Thousands of former employees are outraged with military businessman R. J. Hacker (G. D. Spradlin), who had closed down his weapons manufacturing plant, Hacker Dynamics. At a conference held at the former plant, he pins the blame for the shutdown of his business on the current President of the United States (Alan Alda), who has just arrived. The President defends his own belief that the future of the children is more important than war, which has caused major decline in his approval rating. After the conference, he expresses to confidantes General Dick Panzer (Rip Torn) and National Security Advisor (United States) Stuart Smiley (Kevin Pollak) his discontent about not having an enemy to engage in war. An attempted negotiation with President of Russia Vladimir Kruschkin (Richard E. Council) to start a new Second Cold War with Russia fails, and the President's suggestion of a war on international terrorism is deemed too absurd.