A Proportional Response

From West Wing Wiki

Still seething over the downing of an fully loaded American jet in the Mideast, a vengeful President Bartlet overrules the joint chiefs' plan for a "proportional" military strike and demands a more severe attack that would result in thousands of enemy and civilian casualties. While Leo and other advisers try to cool off the Commander-in-Chief, Press Secretary C.J. scolds a wayward Sam over his potentially explosive private crusade to rescue a well-known call girl from her profession. Feeling overlooked during the hubbub surrounding the military options, Josh interviews a shy African-American teen as a potential personal aide to the President.[1]

Contents 1 Summary 2 Cast 2.1 Starring 2.2 Guest Starring 2.3 Co-Starring 2.4 Uncredited 3 Trivia 4 Goofs 5 Quotes 6 References

[edit] Summary

[edit] Cast

[edit] Starring

Dulé Hill as Charlie Young

Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg

Moira Kelly as Mandy Hampton

Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn

Janel Moloney as Donna Moss

Richard Schiff as Toby Ziegler

John Spencer as Leo McGarry

Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman

Martin Sheen as President Josiah Bartlet

[edit] Guest Starring

Timothy Busfield as Danny Concannon

[edit] Co-Starring

Ivan Allen as Roger Salier

John Amos as Percy Fitzwallace

Renée Estevez as Nancy

Jana Lee Hamblin as Reporter Bobbi

Kathryn Joosten as Dolores Landingham

Christopher Kriesa as Officer #3

Marvin Krueger as Officer #1

Victor Love as Reporter Mike

George McDaniel as Officer #2

Chad McKnight as Staffer #2

Jack Montoya as Floor Manager

Suzy Nakamura as Kathy

Devika Parikh as Bonnie

NiCole Robinson as Margaret Hooper

Rose Rollins as Suzanne

Mindy Seeger as Chris

Andrew Shaifer as Reporter #4

Hunter von Leer as Officer #4

Kim Webster as Ginger

[edit] Uncredited

Laura Innes as Reporter

[edit] Trivia

In the movie The American President (written by Aaron Sorkin) President Andrew Shepherd says "Someday someone's going to have to explain to me the virtue of a proportional response." In this episode, President Bartlet asks "What's the virtue of the Proportional Response?".

[edit] Goofs

Right before they introduce Charlie to the president, Sam Seaborn is wearing glasses in one shot, is without them the next, and then has them on again. [2]

For most of the scene between Admiral Fitzwallace and Leo McGarry in Leo's office, Admiral Fitzwallace's ribbon board on his uniform is upside down. At the end of the scene, the ribbon board is correctly placed.

[edit] Quotes

Toby Ziegler: How the hell did I get into trouble?

Josh Lyman: Today? All you had to do was get out of bed.

Leo McGarry: Let's do this right.

Josh Lyman: Not much chance of that.

Josh Lyman: So how do we tell 'em what we know without telling 'em what we know?

C.J. Cregg: Well, we don't know anything so that shouldn't be hard.

C.J. Cregg: Admiral Fitzwallace is Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Leo McGarry is White House Chief of Staff, I'm your host, C.J.. Let's play our game.

Toby Ziegler: Ordinarily we get help from inside Syrian intelligence.

President Bartlet: So what's the problem?

Toby Ziegler: We just blew up Syrian intelligence.

President Bartlet: Oh, for God's sake. Somebody get on the phone to CNN and find out if we hit anything.

Donna Moss: Is it possible that there's a situation involving Sam, a woman, and C.J. being denied information about something?

Josh Lyman: Ok. Here's what I'm gonna do.

Donna Moss: Hide in your office?

Josh Lyman: No. I'm not gonna hide in my office. I'm gonna go into my office and devise a strategy. That is what I do. I'm a professional. I'm not a little boy.

Donna Moss: Hmm. That's the spirit.

Josh Lyman: But if she calls, I'm at the dentist. I'll be back in an hour.

Donna Moss: [smirks] Got it.

[Josh walks into his office and C.J. is already there]

C.J. Cregg: Wow, are you stupid!

Mandy Hampton: [from Josh's office] Josh, your office sucks.

Josh Lyman: [to Donna] I don't understand it. Why can't you tell me that there is a person in my office?

Donna Moss: Hey, the first time I didn't know. The second time, I didn't care that much.

Leo McGarry: It's not nothing, it's what there is. Two, high-rated military targets.

President Bartlet: Which they'll rebuild in six months.

Leo McGarry: Then we'll blow 'em up again in six months, we're getting really good at it!

[edit] References

"The West Wing" A Proportional Response (1999)
The West Wing Episode Guide

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