Original subtitles

JOSH: It's fun.

LEO: I like you.

I've been trying to get it in

under the wire.

Two pipe bombs were set off

inside the Geiger Indoor Arena.

C.J./PRESIDENT: 44 people... are dead...

...were killed a couple of hours ago

at Kennison State University.

I'm Matt Kelley.

I'm Toby Ziegler.

I work at the White House.

Have a minute to talk?

We have reason to believe that in the next 48 hours

the Qumari rescue team will announce

that they've recovered a military-issue

Israeli-made parachute.

What do we do now?

We're in the Situation Room.

Let's go.

Nancy's in her office.

There are some calls I asked her to make.

I've told the President about the parachute.

Tommy, do they even make parachutes in Israel?

They're saying it's an Israeli-made parachute.

They make 'em. They're good ones.

Listen, I know we're here for a serious purpose--

for a sober purpose, but I wanted to say

I've never been part of a street gang before

and that's basically what we are--

a pretty well-financed one--

but anyway, I wanted to say it feels good, and I think

when we're done with this meeting

I think we should go out

and get girls, and I don't know

maybe knock over a fruit stand or something.

Okay.

We're going to need to learn to sing and dance.

The information's basically coming

from the NSC operations unit.

A cell phone intercept between the Sultan and Habib.

"The Butcher of Kafr will have no choice but to resign."

And we're sure he's talking about Israel?

"The Butcher of Kafr will have no choice but to resign."

LEO: Well, the B-movie dialogue aside...

Toby and Josh are back.

Toby Ziegler and Josh Lyman

missed the motorcade in Indiana yesterday.

It's taken them 20 hours to get home.

They're walking into DC right now.

Doesn't matter.

Let's assume the Sultan

that Shareef's planel Jazeera didn't go down accidentally--

that it was brought down by the Israelis.

What are the options we've come up with so far?

Do nothing. Which we can't do.

Call Qumar's bluff.

Demand they produce proof.

We can't call their bluff.

Why?

'Cause they're calling our bluff.

When they produce manufactured proof

we'd have to say, "You manufactured that."

And they'd say, "How do you know?"

So, the next option is we defend Israel.

You're not curious why they're walking into DC?

No.

What happens if Hezbollah

launches a missile at Israel?

Walking into DC Israel attacks...

from where I guess you got to ask yourself.

You want to hunker down?

Okay, just for that

when it comes time to give out gang nicknames

you're going to be... I don't know

but you're not going to have a good nickname.

Ellie had a teacher named Mr. Pordy

who had no interest in nuance.

He asked the class why there's always

been conflict in the Middle East

and Ellie raised her hand and said

"It's a centuries-old religious conflict

involving land and suspicion and culture and..."

"Wrong," Mr. Pordy said.

"It's because it's incredibly hot

and there's no water."

I'm hunkered down.

I'm going to East Lansing.

We're going to need a lawyer.

covering the hour-to-hour movements of the President.

Only the cream of the crop ride here with me.

The rest are consigned to the zoo plane

where they do not have moist towelettes.

This is why I'm so disappointed

that with the exceptions of Terry, Mike, Mark and Rachel

you all misspelled Muhziriabolah.

I'm on television.

It was misspelled in your copy. I could tell.

Speaking of copy-- is there an advance

on the speech to the teachers?

An advanced copy of text?

You must be new.

Can you tell us what he's going to say

about the pipe bombing?

He's obviously going to talk about it

but I don't know what he's going to say.

There's a filing center behind the press riser.

You'll have 50 minutes to file

while the President meets with the Executive Board.

Open to the pool?

Pool photos, that's it.

Has he spoken to the University President?

He's spoken to Chancellor Bayless

twice now, and the President's

accepted an invitation to speak at the memorial service

on the KSU campus this Saturday.

Anything new from the FBI?

Well, I'm still referring those questions

to Zane Littleton at the FBI.

But I do want to underline their initial finding

that it doesn't appear to have been an act

of foreign terrorism.

And that's based on...?

The nature of the explosive.

Okay, then.

The flight to Battle Creek Air National Guard Base

is an hour and 45 minutes.

It will be a 45-minute ride to Michigan State

where the President will address the delegates from the NEA

for approximately 25 minutes.

I noticed Josh and Toby aren't on the plane.

Are they still at a gas station in Unionville?

No, they made it home

and their mothers are very relieved.

They've been given a four hour vacation.

Anything else?

M-U-H-Z-I-R-I-A-B-O-L-A-H.

He might get asked about Title IX.

Why?

Richie mentioned yesterday it was worth reexamining

so they'll ask him for a reaction.

You may want to talk to Josh for first-thoughts.

What are yours?

On Title IX? Yeah.

I have none. I'm indifferent.

You can't be indifferent.

I have to be.

I have only so much RAM in my head.

I have to prioritize.

I have to throw some things overboard

so I've chosen, for instance

not to care whether or not Purdue has a fencing team.

Sam.

Bruno.

This is Debbie Fiderer, the President's new Exec.

This is Bruno Gianelli

General Chairman, Committee to Re-Elect.

Hello. Hi.

The DC District Court

is ruling today on a debate case.

Do you know anything about it?

Yeah, I think it's Sullivan v.

Commission on Presidential Debates

ABC, CBS, NBC News et. al.

This is the third party rule? 15%?

Happens every four years.

All right.

There are, like, 500 citizen lawsuits

trying to get their guy in the debate.

It never goes anywhere.

All right.

Fiderer's a funny name.

It's not ha-ha funny, it's just, you know...

Okay.

Sullivan v. Commission on Presidential Debates.

Stay on it. Yeah.

It's a guy suing, so Stackhouse can be in the debate.

I thought Stackhouse was supposed to end up endorsing the President.

He is. He will.

Why would he be in the debate?

Presumably he's endorsing the President

because he knew he wouldn't be.

How bad would it be?

Which is why even if, for some reason

he was allowed in the debate, he wouldn't do it.

Stackhouse isn't trying to hurt the President.

But let's get back to you.

Josh Lyman's going to give you a security briefing

and an ethics briefing.

Charlie's going to tell you some things.

You have provisional clearance

right now pending successful completion of the SF-86

and GC-1 background check.

What is it?

It's a questionnaire.

Extensive questions on your past

personal, professional, financial... pharmaceutical...

No, I know the form.

What is a GC-1?

They contact family members and friends and neighbors

and former neighbors to corroborate.

Well, this is fine

but I've worked at the White House before.

At my last job, the background check

wasn't nearly as extensive...

You have a button on your phone, a crash button.

Hmm?

You have a crash button

which will bring the Secret Service in instantly

and turn your office into a live microphone

which will be broadcast all over the building.

It's the button you push if someone's trying to take the Oval Office.

This isn't your last job.

Sam, we need you in here.

Excuse me.

Bruno thinks we dump the whole thing.

I think 44 people are dead

and we can't give a speech on education.

I'm concerned it's going to look opportunistic

if we talk about Iowa at a campaign event.

Plus, we're using the teachers like props.

C.J.: He's got to mention it, though.

Yeah, he can't not mention it.

BRUNO: There are dead children

and then you segue to what?

I don't know.

I don't know either.

What are your feelings, sir?

I don't know. It's a seven-ten split.

Can you work on it a while?

Yes, sir.

I'm going to call Leo.

I'll be in my office.

Let her on in, Becky.

Good morning.

Hello.

You look sensational

in your Gabriella Something thing there.

Thank you.

"Cloak and dagger."

Look... "Cloak and dagger."

It was one sentence in a two-page note.

And you sent me a note?

I was asked here on business

which I usually conduct at my office.

I was going to come there

but then I thought, between the lobby, the elevator

the reception area, the paralegal's area

the associate's area and the coffee room

of a Washington DC law firm, there was an outside chance

that somebody might recognize the White House Chief of Staff.

All I meant by cloak and dagger

is that I'm not cut out for the security meetings

and the secret this and the back channel ambassadors.

It's like you're in the Mafia.

Well, it may be like I'm in the Mafia, but I'm not.

I work for the good guys.

It was one sentence.

The problem was, you were never

at the other end of the phone.

That's an entirely different kettle of beans

and we can have that discussion

but history's shown that if you just wait

and tell it to a divorce lawyer

you can have half my stuff.

I don't want half your stuff.

You don't know-- some of it's good stuff.

Where are we going?

Someplace quiet where we can talk.

The White House Situation Room.

We just call it that.

Am I even allowed to be in here?

Look at this stuff.

It's a map of North America.

What are you worried about?

Hey, where are you from?

I'm from Lincoln, Nebraska.

Hey, Lieutenant, can you throw an Opal Drill

up on the wall?

Lincoln, Nebraska.

What's it doing?

LEO: It's showing a first strike nuclear attack

from Beijing and North Korea.

Hey, look at that.

Lincoln survives the first of...

( explosion )

No, not so much.

Leo...

Alright?

First of all

we have to go beyond the normal attorney/client privilege here.

This is sensitive.

There are no degrees of attorney/client privilege.

I don't care if it's sensitive.

No, I'm talking about State secrets

with highest security classification.

If you told anyone, you'd be convicted of treason

and sent to prison, probably for life.

No, I wouldn't.

No, you wouldn't. It's nothing like treason.

But if you told anyone, it'd be bad.

What?

Do you remember

last May, that a private plane

carrying Qumari Defense Minister Abdul Shareef

went down near Bermuda

and that all the passengers, including Shareef, were dead?

No.

No?

No.

Okay, well, it happened.

Qumar has been investigating the accident

because they believe there was foul play.

And we believe, in fact we know, they're trying to frame Israel.

They're producing phony evidence.

How do you know?

I'm sorry.

You said "we know." How do you know?

Because we do.

Why isn't it possible for Israel...?

Jordon...

We know any evidence of assassination

is manufactured.

How?

'Cause we destroyed all the evidence.

( beep )

WOMAN: Mr. McGarry, I have the President

on your line.

Yes, sir.

How's it going?

Fine.

Is she there?

Yeah.

What do you know?

Casper's here, he's going to talk to me.

I'll send him to you next, all right?

Thank you.

What are you about to say?

I don't know.

I still have about two minutes.

Okay.

PRESIDENT: "The bullying nature

"of the intrusive and invasive government

"of the United States has to be rendered

"quickly and decisively a wake-up call.

And this opportunity..."

What do you think of this letter?

He's not Tom Paine.

No.

It's rhetoric common to separatists.

They're telling us that English is his first language

but that he's not very well educated.

Is it credible?

Yes, sir.

You guys think it was sent by the bomber?

Or his group.

We think there's a group.

We don't know.

Now, you've been told, sir...

The end of the letter promises more.

Yes, sir.

In the next 48 hours.

Obviously, we expected that.

It's what they always say.

Unless what?

That's where I'm confused.

He didn't make any demands, sir.

This letter isn't a threat.

It's an announcement.

All right, what do you have?

"We will catch the perpetrators.

We will track them down, we will punish..."

Along those lines.

It's too early for Rocky, right?

Yes, plus once you catch a perpetrator

you don't need to track him down.

I told you, he likes the rhythm.

It was his line.

It's a dummy phrase. It's a placeholder.

I think I'm just going to talk for a little bit.

MAN: Ladies and gentlemen

the President of the United States.

( applause )

SAM: "Joy cometh in the morning," sir.

Thank you.

( applause continues )

( cheering and applause )

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

"Joy cometh in the morning," scripture tells us.

I hope so.

I don't know if life would be worth living

if it didn't.

And I don't yet know who set off the bomb at Kennison State.

I don't know if it's one person or ten

and I don't know what they want.

All I know for sure, all I know for certain

is that they weren't born wanting to do this.

There's evil in the world.

There'll always be

and we can't do anything about that.

But there's violence in our schools

too much mayhem in our culture

and we can do something about that.

There's not enough character

discipline and depth in our classrooms.

There aren't enough teachers in our classrooms.

There isn't nearly enough

not nearly enough

not nearly enough money in our classrooms

and we can do something about that.

We're not doing nearly enough, not nearly enough

to teach our children well.

And we can do better, and we must do better

and we will do better.

And we will start this moment today.

They weren't born

wanting to do this.

( cheering and applause )

LEO: I've been thinking a lot

about an egg salad sandwich on a Kaiser roll.

If it's Milos making the potato salad

then potato salad.

If not, then a potato in any other form will be fine.

Why did you tell me that?

I didn't. I was talking to Margaret.

I know that.

She knows that, sir. She meant...

( hangs up phone )

He's got a secret ingredient he puts in the potato salad

that makes you crave it beyond what's usually reasonable

for something like that.

I'm like two, three forkfuls away

from the final piece of the puzzle

and then this monkey's off my back.

Why, you know, in the world

did you tell me what you just did?

I was ordered to this morning by the President.

He told you to talk to me?

He told me to make contact with a lawyer.

Commander, Jordan Kendall, please.

First of all

that's a nice picture of you.

Sometimes, these pictures aren't that nice.

Look at that smile.

You could light up Chicago.

You just have this at the push of a button?

No. But you give these guys some notice

they can put on a show.

Second page, please.

Maxwell School of Diplomacy

and International Relations.

Associate Counsel U.S. Delegation

to the United Nations.

General Counsel, U.S. Delegation to the United Nations.

General Counsel for the United Nations.

Which is when you found out you could buy stuff with money.

Page three, please.

Partner, Whitcomb, Wiley, Hawking, Harrison and Kendall.

Was there a Burt Kendall at the firm?

Maybe his portrait's hanging up

in the partner'' dining room. No.

No, they're talking about you, right?

It wasn't my idea to add my name to the firm.

They needed to raise the profile

of their international law department.

A specialty in international law, you say? Interesting.

Have you any experience dealing in matters

that receive wide media coverage?

Let's take a trip to page four.

You have a good time doing this, right?

You don't even know.

Orlando Ruiz

of the 101-mile-an-hour fastball and Cuban citizenship.

Richard White of Lackland Chemical and wrongful death.

I do not have any experience with what you're talking about.

Hmm?

I don't have any experience

with what you're talking about.

Nobody does.

And we're talking about we killed Shareef.

We put 14 bullets in his chest on an airstrip in Bermuda.

It's helpful to start saying it out loud.

( beep )

MARGARET: I'm sorry, Leo. Yeah?

I thought you might want to know

that there's a message here

from Harold Harrison saying there's about to be a decision

from the District Court, and it's not what you think.

Come down here and show Ms. Kendall out.

Excuse me.

Donna.

Josh.

Josh.

Yes. I have to talk to you.

I have to talk to you.

Me first. Why's that?

'Cause it's important. Okay.

Go ahead. No, you go.

I'm perfectly fine waiting.

I have the patience of an adult.

You have 20 seconds.

It came to me in my sleep this morning

'cause when I got home the paper was already there.

Page two of the Business Section in today's Post

there's an article about Redstar

and the $35 million retention bonus

they gave to... I can't remember his name.

Wadkins.

So we all know that CEOs get bonuses that workers don't.

But in the sixth graph, they talk about Congress

ending the deductibility of salaries over a million

and that the measure excluded items

that the IRS deemed to be incentive based.

In other words, the bonuses are tax deductible.

In other words

Wadkins gets $35 million for crashing the company

and the company gets a deduction.

Toby, college costs-- investment in the future workforce

in innovation, in the ideas economy

investment in crime reduction--

isn't that a better use of capital

than writing off the bonuses?

The guy last night in the bar, Matt Kelly

the one who's taking his daughter

to visit colleges.

He said it needs to be just a little easier.

Not a lot easier, a little.

Toby every nickel spent on college tuition

should be 100% tax deductible.

Not capped and indexed and bracketed.

Every nickel

100 percent.

What?

That's exactly what I was going to tell you.

No, it wasn't.

Exactly.

You're saying that now just to make it seem...

I'm gonna make some time with Leo.

And figure out a way to pay for it.

Yeah. Good.

Good.

Hello. Hey.

Did you sleep all right?

I did, but then I read this thing...

How you doing? Good.

What's on for tonight?

You'll have a meeting with the state party chair

and you'll say energizing things to the staff.

Any we in any danger at all of losing Massachusetts?

No.

Why am I doing this again?

Because.

I can't just go straight to the event?

No. Why?

Because everybody's going to the campaign first

and we just spent 20 hours trying to get out of Indiana.

Who's at the event?

Aimee Mann, Barenaked Ladies, Chrissie Hynde,

Sixpence None The Richer, Aaron Neville

Diamondback Whale, Daisy Chain, Next Big Thing

the Cruel Shoes, and Single-Cell Paramecium.

You've just been practicing

for when I asked the question, right?

Yes.

And you made up the Cruel Shoes.

No. Single-Cell Paramecium.

Okay.

The motorcade.

We're here!

Would you stop?

We're here!

Everybody's really over that now.

Admiral Scott, your expedition's returned.

All right.

Let me take a look at you, Don Quixote de La Mancha.

Don Quixote wasn't an explorer.

No, but he rode around on a horse.

You sleep?

I did better than that.

Well, keep it to yourself.

I need you to weigh in on Ritchie and Title IX.

Yeah, I saw that. I wrote a memo.

Thank you.

Toby and I are working on tuition. It would be...

Josh.

They're back.

They are? Yeah.

Are they being funny?

I think it's over.

Barnum, Bailey and their sister Sue.

They're almost over it.

We want to talk to you about an issue

that should be in play in the campaign right away.

You know that the District Court

is ruling on Sullivan today?

v. Commission on Presidential Debates?

Yep.

They're never going to rule for him.

Sullivan?

Yeah, they're never going to rule for him.

The suit gets brought all the time.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't be concerned

but it's Justice Wingding heard the case.

Wengland? Yeah.

He's not so crazy. Yeah?

Hey! We're back! We're never leaving again.

Your mother and I were very worried.

Me, too.

Fellows.

Would you tell him he doesn't have to worry

about the District Court?

I told him already.

They're not going to rule for Sullivan.

He's worried 'cause it's Wengland.

He's not that crazy.

with a Federal Judge being even a little bit crazy.

I'm going back to my office.

BRUNO: The speech to the teachers this morning?

24 years in professional politics

I have never seen anything like it.

You would have been proud.

We're going to win this election, you know? I do.

Leo.

They ruled for Sullivan.

( door opens )

They ruled for Sullivan?

Yeah.

C.J., when you guys

vet your judicial candidates

do you go so far as to meet and speak with them?

Can I see a copy of the decision?

"The Commission

"a tax-exempt entity, is legally precluded

"from partisan politics of any kind.

"The 15% rule, benefiting

"the two major parties

"is partisan politics of the worst kind--

"regulatory duopoly, democracy

"by favoristic fiat, a bureaucratic junta...

Yes. "...that is clearly

prohibited under Federal law."

There's no way "favoristic's" a word.

We all agree with you, Toby, we just don't think

it's grounds for appeal.

It's not like we're going to have

to search high and low for that.

ED: This means what I think it means

right? Yep. Yeah.

No one can be excluded from the debates.

You can be excluded, but the bar is set much...

The Libertarian Party, Natural Law

Right to Life. Right to Left.

The Republicans, we're going to probably have to let in.

LEO: The appeals process is going to take too long.

We're going to have to go to the Supreme Court.

Sam, they can stay the effect of the trial court

in advance of appeal, right?

Yeah. And you got to get

Ritchie's people to join us in the motion.

Oh, yeah. All right.

All right.

JOSH: Sam?

Yeah?

I had a thought before and Toby claims, at any rate

to have had the same thought.

I showed you, like, DNA evidence of...

JOSH: When Congress put the million dollar cap on deducting salary

they left a loophole for incentive-based bonuses.

Yeah, are not all bonuses incentive based?

Are there any bonuses you get just automatically?

And isn't that called salary?

Which is also incentive based.

By the way, I don't think there are a lot of people

would go to work without one. Sam...

Come back to the pack? Yes.

Why isn't college tuition 100% tax deductible?

I don't know.

Why do flammable and inflammable mean the same thing?

What if we capped it at 80,000?

You're really talking about this?

Yes.

And you pay for it by closing the loophole for bonuses?

Nobody's talked to the OMB

but I think it costs $50 billion.

Closing the loophole is about $35 billion.

Am I close?

Yeah.

And the $15 billion's gettable through...

Yeah.

C.J.: "Yosh"?

She's talking to me, right? Yeah.

I'm reading your memo.

Memo?

The machismo manifesto.

Title IX. Oh, yeah.

Bruno asked me to weigh in.

I can't image why he called on you.

I was asked as a campaign issue

if we should reexamine Title IX.

Which is, by the way, a wedge with male voters

in Ohio, Michigan and North Carolina.

So are a lot of things.

There's something fair but dumb about a 50-50 split

when more men are interested in sports than women--

and don't cite the WNBA and soccer.

More men are interested in sports than women.

We don't need a study to tell us that.

But if we did, there's about 493 of them.

Are you going to talk to someone in Stackhouse camp?

About the Sullivan decision?

You should probably just make sure.

The Court's going to stay the judgment

and even if they don't

Stackhouse will pass on the debate.

He's not out to kill the President.

He just wants to keep him honest.

It might be nice if you make a courtesy call, though

so we're not taking him for granted.

I'll call Stackhouse.

Since Title IX, women's participation in sports

has increased 800%.

That's not a typo-- it worked.

Okay.

Hello.

Yes.

Okay, how's your day so far?

Very exciting.

You had your security briefing?

Yes. I'd like to go through

some of your answers on the SF-86

if that's all right? Sure.

Three years ago, you were asked

"Have you ever been an officer

or a member or made a contribution to an organization

dedicated to the violent overthrow of the government?"

You answered... "Yes."

Yes.

You answered yes.

I see where you're going with this.

Because while we respect your rightI do.

to overthrow the government

we don't respect your right to do it violently

nor from inside the Oval Office.

I worked in the Personnel Office

when I answered that

and I did it to demonstrate a problem with the form.

If the FBI wants people to admit to extremist tendencies

they've got to tailor a more subtle question than that.

Like, "Have you ever participated in organizations

that seek radical solutions to egregious social problems?"

I've had some experience with this.

So has the FBI.

Is this going to screw me up?

Not this probably as much

as when you suggested killing the President.

I did not.

Yeah, you did.

No, sir.

"Let's stick some arsenic

"in President Bartlet's drinking water

"and see if he delegates the responsibility

to the World Bank then."

Okay, um, where it says "arsenic"

that should read "Schweppes Bitter Lemon."

I don't know how that...

Debbie!

Come on, 35 million people in Bangladesh

were drinking contaminated water

and the White House issued a statement

saying they supported the World Bank's efforts

to address the problem

but made no move to intervene independently.

I wrote a letter.

FBI read it as a threat.

It wasn't. Don't be ridiculous.

I'm not being ridiculous, Debbie!

I was, however, four feet away from him

when the guns started firing.

I know. I-I apologize.

Who can I talk to?

I want this job, Charlie.

I didn't before and I do now.

Who can I talk to?

Let me find out.

PRESIDENT: What else?

C.J.: It's making the rounds that

Governor Ritchie called the Chancellor's office.

What's wrong with that?

He's angling for an invitation to the memorial on Saturday.

He wants to speak. Oh, for the love of Mike.

The Chancellor was with us in Iowa

and the Ritchie people are quietly saying

that allowing you to be National Healer in Chief...

Look, win or lose on the fifth

I'm the President right now, right?

Um, yeah, I'm almost sure.

Six, look, six of the girls were exactly Zoey's age.

Tell the Chancellor's office if it'll make his life easier

I'll sit in row 19 and you'll keep out the press.

This has to be about the students and the families

and Ritchie and I are simply

going to have to summon the humanity

to keep this from being a political event.

Yes, sir.

Good afternoon, Mr. President.

Claudia Jean. Sailor.

In the Oval Office, you're really going to...

No. Good.

Thank you, Mr. President.

How did you do with Jordon?

She's a little wary

but I think she might be willing

to go out with me again. Yeah?

But you meant the other problem.

Yeah.

She's a little wary.

Yeah. She's gone to her office

and then she's going home for the day

and she's going to think.

All right.

In the meantime, what do we have by way of stalling tactics?

A misinformation campaign.

We ought to be good at that.

Sir, State feels Shareef

was never comfortable with the Sultan's

friendly relationship with the West.

State thinks he had a friendly relationship with the West.

"The one-eyed man is king in a world of..." whatever.

We leak that Shareef used his U.S. trip as an opportunity

to fly to Libya.

Shareef is now alive and well and living in Libya?

And planning to overthrow his brother

and install a fundamentalist regime.

All right.

Come back and tell me how we do it.

Yes, sir.

Blind men.

"The one-eyed man is king in a world of blind men."

Thank you, Mr. President.

Special Agent Casper?

Yes, please.

Good afternoon, Mr. President.

What do you know?

We're ready to say the manuscript was credible.

We ran a search using some more of the unique rhetoric

or catchphrases and we found a match.

A lot of it was lifted straight off the Web site

of a separatist group called the Liberation Cause

which is a splinter of the Patriot Brotherhood.

The Internet has been a phenomenal tool

for hate groups. Yes, sir.

You should know that we're working on some good leads. Good.

Don't pipe bombs usually kill

just two or three people?

Yes, sir.

How is it so many yesterday?

The bombs were set off indoors, sir.

There was a huge fire.

Anything else, sir?

No. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Ten of those things

under the bleachers at a basketball game?

They've got good leads.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Charlie?

Yes, sir?

In ascending order of age

would you get my daughters on the phone, please?

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

* I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral *

* Can't understand what I mean? You soon will *

* I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve *

* I have a history of losing my shirt *

* It's been one week since you looked at me *

* Dropped your arms to your sides and said, "I'm sorry" *

* Five days since I laughed at you and said *

* "You just did just what I thought you were gonna do *

* Three days since the living room *

* We realized we're both to blame, but what could we do? *

* Yesterday, you just smiled at me *

* 'Cause it'll still be two days till we say we're sorry *

* It'll still be two days till we say we're sorry... *

I just tried Stackhouse again.

He hasn't returned?

Stackhouse is going to be fine.

I've called twice.

At 55,000

Matt Kelly's in the 27.5% bracket.

Let's assume he takes the standard deductions

and let's forget for a moment mortgage payments.

What's his tax liability?

$13,300.

Tuition at Notre Dame's $25,850.

Let's throw in books, room and board

and it's $34,000.

We're saying the books are tax deductible, too, right?

I personally think the beer should be tax deductible

but we've live to fight another day.

So, with one kid in college

Matt Kelly's tax liability

just dropped from $13,300...

( applause and cheering )

to $3,800?

If we can get this done

it'll be a good day's work.

Let's take it to C.J.

when she gets off.

C.J.: Barenaked Ladies

helping out in the labor/delivery room

of American democracy

the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Whoo!

( applause and cheering )

25 years ago, half of all

18 to 24 year olds voted.

Today, it's 25%.

18 to 24 year olds represent 33% of the population, but only

seven percent of the voters.

You think government isn't about you?

How many of you have student loans to pay?

( applause and cheering )

How many have credit card debt?

( applause and cheering )

How many want clean air and clean water

and civil liberties?

( applause and cheering )

How many want jobs?

How many want kids?

How many want their kids to go

to good schools and walk on safe streets?

( applause and cheering )

Decisions are made by those who show up.

You got to rock the vote!

( applause and cheering ) Whoo!

PRESIDENT: What's going on?

LEO: Casper's got something.

Mr. President, three hours ago

Sheriff's deputies in Johnson County, Iowa

surrounded a house when they were tipped off

that several men in their 20s have been

buying all the pseudoephedrine they could get their hands on.

Three of the stores they went to were owned by the same man.

Allergy medicine?

Allergy medicine with tractor starter fluid

strained through a coffee filter is methamphetamine.

Tractor starter fluid doesn't kill you?

No, it'll definitely kill you

but first you'll get pretty high.

The Sheriff's deputies were shot at from the house.

We think these might be our guys?

The address and the name of the occupants match a couple

of names that we've linked to the Patriot Brotherhood.

We have reason to believe

they're connected to KSU?

They're telling us they are.

They're also telling us they have Mac-10s, MP-5s

and Car-15s.

Are there kids inside?

Yes, sir. All right.

Let's get the Director and the Attorney General.

We only go in on my order, okay?

It'll be my order.

Yes, sir.

You just knew it was going to end up like this.

Good evening, Mr. President.

Allergy medicine

and tractor fluid, we're getting high on now.

All right.

You guys getting strippers or something?

How do we do it? Basically

Langley manufactures documents, photographs

audio messages

even a body double, if necessary.

Is this going to get ridiculous?

Absolutely.

We make sure

agents in Iraq, Syria and Iran

get a whiff of the story

and word inside and outside of the palace spreads.

We'll see it on al Jazeera?

If we do our jobs.

No disinformation to U.S. press, right?

We don't give disinformation to the American press?

Unless it's about my medical history?

Yes, sir.

All right, let's go.

Thank you, Mr. President.

( door closes )

All this posturing is a preamble to something.

You ready to say hello?

Why not?

Hey, Jordon.

Good evening, Mr. President.

What do you think?

I'm sorry, sir?

What do you think?

I don't know.

Yeah. I have to tell you

I'm very uncomfortable knowing what I know.

That makes three of us.

I haven't had any sort of time...

Take all the time you want.

You done yet?

You understand domestically

you're looking at possible injury to separation of powers

internationally a possible war crimes charge?

At the very least

we'd be wading up to our necks

into unprecedented

legal waters, exposing the Presidency

to culpability undreamed of

by the creators of the U.N. and the U.S. Constitution.

Well, that makes us ground-breaking, doesn't it?

Mr. President

I've defended guilty people before

but I've never had a client

that was willing to admit the crime

but didn't expect to go to trial.

More ground-breaking.

Due respect, Mr. President, this isn't funny.

Due respect, Ms. Kendall

I'm the last person

to whom that needs to be pointed out.

And Article 51 of the United Nations Charters says

every nation has a right to wage war to defend itself.

The Article's incumbent on wars being declared.

Wars don't work like that anymore.

Laws work like that.

44 people are dead in Iowa, most of them college kids.

Shareef has murdered Americans in uniform.

He's murdered Americans out of uniform.

He was trying to blow up the Golden Gate Bridge

and I didn't have time to file an amicus brief.

How can justice that has to be served in secret be justice?

I don't know, I'm working on that.

Anyway, at the moment I'm having trouble

foreseeing the exact legal consequences

on the international stage.

Why?

Because most of international law

doesn't exist yet.

Well, that's what I was hoping you'd say.

I want there to be justice.

That's why I'm talking to a lawyer.

Anyway, I just came in to say hello.

Charlie?

Yes, sir.

I'm heading back to the residence.

Do you have a moment for Debbie?

Oh, God.

Yeah.

Good evening, Mr. President.

Arsenic?

( laughs ): You got to give me points for...

Nothing.

There's nothing you can give me points for.

I don't get any points.

No.

I sincerely apologize.

It was a higher

environmental cancer risk than Chernobyl.

We spend 20 million a year on strategic milk reserve.

We can't toss...

Why couldn't you have stopped

with "I sincerely apologize?"

I should have.

I-I see that.

Your argument is totally fuhkakta by the way.

The World Bank has a $17 billion budget contributed

by a hundred...

Uh, it doesn't matter.

Don't worry about it.

Don't worry about it, huh?

Yeah.

I don't know what that means.

You can keep the job.

Great.

Why?

Why, because you knock me out, that's why.

How did I do that?

"Let's stick some arsenic

"in President Bartlet's drinking water and see

if he delegates responsibility to the World Bank then."

President Bartlet.

You referred to me

and to the office with respect.

You're a class act.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Whack job.

Yes, sir.

( organ music playing )

* Let us turn our thoughts today to Martin Luther King *

* And recognize that there are ties between us *

* All men and women living on the earth *

* Ties of hope and love

* Sister and brotherhood...

DONNA: It's not the fault of women's sports.

It's the fault of football.

It's the fault of football?

Yeah.

Football pays for all the other sports.

There are 53 players on an NFL team.

The University of Colorado has 130

85 of whom are on full scholarship.

I'm all for back-ups and substitutes

but can't the guy

whose fourth on depth chart at right outside

linebacker also be fourth on the depth chart

at left outside linebacker?

If a college football team

cut back to 70 scholarships

they'd still be three deep at every position

and have a fourth string punter and place-kicker.

15 scholarships.

That's a wrestling team.

Excuse me.

* There is a feeling like the clenching of a fist *

* There is a hunger in the center of the chest *

* There is a passage Hi.

* Through the darkness and the mist... *

What are you doing up here?

I do some work for these guys.

It's a great event.

Yeah.

You look good.

Yeah?

No.

You look tired.

Well, you look good.

Yes, I know.

( chuckles )

Okay.

* Just a little light, oh Lord *

Hey did you... ?

I heard you got left behind by the motorcade.

Yeah, it-it took us 20 hours to get out of Indiana.

You should have been with us.

You'd have had fun.

( laughs )

I would have.

* Wanna walk it on down

* Shed a little light, oh Lord

I don't know what to say about the pipe bombing.

There's nothing to say.

* Can't get no light from a dollar bill *

I-I was trying... I miss you.

to call Stackhouse.

I'm sorry?

What did you say?

No, you said you called Howard?

Yeah, I haven't heard back. What...

What did you say? You were calling about Sullivan?

Yeah. They're-they're not returning my call.

I shouldn't be nervous, right?

No, you should be. Did you say you missed me?

Josh...

What do you mean I should be nervous?

We're considering... We?

Stackhouse.

* Shed a little light

The District Court says

Howard Stackhouse can appear in the debates.

Is Stackhouse...

under new management?

It's been...

For debate prep, it's been offered to me.

This is not-not the deal we made with them.

In one week

he is supposed to endorse the President.

He never thought he'd get in the debate.

He's not!

So, he-he's...

moving you from consultant...

I don't know.

It's all happening fast.

It's just today.

* Shed a little light, oh Lord

I'm considering it.

( sighs )

It wasn't the deal we had.

( quietly ): I miss you.

I mean, you've got to ask yourself

multi-million dollar bonuses are deductible and not tuition?

It's 'cause corporations donate

to all the members of the tax writing committees.

I didn't mean you really have to ask yourself.

I knew you knew the answer.

Ritchie's already coming after us

for politicizing the budget.

Plus, Leo hates to make policy through tax code

'cause then we can't do any kind of reform without unraveling it.

Was that Amy?

Yeah.

If the Sullivan decision's upheld

Stackhouse wants into the debate.

He's not going to endorse the President.

Had to see that coming.

I'm calling Bruno.

The Court's going to stay the effect.

He's not going to be in the debate.

Josh'll take care of it.

Anyway, college tuition.

Another reason not to do it.

There are a lot of reasons not to do it.

But...

( sighs )

we met a guy last night

at an airport hotel in the bar.

His daughter was upstairs in the room.

They'd been looking at colleges.

He makes $55,000 a year.

His mutual fund got beat up

yesterday on Wall Street.

And he was so happy

to be taking his daughter to colleges.

He came downstairs to the bar

'cause he didn't want her to see

that he didn't know how he was going to pay for it.

There are a lot of reasons not to do it

but during the first campaign the President said

there are two kinds of politicians.

SAM: The ones who try to say yes

and the ones who try to say no.

We're going to throw these guys out

'cause they want to say no.

* Stand it on up, oh Lord

I guess if we're going to get thrown out

I don't want it to be for that.

Let's take it to Leo.

* Wanna walk it on down

* Shed a little light, oh Lord

WOMAN: Hello?

Matt?

Matt?

Yeah.

It's for you.

A man named Toby Ziegler.

Do you know him?

Yeah.

* There is a hunger in the center of the chest *

Hello.

Matt, it's me from last night.

Yeah, we got... we got home fine, thanks.

Now, let me tell you what we're working on.

* Oh, let us turn our thoughts today *

* To Martin Luther King.