At some elegant bar, Sam sits stonily as he's served a drink. He's about to pay when Toby comes up saying he's got it. They bicker briefly about this and Toby wins, and also orders a beer. Toby tells him, "You don't ever go into the Oval Office mad." Sam starts to argue and Toby says, "No, no, no. You don't ever go in there mad." Sam says, "I think the President's remarks were...ill-advised, to say the least." Toby tells him he's wrong. Sam complains that the drop-in is the story now, not the energy package. Toby claims that the energy package doesn't need to be a story, it's going to be a law. Sam asks, "You don't think we need the environmental lobby?" Toby replies, "I think we need them, I just don't think we're gonna lose them." Sam thinks Toby is "tragically misguided," adding, "Many, if not most, environmentalists are absolutists who will use this insult to pull their support under cover we cut a deal with Detroit." Toby comments, "Well, then, they can grow up, Sam. 'Use this insult'? They just got the energy package they wanted, they just got the President at their dinner, and they should shut up!" Sam says softly, "Well, you should explain it to them just that way, Toby, 'cause they're really pretty receptive to that argument." Toby sighs and says, "When they look down a ballot and see the alternatives they get receptive in a hurry." Sam asks, "Was there anything else or can I sit here now?" Toby gets up to leave and says he'll see Sam tomorrow. Then he adds, "Sam, I'm looking at opposition polling that scares the hell out of me. I'm looking at internal numbers that change by the hour, I'm listening to economists that are telling me there's weather..." Sam interrupts accusingly, "You left me out!" Toby acknowledges this. Sam suggests that Toby thinks he's the reason he got creamed on the leadership breakfast. Um, Toby made a bad deal on the thing with Ann Stark, sold C.J. up the river for sure...how is this Sam's fault? Toby says he doesn't want this discussion; Sam asks what he's doing there talking to him, then. Sam states, "You and the President may think they deserved it, but this system of attacking your friends for political protection offends them and it offends me. It offends you and there's really nothing I can do to make you feel better about that." Toby points out, "We can't govern if we don't win." Yeah, that's for sure. Sam insists, "You should talk to me about the numbers more." Toby agrees. Toby says that he's got this beer here, and he's just going to sit down and drink it, and they don't have to talk or anything. Sam looks hurt; Toby looks sheepish. Aw.