House of Cards (2013) s02e12 Episode Script

You're parsing the law.
And I'm talking about a spiritual code.
Confidentiality is a covenant.
Not only between myself and those I counsel, but also between myself and the Lord.
Dr.
Larkin, my chief focus here is the money laundering.
If the President brought up Xander Feng, Raymond Tusk, the Adohi Casino It doesn't matter what the focus is.
I can't share anything we discussed privately.
Religious guidance is protected.
But you were also conducting professional therapy.
I never claimed that.
Mr.
and Mrs.
Keith confirmed as much.
We were at their house.
But they didn't participate in any of our conversations.
So how would they know? So you're saying you only gave religious counsel? That's how I choose to interpret it.
The President and his wife have never once attended your church.
They're not even the same denomination.
Irrelevant.
Not legally speaking.
I'm certain I can convince a judge to issue a subpoena on the grounds that you weren't their legitimate spiritual advisor.
Which is your prerogative.
But I can appeal.
And I would.
You'd lose.
The only circumstance by which I would talk is if someone personally waived their privilege.
Otherwise I'd rather face contempt of court.
It's a matter of ethics.
Mr.
President.
Ah.
You brought it back in.
Floyd Mayweather visited the White House this morning.
I thought he'd get a kick out of it.
Did he have a go at it? He threw a combination I thought would bust the stitching loose.
Well, that must have been a treat to watch.
He was telling me it's not just about the power.
Plenty of boxers are more powerful than he is.
No, it's his tactics, his precision, his speed.
Most important? His counter punch.
He dances and dodges and then picks the perfect moment to strike.
Does that sound familiar? How do you mean, sir? You gave this to me as a gesture of friendship.
When I look at this now, I don't see friendship.
I see calculation.
You set me up, Frank.
What? Your back channeling.
The special prosecutor.
When I think about Raymond, about Linda, about Jim Matthews You are wrong, sir.
Questions from Dunbar about the marriage counseling.
"It's a needle in the haystack she's not trying to find.
" That's what you said.
Well, she found the needle.
I am shocked, sir.
I never Like hell you are.
You want to diminish me.
Diminish you? Laying the groundwork for a challenge in 2016.
I am sorry to have to say this, sir, but you are being ludicrous.
Do you really think I'm so blind? A vice president has never challenged a sitting president.
You've climbed the ladder doing things other men would never do.
Always in service to you and the party.
It was your idea to hand over those logs.
You connected the White House to China, the casino Raymond Tusk entangled us with China and the casino.
And if I hadn't intervened You can't dodge and duck like Floyd.
I've learned your moves now.
This office breeds paranoia.
Don't give into it' sir.
I'd ask for your resignation if it wouldn't make things worse.
But from this moment forward, I don't want to hear your voice, I don't want to see your face.
And if I do, I will put you on your goddamn back.
Exile.
I've managed to isolate the President from everyone.
Including myself.
"Congresswoman Sharp is a perfect example "of how the military brainwashes us "into never questioning the party line.
"Her opposition to the bill is disgraceful.
"It will cost thousands of men and women "the justice they deserve, "and some of them their lives.
" Those are Megan Hennessey's words.
They're biased.
They're Claire's words.
Hennessey's just the mouthpiece.
Why does it say here that I declined to comment? You said you didn't want to kick up dust if we could avoid it.
It's The New York-fucking-Times.
You should've let me know.
That was my call.
I'll take the blame.
Find out when Hennessey's next appearance is.
I'm gonna beat this bitch down.
I know she went after you, but going after her is Not her.
Claire Underwood.
I understand how Garrett might misconstrue things, given the pressure he's under.
But you can't honestly believe it yourself.
I don't know what to believe anymore.
Francis is devastated.
All he wants to do is help, but he feels like he's being unfairly accused.
I don't want to believe it, Claire, but Garrett is convinced.
Will you talk to him? I have to concentrate on keeping my family together right now.
Not getting into arguments over If Francis were really up to something, don't you think he would have told Dunbar about the therapy? He basically did by forcing us to hand over the logs.
Your husband chose to hand them over.
If he'd said no, Francis wouldn't have pressed the issue.
I don't want to debate this with you, Claire.
Al! I'm asking is that you realty think this through, Tricia.
Is he with you right now? Who? Frank.
No.
It's just you and me.
I want to get off the phone.
Will you please talk to Garrett? Goodbye, Claire.
What do you think? I don't think she's going to side with me instead of her husband.
Did Tricia tell anyone else about the Xanax besides you? I doubt she would.
She's very sensitive about it.
If she'd only told someone else, then we could just leak it.
But it'll be too obvious.
The doctor.
He's protecting them.
He won't say anything.
Unless they waive the privilege.
They have absolutely nothing to gain by that But we do.
You have to meet with Tusk.
Why would he talk to me after I backstabbed him? That's precisely why he'll talk to you.
Well, I can't go to St.
Louis.
You know Tusk will come east.
Your job is to get in the same room with him.
What's the play? Remy Danton.
Go.
Get me Durant, in person.
I'll set it up.
And Doug? Let's make sure we're airtight on everything else.
No Achilles' heel.
Yes, sir.
"Cry, 'Havoc," ' said he who fought chaos with chaos, "And let slip the dogs of war.
" Missed appointments.
No contact in weeks.
You know the rules.
I'd like to speak to Agent Green, please.
What are you up to? Put Green on the fucking line, please.
Anything you have to say, you can discuss it with me.
What I have to say is way above your pay grade.
Where do I turn off this shit? Look at the other screen, to the left.
What is this? That is the access grid to all eight of AT&T's data centers.
So what do you say you uncuff me and tell Agent Green I'll be waiting for his call? I'm trying to repair relations with China.
Giving Feng asylum would be a slap in the face.
Garrett's in trouble.
He needs to appear resolute.
We're only as strong as the president we serve.
We have to rescue him.
How can you be sure his testimony won't implicate the White House? He knows where his bread is buttered.
This isn't about you saving the President.
Of course it is.
We've been down this road before, Frank.
Michael Kern, Adam Galloway.
I wanted to become secretary of state in order to engage in productive diplomacy, not full-time damage control.
Which is why we have to put Garrett back on his feet.
You want him on his ass, Frank.
Is this what the President told you? He's paranoid, Cathy.
He's trying to turn people against me.
You're turning them against yourself.
You're asking me to undermine the President.
All right.
Let's say that what the President has accused me of is true.
Would that be so bad? If taken to its conclusion? Wouldn't you stand to benefit? Wouldn't the country? I don't want anything to do with this.
Just one more time, Cathy.
Let's unshackle ourselves.
This is a one-time offer, Mr.
Feng.
I would need it in writing.
Open-ended, no restrictions.
The same goes for legal immunity.
First I need to know whether or not you funneled money through Lanagin's casino.
No, no.
I will speak freely once I've arrived safely in the United States.
Unless you provide valuable evidence now, the Attorney General will not grant immunity on any level.
I've denied these allegations in China.
My enemies want me dead.
You're asking me to give them confirmation.
And we're giving you safe haven in return.
I already have safe haven in Dubai.
Your asylum there is only temporary.
We're offering you permanent status.
Fm confident that they will grant me permanent status.
Did you hear that directly from the Minister of Foreign Affairs? Because {just spoke to him.
Right now you are a man without a passport.
Whatever assets Beijing hasn't seized are frozen in every country with close ties to the United States or China, which is just about every country in the world.
You want your freedom and fortune.
We want information.
Mr.
Feng? What do you need to know? Confirm for me the existence of a money-laundering scheme.
Yes.
We used the casino to mask foreign contributions.
All right.
One of you want to tell me what this is all about? You have to comply.
You mean I have to show up.
Unless we appeal.
We'd lose.
She wouldn't have issued the subpoena unless she had something substantial.
I agree.
Which is why I think you should go and plead the Fifth.
What do you think she has? I don't want to speculate.
God damn it, I pay the six of you more in one day than it costs to put a kid through college.
And I pay you to know more than I do.
Her line of questioning will tell us a lot.
We can use that to prepare our defense in case there's an indictment.
When do I have to go? Your interview is the day after next.
Forty-eight hours? Having trouble starting it? Yeah.
I think the battery might be dead.
I have some cables if you want 10 try and jump it.
You sure you don't mind? Not at all.
All right.
It's really nice of you.
Pop your hood.
I'll bring my car around.
Sure.
Hey.
Hey.
This is Peter.
He's the guy who drove me back.
Where do you want these? Oh.
I'll take 'em.
Thanks.
Rachel, right? Yeah.
Lisa said you two were roommates.
Can I get you something? A glass of water? No, thanks.
I should really get going.
All right.
I can't thank you enough.
My pleasure.
Good luck with the car.
Thanks.
I hope it's only a dead battery.
Have a good night.
We should give him some money.
Peter.
She needs to be gone.
You told me she could stay.
I changed my mind.
But you said you didn't care if she was here I don't need to explain myself.
You can't stand it, can you? The idea that I might actually love somebody.
That I might have somebody in my life who isn't you.
If you care about her, make it happen, Rachel.
Hey.
Is everything okay? Yeah.
You need to tell your friend that I won't take any money.
I was happy to do it.
We all need a Good Samaritan every now and again.
Did you feel justice was served when General McGinnis got sentenced to 40 years? Yes, as far as his crimes go.
But not for thousands of servicemen and I'm sorry to interrupt.
My producer is telling me that Jacqueline Sharp has called in, the house majority whip.
Congresswoman, are you there? Yes, I'm here, Chris.
And thank you for taking my call.
Thank you.
Hello, Megan.
Congresswoman.
First of all, as a veteran like yourself, I want to thank you for your service to our country.
Duly doesn't require thanks.
I'm glad you brought up duty, because you recently equated it with brainwashing.
That's not what I meant.
You said, “Toeing the party line.
" What I meant was that the culture and the system is one that I didn't call to argue with you, Megan.
The opposite.
We can't fix this problem until we find some common ground.
Wouldn't you agree? There is no middle ground as far as I'm concerned.
The military needs to change Can't we agree that you and I served so that we could protect open debate, which is the very bedrock of democracy? Yes, in theory, but that's not what I'm talking about.
Not in theory.
In reality.
Brave men and women die fighting for that freedom.
The meaning of bravery is fighting for the freedom of those with whom you disagree.
Sure, but let's get back to the issue here.
What I don'! think is brave is Claire Underwood dodging this debate and having you fight this battle for her instead.
That's not true.
Then why am I talking {o you instead of her? It's her bill.
It's not just hers.
It's all of ours.
Except one of you is brave enough to say it, and the other is a coward.
Mrs.
Underwood was brave enough to go on national television and admit that she Yeah, and where has she been since then? Deflecting scandal and hiding from the press.
You called me disgraceful in The New York Times, Megan, and you have every right.
But I also have the right to say that Mrs.
Underwood is disgraceful, because there is nothing more disgraceful than running from a battle.
Megan? That is We're not even We'll be right back.
Where are you going? To the Capitol.
Did Feng mention either me or the President? Dunbar wouldn't say.
But the fact that Feng confirmed the money laundering increases focus on the White House.
Well, as long as we're innocent, which we are.
Raymond Tusk has been subpoenaed.
Why did you ask for this meeting, Bill? Just keeping us in the loop? Did you encourage Secretary Durant to offer Feng asylum? Bill, for God's sakes.
The President could have asked me that question himself.
As the White House counsel, it is my responsibility No, I did not.
So you're saying Durant acted of her own accord.
I have no idea what her motivations were.
I'm just as shocked as the President that she would have gone through with this without his direct approval.
There's another matter I'd like to discuss.
Privately, if we could.
Just give us a few moments.
The therapy.
Yes.
To be specific, the confidentiality waiver.
Feng's testimony puts us in a very awkward position.
We're under a great deal of pressure to waive the privilege.
If we don't, it implies that the President may have confessed to things he didn't.
Dunbar is just grasping.
Don't give in.
I don't want to.
But Larkin's argument for spiritual confidentiality is shaky at best.
We want to control how this thing plays out.
How can I help? We need to know if anyone else might pop out of the woodwork.
Well, I haven't mentioned it to anyone, and neither has Claire.
I would never betray the President's trust like that.
Thank you for your time.
Tell the President it saddens me that we now have to communicate through lawyers.
I will make myself available if he wants to discuss any of this in person.
Yes, sir.
What Megan said was offensive.
She shouldn't have questioned your character.
Those were talking points.
Carefully crafted, and not by her.
I'm not here to pick a fight, Jackie.
I'm here to end one.
Oh, it'll end soon enough when the bill goes to the floor.
It won't go to the floor.
I've spoken to Elaine Brooks and I'm withdrawing the bill.
What you said had some truth.
And early on you offered to sit down with me and find a middle ground.
I decided to draw a line in the sand.
And the braver thing would've been for me to swallow my pride and sit down with you.
If you're still open to that, I'd love to start over.
Are you and Frank up to something? A passable bill.
He had Nancy spy on me.
He brought my personal life into Francis is used to getting his way.
And he'll do anything to make sure he does, especially if it's something important to me.
I don't know, Claire.
I'm skeptical.
We're deeply sorry for the way we've treated you, and we want to rebuild the trust we've lost.
Do you think that's possible? I'm sorry to ambush you.
I tried calling.
You can't do this to me, Claire.
I was very clear that I have to respect Garrett's wishes Not that.
The sexual assault bill.
It's not going to a vote.
Did the speaker remove it from the docket? No.
I did.
I just spoke to Jackie.
This is because of what she said about you? My main concern is that she doesn't come after you next.
Not while you and Garrett are going through the investigation.
I thought you should be aware because I know how much this bill meant to you.
All the work you've put in.
That we've put in.
But we'll pass Jackie's version, take this baby step and build on it.
I'm disappointed about the bill, but I have to say, I'm relieved.
How are you holding up? Did you hear what Catherine did? Giving Feng asylum? Inexcusable.
Garrett's beside himself.
He feels cornered, like we have no choice but to waive the privileges now.
But what about the medication? I know.
I shouldn't be sharing this.
We don't have to talk about it.
You should go.
I know you have a packed schedule.
Thank you for doing this.
All I had to do was get her alone in a hallway.
I meant with Jackie.
We have our priorities.
Well, I know it isn't easy to let go of something like that.
Promise me something.
Anything.
I can't live in this house alone.
I'm not going anywhere.
You say that, but this could all backfire.
Raymond will plead the Fifth.
If he names me, it's an admission of his own wrongdoing.
I'm more worried about Garrett.
You've made a powerful enemy.
We're stronger than they are.
And he's still the President.
I promise you, of all of the sacrifices that you've had to make, divorcing a convict will not be one of them.
We can't waive the privilege, Garrett.
We don't have a choice anymore.
Feng confirmed the money.
Over the phone.
Not in a formal interview.
Rescind the asylum.
Send him back Obstruction of justice.
Is that what Galich said? Definitely how it would be perceived.
And anything we do that looks like a failure to cooperate amplifies that perception.
I just don't want our marriage put on display.
Look, Dunbar'll ask if I brought up China.
I didn't.
So Larkin can only help to exonerate me.
And if the marriage counseling ends up in the report, so be it.
We can survive that.
But he prescribed us medication.
Technically not us.
You took mine, Garrett.
Larkin wrote the prescription to me knowing you would.
Wait, wait, have you mentioned it? The medication? Claire? I'm sorry.
But she's the only person I can talk to who really understands what it's like All the more reason we have to waive the privilege.
If they leak this, we can't control the information.
Claire wouldn't do that.
Don't underestimate her.
If they were going to, don't you think they would have done it by now? She dropped the sexual assault bill lo reduce pressure on us.
That may have been what she told you.
They're not going to say anything.
I'm begging you, Garrett.
Don't waive the privilege.
The things we talked about were so intimate.
Imagine if the kids I know.
But Tricia When we ran, I knew every aspect of our lives would be under scrutiny.
But I thought we could protect at least this.
What happens in here.
I'll protect us.
Whatever I have to do.
You have to believe that.
We checked the USB dongle.
The code you're claiming infected the data center isn't there.
I programmed the code to self-erase as soon as it hit the server.
It was gone before Lucas was in cuffs.
You don't believe me? This is one of the most sophisticated firewalls in the world.
Even if your code did get in there, you couldn't break it down.
Your wife uses AT&T.
So does her lover.
What? She's over there right now.
Jonathan Kemp.
It's her chiropractor, right? Want to see their texts to each other? No.
Oh, I see you already know.
I don't blame you for not making a fuss, what with the kids still at home.
But you walked my code right through that door.
Into 32 million people's phones.
And that's on you.
And it's on the FBI.
And it is a shit-storm that will bring the Bureau right in front of Congress.
So you tell me.
How much is making that disappear worth? You have 100 years hanging over your head.
Extorting the FBI won't help you.
Did Douglas Stamper tell you to set up Lucas Goodwin? Counter-Terrorism Director.
That's a big step up from White House Liaison.
I think you had a helping hand.
Not true.
Keep lying.
Meanwhile, here's what I want.
One, I'm no longer your bitch.
Two, all of my charges are dropped.
Three, all of Barrett Brown's charges are dropped.
That's up to the U.
S.
Attorney.
Figure it out.
If I'm hearing you correctly, you'd like to keep Larkin's testimony focused on the money laundering.
Which I never brought up, because I knew nothing about it.
But your concern is other matters.
Private matters.
Which are irrelevant to the investigation.
I can't prevent Dunbar from asking what she's gonna ask.
Of course not.
The most I can do is ask Dr.
Larkin how he would respond to certain questions.
But he's a smart man.
He'll understand what I'm getting at.
And this approach keeps us within the law? We're not tampering with testimony? It's a fine line.
But I'll stay on the right side of it.
Thanks.
He shut me out, Frank.
Just like he did with you.
My undersecretary has been assigned full diplomatic authority.
A temporary setback, Cathy.
Where I go, you go.
At this very moment, the President is in the Situation Room.
China responded to Feng's asylum exactly the way I predicted.
They're doubling their naval presence off the coast of Yonaguni.
And you know who isn't in the Situation Room? You and I, Frank.
You're thinking about where we are instead of where we're headed.
Now that isn't the Catherine Durant that I waltzed with at the Jefferson Ball.
She understood potential.
She had her eyes toward the future.
I told that Catherine Durant that we needed her in the State Department.
We still need her.
I wish I knew where she was, because she is not the Catherine Durant sitting in front of me right now.
But I'll tell you something.
If she doesn't show up soon, well, I'm just gonna have to keep waltzing alone.
Because I am done trying to convince this woman in front of me to take my arm.
Oh.
Don't let me keep you.
I'm here.
I'm not going anywhere, Frank.
You still have access to the presidential briefing? Yes, I have it right here.
Walk me through everything that's going on with China.
Feng is in play now.
We might be able to use him.
How? I don't know yet.
But he's clearly valuable to Beijing, which makes him valuable to us.
Nothing about Xander Feng? Never Daniel Lanagin? Raymond Tusk? We only discussed their marriage.
Nothing about the business of the White House.
Any oblique reference to work-related pressures he was feeling? He said he wasn't getting as much sleep as he'd like.
Did you ever prescribe him any medication? As I've always stated, I provided religious counsel.
I understand.
But I'm asking about medication.
How is this relevant? I'm trying to assess whether his judgment may have been impaired.
In my opinion, he and his wife were dealing with standard marital issues.
That's not what I asked, Dr.
Larkin.
So I will ask for a third time.
And let me be more specific.
Was any medication prescribed or taken as a result of your counseling session by the President of the United States? His faculties were operating at Has anyone from the administration spoken to you? How do you mean? About this deposition.
Has anyone approached you, coached you? If you tell me now, I will qualify that as a timely declaration.
I'd like to leave.
The President waived his privilege.
But I'm here voluntarily.
Dr.
Larkin, at first you wouldn't talk to me because it violated your ethical code.
I respect that.
But let me ask you, as a man of faith, is deliberately lying to me an exception to that code? Because that is what you're doing by refusing to share the truth.
I don't understand.
It wasn't going to pass.
But you said we almost had the votes.
We needed to be 100% solid, and we weren't.
If the bill failed, that would set us back.
We need to accept incremental reform.
You sound just like Jackie Sharp.
I'm actually working with her now.
She's a powerful ally for us to have.
After what she did to me? After what she said about you? If I let the things people say about me get under my skin, I wouldn't be able to leave my own home.
You know how this will go.
Everyone will say, "Great, we did something," which is really nothing.
They'll pat themselves on the back and they'll forget about it.
We helped put this on the radar.
I thought we were doing something real.
Changing people's lives.
How naive, right? But at least I didn't want to give up.
Maybe Jackie Sharp is right.
You are a fucking coward.
I'm the one that pulled you out from under the covers.
You were hiding.
You and your pills.
So you tell yourself whatever you need to.
I'm sorry.
There were political realities we couldn't ignore.
Do you ever wonder why so many people hate Washington? It's because of people like you using phrases like that.
Raymond? I'd turn the lights on, but when you're paying for the room with the best view, you might as well make the most of it.
I've never been in the penthouse here.
Have you? What's going on? Do you know why I'm in D.
C.
? Oh, it's okay, Remy.
There's nothing you can say that I don't already know.
Feng is on his way to testify.
Whatever Seth has told you, don't believe a word of it.
What might he have told me that I shouldn't believe? You met with the Vice President.
In a church.
Don't pretend you didn't.
Playing both sides? Raymond, look I want to hear you say it.
That you met with Frank.
I'll talk to you, Raymond, but not with him here.
Leave us.
Should I hold the elevator for you? Go fuck yourself.
Okay.
You can take the stairs.
They're toying with you, Raymond.
No doubt.
But so are you, Remy.
I wanted to lead Frank on, give him a false sense of security.
If you're gonna lie, lie better than that They want to tear us apart.
I don't blame you for wanting to keep your options open.
But clearly you have bought the wrong insurance policy.
Don't shoot yourself in the foot like this.
Your foot.
And you're holding the gun.
Now go someplace else to bleed.
You want to talk about blood? How much have you spilt in this war with Frank? All I've tried to do is keep the peace.
You could've let him have the upper hand.
What would that have really cost you, other than your pride? Such a shame.
You have just made And some change.
Your market cap is shrinking.
White House counsel Bill Galich was called into questioning this morning by Special Prosecutor Heather Dunbar.
According to Dunbar's office, there are suspicions that Galich may have tampered with witness testimony.
The witness in question is Dr' Thomas Larkin, a reverend and therapist who allegedly conducted secret marriage counseling sessions for the President and First Lady.
The White House counsel wouldn't be manipulating testimony without explicit direction from the Oval Office.
And just as disconcerting is the fact that our President is seeking psychological treatment and chose to hide this from the American people.
If we can't trust him about that, then how do we know he wasn't involved in a money-laundering scheme? How do we know he's mentally fit to lead? And most important, how can he enforce the law when he's breaking it? I believe our colleagues in the House certainly have enough to consider Articles of Impeachment.
Both trust and laws have been broken.
Whatever the House decides to do, we must hold this President accountable.
Fully support the President and will stand by him no matter what comes his way.
Put that in, put it out.
Then get me Ayla Sayyad.
And as for Remy, let's let him wither on the vine a little longer.
In the meantime, have his better half come by the house tomorrow.
Raymond? No.
Jackie.
Mr.
Tusk.
Well, Ms.
Dunbar, in 67 years on this planet, I have never once been issued a subpoena.
I can now cross that off my bucket list.
This interview is being recorded and sealed.
As the subpoena mentioned, Mr.
Tusk, I spoke with Xander Feng.
He verified that you were his partner in laundering Chinese money to political Super PACs since 2005.
How would you respond to his allegations? My client exercises his right to plead the Fifth Amendment.
Did you ever use these contributions to bargain for political favors'! My client exercises his right to plead the Fifth Amendment.
What was your relationship with Daniel Lanagin? My client exercises his right to plead the Fifth Amendment.
I don't even remember why I came over here.
You mean when you first showed up? No.
To the kitchen.
I'm sorry.
Please don't think that I don't love you Then why? I don't get it.
Everything's been so fast.
And I don't know.
It's hard to explain, but I'm not ready for this.
And That's bullshit.
No, it's not.
I'm still trying to figure out this new life.
And this is too confusing.
This is the only thing that's clear, and you know it.
You're afraid, but it's good to be afraid when you're I need you to leave, okay? For your own good.
I am just gonna hurt you.
I have thicker skin than you can even imagine.
Please don't make this harder than it has to be.
Everything was fine yesterday.
It's so sudden.
It's like it's coming out of nowhere.
Well, it's not.
I've been thinking about it for a while.
No, you haven't.
I would have sensed it.
Would you please, please, please just go? Just tell me what's going on.
I don't expect you to understand.
Well, maybe if you try I don't want you here.
Okay? I don't love you the way that you love me.
I was using you because it felt good to have you around, but it was selfish.
I said the words because I knew you wanted to hear 'em, but I didn't mean 'em.
And I don't want to keep saying 'em.
I'm gonna go for a walk while you pack your stuff.
No.
I don't want anything that's been here.
Lisa There was a steaming mist in all the hollows, and it had roamed in its forlornness up the hm, like an evil spirit, seeking rest and finding none.
A clammy and intensely cold mist, it made its slow way through the air in ripples that visibly followed and overspread one another, as the waves of an unwholesome sea might do.
It was dense enough to shut out everything from the light of the coach lamps.
I'm surprised you wanted to speak to me.
I haven't been the biggest friend of the administration.
Isn't that the very best reason to speak with you? I'd like to begin recording.
By all means.
A number of political analysts predict that the House Judiciary Committee will commence with hearings on Articles of Impeachment.
Let's just stop right there.
So these analysts you speak of, they're making predictions prior to Dunbar's report even being released.
That could take months.
There's no way the Judiciary will sit on this for that long.
And isn't that the fundamental flaw with these hearings? The committee feels compelled to act because of hypotheses advanced by those in the media, such as yourself.
I can't speak for all of my colleagues, but I'm just reporting facts.
Well, you may call them facts, but if we're being honest, aren't they just in every article and interview, I report alleged activities.
And if you repeat allegations enough, again and over and over and over, people start to believe that they're true.
That's human nature.
I've done my research.
Xander Feng admitted to the money laundering.
But you're no longer writing about Xander Feng.
Are you? You're writing about the administration.
The truth is, these hearings have been initiated by the press.
And my fear is that the President will be tried by the press.
Do you believe he's innocent? Absolutely.
I said so in my written statement and I say so again now.
The White House counsel has denied coaching Dr.
Larkin, but according to Ms Whatever comes to light, it will only prove the President's innocence.
And I'll tell you why.
I have never known anyone more honest, ethical and patriotic than Garrett Walker.
His reverence for the Constitution and the laws of this country are surpassed by none.
Tricia and I have been blessed with a strong and loving marriage.
But even strong marriages face challenges.
Like millions of Americans, we sought counseling from a spiritual adviser, one who happened also to be a professional therapist.
Over the years we have often turned to our faith in times of adversity.
Many have criticized us.
But would you rather have a president that doesn't ask for help? I ask for help from my wife every day.
We've relied on one another for 23 years.
We've raised two beautiful children together.
Endured the campaign trails together.
From the state capital in Denver to the nation's capital, we've always been at each others side.
I married this man for the same reason that so many of you voted for him.
Because he's a man of God.
Because he believes in family.
Because he is compassionate and loving.
Now, none of us are perfect.
I'm not.
Tricia's not.
Although she certainly comes close.
Good morning, Mr.
Feng.
I won't ignore what makes me human.
That's a form of blindness.
Good leadership means tackling my imperfections head on.
Not bad for a man on the run.
You mean a man with immunity.
Wherever you're most comfortable.
We have a lotto discuss.
I do so with open eyes.
Just as I love, with open eyes, my wife, my maker and my country.
Come in.
Thank you, Meechum.
Jackie, in these circumstances, normally I would come to you, but we need to keep a public distance for the time being.
I thought I was here to discuss the sexual assault bill.
You are.
Among other things.
I see.
There's a price.
Well, we don't think of it that way.
I'm going to support your bill, no matter what you say today.
Regarding? Impeachment.
Well, if it goes to the Judiciary It most definitely will.
I'm not sure about that.
Did you see the President's address? We did.
I think it will help.
Stop the bleeding.
Impeachment can be defeated.
But that's what we need to avoid.
You want impeachment Why fight a losing battle? We have a majority in the House.
We do now.
But if this party fails to distance itself from a toxic president We're thinking ahead here.
It's why I came to you about the bill.
Because it wasn't worth burning a bridge over.
In the long run, we have a lot more to gain by working together.
I don't understand.
You said in the Telegraph article that you would I had to.
My office is three doors down from the President's.
I can't publicly deride him.
You want me to do it? We want you to do what you do so well, whip the votes.
I can't abandon the President.
If the party rescues him, we'll lose 50 seats in the House in the midterms.
You will lose your position in the leadership.
And it will take us a decade to regain the trust of the electorate.
All we're asking is that you have an open mind.
Claire kept an open mind, and you'll pass sexual assault reform as a result.
You can't possibly compare impeachment to It's an illustration, Jackie.
Of what the future looks like.
What we offer is progress.
With a promise of more to come.
It's only the beginning, Jackie.
Ruthless pragmatism, remember? That's why I wanted you to be the whip.
The three of us, we're cut from the same cloth.
Mr.
Vice President, what you're asking is just shy of treason.
Just shy.
Which is politics.
Oh, be careful.
It's delicate.
What is it? Something I've been working on for a very long time.
And it's nearly finished.
Jackie? Help us finish it.