"Donna, there's a Miss Kennedy to see you."
"Send her in." Donna said over the intercom. The door opened and a young woman walked in.
"Miss Moss?" She asked.
"Donna. And you're Alice Kennedy?"
"Yes. Call me Alice."
"Please take a seat."
"Thank you." Alice sat.
"Personnel are sending me a group of people they think have the skills to be an assistant in the West Wing, specifically to the Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman."
"Excuse me Donna, can I ask a question?"
"Of course." Donna replied.
"Why is the First Lady's chief of staff interviewing people to be Mr Lyman's assistant?"
"Because up and until a few weeks ago I was Josh's assistant and I have been since the campaign. I'm the first assistant he's had that last more than a few months. I know his every annoyingly little habit and I can read him better than anyone. Mrs Bartlett asked me to do this and so therefore Josh needs a new assistant."
"I see."
"From what I see here you're more than qualified in the skills area. But this job involves a lot more than skills. You start work most days at six am and you finish late early nights are around ten. Most some as late as 2 am. Having a personal life is very difficult. Josh has a crappy watch that doesn't keep good time, so he needs to be constantly reminded of where he needs to be. He is very disorganised he can't find a file that in front of him on his desk. So he'll yell at you to find it for him. You'll be required to research information and condense it onto index cards and brief Josh. You'll have to remind him and make sure he goes to his doctor's appointments and watch out for other signs that no one else would notice and make him appointments. If he's not willing to go you have to be forceful and if that doesn't work a call to the Surgeon General's office helps. You have to be polite but forceful with Congressmen and Senators who want his time which he doesn't have and then polite when you have to reschedule appointments because something came up. You have to send baskets and apology notes to anyone he offends which a lot of people. He managed to offend twelve people in one go once so it's helpful to have the numbers on hand. You have to ask questions, it helps you learn and it also makes him think things through. Do you remember when the President creating Big Sky National Park?"
"Yes."
"That came about when a rider was attached to a banking bill about strip mining the land. Josh was the one who came up with the idea after we were talking about computer files being antiquated. The Antiquities Act allows the President to declare any federal land a national park. When we had to bail out Mexico after their economy collapsed on a Monday morning I spent the day asking question, he can justify why we should lone Mexico thirty million dollars to me he can convince anyone. There's a lot more but that's a start are you still interested in the job?"
"Yes." Alice replied.
"Good."
"Can I ask how you came to be the First Lady's chief of staff from being Mr Lyman's assistant?"
"If you believe the Governor of Louisiana I slept my way into the job."
"Did you?"
"No. Josh and I had an argument and Mrs Bartlett needed someone to go on a trip to Louisiana with her. While we were there she asked me to take the job and here I am after gaining Presidential approval. What you need to understand is that Josh and I are dating but it didn't begin until after I'd been given this job and because after he'd gone through every assistant in the pool the President called him into his office and made him admit he was in love with me."
"I see."
"If you want to tell that to a member of the press I'd speak to Danny he'd has the exclusive but the White House Press Corps don't mind. They've had a bet on us since we've been in the White House."
"Okay."
"Good. I have a few more people to see so I'll be in touch but if we offer you the job you'll need to come back in tomorrow for vetting and training."
"Vetting?" Alice questioned.
"Investigating to discover. Basically they ask question about whether you've tried to over throw the government."
"I see."
"You haven't have you?" Donna asked.
"No."
"One other thing. You are a Democrat aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Good, I don't think Josh would cope with a Republican assistant without creating a hostile working environment. I'll be in touch."
"Thank you." She shook Donna's hand.
TBC
"Send her in." Donna said over the intercom. The door opened and a young woman walked in.
"Miss Moss?" She asked.
"Donna. And you're Alice Kennedy?"
"Yes. Call me Alice."
"Please take a seat."
"Thank you." Alice sat.
"Personnel are sending me a group of people they think have the skills to be an assistant in the West Wing, specifically to the Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman."
"Excuse me Donna, can I ask a question?"
"Of course." Donna replied.
"Why is the First Lady's chief of staff interviewing people to be Mr Lyman's assistant?"
"Because up and until a few weeks ago I was Josh's assistant and I have been since the campaign. I'm the first assistant he's had that last more than a few months. I know his every annoyingly little habit and I can read him better than anyone. Mrs Bartlett asked me to do this and so therefore Josh needs a new assistant."
"I see."
"From what I see here you're more than qualified in the skills area. But this job involves a lot more than skills. You start work most days at six am and you finish late early nights are around ten. Most some as late as 2 am. Having a personal life is very difficult. Josh has a crappy watch that doesn't keep good time, so he needs to be constantly reminded of where he needs to be. He is very disorganised he can't find a file that in front of him on his desk. So he'll yell at you to find it for him. You'll be required to research information and condense it onto index cards and brief Josh. You'll have to remind him and make sure he goes to his doctor's appointments and watch out for other signs that no one else would notice and make him appointments. If he's not willing to go you have to be forceful and if that doesn't work a call to the Surgeon General's office helps. You have to be polite but forceful with Congressmen and Senators who want his time which he doesn't have and then polite when you have to reschedule appointments because something came up. You have to send baskets and apology notes to anyone he offends which a lot of people. He managed to offend twelve people in one go once so it's helpful to have the numbers on hand. You have to ask questions, it helps you learn and it also makes him think things through. Do you remember when the President creating Big Sky National Park?"
"Yes."
"That came about when a rider was attached to a banking bill about strip mining the land. Josh was the one who came up with the idea after we were talking about computer files being antiquated. The Antiquities Act allows the President to declare any federal land a national park. When we had to bail out Mexico after their economy collapsed on a Monday morning I spent the day asking question, he can justify why we should lone Mexico thirty million dollars to me he can convince anyone. There's a lot more but that's a start are you still interested in the job?"
"Yes." Alice replied.
"Good."
"Can I ask how you came to be the First Lady's chief of staff from being Mr Lyman's assistant?"
"If you believe the Governor of Louisiana I slept my way into the job."
"Did you?"
"No. Josh and I had an argument and Mrs Bartlett needed someone to go on a trip to Louisiana with her. While we were there she asked me to take the job and here I am after gaining Presidential approval. What you need to understand is that Josh and I are dating but it didn't begin until after I'd been given this job and because after he'd gone through every assistant in the pool the President called him into his office and made him admit he was in love with me."
"I see."
"If you want to tell that to a member of the press I'd speak to Danny he'd has the exclusive but the White House Press Corps don't mind. They've had a bet on us since we've been in the White House."
"Okay."
"Good. I have a few more people to see so I'll be in touch but if we offer you the job you'll need to come back in tomorrow for vetting and training."
"Vetting?" Alice questioned.
"Investigating to discover. Basically they ask question about whether you've tried to over throw the government."
"I see."
"You haven't have you?" Donna asked.
"No."
"One other thing. You are a Democrat aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Good, I don't think Josh would cope with a Republican assistant without creating a hostile working environment. I'll be in touch."
"Thank you." She shook Donna's hand.
TBC