Season: 1
Episode: 2
Title: Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc
Aired: September 29, 1999
Written by: Aaron Sorkin
Directed by: Thomas Schlamme
Summary
Despite warnings from fellow office workers, infatuated White House staffer Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) presses his luck when he continues to publicly pursue a high-priced call girl (Lisa Edelstein) with whom he shared a night of passion.
Press secretary C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney) tries to defuse a potentially nasty public clash between the President (Martin Sheen) and his willful Vice President (Tim Matheson) concerning the Veep's quotes about a bill favored by the chief executive.
Exasperated political consultant Mandy Hampton (Moira Kelly) drowns her troubles when her only client ignores her advice and agrees to bottle up a key bill in committee that could have been costly for the President if put to a vote.
The President forges a kinship with a young African-American Navy captain (Reuben Santiago-Hudson) named Morris Tolliver who's substituting for his regular White House physician - so much, in fact, that he asks him to assume the position on a full-time basis. After doing so, Morris boards a plane to the Middle East. A few hours later, his plane is blown out of the sky by terrorists. Bartlet wants to go after those responsible, and he wants to do it now.
Quotes:
"I am not frightened, Leo. I'm going to blow them off the face of the earth with the fury of God's own thunder."- Pres. Bartlet