Ways and Means

Props to JohnConstantine. He knows why.

Previously on The West Wing: C.J. goofed up horribly at a press briefing; Josh found out that Bruno might in fact, on occasion, be smarter than he; POTUS didn't think they could afford to worry about when the subpoenas will be handed down.

We're in front of the Federal District Courthouse on Pennsylvania Avenue. A man named Mr. Rollins (Hey, It's That Guy! It's Clare's dad! No, it's Kirsten's dad! It's Nicholas Pryor, veteran of both television and film) is besieged by reporters asking him to comment on when or if subpoenas will be issued. He can't, of course. We take it that he is the Special Prosecutor.

Inside the courthouse, Rollins runs into Oliver Babish, who pounces on him from behind a pillar. Babish, without so much as a how-do-you-do, says, "We've shown nothing but good faith." Rollins mildly says, "Mr. Babish." Babish reasserts his point and calls him "Clem." Rollins wants to know whether Babish would like to speak privately. Babish wants to know why he's reading that subpoenas are being handed out. Oh, come on -- it's not as if he thought they wouldn't be; he's been warning the staff about it for months. I find it really annoying and disingenous when lawyers ride each other about these kinds of things, when their opponent is doing precisely what they would if they were in the same position. Babish claims that Rollins's office is "leaking like a rowboat"; Rollins wonders whether Babish has a complaint. Babish says he just filed one with the U.S. District Court, but that's not what he wants to discuss with Babish. Rollins contends that it can't be the jurors who are leaking information; they don't even know why they've been called in. Babish is surprised to learn that Rollins could impanel a Grand Jury without telling them what it's about.

Rollins and Babish have entered Rollins's office now. Rollins says, "Voir dire was entirely fair; if anything, [it] favoured the subjects. What you've been reading is the work of a few over-zealous and irresponsible members of the conservative press in minor media outlets...." With a great deal of drama, Babish throws a paper down in front of Rollins and announces, "It's The Wall Street Journal!" Babish argues that they've been totally cooperative, that they're willing to hand over anything a subpoena could cover, and that his staff has been working around the clock. Well, Donna has, anyway, as we shall see. Rollins wants to know what Babish's staff is doing if they feel certain documents are protected by executive privilege. Good question. Babish says that POTUS is thinking of waiving executive privilege. Rollins wonders whether he's also waiving attorney-client privilege, spousal privilege, and doctor-patient privilege. Babish: "Clem, they have shown nothing but good faith." Clem's firm: "I can't give out extra credit for that."

Rollins leaves his office and tells the gaggle of people (lawyers? aides?) outside his office, "Let's rumble." Well, actually, he just says, "Let's go." They enter the Grand Jury room, which is lit like the Situation Room usually is -- that is to say, as if those present will be conducting a sance rather than Crucial Government Business. I find that most Crucial Government Business goes on in rooms that are fluorescently and frighteningly overlit. But admittedly, that isn't as nice to look at on TV. He introduces himself to a group of people seated at a very long and elegant conference table as Clement Rollins, the Special Prosecutor appointed by the U.S. Attorney General. He explains that with their permission and on their behalf, he would like to issue the first round of subpoenas, compelling both testimony and production of documents by those named. He begins reading the list: "Josiah Bartlet, Abigail Ann Bartlet, Elizabeth Bartlet Weston, Eleanor Emily Bartlet, Zoey Patricia Bartlet, Leo Thomas McGarry, Joshua Lyman, Claudia Jean Cregg, Samuel Norman Seaborn, Toby Zachary Ziegler...." The light streaming through the paper allows you to see there are an awful lot of names on the list. And credits. Okay, wait. I have a lot of name issues. "Eleanor Emily"? Emily is just about my favourite name in the whole world but "Eleanor Emily" is pretty awkward. And, um, Leo's parents just named him "Leo" and not "Leonard"? ["Or the totally cool and sadly uncommon 'Leopold'?" -- Wing Chun] I know, it's possible, but it seems less likely. And apparently word has not gotten to Rollins's office that Sam had his middle name officially changed to "On Schedule." "Toby Zachary"? Not "Tobias"? Or "Zachariah"? I think "Tobias Zachariah Ziegler" doesn't sound half bad. I'm mildly disappointed that Josh doesn't have a middle name.

And for those keeping track, Stockard Channing isn't in the credits for this ep, so I guess we won't see her until week at the earliest.

It's Monday. Josh peeks into a storage room looking for Donna, who's messing around with a lot of file boxes. He asks her what's going on. Her hair's up in a kind of messy ponytail. Naturally, despite having worked all night in a windowless storage room, she looks better than most of us do after hours of effort. She starts babbling about what's in the different boxes. He asks, "Were you here all night?" She blithely asks, "Is it daytime?" He says it's 7:30. She says that usually when she stays up all night, she's able to pass a nineteenth-century English Literature midterm, and wonders whether she'll be asked to write such a test. He says she won't. She launches into another breathless comment about the contents of the boxes, one of which contains.... Josh interjects, "Can I ask you something?" She quickly says, "I had a plan." She has a piece of paper listing the number of each box and its contents. Josh wants to know where the piece of paper is. She grabs a box off a shelf and gives him a vaguely dirty look. Josh realizes it's in one of the boxes. I vaguely consider the value of getting into having Donna be dumb enough to file/misplace the paper in one of the boxes, but I decide to just let it pass. I just wish, as the assistant with the largest role and the most face time on the show, she wasn't so often painted as ditzy. She says, "I had a plan." She pauses, and moves a box around: "I grew up on a farm." Josh: "You grew up in a condo." She insists she grew up near a farm: "I was cute, and I was peppy, and I always did well on my nineteenth-century English Literature midterm, 'til you came along and sucked me into your life of white-collar crime!" If I recall correctly, she begged and tricked her way into working for Josh, but I understand her annoyance with the current situation. Josh starts to object, and Donna says, "White-collar crime boy!" Josh doesn't really know how to reply to this. She asks, "You know what they do to a girl like me on that cell block? I've seen those movies." Josh: "Yeah, me too." Donna: "I'll bet you have." Josh: "Look..." Donna: "Sell my farm-girl ass for a carton of Luckys." Josh, gently: "Seriously, you need to sleep for a while." She has another little outburst to the effect that she can't sleep until she finds which box the master list is in. Josh says he'll be in his office. Donna replies, "Your office is down a corridor, about two hundred feet from here. Try not to commit any felonies on the way." Josh promises to do his best.

Out in the hall, Josh runs into Sam and tells him that Donna "is about two or three days away from unspooling. It's pretty fun to watch, but can you loan me some senior assistants from Communications?" They pedeconference madly. Sam: "Yeah. So, listen, there's a fire in Yellowstone Park." Josh tells him to put it out. Sam: "Technically, I'm not a professional firefighter, though there was a time when I wanted to be." Turns out it was when Sam was four. I actually find that very believable for someone like Sam. Bet his Tommy-Hilfiger-sweater-wearing, Frank-Lloyd-Wright-house- in-Sag-Harbour-visiting family talked him out of it. Josh states, "When I was four, I wanted to be a ballerina." Sam just kind of glances at him and says, "Yeah?" He gives the line an almost imperceptible extra degree of masculine emphasis. Josh: "I don't like to talk about it." You just did, dude. Five bucks says the guys who ladle out the chipped beef in the Mess know about it before noon. Anyway, Sam tells Josh that a dry lightning strike started a fire in a lodgepole forest; it's spread to 500 acres, but it's all inside a resource benefit zone. They're galloping up and down stairs and along hallways. Sam says that the Parks Superintendent -- along with Bill Horton and several deputies from the Department of the Interior -- decided to let the fire run its course. Josh is surprised to hear they're letting it burn. Sam: "It's not necessarily our policy to put these things out." Josh: "Putting out fires isn't necessarily our policy?" They've arrived in an office area. Sam confidently replies: "Fire is good for the environment in certain circumstances. Forests have a natural cycle that requires purging burns to invigorate growth." Josh: "Someone just said that to you, right?" Sam admits it. ["Really? I learned that in a high-school science class, and I did not make it to the senior-level science courses. Hasn't he heard of fireweed?" -- Wing Chun] Josh wants to know what they have to do. Apparently, POTUS needs to talk on the phone with the Governor, so he can say that he's done so. Josh says he'll take care of it. Sam: "Ballerina?" Josh: "I'd kinda like that not to get around." Sam: "Yeah, no chance of that." As they disappear from the scene, the camera focuses on the office they just passed, which is C.J.'s.

Babish is in C.J.'s office, pacing around and haranguing her. And hey, Ainsley's there, too. He's telling C.J. to emphasize that it's not like being served. She wants to know how it's not like that. Babish claims, "A subpoena is just a legal agreement to produce certain testimony and documents." C.J. asks, "Yeah, but isn't that like the way a mugger uses a gun to produce your wallet?" Babish instructs, "You say we're cooperating fully. You say subpoenas don't indicate otherwise. You say they're a commonly used legal tool to describe the scope of the inquiry!" C.J. explains that reporters don't care about the scope of the inquiry: "My trouble with your spin is that we're not going to get anywhere putting on a calm face! We need to pick a fight!" Ainsley asks why. C.J.: "Because in politics, if you're not on offense, you're on defense!" Babish points out that Rollins is not the foaming-at-the-mouth type, and that he comes off as the good guy he is. Ainsley adds that since he was appointed by Bartlet's own Attorney General, "it's going to be tough to fit him for a black hat." It doesn't sound like Bartlet followed Babish's earlier advice (in "Bad Moon Rising") to tell the AG to select "the most blood-spitting, Bartlet-hating, Republican in the bar." C.J. wants to think for a moment. C.J. asks Ainsley what Republicans think of Rollins. Ainsley: "Well, we don't all hang out at a little club." C.J. persists. Ainsley say that he's well-respected, and that he's deliberate and takes his duties seriously; he wants to get at the truth while avoiding any appearance of impropriety or partisanship. C.J. cogitates. She suddenly excuses herself and leaves. Babish wants to know where she's going. She replies, "We need a different enemy."

Josh is talking about the estate tax to Leo, in Leo's office. Leo's packing up to go out somewhere. Josh says he and Toby have a meeting in five minutes. Leo reminds him that they're supposed to be compromising, and that he may not like it, but it's a done deal. Josh acknowledges this. Leo says, "I'm saying, the two of you, when you don't like something, have a tendency to --" Josh: "Show our displeasure?" Leo: "Piss people off." Josh insists, "That's a bad rap. I'm sweet as pecan pie." Leo seems unconvinced. C.J. arrives in the doorway just as Josh says, "I hate these people, Leo. And when this thing is done, I'm gonna personally screw 'em with their pants on." They must be making pecan pie differently these days. C.J. says, "Excuse me." She greets them: "Leo. Giselle." Never mind that for her to know about the ballerina thing, someone would have had to tell her on the walk from her office to Leo's. ["I've worked in offices where gossip spread that fast." -- Wing Chun] Josh says he's out of there.

C.J. talks to Leo as he walks out; she says she just met with Oliver and Ainsley on spin, but that she hasn't got anything, because Rollins doesn't hate them. Leo: "Well, that's just because he doesn't know us." She pulls him aside to speak privately: "Leo, we need to be investigated by someone who wants to kill us just to watch us die. We need someone perceived by the American people to be irresponsible, untrustworthy, partisan, ambitious, and thirsty for the limelight. Am I crazy, or is this not a job for the U.S. House of Representatives?" Leo says they'll get around to it sooner or later. C.J.: "So let's make it sooner. Let's make it now. Rollins is driving them crazy. He's moving too slow, he won't talk to the press, they're ready to jump...I swear to God, Leo, I think we can move the show." Leo considers this. He asks if she has a briefing now. She does. He tells her, "Show me what you're starting with." She breathes and tries not to betray too much excitement, in that way you would if your dreamboat just asked you to the prom. But you can tell she's jazzed.

Toby's bustling around his office, trying to leave for the estate-tax meeting. He's fuming to everyone within earshot that he's leaving for this meeting. Bonnie and Ginger are running around bringing him files and interjecting, telling him what he needs and doesn't need, and helping him on with his coat, etc. Toby rants as he wanders all over the office gathering things: "I am leaving for this meeting. This meeting where we will compromise. Why do we compromise? Because we are ordered to. Because compromising on the estate tax prevents Republicans from going for an even bigger tax cut that would help wrest the White House from our compromising little hands...so I go to this meeting.... The estate tax, which Republicans have cleverly dubbed the 'death tax.' There is nothing that Republicans do better than naming things...so I go to this meeting, because I agree with Republicans in Congress: America is about self-sufficiency, about lifting yourself up by your bootstraps, just as long as your children's children never have to work a day in their lives. So I go to this meeting...." Ginger hands him his scarf, probably the last object he needs to get out of there and allow them some peace, and announces, "He's rolling!" Toby continues: "Oh, I go to this meeting, Ginger, and though I compromise, I draw a line in the sand, I'm there to ensure that only multimillionaires, and not billionaires, are exempt from the estate tax!" Bonnie yells Toby's name from inside his office. Toby hollers as he's on his way out the door, "Re-elect the President, Bonnie! He's on the side of millionaires and not billionaires!" Bonnie shouts that they cancelled the meeting. Toby stands in the doorway, somewhat deflated. As he asks Bonnie why, Josh comes through, wearing his coat; slipping past Toby, he says, "They cancelled the meeting." He heads for Toby's office. Josh explains they're saying that due to his daughter's wedding -- which is not until Saturday -- their as yet unnamed contact wants to head out early. Toby says they're lying. Josh knows. Toby and Josh try to figure out what's going on; Josh offers, "I think they want to take it off the table." Toby: "And do what?" Josh asks, "The White House is weak. What would you do?" Toby says, "You think they want to repeal the estate tax?" They both ride a serious bummer.

C.J.'s at her press briefing. A reporter asks whether the White House is concerned about the subpoenas; C.J. says they're not, and that they've already sent over eighty cartons of documents to Rollins, whom she refers to first as "Clem" and then "corrects" herself: "Mr. Rollins." She adds that those cartons contained documents that were not even subpoenaed, and that they intend to continue cooperating fully. A reporter asks about the necessity of the subpoenas. C.J. responds, "They're a commonly used legal tool to define the scope of the inquiry." In response to another question, she says the administration doesn't think the Congressional hearings are necessary, but that it's not for them to say. She adds, "And we take a different view than Congressional Republicans do of the Special Prosecutor's performance thus far. We believe he's running a thorough and impartial investigation, and he should be allowed to finish his work." The camera comes to rest on Leo at the back of the room, where he is watching C.J. with approval. A reporter asks about her use of the phrase "a different view," and wonders whether Congress is unhappy with Rollins. She tells him he'd have to ask Congress that. Oh, she's bringing it, all right. As we go to commercial, a reporter asks about the contents of the eighty cartons. I will think about how Allison Janney can do no wrong as I go scramble some eggs.

Tuesday. Margaret's sitting at her desk, looking vaguely uncomfortable and suspiciously unoccupied. She gets up and walks over to a filing cabinet against which Bruno is leaning, arms crossed, breathing with what appears to be impatience. She takes out a file and then says, "You still don't know my name, do you?" Bruno: "It's Gertrude." Margaret: "It's not." Bruno shrugs indifferently. Leo arrives, and Bruno says they need to talk. Leo says, "This estate-tax repeal out of committee is going to be a thing." Bruno's got another thing, but Leo's not finished. He says they think the House Republicans are going to try to repeal the estate tax. Bruno tells Leo about a game last night between the Cavaliers and the Pacers. Indiana won by five in double overtime. Leo replies, "Well, now the repeal of the estate tax seems somehow insignificant." Bruno asks whether he can play a video, but it turns out the machine is somehow broken so Bruno can't show Leo the tape. What he wanted him to see was Victor Campos sitting courtside with somebody named Buckland. Leo doesn't see what the fuss is. Bruno says, "Campos travelled from Los Angeles to Indianapolis to watch Cleveland in Indiana. They don't travel from Cleveland to Indianapolis to watch Cleveland in Indiana. I don't care if they gave Campos a jersey and let him play point guard." I bet that got big laughs from people more familiar than I with the fortunes of the Cleveland team, which I would not even recognize as a basketball team name if it weren't for the mention of the word "courtside." They could be a fencing team for all I know. It's great the way Sorkin throws me these little sports clues. Leo insists Campos loves the President and that he got him the California primary. Bruno says that Campos is dating Buckland now. Leo doesn't buy it. Bruno mentions that Campos refused a seat on the President's Community Empowerment Board, which helps to steer private investment toward inner cities. That's news to Leo: "When?" Bruno: "Shortly after..." Leo: "The game ended in double overtime! Aw, dammit!" He yells for Margaret as he walks toward her desk. Bruno mumbles to himself: "Margaret...Margaret."

Shrug and Connie are meeting with Toby in the Roosevelt Room, about the estate tax. Connie asks about the compromise offered. Shrug explains that if the estate is worth less than a million dollars, you're exempt. The Republicans wanted it to be five million; they settled on two and a half million. Connie throws up her hands and says, "Seems reasonable." Toby insists that it wasn't even within driving distance of "reasonable." Shrug argues that these people have paid taxes on this money already in the form of income tax, property tax, and capital gains. He asks, "They gotta pay --" Toby: "Don't say it." Shrug: "A death tax?" Toby counters, "Ninety-eight percent of estates pay no taxes at all. We're talking about people who are loaded!" Shrug looks irritated: "You think just because people can afford a tax, it should be levied?" Toby replies, "I think if we're going to spend millions of dollars on tax breaks, we should consider spending it on people who don't have millions of dollars." That's my Toby-wan. Shrug opines that a million dollars isn't what it used to be, which is true, but then, what is? Toby mutters, "And they don't make good yachts anymore." Josh arrives to tell them that the estate-tax meeting's not going to be rescheduled: "Legislative Affairs has it from three rural House Democrats that Ways and Means is trolling for votes." Toby: "On a complete repeal?" Looks that way. Toby tosses his red rubber ball in the air. Everyone thinks. Toby says, "Screw it. We went from a million to two-five, what if we throw in another...?" Josh says no. Toby is suggesting that they expand the compromise. Hey, he caved unusually fast. Josh insists that they're not going to reschedule the meeting; Toby wants to know how he knows. Connie says, "Because it's not about the estate tax. They want what they want and they can get what they want now, right?" Josh reiterates that the meeting won't be rescheduled. Josh asks Shrug what he thinks. Josh perhaps learned from Bruno last week that not everyone who's not a senior staff member of the current administration is an idiot. Toby's not yet on board with that: "I can tell you what he thinks. He thinks we roll with it. He thinks the President can't be against tax cuts in an election year. He thinks since our key districts have farms that are going to be inherited, that we have to.... He thinks we roll...with it." There's a pause, and finally Shrug says, "I think...he should take out the A-bomb. I think he's gotta do something he's never done even once before. 'You think I'm weak? How about I shove Article 1, Section 7 up your ass?' Screw the compromise. I think he's got to veto." Everyone quietly takes this in; Toby thoughtfully fidgets with his ball. Josh wearily says, "I knew I should have majored in Dance instead of Law. Rudolf Nureyev never had these sort of problems." No, no. Actually: "Toby, I just...don't know on how many fronts we can fight a war. You want to find out?" Toby does indeed. They leave, and pass an etching of the Capitol building in the hall, on which the camera comes to rest. And it's time for more commercials.

Wednesday. C.J.'s walking outside when a couple of characters (aides? politicians?) I don't think we've seen before call out to her. One's wearing a bowtie, the other a polka dot tie. Bowtie says that he had a meeting at OEOB, and that they were going to come see her. He tells her there's some concern on the Hill, about how soft the press has been about Rollins for the last couple of days. Polka Dot Tie says, "Particularly with regard to his relationship to the White House." C.J. feigns concern. Bowtie says that Democrats are worried that Republicans will use it as an excuse to start their own hearings earlier than expected. Polka Dot Tie suggests that the White House try to appear less eager to cooperate and tone done the trumpeting of Rollins's integrity. C.J. pretends to take their advice. Bowtie advises her to downplay Rollins's friendship with Babish. They bid her a good night and walk away. C.J. looks satisfied as she watches them leave.

C.J. encounters Sam as she returns to the White House. She asks how the call with the Governor went; apparently, not that well: "He's demanding we put the fire out." Sam says that POTUS tried to calm him down, but that they kept getting accused of espousing "fringe environmental policies." C.J. asks, "Are we?" Sam says it's not clear, but for the moment, her line is that the President and the Governor had a productive conversation, and he's monitoring the situation with the Secretary of the Interior. Ainsley comes up from behind, saying, "Excuse me." To Sam: "You need a haircut." Well, that is definitely a shout-out to a whole bunch of us, and I'm going to take it as a personal shout-out, because I first complained about his hair in the recap for "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I." The irony here, of course, is that his hair looks just fine in this episode. Sorkin's just toying with us. Sam asks, "Shouldn't you be someplace keeping me out of jail?" She breezes past him, saying she's taking a break.

Ainsley walks up to C.J. -- who's in her office now -- and asks, "You wanted to see me?" C.J. closes the door. She tells Ainsley, "Babish and Rollins wrote a paper together for the Yale Law Review." (Or possibly, the Yale law review, since there's no actual publication called the Yale Law Review, but I'm rendering it the way the closed captioning did.) Ainsley suggests she should "get it out there." C.J. points out that she can't just copy and distribute his papers. C.J. wants Ainsley to hook up with one of her friends from the press room who works for a conservative paper. Ainsley: "You really think we have a secret handshake, don't you?" C.J.: "Do you?" Ainsley: "Yes." C.J. instructs, "Get alone with this guy, go off the record, say you can't believe how the President could be claiming to waive executive privilege yet still reserve the right to withhold certain documents." Ainsley duly recites this. C.J. asks her to do it quietly, and kind of shake her head while she's saying it. Ainsley repeats the sentence in this manner, shaking her head throughout; C.J. tells her to only shake her head at the beginning. Ainsley tries again, and C.J. starts to interrupt with more instruction; Ainsley abruptly says that she's got it. C.J. thanks her and Ainsley leaves.

POTUS is working at his desk. It's about time we saw him. I'm never as happy with the episodes that feature a low quotient of POTUSian energy. POTUS checks his jacket pockets and his desk drawer for something. He calls Charlie. Charlie appears. "Are we out of pens?" Charlie reaches over Jed's desk and takes a pen out of his desk set -- you know, those things made of marble or whatever with fancy pens in holders. He offers it to Jed. Jed objects, "That's a good pen. I need an everyday pen." Charlie says he's got pens. Jed complains, "You've got crappy pens with plastic tops. I need a solid pen that feels good in my hand but it's not so formal I feel like a dandy!" That's the POTUS I know and love. Charlie, the spectre of the Thanksgiving carving set expeditions still in his mind, says "I'm making some trips to pen stores, aren't I, Mr. President?" Hey, Charlie, maybe you'll end up with the pen that John Hancock used to sign the Declaration of Independence. You never know what other Bartlet family heirlooms there could be. POTUS continues, sighing, "I used to have the perfect pens. Every day, right here in my pocket. I loved those pens: balanced, great action, the paper soaked up the ink. What the hell happened to those pens? Do they not make them anymore? I kept that company in business!" He struggles with a substandard pen. I can certainly relate. I am extremely fussy about pens; I think most people are, but perhaps writers tend to be even more so. I go through phases of loving different ones, but my phases usually last a long time. And you need different pens for different purposes. I loathe all thin-barrelled, thin-line, scritchy-scratchy pens. I am currently in love with thick-line gel pens, among others. ["The fine-tip Uni-Ball Vision, in black, has had me in its thrall for over a year now. I used to like the Pilot Hi-Tecpoint V7, but it must be the fine tip and not the extra-fine." -- Wing Chun] Also, writing with a pencil sucks except in certain circumstances and with certain pencils. Mechanical pencils are good. I am wary of people who will promiscuously write with any old piece of junk that comes to hand. Yes, I have writing implement issues. Don't even get me started on paper. Anyway. Charlie asks when Jed thinks he might start interviewing candidates to replace Mrs. Landingham. Jed mutters that he just hasn't gotten around to it. Charlie suggests that they could bring in a headhunter to help; Jed dismisses all of Charlie's efforts with his excuses about being busy. Jed hands Charlie a file and asks, "Is there a rush on this?" Charlie replies, "You need a secretary, sir."

C.J. goes into her office to find Babish waiting there for her. He opens: "Thank God for Lexis-Nexis, huh?" C.J.: "I'll say." He wonders how long it will take them to find the paper he and Rollins wrote. C.J.: "About an hour. They'll make their deadlines." He sighs heavily and says, "I was going to say, you took a beating the last few months. And I was wondering if you were trying to get back in the game with one swing?" C.J., with a mixture of annoyance and indifference: "Is that what you were wondering?" He says yeah. She asks, "Anything else?" He says, "No," and leaves. She gives him a minor stink-eye as he goes.

Josh and Toby meet with Leo in his office about the estate-tax issue. Josh says that they spent the last few hours with the Minority Whip and some deputies; and that they have 218 votes for a repeal without breaking a sweat. Toby adds that it's 290 to override. Leo asks where they're getting the votes. Josh says, "The Republicans are calling an 'all hands'; we're assuming they get the full 226, plus Fayette, Genesee, and Trent. California --" Toby: "A state I've begged you to let secede from the Union..." Josh: "The entire California delegation wants a compromise; if they don't get one, they vote to repeal." Toby points out that they'd lose another thirteen votes from rural districts, maybe three of which would switch back if it was close. "But they'd get killed November, and I wouldn't ask them to do it." Leo says, "That's 283; where are the other seven votes against us?" Toby says the seven votes are from inside the Black Caucus. Leo wants them to see Mark Richardson first thing in the morning; they've already set it up. Leo says that when they're done, they'll make their recommendation to POTUS, and "he'll make his decision to fight or live to fight, and that'll be that." Josh and Toby get up to leave; as they do, Josh asks, "These are members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Can you think of any reason why they'd oppose the estate tax?" Leo: "Sure." Josh: "Why?" Leo: "The first generation of black millionaires is about to die." Margaret comes in to let Leo know that POTUS is back.

Jed wanders out of the Oval Office to speak to Charlie at his desk. He's expecting a call with Bill Horton, but he left the National Fire Plan in the dining room. Charlie goes to get it. Jed looks at some papers for a moment, then turns and notices Mrs. Landingham's empty desk. He walks over to it and gently lays his hand on it. Leo comes to the door, and observes Jed for a moment before saying hello. Jed says, "The Governor of Wyoming was an inch and a half away from calling me a pyromaniac tonight." Leo responds, "That's surprising, because we really had respect for him before." Jed continues, "I'm saying, somewhere out there is a registered voter who's thinking, 'You know, I thought I really liked this Bartlet fellow, but now that I see he's in favour of fire....'" Leo offers that the governor is worried about tourism. Jed says it's the end of the season and the fire isn't anywhere near tourists: "Letting this fire burn is good for the environment. You know how I know?" Leo asks how. Jed: "'Cause smart people told me. Please, God, Leo, let them be right." ["Come on now. I am stupid. If I knew about fireweed, POTUS definitely did." -- Wing Chun] Leo asks whether Jed wants him in on the call with Horton; he does. Leo says he'll be in his office. Jed is still leaning on Mrs. Landingham's desk. He goes around behind it and carefully sits in her chair. He opens a couple of drawers and finds a blue box with the Presidential seal on top. Gingerly, he opens the box; of course, it's full of pens, the ones he likes. There's some writing on them; it says, "Illegitimi non carborundum." Actually, I can't read what it says. (As if Bartlet would have anything to do with pseudo-Latin.) He takes out one pen and holds it thoughtfully. Sad music plays. He tucks the pen in his breast pocket (to his heart), and replaces the box. He remains seated at the desk, contemplating the nearly unbearable task of replacing Mrs. Landingham.

After the commercials, we're back to Cliff and Donna. They're slowly walking around outside after their drinks. She ventures, "Why are you a Republican? Why can't you be a cute Democrat like my boss, whom I'm madly in love with?" Yeah, yeah: just the first part. You can tell he's been asked once or twice before: "Because I hate poor people. I hate them, Donna. They're all so...poor. And many of them talk funny, and don't have proper table manners. My father slaved away at the Fortune 500 company he inherited so I could go to Choate, Brown, and Harvard, and see that this country isn't overrun by poor people and lesbians." Donna smiles. "No, I'm a Republican because I believe in smaller government. This country was founded on the principle of freedom, and freedom stands opposed to constraints, and the bigger the government, the more the constraints." Donna says, "Wow." Cliff seems slightly amazed and asks, "You agree with that?" She replies, "No, it's crap, but you're really cute." He chuckles, "Yeah, I know." The "crap" part, or the "cute" part? Both, I hope. Donna says she had a hunch he did. Then: "Listen, you know who my boss is, right?" He does. "And that he's one of the point men in this fight with Ways and Mean over the estate tax?" Cliff: "The death tax." Donna mentions that Josh doesn't like to call it that. Cliff explains, "We've been ordered to. There was a memo." Donna smiles. She continues, "Anyway, not to editorialize, but since we're fighting for the betterment of ordinary people while you're voraciously protecting the grotesque wealth of the few, I wasn't sure if this was awkward for you." Cliff: "Listen, Robin Hood --" "You don't think it's a good tax?" Donna asks. Cliff says it was, in 1916, when this country's wealth was concentrated and they wanted to prevent the emergence of an aristocratic class. I'm not convinced the country's wealth is so much more fairly distributed today, but whatever. Donna gets in a shot: "Says 'Choate, Brown, and Harvard.'" Cliff ignores that and says, "The wealth is now spread among farmers, small business owners, farmers, merchants, and did I mention farmers?" Yes, three times. Donna says, "So a second date wouldn't be awkward for you?" This seems to throw him a bit, and he says that this is his last week working for Ways and Means; he's been traded to House Government Oversight. Donna asks, "What'd they trade you for?" Cliff: "Some toner, I think." Donna seriously wants to know why they traded him; he says he doesn't know: "We got a call from the Majority Leader's office; they wanted another litigator at Government Oversight and they didn't...they didn't say why..." It dawns on him. Donna jests: "Maybe it was just an oversight." Cliff doesn't react. Donna says, "Oh, come on! 'Maybe it was just an oversight'? I don't even get a courtesy laugh?" Cliff looks seriously bummed and says, "The boxes." Donna: "What about 'em?" Cliff: "I have to say goodnight now." He kind of shakes his head a little bit, and Donna looks stricken. He walks away without any further explanation. I guess I can buy that he didn't twig to why he was being traded, but I do find it hard to believe that he would just take his leave without explaining the situation to Donna, and abandoning her there on the corner like a rancid sandwich. She just cannot catch a break.

Thursday. Sam and Connie are meeting with Victor Campos, played by Miguel Sandoval (probably another HITG! candidate ["Definitely" -- Wing Chun]) in the Mural Room. Victor says the White House didn't bring him out from L.A. to talk about the HELP initiative. Sam asks why Victor passed on the seat on the Commission. Victor says he wasn't brought out there to talk about that, either. Sam: "And you didn't go to Indiana to watch a basketball game." Victor says it was a good game. Sam: "Don't get cute with me." Victor: "Watch your mouth." Sam: "No, I don't think I will, Victor. We fought a war together. What the hell happened to loyalty?" Well, this is off to a good start. Victor replies, "You tell me." Sam's in a pretty touchy mood: "You know what? The President promised to ban permanent striker replacement workers, and he did it." Victor: "Thank you. So the jobs he isn't shipping overseas will be safe and secure." Burn! Sam asks who else was talking about prenatal care for illegal immigrants in Davenport, Iowa. Victor says that isn't where it needs to be talked about. Sam counters with, "He put an empowerment zone in Pacoima and no one has worked harder to raise the minimum wage." Suddenly they bring the Spanish.

Victor: Mi gente ganan ms que el mnimo sueldo!
Sam: Te subi al podio en la maldita convencin!
Victor: Porque necesitaban una cara morena!
Sam: Estas equivocado!
Victor: No lo estoy.

Here's the rough translation I've been able to piece together using online translation software (I haven't studied Spanish):

Victor: My people get more than minimum pay.
Sam: It got you to the podium in the damn convention.
Victor: Because you/they needed a brown face!
Sam: You're wrong.
Victor: No, I'm not.