Previously on The West Wing:
You should introduce yourself, your personal narrative.
I don't wanna be the brown candidate. I wanna be the American candidate.
You've seen this problem develop about my going to church.
That's all right. I go enough for both of us.
You saw Vinick on TV. He was tough and authentic.
- He was Neil Young to your Neil Diamond. - I like Neil Diamond.
You've been called for reserve training.
- It won't look like a stunt? - Following orders.
- Half the press are calling it a stunt. - They're all running footage.
- Nine points. - Only nine points down?
And that's why Ray Sullivan and I are working so hard...
...to take back the White House for the Republican Party.
And with your help, we're gonna do it.
Thank you.
Big Sur is on the move. Secure room ready?
- Great speech, senator. - Thanks.
- Sir. - Good to see you.
- How are you? Hi, how are you? - Good luck, sir.
All right. Santos picked up two points in our tracking poll.
Senator, this is the secure room, sir.
- Perfect. - Good morning, senator.
I'm Charles Frost, I handle your intelligence briefings.
- Are you with the Agency or the NSC? - Actually, I am an Agency employee...
...but I have been assigned to the NSC for the last six months...
Great. You mind if I multitask?
Go ahead.
Well, there's a situation in Kazakhstan...
He should resign the Senate now so he can't be forced into any more votes.
He'd be breaking his promise to serve his full term.
We've already got enough problems with his voting record.
Hey, I'm proud of my voting record. Well, most of it.
I'd quit the Senate if I thought it would help us win...
...but now it'll just look like a cheap stunt.
- I'm just saying... - Forget it. I'm not quitting.
We'll have to turn it into an advantage.
No senator has won the presidency since 1960.
There is a reason for that.
Sheila, will you please tell Bruno when I make a decision...
...that's the end of it.
- What's next? - Fraternal Order of Police.
- Plus what? - Homeland security, the death penalty.
A little extra law and order.
The RNC have a TV ad they want you to approve today.
Leon Montero will have the tape.
Are they ever gonna stop showing these shots of Santos in uniform?
- That's what I call a stunt. - Yeah? Pretty great stunt.
- You'll be surrounded by uniforms today. - Except I won't be wearing one.
Okay, gotta go.
Hey, Leon, this is Bruno.
Got a spot the RNC wants to run.
In six short years in the House of Representatives...
... Congressman Matthew Santos has voted for higher taxes 47 times.
Must be his committee votes against all the tax-cut amendments.
So it's no surprise that Matt Santos opposes the tax cuts...
... that Arnold Vinick thinks you deserve. How much does Matt Santos...
Is this all you guys know how to do? Attack ads?
- Hey. - Have you seen the ads I've written?
- Anyone with half a brain... - Leon's not with the RNC.
He ran my California operation for years.
And I don't write TV ads.
I leave that for people with half a brain.
Have Sheila go to headquarters and tell them again...
...we're not going negative yet.
They get that. They just don't think they shouldn't.
The press knows you get to approve ads.
- It's a good ad. - Great ad. If you're 10 points down.
- Santos is gaining on us. - Reserve duty sure worked.
You still have a lock on the Electoral College.
A Democrat cannot win without California.
And most of this country cannot imagine Santos as president.
- Because he's Latino? - Latino, inexperienced, take your pick.
You don't need this ad.
Tell the RNC to shelve this one for now.
But if Santos says one word about my voting record, just one word...
...tell the RNC to carpet-bomb the swing states with that ad.
I gotta go kiss some babies.
I'm Arnold Vinick, and I approved this message.
- Stronger. - I'm Arnold Vinick...
...and I approved this message. - Softer.
I'm Arnold Vinick, and I'll be the nicest president ever, I promise.
Quiet, everybody, quiet. Please, senator, once again.
I'm...
- Arnold Vinick. - Right. Thank you, Leon.
Okay, that's it. Out. Everyone, out of here!
Relax, Bruno. Let them stay. I'll get it right.
I'm Arnold Vinick, and I approved this message.
Good. One more.
I'm Arnold Vinick, and I approved this message.
Wait, one more.
I'm Arnold Vinick, and I approved this message.
- I think we got it. - Yep, we got it.
When do I meet with the American Christian Assembly?
- Working on it. - They wanna do it at their headquarters.
Sheila wants to do it at our headquarters or neutral territory.
Maybe in Philadelphia tomorrow, after the VFW speech.
CNN just released a new poll.
- Oh, I got a five-point lead? - Every poll out there has Santos gaining.
Because he put on his old uniform for a weekend.
There's a three-point margin of error, so really, we could be up by eight.
Margin of error goes both ways. Could be pretty much a tie.
Does the poll indicate your opponent is closing in...?
No questions.
What do you think of Santos doing his reserve duty during the campaign?
- Do you think it was a stunt? - A stunt?
No, that was devotion to duty.
That's what makes the American military the greatest fighting force...
...in the history of the world.
And I hope Congressman Santos continues to do his duty...
...when I'm commander in chief.
I hope Congressman Santos continues to do his duty when I'm commander in chief.
I'll take any sentence that has "Santos" and "do his duty" in it.
- Vinick should've changed the subject. - Live in Sacramento in five.
- Think the uniform got to him? - I know it did.
Three, two...
Oh, no, Bill, of course it wasn't a stunt.
I've always answered my country's call to duty, and I always will.
You had to do it, didn't you?
Had to take a shot at Santos for getting in uniform.
I didn't take a shot at him. I praised his service.
Yeah, then you took a shot.
- Which you knew networks would use. - It was a cheap stunt.
Santos could have delayed his reserve duty until after the campaign.
Well, your little quip is keeping the Santos story alive.
He's gonna get another news cycle out of that cheap stunt.
Which, if you ask me, was a great stunt.
We need to be setting the agenda for this campaign.
Santos should be chasing me, not the other way.
Santos is gonna have some good days. Can't let it get to you.
Sheila, hold on. Put this thing on speaker.
- Go ahead. - We stick to the message of the week:
Homeland security. You just got the Fraternal Order of Police endorsement.
You're gonna get the Philadelphia Police Union 's...
...after the VFW speech tomorrow...
...and we're working on getting you the Houston Police Union's endorsement.
He was mayor and can't get his own cops' endorsement?
- That's gotta drive Santos up the wall. - Have they ever endorsed a Democrat?
This is gonna be a good week for us, senator.
- Maybe next week we can do... - We gotta shake this up now.
Santos got a bump from the reserve thing that is gonna disappear...
Santos is not the standard-issue Democratic candidate.
Yeah, he's weaker than the standard-issue candidate.
Matt Santos is a lot smarter and tougher than you think.
We gotta take it to him. We gotta put Santos in a jam.
We can't just cross our fingers and hope for the Houston Police Union to do it.
First to go negative is a show of weakness.
I wanna knock him off message without mentioning him.
We can find ways that can surprise him.
I don't wanna surprise him. I wanna shock him.
How do we do that?
- Go to Hawaii? - Take a vacation?
- That'll shock him, all right. - Go to a state they don't expect us to.
Make him waste some money and time in Hawaii.
Santos can read that play.
Go after the Latino vote?
Do...?
Do I actually have to say how insane that is?
I've always won the Latino vote in California.
- Why should I give up on that now? - Oh, I don't know, let me think.
Maybe because you're running against a Latino candidate...
...who's gonna get about 2000 percent of the Latino vote.
Without ever opening his mouth on Latino issues?
Immigration, Mexican-border issues?
Without ever campaigning in the Latino community?
He's got the Latino community locked up.
What if we just do policy announcements on Latino issues?
- It's a waste of time. - Bruno, if you're the...
If you're the Santos campaign, how would you respond?
I don't know.
That's the point, knock him off his game.
- He won't know what I'll do next. - It's too risky.
Are we gonna look unpredictable or desperate?
We're changing the message. We're canceling Philadelphia.
- You can 't cancel the VFW. - I am not a veteran of a foreign war.
It'll look like I'm playing Santos' game, surrounding myself with military people.
- If you cancel the VFW... - Cancel it.
We regroup at headquarters tonight and plan a new message of the week.
We're taking it to him, starting right now.
No, the earliest I can get him back to Cleveland is...
...let me see, Tuesday. No, not tomorrow, next Tuesday.
Yeah, but Pennsylvania is a swing state too.
It'd take me four hours to fly the candidate...
...and the traveling press to Cleveland.
- I can't do this meeting right now. - VFW says Vinick just cancelled.
Hold on.
He canceled the VFW?
- VFW's offering the slot if we want it. - Of course we want it.
I'll get him out early, have him there by noon.
- CNN poll, Vinick's lead's down to five. - Five?
And the Zogby poll just gave us the lead in Maine.
We got momentum, baby! We got the big mo!
Okay, if I drive him to Akron, can you guarantee me Cleveland press?
Great, that's the plan. Why would he cancel the VFW?
- What, is he sick? - Haven't released their schedule yet.
They can't have anything better. Nothing better than the VFW for a Republican.
We got some movement on the debate negotiations.
- The negotiations about the negotiations? - Right.
The Vinick campaign's agreed to our demand.
- No. - Yeah.
They're willing to come here to negotiate?
And why is that bad?
Then we don't get to blame them for dragging their feet on negotiations.
The Zogby poll just came out. Same as CNN.
Josh is gonna start pushing the press to do Santos momentum stories.
- He ain't got the big mo yet. - He's got something.
We're losing Maine?
Zogby poll says Santos pulled ahead by two points in Maine.
I don't give a damn. We change our board when our tracking polls tell us to.
Hang on. Actually, that was...
Our own tracking in Maine now has Santos ahead by three.
I'm telling you, he would love to meet with the reverends...
...but there's no way I can pull him off the trail and get him to Atlanta.
Georgia's not a swing state. He's ahead by 20 points there.
Well, I understand. The reverends don't wanna look like they're begging.
Right, but you have to understand my position here.
Okay, why don't you come over here tonight...
...and have the meeting for them.
They preserve their dignity...
...I preserve my campaign schedule and we do business.
Great. See you then.
Just got you out of a meeting with the reverends.
Have I told you how much I love you?
But you're gonna have to do a meeting with George Rohr.
That vicious little...?
Jeez, I'd rather meet with the entire American Christian Assembly.
No, you wouldn't. George is a political professional...
...and the reverends follow his advice. You are gonna be very nice to him.
You're the devil, aren't you?
I have the devil running my campaign, don't I?
Okay, what have we got?
We're changing the message of the week to immigration issues.
It's the last thing Santos wants. Not just because he's Latino, but also...
Would we be doing this if he wasn't?
Republicans have been going after the Latino vote for years now.
You've made a good living helping them.
Press will ask if this is because he's Latino.
The answer is these are important issues that belong in this campaign.
We're gonna have to do better than that.
- What's the plan? - Dan?
Day one. Tomorrow.
Policy announcement: Double the Border Patrol.
Obvious appeal to our Republican base.
A photo-op in El Paso at the border crossing...
...and one with the Minutemen.
The civilians who are helping patrol the border.
- The vigilantes? - They're not hurting anybody.
Bunch of nuts patrolling the border? Someone's gonna get hurt.
Is there a local chapter of the Klan? We can do a drop-by.
The Minutemen have gotten a lot of national press.
Our base loves them. It's a good photo-op.
Okay.
We finish day one with a dinner speech to the El Paso Chamber of Commerce.
It's a day of saturation coverage in Texas...
...a must-win state for Santos. - Next.
Day two. Policy announcement: The Vinick guest-worker program.
Legal status for illegals already here doing jobs Americans don't want.
Okay, this I like. Good crossover appeal for Democrats and independents.
Especially as part of our Sensible Solutions theme.
We haven't got the events worked out yet. Probably just a speech.
- Not sure where to do it. - Can do it anywhere.
The point is, we force Santos to respond.
- Because he's Latino. - Look, we're not...
The Latino community's gonna know what you're doing.
- It's gotta be more than just a speech. - Like?
- Introduce a bill. - In the Senate?
I still have a job there, don't I?
It's a good way to turn the Senate into an advantage.
Take the speech to leg counsel and have them turn it into legislative language.
The details are up to you.
Just make sure it really is one of our Sensible Solutions.
Sheila, work on getting me cosponsors and a hearing date.
- What's day three? - Central America Free Trade Agreement.
That's old news. We passed that... We passed that months ago.
- Santos has a problem with it. - Did he split with the Democrats?
Worse. He split with himself.
Voted for it in committee, then voted against it on the floor.
He's not gonna know what hit him.
After the day in Texas, we gotta get him back to D.C. To introduce the bill.
That way we can keep the schedule we have in Ohio.
Add the Border Patrol, guest-worker stuff to the stump.
I'm gonna need him in the studio for another TV spot.
I can give him to you for an hour on Friday morning.
George Rohr's here. In the conference room.
Let's go.
- Hey, George, how you doing? - Hey, good to see you, Dan.
You look great. Private sector's been good to you.
Is that what you call religion?
I mean, not working with the speaker anymore...
...not stuck in the Capitol all night...
...listening to the wit and wisdom of the House.
I do thank God for that.
George Rohr's here.
If I win this election, George Rohr never sets foot in the White House.
You got that?
I mean, not even a tour.
George is gonna try to jam you on judges.
You gotta be receptive but noncommittal.
"I would certainly welcome your input on judicial appointments," blah, blah, blah.
- Hey, George, great to see you. - Good to see you, senator.
Sorry I couldn't meet with the full group...
...but this campaign schedule is just so tight.
You try to change one hour of it, the whole thing comes apart.
I understand. We appreciate you taking the time.
Why don't we clear out the staff so George and I can talk alone.
Thank you, sir.
Can I get you anything?
I think we might have a couple of slices of pepperoni here.
I'm good.
- So, what's up, George? - Well, as you can imagine...
...the council is very, very concerned about...
Sorry. The campaign's the only excuse left...
...for someone my age to eat junk food.
Please, go ahead. I'm listening.
The council's just plain worried about judges, senator.
The reverends are all afraid of the kind of judges you'd appoint.
We're gonna need a guarantee on judges.
- We're gonna need... - George, when I'm president...
...I'll be very eager for input from you and the group on judicial nominations.
I'm gonna make the vice president my point man on judges.
You know Ray Sullivan.
A great man, great governor. Gonna make a great VP.
And you know that Ray shares your views...
...on everything that's important to your organization.
You mean, to my religion.
Yeah.
We're not worried about Ray Sullivan. We're worried about you.
Ray likes the judges you like...
...and I'm gonna rely on Ray's recommendations.
A pro-life VP making recommendations isn't enough, senator.
We need you to commit to appointing pro-life judges.
Look, Santos voted for partial-birth abortion.
At least I'm with you on that.
Reverend Butler and the others think that just means that...
...Santos wants to kill a few hundred more babies a year than you do.
You think I wanna kill babies, George?
Senator...
...Santos is closing the gap with you. If our voters stay at home, you lose.
I came here to tell you how to get our voters. I came here to help you.
Okay.
Can we speak confidentially?
Yeah, can you hear me now?
Oh, okay, go ahead.
All right, thanks.
Santos picked up another point.
- We're down to a four-point lead. - If that.
That's why I wanna double the Border Patrol, double the manpower.
Give you guys what you need to get the job done.
Easiest way for a terrorist to get into this country is to cross this border.
This isn't just an immigration issue, this is a homeland-security issue.
- We have to get control of our borders. - Senator, senator!
Vinick just proposed doubling the Border Patrol. Any comment?
No, I was not surprised the Santos VFW speech...
...was interrupted by applause 18 times. Santos is a veteran who understands...
Vinick says it's a security issue. Gotta stop al Qaeda at the Rio Grande.
I'll get back to you on that.
- Really? - No.
Vinick's proposing doubling the Border Patrol.
How will he pay for it if he cuts taxes?
Save it for the debates. We don't need to fan that flame.
You need to chip away at his lead on security issues.
He might as well say, "Elect a Latino, there'll be a Mexican on your lawn."
- Don't let him get to you. - Easy to say.
- Yeah. You ready for the one-on-ones? - Yep.
We picked up a point on tracking.
Story of the day: Momentum, momentum, momentum.
Come on in, Ellen. Ellen Trayers of The Boston Globe.
Morning, Ellen. Come on in.
Have a seat.
Senator Vinick wants to double the Border Patrol.
Do you think that will stop illegal immigration?
Every poll shows us closing the gap, gaining momentum.
Suddenly you're gonna hear all sorts of new proposals from the other side.
What people are gonna hear from me is a consistent message on security.
I told the VFW today...
...keeping this country safe is my top priority...
...and I intend on sticking to that.
Thought you had to get to Santos' headquarters for negotiations.
You gotta see this.
Get me the senator.
- Sheila. - Yeah?
Just a heads-up, a crazy internet thing.
Drudge is reporting that sources close to the American Christian Assembly...
... say you promised approval of judges.
I got the Minutemen waiting. Can we talk later?
Problem is, the press takes Drudge very seriously...
... so we have to issue a denial.
We'll put out something on paper from here, keep it low-key.
Hold off on that denial.
You didn't promise them anything, did you?
We'll talk about this later.
- What did he say? - Nothing.
We got a problem, right?
Hi, good to see you. How are you?
- It's an honor. Appreciate you coming. - What's your name?
- Harley Parker. - Have you caught anybody yet, Harley?
There's a lot of publicity about us.
They're probably gonna find another spot to cross.
- That's why we gotta get tough. - The Minutemen should get tough?
We've got a 2000-mile border here...
...and most of it is unprotected most of the time.
We can't have real homeland security if we can't secure our borders.
Senator, the Border Patrol has asked the Minutemen to stop operations.
Why do you support the Minutemen?
I understand why the Minutemen are here.
I understand their frustration and I share their goals...
...but I agree with the Border Patrol.
We should leave law enforcement to the professionals.
The Minutemen are showing why we need to double the Border Patrol.
What you see here today is gonna continue...
...if the government fails to police this border.
We're gonna have more vigilantes coming here to do it themselves...
...and that's not the American way.
This is a great example of how we can strengthen national security...
...and strengthen our economy at the same time.
The Air Force urgently needs more C-17s...
...and the American workers are ready, willing and able to do the job, so...
Senator Vinick says the Minutemen patrolling the border are vigilantes.
- Do you agree? - I'm here to see the job...
...these workers are doing for America.
They're doing their part for the economy and national security.
Do you think they're vigilantes?
The C-17 is our most advanced military cargo plane...
You're from a border state. How do we secure the border?
I don't see how you can afford to double the Border Patrol if you cut taxes.
So doubling the patrol is a good idea that we can't afford?
Doubling the patrol won't solve the problem.
Do you agree with Senator Vinick that the Minutemen are vigilantes?
- Yes, I do. - We got a problem.
- He agreed with Vinick? - Ready in the conference room.
Okay, try to keep him on-message. I gotta go.
Vinick's killing our VFW coverage with his Mexican-border junk.
- They sent Bruno. - Of course they did.
Arnold Vinick said that civilians patrolling the border are vigilantes.
Matt Santos then agreed with Senator Vinick.
What are you doing here?
I believe the agenda was debate negotiations.
What are you doing here representing a Republican?
Great guy. You'd love him.
- Come on, he's a Republican. - I noticed that.
So you switched parties?
- Just this once. - Career on the slide?
Figure you'd grab a few headlines by signing up with the enemy?
Taking a salary or a percentage of the ad buy?
I made so much money on your campaigns...
...I might just do this one for free.
Whenever you're ready.
We had a very productive meeting.
- Did you agree on a format? - No.
- Did you agree on dates? - No.
- Did you agree on a number of debates? - No.
How many debates is the Vinick campaign proposing?
We think one's enough to highlight the differences between the candidates.
Especially since they seem to agree on so much. Thank you.
Came here so he could hold a press conference at our door.
Pretend there's no difference between Santos and Vinick.
Slimy, sleazy, backstabbing mother...
You got any new numbers yet?
We've moved up three points. We're ahead by seven.
The border worked with conservatives.
The vigilante thing worked with liberals.
You know he was gonna call them vigilantes?
- I had no idea. - I thought it was gonna be a day...
...of red meat for conservatives, he pulls something out of the hat for libs.
- What'd he say about the judges? - He keeps avoiding the subject.
I'm gonna corner him about it after this thing.
Well, it's page one of the Atlanta Constitution today, so we...
Good morning. I've returned to the Senate today to introduce S-1103...
... a bill to establish a guest-worker visa for farm workers and other...
- Guest-worker program? - This guy's unbelievable.
- Currently not eligible for work visas.
This is a sensible solution to a problem that we have to face honestly.
There are currently at least 10 million illegal immigrants in this country...
... most of whom are doing a hard day's work...
... at low-paying jobs that Americans don 't want.
- It is time to create a legal system... - Yeah?
Aerospace workers, who have...
I just got a question about a guest-worker program for illegals...
...Vinick's gonna propose. - He's introducing the bill right now.
Sounds like he's coming from the left.
The problem is, when the congressman hears about it...
...he's gonna wanna be a cosponsor.
You know, I introduced a guest-worker program the first year I was in Congress.
I couldn't even get a hearing on it.
Vinick opens his mouth about it, it's like he's parting the Red Sea.
- You're gonna look like a follower. - He's the one following me.
We can't chase reporters with a page from the Congressional Record...
...to prove you got there first. - I shouldn't have hid on these issues.
I didn't wanna be the brown candidate, stereotyped.
I should've gotten out in front on all this stuff during the primaries.
You were great. You won the nomination.
Lou, I shut up on Latino issues and gave Vinick this opening.
Vinick is gonna have some good days.
We're giving him too many good days.
You went hard right yesterday with your Border Patrol idea...
... and you threw a bone to the left with the vigilante comment.
Today, you went hard left with an amnesty program for illegal aliens.
You're obviously trying to trip up the Santos campaign with this zigzag.
Don 't you run the risk of confusing the voters about where you stand?
I've made it very clear where I stand, Chris.
Enforcement first. That's what we have to do at the border.
Stop illegal immigration and keep the terrorists out.
And then once we've secured the border...
... we have to deal with the illegal immigrants who are already here...
... putting in an honest day's work, doing the jobs we need them to do.
- Perfect. - Where have you been on these issues?
Why haven 't you talked about the Border Patrol budget before?
Why haven 't you come up with a guest-worker program before?
Aren't you leaning on these border issues because your opponent is Latino...
... and he can 't talk tough about the Border Patrol...
... or say anything that sounds like amnesty for illegals?
Yeah! Welcome to Hardball, Arnie.
I counted five questions that time, Chris.
- Vinick's on the ropes. - You're trying to jam Santos.
Chris, baby, keep slugging.
I've lived with these problems for a long time...
... and I've worked hard on them in the Senate.
But a senator can only do so much.
I want to be president because these are the kinds of problems...
... that presidential leadership can solve.
We're running out of time, but I wanna ask about the story...
... that you've secretly pledged to appoint pro-life judges. True?
Well, Chris, the selection of federal judges and Supreme Court justices...
... is one of the most important presidential powers.
I hope to have a broad range of input and advice on my judicial appointments...
... especially from my vice president, Ray Sullivan, who as a former...
Senator, we're out of time. Will you appoint pro-life judges?
Chris, the Founding Fathers could've written a litmus test for judges...
... into the Constitution, but they chose not to.
So I don 't think the president should impose a litmus test for...
Okay, no litmus test for judges. That's all the time we have.
- Thank you, Senator Vinick. - Thank you, Chris.
Congressman Matthew Santos continues to garner strong support...
- Yeah? - Morning.
What are you doing here?
Just thought I'd see what's it's like on the road.
- Your candidate's exhausted. - I'll see what I can do about that.
Lou called you here so you guys could double-team me.
Keep me on-message?
Actually, we were hoping to tweak the message a little bit today...
...by adding a couple of paragraphs about the Supreme Court.
Next president's gonna put a couple judges on the court.
Women's right to choose, stuff like that. The more you talk about it...
...the more the press will hammer Vinick on judges.
You think he promised the reverends pro-life judges?
- I think he wants to win. - Because I...
I can't believe he'd go that far.
We'll use the story to put pressure on Vinick.
Get the press to jam him with questions about judges...
...instead of him jamming us about the border.
He's killing me. I have to challenge him on it.
We have to put him on the defensive so we can get control again.
We've been scoring on national security.
- We can get the momentum back if we... - Stay on-message.
If someone goes on the record and says Vinick promised pro-life judges...
...this story's gonna explode. We'll be in the driver's seat.
The New York Times loves your guest-worker program.
Think we might have a shot at an endorsement.
Kiss of death for a conservative.
- New York has 31 electoral votes. - I'm just saying.
Leon, you have the talking points on CAFTA?
George Rohr called me before breakfast today.
Watched you on Hardball last night.
Thinks you two need to have a clarifying meeting.
Let Sullivan talk to him. He knows how to talk to those people.
Those people can take this election away from you...
...so you better... - I can't meet with him again.
He somehow got the idea that you promised him approval of judges.
That's because I did.
- You promised them judges? - Yeah.
I lied.
You lied?
Yeah, so did George Rohr.
He promised to keep it secret...
...and first thing he does is leak it to Drudge.
- You lied to George? - I lied to a liar.
Miserable little...
He's what's wrong with this party.
- He's the problem, not me. - Jesus.
Tell that lying little creep...
...the United States Senate gets to advise and consent on judges.
Not the clergy.
If his gang wants to have a say in picking judges...
...tell them to run for the Senate.
Are you done?
- Yeah, you? - Oh, yeah.
I was trying to get through the meeting. He had me cornered.
I figured tell him what he wants to hear...
...and ignore him in the White House.
If you had checked with me, I would've told you that wouldn't work.
That he would leak it, and that you'd be forced to confirm or deny...
...either of which would hurt us with a very large bloc of voters.
- Thought you said you were done. - I lied.
Looks like it's time to call Ray Sullivan out of the bullpen.
Today I am introducing a Sense of the Senate Resolution...
...urging the president to expedite implementation...
...of the Central American Free Trade Agreement...
...because it is an essential component to securing the Mexican border.
Increasing trade with Central America is good for our economy...
...and it's good for their economies.
More jobs in Central America...
...means less illegal immigration in this country. It's that simple.
Are you trying to highlight your support for CAFTA...
...because Congressman Santos voted against it?
He did? I thought he voted for it.
I'm not sure how he voted. You can check on that.
I certainly was surprised that so many Democrats in the House...
...voted against helping impoverished Central American countries...
...build their economies. Especially when it's good for our economy too.
Senator, did you promise the American Christian Assembly...
...you would appoint pro-life judges? - This is the Senate press-briefing room.
This isn't the place for campaign questions. Next.
Gonna get a question about CAFTA.
Because Vinick said something about CAFTA?
- Still, we should... - Damn, he's good.
Let's not play Vinick's game on CAFTA. Voters don't care.
Okay, let's do it.
- I get some sleep after this, right? - Two hours. I promise.
- Ted Zukoski, Chicago Tribune. - Ted.
- Sit down, Ted. - Thank you.
Congressman, today Senator Vinick said that he was surprised...
...that so many Democrats had voted against CAFTA. Do you think...?
International trade agreements are important...
...to our long-term national security planning...
...because nations who buy from each other usually don't shoot at each other.
Which is why our trade relationships with China are as important to our...
Why did you vote against CAFTA?
It was a complicated bill.
Well, Senator Vinick says that the more jobs there are in Central America...
...the fewer people who try to get into the U.S. Illegally.
Well, that's true. Look, I am for free trade. I'm for fair trade.
But CAFTA was not a fair deal for us or for Central America.
Are you saying that CAFTA won't help Central America?
Of course it will, but not as much as it could have.
Look, I voted for CAFTA before I voted against it.
I voted for it in committee when it was good...
...and then the special interests started hacking away at it.
It was a mess by the time it got to the floor, so I voted against it.
We have to let him loose on CAFTA. Get him into a town-hall setting.
Let him explain his thinking to real people, not reporters.
The press is never gonna let him explain voting for it and then voting against it.
I just got our tracking.
- How bad? - Got Vinick up by 12.
- Hey. - Hey.
I hear Vinick's tracking has him up by 10.
That's not what we have.
- George, great to see you. - Good to see you, governor.
I don't know why they bother to give me hotel rooms.
This campaign doesn't let the VP candidate actually sleep.
- Coffee? - No, thanks.
We've got a serious problem.
George, I understand why you'd like the senator...
...to make a public commitment on judges...
...but you've never asked a nominee to do that before.
We've never had a pro-choice nominee before.
He's got to give us a reason to support him.
That reason's sitting right here.
All due respect, governor, but that's not enough.
Now, he promises me he'll appoint pro-life judges.
I tell the reverends that, and then I see him on TV...
...doing the no-litmus-test bit. He humiliated me.
Some of our people are begging me...
...to release a statement saying he lied to me.
And I'm asking you not to do that as a personal favor to me.
This is bigger than that.
Nothing's bigger than personal favors. Not to me.
You're looking at the next vice president.
Or the next front-runner for the Republican nomination for president.
You wanna be my friend, George.
Believe me, being my friend is a lot better than being my enemy.
We have no problem with you, governor.
You've been promised a lot by politicians over the years.
How many of them have ever come through for you?
Not a lot.
If you want Arnie Vinick to listen to you about judges...
...threatening him isn't gonna work.
He's already told you who he's gonna listen to: Me.
You already know what kind of judges I want.
You've seen the judges I've appointed. You've approved of every one of them.
Now, you got a choice.
You can cause trouble for us and it'll just help elect Matt Santos.
Or you can be a team player, the Vinick-Sullivan team...
...and I'll make sure President Vinick listens to you and me about judges.
I appreciate you coming, George. I really do.
If anyone in your group has a problem with the Vinick-Sullivan ticket...
...I will sit down with them anywhere, anytime to talk it through.
You know what the worst thing about the campaign trail is?
Surprises.
I don't want any.
You got that?
Senator.
I'm going back to D.C. Tonight.
- What's this? - It's my letter of resignation.
- What? - Yeah.
The letter is to thank you for everything. From when I started in...
What's this about? What, problems with Bruno?
- I need to spend time with my family. - Leon, come on.
I never thought it was gonna be Santos.
He didn't have a chance at the nomination.
Now we're three weeks in, and I can't do it.
I can't work day and night to beat the first Latino nominee for president.
Now we're using his heritage...
That's not what I'm doing. I'm talking policy. That's fair.
Please, senator, I was in the meeting.
If Santos is afraid to lead the country on these issues...
...then he doesn't deserve to be president.
Voters have a right to hear from the Latino candidate about Latino issues.
He ought to be ahead of me on this stuff.
The twins are 2 and a half now.
My mother-in-law taught them how to say the word "Santos."
Someday they're gonna ask me what I did on this campaign.
I can't tell them I did this.
Can't do it.
Senator, they're ready for you.
- Thank you. - Hey, Arnie.
Back up by 10. You're really sticking it to him.
The border stuff is killing Santos.
- How did it go with George Rohr? - I got him back in his cage for now.
- Promise him anything? - I'll tell you after the election.
The next president and vice president of the United States:
Arnold Vinick and Ray Sullivan.
Vinick! Vinick! Vinick! Vinick!
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