Tastes like chicken
Updated 2006-01-27 16:00:00
As if it's not enough that the Kazakhstan elections are about to start -- bringing the threat of a Chinese-Russian altercation, depending on the outcome -- the White House must deal with a possible nuclear meltdown at San Andreo. Vinick feels the heat because he helped open the plant 25 years earlier, and his family is also located in the area. Santos's camp, meanwhile, has decided to not take the high road and not politicize the issue by pointing out Vinick's responsibility, but Josh grown increasingly unsure of this tactic as the night wears on and finally breaks down. Before his decision can blacken the campaign, Donna learns that the cat is already out of the bag, and states begin jumping from Vinick's ship. Still in office and having to therefore actually solve the problem at hand, Bartlet makes a decision that involves venting unsafe levels radiation into the air, and announces it -- even though this would help stall an actual nuclear meltdown, it causes a panicked evacuation of Southern California. Eventually he sends civilian engineers into the building to secure some valves that will solve the problem. On a second try the problem is fixed, but not before one dies of radiation poisoning. Unfortunately, international tensions don't take time off for U.S. disasters, and violence begins to break out in Kazakhstan due to the election outcomes as we fade to black.