Batman and Robin: Speech Praise to CBO Edge and Caucus Friction
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Sam enters the White House Mess and greets Toby, who is reading a newspaper section about their commencement speech getting good reviews from Maynard Wachtel.
Toby playfully insists they are the 'Batman and Robin of speech-writing', teasing Sam about being Robin while grabbing coffee and a pastry.
Sam shifts the conversation to serious news: the CBO projects $200 billion less in surplus over eight years, which excites Toby as it strengthens their stance against tax cuts for the wealthy.
They move to Toby's office, where Sam reveals the Progressive Caucus wants to include divisive rhetoric in a speech, which Toby dismisses as unproductive.
Toby abruptly ends the conversation, claiming he has a meeting, leaving Sam to handle the Progressive Caucus's demands alone.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Playfully indulgent then pragmatically excited, shading to concerned attentiveness amid Toby's distraction
Enters Mess spotting Toby, affirms speech reviews positively, engages in light-hearted Batman-Robin pushback, reveals CBO surplus slash and Caucus rhetoric demands during walk to Toby's office, absorbs strategic glee and curt tasking with pragmatic concern.
- • Share CBO windfall for tax strategy advantage
- • Seek guidance on handling Caucus/ATJ rhetoric demands
- • Partnership with Toby yields rhetorical successes like speech reviews
- • Fiscal data like CBO projections trumps populist barbs in presidential messaging
Assertively influential offscreen
Referenced by Sam as having delivered CBO projection news alongside Richard Will prior to this encounter.
- • Relay CBO data to shape White House strategy
- • CBO revisions provide key leverage in budget fights
Exuberantly triumphant and playful, surging to strategic glee before curt deflection veiling deep distraction and anxiety
Sits alone reading newspaper over coffee, thrusts it up sharing Wachtel rave, tosses paper, grabs pastry refills mug with slurred Batman-Robin glee, erupts in joy at CBO news proposing tax deal en route to office, sighs curtly dismissing Caucus line tasking Sam, hesitates silently distracted before abrupt exit.
- • Celebrate speech triumph reinforcing partnership
- • Leverage CBO data for tax-cut concessions
- • Neutralize Caucus/ATJ rhetoric unfit for Bartlet
- • He and Sam embody unbeatable Batman-Robin speechwriting duo
- • Lower surplus empowers disciplined fiscal messaging over class-war jabs
- • Personal crises like MS must be compartmentalized from work
Professionally urgent offscreen
Referenced by Sam as having delivered CBO projection news alongside Jane Gentry prior to this encounter.
- • Convey CBO surplus slash for policy impact
- • Nonpartisan data drives congressional-White House negotiations
Approvingly impressed offscreen
Invoked via newspaper quote as source of unexpected rave review on commencement speech, amplifying Toby's glee.
- • Validate strong rhetoric publicly
- • Worthy speeches merit praise regardless of politics
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Toby reads folded section alone, holds it aloft to spotlight rave reviews including Wachtel's praise for their speech, tosses it casually on table amid banter; functions as tangible proof of triumph, narrative pivot from celebration to policy, underscoring partnership amid MS shadows.
Toby drinks from it initially at table, walks to counter for refill during banter, steam rising as he chews slurringly; casual prop grounding buoyant informality, anchors shift from glee to strategic march, symbolizing routine amid brewing crisis tension.
Toby snatches it from Mess counter while refilling coffee, chews vigorously with slurred speech amplifying playful Batman declarations; fleeting snack prop heightens levity and physicality of celebration, contrasting curt policy pivots, embodies momentary escape before distraction.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Final hallway sees Toby hesitate silently at office door before directing Sam oppositely down corridor; thrumming tension clots air post-dismissal, underscoring distraction's emotional cost in power nexus.
Subterranean Mess hosts Sam's entry and Toby's solo start, fueling initial newspaper reveal, Batman banter over counter refuel; casual hub sparks joy before exit, atmospheric contrast to hallway tension, propels duo into motion revealing subtextual fractures.
Duo charges up polished treads from Mess during CBO reveal and tax glee, amplifying triumphant snarls echoing off walls; transitional ascent builds momentum from levity to strategy, heightening rhythm of revelation.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
ATJ allies with Caucus pushing same crass rhetoric line into speech, dismissed by Toby urging Sam contact; embodies rejected populism clashing presidential polish amid CBO pivot.
CBO's revised projection slashing surplus $200B eight years out, relayed via Jane/Richard, ignites Toby/Sam's glee as anti-tax-cut weapon; nonpartisan jolt reshapes speech strategy, narrative boon amid cover-up haze.
Progressive Caucus demands 'swimming pools and jets' class-war line for Chicago speech draft, cited by Sam and curtly spiked by Toby tasking outreach; exposes intra-party populist friction against disciplined tone.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
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Key Dialogue
"TOBY: "We're Batman and Robin!" SAM: "Which one's which?" TOBY: "Look at me, Sam. Am I Robin?""
"SAM: "Jane Gentry and Richard Will came to see me with some news. The CBO's projection... Has us 200 billion lower eight years out." TOBY: "That's fantastic news.""
"SAM: "there's a line ATJ and the Progressive Caucus want me to put in the draft for Chicago. That we want to do great things, but our opponents want bigger swimming pools and faster private jets." TOBY: "Change the writing.""