Walking And Talking And Yelling At Clouds: May 2022

Original airdate: November 19, 2003

Written by: Mark Goffman (4)

Directed by: Christopher Misiano (17)

Synopsis

With President Bartlet and the Republican Congress locked in an intractable budget fight, the government shutdown drags on - until Abbey asks, "Where's Josh?" and Josh inspires a bold move to reclaim the initiative and take the battle to the Capitol.

"Mr. President, let's go. Right now."

This is probably one of my favorite episodes of Season 5. I'm not exactly sure why - partly because of Josh's redemption story, with Abbey's prodding of Jed getting Josh put back in the game; partly because we get to see why Josh is as valuable as he is, coming up with the notion to go to the Capitol in the first place, then his brilliant move to have the President walk out when he's stiffed by the Republicans; and partly because of the rejuvenation of President Bartlet as he holds firm against the bait-and-switch tactics of the Republicans for three days. The writing is good (this is Mark Goffman's first solo writing credit on the show, he also was credited for College Kids, Red Haven's On Fire, and Han, all pretty good episodes), the entire episode is (rightly) focused on one huge topic, it just works.

We begin right where Separation Of Powers ended, with President Bartlet turning down Speaker Haffley's demand to cut three percent from the continuing budget resolution instead of the agreed-upon one percent. As the President rushes off to watch some basketball, the staffers are dumbstruck - will there be some kind of agreement before the midnight deadline? If they go back and agree to a two-percent cut, will the Republicans go for that? How will they get the business of the country done if the government shuts down? And what about valuable non-senior advisers like Margaret and Donna? How long will this all last?

Speaker Haffley thinks he's got the upper hand, and that Congress can lay blame for the shutdown on the President. He makes his point on TV right there on the White House lawn - which infuriates CJ.

We quickly roll into Day Two, with TV coverage showing a sad little girl unhappy that she can't see the Constitution.

The administration was hoping the public would take their side against a smug, overreaching Republican Congress, but polling isn't going their way. Leo decides today is the day, they have to come to an agreement to get a continuing resolution and end the shutdown, and he'll go hat-in-hand to agree to the three-percent cut. Josh is more willing to fight, to stand up against the bad-faith move by Congress, but he's still in the doghouse for his tactics causing a Democratic Senator to change parties in Constituency Of One. Leo sends him off to work on the President's schedule while Angela, Toby, CJ, and Will do the war room work.

Donna, probably illegally, is still doing work for Josh from home. She's going over government programs affected by the shutdown and the resulting impacts, and she discovers something pretty huge - even though Social Security as a program is immune to the shutdown, with the office workers being sent home it turns out there's nobody around to print and send out the monthly Social Security checks. Obviously the failure to get those checks into the hands of retirees would cause a tidal wave of anger and disapproval, and it'd likely all fall on the administration. Good catch, Donna!

Leo gets the sense of the advisers and goes to convince the President to give in and agree to Congress' demands. But ... President Bartlet is not having it. He and Haffley had an agreement at one percent, and he'll be damned if Haffley is going to change the rules and pull the rug out from under him.

Leo: "Sir? You're putting all our chips down on a single hand we can't win."

(President Bartlet slams his hand on the desk)

President: "We had a deal, Leo."

Leo has a card up his sleeve, though. He makes a call.

The First Lady returns. She left the White House in Jefferson Lives, still quietly furious at Jed for his move to kill Abdul Shareef in Posse Comitatus, an event she directly links to their daughter's kidnapping in Commencement. Apparently five months away has cooled her anger somewhat, and the fact that Leo can't make the President budge - but maybe she can - brings her back home.

She interrupts Jed making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for his dinner. He is not displeased to see her.

They sit, they talk ... and Abbey - who had spent an hour or so in the war room going over some of the strategy - asks one of the most consequential questions of the episode.

Abbey: "Jed ... where's Josh?"

Which leads immediately to Leo walking down the dark, quiet hallway to Josh's office.

Leo: "The President wants you back in the war room."

We move on to Day Three.

The polling continues to run against the administration. Haffley looks to be winning the battle of public perception. President Bartlet, bolstered by the return of the First Lady, is finally ready to give in and let Haffley have the three-percent cut he wants. Bartlet goes around the room to get the opinions of his advisers, until Josh - who was warned by Leo not to go rogue on the question - has yet another consequential response.

Josh: "What do you want, Mr. President?"

President: "I want to be able to govern."

Angela: "Our bargaining position is weakening every day. There's a deal on the table, Republican leadership are in their conference room, waiting on our reply."

And then we get to see the real Josh, the political mind that sees angles others don't, the guy who knows how a grand gesture can play in the public eye.

Josh: "Let's go up to the Hill to see them."

Toby: "We can't go up to the Hill. We'll look even more desperate."

Josh: "The country's waiting for someone to step up. It should be us."

The others are aghast - the President, meekly going to the Capitol to beg for a deal? He'll look weak, he'll look defeated, it's a terrible precedent to set. But Josh just knows a bold move like this could change the terms of the conflict.

The President gets it.

President: "Let's go."

Leo: "Mr. President, you have a video conference with Admiral Vackey of PACCOM at 5:00."

President: "Then I suggest we get a move on."

To the motorcade they go, heading down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol ... until the President sees a group of Kansas tourists on the sidewalk, Midwesterners who made their trip for nothing with the government shutdown forcing the closure of so many tourist sites. He orders the car to stop.

It's a great political move, but it's just a human move for Bartlet. He feels bad that these folks came halfway across the country, only to find most of DC closed. Josh recognizes something else, too ... just as he said in the war room, the people of the country are anxious to have someone make the first move, have someone step in on their side, to break the partisan logjam and try to do something for the good of the nation. And here's President Bartlet, wading right into the fray and bringing these everyday Americans along with him.

CJ gets it, too. Her small little smile when Josh first let her know they were heading for the Capitol, her glee at telling Josh the networks are cutting into regular programming to show the President's trip down the street ... she knows this could help turn the tide of public opinion.

Josh, seeing the happiness the President gets by meeting the crowd, gets another idea.

Josh: "The Capitol is just a five or ten minute walk from here. Care to stretch your legs?"

I love Bartlet's reaction to that notion.

These guys are totally on the same page, and it rocks.

They arrive at the Capitol, and Josh announces the President's arrival and his wish to see Speaker Haffley. A Congressman begs for more time ... and closes the door in Josh's face.

The very notion of Congresspersons forcing the President of the United States to sit and wait for them is unimaginable. Senator Royce and some other Republicans know this, and they are anxious to get out there and welcome the President in. Speaker Haffley, arrogantly knowing he has the situation by the tail, orders them to stop. It's all just a stunt, he says. We can't let the White House play us like this.

Haffley: "Wait! Damn it! We don't go out there until we agree on a game plan!"

Which apparently takes a while. The President sits alone as the clock ticks, media cameras in his face, shutters clicking. Seven minutes go by. Angela is convinced this move is a disaster and the President's trip to Congress has made him look like a fool.

Josh has another perfect idea. "No," he tells Angela. "This is great." He goes to sit next to the President, and whispers in his ear.

Josh: "Mr. President?"

President: "Hmm?"

Josh: "Let's go. Right now."

Meanwhile, Haffley finally has his minions in line.

Haffley: "Okay, so we stick at three percent, and if he also wants to do the final budget, he finds the 50 billion on his side of the aisle. Agreed?"

(Royce nods)

Haffley: "Then let's get the leader of the free world."

The Republicans look on smugly as Royce and Haffley head out into the hallway.

But what do they see as they exit their war room?

The President and his group are heading back to the White House, with no agreement reached. Now it's the Republicans who look like they're not willing to do what it takes to end the shutdown. Haffley's smug arrogance has turned against him, which is evident from the look on Royce's face.

On to Day Four. Abbey is going to personally cook chicken for the state dinner with the British Prime Minister, cut down to just the two couples due to the shutdown. Haffley, still convinced the President's trip to Capitol Hill was only a publicity stunt, finally gives. He makes the trek to the White House, intent on getting that three-percent cut in the continuing resolution, but now President Bartlet has the upper hand. They argue about political and economic philosophies (I really think this discussion is an effort by West Wing producers to try to be more politically evenhanded in their approach; in the Sorkin years the show was accused by conservatives as being tilted far to the left, and John Wells, I truly believe, is making an attempt to give conservative Republican arguments a fair hearing. This little verbal jousting match between Bartlet and Haffley tries to cover both sides equally, not demonizing the conservative viewpoint. Now, you can agree or disagree however you like with the arguments ... but I think it's obvious what the tack is here). But finally:

President: "Well, I'm not going to negotiate with anyone who holds a gun to my head! We had a deal! I don't care if my approval ratings drop into single digits. I am the President of the United States and I will leave this government shut down until we reach an equitable agreement!"

The meeting continues for a couple of hours. Donna stops by ("Don't call the Feds," she says, "I'm just dropping off forms for the Treasury employees") and she gets her well-earned praise for catching the Social Security shutdown glitch. Finally the senior advisers are welcomed into the Oval Office to find out the result of the negotiation.

Josh: "What did we get? Another continuing resolution?"

(Long pause. The President stands.)

President: "No. A budget."

Nobody got everything they wanted ... the administration had to give up their college tuition tax credit that was a cornerstone of the 2002 campaign since 20 Hours In America Part Two, but the Republicans also gave up their capital gains tax cut that was non-negotiable in Separation Of Powers. But a federal budget is complete, the shutdown comes to an end, and the government can get back to, you know, governing.

A satisfying episode with Josh really getting to show off his political talents, and a satisfying ending.

Tales Of Interest!

- This episode begins right as Separation Of Powers ends, with the shutdown resolved four days later. It's confirmed that it's November, as Royce tells Haffley, "I hate November" and Haffley responds, "No, no. Christmas came early this year." There are a couple of quibbles ... when the on-screen caption reads "Day 2" that would have to mean the second full day after the midnight shutdown, and not the day following the Roosevelt Room meeting; yet at one point Leo says, "Twelve hours passed, that's what happened." If we go by what we're told onscreen, the timeline goes like this:

+ President Bartlet turns down Haffley's demand at 8:30 pm; shutdown begins at midnight

+ We skip a day

+ Day 2: Leo demands a solution, Rena shows up to help with the trash, Donna uncovers the issue with Social Security checks, Abbey returns, Josh is brought back into the war room

+ Day 3: The President finally agrees on three percent, we get the walk to the Capitol and the departure of the President when the Republicans take too long to meet him

+ Day 4: Abbey's cooking for the British Prime Minister, Haffley comes to the White House, a budget agreement is reached

- Also, immediately after the Republicans walk out when President Bartlet refuses to accept their offer, Leo is telling the entire White House staff to go home "effective immediately." Right after the walkout Josh says it's 8:30; Leo sees Haffley on TV outside the White House talking to the press as he goes to tell everyone to go home, so it's not much after that when he unilaterally shuts down the White House nonessential staff. I was a government employee and I went through a shutdown or two - if the shutdown happened at midnight, there's no way on earth a supervisor would tell his people to end their work and go home before the spending authority actually ran out. Sure, they might allow people to leave early or even encourage it; but telling them they're not getting paid "effective immediately" and ordering them to go home isn't happening until the stroke of midnight.

- President Bartlet wants to watch the Providence-Notre Dame basketball game. In the real-life 2003-04 season, Notre Dame's season started the last week of November with non-conference games, and the Fighting Irish did not play Providence until late February.

- In CJ's conversation with Toby as she prepares to brief the press, she mentions there had been an agreement on a "30-day continuing resolution." It was clearly stated in Separation Of Powers that the continuing resolution with the one-percent cut was to last for 60 days, through the holidays until January 3.

- Writer Mark Goffman comes up with some tidy little bits of foreshadowing. When Leo goes to the residence to try to talk the President into making an agreement while he's watching the basketball game, Bartlet says, "The game is won or lost in the last five minutes." While he means the basketball game, it also applies to the eventual solution to the shutdown. Then, when Vice President Russell tries to convince Leo to let him work out a deal, he says, "What do you call a leader with no followers? Just a guy taking a walk." The President taking a walk later turns out to be a key piece of the episode.

- Why'd They Come Up With Shutdown?

The government shut down. With no budget or spending authority agreed to after the previous continuing resolution ran out, the federal government had to stop all non-essential spending.

Quotes

Donna: "How long do you think it will last?"

Leo: "Hours, probably, maybe a day."

Margaret: "Maybe a couple days?"

Leo: "Maybe."

Margaret: "Maybe a couple weeks?"

-----

CJ: "Amtrak, the courts, federal prisons, border patrol, National Weather Service, all open, and meat inspectors will remain on the job."

Toby: "Nothing jeopardizes the sanctity of the American hamburger."

-----

Josh: "Why don't you just take them on disk?"

Donna: "Because I don't have a computer. Can I take a computer with me?"

Josh: "Not unless you want three federal agents trailing you home."

Donna: "Do I get to pick which three?"

[...]

Josh: "Okay, take my laptop. Start a tally of programs affected by the shutdown, and email it to me as you go. ... Don't read anything in the folder marked 'Private.'"

(Donna stares at him)

Josh (reconsidering): "Don't take my laptop."

-----

Will: "But it's also a negotiation. You don't shoot a duck for quacking."

Leo: "Are you speaking for the Vice President?"

Will: "The quacking thing kind of gives it away, doesn't it?"

-----

Complaining kid on TV: "It's not fair. We drove all the way from Huntsville to see Grandma, and the Constitution. But the Smithsonian's closed. Now we only get to see Grandma."

(The Constitution is in the National Archives, not the Smithsonian. Also, during past shutdowns the Smithsonian remained open for a time using prior-year funds; in 2018 the museums were able to stay open for eleven days after the government shut down, before eventually furloughing employees and closing their doors.)

-----

Leo (whispering, as Rena heads to the dumpsters): "Who's that?"

Toby (whispering): "A walking lawsuit."

-----

Josh: "You hear about the NBA rookie who pulled his first rebound the night Wilt Chamberlain pulled 55?"

Donna: "Uhm-mmm."

Josh: "Said it was the proudest day of his life. Together he and Wilt went for 34 points and 56 rebounds."

Donna: "I pulled a rebound?"

Josh: "You pulled 11 million."

Donna: "I'm Wilt Chamberlain?"

Josh: "No, you're the rookie."

Toby: "It is worth noting that Philadelphia lost that game."

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

This is the first time we meet the mysterious Rena (Melissa Marsala, also seen in Six Feet Under, Bringing Out The Dead and White Oleander). What program at the Department of Energy does she work for that wasn't affected by the shutdown? We'll have to wait and see, I guess.

Familiar reporters Mark and Katie are seen in the press room.

President Bartlet's Notre Dame mug makes another appearance.

Remember Capitol Beat? Sometimes spelled Capital Beat, depending on which episode you're watching? That's the TV political talk program Josh was on when he got into trouble with religious conservatives in Pilot, and the show Sam was on when he got schooled by Ainsley Hayes in In This White House, and the show that broadcast live from the White House after the State of the Union address in Bartlet's Third State Of The Union and The War At Home. It's still around! Here it is in the background, talking about the political effects of the shutdown.

We get another Martin Sheen/Jed Bartlet jacket flip. Sheen's left arm was injured at birth, making him unable to lift that arm above his shoulder - so he came up with this method of putting on a jacket.

Leo says "Our approval's in the 30s." Remember, in the summer after Zoey's kidnapping and rescue, when the administration wanted to name Secretary Berryhill as their Vice Presidential choice in July (Jefferson Lives), President Bartlet's approval rating was around 70 (Leo said to Berryhill, "You're polling in the high 60s. Only the President's doing better."). We're told the economy is heading towards recession; it must indeed be quite an economic downturn for the President's approval to crater nearly 40 points in four months.

Josh's banishment from the war room (and Abbey's eventual question "Jed ... where's Josh?" that results in his return) indicates he's still being punished for his actions that resulted in Idaho Senator Carrick switching parties (Constituency Of One).

Likewise, Abbey's return (at Leo's behest) reminds us of her departure to New Hampshire after she blamed Jed's decision to kill the Qumari Defense Minister (Posse Comitatus) for Zoey's kidnapping (Commencement through Jefferson Lives, plus a reminder that Abbey asked Jed not to come visit her and Zoey in Manchester in Separation Of Powers).

The entire Zoey kidnapping crisis is recalled when CJ tells Toby the President has "been so out of it since Zoey." We also get a subtle reminder of Bartlet's multiple sclerosis, I think, when CJ asks, "What if it's something else?" (The President's diagnosis was first revealed in He Shall, From Time To Time ... and was a huge part of the final episodes of Season 2. I believe the last actual reference to his health issues affecting him came in Election Night.)

Leo still wears his wedding ring. His wife left him in Five Votes Down, with the divorce becoming final in The Portland Trip.

When CJ is telling the press about the menu Abbey will prepare for the British Prime Minister, she mentions Colorado beet salad and California green beans. In Galileo it was established President Bartlet doesn't like green beans, and also that Oregon's status as a top producer of green beans was electorally important.

There have been hints of a bit of conflict between Speaker Haffley and Senate Majority Leader Royce in the past. The first time we met Haffley in Jefferson Lives Royce rolled his eyes at a particularly outrageous statement Haffley made about the Vice Presidential choice. Here we see a couple of other Royce reactions - first, in the Republican war room as Haffley is crowing about having the upper hand over the White House, Royce has a bit of side-eye:

When the President actually arrives at the Capitol, Royce is eager to get out there and not make the President of the United States wait. Haffley, though, continues to overplay his hand to get all his ducks in a row in order to humiliate Bartlet even more ... a plot which is foiled when Josh and the President just walk out. Royce's look at Haffley after that move is yet another example of his growing disdain for the Speaker's hijinks.

The college tuition tax credit that was a huge part of 20 Hours In America Part Two and College Kids gets a shoutout. While the President tells the staff that the credit isn't a part of this budget agreement, he feels like it has a good chance to survive down the road. Josh and Toby, who were key in coming up with the plan after getting lost in Indiana and talking to the father of an incoming college freshman who wanted things to be "just a little easier," have a neat little reaction to that.

WHAT'S NEXT moment: After President Bartlet reveals the agreement on the budget to his staff, ending the shutdown, he says, "Okay, Abbey says I have about five minutes before dinner. What's next?" as they gather for an Oval Office meeting at the very close of the episode.

DC location shots

The drive (which turns into a walk) from the White House to the Capitol was shot on Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues. You can see the National Gallery of Art in the background as President Bartlet greets the tourists. (Also note the green foliage on the trees, when it's supposedly November - in the DVD commentary for The Dogs Of War it's mentioned the show made one late-summer trip to DC for location shots that were seen in five or six early-season episodes; this scene almost certainly was included in that group.)


Here the motorcade is actually traveling on Constitution Avenue outside the National Gallery of Art - in reality I can't imagine why they would take this route instead of just going down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol.

You clearly see the Constitution Ave sign here where it intersects with Pennsylvania Avenue. Also, there are heat waves coming off the pavement - just after the press complained about how cold it was outside the White House.

Walking on Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Capitol, with the National Gallery of Art East Building seen on the right.

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

The C-SPAN and MSNBC logos appear.

We get a good look at Haffley on the cover of Time magazine. Other media outlets mentioned include Newsweek, plus polling by the (Washington) Post/ABC, the (New York) Times/CBS, and Gallup/CNN.

As everyone realizes the Mess has closed and there's no coffee, CJ says to try Swing's at 17th and G. There is indeed a Swing's Coffee at 1702 G Street NW, just across 17th Street from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

Vice President Russell invokes James Madison in the discussion about how much power the President has over the budget process. Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) also gets remembered when the prospect of delayed Social Security checks is discovered.

Kinko's gets mentioned.

CJ says her outfit for the state dinner is by Donna Karan, and also brings up the restaurant chain IHOP as a dinner option for the President and the British Prime Minister.

When CJ tells Josh the networks are going to cover the President's trip to the Capitol live, she says, "Thanks to you they're going to interrupt Days Of Our Lives."

Haffley says something about the Oval Office throwing people off-balance, and that it was "Wyeth's intent to inspire the English notion of -" before he's cut off by the President. This is a good deep dive; while the White House itself was designed by architect James Hoban in the 1790s, it was Nathan C. Wyeth who designed the Oval Office when the West Wing was expanded in 1909.

Wilt Chamberlain and his NBA-record 55-rebound night in 1960 comes up as Josh congratulates Donna for finding out the shutdown's threat to Social Security checks. Josh's story is just that, a story - the only rookie who played for the Warriors that night, Al Attles, had seven rebounds, not just one.

There is a bunch of background product placement in this episode:

Starbucks cup and a Krispy Kreme box are seen early in the shutdown

Panda Express boxes are being picked up by Rena

Josh has a McDonalds sandwich box on his desk

Folgers and Quaker Oats logos are seen next to the coffeemaker

Deer Park water returns, seen often in Season 4

Goldfish crackers appear in CJ's office (Josh told Danny Concannon in The Short List that CJ liked "goldfish," meaning the snack food; misunderstanding, Danny got an actual goldfish for her)