"It's brutal." "Twenty-two stops in three days." "It's a lot of sleeping on the bus." "No sleeping." "That bus is the only place I can get work done." "You know, Francis did a big bus tour in 1998, and the bus lost its brakes going down a hill and we landed in a tobacco field." "He gets out of the car, knocks on the farmer's door, writes a check for all the damaged crops, and then borrows his pickup so he doesn't miss the next event." "And it was actually fun." "He was driving." "I was shotgun, and they had the whole staff in the flatbed." "We actually got there 10 minutes early." "I think I should be here to help drum up votes." "Careful, sir." "It's very hot." "Look, you and the Vice President are gonna get national coverage." "That's gonna help us with the count." "I reached out to him." "He never got back to me." "I don't know if he even knows the talking points about the bill." "I don't think Jim wants to go." "He's doing it as a favor to the President and I, so it doesn't matter if he doesn't know the talking points." "People wanna see him be folksy, you know?" "So just humor him." "Show him some degree of..." "Oh, my God." "Are you okay?" "It was an accident." "Okay, it's time for us to go." "I'm so sorry." "It's all right." "I just need to run it under some cold water." "I'm not going to lie." "I despise children." "There." "I've said it." "You can't act like that in here." "You have to be a big boy." "I know." "Peter, we really need to get going." "We've already missed one flight because the meeting went over." "I booked us another one at 9:25, but..." "We have to drop the kids off at school." "It's going to be really tight." "If we miss this plane, we have to cancel our first event." "Nancy, can you take them?" "I've gotta get packets ready for the lunchtime subcaucuses." "Peter, I'd do it, but we have a meeting with Greenpeace in 20 minutes." "I gotta get their rating on the bill." "Where's their school?" "Connecticut and Q." "Oh, I can take them." "You sure?" "Yes." "It's on the way to my office." "This Watershed Act proves that once again the anti-capitalist agenda is alive and well in the Democratic party." "Let me show you what's really going on." "Here are the Democrats eating up all of their soft science," ""organically homegrown" propaganda that the eco-fanatics are force-feeding them." "And over here, at the tail-end of all those jackasses, are middle-class Americans." "People who just want to work hard and rely on jobs in the drilling industry." "And what about the hypocrisy, folks?" "Does Peter Russo honestly have the gall to lecture us on the purity of our rivers, when he has been polluting himself with chemicals for years?" "He's not just been eating grass, he's been smoking it." "It's the only major bill he's sponsored in six years." "I know, but they already have national coverage." "What's the angle?" "If it doesn't pass," "I think he'll lose support from the Shipbuilders' Association." "So they lose support." "It's not that juicy." "They're a huge part of his get-out-the-vote effort in Philly." "It sounds like inside baseball." "Not if I get the vote count." "Black and white numbers." "Nobody has that." "But when I called the campaign, they stone-walled me." "Same thing at the Whip's office." "Do you know anyone over there?" "In Underwood's office?" "No, I don't." "Nobody on staff?" "Mm-mmm." "Oh." "I just figured because you gave me the Russo profile." "No, that didn't come from them." "But Underwood organized the campaign." "I'm sorry." "I don't know anybody there." "Okay." "Hey, it's me." "I just wanted to fill you in on something." "I should be back home at 10:00." "Meet me there." " Sarah made this one." " It's a frog." "And I made this one." "Can you guess what it is?" "A lobster?" "No." "It's a scorpion." "They're for you." "For the ones you gave us." "Oh, they're beautiful." "But maybe you should bring them to school, no?" "For show-and-tell?" "Or give them to your friends." "No." "The other kids will just make fun of us." "Why?" "Everybody hates us at school." "They say Dad's a crackhead and that we're crack babies." "I looked up "crack baby" on the computer." "I don't look like that." "You know, they say Dad's gonna OD like Amy Winehouse." "Well, you tell them that your dad doesn't do that kind of thing anymore, right?" "Yeah, we do, but they don't believe us." "Did you try going to the teachers?" "We can't do that." "Everyone would just hate us even more." "Well, you can't worry about what other people think, right?" "I wish Dad wasn't running for governor." "You ever been to Allentown before?" "I have not." "What do you think?" "Compared to New York, the parking is easier." "Finding a decent bagel, not so much." "We'd make up for it with the cream cheese." "Shall we?" "Ready when you are." "Your Watershed Bill." "You've ticked off the Republicans, oil, gas..." "Sometimes you gotta upset a few people to do the right thing." "Not just a few." "There's a sizable coalition that wants to see your bill fail, including environmentalists from your own party who don't think the bill does enough." "We wanted a passable bill." "That's why we aimed for a middle ground..." "Do you actually care about the Delaware River?" "I don't sponsor legislation I don't care about." "Until recently, you hadn't sponsored any legislation at all." "I spent my time in Congress focusing on things that were important to my constituents." "The shipyard." "Kept it open as long as I could." "Okay." "That's one thing." "What are the others?" "I'd love to provide you a list of all the things I've done in Congress, but we've got 15 minutes..." "Your opponent has linked your inactivity to your fondness for single-malts." "I've been very open about my past, and I've done everything I can to overcome it in a responsible, permanent way." "And I preferred vodka to scotch." "You should get your facts straight." "Is your Watershed Act just a ploy to jump into the spotlight and pad your transcript while you apply for governor school?" "It's real money." "It's real jobs." "And when the Delaware River is less polluted than it's been in 50 years, it's holding up a real glass of its water and seeing how clear it is." "That's what my bus tour is about." "The Vice President is joining you later?" "Correct." "Why has it taken him this long to endorse you?" "He didn't think I was worth it." "But then he heard I had a one-on-one with The New York Times, and, boom, he was on board." "I might print that." "The more of my words, the fewer of yours, the better off we'll both be." "If I didn't think you were such a liability to yourself, Congressman," "I might even like you." "If your circulation was as high as The Wall Street Journal," "I might like you back." "Hit me." "Next question." "I have to put up a fight, Frank." "Tell them they're wasting their money." "It's gonna pass." "Are you sure?" "When was the last time I got a count wrong?" "If you were certain, you wouldn't be trying to neutralize us." "Well, SanCorp has been good to me." "I'm just trying to do you and them a favor, Remy." "Then why propose the legislation in the first place?" "You must've known they would oppose it." "The regulatory restrictions are minimal." "There's a bigger battle here, Frank." "SanCorp is against any step toward regulation, no matter how small." "Russo's planted his feet on the wrong side of the fence." "How much are you giving his opponent?" "Check the FEC filings." "How much are you actually giving?" "It's a $10 billion industry, Frank." "There's money to spend." "If the Democrats lose Pennsylvania, you know what that means." "We don't want you to lose leadership, but that's up to you, not us." "You don't have the same kind of relationship with the Republicans that you have with me." "Then we'll adapt." "We both have votes to count." "Good luck." "You tell SanCorp they're being foolish." "I'm not gonna do that." "Well, then, you're being foolish." "Come on, Frank." "Let's not make this personal." "I can't compete with SanCorp's war chest." "My only option is asymmetrical." "To pick off the opposition one by one like a sniper in the woods." "There will come a time to put Remy in my crosshairs, but not right now." "As we used to say in Gaffney," ""Never slap a man while he's chewing tobacco."" "Congressman, how are you?" "I deeply appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule..." "Hank, I need to eat." "See if you can rustle up a club sandwich, extra bacon." "Fuck me." "Ta-da." "Thai cuisine again." "The green curry is for you, and the other green curry is for me." "I was actually just on my way out." "I bought you dinner." "You have to eat it." "Or at the very least, you have to watch me eat mine." "I'm gonna be late to meet someone." "Who?" "Like, a date?" "A friend." "The mysterious fuck-buddy who you get all of your stories from?" "Lighten up." "I was just teasing." "Not that I would judge." "We've all done it." "I used to suck, screw and jerk anything that moved just to get a story." "Really?" "Like who?" "You want dish?" "No." "It's just..." "The Comm Director on Ben Schroeder's Senate race." "A staffer in the Defense Department." "My very own White House intern." "He was a real blabbermouth when he wasn't eating me out." "Wow." "And I even had a fling with a Congressman." "Which one?" "You tell me yours, and I'll tell you mine." "I've never been with any." "Oh, come on." "You're hot." "You're telling me that none of them have come on to you?" "I haven't really been in those circles." "You are now." "I guess I don't really give off that vibe." "You mean the slut vibe?" "Look, I don't do that shit anymore." "'Cause once word got out, it was like I hit a wall, and nobody took me seriously." "So, a piece of advice, as far as career strategies go, it's not worth fucking your way to the middle." "Chopsticks or fork?" "Look, if you go, I am gonna have to eat both of these, and that is not cool." "No." "I'll eat with you." "Good." "Things have gotten underway in Eastern Pennsylvania for the governor's seat left vacant there by Vice President Jim Matthews." "After a political career that has lasted 42 years so far, the genial Vice President and the former Pennsylvania Governor, faces the most critical task of his new electoral life helping his home state fill the vacancy of his departure from Washington." "However, Matthews seems reluctant to hand over the spotlight to Peter Russo." "Back home, Meechum." "Sir." "Francis..." "How's your hand?" "Fine." "You should change the bandage, no?" "Later." "I thought you were gonna be out late." "No." "You seem upset." "I'm not." "What happened?" "Nothing." "Can I get more than two words out of you?" "I'm just trying to relax." "Claire, I love you." "I love you too." "Did Zoe expect me to twiddle my thumbs until her arrival?" "Perhaps she's making the mistake thinking her time is as valuable as mine." "Proximity to power deludes some into believing they wield it." "I put an end to that sort of thinking before it begins." "And if I'm not mistaken, the last time I was in Tannersville," "Buddy Corcharan pulled me aside and told me I was wasting my time, because the Republicans were gonna sweep Monroe County in a landslide." "Well, Buddy had to eat his hat and both his shoes when I won the county in a landslide." "And let me tell you, that man has big feet and an even bigger head, so that was quite a meal." "My daddy used to tell me a story about people who count their chickens before they hatched." "Although, to be fair, he probably didn't know what he was talking about, because he grew up in Pittsburgh." "And I certainly never saw a hen around my house, unless you count my mother." "Do you want me to do something?" "But, seriously, folks..." "No." "Let him talk." "...I do love this town." "I don't know if he's ever going to introduce you." "He will." "Just give him time." "It's been an hour." "We were supposed to leave for Carbondale 10 minutes ago." "I can't interrupt him." "He's the Vice President." "We're not on the edge of Penn's Woods." "We need economic development flowcharts for the Watershed Bill sent over to Terry Womack's office." "Hard copies, 20 of them." "I'll do it right away." "How's everything going with Rachel?" "I think she's a little down in the dumps." "She got a waitressing job last week, and then they let her go." "Why?" "She wouldn't tell me." "All she said was her boss was a creep." "Thirty minutes ago, I received a text from Zoe." "She intends to apologize, no doubt." "I respect that she wants to atone in person, even though it's taken her over 16 hours to build up the courage." "Janine Skorsky is digging into Peter Russo." "What in particular?" "The Shipbuilder's Association." "She have an angle?" "The Watershed Bill is a consolation prize for them losing their jobs." "That's not an unfair assessment." "She thinks if the bill fails to pass, they'll withdraw support." "Not unfair speculation." "Well, I know how hard you've been working on his campaign, so I wanted to give you a heads up." "Well, let me know if she expands her inquiry." "Into what?" "Anything you deem worth telling." "Well, can I throw her a bone?" "She might be more talkative if I have information for her." "What sort of bone?" "The vote count for the bill." "I don't have a vote count yet." "Should have a preliminary one this afternoon." "You'll let me know?" "As soon as I have something solid." "There's one more thing." "About last night..." "No need to apologize." "I'm sure you had a very good reason." "I do." "I think we should end it." "Not professionally, the other thing." "Why now?" "We have a really good working relationship." "I don't wanna overcomplicate that." "All right." "You're okay with it?" "Completely." "It's over." "And it won't change things in terms of our arrangement?" "Oh, please." "I don't punish people for making adult decisions." "Thank you, Francis." "She was never more than a faint blip on my radar." "We've served each other's purpose." "If she wants to be an adult, let her see how she can fly once she leaves the nest." "Claire." "Hi." "Catherine." "Thank you for fitting me in." "I can always find time for you and Frank." "Well, the reason I'm here is the CWI has a large shipment of water filters stuck in South Sudan, and they've been in storage for the past four months, just sitting there, and the Sudanese government..." "Won't release the shipments through customs." "My deputy briefed me on the latest." "Right." "And I know that Francis spoke to you about this not too long ago, but lately we haven't heard much from the State Department, so I was wondering if you could help." "We've done our best, Claire." "I put my top people on this." "The Sudanese are just not responding." "Well, is there anything else we can do?" "There's over $200,000 worth of equipment." "I wish I could." "I know how important this is to you, but we're about to cut off diplomatic ties." "It's a directive straight from the President." "We can't ignore their human rights violations anymore." "What about back channels?" "Well, once we cut ties," "I can't contact their government officially or unofficially." "Well, is there someone you could put me in touch with?" "I'm sorry, Claire." "My hands are tied." "I would move mountains for you and Frank, but I've done all I can." "Of course." "Okay." "Good to see you." "You too." "Congressman, you have a major bill going to the floor later this week." "Are you optimistic it'll pass?" "I'm very optimistic." "The Delaware River Watershed Act not only protects large portions of the state's freshwater resources, it also creates thousands of jobs." "I'm confident that my colleagues on the Hill..." "There's only one way to create jobs." "I did it during my administration." "The answer is tax credits for small businesses." "You've got to encourage self-starting entrepreneurs to start new ventures, hire employees..." "But specifically, about the Watershed Act..." "Small businesses, that's the solution." "Everything else is window dressing." "Thank you all very much." "Thank you." "Good night, Mr. Vice President." "Hello." "I need to talk about Matthews." "Yes." "I've read the press reports." "He's not being very helpful, is he?" "No, he's doing more harm than good." "I want to ask him to leave." "Well, that wouldn't make for a very good story." "It's better than him torpedoing the whole bus tour." "Have you tried to talk to him?" "No, I wanted to ask your advice first." "Well, maybe there's a way to keep him on the tour and inspire his support." "We have fundamentally different views." "Well, look, you're not going to be able to change his ideology, but dig deeper." "Jim is a proud man." "Tap into that pride." "I just wish he was gone." "Well, you do whatever you think best." "But whatever it is you decide, be firm and stand up for yourself." "He'll respond to that at least." "And call me back if you need anything." "What was the reason he gave you?" "Were you messing up?" "No." "The head waiter said I was doing a really good job." "He even started letting me take my own tables on the second day." "And the manager..." "What's his name?" "Leon." "He propositioned you?" "Called me into his office, said couldn't afford to start taking anyone new on, even part-time." "Put his hand on my knee, said he might be able to make an exception." "So he starts sliding his hand up my thigh." "So I stood up and I tell him I should get back to work." "He says, "Stay."" "He unbuckled his belt." "Did you?" "No, I walked out of the office and got back to my tables." "Next day, I came into work, told me to go home." "I was fired." "Tell me the name of the restaurant." "You're home early." "I needed a breather." "I didn't have breakfast this morning." "I might head back in a little while." "The vote count?" "It's going to come down to the wire on this one." "I spoke to Catherine Durant today." "She's unable to get the shipment out of South Sudan." "Yeah, we're cutting all diplomatic ties." "Foreign Affairs is up in arms about it." "Yes." "Which is why she can't lift a finger, according to her." "It's what she said, anyway." "Anyway, I need you to talk to her." "I don't think that would make any difference." "I thought she owed us, Francis." "She does, but there's limits." "She's Secretary of State." "She can't break diplomatic protocol." "Well, can you make some calls?" "If she can't, I can't." "Plus I have to focus on the Watershed Bill." "I'm taking time out of my schedule to help you with that." "Because you drafted it." "Because you asked me." "I didn't want to do this." "All I'm asking is that you give me a little bit of your time in return." "And how am I supposed to fix a problem I can't fix?" "What about Remy?" "Glendon Hill must have contacts in South Sudan." "He's fighting us on the vote." "Those are two completely separate issues." "They are not." "He does you a favor, he hangs it over me." "So what you're saying is my goals are secondary to yours." "That is not what I'm saying." "I think you don't want to go hat in hand to somebody who used to work for you." "I will not be lectured to the moment you walk in the door!" "I called Catherine, as promised!" "Her inability to deliver is not my problem or my fault!" "I cannot control changing global landscapes!" "And I will not be cornered into making promises I cannot deliver!" "I'm sorry I yelled." "I'm under a lot of pressure." "You're right, I didn't think it through." "I just can't go to Remy right now." "He's poaching too many of my people." "I've got two congressmen who will not commit." "I was hoping you might speak to them." "Who?" "Vanderburgh and Abrams." "What is it you want me to say to them?" "They're big on the environment." "They don't think the bill goes far enough." "They respect your opinion." "I wanted you to walk them through the bill step-by-step." "Put them at ease." "I need to get them in the yes column." "I meet with them tomorrow." "I'll deliver the bruises." "You meet with them later and patch them up." "That might just do the trick." "Of course." "I think I broke the bowl." "We have contacts there through our oil interests." "I'm going to need government intervention." "Wherever there's a government, we know people." "Even when there's only the illusion of a government." "Will you help me?" "I'd like to." "But for something like this, I'm afraid there's a price tag." "The CWI will endorse SanCorp as eco-friendly." "They can use our logo on any PR or marketing materials you want." "We'll need more than that." "They were willing to donate over $1 million for that." "These filters are only worth $200,000." "I'd say that's a bargain." "You turned down that offer." "Landscape has shifted since then." "The Watershed Bill?" "That's right." "You want it amended?" "I want you to kill it, the whole thing." "CWI has publicly backed the bill, Remy." "What you do publicly is your concern." "Gentlemen." "Please, have a seat." "So, have either of you changed your mind since we last spoke?" "We're still undecided, Frank." "Leaning one way or the other?" "If Congress is going to allocate $250 million dollars, we want to make sure it goes towards a bill that does more to protect the..." "We've been through all that." "I know your concerns." "So if the protection standards don't change, we would rather see that money spent more effectively elsewhere." "That sounds like you're both leaning no." "We've been very clear about what we're asking." "Okay." "This is you, Abrams." "And this is you, Vanderburgh." "And over here" "is the majority of the Democratic Caucus." "See, you're over there all by your lonesome." "Now, you don't mind being the black sheep." "You're the liberal wing of the liberal wing." "Most of the time you can vote what you want, we still pass things anyway." "But this time it does matter." "And what the two of you aren't taking into account is between this end of the desk and this end of the desk," "is me." "Now, I'm going to say to you what I say to every congressman that sits where you're sitting now." "Vote your district." "Vote your conscience." "Don't surprise me." "And the most important one of those is don't surprise me." "Now, you're both to meet with my wife tomorrow." "And you're to hear her out." "She will go through your concerns point-by-point." "And I am certain after that that the two of you will make the right decision." "This is the part where you leave." "I have often found that bleeding hearts have an ironic fear of their own blood." "One drop and they seize up." "But offer them a caring hand and massage them back to life and they soon start beating to the right drum." "Hello." "I've just spoken to Abrams and Vanderburgh." "Let them toss and turn tonight, but they're all yours tomorrow." "I'll reach out to their offices and set a time." "Thank you, Claire." "Of course." "Whatever I can do to help." "Here you go, sir." "Enjoy." "Excuse me." "There's a hair on my steak." "I am so sorry, sir." "Where?" "Right there." "I don't see it." "Are you telling me I'm blind?" "No, sir." "I'm so sorry." "I'll have the kitchen..." "What's your name?" "Stephanie." "You can leave the plate, Stephanie." "I'd like to talk to the manager." "Yes, sir." "I'll go get him." "Thank you." "Good evening, sir." "Stephanie tells me there was a hair on your plate." "No." "There wasn't any hair." "Leon, right?" "That's your name?" "Yes." "Stephanie is a hot little number, isn't she?" "Nice ass." "Did you make her blow you before or after you hired her?" "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." "Sit down, Leon." "Sir, I want you to go." "I said sit." "Don't make me call the police." "I'll tell you what." "You call the police, I'll call the Department of Immigration about the four undocumented employees you have working in the kitchen." "A felony, Leon." "And I might also mention your girlfriend, her mother, and her aunt who are also undocumented and living in an apartment you pay for." "Prison time for you, deportation for them." "Not a pretty picture, is it?" "Let's talk about Rachel Posner." "How close is it?" "I should have the last two votes I need committed today." "I just want to make sure no one changes their mind." "I'd prefer not to get embroiled in environmental issues at this time." "But it's also a jobs creation package." "It's antagonizing oil and gas." "We can't afford that sort of battle after all the capital we spent on education." "All I need is one public statement of support." "I won't do that." "How about you take Linda tomorrow?" "You set her up in your offices." "Any meetings or calls you might need to whip up votes, you've got her there." "Well, I can't afford to spend a whole day lobbying on the Hill." "Well, you've got deputies." "Yes, I do." "Well, you're telling me you can't manage them from 10 blocks away?" "Of course I can, sir." "Look, if it's too difficult..." "No, no, no." "We'll help you out, Frank." "Won't we, Linda?" "Yes." "If you'll just excuse me," "I have a few things to rearrange on my schedule." "What else, Frank?" "Tell me what Birch is up to." "No, I know I've already canceled twice." "They start next week." "Sweetie, I'm trying to figure this out." "Linda." "Excuse me." "Yes?" "I just wanted to thank you for agreeing to pitch in," "I know you have a full plate." "Of course, Frank." "Is everything all right?" "It sounds like..." "Yes." "What time do you want me to come by tomorrow?" "Can we talk?" "Can I just call you back in one second?" "I will call you." "Yes." "Linda, I am so sorry that the President has forced you into this." "It was not my intention." "If you would like, I can talk to Congress..." "No, it's not that." "It's a personal matter." "Don't worry." "Well, what is it?" "Maybe I can help." "Just, my son didn't get into Stanford." "I was supposed to meet with the Provost tomorrow to see if I could get him to change his mind." "I asked the President if I could go, and he said yes, but he must have forgotten." "You should go." "I'm sure the President will understand." "No, no." "I don't let personal matters get in the way of my job, Frank." "Linda, you can't put your entire life on hold." "And certainly not at the expense of your own son." "Well, it has been at the expense of my son." "It's my fault he didn't get in." "I was on the campaign and I wasn't there for him." "His grades suffered." "His application was..." "I wasn't there, Frank." "But I figured if I could just meet with the Provost face to face..." "Okay, look, you are going to Stanford tomorrow." "If you show up at my office, I won't let you in, so don't even consider it." "Frank, the President wants me to be..." "He doesn't have to know." "I'm going to have one of my schedulers buy you a ticket." "The bill will be fine." "Frank." "You don't have to do this." "We may have our disagreements, Linda, but that doesn't mean we can't look out for each other." "You tell them you're coming." "Okay." "Give that a try." "Test, test, test." "All right, Zoe." "This is Dave, the senior producer in New York." "We'll go live in four minutes." "Sounds good." "The first topic will be the Congressional agenda for the fall session, then we'll move on to the midterms, then we'll wrap it up with Peter Russo's race for governor and his Watershed Bill." "Okay, great." "Taking you off mic until 30 out." "Hey, Janine, I have to talk about the Watershed Bill." "Do you have a one sheet?" "Yeah." "Hold on." "Thanks." "Any word on the vote count?" "Still no luck." "I've called every Democrat in the House to cobble together a number, but no one's getting back to me." "So what can I say?" "That there's a lot in flux, and it'll be tight." "Okay." "Thanks." "Yeah." "Sure thing." "Hey, Francis, it's me." "Call me back." "Yes." "Congressman Russo." "He says it's urgent." "Fine." "Good morning, sir." "I'd like to talk about how the tour's going." "Well, let's talk on the bus." "Don't we have an event at 11:00?" "There won't be any events until we talk." "You're hijacking the microphone." "You're contradicting everything I say." "We need to be promoting the Watershed Act." "Well, I appreciate your being so forthright." "Let me tell you what I don't appreciate." "The DNC is running a man with zero track record, except for substance abuse, to fill my shoes." "I realize you don't want to be here, sir, but it seems like you're deliberately trying to sabotage my campaign." "Despite my better judgment, I'm trying to save it." "I know the people of this state better than you, Peter." "They don't want to hear about watersheds." "They want to hear about jobs." "Well, this week, they need to hear both." "Well, then, maybe I should just stand quietly beside you at the podium and watch you lose." "You don't think I can win, do you?" "I'm not optimistic." "You lost the first two times you ran for governor." "The third time, nobody thought you had a chance." "By September, you were 15 points down." "You were out of money." "You had to mortgage your own house just to keep your staff on payroll." "I'm well aware of what I did." "I was there." "My point is you kept going." "You hit 67 counties in less than 20 days, and you proved everyone wrong." "Like it or not, it's my name on the ticket this time, and I got the shot, and I'm gonna prove everyone wrong, just like you did." "Including you, sir." "I would like your support, but if you won't give it, fine." "It won't stop me." "You think it's easy for me to be here?" "I left the Governor's mansion right in my prime." "To be what?" "Vice President." "I thought that was a step up." "But you know what?" "I don't have a fucking shred of real influence." "I'm trotted around like a goddamn mascot, and this is my home state." "I'm offering you influence, sir." "I'd like your guidance and your expertise." "But if that's not on the table, then, well..." "With all due respect, Mr. Vice President, you should head back to Washington." "Your husband was very explicit." "I would categorize it as a threat." "What did he say exactly?" "Not to surprise him." "Didn't he also tell you to vote your district and your conscience?" "He did, but those seemed far lower on his priority list." "Well, he would never fault you if you had a compelling reason to do what you think is right." "I'm confused." "Aren't you for this bill?" "CWI is publicly for it." "Privately, I have my doubts for the same reasons you do." "I was under the impression that we were here so you could persuade us to vote yes." "I'm not trying to persuade you of anything." "I will say this." "If the bill fails, it's not the end of the world." "We can always sponsor new legislation." "You know, something with stricter regulatory standards." "Just to be clear, you're telling us you don't mind if we vote against the bill?" "I'm simply saying what my husband would..." "That you should vote your conscience." "How are we looking?" "We're short a vote." "I just got off the phone with Claire." "Vanderburgh and Abrams are on board." "Those are definite yeses?" "Definite." "We should be good." "Yes?" "I've been trying to reach you since yesterday." "Well, I've been a bit busy counting votes." "You said you'd have a number for me." "Well, you should try my press office." "I did." "They won't return my calls." "Well, the official word is it will be close." "I'm trying to get the unofficial word." "I can't appear to be playing favorites now, can I?" "This isn't because of the other day, is it?" "What other day?" "You said we'd keep our professional relationship." "Well, this is what professional feels like." "The Vice President of the United States, Jim Matthews!" "Thank you." "It's good to be back in Bristol." "Go, warriors!" "Now, you all know me." "I'm a windbag." "I can go on until you all fall asleep, get eight hours of shut-eye, and wake up to find me still yapping." "And there's a lot I could say about this young man to my left." "The truth is, I've had a lot of doubts about him and his ideas, about his past, about his youth." "But if you'll remember, a lot of you had doubts about me the first time I ran." "And the second and the third." "But over the last few days, traveling around the state with Peter," "I have to admit he's won me over." "He's smart, he's energetic, and most important, he's a fighter." "Now, it says "A fresh start!" on that bus over there." "And that's the real truth, because this young man will give our state the fresh start it so desperately needs." "Ladies and gentlemen, the next Governor of Pennsylvania," "Peter Russo." "Thank you, Mr. Vice President." "How's it going, Bristol?" "Today I'd like to talk to you about economic recovery." "Now, as many of you may be aware, mostly because my opponent feels the need to spend millions of dollars on TV ads about my past," "I know a thing or two about recovery." "I've learned a great deal through my personal struggles." "I've learned how to harness my strength and my resolve, make them work for me, much the way your Bristol watermills harnessed the power of your beautiful Otter Creek and the mighty Delaware River years ago." "Let me tell you how the Delaware River will reinvigorate your economy for years to come!" "We're going to get the shipment out of Sudan." "That's great." "It might take a few weeks, but I think you should start making arrangements for Botswana, where you're gonna set up base camp and the depot." "Just send me a budget as soon as you've got one." "Claire, is there any way we can send someone in my place?" "I thought you wanted to be on the ground." "I would, but I can't this time." "Why not?" "I wasn't sure how to tell you this, but I passed the 12-week mark." "You're expecting?" "Gillian, that's wonderful." "That..." "When did this happen?" "Who's the father?" "There was this guy I met overseas." "Doctors Without Borders." "We had this thing." "Then I left." "But he came back to the States a few months ago, and that's when it happened." "Anyway, it didn't end well." "But I want to keep the baby." "And does he know?" "He's married." "I shouldn't have." "It was stupid." "You don't have to explain." "I'll need some time off at the beginning of March." "Of course." "And absolutely, we'll send someone else instead." "I appreciate it, Claire." "Sure." "You said medium rare?" "Just let me know if you guys need anything." "Who would you guess texted me just now?" "I thought she'd last more than a couple days." "Going somewhere?" "Just for an hour or two." "I got one last hold-out to whip." "What's the vote count on Russo's bill?" "Don't you wanna shower first before we dirty ourselves with business?" "I'll shower after you leave." "What's the vote count?" "Your tone doesn't inspire me to be very forthcoming." "The fuck wasn't enough?" "You need a special tone too?" "Ooh..." "Someone washed her mouth out with acid this morning." "Whatever it is you're grappling with," "I am sincerely not interested." "You're almost twice my age." "You said that didn't bother you." "I lied." "If you had a daughter, she'd be older than me." "In 20 years, I'll still be younger than you are now." "Well, I can't argue with basic arithmetic." "You don't find that disgusting?" "I think you want me to." "But I've never considered this any more or less than a transaction between two consenting adults." "If you just want the girl who will do your bidding for you, you already have that." "Why do you need to fuck me?" "I would remind you that it was you who initiated our affair, and it was you who came knocking at my door last winter." "And it was me who asked that we stop what we're doing now." "Which I respected until you picked up a phone and asked me to come over tonight." "Because you wouldn't give me what I wanted unless I did." "So tell me, why do you need this?" "You don't seem to get any pleasure out of it." "I know I certainly don't." "I seem to always leave you satisfied." "How do you know I'm not faking it?" "Are you?" "Doesn't it say a lot that you can't tell?" "What do you think about when I'm up against the wall?" "A great man once said that "Everything in life is about sex..." ""Except sex." ""Sex is about power."" "So you need a whore, which makes you a pimp." "I'm not a pimp." "Just a very generous john." "Fine." "As long as we're clear about what this is, I can play the whore." "Now pay me." "The bill will pass." "We have it by two votes." "You can pass that along to your friend, Ms. Skorsky." "If she must say such things in order to sleep at night, so be it." "Her loyalty costs me nothing but the occasional crumb of news." "Her hatefulness takes no toll at all." "You don't compensate a working girl so you can cuddle after." "Final voting..." "A lot of small towns, some really great crowds." "No buses losing their brakes." "Final call for voting." "Please, no." "When do you head back?" "Tomorrow." "We wanna do a press conference when all the votes are in." "Members, please cast your votes now." "Are you all right?" "I'm just a little nauseous." "It'll pass." "I'm okay." "You said you're due in March?" "March 14th." "It must be so exciting." "How's the morning sickness?" "I think I'm over the hump." "I have to pee all the time." "Weird cravings." "It was good to be on the road again." "Invigorating." "Our internals are showing a nice bump in the numbers." "You made a big difference, sir." "The President is grateful, and so am I." "Well, it's a team effort, right?" "Excuse me." "I have yet to say hello to your better half." "How'd it go at Stanford?" "Well, I think." "The Dean's a Republican, so there was not a lot of small talk." "But he seemed open to considering it." "We'll know more next week." "That's terrific." "I appreciate your helping me out." "I didn't do anything." "Anybody could book a plane ticket." "That's not true." "You covered for me." "Well, we have to keep the important things in perspective, right?" "Don't think it's bought you any favors." "Kindness isn't kindness if you expect a reward." "The man of the hour!" "Not yet." "The votes are still coming in." "Hey, how'd you vote?" "I voted yes." "Voting." "I knew I forgot something." "We got this." "There's some sparkling grape juice there to celebrate." "Thirty seconds remaining." "Thirty seconds." "Looking good." "Come on, everyone." "Let's go." "Everyone's voting along party lines." "See?" "This is what happens when we all stick together." "This is an easy win for us." "Fifteen seconds." "Vote now." "Ten seconds." "Fuck." "This can't be happening." "Members, please cast your votes now." "Voting is closed." "H.R. 4913 is defeated." "Doug." "I thought we had it." "So this means it's dead?" "It's such a shame." "All of that hard work." "I wanna know who lied."