Constituency of One
Encyclopedia
Plot
After JoshJosh Lyman
Joshua "Josh" Lyman is a fictional character played by Bradley Whitford on the television drama The West Wing. For the majority of the series, he was White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the Josiah Bartlet administration...
is hailed as the "101st Senator" in a newspaper profile, he clashes with conservative Senator Carrick (Tom Skerritt
Tom Skerritt
Thomas Roy "Tom" Skerritt is an American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and more than 200 television episodes since 1962.-Early life:...
), a Democrat from Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. Carrick withholds his approval of a backlog of military promotions so he can secure an expensive but worthless missile launcher that was promised to him by a Republican President to be built in his home state.
Toby creates a "message calendar" and wants Will Bailey
Will Bailey
William "Will" Bailey, is a fictional character played by Joshua Malina on the television serial drama The West Wing, holding various posts in the White House Office of Communications, Office of the Vice President and a backbencher Congressman .-Character biography:Will grew up in Belgium, as his...
to take over his Communications Director duties, but Will gets an offer to become the Chief of Staff and top advisor to new Vice President Bob Russell and accepts it, enraging Toby – who's also mad because Leo
Leo McGarry
Leo Thomas McGarry is a fictional character played by John Spencer on the television serial drama The West Wing. The role earned Spencer the 2002 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. McGarry's character, the former United States Secretary of Labor, begins the series as the White...
says Toby can't become an advisor due to the troubled state of the Bartlet Administration.
Leo has his own problems: C.J. is confronted by the White House press corps
White House Press Corps
The White House Press Corps is the group of journalists or correspondents usually stationed at the White House in Washington, D.C. to cover the president of the United States, White House events and news briefings. Their offices are located in the West Wing....
over an EPA report on the dangers of coal that was apparently censored by the Administration. C.J. finds out that Leo did censor it, and when she says so he orders her to say she was wrong and screwed up, leaving C.J. more frustrated than ever over the sorry state of affairs.
President Bartlet is still dealing with his wife's departure to Manchester, and finds out that a HHS committee has reopened a bill to add violence-prevention funding. He blames Amy Gardner
Amy Gardner
Amelia "Amy" Gardner is a fictional character on the American television series The West Wing, portrayed by Mary-Louise Parker. Politically skilled and a strong advocate on feminist causes, the character holds various jobs throughout the timeline depicted on The West Wing, both in public-advocacy...
and blasts her for her actions, while Amy also gets no support from Josh when he learns she gave flattering quotes about him for the "101st Senator" article. While the President later apologizes to Amy for blasting her, Josh is too busy dealing with Senator Carrick and avoiding talk of his birthday to talk to her, so she quits her job and leaves the White House. Josh eventually calls Carrick's bluff and gets the military promotions lock lifted, but at an enormous price – Carrick resigns from the Democratic party, and switches his allegiance to the Republicans. A stunned Josh is left holding Carrick's resignation letter, just as the staff (including the President) surprise him with a birthday party.