We Watch So You Don't Have To
A lot of stuff going on this week on "The West Wing." The president hosts a party for Nobel laureates, Toby tries to lower the minimum voting age, there's a secret slumber party for Democratic members of Congress, and Kate has to stop the U.S. from invading Canada. It's a busy week, so let's get to it.
Meanwhile, Cliff, Donna's old boyfriend from three seasons ago, apparently took the job of deputy chief of staff that was offered to him last week and is trying to orchestrate a win for the president on a House vote banning stem cell research. Speaker Hafley schedules a vote on a measure banning stem cell research. All the Democrats take a break from campaigning and return to D.C. to vote against the measure. Hafley then pulls a dirty trick and cancels the vote, knowing it will fail if all the Democrats vote against it. The gig then becomes a waiting game, where Hafley won't reschedule the vote until he's sure all of the Democratic Congressman have left town. Ah, but the wily Democrats won't be outsmarted that easily! They have Matt Santos on their side and he essentially comes up with the brilliant plan of hiding all the Democratic congressmen in the office of the Vice President, tricking poor Hafley into believing they've all skipped town.
We have to wonder at this point, what good is Josh to Santos? Santos comes up with this not so excellent plan all on his own, and has to convince Josh of it. Hafley buys the fake out, reschedules the vote and the Democrats march in like the cavalry to vote against banning stem cell research. During this time, Donna gets to observe the awesomeness that is Congressman Santos.
Toby accidentally meets with a bunch of middle school nerds who want to lower the minimum voting age, giving kids the right to vote. The kids are lead by a spunky and passionate little nerd who argues his position well enough for Toby to take a liking to him. Toby softens a little, showing us that he actually is good with kids.
Kate, who has excellent hair this week but is wearing far too much make up, mediates a conflict between Canadian hunters who have taken some Americans hostage. The U.S. goes as far as secretly landing a helicopter in Canada before she threatens to take everyone's hunting licenses away.
Whew. Busy week.