The U.S. Poet Laureate

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The West Wing episode
"The U.S. Poet Laureate"
Episode no.	60
Prod. code	227217
Orig. airdate	March 27, 2002
Writer(s)	Aaron Sorkin (teleplay) Laura Glasser (story)
Director	Christopher Misiano
Guest star(s)	Laura Dern Emily Procter NiCole Robinson Renee Estevez Volanda Lloyd Delgado Beth Littleford James Eckhouse
Season 3 October 10 2001 – May 22 2002
Isaac and Ishmael Documentary Special Manchester Part I Manchester Part II Ways and Means On the Day Before War Crimes Gone Quiet The Indians in the Lobby The Women of Qumar Bartlet for America H. Con-172 100,000 Airplanes The Two Bartlets Night Five Hartsfield's Landing Dead Irish Writers The U.S. Poet Laureate Stirred Enemies Foreign and Domestic The Black Vera Wang We Killed Yamamoto Posse Comitatus
List of all West Wing episodes...

"The U.S. Poet Laureate" is episode 60 of The West Wing.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Plot

Bartlet makes a disparaging comment about a potential Republican nominee after a television interview, not realizing that he is still being recorded (or did he realize it?). For days, C.J. must control the scandal, and Sam recalls Republican White House legal counsel Ainsley Hayes from vacation to help formulate the administration's official response. Meanwhile, Toby tries to dissuade the newly named U.S. poet laureate, Tabatha Fortis, from publicly objecting to the government's lack of support for a treaty on land mines. Bartlet ponders saving a failing computer company. And Josh is both repulsed and intrigued by the fact that there is a fan-based Web site devoted to him.

[edit] Note

This is the final episode featuring Emily Procter in the recurring role as Deputy White House Counsel Ainsley Hayes. Though her departure was never explained in this episode, Hayes briefly returned in a season 7 episode Requiem in which she revealed her whereabouts.