Gee, you think Lawrence O'Donnell wrote this episode?
Just change "7 to an 8" to "14 to a 16", and change "Japan sliding into the ocean" to "Japan having a massive earthquake/tsunami/nuclear meltdown" and they're dead on.
UPDATE: Yup, I was right, he did write this episode!
The West Wing: In God We Trust
Season 6 / Episode 20 / Original Airdate 03-23-05
Written by Lawrence O'Donnell, Jr.
Ron Silver returns as political operative Bruno Gianelli---and he's advising Vinick (Alan Alda), who's now ths presumptive GOP nominee. The Democrats, however are in disarray following an indecisive primary season. Meanwhile, the adminstration still in office must wrestle with the debt ceiling. And so, as it happens, must Vinick.
My God...just 6 years ago...
Updated w/transcript:
Annabeth: “Are we gonna do a press release on raising the debt ceiling? Because I don’t understand a word of it.”
CJ: “No press release. When’s the vote scheduled?”
Charlie: “Treasury figures that with the interest on the debt, we’ll hit the legal limit at midnight tomorrow. They want the President to call for the vote right now.”
Toby: “Which, of course, is a ridiculous idea.”
Annabeth: “Of course?”
CJ: “The leadership wants to schedule it at the last minute.”
Annabeth: “How crazy is that?”
CJ: “They always like to schedule it at the last minute, just when the Government is about to default.”
Toby: “That way it’s too dangerous for any Senator to try and stop it.”
Charlie: “...or stick an amendment on it.”
CJ: “Which leaves just enough time for a couple of House and Senat speeches about how awful it is that we’ve maxed out the national credit card...and then a quick vote to raise the limit on the credit card.”
Charlie: “It’s a one-sentence bill. Just change the 7 to an 8.”
Annabeth: “Trillion?”
Toby: “Yeah.”
Annabeth: “Why does Treasury want the President to read over a 20-page memo on a one-sentence bill?”
Toby: “Oh, they like to run a worst-case scenario.”
Annabeth: “In case it doesn’t pass?”
Toby: “Yeah, you know, the immediate collapse of the U.S. economy, followed by Japan sinking into the sea, followed by a worldwide depression the likes of which no mortal can imagine...followed by week 2...”
Annabeth: “So this debt ceiling thing is routine, or the end of the world?”
Toby: “Both.”
CJ: “OK, that’s it. thanks everybody.”