Amy used Dr. Bartlet's name as a blank chequebook. It didn't matter that Abbey may well have agreed with many of the causes Amy used her name to fight for, she did it without consultation or permission. Bartlet's reply to her when she told him it's what his wife would want says it all, really: "She has to be here to want things". Amy was an employee, she can't go off half-cocked telling people "The First Lady wants this. The First Lady wants that" when she never even asked Dr. B what she wanted. Amy was misrepresenting at best, and lying at worst.
Amy was out of line. Unless pre-approved, you don't get to use your bosses name to promote personal agenda's. I don't care what industry you are in. This was a major faux pas and i cringed the first time i watched it. She should have been fired imo. I'd have fired her tbh. At the end of the day, the first lady DOES NOT control policy. While she can certainly influence it, the first lady should NOT be pushing legislation w/o the approval of the president/staff.
Although the causes for which Amy was advocating were likely things that Abbey would have supported, she was still advocating for her own causes. Amy is her Chief of Staff, which allows her some leeway to make decisions on her own but she was also using the First Lady's name without consulting Legislative Affairs, who works for the guys who actually, ya know, got elected. Bartlet was right because it's bad enough for him when his wife causes problems, he certainly shouldn't have to deal with it from someone speaking for his wife.
Also, we all know that Amy doesn't care what kind of problems she causes to get her way.
Amy is her Chief of Staff, just like Leo is Jed's. If Jed was unavailable & Leo pursued a political goal he knew the president supported, that would just be business as normal. The Chief of Staff runs the office. If Jed had a problem with what Amy was doing, he should have talked to his wife. Of course, he knew how that would go, so he picked on Amy instead.
The problem is that Amy is NOT the president's chief of staff. The first lady does not determine policy and need to check with the president's staff before going there, even if it's an approved issue. Dr. Bartlett was not elected. This is a contentious issue in every White House and the First Ladies' COS is supposed to find this balance. Apparently, Dr. Barlett and her staff were very bad about working with the president's policy and communications' staff and causes issues through out the series. I personal think Amy was out of line, first for not talking to Dr. Barlett on this as she was fairly new and not checking with the president's staff on a policy issue. Amy admits she's bad for working on behalf of others because of her own personal agenda.
>The first lady does not determine policy and need to check with the president's staff before going there, even if it's an approved issue. Dr. Bartlett was not elected. This is a contentious issue in every White House and the First Ladies' COS is supposed to find this balance. Apparently, Dr. Barlett and her staff were very bad about working with the president's policy and communications' staff and causes issues through out the series.
This is a problem between Jed & Abbey, not Jed & Amy. I have no objection to anyone saying Amy was out of line, or that the First Lady's office overstepped their bounds. But Amy worked for Abbey and we never hear Abbey complain. Jed's problem should be with Abbey.
Leo pulls sooo many strings and calls so many of his own plays to keep stuff off Jed's plate when he needs to be focused elsewhere. The chief of staff is the one in charge of making sure it's about the office and not the person. Why shouldn't that extend to the first lady's office? And Amy did try to brief Dr. B and talk strategy, but she said "Amy you're gonna have to run things for a while. I trust you, that's why I hired you." She didn't steal the blank checkbook, Dr. B handed it to her willingly and eagerly.
And on the other side, Jed isn't mad about the money or the process, since at the end he tells her to fully fund and then some the violence prevention program (I think?). He's fighting a personal war by proxy with his wife, making unilateral decisions about her staff based on those personal issues. Totally unprofessional
Edit: Here's the part where Dr B gave Amy explicit permission and trust to handle the violence prevention issue, it's a couple episodes back in Jefferson Lives
AMY
I think Ken's concerned about the HHS Appropriation. There were some changes in the CDC budget. The Committee's going to markup. Violence Prevention could lose 65%.
ABBEY
Sorry, what are you...?
AMY
I'm sorry. It was nothing.
ABBEY
Amy, you're going to have to handle things for me a little while longer.
AMY
I know. Do you want me to...?
ABBEY
I trust you. That's why I hired you.
I feel like I'm on Amy's side. I don't think Amy was supposed to just sit around playing Solitaire while Abbey was basically on sabbatical caring for Zoey. I get the impression that Amy and Abbey had an understanding that Amy was supposed to still push the agenda that Abbey cared about.
Fair enough, but then she shouldn't have accepted the position in the first place. All the people in executive positions in the White House ultimately serve at the pleasure of the President. If you take a job with that in its description knowing that you're not prepared to do it, you're wrong by default.
I was on Amy's side. Amy was doing the job she was hired to do, and doing what she felt Abby would have tried to accomplish. Jed got pissed at her because he was pissed at Abby, but Abby wasn't around to yell at.
And since at the end of the episode, Jed basically gave Amy the seal of approval for the whole thing, he was basically admitting he was wrong the first time.
Amy used Dr. Bartlet's name as a blank chequebook. It didn't matter that Abbey may well have agreed with many of the causes Amy used her name to fight for, she did it without consultation or permission. Bartlet's reply to her when she told him it's what his wife would want says it all, really: "She has to be here to want things". Amy was an employee, she can't go off half-cocked telling people "The First Lady wants this. The First Lady wants that" when she never even asked Dr. B what she wanted. Amy was misrepresenting at best, and lying at worst.
Answer C: Josh. Who made the whole speech about the Constituency of One and then told Amy to go apologize. He kind of saw both sides
Amy was out of line. Unless pre-approved, you don't get to use your bosses name to promote personal agenda's. I don't care what industry you are in. This was a major faux pas and i cringed the first time i watched it. She should have been fired imo. I'd have fired her tbh. At the end of the day, the first lady DOES NOT control policy. While she can certainly influence it, the first lady should NOT be pushing legislation w/o the approval of the president/staff.
Although the causes for which Amy was advocating were likely things that Abbey would have supported, she was still advocating for her own causes. Amy is her Chief of Staff, which allows her some leeway to make decisions on her own but she was also using the First Lady's name without consulting Legislative Affairs, who works for the guys who actually, ya know, got elected. Bartlet was right because it's bad enough for him when his wife causes problems, he certainly shouldn't have to deal with it from someone speaking for his wife. Also, we all know that Amy doesn't care what kind of problems she causes to get her way.
Amy is her Chief of Staff, just like Leo is Jed's. If Jed was unavailable & Leo pursued a political goal he knew the president supported, that would just be business as normal. The Chief of Staff runs the office. If Jed had a problem with what Amy was doing, he should have talked to his wife. Of course, he knew how that would go, so he picked on Amy instead.
The problem is that Amy is NOT the president's chief of staff. The first lady does not determine policy and need to check with the president's staff before going there, even if it's an approved issue. Dr. Bartlett was not elected. This is a contentious issue in every White House and the First Ladies' COS is supposed to find this balance. Apparently, Dr. Barlett and her staff were very bad about working with the president's policy and communications' staff and causes issues through out the series. I personal think Amy was out of line, first for not talking to Dr. Barlett on this as she was fairly new and not checking with the president's staff on a policy issue. Amy admits she's bad for working on behalf of others because of her own personal agenda.
>The first lady does not determine policy and need to check with the president's staff before going there, even if it's an approved issue. Dr. Bartlett was not elected. This is a contentious issue in every White House and the First Ladies' COS is supposed to find this balance. Apparently, Dr. Barlett and her staff were very bad about working with the president's policy and communications' staff and causes issues through out the series. This is a problem between Jed & Abbey, not Jed & Amy. I have no objection to anyone saying Amy was out of line, or that the First Lady's office overstepped their bounds. But Amy worked for Abbey and we never hear Abbey complain. Jed's problem should be with Abbey.
That's how I see it. And if Amy is using Abbey as a blank checkbook, that's for Abbey to reprimand Amy and/or change her as COS.
Leo pulls sooo many strings and calls so many of his own plays to keep stuff off Jed's plate when he needs to be focused elsewhere. The chief of staff is the one in charge of making sure it's about the office and not the person. Why shouldn't that extend to the first lady's office? And Amy did try to brief Dr. B and talk strategy, but she said "Amy you're gonna have to run things for a while. I trust you, that's why I hired you." She didn't steal the blank checkbook, Dr. B handed it to her willingly and eagerly. And on the other side, Jed isn't mad about the money or the process, since at the end he tells her to fully fund and then some the violence prevention program (I think?). He's fighting a personal war by proxy with his wife, making unilateral decisions about her staff based on those personal issues. Totally unprofessional Edit: Here's the part where Dr B gave Amy explicit permission and trust to handle the violence prevention issue, it's a couple episodes back in Jefferson Lives AMY I think Ken's concerned about the HHS Appropriation. There were some changes in the CDC budget. The Committee's going to markup. Violence Prevention could lose 65%. ABBEY Sorry, what are you...? AMY I'm sorry. It was nothing. ABBEY Amy, you're going to have to handle things for me a little while longer. AMY I know. Do you want me to...? ABBEY I trust you. That's why I hired you.
I feel like I'm on Amy's side. I don't think Amy was supposed to just sit around playing Solitaire while Abbey was basically on sabbatical caring for Zoey. I get the impression that Amy and Abbey had an understanding that Amy was supposed to still push the agenda that Abbey cared about.
I'm abstaining because the answer is neither and both.
Jed did the right thing, in the wrong way... he should not have admonished her directly...
Amy cuz hawt
Amy said it best. She isn't the type to serve at the pleasure of anyone.
Fair enough, but then she shouldn't have accepted the position in the first place. All the people in executive positions in the White House ultimately serve at the pleasure of the President. If you take a job with that in its description knowing that you're not prepared to do it, you're wrong by default.
I was on Amy's side. Amy was doing the job she was hired to do, and doing what she felt Abby would have tried to accomplish. Jed got pissed at her because he was pissed at Abby, but Abby wasn't around to yell at. And since at the end of the episode, Jed basically gave Amy the seal of approval for the whole thing, he was basically admitting he was wrong the first time.