Jordan Dismantles Police Intimidation as Leo Stays Unshaken
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Leo McGarry and Jordan Kendall enter a tense midnight meeting with Cliff Calley and an unnamed counsel, where the presence of Capitol Police outside immediately raises suspicions and sets a confrontational tone.
Jordan challenges the presence of armed guards, revealing her discomfort with what she perceives as an intimidation tactic, while Leo asserts his resilience, unmoved by such tactics.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Calm deference to procedural flow
Awaits silently at table beside Cliff, nods crisp agreement to police relocation query, settles into chair as others do, embodying poised congressional auxiliary.
- • Support Cliff's authority in parley
- • Ensure smooth negotiation setup
- • Relocation aligns with strategic privacy
- • Subtle endorsement bolsters team cohesion
Stoically indifferent with underlying granite loyalty
Enters room purposefully with Jordan, delivers curt greeting, dismisses police intimidation with laconic reassurance, demands negotiation substance commence amid settling at table.
- • Expedite to core negotiation terms
- • Project unassailable strength against pressure
- • Intimidation tactics are futile against him
- • Time wasted on preliminaries weakens position
Protective vigilance masking assertive command
Enters alongside Leo, exchanges greetings, sharply interrogates police presence, brands it intimidation targeting Leo, demands relocation to hall's end, settles at table post-concession.
- • Neutralize intimidation to level playing field
- • Secure privacy for fair deal talks
- • Armed guards signal bad-faith power play
- • Her intimidation sensitivity strengthens Leo's shield
Neutral professional detachment
Guards door outside room stoically, receives Cliff's quiet instruction, complies by stepping to hall's far end with colleagues, clearing immediate perimeter.
- • Uphold assigned security post
- • Follow superior directives promptly
- • Orders from counsel supersede static positioning
- • Privacy protocols adaptable to negotiation needs
Defensive poise yielding to tactical concession
Awaits at table with counsel, initiates terse greetings, defends police as Chairman's privacy measure, consults counsel, instructs policeman to relocate guards, returns to table with accommodating retort.
- • Defuse tension to advance deal pitch
- • Maintain procedural legitimacy
- • Police serve neutral privacy function
- • Concessions build negotiation goodwill
Institutional impartiality
Referenced indirectly as originator of police deployment for privacy, his authority invoked in defense but overridden by concession.
- • Enforce hearing room sanctity
- • Security guards privacy paramount
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Central prepared table anchors the room's geometry, drawing Leo, Jordan, Cliff, and counsel into orbiting seats post-police relocation; it symbolizes structured confrontation amid improvised power maneuvers, priming the arena for censure ultimatum volleys in loyalty's high-stakes crucible.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Dimly lit chamber hosts entry, greetings, police challenge, and table settling; its confined intimacy amplifies verbal sparring, transforming congressional threshold into loyalty-testing coliseum where White House defiance meets oversight muscle.
Distant hall end becomes enforced relocation site for police, marking Jordan's successful demand; shadows swallow guards, stripping overt muscle to expose negotiation's psychological bare-knuckles.
Hallway outside door serves as contested security perimeter where Cliff dispatches policeman; its linoleum expanse witnesses intimidation accusation, yielding reluctant privacy amid midnight congressional hush.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Capitol Police embody congressional muscle as door sentinels, their presence sparking Jordan's intimidation charge; swift relocation under Cliff's order highlights institutional flexibility bending to negotiation imperatives amid scandal hearings' glare.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The congressional offer of censure presented to Leo directly leads to Bartlet's ultimate decision to accept it."
"The congressional offer of censure presented to Leo directly leads to Bartlet's ultimate decision to accept it."
"Leo's initial rejection of the censure deal is consistent with his later arguments against it, showcasing his unwavering loyalty to Bartlet."
"Leo's initial rejection of the censure deal is consistent with his later arguments against it, showcasing his unwavering loyalty to Bartlet."
"Jordan's negotiation for a one-day window to sway Leo leads directly to her continued attempts to undermine his resistance with examples of trivial resolutions."
Key Dialogue
"JORDAN: "If you're gonna put a deal on the table, I'd prefer there not be armed guards outside the door to intimidate him.""
"LEO: "I'm not that easily intimidated.""
"JORDAN: "I am.""
"LEO: "I don't care if the police are out there. Can somebody speak?""