This week's episode of the West Wing was dominated by the President's admission to Toby that he suffers from relapsing, remitting M.S. Toby is shocked and angered by the revelation, for he truly believes that there could be a huge scandal on their hands if anyone were to learn that the President and Leo, his Chief of Staff, have been covering up the President's condition.
Toby even cites resignation or impeachment as worst case scenarios.
Because the President mislead voters about his health, and because he compromised the Presidency whenever he allowed non-elected officials to make decisions when couldn't act because of his affliction. Viewers may recall an earlier episode in which the President collapsed in the Oval Office. The collapse resulted from the M.S. and happened during a national security crisis. In the President's absence, Leo took control in the Situation Room and made decisions regarding the crisis. Readers of this review will recall that the author of this review criticized the portrayal of Leo's role in that episode as being unrealistic, because, in real life, only elected officials would be making such decisions.