Original subtitles

A woman named Ainsley Hayes.

"Aimsley?"

We should hire her.

Welcome to the White House.

JOSH: Your poll says that?

I said that.

"Vox populi vox Dei."

"The voice of the people is the voice of a dog"?

The voice of God, Joshua.

God.

Yes.

Hello, pumpkin.

Abbey?

Hello, gumdrop.

Shake my hand.

We just formed it.

Formed what?

The Committee to Reelect the President.

WOMAN: We are, by my watch, six minutes away

from President Bartlet's entrance

onto the floor of the House of Representatives

this, his third State of the Union address.

We'll hear the familiar introduction

from the Doorkeeper of the House, Edgar Finney.

Perhaps some people don't know

that in order for the President to address Congress

he must first receive permission from the Speaker...

I'm still here.

...a tradition that dates back to Parliament.

All right. Is that a yes?

Is it a yes?

Sam. Give me half a minute.

Yeah? Ed.

Delete "vigorously" from the first sentence.

LEO: Which paragraph?

Three, Section Seven.

We're not going to vigorously pursue campaign finance reform?

No, we'll pursue it regular.

Not vigorously?

McGowan says we're fine. He feels the word "vigorous" is inflammatory.

Change "choke-hold" to "tight grip." Is that it?

Yeah.

No, Sam's still on.

We got, like, four minutes, Toby.

PRESIDENT: Where are we?

LEO: Sam's still on.

Bob Novak just said this was the speech of my political life.

You know how many times I've heard that?

Senator McGowan says we're fine if we cut "vigorously."

Do it.

How you feeling?

Good.

Yes, sir. ! Abbey's already in her seat?

Yes, sir. I say, my wife's in her seat?

We got four minutes. We'll get them in the car. Let's go.

SAM: I'm going to tell him it's a "yes."

Thank you.

What'd they say? We put our weight behind SB380.

It's a highway improvement bill.

What else? We set aside some U.S. parkland.

What else?

That's it. I want to be clear.

This is the understanding:

we build him a highway and name a park after him

and we have his support for the Blue Ribbon?

Yep. Mr. President? Do it.

Yeah? Ginger.

Tell C.J. it's a green light on the Blue Ribbon.

She'll know what it means.

Yes, sir. We'll write it in the car.

LEO: Sir.

PRESIDENT: Yeah.

It's a good thing.

The Blue Ribbon?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Excuse me, what are you doing?

I'm just...

You were putting gum in your mouth?

Yeah, 'cause I...

It's a good idea to be chewing gum

when you're taking a poll

for the President of the United States.

That's the sound people like to hear on the phone.

The polling hasn't started yet.

Well, thank you, Mr. Helper.

Josh.

Yeah?

These people have done this before.

They're not our people.

They're Joey Lucas's people.

None of them have accents?

They're all out of the Midwest.

I'm saying Joey Lucas is deaf

and would have no way of know...

Do any of you people have accents?

Oh, my God.

Do any of you people have the power of speech?

They're fine.

I should be there right now.

He's fine.

LEO: "Therefore I am asking the leaders of Congress

"and members of both parties to join me in establishing

a Blue Ribbon National Commission to fashion..."

Yeah.

I want it for him when he walks in the door.

NEWSCASTER: Gail Schumer, can we expect the White House is doing

their own polling tonight?

ANALYST: You better believe it.

This may well be the speech of the President's political life.

Excuse me, I've got a heads-up.

There'll be a last-minute addition.

The President will be announcing

a bipartisan Blue Ribbon commission

to study the long-term future of entitlement programs.

Obviously, there'll be more details

in the address.

Why last minute?

When I say "last minute," I'm wrong.

We're just under three minutes.

C.J., why last minute?

It's something he's been going back and forth on.

He wanted to make sure he had support with the Democratic leadership.

And he does?

Yes. I also wanted to remind you

that Capital Beat is broadcasting live

from the west wing for the two or three hours

following the address, so that area's

going to be off-limits for carousing.

Capital Beat's doing postgame

Yes. live from the White House?

So why do they get special treatment?

Because they're special.

Enjoy the show, everybody.

TOBY: "To build this new future

"will demand boldly setting aside our partisan blinders

and abandoning our ideological..." what?

Entrenchment.

"To build this new future

"will demand boldly setting aside

"our partisan blinders and abandoning

our ideological entrenchment."

Yeah.

( sighs ): That's it.

Okay.

This is it.

Yeah.

Phone it to the prompter.

TOBY: Mr. President?

Thanks.

( applause )

Sir.

Amen.

CHARLIE: Amen.

Mr. Finney

would you tell the Speaker

I'd like to see him, please?

Mr. Speaker!

The President of the United States!

( applause )

through every age, against every challenge

a people of great works and greater possibilities

who have always, always found the wisdom and strength

to come together as one nation

to widen the circle of opportunity

to deepen the meaning of our freedom

to form a more perfect union.

Our best days lie ahead.

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

( loud cheering )

Way to go.

JOSH: Oh, you, too.

DONNA: Oh, he did good. Tell me about it.

He can bring it up there.

"Up there" is where this President eats.

That is his place of business.

Yes, he did well!

Yeah!

Let's find out how well.

This is exciting.

Yeah. Yes.

So, what do I do?

What do you mean?

What do I tell them?

Tell them to start.

Didn't you talk to Joey? Yeah.

What did she say?

She said her plane was late.

What did she say I should tell the callers?

She didn't say anything. Donna...

Tell them to start, Josh.

They're not supposed to receive

special instructions based on... What?

Time zones, I don't know, I'm not a pollster.

I-I thought Joey called.

She called from the plane

and said she was late.

When's she going to be here?

Joshua Lyman, you have the

cutest little butt in professional politics.

Kenny, really

that better have been her talking.

I'm here.

Where the hell have you been?

My plane had mechanical difficulties.

This is the State of the Union.

There was nothing you could do about it?

No, because as a child

I never paid attention

during Airplane Mechanics class.

Is this the kind of Noel Coward-esque wit

I can expect all night long?

Yes.

I want to start the phone banks-- they need instructions.

Is anyone chewing gum?

ALL: No!

Okay... start.

I'd already taken care of the gum thing.

MAN: In five, four, three...

ANNOUNCER: Live, from the White House in Washington, D.C.

it's Capital Beat with Mark Gottfried.

Tonight on Capital Beat, a special expanded edition:

The State of the Union.

GOTTFRIED: Good evening, I'm Mark Gottfried

and tonight our show is live from the White House.

We'll be joined all night long

by Republicans and Democrats, lawmakers and pundits

and we'll be talking to focus groups

around the country.

On the panel with me right now

is Deputy House Majority Whip Henry Shallick

and the very lovely, very talented

Ms. Claudia Jean Cregg, White House Press Secretary.

C.J., on a scale of one to ten

how did the President do tonight?

Fourteen.

You know, Mark, the President is a commanding public speaker

and the bar is usually set quite a bit higher

when he makes a major address

but tonight he cleared it with room to spare.

My unofficial tally has him

interrupted for applause 73 times.

C.J.: I have 72 times, but I'll take your count.

( C.J. chuckles )

GOTTFRIED: Henry Shallick, how did the President do tonight?

Well, C.J. is right.

The President is a gifted public speaker.

We've always known that

and it's an admirable talent not unlike juggling.

Now, if only he'd said something.

By my count, 23 of the interruptions for applause

were for co-opted Republican ideas.

GOTTFRIED: Let's take a quick break.

We're just getting started with our postgame analysis

of President Bartlet's third State of the Union address.

We've got guests standing by around the country

and we'll back with more Capital Beat

right after this.

MAN: We're out.

C.J.'s not wearing any pants.

Yes. ( applause )

No pants whatsoever.

It's cable. Carol?

MAN: 90 seconds back.

Could I see you a moment?

Yeah.

Could I see you over there?

Why? Can we do it here?

I'm not wearing any pants. Can we do it here?

Sure, we're fine here as long as there aren't

any microphones or cameras around.

Carol?

Yeah.

Thank you.

You look like a Rockette.

Yeah. Yeah?

You know why I'm not wearing pants?

I just assumed it was the usual reason. I sat in paint.

Right after the speech

I went to the Sculpture Garden

to get some air and take it in and I sat on a bench.

And it didn't say, "wet paint"?

It did, it turns out, but...

The clothes are coming.

Where'd you get the bathrobe? The gym.

There are bathrobes at the gym?

In the women's locker room.

Yeah. But not the men's.

Now, that's outrageous.

There's a thousand men working here and 50 women.

Yeah, and it's the bathrobes that's outrageous.

MAN: 30 seconds. What's going on?

Jack Sloan has an official reprimand in his jacket.

For what?

Excessive force.

How long ago?

17 years ago.

There was a criminal charge-- it was dismissed.

There was a civil suit-- it was dismissed.

There was enormous community and political

pressure from local black Democrats...

Our people?

It was 17 years ago.

MAN: 15 seconds.

Okay, so they gave him an official condemnation.

Yeah.

Does anybody have the story yet?

They will.

MAN: Ten seconds.

I need to see the police officer--

what was his name?

SAM: Sloan.

Hi.

Take the desk away, I pick up three share points.

MAN: In five, four, three...

MARK: We're back with our panel

including Deputy House Majority Whip Henry Shallick

and White House Press Secretary C.J. Cregg...

Welcome back.

How'd it look on TV?

It looked good.

Charlie, is it possible

that C.J. isn't wearing any pants right now?

Yeah, she sat in wet paint.

And she's not wearing any pants?

Well, she's wearing underwear, Mrs. Landingham.

She hasn't gone smokeless.

Okay.

I didn't understand this note.

The President was balancing his checkbook

and came across an outstanding check for $500

that was never cashed.

The check was written by the First Lady

to a woman the President has never heard of

and he'd like you to ask her about it.

Yeah. The President was balancing his checkbook?

Why?

He does it to relax.

Yeah. Okay.

And why doesn't he just

ask the First Lady

about the $500 check himself

in the normal course of, you know

being married to her?

When the President inquires

into the First Lady's personal bookkeeping

the First Lady gets angry with him and yells.

Well, she's going to get angry

and yell when I inquire into it, too.

Well, the President doesn't care so much about that.

Yeah, okay.

This is a good job.

I saw you on TV.

Cool.

( tape rewinding )

PRESIDENT: To build this new future

will demand boldly setting aside our partisan blinders

and abandoning our ideological entrenchment.

Therefore, I am asking the leaders of Congress

and members of both parties

to join me in establishing

a Blue Ribbon National Commission to fashion...

( tape rewinds )

PRESIDENT: ...boldly setting aside our partisan blinders

and abandoning our ideological entrenchment...

( knocking on door )

Come in.

PRESIDENT: Therefore, I am asking the leaders of Congress

and members of both parties

to join me in establishing

a Blue Ribbon National Commission to fashion...

Mrs. Bartlet?

Hey, Charlie.

Am I disturbing you?

I just came up to change my clothes.

Did you sit in paint?

I'm sorry?

C.J. sat on wet paint.

In the Sculpture Garden? Yeah.

No, I'm not supposed to go to the reception

in the same clothes in which I went to the speech.

Yeah.

I could just tell people that I have

two outfits exactly alike.

That's what I do.

What do you need?

Ma'am, I'd like you to bear in mind that

I'm not wearing pads or a helmet or contact gear of any kind.

A $500 check that hasn't been cashed?

It's written to a woman he doesn't...

Oh, how long has that been up his ass?!

Well, I wouldn't know, ma'am, but...

Her name is Jane Robinson.

I read an article a few months ago...

Her husband threw her out?

He set fire to the bed.

And she'd bought the kids' Christmas presents early

and they were ruined. So I sent her $500.

Well, she hasn't cashed it.

I'll make sure it got to her.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

PRESIDENT: ...join me in establishing

a Blue Ribbon National Commission...

MAN ( over microphone): Ladies and gentlemen

Mr. Sam Seaborn!

( applause )

See, and you guys said I couldn't write comedy.

( laughter )

You talked to C.J.?

Yeah.

The dial groups are huge.

Middle class tax cut, Social Security...

What about polling?

Josh and Joey'll have early numbers in an hour.

My point is, this police officer?

The President pointed to him and asked him to stand.

Leo?

Let C.J. talk to him.

Is he here? Yeah.

No pictures anywhere near the President.

Yeah.

They need you in the Situation Room.

What's going on?

Leo, we believe five U.S. DEA agents

have been abducted in Colombia.

Where?

On a road between Bogota

and a training base in Putumayo.

Was it the CRF?

We don't know.

Do we think it was the CRF?

Yeah.

Can the agents be identified as U.S. Drug Enforcement?

They're carrying badges.

On a road from Bogota to Putumayo?

They're going to shoot these guys.

Leo, I...

The White House Press Corps' upstairs

and there's a live TV show being broadcast next door.

I need to meet with State, Justice and the Pentagon

and it needs to happen softly.

Yes, sir.

This was almost a good night.

Donna.

Yeah?

It's going well.

It's a 17% response rate.

Great.

Jack Sloan was reprimanded

for excessive force

by the Detroit Police Department.

How long ago?

Seventeen years.

DONNA: What happened?

I don't know...

he made a bust, he broke the guy's leg

the DA couldn't make the case

the civil suit was dismissed

but it's there.

Who's Jack Sloan?

From tonight.

The police officer.

JOEY: I wasn't there.

I was on a plane with mechanical difficulties.

Officer Jack Sloan of the Detroit Police Department

was added at the last minute to the invited guests

that are recognized by the President during the speech.

He was the off-duty cop... At the elementary school?

Yeah. He wasn't vetted?

It was last minute. When do I see numbers?

Joey says it going good.

Great. When do I see numbers?

There's a 17% response rate.

Fantastic. When do I see numbers?

You need patience, Joshua.

I need numbers, Tonto.

The poll's an hour old.

You get early numbers.

And when I get them, you'll have them.

What do you do

in the meantime?

I'm getting a donut.

Okay.

( sighs )

We're plagued by this nonsense, Donna.

I swear, it's just... reaching epidemic proportions.

Those numbers are going to tell us we had a big night

and the bounce is going to be dragged down

by a news cycle that won't shake the cop story.

You should ask her out.

I'm sorry?

You should ask Joey out. Tonight could be the night.

The night to do what?

To ask her out.

Get a donut.

Okay.

MARK: Before we go to commercial again

let me just ask for predictions.

How big a bump does the President get off the speech?

Congressman Shallick...

Excuse me, Mr. Secretary?

Yes.

I'm sorry to interrupt, but Leo McGarry was wondering

if you'd come say hello to an old friend of his.

Certainly.

Would you excuse me, please?

Sit Room.

Thank you.

LEO: Are we verifying exactly

who was at the lab?

We've verified Agents McGrath and Nun

but we still can't confirm the other three.

I don't want to mis-notify the families.

TROOP: Leo?

Mickey, 2:00 p.m. local time in Bogota

five DEA agents assisting police in evidence gathering

at a cocaine lab were taken by the CRF.

Are they alive?

We think so.

MICKEY: Okay. The Putumayo's a Frente stronghold.

The scene the agents were at

was one of their top-producing cocaine labs.

We're going to open a dialogue

and to do it through the Colombian Army commanders.

Who are they talking to?

They'll tell us. I think it'll be Nelson Guerra.

He's a Frente jefe.

Get me everything on him.

Yes, sir.

Is there anybody close by on the ground?

The closest we've got is Tres Encinas.

Who's there?

Six commanders and 13 support.

Really.

Yeah.

How many people are going to be guarding

wherever these guys are being taken to?

Five, six hundred.

Not the numbers you're hoping for

if you're contemplating

a massive attack and rescue mission.

No.

Tell Special Operations Command

at Fort Bragg

to submit three plans for a unilateral op.

They have an hour.

Yes, sir.

We should let these 19 guys at Tres Encinas know

they're in it now, too.

OFFICER: Yes, sir.

I challenge all our schools to teach character education

to teach values, to teach citizenship

and if it means our kids will pay more attention

to mathematics and English literature

and history and science and the arts

and less attention to designer labels

then our public schools should be able to require students

to wear school uniforms.

MARK: "School uniforms," from a liberal Democrat.

What was that sound we just heard?

Joining us now on our panel is

Associate White House Counsel Ainsley Hayes

and to my left

Gretchen Tyler, Director of Public Education

for the ACLU.

Gretchen, let's start with you.

Were you surprised?

I was surprised, Mark. I was disappointed.

This President has always had

strong First Amendment credentials.

What's the position of the ACLU?

The position of the ACLU is

that every child in the country

has a legal right to public school education

and that right can't be conditioned upon compliance

with a uniform policy.

Ainsley?

I think Gretchen's point is well taken

in that I'm not 100% sure

what the President suggested tonight was Constitutional.

What I can tell you is he's concerned about the kid

who's left out because he can't afford the clothes

some of his friends wear.

He's also taken serious notice of any number of studies

done by education experts that say, by and large

kids will do better wearing uniforms.

GRETCHEN: It should be noted that there already are

dress restrictions on public school kids.

They're not allowed to wear inappropriate clothing

or wear something obscene on their T-shirt.

It should also be noted that those restrictions

were over the strong objection of the ACLU.

Ainsley, gauge for us

how strongly the President feels about this.

Well, he included it in a State of the Union Address.

But from your conversations with him personally.

I haven't had any conversations with him personally.

On this?

On anything. I've never met him.

I'm an associate counsel.

The Chinese food guy's got more access than I do.

And yet they have you out here speaking for the White House.

Yeah, it's a really big night for me.

All right, we'll be back with Gretchen Tyler

and Ainsley Hayes and more guests as the night goes on.

We're going to send you to New York for some other news.

Stay with us. Here's Frank and Judy.

MAN: We're out.

You crack me up.

Thank you.

Hey, Gracie.

Hey, Sam.

Mark, does she have time?

It's a five-minute news break.

Have you been watching?

Yes.

Aren't I delightful?

Yes.

You know what I'd like?

I'd like it if you didn't say you weren't 100% sure

that the President's proposal is Constitutional.

The ACLU has a reasonable case to make against the President.

They'll do a fine job of making it

without the help of the President's lawyer.

That's a fair point.

How have you never met the President?

I haven't.

You've been working here three months.

He works in the Oval Office

and I work in the steam pipe trunk distribution venue.

I can't believe we haven't run into each other.

I'll set up an introduction. No.

You can meet him tonight. No way.

It's no problem. Yes, it is.

Are you scared to meet the President?

I'm not scared to meet the President.

Yeah, you are. I am not scared to meet

the President 'cause I'm not going to meet the President.

Ainsley... I'm having a good night.

I just want to keep having a good night.

I don't want to live in fear of the inevitable bungling

of the English language that will occur

and the mortification that will ensue.

That sounds pretty bad.

I am, yes, I am indeed

yes, I am scared to meet the President.

Now it sounds really bad.

Yes. Okay, well

when you meet him, you meet him.

No need to rush that day along.

Right.

Okay, can I talk to you about adrenaline for a second?

Adrenaline?

Yeah. You're feeling it right now

and it's going to get even more

'cause it's a big night and we're a hit

and you've never experienced anything like this...

And you think I'm going to have a nutty?

I'm saying don't drink till you're off television.

God, thanks, Sam, for that debating tip, your feel for nuance.

You say I shouldn't be drunk

when I'm representing the White House?

Yeah, and please don't forget

you're a blond Republican girl

and that nobody likes you.

I'm going back on television now.

Try and remember you're on our side.

( laughter )

ABBEY: Thank you, thank you.

Sam Seaborn wrote that line for me.

( laughter )

You know, there's a lot of poll-taking

going on right now.

The instant dial focus groups

predict tonight's speech was a success.

( applause )

And I'm sure where Josh is over at the phone banks

they'll be confirming that

but when the numbers are crunched

and the polls are taken, I think everyone here realizes

that the truly important thing is that I changed my hair.

( laughter )

Seriously, this is not my official toast.

My official toast is later.

I just wanted to say informally before the President got here

thank you so much for your hard work

and enjoy tonight's success.

( applause )

Your hair looks great, by the way.

So, what's going on with Jack Sloan?

C.J.'s on it.

So we were able to get in the language

about the Blue Ribbon Commission.

Yeah.

We were able to get it in at the last minute.

We got our guys.

We changed the language to broaden...

I was there, Leo.

We changed the language at the last minute, Abbey.

If you want to be pissed at someone

the architect of this speech...

I don't want to be pissed at anyone

but thanks for asking.

And I don't need to be told

who the architect of tonight's speech was.

MAN: Toby Ziegler, ladies and gentlemen!

( cheers and applause )

( whistling )

I want to see you in your office

in half an hour. You got it?

Yes, ma'am.

Keep shaking hands.

MAN: Hang on...

He didn't say that, and we can roll the tape.

He said... What he said was that standardized testing

would be more acceptable if its vast limitations

were understood.

What about the New York City testing scores

that Hal Chafey just cited a while ago?

Six out of ten were black or Hispanic.

...Chafey also forgot to mention

that six out of ten of those New York City students

were either black or Hispanic.

Right on the button.

So, Josh... No.

I was wondering. We're still doing this?

Have you asked her out yet? Donna...

'Cause the last time I asked you

you hadn't asked her out yet.

What is taking so long?

"Joey, would you like to go out Friday night?"

You know, you have to say it.

You have to ask a girl out on a date.

You can't just randomly tumble into a girl sideways

and hope she breaks up with you soon

the way you always do.

Why not?

Because you can't.

You just said I always do.

I can help you or I can not help you. It's up to you.

Then I absolutely choose not helping me.

You want me to ask her out for you?

Yeah. That's exactly what I want you to do.

Joey...

Sit down.

Where are the first numbers?

Soon.

How soon?

Five minutes.

You said five minutes, 15 minutes ago.

The response rate slowed down.

Why?

People are going to bed.

Yeah, but the response rate didn't stop, right?

Everybody didn't go to bed.

If they did

that would be phenomenal.

It would be a phenomenon.

The response rate slowed down

and you need to have some juice and crackers.

America is talking

and I'm trying to hear what they're saying.

They're saying that you're an egomaniac

who needs to know that the public loves you

and that you'll have the numbers in five minutes.

I don't think that is what they're saying

but absent any other information...

Josh...

Joey, it's the State of the Union.

We worked on the speech for three months.

You will hear America speaking.

In five minutes?

In five minutes.

It may take a little longer now.

SHALLICK: Excuse me, excuse me

but this White House uses the First Amendment

to protect flag burning, to protect pornography

to ban school prayer.

Why, when the Second Amendment clearly says

that the Federal Government will not infringe

upon a citizen's right to keep and bear arms...

TOBY: Because it clearly doesn't say that.

Toby...! In fact, it doesn't say that at all.

The only way it says that is

if you remove some words from it.

Oh, look, what you're trying to do...

It says, "A well- regulated militia

"being necessary for the security of a free state

the government shall not infringe..."

The words "regulated" and "militia"

are in the first sentence.

I don't think the framers were thinking

of three guys in a Dodge Durango.

You don't really know what the framers were thinking, do you?

No, but I do know that if you combine the populations

of Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland

Sweden, Denmark and Australia

you'll get a population

roughly the size of the United States.

We had 32,000 gun deaths last year.

They had 112.

You think it's because Americans are more homicidal by nature

or do you think it's because

those guys have gun control laws?

We're going to talk to some people

and hear answers to that question.

You're watching an expanded edition of Capital Beat.

We're coming live

from the west wing of the White House.

We'll be back after this.

MAN: We're out.

Toby?

Yeah.

Mark, I'm going to sit out the next segment.

Yeah?

Yeah. I've got to see someone.

We'll get you a body.

Has she been waiting long?

No.

I'm sorry I'm late.

It's fine.

I was on the air.

I wanted to ask you... Mrs. Bartlet?

Toby? Excuse me for interrupting.

I just wanted to remind you

that there's press coming in and out of this area.

Are you under the impression

I'm going to have a fit of some kind?

No, ma'am. So, what was the deal?

He gets a highway, and you name a park after him?

Mrs. Bartlet, the Blue Ribbon Commission...

The Blue Ribbon Commission

is swell.

I am not talking about the Blue Ribbon Commission

and you know it, and don't talk to me like I'm other people.

You've never done that.

It was the language.

Mrs. Bartlet...

The draft I read said

"The first fiscal priority of the government must be

will be, insuring Social Security and Medicare."

Now, how did that turn into

"boldly setting aside our partisan blinders"?

Is the White House

considering new options? Look...

Like raising the retirement age? Abbey...

And how did school uniforms get in such a prominent spot?

It was in a section

on education reform, Abbey, and considering other options

doesn't mean we're caving on the retirement age

and you know it, so what was your concern with the language?

The draft said

"Our commitment to the full benefits

promised to America's greatest generation is absolute."

I was there when you wrote that.

And our commitment is still absolute.

We're open to new ideas, and that's what it said.

Oh, please... Believe me, we gave

Republicans plenty to be pissed about--

the surplus, missile defense, capital gains

and I was just on TV for the 900th time

and alienated gun owners

to say nothing of people who own Dodge Durangos.

So, what exactly

was your problem with the language?

It seemed...

Abbey?

I was just thrown by the last-minute changes.

You should get back on TV.

He's here?

Yeah.

Officer Sloan?

Yes, ma'am.

I'm C.J. Cregg.

I'm the White House Press Secretary.

I'm sorry to get you out of the party.

Oh, that's all right.

I'm sorry to be abrupt

but I'm racing the clock a little bit.

Could you tell me what happened 17 years ago

with a suspect named Walter Tappis?

( sighs )

I can access the information through the FBI.

I can call the Wayne County DA.

Do I need to have my lawyer here?

I don't think you do

No. but if you'd like to call...

There was an armed robbery in progress.

I was pursuing Walter Tappis on foot

through a series of fenced-in storage areas

behind a warehouse.

I apprehended him and tried to cuff him

during which he broke my hand and nose.

So you fractured his leg?

I didn't fracture his leg.

He said you kicked him repeatedly

while he was handcuffed.

He was suing the city

for $5 million.

What possible motivation would he have had to lie?

Officer...

He was 19 years old, six-two, 190 pounds

and he won two bronze medals

at the state high school Track and Field Championships.

Miss Cregg, look at me.

Do you think there is any way

I'd catch up to this guy if his leg isn't fractured already?

It didn't happen.

Why didn't you tell anybody

this was on your record when you were invited here?

I just assumed...

I mean, 'cause of what happened over the weekend

at the elementary school?

Yeah.

I assumed, you know, that it was okay now

that I was okay.

I didn't think it was going to all come up again.

Does the press know?

No, but I have to tell them. Why?

'Cause they'll find out

and I have to stay ahead of the pitch.

If I issue it in a brief statement

then it doesn't look like we we're trying to hide anything

and I get to control the story for a while.

There is no story.

Officer...

The DA couldn't bring a case.

The civil suit was dismissed.

The President pointed to you as an example.

I am an example.

It's a story.

'Cause you're giving it to them.

'Cause they'll find it anyway.

You don't know that.

Yes, I do.

( sighs )

M-my, um... my wife and kids are back at the party.

You should go back there.

Yeah.

Don't talk to anybody about this.

Yeah.

I wish you'd said something to us before...

Yeah. I just assumed...

I thought it was okay now.

Okay.

JOSH: What's happening?

Good news. The Potomac Electric Power Company says

the outage was caused by a 13,000-volt cable

that caught fire in a building on N Street and Wisconsin.

How is that good news?

Well, we have hard information now.

When's the power going back on?

That information isn't available at this time.

Donna... I can tell you that the outage is affecting

some 2,000 customers

and it was likely started when a repairman...

mis-spliced... something.

Call Sam.

I want the numbers!

You know, Josh, everybody else is having fun with this.

You're the only one who's having fun with this.

Nobody else is having fun with this.

Boo!

How you doing?

Are those numbers safe?

Yes.

Are we going to be able to make the West Coast calls?

That depends on when the power goes on.

When's that going to be?

Do I look like Electricity Girl?

Sam. No.

I'm thinking of leading everybody in song.

Is that Sam? Yeah.

Give it to me.

Sam. What's going on?

The power's down.

I know.

We were five minutes away from an East Coast sample.

We got nothing west of Indiana/Illinois.

You need anything?

A lightning bolt, a key and a kite.

Donna told me to tell you you should ask out Joey Lucas.

Hey, can I tell you, Donna's been acting kind of...

I've got to go.

We're in.

PRESIDENT: Hey.

Sir. How's it going?

They lost power at National Strategies.

I heard.

WOMAN: Well done, Mr. President.

Thank you.

Listen, you scored big on some of the stuff

I fought you on.

Yes, and I know a way you can repay me.

Repay you for what?

For you being wrong in the face of me being right.

I owe you money for that? Oh, not money, sir.

I owe you anything for that?

Great job, Mr. President. Thank you.

Ainsley Hayes has been working here for three months

and she's still a little frightened of meeting you.

If you should happen to run into her in the halls

maybe you could make a point of introducing yourself

and welcoming her personally.

Don't you already get paid?

Randomly, in the hallways, in the next few days

you two are bound to be in the same place at the same time.

I'm just saying...

Mr. President?

Hang on. Is there anything in particular you'd like me to say?

I think if you said something

along the lines of

"You know, a lot of people assumed you were hired

"because you were a blond Republican sex kitten

and they were obviously wrong, and keep up the good work."

That's really good.

Yeah. CHARLIE: Mr. President?

Yeah.

LEO: Mr. President...

What's going on with the police officer?

C.J.'s looking into it.

We're going to get knocked off the story by a last-minute...

The cop isn't what's going to knock us off the story.

What is?

We have a situation in Colombia.

They're dressed as civilians, but they've got DEA badges.

Yeah, that may have blown their cover.

CHRYSLER: Sir...

Mickey, how do we know they're still alive?

Human sources paid by the Colombian National Police

confirm they're in a CRF outpost.

And they kill our guys

unless Santos releases Juan Aguilar from a prison in Bogota.

Which the Colombian government isn't going to do.

Why not? It doesn't matter.

The Frente doesn't care about Juan Aguilar

and how long he stays in jail.

They want to kill these guys.

I don't think...

McGARRY: They want to drag their bodies

through the streets.

These people provide 70% of the world's cocaine.

They have 122,000 hectares of coca.

The Putumayo region alone produced

$400 million in cocaine for them last year.

The government has no control over the region

there is no law, and they're going

to shoot these guys in the head

and then have a parade.

If they wanted to kill them, they'd already be dead.

Robbie?

Okay, Mr. President

this plan is called Cassiopeia: three MH-60 Black Hawks

two MH-6 Little Birds and an AC-130 gunship.

Each Black Hawk has ten Delta commandos

from Special Forces. How long?

Five to seven minutes.

How many Frente casualties?

Do you care?

No.

Mr. President

I want to strongly urge that we continue negotiating.

Do you think we're headed for Vietnam?

I think if we make an armed attack, the Frente will hit back.

I think they'll bomb our embassy How?

I think they will kill diplomats

I think they'll kill citizens in captivity

all of which will require a military response.

It could unify the drug lords.

It could destabilize the region.

Yes, I think it could lead to a war.

Lead to a war? We're in a war.

We're sending people down there to fight a war on drugs.

Those guys aren't hostages.

They're prisoners.

How long's it going to take Special Forces to mobilize?

They're in 141s right now on their way to Tres Encinas.

You can give them a "go" order in three hours.

Well, then, I want our people to keep talking to Nelson Guerra

but in three hours, I want to be ready to kick in the back door.

Leo, I'd like Yes, sir.

the senior staff. Would you round them up?

Yes, sir.

I'm going to wandering the halls.

Thank you, sir. Thank you, Mr. President.

You know what I'm surprised about?

What?

We haven't seen a lot of looting.

Yeah.

Usually in these cases, you see a lot more looting.

Yeah.

General civil unrest...

Yeah.

People get on each other's nerves. Okay.

Joey?

Can I ask you what may be a silly question?

Sure.

It's not possible, is it, for us to just open up

one of these computers with a screwdriver

and get the numbers that are in there, right?

Why did you think that'd be a silly question?

( yelling ): I want these numbers!

Josh?

Yeah?

Sam.

Yeah.

You got to come back.

What's going on? I don't know.

Leo wants everybody back.

Leave Joey and Donna for a while.

I'll be right there.

Yeah? Ginger?

Isn't Ainsley Hayes

supposed to be meeting me now?

She's in her office.

Isn't she supposed to be meeting me here?

She needs to meet you in her office. Why?

She can't wear her pants.

( music blaring )

* Blame it on the bossa nova

* With its magic spell

* Blame it on the bossa nova

* That he did so well...

Ainsley!

* With just a little dance

* And soon it ended up a big romance... *

Well, I hardly know where to start.

I was feeling so good after my segments

so I went out to the Sculpture Garden.

You know, you guys, really there's a "wet paint" sign on the bench.

My assistant went to get me clothes.

Why are you moving like that?

I'm blaming it on the bossa nova.

Okay.

I know what you mean

about that adrenaline high.

I definitely think I got it.

Plus, the bartender made me a Pink Squirrel

so you see, I am not the teetotaler you think I am.

Is there any alcohol in that at all?

There's a dash of creme de cacao, my friend.

I came down here to tell you...

Oh, dance with me, Sam.

* ...a family

* And when our kids ask...

( screams )

( glass breaks )

What's up?

Oh, Mr. President.

I never even knew we had a nightclub down here.

Oh, my God.

( turns music off )

Mr. President, I don't believe that you've met Ainsley Hayes.

Yeah, Ainsley.

I wanted to say hello and to mention, you know

a lot of people assumed you were hired

because you were a blond Republican sex kitten

and, well..

they're obviously wrong

and keep up the good work.

Yes, sir.

You know we're meeting?

Yes, sir.

Okay.

That could've been worse.

No, probably not.

MARK: And take us behind the scenes.

What are the President and First Lady

doing right now?

Well, the reception's still going on.

I don't know if you can hear the music

and President and Mrs. Bartlet

are likely to stay up late with friends.

All right, we're staying up late, too.

Maybe we'll get invited to the party.

We're going to take a break and come right back.

MAN: We're out.

How you holding up?

You got a second?

Yeah.

I've laid off it all night because we've done some

things together and I didn't want to ambush you, but...

Yeah. C.J.... You know about Sloan. Mark...

Mark, I talked to the guy

and before the stampede begins, please give me a chance...

C.J.?

Let me talk to you before...

C.J.?

Leo McGarry would like you to meet an old friend of his.

Mark, give me 20 minutes before you break the story.

Why?

We've done things together.

I'm looking at my watch.

Hey.

Hey.

They said you were in here.

Yeah, just for a minute.

Fellas?

You're mad at me.

Jed, you know what?

I'm not your mommy.

Abbey, so I indicated we were open to new ideas.

How did I fail you this time?

You didn't fail anybody, Jed.

They've been giving you

some pretty decent style points.

I have a meeting.

At what point in the process

did you decide not to mention

the Violence Against Women Act in tonight's address?

Things had to be cut.

Jane Robinson, by the way

is the name of the woman I made the check out to.

It wasn't cashed because she framed it.

Charlie tracked her down

at a battered women's shelter.

Now, that's what made me think

about the Violence Against Women Act.

To make a 90-minute speech into an 80-minute speech

things had to go.

It's a good thing it didn't have to be any shorter

or school uniforms might not have made the cut.

Abbey...

We had a deal.

Right now...

We made a promise. You made a deal.

Abbey...

When did you decide you were going to run for a second term?

That's not what tonight's...

That's all that tonight's speech was about.

You kicked off your reelection campaign

and I'm sitting here eating a sandwich

'cause we had a deal.

That was three years ago.

Yeah.

I have Special Forces

headed to Colombia on ready-alert.

They'll be ready for an order

in a little less than three hours.

What happened?

The Frente took five DEA agents in Putumayo.

Mr. President?

Yeah.

The senior staff's together.

Yes, sir. I'll be right there.

Abbey...

No, you got to focus right now.

All right.

( sighing )

I've got to go.

I'll stay up with you.

( music playing )

MARK: Welcome back.

If you're just joining us, we're here live tonight

from the west wing of the White House

with an all-star panel

and we're talking about the State of the Union

and it appears that it's a blockbuster.

Claire Willow joins us now from the Chicago Sun-Times...