The action begins with the Jets enjoying possession of their turf. Their leader is Dub: highly intelligent, but a little wacky. His lieutenant is Big Time: super-sized, slow, and steady.

The Jets' sunny mood is the sharply punctuated by the entrance of the leader of the Sharks. Harry is handsome and proud, but has a chip on his sardonic shoulder. The Jets flick him off. Harry returns with more Sharks, but they're flicked off, too. Harry comes back with even more Sharks, and now numerical supremacy, the strength of the Jets, is over. The beginnings of a fight are mild at first: a gangmember being tripped up, or being sandbagged with a filibuster, or even a vote against cloture with overly elaborate apologies.

Mitch runs across a suddenly deserted Chamber, pretending to be an airplane. There is no sound as he zooms along in fancied flight. Then Harry steps out. Then another Shark, and another and another appear, blocking Mitch's panicky efforts at escape. They close in, grab him and pummel him for preventing debate on a resolution criticizing Dub's escalation plan for Iraq while a Shark is stationed up in the visitor's gallery as lookout. As Harry bends over Mitch and assails him for providing political cover for Dub the lookout whistles; the Jets tear on, the Sharks tear on, and a free-for-all breaks out.

[Music starts and Dub sings:]

When you're a Jet,
You're the top cat in town,
You're the gold-metal kid
With the heavyweight crown!

[Mitch sings:]

When you're a Jet,
You're the swingin'est thing.
Big Time is 'the man,'
Little Dub, you're the king!

[All the Jets sing:]

The Jets are in gear,
And we got no solutions.
But we'll steer clear
Of anti-war resolutions!
Harry's a chicken!
Here come the Jets
Like a bat out of hell-
Someone gets in our way,
Someone don't feel so well.
Here come the Jets:
Middle East, step aside!
Better go underground,
Better run, better hide.
We're drawin' the line,
So keep your noses hidden!
We're hangin' a sign,
Says "Immigrants forbidden"-
And we ain't kiddin'!
Here come the Jets,
Yeah! An' we're gonna beat
Ev'ry last buggin' gang
On the whole buggin' street!

On the whole buggin' street!

The Lights Black Out