The American President Page #6

take you to go from being a hired gun...

to a cocktail party joke

can be clocked with an egg timer.

Leo, there's no relationship.

It was one night. It's done.

This was just delivered by White House

messenger. It's marked perishable.

The White House sent me

something perishable?

- It's for Miss Wade.

- Oh, well, here we go.

Relax, Leo. I'm sure

it's just a formality.

- It's from him.

- Of course it's from him.

So he had some staff flunky

send me a fruit basket.

- He wrote the note himself.

- I'm sure he didn't take the time to--

The messenger waited for ten minutes

while the president wrote the card.

Okay, listen--

It took him ten minutes

to write the card?

Apparently, he went

through several drafts.

- What is it?

- A ham.

He sent me a Virginia ham!

Dig it, Miss Wade.

You're the president's girlfriend.

There's never an egg timer

around when you need one.

Thanks.

They're going to be pressing today

about whether the White House...

is prepared to soften

the crime bill.

There's no need to entertain

that at this point.

How do you want me to handle

the Sydney issue?

"The Sydney issue?"

We should have a consensus on how

the White House is gonna handle it.

I certainly hope the Sydney issue refers

in some way to a problem with Australia.

- If it's anything other than that--

- Mr. President.

Ms. Wade is here to see you.

Have her come in, please.

I am finished here.

- Yes, sir.

- There is no Sydney issue.

Good morning.

Thanks for seeing me

on such short notice.

- No problem. Did you get the ham?

- Yes, I got the ham.

I wanted to send you some flowers,

but there are some kinks in the system.

I'm so glad you stopped by.

I had such a good time last night.

So did l.

It's just that--

You have 45 seconds.

I have to deliver a luncheon speech

at the governors' conference.

- No, no, of course.

- Are you free for dinner tomorrow?

- Dinner?

- Casual, without the United Nations.

My daughter will be there,

so it may seem like the United Nations.

- I'd love to meet Lucy, but--

- I'm sure she'd love to meet you.

- Actually, I have some concerns--

- I can't do this.

- Robbins or Stackhouse?

- Either one. I have to be in and out.

Governor Stackhouse needs ten minutes.

He wants to talk about assault weapons.

Stackhouse wants to talk

about grazing rights, trust me.

I'm sorry.

You have concerns?

Yes. Not many. A few.

One. I have one concern.

This wouldn't have to do with the fact

that one of us is president?

- You like to make jokes about this.

- I am not mocking you, honest.

I'm just a guy

asking a girl over for a meal.

- What's that?

- That's my ride.

Leo Solomon has some

serious concerns...

about me exploring

a social, you know...

scenario with the president

of the United States.

When you put it that way,

it doesn't sound that good to me either.

Have meat loaf with Lucy and me.

How presidential can that be?

7:
30?

- Hi. Miss Wade?

- Sydney.

- Hi. Lucy Shepherd. Nice to meet you.

- Hi. Nice to meet you.

My dad told me to tell you that

he's on the phone with his dentist...

and that I should behave myself

and entertain you until he gets back.

Oh. Your father's

on the phone with his dentist?

No, he told me to tell you

he's on the phone with his dentist.

He wants you to think

he's a regular guy.

Oh. Well, who's he

on the phone with?

The prime minister of lsrael.

Oh. They're probably

not discussing his teeth.

I hope not.

They're discussing an abbreviation

I can never remember.

- Mmm, C-STAD?

- Yeah.

- Capricorn Surface-To-Air Defense?

- Right.

Okay, let meat loaf night begin.

- Hi.

- How's everything with your teeth?

- My teeth?

- The dentist.

Oh, right. Yeah, I got a cavity

in my upper bicuspid region.

You have a short-range

weapons system outside Tel Aviv.

- I think somebody told on me.

- Dad!

You're overthinking this.

Voters aren't interested...

in how to achieve

economic growth.

They don't want to hear our plans

to strengthen foreign policy.

- So it comes down to character.

- The press like him.

- The networks, the newspapers.

- Reporters like him.

Networks and newspapers

like ratings and circulation.

For all the bitching we do

about liberal bias in the press...

when it comes

to a good character debate--

The press is

an unwitting accomplice.

The character debate

didn't work for us.

Because it couldn't.

Our polling told us...

that attacking his character less

than a year after he'd lost his wife...

was gonna make people

feel sorry for him.

We couldn't run the campaign we wanted

because the opponent was a widower.

But he's still a widower.

Time's passed, but--

You'll have to forgive my friend here.

He's been on a hunting trip.

- He's been cut off from the world.

- Why? What's going on?

The president's got a girlfriend.

Your dad says you're studying

the Constitutional Convention.

- She's not having any fun, though.

- Dad!

- You're not having any fun?

- This is a nightmare.

- This is a social studies nightmare.

- They're doing a mock congress.

Each kid plays one of the delegates,

and they debate the amendments.

- What's not fun about that?

- Good night, Dad.

Good night, sweetheart.

- It was nice meeting you, Sydney.

- Thanks. It was nice to meet you.

- Good night.

- Sleep well. I love you.

Love you too, Dad.

- She's wonderful.

- She's her mother.

She's you.

Would you like the 25-cent tour?

I thought C-STAD wasn't gonna be

operational until January.

It was ready ahead of schedule. We've

just been waiting for the personnel.

- The lsraelis?

- No, our guys.

We sent a team of army instructors

to train the lsraelis.

Good evening. I think--

Yeah, this is the Dish Room.

- It's not the Dish Room.

- It's the room with all the dishes.

- It's the China Room.

- I'm more of a west wing president.

If you're curious about the mansion,

I'm sure there's a book you can get.

There are about 7,000.

I'll get one for you.

Mr. President, have you

ever noticed how similar...

the Van Buren flatware

is to the Buchanan flatware?

Do you think

there'll ever be a time...

when you can stand

in a room with me...

and not think of me

as the president?

This isn't a state of mind.

You are the president.

And when I'm in a room with you--

oval or any other shape--

I'm always gonna be a lobbyist and

you're always gonna be the president.

I have news for you, Sydney.

As a lobbyist...

you'd never be alone

in a room with the president.

Do you think

this is a good idea?

Probably not.

We have a secure call

from the sit room.

Excuse me.

- I'm sorry, ma'am.

- Oh, no. Of course not.

We're gonna have to cut our night short.

The Libyans have just bombed C-STAD.

I'll try to call you in the morning.

Please show Miss Wade out.

The response scenario's in place.

The F-18s are fired up

on the Nimitz and the Kitty Hawk.

They're just waiting for your

attack order, Mr. President.

And we're gonna hit

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