The U.S. Poet Laureate - Plot

Plot

Bartlet makes a disparaging comment about a potential Republican nominee after a television interview, presumably not realizing that he is still being recorded. For days, C.J. must control the scandal, and Sam recalls Republican White House legal counsel Ainsley Hayes from vacation to help formulate the administration's official response. Sam also gets the green light from Leo to give Ainsley a promotion to a more senior White House Counsel's Office position. C.J. is surprised and admiring when she realizes that the President deliberately made the comment and came out ahead in the subsequent tumult. Meanwhile, Toby tries to dissuade the newly named U.S. poet laureate, Tabatha Fortis (Laura Dern), from publicly objecting to the government's lack of support for a treaty on land mines. Toby tells her that the U.S. would sign the treaty if it included a waiver for the border between South Korea and North Korea. Elsewhere, Josh is both repulsed and intrigued by the fact that there is an internet fansite (www.lemonlyman.com) devoted to him. Josh and Donna (albeit against her will) start posting on the site before being rebuked by C.J.