Bill Sterling must fill a vacancy left by the death of an incumbent.

Settling into his daily routine, Senator Sterling attends his first finance committee meeting only to be pulled prematurely when Jackie discovers the freshman Senator is unknowingly footing the bill for his luxury hotel suite. Meanwhile, Tommy councils Sterling on a bill regarding the missile-defense shield - and the Senator's ""no"" vote could cost thousands of jobs for his California constituents.

Reunited with his former college roommate, Senator Sterling agrees to help his college alum win an appointment as the Assistant Secretary to the Treasury for International Affairs. However, the seemingly airtight appointment runs into trouble when the Senator's friend is unfairly pegged as an environmental racist. Elsewhere, the list of applicants campaigning for the Senator's seat grows as local billionaire George Clooney throws his hat in the ring.