With Bartlet back in the Oval Office, and back in his wife's bad books, the hunt for a Vice President begins.

A documentary-style look at the day in the life of press secretary C.J. Cregg on a day that turns out to be anything but normal due to a FBI/terrorist standoff.

Back in Washington briefly, Josh visits the White House and is surprised to discover that as a campaign manager he is no longer part of the inner circle in an administration that wants to remain neutral in the Democratic primary. Toby is the focus of some concern after being more withdrawn than usual and also because he is nursing a cut on his face that he doesn't want to talk about. Charlie tells Kate that a guy at his gym has been asking about her, but she's unsure if she's ready to date again. A multi-state water rights fight pitches C.J. against lobbyist Cliff Calley, who proves to be both infuriating and intriguing. Josh and Donna are both suspicious when far-left Senator Rafferty joins the race, obviously as a spoiler candidate.

WHO WILL BE THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE? - It's the Democratic National Convention and the race to become the Democratic Presidential candidate has narrowed to three candidates: Russell, Baker and Santos. Also, Bartlet must wrestle with the decision to launch the super-secret defense shuttle to rescue the astronauts trapped at the space station and risk national security or let them die.

Despite vigorous campaigning, the Santos campaign still struggles to articulate its message and keep the focus on domestic issues rather than gossip and trivia. Although Santos served decades in the military and remains in the reserves, Vinick still appears the stronger candidate on national security issues due to stereotypes about Republicans and Democrats. The White House's decision to halt their own investigation into the leak is a savvy legal move, however it could prove to be costly politically: while Vinick can slam the President for this decision, it's not so easy for Santos to do so. Josh reluctantly recruits help with running the campaign when it becomes obvious that he's trying to do too much himself.