All language subtitles for The West Wing (1999) - S07E19 - Transition (1080p AMZN WEB-DL x265 ImE)_track3_[eng]

Previously on The West Wing:

JOSH:
We offer a cabinet position

to a Republican
who can't possibly

accept it?
Barry thought
it was a good idea.

Barry is wrong.

So it's okay to have sex
in a hotel,

but not in my apartment?

It's a step--
some people get uncomfortable.

I assumed you'd be
one of those people.

Uncomfortable with
sex in my apartment?
Are you really gonna try

to convince me
that I'm the one

who finds this all awkward
and hard to navigate?

You're blowing any political
capital we might have.

by forcing us
to fight a war.

What's your exit strategy?

I don't have one.

( suppressed sneezing )

Whoa. Oh, sorry.

No problem.
Thanks.

Sorry.

You know, there's room here,
if you want.
No, no.

Thanks, I'm fine.

A lot happening
over there.

Yeah, it's my contribution
to the chaos theory.

I try to keep the
experiment from
escaping the lab.

( cup tumbles )
Ooh. Sorry.

SANTOS:
Great Britain has always
been first among friends,

and I look forward
to continuing

our nations'
special relationship.

I thank you for your call,
Madam Prime Minister.

Who's next?

Oh, that phone sheet
is a mile long.

Traditionally,
the President-Elect

returns all the calls
from the G8 leaders.

The Surinames of the world
can be dealt with

by your chief
foreign policy advisor.

Then we'd better hire one.

Yes, Congressman.

Mister... sir.

I've seen you on TV.

Yeah?

You look younger.

Uh, TV ages you--
it's the lighting.

I meant on TV you look younger.

Okay.

I voted for the other guy.

Yeah, a lot of people did.

Didn't want
my taxes raised.

( clears throat ):
We're not gonna
raise your taxes.

Well, Vinick was gonna cut them.

Not for you.

For the guys you drive around.

Like you?

Hey, you think
I could afford

to travel like this on my own?

You just let
the American public pay.

We almost there?

( elevator bell dings )

SANTOS:
Thank you, Chancellor.

The German-U.S. relationship
couldn't be more important,

both within and independent
of the EU.

Oh, I very much look forward
to our working together, sir.

Bye.

Next.

Russian President Chigorin.

He's one of the G8's.
He's also leader

of a nation we may
find ourselves

exchanging hostile
fire with any minute.

Call him.

MAN:
It's a general partnership,

so they're looking
at a prolonged windup.

You told them they're
liable for all new business

until notice
of dissolution

has been given to
all their creditors?

Nah, 'cause I've only been
doing this for 28 years.

Look, Leiter is hell-bent
on a dissolu...
( door opens )

I'm sorry.

Can we help you?

If you'll all excuse me
for a moment.

( softly ):
I thought you'd never call.

JOSH:
Well, you knew
you'd hear from me.

SAM:
Gave me a chance
to hone my turndown.

That's why I didn't
do it over the phone.

Your showing up does have
a nice nostalgic symmetry.

Style points.
If nothing else.

Substance, too.

This guy's
the real deal.

You said that last time.

Yeah, look how
right I was.

Tell me you
don't miss it.

I don't miss it.
Liar.

Attorney.

An amazing thing,
what you did.

Well, that's the easy part.

It's what you do with it
that counts.

Do you know how
much I'm making now?

It's gonna make me
want to puke.

Not make you want to.

You'll actually puke.

So you can afford to come back
to Washington

and work
for a government wage.

I can afford to
do good right here.

You wouldn't believe what
I've gotten the firm to do.

You should come
work with me.

Democratic House,
we never had that.

Republican Senate.
Moveable.

Conceivably.

I almost lost, though, you know?

Makes you
appreciate the shot.

I can't do it.

It can't just be the money.

There's my love life.

That's a moveable feast.

Not entirely.

I'm getting married.

I've heard it before.
Nice!

Congratulations
is what I mean.

What about your life?

What was I thinking?

I've been
somewhat busy.

That explains the...

The what?

Your general...
What?

It's the hairline,
isn't it?

It's retreated.

It's routed,
like Napoleon out of Moscow.

There's also a pallor issue.

You live
in melanoma central.

"Healthy glow"
turns out to be oxymoronic.

Look, I'd be glad

to help with the
inaugural speech.

Great, but that's not
what I flew out here to ask.

Deputy Chief of Staff.

Your "me" to my "Leo."

Think about it.

Josh...

At least give me that.

I did...
Fly all the way out here?

That's how much
I want you.

I'm willing
to channel my mother.

I'll think about it.
Great.

You done?

Josh!

What's to think about? Really.

For one thing,
whether I want to...

end up looking like you.

C.J.:
The numbers
for the San Andreo cleanup

won't make you happy.

Wait till the Santos
folks get a load

of the figures
for Kazakhstan.

They'll demand a recount.

Santos is coming by
for an in-depth

Sit Room briefing
on the intervention.

Okay. I want you to be

as helpful as possible
to the transition team.

Transitions are bumpy

at best, even when the incoming
and the outgoing administrations

are of the same party.

And I don't want to hear
of any pranks--

cutting of cables to
computers, and such.

That turned out
to be apocryphal.

No apocrypha, either.

We're going to leave
with some class.

( knock at door )
Yeah!

Uh, sir, Marine
One is waiting.

It's not going
anywhere without me.

Thank you, C.J.
Thank you,
Mr. President.

DRIVER:
You just come out here
for the day?

Uh, yeah.

Expensive.

I got a frequent flier thing.

Hey, it's me!

I got clients
who come out for the day

just to get their hair cut.

I didn't get a haircut.

No, I-I wasn't talking to you.

They go shopping...

You know what--
I'm on the phone.

All right.

Tell me this novel

you sent me isn't really
my call sheet.

OTTO:
It's not.

Two more pages came in
since then,

mostly congratulations.

They're not congratulatory,
they're predatory.

They're sniffing around
for a job.

It's like I'll say,
"Oh, yeah, Jim Blier..."

He'd make a good director
of Intergovernmental Affairs."

Uh, on that subject,
any thoughts as to my position

in the Santos Administration?

Yeah, you're on the short list
for V.P.

Uh, set up a meeting

with Lou for when I get back.

Yeah.

They're all mansions.

Fit for the incoming
First Family.

This kitchen is bigger
than the house I grew up in.

The bedrooms
are lovely.

Yeah, just not sure they're all
in the same time zone.

Here's one; this
looks smaller.

( chuckling ):
It's palatial.

( chuckles )

If you don't like these,
there are half a dozen more.

( phone rings )
Excuse me, ma'am.

Did you just "ma'am" me?

I-I seem to have.

Don't do that again.

Hello.

Hey.

Hey.

How are you doing?
Okay.

What did Sam say?

Uh, he's thinking.

That's good.

Yeah, I guess.

You didn't expect him to say yes
just like that.

( sighs ):
Kind of.

I'm sure he's got

stuff to figure out.

What stuff?

It's service to the President.

What stacks up against that?

Well, not everyone's like you.

So...
Dedicated?

Monomaniacal.

Was there, um...

something else?

There must've been something...

Oh, yeah, um...
are you going to be around?

When?

You know, generally.

Yes.

Generally,
I'm going to be around.

At some point,
we should probably...

Yeah.

Talk.

That'd be good.

About... you know.

At some point.

"At some point" would be good.

Okay, then. Okay.

Have a good flight.

Yeah, you, too.

I mean, not, "you, too."

Obviously.

Bye.

( device beeps, latch clicks)

Mr. President-Elect.

C.J., everyone.

Secretary Hutchinson
and Dr. McNally

will catch you up on the current
situation in Kazakhstan.

HUTCHINSON:
We're approaching
full deployment,

with 80,000 ground
and 30,000 support personnel

taking position in a buffer zone

around Astana,

between the Russian
and the Chinese forces.

The last of our troops are
staging out of Manas Air Base

in Kyrgyzstan,
as well as the 172nd

Stryker Brigade.

C-130s are airlifting them
to our forward base at Ayaguz.

HUTCHINSON:
M1A2 Abrams tanks from the 1st
Armored Division in Germany

are being flown directly
into Ayaguz by C-5 Galaxies.

Those only carry
two tanks per sortie.

Flying 15 to 20
sorties per day.

The, uh, no-fly zone?

McNALLY:
300 miles wide.

20 to 30 sorties per day.

HUTCHINSON:
F-16s and F-15s forward deployed
to Manas and Ayaguz.

F-22As out of Langley.

Air refueling, KC-135s?

Out of Incirlik Air Base,
Turkey.

Situation on the ground?
HUTCHINSON:
Thus far, no incidents reported.

But also, so far, no pullback
of Russian and Chinese forces.

But they have stopped advancing.

Then what?

That's up to the Russians
and the Chinese.

Well, I can't say I care
very much for that answer.

Our guys are supposed
to just sit there

with targets on their backs
and hope some trigger-happy

Russian noncom,
who's abused his vodka ration,

doesn't get reckless
or bored or just

stir-crazy stupid and decide
to start World War III?

I have a problem with that.

I have a problem
with this entire adventure,

as I've already expressed

to the President.

Are the parties
negotiating?

Our deployment is intended
to drive them to the table.

But they're not, at present?

Still posturing.

Half a million troops

is a hell of a posture.

Third party contact?

Anything?
Not at present.

And we would know.

We are paying somewhat
careful attention.

Thank you

all...

for your time.

The NSA picked up
the President-Elect's

congratulatory phone call
with the Russian President.

We're tapping his phone?

In the current crisis,

the NSA's monitoring all
contact with the Russian

and Chinese governments
as a matter of course.

And?

The Santos call contained
nothing improper.

( sighs )

( inhales deeply )

( sighs )

( knock at door )

( knocking continues )

( sighs )

Hi.

When I said we needed to
talk, I wasn't necessarily

thinking
about tonight.

I'm kind of fried.

Who said anything
about talking?

Mmm.

Morning. Almost.

On the education plan,
do we hit full on,

or do we step it out--
start with teacher tenure,

get some traction before we try
extending the school year?

Conservatives are
already laying for us.

They're comparing it to
avoiding the word Christmas,

which I don't
begin to understand.

How long have you been up?

Oh, you know.

I don't actually.

Why I asked.

A... couple hours.

So last night was-was nice.

Nice. It was...
it was really nice.

On the nice scale,
it was way up there

in terms of, you know, niceness.

Be still and
listen to me.

I don't know what this
is, and you don't, either,

which is perfectly fine
and understandable.

Whatever the buildup,
it's all happened

amid absurdly heightened
emotional circumstances.

The election,
Leo's death.

There's been no moment to
so much as take a breath,

much less figure
any of this out.

And now this roller
coaster's plunging
into the transition,

with its
time-pressured demands,

and then the inauguration, and
it's hit-the-ground-running,

and the first 100 days,
and before you know it,

the mid-terms, and
the new Congress.

And then we're running again,
and four years becomes eight,

and we've never
had the talk.

And you can lose that look
of panic in your eyes.

We're not going
to have it now.

We don't ever
have to have it.

But there's a window.

I'd say, four weeks.

If we can't get it
together in that time

to figure out what we
want from each other,

then clearly, it's
not worth the trouble.

Meanwhile, last
night was lovely.

I've already called a cab.

You should put on
some coffee, and I'll
see you at the office.

( door opens, closes )

Bye.

You like any
of the houses?

Yeah, they're incredible.

Seeing some more today.

I'm sure
they'll be incredible, too.

Maybe even more incredible.

The thing I find
most incredible
is this notion

that this is what the
American people want

and expect of us.

What?

To spend the next two
and a half months

in some rich mucky-muck's
loaner mansion.

A place he can afford to make
available because, evidently,

he has someplace just as
or even more swell

to decamp to while he's
bestowing upon us this largesse.

Not much of a populist message.

Not notably.

Yeah, right.

I'll-I'll have the staff
look into alternatives.

Staff?

If you prefer, my minions.

This is going
to be weird.

Okay, come on.

As a Congressman, I had staff.

As the Mayor.
Very weird.

( sighs )

Donna ma'amed me.

First Lady.

In waiting.

Makes me sound like something
out of The Lady of Shalott.

( laughs )

You get all the
cool names.

Mr. President.
Mm.

Commander-in-Chief.
That one-- that's
kind of hot.

Yeah?
Mm.

Got time for a
little incursion?

Oh.
No!

Not even
for a surgical strike.

I had in mind more
of shock and awe.

Oh, yeah? After 15 years
of marriage,

I'd be shocked
if you were awed.

( sighs )

The Congressman
find his glove?

Uh, no, but
the President-Elect did.

I did it again?
You did it again.

Oh.

Oh, God!
What?

I didn't even know
you were here.
( coughs )

What time did you get in?

( sighs ):
6:00, 6:15.

Whoa.

Yeah. Traveling threw me.
I was an hour off.

Usually,
7:00-ish.

5:00-ish.

Get me a meeting
with Graden.

This doesn't reflect
well on your hopes
for advancement.

Congressman Graden.

Ranking Democrat
on Ways and Means.

Takes over the chairmanship
in the new Congress.

Any time's good, as long
as it's 3:00 today.

Goodwin's coming
over at 9:00.

Hmm. You like
Babish for A.G.?

He just decamped
to Brayton, Connelly.

To be Attorney General,
I think you come back.

Thank you.

Smart and tough.

Could be a bumpy
confirmation.

What, the MS,
Toby Ziegler leak?

They were both handled
by the book,

but if they want
to make some noise.

Yeah, and
they will.

Just for practice.

But he gets
confirmed, right?

Yeah, more of a problem
for Bartlet than for us.

Last licks.

It'd be nice
to have an attorney general

that didn't hate us.

How'd you guys
live with it?
Good question.

Josh?
Yeah.

How's the, uh, White
House staffing going?

Uh, set Crandall
to head D.P.C.

Courtesy call
to Graden later

to bless Vukovich
for legislative liaison.

How was the

Kazakhstan briefing?

It's a mess.

And they're depositing it
on our doorstep.

Can't do anything about it
until we take office.

( knock at door )

RONNA:
Excuse me, sir.

Josh, your meeting

with C.J.?

JOSH:
Yup.
Thanks, Josh.

Thank you, sir.

Ronna?
Yes?

I need you to get Goodwin
for me.

Yes, sir.

And then there's one other
international call

that I want to return.

Uh, China's not one
of the G8 countries.

I'm aware.

Right away, sir.

( sighs )

C.J.:
Per the President,
we put out a directive

that White House
personnel be as
helpful as possible

to the incoming
Santos team.

No desk drawers
super-glued shut?
That was urban legend.

First day,
I needed a crowbar.
Well, none of that.

The President-Elect
would like

to move his family
into Blair House.

Shouldn't be
a problem.

I'll have Margaret
get right into it.

I appreciate it.
See how much fun
this is going to be?

Most of it's going
to be pretty easy.

I mean, it's not like you don't
know your way around this place.

But if any of your people
want to come hang out

with their counterparts
for a couple of hours, I'm sure

it can be worked out
on an individual basis.

I'll have Margaret designate
a point person

you can run those sort
of requests through.

( sighs )

You're rearranging
the furniture

in your head,
aren't you?

No. Don't...

You ever thought of putting
the desk over there?

( laughs ):
Come January 20th, you
can have it moved daily.

Like alternate side
of the street parking.

The inauguration?

Yeah, we need more VIP tickets
for the parade.

The President has a
lot of people to thank.

New administration.

We need to curry favor.

The future trumps the past.

We can give some of the
President's allotment

to the President-Elect,
the key word being "some."

Contingencies?

In case of snow,
the military task force

will have plows,
coats, hot beverages.

Toddies, hot buttered rum?

Coffee and cocoa.

They call that a party?

Injuries,
standard military

paramedic procedure:
scoop and move.

If one of the 389
horses should keel over,

there'll be a team of
veterinarians and a forklift

standing by.
Forklift?

Which should be
a lovely sight

for the children
in the crowd.

We should have the Supreme Court
in clown makeup

in case we have to send them in.

A memo outlining everything
will be on your desk

by this afternoon.

And obviously,
don't hesitate,

et cetera, et cetera.

Thanks.

So, I'm trying
to bring Sam back in.

Getting together the old band.

Goes without saying--

any job you want.

Oh.

( laughs )
I'm dead serious.

Very kind.

( clears throat )

Should we talk about this?

I have no idea.

No.

Well, I'm not done asking.

Well, I'm done answering
for the moment.

I'll have someone call Margaret
about the Blair House thing.

Has your boss said anything
to you about Kazakhstan?

Just that he's
not crazy

about what you
guys are doing.

I assume it goes
without saying

that the President expects
the President-Elect

to keep whatever reservations
he has about this policy

to himself
during the transition?

Goes without saying.

To comment on any V.P. name

would be speculating
about speculation.

Guess if you're going
to get me to do that...

I promise to tell you
just as soon

as we decide to tell you.

( intercom rings )

If you'll excuse me,
I have someone else

to equally exasperate
on the other line. Thanks.

Hello?

Yes, sir, of course.

( knock at door )

Come in, Donna.

Mr. President-Elect.

Josh seem all right to you?

Uh, a little tired.

He looks like
a zombie.

( chuckles ):
He may be going through
a bit of an undead phase.

So you've seen him
like this before.
Hard to say.

He can get
pretty tunnel-visioned.

I think he needs
to power down a little.

Is he seeing anybody?

Is he having any fun?

Sir?

That's weird to ask.

No, no.

I have no idea.

I'm just worried
about him.

It's just him, truly.

He's just amped up to
a particular peak of Josh-ness.

Thank you.

Don't tell him I asked.

Oh, of course not, sir.

( knocking )

Mr. President.

Do you know we have as many
diplomats in Germany--

population 80 million--
as we do in India--

population of
over one billion?

Does that sound like
a sensible allocation

of diplomatic assets
for the 21st century?

It does not.

Sir, we have a problem.

NSA monitors picked up
a phone conversation

between President-Elect Santos
and Chinese President Lian.

Yeah.

C.J.:
Sir, you're not

going to like what he said.

JOSH:
Bartlet's NEC Directors
were working with a guy

who had a Nobel Prize
in Economics.

So it was a bit of a challenge.

So I've heard.

JOSH:
President-Elect
won't always agree

with what he's told,

but it won't devolve
into a 40-minute lecture

on all the Post-Keynesian
macroeconomic reasons

why you're wrong.

Everyone says the same
thing starting out--

"We're going to play
error-free ball."

What matters then is how
good an audible you call.

The difference between
a successful Presidency

and a historical footnote is how
well you roll with the punches--

just to complete my tour
of sports metaphors.

C.J. Cregg's on the line.

Thank you for coming in, Howard.

We'll let you know.

You let them talk,
too, right?

Sassing your
potential benefactor,

that's an unconventional
advancement technique.

Line three.

What's up?

Could you come
right over please?

I was just there.

And now I'm asking you
to come back.

Can I ask why?

It's about my asking
and you complying.

And don't tell me you're busy.

I'll go you phone sheet
for phone sheet.

In that case, can we do it
over the phone?

It's five minutes.

Make it. I'll time you.

Hey.

Hey, yourself.

Can you wait?
Yeah, I'm okay to hang.

Okay, shouldn't take long.

( knocking )

Donna.
Thanks for coming over.

Of course.

Can I get you something?

Uh, no, thank
you, ma'am.

Oh, thought we talked
about that.

( chuckles )

Due respect, you may
have to get used to it.

Comes with the territory.

So I understand

that I need a Chief of Staff.

To do what, I am not sure.

Again, that gets into the kind
of First Lady you intend to be.

Please, go on.

Well, there's
the activist model,

with your own policy
agenda and objectives.

In concert, of course, with
the President's wishes,

but not dependent

upon his staff for pursuit
or implementation.

A separate power
base, if you will.

Or?

A more traditional, chiefly
ceremonial presence.

Representing the country
as kind of a hostess,

good-will ambassador, without
any particular policy focus.

Mm. And those are my choices?

The extremes.

Without presuming
to speak for you,

I imagine you charting
some middle course.

Well, I would like you
to help with that.

I'd be happy to be a sounding
board, of course, anytime.

I actually want you
to help do it.

Sorry?

Well, I need someone,

and you know the terrain.

You're asking me?

Well, apparently,
not very clearly.

( chuckles )
To be your
Chief of Staff?

I think you are
extremely capable,

I feel that we have a rapport.

I'm flattered,
of course.

But I'm not sure I have
the requisite experience.

Oh, I've watched you
these past months.

My husband sings your praises.

That's very nice.

He's going
to be P.O.'d,

in fact, that I'm stealing you,
just to sweeten the deal.

Please just think about it.

And, uh, just wanted
to stake my claim, I guess.

Thank you for
considering me.

C.J.:
Did we or did we not have
a discussion only hours ago

about how you people were
going to comport yourselves

regarding the international
security situation

in Kazakhstan?

I don't know
what you're talking about.

The NSA reported he placed
a call to China in which

he apparently made it
clear to President Lian

he has significant qualms

about this
intervention.

Back up. The NSA is
bugging our calls?

Did you or did you not sing
an aria this morning

about how
the President wants

a hearts and flowers transition?

Wiretapping is an odd way

of showing the love.
Don't overdramatize.

The NSA is monitoring
all communication

with the Russian and
Chinese governments.

We're this far from being
in a state of war with one

or both of them.

You need to talk
to the Congressman

about mixed messages,

or the President will.

It's not Congressman,
it's President-Elect.

Fine. Have him start
behaving like it.

( phone ringing )

Thank you.

24 whole hours.

Way to give me some space.

It's been 28.

Little credit.

You can't count
the different time zones.

Whatever, it's transition.

These are like dog hours.

A day is like
one of your human weeks.

That's quite a selling point.

I've been thinking,
so you're engaged.

People do this
and have marriages.

Yeah? Who.

You know, theoretically.

She's an attorney, right?

Yeah.

Gee, I wonder if she'll be able
to find gainful employment

in the lawyer capital

of the known universe.

She'd have to take
the bar again.

Would you?

Well, I assume there are
a number of things she would

do for you
that I would balk at.

She doesn't hate the idea.

I'll see you tomorrow.

I still need to think it over.

Think it over on the plane.

Not that I'm begging.

I don't think you're begging.

Would that work?

I can do begging.

Humiliation is not beneath me.

Just get on a plane!

Nothing's irrevocable.

If you hate it,
they have return flights.

Don't make me wait.

They're going to find me in a
fetal position sucking my thumb.

Okay, I think
we've moved into begging.

I told you; I have no threshold
of embarrassment here.

I'm prepared to abase myself

until you submit.

She passed the bar once, right?

Good-bye.

Sorry.

Uh, one more.

Could you call...?

Sir, Josh to see you.

This will just, you know...

( knocking )

What did you say to the Chinese
about Kazakhstan?

And, more importantly,
why aren't you and I

discussing it first?

I need to say
"mother-may-I"

before talking to
foreign leaders?

If you're about to undercut
the sitting President

when we're practically
in a state of war,

it might be worth
kicking around.

I have serious objections
to this military action.

It's ill-conceived
and ill-defined.

This isn't the U.N. putting
peacekeepers on the ground

to keep African
tribesmen

from hacking each
other with machetes.

It's placing U.S. soldiers smack
in the middle of a no-man's-land

between two modern armies,
hoping they both blink.

Employing American
fighting men and women

as the tactical equivalent
to a tethered goat.

You didn't say this
to the Chinese?

I made it clear I had concerns.

What I wanted to say was that
in addition to this making

no tactical military sense,

it is a complete strategic
blunder geopolitically.

It's a potential reversion
to a state of hostility

with the second largest energy
producer in the world in Russia.

And the risk of serious
damage to relations

between the U.S and China--
a relationship that,

for better or worse,
is going to define

the 21st century.

We're stuck with this.

It's not just about
opposing it philosophically;

it isn't working.

It's a high-stakes
game of chicken

designed to bring both
parties to the table,

and it hasn't done it.

Then you can deal with this
on the day that you take office.

Which is what makes this
an impossible situation.

I'm going to be this country's
President in two months,

and everybody in
the world knows it.

And meanwhile, I'm supposed
to just sit back and shrug

while this administration
commits this country

to a military situation
it admits

it has no exit strategy for.

It's going to
be my problem.

Our problem, yes, sir.

No, mine.

I'm going to be the guy
in the history books

whose presidency never
got off the ground

because he inherited
his predecessor's

11th hour misadventure
in Central Asia.

You can address that

at 12:01 p.m.
on January 20th.

Well, that'll be too late.

We have, you have
no choice, sir.

Anything else will be spun as
lack of support for our troops.

And there goes all backing
for anything else we want

to accomplish,
Democratic House or not.

For now, we line up
behind the President, sir.

How does anyone know what I said
to the Chinese anyway?

The NSA is eavesdropping
on all calls

to Russia or China.

I want you to get me a meeting
with the President.

Everybody's calls, sir,
not just ours.

I want that meeting.

Set it up.

Call C.J. Cregg's office.

See when the President
might have time

for the President-Elect.

( sighs )

Okay, I'm sorry
about that.

Rough day?

Ugh. Typical.

I'm the same way.

Everybody tells me to get a
life, although I don't know why.

I find life to be
terribly overrated.

It's actually quite boring
when it's not disappointing.

Say what you will about

what we do,
but boring, it is not.

I know that you can parlay
this Santos win

into a doubling of your fee.

Tripling, if it figures
into your memoirs.

Nothing is going
to top this.

Everything else is
going to be a letdown.

Letdowns that make me
semi-rich--

that's a trade-off
I'm willing to endure.

You don't care about money.

Who doesn't?
You.

Not as such.

As what?

Score-keeping.

Quantitative evidence
that I'm smarter than you.

Not you.
Who?

Everybody else.

Come on board as
Communications Director.

Thank you, but no.

Finish what you started.

I'm not interested
in governing.

Campaigning's
about promise.

Governing is about achievement.

It's tougher
and a lot less romantic,

but it's not boring.

I already think you're
smarter than everyone.

That's why I want
you down the hall.

Come on, it's not like
getting a life.

That's true, look at you.

We'd have to distill
the Democratic message

from what we ran on,

customize and prioritize it
for the first 100 days.

( buzzing )

I may have forgotten
about the hours.

You're here.

It would seem.
Outstanding.

Ooh! Here you go.

( sighs wearily )
Hey.

Stop.

Your sentimentality is
embarrassing us both.

When was the last time
you took a vacation?

Vacation?

Time off from labor?

Thought to be restorative?

Salubrious for body and soul?

Not to mention
mental health.

I don't remember.

Okay, if I'm your boss,

that's really the wrong answer.

Neuroscientists
have found

that when people
who describe themselves

as politically committed
listen to political statements

they respond only with the
emotional side of their brain.

The area of the cortex where
reasoning occurs stays quiet.

So those people screaming
at each other on cable

really can't help it.

And guys like you and me

are quantifiably
a little nuts.

And, so, could benefit
from the occasional break.

You people don't take office
for another ten weeks.

I think you could afford
to spend one of them

laying on a beach
somewhere.
( phone rings )

Yeah?

Yeah.

I got a thing.

I've starred
which are meetings,

I've X-ed out
which are blow-offs.

I haven't officially
said I'm in.

Yeah, no,
absolutely.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Sam Seaborn,

our new Deputy
Chief of Staff.

( applause )

Knock 'em dead,
tiger.

You look terrible.

You know, I never get
tired of hearing that.

Mrs. Santos asked me
to be her Chief of Staff.

Wow.

That's... great.

I'm to think it over.

I wanted to talk to you.

I was thinking
Deputy Press Secretary.

Lou's going to be
Communications Director.

So, it'd be an extension of
what we had on the campaign.

One thing I know for sure
is I can't work for you.

If something's happening
with us personally,

it won't work.

And if something isn't...

well, that won't
work so good, either.

Yeah, about that.

Um...

Things are insane.

There is no way I'm gonna
be able to get a handle on

what's going on
between the two of us

in the time frame you laid out.

Three weeks, six days to go.

We'll see.

I-I got to...

Otto!

There's an intercom.

I'd use the intercom.

I can't find
my BlackBerry.
I've got it.

What?!

I'm updating it.

I been looking for it
for an hour!

I just took it
ten minutes ago.

Were you planning on
telling me?

You handed it to me.
Why would you think
it would be okay

for me to be cut off
from the world like that?

Well, I figured you had
your office E-mail...

Don't "figure," okay?

Don't use "initiative."

It's a highly
overrated quality

when it comes to
assistant work.

Well, I don't want to be
an assistant.

You want to know

how to get to not be
an assistant?!

By doing it great!

Not by leaving your boss

electronically stranded
for ten minutes,

it feels like an hour!

This isn't a campaign!

This isn't
airplanes and hotels,

and "Guess where
I am now, ma"!

This is
grind-it-out time!

It's three yards
and a cloud of dust!

And if you can't hack
what I need from you now,

you sure as hell
aren't going to be asked

to do anything more!

Get the BlackBerry now.

Go!

I got it.

Otto give you that?

What, are you scared
to face me?!

You little...
Josh!

I need that.

In a minute.

I didn't come here

'cause you're such
a silver-tongued recruiter,

or 'cause I got tired
of summer in January.

Santos may be the future
this country wants.

For all the partisan noises
made on the margin,

we're a nation of centrists,

and he may just be
that right man

with the right message
at the right time,

and if he is...

I want to be a part of it.

But he can't do it
without you.

Liberal Democrats are going
to try to force him left,

moderate Republicans are
going to fence-sit
as long as they can.

You're the one
who's got to make this go.

Who's got to cut through

the reflexive demagoguery
and timidity

and make people do what
they were sent here to do--

actually govern.

Serve the voter's interests.

Instead of striking poses
and playing "gotcha."

And it's going to be
next to impossible

if you're
at your best and--

what may only be news
to you at this point--

you are nowhere near your best.

Take the vacation.

I haven't said I'm signing on,
but I can tell you this...

I won't stay unless you go.

One of us is getting
on a plane tonight.

If it's you,
you're back in a week.

If it's me,
I'm gone, adios, for good.

Your call.

DEBBIE:
Exciting time for you.

Very much so.

I always forget

how tall you are.
Mm.

Did you play sports
at Annapolis?
Football.

Till I, uh,
messed up my knee.

What position?

Wideout.
Not great speed,

but, uh, pretty good hands.

My sister thinks that
you are very attractive.

She doesn't have
a sister.

Morning, Matt,
come on in.

I understand
you've been speaking

to the Chinese.

Yes, sir.

How'd you play it?

You can probably
just read the transcript.

Yeah.

Sorry about that.

It may be advantageous,
all things considered.

But, seriously,

I need to know
exactly what you said.

I haven't seen the transcript,

I didn't want to seem...

overly interested.

Well, I thanked
President Lian for
his good wishes,

then I brought
the conversation

around to Kazakhstan.

I portrayed myself
as being

impatient with
our intervention,

mystified as to
the endgame.

I might have
referred to you

as an "incrementalist."

I've been called worse.

You may have to call me worse
if this is going to work.

It was a great
idea, sir,

to exploit the
inherent awkwardness

of transition this way.

Use it to play a little
geopolitical good-cop, bad-cop.

But you know, you're
going to have to make

some really loud
saber-rattling

if we're going
to pull this off.

Canadian Prime Minister
Dallaire's coming in to meet.

I'll blow off some steam

about this reckless
Kazakhstan intervention.

Lean on my
military background.

Make it clear that,

while I wouldn't have
necessarily have gone in,

once our troops are there,

I have no intention
of just keeping
them in place,

open-ended, waiting
to get shot at.

They're deployed, I'm gonna
give 'em something to do,

like roll people back
across their own borders.

I'll suggest
that the Russians
and the Chinese

are going to look back
on the Bartlet Plan

as the good old days.

Which he might
want to find a way

to artfully communicate
to them both.

Sounds good.

You make that case
with seeming conviction.

Yes, sir.

Sir, this is
Sam Seaborn.

He'll be
covering for me
this next week.

Sorry?

Goodwin's doing
the transition,

I set some
Senior Staff,

Sam knows the players
for the rest.

In any event, none
of our candidates

are going
anywhere--

it's not like
they're going to take

Director of Cabinet
Affairs jobs

in the Benelux countries.

Lou will be honing
our message plan.

Um, I...
yelled at Otto

for no reason.

I haven't had
a vacation in, well,

basically, ever.

And I will be better able

to serve you and
your presidency,

not to mention
the country, if I...

unfog my head.

Sam's getting married.

SANTOS:
Congratulations.

SAM:
Thank you.
Lou's right,

I have
no life.

And I don't know if that's
really how I want it,

or if it's just
some borderline--

or not-so-borderline-- pathetic,
pathologic avoidance thing.

If it's, you know...

okay with you.

If it didn't involve
a motorcade,

I'd drive you to
the airport myself.

Thank you, sir.

Nice to meet you.

You, too.

Big fan.

( sighs )

Hey.

May I just say,
a truly excellent notion.

Sam's.

Of course.

The vacation.

Going-with-you part
was all me.

( BlackBerry rings
and vibrates )