POTUS

[Lemon Lyman]

Personal Background[/u]

• Although his full name is Josiah, Bartlet prefers to be called Jed (The Pilot) Abbey sometimes calls him Jethro (or Jackass), but he doesn't seem to like that (Dead Irish Writers).
  
• He is approximately 56 Years old (The Short List )he started college in the year Crouch took his seat on the Supreme Court the year Jed started college.).
  
• Jed is from New Hampshire
  
• Jed's great-grandfather's great-grandfather was Dr. Josiah Bartlet, a signer of the Declaration of Independence (Shibboleth).
  
• Bartlet's grandmother taught English to the children of Italian stonecutters in the basement of a rectory (The Portland Trip)
  
• Jed's father never liked him, was jealous of his son's intelligence (Two Cathedrals) and sometimes hit him (The Two Bartlets). On Sundays, after church, Jed's father would let Jed and his brother split a beer (War Crimes). These days Jed drinks bourbon (The Two Bartlets)
  
• Jonathan Bartlet, the President's brother, once locked him in a steamer trunk with actual seafood. Jonathan is now heading up the Bartlet Presidential Library Commission (Somebody¡¦s going to Emergency, Somebody¡¦s going to Jail). Jonathan also once locked Jed in a steamer trunk
  
• Jed and Abbey, who have been married for 32 years (have three daughters -- Elizabeth ,Eleanor (Elllie), and Zoey -- and one granddaughter, Annie (The Pilot)
  
• Ellie and Jed don't get along very well; he doesn't think she likes him, and thinks that she's "always belonged to Abbey" (Ellie).
  
• Jed and Leo have known each other for 40 years (The Pilot), and have been good friends for the past 11 years (Bartlet for America).
  
• The Bartlets own a farm in Manchester valued at $750,000 due to Secret Service improvements, which include a helipad and the ability to run a global war from the sun porch (Five Votes Down) They also have cattle, horses, and an old red pickup truck (Manchester). According to Jed, the farm is "beyond the village"; according to Leo, it's in the middle of nowhere ( Manchester)
  
  
• Bartlet's Health:
  
  
• Sometime in 1993, Dr. Herman Vikram diagnosed Jed Bartlet with a relapsing-remitting course of Multiple Sclerosis (18th and Potomac). In 1991, Bartlet began feeling run down and had a pain in his leg, which subsided, returning in 1993 along with numbness. His vision was blurry and he experienced dizziness. During an eye exam, an opthamologist detected abnormal pupil response and ordered and MRI, after which the radiologist detected plaque on Bartlet's brain and spine, a sign of MS (17 People).
  
• Although the president's life expectancy is normal, fever and stress can bring on attacks, after which he experiences full recovery (He Shall, From Time to Time¡K) ¡V these have included one a Abby¡¦s parents house and in Nantucket.
  
• Abbey Bartlet, a medical doctor, gives him injections of betaseron to reduce the frequency of attacks, which is in violation of her medical license (He Shall, From Time to Time¡K)
  
• Bartlet's relapsing-remitting MS could turn into secondary, progressive MS about ten years after the initial diagnosis, which is right around re-election. Consequently, Jed made a deal with Abbey that he wouldn't run for a second term, which is how he justified keeping his illness a secret (The War at Home).
  
• After Jed was shot, Abbey told David Lee, the anesthesiologist at GW, about the MS, making him the 15th person in the world to know (In the Shadow of Two Gunmen).
  
• The original 17 people who knew of the President's MS are: Abbey, Elizabeth, Eleanor, Zoey, Dr. Herman Vickram and five other original doctors and radiologists, his brother John, Leo, Admiral Fitzwallace, Vice-President John Hoynes, Dr. David Lee, Toby, and the president himself (17 People).
  
  
• Bartlet in Catholic (which he got from his Mother) ¡V (Two Cathedrals)
  
• Jed doesn't like vegetables - esp green beans (Let Bartlet be Bartlet)
  

References
"Bartlet4 America.Org"
"Inside Bartlet's White House" by Keith Topping
"Inside the West Wing" by Paul Challen

[Lemon Lyman]

Professional Background[/u]



[/li][li]Though accepted to Harvard, Yale, and Williams, Jed Bartlet attended Notre Dame because he was thinking of becoming a priest -- then he met Abbey (The Portland Trip). He is also an alumnus of the London School of Economics, despite almost being tossed out for writing a controversial paper at age 26 (The Short List)
[/li][li]Bartlet holds a Ph.D. in economics (The Short List) spent an unspecified period of time as an economics professor (The Crackpots and these Women), and is a Nobel laureate in economics (Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc). He loves filing tax returns (Stirred).
[/li][li]Jed Bartlet served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (but is unfamiliar with Senate rules (The Stackhouse Filibuster), and two terms as Governor of New Hampshire (Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc). Though Bartlet was Governor 10-12 years ago (In the Shadow of Two Gunmen), he was also Governor when Leo approached him to run for President, presumably in late 1997 (Bartlet for America). (Incidentally, Bartlet also references a "bad day at the New Hampshire State House" in 1971 (Pilot), though he claims that the people of New Hampshire "sent me to Congress three times and then elected me Governor" (In the Shadow of Two Gunman )
[/li][li]Bartlet has always filed for elections in New Hampshire himself, which he feels is a profound statement about democracy. For his re-election campaign, he was not able to make the trip because the Portland, a nuclear submarine, had gone quiet (Gone Quiet).

[/li][li]Barlet’s Political Career[/u]

[/li][li]While a Congressman, voting against the New England Dairy Farming Compact -- to the detriment of many of his constituents -- because he didn't want to make it harder for people to buy milk (In the Shadow of Two Gunmen)
[/li][li]Being elected Governor of New Hampshire, a fairly conservative state, with 69% of the vote (In the Shadow of Two Gunmen)
[/li][li]As Governor, signing the Historic Barn and Bridges Preservation Act, which later prevented him from building his presidential library at the location of his choice (Somebody’s Going to Emergency, Somebody’s going to Jail).
[/li][li]Although Leo called Jed a "crappy politician" (In the Shadow of Two Gunmen) he convinced Bartlet to run for the Democratic nomination in 1998 (Bartlet for America). Bartlet, who had never lost an election in his life (Mandatory Minimums) and who had run his congressional and gubernatorial campaigns without Leo's help, was in some trouble thirteen weeks before the New Hampshire primary -- Hoynes had a 48 point lead (In the Shadow of Two Gunmen).
[/li][li]Bartlet for America
[/li][li]Bartlet claims he wasn't supposed to win; As of just before South Carolina's primary, both Jed and Abbey expected Jed to get "beat on Super Tuesday" (Bartlet for America). He got into the race to give some speeches and keep Hoynes honest, then, he says, Josh, CJ, Toby, and Sam " came along and all of a sudden I got 22% in Iowa, and then South Carolina and Michigan, and then Illinois" (Manchester)
[/li][li]The South Carolina primary, in which Bartlet presumably came in second. Senator William Wiley ,another presidential wannabe, dropped out of the race after South Carolina, and consequently his money and endorsements went to Bartlet (In the Shadow of Two Gunmen)
[/li][li]The Illinois primary was "high noon" -- after which the tide of the primaries turned in Bartlet's favor, and the Democratic nomination was his to lose. This was also the night that Bartlet realized he was ready to lead, and vowed never to take Toby, Sam, CJ, Josh and the rest of his staff for granted again (In the Shadow of Two Gunmen)
[/li][li]Bringing John Hoynes onto the ticket as the Vice-Presidential candidate, which the staffers thought would help Bartlet with the Southern states, especially Texas (Bartlet for America).
[/li][li]Bartlet, as it turned out, was beat in Texas twice -- during the primary, and again in the general election (In the Shadow of Two Gunmen)
[/li][li]Just before the last debate -- and nine days before the election -- Bartlet collapsed. The doctor labeled the collapse an inner ear infection (Bartlet for America).
[/li][li]Josiah Bartlet took office on January 20th, 1999, and brought his campaign staff with him as key members of his administration (The Pilot).
[/li][li]Bartlet ran unchallenged in the 2002 Democratic Caucus in Iowa (The Two Bartlets).

[/li][li]The President's Secret Service name was "Eagle" (Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc),
then "Liberty" (He Shall, From Time to Time….), then back to "Eagle" (In the Shadow of Two Gunmen)
[/li][li]Because he's still envious of Abbey's long ago relationship with Ron Ehrlich, the President was reluctant to name Ehrlich the new Fed Chair (The White –House Pro-Am)
[/li][li]Bartlet picked Hoynes to be his running mate 72 hours before accepting the nomination. At the same time, he told Hoynes that he had relapsing/remitting MS (Bartlet for America). The President was unaware that John Hoynes is an alcoholic until his fourth year in office (Stirred).
[/li][li]Though the President vetoed his first bill with much discussion in late 2001 (On the Day before), he also, according to Sam, vetoed the Republicans' version of the Education Bill (because it prohibited schools from distributed condoms) sometime in 2000(In this White House). He also pocket vetoed the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (limiting marriage to heterosexual couples) (The Portland Trip).
[/li][li]The staffers aren't allowed to give tours of the West Wing until after 10p.m., when the President has left the Oval Office -- only he's usually there later than that (Somebody’s Going to Emergency, Somebody’s Going to Jail). Bartlet claims that he usually gets four or five hours sleep per night (Night Five)
[/li][li]Bartlet favors stricter gun control laws (War Crimes)and is opposed to soft money (Gone Quiet).

References
"Bartlet4 America.Org"
"Inside Bartlet's White House" by Keith Topping
"Inside the West Wing" by Paul Challen

[Lemon Lyman]

[/li][li]Other Facts[/b][/u]

[/li][li]Bartlet (while riding Leo McGarry's $4,000 Lynex titanium touring bike he swore he'd never lend to anyone) sprained his ankle by coming to a sudden, arboreal stop (The Pilot)
[/li][li]The President once considered becoming a chemistry professor, despite never having studied chemistry (Shibboleth).
[/li][li]President Bartlet received a $145 Armani cravat from his brother-in-law, which he subsequently gave to the Salvation Army (Five Votes Down).
[/li][li]Bartlet is a deeply religious man and a practicing Catholic who has read the Bible cover to cover. Although he doesn't believe the government should legislate against abortion, he has worked to discourage women from seeking abortions (Five Votes Down).
[/li][li]The President's notorious sense of humor has gotten him in trouble with Texans and twelve guys named Flippy (Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc). And according to Josh, the President has never spoken briefly in his life (Celestial Navigation).
[/li][li]There's nothing Bartlet likes more than watching his staffers enjoys each other outside of work. To that end, he occasionally plays poker with them (Mr Willis of Ohio), plays basketball with them, and subjects them to dinners, which he cooks himself, especially when the First Lady is out of town (The Crackpots and these Women).
[/li][li]Toby and Josh, in particular, have noted Bartlet's "obsessive need to win" and his tendency to bring in ringers, like Steffi Graf, while playing mixed doubles with Toby and CJ, or a former Final Four player to beat Josh, Toby, et al at basketball (The Crackpots and These Women)
[/li][li]Though Bartlet does play some physical sports, he doesn't golf, and prefers chess (Five Votes Down). His favorite pastime, however, seems to be tormenting people with obscure trivia questions like which three words in the English language begin with "dw," or which fruit has its seeds on the outside (Mr Willis of Ohio.
Bartlet is a national parks buff who has visited all 54 parks; he'll have to make a trip to Big Sky, which he designated a national park in early 2000 (Enemies).
[/li][li]Although the President gave up smoking years ago, he occasionally bums cigarettes off of reporters on Air Force One (Celestial Nagivation) and smokes two a day, though not inside the White House since he accidentally burned some priceless antiques (The War at Home).
[/li][li]Bartlet has accidental death insurance, but no life or medical insurance, as he has considerable personal worth (Bad Moon Rising).
[/li][li]The President likes the movie Dial M for Murder (Ellie) the song Happy Days Are Here Again (Five Votes Down), and once played the stage manager in a production of Our Town (Mr Willis of Ohio). Bartlet has strong opinions about music, specifically that "Modern music sucks. Anything written after 1860 sucks" (Galilieo). He does, however, particularly enjoy Patriotic Song, which he thinks should be sung in the dining hall of Christ College (Posse Comitatus).
[/li][li]Jed chooses which team to bet on in a pool by which team has the most players from Notre Dame (War Crimes).
[/li][li]Bartlet has a hard time remembering people's names (What kind of Day Has It Been) and has yet to find the underground tunnels beneath the White House, though he searches almost every day (In Excelsis Deo)
[/li][li]Despite his claim that he could have been an astronaut, Abbey says that Jed is afraid of heights, speed, fire, and small places (Manchester).
[/li][li]President Bartlet speaks ecclesiastical Latin well enough to rail against God (Two Cathedrals).
[/li][li]The President is not comfortable with violence, and has never served a day in uniform, aside from being Commander-in-Chief of the New Hampshire National Guard (Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc)
[/li][li]Bartlet has given two depositions: once when a meter reader slipped in his driveway, and another involving his great-aunt's will (Bad Moon Rising)
[/li][li]In 1971, Bartlet came home from a bad day the New Hampshire State House (for reasons that remain obscure, considering he was supposedly not the Governor at that time) and backed his station wagon through the garage door (The Pilot)
Bartlet is allergic to eggnog (In Excelsis Deo), and does not like to eat vegetables, though both the First Lady and Mrs. Landingham withhold food (i.e. red meat) from him (Let Bartlet be Bartlet).


References
"Bartlet4 America.Org"
"Inside Bartlet's White House" by Keith Topping
"Inside the West Wing" by Paul Challen

[Joey Lucas]

From BravoTV.com:

After serving three terms as a U.S. Congressman and two terms as the Governor of New Hampshire, Josiah "Jed" Bartlet realized his dream of becoming President of the United States of America. A deeply religious man, President Bartlet attended Notre Dame University with the thought of becoming a priest. After deciding against that, Bartlet received a PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics. As President, he often slides into the role of professor and mentor, and still turns to God for advice when facing any kind of crisis. He's been married to the First Lady, Abigail, for thirty-two years and they have three daughters, Liz, Ellie and Zoe. Barlet claims he is a direct descendant of one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence. The President recently revealed to his staff and the American public that he has multiple sclerosis.

[Joey Lucas]

President Josiah (Jed) Bartlet (POTUS):

~~ Shouldn't do things while upset
~~ Has a 12 year old granddaughter named Annie, who the Lambs of God sent a Raggedy Ann doll with a knife in her throat because she told a teen magazine that she believed in a woman's right to choose
~~ Has a daughter named Elizabeth, Annie's mother
~~ Doesn't suffer fools or mouthpieces lightly
~~ Once while upset, he backed out of the garage, without opening the garage door
~~ Has to cut down on dairy, red meat and alcohol
~~ Nobel Laureate
~~ Former Governor of New Hampshire
~~ Confides to Toliver that he is uneasy with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Situation Room, he never served in the military
~~ Eagle is his code name
~~ He smokes when stressed
~~ Bartlet has a bad back. Got whacked out on mixing pain meds
~~ Plays chess
~~ Was once partnered with Steffi Graf to beat CJ And Toby at tennis once
~~ Hired a NCAA Basketball player on the President's Personal Fitness Program so he can play on his team against the others in night basketball
~~ Was an Economics professor
~~ The First Lady uses a Ouija Board
~~ Startlingly freakish to come up with numbers
~~ But sometimes makes them up
~~ Likes to make chili
~~ Daughter Zoey is going to start college at Georgetown, to be a doctor
~~ The White House senior staff has poker games at night. The President always brings up useless trivia and slows the game
~~ Doesn't carry cash or keys anymore
~~ Once played the stage manager in a production of Our Town
~~He would rather sit at the fun table during the State Dinner
~~The President knows too much about National Parks
~~Uses his status as President to keep employees past office hours talking about National Parks
~~Takes pleasure in making a fool of Hoynes
~~He sneaks out now and then in a black Suburban if he wants to do something without the press
~~Still has a house in Manchester
~~He's now more comfortable in front of the Joint Chiefs
~~Abby knows her husband well. She lets him think he's in charge, but she knows best
~~He knows at least one passage of the Constitution by heart
~~Never served in Viet Nam
~~Prefers to be called Mr. President while in the Oval Office considering the important decisions that have to be made there
~~He's never spoken briefly in his life
~~He enjoys the perks his job entails
~~Bartlet and Danny had a lot of late night talks on the campaign trail
~~Zoey's secret service codename is Bookbag
~~When it's a boring speech, Bartlet doesn't read ahead.
~~Doesn't care for vegetables for lunch
~~He wasn't elected with a majority of the popular vote
~~He would like to end a day feeling as good as he had when he started it
~~He's never lost an election in his life
~~Has useless trivia at his disposal for party small talk
~~After a long day, the President likes to drink a beer and watch sports-even if it's women's softball
~~Had a great-great-grandfather named Dr. Josiah Bartlet, who was the New Hampshire delegate to the second Continental Congress, the one that sat in session in Philadelphia in the summer of 1776 and announced to the world that we were no longer subjects of King George III, but rather a self-governing people
~~Admiral Jarvis is the President's personal physician, after Tolliver was shot down...
~~When he's in a bad mood, he claims that all music written after 1860 sucks
~~His brother is named Jonathan
~~Five is his lucky number
~~Has three children
~~Puts his jacket on over his head
~~His father was head master at Jed's college