Abu el Banat

Bartlet's doofy son-in-law Doug wants to run for Congress in New Hampshire. Nobody, from Jed to the DNC, wants him to, and Josh is dispatched -- more than once -- to convey the message. The message finally gets through, but it seems Doug's going to run with or without Bartlet's endorsement, and his wife Elizabeth -- who's in the White House for a family dinner in connection with the annual tree-lighting festivities -- is none too happy about her father's decision. Jed realizes that Liz would make a much better politician than Doug, and encourages her to run, but Liz doesn't want to, and Doug does. Meanwhile, Zoey's in the White House, and looking good, as almost everyone in the episode is contractually obligated to state, and the Bartlet family waits and waits on Ellie -- who's busy with her schoolwork -- hoping she'll appear. She finally does, but it's too late for dinner at that point. The international crisis du jour is a ripped-off-from-the-headlines story about relief workers -- some of them Christian -- who have been imprisoned in Sudan. The domestic crisis du jour is the issue of physician-assisted suicide, which has reared its problematic head in Oregon, where some doctors have had their licenses suspended for administering drugs in an assisted suicide. Toby doesn't want Bartlet to get embroiled in a debate over the issue, and Toby and Will clash over Will's role and responsibilities vis--vis Russell and Bartlet. Toby makes sure Will's office gets moved to the OEOB tout de suite. C.J.'s father's declining health is touched upon when she and Toby argue over the issue of assisted suicide, and Abby and Jed briefly discussion Jed's intention to shuffle off this mortal coil without any help whatsoever, no matter how unpleasant it gets. And there's some 'shippy Josh-and-Donna stuff, so Merry Christmas to all those who want to believe.