OLIVER PLATT AND MARLEE MATLIN GUEST-STAR -- Sam (Rob Lowe) is happy to learn of a lowered surplus estimate that will reinforce the administration's case for a revised tax cut and Josh (Bradley Whitford) seeks more funds to support the overwhelmed Justice Department in its prosecution of tobacco companies.
Summary[]
Opening - Office of the White House Counsel, 5:30am[]
C.J. is meeting with Oliver Babish in his office - she is very defensive as she was one of the last people to find out. Babish wants to know if C.J. has ever lied about the President's health. She finally responds that yes, she has - many, many times.
Act I[]
Donna comes to meet Martin Connelly, who is to meet with Josh. Connelly is a government lawyer working on the tobacco trials. Ed and Larry give Donna the fax about a satellite that may be falling to earth. Donna tells Josh about the satellite - she is very alarmed (but Josh strings her along, knowing it's a hoax).
Toby and Josh tell Leo they need to put a poll in the field to see how people will react to the MS. Josh wants to use Joey Lucas and Leo reluctantly agrees. Leo asks Toby when they are going to tell Sam, who is the last Senior Staff member who doesn't know. Sam is working on a speech for the President and Toby wants to wait as long as possible.
Josh meets with Martin Connelly about the tobacco lawsuit - they need more money to contiue the lawsuit. C.J. is still meeting with Babish and he is splitting hairs with her about what language she uses when talks to the President about his health.
Act II[]
Sam is working on the speech with staff when two other staff come to tell him the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is going to release a projection that is lower. Sam tells Toby about the lower projections.
C.J. continues her meeting with Babish. Donna comes to see Charlie to tell him about the satellite. Mrs. Bartlet returns to the White House and she's pissed at the President because of the form for Zoey and that she didn't hear it from him - she had to hear it from Leo. Bartlet tells Abby that she is going to have to talk to Babish.
Josh comes to see Leo about the tobacco lawsuit. Then Josh leaves to meet Joey at the airport.
Act III[]
Sam goes to meet with Congressional staff to tell them he doesn't want to use their line in the Chicago speech. He speaks down to the staffers and tells them that it is not important to beat them over the heads with it.
Joey meets Josh at the airport and tells her about the President and that she is going to get on another plane to go and take the poll.
Abby comes to meet with Babish - she is very defensive about putting up with his questions about the form.
Act IV[]
Joey questions Josh on how they are planning to deal with this - and Josh tells her that she has to construct the poll and get it in the field in 96 hours. She suggests that they ask about a governor of an industrial state with an degenerative disease. Joey gets up to leave.
Donna is still talking to Charlie about the satellite. Abby comes to see C.J. to see how she is doing. C.J. tells the First Lady about an incident in Kansas during the campaign where she walked in when the First Lady was giving the President an injection.
Josh comes to see Leo to tell him about his meeting with Joey and that he thinks she's going to do a good job with the poll. Leo goes into the Oval Office to talk with the President and the President sends Leo to go and get Sam.
Josh goes out to see C.J., who is on her way home. They talk for a while and she heads home and he heads back to the office.
Cast[]
- Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn
- Dulé Hill as Charlie Young
- Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg
- Janel Moloney as Donna Moss
- Richard Schiff as Toby Ziegler
- John Spencer as Leo McGarry
- Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman
- and Martin Sheen as President Bartlet
Special Guest Stars
Guest Starring
- Lee Wilkof as Martin Connelly
- NiCole Robinson as Margaret Hooper
- Rosalind Chao as Jane Gentry
- Spencer Garrett as Richard Will
- Douglas Roberts as Congressional Aide Henry
- Lucia Vincent as Congressional Aide Helen
Co-Starring
- William Duffy as Larry
- Peter James Smith as Ed
- Jossie Harris Thacker as Staffer
- Debbie Ann Thomas as Speechwriter
- Barry Livingston as Speechwriter #2
- Emiko Parise as Abbey's Aide Carrie
- Julie A. Koehnen as Abbey's Aide #2
- Ariel Felix as Bobby
- Shannon Nelson as Staffer #2
- Jon Wolfe Nelson as Dale Bracket
- Katie Rimmer as Waitress
- Lenore Foster as Staffer
Quotes[]
- 〉The President is very glad you're here, particularly in this time of nonsense〈
- —Dr. Bartlet to Oliver
- Oliver Babish: Do you know what time it is?
- C.J. Cregg: It's five past noon.
- Oliver Babish: I'd like you to get out of the habit of doing that.
- C.J. Cregg: Doing what?
- Oliver Babish: Answering more than was asked.
- Oliver Babish: Do you know what time it is?
- C.J. Cregg: Yes.