The book Josh Lyman carries with him during the first half of the episode is "A Necessary Evil: A History of American Distrust of Government" (1999), by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, journalist, and historian Garry Wills.
In one scene, Josh (Bradley Whitford) is seen carrying a copy of A Necessary Evil, a book on the history of distrust in the American government. According to the description on the amazon.com page for the book, "In A Necessary Evil, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Garry Wills shows that distrust of government is embedded deep in the American psyche. From the revolt of the colonies against king and parliament to present-day tax revolts, militia movements, and debates about term limits, Wills shows that American antigovernment sentiment is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of our history. By debunking some of our fondest myths about the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, and the taming of the frontier, Wills shows us how our tendency to hold our elected government in disdain is misguided.". Based on the "errand" that Josh is running during this episode, the book is well-placed and timely.
Since Mandy (Moira Kelly)'s memo is a work product of her contract with Russell, it would be owned by him, and therefore she could not legally show it to the Bartlet administration. (She could, however, create a new memo for them which said essentially the same thing.)
When Toby & Sam are arguing about whether it's going to rain at the president's remarks, there's a couple of TVs in the background. On one of the screens, a pickup truck is submerged in floodwaters, foreshadowing the rainstorm to come.
In the first few minutes they are walking through the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. It is distinctive by its wood paneling and carved angels.