After his State of the Union speech, Bartlet boldly greenlights a daring military mission to rescue five federal drug agents taken hostage by Colombian terrorist commandos — until complications arise — while Toby is confronted by an angry, liberal Senator (guest star Ed Begley, Jr.) who threatens to launch a third-party run for President. Elsewhere, a frustrated Josh tries to conduct a poll to sample reaction to the speech which he hopes will provide support for a new gun protection law but he wonders why his assistant Donna keeps urging him to ask out an attractive pollster. In addition, C.J. tries to convince the host of a TV political program to include a controversial policeman (guest star Gregalan Williams) as a guest who was the President’s invitee at his speech while Abbey is livid with Bartlet for what he said and didn’t say in his speech.