Fabula

Senate Democrats

Description

Senate Democrats ignite betrayal's blaze as leaked White House quote guts veto threats against Republican education overreach, phones erupting with death threats over fallout. Seth Gillette's warnings ring true, his faction surging to fracture party loyalty—Toby braces for their calls, their fury weaponizing intra-Democratic rifts. Echoing prior charges across aisles with 29 votes rocketing Marriage Recognition Act past filibuster, they override whips, polls, and White House hesitations, slamming principles into legislative crucibles where bold crossovers collide with accountability demands.

Affiliated Characters

Event Involvements

Events with structured involvement data

5 events
S2E7 · The Portland Trip
Josh's Fiery Clash with Skinner Over Marriage Recognition Act

Skinner spotlights 29 Senate Democrats' defection as bipartisan betrayal, weaponizing their votes to shatter party loyalty narratives and pressure Josh on the Act's unstoppable tide.

Active Representation

Cited as cross-aisle voting bloc enabling passage

Power Dynamics

Undermines Democratic unity, empowering opposition agenda

Institutional Impact

Exposes pragmatic fractures in progressive coalitions

Internal Dynamics

Ideological splits driving votes against leadership

Organizational Goals
Join majority in banning gay marriage federally Prioritize public sentiment over party discipline
Influence Mechanisms
Defection votes tipping supermajority scales Exposing intraparty rifts to conservative advantage
S3E12 · The Two Bartlets
Bartlet Ends Aid Meeting, Deflects Toby's Ritchie Push

Senate Democrats loom as fractious force in the opening budget huddle, their predicted eight defections on foreign aid cloture dissected by Bartlet and Woman, exposing intra-party fissures that bleed White House idealism amid campaign crucibles.

Active Representation

Through advisors' whip predictions and Bartlet's forecast

Power Dynamics

Wield reluctant leverage constraining presidential agenda

Institutional Impact

Highlights party discipline erosion under electoral duress

Internal Dynamics

Restive members prioritizing local survival over unity

Organizational Goals
Conserve political capital pre-primaries Survive cloture without mass defections
Influence Mechanisms
Vote withholding on cloture Whip count pressures
S3E12 · The Two Bartlets
Iowa Caucuses Launch Amid Toby's Ritchie Response Push

Senate Democrats loom as fractious force via Woman's prediction of eight defections on foreign aid cloture, Bartlet wryly confirming their budget aversion, exposing intra-party fissures that constrain White House idealism amid campaign distractions.

Active Representation

Through whip count forecasts by presidential advisors

Power Dynamics

Wields voting leverage to challenge executive push, operating under electoral self-preservation

Institutional Impact

Highlights Democratic caucus volatility impacting Bartlet's fiscal agenda

Internal Dynamics

Restive members prioritizing personal margins over party line

Organizational Goals
Preserve members' political capital for re-election Avoid cloture sacrifice on non-core foreign aid
Influence Mechanisms
Defection threats on procedural votes Whip reluctance signaling unity cracks
S2E19 · Bad Moon Rising
Toby's Furious Hallway Tirade Over Leaked Official Quote

Senate Democrats loom via Toby's invocation of Seth Gillette's faction, their anticipated phone barrage and 'want us dead' fury weaponized by the leak; it heightens stakes, portraying intra-party rift as leak's direst fallout in this pressurized exchange.

Active Representation

Through referenced backlash and Gillette prophecy

Power Dynamics

External threat amplifying White House internal pressure

Institutional Impact

Fractures Democratic unity, echoing prior overrides

Internal Dynamics

Factional anger against White House missteps

Organizational Goals
Demand accountability for perceived veto sabotage Exploit leak to challenge administration loyalty
Influence Mechanisms
Partisan phone pressure on staff Legislative vote realignments
S2E19 · Bad Moon Rising
Sam Preempts Leak Suspicion, Probes Tanker Crash Details

Toby warns their phones will ring off the hook with fury over the leak's political cost, framing them as internal adversaries demanding blood; amplifies partisan fracture within Democratic ranks amid GOP gains.

Active Representation

Through anticipated backlash calls and Seth Gillette's invoked critique.

Power Dynamics

Intra-party pressure challenging White House leadership.

Institutional Impact

Highlights vulnerability of Democratic unity to internal scandals.

Internal Dynamics

Rising tensions between Hill Democrats and White House over trust breaches.

Organizational Goals
Hold administration accountable for leak enabling GOP wins Protect legislative interests against compromised measures
Influence Mechanisms
Direct pressure via constituent and member outrage Leveraging predictions like Gillette's for momentum

Related Events

Events mentioning this organization

30 events
S3E11
Senate Interrupted — Lunar Five Breakout

During a ceremonial tour of Angosia's senate, Prime Minister Nayrok's cultivated image of pacifist intellectualism is publicly shattered when aide Zaynar reports a violent escape …

S3E11
Lunar Five Breakout — Angosia's Facade Cracks

During a ceremonial diplomatic visit to the Angosian senate, Prime Minister Nayrok's polished veneer of reason is brutally ruptured when his aide interrupts to report …

S3E11
Rotunda Reckoning: Picard's Moral Ultimatum

Picard, Data, Troi and Worf materialize in the Angosian senate to confront a government that engineered soldiers and then cast them aside. Data and Troi …

S3E11
Rotunda Reckoning — "We Want Our Lives Back

Bloodied, engineered veterans led by Roga Danar storm the Angosian senate rotunda. Picard, Data, Troi and Worf confront a defensively armed but morally compromised government; …

S1E15
The Withheld Confession — Josh Opens for Questions

At the end of his candid lecture Josh deliberately shuts down the private lifeline — hangs up the phone, promises it won't ring again — …

S1E16
Pre-Dawn Political Triage (2:38 A.M.)

At 2:38 A.M. the episode opens on a taut, pre-dawn mobilization that crystallizes every pressure bearing down on President Jed Bartlet. Staff move like a …

S1E16
Hoynes Holds: Deadlocked Senate and the Unwilling Tie-Breaker

Vice President Hoynes arrives in Leo's office expecting routine conversation but the tone snaps taut when Leo tells him the Senate is 50-50 and the …

S1E16
The Tie He Won't Cast

In Leo's office Leo delivers the President's pragmatic, regret-tinged request that Vice President Hoynes travel to the Senate and break a deadlocked vote on the …

S1E16
Midnight Ultimatum: Leo Warns Hoynes of Political Exile

Outside a Washington building late at night, Leo escorts Vice President Hoynes to his car and delivers a blunt, paternal warning: if Hoynes breaks a …

S1E18
Panda Note, Mallory’s Interruption, and the Vote‑Watch Tension

Donna bursts into Josh’s office with urgent vote counts, and Josh temporarily deflects the crisis by obsessing over a scrawled “panda bear” note — a …

S1E19
Bartlet Dangles for FEC Reform

Riding a wave of irritation from a humiliating public outing, Bartlet seizes a rare institutional opening when Josh reports two simultaneous F.E.C. resignations. Leo counsels …

S1E19
The Room Empties — Josh's Quiet Resolve

After a bruising lunch with Senate and leadership aides, Josh is left alone in a Capitol Hill room to absorb the political cost they've just …

S1E20
When Levity Breaks and Retaliation Is Born

In a dim Senate conference room a jovial, dismissive mood — centered on an insulting debate about cognac versus brandy — is suddenly ruptured. Steve …

S1E20
F.E.C. Nominees Announced — Senator Declares War

On live television President Bartlet names two outspoken campaign‑finance reformers — John Branford Bacon and Patricia Calhoun — to the F.E.C. In a smoke‑filled Senate …

S2E1
Leo Ambush-Recruits Josh with a Discreet Walk Invite

In the Senate offices amid Josh Lyman's growing disillusionment with Hoynes' campaign, Leo McGarry makes an unannounced entrance, catching Josh off-guard while flying under the …

S2E1
Toby's Drunken Confession of Electoral Futility and Firing

In a flashback three years earlier at Hank's Tavern in Nashua, NH, a visibly drunk Toby Ziegler, smoking a cigar, chats with a woman at …

S2E3
Leo Pivots to Midterm Conquest

Leo verifies the astonishing 81% approval rating from credible sources like CNN and USA Today, dismissing 'soft' doubts as Sam details Bartlet's 61% edge over …

S2E6
Senior Staff Frenzy: Lame Duck Treaty Push and Leo's Discipline

In a chaotic Oval Office briefing, Sam, Josh, and C.J. rapidly outline a intricate Senate committee reshuffle to slot incoming opponent Mitchell onto Foreign Relations, …

S2E6
Bartlet's Aspirin Desperation Exposes Chaos; Leo Imposes Memo Discipline

Amid frenzied Oval Office crosstalk on Senate reshuffles for the Test Ban Treaty, President Bartlet quips about the circus-like disarray, then demands aspirin and a …

S2E6
Leo Ignites Lame Duck Offensive and Restores Order

In the Oval Office, amid frenetic staff briefings on Senate committee shuffles to block Mitchell, Toby reports unanimous liaison advice to call a lame duck …

S2E6
C.J.'s Editorial Clash and Strategic Lame Duck Leak to Danny

In the yellow hallway transitioning to her office, C.J. sharply confronts Danny over the Washington Post's fourth anti-Test Ban Treaty editorial in two weeks, accusing …

S2E6
Danny Probes C.J. on Lame Duck Session; She Controls the Leak

Danny follows C.J. into her office, seizing on her call to the majority leader's spokesperson to press for confirmation of a lame duck Senate session …

S2E6
C.J.'s Late-Night Entry into Charlie's Workspace

In the hushed Outer Oval Office at night, Charlie Young works diligently, reviewing files in his office area. C.J. Cregg enters with purpose, initiating contact …

S2E7
Josh's Fiery Clash with Skinner Over Marriage Recognition Act

In the White House Mess over beers, gay Republican Congressman Skinner pressures Josh with the bill's overwhelming bipartisan passage (85 Senate votes, 342 House) and …

S2E7
Josh and Skinner Clash on Marriage Act's Moral and Political Fault Lines

In a charged hallway exchange escalating into Josh's office, Josh hammers Skinner with polling data favoring gay spousal benefits and a strict 14th Amendment reading …

S2E11
C.J. Unmasks Stark's 'Sore Throat' Tactic

In her office, C.J. dismisses Steve and turns to the TV as the Republican press conference begins. A congressman announces the Senate Majority Leader's sudden …

S2E17
C.J.'s Tender Birthday Apology Voiceover

The episode fades in on a nocturnal Washington, D.C. skyline as C.J.'s voiceover delivers a heartfelt, apologetic letter to her father. She wishes him happy …

S2E17
C.J.'s VO Unveils Filibuster's Grueling Endurance Rules

In her office at night, C.J. types her email as her voice-over narration delivers stark exposition on the Senate filibuster's brutal mechanics: endless talking without …

S2E17
C.J.'s VO Details Filibuster Rules and Josh's Pre-Crisis Triumph

In her office at night, C.J. types an email as her voice-over narration grimly outlines the brutal, unyielding rules of their first Senate filibuster—no talking …

S2E17
Newscaster Details Stackhouse Filibuster; Donna Requests Grandchildren B-Roll

In Josh's bullpen at night, a newscaster vividly reports on 78-year-old Senator Howard Stackhouse's marathon filibuster, transforming day to night and delaying a Senate vote …