On The Day Before (Episode 304)
First Aired: Wednesday, 24th October, 2001
Teleplay: Aaron Sorkin
Story: Paul Redford & Nanda Chitre
Director: Christopher Misiano










You Think The Tie Is The Only Thing Standing Between You And Tony Bennett?
Josh's (dimly-lit) office. Josh and Donna stand very close to each other and speak in an almost intimate tone as she ties his tie.

DONNA: Why don't you just wear a pre-tied tie?
JOSH: Because it's not the same.
DONNA: It looks the same.
JOSH: At the end of the night, you want to be able to pull it open like Tony Bennett.
DONNA: You think the tie is the only thing standing between you and Tony Bennett?
JOSH: He's also shorter than I am.
DONNA: Do you know when you're bringing Buckley back here?
JOSH: I was going to do it before the entree.
DONNA: You should after the entree.
JOSH: Why?
DONNA: I dont know ... it's more polite.
JOSH: Is there etiquette for this?
DONNA: No.
JOSH: Then why are you bothering me?
(phone rings)
DONNA: I need to talk to you about something.
JOSH: My phone's ringing.
DONNA: Yeah.
JOSH: You want to answer it?
DONNA: Can we talk sometime tonight? Maybe after the cheese course?
JOSH: Donna ...
DONNA: Josh Lyman ... yes. (hangs up) It's here.
JOSH: Call around.








You're Not Going To Be Tom Jones Tonight
Bullpen. Josh, tie askew, bursts through the doors and looks for Donna.

JOSH: Donna?
DONNA: I'm right here. Where do you think that--
JOSH: My tie's falling apart.
DONNA: Give me that.
JOSH: It's not going to be--
DONNA: You're not going to be Tom Jones tonight.
JOSH: Tony Bennett.
DONNA: Speaker's calling a vote?
JOSH: Yeah.
DONNA: Sam's not going to be able to be in the black room meeting with you.
JOSH: I'll be all right.
DONNA: He wanted to make sure you looked at the new EPA stats on child asthma?
JOSH: I got them.
DONNA: Can I talk to you about something personal?
JOSH: I've got to get back to the dinner, can it wait a little bit?
DONNA: Yeah.
JOSH: (indicating his tie) How does it look?
DONNA: Good.








Is He In There?
Roosevelt Room. Donna approaches Josh about Governor Buckley.

DONNA: Josh.
JOSH: Is he in there?
DONNA: Yeah.
JOSH: I've got to go.








We Need To Stage An Exhibition
Black Room. Donna interrupts Josh's meeting with Governor Buckley.

DONNA: Excuse me, Governor. I'm sorry ... Josh?
(He goes to the door)
JOSH: Yeah?
DONNA: Sam says they need more time.
JOSH: Tell him to call the Minority Leader's office--tell him we need to stage an exhibition.
DONNA: Will he know how that works?
JOSH: There's a rule against exhibitions on the House floor. He'll have one of members bring a poster on the floor, another one of our members will object, the chair has to rule, followed by a vote of the full house, and that'll buy 20 minutes.
DONNA: Okay.








And Still It's Hard To Figure Out Why Congress Can't Get Anything Done
Black Room. Donna interrupts Josh's meeting with Governor Buckley again.

DONNA: I'm so sorry. Josh?
JOSH: Yeah.
(He goes to the door)
DONNA: Sam needs more time.
JOSH: All right ... tell him to have a Democrat call for a journal vote. If a member calls for a journal vote, the full House has to approve the previous day's floor activity.
DONNA: Okay.
JOSH: After that, he can try to have a member attach an amendment to the override vote.
DONNA: What kind of amendment?
JOSH: Doesn't matter--to qualify for the estate tax repeal ... the estates have to have ... AstroTurf.
DONNA: And still it's hard to figure out why Congress can't get anything done.








You Can't See Him Anymore
Bullpen. Josh approaches Donna at her desk, his tie once again askew.

JOSH: I got away with this thing, but you should really learn how to tie a bow tie.
DONNA: Or you could.
JOSH: Yeah, but that doesn't seem that likely, right? You can go home.
DONNA: I'll stick around.
JOSH: You wanted to talk to me about something before.
DONNA: Yeah. Listen ... I was fixed up on a blind date a few nights ago--
JOSH: When?
DONNA: A few nights ago ... and Ainsley fixed us up. He's a Republican lawyer working for Ways and Means, but he was being transferred, and it turns out now he's on Government Oversight--
JOSH: You can't see him anymore.
DONNA: I know that.
JOSH: You can't see him anymore.
DONNA: I know that.
JOSH: Was it just that night?
DONNA: Yeah ... no. (beat) We got together the next night again. We shouldn't have.
JOSH: Yeah.
DONNA: Look, when we got together the first time--
JOSH: You just thought he was with Ways and Means, who I was battling on the estate tax.
DONNA: I'm sorry--
JOSH: Did any reporters see you?
DONNA: No.
JOSH: The second night?
DONNA: No.
JOSH: All right. You can go home.
DONNA: The President wants you in five minutes.
JOSH: (beat) Thanks.
(he goes into his office and slams the door)




Many thanks to The West Wing Collection for the wonderful screencaps!