Drought Conditions

"Drought Conditions" is episode 126 of The West Wing.
Plot
Senator Ricky Rafferty, a back-of-the-pack presidential candidate garnered much media attention with a ground-breaking speech about health care. But Rafferty's words contain interesting echoes of President Bartlet's original health plan known only to White House insiders. Meanwhile, Toby is more morose than usual after the death of his brother while C.J. is having problems dealing with lobbyist Clifford Calley. Calley details why a water-allocation bill has no chance of passing the House, and Josh later comes in and gives the same analysis. C.J. realizes it's time to find a new Director of Legislative Affairs and offers the position to Calley; he initially refuses, but at a White House reception the President and C.J. make it clear he pretty much has to accept the job, so he does. Kate Harper seeks a date for that reception and Charlie offers to play matchmaker, but nearly sets her up with one of her ex-husbands. At the reception, Kate and Will Bailey end up having a nice conversation.
Josh finds it difficult to enter the White House, as Margaret has cancelled his pass. Eventually he gets in, and learns of Toby's bereavement. After an initial conversation the two men soon start flinging recriminations of betrayal (Josh is furious that Toby leaked a plan they worked on together, and Toby's furious that Josh left him to work on a suicide-run campaign) and they are involved in a fistfight. White House staff are horrified and embarrassed.
Eventually CJ offers support to a gradually unravelling Toby. Toby then tells the sad details of his brother's passing, specifically that he committed suicide after being diagnosed with cancer, eventually dissolving into tears. Later, it becomes clear that Toby has been confessing his personal troubles to Senator Rafferty, a beautiful woman, but he distances himself from her campaign at the end of the episode.

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See Also

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