Leak Traced to Mildred; Bartlet Chooses Policy Over Scandal
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
C.J. arrives at the Oval Office and is greeted by Mrs. Landingham, who encourages her to enter despite Bartlet being occupied.
Bartlet expresses frustration over the unresolved land-use rider issue while C.J. updates him on the media situation involving Danny Concannon.
C.J. reveals that Mildred, not Vice President Hoynes, leaked details of the cabinet meeting, prompting Bartlet to dismiss the issue.
Bartlet concludes the meeting, signaling his focus remains on resolving the banking bill and land-use rider without further distraction.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Calm, professional composure masking urgency; determined to limit damage while preserving institutional dignity.
C.J. enters the Oval, delivers a controlled correction that names Mildred as the source of the cabinet‑meeting leak, and manages the conversational tone to contain fallout while protecting the administration's public messaging.
- • Correct the President's misattribution about the leak source.
- • Contain political damage and prevent media escalation.
- • Protect the Vice President and the administration's public posture.
- • Accurate attribution matters for political and ethical reasons.
- • Leaks are dangerous but can and should be contained through disciplined communication.
- • The wider policy objective (passing the banking bill) is worth tactical sacrifice.
Controlled, mildly impatient; outwardly dismissive of scandal, inwardly calculating the political cost‑benefit of optics versus legislative success.
President Bartlet listens to C.J.’s correction, mentally registers the threat to credibility, then dismisses the distraction in favor of moving forward on the banking bill; he orders the conversation closed and reasserts policy priorities.
- • Secure passage of the landmark banking bill.
- • Refuse to yield to the land‑use rider or be distracted by leaks.
- • Minimize internal disruption so staff can focus on policy execution.
- • Policy victories are sometimes worth sacrificing short‑term optics.
- • Leaks are unpleasant distractions but should not derail strategic objectives.
- • Political tradeoffs are part of governance; decisive leadership requires saying no to paralysis.
Straightforward and steady; focused on protocol and ensuring the President's comfort rather than engaging in politics.
Mrs. Landingham greets C.J. in the Outer Oval, assesses the President's mood, and quietly facilitates C.J.'s entry — acting as the domestic gatekeeper who sets the ceremonial tone for the encounter.
- • Manage access to the President smoothly and respectfully.
- • Signal whether the President is available or open to interruption.
- • Maintain the Oval’s domestic order and calm.
- • The President's time and composure must be protected.
- • Small domestic rituals (greeting, escort) help keep the West Wing functioning.
- • Staff should handle political friction so the President can make determinations without distraction.
Mildred is not physically present but is named as the minute‑taker who likely leaked the Cabinet meeting minutes; her role …
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Oval Office door functions as the threshold through which C.J. enters — staging the formal intimacy of the exchange. Its opening marks transition from the Outer Oval's facilitation into the President's private decision space.
A visible stack of papers — treated as the President's working material — anchors the scene. It represents the immediate policy work (the banking bill) and symbolizes the substantive prize Bartlet refuses to sacrifice, foregrounding the tension between paperwork and politics.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Oval Office is the intimate battleground where policy priority is asserted: Bartlet reads papers, fields the leak correction, and exercises executive judgment, converting a personnel scandal into a contained strategic choice.
The Outer Oval Office serves as the anteroom where C.J. receives Mrs. Landingham's permission to enter; it performs the ritual of access and briefly mediates between public staff areas and the President's private workspace.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
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Key Dialogue
"BARTLET: "I want the banking bill, and I don't want to give in.""
"C.J.: "The Vice President wasn't the one who talked.""
"BARTLET: "Let's drop it.""