Russell Jackson quotes from Madam Secretary

Russell

Here's a novel idea: stick to the Prime Directive. Let democracy take its course...without U.S. interference.

Elizabeth

Really? A Star Trek reference?

Elizabeth

We apologized. It's forgotten.

Russell

Really? The French forget? 'Cause every representative they send over here still manages to bring up "Freedom fries" at least once.

Elizabeth

As Russell said, when there's no rule book, you don't have to worry about breaking the rules.

Russell

[scoffs] Sometimes I just say stuff.

Carol

You want another heart attack?

Russell

Let's see the results, I'll let you know.

Russell

Okay, y-you guys are really gonna make me be the one to say it? The oppo research.

[sighs] What happened to being a knight?

Russell

The painkillers have worn off!

Russell

You really think you can reason with the guy in that video?

Elizabeth

Who said anything about reason? I'm gonna play to his ego, offer him up some military hardware to boost his superpower fantasy.

Russell

Give him drones. Everyone and their grandmother loves drones.

I have to say, breaking the president's nose is a whole new form of diplomacy.

Elizabeth

So is groping the Secretary of State, in my experience.

But you're okay?

Elizabeth

(Sighs) Yeah.

Russell

I know this doesn't bode well for the Singapore Interchange. Then again, Sugar Ray McCord has put the world on notice about how we deal with bullies.

Elizabeth

That's not funny, Russell.

Russell

I'm not kidding. It's badass.

Elizabeth

(After finding out that Andrada has decided to go against their Defense Cooperation Agreement with the US.) Okay, wait, let's take a breath. Kicking the US Military out of a country doesn't happen in an afternoon. I think if I apologize to Andrada, suggest that he... caught me by surprise and I acted on instinct... I can grovel. I'm a decent groveler. And things were going so well up until I broke his nose.

Russell

Not a sentence you hear every day.

Elizabeth

Blake, what is it?

Blake

Uh, President Andrada wants us to leave.

Elizabeth

Yeah, I-I know. We're working to resolve that right now.

Blake

No, no. Us. You and me. He sent the military police to kick us out of the Philippines right now.

Elizabeth

Just to confirm we all heard the same thing, that was a clear offer for a covert assassination.

Russell

Well... that's one way to skin a cat.

So, besides the bribes and double sets of books that came out during the election, the only new information we found on Andrada is from hacking his computer. We retrieved some emails that led to five confidentiality agreements that were tied to some pretty large checks over $100,000.00 each. All to female employees, all paid from Andrada's private accounts.

Russell

Yeah, well, hush money is not exactly a startling revelation. It's certainly in keeping with a man who's had mistresses and is about to run for public office.

Elizabeth

Given his conduct with me, he could be covering up something worse.

That's true. And the Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country. They might still frown upon a president who sexually harasses women.

Elizabeth

Well, we might as well track these women down, and try and find out what happened.

Russell

They didn't come forward before this, why would they now? Especially after getting paid off. ... I'm just asking.

Elizabeth

Strength in numbers. If they know they're not alone, they may feel freer to speak.

Russell

Plenty of religious, socially conservative countries still manage to turn a blind eye towards the sexual indiscretions of powerful men.

Elizabeth

Sexual assault isn't an indiscretion, Russell. It's a crime.

Russell

The Chinese have had a bug up their ass about the Dalai Lama since the 1950s, when they first drove him from his spiritual seat in Tibet. To them, he's a font of separatist rhetoric, hell-bent on breaking away from China, so it is indeed delicate.

Elizabeth

[laughing incredulously] Are you really mansplaining Tibetan history to me?

Russell

Elizabeth, hang on.

Elizabeth

Ah, Russell, you heard the president. Let it go.

Russell

Hey, I already have. Faustian bargains always take me an extra minute. No, no, no, I'm all in.

Russell

[watching Henry and Elizabeth bicker] Bet you don't miss that part of being married, huh?

Jay

Sorry, what?

Russell

Hmm, yeah, that was insensitive.

Russell

You throwing patriotic temper tantrums on live TV isn't doing you any favors.

Nadine

Neither is sitting there mute after she's been ambushed by someone pretending to represent legitimate journalism. Instead of throwing your own tantrum and blaming the victim for this latest tool of terrorism, why don't you grow a spine and do something about it?!

The fiscal year ends in a few hours. Either accept our amendments to the CR or we let the clock run out and let the American people decide who to blame for the shutdown.

Russell

You want to play that game? Fine. Our numbers may not be great, but Congress? You guys literally poll worse than a staph infection.