Previously on The West Wing:
Greg Brock just released a story...
...about a classified m*llitary shuttle
that could be...
...sent up to rescue those astronauts.
It's a federal crime to divulge
classified information.
I want this leaker found.
Did David ever mention anything
about a non-civilian shuttle?
Hey, I got subpoenaed.
- Congratulations.
- You?
Nope. Last one to get
one's a rotten egg.
Last one is the focus
of the investigation.
Can you tell me about the nature
of your relationship with Greg Brock?
I'm the suspect.
You would not believe
the day I've had.
I'd tell you about it if I could...
...but a bunch of stuff happened today
I can't talk about.
So I guess I should
stop talking about it.
The truth is I'm so strung-out
and wired on caffeine...
...I can't tell what room I'm in.
- C.J.?
Let's open that bottle
of champagne you gave me.
Maybe the alcohol
will balance out the caffeine.
C.J., the leak...
Let's have a toast, one final toast...
...before I leave the White House
for my perp walk in leg irons.
You open it. I'll take out your eye...
- Would you...?
- I'll open it.
But just listen to what I have to say.
Leo's in trouble.
- I know.
- You do?
- I got a lawyer.
- What?
I got a lawyer.
I did it.
Call the White House Counsel's office.
Send someone over immediately.
I didn't want you to think...
We really can't have any further
conversation without Counsel present.
Excuse me.
I was told to come right in.
Mike, is it?
Sorry. Mike Wayne,
associate counsel.
Mr. Ziegler?
Toby, would you tell Mike
what you just told me?
I was the one who leaked
the information...
...about the classified
m*llitary space shuttle...
...to Greg Brock
of The New York Times.
Where's Oliver Babish?
Out to dinner.
I'll need the key to your office.
- Where are you going?
- Key's on my desk.
I'll have to ask you to accompany me
directly to the Roosevelt Room.
You'll need to wait there quietly
while I retrieve your key...
...lock your office and post a uniformed
Secret Service agent at the door.
That needs to happen right now.
We're going to need the room.
There was nothing on the schedule.
Yeah. We're going to be
needing the room.
Sure. Absolutely.
I'll be back as quickly as I can.
I'll have to ask you
not to speak to anyone...
...about anything in my absence.
Every conversation you have
from this point forward...
...only increases the witness list.
- Watch a movie.
- We land in minutes.
- Watch part of a movie.
- I have to eat my vegetables.
Something we can do together.
Our own machines, headphones,
how are we doing it together?
It'd be a shared experience.
Remember those?
I have to scan this stump speech
for racial code words.
- Really?
- This black professor's saying...
...the section about immigrants
is code for:
"The black underclass is lazy."
- He's got a point.
- He doesn't.
You're not gonna solve
interracial sensitivity in minutes.
Honey, I have to do this.
- All work and no play.
- You calling me a dull boy?
Were you saying something?
Try not doing that
in front of the electorate.
Headphones should be a plus.
You hate when I talk in movies.
You'll just get louder.
You're not gonna fool me.
Thought you liked it when I got loud.
In this, as in all things,
context is king.
Fine.
Try not doing that in front
of the voters either.
- Charles.
- Commander.
You're a hard man to find.
- You can't be too careful.
- You can, actually.
Whom will I be addressing
in the Situation Room?
No one. You're not going
in the Sit Room.
Tell me what you've got to say,
then I'm going in.
You can't stalk
the White House chief of staff.
She wouldn't return my calls.
She's busy helping run the world.
I doubt she calls her mother back.
Mother's dead and father's Alzheimer's
is so bad he wouldn't know she called.
Do you try to come off this creepy?
As a strategy for getting people
to take you seriously...
...it leaves a bit to be desired.
Do you have any idea how thoroughly
I could get you bounced?
I was right, wasn't I?
"Thank you for letting me
keep my job...
...which means everything to me,
as you can see."
I was right.
Before we discuss how right
you are, were or have been...
...I need a vow you'll never ambush
a senior White House official again.
- I'm waiting.
- Fine.
Thank you. Now let's discuss
this assassination in Kazakhstan.
I reached Oliver Babish.
He says you owe him
a raspberry panna cotta cheesecake.
- He'll live.
- Longer, probably.
It's morning in Jerusalem.
You wanted to call
about the Farad funeral.
Right, right.
So you want me to...?
Yeah. Let's do that.
I didn't want to.
I tried not to say anything that...
- I'm sorry?
- The...
The committee. I hope my testimony
didn't make things more difficult for you.
- Don't worry.
- Lf I caused you any problems...
I'm sure you didn't.
I'll... I'll place that call.
- Toby, got a minute?
- No.
We wanted your take
on these OMB numbers.
Go away.
Okay. I'll leave them on your...
Go!
What's wrong with "vigorous"?
Sounds like we're taking
a sh*t at Bartlet.
We're not running against him.
We're running against Methuselah.
Vigorous isn't the opposite of old,
it's the opposite of vigorlessness.
It's gonna come off
like we're referencing the MS.
That's a win-win in my book.
Arnold Vinick isn't some
broken-down Feeb...
...doddering from one
campaign stop to the next.
He's got more energy than I do.
He is inconveniently spry.
- Use that.
- What?
Spry.
It's a word that's only used
to describe old people.
Ever hear of anyone under the age of
who's ever been called spry?
Says old guy versus young guy
without mentioning age.
Just got the new tracking numbers.
Nine and holding.
Couple weeks ago you were doing
cartwheels over being nine down.
- That was a couple weeks ago.
- With the margin of error, it could be six.
When the polls spit out the same number
day in and day out...
...it's time to stop talking
margins of error.
Nine points is nine points.
That's what I thought then,
but you all were so happy.
So, basically, you've been wrong
about this twice now.
It's Alana. Please leave a message.
Alana.
Toby Ziegler.
As my attorney, you should
probably know that I just confessed...
...to C.J. Cregg
that I was behind the leak.
I'm about to be debriefed
by White House Counsel.
- You left him in a room with a phone?
- I'll talk to you tomorrow.
- Toby.
- Oliver.
- Who were you talking to?
- My attorney's voicemail.
My instructions were
that you sit quietly.
Pretty sure I used my indoor voice.
Who else have you called
or spoken to?
- No one. Ed and Larry.
- Who?
They wanted to run something by me.
I told them to go away.
Did you discuss the leak
or the investigation?
We didn't discuss anything.
I was curt and dismissive, as instructed.
I need their full names and extensions.
- They were here maybe seconds.
- Mike's gonna need to speak with them.
Thanks.
You're in some trouble.
- I'm personally truly sorry about that.
- Thank you.
Unfortunately, at the moment,
that is of incidental concern...
...in my capacity
as White House Counsel.
You've put this administration
into difficulty.
So my immediate
professional concern...
...is whether you've put the president
into jeopardy as well.
So I'm gonna have
some questions for you.
Get comfortable.
We're gonna be here for a bit.
Were you the sole individual
involved in leaking this?
Yes.
Did anyone instruct you
to leak this information?
No.
Anyone suggest you leak it?
No.
- Hint?
- No.
Nudge, wink?
Did anyone employ
nonverbal means of any kind...
...to suggest in an explicit or implicit
fashion that you leak this information?
No, it was conceived and ex*cuted
solely and completely on my own.
- Tell anyone you were planning this?
- No.
Discuss that you were
considering doing so?
No.
Did you speculate to anyone...
...that an individual might be inclined
to contemplate making such a leak?
- We're gonna be here for a while.
- Answer the question.
No, I didn't speak to anyone,
at any time...
...of any scenario involving myself
or someone else...
...thinking, planning, dreaming
or having an out-of-body experience...
...related to the making
of this sort of leak.
That's cute, the out-of-body thing.
But I don't recommend it with the FBI
or the Congressional Committee...
...the federal prosecutor or any
of the people who'll be following me.
- That was lovely.
- I have to call Zahavy.
I don't blame him for not wanting
to go to Farad's funeral.
Wish you didn't have to go.
Isn't that what vice presidents are for?
- No.
- Then what good are they?
The two I've had?
An enduring mystery.
God, I'm exhausted.
You haven't forgotten that Ellie
and Vic are coming by?
No, our daughter is getting engaged
to the fruit-fly guy.
He's a research scientist.
Stop making him sound
like something out of a horror film.
Did you know that fruit flies
reproduce at a prodigious rate?
You've been whining
about more grandchildren.
I meant that they're just more
than usually enthusiastic.
- All right.
- In fact, they make bunnies...
...look like dysfunctional prudes.
That's our daughter
you're talking about.
Indeed.
Yeah. How about that?
- Are you...?
- A little. What about you?
- Astonished, actually.
- Why, did you and she never discuss...?
There are things that are outside
the mother-daughter bond.
At least for us. Did you and she?
Always adhered to a strict
"don't ask, don't tell" policy.
- Clung to it, actually.
- That is one's daughter.
- Wants her to be happy in whatever...
- Of course, true to herself.
- Nothing wrong with that inclination.
- Nothing.
God herself may strike me dead...
...it is not to be denied
that I am not unhappy...
...that my daughter
is straight after all.
At least straight enough
to be marrying the fruit-fly guy.
Someone in the Texas AG's office
has obtained the medical records...
...of women who had abortions
in three clinics there.
- Tell me not in Houston.
- And San Antonio.
The pretext is looking for unreported
cases of sexual abuse and r*pe.
- Smoke screen.
- We've fooled with language.
- We're not commenting.
- We have to.
- It's a state matter.
- The congressman's home state.
- I'm familiar with the bio.
- It violates Roe.
- How important is Texas?
- Pretty important.
No. With Vinick's lock on California,
this is the whole B.O.W.
Ball of wax.
Why wade into an issue that's
not gonna gain us any voters?
All it costs is people
who weren't gonna vote for us.
We don't need them to vote.
We need them to stay home.
Pro-lifers don't like Vinick
any more than us. Why energize them?
- Let this sleeping dog lie.
- Crazy.
We're Democrats.
Come out for a woman's right to choose.
- Ever had an abortion?
- A little personal, don't you think?
Don't talk to me about
what we have to do on this subject.
Whatever you say.
- I was thinking while you were asleep.
- I wasn't.
Really? With the drooling
and the muttering to yourself...
...which might be described
as a schizophrenic episode...
...I'd go with you were sleeping.
- Okay.
The campaign's stagnating
because the numbers are.
Doldrums. Horse latitudes.
It's still mid-August. Wind will pick up.
You and I need to be a wind that blows
through the staff, carries a bunch away.
Way to stick with
the meteorological metaphor.
Still, it's a little hysterical.
- This group isn't cutting it.
- We're fine.
The advance team
went to Springfield, Illinois...
...for an event in Springfield, Missouri.
- Every campaign has bumps.
We need experienced hands.
Look around.
We're heavy on the wide-eyed.
We got a young staff.
Guess what, we're Democrats.
Vinick's got grownups.
We're running a children's crusade.
It got a virtual unknown
the Democratic presidential nomination.
Now it's got him tracking
nine points down...
...which is a loss,
and not a small one.
Start f*ring, it's gonna look
like the campaign's in trouble.
It is. It'll look like we noticed.
- A first pass at the staff list.
- That's a lot of names.
Anyone you wanna fight for?
- Ned?
- He's not built for this.
Been with the congressman forever.
Santos will never let me can him.
He's gotta go. It'll k*ll morale
if you fire these people and keep him.
- So don't fire anyone.
- Keep whistling past the graveyard.
It'll be your future gets buried when
you preside over a -state wipeout.
Can't leave before
the boss leaves. You?
Time and assassinations
wait for no one.
- Pithy.
- Putting out a line of twisted samplers.
- When's your turn?
- With the committee?
Friday. But if they spent
all day on you...
Really looking forward to things
getting back to normal around here.
Did you have any conversations
with the president...
...regarding a m*llitary shuttle?
No.
Participate in any group discussions
that included the president?
No.
Did you have any internal White House
conversations with anyone at any time...
...about the United States possessing
a classified m*llitary space shuttle?
Yes.
With whom?
Who'd you talk about it with, Toby?
C.J. Cregg.
Frost thinks...
I know what Frost thinks.
About everything.
If it rains, Frost thinks
al Qaeda seeded the clouds.
- Why do you keep him?
- He's a good analyst.
Good analysts spend time
being wrong.
Funny, we like our guys to be right.
Different strokes.
Are there extremists who dream
of a China-to-Spain caliphate? Sure.
They'll start by assassinating
the Palestinian chairman...
...and the president of Kazakhstan?
Come on.
Margaret, will you call Leo for me?
When you spoke to Greg Brock...
... you were aware
you were speaking on record?
I'm the communications director.
I have an understanding of protocol
when speaking with journalists.
- That would be a yes.
- An "of course."
And your intention in conveying this
information was that it be published?
- Yes.
- You were aware this was classified?
Excuse me?
Answer the question.
You're asking me if I knew that
the m*llitary space shuttle was classified?
One of the most closely held
pieces of information...
...in my seven and a half years
in the White House?
Which no one would
so much as hint at...
...much less acknowledge,
much less ever actually discuss?
Which revelation of same caused
a governmental security crisis...
...international consternation...
...and the launching
of three separate investigations?
You're asking me
if I realized it was classified?
Yeah, I had a vague inkling.
Were you authorized
to have this information?
Alana Waterman, Mr. Babish.
I'm Mr. Ziegler's attorney.
I must inform Counsel that my client
will not be answering further questions.
- It's okay...
- It's most certainly not okay.
And you're to say anything else.
I'm really getting fed up
with lawyers ordering me around.
Should've considered that before
passing state secrets to reporters.
Did you leak to anyone
other than Greg Brock?
- Do not answer that.
- No.
If I may have a word
in private with my client?
I'll be right outside.
I really appreciate your concern,
but I am taking full responsibility...
...and I am prepared and ready
to face the consequences.
- That's very noble and very stupid.
- Thank you.
You have to listen to me now.
If you were truly
the only one involved...
- I was.
- That's unfortunate.
Because it means you have no bigger fish
to turn over to the prosecutor...
...which is what he will be looking for.
And would've been the best
and fastest way to make a deal.
- I don't care about that.
- Well, it's my job to.
We're not starting
with a lot of bargaining chips.
And we have less
every time you open your mouth.
- I'm not looking to cut a deal.
- Really?
The last time I checked,
the sentencing guidelines...
...even for a first-time offender,
were to months' jail time.
Sixty-three to ? How do they come up
with those numbers? Dartboard?
- You have an obligation...
- Don't bring up my kids!
When you hire someone like me,
you take on a responsibility...
...to my reputation.
If you decide you wanna go down...
...in some quasi-orgasmic blaze
of self-pitying, self-destructive...
...self-aggrandizing attempted glory...
...all anyone's gonna say is,
"How did Alana Waterman...
...that smart, tough, savvy
Washington infighter...
...let her client do something
so crushingly boneheaded moronic...
...as to get himself six years in jail?"
Now you have a decision to make.
If you want me to continue...
...as your attorney when the
White House Counsel re-enters...
...you either decline to answer
any further questions...
...or you watch me walk not only
out of this room but off the case.
Who first informed you
of the existence...
...of a classified space shuttle?
I decline to answer
on the advice of counsel.
Please wait here.
You certainly earned
your fee today.
I'm deeply gratified
that you decided to heed my guidance.
No, I just meant it was the first time
tonight he used the word "please."
If you're done for the night,
you should probably go home.
Excuse me.
- C.J.
- All right, catch me up.
Commander Harper's
been entertaining us.
Given the hour, I'm not sure
entertaining is the right word...
...with her theory on the assassination
in Kazakhstan.
Mr. Secretary,
your customary default acerbity...
...which some may characterize as snide,
but I never fail to find delightful...
...is not the right tone
for my mood this evening.
Now, would you catch me up?
Assassination's been a historic tactic
of Russian security services.
I feel we should look in their direction.
- The Russians and the Kazakhs are allies.
- Kazakhstan's cozying up to Beijing.
They announced the establishment
of a partnership.
On top of the oil pipeline
they agreed to build to China.
When they announced this, they stressed
it wasn't directed against a third party.
- Doth protesting perhaps a bit much.
- You buying this?
- We're catching her up.
- Moscow's not thrilled.
It's not only competitive with Russia's
oil interests, but it's emblematic...
...of China's growing dominance.
Who takes over Kazakhstan
with Issetov dead?
- Constitutionally, Prime Minister Tarimov.
- Who has ties that go back to Moscow.
Russia's interests are directly
served by removing the sitting president.
- What will the Chinese do?
- That's the question.
Russia and China eyeball to eyeball
in Central Asia.
- Over oil.
- With U.S. Marines...
...stuck right in the middle.
Oh, God.
This is so scary.
- Congressman, you got a minute?
- Yeah, sure.
- What's she watching?
- That latest Rob Zombie film.
Seems to be enjoying it.
- I guess.
- You a big Rob Zombie fan?
I prefer his earlier, funnier movies.
Lou and I have been discussing
the staff.
- What about them?
- Making changes.
Are you kidding me?
She's not talking to you.
The campaign's not hitting
on all cylinders.
- Could be time for a course correction.
- How many people?
- About .
- You can't be serious.
- You can't do that.
- That's a lot of people.
- Look like panic.
- We'll bring in experienced operatives.
Have we been turning them away?
"You can't work for us,
you have too much experience."
- We need to make changes.
- Are we panicked?
No. Of course not.
Well, you're running this thing.
It is a big layoff
and it's gonna get noted in the press.
- But if you think it's needed.
- I do.
One of the people is Ned Carlson.
- What?
- I know he's been with you a long time.
- I'm sure he was a real asset.
- You can't fire Ned.
He is not cut out for this.
The pace. Thinking fast on your feet.
Send him back
to the Congressional office.
And we will get him something
in the administration once we're in.
- Matt.
- Anyone not getting the job done...
...is gonna go.
Do you wanna be the one to tell him?
You can take care of it.
Mrs. Santos.
That's how far I got
before his attorney intervened.
Do you feel you got the whole story?
He said he discussed the existence
of the m*llitary shuttle with you.
He did.
- Direct him to leak the information?
- I did not.
- Urge it?
- No.
Subtly hint?
Absolutely not. Why, did Toby
give any indication that I had?
No.
His account matches yours.
- It's important all stories are in sync.
- They are because it's the truth.
Have you discussed this with anyone
since Mike and you last spoke?
No.
No comment on what's going on
in the Roosevelt Room or Toby's office?
Of course not.
- Others you encountered will so testify?
- Yes.
- Spoken to anyone outside the building?
- No.
And the White House phone logs
will so confirm?
I placed a call to Leo McGarry.
For what purpose?
- For what purpose, C.J.?
- I didn't reach him.
But had you, was your intention
to discuss the fact that Toby Ziegler...
...was the White House leak?
- I didn't reach him.
He and you should be very glad
about that.
What, if any, message did you leave?
I told Margaret not to leave any.
That it wasn't anything important.
- Were those your exact words?
- I don't know.
I may have said not to even mention
that I called.
You have between now
and tomorrow morning...
...when I imagine the first question
will come about this...
...to consider whether you had a reason
to phone Leo this evening...
...other than discussing
courses of action...
...in dealing with this news
regarding Toby Ziegler.
Which might to outsiders
appear like consideration of a cover-up.
It's time to tell the president.
What will be the recommendation
of the Counsel?
The same as yours.
Congratulations.
Honestly, that ring, it's lovely.
- You don't think it's too big?
- Oh, there's no such thing, dear.
Almost got you a rebate there.
I only wish I could've afforded
an even bigger one.
I wanna hear all about the proposal.
Tell me everything.
We went for a mountain bike ride
to a secluded spot in Rock Creek Park.
We did it there. I did it there.
- Romantic.
- Very.
The two of us
and my Secret Service detail.
When are you thinking
about having the wedding?
- As soon as possible.
- We don't wanna distract...
...from the election, of course,
but any time after that could work.
A White House wedding at Christmas?
I don't think she wants that.
- What?
- To do it here.
What could be more wonderful?
Undoubtedly a White House wedding
would be very beautiful...
...and terribly romantic,
but it would be quite a spectacle.
Out of all of us, Ellie's been the one
who's shied away from the spotlight.
Why don't you consider
having the wedding...
...after your father's
left the office entirely?
Sure. If you wanna turn your back
on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Hopefully, the wedding
is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
You would seriously consider
not getting married in here?
You could do something
very private at the farm.
Where, at the moment,
is the less pressing concern.
There's another consideration
that may need to take precedence...
...as far as scheduling goes.
And, you know...
...why we might not wanna wait.
Well, we should probably
get right on to scheduling that, then.
I'm sorry for the interruption,
Mr. President, ma'am, Ellie.
Nancy, this is our new
son-in-law to be, Vic Faison.
Nice to meet you. Congratulations.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Sir, C.J. And Oliver Babish
would like to speak with you.
Of course. Excuse me, please.
- Self-aggrandizing and self-destructive?
- I was trying to make a point.
Quasi-orgasmic might have been
a bit much.
A little colorful rhetoric.
Occupational hazard. Why'd you do it?
Save lives.
Your brother was an astronaut.
Astronauts' lives in the short term.
Start a discussion about whether
we wanna extend mankind's capacity...
...for warfare into the heavens.
- The weaponization of space.
I believe in an open society.
You debate in the light of day.
That's supposed
to happen in a democracy.
Global pacifism, freedom of information.
These are things people...
...will rally around. We can get a lot
of lefty support.
- College campuses, Hollywood...
- Good. Help defray my legal expenses.
- I'm serious.
- So am I. I know what you charge.
A couple of well-placed editorials,
some cable news spots...
...public demonstrations. This could be
very helpful. Certainly not gonna hurt.
Won't keep me out of jail.
There's a lesser criminal statute:
USC, , which makes it...
...a misdemeanor to disobey a regulation
set forth by the administrator.
Penalty's likely a fine.
No more than a year's jail time.
Yeah, I know, it's a little
pie in the sky around the edges.
Keep thinking, counselor.
It's what you're good at.
Toby?
Is it possible to be astonished
and at the same time not surprised?
I've debriefed him, sir.
It seems to have involved no one else.
Obviously, there will be
a partisan push to probe past Toby...
...to cause us and
the Santos campaign difficulty.
The fact there's
no there there should limit...
...the other side's ability
to get traction.
The political fallout
is not my first concern.
We should move quickly, sir.
Oliver's pointed out that not only do we
not want the appearance of a cover-up...
...we don't want the appearance
of having considered...
...anything but full
and immediate disclosure.
I'll make a statement.
And Toby.
- I'll take care of that, sir.
- No.
Bring him here.
Respectfully, Mr. President, you
shouldn't be in the room with Toby.
He's radioactive, sir.
Potentially toxic to the presidency.
Thank you for your counsel,
but I have to do this myself.
Then I have to insist on being present.
- Give me a moment.
- Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, sir.
God.
See, this is what puts people off.
Lurking. No one likes a lurker.
- How'd it go in there?
- For your theory? Not well.
- I think there's a better one.
- It can't be better if it's wrong.
- Good night, Charles.
- The pattern is so obvious.
Children, even kindergartners would see.
I'm trying to save everyone's jobs, okay?
What?
All right, your theory. What is it?
Tell me.
It's a pretty scary scenario.
Leads to Russia and China
on the brink of confrontation.
Neighboring nuclear powers,
India and Pakistan, poised to pick sides.
Japan and the U.S. Being drawn in
against their will. A horror show.
World w*r III nightmare.
Very cool.
You wanna grab coffee?
Ned. Hang out a minute.
What's up?
Am I in trouble?
You know, this kind of thing
is never easy...
...but we've decided to make a change.
- Sorry?
We're shaking up the staff,
and you're one of the people...
...we're gonna let go. I'm sorry.
- You're joking.
- I'm not.
- You're f*ring me?
It's reassignment
to the Congressional office.
No.
You don't fire me.
Does the congressman know this?
He signed off on it, yeah.
I'm really gonna have to
hear it from him.
He's going to the meet and greet
and then, I really hope, to bed.
Well, he's gonna need
to find some time.
Listen to me.
Talking to the congressman
isn't gonna change anything.
- I wanna thank you for all your work.
- Screw you.
You know, you can fire
as many of us grunts as you want.
But you wanna know why this campaign
is floundering, look in the mirror.
C.J.?
Something break
in the leak investigation?
Since I'm supposed to be heading it...
I can't talk about this right now.
I feel like I owe you an apology.
You don't. And I really can't
discuss this right now.
The president wants to see you.
Just Toby.
I'm afraid I have a problem with that.
You didn't just invite yourself
into the Oval Office.
I request that the courtesy
of an invitation be extended...
...to Mr. Ziegler's attorney,
or my client's not going.
- It's okay.
- Toby.
It's all right. Go home.
Yeah?
Mr. President.
Toby.
I was hoping we would be able
to speak in private, sir.
Your actions have pretty much
made that impossible.
I haven't had much time
to absorb this news...
...so I'll apologize in advance
if I express any half-formed thoughts.
But the one thought that hits the hardest
is that this was somehow inevitable.
That you've always been heading
for this crash and burn.
That self-righteous superiority.
Not that you were smarter
than everyone.
That you were purer.
Morally superior.
With due respect, sir, I don't think
I'm morally superior to everyone.
No. Just to me.
Sir, I've drawn up a letter
of resignation.
What is that, the third one?
Rip it up.
Sir?
I can't accept your resignation.
I have to fire you.
For cause.
You'll need to turn in your credentials.
A guard will come to escort you
from the building immediately.
You may not take anything out
with you.
All personal effects will be sent
to your home...
...after Counsel staff has cataloged
the contents of your office.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Toby.
When you walk out of here,
there'll be people out there...
...perhaps a great many,
who will think of you as a hero.
I just don't for a moment
want you thinking I'll be one of them.
Hey.
Is he in?
C.J. Cregg to see you.
Thanks.
- Hey.
- Hey. What's up?
I'm offering...
Well, not so much offering
as dragooning you...
...to be the new White House
communications director. Starting now.
I'll smooth things over with the VP,
but first you should know...
...the president's
making a statement in...
... or so minutes,
in which he'll announce...
...that Toby Ziegler has been fired for an
egregious national security violation.
Termination taking place within
the hour of Mr. Ziegler's confession...
...of responsibility for this act.
Does the president want me
to help with the statement?
I think he's got a good handle
on what he's gonna say.
Counsel sealed Toby's office,
so feel free to use Annabeth's old one.
Which, come to think of it,
used to be yours.
Funny how things work out.
Not so funny, really.
No. Not so much.
News on the upcoming election
of Congressman Matthew Santos...
Rough in there.
To be expected.
Thought he'd thank you
for your service.
He's angry.
Someone should thank you
for your service.
Mr. Ziegler?
I'll need your hard pass, sir.
If you'll come with me.
Good evening.
Less than an hour ago, White House
communications director Toby Ziegler...
... confessed to making
an unauthorized disclosure...
... of classified
national security information...
... to a reporter from
The New York Times newspaper.
This admission was promptly
brought to my attention...
... and Mr. Ziegler was immediately fired
from his position in this administration...
... effective at once.
He's been relieved of his credentials
and asked to leave the White House...