All language subtitles for The.West.Wing.S07E06.WEBRip.x264-FGT

Previously on The West Wing...

Sir, I've drawn up a letter
of resignation.

I can't accept your resignation.

I have to fire you.

C.J.:
Obviously, there will be
a partisan push

to probe past Toby to cause us

more difficulty.

I'm offering...
well, uh,

not so much offering
as dragooning you

to be the new White House
communications director

starting immediately.

What are you doing here?

I believe the agenda
is debate negotiations.

Republicans have
nominated a pro-choice

and, by all accounts,
anti-God candidate

for the first
time in history.

Vinick is going
to have some good days.

We're giving him
too many good days.

LOU:
Do you realize how few voters

actually read
that ink-stained rag?

The New York Times?

Every network news producer
reads it.

Every nationally-syndicated
columnist reads it.

We can't run a campaign
for editorial writers.

We'd have 12 votes--
half of them

within walking distance
of Zabar's.

That Times piece was ten
times worse for Vinick.

He's the one dragging his feet
on debate negotiations.

He's the one who rejected
the Debate Commission's plan.

They called it
a "classic case

of a front-runner trying
to sit on a lead."

Well, I can see
why it's a classic.

He's been leading
for two months now.

I don't know why
the Times slammed us, too.

We're doing everything
we can to get debates--

the dates Vinick wants,
the locations Vinick wants...

You know, it's
starting to look

like I'm desperate
to debate him.

VINICK:
Will you stop?

I am just saying,
watch it with the body parts.

That's ridiculous.

You're the next president
of the United States.

Don't say that.

You have a standard
to uphold.

She held out
her forearm.

You want me to refuse
to sign autographs?

You signed higher
than her forearm.

At which body part
do you draw the line?

Bruno, help
me out here.

The guy's a rock star--

David Cassidy meets
David Rockefeller.

All those body parts vote.

He's the next President
of the United States.

Would you please stop
saying that?

Vinick is a
terrific debater,

and every time
he backs away

from the
negotiating table,

every time one of
his aides tells the
New York Times

that I'm the greatest
debater since Socrates,

they're lowering
expectations

on his performance

and raising mine
through the roof.

Well, he doesn't need
the debates; we do.

There's no way
to hide that.

What good are debates if I have
to demolish him to win?

I have another
negotiating session

with Bruno tomorrow
in Washington.

Break the logjam...
and lower expectations.

Okay, those are
contradictory orders,

'cause the more I give
to get an agreement,

the more it's going
to looks like...

Get it done.

BRUNO:
Santos pulled out

of North Dakota
and West Virginia.

There is not a single state
we're not competing in.

We could win all 50.
Get used to it, Senator.

Neither of you is worried
about this Times editorial.

No.

They're calling me
"the roadblock to democracy."

We still have a shot
at the Times' endorsement?

We're going to get a deal
on debates soon enough

and on our terms.

The Times is just rapping
us on the knuckles.

Governor of New York
called again,

urging you
to reconsider...

I'm not going
to the Al Smith Dinner.

Presidential nominees
always go.

No one's thrilled
that it's just going to be

the Vice Presidential
candidates.

You know what they're going
to want me to talk about.

Biggest political event
in New York.

Obviously, a huge deal
in the Catholic community.

You could go,

speak about your opposition
to partial-birth abortion...

Ooh, bad idea.

I'm not giving a speech
about partial-birth abortion

in a room full of people
who think any abortion's a sin.

New York's competitive.
Catholic vote's critical.

And I'm pro-choice,
same as Santos.

I'd be crazy
to engage this issue.

You got another call
from the New York State Party

about the, uh...
I'll have Josh
return it.

Who's Al Smith, anyway?

First Catholic
to run for president, 1928.

Why is the dinner
such a big deal?

Oh, it's a big benefit
for Catholic charities.

It's the most political
non-political event
in New York.

Ballroom full of Catholics.

Should be your crowd.

Vinick doesn't even go
to church.

That's just what I need, huh?

A contest over who gets
the most boos for the line

"I support a woman's
right to choose."

Leo will handle it.

Uh, 6:00 wake-up?

Uh, make it 5:30.

ANCHOR ( over TV ):
...While Senator Vinick

is back in Washington tonight,

Congressman Matthew Santos
is in Michigan,

fighting for the state's
17 electoral votes.

As the electoral map narrows,

you can bet
they'll both be in Michigan...

Why are we talking
about the environment

in Michigan
this weekend?

You talk about
it everywhere.

It's Michigan.
Hug a tree, kill a Chrysler.

We're four points
up there.

We don't need to get hit
for pandering.

You want to spend
a few minutes

on thank-you notes for
those New Mexico electeds?

Nah, I got the list.
It's been a great day.

Why don't you guys get
some rest?

You sure?
Yeah, go ahead.

Okay, see you tomorrow.

Okay.

ANCHORWOMAN ( over TV ):
...Matthew Santos
is in Michigan,

fighting for the state's
17 electoral votes.

As the electoral map narrows,

you can bet they'll both be
in Michigan more and more.

We'll be right back after this.

ANNOUNCER ( over TV ):
This November,

America faces a vote
of conscience.

Matt Santos on human life.

Do I want to limit access
to abortion? No.

Turn on MSNBC.
ANNOUNCER ( over TV ):
No one telling you

when your daughter wants
an abortion.

No on banning
partial-birth abortion.

I need Sheila.
Is that a vote you want
on your conscience?

Paid for by the Committee
for the Integrity of Human Life.

Who the hell is the Committee
for the Integrity of Human Life,

and who told 'em to drag
abortion into my campaign?

VINICK:
It's a bare-knuckled attack ad.

It's not our ad.

And you think some
left-leaning committee

for something-or-other
isn't going to slam
us right back?

BRUNO:
Then we're in
a negative ad war.

Plus they're hitting Santos

for what a lot
of Republicans think

is my position
on abortion.

The ad does lay out
some pretty clear differences.

Which may play great

to a few right-
wing partisans.

It'll look phony and
political to everyone else.

I want this ad pulled.

I want the chairman
of the Republican Party

to say that this committee
does not speak for us.

I'll say it, too.

Any of our people are involved
in this, fire them.

The quote is completely
out of context.

Do you remember
the quote?

I remember what I think.

They make it seem
like I'm for abortion on demand.

I'm not defending the ad...

It's a right-wing parody
of my position.

We'll find whatever footage

they used...
You'll find it tonight.

LOU:
It's hard to rebut.

You voted against
the partial-birth abortion ban.

The Republicans
wouldn't carve out

a clear exception for the life
and health of the mother.

You voted against
parental consent.
There wasn't a strong

judicial override.

There are pro-life judges
out there refusing requests

even for incest victims.

I am not for unlimited abortion.

Look, I don't know
how we respond,

across the country
as news, for free,

and it's going to hurt us
with swing voters.

LOU:
If Vinick's taking the
gloves off, so can we.

20 years
of Senate flip-flops,

50 conflicts
with his party platform.

It's fair game.
No one can say it's not.

Josh?

We don't know
that Vinick's behind this.

He sure benefits from it.

If we turn this campaign
full-tilt negative,

we can never go back.

Call Vinick's people.

Tell 'em to call this
the lie that it is

and get it off the air.

I want a counterattack ready
to go by morning, if they don't.

WILL:
I don't really feel comfortable
working in Toby's old office.

Think of it as the communication
director's office.

I can't help thinking of
it as a federal crime scene.

Have we heard
from the policy shops?

This Toby story

will drown out everything
for another few days,

but then we'll need
new policy to announce.

DPC says they're pretty

tapped out-- they say we should

highlight the good things the
government's already doing.

Great.

Wait till people find out
there's a post office.

( ball bounces )

The President's going

on a three-day tour of
distressed urban areas,

to promote investment
and jobs in inner cities.

I'll announce it next week.

Try today, at your
first press briefing.

You don't want me
briefing today.

I do.
I need a few days

to get up to speed--
I don't know the first thing

about the leak investigation,
and I haven't even

sat down with Counsel.
Refer those questions
to Counsel's Office.

"Those questions"?
What about the entire briefing?

We have to show that we've
replaced Toby

without missing a beat.

There's an ongoing
investigation--

there's not much we can say
about it, anyway.

( reporters clamoring on TV )

REPORTER ( above din ):
Do you think Bartlet's
going to support you

in this defense at all?

Come on, one comment at all!

REPORTER:
Congressman, there's
an independent ad attacking you

for your views on abortion.

SANTOS:
It's a complete distortion
of my views.

REPORTER ( on TV ):
The ad has you on camera,
saying clearly...

( reporters clamoring )

( turns off TV )
What do we know?

The Committee for the
Integrity of Human Life

is a 527, one of these...

"independent"
expenditure committees.

No connection to us
or the RNC.

I wouldn't say that.

Its major donors
all give to the RNC.

And a few of them
are big donors of yours, too.

You talk to the party chair?

Hodder won't
denounce the ad.

Thinks it'd be bad for us
and bad for the party.

Has he seen it?

He wants us to get into
a mud wrestling match

with Matt Santos?

The Chairman's view is that

it fires up
social conservatives,

reminds them that, while
you may be pro-choice,

Santos is for

virtually unrestricted abortion.

You have to denounce it
yourself,

before a huge bank of cameras.

You want this piece of trash
on the air?

SHEILA:
No, but I
don't want you

or anyone else
from this campaign

criticizing pro-life anything.

We are trying to win a mandate

in a country
that is over 60% pro-choice.

We cannot get
cute with this.

Hodder's got credibility with
the right-to-lifers, I don't.

He's the one
that has to kill this.

( phone rings )
I want him this afternoon,

right after the Maryland rally.

Get your bank of cameras ready.

Excuse me.

Joshua... looking forward to
our next round of negotiations.

Maybe this time,
you'll propose hourly debates,

with breaks for I.V. nutrition
for the candidates.

Your side's running a vicious,
baseless attack ad.

It's not my side.

It is not my ad.

Get that ad off the air,

renounce the sleazeballs who put
it there, or the gloves are off.

There are laws against
coordination with an independ...

( phone beeps off )

Call the RNC.

I need copies of every
negative Santos spot

they've been working on.

C.J. wanted you to have
this revised POTUS schedule.

You haven't heard back
from her...

About your request to
postpone the briefing?
Right.

Unless you count
her saying,

"Don't ask if Will can
postpone the briefing."

WILL:
Doesn't count.

Never heard back.

Good morning.

I'm Will Bailey,
Assistant to the President

and the new White House
Director of Communications.

I'll be conducting
the daily briefings from now on,

and I have a statement
to make at this time.

One week from today,
the President will launch

a bold and far-reaching
"New Markets" initiative,

an inter-agency effort to bring
jobs and private investment

to distressed urban communities.

( reporters murmur )

We're handing out a list
of initial agency efforts--

small business loans,
tax incentives, Commerce's new

"Adopt-an-Entrepreneur"
program...

which, of course, we expect
to be controversial.

I'll take your questions.

REPORTERS ( clamoring ):
Will! Mr. Bailey!

Will, did any of the White
House senior staff know

that Toby Ziegler was leaking
national security secrets?

There's an ongoing
investigation.

I'll refer you to

the President's statement
on the matter.

Well, it doesn't speak
to that question.

I'm not going
to parse his statement.

We're not asking
you to parse it.

Which is good,
since I'm not going to.

Did any senior staff know Toby
was lying from that very podium?

Toby Ziegler's been
dismissed by the President.

That should be an indication
of what this White House thinks.

I'm asking what the
White House knew.

Two weeks ago, Toby said...
I'll refer you
to Counsel on that.

REPORTER:
Counsel isn't
answering questions.

WILL:
I'll have to get into that.

( reporters clamoring )

They're crushing
him like a grape.

He's doing fine.

HODDER:
So Santos pulls out of both
North Dakota and West Virginia.

That's great news
so soon after Labor Day.

Yeah.

Give us a chance
at that West Virginia Second.
Yeah.

That Santos crew doesn't know a
damn thing about party-building.

Mr. Chairman.
How you doing?

Good to see you.

Good to see
you again.

I don't like that abortion ad.

I don't care how
you deal with it--

hold a press conference
in the lobby,

say they don't speak
for the party--

but I want it dealt with now.

It's becoming a national story.

No one showed me that ad.

I probably wouldn't have
run it... but you know

what kind of damage it would
do to walk away from it?

An attack that, uh...
quite frankly, Arnie,

lots of folks think should be
in your stump speech.

Santos and I
are both pro-choice.

I can't pretend there's
some huge difference

between our positions.

Santos thinks my 14-year-old
daughter needs my permission

to get an aspirin in school,
but not an abortion?

The platform's pro-life.
The people in this party

who do the phone-banking,
plant the lawn signs,

get half our guys elected--
they're pro-life too.

Mr. Chairman, this is
a rough negative ad

at a time when
we don't need it.

This committee knows
nothing from tactics.

Maybe it's not about tactics.

Maybe they just mean
what they say.

SHEILA:
We know how hard you're working

to keep social conservatives
on the reservation.

We were this close--
this close--

to a third-party candidacy
from the religious right.

I'm still concerned they
stay home on election day.

This ad hurts me as much as
it hurts Santos-- maybe more.

HODDER:
Pro-lifers have
their issues with you,

but Santos is for

unlimited abortion.

If you don't denounce that ad,
I'm gonna have to do it myself.

Can I speak candidly?
Because you've been

sugar-coating it up till now?

Corporate conservatives
may love you.

Neo-cons and libertarians
may love you.

Bruno Gianelli Democrats

may love you, too.

Social conservatives don't.

You never speak
about their issues.

You send mixed signals
about judicial appointments.

You are the first nominee

in 20 years to skip
the Al Smith Dinner,

because God forbid you might
be near some religious voters.

Well, I can't meet my
responsibility to this party

without them.

No candidate could
hold those groups together.

If this were Europe,
the Republican Party

would be three parties.

Thank goodness they don't
have to sleep together.

They just have to show up on the
same day and vote Republican.

You realize how many states

my pro-choice position
puts on the table?

You realize how much
we can grow this party

if we're willing to reach out?

I guess I'd like to see you
unite the party

that we have now.

I'm not denouncing that ad.

And I don't think
you want to either, Arnie.

REPORTER:
Any comment on the independent
ad attacking Santos on choice?

I oppose all 527 ads.

Think Vinick's behind this?

I don't know.

Could be.

We found the full interview

they used in the ad.

It's from three years ago--

KPRC in Houston.

So let's talk legislatively.

Do I want to limit
access to abortion?

No.

Because there are
common-sense limits

under the law right now.

Should we work together
to reduce

the number of abortions?

Absolutely.

And that's where I think
we can find common ground.

They took my quote
totally out of context.

Yeah.
Yeah, so why is it running
on television? It's fraud.

Well, you do say pretty clearly,
you're not for limiting access.

We called the stations
who are running it.

They're not gonna pull it.
They think it's a fair charge.

I got Leo on the line.

He's back at headquarters.

SANTOS:
Leo?

I worry about too tough
a response beyond that.

It makes this
a much larger story.

LOU:
Can't get any larger.

They're already talking about it
on CNN, Fox, MSNBC,

probably
the Home Shopping Network.

LEO:
We are the pro-choice party,
there's no denying it.

I'm not sure we don't
stand up and say,

"Damn right I'm pro-choice,
so's 60% of the country."

SANTOS:
I have to make it clear

that I'm not
for abortion without limits.

What if we hit Vinick
on a completely

different level:
taxes, corporate cronyism,

we haul out a long list of all
the special-interest giveaways

he's supported in Congress.

Look, this is about something
that's much more fundamental.

Vinick's appeal is that he's
a different kind of Republican--

moderate, reasonable,
pro-choice.

Congressman's right.

This ad shows
that Vinick's centrism's

just a bad coat of paint.

Guy has a long record
of pro-choice votes.

Then why's his party platform
pro-life, straight up and down?

Well, he promised
the religious right

that he would appoint
pro-life judges.

He's obviously not too attached
to that voting record.

LOU:
Let this attack stand,

and we strip away what's
different about Santos--

he's a religious Catholic,
not another secular Democrat

who can be portrayed
as hostile to heartland values.

Leo?

I worry about elevating this,
but if the charge sticks,

it could kill us
with values voters.

And that puts Vinick's
nine-point lead in the bank.

We hit him.

And we hit him hard.

LOU:
I don't think we start

with a negative ad.
No.

We get one ready-- a tough one--
but our first hit on Vinick

will be a free media bonanza,
why waste money on an ad buy?

We'll use a spokesman for this.

We don't elevate it
to Santos's or Leo's level.

Clarify that our guy is not
for abortion without limits.

The ad's a sham, anyone can
see from the full interview.

And then, bam! We hit Vinick
with a political two-by-four.

You don't have to be
happy about this.
You don't

have to be
queasy about this.

You don't know Santos
the way I do.

If this becomes
a full-out negative...

You think he's got a glass jaw?

I think we lose
a negative ad war.

I think the other side's
better at this,

and I think they
have more to work with.

I did the Marienhoff
Senate campaign.

You know, those charges that
he had weird financial dealings

with Taiwanese businessmen?

He did.
Those were the charges.

Anyway, we ran against Barrett,

clean as a bar of soap.

We hit him first
with everything we could find.

By the time he hit back,
the voters thought it was

just another ugly campaign,
a pox on both our houses.

You're proud of that.

I'm proud that Marienhoff

defends Medicare and Medicaid
in the Senate, I'm proud

that he votes against every
reckless Republican tax cut.

We're the blue team, and
there's a real war going on.

Josh, do you want the right wing
to get their judges?

No.

Then stop being so queasy.

We hit Vinick for hypocrisy,
for saying he's pro-choice

and letting anti-choice
ideologues pick his judiciary

and run lying ads.

I'll phone the language
into headquarters.

And don't use
our regular spokesman.

Find a woman.

You know, 40-something
soccer mom.

What about debate negotiations?

I'm meeting with Bruno
this afternoon in Washington.

We're still
on makeup and deli trays.

There's gonna be debates.

Vinick doesn't want to incur
the wrath of the New York Times

any more than we do.

We have to stop
being so eager.

We have to change
our body language,

let them chase us for a change.

I've had nine meetings
with Bruno on this.

He knows what I want,
he knows how I think.

He doesn't know me.

"No" on banning
partial birth abortion.

WILL:
Have you seen this abortion ad?

It's all over cable news.

They're predicting
a negative ad blitz by Friday.

I'm amazed it took them
this long to get started.

Someone gave the President
this Eskimo adage,

"the best place to
store surplus food

is in someone else's stomach."

Use it in this
afternoon's briefing.

We're announcing 50 major
private employers

have joined
the "New Markets" initiative.

'Cause which would you rather
have when you're hungry,

rotten food or a friend
to help you hunt for...
No, I get it.

It's just-- a
second briefing?
Mm-hmm.

You saw the wires, they counted
the number of questions

I was asked this morning 'cause
I didn't answer one of them.

You thought we were gonna
get good coverage this week?
47, by the way-- a career high.

You have to let the press
punch themselves out.

You're talking
to the punching bag.

My job's to look like
I'm not completely ignorant.

Counsel won't even brief me
on the details of Toby's firing.

I asked them not to.

Don't you want me to have
a shred of credibility

in the briefing room?
Your ignorance
is your credibility.

It's why I put you in this job,
and your constituents aren't

in that room, they're
in distressed urban areas.

You brief at 4:00.

0 for 47.

I'm the Jamaican
bobsledding team.

Securing America's future.
Securing, not strengthening.

He's not
a personal trainer.

Is that statement all set?

OTTO:
All set.

Got a woman
to read the thing?

Right out of Central Casting.

No nose-rings, brow-piercings...

Trust me, this gal's
a cold glass of milk.

She was working for the Midwest
Coordinated Campaign.

Lou asked for the binders
on Vinick's Senate flip-flops.

Yeah.
Are we about to run
our very first...

They're starting,
I'll call you back.

REPORTER ( on TV ):
...Santos campaign
in Washington,

for their response
to the independent ad

attacking Matt Santos
for his views on abortion.

Tell him no, we're not
doing the Al Smith Dinner,

not in the middle of all this.

WOMAN:
Good afternoon.

It is wrong and misleading

to imply, through edited footage

that Congressman Santos
is for abortion without limits.

( over phone ):
This is Otto.

That's Donna.

Who?
The dairy queen.

Donna Moss.

Wh-What happened to

Lou hired her last week
to do Midwest press.

Looks too young, huh?

Uh, the Women's Alliance
for Choice

just called, they want an urgent
meeting with the Congressman.

Yeah, we were talking about
an endorsement event.

Have Leo do it.

I don't want Santos meeting
with the pro-choice lobby

till this abortion stuff
cools down.

...and the American people
need to know

which is the real Arnold Vinick:

The one who supports
a woman's right to choose

and votes accordingly,

or the one whose party
has a pro-life platform...

Yes, they're ready to go.

She's hitting me from the
left and from the right.

We have to wait until
we see what Santos runs.
Telling the right

I'm pro-abortion,
telling the left

I'm a captive
of the religious nuts.

The RNC upped their ad
buy another 750 points,

every battleground market.
And since I don't have
a functioning uterus

like Tippi Hedren here,
of course, I'm not qualified

to talk about it.

All the networks
are running pieces

on the Santos
abortion ad tonight.

I'm gonna go out there and call
it a piece of trash and a lie.

I don't like it either,
but Hodder's not wrong.

There is nothing in that ad
that's inaccurate.

Santos couldn't have written
a better ad himself.

They're whacking me
for playing both sides.

That 527's raised
a quarter of a million off

last night's airings alone.

After tonight, it's
gonna be 20 times that much.

This is energizing
the very people

we were afraid were
gonna stay home in November.

You think I should stand by it.

No, I think you should
scrub your Michigan swing,

go to the Al Smith Dinner,

talk about your opposition
to partial-birth abortion.

And the minute that Santos
runs his first negative ad,

we run 100 of ours.

Years I've been looking forward
to this campaign.

I never imagined
it would look like this.

It'll look better
after you win.

( reporters clamoring )

Good afternoon.

We're handing out lists
of private sector commitments

to the President's
"New Markets" initiative.

It shows the business
community's deeply engaged

in job creation
for poor communities.

As the Eskimos said,

if you store your food
in somebody else's stomach...

um... well...

then you'd better hope
it doesn't need refrigeration.

( reporters clamoring )

Yes.

Has the President been asked
to testify

in the criminal
investigation?

That's a matter for Counsel.

MAN:
Will he assert privilege
if he's asked to testify?

I'll refer you
to this morning's briefing.

When you said you'd get back
to us on that.

See, now you're cheating.

You didn't need to be referred.

WOMAN:
Does the President consider
Mr. Babish's conversations

with Mr. Ziegler
to be privileged?

I'm not getting into that.

Isn't Mr. Babish
also a witness?

I'd have to check with him.

Will, you've been
in this job four days.

When are you gonna sit down
with Counsel

and get us some answers?

I'm not.

( clamoring )

( shouting continues )

WOMAN ( on TV ):
...And the attack ad,

funded by a group
of Vinick and RNC donors,

has sparked what many believe
was inevitable

in this Presidential year--
a volley of negative charges,

with independent Democratic
groups already saying

they'll respond in kind.

Who are you?

Louise Thornton.

Josh couldn't make it.

Stuck in Michigan?

Santos benched him.

Sent me.

We have some magazines outside,
if you get bored with those.

Any good ones?

Are we going to--

how shall I say-- negotiate?

Oh...

Nah.

This may look like
your dentist's waiting room.

It's a negotiating session
for Presidential debates.

You want as few debates

as possible, but you don't want
to completely tick off

the Debate Commission
or the opinion elites, right?

Mm.
And I think

that Vinick'd kick Santos'
abortion-loving ass

all over the stage.

Game over. Check please.

And?

And I'm your best buddy on this.

No debates, you can blame me.

Would you like a magazine?

'Cause I figure,
about a half an hour of this,

and I can tell the Congressman
it didn't work out.

LEO:
You understand
why I'm taking this meeting

instead of Santos.

He didn't want to be seen with
the Women's Alliance for Choice.

Not while he's trying
to limit abortion.

He's not trying
to limit abortion.

That's not
what his spokeswoman said.

It's a rhetorical
positioning.

President Bartlet
did it, too.

President Bartlet

never ran against
a pro-choice Republican.

We haven't endorsed
a Presidential candidate yet.

I know.

We're gonna have
to push that back a bit.

See, we need moderate votes
to chip into Vinick's lead.

We don't want to make Santos
the baby-killing candidate,

if you'll
excuse my...

We're thinking
of endorsing Vinick.

( sighs )

Becca...

you're not talking to some punk
Congressional staffer.

Vinick's pro-choice,
and he's probably gonna win.

You can't honestly believe
that...

How are you gonna close
a nine-point gap?

You'll be lucky
if you get one debate.

The way Santos has been begging
for it,

Vinick's expectations
are so low,

he'll just have to avoid
tripping over the podium to win.

We're the pro-choice party.

You don't sound like it.

Vinick's the one
who won't criticize
his party on this.

Partial birth,
parental notification.

He's bowing
to the far-right fringes.

But if he wins,

they really will be the fringes,
won't they?

And then both parties
will be where the country is--

pro-choice, down the line.

Becca, if you help a Republican

get elected President,
you'll destroy...

Think of how many more

Republicans would have
the courage

to stand up for a woman's right
to choose.

for the country;
you should be proud.

Thank you. Thanks.

The, uh, debate negotiations
seem to be off.

Seem to be?

The Santos campaign
blew them up.

It's a ploy.

Better be.

They need debates
ten times more than us.

We can wait out.
That's the bad news.

Yeah? Let's have
the good news.

The Women's Alliance for Choice
wants an endorsement meeting.

You're kidding.

The heart of the Democratic base
wants to support you,

Santos would be doomed--

we'd win 53 states,
a couple of desert islands.

How do we know
this isn't a set-up?

We meet with them,
and we find out.

I don't know.

You know, if a
pro-choice group gets

within 53 feet of me,
the whole Republican
Party'd go crazy.

You're a pro-choice candidate.

They're the pro-choice lobby.

This isn't a typical election.

I can't see how they can
endorse a Republican

who's against
partial-birth abortion,

who's for parental
notification.

This could be
Santos screwing me.

I know these people.

I can keep this meeting quiet.

No.

The RNC has five negative ads
ready that would

blow Santos out of the water.

But it's gonna harden
his support on the left.

It's gonna make us
more dependent on the right.

Yeah, we still win,
but we win dirty.

Wouldn't you rather
out-flank him on the left?

If this becomes a press story--

that I'm courting
not just the center,

but the organized left--

I'd be kissing off a quarter
of the Republican base.

I can't win
without my own party.

We're going
to New York tomorrow.

I'm speaking
at the Al Smith Dinner.

Tell Sheila I need
speech language

on partial-birth
abortion,

something that'll mollify
the right.

MAN ( on TV ):
Arnold Vinick promises
he'll cut taxes.

Then why does economists say

that would break his pledge
to balance the budget?

He says he's pro-choice.

Then why do news reports say

he told the far right
he'd pick anti-choice judges?

Arnold Vinick--
if he's on both sides,

how can he be on your side?

Hey.

You hired Donna Moss?

No, I picked her off the street

and put her
on national television.

Didn't we say 40-something

with kids?

We said a woman,
and she was great.

She worked for Russell
in the primary.

So did half the available
Democratic talent.

She worked

for me before that.

Well, that is a strike
against her.

I can see why
you're concerned.

The debate
negotiations are off.

They're off?

We walked away.

I gave it to the
Times and the Journal.

You better hope this works.

Vinick can live
without debates.

If we don't get them,
we're toast.

This is exactly what we
need to even expectations.

Proof we're willing
to walk away.

If we're lucky,
the Times are gonna
call us a roadblock.

Donna Moss gave dozens
of bad quotes

about Santos
in the primary.

You may run communications,
but I'm Campaign Manager.

I sign off
on any new spokesperson.

The Women's Alliance for Choice
is thinking of endorsing Vinick.

Okay, very bad news.

Oh, yeah.

Is it public?

Not yet.

Maybe it'll hurt Vinick
with his own right wing.

Great. Vinick loses the right,
keeps the middle and left.

And the only way for us
to get votes is

by plastering
the Ten Commandments

all over our campaign bus.

C.J.:
$1.5 million

for naturally chilled
water transportation?

What's next, a Congressional
earmark for stuffed olives?

So, back into the breach.

Down the hall, turn
left at the crucible.

If you want
to offer any tips...

Just follow
your instincts.

My instincts say
to curl up in a ball

in the corner
of my office.

Then follow your
job description.

Right, down the hall,
turn left at the...

So, I should tell
Legislative Affairs...

The President is
not signing the bill.

Not when it looks like
Happy Hour at the Algonquin.

See if they can get some
of these earmarks out of it.

WILL:
Today, I am pleased to announce

that, as part of our upcoming
New Markets tour,

President Bartlet will visit

the Pine Ridge
Indian Reservation,

home of the Oglala Sioux Nation,

to talk about the importance
of investing

in Native American communities.

I'll dodge your questions now.

When was the last time

a sitting president visited
an Indian reservation?

That would be Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, 1936.

Next question.

Hey, did you talk
to Joey Lucas?

She's got another version
of our flip-flop spot

without the monster-chiller
theater music.

Yeah, come with me.

Where are we going?

Bedroom off
the staff room.

Okay, I don't want
to seem ungracious.

We've all been under a
lot of pressure. It's...

It's just that...

Hi.
Hi.

I don't know what the problem is
between you two,

but she's great on television,
and I don't care if she worked

for Francisco Franco
in the primaries-- right now,

it's all hands on deck, so,

work it out.

What kind of on-the-record
experience do you have?

Is this a job interview?

I'm Campaign Manager.

I hire the staff.

Generally involves an interview.

On-the-record experience?

Six hours ago,

nationally televised
press conference,

Santos-McGarry campaign.

References,
if we want to pursue this?

Josh Lyman, Campaign Manager.
Try the main switchboard.

He'd tell you that

campaigns demand loyalty.

You don't go working
for the other guy.

Who happened to be the party's
front-runner.

You knew
I wasn't supporting him.

The guy who taught me
to answer a phone,

who kept me in grunt-level
servitude 'cause I knew

he liked his hamburgers burned
like hockey pucks?

You ditched me,
when I gave you a career.

As a short-order cook. I'm still
waiting for the spatula...

Hope you two are getting along
like peas in a pod.

It just broke over the wires,

Women's Alliance wants to meet
with Vinick.

I need you to spin it--
bad for him, fine for us.

How's that
even possible...?

Bad for us,

worse for him;
whatever sticks to the wall.

JOSH:
How's the
Congressman?

He's been better.

LOU:
Women's Alliance?

And two more things.

Vinick changed his schedule.

He's flying to New York and
speaking at the Al Smith Dinner.

We got 50 reporters
out there wondering

if we're doing the same.

Why the hell would Vinick
do the Smith Dinner?

Because if he gives
an in-your-face,
pro-choice speech,

it could seal
the endorsement.

What was the second thing?

The Bishop from Camden,
New Jersey,

issued a public statement.

If Santos comes to mass
in Camden,

he'll deny him communion.

His views on abortion have, uh,

"placed him in a state
of grave sin."

How's that play
with the values voters?

LEO:
Don't be spooked by the Times.

Your staff was right to blow up
the debate negotiations.

A bad editorial
never killed anyone.

Not that I won't hear about it
at this D-triple-C dinner.

SANTOS:
You heard about the Diocese
of Camden?

So, you don't go to mass
in Camden.

Lou and Joey are almost done
with our, uh, first negative ad.

I know you wanted a more

substantive campaign.

Well, that's not what
bothers me about it.

What then?

( laughing ):
Negative ads work.

And the more we run them,

the more people believe
the worst about us,

and so, we pummel each other
to the ground, and whoever

crawls across the
finish line wins.

Yeah.

How do I get back
the Women's Alliance for Choice?

Come to New York tomorrow
and meet with them.

Tell them
you're taking the stage

at the Al Smith Dinner,
right next to Vinick,

and defending a woman's right
to choose.

And be ready for me
to be the only guy clapping.

So, I'm the "abortion
without limits" guy, huh?

We're the pro-choice party.

You got to dance with the one
who brung ya.

Vinick just landed
in New York, too.

Still no intelligence on what
he's saying at the Smith Dinner.

What kind of hit did we take

in last night's tracking poll?
Four points

on "shares our values,"
but Vinick took a bigger hit.

59% think he should

denounce the ad,
and more swing voters

think he's a typical Republican.

LOU:
They won't
when he's endorsed

by the leading pro-choice group
in America.

We need a way to spin it
if they do endorse Vinick.

It'd be a political earthquake.

From a group
that's supposedly on our side.

They're not on our side.

They're on
their own side.

They're an
interest group

jockeying for influence.

You think their supporters
would vote Republican,

no matter what
their leadership says?

Poll that-- I bet 85% of them

are died-in-the-sackcloth
Santos supporters.

Phone Joey with that question
for tomorrow's poll.

I'm on it.

I need you to
talk to Treasury

about that debt
relief report,

The President's
interested

in doing an event on it.

Sure.
And he thinks
the agency response

to New Markets

has been a bit thin.

You should crack
a few sub-Cabinet heads.

Did you see today's briefing?

Yeah. We need a better answer
on the energy bill.

Not your fault, D.O.E.'s
been dickering around.

Right.

Uh, set up a call with McGinn
at Treasury,

and I need a fresh list
of those agency commitments.

( bounces ball )

( phone rings )

Will Bailey.

Segal, the pressure's all mine.

On the record?

I'd say it's something

either administration
would have to love.

It's pro-business...

( bounces ball )
it's anti-poverty...

Investigation's ongoing.

I really can't comment.

( bounces ball )

Segal?

No, keep talking.

I'm not going anywhere.

SANTOS:
Oh, that ad's pretty tough.

LOU:
But the debate's still
up in the air.

We can't afford to take
our foot off the gas.

SANTOS:
Vinick will hit back.

He's probably already
bought the air time.

He has... Leo.

We can do the meeting

with the Women's Alliance
for Choice in Holding.

You and Mr. McGarry don't have
to be onstage for half an hour.

We'll talk about our ad buy
after the dinner.

We'll see you
in there, Congressman.

HODDER:
I hope you're going
to give a tough speech

on partial-birth
abortion tonight.

These folks need to hear it.

This story about the Women's
Alliance wanting to endorse you,

it's a disaster.

'Cause I'd get
more votes

for a position I
happen to hold?

You can't let this communion
thing bother you.

Most Catholics
are pro-choice.

How do bishops expect
politicians to do

what they can't even do
in their own church?

The Bible's silent
on the issue.

Not one word that says it's
the destruction of a human life.

It is.

You're pro-life.

I believe life
begins at conception.

Well, ain't that a kick
in the pulpit?

VINICK:
Politics is about practicality.

Well, not if you think
abortion is murder.

Whether you do or
not, Roe v. Wade

has been the law of
the land for decades.

Most of the country's not
ready to change that;

neither am I.

Well, that's not
the party's position.

I joined this party because
the liberals were the ones

who always wanted something
from the government,

and we just wanted government
to leave us alone...

especially when there's
no consensus otherwise.

I'm trying to lead the
majority who agrees on that,

not the minority
who wants to enact

their version of
Leviticus into law.

We're a big tent, Arnie.

Room enough for all.

You're gonna denounce
that ad tonight.

I'm not responsible
for making you more palatable

with the abortion lobby.

Denounce that ad, or I'll
do it in my speech,

in front of two
dozen bishops

and a tent full of
Catholic charities.

BECCA:
Leo tells me that
you might defend

the right to choose tonight,

proudly, aggressively.

This would be a gutsy
place to do it.

We're the pro-choice
ticket, Becca.

I still believe

that the Women's Alliance

needs to encourage
pro-choice Republicans,

and the Democratic Party
needs to as well.

SANTOS:
What we need is

to make clear we're not hostile
to people who are anti-abortion.

Pro-choice means anyone
can do what they want.

Uh, yeah,
but it shouldn't mean

that we're proud
of whatever they choose.

Maybe all
this chest-beating's

the reason why the right
can get away with that ad;

the reason a leader
of my church

can exile me for not trying
to impose my religion

on the rest of the country.

We're surprised
that there are people out there

who think we're for
unlimited abortion?

That there are actually voters
who are pro-choice

that think
that we're too extreme?

Political posturing aside,

precisely what limits
are you for?

Do you support abortion
to choose the sex of your baby?

Of course not.

How about after an I.Q. test?
No.

Then you support limits
on abortion yourself.

Isn't it all a matter
of degrees after that?

Who are you--
who are any of us--

to say where someone else should
draw the line for themselves?

I'd like to know
what you're saying tonight.

That abortion's a tragedy,
that it should be legal,

it should be safe,
it should be a whole lot rarer

than it is now.

You have a problem with that...
then endorse whoever you want.

( emcee speaking in distance)

I'll come grab you
after the intro.

( sighs )

M.C. ( over P.A. ):
I'm delighted to introduce,
the Honorable Leo McGarry

and the Honorable Ray Sullivan,

two highly-distinguished
public servants

with extraordinary vision

and leadership, who will guide
this country for years to come.

Gentlemen, thank you
for joining us this evening.

( applause )

Next time you decide
to smear me,

maybe you'll have the guts
to do it yourself.

I had nothing to
do with that ad.

You blew up the debates.

It's clear what kind
of a campaign you want.

I forgot how eager you were
for debates.

And next time you send

left-wing lobbyists
to my office,

don't forget the gift card.

You want an ugly campaign,
you're gonna get one.

I didn't start this.

Yeah, your hatchet men
did it for you.

M.C.:
We're pleased to be joined
on the dais by the governor

of our great Empire State,

a leader of courage
and compassion...

( applause )

You're hitting me on
partial-birth tonight,

aren't you?

And our next guest has served
with enormous distinction

as a senator
from the Golden State...

Here we are...

presidential campaign,
grand national debate,

pounding each other
on one of the few things

we basically agree on.

Our final guest this evening,
a congressman...

Well, then let's negotiate now.

Excuse me?

No back-room tactics.

You and me, a real debate.

( chuckling ):
Oh, please.

A real debate... really.

No negative ads.

No attacks in our
speeches out there.

If we can have a real debate
on the issues,

just you and me.

How's Sunday night?

It's a hell of a way
to end your campaign.

Oh, I'm just getting started.

( chuckles )

We're delighted to welcome
to the Al Smith Dinner,

Senator Arnold Vinick
of California
( clears throat )

and Congressman Matthew Santos
of Texas...
( applause )