20 Hours in L. A.

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“20 Hours in L. A.”
The West Wing episode

Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 16
Written by	Aaron Sorkin
Directed by	Alan Taylor
Guest stars	David Hasselhoff Jay Leno Veronica Webb Marlee Matlin Bob Balaban Tim Matheson Jorja Fox Janel Moloney Elisabeth Moss John de Lancie Bill O'Brien Michael O'Neill Chris Hogan
Production no.	225915
Original airdate	February 23, 2000
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

"20 Hours in L. A." is the 16th episode of The West Wing.

[edit] Plot

It's time for a one-day trip to Los Angeles for the President, Josh, Toby, C.J. and Donna. The agenda includes a meeting in Orange Couty about flag-burning and a celebrity-packed reception and dinner at the house of studio boss Ted Marcus. President Bartlet meets his daughter's new Secret Service agent, Gina Toscano (played by Jorja Fox), and she later notes two unpleasant looking teenagers are lurking outside a restaurant the President and his daughter are having lunch at. Josh is threatened with the reception's cancellation by the studio boss when he learns the White House isn't actively opposing a conservative Congressman's bill to ban same-sex marriage, but cheers up considerably when he learns Joey Lucas is in town and wants to meet with him. Josh and Toby agree they can't stand an aggressive pollster named Al Kiefer who says the President can guarantee his legacy by banning flag-burning, and are very happy later when Joey Lucas produces data to show the issue is not very important to most voters (she thinks the President should simply say flag-burning is a wrong and troubling activity). Back in Washington, Leo and Sam note that the Senate vote on ethanol production is tied 50-50 and that VP Hoynes will have to cast the winning vote. Problem is, Hoynes has never been a fan of ethanol production, calling it wasteful and useless in reducing foreign oil dependence and even campaigning in Iowa against ethanol. Leo threatens his position, and the President says he wants to fire him, but Sam says the VP is right and they let some reluctant Senators vote "no" so the VP's off the hook. The President later actually compliments Hoynes for sticking to his guns, then is unable to get a good night's sleep on the flight back to D.C.

[edit] Trivia

In the shot where the motorcade is heading into Los Angeles from the airport, it is going the wrong way. Heading westbound on Manchester Blvd, the motorcade makes a left-hand turn on to southbound Sepulveda Blvd., from where it will be at LAX in about 2 minutes.
In this episode, President Barlet is excited to go to a Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles because they make the guacamole at your table. However, later in the season, the President says that he doesn't like Mexican food.