All language subtitles for The.West.Wing.S02E20.WEBRip.x264-FGT

Previously on
The West Wing:

You're scared
of Babish.

Oh, like you're not.

Oliver, I'm going
to tell you a story

and then I need you
to tell me whether or not

I've engaged 16 people
in a massive criminal conspiracy

to defraud the public
in order to win a
presidential election.

BABISH:
Have you ever signed
any document

in which you were asked
about your health

and did not disclose
you have MS?

No.

Toby...

Yeah?

Why are you lying to me?

Charlie...

When Zoey and Ellie
went to college

they would have had
to fill out a health form.

Because she was 17,
a parent had to sign it.

And she left off the MS?

Yeah.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Did anyone see
you come here?

I really don't know.

Why not?

I really wasn't paying
that much attention.

I wish you would.

I walked from my office
to your office.

Was there press
outside your office?

Not at 5:30 in
the morning, no.

When did you find out
about the President's MS?

Last night
when Leo told me.

Who else was there?

Nobody.

Nobody else was
in the room?
No.

Have you ever lied about
the President's health?

Should I have
my lawyer here?

I'm your lawyer.

You're the
President's lawyer.

I'm the White House
Counsel, C.J.

Have you ever lied about
the President's health?

When did he tell you?

I'm sorry?

When did the
President tell you?

Six days ago.

And Josh?

Two days after that.

Toby?
Two days before he told me.

C.J., have you ever lied
about the President's health?

And Leo he told
more than a year ago.

Yeah.
And I've had this
for six hours now

so maybe giving me some room
wouldn't be totally out of line.

You know
what I'm saying, Oliver?

C.J., I'm going to have
to ask you some questions

and the less you can
be pissed at the world
for no particular reason

the better, I think.

I don't know you.

I'm sorry?
I was told to
report to you.

I don't know you.
You've been here what...?

Three months.

Three months

so why should I trust you?

I don't care if you trust me
or not.

Imagine my shock.

I got better things
to do with my imagination.

I think this is going
really well so far, Oliver.

It's almost hard to believe
that four different women

have sued you
for divorce.

Well, you can do that
if you want, C.J.

I've been through it

a couple times with
Josh and Toby, but
sooner or later

you're going to have
to answer questions.

Either to you or...?
A grand jury.

Compelled by?

A Justice Department subpoena.

Well, I have to tell you

it'll be the first time
I've been asked out

in quite awhile, so...

It's entirely
possible

that the President has committed
multiple counts

of a federal crime
to which you were an accomplice.

That much has sunk in
in the last six hours.

Has it?
Yes.

So why don't you knock off

the cutie-pie crap
and answer the damn question.

What was the question?

Have you ever lied
about the President's health?

What is your answer?

Many, many times.

( footsteps )

Mr. Connelly?

Yes.

I'm Donna Moss. I'm
Josh Lyman's assistant.

He's tied up with
Mr. McGarry for just
a couple more minutes.

I hope you don't
mind waiting.

No.

Does anybody know if it's going
to rain this afternoon?

They're asking me.

The paper said
mid-afternoon.

So we know it
won't be that.

Call the Navy Yard
for me, would you?

Yeah.

( laughter )

Donna.

Yeah.

Have you seen C.J.?

No. What's
so funny?

Ed just got
a fax from...

I'm sorry.

Ed just got
a fax from

a man named
Byron Talmadge.

He's the Associate
Administrator

of NASA's Office
of Space Cadets.

Flight.

Office of
Space Flight.
The OSF?

What'd the fax say?
A huge Chinese
satellite

is going to come
crashing to Earth

and we don't
know where

and we don't
know when.
Seriously?

Yeah, it's right here
in the fax.

A satellite is...
crashing to Earth

and NASA sent us a fax?

Yeah.

This is for real?
Yes.

A satellite is going
to crash into the Earth?

( laughing ):
Yes.

Why are you laughing?

We thought it was funny.

I'm an assistant.
What am I supposed

to do with this information?

The fax was
for C.J.

Just give it to her
when you see her.

Donna, they say it's not
going to rain this afternoon.

Well, that's a relief.

All right, hear me out
on this, okay?
Yeah.

We want to see
some polling.

Why?

'Cause we need
to know

what to do next.

We know what
to do next.
No, we don't know

which is the more
insurmountable problem--

the perception that...

( knocking )

We'll call back.

( sighs )

The perception that he's not
physically up to the job

or that he lied about it.

There's no way to gauge
public opinion on this

until the issue occurs.

Public opinion is going
to be shaped by the
reaction of the press.

All public opinion is shaped
by the reaction of the press

but the fundamental foundation
already exists

in their current perception
of the President...

Josh, how the hell
are you going to
take a poll without...?

We can do it.
Leo...

I don't trust any of our people

and even if I did, what kind
of questions could they ask

that won't trip an alarm?

Josh trusts Joey Lucas.

From California?

Yeah, she's flying
in right now.

What did you tell her?

I told her we were
commissioning a poll

to explore attitudes
towards subsurface
agricultural products.

Subsurface agricultural...?
Underground.

What the hell...?
We think Americans

are eating more beets.

Beets?

Yeah.

All right.

Okay?

Yeah.

Toby

you want to talk
about when we tell Sam?

I wouldn't do
it right now.

Why?

His head is in
the SME speech
for Chicago...

The thing...
Hang on.

His head is
in Chicago

and that's where
we need it.

Would you want
to write the speech

with this other thing
around your neck?

No.

The President wants him to know

by the end of the day.

The end of the day then.

LEO:
Okay.

Anything else?

No. Thanks.

Thank you.

Thanks.

When does
she get here?

Six o'clock.

You do this
carefully.

No kidding.

You trust
this person?

I got to trust
somebody right now.

Good, 'cause I don't
trust anybody right now.

DONNA:
Josh.

Yeah.

A fax was sent
to the press office

from the Office
of Space Flight at NASA.

A Chinese satellite
called Zodiac

has fallen out
of its orbit

and will be falling
to Earth

at an unspecified
time and place.

What are you
telling me for?

What am I
telling you for?
Yeah.

This giant thing
is falling to Earth.

They're watching
it on radar.

Isn't there
something we do?

Like what?

Like sound the alarm,
I don't know.

Sound the alarm?

There is no alarm.

There's really not.

Martin?
Yes.

Sorry to keep
you waiting.
Oh, that's okay.

Come on back.
Josh...

The fax is for
the press office.
Give it to them.

The deputies are
at breakfast

and I don't know
where C.J. is.

Uh, Martin, you can have
a seat in my office.

C.J.'s meeting
with Babish.

I'll be inside.

You're not concerned
about this?

No.

I apologize again.

No, that's all right.

I assume you know
why I'm here.

I don't, actually.

Mac Sheridan was going
to talk to you first.

I have a call
to return to Mac.

I should wait
until he talks to you.

Why don't you talk
to me now?

The case is running
out of money.

Which case?

The U.S. v...
You're kidding me.

No.

Martin, we spent
$13 million the first year

$23 million the second.

Where's the money going?

Outside counsel and staff,
depositions, expert witnesses

processing, database, research.

Yeah.

We have 31 lawyers
on a case

against five tobacco companies,
just one of which has 342.

We won't count
the 13 subsidiaries

that have mounted
their own defense.

Tobacco has spent $380 million
to the government's

$36 million.

So when I come here
asking for money

it's not 'cause
the Justice Department

blew its allowance
on video games.

I should have let Mac
talk to you first.

Aren't you allowed

to transfer funds...?

Yeah, that's what
we've been doing.

We've been
transferring money

from Commerce
and Health and
Human Services

to pay for the lawsuit

but then the House
passed HR-260

and now the
Committees...
Yeah.

You understand?

Yeah, let me run it by Leo.

This is a fight worth winning.

You don't have to convince me.

These people perpetrated a fraud
against the public.

I'm sorry?

I said they perpetrated a fraud
against the public.

The tobacco companies?

Yeah.

Well, I'm going to talk to Leo

and I'll tell Mac you were here.

Thank you.

C.J.:
Let me just finish this.

He was hemodynamically stable
with a blood pressure of 140/80.

Cholesterol level is 185.

The QRS interval on the EKG
is slightly long

but otherwise good.

The President is pronounced

in excellent physical health.

What was that,
March of last year?

Yeah. How many times

have you done that?

I'd have to go back and check.

Estimate.

If that was March

of last year, then that was
his fourth physical.

Then there were a couple times
during the campaign

and after the shooting...

Yeah?

And the time he rode

his bicycle into a tree.

When he sprained
his ankle.

Yeah.

Tell me how it works.

What do you mean?

When the President
has a physical.

The President's
physician-- right now

it's Admiral Leonard Morrow--
the President's physician calls

and gives me a short statement
including vitals.

And then you make
a statement to the press.

Yeah.

Do you speak
to the President

before you make a statement?

Yes.
Why?

Because of doctor-patient
confidentiality.

There's only so much
you're going to get
from the doctor.

So what do you
ask the President?

I say, "Is there anything
I should know about your health

that the doctors won't
tell me?"
I'm going to ask
you something.

What?
Do you say, "Is
there anything
I should know?"

Or do you say,
"Is there anything
I need to know?"

What does it matter?

Which do
you say?
What does
it matter?

"Is there anything
I need to know"

implies you only want
to know enough to face reporters

while maintaining deniability.

It's an expression.

Did you use it?

I really don't remember,
I don't.

I don't choose my words
that carefully.

With the President?

You think I was speaking

to the President in code?

No, I was just asking.

( knocking )

Yeah.

Excuse me.

C.J., this is a note
from Donna Moss.

She wanted you
to see it right away.

Thanks.

The sky is falling down.

how large it should be,
how small it should be

what share should be
received by whom--

all of this, my friends, is the
wrong debate at the wrong time

over the wrong issue. Yes.

We need to get back
to fundamentals.

Where is that?
Where is what?

"We need to get back
to fundamentals."

It's not in
the speech.

I'm saying it. We need

to get back to fundamentals.

( knocking )

Excuse me.

Think about fundamentals.

Ready for some
good news?

Yeah.

Not out here.

This is going to
be a front page
story tomorrow.

There's a front page
story tomorrow

I don't know about yet?

You're going to know
about it in two hours.

But I'm going to know
about it now, right?

CBO's going to issue
a new estimate of the surplus.

They're projecting
it down?
Yeah.

We don't have as much
money as we thought?
No.

That's great news.
It's not great news
Yeah.

that we have less money.
I'm saying...
Yeah.

'Cause the floor fight's
going to be easier.

How much less money?
When they project
eight years out

It's $200 billion less.

Nine years out

it's $400 billion less.

That is great.
Yeah.

It's not great
that we have...

Sam, we get why it's great.

I can't even tell you
how much this helps.

I'm drafting the SME speech
for Chicago and I can really...

That's why we're
telling you.

There's a line that ATJ
and the Progressive Caucus

want in the
Chicago speech.

I got it here.

"We want a real tax cut
for working families

"to help them pay
for higher education

"and housing, while
our opponents want
to help the rich

pay for bigger swimming pools
and faster private jets."

No, I don't think so.

They want it in.
No, no, no.

Why not?
Well, for one thing,
it's very bad writing.

Change the writing.

Summer homes and sports cars.

The poetry's not my problem.

They want it in Chicago.

Tell them
to do their own speech.

This one's for the President.

You want to tell them that?

No.

Okay.

We have less money?

Isn't that great?

Yes, it is. Thanks.

C.J., are you aware
that a year ago January

the President
had an attack?

I am now.

You were there
when he collapsed.

I was outside the room.

But you went
into the room

when he was
unconscious.

Yes.
What made you go
into the room?

The sound of
a Steuben glass pitcher

crashing to the floor.

What did you think
had happened?

I didn't know.

Well, what did
you think?

Well, at first glance,
I thought he might have a virus

contracted from a rare
African tsetse fly

possibly Tropical sprue.

I'm not an expert, but I did
meet a man once in India.

Yeah.
It could be anything

with these Presidents.

James Polk had
diverticulitis.

Yeah?
Couldn't digest nuts.
I'll tell you what else.

One in 40 American men
wear women's clothing

and we've had
well over 40 Presidents.

Yeah.
I'm just saying

one of these guys was dancing

around the Oval Office
in a prom dress.

Now, let's get
to the bottom of that.

C.J.
Yeah.

In my entire life

I've never found
anything charming.

Really?

You announced to the
press it was the flu.

Yes.
Who told you to
say it was the flu?

I wasn't told to say
it was the flu.

I was told it was the flu.

Who told...?
I'm not getting
into that!

I'm not getting into
who said what.

We can do that at the next

of what I'm sure
will be many sessions.

Okay.

Do you know
what time it is?

It's five past noon.

I'd like you
to get out

of the habit
of doing that.

Doing what?

Answering more than was asked.

Do you know what
time it is?

Yes.

We'll take
a break

and meet again
later today.

Hey.

You see this?

That was nice.

We got good reviews on
the commencement speech.

Yeah?
From Leonard Wachtel,
of all places.

You got a second?
He calls you and me

the Batman and Robin
of speech-writing.

Well, I don't think he does.

He doesn't, but he should,
'cause that's what we are.

Okay.

We're Batman and Robin.

Which one's which?

Look at me, Sam.
Am I Robin?

I'm not Robin.
Yes, you are.

Okay, well, let's move off this.

You bet, little friend.

Listen, we're really
not Batman and Robin.

No, we'll keep those
identities secret.

I'm Bruce Wayne and
you're my ward.

Toby...
Dick something.

Jane Gentry
and Richard Will

came to see me
with some news.

The CBO's
projection...
Really?

Yes. Has us
$200 billion lower

eight years out.

That's
fantastic news.
Yes.

When is this real?

This afternoon.

The projections are lower?

Measurably lower.

I'm so happy
I could spit.

This is really the first
administration in history

to favor slower
economic growth.

I favor it when it gives us
a bat and a ball on tax cuts.

Yeah.

We offer them a deal.

We lower the bottom rate

from 15 to ten percent,
but we stand our ground

on no tax cut
in the top bracket

and you know why?

Because it turns out

we might not be able
to afford it.

Isn't it great?

Yeah, it's Christmas in Paris

but there's a
line ATJ and the
Progressive Caucus

want me to put in
the draft for Chicago.

What?

That we want to
do great things

but our opponents want
bigger swimming pools

and faster private jets.

Their private jets
are too slow?

Toby...
Change the writing.

It's not the writing.

I know.

Listen.

Yeah?

Nothing.

Okay.

Don't worry about it.

So...

I have to go to a meeting.

You should talk to somebody
at ATJ or the Caucus.

Okay, I'm going
to do that then.

Yeah.
Okay.

Hey, Donna.

Hey, Charlie.

Is there

anything you need?

Nope. Just came in to say hi.

How you doing?

Good.

So, NASA's OSF tells us

that the 30th Space Wing
at Vandenberg Air Force Base

believes that
a Chinese satellite

has fallen out of its orbital...
flight plan.

The last detection the 30th had

placed it in what they call
a "degrading orbital path"

and it's now dropped
off their radar

suggesting it's begun
a rapid fall

towards the Earth's
atmosphere.

Cool.
No, it's not.

What's the matter
with you people?
What'd I do?

A thing the size
of a garbage truck

is going to be in
a 2,000-mile-an-hour free fall

and no one knows
where it's going to hit.

I'm voting
for Zurich.

Charlie...
I've had it
up to here

with the Swiss.
You don't...

Hang on. Excuse me.

Good afternoon.

Welcome back,
Mrs. Bartlet.

Thank you.

A couple
of reminders.

You're at the Board

of the Children's
Cancer Fund at the Sheraton.

That's at 3:00.

Before that,
I want to be...

Yeah, you're
going to read

at the Head Start program
in Southeast.

Welcome back,
Mrs. Bartlet.

That's a snappy suit,
Bobby.

I got a medevac helicopter
named after me.ay?

Yeah?

An AS335 F1 Twinstar
named Abigail.

I got to break a bottle
of cider over its nose.

Charlie.
Welcome back, ma'am.

Thank you.
Where's the President?

He's waiting
for you inside.

Thank you.

( door opens )

Hey.

Hi.

Welcome back.

How come I just
found out about this?

How was the flight?

Jed.

How come I just
found out about this?

When Leo talked to
you on the plane

he thought you
already knew.

You think I'm saying
this is Leo's fault?

I'm asking, how come you
didn't tell me last week?

And I'm saying
we still do this.

We're husband and
wife and parents

and before we launch
into palace intrigue

we do "Welcome back.
How was the flight?"

What happened?

One of the forms Zoey had
to fill out for Georgetown

asked for a family
medical history.

Yes.

Did Leo tell you the rest?

Not after he realized
that you hadn't told me already

which is a subject,
I assure you, we'll be

returning to
in a moment.

Zoey wasn't 18 yet

when she started.

A parent had to sign the form.

Did you sign it?

No, you did, hot pants.

I signed it?

It's going to be okay.

Why didn't you tell me
on the phone?

Look.

We talk on the phone

three times a day!

'Cause I didn't!
'Cause that's...

'Cause I didn't.

I talked to Zoey this morning.

She's going to ace her finals.

She told me.

I hate Ellie's boyfriend.

She told me.

I need you to speak to
the White House Counsel, Abbey.

I know.

Hey.

The First Lady's back?

Yeah.

I was talking to
her on the phone

and I mentioned
Zoey's application

without realizing the President
hadn't told her yet.

Why hadn't the President
told her yet?

What do you want from me?

$30 million.

No.

Martin Connelly

who's an Assistant
Attorney General

in the Civil Division

says they're
out of money.

On the suit?
Yeah.

They're always out of money.

We don't give them enough.

We passed a law last summer

that says they can transfer
funds from Commerce

from Health and Human Services.

They can take it from
Veterans' Affairs up to what?

I think $12 million.

Yeah, but the problem is
the law says

that those transfers
are subject to approval

by various House Committees,
each of which has a chairman

elected with the $8 million
tobacco spent

in the last election

and even if the transfers
were approved

it wouldn't matter

'cause $12 million isn't
going to get it done.

Neither is $30 million.

Then let's give them more.

No. 'Cause we're
going to lose.
Why?

So you give them
enough to win.

We'd have to liquidate
the Grand Tetons.

They're saying $30 million

and I think it's a steal
at twice the price.

Well, staff it out
to some people

and report it
to me in what...?

Two, three days?

Good.

I'm going out to the airport.

All right.

Do a job.

Yeah.

Hi.

Hey, Sam.

Henry, Helen.

Hey, Bruce.

How you
doing, Sam?

Lewis. We just have
a few minutes, right?

There's a caucus.

Well, you've already heard
the good news.

The CBO, when they
project eight years out

has the budget
surplus coming in

$200 billion lower
than we thought.

That's great.

Yeah, okay,
there's something wrong

with all of us,
but that's for a different time.

What I wanted to mention was
Jane Gentry and Richard Will

say you guys want a line
in the Chicago draft.

"Jet planes and swimming pools."

Yeah, that "our opponents
want to help the rich

pay for bigger swimming pools
and faster private jets."

Yeah, hit
them hard.

Well, we are hitting them hard

but I'm not going to use
the line.

Why not?

First of all,
it's bad writing.
What's wrong with it?

It sounds like it was written
by a high school girl.

Is there something wrong
with the way a woman writes?

There usually is
when she's in high school.

Sam...

It's not the writing.

Come on, Henry.

"Faster private jets
and swimming pools"?

We can take out
the heavy bats now.

And do what with them?

The line works.

So does "How 'bout dem Cowboys?"

when you're playing
a club in Dallas

but the line isn't going
to change the mind

of anyone who doesn't
already agree with us.

Sam, are you in favor of
tax cuts for the wealthy?

I am not.

I am in favor of tax cuts

for those for whom
it will do the most good

and that's a tough
enough battle

and it looks like all
of a sudden, we've
got a fair fight.

But I'm not talking
about policy.

I'm talking about rhetoric

and the men
you work for

need to dial it
down to five.

Henry, last fall,
every time your boss

got on the stump and said

"It's time for the rich
to pay their fair share"

I hid under a couch
and changed my name.

I left Gage-Whitney
making $400,000 a year

which means I paid 27 times the
national average in income tax.

I paid my fair share

and the fair share
of 26 other people

and I'm happy to

'cause that's the only
way it's going to work

and it's in my best
interest that everybody

be able to go
to schools

and drive on roads

but I don't get 27 votes
on Election Day

the Fire Department
doesn't come 27
times faster

and the water doesn't
come out of my faucet
27 times hotter.

The top one percent of wage
earners in this country

pay for 22% of this country.

Let's not call them names
while they're doing it

is all I'm saying.

HELEN:
You're not using the line?
No.

Or anything like it?
No.

And I hope you'll make it
clear to your people

that this had nothing to
do with diluting our position
or cozying up to Republicans.

No, why would they
think that?

We've got a caucus.

I know plenty of women
who can write, Helen.

I know women

who can blow the walls
off brick buildings.

This sounds like a girl.

MAN ( over PA ):
...Airlines flight 1106
now arriving from Los Angeles.

JOSH:
Joey!

Joey...

how you doing?

Hey.

I'm Josh Lyman.

Dale Bracket.

What happened to Kenny?

He's on vacation.

So, you're the substitute
interpreter?

Yeah.

You came here to pick me up
at the airport?

Not exactly.

Dale, I'm going
to ask you

to wait over here, okay?

Uh, Joey, you're going
to read my lips

and if I can't understand
what you're saying

you'll write it down,
all right?

Okay.

Excuse us.

Dale?

Yes.

Pretty good-looking
for an interpreter

wouldn't you say?

He's good-looking
for anybody.

Dale Bracket?

Yes.

He's not
a television detective?

We can't talk about
this in the car?

I'm sorry?

We can't talk about
this in the car?

You're not getting
in the car.

Why?

'Cause you're getting
back on a plane

in an hour and
ten minutes.

All right, if we
sit like this

can Dale Bracket,
PI, read my lips?

No.

Okay...

You're not
talking to me

about an agriculture poll.

No kidding.

You guessed that?

We think we're
eating more beets?

Well, we are, but...
that's not important.

What's important?

Hi, what can I get for you?

Uh, cranberry juice
and club soda

and, um, I'll have
a large glass
of ice water.

I told Leo McGarry
that we could trust you

and Toby backed me up.

What's important?

Eight years ago, the President
was diagnosed with an illness

that was never disclosed.

Yes.

What is it?

WAITRESS:
Cranberry and club

and a large glass
of ice water.

( knock on door )

BABISH:
Yeah.

Excuse me, the First Lady.

Thank you.

Oliver.

Good afternoon,
Mrs. Bartlet.

How are you?
I'm fine, thank you.

I haven't been
in this office
since you moved in.

It looks great.

Thank you.

I haven't come in here

because it seems
like every time I do

there's a new
White House Counsel.

I think Leo keeps them
in the basement

like those two ladies in
Arsenic and Old Lace.

Yeah?

Anyway, the President
is very glad you're here

particularly in this
time of nonsense.

Ma'am, would you mind

if I asked you
a few questions?

I'm not as experienced in this
as the senior staff.

I've read a book
about Daniel Webster.

I've read a book
about Benjamin Disraeli.

It seems the little experience
I do have is with dead lawyers.

Just out of curiosity, ma'am,
how'd they die?

If you're under
the impression

you're the fifth
White House Counsel

instead of the first
White House Counsel

because of me,
you're mistaken, Oliver.

I wasn't under that impression,
but I think we should stick

to the matter
if it's all right with you.

You want to ask me
some questions?

Yes, ma'am.

About Zoey's health form?

Yep.

It was a form.

It asked for,
among other things

the family's
medical history.

It was left blank.

It was a form;
it was one of many forms.

I signed it without reading it.

Was anyone else in the room
when you signed it?

It was over a year ago.
I really don't remember.

Was the President
in the room?
I really don't remember.

You understand that when I ask
the President that question,
he's going to tell the truth.

And I imagine the President

will also resent
your implication

that I didn't just do the same.

So the President wasn't in
the room when you signed it?

I don't remember;
he doesn't remember.

Mrs. Bartlet...

Oliver, you have kids,
there are forms.

School trips
and soccer

and band uniforms
and report cards

and notes to get out of gym.

You've signed those
forms for your kids.

Their mother
usually signs them.

And so do I

and by the way,
when you're the daughter

of the Governor of New Hampshire

and the President
of the United States

there's a lot more forms
on top of that.

I understand.
Do you?

Yes, but a lawyer
half my size

while cross-examining you
during deposition

will the say the following.

He will say, "Mrs. Bartlet, do
you have an MD from Harvard?"

Yes.

"Are you board certified
in Internal Medicine?"
Yes.

"Are you board certified
in Thoracic Surgery?"
Yes.

"Are you an Adjunct Professor
of Thoracic Surgery

at Harvard Medical School?"
Yes.

"Are you on the staff

of Boston Mercy Hospital
and Columbia Presbyterian?"
Yes.

"Have you been practicing
medicine for 26 years?"
Yes.

"Are you not able to recognize
a standard medical history

when it is put
in front of your face?"

I didn't read it.
I didn't think
it was important.

"What else have you signed
without thinking it was
important? Prescriptions?"

No.

"Patient instructions?"

No!

"So just this?"

Oliver, I am not

an expert on the diseases

of the central nervous system

but I can tell
you that MS is
not hereditary.

The President's condition

has absolutely no relevance
to Zoey's health status.

Well, now you're changing
your story, Mrs. Bartlet.

No, I'm not.

Did you sign it
because you were
absentminded

or did you sign it
because you knew best?

I signed it 'cause...

I just signed it.

It was a form

and I think making
a big thing out of it

is what makes it
into a big thing.

Really?

And I'm not 100% sure

that that's not what
you're going for.

Why would I want
to make it a big thing?

Because defending the
President in prime time

looks good on a resume.

Well, I've got
a pretty good-looking resume

already, Mrs. Bartlet

and it's not a big thing
because I say so, ma'am.

It's a big thing.

You're going to get
all the questions

I just asked you
and quite a few more

and then they're going to ask
the President

if he was in the room
when you signed it

and that's when he's going to
give everyone's favorite answer

from a President who has
just announced he has MS:

"I don't remember."

When are you going to go public?

Probably in a week.

They're still strategizing.

Probably a live interview
on the networks?

Yeah.

Jim Lehrer, Tim Russert,
Barbara Walters...

you... somebody...

the President
sitting in a den.

Yeah.

Followed by a live conference.

They're working on the strategy.

"I regret that I concealed
my condition from the public.

"I regret the appearance that
I tried to deceive the voters

in order to win an election."

Yes.

And if we don't
make it a big thing

they won't make it
a big thing?

Mrs. Bartlet, I'm not sure you
have an appropriate appreciation

of the size
of what happens next.

JOEY:
When are you
going public?

JOSH:
Probably in
about a week.

A week?
Yeah.

How?
We're deciding.

Probably a live interview

followed by a press conference.

So we need to know
what we're talking about.

Joey, we need you
to put a poll in
the field.

You got to come up with a model
that gets us the answers we need

without asking the questions
we can't ask.

You got to come up
with a model by yourself.

You got to break down
the results by yourself.

Not even the callers

can understand
the questions they're asking

and you got to do it
all in 96 hours.

Is what I'm describing possible?

We make it a Governor.

A Governor?

Of an industrial state.

I-I...

The Governor
of an industrial state.

Michigan.

And you give him
a degenerative illness?

Joey, you understand

that before this is over,
we're probably all going

to be spending some time
in front of a grand jury.

You can do this?

No problem.

MAN ( over PA ):
Los Angeles passengers

pre-boarding
for flight number 1217...

That's your flight.

Josh...
Yeah?

How's the President?

He's fine.

He's fine.

I'll tell him you asked.

96 hours?

Yeah.

I have to go to work now.

DONNA:
The Chinese Embassy won't even

admit it's their satellite.

We know it's
their satellite.

We've been looking at it
for seven years.

It's like looking
through a telescope

and knowing Mars is Mars.

Donna, please tell
me you didn't call
the Chinese Embassy.

I didn't call
the Embassy.

People called the Embassy.

It's not like this isn't
cause for concern.

That's right.
That's right.

The Chinese news networks
aren't reporting it

'cause they won't
admit it's happening.

Why do you suppose the
American news networks
aren't reporting it?

That's a fascinating
question to me.

To all of us.

We don't even
know what kind of
satellite it is.

Could be anything.

Communications.
That's right.

Weather.
Yep.

Could be a spy
satellite.

Could have plutonium.
That's right.

Plutonium?

Yeah.

Plutonium.

Well, nuclear reactors
on a satellite

aren't that common,
but you never know.

No, I suppose you don't.

ABBEY:
Hey, Donna.

Good evening, ma'am.
Welcome back.

Thank you.

How was the trip?

Well, I got a medevac
helicopter named after me.

Hello, how are you?

I'm fine, but there's
a giant object

hurtling its way
toward us

at a devastating
velocity.

Tell me about it.

( knocks )

C.J.

Good evening, ma'am.

Can I talk to you
for a second?

Sure.

( sighs )

How was your day?

Well, I got
pretty well bitch-slapped

by the White House Counsel,
ma'am, how about you?

I wanted to be here
when you were told.

I didn't know they were going
to tell you last night.

You know, Leo called me
into the Oval Office.

It was about 11:00

and I was standing with Toby
when Leo called me in

and Toby said, uh...

"I'll be right here
in my office when you're done."

I... I didn't know what he meant
or why he said it.

Yeah.

Babish said there's a difference
between asking the President

"Is there anything else
I should know?"

And, "Is there anything else
I need to know?"

He seemed to think

"need to know" implies
I know something already

but I don't want it confirmed
in order to maintain...

deniability.

Well, he's a lawyer, C.J.

He's vetting; it's his job.

I told him I couldn't remember
which one I say.

There were a lot of things
I couldn't remember.

Abbey...

...during the campaign,
we were in Manhattan, Kansas

at a Sheraton
or a Marriott--

I can't remember--

but we were in Manhattan, Kansas

and I came to your suite early
to tell you

we'd be doing Nightline
that night

and we had to get
to an ABC affiliate

and I think by then,
the two of you

were so used to people
walking in and out of your room

that you didn't hear
me open the door

and I was almost sure
I saw you giving the President

an injection of something.

It was Betaseron.

It reduces the frequency
of the attacks.

When the President
has his physical

and I do the release

I only ever ask, "Is there
anything else I need to know?"

( knocking )

Come on in.

She's in.

What's she going to do?

"If the Governor
of a major industrial state

"had a degenerative illness

"which he hadn't disclosed
during the election

"but has yet to impair
his job performance

would you still support him?"

Which governor?

Michigan.

Well...

then we'll wait.

Yeah.

Listen, about this Justice
appropriation...

You're going
to do a report?

Yeah.

Then can I read the report

before you ask me
to green light

another multimillion-dollar
battle

that'll have no support
in Congress?

Yeah.

I just brought it up

because this assistant AG,
Martin Connelly

when he left my office
this morning

he turned and said

"They perpetrated a fraud

against the public."

And the look on his face
when he said it...

They want to get these people.

We're not big tobacco.

Yeah.

He's expecting me.

Okay.

Good evening,
Mr. President.

Leo, how could you tell Abbey
about the health form

before I did?

I didn't know
you hadn't told her.

My wife and I
are fighting battles

on several fronts at the moment,
including one with each other.

Can you and I be men?

Can we have a bond?

We're putting a poll
in the field.

How?

We're using a woman
Josh and Toby trust

named Joey Lucas.

I met Joey Lucas.

She's basically giving MS
to the Governor of Michigan.

How's he going to feel
about that?

Don't worry about it.

This is a bad idea.

We've got to do it.

I'm coming clean.
I'm doing it voluntarily.

Anyone finds out

it's going to look like I did it
'cause a poll told me to.

Then it'd be a good idea
if nobody found out.

( heavy sigh )

All right.

Why don't you get Sam.

So...

Yeah.

I think I may have offended...

Oh, God.
Yeah.

Who?

Well, I met
with some of the staffers

for Americans for Tax Justice
and the Progressive Caucus.

And you think you may have

offended them?

Yeah, and girls, possibly.

Were you right?

Yeah. Toby, it's class...

That's all you need to tell me.

I trust you.

Sam?
Yeah.

Come see the President
and me a minute, would you?

Yeah.

TOBY:
Sam?
Yeah?

I'll be here in my office
when you're done.

Yeah, okay.

C.J.

Hey.

You walking?

Yeah.

I met with
Joey Lucas today.

I heard.

So now the President's
got Leo worried

it's going to look
like we announced it

'cause we took a poll.

What do you think?

( chuckling )

What?

The President and Leo
are worried about that?

Yeah.

( chuckles )

What?

You guys are like
Butch and Sundance

peering over the edge of a cliff

to the boulder-filled rapids
300 feet below

thinking you better not jump

'cause there's a chance
you might drown.

The President has
this disease

and has been lying about it,
and you guys are worried

that the polling
might make us look bad?

It's the fall
that's gonna kill you.

Us.

What?

You said...

"It's the fall
that's gonna kill you."

You meant "us."

Where you
going, C.J.?

I'm going home.

No, I meant...
I know what you meant.

I want to sleep for a while.

I'm going home.

You know, uh...

Donna got hold
of this fax

that was sent to
the press office

from the OSF at NASA.

What, something falling
out of the sky?

Yeah.

We get that fax
once a week.

Yeah, but Donna
doesn't know that.

She thinks it's
an emergency.

And you didn't want
to tell her?

No, 'cause
the other way

you get a day's worth
of entertainment

without leaving
the office.

She doesn't know
that these things

fall out of the sky
all the time...

once every ten days,
as a matter of fact.

Since the first year

we started putting
manmade objects in space

17,000 have come back,
and remarkably

not one person
has been hit.

So I suppose there's
an argument to be made

that we're due.

Yeah.

You picked me
right up there, Josh.

See you tomorrow.

Yeah.