The West Wing
S2E6
· The Lame Duck Congress

Leo Brushes Off Donna's OSHA Ergonomics Crusade

As Leo strides through the White House lobby post-Ukrainian crisis chat, Donna intercepts him with suit compliments to soften her pitch for OSHA regulations addressing repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. Leo instantly rebuffs her, slamming the $6 billion cost and snarking 'Type slower!' Donna departs dejected. This micro-clash excavates Leo's pragmatic gatekeeping amid treaty chaos, revealing Donna's quixotic staff-level advocacy and the narrative theme of bandwidth overload where mundane worker protections drown in geopolitical urgency—a setup for her later protest.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

Donna approaches Leo with a request regarding OSHA regulations, showcasing her persistence and Leo's dismissive prioritization of larger issues.

hope to frustration

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

8
C.J. Cregg
White House Press Secretary
 primary

indignant

briefing Leo in the Communications Office on State Department vocabulary change and refusing Danny Concannon press access, then answering phone

Goals in this moment
  • • pitch approval for State Department's 'rogue nations' to 'states of concern' terminology change
  • • deny Danny Concannon access due to recent critical editorials
Character traits
insightful assertive playful terse strategic poised decisive pragmatic dutiful quick-thinking tenacious authoritative wry measured protective charismatic committed resilient witty
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Charlie Young
Presidential Personal Aide
 primary

confused

walking through the White House lobby and questioning Leo about the Ukrainian government member's visit

Goals in this moment
  • • seek clarification on White House protocol for handling a crazy Ukrainian official's unannounced visit
Character traits
aspirational unassuming protected playful businesslike responsible adaptable violent seeks validation nervous observant efficient inexperienced reliable emotionally volatile resolute helpful deferential dutiful resourceful unobtrusive solemn determined punctual polite elusive supportive professional loyal empathetic attentive protective anxious earnest family‑responsible discreet resilient composed
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Donna Moss
Assistant
 primary

Hopeful determination curdling into dejection

Donna hustles to catch Leo's stride, opens with calculated suit compliments to soften him, launches into earnest OSHA pitch on repetitive stress injuries and carpal tunnel, persists briefly against interruption, then retreats dejectedly after his curt rebuke.

Goals in this moment
  • • Secure Leo's buy-in for OSHA's ergonomic regulations
  • • Leverage flattery to pierce his gatekeeping
Active beliefs
  • • Worker protections merit high-level intervention
  • • Personal charm can sway hardened power brokers
Character traits
tenacious strategic advocacy-driven resilient
Follow Donna Moss's journey
Leo Thomas McGarry (Chief of Staff)
White House Chief of Staff
 primary

Impatient pragmatism laced with wry dismissiveness

Leo strides briskly past the Roosevelt Room, warmly acknowledging Donna's intercept with 'Hey, Donna' and 'Sure,' before cutting through her flattery and OSHA pitch with precise knowledge of carpal tunnel, then decisively rejects it citing $6 billion costs and snarking 'Type slower!' to send her away.

Goals in this moment
  • • Deflect non-priority distractions to preserve focus on treaty crises
  • • Enforce fiscal discipline amid bandwidth overload
Active beliefs
  • • Geopolitical urgencies trump domestic worker safety costs
  • • Routine staff pitches warrant swift shutdowns
Character traits
pragmatic authoritative irascible decisive
Follow Leo Thomas …'s journey
Danny Concannon
White House Correspondent
 primary

referenced as seeking access for a three-part feature, denied by C.J. due to recent critical editorials

Goals in this moment
  • • gain access for Washington Post feature
Character traits
probing principled determined confrontational tenacious persistent professional accusatory
Follow Danny Concannon's journey
Josiah Edward 'Jed' Bartlet (President of the United States)
President of the United States
 primary

referenced as not meeting the Ukrainian and needing to be consulted by end of day about Danny Concannon

Character traits
politically pragmatic jocular policy‑driven paternal commands institutional authority relational — centers staff and family centralizing (commands staff attention and schedules) centralized authority figure strategically vital intelligent politically consequential (actions and associations create immediate risk) protocol-driven calculating principled in public rhetoric vulnerable emotionally forceful institutionally minded performative control of public optics candid principled politically vulnerable (per party strategists and press) strategic witty/jocular under pressure vulnerable-to-proxy-actions collegial poised decisive principled but electorally mindful resolute constitutional protective (paternal focus on family safety) deliberative ruthless burdened decisive when confronted with moral stakes authoritative/managerial paternal/protective regionally grounded politically strategic supportive traditional weary/resolute authoritative public-facing decisive in crisis loyal blunt protective politically consequential measured committed politically shrewd risk‑aware consequential self-aware witty institutional (symbolic center of staff effort) ceremonial
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Konanov's Companion
primary

referenced as 'the girl' accompanying the Ukrainian, noted for looks and jokingly for threat

Character traits
enigmatic lethal poised alluring
Follow Konanov's Companion's journey
Vasily Konanov
primary

significantly referenced as the crazy Ukrainian government member who showed up unannounced

Character traits
enigmatic diplomatically constrained politically sensitive
Follow Vasily Konanov's journey

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Roosevelt Room (Mural Room — West Wing meeting room)

Leo walks past the Roosevelt Room en route to his next briefing, its doorway framing the hallway ambush as a fleeting backdrop that underscores his unyielding pace—policy war rooms loom while mundane pleas erupt in transit, heightening the scene's rhythm of perpetual motion.

Atmosphere Shadowed and proximate to tension-filled policy debates
Function Background transit point accentuating Leo's gatekeeping stride
Symbolism Represents sidelined high-stakes arenas dwarfing staffer concerns
Access Senior staff and advisors only
Glass-paneled doors hinting at inner deliberations Proximity to conference table echoes

Organizations Involved

Institutional presence and influence

1
Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA manifests through Donna's fervent proxy pitch for regulations combating repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel and tendonitis, positioning the agency as a quixotic domestic crusader rebuffed by White House fiscal realism—highlighting how federal worker-safety ambitions clash against lame-duck treaty imperatives.

Representation Via junior staff advocate Donna Moss delivering the regulatory proposal
Power Dynamics Subordinate petitioner challenging executive resource gatekeepers
Impact Exposes federal agencies' uphill battle for bandwidth in crisis-driven White House
Mandate ergonomic overhauls to prevent musculoskeletal disorders Secure presidential administration endorsement for $6B initiative Direct lobbying through embedded staff channels Statistical appeals on injury prevalence

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph

Part of Larger Arcs

Donna Moss's principled crusade for OSHA ergonomics enforcement against White House hypocrisy and higher-priority dismissals, escalating through staff protests and culminating in her opportunistic repurposing as a diplomatic 'beard' for the Konanov ploy.

Key Dialogue

"DONNA: "The Occupational Safety and Health Administration would like to do something about Repetitive Stress Injuries and or muscular skeletal disorder like Tendonitis...""
"LEO: "Or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.""
"LEO: "It costs $6 billion, Donna! Type slower!""