Madam Secretary (2014) s04e15 Episode Script

1 CROWD (CHANTING): Dalton! Dalton! Dalton! (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) Dalton! Dalton! Dalton! Thank you.
You know, uh, I once had a basketball coach who said, "You want to win, get the ball in the hoop.
" - (LAUGHTER) - I'd, uh like to say the season I spent as the starting forward for the Hamilton High Tigers was a winning one, but, uh, I'm afraid we-we didn't get enough balls in hoops.
But that season, I found something I didn't know I'd been looking for.
That feeling of coming together with a group of people - who had your back.
- CROWD: Hmm.
All of us trying to bring out the best in each other.
I, uh, can see now that my journey to public service began with that failed season on the Hamilton Tigers.
(SOFT LAUGHTER) Now, uh, though my season in politics may be ending (CROWD GROANING) my journey in public service never will.
Nor should it for any of you.
So let's all keep fighting for a strong, prosperous and secure California for generations to come.
It's been an honor, truly.
God bless the great state of California.
And God bless all of you.
- Thank you.
- (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) CROWD (CHANTING): Dalton! Dalton! Dalton! Dalton! Dalton! Dalton! Dalton! Dalton! - You have my vote, sir.
- Thank you.
Thanks for being here.
Keep fighting.
Appreciate it.
Ben.
Sorry to break your winning streak.
Yeah, should've had this one, Conrad.
Well, you ran a crack team.
Already off to the next rodeo? Delaware house seat special election.
He's not half the candidate you are, but if he manages to not skip the debate at the last minute, we might have a shot.
Go get 'em.
You, too.
DR.
HUBBARD: All righty, Mr.
President.
Hope you're not too nervous for the big final exam.
My colleagues are starting to fight over who deserves credit for your amazing recovery.
I'm sure you'll pass with flying colors.
(DOOR OPENS) And here comes Russell, to make sure I don't cheat.
I can come back later.
DR.
HUBBARD: Stay.
He's good with an audience.
Something about being the leader of the free world.
Soon to be.
If all goes well.
No pressure.
DR.
HUBBARD: I'm gonna say five words, and I want you to repeat them back to me.
"Baby, monkey, glass, sunset, iron.
" "Baby, monkey, glass, sunset, iron.
" Good.
Now, backwards? "Iron, sunset, glass, monkey, baby.
" Well done, sir.
Not sure I could remember all that.
I'm firing on all ganglia, so I'm told.
Once we, uh, get the official results, we'll just need you to sign a letter to Congress, ending your temporary medical leave, and we're good to go.
I'll be happy to get back to security briefings.
Why does anyone watch cable news? (CHUCKLES) First order of business will be a ceremony to present the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the newly elected president of Myanmar.
U Khaing.
Ten years in prison, and now he's their first democratically-elected president in over 50 years.
Yeah.
Very popular on cable news.
Well, the ceremony will generate a lot of coverage.
It'll be a fitting welcome and welcome back to two valued leaders of democracy.
Well, let's see how the tests come out.
- Morning.
- ELIZABETH: Hey.
Do you have time for a muffin? Oh, what life would I be living if I didn't have time for a muffin? Not your best one.
Hey, you were up late last night.
Yeah, I have an antiquities final.
I'm seeing togas in my sleep.
I'll pick you up at the train station, Maureen.
It's not a big deal.
Aunt Maureen is coming? Why don't you say that louder? I don't think she heard you.
- Sorry, I just didn't know.
- Oh, okay.
Bye.
Yeah, it was kind of a last-minute idea.
There's an art exhibit in town she wants to see.
Aunt Maureen wants to see an art exhibit? ELIZABETH: Hey.
- What's that supposed to mean? - I'm just surprised.
- What is it? - Renoir.
- Well, that makes sense.
- ELIZABETH: Okay.
You know what? - That is total elitism.
- You know, one year of art school, - and you're all, like - It is.
I'm not being an elitist.
It's just all of those rosy cheeks and flowery fields - and little fluffy dogs.
- Oh, now I just want to go with you.
But I can't, because the second most important visitor is landing in D.
C.
in less than an hour.
Oh, the new Burmese president.
Yeah.
U Khaing.
That guy is so cool.
He's like the Nelson Mandela of Myanmar.
Only, dreamy.
Okay, the Dalai Lama passed through town, and you didn't even look up from your phone.
And now we know why.
Okay, bye.
Oh, hey, dinner.
You know how Maureen is about takeout.
Yes, yes, I will definitely be here for dinner.
- Oh Yeah.
- Don't say "definitely.
" Don't say you're gonna curse it.
"Endeavor," then.
I will endeavor g-good-bye.
Okay, that's better.
- Okay? Good luck.
- Okay, bye.
(CROWD CHEERING) Welcome, President Khaing.
It is a tremendous honor, Madam President.
President Dalton sends his regards.
I'm keeping the seat warm.
(BOTH LAUGH) WOMAN: We love you! ELIZABETH: Mr.
President.
I didn't realize you were the fifth Beatle.
- Don't tell Yoko.
- (LAUGHTER) Come, please.
- Okay.
- BLAKE: Just look at that.
This guy's been in prison for ten years, and now he's president.
Well, house arrest.
It's not exactly prison.
Mm.
- It's different.
- It's not like he had Netflix.
He was free to leave Myanmar at any time.
He said as long as his people were imprisoned under military dictatorship, he'd stay in prison with them.
Hmm.
That's hot.
- Right? - Mm-hmm.
(LAUGHTER) Guess I'm gonna die alone.
During the years of my imprisonment, three things gave me comfort: - my cat Sanda - (LAUGHTER) the note sometimes left for me at great risk in my garden wall by my Burmese brothers and sisters, and my old copy of Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville.
Being French, I'm afraid he found your great experiment full of weaknesses and failures.
But he always came back to hope.
America, you have been the beacon of hope to a small Asian nation struggling in the darkness of tyranny for most of its independence.
I come to you, a pilgrim, offering one small light to add to your great torch of freedom.
(CHEERING, APPLAUSE) DAISY: He doesn't have a speechwriter.
That's all him.
Okay, don't rub it in.
- (LAUGHS) - BLAKE: Ooh Russell.
I just got the message.
Everything okay? He's fine.
He just needs to take a beat.
Well, how long is a beat? The attorney general is waiting, right now, with a letter to sign for Congress.
He wants to make sure he's ready.
What are we talking here? Another day? Some time to think? I don't want to be the last to know, Russell.
If I had my run, I want to admit it.
(SIGHS) Sir, a team of the best neurologists in the country unanimously agrees: you're fully capable of resuming your duty.
They also said the effects could be ongoing.
Which we will monitor, address, if necessary.
I know you, sir.
Once you get your legs under you, you'll be fine.
We've been here before.
I need some time.
We can, uh, we can push it a day.
He'll take the time he needs, Russell.
(SIGHS) Okay.
- BLAKE: Welcome back, ma'am.
- Morning.
DAISY: Ma'am.
- Oh, I can guess what this is about.
Press is all over me about Dalton refusing to return to office.
The president is spending a few days at Camp David with the first lady.
Who said he's refusing? I-Is it a health concern? This is just me asking.
Also, the whole country.
The president has a perfectly clean bill of health, but he has also just had major brain surgery, so he wants to make sure that he's fully recovered before he takes over the toughest job on the planet.
Where's Jay? There's a childcare issue.
He said "ten minutes, tops," but i-it's a half hour.
I moved the morning meeting.
Ma'am, I have some news that probably shouldn't wait.
We're getting reports from UNICEF that a massive number of Rohingya Myanmar's Muslim population are flooding across the border into Bangladesh.
- When did that start? - Well, from what UNICEF's hearing, the Rohingya are fleeing some kind of violence that started two days ago.
How many refugees? Do we have an estimate? Well, enough for Bangladesh to call for emergency assistance.
They're already overpopulated with not a lot of resources, but the estimates are in the hundreds of thousands and growing.
Let's reach out to the U.
N.
has President Khaing said anything about this? Not that I've seen.
- Blake.
- I'll set up a meeting.
- As soon as possible.
- Yes, ma'am.
There's a history of ethnic tension in the region.
Maybe the military can get it under control.
Unless it's the military perpetrating the, uh, violence.
There was an attack a few weeks ago by a Muslim separatist group on some Burmese police.
This could be retaliation.
A state crackdown leading to a mass exodus would be extremely troubling.
DAISY: Particularly when we're about to present their first democratically-elected leader the Medal of Freedom.
(KAT CHUCKLES) I mean, somebody has to think about the optics.
- Yeah.
- Hey.
Party in here.
KAT: Muslims fleeing Myanmar, humanitarian crisis, possible ethnic cleansing.
Hold on.
We don't know enough to call it "ethnic cleansing.
" Oh, except the Rohingya have kind of been living in apartheid-like conditions for generations.
They were rounded up and put in camps as recently as what was it 2012? It's a country at a crossroads; they're part democracy, part military dictatorship.
They're still trying to come to terms with their colonial past, building a new economy We we have to help them go the right way here.
I just want to know when it's Myanmar and when it's Burma.
Well, officially, it's Myanmar, but the country still keeps the old colonial name.
And the old colonial borders, which is why the Buddhists feel that the Muslim Rohingya should have ended up in Bangladesh.
President Khaing is leading a prayer at the Great River Buddhist temple, then I'm told he's booked for the rest of the day.
Well, then, I guess we're about to go pray.
Shall we? President Khaing? I'm so sorry.
So good to see you again, Madam Secretary.
We're just about to begin.
We're not actually gonna stay.
This is my policy advisor, Kat Sandoval.
- Mr.
President.
- If we could just have a moment - of your time.
- Of course.
We've had numerous reports of your Rohingya people fleeing some kind of violence in your country.
And we just wanted to offer whatever support we can to help you address this crisis.
What kind of reports? - Well - Refugee camps in Bangladesh are being overwhelmed by the Rohingya people.
Adults, as well as children, are saying that they're being driven out.
Great trouble with the Bengali.
It is both new and goes back to the very beginning of our country.
But the United States has its own immigration troubles.
I'm sure you can understand.
Well, I'm not sure it's an immigration issue, when these people have lived in the Rikhine State for generations.
But, right now, we're just trying to understand what exactly is happening.
As always with these matters, it's very complicated.
There was recently a violent attack by an Islamic insurgency against out Burmese police forces.
Perhaps the fear of retaliation prompted the sudden migrat What we're hearing, Mr.
President, are confirmed reports of ongoing violence.
Specifically targeting the Rohingya people.
We prefer to call these people the Muslims of the Rikhine State.
I'll confer with my advisors on this matter and we'll talk again when I know more.
- Thank you for your concern.
- Of course.
Why won't he call them Rohingya? And since when is a refugee crisis a spontaneous self-deportation? I hate to say it, but I cannot believe this is the guy we're honoring.
We need to figure out what's really going on.
(GASPS) Hi.
Oh, there she is.
- Hey, Aunt Maureen.
- Come here, you.
Oh The best therapy in the world right here.
- So great to see you.
- Oh, look at you, so beautiful.
- Where's Jace? - He's at Piper's.
He promised he'll be back for dinner.
Who's this Piper I keep hearing about? She's, like, the female Jace, only actually cool.
(LAUGHS) You want a cup of tea, Mo? Uh, sure, I'll have, uh, something herbal.
Oh, uh, I got you a little something.
You didn't have to do that.
I told the guy at the art store that my niece was a professional designer.
- Hopefully someday.
- (LAUGHS) These are great.
You sure? The guy wasn't taking me for a ride? No, they're perfect.
Thank you so much.
Oh.
Oh, I wish your grandfather could see you making your own clothes, so professional.
Oh, he would've crushed that dream right out of you.
Stop it.
He would not.
Why don't I show you some of the stuff I'm working on? - That'd be great.
- Here you go.
Oh, thanks.
- Oh, I got something for you, too.
- What is it, Christmas? I just found it in a drawer.
Oh.
Dad's old knife.
- He had it all the time, remember? - Mm-hmm.
There's a little release right here.
Yeah, I know how to (CHUCKLES) Almost forgot about this.
I know he would have wanted you to have it.
- Don't tell Shane.
- Oh, listen, I just got a text from Elizabeth.
She's really sorry, but she is not gonna make it home for dinner tonight.
- Called it.
- Oh, what a shame.
And I was even making her favorite chicken with mushroom sauce.
She really wanted to welcome you.
Well, let's do it tomorrow night, when we can all be together.
I mean, I don't need a red carpet.
Why don't we order in? - Really? - Mm.
What are we in the mood for? We like Thai.
Thai sounds great.
- I'll get a menu.
- Great.
Uh, all right, well, listen, - I'll get your bag upstairs.
- Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
- I'll take, take care of it, no problem.
- You sure? - Oh, yep, yep, yep.
- Okay.
Second door on the left.
All right, well, it's good to see you, brother.
Mmm.
You, too.
Sure.
KAT: Donna! Donna, hey.
I saw your e-mail.
I am late for a department meeting.
Can we talk after? Okay, okay, well, did you actually read my e-mail? 'Cause I'm pretty sure a massacre takes precedence over a department meeting.
Unless I'm missing something.
We're looking at a humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.
President Khaing still hasn't released a statement.
Of course, he won't say the name of the people being slaughtered.
Rohingya is a contested term.
The Buddhist majority (SIGHS) Yes.
see the Muslim minority as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, so they prefer "Bengali.
" Our newly elected humanitarian icon seems to be turning a blind eye to ethnic cleansing.
President Khaing is avoiding taking sides because he can't.
That's a little hard to swallow when we're about to present him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
But you know what? We will table that.
Right now I need a full report on military and police activity in the Rikhine State of Myanmar over the last year and a detailed record of the last week.
- I'll pull together what we have - Great.
but there isn't much.
Donna, can I ask why I have NGOs on the ground giving me more information than our own East Asia desk? Because operating on an official level with Myanmar right now is complex.
Well, it's al (SCOFFS) it's always complex.
What? It's diplomacy.
What are we talking about here? I'm going to say something that may sound impertinent, but for President Khaing's sake, I respectfully request that we not look further into the actions of the Burmese military right now.
Agreed on the impertinent part.
Now I get to ask: why? The election of President Khaing is nothing short of a political miracle in Southeast Asia.
But it only happened because General Bo Htun agreed to let his country's most famous dissident have a small measure of power as long as Bo Htun kept most control for himself.
If State starts throwing its weight around too soon, we risk undermining Khaing at a crucial moment in his presidency.
To put it more bluntly, this is his fight, not ours.
I'll let you get to your meeting.
(DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES) ELIZABETH: We have a situation.
We now have an estimate of more than 100,000 Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar.
And the newly elected president is denying that any violence took place; my own people are telling us to leave it alone, and the whole thing is going to blow up into an international story.
Just as Conrad is about to present their president with our highest honor.
Well, my greater concern is another situation like Bosnia or Rwanda, when the world stood by while a massacre went unchecked.
- Where's the U.
N.
on this? - Well, we're all trying to confirm whether this was a state-ordered crackdown of some kind or violence between vigilante groups.
Once we know what's happening, then we can talk interventions.
I can reach out to the supreme commander of the Burmese Army, but if the president isn't willing to talk I'm proposing military drone surveillance.
- Violating their airspace? - If they're not willing to tell us what's going on, then we have to find out - for ourselves.
- Well, it's a provocative move so soon into Khaing's first term.
China won't be happy.
Conrad is back in office in two days.
I say it's his call.
Might be best not to wait.
Meaning what? The situation's evolving.
TERESA: Precisely why I think Dalton should be the one to decide about committing our military assets.
Not that situation.
Is he all right? There's no health issue.
That's all I can say right now.
You should make the call on Myanmar.
Order the surveillance.
So, are we still gonna be here next week? Eh.
I can't say yet.
I think once you get back in the swing of things The presidency doesn't "swing.
" (CHUCKLES) It comes at you, every minute.
Dr.
Hubbard says you're ready.
Dr.
Hubbard isn't in my head.
She also couldn't rule out the chance of a recurrence.
A very small chance.
Not much bigger than anyone else's chance.
Look, you'll do what you always do.
Consider the facts, then trust your instincts.
Yeah.
ANNOUNCER: Good evening from McClendon University in Sacramento.
- - Tonight in the race for governor, we present the only debate between our two candidates, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Conrad Dalton and incumbent Jack Dunn.
Good evening, California.
I'm Daffy Duck.
(AS DAFFY DUCK): And you're despicable.
Quack, quack, quack.
(SCATTERED LAUGHTER) So, I guess I'm Bugs Bunny.
(SCATTERED LAUGHTER) Are we good? Yep, we're good out here.
Can you bring Mr.
Dalton's key light down - about two percent, please? - (PHONE RINGS) Hey, we're just, uh, finishing sound check.
You almost here? I want the flags DALTON: He gave them my name? Are you sure? When was this? (SIGHS) Tell them I'll be there as soon as I can.
Yeah.
Love you.
Bye.
- Hey, Ben.
- One sec, we're almost done.
Ben.
(SIGHS) I, uh, I need to get to Los Angeles.
Uh, absolutely, we'll, we'll get you a ride tonight.
I need to go now.
The debate starts in two hours.
It's an emergency situation.
What's going on? I can't really get into it.
I'm sorry to ask, but is someone dying? - No, no, nothing like that.
- Good.
'Cause unless someone is dying right now, you can't miss this debate.
You can't.
I'm afraid I have to go.
So you're forfeiting the entire campaign and you can't even give me a reason why? I don't have a choice.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah, you do.
Then this is what I'm choosing.
I'm sorry, Ben.
I'm sorry, everybody.
I'll call you from the road.
Great.
We'll, uh, we'll figure it out.
Nothing to figure out.
(MONITOR BEEPING) DR.
GUSKIN: Your brother was brought in around 4:10 today with multiple fractures to his left forearm and wrist and severe facial contusions.
The social worker said there was a violent altercation at the men's shelter.
He also seemed to be experiencing delusions, possibly due to alcohol withdrawal.
He's schizoaffective.
Depressive type.
Must be going through an episode.
DR.
GUSKIN: Okay.
So, you've not been in touch with your brother? He disappeared from a psychiatric hospital in Connecticut three years ago.
Hutton Presbyterian.
The family's been looking for him every day.
We'll reach out to Hutton for his records.
Right now we have him on a benzodiazepine to calm the delusions.
You're gonna want to get him on an SSRI.
- That worked for a time.
- Okay.
Thank you, Dr.
Guskin.
It's good he reached out to you.
Yeah.
Maybe I'll look into a hotel room.
It's wait and see at this point.
Lydia, I'll call you back.
Yeah.
Love you.
John.
Hey.
It's me.
What are you doing here? Well, they said you gave them my name.
I must've been out of my mind.
(BOTH LAUGH) (SIGHS) It's good to see you.
You look like hell.
Want a drink of water? Where the hell you been, you dumbass? Gone.
Well, you're back now.
I got you.
Oh, wasn't that beautiful? I felt like I just spent the morning in Paris.
Please.
It was like one long celebration of the bourgeoisie and now we have an endless array of tchotchkes to prove it.
(HENRY SIGHS) You think Erin would like this scarf? I don't know.
She's probably not bourgeois enough.
There's nothing more unbearable than a college freshman.
I wouldn't know much about that, would I? I'm starving.
Could we go get something to eat? Just come here a minute.
You know, you know, Maureen's been looking forward to this.
She doesn't get a lot of fun in her life.
Who's stopping her from having fun? I was just stating my opinion.
Look, I know that it seems sophisticated to cut everything down, but the actual sign of a fine mind is the ability to engage in a broad spectrum of culture without judging it.
And by the way, Renoir is not just a celebration of the bourgeoisie.
Sorry for being unsophisticated.
Should I go apologize? Just take a little time and get to know your aunt.
She's a sharp lady.
Ask her a question.
You might learn something.
(SIGHS) KAT: Ma'am, I am so sorry to interrupt, but we just got the report back from the military surveillance over Myanmar.
It is not good.
These villages look carpet-bombed.
Defense confirms it's military action.
General Bo Htun sent in troops to burn everything to the ground and drive out the Rohingya population.
There's evidence of mass graves.
So we are looking at ethnic cleansing.
Yep.
Textbook case.
Well, now the question is did this begin the day that President Khaing left the country because the military didn't want him to know about it or because they were providing him with a cover? One way he's completely powerless and the other way, he is complicit.
Either way, our honored guest is a potential war criminal.
(SCOFFS) What do we do next? Find out what he knows.
Either leverage the heck out of him or offer him our help.
You know, I might have something that could help with the leveraging.
My supreme commander assures me there've been no actions against innocent civilians.
These are whole villages burned to the ground.
This can't simply be people retreating in fear of retaliation.
This is ethnic cleansing.
I must reject this inflammatory terminology.
These clearance operations targeted Bengali terrorists who killed our security officers and stole their weapons.
Acts of lawlessness must be answered.
Of course, but there are ways to enforce laws without violating the human rights of your own citizens.
My people suffered 50 years under a military dictatorship.
This type of autocracy thrives on hatred and suspicion to keep its people divided.
To bring Myanmar together will take time, economic growth, the painstaking work of cultural inclusion, but I cannot unite my people when they are threatened by extremists who seek to annihilate the very culture that has hosted them for generations.
I understand.
There's one other thing that I wanted to share with you.
These are drawings that were done a couple of days ago by Rohingya children in a UNICEF camp in Bangladesh.
These are people fleeing a burning village under what appears to be a military helicopter.
These are soldiers killing this boy's family.
That's his younger brother being burned and shot.
Those are his parents.
These are extremely distressing, if they are authentic.
I don't offer these as proof.
But we do offer these as evidence that whatever is being perpetrated in the name of security is marking a generation.
If you want to combat violent extremism in Myanmar, the actions of your military right now are doing exactly the opposite.
Thank you for coming, Madam Secretary.
I've heard your message.
I'm gonna leave these here for you.
Good luck, Mr.
President.
(DOOR OPENS) (DOOR CLOSES) I didn't realize you could put cheese on so many things.
Stevie would starve here.
Sorry if it's too American for you.
So, when did you get into Renoir, Aunt Maureen? Art class in high school, I guess.
Mrs.
Abrams.
Did you have her? No.
I had that guy.
(LAUGHING): Oh, yeah.
I can't remember his name.
- That guy.
- Oh, yeah.
Mrs.
Abrams was my lifeboat.
Cool.
So, you were good at art? Oh, not like you.
Mostly I loved when she turned off the lights, and showed the slides of the paintings and talked about the history, you know, the life of the artist.
Did you ever want to do anything with it? Study somewhere? Oh, that wasn't possible.
You got good grades, Mo.
You could've gone somewhere.
Maybe in another life.
Maybe with another dad.
Oh, by all means, don't miss an opportunity to drag Dad through the mud.
Where's that waiter? I'm just saying that it wasn't your fault.
Oh, no, I was perfectly capable of crushing my own dreams.
- (GROANS) - Birth control, they talk to you about that? Okay, yes, of course we did.
Come on, what about Shane? He can barely get anything going.
You think that has nothing to do with how we were brought up? You know, where do I fall on this list of family failures? You see, I had to work, Alison.
That's something where you get up and you do something you don't want to do - and they pay you for it.
- I don't judge any of us.
It's a miracle that we can drive and vote.
Well, it's not like you got anything we didn't.
- Ready to order? - What are you talking about? We're gonna need another minute.
I worked at Quick Pick.
You went to UVA.
That was the end of college for me.
How did I keep you from going to college? You were the boy.
You got the money.
I made my peace with that.
Life isn't fair, kiddo.
- Something they don't tell you.
- Whoa, whoa.
You think Dad paid one dime of my tuition? I was ROTC, remember? And then I paid all my loans back myself.
- Well, that is not what I was told.
- Then you were lied to.
- Well, why would he say that? - Because he didn't want you to go.
- What? That is incre - I know you don't want me to criticize Dad, but this right here, the fact you've been carrying this around for all these years and he-he wanted that, too.
Keep us in line.
That is a terrible thing to say.
Well, it was a terrible thing to do.
And the worst part of it is I think he did it because you were his favorite.
- What? - I-I know you want me to think well of him, but I can't.
And this is why.
We can send F18s off a carrier in the Bay of Bengal to immediately deter any further destruction of the Rohingya villages in the Rakhine State.
However, with a significant number of refugees still fleeing to the border through here, here and here, and the open terrain, there's a very high risk of civilian casualties.
Where are we with U.
N.
ground troops? ELIZABETH: I-I reached out to the secretary general, but we'd have to wait for a vote.
I think more immediate action is called for.
HILL: We could always send in our own ground troops, but that's a direct affront to the Myanmar military.
I can't imagine, Russell, you would recommend that course of action.
Well, there'd be some political fallout in the region and at home if any troops were lost.
Have we exhausted all diplomatic options? President Khaing is an elected leader in a country that gives half of its parliamentary seats to the military.
There's only so much that he can do.
And so much for the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
That's part of the problem.
The world thinks that they elected a saint and what we are getting is a politician.
HILL: Well, I'll say it.
There's always staying out of a fight that isn't ours.
It's true.
We don't have a great deal of interest at stake in the region.
Except the first democracy in half a century.
RUSSELL: Lack of action does carry the risk of playing out badly in the long term.
Intervening to prevent another Rwanda shouldn't be too hard to sell.
And now is the moment to intervene.
Let's get some sorties in the air.
A show of force they can't ignore.
See if that opens things up diplomatically.
BECKER: Yes, ma'am.
(SIGHS) Well for an acting president, she - is suddenly reluctant to act.
- Yeah, it happens when they're new to office.
The reality sinks in.
So now we've got a couple of hundred thousand people stuck between two leaders, both of them afraid to lead? Yeah, I can think of a third.
Okay, what's going on with Conrad? And don't give me the talking points.
There's not a lot to say.
His health is good.
Doctors say he's ready.
Something changed.
I'm not sure he wants it anymore.
(SIGHS) DALTON: Teresa isn't wrong to hesitate.
It's never easy putting our troops on the line, even when the cause is just.
I know you understand her reticence.
I understand it because I nearly blundered us into a war over some deranged folly.
- It's not an easy thing to live with.
- You were suffering the effects of a brain tumor.
The country understands that.
We need you, Conrad.
When my brother was in his senior year in high school, he started to hear a voice.
He didn't tell anybody at the time.
It was only later he told me he thought he was talking to God.
And then when the voice told him to hurt himself he knew it was the Devil.
Knew it.
Took a full breakdown, the first of many, before he finally accepted that his reality wasn't everyone else's.
He was totally sure.
You passed all the tests.
And I was completely sure about calling that strike on Russia.
How can I ever be sure of myself again? That fact that you are being this careful proves that you are back to the man that this country chose to be its leader.
If I can't trust myself, I can't lead, Bess.
You should take some more time.
Think it through.
But while you're thinking it through, could I ask you to consider one request? Julie, where are we putting the Never mind, found it.
Excuse me, Director Dalton? How can I help you? Russell Jackson.
I, uh, work with Ted Barnes at party HQ.
Huh.
I don't think we met before.
I generally avoid daylight.
(CHUCKLES) I watched your campaign.
You shouldn't be the one packing up.
Yeah.
I think it's time to admit I am not cut out for politics.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
I-I saw your kickoff speech at the Steel Industries.
You said a lot of things they didn't want to hear, and they loved you anyway.
- That's pretty much the whole gig.
- Well, hmm, that and winning.
I think we both know why you didn't win this one.
Yep.
Can't miss the debate.
Trust me, the point's been made.
Well, the mistake wasn't missing a debate, the mistake was hiding the reason why.
I'm very well connected.
Apparently.
You're a wonk and a spook.
You're not supposed to connect at the podium, but you do.
'Cause you're real.
You can't fake that.
I've worked for plenty who tried.
So whoever talked you into that BS statement about cancelling due to a scheduling matter, that's the guy who blew it, not you.
The statement was mine.
Not throwing your team under the bus.
That's another reason politics needs you.
We all have family issues that keep us up at night.
Stop trying to be your idea of a politician.
Be you.
'Cause that guy that guy has a future.
What? Eh, it's a little hard getting schooled in authenticity by a guy with a comb-over.
How's that for real? (CHUCKLES) (LAUGHS): Mr.
President.
They didn't tell me it was you.
It's good to meet you, Mr.
President.
This is a tremendous honor.
Please.
I didn't expect to see you until the presentation ceremony.
Well, things being what they are, this might not be the right time for the Medal of Freedom.
But Acting President Hurst thought I could offer some counsel on your refugee situation.
I see.
Can I offer you something to drink? I'm good, thanks.
I'm, uh I'm going to get right to the point.
You're a new leader.
It seems any way you move, you bring the whole thing down.
- It's a bit more complicated.
- I'm sure.
Which puts you in the fog.
It's where you'll spend too much of your time if you're a good leader, so let me clear it up for you.
You need to bring your Rohingya people home.
It is not possible at this time to repatriate the Muslims of the Rakhine State.
Is that how they refer to themselves? Mr.
President I am deeply grateful for the support the United States and many other nations have shown me.
But I was elected to lead the people of Myanmar, - not to please the Western world.
- That's right.
So you must lead all your people.
You're asking me to put 97% of my country at great risk in order to defend three percent.
No country willing to massacre nearly a million of its citizens can ever call itself a democracy.
I know your military uses fear and suspicion to hold onto its power.
But you have words.
The same words that won an election.
I've spoken of peace and reconciliation for over 20 years Say their name.
Start there.
Then give them a seat at the table so they can speak their own words.
That's how you change things.
You say this as if it's easily done.
Finding your voice as a leader is never easy, but it's pretty much the whole gig.
(LAUGHS SOFTLY) "The obstacle is the path.
" Isn't that a Buddhist saying? With the greatest respect, sir leave the Buddhism to me.
You have de Tocqueville.
"Nothing is more wonderful than freedom but nothing is harder to learn to use.
" I hope to present you with that medal the next time we see each other.
(DOOR OPENS) NEWSWOMAN: It was a scene of devastation in Galveston, Texas, as a freak storm - Here you go, Aunt Maureen.
- Mm, thanks, kiddo.
And I got you this.
What is this? I got it for you at the gift shop yesterday.
Oh, isn't that pretty.
I know it's a little bourgeois, but Dad is saying that I need to be more open-minded.
He also said that you're a total fiend at cards.
Oh, that's because I beat him out of his birthday money.
Truth is, he's an easy mark.
HENRY: I heard that.
Want to show me some skills? Well, maybe later.
HENRY: Watch out, Ali, this is how it starts.
She pretends that she's not interested, and then she wraps herself around you like a snake.
I am trying to watch here.
Come on, one hand.
What's your game? Ah, five-card draw.
Shall we make it interesting, huh? Ooh.
Glutton for punishment, I see.
Why don't we play for cookies? All right.
I'm in for a snickerdoodle.
I will raise you an oatmeal raisin.
Anytime with that deal there.
Complaining about the deal an amateur move.
How much was - that birthday money again? - 50 bucks.
Do you even remember what you did with it? - Saved it for college.
- (GROANS SOFTLY) (CHUCKLES) NEWSWOMAN: in responding to the perceived threat of ethnic unrest between the Buddhist majority and the Muslim, or Rohingya, people.
Here it comes JOHN: Did I miss it? You're good.
Slow down.
There was traffic, and and then that lady at security, she had a lot of questions.
I didn't make everybody wait? Take a breath, John.
- They'll wait as long as I tell them to.
- Yeah.
I guess so.
You're the big chief.
Well, I'm not the big chief again until I sign this thing.
Sir? When you're ready.
It's good to see you again, John.
I'm glad I made it.
Me, too.
It seems like years since it's been here Here comes the sun Ooh, ooh, ooh Here comes the sun It's all right