Well Written and Not So Well Received

CJ's eleven o'clock briefing was just about to wrap up. So far it had been a light news day. Baring any catastrophes, CJ fully expected to be able to retire to her office and eat lunch in comfort in just a few minutes.

"Mike."

"CJ, it the white house aware of a statement of administrative policy from the Speaker's office?"

"Mike, I hate to break it to you, but I do not indeed know everything. To my knowledge, the white house is not aware of any statements coming from the hill."

"I need to follow up." Mike announced to the press corps. "It's said that this statement is signed by the Speaker's chief of staff and suggests that the white house is not in sync with the wishes and desires of the American public."

"Mike, I'll have more information at the next briefing. All right folks, that wraps it up, I'll see you all later." CJ finished her briefing and left the podium. As she left the press room, Carol caught up with her.

"Carol, I need a copy of that statement."

"Sure thing, boss. Do I just call the Speaker's office?"

"Ask around for it first."

Close to thirty minutes later, Carol appeared in CJ's office, statement in hand.

"Do I even want to know where you got it?" CJ inquired. When Carol didn't respond immediately, CJ looked up from her desk. CJ could tell Carol was trying to think of the best possible answer.

"Well, it was hard to track…" Carol started.

"Just give it to me before you tell me how you sold your soul."

Carol handed over the memo. CJ snatched it up immediately and began reading. Her first thoughts about the memo didn't focus on the incendiary accusations it threw at the administration, but the skill with which it was written. Were she not reading it as an ever critical press secretary, CJ would have concentrated on the eloquent wording, strong convictions and overall beauty and force. When she finished, CJ made copies and walked to the communications bullpen.

She had known that she could find everyone in Toby's office and as CJ walked in she wordlessly handed Josh, Toby and Sam copies of the memo. Before anyone could ask a question, CJ spoke.

"Read up boys. The Majority Leader's got someone new on his staff."

All three read quietly. CJ paced around and watched the different expressions play across their faces.

"Wow." Sam exclaimed as he finished. Toby simply let out aloud grunt.

"This is crap!" Josh yelled. "This is a blatant attack…and unfounded. This part where it says that we purposely degrade American values and conceal the truth in order to attack American dreams…I can't believe.." Josh's angry ramblings were interrupted by Sam.

"But, wow! This almost sounds like we wrote it."

"Only it has punctuation, unlike some writers in this room." Toby joked. "It's good, but we know Roy Parker didn't write this statement. So the question is, who did?"

As Toby spoke, Josh was already turning to leave the office, memo in hand.

"I'll get to the bottom of this." Josh said as he stalked out of the office.

"Donna!" Josh bellowed as he approached his own office. "I'm going to the senate office building. Call Juliana Wexler's office. Tell them to expect me and that I'll need 10 minutes of her time."

Josh popped into his office, grabbed his coat and walked off on his mission.

If Josh had learned anything in the past few weeks, it was that the RNC had Juliana keeping a tight reign on the congressional GOP. Nothing of this magnitude would have been leaked, released or possibly even written without being floated by her. The memo had come from the Majority Leader's chief of staff, or so it said. But the writing was way our of Roy's league. Josh often joked about Roy being unable to adequately do his job as the chief of staff to the Majority Leader. But Josh wasn't the only one on Capitol Hill who entertained the thought that Roy Parker was a minor league player trying to prove himself in the big leagues. Either Roy had hired himself a ghostwriter or someone was using the Majority Leader's office to launch an attack on the Bartlett administration.

Josh lost all track of time walking over to the senate offices. He stewed all the way over and before he knew it, Josh was walking thought security and down the corridor to Juliana's office. As luck would have it, Juliana was standing close to the door, talking to the receptionist.

"What's this?" Josh demanded as he walked through the door, holding up the memo he had forgotten was in his hand until now. Juliana casually finished her instructions to the receptionist, ignoring Josh, and then turned to him as he began to repeat his demand.

"What's…"

"Why don't we go into my office." Juliana said, turning and walking away from Josh into her office. Juliana shut the door behind him and turned to face an incensed Josh.

"You have no right to storm in here and demand information from me." Juliana said sternly. Had Josh been paying attention, he would have seen the disbelief and resentment in her eyes.

"Jules, what's…" but Josh was cut off again.

"And who do you think you are to have your assistant inform me that you're coming over? I'm not some freshman senator who you can bully. And I'm certainly not a lowly democrat at your beckon call."

"Okay, sorry." Josh threw his hands up in defense. "But this memo doesn't make sense. It came from the Majority Leader's COS, but it's too good. Roy couldn't have written it. I want to know who's attacking us."

"You're right. Roy didn't write it."

"And nothing like this gets out without you knowing about it. Jules, this person knows what they're doing. They meant for it to be leaked to the press. This statement is masterful."

"I know. I wrote it." Juliana said casually. Juliana had said the information so casually that Josh almost missed it. Juliana watched Josh to see his reaction. It was almost comical to watch as realization washed over him.

"I know you read it, but…what did you just say?"

"I wrote and leaked that statement."

"But it came from Roy's office. Why would you do that for him?" Josh was now thoroughly confused. He knew there was a simple solution to this puzzle, but he couldn't see it yet.

"Did Roy sign his name to it?"

"No, it was unsigned. But it came from…"

Juliana walked closer to Josh and spoke calmly and relaxed.

"You were right, Josh. It did come from the Majority Leader's COS. From this office in fact." Juliana motioned with her hands to indicate the very office they were standing in. Juliana stopped. She knew Josh. It would only take him a few more seconds to put it all together. As Josh took in what Juliana had said, his mouth closed and his hand, holding up the memo, dropped down to his side.

This office? Josh took a moment to look around him. He had been so wrapped up in his tirade that he hadn't noticed that he and Jules were standing in Roy's office and not hers. She had written the memo? Suddenly, Josh put all the puzzle pieces together.

"Wait a minute!" Josh said in disbelief, taking a step backwards. Juliana knew instantly that he had figured it out.

"Josh, I was going to tell you." Juliana countered.

"You're…but, Roy…You're the Majority Leader's Chief of Staff?"

"Yes."

"Since when?"

"Yesterday."

"What did you do, get him fired?"

"No! I simply helped Roy and the Senator see that Roy's talents lie elsewhere and that he wasn't being effective in his current position."

So, that meeting with Leo? Did you se t it up so you'd look like a natural replacement for Roy?" Josh had a certain smugness to his voice. He knew he was right, though he didn't want to believe it. Josh was wondering if Juliana would own up to being so calculating and underhanded.

"Yes. That's exactly what I did. I saw the opening and I took advantage of it."

Juliana wasn't ashamed of her career advancement. This was the game she played. Juliana took advantage of any opportunity that came her way. She always had.

"You can't…" Josh sounded tired and exasperated. He had started to pace in small circles, running one hand through his hair. Juliana just stood back. No matter how she felt about Josh, she was at work and she drew a clear line between her business and personal life.

"You can't just do that to a person." Josh finished.

"That's interesting coming from you. But I can and I did."

"That statement. You can't just leak that information. It undermines the work we're trying to do. It destroys most of the support that we've spent months building."

"Josh, that's my job. I don't work for President Bartlett. I work for the Republican Party and now for Senator Haskins and his constituents. It's not my job to care about your administration, it's my job to make the Majority Leader a strong political player."

"Yeah?" Josh's voice rose as he questioned her.

"Yeah."

"Well, you have a fell of a way of telling me about your promotion."

"I told you, it was sudden."

"You had time to write a statement and leak it to the press." Josh sneered.

"Well, I've been busy." Juliana offered unapologetically. She was beginning to sense that her new job title might present some hurdles.

"I can see that." Josh mumbled. He continued to mumble something about CJ and a drink, but he was walking out the door – leaving Juliana trying to decipher the words he left in his wake.

Moments later Josh was in a cab. He had just finished a phone call with CJ and Sam, explaining what he'd discovered and now Josh found himself talking to the cab driver.

"Where to?"

"I need a drink. Corner of 5th and Pennsylvania." Josh said, really to no one in particular.

"I here ya man. I could use one myself." This voice coming from the front of the cab snapped Josh out of his thoughts. "What's got you drinking? Work? Woman?"

"Both." Josh sighed and leaned back against the seat, his head almost bouncing on the headrest as it hit.

"Geez, man. That's rough. If I weren't on the clock I'd join you. I got woman problems of my own."

Josh tuned the cab driver out momentarily. He was still reeling and trying to process just exactly what went on in Juliana's office. How could he have not seen this coming? How could he have missed the name plate on the wall outside her office as he walked in? Josh's thoughts were interrupted by the cab driver's story, which he was still telling.

"…yesterday morning I walk into the kitchen and find this change of address card just sitting there. When I look at it, it's her name on it! I ask her about it and my girl just up and says that she's leaving and moving in with Kirk, the Methodist priest a few blocks over. And we're Catholic! But, she didn't even tell me. She tried to blame it on me and say that I hadn't been around so she could tell me, but she could have made time. So, now I've got nothing and she's got this whole new life, which she didn't bother to tell me about."

Hearing the resentment in the cab driver's voice, he was sure that if he were doing the talking, his voice would sound like that too.

"I can relate." Josh said crossly. Taking a quick look outside, Josh realized that the cab was pulling up to his stop. Josh handed the cab driver his money, climbed out and walked towards an unassuming bar.

Inside, Josh climbed a flight of stairs and walked into the main room of the bar. It was dark and hazy inside with a small crowd of people – just enough that Josh wouldn't be bumped and hassled, but also not stand out and draw attention to himself. Moving up to the bar, Josh slid onto a barstool and ordered a drink.

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked flippantly.

"Scotch. Make it a double."

The bartender slid Josh's drink to him and Josh downed it quickly.

The rest of the night slipped into a blur for Josh. At one time, he could count at least four empty glasses sitting in front of him. Josh could sense that his speech was slurred and could see that the room was spinning. At some point, Josh thought he could feel his body moving towards the door and out into the cold, night air, but everything was still a jumbled haze.