Liftoff (The West Wing)

Infobox Television episode
Title = Liftoff
Series = The West Wing


Caption =
Season = 6
Episode = 114
Airdate = November 102004
Production = 2T5004
Writer = Debora Cahn
Director = Alex Graves
Guests = Kristin Chenoweth
Lily Tomlin
Anna Deavere Smith
Steve Ryan
NiCole Robinson
Melissa Fitzgerald
David Shatraw
David Kelsey
Eugene Alper
Andrew Borba
Episode list = List of "The West Wing" episodes
Season list = Infobox The West Wing season 6 episode list
Prev =
Next ="Liftoff" is the 114th episode of "The West Wing".

Plot

Having just been promoted, it's CJ's first day as Chief of Staff. After being introduced to the Secret Service Agents assigned to protect her, it is time for her last press briefing, where she receives a huge round of applause from a stunned Press Room. CJ struggles to come to terms with her new position; giving orders to her friends, getting used to a new office (and Margaret - Leo's devoted secretary) and her open access to the Situation Room. After an emotional first day, she goes to see Leo in hospital, where she tells him she doesn't think this is going to work. However, after a second day where she finds her feet and begins to exert her authority, perhaps she is the woman for the job after all....

C.J.'s first task as Chief of Staff is dealing with a sudden international issue: an ex-government official from the former Soviet republic of Georgia is offering a stockpile of uranium to the U.S. Problem is, he's apparently also offering it to the Iranian government, and the U.S. has to act fast if they want to secure the material. C.J. initially has circles run around her by brusque SECDEF Hutchinson, who is adamant about not wanting DoD personnel involved in extracting the material. Toby gives her the break she needs when he figures out its about budgeting and personnel, and C.J. is able to broker an arrangement between the Departments of Defense and Energy, with possible assistance from the United Kingdom.

Toby finds it hard going facing the press, as a stop-gap until a replacement is found, and makes a way-too-far situation when discussing the Middle East deployment. He finds an unlikely ally in Annabeth Schott, who returns to his radar when C.J. rejects his first choice of an Ari Fleischer type. Annabeth feels he could be right for the job with just a little grooming and offers to coach him until he gets it right.

Josh finds out that Matt Santos, a rising star Congressman who just got appointed to the Ways and Means Committee, is going to retire and return to Houston at the end of the term. Josh goes and tries to convince Santos to defer his plans to open a large number of public health clinics, but while he doesn't succeed, he leaves very impressed with Santos.

External links

* [http://epguides.com/WestWing/ The West Wing Episode Guide]