On The Road with Danny Concannon: Charleston, South Carolina

"Old Habits"

Episode: Faith Based In. / Opposition Research

I thought I shook myself free
You see I bounce back quicker than most
But I'm half delirious, It's too mysterious
You walk through my walls like a ghost
And I take everyday at a time
I'm as proud as a Lion in his Lair
Now there's no denying it, a note to crying it
You're all tangled up in my head

Old habits die hard
Old soldiers just fade away
Old habits die hard
Harder than November rain
Old habits die hard
Old soldiers just fade away
Old habits die hard
Hard enough to feel the pain

--Old Habits Die Hard

Mick Jagger

THAT NIGHT, AFTER SANTOS ANNOUNCED

Danny sat in yet another airport terminal, waiting for yet another out bound flight. It was like déjà vu all over again. And so was the position he was in now. Sitting there, bent over, staring down again at the Dr. Abbey Jacobs card he held between his two thumbs. He took the card and put it back in his wallet. Danny was so deep in thought and never expected to hear the voice of one of his oldest friends.

"Danny?" Josh Lyman asked, unsure if he was really seeing his friend in front of him. Danny looked up and saw Josh, unsure if he was seeing the man who was standing in front of him, one hand holding a backpack over his left shoulder. Both men looked worse for wear, but Danny seemed the most worn.

"Josh?" Danny spoke with a question.

"How, ya doin' man?" Josh greeted Danny where he stood. The two shared a quick man hug, the kind with the pat on the back.

"You here on a lay-over? Saw ya on TV this morning. Your boy looked good?"

"Yeah, thanks." Josh looked around. "Listen, I'm not here on a lay-over." Danny's face turned from a smile to a half smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I came to see you? I got a flight back out in a half hour."

"I see."

"You wanna take a walk?" Josh asked.

"Sure." Danny spoke with an assurance.

The two men walked through the empty terminal, each carrying their luggage over their shoulders. It was a late night for most, but an early night to the two men.

"So, you left, huh?" Danny asked

"We're off the record here, right?" Josh asked.

"About you being gone, I think…" Danny joked with his friend.

"No, you know what I mean." Josh said in all seriousness.

"Yeah, we're off the record." Danny assured his friend.

"Yeah, I left." Josh spoke with a joke in his eye, but his words were serious. "Danny, I want you to come with me." Josh stopped in his tracks and so did Danny. "Come to New Hampshire."

"I'll be in New Hampshire in a few weeks, Josh."

"You know what I mean." Josh gestured wildly. "I'm offering you an exclusive. Come follow my guy—cover the guy from the start who's gonna make it all the way---like you did for Bartlet—like we did for Bartlet. I'm offering you an assignment of a lifetime. Follow a candidate from the ground up---all the way to the top."

"I don't do that Josh."

"You did that with Bartlet."

"When he was the candidate. Your guy's not the candidate."

"Yet."

"Yeah, yet, and until that happens—if that happens." He saw Josh's face grimace." He's just another one of the yahoos gunning for the democratic nomination---" Josh's face turned to the side and Danny followed with his own head. "And that's how I gotta cover it—"

"You think my candidate's a yahoo." Josh started walking again as he remarked sarcastically.

"I think they're all yahoos"

"Well, that's true." Josh sighed, almost biting his upper lip, his hands in his pockets.

"You think we got a shot?"

"You think you got a shot." Danny's eyes glittered.

"We're gonna win this thing." Josh paused and then got all keyed up again. "Come oooonnn. Come with me. Let's do this together. It's just more fun with friends. Sam's got his thing, CJ and Toby they're still holding on by their finger nails hoping to change a few things before the tide rolls in and washes them away for good. I'm talking about looking at the future. Looking at making the next eight years better and not just trying to cram some good stuff before the buzzer sounds. This country…this country I love is just on the thread of goin' to hell in a hand basket and I think someone's got to be thinkin'…and I mean really thinkin' about year nine. I mean who's really doin' that?"

"That's were you come in."

"Yeah…" Josh signed and looked away. "Yeah, you're right."

"Besides my beat's politics, I don't do public relations." Danny paused and the two men looked at each other. Josh smirked.

"What?"

"I find that statement a bit odd?"

"Odd?"

"Yeah."

"What do you find odd about it?"

"I find that statement of yours---I think it's Odd?"

"You find it odd?"

"I do."

"What do you find odd."

"What?"

"You know what I find odd?" Josh's eyes filled with giddiness. "I find it odd why a reporter who claims that politics is his beat hasn't been in Washington for well over a year now. I find it odd."

"You find it odd?"

"I find it odd you're not jumping at this chance."

"And I find it odd you don't have a middle name?

"Wait, what?……Not everyone has middle names..what?--"

"Yes, they do."

"No, they don't—listen—"

"Yes, they do."

"What's your middle name?" Josh demanded in his tone.

"I'm not tellin' you!?" They were both beginning to sound like school kids.

"Oh come on—what is it? What is it, Lesley?"

"It's not Lesley."

"I bet it is."

"It's not!"

"It is, isn't it?"

"Hey, John Wayne's real name was Lesley."

"It's your name, isn't it?" He laughed his boyish laugh. "Oh..I soo got you.."

"No, it's not."

"Yeah, it is."

"Whatever." The two looked off and any laughter the two had subsided.

"So, you're not coming with me."

"No, Josh."

"He's the real thing, Josh."

"I don't doubt it." He smiled at Josh.

"You could come help me elect the first Latino president of the United States….don't tell me that's not front page news--Help me elect the next President of the United States."

"I don't help elect people Josh—that's what you do."

"No—that's what we do. " He pointed to himself and to Danny. "Together. We're the checks and balances. The same thing that they do with that lever, you and I do with words—that help Americans make up their mind on who to pull that lever for."

"Well, Actually, if there is a lever at all-- there's really only one 'cause its those little—"

"Yeah, yeah..okay I get it.." Josh leaned in closer. "It's the same thing you do with that pen. Don't let me do it alone. "

"Sometimes we have to go at it alone."

"I know." He was serious.

"I only write the truth, Josh."

"That's all I'm askin'." He paused. "At least come and see what he can do."

"I'll be at the primaries—."

"I mean now."

"I don't know, Josh.

"Why not? Just come up to New Hampshire and see—you don't like it, you go home, end of story." Danny looked around not answering.

"What, you think you'll find the answer other there somewhere?" He took Danny's eyes. "How about this. My guy does good numbers—my guy gets the nomination—which he will—you come aboard." He paused. "How about them apples?"

"Ahhh…..Been there done that, Josh."

"What are you afraid of? You afraid of finding another her?"

"It's not about her, Josh—It's not."

"Sorry, that was a low blow." Josh took a step away. "So, we have deal."

"Josh!" He stressed.

"Santos gets the nomination—you're our go-to guy. If you don't like 'um—your call, you can go. You do—you're with us—on the bus—pen in hand."

"I don't know—that's a long time away. I mean…who knows..." Danny started his sly joking smile. "Maybe I'll go back to the White House after the election."

"And what? Cover a lame duck president, Danny—you're never there for that---I mean the minute the first guy announced—you're always gone, I don't think I saw you in the White House till even a few months after the first Inauguration…"

"Josh…"

"I know I shouldn't have—before—but I mean seriously---You thinkin' of going back for her?" There was a long pause. Danny walked away from Josh "She won't even consider it until it's all over."

"I know." Danny signed.

"You talk to her recently?" Josh asked. Danny turned to Josh.

"No, I'm goin' on a non CJ diet." Danny tried to joke.

"Really?" He paused. "You getting any help with that?" Josh was half kidding and half meaning what he said.

"Naww, I'm goin' cold turkey." Danny tried to sound funny, but Josh saw through it.

"You still think of her, don't you?"

"You still think of Donna?"

"We're not talkin' about Donna---we're talkin' about you and CJ."

"Okay." Danny didn't really seem to believe it.

"No, really we're not."

"Okay."

"So, I guess I was your last spy."

"Spy?"

"I don't think she's got anyone else around her, you know. That's why you're bummed?" He paused. "It's always about getting under their skin for us, isn't it

"Yeah.." Danny trailed off softly. "I'll still find a way."

"How's that?"

"That's 'cause I got hope, mi compadre"

"Yeah…" Josh smiled at the reference.

"Good work, Josh."

"Thanks…" He paused. "There's still no way I can…"

"Go, Josh. Go to New Hampshire."

"What if I guess your name?" Josh was all excited again.

"My name?"

"Yeah, yeah…Your middle name. Come on—how 'bout this. I guess your middle name---you agree to cover my candidate."

"Like Rumplestiltskin?"

"Yeah, I'll make you the Rumplestiltskin of politics."

"You think I can turn straw into gold, huh?"

"Naw…you just got a good way of showing people which one's the gold and which one's the straw." Josh paused. "When you're not keepin' us in check."

"That's how I keep ya in check."

"Yeah." Josh looked at his watch. "I got to get going." "When my guy gets in I'll call you."

"I'll see ya in Iowa?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

The two shook hands. Josh walked away and turned back one last time.

"It's about the future, Danny."

"I know."

"Someone's got to be thinkin' about the next year—and the one after that."

"I know Josh, stop tryin' to convince yourself. You—me, we're not the ones you need to convince."

"See, I knew you didn't think my guy was a yahoo."

"Go to New Hampshire, Josh."

"I'm just sayin' it's about the future." He grinned and let his arms out wide.

"You have no idea how much I understand that statement." Danny yelled back.

"You take care, there, Danny." Josh grinned. "You look like crap." Josh smirked and raised his eyebrows.

Danny watched Josh walk away and turn back one more time.

"You liked the speech?" Josh laughed it off, already knowing the answer.

"You got hope, huh?"

"Yeah, I got hope."

"That was a rhetorical question, Josh."

"How's that?"

"'Cause you got a bad poker face."

Josh smiled and lifted his hand up to show a sign of goodbye. Danny lifted his hand and nodded his head. Josh nodded his head, bit his lower lip, held onto his pack and went on with it alone.

As he watched Josh walk off toward his terminal Danny heard Santos's words in his head.

"Hope is real. Hope is what gives us the courage to take on our greatest challenge, to move forward together, but hope is not up for debate."

Carol walked into CJ's office as CJ finished a request to Margaret.

"Hey, Carol." CJ smiled as she stood up.

"We're still getting questions at the gaggle."

"I don't care."

"Annabeth wants to know if you want to do an interview with Capital Beat about…"

"Ahh no…"

"Yeah." Carol smiled and wrote a note down in her notepad. "I didn't think so." Carole looked up. "Oh, and Danny Concannon left a message."

"He left me message?"

"Yeah?"

"In the Press Office."

"What, has he been livin' under a rock?" Margaret joked in her typical tone.

"Well…" CJ put her hand out for the message "What is it?"

"I have explicit instructions from Danny that I should read it to you myself."

"I'm sorry?"

"Out loud. He wanted me to read you the message…out loud."

"Okay…." CJ waited for the answer, but Carol looked unsure. "Carol."

"Sorry….I just don't know how…I mean without you getting…"

"Just read the damn message."

"Okay." Carol looked down and then looked up, ready to speak. "Danny wants to know, if you won't date him -- if you'd consider dating his sister." Carol smiled and Margaret tried not to laugh.

"It's not funny."

"It's a little bit funny." Carol insisted.

"No, it's not." CJ demanded.

"It's funny." Margaret entered her two cents into the conversation. CJ shot her a look. "Or not funny."

"Give me that." CJ took the pink message paper, slammed it on her desk, took a pen, and starting writing furiously. "Margaret, I want you to call Danny Concannon and give him a message." She finished her writing and turned toward Margaret shoving the paper into Margaret's hands. Open-mouthed and confused, Margaret looked at CJ and then at the paper.

"I can't say that." Margaret looked down at the paper. "Is that a T?" She asked showing CJ the paper.

"That's an I." CJ couldn't understand how it could be anything else.

"Ohhh, noo, I definitely can't say that."

"Fine." CJ took hold of the paper. "Never mind."

"We'll just go." Margaret grabbed Carol and they exited the office leaving the door closed behind them. "So, he called you?" Margaret asked secretly.

"Old habits die hard." Carol beamed with joy.

"AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" was heard from CJ's office and a loud crash followed.

"I've never seen anyone get under her skin like that? Not even the Joint Chiefs." Margaret remarked toward the door.

"It's like I said." Carol's eyes glowed as she eyed the door with one eye and slapped the pink message against her left palm. "Old habits die hard." She started to walk away with her eyes aglow. "Old habits die hard."

We haven't spoken in months
You see I've been counting the days
I dream of such humanities, such insanities
I'm lost like a kid and I'm late
But I've never taken your coats
Haven't no block on my phone
I act like an addict, I just got to have it
I can never just leave it alone

Old habits die hard
Old soldiers just fade away
Old habits die hard
Harder than November rain
Old habits die hard
Old soldiers just fade away
Old habits die hard
Hard enough to feel the pain

Danny looked up at the large airport board as slowly all the green on-time signs cascaded into the words "delayed" in red, like dominos piling on top of each other.

And I can't give you up
Can't leave you alone
And it's so hard, so hard
And hard enough to feel the pain

Old habits die hard

--Old Habits Die Hard

Mick Jagger