Original subtitles

Previously on The West Wing:

The President will be announcing a blue-ribbon commission

to study the long-term future of entitlement programs.

We want you to go to a meeting. With who?

A Democrat on the ethics committee.

You set me up with my ex-wife.

Come sit next to me. I'm a responsible adult.

I'm a member of the United States Congress.

Danny. Does the White House

make a crusade out of

defending the rights of drug users?

Oh, please.

MAN: Now we have some questions

about drug use in general and marijuana in particular.

WOMAN: Yeah?

JerseyGirl wants to know if marijuana can make you sterile.

Is this JerseyGirl asking the question

or JerseyBoyfriend?

Both.

Okay, well, there's no evidence so far that marijuana

has a permanent effect on the male or female reproductive systems.

A few studies have suggested that heavy marijuana use

may have an effect on male testicular function

but that effect would be reversible

so if JerseyBoyfriend is concerned

he should mention it to his doctor.

PIXALADD wants to know if marijuana can cause cancer.

No conclusive study to date has shown that it does.

However-- and this is a big however--

cellular genetic and human studies all suggest

that, uh, the smoke from pot is a risk factor

in acquiring respiratory disease

so, if PIXALADD wants to be able

to walk up a flight of stairs without throwing up

he should put the bong back in the closet

behind the Allman Brothers albums where it belongs.

I'm done?

Yeah.

Efficiency, Donna.

Yeah.

Efficiency and professionalism

and we're out of here at 9:00 on a Wednesday night.

Doesn't hurt the President's in Tokyo.

Yeah, well, there does seem to be a little less work to do

when he's in a different hemisphere, but nonetheless...

Efficiency and professionalism.

With a healthy dollop of leadership skills.

The well-placed, well-worded memo.

Nobody goes off the reservation.

Everybody does their job.

Turn off your computer. Let's go.

No, I'm going to stay and watch this.

I think maybe you should, too.

What is it?

The Surgeon General's doing an on-line chat.

What's she talking about?

Decriminalizing marijuana.

See you tomorrow.

What's she talking about?

"Do you favor the decriminalization of marijuana?"

"That's not for me to say.

"I can tell you that marijuana

poses no greater public health risk than nicotine or alcohol..."

"...and doesn't share the same addictive properties

as heroin and LSD."

"Yet, bizarrely, to many of us in the health care profession

"the law categorizes it as a Schedule One narcotic...

while putting a government seal on a pack of cigarettes."

Yeah, somebody didn't get your memo.

[Captioning sponsored by NBC

WARNER BROS. TELEVISION

and "TOYOTA

More choices. Better selection. Experience Toyota today."]

JOSH: C.J.?

Yeah.

I need you to take a look at this.

What is it?

It's a transcript of an on-line chat

Millicent Griffith just did-- page eight.

Toby's headed to his office and Sam's on the phone.

I can't talk to him right now.

He says it's important.

I'm going to be there in a minute.

"The Allman Brothers"?

It gets a lot worse.

"...marijuana poses no greater public health risk

"than nicotine or alcohol...

"...doesn't show the same addictive properties as...

...bizarrely categorizes it as..."

And... I quit.

Let's go.

Is she kidding me with this?

No.

When did it happen?

She finished five minutes ago.

Talk me through the next 12 hours.

These people got a story.

I guarantee they've called AP already--

Carol, get me the wires.

Yeah.

It's too late for the Times and the Post

but LA and San Francisco will have it

and it'll be above the fold.

The Today Show will lead with it.

Russert's going to do a segment...

Toby...

Guys, I'm in the Blue Ribbon meeting.

I got Labor yelling at me.

I got a real situation developing over there.

We've got a bit of a situation

developing here, Toby.

What's going on?

Read that. Page eight.

Why didn't you call me?

While it was happening?

Yes.

So you could do what?

When did it happen?

She finished about five or ten minutes ago.

You saw it happen?

Yeah.

Why didn't you get me? What were you going to do?

End the interview.

How?

By ending it.

Listen, something's happened. We know.

How do you know?

Josh was watching it in real time.

I'm not going to belay into the computer screen, Toby.

What are you talking about? The Surgeon General.

What are you talking about?

Never mind. What did Griffith do?

She reversed our position on marijuana.

All right, first things first-- what time is it in Tokyo?

They're 14 hours ahead.

I thought it was 13. Eastern Daylight.

So it's 14 hours ahead.

We're sure it's ahead and not behind?

Guys, there are clocks on the wall.

Okay, so it's almost 11:00 in Tokyo.

Ginger... Yes.

Yeah. Get Larry and Ed.

And anybody left in my office.

TOBY: We'll be in the Roosevelt Room.

I'm sorry. 11:00 in the morning, 11:00 in the afternoon?

C.J.: It's 11:00 a.m.

"The Allman Brothers"?

TOBY: Keep reading.

If it's not a story until tomorrow morning

then they won't have it till tomorrow night

so we bought a day.

We bought two days. How?

The plane ride. When does he leave?

7:00 p.m. Thursday.

Tomorrow? Local time? Yes.

Which local-- theirs or ours?

It will be 7:00 p.m. Thursday in Japan when he leaves.

And he lands here when?

Okay, the flight is 13 hours long...

This isn't happening.

He's going to travel eastward from Tokyo

leaving at 7:00 p.m.

so when he crosses the International Dateline...

He'll have traveled back in time to what?

3:00 a.m. Which puts him down

in Washington 6:00 p.m. Thursday.

He's going to land in Washington

an hour before he took off?

Yeah.

And that's not a story

that beats the Surgeon General?

Toby, they're calling for you over there.

I'm going to go get yelled at some more.

Josh, you need to get Leo.

Yeah. Call Tokyo.

Carol's got the wires.

Thanks.

Those clocks should be in military time.

Yeah, 'cause that's less confusing.

The man's gone 150 hours.

How can it be Thursday the whole time?

Listen, Japan is nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time...

Don't.

Sophie, this is Donna Moss. Could you locate the Chief

of Staff for me? What were you talking about before?

I've just been told by someone I believe

that a full-page ad taken out

by the Family Values Leadership Council

is going to appear in 22 newspapers tomorrow.

It lists many prominent people and it congratulates them

for denouncing the movie Prince of New York.

Margaret, I've got Josh for him.

So what's the problem?

The President is one

of the prominent people they congratulate.

The President denounced the movie? No.

Then how can they run that ad?

I have no idea...

but I don't like who we're being congratulated by.

Josh?

Yeah.

Yeah, Leo, we've got a couple problems here.

( ball bouncing off wall )

( bouncing continues )

I'm here.

Thanks.

We're doing this again?

Yeah.

'Cause I just got you off that little bellman's thing.

Here's my problem.

The AARP wants the President

to put Seth Gillette on the Commission.

So does the AFL-CIO-- it's important to them

and, I think, for that reason, it's got to be

important to us. There's another good reason.

It neutralizes him. He can't

attack the Commission if he's on it.

Which is why if we ask he'll say no.

Maybe, maybe not.

Yeah, but we can't risk that.

First of all, we need him on the Commission

or else labor and seniors

will be suspicious from the get-go.

Second, if he's not going to be on the Commission

it can't be 'cause he turned us down.

So either we get him on the Commission

or if we don't, make sure it's 'cause we never asked him.

Yeah.

Sam, he's on the phone.

Thanks.

Yeah, I don't know the answer to that.

Thanks for stopping by.

Yeah.

Charlie.

CHARLIE: Moshimoshi.

Konichiwa, Sam.

Ikaga dess ka.

SAM: Yeah, listen.

Did you have a phone conversation

with a movie producer named Morgan Ross?

Yeah, last week.

Can you tell me about that conversation?

He's got a movie coming out.

Prince of New York.

Yeah, they wanted to screen it at the White House.

What did you say?

They sent me the print the week before and I looked at it.

And you passed?

Yeah.

Charlie, was the President

involved in that decision at all?

Nah, he lets me choose the movies.

I just didn't think he'd like it

so I got Dial M for Murder instead.

Sam?

Okay.

Domo arigato.

Yeah.

JOSH: Well, there'd be fallout from women voters

and I'm pretty sure the AMA

to say nothing of the First Lady.

Yeah.

Leo?

I've got about nine people on a conference call

at several points of longitude.

When's your first briefing?

An hour. Can you show support for the Surgeon General

without supporting her policy?

Yeah.

Show me. Try me.

C.J., did you know

that Dr. Griffith was going to criticize

the administration's drug policy last night?

I don't agree with your characterization of her comments.

I think she expressed her opinion about

the health effects of certain illegal drugs.

Well, she basically called for the legalization of marijuana.

Does the President agree with her?

Wrong again, and I'd refer you

to the Surgeon General's comments.

When asked if marijuana should be legalized

she said, and I'm quoting, "It's not for me to say."

And she's right and it's important that people understand this:

The Surgeon General is not a lawmaker.

She doesn't set drug policy, the President does

and the President is 100% against legalizing drugs

including marijuana. Yeah.

Leo, I can take it to the next step.

Okay.

( heavy sigh )

Okay.

Leo wants me to show her support?

Yeah.

Josh? Yeah.

While I'm showing her support

what are you showing her?

The door.

C.J.: Hang on. Katie?

Did you know the Surgeon General was

going to criticize

the administration's drug policy last night?"

C.J.: Well, first of all, I disagree

with your characterization of her comments.

She expressed her opinion

about the health effects of certain illegal drugs. Jeff?

I'm sorry, but didn't she say...?

Actually, what she did say, and I quote is

that there has been no conclusive study to date Josh?

to show that marijuana causes cancer.

Dr. Griffith.

However-- and I'm still quoting...

You want to come in?

...and this is a big however-- Yeah.

"Cellular genetic and human studies all suggest..."

How have you been feeling?

Well.

They're checking your blood pressure once a week?

Yeah, 130/87.

Hmm, it's a little high.

What about the right leg and arm?

There's a little stiffness.

Yeah.

You know the guys at G.W. did a fantastic job.

It's a beautiful scar.

When have you seen my scar?

At the hospital.

I don't remember.

You were unconscious. How about your back?

There's some pain.

It's in your head.

Along with all manner of things.

Well, you know, Josh

just because the white supremacists didn't kill you

doesn't mean that crap you eat isn't going to.

I eat fine.

You eat like you're still in college.

I was in great shape in college.

You were 19 in college.

You could eat Tupperware

and your system would deal with it.

Millicent, what were you thinking about?

I was asked a question, Josh.

I understand.

But your answers...

My answers were correct.

Is anyone challenging me on the facts?

Not yet.

Well, they won't.

As a doctor, I have an obligation to tell the truth.

Come to think of it, as a person

I have that obligation as well.

The truth is different if you're a GP

or a member of the Stanford Faculty Club

than if you're

the country's chief medical practitioner.

Well, no, I think truth is pretty much truth

across the board, never more so

than if you're the country's chief medical practitioner.

Did you know that 69% of Americans

oppose legalization?

The number gets a lot higher Only 23% suthan that

if you ask people under 30.

Well, that's a shock.

Did you know that the number gets even higher than that

if you limit the polling sample to Bob Marley and the Wailers?

I mention that particular age group

because an awful lot of them seem to be in prison.

Is that what this is about?

No.

The criminal justice system is

nowhere near your jurisdiction.

I wasn't commenting on the system...

Millicent...

I wasn't commenting on the system.

"Yet, bizarrely, the law categorizes it

as a Schedule One narcotic."

I was commenting on medicine.

I've had three conversations with Leo McGarry

in the last 12 hours.

The reason I've come here...

Josh, I'm not a politician

but it's not like I haven't lived here for two years.

C.J.'s up there right now giving you our support.

I'm sorry, but we need you to resign.

No.

Dr. Griffith, I say this with all possible respect

but you serve at the pleasure of the President.

And I'll continue to right up until the moment he fires me.

Okay.

Thank you, ma'am.

Josh...

See the doctor, get a lollipop.

...and the fact that the President disagrees with her

doesn't mean he's going to fire her.

The Surgeon General's an executive appointee

and the President stands by his staff.

Excellent.

REPORTER: There's a full-page ad that appears in today's Times.

In fact, I've been told that it might have appeared

in as many as 22 papers this morning.

The ad was taken out

by the Family Values Leadership Council and praises

among others, the President

for denouncing a movie that's opening next week called

Prince of New York. Yes.

Do you know anything about it?

No, I don't know what the hell's going on there.

C.J., the President didn't denounce it?

Not unless he did it in the shower

but he hasn't denounced it to me

and he certainly hasn't to the public.

That's all. See you this afternoon.

Sam's here.

Thank you.

Good job.

Please tell me what's going on with this movie.

It's called Prince of New York.

Right.

There's been some controversy about it...

Sex and violence?

And religious imagery.

Family and religious groups are organizing boycotts.

Right.

The studio phone-banks Charlie

'cause they want a screening and Charlie passes.

Why? 'Cause he did.

The producer goes on Imus and says Bartlet's a coward

who's siding with puritanical censors

and that Hollywood should know

he's no friend of the First Amendment.

And then the Family Values Leadership Council took out

an ad congratulating us for that?

Yeah.

Seriously, I quit.

Here's the thing...

Wait, wait.

We've got these people... we've got industry people...

Prince of New York is Morgan Ross's movie.

Morgan Ross went on Imus?

Well, he did it by phone, but...

Morgan Ross called the President a coward?

He didn't call him a coward as much as

he called him "cowardly," which is different.

How's it different?

It's not. But still...

I'm going to crush him.

C.J....

This guy's trying to get a little free media

by screwing with us.

Look...

I'm the enforcer, Sam. I'm going to crush him.

I'm going to make him cry, and then I'm

going to tell his mama about it.

You're not going to make him cry.

You want to watch me make him cry?

I believe that you can make him cry.

I'm saying you're not going to do it.

Sam...

We're meeting with these people tomorrow.

I'll straighten things out with Morgan Ross.

Just keep telling the press that

you don't know anything?

That shouldn't be a problem.

Thank you.

Danny Concannon's on the phone

and I think you should take it.

Why?

He wants the President's reaction to a comment

about the situation with Millicent Griffith.

Who made the comment?

That's the thing.

Carol...

It was Eleanor.

Eleanor who?

It was Eleanor Bartlet.

Hey, it's C.J.

Toby, it's not that we don't understand your predicament

but I'm telling you

the Commission will not be credible with our people

unless they know there's someone on it who's a friend of labor.

And a friend of seniors.

The President's a friend of labor

a friend of seniors, a friend of small animals.

Toby...

We're running out of time, Lenny.

We announced this thing at the State of the Union.

We've got to get it going.

The State of the Union's your problem.

Nobody brought us in.

And I for one am not sure

I see a need for emergency-like speed.

Really?

If current economic conditions continue...

Forever?

If we never have another recession ever again?

Then the fund can withstand all of 30 years

before going bankrupt.

Unfortunately, the actuarial tables say

I won't be dead yet.

Guys, Gillette's a tough needle to thread.

I want to know that we have your trust;

that whoever we do get will look out for your interests

and that you therefore will support the Commission.

Can I assume from your total silence

and blank faces that you're all with me?

Maybe if we talk some more.

Oh, could we?

Josh. C.J., listen...

She didn't?

No. Leo's going to need to talk to her.

In the meantime

you should start to walk back some of what you said...

There's something stickier

than the support I gave her in the press room.

What?

Danny Concannon's quoting Eleanor Bartlet.

She said, "My father won't fire the Surgeon General.

He would never do that."

Eleanor? Yeah.

You mean Zoey.

No, it was Eleanor.

PRESIDENT: They're trying to export their way

out of their own economic problems.

CHARLIE: Yes, sir.

And by dumping low-priced steel on the U.S.

you know what they're asking for?

A protectionist response?

They're begging for a protectionist response.

Steel and mining employ 170,000 workers.

They're not going to sit around

while discount steel comes flying into--

How you doing?

They're going to want retaliatory tariffs

and you know what that means?

A return to Smoot-Hawley and the Great Depression.

A return to Smoot-Hawley and the Great Depression.

You should go to Japan and tell them that, sir.

Charlie. Yes, sir.

Leo, I'm walking over to the press and telling them

the retaliatory tariffs are going

to cost American tax payers $800,000 for every job saved.

We're not taking questions. Let's get in the car.

What's going on?

Eleanor made a comment on the record

and you can't answer questions right now.

Eleanor? You mean Zoey.

It was Eleanor.

When did this happen?

About six hours ago.

Why didn't you tell me six hours ago?

'Cause I didn't want you crash-landing the plane.

Let's get in the car.

Welcome back, Mr. President.

DONNA: Josh, is there anything to suggest

that there are a significant number of people

who are inclined to smoke pot but

don't because it's against the law?

No.

Then why do you think if it were decriminalized

there'd be a sudden stampede of people

showing up to work stoned

dragging down the economy and clearing supermarket aisles

of Pringles and Twinkies?

That's not a reason to make it legal.

In a free society

you don't need a reason to make something legal.

You need a reason to make something illegal.

Donna, parents are keeping drugs away from their kids

with a whip and a chair.

It doesn't help them out if...

Yeah.

That's okay, it's just me talking.

The President's back.

Does he want to see me?

Yeah.

Welcome back, Mr. President.

Thank you.

I've had it, C.J., I've absolutely had it!

What the hell is Danny Concannon doing calling my kids?

Mr. President... He knows better than that.

They all know better than that...

Sir, he didn't...

C.J., you're going to suspend his credentials

for six months and I don't give a damn.

His paper wants to cover the President

they can send someone else.

Mr. President, Danny didn't call her.

I was told it was Danny.

Yes, sir; she called him.

She called him?

Good evening, welcome back, Mr. President.

The Allman Brothers, Josh?

How was the flight, sir?

Tokyo is willing to show economic restraint

in exchange for a good fielding short-stop

and a left-handed reliever.

Who's against us so far?

The Judiciary Committee, Government Reform and Oversight

Appropriations... Why Appropriations?

They control the Surgeon General's budget.

Who's coming to her defense?

The Cannabis Society, the Cannabis Coalition

E Cannabis Unum

The American Hemp League

and Friends of Mary Jane.

Sir?

Yeah.

Sam's waiting to see you.

Yes, I understand I've been congratulated

for denouncing a movie I've never heard of.

Yes, sir.

Well, I got to hand it to you guys.

You've pulled off a political first.

You've managed to win me the support of the Christian right

and the Cheech and Chong fan club in the same day.

Leo's seeing her tomorrow.

Anything else?

No, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Charlie.

Yes, sir?

Would you arrange for my middle daughter

to come see me at her earliest possible convenience?

Yes, sir.

Ah, screw her convenience.

Get her ass down here.

Yeah.

What's this note?

That note? Yeah.

It says that we should stand by the Surgeon General.

Actually it says we should stand by the "Sturgeon" General.

Does it?

Yeah.

I meant Surgeon General.

Well, I think we should stand by her, too.

I just wanted to make sure we were agreed

that smoked white fish was pretty much on its own.

Toby? Yeah.

She's here?

In the lobby.

You're with the ratings people?

Soon.

What's the food for?

Today's attempt at insuring our future.

What's your plan?

The first thing I have to do

is be nice to a liberal Democratic congresswoman.

Will that be hard?

Well, it was when I was married to her.

Good to see you; thanks for coming.

You look fantastic.

Thank you.

How've you been, Sam?

Sam's great.

Fit as a fiddle, Andy.

Although, to tell you the truth, I found...

Nobody cares.

Yeah.

Hi.

How you doing?

Congresswoman Wyatt.

Yes, indeed.

You are growing into that title very nicely.

This is going someplace hysterical.

Yeah.

Labor wants Gillette on the Commission.

Yes.

So does the AARP. Yes.

It's important to them. Yes.

You know why?

'Cause they've been suspicious of the Commission

since you announced it

and want one of their people protecting their interests.

We're one of their people.

Have you had an easy time convincing them of that

since you announced the Commission?

No, but I bring you here

and we sit, and we have coffee

and we have Danish

in the hope that calmer, and dare I say

prettier heads prevail.

Oh, how I miss patronizing sexist Toby.

I was referring to myself.

You don't want to ask Gillette?

No.

'Cause you think he might say no?

Right; this is really important, Andy.

Can you help us?

No.

GINGER: Toby?

Close the door.

Put the Danish down.

Dial M. Yeah.

A fine film.

I know it well.

Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings.

He likes the part

where the guy looks for the key.

And what was the other one about?

Prince of New York? Yeah.

It's an updated version of Dostoyevsky's The Idiot

which tells the story of a Christ-like epileptic young man

who embodies goodness

but encounters sex, crime and family dysfunction.

It's hard to image why you didn't think the President

would enjoy that, Charlie.

Well, he would've especially enjoyed the scene

where the Prince Myshkin character has a seizure

while engaging in erotic fantasy

in a Long Island church.

Charlie, please don't say the word "erotic"

in the Oval Office.

I'd be happy not to say any of those words

anywhere ever again.

John Williams as Chief Inspector Hubbard.

Not to mention...

ELLIE: Excuse me.

Ellie.

I was told my father wanted to see me.

MARGARET: Let me ask you this:

Red meat has been found to cause cancer in white rats.

Maraschino cherries have been found to cause cancer

in white rats.

Cellular phones have been found to cause cancer in white rats.

Has anyone examined the possibility

that cancer might be hereditary in white rats?

Let me tell you something.

I'm not 100% sure we've ruled that out.

Dr. Griffith.

I'm on.

Congratulations, Milly.

You're now the pamphlet girl

for every right wing fund-raising cause.

That interview's got to be worth at least

20-30 million bucks in contributions

from people who think you're going to distribute

dime bags of Hawaiian sens

at junior high schools

along with condoms and fornication manuals.

Can I say, I was never given

a fornication manual, so...

You think this is funny?

I think that we're spending

$8 billion a year

keeping more than 40,000 people locked up.

That's not your...

I know, that's not my jurisdiction

which is why I never commented on decriminalization.

Six different committee chairs--

three in the House, three in the Senate--

are all talking about hearings.

What are they going to find?

They don't need to find anything.

They just need to say your name and "drugs"

as many times as possible on television.

I don't think you said anything wrong.

Nobody with a brain thinks you did anything wrong.

And I'd like to do the right thing all the time but I can't.

I can't let us get bogged down in this crap.

Government will stop.

This'll be what we do for two months

and there are more important things than that.

I'll take the heat from the First Lady but I want

your resignation by 8:00 tonight

or the President's going to fire you.

I've got a meeting.

Thanks.

Zoey said you were thinking about Oncology.

Excuse me?

Zoey said you were thinking about oncology.

Yeah... or neurology.

He's just tied up in this meeting down the hall.

I'm fine.

They said he should be back any minute.

I'm... good. Yeah.

You like medical school?

I do.

I like my professors.

I have a pathophysiology professor

who teaches clinical skills by...

Eagle's moving.

PRESIDENT: $800,000 in consumer costs

per job saved.

Retaliatory tariffs

on steel imports are a disaster.

Anyone wants to check my math, they're more than welcome to.

Anybody wants to shove the Golden Gate Bridge

up Japan's ass, they're more than welcome to do that, too.

Mr. President?

Oh... thank you.

Ellie, thanks for coming.

Hi, Dad.

Come on in.

Did you get down here okay?

Yeah.

Did you take an airplane?

An airplane? Yeah.

No.

A helicopter?

No, the agents drove me.

That's 'cause you go to school at Johns Hopkins, right?

Dad...

And Johns Hopkins is in Baltimore.

I'm asking 'cause Baltimore's a 45-minute car ride

from Washington, D.C.

and we hardly see you anymore.

So I thought either you transferred

to a different medical school;

they moved Johns Hopkins

or they moved Baltimore.

Are any of those things true?

No.

Okay, and this is accurate, right?

This quote: "My father won't fire the Surgeon General.

He would never do that."

Yes.

Eleanor...

when you put your head down, your hair falls in your face

and I can't see your face

and I can't hear what you're saying.

Now look at me and talk to me.

Yes, the quote is accurate.

What the hell are you doing

talking to a reporter?

I have set up I was...

monumental, unprecedented

unbreakable rules about my children and the press.

I have gotten White House reporters

transferred to Yemen

for approaching Zoey and Elizabeth.

It is the law!

Well, I'm sure before you gave the quote

you cleared it with the Communications Office.

I'm sure you went over the exact wording with C.J. Cregg

and coordinated it with White House strategy

so that the timing was right

in the news cycle.

I'm certain you consulted

the appropriate party leadership

because you're a pretty knowledgeable operative

having spent so much time with me.

Ellie...

What? Dad, she was... she was...

Pick your head up.

She was doing exactly what she is supposed to do.

She... I'm sorry.

She was asked a question

and she said what she knew to be true.

And when you start firing doctors for that

you've crossed a line somewhere.

There is politics involved in this, Ellie

and you knew it would make me unhappy

and that's why you did it and that's cheap.

I didn't do it to make you unhappy, Dad.

You didn't do it to make me happy.

I don't know how to make you happy, Dad.

For that, you got to talk to Zoey or Liz.

Okay, let's drop it.

Mom gets back first thing in the morning

and we're running a movie tonight

if you want to stay over.

I can stay over if you want me to.

Yeah, thanks.

I go out...?

That door over there.

Mr. President?

Yeah.

The Labor Secretary.

Send him in.

Charlie...

Give me just a minute, would you?

Yes, sir.

Look... Hang on a second!

No, I will not hang on! Yes, you will.

You will summon your strength

and you will listen to me for a moment.

You guys made a hairpin turn at the State of the Union

and you did it without consulting a whole lot

of members of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.

Sad to say, Andrea, there aren't a whole lot of members

of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.

So you'll forgive some people if they're concerned

that one of the options you're going to explore

is raising the retirement age.

Andy, people are living decades longer

than anyone anticipated in 1935.

So you are considering.

We want to consider everything

but we can't consider anything unless...

Why does this have to happen in secret?

'Cause it's the only way it's going to happen.

'Cause you can't... solve Social Security

and ask people to run for election at the same time.

So why not give politicians some cloud cover

and let them be lawmakers for a while?

15 people in a room with the door closed.

Seven Democrats, seven Republicans

and the President of the United States who will not have a vote

and they walk out of that room

and with one voice, they make a recommendation

to Congress and the American people.

And nobody knows who was where.

( sighs )

The only way it's going to happen is in secret.

And the only way it's going to happen is

if all the sides are confident in their representation.

Otherwise, it's dead.

And so, I need Seth Gillette on the Commission

but I can't ask him, 'cause if he says no

there'll be no Commission!

Anyway... I appreciate your coming down and talking to me.

I like when you ask for my help, Toby.

Listen, I read in the paper

that I'm on the benefit committee

for the Child Leukemia Foundation.

Yeah, I saw that, too.

Why do you suppose the paper wrote that?

I don't know; I guess they must have gotten it

from that press release I sent them.

I guess they must have.

You didn't think it'd be a better idea to ask me first?

I really didn't. Interesting.

I've found that when I skip over that first step

and move right to the second step

it becomes a lot harder for people to say no.

Listen, you'll have fun, you'll look nice in your tuxedo

you don't have to stay, you don't have...

Toby?

Skip over the first step and move right to the second.

Toby.

Hey, Andy.

Hey, C.J.

Toby, when you have a minute

can you stop by the office and...

What?

C.J., tomorrow morning, I want you

to announce that Seth Gillette's joined

the Blue Ribbon Commission on Social Security.

Toby... Make sure the press knows

the Senator put the Democratic Party

above personal differences

and that he put people above all.

Make sure they know that he's a patriot

and when the President asked him to serve

Senator Gillette answered the call.

Did he?

Yeah. I just saw it

at your press briefing tomorrow morning.

Okay, but this is really

the last thing I'm doing before I quit.

Okay.

ED: It's like checking the sugar and fat content

on a box of cereal.

We bend over backwards to help parents make choices.

We put V-chips in TVs

warning labels on records, TV shows, film ads...

And when we do, we suffer

because our products become demonized and marginalized

and every ten years, the Government asks for something more.

LARRY: The only reason we have to come to you every ten years is that

the situation isn't getting any better.

When's the Government going to ask the NFL

Can I talk to you?ockey League Sure. Come on.

He's wrong in there, by the way.

The situation hasn't stayed the same.

There's been a 28% drop in juvenile crime

the last five years

ten percent drop in the overall crime rate.

I don't care. Why?

'Cause the American Academy of Pediatrics, the AMA

the American Psychological Association all say

that watching violence on TV is bad for kids

and we're going to listen to the experts.

I'll remember that tomorrow morning when I read

in the paper the Surgeon General's been fired.

Remember it whenever you like.

What is he seeing tonight?

Dial M for Murder. Good

'cause Hitchcock never used sex or violence in his films.

Yeah. Morgan, the President's never seen your movie.

He's never heard of your movie.

He has no particular objection to your movie and you know it.

The Family Values Leadership Council

seems to see it differently.

Gloriosky, Morgan, the Family Values Leadership Council

distorted the truth; stop the presses.

Well, thanks to that ad

I've got exhibitors in Mississippi

Oklahoma and Alabama pulling the film.

I've read the press synopsis of the film

and if exhibitors put you on every screen

of every multiplex in every mall

you still wouldn't do any business

in Mississippi, Oklahoma or Alabama.

You're an industry expert now?

No, but you are, which explains a lot to me about Hollywood.

And you know the ad was going to get you

more business than you lost

and that's why you went on Imus and said what you did.

I'm here for a Sam Seaborn scolding?

Yeah. 'Cause it makes me crazy, Morgan.

This is exactly the kind of thing that should be celebrated

by First Amendment advocates.

The guy was offered a choice and he made one.

Why aren't you standing up and saying, "See it works!

"You don't need to ban movies like Prince of New York.

You just have to choose not to watch them."

And, Morgan, you ever call the President a coward again

for your own P.R. purposes

it's not going to be C.J. Cregg

you got to deal with, it's going to be me.

You understand what I'm saying, right?

Yes.

Now, why don't you go back to your meeting and show me

how much you want to make it up to us?

( dull thud )

Good job.

( phone ringing )

( ringing continues )

( phone still ringing )

Hello? ( whispering ): This isn't good.

What?

The President's not talking.

There's a movie on.

He usually talks during the movie.

Hello?!

( clicks phone cradle )

( phone cradle clicking )

( cradle clicks )

Hello!

PRESIDENT: Good evening.

Good evening, Mr. President.

I'm sorry about this.

Yes, sir.

Is that your resignation?

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

On thinking about it, I felt your firing me

would send a dangerous signal to whomever had my job next.

Did you not think that playing down

the dangers of drug use sent a dangerous signal as well?

I do not believe that is what I did, sir.

I was asked, by and large, if marijuana holds the same

addictive properties as heroin or LSD.

It does not.

I was asked if marijuana poses a greater health risk

than nicotine or alcohol, and in my opinion, it does not.

And I believe if you look at the transcript...

Milly, did you put her up to it?

Sir?

"My father won't fire the Surgeon General.

He would never do that."

You didn't put her up to it? No, sir.

You didn't pick up the phone after Josh came to see you

and say, "Ellie, it's your godmother.

Let's stick it to your old man and paint him into a corner"?

No, sir.

Why haven't I ever been able to get her to like me?

I'm asking you.

Sir, I'm not sure it's appropriate...

I'm asking you.

I think you're wrong.

I'm not.

She worships you, Mr. President.

She's mad at me.

Well, you're mad at her.

Yes, I am. Sir...

I was running for President, where the hell was she?

She was with us.

Not like Zoey and Liz.

Sir...

She's always belonged to Abbey.

You frightened her.

No, I didn't.

Sir...

How did I frighten her?

Jed, look where you're standing!

I was elected two years ago, she's 24 years old.

You've been the king of whatever room you've walked into

her entire life.

It never seemed to intimidate Zoey or Liz.

Well, kids are different; they're not the same.

You'd be amazed, you'd be stunned

at how soon they understand

they're not their father's favorite.

That's not true.

Sir...

That's not true.

Mr. President... No, no, no.

I will bear

with the nonsense of the Christian right

and the Hollywood left and the AFL-CIO

and the AARP and the Cannabis Society and Japan

but I will not stand and allow someone to tell me

that I love one of my children less than the others.

She's frightened of me?

( sighs )

She ain't the only one.

I wanted to be so mad at her.

I heard the news and my first thought...

My God, King Lear is a good play.

( sighs )

"My father won't fire the Surgeon General.

He would never do that."

I wanted to be so mad at her...

but the truth is...

it's the nicest thing she's ever said about me.

Well...

Good night, sir.

Good night.

Hey, Doc.

Sir.

I don't accept.

I'm sorry, sir?

I don't accept your resignation.

Sir, I appreciate that, but Leo's right.

This shouldn't stop you from doing the bigger things...

These are the bigger things.

I don't accept your resignation.

You work for me.

You go when I tell you to.

You're an excellent role model

Mr. President.

Yes, I know.

So you're back.

Yes, indeed.

( whispering ): Tell C.J. when she gives Milly

our support on Monday, she can mean it.

You know, it's going to seem to some people

like you did it 'cause your daughter asked you to.

Yeah.

You know, Josh, I think if you ever have a daughter

you're going to discover there are worse reasons

in the world to do something.

Sit down; we're coming to the good part.

MAN 1: What's he doing?

MAN 2: He's wondering why that key doesn't fit.

He's going round to the back entrance; he stopped again.

( sighs )

How you doing?

Hmm?

I said, how you doing?

Fine.

You know, we're coming up to the good part.

Dad, people are trying to watch the movie.

You want to bet me your tuition

no one in this room's going to shush me?

I hear you're thinking about ophthalmology.

Oncology.

Why do you want to study people's feet?

That's podiatry.

Then what's children's medicine?

Pediatrics.

I thought it was obstetrics.

That's pregnant women.

And what's the study of feet?

Dad, you're not going to get me to laugh.

Really?

( sighs )

( door slamming on-screen )

The only thing you ever had to do to make me happy

was come home at the end of the day.

MAN: As you said, Mark, it might work out on paper, but, uh...

congratulations, Inspector.

Oh, by the way...

So, endocrinology

would be what, disorders of the gallbladder?

Thyroid.

I am pretty sure you're wrong about that.

I think endocrinology is your subspecialty

of internal medicine devoted to the digestive system.

That would be gastroenterology.

Are you sure it's not nephrology, immunology

cardiology or dermatology?

Just stop it.

I'm trying to watch the movie.

Okay.

Here comes the good part.

[Captioning sponsored by NBC

WARNER BROS. TELEVISION

and "TOYOTA

More choices. Better selection. Experience Toyota today."

Captioned by The Caption Center WGBH Educational Foundation]