Two not so bright small time crooks end up with a baby girl by "accident" and find a change in their lives. Billy (Ulrich) becomes the guy to take care of the child and look after it. Buford (Oldman) wants to get rid of it, but the others they knit with are for doing the best they can. They conspire to rob a pawn shop to get the necessary money, only to end up heroes for stopping a heist already in play.

副总统的突然去世将民主党参议院莱恩（琼·艾伦 Joan Allen 饰）推向了风口浪尖，她被提名为最佳总统候选人，如果莱恩当选，那她将成为美国历史上第一位女性总统。莱恩的性别很快就成为了保守党们激烈攻击的目标，其中要属谢力（加里·奥德曼 Gary Oldman 饰）的攻击性最强。
谢力是一个老谋深算阴险狡诈的老政客了，他是那种为了达到目的可以不惜一切手段的男人。谢力不知道从哪里挖出了莱恩大学时代的黑历史，这段历史的曝光不仅将影响莱恩此次的竞选，而且有可能毁掉她的政治生命乃至个人生活。为了捍卫自己的权利，莱恩必须勇敢的站在聚光灯下进行反击。