On the television in Margaret's office, we can hear Santos speaking about technology spending. Just as C.J. walks into the office, Santos drops the bomb that he's pretty sure that in the next few days there will be an announcement about the Molecular Transport Lab that will be good news for the city of Austin. C.J.: "Son of a bitch!" Margaret nods her head in agreement. C.J. tells her to get Josh on the phone immediately.

C.J. takes about two seconds to walk to her desk and calls out to Margaret, "You got him?" Margaret, instead of telling her to hold her damn horses so the phone can be dialed, tells C.J. that Josh is on line two. C.J. picks up the phone and actually sounds pretty calm as she says, "Hello." Josh asks her what's up, and she rips into him: "I hate it when I make myself clear…and I'm not received." He knows exactly what she's talking about, telling her that the location of the lab is already set and he needs the announcement now to help Santos. He claims, disingenuously, that Santos didn't announce the lab. No, he just hinted that he had inside information that an announcement was coming. Josh confesses that he understands that the Kentucky Senate seat is an issue, but also calls the Senator a "pious old pork hog who votes like a schizophrenic." She lets him go on for a second and then asks him, "You done?" He gives her permission to go ahead, and she tells him that a breathing Democrat in the Senate is worth a hell of a lot. Margaret has crept in to tell C.J. that Doug Westin is waiting for her. C.J. tells Josh that her job is to protect the Bartlet legacy even if Santos doesn't win the White House, which means trying to keep enough Democrats in the Senate to do some good. She tells him that the announcement about the lab is off the table until after the election. Before she can hang up, he suggests that Jed come to Austin to announce the lab and then Santos and Jed together fly to Kentucky to campaign for the Senator. Which I guess sounds like a compromise, but I'm really not sure how much help a couple of liberal Democrats are going to be in Kentucky. C.J. tells Josh, "I have to go now," and hangs up on him.

C.J. takes a moment to compose herself and then opens the door to admit Doug. He's all smarm and snake oil. As he enters, he asks, "You know the first thing I'm gonna do when they declare me the winner?" Oh, tell us, please do. Doug: "I'm gonna ask for a recount." And then he laughs too hard at his own joke. He tells her how "jazzed" he is that Jed is coming to campaign with him. I'm sorry, what year is it? He blathers on about how he's confident he'll win, but that he'll campaign as though he's going to lose. C.J. just stares at Doug and doesn't say anything. He takes the silent treatment about as well as Will does, jumping to the immediate conclusion that she's going to tell him that Jed has to cancel their joint appearance. C.J. launches into her spiel, telling Doug that she really doesn't care what he does with his private life, but that once those private activities start to affect the President, she cares a lot. Eventually, she hits the promo-friendly line, "If you have a problem with your zipper, get it out of my face." I mean, it would be promo-friendly if NBC actually ran any promos for this show. By the way, that line by itself dropped my grade for this episode by half a point. Doug allows as how he understands what C.J. is talking about. Margaret pops her head in to tell C.J. that the Chinese Ambassador is waiting in the Mural Room. Margaret leaves, and C.J. tells Doug that he needs to go to the political affairs office and tell them that he no longer wants Jed to campaign with him. Without waiting for him to agree, she tells him, "That'd be great." And she walks out of the room.