I wasn't in the Situation Room that night, but I'll bet all the money in my pockets against all the money in your pockets that it was Leo, who no one elected! For 90 minutes that night there was a coup d'etat in this country.

It's one long night at the White House when the President must decide if a terrorist captured at the border with explosives warrants a precautionary security alert for the airports. While Josh and Sam gather a group including Donna, Ainsley, Ed, and Larry to punch up a White House Correspondant's Dinner speech that doesn’t bring the funny, a suspicious Toby confronts Leo about Hoynes' motives in distancing himself from Big Oil -- and putting a poll in the field. Sam and Ainsley debate the Equal Rights Amendment, while Josh and Donna argue over whether Josh is a man of occasion or an idiot. Leo, realizing he can't put Toby off any longer, convinces the President to confess that he has Multiple Sclerosis. Shocked, Toby reacts ferociously, detailing the stark consequences of the President going public with the admission. Bartlet and Leo are sobered by Toby's unfailing logic, and the President, who started out annoyed and defiant, ends up apologizing to Toby.

Credits

Written by AARON SORKIN
Directed by ALEX GRAVES

Starring:

ROB LOWE as Sam Seaborn
DULÉ HILL as Charlie Young
ALLISON JANNEY as C.J. Cregg
JANEL MOLONEY as Donna Moss
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:

National Multiple Sclerosis Society
White House Correspondents' Association
Federal Aviation Administration
Equal Rights Amendment
Bloomberg L.P.
Grossinger Country Club
The Constitution and Senate Rules on Impeachment
Crossfire Transcripts: Why Do Women Get Paid Less Than Men?  And the ERA

Dialogue Excerpts:

Leo:  Toby, nobody and particularly not Hoynes would be naive enough -- What I mean to say is that if he's going to New Hampshire for the reason you're thinking, he would mask it with something.  It wouldn't be an official trip.  He'd make up a benign reason to be there.

Toby:  I know.

Leo:  So why are you concerned about the speech?

Toby:  Because it comes in the middle of a three-day camping trip to Killington.  Why does Hoynes think the President isn't going to run again?  What's going on, Leo?

Sam:  Hmmm.

Josh:  Yeah.

Sam:  Well.

Josh:  You know what the problem with this is?

Sam:  Yes.

Josh:  It's supposed to be funny.

Sam:  And yet.

Josh:  It's not.

Josh:  It's our anniversary.

Donna:  No, it's not.

Josh:  I'm the sort of guy who remembers those things.

Donna:  No, you're the sort of guy who sends a woman flowers to be mean.  You're really the only person I've met who can do that.

Josh:  I'm quite something.

Leo:  It's in remission.  Nobody lied.

Toby:  Nobody lied?

Leo:  Nobody.

Toby:  Nobody lied?  Is that what you've been saying to yourself over and over again for a year?

Leo:  Look--

Toby:  Leo, a deception of massive proportion -- I can't even -- 

Sam:  "Shall not be abridged or denied on account of sex."  Very dangerous language.  This must be stopped.  What could possibly be your problem with the ERA?

Ainsley:  It's redundant.

Josh:  Why are we talking about the ERA?

Sam:  She's doing a thing.

Josh:  Yeah, but it's not back or anything?

Sam:  Certainly not if Phyllis Schlafly over here has her way.