The West Wing s07e11 Episode Script

THE WEST WING Original air date: 01/15/2006 Forgive me.
For what? We should be drinking.
You look incredible.
Stop.
Well, you do.
That's unnecessary.
You okay? I'm just great.
- Have a seat.
- Thanks.
So, how's the President? Are we off the record? Please, yes.
He's doing great.
I wouldn't want that to get around.
I'm surprised you called.
I vaguely remember shunning you.
Dignity's not my forte.
So they kept the kitchen open.
We should order.
Hi.
- Thank you.
- Mmm-hm.
- Would you like to hear the specials? - Please.
Well, tonight we're featuring New Zealand lamb - Is this from a list? - I'm sorry? The specials, are they written down somewhere? Um, yeah, they're right here.
Just give us that.
We'll read.
We're readers.
Whatever you want.
It's just easier that way, then you don't have to, you know, perform.
Fine with me.
Thanks.
A night out; this is like a week in Aruba.
Except it's cold and dark.
What? I was making a joke.
Oh, you don't have to do that.
Relaxing makes me nervous.
It makes me feel like I'm missing something.
You want a drink? No.
So, what's up? What's up? Why am I here? - You really want me just to? - Cut to the chase; I do.
All right, well I'm having a bit of performance anxiety here.
Well, get yourself together.
I'll look at the menu here.
I wanted to see you.
That's it? How am I supposed to I know you've always had a thing about reporters.
A thing? When you were Press Secretary, you had a thing.
I wouldn't call it a thing.
No? They ticked me off, is all.
You want to know why? No, it's okay.
They ticked me off because they care more about coming up with a good story - than they do about telling the truth.
- I see.
So now I have to live in a culture where what's important doesn't matter because we're too preoccupied by people who are more attractive than we are playing musical genitalia in Hollywood.
Wow.
It's disgusting.
I cover politicians.
Most of them are homely, so no one cares.
Well, that's true.
Maybe if they made up for it with guts, we'd write better stories.
Maybe if we had the support of a well-informed constituency As opposed to what, leading? You want to know why politicians tick me off? Can't wait.
They're attracted to arenas of false heroics.
I don't know what that means.
Well, there are two places where you can see a pumped-up egomaniac slathered with man tan talking about how great he is and how he's going to kick his opponent's ass: one is a professional wrestling match, the other is a national political convention.
You can't do anything if you don't get elected.
Your boss never has to get elected ever again.
But you guys are content to run out the clock with the same game of well-intention defense you've always played.
That's not true.
You could do more in a day that most people could do in a lifetime.
You think I'm not aware that I'm living the first line of my obituary right now? So don't get hypnotized by complexity.
Make it count.
What are you working on? Right now? I'm trying to keep China and Russia from annihilating the Northern Hemisphere over oil in Kazakhstan.
What are you working on? A couple of House races.
Well, no good comes from that.
No.
Have you heard anything about Doug Westin? Yeah, it looks like the President's son-in-law might be the next Freshman Congressman from New Hampshire.
He's only down three points.
Yeah, and I guess he doesn't care about being his own man anymore.
He's asking the President to fly up and stump for him in Manchester.
- Really? - Yeah.
Why? He's getting a lot of heat, a bunch of profiles, rising star crap.
And I was surprised because the one time I met him he seemed kind of - Unimpressive? - Yeah.
Are you implying the success in politics isn't a question of inherent value? No, I would never do that.
Good.
Okay, let's kind of move on here.
Fish is a stupid thing to get in a restaurant.
I think he may be banging the nanny.
I want a big slab of what? I think the President's son-in-law may be banging the nanny.
Is that a euphemism? No.
Well, "banging" is, I guess.
It's just a rumor.
There's no official corroboration but it's flying around pretty heavy up there and it could break any minute.
The President still has a lot of political enemies in New Hampshire.
They might want to create a circus or just hurt him for spite.
Gotcha.
Great.
Thank you.
I'm gonna go.
- You're what? - I've got to go.
- Oh, shoot, I ruined the dinner.
- Tomorrow's a big day.
- You're hungry.
- It just got bigger.
- You've got to eat.
- Get the steak.
Tell me how it was.
- Can I see you again? - Sure, we're swell.
- When? - As soon as we're out of office.
How do we expect the people of Kazakhstan to come out and vote if we can't guarantee the safety of our own election monitors? It's going to diminish turn-out, no question.
You think? Ethnic Chinese want revenge.
They're not looking for a referendum.
Is there some kind of legitimacy threshold? You mean participation? - Yeah.
- No.
Chinese troops are holding on the border? Yeah, but any further loss of life they'll have no choice.
They'll have to go in.
Kazakhs understand that one hung over riot cop goes nuts and everyone gets to live in a sarcophagus? Tarimov understands the stakes.
He's rattled, but he gets it.
These people love their vodka.
Don't drink and play thermonuclear war.
That's what I'm saying.
Whatever communication we have with the Russians, we have to emphasize that everyone needs to bury their dead and vote in peace.
Right.
What do we know about these attacks in the Sudan? The refugee camp in Darfur? Yeah.
Janjaweed warriors on camel and horseback attacked the camp along with government troops out of Khartoum.
This is new, right? Attacking the camps is new.
And it's directed by the government in Khartoum? African union peacekeepers say the Janjaweed and Sudanese government are the same thing.
Government helicopters were a part of the assault.
There's rape trauma in the camps, there's amputations, all the men are dead.
We've seen it before.
The big question is, will there be another member of the Bartlet family in the Capitol come next January.
- Mr.
Westin, who has insisted from the beginning on running as his own man - They look good.
So, the peacekeepers are overwhelmed? Yeah.
The minute it gets too dangerous, the humanitarian groups pull out and we have genocide on smack.
Let's move on this.
- Really? - I want to see if we can get a resolution through the U.
N.
There's a Security Council meeting on the books, isn't there? Yeah, next week.
Let's chop the financial balls off these genocidal bastards in Khartoum.
How? We sanction their oil revenues.
- I thought we agreed - To sit on our butts? That China would veto; that's why we've never tried it before.
China needs us now.
They need an honest broker with the Russians to make sure this election in Kazakhstan is legitimate.
Is this coming from the President? It's coming from me.
I'm going to see what I can get and then take it to him.
If we can assure them their flow of oil in Kazakhstan is secure, then they may be willing to sacrifice something in the Sudan.
We trade pots of oil.
They give up what they're getting in the Sudan, we make sure they're getting it from Kazakhstan.
We don't want to jeopardize our neutrality in Kazakhstan.
No, they can't know it's coming from us.
- We find a proxy.
- Yeah.
France and Germany want us to let them sell arms to China again.
Margaret! I need the French Ambassador.
He's over at State.
Will's here.
- Will? - Yeah.
Send him in.
I'm going to take off.
Great.
Thanks.
Campaign coordination in the Roosevelt.
Josh is waiting.
That's a conference call.
Actually, he's in town so he wanted to do it in person.
And Steve Lawson called again from the Refugees' Rights Alliance.
He wants five minutes this afternoon.
Actually, it's more like he demanded five minutes.
I told him no.
Squeeze him in.
Really? Why not? You, I need.
Come here.
What's wrong? Close the door.
I didn't do it.
Close the door.
Toby did it.
Shut up! You gonna talk now? Seriously, I don't react well to this.
It's like staring at a dog.
I think Doug Westin is having an affair with his nanny.
Jeez, I don't want to know that.
Why did you tell me that? Because you deal with the press and I don't want you to get blindsided.
Exactly! I work with the press.
I do my best work when I'm the least-informed person in the room.
You taught me that.
- Suck it up.
- I can't act.
I'm a terrible actor.
- You were up in New Hampshire - I don't like to pretend.
- during the primaries.
- So, what? So, find out if there's any truth to said rumor.
How? You'll figure it out.
- Wow.
- You think? I've got the President flying up there next week to lend his credibility to the alleged fornicator.
Really bad.
And we've already lost a Vice President in a sex scandal.
I feel like I'm handing out towels in the Playboy mansion.
It's not your fault.
Oh, really now? Open the door.
What? Open the door.
Did you take an awkward pill? What? I'm always like this.
Briefer boy, I caught you on C-SPAN.
You look real cute in makeup.
Withering sarcasm, I love it.
Those are some brutal briefings.
It's like some sort of medieval wonk baiting.
Support me in public, that's all I ask.
On Tuesday's call, we were talking about how many more Cabinet members you want out on the trail.
Yeah.
Since I'm in town, I thought I'd nail down the President's availability for the rest of the campaign.
I'm back at 4:00 to sit with Cabinet Affairs and work out a calendar.
We're going to need some people left in the building to, you know, run the country.
Yeah, I don't care about that.
But, we're going to do everything we can to support you in your targeted media markets.
And I talked to the President.
He's fine doing the radio address on deficit reduction.
And I'm assuming you're going to keep hitting Vinick on the impact of his tax cut, right? - Yeah.
- What else? We're all looking at the same polling.
Santos does better where people think the country is moving in the right direction.
- Sure.
- Now, I don't want you to do anything you wouldn't be doing anyway.
Of course not.
But whatever you have in terms of research grants, infrastructure initiatives it's a waste to piddle it out in some Department of Commerce press release.
Let's highlight it: have the Secretary show up, create some sizzle.
We've got some small-business loans and light rail stuff coming down the pipe.
We'll keep you posted.
- Thanks.
Whatever you've got.
- That's easy.
- I want it all.
- You will have it.
I also want something big.
Like? The molecular transport lab - the biotech chemical genome thing.
What about it? It'd be nice to make the announcement in Texas next week.
You just said you didn't want us doing something we weren't doing anyway.
I don't.
I just want you to move the announcement up.
It'd be huge for us in Texas.
This could make the difference down there.
The location hasn't been decided yet.
It's still making it's way through the agency review process.
- That's not what I hear.
- No? No.
It's going to Austin, all 2 billion dollars of it.
I've got to go.
I'll be back at 4:00 for Cabinet Affairs.
You should check that out.
How does he know we already made a decision? Maybe he doesn't.
Maybe it's just a rumor.
Maybe it's wishful thinking and he's trying to jam it home on us.
If we announce that a 2 billion-dollar federal research investment is going to go to Texas before the election, the senior Senator from Kentucky is going to blow a gasket.
Yeah, it's a good way to make an elder statesmen look like a doddering, ineffectual fool.
- The French Ambassador is in the Mural.
- Yeah.
He's fine.
I gave him a beverage.
Thanks.
Where did you leave it with the Senator? Bowles knows it's going to Texas.
He's fighting for his life.
His constituents don't like his politics anymore, "shwing" with the federal purse is all he's got.
He didn't promise them anything.
All he's asking is that we hold off on the announcement until after the election.
What'd you tell him? I told him we'd hold off until after the election.
We're not risking a Senate seat.
You're doing it again.
Doing what? Just standing there in front of me.
I thought we were talking.
That's over now.
Go see what you can find out about the nanny.
- I still don't understand how I'm supposed to - Walk away from me, now.
I'm so proud to serve in these hallowed halls.
We are very concerned about the reports out of the Sudan.
The attacks on the internally displaced peoples camps in Darfur; yes, it's awful.
We would like to turn off the financial spigot that is supporting the government in Khartoum.
There's no reason not to expect more mass killings and more displacements.
Well, as you know, the European community has formally condemned this activity.
Yes, and as you know, the perpetrators do not care.
Our students have launched a very effective divestiture campaign.
Which we admire; we believe you have the domestic constituency to support bold action.
Yes, that's true.
We may be willing to support reopening your arms' sales to China.
In exchange for what? A U.
N.
resolution sanctioning all oil revenues to Khartoum.
The Chinese will veto it.
They might.
C.
J.
, they will.
Look, if it was up to me, NATO troops would have been on the ground in the Sudan years ago.
Are you offering French troops to a NATO peacekeeping effort? The African union troops are clearly doing their best to protect the camps.
There's been improvement there.
People are still dying.
I know it's not a solution.
But I believe an African problem will require an African solution.
We would all prefer an African solution, but it's not working.
But you have to ask yourself, C.
J.
, how did we get here.
We saw it coming.
We did.
Perhaps a murderous government with intelligence on international Islamic terrorist organizations could provide the United States with crucial information, absolutely.
Perfectly understandable.
But when we push things to the side often they come back to haunt us.
We all make calculations, Jacques.
And your investors who continue to trade shares of the multinationals who do business with these killers on the New York Stock Exchange; that's another calculation, yes? And there's plenty of hypocrisy to go around.
Sure, sure.
Unfortunately, C.
J.
, we cannot afford to introduce a resolution so obviously aimed at the Chinese.
You are so fond of calling yourselves the "leaders of the free world.
" So, lead.
What do you got? Nothing.
He didn't do it? No, I mean I didn't get anything.
- I told you to - To what, casually call people in New Hampshire and ask them if they think the President's son-in-law is committing adultery with the nanny? You'll have to be a little more artful than that.
There is no art in trying to find out if somebody slept with someone else.
You ask it straight out, or you don't.
Art? I didn't say it would be easy.
The segue hasn't been invented that takes us from "how's the weather" to "Is Doug Westin hammering the nanny?".
So you have nothing? No.
I found out it's really cold in New Hampshire.
You're useless.
And that the Westin's 26-year-old nanny of three years was let go in August and is now traveling in Europe.
OK.
And there do seem to be a lot of reporters focusing on Doug, digging around.
- That doesn't mean he - Sheila Jacobs, Tom Weller, Danny Concannon.
Danny Concannon, yeah.
They're all talking to people off the record about Doug - non politicos.
And I pulled this picture of the whole family at a butter festival off the Internet.
That's the nanny right there, which makes me think he did it.
I mean, just look at her.
What's that supposed to mean? - I'm just saying - Yeah, I can see your mouth moving.
You're just saying what? That she's really cute and he probably did it.
They have children.
Sure.
It'd be stupid to have a nanny if you didn't have kids.
- Especially one that looks like that.
- Okay.
I'm just saying, if you're interested in the male perspective Always.
I find it raises the level of the discussion.
Can I give you one piece of advice before you ask me to leave my own office? What? I don't know where you're going with this I'm protecting the President.
Right.
Whatever.
This much I do know: there's only one thing worse than telling the President of the United States his son-in-law is having an affair.
What's that? Telling the President of the United States his son-in-law is having an affair and then finding out you were wrong.
This is Danny.
I know you're working on the story and we'll get to that later.
But right now, I'm concerned with the President and I don't want to have to walk your dumb-ass gauntlet of journalistic ethics, so I'll make this easy for you: I'm going to say a sentence and if it's true, you just don't say anything.
Clear? I don't say anything? If you don't say anything, it means that what I said was true.
Uh, okay.
Got it? Isn't that kind of risky? What do you mean? Well, what if you say something that's not true and my cell phone cuts out? That's not going to happen.
I just got on an elevator.
Well, get off now, mister! Whoa, whoa.
Sorry.
Are you okay? I'm fine.
I'm fine.
Uh, C.
J.
- What the? - I'm holding the fish now.
C.
J.
You want your privacy, don't you? I really do.
Steve Lawson from Refugees' Rights Alliance is out here.
- Give me a minute.
- I'll do that.
C.
J.
, you okay? You there? Yeah.
You okay? I almost killed my fish.
On purpose? Why would I do that? Well, you've been under a lot of pressure.
Okay, listen up.
I'll tell you anything you want to know if you have dinner with me tomorrow night.
What? I just want to see if we can get through an appetizer together.
Okay.
Same place? Sure.
Great.
Shoot.
If I went to the President with the information you brought to my attention, would I be making a mistake? Nope, see you tomorrow night.
Steve.
Come in.
It's good to see you.
Thank you.
I'm glad we could make this happen.
Me too.
Have a seat.
You're aware of the situation in the Sudan? Yeah.
The attacks on the displacement camps, Janjaweed warriors backed by government helicopters.
Right.
Has there been any official response from this administration? We condemned it.
Well, what do you want to hear, C.
J.
? You want to hear the numbers first, or the horror stories? Neither.
Well, I'll just run down the talking points real quick then: children forced to watch their mothers raped and their fathers killed, current death toll per month: 6,000.
If the humanitarian organizations are forced to pull out, 100,000 per month.
Steve.
I have some photographs.
I don't need to see photographs.
When the babies die, the mothers don't know how to put them down so they carry them around - on this planet, on your watch.
Yeah.
You remember the picture of the Vietnamese monk who lit himself on fire to protest the war? I used to think that guy was nuts.
Now, it seems like the only logical response.
It won't help.
We need strong preemptive action led by the Bartlet Administration.
Overwhelming American military might? Followed by a decade of nation building in a part of the world where many consider us infidels so that we might bring forth a new and benevolent democracy? Of course not.
Come on, C.
J.
When did it become naive to try to put an end to genocide? We are monitoring the situation carefully.
- Steve you don't need to - I need my government - The President is fully aware - to assert what's left of its moral authority.
Okay.
I want five minutes with the President.
This was your five minutes with the President.
I'm sorry, Steve.
I'm late for a meeting.
You've got the German Ambassador in the Mural when you come back.
Great.
Doug Westin's in town.
I need to see him tonight.
- I'll track him down.
- Alone.
- Alone? - Alone.
I smell bacon.
Hello, Josh.
A heapin' helpin' of sizzling federal pork butt.
I can't talk right now.
Just perfect for a Texas barbeque.
I have a meeting.
I just finished up with Cabinet Affairs.
I thought you might have some news.
I don't.
Cause it would be really helpful to make the announcement in Texas next week.
We can't announce something we haven't decided yet.
See, this is weird, because when the EPA did the environmental impact study in Kentucky, they concluded it had to go to Texas.
Oh, really now? Yeah.
I have the data, plus the University of Texas has everything they need in terms of research coordination.
You know all this.
You're playing with me, right? I'm not.
We haven't made a decision.
You have bad information.
I feel pretty confident about my information since I actually work here and you actually don't.
And now, I have a meeting.
The President needs to fly down to Texas, stand next to the Congressman, and make the announcement next week.
It's not going to happen.
It's going to come out before the election anyway, C.
J.
You can't keep this kind of information quiet.
The only question is: do you want the President to be a part of the story or not.
Think about it.
I'm around.
Please, have a seat.
What can I do for you, C.
J.
? - We've been monitoring these developments in the Sudan.
- Disturbing.
Tragic.
- As long as oil revenues continue to flow into Khartoum, the humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate.
Germany has completed a large deal and one of our companies is building a A diesel-electric plant, yes, we are aware.
Good.
I want to be honest with you.
Good.
We are looking for a U.
N.
resolution.
- From whom? - From you.
The Chinese will veto.
They might.
This is something that the President needs.
Yes.
You already made the same request of the French.
We talk often.
We have a union now.
If you want this resolution so much, why don't you make it yourselves? Because right now we're doing everything we can to avoid World War III in Kazakhstan.
And at the same time we would like to do whatever we can to prevent an unnecessary and massive loss of human life.
Then focus on humanitarian needs.
If we start mixing human rights with oil exports, we'll all be riding bicycles.
The Parliament of the European Union declared what was happening in Darfur to be tantamount to genocide.
Tantamount, yes.
Overwhelmingly.
In exchange for your introduction of the new resolution, we will drop our opposition to your resumption of arms sales to China.
And, of course, we can assure you a sympathetic hearing at the next round of trade negotiations.
There may be another construction project in conjunction with the diesel-electric plant in Khartoum.
It will be grandfathered into the sanctions.
Well, then how can I refuse you? You're very persuasive.
Thank you, Mr.
Ambassador.
The President will be thrilled.
How will you avoid a veto from China? You just said it yourself, Hans.
Yeah? I can be very persuasive.
You see, we are now at the point where the research disciplines can no longer afford to function separately.
Our understanding of our natural world is beginning to inform our technological future and our understanding of technology stands on the verge of revolutionizing our ability to detect and treat countless number of illnesses.
That's why federal investments like the proposed molecular transport lab are so important.
There's about to be another biotech explosion, my friends, and let me tell you this: I've looked closely at this project and I believe that in the next couple of days, we're going to be hearing some good news for the great city of Austin! Son of a bitch! Dial Josh, now.
Son of a bitch.
You got him? On two.
Hello.
Hey, what's up? - I hate it when I make myself clear - Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait.
and I'm not received.
It's a done deal, C.
J.
This is not your call.
He didn't announce it.
He said that Austin was the most viable site.
- He didn't make any - Don't make distinctions with me, Josh.
I've known you too long.
- You're right.
- Way too long.
I understand that Calvin Bowles' Senate seat is a priority.
Calvin Bowles Yeah, you know: the pious old pork hog who votes like a schizophrenic.
- You done? - Yeah, go ahead.
- Calvin Bowles is a breathing Democrat.
- That's debatable.
- And we cannot afford to lose any more of those.
- Since when does holding on to the White House fit into your priorities? I'm sorry.
Doug Westin's here.
Tell him I'll be right there.
Listen up, Josh.
I work for Jed Bartlet.
I wouldn't be doing my job if I wasn't trying to preserve his legacy under all eventualities.
The transporter announcement's off the table until after the election.
Is that clear? - Now if you'll excuse me - C.
J.
, C.
J.
, listen to me.
You want to cover all eventualities? Have the President join us in Texas for the announcement, then he and Santos will fly to Kentucky to stump for Senator Bowles together.
All your problems are solved.
I have to go now.
Come in, Doug.
C.
J.
, how you doing? I'm just great.
Great.
You know what the first thing I'm going to do when they declare me the winner? What are you going to do, Doug? Ask for a recount.
That's not my line, but I love it.
It's great, isn't it? Yeah.
Great.
I am so jazzed about this event with the President next week.
We are gonna win this thing.
I've never felt so strongly about anything in my life.
But until that last vote is counted, I'm going to operate under the assumption that I'm going to lose; nothing for granted.
But, I mean, look who I'm talking to.
You know exactly what I'm going through.
Don't say it.
Do not tell me the President needs to go to Zurich or something next week to work on this Kazakhstan thing.
Just don't tell me that.
No, he doesn't.
Good.
I don't care what you do privately.
OK.
- I really don't.
- I'm a little But when you do something that affects my boss's ability to do his job, that could embarrass him on a political trip to New Hampshire, and will take attention away from urgent national and, at the moment, international issues, I begin to care very deeply.
Right now, I'm trying to get the Chinese Ambassador here to put an end to some unimaginable human suffering.
So if you have a problem with your zipper, get it out of my face, right now.
Do you understand me? I think I do.
I think you do too.
Yeah.
Chinese Ambassador in the Mural Room.
Thanks.
Here's what's going to happen now: you're going to walk up the hall to the Office of Political Affairs.
You will tell the people in that room that, on second thought, you don't want to be overshadowed by your father-in-law.
You want to win this thing yourself, on your own merits.
And thanks but no thanks, you are withdrawing your request to have the President appear with you in Manchester next week.
Do that for me, will ya? That'd be great.
It is an irresponsible moment for the Germans to propose sanctions on the Sudan.
Two nuclear powers are mobilized.
We have troops massed on both borders of Kazakhstan.
We're standing on the edge of the abyss.
I agree.
The timing is odd.
It is not appreciated.
Yeah.
And stupid.
These Europeans: they're always pretending to have a significance they no longer possess.
I have spoken to them and I would like to make a proposal.
What is it? You are interested in purchasing arms from the French and the Germans.
We are interested in all markets.
There have been no sales since Tiananmen, correct? Israel, other countries have done business with us.
Six months ago, the French and the Germans told us they would like to sell to you again.
They should.
It's a meaningless restriction.
They're simply losing money.
We objected strongly.
I was there.
There may be some latitude now.
With the arms sales? Yes.
Well, it would be difficult to justify closing off such a significant source of oil.
We're thirsty.
We are trying to grow an economy.
We're going to make sure your oil supply is preserved in Kazakhstan.
You can show yourselves to be responsible members of the world community with a simple abstention on the German resolution.
It will allow us to put American election monitors on the ground to ensure a fair vote there.
That's it? That's a lot.
I will disappear into my massive bureaucracy and see what I can do.
Funny.
Thank you, Ambassador.
You know what I think about a lot, when I'm having these kinds of discussions? What, sir? Capitalism vanquished communism, obliterated it.
And here we are having a discussion where you are trying to restrict our markets.
We're trying to address a humanitarian situation in the Sudan.
Exactly.
But you have always taught us that liberty is the same thing as capitalism, as if life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness cannot be crushed by greed.
Your American dream is financial, not ethical.
This is a good deal for the Chinese.
I hope you'll consider it carefully.
Of course.
Thank you.
No, thank you.
You have taught us well.
The President needs you in the Oval and I have a yogurt here.
What for? To eat.
He's in there? Yeah.
And he's grumpy.
Come in.
How you doing, kid? Very good, sir.
I'm glad to hear it.
Teddy Barrow just called from State.
What the hell's going on with this Sudan thing? I'm working on a Security Council resolution.
Sanctioning oil revenues? Yes, sir; to be introduced by the Germans.
And then vetoed by the Chinese.
- Not necessarily.
- Probably.
- Could be.
- I am trying to diffuse a nuclear stand-off.
Why on Earth would we want to antagonize the Chinese right now? We're not; this is coming from the Germans.
You don't think the Chinese are going to figure it out? We owe these people $350 billion for God's sake.
They're not stupid.
We're out of time.
We've all been hypnotized by the complexity of this thing in the Sudan; the EU, the UN, State.
This isn't a solution but it's a start.
I can't have anything compromising our neutrality in Kazakhstan.
This won't.
As far as China knows, this is Europe holding their feet to the fire, not us.
We're the ones brokering the face-saving deal.
China would owe us.
This could even help us in Kazakhstan.
Is this about the Sudan or the fact that we're all about to get kicked out of this building? When the babies die, the mothers carry them around for days.
They can't put them down.
Yeah.
Keep working the resolution.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
Why is Matt Santos stomping on what's left of my goodwill up on the Hill.
The transport lab I got an irate phone call from the senior Senator from Kentucky.
Right.
At least I think he was irate.
He didn't have his teeth in so I'm not sure what the hell he was talking about.
The Santos campaign got some polling telling them a huge, federal investment in Austin could help them win Texas.
Yeah.
Which is why I think we should send you to Austin to announce the transport lab with Santos, then we send you both to Kentucky to help stump for Bowles.
When's that going to happen? Thursday.
Doug Westin withdrew his request to have you campaign with him in New Hampshire.
Why'd he do that? I think he wants to prove he's his own man.
By losing? If that's what it takes.
Liz is going to kill him.
Doug just changed his mind? Was there anything else? No, sir.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
When do you get an answer from the Chinese? I should know something over the weekend.
It's worth a shot.
Yeah.
Hey.
Come here a sec.
What's up? I need to tell you something.
Are you all right? - Doug Westin - Yes? Doug Westin had an affair with his nanny.
Get out.
It might break, it might not.
Is she cute? - Who cares if she's - I've spent my life surrounded by men in uniform.
- I don't - Biology kicks Virtue's ass, in my experience.
- She's 26.
- Yeesh.
Okay.
So she doesn't have to be cute.
- I'm - It's disgusting.
Yeah.
He should die.
The bastard should just be dead.
Did Liz leave him? I don't think she knows.
We should six Special Ops on him.
Make him a tragedy she can cry over.
I made him withdraw his request to have the President appear with him in Manchester next week.
And you're telling me this because? I don't know if I should Tell her? No.
No, no, no.
Now's the time everybody just looks at her funny until she figures it out.
I know.
- I just don't know if I owe the President - Sorry.
Liz Westin's in your office.
She needs to talk to you.
Good luck.
Okay.
Hi, Liz.
C.
J.
, hi.
I'm sorry to barge in on you.
Are you busy? Well, you know, thermonuclear war, genocide I don't mean to bother you.
It's fine.
It's good to see you.
Have you seen Doug? He was here yesterday, right? Yeah.
He marched into Political Affairs and told them he didn't want my father to come up and do the event with us next week.
I heard that.
I can't believe it.
Do you have any idea how long it took me to convince him to let my father help? I know from the start that it was important to him to be his own man - to win or lose this thing on his own.
His father-in-law is the President.
It's a fact.
He can't run away from that.
It's got to be hard to try and live up to the President.
You can't.
No.
But he is the father of my children and I want them to be able to look up to him Sure.
No matter what he's done.
Do you understand what I'm saying, C.
J.
? I think I do.
I think you do too.
Talk to him.
Tell him it's political suicide to run away from Dad.
I know you're trying to do what's best for Doug.
Marriage is complicated, C.
J.
This isn't ideal, but it's the best thing for my children.
I understand.
Good.
But my job is to protect your father.
My father would want to protect my children too.
I'm sorry, Liz.
We've given the date away.
Already? You can't have.
It's gone.
So, on his own merits, we let the voters decide? I think it's best.
Yeah.
I need some schedule C's who might be willing to take some paid leave and hit the road with the candidate.
I'll put together a list.
The least humiliating public speakers possible.
Right.
Hey.
I've cleared the President to fly to Austin on Thursday to announce that it will be the home of the nation's first molecular transport lab.
He will then fly to Kentucky to campaign for Senator Bowles.
Would Congressman Santos like to join him? I'll have to get back to you on that one.
Go to hell.
I'm embarrassed.
I'm embarrassed that my country is content to stand by and let other countries take the lead when it comes to the key moral question of our time - half a million dead.
At what number do we say "Enough"? We've called it what it is.
It is genocide.
But this is an unprecedented moment in American history where we've acknowledged that systematic U.
N.
delegation just notified State: there's a Security Council negotiation on language for a Sudan resolution.
Where are the Chinese? They're in the room.
Threatening to veto? Not out of hand, no.
They're talking? They are.
Huh.
It's a start.
Yeah.
You want to get some food? I can't.
I have a date.
You do not.
What? I have a date.
With whom? With a guy I used to go out with.
Well, I'll walk out with you.
You go ahead.
I need to talk with the President.
The Doug story is going to break and it's going to be terrible for him and I want him to hear it from me.
- He's ready.
- Okay.
- See you tomorrow.
- Yeah.
Men are like salmon - swimming upstream, hosing down the riverbed with their indiscriminate seed - Indiscriminate seed? - until they die - Did you just say indiscriminate seed? - bloated and spent, belly up in the sun.
Quit sweet talking me, baby.
Unless they get taken out by a bear paw in a waterfall as they deserve.
So you're struggling with trust issues.
I'm struggling with reality.
What's your dessert policy? What? You want me to spare you the monologue? Oh, I really do.
I figured.
I'll get you some more water.
Oh, gee, I'm sorry.
I'll shut up and leave now.
She hates my guts.
Yeah, she does - a little bit.
I'm sorry about the other night.
Why? Because, I was behaving like the kind of type-A, career woman, freak automaton that I so very much do not want to become.
Please.
I wanted to see you and I haven't felt that in a long time and I just got all awkward and antagonistic.
That's okay, as long as you didn't kill our fish.
But don't get me wrong: I don't want to see you again until after the inauguration.
You won't have to.
I want to do my job.
I want to suck every morsel of meat off this experience before it's over.
Just get something done, will ya? Well, that will come down to what it always comes down to.
What's that? How dirty do my feet have to get without disappearing into the mud in order to get an inch of what I really want done? It doesn't sound very heroic.
It's not.
So what's the deal? You still creeped out by reporters or what? Why? You got another unholy bomb to drop on me? Is that what these dates are about? No.
That was an attempt at a real date the other night.
And this? Another attempt.
Hey, if I'd have wanted to publish that story, I wouldn't have given you the heads-up.
I can't write that kind of crap anymore.
I don't I don't even know if I want to be a reporter anymore.
Really? Doug Westin's libido broke the camel's back.
What do you want to do? I don't know.
Can I ask you something? Yeah.
Why'd you come here tonight? Because you made me promise to.
Why'd you come? I wanted to see you.
Thank you.
You going to do a magic trick? Uh, I'm flying a little blind here.
I'm halfway through my life and I'm never quite sure if I'm doing anything right until I'm completely done doing it wrong.
- Work with it.
- So this may come out wrong.
I forgive you.
Incrementalism is not an option.
I'm forced into a heroic posture.
Heroic can be good.
It feels funny.
You can do it.
Uh, we're both about to fall of a cliff and I don't know what I'm going to do with the rest of my life except I know what I don't want to do.
And on Inauguration Day you're going to be released from that glorious prison on Pennsylvania Avenue with No human skills? Seems to me I should punch you in the face, but yes.
That's what I'm talking about.
Keep going.
So, if I'm going to jump off the cliff and you're going to get pushed off the cliff, why don't we hold hands on the way down? Oh, shoot.
Turn it off.
I can't.
Just for a couple of seconds.
Oh, my God.
You okay? Oh, my God.
- I have to go.
- Okay.
- I have to go.
- Go, go.
I'll see you later.
I'll see you later.
What's happening? Did Chinese invade? Kazakhstan is stable.
What is it? Some kind of nuclear accident.
Oh, Lord.
A weapon? A power plant.
Is it Russia? San Andreo, California.
They think it might blow up.