Previously on The West Wing:
Okay. Let's go win this thing.
Why is Greg Brock of the Times on your call log five times a week...
...in the months before he published his leak story?
- You think the leak came from me. - You need to stop the investigation.
- Excuse me? - The evidence thus far suggests...
...the leak came from the White House.
We're getting movement from Congress on education.
- That's the Santos plan. - Probably doesn't have the votes...
- He definitely doesn't. ...but if he's interested...
He's interested because the Vinick camp told him to.
- Could be. - Haffley's playing you.
No, actually he's screwing you...
...and for the moment we are comfortable with that.
Scheduling and Advance is thinking little flags for Monday's bill signing.
- Little flags? - American ones.
We've stopped using the skull and crossbones?
They wanna line the table with a big row of...
- Little flags. And the message is? - "This is America."
- They do realize this is a fisheries bill? - You'd like them to come up with a...
Something a little more specific than a great big row of...
- Little flags. - Thank you.
Little fish.
- There's a secret military shuttle, that that's the only way...
... to have repaired the space station 's laboratory module.
But with Brock refusing to answer grand-jury questions...
... on his source for the top...
NASA announced the astronauts fixed the shuttle by themselves.
- Anybody buying it? - Not so much.
We've got a congressional committee investigating a national-security leak.
Washington's devolving into another gavel-splitting, nose-thumbing standstill.
Not to mention the fact that a fisheries bill...
...could be my legacy as chief of staff. - What's this?
White House Counsel wants to put out a statement.
- We worked out the language in the car. - "Respect for the paw"?
- "Law." Respect for the law. - Looks like the "paw."
- Try writing at 50 miles an hour. - You think this is a good idea?
The White House Counsel wants it out.
You don't think Vinick will stomp all over this?
I think the president and White House Counsel want it out.
Now, if you don 't think I have a personal stake in my economic plan...
... if you don 't think it's personal for me...
... hey, if the country doesn't like it, I'll be the first one unemployed.
We can't hang on to the jobs of the past, none of us can.
The entire store of human knowledge now doubles every five years.
A child that is born tonight could live to see the 22nd century.
If we nourish innovation, if we tear down red tape and regulation...
...that child could lead a brand-new industry...
...can cure a dreaded disease...
...can touch a far horizon that we can't even glimpse yet.
So if it's personal for you, if you want your child to grow up...
...in a world fueled by new prosperity and path-breaking discovery...
...then I need your vote. Because you ain't seen nothing yet!
Start by noon, the affiliates will carry...
Let's start it by noon.
Secret Service would prefer it if you didn't wade into the crowd.
Tell them, put 40 electoral votes on the table, I'll do whatever they want.
How you doing there? Thank you so much for coming.
Hi, how are you? Good to see you. Thanks so much for coming out.
Popular Mechanics, 1949.
I'm not making this up. They predicted:
"In the future, computers will weigh no more than 1 and a half tons."
So if you think my plan for high-tech jobs is a little light, then...
Anybody got any questions?
- Hey, you here all night again? - I thought you left at 10:30.
I came back when I saw the coverage of yesterday's West Coast swing.
Our economic message is working, so I'm revamping the plan.
We would have helped.
Tell Field I won't spend that much on Delaware.
Tell Speechwriting to try a version that wins votes.
And tell Advance I'm canceling the foreign-policy reporters' meeting...
...and adding a town hall when he gets to Tampa.
- What are those? - People think campaigns...
...are about two competing answers to the same question. They're not.
They're a fight over the question itself.
Now, Vinick is opening up a big lead on security issues.
- That's box one. - So we need to do more military.
No, if the race is about that, we lose.
But we're way ahead on most domestic issues.
This new economic message could be our ticket.
We keep the conversation in box number two, we win this thing.
- What's box three? - Trivia.
Ephemera, stuff we can't control.
From today on, every speech, every public event, box number two.
- You do this on Bartlet's campaigns? - Toby Ziegler.
Soon, we'll go hairline for hairline.
CNN says the White House's making an announcement about the leak.
No, they're trying to damp that story down.
Tell it to CNN.
Operator, get me Toby Ziegler, now.
- Yeah. - Whatever you're announcing...
...tell me you're gonna damp down this leak story...
We're stopping our investigation to cooperate with Congress.
Democrats don't care if there are felons in the Sit Room.
Santos is gonna get tarred with...
- saying the White House will halt its efforts to find the leaker.
Bad news for Matt Santos, who just got the spotlight...
So a national-security leak, is that in box number three?
- The economy. They add serious lapses in national security.
Santos has been trailing his opponent, Republican Senator Arnold Vinick...
Keep him away from the press. No.
No talking to the press till we hear what Vinick says.
- We should have somebody with him. - Bram's with him.
- A senior adviser, to handle things. - I'm flying out this afternoon.
- What about Edie? - Media consultants are coming in an hour.
- I'm flying out this afternoon. - Josh?
Senator! The president's shutting his investigation of the security leak.
Do you think there's a legal basis?
If that were my White House, I'd seal the doors and windows...
... until we found that leaker.
And then I'd throw him in federal prison.
Vinick's public schedule. I need his schedule for the day.
- Josh. - Is that the congressman?
What are they smoking in that White House of yours?
First they bogart my education plan for some congressional compromise...
...then they serve up a big fat pitch for switch-hitter Vinick.
It's a legal strategy. We've gotta avoid commenting or it'll swamp our message.
I have to make a statement. It's all the press will wanna talk about.
Any comment drags us into a bad story, miles off our economic message.
I'm having lunch with two dozen foreign-policy reporters today.
- Josh canceled that about an hour ago. - For what?
For a town hall on high-tech jobs. And I'm making it a reverse town hall.
You ask people their personal stories.
No one gets to ask you unscripted questions.
He can handle tough questions. You should see him out here.
All this attention on the leak story...
...it's magnifying the inevitable mommy problem.
- Mommy problem? - When voters want a national daddy...
...someone tough and strong, they vote Republican.
When they want a mommy to give them jobs, health care...
... policy equivalent of matzo-ball soup, they vote Democratic.
On domestic issues, we're three points up.
We're better than Vinick on military. The congressman was a Marine pilot...
... flying in the Gulf. Vinick never even served.
Democrats don't beat Republicans on security issues.
I know it's frustrating, but we have to stay in the box that we can win.
That's why Vinick attacked Bartlet. To force us back on security.
We avoid the press and leave them no choice...
...but to cover our economic message. - That's right.
One sentence and he boxes me into a corner, doesn't even mention my name.
We gotta get to this crowd event. We'll see you in Tampa.
- Thank you. - Thank you, sir.
And having made the essential repairs...
... to the space station 's laboratory module...
... NASA now expects the astronauts to return home...
... within the next four to five days.
It's Josh again. I told him to call Toby. He insisted on talking to you.
Find Toby, will you?
For the love of my sanity, talk to Toby. He's my liaison to the campaign...
How could you let the president do this...
...when I find a message that works? - It was a legal decision.
You work in the most politicized square footage in the country.
You turned this over to the Republicans, who are gonna kill me with paper cuts...
...leak every incriminating detail when it pleases them...
...and I never get back to my issues.
The president wants a fair investigation. He wants politics out of this.
Call for a special prosecutor!
You're shutting down your investigation? Go all the way.
Take it out of the political arena for good.
While you're at it, find me a campaign liaison who's not out to screw me.
A prosecutor rifling through every can of trash from the past seven years?
Glad we have this chance to chat. The last one was so gratifying.
I am begging you, get the politics out of this.
You're putting politics in it.
You deal away my education plan.
You don 't give me a heads up on political tsunamis.
I am the only thing between Matt Santos and the megaphone...
...through which he is going to trash his own party's White House.
Skip Kentucky. We'll hit it through Cincinnati media.
Move this photo above the fold. Every time we talk about gun control...
...we have to say we respect the rights of hunters and sportsmen right up front.
The Post wants to know if we canceled the lunch to keep away from the leak.
Tell them no, not everything's a conspiracy.
But you changed to a reverse town hall because...?
Certain things are conspiracies.
- I need sexier economic policy. - Sexier.
The press wants to write about the leak. We want the economy.
- Let's show a little leg. - By "leg," you mean...?
Targeted tax credits, preferably indexed to inflation.
- When did you last go on a date? - I don't wanna talk about it.
The Democratic media consultants are waiting.
Okay, I'm running a national campaign here.
- By yourself? - Joey, 12 days ago...
...we were going on unemployment. We barely got the nomination.
We spent the last four days arguing with the press...
...over Leo's cholesterol level. I delegate.
- Name one thing you've delegated. - I wouldn't have chosen this color.
You have to hire some heavyweights. Bruno Gianelli.
There goes half our budget on Italian loafers and minibar tabs.
You don't have a political director, a chief speechwriter.
You don't even have a communications director.
There's that huge empty office next to yours.
Hi, I'm Bill. They told me to show up after 10.
Absolutely. Welcome. You can follow me.
There must be 300 people on staff. Surely a few of them are capable...
Not a single one of these non-shavers would challenge my assumptions...
...stand up to me in a meeting...
- We thought we'd try it with crime... - Just do it the way I asked, okay?
I mean, this isn't summer camp.
We're not making tie racks out of plywood.
Not everyone has the savvy to play the big game.
This is your desk. Sit with Personnel.
Diana will give you business cards. Policy working group starts at 3.
And that's when I install the new phone lines?
- Front desk. Around the corner. - Thanks for the business cards.
You bet.
We're about to sit down with the party's top media consultants.
If you're not leaning on your staff, lean on them.
These guys just want a slice of the DNC media budget.
We slide them a contract so they won't snipe at us on Meet the Press.
- Here's the list of attendees. - What's she doing on there?
You said be sure to invite Louise Thornton.
I said be sure not to invite her.
Thank you for coming to this strategy meeting.
This is the greatest assemblage of Democratic talent...
...since the last time Jed Bartlet dined alone.
As you can see, we're positioning Santos...
...very strongly on domestic issues, especially the economy.
With a little discipline, we can ride out today's press storm.
I want your input on our message and strategy.
Your pals in the White House are creating this storm.
They're bungling this leak investigation. My Senate clients are nervous.
- Mine too. - Very nervous.
Obviously, the president's got his legal strategy, while the politics of the...
Why aren't you repackaging Santos as a moderate?
No wonder half the Democrats don't wanna share a stage with him.
- Gotta repackage him. - Make him a moderate.
We think when the voters see his record on deficit reduction and middle-class...
I don't see why Santos isn't sticking it to Vinick with strong contrasts.
- He should knife him. - With contrasts.
We didn't have a full convention to define ourselves.
We're trying to run a positive campaign...
...especially while the voters are learning about us.
- Now, if you will look at the handout... - You don't really want our input.
Everybody's here for a piece of the media budget.
So get to the point, please.
It goes without saying that you will each be part of the DNC media buy...
...as you can see on page two.
- We've got a strong story for voters. - We're excited about the buy.
If I did want advice on the message?
- That would be hard to give. - Why's that?
Because you don't have one.
She means that we can test some dynamic new spots.
Yeah, that'd really fill in the picture.
I'm not talking about 10-point plans or McGarry's love of egg whites.
I'm talking about the iconic.
Something you can put on a sticker that tells people who Matt Santos is.
Eight days after the convention, I still don't have a clue.
- Where are you going? - I don't want a DNC contract.
I just came by to see if this was your vanity exercise everyone says it is.
Besides, if I take your money, how can I snipe at you on Meet the Press?
She doesn't speak for all of us. We have a lot to talk about.
If we could get back to the DNC... Was that page two?
You and I haven't always been on the same side.
You mean those four times I beat your candidates?
It was three times.
I was counting the two-to-one victory twice.
You're right, I don't have this iconic, symbolic thing.
- My strong suit isn't... - Isn't connecting with the electorate.
...reducing human complexity to a box of soap flakes, no.
All I know about Santos is he's smart and he's cute.
- That's hardly the stuff of leadership. - It's better than fat and dumb.
That's a good bumper sticker. You don't need me.
I think what you do is superficial, but I know it's important...
...or I wouldn't be asking you of all people for help.
I'm not a cultist like you.
We have different approaches to campaigns.
- I win them. - I'm trying to be friends.
You saw Vinick on TV this morning. It wasn't about content...
...but he was tough and authentic.
He was Neil Young to your Neil Diamond.
- I like Neil Diamond. - Sure.
We can't fight about security. We'll get killed.
I'm trying to change the conversation to the economy.
How about moving it to:
While Santos was serving in the Gulf, Vinick was serving himself chardonnay?
That Santos is still serving in the reserves.
He's been in the Senate for 90 years. He was born in a hearing.
If you're not using the phrase "Beltway Arnie"...
We're not going negative, not now, not first.
You don't think you're running a negative campaign?
Why are you always talking about high-tech jobs?
Vinick uses a manual typewriter and his future's a set of plastic gums.
You're doing political smear. I'm saying do it right.
- We're getting lots of calls on this leak. - How many?
- 113. - We're not commenting.
The Post still thinks today's lunch was canceled...
...because we're hiding from the leak. - Tell them we cancel lunches all the time.
We're fast and nimble and move like the night, okay?
Don't mind me. You and Elmer Fudd Jr. Just keep changing the conversation.
Hang on.
Manifest Lou for the Florida-California trip.
- Ten minutes ago you didn't want her... - Her ideas are nutty.
She doesn't play well with others, but she's got an IQ of 200.
She knows this image stuff backwards...
...and it's better than having her lobbing mortars at me.
- See if she wants the vegetarian option. - She'll have the raw meat.
I want you to come with me. You can pick up a bag on the way.
If the congressman signs off, I'm hiring you as director of communications.
- I don't think so. - I'm talking about the future here.
Yes, I don't have any desire to play in your one-man band.
I am asking you to meet with the next president of the United States.
State's about to brief POTUS and VPOTUS...
...on the Norwegian working dinner.
Will you make sure the NSC's in the Oval? State's trying to do an end run.
- The president's ready, Ms. Cregg. - Thank you.
Plus, Brock still wants a few minutes.
Tell him no. In Norwegian if you have to.
That would be "nosk."
What is it?
Counsel's office says the first round of subpoenas are coming...
...and they start with junior staff. - Okay.
Obviously, the focus is on the chief of staff's office.
On our office.
- If there's anything you want me to... - I want you to tell the truth.
Josh, you have a comment about this Bartlet situation?
I got brand-new policy, also known as hard news. Don't all thank me.
The congressman's not taking questions?
He's proposing a major new tax credit for research.
It rewards innovation in the economy.
- When will you make him available? - After you write about the tax credit.
Republicans are saying Democrats can't be trusted with national security...
Santos has to be furious at the president. How does Leo McGarry feel?
He's upset we're not doing more to reward innovation in the economy.
- You have a comment on the Post? - I'm against it, off the record.
There's a story on their website that Santos has canceled four lunch events.
- Lunch events? - Yeah, why always lunches?
Let me get this...
They got a story that we're canceling lunch events?
Four in two weeks. They're calling it "Santos Siesta."
First, that's ridiculous. Second, it's a cheap stereotype.
- Why is it always lunches? - You can't be interested in this.
As opposed to the same speech we've written about two days in a row?
- We'll see you after the event. - You heard about the siesta.
When I said to say we cancel lunches, it wasn't to emphasize...
We cancel lunches all the time. A fine-line situation.
- Not really. - So how do we deal?
We hold lunch events this week. I don't care if we're stuffed.
We put out a sandwich and call it a lunch.
- Doesn't this fall into box three? - I use a message grid, so sue me.
That is what happens when you fight scandal with spreadsheets.
I'm running a presidential campaign. You got a better idea? I'll take it.
Vinick's slugging you. How about slugging back?
This lunch thing was our goof.
You don't think somebody's looking for them?
We don't give them anything else, by the end of the day...
...they'll file stories about the tax credit.
- I'm not commenting on the leak. - This isn't about the leak.
- Don't tell me there's another... - No, this one you're gonna like.
So is this covered in Josh's press memo?
No, it's in Josh's scheduling memo. It's a listen-only conference call.
We'll do it right after the reverse town hall.
You talk about the tax credit for reporters...
...but you can't hear them speak. They can listen.
I can open it up to hand gestures.
Then you're meeting Lou Thornton, a media strategist Josh wants to hire.
Oh, she wins a lot of races.
She probably won't do it, but she is what we need in Communications.
Aggressive, out-of-the-box. Her ideas would be heavily filtered through me.
- Anything you can do to get her. - I'll grab you when they start your intro.
So let me guess, the press is going bananas...
...because I haven't been commenting on the leak.
I think I have a way to close the security gap overnight.
Strafing runs over the National Press Club, huh?
TIME magazine has a copy of a letter from the Marine Reserve command.
You've been called up for reserve training...
...in Fort Worth, Texas, for two days.
- The Tuesday after Labor Day. - How'd the press get this before me?
From now on, you're gonna be the last person to read a lot of your mail.
Congressman, it's Christmas in July. Deck the halls with guns and ammo.
This is what we couldn't do at the convention:
You in fatigues, wind in your hair, trench knife in your teeth.
This is an annual required thing, right?
Do a physical, some flight hours, marksmanship...
With very big guns. Guns are very big.
- It won't look like a stunt? - Following orders.
- They've started your intro. - Okay.
Sir, give me your best bottle of champagne.
Make it your 10th best. Nothing with a screw-off top.
- Remember me? - Watch the reverse town hall.
They're doing introductions.
Leave so I can talk about stuff you can't hear.
Sure thing.
We're about to make a big announcement.
Two days after Labor Day...
...the congressman's doing reserve duty in Texas.
He's following orders. We announce it without comment.
- Picture's worth a thousand bayonets. - Fantastic.
Coordinate a press pool with the Marine Reserve command.
Make sure his uniform fits like a glove.
Work with the congressional office, get documentation.
- Documentation. - Lay it out for the press:
Dates, details, how he's done this every year like clockwork.
Sometimes he resets the clock.
When it needs rewinding, just when it needs...
He's postponed it a few times.
For critical national-security votes in the Congress.
Usually to campaign for reelection.
I think once because his daughter was sick.
- Matthew Santos!
- We've been getting press inquiries. - Yeah, I'm sure.
A lot of them, on why we ended this internal investigation...
...and how we plan to deal with it... - Refer them to Counsel's office.
- Which is good... - Wall this off from the White House...
...so we can do some governing. - Counsel's not taking questions.
- Some walls are thicker than others. - See your call sheet.
There are reporters outside your office...
Which is why I'm nowhere near my office.
How's it playing out there?
Aside from Arnold Vinick's plan to turn the government into Dragnet?
I know it's bad politics. It's for the right reasons.
Men with good reasons shouldn't set precedents for men with bad ones.
- What's this? - Witness list for congressional hearings.
- What I could get. - Greg Brock will refuse to testify.
Think Congress holds him in contempt?
First Amendment isn't what it used to be.
- I've been avoiding him all day. - As you should.
So I moved it around a bit.
At least I did real reserve training with the big guns every year.
Almost.
It'll look like a stunt, won't it?
Fourteen weeks before the election, trailing on security...
...you skipped it for politics and Flintstones chewables...
...we announce you're putting on a uniform the first day of fall campaigning?
It'll look like Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Five minutes, then a clutch with the city council chair...
...before we take off for Fort Lauderdale.
Is it Lou or Louise?
"Lou" started in college when I signed up for men's intramural softball.
They were a player short. Turned out I was the best hitter.
- So Lou. - Louise is fine.
What did you think of the reverse town hall?
I didn't like your joke about being unemployed.
- Just a funny line. - Shaving cream and seltzer are funny.
Unemployment's not funny.
I got the council chair after this. We could go egg her house.
Was there anything that you liked about the town hall?
Sure. I assume you have people around to tell you how great you are.
If you don't, you should hire some. They're wonderful.
No, we pay a premium for that.
Are you familiar with the mommy problem?
- I am. - Do you think I have one?
That's something you have to answer yourself.
Beltway Arnie's kicking you all over the map.
The White House is treating you like a fly on their windshield.
I'm wondering if you have what it takes...
...to come out of the protection program and kick back.
Councilwoman Stone, the next president.
- Hello, pleasure to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
Hello, how are you? Oh, we're gonna take a picture here. Okay.
Great.
- Mr. Lyman, have you okayed banner...? - Not now.
- We have three print requests for... - Later.
We gotta write up some options. This press marginalia can wait.
Great.
He's postponed his reserve drilling a third of the time.
Forty-one percent. Whoever gave that letter to TIME has to know that.
He stayed in the reserve all these years.
Our problem is Santos served too much, whereas Vinick never even served.
- You're gonna be good at this. - What was option one?
Reporting for duty right after Labor Day...
...looking like a gun-toting, flag-waving phony.
- A no? - No on option one.
Soda shop's closed.
- May I ask what you're...? - It's a law-school study trick.
Not getting up till we figure this out. Option two, postponement.
Highlights previous postponements, if they even grant him one this time.
- Congressman. - Stay seated.
I got the high-tech CEOs waiting for me across the hall.
I wanted you to know I got Lou to come onboard.
- Director of communications. - That's terrific.
You were right, she's what we need, a whole different take.
- I didn't think she'd do it. - There's just one small condition.
- What's that? - Reporting directly to me.
If you got a minute, we got an AP problem.
- I don't. Edie, will you tell him why? - He doesn't have...
I'm trying to solve a problem 50 times bigger...
...than some AP nonsense. I'll handle it later.
- You'll wanna handle it now. - What?
The AP's got some kind of photograph.
Something that took place at our hotel in Cleveland.
- Photograph? - Of the congressman's bed.
I need a moment.
Can you seal the elevator?
- Is this about TIME magazine? - I'm working on that.
- Hi. - Maybe Lou's right.
Maybe there is a coordinated effort to throw us off our game.
Maybe it's Vinick, maybe the RNC. I don't know.
- What are you talking about? - AP has a photograph...
...of something that happened in Cleveland in your hotel bed.
Is there anything you'd like to tell me?
His name is Bruce. He's a flight attendant on Aer Lingus.
They've got a connecting hub out of Hamburg.
At first it was long walks along the Reeperbahn...
- I'm sorry, but I have to ask. - Jeez.
- It's my job. I'm sorry. - Wait a minute.
Cleveland?
- I don't understand. - He wouldn't let me in.
I should have suspected something.
Fifteen years, I've never been stuck in box number three.
- Tell me what happened. - He demolished his bed.
- Demolished it? - It was his wife's only night on the road.
It was an old wooden bed. Hand cranks, what-have-you.
- Hand cranks? - And what-have-you.
As much as I respect good craftsmanship...
...I'm still not clear about what happened.
- They broke it together. Get it? - Wire photo's out.
- Oh, my. - Hurricane Santos.
You repeat that outside this room...
...I'll have you knocking on doors in Alaska, not the urban part.
Give me that. That guy's the next leader of the free world.
I won't have us ogling his dirty... You know.
The hotel proprietor claims the bed was steel-reinforced.
We have a bigger problem than Helen's Ohio surprise.
He's been called up by the reserves after Labor Day.
- Two days of marksmanship and training. - Bless his broken headboard.
He's postponed it 41 percent of the time.
- Postponed it? - Forty-one percent of the time.
"See you when I'm done with government business"?
As in, "See you when it's convenient and no one has a runny nose."
If I'd had a full convention, I would've had Marines in the parking lot in foxholes.
You won't lift a finger against Arnie, who never served...
...and who flopped his way through years of hearings.
I'm not going negative. People barely know who Santos is.
A vacuum gets filled. That's why he's the swinging king of the siesta.
You won't admit the obvious, that the president screwed up on the leak.
The president is trying to take politics out...
Why not call a prosecutor? Why won't Santos call for one?
You're my communications director. Help me solve this problem.
You're the problem, not some box on a grid, not the reserves.
No negative campaigning, no outside opinions within miles of the candidate...
...no deviation from some Jonestown-like obsession...
...with your pals at the White House.
When are you gonna stop drinking the Kool-Aid?
I need Hobson at Treasury.
They're worried about currency devaluation in Argentina.
While I like a nice prime rib for 35 cents, the OAS ain't buying.
- The message for Monday's bill signing? - Scheduling and Advance wants flags.
This is America. I want an actual message.
I'm gonna read them the riot act to the tune of "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
- Greg Brock is in your office. - Why is Greg Brock in my office?
He walked in, he wouldn't leave. I didn't think you'd want Secret Service.
Think again.
We're professionals. We're under investigation by professionals.
It's bad enough you're all over my call sheet.
Congress has every paper aside from my crosswords.
Leave this office before I call in an armored division.
- I have a question about daycare. - Toby covered that.
We're deadlocked at 300 million. CBC's pushing after-school care.
- We can't get that out of committee. - That's great. Della's 4 and a half.
Now, she can live with her mom while I'm in prison...
...but her mom travels for her job.
Why isn't there some voucher you can give your kids to come with you...
...and get them into daycare wherever you go?
Prison?
I wouldn't talk to the grand jury. I was held in contempt.
I report to Cumberland Minimum Security Prison tomorrow.
- Should be on Fox by now. - You can appeal.
He refused to stay the contempt. At least 18 months.
I have to appeal from behind bars.
You don't have to worry about your call sheet.
Name your source.
I always liked you in that suit.
He's already late for the state party reception downstairs.
No. No, Helen, I don't.
No. No... I mean, short of us crawling under there...
...with a screwdriver and a roll of duct tape, I don't see how we could...
Oh, yeah. Because I personally love the fact that it's in all the papers and...
Honey, bring a sledgehammer with you...
...when we meet in Michigan and we can...
I gotta go.
Bye.
- How many papers is this gonna be in? - It's all over blogs and cable shows.
Now the first-tier press gets to cover the coverage.
This is my fault. I should have pushed out more policy.
I knew it would be hard to hit back against this phony, superficial crap.
I don't think it's phony or superficial.
These stories stick when it confirms what people think.
- Face it, nobody knows what to think. - So we deserve it?
You haven't given an alternative formulation on who he is...
...so he's taking blow after blow.
- I'm positioning him as a guy with... - How about a guy with a spine?
You wanna hit back, get sucked back into the leak story?
I want him to get distance from the leak.
President's approval is at 66 percent. The leak has barely made a dent.
That's why he seems like his infant cousin.
I'm sure you've never presented that argument.
Okay. You want me to have a spine, you want me to be nice to my cousin.
- Let's talk about my reserve drill. - You have to resign your commission.
- Sir, she's right. - You can't show up after Labor Day...
...when you've postponed service five times.
It'll look like the mother of all staged photo-ops.
Because I moved it?
You wear a uniform when it fits your schedule.
And never mind my 25 years of military service compared to Vinick's none.
Never mind one of the most pro-military voting records of the Democratic caucus.
Why'd you leave active duty? You went to Annapolis for free.
The taxpayers were supporting your career.
Your trench mates don't have a story to tell?
By resigning, I'm saying what?
You are ready to be president of the United States.
We have a civilian-led military. You are through playing G.I. Joe.
He has to get to the reception.
TIME's called twice. We have to tell them something.
Tell them if the country doesn't like my military record...
...I'll be the first one unemployed.
Tough press day.
"Vinick's comments called into question...
...the Santos campaign's support of the Bartlet White House...
...as Congressman Santos parried tabloid charges...
...and strained to articulate a message."
"Strained to articulate." It's like he was drooling into a cup.
So Vinick won the day.
Yeah, by walking five feet from his office...
...while the Latin Luther Vandross napped his way across the continent.
- Now can we revisit the Bartlet question? - Hi, let me introduce myself.
- I'm the problem. - I interpret the facts, I read the data.
Which is why you need me and why you resent me.
I'm not a Bartlet-ista and I'm not a Santos-ista.
I am completely untethered to your crazy cults of personality.
Also known as "ethics."
What is unethical about saying, "Jed Bartlet is a great president.
Make way on Mount Rushmore.
But in this one instance, this lapse in security, he goofed"?
- Someone in your White House goofed. - I read that data too.
No one thinks the White House goofed. It's a press obsession.
A Vinick trick to get us onto issues that we can't win on.
Do you think Vinick participated in last night's tracking poll?
It took us a couple hours to place Helen on that trip.
Remember, she came out as a surprise for you.
Anyway, that's why some of the stories imply that...
- What is this? - Polling question from last night's track.
"Was the president right to end his investigation...
...of a classified security leak? Yes, 27. No, 54. Don't know, 19."
Are you suggesting that I criticize the president?
I would never suggest that. But you asked me to run this campaign.
I don't want you thinking I'm holding back data.
- Hi. - Congressman Santos?
You guys got a job to do, whether I like it or not...
...so I'm not gonna pretend that the afternoon naps...
...and the bedside shrapnel don't make for good newspaper copy.
So I'm going to address this once, just this once...
...and that'll be the end of it. Okay?
No way was that bed steel-reinforced.
Still no comment about the president stopping his investigation?
You know, if that were my White House, I'd call in the FBI.
I would do everything in my power to cooperate with both Congress...
...and the grand jury.
I'd play it by the law, not by politics.
And in case you haven't noticed, that's exactly what this president is doing.
Certainly no one expected today's decision...
... which means that Greg Brock must report to jail immediately.
That's right. He reports to Cumberland Minimum Security Prison...
... in Maryland immediately, without any appeal...
... without any time to make his case to a higher level of court.
- Did you see? - Yeah.
- I need Scheduling and Advance. - Scheduling and Advance? Why?
The fisheries bill signing. They think our message should be a row of flags.
- It was my idea. - A row of flags?
Because he's the American president and he signed a bill into law.
As long as we're being investigated by our own government...
...I don't see why we should be any more clever than that.
- Of the White House press corps.
One of the deans of the Washington press corps, if you will.
- The First Amendment is sacrosanct.
I've been thinking about the reason I beat you on those primaries.
You wouldn't pound your candidates like I did.
This is too important to make it personal.
It's different when you build a candidate from nothing.
When you're the person he looks to for more than just shock therapy.
The congressman wants you.
Just Josh.
I appreciate what you said about the president.
I've been thinking about the reserve drill. I think you should do it.
Get the past postponements out today, ahead of the letter.
- If they slam us for it, we'll deal with it. - Look out the window.
It's the Rocky Mountains.
- You turned the plane around? - We're going to Fort Worth.
The Marine commandant in Washington... He was my CO in the Gulf.
- He said I could get it out of the way right now if I want.
You know, I didn't have as much as a high school diploma in my gene pool.
That commission's the reason why I'm on this plane. I'm not giving it up.
Before anybody in the press gets a chance to take a shot at us...
...the whole country sees you in uniform.
Better cancel our schedule for the next two days.
Sorry about Lou before.
She's got a lot to contribute, but should do it through me.
- Some of her ideas are extreme. - Doesn't mean I don't need them.
- You feel you need her at the table? - I feel you do.
- And others. - There has to be somebody in charge...
...to filter out knucklehead stuff.
- On the Bartlet campaign... - Jed Bartlet was in charge.
You were right about the president. Louise was right about leaving a vacuum.
I need to hear it all.
Yep?
They're ready with that state briefing in the staff cabin.
We're gonna beat him on security issues, beat him on domestic issues...
We're gonna beat him on trivia too.
The Santos campaign refused to comment on the drill...
... saying the candidate was taking care of a personal obligation...
... and would return to economic themes when he...
I think it's a charade, a made-for-TV movie.
Why do you think he stayed in the reserves?
Vinick takes a shot at the president.
Maybe he's sincere about it, but Santos defends Jed Bartlet...
... and then says, "Hey, I don 't just fund planes..."
We jumped four points in last night's poll.
What about the gender gap?
Might wanna use "Congressman Casanova" in an ad.
- Half the press are calling it a stunt. - They're all running footage.
- When he goes on offense, he goes. - Welcome to the cult of personality.
I need that brochure copy on his military record.
Edie, get Helen's schedule.
We want her on the road at least three days when he gets back from Texas.
Ronna, Ned, foreign-policy events. Best idea gets an extra fortune cookie.
- Are we ordering Chinese? - I've got menus.
- Get the foreign-policy binders... - Plus economic announcements...
- Santos in that flight suit...
Aides of Senator Vinick say that he will stick to his game plan...
... that they are confident that on national security and other issues...
... their candidate has a commanding advantage.
Subtitles by SDI Media Group