Previously on The West Wing:
I can't accept your resignation.
I have to fire you. For cause.
Who takes over Kazakhstan
with Issetov dead?
Russia's interests are directly
served by removing the sitting president.
You and me, a real debate.
On the issues. Just you and me.
- Hell of a way to end your campaign.
- Oh, I'm just getting started.
An unthinking liberal will
describe the airline bankruptcies...
...as the evil capitalists
screwing the worker...
- You shouldn't put words in my mouth.
- I know you didn't say it.
- You're not an unthinking liberal.
- When you hurl that word "liberal"...
...at my feet as if it were dirty,
something I should be ashamed of...
...it won't work. Because I will
pick up that label and wear it...
...as a badge of honor.
- Go ahead.
- Forty-six percent of voters polled say...
...they have a more favorable opinion of
you than they did before the debate.
CNN-USA Today poll calls the
debate a tie. So does Newsweek.
- She's running the dryer.
- Yes.
- Makes it hard to hear.
- Yes, it does.
- He's running the hair dryer.
- Wish I didn't know.
Sorry, one more time.
CNN-USA Today poll calls the debate a
tie. So does Newsweek. We now have...
... percent of eligible voters.
You're only seven points down.
- You're a rock star.
- You got four points. Vinick got two.
What happened to
"We go up, he goes down"?
You're pulling from undecideds.
He went up, we went up more.
- This is the schedule for the weekend...
- Stick it in my bag.
- Bus is here. We gotta move.
- What was average SMT this week?
Bram clocks this. He rounds up
because he's got money on it.
- Ninety-two minutes.
- It's a lie.
- SMT?
- Santos Mean Time.
Ninety-two minutes late?
The notion that I'm the problem is
convenient but completely fallacious.
This is a national campaign.
Think I'm driving?
Wednesday, : , six extra
press questions after we call it.
- It was a conversation.
- Just look at the schedule and see...
...if it's something you
think you can commit to.
And initial. At the bottom.
- What's CS?
- Change shirt.
- Every two hours?
- It's for the sweating.
- Too many women in here.
- Nothing we haven't talked about.
- Today, Denver. Tomorrow, L.A.
- Wasn't that last weekend?
We canceled for the debate, which was
also a personal addition to the schedule.
- Four points up.
- Lou, can I get you for a second?
- On the bus?
- You should talk to Scheduling.
I'm getting press calls on a
black kid k*lled last night...
...by L.A. Police.
- What do we know?
Nothing yet,
but the community's reeling.
We need a statement on this soon.
We're at the Page Church
in L.A. Tomorrow.
Might be good to be in a black
church. Show we feel their pain.
- Get some traction in the community.
- We need it. Our bump...
...wasn't a bump in black voters.
This is the updated stump.
Want to give it a look?
Yeah.
- Lou.
- Hang on.
I don't see why African Americans don't
like the idea of a Latino president.
A little black-brown friction in the 'hood.
- Haven't seen that.
- You're a Venezuelan from Princeton.
- This is fine.
- Sorry, Lou. Gerard in Scheduling...
...was considering a bigger change.
I think he may be right.
Gerard is obsessive and should be
taking slow breaths out of a paper bag.
I think you may want to call him.
- What's the cop's name?
- We're late because you spend time...
...listening to people like Gerard.
- Donna.
What's the officer's name?
Rafael Martinez.
Yeah, that's what I was afraid of.
Get me Josh Lyman at HQ...
...Annabeth Schott on the McGarry
plane and Gerard from Scheduling.
- Mr. Bailey.
- And a good morning to you.
- You were here last Saturday.
- You too. Here for lunch?
We could order something
soggy in plastic.
Hope to go soon. I need to see
Ellie and the fiance...
...sort out wedding stuff.
- Didn't know that's part...
...of your job.
- The social secretary should...
...but Ellie doesn't know her, and she
already feels it's like an act of Congress.
I saw her band's playlist for the
reception. We may need to adjust it.
- Too many double entendres?
- I worry about single entendres.
World stage. Shadow of our forefathers.
I'll get into it.
Polling data released today suggest
that Sunday's debate may have...
- In the Mural Room.
- Remember how we used to talk?
- Everything you need is here.
- I told you not to come.
That never works out.
We're squabbling with Fish and Wildlife
on the salmon flow schedule...
...so she should think about
sea bass or perhaps a trout.
Sea bass is endangered. Whitman does
a great swordfish. That would be nice.
- Let's stay with trout.
- Nobody wants trout at a wedding.
- It's not festive.
- It's flavorful and under-appreciated.
- No swordfish or tuna or Brie.
- You know, this isn't your wedding.
Take my word for it
because you're a busy woman...
...and sometimes you don't need
more information than I give you.
I'll push the trout.
Great idea.
- Look at you. Congratulations.
- Thank you.
It's so exciting.
- Have you met Vic? C.J. Cregg.
- It's a pleasure.
- Hi. Thank you.
- I'm sorry you're here on a weekend.
Bad enough you have to coordinate
with three branches of government.
Anything I can do to help. Sit, please.
- Excuse me.
- We're not at the trout.
- Kate Harper.
- No, she doesn't know I'm here.
Imagine her delight when she learned.
- One minute.
- Ten minutes. Just a guess.
- Surrogates on the Sunday shows.
- What do they say?
- They're saying he won.
- Do they have talking points?
You'll have language
to proof soon.
- Hey.
- Hi, Lester.
- What do we know?
- I'm waiting on more from L.A.P.D...
...but it's a -year-old black male
named Ronnie Burke.
He's passenger side in a stolen
Escalade, at night...
...gets out holding a w*apon, made of
plastic, though it looks pretty darn real.
- The cop is Latino?
- Oh, yeah.
No way he could have
known the g*n was fake?
Probably not. But a bystander is claiming
the kid was trying to put up his hands...
...to surrender when the officer fired.
- Anyone corroborate that?
- Won't matter, it's on the news.
- People are gonna assume it's true.
- There were demonstrations last night.
There'll be more this morning.
What do you think?
It was gonna be a tough crowd
even before this happened.
Black community's wondering
how we got a Latino nominee...
...before we got an
African American nominee.
Always been tension between
the two communities and...
...now a cop named Martinez
g*ns down one of their kids.
Two days later we send our guy
to their church to stump for votes.
If he shows up and pulls off a tap dance
on the head of a pin, great. If not...
- You may be getting on a plane.
- I had a hunch.
Should've sent you in the first place.
Don't know why I didn't.
You can't send me every time
he'll talk to a black person.
I'm prepared to reconsider that.
I'm doing Ellie Bartlet a favor.
I'm not really here.
NSC just got a call. There's
a China-Russia-Kazakhstan thing.
- Okay.
- My office is to send up the briefing.
- It's not here yet.
- Let's go for the nutshell.
Tarimov just booted a Chinese
government delegation out. He's...
The acting president of Kazakhstan.
Installed after Issetov was assassinated.
They were negotiating
a China-Kazakhstan partnership...
...making plans for a pipeline
from Kazakhstan to China.
- And Issetov called it off.
- Tarimov.
- Tarimov did. Issetov's dead.
- Yes.
Issetov wanted to deal with the
Chinese. Tarimov, the Russians.
He k*lled China's oil deal,
and China's pissed.
Exceptionally.
- Margaret.
- Sorry, I was golfing.
- You golf?
- Mini.
Josh, it's the bus.
Morning.
- Is Lester there?
- Yeah.
- I don't think we should go.
- Are you getting skittish?
A lot of angry people.
We could push it a week.
- We pushed last week for the debate.
- He's got flu, rickets, anything.
- We are not canceling.
- I don't think you wanna be booed...
...by churchgoers.
- They won't boo.
Let's go to the house and pay our
respects to the mother. Less booing.
It'll look like
we're exploiting their grief.
- The mayor's doing it.
- He has a relationship...
...with the community.
They won't notice if he exploits it.
But if he exploits and
we don't, we look callous.
Chance I'm willing to take.
I'm going to the church.
Lou, call Joe Farley at the mayor's
office. See if he'll help us out...
... keeping him away from the house.
Lester's on his way... Where are you?
- Denver.
- Sir, foreign policy team's waiting.
- Are we making any statements?
- All we say now is:
"This is a terrible situation. Congressman
hopes he can provide some support...
...on his visit tomorrow."
- What's he gonna say tomorrow?
Good question.
- I was summoned?
- You were.
Talk to Ellie about whatever problems
you're having with her music.
- Now?
- I was to be in there, but Kate happened.
- I thought you could help.
- I was working.
- I was golfing.
- Mini.
I've mastered the windmill sh*t.
- It's a hard one.
- Hole in one.
Five minutes, then I'm out of there.
What?
Something we needed to talk about?
Yes, the music.
Schrodinger's Cats. A band
I played with in grad school.
Reunion show at the White House.
They do weddings
and bar mitzvahs all the time.
- Great.
- It's better than it sounds.
It would have to be.
They sent us a copy of the playlist.
We're wondering
if we can pull some things.
- Is there a problem?
- Well, is "Baby Got Back"...
...something you're
particularly attached to?
I can't bully the Russian foreign
minister because the Chinese...
...got bounced out of an oil deal.
Tarimov is acting president.
He called off the elections.
- He suspended them.
- Suspended them weeks ago...
...and hasn't rescheduled.
He's a puppet.
China was getting in the door, so he
halts negotiation and kicks them out.
Kazakhstan isn't China's
only oil source.
Their most promising.
The Kazakh people are rioting...
...because they've been
screwed out of an election.
China's looking at major instability
on their border. And the , ...
...Chinese living in Kazakhstan,
who aren't looking safe.
All because the Russians want the oil
and are willing to fight for it.
Best case scenario, I'm ruining
your Saturday. Worst case...
...two nuclear powers are positioning
themselves to engage...
...in an armed conflict over oil.
Ted Barrow's on his way.
Margaret, see if you can track down
the Russian foreign minister.
First they cut taxes, and then they
never get around to cutting spending...
... so they run up huge deficits,
and they leave a massive debt...
- There we go.
- What's the time code?
: . Send a copy to Josie at CNN
and ask her to stop running that...
...stupid line about the EPA. Enough.
Ladies.
Welcome. I spoke to the mayor's office
and talked them off a visit to the house.
- At least until tomorrow.
- Get a confirmation or they're thinking?
They like me. I'll call it a confirmation.
- Lou?
- They like you?
- I'm very personable. Goes a long way.
- The mayor's on his way to the house.
- No.
- He's going there now.
They asked if we wanna
coordinate statements.
Put Joe Farley on the phone.
He's a mealy-mouthed, little snot.
This is him. Doesn't seem
to wanna talk to you.
- Personable.
- He didn't have a choice.
- It was a b*mb in his own backyard.
- Backs us into a corner.
It was a good idea
to go to the house before.
- Congressman hates it.
- He'll have to get over it.
- We need to cover our bases.
- Okay, Edie, call Secret Service...
...and Advance. Tell them
we may add another stop in L.A.
- What's the mom's name?
- Brenda.
Tell her that Congressman Santos
will be visiting Page Church...
...and can he stop by on his
way and pay his respects.
We won't have time tomorrow.
We have to be at the church by a.m.
We should scrap the afternoon
here and go to L.A. Now.
Be at the house by late
afternoon, early evening.
Let's look into it.
Who's gonna tell the congressman?
- I'm evens.
- Once, twice, three, sh**t. Damn.
I covered the music. No offensive
lyrics from Schrodinger's Cats.
- I'm sending them back in.
- That won't work.
They're cleaning the carpets
in the Mural Room.
Problem in Kazakhstan. Nuclear
powers pissing off other ones.
- I need you to stay with them.
- Seriously?
Deal with whatever's first on the list.
I'll take over soon.
- I'm really not your man.
- Margaret laid it all out.
Half hour, tops.
- You ask him?
- I'll ask him on the bus.
- Coward.
- Absolutely.
This is a national story.
The church is gonna be full of cameras.
If blacks stay home on
election day, we're out.
Are you trying to raise my anxiety?
It's already pretty high.
I think we need reinforcements.
Edie, call Annabeth.
Get Leo McGarry on the plane.
- We want backup at the church.
- I'm talking serious reinforcements.
No.
We need percent
of black voters. We've got .
Twelve percent
are undecided in this race.
The black vote's never had undecideds.
They're willing to weigh their options...
...on this one because
they don't hate Vinick.
And they're not sure
they like the whole idea of Santos.
This is not a small problem.
Get me Josh, please.
Sorry, hang on. Yeah,
this is pretty straightforward.
C.J. Will be back in a few minutes. She
thought we could get the ball rolling.
Everybody's dream scenario,
me planning your wedding.
Okay, anything I should know
before we get started?
We realize a lot goes with having
a wedding at the White House...
...but anything we can do to keep
the numbers under control?
- Sure.
- My dad has to invite a lot of people...
...but I'm not crazy about the spotlight
and Vic's agoraphobic.
- It's not a phobia.
- I was exaggerating.
- It's the occasional shortness of breath.
- It's really nothing.
Sometimes I pass out.
Okay, let's see what we've got.
"White House invitees."
This looks right. Copy for you.
And you.
And me. Sorry, there's
a second page. Here you go.
Oh, hang on, one more.
And another one. Yeah, that's it.
Okay.
- This has gotta be a thousand names.
- Shall we start with the A's?
The Russians should put
pressure on Issetov to resume talks.
- Tarimov.
- What?
Issetov is dead.
We want pressure on Tarimov.
- Fine, yes.
- They don't want to.
- What do they think at the embassy?
- They want the Russians to talk to him.
- Seems to be the consensus.
- The Russian foreign minister...
...says Tarimov is doing a fine job.
- It's a big, fat lie.
I should've told him that.
You two put in a call to Camp David.
Let the president know where we are.
- I'll see what we can do with China.
- What will you say?
I'm gonna urge them to remain calm.
You got a better idea?
"Newton and Lena Hacket."
Chairman of Senate Armed Forces.
- Fine.
- Newton and Lena Hacket are a yes.
"Owen Hellman." Majority Whip.
- My father doesn't like him.
- With the Energy Bill on the rocks...
...it's not really the time to point
that out. He's a yes.
"Andrew Edward." What's he doing in
the H's? Oh, right. His Royal Highness.
Duke of York.
- Do you wanna get some air?
- At least he's not bringing the Queen.
Maybe he is bringing the Queen.
It's gonna be a few minutes
before we've got Beijing.
- I should try and help Ellie and Vic.
- Josh Lyman's here.
Josh? Aren't you supposed to be running
around the country with some politician?
- I brought you some doughnuts.
- I sense a favor.
- Can we sit?
- I'm on my way to Ellie Bartlet...
...who I blew off hours ago.
- What are the chances...
...I get the president at
a Santos appearance tomorrow?
- I know it's short notice.
- You think?
- Lf I wasn't desperate.
- It takes a week to advance that.
Our detail has already
cleared the zone.
He's in Camp David with
a South American delegation...
...tearing his hair out over a trade
agreement. You want him to go to L.A.?
You hear about this kid, Ronnie Burke,
got sh*t by a cop? It's a perfect storm.
You knew people were gonna have
an issue with a Latino president.
If it wasn't Ronnie Burke,
it'd be something else.
Yeah, well,
Ronnie Burke seems to be it.
I'll take it to him
and see what he thinks.
- Bless you.
- Yeah, get out of here.
- Hey, you talk to Toby?
- No, I meant to call, but I guess I didn't.
- Did you?
- No. I mean, I would, but I can't.
Nobody can while
the investigation is still going.
Just wanna make sure
he's in one piece.
Yeah, I don't know.
"Mr. And Mrs. Max Zelikovsky."
He's the chairman of the AFL-CIO...
...helping us out on a very testy
negotiation with the steel workers.
- Fine.
- Great.
No, no.
This wedding is not the solution to every
political problem the White House has.
That's not its purpose.
We have a list of people.
We are not inviting the Zelikovskys.
They are a bridge too far.
Honey, Carol Zelikovsky was
my mother's college roommate.
I've known her my whole life.
Seven hundred and forty-four.
But the good news is, that's it.
Now it's all about your lists.
That's nice, right?
"Ellie Bartlet guests," page one.
Oh, that's the whole thing. Great.
A couple little questions, looks like.
Arianna Gray?
She's my maid of honor. Flying
in from London for the wedding.
Right. Well, looks like there was a
problem with her security clearance.
Last time she was in the country,
her visa was flagged by the DEA...
...which suggests somebody
may have had something...
...they shouldn't have had
in their suitcase.
You've got other friends, right?
- Two more questions.
- I've heard that before.
He can't mess around
if we're gonna make it to L.A. Today.
- He hasn't cleared that.
- Any word on the president?
Josh asked.
White House is looking into it.
- Speech for the church tomorrow.
- Why do I have three?
One denouncing the cop,
one where he doesn't...
...one where he loves everybody.
- My head hurts.
They're gonna want him
to denounce the cop.
- On general principle?
- For sh**ting at children, I think.
- Kid had a w*apon.
- And a stolen car.
- It's what they want to hear.
- He can't denounce the cop.
He could prejudice
the whole investigation.
Latinos won't like it
if he jumps all over the cop.
Not to mention the law-and-order vote.
They'll want us to support the cop.
- Without that, we lose...
- All white people.
Okay, so the two speeches where
we take sides go in the garbage.
- "We are a community divided."
- No.
- It's two communities.
- Different identities and issues.
- "We must face our differences"?
- That's like saying blacks hate Latinos...
...and Latinos hate blacks.
- Which is kind of true.
- Not true.
- It's a little true.
Perhaps some are a little riled about
the coming in and taking of the jobs.
Who do you know that
wants to pick avocados?
- You know how hot it is?
- Yeah, we had about enough...
...of picking with the cotton.
- How did it go, sir?
- A lot like it did the last times.
- We make progress?
- Edie and Lester are fighting...
...about avocados.
Aside from that, not much.
You know, there's a psalm
that I think would be appropriate.
It will speak to the moment
more than any platitudes...
...that we can string together.
I want some time tomorrow
before that rally in Sacramento...
...to speak to the governor. So...
- A psalm?
- Yes.
- You cannot go out there...
...and give them a prayer.
This isn't bad luck or bad timing. This is
a country with huge racial challenges...
...looking to you for guidance.
They don't want you
to close your eyes and pray.
They want you
to open your eyes and lead.
You want to show me what
you've come up with?
I look forward to seeing a draft.
You gonna ask him now
about the dead kid's house?
Thank you, sir. You keep that.
Yeah?
It's me.
Let me in the door.
- Hi, how are you?
- Excuse me.
Got it. Thank you.
You gonna invite me in?
- Something to drink?
- Sure.
I had some coffee.
- I seem to no longer have any coffee.
- I'm fine.
We can go to the corner.
There's a coffee shop.
Right, that's not gonna work.
What if someone saw?
I don't need any coffee.
Kind of a stupid move,
you even coming here.
A reporter could've followed you.
- They didn't.
- They're pretty sly.
I checked.
He checked. That's great.
- So, how are you?
- Indicted. You?
I meant to call. I've been just insane.
You see the debate?
Kind of a rush with the prep,
looked like.
Not really.
I mean, it was quick,
but he was ready.
We got a four-point bump
off that thing.
- He kicked ass.
- Good.
So jail, huh?
Sorry.
You actually going
or are they cutting a deal?
Nope, actually going.
I saw the op-ed piece in the Times.
You're quite the hero
with the disarmament movement.
Patron saint
of the daisy-chain contingent.
People calling about
speaking engagements.
Simon & Schuster's
calling about a book deal.
- You gonna do it?
- I don't know. Maybe.
I may need the money.
People can't come
within a -block radius of me.
You'll be less radioactive
in a few months.
Oh, yeah?
How many months, you think?
We realize this is a very
disconcerting turn of events.
We'd like to encourage them
to keep an open mind.
President Bartlet will be speaking
to Acting President Tarimov...
...and also President Chigorin
of Moscow.
We feel confident they'll find a way
to reopen the negotiations...
...for a China-Kazakhstan partnership.
- Great.
- We got Beijing. Translator's patched in.
- Thanks.
Good morning, Mr. Lu.
Thank you for speaking with us.
We realize this is a very discouraging...
We are not at all pleased
with this development.
- Sir, if I could...
- We were assured democratic elections...
Mr. Lu, President...
- President Bart...
- They were not...
- lf I could finish my...
- Your monitors were to control...
- lf they were not able to...
- Fat lot of good this is gonna do.
- Sorry. So, you were saying?
- No idea what I was saying.
- Your kids.
- They are fine.
Good to have more time
to spend with them.
- It's fantastic.
- sh**t.
Sorry, I gotta take this. Hello?
- I just screwed up.
- I can't imagine.
I told the congressman
it was his responsibility...
...to solve the race problem in America,
if possible before tomorrow.
That's quite a mouthful.
- Pissed him off.
- He'll bounce.
We'd like to leave for L.A. Early,
make a stop at the mother's house.
If we talk
the congressman into it.
- You sure we need it?
- Mayor already went.
We're boxed in.
We leave Denver in half an hour.
We should make it early evening,
West Coast time.
All right, call me after.
- We landed in racial tension in L.A.
- The cop thing?
Yeah, we had an event
planned in the neighborhood.
- Nice.
- Yeah.
So the black vote,
which was already not in the bag...
Maybe it's an opportunity.
Charismatic guy. He can turn it around.
- You think?
- Maybe.
I spoke to C.J.
I'm trying to get the president down,
sing backup.
Good luck with that.
- I think she's gonna work it.
- What'd she say?
She said she was gonna try
and work it.
Said she'd take it to the president?
Yeah, that's exactly what she said.
That's her catch phrase for "never."
- It's last minute...
- Nothing to do with last minute.
- He doesn't think your guy's gonna win.
- What is that supposed to mean?
It means it's unlikely
he gets on a redeye.
I am constantly amazed...
...at your ability to continue...
...to be a bastard.
- It really is something.
- Thank you.
You think I need to be
your punching bag?
I have no idea
why you needed to come here.
Yeah, well, I don't know either.
Nostalgia.
- It's been a pleasure. See you later.
- No, you won't.
You won't be coming back.
Have the integrity...
...to say that out loud.
- You told him the president would call?
- I didn't get a word in.
- Does he understand...?
- I didn't get a word in.
We can try again tomorrow.
We're gonna make more headway
with the Russians.
Excuse me. Ellie's in tears.
I've ruined her wedding.
- Someone needs to take over.
- Is Margaret not outside?
You need to step in.
Sorry about Central Asia but...
...you're really not
gonna fix it today.
Oh, good, maybe you can help Will.
Shirley stopped by,
the social secretary.
- You need to talk about the dress.
- I really don't.
Ellie bought a dress all
on her own, which is sweet...
...but it's got applique flowers on it.
- I'm sure it's lovely.
There's concern they may have been
hand-stitched in Saipan...
...by little sl*ve children.
- Oh, God.
A number of designers have expressed
interest in making a dress.
These are a couple of samples.
- Josh called again.
- Take care of it.
You're doing great.
Just get a decision about the food.
Salmon's out and so is swordfish,
tuna and Brie...
...which Margaret seems to think
is a fish.
- She's pregnant?
- Excuse me?
Swordfish, tuna, soft cheeses.
Am I the only one in the room
with kids?
Tell her we'll find something
with an empire waist.
I don't even know what that means.
In the service of your country, son.
Did we work out Meet the Press?
Mancini's doing it.
White House on line three for you.
- Hello?
- Hi.
- Margaret, you miss me already.
- Terribly.
C.J. wanted to call you herself.
That's okay,
I know how busy she is.
She ran it by the president.
He can 't make it to California,
not on this short notice.
- No, I get it.
- She's really sorry.
Sure, it was all very last minute.
- Tell her, thanks for trying.
- Of course.
We're in the kitchen. Brenda Burke.
- Everything okay?
- Yeah.
This is Brenda Burke, Ronnie's mother.
Mrs. Burke, I'm so sorry for your loss.
Thank you. You're sweet to come.
The mayor came today too.
A lot of people.
I'm sure this is all
terribly overwhelming.
I can't even begin to imagine
how you're feeling today.
Can I offer you something to eat?
No, please, don't trouble yourself.
It's no trouble.
People keep bringing food.
- You should have one of those cookies.
- That's very kind.
They do look delicious.
Move the vehicles
at the end of the street.
- Wait here for a few minutes.
- People need to get up the street.
We'll be removing the roadblock
in about minutes.
Her sister is at the end of the block.
Please step back, sir.
- I'm Matthew Santos. I'm so sorry...
- I know who you are.
Take your people out of here
and get your cars off the streets...
...so her sister can get up the block...
...into this house.
Family needs to be here. You don't.
I just wanted to let your family know
how very sorry I am for your loss.
You should know better.
Please, step back, sir.
- All right, we're done here.
- Mrs. Burke, I'm so...
We really need to get going.
Thank you, Mrs. Burke.
- Morning.
- That the speech?
If you wanna give it a look,
we can talk about it...
No, I'm fine. Thank you.
Presidential hopeful Santos...
You know, it doesn't play
that badly on TV.
- Home of Brenda Burke today...
... mother of slain Ronald Burke,
age . Burke was...
What's that?
That was the speech
I'm not gonna give.
- For the church?
- Yeah.
- Gonna sing "O Heavenly Shepherd"?
- Oh, that's an idea.
You know you slide off-key
on the chorus.
They think there's something
I can say...
...that's gonna bridge the divide.
Well, there isn't.
I don't think that's true.
The staff doesn't either. Y'all should
get together and talk about it.
You don't have to say the right thing...
...but you do have to say something
from your heart.
- I do, huh?
- Yeah.
Nobody wants to hear that, Helen.
They wanna hear what I have to say
as the "representative"...
...for every Latino man, woman
and child in the United States.
And let me tell you something,
I'm very tired of being responsible...
...for every Jose Miguel Rodrigo Garcia
Martinez de Lopez in America.
I'm exhausted!
- Nobody expects that.
- Of course they do.
They want me to make sense
out of all this, and you know what?
Helen, I got nothing.
Why the hell do they sh**t a kid
who is trying to surrender?
There's some guy that says the kid
was trying to put his hands up.
The cop couldn't wait
half a second before he fired?
And who walks around South Central
with a plastic M ?
What did this kid think,
he was living in Martha's Vineyard?
Nobody figured out
when you live in the ghetto...
...you carry something else
if you don't wanna get blown away?
That's what I got right now.
You think that's gonna
make anybody feel better?
Morning, ma'am. We gotta go.
Nice to see you all. Hope I didn't
pull anybody out of church.
Sorry, Ted. Where are we?
At : a.m. Eastern Standard,
Keyhole satellite images...
...picked up movement on the border
of the Xinjiang Province...
...which continued
for the following three hours.
- Could this be something else?
- Could be training drills, but unlikely.
What's likely is that China is massing
troops on the border of Kazakhstan.
I brought coffee.
You seemed to be out.
I've given thought to the heartwarming
insight you shared...
...about how the president
has decided Santos is a loser...
...and I think you're full of it.
You couldn't rustle up a bagel?
It's not that the president
doesn't think he can win.
- It's about you don't think he can win.
- I don't.
Because it will k*ll you
to see me do this and succeed.
You're not wired for such an event.
Your entire neurological infrastructure
would fritz out.
You think I brewed up some
sort of Freudian, fratricidal mania...
...built around your success?
You don't think I have
anything other than that against him?
- Name something else.
- He's not presidential material.
- Why?
- Why? Because he left.
He left Congress to go home
and do small, important work.
You had to haul him by the hair
out of the family bed.
Did you stop to wonder
if that was good?
He stepped up.
When presented with the opportunity...
A man in that job
shouldn't be presented!
It's for someone who grabs it
and holds on to it!
For someone who thinks the gods
conspired to bring him to this place...
...that destiny demands of him
this service!
If you don't have that drive,
that hubris...
...how you gonna make the decisions
that stump every other person?
How in the hell are you gonna
hold that kind of power in your hands?
- You don't know he's not that man.
- You don't know that he is.
Is he?
Look me in the eye
and tell me that you know.
Without a shadow of a doubt,
you know.
That's why the other guy wins.
- Thanks for joining us.
- Any time.
We tried to get the president here.
- Short notice.
- Yeah.
Maybe you should do
a longer speech...
...take some of the pressure
off the congressman.
I'm happy to do an introduction.
I think the congressman
ought to handle the rest.
Yeah.
Oh, how did yesterday go?
Visit to Burke's mother's
was a disaster.
The congressman hates
the very idea of the speech.
He's replacing me
with a Labrador retriever.
- More than you were looking for?
- Little bit.
We can hold the hand of the Lord...
...and walk through the darkness.
- Amen!
- Through the pain.
- Yeah!
- Through the storm.
- Yeah!
Let's give God some praise for that.
We are breathing this morning...
- He's supposed to be here already.
- They're five minutes behind.
- This is not the place to show up late.
- I know. I don't know what to tell you.
- He's late.
- Yes, he is.
Edie, where the hell are you?
They're here.
Amen.
We've got the Reverend
Dr. James Whitman.
First Lady Denise Whitman
is in the chair on your right.
Choirmaster Wilson Bennett.
We've been traveling the country...
...talking about Matt Santos'
vision for America.
Talking about the positive plan he has...
...to move this country
in the right direction.
Talking about an America of possibility.
I am proud to introduce to you
a great leader...
...a fine and honorable man,
Congressman Matthew Santos.
Good morning.
My prayers are with
Ronnie Burke's family today.
I know yours are too.
My prayers are with
Officer Rafael Martinez and his family.
They are not struggling
with the loss of a child...
...but they are struggling
with a terrible truth.
My prayers are with those families
and with this one.
You know, I find myself
on days like this casting about...
...for someone to blame.
I blame the kid. He stole a car.
I blame the parents.
Why couldn't they teach him better?
I blame the cop. Did he need to fire?
I blame everyone I can think of,
and I am filled with rage.
And then I try and find compassion.
Compassion for the people I blame.
Compassion...
...for the people I do not understand.
Compassion...
...doesn't always work so well.
I remember as a young man listening
on the radio to Dr. King in .
He asked of us compassion,
and we responded...
...not necessarily because we felt it,
but because he convinced us...
...that if we could find compassion,
if we could express compassion...
...and if we could just pretend
compassion...
...it would heal us...
...so much more than vengeance could.
And he was right.
It did, but not enough.
What we've learned this week...
...is that more compassion
is required of us...
...and an even greater effort
is required of us...
...and we are all, I think,
every one of us tired.
We're tired of understanding,
we're tired of waiting...
...we're tired of trying to figure out
why our children are not safe...
...and why our efforts to make them
safe seem to fail. We're tired.
But we must know
that we have made some progress...
...and blame will only destroy it.
Blame will breed more v*olence,
and we have had enough of that.
Blame will not rid our streets
of crime and dr*gs and fear...
...and we've had enough of that.
Blame will not strengthen our schools
or our families or our workforce.
Blame will rob us of those things,
and we have had enough of that.
And so I ask you today
to dig down deep with me and find...
...that compassion in your hearts...
...because it will keep us on the road...
...and we will walk together
and work together.
And slowly...
...slowly, too slowly,
things will get better.
God bless you.
God bless you,
and God bless your children.
God bless you.