All language subtitles for The.West.Wing.S07E20.WEBRip.x264-FGT

Previously on The West Wing:

The RNC has a team of lawyers
who want to file for a recount.
No.

If this happens and you
don't challenge it,

you're gonna regret it for
the rest of your life.

I was just going
to get the mail.

Of course, sir.
We'll just need
a few minutes

to shut down the street.

To walk
to the mailbox?

To come by
and have a hot dog,

everyone had to be
issued ID pins.

Get the President-Elect
on the phone.

I want to congratulate him.

Arnie Vinick made this
a better campaign

and he's made this
a better country for all of us.

( crowd cheering )

( chanting ):
Santos! Santos! Santos!

( indistinct weather report )

Gentlemen, good morning.

Good morning, sir.

WOMAN:
This is Senator
Arnold Vinick's office.

Nobody can take your call
at the moment...

Senator, what are you
doing here?

My office,
isn't it?

At least for another month.

Where's Sheila?

She had a breakfast
meeting; job interview.

With who?

Royce.

Majority Leader
wants her, huh?

Everybody wants her.

Seems like every message
I take now

is a job offer for Sheila.

I want to call
every state party chairman

starting with Iowa
and New Hampshire,

thank them for what they did.

Uh, should I pack these up

and ship them to California

or do you want...?
Did you hear me?

Yeah, state party chairmen.
Sure.

Today.

I'll go get the list.

And I want to call
every member

of my fundraising
committee.

And I want to send letters
to all the big contributors.

Oh, and I should call
every Republican governor.

And give me that set
of index cards

you were keeping
on everybody,

you know, in every
state we were in.

SANTOS:
Again, I don't want to, uh,

start making announcements
about cabinet posts

until we have first
made a decision

about the vice presidency,

which you all know
is very important.

Uh, I thank you all.

I have a very busy day today.
Thank you.

Well, I just wanted
to thank you again

for all your hard work
and to let you know

if there's ever anything
I can do for you,

I'll be on the next plane
out of here.

( chuckles ):
Okay.

Thanks, Al.

Who's next?

Hey!

To what do we owe
the honor?

( phone rings )
I need to make some calls.

Senator Vinick's
office.

Well, we could use
some help with the boxes.

So, Royce, huh?

Maybe.

Is he going
to run for president?

Well, he knows he
doesn't have a chance

but I told him
to keep the buzz going.

It'll help with
the fundraising.

So he wants you to run

the Majority Leader's
office for him, huh?

Dr. Wexler's
office says

they can move your
physical up to today.

Good, good. I want to get
that done right away.

But you got to get
over there right now.

Annie, get the thank you
letters done

and I'll sign them
when I get back.

And I want ten
minutes with every
Republican senator

before they kick me out of here.

Not too many
of them around

with the Senate
out of session.

I'll go to them.

I'll go to their home
states if I have to.

I got to thank them.

I got to let them know...

Hey, tell Bob,
I want to go over

the exit polls
with him later.

Who's gonna tell him?

What?

That the campaign is over?

to tell you or the Times how
to cover a story.

What I am saying is that
if you report that he's picked

a vice president you will make
the best paper in America

very, very wrong.

Yes, Senator,
the President-Elect

will certainly take that
into consideration.

AGENT:
This is Linda.

GIRL:
I have an aunt named Linda.

LINDA:
That's great.

Do you have any friends
named Linda?

No.

Well, you do now.

And this is Kevin.

Linda and Kevin are going to be
with you most of the time.

Now, because a lot of people
know who your dad is...

Everyone knows
who my dad is.

Yeah, I guess
you're right.

Some of them might
try to talk to him

or get a message
to him through you guys.

You think that's
a good idea?

Um... no?

That's right, Peter.

We need to talk VP.

If anyone tries
to do that,

you should tell Linda or
Kevin about it right away.

And they'll give
the message to my dad?

Well, it's not quite
that simple.

Our lawyers now have
a very solid legal theory

that your electoral college
delegates are free to vote

for whomever they want
for Vice President.

Theory?

There's no precedent for this.

A theory's the best we can do.

Supported by four
former Democratic

and Republican
Attorneys General.

And they'll say so publicly?

They'll take out a full page
in the New York Times.

By which, of course, I mean

they'll sign a full-page ad
if we pay for it

as will a handful
of former Solicitors General

from both parties.

So I can pick whoever I want
and the Electoral College

will elect them next week,
simple as that?

Republicans might try
to challenge it in court.

But we'll win.

It might take
a while.
You done here?

We're just...
It's scary
in there.

Honey, the kids
seem okay with it.

How would you feel
if you were five years old

and some people with guns
were telling you

that they were going
to take over your life?

Sorry.

I guess this is my fault.
This has nothing
to do with you.

What you are talking
about out here can wait.

What we're talking
about in there

is keeping your children alive.

Your hand healed faster
than I expected.

Maybe that's 'cause
I went from

a thousand
handshakes a day to none.

( chuckles )

I'll have your blood-cholesterol
levels in a few days.

If they're anything
like last year,

you got nothing to worry about.

You get much exercise
on the campaign trail?

None.

A lot of stress, though.

I hear that keeps
you young.

If I had your stress levels,

you'd have been called on
to deliver an eloquent eulogy

for me ten years ago.

So?

So you're fine.

Fine?

You're in great shape.

For a man my age?

For a man half your age.

You're kind of a medical
miracle, actually.

President Bartlet
and the First Lady

are on their way
to Brussels today

for the President's last
G-8 meeting

where the crisis in Kazakhstan
will be...

Do you have the list
for Assistant Secretary
of Defense?

There are 15 Assistant
Secretaries of Defense.

You've got to stay focused
on the big stuff.

All right,
let me take another look

at the file
for State, please.

The Kansas City Star
wants me

to confirm or deny Keenitz
for Agriculture.

How did that leak?
Once the FBI

starts doing
the background checks,

neighbors
figure it out.

If we could leak
a couple other

Cabinet names,
it might pull some

of the press heat
off the VP selection.

I've decided on a VP.

Do we have Nancy McNally's

financial disclosure statement?

Who is your choice
for Vice President?

Oh. Baker.

You should probably announce
that right away.

And publicly ask the
Democratic Electors

to vote
for Baker for VP

when the Electoral College
meets.

The only way we'll get Baker.

If you wait
and submit Baker

for Congressional
confirmation

the Senate Republicans
won't let you have him.

They're not going to confirm
a strong VP who could

win the presidency
eight years from now.

Handing this off
to the Electoral College

just doesn't feel right.

The American people
will not stand

for 272 people they never
heard of electing a VP.

The American people
don't care.

They don't vote VP.

They vote the top of the ticket.

If he has to take over
the presidency,

then people should know
how he got there.

If he goes through
a Congressional confirmation--

hearings of the House,

the Senate, the works--

then the country will know
everything about him

before he takes
the oath of office.

If you're going
to submit a name

to Congress,
it can't be Baker.

Got a lot of offers
to sit on boards.

All the pharmaceuticals
want you, all the airlines.

As your lawyer, I have to advise
you to avoid the bankrupt ones

unless you just love giving
depositions all day.

I don't want
to sit on any boards.

Letters to the
governors.
Great.

You don't have
to do anything

as a member of a board
of directors.

Show up a few times
a year.

Hundred thousand
in salary

and a lot more
in stock options.

You sit on maybe half a dozen
boards, you're making...

Wouldn't look good.

Who cares what
it looks like?

No offense, Arnie, but nobody
notices what former senators do.

What else you got?

A lot of university offers.

You can write your own ticket.

Full-time faculty,
guest lecturer,

whatever you want
to teach.

Where?

NYU, Princeton, Penn...

University of Pennsylvania?

Yeah. UVA, Duke,
Emory, Florida State,

Ohio Wesleyan,
William & Mary.

All right,
let's do guest lecturer

at Penn, Florida State
and Ohio Wesleyan.

All three?

I can write
my own ticket or not?

I'm sure they'll go along
with it, but why do you...?

What offers do we have
in California?

You don't want to be...

the official greeter
at a vineyard, do you?

21 and a half.

Obviously, that violates
Houston's zoning laws,

but we can get a waiver.

This fence is essential
to securing

the perimeter
of your property.

21 feet high?

That's because the homes next
door are so close to yours.

What's this?

That's the guard house
we'll build on the sidewalk.

Everyone-- friends,
delivery men, et cetera--

will have to pass
through the guard house

to get into your house.

Does it have
to be so big?

It's actually smaller
than we usually build it.

We're trying to let it
blend into the neighborhood.

Really? Who else on the street
has a guard house?

The plans might
be able to be

reined in a bit
depending upon how often

members of the First Family
are going to use the house.

Use it? We're going
to be living in it.

We've decided to let the kids

finish their school year
in Houston

and then bring them
to the White House in June.

So the First Lady
and the children will be

living there
full time until June.
Pretty much.

Could you excuse me
a minute?

( sighs )

Is there a problem?

He's got to let the Director
know immediately.

It's going to put a lot
of strain on the PPD.

PPD?
Presidential Protective
Division.

Permanent split
in the First Family's

gonna stretch us
kind of thin.

It's not a permanent split.
I understand.

But we're really not set up for
the President and the First Lady

to be apart for more
than a couple of weeks--

international trips,
that sort of thing.

Got the exit polls for him.

Great.

Now he can really
obsess over why he lost.

You got to talk to him
about money.

You're his oldest friend--
if you can't get through
to him, I can't.

He's refusing
to join any boards.

He just wants to do guest
lecturing at universities

in Pennsylvania,
Ohio and Florida.

He's going to be bored to death
and he won't be able to afford

the Republican lifestyle
he deserves.

My apologies, sir.
The Director would like

for us to redo
the security plan for your home

including sealing the street
with guard houses at each end.

Sealing the street?

Only residents allowed
to drive on the street,

all visitors to any house on
the street will have to pass

through
the guard houses.

We'll check
Social Security

and birth days-- same level

of security as the White House.

So our neighbors
are going to become

prisoners in their own homes?

Well, they'll be living on...

The safest street
in Houston. Yes.
Excuse us.

Wow.

You okay?
No.

You know, they're just
trying to do their job.

This is not going to work.

We should all move
to the White House

with you in January.

We better start looking for
schools for the kids, huh?

Yeah.

Hey, Bob, you got
the exit polls?

Right here.
Pretty simple.

We lost Nevada by 70,000 votes
because of the nuclear accident.

Which page
is Nevada?
Right here.

You're not set
for life, you know.

Jim tell you I don't
want to waste my time

with corporate boards?

I think he mentioned
something about that.

The Senate pension
will be plenty.

And I'll pick up some pocket
change on the lecture circuit.

Where's the
demographic breakdown?

You should take a job
with a D.C. law firm.

I won't do lobbying.
It wouldn't look good.

You wouldn't have
to do any lobbying.

Wouldn't look good?

Lecturing in Pennsylvania,
Ohio and Florida...

Are you thinking
about running again?

Flip 40,000 votes in Nevada
and I win.

Senator, you can't be
seriously thinking about...

Doctor says I'm in great shape.

Tell me who the front runner
for the Republican nomination

is going to be.

Huh?

One of the seven dwarfs
that I just beat?

Come on, those guys have
"loser" written all over them.

Ray Sullivan's
the front runner already.

Everybody said he did a great
job with the VP campaign.

I created Ray Sullivan.

Where would he be if I didn't
put him on the ticket?

He won't run if I run.

You want to bet on that?

Everyone in the Republican party
knows I had this thing locked

until the nuclear accident.

That would've killed
any Republican candidate.

The Party can't
blame me for that.

We would've had an Electoral
College landslide if...

Look at these exit polls.

Nuclear power was
the number one issue

all over the west.

That's not going
to happen next time.

Everything will be
back to normal.

Nuclear won't even show up

in the next
Presidential exit polls.

I know what you're thinking.

Go on, say it.

You think I'm too old.

Don't worry about that,
I feel great.

I'm telling you,
70 is the new 60.

GOODWIN:
The confirmation
will be a breeze

for Connor or Rosenthal
for Treasury.

Connor would be a more popular
choice within the party,

and obviously, Rosenthal's
more respected on Wall Street.

I think Rosenthal

would be more effective
selling my tax plan.

He has no
administrative skills.

Treasury is a
huge department--

jurisdiction over the IRS,

Bureau of Engraving,
the Mint.

Let's go with Rosenthal
and get him a deputy Secretary

who's got a lot
of executive experience.

Good.

So, we've got Treasury, Defense
and Attorney General.

You know, if you make a choice
on State, we could announce

the big four the same
time we announce VP

and show some real progress
with the transition.

Nancy McNally's great,

but I think she'd be
a better UN Ambassador.

Well, how about Noah for State?

Schmidt?
No.

I want a fresh take
on Kazakhstan,

someone who was never part of
the team that got us in there.

That leaves Reynolds.

I had a good meeting
with Reynolds,

but I didn't get anything from
him that I didn't already know.

No one has more
experience than Reynolds.

I like him, but...

Want to take another
look at his file?
No.

Let's move on.

We'll come back to State.

Okay, well,

we've got a couple of great
candidates for Commerce.

C.J.:
Yes, sir... General Corley

will give you the latest update
on Kazakhstan

as soon as you
get off the plane.

I'll get them on the line now.

Margaret, I need Stanley
at State and Henry at Trade

for a conference call with
the President on Air Force One.

When?
Right now.

What's up, Amy?
Here's where we are so far.

We've got someone ready to go

for every one of
those job titles.

The people in those jobs
should be ready

to move out
by Inauguration Day.

I'll let them know.

Thing's aren't moving
so fast with State.

The President-Elect
doesn't want

any empty desks at State with
the Kazakhstan crisis still hot,

so he'd like
all the undersecretaries

and Assistant Secretaries

to plan to stay in place
for awhile.

He's having trouble
picking a Secretary?

He's still staring
at the short list.

Nancy McNally?

I have no idea,
I'm just the messenger.

She's on the short list.

Good.

( knocking on door )

Helen Santos is here.

And Stanley is having
his teeth whitened

right now, so they're trying
to find someone at Trade

who can do
the conference call.

Okay.
My once proud team.

I'll just duck out this way.

Problems with
the First Lady-Elect?

I'm just not her
favorite person today.

Come on.

It's nothing really.

I'll just slip out
of your way.

Hello, Mrs. Santos.

I'm C.J. Cregg.
I know.
We get CNN in Texas.

Do me a favor?
Sure. Anything.

Please call me Helen.

Okay.

How are we doing?
Got everyone ready,

but now the President's
on another call.

The First Lady would've loved
to have shown you around,

but she's on her way to Brussels
with the President.

They've asked me to
make you feel at home.

Oh, in this place?

Well, you'll see the residence
does have some homey touches.

Ah. Like?

Uh, you could get
bunk beds for the kids.

I got to find a school
for them first

before I think
about bedrooms.

Jim Kane can
help you with that.

The Secretary of Education?

Yeah.

Mr. Chairman,
I'll definitely let you know

about the Vice President
before the press knows.

Drudge Report
says it's Baker.

How does Drudge do it?

Is it Baker?

SANTOS:
I am not going to reconsider.

I want Eric Baker
for Vice President.

Now with the Democrats
in the House,

Baker will have
no problem there.

How many Republican votes would
we need in the Senate?

Five. At least.

Maybe more if anyone
decides to filibuster.

They won't try that
on a VP confirmation.

But they could.

Not if you talk to
the Majority Leader,

give him the feeling
he's being consulted,

let him suggest some names.

No, that'll give him the chance

to try to jam me into taking
someone I don't want.

Well, if we can't count on

enough Republican votes
in the Senate,

then I strongly recommend that
you ask the Electoral College

to vote on Baker
next week.

Don't want to do that.
You might have to.

Baker's name is already starting
to leak, so if you're not

going to pretend to consult
the Senate Republicans,

we need to make
the announcement soon.

Got to put pressure on the
Republicans to confirm Baker.

How?

I want to see Arnold Vinick.

You really think he's in
the mood to help you with this?

I want to see Arnold Vinick.

Right wing is saying
we lost because

you weren't
conservative enough,

not because of
the nuclear thing.

Exactly.

That's why I have to run again,
to prove that isn't true.

I wasn't just running
for the Presidency.

I was fighting for
the soul of my party.

And you won that fight.

Ray Sullivan,

the most popular guy
in the party,

is a Vinick Republican now.

You created him
as a national candidate.

He is your legacy.

Pro-life voters like him,
moderates love him.

You give him your blessing,

you can guarantee him
the nomination.

You can be the king maker.

But not the king?

I just got a call
from Barry Goodwin.

Yeah?

Matt Santos wants to see you.

About what?

Sounds like he just wants to do
a post-election handshake,

a nice bi-partisan
photo-op.

Smart move by Santos.

I'm not going to be a prop
in some phony unity picture.

If you don't go,
they'll leak that you

were invited
and turned them down.

Santos will look
bi-partisan...

And I look like a sore loser.

Your personal staff is waiting
for you in the East Room.

Most of them have
been here a long time.

They really know their stuff.

All I need
is a nanny-type

and someone to help
clean up the kids' bedrooms.

I think they can manage that.

This is Curtis Schaefer.

Nice to meet you.

My pleasure, Mrs. Santos.

Mr. Schaefer
is the Chief Usher.

Chief Usher?

Means he's the man
in charge.
Ah.

If it's all right with you,

I thought we'd begin with a
quick introduction to everyone,

then split off into
individual meetings

with the executive chef.

The pastry chef, I imagine
your children might have some

favorite deserts
he'll want to know about.

Then the head florist
would like a few minutes

just to get a general
impression of your preferences

and the President-Elect's
preferences.

Um, the President-Elect doesn't
have a flower preference.

So for the Oval Office?

Oh, he'll never
notice the flowers.

Whatever you like is fine.
I understand.

You don't need to meet with the
butlers and maids individually,

but it would be very helpful
if you could spend a few minutes

with the President-Elect's
valet today.

because he needs to finalize...

Um, I'm sorry.

Thanks.

This is too much.

We don't need
all these people.

Okay. Which ones
do you want to fire?

RECEPTIONIST:
President-Elect's office,
please hold.

President-Elect's office,
please hold.

The President-Elect's
office, please hold.

Senator Vinick, Mr. Goodwin
will be right with you.

He's just finishing up a call.

You'd like
to take a seat?

President-Elect's office,
please hold.

SHEILA ( over phone ):
Senator Vinick's office.

This was a terrible idea.

You had no choice.

I'm standing here,
waiting like a...

Sit.

Just keep talking to me
as though I'm too busy to sit.

Okay.

What do I have tomorrow?

Uh... you have
a haircut at 10:00.

Okay, then what?

That looks like it.

For the rest of the day?

For the rest of the year.

Okay, well, let's confirm
all that and make sure

I have the updated
schedules today.

Arnie, good to see you.

Congratulations, Barry.

Listen, you ran
one hell of a campaign.

We just got lucky.

Let me take your coat.

I'm, uh, sorry
for the wait,

but the President-Elect
had to step out with the wife

to check out some
schools for the kids.

He asked me to have
you wait in here.

It won't be long.

Can I get you
anything?
No, I don't think so.

Senator Robertson's
on line three.

Excuse me.
I've got to take this.

Do you think St. Albans was
a little, you know, stuffy?

A little?

Bancroft was more
down to earth.

Yep.

What?

The idea of spending $25,000

for fifth grade.

Ridiculous.

What would
public school be like

if we spent $25,000 per pupil?

In one year, we will spend
more for two kids

than my entire education cost.

Hey, I actually got
a paycheck at Annapolis.

( chuckles )

Where is the next school?

What next school?

I thought we were only
doing two schools today.

I told your scheduler that we
had three schools to check out.

Honey, I-I can't do
another school today.

I-I have to get back
to the office.

I've got Arnold Vinick
waiting for me.

( phone ringing )

( ringing continues )

The President-Elect
is on the line for you.

( phone continues ringing )

Hello.

Hey, Arnie, thanks
for coming in to see me.

Listen, I'm, uh,

really sorry about
the scheduling mix-up.

We're looking
at schools for kids,

and it's taking longer
than we thought.

I understand.

Can we push our meeting
back for about an hour?

Well, my schedule's
pretty busy these days.

Let's see what our staffs
can work out.

Yeah, sure.

I really appreciate any time
that you can give me today.

And, again, I'm sorry
about having to reschedule.

No problem.

BARISTA:
Grande, non-fat Chai
for Jim.

Coffee of the day.

Tall, grande or venti?

Huh?

What size?

Whatever's biggest.

Name?

Sen...

Arnie.

Venti coffee of the day
for Ernie.

HELEN:
I wouldn't
send our kids

to that school
if they paid us.

SANTOS:
I didn't see a single kid
smiling in there.

So, it's Bancroft,
I guess.

Maybe we should look
at some public schools, too.

DC public schools are
the worst, aren't they?

Didn't Vinick
say something

about DC having the lowest
test scores in the country?

There's gotta be some good
public schools in the District.

( cell phone rings )

Hello?

Yes, we are on
our way right now.

I am late for the
White House decorator.

There's gotta be at least
one good public school.

Do you know any congressmen
who send their kids

to DC public schools?

What's this about, honey?

You afraid
they're gonna get spoiled

going to a rich kids school?

A little, yeah.

You think having one maid
pick up their socks

and another pick up
their underwear

is not going
to spoil them?

Going to a fancy private school

is gonna be the most
normal thing about them.

Yeah, but...

If you want to look
at a public school,

we'll look
at a public school, okay?

I need the schedule
for tomorrow's G-8 meeting

and the draft of the joint
statement on Kazakhstan.

Trade Rep wants you
to okay this memo

on agriculture subsidies
going to the President.

Hi.

Hi.

I-I have a 3:00.

With the decorator.

Oh, right.
That's in there.

Oh. Thanks.

MARGARET:
And this is
the language

State approved for
tomorrow's briefing.

WOMAN:
Mrs. Santos.

Mrs. Santos.

I'm Gail Addison.

It's nice to meet you.

Um, as you know,

we have very little
in the budget for redecorating.

Oh, well, how much
is very little?

$200,000.

You might want to establish

a fund-raising committee

to raise a few million
and do it right.

There really
is a lot to do,

especially in this room.

I've never liked
the colors of this rug,

but the Bartlets...

Well, it's all up to you now.

Well, it looks
good to me.

Oh, but there are many ways

that you can put your personal
touch on the White House.

Well, I will leave
that to my kids.

I'll tell you right now,
there're going to be

a lot of crayon marks
that we're going

to have to remove
when we leave.

Speaking of the kids,

here's what I've sketched
for Peter's room--

a cowboy theme.

And here's what I came up
with for Miranda's room--

a place a princess
would love.

SANTOS:
That'll work.

Yeah. okay.

Arnie, thanks so much
for coming in.

I'm really sorry about

that schedule screw-up
this afternoon.
It's okay.

They've got me booked
every minute of the day now.

It's worse than the campaign.
No time to think at all.

In any event, I appreciate
you rescheduling so fast.

Where are the cameras?

This isn't a photo-op.

Would you like
some coffee?

No, thanks.

Please.

I need your advice.

My advice?

Yeah.

On what?

The vice presidency.

What about it?

I have a legal memo that says

that I can ask
the Electoral College

to vote
for whoever I want...

You can't let 272 people
no one has ever heard of

elect the Vice President
of the United States of America.

If you're going to
have an unelected VP,

then you've got
to at least

let the democratically elected
representatives

of the people vote for him.

You have to submit the name
for Congressional confirmation.

You got to go through
an open process,

a public process that people
understand and accept.

I agree.

You do?

Yeah.

Do you think the
Senate Republicans
will get rough?

Well, it depends
on who you pick.

Is the vice presidency something
that you would consider?

Are you, are you offering it?

Would you consider it?

If you offered it?
If I offered it.

To a Republican?

To you.

Would I consider it?

And if I'd consider it,
you put me on your short list?

Yes.
You still gonna try
to raise taxes?

Only on incomes
over a million.

So you'd actually offer the vice
presidency to someone who,

if anything happened to you,

would be trying
to cut those taxes

while your body
was still warm?

I might.

If I'd consider it?

Nice try.

I know your game.

You get me to say
I'd consider it,

then you have your people
leak it to the press,

that gives you
a couple of days of stories

about how bi-partisan
Matt Santos is.

Hey, he's even
got a Republican

on his shortlist
for Vice President.

You figure that'll soften up
the Senate Republicans,

and they'll get them about a
speedy confirmation for Vinick,

then you announce
who you really want,

which I assume is Baker,

and then you put public pressure
on the Senate to give the same

speedy confirmation to Baker

that they were going
to give Vinick.

Huh?

Huh?

What do you think of Baker?

I think
he wins you Pennsylvania.

I think he has a lock
on the Presidential nomination

eight years from now.

Senate Republicans will have
a little problem with that.

What are you gonna do next?

I'll do what I'm...
what I'm good at.

You're going to run again?

I hope you get
your tax increase.

It'll give me something
to run against.

You got a minute

to talk about Kazakhstan?

I'm not getting a daily
Intelligence report anymore.

All I know
is what I read in the papers.

A lot of what you read
in the papers

is better than our intelligence.

I was impressed with
what you had to say

about Kazakhstan
during the campaign.

I always had wished
that I had said it first.

The good cop/bad cop routine

that you and Bartlet
have worked up.

That seems to be the only thing
you can do now.

What do you mean?

Oh, come on. You two must
have coordinated your messages.

You're not reckless enough
to undermine the President

on foreign policy
in the middle of a crisis.

You're trying
to make the Russians

and the Chinese believe
that it's gonna be

tougher to deal with you
than with Bartlet.

Put pressure on them
to negotiate a settlement

with Bartlet now.

Well, that could work.

I'm going to need another cop
when Bartlet leaves office.

How 'bout Secretary of State?

Well... You going
to go with Reynolds?

Maybe.

If I don't get my first choice.

Who's that?

That would be you.

Secretary of State?

You've got better relationships

with all of the important heads
of state than I do.

You know the diplomatic corps.

You're respected in every
capital around the world.

You agree with me
on foreign policy.

And you are the best
strategic thinker I know.

I'm not asking you
if you'd consider it, Arnie.

I'm asking you to do it.

Oh, he read that play instantly.
The guy is brilliant.

He is a Republican.

He's who we need.

You're saying there's
not a single Democrat

who could handle State
as well as Vinick?

Well, that's not exactly
what I would go out there

and say publicly, but yeah.

Well, he's not
going to accept it,

but he's going to
make sure the press finds out

whoever we end up with
was a second choice.

He's not going to leak it.

Sure, he is.

Well, he never leaked

that Bartlet
offered him that UN job.

Was he serious
about running again?
Yeah.

Well, then he's
definitely going
to leak this.

Maybe, but this is the risk
I've decided to take.

Secretary of State?

He gave me
the hard sell.

"The country needs you."
The whole bit.

What did you say?

I turned him down
on the spot.

And then he asked me
to sleep on it,

and give him my
final answer tomorrow.

You got to do this.

It's perfect for you.

You ran a campaign to try
to unify the country.

Now it looks like Santos

is trying to put together
an administration

that will unify the country.

The President
says he needs you.

The country needs you.

I disagree with him
about everything.

Not everything.

You don't disagree
on foreign policy.

You think about it differently,
you use different rhetoric,

but you agree
on the objectives.

He just wants to take me
out of the campaign.

He's afraid to run
against me again.

Okay.

He's just using me.

He appoints a Republican
so the Republicans will

let him have Baker
as Vice President.

He doesn't really want me.

You think they'd horse-trade
with a job like State?

I don't know.

You really don't think
I can win, do you?

Maybe, if you were
ten years younger.

Baby Boomers
are turning 60.

There's going
to be a huge

over-60 vote
the next election.

You're not a Boomer.

Should have started lying
about my age a long time ago.

It's not just your age.

Stevenson got the nomination
twice in a row.

50 years ago,
and he lost both times.

You know, the only thing
that tempts me to do this

is Santos' second choice--
Reynolds.

You want to see how fast

the Secretary of State
can screw up the world,

just give the job to Reynolds.

You can enter the history books

as maybe the last
honorable senator

and a great Secretary of State.

Or you can be the guy who just
didn't know when to quit.

The students seem
pretty happy here.

We've got a great
group of kids,

and the parents
are very supportive.

What's the makeup
of the student body?

41% African American,
30% White,

19% Hispanic
and nine percent Asian.

How many free-lunch kids?

Eight percent.

That sounds low
for the District.

It's the lowest.

HELEN:
I must say,
I was a bit surprised

that there are no metal
detectors in the school.

DC doesn't have
any metal detectors

in the elementary schools.

Oh.
That's okay.

We know what
our public image is.

That's why it really
is such an honor for us

that you would even consider
sending your children here.

And, needless to say,
it would be an incredible

show of support for the system
if you would...

Sorry. I shouldn't...

Cathy, you're running
a really great school here.

You're be hearing
from us very soon.
Thank you.

Thank you very much.
Thank you.

What do you think?

It's perfect.

Yeah.
Mm-hmm.

The President-Elect's office.
Please hold.

Senator Vinick,
the President-Elect
is waiting for you.

I'll let him know
that you're here.

I want you to let it leak
that I'm considering

asking the Electoral College
to vote for Baker.

The Republicans will start
screaming, demanding

confirmation hearings.
Well, then I say
I'm concerned

that Congressional confirmation
will take too long.

That this is too dangerous
a time to be without a VP,

even for a single day.

Force the Senate Republicans

to swear to run
a quick confirmation.

Then call them on it.

Get that new Democratic House

to run a quick confirmation
and a vote.

Put pressure
on the Senate
to act fast.

Don't give
them any time

to come up with phony reasons
to vote against Baker.

Vinick's here.

Hey, Arnie.

You can go right in.

What's he trying to pull, Barry?

It sure as hell
wasn't my idea.

And you'd be doing me a big
favor with the Party

if you turn it down.

Arnie, I really
appreciate you coming.

Your strategy's
not going to work.

Which strategy?

You knew I'd turn this down.

So you get to leak
that you offered me State

so you get to look
like Mr. Bipartisan.

I haven't leaked it.

Yet. You think offering me State

will help you get Baker
past the Senate.

Everyone will know
that it's a phony offer.

This isn't about Baker.

I want you
as Secretary of State.

You're my first choice.

I wouldn't lift a finger

to help Baker with Republicans.

I will get Baker confirmed.
I don't need you for that.

Secretary of State
is not something you throw

at the other party
to show how bipartisan you are.

The job is way
more important than that.

This is your
representative
to the world.

I agree.

You think you can make me
Secretary of State,

and then ignore me,

and run all foreign policy
out of the White House?

No.
Because anybody good
enough to appoint

would quit the day you start
to try to go around

the State Department.

I don't want to go around you.

I want you to do the job.

And when we disagree?

I will give you all the time
you need to set me straight,

and then I would expect you
to go out there

and sell whatever decision
I make.

I'd have to have
my own Deputy Secretary.

Pick any Democrat you want.

And the
Undersecretaries?

I will consult with you
on all of them.

I wouldn't do one thing

that smelled of
campaigning for you.

I would never set foot in
one of your fund-raisers.

You couldn't drag me to
a Democratic Party event.

Obviously.

If the Undersecretary
for Political Affairs

does one partisan thing,
I'm outta there.

I understand.

I don't know.

This is crazy.

I don't see how this can work.

Here's today's intelligence
report on Kazakhstan.

There's an interesting
item in there, page two.

Second paragraph.

The Chinese
demanding a veto

on the routing
of the pipeline?

Yeah. They've never
said that before.

Don't worry about that--
the Chinese know

they haven't got a chance
of getting that,

but they think
the Russians do.

So they demand it now,
before the Russians do,

so we won't help
either one get it.

So how do we move them out of
their all-or-nothing positions

and get them to agree
to a compromise?

You can lay the groundwork
for that now.

You let both sides know
that, in the endgame,

the Russians are going
to have to get a share

of Kazakhstan
oil production,

and the Chinese are going to
have to have the pipeline.

You just make sure
they understand

that you're the one
setting the agenda.

You don't have
to make it explicit.

Just hint at it.

Put yourself
in the position

of providing their
vital interest...