THE WEST WING
"20 HOURS IN AMERICA PART II"
WRITTEN BY: AARON SORKIN
DIRECTED BY: CHRISTOPHER MISIANO
ACT ONE
FADE IN: INT. THE WHITE HOUSE - DAY
Bartlet and Sam are watching the closing of the Stock Market on a TV.
REPORTER
And that ends this day of trading, the Dow dropping 685 points, the seventh largest percentage
drop in history, and the largest point total ever. The bad news hit before the opening bell when
the Gehrman-Driscol fund, the largest hedge fund in the U.S., annouced it was filing for bankruptcy.
BARTLET
Yeah, it's a proud day for Alfred Nobel.
CHARLIE
Mr. President.
BARTLET
When do you think I say something?
SAM
If Japan doesn't step up.
BARTLET
Tell me again.
CHARLIE
Keith. Muriel Keith.
BARTLET
Mr. Kieth.
MR. KEITH
Mr. President.
BARTLET
I told my granddaughter I was meeting you and I asked what question she wanted me to ask you
and she said to ask you of all the presidents you've met, who is your favorite and I assured
her that it would be me.
MR. KEITH
No, no. Um... Mr. Truman. He was a good man.
BARTLET
Okay, well, I was just kidding, but, sure Truman, if you like that kind of thing.
PHOTOGRAPHER
Uh, gentlemen, I'll be ready in just one minute. I'm sorry.
BARTLET
How old were you when you met President Hoover?
MR. KEITH
Nine years old. It was my birthday. It was October the 23rd, 1929.
BARTLET
The 23rd?
MR. KEITH
Yes, sir. Is there something unusual about that?
BARTLET
No, no. It's just... it's... You shook hands with him, and next day the Great Depression started.
MR. KEITH
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
Okay. Stock market took a stumble today. You know, we'll call it... well, a little bigger than
a pre-rally decline. If you watch the news or read a newspaper or really are alive in any way,
you're going to hear about it in the next couple of hours. I'm not worried though, 'cause Tokyo
opens at 7:00 PM Eastern and Tokyo's going to be my mother's milk tonight. It's in the bag.
PHOTOGRAPHER
Okay, gentlemen, right this way. On the count of three. One...
BARTLET
No.
PHOTOGRAPHER
I'm sorry.
BARTLET
I'm sorry. Sorry, could I just have one second? Charlie?
Charlie comes in.
BARTLET
How you doing?
CHARLIE
Fine, thank you.
BARTLET
[as he and Charlie step to the window] There's a lot of science in economics to be sure
but like a lot of things, a lot depends on the user. I need the Nikkei Index to do what
I need it to do tonight and I've got Hoover's good luck charm over here. But now, while
I'm talking about it, I feel like it's ridiculous that someone like me would consider
canceling a photo-op...
CHARLIE
I can't believe you're considering doing it, sir.
BARTLET
I'm not, it's momentary.
CHARLIE
No, I mean I can't believe you're considering doing it.
BARTLET
Really?
CHARLIE
Toyko opens in three hours and you're going to drape your arm around the Mayor of Shantytown.
BARTLET
I didn't know you were superstitious.
CHARLIE
I'm not. Plus there are tribes in South America that don't think a photoghaphs a good idea
to begin with. You ever see any pictures on my desk?
BARTLET
No.
CHARLIE
You ever wonder why?
BARTLET
Charlie, just out of curiosity, in your mind, how much time do I spend thinking about your desk?
CHARLIE
Fair point, sir.
BARTLET
How long have we been talking about this now?
CHARLIE
A couple of minutes.
BARTLET
Okay, let's not tell anybody that.
CHARLIE
Yeah.Mr. Keith, I'm sorry. We're going to have to reschedule this for tomorrow.
MR. KEITH
Oh, why?
Charlie and Bartlet speak at the same time.
CHARLIE
You're spooking the hell out of the President.
BARTLET
Just scheduling.
MR. KEITH
I'm...
CHARLIE
I'll explain.
BARTLET
Thank you.
CUT TO: INT. SAM'S OFFICE - DAY
Sam's on the floor of his office reading papers.
C.J.
Sam?
SAM
Yeah.
C.J.
Whatcha' doin' on the floor?
SAM
I don't know. I think it was just the closest thing.
C.J.
Come on, you'll get your pants all shmutsy.
C.J. helps Sam off the floor.
SAM
The First Lady's not a lesbian, is she?
C.J.
I don't know. I can ask her.
SAM
Why were there rolling pins?
C.J.
Brenda Swetland: "At this moment, you're not licensed to practice medicine, correct?"
A. Bartlet: "At this moment, I'm just a wife and mother."
SAM
I don't see it.
C.J.
Well, you got to want it.
SAM
Oh, I see it.
C.J.
Yeah.
SAM
What are we doing?
C.J.
Well, I wanted my office to issue a statement saying, "You're annoying, shut up," but Bruno
said to wave at it and he's right.
SAM
Yeah.
C.J.
Listen. I know this is the last thing you want to hear right now but I want to get Anthony a
Big Brother and Charlie said no, and I thought if it was anything you might be interested in,
I could talk to you about it. It's an hour a week. He doesn't have anybody and you know he
hasn't gotten over Simon.
SAM
You asked Charlie first?
C.J.
There's no way you have time for this.
SAM
I might.
C.J.
You don't.
SAM
Ginger.
C.J.
You just worked 48 hours straight.
SAM
Yeah.
C.J.
And that was the weekend.
SAM
Maybe he'd enjoy sitting and watching me work. I could narrate what I was doing for him.
"Right now I'm reading background intelligence on Central America as it relates, believe
it or not, to textile imports. Ooh, intelligence, 007." See, and right away I've got him
going with 007.
C.J.
I'm sitting here listening, already I've turned to a life of crime.
SAM
You know I'd do it if I could.
C.J.
I do know that shmutsy pants.
SAM
That's going to be around for a while, right?
C.J.
How's it going in there?
SAM
It hasn't really started yet. Bryce, you know, is pushing him away from unilateral standards,
but the rest of the meetings don't start for 20 minutes.
GINGER
Josh is on the phone.
C.J.
Thanks.
SAM
Hey?
JOSH [on phone]
How's it going?
SAM
Fine,so far.
JOSH
Just Bryce, right?
SAM
Yeah. Let me ask you something. He was saying that Commerce didn't have enough input on the
stump speech and I started to say that it was my fault and the President kind of ran me over.
JOSH
Yeah, he doesn't like the appearance that his staff is covering for him.
SAM
It genuinely wasn't his fault.
JOSH
Nothing's not his fault in the Oval Office.
SAM
Got it.
JOSH
Anything else before we get on the train?
SAM
Could you put Toby on?
JOSH
Yeah. Toby. Sam.
TOBY
[takes phone] Was Bryce pissed?
SAM
Yeah. Listen. With the secretarial candidates the last few weeks, Charlie says he's been asking
questions about remembering names and numbers. He's worrying about short term memory loss, right?
It's one of the effects of...
TOBY
Yeah.
SAM
Okay.
TOBY
Anything else?
SAM
Come home.
TOBY
We're on our way. [hangs up]
JOSH
[to Toby] Don't worry, I'll have Jews for the money stuff? You have an inadvertant habit of
putting down my Judaism by implying that you have a sharper anti-Semitism meter then I do.
TOBY
You know, the Ancient Hebrews had a word for Jews from Westport. They pronounced it Presbyterian.
JOSH
And by saying things like that.
TOBY
I'm just saying I'm from Brighton Beach.
JOSH
Well, Mohammed al Mohammed al Mohammend bin Bizir doesn't make the distinction when he suits
up in the morning.
TOBY
As long as you have a good grasp of the complexity of that situation.
DONNA
What the hell are the two of you talking about?
TOBY
I assure you neither one of us know.
They get on the train.
MAN
All aboard!
JOSH
Tyler, assure me there's going to be no trouble.
TYLER
There's going to be no trouble.
JOSH
The train runs on regular fuel.
TYLER
I'm pretty sure.
JOSH
You guys don't have your very own international dateline in Bloomington or anything?
TYLER
No.
JOSH
In that case, on behalf of Bartlet for America and the Democratic Party, I want to thank you
for your help and tell you that you're a good guy, and good luck to you.
TYLER
Thanks.
DONNA
I'm going to go find seats.
JOSH
Take it easy.
TYLER
Mr. Lyman, Mr. Ziegler.
JOSH
Call me Josh.
TOBY
Toby. I work at the White House.
TYLER
Yeah, can I tell you something? People are going think you're a lot cooler if you don't say
that yourself, but rather let them find out on their own.
TOBY
Okay.
JOSH
The engineer knows the route?
TYLER
Josh, Toby, on my girlfriend's life your troubles end 98 miles right down that track.
Tyler points left, the train starts moving in the opposite direction. Toby and Josh stand
in the doorway with lost expressions on their faces.
CUT TO: INT. THE SITUATION ROOM - DAY
Leo and Fitzwallace are sitting down at the confernce table when Nancy McNally enters.
LEO
Nancy.
NANCY
Leo. Yeoman Fitzwallace.
FITZWALLACE
Dr. McNally.
NANCY
Let's attack.
FITZWALLACE
Who?
NANCY
Qumar. Let's recommend to the President that we attack.
LEO
Why?
NANCY
'Cause I've had it. [sits down next to Leo]
FITZWALLACE
I don't think the UN is going to let us do it for that reason.
NANCY
That's 'cause you're a sissy. You want peace in the Middle East? Give me a pair of third
generation ICBM's and a compass. You get B-2 Spirit stealth bombers over Qumar right now
as if the Qumari Air defense sytem requires stealth capability. Just fly in at night, and
while you're at it, could you order the USS Louisians to fire off a D-5 Trident just to see
if it works? What's the worst that could happen?
FITZWALLACE
[bewildered, to Leo] Is she talking to me?
NANCY
Yes!
FITZWALLACE
Well, 98% of all living organisms within a seven mile radius would die instantly in a
torrent of fire.
NANCY
Admiral Sissymary... We're running out of options on the menu.
LEO
What's happening?
NANCY
There's intel that says that Qumar has a tape.
LEO
Of what?
NANCY
A cell phone call that Shareef made from the plane.
FITZWALLACE
There isn't. We disabled the phone. We monitered communication from the plane, we bugged
Shareef and we replaced his cell phone battery with a dummy. There's no tape, there was
no phone call.
LEO
Why are they saying there is? It's to provoke a response, right?
NANCY
Yeah.
LEO
And they're using Act V scene from Hamlet? Are these Batman villians?
NANCY
They're building a case for sure but I think we got to start talking about there's
something worse than Qumar saying it was us.
FITZWALLACE
She's right.
LEO
What?
FITZWALLACE
Qumar saying it was someone else.
FADE OUT.
END ACT ONE
* * *
ACT TWO
A 4:45 - PRESIDENT MET WITH SEN. SCHULER, SEN. CHOATE
A 4:50 - PRESIDENT MET WITH CH. LACEY
A 5:20 - PRESIDENT MET WITH DEBORAH FIDERER
FADE IN: INT. THE OVAL OFFICE - DAY
BARTLET
You can't say "faith-based initiatives" to me. You have to be more specific then that.
You can't offer a guy a hot meal but first you have to accept God into your heart.
It's against the law. It's also a little obnoxious.
SENATOR FRED SCHULER
If a church runs a soup kitchen, are they serving Christian soup?
BARTLET
No, the soup is non-denominational, Fred but I'm not talking about the soup I'm talking
about the programs. And another problem is, the government can't subsidize organizations
that discriminate in hiring practices as religious organizations are allowed to do.
SENATOR CHOATE
Mr. President, in my state the only ones making inroads into keeping kids in school and
off drugs are the churches and the synagogues and the mosques. They have terrifc programs--
and until we find a better one, let me fund those.
BARTLET
We're going to talk about it around her, but I wouldn't...
SENATOR CHOATE
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
Okay.
SENATOR CHOATE
Thank you, sir.
SENATOR FRED
Thank you.
SAM
How are the interviews going?
BARTLET
I met with two women this morning on the plane. I'm meeting another in a little bit.
SAM
Are either of this morning's women a possibilties?
BARTLET
No.
SAM
Why?
BARTLET
Well, the first one isn't easily impressed.
SAM
What makes you say that?
BARTLET
She told me. The second one wasn't funny.
SAM
She wasn't funny?
BARTLET
Or rather, didn't think I was.
SAM
You told a joke.
BARTLET
She was the secretary to an Ambassador to France. I told her that I'd had dinner with
D'Astier at the Elysee Palace. She gently corrected me at that point calling it the
Palais de l'Elysee-- for that alone I wanted to sent for a parachute. And I made a
joke to D'Astier having to do with cheese and I said that D'Astier was visibly insulted
and that he was reconsidering my diplomatic status and she said, "Well, did he?"
SAM
She didn't get you were joking?
BARTLET
It didn't bode well for me.
SAM
Who's this afternoon?
BARTLET
A... crazy woman that Charlie knows. Hey, do we have a GPS reading out on Josh and Toby?
Have they been sighted?
SAM
I talked to them a little ago, they're on there way.
BARTLET
300 IQ points between them-- they can't find their way home. I swear to God, if Donna
wasn't there, they'd have to buy a house. "You've got to be able to keep a lot of names
and numbers in your head. Can you do that?" "Oh, I should think so." Oh, should you?
Okay, well, I'm going interview a few more people, in the meantime, you can get your
ass back on the cover of the The New Yoker where it belongs.
SAM
Was that Unimpressed One, or Humorless?
BARTLET
A third one. Charlie say that I don't want anyone to replace her.
SAM
Is that true?
BARTLET
I don't know, Sam. I'm a puzzle.
SAM
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
This Seth Weinberger thing makes me crazy.
CUT TO: INT. TRAIN CAR - DAY
DONNA
All right, I've got a plan. We're going to switch trains in Bedford. We will then be going
in the right direction. We're not going to make the 6:15, that was a pipe dream; that was
folly. Now, there's a 9:30 leaving Indianapolis International with a 45 minute layover in
Chicago. Although the ticket agent warned that the flight could be delayed due to bad weather.
JOSH
What are the chances of that?
DONNA
Well, for what it's worth, the guy in the diner said the reason the picture on the TV was fuzzy...
JOSH
No, no! Quaint is quaint, but we're not Navajo Indian guides, and if we want weather information
we'll call the White House Operations Center.
DONNA
Well, we can do that when we get to a pay phone, but we can't do that right now.
JOSH
Why not?
DONNA
Because my....
JOSH
Cell phone battery's out.
DONNA
Yes.
JOSH
I need information. I need to know what's happening in the world-- I have no idea what's
happening in the world!
DONNA
I bought you the paper.
JOSH
I read it! Preparations are on the way for the fair-- I'm briefed. Organizors say it's going
to be the best one yet. What else you got?
TOBY
Frivolous law firms.
JOSH
What?
TOBY
He meant to say "frivolous law suits" and he said "frivolous law firms."
JOSH
Who?
TOBY
Benjamin Disraeli.
JOSH
He misspeaks.
TOBY
Yes, he does. He also thinks Sarajevo and Bosnia are two different contries, so that's bit
of a setback for the region.
JOSH
Yes.
TOBY
Chaberlain led England in World War II. I don't mind that he doesn't know history, I mind
that he hasn't seen a movie. "Mexico is part of NATO."
JOSH
He meant they were an ally.
TOBY
What, did they lob a chalupa at the Warsaw Pact?
JOSH
I agree, it's not impressive but as you pointed out he's going to be surrounded by...
TOBY
Do you think he ever disagreed with one of his advisors? Do you think-- honestly-- do you
think he's ever said to one of his advisors "I've got a different idea?" I-I don't care if
he thinks Luxembourg's an uptown stop on the IRT. And I don't care about the Greco-Roman
wrestling matches with the language-- not that polished communication skills are an important
part of this job-- what I care about is when he was asked if he'd continue the current U.S.
policy in China he said, "First off, I'm going to send them a message-- meet an American
leader." I don't know what that means, but everybody cheered.
JOSH
Which is one of the reasons that I work full-time for his opponent. I don't know what gave
you the impression that I had to be convinced, but I want to win. You want to beat him, and
that's a problem for me, because I want to win.
DONNA
Can I get approval of my travel plan?
JOSH
Yeah.
TOBY
"A rising tide sinks all boats."
CUT TO: INT. OUTER OVAL OFFICE - DAY
Deborah Fidderer is with Charlie.
DEBBIE
Is it all right to ask what he did for a year?
CHARLIE
What do you mean?
DEBBIE
He's been without a secretary for a year.
CHARLIE
The President has five secreataries. Four of them funnel their work through the Executive Secretary.
DEBBIE
He has five secretaries?
CHARLIE
He has two research secretaries, a social secretary, and a scheduler. The scheduler has an
assistant whose job it is to keep the book.
DEBBIE
What's "the book"?
CHARLIE
It's the daily diary. It's a minute by minute accounting of what the President did that day.
"10:25, placed to phone call to the Fed Chair."
DEBBIE
What about private stuff?
CHARLIE
We've got euphemisms. Every once in a while, there'll be a fluke cancelation some kind of gap
in the President's schedule, and the President and the First Lady might slip over... you know.
DEBBIE
For a "matinee."
CHARLIE
Yeah.
DEBBIE
What do you call it?
CHARLIE
"Barbecuing."
DEBBIE
Okay.
CUT TO: INT. THE OVAL OFFICE - DAY
CHAIRMAN BILL LACEY
The payment and settlement systems worked fine. The Dows price/earnings is around 35. The
historical average is 18. This isn't a crisis. It's investors getting back to common sense.
BARTLET
Well, it's an election year, Bill. We'd rather people didn't exercise common sense but I
agree with what you're saying.
BILL LACEY
Thank you, Mr. President.
CHARLIE
Sir?
BARTLET
Yes?
CHARLIE
Deborah Fiderer.
BARTLET
Really?
CHARLIE
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
All right.
DEBBIE
Mr. President.
BARTLET
Hi.
SAM
Debbie.
DEBBIE
Hello.
BARTLET
You two know each other?
SAM
Debbie worked for Donald McKittridge. She's... very interesting. Her resume's impressive;
I remember thinking she was efficient and creative. She's the one who found Charlie.
I remember people talked about her a lot. They found her pretty strange. But I remember
thinking that I didn't find her that strange.
DEBBIE
You know I can hear you, right?
SAM
I'm in your corner. [leaves]
BARTLET
You're the alpaca farmer
DEBBIE
It was something I tried for a while.
BARTLET
You hired Charlie, huh?
DEBBIE
Well, I worked in the Office of Presidential Personnel and he'd come into the wrong office.
He'd been called in about a job as a messenger.
BARTLET
I didn't know that.
DEBBIE
Yeah. We started talking; it doesn't take to see he's a special kid, so I sent him to Josh Lyman.
BARTLET
Well, thanks for that.
DEBBIE
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
Who was in second place? Who did I almost get?
DEBBIE
Sir?
BARTLET
I like to think about the road not taken.
DEBBIE
You're testing my memory.
BARTLET
Yeah.
DEBBIE
It was a young man named David Dweck.
BARTLET
David Dweck?
DEBBIE
I used to call him "David Dweck Want a Dwink of Wa Wa" until I realized that wasn't really funny.
LARRY
[comes in] Excuse me, Mr. President; you said you wanted...
BARTLET
Yeah.
LARRY
Hong Kong's down 4%, but it's still over 10,000. It's too early to tell anything. The Nikkei's
down 2%, the dollars down .3% against the yen; .4% against the Euro. Frankfurt opens in eight hours.
BARTLET
Thanks.
LARRY
Thank you. [leaves]
BARTLET
Sorry. Why were you fired?
DEBBIE
I'm sorry?
BARTLET
Why were you fired?
DEBBIE
No particular reason.
BARTLET
That doesn't sound quite right.
DEBBIE
No?
BARTLET
Why were you fired?
DEBBIE
Is it relevant?
BARTLET
Only because you're asking for a job.
DEBBIE
Chronic lateness.
BARTLET
I don't belive you.
DEBBIE
It's true.
BARTLET
No, it's not.
DEBBIE
You call me a liar to my face?
BARTLET
Yes.
DEBBIE
Okay.
BARTLET
Charlie said it was because of him.
DEBBIE
He did?
BARTLET
He said you hired him and that's why you got fired.
DEBBIE
Charlie makes things up.
BARTLET
No he doesn't.
DEBBIE
He's a bad seed. I knew it the moment I saw him.
BARTLET
I'm now ordering you to tell me why you were fired.
DEBBIE
Well, I'm afraid we're at a classic impasse, Mr. President.
BARTLET
You were strange the first time I met you, and you're strange now.
DEBBIE
Hey, the first time you met me there was a good reason.
BARTLET
What?
DEBBIE
I was high.
BARTLET
Okay.
DEBBIE
This time, it's just me.
BARTLET
Tell me why you were fired.
DEBBIE
No, sir.
BARTLET
I'm going to figure it out anyway. What I lack in memory, I more than make up for with
exceptional powers of deductive reasoning.
DEBBIE
That come with tights and a cap?
BARTLET
All right. I think the interview's over.
DEBBIE
Yeah. But let's do this every once in a while.
BARTLET
Thank you very much.
Bartlet and Debbie step out to the OUTER OVAL OFFICE and find a few people standing there.
McKITTRIDGE
Debbie.
DEBBIE
Mr. McKittridge...
McKITTRIDGE
What are you doing here?
DEBBIE
I-I was... I was interviewing...
CHARLIE
I brought her in.
DEBBIE
Hang on.
McKITTRIDGE
Charlie, how mant times do we have to...
CHARLIE
I know, but I brought her in.
DEBBIE
It doesn't matter. I'm not getting the...
McKITTRIDGE
It does matter-- there's a way it works.
BARTLET
Brian Dweck, CFO of Colfax and contributor to Representative Mark McKittridge whose brother
is the Director of the White House Office of Presidenial Personnel, wants a job for his son,
David-- "Wants a Dwink of WaWa." My powers of deduction are not to be mocked.
McKITTRIDGE
Mr. President, I assure you, whatever she told you...
BARTLET
She didn't tell me anything. I ordered her to, and she... By the way, my powers of ordering
are a joke. I can create an agency, but I can't get her to... She didn't give you up. She,
um... she didn't give you up.
Bartlet walks back into THE OVAL OFFICE. Sam follows him and closes the door.
SAM
Was she funny?
BARTLET
Have the agents stop her at the door a second.
Sam gets on the phone while Bartlet walks out of THE OVAL OFFICE. His agents begin to follow
him as he runs down the halls to the NORTHWEST LOBBY.
BARTLET
Debbie.
DEBBIE
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
Where's the dollar?
DEBBIE
I'm sorry, sir?
BARTLET
What's the dollar doing right now?
DEBBIE
Oh, it's down; .3% against the yen; .4% against the Euro.
NANCY
Mr. President... the First Lady's back.
BARTLET
Bring her on.
FADE OUT.
END ACT TWO
* * *
ACT THREE
A 8:25 - PRESIDENT ATTENDED DNC FUNDRAISER AT CAPITAL HILTON
A 8:33 - CALLED-P-SEC. BERRYHILL, SEC. HUTCHISON
FADE IN: INT. HALLWAY IN RESIDENCE - NIGHT
BUTLER
Good evening, Mr. President.
BARTLET
Is the Frist Lady inside?
BUTLER
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
Suppertime.
Bartlet walks into the BEDROOM.
BARTLET
Medea, you home?
ABBEY
Jed?
BARTLET
"Political experts seemed surprised by the Bartlet campaigns decision to position their
candidate against motherhood. Said one spokesperson..."
ABBEY
[comes out of the bathroom] I'm so sorry. I'm sorry.
BARTLET
What?
ABBEY
I feel terrible. Can I talk to the staff?
BARTLET
No, don't do this.
ABBEY
No, I'm not kidding. I'm sorry.
BARTLET
About what?
ABBEY
I screwed up.
BARTLET
How?
ABBEY
You know how.
BARTLET
[genuinely touched] What the hell are you... It was benign. It was totally benign what you said.
These women are out of their minds. We're laughing about it here.
ABBEY
Nobody's laughing.
BARTLET
I'm telling... Turn on C.J.'s press briefing. She's been doing 20 minutes up there. They're
booking her into Ceasar's.
ABBEY
You don't think it's going to be a problem?
BARTLET
No.
ABBEY
[laughs] Then get off my back, jackass.
BARTLET
Ah, you pulled the switcheroo.
ABBEY
You are so heartbreakingly easy at the end of the day.
BARTLET
You deceived me.
ABBEY
You called me Medea.
BARTLET
You played upon my love for you.
ABBEY
Oh, who gives a damn.
BARTLET
Yeah. I hired someone today.
ABBEY
Seriously?
BARTLET
Yeah.
ABBEY
Who?
BARTLET
Her name is Debbie Fiderer. She used to work here.
ABBEY
I don't remember her.
BARTLET
Used to be DiLaGuardia.
ABBEY
Debbie DiLaGuardia?
BARTLET
Yeah.
ABBEY
She's great.
BARTLET
She doesn't scare you a little?
ABBEY
She scares you?
BARTLET
[beat] No. Okay, I'm getting dressed for the thing.
ABBEY
I'm going to make fun of you while you do, okay?
BARTLET
Yeah.
Abbey turns on the TV.
CUT TO: INT. PRESS BRIEFING ROOM - NIGHT
C.J.
The First Lady loves two out of the three of her children but she doesn't to tell them which two.
The reporters laugh
C.J.
Arthur?
ARTHUR
The President's on the podium at 8:15?
C.J.
That's when it's scheduled. Probably more like 8:30 and he's going to speak for 15 minutes.
REPORTER
Any comment on the CBO deficit numbers?
C.J.
Last OMB was $11 billion off. CBO missed by $25 billion. There's going to be a deficit but the
CBO's numbers are off. Katie.
REPORTER KATIE
Legislative appropriations?
C.J.
He can't say until he see's the bill. All right, that's a full lid. I'll see you all over there.
C.J. ends the press briefing and walks off stage. Carol whispers something into C.J.'s ear. C.J.
re-enters the BRIEFING ROOM.
C.J.
Hang on a second. Okay, today at 5:32 PM Central Saving Time, two pipe bombs were set off inside
the Geiger Indoor Arena, which is the swimming team's facility at Kennison State University.
The Kennison Hawkeyes. The women's team was hosting a match. A meet with Illinois, Michigan and
Minnesota. They're all Big Ten schools. 44 people are dead.Looks like about 100 people are injured,
about 20 critically.
REPORTERS
C.J.! C.J.!
C.J.
[puts a hearing device in her ear] I'm going to have to listen in while I talk to you. Barry,
then Sydney, then Fran.
CUT TO: INT. LEO'S OFFICE - NIGHT
LEO
I didn't say I wasn't going. I said I could live without it.
MARGARET
It sounded like you weren't going.
LEO
I forgot about it is all.
MARGARET
Did you have other plans?
LEO
As a matter of fact, I did. I was planning a quiet night...
MARGARET
Watching your cooking show.
LEO
It's not just a cooking show, all right. It's very relaxing. The woman is sublime.
MARGARET
If you ask me, it's soft porn. No one needs to massage garlic oil into a leg of lamb that much,
on top of which...
LEO
Hold on. Why is she still on?
Leo turns up the TV to hear C.J. doing her press briefing.
C.J.
Well, the information that they were pipe bombs is coming from... We're getting both Campus
Information and Cedar Rapids police and fire but I don't know anymore details on the type of
bombs or the extent of damage...
LEO
Find out what happened.
C.J.
...getting specifics soon. None of that has been confirmed. Emergency squads are still on the
scene treating the minor... uh, injured. Witness's are saying there were swimmers in the water at
the time of the explosion. I don't think there's been much discussion about motives or suspects.
There's been no mention of any...
CUT TO: EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT
Donna, Josh and Toby are running out of the rain into the lobby of a COMFORT INN. Tori Amos's song
"I Don't Like Monday's" begins to play.
The silicone chip inside her head...
CUT TO: INT. LOBBY OF COMFORT INN - CONTINUOUS
DONNA
I don't understand the two of you.
JOSH
We had to get out. He can't read in a moving car.
DONNA
You can't read in a moving car. He can-- he was reading to us.
JOSH
I need it to come in through my eyes.
DONNA
You couldn't wait three blocks?
JOSH
685 points.
TOBY
Did it say how, how much the percentage drop was?
JOSH
It did, but by the time I got there my newspaper no longer had the molecular structure of a newspaper.
DESK CLERK
Yes, can I help you?
DONNA
Yes, please, we need a room.
DESK CLERK
Is that two rooms?
DONNA
No, just the one for what did we decide, half an hour?
JOSH
Our, our flight, our flight was delayed and we're just looking for some place to dry off and
watch the news.
Toby walks over to a TV and is looking at the tragedy of the swim meet bombing.
...Tell me why I don't like Monday's...
JOSH
The Nikkei hasn't reacted...
Josh turns around and see's that Toby is gone. Josh and Donna walk over to Toby and look at
the TV with him. On the TV screen, you can see the the ambulance and pictures of the bodies
in white body bags.
...Tell me why I don't like Monday's
I don't like, I don't like
I don't like Monday's too much
I don't like Monday's
I wanna shoot...
CUT TO: INT. CAPITOL HILTON - NIGHT
BARTLET
...restoring abundance amid an economic shortfall, securing peace in a time of global conflict,
sustaining hope in this winter of anxiety and fear. More than any time in recent history, America's
destiny is not of our own choosing. We did not seek nor did we provoke an assault on our freedom
and our way of life. We did not expect nor did we invite a confrontation with evil. Yet the true
measure of a people's strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arive. 44 people
were killed a couple of hours ago at Kennison State University. Three swimmers from the men's team
were killed and two others are in critical condition. When, after having heard the explosion from
their practice facility, they ran into the fire to help get people out. Ran into the fire. The
streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight. They're our students and our teachers and
our parents and our friends. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels, but every time we
think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we're reminded that that
capacity may well be limitless. this is a time for American heroes. We will do what is hard We will
achieve what is great. This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars. God bless
their memory, God bless you and God bless the United State of America. Thank you.
The crowd stands up and applauds.
...I don't like Monday's...
Sam and Bruno are standing up clapping.
BRUNO
When did you write that last part?
SAM
In the car.
BRUNO
Freak.
CUT TO: EXT. THE WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT
The presidential motorcade arrives at the White House. An agent opens the door for C.J. She enters
the White House.
CUT TO: INT. C.J.'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Anthony Marcus, Simon's Llittle Brother is sitting in C.J.'s office waiting for her to return.
C.J. enters her office.
C.J.
Anthony, I'm so sorry. Thank you for waiting. This thing came up at the last minute. A bomb at a
swimming meet. You probably... I can take you home now. You probably saw it here on the television
sets.
He ignores her or turns away.
C.J.
You know... I really miss Simon, too. That's... probably something we can talk about. I asked around
today. I wasn't able to find anyone, but I'm not done. There are more people I'm asking tomorrow
I'll take you home now.
Anthony mumbles something.
C.J.
I'm sorry?
ANTHONY
I said I don't need a baby-sitter, bitch. Are you deaf?
C.J.
I don't think you do need a baby-sitter...
Charlie who was walking by C.J.'s office overhears Anthony. Charlie walks into C.J.'s office,
slams Anthony up against the wall and gets in his face.
ANTHONY
What the hell is the matter with you dawg?
CHARLIE
This is Ms. Cregg. She's the White House Press Secretary and senior counsel to the President.
And if she wasn't, she would still be Ms. Cregg! I don't mind you not respecting people. I mind
you doing it out loud. I mind you doing it in this building. You wanna be a punk, fine, but I
don't think you've got the size for it. You wanna go to juvey, get out, deal, and kill cops?
Okay, but every time you do a crime, you get caught, so I think you're gonna have to do something
else. 9:00 on Saturday mornings, I eat breakfast at Cosmo's on Delaware. I come here for an hour
and do office work, and then I go to St. Jude's for an hour to play basketball. You can go to juvey,
or you can be at Cosmo's 9:00 on Saturday morning. It's entirely up to you.
Charlie releases Anthony and walks out of her office leaving C.J. and Anthony in the office alone.
FADE OUT.
END ACT THREE
* * *
ACT FOUR
FADE IN: INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT
It's late at night and matinence crew is cleaning up. Sam walks out of the President's outer office
into the hallway. He unloosens his tie, and enters his OFFICE where he places jacket on a chair.
Mallory walks up behind him.
MALLORY
Schmutsy pants.
SAM
I know that voice. (turns around)
MALLORY
I was at the dinner.
SAM
I didn't see you.
MALLORY
Nice job on the speech.
SAM
What makes you think I wrote it?
MALLORY
"We did not seek nor did we provoke..." "We did not expect nor did we invite..."
SAM
A little thing called cadence.
MALLORY
It works for you.
SAM
How's New York?
MALLORY
Richard got traded to the Blackhawks.
SAM
For a Zanboni battery?
MALLORY
And Garnier and a first round draft pick.
SAM
So you're moving to Chicago.
MALLORY
Richard and I split.
SAM
[failing to conceal a grin] That is terrible. That is... the worst thing. I am so sorry. I liked him,
too-- his broding stare in the penalty box. If there is anything I can do.
MALLORY
Shut up.
SAM
Okay.
MALLORY
I came by to say hi. I came by to tell you I liked the speech.
SAM
Thank you very much.
MALLORY
My dad said you staffed the President today.
SAM
Yes.
MALLORY
How was it?
SAM
You know anything about choas theory?
MALLORY
I know it has to do with fractal geometry.
SAM
That's about all I know too. But it has to do with there being order and even... great beauty, in
what looks like total choas. And if we look closely enough at the randomness around us, patterns
will start to emerge. I love Josh like a brother and he's a world-class political mind but until
today, I didn't know he was smarter then I was. I've worked here three years and eight months and
until you sit in the room all day, you can't comprehend the chaos of the Oval Office. I had one
good moment talking about the global ripple effect of budget defict, but that was it. The rest of
the day was just keeping up. And this was a pretty light day.
MALLORY
One good moment is good.
SAM
Oh, I'm not complaining. I'm saying one good moment is great. It's a golf shot. I've got to get back
in there. That's where it's happening. (beat) You came by just to tell me you liked the speech?
MALLORY
"This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars."? I'm weak.
SAM
Yeah. I think I stole that from Camelot.
MALLORY
Let me get you home. I don't think you're going to make it.
SAM
Yeah. I don't think I'm going to make it, either.
They walk out to the COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE and continue to the HALLWAY.
MALLORY
Camelot?
SAM
Good writers borrow from other writers. Great writers steal from them outright.
MALLORY
Good night, Charlie.
SAM
Good night, Charlie.
Sam and Mallory walk out of the building while we follow Charlie into the OUTER OVAL OFFICE. There's
a white box wrapped with purple ribbon on Charlie's desk. Charlie notices the box and looks around to
see if the person who put it there is in the room. Ho opens the box and stares at the object inside.
C.J. enters the room.
C.J.
The picture's from Deanna. I just put it in a frame. I've had it in my office for about a week.
I just keep forgetting to give it to you.
CHARLIE
Thanks. It's nice.
C.J.
Have a good night.
CHARLIE
Good night.
C.J. leaves. Charlie continues to stare at the picture. He finally places the picture down on his
desk, and the camera pans upclose to the picture of Charlie when he was around six, being held by
his mother in her police uniform.
CUT TO: INT. A BAR - NIGHT
JOSH
Campaigns aren't about the candidates.
TOBY
No?
JOSH
They're about the voters. How-how are we going to create jobs? how-how are we going to get healthcare?
How are we going to make the lights go on? How are we going to protect ourselves?
TOBY
Don't you want to ask if the plumber knows which directions the pipes run? Don't you...? Forget the
plumber. Don't... (sighs)... we want leadership to sound and feel like, instead of appealing to
our-our least expensive, however legitimate, desire to fell good about our selves? Don't we want...?
DONNA
All right, that's it. I can't take it.
TOBY
He started it.
DONNA
I am not kidding. I have such an impulse to knock your heads together. I can't remember the last time
I heard you two talk about anything other than how a campaign was playing in Washington. Cathy needed
to take a second job so her dad could be covered by her insurance. She tried to tell you how bad
things were for family farmers. You told her we already lost Indiana. You made fun of the fair but
you didn't see they have livestock exhibitions and give prizes for the biggest tomato and the best
heirloom apple. They're proud of what they grow. Eight modes of transportation, the kindness of six
strangers, random conversations with twelve more, and nobody brought up Bartlet versus Ritchie but
you. I'm writing letters, on your behalf to the parents of the kids who were killed today. Can I have
the table, please?
Toby and Josh slowly get up fom the table. They walk over to a bar, where a man is sitting there alone.
MATT KELLEY
Flight's delayed?
TOBY
Yeah.
MATT
Me, too. I'm going to St. Louis.
TOBY
Washington.
MATT
I'm with my daughter. She's up, uh, stairs in the room, but we were out here looking at Notre Dame.
TOBY
Yeah.
MATT
You got kids?
TOBY
No.
MATT
Wait till you take your oldest to look at colleges. It's an incredible feeling. You wish they'd go
to college across the street from your house, but you know...
TOBY
Yeah.
TOBY
A Jack Daniels rocks.
BARTENDER
Yeah.
TOBY
My boss went to Notre Dame.
MATT
Beautiful campus. I've never seen anything like it. She-she's not going to get to sleep tonight.
You see what happened in the market today?
TOBY
Yeah, I-I saw. You invested?
MATT
Ehh... Mutual fund that's supposed to send her to college. I never imagined at $55,000 a year, I'd
have trouble making ends meet. And my wife brings in another 25. My son's in public school. It's no
good. I mean, there's 37 kids in the class, uh, no art and music, no advanced placement classes.
Other kids, their mother has to make them practice the piano. You can't pull my son away from the
piano. He needs teachers. I spend half the day thinking about what happens if I slip and fall down
on my own front porch, you know? It should be hard. I like that it's hard. Putting your daughter
through college, that's-that's a man's job. A man's accomplishment. But it should be a little easier.
Just a little easier. 'Cause in that difference is... everything. I'm sorry. I'm, uh, I-I'm Matt Kelley.
TOBY
I'm Toby Ziegler. I work at the White House. Have a minute to talk? We'd, uh... like to buy you a beer.
MATT
Hey.
A 5:05 - PRESIDENT MET WITH MR. McGARRY, CH. FITZWALLACE AND DR. McNALLY
CUT TO: EXT. THE WHITE HOUSE COOLANADE - NIGHT
Bartlet is walking down the collanade and continues to THE OVAL OFFICE.
NANCY
Good morning, Mr. President.
FITZWALLACE
Good moring, sir.
LEO
Good morning, sir.
BARTLET
The happy fun group.
LEO
We have reason to believe that in the next 48 hours, the Qumari rescue team will announce that they've
recovered a military-issued Israeli-made parchute.
BARTLET
They're just allowed to make things up now?
NANCY
As long as we won't step up and say it was us, they do.
BARTLET
They know it was us right?
LEO
Yeah.
BARTLET
Is that what you think we should do?
NANCY
Me?
BARTLET
Yeah.
NANCY
No, I don't. I am, however, beginning to lean towards reducing ournuclear aresenal one at a time,
if you know what I mean, sir.
BARTLET
What about you?
FITZWALLACE
[nodding at Nancy] Well, I'm with Dr. Strangelove on keeping our military secrets secret. But Nancy
and Leo and I think there's a third option, which is to say it was us but insulate you.
BARTLET
I signed a piece of paper, Fitz.
FITZWALLACE
We can get around that.
BARTLET
You just hated my living guts when I got this job, didn't you?
FITZWALLACE
No, sir.
BARTLET
Yeah, you did. I didn't know anything and I didn't have any respect for the Chiefs. You became my
counselor and you wrangled the Chiefs and you brought them to me.
FITZWALLACE
You got the Chiefs, sir, they respect you.
BARTLET
You brought them to me. And you talked Leo into Shareef and he talked me into it. It was my order
and you executed it flawlessly and I stand by it. I stand by you, I stand by you all. I stand by
it till I die. Plus, I'm going to need some cell mates in Holland. So, what do we do now?
LEO
We're in the Situation Room.
BARTLET
Let's go.
CUT TO: EXT. AIRPORT ROAD - NIGHT
An airport shuttle is seen driving down the road.
CUT TO: INT. AIRPORT SHUTTLE - CONTINUOUS
Toby, Donna and Josh and several other passengers are inside the shuttle.
JOSH
You're telling me, we couldn't have just gone to the nearest Chinese restaurant, picked up some
Kikkoman and poured it into the soy diesel thing?
DONNA
I don't think it works like that. Plus, how close do you think the nearest Chinese restaurant was?
JOSH
Well, we should start making cars that run on ketchup.
DONNA
When I get home, I'm taking the longest hot bath of my life.
TOBY
(to shuttle driver) Excuse me, would you mind letting me off up there at the bridge?
DRIVER
Are you sure?
TOBY
Yeah. I can walk to work from there.
JOSH
Yeah, I'll hop out there, too.
DONNA
Please, not this again.
JOSH
Hey, you're the one who did the number back at the bar.
DONNA
It didn't have anything to do with eliminating modern conviences.
JOSH
She can drop you off at home.
DONNA
I'll get out with them up there.
The shuttle comes to a stop and TOBY, JOSH, and DONNA get off of the shuttle.
TOBY
If our job teaches us anything, it's that we don't know what the next President's gonna face. And if
we choose someone with vision, someone with guts, someone with gravitas, who's connected to other
people's lives, and cares about making them better... if we choose someone to inspire us, then we'll
be able to face what comes our way and achieve things... we can't imagine yet. Instead of telling
people who's the most qualified, instead of telling people who's got the better ideas, let's make
it obvious. It's going to be hard.
JOSH
Then we'll do what's hard.
DISSOLVE TO: END TITLES.
FADE TO BLACK.
THE END
* * *
The West Wing and all its characters are a property of Aaron Sorkin, John Wells
Productions, Warner Brothers Television and NBC. No copyright infringement is intended.
Episode 4.02 -- "20 Hours in America part 2"
Original Air Date: September 25, 2002, 10:00 PM EST
Transcript by: The Vault
October 20, 2002