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THE WEST WING
7x05 - "HERE TODAY"
WRITTEN BY PETER NOAH
DIRECTED BY ALEX GRAVES

Transcribed by Soundman for www.twiztv.com. Send feedback to
sparticus1611@hotmail.com.

TEASER

FADE IN: INT. - C.J.'S OFFICE - NIGHT

C.J. is at her desk. Toby is also in her office.

C.J.
You would not believe the day I've had. I'd tell you about it if I could
talk about it, but a bunch of stuff happened today that I can't talk about
so I guess I should stop talking about it.

She walks out into Margaret's office and hands a folder to Margaret. She
walks back into her office.

C.J.
But the truth is I'm so strung out and wired on caffeine I can't even tell
what room I'm in.

TOBY
C.J.

She gets up and closes the doors.

C.J.
Let's open that bottle of champagne you gave me for my birthday. Maybe the
alcohol will balance out the caffeine.

TOBY
C.J., the leak...

She gets a bottle of champagne and two glasses out of her closet. She brings
them over to her desk.

C.J.
Let's have a toast. One final toast before I leave the White House for my
perp walk in leg irons. Here, you open it. I'll put your eye out.

TOBY
C.J.

C.J.
Fine, I'll open it. But just, uh, listen to what I have to say. Leo's
in trouble.

TOBY
I know.

C.J.
You do?

TOBY
I got a lawyer.

He comes and sits down next to her.

C.J.
What?

TOBY
I got a lawyer.

She looks up as though she knows what he is going to say. He clears his throat.

TOBY
I did it.

C.J. looks at him for a moment before setting the champagne bottle down. She
gets up and walks behind her desk and picks up the phone.

C.J.
Call the White House Counsel's office, send someone over immediately.

She hangs it up.

TOBY
I just didn't want you to think...

C.J.
We really can't have any further conversation without Counsel present.

She walks over to the window. She sits on the windowsill and we see that
she is trying to hold back tears. For a long period of time, neither says
anything to each other. She walks over to her bookshelf behind the desk and
fiddles with some things, trying to distract her attention. We hear a knock
on the door and ASSOCIATE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL MIKE WAYNE comes to the door.

MIKE WAYNE
Oh, excuse me. I was told to come right in.

C.J.
Mike, is it?

WAYNE
Uh, sorry. Mike Wayne, Associate Counsel. Mr. Ziegler.

Toby nods to acknowledge his presence.

C.J.
Toby, would you tell Mike what you just told me.

Toby stands.

TOBY
I was the one who leaked the information about the classified military space
shuttle to Greg Brock of the New York Times.

C.J.
Where is Oliver Babish?

Wayne looks stunned.

WAYNE
Out to dinner. I'll need the key to your office.

Toby walks over to the door before Wayne stops him.

WAYNE
Where are you going?

TOBY
The key's on my desk.

WAYNE
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.

SMASH CUT TO: MAIN TITLES.
END TEASER.
* * *

ACT ONE

FADE IN: INT. - MAIN LOBBY - WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT

We see a shot of people leaving through the main entrance. We cut to a shot
of the lights being turned out in the Communications office. The only lights
on are in Toby's office.

CUT TO: INT. - ROOSEVELT ROOM - NIGHT

Wayne and Toby come to one of the doors to the Roosevelt Room. There is a
group of some sort meeting there.

WAYNE
We're going to need the room.

WOMAN
There was nothing on the schedule.

WAYNE
Yeah. We're going to be needing the room.

WOMAN
Sure. Absolutely.

They get up, pack up their things, and leave. Wayne begins shutting the doors.

WAYNE
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.

He shuts the last door on his way out.

CUT TO: INT. - SANTOS PLANE - NIGHT

Santos and Helen are sitting next to each other and they are talking.

HELEN
Watch a movie.

SANTOS
We land in 40 minutes.

HELEN
Watch part of a movie.

SANTOS
I have to eat my vegetables.

HELEN
It's something we can do together.

SANTOS
Our own machines, our own headphones; how are we doing it together?

HELEN
It'll be a shared experience. You remember those?

SANTOS
I have to scan the stump speech for racial code words.

HELEN
Really?

SANTOS
Yeah. This black professor's saying the section on immigrants "who do work
Americans won't do" is code for "the black underclass is lazy."

HELEN
He's got a point.

SANTOS
No he doesn't.

HELEN
You're not going to solve interracial sensitivity in the next 40 minutes.

SANTOS
Honey, I have to do this.

She slumps her head and pretends to snore.

HELEN
All work and no play.

SANTOS
Are you calling me a dull boy?

HELEN
I'm sorry, were you saying something?

SANTOS
Just try not doing that in front of the electorate.

HELEN
Come on, the headphone thing should be a plus. You hate in when I get loud.

SANTOS
You're just going to get louder. You're not going to fool me.

HELEN
I thought you liked it when I got loud.

SANTOS
In this, as in all things, context is king.

HELEN
Fine.

She sticks out her tongue as she lays her seat back.

SANTOS
Try not doing that in front of the voters either.

CUT TO: INT. - HALLWAY - OUTSIDE SIT ROOM - NIGHT

Mr. Frost is waiting outside the Sit Room. Kate walks in and they begin
talking.

KATE
Charles.

FROST
Commander.

KATE
You're a hard man to find.

FROST
You can't be too careful.

KATE
You can, actually.

FROST
Whom will I be addressing in the Sit Room?

KATE
That would be no one. You're not going in the Sit Room. You're going to tell
me what you have to say, then I'm going in. But first, you can't stalk the
White House Chief of Staff.

FROST
She wouldn't return my calls.

KATE
She's a little busy helping to run the free world. I doubt she calls her
mother back.

FROST
Her mother is dead and her father's Alzheimer's so bad, you'd have no idea
whether she called or not.

KATE
Do you try to come off this creepy? 'Cause, I've got to tell you, as a
strategy for getting people to like you, it leaves a bit to be desired. Do
you have any idea how thoroughly I could get you bounced over this?

FROST
I was right, wasn't I?

KATE
"Thank you, Commander Harper, for letting me keep my job, which means
everything to me, as you can tell by the way I dress."

FROST
I was right.

KATE
Before we discuss how right you are, were, or have ever been, I need a solemn
vow you will never ambush a senior White House official again.

He says nothing.

KATE
I'm waiting.

FROST
Fine.

KATE
Thank you. Now, let's discuss this assassination in Kazakhstan.

CUT TO: INT. - MARGARET'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Margaret walks to C.J.'s door and speaks to her.

MARGARET
I reached Oliver Babish. He says you owe him a raspberry panna cotta
cheesecake.

C.J.
He'll live.

MARGARET
Longer, probably. It's morning in Jerusalem. You wanted to call about the
Farad funeral.

C.J.
Right, right.

C.J. walks out of her office.

MARGARET
So, you want me to...

C.J.
Yeah, let's do that.

MARGARET
I didn't want to. I tried not to say anything.

C.J.
I'm sorry?

MARGARET
The Committee. I hope my testimony didn't do anything to make things more
difficult for you.

C.J.
Don't worry about it.

MARGARET
If I caused you any problems...

C.J.
I'm sure you didn't.

MARGARET
I'll place that call.

CUT TO: INT. - ROOSEVELT ROOM - NIGHT

Toby is seated alone in the Roosevelt Room. Ed and Larry walk in to try to
talk to them. He is very curt with them.

ED
Toby, you got a minute?

TOBY
No.

LARRY
We just wanted to get your take on these OMB numbers.

TOBY
Go away.

LARRY
Ok. Alright, we'll leave them on your...

TOBY
Go!

CUT TO: INT. - SANTOS PLANE - NIGHT

Josh and Lou are walking to their seats.

LOU
What's wrong with the word vigorous?

JOSH
It sounds like we're taking a shot at Bartlet.

LOU
We're not running against Bartlet, we're running against a Methuselah
Republican.

JOSH
Vigorous isn't the opposite of old, it's the opposite of
vigor-less... ness. It's going to come off like we're referencing the MS.

LOU
That's a win-win in my book.

JOSH
Look, Arnold Vinick isn't some old feeb, doddering from one campaign stop
to the next. He's got more energy than I do.

LOU
He is inconveniently spry.

JOSH
Use that.

LOU
What?

JOSH
Spry. It's a word that's only used to describe old people. Ever hear of
anybody under the age of 70 being called spry? It says "old guy versus young
guy" without even mentioning age.

Ned walks up and hands them a sheet of paper.

NED
We just got the new tracking numbers. Nine and holding.

Josh and Lou both grunt at the number.

NED
Couple weeks ago you were doing cartwheels about being only nine down.

JOSH
Well, that was a couple weeks ago.

NED
With the margin of error it could really be just six.

LOU
When the polls spit out the same numbers, day in and day out, it's time to
stop talking margins of error.

JOSH
Nine points is nine points.

NED
That's what I thought then, but you were all so happy.

LOU
So, basically, you've been wrong about this twice now.

He gets up and leaves.

CUT TO: INT. - ROOSEVELT ROOM - NIGHT

Toby is seated at the table. He takes a card out of his wallet and picks up
the phone. He dials.

TOBY
Alana. Toby Ziegler. As my attorney, you should probably know that I just
confessed to C.J. Cregg that I was behind the leak.

Babish and Wayne walk in.

TOBY
I'm about to be debriefed by White House Counsel.

BABISH
You left him in a room with a phone?

TOBY
I'll talk to you tomorrow.

He hangs up.

BABISH
Toby.

TOBY
Oliver.

BABISH
Who were you talking to?

TOBY
My attorney's voice mail.

WAYNE
My instructions were that you sit quietly.

TOBY
I'm pretty sure I used my indoor voice.

BABISH
Who else have you called or spoken to since Mike's been gone?

TOBY
No one. Ed and Larry.

BABISH
Who?

TOBY
They stuck their heads in, wanted to run something by me, I told them to
go away.

BABISH
Did you discuss the leak or the investigation in any way?

TOBY
We didn't discuss anything. I was curt and dismissive, as instructed.

BABISH
Yeah, I'm going to need their full names and extensions.

He hands Toby a pad of paper.

TOBY
They were here maybe ten seconds.

BABISH
Mike's going to need to speak with them.

Toby takes the pad and writes on it. He hands it back to Oliver, who tears
off the sheet that Toby wrote on and hands it to Wayne.

BABISH
Thanks.

Wayne takes the paper and leaves.

BABISH
You're in some trouble. Um... and I'm personally truly sorry about that.

TOBY
Thank you.

BABISH
Unfortunately, that is of incidental concern in my capacity as White
House Counsel. You've put this administration into some difficulty. So my
immediate professional concern is whether you put the President into jeopardy
as well. So I'm gonna have some questions for you. Get comfortable. We're
going to be here a bit.

FADE OUT.
END ACT ONE.
* * *

ACT TWO

FADE IN: INT. - ROOSEVELT ROOM - NIGHT

Toby is talking with Babish.

BABISH
Were you the sole individual involved in leaking this?

TOBY
Yes.

BABISH
Did anyone instruct you to leak this information?

TOBY
No.

BABISH
Anyone suggest you leak it?

TOBY
No.

BABISH
Hint?

TOBY
No.

BABISH
Nudge, wink? Did anyone employ nonverbal means of any kind to suggest in an
explicit or implicit action that you leak this information?

TOBY
No. It was conceived and executed solely on my own.

BABISH
Did you tell anyone you were planning on leaking this?

TOBY
No.

BABISH
Discuss that you were considering doing so?

TOBY
No.

BABISH
Did you speculate to anyone that an individual might be inclined to contemplate
making such a leak?

TOBY
We're going to be here for quite a while, aren't we?

BABISH
I need you to answer the question.

TOBY
No. I didn't speak to anyone at anytime 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.

BABISH
That's cute, the out-of-body thing, but I don't recommend it with the FBI,
the Congressional Committee, the Federal Prosecutor, or any of the people
who'll be following me.

CUT TO: INT. - HALLWAY - WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT

Bartlet and Abbey are coming back from the lobby.

ABBEY
That was lovely.

BARTLET
Hmm. I have to call Zahavy.

ABBEY
I don't blame him for not wanting to go to Farad's funeral. I wish you didn't
have to go. Isn't that what Vice Presidents are for?

BARTLET
No.

ABBEY
Then what good are they?

BARTLET
The two I've had, and enduring mystery. God, I'm exhausted.

ABBEY
You haven't forgotten that Ellie and Vic are coming by?

BARTLET
No. Our daughter's getting engaged to the fruit fly guy.

ABBEY
He's a research scientist. Stop making him look like something out of a
horror film.

They have walked through the hallway, into the Oval Office, and out onto
the portico. They are walking toward the Residence.

ABBEY
Did you know that fruit flies reproduce at a prodigious rate?

BARTLET
Well, you've been whining about more grandchildren.

ABBEY
I meant that they're more than just unusually enthusiastic.

BARTLET
All right.

ABBEY
In fact, they make bunnies look like dysfunctional prudes.

BARTLET
That's our daughter you're talking about.

ABBEY
Indeed.

BARTLET
Yeah, how about that?

ABBEY
Are you...?

BARTLET
A little, how about you?

ABBEY
Astonished, actually.

BARTLET
Why? Did you and she never discuss...?

ABBEY
Oh, no. There are some things that are outside even the mother-daughter bond,
at least for us. Did you and she...?

BARTLET
We always adhered to a strict "Don't ask, don't tell" policy; clung to it,
actually.

ABBEY
She is one's daughter. And she wants her to be happy in whatever.

BARTLET
Of course, true to herself.

ABBEY
There's nothing wrong with that inclination.

BARTLET
Nothing, whatsoever.

ABBEY
But God Herself strike me dead, it is not to be denied that I am not unhappy
that my daughter is straight after all.

BARTLET
At least straight enough to be marrying the fruit fly guy.

CUT TO: INT. - SANTOS PLANE - NIGHT

Josh and Lou are seated next to each other. Josh has his chair reclined and
seems to be sleeping. Ned, Ronna, and an intern named ZEKE come up to talk
to Lou.

RONNA
Someone in the Texas AG's office has obtained the complete medical records
of 120 women who had abortions in three of the clinics there.

LOU
Please tell me one's not in Houston.

RONNA
And in San Antonio.

NED
The pretext is looking for unreported cases of sexual abuse and statutory rape.

ZEKE
But it's an obvious smokescreen.

RONNA
We fooled with some language.

LOU
We're not commenting.

NED
We have to.

LOU
This is a state matter.

ZEKE
From the Congressman's home state.

LOU
I'm familiar with the bio, thanks.

RONNA
It violates the spirit of Roe.

LOU
How important is Texas?

NED
Pretty important.

LOU
No, not pretty important. With Vinick's lock on California, this is the
whole b.o.w.

They look as though they don't know what she is talking about. Josh answers,
seemingly talking in his sleep.

JOSH
Ball of wax.

LOU
Why wade into an issue that's not going to get us any voters who weren't
going to vote for us already?

NED
Because all it costs us is people who weren't going to vote for us anyway.

JOSH
We don't need those people to vote for us. We need them to stay home.

RONNA
Single-issue pro-lifers don't like Vinick anymore than they like us; why
energize them?

LOU
Let's let this particular sleeping dog lie.

NED
That's crazy. We're Democrats; we have to come out strong on a woman's right
to choose.

LOU
Have you ever had an abortion?

NED
That's a little personal, don't you think?

LOU
Don't talk to me about what we have to do on this subject.

Josh opens his eyes as though he has been woke up.

NED
Whatever you say.

Josh squints his eyes and turns to Lou.

LOU
I was thinking while you were asleep.

JOSH
I wasn't asleep.

LOU
Oh, really? With the drooling, the twitching, and muttering to yourself,
which might otherwise be described as schizophrenic episode, I go with
"You were sleeping."

JOSH
Okay.

LOU
The campaign's stagnating because the poll numbers are.

JOSH
Doldrums, horse latitude; it's still mid-August. Wind'll pick up.

LOU
You and I need to be a stiff wind that blows through the staff and carries
a bunch away.

JOSH
Way to stick with the meteorological metaphor. Still, it's a little hysterical.

They get up and start walking.

LOU
This group isn't cutting it.

JOSH
We're fine.

LOU
Last week the Advance team went to Springfield, Illinois for an event in
Springfield, Missouri.

JOSH
Every campaign has a few bumps.

LOU
We need more experienced hands. Look around you; we're a little heavy on
the wide-eyed and dewy.

JOSH
We've got a young staff. Guess what: we're Democrats.

They have walked into the coffee area. Josh gets a cup and pours some coffee.

LOU
Well, Vinick's got grownups. We're running a children's crusade.

JOSH
It got a virtual unknown the Democratic presidential nomination.

LOU
Well, now it's got him consistently tracking nine points down which is,
I believe, a loss and not a small one.

JOSH
We start firing people, it's going to look like the campaign's in trouble.

LOU
The campaign is in trouble; it'll look like we noticed. First pass of the
staff list.

She hands him a piece of paper.

JOSH
That's a lot of names.

LOU
Anyone you want to fight for?

JOSH
Ned.

LOU
He's not built for this.

JOSH
He's been with the Congressman forever. Santos will never let me can him.

LOU
That's why he's got to go: it'll kill morale if you fire all these people
and keep him.

JOSH
So we don't fire anyone.

LOU
Keep whistling past the graveyard, but it'll be your future gets buried when
you preside over a 49-state wipeout.

CUT TO: INT. - HALLWAY - WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT

Kate and Margaret are walking and talking toward C.J.'s office.

 MARGARET
Can't leave before the boss leaves. You?

KATE
Time and assassinations wait for no one.

MARGARET
Pithy.

KATE
I'm thinking about putting out a line of twisted samplers.

MARGARET
When's your turn?

KATE
With the committee? Supposedly Friday, but if they took all day with you...

MARGARET
I'm really looking forward to things getting back to normal around here.

They stop in front of the Communications office and Kate sees that several
people, either Secret Service or FBI, are packing up the contents of Toby's
office. They walk off and we focus on Toby who is seated in the Roosevelt Room.

BABISH
Did you have any private conversations with the President regarding the
existence of a military shuttle?

TOBY
No.

BABISH
Participate in any group discussions on that subject that included the
President?

TOBY
No.

BABISH
Did you have any internal White House conversations with anyone at any time
about the United States possessing a classified military space shuttle?

Toby pauses for a moment.

TOBY
Yes.

BABISH
With whom?

He doesn't answer.

BABISH
Who did you talk about it with?

TOBY
C.J. Cregg.

CUT TO: INT. - SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT

Kate is seated at the table with Hutchinson, Slattery, and Sliger sitting
across from her. We do not see their faces while they speak.

KATE
Frost thinks...

HUTCHINSON
Yeah. I know what Frost thinks; about everything. If it rains on a picnic,
Frost thinks Al Queda seeded the clouds.

SLATTERY
Why do you keep him in the job?

SLIGER
He's a good analyst. Good analysts spend a lot of time being wrong.

HUTCHINSON
Funny, at Defense Intelligence we like our guys to be right. Different strokes.

SLIGER
Are there Islamic extremists who dream of a new China-to-Spain caliphate? Sure.

HUTCHINSON
Do we think they're going to start by assassinating the Palestinian Chairman
and the president of Kazakhstan? I mean, come on.

CUT TO: INT. - C.J.'S OFFICE - NIGHT

C.J. is standing in her office. She opens one of the doors so that she can
see into the Roosevelt Room where Toby and Babish are talking. She walks
over to the door to Margaret's office and opens it. She speaks to Margaret.

C.J.
Margaret, will you call Leo for me?

She sits down at her desk.

CUT TO: INT. - ROOSEVELT ROOM - NIGHT

Babish and Toby are talking.

BABISH
When you spoke to Greg Brock of the New York Times, you were aware you were
speaking on the record?

TOBY
I'm the White House Communications Director. I have a rough understanding
of the protocol involved when speaking with journalists.

BABISH
So that'd be a yes?

TOBY
That would be an of course.

BABISH
And your intention in conveying this information to Greg Brock was for it
to be published in his newspaper?

TOBY
Yes.

BABISH
You were aware this information was classified?

TOBY
Excuse me?

BABISH
Answer the question.

TOBY
You're asking me if I new the military space shuttle was classified; one
of the most closely held pieces of information I've encountered 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 realized
it was classified? Yeah, I had a vague inkling.

BABISH
Were you personally authorized to have this information?

While he is speaking, Toby's lawyer, ALANA WATERMAN, comes in.

ALANA WATERMAN
Alana Waterman, Mr. Babish. I'm Mr. Ziegler's attorney, and as such I must
inform Counsel that my client will not be answering any further questions.

TOBY
It's okay, thanks.

ALANA
No, it's most certainly not okay and you're not to say anything else.

TOBY
You know, I'm really getting fed up to here with lawyers ordering me around.

BABISH
You probably should have considered that before passing state secrets to
New York Times reporters. Which brings up, did you leak to anyone other than
Greg Brock?

ALANA
Do not answer that.

TOBY
No.

ALANA
If I may have a word in private with my client.

BABISH
I'll be right outside.

He gets up and leaves.

TOBY
I really appreciate your concern but I am taking full responsibility and I
am prepared and ready to face the consequences.

ALANA
Well that's very noble and very stupid.

TOBY
Thank you.

ALANA
You have to listen to me know. If you were truly the only one involved...

TOBY
I was.


ALANA
Well, then that's unfortunate because it means that you have no bigger fish to
turn over to the prosecutor which is what he and the Congress will be looking
for and obviously would have been the best and fastest way to make a deal.

TOBY
I don't care about that.

ALANA
Well, it's my job to. And we're not starting with a lot of bargaining chips
and we have less every time you open your mouth.

TOBY
I'm not looking to cut a deal.

ALANA
Oh, really? Because the last time I checked, the sentencing guidelines,
even for someone who is a first-time offender, were 63 to 78 months jail time.

TOBY
63 to 78. How do they come up with those numbers; pick out of a hat, dartboard?

ALANA
You have an obligation to...

TOBY
Please don't bring up my kids!

ALANA
When you hire somebody like me you take on a responsibility to my
reputation. If you decide you want to go down in some quasi-orgasmic blaze of
self-pity and self-destructive self-aggrandizing attempted glory, all anyone's
going to 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 reenters
the room, you either decline to answer any further questions or you watch
me walk not only out of this room, but off the case.

She signals for Babish to come back in. He does and he again sits across
from Toby.

BABISH
Who was it that first informed you of the existence of a classified military
space shuttle?

He stands up and walks to the back of his chair and then again to the
front. He sits.

TOBY
I decline to answer on the advice of counsel.

BABISH
Please wait here.

He gets up and leaves again.

TOBY
Well, you certainly earned your fee today.

ALANA
I'm deeply gratified that you decided to heed my guidance.

TOBY
No, I just meant it was the first time tonight he used the word "please."

FADE OUT.
END ACT TWO.
* * *

ACT THREE

FADE IN: INT. - HALLWAY - WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT

We see the agents are still packing up things from Toby's office. Ed and
Larry are outside the Communications office and are watching what is going
on. C.J. walks past them.

C.J.
If you gentlemen are done for the night you should probably go home.

They turn and attempt to go through the doorway they were standing in. They
bump into a man carrying several boxes on a dolly.

CUT TO: INT. - SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT

Kate, Hutchinson, Slattery, and Sliger are still seated around the
table. C.J. comes in and sits next to Slattery, across from Kate.

KATE
C.J.

C.J.
Catch me up.

HUTCHINSON
Commander Harper has been entertaining us - well, given the hour, I'm not
sure "entertaining" is the right word - with her theory on this assassination
in Kazakhstan.

C.J.
Mr. Secretary, through no fault of your own, your customary default acerbity,
which some might characterize as snide but which I never fail to find
delightful, is, perhaps, not the right tone for my particular mood this
particular evening. Now would you catch me up?

KATE
Assassination's been a historic tactic of Russian security services. I feel
there is reason to look in there direction.

C.J.
The Russians and Kazakhs are allies.

KATE
Kazakhstan has been cozying up to Beijing.

SLATTERY
They recently announced the establishment of a strategic partnership.

KATE
This is on top of the oil pipeline the Kazakhs have already agreed to build
to China.

SLATTERY
When they announced this alliance, they took pains to stress that it wasn't
directed at any third party.

KATE
Doth protesting, perhaps a bit much.

HUTCHINSON
Are you buying this?

SLATTERY
We're catching her up.

KATE
Moscow's not thrilled with this budding relationship. Not only is it
competitive with Russia's own oil interests, but it's emblematic of China's
growing dominance in the region.

C.J.
Who takes over in Kazakhstan with Issanov dead?

SLATTERY
Constitutionally, Prime Minister Tarmov.

SLIGER
Who has ties that go back to Moscow from the USSR days.

KATE
It's Russia's interests that are most directly served by removing the
sitting President.

C.J.
What will the Chinese do?

KATE
That's the question.

C.J.
Russia and China, eyeball-to-eyeball in Central Asia?

KATE
Over oil.

HUTCHINSON
With 900 U.S. Marines stuck right in the middle.
CUT TO: INT. - SANTOS PLANE - NIGHT

Santos and Helen are seated next to each other. Helen has a pair of headphones
on and is watching a scary movie on a personal machine. She speaks loudly.

HELEN
Oh, God! This is very scary.

Josh comes in.

JOSHC
Congressman, you got a minute?

SANTOS
Yeah, sure.

Josh comes in and closes the door. He sits across from Santos.

JOSH
What's she watching?

SANTOS
The latest Rob Zombie film.

JOSH
She seems to be enjoying it.

She screams and covers her eyes with her hands. Josh smiles.

JOSH
I guess.

SANTOS
You a big Rob Zombie fan?

JOSH
I prefer his earlier, funnier movies. Lou and I have been discussing the staff.

SANTOS
What about it?

JOSH
Making some changes.

HELEN
Are you kidding me?

Josh looks at her.

SANTOS
She's not talking to you.

JOSH
The campaign's not hitting on all cylinders. It could be time for a mid-course
correction.

SANTOS
How many people are we talking about?

JOSH
About 45.

HELEN
You can't be serious.

She looks at him to indicate that she was talking to him this time.

HELEN
You can't do that.

SANTOS
It's a lot of people.

HELEN
It'll look like panic.

JOSH
We can bring in more operatives with experience and savvy.

HELEN
Have we been turning them away? "I'm sorry, you can't work for us. You have
too much experience and savvy."?

JOSH
We need to make some changes.

SANTOS
Are we panicked?

JOSH
No. Of course not.

SANTOS
Well, you're running this thing. It is a big layoff and it's going to get
noted in the press, but if you think it's needed...

JOSH
I do. One of the people is Ned Carlson.

HELEN
What?

JOSH
I know he's been with you a long time. I'm sure he was a real asset in the
Congressional office.

HELEN
You can't fire Ned.

JOSH
But he is not cut out for this: the pace, thinking fast on your feet.

SANTOS
Send him back to the Congressional office and we will get him something in
the administration once we're in.

HELEN
Matt.

He stands from his seat.

SANTOS
Anyone not getting the job done is going to go.

JOSH
Do you want to be the one to tell him?

SANTOS
You can take care of it.

He leaves, leaving Josh and Helen alone.

JOSH
Mrs. Santos.

He gets up to leave.

CUT TO: INT. - C.J.'S OFFICE - NIGHT

C.J. is at her desk and Babish is seated across from her. He has a pad of
paper in his hand and he is talking to C.J.

BABISH
That's as far as I got before his attorney intervened.

C.J.
Do you feel you got the whole story?

BABISH
Toby mentioned he discussed the military shuttle with you.

C.J.
He did.

BABISH
Did you direct him to leak the information?

C.J.
I did not.

BABISH
Urge it?

C.J.
No.

BABISH
Subtly hint?

C.J.
Absolutely not. Why, did Toby give any indication that I had?

BABISH
Nope. His account matches yours. It's important that everyone's stories are
in sync.

C.J.
They are. That's because it's the truth.

BABISH
Have you discussed this with anyone since Mike and you last spoke?

C.J.
No.

BABISH
No comment about what's been going on in the Roosevelt Room or Toby's office?

C.J.
Of course not.

BABISH
And others you've encountered will so testify?

C.J.
Yes.

BABISH
Spoken to anyone outside the building?

C.J.
No.

BABISH
And the White House phone logs will so confirm?

C.J.
I placed a call to Leo McGarry.

BABISH
For what purpose?

She doesn't answer.

BABISH
For what purpose, C.J.?

C.J.
I didn't reach him.

BABISH
But had you, was your intention to discuss the fact that Toby Ziegler was
the White House leak?

C.J.
I didn't reach him.

BABISH
He and you should be very glad about that. What, if any, message did you leave?

C.J.
I told Margaret not to leave any, that it wasn't anything important.

BABISH
Were those your exact words?

C.J.
I don't know, I... I may have said not to even mention that I had called.

BABISH
You have between now and tomorrow morning, when I imagine the first question
will come about this, to consider whether you had a particular reason to
phone Leo McGarry this evening other than discussing courses of action in
dealing with this news regarding Toby Ziegler, which might, to outsiders,
appear to be consideration of a cover-up. It's time to tell the President.

They stand.

C.J.
What will be the recommendation of the Counsel's office?

BABISH
The same as yours.

He leaves.

CUT TO: INT. - SITTING ROOM - RESIDENCE - NIGHT

Bartlet and Abbey are sharing a toast with Ellie and her fiance VIC FAISON.

BARTLET
Congratulations.

ABBEY
Oh, I want to see that ring. Oh, its lovely.

ELLIE
You don't think it's too big?

ABBEY
There's no such thing, dear.

BARTLET
Almost got you a rebate there.

VIC FAISON
I only wish I could have afforded an even bigger one.

ABBEY
Well, I want to hear all about the proposal. Tell me everything.

VIC
We went for a mountain bike ride to a secluded spot in Rock Creek Park. We
did it there.

ABBEY
Oh.

VIC
Or, I did it there.

ABBEY
Romantic.

ELLIE
Very. The two of us and my Secret Service detail.

BARTLET
When are you thinking about having the wedding?

ELLIE
As soon as possible.

BARTLET
We don't want to distract from the election, of course, but anytime after
that could work. A White House wedding at Christmas?

ABBEY
I don't think she wants that.

BARTLET
What?

ABBEY
To do it here.

BARTLET
What could be more wonderful?

ABBEY
Oh, no. Undoubtedly a White House wedding would be very beautiful and terribly
romantic, but inevitably it would be quite a bit of a spectacle. And of all of
us, Ellie has been the one to shy away from the spotlight. [to Ellie] Why don't
you consider having the wedding after your father has left the office entirely?

BARTLET
Sure, if you want to turn your back on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

ABBEY
Hopefully, the wedding is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

BARTLET
You would seriously consider not getting married in the White House?

ABBEY
Well, you could do something very private at the farm.

ELLIE
Where, at the moment, is the less pressing concern. There's another
consideration that may need to take precedence as far as scheduling goes.

They look at her for a moment.

ELLIE
And... why we... might not want to... wait.

They look as though they realize what she is saying.

ABBEY
Oh.

BARTLET
Well, we should probably get right on to scheduling that, then.

Nancy comes in.

NANCY
Sorry for the interruption Mr. President, ma'am, Ellie.

ABBEY
Nancy, this is our... new son-in-law to be, Vic Faison.

As he is introduced, Vic looks as though he wishes the floor would swallow
him up. He is obviously embarrassed.

NANCY
Nice to meet you. Congratulations.

ELLIE
Thank you, thank you so much.

NANCY
Sir, C.J. and Oliver Babish would like to speak with you.

BARTLET
Of course. Excuse me, please.

He gets up and leaves. As he does, Abbey reaches over and takes the champagne
away from Ellie.

CUT TO: INT. - ROOSEVELT ROOM - NIGHT

Toby is talking with Alana.

TOBY
Self-aggrandizing and self-destructive?

ALANA
I was trying to make a point.

TOBY
Quasi-orgasmic might have been a bit much.

ALANA
A little colorful rhetoric; occupational hazard. Why'd you do it?

TOBY
To save lives.

ALANA
Your brother was an astronaut.

TOBY
Astronaut's lives in the short term. Start a discussion about whether we
want to extend mankind's capacity for warfare into the heavens.

ALANA
The weaponization of space.

TOBY
I believe in an open society. You debate these things in the light of
day. That's what's supposed to happen in a democracy.

ALANA
Yes, global pacifism, freedom of information; these are things that people will
rally around. We can get a lot of lefty support; college campuses, Hollywood...

TOBY
Good, help defray my legal expenses.

ALANA
I'm serious.

TOBY
So am I; I know what you charge.

ALANA
A couple of well-placed editorials, some cable news spots, public
demonstrations; this could be very helpful. Certainly not going to hurt, huh?

TOBY
Will it keep me out of jail?

ALANA
There's a lesser criminal statute, 35 U.S.C. 799, which makes it a misdemeanor
to disobey a regulation set forth by the NASA administrator. The penalty is
likely a fine, no more than a year's jail time.

He smirks at her.

ALANA
Yeah, I know. It's a little pie-in-the-sky around the edges.

Toby notices, through one of the doors, that Bartlet is walking toward the
Oval Office.

TOBY
Keep thinking, counselor. It's what you're good at.

We see Bartlet walk into the Oval and an agent shuts the door behind him.

CUT TO: INT. - OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT

We see the scene through a window over the President's desk. C.J. and Babish
are waiting in the center of the room when Bartlet comes in. He walks over and
stands in front of them. We see Babish begin to speak, but hear no audio. We
zoom in as we see him and C.J. talking to Bartlet.

FADE OUT.
END ACT THREE.
* * *

ACT FOUR

FADE IN: INT. - OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT

C.J. and Babish are talking to Bartlet.

BARTLET
Toby? Is it possible to be astonished and, at the same time, not surprised?

BABISH
I've debriefed him, sir. It seems to have involved no one else.

C.J.
Obviously there'll be a partisan push to probe past Toby and cause us and
the Santos campaign more difficulty. The fact that there's no there there
should limit the other side's ability to get traction.

BARTLET
The political fallout is not my first concern.

BABISH
We should move quickly, sir.

C.J.
Oliver's pointed out that not only do we not want the appearance of a cover-up,
we don't want the appearance of, even for a moment, having considered anything
but full and immediate disclosure.

BARTLET
I'll make a statement. And Toby...

C.J.
I'll take care of that, sir.

BARTLET
No. Bring him here.

BABISH
Respectfully, Mr. President, you should not be in the same room with Toby
Ziegler. He's radioactive, sir, potentially toxic to the Presidency.

BARTLET
Thank you for your counsel, but I have to do this myself.

BABISH
Then I'm going to have to insist on being present.

He looks unsure for a moment, and then nods his head.

BARTLET
Give me a moment.

C.J.
Thank you, Mr. President.

BABISH
Thank you, sir.

They leave, presumably into C.J.'s office.

CUT TO: INT. - SITUATION ROOM - NIGHT

Kate comes out of the Sit Room and is startled to find Frost waiting for
her outside.

KATE
God! See, this is what puts people off: lurking. No one likes a lurker.

FROST
How'd it go in there?

KATE
For your theory? Not well. I think there's a better one.

FROST
It can't be better if it's wrong.

KATE
Good night, Charles.

She begins to walks away.

FROST
The pattern is so patently obvious children, even kindergartners would see
it. I'm trying to save everyone's jobs, okay? What?!

She turns.

FROST
All right, your theory; what is it. Tell me.

She comes back down the steps to talk to him.

KATE
It's a pretty scary scenario, actually. It leads to Russia and China on the
brink of confrontation; two neighboring nuclear power, India and Pakistan
forced to pick sides; Japan and the United States being drawn in against
their will. It's your basic horror show, World War III nightmare.

FROST
Very cool. You want to grab coffee?

She looks stunned at his attitude.

CUT TO: INT. - SANTOS PLANE - NIGHT

The plane has landed at it's destination and the staff is getting off. We
see Ned and Ronna walking, one in front of the other. Josh calls to Ned.

JOSH
Ned, hang on a minute.

He steps aside and lets the other people move past him. Josh walks over to him.

NED
What's up?

Josh sits one side of the aisle and Ned sits across from him.

NED
Am I in trouble?

JOSH
You know, this kind of thing is never easy but we've decided to make a change.

NED
Sorry?

JOSH
We're shaking up... the staff and you're one of the people we're going to
let go. I'm sorry.

NED
You're joking.

JOSH
I'm not.

NED
You're firing me?

JOSH
It's reassignment; back to the Congressional office.

NED
No, um, you don't fire me. Does the Congressman know about this?

JOSH
He signed off on it, yeah.

NED
Well, due respect, I'm really going to have to hear it from him.

JOSH
He's going straight to the meet-and-greet, and then, I really hope, straight
to bed.

NED
Well, he's going to need to find some time.

Ned stands, as if to leave.

JOSH
Listen to me.

He sits back down.

JOSH
Talking to the Congressman is not going to change anything. I want to thank
you for all your hard work.

NED
Screw you.

He gets back up and grabs his things.

NED
You know, you can fire as many of us grunts as you want, but if you want to
know why this campaign is floundering, look in the mirror.

He walks away.

CUT TO: INT. - C.J.'S OFFICE - NIGHT

C.J. is in her office and Kate comes to the door to speak to her.

KATE
C.J., did something break in the leak investigation? Since I'm supposed to
heading it...

C.J.
I really can't talk about this right now.

KATE
I feel like I owe you an apology.

C.J.
You don't. And I really can't discuss this right now.

She walks away, putting her jacket on as she walks to the Roosevelt Room. When
she enters, Toby and Alana both stand.

C.J.
The President wants to see you. Just Toby.

ALANA
I'm afraid I have a problem with that.

C.J.
I'm sure I didn't just hear you invite yourself into the Oval Office.

ALANA
You're hearing me request that the courtesy of an invitation be extended to
Mr. Ziegler's attorney...

Toby begins to leave.

ALANA [cont.]
... or my clients not going anywhere.

TOBY
It's okay.

ALANA
Toby!

TOBY
It's all right. Go home.

He leaves the Roosevelt Room and he and C.J. walk to the door of the Oval
Office. C.J. knocks and Bartlet answers.

BARTLET
Yeah.

She opens the door and they go in. Bartlet and Babish are waiting for them.

TOBY
Mr. President.

BARTLET
Toby.

TOBY
I was hoping we would be able to speak in private.

BARTLET
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 sort of
crash-and-burn. That self-righteous superiority; not that you were smarter
than everyone; that you were purer, morally superior.

TOBY
Due respect, sir, I don't think I'm morally superior to everyone.

BARTLET
No, just to me.

He steps toward the center of the room and takes a letter out of his coat
pocket as he does.

TOBY
Sir, I've drawn up a letter of resignation.

Bartlet steps toward the center of the room as well.

BARTLET
What is that, the third one? Rip it up.

TOBY
Sir?

BARTLET
I can't accept your resignation. I have to fire you. For cause.

He looks at Babish as he steps back toward his desk. He takes his tie off
as Babish speaks.

BABISH
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
of your personal effects will be sent to your home after Counsel's staff
has cataloged the contents of your office.

Bartlet has come to the window behind his desk.

TOBY
Thank you, Mr. President.

He turns and walks to the door. Babish follows him. Bartlet turns and speaks
to Toby.

BARTLET
Toby.

Toby turns just as he has reached the door.

BARTLET
When you walk out of here, there'll be people out there, perhaps a great many,
who'll think of you as a hero. I just don't for a moment want you thinking
I'll be one of them.

Toby turns, snobbishly it seems, and leaves. Babish follows him into the
Outer Oval Office.

CUT TO: INT. - SECRETARY'S OFFICE - OEOB - NIGHT

C.J. walks into the office and speaks to a secretary. The print on the door
reads "Office of the Vice President," and beneath that, "Chief of Staff."

C.J.
Hey. Is he in?

The secretary gets up and leads C.J. into another office.

SECRETARY
C.J. Cregg to see you.

C.J.
Thanks.

CUT TO: INT. - WILL'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

C.J. walks in and speaks to Will, who is seated at his desk and is watching
the news. She looks as though she is seriously trying not to cry.

C.J.
Hey.

WILL
Hey, what's up?

C.J.
I'm offering - well, not so much offering as dragooning you to be the new White
House Communications Director starting immediately. Congratulations. I'll
smooth things over with the VP but first you should know the President's
making a statement in, uh, three or so minutes in which he'll announce that
Toby Ziegler has been fired for an egregious national security violation.

WILL
[whispering] Toby.

C.J.
Said termination taking place within an hour of Mr. Ziegler's confession of
responsibility for this act.

Will stands and puts his jacket on.

WILL
Uh, does the President want me to help with the statement?

C.J.
I think he's got a pretty good handle on what he's going to say. White House
Counsel sealed Toby's office so feel free to use Annabeth's old one for the
time being, which, come to think of it, used to be yours. Funny how things
work out.

WILL
Not so funny, really.

C.J.
Yeah, not so much.

She turns and leaves.

CUT TO: INT. - OUTER OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT

 Babish and Toby are waiting as cameramen are getting set up for the
 President's statement.

BABISH
Rough in there.

TOBY
To be expected.

BABISH
I thought he'd thank you for your service.

TOBY
He's angry.

BABISH
Someone should thank you for your service.

A guard comes into the office.

GUARD
Mr. Ziegler. I'll need your hard pass, sir.

Toby takes out his pass and gives it to the guard.

GUARD
If you'd come with me.

They walk out of the office and Babish stands as Toby walks out. We hear
the President begin his address.

BARTLET
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.

We follow several shots of Toby being escorted from the building as we hear
Bartlet give his speech.

BARTLET
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...

We see on a TV screen that Bartlet is wringing his hands. The audio begins to
fade as we continue to follow Toby. We see C.J., who is watching the address
from the Oval Office, beginning to cry. We see the guard lead Toby out the
side door to the White House. The door is closed behind them as the guard
opens the door to a car that is waiting. Toby gets in, the guard shuts the
door, and the car drives off.

DISSOLVE TO: END TITLES.
FADE TO BLACK.
THE END.
* * *

The West Wing episode 7.05 "Here Today", original air date 23 October, 2005.