Previously on The West Wing:
- Have you seen the Zogby poll? - Yes.
Six weeks to go, you're still seven points down, concerned?
It gave license to ask whether you might have dinner with me.
How's tonight?
Emergency sirens went off at the nuclear station...
...in San Andreo, California.
We could be looking at a full-scale meltdown.
The coolant in the reactor's dropped, exposing the fuel rods.
I pushed the licensing commission to get San Andreo up and running.
You're anti-nuclear, Vinick's got a long history.
This is all upside for us.
Arizona, up by four. Nevada, up by three.
- Virginia, up by four. - California?
- Up by six. - I have seven.
- Who's that? - Gallup.
- Really? - Reading it off the paper.
- Is it up? - Nope.
- Check again. - I hit refresh.
When you keep pressing, it won't load.
- Go to another page. - How's it coming?
Three women telling me how to use The Times ' website.
- It's straightforward. Need help? - I think I've got it under control.
Four in Louisiana. Tied in Arkansas.
Tied in North Carolina, South Carolina.
- South Carolina? - It's up. It's up.
- Go. - " Times national tracking poll...
...first national sample since the accident at the San Andreo nuclear facility...
In this three-day spread polling of 1400 likely voters, Senator Vinick dropped"...
Damn it! Screen froze.
- For God's sake! - I got it over here, guys.
Up! Everybody, up!
- Good morning! Good morning! - We're up! We're up!
We're up in California!
That's the elevator.
Yeah? Yeah, yeah. Hold on.
State-by-states are out.
Tied in South Carolina, Arkansas and California.
- California? - Ahead in Arizona, Nevada, Virginia.
- Got the national polls. - The Times?
It's 44-44. We're tied.
- We're tied? - Nationally.
Holy mother of God, we caught him!
- Yes! - We caught him!
Margin of error!
Josh, wake up. Are they messing with me?
- That's what we got. - We got it!
Lead narrowed in Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia. Neck and neck in the Carolinas.
They pulled ahead in Arizona and Virginia.
The Times put it at 44-44.
- California? - Tied.
Nine points ahead in California a week ago.
- Now we're tied. - The good news is...
...most of the votes we lost are showing up undecided.
They are not going for Santos yet.
Twelve percent undecided this late in the campaign.
You have local press downstairs.
No comments on the nuclear accident in California.
- Yeah. - It was a national tragedy.
Don't talk about it in a political context.
You are concentrating on meeting voters, talking about the issues.
Namely tax cuts and more tax cuts.
- You okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.
The Kazakhstan situation is heating up.
You can always pivot to that if you need to...
I need 30 seconds to myself, okay?
Tied. Nationally.
- Who'd have thunk it? - Vinick must be weeping.
We talk to the Russians?
Their story is the election wasn't rigged.
Tarimov is the legitimate president of Kazakhstan.
Russian troops crossed the border to provide stability to the government.
- China's also gone in for stabilization. - NATO?
Everyone likes the idea of a peacekeeping force, nobody wants to be in one.
- Can't imagine why not. - UN's not involved.
China and Russia can both veto in the Security Council.
- It's just us. - Which looks like what?
Russia's moving in from the northwest, China from the east.
We need to send enough troops to create a human buffer zone...
...between the two advancing armies.
- How far apart are they? - About 600 miles, but not for long.
I want to see invasion plans as soon as possible.
We wouldn't think of it as an invasion. We'd call it an intervention.
Show me a plan that doesn't look like an invasion, I'll call it whatever you want.
- Thank you, Mr. President. - Thank you, sir.
Keep NATO in the air. Don't want to look like we're writing them off.
- I'll stay on it with State. - Have Barrow put together a briefing.
- We don't know where we're going yet. - Hopefully, we know next week.
- Hi. - Hi.
- I have a thing of yours. - My Pyongyang report? I turned my...
- It's not that. - Really? It's in a blue binder.
- No blue binder. - You sure? I may...
It's a bra.
Oh, okay.
I put it in a padded envelope, which seemed appropriate.
- Really? - Want it now?
No, no. Yes?
- It's in your office? - It is.
- You keep it. - Permanently?
Mail it to my home address.
- You don't think that's complicated? - It is, isn't it?
- I'll hang onto it until we... - Okay.
- We'll get better at this. - One can only hope.
Cancel everything after the rally. Got to get on the ground in the battle states.
Vinick has to head south.
Try and get his lead back in Louisiana, Arkansas, the Carolinas.
- Has he been south since the primaries? - Nope.
While he flails there, we'll have the swing states to ourselves.
- Power plants in every swing state. - News crews will be all over.
- Free media. - Pennies from heaven.
A lot of undecideds. Got to get them off the fence.
A lot of Dems who didn't know you and were satisfied voting Republican.
Time for them to come home.
They wanna hear about deficit reduction and more cops on the streets.
We need to focus on the fact you were fighting nuclear power 15 years ago.
You're forward-thinking with a nuanced vision.
The vision a president needs to handle complicated international situations...
...like this mess in Kazakhstan.
He had the vision to predict problems with nuclear power.
He has the vision to find solutions for our future.
- Yeah. - Who's writing?
I got it.
The Santos education plan is now the "21st Century Education Plan."
- 21st Century Health Plan. - Don't forget energy.
Energy plan. He's about the future, Vinick's about the past.
Great.
I'll have Joey test language, but that's the direction.
I'm coordinating with Advance. Which state?
- Oh, that's easy. - California.
Yeah.
- Hi. - Hi.
- Drink this. - I don't want it.
- I didn't ask if you wanted it. - It looks like Hawaiian Punch...
...smells disgusting, and I'm not getting sick.
We lost these people because of the nuclear accident.
Let them realize you didn't melt it down yourself, they'll come back.
Cycle like that takes a month, which we don't have.
- The base. - Governor.
We've had a good time running to the center, but the party's over.
You're a Republican. Start talking to the Republican conservative base.
Nail him to a cross. He can stump for votes on the Via Dolorosa.
I am the only person talking to values voters.
And you are doing a fantastic job.
They're not voting for me.
He needs more time in the South so we don't lose them.
Undecideds are moderates, not bible-thumpers. Speak to their issues.
Pull the Arnold Vinick health-care plan out of his tailpipe?
Would that qualify as a miracle? They like the miracles.
- It will look like desperation. - We need an ad blitz. Negative.
- That's not a bad idea. - It is.
We need to curb Santos' momentum.
Keep these folks undecided long enough for this nuclear mess to fade.
It's not gonna fade. He'll run thousands of spots on your love of nuclear power.
We need to hit back. I'm not talking a smear campaign.
Just focus attention on the times Santos has voted to increase spending.
It'll drive up our negatives as much as theirs.
He'll look like a desperate hatchet man.
- So what? - Is that an existential question?
Vinick was the voice of experience.
Now Santos is a wise, prescient visionary, and the senator looks like a...
- A foolish old man? - I'm sorry, sir.
No, go ahead. I love it.
You assume it can't get worse. It can.
We go negative, they're gonna trot out every bad call I've ever made.
They'll plaster them all over the airwaves.
It'll come back and bite us in the ass.
- I'm agreeing with you. - You are?
- All right. - We need to stay the course.
The senator speaks to the center, we pepper in health care and education.
Sullivan speaks locally to the right flank.
- He's gonna talk health care too? - No.
He's gonna do what he's been doing. Family values, apple pie.
- You're with a 50-state strategy? - No.
We can't win 50 states anymore.
I'm aware of that. It's still the best strategy we have.
We'll swing through the South, shore up our numbers.
But he's not upending his message this late in the campaign.
You've got Pensy and Carolton.
I start going after the base now, I look like an idiot.
The governor's going after the base.
You just got to make nice with Pensy and Carolton.
How about we grab lunch, talk about how you want me to shade this.
Got time before your 11:00. Let's get into it now.
Unless you wanted to talk about it alone.
In which case, you could discuss it over lunch.
Mr. President.
Our base in Ayagoz has 9000 marines on the ground.
We're proposing sending an additional 90,000 ground troops...
...for control and stabilization.
- They'll require support units. - Certainly.
- How many? - Another 40,000.
We come from the south, creating a zone of neutrality...
...separating the Russian-controlled northwest and the Chinese-controlled east.
The mountains here on the edge of Lake Balkhash create a natural barrier.
Our hope is that the Chinese won't push past them.
- It'll take weeks to prep an intervention. - Eight, probably.
We don't have that kind of time.
We start an early deployment of 12,000 troops, the rest follow.
- Coming from where? - Pull the First Division from Wiesbaden.
- And get them there how? - Send them through the transload hub...
...to gather munitions and equipment, then deploy on C-17s.
Or airlift them straight from Wiesbaden on C-130s.
We want the division to bring tanks, we'll have to go with the C-17s.
What will they wear?
I think green and brown are still the favorites.
- What kind of outerwear? - I haven't seen a prototype, but...
We're sending 150,000 Americans to the 50th parallel in November.
It starts snowing in Astana in August and doesn't stop till June.
As opposed to the Russians, who do this a lot...
...Americans haven't fought a war in the cold for some time.
I would like to know what kind of coats you plan to put on our troops.
- We'll look into it, sir. - Do that and come back.
Centcom's suggesting a no-fly zone in Kazakhstan.
Symbolic buffer between the two armies...
...until we can get rapid deployment underway.
Yeah.
A hundred and fifty thousand troops.
We're not talking about a drive-by either. If we go in, we could be there for years.
I need to talk to the candidates.
We live in the greatest democracy...
Rally in San Diego soon as we arrive.
- Visit to the shelters holding evacuees. - Is he talking about the accident?
Nothing about the accident or nuclear power.
He's just sharing some ideas about health care and education...
...with cooling towers in the background.
- Got a lot of new friends suddenly. - Who?
Governor Watley and Stockwell, secretary of energy...
...Treasury secretary, Senator Pallard.
How many times did I call them?
- A lot. - Before we grew coattails.
Better late than never. Schedule them.
Why are you looking at me?
- Bono called. - Bono?
- He's in New York, wants to have dinner. - Do it.
- We're not in New York. - Change the schedule!
- Bono wants to meet him? - Will he be at the rally?
- We didn't get into specifics. - They can talk about debt relief.
- Did you talk to him? - I talked to Phil.
- Okay, invite him to San Diego. - Phil?
Not Phil.
Press avail in San Diego and you need to be available for phone interviews.
Getting questions on what Santos thinks about Kazakhstan.
Tell them Congressman Santos applauds the president's efforts...
...and is glad the U.S. Can share its wisdom with emerging democracies.
Then find out what's going on.
- If Bono comes... - You'll meet him.
Donna?
I wanna...
I'm sorry.
About this morning. That was inappropriate.
- Don't worry about it. - Totally inappropriate. I feel terrible.
- Don't. - Seriously.
Seriously, it was bound to happen sometime.
I'm gonna call the White House, talk about Kazakhstan.
I want an evacuation report from FEMA before the San Andreo budget call.
Get C.J.'s comments, and get Hollings at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
- He's in this afternoon. - I want to talk to him now.
- See the sketches? - I'll get to it.
- How about now? - A nuclear disaster and a war...
...they could wait. - Been there for days.
Makes it look like I don't pick up after you.
- I don't know what to think. - A thumbs up or thumbs down.
- You think they look like me? - More or less.
Then they'll do.
- What do you mean? - Decent likeness.
Commanding, thoughtful.
There's no cane, which is a choice.
- A bad choice? - I don't know.
- Did you make it, or did he make it? - He did.
It doesn't matter.
I won't stand beside it with commentary. Think it's a problem?
- Do you? - Often as not, I don't even use it.
Yes, but you exist in the Zeitgeist with a cane.
- I have an idea. - What?
- Let's call Hollings at the NRC. - Yes, sir.
Josh on two.
- Hey, sailor. - Am I calling you, or are you calling me?
I think I'm calling you. How's it feel?
This must be what your first smack high feels like.
Hope it's not followed by a crash and rehab.
- Nothing can kill my mood, but good try. - Thanks.
We need a detailed idea of what's up in Kazakhstan. Can you send somebody?
- How about the president? - Below his pay grade. Love to see him.
He'd like to meet with the candidates tonight.
Are you kidding? For the first time in this race, we're not trailing. We're tied.
We'd pull ahead if we play this thing right.
Taking him off the campaign trail so he can have drinks in the Oval Office isn't...
I know, and I'm sorry. If I had a choice...
We're going to California. We may win Vinick's home state. He is not...
Would I ask if it wasn't important?
Diplomatic foray into an entrenched conflict.
Yes, you have my word.
Should Santos win, he will continue the efforts to negotiate a peaceable solution.
Okay, let's do it this way. Vinick's coming.
You don't want the press covering Vinick...
...in the Oval with the president without Santos.
- I like you less and less. - Will's coordinating the talking points.
The president will brief the candidates. See you tonight.
President wants to see the candidates at the White House.
- About what? - Security briefing.
- San Andreo? - They won't say.
Why not? Buys some time to sort out the schedule.
You still stuck?
You're asking me to boost his public appearances and limit press access...
...send him groveling for votes to states he's never had to campaign in...
...when all he wants to do is go to California. Yeah, I'm stuck.
- We're not going to California. - I told him.
- What do you think about a media buy? - You know how expensive that is?
- We're hemorrhaging votes there. - I need our money for a media blitz.
You could blow the budget buying ads in California.
Call Stan. See what he thinks it'll cost.
- How much time in the South? - Two, three days. See how it goes.
That's great. A Republican stumping in Georgia.
Glad we've got Sullivan planning the schedule.
Not his plan. It's mine.
- Really? - Yes.
I am happy to change tack in light of current developments...
...but I'd be more comfortable if meetings took place...
...with you, me, and the senator. Not you and Ray Sullivan.
Sullivan's just blowing off steam.
Nobody blames you for what's happening.
- Not me, not the senator. - I don't care if I'm being blamed.
I care if I'm being shoved out.
You're not.
- Hi. - Hi.
- And you're here. - Yes.
- Should I come back? - No.
I've asked reps to come so we can get everybody on the same page.
You should work that out.
I'll do a backgrounder, he can adapt that into...
Talking points to share with the press.
Which won't be the whole story.
- Sure. - Great.
- What? - What?
- Is something weird happening? - No.
I feel like a heroine who doesn't know there's a guy with an axe.
Maybe it's the weather. People feel that way when it's damp.
Thank you both.
- We're really bad at this. - Really bad.
You know, in a minute, Dave Matthews is gonna come up on this stage.
Oh, I know, I know. Believe me, I know. I feel the same way.
In fact, I'm gonna get an autograph.
Lou's working on the voice-of-a-new-generation thing.
She's gonna catch up with us.
- She knows we got a detour? - Yeah.
Lou told Annabeth to send Leo to San Diego tonight.
That's good. See if we can get Helen there too.
Get on a plane, liaise with White House Communications on the...
The Kazakhstan thing. Lou told me. On my way.
I heard from a guy at The Sacramento Bee.
You feel bad for the guys at The Bee?
- I don't. - Lacks dignity.
- You're wandering. - You heard a rumor?
At first they thought it was allergies because Vinick has a mold sensitivity...
- Now you're wandering. - They think he has a cold.
- Vinick? - Yes.
Oh, my Lord. A cold?
- Fax from Lester at HQ. - Yes!
A cold! The gods were listening to me, and they love me!
- Why is there hugging? - Vinick has a cold.
Oh, that's precious.
I wanna send him some Vicks VapoRub and a big German nurse.
I have White House on the phone...
...and they think Leo has to be at the White House too.
No, seriously, give me the phone.
Hi. This is Josh Lyman. Who's this?
Hi, Roberta. Mr. McGarry can't make it to the White House tonight.
He's campaigning for high government office.
I'm sure it was a mistake. Thank you.
- Thanks. Sorry. - No worries. Bureaucratic snafu.
- Are they writing about this cold? - They will be.
How the senator's health can't stand up to the rigors of a campaign...
...or the challenges of the Oval Office? - He's depressed.
- Hasn't been in a close race in years. - Beginning of the end.
- Josh Lyman. - Please hold for the president.
Hey, kid, how you doing?
- Fine, sir, how are you? - Good, good.
Do me a favor. Bring Leo with you to the White House tonight, would you?
- Sir, we... - Tag along and say hello.
It'd be great to see you. Thanks, Josh.
I'm thrilled to introduce to you, Dave Matthews!
- What? - We're going to the White House tonight.
Leo, the congressman, everyone.
We're gonna need little packs of Kleenex in all the senator's pockets.
- Cough drops. - Cough drops. Industrial strength.
None of that herbal business.
Pray to whoever you pray to that he doesn't lose his voice.
- We should try to give him a day. - A day off?
He's running a 101 fever. He needs to rest.
Not 21 days out, he doesn't.
You want 21 days of the walking wounded?
He takes a day off, you reaffirm...
...every concern the voters have. He's a dinosaur.
- Not up to the job. - Dead on his feet.
- Gentlemen. - Is the senator here?
Doing a Q & A outside. He'll be right in.
Annie, tell Jake I want the senator's wake-up call...
...pushed to 7 a.m. Tomorrow, not 6.
- Okay, these are for you. - Which event are we killing?
It's an hour. We're not talking about it anymore.
Hodder from the RNC would like a few minutes with the senator without staff.
They request meetings without staff when the meeting's about the staff.
Should I pack my pencils and coffee mugs now?
Stop it.
- Call Hodder's office, tell them 4:00. - Okay.
- Will. - Hey, look at you, back in the building.
Congratulations on your surge.
We're all walking 10 feet off the ground.
- You gonna visit your old desk? - Not a lot of nostalgia there.
I've got the talking points on the Kazakhstan negotiations...
...but Vinick's press guy's running late. - Sure.
- Want a soda? - I'm fine.
- I'm gonna have a ginger ale. - Good. Good.
- Can I ask you a question? - Sure.
- It's gonna sound a little wacky. - Go for it.
If something had happened with us when we were working, romantically...
...would that have been inappropriate? - I'm flattered.
But I'm seeing someone in a non-public and poorly defined way.
Not you. I was talking about someone like you, with your job, in relation to me.
- Josh? - You're seeing someone?
- You're seeing Josh? - No.
- Then who? - I'll tell you if you tell me.
Yours is Josh.
- And yours is? - Classified.
Nothing happened with me and Josh.
I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought this up.
- We should drop it. - Good idea.
It's not inappropriate, seeing someone.
It's weird, maybe, but you'll figure it out.
- Did they start? - Who?
- Hodder. - Not here yet.
I don't think you need to be here.
The chairman asked me to sit in.
Hey, here he is.
What's she doing here?
- Good to see you, Sheila. - Mr. Chairman.
- You remember Jane Braun? - Sure.
- How are you? - Bruno Gianelli, Jane Braun from the RNC.
- Good to meet you. - Chairman Hodder.
- Mr. Chairman. - How you doing?
Ray, thanks for joining us.
The senator's on a call.
- Be here any minute. - World upside-down, huh?
It'll right itself, day or two.
How's he feeling? Rumor has it he's got a...
- He's fine. - Oh, good.
You're gonna spend a couple days below the Mason-Dixon Line.
- That'll help. - I think it will.
Message-wise?
Message-wise, we're holding center.
Sure that's your strongest play?
We need to win back the undecideds right now. Moderates.
I see how you'd come to that conclusion...
...but I'm not sure it's about changing minds anymore.
- It's kind of late. - Three weeks is enough time.
Can't count on it. What you can count on is getting out the vote.
The Republican base will do that...
...if the candidate speaks their language.
- Here we go. - It's time to talk about values.
- And family. - By which you mean what?
Gay marriage?
The list of family values is longer than just the one, but since you mention it...
Play the gay-marriage card. Santos will respond.
Voters will flock to Vinick.
Senator doesn't think marriage is a federal issue.
- Rethink it. - That what you plan on telling him?
Guys, you're up against the wall.
You had some maverick ideas early on, and they played beautifully...
...but now it's time to run a safe, sober campaign...
...that speaks to the concerns of the Republican base.
What exactly do you think that looks like?
- We don't need to... - No, I'm interested.
Make it clear Vinick is their candidate. They can count on him.
We didn't pull policies out of a hat.
- They're Vinick's positions. - Wouldn't broadcast that.
- Meaning what? - Send the message...
...that he got some bad advice. He was steered off course...
- We got the idea. - Think about it.
- Sure. - Don't be flip about this.
There are downticket races to consider. We could lose the House and the Senate.
- Arnie's alienated a lot of our people... - Excuse me, the senator's ready now.
- Great. - Right this way.
Excuse me.
- Good to see you. - Pleasure.
Think they're not trying to replace me?
They're definitely trying to replace you. With her, apparently.
- Hey, stranger. - Hi.
- Will get you up to speed? - Yes.
I'm just hanging here until the congressman and everybody gets in.
- Good to see you. - You too.
- Good day? - Amazing.
- How's Josh? - What do you mean?
- Which part tripped you up? - You're...
- Asking how he is. - Oh, sorry. He's fine.
Happy we're doing so well.
- What's going on? - Nothing.
- Is something... Is a Josh thing going on? - No, no, no.
- Something happened. - Nothing.
You've got a useless poker face.
I spend my day talking about election monitors in Central Asia.
Throw me a bone.
It's nothing.
We just...
We had an odd moment today.
Another in a long series of odd moments, meant to be ignored.
You should focus on your election monitors.
- They're a complete failure. - That's too bad.
It is.
Would you come with me, please?
- Good evening. - Senator.
- I don't like how that looks. - Yeah.
Make yourselves comfortable.
- The president will be right with you. - Thank you.
- Not too comfortable. - Excuse me?
- Did you...? - What?
- Nothing. - If there's anything I can get you...
...please let me know.
Vinick just came through. I think they put him in the Mural Room.
Little too close to the Oval for my taste.
The president will be with you in a few minutes.
Thanks, Carol.
- Can I get anybody anything to drink? - Oh, we're fine, thank you.
Good.
Mr. McGarry, could you come with me, please?
I have no idea.
Sir, we're ready.
Why are we sitting here...
...while the Democratic V.P. Candidate's being ushered into the Oval Office?
- Six chicks, all with their jeans dropped. - They had "Santos for president" undies.
They wanted to show me. I thought it was my job to keep them away.
You are a brave soldier, Bram. I'm touched. I really am.
Any time, sir.
We're at the Marriott tonight.
Takeout lists are in the packet...
...but the restaurant should be open when we get back.
I want a room with a view. Last time I was over the dumpster.
- You're on the second floor. - No view is what he's saying.
I was gonna go to the hotel and look out every window, but I didn't get to it.
- You like "Dawn of the new America"? - Not really.
How about "A new plan for a new America."
"New America" sounds a little colonial.
- How do you feel about a pilgrim hat? - I love it.
"Brave and bold visionary" ought to work.
- This is me talking about myself? - Language Joey poll-tested.
- Trying to work it in. - Let me see.
Looking to capitalize on our country's new vision of you.
- Post-nuclear debacle. - Brave and bold.
- As opposed to Vinick, who's... - Big and bad.
- I don't think we need it. - Polled well.
You can't poll people after a crisis.
They're speaking from anxiety and confusion.
- Their answers are all over the map. - Wanna just stay the course?
We have their attention now. They're listening.
Maybe they'll get the sense we've been on the right track all along.
"Santos: Right from the start."
We want that on every bumper sticker, every press release, everything.
- That was some impressive teamwork. - It was, wasn't it? I'm a little teary.
I'm gonna have the doctor come by, make sure it's not strep or something.
It's nothing, I'm fine. It's allergies.
Until the allergies clear up, I think a cough suppressant...
...might make the day go a little faster.
You wanna talk about your meeting with Hodder?
I don't. You want to talk about why we're admiring the china...
...while McGarry's in there with the president?
We're setting up a no-fly zone over Kazakhstan.
Step one of a two month ramp-up...
...with probably a five-year commitment on the ground.
NATO's waving us into the fray with absolutely no intention of following.
- Figures. You evacuate the embassy? - Not yet.
- So it's a rapid deployment of 10,000? - Twelve.
The dream scenario is we put them in the middle of the buffer zone...
...which scares everyone enough to drive the Russians and the Chinese...
...back on their own soil.
Otherwise, we follow with another 100,000.
- You think about air strikes? - I'm willing to threaten air strikes.
But I don't wanna tear up the Kazakh countryside just to make a point.
So you send in 100,000 men, push the lines back.
Then you're a security guard until they get a new government up and running.
It's a reasonable move.
Put a massive force on the ground for deterrent purposes.
You nip the conflict in the bud.
I'd be surprised if either Russia or China actually wanted a real battle.
Maybe.
That, or we're stuck between two million-man armies spoiling for a fight.
Don't know till you're in it.
You think I should be sending another negotiating team?
Armies are already on the ground.
Nobody's gonna agree to a cease-fire...
...until they know you're serious.
Yeah.
This is what they'll remember 50 years from now.
- About your presidency? - Got us into a big mess.
Left it for someone else to clean up.
Oh, come on.
They'll remember eight years of strong leadership, growth.
A commander in chief they could trust.
You know what probably happens? It goes badly, I get the blame.
It goes well, the next guy gets the credit.
Sounds about right.
The president's ready for you.
Sorry for the wait.
Gentlemen.
- Everything okay? - Yeah.
The initial incursion would be small, 2000 troops to defend the embassy.
- The embassy requires that much defense? - Not really.
Hopefully, Tarimov takes it as an indication of our commitment...
...and resumes negotiations. - If he doesn't?
Two rapid-deployment divisions dropped in within 24 hours.
The ground troops follow over eight weeks.
Who are we dealing with at the Kremlin?
Chigorin's been unwilling to engage, as you might expect.
The foreign minister's communicating...
...but we sense he's been pushed out of the decision-making process.
- Thank you, all. - Thank you, sir.
One of you will inherit this piniata. You should know what's on the table.
I was under the impression...
...the diplomatic options hadn't been exhausted.
- I wish it were true. - What about an international force?
We've asked, but NATO's participation would be nominal at best.
So we're placing ourselves on an oil field between two nuclear powers?
- Alone? - Yes.
I don't see our presence as doing anything more...
...than exacerbating the conflict.
Once we're involved...
...India will have to diplomatically align with the Russians.
Pakistan will support China.
South Korea will feel pressure to engage on our side.
I'm not sure I know what our side is.
Gentlemen, let's talk about what we're talking about.
You're worried that I'm gonna announce...
...I'm deploying 150,000 American soldiers...
...three weeks before the election, and suddenly your race is about my war.
You can speak candidly.
It does change the nature of the election.
More importantly, a new president would have an easier time brokering a solution.
If I thought we could wait until after the election, I would wait.
- What's this gonna cost? - Depends on how long we stay.
It doesn't matter.
First 100 days are the most productive of the whole term.
There's no way we extricate ourselves from this in less than three months.
It's not about the money.
You're blowing any political capital we might have by forcing us to fight a war.
- Do we have an estimate... - First 12 months, 70 billion.
Well, I can say goodbye to my tax cut.
Your education plan's certainly off the table.
What's a victory in this?
The retreat of Chinese and Russian military forces across their own borders...
...and a stable, neutral and democratic government in Kazakhstan.
Wait, wait, no. This is where you lose me.
Everyone back to their corner, I understand.
A stable, democratic regime...
...in a former Soviet Central Asian republic...
...that could take two, three generations.
I mean, if that's your definition of success...
...I'm not sure I see a clear exit strategy.
- It's a realistic concern. - Is there an exit strategy?
General Schultz will tell you there is.
He'll tell you we stabilize Astana...
...hold new elections in 10 months, and pull out in 18...
...but I'm not sure I buy that any more than you do.
What's your exit strategy?
I don't have one.
I suggest you both start giving it some thought.
I appreciate your concerns...
...but I am not in a position to hold off our involvement.
These armies are marching towards each other.
Someone must stand in the middle. Unfortunately, it has to be us.
Thanks for coming in. Good luck to you both.
What did the president want?
Lozenge?
- We have to talk about the chairman. - Yeah.
He's a weasel, and I don't like that woman, but they're right.
A little shake-up might create enough of a diversion...
...to get us past San Andreo. - Bruno's worked hard.
He's not the reason we're in the toilet.
I think firing him will just get us a whole lot of nothing.
But if you want to do it, do it.
I'm not talking about Bruno.
Bruno doesn't have the visibility to be a viable scapegoat.
I'm the public face of your campaign staff.
You want this to work, it's gotta be me.
That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
No, really.
From a smart woman, that's an incredibly stupid idea.
You need someone to blame for the fact that we didn't campaign to the base.
You need to apologize and spend the next three weeks singing their song.
- We're not... - Don't interrupt me.
I can still be on the phone with you 24/7.
Hire Jane Braun.
And once we get a 51 -percent strategy in place, Bob and Bruno can execute it.
We're not losing. We're just in a real horse race now.
I will hop myself up on Sudafed tomorrow.
- Santos will be in the dust by Friday. - Jane's rainmaker at the RNC.
She is the darling of the evangelical right.
They will respond to her.
She'll whip them up into a door-knocking...
...pavement-pounding frenzy.
You're really talking about this.
I made a promise to put you in office, and that's what we're gonna do.
So that's it?
Tomorrow morning I get a letter of resignation?
It's already in your briefcase.
You just have about...
...10 minutes of grip and grin here.
Perry will have your back.
When you get home, call Jane.
- Would you like your overcoat? - What?
Would you like your coat, sir? It's pretty cold.
No.
A this-is-my-size conversation with the butt brigade?
We dealt with the relevant information.
Oh, my God, you got a phone number, didn't you?
- I'm not at liberty to share that. - Oh, from a butt girl?
You're plummeting in my estimation right now.
- How'd it go? - Fine.
- What'd they talk about? - You, actually.
In the Oval. All three of them.
Bram's dating one of the women in the Santos undies.
- I'm not dating her. - That's impressive.
Really brings honor to the family.
If Bono comes, we are locking him in the van.
You're gonna be printing "Bono for president" undies.
- That's not a bad idea. - See?
Give me butt girl's number, I'll find out.
Every color, one for each day of the week.
Okay, order me a pair of pink. I'm turning in.
- Goodnight. - Goodnight.
She forgot her key. Donna!
- I got it. - She's gone.
- I got it. I'm going up anyway. - It's no problem.
She's next door to me. You're three floors up. I got it.
Sweet dreams.
Sir, we have DES OPS. On your order.
DES OPS, we have a go.
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