All language subtitles for The West Wing (1999) - S05E16 - Eppur Si Muove (1080p AMZN WEB-DL x265 ImE)_track3_[eng]

Previously on The West Wing:

So, tomorrow's
the big day.

What?
Mystery Ben.

What about him?

He's coming by
to say hello.

No, he isn't.
He's in town
and he called.

And you gave him
an appointment?
He seemed nice.

He is nice, very nice.
Also very married.

Not anymore.

ABBEY:
I just want to give you
a heads up.

I'm going to start volunteering.

Volunteering, ma'am?

At the Washington free clinic.

You're going to start
practicing medicine again?

I'll just be helping out a bit.

I'm sorry, ma'am,

are you licensed
to practice medicine again?

I voluntarily chose to
stop practicing, C.J.

I never said I was hanging
up stethoscope for good.

MAN:
Preliminary results indicate

an alarmingly high prevalence
of infection.

U.S. rates are 14%,

whereas of patient volunteers
we investigated,

48% tested positive for HPV.

( phone rings )

Take a message.

Dr. Foy's office.

I'm sorry,
Dr. Foy isn't available.

Hold on a sec.

He's from Congressman Bentley's
office

and they're reviewing
one of your NIH grants.

Thanks.

Lewis Foy.

That's very nice.

I'm sorry,
which congressman?

Which project?

Let me put you on speaker
so I can find my grants file.

MAN ( on phone ):
The Congressman is especially
impressed with your work on--

wait, I have it right here:
"Human Papilloma Virus

in Commercial Sex Workers
in San Juan, Puerto Rico."

Why the interest in Puerto Rico?

Why focus on sex workers?

Is that really
of scientific value?

I just submitted my
non-competing renewal

and there are three years
left on my grant.

Can you confirm
your home address?
He needs you.

FOY:
How is that relevant?

The address we have
is 536 Washburn Lane.

Are you a registered voter, sir?

Our records indicate that
you're a registered Democrat.

FOY:
I don't see how that's
any of your business.

Can you tell me
who you voted for?

C.J.:
Maybe she's overreacting.
Maybe I'm overreacting.

Maybe.
He never mentioned her.
He never made reference

to her working in
the lab at all.

Okay.

The old, let's-lift-
up-this-rock-and-see-
if-we-can-

find-something-wiggling-underne
ath-it game.

Just happened to be her rock.

She's so sensitive.

You know she'd freak

if anyone even
hints at nepotism.

Tell me this is nothing
to worry about.

This is nothing to worry about.

Toby.

Which Congressman was it?

Bentley.

As in House Reform.

How many U.S. research labs
come equipped

with the President's
daughter?

Whether they
invoked her or not,

they wouldn't have called
unless they had something.

Somebody's out for blood and
they're targeting Ellie Bartlet.

I got the back table
at 1789

and I told him to wear
the painter's pants

so you won't be tempted
to jump him.

And he has a meeting at 3:00.

Nice work.

Those would have to be

some seriously hideous
painter's pants.

Now that you've slept on it

the call to Dr. Foy
wasn't about Ellie Bartlet

and I get to have
a happy quiet day?

Now that I've slept on it
I think it's worse.

When they were in
the Governor's mansion

Ellie got a $5 allowance
for a boat-load of chores.

The President isn't steering
money to his daughter.

Not the President. Us.

Some overeager, NIH lackey
trying to curry favor

and this conversation would
be a whole lot easier

were I not fighting my way
through a cloud of Obsession.

There's no cloud.

It's about to
precipitate out.

It's about to rain
Obsession.

I got a brief.

I'll get a breakdown
of Foy's funding.

Hope like hell it hasn't gone up
since Ellie Bartlet

started working in his lab.

I'll call Mike Rafter
on the House Committee.

Thank you.
It's not about you.

I'll pretty much do anything
to avoid using the words

"Mr. President" and
"your daughter" in
the same sentence.

So, what did you think of
the Lawrence opinion?

You keeping track of
the Court these days?

When I'm not color coding
the President's M&M's.

You still smarting I
had to carry your ass
through con law?

You did not
have to carry...

You thought strict scrutiny
was a pick-up technique.

Hey, worked on Pam Sussman--

I mean not that well.
How is your lovely wife?

She's good.

So, Georgetown offered me
dean of the law school.

That's great,

except aren't you a judicial
nominee for the Sixth Circuit?

I've been a judicial nominee for
the Sixth Circuit for 12 months.

You knew
the confirmation process

was going to be
an uphill battle.

Uphill battle?

It's a permanent gag order.

I can't write,
I can't publish.

Hell, I can't even debate
the cases with my students.

Not to mention that
I've had a bull's-eye

painted on my back
for 12 months.

They've called my wife, my
brother, my ex-girlfriends.

These things take time.

Come on, the Republicans

have been blocking
your nominations

since Bartlet took office.
You drop out,

you're going to
close this door forever.

I'm not sure this door
was ever open.

When does Georgetown...
Don't do this to me.

When do they need to know?
The end of the week.

Give me till then.
To do what?

To fix it.

They said
they'd call back.

You told Congressman Bentley
it was the White House calling?

Toby Ziegler
from the White House?

Maybe you're running
out of shizzle.

I looked up his funding
on the NIH's public website.

The money for last year's
the same as before

Ellie Bartlet
started working--
okay, $14 more.

Maybe they gave him
a new trash can.

Try Bentley again

and look into not-so-direct ways
we could be sending money

in Dr. Foy's direction.

And please don't say shizzle.

Mrs. Bartlet ditched the
Board of Regents meeting?

What, did you find her smoking
in the parking lot

at the Smithsonian?

She was working at
the clinic and she
sent a proxy,

but Chairwoman
Dorthea Langston Lodge

is hopping mad and
threatening to go
to the press.

Hopping mad she had to go to
the Board of Regents meeting.

We've got an
image problem.

The stories
aren't dying down.

The press doesn't know what
to do with the First Lady.

Nobody does, including
the President,

which is why he'd like
you to sit down with her.

Happy to help.

She's in the
Mural Room.

Now? I have a...
had a lunch.

I'm just going
to go cancel it.

Are you wearing
White Shoulders?

My piano teacher used to wear
White Shoulders.

Not as much.

Hi.

Hi.

Long time.

Yeah. You look great.

You, too.

I'm sorry, Ben.
I can't have lunch.

And I don't have
a lot of time.

But... you did the dance.
You paid your dues.

I want you to know
that I'm in.

What?

Coy is a bad color on me.

I'm ready.
I'm on board.

I want you to count me
in because I'm in.

I got to go.
Call me later.

Hey, did you get Leo?

He's booked.

Tell Margaret I
can talk so fast

it won't actually take
measurable time.

I'm waiting for Rodney.
Who's Rodney?

Ryan's roommate.
Ryan's got a roommate?

He's checking to see
if Ryan's in his room

because Ryan didn't show up
today and it's not like him.

Really? 'Cause it
seems exactly like him.

He's never late.

He walks in like he's late,
but he's not.

Like when you're on a train
and the train next to you

is pulling away,
only it seems like...

Rodney's taking
a long time.

Do you think he went
back to sleep?

That or he's dead now, too.

Get me Leo.

So what was it?

The tube top to meet
the Queen of England

or the low-rise jeans
for the North Korean
delegation?

Mrs. Bartlet,
the press didn't know

what to make of you before
the M.S. became public.

You've never been

the traditional hat-knitting
president's wife.

Oh, shoot.
Was that in the handbook?

Maybe just get me
a photographer

and seven years worth of yarn.

Can you tell me why you decided
to volunteer at the free clinic?

Because instead of putting out
a press release

I decided to roll up my sleeves
and help treat children.

Is there any particular...

There are any number of
children's health issues
I'm interested in,

so I thought it was
appropriate to go out

and just see what's
going on first-hand.

Great. But until the press
understands that

they're going to fill in the
blanks with self-aggrandizing,

craven, vote-grabbing...

Would you like me
to do interviews
with the press corps?

God no!
They're the most cynical

bastards on the planet.

You need to get beyond
the Washington echo chamber

and speak right to the people.
So, what did you have in mind?

I checked out the reject list
from your invitation file

and there are a few things
in here

I think you should reconsider;

the first of which is Muppets.

Pardon?

Going on Sesame Street
would give you an opportunity

to reintroduce yourself
as the First Lady

who is also a working doctor

and address
the press's questions

about your work at the clinic.

Give a muppet a check up.

Get your message out.
No Meet The Press?

Mrs. Bartlet...

You don't think I
could take Russert?

Why should you?
Only five people
are watching

and it's the toughest interview
in the world.

I want you
on the Surgery channel,

in women's health magazines,
the Today Show.

Mrs. Russell's approval ratings
bumped considerably

when she did her
cooking segment.

Her chili was so good they're
having her back for Christmas.

C.J., you're trying to raise
my competitive hackles.

Mrs. Bartlet, if I were trying

to raise
your competitive hackles

I'd make you watch
Diane Sawyer's duet

with Cookie Monster.

Muppets.

JOSH:
I want to set up a meeting

with the Judiciary Committee's
chief of staff.

That's a productive
use of your time.

Eric Hayden's going to withdraw
from the nomination process.

Sixth Circuit's
got eight empty seats.

Empty for a year
and a half.

Because the Republicans
have been holding up

our nominations in committee.
What else is new?

At least four of
those nominees,
including Hayden,

would be confirmed in a
straight up or down vote

if they got out of committee
and onto the Senate floor.

Meanwhile,
over in the judicial branch,

the seven remaining judges
on the Sixth Circuit

are totally overworked, and the
number of cases keeps growing.

If Hayden withdraws...

You want to make him the
"Justice Held Hostage"
poster boy?

I'm betting the Republicans on
the Judiciary Committee don't.

How can they afford
to block a qualified...

They've been blocking our
nominations since Roe.

If a judge has half an opinion
on the right to privacy,

it's grounds for killing
the nomination.

You think you
can just waltz in,

knock on a few pipes
and fix the plumbing?

The Sixth Circuit...
It's one lousy
appellate court.

Eric Hayden
and the eight empty seats

on the Sixth Circuit
epitomize the problem.

You don't think it's time
to do something about it?

Lunatics.
I'm surrounded by lunatics.

I'm going to set
up the meeting.

I got ten bucks says

you're banging your head
against the sink.

Twenty.

That's what I figured you'd say,
Mike, but thanks for checking.

Your friend couldn't help?

My friend's a Democrat
which means no one

on House Reform who knows
anything talks to him.

What do you got?
Bupkiss.
I mean unless Dr. Foy

got some of the $2 billion
Bartlet earmarked for HIV
and AIDS research.

Foy's funding didn't come
from that money.

If this is the President's
brand of favoritism,

Dr. Foy should find himself
a new sugar daddy.

Where's Bentley?
I tried him again.

His assistant promised
she'd have him call you as soon

as he gets off
the floor.

He's not on the floor.
There's no more votes today.

WOMAN ( on TV ):
...a field for exploration.

Now if somebody wants
to do a study

on "Depression
in Childless Lesbians"

I can't stop them.

It's Barbara Layton.

But what good is using
taxpayer resources...

and there's Bentley

standing right
next to her.

...with zero benefit.

Get C.J.

I have a list of 255 projects

supported by the Bartlet
administration...

Toby.
Tell him I'm
already watching.

Dr. Gloria Buezo,

$1,788,000.

Dr. Lewis Foy...,

Damn it.

"Human Papilloma Virus

in Commercial Sex Workers...

She has a list.
She made a list.

Haven't lists gone out with
Joe McCarthy and hula-hoops?

And haven't these
255 scientists

had to go through a rigorous
review process

before getting a dollar?

They knew about Ellie.

Bentley and Layton knew that
if they questioned Dr. Foy,

Ellie would contact us and we'd
come knocking hard and fast,

and I walked right into it.

It's a full-frontal
attack and Layton's
not going to stop

until she gets her
televised investigation.

You don't think Layton cares
about science?

She didn't have an opinion on
artistic expression either

and she helped dismantle
the NEA.

Let's not even dignify it.
Put out a neutral statement

saying the White House has no
role in the NIH review process.

Refer all comments to the
National Institutes of Health.

We might want the fight.

We just got to find out
what it is first.

Rena, get me a copy
of that list.

I'm right here.

Find out everything you can

about the projects
and the investigators.

How the list was put together.
Okay.

Get on the NIH website.
Look for key words that appear

in the project titles.

Like "heroin,"
"men who sleep with men".

They're coming after us.

Yeah. We can't put
our pieces on the board

until we know what
game we're playing.

Just don't do anything.
Just don't say anything.

We don't want Ellie's name
spilling out

because we pressed
the wrong button.

If we don't respond,
it will look like
we have no response.

I'm going to need
a party line.

I'll talk to Leo.

No, no, no.
Not one of the daughters.

They haven't
involved Ellie yet.

You know what happens
if the President finds out

Ellie's getting dragged
into apolitical tar pit

we won't be able to get him
to focus

on his breakfast order

because he'll be asking for
the launch codes.

What's C.J. think?

That we should
hang back

with a neutral statement.

Hiding under the covers
isn't going to work.

Margaret?

Set up a meeting with Toby
and Layton

for tomorrow morning.

Let's see if we can't
negotiate our way out.

Meeting's a statement.

Our guys will think we've caved.
Her folks will crow.

You know she's not sitting down
unless she comes out

with a pound of flesh.

That's why I gave you
till tomorrow.

The NSC principals
are in the Sit Room.

Thanks. I'm sorry, but
can we really justify

spending $800,000 on
"A Bio-Cultural Approach

to the Study of Female Sexual
Fantasy and Genital Arousal"?

How can we afford not to?

And the President was wondering

if you'll be joining him at the
reception for Congressman Scaia?

You bet.

Mrs. Bartlet, people are talking
and I was wondering

if you could confirm...
Yes, Debbie.

The Muppets are coming
to our very own White House.

I had the good fortune of seeing
Judy Garland

live at Carnegie Hall,

but Miss Piggy... here--
it's just too much...

CHARLIE:
Debbie's a big fan.

And you're not?

I'm crazy for muppets.

I'm just trying to act cool.

Ma'am, will Fozzie bear
be in the house?

Interestingly, Fozzie
and Miss Piggy

aren't actually part of
the Sesame Street gang.

They're from The Muppet Show.

What about Kermit?

He is the only crossover.
Oh.

Set me a meeting with
the judiciary chief of staff.

Lisa Wolfe?

We're going to put
butts in seats.

I'm packing the court.

Because of Eric Hayden.

Because of Eric Hayden,

because the Sixth Circuit's
in crisis,

because the judicial nomination
process is a complete mess.

Is this some kind
of over-determined,
do-something-impossible-

to-impress-the-one-guy-who-impr
esses-you-and-stole-

your-girlfriend-in-law-school
kind of thing?

He didn't steal my girlfriend.

I thought Pam was cute, but when
I saw she had eyes for Hayden,

I bowed out like a gentleman,

also there's nothing
I take more seriously

than getting judges
on the federal bench.

How about getting judges
on the Supreme Court?

You see, this is the problem.

It's always about
the Supreme Court.

Nine guys getting all the ink.

Actually, it's seven guys

and two highly-qualified
female jurists.

The Supreme Court sees

80 cases a year.

These guys see close to 20,000.

Circuit courts make 99%

of judge-made law.

Oh, that is important.

You should fix that.

Ryan's still missing,

by the way.

What do C.J. and Big Bird
have in common?

This'll be fun because
no one's ever made a joke

about me and Big Bird before.

Your heads are in Ohio and your
feet are in Florida.

Wouldn't that make us not so
much tall as crooked?

Oh. Maybe.

Is this Layton thing

going to stick?

Too soon to tell.

Hard to imagine she'll get any
kind of traction.

If I had a nickel for every
Republican demagogue

bloviating about our
pansy-assed priorities...

They do love to bloviate.

I mean isn't that
what the floor is for?

Anyway...

Do you want insight
into Layton? Toby's
tangled with her.

Nah, I was just... Thanks.

Josh.

Hello, Lisa. Let's talk
about the Sixth circuit.

Not much to talk about.

Court's got eight empty seats.

And not a single
confirmable nominee.

Really? Seems like
Eric Hayden's

probably good for 53 "yeas"
on the Senate floor.

That seems unlikely.

So you heard he's planning
to withdraw.

No.

But it wouldn't surprise me.

Surprised me. And I
got a feeling the
American public's

going to be shocked
when they hear

what the committee's doing
to the Sixth circuit.

Protecting one of the most
important courts in the land

from being overrun
by the Green Party?

Whoa, whoa. The Green Party?

Hayden gave a speech on
gay rights five years ago

in which he said the court

should make sodomy laws
unconstitutional.

The Court just made sodomy laws
unconstitutional.

Yes. Let me tell you, our base
was thrilled with that decision.

The press is already
writing stories about

the state of affairs
on the Sixth Circuit.

It's time to fix
this thing.

It's in both our interests.

Talk more.

We start with Hayden--

And the Sixth Circuit.

You guys show
a little good faith,

we'll sit down,
knock back a few beers

and see what we can do to fix
the greater problem.

Okay.

So, if you want to
convince the Republicans
on the committee

we're starting anew,

you're going to need
some new nominees.

Confirm Hayden
and we'll discuss it.

They're going to have
to fill some

of those seats eventually.

I don't think so.

They can't hold out for forever.

They can hold out
for three years.

They can't--
it's half the court.

For six months
they've left half the seats

on the Sixth Circuit...

Seats on the Sixth Circuit?
How about 15%

of the federal bench?

What?

120 vacant seats.

120 empty robes during the
last Republican presidency.

Didn't hear Governor Bartlet
complaining then.

Do you think I like this?

Do you think this is the way
I think

our government should
function?

I'm a Republican and I've spent
every day of the past five years

wondering whether judges
shouldn't be appointed

by executive decree.

It's a political
process.

You want to fill
the Sixth Circuit,

you got to send us
someone we can confirm.

The staff assistants
in Layton's office

were so happy to give
me the list

I swear I heard
a band playing.

So why should we study
female sex-workers
at truckstops?

What's the purpose
of the study--

to try and improve and protect
the public's health,

scientists have
a responsibility

to study whatever they think
will lead them to answers.

And we have to pay for it?

Yeah. If
they're conducted

ethically and have merit.
But you said scientists...

"Doesn't approve of HIV
being spread through
sexual contact.

Drug addicts have made
bad personal choices."

One congresswoman
doesn't get

to appoint
herself God.

Anything else?

Yes. I did a Google search

for all of these project titles

and the same website
keeps coming up.

I'm sorry, so I'm supposed
to raise my kid on $650 a week

and shell out for research

on safe injection practices
among heroin users?

Yes.

You have a kid?

Yeah, I have
a little girl.

TOBY:
The Traditional
Values Alliance?

They represent
a bunch of church groups.

Yeah, some 50,000 of them.

It's the same list.

Get me Mack McCall

from the Traditional Values
Alliance on the phone, now.

Where's my 20 bucks?

How do you feel about
executive decrees?

Love 'em. I'm making one.
I want my money.

Hold on there.

I want to talk about
recess appointments.

A recess appointment.

Not just one.
Eight of them.

Every vacant seat
on the Sixth Circuit.

Uh-huh. Fork it over.

Leo...
The appointments are only
going to last for nine months,

then we got to nominate
these guys again

and we're back to square one.

It's not square one.

We increase
public awareness,

we re-examine the process...

We have our own little
Whiskey Rebellion

on the floor of the Senate.

In response to which
we circulate

a complete bio of every
one of our new judges

and let the country
decide who's in the right.

If we're going to have
a national debate,

it's got to be on our terms.

Somebody's going to ask
if it's constitutional.

Chief Justice Warren thought so.

Earl Warren approved?

Earl Warren was one.

Along with Brennan
and Potter Stewart.

I'll run it up the flagpole.

Here you go.

I don't, Charlie.
C.J. and Big Bird
are so tall that what?

When you do cartwheels...
We kick God in the chin.

When we trip on a rock we hit
our heads on the moon.

When we do push-ups we burn
our backs on the sun.

And you read
the Tall Street Journal.

Go away.

Dems have scheduled
special-order speeches

in defense of pure science,
pro-family groups

are coming
to Layton's defense.

There's a letter signed
by 237 members

of the National Academy
of Sciences

calling the list
"Scientific McCarthyism,"

and the head of the NIH

just put out a statement.

"I've ordered
an immediate review

of all relevant projects."
Great.

ABBEY:
There's a whole new world
of Sesame Street

since my girls were little.

Gordon and Susan
have gotten married,

Maria has a daughter
that's almost grown.

What about Bob?

Bob is still there--
he looks fantastic.

You have a handsome man
in your doorway.

Carol.

He really needed
to talk to you.

Hello.

I'm Abbey Bartlet.

Ben Dryer, ma'am.

Yes, but who are you
to our C.J.?

That's an excellent
question, Mrs. Bartlet.

Would you excuse us
a moment?

Nice to meet you.

Whatever this is,
this isn't a good time.

What... what
does that mean,

"you're in"?

You... me... together?

We haven't seen each other
in six years.

We haven't slept together
in 15.

So, what, are we engaged?

I have a daughter.
I have an ex-wife,

I have an ex-wife's mother
that I take care of.

Are we going
to have kids?

Because we should probably
probably get cracking.

I didn't...

Yeah.

Excuse me. Hi.

Hi. Sorry.

I just got off
with Mack McCall

of the Traditional Values
Alliance.

The $2 billion earmarked
for AIDS research is actually

"a pseudo-scientific slush-fund
for the President's daughter."

She doesn't work in HIV.
They're kooks.

With a press conference
that's going to get coverage

on national TV.
Oh, my God.

Where is Ellie?
The press is going
to be all over her.

We've got about 30 minutes
to get her under wraps.

Ron Butterfield.

Carol, get me
the Washington bureau chief.
C.J.?

Toby.

...began investigations into 255
scientific research projects.

Projects all funded through
NIH grants were deemed

questionable scientific value
by the committee.

And in a recent turn
of events...

a post-doctoral research fellow
at Johns Hopkins

where she studies Human
Papilloma Virus, or HPV,

in Puerto Rican sex workers...

So, she okay?

The Secret Service
was right there.

PRESIDENT:
How is this possible?!

This is my family!

What the hell are
are you people thinking?!

Oh, my.

I'd yell, too.

How can the Traditional
Values Alliance

link AIDS money
with what Ellie does?

Aren't AIDS and HPV
different areas of research?

They're both
below the waist.

HPV is a sexually
transmitted virus

that's been linked
to cervical cancer.

Come on.

When the NIH was founded,
the idea was simple:

Identify the best research

as defined by scientists
themselves.

And now these people,
who are not even scientists,
have answered

all the questions
before any science
has been done?

Have you ever seen one
of these grant applications?

We're lucky Einstein
didn't have

to fill one out

or God knows
what "E" would equal.

So, tell me what
you're doing

with yourselves,
'cause right now

I feel like I might just as well
let loose a bunch of buzzards

in Ellie's apartment for all
the good you're doing me.

We're pretty sure
Layton's known about Ellie

since the beginning,

but she's been covering
her tracks

by having Bentley call

other researchers as well.

What do you propose?

Let's just make a
statement and call
it what it is:

People who don't like you
using your daughter

as a partisan pinata--

I don't want
to engage with them.

JOSH:
We have to fight back.

I'm not saying we shouldn't.

The public's health is at stake.
We're gonna sit back

and let moralistic dogma
replace scientific method?

Penicillin, human genetics.
Rogaine.

These were all discovered

with no practical objective
in mind.
It's not about that.

It is, Toby, because
that's what's on the table.

PRESIDENT:
Get Layton over here.
I'm not cooperating

with any kind of investigation.

And I want you to pull

the passes of every White House
reporter who filed on this.

Sir, I can only imagine
how angry you must be.

Damn it!

Ellie's never sought
or accepted public office.

She's not running that lab!

She's a research fellow!

They can take all the shots
they want at me,

but these people have
to understand

when they attack my family,
there'll be consequences.

JOSH:
Sir, if we punish

the Congresswoman
or the press,

we make it more of a story.

I think we can
discredit Layton.

How's that?

She got her hit-list
from a political action group

whose other website is
"TheLordhateshomos.org."

( scoffs )

Ellie's never asked
for anything.

Hell, I had to beg her

to come to my
first Inaugural Ball.

She had some kind of exam.

I talked to the professor
and asked him to reschedule it

I think she's still mad at me.

Abbey and have been
very clear: we won't use them,

you can't either.

We never even put the girls
on a White House Christmas card.

Dad,

I'm sorry about all of this.

What? I didn't
support you?
No, I'm just tired.

I thought
I'd have somewhere
to go tonight

other than my office.

I wore perfume.

What happened with Ben?

I wrecked it.

Wow.

Is that a record?

Personal best.

Did you like him?

Yeah.

Really?
Yeah.

Go fix it.

It's all I got.

Call Layton's office.

Tell him I'm coming
over right now.

You need something?

How did Layton
get the list?

Russell gonna weigh in
on "Scientific McCarthyism"?

No. I need
to find out...

Now's not good.

Thanks, Julie.
You rock.

You're all set
to see Layton.

They're expecting you
at any time.

Please don't say
"you rock."

JOSH:
We didn't have much luck
with the Judiciary Committee.

HAYDEN:
I didn't expect
you would.

But the President
is seriously considering

a number
of recess appointments.

A number?

You and the other
seven nominees

to the Sixth Circuit.

It'll be bumpy,

but once the public sees
your credentials,

we're confident that...

You think it'll give
the President

a nice lift
in the polls?

No. I mean, I'm sure
it can't hurt, but...

I can't be
your martyr, Josh.

I'm not asking.

They didn't confirm me now,
they're sure as hell

not gonna confirm me
nine months from now.

You think
Georgetown's
gonna wait around?

I've got two kids,
my wife, a mortgage.

I'm just trying--

You're trying to win.

In my first semester
at Harvard,

one of my students helped
30 retired steelworkers

file a class-action suit,
an action under ERISA.

They were old men, just
struggling to get by

because the mill had
refused to award them

their federally
guaranteed pensions.

So six years later,

ten of the plaintiffs
have passed on

and the court still hasn't
gotten to their case.

You throw dirt at them.

They throw dirt at you.

It's never gonna stop.

So you're just
gonna hide at Georgetown

and complain about it?
Let's do something!

We're firing a shot here.

Maybe we won't win the war,
but for Christ sakes, Hayden,

you are one
of the brightest guys

I have ever known.

You got nine months.

Show 'em what you can do.

Hey.

Hey.

Did you know that patents
and copyrights were invented

to encourage
private patronage
of science and technology?

It didn't work,
of course.

Maybe they should have
thrown in

a free football phone.
Really sorry
about today.

Yeah, well, if I'd known
I was going to be on TV

I would have blown-dried.

There's always been tension
between science and policy.

We used to do terrible things
to you people

because we were never ready
to hear what you had to say.

I know of one guy
they were ready to carve up

with instruments of torture
because he had this silly idea

that the Earth revolved
around the sun.

If this is an object lesson

about how scientists
have it better today

because there's no
Inquisition...

I enjoy talking
about Galileo,

and don't you start
with me!

It's apocryphal, Dad.

A story for tourists.

If Galileo had muttered
"It still moves"

after they made him recant
his life's work,

they would have killed him
on the spot

and I don't know why
I let you do this to me!

I promised Dr. Foy

I'd have this stuff
to him by tonight.

He'll understand.

I hate that he has to.

I don't want to ask him.

I just want to go sit
in my office

and look at my data.

What?

I wish you could
do that, too.
But I can't.

If you believe
in what you're doing,

you have
to speak up.

Our work speaks
for itself.
It's not enough.

I'm sorry you had
the misfortune
to be born

into this family,
but our business is politics.

Your business.

This whole thing started
because I earmarked

a billion dollars
of the federal
science budget

for HIV/AIDS research.

What does that have
to do with...?

Just because you like
what I earmarked

doesn't mean
I didn't politicize science

just like
Barbara Layton's
trying to do.

This is the real world.

My enemies will never stop
going after you.

But if Dr. Foy
is investigated,

you need to be right
by his side.

And C.J. can help you
with a statement.

No.

When Galileo said
"Eppur si muove"

it meant that
he would continue

no matter what
to study and publish.

I get nosebleeds, Dad.

Even though he had
to live under house arrest

and write in secret.

I couldn't stand up
to do a damn book report!

It's easy for Zoey
and Liz.

You and Mom love
the attention.

Science can't wall

itself off
from controversy.

It has to live by it!

It's not me, Dad.

It's not.

LAYTON:
It's a red banner day.

and I just happened
to be here

to celebrate with you.

Toby, hi.

Congresswoman.

Thanks for seeing me.
I'm sorry
about this mess.

One of my assistants
just had her thesis published.

Please.

Nobody wants
to blow up the NIH here.

I promise I won't
even mention the
Supercollider.

You guys pretty
much took care

of that one already.

I hope you will convey
my deepest sympathy

that the President's daughter
has been dragged into all this.

I'll do that.
He'll be delighted

to hear that we won't be seeing
anything about Ellie Bartlet

in your fundraising materials.

It wasn't my decision
for her to go work in a lab

doing questionable
research on Uncle Sam's dime.

And you decide
what's questionable?

It's my job.

I'm on the authorizing committee
for that money.

There's nothing wrong
with healthy scrutiny.

Healthy scrutiny,
not subjective attack.

Your list
isn't about priorities.

It's about imposing ideology
and religious doctrine

on the awarding
of individual

scientific grants.

It's the taxpayers' money.

Your disapproval

of high-risk behavior
is justification

for stifling
the research
to reduce it?

I don't have a problem
with homosexuals

or injection drug users,

but there
is only one pie

and we're talking about spending
$2 billion dollars of it

on the small percentage
of the population with HIV,

which will mean cutting funding
for Alzheimer's,

muscular dystrophy,
and diabetes,

multiple sclerosis.

Oh, good. The MS card.

This doesn't have
to be one or the other.

One in eight women
will get breast cancer

and at least 15% of those
aren't going to live five years

after the diagnosis.

Every dollar you spend
on studies

of Puerto Rican sex workers
is one that you take away

from cancer centers
and clinical tests.

You don't know that.

You don't know where

undirected research
will lead.

You're not a scientist

and neither are the members of
the Traditional Values Alliance.

What are you doing in bed
with these people?

No, I'm not.

I spoke with Mack McCall.

Oh, Mack McCall will take credit
for anything

that gets his name in the paper.

You got your list
from the Traditional
Values Alliance.

I didn't.

Your lists are identical.

There's a lot of people
that care about this issue.

A lot of prominent people
on both sides of the aisle.

You'd be surprised, Toby.

It was nice seeing you again.

I've got muppets in,
like, two minutes,
but I wanted to...

Layton claims
she didn't get

her list from
the Traditional
Values Alliance.

She didn't. Rena?

When I first checked
Dr. Foy's funding
on the NIH Web site,

it said he had $14
more this year.

Right... the trash can.

Right, but when
Layton's list came out,
the extra $14 wasn't there.

Now, there were
other discrepancies
between the two lists,

but they were so small,
I figured it was
just human error.

So, Layton's list is up to date
and the TVA's list isn't?

Which makes sense.
It's a public Web site,

probably not updated
regularly.

But the 14 bucks
kept bugging me,

so I checked
Layton's list

against our internal,
NIH generated...

Very un-public list
and...

And... they're the same.

Yeah. See?

No trash can.

Our list was put out
two weeks ago.

She couldn't have gotten
that information unless...

Unless whoever put
this list together works...

inside the administration.

At first I thought it was
Stephen James from HHS,

because I know he
hates the President,

then I thought it was
the passive-aggressive
recycling guy and...

You know who it is.

Yeah.

I have new pages.

This is not what
we agreed on.

I think the First Lady
had some strong ideas
about her character.

I'll catch up.

If I were the
Vice President's
Chief of Staff,

gearing up for
the next campaign,

I might be doing some thinking
about our own weaknesses,

trying to imagine how...
how our opposition

might be viewing us...
with regards to say,

health-care spending priorities.

It was for my eyes only.

No one here knew
about it except me.

Yeah, well, the experiment
got out of the lab, huh?

You didn't do
opposition research
in the last campaign?

That's what vaults are for.

I honestly have no
idea how it got to
the Congresswoman.
Yeah?

I came to talk to you
about it yesterday,
but you threw me out.

Maybe if you've started
the conversation by saying,

"I just outted the President's
daughter on national TV",

that would've gotten
my attention.

So you must be happy.

Maybe if I had stuck around,

I wouldn't be making
amateur mistakes,

committing career suicide.

I don't give a damn
if you left opposition
research in a FAX.

Did you or did you not

willfully target
the President's daughter?

Of course not.

I'll take you at your word
this was a mistake.

Whatever the hell else
you want to do about it
is your own business.

Thank you.

I never do this.
I'm a little nervous.

Oh, don't
be silly.

Wow, you have
beautiful hair!

Oh, my God, that's so sweet.

I actually need to get
it cut, but thanks.

Oh.

( kid jabbering )

Is everything okay?

It's just that
I thought,

well, Kermit was
gonna be here,

but, you know, it's no big deal.

I didn't know you studied HPV.

Yeah.

My sister died of
cervical cancer.

I'm so sorry.

She was 37.

It was really fast.
We didn't know then.

Nobody knew it was
connected to HPV.

Yeah.

I read there's a vaccine coming.

That's what we've
been working on.

Work harder.

( cackling laughter )

ELMO:
Boy, going to the doctor
is not so bad after all.

( cackling )

Oh, that tickles!

( cackling )

Okay, and,
one, two, three.

Oh!
Oh!

Boy, that was fun!

Do the other one.

Okay, Elmo, now it's time
for your immunization,

and I'm going to have to
give you a little injection.

But, Mrs. Doctor Abbey,
First Lady Doctor,

will it hurt Elmo?

Well, it might hurt
just a little tiny bit,

but it's very
important.

Wait a minute.

Didn't you give up
your medical license?

( everybody laughs )

No, you did not...
you did not say that.

ELMO:
Do you have a diploma

you could show Elmo?

( laughter continues )

ELMO:
Can Elmo be frank?

This laughing is not filling
Elmo with confidence.

( laughter continues )

Oh, Elmo,
you, you...

Yeah...

Let me know if there's
anything I can do.

Hayden's on board.
Hayden.

I got him.
He called Georgetown,
he's ready to...

Yeah, we're gonna have
to put that on hold.

We lost
a Supreme Court Justice...

Lost?

Dead.

Justice Ashland's dead?

Justice Brady.

Owen Brady.

Heart attack.

What was he, 45?

Fifty-two.

Justice Brady.

Republicans are gonna go nuts.
I just saw him.

MARGARET:
Leo, you've got the
head of the Senate

Judiciary Committee
on line three.

I'll take it.

ABBEY:
That's it.

Was that so bad?

Well, it hurt but just a little.

You did it!

Oh, Elmo did it, yeah!

( all cheering )

You are so brave!

Olé, Elmo,
you are my hero.

Oh, thanks.

You did well.

If there's any kind
of firestorm,

I promise
I'll handle it.

I know.

( whispers ):
Your handsome man is back.

ELMO:
...First Lady Doctor.

ABBEY:
Thank you, that's
the nicest thing

anyone's ever said to me.

Thank you for coming back.

Thank you for calling.

C. J., can you help me
with something?

( sighs )

( knock at door )

What can I do for you, Will?

We have to talk
about the NIH list.

I, uh, told them I'm
the only one who's seen it.

I thought the research
would be useful.

I thought it
was a good idea.
It was a good idea.

I heard you played
"Bad Cop-Bad Cop"
with the entire staff

trying to find out who
leaked it to Layton.

Doesn't one
of your wife's charities

have something to do
with breast cancer?

The National Foundation.

Congresswoman Layton's
on the board

of that foundation, too,
isn't she?

What's your point?

There may be speculation...

My wife feels very
strongly about this work.

Is it possible she may
have shared her information

with Barbara Layton?

Barb? Yeah. It's possible.

You're gonna need to tell
the President, sir.
Am I?

It's going to come out, sir.
The list is all over town.

Well, maybe
that's not so bad.

It wasn't my plan, but
might be a happy accident.

Just the thing we need
to put a little distance

between us and them.

I wouldn't worry about it.

I really wouldn't.

That'll be all.

Yes, sir.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

ELLIE:
While money spent studying
the brains of PCP users

might appear
to be taxpayer waste,

this research led directly

to the discovery
of the NMDA receptor.

Science cannot exist
in a vacuum.

By nature,
it's an open enterprise

strengthened by public scrutiny.

Openness is the basis
of a free society.

But when science is attacked
on ideological grounds,

its integrity and usefulness
are threatened.

Independent peer-review
research

is the cornerstone
of science in America.

It shouldn't be about
the left or the right,

but what works to keep
people safe and healthy.

I believe all Americans,
and all people everywhere,

no matter who they are
or how they live,

deserve research
to improve their lives.