THE WEST WING "WAYS AND MEANS" TELEPLAY BY: AARON SORKIN STORY BY: ELI ATTIE & GENE SPERLING DIRECTED BY: ALEX GRAVES TEASER FADE IN: EXT. FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT, PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE - DAY A black sedan pulls up in front of the building. A mass of press and reporters swarm the vehicle, shouting. The car pulls up to the curb and two men exit. One of them is CLEMENT ROLLINS. REPORTER 1 Mr. Rollins. Mr. Rollins, can you tell us when subpoenas are going to be issued? CLEMENT ROLLINS No, I can’t. REPORTER 2 Can you tell us if subpoenas are going to be issued at all? ROLLINS [smiling] No, I can’t. CUT TO: INT. FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT, PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE LOBBY - CONTINUOUS Oliver Babish is leaning on a pillar in the lobby. He checks his watch. Rollins enters and walks across the lobby, past the spot where Oliver is standing. Oliver follows Rollins. They walk together. OLIVER We’ve shown nothing but good faith. ROLLINS [slightly surprised] Mr. Babish! OLIVER Nothing but good faith, Clem. ROLLINS Do you want to speak privately? They walk down a HALLWAY. OLIVER Why am I reading that subpoenas are about to be handed out? ROLLINS Oliver... OLIVER Look. First of all, your office is leaking like a rowboat. ROLLINS You’ve got a complaint? OLIVER Yes, I do. And I just filed it in the U.S. District Court, but that’s not what I’m here to talk to you about. ROLLINS The leaks aren’t coming from the jurors. They don’t even know why they’re here. OLIVER You were able to impanel a grand jury without telling them what they were showing up for? They enter A MEETING ROOM. ROLLINS The voir dire was entirely fair, if anything favored the subjects. What you’ve been reading is the work of a few overzealous and... and irresponsible members of the conservative press in minor media outlets... Oliver throws a paper down. OLIVER [angry] It’s the Wall Street Journal! The White House has been cooperating fully. We’ll voluntarily hand over everything a subpoena could cover! My staff is working around the clock organizing documents! ROLLINS And if your staff feels something’s protected by executive privilege? OLVIER What if I told you the President was considering waiving executive privilege? ROLLINS Is he waiving attorney-client privilege? Spousal privilege? OLIVER I’m saying... ROLLINS How about doctor-patient privilege? OLIVER Clem, they have shown nothing but good faith. ROLLINS I can’t give out extra credit for that. They stare at each other in silence. Rollins exits the office to the hallway. ROLLINS [to guy in the hall] Let’s go. Rollins and staffers proceed to walk down the hall as Oliver exits the meeting room. They walk past a sign reading "GRAND JURY: IN SESSION" and enter a CONFERENCE ROOM through a set of large wooden doors. A table full of men and women are seated there, waiting. Rollins enters and addresses them. ROLLINS [clears throat] Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Clement Rollins. I’m the special prosecutor, appointed by the United States Attorney General, in the matter of Docket CRSP 00101. This morning, with your permission and on your behalf, I would like to issue the first round of subpoenas. These subpoenas compel both testimony and production of documents by the individuals named herein. They are as follows: We FOCUS in as Rollins produces a list and reads from it. ROLLINS Josiah Bartlet. Abigail Anne Bartlet. Elizabeth Bartlet-Westin. Eleanor Emily Bartlet. Zoey Patricia Bartlet. Leo Thomas McGarry. Joshua Lyman. Claudia Jean Cregg. Samuel Norman Seaborn. Toby Zachary Ziegler... SMASH CUT TO: MAIN TITLES. END TEASER * * * ACT ONE MONDAY FADE IN: INT. A STORAGE AREA IN THE OEOB - DAY Donna is moving boxes from one place to another. JOSH [OS] Donna? DONNA [pen in her teeth] Yeah! JOSH What’s going on? DONNA Well, in one of these boxes are the President’s public schedules, and in one of these boxes are his publicly issued schedules to see if there are inconsistencies between the two. JOSH Were you here all night? DONNA Is it daytime? JOSH It’s 7:30. DONNA Usually when I stay up all night I’m able to pass a 19th century English literature midterm. Josh... JOSH Yeah? DONNA I’m not going to have to take a 19th century English literature midterm, am I? JOSH No. DONNA ‘Cause in one of these boxes are memos and handwritten notes pertaining to the President’s 100,000 new teachers initiative, since it’s a major policy initiative launched right after a suspected MS attack. JOSH Can I ask you something? DONNA I had a plan. JOSH When you say in one of these boxes... DONNA I had a plan! Each box was numbered. There is a piece of paper with a number and a corresponding description of the contents of each box. JOSH Well, where is the piece of paper? [Donna glares at him.] It’s... in one of these boxes. DONNA I had a plan. [moves yet another box, angrily] I grew up on a farm. JOSH You grew up in a condo. DONNA I grew up near a farm. I was cute. And I was peppy. And I always did well on my 19th century English literature midterms till you came along and sucked me into your life of crime! JOSH Hey, I’m not the one... DONNA White collar crime boy. [gets another box] You know what they do to a girl like me on that cellblock? I’ve seen those movies! JOSH Yeah, me too. DONNA I’ll bet you have! JOSH Look... DONNA Sell my farm-girl ass for a carton of Luckys. JOSH Hey, seriously, you need to sleep for a while. DONNA I can’t yet. ‘Cause in one of these boxes are FedEx receipts and mailroom records for any gifts or packages sent to senior staff, [starts yelling] and in one of these boxes is a piece of paper which says which box it’s in! JOSH [scared off] I’ll be in the office. DONNA Your office is down the corridor about 200 feet from here. Try not to commit any felonies on the way. JOSH I’ll do my best. [leaves] CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS Sam catches up with Josh. SAM Josh. JOSH Donna’s like two, three days from unspooling. It’s pretty fun to watch, but can you loan me some senior assistants from Communications? SAM Yeah. So listen, there’s a fire in Yellowstone Park. JOSH Well, put it out. SAM Technically, I’m not a professional firefighter, though there was a time I wanted to be. JOSH When? SAM When I was four. JOSH When I was four, I wanted to be a ballerina. SAM Yeah? JOSH I don’t like to... talk about it. SAM There was a dry lightning strike in a lodgepole pine forest. Fire spread to 500 acres but it’s all inside the resource benefit zone. JOSH Is it all under control? SAM Well, as a matter of fact, last night the park’s superintendent - in consultation with Bill Horton and several deputies from the Department of the Interior decided to let it run its course. JOSH They’re letting it burn? SAM It’s not necessarily our policy to put these things out. They walk in JOSH'S BULLPEN AREA. JOSH Putting out fires isn’t necessarily our policy? SAM Fire’s good for the environment under certain circumstances. Forests have a natural cycle that requires purging burns to reinvigorate growth. JOSH [pours himself coffee] Someone just said that to you, right? SAM Yeah. JOSH What do we need to do? SAM The President needs to talk on the phone with the governor. JOSH Why? SAM So that the President can say he talked on the phone with the governor. JOSH I’ll take care of it. SAM Ballerina? JOSH I’d kind of like that not to get around. [walks off] SAM Yeah, fat chance of that. [walks off] A MOVING SHOT to C.J.'S OFFICE. Oliver and Ainsley are inside with C.J. OLIVER You can emphasize that it’s not like being served. C.J. How is it not like being served? OLIVER A subpoena is just a legal agreement to produce certain testimony and documents. C.J. Yeah, but isn’t it like the way a mugger uses a gun to produce your wallet? OLIVER You say we’ll cooperate fully. You say subpoenas don’t indicate otherwise. You say they’re a commonly used legal tool to define the scope of the inquiry! C.J. Oliver, political reporters don’t care about the scope of the inquiry; they hear ‘subpoenas’... OLIVER Look... C.J. My trouble with your spin is that we’re not going to get anywhere putting on a calm face. We need to pick a fight! AINSLEY Why? C.J. Because in politics, if you’re not on offense, you’re on defense. OLIVER Your problem there is that Clem Rollins doesn’t foam at the mouth. He’s a good guy and he comes off as a good guy. AINSLEY Plus he was appointed by your own Attorney General which is going to make it tough to fit him with a black hat. C.J. Let me think for just a second. [walks to the door] What do Republicans say about him? AINSLEY Well, we don’t all hang out at a little club... C.J. What do they say about him? AINSLEY He’s well-respected, he’s deliberate, he takes his duty seriously, he wants to get the truth and he wants to avoid any appearance of impropriety or partisanship. C.J. Excuse me! [storms out of the office] OLIVER Where are you going? C.J. We need a different enemy. [leaves] CUT TO: INT. LEO'S OFFICE - DAY Josh and Leo are walking in. LEO When are you going to meet on the estate tax? JOSH Five minutes. LEO With Toby? JOSH Yeah. LEO Just remember it’s a compromise, Josh, it’s done. You may not like it, but... JOSH It’s a compromise. LEO [gets his briefcase] I’m saying the two of you, when you don’t like something, have a tendency to... JOSH Show our displeasure? LEO Piss people off! JOSH That’s a bad rep. I’m sweet as pecan pie. LEO [puts on his coat] Yeah? JOSH I hate these people, Leo. And when this thing is done, I’m going to personally screw them with their pants on! C.J. [comes in] Excuse me. LEO Hey, C.J.. C.J. Leo. [to Josh] Giselle. JOSH Yeah, I’m outta here. [leaves] C.J. You have a second? LEO Yeah. Walk with me. C.J. follows Leo out into the HALLWAY. C.J. Oliver Babish and Ainsley Hayes were just in my office. LEO On spin? C.J. Yeah. LEO What have you got? C.J. Nothing. You know why? LEO Rollins likes us. C.J. I don’t know if he likes us but he doesn’t hate us. LEO Well, that’s just because he doesn’t know us. Leo walks on, but C.J. grabs his arm and swings him into an empty office. C.J. Leo, we need to be investigated by someone who wants to kill us just to watch us die. We need someone perceived by the American people to be irresponsible, untrustworthy, partisan, ambitious and thirsty for the limelight. Am I crazy or is this not a job for the U.S. House of Representatives? LEO Well, they’ll get around to it sooner or later. C.J. So let’s make it sooner. Let’s make it now. Rollins is driving them slow, he won’t talk to the press, they’re ready to jump ... I swear to god, Leo, I think we can move the show! LEO [beat] You got a briefing now? C.J. Yeah. LEO Show me what you’re starting with. C.J. Yeah. They walk off in different directions. CUT TO: INT. TOBY'S OFFICE - DAY Toby is in his coat, picking up documents from his desk. TOBY I’m leaving now! BONNIE [OS] You need this. [hands him a blue folder] TOBY I’m leaving for this meeting. BONNIE [takes a blue folder away from him] You don’t need this. TOBY This meeting when I will compromise! BONNIE Do you have 10-60? TOBY Yes, I do. Why do we compromise? [chuckles] Because we are ordered to, because compromising on the estate tax prevents Republicans from going for an even bigger tax cut which would help rest the White House from our compromising little hands... so I go to this meeting... GINGER You need this. [hands him a pink folder] TOBY The estate tax which Republicans have cleverly dubbed the Death Tax there’s nothing that... heh, the Republicans do better than naming things... So I go to this meeting... [walks out of the area, then comes back] because I agree with Republicans and Congress! America is about self-sufficiency, about lifting yourself up by the bootstraps just as long as your children’s children never have to work a day in their lives. [gets a scarf from Ginger] So I go to this meeting... BONNIE Toby... GINGER He’s rolling. TOBY Oh, I go to this meeting, Ginger, and though I compromise, I draw a line in the sand, I’m there to insure that only multi-millionaires and not billionaires are exempt from the estate tax. BONNIE [from Toby’s office] Toby! TOBY [walking out] Reelect the President, Bonnie. He’s on the side of millionaires and not billionaires! BONNIE [shouting] Toby, they cancelled the meeting! TOBY [turns around] What do you mean? BONNIE It’s the chairman’s office. They’re canceling the meeting. Josh, wearing his coat, comes in. JOSH They cancelled the meeting. TOBY Bonnie’s got them on the phone; what’s going on? JOSH They say it’s his daughter’s wedding. TOBY His daughter’s wedding is on Saturday. JOSH They say he wants to leave early. TOBY They’re lying. JOSH [sits] I know. TOBY [walks behind his desk] What’s going on? JOSH [sighs] I think they want to take it off the table. TOBY And do what? JOSH The White House is weak. What would you do? TOBY You think they want to repeal the estate tax? [beat, sits] CUT TO: INT. THE BRIEFING ROOM - DAY C.J. is on the TV screen. C.J. Good morning! REPORTER C.J., is the White House concerned about the subpoenas? C.J. No, in fact we’ve already sent over 80 cartons of documents to Clem. [clamor] I’m sorry, to Mr. Rollins. Eighty cartons of documents that weren’t even subpoenaed and we intend to continue cooperating with him fully. Bobbi? BOBBI Why are the subpoenas necessary? C.J. They’re a commonly used legal tool to define the scope of the inquiry. Steve? STEVE What about the Congressional hearings? C.J. Well, obviously we don’t think they’re necessary, but that’s not for us to say... STEVE Do you... C.J. ... and we take a different view than Congressional Republicans do of this Special Prosecutor’s performance thus far: we believe he’s running a thorough and impartial investigation and he should be allowed to finish his work. STEVE I’m sorry, C.J., you say ‘a different view.’ Is Congress unhappy with the Special Prosecutor? C.J. You’d have to ask Congress that. Mark? We PAN to Leo in the back of the room, looking at C.J. with pride. MARK C.J., can you comment on the contents of the 80 cartons already sent to the Special Prosecutor... FADE OUT. END ACT ONE * * * ACT TWO FADE IN: INT. MARGARET'S OFFICE - DAY TUESDAY Margaret is at her desk. Margaret is looking at Bruno, who is standing hear a file cabinet. She gets up, walks over to the cabinet and fishes a piece of paper out of the top drawer. MARGARET You still don’t know my name, do you? BRUNO It’s Gertrude. MARGARET It’s not. [returns to her desk] LEO [walks in] Calls? Margaret hands him notes. BRUNO I need to talk to you. Leo and Bruno walk into LEO'S OFFICE. LEO This estate tax repeal out of committee is gonna be a thing. BRUNO I’ve got another thing. LEO Bruno, they cancelled the meeting yesterday! We think the House Republicans are going to try to repeal the estate tax. BRUNO The Pacers played last night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. LEO Really? BRUNO Yeah. LEO [indifferently] Who won? BRUNO Indiana, by 5 in double overtime. LEO Well, now the repeal of the estate tax seems somehow insignificant. BRUNO [holds up a videotape] Can I stick this in? LEO Yeah. BRUNO [places the tape in the VCR and picks up the remote] You paying attention? LEO [looking at papers] Yeah. BRUNO [works the remote] Does this thing work? LEO No. BRUNO Okay... if it did, what you’d see is Victor Campos sitting courtside with Buckland. LEO Campos took some courtside seats. BRUNO Campos traveled from Los Angeles to Indianapolis to watch Cleveland and Indiana. They don’t travel from Cleveland to Indianapolis to watch Cleveland and Indiana, I don’t care if they gave Campos a jersey and let him play point guard. LEO He loves the President. He got the California primary for him! BRUNO He’s dating Buckland now. LEO Because they went to a basketball game? BRUNO The President’s Community Empowerment board? LEO Yes. BRUNO The board helps run the President’s initiative to steer private investment job to inner cities? LEO Yes. BRUNO This commission is his dream come true. LEO And we gave him a seat on it. BRUNO And he turned you down. He turned you down. LEO When? BRUNO Shortly after.... LEO ...the game ended in double overtime! Ah, dammit! Margaret! [walks out of the office] BRUNO [to himself] Margaret... Margaret! CUT TO: INT. SAM'S OFFICE - DAY A television shows a forest on fire. SAM [into phone] Yeah. Okay. Leo and Bruno come in. SAM [into phone] Okay, Jamie, I have to get off, thanks. [hangs up] The fire’s in 1500 acres. LEO Sam. Victor Campos had a meeting last night with Jack Buckland, then he passed on the Community Empowerment Board. SAM Really? LEO Yeah. What do you think he’s doing? SAM Can you set up a meeting for me? LEO Yeah. BRUNO I want one of my people there with him. LEO At the meeting? BRUNO Yeah. LEO Why? BRUNO ‘Cause I do. LEO Sam can do this. BRUNO I’m not saying he can’t, but I want one of my people there to make sure I get the story straight. LEO Sam will have the meeting and report back. BRUNO Sam will have the meeting and one of my people will be there and they will report back. It’s time to distinguish between the White House and the campaign. LEO Sam does this for us. BRUNO Does he do it right? LEO Oftentimes. SAM You guys know I’m sitting right here, right? LEO We’re gonna set up a meeting [walks out with Bruno] SAM Right. And we might want to think about putting this fire out! CUT TO: INT. STORAGE AREA IN THE OEOB - DAY Ainsley is walking in. AINSLEY Donna? DONNA [pointing from atop a ladder] Don’t touch that stack over there! AINSLEY I heard you need help. DONNA That stack is the Secret Service logs of all visitors who came into the building to see Charlie. [climbs down] AINSLEY You feel like being fixed up with a hot guy? DONNA As opposed to this stack which is the Secret Service logs for... what did you say? AINSLEY His name is Cliff Calley, we went to law school together, and he broke up with his girlfriend. DONNA [smiles] Where does he work? AINSLEY He is cute as hell. DONNA Where does he work? AINSLEY On the hill. House Ways and Means. DONNA He works for the Minority counsel’s office. AINSLEY Not exactly. DONNA Where does he work? AINSLEY Well, let me say this. He works with the Minority counsel’s office. DONNA Ainsley... AINSLEY He works for the Majority counsel’s office. DONNA He’s a Republican. AINSLEY We are the majority. DONNA Look... AINSLEY By a very small margin. DONNA He works for the Majority counsel’s office in Ways and Means? AINSLEY Yes. DONNA Josh’s in a 12-round fight with Ways and Means! AINSLEY If you’re not comfortable with this... DONNA Josh, who picked me out of nowhere, who works day and night and is under more pressure than ever and who hates these people. [beat] I don't know, is he funny? AINSLEY Yeah. Should I tell him to call you? DONNA Let him call if he wants, but I'm just, you know... phone rings, I answer it - could be anybody! [walks off into the room] AINSLEY Okay. DONNA [pointing] Don't touch that stack! CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS C.J. catches up with Ainsley. C.J. I was just coming to see you. AINSLEY What do you need? They walk up the stairs. C.J. I'm putting you on Capital Beat tonight. AINSLEY The subpoenas? C.J. "Clem Rollins is running ..." Listen to me. "Clem Rollins is running a thorough, fair, and impartial investigation, he's a man of great integrity." AINSLEY "We're willing to cooperate with the Special Prosecutor." C.J. "We're eager to cooperate with the Special Prosecutor." Don't oversell it. In the JOSH'S BULLPEN AREA, Ainsley walks off. Bruno approaches C.J., and they walk out. BRUNO I need to bring Victor Campos out here, what do you got? C.J. They're going to introduce racial profiling. 15-minute op in the Rose Garden. BRUNO Campos has 48 pictures in the Rose Garden. C.J. Senate hearings on trade agreements between the US and Brazil. Campos can discuss his objections to the President’s position. BRUNO Yeah, I don’t want to remind people that Campos objects to his position. What else? C.J. I don’t... Hey, you know what? The unveiling of the HELP initiative. BRUNO HELP? C.J. Hispanic Education Longevity Program. It lowers the dropout rate for Latino high school students. BRUNO Man, you have got a killer body, you know that? C.J. In fact, I do. C.J. walks into THE BRIEFING ROOM. C.J. Good morning! REPORTERS Good morning. C.J. Before I forget Victor Campos has been added to the guest list for the unveiling of the Hispanic Education Longevity Program. That’s Thursday, day after tomorrow. Mark? MARK C.J., is the White House filing any complaints over the leaks coming from the Special Prosecutor’s office? [clamor] C.J. I can tell you that Oliver Babish and Mr Rollins had several productive conversations about that. STEVE Do they speak often? C.J. Well, they’re old friends. CUT TO: INT. THE ROOSEVELT ROOM - DAY Doug, Toby, and Connie are inside. CONNIE What was the compromise that was on the table? DOUG Right now, if your estate’s worth less than a million dollars, you’re exempt. The Republicans wanted five million, they settled on two and a half. CONNIE Seems reasonable! TOBY [pacing behind her] It wasn’t reasonable. DOUG Look... TOBY It wasn’t in driving distance of reasonable. DOUG These people have paid taxes on this money already. They paid it in income tax, they paid it in property tax, capital gains, they gotta pay... TOBY Don’t say it... DOUG A death tax? TOBY 98% of estates pay no taxes at all. We’re talking about people who are loaded! DOUG You think just because people can afford a tax, they should be levied? TOBY I think if we’re going to spend millions of dollars on tax breaks, we should consider spending it on people who don’t have millions of dollars. DOUG [sarcastically] A million dollars isn’t what it used to be. TOBY And they don’t make good yachts anymore. [Josh walks in.] What’d they say? JOSH The... meeting is not going to be rescheduled. TOBY How do they know? JOSH Legislative Affairs has it from three rural House Democrats that Ways and Means is trolling for votes. TOBY On a complete repeal? JOSH Yeah. TOBY [sighs] Screw it. We went from a million to two-five, what if we throw in another... JOSH No. TOBY I’m saying... Maybe we expand the compromise... JOSH They’re not going to reschedule the meeting! TOBY Well, how do we know until we... CONNIE Because it’s not about the estate tax. They want what they want and they can get what they want now, right? JOSH The meeting is not going to be rescheduled. [to Doug] What do you think? TOBY I can tell you what he thinks. He thinks we roll with it. He thinks a president can’t be against tax cuts in an election year, he thinks since our key districts have farms that are going to be inherited, we have to... He thinks we roll with it. DOUG I think he should take out the A-bomb. I think he’s got to do something he’s never done even once before. "You think I’m weak? How about I shove Article 1, section 7 up your ass?" Screw the compromise! I think he’s got to veto. JOSH [beat] Toby, I just... don’t know on how many fronts we can fight a war. You want to find out? TOBY Yeah. Toby and Josh walk outside. FADE OUT. END ACT TWO * * * ACT THREE FADE IN: EXT. PARK IN WASHINGTON D.C. - DAY WEDNESDAY Two men approach C.J. MAN 1 C.J.! [C.J. turns.] We had a meeting at the OEOB. We were going to come by and see you. There’s been some concern on the Hill. C.J. About what? MAN 1 Over the last couple of days, the press has been real soft on Rollins. MAN 2 Particularly with regard to his relationship to the White House. C.J. And there’s concern on the Hill? MAN1 Democrats are worried Republicans will use this as an excuse to start their own hearings earlier than expected... MAN 2 We’re just saying if the White House could seem a little less eager to cooperate, a little less confident about the guy’s integrity... C.J. Yeah. MAN 1 I mean, if you could downplay his friendship with Babish... Have a good night. C.J. You, too. The men go back to the Capitol Hill, C.J. smiles and returns to the White House. CUT TO: INT: HALLWAY - DAY Sam runs up to C.J.. SAM C.J.. C.J. How’d the call with the Governor go? SAM It didn’t go that well. C.J. Why not? SAM He’s demanding we put the fire out. The President tried to calm him down but he kept accusing us of advocating fringe environmental policies. C.J. Are we? SAM It’s not clear. But, for the moment, the President and Governor had a productive conversation, he’s monitoring the situation with the Secretary of the Interior. AINSLEY [from behind] Excuse me! SAM Hey! AINSLEY You need a haircut. SAM Shouldn’t you be someplace keeping me out of jail? AINSLEY I’m taking a break. SAM Okay. [heads off] Ainsley follows C.J. into C.J.'S OFFICE. AINSLEY You wanted to see me? C.J. You did well last night on Capital Beat. [closes the door] AINSLEY Thanks. C.J. Babish and Rollins wrote a paper together for the Yale Law Review. AINSLEY You should get it out there. C.J. Yeah, the problem is I can’t just make photocopies and distribute it. AINSLEY What do you need? C.J. I want you to get with one of your friends in the pressroom from a conservative paper. AINSLEY You really think we have a secret handshake, don’t you? C.J. Do you? AINSLEY Yes. C.J. Get alone with one of those guys, go off record, and say you can’t believe how the President can be claiming to waive Executive Privileges yet still reserve the right to withhold certain documents. Can you do that? AINSLEY I can’t believe how the President can be claiming to waive Executive Privileges yet still reserve the right to withhold certain documents. C.J. Yeah, do it quietly and kind of shake your head in disbelief. AINSLEY [shakes her head dutifully all the while speaking] I can’t believe how the President can be claiming to waive Executive Privileges yet still... C.J. [follows her motions with her own head] You don’t have to keep shaking your head, just a little in the beginning. AINSLEY [shakes her head a little] I can’t believe how the President can... C.J. Yeah, but think about... AINSLEY Okay, I’ve got it. C.J. Thank you. Both smile, and Ainsley leaves. CUT TO: INT. THE OVAL OFFICE - DAY Bartlet is sitting at his desk, searching for a pen in his jacket’s pockets. BARTLET Charlie! CHARLIE [VO] [comes in] Yes, sir. BARTLET Are we out of pens? Charlie pulls a pen out of the penholder on Bartlet’s table and hands it to him. BARTLET That’s a good pen, I need an everyday pen. CHARLIE I’ve got pens. [starts off to his desk] BARTLET You’ve got crappy pens, with a plastic top. I need a solid pen that feels good in my hand, but it’s not so formal I feel like a dandy. CHARLIE I’m making some trips to the pen store, aren’t I, Mr. President? BARTLET I used to have the perfect pens. Every day right here, in my pocket. I loved those pens! Balance, great action, paper soaked up the ink what the hell happened to those pens? Do they not make them anymore? I kept that company in business. CHARLIE Sir, when do you think you might begin interviewing candidates to replace Mrs. Landingham? BARTLET You know, I just haven’t gotten to it. CHARLIE Obviously, the office would set up the meeting... BARTLET It’s just been busy. CHARLIE Maybe we’d bring in somebody like a headhunter to do it... BARTLET Is there a rush on this? [stands up] CHARLIE You need a secretary, sir. Charlie follows BARTLET out to the PORTICO. BARTLET I have five secretaries, to say nothing of the Secretaries of State, Defense, Treasury, and Education. CHARLIE Sir? BARTLET Yeah? CHARLIE Things are getting missed. It’s nobody’s fault, and everyone’s been trying to cover them, but things are getting missed. BARTLET Things have been fine. I’m gonna have dinner and I’ll be back in the office after, okay? CHARLIE Yes, sir. [stays in his place while Bartlet heads off to the residence] BARTLET Are you having dinner? CHARLIE Down at the mess. BARTLET I’ll see you later [walks away] CHARLIE Mr President? BARTLET [stops and turns] Yeah. CHARLIE She put the pen in your pocket every morning. She slipped it in there. Bartlet turns slowly and walks away. CUT TO: INT. SAM'S OFFICE - DAY Sam is reading and eating, Connie comes in and sits across from him. CONNIE How you doing? SAM Good, how about you? CONNIE Good. [beat] So the thing about me... SAM Yeah? CONNIE Is I’m a brilliant political mind. SAM Yeah? CONNIE Ph.D. in Political Economy from Oxford, that’s not an easy get. SAM No. CONNIE Bruno and Doug knows that I can handle the tough meetings, that’s why they’re sending me with you to meet Victor Campos. SAM Yeah. CONNIE I have an exceptional mind. SAM But? CONNIE I don’t know who Victor Campos is. SAM [smiles a little] Yeah. CONNIE Look, pal, I went to Oxford, okay? Which is in England! SAM Hey, you weren’t kidding about that exceptional mind. CONNIE Sam? SAM England’s in Europe, right? CONNIE Sam? SAM [stands up to get a binder from the shelf] He’s the head of the AFSE - American Federation of Service Employees, Local 1262. [sits down again] CONNIE He’s the head of a Local? SAM Yeah. CONNIE And he rates a meeting with a senior staffer? SAM A democrat can’t get elected to anything in California without him. He can pick up the phone and have 5,000 people at your rally in an hour. He’s got a state-of-the art vote mobilizing operation in place, a massive room with computer banks tracking voter registration. With his endorsement comes 350 thousand calls, callbacks, mailings and e-mails. CONNIE Is there anything in particular I should do at this meeting? SAM [gets up] Don’t get in my way. [leaves] CUT TO: EXT. THE FARRAGUT GRILL - NIGHT A taxi cab stops at the Farragut Grill. Donna gets out, tries to count the money to give the driver, finally gives him everything she has and walks to the entrance, putting lipstick on. She fixes her hair in the glass door, while CLIFF CALLEY walks out. CLIFF [hails the cab] Taxi! The cab leaves. Cliff turns around. CLIFF Arghh. [beat, looks at Donna] Excuse me, are you Donna Moss, by any chance? DONNA Yeah. CLIFF I’m Cliff Calley. DONNA I’m sorry I’m late. [They shake hands.] CLIFF No, that’s all right. DONNA Were you waiting long? CLIFF No, no, like... It was like an hour and a half or something. DONNA There are these boxes... CLIFF I’m sorry? DONNA There are these boxes that I... Doesn’t matter. You were leaving. CLIFF No, I just came out to stretch my legs. DONNA You shouted for a cab. CLIFF I like to test them. DONNA [laughs] I usually look a lot better than this. I mean, I can look good. CLIFF I don’t have any trouble believing that. But listen, it sounds like maybe you’re having some problems with boxes, and I know how that can be, so if you’d rather do this... DONNA Will you buy me a drink? CLIFF Sure! They head back into the restaurant. CUT TO: INT. THE BRIEFING ROOM - NIGHT BOBBI C.J., can you clear up whether the Special Prosecutor can compel the President’s staff to disclose conversations he’s had regarding his MS? C.J. Well, Executive Privilege protects all communications that are necessary to enable a President to do his job, but as I said the President’s waiving Executive Privilege. Mark? MARK Can you tell us if... BOBBI Excuse me, Mark. I need to follow up on that. How can Bartlet be claiming to waive Executive Privileges yet still reserve the right to withhold certain documents? Isn’t he just trying to protect himself? C.J. Actually, he's trying to protect the office of the presidency. Information pertaining to national security, for instance. BOBBI Stop being coy, C.J.. C.J. I was born this way. BOBBI You don't think Clement Rollins will be angry, and with every reason to be, if the White House leaves out certain documents? C.J. I think if you want to know what Clement Rollins thinks, you should read some of his writings on the subject. He was a University of Chicago Law School professor and I'm not sure, you can check me on this but I think he was editor of the Yale Law Review. The reporters write her words down. C.J. looks satisfied. C.J. That's a full lid, everybody, have a good night. She heads off the podium and closes the door to the HALLWAY, and a piece of paper she throws across the hall lands directly in the waste basket. CAROL C.J.? Governor of Wyoming has been on TV. [comes up] C.J. Is he mad at us? CAROL He's pretty irate. C.J. Good irate, or... CAROL He's irate. C.J. All right. Circulate a memo to anyone who's going to see a microphone. They walk down the hall, Carol is taking notes. C.J. The National Fire Plan is based on Recommendations from five Federal agencies. It clearly states that 80 years of fire suppression hasn't worked; for centuries, wildfires have been a natural part of the evolution of the forest ecosystems. CAROL When something catches on fire, it's no longer out policy to put it out? C.J. That's the kind of thing they shouldn't say. Put that in the memo with a circle and a line through it. C.J. walks into her OFFICE, where Oliver is standing. OLIVER C.J.... C.J. Oliver. OLIVER Thank god for Lexis-Nexis, huh? C.J. I'll say. OLIVER How long did it take to find the paper I wrote with Rollins? C.J. About an hour. They'll make their deadlines. OLIVER You know... C.J. Yeah? OLIVER [beat] I was going to say, you took a beating the last few months... C.J. Yeah. OLIVER And I was wondering if you were trying to get back in the game with one swing. C.J. Is that what you were wondering? OLIVER Yeah. C.J. Anything else? OLIVER No. [smiles and leaves] CUT TO: INT. LEO'S OFFICE - NIGHT Josh and Toby walk in wearing coats. LEO [VO] What do you know? JOSH We spent the last few hours with the Minority whip and some deputies. [sits down] LEO They have the votes for a repeal? JOSH They have 218 without breaking a sweat. TOBY [sits] It's 290 to override. LEO Where are they getting them? JOSH The Republicans are calling an 'all-hands,' we're assuming they'll get the full 226 plus Fayette, Genesee and Trent. California... TOBY A state I begged you to let secede from the Union. JOSH The... entire California delegation wants a compromise. If they don't get one, they vote to repeal. TOBY We lose about another 13 votes from rural districts. Maybe 3 of them will switch back to us if it was close but they'd get killed next November and I wouldn’t ask them to do it. LEO That's 283. Where are the other 7 votes against us? JOSH That's the thing. TOBY It's from inside the Black Caucus. That's where the 7 votes are. LEO I want you two to see Mark Richardson first thing in the morning. JOSH We already set it up. LEO When you're done, we'll make a recommendation to the President, he'll make his decision to fight or live to fight and that'll be that. [Everyone stands.] JOSH These are members of the Congressional Black Caucus... can you think of any reason why they'd oppose the estate tax? LEO Sure. JOSH What? LEO First generation of black millionnaires is about to die. MARGARET [comes in] Leo? LEO Is he back? MARGARET Yeah. LEO Thanks. Josh and Toby leave. CUT TO: INT. OUTER OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT Bartlet comes in. BARTLET Charlie. CHARLIE Yes, sir. BARTLET I'm expecting a call from Bill Horton and I left the National Fire Plan in the dining room. CHARLIE I'll run over and get it. BARTLET Thanks. Charlie leaves, Bartlet reads from inside the folder. As soon as the door closes, Bartlet turns to Mrs. Landingham's empty desk, looks at it, slides his hand over it. Leo comes by. LEO Good evening. BARTLET The governor of Wyoming was an inch an a half away from calling me a pyromaniac tonight. LEO That's surprising 'cause we really had respect from him before. BARTLET I'm saying somewhere out there is a registered voter who's thinking, 'You know, I thought I really liked this Bartlet fellow, but now that I see he's in favor of fire...' LEO He thinks it's gonna adversely affect tourism. BARTLET It's the end of the season and the fire isn't anywhere near tourists. Letting this fire burn is good for the environment. You know how I know? LEO How? BARTLET Because smart people told me. Please god, Leo, let them be right. LEO When are you talking to Horton? BARTLET Any minute. LEO You want me to handle the call? BARTLET Yeah. LEO I'll be in my office. Leo leaves. Bartlet looks at the empty desk again, and sits behind it. He opens the drawer and finds a box with pens in it. He takes one of the pens, holds it a while, then puts it in his pocket, closes the box and returns it to the drawer. FADE OUT. END ACT THREE * * * ACT FOUR FADE IN: EXT. DOWNTOWN STREET AND PARK - NIGHT Cliff and Donna are slowly walking through the park, talking. DONNA Why are you a Republican? CLIFF I’m sorry? DONNA Why are you a Republican? CLIFF Because I hate poor people. I hate them, Donna. They're all so...poor. And many of them talk funny, and don't have proper table manners. My father slaved away at the Fortune 500 company he inherited so I could go to Choate, Brown, and Harvard, and see that this country isn't overrun by poor people and lesbians. Donna smiles. CLIFF No, I-I'm a Republican because I believe in smaller government. This country was founded on the principle of freedom, and freedom stands opposed to constraints, and the bigger the government, the more the constraints. DONNA Wow. CLIFF [a little surprised] You agree with that? DONNA No, it's crap, but you're really cute. CLIFF Yeah, I know. [chuckles softly] DONNA I had a hunch you did. CLIFF Oh. DONNA Listen, you know who my boss is, right? CLIFF I do. DONNA And that he's one of the point men in this fight with Ways and Mean over the estate tax? CLIFF The death tax. DONNA He doesn't like to call it that. CLIFF We've been ordered to. There was a memo. DONNA [smiles] Right... Anyway and not to editorialize but since we're fighting for the betterment of ordinary people while you're voraciously protecting the grotesque wealth of the few, I wasn't sure if this was awkward for you. CLIFF Listen, Robin Hood... DONNA You don't think it's a good tax? CLIFF It was, in 1916, when this country's wealth was concentrated and we wanted to prevent the emergence of an aristocratic class, however... DONNA Says Choate, Brown, and Harvard. CLIFF The wealth is now spread among farmers, small business owners, farmers, merchants, and did I mention farmers? DONNA So a second date wouldn't be awkward for you? CLIFF [chuckles] Uh... This is my last week working for Ways and Means. DONNA Really? CLIFF I’ve been traded. DONNA To where? CLIFF House Government Oversight. DONNA What'd they trade you for? CLIFF Some toner, I think. DONNA [smiling] No, I mean why? CLIFF I don't know. We got a call from the Majority Leader's office. They wanted another litigator at Government Oversight and they didn't... they didn't say why... He looks concerned, as he suddenly realizes why he was traded. DONNA Maybe it was just an oversight. Cliff doesn't react. He just stares at the ground. DONNA Oh, come on! "Maybe it was just an oversight"? I don't even get a courtesy laugh? CLIFF [with regret in his voice, shaking his head] The boxes. DONNA [still smiling] What about 'em? CLIFF I have to say goodnight now. He shakes his head a little and walks away. Her face falls and she looks bewildered. The Capitol is lit up in the background. THURSDAY CUT TO: INT. THE MURAL ROOM - DAY Sam and Connie are sitting next to each other on a sofa. VICTOR CAMPOS is seated across from them. A staffer brings in glasses of water, then leaves. VICTOR CAMPOS You didn't bring me out from L.A. to talk about the Hispanic Educational Longevity Program. SAM Victor, I was wondering why you passed on the Commission? CAMPOS [chuckles bitterly] You didn’t bring me out here to talk about H.E.L.P and you didn’t bring me out here to talk about the Commission. SAM And you didn't go to Indiana to watch a basketball game. CAMPOS [leans forward, takes a glass of water] It was a good game. SAM Don't get cute with me. CAMPOS Watch your mouth. SAM No, I don't think I will, Victor. We fought a war together. What the hell happened to loyalty? CAMPOS [sets the water glass down on the table] You tell me. SAM You know what? The President promised to ban permanent striker replacement workers, and he did it. CAMPOS Thank you. So the jobs he isn't shipping overseas will be safe and secure. SAM Who else was talking about prenatal care for illegal immigrants in Davenport, Iowa? CAMPOS That isn't where it needs to be talked about. SAM He put an empowerment zone in Pacoima and no one has worked harder to raise the minimum wage. CAMPOS ¡Mi gente ganan más que el mínimo sueldo! [My people earn more than the minimum wage!] SAM ¡Te subió al podio en la maldita convención, Victor! [You were up on the podium at the damn convention, Victor!] CAMPOS ¡Porque necesitaban una cara morena! [Because they needed a brown face!] SAM ¡Estas equivocado! [You're wrong!] CAMPOS No lo estoy. [No, I'm not.] SAM The lowest Latino unemployment in history, more small business loans for Hispanic entrepreneurs, and the biggest drop in Latino poverty in two decades! CAMPOS That's what I got in the last election. What do I get in this one? Sam stares at Campos for a few moments. SAM [leans back, quieter] What happened to loyalty? CAMPOS You can't deposit it in a savings account. [beat] What do I get? SAM What do you want? CAMPOS The high school dropout rate among Hispanics is higher than it is for African-Americans. SAM We’re gonna double the funding for the National High School Initiative. What else? CAMPOS Children who came to the United States after welfare reform - SAM There's gonna be a major push on the Hispanic Children's Health Act. CAMPOS [warily] What’s a "major push"? SAM He’s gonna mention it in the State of the Union. What else? CAMPOS Complete amnesty... SAM [shaking his head] No way. CAMPOS Complete amnesty... SAM Victor... CAMPOS [pointing his finger, raising his voice] Complete amnesty for all undocumented immigrants from the Americas. Mexico, Chile, El Salvador... SAM Look... CAMPOS The Legal Amnesty Fairness Act is in the Senate right now! SAM We can't back a bill that treats Hispanic immigrants any differently than... CAMPOS Sam... SAM There's no way we can do it. CONNIE Sure we can. SAM [without looking at her] I'm sorry? CONNIE We can do it. SAM We really can't. CONNIE We really can. SAM [to Campos] Would you excuse us just a second? Connie and Sam stand up and walk out into the HALLWAY. CONNIE [whispering] Hi. SAM When I said, "Stay out of my way," did you think I meant... CONNIE It's a bold stroke that'll cost you some independents, but I... SAM Just so he can expand his union membership? CONNIE It’ll also expand the Democratic Party. Millions of illegal immigrants could come out of hiding. That’s millions of potential voters who are going to vote for you. Three million voters in California that's 13% of the vote. 19% in Arizona. You know as well as I do the Republican Party is gonna try to outflank us on this. You know it's the right thing to take to the President, so why are you giving him a hard time? SAM He’s giving me a hard time. CONNIE He’s doing what he’s supposed to do. Recognize you're weaker than you were three years ago, have a little humility, suck it up, and give him what he wants, which is gonna help you in the long run anyway! Sam considers her comment for a brief moment. Then he turns back toward the room, where Campos is pacing. SAM Victor. Campos slowly walks over to where Sam is standing in the doorway. SAM What do we get? CAMPOS Excuse me? SAM If I take this to the President, what do we get? CAMPOS California and its 435 delegates. SAM I shouldn't have blown up at you before. CAMPOS Nobody'll know. SAM Yeah? Campos nods and walks away with a half a smile. CAMPOS Loyalty. CUT TO INT. THE ROOSEVELT ROOM - DAY Josh and Congressman Mark Richardson are seated at one end of the table. Toby is pacing behind Josh. RICHARDSON Josh, you think the Black Caucus votes as a block, and that they only care about the cities. JOSH Surely, Congressman, the African-American community can think of better ways to spend twenty-eight billion dollars than a tax break that’ll benefit fewer than a thousand African-American families. RICHARDSON You’re doing it again. JOSH Mark... RICHARDSON The African-American community doesn't think one way about anything. We’re talking about a few members of the Caucus. JOSH That was pretty surprising. RICHARDSON A few members who feel that African-American homeownership is at it’s highest level ever. That more African-Americans are opening small businesses than ever before. And if they can’t pass it on, how will they build up power and clout and self-sufficiency as a community? JOSH You think a few black millionaires justifies a multi-billion-dollar boondoggle? RICHARDSON Well, as long as there's a Congress, there are going to be multi-billion-dollar boondoggles. We'd just like to share in them a little bit, please. TOBY We're bleeding here, Mark. RICHARDSON What? TOBY We're bleeding here, for God's sake. You can work with us or you can be ignored by a Republican President, but those are your choices. RICHARDSON How bad is it? TOBY Buckland's coming after us. He’s been meeting with Victor Campos. [sits] RICHARDSON And while you guys are defending yourselves against special prosecutors and Jack Buckland, what happens to the people who got you here? TOBY Who are you talking to, Mark? We're not gonna forget about failing schools in central cities. [raises his voice and pounds the table with his fist] We're not gonna forget about after-school care, health care for uninsured kids. We're not gonna forget about drug treatment, or urban redevelopment, or community policing! RICHARDSON Yeah? TOBY You gotta not forget that we're bleeding! RICHARDSON The Black Caucus doesn't vote as one mind. I can't promise anything. JOSH The veto's an awfully big risk to take... if you can't promise anything. RICHARDSON Then the veto's an awfully big risk to take. Toby and Josh look at each other, silently. Toby stands up. CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY - DAY Leo and Bartlet walk by with HORTON. Bartlet is leading the way. They make their way to the Oval Office as they talk. LEO Has the fire abated at all? HORTON Not yet. LEO How far has it spread? HORTON 6500 acres. BARTLET So it's starting to close in on the boundary? HORTON Yes, sir, Mr. President...It’s not too late to reverse your decision. LEO Do you think he should? HORTON No. LEO Why? As they walk into THE OVAL OFFICE, Charlie hands Bartlet some papers in a file folder. HORTON There’s a cold front moving down in from Alberta with a 50% chance of showers. Temperatures in the area have already started to drop and if the rain reaches Yellowstone by tonight, it’ll be enough to quell the fire. Bartlet is reading the documents as Leo and Horton keep talking. LEO And if it doesn't, we put it out, and the President looks like an idiot for waiting this long. BARTLET [removes his glasses, gestures toward Horton] Yeah, but we're gonna make sure he looks like an idiot, too, right? LEO Yeah. BARTLET [smiling, to Horton] Wyoming is just going to have to have some faith that the Department of the Interior knows what it’s doing. HORTON Yes, sir. BARTLET Thank you, Mr. Secretary. HORTON Thank you, Mr. President. Bartlet shakes his hand. Horton nods and leaves. Josh is standing at the door to the office, along with Toby and Doug. Bartlet notices them as they walk in. BARTLET Josh. JOSH Yes, sir? BARTLET A ballerina? Bartlet walks around to his desk chair, puts his glasses on again, and sits down. He starts going through some papers. Leo remains standing on the other side of the desk. JOSH Yeah, I... I didn't... know... what it was at the time. I-I-I liked the word... BARTLET We'll go with that for now. TOBY Mr. President, we’re here to recommend that you threaten to veto any repeal of the estate tax. BARTLET [takes off his glasses, looks up] Really? TOBY Yes, sir. LEO What happened with Richardson? JOSH No guarantees. He wants to see what we’re gonna do next. Leo and Bartlet absorb this information. They both look very serious. TOBY Let's make the threat. BARTLET [to Doug, pointing] You like this? DOUG [emphatically] Yes, sir. BARTLET I thought you don't oppose a tax cut in an election year? DOUG Well, let’s be clear. We’re not talking about opposing a tax cut. We’re talking about vetoing one. Your first veto ever. That's... shooting the moon. Toby rubs his head as Doug speaks. BARTLET [nods] I’ll say. DOUG I like the bold gesture. I think you gotta get out the stamp. JOSH [with a slight smirk at Doug] You sign it. You don't do it with a stamp. DOUG I thought it was a stamp. BARTLET Actually, you stamp it, then sign it. TOBY Who gives a damn, sir? This is a tax cut that benefits only 4500 families. BARTLET It doesn't matter if most voters don't benefit. They all believe that someday they will. That's the problem with the American dream. It makes everyone concerned for the day they're gonna be rich... The governors of Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, and Utah, along with the Senate Majority Leader and Speaker of the House, are calling me a "fringe" environmentalist, 'cause I'm listening to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, along with the U.S. Forest Service, the Chief Ranger, and the Parks Superintendent. Bartlet is looking through his desk drawers. He finally finds a square wooden box and places it on his desk. BARTLET They say letting the fire burn is good for the environment. And I'm betting on a weather report, of all things. It's just one of those times. Bartlet opens the box, takes out an inkpad and a rubber stamp, and sets them out on his desk. Leo, Josh, Toby and Doug watch him, solemnly. Bartlet takes the pen out of his jacket pocket, looks at it for a long moment, places it on top of the inkpad, and closes the box. CUT TO: INT. COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE - NIGHT Staffers, including Carol and Bonnie, are milling about and walking through the Bullpen. C.J. is holding a bottle of beer and looking in various desk drawers for a bottle opener. Oliver walks in. C.J. You don’t have a bottle opener, do you? OLIVER No. C.J. I know some men carry those... OLIVER I don’t. C.J. ...pocket knives. OLIVER You screwed around with an independent legal proceeding, and you used one of my deputies to do it. C.J. I worked the press. They’re standing next to each other, looking up at a television monitor that’s mounted on the wall. OLIVER You know, there was an irony in that Clem Rollins was the right man for the job. C.J. You think I care less about irony? OLIVER You think just because the White House feels more comfortable when they're in an ugly political fight, that means we're gonna win it? C.J. [starts to walk away] Anybody have a bottle opener? Josh walks in, looking distracted. Donna spots him and walks after him. DONNA Josh? JOSH [turning slightly, still walking] Yeah? DONNA Which Committee had jurisdiction? JOSH For the hearings? DONNA Is it Judiciary? Leo walks in to the Bullpen and starts talking to C.J., who’s standing in the doorway to Sam’s office. Sam walks past them out into the bullpen. Josh and Donna are standing under the television monitor. JOSH You’d think so, but Thomas's committee wanted it, so the Majority Leader... DONNA Thomas's committee’s? JOSH House Government Reform and Oversight. Donna looks deflated and shocked. Sam walks up behind Donna, bumping her slightly, then steps to one side of her so he can see the television. SAM Volume! Bonnie turns up the volume with the remote control. The Bullpen has been filling up with staffers who are focusing their attention on a press conference, which is being broadcast via C-SPAN. The speaker is Congressman Randall Thomas [R-Michigan]. He’s standing outside at a podium with several people behind him. RANDALL THOMAS [on T.V.] This is an election year, and in some states the voting starts in a few months. People deserve answers now, and not at the snail's pace of Jed Bartlet's hand-picked prosecutor... I am announcing that the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee will be gaveled to session to conduct immediate hearings... C.J. opens her beer. She’s standing shoulder to shoulder with Sam, Josh, Connie, Doug, Carol, Toby, Ginger, Leo, Donna, Bonnie, and many other members of the West Wing staff all of them staring up at the television, looking determined. Oliver leans against a doorframe in the back of the room, his hands in his pockets, watching the press conference. THOMAS [on T.V.] ...into the possible use of taxpayer resources... C.J. [quietly, staring up at the screen] Come and get us. THOMAS [on T.V.] ...to defraud the public. C.J. takes a sip of beer. They all stare at the television as Thomas continues to speak. THOMAS [on T.V.] It is time to put an end to this White House's abuse of power. It is time for this White House to answer to the American people. DISSOLVE TO: END TITLES. FADE TO BLACK. THE END * * * The West Wing and all its characters are properties of Aaron Sorkin, John Wells Production, Warner Brothers Television, and NBC. No copyright infringement is intended. Episode 3.03 -- “Ways and Means” Original Airdate: October 24, 2001, 9:00 EST Transcribed by: Lindy, Irene and Amanda December 17, 2001