"Senator Mitchell, I understand what you're saying, I really do." Josh said
into his phone as Donna knocked on the doorframe. "But I'm saying that your
concerns are non-issues." he waved Donna in. "The voting reform bill has been
on and off the burner lately, I know, but we're ready to--"
"Toby wants to see you." Donna said.
"Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Josh snapped angrily. "Tell Toby I'll
see
him when I have more than two consecutive minutes to spare!"
Donna's head snapped back as if he had slapped her. "Fine." she snapped,
slamming the door behind her.
"Senator, are you still there?"
"Yes, I am, Josh. As I was saying, I was more than ready to support this bill
the first and second time it almost got to the floor, but from the memo I
received the second time, I'm not sure if I can support such a drastic change
in voting policy."
"Wait a minute, wait a minute." Josh kneaded his forehead with his hand,
willing himself to stay calm. "What memo? From the White House? What did it
say?"
"You've got to be kidding me." the senator replied. "You don't know what
comes out of your offices?"
"Senator--"
"Look, why don't we get together tomorrow morning and I'll let you in on it.
I have a feeling you'll want to be sitting down for it." There was a click on
the other side.
"Unbelievable." Josh slammed the telephone down. "DONNA!"
Donna opened the door. "What?"
"Send Toby in."
"Fine." she let Toby in.
"What's up?" Josh asked.
"First of all, CJ's back. I don't know if you knew that, but she came in
right before Leo called the town meeting." Toby said. "And I'm supposed to
pass along an invitation from the President and First Lady to join them for
dinner tomorrow night. The entire staff is invited."
"Did you send a memo about the voting reform bill?" Josh asked.
Toby blinked for a moment. "When?"
"I don't know when." Josh said. "That's what I'm supposed to find out
tomorrow morning. Before which, we have to put a stop to this Ainsley Hayes
situation and chew CJ out on Leo's behalf for being gone for a week when she
said she'd be gone for three days."
"Are you back on that reform bill?" Toby asked. "It's not going to work,
even
if it gets passed. People are stupid! And electronic voting booths won't cure
them of their stupidity!"
"Toby, you're the only holdout now that Mandy's gone." Josh said. "The
bill's
going to pass with or without your approval. You know that, so why don't you
just suck it up and shut up?"
"Excuse me?" Toby's eyes flashed with anger for a split second. The voting
reform bill had been of the troublesome bills plaguing the Bartlet
administration since the election. A number of vocal senators had questions
about how Bartlet had managed to get in with only 48% of the popular vote and
Josh and the others wanted to make sure it was a non-issue in two years. Toby
and Mandy, in agreement for possibly the first and last time, had vocally
opposed it.
"I said-- oh, who the hell cares?" Josh said. "Where's Sam?"
"In his office." Toby replied.
Josh got up and left.
TBC
Past Tense Rising - 16
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