CAPS

CJ.circulates around the room. Danny approaches C.J.

DANNY

C.J., look....

C.J.

Yeah. You're not going to want to miss this.

The crowd applauds again.

REPORTER

C.J., what is this? What's going on in there?

C.J.

The President's going to throw his cap over the wall.

REPORTER

What does that mean?

C.J.

You're about to find out.

CUT TO: THE PODIUM - CONTINUOUS

BARTLET

My Father was very fond of the analogy of the Irish lads whose journey was blocked by a brick wall, seemingly too high to scale. Throwing their caps over the wall, the lads had no choice but to follow. 

How many times in the great history of our country have we come to a wall seemingly too high to scale only to throw our caps to the other side?

FADE TO: INT. A DARK ROOM - NIGHT

The Senate Majority Leader is inside with his staff. Steve Onorato is watching Bartlet from a TV screen.

SENATOR

This was given to me by a constituent who read in Time Magazine that I like Cognac.

The problem is, that this is Brandy and not Cognac. Anyone know the

difference?

ONORATO

Senator?

SECRETARY

The Cognac is supposed to come from the...

SENATOR

...The Cognac region of France. That's right.

ONORATO

Senator?

SENATOR

Steve, sit down with us over here, would you? The man's not going to say anything we're interested in.

ONORATO

I think he is.

SENATOR

What are you talking about?

ONORATO

Listen.

BARTLET

[on T.V.] Tomorrow... tomorrow morning, we're going to begin to change the way elections are supervised in this country.

ONORATO

He's going to name two finance reformers to the F.E.C.

SENATOR

What the hell are you talking about?

ONORATO

Listen.

SENATOR

You said it wasn't going to happen.

ONORATO

I was wrong.

SENATOR

You were wrong?

ONORATO

He's going to name... damn it! Somebody....

SECRETARY

John Bacon...

ONORATO

John Bacon and Patty Calhoun.

SENATOR

You told him, they take on campaign finance reform, I roll out a legislative agenda that'll make his boss sit down and cry.

ONORATO

I made it very clear.

BARTLET

[on T.V.] I am proud to nominate John Branford Bacon and Patricia Calhoun to the Federal Election Commission.

SENATOR

Get him on the phone.

SECRETARY

Who?

SENATOR

Josh Lyman. Get him on the phone. I'm going to reach down his throat and take out his lungs with an ice-cream scoop.

CUT TO: INT. SHERATON HOTEL/MONITOR AREA - NIGHT

Josh, Toby, and Sam are all decked out in tuxes.

SAM

You're about to get a call.

JOSH

Yeah.

SAM

Big call.

JOSH

Yeah.

SAM

Powerful guy.

JOSH

Yeah.

SAM

I'm just saying you're probably rocked back from your meeting last week.

JOSH

A little.

SAM

They threatened you with a legislative agenda.

JOSH

Yeah.

SAM

They made you feel powerless and you're a little off your game.

JOSH

Yeah.

SAM

A little gun shy.

In the background, a phone rings. Toby had sidled up by Sam.

TOBY

Leave him alone.

SAM

I'm bucking him up.

TOBY

Leave him alone.

SAM

You asked me to buck him up.

TOBY

Now, I'm telling you to leave him alone.

JOSH

Guys, I'm trying to watch this speech.

DONNA

Josh.

JOSH

The call?

DONNA

On the cell. [hands him the cell phone]

TOBY

Josh, if you need us, we're standing right here.

Josh turns away to answer the call.

JOSH

[into phone] Hi, Senator. Why don't you take your legislative agenda and shove it up your ass.

He closes the phone as the crowd applauds again. He turns back to everyone.

JOSH

Turns out I was fine.

He tosses phone to Donna, who catches it as we--

SMASH CUT TO: MAIN TITLES.

END TEASER

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