Written by Aaron Sorkin, Eli Attie and Gene Sperling, and directed by Alex Graves, the episode contains the first appearances by Mark Feuerstein as Clifford "Cliff" Calley.
She therefore decides—against the strong objections of White House counsel Oliver Babish—to present Rollins as an ally of the administration, thereby forcing Congress to take control over the investigation.
While Sam and Bruno are concerned about the loyalty of a powerful California union official (Sandoval), Toby and Josh are preparing for a meeting with the congressional opposition to re-negotiate the estate tax—or the "death tax" as the Republicans have labeled it—but are then surprised by a last-minute cancellation.
As the episode ends, Bartlet is searching for a good pen, and realizes the full depth of his dependence on Mrs.
The scene where Donna stays up all night sorting through documents in cartons was the idea of Eli Attie, Al Gore's chief speechwriter.
[2] Sorkin, however, had certain misgivings about the estate tax story's appeal, considering the prevalent bipartisan spirit of the time, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.