1. Previously on The West Wing:Copy !req
2. - Jed!
- I can't do the job, Abbey.Copy !req
3. Do you understand? I can't do it.Copy !req
4. - Where's Donna?
- She got a new job, I think.Copy !req
5. I've got her cell
if you wanna give her a call.Copy !req
6. - Pick your dream candidate?
- I don't know how this works.Copy !req
7. You pick the smartest, most capable...Copy !req
8. most honorable individual you can
think of, and you have a conversation.Copy !req
9. - I'm not running for Congress again.
- I'm not talking about Congress.Copy !req
10. Josh should have called.
I could have saved him a trip.Copy !req
11. They don't have anyone else?Copy !req
12. A Latino district, and they cannot
come up with a decent Democrat?Copy !req
13. You'd think.Copy !req
14. - Did you leave it open with him?
- No.Copy !req
15. I would break you in half.Copy !req
16. He knows I'm not going back
to the House.Copy !req
17. Give me a hand. These guys are out.Copy !req
18. Look at how big this kid is.Copy !req
19. I mean, he's down to my knees.
When did this happen?Copy !req
20. Shooting up. It's that time.Copy !req
21. He's got his own smell.Copy !req
22. So, what did he want?Copy !req
23. He's not worried about
the House anymore.Copy !req
24. Supposed to walk Russell
through a Cinco de Mayo parade...Copy !req
25. - ... establish his Chicano street cred?
- Not quite.Copy !req
26. I hate politicians
who wear cowboy boots.Copy !req
27. That's the least of his problems.Copy !req
28. Women spend their entire lives
trying to get out of heels.Copy !req
29. What possible use is there?
The guy is a lawmaker.Copy !req
30. It's like going through life
wearing a welder's helmet.Copy !req
31. - He's not a bad guy.
- Well, his footwear's moronic.Copy !req
32. - He's just trying to get elected.
- Exactly.Copy !req
33. - God, this is good. You want some?
- What is it?Copy !req
34. - It's ice cream, melted. It's good like this.
- I'm fine.Copy !req
35. Josh wants me to run for president.Copy !req
36. - Of the United States?
- I'm pretty sure.Copy !req
37. Wow, they are hard up.Copy !req
38. I mean, you know what I mean. It's...Copy !req
39. - Are you thinking about this?
- No.Copy !req
40. - You're not.
- Told him no.Copy !req
41. Told him no. What did he say?Copy !req
42. He said that I was right,
that it was a stupid idea...Copy !req
43. and that I made the right decision.Copy !req
44. Man of conviction, right there.Copy !req
45. He's got it all figured out.
A nine-point plan. It's pretty interesting.Copy !req
46. Nine points?Copy !req
47. - Why not seven or three or...?
- I don't know.Copy !req
48. - This plan is supposed to make you...?
- Win.Copy !req
49. - Oh, my God. You're thinking about this.
- I told him no.Copy !req
50. Well, I'm going to bed. Those kids
are gonna be up in a couple hours.Copy !req
51. Don't forget the trash.Copy !req
52. The Bartlet administration
remains optimistic...Copy !req
53. about upcoming trilateral talks
with China and North Korea.Copy !req
54. South Korea offers energy assistance
to its power-starved neighbors.Copy !req
55. It's quarter past the hour
and this is Morning Edition.Copy !req
56. The first chink in the armor of the
Washington-Pyongyang stalemate...Copy !req
57. - ... appeared last month in Beijing.
- Oh, my God.Copy !req
58. Chinese President Lian agreed
to broker talks...Copy !req
59. Are you kidding me?Copy !req
60. - Well, good morning.
- Right.Copy !req
61. I love it when it's cold enough
to make the mud crusty.Copy !req
62. - You don't have to do this.
- Sorry.Copy !req
63. You have the full text of this blog thing
from the Rohmer Report?Copy !req
64. Go.Copy !req
65. "What team does she play on?Copy !req
66. Washington abuzz
with fresh allegations...Copy !req
67. that a certain former
Bartlet administration press secretary...Copy !req
68. may have more than a passing interest
in pursuing what many have described...Copy !req
69. as a radical homosexual agenda. "
And it goes on.Copy !req
70. - To say what?
- You played sports at Berkeley...Copy !req
71. and were the first girl
in Ohio Prep history to dunk a basketball.Copy !req
72. - Oh, Lord God.
- And that's pretty much it.Copy !req
73. - Did Tommy call?
- Tommy?Copy !req
74. Burly Tommy Keller
with the mop on top?Copy !req
75. Two dinners at the Oval Room last week,
the reason I'm wearing this necklace...Copy !req
76. who's picking you up
at 7 tonight Tommy?Copy !req
77. - He called?
- No.Copy !req
78. - Everybody in there?
- All here. Five minutes early.Copy !req
79. Well, great.Copy !req
80. - Morning.
- Morning, C.J.Copy !req
81. Lovely.Copy !req
82. I've never been more attracted to you.Copy !req
83. Restrain yourself.
Last night's House vote...Copy !req
84. means we have a budget
headed for conference committee.Copy !req
85. We don't wanna get hung up
on a bunch of silly HHS riders...Copy !req
86. like two years ago.
We're close, but it's not a...Copy !req
87. - Slam-dunk.
- Hey, now Charlie made a funny.Copy !req
88. Guys, our whole agenda's riding on this.
We can't afford another shutdown.Copy !req
89. We've got the president's legacy.Copy !req
90. This is our last chance to do good,
and it all lives or dies with this budget.Copy !req
91. Track this closely.Copy !req
92. We gonna get college loan
and Pell expansions?Copy !req
93. - Yeah, both versions.
- Just got a list of Republican conferees.Copy !req
94. - Wilkinson?
- I thought it was a seniority thing.Copy !req
95. They can do whatever they want.Copy !req
96. - Why they do it behind closed doors.
- Isn't this it for him?Copy !req
97. I thought he was going to Kansas
to sell flat globes.Copy !req
98. - Was he in on budget negotiations?
- Didn't see him.Copy !req
99. We keep an eye out. Hit the phones.
Will, what do you got?Copy !req
100. VP is speaking to the NAACP
next week.Copy !req
101. - I'm coordinating with policy shops.
- You want help?Copy !req
102. - You talking to me?
- I may be able to help.Copy !req
103. - You're offering to help the VP?
- I can help you with those guys.Copy !req
104. - "Those guys"?
- You're the whitest guy on the planet.Copy !req
105. Yeah. Got any particular insights
you wanna share?Copy !req
106. Is it weird?
Did it just get weird in here?Copy !req
107. - A little.
- What else? Kate, where's Uzbekistan?Copy !req
108. Something big blew up.
Doesn't appear to be nuclear.Copy !req
109. We're going over the pictures now.
We really have no idea.Copy !req
110. Never open these meetings
to the public.Copy !req
111. Keep me posted.
President's working from the residence.Copy !req
112. - If you need him, bring it to me.
- He okay?Copy !req
113. He's fine. Temporary balance problems.
Just precautionary.Copy !req
114. We don't wanna risk another fall.Copy !req
115. You wanna send a message of love,
bring this budget home.Copy !req
116. Excuse me, I have to craft a personal
statement supporting reproductive arts.Copy !req
117. - Hang in there.
- Yeah, yeah.Copy !req
118. - There's a basketball in the trash.
- Nothing but net.Copy !req
119. - Don't put out a statement.
- I will be respectful.Copy !req
120. - We don't need this distraction now.
- It feels funny.Copy !req
121. - Be more articulate.
- This can't be a coincidence.Copy !req
122. Rumors about your sexuality the same
day Republicans shove Wilkinson...Copy !req
123. - ... on the budget committee?
- You're acting like a dog in Pompeii.Copy !req
124. Hold off on the statement.
Let me make some calls.Copy !req
125. You're drastically overestimating
the political potency of my sex life.Copy !req
126. Not possible.Copy !req
127. - This is great.
- Sir?Copy !req
128. I have a neurological disorder,
and you've got me doing calisthenics.Copy !req
129. Can I put this in a book
I'm gonna write?Copy !req
130. If I wanted to exercise,
I never would've become an economist.Copy !req
131. - Curtis, my friend, how you doing today?
- Just fine, sir.Copy !req
132. Well, a mighty blessing
upon your mighty frame, son.Copy !req
133. Appreciate that.
What can I do for you?Copy !req
134. - Is my wife about?
- I believe she is, sir.Copy !req
135. Thank you. Okay.Copy !req
136. You got me trying to do stuff
I couldn't do before I got sick.Copy !req
137. When you're feeling wobbly, that's
a good opportunity for range of motion.Copy !req
138. Terrific. I'll just pretend
I'm a crustacean.Copy !req
139. - Use it or lose it.
- Could be said...Copy !req
140. for the power of the presidency.Copy !req
141. - Good Lord, Jed, are you all right?
- I'm fine. I just...Copy !req
142. Thank you, Curtis. I may need you.
I'll holler.Copy !req
143. - Right outside the door, sir.
- You bet.Copy !req
144. - Great kid.
- I'd like to watch him eat a pie.Copy !req
145. - You on your way?
- I got a quick meet...Copy !req
146. with your doctor and C.J.
later this morning...Copy !req
147. five interviews and three receptions
this afternoon.Copy !req
148. - Oh, jeez.
- Hell's where you gotta keep smiling...Copy !req
149. and you can't take off
your pantyhose.Copy !req
150. Want me in the C.J. meeting?Copy !req
151. If you wanna hear yourself referred to
in the third person.Copy !req
152. I didn't think my schedule
would be so light on protein.Copy !req
153. Well, it's all right, Jed.Copy !req
154. You can afford to lose a few pounds.Copy !req
155. - I'll see you this evening.
- I'll be here.Copy !req
156. - He in there?
- Yeah. Don't go in.Copy !req
157. - He alone?
- How do you mean?Copy !req
158. - Not with others.
- That is correct.Copy !req
159. - He'll be fine.
- Step away from the door.Copy !req
160. Hey, one second. You all right?Copy !req
161. - How's this?
- I'll tell you after I read it.Copy !req
162. Come on in.Copy !req
163. She likes it closed.Copy !req
164. - Interesting girl.
- Yeah. I think I lost the temp lottery.Copy !req
165. She's making me finish
one thing at a time. It's insane.Copy !req
166. - Tell her to back off.
- You tell her.Copy !req
167. - Call Donna.
- I can't.Copy !req
168. You may have to resort to manhood.Copy !req
169. I'm the victim.
How am I supposed to be a man?Copy !req
170. This Wilkinson thing
seem strange to you?Copy !req
171. I got calls out to the minority leader
and the conferees.Copy !req
172. I'm gonna call the whip
then see Wilkinson.Copy !req
173. We'll get this budget locked up.Copy !req
174. Why did you go to Houston?Copy !req
175. - Why'd you go to Houston? Santos?
- Yeah.Copy !req
176. - What'd he say?
- He's not running.Copy !req
177. - Could have used him in the House.
- Yeah, it's a shame.Copy !req
178. - You went all the way down there?
- I like him a lot.Copy !req
179. Russell and Hoynes
both still after you?Copy !req
180. - Yeah.
- Make up your mind?Copy !req
181. I'm here with you to the bitter end,
with bells on.Copy !req
182. Vinick makes his way
through the primaries...Copy !req
183. there's not gonna be
a Democratic Party.Copy !req
184. No. I know. I'm on it.Copy !req
185. You're done. Leave.Copy !req
186. I don't know what you're talking about.
This girl's fantastic.Copy !req
187. Minority leader on one.Copy !req
188. Yes, senator, we understand. Sure.Copy !req
189. And we appreciate the restraint
you've shown...Copy !req
190. through this entire budget process.Copy !req
191. - Yeah, yeah.
- Thank you.Copy !req
192. And you know this White House
is gonna back you 100 percent.Copy !req
193. Sit, sit.Copy !req
194. Yeah, Baker's my next call.
Thanks for the heads up.Copy !req
195. Oh, I'm fine.
I only use the Internet to shop.Copy !req
196. Thanks for asking.Copy !req
197. - Cripes. What's up?
- So I have some interview requests.Copy !req
198. - Go ahead.
- The Advocate, Out...Copy !req
199. The Village Voice,
The San Francisco Chronicle...Copy !req
200. - Make my stinking day.
- ... Washington Times...Copy !req
201. Goddess Monthly, Nantucket
Republican and Field Hockey Quarterly.Copy !req
202. - Field hockey?
- I just made that one up as a joke.Copy !req
203. - Aren't you perky as all get-out.
- It seems to be isolated...Copy !req
204. - ... to just the...
- Sports fans. And the statement?Copy !req
205. I wanna be sure this doesn't distract
from the government.Copy !req
206. Yeah, I've been struggling with this.Copy !req
207. Deny something
you have no problem with...Copy !req
208. and make it publicly clear
this is private.Copy !req
209. That'd be great.Copy !req
210. Okey-dokey.Copy !req
211. - Hey. President still in the residence?
- Yeah.Copy !req
212. We found out what Wilkinson's doing
in the conference.Copy !req
213. - Federal ban on gay marriage.
- Sanctity of Marriage Act.Copy !req
214. - They're attaching it to the budget?
- To avoid spending the rest...Copy !req
215. of our days in gridlock,
we ban gay marriage.Copy !req
216. Oppose it, we paint the whole party
as out of touch...Copy !req
217. with traditional American values
for the election.Copy !req
218. - And the budget goes down in flames.
- Margaret!Copy !req
219. Call the residence.
We need to see the president now.Copy !req
220. I looked over your résumé.
I think we both know it's an undersell.Copy !req
221. What I'd take to the vice president
is the knowledge you've gleaned...Copy !req
222. over six years on the frontlines.Copy !req
223. I think we can safely say
you've picked up a lot.Copy !req
224. I try to pay attention.Copy !req
225. I just wanna make sure
I'm not starting a turf war.Copy !req
226. Hate to find the deputy chief
at my door with a switchblade.Copy !req
227. You're not poaching me.
I need to move on.Copy !req
228. And Josh is...Copy !req
229. - He'll find someone to answer his phone.
- Well, we can use you. No question.Copy !req
230. And not as anybody's assistant.Copy !req
231. - Sanctity of Marriage?
- That's right.Copy !req
232. - On the budget?
- Yes, sir.Copy !req
233. Didn't they attach family planning
to a highway bill last year?Copy !req
234. - They did.
- What's with these people?Copy !req
235. - Can't stop talking about sex.
- If they can't have it.Copy !req
236. Am I having a flashback,
or is my brain going?Copy !req
237. Last time they called it
Marriage Recognition Act.Copy !req
238. - First term pocket veto.
- Who is this?Copy !req
239. - Wilkinson.
- What's he doing on the committee?Copy !req
240. - That's what we said.
- It's a guts move by the leadership.Copy !req
241. - We slap it down.
- Threaten a veto.Copy !req
242. Make it clear this ambush is
unacceptable. Get a statement going.Copy !req
243. They'll think twice
before forcing shutdown.Copy !req
244. I disagree.Copy !req
245. It's a bad pitch. Don't swing.Copy !req
246. There any doubt it would get overturned
by the courts?Copy !req
247. Well, it's not likely. So far,
anything short of full recognition...Copy !req
248. for same sex partners
is a constitutional no-go.Copy !req
249. This amendment is pure symbolism.
Is it worth holding up our entire agenda?Copy !req
250. Get it off the bill, guys.Copy !req
251. - And if we can't?
- Just get it off the bill.Copy !req
252. - Thank you, Mr. President.
- Thank you, sir.Copy !req
253. Wilkinson's more of a federalist
than an ideologue.Copy !req
254. Why's he suggesting
we override the states?Copy !req
255. The courts will take care of that.
We need this budget.Copy !req
256. At the end of the day,
you may have to sign it.Copy !req
257. - What was that about?
- Well, he didn't say he wouldn't veto it.Copy !req
258. - He didn't say he would.
- We can get this done.Copy !req
259. - Wanna enlighten us?
- He wants it off the bill.Copy !req
260. - We got that.
- We won't play chicken...Copy !req
261. in the middle of a budget round.Copy !req
262. We're always in the middle
of a budget round.Copy !req
263. With a president who can't go
down stairs?Copy !req
264. He's not running again.
Why can't we help him?Copy !req
265. He made the call.
Let's get it off the bill.Copy !req
266. Try and dole out some budgetary pork
to members of the committee.Copy !req
267. - See if we can get this killed.
- Okay.Copy !req
268. - Maybe Sioux City needs a monorail.
- I'm late for the first lady.Copy !req
269. Share your feelings with Wilkinson.
Talk him down.Copy !req
270. With what? A threat that the president
might actually sign it?Copy !req
271. You'll figure it out.Copy !req
272. He has a 50 percent chance of
developing secondary-progressive MS...Copy !req
273. because the lesions have accelerated
here. That's pretty common.Copy !req
274. - You don't know how to stop it?
- Give me 10 years and stem cells.Copy !req
275. Sorry.Copy !req
276. We need to focus on the best way
to manage his symptoms...Copy !req
277. - ... in this unique environment.
- That's what this is.Copy !req
278. - Stress?
- Can't be good.Copy !req
279. Before and after pictures
around this place are intense.Copy !req
280. No more back-to-back
marathon meetings.Copy !req
281. An hour, max. His legs are gonna
cramp and spasm.Copy !req
282. Don't want him kicking out
the Resolute desk.Copy !req
283. - Or one of the Joint Chiefs.
- How many hours a day?Copy !req
284. Depends. Six or seven, tops,
and he's gonna need a nap midday.Copy !req
285. A nap? He's gonna love that.Copy !req
286. It's the public time
that's gonna be tough.Copy !req
287. Standing behind podiums, shaking hands,
Cabinet meetings.Copy !req
288. So more phone, more memos,
things he can read and sign.Copy !req
289. Too much reading may lead
to optical problems.Copy !req
290. You're gonna have to limit
reading materials.Copy !req
291. - Oh, Lord.
- Anything else?Copy !req
292. High temperatures can trigger attacks.
Gotta keep the Oval below 70.Copy !req
293. Okay. So we'll do a daily report on the
president's condition in morning staff.Copy !req
294. The bottom line is, we have to be
prepared for anything, every day.Copy !req
295. Got a minute?Copy !req
296. - You should call so I can gather my wits.
- Sorry.Copy !req
297. You've seen The Federal Government
Are a Bunch of Dinks. Com?Copy !req
298. - What if I reject the premise?
- They're all over the C.J. thing.Copy !req
299. - Anything new?
- Her high school basketball stats.Copy !req
300. Apparently, she was all-Dayton.Copy !req
301. - You heard about the amendment?
- Just now.Copy !req
302. - The president wants it off the budget.
- Okay.Copy !req
303. It'd be nice if the vice president
made a statement against it...Copy !req
304. - ... maybe called Wilkinson.
- The VP is pro-marriage.Copy !req
305. As are we all. I've been married
almost twice. Same woman.Copy !req
306. - That's unique.
- We're fine with it.Copy !req
307. Okay, then.Copy !req
308. - So the VP will make a statement?
- What's the president's position?Copy !req
309. - He wants it off the bill.
- What's his position?Copy !req
310. - That he wants it off the bill.
- And if it stays on the bill?Copy !req
311. We need your help on this.Copy !req
312. Right. This is a lose-lose for us, Toby.Copy !req
313. Coming out for it hurts us
in the primaries.Copy !req
314. Coming out against it hurts us
in the general.Copy !req
315. I'd have to advise the VP
to wait and see.Copy !req
316. I wanna kill it before it learns
to walk.Copy !req
317. I don't know why you're here.
Talk to the president about a veto.Copy !req
318. Yeah. Good idea.Copy !req
319. - It's getting bigger.
- Oh, hi.Copy !req
320. Sorry. You wanted an update
on this Internet rumor.Copy !req
321. - It's getting bigger?
- Blogs are saturated...Copy !req
322. and now there's a query
from the Post.Copy !req
323. They're doing a piece
on strategic bloggering.Copy !req
324. - What are you, 4'10"?
- Me? I'm 4'11 ".Copy !req
325. - I can't believe we're the same species.
- There's your update.Copy !req
326. I know we shouldn't say anything, but
are you sure we shouldn't say anything?Copy !req
327. Be great to get it off the Net...Copy !req
328. but it would seem like a comment
on the marriage act.Copy !req
329. Plus, a statement brings this
to every news outlet.Copy !req
330. - I was gonna say...
- Not a peep? Thanks for your advice.Copy !req
331. - The conferees are waiting.
- Tommy didn't call?Copy !req
332. - Crickets. Guy's starting to tick me off.
- Crickets?Copy !req
333. - Senator Wilkinson.
- Oh, I've been waiting for an emissary.Copy !req
334. Figured it'd be the vice president.Copy !req
335. Senator, you're one of this country's
great federalists.Copy !req
336. You believe in state and local control
of education.Copy !req
337. - I do.
- State and local law enforcement.Copy !req
338. - Yep.
- I'm not sure you think...Copy !req
339. there should be
a federal government at all.Copy !req
340. Well, we lost that fight
some time ago, didn't we?Copy !req
341. So why would you want
an unprecedented, top-down...Copy !req
342. federal mandate
to govern every state's marital laws?Copy !req
343. Now that we have
a federal government...Copy !req
344. - ... it can protect national values.
- Like individual freedoms?Copy !req
345. I was thinking
of the institution of marriage.Copy !req
346. When the budget's done...Copy !req
347. let's get a group to talk about it.Copy !req
348. I don't need another study
to tell me what's right.Copy !req
349. Senator, I'm not criticizing
the sincerity of your beliefs.Copy !req
350. Well, that's refreshing.Copy !req
351. Toby, do you believe the Bible
to be literally true?Copy !req
352. Yes, sir. But I don't think either of us
is smart enough to understand it.Copy !req
353. The president wants this
off his budget.Copy !req
354. Well, if you're here to threaten a veto,
now's the time to do it.Copy !req
355. I'm a busy man. I don't appreciate
your coming here with hollow threats.Copy !req
356. And I don't appreciate people
spreading rumors...Copy !req
357. about C.J. Cregg.Copy !req
358. I don't know how to use a typewriter,
much less a computer.Copy !req
359. I think the president
is gonna sign it, Toby.Copy !req
360. And I think that you're here
because you think he might sign it too.Copy !req
361. Marla, I need the numbers
for the meeting.Copy !req
362. The earmarks for the conferees.Copy !req
363. Can you get that? I'm late here.
Oh, jeez.Copy !req
364. - Hello.
- I don't like to be yelled at.Copy !req
365. I would like to have the earmarks
so that I can go and do my job.Copy !req
366. Earmarks. Is that frat boy for pork?Copy !req
367. - Here you go.
- Thank you.Copy !req
368. Three hundred thousand dollars
for potato-storage research?Copy !req
369. - Starches are vital.
- How vital is $50 million...Copy !req
370. - ... for an indoor rain forest in Iowa?
- It attracts tourism.Copy !req
371. And mosquitoes, I'm guessing.Copy !req
372. I'm trying to get some distinguished
members of Congress to remove...Copy !req
373. a hateful, gay-bashing amendment
from the budget.Copy !req
374. By bribing them with taxpayers'
hard-earned money?Copy !req
375. I don't know if you read the memo,
but I set budget policy.Copy !req
376. - You alphabetize and sort.
- Josh.Copy !req
377. You got a second?Copy !req
378. - Yeah. Come in.
- You're gonna be late.Copy !req
379. So, what are you working on?Copy !req
380. Actually, right now, trying to build
an indoor rain forest.Copy !req
381. - Well, good luck with that.
- I'm sorry about landing on you like that.Copy !req
382. - My wife wants to kill you.
- I got a lot of women mad at me.Copy !req
383. - You ought to work on that.
- I do have to go to this meeting.Copy !req
384. - Budget glitch we're trying to sort out.
- So would this be a package deal?Copy !req
385. - The budget?
- No.Copy !req
386. I've been thinking about
your nine-point plan.Copy !req
387. - Really?
- Yeah. But I would like to add a 10th.Copy !req
388. - What's that?
- You.Copy !req
389. The filing deadline's next Thursday.Copy !req
390. I'm in, if you're in with me.Copy !req
391. So no one here is troubled
that the Paper Reduction Act...Copy !req
392. is more than 500 pages long?Copy !req
393. Let's just see if we can squeeze it down,
save a couple of trees.Copy !req
394. - Thank you.
- Thank you, Mr. Vice President.Copy !req
395. You can always tell a bureaucrat,
but you can't tell him much.Copy !req
396. - Unless you tell him in triplicate.
- What do you need, Toby?Copy !req
397. - Sanctity of Marriage.
- Yeah, yeah. Will gave me the heads up.Copy !req
398. - He helpful?
- Not as obedient as he used to be.Copy !req
399. That's good to hear.
That's rough about C.J.Copy !req
400. Yeah, it's a rough town.
Mr. Vice President...Copy !req
401. I know you don't wanna get ahead
of the president...Copy !req
402. but we need you to come out
against the marriage act.Copy !req
403. - Why would I wanna do that?
- A clear signal from the White House...Copy !req
404. - ... and Wilkinson will fold.
- I think Will is right.Copy !req
405. I'm gonna have to pass.Copy !req
406. Mr. Vice President, this amendment
isn't about protecting marriage.Copy !req
407. It's about institutionalizing the last
acceptable form of discrimination.Copy !req
408. You can't just sit back and allow
the religious right...Copy !req
409. - ... to hijack the social agenda.
- I know...Copy !req
410. Presidential campaigning has to be
about more than duck and cover.Copy !req
411. This is an opportunity for you
to stand up...Copy !req
412. I've got a nephew who's gay.Copy !req
413. I love this kid. His name's Todd.Copy !req
414. I want him to have the same rights
and opportunities as everybody else.Copy !req
415. He wants to go to West Point. It makes
me sick we'd send him into battle...Copy !req
416. to defend a union,
but he can't enter into one.Copy !req
417. - Come out against this.
- We're not there yet.Copy !req
418. 5000 years of socialization didn't go out
the window with the Village People.Copy !req
419. You do this wrong, and there'll be
a backlash that sets us back 50 years.Copy !req
420. You do it right, we'll be there in 10.Copy !req
421. And in the meantime,
what message are we sending?Copy !req
422. We're making progress.Copy !req
423. We've got domestic partnerships,
nondiscrimination laws.Copy !req
424. Besides, demographics or destiny,
kids don't give a damn about this.Copy !req
425. You would tell the president
to sign this, then?Copy !req
426. I'd tell him to get his budget...Copy !req
427. and so would my nephew.Copy !req
428. Tommy?Copy !req
429. - Any Tommy?
- No Tommy to give.Copy !req
430. - Boston Globe wants...
- Oh, my God.Copy !req
431. to know if we're gonna comment
on the amendment.Copy !req
432. - A voice out of nowhere.
- MSNBC too.Copy !req
433. MuckrakersManifesto. Com has a story
you were gonna coach in the WNBA.Copy !req
434. That's ridiculous.
I went to, like, three Mystics games.Copy !req
435. Fox News, both mean Irish guys,
whole bunch of websites...Copy !req
436. 11 more newspapers
and be quick about it.Copy !req
437. - They're all writing about me.
- Not exactly.Copy !req
438. But the amendment gives them license
to mention rumors.Copy !req
439. President wants a budget
with no amendment. That's the line.Copy !req
440. - And work up a statement.
- I thought we decided not to.Copy !req
441. Just in case. Respectful, non-defensive,
not that there's anything wrong with it.Copy !req
442. - I tried that.
- And?Copy !req
443. And I gave up because it's stupid.Copy !req
444. - Is that an option around here?
- Toby suggested it might be.Copy !req
445. - What else did he suggest?
- That the chief of staff...Copy !req
446. doesn't issue personal statements that
read like letters to Soap Opera Digest.Copy !req
447. - Not that I'm a subscriber.
- I'd like a draft on my desk in an hour.Copy !req
448. What are you doing?Copy !req
449. - I got a bad temp.
- This is where you become just sad.Copy !req
450. Call Donna.Copy !req
451. - What happened with Wilkinson?
- He won't budge.Copy !req
452. When God starts talking to people,
limits the debate. How's the pork?Copy !req
453. Not having much luck
with the other conferees.Copy !req
454. Carson wants 600 grand
for alternative salmon products.Copy !req
455. I think we should just ditch the budget
and open a grocery store.Copy !req
456. - This amendment's gonna pass.
- They don't wanna vote against marriage.Copy !req
457. We'll run out of salmon products before
they vote against church and family.Copy !req
458. How I hate this issue. It's like walking
around town holding a sick chicken.Copy !req
459. If the president isn't willing to veto...Copy !req
460. I don't know how we
nickel-and-dime our way out.Copy !req
461. So we don't even try.Copy !req
462. C.J.'s caving, VP thinks the country's
not ready to fight discrimination...Copy !req
463. and for all I know,
the president's in naptime.Copy !req
464. No one wants to get near this issue.
Even Hoynes is hedging.Copy !req
465. Three-paragraph statement.
Can't even tell if he thinks...Copy !req
466. - ... there should be a Congress.
- He put out a statement?Copy !req
467. He said it deserves thoughtful study.Copy !req
468. "Thoughtful study"? He said that?Copy !req
469. Straddling the political divide
like an adonis.Copy !req
470. - He was on Judiciary with Wilkinson?
- Yeah. Long time.Copy !req
471. So Santos stopped by.Copy !req
472. Filing deadline's in two days.
He wants me to go with him.Copy !req
473. - To Texas? What for?
- New Hampshire.Copy !req
474. Why does he wanna go
to New Hampshire?Copy !req
475. To run for president.Copy !req
476. I kind of talked him into it.
I think I gotta go with him.Copy !req
477. - I laid out a nine-point plan.
- Is one of the points a military junta?Copy !req
478. Okay. I'm gonna go back
to my office now.Copy !req
479. You can't leave.
We're not done here.Copy !req
480. You can't skip out with the president
lying flat on his back.Copy !req
481. Seven years, you're gonna leave
with a get-well card?Copy !req
482. - Gotta think about the ninth year.
- You're gonna tell the president...Copy !req
483. - ... you just found a better horse?
- There you are.Copy !req
484. - Hi.
- Secretary of agriculture is calling.Copy !req
485. - Something about a fruit laboratory.
- Thank you.Copy !req
486. So maybe we'll get Carson after all.Copy !req
487. If I make any progress,
I'll get you a new whip count.Copy !req
488. You getting through all the files?Copy !req
489. Yeah, I'm almost up to
the Hoover administration.Copy !req
490. Margaret give you call sheets
for the conferees?Copy !req
491. Yep. I spoke to McKenna.Copy !req
492. - He's fine on the education offsets.
- Figured you just had a heart attack.Copy !req
493. - They had to take your call.
- Whatever it takes.Copy !req
494. Drives me crazy when they
use the budget as a social soapbox.Copy !req
495. It's a popular issue. No one wants to be
the first one to line up against it.Copy !req
496. If you live your life
underneath a magnifying glass...Copy !req
497. you tend to stay away
from the heat.Copy !req
498. - How you holding up?
- Feeling a little over-interpreted.Copy !req
499. The Internet thing.Copy !req
500. Am I wrong to wanna set the record
straight, no pun intended?Copy !req
501. When I was labor secretary,
The National Enquirer ran a story...Copy !req
502. that I'd married Elizabeth Taylor
while skydiving over New Mexico.Copy !req
503. I'm a heterosexual.Copy !req
504. I don't know why I just said that except,
as of today, I'm the most famous...Copy !req
505. Not famous, but apparently
the most powerful lesbian on the planet.Copy !req
506. And the fact of the matter is,
I'm absolutely crazy...Copy !req
507. about this man I just met
and had two fabulous dinners with...Copy !req
508. in the space of one week.Copy !req
509. A man who hasn't called me today...Copy !req
510. probably because he's of
the undependable gender...Copy !req
511. or maybe he has even less
of an idea about how to deal...Copy !req
512. with my alleged
and fictitious lesbianism than I do.Copy !req
513. So he'll just remain silent...Copy !req
514. like a submarine under the icecap,
and drift away.Copy !req
515. Just like the legion of other cowards...Copy !req
516. whom I spent my life
staring at the phone...Copy !req
517. panting like a collie
for table scraps...Copy !req
518. until I became successful
and started to scare them...Copy !req
519. with the very independence
they required me to have so that now...Copy !req
520. I'm looking at some bad numbers,
if you know what I'm talking about.Copy !req
521. But what was I supposed to do?Copy !req
522. Turn down an opportunity
to serve the president...Copy !req
523. who I believe in and adore?Copy !req
524. You just wanna share it
with someone, you know?Copy !req
525. - So if you wanna send more call sheets...
- Sure. No, that'd be a great idea.Copy !req
526. I need you to stay, Leo.
So does the president.Copy !req
527. C.J., Toby needs you.Copy !req
528. Wilkinson won't move,
the vice president has chosen...Copy !req
529. this moment to find his noble core...Copy !req
530. and Hoynes may be
behind this whole thing.Copy !req
531. - Hoynes?
- We have to put the president...Copy !req
532. - ... with Wilkinson.
- That's not gonna happen.Copy !req
533. - How's Hoynes involved?
- Doesn't matter.Copy !req
534. The president has to threaten a veto
to get this off the bill.Copy !req
535. - President's not ready to veto.
- You told him not to.Copy !req
536. - I'm not willing to sink the budget.
- Over your dating life.Copy !req
537. No, over an empty gesture that's gonna
be struck down by the courts.Copy !req
538. So that's what we're gonna do. Pass
the buck and pray for judicial restraint.Copy !req
539. President's resting. We can't haul him
down when we can't do what he asked.Copy !req
540. You're afraid because it'll call attention
to this garbage they're running.Copy !req
541. No, I'm too busy composing my letter
to the editor of Soap Opera Digest.Copy !req
542. Josh is thinking of leaving.Copy !req
543. - What?
- To help Matt Santos run for president.Copy !req
544. - The congressman from Texas?
- Leo's gone.Copy !req
545. Josh has a foot out the door.Copy !req
546. It's you and I,
we're gonna have to run this thing.Copy !req
547. We gonna stand for something
or just change the sheets...Copy !req
548. for the president's hospital bed?Copy !req
549. We fight an amendment with no practical
impact and massive popular support?Copy !req
550. Yes, we should fight it.
Fight the symbol. Yes.Copy !req
551. Symbols matter.Copy !req
552. If they didn't, why would you care what
they say on the Internet?Copy !req
553. I have to go downstairs
for a quick meeting.Copy !req
554. C.J. called me.Copy !req
555. God forbid anyone should see me
bumming around the West Wing.Copy !req
556. Might think I'm actually
running the country.Copy !req
557. - This gonna be your idea of resting?
- Only gonna take a couple of minutes.Copy !req
558. We have a situation here, Jed.Copy !req
559. I feel like a guest at the most secure
bed and breakfast on the planet.Copy !req
560. What's so important
that you'd risk your health?Copy !req
561. - The Sanctity of Marriage Act.
- Oh, that old chestnut?Copy !req
562. I was hoping for at least
an international crisis.Copy !req
563. Hold the fish loosely, Jed, or it's gonna
flop right out of your hands.Copy !req
564. - I wanna put my pants on.
- What?Copy !req
565. My pants. I can't put them on.Copy !req
566. Oh, okay.Copy !req
567. - Here.
- How body from spiritCopy !req
568. Does slowly unwind
Until we are pure spirit at the endCopy !req
569. You gonna quote poetry now?Copy !req
570. So this is why
they make you take vows.Copy !req
571. Yep. This is why.Copy !req
572. Could you overnight this
up to David at Concord, please?Copy !req
573. - New Hampshire office up and running?
- Eleven of them. Cheaper to buy in bulk.Copy !req
574. Little different than Orange County
three years ago, huh?Copy !req
575. - This guy's got a pulse for starters.
- Well, technically speaking, sure.Copy !req
576. Don't miss the romance
of the upstart campaign?Copy !req
577. Sorry to make you waste a walk.
Toby already tried to go over my head.Copy !req
578. Remind him the vice president and I
actually do talk every once in a while.Copy !req
579. You know, he really appreciates
your offer to help on this NAACP stuff.Copy !req
580. Sure. Great.Copy !req
581. You good?Copy !req
582. - How's Donna working out?
- Great.Copy !req
583. She have an office yet?
I didn't see her out in the bullpen.Copy !req
584. She headed to New Hampshire
for a couple of weeks.Copy !req
585. Excellent.Copy !req
586. Well, next time you see her,
tell her I say hi.Copy !req
587. Of course.Copy !req
588. Okay, see you guys
on the plane tomorrow.Copy !req
589. Where are you off to?Copy !req
590. South Carolina in the morning,
Georgia in the afternoon.Copy !req
591. - Working on your Southern strategy?
- And my winter tan.Copy !req
592. - You could use a couple of rays yourself.
- I'm not so much in for tanning...Copy !req
593. but I'll give it some thoughtful study.Copy !req
594. The luxury of being out
of public office.Copy !req
595. I don't have to take a position on every
issue before the Congress.Copy !req
596. You served with Wilkinson
on the Judiciary Committee, right?Copy !req
597. I did. He's a good man. I mean,
he is out there, but he's for real.Copy !req
598. Won't take a cent of PAC money.
It's unbelievable.Copy !req
599. So you encouraged him to visit
his righteous indignation down...Copy !req
600. on the budget process, make Russell
swing to the right on gay marriage...Copy !req
601. slay him with the Democratic faithful
in the primary? It makes sense.Copy !req
602. I'm just confused who the viable
candidate is when Russell's gone.Copy !req
603. You underestimate
the American public.Copy !req
604. Generally a good policy.
I don't trust their judgment.Copy !req
605. I forgot you work
for the president of Cuba.Copy !req
606. I trust their aspirations,
just like all those guys in the white wigs.Copy !req
607. - Some were slave owners, I hear.
- Exactly.Copy !req
608. - C.J. too? That your handiwork?
- No.Copy !req
609. No, I feel terrible about that.Copy !req
610. I'm gonna win this thing, Toby.Copy !req
611. Hey.Copy !req
612. So are the queers gonna destroy
marriage as we know it, or what?Copy !req
613. I have no idea.
I'm handing out pork like Popsicles.Copy !req
614. Wilkinson's meeting
with the president.Copy !req
615. - Thought he was in the residence today.
- Yeah, so did the first lady.Copy !req
616. I'd steer clear.Copy !req
617. Oh, I'm not getting anywhere near
that one.Copy !req
618. - So I think I found my guy.
- Yeah?Copy !req
619. - That's good.
- Matt Santos.Copy !req
620. - He said yes. He's gonna do it.
- Santos?Copy !req
621. - Really?
- I know. I got this nine-point pl...Copy !req
622. I don't need to hear it.
You smell a moment, you gotta go.Copy !req
623. I don't wanna leave you guys with just
a candygram and a get-well card.Copy !req
624. We'll be fine.Copy !req
625. Come with me.
I think this guy may be the real deal.Copy !req
626. I already found my guy.Copy !req
627. I don't know how to tell him, Leo.Copy !req
628. Hey.Copy !req
629. Hey.Copy !req
630. Agriculture's still dragging their feet
on this Appalachian fruit thing.Copy !req
631. It was Hoynes.Copy !req
632. He wanted to force Russell
to support the Sanctity of Marriage Act.Copy !req
633. Heartwarming.Copy !req
634. So Santos, huh?Copy !req
635. What are you gonna do
when this is done?Copy !req
636. Whatever I can to stave off the chaos,
mayhem and self-interest...Copy !req
637. that lies just beneath
our civil disguise.Copy !req
638. So not the private sector.Copy !req
639. The money would have to be
unbelievable.Copy !req
640. - See you.
- Yeah.Copy !req
641. - You all set, sir?
- I'm fine, Nancy. Bring him on in.Copy !req
642. Mr. President, Senator Wilkinson.Copy !req
643. Sam.Copy !req
644. - Well, you look terrific, Mr. President.
- Thank you.Copy !req
645. - Sorry I can't get up, but I can't get up.
- You're in our prayers.Copy !req
646. I appreciate that, Sam. I really do.Copy !req
647. Now, tell me what I can do
to get your amendment off my budget.Copy !req
648. Against nature.Copy !req
649. Men leaving the natural use
of the woman...Copy !req
650. burned in their lust
toward one another.Copy !req
651. Men with men, working that
which is unseemly. Romans.Copy !req
652. Would it offend you, Sam,
if I said this amendment represents...Copy !req
653. a selective interpretation
of the Scriptures?Copy !req
654. A complete inversion
of the values of Jesus Christ?Copy !req
655. No, sir, it wouldn't offend me.
I'm secure in my faith.Copy !req
656. Isn't there something in that book
about forgiveness?Copy !req
657. - Aren't we all God's children?
- Of course we are.Copy !req
658. Which is why the government
shouldn't institutionalize behavior...Copy !req
659. in opposition to our faith.Copy !req
660. What gives us the right
to visit our faith upon the country?Copy !req
661. One nation under God.
What gives us the right not to?Copy !req
662. - You talked to John Hoynes about this?
- John's a friend of mine.Copy !req
663. But I introduced this amendment
because I believe you want to sign it.Copy !req
664. You told me as much six weeks ago
at the prayer breakfast.Copy !req
665. That civil unions are one thing...Copy !req
666. but that marriage is between
a man and a woman.Copy !req
667. I can't stand up anymore.Copy !req
668. - Sir?
- I've lost my balance.Copy !req
669. It should come back,
but it's gone now.Copy !req
670. - Are you dizzy, sir?
- No, I just can't find my balance.Copy !req
671. It went away.Copy !req
672. I try thinking it back, but it's difficult
because it's not a static thing.Copy !req
673. Once it's gone, it's hard to imagine
having it back again...Copy !req
674. and it's disheartening to realize that
thinking just isn't gonna get it done.Copy !req
675. You've just got to trust
that you'll happen onto it again.Copy !req
676. You only have one more year,
Mr. President.Copy !req
677. Yeah, I've got a great future
behind me.Copy !req
678. Attaching this to the budget
gives you all the cover you need.Copy !req
679. How is this our job, Sam?Copy !req
680. I raised my right hand and swore an oath
to uphold the Constitution...Copy !req
681. of the United States of America.Copy !req
682. Where was your left hand,
Mr. President?Copy !req
683. This was sent over
from the northwest gate.Copy !req
684. - It says "Oval Room at 9. "
- Yeah.Copy !req
685. - Are the press still in there?
- Yeah.Copy !req
686. This is your statement.Copy !req
687. Hey, I just wanted to tell you guys
that the Sanctity of Marriage Act's...Copy !req
688. been removed from the budget
at the president's urging.Copy !req
689. The conferees are moving towards
a clean budget bill.Copy !req
690. It should be on the president's desk
tomorrow.Copy !req
691. - Are we on the record here?
- Sure. What the hell.Copy !req
692. Are you a homosexual?Copy !req
693. You know what?Copy !req
694. I've spent the last 14 hours being
snickered at by United States senators...Copy !req
695. being ostracized
on the World Wide Web...Copy !req
696. having my own colleagues
question my ability to do my job.Copy !req
697. And I let it get to me.Copy !req
698. So I don't think it really matters
whether I'm gay or straight...Copy !req
699. or the best women's
basketball player in Ohio Valley history.Copy !req
700. - No one should be treated this way.
- You didn't answer the question.Copy !req
701. That's right,
because it's none of your business.Copy !req
702. Josh, he can see you now.Copy !req
703. - Mr. President.
- Josh.Copy !req
704. - How you feeling?
- Not too bad.Copy !req
705. Sir, I never imagined...Copy !req
706. that I would be having
this conversation.Copy !req
707. Any word on...?Copy !req
708. Russell for president.Copy !req
709. I wanted to start this journey
in the place where it all started for me.Copy !req
710. Soon, we will be inundated
by the polls and the punditry...Copy !req
711. and the prognostications.
All the nonsense...Copy !req
712. that goes with our
national political campaigns.Copy !req
713. But none of that matters.Copy !req
714. This is the place that matters.Copy !req
715. Because every day, children walk into
this schoolhouse to glimpse their futures.Copy !req
716. To ask for hope.Copy !req
717. They may not know they need it yet,
but they do.Copy !req
718. And I am here to tell you
that hope is real.Copy !req
719. In a life of trials,
in a world of challenges...Copy !req
720. hope is real.Copy !req
721. In a country where families
go without health care...Copy !req
722. where some go without food...Copy !req
723. some don't even have a home
to speak of, hope is real.Copy !req
724. In a time of global chaos
and instability...Copy !req
725. where our faiths collide
as often as our weapons, hope is real.Copy !req
726. Hope is what gives us the courage
to take on our greatest challenges...Copy !req
727. to move forward together.Copy !req
728. We live in cynical times.Copy !req
729. I know that.Copy !req
730. But hope is not up for debate.Copy !req
731. There is such a thing as false science.
There's such a thing as false promises.Copy !req
732. I am sure that I'll have my share
of false starts in this campaign...Copy !req
733. but there is no such thing
as false hope.Copy !req
734. There is only hope.Copy !req
735. And with your help
and your hard work...Copy !req
736. and the hopes of good people
all across this land...Copy !req
737. I hereby announce my candidacy
for president of these United States.Copy !req