The White House Pro-Am

"The White House Pro-Am" is the 17th episode of the first season of The West Wing.

Plot

The First Lady begins the day appearing on a morning talk show with a teenage boy discussing the issue of child labor. Meanwhile, Bernard Dahl, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve has died. Dahl's deputy Ron Erlich seems the most likely candidate to replace him, but President Bartlet wants to wait a day before naming him, saying he's not sure. Sam and Toby decide that the reason they'll give to the press is respect for Dahl's passing.

Josh wants Toby to attend a meeting with some members of Congress to court their votes on a trade bill. Toby is adamantly opposed to attending because, since the bill is likely going to pass, it's unnecessary to get more votes. Later, at the morning press briefing, C.J. fields questions on the naming of the new Fed Chairman, when one reporter says that a source says the First Lady has expressed a preference for Erlich to be the new Chairman, which surprises C.J. Sam later questions the First Lady's Chief of Staff, Lilli, on where the statement came from. She says it wasn't her, and feeling offended by Sam's attitude, exits her office. Meanwhile, Bartlet wants C.J. to find out who leaked his wife's opinion on Erlich.

Zoey Bartlet enters the Oval Office and she and the President chat about her classes before he tells her that she's been getting letters expressing displeasure with the fact that she's dating Charlie, a black man. Due to this, and a white supremacist rally near a club she and Charlie were planning on attending, she can't take Charlie to the club. Zoey reluctantly agrees to this.

Later at a gym, Sam is approached by Congresswoman Becky Reeseman. She informs him she plans on adding an amendment to the trade bill restricting child labor, as a result of the First Lady's broadcast that morning. This upsets Sam because they wanted to get it through Congress with as few riders as possible to get the bill passed, and such an amendment will stop the bill from passing. Nonetheless, the Congresswoman tells him she intends to go through with the amendment.

Zoey and Charlie are eating lunch at a diner when Zoey breaks the news about not being able to go to the club. Charlie is fine with it until he finds out the reason why. Zoey's Secret Service agent joins in to inform him the club would be too unmanageable to secure, further dismaying Charlie. When Zoey goes to the bathroom, Charlie decides to head back to work without saying goodbye.

Sam decides to speak to Lilli once again, but finds the First Lady in her office instead. Sam tells her that her staff is "prone to amateur mistakes," such as making the First Lady appear as though she only discovered the child labor problem because a boy told her about it. He also asks her to convince Reeseman to not put up the amendment, which, surprisingly, Abbey readily agrees to. Later at a White House function, Abbey tells her that the amendment will kill any chance the trade bill has of passing the Senate and implies that the amendment was a way of allowing her to contend for a Senate seat. Reeseman reluctantly agrees after being assured the President's staff won't say anything about it.

Abbey then goes to see Bartlet and scolds him for sending his staff to deal with her for him. She admits she was the one who leaked her preference for Erlich, and accuses Bartlet of waiting on announcing his appointment due to her prior relationship with Erlich. Bartlet says it was wrong for her to send him messages through the press. Abbey dismisses his disapproval on the child labor issue, saying, "If it was one of our girls in that factory, you'd send in the Marines," which Bartlet concedes is right. Their tempers cool and they head to the party.

Back at Zoey's dorm, Charlie visits with flowers, a book, popcorn, and videos to apologize for his behavior. Zoey forgives him and invites him in at the close of the episode.

External links

• The West Wing Episode Guide
• Television Without Pity recap