Toby gets Jed's support to seize a controversial window of opportunity to save Social Security, but is hampered by Jed's mandate to keep the operation under wraps; desperate to feed the press corps beast on a glacially slow news day, C.J. meets with an attaché to discuss cabbage imports, and has a little fun with a particularly dense reporter; Josh's brainstorm to help Will burnish Bob Russell's presentation problems and a persistent reporter endanger Toby's attempts to broker a deal on the Hill; Rina finds a friend in Donna, and Josh isn't too happy about it; Toby is saved from having to fall on his sword when Josh and Jed devise a plan to rescue his deal from certain disaster.
Spoilers ahead. Coverage follows the scope labeled below.
Complete story — includes the ending
Toby convinces President Bartlet to secretly sanction his solo attempt to make history by reforming Social Security, but his efforts to recruit a Republican senator and a Democratic cohort are publicly divulged, forcing the administration to back down while Josh and Leo are left clueless and furious. Eventually the White House is forced not to take any credit for an emerging deal. Meanwhile, an equally unaware C.J. parries with a reporter who is ready to print all the backstage details.