Political Animals s01e03 Episode Script

NARRATOR: Previously on Political Animals: Before the suicide story broke, I went for months without doing blow.
- I was good.
- I'll give you the money.
DOUGLAS: You're still in love with him.
The smartest, most powerful woman on the planet and you can't even see that he is just gonna hurt you all over again.
BUD: Come on, it's me talking.
Just say it.
- Say the words.
ELAINE: Yes, Bud.
I am gonna run for president.
Without you.
DOUGLAS: They have spent their lives putting this country before family.
Somebody has to put family first.
- Can't print this without confirmation.
DOUGLAS: Find it.
My mother is going to run again against Garcetti.
I'm sorry, that's all I can tell you.
MAN: After winning several early contests uh, your wife's poll numbers have been slipping.
With women.
People wonder whether Mrs.
Hammond's so-called woman problem Nonsense.
Elaine has done more for women than any candidate in the primary.
She's championed women's health issues for 30 years.
She rallied for Justice Nash's appointment and been speaking out on domestic abuse.
Not to mention her work in Illinois where, by the way, she's the governor, Mike.
Not missus.
Now, let me ask you a question.
Why is it when most people ask about my wife's woman problem they don't tend to have a vagina? Vagina.
The former president of the United States said "vagina.
" Big deal, Barry, 50 percent of the population has one.
It makes voters a little uncomfortable when a president says Please don't say "vagina" again.
- That word.
Especially this president.
My husband has been busting his ass for weeks.
Bud is melting down.
The thought that Garcetti could eclipse his own legacy is driving him nuts.
Now, California is ajump ball and he is killing us.
I'll talk to him.
All right, everybody, it's been a long day and we have three states to visit tomorrow.
Thank you so much.
Get some rest.
Good night.
I need you to wrangle your father.
- Me and what army of psychologists? - He'll listen to you.
Just keep him on script, settle him down.
Your father wants me to win this more than anyone.
You know what I mean.
He's not out to sabotage me.
He wants to help, and he can.
Douglas, you are the only one I can trust with this.
ELAINE: I am happy to present the Council of Women's lifetime achievement award to Justice Diane Nash.
You know, I was privileged to be a student of Professor Nash's in law school.
Though truth be told, she gave me some of the lowest grades I've ever received.
Though Bud's were worse.
[CROWD LAUGHS.]
It was a great day for this country when President Hammond appointed Diane Nash to the Supreme Court.
As the first openly gay person nominated to the highest court of the land the world expected her confirmation to be brutal.
It was.
What they didn't expect was that Judge Nash would respond with such grace wit and intelligence that her hearings turned public opinion her way and made her confirmation inevitable.
Diane would be the first to tell you that a gulf still remains between the promise of equality for women and the reality for women around the globe.
It's 2012 we will not let cynical politicians roll back the reproductive rights we have fought so hard to gain.
Why do you still give Bud all the credit? Hmm? It was you who forced my nomination down his throat.
It was Bud's appointment.
But you strong-armed him.
Like you strong-armed Garcetti into sending Bud to Iran a few weeks ago.
And that speech just now.
Are you running for something, Lainey? I thought our deal was that we don't talk politics.
Allow me to amend it.
President Garcetti is not a novice at this.
I can handle the president.
How is Corinne? I swear, for a split-second yesterday she didn't recognize me.
That day's coming.
And that is the day I just dread.
I'm so sorry, Diane.
Watch out for Garcetti.
He's watching you.
He's getting ready to strike.
Barrish is running for president.
- Says who? - Everyone in D.
C.
After the Iran incident, her numbers are even higher than before.
Susan, you and Barrish are buds these days.
What do you think? - That it's cocktail chatter.
- It's a lot of chatter.
As long as Elaine is alive and popular, people are gonna be afraid she's gonna run for president.
It doesn't mean it's true.
What is true is Garcetti's team is so afraid of what she might do they're preparing a preemptive strike.
That's the story and I'm working on it.
ALEX: All right.
Sounds good.
Let's move on to sports.
- Um, NFC East special.
- Wait.
I'd like to pitch something.
I was shopping in Georgetown and noticed there are two bus systems servicing the area, the regular Metro buses and the Georgetown local Circulator which I believe is better-maintained because only white people use them.
You don't do investigative pieces, Georgia.
T.
J.
Hammond is opening a nightclub.
There's gotta be something in there.
Um, let's get back to sports.
I like your two-parter on injured Redskins, uh in the class-action against the NFL.
What do you got on baseball trades after the season? I'm sorry that Anne can't be here tonight, Douglas.
Brat.
We're having dinner.
I'm coordinating with Singapore's economic minister.
Join us.
Sorry.
I had vendors coming out of my ass.
I gotta go back to the club.
Ahem.
What's up? - I thought that fell through.
- Oh, no.
It's happening.
Wow, mineral water? - You're gonna bore me off the wagon.
- Where did you get the money, sonny? Turns out my celebrity's worth millions.
And I'm devastatingly handsome in low lighting.
Uh, Mom, not to rush you, but I am considering running for president again.
Well, I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, babe but that ain't news.
Against Garcetti.
I will have to resign from the Cabinet so it's crucial nothing leaks out before we're ready.
Is this the point where you ask us what we think then you ignore what we say and do whatever you want? Because I, for one, prefer not to have the New York Post going through our garbage cans counting our liquor bottles.
Again.
And I know the boys don't wanna go through the hell we all barely survived two years ago so you can be Queen Shit of the United States of Elaine-Land.
Well, I'll take that as a nay.
Douglas has agreed to be my campaign manager.
Well, don't hate me, Nana but I think Momma would be the best president we've ever had.
MARGARET: Okay.
I'm out-voted.
Well, you're all adults.
Go ahead.
Ruin your lives.
I don't care.
[BUD GROANS.]
It's hot as a goat's ass out there tonight.
I was playing poker at Senator Byron's.
- Thought I'd swing by, sugar.
- Oh.
Hello.
T.
J: Weird seeing them together, huh? I'm gonna go get some more wine.
Get me one of these shitty mineral waters while you're up.
You know, you have a housekeeper.
And you know I like doing dishes.
It calms me.
We let you boys grow up soft.
Running around the governor's mansion like a couple of princes.
Speaking of, sugar, I'm heading down that way tomorrow to run a little reconnaissance mission for the campaign.
You're not on the campaign.
I found Jubal Jacobs.
There's no sense staging a DNC coup unless you know you can pull it off.
Jubal's the only pollster who can read tea leaves this far.
I thought he wasn't talking to you after what you did.
What? That was a pack of lies.
Now, me and Jubal are on excellent terms.
Come on, Elaine.
Now, I know you wanna hear what that crazy old bastard has to say.
Fine.
Then Douglas is going with you.
I can't.
It's less than a week before the East Asia Economic Summit.
The last thing I have time for is some wild goose chase.
- Thanks for the water, asshole.
- Well, it's largemouth season.
That could be your cover in case anybody asks.
I love fishing.
Too bad I'm busy.
- Lf I'm going, you are going.
- No way.
- Yeah.
ELAINE: It'll be good for you guys to have a little father-son time.
Yeah, and I still got the old tackle on mothballs.
- It's gonna be like old times.
ELAINE: Hmm.
BUD: Hey, T.
J.
, come with me.
Come on, son.
I thought we were leaving him out.
Your father is right.
We need a pollster and Jubal is, well, under the radar.
Garcetti is already starting to suspect.
Besides, you owe me after what you did.
You gave T.
J.
The money for that nightclub, didn't you? He's an addict, Douglas.
He should never be anywhere near a nightclub.
I thought I don't know, that maybe if he had something in his life something that he was proud of, that he could stay clean this time.
All right.
ANNE: She's running for president? - Yeah.
You're going to be her campaign manager? - How long have you known? - None of it means anything, okay? Dad is convinced that his redneck savant is gonna pull some jackrabbit out of a hat.
It's not gonna happen.
You don't think she can win.
No one has run against their incumbent and won.
Not Reagan against Ford, not Kennedy against Carter.
This country is just gonna hate her again.
They'll only see her ambition.
If she could wait out Garcetti's second term - Well, baby, why don't you tell her? - I tried.
It's useless.
Annie, we'll just be gone a couple of days, okay? I love it when you call me Annie.
I know.
You know, during the last year of my father's life he forgot he even had kids.
He kept thinking I was his brother Tommy who was killed in Guadalcanal.
It was tempting to play along.
To pretend I was this uncle that I'd never met.
How's Corinne? Her name is Corinne.
And you and I have exchanged maybe a hundred words before this sudden sympathy.
You must wanna spend more time with her before you My retirement is not a conversation you're entitled to, Mr.
President neither personally nor constitutionally.
And if I said I was considering Elaine Barrish to replace you? She's your protégé, Diane.
It would be like having you on the bench for another 30 years.
Which is why Senate Republicans would block her confirmation.
Zelkovic would start a circus.
Pike's re-election hinges on Elaine's constituency.
Shaw uses Pike as a fig leaf, she gets out of committee 11-to-7.
We predict 85 votes on the floor if we act quickly.
Hmm.
Look, it's either Elaine now or someone more acceptable to the Conservatives later.
I'm talking about your legacy, Diane.
About our legacy.
[KNOCK ON DOOR.]
Russ, I said no interruptions.
ALEX: He must be in the bathroom.
How can I help you, boss? A very reliable source just leaked something that's gonna help your story.
- On Garcetti's pre-emptive strike.
- Why don't you give it to Georgia? - Still screwing her? - You wanna know? Most people show preferential treatment to the people they screw.
You do the opposite.
Garcetti is supposedly squeezing Justice Nash off the high bench.
Maybe Nash wants out.
She's in her 70's, her partner was placed in assisted-care.
According to the source, he wants to nominate Elaine Barrish.
Who? Who's the source? High-level White House.
Five hundred words by lunch.
No.
Wait.
Let me get some legal-scholar reaction Susan, White House is gonna leak to the Post or the Times and we lose it.
- Give me six hours.
- You have three.
That kills our story.
- Lf she takes the gig, she can't run.
- No shit.
Breaking a Supreme Court nod, it's not such a bad story.
No.
But it's not the story.
Get Elaine Barrish's office on the line.
And then we need a sub for Douglas for the Central American Trade meeting this afternoon at 3.
Alice, I will call you back.
Thank you.
You know, I should be used to it by now but I was a little shocked by how negative you were last night.
What you were shocked about was that someone in this family dared to tell you the truth.
Dougie doesn't have ajob without you.
T.
J.
Wants to stay on your good side in case he needs a loan or bail.
- And poor Anne.
- Poor Anne, what? - Never mind.
- You know, you are so cynical.
My children are actually proud and supportive of me as I am of them.
I have been supportive of you since the day you were born.
Oh, really? Like when you made me wear a padded bra starting in sixth grade? Well, those trashy Perdue twins were maturing early.
I didn't want you to feel inferior.
I didn't feel inferior until you told me I was.
I never said you were inferior.
You told me I was gawky that I should drop out of dance class because of how I looked in a leotard.
Sitting on a hard chair all day watching you pirouette was not my idea of fun.
The other mothers managed to get through it without sucking on a flask.
You never said "thank you," you know that? Not even once.
Not even when I did that campaigning.
- I have said "thank you" so many times.
- Oh.
And I asked you to hold the Bible for me when I was sworn in as Secretary of State.
And then you criticized my dress.
It was a sequined gown in the middle of the afternoon.
- That Bob Mackie designed.
- It was supposed to be my moment.
This conversation ceased to be relevant as soon as it began.
You stopped me.
I was innocently getting a refill.
My mistake.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Yes? All right.
Uh, ask her to meet me at the office.
T.
J: Tell me this isn't the place.
Why are Dad's friends such ugly cultural stereotypes? Shake a leg.
As soon as we're done, we'll hit the bait store.
One with Wi-Fi? How am I supposed to coordinate the Pan-Asian Economic Summit? - Jubal! Hey, Jubal.
Get on out here, you old son of a bitch.
Aw, is that any way to greet a friend? - That's what you call it? T.
J: Oh, God.
DOUGLAS: Oh, shit.
- Jubal, don't do nothing dumb.
All right.
You see my friend Sam back there? He could part your hair with that SIG 9 if he wanted.
You got some kind of gall showing up here on my property after you screwed my wife.
- Of course he did.
- Yep.
Figures.
That is a lie, right? That is a hurtful, slanderous accusation.
Now listen up.
I didn't come here to fight.
I came here to offer you a ride on the big ticket.
Well, too bad.
You termed-out.
Not me, shit-head, my ex-wife.
Elaine? Running for president again? Only if you say she can win.
All right? So do me a favor, crunch Elaine's polling numbers.
Tell me if we're chasing a dog or if she's got a chance at beating Garcetti in the primary.
And you don't mind if me and the boys bunk up here for a while? We're gonna do some fishing.
That's how you hook a fish.
ELAINE: When are you running it? SUSAN: Tomorrow.
I can't guarantee it won't get leaked elsewhere first.
A Supreme Court nomination is big news but when it's you, it's huge.
Puts you in a tight spot.
If you say "yes," Garcetti removes the threat of you running against him.
If you say "no," you confirm you're running or thinking about it.
Is this the part where you ask me if I'm running for president, Miss Berg? Nope.
- Then why are you telling me this? - I owe you.
And I don't approve of what they're doing shoving one of the greatest justices and using your friendship as leverage.
Even by White House standards, it's gross.
And a little genius.
Thank you for telling me this.
I'll hold the story off as long as I can, but when this breaks every reporter in the world will wanna know your answer.
Alice, get me Justice Nash.
- Holy shit.
I got one.
I got one! BUD: Yeah? Good boy.
Good boy.
Now, take it slow.
Don't rush it, T.
J.
- Yeah.
- Just reel her in, nice and easy.
That's it.
Hey.
What are you doing? Dad, I have ajob at the State Department.
You have to learn to unwind, Dougie.
Stress is a killer.
Even when I was president, I always took time to smell the roses.
Hey, you remember those weekends in Camp David? The time that you boys caught that big old rainbow trout? I remember your aide handing me a fish and snapping my picture, if that's what you mean.
That's it, just reel her right in.
Good boy.
Dad, the Silverton interview is tomorrow.
- Go over your talking points.
- I don't need no babysitter.
You were sent here by your momma just because of my female anatomy incident.
- Her numbers are softening.
- Well, they ain't softening, they're liquid.
Like diarrhea running down this campaign's leg.
She's off 5 percent with working-class women, 7 percent with independents I tell you what, you give me a lift to the studio in the morning we can talk lady voters to your heart's delight.
Good night, son.
[POP MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS AND PEOPLE CHATTERING.]
- Surprise! - What is going on here? Doesn't Mom ever give you a night off? - Lose the tie.
It's midnight.
- Get rid of them.
Even me? I thought you were I told my boss I was driving up to Santa Barbara picking up some tile for a client.
I can't tell if you are happy or This calls for a drink.
I was thinking something stronger.
- Anne is not the only surprise tonight.
- No.
No, I'm not doing Ecstasy with you, T.
J.
Neither is Anne.
- Okay? - Well, it's too late.
How long's it last? Four, maybe five hours.
You were right.
I can't believe how wound up I was.
Your skin feels like water.
Annie, will you marry me? - Yes.
- Yeah.
- Yes.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
Yes.
- Whoa.
Hey! I got one.
- Okay.
[PHONE RINGS.]
- Shit.
Hey, can you grab it for me? - Phone or pole? Yeah, this is him.
Speaking.
Please, put him through.
- Forget the phone, Dougie.
- Mr.
Ong? - I'm sorry Make it - You're gonna lose it, son.
You're gonna lo Goddamn, son of a bitch! Son, let me show you how to tie a blood-knot.
I got it, okay? Just back off.
Know what? Forget the whole thing.
I gotta get a new phone.
BUD: Aw, Dougie.
T.
J: Sorry, man.
ELAINE: Why didn't you tell me Garcetti had offered you a golden parachute and that I was the parachute? I didn't wanna get your hopes up.
A seat on the Supreme Court, I thought you'd jump at it.
Can't you see he's playing us against each other? Of course I can.
But forget about the politics for a moment and think.
Consider what you could accomplish.
Why aren't we talking about what I could accomplish as president? Oh, so it's true? I'm considering it, yes.
You'll be a pariah.
You remember your last campaign? They branded you as an ambitious bitch.
If I hadn't known you I would've believed them.
Do you want a president who would force ajustice like you off the bench? It's ruthless.
Elaine, these last two years have been good for you.
Garcetti may be a bastard, but he let you do your thing.
He let the world see the heart of that brilliant 22-year-old girl who walked into my law class determined to make this country a better place.
If you challenge the sitting president, voters will see your motives as selfish.
I know it's not fair.
- But ambition looks better on men.
- I don't care how it looks.
I'm doing it because it's right.
I learned it from you.
Then take my seat.
This isn't Garcetti.
Elaine, it's me, your friend.
I'm offering you the chance to spend the rest of your life telling presidents what they can and can't do.
Nothing in my inbox and, uh, nothing in your hands.
- Where's my story? - I didn't write it.
I need to talk to you.
- I told Barrish about the leak.
- You what? - I needed to warn her.
- Warn her? - Hear me out, Alex.
- Jesus.
Why? So you can justify meddling in a story you're to be covering? I should fire I needed to give her time to outmaneuver Garcetti.
Listen to me.
The Secretary is gonna try to unseat Garcetti in the primary.
Says who? If you say "high-level source," you can just You can pack your stuff right now.
First-person.
Inside the Hammond family.
This is real, Alex.
- Holy shit.
- Haven't been able to get confirmation.
But this was the perfect opening.
Tipping her off builds trust puts me deeper in the inner circle and gives me a front seat to the political story of the decade.
Unless she takes the spot on the court.
Which she won't.
Right.
Because you're just like her.
Even explains why you haven't filed in two weeks.
And why you look like you've been sleeping in a ditch.
What is? What is this? Chocolate pudding, I hope.
I'm crashing on my sister's couch since we split.
- Heh.
You must love that.
- Mm.
I tripped over a Big Wheel on my way to the bathroom last night.
Why don't you come over tonight? Let me cook you dinner.
Alex I miss you, Susan.
Just Shut up.
How about a little Words With Friends? I'd love to, but my phone went for a swim in the river.
Where's T.
J? He's out cleaning the fish, I think.
[GROANING.]
DOUGLAS: Oh, shit.
- Baby, what's wrong? - Oh, no.
No, no, no.
Excuse me.
WOMAN [ON TV.]
: President Hammond.
Although you've denied your wife's difficulty with women do you think this might have to do with you? Is it possible that many women don't respect your wife because you haven't respected her? Rachel, I admit I was wrong.
Elaine does have a woman problem.
I think some girls feel threatened by a woman as intelligent as accomplished and, hell, yeah, as beautiful as my wife.
And that's why they feel more comfortable voting for her rival who is inferior in every way just because he has a pretty head of hair and a penis.
Yeah, you heard me right.
I said "penis.
" Sorry, man.
DOUGLAS: Great.
You know what? You just cost us California.
There isn't a chance now that anyone with estrogen is gonna vote for Mom.
Now you weigh in, my no-show handler? Why didn't you tell me she was lesbian? - She isn't.
- Well, she sure seemed like one to me.
You know what? You can't stand that Garcetti might replace you so you and your massive ego are destroying this campaign.
I never needed you to look after me.
It'd be nice if you'd be man enough to save your mother from this wreck.
She deserved a bold, earth-shaking, barn-storming campaign that redefined politics and galvanized the nation.
And what did she get? A re-heated, poll-tested shit sandwich served up by the likes of Barry Harris.
And you stood right by and let him.
Go ahead, blame me.
Blame me for everything, like you always do.
I'm gonna go find T.
J.
I'm sure he's fine.
You don't need to babysit him.
You're smoking.
Uh-oh.
What country isn't going to exist by morning? Or are you celebrating your Supreme Court offer? Feel free to come to the State Department and eavesdrop there as well.
You know, you keep talking about Diane Nash this and Diane Nash that.
I don't know.
She seems like a real downer to me.
Her partner is dying.
I was talking about the way she dumped all over your plans for becoming president.
- Didn't you dump on them first? A campaign would just turn everything all upside-down around here.
That's why I said what I did.
But you're never satisfied, sweetie.
And even though you hate all that campaign bullshit as much as I do you'd be miserable if you didn't go for it.
And when you're miserable, we're all miserable.
So I think we should just bite the bullet and you should go for it.
Besides, you look shitty in all black.
- Mom.
- Hmm? - I love your pep talks.
- Yeah, well T.
J.
Cleaning fish, huh? We had a deal.
We had a deal, and you can't even go one day without getting high.
Hold on.
Hold on.
It's Dad and this freaking place.
I should be home, working on the club opening but I came because you wanted me to.
I needed something to take the edge off.
Okay? I'm sorry.
I know I messed up.
Don't pull that shit with me.
Not today.
Drop the goddamn act.
- Don't tell Mom and Dad, okay? - Worried about them? What about me? I gave you the money.
Douglas, please.
You don't know how much that club means to me.
Get out of here.
We'll discuss my investment when you're sober.
Hey.
I told you he was fine.
Sure.
Yeah, he's great.
And you didn't screw Jubal's wife.
How many times do I have to say it? - I did not touch that woman.
- I know, Dad.
That's your genius.
It's not a lie if you believe it.
Well, if you wanna convince yourself that you're not a cheater, hmm that Mom can upset Garcetti, that T.
J.
Is just fine, go right ahead.
You know what your problem is? You don't have any faith in people.
I don't need to take character advice from you.
What? What's this really about, son? Now, what's your beef with me? Come on.
Spit it out.
It's not my fault.
It is not my fault that she lost.
Yeah, I know.
I know it, son.
I did everything.
I wanted her to win so bad.
I did everything I could! I know you did, son.
I know.
And she knows it too.
You! You lost it for her, not me! Yeah.
I know.
I know I did.
[GASPING.]
- I should, uh - Hey, slow down.
Slow down.
You can have dinner here, and then, um if you feel like it, you can stay here tonight.
- No Big Wheels to trip over.
- Mm.
There's plenty here to trip over.
Besides I'll get out in time for you to call Georgia.
That was meant to be ajoke.
You're not saying that you'll get back with me if I split with her? No.
Definitely not saying that.
Why Georgia? Was it to hurt me? No.
By the time I slept with her, you and I had, uh, faded.
- You remember our night in Monterey? - Yeah.
The night Garcetti named his transition team.
Ha, ha.
Yes.
You see, you remember the politics and I remember how beautiful you looked.
Even with your nose buried in your BlackBerry.
I am not blaming you.
I'm trying to answer your question.
It's who you are.
The way you chase a story.
That's You live for it.
You don't need love the way you need your work.
At least you didn't need mine.
Do you remember my first moot court competition? I was the only first-year you chose.
I thought I was pretty hot shit.
And then you proceeded to eviscerate my argument, word by word.
I had so much flop sweat, I thought I was gonna float away.
I was extra hard on you.
I wanted you to learn to be rigorous and brave and not to give up.
It was a good lesson.
I came back the next year and we beat Harvard and Yale.
Hmm.
Diane, I don't wanna be on the Supreme Court.
I wanna run for president again.
All right, counselor.
Convince me that you're not doing this because this is still a competition to you and you didn't come in first.
It's different this time.
I can't turn away because it's hard.
I can't turn away because it'll piss people off.
I do have deep convictions about what's right and what's true.
And unfortunately, Paul Garcetti did not have you for a teacher and he didn't learn to be rigorous or brave or to stand up for his convictions.
So I have to run again.
And, yes, I have to win.
In two years, when I become president I will name your replacement.
Corinne will be gone in two years.
You better win, Elaine.
JUBAL: She can do it.
Elaine can win.
Your mother's lead is beyond the margin most everywhere.
The whole ticket comes down to just three states: Ohio Colorado, and right here, Virginia.
And Virginia, like the other two, hinges on just a few battleground counties.
Prince William, Fairfax, Madison.
That's my backyard.
I'll tie this state up in a nice, pretty bow.
But Ohio is gonna be tough.
The whole family have to press the flesh in the Buckeye State Not the whole family, Bud.
Uh voters only like her without you.
It's not that they don't like you.
It's just that they think you make her look weak.
Well, whatever way you slice it, this is great news.
I'm gonna get me a beer on the porch.
This calls for a toast.
Jesus.
Did you see his face? Don't fall for it, T.
J.
He brought this on himself.
Your father would crawl through glass for your mother.
My father is a liability, in case you forgot the last election.
You mean California? Heh.
A week before the primary, it wasn't even close.
Those debates killed your mother.
If she sat on her hands, she came off timid.
If she punched back, she came off like a bitch.
That's the reason Bud called and said to end things before they got ugly.
Your father threw himself on the tracks.
Now, he knew if he took the heat for her losing he might give her the chance to run again someday.
Why didn't you tell me about the Rachel Silverton interview? You did all of it on purpose.
You let the country blame you.
You let me blame you.
- Jubal said - Well, Jubal doesn't know shit.
Except when it comes to polling.
If he says I can't be on your mother's campaign that means you're gonna quarterback.
Now, the first thing you gotta do We need to put together a war chest on the sly.
All right? We need donors we can trust.
That's right.
And you be sure to get in touch with Hal Linderson in Colorado.
Now, you tell him you wanna sit down, but you don't say why.
What about Virginia? I need you to max out contributions to Bertolo's campaign in the fifth.
Discretely.
DOUGLAS: Use our Italian wunderkind to upset Garcetti's hold on Catholics.
[SOBBING.]
- First rule of being a female journalist? - Don't sleep with your boss.
Look, I get it, okay? No.
If you shit where you eat, don't cry.
- Like I can help it.
- Learn to.
- Nobody takes me seriously.
- You wanna be taken seriously? Take yourself seriously.
Your bus story? It's good.
Go fight for it.
Get it back.
Then write the hell out of it.
Don't let anyone take away your story.
Especially if you're blowing him.
Thank you.
After everything I've done to you I can't believe you're still so nice to me.
I'm not so nice, Georgia.
WOMAN [ON TV.]
: Justice Diane Nash dismissed rumors of her retirement today releasing a statement that she intends to continue serving on the Supreme Court.
Justice Nash is known to have one of the more liberal viewpoints on the bench Hey.
Um, I have Secretary Barrish on your phone.
It's probably a prank, maybe not.
I don't know what to do.
I don't know if I should tell her to come up or give her water.
- Hi.
SUSAN: Hi.
- Brought you something.
- Thank you.
I just wanted to thank you in person.
You stuck your neck out for me and that is a rare gesture in this town.
You know, it's hard to make new acquaintances in Washington.
You know, to meet people you can trust.
For some reason, it's even harder with women although, it seemed it should be the opposite, right? Yeah.
Anyway, I wondered if you'd like to join me for a walk tomorrow.
Like one of your famous power walks? Well, it's just a walk, really, but, um - Is that a yes? - Sure.
Good.
That'll give us a chance to catch up before I go to Harbin.
- Where's Harbin? - It's in this lovely remote province in northern China where they have this large population of Siberian tigers.
- He's literally sending you to Siberia? - He is.
And to Indonesia, Japan, Argentina and New Zealand.
- That is so - Predictable I think is the word you're looking for.
Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow.
- Madam Secretary? - Oh.
Far too cumbersome.
Elaine.
Just so we're clear if my acquaintance were running and I didn't write about it first no one in this building will ever take me seriously again.
I am not running for president.
But I am looking forward to spending more time together.
So am I, Elaine.
[PHONE BUZZES.]
We keep meeting like this, people are gonna talk.
You can't print the story.
You wanted to put a bullet in your mother's campaign.
Things have changed.
Look, you have to drop it.
I'll owe you big time.
I know.
Relax.
I was planning on holding it.
Till the day she announces.
Then I give the whole story.
Every step.
Every move she made while she was Secretary of State to plot her run in the primary against her boss and former ally the president of the United States.
This is how it works, Douglas.
I help you by sitting on the story.
You help me by giving me everything I need to know about your mother's plan.
Strategy, money, allies, everything.
You came to me, Douglas.
Remember? I'm happy to keep your name out of my reporting, but I own you now.
We'll be in touch.
[English - US - SDH.]