So, let me get this straight....

So, let me get this straight. We have a pro-choice Republican presidential candidate taking on a pro-life Democrat and both are struggling to keep the election from going negative. As Kevin Costner said in JFK, "we're through the looking glass, people." Now, I don't mind that The West Wing engages in political wish fulfillment. Hell, that's why we all watch it, right? But, if real politics worked like this, even Al Franken and Bill O'Reilly wouldn't know who to hate. First, the Republican Vinick wants to keep abortion out of his campaign altogether. Then, the liberal Santos tells pro-choice lobbyists where to get off. Things get even stranger in that kitchen showdown when Vinick accepts Santos' debate challenge, on the spot, because they bump into each other backstage. What is this, the WWE? Let's just hope that next week's live "debate" is a real smackdown. The only thing harder to believe on tonight's episode is how Donna got work on the Santos campaign. Are we really to believe that no one, including big-time Democratic insider Lou, had ever heard of her before? After all, Donna Moss was only the assistant for six years to one of the biggest names on Capitol Hill, worked for Bingo Bob's campaign and, oh yeah, was blown up in an explosion that killed the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and set off an Israeli-Palestinian peace summit. I guess none of that was on MSNBC, which, in a shameless bit of Peacock cross-promotion, appears to be the only news network anyone in Washington watches. Not that  there's any news to be had from the Bartlet Administration lately, unless you want to see poor Will trying to sell Eskimo anecdotes to an irate press corps.