ACT ONE
INTERIOR JOSH'S OFFICE
CONTINUOUS

"I certainly can't say I'm sorry to see HER go." Margaret leaned against Josh's desk as he entered his office.

"Amy?" he questioned.

"Who else?" the redhead scoffed. "What I don't understand is why the President hired her to begin with. Why anyone would voluntarily choose to be within 1000 yards of that woman, I'll never know."

"You do realize I dated her once, right?" Josh's voice held a teasing tone.

"Actually more than once."

"So what do you suppose that says about me?"

"All I can think is that you must have been punishing yourself." Margaret shrugged her shoulders.

"For what?" Josh laughed.

"I don't know," Margaret shook her head, "but it must have been bad."

Josh laughed out loud. He was learning to appreciate Margaret's unique sense of humor, not to mention her straightforward honest manner, more every day. Even her own special brand of quirkiness was growing on him.

"I can't believe she had the nerve to question Sam's authority," Margaret tsked.

"Were you listening at the door?" Josh raised his eyebrows.

"Like I always told Leo, the walls in this place are paper thin."

"Huh. That's some pretty shoddy construction."

"For sure." Margaret nodded affirmatively.

"We should do something about it."

"I'll put it on your To Do list ".

Josh smiled and indicated the pile of folders in her arms. "Are we ready for this?

"Absolutely. Can't wait." Margaret said eagerly.

"OK then," Josh took a deep fortifying breath. "Let's get Cheese Day underway."

CUT TO

INTERIOR HALLWAY

As they approached the Roosevelt Room Josh was busy running down his mental staff list trying to anticipate who among the staff would be most likely to give him the same kind of grief he'd always given Leo. The smart money was on Lou but he certainly couldn't discount Donna. Or Lester. Or even Annabeth. He steeled himself.

"Do you have the assignments ready?" he asked Margaret as they arrived at the door.

"I do indeed." Margaret's expression was inscrutable but there was a gleam in her eye as she tapped the folders she held in her arms.

"You look like the cat that ate the canary."

"I especially enjoyed working on this year's assignments," she replied matter-of-factly.

"What did you do, Margaret?"

She patted his arm and smiled. "It's nothing for you to concern yourself with. This is my area. Remember how we agreed you'd stay out of my area?"

"I remember. But can I just say that sometimes you scare me."

"I'm fine with that," she said with a straight face.

Despite her initial apprehension, Margaret found she loved being back in the White House and, as much as he exasperated her from time to time, loved working for Josh. But just like with Leo, she would brook no shenanigans when it came to the way her boss was treated.

CUT TO
INTERIOR ROOSEVELT ROOM

"Wanna share a bagel?" Donna asked as she looked over the wide variety of food arrayed on the table in front of her.

"Sure," Annabeth chirped happily. "I was running late this morning so I missed breakfast."

"Whole wheat okay?"

"Fine. Hey, do all the meetings in Josh's West Wing come with a spiffy buffet?"

Donna laughed. "I don't think so."

"Because the most you ever provided is half a tuna sandwich on rye."

"I didn't really provide that so much as you came to my office while I was eating and stared at it 'til I felt guilty and offered you some."

"Hmmm." Annabeth tilted her head and put her finger to her chin. "I thought it was a lunch meeting."

Donna picked up two small paper plates for the bagel.

"Is there any flavored cream cheese. I love that stuff."

"Honey nut ok?"

"Perfect."

Donna finished spreading the cream cheese and grabbed several napkins.

"So tell me again why this is called Big Block of Cheese Day?" Annabeth asked excitedly as they settled into two seats at the end of the room's long conference table.

"If I tell you, it'll steal Josh's thunder." Donna took a bite of her bagel. "Besides, he tells it better than I do."

"How's he doing? Is he ready for this?"

"I think so," Donna answered honestly. "It's something he really wants to do. To carry on Leo's tradition. How about you? How are you?"

"Me? I'm fine," Annabeth said with conviction. "I mean…it's still hard sometimes. But I try to remember him happy and smiling like he usually was and not how he was…the last time I saw him."

"That must have been hard." Donna reached over and touched her friend's arm.

"It was." Annabeth found herself drifting back in her mind to election night and finding Leo in his hotel suite. She managed to catch herself before the melancholy could take hold. This wasn't the time for that. She forced herself to think of happier things. "Did Mallory send you the new batch of baby pictures?"

"She did," Donna smiled broadly. "He's adorable."

"He sure is. He has Leo's smile," Annabeth winked. "He's gonna be a lady killer."

"That he is," Donna agreed.

"So…..Leo really loved this, huh? All these crazy meetings with offbeat characters."

"He did," Donna said, remembering Leo's joy on Cheese Days past. "More precisely I think he liked the idea of it, and putting the staff through it. Taking these kinds of meetings himself…not so much."

"Sounds like him." Annabeth smiled. She scooped up a small bit of cream cheese that had fallen on to her napkin and licked it off her finger. "I'm glad to get the chance to play even a small role in keeping the tradition alive. Remind me to thank Josh for inviting me."

"Wait till you see what kind of meeting you get stuck with first," Donna warned.

Just then the door to the room swung open.

CONTINUOS
ROOSEVELT ROOM
JOSH AND MARGARET ENTER

Lou and Bram sat on one side of the table, near the end. Lou was reading through a briefing memo and making notes in the margin while Bram attacked the plate of food in front of him with gusto. On the opposite side of the table, Lester and Otto engaged in a spirited game of tabletop football with a folded up paper plate. The seats in between were filled with assorted staffers and interns. Some were clicking away on BlackBerry's or laptops while others talked quietly amongst themselves. Ginger sat against the far wall holding a stenographer's pad in her lap looking bored.

"Good morning, everyone," Josh called as he strode through the door.

"Morning," came the collective mumble from the staff.

Josh was unfazed by their lack of enthusiasm. "I said GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE."

"MORNING, JOSH," they shouted with a little more energy.

"Great to see you all so energetic this morning. I hope you've all fortified yourself with this lovely spread Margaret ordered." Josh indicated the food on the table. "What's on the menu this morning, Margaret?"

The redhead pointed to each item as she spoke. "Cheese Danish, Eggwiches with cheese, Bagels with Cream Cheese, Mini Cheese Quiches and Cheddar Cheese muffins. Though I don't recommend the muffins because the fat content is through the roof."

Otto looked disdainfully at the empty muffin wrapper on the table in front of him. "Now you tell me."

"Is there coffee?" Josh asked.

"Yep." Margaret began fixing a cup exactly the way Josh liked it.

"It has a little melted Longhorn Colby in it. Is that ok?" she said with as she handed him the cup.

"Eww. No. I'll pass." He pulled his hand back as if he'd been burned.

Margaret smiled over her shoulder at Donna. "You're right. He's so gullible."

"I told you."

"Smart ass." Josh cast a mock glare in Donna's direction as he took the cup from Margaret.

"Bambi," she shot back.

Most of the staffers looked on in amusement. They'd become accustomed to Josh and Donna's special way of communicating while they were all out on the campaign trail together. However, the newer staffers and the interns looked a bit stunned. They weren't used to seeing anyone volley with the Chief of Staff.

"OK. Now that the comedy portion of the morning is out of the way, let's get started." Josh took up a position at the head of the table. "Today we are carrying on a great tradition begun by Leo McGarry during his tenure as President Bartlet's Chief of Staff. It's something he liked to call Big Block of Cheese Day. I'm not going to give the speech he always gave because I'm sure I couldn't do it justice…."

"It's not the same without the speech," Margaret shook her head, disappointment etched on her features.

Josh glanced sideways at her then continued. "Suffice it to say that this is a day when people who wouldn't normally have access to White House staffers get a chance to have their say. To voice their concerns. To be part of the process."

"To what end?" Lou asked with thinly veiled annoyance.

"To the end that we remember that this is the people's house and we're here doing their business," Josh replied. "All of them. Not just the ones with money and access."

"So where does the cheese come in?" Otto asked. "I mean aside from this lovely breakfast spread with the apparently toxic muffins."

"Is there a lunch buffet too?" Bram asked hopefully. "Because I'd like to put in my order for a pizza with extra cheese."

"There's no lunch buffet," Josh said.

"That's too bad," Lester opined. "That new place on 17th has great pizza. And they deliver."

"We're getting off track," Josh sighed.

"I think it will work better if you give the speech," Margaret said in a stage whisper. "It's a good speech."

"I thought maybe I should stay away from that," he said uncertainly.

"No. Give the speech," Margaret said definitively.

Josh cast a questioning look at Donna who smiled encouragingly and nodded.

He took a deep breath. "Andrew Jackson, in the lobby of his White House, kept a two ton block of cheese….."

CUT TO
INTERIOR SAM'S OFFICE

Sam sat at his desk; jaw tight, tapping his fingers angrily on his blotter.

"I understand, Congressman. Yes. Yes. I can see where you might get the idea we're a bit disorganized over here. But I assure you that's not the case."

He shifted the phone to his other ear.

"I understand. No. We're not making any deals on the welfare bill. That's off the table. Well Ms. Gardner was confused."

One of the assistants from Legislative Affairs entered the office timidly, carrying a stack of files.

"Mr. Lyman said I should bring these to you," she said softly.

"Thanks," Sam mouthed and pointed for her to leave them on the credenza. She placed the files where directed then made a quick exit.

"I have to take care of a few things here then I'm on my way up to the Hill. I'll meet you in your office in…let's say an hour, and we'll talk."

He grabbed a legal pad and began to scribble a note to Ginger.

"I straightened this all out with Cal Richards yesterday. We'll agree to support the road repair package in return for your votes on the education bill."

Sam finished the note and began to shove things into his briefcase.

"No, Congressman. It's not going to be possible for you to deal directly with Josh on this."

Sam was growing more agitated with every word the junior Congressman for South Dakota spoke.

"I understand your concerns Congressman, but I'm not going to allow you to try to hold the President to a deal he never authorized in the first place."

CUT TO
INTERIOR ROOSEVELT ROOM

"I spent a lot of time choosing just the right meeting for each of you so please, no trading," Margaret said as she handed out assignments to the staff.

Lou flipped open a red folder with her name neatly lettered on the tab. "You know, right up until this file landed in my hands I thought this entire day was some sort of elaborate practical joke."

"You thought wrong," Josh replied.

"What in the world is the Henry Martyn Robert Society anyway?"

Josh's head snapped toward his assistant. "Lou got the H. M. Robert guy?"

Margaret smiled enigmatically. "You're gonna love him," she assured the scowling Communications Director.

"I sincerely doubt that," Lou grumbled.

"You're going into this with the wrong attitude," Josh encouraged. "You have to find a way to make the meetings fun."

"Says the man without a folder," Lou fired back.

"Yeah. Where's your assignment?" Lester asked.

"I'm acting in more of a supervisory capacity on this."

"You just don't want to get too close to the crazies," Donna accused, flipping through her folder.

"That too," Josh nodded.

Otto looked a bit nervous. "They're not all crazy, right?"

"Who do you have?" Donna asked.

"Bram and I have Rockers for Reform."

Donna glanced at Margaret who was snickering behind her hand.

"They sound completely normal to me," Donna smiled with as much sincerity as she could.

"I don't think she's serious," Bram whispered across the table to Otto. "Let me see that folder."

Margaret returned to her seat with one folder left in her hand.

"What's that?" Josh asked. "I thought you weren't taking a meeting this year."

"It's the Coalition for the Advancement of Men's Rights," Margaret said.

Josh looked confused. "Really?"

"It was supposed to be Amy's."

Donna choked loudly on her last bite of bagel. Annabeth reached out instinctively and thumped her firmly on the back saying, "Arms up".

Josh looked around the room at the sea of folders until his eyes landed on Ginger's empty hands. "Give it to Ginger."

"Me?" Ginger asked with surprise. "What'd I do? I'm just here taking notes for Sam."

"Consider it your lucky day," Josh told her.

Margaret gave Ginger an 'I have no idea what he's doing' look as she handed over the folder.

"This is the one I want you to handle," Josh said, placing another folder in Margaret's hand.

She opened the file, perused the contents then looked back at Josh with questioning eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

CUT TO
INTERIOR LOU'S OFFICE

As Lou entered and headed towards her desk she took stock of the rotund man sitting ramrod straight in her visitor's chair. He had a full head of thick white hair and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache to match. The red tinge on the end of his nose led Lou to believe he was probably in heavy demand around Christmas to play Santa Claus for the neighborhood kids.

"Mr. Salinger?"

"Yes, ma'am. August Salinger. But Mr. Salinger is fine. Feel free to call me that." The man rose from the chair and extended his hand to Lou.

"O-ok." Lou shook his hand then continued to skim the file Margaret had prepared. "Please have a seat. I'm Lou Thornton. I'm the Communications Director for President Santos. And you are the representative of the General Henry Martyn Robert Society?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm proud to have served as President of the society for three years now. And I was just elected last month to another three year term."

"Congratulations. I had no idea there even was such a society."

"There is indeed. Aside from the national chapter there are subchapters in every single state. We're quite dedicated to our mission."

"Which is?" Lou met the man's eyes.

"We believe, Ms, Thornton, that American society is breaking down. In large part due to the fact that people no longer understand and respect the proper orderly way to get things done."

"Seriously?" Lou's voice rose a full octave.

"Today's average American is impatient. They want instant results and instant gratification even if it means taking shortcuts."

"And you think shortcuts are bad?"

"Very bad," August nodded resolutely. "We, the dues paying members of the General Henry Martyn Robert Society, believe that if everyone learned to follow the rules of procedure set forth by our founder many years ago society would run more smoothly."

"Your founder. That would be…?"

"General Henry Martyn Robert."

"A soldier I take it?"

"My, yes. A decorated soldier, a dedicated family man, and the original author of Robert's Rules of Order."

Lou looked dumbfounded. "The rules for parliamentary procedure?"

"That's a common misconception about the rules, Ms. Thornton, don't feel bad."

Lou's mind wandered back to something Margaret had said earlier. 'I spent a lot of time choosing just the right assignment for each of you….'

As her mind drifted Mr. Salinger continued on unabated.

"Of course the rules are the final word in Parliamentary procedure. They have been for nearly a century. But they're much more than that. They're a road map to the most effective method of operation within any group. No matter the mission. No matter the size."

"You don't say." Lou couldn't hide the sarcasm in her voice.

"You might not be so flip if you were more familiar with the rules," August chastised her gently. "Do you have a copy of the latest edition, Ms. Thornton?"

"Well…I don't…you know… personally," Lou stammered, "but I'd imagine there's one around here somewhere."

August Salinger produced a paperback copy from his jacket pocket with a flourish and presented it to a flabbergasted Lou. "You can keep this one."

"Gee, thanks."

"The rules, as you will see when you read the book, are easily modified to fit any size or type of organization."

"And what you're looking for from the White House is?" Lou interjected; hoping to cut him off before he launched into too detailed an explanation of the book's contents.

"We would like to have the rules, the newly revised edition of course, named the official operational structure of all government offices."

"You can't possibly be serious." Lou stared at him with disbelief.

"Quite serious. We believe that if the government takes the lead, corporate America will follow."

"Well that's unlikely on its face, but putting that aside for a minute, how would you propose we go about implementing this plan? Do you expect every government office to spend the day buried under movements, and seconds, and debate and ballots on even the smallest issue? Because I gotta tell ya, things move pretty slowly now. That would bring them to a grinding halt."

August Salinger huffed. "As I said, Ms. Thornton, the rules can be adapted to fit any organization's needs. Considering some of the problems you've had in your first few months; the leaks, the inability to focus the press on your agenda, the early missteps in the handling of Mt. St. Helens, and dare I say a general public perception of disorganization, are you denying you could use a little more structure?"

"I suppose not," Lou sighed as she settled in for a long morning.

CUT TO
INTERIOR OTTO'S OFFICE

Bram had rolled his chair from its regular place in the bullpen into the Deputy Communication Director's office and placed it behind the desk next to Otto's. The two young staffers sat side by side staring apprehensively at a pair of middle- aged, shaggy haired men sitting in Otto's visitor's chairs wearing faded Born to Rock t-shirts, ripped jeans, tennis shoes and black Timex LCD watches. They reminded Bram of the old SNL skit, Wayne's World.

"The Star Spangled Banner has had a good long run but its time for a change," one of the men (the one Bram had taken to calling Garth in his head) said enthusiastically. "We need a song that real people can relate to. Something that speaks to them."

"Is it even possible to change the national anthem?" Otto asked doubtfully.

"It totally is," the second man (who Bram thought of as Wayne) insisted. "All we need is someone to propose legislation."

"Well then--- shouldn't you be lobbying some junior congressman who wants national publicity?"

"Well sure. But no one will even consider it until they know they'll have support from the White House."

Otto took note of the excited looks on the men's faces and decided allowing them to get their hopes up would border on cruelty. "I'm not sure this is something President Santos would really want to get involved in."

"I think the President likes the Star Spangled Banner," Bram added helpfully.

"This is the best chance we've had in decades to get the anthem changed," Garth-lite said earnestly, "We've got a young president. He's vital. He's hip. He should want the nation's theme song to reflect that."

"President Santos is hip?" Otto asked skeptically.

"In comparison to every president of the last two decades."

"Well….yeah," Otto conceded.

Bram couldn't resist the elephant in the room any longer. "Exactly what do you want to change the anthem to?"

The two aging rock fans looked at each other and smiled, then began to sing.

'On the days we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream…'

FADE TO BLACK