The First Lady's Office

Dr. Abigail Bartlet The First Lady

• Staffer who met the first lady at the door upon her return to the White House [2.20].

• Staffer, possibly a personal assistant, who was helping the first lady pack her suitcases [2.14].

Amy Gardner Chief of Staff

• Amy graduated from Brown and Yale Law School, to which she attributes her mouth [4.17].
• She worked for the Women's Leadership Coalition [3.8] as a Director [4.18].  Also for NOW (Issues Director for a year and a half), EMILY's List (Political Director for two years), founded the Democratic Women's Forum, and was an A.A. to Hope Schraeder [4.18].  Amy has also done some work with Rock the Vote [4.3].
• Amy worked as Abbey Bartlet's Chief of Staff for several months, but left after Amy's use of the absent First Lady's name angered the President in the wake of Zoey's kidnapping and rescue.  Despite Jed's apology, Amy decided the White House wasn't her optimum place of employment [5.5].
• Although she's employed by a feminist organization, she seems to think that girls should spend their time playing with Easy Bake Ovens [3.8]. After spending a large amount of political capital fighting the welfare reform bill, which passed anyway, Amy resigned from the WLC [3.22].
• She likes to make balloon animals and she likes her bras [3.8].  Also burnt toast [3.22].
• According to Josh, she's "always irate about something" [3.8], but Amy doesn't consider herself "a radical anything" [4.5].
• Abbey used to babysit Amy, whose full name is "Amelia" [4.18].
• She threw a water balloon at Josh and almost hit him in the head. Calls Josh "Special J" [3.8], planted glowing quotes about him in a Post puff piece as a birthday present, and left a dead fish in his office overnight [5.5].
• She knew Josh in law school, although at that time she was dating Josh's roommate, Chris [3.10]. She and Josh spent four nights together, according to her, before they decided to go to Tahiti together. (According to Josh, it was six, including: On the steps in front of Josh' apartment when she kissed him; when she came over after the SOTU; at Amy's when she put on her bootleg tape of the Stones at Wembly Stadium) [3.12].
• Although she and Josh apparently broke up at some point before she worked on Senator Stackhouse's third-party presidential challenge [4.4], she admits to Abbey that her problem is when Josh says something egotistical, she wants to jump him [4.17].  Amy and Josh briefly rekindled their romance [5.4], but ended it when Amy left the White House [5.5].
• She has a basset hound named Henry [3.12].

Notable Quotes

"I didn't burn my bras, J.  In fact, I like my bras." [3.8]

"Is it possible that you are so addled that you've constructed some nonsense problem so that you'd have an excuse to see me?" [3.10]

"Maybe not so much for you with the talking." [3.10]

"The First Lady just asked me to get boozy with her, you don't think I want to write a book one day?" [3.15]

"All women count on you, Josh.  We find you Godlike." [3.21]

"Why have I been dancing?" [3.21]

"Does my government really believe that the law can create a family?  Do these old fat-ass men really believe that if they just pay people to act like Leave It to Beaver everything will be fine?" [3.21]

"If you win by selling out the Party, who cares who wins?  'Jed Bartlet: not quite as mean-spirited as the other guy.' " [3.21]

"Please say white men instead of independent voters.  And if you're serious about making welfare a second chance and not a way of life, you have to give people job training." [3.22]

"I fought you, I lost, I had a drink, I took a shower.  'Cause that's how it is in the NBA.  You know what I do when I win?  Two drinks." [4.4]

"I'm crazy about the President, Josh.  I've been crazy about him for longer than you've known who he was.  And I'll keep poking him with a stick.  Because that's how I show my love." [4.4]

"I want women to have help from the government.  I want women to earn what men earn.  I want everyone to earn enough so that everyone can make the right choice for their family, and after that, it's none of your business who stays home and who goes to work." [4.5]

"Ironically, I have a hunch the First Lady could've been brought on board fair play if she'd been lobbied more -- what's the word? -- more, you know, professionally, rather than being embarrassed in this morning's newspaper." [4.17]

"It's my first day and already the First Lady has me overthrowing the government." [4.18]

"If women and children aren't safe in their own homes, who needs national security?" [5.3]

"I came here to work on issues, not to be part of a messianic cult." [5.5]

• Josh easily bested Max, Abbey's nephew, at the political game, then told Abbey she needed a professional Chief of Staff. So Abbey fired Max and hired Amy Gardner [4.17].

• Lilly used to work for President Bartlet's communications team before joining the first lady's staff [1.17].

Notable Quotes:

"Your guy steps out of a motorcade and that's three column inches above the fold.  My guy's on page 23." [1.17]
 

• An intern for the former Chief of Staff whom Amy Gardner keeps on provisionally [4.18].