The West Wing s05e15 Episode Script
Full Disclosure
Previously on The West Wing: Mr.
Vice President, have you had an affair with Helen Baldwin? - Yes.
They know you lived with that guy, Ben? There's a lot you don't know.
Are you in a position to deny it? Do you think she may have been coached by Republican leadership? If we're gonna do this, we start tonight, now.
- And I need you thinking now and not - Sir, I'm resigning the vice presidency.
We'll be back with White House Press Secretary C.
J.
Cregg after this.
Wait? What was that? You're breaking up on me.
- Can you hear me now? - Yes, that's much better.
What's this about the dollar and the yen? No, not the yen.
That's Japan.
China's currency is the yuan.
This isn't PBS.
He's not gonna ask about the yuan.
But cheap goods imported from China are what tomorrow's labor's protests are gonna be about so we gotta get out the message that Chinese Hang on a second.
AP says a presidential commission recommends a 50-percent increase in cigarette taxes? What? - He's gonna ask about that.
- Give me more.
- Seventeen cent increase raise 3.
4 billion a year 16 billion over five years.
- Hang on.
- Can you stick it there? - Sure.
- Yeah? - Could buy out 75 percent of tobacco farmers.
- Did you see Drudge? Pay them not to grow tobacco.
Increase the price of tobacco, would reduce teenage smoking.
Other recommendations for reducing teenage In 10, nine, eight - Toby, I gotta go.
- No, wait.
- Wait.
- Six Hello? Damn it.
Joining me now in a rare venture outside the controlled environment of the White House Press Briefing Room is the one and only queen of the Bartlet spinners, Miss C.
J.
Cregg.
- Welcome back.
- Always a pleasure, Taylor but if you think the briefing room's controlled try controlling 100 hungry reporters.
And if I'm queen of anything, I want a bigger office.
Okay, C.
J.
, tell us about the president's secret plan to raise taxes.
I'd love to, but it's so secret, he hasn't told me.
I'm talking about a secret commission that wants a 50-percent First of all, it's not a secret commission the report was just released on the AP wire, how we both found out and I promise, the president hasn't heard of it.
It's gonna ask him to raise taxes.
Among their recommendations to reduce teenage smoking they suggest a 17-cent increase in - That's 50 percent.
That's what I said.
Yes, 17 pennies does equal 50 percent in this little math problem.
- That won't stop teens from smoking.
- A raised price should reduce demand but more importantly, we'll raise $3.
4 billion a year.
That's 16 billion over five years which can buy out 75 percent of American tobacco farmers.
- Pay them not to grow tobacco.
- lf we reduce Has this president met a handout he didn't like? Who else does he wanna pay? Does he not realize the budget deficit is large enough? How much taxation does he think we can stand before we break? Has this president forgotten that this country was founded during a tax revolt? - What does he think? - Which is your favorite? If you want me to answer We know he hasn't met a tax increase he didn't like.
If you don't wanna answer, we'll move on.
This is new, from the Drudge Report Matt Drudge's website, and I'm reading: "The Sunday Times Magazine will run an in-depth profile of former vice president John Hoynes who resigned as a result of a sex scandal.
Hoynes cooperated with The Times, in a tell-all interview in which he revealed that President Bartlet tried to talk him into staying in office.
" Is that true, C.
J.
? - l - Was the president trying to cover up? - I can't respond to every website - Did he tell Hoynes not to resign? - I haven't read the article - Yes or no? I'm not privy to his private conversations.
Come on, this is pretty basic.
Was Hoynes told to stick around because he could beat the rap? I really can't comment on that.
That's your answer? Your answer is "no comment.
" All right, we gotta go to a break.
When we come back, more with White House Press Secretary C.
J.
Cregg.
That was a great segment, C.
J.
Good job.
- Is she back yet? - Carol said any minute now.
- Where is this meeting? - The Roosevelt Room is booked and I'm sorry, but 15 AFL-CIO union reps aren't gonna be comfortable here.
- Who's got the Roosevelt Room? - The Base Closing Commission.
- We're getting a table and folding chairs.
- Folding chairs.
- Hey, Toby.
- Hey, Tom.
- Thanks for making time to see us.
- No problem, Shelly.
Hey, everybody, sorry I'm late.
Hey.
We're having a bit of a problem finding a room big enough for us to meet, so why don't I work on that for just one minute? I'll be I'll be right back.
So can I get you anything? Water or coffee? Hey.
How you doing? You saw it.
How do you think I am? - You got blindsided.
- I looked amateur.
I need an advance copy of The Times Magazine now.
I tried.
They don't come out till Thursday.
Leo and the president want copies.
Who does Drudge say wrote the article? - Greg Brock.
- From the Paris bureau? - He doesn't owe me.
- Want him on the phone? - Yeah.
- And I've got Ben holding on line one.
I cannot talk to Ben right now.
Drudge leaked maybe 50 words out of what's a 5000-word article and we're on the ropes.
- I've got Greg Brock's voicemail.
- I'll do it.
Hi, Greg, it's C.
J.
Cregg.
I've been meaning to buy you lunch since you joined the White House press corps.
It's a little tradition we have.
Well, one I'm trying to start, actually.
So why don't you give me a call, and we'll you know exactly why I'm calling.
Get back to me fast, will you? - Are you sure you wanna handle this? - Yeah.
Okay.
Come on.
Please, anything but the Base Closing Commission the most ridiculously boring I need you with them, make sure they Wait a minute.
Is this, like, even legal? It's perfectly legal.
Aren't they supposed to be independent? Yeah, so's Congress, and we talk to them.
Look, I need you to make sure the recommendations the commission gives the president on what military bases to close are not politically suicidal for us.
Closing any of them is politically suicidal.
Right.
That's why we let the Base Closing Commission decide.
- We won't let them.
- President wants you in the NEC meeting.
- When? - Now-ish.
We're lobbying the Base Closing Commission.
You're lobbying them, just like everybody else does.
Hey.
I've got 15 AFL-CIO union reps who wanna yell at me about us sending their jobs to China.
- So? So I need the Roosevelt Room.
Josh is in with the Base Closing Commission.
- All day? - So move them.
We're talking two former four-star generals one former admiral, and a couple of former assistant secretaries of DOD.
They're accustomed to a certain style, and we're lobbying them.
So they get the Roosevelt Room massage tables, ESPN, whatever they want.
These unions are gonna be outside tomorrow, protesting against us but if we treat them right, maybe - Ask Margaret about the Mural Room.
- The vice president has it.
- For what? He's the vice president.
I don't have to justify his using a room.
Of course not.
For what? Meeting with a bunch of environmental groups.
Environmental groups? That's a first for him.
- He's off and running.
- Hoynes is too.
- We don't know that.
- No.
Not exactly.
Not yet.
A tell-all, come-clean interview in The Times Magazine is a good first step.
The vice president's campaign for president is not our concern.
Hoynes is obviously trying to rewrite history to make himself morally superior to the president.
- This from an adulterer who - Lied about sex.
Everyone lies about it, that's how his people will spin it.
- He doesn't have people.
- We don't know that.
I'm just saying, vice president's office I would like to be included in any strategic discussions about how to respond to Hoynes, and it is a campaign to make himself out to be the only honest guy in an administration of liars.
Yeah, we'll be sure to call you.
That's one macchiato.
Decaf.
Here are the latest trade-deficit numbers with China.
- Don't need them.
- Want us to stay? No, this meeting's about politics.
Facts won't help.
- Okay, this is the grande latte.
- Thank you.
And the double decaf cap nonfat.
Well, it turns out we're gonna have to make do with folding chairs.
- That's okay, Toby.
- Rena explained the whole thing.
- She did? We told her it's not important where we sit.
- No, you're right.
It's not.
- It's important you do what we want.
Or at least treat us with respect.
- How am I doing so far? - You got two strikes on you.
Because reviewing a cost-benefit analysis for every military base in the country is as mind-numbing as Radiohead - Need this? Yeah, and the one under it.
Deciding which military bases we don't need is the most politically disastrous thing to get involved in.
But why close bases when we've gotta train troops to fight terrorists? - Is that everything? - Yeah.
Because terrorists aren't well-trained for deep-snow combat like Soviets maybe we don't need that base in upstate New York.
Maybe we should be expanding our desert-combat training bases because you know, desert warfare's not going out of style anytime soon.
- So it's an efficiency thing.
- You're quick.
Since when is efficiency bad politics? Anyplace that loses a base loses jobs.
You should've seen my town when the Army left.
Josh.
Got a minute? Anything to keep me out of that room.
You guys go ahead in and get organized.
What's Hoynes up to? - Don't know.
- Come on, Josh.
You worked for him in the Senate.
You know.
It seems there's at least one side of Hoynes I didn't know.
You think he believes he'll get past the scandal? Maybe he wanted one big interview then move on.
Start bringing clients into the law firm.
Excuse me, I gotta get in there.
- Base Closing Commission? - Yeah.
The vice president urges you not to close bases in states with more than one electoral vote.
- No problem.
- Morning, everyone.
- Morning, Josh.
Get him out of that chair.
The president would like me to go over your preliminary recommendations so he could get an idea of what you have in mind.
- Ready whenever you are.
- Shoot.
First on the list is Fort Drum, in upstate New York.
Its primary mission is deep-snow combat training.
The commission's consensus is that deep snow is no longer a training priority.
Next.
What we're saying is this country is China's biggest customer so we should dictate the deal.
- Like the valuation of the yuan.
- Leo needs you.
when the dollar is weak.
- I know.
- lf their currency floats - Tell him I can't.
we can get export advantage.
But we let them flood this country with cheap stuff and labor.
- And slave labor.
- Right.
- They buy nothing from us.
- I wouldn't call 747s nothing.
I told Margaret to tell Leo you're stuck, and she said he said, "No, you're not.
" gives them interest-free loans.
- Sorry.
Please, the president needs me for something, and Toby.
We're not new in town.
You expect us to fall for the old "president needs us" thing? No.
Leo McGarry ordered me into his office.
As much as I wanna save your jobs I have to try and save mine first if I'm gonna be any use to you.
So I'll be back, you know soon.
Was there any discussion of exactly how Hoynes could hang in there? No, we just said we didn't think he had to resign over an affair that in this day and age, he could get through that.
- And you'd help him? - I guess.
Guessing's not good enough, Leo.
Did you say you'd help? - Yeah.
- Did the president say that? Something like that.
I can't remember exactly what he said.
- Did you take any notes in the meeting? - It wasn't a real meeting It was kind of on the fly.
Did you discuss strategies on how to manage the scandal? It never got that far.
Hoynes had his mind made up before we said a word.
I need you to get the mayor here, now.
- Which mayor? - D.
C.
The only mayor we can get.
I need to meet with the president.
I can pull a couple of things off his schedule this afternoon.
The House and Senate just passed the emergency D.
C.
supplemental appropriation for snow removal.
That's the first bill signing we're inviting the mayor to? They attached a school voucher program to it.
We, I mean you Someone has to talk to the mayor before we veto it.
Wanna put out a joint statement? When everyone has the Hoynes article I'm gonna get bombarded about what Hoynes says, and I've gotta be sure about what you three said and didn't say.
I can control this story, Leo.
I can get us through this.
- lf you tell me everything.
- You got it.
I should only see the press once.
I don't wanna have to go back out there, saying: "Hoynes was right about this bit" that you forgot to tell me.
- I understand.
- We gotta straighten our stories today.
She okay? Well, you know, she got blindsided by this Hoynes thing on live TV.
- And that got to her? - Yeah.
It did.
Are you saying there's nothing we can do? It's not that simple.
Look what happened with the steel tariffs you wanted.
We killed more jobs in auto manufacturing than we saved in steel.
That means we have to pick targets carefully.
If we do that, we'll have a trade war.
We're already in a trade war with China.
That's why we gotta make bras our first line of defense.
- Bras? - Chinese bras are killing us.
- They are? - They're flooding Wal-Mart.
Domestic producers can't compete.
China has tripled its market share in two years.
I assume we're all okay with French bras, right? - Because I greatly prefer them - This isn't funny.
Of course not.
Look, I'm with you on this one.
I just wish the president could do something about cheap bras.
- He can.
- He can activate the textile and apparel import safeguards we got you to put in the deal admitting China to the WTO, starting with bras.
Apparel import safeguards.
Didn't know about that.
Everyone will know tomorrow when we burn bras in front of the White House.
I'll be right back.
Do you have long-run projections for the economies of scale achievable through net consolidations of troops and matériel if all of your recommendations were implemented? On page 1237.
Thirteen B shows the aggregate numbers.
Thirteen C I need to borrow Ed and Larry for a thing about bras.
- Are you sure they're the guys? - Chinese bras.
Well, they're the experts.
So is Hoynes crazy enough to run? You want the short answer? Yes.
If this article is his first step on the road to political rehab, what does he do next? Start putting a staff together.
I better make some calls.
Yeah.
That's why we wanna consolidate these five Air Force bases into three.
Excuse me.
I'm sorry.
Ed, Larry? Toby needs to talk to you about China now.
I need you two to take over.
You sure? Just ask, "How much will that save?" every few minutes.
And don't you say a word.
Please continue, General Stanley.
Donna and Ryan here will sit in for me.
As I was saying if we consolidate the five Air Force bases into three we could upgrade all three of the aircraft maintenance facilities for major overhauls.
- How much does that save? Using CBO's baseline, or the DOD projections? Both.
Well Russert's on line three.
Time, Newsweek, well, everyone's called about the Hoynes thing.
- Has Greg Brock called me? - No, Ben called said he has tickets to the Kennedy Center, and Tell Russert I can't do Meet the Press next week.
Hi, Greg, it's C.
J.
again.
Did I mention how useful it is for a reporter to have the White House Press Secretary owe you one, a big one? So call me or tell me what dark parking garage to meet you in, and I'll be there.
Call me.
Now.
Greg Brock is here.
You have a favorite parking garage for this? Come on in, Greg.
Nice to formally meet you.
Of course, I've seen you in briefings.
- I feel like I know you.
- Really? There's nothing to do in Paris, so I sat there, glued to your briefings on C-SPAN.
C-SPAN's what's happening in Paris these days.
Can I get you anything? Carol, do we have anything? - Water.
- Yeah, thanks.
- It's D.
C.
water.
- I'm good.
Every word I say is off-the-record, so you won't need that.
- Okay.
- I assume Drudge's quotes are accurate? Yeah.
I don't know how he does it.
I'm gonna need an advance copy of your piece.
So much for beating around the bush, huh? You can get advances of the Sunday Times Magazine Thursday.
- Everyone can on Thursday.
- Right.
I wouldn't be talking to you if I needed it Thursday.
I need it before anyone else.
I already got hit with questions about it.
I need it now.
Sorry.
I never give subjects of an article sneak peeks.
But I'm not a subject of the piece.
Am I? Sure.
If you hear anything about Hoynes making moves on staff, let me know.
Okay.
Thanks.
You left the kid alone with the brass? Just for a minute.
He seems to have a feel for that.
He's faking.
If you learn one thing in prep school it's how to pretend you know what's going on.
Rena said Toby's stuck in some Chinese bra thing, and can't Okay, do the Chinese even need bras? - I mean, you know.
- No, I don't know.
Some of us are trying to govern here, Josh.
Toby asked if you could cover a meeting with the mayor.
I said yes, assuming you're trying to stay out of the Base Closing meeting.
- Good call.
- Great.
Mayor's on his way.
Hey, Donna, which mayor? I'm not gonna play that game.
Who is or isn't in the piece, or what it's about.
I wouldn't be asking you if Drudge didn't have it, if he wasn't quoting it online.
Drudge has better sources than you do.
Like maybe Hoynes' publisher? Publisher? Hoynes is writing a book? Just got a $5-million advance.
Must be saving some good stuff for it.
Wish I could help you out, C.
J.
But that's just my policy.
No sneak peeks.
By the way, do you think there's any chance I could get an exclusive with the president on his reaction to what Hoynes has to say in my article? Yeah.
There's a chance.
But I can't promise it.
Can you promise me that he won't give anybody else an exclusive on this? - Yes.
- Can you promise me that if he issues a written statement, I'll get a copy before anyone else? Yes.
You sure you can't promise me an exclusive? Yeah, I'm sure.
Well.
I really enjoyed finally meeting you.
Could you print copies for Toby, Josh, Leo and the president? The Hoynes article? How bad is it? - So it's true.
We could use the apparel - The apparel import safeguard.
To protect American bras.
Yes, but we can't do anything until you file a safeguard petition.
- Done.
- But - Another "but"? our trade representative is in Beijing right now working on a deal for exporting American-made cars to China.
And using the apparel import safeguard against bras could kill the deal on cars? - Exactly.
- The Hoynes article.
- Better talk to the auto workers.
- You know what they'll say.
- That won't make it easier.
- Let's take a break.
And you can talk about which is more important to you: Cars or bras.
We appreciate your coming in, Mr.
Mayor.
Nice to finally see the inside of the place.
Could you excuse me for one second? Sure.
If the port is too shallow for most naval ships then why not recommend closing that base? - Whose district? - Chris Finn's.
Because the Base Closing Commission, while independent, is not insane.
They won't recommend closing in a Congressional district represented by the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Armed Services.
Sorry about this.
I'm gonna be tied up a little longer.
Don't let Ryan slow you down.
We also recommend no changes for Point Mugu Naval Air Station - This can't be your first time here.
- It is during this administration.
The Hoynes article.
So the president wants to issue a joint statement with you opposing the voucher rider on the snow-removal appropriation.
But I want the money.
We'll get it for you eventually.
We'll have to go through one round of the president vetoing it in order to get them to send us a clean bill, with no vouchers attached.
I want the voucher money too.
I'd like the president to sign the bill with the vouchers.
Mr.
Mayor, he's vetoed every school vouchers bill they've sent.
I know.
But this is just a pilot program.
Little voucher experiment.
Help pay for maybe a couple hundred kids to go to private school out of 68,000 in the D.
C.
public school system.
We're against vouchers.
Period.
And by "we," I mean the entire Democratic Party.
You're still a Democrat, right? This bill got four Democratic votes in the Senate, and 42 in the House.
Look.
It wasn't my idea to put Congress in control of the D.
C.
budget.
Then help us fight them on this.
Why don't you help me get some kids a better education? But if we bring him in to talk about it, then there's Congressman Finn would not only prevent closing the base in his district, he would make it his life's mission to derail the entire process.
The next base on our list is Twentynine Palms Marine Base which is our best training facility for desert warfare.
And, obviously, we need to expand Hi.
Could you get me Congressman Christopher Finn, please? Ryan Pierce.
I'm with the Base Closing Commission.
Can you believe this guy? Yeah, I can.
This is the Hoynes I know self-centered, self-important Charlie? They ready for me? I think they're still reading, but you can go in.
- C.
J.
- Yeah.
Don't go on TV with Taylor Reid again, unless you tell him he's an idiotic punk.
I think he knows that.
I never said he could "beat the rap.
" I didn't say any of this.
We have to get the mayor on the president's schedule today.
- Which mayor? - D.
C.
It's about time.
No problem.
Oh, for God's sake.
- I don't remember the exact words.
- "Weather.
" I think you said: "We could weather this.
" - How does it differ from "beat the rap"? - It's different.
Not enough for me to go and fight about it.
Did you tell him not to use White House phones? No.
I said: "Didn't you know the White House keeps records of phone calls?" Oh, great.
That's completely different.
Did you tell him this could be a right-wing conspiracy against the White House? - Absolutely not.
- Did you tell him he could deny it? I asked him if he was in a position to deny it.
Okay.
Couple more things.
He says you wanted details and he said it wasn't your business.
- Yes.
Leo, did you say she was a cheap whore and suggest she had other customers? No.
I said she was a cheap person because she sold her story.
What kind of person does that? Mr.
President, did you say, "We've gotta start attacking her tonight"? - No.
- Anything like that? I think I said, "If we're gonna get him through this, we have to start now.
" I said "Since she sold her story, she won't have a lot of credibility.
" Anything else about her? - Nothing.
- You sure? Yeah.
I'm done.
You think he's getting ready to run? I made some calls.
He hasn't made any moves on staff yet.
I called the usual suspects in lowa and New Hampshire I'm waiting to hear back - He's writing a book.
- A book? - Greg Brock told me.
- Big advance.
- Then he's definitely running.
He's gonna make the book the final word on the scandal hold his wife's hand on Oprah, and get a flight to lowa.
And rewrite history with the book.
His own version of every conversation we've ever had with him.
We gotta take a shot at Hoynes.
He should know we have ways to fight.
- What ways? - We need a list.
- Of what? - All of his private, on-the-job screwups.
Every time Hoynes gave the president bad advice, every mistake, big and small.
That mess he made with Mexico on immigration.
How he tipped our hand on the energy bill.
And lost the entire New York delegation on the transportation bill.
We leak it to the press, bit by bit.
No, give it to me.
I'll fire a warning.
Not in the briefing room.
It's too big a story.
- And we'll all look bad.
- I won't do it in the briefing.
You'll have the list in an hour.
The first 10 pages are legislative achievements.
Which Hoynes almost screwed up.
Right.
The next section are the bills he really screwed up and the last 12 pages have all the diplomatic stuff.
He offended seven South American heads of state in a five-day trip.
Got the China statement? We're gonna make a move on bras.
You sure you don't wanna insert a joke here? So we wanna scare them on bras to get us a better deal on cars.
Exactly.
So go tough on bras, but not too tough.
- And promise me something.
- What? You'll never let them list my screwups.
They wouldn't have enough paper.
The president can sign the bill, and say he still opposes vouchers.
I mean, he signs bills with little things in them that he opposes all the time.
We open the door on vouchers, we'd have a revolt by most of the Democrats on the Hill.
I'm sorry.
Mr.
Mayor, can you excuse me again for a second? Sure.
I'll wait.
Fifty percent of jobs in my district are dependent on that base.
Fifty percent - Congressman Finn - It's been there since World War II.
The town grew up around the base.
There is no town without the base.
I want you to know you have the president's complete support.
See? The president gets it.
You can't close this base.
- Thanks, Josh.
- Josh, we didn't I thought we should bring the congressman Can I see you for a sec? Okay.
That's it.
You're fired.
That's good.
Okay.
Wave your finger.
Act like you'll hit me.
- You out of your mind? - That's good.
Great.
Show Congressman Finn you're ready to kill to save his base.
He's gonna love you for this.
He'll back you up on everything you want the commissioners to do and they're a lot more afraid of him than of you.
- Just give me your West Wing pass.
- That's good.
Here.
Here.
Great.
Does Finn look like he's buying this? I told you not to open your mouth in that room.
Finn will be grateful to you for the rest of his life for saving his base.
You're gonna get credit for what the commission was gonna do anyway.
You planned this? Do you want me to cry? I can I can do that.
I can look like I'm crying.
Stop.
The president is considering a petition to impose an import safeguard on Chinese-made apparel, beginning with bras.
- We may consider - You ready for us? A couple of minutes.
The president will continue to press the Chinese to open their markets to American-made cars since China is now the world's fastest growing market for cars and trucks.
Mr.
Mayor.
Hi.
I'm Charlie Young.
Hey, Charlie.
Good to meet you.
- How you doing? - I'm doing great.
Just great.
I wanted to introduce myself because, well, I'm a big fan.
- Well, thank you.
- I voted for you both times.
I hope you vote for me again.
- Every time.
- Is he starting a bra war? No, the president has no intention of starting a worldwide bra war.
I don't think the president would ever start a war that the French might win.
Can you confirm or deny statements former Vice President Hoynes attributed to President Bartlet and Leo McGarry? - The president Specifically, did they insist he could beat the rap? Okay, everyone get this down, because I'm only gonna say this once.
The president and Mr.
McGarry feel they have not been accurately quoted, but they refuse to Hold on, Mark.
They refuse to comment on any part of the conversation with the vice president prior to his resignation.
They felt they provided advice and support to a friend with a serious personal problem that would affect his work and family.
They believe it was a private conversation, and as far as they're concerned, it still is.
I'm sorry, Mr.
President, but we can argue all night and I won't change my mind.
- Again.
I'm not the only one.
My school board president changed her mind too.
- Janny? - Scott.
She's in favor of vouchers now? She used to rail against them.
After six years of us promising to make schools better next year we're ready to give vouchers a try.
We're ready to give anything a try.
You start handing out tuition vouchers for private schools you're sending the message it's time to give up on public schools.
With all due respect, Mr.
President, no one talks to me about giving up on public schools.
I assume I'm the only one here who went to public school.
And you're the best advertisement for them.
Kids didn't bring guns to school in my day.
Republicans wanna spend more on D.
C.
education, do it on public schools.
We spend over $ 13,000 per student.
That's more than anywhere else, without a lot to show for it.
But if we start diverting money away from public schools that's the beginning of the end of public education.
This is extra money Republicans will give only for the vouchers.
Nothing else.
They're using you to divide the party.
I'm the only mayor in America with funds run by Congress and the president.
And you guys never pass up playing political games with the city I'm running.
Your Honor, I'm not suggesting how to run D.
C Yes, you are, Mr.
President.
Congress is, too, and I resent it.
But this time they wanna give me money for something that might help students.
I'm sorry.
I don't know how to refuse that.
This is a pilot program? Enough money for a couple hundred students.
I have a few thousand names on a waiting list for vouchers, already.
Go into any one of my schools.
Ask kids who wanna go to college what they think of vouchers.
They'll ask you where they can sign up.
Could you ask Charlie to come in, please? - Am I caught up on phone calls? - Everybody but Ben.
- You wanna see if I can get him? - No, thanks.
- What, did I screw up the China thing? - No.
That was great.
Perfect.
- You going over there now? - Yeah.
I thought maybe I could give you a ride.
No.
Thanks, Toby, but I'll be okay.
You sure? Yeah.
I'll see you later.
Charlie, would you sit down, please? Would you tell us where you went to high school? - Roosevelt.
- A public school.
- Yes, sir.
- Where did you wanna go to school? Gonzaga.
- A parochial school.
Near Union Station.
- Why? There's never been a shooting no metal detectors almost everyone goes to college.
- Couldn't afford it? - Couldn't come close to affording it.
You know what this meeting's about? Yes, sir.
The mayor told me.
What do you think of an experimental voucher program for D.
C.
schools? I wish they had one when I was in school.
You planning on telling me that anytime soon? Can't say that I was, sir.
Your Honor, I'm gonna need your help putting out fires within the party on this.
You got it.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
The vice president will see you now.
- Hey, C.
J.
, great to see you.
- Mr.
Vice President.
Come on with that title.
I think we're back to "John," don't you? How have you been? You look great.
- Please, sit down.
- I don't wanna take up time.
I'm the only lawyer here without clients, so I've got time.
Sit, please.
You should take a look at this list.
If you continue rehabilitating yourself by throwing mud and lies at the president C.
J.
, you can stop.
I get it.
You mind if I keep this? Please do.
You can give it to whoever's ghostwriting your book.
You can tell the president not to worry about the book.
I'm not gonna make him look bad.
I'm trying to get the scandal behind me so I can move on.
The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but? Well I'm gonna call it Full Disclosure.
What do you think? Good title? - Am I going to be in the book? - Yes.
Not mentioning you would be strange.
I mean, after the president and vice president you're the most visible person in the White House.
I'd prefer not to be.
C.
J.
, you've got nothing to worry about.
I promise.
What will you do in the campaign when stories come out? - Those stories? - No, the other women.
- I haven't decided to run.
I really - There have been other women, right? Lots of them.
Right? Because the way you came on to me - Way too smooth, way too practiced - C.
J.
, that was 10 years ago.
- I'm sorry.
- When you run the press will find some of those women.
And if you try to attack them if you get your opposition research team on them if you try to destroy them, say they're bimbos and liars I'll be standing with them and I'll be ready to take anything you or your people throw.
So don't make me tell the truth about you, because it will be the whole truth.
- You okay? - No.
Is there anything I can do? No.
Okay.
What do I need to catch up on? The president signed a school vouchers bill for D.
C.
You kidding? I leave the building for an hour and he switches parties? - You need a press release? - No, it can wait.
I'll be in my office.
- Toby.
- Yeah? There is no night of my life I regret more than that one.
- You don't have to explain it.
- I wish I could, but I can't explain it.
I knew he was married.
I knew it.
I always thought women who do that If I could take back one moment of my life, it would be getting on that elevator I'm sorry.
Don't have to apologize to me.
I don't have anyone else I can apologize to.
I'll come to your office in a few minutes, and we can work on the release.
Sure.
Ben.
Hi, it's C.
J.
I guess I've had better days at the office.
You know, the usual, and then some.
Yeah, I'd love to.
Let me just check the schedule tomorrow when Carol's here, you know, make sure I'm clear that night.
That sounds great.
Ben could you do me a favor? Would you mind talking to me for a while, and letting me just listen? I don't know, whatever you want.
Just as long as it has nothing to do with my job.
Yeah.
Really?
Vice President, have you had an affair with Helen Baldwin? - Yes.
They know you lived with that guy, Ben? There's a lot you don't know.
Are you in a position to deny it? Do you think she may have been coached by Republican leadership? If we're gonna do this, we start tonight, now.
- And I need you thinking now and not - Sir, I'm resigning the vice presidency.
We'll be back with White House Press Secretary C.
J.
Cregg after this.
Wait? What was that? You're breaking up on me.
- Can you hear me now? - Yes, that's much better.
What's this about the dollar and the yen? No, not the yen.
That's Japan.
China's currency is the yuan.
This isn't PBS.
He's not gonna ask about the yuan.
But cheap goods imported from China are what tomorrow's labor's protests are gonna be about so we gotta get out the message that Chinese Hang on a second.
AP says a presidential commission recommends a 50-percent increase in cigarette taxes? What? - He's gonna ask about that.
- Give me more.
- Seventeen cent increase raise 3.
4 billion a year 16 billion over five years.
- Hang on.
- Can you stick it there? - Sure.
- Yeah? - Could buy out 75 percent of tobacco farmers.
- Did you see Drudge? Pay them not to grow tobacco.
Increase the price of tobacco, would reduce teenage smoking.
Other recommendations for reducing teenage In 10, nine, eight - Toby, I gotta go.
- No, wait.
- Wait.
- Six Hello? Damn it.
Joining me now in a rare venture outside the controlled environment of the White House Press Briefing Room is the one and only queen of the Bartlet spinners, Miss C.
J.
Cregg.
- Welcome back.
- Always a pleasure, Taylor but if you think the briefing room's controlled try controlling 100 hungry reporters.
And if I'm queen of anything, I want a bigger office.
Okay, C.
J.
, tell us about the president's secret plan to raise taxes.
I'd love to, but it's so secret, he hasn't told me.
I'm talking about a secret commission that wants a 50-percent First of all, it's not a secret commission the report was just released on the AP wire, how we both found out and I promise, the president hasn't heard of it.
It's gonna ask him to raise taxes.
Among their recommendations to reduce teenage smoking they suggest a 17-cent increase in - That's 50 percent.
That's what I said.
Yes, 17 pennies does equal 50 percent in this little math problem.
- That won't stop teens from smoking.
- A raised price should reduce demand but more importantly, we'll raise $3.
4 billion a year.
That's 16 billion over five years which can buy out 75 percent of American tobacco farmers.
- Pay them not to grow tobacco.
- lf we reduce Has this president met a handout he didn't like? Who else does he wanna pay? Does he not realize the budget deficit is large enough? How much taxation does he think we can stand before we break? Has this president forgotten that this country was founded during a tax revolt? - What does he think? - Which is your favorite? If you want me to answer We know he hasn't met a tax increase he didn't like.
If you don't wanna answer, we'll move on.
This is new, from the Drudge Report Matt Drudge's website, and I'm reading: "The Sunday Times Magazine will run an in-depth profile of former vice president John Hoynes who resigned as a result of a sex scandal.
Hoynes cooperated with The Times, in a tell-all interview in which he revealed that President Bartlet tried to talk him into staying in office.
" Is that true, C.
J.
? - l - Was the president trying to cover up? - I can't respond to every website - Did he tell Hoynes not to resign? - I haven't read the article - Yes or no? I'm not privy to his private conversations.
Come on, this is pretty basic.
Was Hoynes told to stick around because he could beat the rap? I really can't comment on that.
That's your answer? Your answer is "no comment.
" All right, we gotta go to a break.
When we come back, more with White House Press Secretary C.
J.
Cregg.
That was a great segment, C.
J.
Good job.
- Is she back yet? - Carol said any minute now.
- Where is this meeting? - The Roosevelt Room is booked and I'm sorry, but 15 AFL-CIO union reps aren't gonna be comfortable here.
- Who's got the Roosevelt Room? - The Base Closing Commission.
- We're getting a table and folding chairs.
- Folding chairs.
- Hey, Toby.
- Hey, Tom.
- Thanks for making time to see us.
- No problem, Shelly.
Hey, everybody, sorry I'm late.
Hey.
We're having a bit of a problem finding a room big enough for us to meet, so why don't I work on that for just one minute? I'll be I'll be right back.
So can I get you anything? Water or coffee? Hey.
How you doing? You saw it.
How do you think I am? - You got blindsided.
- I looked amateur.
I need an advance copy of The Times Magazine now.
I tried.
They don't come out till Thursday.
Leo and the president want copies.
Who does Drudge say wrote the article? - Greg Brock.
- From the Paris bureau? - He doesn't owe me.
- Want him on the phone? - Yeah.
- And I've got Ben holding on line one.
I cannot talk to Ben right now.
Drudge leaked maybe 50 words out of what's a 5000-word article and we're on the ropes.
- I've got Greg Brock's voicemail.
- I'll do it.
Hi, Greg, it's C.
J.
Cregg.
I've been meaning to buy you lunch since you joined the White House press corps.
It's a little tradition we have.
Well, one I'm trying to start, actually.
So why don't you give me a call, and we'll you know exactly why I'm calling.
Get back to me fast, will you? - Are you sure you wanna handle this? - Yeah.
Okay.
Come on.
Please, anything but the Base Closing Commission the most ridiculously boring I need you with them, make sure they Wait a minute.
Is this, like, even legal? It's perfectly legal.
Aren't they supposed to be independent? Yeah, so's Congress, and we talk to them.
Look, I need you to make sure the recommendations the commission gives the president on what military bases to close are not politically suicidal for us.
Closing any of them is politically suicidal.
Right.
That's why we let the Base Closing Commission decide.
- We won't let them.
- President wants you in the NEC meeting.
- When? - Now-ish.
We're lobbying the Base Closing Commission.
You're lobbying them, just like everybody else does.
Hey.
I've got 15 AFL-CIO union reps who wanna yell at me about us sending their jobs to China.
- So? So I need the Roosevelt Room.
Josh is in with the Base Closing Commission.
- All day? - So move them.
We're talking two former four-star generals one former admiral, and a couple of former assistant secretaries of DOD.
They're accustomed to a certain style, and we're lobbying them.
So they get the Roosevelt Room massage tables, ESPN, whatever they want.
These unions are gonna be outside tomorrow, protesting against us but if we treat them right, maybe - Ask Margaret about the Mural Room.
- The vice president has it.
- For what? He's the vice president.
I don't have to justify his using a room.
Of course not.
For what? Meeting with a bunch of environmental groups.
Environmental groups? That's a first for him.
- He's off and running.
- Hoynes is too.
- We don't know that.
- No.
Not exactly.
Not yet.
A tell-all, come-clean interview in The Times Magazine is a good first step.
The vice president's campaign for president is not our concern.
Hoynes is obviously trying to rewrite history to make himself morally superior to the president.
- This from an adulterer who - Lied about sex.
Everyone lies about it, that's how his people will spin it.
- He doesn't have people.
- We don't know that.
I'm just saying, vice president's office I would like to be included in any strategic discussions about how to respond to Hoynes, and it is a campaign to make himself out to be the only honest guy in an administration of liars.
Yeah, we'll be sure to call you.
That's one macchiato.
Decaf.
Here are the latest trade-deficit numbers with China.
- Don't need them.
- Want us to stay? No, this meeting's about politics.
Facts won't help.
- Okay, this is the grande latte.
- Thank you.
And the double decaf cap nonfat.
Well, it turns out we're gonna have to make do with folding chairs.
- That's okay, Toby.
- Rena explained the whole thing.
- She did? We told her it's not important where we sit.
- No, you're right.
It's not.
- It's important you do what we want.
Or at least treat us with respect.
- How am I doing so far? - You got two strikes on you.
Because reviewing a cost-benefit analysis for every military base in the country is as mind-numbing as Radiohead - Need this? Yeah, and the one under it.
Deciding which military bases we don't need is the most politically disastrous thing to get involved in.
But why close bases when we've gotta train troops to fight terrorists? - Is that everything? - Yeah.
Because terrorists aren't well-trained for deep-snow combat like Soviets maybe we don't need that base in upstate New York.
Maybe we should be expanding our desert-combat training bases because you know, desert warfare's not going out of style anytime soon.
- So it's an efficiency thing.
- You're quick.
Since when is efficiency bad politics? Anyplace that loses a base loses jobs.
You should've seen my town when the Army left.
Josh.
Got a minute? Anything to keep me out of that room.
You guys go ahead in and get organized.
What's Hoynes up to? - Don't know.
- Come on, Josh.
You worked for him in the Senate.
You know.
It seems there's at least one side of Hoynes I didn't know.
You think he believes he'll get past the scandal? Maybe he wanted one big interview then move on.
Start bringing clients into the law firm.
Excuse me, I gotta get in there.
- Base Closing Commission? - Yeah.
The vice president urges you not to close bases in states with more than one electoral vote.
- No problem.
- Morning, everyone.
- Morning, Josh.
Get him out of that chair.
The president would like me to go over your preliminary recommendations so he could get an idea of what you have in mind.
- Ready whenever you are.
- Shoot.
First on the list is Fort Drum, in upstate New York.
Its primary mission is deep-snow combat training.
The commission's consensus is that deep snow is no longer a training priority.
Next.
What we're saying is this country is China's biggest customer so we should dictate the deal.
- Like the valuation of the yuan.
- Leo needs you.
when the dollar is weak.
- I know.
- lf their currency floats - Tell him I can't.
we can get export advantage.
But we let them flood this country with cheap stuff and labor.
- And slave labor.
- Right.
- They buy nothing from us.
- I wouldn't call 747s nothing.
I told Margaret to tell Leo you're stuck, and she said he said, "No, you're not.
" gives them interest-free loans.
- Sorry.
Please, the president needs me for something, and Toby.
We're not new in town.
You expect us to fall for the old "president needs us" thing? No.
Leo McGarry ordered me into his office.
As much as I wanna save your jobs I have to try and save mine first if I'm gonna be any use to you.
So I'll be back, you know soon.
Was there any discussion of exactly how Hoynes could hang in there? No, we just said we didn't think he had to resign over an affair that in this day and age, he could get through that.
- And you'd help him? - I guess.
Guessing's not good enough, Leo.
Did you say you'd help? - Yeah.
- Did the president say that? Something like that.
I can't remember exactly what he said.
- Did you take any notes in the meeting? - It wasn't a real meeting It was kind of on the fly.
Did you discuss strategies on how to manage the scandal? It never got that far.
Hoynes had his mind made up before we said a word.
I need you to get the mayor here, now.
- Which mayor? - D.
C.
The only mayor we can get.
I need to meet with the president.
I can pull a couple of things off his schedule this afternoon.
The House and Senate just passed the emergency D.
C.
supplemental appropriation for snow removal.
That's the first bill signing we're inviting the mayor to? They attached a school voucher program to it.
We, I mean you Someone has to talk to the mayor before we veto it.
Wanna put out a joint statement? When everyone has the Hoynes article I'm gonna get bombarded about what Hoynes says, and I've gotta be sure about what you three said and didn't say.
I can control this story, Leo.
I can get us through this.
- lf you tell me everything.
- You got it.
I should only see the press once.
I don't wanna have to go back out there, saying: "Hoynes was right about this bit" that you forgot to tell me.
- I understand.
- We gotta straighten our stories today.
She okay? Well, you know, she got blindsided by this Hoynes thing on live TV.
- And that got to her? - Yeah.
It did.
Are you saying there's nothing we can do? It's not that simple.
Look what happened with the steel tariffs you wanted.
We killed more jobs in auto manufacturing than we saved in steel.
That means we have to pick targets carefully.
If we do that, we'll have a trade war.
We're already in a trade war with China.
That's why we gotta make bras our first line of defense.
- Bras? - Chinese bras are killing us.
- They are? - They're flooding Wal-Mart.
Domestic producers can't compete.
China has tripled its market share in two years.
I assume we're all okay with French bras, right? - Because I greatly prefer them - This isn't funny.
Of course not.
Look, I'm with you on this one.
I just wish the president could do something about cheap bras.
- He can.
- He can activate the textile and apparel import safeguards we got you to put in the deal admitting China to the WTO, starting with bras.
Apparel import safeguards.
Didn't know about that.
Everyone will know tomorrow when we burn bras in front of the White House.
I'll be right back.
Do you have long-run projections for the economies of scale achievable through net consolidations of troops and matériel if all of your recommendations were implemented? On page 1237.
Thirteen B shows the aggregate numbers.
Thirteen C I need to borrow Ed and Larry for a thing about bras.
- Are you sure they're the guys? - Chinese bras.
Well, they're the experts.
So is Hoynes crazy enough to run? You want the short answer? Yes.
If this article is his first step on the road to political rehab, what does he do next? Start putting a staff together.
I better make some calls.
Yeah.
That's why we wanna consolidate these five Air Force bases into three.
Excuse me.
I'm sorry.
Ed, Larry? Toby needs to talk to you about China now.
I need you two to take over.
You sure? Just ask, "How much will that save?" every few minutes.
And don't you say a word.
Please continue, General Stanley.
Donna and Ryan here will sit in for me.
As I was saying if we consolidate the five Air Force bases into three we could upgrade all three of the aircraft maintenance facilities for major overhauls.
- How much does that save? Using CBO's baseline, or the DOD projections? Both.
Well Russert's on line three.
Time, Newsweek, well, everyone's called about the Hoynes thing.
- Has Greg Brock called me? - No, Ben called said he has tickets to the Kennedy Center, and Tell Russert I can't do Meet the Press next week.
Hi, Greg, it's C.
J.
again.
Did I mention how useful it is for a reporter to have the White House Press Secretary owe you one, a big one? So call me or tell me what dark parking garage to meet you in, and I'll be there.
Call me.
Now.
Greg Brock is here.
You have a favorite parking garage for this? Come on in, Greg.
Nice to formally meet you.
Of course, I've seen you in briefings.
- I feel like I know you.
- Really? There's nothing to do in Paris, so I sat there, glued to your briefings on C-SPAN.
C-SPAN's what's happening in Paris these days.
Can I get you anything? Carol, do we have anything? - Water.
- Yeah, thanks.
- It's D.
C.
water.
- I'm good.
Every word I say is off-the-record, so you won't need that.
- Okay.
- I assume Drudge's quotes are accurate? Yeah.
I don't know how he does it.
I'm gonna need an advance copy of your piece.
So much for beating around the bush, huh? You can get advances of the Sunday Times Magazine Thursday.
- Everyone can on Thursday.
- Right.
I wouldn't be talking to you if I needed it Thursday.
I need it before anyone else.
I already got hit with questions about it.
I need it now.
Sorry.
I never give subjects of an article sneak peeks.
But I'm not a subject of the piece.
Am I? Sure.
If you hear anything about Hoynes making moves on staff, let me know.
Okay.
Thanks.
You left the kid alone with the brass? Just for a minute.
He seems to have a feel for that.
He's faking.
If you learn one thing in prep school it's how to pretend you know what's going on.
Rena said Toby's stuck in some Chinese bra thing, and can't Okay, do the Chinese even need bras? - I mean, you know.
- No, I don't know.
Some of us are trying to govern here, Josh.
Toby asked if you could cover a meeting with the mayor.
I said yes, assuming you're trying to stay out of the Base Closing meeting.
- Good call.
- Great.
Mayor's on his way.
Hey, Donna, which mayor? I'm not gonna play that game.
Who is or isn't in the piece, or what it's about.
I wouldn't be asking you if Drudge didn't have it, if he wasn't quoting it online.
Drudge has better sources than you do.
Like maybe Hoynes' publisher? Publisher? Hoynes is writing a book? Just got a $5-million advance.
Must be saving some good stuff for it.
Wish I could help you out, C.
J.
But that's just my policy.
No sneak peeks.
By the way, do you think there's any chance I could get an exclusive with the president on his reaction to what Hoynes has to say in my article? Yeah.
There's a chance.
But I can't promise it.
Can you promise me that he won't give anybody else an exclusive on this? - Yes.
- Can you promise me that if he issues a written statement, I'll get a copy before anyone else? Yes.
You sure you can't promise me an exclusive? Yeah, I'm sure.
Well.
I really enjoyed finally meeting you.
Could you print copies for Toby, Josh, Leo and the president? The Hoynes article? How bad is it? - So it's true.
We could use the apparel - The apparel import safeguard.
To protect American bras.
Yes, but we can't do anything until you file a safeguard petition.
- Done.
- But - Another "but"? our trade representative is in Beijing right now working on a deal for exporting American-made cars to China.
And using the apparel import safeguard against bras could kill the deal on cars? - Exactly.
- The Hoynes article.
- Better talk to the auto workers.
- You know what they'll say.
- That won't make it easier.
- Let's take a break.
And you can talk about which is more important to you: Cars or bras.
We appreciate your coming in, Mr.
Mayor.
Nice to finally see the inside of the place.
Could you excuse me for one second? Sure.
If the port is too shallow for most naval ships then why not recommend closing that base? - Whose district? - Chris Finn's.
Because the Base Closing Commission, while independent, is not insane.
They won't recommend closing in a Congressional district represented by the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Armed Services.
Sorry about this.
I'm gonna be tied up a little longer.
Don't let Ryan slow you down.
We also recommend no changes for Point Mugu Naval Air Station - This can't be your first time here.
- It is during this administration.
The Hoynes article.
So the president wants to issue a joint statement with you opposing the voucher rider on the snow-removal appropriation.
But I want the money.
We'll get it for you eventually.
We'll have to go through one round of the president vetoing it in order to get them to send us a clean bill, with no vouchers attached.
I want the voucher money too.
I'd like the president to sign the bill with the vouchers.
Mr.
Mayor, he's vetoed every school vouchers bill they've sent.
I know.
But this is just a pilot program.
Little voucher experiment.
Help pay for maybe a couple hundred kids to go to private school out of 68,000 in the D.
C.
public school system.
We're against vouchers.
Period.
And by "we," I mean the entire Democratic Party.
You're still a Democrat, right? This bill got four Democratic votes in the Senate, and 42 in the House.
Look.
It wasn't my idea to put Congress in control of the D.
C.
budget.
Then help us fight them on this.
Why don't you help me get some kids a better education? But if we bring him in to talk about it, then there's Congressman Finn would not only prevent closing the base in his district, he would make it his life's mission to derail the entire process.
The next base on our list is Twentynine Palms Marine Base which is our best training facility for desert warfare.
And, obviously, we need to expand Hi.
Could you get me Congressman Christopher Finn, please? Ryan Pierce.
I'm with the Base Closing Commission.
Can you believe this guy? Yeah, I can.
This is the Hoynes I know self-centered, self-important Charlie? They ready for me? I think they're still reading, but you can go in.
- C.
J.
- Yeah.
Don't go on TV with Taylor Reid again, unless you tell him he's an idiotic punk.
I think he knows that.
I never said he could "beat the rap.
" I didn't say any of this.
We have to get the mayor on the president's schedule today.
- Which mayor? - D.
C.
It's about time.
No problem.
Oh, for God's sake.
- I don't remember the exact words.
- "Weather.
" I think you said: "We could weather this.
" - How does it differ from "beat the rap"? - It's different.
Not enough for me to go and fight about it.
Did you tell him not to use White House phones? No.
I said: "Didn't you know the White House keeps records of phone calls?" Oh, great.
That's completely different.
Did you tell him this could be a right-wing conspiracy against the White House? - Absolutely not.
- Did you tell him he could deny it? I asked him if he was in a position to deny it.
Okay.
Couple more things.
He says you wanted details and he said it wasn't your business.
- Yes.
Leo, did you say she was a cheap whore and suggest she had other customers? No.
I said she was a cheap person because she sold her story.
What kind of person does that? Mr.
President, did you say, "We've gotta start attacking her tonight"? - No.
- Anything like that? I think I said, "If we're gonna get him through this, we have to start now.
" I said "Since she sold her story, she won't have a lot of credibility.
" Anything else about her? - Nothing.
- You sure? Yeah.
I'm done.
You think he's getting ready to run? I made some calls.
He hasn't made any moves on staff yet.
I called the usual suspects in lowa and New Hampshire I'm waiting to hear back - He's writing a book.
- A book? - Greg Brock told me.
- Big advance.
- Then he's definitely running.
He's gonna make the book the final word on the scandal hold his wife's hand on Oprah, and get a flight to lowa.
And rewrite history with the book.
His own version of every conversation we've ever had with him.
We gotta take a shot at Hoynes.
He should know we have ways to fight.
- What ways? - We need a list.
- Of what? - All of his private, on-the-job screwups.
Every time Hoynes gave the president bad advice, every mistake, big and small.
That mess he made with Mexico on immigration.
How he tipped our hand on the energy bill.
And lost the entire New York delegation on the transportation bill.
We leak it to the press, bit by bit.
No, give it to me.
I'll fire a warning.
Not in the briefing room.
It's too big a story.
- And we'll all look bad.
- I won't do it in the briefing.
You'll have the list in an hour.
The first 10 pages are legislative achievements.
Which Hoynes almost screwed up.
Right.
The next section are the bills he really screwed up and the last 12 pages have all the diplomatic stuff.
He offended seven South American heads of state in a five-day trip.
Got the China statement? We're gonna make a move on bras.
You sure you don't wanna insert a joke here? So we wanna scare them on bras to get us a better deal on cars.
Exactly.
So go tough on bras, but not too tough.
- And promise me something.
- What? You'll never let them list my screwups.
They wouldn't have enough paper.
The president can sign the bill, and say he still opposes vouchers.
I mean, he signs bills with little things in them that he opposes all the time.
We open the door on vouchers, we'd have a revolt by most of the Democrats on the Hill.
I'm sorry.
Mr.
Mayor, can you excuse me again for a second? Sure.
I'll wait.
Fifty percent of jobs in my district are dependent on that base.
Fifty percent - Congressman Finn - It's been there since World War II.
The town grew up around the base.
There is no town without the base.
I want you to know you have the president's complete support.
See? The president gets it.
You can't close this base.
- Thanks, Josh.
- Josh, we didn't I thought we should bring the congressman Can I see you for a sec? Okay.
That's it.
You're fired.
That's good.
Okay.
Wave your finger.
Act like you'll hit me.
- You out of your mind? - That's good.
Great.
Show Congressman Finn you're ready to kill to save his base.
He's gonna love you for this.
He'll back you up on everything you want the commissioners to do and they're a lot more afraid of him than of you.
- Just give me your West Wing pass.
- That's good.
Here.
Here.
Great.
Does Finn look like he's buying this? I told you not to open your mouth in that room.
Finn will be grateful to you for the rest of his life for saving his base.
You're gonna get credit for what the commission was gonna do anyway.
You planned this? Do you want me to cry? I can I can do that.
I can look like I'm crying.
Stop.
The president is considering a petition to impose an import safeguard on Chinese-made apparel, beginning with bras.
- We may consider - You ready for us? A couple of minutes.
The president will continue to press the Chinese to open their markets to American-made cars since China is now the world's fastest growing market for cars and trucks.
Mr.
Mayor.
Hi.
I'm Charlie Young.
Hey, Charlie.
Good to meet you.
- How you doing? - I'm doing great.
Just great.
I wanted to introduce myself because, well, I'm a big fan.
- Well, thank you.
- I voted for you both times.
I hope you vote for me again.
- Every time.
- Is he starting a bra war? No, the president has no intention of starting a worldwide bra war.
I don't think the president would ever start a war that the French might win.
Can you confirm or deny statements former Vice President Hoynes attributed to President Bartlet and Leo McGarry? - The president Specifically, did they insist he could beat the rap? Okay, everyone get this down, because I'm only gonna say this once.
The president and Mr.
McGarry feel they have not been accurately quoted, but they refuse to Hold on, Mark.
They refuse to comment on any part of the conversation with the vice president prior to his resignation.
They felt they provided advice and support to a friend with a serious personal problem that would affect his work and family.
They believe it was a private conversation, and as far as they're concerned, it still is.
I'm sorry, Mr.
President, but we can argue all night and I won't change my mind.
- Again.
I'm not the only one.
My school board president changed her mind too.
- Janny? - Scott.
She's in favor of vouchers now? She used to rail against them.
After six years of us promising to make schools better next year we're ready to give vouchers a try.
We're ready to give anything a try.
You start handing out tuition vouchers for private schools you're sending the message it's time to give up on public schools.
With all due respect, Mr.
President, no one talks to me about giving up on public schools.
I assume I'm the only one here who went to public school.
And you're the best advertisement for them.
Kids didn't bring guns to school in my day.
Republicans wanna spend more on D.
C.
education, do it on public schools.
We spend over $ 13,000 per student.
That's more than anywhere else, without a lot to show for it.
But if we start diverting money away from public schools that's the beginning of the end of public education.
This is extra money Republicans will give only for the vouchers.
Nothing else.
They're using you to divide the party.
I'm the only mayor in America with funds run by Congress and the president.
And you guys never pass up playing political games with the city I'm running.
Your Honor, I'm not suggesting how to run D.
C Yes, you are, Mr.
President.
Congress is, too, and I resent it.
But this time they wanna give me money for something that might help students.
I'm sorry.
I don't know how to refuse that.
This is a pilot program? Enough money for a couple hundred students.
I have a few thousand names on a waiting list for vouchers, already.
Go into any one of my schools.
Ask kids who wanna go to college what they think of vouchers.
They'll ask you where they can sign up.
Could you ask Charlie to come in, please? - Am I caught up on phone calls? - Everybody but Ben.
- You wanna see if I can get him? - No, thanks.
- What, did I screw up the China thing? - No.
That was great.
Perfect.
- You going over there now? - Yeah.
I thought maybe I could give you a ride.
No.
Thanks, Toby, but I'll be okay.
You sure? Yeah.
I'll see you later.
Charlie, would you sit down, please? Would you tell us where you went to high school? - Roosevelt.
- A public school.
- Yes, sir.
- Where did you wanna go to school? Gonzaga.
- A parochial school.
Near Union Station.
- Why? There's never been a shooting no metal detectors almost everyone goes to college.
- Couldn't afford it? - Couldn't come close to affording it.
You know what this meeting's about? Yes, sir.
The mayor told me.
What do you think of an experimental voucher program for D.
C.
schools? I wish they had one when I was in school.
You planning on telling me that anytime soon? Can't say that I was, sir.
Your Honor, I'm gonna need your help putting out fires within the party on this.
You got it.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
The vice president will see you now.
- Hey, C.
J.
, great to see you.
- Mr.
Vice President.
Come on with that title.
I think we're back to "John," don't you? How have you been? You look great.
- Please, sit down.
- I don't wanna take up time.
I'm the only lawyer here without clients, so I've got time.
Sit, please.
You should take a look at this list.
If you continue rehabilitating yourself by throwing mud and lies at the president C.
J.
, you can stop.
I get it.
You mind if I keep this? Please do.
You can give it to whoever's ghostwriting your book.
You can tell the president not to worry about the book.
I'm not gonna make him look bad.
I'm trying to get the scandal behind me so I can move on.
The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but? Well I'm gonna call it Full Disclosure.
What do you think? Good title? - Am I going to be in the book? - Yes.
Not mentioning you would be strange.
I mean, after the president and vice president you're the most visible person in the White House.
I'd prefer not to be.
C.
J.
, you've got nothing to worry about.
I promise.
What will you do in the campaign when stories come out? - Those stories? - No, the other women.
- I haven't decided to run.
I really - There have been other women, right? Lots of them.
Right? Because the way you came on to me - Way too smooth, way too practiced - C.
J.
, that was 10 years ago.
- I'm sorry.
- When you run the press will find some of those women.
And if you try to attack them if you get your opposition research team on them if you try to destroy them, say they're bimbos and liars I'll be standing with them and I'll be ready to take anything you or your people throw.
So don't make me tell the truth about you, because it will be the whole truth.
- You okay? - No.
Is there anything I can do? No.
Okay.
What do I need to catch up on? The president signed a school vouchers bill for D.
C.
You kidding? I leave the building for an hour and he switches parties? - You need a press release? - No, it can wait.
I'll be in my office.
- Toby.
- Yeah? There is no night of my life I regret more than that one.
- You don't have to explain it.
- I wish I could, but I can't explain it.
I knew he was married.
I knew it.
I always thought women who do that If I could take back one moment of my life, it would be getting on that elevator I'm sorry.
Don't have to apologize to me.
I don't have anyone else I can apologize to.
I'll come to your office in a few minutes, and we can work on the release.
Sure.
Ben.
Hi, it's C.
J.
I guess I've had better days at the office.
You know, the usual, and then some.
Yeah, I'd love to.
Let me just check the schedule tomorrow when Carol's here, you know, make sure I'm clear that night.
That sounds great.
Ben could you do me a favor? Would you mind talking to me for a while, and letting me just listen? I don't know, whatever you want.
Just as long as it has nothing to do with my job.
Yeah.
Really?