All language subtitles for The.West.Wing.S06E08.WEBRip.x264-FGT

Previously on The West Wing...

I had to take the summit
away from Josh.

Yeah.

Governor Baker, welcome.

Yeah. And he'll have it
wrapped up by Super Tuesday.

So, how are your numbers
in Iowa?

Iowa and New Hampshire
look very good.

I get why you're so worried
about Baker,

but why not about Hoynes?

I'm running for President.

I want you to
run my campaign.

Russell is on his way to being
the nominee, and, God willing,

So get on board
or get out of my way.

You're too good at this.
You can't just walk away.

Watch me.

( applause )

TOBY:
JOSH:Not a real Republican;
Hhe's a California Republican.

Are we really saying that
there isn't a single Democrat...

President thinks Arnold Vinick
is perfect for U.N. Ambassador.

It's your job to feel him out,
see if he'd be up for it.

PENN:
Thank you.

We can't tell you what an honor
it's been to be here.

To actually work here
in the White House.

best friend, Zoey Bartlet,
I wantthe First Daughter.

I'm not the First Daughter.

Well, I thought...

Zoey Bartlet, the third daughter
of the First Family.

ZOEY:
Come on, guys.
One more trick.

You are just spoiled rotten,
aren't you, Zoey.

PENN:
PENN:e?
Well, you certainly deserve
another trick.Just one?

Teller.

( laughter )

( laughter )

( applause )

PENN:
I love that trick.

So simple. There is nothing like
a vanish. So pure.

a magic trick, a simple vanish,
can have no meaning whatsoever.

But what if, instead of
using that handkerchief,

a meaningless
piece of cloth,

we were to use
a piece of cloth

that was nothing
but meaning?

What if the piece of cloth
we chose

was the flag of the
United States of America?

'Cause, you know,
with this flag on stage,

there's a lot
to think about.

Now it catches the gleam
of the morning's first beam,

in full glory reflected
it shines in the stream,

does the Star Spangled
Banner, O long may it wave,

o'er the land of the free
and the home of the brave.

And what if, instead of using
that meaningless piece

we were to use a piece of paper
that means more to us

than any other piece of paper
in the world--

the Bill of Rights.

The first ten amendments
to the Constitution.

Including my favorite amendment,
the First Amendment.

It's the one that guarantees,
not just everybody in this room,

but every single person
in the United States--

every citizen, every visitor,
every magician--

It's the one that says,
if we want to add a little bit

of, uh,
spontaneous combustion

to our simple vanish,
we can do that.

We can take a... some tinder
and a very eccentric magic wand,

and we can do this...

And it's okay.

'Cause even though
the flag is gone,

the Bill of Rights remain.

( applause )

Did they just burn
an American flag
in the White House?

You guys, I'm just going to run
through the highlights
real quick.

The President leaves Andrews
this afternoon at 2:15 p.m.

with a stop in Louisiana,
before departing tonight

from New Orleans
for the flight to Beijing.

KATIE:
Any indication when
the President is going

toThe First Lady will complete
U.her visit to India tomorrow

and arrive in Beijing in time

for the state dinner
on Thursday night.

How long is the President gonna
leave the U.N. post vacant?

Not as long as I'm
gonna ignore questions

about anything other
than the China trip.

the President will meet
with shrimp fisherman
and shrimp packers...

They're called shrimpers,
Annabeth, not shrimp
Whfishermen.

In New Orleans, the President
will meet with representatives

of the shrimp industry
about their request to invoke

anti-dumping sanctions against
imported Chinese shrimp.

on human rights that you
Her and President Lian

will put out at the end of
the first day of meetings.

Not a word about Tibet?
Tibet's in there.

TOBY:
We just couldn't use
the word Tibet.

Okay, show me where you think
the Tibet sentence is here?

Mr. President, what you say in
the room is entirely up to you.

What we say afterward in
the joint statement is not.

I'm gonna hammer them
on Tibet in the room.

And they're gonna
hammer you about your
Indian reservations.

Indian reservations
weren't my idea.

DEPUTY SECRETARY:ATE:
I'm just saying the sure they'll
Department of Transportation

has a loMr. Secretary, you've
right nogot transportation
on your plate.

That's all.

I assumed you were going
on the China trip

and that we would have
another week

to get ourThis is more important
than the China trip.

of the United budg
States of America
we're talking about.

Youwho hasn't submitted
a budget proposal yet.

I can't ask OMB to put
together a complete budget

estimate until I got...
I'll be back.

DONNA:
Senator Vinick's confirmed
for 11:15,

which means we have to move
your OMB meeting to, like, now.

Give me a miAnd then you've got
that other thing
after wheels-up.

What thing?
Me.

Oh, right, sure.

Hey... you're back.

Nah, I just have to
sort out some files
I left in my office.

Can't Margaret send them
to your house?

Be a federal crime
if she did.

Your-eyes-only
kind of thing?
Yeah.

You hear about
this Vinick thing?

President ran it
by me yesterday.

Vinick's been investigating
us for seven years nonstop,

and we're offering
him a job?

Sure, we've had some
run-ins with him, but...

He has always supportedn-ins?!
the President on foreign policy.

Hey, sweetie.

Hey, boss.

Let me tell C.J.
you're here.

Just set me up somewhere
with those files

and I'll stay out
of everyone's way.
I moved them over to
C.J.'s old office.

Shredder?
Engine's running.

BARROW:
And this is the statement

on regional security that you
and President Lian will put out

The last day shouldn't be about
at thregional security.

It should just be about
North Korea.

They're only willing
to discuss North Korea

in the context
of other regional...

Don't they understand
that North Korea

is their regional
security problem?

Fix that and we've saved
half the world.

how much you want
to talk about it.

they don't have to talk to me
about anything else.

Mr. President,

our agenda with China

is now as long and complex

as it is with any other country
in the world.

I know.

To narrow a summit
to this one issue...

We can talk about the rest
I knoof this stuff on the plane.

C.J.:
Mr. President, I think we should

cover as much as we can with
the staff here before...

We got 20 hours to kill
in the air

over the next two days.

JOSH:
We got an election coming up

and we're actually saying
there's no Democrat

who can represent us
at the U.N.?

The President wants
Arnold Vinick.

Was Vinick
your recommendation?

I've known the
guy 30 years

and I don't know anyone
better for the job.

Sorry, I'm...
I'm having some trouble

imagining Arnie Vinick
as a diplomat.

U.N. could use some
tough love these days.

The President wanted
to ask him himself,

but you don't want to
put them alone in the room

until we know
Vinick will say yes.

If he plays hard to get,
I'm out of there.

If he says yes, he won't be
I'm ninvestigating us anymore.

We doing this just to get him
off our backs?

No. The President thinks
he's the best we can get.

I'm just trying to give
you your motivation.

TOBY:
I think we're all anxious about

the subjects because you're
insisting on being alone

in the room with
the Chinese leaders.

Yeah. You want to be
in the room too?
I do not.

But I think C.J. and
Kate and the Secretary...

I don't want to fly
all the way to China

just to participate in
another phony ritual

of putting out these
joint statements

on what we already agreed to
before the trip.

KATE:
After the controversy
about the Taiwanese flag,

This is my last China summit.l
It's my last chance.

I want to walk into that room
and show the Chinese

that they are not
dealing with some
staff-dependent puppet.

I want them to see
that I'm ready

to get some real work done
right there in the room.

Progress isn't good enough
for me now;

I want to get something done.

You like shrimp,
don't you?

I love it.

You might be interested
to know

how much of the shrimp
sold in the U.S.

actually comes from China.

Nice. Okay, go ahead.

Uh, yes, sir. Well,

one of the most
difficult trade issues

on the agenda this
time is shrimp.

Shrimp.

the agenda will be the
security of the region.
of the s

WALTER:
Does that include North Korea?

Walter, just let me get through
the return trip itinerary
and we're done.omethes, it does

Annabeth, is it true
that Penn and Teller

burned an American flag in
the White House last night?

How many times do I have to tell
you I'm not taking questions?

Who invited Penn
that they and Teller to
to burn the White House?

Penn and Teller were invited

to perform at a private party

last night in the East Room.

Because it was a private party,

the White House
has no further comment.

Walter, as I said...
Was the President
a lin the room?

Mark, I'm not taking questions.

ALL:
Was the President:
Well,in the room or not?st did.

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE:
Even if we make
significant progress

in tariffs and quotas
and state-sponsored industries,

if they don't budge
on the currency issue,

then we might not actually
be able

to achieve any real gains...

"State has confirmed
that China has just released

"Wen Jong as a goodwill gesture

"on the eve
of the President's arrival.

for six-and-a-halft
years on charges..."

Congratulations,
Mr. President.

They always give us one
before a summit.

We need to draft a
Wen Jostatement right now.
anyHey, Milly.

Hi, C.J.

Madame Surgeon General,

the briefing book on
public health in China

is maybe just
a touch too technical

for someone who almost flunked
organic chemistry.

What'd you get, a B?

B-plus, as I recall.

Well, I don't remember
any of it.

Are your bags packed?

I need a seminar from
Excuyou on the plane

about SARS and AIDS in China.

No punch line?

2:15, but we're already
Whee20 minutes behind, so...

So you've got plenty
of time to pack.

Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT:
Leonard, go ahead.

Stanley.
As I was saying,
since the ChineseOkay.

currency remains
pegged to the dollar...

The Penn and Teller
thing leaked.

I got hit with it when I was
giving them the China schedule..

How did the
"private party"
line go over?

Like a lead balloon.

The President's not gonna
let us say anything else.

They want to know
who invited Penn and Teller.

And they really want
They wanto know if the President
who was was in the room.

I knew this was gonna leak
the second it happened.

The second what happened?

Hmm?

How do we know what they did
or how they did it?k.

Are you saying maybe they didn't
really burn the flag?

TOBY:
Doesn't matter.
People saw them do it.

maybe they just pretended
to burn a flag.ed a flag

Okay. Annabeth,
get Penn and Teller

to make a
statement saying

they didn't really burn
the flag and we're done.

I don't want flag
questions chasing us
all the way to China.

And so we commend
the Chinese government

for releasing Wen Jong,
but we hope that other...

PRESIDENT:
Commend is too strong
a word, isn't it?

We were encouraged
by the Chinese government.

PRESIDENT:
Yeah, that's better.

We need a couple
of signatures.

We need to get
that statement out

TOBY:
Should we talk about who
before wthe Chinese government

C.J.:
No, we should focus
on what we won today.

KATE:
So, just a general
line then

about what we hope
they do in the future?

C.J.:
Right. And we need to
tie it into the summit.

TOBY:
negotiations on all ofeut
the issues on our agenda.

Let me take
another look at that.

C.J.:
So, we're going to get

Penn and Teller to put out
a statement explaining

PRESIDENT:
What? And ruin a perfectly good
bsegment of Crossfire tonight?

I'm sorry;
I didn't realize you want

every question in the China
summit press conference

to be about flag burning
in the White House.

DONNA:
You want to see any of these
Christmas party invitations

JOSH:
Only the ones you're accepting,g
which I hope are none.

So far.

Are wheels up yet?

In four minutes.

So that's like what,
50 minutes behind schedule?

Forty-eight.

Okay, so you owe me...

No, no, no. You bet
45 or under and I...

I never bet 45 or under,
not on a foreign trip.

a pathological liar
over three bucks?

I'm late for Vinick.

Not anymore,
you're not.

Did he cancel?

No, I just rescheduled
it for you.

This better be good.

Vinick's scheduler
was fine with it.

She said later
that I mighwould actually be
a problembetter for the Senator.

He won't be rushed.

Uh-huh. So?

So, Charlie needs you.

Well, obviously, that means
it's a C.J. thing.

He's been passing
along stuff for her

since she's been,
you know, on the road.

You can say China trip.

Every time you say
"on the road,"

it screams trying to avoid
saying "China trip."

Me avoid saying
something to you?

Let's get two things
straight:

First, I'm fine not
going on the China trip.

Picking a U.N. ambassador
is no small thing.

And second, only I can decide
to reschedule Vinick,t pick him

not you and Charlie.

your fragile ego intact,
I've been trying to k

to avoid using the phrase
"direct order from C.J."

I'll take your coat.

REPORTER 2:
Toby, you gonna have a statement
on the flag burning?

REPORTER 3:
Toby, you have a statement...

I have nothing more
( re on the flag thing.

Toby, one
more question...

C.J., I think we've used

about enough
presidential time

talking about
a kid's birthday party.

Did they really
What else you gotburn the flag?

I don't know.

I was in bed five minutes
after Zoey blew out the candles.

I have a draft statement
for you to look at.

We really should
get a statement out

before we land
in New Orleans.

"While I do not condone
flag burning..."

blah, blah, blah...

"I was not present when..."
blah, blah, blah...

It's too long.
Let me work on that.

No. Let me.
It was a private party.

I'll stress that.
No, that's it.

That's my statement.
"It was a private party."

TOBY:d.
It was in the White House.

There were at least 50 peoplee.
there-- we can't just say...

about what happened at my
daughter's birthday party.

( knocking )

Landing in New Orleans
in 20 minutes.

Thank you.

CHARLIE:
Just so you know,

I'm not comfortable with this.

C.J. wanted to call
you directly,

but she got pulled
into a thing.

On the plane.

She's already had me
on the phone this morning

She just can't make
every phone call herself.

Anyway, she wants you
to help outRight.

Instead of getting us
on the a U.N. ambassador?

Not instead of,
just before.

27 Congressmen
signed this letter

demanding the President
explain what happened.

The story's all
over cable news.

C.J.'s afraid
it's gonna drown out

coverage of the China trip.

She needs you to...

She actually say
"put out the fire"?

Tell me she said
"put out the fire."

ANNABETH:
We're already buried

in calls
from all the usual suspects

plus Entertainment Tonight,
Access Hollywood,

Daily Variety,
Hollywood Reporter,

Magicians' Monthly...

Why don't you track
down Penn and Teller

and get them
on the phone with me.

Them? Teller doesn't speak.

Penn told me
That's justTeller doesn't speak.

They'll be herebefore
You've talkin a couple of hours.

Sounded pretty cooperative
on the phone.

Okay, who are we kidding?

You don't need me
on this thing.

Hey, just wanted
to give you a heads-up

on the Vice President's
statement

about the flag burning.

He wants to get it out
this afternoon.

"When I was in Congress,
I led the fight

"for a Constitutional Amendment
to ban flag burning.

"This obscene stunt
once again points out

the urgent need
for a Constitutional..."

Can the guy open his
mouth without pandering?

Let me know when Penn
and Teller show up.

You've got to understand
my position...

Donna, where's the OMB
report on the HHS budget?

Where the OMB reports
always are:

in the stack
beside the thing.

Right.

Oh, and the, uh...
supplements?

They're in the supplementary
stack beside the other thing.

Got 'em.

Okay, I'm done helping you
ignore Will.

So, how would you suggest
the Vice President

handle a flag burning
in the White House?

What would you tell him to do?

I would tell him to shut up!

I would tell him to show
a little loyalty

to the President
and his family.

But then I'd have
to explain to him

what loyalty is,
wouldn't I?

Do you have time
to do that now?

He shook a few too many hands
in New Orleans,

but the pilot says
we can make up

Yes, China is definitelyme
dumping shrimp in the U.S.

at below-cost prices,
but so is Vietnam.

So, if we threaten to bring
a WTO case against China,

then we have to threaten
Vietnam, too.

And, obviously, the U.S.
threatening Vietnam

could wake up a lot
of sleeping dogs.

How much of our shrimp
comes from China and Vietnam?

25 percent.

There's no way that
our domestic industry

could replace that
much of the supply.

And it would only make
it easier for Brazil

to increase
their market share.

But I just told those guys
in New Orleans

that I would do something.

You'll raise the issue
with the Chinese.

You know, Teddy, no one
outside of the State Department

thinks that
raising the issue

RUSSELL:
and doi I was a cosponsor
are of the flag burning

amendment every time we brought
it to a vote in the House.

JOSH:
Big difference between
being a Congressman

I know, but I've got a lot
of history with this subject.nt

that voters didn't
know much about me,howed

but the one thing
that they did know

was that Bob Russell was
against flag burning.

That's in one Congressional
district in Colorado.

Now you have to define
yourself nationally.

Do you really want to
start with flag burning?

I gotta say something.

China summit is
It's the stthe story of the day!

about U.S. relations with theave
biggest country in the world,

why are you running
for president?

Voters understand loyalty.

They're not expecting you
to take a shot at the President

on something that happened at
his daughter's birthday party.

Eric Baker is going
to New Hampshire today

You know the press is
tgonna ask him about this.

If Baker makes a statement
about this...

He needs to move to
If?! Bakthe right on something.

This is perfect for him.

You think that helps
So what?either one of you

get the Democratic
nomination?

to think about where I
gotta be in the general.

Mr. Vice President, have
you seen Baker's numbers?

That's why I can't miss
any opportunity,

like this flag thing.

Baker's at 32, you're at 19,

Hoynes and everyone else
are in single digits.

You're not gonna catch up
to Baker with flag burning.

Baker's just a governor.

He's got to jump
at every issue

to get coverage outside
of Pennsylvania.

You're Vice President
of the United States.

You can't go chasing

every little controversy
that comes along.

You can't let Baker
dictate your agenda.

You pick your spots carefully,

every speech you give would be
treated as breaking news on CNN.

I need you to pick
those spots for me.

Will here's been
telling me for awhile

that you're the guy
to run this campaign.

NANCY:
They're ready for you now.

He's not stupid.

That your bumper sticker?

He was smart enough
to take your advice.

That was a setup.

He really did want
to put out that statement.asn'

I couldn't
talk him out of it.

it seemed like the perfect time
to put you two together.

This is a write-your-own-ticket
offer.

You'd have complete control.

I've never done
a national campaign.un it

It wouldn't be fair to him.

Baker's gonna chew
him up in the debates.

Even Hoynes'll run rings
around him on the issues.

Sure, Baker's gonna be
the front-runner,

with enough money to hang
in there against Baker.

What about Hoynes?

Damaged goods.

Right. And Baker's not gonna
play well in the South.

I heard Hoynes
made you an offer.

Has Baker called you?

Bruno runs Baker's campaigns.

Bob Russell might be the next
President of the United States.

You get in now,
you can make him

After that, we make him the
President we need him to be.

Where's Vinick's office?

DONNA:
Dirksen 464.
Thanks.

Got Penn and Teller's
statement.

You're not
Let's see.gonna love it.

So, how about a few minutes

after you get back
from the Vinick meeting?

For what?
For me.

For that talk we were
gonna have about...

"The Supreme Court has ruled

"that we can do whatever
we want with the flag,

and the Founding Fathers
obviously intended..."

Are they still here?

Juggling identical objects,
identical weights,

is pretty easy with about,
you know, about five
years practice,

but juggling different weights,
different shapes,

stuff you've just picked off
people's desks,

stuff you couldn't possibly
have practiced with,

that's when it gets
a little bit tricky.

CHARLIE:
That's amazing!
Thanks a lot.

This statement does me
absolutely no good.

I need you guys

to give me a statement
saying exactly

what you did last night--

preferably that you did not
burna flag.

And if you did
actually burn a flag,

I need you to admit it,
and emphasize

that you did not clear your act
with anyone in the White House

and had you done so,
beforeyou now realize

you would have been
explicitly forbidden

to burn a flag in
the White House,

and you now deeply regret
the controversy

you have provoked and apologize
to the President and his family

for treating his home
with such disrespect.

Hi, I'm Penn Jillette.

This is Teller.

Hi. Josh Lyman.

How you doing?

Doesn't talk like Harpo Marx
He dor really doesn't talk?

What's the difference?

Okay, how did you do

We're not going
to tell you that.the flag trick

Fine. So if Annabeth
goes out there and says

that you did not burn a flag
last night,

no one can refute that.

Except the hundred people
who saw them burn a flag

You tell me, Charlie,hink that's
did we burn a flag,at they saw.

or did we just vanish a flag

in a patriotic flash
of fireworks?

Don't know.

What's the difference?

There's a big difference
politically.

I mean, what if we burned
a flag, not in protest,

but in celebration
of the very freedoms

that allow us
to burn a flag,

the freedoms that everyone

who has ever worked in
this magnificent building

has pledged to preserve
and protect?

Did you go to law school?

No. Clown school.

PRESIDENT:
Let's find a compromise
on shrimp

that I can ask the Chinese
to offer Vietnam

without our fingerprints
on it.

Something that nudges
both of them closer

Okay, everyone, the President
to has a phone call to make.

What was all that about?

You okay?
I'm fine.

You're not eating.

I'm not that hungry.

You said you were hungry
when you were ordering.

Don't worry, I'll eat.

But thanks for getting
rid of them.

16 more hours of that
would be a bit much.

I don't need to talk shop
Send Milwith her.uld you?

Yes, sir.

WOMAN:
The Senator will
see you now.

Mr. Chairman.

Shine your own shoes, Josh?

No, I can't say that I do.

My father used to say
you can't trust a man

who doesn't shine
his own shoes.

Does anybody shine those things?

Not really, no.

How many guys left in this town
shine their own shoes?

Not a lot.

None.

Is that how many you trust?

That's exactly how many I trust.

Mr. Chairman, the President...
I know what you're thinking:

must be lonely being
this mean old guy

who doesn't trust anyone.

Well, I trust my brother,
my four children,

my nine grandchildren,

and my dog.

I suspect that's more
than you trust, now, isn't it?

Yeah.

The Founding Fathers
didn't set up

a government based on trust.

They could've designed
a government based on trust

in our ability to govern fairly,

but they knew that
power corrupts,

so they invented checks
and balances.

That was genius.

The Founding Fathers did not
want me to trust you,

and they did not want you
to trust me.

Well, they must be
very proud of us.

MILLY:
We're still negotiating
Christmas.

Tommy wants to go on an
archeological dig

with some heathen
professor of his,

and Cleo's doing Christmas
with her dad this year.

Then you're doing Christmas with
your goddaughter and her family.

I can't afford
another Bartlet Christmas

on this government salary.

Way too many presents.

Milly, I can't
move my hands.

Ever happen before?

It's usually
one or the other.

Never both.

No.

You feel that?

No.

Anything?

No.

You want me to bring in
the flight doctor?

Not unless it gets worse.

Well, I guess
I'm going to have

to feed you then,
aren't I?

( silverware clattering )

Every White House forgets
about checks and balances.

You guys are no different.

Checks are fine,

I got a problem with.
You need cordovan for those.

You're not leaving this room
with shoes like that. brush.

Here's another check
you won't like:

I'm going to hold another
hearing on your man Margudian.

Taking a Marine helicopter
to play golf in Florida.

Come on, that was over
a year ago-- we fired the guy.

No, this was another incident
a year before that one.

You really think the American
people care about this?

But I got a dozen members
of my committee who do.

Or think it's a good
way to get on TV.

You think I like investigating
high school stuff like this?

Fooled me.

I was going to be the best
Hinvestigator in the Senate?

Of course not.

This isn't what
I came here to do.

I'm here to make this a better
government,

And I just wish you guys would
to makestop serving upcoun

thesWe've runhings
a pretty tight ship lately.

Which is why they had
to reach back a couple of years

to find something new
to yell about.

But just do me a big
favor, will ya?

No more flag burnings
in the White House.

I've had four nuts demand
hearings on that one already.

So?

So, I told them that
the United States Senate

does not investigate
what happens

at kids' birthday parties.

Not as long as I have anything
to say about it.

Have you decided if you're going
to run for another term?

Yep.

Flying home tonight,

making my announcement tomorrow.

Why? You want to make me
a retirement offer?

Yeah, I happen
to have one on me.

What have you got?

Help the President
make the world a better place.

U.N.

That's tempting.

That's very tempting.

But that's not the job I want.

Well, the President
didn't send me

with a menu of jobs,
just this one.

The President can't give me
the job I want.

Which one?

His.

You're running?

Starting tomorrow.

You missed a spot on the heel.

MILLY:
The only thing to do
is let him rest.

He could feel fine by the time
he gets off the plane.

TOBY:
Or he could get worse.

Well, if this is
as bad as it gets,

no one will notice a thing.

Except when he has
to shake hands.

Which he's going to have
to do about 200 times

Be good to keep
the hand-shaking to a minimum.

You know how many weeks
We shouldthe protocol officers
the firstspent on that one?

The public events are
the only ones the Chinese
really care about.

can't publicly shake hands
with another head of state...

It'd sure kill
the flag-burning story.

Could we get Abbey on the phone?

Yeah.

Who else should we call?

Well,this is the equivalent
of a headache.

I mean, who would you want us
to call

if you had a headache?

Okay, let's just keep this
on the plane for now.

JOSH:
Thought you'd be long gone.

More junk here
than I thought.

Shouldn't you still be,
you know, taking it easy.

I think a two hour nap qualifies
as taking it easy.

Did you hook Vinick?
Not exactly.

He's going to run
for another term.

I don't know much
about heart stuff,

but aren't you supposed to...
I-I-I... maybe we shouldn't...

Don't worry, you're not going
to shock me into my grave.

He's running for President.

He announces tomorrow.

President?!

I don't see how
he gets the nomination.

I mean,
what's he going to run on,

tax cuts and more tax cuts?

Every Republican candidate
will be for tax cuts.

Then what?
Flip-flop on abortion?

He's against
late-term abortion.

ThHe's got a lot of California
for themoney behind him.

Even if he raises
twice as...

Sorry, but Eric Baker's live
on MSNBC right now.

Says he's not running.

BAKER:
And so, I have decided

for family reasons
that this is not that time.

This is the time that I can
keep my commitment

to the people of Pennsylvania
to be a full-time governor

and the commitment to my family
to be a full-time father.

Family reasons?

Well, I never decided to get
into the presidential race,
Unbelievable.

so I can't see how you can say
I dropped out of it.

You're never going to get
luckier than this. we g

I expect to stay neutral
in the Democratic primaries.

C.J.:
Milly says you should use
the flight to rest.

No moreWe're not going to
interrupt you for anything.

Excuse me, Mr. President,
Baker just dropped out.ne by me

Baker's not running?!
Toby...

It looks like
our very own Bob Russell

is the new front-runner for
the Democratic nomination.

Mr. President, this is exactly
what we're not going to do.

You need to rest, so we're not
going to bring you anything

you don't need to know
immediately.

But we mean real rest,
not studying briefing books.

Are you going to watch me rest?

If I have to.

Get out of here.

LEO:
Family reasons.

Go figure.

He's close to Vinick,
you know.

Yeah. Baker was on the
No,Judiciary Committee staff

back when Vinick was
a freshman senator.

They've been tight ever since.

So what? Since when have you
seen friendship

trump ambition in politics?

the Democratic nomination's

not worth winning this time,

if he has to go against
Vinick in the general.

But there's no way Vinick's
getting the nomination.

He's not conservative enough.

Baker's not sitting this
out for family reasons.

Could be Vinick,
could be something else.

Who's our front-runner
with Baker out?

Run a poll without Baker in it

and Russell's going
to go sky high.

Hoynes will pop, too.

Russell or Hoynes gets
our nomination.

Who gets the Republican
nomination?

They've been out of power
for eight yearswide

Probably why Vinick
figures he has a shot.

You're serious?

Ever see Arnie Vinick
campaign, up close?

He'll go into those
high school gymnasiums

in Iowa and New Hampshire
and blow them all away.

Shake every hand in the joint,
kiss every baby,

hug every widow
on Social Security,

and sound smarter and more
honest than any Republican

they've ever seen--
because he is.

He could win in
the early states,

go into the South with
some momentum,

then...

who knows what happens?

Republican who wins California
wipes us out

in the Electoral College.

Right.

He's not getting the nomination.

we've got no one
who can beat him.
If he do

where my career
in public service began--

right here at City Hall--
to announce my candidacy

to be the next President
of the United States.

( cheering )

And I ask you...

I ask all of you who have
been with me from the beginning

to set out with me today from
this valley on this new quest,

to help me bring the promise

and the opportunity of America
to all Americans.

REPORTER:
Senator Vinick, do you think
you're conservative enough

to get the Republican
nomination?

I think I'm Republican enough.

Been a lifelong Republican,

always been loyal to the party,
always will.

REPORTER 2:
Do you think
President Bartlet should

investigate whether a flag
was burned in the White House?

No.

I accept
the President's statement

I don't think we need
tto hear any more about it.

REPORTER:
But don't the people

Are you watching?

VINICK:
The people have a right
to know the President's position

on the issues,
but they don't have

the right to know what happens

REPORTER:
But if they burnedhter's
a flag in the... par

VINICK:
Hey, I think this is
a perfect demonstration

of what the President is
flying halfway around the world

right now to try to teach
the Chinese government--

the meaning of freedom.

It's a good thing
the magicians

didn't try this trick
in Tianamen Square

with a Chinese flag wrapped
in the Chinese Bill of Rights

because there is
no Chinese Bill of Rights.

REPORTER 3:
Senator, Senator...

Thank you.

You have a year to talk me
out of voting for him.

( cheering )

We've got a situation.

What?

South Korea.

( knocks )

I thought you were
going to let me rest.

State just got a heads-up
from the IAEA sorry,

that the South Koreanng
government has admitted

to conducting an experiment
to enrich uranium.

South Korea is not
releasing any details.

We need you to
get on the phone

and get the president
to come clean.

We can't ask China
to help stop

North Korean nuclear
experiments

if the South
is doing it, too.

Get us a secure line

with the South Korean president.

C.J.

Hold it.

Sir?

I can't move.

He had trouble with his hands,
Prnow it's both legs

So much for being
staff-dependent in China.ar

Fairbanks is closer, but
Anchorage is better for a 747.

PRESIDENT:
I've got better doctors up here

than I'd get down there.

Let's not pretend we didn't know
takthis was going to happen.

No, Mr. President,
I didn't know.

it was going to
happen someday.

I'm ready for it.

You better be, too.

Mr. President, we can't
land in China with...

This plane is going to China.

That's a direct order
from your Commander in Chief.

Okay, we're going to need to
clear the room for some tests.

( thunder rumbling,
rain pattering )

Got some new numbers.

Tracking poll has
us up 16 points

with Baker out
of the race.

Hoynes is up, too.

Yeah, but we picked up
a lot more.

Russell's the man
to beat now.

Yeah.

Listen, we have
a breakfast tomorrow

with senior
campaign staff.

Why don't you drop by?

Doesn't commit
you to anything.

You can just be a fly on
the wall, if you want.

See how it feels.

No, thanks.

This isn't a
Broadway show, Josh.

We don't just
close it down

after a successful
eight-year run.

You have to care who's going
to sit in that chair

I do. That's why I don't want
Bob Russell to be President.

the doctors will talk
some sense into him

and get this plane
turned around.

and that's the end
of his presidency. around,

We'd be saying
he can't do the job anymore.

we'll go back to Chinabe
as soon as he's up to it.

We might as well
just say,

"He's a part-time president.

He can only do the job
when he feels up to it!"

he's going to let you
turn this plane around?

If we cancel, the Chinese
might not believe us.

They'll think we're canceling
because the South Koreans

got caught
working on nuclear weapons.

We gotta do
full disclosure on this.

Milly should do a full briefing
with the press--

all the medical facts--
right here on this plane.

Just as soon as we know what...

He knew.

That's why the Surgeon General
is on the flight.

He wanted her here
to do the briefing.

He knew he was having problems,
he knew this might happen.

We're three hours from Beijing.

If we turn around, we're
going to have to refuel.

Maybe we should

let the cockpit start checking
their options.

Yeah, okay.

He wants to see you.

All of you.

Not there--
in the office.

I just got off the phone
with President Wang

anything about
the nuclear experiment.now

Said it was just a couple
of curious young scientists

and they only enriched about
two-tenths of a gram of uranium.

That's not nearly enough for
weapons grade enrichment,

is it?

Uh, no, it's not, sir.

at least 90 percent
Weaponhigher than that.e to be

Wang says
they're cooperating fully

with the IAEA inspectors,

and he's ordered
these young scientists

to participate
in a joint press conference

with the inspectors tomorrow,

That's not going to make
North Korea feel much better.

I know, but it's a start.

C.J., we've got to set up
a quick

press briefing
for the gang

in the back of the plane
right away.

Mr. President,
are you, um...

My left hand is back.

I still have no feeling
in my legs

and my right arm is in no shape
to be shaking hands in China.

Gotta remember to tell
the protocol officer that.

Are you in pain?

I'm finas I don't attempt
any superhuman feat

like, say, writing my name.

Okay, let's get started.

Think anyone's gonna ask about
that flag-burning thing now?

All right, look,
when we get out there,

I'll lead off with the MS thing,

I'll leave it to you, Milly,
to get into any medical details

if anyone has
any questions about that.

C.J.:
Oh, I think
they might have

a few hundred.

that the President
I'm of the United States

will be working from
a wheelchair again.

C.J.:
Again?

F.D.R.

Do I really have

to remind those kids
that Roosevelt

fought World War II
from a wheelchair?

Yeah, but...

But he died in office.

Okay, I'll skip
the Roosevelt bit.

Bring that thing over here,
would you?

I can get them to ask me
a question about South Korea?

How much you got?

( clearing throat )

but the President has
an announcement to make.

No.
I'll take it from here.

( grunts softly )

( grunting with effort )