The West Wing (1999–2006): Season 2, Episode 14 - The War at Home - full transcript
President Bartlet is fighting a war on two fronts as he tries to rescue hostages in Colombia and deal with explaining to his wife why he's breaking his word to her by running for a 2nd term.
Previously on The West Wing:
Five U.S. DEA agents
have been abducted in Colombia.
The government has no control
over the region. There is no law.
And they're gonna shoot them
in the head and have a parade.
In three hours I want to
kick in the back door.
- When do I see numbers?
- There's a 17 percent response rate.
- When do I see numbers?
- In five minutes.
It may take a little longer now.
- You mad at me?
- We had a deal.
When did you decide you were gonna
run for a second term?
Mr. President.
It was just three hours ago
I gave the State of the Union.
- Yeah.
- You believe that?
What are you doing?
It's freezing out here.
I'm not allowed
to smoke inside anymore.
I thought you were allowed to do
pretty much whatever you want.
Up to the point where you accidentally
burn holes in priceless antiques.
- You should stop smoking.
- Why?
- You'll live longer.
- I smoke two cigarettes a day.
- It's a bad example.
- For who, Russian spy satellites?
George Bernard Shaw said, "You don't
live longer. It just seems longer. "
I'm not sure it was Shaw.
I'm not sure it was either.
- Is it time?
- Yeah.
Ten hut!
Where are we?
Sir, a C-141 with two Delta Force
teams has been in the air for 85 minutes.
- What happens when I give the order?
- They'll enter Colombian airspace.
At the same time, a 19-man unit,
a Special Forces Alpha team...
...that's already on the ground at
Tres Encinas, will head to Villacerreno.
What do they do when they get there?
They'll hike 11 miles
into the jungle and hold still.
- Why?
- It'll be daylight by then.
Nineteen guys have to lie
face-down in the jungle till sunset?
That's when the hostages will be moved.
- And that's when we go.
- They're moving the hostages where?
From the Tasco outpost
to the Frente command center.
- On foot?
- Yeah.
10. 7 kilometers down the road,
there's a plateau called Mesa Del Oro.
That'll give the Deltas
maximum maneuverability.
- The code name's Cassiopeia?
- Yes, sir.
Mickey, you look like
you wanna say something.
- Mr. President, I think you should wait.
- For what?
To see how negotiations
continue with Guerra.
Guerra wants Aguilar
out of a Colombian prison.
Are there any other circumstances under
which he'll give these hostages back?
- Possibly.
- Crap.
If we keep talking, we don't risk
hostages getting shot in the rescue.
What difference does it make if they're
shot during a rescue or at Villacerreno?
We can keep them alive longer
if we let them be taken there.
Are we gonna keep them alive longer
or will it just seem longer?
Sir?
I've reason to believe
they'll be tortured at Villacerreno.
They're U S. drug agents. They know
things these people wanna know.
Sir, the C-141 is approaching
Colombian airspace.
Go.
Tonight's State of the Union
contained 8747 words.
It was second in length
only to his inaugural address...
...and 75 minutes longer than
Washington's first address to Congress.
Officer Sloan, would you be willing
to go on television tomorrow?
- They knew how many words there were.
- In the speech?
- About 8700?
- Yeah.
- Would you be willing to go on TV?
- I think I'd really rather just go home.
This is gonna be a part of the news
by tomorrow night either way.
How do you know?
Same way I knew there were
8700 words in the speech.
I have some experience at this.
- What'll happen?
- You'll do a very quick satellite interview.
"What was it like being
at the State of the Union? "
" It was an honor. "
"Talk about your act of heroism. "
" I wouldn't really call it heroism, but.... "
" Now, I understand you had
some trouble back in the early '80s. "
" I'm glad I have a chance
to talk about that. "
And you tell your story
just like you told it to me.
- Do I wear my uniform?
- Coat and tie.
Carol?
Would you make sure Officer Sloan
gets back to his hotel?
I'd like to thank all our guests tonight.
Henry Shallick, David Satch, Toby
Ziegler, Bob Woodward, Jeff Greenfield...
...C.J. Cregg and of course, the White
House for allowing us to broadcast live.
You've been watching a special
expanded edition of Capitol Beat.
I'm Mark Gottfried. Have a good night.
We're out.
Great job, everybody.
- You said 20 minutes.
- I was in a meeting.
- It's now 40.
- I was in a meeting.
- At midnight?
- It's not midnight everywhere.
- What's his story?
- He's innocent.
You just decided?
A grand jury, a DA and a civil court
judge decided 17 years ago.
Nobody brought charges,
and the civil suit was dismissed.
- Then why on his record...?
- Detroit police cited him...
...for excessive force to calm
the black community.
It was a robbery. They were
jumping over walls.
The guy's leg was already fractured
when Sloan got there.
He's gonna do your show.
- Is he doing everybody else's show too?
- No.
- Why not?
- Because you waited 40 minutes.
Hey.
Bill Dryer from Gillette's office called.
He wants to have a meeting with you.
- Dryer?
- Gillette.
- I'll bet he wants a meeting with me.
- Yeah.
It's not gonna happen.
It's not gonna happen.
We got enough input from him
while we were writing the thing.
- I don't need to hear...
- He's very upset.
- I know, he's...
- More than we calculated.
We've upset him.
We have to learn
to live with that pain.
He's not the president.
He's a junior senator from
North Dakota where nobody lives...
...because it's cold and they
don't have a sports franchise.
Do I need to lay out
why he is important?
- No.
- He is adored by the left.
- Stop laying out the ways.
- He's our link to the environmentalists.
Toby, asking for this meeting
isn't out of line, and you should take it.
In fact, you should take it tomorrow
morning at 7:30 at the Hyatt.
- You set it up already?
- Just the time and place.
- You expect me to explain myself to him?
- Yes. Yes, I do.
- Fine.
- Toby.
- C.J.
- 7:30.
The Post is calling it "sleek,
challenging and oftentimes witty. "
Not unlike myself.
Who is Sloan and why
am I just hearing about this?
Sloan was one of the invited guests.
The one we stuck in over the weekend?
A long time ago he was cited by
the Detroit police for excessive force.
- Against a black suspect?
- Yeah.
- How was this guy not vetted?
- Because it was last minute.
- What are you doing about it?
- Gottfried's gonna interview him.
- It's a bad idea.
- Why?
Blacks won't react well
to our supporting a brutal cop.
- He's not a brutal cop.
- Says you.
Says me, a grand jury, two judges,
the district attorney and common sense.
It's going public anyway, Toby.
Gottfried got the story on his own.
- Fine. Where's Josh?
- He went back to the phone banks.
- Is the electricity back on?
- No.
- Then what's he doing there?
- Hoping the electricity goes on.
Well, that ought to do it.
- Josh?
- Yeah?
- Can I tell you something about women?
- Oh, God, please don't.
- We like to be wooed.
- Donna.
- She wants you to ask her out.
- She doesn't.
- You're missing the signs.
- I'm not.
- I know a thing or two about love.
- No, you don't.
- The signs.
- I'm thinking of firing you.
- You've fired me twice. I'm impervious.
- Among other things.
- We'll start over tomorrow night.
- Why?
It's already 9:30 in California. The power
isn't on. We're missing half the window.
- Joey.
- Pack it in.
Okay. Folks, we'll start over
tomorrow night.
- See you.
- Take it easy.
Good night.
So you have to wait another day.
- I'm not good at waiting.
- No kidding.
Donna.
Why do you expect our polling
to be any different than others?
We've got dial groups. We've got
CNN, USA Today. We've got Gallup.
- Why's our poll gonna be different?
- We're asking different questions.
I'll get your coat.
By the way...
...right there, back when
she said, "See you"...
- ... that was a sign.
- You're fired.
- Impervious.
- Yeah.
- Mr. President?
- Yeah.
You understand
we've got heating inside, right?
This isn't cold. It's crisp.
No, it's cold.
Well, you're a big wussy.
- Knight to king-4.
- It'll leave the bishop open.
You're gonna sacrifice
the bishop for the queen's rook.
- Where?
- Four moves down.
Abbey's pretty pissed at me.
- How bad?
- Pretty bad.
King's knight-3.
I have this image in my mind of the dead
soldiers coming back from Vietnam...
...the caskets coming off the plane,
but I don't know from where.
- Television.
- The caskets coming off the plane?
Are they down?
Yeah, the Deltas landed in Tres Encinas.
Alpha moved out, and they'll be
in Villacerreno at 0700.
Where they wait.
Yeah.
I'll see you in the morning.
Thank you, Mr. President.
- Morning, Charlie.
- Morning, Mrs. Landingham.
- Did you ever solve the mystery?
- Of the $500 check?
- Yeah.
- Yes, I did.
- I solved the mystery.
- What was it?
- I'm a mystery solver.
- That's wonderful, sweetie. What was it?
Mrs. Bartlet wrote the check
to a woman she read about...
...who's now living in a women's shelter.
You know why
she never cashed the check?
Because it was from the First Lady,
and she had it framed instead?
- That was the mystery.
- It's a good one.
Does the president know he has
breakfast with Josh and Sam?
He's on his way.
It was a good mystery.
You solved it fast because I loosened
the ketchup bottle for you.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- Can I tell you something strange?
- Sure.
All last night at the phone banks...
...Donna was telling me
I should ask Joey Lucas out.
You should.
Fine. But that aside, what do you make
of Donna being the one pushing it?
- I don't make anything.
- You wouldn't think she'd be jealous?
She goes out with guys. Are you jealous?
- No.
- See?
- I don't get jealous.
- So?
I don't like it, and usually do everything
within my capabilities to sabotage it...
...which is why it's curious that Donna
would do nothing to discourage...
...in fact do everything to encourage,
a date with Joey Lucas...
...who, quite frankly,
is a very attractive woman.
- Josh?
- Yeah.
- Your voice got really high at the end.
- Yeah, sorry.
- Hey.
- Good morning, sir.
Thanks for having breakfast with me.
- Did you order?
- We were waiting for you.
- Billy. You want scrambled eggs?
- Yeah, thanks.
- Can we get them some scrambled eggs?
- Anything for you?
- I'm fine.
- Then we're fine too.
- No.
- Sir, we're fine.
- Bring them some food. Would you?
- Yes, sir.
You understand I can't discuss
with you any rescue mission...
...that may or may not be
in play right now.
Of course.
I'm assuming State has people
negotiating with Nelson Guerra.
Nelson Guerra wants me to tell President
Santos to release Aguilar from prison.
I wouldn't make that call
with a gun to my head.
I have a gun to my head,
and I'm not making that phone call.
I inherited "War on Drugs"...
...from a president, who inherited it
from a president...
...who inherited it from
a president before that.
I'm not 100% sure who we're fighting,
but I know we're not winning.
Ten years ago, we spent $5 billion
fighting drugs...
...and we did such a good job
that last year we spent 16 billion.
Sixty percent of federal prisoners
are in jail on drug charges...
...as opposed to two and a half percent
that are there for violent crime.
We imprison a higher percentage
of our citizens than Russia did...
...under Communism
and South Africa under apartheid.
Somewhere between 50 and 85 percent
of the prison population...
...has a drug or alcohol abuse problem.
We've tried "Just Say No. "
I don't think it's gonna work.
I'm mentioning this...
...because I'd like you to give me any
thoughts you might have on the subject.
- Thank you, Mr. President.
- Thank you, sir.
- Hello.
- What are you doing here?
- I came in early.
- Bonnie.
I've been here for an hour.
Are we releasing the names
of the agents or not?
Yeah.
- You gotta give me another chance.
- At what?
- At meeting the president.
- You met the president last night.
- I was wearing a bathrobe.
- You sat in paint.
- I was singing and dancing.
- You were happy.
- I threw my drink up in the air.
- Not much of it landed on your head.
- I looked like an idiot, and it's your fault.
- My fault?
You arranged the meeting
over my express wishes.
I'm not the one who got you
jumping around like Joey Heatherton.
- Do something.
- Arrange another introduction?
- You have to.
- Last night you were scared to meet him.
And I'm still scared...
...but I'll overcome that
to erase the humiliation...
...I've brought upon myself
and my father.
You're just in your own little Euripides
play over there, aren't you?
Please arrange another introduction.
- Fine.
- Really?
- Yes.
- Thank you.
You should've given me a heads up
on the Blue Ribbon, Toby.
- Seth.
- You should've given me a heads up.
It happened five minutes before
he walked into the House.
You're a junior senator and don't get
script approval on the State of the Union.
Whatever language you couched it in,
it was not an insignificant change.
You started off with, "We will not cut
Social Security, " and wound up with:
"We're announcing the formation of
a bipartisan Blue Ribbon Commission...
...to study options
with regard to Social Security. "
What is the danger in that?
What's the danger in my reform bill?
Diverting revenue into
trust funds is not reform.
It's the only Social Security reform bill
supported by any Senate Democrats.
- How many votes did it get last year?
- The White House...
Eighteen. Eighty-two U.S. senators
think your reform bill sucks.
So unless you can pick up a majority...
...I don't know what's wrong
with being open to hearing new ideas.
And compromise essential
Democratic Party principles...
- ... to cut a deal with the Republicans?
- It's not what we're doing.
If your commission recommends
raising the retirement age one day...
...reducing benefits one dollar,
reducing Colas....
If you recommend partial
privatization on Social Security...
Are there cameras?
...I will condemn it as an act
intent on destroying Social Security.
- And ruling the galaxy.
- You think this is a joke?
You think I won't publicly condemn
a member of my party?
The president's not a member
of your party. He's the leader.
If you think demonizing people
who are trying to govern responsibly...
...is the way to protect
our liberal base...
...then speaking as a liberal,
go to bed. Would you, please?
You're running to the right
on the environment.
We admonished environmental terrorism.
You're in favor of it?
It was cheap, and you lost friends.
- We made more than we lost.
- Then you go on TV...
...in defense of a cop who
kicked the crap out of a black kid...
...because you don't want
to admit you screwed up...
...and he never should've been invited.
Seniors, environmentalists,
African-Americans.
Tell me which has a greater
chance of happening:
My reform bill getting passed...
...or the president getting reelected
without these three groups.
Three groups that will never
desert the president.
Not unless I run
as a third-party candidate, no.
Those 18 votes are looking a little bigger
now. Aren't they, you son of a bitch?
I was just thinking about
this cartoon I once saw.
Tiny fish are swimming through
the leaves of a plant.
But then one fish realizes
it's not a plant.
It's the tentacles of a predator.
And the fish says:
"With friends like this,
who needs anemones? "
Come at us from the left,
and I'm gonna own your ass.
Ask someone at my office
for the notes on the noon speech.
- "Women in the Arts"?
- Yeah.
- And pack a sweater for the plane?
- Yeah.
- Hey, Charlie.
- Good morning, ma'am. You heading out?
Not till tonight. Chicago, then Seattle.
I wanted your permission to draw $500
and walk it to that woman in the shelter.
- Oh, I'd appreciate that. Thank you.
- Is there anything else I can do?
Thank you, ma'am.
- Hey.
- Good morning, sir. I'll be in the office.
What's that about?
Charlie's gonna bring cash over
to Jane Robinson.
- You're packing already?
- Yeah.
- You're not leaving till tonight, right?
- Yeah.
Men and women are completely
different in this regard.
When was the last time
you packed a suitcase at all?
I don't know.
I just had breakfast
with Sam and Josh.
Toby's having breakfast
with Seth Gillette...
...who's every bit as pissed
at me as you are.
- Abbey, can we...?
- Guys, can you give me a minute?
We didn't get a chance
to talk last night.
- I don't think we should.
- Talk?
- Ever?
- Oh, if wishing made it so, Jed.
I don't think it's a good idea
for us to talk now.
- Why?
- You've gotta focus on Colombia.
I can do two things at once.
You don't have two things at once.
You have 92 things.
One of them is five hostages in Colombia.
And I'd like to go on without
this black cloud around me...
...so I'd like to talk now.
This is a longer conversation than that...
...and we can talk about it later.
And you should focus.
What are you, my Zen master?
Can I be in charge of my own mind?
Let me tell you something!
Get as chippy as you want
if that makes you feel better.
I am your wife. I love you. You have
a crisis. You have to deal with it.
When it's done, we'll talk.
I feel better already.
I'm on hold.
I'm on hold.
I'm on hold.
I'm in some hellish
hold world of holding.
- Josh?
- I'm on hold.
They'll call us when the
power's back.
- They did.
- What happened?
I'm on hold.
- I'll wait with you.
- That'll be a lot of fun.
So you never told me
why this poll is different...
...why you're interested
in these particular numbers.
There are five congressional
districts that concern me.
- Which districts?
- Kentucky 3rd. That's Louisville.
- And Jefferson.
- Yeah. Louisiana 4th, Missouri 9th...
- ... Missouri 6th and Ohio 12th.
- What's with those districts?
The president announced
a crime package that would...
Require a five-day background check.
- Those congressmen...
- Are sitting on the fence.
So you wanna know how
the package polled in those districts.
If it polled well, you got your gun law.
If it tanked, you shut up
or lose five seats in the House.
Why do you ask when you're gonna
have the conversation all by yourself?
- You want me to hold the phone?
- I can hold the phone.
Take the phone. Give me the phone.
Why are you trying to fix me up
with Joey Lucas?
I think you'd make a nice couple.
Fine.
If you got married, you wouldn't have
to get your towels re-monogrammed.
Thank you.
- The power's back on.
- Excellent.
- What do we do now?
- We wait.
How you doing, Ainsley?
My mouth is dry, my hands
are moist and I have to pee.
Okay.
- Hey, you ready?
- Yes.
You sure? Let's go.
- Call it off.
- Here we go.
- No, really.
- Ainsley.
- I'll meet him another time.
- What other time?
- A better time.
- What's a better time?
Tomorrow.
Don't you have to absolve yourself
of the humiliation...
...visited on your family
and the House of Atreus?
But I believe I'm going to
compound the humiliation.
- It'll never happen.
- Really?
No, it probably will.
- Hey.
- Is he coming?
He's stopping in on his way
from the thing.
How you doing, Ainsley?
I'm concerned about peeing
on your carpet.
- Okay, well, now I am too.
- Tell her it's gonna be fine.
- Your skirt's on backwards.
- May I use the bathroom?
- Yes.
- Thank you.
Ainsley!
- Good evening, Mr. President.
- Is she here?
- Ainsley Hayes? Yes, sir.
- Where is she?
Well, she's in the closet, Mr. President.
- Why?
- She thought it was a bathroom.
- Why is she still in there?
- That's kind of hard to say, sir.
- Why don't we get her out here?
- Yeah.
- Ainsley?
- Yes?
Ainsley, why don't you
come on out of there?
How you doing?
We met last night. You were singing
and dancing in a bathrobe.
- Yes, sir.
- Why were you in the closet?
I had to pee.
I can't smoke inside,
but you can pee in Leo's closet.
- Mr. President...
- I appreciate your coming to work for me.
You're an exceptionally bright young
woman. Is your father proud of you?
- Yes, sir.
- I'll bet he is.
- Listen....
- Mr. President.
Sam.
What happened?
Charlie, get the door.
What happened?
- Mr. President...
- Did we lose the hostages?
- The hostages weren't there.
- What are you talking about?
- Oh, God.
- What?
The radio communications we'd been
intercepting on the SIGINT were wrong.
When the Deltas got to the area,
it was a dry hole.
That's when one of the two
Blackhawk helicopters...
...was shot down by a shoulder-
mounted surface-to-air missile.
- How many guys were on the Blackhawk?
- The pilot, the engineer and seven Deltas.
So I've got nine more guys now
on the ground we've gotta get back?
Mr. President.
Sir, the second Blackhawk went in
and recovered the bodies.
- They're dead?
- Yes, sir.
I want the president of Colombia on
the phone. I want a translator right now.
Damn it!
Damn it!
Sir?
How the hell did that happen?
- It was bad intelligence.
- You think?
Frente left behind a radio
and a soldier at the outpost...
...and they were deliberately
sending misinformation.
We'd never anticipated the possibility
that somebody might try that?
We weren't prepared for someone
to try and outfox us with a stratagem...
...so sophisticated
it's an entire generation beyond:
" Hey, look, your shoelaces are untied! "
Is that how I just lost nine guys,
to a damn street gang with a ham radio?
They lured us there so that
they could kill nine American soldiers!
- Where are the bodies?
- They're on their way back.
- Where?
- Dover. Around 4 a.m.
Mr. President?
We have a secure connection.
- Somebody translating on the other end?
- Yes, sir.
Mr. President, this is
the president of the United States.
- Good evening, Mr. President.
- Mr. President.
Ninety minutes ago, the United States
invaded Colombian airspace.
Two Blackhawk helicopters
went into Tres Encinas...
...with 20 Delta commandos
on intelligence...
...that the hostages were being moved.
One of the Blackhawks was shot down.
There were nine military fatalities.
I'm terribly sorry to hear that.
I'd like to ask for your assistance
in confirming...
...that the five hostages are still alive.
The hostages are alive.
- How does he know that?
- How do you know that?
We have confirmation that we're
transmitting to you through channels.
- Mr. President?
- Yes.
I respect and appreciate
your diplomacy...
...in not yet asking me to release
Juan Aguilar from prison.
I'm not going to ask you, Miguel.
I'm willing to do it at this point.
Say that again?
I'm willing to let Aguilar out in exchange
for the hostages, if you ask me to.
I appreciate your making that offer,
but I don't think that's a very good idea.
I agree with you, but I'm making
the offer, and I'm leaving it up to you.
Okay. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Mr. President.
- Wait, Toby.
- Not a second, Sam.
You give into terrorist demands
and that's the ballgame.
But there are real lives at stake.
It's easy to stick to principle
if nothing's at stake.
Let's argue about principles
after these guys get home.
Juan Aguilar runs one of the
largest drug cartels in the world.
He has produced $15 billion worth
of cocaine in two years.
He's murdered or ordered the murder
of eight Supreme Court justices...
...a pro-extradition prime minister and
three federal police officers in Bogotá.
And from his prison cell,
I guarantee you...
...he orchestrated the kidnapping
of five U S. DEA agents...
- ... and the killing of their rescuers.
- I believe he did as well...
...which is evidence that it couldn't
matter less whether he's in prison or not.
I'll share a cell with him
before I let him out.
- I want military options.
- Yes, sir.
- Thank you, sir.
- Thank you, Mr. President.
- Yeah.
- Joey says probably just another hour.
- She'll bring the numbers here?
- Yeah.
- Josh, how is this not a no-brainer?
- Colombia?
- You say get them home?
- Of course. Who doesn't?
That should be the person
who has to call the families.
And who calls the families
of the commandos who died...
...trying to save five guys
we could've freed hours ago?
- That's not a good enough reason.
- The reason is...
...you give in, and it gives them
incentive to keep terrorizing.
Not negotiating hasn't given
them disincentive.
- How do you know?
- Please.
You don't think they're gonna
kidnap more people...
- ... and demand free cable?
- So give them free cable.
How about the keys
to the Situation Room?
- You draw a line.
- Where?
- She said an hour?
- On the early numbers?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Do we know where they are?
They were moved about 60 miles
into the jungle at Villacerreno.
- What would it take to get them back?
- Alive?
Yeah.
- Mr. President...
- What would it take to wipe them out?
- The Frente?
- Yeah.
What would it take?
For the kind of victory
Americans are used to...
...for the kind of victory
Americans demand...
...you need a 10-to-1 ratio.
It was only after that ratio in the Gulf...
...that we felt comfortable
making a move.
Frente has 20,000 well-armed,
well-trained soldiers...
...each of whom has a financial
stake in heroin and cocaine.
We need to put 200 to 300,000
men into a jungle war...
- ... and I think we'd lose as many as half.
- Half.
Yes, sir.
You gotta ask yourself, "What's the point
in being a superpower anymore? "
- I wanted to bring that book.
- The Truman biography.
- You got a sweater for the plane?
- Yes, ma'am.
And you should both take sweaters.
- And then there's the repacking.
- Mr. President.
First, the preliminary, or the dry run.
Then there's the actual packing.
You're just going away
for two days, right?
Guys.
Right?
What happened?
- It was an ambush.
- Oh, God.
A guy with a shoulder thing shot
down a Blackhawk. Everybody's dead.
Nine guys.
Meanwhile, they've moved the hostages
60 miles into the jungle...
...where we'd need tweezers
to get them.
You want me to stay?
- No.
- I can stay.
No.
I didn't make the decision to run again.
I wouldn't do that without you.
- We don't need to talk about that now.
- When?
- Jed.
- I didn't make the decision to run again.
Yes, you did. If we're gonna talk
about this, let's talk about this.
The moves over the last few weeks,
the changes in last night's speech.
This whole place is in reelection mode.
That's what we do, Abbey.
We run for things.
From the day a congressman is sworn in,
he's gotta raise $ 10,000 a week...
...so he can get reelected.
A president gets to govern
for 18 months.
We try to get people to vote for us...
...and we hope the people
force us to do good things.
- We had a deal.
- Yes, we had a deal.
Yes, Jed.
Look at me.
- Do you get that you have MS?
- Abbey.
Do you get that your own immune
system is shredding your brain...
...and I can't tell you why?
Do you have any idea
how good a doctor I am...
- ... and that I can't tell you why?
- I've had one episode in two years.
Yes, but relapsing/remitting MS...
...can turn into secondary/
progressive MS...
...oftentimes ten years
after the initial diagnosis...
...which is where we'll be
in two years.
Do you know what that will look like?
- I know what it's gonna....
- Fatigue...
- ... an inability to get through the day...
- Look...
...memory lapses,
loss of cognitive function...
...failure to reason, to think clearly.
I can't tell you if it's gonna happen.
I don't know if it's gonna get better
or if it's gonna get worse.
But we had a deal.
And that deal was how you justified
keeping it a secret from the world.
It's how you justified it to God.
It's how you justified it to me.
- Mrs. Bartlet?
- Yeah.
You sure you don't want me to stay?
Yeah.
Okay.
Have a good trip.
Call me when you get there.
I will.
I love you.
I love you too.
- Son of a bitch.
- I'm sorry.
A person can't wait five days
to buy a gun?
If someone needs a gun right now...
...isn't that something
to be concerned about?
Taking the feelings
of gun owners into account...
...if you've gotta shoot somebody, it
probably isn't something that can wait.
You mind if I take off?
- What time is it?
- 2 a.m.
All right, we'll call that a full day,
but come in early tomorrow.
- You're all right getting home?
- Yeah.
- Good night, guys.
- Good night.
- They're just preliminary numbers.
- They're not gonna change.
No.
A five-day waiting period.
- It tested well nationwide.
- Yeah.
Fifty-eight percent.
I didn't need nationwide.
I needed those districts.
We'll have to dial down
the gun rhetoric in the Midwest.
Why not dial it up?
Because these numbers just told us...
You don't know
what these numbers just told you.
I don't know what these numbers
just told you.
We know.
- Really?
- Numbers don't lie.
They lie all the time.
They lie when 72% of Americans
say they're tired of a sex scandal...
...while all the while, newspaper
circulation goes through the roof...
...for anyone featuring the story.
If you polled a hundred Donnas...
...and asked them
if they think we should go out...
...you'd get a high positive response.
But the poll wouldn't tell you...
...it's because she likes you
and she knows it's beginning to show...
...and she needs to cover herself
with misdirection.
Believe me when I tell you
that's not true.
You say that these numbers
mean dial it down.
I say they mean dial it up.
You haven't gotten through.
There are people
you haven't persuaded yet.
These numbers mean dial it up.
Otherwise, you're like
the French radical...
...watching a crowd run by and saying:
"There go my people.
I must find out where they're going
so I can lead them. "
Yeah.
We'll go through the rest
of the numbers in the morning.
Okay.
- Good evening, sir.
- Hey, Charlie.
You shouldn't be out here
without a coat.
I'm okay.
- Mr. President?
- Yeah.
- Is there anything I can do for you?
- No. Thanks.
Hey.
I checked outside. I thought
you'd be having a cigarette.
Let me tell you something, Leo. After
heroin and cocaine, tobacco is next.
Great, another criminal empire
we can give birth to.
There'll be speakeasies
all over Chicago...
...where you can get smuggled
cartons of Marlboro Lights.
I fought a jungle war.
I'm not doing it again.
If I could put myself anywhere in time...
...it would be the Cabinet Room
on August 4th, 1964...
...when our ships were attacked
by North Vietnam in the Tonkin Gulf.
I'd say:
" Mr. President, don't do it.
You're considering authorizing
a massive commitment of troops...
...and throwing in our lot
with torturers and panderers...
...leaders without principle
and soldiers without conviction...
...with no clear mission
and no end in sight. "
This war's at home.
Its casualties are in our prisons
and not our hospitals.
The amount of money the American
government is spending in Colombia...
...is the exact same amount
American consumers are spending...
...buying drugs from Colombia.
We're funding both sides of this war.
And we'll never win it that way.
- Leo, I can't possibly reverse...
- No one...
I can't possibly reverse
our position on negotiating with...
No one's gonna know.
You don't make another phone call.
That happens someplace else.
Santos is gonna be the one
to let him out.
There were just 14 people in the room
who heard Santos make me the offer.
Those 14 people keep
bigger secrets than this.
You know what Truman Capote said was
the bad part about living outside the law?
What?
You no longer have the protection of it.
What's to stop me?
Two hundred CIA operatives.
Black Ops.
Two hundred guys with no wives,
no kids, no parents.
I send 200 operatives down there.
Monday morning I read in the paper
Juan Aguilar is dead.
What's to stop me?
We lost this one, Mr. President.
It was bad intelligence,
and we lost this one.
It was the queen's rook.
That's why I couldn't trade the bishop.
It was over six moves ago.
- Arrange for their immediate release.
- Yes, sir, Mr. President.
If they so much as experience
turbulence on their way out...
Yes, sir.
I want to go to Dover later tonight.
- Yes, sir.
- Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Folks, take your seats, please.
The briefing will start now.
Folks, can you take your seats?
Good evening. Thank you
for coming back so late.
I want to fill you in on some events that
have taken place in the last 24 hours.
There'll be representatives
from the Pentagon...
.. State and Justice Departments
who'll continue with your questions.
Yesterday at approximately
8 p.m. Eastern time...
...five agents from the DEA
were taken hostage...
...in the Putumayo region of Colombia
by members of the Frente...
- Hold your questions.
- Hostages are out.
- There was a demand...
- I'll call their families.
...for the release
of a Colombian prisoner.
President Miguel Santos,
acting on his own authority....
Subtitles by
SDI Media Group
Five U.S. DEA agents
have been abducted in Colombia.
The government has no control
over the region. There is no law.
And they're gonna shoot them
in the head and have a parade.
In three hours I want to
kick in the back door.
- When do I see numbers?
- There's a 17 percent response rate.
- When do I see numbers?
- In five minutes.
It may take a little longer now.
- You mad at me?
- We had a deal.
When did you decide you were gonna
run for a second term?
Mr. President.
It was just three hours ago
I gave the State of the Union.
- Yeah.
- You believe that?
What are you doing?
It's freezing out here.
I'm not allowed
to smoke inside anymore.
I thought you were allowed to do
pretty much whatever you want.
Up to the point where you accidentally
burn holes in priceless antiques.
- You should stop smoking.
- Why?
- You'll live longer.
- I smoke two cigarettes a day.
- It's a bad example.
- For who, Russian spy satellites?
George Bernard Shaw said, "You don't
live longer. It just seems longer. "
I'm not sure it was Shaw.
I'm not sure it was either.
- Is it time?
- Yeah.
Ten hut!
Where are we?
Sir, a C-141 with two Delta Force
teams has been in the air for 85 minutes.
- What happens when I give the order?
- They'll enter Colombian airspace.
At the same time, a 19-man unit,
a Special Forces Alpha team...
...that's already on the ground at
Tres Encinas, will head to Villacerreno.
What do they do when they get there?
They'll hike 11 miles
into the jungle and hold still.
- Why?
- It'll be daylight by then.
Nineteen guys have to lie
face-down in the jungle till sunset?
That's when the hostages will be moved.
- And that's when we go.
- They're moving the hostages where?
From the Tasco outpost
to the Frente command center.
- On foot?
- Yeah.
10. 7 kilometers down the road,
there's a plateau called Mesa Del Oro.
That'll give the Deltas
maximum maneuverability.
- The code name's Cassiopeia?
- Yes, sir.
Mickey, you look like
you wanna say something.
- Mr. President, I think you should wait.
- For what?
To see how negotiations
continue with Guerra.
Guerra wants Aguilar
out of a Colombian prison.
Are there any other circumstances under
which he'll give these hostages back?
- Possibly.
- Crap.
If we keep talking, we don't risk
hostages getting shot in the rescue.
What difference does it make if they're
shot during a rescue or at Villacerreno?
We can keep them alive longer
if we let them be taken there.
Are we gonna keep them alive longer
or will it just seem longer?
Sir?
I've reason to believe
they'll be tortured at Villacerreno.
They're U S. drug agents. They know
things these people wanna know.
Sir, the C-141 is approaching
Colombian airspace.
Go.
Tonight's State of the Union
contained 8747 words.
It was second in length
only to his inaugural address...
...and 75 minutes longer than
Washington's first address to Congress.
Officer Sloan, would you be willing
to go on television tomorrow?
- They knew how many words there were.
- In the speech?
- About 8700?
- Yeah.
- Would you be willing to go on TV?
- I think I'd really rather just go home.
This is gonna be a part of the news
by tomorrow night either way.
How do you know?
Same way I knew there were
8700 words in the speech.
I have some experience at this.
- What'll happen?
- You'll do a very quick satellite interview.
"What was it like being
at the State of the Union? "
" It was an honor. "
"Talk about your act of heroism. "
" I wouldn't really call it heroism, but.... "
" Now, I understand you had
some trouble back in the early '80s. "
" I'm glad I have a chance
to talk about that. "
And you tell your story
just like you told it to me.
- Do I wear my uniform?
- Coat and tie.
Carol?
Would you make sure Officer Sloan
gets back to his hotel?
I'd like to thank all our guests tonight.
Henry Shallick, David Satch, Toby
Ziegler, Bob Woodward, Jeff Greenfield...
...C.J. Cregg and of course, the White
House for allowing us to broadcast live.
You've been watching a special
expanded edition of Capitol Beat.
I'm Mark Gottfried. Have a good night.
We're out.
Great job, everybody.
- You said 20 minutes.
- I was in a meeting.
- It's now 40.
- I was in a meeting.
- At midnight?
- It's not midnight everywhere.
- What's his story?
- He's innocent.
You just decided?
A grand jury, a DA and a civil court
judge decided 17 years ago.
Nobody brought charges,
and the civil suit was dismissed.
- Then why on his record...?
- Detroit police cited him...
...for excessive force to calm
the black community.
It was a robbery. They were
jumping over walls.
The guy's leg was already fractured
when Sloan got there.
He's gonna do your show.
- Is he doing everybody else's show too?
- No.
- Why not?
- Because you waited 40 minutes.
Hey.
Bill Dryer from Gillette's office called.
He wants to have a meeting with you.
- Dryer?
- Gillette.
- I'll bet he wants a meeting with me.
- Yeah.
It's not gonna happen.
It's not gonna happen.
We got enough input from him
while we were writing the thing.
- I don't need to hear...
- He's very upset.
- I know, he's...
- More than we calculated.
We've upset him.
We have to learn
to live with that pain.
He's not the president.
He's a junior senator from
North Dakota where nobody lives...
...because it's cold and they
don't have a sports franchise.
Do I need to lay out
why he is important?
- No.
- He is adored by the left.
- Stop laying out the ways.
- He's our link to the environmentalists.
Toby, asking for this meeting
isn't out of line, and you should take it.
In fact, you should take it tomorrow
morning at 7:30 at the Hyatt.
- You set it up already?
- Just the time and place.
- You expect me to explain myself to him?
- Yes. Yes, I do.
- Fine.
- Toby.
- C.J.
- 7:30.
The Post is calling it "sleek,
challenging and oftentimes witty. "
Not unlike myself.
Who is Sloan and why
am I just hearing about this?
Sloan was one of the invited guests.
The one we stuck in over the weekend?
A long time ago he was cited by
the Detroit police for excessive force.
- Against a black suspect?
- Yeah.
- How was this guy not vetted?
- Because it was last minute.
- What are you doing about it?
- Gottfried's gonna interview him.
- It's a bad idea.
- Why?
Blacks won't react well
to our supporting a brutal cop.
- He's not a brutal cop.
- Says you.
Says me, a grand jury, two judges,
the district attorney and common sense.
It's going public anyway, Toby.
Gottfried got the story on his own.
- Fine. Where's Josh?
- He went back to the phone banks.
- Is the electricity back on?
- No.
- Then what's he doing there?
- Hoping the electricity goes on.
Well, that ought to do it.
- Josh?
- Yeah?
- Can I tell you something about women?
- Oh, God, please don't.
- We like to be wooed.
- Donna.
- She wants you to ask her out.
- She doesn't.
- You're missing the signs.
- I'm not.
- I know a thing or two about love.
- No, you don't.
- The signs.
- I'm thinking of firing you.
- You've fired me twice. I'm impervious.
- Among other things.
- We'll start over tomorrow night.
- Why?
It's already 9:30 in California. The power
isn't on. We're missing half the window.
- Joey.
- Pack it in.
Okay. Folks, we'll start over
tomorrow night.
- See you.
- Take it easy.
Good night.
So you have to wait another day.
- I'm not good at waiting.
- No kidding.
Donna.
Why do you expect our polling
to be any different than others?
We've got dial groups. We've got
CNN, USA Today. We've got Gallup.
- Why's our poll gonna be different?
- We're asking different questions.
I'll get your coat.
By the way...
...right there, back when
she said, "See you"...
- ... that was a sign.
- You're fired.
- Impervious.
- Yeah.
- Mr. President?
- Yeah.
You understand
we've got heating inside, right?
This isn't cold. It's crisp.
No, it's cold.
Well, you're a big wussy.
- Knight to king-4.
- It'll leave the bishop open.
You're gonna sacrifice
the bishop for the queen's rook.
- Where?
- Four moves down.
Abbey's pretty pissed at me.
- How bad?
- Pretty bad.
King's knight-3.
I have this image in my mind of the dead
soldiers coming back from Vietnam...
...the caskets coming off the plane,
but I don't know from where.
- Television.
- The caskets coming off the plane?
Are they down?
Yeah, the Deltas landed in Tres Encinas.
Alpha moved out, and they'll be
in Villacerreno at 0700.
Where they wait.
Yeah.
I'll see you in the morning.
Thank you, Mr. President.
- Morning, Charlie.
- Morning, Mrs. Landingham.
- Did you ever solve the mystery?
- Of the $500 check?
- Yeah.
- Yes, I did.
- I solved the mystery.
- What was it?
- I'm a mystery solver.
- That's wonderful, sweetie. What was it?
Mrs. Bartlet wrote the check
to a woman she read about...
...who's now living in a women's shelter.
You know why
she never cashed the check?
Because it was from the First Lady,
and she had it framed instead?
- That was the mystery.
- It's a good one.
Does the president know he has
breakfast with Josh and Sam?
He's on his way.
It was a good mystery.
You solved it fast because I loosened
the ketchup bottle for you.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- Can I tell you something strange?
- Sure.
All last night at the phone banks...
...Donna was telling me
I should ask Joey Lucas out.
You should.
Fine. But that aside, what do you make
of Donna being the one pushing it?
- I don't make anything.
- You wouldn't think she'd be jealous?
She goes out with guys. Are you jealous?
- No.
- See?
- I don't get jealous.
- So?
I don't like it, and usually do everything
within my capabilities to sabotage it...
...which is why it's curious that Donna
would do nothing to discourage...
...in fact do everything to encourage,
a date with Joey Lucas...
...who, quite frankly,
is a very attractive woman.
- Josh?
- Yeah.
- Your voice got really high at the end.
- Yeah, sorry.
- Hey.
- Good morning, sir.
Thanks for having breakfast with me.
- Did you order?
- We were waiting for you.
- Billy. You want scrambled eggs?
- Yeah, thanks.
- Can we get them some scrambled eggs?
- Anything for you?
- I'm fine.
- Then we're fine too.
- No.
- Sir, we're fine.
- Bring them some food. Would you?
- Yes, sir.
You understand I can't discuss
with you any rescue mission...
...that may or may not be
in play right now.
Of course.
I'm assuming State has people
negotiating with Nelson Guerra.
Nelson Guerra wants me to tell President
Santos to release Aguilar from prison.
I wouldn't make that call
with a gun to my head.
I have a gun to my head,
and I'm not making that phone call.
I inherited "War on Drugs"...
...from a president, who inherited it
from a president...
...who inherited it from
a president before that.
I'm not 100% sure who we're fighting,
but I know we're not winning.
Ten years ago, we spent $5 billion
fighting drugs...
...and we did such a good job
that last year we spent 16 billion.
Sixty percent of federal prisoners
are in jail on drug charges...
...as opposed to two and a half percent
that are there for violent crime.
We imprison a higher percentage
of our citizens than Russia did...
...under Communism
and South Africa under apartheid.
Somewhere between 50 and 85 percent
of the prison population...
...has a drug or alcohol abuse problem.
We've tried "Just Say No. "
I don't think it's gonna work.
I'm mentioning this...
...because I'd like you to give me any
thoughts you might have on the subject.
- Thank you, Mr. President.
- Thank you, sir.
- Hello.
- What are you doing here?
- I came in early.
- Bonnie.
I've been here for an hour.
Are we releasing the names
of the agents or not?
Yeah.
- You gotta give me another chance.
- At what?
- At meeting the president.
- You met the president last night.
- I was wearing a bathrobe.
- You sat in paint.
- I was singing and dancing.
- You were happy.
- I threw my drink up in the air.
- Not much of it landed on your head.
- I looked like an idiot, and it's your fault.
- My fault?
You arranged the meeting
over my express wishes.
I'm not the one who got you
jumping around like Joey Heatherton.
- Do something.
- Arrange another introduction?
- You have to.
- Last night you were scared to meet him.
And I'm still scared...
...but I'll overcome that
to erase the humiliation...
...I've brought upon myself
and my father.
You're just in your own little Euripides
play over there, aren't you?
Please arrange another introduction.
- Fine.
- Really?
- Yes.
- Thank you.
You should've given me a heads up
on the Blue Ribbon, Toby.
- Seth.
- You should've given me a heads up.
It happened five minutes before
he walked into the House.
You're a junior senator and don't get
script approval on the State of the Union.
Whatever language you couched it in,
it was not an insignificant change.
You started off with, "We will not cut
Social Security, " and wound up with:
"We're announcing the formation of
a bipartisan Blue Ribbon Commission...
...to study options
with regard to Social Security. "
What is the danger in that?
What's the danger in my reform bill?
Diverting revenue into
trust funds is not reform.
It's the only Social Security reform bill
supported by any Senate Democrats.
- How many votes did it get last year?
- The White House...
Eighteen. Eighty-two U.S. senators
think your reform bill sucks.
So unless you can pick up a majority...
...I don't know what's wrong
with being open to hearing new ideas.
And compromise essential
Democratic Party principles...
- ... to cut a deal with the Republicans?
- It's not what we're doing.
If your commission recommends
raising the retirement age one day...
...reducing benefits one dollar,
reducing Colas....
If you recommend partial
privatization on Social Security...
Are there cameras?
...I will condemn it as an act
intent on destroying Social Security.
- And ruling the galaxy.
- You think this is a joke?
You think I won't publicly condemn
a member of my party?
The president's not a member
of your party. He's the leader.
If you think demonizing people
who are trying to govern responsibly...
...is the way to protect
our liberal base...
...then speaking as a liberal,
go to bed. Would you, please?
You're running to the right
on the environment.
We admonished environmental terrorism.
You're in favor of it?
It was cheap, and you lost friends.
- We made more than we lost.
- Then you go on TV...
...in defense of a cop who
kicked the crap out of a black kid...
...because you don't want
to admit you screwed up...
...and he never should've been invited.
Seniors, environmentalists,
African-Americans.
Tell me which has a greater
chance of happening:
My reform bill getting passed...
...or the president getting reelected
without these three groups.
Three groups that will never
desert the president.
Not unless I run
as a third-party candidate, no.
Those 18 votes are looking a little bigger
now. Aren't they, you son of a bitch?
I was just thinking about
this cartoon I once saw.
Tiny fish are swimming through
the leaves of a plant.
But then one fish realizes
it's not a plant.
It's the tentacles of a predator.
And the fish says:
"With friends like this,
who needs anemones? "
Come at us from the left,
and I'm gonna own your ass.
Ask someone at my office
for the notes on the noon speech.
- "Women in the Arts"?
- Yeah.
- And pack a sweater for the plane?
- Yeah.
- Hey, Charlie.
- Good morning, ma'am. You heading out?
Not till tonight. Chicago, then Seattle.
I wanted your permission to draw $500
and walk it to that woman in the shelter.
- Oh, I'd appreciate that. Thank you.
- Is there anything else I can do?
Thank you, ma'am.
- Hey.
- Good morning, sir. I'll be in the office.
What's that about?
Charlie's gonna bring cash over
to Jane Robinson.
- You're packing already?
- Yeah.
- You're not leaving till tonight, right?
- Yeah.
Men and women are completely
different in this regard.
When was the last time
you packed a suitcase at all?
I don't know.
I just had breakfast
with Sam and Josh.
Toby's having breakfast
with Seth Gillette...
...who's every bit as pissed
at me as you are.
- Abbey, can we...?
- Guys, can you give me a minute?
We didn't get a chance
to talk last night.
- I don't think we should.
- Talk?
- Ever?
- Oh, if wishing made it so, Jed.
I don't think it's a good idea
for us to talk now.
- Why?
- You've gotta focus on Colombia.
I can do two things at once.
You don't have two things at once.
You have 92 things.
One of them is five hostages in Colombia.
And I'd like to go on without
this black cloud around me...
...so I'd like to talk now.
This is a longer conversation than that...
...and we can talk about it later.
And you should focus.
What are you, my Zen master?
Can I be in charge of my own mind?
Let me tell you something!
Get as chippy as you want
if that makes you feel better.
I am your wife. I love you. You have
a crisis. You have to deal with it.
When it's done, we'll talk.
I feel better already.
I'm on hold.
I'm on hold.
I'm on hold.
I'm in some hellish
hold world of holding.
- Josh?
- I'm on hold.
They'll call us when the
power's back.
- They did.
- What happened?
I'm on hold.
- I'll wait with you.
- That'll be a lot of fun.
So you never told me
why this poll is different...
...why you're interested
in these particular numbers.
There are five congressional
districts that concern me.
- Which districts?
- Kentucky 3rd. That's Louisville.
- And Jefferson.
- Yeah. Louisiana 4th, Missouri 9th...
- ... Missouri 6th and Ohio 12th.
- What's with those districts?
The president announced
a crime package that would...
Require a five-day background check.
- Those congressmen...
- Are sitting on the fence.
So you wanna know how
the package polled in those districts.
If it polled well, you got your gun law.
If it tanked, you shut up
or lose five seats in the House.
Why do you ask when you're gonna
have the conversation all by yourself?
- You want me to hold the phone?
- I can hold the phone.
Take the phone. Give me the phone.
Why are you trying to fix me up
with Joey Lucas?
I think you'd make a nice couple.
Fine.
If you got married, you wouldn't have
to get your towels re-monogrammed.
Thank you.
- The power's back on.
- Excellent.
- What do we do now?
- We wait.
How you doing, Ainsley?
My mouth is dry, my hands
are moist and I have to pee.
Okay.
- Hey, you ready?
- Yes.
You sure? Let's go.
- Call it off.
- Here we go.
- No, really.
- Ainsley.
- I'll meet him another time.
- What other time?
- A better time.
- What's a better time?
Tomorrow.
Don't you have to absolve yourself
of the humiliation...
...visited on your family
and the House of Atreus?
But I believe I'm going to
compound the humiliation.
- It'll never happen.
- Really?
No, it probably will.
- Hey.
- Is he coming?
He's stopping in on his way
from the thing.
How you doing, Ainsley?
I'm concerned about peeing
on your carpet.
- Okay, well, now I am too.
- Tell her it's gonna be fine.
- Your skirt's on backwards.
- May I use the bathroom?
- Yes.
- Thank you.
Ainsley!
- Good evening, Mr. President.
- Is she here?
- Ainsley Hayes? Yes, sir.
- Where is she?
Well, she's in the closet, Mr. President.
- Why?
- She thought it was a bathroom.
- Why is she still in there?
- That's kind of hard to say, sir.
- Why don't we get her out here?
- Yeah.
- Ainsley?
- Yes?
Ainsley, why don't you
come on out of there?
How you doing?
We met last night. You were singing
and dancing in a bathrobe.
- Yes, sir.
- Why were you in the closet?
I had to pee.
I can't smoke inside,
but you can pee in Leo's closet.
- Mr. President...
- I appreciate your coming to work for me.
You're an exceptionally bright young
woman. Is your father proud of you?
- Yes, sir.
- I'll bet he is.
- Listen....
- Mr. President.
Sam.
What happened?
Charlie, get the door.
What happened?
- Mr. President...
- Did we lose the hostages?
- The hostages weren't there.
- What are you talking about?
- Oh, God.
- What?
The radio communications we'd been
intercepting on the SIGINT were wrong.
When the Deltas got to the area,
it was a dry hole.
That's when one of the two
Blackhawk helicopters...
...was shot down by a shoulder-
mounted surface-to-air missile.
- How many guys were on the Blackhawk?
- The pilot, the engineer and seven Deltas.
So I've got nine more guys now
on the ground we've gotta get back?
Mr. President.
Sir, the second Blackhawk went in
and recovered the bodies.
- They're dead?
- Yes, sir.
I want the president of Colombia on
the phone. I want a translator right now.
Damn it!
Damn it!
Sir?
How the hell did that happen?
- It was bad intelligence.
- You think?
Frente left behind a radio
and a soldier at the outpost...
...and they were deliberately
sending misinformation.
We'd never anticipated the possibility
that somebody might try that?
We weren't prepared for someone
to try and outfox us with a stratagem...
...so sophisticated
it's an entire generation beyond:
" Hey, look, your shoelaces are untied! "
Is that how I just lost nine guys,
to a damn street gang with a ham radio?
They lured us there so that
they could kill nine American soldiers!
- Where are the bodies?
- They're on their way back.
- Where?
- Dover. Around 4 a.m.
Mr. President?
We have a secure connection.
- Somebody translating on the other end?
- Yes, sir.
Mr. President, this is
the president of the United States.
- Good evening, Mr. President.
- Mr. President.
Ninety minutes ago, the United States
invaded Colombian airspace.
Two Blackhawk helicopters
went into Tres Encinas...
...with 20 Delta commandos
on intelligence...
...that the hostages were being moved.
One of the Blackhawks was shot down.
There were nine military fatalities.
I'm terribly sorry to hear that.
I'd like to ask for your assistance
in confirming...
...that the five hostages are still alive.
The hostages are alive.
- How does he know that?
- How do you know that?
We have confirmation that we're
transmitting to you through channels.
- Mr. President?
- Yes.
I respect and appreciate
your diplomacy...
...in not yet asking me to release
Juan Aguilar from prison.
I'm not going to ask you, Miguel.
I'm willing to do it at this point.
Say that again?
I'm willing to let Aguilar out in exchange
for the hostages, if you ask me to.
I appreciate your making that offer,
but I don't think that's a very good idea.
I agree with you, but I'm making
the offer, and I'm leaving it up to you.
Okay. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Mr. President.
- Wait, Toby.
- Not a second, Sam.
You give into terrorist demands
and that's the ballgame.
But there are real lives at stake.
It's easy to stick to principle
if nothing's at stake.
Let's argue about principles
after these guys get home.
Juan Aguilar runs one of the
largest drug cartels in the world.
He has produced $15 billion worth
of cocaine in two years.
He's murdered or ordered the murder
of eight Supreme Court justices...
...a pro-extradition prime minister and
three federal police officers in Bogotá.
And from his prison cell,
I guarantee you...
...he orchestrated the kidnapping
of five U S. DEA agents...
- ... and the killing of their rescuers.
- I believe he did as well...
...which is evidence that it couldn't
matter less whether he's in prison or not.
I'll share a cell with him
before I let him out.
- I want military options.
- Yes, sir.
- Thank you, sir.
- Thank you, Mr. President.
- Yeah.
- Joey says probably just another hour.
- She'll bring the numbers here?
- Yeah.
- Josh, how is this not a no-brainer?
- Colombia?
- You say get them home?
- Of course. Who doesn't?
That should be the person
who has to call the families.
And who calls the families
of the commandos who died...
...trying to save five guys
we could've freed hours ago?
- That's not a good enough reason.
- The reason is...
...you give in, and it gives them
incentive to keep terrorizing.
Not negotiating hasn't given
them disincentive.
- How do you know?
- Please.
You don't think they're gonna
kidnap more people...
- ... and demand free cable?
- So give them free cable.
How about the keys
to the Situation Room?
- You draw a line.
- Where?
- She said an hour?
- On the early numbers?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Do we know where they are?
They were moved about 60 miles
into the jungle at Villacerreno.
- What would it take to get them back?
- Alive?
Yeah.
- Mr. President...
- What would it take to wipe them out?
- The Frente?
- Yeah.
What would it take?
For the kind of victory
Americans are used to...
...for the kind of victory
Americans demand...
...you need a 10-to-1 ratio.
It was only after that ratio in the Gulf...
...that we felt comfortable
making a move.
Frente has 20,000 well-armed,
well-trained soldiers...
...each of whom has a financial
stake in heroin and cocaine.
We need to put 200 to 300,000
men into a jungle war...
- ... and I think we'd lose as many as half.
- Half.
Yes, sir.
You gotta ask yourself, "What's the point
in being a superpower anymore? "
- I wanted to bring that book.
- The Truman biography.
- You got a sweater for the plane?
- Yes, ma'am.
And you should both take sweaters.
- And then there's the repacking.
- Mr. President.
First, the preliminary, or the dry run.
Then there's the actual packing.
You're just going away
for two days, right?
Guys.
Right?
What happened?
- It was an ambush.
- Oh, God.
A guy with a shoulder thing shot
down a Blackhawk. Everybody's dead.
Nine guys.
Meanwhile, they've moved the hostages
60 miles into the jungle...
...where we'd need tweezers
to get them.
You want me to stay?
- No.
- I can stay.
No.
I didn't make the decision to run again.
I wouldn't do that without you.
- We don't need to talk about that now.
- When?
- Jed.
- I didn't make the decision to run again.
Yes, you did. If we're gonna talk
about this, let's talk about this.
The moves over the last few weeks,
the changes in last night's speech.
This whole place is in reelection mode.
That's what we do, Abbey.
We run for things.
From the day a congressman is sworn in,
he's gotta raise $ 10,000 a week...
...so he can get reelected.
A president gets to govern
for 18 months.
We try to get people to vote for us...
...and we hope the people
force us to do good things.
- We had a deal.
- Yes, we had a deal.
Yes, Jed.
Look at me.
- Do you get that you have MS?
- Abbey.
Do you get that your own immune
system is shredding your brain...
...and I can't tell you why?
Do you have any idea
how good a doctor I am...
- ... and that I can't tell you why?
- I've had one episode in two years.
Yes, but relapsing/remitting MS...
...can turn into secondary/
progressive MS...
...oftentimes ten years
after the initial diagnosis...
...which is where we'll be
in two years.
Do you know what that will look like?
- I know what it's gonna....
- Fatigue...
- ... an inability to get through the day...
- Look...
...memory lapses,
loss of cognitive function...
...failure to reason, to think clearly.
I can't tell you if it's gonna happen.
I don't know if it's gonna get better
or if it's gonna get worse.
But we had a deal.
And that deal was how you justified
keeping it a secret from the world.
It's how you justified it to God.
It's how you justified it to me.
- Mrs. Bartlet?
- Yeah.
You sure you don't want me to stay?
Yeah.
Okay.
Have a good trip.
Call me when you get there.
I will.
I love you.
I love you too.
- Son of a bitch.
- I'm sorry.
A person can't wait five days
to buy a gun?
If someone needs a gun right now...
...isn't that something
to be concerned about?
Taking the feelings
of gun owners into account...
...if you've gotta shoot somebody, it
probably isn't something that can wait.
You mind if I take off?
- What time is it?
- 2 a.m.
All right, we'll call that a full day,
but come in early tomorrow.
- You're all right getting home?
- Yeah.
- Good night, guys.
- Good night.
- They're just preliminary numbers.
- They're not gonna change.
No.
A five-day waiting period.
- It tested well nationwide.
- Yeah.
Fifty-eight percent.
I didn't need nationwide.
I needed those districts.
We'll have to dial down
the gun rhetoric in the Midwest.
Why not dial it up?
Because these numbers just told us...
You don't know
what these numbers just told you.
I don't know what these numbers
just told you.
We know.
- Really?
- Numbers don't lie.
They lie all the time.
They lie when 72% of Americans
say they're tired of a sex scandal...
...while all the while, newspaper
circulation goes through the roof...
...for anyone featuring the story.
If you polled a hundred Donnas...
...and asked them
if they think we should go out...
...you'd get a high positive response.
But the poll wouldn't tell you...
...it's because she likes you
and she knows it's beginning to show...
...and she needs to cover herself
with misdirection.
Believe me when I tell you
that's not true.
You say that these numbers
mean dial it down.
I say they mean dial it up.
You haven't gotten through.
There are people
you haven't persuaded yet.
These numbers mean dial it up.
Otherwise, you're like
the French radical...
...watching a crowd run by and saying:
"There go my people.
I must find out where they're going
so I can lead them. "
Yeah.
We'll go through the rest
of the numbers in the morning.
Okay.
- Good evening, sir.
- Hey, Charlie.
You shouldn't be out here
without a coat.
I'm okay.
- Mr. President?
- Yeah.
- Is there anything I can do for you?
- No. Thanks.
Hey.
I checked outside. I thought
you'd be having a cigarette.
Let me tell you something, Leo. After
heroin and cocaine, tobacco is next.
Great, another criminal empire
we can give birth to.
There'll be speakeasies
all over Chicago...
...where you can get smuggled
cartons of Marlboro Lights.
I fought a jungle war.
I'm not doing it again.
If I could put myself anywhere in time...
...it would be the Cabinet Room
on August 4th, 1964...
...when our ships were attacked
by North Vietnam in the Tonkin Gulf.
I'd say:
" Mr. President, don't do it.
You're considering authorizing
a massive commitment of troops...
...and throwing in our lot
with torturers and panderers...
...leaders without principle
and soldiers without conviction...
...with no clear mission
and no end in sight. "
This war's at home.
Its casualties are in our prisons
and not our hospitals.
The amount of money the American
government is spending in Colombia...
...is the exact same amount
American consumers are spending...
...buying drugs from Colombia.
We're funding both sides of this war.
And we'll never win it that way.
- Leo, I can't possibly reverse...
- No one...
I can't possibly reverse
our position on negotiating with...
No one's gonna know.
You don't make another phone call.
That happens someplace else.
Santos is gonna be the one
to let him out.
There were just 14 people in the room
who heard Santos make me the offer.
Those 14 people keep
bigger secrets than this.
You know what Truman Capote said was
the bad part about living outside the law?
What?
You no longer have the protection of it.
What's to stop me?
Two hundred CIA operatives.
Black Ops.
Two hundred guys with no wives,
no kids, no parents.
I send 200 operatives down there.
Monday morning I read in the paper
Juan Aguilar is dead.
What's to stop me?
We lost this one, Mr. President.
It was bad intelligence,
and we lost this one.
It was the queen's rook.
That's why I couldn't trade the bishop.
It was over six moves ago.
- Arrange for their immediate release.
- Yes, sir, Mr. President.
If they so much as experience
turbulence on their way out...
Yes, sir.
I want to go to Dover later tonight.
- Yes, sir.
- Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Folks, take your seats, please.
The briefing will start now.
Folks, can you take your seats?
Good evening. Thank you
for coming back so late.
I want to fill you in on some events that
have taken place in the last 24 hours.
There'll be representatives
from the Pentagon...
.. State and Justice Departments
who'll continue with your questions.
Yesterday at approximately
8 p.m. Eastern time...
...five agents from the DEA
were taken hostage...
...in the Putumayo region of Colombia
by members of the Frente...
- Hold your questions.
- Hostages are out.
- There was a demand...
- I'll call their families.
...for the release
of a Colombian prisoner.
President Miguel Santos,
acting on his own authority....
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