The senior members of the White House staff are summoned to the office early in the morning to handle difficult situations: Hundreds of Cubans are on their way across the Atlantic Ocean in search of freedom.
Leo hires Mandy as a consultant to the President. Vice President Hoynes rebuffs C.J. when she tries to discuss a comment he made. Leo confronts Hoynes and insists that he understand his obligation to communicate with the press secretary.
When Danny, a reporter, learns about Sam's relationship with a call girl, he doesn't write a story about it because C.J. gives Danny a lead on a much bigger newsworthy item in exchange for his silence.
The staff has 72 hours to rescue a gun-control bill that needs five more votes in Congress to pass. Eventually they get four votes, so Leo reluctantly visits the vice president, and Hoynes promises he'll get the other vote.
Leo assigns his senior staff the task of conducting private meetings with fringe groups that want attention from the White House. Toby discovers he was not the President's first choice for communications director.
A mentally unbalanced woman with a gun climbs the White House fence. The Secret Service foils her plan to target Zoey. Toby and Mandy convince the husband of a deceased congresswoman to vote against a census amendment in committee.
The President and First Lady host a tense dinner at the White House honoring the president of Indonesia and his wife. Danny flirts with C.J. The President takes action against a group of survivalists in Idaho.
The President embarrasses Vice President Hoynes during a cabinet meeting, and Danny finds out. In order to keep the story from print, C.J. arranges a meeting between Danny and the President.
The President and his staff prepare the State of the Union Address, but the President becomes ill. His naval doctor examines him in the living quarters. Mrs. Bartlet, a physician, orders various medical tests.
The parents of a brutally murdered gay student are invited to witness the President sign a hate crimes bill into law even though the father doesn't believe that Bartlet expresses a strong enough position on gay rights.
On a Friday evening, the United States Supreme Court rejects the application for a stay of execution for Simon Cruz. The President of the United States is the only person capable of commuting a federal sentence.
Josh lectures to a large group of college students, recounting one day in the life of the harried senior White House staff. Meanwhile, Sam and Toby rush to Connecticut to help Supreme Court Justice nominee Roberto Mendoza.
The President meets Zoey's new bodyguard on a 20-hour trip to California; Josh tries to keep a fund raiser from being canceled; Leo needs the VP to break a 50-50 tie in the Senate.
The First Lady's public comments on a White House appointment create problems for the President because he's afraid of incurring his wife's wrath. So Sam explains to Abby the importance of working with the President'a staff in the future.
The West Wing staff are feeling malaise as it seems they never get anything accomplished. Meanwhile, a leaked memo is a land mine that could embarrass the administration.
The staff waits for a poll to tell them if their new, activist policies are moving them in the right direction. C.J. feels like her opinions are being discounted.
An American Air Force fighter plane gets shot down over Iraq, and, eventually, the pilot is successfully rescued. The space shuttle--with Toby's astronaut brother on board--can't land because of mechanical problems.
