History Recap / TheWestWingS02E11TheLeadershipBreakfast

Before Congress comes back in session in the new year, there's a bi-partisan leadership breakfast. Toby is upset, however, because he feels they should be talking about actual issues while everyone is together, instead of talking about whether or not to change the name of the Patients Bill of Rights Act to the Comprehensive Access and Responsibility Act. He meets with Ann Stark (Felicity Huffman), the new Chief of Staff for the Majority Leader of the Senate, and she agrees to put the litigation part of the Patients Bill of Rights under discussion in exchange for having the press conference afterwards on Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, he also lets it slip the Democrats will offer a minimum wage hike amendment on every bill that comes out, and Ann leaks this to House Majority Whip Henry Shallick (Corbin Bernsen), who uses the press conference to go after the White House. The staff manages to come up with a counter-attack strategy for C.J., who is able to save face at her own briefing. Ann lets Toby know, in turn, they're not going to be able to have the kind of friendship they used to have, and the Majority Leader is running for President, which means Toby and Leo decide to get serious about President Bartlet's re-election campaign.

* EpicFail: Josh and Sam's attempts to build a fire in the Mural Room, especially since they don't realize the flue in the fireplace has been plugged in.

-->'''Charlie:''' [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Mr. President, you know how you told me not to wake you up unless the building was on fire?]]

-->'''Leo:''' (''to Margaret'') [[CrowningMomentOfFunny I keep meaning to fire you.]]

** Although the Majority Leader is mentioned in "Gone Quiet" as having been asked the question of why he wants to run for president in "Gone Quiet"; he completely flubs the answer, prompting a considerable amount of gloating from several of the staffers.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Karen Cahill is based on ''New York Times'' op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd, a friend of AaronSorkin's. Also, the "Ben and Sally" Leo refers to are ''Washington Post'' editor Ben Bradlee and his wife, columnist Sally Quinn.

* ProductionPosse: Felicity Huffman played Dana on ''Series/SportsNight''.

* SelfPlagiarism: Sam thinks he did very well at the dinner with Karen Cahill until he realizes he may have mixed up Kazakhstan (which has nuclear weapons) with Kyrgyzstan (which has no nuclear weapons). This is very similar to a Season 2 episode of ''Series/SportsNight'', where Dan mixed up "secular" and "non-secular" in front of HillaryClinton.

* SeriousBusiness: President Bartlet does not want *Vermont* maple syrup served at the breakfast, he wants *New Hampshire* maple syrup, thank you very much.

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[LALaw Arnie Becker]] is Congressman Shallick.

* SelfPlagiarism: Sam thinks he did very well at the dinner with Karen Cahill until he realizes he may have mixed up Kazakhstan (which has nuclear weapons) with Kyrgyzstan (which has no nuclear weapons. This is very similar to a Season 2 episode of ''Series/SportsNight'', where Dan mixed up "secular" and "non-secular" in front of HillaryClinton.

* SelfPlagiarism: Sam thinks he did very well at the dinner with Karen Cahill until he realizes he may have mixed up Kazakhstan (which has nuclear weapons) with Kyrgyzstan (which has no nuclear weapons. This is very similar to a Season 2 episode of ''Series/SportsNight''.

Before Congress comes back in session in the new year, there's a bi-partisan leadership breakfast. Toby is upset, however, because he feels they should be talking about actual issues while everyone is together, instead of talking about whether or not to change the name of the Patients Bill of Rights Act to the Comprehensive Access and Responsibility Act. He meets with Ann Stark (Felicity Huffman), the new Chief of Staff for the Majority Leader of the Senate, and she agrees to put part of the Patients Bill of Rights under discussion in exchange for having the press conference afterwards on Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, he also lets it slip the Democrats will offer a minimum wage hike amendment on every bill that comes out, and Ann leaks this to House Majority Whip Henry Shallick (Corbin Bernsen), who uses the press conference to go after the White House. The staff manages to come up with a counter-attack strategy for C.J., who is able to save face at her own briefing. Ann lets Toby know, in turn, they're not going to be able to have the kind of friendship they used to have, and the Majority Leader is running for President, which means Toby and Leo decide to get serious about President Bartlet's re-election campaign.

* InsistentTerminology

-->'''Josh:''' [[LampshadeHanging You just thought you'd say more words.]]

* SespiquedalianLoquaciousness: As Josh and Sam try to build a fire.

* SeriousBusiness: President Bartlet does not want *Vermont* maple syrup served at the breakfast, he wants *New Hampshire* maple syrup, thank you very much.

-->'''C.J.:''' Who cares? It’s a breakfast to trumpet a new spirit of bi-partisanship cooperation and understanding in a new year, no ones going to be listening to each other anyways!

* DidISayThatOutLoud:

* HypocriticalHumor:

Before Congress comes back in session in the new year, there's a bi-partisan leadership breakfast. Toby is upset, however, because he feels they should be talking about actual issues while everyone is together, instead of talking about whether or not to change the name of the Patients Bill of Rights Act to the Comprehensive Access and Responsibility Act. He meets with Ann Stark (Felicity Huffman), the new Chief of Staff for the Majority Leader of the Senate, and she agrees to put part of the Patients Bill of Rights under discussion in exchange for having the press conference afterwards on Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, he also lets it slip the Democrats will offer a minimum wage hike amendment on every bill that comes out, and Ann leaks this to House Majority Whip Henry Shallick (Corbin Bernsen), who uses the press conference to go after the White House. The staff manages to come up with a counter-attack strategy for C.J., who is able to save face at the press conference.