Mollie Orshansky, the economist mentioned in the conversation between Sam and Bernice Collette from the Office of Management and Budget, was a real economist and statistician who worked as a social science research analyst for the Social Security Administration from 1958 until her retirement in 1982.
Both President Bartlet and Bruno say someone could sell "like anything." The president says it about the fake car sales champion Phil Baharnd, Bruno says it about P.T. Barnum.
The voice of the Butterball Hot Line is SNL actress Ana Gasteyer.
The remark Bruno (Ron Silver) makes about white salmon ("guaranteed to not turn pink") is a reference to an urban legend about attempting to sell something unmarketable.
Mollie Orshansky is characterised as a Polish immigrant who based her poverty model on life in 'communist Poland'. In fact she was an American economist born in New York in 1915.