“New Hampshire…it’s what’s new?” Donna surveyed the board in the Governor’s office.
“Pay no attention to it, Donatella. The wonder boys were at it again. They want your job.” Governor
Bartlet replied.
“With slogans like that one their chances appear slim,” Donna noted. “I have the information you
asked for this morning. I tried to run it by you earlier, but Mrs. Landingham said you were in
conference with Secretary McGarry.”
Governor Bartlet rolled his eyes at the memory of the meeting. “You could have easily interrupted. Leo
was on a roll and I could have used you to distract him.”
“I don’t think that’s in my job description. Anything going on that I should know about?”
“Nothing; absolutely nothing,” Jed drawled. “We’re old friends and he wanted to run something by me.
Actually, you’d find the topic humorous. He thinks I should run for President.”
Donna blinked. Then a slow smile crossed her face. “President? Of the United States?”
“No, of the local Rotary club.”
“I’m sorry, sir, it’s just that…I thought you were happy here, being Governor.”
“I’m VERY happy here, Donnatella, which is why I threw the bum out on his ear,” Jed joked, but he
lingered at the tripod where Leo’s Bartlet for America napkin hung ceremoniously.
“The ‘bum’ was here quite awhile, sir.”
“I was just humoring the man. He’s an old friend, as I said. The idea is ridiculous.”
“Why?” Donna asked.
“Because I love the job I have. Because a run like that…it’s a huge ordeal for everyone.” Jed carefully
removed the napkin from its place of honor and tucked it into a drawer, but he appeared lost in
thought again.
“You know, Governor, it’s not a ridiculous idea. You’ve done great things in New Hampshire. Why is it
so difficult to imagine yourself doing those things on a grander scale?”
“I wouldn’t stand a chance. I’m an unknown Governor from a small Eastern state. John Hoynes has his
name carved in stone for the Democratic nomination.”
“And I KNOW how much that pleases you.” Donna had had to listen to her share of lectures about
what was wrong with John Hoynes and the campaign he was embarking on.
“Pleasing ME is not the point,” Jed rebutted. “He’s got the money, he’s got the party faithful, there’s
simply no stopping him. My point has been that someone should be in there keeping the man honest;
holding him to traditional Democratic values!”
“There really should be someone to do just that,” Donna agreed smirking. “I can’t imagine who the
party might find…”
“Stop.”
“Maybe you should consider it,” Donna suggested. “As an intellectual exercise; I know how you love
those!”
“Abbey would KILL me,” Jed muttered.
“If it were a real run, yes, but if you’re just talking about dangling your feet in the water…to better the
party…”
“You are an evil woman, Donnatella, tempting me in such a way.”
“All media consultants are evil, Governor. It’s a job requirement.”
“Enough. Abbey should be here any minute. We’re going out to dinner.”
“Great timing. I need to speak to her about her event on Thursday.” Donna smiled.
“I really don’t think it’s a good idea for you and my wife to be spending this much time together, Donna.
You…plot things. And they usually involve something embarrassing for me.”
“Nonsense, Governor. We do nothing but try to enhance your reputation throughout the state.”
“Uh-huh. Just remember who signs your paychecks, young lady,” he warned, but in his head, all he
could see was the Bartlet for America slogan Leo had pitched him. He’d give it some thought. What
could it hurt? Nothing. And that’s what would come of it. Nothing.
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“There’s somebody I want you to meet after the thing.” Leo told Donna.
“Who?”
“Josh Lyman.” Leo nodded his head in the direction of a young man seated in the back corner of the
VFW hall. He was currently engrossed in the local paper.
“Who is he?”
“Chief of Staff to John Hoynes.” Leo chuckled when Donna bristled.
“What is he doing here and why do I have to meet him?”
“He’s coming on board as the Governor’s Director of Strategic Planning.”
“What? When did this happen?”
“In about an hour or so.” Leo shrugged and chuckled again at Donna’s confusion. “Just don’t leave
until I introduce you. You’re going to be working together.”
“But I thought…”
“It’s time to bring in some big guns now.”
“HE is a big gun?” Donna looked over at him again.
“Maybe even as big as he thinks he is.” Leo smiled at the inside joke. Donna was about to find out how
big the Lyman ego was for herself.
Donna waited and watched for a few minutes, getting more frustrated as she observed Josh Lyman
completely ignoring Jed Bartlet’s question and answer session. THIS is how big guns acted? Donna
only had experience in state and local politics, but it seemed that someone higher up in the campaign
ladder should at least pay attention to the candidate when he was speaking.
“Toby!” she whisper shouted to him.
“I’m listening,” he replied.
“What do you know about Josh Lyman?”
“Works for Hoynes.”
“Yes, thank you, I got that much. What else do you know?” Donna prodded the recent prickly addition
to the Bartlet campaign staff.
“I’m LISTENING to the Q & A!” he repeated. Donna huffed out a breath and gave up. She’d already
learned Toby was very stubborn and if he was focused on the Q & A… She decided to take matters
into her own hands and marched over to Josh Lyman’s table. She sat behind him and he didn’t seem
to take any notice of her arrival; he just kept turning the pages of the newspaper.
“Excuse me,” she began, but he still didn’t respond. “Excuse me!” she tried louder and he looked at
her over his shoulder.
“Yeah, you can sit there,” he told her and turned his attention back to the paper.
“I’m not asking for your permission,” Donna clarified. “I was thinking, perhaps, you’d like to pay more
attention to the question and answer portion of the evening.”
“I am,” the man shrugged and turned the page of the newspaper.
“Really,” Donna said drily. “It looks like you’re reading the paper.”
“I’m multi-tasking,” he muttered.
“I doubt you’re that talented,” Donna muttered back and had his whole body turning around.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Donna Moss and I think you should be paying more attention to the Governor right now.”
He smirked at her. “What are you, the campaign police?”
“In a matter of speaking.”
“Who ARE you?”
“I’m Donna Moss,” she replied easily. “Don’t you think you should be paying more attention to the
Governor’s answer on taxes?” She indicated the man himself at the podium.
“Whenever he starts talking about anything to do with money my eyes glaze over,” Josh admitted and
went back to his paper.
“I don’t believe you.” Donna shook her head.
“They do. They completely glaze over,” Josh answered over the paper. “He sounds like an economics
professor, who has tenure, and bores all of the first year freshman to death.”
“He has a Nobel prize in economics,” Donna pointed out.
“Yeah, I read that in the brochure.” Josh indicated the campaign literature that Donna had put together
herself…it was on the floor at his feet.
“You don’t find that impressive?” she asked.
“Not unless I’m asking him to do my taxes for me.”
“We’re asking THE WHOLE COUNTRY to let him do their taxes.”
“Not so much, no. He can’t even get the attention of a friendly audience in his home state.” Josh
indicated the people around them eating their chicken and paying little attention to the Governor.
“That’s because they’re too focused on OTHER THINGS to give him their full attention.” Donna ripped
the paper out of his hands and caused a few heads turning in their direction.
“Who ARE you?”
“I’m Donna Moss and I think you should act a little more interested and speak a little more supportively
about the man you work for.”
“I work for Senator Hoynes. You want me to speak up for him here?” Josh asked.
“But I thought…Leo said…Aren’t you going to be working for the Governor now?”
Josh tilted his head in puzzlement. “You know Leo?” Donna nodded. “You’ve been misinformed. I’m
just here as a favor to a friend of my father’s. I’m taking the train back to DC tomorrow.”
Now it was Donna’s turn to look puzzled. “Leo said you were coming on board with the campaign. You’
re spying for Hoynes?”
“Spying for…” Josh broke off laughing. “To find out what? The secret to boring people to death?”
Donna leaned toward him, insulted on behalf of the Governor. “Governor Bartlet has more integrity,
intelligence and honor in his little finger than Senator Hoynes has in his entire body.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Maybe we can use him in the cabinet once Senator Hoynes is in the White
House,” Josh replied.
“You are an ass,” Donna decided and left him alone at the table wondering who the hell the spitfire
was and just how she knew Leo.
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“…don’t screw up.” Leo instructed Toby and headed out to meet with Josh. He’d kept Josh waiting for
awhile and with that boy’s patience, it wasn’t wise to leave him much longer.
“Joshua…”
“You’ve got to fire the staff,” Josh announced and had Leo chuckling as they began walking together.
“Done.”
“All of them?” Josh pushed.
“All but a select few,” Leo hedged. “When can you start?”
“Who said I was starting?”
“I did. When?”
“I have to go back to DC; talk to the Senator,” Josh sighed. “He’s the front runner, Leo.”
“Yep.”
“The presumptive nominee.”
“Yep.”
“It would be crazy to give up my job with him to jump on board with the Governor,” Josh declared.
“Yep…so when can you start?”
“Friday,” Josh replied easily. “I’m bringing somebody with me.”
“The more the merrier,” Leo replied. “And since we’re virtually starting over staff wise…feel free to
bring a couple of people with you.”
“Leo…” Josh broke off and stopped walking. “There’s really no way he could even win the nomination
let alone the Presidency.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” Leo paused too. “The thing is…when you’ve worked for as many
phonies as I have and you find the real thing…you have to do it.”
“Yeah,” Josh acknowledged.
“Damn. I wanted you to meet Donna while you were here.” Leo shook his head in disgust. In his haste
to fire most of the staff he’d forgotten that one pesky detail.
“Donna Moss?” Josh smiled.
“Yeah. Did she introduce herself to you?”
“Sort of,” Josh grinned. “She called me an ass.”
“She is a perceptive woman.” Leo nodded and grinned right back at him.
“What’s her story?”
“She’s been the media consultant for the Governor for the past two years; she’s good, but a little
green for what we’re trying to do here. I thought she could work with you on…stuff.”
“That might be a problem since she’s declared I’m an ass and all.”
“Nah…lots of people that you work with think you’re an ass, Josh. It’ll be no problem. You just wait and
see.” Leo patted him on the back. “See you Friday, son.”
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“Maybe I should just stay in the New Hampshire office.”
“Donna…”
“There’s still a lot to do there,” she insisted.
“I thought you wanted the experience of a national campaign.” Leo asked.
“I did…I do!”
“Then…”
“Why does it have to be with him?” she asked referring to Josh. Leo had already heard 2 verses and a
chorus of this song.
“Margaret!” Leo bellowed before turning back to Donna. “I don’t have time for this crap, Donna. Work
with Josh on this or stay in New Hampshire. The choice is yours. Margaret, I need the editorial from the
Post on my desk NOW.”
Margaret whipped it out and placed it squarely in the center of his desk.
“You’re creepy when you do that. You know that, right?” Leo asked and Margaret just gave him a look.
“Josh will be here any minute. He said to tell you he had Sam Seaborn with him,” Margaret reported.
“Great,” Leo answered absently.
“Why can’t I work with Sam Seaborn instead?” Donna continued following Leo around the office.
“You’ve developed a sudden talent for speech writing?” Leo posed.
“He’s going to write the Governor’s speeches?” Donna asked afraid for Toby’s job. He’d been sober
since the great firing of last week, but still…
“He’s going to write with Toby. We need more people, talented people; Josh says Sam’s the guy.”
“But Leo…”
“Josh or New Hampshire,” Leo repeated.
“These are my only choices?” Donna whined and spotted the Governor. “Governor…”
“Leo makes the staffing decisions Donna.”
“But Josh Lyman is…” Donna wasn’t going to call the man an ass to the Governor but…
“Who is Josh Lyman?” Jed asked Leo.
“Don’t worry about it. Have you got your notes for the interview?”
“I don’t need notes for the interview,” Jed objected.
“Governor!” Leo and Donna chorused.
“Fine, fine, I’ll take the notes, but it’s not like I haven’t spoken to these people a hundred times before.”
“Not as a Presidential candidate, Governor,” Leo reminded him.
Jed looked around and lowered his voice. “Do we REALLY need all these new people?”
“Yes, now go,” Leo urged him away. “Josh! There you are. I thought you were going to be here at one.”
“I had to take the later flight. I had to pack up my life, Leo. It takes awhile.”
“He had to say goodbye to all his…friend,” Donna added sotto voice. Josh smirked at her and turned
to Sam.
“See? I told you she had a smart mouth,” Josh announced to his friend.
“Josh!” Sam objected.
“What? I like smart mouths.” Josh blew off Sam’s criticism. “Sam Seaborn, this is Leo McGarry and his
trusty sidekick Donna Moss.”
“Mr. Secretary,” Sam held his hand out to Leo. “It’s an honor.”
“It’s just Leo now, Sam. We’re glad to have you on board.” Leo shook Sam’s hand before Sam offered
it to Donna. “It’s nice to meet you, Donna. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Donna just sent a scathing look at Josh who simply smiled.
“I hear you’re stepping up to the national campaign with us?” Sam queried as he watched some kind of
non-verbal communication that passed between Leo and Donna.
“Yessss,” Donna said between clenched teeth.
“Excellent.” Sam smiled. “Where should I…” Sam motioned to his briefcase and coat.
“I’ve got you sharing space with Toby Ziegler. I’ll show you. Donna can take Josh to their office,” Leo
instructed and Donna rolled her eyes.
“Come on,” Donna muttered as she led the way.
“Why thank you, I’d love to follow you Donna. And yes, my flight was fine. You’re so kind to ask,” Josh
teased.
“I don’t give a damn about your flight,” Donna told him.
“A cup of coffee would be great,” Josh continued as though she hadn’t spoken. She stopped in her
tracks and turned to face him. They were inches apart.
“In. Your. Dreams,” she said quietly.
“Oh, I don’t think you want the details of my dreams, Donnatella,” Josh replied just as quietly. Donna
bristled at the use of her full name.
“Donna,” she corrected.
“See? We’re already at the nickname phase of our relationship.” Josh grinned.
“I hate you,” Donna said simply and turned to continue to their office. At this point in the campaign,
operating on a shoe string budget, she and Josh would be sharing office space. More good news, she
thought.
“Give me a few minutes to unpack and then I’ll get you a list of what I need,” Josh decreed.
“I can hardly wait,” Donna drawled. “I’ve put the latest numbers on your desk and a schedule of events
through next week. Leo said you’d want to draw up an issue calendar so I’ve got the staff meeting with
you at 6:00.”
“That’s a good start. You really won’t get me some coffee?” Josh tried again and full out laughed when
she slammed the door shut behind her.
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“He’s insufferable,” Donna announced.
“So am I,” Toby reasoned with her while he continued typing. “You do okay with me.”
“Your insufferability is completely different.”
“Okay, that’s not a word,” Toby noted.
“You know what I mean.”
“Nope. Not a clue,” Toby replied just as Sam burst in.
“It’s only five paragraphs, but see what you think…you know, as a start,” Sam offered the page to
Toby who perused it.
“This is good,” Toby declared.
“You like it?” Sam asked in surprise.
“Yes, except for the second, third, and fourth paragraphs, it’s great.” Toby handed it back to him.
“Right,” Sam nodded. This was his fourth attempt at finding the Governor’s voice.
“Donna!” Josh’s shout could be heard throughout the small campaign office.
“Lord help me,” Donna muttered and turned to answer his call in person.
“Donna, relax, he’s just messing with you,” Sam advised her.
“I hate him.”
“He grows on you,” Sam assured her. “Once you…you know, get him.”
“I can hardly wait,” Donna replied.
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“That makes no sense,” Donna objected.
“To you. To me, it makes perfect sense, so just do it,” Josh answered with a yawn. He’d been up fifteen
hours straight and it was beginning to show.
“I’m not exactly new to this, you know,” Donna told him.
“On a national level you are. It’s completely different from state and local politics,” Josh explained with
more patience than he thought he had left. “Please trust me on this.”
“I don’t,” Donna said honestly. “But Leo trusts you and I trust Leo, so…”
“Donna, Donna, Donna…It’s been almost two weeks. What do I have to do to prove myself here?”
“Make a tangible difference in the Governor’s campaign,” Donna replied easily.
“I have. Wait until the numbers come out today,” Josh said brashly.
“Right.”
“Eight point bump,” Josh tossed back.
“In two weeks? What drugs are you on?”
“Want to make a bet?” Josh wiggled his eyebrows at her.
“I don’t bet on political campaigns.”
“Of course you do. You took a major bet on the professor,” Josh teased just to see her eyes get wide
with insult at the nickname he’d given the Governor.
“GOVERNOR Bartlet.” Donna corrected and her eyes didn’t disappoint.
“If GOVERNOR Bartlet gets the eight point bump, you buy me dinner,” Josh suggested.
“And if he doesn’t?” Donna asked.
“Then I buy you dinner,” Josh spread his arms out as if it was obvious.
“You’re an ass.”
“So you keep saying…but you keep coming back day after day to learn from the master…” Josh
reasoned.
“Argh…” Donna growled and left the room. She went outside to blow off some steam and ran straight
into CJ Cregg. CJ had arrived two days ago and the women had instantly bonded.
“Whoa…him again?” CJ guessed.
“He’s driving me insane, CJ,” Donna started pacing outside the Bartlet for America. “He’s the most
insufferable…arrogant…ass!”
“Let it go. Take a deep cleansing breath.”
“How can you be so calm and happy?” Donna asked.
“I just got our new numbers.” CJ grinned wickedly. “We’re up eight points!”
Donna’s head fell back on her shoulders. “Kill me now.”
“Donna!”
“He predicted it. Just now, the ass predicted it. He was so sure of it, in fact, that he wanted to bet on
dinner over it.”
CJ looked at Donna speculatively. “Is that what all this is about? Are you harboring some kind
of…something for Josh Lyman?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. You’ve met him,” Donna argued.
“I have. He’s got those cute dimples and that rapid fire wit,” CJ mused.
“CJ!”
“I’ll leave you to ponder that while I go give Leo and the Governor the good news,” CJ offered. Donna
took a deep, cleansing breath and walked reluctantly back into their office.
She quietly shut the door this time as Josh was on the phone.
“…I’m telling you Alan, this is as good as it gets. You’ve got an opportunity to get in at the ground level
and believe me when I tell you the Governor won’t forget who was behind him in the early days once
he’s in the White House.” Donna listened to the man spin. “John Hoynes does NOT have it all locked
up. Would I be here if he did?” Another pause. “We’re going to get a serious bump tonight and
another after Iowa. By then, we’ll be fielding so many calls from people wanting to share the Governor’
s stage that I’ll be saying, ‘Alan who?’” Longer pause and this time Donna couldn’t hear any talking
coming from the other side. Josh was just waiting him out…silently. Then finally, “Great. I’ll let the
Governor know. I’ll talk to you soon, Alan.” Josh hung up the phone.
“Who was that?” Donna asked.
“Alan Hitchens.”
“Senator Hitchens?”
“No other.” Josh stood up and stretched. God, he was tired. “He’ll be joining us in Iowa in three days.”
“He was a vocal Hoynes supporter.”
Josh grinned until his dimples popped out. “I know.”
Donna took the seat behind the desk that Josh had just vacated. She rested her chin on her fists, her
elbows on the desk surface. “You got us the eight point bump,” she admitted.
“I know.”
“HOW?!” Donna exploded, standing up in her vehemence. “How do you know these things?!”
“Magic,” Josh yawned.
“Bullshit,” Donna replied.
“I’ve got to get some sleep.” Josh stretched again. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Teach me,” Donna said quietly.
“I’m sorry?” Josh chuckled. “I didn’t quite hear what you said there, Donnatella. What is it that you want
from me?”
“Don’t make me repeat it,” she begged. Josh just stood by the door…waiting. Just like he did with the
phone call to the Senator. And just like the Senator, Donna caved.
“Please teach me,” Donna requested nicely. “I want to learn how to do this.”
“You do okay,” Josh allowed.
“I want to be better than okay. You can teach me. Will you teach me?” Donna asked.
Josh stared into her eyes for what seemed like an hour. Finally, he simply answered, “Okay.” and left.
“Ass.”
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