The American President Page #5

toward arresting the greenhouse effect

which this administration has ignored.

- It's time for us--

- The White House chief of staff...

will not let us leave here

until he's broken the bad news.

I'm afraid Sydney's right, although

not about Michigan and California.

The president has asked me to tell you

that his proposed energy bill...

calls for a ten percent reduction.

The president is willing to go it alone

on this, but he's asking for--

and frankly, he's expecting--

the full support of the G.D.C.

- Our full support?

- Yes, he is.

The president's dreaming, A.J.

He has critically misjudged reality.

If he honestly thinks the environmental

community is going to whistle happily...

while rallying support around this

mockery of environmental leadership...

just because he's a nice guy and he's

done better than his predecessors...

then your boss is the

chief executive of Fantasyland.

Let's take him out back

and beat the sh*t out of him.

Good morning, Mr. President.

How are you today?

Couldn't be better.

My apologies for the interruption.

A.J. suggested I come by

and say hello.

You wouldn't be Sydney Ellen Wade

by any chance, would you?

Mr. President, I don't know what to say.

I'm speechless.

All evidence to the contrary.

Mr. President, I'm Susan Sloan.

I used to work with Congressman Myers.

I hope that this incident in no way

jeopardizes the good relationship--

- Yes, sir?

- Do you have a second?

Of course.

I thought maybe we might talk in private

someplace less intimidating.

- Janie?

- Yes, sir?

This is Janie Basdin, my personal aide.

Would you show Ms. Wade to the rec room?

- This way.

- I'll be with you in a second.

- Sorry to keep you waiting.

- Mr. President, l--

Is it all right

if I call you Sydney?

- Of course. Mr. President--

- Have you ever been in the Oval Office?

I've just been on the regular tour.

It didn't include--

- I hear it's pretty good.

- Mr. President...

what you saw in there

was just vanity run amuck.

I was showing off for a colleague

who doesn't think very much of me.

It would be an injustice to hold

the G.D.C. accountable for my behavior.

On top of which, I am monumentally sorry

for having insulted you like that.

- Do you think I'm mad at you?

- Well--

Seldom does a day go by

when I'm not burned in effigy.

Not by a professional political

operative 30 feet from the Oval Office!

I'll grant you that.

Did you know when the city planners

sat down to design Washington, D.C....

their intention was to build a city

that would intimidate foreign leaders?

- It's true.

- I didn't know that.

The White House is the single greatest

home-court advantage in the world.

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