John Spencer, 58

John Spencer, who played Leo McGary on TV's The West Wing, has died suddenly of a heart attack. He was 58.

I first saw him in War Games, as an Air Force officer who declined to commit missiles against an opponent in a war test. That paved the way for the WOPPER computer to link up with Matthew Broderick's early computer and play Global Thermo Nuclear War - a game I'd actually like to buy.

John's character suffered a heart attack on the show, and Leo left the Chief of Staff job. I stopped watching in 2005 when the press secretary was improbably promoted to Chief of Staff. Oh, I believe that the screwed up fictional White House would do that; but a real one would not. That's a direct result of the show's firing Aaron Sorkin, the creator, last year.

We will miss John. Let's see: 58, recovering alcoholic in real life, quit smoking in the 1990's, lived a long time in New Jersey....

WHOA! That's the same as MY bio!

I'd better not start any long conversations...