In a new video billed as “a brief West Wing reunion,” former cast members of a popular show about a Democratic president tweak the current political debate over gas prices.
The video opens with actress Allison Janney, who played the White House press secretary on the show, declaring: “So I told the president we’ve got to do something about gas prices.”
“Everyone knows the president has no control over gas prices,” responds an aide.
“Uh, not everyone knows that,” replies another aide.
The scene uses the rising price of gasoline as a hook for sly commentary on an ongoing campaign issue. Real-life Republicans have hammered President Obama over the topic, blaming his energy prices and rejection of the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline for the rising costs of gasoline.
The White House, in return, has argued — much like the characters in the skit — that the price of gasoline is set by factors outside the president’s control, including unrest in foreign regions and market interests. Obama has called for a "crackdown" on firms found to be manipulating the oil market in hopes of discouraging speculators influencing the price.
The video is billed as a “West Wing” reunion and features actors from the Aaron Sorkin TV show, including Martin Sheen, Janney, Dule Hill, Joshua Malina, Melissa Fitzgerald and William Duffy. The video, titled "Walk & Talk,” was produced by the popular comedy site Funny or Die. The “walk and talk,” was a common set-up in the show, which revolved around the drama during a Democratic presidency and took mostly within the West Wing of the White House.
The Tuesday release of the video, promoting the Every Body Walk campaign, is timed to coincide with National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, which is May by presidential proclamation. “Regular physical activity promotes strong mental and physical development, builds lean muscle, and plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy weight,” Obama said in the proclamation released by the White House on Tuesday. Obama's proclamation touts many of the same merits of exercise included in the "Funny or Die" video.
Obama also mentioned in the statement that the first lady’s Let’s Move anti-obesity initiative is also heavily involved in promoting increased exercise this month.
