All language subtitles for The West Wing - 07x03 - Message of the week.DVDRip.SAiNTS.English.orig.Addic7ed.com

Previously on The West Wing:

You should introduce yourself,
your personal narrative.

I don't wanna be the brown candidate.
I wanna be the American candidate.

You've seen this problem develop
about my going to church.

That's all right.
I go enough for both of us.

You saw Vinick on TV.
He was tough and authentic.

- He was Neil Young to your Neil Diamond.
- I like Neil Diamond.

You've been called
for reserve training.

- It won't look like a stunt?
- Following orders.

- Half the press are calling it a stunt.
- They're all running footage.

- Nine points.
- Only nine points down?

And that's why Ray Sullivan
and I are working so hard...

...to take back the White House
for the Republican Party.

And with your help, we're gonna do it.

Thank you.

Big Sur is on the move.
Secure room ready?

- Great speech, senator.
- Thanks.

- Sir.
- Good to see you.

- How are you? Hi, how are you?
- Good luck, sir.

All right. Santos picked up two points
in our tracking poll.

Senator, this is the secure room, sir.

- Perfect.
- Good morning, senator.

I'm Charles Frost,
I handle your intelligence briefings.

- Are you with the Agency or the NSC?
- Actually, I am an Agency employee...

...but I have been assigned to the NSC
for the last six months...

Great. You mind if I multitask?

Go ahead.

Well, there's a situation
in Kazakhstan...

He should resign the Senate now so
he can't be forced into any more votes.

He'd be breaking his promise
to serve his full term.

We've already got enough problems
with his voting record.

Hey, I'm proud of my voting record.
Well, most of it.

I'd quit the Senate
if I thought it would help us win...

...but now it'll just look
like a cheap stunt.

- I'm just saying...
- Forget it. I'm not quitting.

We'll have to turn it
into an advantage.

No senator has won the presidency
since 1960.

There is a reason for that.

Sheila, will you please tell Bruno
when I make a decision...

...that's the end of it.

- What's next?
- Fraternal Order of Police.

It's close, but Secret Service
wanted us to drive.

- Do I give them the stump?
- The stump plus.

- Plus what?
- Homeland security, the death penalty.

A little extra law and order.

The RNC have a TV ad
they want you to approve today.

Leon Montero will have the tape.

Are they ever gonna stop showing
these shots of Santos in uniform?

- That's what I call a stunt.
- Yeah? Pretty great stunt.

- You'll be surrounded by uniforms today.
- Except I won't be wearing one.

Okay, gotta go.

Hey, Leon, this is Bruno.

Got a spot the RNC wants to run.

In six short years in
the House of Representatives...

... Congressman Matthew Santos
has voted for higher taxes 47 times.

Must be his committee votes against
all the tax-cut amendments.

So it's no surprise that Matt Santos
opposes the tax cuts...

... that Arnold Vinick thinks you deserve.
How much does Matt Santos...

Is this all you guys know how to do?
Attack ads?

- Hey.
- Have you seen the ads I've written?

- Anyone with half a brain...
- Leon's not with the RNC.

He ran my California operation
for years.

And I don't write TV ads.

I leave that for people
with half a brain.

Have Sheila go to headquarters
and tell them again...

...we're not going negative yet.

They get that.
They just don't think they shouldn't.

The press knows
you get to approve ads.

- It's a good ad.
- Great ad. If you're 10 points down.

- Santos is gaining on us.
- Reserve duty sure worked.

You still have a lock on
the Electoral College.

A Democrat cannot win
without California.

And most of this country cannot
imagine Santos as president.

- Because he's Latino?
- Latino, inexperienced, take your pick.

You don't need this ad.

Tell the RNC
to shelve this one for now.

But if Santos says one word
about my voting record, just one word...

...tell the RNC to carpet-bomb
the swing states with that ad.

I gotta go kiss some babies.

I'm Arnold Vinick,
and I approved this message.

- Stronger.
- I'm Arnold Vinick...

...and I approved this message.
- Softer.

I'm Arnold Vinick, and I'll be
the nicest president ever, I promise.

Quiet, everybody, quiet.
Please, senator, once again.

I'm...

- Arnold Vinick.
- Right. Thank you, Leon.

Okay, that's it. Out.
Everyone, out of here!

Relax, Bruno. Let them stay.
I'll get it right.

I'm Arnold Vinick,
and I approved this message.

Good. One more.

I'm Arnold Vinick,
and I approved this message.

Wait, one more.

I'm Arnold Vinick,
and I approved this message.

- I think we got it.
- Yep, we got it.

When do I meet with
the American Christian Assembly?

- Working on it.
- They wanna do it at their headquarters.

Sheila wants to do it
at our headquarters or neutral territory.

Maybe in Philadelphia tomorrow,
after the VFW speech.

CNN just released a new poll.

- Oh, I got a five-point lead?
- Every poll out there has Santos gaining.

Because he put on his old uniform
for a weekend.

There's a three-point margin of error,
so really, we could be up by eight.

Margin of error goes both ways.
Could be pretty much a tie.

Does the poll indicate
your opponent is closing in...?

No questions.

What do you think of Santos doing
his reserve duty during the campaign?

- Do you think it was a stunt?
- A stunt?

No, that was devotion to duty.

That's what makes the American military
the greatest fighting force...

...in the history of the world.

And I hope Congressman Santos
continues to do his duty...

...when I'm commander in chief.

I hope Congressman Santos continues to
do his duty when I'm commander in chief.

I'll take any sentence that has "Santos"
and "do his duty" in it.

- Vinick should've changed the subject.
- Live in Sacramento in five.

- Think the uniform got to him?
- I know it did.

Three, two...

Oh, no, Bill,
of course it wasn't a stunt.

I've always answered my country's call
to duty, and I always will.

You had to do it, didn't you?

Had to take a shot at Santos
for getting in uniform.

I didn't take a shot at him.
I praised his service.

Yeah, then you took a shot.

- Which you knew networks would use.
- It was a cheap stunt.

Santos could have delayed his
reserve duty until after the campaign.

Well, your little quip
is keeping the Santos story alive.

He's gonna get another news cycle
out of that cheap stunt.

Which, if you ask me,
was a great stunt.

We need to be setting the agenda
for this campaign.

Santos should be chasing me,
not the other way.

Santos is gonna have some good days.
Can't let it get to you.

Sheila, hold on.
Put this thing on speaker.

- Go ahead.
- We stick to the message of the week:

Homeland security. You just got the
Fraternal Order of Police endorsement.

You're gonna get
the Philadelphia Police Union 's...

...after the VFW speech tomorrow...

...and we're working on getting you
the Houston Police Union's endorsement.

He was mayor and can't get
his own cops' endorsement?

- That's gotta drive Santos up the wall.
- Have they ever endorsed a Democrat?

This is gonna be
a good week for us, senator.

- Maybe next week we can do...
- We gotta shake this up now.

Santos got a bump from the
reserve thing that is gonna disappear...

Santos is not the standard-issue
Democratic candidate.

Yeah, he's weaker than
the standard-issue candidate.

Matt Santos is a lot smarter
and tougher than you think.

We gotta take it to him.
We gotta put Santos in a jam.

We can't just cross our fingers and hope
for the Houston Police Union to do it.

First to go negative
is a show of weakness.

I wanna knock him off message
without mentioning him.

We can find ways
that can surprise him.

I don't wanna surprise him.
I wanna shock him.

How do we do that?

- Go to Hawaii?
- Take a vacation?

- That'll shock him, all right.
- Go to a state they don't expect us to.

Make him waste some money
and time in Hawaii.

Santos can read that play.

Go after the Latino vote?

Do...?

Do I actually have to say
how insane that is?

I've always won the Latino vote
in California.

- Why should I give up on that now?
- Oh, I don't know, let me think.

Maybe because you're running
against a Latino candidate...

...who's gonna get about 2000 percent
of the Latino vote.

Without ever opening his mouth
on Latino issues?

Immigration, Mexican-border issues?

Without ever campaigning
in the Latino community?

He's got the Latino community
locked up.

What if we just do policy announcements
on Latino issues?

- It's a waste of time.
- Bruno, if you're the...

If you're the Santos campaign,
how would you respond?

I don't know.

That's the point,
knock him off his game.

- He won't know what I'll do next.
- It's too risky.

Are we gonna look unpredictable
or desperate?

We're changing the message.
We're canceling Philadelphia.

- You can 't cancel the VFW.
- I am not a veteran of a foreign war.

It'll look like I'm playing Santos' game,
surrounding myself with military people.

- If you cancel the VFW...
- Cancel it.

We regroup at headquarters tonight
and plan a new message of the week.

We're taking it to him,
starting right now.

No, the earliest I can get him back
to Cleveland is...

...let me see, Tuesday.
No, not tomorrow, next Tuesday.

Yeah, but Pennsylvania
is a swing state too.

It'd take me four hours
to fly the candidate...

...and the traveling press to Cleveland.

- I can't do this meeting right now.
- VFW says Vinick just cancelled.

Hold on.

He canceled the VFW?

- VFW's offering the slot if we want it.
- Of course we want it.

I'll get him out early,
have him there by noon.

- CNN poll, Vinick's lead's down to five.
- Five?

And the Zogby poll just gave us
the lead in Maine.

We got momentum, baby!
We got the big mo!

Okay, if I drive him to Akron,
can you guarantee me Cleveland press?

Great, that's the plan.
Why would he cancel the VFW?

- What, is he sick?
- Haven't released their schedule yet.

They can't have anything better. Nothing
better than the VFW for a Republican.

We got some movement
on the debate negotiations.

- The negotiations about the negotiations?
- Right.

The Vinick campaign's
agreed to our demand.

- No.
- Yeah.

They're willing to come here
to negotiate?

And why is that bad?

Then we don't get to blame them for
dragging their feet on negotiations.

The Zogby poll just came out.
Same as CNN.

Josh is gonna start pushing the press
to do Santos momentum stories.

- He ain't got the big mo yet.
- He's got something.

We're losing Maine?

Zogby poll says Santos pulled ahead
by two points in Maine.

I don't give a damn. We change our
board when our tracking polls tell us to.

Hang on. Actually, that was...

Our own tracking in Maine
now has Santos ahead by three.

I'm telling you, he would love
to meet with the reverends...

...but there's no way I can pull him off
the trail and get him to Atlanta.

Georgia's not a swing state.
He's ahead by 20 points there.

Well, I understand. The reverends
don't wanna look like they're begging.

Right, but you have to understand
my position here.

Okay, why don't you
come over here tonight...

...and have the meeting for them.

They preserve their dignity...

...I preserve my campaign schedule
and we do business.

Great. See you then.

Just got you out of a meeting
with the reverends.

Have I told you how much I love you?

But you're gonna have to do a meeting
with George Rohr.

That vicious little...?

Jeez, I'd rather meet with the entire
American Christian Assembly.

No, you wouldn't. George is
a political professional...

...and the reverends follow his advice.
You are gonna be very nice to him.

You're the devil, aren't you?

I have the devil running my campaign,
don't I?

Okay, what have we got?

We're changing the message of the week
to immigration issues.

It's the last thing Santos wants.
Not just because he's Latino, but also...

Would we be doing this if he wasn't?

Republicans have been going after
the Latino vote for years now.

You've made a good living
helping them.

Press will ask if this is
because he's Latino.

The answer is these are important issues
that belong in this campaign.

We're gonna have to do
better than that.

- What's the plan?
- Dan?

Day one. Tomorrow.

Policy announcement:
Double the Border Patrol.

Obvious appeal
to our Republican base.

A photo-op in El Paso
at the border crossing...

...and one with the Minutemen.

The civilians who are helping
patrol the border.

- The vigilantes?
- They're not hurting anybody.

Bunch of nuts patrolling the border?
Someone's gonna get hurt.

Is there a local chapter of the Klan?
We can do a drop-by.

The Minutemen have gotten
a lot of national press.

Our base loves them.
It's a good photo-op.

Okay.

We finish day one with a dinner speech
to the El Paso Chamber of Commerce.

It's a day of saturation coverage
in Texas...

...a must-win state for Santos.
- Next.

Day two. Policy announcement:
The Vinick guest-worker program.

Legal status for illegals already here
doing jobs Americans don't want.

Okay, this I like. Good crossover appeal
for Democrats and independents.

Especially as part of our
Sensible Solutions theme.

We haven't got the events
worked out yet. Probably just a speech.

- Not sure where to do it.
- Can do it anywhere.

The point is,
we force Santos to respond.

- Because he's Latino.
- Look, we're not...

The Latino community's gonna know
what you're doing.

- It's gotta be more than just a speech.
- Like?

- Introduce a bill.
- In the Senate?

I still have a job there, don't I?

It's a good way to turn the Senate
into an advantage.

Take the speech to leg counsel and have
them turn it into legislative language.

The details are up to you.

Just make sure it really is
one of our Sensible Solutions.

Sheila, work on getting me
cosponsors and a hearing date.

- What's day three?
- Central America Free Trade Agreement.

That's old news. We passed that...
We passed that months ago.

- Santos has a problem with it.
- Did he split with the Democrats?

Worse. He split with himself.

Voted for it in committee,
then voted against it on the floor.

He's not gonna know what hit him.

After the day in Texas, we gotta get
him back to D.C. To introduce the bill.

That way we can keep
the schedule we have in Ohio.

Add the Border Patrol,
guest-worker stuff to the stump.

I'm gonna need him in the studio
for another TV spot.

I can give him to you for an hour
on Friday morning.

George Rohr's here.
In the conference room.

Let's go.

- Hey, George, how you doing?
- Hey, good to see you, Dan.

You look great.
Private sector's been good to you.

Is that what you call religion?

I mean, not working
with the speaker anymore...

...not stuck in the Capitol all night...

...listening to the wit and wisdom
of the House.

I do thank God for that.

George Rohr's here.

If I win this election, George Rohr
never sets foot in the White House.

You got that?

I mean, not even a tour.

George is gonna try
to jam you on judges.

You gotta be receptive
but noncommittal.

"I would certainly welcome your input on
judicial appointments," blah, blah, blah.

- Hey, George, great to see you.
- Good to see you, senator.

Sorry I couldn't meet
with the full group...

...but this campaign schedule
is just so tight.

You try to change one hour of it,
the whole thing comes apart.

I understand.
We appreciate you taking the time.

Why don't we clear out the staff
so George and I can talk alone.

Thank you, sir.

Can I get you anything?

I think we might have
a couple of slices of pepperoni here.

I'm good.

- So, what's up, George?
- Well, as you can imagine...

...the council is very,
very concerned about...

Sorry. The campaign's
the only excuse left...

...for someone my age
to eat junk food.

Please, go ahead. I'm listening.

The council's just plain worried
about judges, senator.

The reverends are all afraid of
the kind of judges you'd appoint.

We're gonna need a guarantee
on judges.

- We're gonna need...
- George, when I'm president...

...I'll be very eager for input from you
and the group on judicial nominations.

I'm gonna make the vice president
my point man on judges.

You know Ray Sullivan.

A great man, great governor.
Gonna make a great VP.

And you know that Ray
shares your views...

...on everything that's important
to your organization.

You mean, to my religion.

Yeah.

We're not worried about Ray Sullivan.
We're worried about you.

Ray likes the judges you like...

...and I'm gonna rely
on Ray's recommendations.

A pro-life VP making recommendations
isn't enough, senator.

We need you to commit
to appointing pro-life judges.

Look, Santos voted
for partial-birth abortion.

At least I'm with you on that.

Reverend Butler and the others
think that just means that...

...Santos wants to kill a few hundred
more babies a year than you do.

You think I wanna kill babies,
George?

Senator...

...Santos is closing the gap with you.
If our voters stay at home, you lose.

I came here to tell you how to get
our voters. I came here to help you.

Okay.

Can we speak confidentially?

Yeah, can you hear me now?

Oh, okay, go ahead.

All right, thanks.

Santos picked up another point.

- We're down to a four-point lead.
- If that.

That's why I wanna double
the Border Patrol, double the manpower.

Give you guys what you need
to get the job done.

Easiest way for a terrorist to get into
this country is to cross this border.

This isn't just an immigration issue,
this is a homeland-security issue.

- We have to get control of our borders.
- Senator, senator!

Vinick just proposed doubling
the Border Patrol. Any comment?

No, I was not surprised
the Santos VFW speech...

...was interrupted by applause 18 times.
Santos is a veteran who understands...

Vinick says it's a security issue.
Gotta stop al Qaeda at the Rio Grande.

I'll get back to you on that.

- Really?
- No.

Vinick's proposing doubling
the Border Patrol.

How will he pay for it
if he cuts taxes?

Save it for the debates.
We don't need to fan that flame.

You need to chip away
at his lead on security issues.

He might as well say, "Elect a Latino,
there'll be a Mexican on your lawn."

- Don't let him get to you.
- Easy to say.

- Yeah. You ready for the one-on-ones?
- Yep.

We picked up a point on tracking.

Story of the day:
Momentum, momentum, momentum.

Come on in, Ellen.
Ellen Trayers of The Boston Globe.

Morning, Ellen. Come on in.

Have a seat.

Senator Vinick wants
to double the Border Patrol.

Do you think that will stop
illegal immigration?

Every poll shows us closing the gap,
gaining momentum.

Suddenly you're gonna hear all sorts
of new proposals from the other side.

What people are gonna hear from me
is a consistent message on security.

I told the VFW today...

...keeping this country safe
is my top priority...

...and I intend on sticking to that.

Thought you had to get to Santos'
headquarters for negotiations.

You gotta see this.

Get me the senator.

- Sheila.
- Yeah?

Just a heads-up,
a crazy internet thing.

Drudge is reporting that sources close
to the American Christian Assembly...

... say you promised
approval of judges.

I got the Minutemen waiting.
Can we talk later?

Problem is, the press takes
Drudge very seriously...

... so we have to issue a denial.

We'll put out something on paper
from here, keep it low-key.

Hold off on that denial.

You didn't promise them anything,
did you?

We'll talk about this later.

- What did he say?
- Nothing.

We got a problem, right?

Hi, good to see you. How are you?

- It's an honor. Appreciate you coming.
- What's your name?

- Harley Parker.
- Have you caught anybody yet, Harley?

There's a lot of publicity about us.

They're probably gonna find
another spot to cross.

- That's why we gotta get tough.
- The Minutemen should get tough?

We've got a 2000-mile border here...

...and most of it is unprotected
most of the time.

We can't have real homeland security
if we can't secure our borders.

Senator, the Border Patrol has asked
the Minutemen to stop operations.

Why do you support the Minutemen?

I understand why
the Minutemen are here.

I understand their frustration
and I share their goals...

...but I agree with the Border Patrol.

We should leave law enforcement
to the professionals.

The Minutemen are showing why
we need to double the Border Patrol.

What you see here today
is gonna continue...

...if the government fails
to police this border.

We're gonna have more vigilantes
coming here to do it themselves...

...and that's not the American way.

This is a great example of how
we can strengthen national security...

...and strengthen our economy
at the same time.

The Air Force urgently needs
more C-17s...

...and the American workers are ready,
willing and able to do the job, so...

Senator Vinick says the Minutemen
patrolling the border are vigilantes.

- Do you agree?
- I'm here to see the job...

...these workers
are doing for America.

They're doing their part
for the economy and national security.

Do you think they're vigilantes?

The C-17 is our most advanced
military cargo plane...

You're from a border state.
How do we secure the border?

I don't see how you can afford to double
the Border Patrol if you cut taxes.

So doubling the patrol is
a good idea that we can't afford?

Doubling the patrol
won't solve the problem.

Do you agree with Senator Vinick
that the Minutemen are vigilantes?

- Yes, I do.
- We got a problem.

- He agreed with Vinick?
- Ready in the conference room.

Okay, try to keep him on-message.
I gotta go.

Vinick's killing our VFW coverage
with his Mexican-border junk.

- They sent Bruno.
- Of course they did.

Arnold Vinick said that civilians
patrolling the border are vigilantes.

Matt Santos then agreed
with Senator Vinick.

What are you doing here?

I believe the agenda
was debate negotiations.

What are you doing here
representing a Republican?

Great guy. You'd love him.

- Come on, he's a Republican.
- I noticed that.

So you switched parties?

- Just this once.
- Career on the slide?

Figure you'd grab a few headlines
by signing up with the enemy?

Taking a salary
or a percentage of the ad buy?

I made so much money
on your campaigns...

...I might just do this one for free.

Whenever you're ready.

We had a very productive meeting.

- Did you agree on a format?
- No.

- Did you agree on dates?
- No.

- Did you agree on a number of debates?
- No.

How many debates is
the Vinick campaign proposing?

We think one's enough to highlight
the differences between the candidates.

Especially since they seem to agree
on so much. Thank you.

Came here so he could hold
a press conference at our door.

Pretend there's no difference
between Santos and Vinick.

Slimy, sleazy, backstabbing mother...

You got any new numbers yet?

We've moved up three points.
We're ahead by seven.

The border worked
with conservatives.

The vigilante thing
worked with liberals.

You know he was gonna
call them vigilantes?

- I had no idea.
- I thought it was gonna be a day...

...of red meat for conservatives, he
pulls something out of the hat for libs.

- What'd he say about the judges?
- He keeps avoiding the subject.

I'm gonna corner him about it
after this thing.

Well, it's page one of the
Atlanta Constitution today, so we...

Good morning. I've returned to
the Senate today to introduce S-1103...

... a bill to establish a guest-worker visa
for farm workers and other...

- Guest-worker program?
- This guy's unbelievable.

- Currently not eligible
for work visas.

This is a sensible solution to a problem
that we have to face honestly.

There are currently at least 10 million
illegal immigrants in this country...

... most of whom are doing
a hard day's work...

... at low-paying jobs
that Americans don 't want.

- It is time to create a legal system...
- Yeah?

Aerospace workers, who have...

I just got a question about
a guest-worker program for illegals...

...Vinick's gonna propose.
- He's introducing the bill right now.

Sounds like he's coming from the left.

The problem is, when
the congressman hears about it...

...he's gonna wanna
be a cosponsor.

You know, I introduced a guest-worker
program the first year I was in Congress.

I couldn't even get a hearing on it.

Vinick opens his mouth about it,
it's like he's parting the Red Sea.

- You're gonna look like a follower.
- He's the one following me.

We can't chase reporters with
a page from the Congressional Record...

...to prove you got there first.
- I shouldn't have hid on these issues.

I didn't wanna be
the brown candidate, stereotyped.

I should've gotten out in front
on all this stuff during the primaries.

You were great.
You won the nomination.

Lou, I shut up on Latino issues
and gave Vinick this opening.

Vinick is gonna have some good days.

We're giving him too many good days.

You went hard right yesterday
with your Border Patrol idea...

... and you threw a bone to the left
with the vigilante comment.

Today, you went hard left with
an amnesty program for illegal aliens.

You're obviously trying to trip up
the Santos campaign with this zigzag.

Don 't you run the risk of confusing
the voters about where you stand?

I've made it very clear
where I stand, Chris.

Enforcement first. That's what
we have to do at the border.

Stop illegal immigration
and keep the terrorists out.

And then once
we've secured the border...

... we have to deal with the illegal
immigrants who are already here...

... putting in an honest day's work,
doing the jobs we need them to do.

- Perfect.
- Where have you been on these issues?

Why haven 't you talked about
the Border Patrol budget before?

Why haven 't you come up with
a guest-worker program before?

Aren't you leaning on these border
issues because your opponent is Latino...

... and he can 't talk tough
about the Border Patrol...

... or say anything that sounds like
amnesty for illegals?

Yeah! Welcome to Hardball, Arnie.

I counted five questions
that time, Chris.

- Vinick's on the ropes.
- You're trying to jam Santos.

Chris, baby, keep slugging.

I've lived with these problems
for a long time...

... and I've worked hard on them
in the Senate.

But a senator can only do so much.

I want to be president because
these are the kinds of problems...

... that presidential leadership
can solve.

We're running out of time,
but I wanna ask about the story...

... that you've secretly pledged
to appoint pro-life judges. True?

Well, Chris, the selection of federal
judges and Supreme Court justices...

... is one of the most important
presidential powers.

I hope to have a broad range of input
and advice on my judicial appointments...

... especially from my vice president,
Ray Sullivan, who as a former...

Senator, we're out of time.
Will you appoint pro-life judges?

Chris, the Founding Fathers could've
written a litmus test for judges...

... into the Constitution,
but they chose not to.

So I don 't think the president should
impose a litmus test for...

Okay, no litmus test for judges.
That's all the time we have.

- Thank you, Senator Vinick.
- Thank you, Chris.

Congressman Matthew Santos
continues to garner strong support...

- Yeah?
- Morning.

What are you doing here?

Just thought I'd see
what's it's like on the road.

- Your candidate's exhausted.
- I'll see what I can do about that.

Lou called you here so you guys
could double-team me.

Keep me on-message?

Actually, we were hoping to tweak
the message a little bit today...

...by adding a couple of paragraphs
about the Supreme Court.

Next president's gonna put
a couple judges on the court.

Women's right to choose, stuff like that.
The more you talk about it...

...the more the press will hammer
Vinick on judges.

You think he promised
the reverends pro-life judges?

- I think he wants to win.
- Because I...

I can't believe he'd go that far.

We'll use the story to put
pressure on Vinick.

Get the press to jam him
with questions about judges...

...instead of him jamming us
about the border.

He's killing me.
I have to challenge him on it.

We have to put him on the defensive
so we can get control again.

We've been scoring
on national security.

- We can get the momentum back if we...
- Stay on-message.

If someone goes on the record and says
Vinick promised pro-life judges...

...this story's gonna explode.
We'll be in the driver's seat.

The New York Times loves
your guest-worker program.

Think we might have a shot
at an endorsement.

Kiss of death for a conservative.

- New York has 31 electoral votes.
- I'm just saying.

Leon, you have the talking points
on CAFTA?

George Rohr called me
before breakfast today.

Watched you on Hardball last night.

Thinks you two need to have
a clarifying meeting.

Let Sullivan talk to him.
He knows how to talk to those people.

Those people can take this election
away from you...

...so you better...
- I can't meet with him again.

He somehow got the idea that
you promised him approval of judges.

That's because I did.

- You promised them judges?
- Yeah.

I lied.

You lied?

Yeah, so did George Rohr.

He promised to keep it secret...

...and first thing he does
is leak it to Drudge.

- You lied to George?
- I lied to a liar.

Miserable little...

He's what's wrong with this party.

- He's the problem, not me.
- Jesus.

Tell that lying little creep...

...the United States Senate
gets to advise and consent on judges.

Not the clergy.

If his gang wants to have a say
in picking judges...

...tell them to run for the Senate.

Are you done?

- Yeah, you?
- Oh, yeah.

I was trying to get through the meeting.
He had me cornered.

I figured tell him
what he wants to hear...

...and ignore him
in the White House.

If you had checked with me,
I would've told you that wouldn't work.

That he would leak it, and that
you'd be forced to confirm or deny...

...either of which would hurt us
with a very large bloc of voters.

- Thought you said you were done.
- I lied.

Looks like it's time to call
Ray Sullivan out of the bullpen.

Today I am introducing
a Sense of the Senate Resolution...

...urging the president
to expedite implementation...

...of the Central American
Free Trade Agreement...

...because it is an essential component
to securing the Mexican border.

Increasing trade with Central America
is good for our economy...

...and it's good for their economies.

More jobs in Central America...

...means less illegal immigration
in this country. It's that simple.

Are you trying to highlight
your support for CAFTA...

...because Congressman Santos
voted against it?

He did? I thought he voted for it.

I'm not sure how he voted.
You can check on that.

I certainly was surprised that
so many Democrats in the House...

...voted against helping impoverished
Central American countries...

...build their economies. Especially
when it's good for our economy too.

Senator, did you promise
the American Christian Assembly...

...you would appoint pro-life judges?
- This is the Senate press-briefing room.

This isn't the place
for campaign questions. Next.

Gonna get a question about CAFTA.

Because Vinick said something
about CAFTA?

- Still, we should...
- Damn, he's good.

Let's not play Vinick's game on CAFTA.
Voters don't care.

Okay, let's do it.

- I get some sleep after this, right?
- Two hours. I promise.

- Ted Zukoski, Chicago Tribune.
- Ted.

- Sit down, Ted.
- Thank you.

Congressman, today Senator Vinick
said that he was surprised...

...that so many Democrats had voted
against CAFTA. Do you think...?

International trade agreements
are important...

...to our long-term
national security planning...

...because nations who buy from each
other usually don't shoot at each other.

Which is why our trade relationships
with China are as important to our...

Why did you vote against CAFTA?

It was a complicated bill.

Well, Senator Vinick says that the more
jobs there are in Central America...

...the fewer people who try
to get into the U.S. Illegally.

Well, that's true. Look, I am
for free trade. I'm for fair trade.

But CAFTA was not a fair deal
for us or for Central America.

Are you saying that CAFTA
won't help Central America?

Of course it will,
but not as much as it could have.

Look, I voted for CAFTA
before I voted against it.

I voted for it in committee
when it was good...

...and then the special interests
started hacking away at it.

It was a mess by the time it got
to the floor, so I voted against it.

We have to let him loose on CAFTA.
Get him into a town-hall setting.

Let him explain his thinking
to real people, not reporters.

The press is never gonna let him explain
voting for it and then voting against it.

I just got our tracking.

- How bad?
- Got Vinick up by 12.

- Hey.
- Hey.

I hear Vinick's tracking
has him up by 10.

That's not what we have.

- George, great to see you.
- Good to see you, governor.

I don't know why they bother
to give me hotel rooms.

This campaign doesn't let
the VP candidate actually sleep.

- Coffee?
- No, thanks.

We've got a serious problem.

George, I understand why
you'd like the senator...

...to make a public commitment
on judges...

...but you've never asked
a nominee to do that before.

We've never had
a pro-choice nominee before.

He's got to give us a reason
to support him.

That reason's sitting right here.

All due respect, governor,
but that's not enough.

Now, he promises me
he'll appoint pro-life judges.

I tell the reverends that,
and then I see him on TV...

...doing the no-litmus-test bit.
He humiliated me.

Some of our people are begging me...

...to release a statement
saying he lied to me.

And I'm asking you not to do that
as a personal favor to me.

This is bigger than that.

Nothing's bigger than personal favors.
Not to me.

You're looking at
the next vice president.

Or the next front-runner for
the Republican nomination for president.

You wanna be my friend, George.

Believe me, being my friend is a lot
better than being my enemy.

We have no problem with you,
governor.

You've been promised a lot
by politicians over the years.

How many of them
have ever come through for you?

Not a lot.

If you want Arnie Vinick
to listen to you about judges...

...threatening him isn't gonna work.

He's already told you
who he's gonna listen to: Me.

You already know
what kind of judges I want.

You've seen the judges I've appointed.
You've approved of every one of them.

Now, you got a choice.

You can cause trouble for us
and it'll just help elect Matt Santos.

Or you can be a team player,
the Vinick-Sullivan team...

...and I'll make sure President Vinick
listens to you and me about judges.

I appreciate you coming, George.
I really do.

If anyone in your group has a problem
with the Vinick-Sullivan ticket...

...I will sit down with them anywhere,
anytime to talk it through.

You know what the worst thing
about the campaign trail is?

Surprises.

I don't want any.

You got that?

Senator.

I'm going back to D.C. Tonight.

- What's this?
- It's my letter of resignation.

- What?
- Yeah.

The letter is to thank you for everything.
From when I started in...

What's this about?
What, problems with Bruno?

- I need to spend time with my family.
- Leon, come on.

I never thought it was
gonna be Santos.

He didn't have a chance
at the nomination.

Now we're three weeks in,
and I can't do it.

I can't work day and night to beat
the first Latino nominee for president.

Now we're using his heritage...

That's not what I'm doing.
I'm talking policy. That's fair.

Please, senator, I was in the meeting.

If Santos is afraid to lead the country
on these issues...

...then he doesn't deserve
to be president.

Voters have a right to hear from
the Latino candidate about Latino issues.

He ought to be ahead of me
on this stuff.

The twins are 2 and a half now.

My mother-in-law taught them
how to say the word "Santos."

Someday they're gonna ask me
what I did on this campaign.

I can't tell them I did this.

Can't do it.

Senator, they're ready for you.

- Thank you.
- Hey, Arnie.

Back up by 10.
You're really sticking it to him.

The border stuff is killing Santos.

- How did it go with George Rohr?
- I got him back in his cage for now.

- Promise him anything?
- I'll tell you after the election.

The next president and vice president
of the United States:

Arnold Vinick and Ray Sullivan.

Vinick! Vinick! Vinick! Vinick!

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