Russell Jackson quotes from Madam Secretary

Russell

So what am I supposed to think? What possible reason could there be except that you think I had him killed.

Elizabeth

Thought you might have knowledge of it, yes.

Russell

You seriously think I and the President are assassins?

Elizabeth

Not anymore.

Russell

Maybe you can finish what he started.

Elizabeth

What's that?

Russell

Land.

Elizabeth

A little cold terror over job security never hurt anyone.

Russell

You should have that embroidered on a pillow.

Russell

It's a little thing called power.

Elizabeth

Is it really that alluring? The history of mankind not withstanding?

Russell

I understand you left a horse farm to become Secretary of State.

Elizabeth

The President asked and I answered the call ... yeah, the power is pretty awesome too.

Henry

Tell me, Jackson. Does this midnight menacing usually work?

Russell

On most people.

Russell

If it goes badly ...

Elizabeth

You and the President won't protect me?

Russell

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Russell

Elizabeth, you know the Chief Justice.

Madam Secretary.

Elizabeth

Yes, I actually took your constitutional law class at UVA. [pauses then whispers] I got an A.

[Whispering back] I remember.

Russell

: [Gesturing to a large briefcase] This is the football. It's a remote device that can authorize a nuclear attack in the unlikely event that we are required to do that.

Russell"

This is the biscuit. It's an authenticator card containing all the launching codes. That stays with you. The football stays with the Colonel who's never far away.

Elizabeth

[Shakes the Colonel's hand] Thank you, Colonel. I hope we never work together.

My hope as well, Ma'am.

Russell

Are you mocking me, son?

Matt

No, no, I would never mock.

Henry

Well, that was thorough. Are they gonna make you sign me in every day?

Russell

Security's extra spooked. And only top levels are aware of Hizb al-Shahid Issue Station.

Henry

Tell me there's a code name.

Russell

Murphy Station. For the soap-- it's a cleanup mission.

Henry

So conde names not your gift?

Russell

I was in a hurry.

Russell

And you know Jane Fellows, Army captain, long stint at SOCOM, currently head of HUMINT at DIA. She's a lauded tactician who's run enough covert ops to keep conspiracy theorists awake at night.

Henry

And apparently modest, too. I didn't know half that stuff.

Welcome back. Can't keep a good man down.

Henry

Well, when I heard I didn't have to take orders from you anymore, they couldn't keep me away.

Russell

Henry here is a decorated Marine pilot whose recent DIA work in Russia is the reason we aren't all bundled up for nuclear winter. He's also a highly regarded theologian with expertise in Islam. We're fighting a radical ideology as much as any man.

Look, we can talk religion till the sacred cows come home, but at the end of the day, we're a hunter-killer team. We do our job right, and a whole bunch of men are gonna die. I hope you're on board with that, Professor.

Henry

All in a day's work, right?

Russell

So for a few days of quiet, we buy ourselves a political problem that'll dog us all the way through the election? No thanks.

Elizabeth

What happened to protecting our way of life, Russell?

Russell

What happened to your argument about losing strategic advantage? I mean, how do you propose to just keep the transfer of 243 people from an Italian naval vessel to an American one out of the news?

Elizabeth

Oh, Russell, don't you know me by now?

Elizabeth

The President actually said that?

Russell

Of course not, but I speak for him.

Matt

Wait. You're a Panda-Cammer too?

Russell

Shut up. It's relaxing. [pause] It's good for my blood pressure.