"Josh can you go with Mrs Bartlett I need to brief CJ on my plan and then I
have some work to do before Danny gets here."
"But Donna I wanted to spend the day with you." He whined, "this is the first vacation I've had in a long time."
"Josh, behave you know I have a job to do. I like having the responsibility and we'll spend the day together some other time. Right now I have to deal with the situation with the Governor. So scoot."
"Fine, but I'm not bringing you back a present." He gave her a quick kiss and went out the door.
~ ~ ~
"Are you sure you don't want to work for me? That's one hell of a spin you came up with there Donna." CJ asked after Donna had explained her idea.
"No, I like my new job. So do you think it will work?" Donna asked.
"Either way Mrs Bartlett is going to look good. But we're going to have to tell the President before this all comes out." CJ rubbed her hand across her forehead.
"I know. Can you sit on it for a few hours before you tell him? Run the idea past Leo for me."
"Of course. What does Josh say about your plan?" CJ asked.
"He doesn't know anything apart from the fact I called you and asked you to send Danny down here. I'm not going to tell him, this will work better if he doesn't know. I'll brief Mrs Bartlett when she gets back. But all being well the Governor's press conference is at noon tomorrow."
"Good luck. Call me if you need anything." CJ hung up. "Carol." CJ yelled.
"Yep."
"Call Leo tell him I need to see him for a few minutes and get Sam and Toby there if they're free."
"I'll get right on. By the way how are things going with Josh and Donna?" Carol enquired.
"Donnas had a few incidents she's had to deal with in her role as Mrs B's COS but so they really haven't had time to discuss much more than his declaration."
"Okay, I'll get onto Margaret."
~ ~ ~
"Why didn't anyone recognise this girl's political savvy before now?" Leo asked after CJ had briefed them on Donna's plan.
"She walked into the 'Bartlett for America' offices and hired herself as Josh's assistant and we couldn't find anyone else who would put up with him. So no one question her on how good she was with politics." Sam replied. Leo looked at him. "Sorry rhetorical question right." Leo nodded.
"Margaret." Leo yelled. His red headed assistant entered the room. "Get me Donna on the phone."
"Is she still at the hotel in Lafayette or will she be on her cell phone?" Margaret asked.
"She was planning on staying at the hotel for most of the morning." CJ supplied.
"I'll get right on it." A few minutes she yelled. "Donna on line 1."
"Donna, it's Leo." He said as he put the phone on speaker.
"Hey Leo, I take it CJ filled you in on my plan."
"Yeah, she, Sam and Toby are hear now."
"Hi guys." Donna said cheerfully. There were a series of hellos that followed.
"Donna it's a great plan. I'm going to need a few details on why we didn't inform the President earlier since this involves Abbey."
"You can tell him it's my fault, but if he knew earlier then he would had this blown out of proportion. The Secret Service and I are dealing with this. No offence to the Governor but he isn't the sharpest tool in the political arena, this will give him enough rope to hang himself. He may not like me and the First Lady, but there is no reason to attack him through the media, unless he does something in front of them which is where Danny comes in. Sam and Toby have already written a statement condoning the Governor for his remarks, CJ can handle the press at your end. We just need to keep the President from getting on Air Force One and coming down here. We'll be back in three days anyway."
"What about Josh?" Sam asked.
"Josh is to be kept out of it. If he knew the full extend on the Governor's opinion about me he'd probably be worst than the President. He's accompanying Mrs Bartlett today and tomorrow so I can get this pulled off. I'll brief her when she gets back tonight. If we can keep this from the President until the morning, we should be in a better position to keep it from becoming a bigger situation than it is."
"We understand. Donna, how did you get to be this good a political mind without someone noticing?" Leo asked.
"Leo, I've had the privilege of working with you all for the last few years, I guess I picked up a few things every now and again. Besides Josh likes to explain things and I listen."
"I think we're going to have to watch out for attacks from the East Wing." Toby said half joking.
"Speaking of the East Wing, is there any chance I can get the staff some more training because at the moment they're mostly useless, I'm not sure how Lily coped."
"I'll looking into for you." Leo said. "Call me if you need anything."
"Thanks Leo, guys I'll talk to you later and expect a call from Josh, I think he's getting a little fidgety and is starting to think the administration will fall without him."
"If he gets high and mighty smack him round the head for me." CJ stated.
"Will do. Bye guys." She hung up.
"Okay people get back to work." Leo instructed.
"But Donna I wanted to spend the day with you." He whined, "this is the first vacation I've had in a long time."
"Josh, behave you know I have a job to do. I like having the responsibility and we'll spend the day together some other time. Right now I have to deal with the situation with the Governor. So scoot."
"Fine, but I'm not bringing you back a present." He gave her a quick kiss and went out the door.
~ ~ ~
"Are you sure you don't want to work for me? That's one hell of a spin you came up with there Donna." CJ asked after Donna had explained her idea.
"No, I like my new job. So do you think it will work?" Donna asked.
"Either way Mrs Bartlett is going to look good. But we're going to have to tell the President before this all comes out." CJ rubbed her hand across her forehead.
"I know. Can you sit on it for a few hours before you tell him? Run the idea past Leo for me."
"Of course. What does Josh say about your plan?" CJ asked.
"He doesn't know anything apart from the fact I called you and asked you to send Danny down here. I'm not going to tell him, this will work better if he doesn't know. I'll brief Mrs Bartlett when she gets back. But all being well the Governor's press conference is at noon tomorrow."
"Good luck. Call me if you need anything." CJ hung up. "Carol." CJ yelled.
"Yep."
"Call Leo tell him I need to see him for a few minutes and get Sam and Toby there if they're free."
"I'll get right on. By the way how are things going with Josh and Donna?" Carol enquired.
"Donnas had a few incidents she's had to deal with in her role as Mrs B's COS but so they really haven't had time to discuss much more than his declaration."
"Okay, I'll get onto Margaret."
~ ~ ~
"Why didn't anyone recognise this girl's political savvy before now?" Leo asked after CJ had briefed them on Donna's plan.
"She walked into the 'Bartlett for America' offices and hired herself as Josh's assistant and we couldn't find anyone else who would put up with him. So no one question her on how good she was with politics." Sam replied. Leo looked at him. "Sorry rhetorical question right." Leo nodded.
"Margaret." Leo yelled. His red headed assistant entered the room. "Get me Donna on the phone."
"Is she still at the hotel in Lafayette or will she be on her cell phone?" Margaret asked.
"She was planning on staying at the hotel for most of the morning." CJ supplied.
"I'll get right on it." A few minutes she yelled. "Donna on line 1."
"Donna, it's Leo." He said as he put the phone on speaker.
"Hey Leo, I take it CJ filled you in on my plan."
"Yeah, she, Sam and Toby are hear now."
"Hi guys." Donna said cheerfully. There were a series of hellos that followed.
"Donna it's a great plan. I'm going to need a few details on why we didn't inform the President earlier since this involves Abbey."
"You can tell him it's my fault, but if he knew earlier then he would had this blown out of proportion. The Secret Service and I are dealing with this. No offence to the Governor but he isn't the sharpest tool in the political arena, this will give him enough rope to hang himself. He may not like me and the First Lady, but there is no reason to attack him through the media, unless he does something in front of them which is where Danny comes in. Sam and Toby have already written a statement condoning the Governor for his remarks, CJ can handle the press at your end. We just need to keep the President from getting on Air Force One and coming down here. We'll be back in three days anyway."
"What about Josh?" Sam asked.
"Josh is to be kept out of it. If he knew the full extend on the Governor's opinion about me he'd probably be worst than the President. He's accompanying Mrs Bartlett today and tomorrow so I can get this pulled off. I'll brief her when she gets back tonight. If we can keep this from the President until the morning, we should be in a better position to keep it from becoming a bigger situation than it is."
"We understand. Donna, how did you get to be this good a political mind without someone noticing?" Leo asked.
"Leo, I've had the privilege of working with you all for the last few years, I guess I picked up a few things every now and again. Besides Josh likes to explain things and I listen."
"I think we're going to have to watch out for attacks from the East Wing." Toby said half joking.
"Speaking of the East Wing, is there any chance I can get the staff some more training because at the moment they're mostly useless, I'm not sure how Lily coped."
"I'll looking into for you." Leo said. "Call me if you need anything."
"Thanks Leo, guys I'll talk to you later and expect a call from Josh, I think he's getting a little fidgety and is starting to think the administration will fall without him."
"If he gets high and mighty smack him round the head for me." CJ stated.
"Will do. Bye guys." She hung up.
"Okay people get back to work." Leo instructed.