The West Wing s04e09 Episode Script
Swiss Diplomacy
Previously on The West Wing: Andy's pregnant.
It's twins and, of course, I'm the father.
You know I'm gonna get sued.
- I work for Senator Hoynes.
- Yeah.
I wonder if I'd listened to you two years ago, would I be president right now? - You did it for the widow? - And for a guy named Will Bailey who ran the campaign and worked his ass off.
You might be asked tomorrow if you're endorsing me.
- Am I? Toby, is the president endorsing Sam? We think you should run.
- What do you think? - I think you should win.
How do you interpret the margin of victory? The votes have been counted and the people have spoken and it's clear that their will is for me to do and have anything I want.
Mr.
President, Arnold White, Associated Press what's the first legislative priority? - There's a new guy from AP? - Yeah, what's your priority? The president of Turkmenistan just officially extended the date of adolescence to 25.
So things like that.
I think he also renamed the month of January after himself.
That's greedy.
Real power is knowing when to leave something on the table.
- Sir, what legislative? - Patients' Bill of Rights, drugs keeping the economy growing, find a surplus again keep the surplus growing, use the surplus to build schools worthy of defending the military that Fitz and Hutchinson are gonna build to fight urban wars, then pay the teachers.
I asked for a legislative priority, you gave me nine.
It's a big country, Arnold.
Debbie, where the hell are you? And where are my? You left your glasses in the mansion and the lpswich clams in Chesapeake Bay can hear you bellowing right now.
Ipswich clams don't come from Chesapeake Bay.
They come from lpswich.
- Not anymore.
- Have her beheaded for my birthday.
They'll ask you how you feel about housing starts going down.
I don't care as long as I'm keeping this one.
- GDP growth is strong.
- You bet your ass it is which, by the way, I can pad anytime I want now.
The voters have spoken.
Lowest inflation in 20 years.
Housing starts are cyclical, which is the thing.
What do you got? - Flooding in Missouri.
- FEMA's on the ground? - Yeah.
- All right.
I've got the Swiss ambassador in my office.
I don't know why.
You and I enjoy your funny jokes, but Idaho, not so much.
- Take it easy in there? - I know my people.
Sometimes it's hard to believe I'm one of them.
Good luck.
Thank you.
- Ambassador Von Rutte.
- Okay.
- Thank you for seeing me.
- What's going on? A communication from Tehran.
You understand our mission's the only one.
The president appreciates it.
The ayatollah's son has a congenital heart condition Eisenmenger's Syndrome.
His best chance is a simultaneous heart and lung transplant.
- They asked Japan? - Procedures differ, they want yours.
- What's wrong with Japan's? - Well, I don't know how to No one - It hasn't been successful? - No.
Okay, then ours is better.
Anybody else do this? - Just the U.
S.
and Japan.
- No, Japan doesn't do it yet.
Coming close doesn't matter on this, it's not the Gemini missions.
I'm gonna talk to the president, but if it means bumping an American off Iran has a donor.
- A donor or a dissenter? - This is from Doctors Without Borders.
It wasn't from the ayatollah? They were approached by the ayatollah's brother-in-law.
This is coming through you, through an NGO, through the brother-in-law.
Guy will put his son's life in the infidels' hands, but he'll keep his distance? The hard-liners control the Majlis.
Things are difficult for him with the Shehab missile tests.
He cannot have a problem with his right flank.
Yeah, much better we should have a problem with ours.
- I'll talk to him.
- The president? Don 't get me wrong, Mark, I think January's a good month.
Yeah, the president, generalissimo, whatever he comes back as.
- Messages.
- Goodwin at AP.
- What else? - Judy Vanderbass wife of our ambassador to Vietnam, you've been to her house.
Yeah, I'm sure I ate a springer spaniel.
Why is AP on my phone sheet? Triplehorn told him you're the reason there's no deal on prescription drugs.
- I'm the reason? -"With Lyman negotiating" Yeah.
- I feel ill-will toward the minority leader.
- I've had it up to here with the Welsh.
I'm not kidding.
He was campaigning with us a half-hour ago.
School's back.
Go see him.
Let's call that Plan A.
Plan B is you see him.
- Karen Kroft.
- And National Parks screw me up again.
Yeah.
I'm gonna head to the leader's office.
Get me the first free minute he has.
And Judy Vanderbass? Let's do this.
Find out what her problem is solve it, and then do something else.
- You're the reason there are term limits.
- Yeah? You're the reason Nothing.
Nothing's happening.
Nothing's there.
- You seem fine.
- I am.
- You really seem fine.
- I really am.
Good.
The view from the canvas, it's educational, you know.
Yeah, I've had extensive education.
What was the final margin? One hundred and twenty-seven votes.
- A hundred and twenty-seven.
- That's about 12 lawn signs.
- Wasn't your last election also? - Eighty-two votes.
The president says all you need is one, the rest is for ego.
- How many did the president win by? - About three and a half million.
- Yeah.
- He's got a pretty healthy ego, though.
I don't know, maybe the job wasn't for me.
I like land.
I like dirt.
I like things that live on land and dirt.
I like hotels.
I like a good concierge.
Could you be a little more sympathetic? I'm a loser.
Not a big one.
Okay.
The president thinks there's a place for you.
That's nice of you guys.
It really is.
But I was thinking about I was thinking about maybe trying for a job with the National Park Service.
- We were thinking the same thing.
- A job with the National Park Service? As what? The director of the National Park Service.
- Are you kidding me? - No.
- You're not kidding? - No.
- Is this just because? - Do you want it? Yes.
Yes.
Then get yourself a big hat, and Leo's gonna call you in a couple hours.
Susan, Karnow and Duffy are the first three for tea.
- All's well that ends well.
- Karen Kroft.
National Parks chairman.
- Nice.
- She's very happy.
Andy's about to get sued for election fraud.
- Andy was trying to get sued for fraud.
- Really? Yeah.
She's a pistol.
Everyone, please take your seats.
Susan, Karnow and Duffy are the first three for tea with the president at 3 p.
m.
in the Map Room.
Susan, Karnow and Duffy.
Next week it's Mark, Leslie and Eric.
- Who's running Sam's campaign? - Sam's putting his team together.
I'm referring those questions to the campaign's press office.
John, Katie.
Will the president attend? Mr.
Seaborn, how does it feel to have the nomination? There is no nomination, there is a primary and if someone gets 50 percent of the vote, there is no general.
There are no other Democrats running.
They're endorsing you.
- Wouldn't you say you're the nominee? - I suppose.
- Have you staffed the key positions yet? - I'm gonna let Will Bailey answer.
Campaign manager is Scott Holcomb.
Finance director is Betsy Wadkins.
Communications director is Mark Stearns.
Excuse me for a second.
Can I talk to you? Political director is Tom Baker.
The volunteer coordinator is Paula Montgomery.
- Over here, please.
- Thank you.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Scott's campaign manager? What's your title? - Citizen Bailey.
- I'm not kidding.
- I'm the chancellor of Germany.
- Will - What the hell's going on? - Your team's in the field.
- What are you talking about? - Yeah, Will.
You and I had this conversation for two hours.
What are you doing? - I don't think you should go.
- You made that clear.
- I'm doing this now.
- Listen, there are too many chiefs here.
- I'll get rid of some.
- No, you want them.
Scott Holcomb and Betsy, these guys are the best.
We just went from 435 House races to one.
You get the all-star team.
He doesn't want the best, he wants you.
Yes, but the Republicans are starting their starters, so you gotta match up.
We match up fine.
You got me into this.
Well, you got you into this but I owe you the best chance to win.
I owe that to Mr.
Wilde.
Tell him that's ridiculous.
I took the race to show the DNC that no district should be ignored.
- What are you gonna do? - I'll stick around for a week and help and then I'm gonna take a vacation.
- Where? - I don't know.
France, Italy, Wales.
Maybe EPCOT.
All right.
I've gotta head to Washington.
I'll see you day after tomorrow.
- Have a good flight.
- Thank you.
- Have a good flight, Sam.
- Thank you.
- EPCOT? - I was kidding.
- I didn't know.
- Yeah.
- Sir? - Yeah.
It's called penmanship, Watson.
Something your generation wouldn't know about because of the computers.
- How many of these things am I doing? - Sixty.
- How many have I done? - Three.
- Three? - Yeah, this is what I'm talking about.
- Your system's slowing me down.
- I don't have a system.
- You're kidding? - You ready? Hey, can't we have color codings and stickers, priority lists? - Can I get a little bureaucracy going? - What are you doing? I'm doing basically what the president does.
Ask people for things and then thank them for things.
Let's go.
Take the calls to the mansion.
I'll meet you there after this.
We had a couple of cats when the kids were kids named Mr.
Finch and Mrs.
Wilburforce or something, I can't remember.
You know, I've never really liked human names for animals.
- Really? - Yeah.
Okay.
Well, I can't believe my kids didn't think to ask you what to name the cats.
But they used to bring mice into the house and show them to me.
This is how I'm starting to feel about the Swiss.
Yeah.
- Morning.
- Good morning, Mr.
President.
Tell me about the boy.
He and a guardian have crossed into Kandahar.
A UN plane is on the ground.
It's gonna leave at 11:45 Zulu if you say okay.
- Eleven forty-five? - Yes, sir.
- That's 11 minutes from now.
- Yes, sir.
This meeting's premature.
- We should wait 10 minutes.
- Yes, sir.
This meeting doesn't go in the Sit Room anymore, okay? I don't know why it's here.
This isn't a military operation.
- It's a secure room.
- My office is a secure room too, isn't it? Please, somebody tell me it is, or I gotta go pack some stuff.
- You see my point? - What about the organs? - The organs are in Zurich.
- I'm sorry, that sounded funny to me.
I'm the kid in bio who laughed all the time.
- Then on to Paris on Swiss Air.
- Coach? - I don't - Then New York? - Yes, sir.
- The heart and lungs get here first.
They can last about 40 hours, the flight from Tehran's 15.
What's left is to line up a doctor and get the funding.
- Go around the room.
- If it leaks, you got clerics.
It sends a message to the reformists.
At a time when they're breaking If you're looking for ways to temper support to the Shiites, I don't - A benevolent power must - This isn't the time.
Don't forget the Shehab program and the transport corridors along the Silk Route.
How old is he? - I'm sorry? - How old is he? - Fifteen.
- Fifteen.
The Shiites, Manny that's what you want me to take back to my thoracic surgeon wife? Get this boy in preop.
Tell the Swiss to stop standing in the door with a mouse in their mouth.
- If they're coming in, come in.
- You won't regret it, sir.
It won't leak.
No, because we're in a secure room, except for the ayatollah's staff a Swiss Air pilot and 400 other people.
- Laney, is this gonna leak? - Well I feel better already.
Mr.
Finch and Mrs.
Wilburforce.
There's nothing wrong with my memory.
Though those are stupid names.
There's something wrong with my kids.
Come on, Josh.
The Senate's out of session you ought to think about putting a Ping-Pong table out here.
- I don't think that would be a good idea.
- Quick rounds between motions - Now just because the Senate's not - I'm kidding.
- You'd be surprised what people think.
- Read the AP wire.
- You know what that's about.
- Yeah, you're running for president.
We hold elections in this country, not coronations.
- I'm not saying any different.
- Then why is every? I must've I've talked to two dozen of your precinct captains in lowa and New Hampshire.
- Nearly every one of them's locked up.
- They're locked You're recruiting precinct captains John Hoynes is using the White House to lock up the Democratic primaries.
If you're saying there's a nomination fight Hoynes doesn't inherit this.
I'm not gonna see the party dragged to the middle.
Nothing's being dragged anywhere.
You were with us just days ago.
- This is about the future of the party.
- Yeah, how about we enjoy the present? You agree with Hoynes on guns? On trade? On school choice? Look, Hoynes is Did I fall asleep for three and a half years? You think a minority leader's irrelevant? You think I can't affect the president's agenda? - I know you can.
- I'd like you to be for me, Josh.
Not because you're good at what you do, because of your beliefs.
Okay, I'm not for anyone.
I barely unpacked from the last campaign.
Well, Hoynes is gonna have to release those precinct captains or we're It keeps getting earlier, doesn't it? Yes.
And they're asking for you in the HHS meeting, and the 5: 15's new.
- The CEA? - Ways to fight a possible recession.
- What did we say? -"Don't say 'recession' in this building.
" - You just did it again! - What do I call the meeting? The robust economy meeting.
- Josh is patching it up with Triplehorn.
- Good.
- And Karen Kroft wants National Parks.
- She can't have it.
- What are you talking about? - She can't.
- We talked about it.
- The president signed the Parks Bill.
- The job just became Senate-confirmable.
- Yeah, that was for next fiscal year.
It turns out it's retroactive.
I just saw the final language.
Thanks.
- Whose idea? How did we miss this? - There are 90 amendments in the bill.
- Maybe we put her up anyway.
- No.
- We asked her to do it.
- She led the charge for a higher gas tax.
- We asked her to do it.
- The Senate isn't gonna understand.
Plus, the minority leader is already pissed at us.
Okay, thanks.
Ginger.
Don't.
I need a list of sub-cabinet vacancies that aren't Senate-confirmable.
- Mine's not.
- A little less sub-cabinet than that one.
You wanna crash a space probe into Neptune, that's fine with me.
I think we've crashed into most of the other planets, but 2.
5 billion, okay? - Yes, sir.
- If we fail, I wanna do it on budget.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
More thank-you notes? Why don't you tell Debbie we're gonna do some calls.
- Calls? - Yes, calls.
Calls.
Mr.
Sarcasm with your dry"calls.
" I was this close to renaming one of the oceans after you, but no way.
Maybe, maybe, one of the species of fish.
Like trout.
Trout is now Charlie.
Went to the lake, pulled out a Charlie for dinner.
Look at the size of that Charlie you've got on your wall.
Thank you, sir.
- What do you got? - Yeah, we've got a situation.
- Yeah? - Reuters has the ayatollah's son just left Afghanistan on a C-130.
Is he coming here for a heart transplant? - Heart and lung.
- I'm assuming we knew about this.
- Knew about it? We did it.
- The ayatollah's issued a statement.
- What kind? - Bitterly denouncing it, sir.
"Our nation can take care of its own.
Interference from the West is an affront to Islam.
" What's the room saying? They think we're hiding Leo's meeting with the Swiss.
- So you know, the press coffee - Can't do it now.
Yes.
You're right.
- I need you to step out just a moment.
- Sure.
Thank you.
- We're not gonna not do it.
- I'm with you.
Hi.
Before you say anything, here's my idea.
The kid needs lungs and a heart.
Let's use the ayatollah's.
- What are you smiling at? - I'm sorry, it's I'm sorry, sir.
It's the little note Margaret just passed me.
"The Iranians, they've taken to the streets.
" Perfect.
- That goes to the Margaret Museum.
- Please don't forget all politics are local.
- Bite me.
- He's gotta say something to He's got to say something to his hard-liners.
He didn't wanna try"My son is dying, and these guys maybe can fix him.
And maybe if our citizens didn't spend so much energy denouncing infidels they'd have time to build a damn medical school!" The Swiss talked to the NGO, who talked to the brother-in-law who speaks for the ayatollah.
Just tell me that they weren't using cellular technology because I don't care what anybody says, it doesn't work yet.
Think about linking it to the missile tests.
- What do you mean? - Send a communiqué through the Swiss.
The ayatollah's gotta honor Bahrain.
Stop all tests of the Shehab-3.
He's gonna say no.
That's when you tell him you're gonna turn the plane around.
- No.
- I said, you threaten No.
Come on.
That's a 15-year-old non-combatant on his way to a hospital.
Pretend that plane's got a big red cross on it.
- They perfect medium-range missiles.
- I understand.
- What's that do for hearts and lungs? - Send a communiqué.
There's a Bahrain agreement that says Send it.
Don't even come close.
I don't even want a scent of linkage to A big damn red cross right on that plane.
Thanks for your help.
I'll let you know.
- I got this problem to put in perspective.
- What's the problem? Triplehorn thinks I'm a secret operative for Hoynes.
- Are you? - I don't believe I am.
- This ought to help.
- What? - Vanderbass didn't invite you to dinner.
- Thank merciful God.
Turns out Trish Rackley, wife of your protégé she had a problem on the CODEL to Southeast Asia.
The rice? No, really, the whole continent loves the stereotype.
- They eat a lot of rice, Donna.
- Mrs.
Rackley borrowed $ 1500 from Judy Vanderbass to buy a teak bed for 2000, which is a good price.
- And? - Mrs.
Rackley's check bounced.
- Making it a great price.
- The Rackleys are stiffing her, Josh.
- What do you mean,"Josh"? - You put him on the delegation.
I told State to look after him.
I didn't want him in trouble.
Phil Rackley's office won't return her calls.
Well, see if they'll return yours.
- Toby, Triplehorn's on fire.
- He needs to build a case against Hoynes is lining up precinct captains in lowa and New Hampshire.
This is 10 minutes after the polls close in California.
And Winnick just called.
It's probably the same thing.
Half the Senate's gonna run.
If it looks like we're giving Hoynes Yeah.
You gotta back him off.
Okay, devil's advocate.
- Isn't Hoynes entitled? - Yeah, but not yet.
It's just we got him on the ticket by convincing him it wasn't his turn.
We kept him out, because it wasn't his turn, and now There aren't any turns.
So these two people rob a Starbucks near Seattle.
Half an hour they serve coffee to make more money.
- Know when they make their getaway? - When business slows down.
Beat that? - When's Josh meeting with Hoynes? - Soon.
What do you need? Alternate federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission.
- What about it? - It's Senate-confirmable.
- Really? - So is commissioner of Hopi Relocation.
Let me tell you something about this job, you need a deep bench.
Inspector general of the Railroad Retirement Board director of the Institute of Museum Studies - My job's not.
- Ginger beat you to that joke.
- Karen lost her seat because of us.
- What do you want me to do? Get used to the fact that we won in a landslide.
We can fight on this.
Ernest went down for the gun ban, Janice for taxes This is different.
We asked her to introduce the bill.
She knew that.
It's called a trial balloon.
Yeah, but it's also called a recorded vote.
She did that kind of thing for us.
She was our gal on the back bench.
She poured lighter fluid on the Republican leadership.
They're not gonna confirm her.
They're gonna make us look bad doing it.
And we still got half a new cabinet to confirm.
- They're starting.
- Thanks.
The Hopi Relocation guy? Yeah.
Laney says the plane's still six hours out.
With a headwind that could buy us another hour.
The problem is - We don't have a doctor.
- What are you talking about? There are only three who can do this.
Jorrey's in the middle of a heart valve replacement, Weingarten - Where's he? - Rappelling the north face of K2.
- Rappelling up or rappelling down? - It's in Pakistan.
What does it matter? - It's not in Pakistan, you only think it is.
- Okay.
If I need a life-saving procedure, make sure the surgeon's suffering from massive oxygen deprivation.
- Who's the third? - Dr.
Ehsan Mohebi at Smith-Lansing.
- Oh, don't tell me.
- Yeah.
He fled Iran in '80 after fundamentalists tortured and killed his father.
The one guy who could save his son, and he tortured his father.
- That's just bad staff work.
Charlie! - Are we sure about Japan? One of these days they're gonna find the fairway.
Would you pull the first lady out of whatever she's in right now.
- She's with the Women's Caucus.
- Put on a helmet and get in there.
Make sure Mohebi's sitting by a phone.
He takes an elevator, we know the number.
- That's it.
- Thank you, Mr.
President.
The National Committee's got a list of conventions where we asked the vice president to take our slot.
And the DPC sent me this list of his budget roll-outs and it's for last year.
I need all four.
Okay.
- What? - The deadbeat Rackleys.
- I can't - Come on! You called them deadbeats.
- For the sake of humor.
- Good one, Gracie.
- Who hasn't bounced a check? - Me.
Yes, Mr.
I-Balance-My-Checkbook-Every- Month-and-Don't-Ever-Bounce-Checks.
Everything you just said was a good thing and by saying it like Ethel Mertz Do you know what a congressman makes? A buck and a half, To maintain two residences, fly your kids back and forth I know you like to hit with me, but go sit in the back of class because you just suggested that making only 150,000 a year was reasonable justification for committing a felony which is what it is, Lulu.
- What the hell is Lulu? - It's To Sir With Love.
Thank you.
- I just need the lists.
- I have the lists.
That's why I'm asking you for them.
- Do you want them? - Yes.
- We're talking about the lists? - And you have them, and I want them.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Hey, Terry.
- Bobby, sir.
- Yeah.
You pulled me out of the Women's Caucus.
No need to thank me.
Whatever happened to Mrs.
Wilburforce? She moved to Miami and took up massage.
- Really? - Last I heard.
- What the hell are you talking about? - You asked me.
- Wasn't Mrs.
Wilburforce our cat? - She was our housekeeper.
Really? All right, Eisenmenger's Syndrome.
It's a cyanotic heart condition.
There's something called ventricular septal defect The ayatollah's son has it.
Am I dreaming, or are you talking to me about foreign policy? Worried the sky's gonna fall? No, but I'm concerned about spousal abuse.
What's the problem? There's a problem with State? - The only doctor available won't do it.
- He's Jewish? - Persian.
- He doesn't have a choice.
- Abbey - He doesn't.
Doctors aren't instruments of state and aren't allowed to choose patients.
- I can't order him to do it.
- Yes, you can.
Through the power vested in me by you? Samuel Mudd set Booth's leg after he shot Lincoln.
Doctors are liable if they don't treat the patient.
This is why we don't talk about foreign policy which we do, and you don't think we do it enough.
- Why? - Because Samuel Mudd was tried and convicted of treason for that.
- So? - What"so"? So that's the way it goes, you set the leg.
- The patient right in front of them? - Yes.
All right, go back to the sewing thing.
It's the Women's Never mind.
I couldn't tell you the last time I took a week away.
- You ought to take a vacation yourself.
- Yeah, I don't get Hawaii.
Great weather, great beaches, universal health care.
I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.
You remember Neil Spencer, the rep from Honolulu who helped on the ag bill? Spent all his time tanning on the Capitol balcony.
- If he went home without a tan - They'd know he'd gone Washington.
- We gotta talk politics.
- I'd like to.
I'm glad we had that little talk on Air Force Two.
From time to time We need you to stop shopping for precinct captains.
- Excuse me? - We're days after an election.
- It's too early - Is that what this is about? Triplehorn alone can tie us in knots.
Good for Triplehorn.
I've got an obligation to myself.
You've got a constitutional obligation.
Last time I checked, my constitutional obligation was to have a pulse.
We need these two years.
- It's our last chance to govern, John.
- Mr.
Vice President.
- There are gonna be lots of ways - No zealot like a convert, Josh.
What's that supposed to mean? It means you'd have been great at Leo's job.
Half this town's gonna be running.
I do the president's politics.
He can't govern if I'm seen as Being for me? I don't think there's much risk of that.
You were wrong.
I never went to Hawaii.
- What? - We skipped Hawaii.
We went rafting on the Flathead River instead.
Don't touch that.
Or that.
"The boy's on the plane.
He's experiencing pulmonary hypertension.
" That's elevated pressure in the lungs, I think.
That could lead to what? - Doctor, that could lead to what? - I'm sorry That could lead to what? - Heart failure.
- That's what it says.
Follow me.
His right ventricular pressure has risen to 102 millimeters mercury.
Low-oxygen blood's beginning to bypass the lungs.
That's right.
He has something called"in situ thrombi.
" His arteries have lost their anticoagulant properties, and I resent this.
Doctor Mohebi, I don't care.
Why aren't you scrubbing up? People are taken from their homes in the dead of night and jailed and tortured for months.
- I know.
- Public executions - Doctor - Political opponents dragged outside - I know this.
Don't you think I know? - I won't aid the enemy.
I'll let you know who the enemy is.
That's my job.
It's not a 15-year-old boy.
How do I know the organs were donated voluntarily? - Doctors Without Borders.
- You don't know these people.
I do know these people.
You're crazy if you don't think I do.
I don't need to be told who the enemy is.
- Doctor - It's not your family that's still there.
My family's there.
- If the procedure isn't successful - Nothing will happen to them.
- Sir - Nothing will happen to them.
Who's making that guarantee? Well, the Swiss, I guess.
Look, I'll use every power of the office to protect you and your family.
But can I just say that this is how things change for the better.
A world-class surgeon or a school teacher in Afjah who questions the ayatollah's divine power.
Do me a favor, go to Smith-Lansing and look at the kid because I think when you do, you're gonna scrub up.
If you don't, I respect that, and the man made his own bed.
Okay? Yeah.
What was your father's name? - Raji.
- What'd he teach? - Science.
- Thank you.
Get him to Baltimore.
- You think his cell phone? - Not white-water rafting.
And staff can't make those calls.
They're top-tier lowa people and New Hampshire.
Forty, 50 calls from the Flathead River? That really doesn't seem possible.
- Unless - That's what I'm saying.
All right, I'll take it.
C.
E.
Q.
- What do I tell Triplehorn? - Tell him it's done.
- You're sure? - Thank you, no, I They're playing the Eagles.
We're talking 50-yard line.
Toby? You can't have the job.
Okay.
The Parks Bill, we made it Senate-confirmable.
- That's the first I've heard - They added it in conference.
- Well, we'll find something.
- Oh, you don't have to do that.
Can't be Museum Studies.
God forbid the Senate falls out of the mix on that.
I've made a lot of enemies on the Hill.
You don't owe me.
We asked you to fight a losing Yes, we owe you.
- This is when the president calls a play - I called the play.
I called it.
Raising the gas tax? It was a loser, and I pushed to have you introduce it anyway.
That doesn't make any difference.
- Look, look, let's just - I came out for a gas tax because someone from Michigan had to.
Gas prices are too low.
It's why the air's polluted.
It's why no one wants alternative fuels.
And clearly that argument took the nation by storm.
In my religion, the whole symbol of the religion ended in crucifixion and condemnation.
That wasn't a measure of the experience.
It's just the way it ended.
Yeah, but I'm the Romans.
It's in the living.
It's in the campaigning that you make your mark.
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
You have until the end of the day on those tickets, by the way.
- Welcome back.
- Thank you.
- And congratulations.
- Okay.
- Do you know if the president's still in? - He is.
Thanks.
- Mr.
President, can you see Sam? - Sure.
- Good evening, sir.
- You're the nominee.
There's no nominee.
Everyone's on the ballot.
- Is there another Democrat? - No.
You're the nominee.
- Yeah.
- And I know how you feel.
- You like Scott Holcomb? - I don't know him well.
He's terrific.
There's a good guy out there named Will Bailey if he should come across your radar.
You gonna campaign on prescription drugs? Our drug bill, yes, sir.
And our Medicare reforms and the Bartlet Energy Plan.
- Sam? - Yes, sir? It's okay to run away from me when you need to.
I would never, Mr.
President.
I simply would never do that.
- That's not how I get votes.
- I appreciate that but that's not what I'm talking about.
You disagreed with me on Medicare, I remember the meeting right here and then you wrote a five-page memo.
Run towards yourself.
I'm wrong about that.
Walk.
- You're not used to your surroundings.
- Yes, sir.
If you lose, you lose, but if you waste this, I'll just kill you, Sam.
- Yes, sir.
- Anything else? Thank you, Mr.
President.
- Good evening, Mr.
President.
- Hey.
- Thank-you notes? - Yeah.
I'm going to bed.
You don't really like making thank-you calls, do you? Spill it.
How many precinct captains did you line up for Hoynes? - I didn't line up - Forty-seven.
Charlie showed me the call sheets.
I said thanks on behalf of the ticket.
I can't help it if Yeah.
They'll think what they want.
They think you're freezing the race for Hoynes.
I'm freezing it for us.
We just won four more years.
- This is not time for a free-for-all.
- This shouldn't be what you do anymore.
- Do I call them all back? - We'll take care of it.
All right.
Tehran's gonna accelerate medium-range missile tests by two weeks.
We'll gather the NSC principals in the morning.
All right.
Anything else? Salman Afkham was wheeled into surgery 15 minutes ago.
Mohebi's day just started.
Well, I suppose there are worse ways for ours to end.
Yeah, that's right.
It's twins and, of course, I'm the father.
You know I'm gonna get sued.
- I work for Senator Hoynes.
- Yeah.
I wonder if I'd listened to you two years ago, would I be president right now? - You did it for the widow? - And for a guy named Will Bailey who ran the campaign and worked his ass off.
You might be asked tomorrow if you're endorsing me.
- Am I? Toby, is the president endorsing Sam? We think you should run.
- What do you think? - I think you should win.
How do you interpret the margin of victory? The votes have been counted and the people have spoken and it's clear that their will is for me to do and have anything I want.
Mr.
President, Arnold White, Associated Press what's the first legislative priority? - There's a new guy from AP? - Yeah, what's your priority? The president of Turkmenistan just officially extended the date of adolescence to 25.
So things like that.
I think he also renamed the month of January after himself.
That's greedy.
Real power is knowing when to leave something on the table.
- Sir, what legislative? - Patients' Bill of Rights, drugs keeping the economy growing, find a surplus again keep the surplus growing, use the surplus to build schools worthy of defending the military that Fitz and Hutchinson are gonna build to fight urban wars, then pay the teachers.
I asked for a legislative priority, you gave me nine.
It's a big country, Arnold.
Debbie, where the hell are you? And where are my? You left your glasses in the mansion and the lpswich clams in Chesapeake Bay can hear you bellowing right now.
Ipswich clams don't come from Chesapeake Bay.
They come from lpswich.
- Not anymore.
- Have her beheaded for my birthday.
They'll ask you how you feel about housing starts going down.
I don't care as long as I'm keeping this one.
- GDP growth is strong.
- You bet your ass it is which, by the way, I can pad anytime I want now.
The voters have spoken.
Lowest inflation in 20 years.
Housing starts are cyclical, which is the thing.
What do you got? - Flooding in Missouri.
- FEMA's on the ground? - Yeah.
- All right.
I've got the Swiss ambassador in my office.
I don't know why.
You and I enjoy your funny jokes, but Idaho, not so much.
- Take it easy in there? - I know my people.
Sometimes it's hard to believe I'm one of them.
Good luck.
Thank you.
- Ambassador Von Rutte.
- Okay.
- Thank you for seeing me.
- What's going on? A communication from Tehran.
You understand our mission's the only one.
The president appreciates it.
The ayatollah's son has a congenital heart condition Eisenmenger's Syndrome.
His best chance is a simultaneous heart and lung transplant.
- They asked Japan? - Procedures differ, they want yours.
- What's wrong with Japan's? - Well, I don't know how to No one - It hasn't been successful? - No.
Okay, then ours is better.
Anybody else do this? - Just the U.
S.
and Japan.
- No, Japan doesn't do it yet.
Coming close doesn't matter on this, it's not the Gemini missions.
I'm gonna talk to the president, but if it means bumping an American off Iran has a donor.
- A donor or a dissenter? - This is from Doctors Without Borders.
It wasn't from the ayatollah? They were approached by the ayatollah's brother-in-law.
This is coming through you, through an NGO, through the brother-in-law.
Guy will put his son's life in the infidels' hands, but he'll keep his distance? The hard-liners control the Majlis.
Things are difficult for him with the Shehab missile tests.
He cannot have a problem with his right flank.
Yeah, much better we should have a problem with ours.
- I'll talk to him.
- The president? Don 't get me wrong, Mark, I think January's a good month.
Yeah, the president, generalissimo, whatever he comes back as.
- Messages.
- Goodwin at AP.
- What else? - Judy Vanderbass wife of our ambassador to Vietnam, you've been to her house.
Yeah, I'm sure I ate a springer spaniel.
Why is AP on my phone sheet? Triplehorn told him you're the reason there's no deal on prescription drugs.
- I'm the reason? -"With Lyman negotiating" Yeah.
- I feel ill-will toward the minority leader.
- I've had it up to here with the Welsh.
I'm not kidding.
He was campaigning with us a half-hour ago.
School's back.
Go see him.
Let's call that Plan A.
Plan B is you see him.
- Karen Kroft.
- And National Parks screw me up again.
Yeah.
I'm gonna head to the leader's office.
Get me the first free minute he has.
And Judy Vanderbass? Let's do this.
Find out what her problem is solve it, and then do something else.
- You're the reason there are term limits.
- Yeah? You're the reason Nothing.
Nothing's happening.
Nothing's there.
- You seem fine.
- I am.
- You really seem fine.
- I really am.
Good.
The view from the canvas, it's educational, you know.
Yeah, I've had extensive education.
What was the final margin? One hundred and twenty-seven votes.
- A hundred and twenty-seven.
- That's about 12 lawn signs.
- Wasn't your last election also? - Eighty-two votes.
The president says all you need is one, the rest is for ego.
- How many did the president win by? - About three and a half million.
- Yeah.
- He's got a pretty healthy ego, though.
I don't know, maybe the job wasn't for me.
I like land.
I like dirt.
I like things that live on land and dirt.
I like hotels.
I like a good concierge.
Could you be a little more sympathetic? I'm a loser.
Not a big one.
Okay.
The president thinks there's a place for you.
That's nice of you guys.
It really is.
But I was thinking about I was thinking about maybe trying for a job with the National Park Service.
- We were thinking the same thing.
- A job with the National Park Service? As what? The director of the National Park Service.
- Are you kidding me? - No.
- You're not kidding? - No.
- Is this just because? - Do you want it? Yes.
Yes.
Then get yourself a big hat, and Leo's gonna call you in a couple hours.
Susan, Karnow and Duffy are the first three for tea.
- All's well that ends well.
- Karen Kroft.
National Parks chairman.
- Nice.
- She's very happy.
Andy's about to get sued for election fraud.
- Andy was trying to get sued for fraud.
- Really? Yeah.
She's a pistol.
Everyone, please take your seats.
Susan, Karnow and Duffy are the first three for tea with the president at 3 p.
m.
in the Map Room.
Susan, Karnow and Duffy.
Next week it's Mark, Leslie and Eric.
- Who's running Sam's campaign? - Sam's putting his team together.
I'm referring those questions to the campaign's press office.
John, Katie.
Will the president attend? Mr.
Seaborn, how does it feel to have the nomination? There is no nomination, there is a primary and if someone gets 50 percent of the vote, there is no general.
There are no other Democrats running.
They're endorsing you.
- Wouldn't you say you're the nominee? - I suppose.
- Have you staffed the key positions yet? - I'm gonna let Will Bailey answer.
Campaign manager is Scott Holcomb.
Finance director is Betsy Wadkins.
Communications director is Mark Stearns.
Excuse me for a second.
Can I talk to you? Political director is Tom Baker.
The volunteer coordinator is Paula Montgomery.
- Over here, please.
- Thank you.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Scott's campaign manager? What's your title? - Citizen Bailey.
- I'm not kidding.
- I'm the chancellor of Germany.
- Will - What the hell's going on? - Your team's in the field.
- What are you talking about? - Yeah, Will.
You and I had this conversation for two hours.
What are you doing? - I don't think you should go.
- You made that clear.
- I'm doing this now.
- Listen, there are too many chiefs here.
- I'll get rid of some.
- No, you want them.
Scott Holcomb and Betsy, these guys are the best.
We just went from 435 House races to one.
You get the all-star team.
He doesn't want the best, he wants you.
Yes, but the Republicans are starting their starters, so you gotta match up.
We match up fine.
You got me into this.
Well, you got you into this but I owe you the best chance to win.
I owe that to Mr.
Wilde.
Tell him that's ridiculous.
I took the race to show the DNC that no district should be ignored.
- What are you gonna do? - I'll stick around for a week and help and then I'm gonna take a vacation.
- Where? - I don't know.
France, Italy, Wales.
Maybe EPCOT.
All right.
I've gotta head to Washington.
I'll see you day after tomorrow.
- Have a good flight.
- Thank you.
- Have a good flight, Sam.
- Thank you.
- EPCOT? - I was kidding.
- I didn't know.
- Yeah.
- Sir? - Yeah.
It's called penmanship, Watson.
Something your generation wouldn't know about because of the computers.
- How many of these things am I doing? - Sixty.
- How many have I done? - Three.
- Three? - Yeah, this is what I'm talking about.
- Your system's slowing me down.
- I don't have a system.
- You're kidding? - You ready? Hey, can't we have color codings and stickers, priority lists? - Can I get a little bureaucracy going? - What are you doing? I'm doing basically what the president does.
Ask people for things and then thank them for things.
Let's go.
Take the calls to the mansion.
I'll meet you there after this.
We had a couple of cats when the kids were kids named Mr.
Finch and Mrs.
Wilburforce or something, I can't remember.
You know, I've never really liked human names for animals.
- Really? - Yeah.
Okay.
Well, I can't believe my kids didn't think to ask you what to name the cats.
But they used to bring mice into the house and show them to me.
This is how I'm starting to feel about the Swiss.
Yeah.
- Morning.
- Good morning, Mr.
President.
Tell me about the boy.
He and a guardian have crossed into Kandahar.
A UN plane is on the ground.
It's gonna leave at 11:45 Zulu if you say okay.
- Eleven forty-five? - Yes, sir.
- That's 11 minutes from now.
- Yes, sir.
This meeting's premature.
- We should wait 10 minutes.
- Yes, sir.
This meeting doesn't go in the Sit Room anymore, okay? I don't know why it's here.
This isn't a military operation.
- It's a secure room.
- My office is a secure room too, isn't it? Please, somebody tell me it is, or I gotta go pack some stuff.
- You see my point? - What about the organs? - The organs are in Zurich.
- I'm sorry, that sounded funny to me.
I'm the kid in bio who laughed all the time.
- Then on to Paris on Swiss Air.
- Coach? - I don't - Then New York? - Yes, sir.
- The heart and lungs get here first.
They can last about 40 hours, the flight from Tehran's 15.
What's left is to line up a doctor and get the funding.
- Go around the room.
- If it leaks, you got clerics.
It sends a message to the reformists.
At a time when they're breaking If you're looking for ways to temper support to the Shiites, I don't - A benevolent power must - This isn't the time.
Don't forget the Shehab program and the transport corridors along the Silk Route.
How old is he? - I'm sorry? - How old is he? - Fifteen.
- Fifteen.
The Shiites, Manny that's what you want me to take back to my thoracic surgeon wife? Get this boy in preop.
Tell the Swiss to stop standing in the door with a mouse in their mouth.
- If they're coming in, come in.
- You won't regret it, sir.
It won't leak.
No, because we're in a secure room, except for the ayatollah's staff a Swiss Air pilot and 400 other people.
- Laney, is this gonna leak? - Well I feel better already.
Mr.
Finch and Mrs.
Wilburforce.
There's nothing wrong with my memory.
Though those are stupid names.
There's something wrong with my kids.
Come on, Josh.
The Senate's out of session you ought to think about putting a Ping-Pong table out here.
- I don't think that would be a good idea.
- Quick rounds between motions - Now just because the Senate's not - I'm kidding.
- You'd be surprised what people think.
- Read the AP wire.
- You know what that's about.
- Yeah, you're running for president.
We hold elections in this country, not coronations.
- I'm not saying any different.
- Then why is every? I must've I've talked to two dozen of your precinct captains in lowa and New Hampshire.
- Nearly every one of them's locked up.
- They're locked You're recruiting precinct captains John Hoynes is using the White House to lock up the Democratic primaries.
If you're saying there's a nomination fight Hoynes doesn't inherit this.
I'm not gonna see the party dragged to the middle.
Nothing's being dragged anywhere.
You were with us just days ago.
- This is about the future of the party.
- Yeah, how about we enjoy the present? You agree with Hoynes on guns? On trade? On school choice? Look, Hoynes is Did I fall asleep for three and a half years? You think a minority leader's irrelevant? You think I can't affect the president's agenda? - I know you can.
- I'd like you to be for me, Josh.
Not because you're good at what you do, because of your beliefs.
Okay, I'm not for anyone.
I barely unpacked from the last campaign.
Well, Hoynes is gonna have to release those precinct captains or we're It keeps getting earlier, doesn't it? Yes.
And they're asking for you in the HHS meeting, and the 5: 15's new.
- The CEA? - Ways to fight a possible recession.
- What did we say? -"Don't say 'recession' in this building.
" - You just did it again! - What do I call the meeting? The robust economy meeting.
- Josh is patching it up with Triplehorn.
- Good.
- And Karen Kroft wants National Parks.
- She can't have it.
- What are you talking about? - She can't.
- We talked about it.
- The president signed the Parks Bill.
- The job just became Senate-confirmable.
- Yeah, that was for next fiscal year.
It turns out it's retroactive.
I just saw the final language.
Thanks.
- Whose idea? How did we miss this? - There are 90 amendments in the bill.
- Maybe we put her up anyway.
- No.
- We asked her to do it.
- She led the charge for a higher gas tax.
- We asked her to do it.
- The Senate isn't gonna understand.
Plus, the minority leader is already pissed at us.
Okay, thanks.
Ginger.
Don't.
I need a list of sub-cabinet vacancies that aren't Senate-confirmable.
- Mine's not.
- A little less sub-cabinet than that one.
You wanna crash a space probe into Neptune, that's fine with me.
I think we've crashed into most of the other planets, but 2.
5 billion, okay? - Yes, sir.
- If we fail, I wanna do it on budget.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
More thank-you notes? Why don't you tell Debbie we're gonna do some calls.
- Calls? - Yes, calls.
Calls.
Mr.
Sarcasm with your dry"calls.
" I was this close to renaming one of the oceans after you, but no way.
Maybe, maybe, one of the species of fish.
Like trout.
Trout is now Charlie.
Went to the lake, pulled out a Charlie for dinner.
Look at the size of that Charlie you've got on your wall.
Thank you, sir.
- What do you got? - Yeah, we've got a situation.
- Yeah? - Reuters has the ayatollah's son just left Afghanistan on a C-130.
Is he coming here for a heart transplant? - Heart and lung.
- I'm assuming we knew about this.
- Knew about it? We did it.
- The ayatollah's issued a statement.
- What kind? - Bitterly denouncing it, sir.
"Our nation can take care of its own.
Interference from the West is an affront to Islam.
" What's the room saying? They think we're hiding Leo's meeting with the Swiss.
- So you know, the press coffee - Can't do it now.
Yes.
You're right.
- I need you to step out just a moment.
- Sure.
Thank you.
- We're not gonna not do it.
- I'm with you.
Hi.
Before you say anything, here's my idea.
The kid needs lungs and a heart.
Let's use the ayatollah's.
- What are you smiling at? - I'm sorry, it's I'm sorry, sir.
It's the little note Margaret just passed me.
"The Iranians, they've taken to the streets.
" Perfect.
- That goes to the Margaret Museum.
- Please don't forget all politics are local.
- Bite me.
- He's gotta say something to He's got to say something to his hard-liners.
He didn't wanna try"My son is dying, and these guys maybe can fix him.
And maybe if our citizens didn't spend so much energy denouncing infidels they'd have time to build a damn medical school!" The Swiss talked to the NGO, who talked to the brother-in-law who speaks for the ayatollah.
Just tell me that they weren't using cellular technology because I don't care what anybody says, it doesn't work yet.
Think about linking it to the missile tests.
- What do you mean? - Send a communiqué through the Swiss.
The ayatollah's gotta honor Bahrain.
Stop all tests of the Shehab-3.
He's gonna say no.
That's when you tell him you're gonna turn the plane around.
- No.
- I said, you threaten No.
Come on.
That's a 15-year-old non-combatant on his way to a hospital.
Pretend that plane's got a big red cross on it.
- They perfect medium-range missiles.
- I understand.
- What's that do for hearts and lungs? - Send a communiqué.
There's a Bahrain agreement that says Send it.
Don't even come close.
I don't even want a scent of linkage to A big damn red cross right on that plane.
Thanks for your help.
I'll let you know.
- I got this problem to put in perspective.
- What's the problem? Triplehorn thinks I'm a secret operative for Hoynes.
- Are you? - I don't believe I am.
- This ought to help.
- What? - Vanderbass didn't invite you to dinner.
- Thank merciful God.
Turns out Trish Rackley, wife of your protégé she had a problem on the CODEL to Southeast Asia.
The rice? No, really, the whole continent loves the stereotype.
- They eat a lot of rice, Donna.
- Mrs.
Rackley borrowed $ 1500 from Judy Vanderbass to buy a teak bed for 2000, which is a good price.
- And? - Mrs.
Rackley's check bounced.
- Making it a great price.
- The Rackleys are stiffing her, Josh.
- What do you mean,"Josh"? - You put him on the delegation.
I told State to look after him.
I didn't want him in trouble.
Phil Rackley's office won't return her calls.
Well, see if they'll return yours.
- Toby, Triplehorn's on fire.
- He needs to build a case against Hoynes is lining up precinct captains in lowa and New Hampshire.
This is 10 minutes after the polls close in California.
And Winnick just called.
It's probably the same thing.
Half the Senate's gonna run.
If it looks like we're giving Hoynes Yeah.
You gotta back him off.
Okay, devil's advocate.
- Isn't Hoynes entitled? - Yeah, but not yet.
It's just we got him on the ticket by convincing him it wasn't his turn.
We kept him out, because it wasn't his turn, and now There aren't any turns.
So these two people rob a Starbucks near Seattle.
Half an hour they serve coffee to make more money.
- Know when they make their getaway? - When business slows down.
Beat that? - When's Josh meeting with Hoynes? - Soon.
What do you need? Alternate federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission.
- What about it? - It's Senate-confirmable.
- Really? - So is commissioner of Hopi Relocation.
Let me tell you something about this job, you need a deep bench.
Inspector general of the Railroad Retirement Board director of the Institute of Museum Studies - My job's not.
- Ginger beat you to that joke.
- Karen lost her seat because of us.
- What do you want me to do? Get used to the fact that we won in a landslide.
We can fight on this.
Ernest went down for the gun ban, Janice for taxes This is different.
We asked her to introduce the bill.
She knew that.
It's called a trial balloon.
Yeah, but it's also called a recorded vote.
She did that kind of thing for us.
She was our gal on the back bench.
She poured lighter fluid on the Republican leadership.
They're not gonna confirm her.
They're gonna make us look bad doing it.
And we still got half a new cabinet to confirm.
- They're starting.
- Thanks.
The Hopi Relocation guy? Yeah.
Laney says the plane's still six hours out.
With a headwind that could buy us another hour.
The problem is - We don't have a doctor.
- What are you talking about? There are only three who can do this.
Jorrey's in the middle of a heart valve replacement, Weingarten - Where's he? - Rappelling the north face of K2.
- Rappelling up or rappelling down? - It's in Pakistan.
What does it matter? - It's not in Pakistan, you only think it is.
- Okay.
If I need a life-saving procedure, make sure the surgeon's suffering from massive oxygen deprivation.
- Who's the third? - Dr.
Ehsan Mohebi at Smith-Lansing.
- Oh, don't tell me.
- Yeah.
He fled Iran in '80 after fundamentalists tortured and killed his father.
The one guy who could save his son, and he tortured his father.
- That's just bad staff work.
Charlie! - Are we sure about Japan? One of these days they're gonna find the fairway.
Would you pull the first lady out of whatever she's in right now.
- She's with the Women's Caucus.
- Put on a helmet and get in there.
Make sure Mohebi's sitting by a phone.
He takes an elevator, we know the number.
- That's it.
- Thank you, Mr.
President.
The National Committee's got a list of conventions where we asked the vice president to take our slot.
And the DPC sent me this list of his budget roll-outs and it's for last year.
I need all four.
Okay.
- What? - The deadbeat Rackleys.
- I can't - Come on! You called them deadbeats.
- For the sake of humor.
- Good one, Gracie.
- Who hasn't bounced a check? - Me.
Yes, Mr.
I-Balance-My-Checkbook-Every- Month-and-Don't-Ever-Bounce-Checks.
Everything you just said was a good thing and by saying it like Ethel Mertz Do you know what a congressman makes? A buck and a half, To maintain two residences, fly your kids back and forth I know you like to hit with me, but go sit in the back of class because you just suggested that making only 150,000 a year was reasonable justification for committing a felony which is what it is, Lulu.
- What the hell is Lulu? - It's To Sir With Love.
Thank you.
- I just need the lists.
- I have the lists.
That's why I'm asking you for them.
- Do you want them? - Yes.
- We're talking about the lists? - And you have them, and I want them.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Hey, Terry.
- Bobby, sir.
- Yeah.
You pulled me out of the Women's Caucus.
No need to thank me.
Whatever happened to Mrs.
Wilburforce? She moved to Miami and took up massage.
- Really? - Last I heard.
- What the hell are you talking about? - You asked me.
- Wasn't Mrs.
Wilburforce our cat? - She was our housekeeper.
Really? All right, Eisenmenger's Syndrome.
It's a cyanotic heart condition.
There's something called ventricular septal defect The ayatollah's son has it.
Am I dreaming, or are you talking to me about foreign policy? Worried the sky's gonna fall? No, but I'm concerned about spousal abuse.
What's the problem? There's a problem with State? - The only doctor available won't do it.
- He's Jewish? - Persian.
- He doesn't have a choice.
- Abbey - He doesn't.
Doctors aren't instruments of state and aren't allowed to choose patients.
- I can't order him to do it.
- Yes, you can.
Through the power vested in me by you? Samuel Mudd set Booth's leg after he shot Lincoln.
Doctors are liable if they don't treat the patient.
This is why we don't talk about foreign policy which we do, and you don't think we do it enough.
- Why? - Because Samuel Mudd was tried and convicted of treason for that.
- So? - What"so"? So that's the way it goes, you set the leg.
- The patient right in front of them? - Yes.
All right, go back to the sewing thing.
It's the Women's Never mind.
I couldn't tell you the last time I took a week away.
- You ought to take a vacation yourself.
- Yeah, I don't get Hawaii.
Great weather, great beaches, universal health care.
I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.
You remember Neil Spencer, the rep from Honolulu who helped on the ag bill? Spent all his time tanning on the Capitol balcony.
- If he went home without a tan - They'd know he'd gone Washington.
- We gotta talk politics.
- I'd like to.
I'm glad we had that little talk on Air Force Two.
From time to time We need you to stop shopping for precinct captains.
- Excuse me? - We're days after an election.
- It's too early - Is that what this is about? Triplehorn alone can tie us in knots.
Good for Triplehorn.
I've got an obligation to myself.
You've got a constitutional obligation.
Last time I checked, my constitutional obligation was to have a pulse.
We need these two years.
- It's our last chance to govern, John.
- Mr.
Vice President.
- There are gonna be lots of ways - No zealot like a convert, Josh.
What's that supposed to mean? It means you'd have been great at Leo's job.
Half this town's gonna be running.
I do the president's politics.
He can't govern if I'm seen as Being for me? I don't think there's much risk of that.
You were wrong.
I never went to Hawaii.
- What? - We skipped Hawaii.
We went rafting on the Flathead River instead.
Don't touch that.
Or that.
"The boy's on the plane.
He's experiencing pulmonary hypertension.
" That's elevated pressure in the lungs, I think.
That could lead to what? - Doctor, that could lead to what? - I'm sorry That could lead to what? - Heart failure.
- That's what it says.
Follow me.
His right ventricular pressure has risen to 102 millimeters mercury.
Low-oxygen blood's beginning to bypass the lungs.
That's right.
He has something called"in situ thrombi.
" His arteries have lost their anticoagulant properties, and I resent this.
Doctor Mohebi, I don't care.
Why aren't you scrubbing up? People are taken from their homes in the dead of night and jailed and tortured for months.
- I know.
- Public executions - Doctor - Political opponents dragged outside - I know this.
Don't you think I know? - I won't aid the enemy.
I'll let you know who the enemy is.
That's my job.
It's not a 15-year-old boy.
How do I know the organs were donated voluntarily? - Doctors Without Borders.
- You don't know these people.
I do know these people.
You're crazy if you don't think I do.
I don't need to be told who the enemy is.
- Doctor - It's not your family that's still there.
My family's there.
- If the procedure isn't successful - Nothing will happen to them.
- Sir - Nothing will happen to them.
Who's making that guarantee? Well, the Swiss, I guess.
Look, I'll use every power of the office to protect you and your family.
But can I just say that this is how things change for the better.
A world-class surgeon or a school teacher in Afjah who questions the ayatollah's divine power.
Do me a favor, go to Smith-Lansing and look at the kid because I think when you do, you're gonna scrub up.
If you don't, I respect that, and the man made his own bed.
Okay? Yeah.
What was your father's name? - Raji.
- What'd he teach? - Science.
- Thank you.
Get him to Baltimore.
- You think his cell phone? - Not white-water rafting.
And staff can't make those calls.
They're top-tier lowa people and New Hampshire.
Forty, 50 calls from the Flathead River? That really doesn't seem possible.
- Unless - That's what I'm saying.
All right, I'll take it.
C.
E.
Q.
- What do I tell Triplehorn? - Tell him it's done.
- You're sure? - Thank you, no, I They're playing the Eagles.
We're talking 50-yard line.
Toby? You can't have the job.
Okay.
The Parks Bill, we made it Senate-confirmable.
- That's the first I've heard - They added it in conference.
- Well, we'll find something.
- Oh, you don't have to do that.
Can't be Museum Studies.
God forbid the Senate falls out of the mix on that.
I've made a lot of enemies on the Hill.
You don't owe me.
We asked you to fight a losing Yes, we owe you.
- This is when the president calls a play - I called the play.
I called it.
Raising the gas tax? It was a loser, and I pushed to have you introduce it anyway.
That doesn't make any difference.
- Look, look, let's just - I came out for a gas tax because someone from Michigan had to.
Gas prices are too low.
It's why the air's polluted.
It's why no one wants alternative fuels.
And clearly that argument took the nation by storm.
In my religion, the whole symbol of the religion ended in crucifixion and condemnation.
That wasn't a measure of the experience.
It's just the way it ended.
Yeah, but I'm the Romans.
It's in the living.
It's in the campaigning that you make your mark.
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
You have until the end of the day on those tickets, by the way.
- Welcome back.
- Thank you.
- And congratulations.
- Okay.
- Do you know if the president's still in? - He is.
Thanks.
- Mr.
President, can you see Sam? - Sure.
- Good evening, sir.
- You're the nominee.
There's no nominee.
Everyone's on the ballot.
- Is there another Democrat? - No.
You're the nominee.
- Yeah.
- And I know how you feel.
- You like Scott Holcomb? - I don't know him well.
He's terrific.
There's a good guy out there named Will Bailey if he should come across your radar.
You gonna campaign on prescription drugs? Our drug bill, yes, sir.
And our Medicare reforms and the Bartlet Energy Plan.
- Sam? - Yes, sir? It's okay to run away from me when you need to.
I would never, Mr.
President.
I simply would never do that.
- That's not how I get votes.
- I appreciate that but that's not what I'm talking about.
You disagreed with me on Medicare, I remember the meeting right here and then you wrote a five-page memo.
Run towards yourself.
I'm wrong about that.
Walk.
- You're not used to your surroundings.
- Yes, sir.
If you lose, you lose, but if you waste this, I'll just kill you, Sam.
- Yes, sir.
- Anything else? Thank you, Mr.
President.
- Good evening, Mr.
President.
- Hey.
- Thank-you notes? - Yeah.
I'm going to bed.
You don't really like making thank-you calls, do you? Spill it.
How many precinct captains did you line up for Hoynes? - I didn't line up - Forty-seven.
Charlie showed me the call sheets.
I said thanks on behalf of the ticket.
I can't help it if Yeah.
They'll think what they want.
They think you're freezing the race for Hoynes.
I'm freezing it for us.
We just won four more years.
- This is not time for a free-for-all.
- This shouldn't be what you do anymore.
- Do I call them all back? - We'll take care of it.
All right.
Tehran's gonna accelerate medium-range missile tests by two weeks.
We'll gather the NSC principals in the morning.
All right.
Anything else? Salman Afkham was wheeled into surgery 15 minutes ago.
Mohebi's day just started.
Well, I suppose there are worse ways for ours to end.
Yeah, that's right.