Let Bartlet Be Bartlet

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“Let Bartlet Be Bartlet”
The West Wing episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 19
Guest stars	John Amos Timothy Busfield Janel Moloney Paul Provenza Renee Estevez Richard Penn Aaron Lustig James DuMont Ted Marcoux David Brisbin Andy Buckley
Written by	Aaron Sorkin (teleplay) Peter Parnell and Patrick Caddell (story)
Directed by	Laura Innes
Production no.	225918
Original airdate
Season 1 episodes
Pilot Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc A Proportional Response Five Votes Down The Crackpots and These Women Mr. Willis of Ohio The State Dinner Enemies The Short List In Excelsis Deo Lord John Marbury He Shall, From Time To Time... Take Out The Trash Day Take This Sabbath Day Celestial Navigation 20 Hours In L.A. The White House Pro-Am Six Meetings Before Lunch Let Bartlet Be Bartlet Mandatory Minimums Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics What Kind of Day Has It Been
List of The West Wing episodes

"Let Bartlet Be Bartlet" is the 19th episode of The West Wing.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

1 Plot
2 Trivia
3 Goofs
4 Quotes
5 External link

[edit] Plot

When a damaging memo which is critical of the President is discovered, the White House press cover it with zest, much to CJ's dismay. Later it is revealed that Mandy wrote it when she was working for Lloyd Russell. Sam, Toby and Josh are involved in a series of meetings which go nowhere and result in nothing. Finally, Leo decides to confront President Bartlet to be himself.

[edit] Trivia

In an interview with TV Guide Online, Martin Sheen admitted to not knowing who Laura Innes was but that evening when his wife looked at the callsheets she commented that Laura was the best thing on ER, so he'd better behave.

[edit] Goofs

Sam receives weather information from a First Lieutenant of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard uses Navy ranks, so there is no such rank. The Coast Guard also have no weather forecasting responsibilities.

[edit] Quotes

Danny: You guys are stuck in the mud around here and none of it is the fault of the press. I know you're frustrated, but it ain't nothing to the frustration of the people who voted for you.

Bartlet: Are you bothered by this?
Leo: Yes.
Bartlet: We've heard it all before, Leo: You drive me to the political safe ground. It's not true.
Leo:I know it's not true … You drive me there. And you know it, too … We're stuck in neutral because that's where you tell me to stay.
Bartlet: You're wrong.
Leo: No, I'm not, sir.
Bartlet: You came to my house … and you said 'Jed, let's run for President' and I said 'Why?' and you said 'So you can open your mouth and say what you think' … Where did that part go, Leo?
Leo: You tell me, Mr. President. I don't see a shortage of cameras and microphones around here. What the hell were you waiting for? … Everything you do says 'For God's sake, Leo, I don't want to be a one-term President.' You dangle your feet and I'm the hall monitor around here. It's my job to make sure nobody runs too fast or goes off too far … You ever told me to get aggressive about anything, I'd say 'I serve at the pleasure of the President' … These people who would walk into fire if you told them to … Everyone's waiting for you. I don't know how much longer.
Bartlet: I don't want to feel like this any longer.
Leo: You don't have to.
Bartlet: This is more important than re-election, I want to speak now.
Leo: I'm going to talk to the staff, I'm going to take them off the leash.
Bartlet: You have a strategy for all this?
Leo: I have the beginning of one.
Bartlet: What?
Leo writes on a notepad - Let Bartlet Be Bartlet

Leo: Listen up. Our ground game isn't working. We're going to put the ball in the air. If we're going to walk into walls, I want us running into 'em full speed. We're going to lose some of these battles. We might even lose the White House. But we're not going to be threatened by issues. We're going to put them front and center. We're going to raise the level of public debate in this country. And let that be our legacy.