"Governor?" Danny called waving his hand in the air after he had made his
statement.
"Yes, you." The Governor pointed to him. "And you are?"
"Danny Concannon, Washington Post."
"You're a long way from Washington, Mr Concannon."
"Yes sir. I'm on vacation for a few days but my editor asked me to stop by. I have a couple questions. The first being and I'm quoting you here. Why would it 'inappropriate' to meet with Mrs Bartlett to discuss helping the homeless children of your state?"
"I've made no secret of the fact that I disagree with Mrs Bartlett on a wide range of topics. But this meeting was requested not to help people but to put her in a good light." The Governor replied.
"So you're saying that you can't put your own personal opinions of the First Lady away in order to help people, just because you don't like her." Danny pressed.
"Exactly." He said with out thinking. The gathered press were all jumping to get his attention.
"Governor my next question is would you care to comment on the statement you made to Miss Donnatella Moss, Mrs Bartlett's new chief of staff, a few minutes before this press conference started that she Miss Moss is and I'm quoting is ' a jumped up little secretary who probably slept her way into White House and slept her way to her new position'."
"I wouldn't." The Governor said.
"Governor, I've know Miss Moss a long time and I can assure she's got to where she is by hard work and perseverance. She also is good at what she does."
"Still no comment."
"Governor since you won't answer that question, maybe you can answer my final question. Why are there two of Mrs Bartlett's Secret Service detail keeping tabs on you over there. Hey guys." Danny said to the agents who nodded at him.
"Maybe they came with Miss Moss."
"Sir, she left after presenting Mrs Bartlett's offer. Besides which they were here before she arrived."
"The Governor has no more comments today. Any more enquires can be field through his press office. Thank you." The Governor's press secretary who had been on the phone stepped in and got the Governor out of there.
"Thank you Governor." The press corps said.
~
"CJ, I think you owe Danny dinner." Sam comment as they all sat watching the Governor's press conference in CJ's office.
"Donna's got us covered with Danny. Exclusive with her and Josh, when something worthy of reporting happens."
"You've got to hand it to the girl that she pulled it off with class and style." Toby said with a smile.
"You're sounding like a proud father there Toby." CJ teased.
"CJ, I've got at least ten reporters and the whole Press Corps wanting to know if we have a comment on the Governor's statements." Carol said from the door.
"Tell them I'll have a statement at my briefing at two."
"Right, and Leo called he wants to know if anyone told Josh not to comment on what was said about Donna."
"Sam?" CJ asked.
"I'll call him." Sam said getting up and leaving.
"Have you got the speech for next week sorted?" CJ asked moving onto other things.
"When Sam learns how to use grammar and stops with the imagery."
~ ~
"Excuse me." Josh said as his cell phone rang. "Josh Lyman." He answered.
"Josh, it's Sam."
"Did something happen?" Josh asked automatically. "Do I need to come back?"
"No. We just want you warn you not to make any comments to the Press. Donna's got everything covered and we're backing her up."
"The Press are going to ask me to comment on what the Governor said about Mrs Bartlett to Donna?" Josh queried.
"She didn't tell you I forgot. The Governor just gave a press conference, which paints him in a bad light; he made a comment about Mrs Bartlett, which is now a matter of public record thanks to Danny. We've controlled the President and CJ's issuing a statement of response at her briefing."
"And Donna masterminded all this with whatever spin she thought up?"
"Yes. We've got Mrs Bartlett covered, her press secretary is going to issue a statement we've cleared. So it's the standard no comment and refer them to CJ."
"Okay. But is there something else Sam?" Josh asked picking up a tone in his friend's voice.
"Josh, the Governor also made a comment about Donna. That's what you can't comment on."
"What did he say?" Josh demanded.
"It doesn't matter for now. Donna knew it was coming she was prepared for it. We were prepared for it. Donna didn't and doesn't want you involved in this. You can't comment however much you want to."
"You expect me not to comment?" Josh said in an exasperated whisper.
"You can't otherwise you'll ruin everything Donna has set up. She has Presidential approval for the Secret Service to put you under protective custody if you get anywhere near the press. Josh let her do her job. She's good at it and we all trust her, just have a little faith that she'll handle it."
"I have all the faith in the world in her, I'm worried about how I'll handle it."
"Josh, you'll be back late Sunday night. It'll be fine. I've got to go, Toby's scowling about the speech we're writing."
"Bye Sam." Josh hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
"The press conference over?" Abbey asked as she walked over to him.
"Yes. The Governor apparently made the expected comments about you and ones about Donna too."
"The White House is handling it. Donna had all contingencies cover, she was expecting the comments about her. She got Jed to agree to keep out of it, which is no easy feat."
"She could have warned me to expect it." Josh said with a sigh.
"Her job is to protect me, protect Jed and the White House, just as your job is to protect Leo and Jed. She can do this and can do this well; she doesn't want you to interfere no matter how much she loves you. Just tell her you're proud of her."
"Yes ma'am." Josh said.
"Good, now let's go and finish viewing this exhibition so we can get the hell out of here. It's been a long day."
"Yes, you." The Governor pointed to him. "And you are?"
"Danny Concannon, Washington Post."
"You're a long way from Washington, Mr Concannon."
"Yes sir. I'm on vacation for a few days but my editor asked me to stop by. I have a couple questions. The first being and I'm quoting you here. Why would it 'inappropriate' to meet with Mrs Bartlett to discuss helping the homeless children of your state?"
"I've made no secret of the fact that I disagree with Mrs Bartlett on a wide range of topics. But this meeting was requested not to help people but to put her in a good light." The Governor replied.
"So you're saying that you can't put your own personal opinions of the First Lady away in order to help people, just because you don't like her." Danny pressed.
"Exactly." He said with out thinking. The gathered press were all jumping to get his attention.
"Governor my next question is would you care to comment on the statement you made to Miss Donnatella Moss, Mrs Bartlett's new chief of staff, a few minutes before this press conference started that she Miss Moss is and I'm quoting is ' a jumped up little secretary who probably slept her way into White House and slept her way to her new position'."
"I wouldn't." The Governor said.
"Governor, I've know Miss Moss a long time and I can assure she's got to where she is by hard work and perseverance. She also is good at what she does."
"Still no comment."
"Governor since you won't answer that question, maybe you can answer my final question. Why are there two of Mrs Bartlett's Secret Service detail keeping tabs on you over there. Hey guys." Danny said to the agents who nodded at him.
"Maybe they came with Miss Moss."
"Sir, she left after presenting Mrs Bartlett's offer. Besides which they were here before she arrived."
"The Governor has no more comments today. Any more enquires can be field through his press office. Thank you." The Governor's press secretary who had been on the phone stepped in and got the Governor out of there.
"Thank you Governor." The press corps said.
~
"CJ, I think you owe Danny dinner." Sam comment as they all sat watching the Governor's press conference in CJ's office.
"Donna's got us covered with Danny. Exclusive with her and Josh, when something worthy of reporting happens."
"You've got to hand it to the girl that she pulled it off with class and style." Toby said with a smile.
"You're sounding like a proud father there Toby." CJ teased.
"CJ, I've got at least ten reporters and the whole Press Corps wanting to know if we have a comment on the Governor's statements." Carol said from the door.
"Tell them I'll have a statement at my briefing at two."
"Right, and Leo called he wants to know if anyone told Josh not to comment on what was said about Donna."
"Sam?" CJ asked.
"I'll call him." Sam said getting up and leaving.
"Have you got the speech for next week sorted?" CJ asked moving onto other things.
"When Sam learns how to use grammar and stops with the imagery."
~ ~
"Excuse me." Josh said as his cell phone rang. "Josh Lyman." He answered.
"Josh, it's Sam."
"Did something happen?" Josh asked automatically. "Do I need to come back?"
"No. We just want you warn you not to make any comments to the Press. Donna's got everything covered and we're backing her up."
"The Press are going to ask me to comment on what the Governor said about Mrs Bartlett to Donna?" Josh queried.
"She didn't tell you I forgot. The Governor just gave a press conference, which paints him in a bad light; he made a comment about Mrs Bartlett, which is now a matter of public record thanks to Danny. We've controlled the President and CJ's issuing a statement of response at her briefing."
"And Donna masterminded all this with whatever spin she thought up?"
"Yes. We've got Mrs Bartlett covered, her press secretary is going to issue a statement we've cleared. So it's the standard no comment and refer them to CJ."
"Okay. But is there something else Sam?" Josh asked picking up a tone in his friend's voice.
"Josh, the Governor also made a comment about Donna. That's what you can't comment on."
"What did he say?" Josh demanded.
"It doesn't matter for now. Donna knew it was coming she was prepared for it. We were prepared for it. Donna didn't and doesn't want you involved in this. You can't comment however much you want to."
"You expect me not to comment?" Josh said in an exasperated whisper.
"You can't otherwise you'll ruin everything Donna has set up. She has Presidential approval for the Secret Service to put you under protective custody if you get anywhere near the press. Josh let her do her job. She's good at it and we all trust her, just have a little faith that she'll handle it."
"I have all the faith in the world in her, I'm worried about how I'll handle it."
"Josh, you'll be back late Sunday night. It'll be fine. I've got to go, Toby's scowling about the speech we're writing."
"Bye Sam." Josh hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
"The press conference over?" Abbey asked as she walked over to him.
"Yes. The Governor apparently made the expected comments about you and ones about Donna too."
"The White House is handling it. Donna had all contingencies cover, she was expecting the comments about her. She got Jed to agree to keep out of it, which is no easy feat."
"She could have warned me to expect it." Josh said with a sigh.
"Her job is to protect me, protect Jed and the White House, just as your job is to protect Leo and Jed. She can do this and can do this well; she doesn't want you to interfere no matter how much she loves you. Just tell her you're proud of her."
"Yes ma'am." Josh said.
"Good, now let's go and finish viewing this exhibition so we can get the hell out of here. It's been a long day."