With President Joe Biden away from the White House, another person with Oval Office experience was tasked Friday with standing in front of the Rose Garden and delivering a rousing call to service.
Martin Sheen and others from the cast of “The West Wing,” the hit drama about liberal presidents and their staffs, were invited by first lady Jill Biden to an event marking the show’s 25th anniversary.
Sheen called on the crowd to find something worth fighting for, “something deeply personal and uncompromising, something that integrates the desire of the soul with the work of the body.”
AP
His voice and raised arms, his cadence perfectly matching that of President Jed Bartlet, the character Sheen played for seven seasons.
“When we find that, we will find the fire a second time, and then we can help lift this country and all of its people to a place where their hearts are without fear, and their heads are held high,” Sheen said.
“The West Wing” is still a favorite of many who work in Washington, whether they are liberal or conservative. Among those spotted in the Rose Garden were House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Joe Walsh, the one-time tea party-affiliated Illinois congressman who is now a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump and backing Vice President Kamala Harris.
When asked to name his favorite character, Walsh replied, “I'm partial to Martin Sheen because I want to be president one day.” (Walsh ran against Trump in the 2020 Republican primary and lost.)
It was clear from the speeches and party addresses that at least a few “West Wing” fans work in the White House.
As Biden and the cast exited, the U.S. Marine Band played the opening notes of the show’s theme.
There was a reference to “big pieces of cheese” – a tradition on the show in which the staff would meet eccentric or unique characters – and the walk-and-talk dialogue in which characters would walk briskly down the halls.
Waiters handed out bourbon and ginger cocktails called “The Jackal,” a reference to press secretary C.J. Cregg's dance and lip-sync routine in an iconic episode.
The show's creator, Aaron Sorkin, spoke after Sheen and referenced real-world politics: Biden's decision not to seek a second term after his disastrous performance in the debate.
Sorkin was among the high-profile Democrats who called on him to withdraw his name. He had written a column for the New York Times laying out a potential “script” for Democrats to nominate Utah Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican, over Biden.
His column was published on July 21, just hours before Biden announced his resignation.
“The truth is, there are ‘West Wing’ moments,” he said, addressing the first lady on Friday. “And Dr. Biden, we saw evidence of that on the morning of July 21.”
Sorkin also recognized the cast members in attendance. Among them were: Richard Schiff, who played Communications Director Toby Ziegler; Janel Moloney, who played assistant Donna Moss; and Dulé Hill, who played the president's bodyman, Charlie Young.
He noted the absence of some high-profile actors — Allison Janney, who played Craig, as well as Bradley Whitford and Rob Lowe — who he said were elsewhere on set.
“The rest of us are obviously underemployed,” he joked.
After the crowd laughed, a voice boomed from Sorkin’s right.
“Not yet!” Jill Biden said.
