Tomorrow night we do an immense thing. We have to say what we feel. That government no matter what its failures in the past -- and in times to come, for that matter -- government can be a place where people come together. And where no one gets left behind. No one gets left behind. An instrument of good.

While preparing for the State of the Union address -- and the opportunity to report that the country is stranger than it was a year ago -- President Bartlet collapses in the Oval Office. Abbey rushes back from a trip, arousing Leo's suspicions, and eventually confesses that the President has Multiple Sclerosis. Leo goes public with his status as a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. Lord John Marbury returns with a plan to ease the India-Pakistan crisis. Meanwhile, CJ flirts with Danny and Mallory flirts with Sam.

Credits

Written by AARON SORKIN
Directed by ARLENE SANFORD

Starring:

ROB LOWE as Sam Seaborn
DULÉ HILL as Charlie Young
ALLISON JANNEY as C.J. Cregg
MOIRA KELLY as Mandy Hampton
RICHARD SCHIFF as Toby Ziegler
JOHN SPENCER as Leo McGarry
BRADLEY WHITFORD as Josh Lyman
and MARTIN SHEEN as President Josiah Bartlet

Guest Starring:

Related Links:

The Kashmir Dispute
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The Constitution of the United States of America

Dialogue Excerpts:

Bartlet:  We meant stronger here, right?

Sam:  What's it say?

Bartlet:  "I'm proud to report that our country's stranger than it was a year ago."

Sam:  That's a typo.

Bartlet:  Could go either way.

Josh:  We need people who work for it and I'll tell you what else.

Toby:  No.

Josh:  The era of big government is over.

Toby:  Oh, when did this happen?

Josh:  This morning.  We had a meeting.

Toby:  Where you decided to offend poor people?

Josh:  The people we're offending won't be watching the State of the Union.

Toby:  Yeah, I can't imagine why not.