SCENE 1

(JOSH and DONNA are walking together)

DONNA How does the F.E.C. work?

JOSH Six commissioners are appointed for a six-year term.

DONNA Overlaps.

JOSH Two seats come up every two years.

DONNA And two commissioners just resigned?

JOSH At the same time.

DONNA How many times has that happened?

JOSH Including this time?

DONNA Yeah.

JOSH Once.

DONNA So the president has the opportunity to back the F.E.C. without people and make immeasurable impact on campaign finance reform?

JOSH Yes.

DONNA Well, do it baby!

JOSH There's a couple of roadblocks.

DONNA What?

JOSH Whenever a vacancy comes up, the party leadership of both sides...(he pauses for a moment) Did you just call me 'baby' back there?

DONNA Yeah.

JOSH Okay. Uh, when a vacancy comes up, it's up to the president to fill it, but the party leadership on both sides always, always, always dictates to the president who he's gonna appoint. One Republican. One Democrat. Whoever the leadership says. That's how you keep the peace

DONNA But you're gonna change all that, right?

JOSH No, but I'm gonna spend the rest of the week trying.

DONNA That's not the right spirit, Josh. You're trying to change the nature of democracy.

JOSH You're right. I'm gonna need a bagel.

(JOSH enters his office)

SCENE 2

(C.J. is coming out of the briefing room and DONNA follows her)

DONNA C.J.?

C.J. Yeah?

DONNA There will be 25,000 wooden eggs in addition to the 7,500 other eggs.

C.J. What are the other eggs made out of?

DONNA Ah...the other eggs are...

C.J. They're actually eggs.

DONNA Yeah. Mandy's in your office.

C.J. What is Josh doing?

DONNA F.E.C. commissioners.

C.J. Would you tell him when he has a free moment I'd like to see him?

DONNA Yeah.

(DONNA leaves and CJ stops to talk to CAROL at her desk)

SCENE 3

(The lobby of the West Wing, JOSH is just arriving and DONNA is standing there, waiting for him)

DONNA How'd it go?

JOSH (surprised) How do you know to be standing here?

DONNA I see you at the window.

JOSH You don't have a window.

DONNA You have a window.

JOSH What are you doing in my office when I'm not there?

DONNA Looking for you at the window.

JOSH Okay.

(They start to head for the offices)

DONNA How'd it go?

JOSH It went fine.

DONNA Just fine?

JOSH Yeah.

DONNA You don't want to say anything more than that?

JOSH I don't, Donna, and the way that you know that I don't, is that I'm not.

DONNA But this is our special time together.

JOSH I'm really not in the mood to mess around.

DONNA Okay.

JOSH I need you to get me prepped on something.

DONNA What?

JOSH English as the national language.

DONNA Why?

JOSH Might come up.

DONNA Why?

JOSH Because...it doesn't matter. Because if we do a thing with the F.E.C., opponents will put English as the national language on the table.

DONNA Are we for it or against it?

JOSH Donna...

DONNA I mean we're not in favor of making another language the official language, are we?

JOSH Donna!

DONNA Like Dutch of something.

JOSH Donna, didn't I just say that I can't mess around?

DONNA Okay.

JOSH Yes.

DONNA Bullet points?

JOSH Yeah.

DONNA Give me thirty minutes?

JOSH Thank you.

(JOSH goes into his office.)

DONNA Oh, and Toby said to come by as soon as you got back.

JOSH Toby?

DONNA Yeah.

(JOSH hurries out.)

SCENE 4

(JOSH is walking down the hall when DONNA comes up from behind and hands him a piece of paper.)

DONNA Josh?

JOSH Yeah?

DONNA Six pages on English as the national language.

JOSH Is it good?

DONNA I gave you some good stuff on James Madison and the--

JOSH James Madison?

DONNA And the Teriman resort--

JOSH I didn't ask for a damn social studies paper. I-I--

DONNA (stops walking) Don't snap at me Josh.

JOSH Donna?

DONNA Look at the memo. I gave you what you asked for. Don't snap at me. (starts walking again) What's wrong with everyone today? It's been all day. Is it Mandy's memo?

JOSH No.

DONNA Why is everyone walking around like they know they already lost?

JOSH I wasn't snapping at you. I just, I-I didn't realize that you also gave me the stuff I asked for. I thought it was just...you know, I thought you just gave me James Madison.

DONNA Well, look at the James Madison. It's gonna help you.

JOSH Thanks.

(Later, as MANDY is exiting JOSH’S office, DONNA comes in)

JOSH It's everyone that's feeling this way today?

DONNA Yeah.

JOSH Oh, okay. Thanks.