Separation Of Powers - TWW S5E7

 

Original airdate: November 12, 2003

Written by: Paul Redford (13) 

Directed by: Alex Graves (17)

Synopsis

• With the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court facing a health crisis, the Bartlet administration hopes to make a move to name a replacement. Zoey's TV interview about her recovery exposes some still-raw feelings from her mother. And Speaker Haffley's strong-arming of budget negotiations finally pushes the President too far.

"You can't do it, Jed. You're not strong enough. The Speaker's running the table. And I can't take a chance." 

We've got a couple of solid storylines in this episode, built with some well-constructed plotting and good dialogue, not to mention some of the most memorable camera work/cinematography of Season 5. I don't think it's coincidental that we get this from Paul Redford's 13th writing credit and Alex Graves' 17th time directing - get a couple of seasoned Sorkin-era pros on the case, and you ought to get a solid West Wing episode out of them. It's also kind of neat that both main plotlines of this episode remain unresolved ... it's made quite obvious that we're going to see payoffs for both the budget standoff with the Republicans and the status of the Chief Justice down the line somewhere.

 

We can dispense the rather minor C-plot quickly: Abbey is still mad at Jed (she blames his order to assassinate the Defense Minister of Qumar in Posse Comitatus as a direct cause of the kidnapping of their daughter Zoey in Commencement). Zoey is getting interviewed by a TV bigshot who's going to bring up Jean Paul's request for Zoey to take ecstasy, CJ goes up to Manchester to help with interview prep, Abbey asks Jed not to come. There we go.

The episode kicks off in the chambers of Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Ashland, as his clerks debate a case. Ashland (who caused some concern over his mental condition by writing some opinions in verse in Inauguration: Part I and even more concern when he believed a college moot court was the actual Supreme Court in Constituency Of One) starts babbling some confused words, unsteadily rising to his feet (to the dismay of his clerks):

He then collapses just outside his chamber door.

While Ashland has been a dependable progressive on the court and a longtime friend of President Bartlet, reports of his demise (and the chance for the administration to name a new Chief Justice) puts Toby into a surprisingly good mood.

CJ: "You seem ... happy."

Toby: "Excuse me?"

CJ: "Happy. You know, sensation your fellow mammalians occasionally experience."

Toby then outlines the reasons why the White House needs a big win, something a new Supreme Court justice could provide. 

Toby: "Haffley's treating the discretionary budget like a chew toy. We're about to cave on tax cuts for billionaires and who the hell knows what else Angela Blake is giving away in there. But you know what? We're going to appoint a new Chief Justice. Breath new life into the Constitution. Do you know how rare that is? The last five guys didn't get to do it. We're gonna shape the future of jurisprudence, the laws that sustain our whole society, or shove somebody in there to strike down these God-awful excuses for laws the Republicans are passing."

(An aside: much as with Ketanji Brown Jackson's 2022 confirmation to the Court to succeed Stephen Breyer, any Bartlet nominee to replace Ashland would only be keeping the status quo, not "shaping the future of jurisprudence" or "breathing new life into the Constitution." Ashland was a liberal, any Bartlet nominee would be similar - it wouldn't change the shape of the court. Getting the chance to replace a justice with one holding opposite views - say, Amy Coney Barrett stepping in for Ruth Bader Ginsburg - now, that's where you can shape the court and change the future.)

But Toby's good mood can't last. Will has news.

Will: "Ashland regained consciousness. Seems it was only exhaustion and his doctors say he'll make a full recovery." 

The concerns about Ashland's mental state still remain, even as he survives whatever attack he suffered, and Toby (among others in the White House, even the President) are starting to think about asking him to step down, to give the administration a chance to name his successor before it becomes an issue in the midterms or the Republicans get back in the Oval Office. There's a little problem, though - the Constitution lays out the three branches of the federal government (executive, legislative, and judicial) as separate and equally powerful. No one branch can exert any authority over either of the other two - the President asking a Supreme Court justice to step down would be a huge violation of this governmental structure.

But, they're going to delicately dance around the subject anyway. Enter Joe Quincy - remember him, the guy who interviewed for the associate White House counsel position in Evidence Of Things Not Seen and during his first day on the job sleuthed out the trail of phone calls and leaked secrets that led to Vice President Hoynes' resignation in Life On Mars? Turns out he clerked for Chief Justice Ashland back in the day, and Toby goes to him to see if he might help in establishing contact between Ashland and the President.

Quincy is adamantly opposed. He not only stands by the Constitution, he also respects Ashland too much to even bring up the topic. Toby keeps pushing, suspecting that the judge's condition is worse than is being reported, and he makes a deal.

Toby: "Let's go over there together right now, you and me."

Quincy: "To the hospital?"

Toby: "He'll see you. You tell me he's okay, and I'll call off the vultures."

As it turns out, Ashland is not okay.

 Quincy is visibly stricken by the state of his mentor, but he can't let Toby know the truth.

Toby: "What did he say? Or can he even speak?"

Quincy: "He's fine, Toby. He was up, joking. He'll be back in chambers in a couple of days."

But after sleeping on it, Quincy realizes the country, the nation's top court, and the state of the government itself may be at some risk. The other justices are already reassigning cases and delaying arguments to deal with the ailing Chief Justice. He goes back to visit Ashland, once he's awake, to talk things through. And the Chief Justice, perhaps recognizing his own deterioration, makes the decision to come to the White House.

That plotline will merge with the next one eventually, so let's begin ...

Speaker Haffley and the Republicans in charge of Congress are running roughshod over the White House. In Jefferson Lives they gave the President a list of the only candidates they'd agree to quickly confirm as Vice President, and Bartlet meekly agreed. In Constituency Of One we were told they defeated a stimulus bill the administration hoped would ease a potential oncoming recession, and used Josh's bullying tactics on a Democratic Idaho Senator as an opportunity to flip that Senator to the Republican Party. Now budget negotiations are going on, as the deadline for the government's spending authority rapidly bears down on them.

Angela Blake is having a tough time dealing with the Republicans in the budget meetings (Leo rather smugly announced "She's going to lead them" in Disaster Relief, yet now when Will asks him if she's in over her head all he can say is, "It was already a mess"). She comes to the senior staff meeting with a possible path to a solution - the GOP says they'll consider dropping their demands for a capital gains tax cut if the administration agrees to give up college tuition deductibility.

This hits Toby and Josh right where they live. It was their idea, one they came up with in College Kids after their late-night meeting with Matt Kelly in an Indianapolis airport hotel bar in 20 Hours In America, Part Two. It was a linchpin of President Bartlet's campaign, a key promise leading to his re-election ... and now they're supposed to give it up? Reluctantly, after extracting a promise from Angela that this could actually help reach an agreement, President Bartlet puts it on the table.

And then the Republicans renege. No, they claim, the cap-gains tax cut is now non-negotiable, it must be part of the new budget agreement, and the losses in revenue from that cut mean the tuition deductibility is gone for nothing. They walk out of the meetings, forcing Angela to come up with another continuing resolution to keep the government funded for another two months - but as part of the deal, the adminstration has to swallow a one-percent cut in all non-defense spending.

Josh - who typically would be in charge of these negotiations, at least before his demotion after Senator Carrick switched parties - cannot believe what he sees as the White House rolling over for the Republican Congress.

Josh: "How could this happen?"

Leo (warning): "Josh ..."

Josh: "No, Leo. How is this acceptable? Haffley's not the Prime Minister. You take this to the President, you know what he'll say?"

Leo: "He'll say yes."

And Josh, who's been trying to take his medicine and deal with his reduced responsibilities in a positive way, finally reaches the end of his rope with what he sees as Angela's botching of the negotiations.

Josh: "At least be ..."

Angela (tersely): "What?"

 Josh: "I don't know. Embarrassed."

When Donna tries to explain, Josh takes it personally, as if the GOP's seemingly unlimited power over the administration is all his fault for losing a Senator. As Angela continues to try to defend her actions, he stalks away, somewhat arrogantly.

 And we hurtle to the climax of the episode, as a storm gathers outside, thunder rolling, the lights in the White House flickering. The Chief Justice arrives for his unprecedented Oval Office visit.

At almost the same time, the Republicans arrive, led by Speaker Haffley and the Senate Majority Leader.

As Ashland talks with the President in the Oval Office, he doesn't agree that it's time to step down. In a scene reminiscent of retiring Justice Crouch chewing out President Bartlet for being too moderate in The Short List, Ashland ruefully tells Jed he's too weak politically. He's not in a strong enough position to get a fitting replacement confirmed, and therefore, he's not leaving.

Ashland: "Because it's all compromises now, the ones who have no record of scholarship, no body of opinions, nothing you can hold them to, that's who they'll confirm, raging mediocrities."

And he strikes deep at Bartlet's political position:

Ashland: "You can't do it, Jed. You're not strong enough. The Speaker's running the table. And I can't take a chance."

The chastened President heads to the Roosevelt Room, ready to reluctantly accept another continuing resolution with a one-percent cut. And then, in a scene that shows off a lot of directorial and cinematographic talent, with uncharacteristic extreme close-ups and a shaky hand-held camera, Haffley pulls yet another switcheroo.

Haffley: "Excuse me, Mr. President. I'm sorry. There's been a change. I know we talked about a one percent cut. It's going to have to be three."

The President is stunned. They had an agreement, an agreement made out of weakness that the administration felt forced to swallow, and now Haffley is twisting the knife and using what he sees as unlimited leverage to change the deal and make the Democrats suffer even more.

Haffley insists there's no more negotiations, this is the last offer.

President: "No."

Haffley is surprised by this pushback. Everyone stands. This will be on you, he says, and the government's authority to spend money ends at midnight.

Haffley: "Let's be clear, sir. We can not, we will not vote to keep on footing the bill. You will be held responsible for shutting down the federal government."

 And let's face it, this gives us one of the epic quotes from Season 5.

President: "Then shut it down."

Boom. The screen goes dark as we hear the sound of a giant switch being shut off. 

President Bartlet, spurred by the words of an ailing Chief Justice, finds the strength to stand up against the demands of a steamrolling Republican Congress. Will it be a winning strategy? Who gets the blame for shutting down the government? Which side will the public support?

Tune in next week ... at least that's what they said in 2003.

 

Tales Of Interest!

- I think we are in early November here. Several times it's mentioned the continuing resolution to keep the government funded through the holidays (confirmed as January 3 by Angela at the final meeting) will last for "two months."

- Let's talk a bit about past administrations and the history of Presidents in The West Wing universe. Joe Quincy says Justice Ashland has served under six administrations and 22 Congresses, and Toby confirms the number of administrations by saying "the last five guys" hadn't been able to name a Chief Justice. Okay -- Congresses are for two years. If we stretch things to say Ashland was confirmed at the end of one Congress, and we are halfway through the current congressional term, let's make it 42 years. That places Ashland's arrival on the Supreme Court at 1961, which would have been John F. Kennedy's administration. Kennedy's name has been mentioned a bunch during the series, so his presidency is basically confirmed in this universe. If we work backwards from Bartlet, he's serving a second term (first elected in 1998). He defeated a one-term Republican President who was elected in 1994; we know he was a Republican because Justice Crouch said he waited five years to retire from the Supreme Court until a Democrat was President (The Short List) and we know he was a one-termer because Leo was Secretary of Labor under a Democratic President in 1993 (In Excelsis Deo). If we accept the West Wing two-year shift of Presidential elections from reality, and start that in 1962 just for grins, and every President except Bartlet's predecessor served a full two terms (not likely, given history, but let's go with it) - that's still seven administrations (Kennedy, then 1962-70, 1970-78, 1978-86, 1986-94, one GOP term 1994-98, then Bartlet in 1998). Maybe Joe and Toby aren't counting Kennedy in order to get to six. They're obviously not counting Walken's two-day term in office, either.

I've talked a bit before about how real-life Presidents fit into the West Wing universe, including the one theory that sets up a situation where after Nixon's resignation in 1974 a new election was called to reset the timeline to fit where elections happen in the series. If that was the case, Toby's numbers don't work out at all (you'd have Kennedy, LBJ, and Nixon, then at least four other Presidents before Bartlet, making a total of eight administrations since Ashland's confirmation). LBJ has been brought up a couple of times in the series, but I don't think it's ever been fully confirmed he was President. Similarly, Nixon's name has been mentioned twice, once as Eisenhower's Vice President (17 People) and once (in passing) in connection with getting pandas from China (Six Meetings Before Lunch), so that doesn't necessarily mean Nixon was ever President, either. Leo does mention "hippogate" in this episode (because of Toby breaking a researcher's hippo-styled mug), which implies there must have been an event like Watergate that occurred sometime in this universe, but that's not helpful with figuring out the list of past Presidents.

Anyway, we know Kennedy was President in this timeline. Then there have been at least five other Presidents between him and Bartlet's election, possibly more. We'll get to meet a few of these guys in the upcoming The Stormy Present.

- Director Alex Graves knows how to make things look really cool. The arrival of Chief Justice Ashland at the White House is one of the most visually striking scenes in series history, with the strong, focused downlighting pooling on the floor as Ashland is wheeled inside.

I also give a shout-out to the energetic movement of both the camera and the characters as the Republicans arrive, sliding back and forth from the congressmen striding down the hall and Josh and Donna flanking them around to the communications bullpen. And then there's the shaky hand-held camera used for the climactic scene in the Roosevelt Room, as Jed finally stands up to Haffley and exerts his authority ... really good stuff.

- We see Gail's fishbowl on CJ's desk, but it's hard to see what's in there. One site says it's a book with a black cover, perhaps to represent the Constitution. It does appear to be a book or diary of some kind.

- Matthew Perry was nominated for an Emmy in the Guest Actor in a Drama Series category for his performance in this episode. Perry had also been nominated in that category in Season 4, for appearances in Evidence Of Things Not Seen and Life On Mars. William Shatner would take the 2004 Emmy for his role as Denny Crane in The Practice.

- Why'd They Come Up With Separation Of Powers?

The Constitution sets up the United States government with three separate branches, the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. Each branch is separate, and no branch has the power to control what the other branches do - so the idea of the White House (executive branch) exerting pressure on the Chief Justice (judicial branch) would violate that constitutional "separation of powers."

Quotes    

Toby (coming up with statement about Ashland's death): "Okay, here it is. 'Chief Justice Roy Ashland may not be enlarged in death beyond what he was in life: an idealist, not an icon; a man, not a monument; a believer in the irreducible power of the law to shape our society.'"

CJ: "Okay, but I gotta be careful about saying 'man.'"

Toby: "Why? (sees CJ's look, stops) Oh, come on!"

CJ: "You'd be surprised. I get letters."

Toby: "Fine. Human being, then, or do the other mammals complain?" 

-----

Donna: "See, here's what I don't get. Every year we take these continuing resolutions like the dog ate our homework --"

Josh: "The Republican majority, but you're close."

Donna: "How come people aren't outraged? The rest of the country can't take endless amounts of time to finish their work."

Josh: "Well, you're forgetting the beauty of the federal budget process."

Donna: "What's that?"

Josh: "No one understands it." 

----- 

Toby: "It's time to get Ashland off the bench, Leo."

Will: "There's this thing called the Constitution? It's a nagging little document, I'll grant you, but --" 

-----

President: "Two hundred billion dollar deficit and Haffley wants tax cuts. Take away a few zeroes and he'd pass for a mob accountant."

-----

Joe: "The White House can't be seen as pressuring a Supreme Court Justice to change his breakfast order, let alone resign. Separation of powers."

Toby: "I see."

Joe: "You say that, but in a way that makes me wonder if you really do."

----- 

Angela: "How do you think we're doing?"

Donna: "Me? I don't --"

Angela: "You're an American citizen. You pay taxes, consume government services."

Donna: "I think ... our side has done a bad job explaining that what we're fighting for is important. It's not about abstract programs and endless acronyms, but real things that affect real people, like affording college." 

-----

CJ: "Mrs. Bartlet ... may I say, we miss you."

Abbey: "That's very kind. Please don't be offended if I say I don't miss you." 

 

Story threads, callbacks, and familiar faces (Hey, it's that guy!)

• Milo O'Shea (The Verdict, St. Elsewhere, Barbarella, the 1968 Franco Zeffirelli version of Romeo & Juliet) appears as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, for the first time given the name Roy Ashland. The subject of the Chief Justice's fading cognitive abilities was first mentioned in Inauguration: Part I when he wrote some opinions in verse, then again in Constituency Of One when he mistook a moot court at NYU for the actual Supreme Court. The Chief Justice was also present (but his face was not seen onscreen) for the actual inauguration; other instances of most of or the entire court being shown onscreen occurred in Take This Sabbath Day and The Red Mass - but Ashland/O'Shea was not present in either case. (O'Shea's appearances here and in the upcoming The Supremes were actually his final onscreen acting credits; he died in 2013.)

• You might have seen the actress playing Ashland's clerk Lisa Zimmer on TV before. Amy Stewart has appeared in Private Practice, Desperate Housewives, NCIS: Los Angeles, and (naturally) ER, which has been kind of a pipeline to The West Wing, given John Wells' producing involvement in both shows.

• Joe Quincy, played by Matthew Perry (Friends, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, The Whole Nine Yards) is back. We saw Quincy's interview for the associate White House counsel position in Evidence Of Things Not Seen, and his first day on the job ending in the resignation of Vice President Hoynes in Life On Mars.

• House Speaker Jeff Haffley (Steven Culp) and Senate Majority Leader Robert Royce (H. Richard Greene) are seen again. Haffley has been on the show's radar since being mentioned as a possible candidate for Speaker in 7A WF 83429, and was first seen in Jefferson Lives; Royce was actually a member of the House in On The Day Before, but then revealed as Senate Majority Leader in Jefferson Lives.

• Talk of the researchers quitting under Toby makes me think of Will's interns Lauren, Lauren, Lauren, and Cassie (first seen in The California 47th). They seemed to be pretty committed to their jobs - why aren't they stepping in after Will's departure to the VP's staff? Or are they the researchers who are quitting?

• Diane Mathers' interview with Zoey brings back the events from the night of her kidnapping (Commencement), including her talk with Charlie where she told him Jean-Paul wanted her to try ecstasy.

• Leo puts Toby in charge of talking Chief Justice Ashland into retiring, since he's been asking for more responsibility (first brought up in Han).

• The campaign promise of college tuition deductibility is recalled, which we saw developed in 20 Hours In America, Part Two and College Kids. Donna tells the entire story to Angela, including a mention of Matt Kelly, the St. Louis dad whose talk with Josh and Toby at an Indianapolis airport hotel bar led to the plan in the first place.

• There's an allusion to Josh being blamed for his mishandling of Senator Carrick and his switching parties (Constituency Of One) - when Josh and Angela are going back and forth about the budget negotiations, Donna tells him not to blame her, saying, "You know the hand she was dealt." Which causes Josh to respond, "You're saying it was me?"

• Also, what happened to Donna's "what a shame" folder from the previous episode? Shouldn't Josh have a long list of initiatives he could be taking the lead on, instead of dealing with the President's travel schedule and griping about Angela Blake's negotiating skills? Not to mention all the effort Donna put into turning Josh's mood around, which seems to have simply vanished in this episode.

• Toby tells Joe he saw Chief Justice Ashland speak at City College (of New York) when Toby was a student there. We saw him wearing a CCNY sweatshirt in The Crackpots And These Women, and has had a CCNY mug on his desk as well.

• We've seen President Bartlet chastised by a Supreme Court justice for not being bold enough before - the retiring Justice Crouch tore into the President in The Short List ("I wanted to retire five years ago. But I waited for a Democrat. I wanted a Democrat. And instead I got you.").

• WHAT'S NEXT moment: After Speaker Haffley insists on a three percent spending cut in the continuing resolution instead of the agreed-upon one percent, the lights flicker as thunder rumbles ... and President Bartlet responds, "What's next?"

President: "In two months ... five percent? Fifty? How many rounds do we go, Jeff? I'm just asking."

Haffley: "There is no 'next,' sir."  

DC location shots    

• None. While there is a George Washington University Hospital sign on a wall when Joe and Toby go to visit Ashland, the scene shot outside at the emergency room entrance is nothing like the actual GWU Hospital.

The George Washington University Hospital sign

The scene shot with Toby and Joe outside the emergency room entrance

The actual GWU Hospital emergency entrance

They Do Exist! It's The Real Person, or Thing    

• Ashland's clerks open the episode with references to Korematsu (Korematsu v. United States), a 1944 Supreme Court decision that held that President Franklin Roosevelt's executive order sending Japanese-Americans to internment camps during World War II was legal. The clerks make the point that the decision has not been overturned, which was true in 2003 and is still technically correct; however, in 2018's decision Trump v. Hawaii, Chief Justice John Roberts stated Korematsu was "gravely wrong the day it was decided" and "has no place in law under the Constitution."

• One of the clerks also brings up Dred Scott (Dred Scott v. Sandford), an 1857 decision that held slaves were property, not persons. That decision was overridden by the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868.

• We see the logos of MSNBC and C-SPAN on televisions.

• Donna says Josh's sinus medicine made him so loopy he sang the lyrics to "Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie" (the song's title is actually "American Pie"). Josh retorts by saying he sang Harry Chapin instead.

• Diane Mathers is an interviewer with ABC; I'm guessing she's meant to represent Diane Sawyer. The CNN network also is mentioned, as well as the AP, the (Washington) Post, the (New York) Times, and the CNN show Crossfire (Lisa has seen Toby on that program).

• Toby says his grandfather thought the Hapsburgs still ruled in Vienna in his final years. The Hapsburg (or Habsburg) Empire came to an end with Austria-Hungary's defeat in World War I in 1918.

• Toby has a Starbucks cup in the Oval Office.

• Angela tells Josh she'll owe him a swordfish steak dinner at Kinkead's for loaning her Donna. Kinkead's was a fine-dining restaurant just a few blocks from the White House that closed in 2012.

• Charlie gives CJ a Macy Gray CD to bring to Zoey (Gray's album The Trouble With Being Myself was released earlier in 2003); John Philip Sousa also gets brought into the musical conversation.

• In Joe's argument with Toby he compares the administration's tactics in trying to get Ashland to retire to the corruption of Tammany Hall.

• Chief Justice Ashland has a roll call of real-life (deceased) judges he thinks would be worthy replacements on the Supreme Court: Oliver Wendell Holmes, John Marshall, Thurgood Marshall, Louis Brandeis, Harry Blackmun, and William O. Douglas.

End credits freeze frame: President Bartlet greeting the Chief Justice in the Oval Office.

Previous episode: Disaster Relief

Next episode: Shutdown

Disaster Relief - TWW S5E6

 

Original airdate: November 5, 2003

Teleplay by: Alexa Junge (1) 
Story by: Alexa Junge & Lauren Schmidt (3) 

Directed by: Lesli Linka Glatter (3)

Synopsis

• President Bartlet heads off on a visit to tornado-ravaged Oklahoma, and CJ and Leo can't convince him to come back to work. After Josh's tactics caused a Democratic senator to change parties, he is chastised by Leo and sees his responsibilities taken away - but Donna is there to cushion the blow. Also ... let Leo tell it: "I've got a cap-gains tax cut tacked onto an appropriations bill, two Bronze Age civilizations threatening to blow each other up over some goats, and a major ally that's going to be in the lobby leafing through dog-eared copies of Congressional Quarterly while the President is singing 'Kumbaya.'"
  

"I need you back. I need you to lead." 

Thank God for Donna. And for CJ, too, but Donna ... what a save.

That seems to be one of the main takeaways from this episode, with the unsurpassed support and devotion Donna has for Josh being the one thing in this episode that revives him from his benching by Leo. Right from the start of the series, when Donna brought Josh a cup of coffee (apparently for the first time) when he might have been facing the loss of his job, there's been an undercurrent of chemistry between the two. (Janel Moloney famously said she'd used the unspoken subtext that Donna was secretly in love with Josh from her first appearance, and it works really well!). It's that understanding of how Josh works and her commitment to supporting him through whatever happens that brings his story to an upbeat note at the end of the episode.

As for CJ, she continues to be sort of the conscience of the administration, which has been pounded into us, the viewers, for four consecutive episodes. While it was her idea to get the President out to visit and provide some comfort to disaster victims, she had no idea Jed's personal issues would lead to him abandoning his pressing duties and spending multiple days as the nation's consoler - and it's actually kind of a shock to everyone when she's had enough, and she turns on a dime to chide the President for his, honestly, selfishness, and ask him, "What are we doing here, sir?"

And then, we get yet another reset (yet again, again!) of the administration's direction and priorities in the face of Congressional opposition. Seems like we've seen it umpteen times since Let Bartlet Be Bartlet - I get that it makes good drama, but it also seems lazy when the writers' room goes back to this again and again and again. 

So we're not breaking a whole lot of new ground here. As a matter of fact, Josh being on the brink of losing his job for pushing things too far was the main storyline of Pilot, where Donna first brought him a cup of coffee, and here we are again, kind of. Things seem a lot dicier with this situation - I'll cover this later on, but Josh pushing a Senator so hard he switches parties in a closely divided Congress is a huge deal. It's no wonder Democratic leaders in Congress and at the DNC are calling for his head, and Leo and the President have to make a public show of discipline, just to keep the party in line.

Josh tries to take his punishment well, but it's not easy for him. He keeps on trying to set up meetings, keeps trying to stay involved in policy, but Leo wants him to stay on the sidelines to get the party leaders off his back. Leo finally explodes at him. "You've got to stop, Josh!" he yells, cutting off Josh's attempt at helping with budget negotiation tactics. He's off the team for that meeting, off the team trying to convince Democrats to not abandon the White House position on tax cuts, off the budget negotiation plans altogether. Leo is bringing in a ringer, Angela Blake (we saw her previously in a secret meeting with Leo during Zoey's kidnapping), and not only is she going to replace Josh on the budget negotiation team, "she's going to lead them," Leo tells Toby.

Josh's outwardly positive attitude (buoyed by the nonstop cliches of "keep your head up" he hears from everyone) can't totally mask his slipping into depression and frantic feelings of uselessness. And this is where Donna comes in. Right at the start, during Josh's birthday party, she seeks out CJ for advice on helping Josh get through this - and she takes that advice and puts it all into action like a superstar. She meets Josh outside the White House on the Monday following the party-switch disaster, lightly cushioning the blow in case Leo has already come down on him. She watches intently as Josh casts about for something to do, and as he heads off to a policy-related dinner meeting, Donna's sixth sense tells her she better have a backup plan.

Donna: "What are you doing tonight?"

Ryan: "Um, Wizards-Knicks. Courtside."

Donna: "No."

Ryan: "No ... no?"

She's right. The political power brokers of Washington have no use for a Josh who doesn't have access to the levers of White House power at the moment. They are so quick to abandon him that even though he remains a key part of the Bartlet staff, they can see there are other people, other paths to get what they want. At the moment, they see dealing with Josh as a total waste of time. 

As Josh waits forlornly for Wilcox at the restaurant, Ryan keeps watch from the bar.

He overhears the call to the restaurant - Wilcox isn't coming. Josh isn't worth his time. And Ryan, sent there by Donna who saw this coming, joins Josh at the table so the face he was stood-up in public won't be such a spectacle.

It doesn't soothe Josh, and it all comes spilling out on the way home in the taxi. Josh's anger and desperation explode into a shout at ... a building?

Josh: "Hey! You want a piece of me? I'm right here! I'm standing right here! Come on! Come on!"

It's one of the cringiest moments in West Wing history ... Josh is yelling at the Capitol building itself.

But, oh, Donna ... she comes to Josh's office the next day, as he sheepishly returns to work after his outburst (witnessed by Ryan, remember), and she has maybe just the thing.

It may not be the budget negotiations or the top policy initiatives Josh desperately wants to be involved with, but it might be just what's necessary while Leo has him pulled from the first team - a chance to make good on why they came there in the first place.

Donna: "It's my 'What a shame' folder. All the stuff we never have time for. The stuff we thought we'd fix when we got here, but we never did. Foreign adoption policy. Hybrid energy partnerships. Extending the roadless conservation plan. Okay, this one's not a shame, I just didn't want to deal with it. Funding special education for kids with disabilities. Ammunition control - what's a gun without bullets?"

And Donna, passionate, devoted, caring Donna, has gotten through to a chastened Josh. He sits up with interest, the light coming back to his eyes. Maybe this "demotion" can actually turn into something positive.

Speaking of those budget negotiations, we are told Speaker Haffley is taking advantage of the Carrick party switch and what seems like the powerlessness of the administration to add a capital gains tax cut to the budget bill. This causes all sorts of problems for the White House, not to mention it's going to explode the deficit and wreck whatever spending initiatives might be in the budget. To make matters even worse, there's a group of "Blue Dog" fiscal conservative Democrats who are going to vote with the Republicans on this.

The leader of the Blue Dogs, Rep. Singer, is called to the White House for what is supposed to be a "come to Jesus" meeting with the President - but due to events I'll discuss later, President Bartlet isn't available, and it's Vice President Russell who has to take his place. Russell, a moderate himself, offers some placating words about the benefits of a tax cut, but comes down hard on the point of that cut being included in an appropriations measure - using some, well, creative English in the bargain.

Russell: "You're right, Congressman. If we lower cap gains taxes, we reward the small business owners who took a risk for the economy and I'd be the first in line to pat 'em on the back, but the thing is, the Speaker is trying to propulgate a tax bill onto an appropriations package. We start allowing that, we're never going to get budgets passed."

Propulgate?

Will looks askance at his boss.

Toby's eyebrows rise.

Even Leo can't believe what he just heard.

Russell is already seen as an empty suit, a placeholder put in the VP office by Republicans taking advantage of the White House's weakness, and his slim hold on the English language can't help him break out of that mold. Will does have a big job in front of him.

We also get to meet Admiral Fitzwallis' replacement as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Nicholas Alexander, who ends up with two mini crises to put on Leo's plate. There's a possible war brewing between Albania and Greece over a small island mostly populated by goats, and the Secretary of Defense is sticking his nose into the promotion process of military generals. Both these items, as well as the imminent visit of the German Chancellor, desperately require the personal attention of President Bartlet.

But he's not there. Which brings us to the main "disaster" of the episode.

A fierce tornado has struck in Oklahoma, killing dozens and causing widespread damage. The first thought is to send the Vice President to visit and show the government's concern, be a personal example of federal aid ... but CJ has a different idea.

Leo: "She thinks you should go."

President: "Really?"

CJ: "Yes, sir. We need this Presidential moment. Let's not give it away to Russell. I think you should go, not only because of how it looks, because of what it is. But ... I seem to be the only one."

(pause. Leo looks at the President)

President: "Then you can sit next to me on the plane." 

So, the decision is made, a quick visit to Oklahoma, the President shows his concern and support for disaster victims, some photos are taken, and he's back in DC in five hours.

Except ... there are still some deep, unaddressed issues lurking in the heart of Jed Bartlet. Not only the aimlessness of an administration getting schooled by Haffley and the Republicans at every turn, but also the personal family issues he's been dealing with ever since Zoey's kidnapping. He's trying to cope with the futile powerlessness he felt during her abduction, his handing over of Presidential power during the crisis, and not at all least, the smoldering resentment of his wife as she blamed him for the whole thing. Abbey is using his national security decisions as a bludgeon to punish him for the terror of almost losing their daughter.

It turns out this "quick visit" is going to bring those issues out into the forefront of Jed's mind.

There are some neat visual tricks and cues used by director Lesli Linka Glatter for the Oklahoma visit - the dramatically different look of the Oklahoma scenes, brighter yet washed-out, almost colorless; the deft edit between the President asking "where are all the people?" to the close-up of his face at the shelter in the school gym - very nice visual storytelling. And as the President settles in to talk to the survivors at the shelter, CJ begins to fret as their return schedule slips further and further out of reach.

The President needs this personal contact, for whatever reason - his intent gaze as he leans in close to listen shows that - but he's losing touch with his responsibilities.

CJ: "The President promised me two minutes a person. What number is he on?"

Charlie: "Three."

Suddenly, President Bartlet decides he has to stay overnight, to take part in a prayer service the next morning before returning to Washington. His preparation for the Chancellor's visit, the negotiations with House Democrats, the pending war in the Ionian Sea - it all means nothing to him, not now that he's locked into being the "Comforter In Chief" and the hero for these tornado victims. As night falls and he sees a volunteer washing dishes, he even offers to help.

President: "You need any help?

Volunteer (startled): "Um ... no, thank you, sir. I ... I'm almost done."

President: "I'm pretty good with a scouring pad."

Volunteer: "That'd just be embarrassing for both of us, Mr. President."

Her story about four kids on her school bus route dying in the storm strikes an emotional nerve with Bartlet, as he nearly lost his own child to a "storm" a few months prior. He can't do much to comfort his own family at the moment, but he can provide some comfort right here and now. CJ sees it all play out from the doorway - while she's been agreeable to the President's changes to the schedule, she's becoming more and more frustrated at his seeming inability to recognize his national responsibilities while he sinks into the personal role of federal aid-provider.

At last, just before the morning service as they negotiate over whether the President or the Governor arrives first, CJ breaks.

CJ: "I'm sorry, sir. We need to go back to Washington."

President: "We'll leave after the service."

CJ: "No, sir. We need to go back now. I told Leo we'd only be here a few hours. He needs you to meet with Singer and the Blue Dogs. The Chancellor is waiting, and there's something about a war between ancient civilizations."

President: "These people need me."

CJ: "No, sir, they don't. Maybe they did yesterday, but now they need their town back. They need their police officers working, not clearing intersections for your motorcade. They need the 50 hotel rooms we took last night for people who lost their homes. And they need you back in Washington running the country, and creating the jobs that are going to help to pay the taxes to support disaster relief and rebuilding. (beat) What are we doing here, sir?" 

In another nice directorial touch, we get the President reflecting on what CJ just said - as he's literally reflected in the mirror of the beauty shop where he was preparing his remarks.

Once back on the plane, President Bartlet calls CJ in to clear the air. He agreed to go back, but he wasn't happy about it, and he wants to know why CJ is going against his wishes. I'm going to post the entire conversation here, because in a lot of ways, it's the entire point of the episode. 

President: "You resent me taking a few extra hours to console grieving people?"

(CJ shifts uneasily in her seat, clears her throat with a slight smile, but doesn't answer)

President: "I'm asking you a direct question, CJ."

CJ: "Honestly, sir? I resent you ignoring the responsibilities of your office. If you want to reach out and touch people, teach math in East St. Louis after your term expires."

President (bitingly): "So you think my staying longer was some sort of personal indulgence?"

CJ: "I think it's been a difficult time for you, sir. For all of us."

President: "What's this really about, CJ?"

CJ: "I understand there was no time, sir. I can't imagine what it was like. I don't have children."

President (sternly): "It's like I knew who I was, then woke up one morning and didn't have a clue."

CJ (on the verge of tears): "I understand, sir. But I need more. You're the President of the United States. My President. I'm frightened. We're all frightened. This is ... the world is too dangerous now. Unpredictable. I need you back. I need you to lead." 

It appears this does get through to Bartlet. And maybe we are going to get that "reset" yet again, that renewed resolve and energy to fight back against political foes that our writers think we need every ten episodes or so, lol.

It's CJ and Donna, two strong women, two strong characters, who ride to the forefront of the episode and get their male bosses back on track. Donna, with her understanding of what makes Josh tick and what can pull him out of his doldrums, and CJ, with her deeply felt call to action about the President's responsibilities to the nation ... it's CJ and Donna who turn out to provide the real relief for disasters here.

 

Tales Of Interest!

- The opening scene of the episode is at the end of Josh's birthday party, from the conclusion of Constituency Of One. CJ's conversation with Donna emphasizes the importance of her being there for Josh on "Monday" - one might assume the birthday party was on a Friday evening, perhaps, with the events of this episode happening the first couple of days the following week. As I sort of settled on Constituency Of One occurring in mid-September, probably, we'd still be in that part of the year.

That said, Ryan mentions he has "Wizards-Knicks" tickets. The NBA season in 2003 started at the end of October (although the Knicks did not play at Washington that season until April). Again, if we remember the "Fall Message Calendar" Toby and Will were working on in Constituency Of One - which occurred just a couple of days prior to the events of this episode - they were working ahead on what looked like October, which means this couldn't be October yet.

- Also, Will is already up and running full-speed as Vice President Russell's point man on Monday - which would seem to be unusual when the previous Friday he was still working for Toby and only that evening decided to change jobs. At least Toby makes a mention of Will still using his office in the White House communications department until he gets a permanent place in the OEOB.

- Sunrise in Maysville, Oklahoma, in September ranges from a little after 7:00 am to a little after 7:15 am, depending on what part of the month we're talking about. CJ says the tornado struck at 5:45 am, and there's a graphic on a TV screen saying it "touched down at dawn." Yet, there's also video of the funnel cloud tearing across the ground in full daylight.

- In Jefferson Lives we could figure out the House party split was 221 Republicans to 214 Democrats, as it was said a switch of four Republican votes would ensure the confirmation of Secretary Berryhill as Vice President (that would make the vote 218-217). Now it's said 28 "Blue Dog" Democrats voting for the capital gains tax cut in the House would make it veto-proof. Losing 28 Democratic votes with the numbers we had three episodes ago would make the total 249-186, which is still far short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto (you'd need 290 House votes for that).

- While we don't know the party breakdown in the Senate, we do know the Republicans are in control there, too. But it must be close, and there must be a number of moderate Republicans who will still vote with the Democrats on certain issues. Josh made it a point of saying to Sen. Carrick in Constituency Of One that they can't pass a tax bill or a stimulus package or have any hope of winning back the Senate in the midterms without Idaho staying Democratic. Now, for one, that seems a little odd when Josh also says Carrick has voted against them for five years, and that he'd switched his vote to "No" to kill the stimulus package just a week before ... but I can relate this to what's happening today in reality. Look at Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a Democrat who doesn't always vote with his party, a man who's almost singlehandedly responsible for the failure of President Biden's Build Back Better initiative, as well as the failure to push forward reform of the filibuster. Imagine the superheated explosion of hot takes that would happen if a staff member in the Biden White House pushed Manchin too far and he switched parties. Considering in the world of 2022 that would now mean a GOP majority of 51-49, that's a bigger deal than Carrick just increasing the GOP majority by 1 in the West Wing Senate ... but in a hotly divided political climate, whoever is to blame for such a party switch is going to have to pay some kind of price.

- Speaking of "Blue Dogs," Ryan asks Josh why they use that term for Democrats who vote with Republicans. Josh doesn't answer him, so here's the deal - the Blue Dog coalition of moderate, financially conservative Democrats was formed in 1995. The name derives from two sources: the founding members complained that they had been "choked blue" by members of Congress on both the far right and far left, and also as a contrast to the long-used term of staunch Democrats being called "Yellow Dogs" (as in, they'd rather vote for a yellow dog than a Republican).

- The prominence of the American Red Cross providing help to tornado victims in the background of the episode was intentional. In fact, Martin Sheen, Richard Schiff, and Dulé Hill appeared in a public service message encouraging support for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund that aired after the original broadcast of this episode in 2003.

- Presidential backstory - once again we find ourselves in the world where President Bartlet's administration is powerless and drifting, at the mercy of their political foes in Congress. Right from the beginning in Season 1 we viewers were given that impression; the steady under-50-percent job approval ratings (before Let Bartlet Be Bartlet and Lies, Damn Lies And Statistics, anyway), the fact Bartlet's coattails didn't overcome the Republican congressional majority in either the 2000 midterms or the 2002 general election, the surrender to Haffley's demands on who Congress would be willing to approve as a Vice Presidential nominee in Jefferson Lives ... it's always been a steady fight of the administration against an implacable Republican foe on Capitol Hill, somehow leading to poor overall approval numbers.

Okay. To be fair, President Bartlet's election in 1998 was in a three-person race, where he didn't get a majority of the vote, so he was starting from behind, kind of. Yet, in Season 1 we saw the White House get major wins in gun control (Five Votes Down), census reform (Mr. Willis Of Ohio), banking reform (Enemies), hate crimes legislation (Take Out The Trash Day), and a growing economy that resulted in a large budget surplus. President Bartlet was able to win confirmation of a controversial Supreme Court nominee (Six Meetings Before Lunch). After a rough start to the campaign, Bartlet trounced his opponent in the 2002 Presidential election (Election Night). Although his Bartlet Doctrine of intervention to protect human rights and his invasion of Equatorial Kundu probably wasn't very popular (Inauguration: Over There), public sentiment would have turned hugely in his favor over the kidnapping crisis of his daughter, and word of his involvement in the assassination of Abdul Shareef (given the post-9/11 thinking of the nation) would probably have meant a boost as well. Indeed, we know in the spring of 2003 the President's approval ratings were around 70 percent (in Jefferson Lives Leo tells Secretary Berryhill his numbers are in the high 60s, lower than the President's).

Now, only a few months later, those approval numbers have dropped below 50 percent, the White House can't seem to muster up any power to name their own choice as VP or get a stimulus package passed or fund their public health/HHS priorities or even convince a Democratic Senator from Idaho to stay in the party (over an anti-missile system that doesn't even work). The President himself is in such a funk he can't tear himself away from rural tornado victims to do the work of the country? Sure, the jobless situation is bad and the economy is taking a turn towards recession, which automatically would reflect poorly on the public image of the administration, but this seems like a radical change in the matter of a couple of months.

I get that drama requires conflict, and the easiest way to provide conflict in a political setting is to have a strong political antagonist. Even early on, the show repeated the "restart" theme of getting back to governing from their beliefs instead of calculating the safe political path (first in Let Bartlet Be Bartlet, then again in The Two Bartlets with "Uncle Fluffy" and Hartsfield's Landing, the decision to do what's "right" instead of what's "safe" in Inauguration: Over There). But good grief, this repeat of slipping into the outmatched underdog role seems like it's going too far. Even in Season 1, when the entire West Wing felt like they were swimming upstream, they remained optimistic and still got major legislative wins in the face of a Republican majority. Now, they largely appear to be giving up. It's a weird mirror-image of the people we learned about in the first couple of seasons of the show.

- (Speaking of part of that long diatribe above, what's going on with the Bartlet Doctrine and the military operation in Equatorial Kundu? Since Red Haven's On Fire we haven't heard a peep about that invasion ... you'd think that might be a front-burner topic, particularly with the unknown motivations of who was behind Zoey's kidnapping as well as the spending during an economic downturn?)

- CJ mentions she remembers hearing the tornado sirens and taking refuge in the bathroom in the garage when she was growing up. Does this mean she's a Midwest native?

- In the previous episode Toby makes a remark about why the President is "dragging his feet" on naming a new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and CJ responds by saying "Admiral Fitzwallis is still on the job." That conversation took place on the Friday (we think) of Josh's birthday party ... this episode shows us on the following Monday that CJ tells the press "General Alexander has only been the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs a week." How could he have had the job for a week when Fitzwallis was still in that position three days prior?

- Speaking of Toby, it's a bit odd he'd tell Josh his musing about what he might call his imaginary boat were the "happiest fifteen minutes" of his life when he just became a father to twins about four months before. The writers kind of forgetting he was a dad - and his deeply declared devotion to his newborn kids from Twenty Five - is something that's going to keep happening.

- There is no island of "Croxys" in the Ionian Sea. While Greece and Albania have a somewhat complicated relationship, they aren't really antagonists for each other, signing a "friendship" agreement in 1996 and reaching an accord on maritime boundaries/economic exclusion zones in the Ionian Sea in 2009 (only a few years after this episode). While that agreement was thrown into dispute again in 2020, both countries agreed to have the argument settled in international courts.

- A neat cinematography choice - while the White House scenes continue to be draped in shadows and more dimly lit (as the entire season has seemed to be), the Oklahoma scenes are almost washed out, brighter but with less color. It helps us to feel the difference between the comfort of the everyday and the pain of those hit by disaster; between the abstract political drama the President is starting to tire of and the one-to-one personal contact he finds at the shelter.

- Why'd They Come Up With Disaster Relief?

I think this is a multi-pronged title. The obvious reference is to federal relief for the tornado disaster in Oklahoma, the kind states can receive after being declared disaster areas. A more nuanced reference would be other "disasters" like Josh causing a Senator to switch parties, or the Republican Congress taking advantage of what they see as the administration's weakness to pound through more tax cuts. Leo calling in Angela Blake could be seen as a way to provide "relief" for these "disasters."

Quotes    

CJ: "We can't put a lid on the story, but we can control the schadenfreude, make sure he's still standing in a week."

Donna: "Schadenfreude?"

CJ: "You know, enjoying the suffering of others? The whole rationale behind the House of Representatives." 

-----

Josh: "I'm just trying to see around the corner so I don't get bit in the ass."

Donna: "You going around the corner ass-first?" 

----- 

CJ: "I remember the tornado warning sirens, my whole family cramming into the bathroom in the garage."

Leo: "We all set for the Chancellor?"

Toby (reacting): "You had a bathroom in your garage?" 

-----

Leo: "Anything new on Carrick?"

Josh: "Yeah, he's a ... Republican."

(long silence. Leo stares at Josh)

Leo: "Newer?"

----- 

CJ: "Photo ops aren't cynical. They give people hope."

Josh: "Hope? What is that?"

-----

Toby: "He's selling his boat."

Josh: "How do you know?"

Toby: "He tried to sell it to me, too."

Josh: "You don't have time for a boat."

Toby: "I know, but the fifteen minutes I spent imagining what I'd name it were perhaps the fifteen happiest minutes of my life."

 

Story threads, callbacks, and familiar faces (Hey, it's that guy!)

• Oklahoma Governor Peggy Wade is played by Maree Cheatham (several daytime dramas including Search For Tomorrow, General Hospital, and Days Of Our Lives, Hart Of Dixie, Baskets).

• Lauren Stamile (Professor Slater in Community, Grey's Anatomy, Burn Notice) appears as Governor Wade's press secretary.

• Secretary of Defense Miles Hutchinson is back, played by Steve Ryan (Crime Story, Oz, Arrested Development). We haven't seen Hutchinson for a while, since his first appearance in Inauguration: Part I.

• Terry O'Quinn (Lost, The Rocketeer, Alias) joins the cast as new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Nicholas Alexander.

• Rep. Nate Singer is played by familiar character actor Nick Searcy (Deke Slayton in From The Earth To The Moon, Justified, The Shape Of Water).

• The old man at the shelter who lost his wife in the tornado is played by Bill Smillie, who made a lot of appearances in TV shows over the years, as well as movies like Die Hard 2 and The Philadelphia Experiment. This was his last screen appearance; he died a week after this episode aired.

• Angela Blake (Michael Hyatt) reappears. She was first seen in The Dogs Of War having a secret meeting with Leo, when she was going to do some political opinion polling during Zoey's kidnapping. That's pretty much all we knew about her then, that and the fact that Leo trusted her; in this episode we find out she's been a Democratic fundraiser and also was Leo's number two when he served as Secretary of Labor in the mid-1990s.

• The reporter complaining to CJ about walking "seven miles" to the relief shelter is played by Bryan Callen (Coach Mellor on The Goldbergs and Schooled, MADtv, How I Met Your Mother, The Hangover).

• Donna tells Josh that both Sam and Amy called to give him their support. This is the first mention of Sam since Rob Lowe left the show after Red Haven's On Fire. Amy, you'll remember, left her job as Abbey's Chief of Staff at the end of the previous episode, just before Josh's birthday party.

• A few more of the old familiar faces are seen in the press room, including Chris and Steve.

• Nancy, the presidential secretary played by Martin Sheen's daughter Renée Estevez, appears again.

• President Bartlet asks if the German Chancellor will link the rise in oil prices to American bombing of the Qumari pipeline, which would have been part of the attack ordered by President Walken in The Dogs Of War.

• Once more, we see Martin Sheen's trademark jacket flip. His shoulder was injured at birth, making him unable to lift his left arm above his shoulder, and he came up with this technique to put on a coat or jacket.

• CJ mentions Col. Gantry as the pilot of Air Force One. We've heard his name before in Manchester Part I and The Two Bartlets, although he was a Lieutenant Colonel in those episodes. Maybe he got a promotion!

• There's another mention of Senator Triplehorn on the phone. The Democratic Minority Leader was seen in Swiss Diplomacy, angry about Vice President Hoynes locking up precinct captains, and again in White House meetings involving party leaders in Twenty Five and Jefferson Lives.

• As Rep. Singer and Toby share photos, we are reminded of Toby's new status as a father (with twins born between Commencement and Twenty Five). 

DC location shots    

• The corner where Donna greets Josh looks to be the corner of Pennsylvania/New York Avenues and 15th Street NW. This shot is from the west side of the intersection, looking east down what is New York Avenue NW.

This shot of Donna waiting for Josh looks northwest from the corner, with an historic former bank on the northwest corner of Pennsylvania and 15th and the Treasury Department Annex in the background.

After they cross 15th Street and continue west along Pennsylvania Avenue, we see the Treasury Department building, just east of the White House and south of Pennsylvania Avenue behind them.

After another angle showing Lafayette Park in the background, here they are entering the White House grounds at the northeast gate.

• Josh and Ryan's taxi ride, when Josh gets out and yells at the Capitol, was obviously shot in DC, although who can tell exactly where.

• The Oklahoma disaster scenes were actually shot on Seventh Street in San Pedro, California. Articles from local press indicate shooting for those scenes happened in late September, about five weeks prior to airing.

They Do Exist! It's The Real Person, or Thing    

• A long list of real-life news outlets gets name-checked early in the episode: the Washington Post, the New York Times, Fox News, Newsweek, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, the Detroit Free Press, the Miami Herald, Nightline, and Dateline. Later on there's a mention of Meet The Press, as well as the Congressional Quarterly. The MSNBC logo also makes an appearance.

• In Toby's office we see screens with the logos of MSNBC, Bloomberg, and C-SPAN.

• Both McClain County and the town of Maysville really do exist in Oklahoma, about 50 miles south of Oklahoma City. The Maysville school mascot is the Warriors, not the Wildcats, though.

• CJ says the Oklahoma tornado ranked as a five on the Fujita scale. That scale as it existed in 2003 meant the tornado caused "incredible" damage, with wind speeds over 260 mph. Only about one of every thousand tornados would rank as F5 in intensity. The last official F5 tornado in the United States struck areas around Moore and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1999, killing 36 and damaging or destroying almost 10,000 buildings. The scale was replaced by what's now the EF scale (for Enhanced Fujita) in 2007.

• Charlie says President Bartlet told him Sinatra gave him the deck of cards they were using to play Scopa d'Assi, which is a real card game.

• We see a mug with a University of Wisconsin logo on it in Donna's area. She grew up in Wisconsin and went to UW (although never graduated, as we learned in In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen Part II).

• CJ jokes that the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is registered at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

• The economist Milton Friedman is mentioned as someone whose policies are favored by the tax-cutting Republicans.

• When Ryan gets the idea to have Sen. Carrick's donors sue him for changing parties, he compares it to suing McDonalds for being fat.

• The artist Renoir gets a shoutout from Toby when he claims a capital gains tax cut will just let the wealthy sell off some of their investments, like paintings.

• Josh is seen waiting for Wilcox at Arnie Morton's. While the chain Morton's The Steakhouse has a location in downtown DC (and I believe I've had lunch there with my son once), the restaurants from that chain specifically called Arnie Morton's are only in California, I think.

• Ryan calls Josh "Obi-Wan," a reference to the Star Wars character Obi-Wan Kenobi.

• Angela Blake mentions the Kennedy School Forum.

• Josh is seen with a Starbucks cup.

End credits freeze frame: The President talks with the Red Cross volunteer washing dishes.

Previous episode: Constituency Of One

Next episode: Separation Of Powers