Producers of West Wing file suit against DNC, RNC

“Shameless plagiarism” alleged in 2008 presidential race

Monday, February 11, 2008
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

    Attorneys for the popular drama The West Wing filed suit against the Republican and Democratic National Committees today, arguing that the 2008 presidential race constitutes a “notably derivative work” with “clear and shameless plagiarism of key characters and plotlines” from the hit series’ seventh and final season, aired in 2005-2006. “We had a moderate, aged Republican from California [the character Sen. Arnold Vinick, played by Alan Alda] – they have a moderate, aged Republican from Arizona,” noted producer John Wells. “We had the first Latino [Rep. Matt Santos, played by Jimmy Smits] to run as a major party candidate for the presidency – they have the first African American apparently about to do so.”

    DNC Communications Director Karen Finney vehemently denied the allegations, stating that “Although Senator Clinton’s surprising loss of momentum to a young, charismatic person of color may bear some superficial similarities to that last West Wing season, clearly she is no Bingo Bob Russell,” referring to the series’ inept vice-president and unsuccessful Democratic contender.

    “This is liberal hypocrisy at its finest,” stated Danny Diaz, RNC Communications Director. “For years, the West Wing lifted all of their best material from the Congressional Record and other publicly-funded sources, and now the shoe's on the other foot. Besides, John McCain is not a wimp like Alan Alda.” However, he did not deny that John McCain's unpopularity with conservatives bears a resemblance to struggles the West Wing's Vinick also encountered.

    Wells struck back at such criticisms from the courthouse steps today, saying that he had “inside information” that a young, vigorous Southern religious conservative would be selected as Senator John McCain’s running mate, and that, in his VP search, Senator Barack Obama was interviewing a series of Democratic elder statesmen with significant military and foreign affairs experience.  "Obama will choose a clone of our great Leo McGarry character [played by the late John Spencer]," he continued. "And it's even clear that the DNC is considering a brokered Democratic convention for the 2008 election plotline, something they haven't done for decades - until we revived the idea in 2005. Our fans will recognize that all of these themes are drawn directly from the creative minds of our award-winning writers," Wells concluded, "and we expect due compensation and damages for their unauthorized use."

original, with apologies to The Onion