The West Wing (1999–2006): Season 2, Episode 21 - 18th and Potomac - full transcript
With hypothetical polling numbers showing them its political suicide, staffers prepare to announce the President's condition. As they do, a military crisis flares up in Haiti and Josh faces off against two senators who are against the Government's tobacco-industry suit. But as bad as the day seems to be going, a tragedy will come from a car wreck at 18th and Potomac that will effect everything.
Previously on The West Wing :
-So, what's your problem?
-He did everything right.
He did everything you do
if your intent is to perpetrate a fraud.
We want to see some polling.
-Why?
-We need to know what to do next.
What questions could they ask
that won't trip an alarm?
Josh trusts Joey Lucas.
We need you to put a poll in the field
without asking questions we can't ask.
I was almost sure I saw you give
the president an injection.
It was Betaseron. It reduces
the frequency of the attacks.
T obacco has spent $380 million
to the government's 36.
They perpetrated a fraud
against the public.
-They wanna get these people.
-We' re not big tobacco.
-Eagle's moving.
-He talked to her on the phone?
-At the airport.
-But he called her on the phone.
-T o get her to the airport.
-But I' m saying...
...did she hang up the phone,
say to her friends:
"You' re never gonna believe
why I' m getting on a plane? "
He told her she was coming out
to do polling on subsurface agriculture.
-What the hell is that?
-It's vegetables that grow underground.
He told her she was coming here to find
out if Americans were eating more beets.
-Is this a joke?
-It was Josh, Mr. President.
It was a job done well.
You want to start not trusting Josh?
Let's go.
-Where are we going?
-The basement.
Why?
I don't Iike how it Iooks, the seven of us
meeting in the middle of the night.
You Iike the way it Iooks
meeting in the basement?
Let's go.
These numbers
are gonna be meaningless.
A governor from an industrial state.
It's posed as a hypothetical
before people have any education.
No way to factor existing approval
numbers when it comes to trust matters.
Sagittarius.
-Are they on their way?
-Y eah.
-They' re on their way?
-Y eah.
Joey, your flight was all right?
Your flight was all okay?
These numbers aren't
gonna mean anything, right?
With the hypothetical
and Iack of context?
-PIus the pre-existing Ievel of trust?
-Yeah.
Is there anything in there
that we' re gonna Iike?
-We are, in fact, eating more beets.
-Okay.
Good evening.
Mr. President,
you remember Joey Lucas...
...and her interpreter, Kenny.
-Joey, did you make photocopies of that?
-No, sir.
Good. Let's get started.
Mr. President, I polled 1 1 70
registered voters in Michigan...
...giving their governor a hypothetical--
Excuse me. How many people
in this room know Kenny's Iast name?
It's fine.
I believe this operation
is no Ionger covert.
Mr. President, Kenny's
been with me for 1 1 years.
T o trust me is to trust him.
-Josh?
-Y eah.
Go ahead.
1 1 70 registered voters
in Michigan were polled...
...giving their governor a hypothetical,
concealed, degenerative illness.
These are the results.
" Do you agree that it's okay
for the governor to Iie about his health? "
Seventeen percent agree,
83 percent disagree.
"Would you be as Iikely or Iess Iikely
to vote for the governor...
... now that you know
he has a degenerative illness? "
Seventy-one percent say Iess Iikely.
The Iargest block of Iikely voters
are women over 55.
78 percent of those women say they
wouldn't vote for a candidate with MS.
We just Iost FIorida.
This may be the worst stat, sir.
Seventy-four percent
believe MS to be fatal.
They may be right.
Sixty-two percent of Democrats
aren't gonna vote for you.
Sixty-five percent of those describing
themselves as Iiberal...
...aren't gonna vote for you
because you Iied.
Joey, is there any good news
in there at all?
No, sir.
-Who's in Port-au-Prince right now?
-The U. N. observer group.
Which consists of?
400 technical advisers and observers,
and 65 unarmed security specialists.
-And the OAS?
-They've got about 200 observers.
What happened Iast night?
Citing improper permits, Col. Bazan's
soldiers surrounded Carrefour Libert?.
-Liberty Square.
-Yeah.
T o prevent a victory rally
by supporters of Dessalines.
Some of the crowd refused
to disperse. Shots were fired.
-Anybody killed?
-Two people.
Rene Ducasse, the newly designated
minister of justice, was arrested...
...and soldiers have surrounded
the house of the chief justice.
They say, to protect him
from death threats.
Our intelligence says
he's under house arrest.
Most troubling is personnel
carriers with Haitian troops...
... parked in front of every
police station in Port-au-Prince.
This is a sign that the army plans to take
power from the Gendarme Nationale.
-Where's the president-elect?
-Sir, we can't find him.
-I' m sorry?
-At this moment...
-...we can't find Dessalines.
-That's not the most troubling thing?
What do you mean--?
He never showed up for a 4 p. m.
conference with Gilbert T ass.
Calls to the party headquarters
and his houses went unanswered.
Armed forces radio says he's fled
the country, but the Dominicans say no.
What about intelligence?
It's not Iike we can just call around.
It's chaos there. Nobody knows anything.
Leo?
Let's evacuate the nonessential
personnel from the embassy.
Any move to evacuate the embassy,
even the nonessentials...
...will be a signal of no confidence
in the Dessalines government.
At the moment, there is no Dessalines
government, and no Dessalines.
I just got done pulling
nine dead bodies out of Colombia.
Evacuate the nonessentials,
get some Marines at the embassy...
-...and somebody brief Fitzwallace.
-Thank you, Mr. President.
Sagittarius.
Why not a presidential address?
T en, 1 5 minutes.
" I have this illness. I concealed it.
I apologize.
Let me tell you about it.
Let me reduce your fears. "
It's too cold.
He needs to be with the first Iady.
In some decorative room?
Sitting with his wife weakens him.
Let's put him behind the Kennedy desk,
in the East Room--
He's gonna go on TV and say he Iied.
I don't want him doing it behind the seal.
You think without the seal
people will forget he's president?
We'II do a 30-minute Iive special
for one of the news magazines.
-" Live, " Iive-to-tape or tape?
-Live.
I don't want a producer
editing what he says.
-What if we want to edit what he says?
-That's our tough Iuck.
-When?
-How about Thursday night?
-Wednesday night.
-Why?
Thursday is where they pay their bills.
It's tough enough getting 30 minutes...
...and not telling them why
during May sweeps.
-Who gives a damn about May sweeps?
-They do, Sam.
AII right, 30 minutes, Dateline special,
Wednesday night...
... night after tomorrow, president
and first Iady in the Mural Room.
We'II follow that
with a press conference.
-Why?
-T o control the story as Iong as possible.
Once he gets done with Russert
or Diane or Stone Phillips...
... I'II need every reporter
in a room where I can see them.
-Put a team of medical experts there.
-We have 48 hours to find them.
If we take him from the Mural Room
to a press conference...
...won't a smart reporter ask:
" Mr. President, aren't you planning
on seeking re-election? "
A smart rep--
T ed Baxter's gonna ask, " Mr. President,
are you planning to seek re-election? "
So we' re gonna need
an answer to that too.
-Are you getting an 8-speaker stereo?
-No.
-Six speakers?
-No.
How many speakers?
I have two ears.
How many speakers do I need?
-At Ieast six and a subwoofer.
-I' m not getting a subwoofer.
-How about the tow package?
-The tow package?
-T o tow your boat.
-I don't have a boat.
-What about a camper?
-No.
-What do you tow?
-Groceries.
You could put those in the trunk.
-Tinted windows?
-Hey.
Hello, Josh.
Mrs. Landingham's picking up
a new car today.
-Really?
-I wish I hadn't told anyone.
Why do men think women
can't buy a car without a man?
It's an old stereotype, Mrs. L. Did you
get the extended service warranty?
-No.
-Women.
-What do you want?
-Leo wanted to see me.
-He's in his office.
-Did you get the tow package?
-See?
-He's in his office.
Margaret.
-Where's Josh?
-He's on his way.
-He remembers where my office is?
-Calm down. I' m right here.
-He's right here.
-Get out.
-This report is staggering.
-I know.
Justice has 31 Iawyers and staff,
tobacco has 1 893 Iawyers...
...and 2783 paralegals.
-This isn't a typo, right?
-No.
We've spent 8. 7 million on outside
counsel, they've spent 1 92.
The 61.3 million they've spent
on travel expenses is twice as much...
-...as we've spent on our entire case.
-Y es.
Who oversees the Justice
Department budget?
The subcommittee on Commerce,
Justice, State and the Judiciary.
-Who's the ranking minority member?
-Ritter.
T alk to him and find out
what the problem is.
Josh, how's it going downstairs?
They'II have an answer by
the end of the day.
It's Iooking Iike 30 minutes on Dateline
and a press conference.
But, Leo, it's also Iooking Iike
any scenario is gonna require...
...a firm position from the president
on re-election.
Well, we'II have that answer
by the end of the day too.
-Will we?
-Yes.
He got Joey's numbers in the middle
of the night. Give me the day.
Don't you think it'd help him
if he had a discussion among--?
A discussion among the rest of us?
Excuse me.
-What?
-Two of Dessalines' bodyguards...
...were shot. We think
he's headed to our embassy.
-How do we know?
-Peter Bratt got a message through.
What is Peter Bratt doing there?
He went for the inauguration, and he may
have Dessalines in the trunk of his car.
-In the trunk of his car?
-Y es, sir.
-Did we evacuate the nonessentials?
-On their way.
A C-9 is waiting for them
on the runway.
If we don't take Dessalines,
he'II be convicted in a 20-minute trial...
...imprisoned for Iife
or probably executed by the junta.
This is an internal affair in Haiti.
The U.S. has no place choosing sides.
Of course we' re choosing sides.
There was a free election.
We saw to it. There was a free
election, and Dessalines won.
If we grant asylum,
we'II be in a standoff with Bazan.
Bazan can elevate his stature in Haiti
by staging a standoff with the U.S.
Bazan can surround the embassy, saying
he's searching for a wanted criminal...
...and he can take everyone
in the embassy hostage.
Mr. President, there will never be
real elections in Haiti...
...if the military thinks
it can kill the winner.
AIso, I'd Iike to point out, sir,
that we encouraged Dessalines to run.
In fact, we strongly encouraged it,
and now he's in the trunk of a car.
The car's at the gate.
I got the gate right here.
-Let him in.
-Sir.
-Let him in.
-T ell them to Iet him in.
He's in.
Do we put Hoynes up there
at the press conference?
-Put Hoynes up there?
-There's never been...
...a more important time
to emphasize the vice presidency.
The vice president's presence underlines
the health risk to the president.
The president anticipated this problem
with the selection of the vice president.
It'II also serve to underscore that he
anticipated the problem and didn't tell.
Hoynes was one of the first to know.
If he's there, it's a demonstration...
...that he signed off
on the president's health.
He'II get bombarded with questions
about what he knew...
...and the press corps will impanel
themselves as a grand jury.
Then Iet them, C.J.
-We did something wrong or we didn't.
-Well, fantastic, Sam.
I didn't realize it was that simple.
There's a situation developing in Port-
au-Prince. I have to get ready to brief.
Sam, can Josiah Bartlet
function as president?
I' m not a medical expert.
Right.
T oby, there is responsibility, and the
future, and an obligation to the party.
If he's not gonna run, he's gotta point
to Hoynes and say, "This is our guy. "
And what if they ask Hoynes,
" In the meantime...
-...can Bartlet function as president? "
-He'II say yes.
What if he says,
" I' m not a medical expert"?
The president of Haiti was taken
to the embassy in the trunk of a car?
Yes.
-I've Iived too Iong.
-Don't go anywhere, because I need you.
I mean it. This will get worse
before it gets better.
You may be right, but Haiti's actually
not what I wanted to talk to you about.
-T obacco?
-The president wants to get behind...
...a $30 million appropriations bill...
...the Justice Department's had
in your committee for months.
-They need money to continue the case.
-I know.
-Has the chairman scheduled a vote?
-He's not gonna.
He won't schedule a vote?
Kalmbach's gonna dance
with the girl that brung him.
How much tobacco money
has he taken?
-In the Iast campaign?
-Yeah.
Four hundred and sixty thousand
in PACs.
-Is there a nose count?
-Y eah, eight to seven against.
-AIong party Iines?
-No, believe it or not...
...we've got two Republicans,
they've got two Democrats.
-They've got two Democrats?
-Warren and Rossitter.
Warren and Rossitter
aren't even from the South.
They have ideological problems
with the case.
This is a phenomenally important case.
It's historic.
It has to be won, and we' re fighting it
with paper clips and a slingshot.
We were wondering
when you guys were gonna notice.
-Hi.
-Hi.
-Have a seat.
-I was told you wanted to see me.
Y eah, Donna.
I' m gonna tell you something shocking...
...except we don't have time
to be shocked.
So I need you to just hear it
and go back to work.
Eight years ago, the president
was diagnosed with MS.
He concealed it during the election,
but we' re going public...
...with a Iive network interview
and a press conference.
This is what Josh is gonna be working on
24 hours, and he'II need your help...
...and he's gonna need you to know.
And so I' m telling you.
You' re the first person
on the assistant Ievel to find out.
Margaret doesn't know.
Bonnie and Ginger don't know.
Mrs. Landingham doesn't know.
Is the president in a Iot of pain
or discomfort right now?
-No, he's in remission.
-Okay.
Is there anything else?
I want to impress upon you
how important it is that this not be--
Yeah.
You wanna know
where you made your mistake?
I didn't make a mistake.
You probably did.
Here's where you went wrong.
-Where?
-You went to the dealership alone.
-Y es.
-That was a mistake.
Because the dealer would Ioad me up
with extras I don't need?
-That's right.
-Like a tow package?
How will you tow your camper
without a tow package?
I have never been camping.
Neither have I.
I was hoping you'd take me.
I'd be sitting there fishing, Iistening
to the Orioles on a transistor radio.
-What would I be doing?
-Warding off bears, that kind of thing.
-How much did you pay?
-We don't talk about money, dear.
Can you tell me how much
you paid below sticker?
-I didn't pay anything below sticker.
-What do you mean?
I didn't pay anything
above sticker either.
-Mrs. Landingham, seriously.
-Charlie--
-You paid sticker price?
-Y es.
-Why?
-That was the price.
-Mrs. --
-Says so right on the sticker.
-Who pays sticker price?
-I do.
-Let me go back there with you.
-I wasn't duped.
-You paid sticker price.
-I' m a government employee.
That doesn't mean you' re a fool.
No, but it means I' m not allowed
to accept gifts of a certain value.
-It's not a gift.
-Of course it is.
The price tag says one thing and the
dealer gives it to me for something Iess.
-That happens when you buy a car.
-Not me.
-I was Iooking for Leo.
-Situation Room.
That's usually a good sign.
-How many are they saying?
-They can't say.
-How many are they estimating?
-It changes every minute.
-How many this minute?
-Nancy, the cavalry.
-You guys need some adult supervision?
-No, we need the cavalry.
What's the Iatest estimate?
It's about 500 soldiers,
maybe 300 of them with AR-1 5s.
We sold those to them, right?
Well, until a few hours ago,
they were on our side.
-Still.
-Y eah.
AR-1 5s aren't the only thing
they've got.
They've got two Bradleys with 1 20 mm
cannons and a couple of artillery tubes.
-What do we have?
-37 Marines with M1 4s...
...and Beretta sidearms.
What happens when
the first shot is fired?
-Get me hooked up to operations.
-Y es.
Embassy Marines aren't Iawn jockeys.
They' re not decorative.
They' re trained in restraint,
and they' re trained well.
-Operations, ma'am.
-Thank you.
If they take the embassy,
how will we know?
Will they send a note?
Sidney, I need Com Con status.
This is a few minutes old.
There's no note, Leo.
They' re taking the embassy.
Fitz, this is Nancy.
I think we should mobilize the 880th
Hostage T ask Force out of Parris Island.
The USS Enterprise, as well as
amphibious carriers out of FIorida...
...are being dispatched to the region,
expected to be there in 36 hours.
Aircraft will be in a combat radius
of 3 to 400 miles within 1 2 hours.
You'II get more details on that
when the Pentagon briefs at 3.
-C.J.!
-Katie.
Should we read anything into the fact
that Pentagon's briefing, not State?
State will brief Iater.
Is one option recognizing
the Bazan government?
-There is no Bazan government.
-But is one--?
-You' re not taking me there, Mark.
-Is the U.S. prepared to invade Haiti?
It should be clear that we' re talking
about two separate issues.
One is a democratically elected
president...
...whose people are being denied
their Ieader by an armed militia.
The other is the Iives of Americans
in the embassy and the Marines.
-You didn't answer my question.
-How about that? I'II be back.
-Is he here?
-He's in the Mural Room.
-I Iook all right?
-You Iook pretty tired.
That's what you' re saying to me?
There's nothing
I can get for you, Mr. Hacket?
No, Bonnie, thanks. I' m fine.
-Paul.
-Good afternoon, CIaudia.
Bonnie, would you
stand outside the door, please...
...and knock if anybody
wants to come in?
She took me in through the basement.
I've been in this building 300 times,
never came in through the basement.
-What do you got in front?
-The White House Press Corps.
-Yeah?
-I need 30 minutes, night after tomorrow.
-What are you guys planning for Haiti?
-It's not Haiti.
-What is it?
-I' m not gonna tell you.
What do I tell my news director?
-It's your network.
-It's not.
It belongs to a company
that belongs to stockholders.
What am I supposed to tell him?
That we need 30 minutes
Wednesday night.
On Wednesday morning,
I'II tell you why.
You pick the interviewer,
they'II have 1 0 hours to prepare.
-Just the president?
-The president and first Iady.
-On our set?
-In this room.
So we get the interviewer
and the network Iogo?
No network Iogo.
I've gotta get two other networks
and CNN to pick this up Iive.
Bad enough it's your guy and not theirs.
But they'II run Petticoat Junction before
they put your network brand on their air.
-C.J.?
-Y eah.
-Between friends.
-Y eah.
Is the water over your head?
No, the water's exactly at my head.
I'II talk to Jeremy.
We'II start to Ieak Wednesday
morning to soften the ground...
... but anything Ieaks before then and
I'II take my business across the street.
Y eah.
Well, I was surprised when Andy
gave me the nose count...
... because I wasn't aware of any ties
to tobacco you have.
-We don't.
-Y eah.
-I don't. Do you?
-No. We grow no tobacco in my state.
I'd have to check, but I don't think
I've taken contributions.
We are both former U S. attorneys
and it's the suit itself we find troubling.
The suit alleges
that the tobacco companies...
... have been engaged in a broad
conspiracy of Iies since the 1 950s.
-Y es.
-How exactly...
...will Justice Department
Iitigators demonstrate that?
Well, I' m not a Iitigator and I don't
work at the Justice Department...
...and there's a reason
for both of those things...
... but I don't think it's hard to prove...
...that the tobacco companies have Iied
since we already know they did.
Every surgeon general since 1 964
has warned the public about smoking.
And since 1 966,
through Congressional mandate...
...a pack of cigarettes
has had to carry a warning Iabel.
T urning around now and saying,
"We've been had, " is ridiculous.
You saying that people
who start smoking...
...and get addicted to nicotine
are too stupid to Iive?
No. I' m saying they' re too stupid
to be protected by the courts.
"T oo stupid to be--" Every day, the
Justice Department uncovers evidence...
...that cigarette companies knew,
far better than the rest of us...
...that smoking causes death
and disease.
T o say nothing of the CEOs
being the Iast seven people on Earth...
...to discover that nicotine
was addictive--
Your administration wants to prosecute
a suit they know is hopeless...
...so they score points at the expense
of an industry that funds your opponents.
It's politically correct extortion...
...and that's why it's unlikely
the appropriations bill...
...will make it out of the subcommittee.
It's almost 3:00.
By 7, 3000 new people
will have taken up smoking.
2,800 of them
will be under 1 8.
Thanks.
Good afternoon, ma'am.
Sagittarius.
Good afternoon, Mrs. Bartlet.
What do we use this place for
when we' re not using it for this?
I think-- I know we used it to plan
some of the millennium things.
Didn't it used to be the photo office?
I don't know.
I could check it out.
-Would you Iike to sit down?
-Yeah.
We' re talking about 30 minutes
with an interviewer.
The questions will be about the medical
history. No questions about the Iaw.
C.J. got them to agree to that?
She will Wednesday morning
when she tells them what it's about.
-Why will they agree?
-They'd Iose the story.
That's all right with me.
I'd Iike to go through the story,
get a sense of what you'II say...
... run it by OIiver Babish, spend a couple
of days going over it with you.
That sounds fun, but I' m
kind of seeing someone right now.
It's not serious, but it could be.
You know what I' m saying?
T en years ago,
he began experiencing fatigue...
...and signs of paraparesis
of the anterior femoral muscles.
-In Iaymen's terms?
-He had a tingling pain in his thigh.
-And those symptoms subsided?
-Y es.
And two years Iater?
My husband experienced neuropathy
and presented symptoms...
...of optic neuritis with partial
unilateral nerve paresis.
-Mrs. Bartlet--
-Dr. Bartlet.
Y es, ma'am.
The Ianguage you use--
Why aren't the president and I
doing this together?
I' m sorry?
Somebody's doing this
with the president...
...and I was asking why
we' re not doing it at the same time.
-Is it so you can compare our stories?
-Y es.
The Ianguage you use--
Two years Iater,
he felt numbing and dizziness.
-Look--
-Section 2635 of the guidelines...
...Iaid out in Ethical Conduct for
Employees of the Executive Branch...
...final regulations issued by the
U S. Office of Government Ethics--
Section 2635, wherein White House
employees are specifically enjoined...
...from receiving or soliciting gifts
over $20 in value.
They want to give me a $ 1 9 discount
on my car, I'II take it.
-He's waiting for you.
-Thank you.
What happened?
We shot three Haitian soldiers
on the runway.
-They boarded the plane?
-Ground traffic control stopped the plane.
When the soldiers boarded, they were
told they'd boarded a U S. Air Force C-9.
They were told to drop their weapons.
They were told again.
Two staff sergeants in the bulkhead
had a clear shot and took them.
They dumped the bodies on the tarmac
and made an emergency takeoff.
-Leo--
-Sir--
That wasn't supposed to happen.
I evacuated the nonessentials
specifically so that wouldn't happen.
-We--
-I gave the order six hours ago.
-They had to--
-Six hours ago, I gave the order!
What were they still doing on a runway?
They had to be collected.
They weren't all in one place.
-We shot three men--
-That's what you do.
-We what?
-A foreign hostile puts his foot...
...on an American military plane,
that's an attack.
Rules of engagement
give us every right to repel.
I' m sure they had
their handbooks with them.
These guys were there
to keep the plane on the ground.
-The plane is up in the air?
-Yes, sir.
What's happening on the ground?
We' re communicating
through diplomatic back channels.
-Who are we using?
-The Canadian ambassador...
... Dominican intelligence.
-And what does Bazan want?
-Dessalines.
-On what charge?
-That as treasury minister...
... he embezzled $ 1 8 million
earmarked for humanitarian aid.
I' m sold.
Margaret, get me
the secretary of state.
You' re right. I should be
bringing them in on re-election.
-I should be talking to them.
-Yeah.
I don't want to make
the same mistakes again.
Y eah. Not when there are so many
new mistakes we can make.
Let's start tonight. Around 9:00,
we'II meet in the residence.
Scott, I' m with the president. We' re
gonna need to invoke 1 070 at OAS.
-Good evening, Mr. President.
-Bob Cratchit.
Surely you have better things
to do than annoy me.
-Never. You bought a new car?
-Y es.
-And you paid sticker price?
-Section 2635--
You need to Iook at the next page,
subsection B, paragraph 4.
I could beat you up anytime I want, sir.
Secret Service would have you down
Iike a calf at a rodeo.
"The definition of gift excludes
opportunities and benefits...
...including favorable rates
and commercial discounts...
...available to the public at Iarge. "
-I did Iook at the next page.
-And?
I work next door to the Oval Office, sir.
Caesar's wife must be above reproach.
Is the reason you didn't tell me
you were getting a new car, you--?
Did you think I was gonna think
it was an extravagance?
You don't think I think
you should have a new car?
-Dolores, have you ever had a new car?
-No.
Henry would go
to Calvin Hilly in Concord...
...and Calvin would give him a good deal
on something reliable.
Let me find out what you were to pay,
and write a check for the difference.
Oh, no. Thank you,
but I' m buying this car myself.
This car is gonna feel good.
-Is it a nice one?
-It's a beauty.
It's blue.
It has air conditioning.
I told them I can roll down the
windows, but it comes with it.
Consumer Reports rates it very high.
It's very safe.
And when you get inside,
there's this....
-Smell?
-How did you know?
The smell of freedom, and the chemicals
they treat the dashboard with.
-When are you picking it up?
-Now.
Do me a favor.
Come back after you pick it up.
I'd Iike to talk to you about something.
And put the car in the driveway.
I'd Iike to kick the tires.
Why?
It's an expression, Fannie Mae.
Go get your car.
What happens is, basically,
that small stones in the inner ear...
...which respond to gravity
become dislodged...
...and that'II cause
benign positional vertigo.
-You all right?
-Y es, ma'am.
You sure you don't want
some acetylsalicylic acid?
-Aspirin, my brother.
-What a dumb major you had.
-Good evening.
-Oh, OIiver.
Do you know what peripheral
neuropathy indicates?
No, but I don't really care that much.
Sam, would you mind for a minute?
-No.
-B1 2 deficiency.
-Thank you.
-Sure.
-Mrs. Bartlet, I want to talk to you--
-Dr. Bartlet.
When did I stop being Dr. Bartlet?
When in the campaign did I decide...
...that women were gonna Iike me more
if I called myself " Mrs. "?
When did I decide
that women were that stupid?
Ma'am, I want you
to get your own Iawyer.
-I have my own Iawyer.
-Pat's a family Iawyer.
I want you to get someone for this.
I'II give you eight names.
You, Pat and the president whittle it
down to three, I'II pick the one.
Can we do this after the broadcast
Wednesday night?
No, I want you to do it right away. I
don't think you should do the broadcast.
-Why?
-You shouldn't answer without a Iawyer.
Sam said they' re not gonna
get into issues of Iegality.
I don't know how
they' re gonna avoid it.
Herman Vikram was the
original specialist, right?
It was Vikram who put him
on prednisone.
And then almost four years ago
you put him on interferon beta-1 b.
-Betaseron.
-Y eah.
-You did it, not Vikram.
-It was in consultation with Vikram.
He didn't write the prescription.
I thought that it would be wrong
to involve another doctor.
So you wrote these prescriptions
to yourself and had them filled where?
The Dunwich Women's Health CIinic.
-Then shipped to various Iocations?
-It was a campaign.
-One Iocation was Phoenix.
-Probably.
-Another was St. Louis.
-Y eah.
You violated the medical ethics rules
of three state boards:
New Hampshire,
Arizona and Missouri.
"The board may take disciplinary action
against any person...
...who has engaged in dishonest
or unprofessional conduct. "
They were extraordinary
circumstances, OIiver.
I gave my husband excellent
medical care...
...and I'II Iine up tenured professors
who'II say so.
-Did you keep medical records?
-No.
" --or any person who has failed to
maintain adequate medical records...
...or documentation on diagnostic
and therapeutic treatment. "
The AMA's code of ethics
pretty well spells out...
...the egregiousness of treating
your own family members.
We do it anyway. We write
prescriptions for migraines, antibiotics--
Can I ask you,
as the president's physician...
... have you asked him
if he's had extramarital affairs?
No.
Isn't that a crucial question in the
diagnosing of autoimmune diseases?
I'd Iike to be next to my husband
when he does this.
I'd Iike you to get your own Iawyer.
-Is there anything else?
-No.
Thank you, Dr. Bartlet.
You need this?
-I didn't even see you there.
-I haven't seen you all day.
I've been with, you know, tobacco.
-You need this?
-Y eah.
The president wants you at a meeting
tonight in the residence around 9:00.
I'II tell you what that is, that's the
BIue Ribbon Commission on reform.
I' m gonna be collecting benefits...
...or not by the time we get
this BIue Ribbon thing up.
-Josh.
-Y eah.
I' m trying-- See, this is why
I'II never have a career as a--
-Donna, what--?
-Sagittarius.
-You all right?
-Y eah.
There's an empty office
next to the conference room.
I moved two couches in,
pillows and blankets.
-C.J. putting the Iid on?
-Right now.
And Leo's ready for you now.
The OAS has agreed to meet
in an emergency session tomorrow...
... but we' re waiting for confirmation.
-Can you tell us what you'II say?
-Y es, but first we'II say it to them.
A question on the Haitian casualties--
We've run out of time.
We'II pick it up tomorrow.
I' m calling a full Iid. Any developments
throughout the night, you'II be paged.
-Thank you for your patience, everybody.
-Thank you, C.J.
-Leo's ready for you.
-Thanks.
Leo, this is insane, plain and simple.
What's insane?
Oh, never mind. What isn't?
-You don't think it's crazy?
-I don't know what we' re talking about.
We' re firming up strategy on what will
define the future of this presidency...
...and we don't know if this president
is interested in the future.
-We have to have a discussion tonight.
-We' re having a discussion.
-When?
-T onight.
Okay, then.
-Good evening.
-Good evening, Josh.
Leo, would you excuse us for a second?
T oby, can I talk to you outside?
-You told Donna.
-Y eah.
-Why didn't you Iet me?
-You hadn't yet.
How'd she take it?
If everybody out there takes it
the way she did, we may be okay.
If a few more people in here took it
the way she did, that'd be all right too.
-Was that for me?
-That was for me.
T obacco.
Kalmbach's not gonna Iet it come
to a vote in the subcommittee...
...which is fine, because if he did,
it'd be 8-7 against.
-Party Iines?
-No.
We have Stacy and Miner, but
Warren and Rossitter are voting against.
They have ideological problems
with the case.
What do you wanna do?
Stick some dynamite
up Warren and Rossitter's ass.
The problem is Rossitter
sits on the Judiciary Committee...
...and I don't know how many enemies
on Judiciary we want to make.
Both of you, Iisten.
We' re not gonna stop,
soften, detour, postpone...
...circumvent, obfuscate
or trade a single one of our goals...
...to allow for whatever
extracurricular nonsense...
...is coming our way in the next
few days, weeks and months.
When did we decide this?
Just now.
Light them up.
-You got a recommendation for me?
-30 minutes, Wednesday, Iive.
-Live-to-tape?
-Live.
-Mural Room?
-Y eah. They pick the interviewer.
It's carried on all the networks and CNN.
I give it to them 1 0 hours before.
Followed by a press conference.
There isn't another step until we know
what the president's intentions are.
We need a discussion,
and it can't wait another night.
-We' re having a discussion.
-When?
-T onight.
-Really?
-That's great.
-Good evening.
Sam, what do you know?
I know that fluid accumulating
in the semicircular canals...
...of the vestibulocochlear nerve
is usually what'II account for dizziness.
Leo, I want to state right here, in terms
so plain and clear as to command their--
Meeting tonight.
The whole country is gonna assume
he's not running when he announces.
-We' re having a meeting.
-The press--
-We' re having a meeting.
-Really?
-That's great.
-Y eah.
Why doesn't everybody grab something
to eat, be back at 9...
...and you'II get called to come over
to the residence.
Josh, walk out with me.
I mean it,
set one off under these guys.
How about I have C.J.
make a statement at her briefing?
A strong statement.
"The president calls on Congress to fund
the Justice Department tobacco Iawsuit...
...at the Ievels necessary
to continue this Iitigation. "
"The American people
deserve their day in court. "
"This administration won't sit
on the bench while well-fed members...
...of the Appropriations Committee
choke off funding for a Iawsuit...
...aimed at the perpetrators of hundreds
of thousands of negligent homicides...
...while filling their
campaign war chests. "
Light them up.
Charlie?
Leo, there was an accident
at 1 8th and Potomac.
Mrs. Landingham was driving
her car back here.
-What happened?
-There was a drunk driver...
...and they ran the Iight
at 1 8th and Potomac.
-They ran it at a high speed.
-Charlie, is she all right?
No. She's dead.
-Is he alone?
-Y eah.
Subtitles by
SDI Media Group
[ENGLISH]
-So, what's your problem?
-He did everything right.
He did everything you do
if your intent is to perpetrate a fraud.
We want to see some polling.
-Why?
-We need to know what to do next.
What questions could they ask
that won't trip an alarm?
Josh trusts Joey Lucas.
We need you to put a poll in the field
without asking questions we can't ask.
I was almost sure I saw you give
the president an injection.
It was Betaseron. It reduces
the frequency of the attacks.
T obacco has spent $380 million
to the government's 36.
They perpetrated a fraud
against the public.
-They wanna get these people.
-We' re not big tobacco.
-Eagle's moving.
-He talked to her on the phone?
-At the airport.
-But he called her on the phone.
-T o get her to the airport.
-But I' m saying...
...did she hang up the phone,
say to her friends:
"You' re never gonna believe
why I' m getting on a plane? "
He told her she was coming out
to do polling on subsurface agriculture.
-What the hell is that?
-It's vegetables that grow underground.
He told her she was coming here to find
out if Americans were eating more beets.
-Is this a joke?
-It was Josh, Mr. President.
It was a job done well.
You want to start not trusting Josh?
Let's go.
-Where are we going?
-The basement.
Why?
I don't Iike how it Iooks, the seven of us
meeting in the middle of the night.
You Iike the way it Iooks
meeting in the basement?
Let's go.
These numbers
are gonna be meaningless.
A governor from an industrial state.
It's posed as a hypothetical
before people have any education.
No way to factor existing approval
numbers when it comes to trust matters.
Sagittarius.
-Are they on their way?
-Y eah.
-They' re on their way?
-Y eah.
Joey, your flight was all right?
Your flight was all okay?
These numbers aren't
gonna mean anything, right?
With the hypothetical
and Iack of context?
-PIus the pre-existing Ievel of trust?
-Yeah.
Is there anything in there
that we' re gonna Iike?
-We are, in fact, eating more beets.
-Okay.
Good evening.
Mr. President,
you remember Joey Lucas...
...and her interpreter, Kenny.
-Joey, did you make photocopies of that?
-No, sir.
Good. Let's get started.
Mr. President, I polled 1 1 70
registered voters in Michigan...
...giving their governor a hypothetical--
Excuse me. How many people
in this room know Kenny's Iast name?
It's fine.
I believe this operation
is no Ionger covert.
Mr. President, Kenny's
been with me for 1 1 years.
T o trust me is to trust him.
-Josh?
-Y eah.
Go ahead.
1 1 70 registered voters
in Michigan were polled...
...giving their governor a hypothetical,
concealed, degenerative illness.
These are the results.
" Do you agree that it's okay
for the governor to Iie about his health? "
Seventeen percent agree,
83 percent disagree.
"Would you be as Iikely or Iess Iikely
to vote for the governor...
... now that you know
he has a degenerative illness? "
Seventy-one percent say Iess Iikely.
The Iargest block of Iikely voters
are women over 55.
78 percent of those women say they
wouldn't vote for a candidate with MS.
We just Iost FIorida.
This may be the worst stat, sir.
Seventy-four percent
believe MS to be fatal.
They may be right.
Sixty-two percent of Democrats
aren't gonna vote for you.
Sixty-five percent of those describing
themselves as Iiberal...
...aren't gonna vote for you
because you Iied.
Joey, is there any good news
in there at all?
No, sir.
-Who's in Port-au-Prince right now?
-The U. N. observer group.
Which consists of?
400 technical advisers and observers,
and 65 unarmed security specialists.
-And the OAS?
-They've got about 200 observers.
What happened Iast night?
Citing improper permits, Col. Bazan's
soldiers surrounded Carrefour Libert?.
-Liberty Square.
-Yeah.
T o prevent a victory rally
by supporters of Dessalines.
Some of the crowd refused
to disperse. Shots were fired.
-Anybody killed?
-Two people.
Rene Ducasse, the newly designated
minister of justice, was arrested...
...and soldiers have surrounded
the house of the chief justice.
They say, to protect him
from death threats.
Our intelligence says
he's under house arrest.
Most troubling is personnel
carriers with Haitian troops...
... parked in front of every
police station in Port-au-Prince.
This is a sign that the army plans to take
power from the Gendarme Nationale.
-Where's the president-elect?
-Sir, we can't find him.
-I' m sorry?
-At this moment...
-...we can't find Dessalines.
-That's not the most troubling thing?
What do you mean--?
He never showed up for a 4 p. m.
conference with Gilbert T ass.
Calls to the party headquarters
and his houses went unanswered.
Armed forces radio says he's fled
the country, but the Dominicans say no.
What about intelligence?
It's not Iike we can just call around.
It's chaos there. Nobody knows anything.
Leo?
Let's evacuate the nonessential
personnel from the embassy.
Any move to evacuate the embassy,
even the nonessentials...
...will be a signal of no confidence
in the Dessalines government.
At the moment, there is no Dessalines
government, and no Dessalines.
I just got done pulling
nine dead bodies out of Colombia.
Evacuate the nonessentials,
get some Marines at the embassy...
-...and somebody brief Fitzwallace.
-Thank you, Mr. President.
Sagittarius.
Why not a presidential address?
T en, 1 5 minutes.
" I have this illness. I concealed it.
I apologize.
Let me tell you about it.
Let me reduce your fears. "
It's too cold.
He needs to be with the first Iady.
In some decorative room?
Sitting with his wife weakens him.
Let's put him behind the Kennedy desk,
in the East Room--
He's gonna go on TV and say he Iied.
I don't want him doing it behind the seal.
You think without the seal
people will forget he's president?
We'II do a 30-minute Iive special
for one of the news magazines.
-" Live, " Iive-to-tape or tape?
-Live.
I don't want a producer
editing what he says.
-What if we want to edit what he says?
-That's our tough Iuck.
-When?
-How about Thursday night?
-Wednesday night.
-Why?
Thursday is where they pay their bills.
It's tough enough getting 30 minutes...
...and not telling them why
during May sweeps.
-Who gives a damn about May sweeps?
-They do, Sam.
AII right, 30 minutes, Dateline special,
Wednesday night...
... night after tomorrow, president
and first Iady in the Mural Room.
We'II follow that
with a press conference.
-Why?
-T o control the story as Iong as possible.
Once he gets done with Russert
or Diane or Stone Phillips...
... I'II need every reporter
in a room where I can see them.
-Put a team of medical experts there.
-We have 48 hours to find them.
If we take him from the Mural Room
to a press conference...
...won't a smart reporter ask:
" Mr. President, aren't you planning
on seeking re-election? "
A smart rep--
T ed Baxter's gonna ask, " Mr. President,
are you planning to seek re-election? "
So we' re gonna need
an answer to that too.
-Are you getting an 8-speaker stereo?
-No.
-Six speakers?
-No.
How many speakers?
I have two ears.
How many speakers do I need?
-At Ieast six and a subwoofer.
-I' m not getting a subwoofer.
-How about the tow package?
-The tow package?
-T o tow your boat.
-I don't have a boat.
-What about a camper?
-No.
-What do you tow?
-Groceries.
You could put those in the trunk.
-Tinted windows?
-Hey.
Hello, Josh.
Mrs. Landingham's picking up
a new car today.
-Really?
-I wish I hadn't told anyone.
Why do men think women
can't buy a car without a man?
It's an old stereotype, Mrs. L. Did you
get the extended service warranty?
-No.
-Women.
-What do you want?
-Leo wanted to see me.
-He's in his office.
-Did you get the tow package?
-See?
-He's in his office.
Margaret.
-Where's Josh?
-He's on his way.
-He remembers where my office is?
-Calm down. I' m right here.
-He's right here.
-Get out.
-This report is staggering.
-I know.
Justice has 31 Iawyers and staff,
tobacco has 1 893 Iawyers...
...and 2783 paralegals.
-This isn't a typo, right?
-No.
We've spent 8. 7 million on outside
counsel, they've spent 1 92.
The 61.3 million they've spent
on travel expenses is twice as much...
-...as we've spent on our entire case.
-Y es.
Who oversees the Justice
Department budget?
The subcommittee on Commerce,
Justice, State and the Judiciary.
-Who's the ranking minority member?
-Ritter.
T alk to him and find out
what the problem is.
Josh, how's it going downstairs?
They'II have an answer by
the end of the day.
It's Iooking Iike 30 minutes on Dateline
and a press conference.
But, Leo, it's also Iooking Iike
any scenario is gonna require...
...a firm position from the president
on re-election.
Well, we'II have that answer
by the end of the day too.
-Will we?
-Yes.
He got Joey's numbers in the middle
of the night. Give me the day.
Don't you think it'd help him
if he had a discussion among--?
A discussion among the rest of us?
Excuse me.
-What?
-Two of Dessalines' bodyguards...
...were shot. We think
he's headed to our embassy.
-How do we know?
-Peter Bratt got a message through.
What is Peter Bratt doing there?
He went for the inauguration, and he may
have Dessalines in the trunk of his car.
-In the trunk of his car?
-Y es, sir.
-Did we evacuate the nonessentials?
-On their way.
A C-9 is waiting for them
on the runway.
If we don't take Dessalines,
he'II be convicted in a 20-minute trial...
...imprisoned for Iife
or probably executed by the junta.
This is an internal affair in Haiti.
The U.S. has no place choosing sides.
Of course we' re choosing sides.
There was a free election.
We saw to it. There was a free
election, and Dessalines won.
If we grant asylum,
we'II be in a standoff with Bazan.
Bazan can elevate his stature in Haiti
by staging a standoff with the U.S.
Bazan can surround the embassy, saying
he's searching for a wanted criminal...
...and he can take everyone
in the embassy hostage.
Mr. President, there will never be
real elections in Haiti...
...if the military thinks
it can kill the winner.
AIso, I'd Iike to point out, sir,
that we encouraged Dessalines to run.
In fact, we strongly encouraged it,
and now he's in the trunk of a car.
The car's at the gate.
I got the gate right here.
-Let him in.
-Sir.
-Let him in.
-T ell them to Iet him in.
He's in.
Do we put Hoynes up there
at the press conference?
-Put Hoynes up there?
-There's never been...
...a more important time
to emphasize the vice presidency.
The vice president's presence underlines
the health risk to the president.
The president anticipated this problem
with the selection of the vice president.
It'II also serve to underscore that he
anticipated the problem and didn't tell.
Hoynes was one of the first to know.
If he's there, it's a demonstration...
...that he signed off
on the president's health.
He'II get bombarded with questions
about what he knew...
...and the press corps will impanel
themselves as a grand jury.
Then Iet them, C.J.
-We did something wrong or we didn't.
-Well, fantastic, Sam.
I didn't realize it was that simple.
There's a situation developing in Port-
au-Prince. I have to get ready to brief.
Sam, can Josiah Bartlet
function as president?
I' m not a medical expert.
Right.
T oby, there is responsibility, and the
future, and an obligation to the party.
If he's not gonna run, he's gotta point
to Hoynes and say, "This is our guy. "
And what if they ask Hoynes,
" In the meantime...
-...can Bartlet function as president? "
-He'II say yes.
What if he says,
" I' m not a medical expert"?
The president of Haiti was taken
to the embassy in the trunk of a car?
Yes.
-I've Iived too Iong.
-Don't go anywhere, because I need you.
I mean it. This will get worse
before it gets better.
You may be right, but Haiti's actually
not what I wanted to talk to you about.
-T obacco?
-The president wants to get behind...
...a $30 million appropriations bill...
...the Justice Department's had
in your committee for months.
-They need money to continue the case.
-I know.
-Has the chairman scheduled a vote?
-He's not gonna.
He won't schedule a vote?
Kalmbach's gonna dance
with the girl that brung him.
How much tobacco money
has he taken?
-In the Iast campaign?
-Yeah.
Four hundred and sixty thousand
in PACs.
-Is there a nose count?
-Y eah, eight to seven against.
-AIong party Iines?
-No, believe it or not...
...we've got two Republicans,
they've got two Democrats.
-They've got two Democrats?
-Warren and Rossitter.
Warren and Rossitter
aren't even from the South.
They have ideological problems
with the case.
This is a phenomenally important case.
It's historic.
It has to be won, and we' re fighting it
with paper clips and a slingshot.
We were wondering
when you guys were gonna notice.
-Hi.
-Hi.
-Have a seat.
-I was told you wanted to see me.
Y eah, Donna.
I' m gonna tell you something shocking...
...except we don't have time
to be shocked.
So I need you to just hear it
and go back to work.
Eight years ago, the president
was diagnosed with MS.
He concealed it during the election,
but we' re going public...
...with a Iive network interview
and a press conference.
This is what Josh is gonna be working on
24 hours, and he'II need your help...
...and he's gonna need you to know.
And so I' m telling you.
You' re the first person
on the assistant Ievel to find out.
Margaret doesn't know.
Bonnie and Ginger don't know.
Mrs. Landingham doesn't know.
Is the president in a Iot of pain
or discomfort right now?
-No, he's in remission.
-Okay.
Is there anything else?
I want to impress upon you
how important it is that this not be--
Yeah.
You wanna know
where you made your mistake?
I didn't make a mistake.
You probably did.
Here's where you went wrong.
-Where?
-You went to the dealership alone.
-Y es.
-That was a mistake.
Because the dealer would Ioad me up
with extras I don't need?
-That's right.
-Like a tow package?
How will you tow your camper
without a tow package?
I have never been camping.
Neither have I.
I was hoping you'd take me.
I'd be sitting there fishing, Iistening
to the Orioles on a transistor radio.
-What would I be doing?
-Warding off bears, that kind of thing.
-How much did you pay?
-We don't talk about money, dear.
Can you tell me how much
you paid below sticker?
-I didn't pay anything below sticker.
-What do you mean?
I didn't pay anything
above sticker either.
-Mrs. Landingham, seriously.
-Charlie--
-You paid sticker price?
-Y es.
-Why?
-That was the price.
-Mrs. --
-Says so right on the sticker.
-Who pays sticker price?
-I do.
-Let me go back there with you.
-I wasn't duped.
-You paid sticker price.
-I' m a government employee.
That doesn't mean you' re a fool.
No, but it means I' m not allowed
to accept gifts of a certain value.
-It's not a gift.
-Of course it is.
The price tag says one thing and the
dealer gives it to me for something Iess.
-That happens when you buy a car.
-Not me.
-I was Iooking for Leo.
-Situation Room.
That's usually a good sign.
-How many are they saying?
-They can't say.
-How many are they estimating?
-It changes every minute.
-How many this minute?
-Nancy, the cavalry.
-You guys need some adult supervision?
-No, we need the cavalry.
What's the Iatest estimate?
It's about 500 soldiers,
maybe 300 of them with AR-1 5s.
We sold those to them, right?
Well, until a few hours ago,
they were on our side.
-Still.
-Y eah.
AR-1 5s aren't the only thing
they've got.
They've got two Bradleys with 1 20 mm
cannons and a couple of artillery tubes.
-What do we have?
-37 Marines with M1 4s...
...and Beretta sidearms.
What happens when
the first shot is fired?
-Get me hooked up to operations.
-Y es.
Embassy Marines aren't Iawn jockeys.
They' re not decorative.
They' re trained in restraint,
and they' re trained well.
-Operations, ma'am.
-Thank you.
If they take the embassy,
how will we know?
Will they send a note?
Sidney, I need Com Con status.
This is a few minutes old.
There's no note, Leo.
They' re taking the embassy.
Fitz, this is Nancy.
I think we should mobilize the 880th
Hostage T ask Force out of Parris Island.
The USS Enterprise, as well as
amphibious carriers out of FIorida...
...are being dispatched to the region,
expected to be there in 36 hours.
Aircraft will be in a combat radius
of 3 to 400 miles within 1 2 hours.
You'II get more details on that
when the Pentagon briefs at 3.
-C.J.!
-Katie.
Should we read anything into the fact
that Pentagon's briefing, not State?
State will brief Iater.
Is one option recognizing
the Bazan government?
-There is no Bazan government.
-But is one--?
-You' re not taking me there, Mark.
-Is the U.S. prepared to invade Haiti?
It should be clear that we' re talking
about two separate issues.
One is a democratically elected
president...
...whose people are being denied
their Ieader by an armed militia.
The other is the Iives of Americans
in the embassy and the Marines.
-You didn't answer my question.
-How about that? I'II be back.
-Is he here?
-He's in the Mural Room.
-I Iook all right?
-You Iook pretty tired.
That's what you' re saying to me?
There's nothing
I can get for you, Mr. Hacket?
No, Bonnie, thanks. I' m fine.
-Paul.
-Good afternoon, CIaudia.
Bonnie, would you
stand outside the door, please...
...and knock if anybody
wants to come in?
She took me in through the basement.
I've been in this building 300 times,
never came in through the basement.
-What do you got in front?
-The White House Press Corps.
-Yeah?
-I need 30 minutes, night after tomorrow.
-What are you guys planning for Haiti?
-It's not Haiti.
-What is it?
-I' m not gonna tell you.
What do I tell my news director?
-It's your network.
-It's not.
It belongs to a company
that belongs to stockholders.
What am I supposed to tell him?
That we need 30 minutes
Wednesday night.
On Wednesday morning,
I'II tell you why.
You pick the interviewer,
they'II have 1 0 hours to prepare.
-Just the president?
-The president and first Iady.
-On our set?
-In this room.
So we get the interviewer
and the network Iogo?
No network Iogo.
I've gotta get two other networks
and CNN to pick this up Iive.
Bad enough it's your guy and not theirs.
But they'II run Petticoat Junction before
they put your network brand on their air.
-C.J.?
-Y eah.
-Between friends.
-Y eah.
Is the water over your head?
No, the water's exactly at my head.
I'II talk to Jeremy.
We'II start to Ieak Wednesday
morning to soften the ground...
... but anything Ieaks before then and
I'II take my business across the street.
Y eah.
Well, I was surprised when Andy
gave me the nose count...
... because I wasn't aware of any ties
to tobacco you have.
-We don't.
-Y eah.
-I don't. Do you?
-No. We grow no tobacco in my state.
I'd have to check, but I don't think
I've taken contributions.
We are both former U S. attorneys
and it's the suit itself we find troubling.
The suit alleges
that the tobacco companies...
... have been engaged in a broad
conspiracy of Iies since the 1 950s.
-Y es.
-How exactly...
...will Justice Department
Iitigators demonstrate that?
Well, I' m not a Iitigator and I don't
work at the Justice Department...
...and there's a reason
for both of those things...
... but I don't think it's hard to prove...
...that the tobacco companies have Iied
since we already know they did.
Every surgeon general since 1 964
has warned the public about smoking.
And since 1 966,
through Congressional mandate...
...a pack of cigarettes
has had to carry a warning Iabel.
T urning around now and saying,
"We've been had, " is ridiculous.
You saying that people
who start smoking...
...and get addicted to nicotine
are too stupid to Iive?
No. I' m saying they' re too stupid
to be protected by the courts.
"T oo stupid to be--" Every day, the
Justice Department uncovers evidence...
...that cigarette companies knew,
far better than the rest of us...
...that smoking causes death
and disease.
T o say nothing of the CEOs
being the Iast seven people on Earth...
...to discover that nicotine
was addictive--
Your administration wants to prosecute
a suit they know is hopeless...
...so they score points at the expense
of an industry that funds your opponents.
It's politically correct extortion...
...and that's why it's unlikely
the appropriations bill...
...will make it out of the subcommittee.
It's almost 3:00.
By 7, 3000 new people
will have taken up smoking.
2,800 of them
will be under 1 8.
Thanks.
Good afternoon, ma'am.
Sagittarius.
Good afternoon, Mrs. Bartlet.
What do we use this place for
when we' re not using it for this?
I think-- I know we used it to plan
some of the millennium things.
Didn't it used to be the photo office?
I don't know.
I could check it out.
-Would you Iike to sit down?
-Yeah.
We' re talking about 30 minutes
with an interviewer.
The questions will be about the medical
history. No questions about the Iaw.
C.J. got them to agree to that?
She will Wednesday morning
when she tells them what it's about.
-Why will they agree?
-They'd Iose the story.
That's all right with me.
I'd Iike to go through the story,
get a sense of what you'II say...
... run it by OIiver Babish, spend a couple
of days going over it with you.
That sounds fun, but I' m
kind of seeing someone right now.
It's not serious, but it could be.
You know what I' m saying?
T en years ago,
he began experiencing fatigue...
...and signs of paraparesis
of the anterior femoral muscles.
-In Iaymen's terms?
-He had a tingling pain in his thigh.
-And those symptoms subsided?
-Y es.
And two years Iater?
My husband experienced neuropathy
and presented symptoms...
...of optic neuritis with partial
unilateral nerve paresis.
-Mrs. Bartlet--
-Dr. Bartlet.
Y es, ma'am.
The Ianguage you use--
Why aren't the president and I
doing this together?
I' m sorry?
Somebody's doing this
with the president...
...and I was asking why
we' re not doing it at the same time.
-Is it so you can compare our stories?
-Y es.
The Ianguage you use--
Two years Iater,
he felt numbing and dizziness.
-Look--
-Section 2635 of the guidelines...
...Iaid out in Ethical Conduct for
Employees of the Executive Branch...
...final regulations issued by the
U S. Office of Government Ethics--
Section 2635, wherein White House
employees are specifically enjoined...
...from receiving or soliciting gifts
over $20 in value.
They want to give me a $ 1 9 discount
on my car, I'II take it.
-He's waiting for you.
-Thank you.
What happened?
We shot three Haitian soldiers
on the runway.
-They boarded the plane?
-Ground traffic control stopped the plane.
When the soldiers boarded, they were
told they'd boarded a U S. Air Force C-9.
They were told to drop their weapons.
They were told again.
Two staff sergeants in the bulkhead
had a clear shot and took them.
They dumped the bodies on the tarmac
and made an emergency takeoff.
-Leo--
-Sir--
That wasn't supposed to happen.
I evacuated the nonessentials
specifically so that wouldn't happen.
-We--
-I gave the order six hours ago.
-They had to--
-Six hours ago, I gave the order!
What were they still doing on a runway?
They had to be collected.
They weren't all in one place.
-We shot three men--
-That's what you do.
-We what?
-A foreign hostile puts his foot...
...on an American military plane,
that's an attack.
Rules of engagement
give us every right to repel.
I' m sure they had
their handbooks with them.
These guys were there
to keep the plane on the ground.
-The plane is up in the air?
-Yes, sir.
What's happening on the ground?
We' re communicating
through diplomatic back channels.
-Who are we using?
-The Canadian ambassador...
... Dominican intelligence.
-And what does Bazan want?
-Dessalines.
-On what charge?
-That as treasury minister...
... he embezzled $ 1 8 million
earmarked for humanitarian aid.
I' m sold.
Margaret, get me
the secretary of state.
You' re right. I should be
bringing them in on re-election.
-I should be talking to them.
-Yeah.
I don't want to make
the same mistakes again.
Y eah. Not when there are so many
new mistakes we can make.
Let's start tonight. Around 9:00,
we'II meet in the residence.
Scott, I' m with the president. We' re
gonna need to invoke 1 070 at OAS.
-Good evening, Mr. President.
-Bob Cratchit.
Surely you have better things
to do than annoy me.
-Never. You bought a new car?
-Y es.
-And you paid sticker price?
-Section 2635--
You need to Iook at the next page,
subsection B, paragraph 4.
I could beat you up anytime I want, sir.
Secret Service would have you down
Iike a calf at a rodeo.
"The definition of gift excludes
opportunities and benefits...
...including favorable rates
and commercial discounts...
...available to the public at Iarge. "
-I did Iook at the next page.
-And?
I work next door to the Oval Office, sir.
Caesar's wife must be above reproach.
Is the reason you didn't tell me
you were getting a new car, you--?
Did you think I was gonna think
it was an extravagance?
You don't think I think
you should have a new car?
-Dolores, have you ever had a new car?
-No.
Henry would go
to Calvin Hilly in Concord...
...and Calvin would give him a good deal
on something reliable.
Let me find out what you were to pay,
and write a check for the difference.
Oh, no. Thank you,
but I' m buying this car myself.
This car is gonna feel good.
-Is it a nice one?
-It's a beauty.
It's blue.
It has air conditioning.
I told them I can roll down the
windows, but it comes with it.
Consumer Reports rates it very high.
It's very safe.
And when you get inside,
there's this....
-Smell?
-How did you know?
The smell of freedom, and the chemicals
they treat the dashboard with.
-When are you picking it up?
-Now.
Do me a favor.
Come back after you pick it up.
I'd Iike to talk to you about something.
And put the car in the driveway.
I'd Iike to kick the tires.
Why?
It's an expression, Fannie Mae.
Go get your car.
What happens is, basically,
that small stones in the inner ear...
...which respond to gravity
become dislodged...
...and that'II cause
benign positional vertigo.
-You all right?
-Y es, ma'am.
You sure you don't want
some acetylsalicylic acid?
-Aspirin, my brother.
-What a dumb major you had.
-Good evening.
-Oh, OIiver.
Do you know what peripheral
neuropathy indicates?
No, but I don't really care that much.
Sam, would you mind for a minute?
-No.
-B1 2 deficiency.
-Thank you.
-Sure.
-Mrs. Bartlet, I want to talk to you--
-Dr. Bartlet.
When did I stop being Dr. Bartlet?
When in the campaign did I decide...
...that women were gonna Iike me more
if I called myself " Mrs. "?
When did I decide
that women were that stupid?
Ma'am, I want you
to get your own Iawyer.
-I have my own Iawyer.
-Pat's a family Iawyer.
I want you to get someone for this.
I'II give you eight names.
You, Pat and the president whittle it
down to three, I'II pick the one.
Can we do this after the broadcast
Wednesday night?
No, I want you to do it right away. I
don't think you should do the broadcast.
-Why?
-You shouldn't answer without a Iawyer.
Sam said they' re not gonna
get into issues of Iegality.
I don't know how
they' re gonna avoid it.
Herman Vikram was the
original specialist, right?
It was Vikram who put him
on prednisone.
And then almost four years ago
you put him on interferon beta-1 b.
-Betaseron.
-Y eah.
-You did it, not Vikram.
-It was in consultation with Vikram.
He didn't write the prescription.
I thought that it would be wrong
to involve another doctor.
So you wrote these prescriptions
to yourself and had them filled where?
The Dunwich Women's Health CIinic.
-Then shipped to various Iocations?
-It was a campaign.
-One Iocation was Phoenix.
-Probably.
-Another was St. Louis.
-Y eah.
You violated the medical ethics rules
of three state boards:
New Hampshire,
Arizona and Missouri.
"The board may take disciplinary action
against any person...
...who has engaged in dishonest
or unprofessional conduct. "
They were extraordinary
circumstances, OIiver.
I gave my husband excellent
medical care...
...and I'II Iine up tenured professors
who'II say so.
-Did you keep medical records?
-No.
" --or any person who has failed to
maintain adequate medical records...
...or documentation on diagnostic
and therapeutic treatment. "
The AMA's code of ethics
pretty well spells out...
...the egregiousness of treating
your own family members.
We do it anyway. We write
prescriptions for migraines, antibiotics--
Can I ask you,
as the president's physician...
... have you asked him
if he's had extramarital affairs?
No.
Isn't that a crucial question in the
diagnosing of autoimmune diseases?
I'd Iike to be next to my husband
when he does this.
I'd Iike you to get your own Iawyer.
-Is there anything else?
-No.
Thank you, Dr. Bartlet.
You need this?
-I didn't even see you there.
-I haven't seen you all day.
I've been with, you know, tobacco.
-You need this?
-Y eah.
The president wants you at a meeting
tonight in the residence around 9:00.
I'II tell you what that is, that's the
BIue Ribbon Commission on reform.
I' m gonna be collecting benefits...
...or not by the time we get
this BIue Ribbon thing up.
-Josh.
-Y eah.
I' m trying-- See, this is why
I'II never have a career as a--
-Donna, what--?
-Sagittarius.
-You all right?
-Y eah.
There's an empty office
next to the conference room.
I moved two couches in,
pillows and blankets.
-C.J. putting the Iid on?
-Right now.
And Leo's ready for you now.
The OAS has agreed to meet
in an emergency session tomorrow...
... but we' re waiting for confirmation.
-Can you tell us what you'II say?
-Y es, but first we'II say it to them.
A question on the Haitian casualties--
We've run out of time.
We'II pick it up tomorrow.
I' m calling a full Iid. Any developments
throughout the night, you'II be paged.
-Thank you for your patience, everybody.
-Thank you, C.J.
-Leo's ready for you.
-Thanks.
Leo, this is insane, plain and simple.
What's insane?
Oh, never mind. What isn't?
-You don't think it's crazy?
-I don't know what we' re talking about.
We' re firming up strategy on what will
define the future of this presidency...
...and we don't know if this president
is interested in the future.
-We have to have a discussion tonight.
-We' re having a discussion.
-When?
-T onight.
Okay, then.
-Good evening.
-Good evening, Josh.
Leo, would you excuse us for a second?
T oby, can I talk to you outside?
-You told Donna.
-Y eah.
-Why didn't you Iet me?
-You hadn't yet.
How'd she take it?
If everybody out there takes it
the way she did, we may be okay.
If a few more people in here took it
the way she did, that'd be all right too.
-Was that for me?
-That was for me.
T obacco.
Kalmbach's not gonna Iet it come
to a vote in the subcommittee...
...which is fine, because if he did,
it'd be 8-7 against.
-Party Iines?
-No.
We have Stacy and Miner, but
Warren and Rossitter are voting against.
They have ideological problems
with the case.
What do you wanna do?
Stick some dynamite
up Warren and Rossitter's ass.
The problem is Rossitter
sits on the Judiciary Committee...
...and I don't know how many enemies
on Judiciary we want to make.
Both of you, Iisten.
We' re not gonna stop,
soften, detour, postpone...
...circumvent, obfuscate
or trade a single one of our goals...
...to allow for whatever
extracurricular nonsense...
...is coming our way in the next
few days, weeks and months.
When did we decide this?
Just now.
Light them up.
-You got a recommendation for me?
-30 minutes, Wednesday, Iive.
-Live-to-tape?
-Live.
-Mural Room?
-Y eah. They pick the interviewer.
It's carried on all the networks and CNN.
I give it to them 1 0 hours before.
Followed by a press conference.
There isn't another step until we know
what the president's intentions are.
We need a discussion,
and it can't wait another night.
-We' re having a discussion.
-When?
-T onight.
-Really?
-That's great.
-Good evening.
Sam, what do you know?
I know that fluid accumulating
in the semicircular canals...
...of the vestibulocochlear nerve
is usually what'II account for dizziness.
Leo, I want to state right here, in terms
so plain and clear as to command their--
Meeting tonight.
The whole country is gonna assume
he's not running when he announces.
-We' re having a meeting.
-The press--
-We' re having a meeting.
-Really?
-That's great.
-Y eah.
Why doesn't everybody grab something
to eat, be back at 9...
...and you'II get called to come over
to the residence.
Josh, walk out with me.
I mean it,
set one off under these guys.
How about I have C.J.
make a statement at her briefing?
A strong statement.
"The president calls on Congress to fund
the Justice Department tobacco Iawsuit...
...at the Ievels necessary
to continue this Iitigation. "
"The American people
deserve their day in court. "
"This administration won't sit
on the bench while well-fed members...
...of the Appropriations Committee
choke off funding for a Iawsuit...
...aimed at the perpetrators of hundreds
of thousands of negligent homicides...
...while filling their
campaign war chests. "
Light them up.
Charlie?
Leo, there was an accident
at 1 8th and Potomac.
Mrs. Landingham was driving
her car back here.
-What happened?
-There was a drunk driver...
...and they ran the Iight
at 1 8th and Potomac.
-They ran it at a high speed.
-Charlie, is she all right?
No. She's dead.
-Is he alone?
-Y eah.
Subtitles by
SDI Media Group
[ENGLISH]