House of Cards

Hey. Excuse me. I'm Paul Capra. I'm here to see Christina.

Oh, right this way, Mr. Capra. She's expecting you.

- Paul. - Hey, Christina.

Hi. It's good to see you.

- Yeah, you too. - Can I get you anything?

Nah. I grabbed some breakfast on the way down.

- Okay. Have a seat. - All right. Thank you.

I asked you down here because I spoke to D-Trip and the D.N.C.

We'd like you to run for Peter's seat.

As you probably know,

the election's been set for the first week of February.

You want me to run?

With your stature in the community,

your grass roots organizing experience...

Christina, hold on.

I know it's a lot to consider.

It's only been a month.

Well, we still have to govern, Paul.

I thought you asked me down here

because you wanted to talk or something.

I do. About the election.

I mean about Peter.

How come you didn't go to the funeral?

I couldn't.

How you been holding up?

I'm all right. It's been hard keeping the office on track.

Jesus. Screw the office.

What about you?

You're allowed to grieve, Christina.

Paul...

there are 600,000 people counting on us.

I can't let my feelings get in the way of that.

Will you hear me out about running for Peter's seat?

Well, you've passed the vetting process with flying colors.

- Is there anything we might have missed? - No, sir.

Tell me about your experience

as the chair of the oversight reform committee.

It's been very rewarding.

What are the biggest challenges you've had to face?

Partisanship.

Well, I suppose a room filled with 435 big egos

isn't the most hospitable place for oversight.

Do you want to be Vice President, Tabitha?

It would be a great honor, sir.

We'll be in touch.

- That's all? - Mm-hmm.

- For the time being. - Thank you, Mr. President.

We have to cross her off.

I agree. She could put a crack addict to sleep.

Then what is she doing on the goddamn list?

Tabitha's a very gifted legislator.

I don't want people who make sense on paper.

I need at least one viable option.

The two of you created this list and have proceeded to cross off every name you've put on it.

It's just a first pass, sir. We need time to fully vet all...

Jim is gonna win this thing in Pennsylvania, and we're no closer

to naming his replacement than we were a month ago.

Let us take another crack at it and give you a few more names to consider.

- I just want one name. - We'll have something for you by tomorrow morning.

Thank you, Mr. President.

He's ready to say yes to anything.

Yeah, for this to work, I don't think you can be there. Not when I first mention it.

I agree. You bring it up in your morning brief,

and when I show up, I'll act surprised.

Assuming he's open to the idea.

Look, all we have to do tomorrow is plant the notion in his head.

I'm sure you'll be persuasive.

Hello?

- Mr. Capra? - Yeah. Who's this?

Janine Skorsky from Slugline.

We spoke when I wrote the piece

about Congressman Russo's passing.

I'm done giving interviews about Peter, okay?

He was a troubled guy. End of story.

This is not about his death.

I'm calling you because my sources at the D Triple C

are telling me that you might be running for his seat.

I'm not talking about that.

But you did have a meeting this morning

with Christina Gallagher, correct?

I'm driving right now. I really shouldn't be on the phone.

If you do run, I would like to know about your involvement

in the closing of the Philadelphia shipyard.

That decision was made in Washington.

The association wasn't consulted.

Forgive me. I find that hard to believe.

I read all of the transcripts from the brac commission.

Congressman Russo didn't give any testimony.

So are you saying that he didn't consult with you once before you...

somebody was strong-arming him, okay? It was politics.

Do you know who would've pressured him?

Look, I don't know. He just said people up the food chain.

Did he say anything more specific about...

you know what? There's traffic. I gotta go.

Mr. Capra, I would...

Should I be prepared to do press?

If he's amenable.

What do you think our chances are?

Better than 50-50, if I had to say.

We won't announce until after Matthews wins, though.

I hate to admit it, but I'm nervous.

So am I.

It's just the last time, we found ourselves...

that's my fear too.

All right. You call me, either way.

In no more than nine hours.

Linda's been in there far too long.

If the President takes this much convincing, it doesn't bode well.

I can feel it... his hesitation on the other side of that door.

I know it's pointless to worry until I know what cards I'm holding.

Perhaps he just got interrupted by some...

He wants to tap Raymond Tusk.

- What? - He thinks it's a bold idea.

It's an idiotic idea. The man's never held public office.

That's one of the things the President said he likes about him.

The President wants to nominate a multibillionaire in a struggling economy?

- He'll alienate half the country. - Which is exactly what I said,

but he made it very clear he does not want me to fight him on this.

- So you didn't mention me at all? - I never had the chance.

His mind was made up before I could say a word.

Well, we have to unmake it.

Well, you can try, but if you do,

my guess is he's gonna cut you out of the process altogether.

He seemed adamant.

We should go in there.

- Mr. President. - Morning, Frank.

Will you give us a few minutes, Linda?

Of course.

Linda fill you in?

I think Raymond Tusk

is an exciting, bold idea.

Well, I'm glad you agree. Linda didn't think so.

He's a proven businessman. Brilliant, but down-to-earth.

Do you know him personally?

I met him briefly once at a fund-raiser.

Last night when I called him was the first time we had a meaningful conversation.

Did he seem open to the idea?

I sensed a good deal of reluctance.

He wanted a few days to consider.

Well, good. That gives us time to start vetting him.

He's clean. I had him vetted last year

when I was considering him for secretary of the treasury.

And did he say why he's reluctant?

No. Didn't give a reason. Just wanted to mull it over.

I want to send someone to St. Louis to speak to him in person,

convince him to accept the nomination.

And who are you thinking about?

I'd send Linda, but there's so much work for her to do here,

and, well, she can be abrasive at times.

Yeah, she can be a bit tough.

I want someone with gravitas.

Birch is a possibility, but he's not always been our strongest ally.

I'm not sure I would trust Bob with something like this.

I would be happy to go myself, sir.

I can use a light touch and give him the respect he deserves.

Good. I'll let his people know you're coming.

- Thank you, Mr. President. - Thank you, Frank.

Tell me, Francis.

It's good we were prepared for anything.

I have to fly to St. Louis tonight.

"Somebody was strong-arming him,"

and when I asked him who, he said, quote,

- "people up the food chain." - It's Washington.

Congressmen get strong-armed all the time.

My gut says it was Frank Underwood.

He had nothing to do with Russo before the shipyard closing,

and then suddenly he's propping him up?

That doesn't mean he was...

Let's cut the bullshit once and for all, Zoe.

I know he's been feeding you your stories.

I don't want to screw you over, but I'm not gonna stop digging on this.

I won't say he was a source.

But you do know each other.

Show me your notes, and I'll talk to him.

These are the notes from the Capra call.

And these are the transcripts from the brac hearing.

When they got to the Philadelphia shipyard, Russo doesn't say anything.

That's fine.

Yeah, I would just put both of them in that file.

Claire, I just got a call from the P.R. office at Sancorp

saying they wanted to send a film crew to take footage

of our filtration project in Botswana.

Right. They're just using that for promotional material.

Sancorp fought us on the watershed bill.

They helped us get the filters out of South Sudan.

I thought that was the state department.

No. You remember Remy Danton?

You met him in your office

right after you started working here.

- The lobbyist. - I asked him for his help.

We're just returning the favor, that's all.

Claire, they're against everything we stand for.

It's harmless. They'll send the video

to a few of their investors and make some commercials.

This makes me very uncomfortable... the idea...

they are sending the film crew, Gillian,

so please work with them on that.

One of my colleagues is looking into Peter Russo.

The assumption is you strong-armed him into closing the shipyard.

Where does your colleague get their information?