Right there, Ranger Steve, allow me to fill you in.

The vice president, played by Tim Matheson, resigned in the final episode (or was it the second to last episode?) of the last season right before Zoe was kidnapped, due to a sex scandal. So at the time that Bartlett decided to temporarily relinquish his office, there was no vice president, hence the Speaker of the House taking the reigns of power. Bartlett was trying to be a stand up guy by doing this, because he feared he would react as a father first, rather than in the best interest of the nation. The irony is, of course, that Goodman/Speaker/Prez states early on that he will react in the same way as any father would--by bombing the hell out of the Kumaris (or however this fictional Arab people are to be referred to--the name of the country is Kumar).

There is also another crucial plot point that hasn't been mentioned here. Zoe was kidnapped by Middle East terrorists, in retaliation for the assassination of an ambassador (I think it was) of a Saudi-like country, which is ostensibly an ally of the US, but in reality is possibly harboring terrorists and is blatantly furthering their fundamentalist Muslim/Arab oligarchy agenda.

So in the season premiere, Goodman's Speaker/President character orders a retaliation bombing take place very soon (they don't say how soon though). The Speaker/Prez and the Bartlett Prez didn't have words over Zoe's fate in the wake of the retaliatory bombing in the season premiere. When Bartlett's chief of staff protests the decision to go with the retaliatory bombing so soon because the terrorists might kill Zoe, Goodman's character bluntly says to him that they already have killed her, hence the swift decision to hurry up those bombing runs over Kumar.

So Bartlett's chief of staff tells Bartlett that it is going to happen. Bartlett is then put in the doghouse with his wife and children, because he has to explain to them who the kidnappers are, and why they kidnapped Zoe. He is the one who secretly ordered the illegal assassination of the Arab diplomat. The brilliant White House press corps journalist Danny, had already pieced together the story of the assassination, and had already reached an agreement with the White House to hold the story for a bit, but that was before Zoe was kidnapped. He then tells them he is going to publish the story within hours, and gives them the opportunity to comment first. The Goodman/Speaker/Prez then intervenes, and tells CJ (there is a romantic interest between CJ and Danny, the brilliant White House press corps dude) to pre-empt the story, and announce it before the story breaks. But CJ does a naughty thing, and disobeys the Goodman/Speaker/Prez's orders, and tells Danny to publish the story NOW.

Though Bartlett hasn't yet had words with the Goodman Speaker/Prez over Zoe's fate and the retaliatory bombing, we know they will soon, because the previews for the next show told us that Zoe may still be alive, because pictures of her were being broadcast on Al Jazeera.

Now, that should bring you up to speed Ranger Steve!