Professional Backgound
- CJ was a National Merit Scholar [2.9], she earned her master's degree at U.C. Berkeley [2.9], and she is an expert on language in polling models (and has been since 1993) [1.21].
- CJ's road to the White House:
- Sometime before 1998, CJ worked for a political organization called EMILY's List (Early Money Is Like Yeast -- It Helps Raise the Dough), which raises money for pro-choice women candidates [2.2].
- Though CJ didn't know anything about film and television (and considered the work beneath her), she accepted a job at Triton-Day Public Relations in Beverly Hills for $550,000 a year [2.2].
- One of CJ's Hollywood clients was Roger Becker, who dropped from third to ninth Most Powerful Person in Hollywood. Before CJ could appease him (most likely by making him Man of the Year somewhere in Vegas), he threatened to pull his business if CJ wasn't fired. Isobel, CJ's boss, fired CJ right there in the hallway to keep the Atlantis account [2.2].
- The same day CJ was fired, Toby Ziegler arrived from New Hampshire on Leo McGarry's instructions. Her work on EMILY's List earned CJ a job offer on the Bartlet for America campaign -- for considerably less money than she had been making: $600 a week [2.2].
- In the White House:
- Though CJ was offered a development deal by a Hollywood player, she chose to stay on as White House Press Secretary [1.16].
- In 2001, CJ received the Matrix Award from Women in Communication at a ceremony in New York [2.12].
- CJ is the only senior staffer who was told of the President's MS by Leo McGarry [3.1].
- After a significant gaffe at the height of the MS scandal, CJ told the President she would resign; at first, he reacted badly and started to lecture her. CJ raised her voice, saying, "Don't you dare lecture me, Mr. President, don't you dare do it." Startled out of his self-absorption, Bartlet talked about owing his election to the Senior Staff, and admitted, "I need you too" [3.2].
- The hate mail CJ received after condemning the Saudi Arabian religious police included subject lines like "Die, CJ, Die - from all of Saudi Arabia (29K)," "We are going to kill you, C. J. Cregg (110K)," "Saudis against cj cregg (93K)," and "American Lies, Lies, Lies" [3.19].
- After Jed Bartlet wiped the floor with Governor Ritchie in the only 2002 debate, CJ proposed that she and the rest of the spinners pull out of the spin room and let the debate speak for itself [4.6].
- CJ's professional favors can be bought by the First Lady if Abbey gets CJ drunk and takes her shopping [4.12].
- After reviewing Bartlet's second Inaugural address, Feminista!CJ made Toby and Will change all the instances of "mankind" to "humankind" [4.15].
- While in Orange County stumping for Sam, CJ got hit by an avocado, which ruined the sky blue DKNY suit she'd worn for all of 41 minutes [4.16].
- Speaking of Sam's Congressional campaign, CJ thinks that Scott Holcomb, the DNC's chosen campaign manager, has been mishandling Sam's campaign and agrees that Josh and Toby should take a leave from the White House and take over [4.16].
- On her "night off," CJ occasionally comes into the office to participate in some friendly poker games with the President, Leo, Toby, Josh, Will, Ed, and Larry [4.20].
- While in the deserted press room to watch Toby and Will go mano-à-mano over who could fling a playing card into the fifth row, CJ narrowly avoided being hit by a sniper. She thought her reflexes were catlike [4.20].
- Obnoxious cable news host Taylor Reid taunted CJ for not coming on his show, calling her a chicken until she agreed to appear -- and kicked his ass [5.14].
- Her assistant -- and sometimes partner in crime -- is Carol [1.1].
- In the press room:
- CJ refuses to respond to unattributed quotes in the pressroom; she assumes the reporters make them up [4.12], and her favored press policy is "always be upbeat" [4.16].
- CJ doesn't stand for anybody dissing Leo McGarry or Bruno Gianelli [4.8].
- CJ once accused the Speaker of welching on committee assignments and then had to apologize to the Welsh. It was a slow news day [5.12].
- When she calls a reporter back for a single, it costs her in the press room. Also, CJ gets frustrated because when the White House tries to balance out which paper gets what leaks, the papers who didn't get the leaks are tweaked at them and give them bad coverage [4.21].
- The most important press conference of her life was the one CJ gave two hours after Zoey Bartlet's abduction from a Georgetown nightclub. Toby heard most of it on the radio on his way to the White House and said she did very well [4.23].
