House of Cards

Less than 20% are comfortable

with a president and a vice president being related in any way.

Less than 10% approve of someone who's never held elected office.

- But if we can move the needle... - Forty points?

It's how we frame it.

Her favorables are decent. They're better than mine.

In a void, but when it comes to her time as the UN ambassador,

they fall off a cliff.

Performance and experience are big factors.

Then we have to amplify her strengths, not her weaknesses.

We're looking for a VP who's an asset. This research proves she isn't.

Your job is not to dissuade me, but to figure out how we sell it.

Sir, there are so many people to choose from.

If the goal is to win,

- and we're bending over backwards... - Seth.

The president asked us to develop a plan, so that's what we'll do.

I'll meet you in my office.

- You know he's right. - Well, of course he's right.

Maybe we offer something else.

She won't listen.

What about LeAnn?

Yes, I was thinking that, too.

Question is how to co-opt her.

She likes paychecks.

No, it's gotta be more than money. She wants coattails.

We swap Claire's for mine.

- Campaign manager? - We could use some fresh blood.

That I agree with, but LeAnn?

I mean, there's no guarantee that we can control her.

Yeah, but if she can convince Claire to change her mind,

that's all I need.

Yes.

They're ready for you in the Situation Room, sir.

I'll be right there.

You could work with her if you had to.

I don't have to like her to work with her.

- Good, make the call. - You still want Seth on the plan?

Yes, until LeAnn's on board. Do I have to worry about him?

We dug pretty deep. Nothing in his emails or phone records.

He's smart enough to cover his tracks.

I'll talk to him.

- What do you think of this painting? - I'm not sure.

Walker and I sat here one night, stared up at a painting,

the blue one that's in the Oval now. They replaced it with this.

That's not the American flag.

No, it's the rebel flag... sinking into oblivion.

Is that a lightning bolt?

I assume...

Unless it's just a bad attempt at making the ship a unicorn.

Do you see that?

Colors are nice.

I hate it.

I guess I hate it, too.

I suppose it's not a good idea to have

the Confederate flag hanging here in the White House

after everything that's happened in South Carolina.

Even if it is sinking.

What do you think we should put up?

I don't know. Something you like better.

Do you have that marker I sign things with?

Put your hand up on the wall.

- Sir? - Put it on the wall.

Spread your fingers a little bit.

Wait. Okay.

Yeah... That's enough fun for today.

Doug, I don't know how to do what he's asking me to do.

- There is not some magical... - The leaks.

- Was it you? - Are you serious?

Very.

I handed over all of my correspondence, just like everyone else.

Doesn't prove anything.

I'm trying to save this campaign.

If I wanted to sabotage it, I'd let the president do it himself,

instead of fighting back on this VP thing.

Or that's just a cover.

I've been in the trenches for the past year

while you've been gone, and now you doubt me?

I don't need this.

You got this job by digging up dirt.

If you can't trust me by now, I don't know what I'm doing here.

Are you saying you wanna resign?

That is the last thing that I want,

but you're not giving me any incentive to stay.

All right. Fuck it.

Seth, I'm choosing to believe you right now,

but if I come to regret that decision...

You won't, because it's not me. I still think it could be Meechum.

It wasn't.

- You're sure? - I'm positive.

And so is the president.

May I go?

Or did you want to discuss the plan for the First Lady?

I have some calls to make. I'll come to your office after.

Get me LeAnn Harvey.

Milkin will be staying with this man, Anton Khalski.

He owned the second-largest bank in Russia until Petrov seized it in 2013.

Khalski fled across the border to Estonia.

We'll have Milkin's plane fly to Tallinn,

then he'll travel by boat to Khalski's summer house on Saaremaa.

Tomorrow we'll unfreeze Milkin's American assets

and transfer them to Khalski's Swiss accounts.

Khalski will reach out to his Russian military friends

and then start buying them off.

Are the FSB monitoring Khalski?

Closely. They'll know we're behind this.

- When Moscow confronts us? - We'll deny, of course.

Are we prepared if Petrov overreacts?

The Sixth Fleet has a presence near the Bosphorus,

we have patrols in the North Sea.

- Draft the order. - Sir, if I may?

- Yeah, we've discussed this, Cathy. - Yes, sir. I feel obligated

to raise my very strong objections. The diplomatic cost to us...

If diplomacy were working,

we wouldn't have to consider this course of action, would we?

- I've voiced my concerns. - Thank you, everyone.

You're not going to surprise me by putting the president on, are you?

No, it's just us. He filled me in, though,

- on the First Lady's request. - And?

We wanna make you campaign manager.

Look at your email.

- What is this? - Our research.

- It all boils down to the same thing. - You ran a few polls, so what?

- Focus groups, too. - Meaningless.

Not these numbers.

Claire can't be on the ticket. You know she can't.

This isn't something you can isolate on its own.

If gas prices hit $6 a gallon, you're fucked.

- You lose every key demo. - We're well aware.

But if the president makes Claire his running mate,

it makes the conversation tactical instead of economic.

That buys you time on the Russia crisis.

You solve that, confidence in the president

translates into confidence in his choice...

I didn't call you to be convinced. I called to offer you a job.

- Only to get to Mrs. Underwood. - This isn't just about her.

We need you. You'll turn this campaign around.

I'm surprised, Doug. I didn't think you were very fond of me.

I'm fond of talent. So is the president.

- My loyalty is to the First Lady. - All I'm asking is that you talk to her.

I'll tell you what. I'll show Claire your research

if you show the president mine.

I can agree to that.

I shouldn't even be talking to you, Heather.

I'm seriously concerned that there's been an abuse of power.

Madam Attorney General? Mr. Stamper, um, is ready to see you now.

I'll be right there.

I gotta go.

The agent in charge of the operation got a promotion directly after.

- Listen... - Martha, if the president,

or one of his staff... If anyone strong-armed the bureau

into pursuing Lucas Goodwin, then you know that's an abuse of power.

I work for the president.

I am about to sit down with his Chief of Staff.

- The law is the law. - This is politics, not the law.

Not true. You brought me on as solicitor general because of my integrity.

I am bringing this to you because of yours.

Madam Attorney General.

I really need to go.

- If a sliver of Goodwin's story holds up... - How did you even find this?

Did your oppo team speak to someone in WITSEC?

Because if that's the case, then that sort of breach is not...

- I spoke to him myself, personally. - You what?

He came to me. He tracked me down.

I'm not touching this, Heather.

Doug, sorry about that.

- No... - I was just on with the Chief Justice.

- Don't be silly, come on in. - Thank you.

- This way. - Thanks so much.

I don't know. She didn't do that well as ambassador.

She wasn't experienced enough.

- Hold on, she was an ambassador? - At the United Nations.

Chris, don't you watch the news?

How many of you feel the same?

Any other reasons, besides lack of experience?

Well, she was really impulsive when she had that outburst in Moscow.

Well, she never should've been there in the first place.

I mean, the Senate voted her down, and then her husband just appoints her?

That's not right.

Okay, see, I like her as a person, but I agree,

she should stick to being First Lady.

So, he's hoping you'll convince me to let it go.

Look, I'd make a killing compared to what you've paid me,

but you and I talked about making a real mark.

My father really liked Francis.

But as my daddy, he said to me, the day before we got married,

"You have one life, Claire.

Are you sure this is the man you wanna spend it with?"

What did you say?

I said I didn't want to live my life full of doubts.

Well, I think Francis wants me to doubt myself.

- What was that? - My mother... killing a lizard.

- I'll get the door for you, ma'am. - I can open the door myself.

Watch your step. There's blood on the floor.

I want you to take this to the president, in person.

- Try to get on a plane tonight if you can. - Of course.

This one's for you.

- It's warm. - At least it's free.

I may need to cash in my insurance.

What's going on?

Tell me what my position would be if she wins the nomination.