Elizabeth McCord quotes from Madam Secretary

Nadine

It’s alright to address his wives by their first names, but be advised they probably won’t have much to say. Most of them don’t speak English. Unless you speak Swazi?

Elizabeth

French, German, Arabic, Farsi, a year of Spanish in high school.

Nadine

So you’ll just smile a lot.

Elizabeth

I got the president to sign off.

Russell

How could you do that without my knowledge?

Elizabeth

I don't know. By blatantly circumnavigating your authority?

Russell

You'd better learn how to work with me instead of around me.

Elizabeth

My first choice, as well. I used your stylist, didn't I?

Russell

I think you'll find I make a much better ally than opponet.

Elizabeth

Same here.

Russell

I'm going to chalk this one up to rookie enthusiasm. But going forward? I won't be so forgiving.

And what about your family, Madam Secretary? Do you have children?

Elizabeth

I do. I have a son and two daughters.

Ah. A nice small family.

Elizabeth

Well, I just have the one husband.

laughs Yes. I am honored to have 23 children.

Elizabeth

Wow! That sounds like a lot of work.

Well, I am blessed with wonderful partners.

Daisy

That exchange with the king is already trending Madam Secretary. Twitter is blowing up. People love it.

Elizabeth

Well, not everyone's going to love it. Matt, prepare a statement for tomorrow. We may have to call a press conference.

Matt

I'm already on it.

Nadine

Do you want this to become an issue?

Elizabeth

Yes! I think we've spent enough time on my look.

Daisy

World health, education, war on women... How do you want to frame it?

Elizabeth

All of the above.

Jay

It's a strong message. It'll play well in the polls. Not that I, you know, care about polls.

Nadine

Nice work, Madam Secretary.

Elizabeth

Thank you.

Elizabeth

Baptism by fire.

Henry

You were bored at the horse farm.

Elizabeth

Was not.

Nadine

The ambassador's office is still saying he doesn't want reinforcements.

Elizabeth

I know Paul. He was a visiting scholar when I was at UVA. He wore cowboy boots with a suit and drove a Harley. He's not a man whose sense of environment you can trust.

Jay

Not without going through Everar Burke. The chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Fighting off Jihad is a cakewalk compared to getting anything past him.

Elizabeth

What kind of guy is he?

Jay

Slow, methodical... cheap.

Nadine

It'll take us a month to get a meeting.

Elizabeth

I mean, what does he like? Fruit baskets? Steak? Is flirting gonna get me anywhere? Everybody has a weakness.

Elizabeth

Nice shot. Congressman Burke? Elizabeth McCord. We haven't officially been introduced.

Madam Secretary.

Elizabeth

I was told I might find you out here.

You play?

Elizabeth

Uh, I was raised in Virginia by a man who wanted sons. What do you think?

Got a call from Everard Burke's office. He was a little taken aback by your encounter on the golf course.

Elizabeth

Oh, what can I say? I'm a beast off the tee. My short game would've made him relax.

Elizabeth

Fine. You want me to talk to her and explain why the Secretary of State's daughter can't be doing things like this?

Daisy

And we need to release a statement.

Matt

Explaining your mystery daughter.

Blake

Not a mystery daughter.

Elizabeth

By 'mystery' do you mean born out of wedlock or sired by aliens?

Matt

Well, we'd like to remove all doubt about either of those speculations.

Elizabeth

Knock yourself out. Can we talk about matters of national security now please?

Elizabeth

I'd like to think about hiring private security contractors.

Jay

I mean. come on.

Matt

You mean, like Vesuvian?

Elizabeth

I mean exactly like Vesuvian.

Matt

That might be a problem.

Elizabeth

I'm aware.

Daisy

We are talking about the people you referred to a year ago in a national publication as 'the latest guise of Satan, bloodless mercenaries who serve and protect and kill out of naked ambition rather than honor or duty while cashing a check three times the size of anyone in military service.'

Elizabeth

I really thought I'd cut the satan line.

Isaac Bishop

Can I ask you how you plan to handle the financial end?

Elizabeth

We have a discretionary fund. This'll classify as a home improvement.

Isaac Bishop

Happy to pave over the money trail accordingly.

Elizabeth

No. I'm not afraid if this becomes public.

Isaac Bishop

So the illusion of transparency?

Elizabeth

No, Mr. Bishop, actual transparency. I'm happy to defend actions that protect our people. And making the ambassador's home safer qualifies as an improvement, don't you think? Maybe I'll throw in a fountain.

Isaac Bishop

If anyone is well-acquainted with code of ethics, Madam Secretary, it is 'the new guise of Satan'.

Elizabeth

I didn't actually call you Satan.

Isaac Bishop

No, no. Just my life's work.

Elizabeth

I was in academia then. I have a different job now.

Isaac Bishop

Right. You're a diplomat.

Elizabeth

I'm responsible for the safety of our employees overseas.

Isaac Bishop

I understand. Desperate times, desperate measures and all of that.

Elizabeth

We'll let Shakespeare have the last word on that, shall we?

Isaac Bishop

How does it feel? To make a deal with the devil?

Elizabeth

Thank you, Mr. Bishop.

Elizabeth

Do not come near me, with that. Don't. I love you.

Henry

I know. Can you really not give work a break?

Elizabeth

I am. I'm-I'm shopping. It's weird. Nobody's doing a wedge heel this fall.

Henry

Right? Seriously, I called my congressman.

Elizabeth

What are you doing here, Norma Rae?

Stevie

Go ahead. Get it out of your system.

Elizabeth

I just needed the one. I'm good.

Henry

How'd you get here so fast I just talked to you.

Stevie

I know. I hung up and I suddenly realized what I needed to do. I quit.

Elizabeth

You quit what?

Stevie

College. Is there anymore of that?

Elizabeth

No, no, no, no.