All language subtitles for The West Wing (1999) - S06E20 - In God We Trust (1080p AMZN WEB-DL x265 ImE)_track3_[eng]

Previously, on The West Wing:

LEO:
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

then any Republican
they've ever seen...

because he is.

REPORTER:
The New Jersey polls closed
just three minutes ago,

at 9 p.m. Eastern time,

and although we have
no official results yet,

we can now report
that our exit polls indicate

another huge win tonight for
California Senator Arnold Vinick

in the Republican
presidential primary.

New Jersey's Democratic
presidential primary

is still too close to call.

Vice President Bob Russell

was the favorite coming into

this final primary tonight,

but our exit polls show another
very tight race

between Russell and Texas
Congressman Matt Santos.

Russell was hoping for a big win
in New Jersey tonight

to prove one of the central
themes of his campaign--

that he is the only Democrat

who can actually win
in November.

A Santos win tonight
would be another big

come-from-behind upset
for the congressman

and leave him only about a
hundred delegates behind Russell

and would certainly hurt the
Russell electability argument.

Neither candidate
is going to pick up

to get the Democratic
enoughnomination,tonight

could give Santos
but the momentum he needsimary

going into the Democratic
National Convention next month.

As expected, Senator Vinick
now has

the Republican nomination
locked up.

Reverend Don Butler was
the last man standing

against Arnold Vinick
in the Republican field,

and we're told that he will
concede the race to Vinick

at Butler campaign headquarters
in a speein Virginia.pporters

( knocking )

I've got
Senator Vinick here.

Just a second,
Reverend Butler.

Hi, Don.

( cell phone ringing )

Thanks.

Yeah, well, you ran
a hell of a race,
Hi, honey.

to bring the partyo
together now and...

Just go to bed;
I'll wake you up early

and I'll help you finish
your homework then.

Okay, love you.

Yeah, sure,

anytime, whenever you want.

We'll clear
the schedule for you.

Okay, Don.

Butler wants a meeting.

We've got to move
Greafast on VP.

Show Republicans
coming together

while the Democrats are still
fighting for the nomination.

Hey, I love Don.
He's a great guy,

and he's funnier than
anyone else on the list,

but he beat me up
pretty bad on abortion

How's he going
to walk back from that?

He doesn't have to;
we don't want him to.

You agree on most issues
and respectfully disagree

on a couple.

A couple?
Sign of strength,

showIt shows I'm looking for
for someone who can help me

with the conservative base
of the party.

That, too.

Don Butler, a heartbeat
away from the presidency?

Thank you. Thank you.

Well, you win some,
you lose some,

and we won some primaries.

But Senator Vinick
won some more.

( crowd booing )

No, no, no.

Now is the time

for this party to come together

and take back the White House.

Sounds very
vice presidential to me.

He's a good soldier.

But first of all,

I want to thank
the Butler Brigade...

Secret Service wants you
to start moving down

to the ballroom.

Sheila.

Thanks.

It's Vinick.

Yeah.

( cheering, applause on TV )

( applause continues )

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

We've got nobody
who can beat him.

Thank you.

We did it!

but they've been
counting votes all night,

anin the New Jersey Democraticer
presidential primary.

The lead has been
shifting all night

and now with 97% of the
precincts reporting,

Congressman Matt Santos
has a lead

of less than a thousand votes

over Vice President
Bob Russell...

What are you doing?

You were sleeping.

They're still counting
New Jersey.

So what?

So what?!

It doesn't matter
who wins.

no one's going to have

enough dCome on, wake up
for thand smell the chaos.

No candidate will win
enough delegates

to secure the Democratic
nomination.

VINICK:
I promised Tim I'd do the show.

SHEILA:
You will.
Just not this week.

the less they're covering the
mess in the Democratic Party.

That's the story
we want this week.

I'm pulling all our press
events off the schedule.

What about
the fund-raisers?

No press allowed.

Don't take
any questions.

Senator, when are you.
going to choose a VP?

Haven't really
thought about it.

Senator, would you rather
face Russell or Santos?

Tell the Democrats, hurry
as far as I'm concerned,ne

they can take their time
figuring it out.

Senator, do you think
your lead in California

gives you the lock on
the electoral college?

I've have a lock on the
Republican nomination,
nothing else.

I'm not going to take
my state for granted,

I'm going to work hard
to win California,

work hard
to win every state.

Thank you.

Senator, how can
you cut taxes

and cut the deficit
at the same time?

I've got
a two-for-one plan.

For we cut taxes, we're cutting
spending by two dollars.

But won't that mean drastic
spending cuts in vital...

You call it drastic,
I call it necessary.

I'm for all the good government
we can afford--

no more, no less.

That's all. Thank you.

Senator, what do
you think of the deal

the city council is negotiating
to keep baseball in the city?

The teams should payulous
their own way.

They can pay $80 million
for a shortstop

but they can't pay for
their own stadiums. Come on.

Okay, we're done.
Thank you.

Senator, excuse me...

Now I'm going to have
to give back my tickets

to the game tomorrow night.

I had to pull a lot of strings
to get them.

Did you pay for them?

Of course.

Then forget about it.

They're your seats.
Where are we sitting?

No way!
I only got two.

The kids fighting
over who gets to go?

Holly's got
a biology test

the next day, and Brendan

has Little League practice,
so...

Tell Tina
to bring her glove.

I want her to catch
a foul ball for me.

C.J.:
Yes, Madam Secretary

I have your memo.

Uh-huh.

I see.

Yeah, I under...

I'll give it
to the President. Right.

I understood the debt ceiling
situation perfectly

before I talked to her;
now, I...

having a treasury there
secretary who speaks English?

TOBY:
Santos.

C.J.:
By how much?
Couple thousand votes.

Yeah.
How many delegates
Santos did he...?rse

Are we doing
Not now,a press release

'Cause I don't understand
a word of it.t

No press release.
When's the vote scheduled?

Treasury figures
the interest
on the debt

will hit the legal limit
at midnight tomorrow,

Which, of course,
is a ridiculous idea.
so they wantto press for
the Presthe votOf course.

The leadership wants
to schedule it

at the last minute.

How crazy is that?

They always like
to schedule it

That way it's too dangerous for
any senator to try to stop it.

Or stick an amendment on it.

for a couple of House
Thand Senate speeches

a quick vote to
that we'vraise the limit
nationalon the credit card.

just changes
a seven to an eight.

Trillion.
Yeah, trill...

Why does Treasury
want the President

to read over a 20-page memo
on a one-sentence bill?

They like to run
a worst-case scenario.

Yeah, you know,
the immediate collapse pass?

followed by Japan
sinking into the sea,

followed by
a worldwide depression

the likes of which
no mortal can imagine,

followed by week two.

So this debt ceiling thing
is routine

or the end of the world?
Both.

Okay, that's it.
Thanks, everybody.

We got to do something.

It's really not

the end of the world,

It's the end
juof the Democratic Party.e.

We're facing a Republican
who can win California

and, oh, I don't know,
maybe 49 other states,

and who do we have?
We have nobody.

We're going into a convention
without a candidate.

He says this is greatoder's
for the Democratic Party.?

Says that's what conventions
He's onused to be about--

Some real convention
picksuspense for a change.

They're going to cover
every minute of it.

Yeah, because instead of four
days of predictable emptiness,

all hell is going
to break loose.

MAYER:
The good news is
the Dems are in disarray,

the bad news is we don't know
who we're running against.

Santos, if we're lucky.
Don't be so sure.

Santos could be
tougher than Russell.

Are you serious?

Santos couldn't even carry
his own state, and he...

MAYER:
Russell's weak inwon
northeastern urban women,

suburban men, all minorities,
not to mention...

Okay, okay, how much do
we need for the ground game?

They're both strongt begin
win different states.

( phone ringing )
Problem is

till after the
Democratic Convention

to build an organization.

Yeah.

Okay.

Royce is here.

Where?

Reception.

Waiting to see you.

The Majority Leader
coming to my office?

Guess he wants to be
first in line for VP.

Oh, boy, here we go.

Okay, bring him in.

Hey, Arnie, I just want
to be the first guy

in the building to say
congratulations.

You didn't hare to come all
the way over here, Mr. Leader.

You're the real leader
of this party now.

And I just want you to know
I'm at your service--

whatever you need me to do,
just say the word.

Thanks, Bob.

Have a seat.

First of all,

I can be very helpful
with fund-raising.

I have the highest yielding
direct mail list in town.

Second...

How many delegates
does Santos have?

TOBY:
1,599.

So Russell's
only 80 ahead.

Seventy-eight.
Russell's got 1,677

and Hoynes has 956.

C.J.:
What's the magic number?

2,162 gets you the nomination.

Hoynes doesn't have a chance.

LEO:
or third ballot, theing
delegates will get shaky

about these newcomers
Russell and Santos,

and move to the guy
they've known the longest.

TOBY:
But before we even get
to the convention,

the party's got to go through
four weeks of chaos--

fighting over who's going to be
on the platform committee,

what's going to be
in the platform.

Who gets to speak on what night.

TOBY:
Fighting over
the uncommitted delegates,

trying to convince

the committed delegates

to switch on the second ballot.

While Vinick is looking
more presidential every day.

Mr. President...
until we have a nominee,

you are still the head
of this party.

Okay.

Let's get Russell
and Santos in here.

TOBY:No, C.J.'s right.
AnHe doesn't have a chance.

You going to try to broker
a deal between these guys?

They're not ready for that.
Just a photo-op.

And remind people
that we still know

a little something
about running the country.

Maybe a little less about
running a party.

VINICK:
I don't feel comfortable
about this.

Everybody does it
when you get to this stage;

you bring in new people.

I mean, I spent the last
six months fighting this idea

and then I bring a Democrat
into the campaign?blican,

I'm just saying
we should meet with him.

Governor Baker
vouches for him,

says that we can trust him
not to leak the meeting.

I don't know.

He says he has a plan
to win 50 states.

Okay, bring him in.

All right.

Congratulations, Senator.

Thank you, Bruno.
Have a seat.

50 states, huh?

Sound crazy to you?

Well, it did get
my attention.

Republicans have won 49 states
twice in the last 30 years,

and they've never had anybody
with as much independent

and cross-party appeal
as you have.

Well, I can't plan
a 50-state campaign

before we know who
I'm running against.

Who told you that?

Because if it is somebody
on your campaign staff,

you gotta fire that person
right now.

I would run you from
today to election day

without ever mentioning
your opponent.

This campaign should be

all about you--

the reasons you
should be President.

And those reasons

are exactly where
60% of the voters are:

pro-choice, anti-partial birth,
pro-death penalty,

anti-tax, pro-environment
and pro-business,

pro-balanced budget,
and I could go on and on.

Mm. Please do.

You're in a unique position

to run a completely
positive campaign

because most of the country
agrees with you

on most of the issues.

The... the only thing
you could do to ruin that now

is to pick Don Butler
as your VP.

So you tell me
you're not even thinking

about that,
I'll shut up.

You've seen
the papers.

Everybody says Butler's
on the short list.

Every talking head on TV
says that is brilliant;

guarantees you a win.

Which it does,
but not a big win.

I have to reach out to
the pro-life Republican base.

We have to give them some reason
to come to the polls.

I'm never gonna be that reason.

There are many
pro-life Republicans

who are more qualified for VP
than Don Butler.

What do you know
about Republican politics?

I don't care about
Republican politics.

I don't care about
Democratic politics, either.

Okay, I do care
about the Democrats.

Look...

They don't know it yet,

you are the best thing
to ever happen to them.

You're moving the Republicans
away from the right wing...

you're not saying Democrats
are not patriotic;

you're just saying that your
approach is better than theirs.

You are making politics
a fair fight again.

What...

you think I'm a spy?

I snuck in here;
I'm trying to steer you wrong?

The thought has crossed my mind.

I have spent
the last 20 years

ripping this country
apart...

finding wedge issues
to separate the voters.

You don't have to do that
to win;

not this time.

You do this right,
you can do a lot more

than win.

You can stop using politics
to divide this country.

You can show us
how much we agree

instead of how much we disagree.

You can put this country
back together.

WILL:
It's a terrible idea.

C. J.:
It's the President's idea.

Can't you see this is an insult
to the Vice President,

to bringNow it's the Vice
into hisPresident's White House?

This is the VP's turf.

and he isn't going to let it
crash and burn on his watch.
He belongsthe head of the pa

which, by the way, the
Thshow everyone that the party
isn't in meltdown mode.try--

Okay, then after,
Russell has to have
a separate photo-op

alone with the President--
a shot of them discussing,

you know,
affairs of state.

Nope. We do this
the President's way.

It'll be good for the party,
good for everyone.

Russell is the only one
who can beat Vinick.

He won twice as many states
as Santos; he has the most
delegates.

By a hair; and Santos
has the momentum.

'Cause he won New Jersey
by one percent? Please.

Russell is our best hope;
he has been from the start.

If the President really wants
to bring the party together,

he should get behind Russell
right now.

10:00 a.m. tomorrow
morning in the Oval.

Most of the donors tonight
are from the pharmaceutical
industry. iren blaring )

We got the list?

I'll give them my "How
American Medicine Saves
the World" speech.

Protect the patents,
no price controls,
no Canadian imports...

We got a lot of energy industry
people tonight, too.

( phone rings )

Yeah... When?

( second phone ringing )

Wait. Hold on a second.

Hi, sweetie.

Um... the area of
a parallelogram is...

Length times width.

Length times width.

Same as a rectangle?

Yes, that's the same
as a rectangle.

No problem.

Love you.

Okay, I'm back.

Uh-huh.

That's great. Thanks.

You're meeting with
the Reverend Butler

first thing in the morning.

You think Bruno's right--

we shouldn't put Butler
on the ticket?

Maybe, but we need Butler
one way or the other.

If he's not on the ticket,
we still need a strong
endorsement from him.

Now, these energy types that
are gonna be there tonight...
Mm-hmm.

...obviously, they're
gonna want to hear
how you're voting

Well, it depends on
on the enwhat's in it when it
deregulacomes out of committee.

Sends a very bad message
to the big contributors,

if you vote against it.

Hey, if you can't
drink their booze,

take their money and
then vote against them,

you don't belong
in this business.

( clock ticking )

Hey, glad you could
both make it.

Mr. President.

Annabeth, you can bring
Mr. Presin the thundering herd.

( quietly ):
Sit down.

It's good to finally meet you,
Congressman.

It's an honor,
Mr. President.

Congratulations.
Thank you, sir.

Bob, thanks for doing this.

A pleasure, Mr. President.

ANNABETH:
All right, that's it.

Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT:
Thank you.

( sighs heavily )

( door closes )

All right, listen up.

This is a tough situation
for you guys.

I understand that.

The press is geared up for
its favorite blood sport--

Democrats attacking
each other--

and I know that's
what some people are
gonna tell you to do,

but we cannot allow
that to happen.

That'd just hand over the
election to the Republicans.

One of you is going
to be our nominee,

so I want both of you
to start acting

like the nominee right now.

No attacks on each other.

and if I think you'veing to
overstepped the line,chin

I'm going to grab the nearest
microphone and say so,

and don't be surprised

if I endorse the other guy
while I'm at it.

Are we clear?

Yes, sir.

SHIELA:
Smart move.

VINICK:
If one of those guys
had Jed Bartlet's
political instincts,

I'd be 20 points behind.

You read
Ray Sullivan's file yet?

Youngest U.S. Attorney
ever confirmed by the Senate.

Two-term
state attorney general.

Highest white-collar
crime conviction rate

in the state's history.

How much white-collar crime
is there in West Virginia?

He had the guts
to go after them;
that's what counts.

Highest percentage
of Independents

ever to vote Republican
in West Virginia.

He won the governorship
with 62% of the vote.

( knocking on door )

Reverend Butler is here.

Thank you.

( door closes )

I just want to be
an honest broker here.

You needed to hear
what he had to say.

Maybe you can win
50 states his way.

But if you choose Butler,

you can lock in an electoral
college landslide today.

Butler would scare away
any Democrats

and a lot of Independents.

But you'd unite
the Republican Party

while the Democrats
are falling apart.

So you want Butler
on the ticket.

I just want you to hear
everything you should hear

before you make the
most important choice

of your political career.

Ray Sullivan
is the best man.

Don Butler is the best bet.

Bring him in.

Hey, Arnie,
good to see you.

Thanks for coming by, Don.

I really appreciate it.

You know,
the Secret Service

has me feeling like I'm
in solitary confinement.

You think they got
a tight leash on you now,

imagine what
it's gonna feel like

when you move
down the street.
Yeah.

I hit you pretty hard
during the primaries,

and I just want you to know
it was never personal.

Abortion is not
a political issue with me.

I know.

I respect that.

I've been thinking about
how we could

work around our differences,
and put 'em behind us,

and head toward November
together.

That's funny, so have I.

Don, I think you can help me

take the White House back
for the party.

You won states

and I think, in the
general election,

with you on the ticket...

Arnie... let me stop you
right there.

Now, I suppose
I could go along with you

on the environmental issues.

We agree on oil
drilling in Anwar.

And we could probably get
closer together on trade.

Maybe split the difference
on textile tariffs.

And we could just keep talking
tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts.

Yeah, we're in lockstep
on that one.

But then we come back
to abortion.

And I am here
to tell you, Arnie,

I do not respect
your position on abortion,

and there's just
no way in the world

I could run on a ticket
with you; no way.

Now, I wanted to be
a good soldier;

I wanted to help the party;
I really did.

I prayed on this one,
prayed a lot...

that's where I came out.

This isn't easy
for a kid who grew up

in a trailer in Appalachia

and finds himself
within shouting distance

of the Vice Presidency
of the United States.

Next in line.

It's not easy.

( sighs )

Well...

( door closes )

SHEILA:
Did you actually
offer it to him?

I tried to.

And he turned
it down?

No, he cut me off.

He wasn't gonna let me
make offer him something

he would have to refuse.

He's a classy guy.

What about an endorsement?

Didn't seem like
the best time to
ask him for it.

Butler's live
on MSNBC.

WOMAN:
Did Senator Vinick offer
you a spot on the ticket?

No, he did not offer me a spot
on the ticket.

MAN:
Did you discuss
the Vice Presidency?

Well, the reason I requested
the meeting was simply

to let the senator hear
directly from me

that I have no interest
in running for Vice President

and don't want to be considered
for the ticket.

WOMAN 2:
Reverend Butler,

if Senator Vinick changed
his position on abortion?

First of all,
I'd get down on my knees

and thank God
for performing a miracle.

Then I'd have "Vote Vinick"
tattooed on my forehead.

( laughter )

Reverend, will you
pray for him to
change his mind?

You really surprised me
with that one.

You know, I never heard
a good idea

from a reporter before.

( laughter )

Yes. Yes, I will pray
for Senator Vinick,

and he's welcome to come down
to my church anytime he wants

and pray with me.

Now, I'll be back in the pulpit
this Sunday.

And there will always be a place
for the senator

in the front row.

Thank you.

WOMAN 3:
Reverend Butler, please,
one more question.

( reporters shouting )

MAYER:
You say that you fully respect
Reverend Butler's position,

In fact, you just keep
repeating those four words--VP.

fully respect
Reverend Butler's position.

Five words.

Butler Brigade needs

to keep hearing that--

respect, respect, respect.

Then,

we hit them with, uh,
some direct mail pieces

about your opposition
to partial-birth abortion.

See how many
Butler supporters

we can get to vote
for the lesser of two evils.

Are we at least gonna get

Butler's endorsement?

SHEILA:
Don't know.

Why not accept his invitation,

go down to his church on Sunday?

And?

And pray

for his endorsement.

It's a great photo-op.

Yeah, it's
a great photo-op,

but he can't
take any questions.

He always
takes questions.

That's what all of us
out here in the cheap seats

love about him.

So...

Senator, we know what
Reverend Butler prayed for.

What did you pray for?

Senator, do you
think Reverend
Butler is wrong

about abortion?

Senator, will you
remove opposition

to abortion

from the party platform?

You ain't getting
any questions

about how we pay
for sports stadiums.

So, he shouldn't go
to Butler's church?

You can't play Butler.

He's not a politician.

Fooled me.

Look, all I
am saying is,

Butler's gonna make a decision
to endorse you

and rally his troops or not,

there's nothing
you can do about it.

VINICK:
So, what do we do?

BRUNO:
You play the game
you came to play.

You don't play
Butler's game.

You don't play
anybody else's game.

You do exactly what
you planned to do--

make a move
on VP quickly,

show you're moving
full speed ahead

while the other side is
stuck without a nominee.

Who's next on your VP list?

Ray Sullivan.

BRUNO:
Good choice.

Great resume.

Crime-fighting prosecutor,

budget-balancing
governor.

And he wins West Virginia
for us.

That, too.
You make the Sullivan meetingin
the storyhere today.

of the day instead
of the Butler meeting.

Sheila?

Works for me.

Okay, set up
the Sullivan meeting.

C.J.:
Sounds risky.

the Senate Democrats
have come up with.ea

President'It's the only way
not gonnwe're gonna get a vote

Yeah, but tryingon minimum wage
to stick an amendment yea

on the They won't even try it
if the President says no.

When do they need an answer?

You know, like, now.

PRESIDENT:
It's way too risky.

LEO:
But if the Democrats

can force a vote
on the amendment,

it puts the Republicans
in a tough spot.

They don't want
to have to vote

against a minimum wage increase
in an election year.

But they will.

Most of them, yeah,

but what does Vinick do?

Terrible time for him

especially now that he's
got this Butler problem

TOBY:to deal with.
Vinick'll go
where the voters are.

DNC polls show
75% in favor

of raising
minimum wage.

And I haven't been able

to get the working poor
a raise in seven years.

Could be your last chance.

SHEILA:
He'll vote
for the cloture motion,

he's gonna vote
against the minimum wage,

if it comes to a vote.

Okay.

I know I said
we'd get there early, but...

I want to see
batting practice.

I know. A couple
of things have come up.

You just hang on.

Okay, George. Thank you.

I really
appreciate it.

Good.

You have to go vote.

On what?

Cloture motion.

Democrats are trying to stick
a minimum wage amendment

on the debt ceiling.

Cheap stunt.

What-What are they gonna do?

Not raise the debt ceiling

if we don't raise
the minimum wage?

It's a game of chicken now.

Couldn't be
more reckless.

If we don't pass

we're gonna have a lot more
poor people in this country.

Don't they know
what a depression looks like?

The minimum wage
would be the maximum wage.

They're trying to separate you
from the party.t y

Seems to be

getting easier every day.

Hey, look who's here!

TINA:
Hey, Senator.

I'm counting on you,
big time.

I can't vote, you know.

I'm counting on your mother
to vote for me.

I'm counting on you

to catch me
a foul ball tonight.

No way. If I catch
one, I'm keeping it.

SHEILA:
She can't give it to you.

That's a violation
of Senate gift rules.

Now we got to go,
right now.

See you later, Tina.

Bye, Senator.

We'll be right back.

We got to get past the press
as fast as we can.vote.

No Butler questions.

Okay.

Senator...?
Senator Vinick?

he's got no time.
WOMAN 2:
Are you goingm sorry.,rised
to accept his invitationorryion?

to I have some TV commitments
thiUh, I-I that day. gonn

than going to Reverend
Butler's church?

I don't know
what my schedule is on Sunday.

Sorry about that.
Get us out of here.

Are you going to another
church on Sunday?

WOMAN 2:..
Do you think doing that

is more importanting
than going to church?

WOMAN:
Where do you go
to church, Senator?n

( reporters shouting )

Vinick went from
the candidate

who easily answered
any question

to being the guy who
won't even tell us

if he goes to church.

Let's round up
the troops.

Senator,
do you go to church?

Honey, we're kind of busy
right now.

VINICK:
Yeah, we got to get you
to that game, right?

I didn't really expect
to see batting practice.

I haven't gone
to church for a while.

I think you should.

Yeah.

Unless you don't
believe in God.

My best friend
Maggie doesn't
believe in God

because her
parents don't
believe in God,

but she still comes

to see the Nativity playh
because I'm always in it, E

and she's my best friend.

I got to get back to work.

Hang in there, honey.

All right, just so you know,
our polling shows

that if you were to, uh,

revise your position
on abortion,

you would, uh...

You would take 51
Flip-flop on ato 53% of the vote

and have a pretty
comfortable cushion

Oh... Thanks, Bob, I...
That's very helpful.ral college.

Just thought
you should know.

and we can put
Won't work. If you go to church,
the press is gonna ask youd us.,

why you didn't go
to Butler's church.

when was there
last time you
went to church.

I'm guessing,

wasn't last week.

It's been a while.

How long?

Counting weddings and funerals?

Okay, everybody,

Governor Sullivan
is gonna be here

any minute.
Let's clear out.

( door closing )

Has it been years?

You know where I am
Sunday mornings?

I'm in here or at home
doing my job.

Doing what I promised
the people

of California I would do--

giving them every minute I can.

How many years?

I don't know.

I used to go with my wife
every Sunday

I was in California.

too sick to go,
ThenI stayed home with her.

I didn't want to go
into that church again.

So...

about five or six years.

I'm not
the only senator

who doesn't go to church.

You're not just
a senator anymore.

( phone ringing )

SHEILA:
Yeah.

Okay.

Put him through.

It's Royce.

Yes, Mr. Leader.

I understand.

Yes, he can handle that.

I'll get him over
there right away.

He wants you to go
see the President.

( knocking at door )

Governor Sullivan is here.

Thank you.

Royce is afraid they're
not going to pass

He wants you to work out
the dea deal with the President

will let us pass the debt
ceiling before midnight.

So, five minutes
with the governor,

then the Secret
Service is going

to run you down
to the White House.

Right.

Governor Sullivan.

Sheila.

Hey, Ray.

Great to see you again.

Good to see you, Arnie.

Have a seat, please.
Thank you.

I'm sorry, but I've got
to make this quick.

The Democrats
are jamming us up

with an important vote
and I've got to run over

to the President
and straighten it out.

Governing before politics,
that's my motto.

Really?

No, I'm just kidding.

Come on, loosen up, Arnie.

Everyone on TV tonight
is saying that this meeting

is about the vice presidency.

Well, they're right, for once.

Did you offer it to Butler?
Good. 'Cause I don't want
to be anybody's second choice.

I guess you've seen this problem
develop today

about my going to church.

You mean not going to church.
Yeah.

That's all right.

I go enough for both of us.

I've been reading about

your positions
on a lot of things,

but there are some environmental
issues you haven't

had to deal with in
West Virginia...

Here's the deal
with the issues, Arnie:

I can get in line with you
on everything except abortion.

Nothing's going to make me
change my mind on that,

but I'm guessing
you wouldn't want me to.

Toby, you have
a copy of the...?

The President's waiting
for you, Senator.

VINICK:
Mr. President,
I'd hate to think

that you were consulted
by the Democrats

on the Hill about doing
something as irresponsible

as playing games
with the debt ceiling.

But I'd like to think they'd
follow your leadership

if we could agree on a way
out of this mess.

You came to the right place.

Good.

What did you have in mind?

Democrats withdraw
the minimum wage amendment

from the debt ceiling bill.

You pass the bill,

then you give them a vote
on the minimum wage.

You'll lose a vote
on the minimum wage.

We might be able to shame
enough Republicans

into doing the right thing
in an election year.

How about you withdraw
the minimum wage amendment,

we pass the debt ceiling clean,

then I round up enough
Republican votes

to pass
the minimum wage increase?

You can get that done?

We have Republican
senators in seven states

with higher minimum wages
than the federal level.

California, it's
a buck fifty higher.

We don't want jobs moving
to lower wage states.

I can get you the votes.

What do you want from me?

I announce the deal.

I know a few Democratic
candidates for President

who wouldn't be happy watching
you take credit for this.

Then let them pass
the debt ceiling for you

and get you
a minimum wage increase.

Anything else?

Help me keep a secret.

That I just gave you more
than you asked for.

Let me hang around for a while,

as if we're really
slugging it out in here.

Can I get you anything?

Where's the ice cream?

I think I could live
on coffee ice cream.

PRESIDENT:
Hardest thing about this job

is knowing this stash is
down here 24 hours a day.

VINICK:
How's your health?

Good days and bad days.

Good days aren't as good
as they used to be.

Kind of like a speeded-up
version of aging.

You've had
better days, huh?

( quietly ):
Yeah.

Whatever happened
to separation of
church and state?

but I'm afraid the Constitution
doesn't say anything

about the separation
of church and politics.

You saying that's
a good thing?

I'm saying it's the way it is;
always has been.

You think the voter
really needs to know

if I go to church?

but then I'm not going
I doto vote for you, anyway.

It's not up to us
to decide

what the voters get
to use in evaluating us.

A little odd
coming from someone

who wasn't exactly
completely open

about his health.

That was a big mistake.

Was it?

What did we know
about Lincoln's health

when he was running?

Nothing.

Washington, Jefferson...

What about FDR's health?

And when he
died in office,
did people say,

"Gee, Why didn't he tell us
he was sick?"

No.

Did they say, "I wish
I didn't vote for him?"

No.

I don't know how you plan
to handle this religious thing

in the campaign.

Yeah, well,
that makes two of us.

I could find a way
to let it slip

that I think a candidate's
religion or how often

he goes to church is
not relevant

to choosing a president.

You going to say that
on the way into church?

Are you accusing me
of politicizing churchgoing?

You've had an
awful lot of photo-ops

on the church steps.

every Sunday long before
I wenI went into politics.

I did, too.

Why'd you stop?

One Christmas, my wife gave me
a very old edition

of the King James Bible--
17th century.

It was a real find for
a book collector.

It was a thrill
just to hold it.

Then I read it.

You can't take it literally.

Yeah, that's what my priest
friends kept telling me.

But the more I read it,
the less I could believe.

I could not believe
there was a God

who said that the penalty

for working on the Sabbath
was death.

I couldn't believe
there was a God

who said the penalty
for adultery was death.

I'm more of a New Testament
man myself.

I couldn't believe
that there was a God

who had no penalty
for slavery.

The Bible has no problem
with slavery at all.

Lincoln could've used
a little help from the Bible.

You think Lincoln was
an atheist?

I hope not.

That would mean all those
references to God

were just purely political.

He didn't make any until he
started running for office.

No... and he certainly
was a doubter.

What about you?

You going to try
to save my soul?

Sorry.

Let's just say

I struggled for a long time
with that book,

and then, finally,
I just gave up the struggle.

The only thing you can pray
for in this job

is the strength
to get through the day.

You can try coffee,
if you want,

but prayer works better for me.

Try the pistachio.

Yes, we have reached
an agreement

We will pass it within the hour
and send it to the President

for his signature
before midnight.

What about the
minimum wage
amendment?

We've agreed to have
a separate vote

on the minimum wage
increase tomorrow.

Is it going
to pass?

I'll vote for it
and I guarantee you

there will be more than enough
bipartisan support to pass it.

Senator, are you
going to reconsider

Reverend Butler's invitation
to his church this weekend...?

I fully respect
Reverend Butler's position.

I mean, I appreciate
his invitation and, uh...

Look, I respect
Reverend Butler

and I respect his church

too much to use it for
my own political purposes.

And that's exactly what
I'd be doing

if I went down there this Sunday

because the truth is

it would be an act
of pure political phoniness.

I may be wrong,
but I suspect our churches

already have enough political
phonies in them.

VINICK:
I don't see how we can have a
separation of church and state
or do

in this government if you have
to pass a religious test

to get in this government.

And I want to warn everyone
in the press

and all the voters out there...

if you demand expressions
of religious faith

from politicians, you are just
begging to be lied to.

They won't all lie to you,
but a lot of them will,

and it'll be the easiest lie

they ever had to tell
to get your votes.

So, every day until
the end of this campaign,

I'll answer any question
anyone has on government.

But if you have a question
on religion,

please, go to church.
Thank you.

( reporters clamoring )