick's here.

Hey, Arnie.

You can go right in.

What's he trying to pull, Barry?

It sure as hell wasn't my idea.

And you'd be doing me
a big favor with the party

if you turn it down.

Arnie, I really
appreciate you coming.

Your strategy's
not going to work.

Which strategy?

You knew I'd turn this down.

So you get to leak that
you offered me State

so you get to look
like Mr. Bipartisan.

I haven't leaked it.

Yet. You think offering me State

will help you get
Baker past the Senate.

Everyone will know
that it's a phony offer.

This isn't about Baker.

I want you as
Secretary of State.

You're my first choice.

I wouldn't lift a finger

to help Baker with Republicans.

I will get Baker confirmed.
I don't need you for that.

Secretary of State is
not something you throw

at the other party to show
how bipartisan you are.

The job is way more
important than that.

This is your
representative to the world.

I agree.

You think you can make
me Secretary of State,

and then ignore me,

and run all foreign policy
out of the White House?

No. Because anybody
good enough to appoint

would quit the day you
start to try to go around

the State Department.

I don't want to go around you.

I want you to do the job.

And when we disagree?

I will give you all the time
you need to set me straight,

and then I would expect
you to go out there

and sell whatever
decision I make.

I'd have to have my
own deputy secretary.

Pick any Democrat you want.

And the Undersecretaries?

I will consult with
you on all of them.

I wouldn't do one thing

that smelled of
campaigning for you.

I would never set foot in
one of your fund-raisers.

You couldn't drag me to
a Democratic party event.

Obviously.

If the Undersecretary
for Political Affairs

does one partisan
thing, I'm outta there.

I understand.

I don't know.

This is crazy.

I don't see how this can work.

Here's today's intelligence
report on Kazakhstan.

There's an interesting
item in there, page two.

Second paragraph.

The Chinese demanding a veto

on the routing of the pipeline?

Yeah. They've
never said that before.

Don't worry about
that... The Chinese know

they haven't got a
chance of getting that,

but they think the Russians do.

So they demand it now,
before the Russians do,

so we won't help
either one get it.

So how do we move them out
of their all-or-nothing positions

and get them to agree
to a compromise?

You can lay the
groundwork for that now.

You let both sides know
that, in the endgame,

the Russians are going
to have to get a share

of Kazakhstan oil production,

and the Chinese are going
to have to have the pipeline.

You just make sure
they understand

that you're the one
setting the agenda.

You don't have
to make it explicit.

Just hint at it.

Put yourself in the position

of providing their
vital interest...