Previously on The West Wing...
SANTOS: I'm going to need another cop when Bartlet leaves office.
Secretary of State.
SANTOS: I'm not asking you if you'd consider it, Arnie.
I'm asking you to do it.
ANDY: So, Presidential pardons.
'Tis the season, right?
The DOJ and the pardon attorney are reviewing applications,
but I don't think anybody's had an opportunity...
Is Toby on a list somewhere?
TOBY: For a moment, I actually thought you came here
'cause you gave a crap
and wanted to see how I was doing.
You don't need a pardon.
You need a frying pan to the side of your head.
I don't want a pardon.
Well, that simplifies matters. Thanks.
¶ ¶
( soft groan )
( quiet sigh )
NEWSCASTER ( on radio ): It promises to be
a cold and windy day here in the Capital
as the predicted 140,000 spectators
will crowd the Capital Mall
to watch Matthew Santos take the oath of office
as the next President of the United States.
It is the end of an era, as President Bartlet steps down
after eight often tumultuous years in the Oval Office.
President Bartlet's popularity certainly helped Matthew Santos
in his tight electoral...
¶ ¶
( ball bouncing on wall )
It's going to be cold on that dais today.
Mm-hmm.
Who in his right mind decided
that January would be the best time of year
to hold an outdoor ceremony north of the equator?
Jefferson, Adams, Franklin.
They should have lined 'em up and shot 'em.
That's what King George had in mind.
January 20?
They got a few things right.
Habeas Corpus, sure.
Freedom of speech.
Separation of powers-- what a crock.
You did a lot of good, Jed.
A lot of good.
HELEN: Pearls or the gold cross?
Uh, gold cross.
You don't think it makes me look a little bit like Mary Magdalene
on the... Gold cross.
What are you wearing?
Long underwear.
It's gonna make you look bulky.
Lou doesn't want me to wear an overcoat
when I take the oath of office.
It's gonna be ten below out there.
Youth, vitality... Frostbite?
Never too early to start thinking about the reelect.
( laughs ): That was a short honeymoon.
I'm going to go with the pearls.
( knock at door, door opening )
Mr. President-Elect, Mrs. Santos.
Good morning, Bram.
The National Security Advisor
and General McLean are here.
Then we should run you through today's schedule. Yeah.
I'll be right down.
Thanks.
HELEN: Do you notice how he just
knocks and walks right in?
Yeah, I know, honey. I got to...
I'll talk to him about it.
We're gonna have to figure out some kind of signal
when we want some privacy.
( laughs )
Like a necktie on the doorknob.
Hmm. I...
Thanks.
General McLean, huh?
Yeah.
I think he's going to give me the card with the nuclear codes.
It's a card? Really?
So I've been told.
Better not leave that laying around.
Oh, God.
Come on, it'll be an adventure.
That's what you told me when you wanted
to run for City Council, and I didn't want you to.
"Come on."
"It'll be an adventure."
Perfect.
CHARLIE: National Weather Service just issued an ice storm warning
for all of Southern New England.
Anything we can do?
Send 'em some salt?
Pardon Attorney needs the President's signature
on the clemency warrants.
The President decided on the final list of names?
Late last night.
36 pardons, 17 commutations.
Anybody who's going to set the press's hair on fire?
Peggy Ann Green.
Pot-pushin' Peggy? It's medicinal.
Yeah, and I bet the first joint's free.
Well, DEA isn't going to be happy.
Morning, sunshine.
Chief Usher's waiting for you,
and Will's already in there.
WILL: Big ice storm in New England.
Could be up to a quarter of an inch
of accumulation on the ground.
Send 'em salt.
And Mallory called.
Wants to drop by in about an hour. Leo's Mallory?
Said she has something she wants you
to pass on to the President.
You ready for Curtis? Sure.
Did you write your note for the flak jacket yet?
I don't know if I have any useful advice to pass on really.
It's tradition. You can't break the chain.
Just make it funny.
Have we got a pardon list?
Fourth Estate's chomping at the bit.
Yeah, last night. Anybody that's going
to add a little spice to my final briefing?
Peggy Ann Green.
Granny Pot?
Hot-diggity-dog.
A final act
of self-immolation before the hungry hordes.
You sound positively giddy.
Well, I was reaching
for something more like mild delight.
You enjoy being a human piñata on C-Span?
You never know what you've got till it's gone.
Mr. Chief Usher, what can we do for you today?
I thought I should take a moment to remind you of today's
schedule for the orderly removal of the Bartlets' things
from the building.
As soon as the President and First Lady leave
for the Capitol, 90 members of my staff will begin
packing the Bartlets' possessions.
Precisely at noon,
16 moving vans
will line up
at the South Portico, and an additional
30 staff members will arrive
at the West Wing to pack the Oval Office.
After the mass at Holy Trinity, you come back here
before heading across the street to the White House
for a 10:00 a.m. reception with the President, First Lady
and members of the JCCIC.
JCCIC? Joint Congressional Committee
on Inaugural Ceremonies.
Hence, the acronym.
BRAM: Following the reception the President-Elect
and the President will travel to the Capitol
for the swearing-in ceremonies in a single limousine.
Mrs. Bartlet and I got to hitch?
You hike up that skirt, you'll do fine. Oh!
BRAM: The President and the First Lady
will then be escorted to the podium
on the West Terrace, while you and Mrs. Santos are taken
through the Capitol to be introduced to the crowd.
Ronna? Speaker Sellner will deliver the opening remarks,
followed by the Invocation, followed by performances
by Keb' Mo' and Gloria Estefan.
I'm looking forward to that. HELEN: That's because
you're not gonna be wearing pantyhose in ten degree weather.
RONNA: Followed by a poetry reading by Jimmy Santiago Baca.
And then, at noon exactly, you take the oath of office.
Followed by a 21-gun salute
and the Marine Band playing "Hail To The Chief."
Just in case you weren't feeling important enough
after they gave you the nuclear launch codes.
RONNA: You then give your inaugural address.
ANNABETH And after the proceedings, you will escort the Bartlets
to the limo that will take them
to Andrews for their trip home to New Hampshire.
Do I get to start governing any time in here?
As soon as you've taken the oath of office,
we start moving staff into the West Wing.
Do we really have to go to nine parties tonight?
DONNA: You only have to stay
for 20 minutes or so-- one dance,
shake a few hands, then on to the next. What kind of dance?
ANNABETH: What's the name of your favorite song?
I'll sneak it to the orchestras.
Oh, no, I am not dancing to "You Can Leave Your Hat On."
Sir, we should really head to the church.
Let's get it on.
MARGARET: We're supposed
to leave our credentials at the front desk
when we exit the building,
and they've asked that we vacate our parking spaces by 2:00 p.m.
Not a problem, I walked today.
Really?
Yes. I often walk.
You do?
Sometimes I walk.
I'm going to walk a lot more when I get back to California.
Los Angeles being a pedestrian nirvana.
WILL ( knocking ): That was disappointing. What was?
You see my final briefing? Nope.
They didn't push back
on Pot-Pushing Peggy.
You must be heartbroken.
Inconsolable.
There's a train derailment in New England.
The ice storm? Just came over on CNN.
CHARLIE: Got a minute?
C.J.: Apparently, I'm good until 2:00,
and then I've got to move my car.
Pardon Attorney brought the warrants
for the President to sign.
He called her early this morning.
Asked her to add a name.
It's the last one.
You may get your wish for a final pasting
on national television.
Good morning, Mr. President.
Morning.
How are you feeling this morning?
Unemployed.
Lot of that going around the building.
Uh, Dr. McNally is waiting
to give you your security briefing.
Uh, you asked me to remind you
to write a note to the President-Elect.
( knocking ) And Ms. Cregg
is anxious to speak with you.
Mr. President? Good morning, all.
You heard about this ice storm up in...
New England, yeah.
Unfortunately, the storm caused a train derailment.
On Amtrak's regional route
between Portland, Maine, and Boston.
Any fatalities?
13 injuries so far.
The worst is a badly broken leg.
But with the extreme weather,
we're going to need an emergency rescue operation
before everybody freezes to death out there.
Sounds like a state matter.
Normally, yes, but it's between
the Exeter and Haverhill stops.
Also known as the New Hampshire-Massachusetts border.
BARTLET: The Governors are fighting over jurisdiction.
KATE: Governor Sidley says
it's New Hampshire's problem,
Governor Wilkins says it's a Massachusetts issue.
BARTLET: Debbie, get the governor on the phone, please.
Which governor, sir? Whichever one
you can get on the line first!
WILL: Should we consider nationalizing the Guard, sir,
send in units?
KATE: Don't you think that's something
a president might want to avoid
in his final hours in office?
So we should survey the accident site
to resolve the border dispute?
What are we supposed to do,
send in a team of cartographers?
Both governors are on the line, sir.
Thank you.
Pick a number, two or four.
Two. Four.
Governor, call up a Guard unit
and get them to this crash site.
No one gives a damn where the accident is.
Be that as it may, sir,
you are about to become a star player
in my soon-to-be-written autobiography.
It's the right decision.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir.
( sighs )
You're hovering, Claudia Jean.
Yes, sir.
What do you got there?
The pardons and clemency warrants for your signature.
I haven't decided to do it.
No?
Do you have an opinion?
I'm sure you'll do whatever you think is best.
Toby's is the last one in the folder.
Anything else? No, sir.
Thank you, Mr. President.
DEBBIE: Governor Wilkins is still holding on two.
Tell him I'll be right there.
C.J.: How is the baby?
Wonderful, noisy.
All boy. ( chuckles )
Sam's coming back to work for Josh.
Wow, that's great.
How is he? Engaged.
Good for him.
Say hello for me, would you?
He's in town, you can tell him yourself.
Hmm.
I've been going through Dad's stuff...
and I found something I thought the President
might want to have back.
You don't want to give it to him yourself?
It's a little sentimental.
I'll make sure he gets it.
( softly ): Thanks.
Dad loved every moment he spent here.
DEBBIE: Mrs. Bartlet called, asked me
to remind you that the Santoses
are expected in the residence in less than 55 minutes.
She also asked me to mention that you need
to leave enough time to change before they arrive.
Mrs. Bartlet doesn't want me wearing penny loafers
and a cardigan to the Inaugural?
That's about the gist of it, yes, sir.
Did you write that note to President-Elect Santos yet?
Saving that for last.
All done.
What about that one?
I'm still on the fence.
You do realize that you turn into a pumpkin at noon?
I'm going to take
one final stroll around the joint.
Make sure nobody's making off with the cutlery.
53 minutes.
Did he sign it?
C.J.: Not yet.
Is he going to sign it?
I have no idea.
You think he should sign it?
I think the founding fathers
left it to the President to decide
who should and shouldn't get clemency.
National Guard on the way to the train accident?
Yep. You know we probably witnessed
the final act of governance of the Bartlet Administration.
The President serving
as national schoolmarm on a snow day.
Nice job on Granny Ganja.
I would've thought you would have gotten a little more
of a rise out of them on that.
Yeah, me, too.
You do the flak jacket note yet?
Little writer's block.
Okay, just make it funny.
Right.
Let me know if he signs it.
Signs what?
You're a little early.
The Santoses went to church,
so I got an hour to kill before heading over to the Capitol.
I thought I'd drop by, and make one last stab
at getting you to stay on.
9:30 tomorrow morning Dulles to LAX, non-stop,
glass of bad merlot, three bags of peanuts,
and an Ambien.
But thanks for asking.
Danny?
Waiting at LAX with a tub of sunscreen.
So...
Baker for VP.
You're going to have quite a battle up on the hill.
Yeah, we're hoping Vinick at state
helps grease the skids a little.
You ever stop thinking of this as Leo's office?
No.
Oh, hey, I've got something for you.
"WWLD"?
"What Would Leo Do."
You're going to do great, Josh.
You don't need me.
Morning, Carol. Mr. President.
Thanks you for all your hard work.
Couldn't have done it without you.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Morning, Ray, thank you.
Hey, Carla.
Larry. Yes.
Going to finally get some time with the kids now, I hope.
Oh, absolutely, Mr. President.
Ed, thanks for your help.
No, sir, thank you.
Nancy, how is your mother doing?
She's fine now, Mr. President.
Tell her I'm looking forward to seeing her again soon,
would you, please? Absolutely, sir.
Thank you.
I got to go.
Do you need something, sir? Heard a rumor
about you and the Oregon 4th-- any truth to it?
D-triple-C thinks it'll be a pretty tough race.
Give me a call.
I'll come up there, help you pound in some lawn signs.
I'll have a mallet ready, sir.
Excuse me, will you?
Morning, Charlie.
Mr. President.
Have you made a decision about your future?
Georgetown Law.
You got the early acceptance?
I think the letter from you may have helped
a little, sir.
I don't need this anymore.
I thought you maybe you could get some use out of it.
I was trying to remember if my father had given it
to me when I was in the tenth grade or the 11th.
I considered getting you a tie
with the scales of justice on it.
Figured you'd use this more.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Charlie.
( siren wailing )
Homily seemed a little pointed.
Hmm?
The Cardinal, you don't think
he was pushing the "swords into plowshares" stuff a little hard?
Well, he's right, this Kazakhstan thing is a mess.
We got thousands of our soldiers
in the middle of Central Asia,
and we haven't a clue as to what's next.
Nine inaugural balls?
You think I'm supposed
to wear nine gowns?
Do you have nine gowns?
No.
Well, then probably not.
DEBBIE: 19 minutes
and counting, sir.
Almost done.
( writing )
Well... that's it.
What about that final pardon warrant?
There's still time.
Not much.
Two hours and 19 minutes.
Two hours and 18. ( knock at door )
C.J.: Mr. President?
Aren't you supposed to be in the residence
getting ready for the Santoses' arrival?
Yes. Just leaving.
So he keeps saying.
Mallory came by this morning, and asked me to give you this.
I was going to ask Debbie to send it with you
on the plane, but...
Why didn't she stop in and say hello?
I don't think she wanted to bother you on your last day.
DEBBIE: 16 minutes, sir.
I'm a fast dresser.
Not that fast.
Why don't I put this in your briefcase for the plane.
Your letter to President-Elect Santos?
Mm-hmm.
It's been a pleasure, Claudia Jean.
The pleasure has been all mine, sir.
( paper sliding )
( sighs )
¶ ¶
SANTOS: Thank you, sir.
Thank you.
Nice to meet you, thank you.
HELEN: Thank you very much.
Thank you. Good-bye Mr. President-Elect.
Thank you so much for your help.
Good-bye, thank you.
You okay?
Sure.
We could make a run for it you know.
Catch the first plane out of Dulles.
Head down to Panama.
I hear Uruguay's nice. Southern Hemisphere.
It's summer down there. Cheaper housing.
You speak the language.
What about the kids?
Send them a postcard.
They'll be pissed.
BARTLET: I left enough time.
ABBEY: No, you didn't.
I was ready before they got here, wasn't I?
That's because they're running late.
When was the last time someone
actually was late to meet us?
Eight years ago to the day.
Get used to it, it's going to happen a lot more.
Oh, the girls are going to be waiting for us when we get
to the farm this evening.
It's supposed to be a surprise,
so try and act like it.
Tonight?
I was looking forward to some peace and quiet.
I know, that's why I'm warning you.
I don't want you to look stricken when you see them.
Does it have to be tonight?
They just wanted to show you their love
and support in your hour of need.
They're afraid you might have some re-entry issues
in returning to live amongst us mere mortals.
Have I been so out of touch?
When was the last time you used a telephone?
Or went to a bank?
Or drove a car?
It's just like riding a bike.
Only more horsepower, right?
GINGER: Excuse me, Mr. President?
The Santoses have arrived.
They're in the Blue Room. Thank you.
Abbey?
( sirens wailing )
SANTOS: Nine Inaugural Balls. How's that supposed to work?
You'll want to skip the champagne
when they do the toast.
I'm afraid I made a bit of a mess this morning.
It may eat into your news cycle.
Oh?
The pardons.
Granny Pot, I heard.
And a few others.
How's the speech?
It's okay.
A couple of good lines.
There's no "Ask not what your country can do for you..."
JFK really screwed us with that one, didn't he?
Have you chosen a biblical quotation for the oath?
Kings 3:9-11.
"Grant thy servant an understanding heart
to judge thy people..."? That's the one.
Good choice.
You know what I'm going to miss the most?
Hmm? The Marine Corps Band.
Those guys can really play.
Ask them to do "Semper Fidelis."
They'll knock your socks off.
( sirens wailing )
( cheering from crowd )
KILMER: Mr. President.
Senator Wirth will escort
you to the podium.
This way, Mr. President-Elect.
I guess this is where our paths diverge.
You sure you're ready to retire?
See you on the podium.
Mr. President-Elect.
NEWSCASTER: Capitol Police estimate
today's crowd at over 140,000, with an additional 800,000
expected to line the parade route later.
Incoming Secretary of State Arnold Vinick is here.
Senator Vinick surprised many Republicans--
surprised everyone across the board, really--
by accepting a position in Matt Santos' Cabinet.
Perhaps eschewing his own chance to run again in four years.
It's going to be cold out there.
Yeah.
I hope brevity is in order.
I cut the speech down to about 80 pages in the car.
The Gettysburg Address was what-- four minutes long?
A lot of run-on sentences though.
Didn't a two hour inaugural speech
kill a President once?
William Henry Harrison,
but, you know, he was 68.
He refused to wear a coat.
You refused to wear a coat.
But I'm wearing long underwear.
Oh.
( honor guard calls order )
ANNOUNCER: The dignitaries on the platform
have taken their seats.
And now here are President Bartlet
and the First Lady making their way to their seats
on the podium.
After eight years in the White House,
they are officially handing over the reins
to the Santoses in a few short minutes.
Thought by many to be an inexperienced small...
C.J., the President's office just sent this over.
Says it needs to go
to the Pardon Attorney immediately.
...and critics with his willingness to use
American force abroad
and his aggressive pursuit for peace on the world stage.
( band playing, crowd cheering )
Man, I hope Janet Spragens has her TV on.
Who? Senior year,
she beat me out for the last varsity spot
on the swim team. Guess what?
What? You win.
Though she did get Don Vogel
to take her to the prom instead of me.
We'll call it even then.
Nah, I'm pretty sure Janet had to put out
so Don would take her.
ANNOUNCER: Speaker of the House Franklin B. Sellner.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. Helen Santos.
( applause )
No turning back now.
( applause )
Ladies and gentlemen,
President-Elect of the United States
Matthew Vincente Santos.
( applause )
CARDINAL DOHERTY: Oh, Lord, we come together on this historic
and solemn occasion to inaugurate a President.
We pray, oh Lord, for President-Elect Santos
to whom you have entrusted leadership
of this great nation.
Give our new President and all who advise him
calmness in the face of storms,
encouragement in the face of frustrations
and humility in the face of triumph.
We pray that this good and generous country
may be a blessing to the nations of the world.
And fulfill the hopes of our founding fathers.
This we ask in your most holy name. Amen.
( applause )
( guitar playing "America the Beautiful" )
¶ O beautiful for spacious skies ¶
¶ For amber waves of grain ¶
¶ For purple mountain majesties ¶
¶ Above the fruited plain ¶
¶ America, America ¶
¶ God shed his grace on thee ¶
¶ And crown thy good ¶
¶ With brotherhood ¶
¶ From sea to shining sea ¶
¶ From sea to shining sea. ¶
( applause )
SELLNER: Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce
the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court
who will administer the Presidential Oath of Office.
The Honorable Evelyn Baker Lang.
CHIEF JUSTICE: Please raise your hand, and repeat after me.
I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute
the Office of the President of the United States.
SANTOS: I do solemnly swear that I will
faithfully execute the Office of the President
of the United States.
And will, to the best of my ability...
...preserve, protect and defend
the Constitution of the United States.
...preserve, protect and defend
the Constitution of the United States.
So help me God.
( applause )
( band plays "Hail to the Chief" )
( turns off TV )
Afternoon, ma'am. Afternoon, sir.
SAM: Hey, Darrell. Good to see you, sir.
Good to see you, too.
Home, sweet home.
DEBBIE: Your most important job is keeping track
of who's going in and out of the Oval Office.
The first thing you'll need to do is establish
who'll have walk-in privileges.
Usually it's just the First Lady
and the Chief of Staff.
At some point, the President is going to ask you
to take away his wife's walk-in privileges.
Don't do it, no matter how much he begs.
You have the right to attend the morning staff meeting.
I never went because the senior staff was already
appropriately intimidated by my stern visage and dry wit.
But you're young, you have a baby face.
They are going to try to walk all over you, you should go.
Your desk sits right outside this door.
You prepare his schedule,
you decide who goes in and who doesn't.
Your most frequent response to any question
will be "no."
Say it with empathy and you'll be fine.
Where's Mrs. Bartlet?
Already inside the car, sir.
Nice speech.
No JFK.
No, but you've got time.
I left something for you on the desk.
Just some random thoughts.
I look forward to them, sir.
Make me proud, Mr. President.
I'll do my best, Mr. President.
( sirens wailing )
ABBEY: What in the world
was he trying to prove by not wearing an overcoat?
Youth and vigor.
He looked like a leader.
He looked like a lunatic.
A young and vigorous lunatic.
Jed?
Hmm?
You made it.
Hmm?
You're still here.
Yeah.
I'm still here.
( marching band playing on TV)
REPORTER: As they walk the last 150 yards...
BRAM: This 137B?
Yeah.
This going to be you?
Looks like it.
Charlie Young.
Bram Howard.
Parade almost over?
Yep.
Watch out for the thermostat.
Hair one way or the other
is the difference between convection oven and meat locker.
Have fun.
You bet.
You want to go see a movie?
It's 2:00 in the afternoon.
You got anything better to do?
No, I guess we don't.
Is there even a movie theater around here?
I have no idea.
STEVE: You look good up there.
Thanks.
We missed you.
Can't say the feeling's mutual.
President Bartlet pardoned Toby Ziegler today. Any comment?
Nope.
You have an opinion?
Sure, I do.
Unfortunately, the suite that Mrs. Bartlet was using
is going to be torn up for most of the next year
while we restore the marble and original moldings.
We're hoping that this suite
will meet with Mrs. Santos' approval.
Nice.
Ms. Schott, the office for the First Lady's Press Secretary
would be over here.
Great. Thanks.
Ms. Moss, if you'll follow me.
We're hoping this will meet with your approval.
Oh, it's lovely.
I'm sure the First Lady will be very happy here.
Oh, no, I'm sorry.
The First Lady's office is next door.
As her Chief of Staff, this would be your office.
Yes. This will be fine.
Shall we get started with the Joint Chiefs, sir?
Yes, thank you.
Excuse me.
Do you work in there?
I'm sorry, what?
We thought we saw you come out the gate.
You work at the White House?
No.
No, I'm sorry, I don't.
Must be something, huh?
Yeah, something.
SANTOS: General, Admirals, I'm sure we'll talk about this
more in detail tomorrow, but I do appreciate your candor.
They want 10,000 more troops in Kazakhstan
on the ground for logistical support.
Public opinion is already divided
over our mission in Central Asia.
Do you really want to be putting
more troops on the ground in your first week?
We may not have a choice.
What?
You look good back there.
RONNA: Excuse me, sir.
It's almost 6:00.
The First Lady called to remind you to head back
to the residence to change for the Inaugural Balls.
Tell her I'll be there in 15 minutes.
Thank you, Mr. President.
BRAM: Thank you, Mr. President.
What's next?
Sir, the Senate Democrats want you to move fast
on the education bill.
Then we can move on to the tough stuff--
immigration, energy policy...
BARTLET: Come in.
We'll be landing in New Hampshire in 20 minutes, sir.
Thank you.
What are you thinking about?
Tomorrow.