Retaliation

Retaliation

Teleplay by Scott Fenstermaker

TEASER

FADE IN:

INT. THE WHITE HOUSE/PRESS ROOM – DAY

Thursday morning. C.J. is delivering her morning press briefing.

C.J.
. . . and the White House is optimistic that this cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Palestinians will be the first in a series of measures to bring about lasting peace in the region.

Hands shoot up from the press corps.

C.J.
Danny?

DANNY
Is the President concerned that given the track record of past cease-fire agreements in the region, this latest one will have the same fate as the others?

C.J.
I would say that having personally brokered them, the President is well aware of what has happened to Middle-East peace agreements in the past. He feels confident that true progress has been made towards a lasting peace in the region. Marty?

MARTY
C.J., Is the Israeli prime minister going to issue a statement. . .

INT. BEHIND PRESS ROOM WINDOWS – CONTINUOUS

TOBY
That's great. That's wonderful. "True Progress." As opposed to, you know, all that False Progress we've been working on up until now.

SAM
I don't think they're gonna read it that way.

TOBY
And lets be sure to remind the whole world that this administration brokered every mid-east peace deal and cease-fire that ended up going the way of the dodo.

SAM
You wake up on the wrong side of the bed?

TOBY
My bed doesn't have a right side.

SAM
I'm just saying.

TOBY
Are you just about done with the thing?

SAM
Just about, yeah.

TOBY
How far are you?

SAM
Haven't started.

TOBY
Sam.

SAM
It's a slam-dunk. Don't worry about it.

TOBY
I do worry about it. The veto is tomorrow morning.

SAM
I'll have it done this afternoon. It's a slam-dunk.

TOBY
We're gonna want to say something about constitutionality. You may have to like, look up stuff.

SAM
I think she's looking good in there.

TOBY
Are you listening to me?

SAM
Not even close.

Leo enters.

LEO
How's it going in there?

SAM
Good.

TOBY
Rotten.

LEO
Nice to know the White House communications staff can all speak in one clear, unanimous voice. Sam, is it done?

TOBY
Tell him.

SAM
It will be.

LEO
You haven't started.

SAM
Leo, we're talking about a five-minute thing. I could do this in my sleep. In fact, why am I doing this?

LEO
You're doing this because a) your President asked and b) I want you to get your hands dirty on the off chance you might wind up a little less cocky in the end.

SAM
Not likely.

LEO
I want it in my hand by this afternoon.

SAM
Yeah.

LEO
In my hand, Sam.

TOBY
She's wrapping it up in there. Come on.

CUT TO:
INT. HALLWAY – DAY

Leo exits. Toby and Sam catch C.J. emerging from the briefing room.

TOBY
Hey.

C.J.
Hey.

TOBY
True progress?

C.J.
They're not going to read it that way.

TOBY
C.J. -

C.J.
They're not. Sam, tell him.

SAM
They're not going to read it that way.

TOBY
I have two words for both of you: green beans.

C.J.
Toby, I'm not open for reviews on this, okay. Live with true progress. There's a lot to be said for true progress. Anyway, why are you picking on me when Sam hasn't even started his thing?

SAM
It's a slam-dunk . . . hey, how'd you know that?

C.J.
Slipped my psychic an extra twenty.

SAM
C.J.

C.J.
Duh. Of course you wouldn't have it done. You think a simple veto statement is beneath you.

SAM
It is beneath me.

C.J.
Well that's a shining workplace attitude. Excuse me while I take the rest of the day off to go polish my Emmy.

TOBY
C.J., the point of all this being, if I get one phone call about the meaning of "true progress" who am I going to blame?

C.J.
Me.

TOBY
How pissed am I going to be?

C.J.
Pretty pissed.

TOBY
And don't you think I will make you regret the day you were ever born?

C.J.
Why should today be different?

TOBY
Okay. Sam.

SAM
I know.

TOBY
This afternoon.

SAM
I know.

TOBY
Okay. Good.
(Pause)
Where the hell was I going, anyway?

SMASH CUT TO:

MAIN TITLES.

END TEASER

* * *

ACT ONE

FADE IN:

INT. THE WHITE HOUSE/OVAL OFFICE – DAY

National Security Advisor Nancy McNally, along with the CIA director and his deputy, enter the Oval Office. The President and Leo greet them.

NANCY
Good morning, Mr. President.

POTUS
Morning Nancy. Morning Fellas.

DCI and DDCI
Good morning, sir.

POTUS
Take a seat, everyone. Okay, what happened?

NANCY
Sir, about twenty minutes ago, there was a high-order explosion outside an Israeli television station in Tel Aviv. Emergency crews are there now.

LEO
Do we have an estimate yet?

DCI
Israeli wire service says the body count estimate is at least forty-five right now, with more than one hundred injured. Crews have only started working, so that number is going to go up.

POTUS
Do you think we need to switch over to the situation room for this?

NANCY
If you want to, Mr. President, but strictly speaking this doesn't really involve our military. Not yet, anyway. Might be a good idea to get the Secretary of State over here. Israel won't just swallow this. They can't. When they start warming up their tanks, then we should assemble the Joint Chiefs.

LEO
Does CNN have this?

NANCY
Undoubtedly. I'm guessing it will roll in ten to fifteen.

POTUS
(Sighs)
All right, now comes the big one. Do we know for certain that this was a Palestinian attack? I'm mean yeah, we know it was, but is it solid?

DCI
If you're asking whether anyone's taken responsibility, no. There was no communiqué or anything like that. No announcement or threat beforehand.

NANCY
The Palestinian Leader won't deny it. He'll say it was done by a maniac or a fringe group beyond his control. Then he'll want us to calm Israel down.

LEO
And I'm sure Israel will be just wild about that.

POTUS
Could one or two guys really have done this alone?

DCI
Possibly. This was a truck-bomb like Oklahoma City. We're not sure what explosive was used, but there's no shortage of chemical compounds to choose from over there, and they're all easy to obtain. Could have been fertilizer or TNT. Could also have been C-4 or plastique if they didn't use as much.

NANCY
The Israeli Police will keep us in the loop through the FBI about that. From a strategic viewpoint it doesn't make sense that the Palestinian Leader or anyone directly connected with him set this up. They demanded a lot during the cease-fire negotiation and they came away with a good deal. They worked to hard on it not to take it seriously now.

POTUS
Okay, so now what do you recommend?

NANCY
For sure the Israeli ambassador will demand a meeting with you.

There's a knock on the door.

POTUS
Come in.

Charlie enters with a slip of paper.

CHARLIE
Excuse me, Mr. President.

POTUS
Thank you, Charlie.

Charlie leaves. POTUS reads the paper, and then hands it to Leo.

LEO
State says the Israeli ambassador wants to meet with you.

POTUS
(To Nancy) Whatever I'm paying you it's not enough.

NANCY
Yes, sir. We also need to reach out to the Palestinians. They're not going to ring our doorbell; they'll expect you to contact them.

POTUS
Leo?

LEO
I'll take care of it. We have a man here we deal with, unofficially.

POTUS
Good. Anything else?

DCI
Not at the moment, sir. We'll keep Nancy posted.

POTUS
Okay. Thank you.

The NSA, DCI and DDCI exit.

POTUS
Leo, start the ball rolling on this. And keep C.J. away from the pressroom until we meet with both sides.
(Pause)
Leo?

LEO
Yeah.

POTUS
The ink isn't even…

LEO
I know.

POTUS
It isn't even dry yet. What part of the cease-fire concept is so hard to understand?

LEO
Tell me about it.

POTUS
Are you beginning to think this just isn't gonna happen?

LEO
I'm worried about it, sir. This is a now-or-never thing. We're not gonna get this close again.

POTUS
Freshman year at Notre Dame I had a theology survey class. We studied lots of passages from the Bible, but we also read the Torah and the Koran. You wouldn't believe how similar these books are in places. I was amazed.

LEO
Yes, sir.

POTUS
Nowhere do I remember anything about blowing people up or running them down with your tanks. All I remember were the parts about salvation and, you know, loving thy neighbor.

LEO
That really didn't stop us from crusading our way through a couple hundred thousand people when it was our turn, you know.

POTUS
Yeah.

LEO
Anything else?

POTUS
Yeah. Tell me how it is that twenty weeks of the most intense, mind-numbing work can be shot to hell in two hours.

LEO
I'll get right on that.

CUT TO:
INT. SAM'S OFFICE – DAY

SAM
It's unconstitutional.

TOBY
Maybe it's unconstitutional.

SAM
No. For sure it's unconstitutional. States have the right to locally decide how they're going to educate their kids.

TOBY
Sam.

SAM
Toby, it's in the Bill of Rights. It's only about two hundred years old, you know.

TOBY
I've heard of the Bill of Rights, Sam. I'm still trying to figure out how we ended up on this side of the Tenth Amendment for once.

SAM
It's unconstitutional.

TOBY
It's a safe-harbor. It's not mandating anything, its just attaching strings to federal funding. This is a concept with which the Democratic Party isn't entirely unfamiliar.

SAM
One hundred million dollars in new education funding, but only if the schools agree not to teach about birth control in health classes. It's ridiculous.

TOBY
Sam.

SAM
Why are we even having this discussion? Let's veto it on the basis of "it's ridiculous."

TOBY
Because when you say "no" to one hundred million dollars for buying such trivial and unimportant things as books and teachers, you want to tell people something better than "it's ridiculous." It doesn't occur to you that you might just be holding our re-election in your hands?

(Pause)

Do you know for sure it's unconstitutional?

SAM
Trust me, it is.

TOBY
Do you know for sure?

SAM
I can find out.

TOBY
I'm calling in some help.

SAM
I can do this.

TOBY
No, you could have done it last week when it was handed to you. We've run out of time. I want someone from counsel's office to go over case law with you.

SAM
I know how to look up laws, Toby.

TOBY
I'm calling Ainsley Hayes.

SAM
You are not –

TOBY
Sam.

SAM
You are NOT calling her.

TOBY
Get over it.

Leo enters.

LEO
The two of you, follow me.

INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

TOBY
What's up?

LEO
Guess.

SAM
Israel?

LEO
Yep.

TOBY
Bad?

LEO
TV station.

SAM
Terrific. Civilians?

LEO
Lots.

They pass Josh.

LEO
Josh! Grab C.J. and meet us in my office.

JOSH
Can I just get two seconds?

LEO
Look at my face.

JOSH
Be right there. Donna!

Josh exits.

TOBY
CNN rolling this?

LEO
As we speak.

TOBY
Well this agreement lasted a whole six minutes. We could be going for a world's record here.

SAM
We may not be totally screwed yet.

LEO
It doesn't get much more screwed than this.

INT. THE WHITE HOUSE/LEO'S OFFICE – CONTINUOUS

Leo enters with Sam and Toby. Josh and C.J. follow closely behind.

LEO
Shut the door. About a half hour ago the cease-fire we announced just evaporated.

JOSH
Oh, not again.

C.J.
But I was just –

LEO
Yeah, I know. If it was another relatively minor clash we could probably swallow it. There was a car bomb outside an Israeli TV station. Death toll is in the mid forties and going up, with about a hundred injured.

JOSH
Are we sure it was –

LEO
No, we're not. No one knows who engineered this or if it was even Palestinian. That doesn't matter at this point. The fingers are already pointed.

SAM
Now what?

LEO
The President is going to meet with the Israeli ambassador in one hour. We also have to meet with the Palestinians but that's a little trickier.

C.J.
Why should that be tricky? We'll just meet with whomever they send over.

JOSH
They're not going to send anyone over.

TOBY
They're not going to – what??

JOSH
We go through this process every time we call a summit with these guys. The Palestinian leadership considers it a snub that we don't have formal diplomatic relations with them.

TOBY
Which we don't have out of respect for Israel.

JOSH
Right. So they essentially cold-shoulder us because we have really very little influence in the region. When we want to communicate with them, we have to meet with a Palestinian spokesman here in D.C., and he sends the message to the leadership.

LEO
It's slightly under the table, but that's the way it's done. C.J., when's the next briefing?

C.J.
Two o'clock.

LEO
May have to push it back. I don't want you near a reporter until we can say we've been in contact with both sides.

C.J.
We push it back, they're gonna smell it.

LEO
I don't care. Let them. But no statement until we've talked to both sides, period. Josh, go meet with this guy and tell him that the President will be expecting the Palestinian Leader's phone call.

TOBY
Why doesn't the President just call the Palestinian Leader?

JOSH
We can't. Nobody can. Part of his security thing is that no one outside his inner circle knows where he's residing at any given time. This guy literally doesn't keep a steady phone number.

LEO
Go talk to him. Toby, go take the majority leadership's temperature about what we can expect in the way of retaliation when we veto the education bill.

TOBY
No one's going to accuse the President of being soft on schools.

SAM
What about me?

LEO
Last I checked the veto is still tomorrow.

SAM
Yeah.

LEO
Don't you think it'd be fitting if the President says a word or two before denying funding for school lunch and fine arts programs?

SAM
Maybe a word or two.

LEO
This afternoon, Sam. In my hand. I'm not kidding.

SAM
Okay.

LEO
That's it. Get busy.

CUT TO:
INT. HALLWAY – DAY

All exit Leo's office. We follow Sam and Toby.

SAM
Don't call her.

TOBY
You don't get a say in this.

SAM
Call someone else.

TOBY
I'm calling Ainsley.

SAM
Why are you calling a Republican?

TOBY
Because when planning to rebuff an onslaught of Republican denouncements, it might be handy to hear what one of them has to say!

They pause in the hallway. Ainsley Hayes is in the background unseen.

SAM
Toby, I'm serious. You want this to be good, and I'm going to make it good. I can't do this while babysitting someone who'll want to re-write every word. My style must be unimpeded. I can't do this if I'm second-guessed the whole time. I work alone, okay? As far as I'm concerned, she can take her right wing, annoying opinions and shove –

AINSLEY
(Clears her throat)

SAM
Hi. (To Toby) How does she do that?

AINSLEY
I just follow the trail from your bleeding hearts.

SAM
What are you doing here?

AINSLEY
Dropping a copy of some committee testimony by Leo's Office. And apparently taking my daily lashings.

TOBY
Ainsley.

AINSLEY
Hi Toby. You're not going to say hi, Sam?

SAM
I did already.

AINSLEY
I didn't hear you.

SAM
Hi.

AINSLEY
Thank you. You guys were saying?

TOBY
Ainsley, can you help Sam with tomorrow's presidential veto statement?

AINSLEY
The no-condoms bill? Is he having trouble?

SAM
No.

TOBY
Yes.

AINSLEY
That's cute. Sure I'll help.

TOBY
Great.

SAM
Great.

TOBY
Have fun.

Toby exits.

SAM
Right this way.

AINSLEY
Whatever you say.

SAM
And stop that.

AINSLEY
What?

SAM
Gloating.

AINSLEY
Whatever you say, Sam.

SAM
Let me just say that I can tell I'm gonna love having you all over my back with this.

AINSLEY
I wouldn't worry. I'm not that kind of girl.

Sam shuts the door as we

CUT TO:
INT. HALLWAY – DAY

Josh and Donna are walking down the maze of hallways.

JOSH
Donna, I need you to get someone on the phone for me.

DONNA
Who's that?

JOSH
Our Palestinian friend. Remember the one?

DONNA
Okay.

JOSH
See if you can set up a meeting with him.

DONNA
I don't think he likes me much.

JOSH
Not that I care at all, but what makes you say that?

DONNA
He's not very polite on the phone.

JOSH
Donna, ninety percent of the people I ask you to call are exceptionally rude on the phone.

DONNA
I know. You need better friends.

JOSH
Donna.

DONNA
Are we vetoing the thing?

JOSH
Yes.

DONNA
Why are we vetoing the thing?

JOSH
The Republicans want to give a hundred million dollars to education.

DONNA
Well damn them to hell.

JOSH
There's a catch.

DONNA
What's the catch?

JOSH
To qualify for the money, the schools must refuse to teach about birth control in health classes.

DONNA
So?

JOSH
It's a big deal.

DONNA
Why would that be a big deal?

JOSH
Because I say so.

DONNA
Josh.

JOSH
First of all, the tenth amendment to the Constitution says that education is and shall always remain a local thing.

DONNA
It says that?

JOSH
Yeah.

DONNA
I mean it actually uses the words 'local thing'?

JOSH
The Founders were surprisingly good with slang.

DONNA
What's the other thing?

JOSH
What other thing?

DONNA
You implied there was another thing.

JOSH
Wrong with the bill?

DONNA
Yes.

JOSH
There are about fifty zillion things wrong with the bill, but the biggie is why would we ever want to stop teaching birth control options in high school?

DONNA
'Cause it's dumb.

JOSH
That's actually about the depth of the Republican's argument on this.

DONNA
Josh, no one learns about birth control from their health class.

JOSH
No one?

DONNA
No.

JOSH
Really.

DONNA
Yeah. We just get really grossed out when the decrepit school nurse talks about sponges and unrolls condoms in front of us.

JOSH
Well, there you go. That goes a long way toward high school abstinence.

DONNA
Everybody already knows about birth control by high school anyway.

JOSH
Well then where do you learn about birth control?

DONNA
Magazines.

JOSH
Ah.

DONNA
The magazines do a better job, too.

JOSH
And we wonder why the planet's overcrowded.

CUT TO:
INT. HALLWAY – DAY

C.J. is returning to her office. Danny catches up with her.

C.J.
Jesus!

DANNY
Hi.

C.J.
You startled me.

DANNY
I know. It's part of my charm.

C.J.
Funny.

DANNY
Anything on the Israel thing?

C.J.
Yeah, sure. And I'm going divulge everything I know to you alone because I'm really looking to get fired right now.

DANNY
C.J.

C.J.
Danny, you'll get the White House's comment at the next briefing like everyone else.

DANNY
Okay.

C.J.
You can't think that the rules don't apply to you just because you're occasionally cute.

DANNY
Okay.

C.J.
Speaking of that, who the hell let you back here anyway?

DANNY
I'm widely loved.

C.J.
I'm sure.

DANNY
Off the record?

C.J.
Not even off the record this time.

DANNY
Is there any hope of putting this back together?

C.J.
Danny! I've had it if I'm even seen within ten feet of you. Do you understand? This is one of those times, okay? I can't talk about Israel yet. When I can, you'll get it with everyone else.

DANNY
That's nice and all, but I was actually switching subjects.

C.J.
Oh.

DANNY
I was talking about you and me.

C.J.
Oh.

DANNY
Must have been that 'widely loved' crack that made me think—

C.J.
Danny—

DANNY
Maybe this isn't the right time.

C.J.
This could possibly be the most wrong time ever.

DANNY
Okay. How's the fish?

C.J.
The fish is fine. Go.

DANNY
It died, didn't it?

C.J.
No it didn't. What gave you that idea?

DANNY
Gail doesn't sit on your desk anymore.

C.J.
You were in my office?!

DANNY
You must have sent Carol on an errand. She would probably not have let me in.

C.J.
You were in my office?!

DANNY
Get over it. What happened to Gail?

C.J.
She's fine. I took her home.

DANNY
Why?

C.J.
Cause I was lonely, okay Danny?

DANNY
Well I could help you with that—

C.J.
Danny, go. I need you on your side of the pressroom door, okay. You'll see me at the next briefing.

DANNY
Okay. Tell Sam he'd better start on the veto thing.

C.J.
How the hell – never mind. Go.

Danny and C.J. separate. C.J. continues to

INT. C.J.'S OFFICE – CONTINUOUS

C.J.
Carol!

CAROL
Yes, C.J.?

C.J.
I need a favor. I need you to run to the pet store.

FADE OUT.

END ACT ONE

* * *

ACT TWO

FADE IN:

INT. WHITE HOUSE/OVAL OFFICE – DAY

The President is meeting with the ambassador to Israel.

POTUS
Thank you for coming so quickly, David.

DAVID
Thank you, Mr. President, for making yourself available.

POTUS
Is there anything your country wishes you to state, for starters?

DAVID
To state? Yes, Mr. President, we'd like to state that apparently the words 'cease-fire' translate much more accurately into Hebrew than they do into Arabic.

POTUS
David.

DAVID
Mr. President, my country's position should be fairly obvious to you.

POTUS
Yes.

DAVID
Officially, we are appalled at this latest act of barbaric aggression, and we must react with due force toward the perpetrators. Unofficially, are you even the least bit surprised?

POTUS
Mr. Ambassador, no one knows for certain who initiated this. No one is claiming responsibility.

DAVID
Are you going to stand up for them?

POTUS
I'm going to stand up for peace, David.

DAVID
It's too late for that, Mr. President! We want to exist as a peaceful nation, and they blow things up. We give them their own land, and they blow things up. We call for an end to violence, and they blow people up. Not soldiers, not spies, not criminals. People. Television broadcasters. You cannot, you cannot remain neutral towards a nation whose sole claim to sovereignty is a damned bomb threat.

POTUS
You know it's not that simple, Mr. Ambassador.

DAVID
It's just that simple. Have they asked you to handle us, yet? Have they asked you to sedate us? They will. What are you going to do then, Mr. President?

POTUS
We cannot condemn a nation for the actions of a small group of men, David. You know that.

DAVID
Your country condemned the Soviets for the acts of the KGB. You condemned Lebanon for the acts of Hezbollah. You bombed Sudan for the acts of bin Laden.

POTUS
We are closer to peace in your region than we ever have been since the formation of your country. Throughout this process, the United States has been neutral to both sides. This must continue if there is any hope for lasting peace in you region.

DAVID
(Pause)
There is another way to find peace.

POTUS
David, you will be outcasts, do you understand? You will have no allies if your country does anything like that.

DAVID
Ten years ago, you would have lent us all the firepower necessary.

POTUS
Let me be absolutely clear. You act with disproportional force, and you will be completely alone.

DAVID
Your country's Jewish population will never let it come to that.

POTUS
Your country is prepared to destroy all the progress we have made?

DAVID
Show me the progress. Point it out. Fifty years ago, Jews were murdered by gentiles. Today, more Jews have just been murdered by gentiles. Does it make murder any better when you bomb a few hundred instead of gassing a few hundred thousand? There can be no progress while our country in infected from within, like a cancer. There is only one treatment for cancer, Mr. President. You remove it.

POTUS
Is that the stance of your country?

DAVID
The stance of my country is that we are appalled at this latest act of barbaric aggression, and we must react with due force toward the perpetrators.

CUT TO:
INT. SAM'S OFFICE – DAY

Sam's desk is covered with strewn papers. Sam and Ainsley are arguing.

SAM
U.S. v. Lopez!

AINSLEY
Sam.

SAM
U.S. v. Lopez, I'm telling you.

AINSLEY
And if that were slightly on point, I'd be agreeing with you.

SAM
Ainsley.

AINSLEY
You're wrong.

SAM
In 1995, the Supreme Court held that a federal anti-firearms-in-school statute violated the tenth amendment. The opinion took language from Gregory v. Ashcroft, and I'm quoting, (reads) "The constitutionally mandated balance of power between the States and the Federal Government was adopted by the Framers to ensure the protection of 'our fundamental liberties.' Just as the separation and independence of the coordinate Branches of the Federal Government serve to prevent the accumulation of excessive power in any one Branch, a healthy balance of power between the States and the Federal Government will reduce the risk of tyranny and abuse from either front." End-quote.

AINSLEY
Sounds great, but what does that have to do with anything?

SAM
If the Supreme Court won't allow a federal statute prohibiting something as common-sensical –

AINSLEY
Is that a word?

SAM
Common-sensical to prohibit as guns on school grounds, by no stretch would they ever allow a federal law to dictate the content of the class.

AINSLEY
First of all, Sam, the Gun-Free School Zones act was based on constitutional commerce powers, because a Democratic congress was trying to end-run the tenth.

SAM
Exactly. The Supreme Court said you couldn't end-run the tenth amendment.

AINSLEY
The law was an interstate commerce law, Sam. It had nothing to do with education.

SAM
Come on, Ainsley. The debate on this ended with the Scopes Monkey Trial. School boards get to decide what the kids learn. Not the President, and for sure not Congress. What's so funny?

AINSLEY
Nothing.

SAM
What?

AINSLEY
I never thought I'd hear these words coming from a Democrat.

SAM
The irony is not lost on me.

AINSLEY
We'll make a Republican out of you yet.

SAM
In Hell.

AINSLEY
If not sooner.

SAM
You want to help me?

AINSLEY
It's not dictating the content of the class.

SAM
Then what do you call it?

AINSLEY
It's a safe-harbor bill.

SAM
I know what a safe-harbor bill is, Ainsley. Do you want to know how much I charged in the private sector?

AINSLEY
You think that impresses me?

SAM
It says schools can't teach about birth control.

AINSLEY
No, it doesn't.

SAM
Yes it does.

AINSLEY
No, it really doesn't, Sam. It says they have the option for not teaching about birth control in exchange for money. Nobody's holding a gun to their heads.

SAM
The way public schools are right now, they might as well be. Why are you, of all people, sticking up for this?

AINSLEY
I'm not. You need someone to be your devil's advocate.

SAM
No I don't. Don't do that.

CUT TO:
INT. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL/BAR – DAY

Josh sits down next to a well-dressed Palestinian who is the U.S. spokesman for the Palestinian Leader.

BARTENDER
What'll you have?

JOSH
Uh, scotch and soda please.

SPOKESMAN
Always the same drink, Josh?

JOSH
Well, I'm a creature of habit.

SPOKESMAN
So it would seem. These little meetings are getting to be the joy of my life.

JOSH
Yeah, me too.

SPOKESMAN
Well.

JOSH
Well.

SPOKESMAN
What can I do for you?

JOSH
I think you know that already.

SPOKESMAN
The TV station. Are you serious?

JOSH
Yeah. We're absolutely serious.

SPOKESMAN
Your administration panics – what is your expression? – at the drop of a hat.

JOSH
It's your peace agreement too. I thought you'd be a little more disturbed about this.

SPOKESMAN
After you've lost as many countrymen as I have, you get a new perspective.

JOSH
Yeah, well, due respect to your perspective, this is about to demolish a lot of things we've worked for. You and me both.

SPOKESMAN
You worked for it. We endured it.

JOSH
What the hell is your problem?

SPOKESMAN
My problem is that I'm speaking to Israel's pet bulldog. And kindly remember whom you're talking to. Do you want your phone call or not?

JOSH
Yes, I do – you know, when did we ever treat your people unfairly?

SPOKESMAN
You condemn our actions almost daily. Because they use tanks and we don't, you support them and condemn us.

JOSH
No, because you blow up civilians and they don't.

SPOKESMAN
Are you speaking for the White House?

JOSH
No. Right this minute I'm speaking for me.

SPOKESMAN
I was under the impression I could meet with someone speaking for the White House. Maybe you better go home and send someone I can do business with.

JOSH
(Pause)
I apologize. I let my personal feelings interfere with our business, and I'm sorry. I'm here to negotiate a phone call from the person you represent.

SPOKESMAN
(Chuckles)
All right. Never let passion come before business, Josh. You should have learned that by now.

JOSH
Can we just get on with this?

SPOKESMAN
Surely.

FADE OUT.

END ACT TWO

* * *

ACT THREE

FADE IN:

INT. WHITE HOUSE/MURAL ROOM – DAY

Toby walks in to meet with two aides to the Majority Leadership of the Senate.

AIDE 1
Toby.

AIDE 2
Hello Toby.

TOBY
Gentlemen. You're so cordial. I'm shocked.

AIDE 1
I think I speak for both of us when I say we're trying to cut you as much slack as possible before cutting off your second term at the knees.

TOBY
Hmm.

AIDE 2
Now, you can save yourself the humiliation by letting this pass.

AIDE 1
The President doesn't even have to put his name on it. Just wait ten days and it's done.

TOBY
'Cause I know you're both so concerned for the well being of this administration.

AIDE 1
The Senate Republicans are concerned about giving money to the schools that need it, Toby.

TOBY
Uh-huh.

AIDE 2
And with practically no strings attached.

TOBY
No strings? Is that what you call it?

AIDE 2
Yes.

TOBY
'Cause, you know, we kinda call that a constitutional violation.

AIDE 1
Right.

TOBY
And frankly, since this bill alienates tenth-amendment Republicans and planned-parenting Democrats, what makes you think we're the one's who'll be humiliated?

AIDE 2
Because you're the one who called the meeting.

AIDE 1
First of all, when has your party ever given a damn about the tenth amendment? You're always the ones trying to get around it. The fact that you're hiding behind it now is shameful.

TOBY
Oh, you mean like holding money over students heads to insure they remain totally ignorant about unprotected sex?

AIDE 2
Toby.

TOBY
No. I want to know where you get off with this.

AIDE 1
Is this any different from your party trying to federally mandate birth control instruction?

TOBY
Yes.

AIDE 1
How is it different?

TOBY
Because we're right and you're wrong.

AIDE 1
Toby.

TOBY
You're blackmailing the department of education; you're blackmailing this administration…

AIDE 2
Toby, this is one hundred million dollars we're talking about. You'd deny that money to students?

TOBY
Under these circumstances? Damn right we would. The President will still veto this tomorrow.

AIDE 2
Then why are we here, Toby?

TOBY
You're here because we expect you might have something in mind for us if we do veto this bill.

AIDE 1
Very perceptive.

TOBY
Yeah, well. I use the Force.

AIDE 1
The Senate Republicans want a win here. We want something we can point to. If you veto this, we're going to point to you.

TOBY
This administration has shepherded bills for over seven hundred million dollars worth of education funding up to this point.

AIDE 2
That was yesterday. We're going to go on TV and ask what you've done for us today.

TOBY
And it will get you absolutely nowhere.

AIDE 2
That's our problem.

TOBY
The President, in case you haven't noticed, has a pretty big microphone in front of him, too.

AIDE 1
And he's welcome to use it. But, at the end of the day, we want to give a hundred million dollars to high school students, and you're the ones preventing that.

AIDE 2
We don't need a retaliatory agenda; we don't need anything like that. We're right on this. Parents want their kids to learn about birth control, they can teach that themselves.

TOBY
And that philosophy has done wonders for teen pregnancy.

AIDE 1
Kids don't want babies, why are they having sex?

TOBY
Because they do, you schmuck! They do because we do. We're sitting here telling our seventeen-year-olds to play by a different rulebook while we all screw with relative indifference. That's why. How confusing is that? If we want a pornographic world, our kids are going to screw up and make babies. Okay? So why is birth control education such a problem? You guys make me absolutely nuts, you know that?

AIDE 1
We're leaving, Toby. Let us know if you change your mind.

TOBY
Yeah.

The Senate aides leave as we

CUT TO:
INT. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL/BAR – DAY

Josh and the Palestinian Spokesman are still talking.

JOSH
You're kidding.

SPOKESMAN
Only if you reason with the Israelis first.

JOSH
That's not going to happen.

SPOKESMAN
You're not in a position to insist upon anything.

JOSH
Yeah, maybe.

SPOKESMAN
The United States must dissuade Israel from any military action before we will establish contact with you.

JOSH
We're not in a position to dictate terms to Israel.

SPOKESMAN
You're in a perfect position to dictate terms to Israel.

JOSH
They were the ones who were bombed. We're not going to jerk them around.

SPOKESMAN
And we did not bomb them.

JOSH
Oh, please.

SPOKESMAN
And any accusation along such lines is erroneous and insulting.

JOSH
Who was it going to be? The Polish?

SPOKESMAN
Most likely it was a militant fringe group.

JOSH
Whom you would have no control over.

SPOKESMAN
Of course not.

JOSH
I see.

SPOKESMAN
Even though I pray for the souls of those fine soldiers.

JOSH
Soldiers? Soldiers? It was two guys in a U-Haul loaded down with TNT. They were maniacs.

SPOKESMAN
We are at war.

JOSH
At war?

SPOKESMAN
The same war we've been fighting for two thousand years. More than that. Their land is our land. Their temples stand where our mosques should be. They claim unilateral ownership of our holy city of Jerusalem. Believe me when I tell you that you have no possible hope of contemplating the entirety of this struggle.

JOSH
I take some heavy issue with that, man.

SPOKESMAN
The fact remains that the Israelis are going to make a military threat against us, and we cannot talk about peace under these conditions.

JOSH
You will talk about peace under these conditions because these are the only conditions we have to give.

SPOKESMAN
You can do better.

JOSH
Israel is going to start up their tanks –

SPOKESMAN
You mean your tanks.

JOSH
Whatever. The sooner you come to the table, the sooner they'll stop shooting.

SPOKESMAN
We have things we can shoot back.

JOSH
What are you telling me?

SPOKESMAN
I'm telling you that there are more rebellious groups of men where this one came from.

JOSH
Are you threatening more Israeli civilians?

SPOKESMAN
Israel is not the only place where Jews live.

JOSH
(Pause)
Say that again.

SPOKESMAN
You heard me. These rogue groups are very difficult to control. Do I have your attention?

JOSH
Yeah.

SPOKESMAN
Good. You'll get the phone call you're looking for. But you go back and tell Israel to put its guns down. This doesn't have to get any worse.

The Spokesman gets up to leave. Josh cuts him off.

JOSH
You wait. Just wait. You may want to reconsider what you just said, because the President's going to hear what I just heard, and if he does, he will single-handedly throw this conflict back into the nineteen-eighties. I swear to God he will. If you think we're biased towards Israel now, wait until you see how we respond to threats of terrorism. We do it with style! There will be no Gaza. There will be no West Bank. There will be nothing. We're going to cut you off, and we're gonna call in all the favors from all the mid-east countries that owe us one, and we will end you. We will screw you royally, you got me? All because you said to me some words you didn't really mean, right? Just say you didn't really mean what you said.

SPOKESMAN
Remember what I said about passion and business, Josh.

The Spokesman leaves a dumbfounded Josh behind as we

CUT TO:
INT. C.J.'S OFFICE – DAY

C.J. is at her desk. Danny walks in.

DANNY
Hey.

C.J.
Danny, do you hear nothing?

DANNY
I thought I'd surprise you –

C.J.
Do you hear nothing I say?

DANNY
I remember the important stuff.

C.J.
Like when I said I couldn't talk today?

DANNY
Technically you said you couldn't talk right then. It's later now.

C.J.
And?

DANNY
You pushed the briefing back.

C.J.
Yeah.

DANNY
Why did you push the briefing back?

C.J.
You'll know when you know.

DANNY
Getting in touch with those Palestinian guys can be a bitch, can't it?

C.J.
Danny, I swear to God –

DANNY
Hey, Gail!

C.J.
Yes.

DANNY
(Looks closer)
That's not Gail.

C.J.
Of course it's Gail.

DANNY
I thought you said you took her home.

C.J.
I did.

DANNY
And now she's back here?

C.J.
Yes.

DANNY
You went home and brought her back?

C.J.
Yeah.

DANNY
That's not Gail.

C.J.
That is too Gail.

DANNY
Did Gail die?

C.J.
Danny.

DANNY
Did Gail die?

C.J.
Yes, all right? What do you want from me? Goldfish die sometimes.

DANNY
Yeah.

C.J.
They do.

DANNY
I know.

C.J.
Sometimes you can take perfect care of them and they still die.

DANNY
So you go out and buy another one hoping that the really cute guy who gave it to you wouldn't notice?

C.J.
Well, yeah.

DANNY
C.J., I wouldn't have cared.

C.J.
I know.

DANNY
Honestly. Goldfish die.

C.J.
Yeah.

DANNY
I understand that.

C.J.
I just, you know. The gift was really sweet.

DANNY
Well –

C.J.
I mean it. It was really sweet of you. I really liked that goldfish.

DANNY
Well, you can name this one, okay?

C.J.
I just thought we'd call her Gail.

DANNY
That wouldn't be disrespectful?

C.J.
No. It's kind of like a dedication. Like you give your kid the name of someone else in the family?

DANNY
Yeah.

C.J.
Anyway, briefing's tentatively set for three.

DANNY
Okay.

C.J.
Danny?

DANNY
Yeah?

C.J.
Thanks for understanding.

DANNY
No prob. This one has your eyes.

C.J.
Get out.

CUT TO:
INT. SAM'S OFFICE – EVENING

Sam is pacing and Ainsley is sitting on the floor with her back on the bookshelf. Leo knocks on the already-open door.

SAM
Yeah.

LEO
You know what time it is?

SAM
Yeah.

LEO
It's this afternoon.

SAM
Yeah.

LEO
I'm looking at my hand here.

SAM
Leo.

LEO
You see what's in my hand?

SAM
Nothing.

LEO
My point.

SAM
It's taking a little longer.

LEO
I can see that.

AINSLEY
Hi Leo.

LEO
Hi kid. What's the problem?

AINSLEY
Sam is having a problem.

SAM
I'm not having a problem.

LEO
You see me smiling about this?

SAM
This isn't my idea of heaven, either.

LEO
Do you have a draft?

AINSLEY
He's taking another swing.

LEO
Well, this better be his last at-bat because he knows he's not going home tonight without this being done.

SAM
Do you mind if we talk as though I'm in the room?

LEO
Sure. Get it done!

SAM
Thanks.

Ginger walks up and hands Leo a slip of paper.

GINGER
Excuse me, Leo.

LEO
Thank you.

Leo unfolds it and reads, then hurries off toward the

INT. SITUATION ROOM – CONTINUOUS

Leo joins the President, Nancy, Fitzwallace, and all the Joint Chiefs, among others.

POTUS
Evening Leo.

LEO
What's going on?

NANCY
Leo, two Palestinian weapons depots were bombed by Israeli F-15's. There's been no ground movement yet, but Keyhole satellite infrared shots picked up heat blooms coming from tanks kept in two separate Israeli laagers near Gaza.

LEO
Oh, man.

POTUS
Yeah. Any word from the Palestinians?

LEO
The phone call is arranged, but beyond that they're demanding that we make Israel swallow the bombing with no retaliation, and that idea just got blown to hell.

POTUS
Looks like we're off to the races, doesn't it?

NANCY
Leo, have the Palestinians told us how they're going to respond?

LEO
Josh said they're contemplating letting the dogs loose. We can probably expect more of the same, and then some.

POTUS
What do you mean, and then some?

LEO
Josh told me that their spokesman hinted that this might take on a more local dimension.

POTUS
You're kidding.

LEO
Wish I were.

POTUS
You are kidding.

LEO
Nope. I was just on my way to tell you.

FITZWALLACE
Mr. President?

POTUS
Admiral?

FITZWALLACE
If you'd like to exert some force, we can arrange for some delays in shipments of technical and weapon components to Israel. If we wanted to get really extreme, we can recall the F-16 fighter regiment we have over there. We're training some of their air force pilots right now. They'll read either message loud and clear.

POTUS
(Pause)
No.

NANCY
Sir?

POTUS
We're not going to put pressure on Israel.

LEO
Mr. President, it might be the only way to get these two back to the table.

POTUS
Leo, did you or did you not just tell me that the Palestinians threatened to condone domestic terrorism?

LEO
They implied it, yes sir.

POTUS
They were hit, Leo. The Israelis got hit, and they're entitled to their proportional response. That's what we would do.

FITZWALLACE
Mr. President, it doesn't look like it's going to end there.

POTUS
If it escalates, then we'll yank the parts and the jets. Until then, we are not going to interfere with a sovereign nation responding to terrorism.

STAFF MEMBER
Excuse me, Mr. President. We have an incoming call from the Palestinian Leader.

LEO
Oh, boy. Talk about timing.

POTUS
I'll take it in the Oval Office. Excuse me. Leo, tell C.J. the briefing's a-go and fill her in on what's happened and what we're doing.

LEO
Yes, Sir.

The President rises and leaves. All the others look at each other as we

FADE OUT.

END ACT THREE

* * *

ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

INT. SAM'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Sam is sitting on the edge of his desk, facing Ainsley who is still sitting on the ground by the bookcase.

SAM
How about this: I believe passionately that education is our nation's most profound concern, but in making it so we cannot jeopardize our morals and our principles. Then I start quoting from U.S. v. Lopez.

AINSLEY
Most profound concern?

SAM
Yeah.

AINSLEY
Sure you're not going to piss off people who have other profound concerns?

SAM
Do I care?

AINSLEY
Evidently not.

SAM
For the hundredth time, are you going to help me with this?

AINSLEY
I am.

SAM
Maybe that's why I'm still here.

AINSLEY
You're still here because you put this off.

SAM
I'm really getting the tenth degree for that, aren't I?

AINSLEY
I'm just saying.

SAM
This will work. This will work. Just – no it won't.

AINSLEY
Nope.

SAM
It's too – there's not enough -

AINSLEY
Right.

SAM
There's not enough connection between the reveal and the balance of powers bit. It kinda comes out of nowhere.

AINSLEY
Yeah.

SAM
So something needs to go in between.

AINSLEY
How about saying that while the bill has righteous intent –

SAM
What?

AINSLEY
We still cannot violate the Constitution.

SAM
Righteous intent?

AINSLEY
What? Too much?

SAM
Where are you getting righteous? What could possibly be righteous about any of this?

AINSLEY
A hundred million –

SAM
Blood money.

AINSLEY
For what? Not stretching a condom out over a banana in health class? Small price to pay.

SAM
No. Huge price to pay. If it keeps even one teenager from getting pregnant –

AINSLEY
I thought you said this was about the Tenth Amendment.

SAM
(Pause)
It is.

AINSLEY
No it's not, Sam. That's just the pretense.

SAM
You actually support this?

AINSLEY
No, I actually don't.

SAM
Why not?

AINSLEY
Because of the Tenth Amendment. Because as weird as this may seem, I actually believe in the thing you're trying to hide behind. School boards get to decide curriculum, period. This is a state issue, not a federal one. But that's not why you care. If you believe teaching about birth control is imperative, for God's sake say that! If you really believe that, then that's your message. But don't all of a sudden say you're against federalizing things because that'll never sail, Sam. Never in a million years.

SAM
(Sinks down to the ground with his back to his desk)
Yeah.

AINSLEY
(Sits next to him)
Tired?

SAM
Yeah.

AINSLEY
Me too.

SAM
(Pause)
You know, you can be a real Mason-Dixon pain in the ass sometimes.

AINSLEY
Oh, thanks. You're not exactly the poster-boy for chivalry, Sam.

SAM
Right.

AINSLEY
Who's doing the favor here, anyway?

SAM
Hey, I didn't ask. I was doing fine.

AINSLEY
You were absolutely not doing fine. Why can't you just say that you needed my help?

SAM
Hey, you can go anytime.

AINSLEY
Don't think that hasn't crossed my mind. I didn't know you'd be ungrateful.

SAM
Why do you have to make this personal?

AINSLEY
This was personal before I walked in here. Sam, I can't tell if you're rude, annoying, or just plain sexist. But don't accuse me of making it personal because you can't take female input.

SAM
Can we just stop talking about this now?

AINSLEY
I think we'd better.

SAM
Yeah.
(Pause)
So how come you aren't a litigator?

AINSLEY
Why?

SAM
'Cause I liked what you were saying about the Tenth. And Lord knows you've got more than enough spunk for the courtroom. You would have been good.

AINSLEY
Oh.
(Beat. She thinks.)
I, uh, I was too opinionated I think. I never really thought about anything else but Washington. You?

SAM
I can write better than I can speak. I get nervous.

AINSLEY
Me too.

SAM
I go really fast when I get nervous.

AINSLEY
Yeah.

SAM
Sometimes I'm incomprehensible.

AINSLEY
I get the point.

SAM
Yeah.

AINSLEY
But that was nice of you to say.

SAM
Sure.

AINSLEY
(Pause)
So, uh –

SAM
Yeah.

AINSLEY
Anyway, do you ever, uh –

SAM
What?

AINSLEY
Never mind.

SAM
No, what?

AINSLEY
Nothing.

SAM
Seriously.

AINSLEY
Nothing, Sam.

The phone on Sam's desk rings.

SAM
Excuse me.
(Picks up phone)

Hello? Oh, Hi, Mallory. How'd you know I'd be - (Pause) how does everyone know I put this thing off?! What? Yeah, I had a good time at the Kennedy Center. Well, actually not a great time, but that didn't have anything to do with…oh, thanks. (Pause) This Saturday? Well I don't – sure I can. What about your hockey player? (Pause) Oh, okay. Okay. Thank you for – thank you for calling. Bye.

(Returns to Ainsley)

What was that you were asking?

AINSLEY
It's really nothing, Sam.

SAM
Okay. Listen –

AINSLEY
Sam, do you think you've got it from here? I should probably get going.

SAM
Oh. Yeah.

AINSLEY
Okay.

SAM
Listen, I –

AINSLEY
Um, you know –

SAM
I just wanted to say thanks. For helping me.

AINSLEY
Okay.

SAM
I didn't mean to be ungrateful.

AINSLEY
Sure. You sure you got the rest of this?

SAM
Yeah.

AINSLEY
Just, you know, say what you feel and you'll be fine.

SAM
Okay.

AINSLEY
Well –

SAM
Well –

AINSLEY
Good luck finishing this.

SAM
You too – I mean, bye.

AINSLEY
Bye.

Ainsley exits. Sam stands alone for a second before we

CUT TO:
INT. LEO'S OFFICE – MORNING

Friday morning. Leo is seated behind his desk. Margaret enters.

MARGARET
Leo?

LEO
Yeah?

MARGARET
Sam's here.

LEO
Send him in.

Sam enters.

LEO
Hi Sam.

SAM
It's done.

LEO
Is that the same suit you had on yesterday?

SAM
Uh, yeah.

LEO
Well, your dedication is commendable.

SAM
Yeah.

LEO
It's just your procrastination we have to work on.

SAM
Can someone else do the next one?

LEO
What, too hard for you?

SAM
No.

LEO
'Cause if it's too hard –

SAM
I can do it just fine.

LEO
Well, then I guess you're the only man for the job. Was Ainsley helpful?

SAM
What?

LEO
Ainsley?

SAM
Oh, yeah. Yeah she was helpful.

LEO
Good.

SAM
Did the President talk to the Palestinian Leader?

LEO
Yeah. They're not too happy with us, but we think we can get them to come back to the table despite Israel's retaliation.

SAM
Good.

LEO
They were on the phone for four hours.

SAM
Will Israel cooperate?

LEO
The President just gave an order to delay shipping some aircraft parts to them. I think that should be all it takes.

SAM
Yeah.

LEO
Anyway, I'll read this and hand it to the President.

SAM
I'll be in my office.

CUT TO:
INT. HALLWAY – DAY

Sam exit's Leo's office and bumps into Ainsley Hayes.

SAM
Hey.

AINSLEY
Hey.

SAM
(Pause)
What brings you here?

AINSLEY
Nothing important. You?

SAM
Nothing important.

AINSLEY
Okay.

SAM
Yeah.

AINSLEY
Isn't that the suit you had on yesterday?

SAM
Yeah.

AINSLEY
Oh.

SAM
Well, I'm going this way.

AINSLEY
See you.

SAM
Yeah.

CUT TO:
INT. OVAL OFFICE – DAY

The President is meeting with Leo, Josh, and Toby.

POTUS
(Reads)
Since taking office, I have sought to make education foremost in priorities. While we can all agree that more money needs to be devoted to our children's education, we cannot do so at the expense of their welfare. If public education is to work at all in this country, we need open, honest discussions in classrooms. We need to teach the truths of the world, without having teachers be afraid to answer frank questions about heath and sexuality.

(Looks up)

This is very good. We're not going with the constitutionality route?

TOBY
Sam decided last night that using the tenth amendment would not send the right message.

LEO
It mentions in there about curriculum being local business, but we don't harp on it too much.

JOSH
The bill isn't strictly unconstitutional anyway, since it isn't a federal mandate.

POTUS
Fine. Leo?

LEO
Yes, Mr. President?

POTUS
Am I dreaming, or am I really going to veto a hundred millions dollars for high schoolers?

LEO
I feel the same way.

POTUS
This isn't going to be a mistake?

JOSH
Oh, it could definitely be a mistake. But it's probably a mistake worth making.

POTUS
Yeah.

TOBY
If we say it's all right to restrict sex-ed teaching, what's to keep us from federally banning books? This is okay to teach, that isn't. I don't like the idea of going down that road, Mr. President.

LEO
Toby's right.

POTUS
Okay. Sam worked with Ainsley on this, didn't he?

TOBY
Yeah.

POTUS
Any bets on those two?

TOBY/JOSH/LEO
Absolutely not, no way, etc.

POTUS
You know Leo, I'd just like to point out that if those two ever get together, he won't be dating your daughter.

LEO
I remain ever hopeful, Mr. President.

There's a knock on the door. Charlie enters.

CHARLIE
Excuse me.

POTUS
Yeah Charlie.

CHARLIE
The National Security Advisor needs a couple minutes, it's very important. She's here with the FBI director.

POTUS
Okay send them in. (To the group in the room) You guys stay for this, please.

Nancy and the FBI Director enter.

NANCY
Mr. President.

POTUS
Nancy, Bill, come on in. What's happening?

NANCY
I'll let Bill tell you, sir.

FBI DIRECTOR
Mr. President, about an hour ago, we just arrested a man outside an FBI branch office in Chicago. He's a Palestinian national traveling on a Sudanese passport. His car was filled with C-4 explosive compound, sir.

LEO
Excuse me?

NANCY
The bomb disposal unit disarmed the device with only minutes to go on the timer.

POTUS
Where is he now?

FBI DIRECTOR
He's being detained in Chicago, Mr. President.

POTUS
Has he told us anything?

NANCY
No. We have very little information. He hasn't given any names. It doesn't appear he's about to.

LEO
And that means-

FBI DIRECTOR
It's very unlikely we'll ever find out if someone else bankrolled this. A bigger group probably did finance it, but it doesn't look like we'll be able to confirm that. We may have to be satisfied apprehending the one suspect.

POTUS
(Looks to his Senior Staff)
Yeah. Yeah.

The staff exchanges very sick expressions as we

FADE TO BLACK.

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