All language subtitles for West Wing S02E13 Bartlets Third State of the Union.DVDRip.HI.cc.en.WB

Previously on the West Wing:
A woman named Ainsley Hayes.

"Aimsley?"

We should hire her.

Welcome to the White House.

JOSH: Your poll says that?

I said that.

"Vox populi vox Dei."

"The voice of the people
is the voice of a dog"?

The voice of God, Joshua.

God.

Yes.

Hello, pumpkin.

Abbey?

Hello, gumdrop.

Shake my hand.

We just formed it.

Formed what?

The Committee to
Reelect the President.

WOMAN: We are, by my
watch, six minutes away

from President
Bartlet's entrance

onto the floor of the
House of Representatives,

this, his third State
of the Union address.

We'll hear the
familiar introduction

from the Doorkeeper of
the House, Edgar Finney.

Perhaps some people don't know

that in order for the
President to address Congress,

he must first receive
permission from the Speaker...

I'm still here.

A tradition that dates
back to Parliament.

All right. Is that a yes?

Is it a yes?

Sam. Give me half a minute.

Yeah? Ed.

Delete "vigorously"
from the first sentence.

LEO: Which paragraph?

Three, Section Seven.

We're not going to vigorously
pursue campaign finance reform?

No, we'll pursue it regular.

Not vigorously? Not tonight.

McGowan says we're fine. He feels
the word "vigorous" is inflammatory.

Change "choke-hold"
to "tight grip." Is that it?

Yeah.

No, Sam's still on.

We got, like, four
minutes, Toby.

PRESIDENT: Where are we?

LEO: Sam's still on.

Bob Novak just said this was
the speech of my political life.

You know how many
times I've heard that?

Senator McGowan says
we're fine if we cut "vigorously."

Do it.

How you feeling?

Good.

Yes, sir. Abbey's
already in her seat?

Yes, sir. I say, my
wife's in her seat?

We got four minutes. We'll
get them in the car. Let's go.

Here we go.

SAM: I'm going to
tell him it's a "yes."

Thank you.

What'd they say? We put
our weight behind SB380.

It's a highway improvement bill.

What else? We set
aside some U.S. parkland.

What else?

That's it. I want to be clear.

This is the understanding:

we build him a highway
and name a park after him

and we have his support
for the Blue Ribbon?

Yep. Mr. President? Do it.

Yeah? Ginger.

Tell C.J. it's a green
light on the Blue Ribbon.

She'll know what it means.

Yes, sir. We'll
write it in the car.

LEO: Sir.

PRESIDENT: Yeah.

It's a good thing.

The Blue Ribbon?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Excuse me, what are you doing?

I'm just...

You were putting
gum in your mouth?

Yeah, 'cause I...

It's a good idea
to be chewing gum

when you're taking a poll

for the President
of the United States.

That's the sound people
like to hear on the phone.

The polling hasn't started yet.

Well, thank you, Mr. Helper.

Josh.

Yeah?

These people have
done this before.

They're not our people.

They're Joey Lucas's people.

None of them have accents?

They're all out of the Midwest.

I'm saying Joey Lucas is deaf

and would have no way of know...

Do any of you
people have accents?

Oh, my God.

Do any of you people
have the power of speech?

They're fine.

I should be there right now.

He's fine.

LEO: "Therefore I am
asking the leaders of Congress

"and members of both
parties to join me in establishing

a Blue Ribbon National
Commission to fashion..."

Yeah.

I want it for him when
he walks in the door.

NEWSCASTER: Gail Schumer, can
we expect the White House will be doing

its own polling?

ANALYST: You better believe it.

This may well be the speech
of the President's political life.

Excuse me, I've got a heads-up.

There'll be a
last-minute addition.

The President will be announcing

a bipartisan Blue
Ribbon commission

to study the long-term
future of entitlement programs.

Obviously, there'll
be more details

in the address.

Why last minute?

When I say "last
minute," I'm wrong.

We're just under three minutes.

C.J., why last minute?

It's something he's been
going back and forth on.

He wanted to make sure he had
support with the Democratic leadership.

And he does?

Yes. I also wanted to remind you

that Capital Beat
is broadcasting live

from the west wing for
the two or three hours

following the
address, so that area's

going to be off-limits
for carousing.

Capital Beat's doing postgame

Yes. live from the White House?

So why do they get
special treatment?

Because they're special.

Enjoy the show, everybody.

TOBY: "To build this new future

"will demand boldly setting
aside our partisan blinders

and abandoning our
ideological..." what?

Entrenchment.

"To build this new future

"will demand
boldly setting aside

"our partisan blinders
and abandoning

our ideological entrenchment."

Yeah.

( sighs): That's it.

Okay.

This is it.

Yeah.

Phone it to the prompter.

CHARLIE: Mr. President.

TOBY: Mr. President?

Thanks.

( applause)

Sir.

Amen.

CHARLIE: Amen.

Mr. Finney,

would you tell the Speaker

I'd like to see him, please?

Mr. Speaker!

The President of
the United States!

( applause)

Captioning sponsored
by WARNER BROS.

PRESIDENT: an America
that has continued to rise

through every age,
against every challenge,

a people of great works
and greater possibilities,

who have always, always
found the wisdom and strength

to come together as one nation

to widen the circle
of opportunity,

to deepen the
meaning of our freedom,

to form a more perfect union.

Our best days lie ahead.

God bless you, and God bless
the United States of America.

( loud cheering)

Way to go.

JOSH: Oh, you, too.

DONNA: Oh, he did
good. Tell me about it.

He can bring it up there.

"Up there" is where
this President eats.

That is his place of business.

Yes, he did well!

Yeah!

Let's find out how well.

This is exciting.

Yeah. Yes.

So, what do I do?

What do you mean?

What do I tell them?

Tell them to start.

Didn't you talk to Joey? Yeah.

What did she say?

She said her plane was late.

What did she say I
should tell the callers?

She didn't say
anything. Donna...

Tell them to start, Josh.

They're not supposed to receive

special instructions
based on... What?

Time zones, I don't
know, I'm not a pollster.

I-I thought Joey called.

She called from the plane

and said she was late.

When's she going to be here?

Joshua Lyman, you have the

cutest little butt in
professional politics.

Kenny, really,

that better have
been her talking.

I'm here.

Where the hell have you been?

My plane had
mechanical difficulties.

This is the State of the Union.

There was nothing
you could do about it?

No, because as a child,

I never paid attention

during Airplane Mechanics class.

Is this the kind of
Noel Coward-esque wit

I can expect all night long?

Yes.

I want to start the phone
banks... they need instructions.

Is anyone chewing gum?

ALL: No!

Okay... start.

I'd already taken
care of the gum thing.

MAN: In five, four, three...

ANNOUNCER: Live, from the
White House in Washington, D.C.,

it's Capital Beat
with Mark Gottfried.

Tonight on Capital Beat,
a special expanded edition:

The State of the Union.

GOTTFRIED: Good
evening, I'm Mark Gottfried,

and tonight our show is
live from the White House.

We'll be joined all night long

by Republicans and Democrats,
lawmakers and pundits,

and we'll be talking
to focus groups

around the country.

On the panel with me right now

is Deputy House Majority
Whip Henry Shallick

and the very
lovely, very talented

Ms. Claudia Jean Cregg,
White House Press Secretary.

C.J., on a scale of one to ten,

how did the
President do tonight?

Fourteen.

You know, Mark, the President
is a commanding public speaker

and the bar is usually
set quite a bit higher

when he makes a major address,

but tonight he cleared
it with room to spare.

My unofficial tally has him

interrupted for
applause 73 times.

C.J.: I have 72 times,
but I'll take your count.

( C.J. chuckles)

GOTTFRIED: Henry Shallick,
how did the President do tonight?

Well, C.J. is right.

The President is a
gifted public speaker.

We've always known that

and it's an admirable
talent not unlike juggling.

Now, if only he'd
said something.

By my count, 23 of the
interruptions for applause

were for co-opted
Republican ideas.

GOTTFRIED: Let's
take a quick break.

We're just getting started
with our postgame analysis

of President Bartlet's third
State of the Union address.

We've got guests standing
by around the country

and we'll back with
more Capital Beat

right after this.

MAN: We're out.

C.J.'s not wearing any pants.

Yes. ( applause)

No pants whatsoever.

It's cable. Carol?

MAN: 90 seconds back.

Could I see you a moment?

Yeah.

Could I see you over there?

Why? Can we do it here?

I'm not wearing any
pants. Can we do it here?

Sure, we're fine here
as long as there aren't

any microphones
or cameras around.

Carol?

Yeah.

Thank you.

You look like a Rockette.

Yeah. Yeah?

You know why I'm
not wearing pants?

I just assumed it was the
usual reason. I sat in paint.

Right after the speech,

I went to the Sculpture Garden

to get some air and take
it in and I sat on a bench.

And it didn't say, "wet paint"?

It did, it turns out, but...

The clothes are coming.

Where'd you get the
bathrobe? The gym.

There are bathrobes at the gym?

In the women's locker room.

Yeah. But not the men's.

Now, that's outrageous.

There's a thousand men
working here and 50 women.

Yeah, and it's the
bathrobes that's outrageous.

MAN: 30 seconds.
What's going on?

Jack Sloan has an official
reprimand in his jacket.

For what?

Excessive force.

How long ago?

17 years ago.

There was a criminal
charge... it was dismissed.

There was a civil
suit... It was dismissed.

There was enormous
community and political

pressure from local
black Democrats...

Our people?

It was 17 years ago.

MAN: 15 seconds.

Okay, so they gave him
an official condemnation.

Yeah.

Does anybody have the story yet?

They will.

MAN: Ten seconds.

I need to see
the police officer...

What was his name?

SAM: Sloan.

Hi.

Take the desk away, I
pick up three share points.

MAN: In five, four, three...

MARK: We're back with our panel

including Deputy House
Majority Whip Henry Shallick

and White House Press
Secretary C.J. Cregg...

Welcome back.

How'd it look on TV?

It looked good.

Charlie, is it possible

that C.J. isn't wearing
any pants right now?

Yeah, she sat in wet paint.

And she's not wearing any pants?

Well, she's wearing
underwear, Mrs. Landingham.

She hasn't gone smokeless.

Okay.

I didn't understand this note.

The President was
balancing his checkbook

and came across an
outstanding check for $500

that was never cashed.

The check was
written by the First Lady

to a woman the President
has never heard of

and he'd like you
to ask her about it.

Yeah. The President was
balancing his checkbook?

Why?

He does it to relax.

Yeah. Okay.

And why doesn't he just

ask the First Lady

about the $500 check himself

in the normal
course of, you know,

being married to her?

When the President inquires

into the First Lady's
personal bookkeeping,

the First Lady gets
angry with him and yells.

Well, she's going to get angry

and yell when I
inquire into it, too.

Well, the President doesn't
care so much about that.

Yeah, okay.

This is a good job.

I saw you on TV.

Cool.

( tape rewinding)

PRESIDENT: To
build this new future

will demand boldly setting
aside our partisan blinders

and abandoning our
ideological entrenchment.

Therefore, I am asking
the leaders of Congress

and members of both parties

to join me in establishing

a Blue Ribbon National
Commission to fashion...

( tape rewinds)

PRESIDENT: boldly setting
aside our partisan blinders

and abandoning our
ideological entrenchment...

( knocking on door)

Come in.

PRESIDENT: Therefore, I am
asking the leaders of Congress

and members of both parties

to join me in establishing

a Blue Ribbon National
Commission to fashion...

Mrs. Bartlet?

Hey, Charlie.

Am I disturbing you?

I just came up to
change my clothes.

Did you sit in paint?

I'm sorry?

C.J. sat on wet paint.

In the Sculpture Garden? Yeah.

No, I'm not supposed
to go to the reception

in the same clothes in
which I went to the speech.

Yeah.

I could just tell
people that I have

two outfits exactly alike.

That's what I do.

What do you need?

Ma'am, I'd like you
to bear in mind that

I'm not wearing pads or a
helmet or contact gear of any kind.

A $500 check that
hasn't been cashed?

It's written to a
woman he doesn't...

Oh, how long has
that been up his ass?!

Well, I wouldn't
know, ma'am, but...

Her name is Jane Robinson.

I read an article a
few months ago...

Her husband threw her out?

He set fire to the bed.

And she'd bought the kids'
Christmas presents early

and they were ruined.
So I sent her $500.

Well, she hasn't cashed it.

I'll make sure it got to her.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

PRESIDENT: join
me in establishing

a Blue Ribbon
National Commission...

MAN: Hey!

It's Sam Seaborn, everybody!

( applause)

See, and you guys said
I couldn't write comedy.

( laughter)

You talked to C.J.?

Yeah.

The dial groups are huge.

Middle class tax
cut, Social Security...

What about polling?

Josh and Joey'll have
early numbers in an hour.

My point is, this
police officer?

The President pointed to
him and asked him to stand.

Leo?

Let C.J. talk to him.

Is he here? Yeah.

No pictures anywhere
near the President.

Yeah.

They need you in
the Situation Room.

What's going on?

Leo, we believe
five U.S. DEA agents

have been abducted in Colombia.

Where?

On a road between Bogota

and a training base in Putumayo.

Was it the CRF?

We don't know.

Do we think it was the CRF?

Yeah.

Can the agents be identified
as U.S. Drug Enforcement?

They're carrying badges.

On a road from
Bogota to Putumayo?

They're going to
shoot these guys.

Leo, I...

The White House
Press Corps' upstairs

and there's a live TV show
being broadcast next door.

I need to meet with State,
Justice and the Pentagon,

and it needs to happen softly.

Yes, sir.

This was almost a good night.

WOMAN: My name is Melissa.

I'm from the National
Strategy Group,

in Washington, D.C.,
and I'm taking a poll

of the President of
the United States.

Are you a voting-age member...?

( murmuring voices)

Donna.

Yeah?

It's going well.

It's a 17% response rate.

Great.

Jack Sloan was reprimanded

for excessive force

by the Detroit
Police Department.

How long ago?

Seventeen years.

DONNA: What happened?

I don't know...

he made a bust, he
broke the guy's leg,

the DA couldn't make the case,

the civil suit was dismissed,

but it's there.

Who's Jack Sloan?

From tonight.

The police officer.

JOEY: I wasn't there.

I was on a plane with
mechanical difficulties.

Officer Jack Sloan of the
Detroit Police Department

was added at the last
minute to the invited guests

that are recognized by the
President during the speech.

He was the off-duty cop...
At the elementary school?

Yeah. He wasn't vetted?

It was last minute.
When do I see numbers?

Joey says it going good.

Great. When do I see numbers?

There's a 17% response rate.

Fantastic. When
do I see numbers?

You need patience, Joshua.

I need numbers, Tonto.

The poll's an hour old.

You get early numbers.

And when I get
them, you'll have them.

What do you do

in the meantime?

I'm getting a donut.

Okay.

( sighs)

We're plagued by
this nonsense, Donna.

I swear, it's just... reaching
epidemic proportions.

Those numbers are going
to tell us we had a big night

and the bounce is
going to be dragged down

by a news cycle that
won't shake the cop story.

You should ask her out.

I'm sorry?

You should ask Joey out.
Tonight could be the night.

The night to do what?

To ask her out.

Get a donut.

Okay.

MARK: Before we go
to commercial again,

let me just ask for predictions.

How big a bump does the
President get off the speech?

Congressman Shallick...

Excuse me, Mr. Secretary?

Yes.

I'm sorry to interrupt, but
Leo McGarry was wondering

if you'd come say hello
to an old friend of his.

Certainly.

Would you excuse me, please?

Sit Room.

Thank you.

LEO: Are we verifying exactly

who was at the lab?

We've verified Agents
McGrath and Nun,

but we still can't
confirm the other three.

I don't want to
mis-notify the families.

TROOP: Leo?

Mickey, 2:00 p.m.
local time in Bogota,

five DEA agents assisting
police in evidence gathering

at a cocaine lab were
taken by the CRF.

Are they alive?

We think so.

MICKEY: Okay. The
Putumayo's a Frente stronghold.

The scene the agents were at

was one of their
top-producing cocaine labs.

We're going to open a dialogue

and to do it through the
Colombian Army commanders.

Who are they talking to?

They'll tell us. I think
it'll be Nelson Guerra.

He's a Frente jefe.

Get me everything on him.

Yes, sir.

Is there anybody
close by on the ground?

The closest we've
got is Tres Encinas.

Who's there?

Six commanders and 13 support.

Really.

Yeah.

How many people are
going to be guarding

wherever these guys
are being taken to?

Five to six hundred.

Not the numbers
you're hoping for

if you're contemplating

a massive attack
and rescue mission.

No.

Tell Special Operations Command

at Fort Bragg

to submit three plans
for a unilateral op.

They have an hour.

Yes, sir.

We should let these 19
guys at Tres Encinas know

they're in it now, too.

OFFICER: Yes, sir.

I challenge all our schools
to teach character education

to teach values,
to teach citizenship

and if it means our kids
will pay more attention

to mathematics
and English literature

and history and
science and the arts

and less attention
to designer labels,

then our public schools should
be able to require students

to wear school uniforms.

MARK: "School uniforms,"
from a liberal Democrat.

What was that
sound we just heard?

Joining us now on our panel is

Associate White House
Counsel Ainsley Hayes

and to my left

Gretchen Tyler, Director
of Public Education

for the ACLU.

Gretchen, let's start with you.

Were you surprised?

I was surprised, Mark.
I was disappointed.

This President has always had

strong First
Amendment credentials.

What's the position of the ACLU?

The position of the ACLU is

that every child in the country

has a legal right to
public school education

and that right can't be
conditioned upon compliance

with a uniform policy.

Ainsley?

I think Gretchen's
point is well taken

in that I'm not 100% sure

what the President suggested
tonight was Constitutional.

What I can tell you is he's
concerned about the kid

who's left out because
he can't afford the clothes

some of his friends wear.

He's also taken serious
notice of any number of studies

done by education experts
that say, by and large

kids will do better
wearing uniforms.

GRETCHEN: It should be
noted that there already are

dress restrictions
on public school kids.

They're not allowed to
wear inappropriate clothing

or wear something
obscene on their T-shirt.

It should also be noted
that those restrictions

were over the strong
objection of the ACLU.

Ainsley, gauge for us

how strongly the
President feels about this.

Well, he included it in a
State of the Union Address.

But from your conversations
with him personally.

I haven't had any conversations
with him personally.

On this?

On anything. I've never met him.

I'm an associate counsel.

The Chinese food guy's
got more access than I do.

And yet they have you out here
speaking for the White House.

Yeah, it's a really
big night for me.

All right, we'll be back
with Gretchen Tyler

and Ainsley Hayes and more
guests as the night goes on.

We're going to send you to
New York for some other news.

Stay with us. Here's
Frank and Judy.

MAN: We're out.

You crack me up.

Thank you.

Hey, Gracie.

Hey, Sam.

Mark, does she have time?

It's a five-minute news break.

Have you been watching?

Yes.

Aren't I delightful?

Yes.

You know what I'd like?

I'd like it if you didn't say
you weren't 100% sure

that the President's
proposal is Constitutional.

The ACLU has a reasonable
case to make against the President.

They'll do a fine
job of making it

without the help of
the President's lawyer.

That's a fair point.

How have you never
met the President?

I haven't.

You've been working
here three months.

He works in the Oval Office

and I work in the steam
pipe trunk distribution venue.

I can't believe we
haven't run into each other.

I'll set up an introduction. No.

You can meet him
tonight. No way.

It's no problem. Yes, it is.

Are you scared to
meet the President?

I'm not scared to
meet the President.

Yeah, you are. I am
not scared to meet

the President 'cause I'm not
going to meet the President.

Ainsley... I'm
having a good night.

I just want to keep
having a good night.

I don't want to live in fear
of the inevitable bungling

of the English
language that will occur

and the mortification
that will ensue.

That sounds pretty bad.

I am, yes, I am indeed,

yes, I am scared to
meet the President.

Now it sounds really bad.

Yes. Okay, well,

when you meet him, you meet him.

No need to rush that day along.

Right.

Okay, can I talk to you
about adrenaline for a second?

Adrenaline?

Yeah. You're
feeling it right now

and it's going to get even more

'cause it's a big
night and we're a hit

and you've never
experienced anything like this...

And you think I'm
going to have a nutty?

I'm saying don't drink
till you're off television.

God, thanks, Sam, for that
debating tip, your feel for nuance.

You say I shouldn't be drunk

when I'm representing
the White House?

Yeah, and please don't forget

you're a blond Republican girl

and that nobody likes you.

I'm going back
on television now.

Try and remember
you're on our side.

( laughter)

ABBEY: Thank you, thank you.

Sam Seaborn
wrote that line for me.

( laughter)

You know, there's
a lot of polling

going on right now.

The instant dial focus groups

predict tonight's
speech was a success.

( applause)

And I'm sure where Josh
is, over at the phone banks,

they'll be confirming that,

but when the
numbers are crunched

and the polls are taken, I
think everyone here realizes

that the truly important thing
is that I changed my hair.

( laughter)

Seriously, this is
not my official toast.

My official toast is later.

I just wanted to say informally
before the President got here,

thank you so much
for your hard work

and enjoy tonight's success.

( applause)

Your hair looks
great, by the way.

So, what's going
on with Jack Sloan?

C.J.'s on it.

So we were able to
get in the language

about the Blue
Ribbon Commission.

Yeah.

We were able to get
it in at the last minute.

We got our guys.

We changed the
language to broaden...

I was there, Leo.

We changed the language
at the last minute, Abbey.

If you want to be
pissed at someone,

the architect of this speech...

I don't want to be
pissed at anyone,

but thanks for asking.

And I don't need to be told

who the architect of
tonight's speech was.

MAN: Toby Ziegler,
ladies and gentlemen!

( cheers and applause)

( whistling)

I want to see you in your office

in half an hour. You got it?

Yes, ma'am.

Keep shaking hands.

AINSLEY: He didn't say that.

MAN: Hang on...

Congressman, he didn't say
that, and we can roll the tape.

He said... What he said
was that standardized testing

would be more acceptable
if its vast limitations

were understood.

What about the New
York City testing scores

that Hal Chafey just
cited a while ago?

Six out of ten were
black or Hispanic.

Chafey also forgot to mention

that six out of ten of those
New York City students

were either black or Hispanic.

Right on the button.

So, Josh... No.

I was wondering.
We're still doing this?

Have you asked
her out yet? Donna...

'Cause the last
time I asked you,

you hadn't asked her out yet.

What is taking so long?

"Joey, would you like
to go out Friday night?"

You know, you have to say it.

You have to ask
a girl out on a date.

You can't just randomly
tumble into a girl sideways

and hope she breaks
up with you soon,

the way you always do.

Why not?

Because you can't.

You just said I always do.

I can help you or I can
not help you. It's up to you.

Then I absolutely
choose not helping me.

You want me to
ask her out for you?

Yeah. That's exactly
what I want you to do.

Joey...

Sit down.

Where are the first numbers?

Soon.

How soon?

Five minutes.

You said five minutes,
15 minutes ago.

The response rate slowed down.

Why?

People are going to bed.

Yeah, but the response
rate didn't stop, right?

Everybody didn't go to bed.

If they did,

that would be phenomenal.

It would be a phenomenon.

The response rate slowed down

and you need to have
some juice and crackers.

America is talking

and I'm trying to hear
what they're saying.

They're saying that
you're an egomaniac

who needs to know
that the public loves you

and that you'll have the
numbers in five minutes.

I don't think that is
what they're saying,

but absent any
other information...

Josh...

Joey, it's the
State of the Union.

We worked on the
speech for three months.

You will hear America speaking.

In five minutes?

In five minutes.

( pop) MAN: What the hell?

( voices murmuring)

It may take a little longer now.

SHALLICK: Excuse me, excuse me,

but this White House
uses the First Amendment

to protect flag burning,
to protect pornography,

to ban school prayer.

Why, when the Second
Amendment clearly says

that the Federal
Government will not infringe

upon a citizen's right
to keep and bear arms...

TOBY: Because it
clearly doesn't say that.

Toby...! In fact, it
doesn't say that at all.

The only way it says that is

if you remove
some words from it.

Oh, look, what
you're trying to do...

It says, "A well-
regulated militia

"being necessary for
the security of a free state

the government
shall not infringe..."

The words
"regulated" and "militia"

are in the first sentence.

I don't think the
framers were thinking

of three guys in
a Dodge Durango.

You don't really know what the
framers were thinking, do you?

No, but I do know that if
you combine the populations

of Great Britain, France,
Germany, Japan, Switzerland,

Sweden, Denmark and Australia,

you'll get a population

roughly the size of
the United States.

We had 32,000
gun deaths last year.

They had 112.

You think it's because Americans
are more homicidal by nature,

or do you think it's because

those guys have
gun control laws?

We're going to
talk to some people

and hear answers
to that question.

You're watching an expanded
edition of Capital Beat.

We're coming live

from the west wing
of the White House.

We'll be back after this.

MAN: We're out.

Toby?

Yeah.

Mark, I'm going to sit
out the next segment.

Yeah?

Yeah. I've got to see someone.

We'll get you a body.

Has she been waiting long?

No.

I'm sorry I'm late.

It's fine.

I was on the air.

I wanted to ask
you... Mrs. Bartlet?

Toby? Excuse
me for interrupting.

I just wanted to remind you

that there's press coming
in and out of this area.

Are you under the impression

I'm going to have
a fit of some kind?

No, ma'am. So,
what was the deal?

He gets a highway, and
you name a park after him?

Mrs. Bartlet, the Blue
Ribbon Commission...

The Blue Ribbon Commission

is swell.

I am not talking about the
Blue Ribbon Commission

and you know it, and don't
talk to me like I'm other people.

You've never done that.

It was the language.

Mrs. Bartlet...

The draft I read said,

"The first fiscal priority of
the government must be

will be, insuring Social
Security and Medicare."

Now, how did that turn into

"boldly setting aside
our partisan blinders"?

Is the White House

considering new options? Look...

Like raising the
retirement age? Abbey...

And how did school uniforms
get in such a prominent spot?

It was in a section

on education reform, Abbey,
and considering other options,

doesn't mean we're
caving on the retirement age

and you know it, so what was
your concern with the language?

The draft said,

"Our commitment
to the full benefits

promised to America's
greatest generation is absolute."

I was there when you wrote that.

And our commitment
is still absolute.

We're open to new ideas,
and that's what it said.

Oh, please...
Believe me, we gave

Republicans plenty
to be pissed about...

The surplus, missile
defense, capital gains,

and I was just on
TV for the 900th time

and alienated gun owners

to say nothing of people
who own Dodge Durangos.

So, what exactly

was your problem
with the language?

It seemed...

Abbey?

I was just thrown by
the last-minute changes.

You should get back on TV.

He's here?

Yeah.

Officer Sloan?

Yes, ma'am.

I'm C.J. Cregg.

I'm the White House
Press Secretary.

I'm sorry to get
you out of the party.

Oh, that's all right.

I'm sorry to be abrupt,

but I'm racing the
clock a little bit.

Could you tell me what
happened 17 years ago

with a suspect
named Walter Tappis?

( sighs)

I can access the
information through the FBI.

I can call the Wayne County DA.

Do I need to have
my lawyer here?

I don't think you do,

No. But if you'd like to call...

There was an armed
robbery in progress.

I was pursuing
Walter Tappis on foot,

through a series of
fenced-in storage areas

behind a warehouse.

I apprehended him
and tried to cuff him,

during which he broke
my hand and nose.

So you fractured his leg?

I didn't fracture his leg.

He said you kicked
him repeatedly

while he was handcuffed.

He was suing the city

for $5 million.

What possible motivation
would he have had to lie?

Officer...

He was 19 years old,
six-two, 190 pounds

and he won two bronze medals

at the state high school Track
and Field Championships.

Miss Cregg, look at me.

Do you think there is any way

I'd catch up to this guy if
his leg isn't fractured already?

It didn't happen.

Why didn't you tell anybody

this was on your record
when you were invited here?

I just assumed...

I mean, 'cause of what
happened over the weekend

at the elementary school?

Yeah.

I assumed, you know,
that it was okay now,

that I was okay.

I didn't think it was going
to all come up again.

Does the press know?

No, but I have
to tell them. Why?

'Cause they'll find out

and I have to stay
ahead of the pitch.

If I issue it in a
brief statement,

then it doesn't look like we
we're trying to hide anything

and I get to control
the story for a while.

There is no story.

Officer...

The DA couldn't bring a case.

The civil suit was dismissed.

The President pointed
to you as an example.

I am an example.

It's a story.

'Cause you're giving it to them.

'Cause they'll find it anyway.

You don't know that.

Yes, I do.

( sighs)

M-my, um... my wife and
kids are back at the party.

You should go back there.

Yeah.

Don't talk to
anybody about this.

Yeah.

I wish you'd said
something to us before...

Yeah. I just assumed...

I thought it was okay now.

Okay.

JOSH: What's happening?

Good news. The Potomac
Electric Power Company says

the outage was caused
by a 13,000-volt cable

that caught fire in a building
on N Street and Wisconsin.

How is that good news?

Well, we have hard
information now.

When's the power going back on?

That information isn't
available at this time.

Donna... I can tell you
that the outage is affecting

some 2,000 customers

and it was likely started
when a repairman...

mis-spliced... something.

Call Sam.

I want the numbers!

You know, Josh, everybody
else is having fun with this.

You're the only one
who's having fun with this.

Nobody else is
having fun with this.

Boo!

How you doing?

Are those numbers safe?

Yes.

Are we going to be able to
make the West Coast calls?

That depends on when
the power goes on.

When's that going to be?

Do I look like Electricity Girl?

Sam. No.

I'm thinking of leading
everybody in song.

Is that Sam? Yeah.

Give it to me.

Sam. What's going on?

The power's down.

I know.

We were five minutes away
from an East Coast sample.

We got nothing west
of Indiana/Illinois.

You need anything?

A lightning bolt,
a key and a kite.

Donna told me to tell you
you should ask out Joey Lucas.

Hey, can I tell you,
Donna's been acting kind of...

I've got to go.

We're in.

PRESIDENT: Hey.

Sir. How's it going?

They lost power at
National Strategies.

I heard.

WOMAN: Well done, Mr. President.

Thank you.

Listen, you scored
big on some of the stuff

I fought you on.

Yes, and I know a
way you can repay me.

Repay you for what?

For you being wrong in
the face of me being right.

I owe you money for
that? Oh, not money, sir.

I owe you anything for that?

Great job,
Mr. President. Thank you.

Ainsley Hayes has been
working here for three months

and she's still a little
frightened of meeting you.

If you should happen to
run into her in the halls,

maybe you could make a
point of introducing yourself

and welcoming her personally.

Don't you already get paid?

Randomly, in the hallways,
in the next few days,

you two are bound to be in
the same place at the same time.

I'm just saying...

Mr. President?

Hang on. Is there anything in
particular you'd like me to say?

I think if you said something

along the lines of,

"You know, a lot of people
assumed you were hired

"because you were a
blond Republican sex kitten

and they were obviously wrong,
and keep up the good work."

That's really good.

Yeah. CHARLIE: Mr. President?

Yeah.

LEO: Mr. President...

What's going on
with the police officer?

C.J.'s looking into it.

We're going to get knocked
off the story by a last-minute...

The cop isn't what's going
to knock us off the story.

What is?

We have a situation in Colombia.

PRESIDENT: They can
be identified as drug agents?

They're dressed as civilians,
but they've got DEA badges.

Yeah, that may have
blown their cover.

CHRYSLER: Sir...

Mickey, how do we
know they're still alive?

Human sources paid by the
Colombian National Police

confirm they're
in a CRF outpost.

And they kill our guys

unless Santos releases Juan
Aguilar from a prison in Bogota.

Which the Colombian
government isn't going to do.

Why not? It doesn't matter.

The Frente doesn't
care about Juan Aguilar

and how long he stays in jail.

They want to kill these guys.

I don't think...

McGARRY: They
want to drag their bodies

through the streets.

These people provide
70% of the world's cocaine.

They have 122,000
hectares of coca.

The Putumayo
region alone produced

$400 million in cocaine
for them last year.

The government has no
control over the region,

there is no law,
and they're going

to shoot these guys in the head

and then have a parade.

If they wanted to kill them,
they'd already be dead.

Robbie?

Okay, Mr. President,

this plan is called Cassiopeia:
three MH-60 Black Hawks,

two MH-6 Little Birds
and an AC-130 gunship.

Each Black Hawk has
ten Delta commandos

from Special Forces. How long?

Five to seven minutes.

How many Frente casualties?

Do you care?

No.

Mr. President,

I want to strongly urge
that we continue negotiating.

Do you think we're
headed for Vietnam?

I think if we make an armed
attack, the Frente will hit back.

I think they'll bomb
our embassy How?

I think they will
kill diplomats,

I think they'll kill
citizens in captivity,

all of which will require
a military response.

It could unify the drug lords.

It could destabilize the region.

Yes, I think it
could lead to a war.

Lead to a war? We're in a war.

We're sending people down
there to fight a war on drugs.

Those guys aren't hostages.

They're prisoners.

How long's it going to take
Special Forces to mobilize?

They're in 141s right now
on their way to Tres Encinas.

You can give them a
"go" order in three hours.

Well, then, I want our people

to keep talking
to Nelson Guerra,

but in three hours, I want to
be ready to kick in the back door.

Leo, I'd like Yes, sir.

The senior staff. Would
you round them up?

Yes, sir.

I'm going to
wandering the halls.

Thank you, sir. Thank
you, Mr. President.

You know what
I'm surprised about?

What?

We haven't seen
a lot of looting.

Yeah.

Usually in these cases,
you see a lot more looting.

Yeah.

General civil unrest...

Yeah.

People get on each
other's nerves. Okay.

Joey?

Can I ask you what
may be a silly question?

Sure.

It's not possible, is it,
for us to just open up

one of these computers
with a screwdriver

and get the numbers
that are in there, right?

Why did you think
that'd be a silly question?

( yelling): I want
these numbers!

Josh?

Yeah?

Sam.

Yeah.

You got to come back.

What's going on? I don't know.

Leo wants everybody back.

Leave Joey and
Donna for a while.

I'll be right there.

Yeah? Ginger?

Isn't Ainsley Hayes

supposed to be meeting me now?

She's in her office.

Isn't she supposed to
be meeting me here?

She needs to meet
you in her office. Why?

She can't wear her pants.

( music blaring)

♪ Blame it on the bossa nova ♪

♪ With its magic spell ♪

♪ Blame it on the bossa nova ♪

♪ That he did so well... ♪

Ainsley!

♪ With just a little dance ♪

♪ And soon it ended
up a big romance... ♪

Well, I hardly
know where to start.

I was feeling so good
after my segments,

so I went out to the
Sculpture Garden.

You know, you guys, really there's
a "wet paint" sign on the bench.

My assistant went
to get me clothes.

Why are you moving like that?

I'm blaming it on
the bossa nova.

Okay.

I know what you mean

about that adrenaline high.

I definitely think I got it.

Plus, the bartender
made me a Pink Squirrel,

so you see, I am not the
teetotaler you think I am.

Is there any
alcohol in that at all?

There's a dash of creme
de cacao, my friend.

I came down here to tell you...

Oh, dance with me, Sam.

♪ ...a family ♪

♪ And when our kids ask... ♪

( screams)

( glass breaks)

What's up?

Oh, Mr. President.

I never even knew we
had a nightclub down here.

Oh, my God.

( turns music off)

Mr. President, I don't believe
that you've met Ainsley Hayes.

Yeah, Ainsley.

I wanted to say hello
and to mention, you know,

a lot of people
assumed you were hired

because you were a
blond Republican sex kitten

and, well..

They're obviously wrong.

Keep up the good work.

Yes, sir.

You know we're meeting?

Yes, sir.

Okay.

That could've been worse.

No, probably not.

MARK: And take us
behind the scenes.

What are the
President and First Lady

doing right now?

Well, the reception's
still going on.

I don't know if you
can hear the music

and President and Mrs. Bartlet

are likely to stay
up late with friends.

All right, we're
staying up late, too.

Maybe we'll get
invited to the party.

We're going to take a
break and come right back.

MAN: We're out.

How you holding up?

You got a second?

Yeah.

I've laid off it all night
because we've done some

things together and I didn't
want to ambush you, but...

Yeah. C.J... You know
about Sloan. Mark...

Mark, I talked to the guy

and before the stampede
begins, please give me a chance...

C.J.?

Let me talk to you before...

C.J.?

Leo McGarry would like you
to meet an old friend of his.

Mark, give me 20 minutes
before you break the story.

Why?

We've done things together.

I'm looking at my watch.

Hey.

Hey.

They said you were in here.

Yeah, just for a minute.

Fellas?

You're mad at me.

Jed, you know what?

I'm not your mommy.

Abbey, so I indicated we
were open to new ideas.

How did I fail you this time?

You didn't fail anybody, Jed.

They've been giving you

some pretty decent style points.

I have a meeting.

At what point in the process

did you decide not to mention

the Violence Against Women
Act in tonight's address?

Things had to be cut.

Jane Robinson, by the way,

is the name of the woman
I made the check out to.

It wasn't cashed
because she framed it.

Charlie tracked her down

at a battered women's shelter.

Now, that's what made me think

about the Violence
Against Women Act.

To make a 90-minute speech
into an 80-minute speech

things had to go.

It's a good thing it didn't
have to be any shorter

or school uniforms might
not have made the cut.

Abbey...

We had a deal.

Right now...

We made a promise.
You made a deal.

Abbey...

When did you decide you were
going to run for a second term?

That's not what tonight's...

That's all that tonight's
speech was about.

You kicked off your
reelection campaign

and I'm sitting here
eating a sandwich

'cause we had a deal.

That was three years ago.

Yeah.

I have Special Forces

headed to Colombia
on ready-alert.

They'll be ready for an order

in a little less
than three hours.

What happened?

The Frente took five
DEA agents in Putumayo.

Mr. President?

Yeah.

The senior staff's together.

Yes, sir. I'll be right there.

Abbey...

No, you got to focus right now.

All right.

( sighing)

I've got to go.

I'll stay up with you.

( music playing)

MARK: Welcome back.

If you're just joining us,
we're here live tonight

from the west wing
of the White House

with an all-star panel,

and we're talking about
the State of the Union

and it appears that
it's a blockbuster.

Claire Willow joins us now
from the Chicago Sun-Times...

Captioning sponsored
by WARNER BROS.

Captioned by Media Access
Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org