Original subtitles

This crazy man got in front of millions of people

and totally screwed his wife.

I'm running again, Abbey.

The FDA is signing off on RU-486.

You think he apologizes and his numbers go up?

I think you brought me in two weeks ago because they haven't yet.

What's Toby's problem with me? What do you mean?

and I'd like to understand the nature of it.

The Justice Department needs another

$30 million to fund its suit

against the tobacco companies

and now I want to turn the heat up

and issue a release.

I know what you're thinking about doing.

that the President's situation makes it harder for him

to focus...?

to be focusing on something that matters.

"Relieved"? She's tired.

C.J. doesn't misspeak.

She just did.

Damn it!

PRESIDENT: "We're more than a set of borders.

"We are bounded by the reach of human freedom.

"We have mastered every moment.

"We have vanquished every foe.

"We are strong, we are prosperous

"We are, as we have ever been, the envy of every civilization.

"We are, as we have ever been, the hope of all mankind.

"But I am not satisfied.

"Indeed, I am restless

and I come before you, not to speak of the America we have..."

TOBY: Excuse me, sir.

We're the envy of every civilization?

Yeah.

( chuckling ): Really?

They don't vote in England, Toby.

Well, they do, actually.

We know what he meant. Thank you.

I'll change it, sir. Okay.

And somebody stick some pompoms in that guy's hand.

PRESIDENT: "But I am not satisfied.

"Indeed I am restless

"and I come before you

"not to speak of the America we have

"but of the better, stronger

"more prosperous America

we can create together."

There's a snake over here.

What kind?

I don't know, and I don't want to ask him.

Can somebody shoot it, please?

It's probably a garter snake. It's a garter snake.

Don't worry about it. Okay.

"I seek reelection to the presidency

"not because of its glories

but because of its challenges."

And I have a problem here.

Yeah? I wrote that.

I'm happy for you. "Its challenges"

makes it sound like you're overwhelmed by the job

and this is exactly the wrong time for that.

to raise the stakes of the election.

Why?

'Cause if it's all a day at the beach, then any bozo

with a handshake can do it.

wants a happy warrior to lead the country

not Dr. Kevorkian.

It's true, sir.

America does not want Dr. Kevorkian

to lead the country.

We've got polling data on that.

All right, we'll revisit it.

The snake is looking at me now.

"owes his campaign no less than he owes his country:

"everything he has, everything he can give

all his hopes for..." Yeah, I'm...

I'm not wild about it being "your" campaign and "your" country.

SAM: The people who are going to be there hear fine.

He doesn't mean don't hear that well.

We means people don't hear that well.

TOBY: Sir, you're perfectly entitled

the leader of both the campaign and the country

DOUG: Except if it's him and not the voters

then it points the pundits toward the MS.

I think the cat's out of the bag on the MS.

Does somebody here have MS

and they haven't said anything?

Seriously, that's a... pretty big snake.

PRESIDENT: "But I am not satisfied."

Indeed, Leo, I am close to taking my own life

with a wheat thresher.

Bruno?

Yeah, uh, listen up, I've been thinking...

it might not be such a bad idea for me to lock you all in here

and set the place on fire.

We have 48 hours

before we kick off this campaign.

We will work hard

we will work well

and we will work together

or so help me, Mother of God

I will stick a pitchfork so far up your asses

you will, quite simply, be dead.

"And so with pride and purpose

"I hereby announce my candidacy

for the presidency of the United States."

Jed?

I didn't see you there.

Yeah.

I didn't see you.

What's going on?

Peter thinks sanctions are a waste of time--

I agree.

In about a half hour

we're buzzing the island with, uh...

what they call an Alpha strike formation

to show Bazan... I don't know.

Will it work?

Jed?

Yeah?

I said, will it work?

Sorry, I said I don't know.

We'll see.

C.J. got beaten up pretty good in the briefing room.

Yeah, that was bound to happen.

Maybe you want to think about sitting her down for a few days.

Jed?

Yeah?

I said, maybe you want to think about

benching C.J. for a few days.

Yeah.

At least on Haiti.

Well, that's Leo's call.

Send in Nancy or Peter or someone from State.

That way the two stories don't get mixed up.

Yeah, that's Leo's call.

I can't get into our thing tonight.

Two days ago

you said you had a lot to say.

I do. That's why I can't get into it.

I have to read.

That's all right.

All right, I'm going in the study.

Okay.

Abbey, you were lying down when I came in.

I didn't see you.

I believe you.

( door opens and closes )

DOUG: He has to sell

the greatness of America.

SAM: Why?

Because it's an implicit argument to stay the course.

We're selling the greatness of America.

Not enough.

We're selling it in paragraphs one, two, eight

16, 26, 36... Listen, it's a simple equation.

Bartlet rules America.

America rocks, therefore Bartlet rocks.

America rocks?

Bartlett rocks?

Yes.

He really doesn't that much.

Leo, can I see you for a second?

Yeah.

RU-486.

There's nothing we can do.

The last thing we need

is to come out of the gate Look...

waving a flag to the American heartland Josh...

saying we don't share your values.

The President understands all that.

And?

That's the way it goes.

Leo... The FDA's an independent agency.

They can announce when they want.

The FDA's a division of HHS

and technically not an independent agency.

Technically?

I can call the FDA chief of staff-- I got him his job.

They can wait two weeks No.

to announce the drug.

They don't have to do it on Monday.

I can fix tobacco.

Tobacco?

No, I meant 486.

Leave the FDA alone.

Morning.

ABBEY: Hi, C.J.

You just get in?

Oh, a few hours ago.

Yeah. Liz will be here in a while.

We're going for a hike later

if you want to join us.

No, thank you, I can't

but I did want to talk to you about a photo-op.

Would you like some cider?

No, I'm fine.

We grow the apples right down the hill. It's good.

Okay. So, at any rate...

My husband and I together. Yeah.

With the kids.

Because my husband and I

came to the house separately

there were photos of the President

getting on the plane alone.

Ma'am, this is uncomfortable territory

and obviously I...

that you and the President...

Do they have names?

I'm sorry? The sources.

No, these are...

Unnamed sources.

C.J., unnamed sources make me crazy.

Just one time I'd like to see

instead of "according to unnamed sources"

I'd like to see "according to tweaky little

ill-informed chicken-ass wanna-be..."

Don't ever come to me again with "unnamed sources," C.J.

You don't get any cider.

Yes, ma'am.

I spoke to the First Lady before.

LEO: Hmm?

I thought it might not be a bad idea

if there were some opportunities

with the two of them together at the house.

What was her reaction?

Well, she denied me cider.

What else?

I'll brief the Sunday papers on what they can expect

from the speech on Monday.

You know it's not written yet.

I'm just giving them highlights.

What highlights?

I'm making them up.

Okay.

I thought maybe you could speak to her.

Who? The First Lady.

Every paper today had a picture on the front page

of the President boarding Air Force One

to go home by himself.

There are any number of press questions about...

We're two private men, C.J.

We don't talk about our marriages.

What do you want from me?

that you told Toby what we discussed.

He's the Communications Director.

You don't think he should know?

When I think it's time...

When I think it's time

I will tell anyone who works for me

anything I damn please.

You know what, C.J.?

Stop being pissed at me about Haiti.

Yeah, okay.

LEO: It's a surrender.

PRESIDENT: It's not a surrender if he has demands.

LEO: It's as close as we come these days.

What does he want?

$10 million, U.S., a private plane

and a guarantee he won't be prosecuted for war crimes.

What else?

Asylum for himself and 60 of his family members.

Where?

Here.

Well, that's a bit of a dilemma.

Does anybody have room at their place

for Bazan and 60 of his relatives?

could be in violation of Hague treaties.

Yeah.

Do we want to set a precedent

that anyone can stage a coup

and walk away if it doesn't work?

And with $10 million

and a private plane?

A shoot-out in the Presidential Palace

is the worst possible outcome.

Bazan's full surrender is the best

and that's what we've got on the table.

I want to end this peacefully and right now.

Nancy, what do you think of Venezuela?

Venezuela would like to be considered

a resource for supplying Strategic Petroleum Reserves.

Tell them I'll give the SPR strong consideration.

Mike, have the Canadians get

a message through.

We'll unfreeze his U.S. accounts

but he can't remove any money from Haiti.

Only his wife, his children and his parents can seek asylum.

If he tries to go back, he'll be under arrest.

And he can screw the private plane.

We'll fly him on a C-9 from Port-au-Prince to Caracas

and if he's very good

we won't shoot him in the head on the way.

Tell me when it's done.

Yes, sir.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Nancy?

Yeah?

Let me talk to you a second.

When this is a done deal, I want you to stick around

for a while and brief the press.

I'm not punishing her.

She made a mis... I'm not punishing her.

You're not the political face of this administration

you're no part of the MS thing

and you won't be asked questions about it.

I don't feel right about this.

I don't care.

MARGARET: Hey.

He's on his way up from the Sit room.

Good news about Haiti.

I say we should've gone in there

with four tank divisions

and turned the place into a casino.

Manifest destiny.

Bet your ass.

Calls? On your desk.

You got a second?

Yeah.

So, I wanted to apologize about before.

Don't worry about it.

You know what I'm talking about, right?

Yeah.

So, I wanted to make you aware of something.

Yeah? Well, I've looked through the transcript

a couple of times, and he never apologized.

What do you mean? In the interview

he never apologized, and I think it's

something we're going to get hung with later.

Well, let's wait a few weeks

see what happens with the numbers

and take another look.

Yeah. Anything else?

He wanted a private plane?

Can you believe it?

The State Department's suggesting

that we praise the French government

for their help in resolving this matter.

I would, but I'm worried they'd surrender.

You did well, Mr. President.

When do you think C.J. can brief?

Nancy's going to brief.

Yeah?

Don't worry about it.

You did well.

We haven't picked up any ground

in Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas and Illinois.

It's only been a week.

Yeah, but we struck

the agricultural trade deal with Argentina

and farm country ought to love that.

Well, that story got a little drowned out.

Yes, it did.

I could have stood on top of the Sears Tower

and that story would've been drowned out.

I'm not assigning blame. Really?

Yes. We need help.

I'm bringing in Bruno Gianelli.

It's too early for Bruno.

No.

Toby, Sam and Josh--

the guys aren't going to like it.

They'll have to live with it.

"I say to you today, I love this country

"and I will make sure our military continues to be

"the best-trained, best-equipped

best-led fighting force in the world."

TOBY: I think Sam wants to take this one.

testosterone for foreign policy

I'm not... then why not have

the President wade out into the crowd

and challenge them to an arm wrestle?

The problem is the foreign policy section was too long.

And there are no votes in foreign policy.

You just wrote off 98% of the world's population

and three-quarters of the President's job description.

that makes us the envy of every civilization.

Scrap this.

I have a problem here. Where?

"This campaign must not be about the disease God gave me

but the opportunities God has given our country."

You're back to the strategy that failed for a month.

What's that? All MS, all the time.

There was a little damage control needed to be done.

You're never happier than when you're educating the public!

A month ago, 74% of them thought MS was fatal.

And every time you told them it wasn't

there was a story about MS!

Doug, why the hell didn't I think of that?

I don't know, Toby, but if you had

I probably wouldn't be here!

Hello. Yes?

I'm Bruno Gianelli.

Yes?

I have an appointment.

MARGARET: Who's Bruno Gianelli?

LEO: A strategist.

Really?

He got five senators elected, three governors.

where they haven't elected a Democrat in 46 years.

He got the Prime Minister of Israel elected

and it's entirely possible that he's never voted in his life.

He's here.

Why didn't you send him in?

He didn't have an appointment.

I made... I did it.

You did it yourself.

Yes.

And you're not supposed to do that, are you?

Bruno!

You people can find more ways to blow it.

We might be running out.

No, I don't think so.

Look...

Why the hell didn't you call me

before the announcement?

What would you have done?

Tell him not to make the announcement.

That'd be concealing the truth.

Oh, would it, now?

Can you help us?

I need to see your internals.

Joey Lucas has been polling every day for two months.

The girl?

Yeah.

I worked with her in California.

She's good.

What do you want?

15% of the ad buys.

You're going to say...

Ten.

So why don't we just say 13?

Why don't we say 12?

Why don't we say... 13?

I want hiring and firing

For starters, I'm bringing in Doug Wegland and Connie Tate.

Fine.

A room at the Hay-Adams

and a car and a driver.

Fine.

And I want unfettered access to the President.

No.

I need it.

Can't have it.

Leo, the only races I've ever lost

are ones where the candidate didn't listen

or the advice didn't get through.

That isn't going to happen this time.

Can't do it.

This is ego--

you know it as well as I do.

I take this request to the President

tell him it's a deal-breaker, he's going to say yes.

Knock yourself out.

Margaret?

Yes, sir? Would you take

Mr. Gianelli into the Oval Office, please?

Sure.

Are you playing with me?

Mr. Gianelli, would you follow me?

Sure thing.

Bruno. Morning, Mr. President.

I understand you're going to be working with us.

Well, sir, obviously I'm pleased to be approached.

I believe there is a great deal I can do for you.

You have one or two demands.

Yes, sir.

You want 12% of the ad buys.

Okay, 12, and...

A room, car and a driver-- that's no problem.

I'll also need unfettered access to you.

No.

Sir...

I'm sorry, Bruno.

Leo runs the show.

Respectfully, sir...

It's a deal-breaker.

Okay.

Anyone else I have to field things through?

I was sorry to hear about Dolores Landingham.

Can you help us out?

Yes, sir.

MARGARET: Do I need to explain

the rules on making appointments again?

Are you confused?

Get out.

I'll jot them down.

How'd it go?

Shut up.

What's first?

We get together in a room.

After that? An event.

Is that the soonest we can do it? Yeah.

Okay, we'll scout locations in New Hampshire.

Maybe a high school.

( marching band playing )

Sam!

Yeah?

"Columbia, Gem of the Ocean"?

Is he christening a minesweeper?

It was part of the deal. What deal?

They're the Columbia High School Marching Band.

We had to negotiate with the band? Look...

They're going to be live on four networks.

They will play what we want to hear.

Bruno! Hey, how you doing?

Good-- whose throat do I shove these down?

Whose skull do I crack with this sign?

Don't worry about it.

"Bartlet for President."

Yeah, we'll get rid of them.

Good, 'cause I was there when he won.

I saw him get sworn in.

I actually rode in the limo.

Write me a speech, would you?

One that doesn't make me think I'm sitting shivah someplace--

black curtains on the mirrors.

C.J.: We'll be using this as the greenroom.

He can walk right out the door and up on the stage.

What's this room usually used for?

I don't know-- desks, a blackboard.

Could be some kind of a classroom.

What's going on?

What do you mean?

Nothing.

You sure? Yeah.

What's going on with RU-486?

Leo won't let me wave off the FDA.

It's against the law.

I'm not talking about sticking up a fruit stand.

It's a phone call.

A favor from a friend.

I know the Chief of Staff at the subcommittee.

I got him his job.

You mean the FDA.

This is the second time this weekend I've done that.

TOBY: Hey, see this?

This is why I didn't want to do an announcement.

We're taking care of it.

No, I'm taking care of it.

I want to say, for maybe the 18th time

that I don't think we should be doing

an announcement event at all.

DOUG: If he's going to run for reelection

he's got to announce that he's going to run for reelection.

He did that two weeks ago.

He's not gaining enough ground, which means he's bleeding.

If we put him up there like any other candidate, we trade away the one

big advantage we've got. What's that?

He's the President already.

Signing Executive Orders

and decorating the tree isn't going to do it.

BRUNO: Fellas, I'm getting old over here.

The subject was closed on Tuesday.

to declare and he's got to apologize.

He's not going to apologize.

Why not? For what?

For your campaign and your White House perpetrating a fraud.

I'm from Oregon.

In Oregon, we like to see a man stand up and say he's sorry.

Where are you from?

Me? I'm from Yeah.

the United States of suck my...

All right.

Let's take lunch.

DOUG: Republicans talk about how arrogant

you guys are. I always thought

it was the natural reaction that comes

to not getting the girl.

I can't believe how much

they've been low-balling it.

Josh, wait up.

Let me walk you to your office.

Sure.

You know, he had a point.

Who? Doug.

That we're arrogant? Mm-hmm.

I guess that means Doug won't be coming to my Sweet 16, then.

You were the one who sent them the press release, right?

What press release?

Subcommittee, about tobacco.

Yes, I was.

Well, that was stupid.

You think?

I know.

I got two years as legislative director in the House

two years as floor director in the Senate

and 30 months as Deputy Chief of Staff. What do you got?

Josh...

Kalmbach's a fat-ass Rotarian gasbag.

I knew once I sent the thing

he'd raise the profile and give us the press we needed.

Kalmbach is vulnerable in his home state.

He's got an influx of tech

and other clean industries along his Route Nine corridor

along with the suburban voters that go with it--

affluent parents who don't want their kids smoking.

We got the money, Bruno.

You don't want the money.

You want the issue.

You should have waited until the fall when the bell rings

and then we hammer them with it.

Then Kalmbach, Leeder, Ross, Roark, Stevens--

whoever gets the nomination--

has it hanging around their necks they're nicotine pushers.

Plus, you get the money.

The sooner you get

I know what I'm talking about

and I'm on your side

the sooner your world gets better.

Of course you got the money.

I'm amazed he didn't send it to you

with candy and a stripper.

Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio--

three swing states you could've brought over with that.

That's an election.

( sirens blaring )

You still get nervous

talking in front of big crowds?

I've never been nervous talking in front of big crowds.

It's talking to one person.

I didn't know she was going to be here.

I didn't know you were going to be here.

I'm introducing you.

I thought Leyland was doing it.

C.J. thought it would be good...

No, I think it's a good idea.

Okay.

You need to reach out to the staff.

Once you do that

they'll feel better and then so will you.

I'm going back to the house.

ABBEY: What are you reading?

I don't know enough about agriculture.

Well, I wouldn't worry about it.

Agriculture isn't really your field.

Yeah, well, agriculture

is responsible for one in five American jobs

so it is a little bit my field.

You know...

15% of the world's cotton

25% of the world's beef

and 50% of the world's soybeans

Farmers and ranchers pay taxes

in my field.

Their kids go to school in my field.

They go to jail in my field.

From time to time, they go to war in my field.

Jed...

So when I say it's not my field

I'm not saying something.

I'm trying to learn so I can.

Why won't you talk to me?

Why aren't you with me?

How do you know I'm not?

You're not.

You're pissed at me?

I'm trying to read here.

I don't believe it, I don't believe you!

Abbey... I don't believe you.

You go from, "I've got a lot to say"

to "I can't say it right now

because I've got so much to say"

to "I got to read about agriculture

and you're not with me and go to hell."

Look...

Now that's an extraordinary evolution.

Can I go a week without explaining myself?

You can go as long as you want without explaining yourself.

Read your book.

Sit down, we'll talk about it now.

I'm not in the mood, jackass.

Isn't there any way I can change your mind

'cause I really had my heart set on it.

Go to hell.

You feel all right?

Yeah.

C.J. wants her to introduce me?

Yeah, I thought it was a good idea, too.

I wouldn't mind a little... you know.

There's going to be a big crowd here tomorrow.

Well, that's your kind of crowd.

I need to finish the speech.

Yeah.

What are you doing?

Hmm?

What are you doing?

I'm... Going over the transcript?

He needs to apologize.

Don't worry about it.

He lied.

He didn't lie.

It's what your people call a "sin of omission."

It's what everybody calls a sin of omission.

Bartlet lied to us.

President Bartlet, Sam, come on.

Did you know that many multiple sclerosis advocates

actually instruct victims to hide the illness

because it's so misunderstood?

You think they advise presidential candidates to do that?

I don't.

That night he told you...

Yeah.

...didn't you feel like...?

I went crazy.

I whaled on him in the Oval Office.

None of us had the chance to do that.

I know.

We could've gotten it done.

If he had just told us at the beginning

this would've been a whole different...

Yeah.

Go home.

All right.

Hey.

Hey.

What are you doing?

Just talking to myself.

I'll join you.

Feel free.

I thought the speech was locked.

They're still up at the house arguing.

It's not locked till the President says it's locked.

Hmm.

I was out trying to find a Starbucks.

A guy in a gas station said, "'Round here

"people don't pay four dollars

for a cup of coffee."

New Hampshire: Live Free or Cheap.

Doug means well, you know, and he's smart.

Connie, it seems to me

your job is to wait until Doug leaves the room

and then say, "What Doug really meant was..."

Sometimes it's my job to say it when he's in the room.

We're making a mistake not including an apology.

Is this what you mean, or is this what Doug means?

Both.

It's not going to happen. Why not?

'Cause Jed Bartlet's Jed Bartlet and that's the way it goes.

Well, I think that's what you're saying

and it makes sense, but you know what?

What?

I think you want him to apologize

and not just for political reasons.

I haven't really thought that much about it.

Sam...

There's been a lot going on.

I haven't really thought that much about.

You were with him at the beginning.

You got him elected, you got him elected.

You worked for Bartlet 18 hours a day. You never felt...

Connie...

Please, it's President Bartlet.

Okay?

Yeah.

I should get back up to the hotel.

DOUG: We have to mention values. If we don't mention values

we're going to spend every day of the next 15 months

trying to convince people we did mention values.

"My values are New Hampshire's values:

"hard work and responsibility

"strong families and strong communities

a boundless faith in an American ideal of self-reliance..."

and poor people can go screw themselves.

My point is that for 30 years

the Democrats have been labeled tax-and-spend

as if they don't believe in

getting up every day and going to work.

If that's your point, then nobody's going to understand it.

Which is exactly why I wanted to cut the three paragraphs...

Are there any problems that you're interested in solving

or are you helping us run

for the Grand Marshal of the Rose Bowl Parade?

Look...

I'm stretching my legs.

( phone rings )

Yeah?

Okay.

( clock ticking )

( door opening )

Is that something you run for?

Huh?

The Rose Bowl Parade.

Don't you just... get picked?

I don't, um...

I don't know.

You guys are so pissed at him, you don't even know it.

You're more pissed at him than the press is.

You're more pissed at him than the party is.

You're so pissed at him, you're pissed at me.

'Cause if he hadn't lied

then you could've run the campaign

you always wanted to run

instead of a bunch of people coming in here

and teaching you how not to bother anybody.

I never drank the Kool-Aid, Toby.

I came to win.

And you're so pissed at him, you can't even admit

that for the last two weeks, you've gone to sleep at night

thanking God that I did.

Yeah?

Bruno just got off with Leo.

The speech is locked.

( clock ticking )

LEO: Whitley left in the first van.

He's there already.

So somebody sit with the Boston Globe.

Donna, where's Josh?

I'll get him.

( knocking )

Come in.

You're supposed to be downstairs.

Yeah.

You're not ready yet?

You got to get in the shower.

Among everything else

it's going to look like we're kicking off the campaign

by pandering to women's groups.

Josh...

Most voters are pro-choice, but the ones that aren't

are going to devote their lives and their money to beating you.

Guns don't kill people; Bartlet does.

It's going to look like we screwed up the timing

so the press is going to write about process

and not about issues, and getting political reporters

to write about issues in the first place

is like getting kids to eat their vegetables.

You got to shave.

it's like getting kids to eat their vegetables?

Shave and shower.

It helps if there's nothing else on their plate.

I know I could stop this thing.

One phone call.

The President's not even involved.

Could you hold off two weeks?

We love your drug

but we don't want it folded into our news cycle.

I could have picked... Josh...

God!

What's this about?

( Josh sighs )

I blew the tobacco thing.

That could have helped us, and I was...

This is going to be a very close election.

I got to take a shower.

C.J.: Good morning.

You can go on up.

( car door closes )

Mr. President?

Come in.

I was told you wanted to see me.

Yeah.

Don't be a marriage counselor.

It pisses me off, okay?

You know what I'm talking about. Sir...

That part of my life doesn't belong to you.

Sir, I was simply putting together

what I thought was the best press event.

The First Lady is an excellent speaker and...

All right. That's all. I'll see you out there.

Sir, I think if you get a bump in the polls

after today's speech, as we expect you will

I think it'd be a good time for me to resign.

Yeah?

Well, to leave earlier would have been strategically...

Yeah, okay.

Look, the press is...

That's nonsense to me, and I don't care.

For all the new jobs we've created

there are single mothers working two of them

at minimum wage, there are school districts

where less than half the students graduate

and a kid born in Harlem is more likely

to go to prison than a four-year college!

They're bringing guns to school, C.J.!

Don't you dare lecture me, Mr. President!

Don't you dare do it!

I was never supposed to win.

I got in it

polling in the single digits.

Hoynes had it locked up.

I got in it to give some speeches

and keep him honest.

Then you guys

came along, and all of a sudden

I got 22% in Iowa

and then South Carolina and Michigan

and then Illinois.

It was a mistake benching you

for that last press conference.

( knocking )

Excuse me.

C.J., they need you.

I need you, too.

Thank you, Mr. President.

( sighs )

( sighs )

Did you know that hardly any of the guys

who landed on the moon are married to the same people

they were married to before they went there?

What?

I'm just saying, it could be worse.

I could have been an astronaut.

You could not have been an astronaut.

I'd have been a great astronaut.

You're afraid of heights

speed, fire and small places.

I'd have overcome it to go to the moon.

I know you would have.

I'm really happy you're introducing me.

I'm really happy about that.

There's something important I have to say.

Say it.

I haven't really made up my mind yet...

but at the moment...

I'm leaning towards voting for you.

( marching band playing )

( crowd cheering )

DOUG: "...to fall victim to torpor and timidity."

"Torpor" is not a word

a lot of people know.

It means apathy.

I know what it means.

Doug means... They know what I mean.

Hey.

If they don't know

what the word means...

What's the word? "Torpor."

It means apathy.

I know what the word means.

I'm saying if people don't know what

the word means... They can look it up.

Good morning, Mr. President. Good morning, sir.

It's not our job to appeal

to the lowest common denominator, Doug.

If you're going to be the education President

it'd be nice not to hide

that you have an education.

Bruno, would you mind?

( sighs )

( door closes )

Churchill and FDR--

serious men using big words for big purpose.

It occurs to me I never said I'm sorry.

I am.

For the lawyers, for the press

for the mess, for the fear.

Bruno, Doug, Connie-

these guys are good, and they want to win.

So do we.

The only thing we want more is to be right.

I wonder if you can't do both.

There's a new book, and we're going to write it.

You can win if you run a smart, disciplined campaign

if you studiously say nothing, nothing that causes you trouble

nothing that's a gaffe

nothing that shows you might think the wrong thing

nothing that shows you think

but it just isn't worthy of us, is it, Toby?

No, sir.

It isn't worthy of America.

It isn't worthy of a great nation.

We're going to write a new book, right here, right now

this very moment, today.

and my great fortune to introduce my husband

( sighs )

You know what?

Break's over.

( whistling and cheering )