Bartlet for America

"Bartlet for America" is the 53rd episode of The West Wing.

Plot

It is December 23, but no one at the White House is feeling much in the Christmas spirit. Indeed, the most pressing holiday matter is a threat to firebomb black churches in Tennessee on Christmas Eve. As for Leo, he and his new $650-an-hour lawyer are on Capitol Hill, where he's about to testify before the House committee probing the MS matter. Josh and Sam try but fail to find someone to help delay the hearings before Leo is forced to reveal a secret about the final pre-election debate when Jed Bartlet suffered an MS-related attack. A vindictive Republican Congressman is eager to get to this information, but Republican lawyer Clifford Calley takes a stand and Leo gets a temporary reprieve. An FBI agent is uncomfortable being congratulated by the President when agents break up the fire-bombing group.

Awards

The episode won the ASC award for cinematography.^[1]

Trivia

The napkin given to Leo in the final scene of the episode later becomes the focal point of the final scene of the series.

In the flashback to a meeting between Leo and then-Governor Bartlet, Bartlet mentions an Illinois Senate seat that will be up for election in two years from the time of the flashback. One of Illinois' real-world Senate seats was indeed up for election in that year (2002).

At the end of the episode, Congressman Bruno incorrectly refers to the committee as the "House Reform and Government Oversight Committee." The correct title is the "House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform".

References

External links

• The West Wing Episode Guide