Russell Jackson quotes from Madam Secretary

Elizabeth

Why not use it as leverage? Why drag the family into it?

Russell

Because I want him *destroyed* by the same monster he created. He wanted to whip his base against immigrants and refugees, let them rip him apart. [laughs] Thought you'd appreciate the poetic justice.

Russell

What's the one thing you have that Morejon doesn't?

Elizabeth

A conscience?

Russell

An approval rating!

Russell

As far as I'm concerned, you can get on board or get out of the way.

Jay

With respect, Mr. Jackson, that isn't your call.

Russell

(To Elizabeth) Is he gonna be talking to me that way?

Elizabeth

Get on board.

Russell

This man is supposed to be giving a speech on a bridge over the Ohio River tomorrow afternoon. You want him to go to a country whose biggest exports are wool and yak cheese?

Jay

Gold and cotton, actually.

Russell

I don't care! And neither do the actual voters who are sick of crashing into potholes.

Russell

Well, it's eleven am, and we have put away a drug lord and a corrupt foreign minister. That's efficiency.

Elizabeth

You should take the rest of the day off, Russell. Maybe catch a yoga class.

Russell

That's...the funniest thing you've ever said to me.

Russell

Hurst was the only person who could deliver us Pennsylvania. I would have sold my own mother to get those electoral votes.

Elizabeth

Does Conrad know?

Russell

I make promises so he doesn't have to.

I don't think we've met before.

Russell

I generally avoid daylight.

Elizabeth

Well, for an acting president, she's suddenly reluctant to act.

Russell

Yeah, it happens when they're new to office. The reality sinks in.

Russell

I don't need to ask what the meaning of life is, because I already know.

Henry

You do? Well, hey, I'm all ears.

Russell

Be good to the people you love, work hard at the things you care about.

Henry

Well, that's great, except it's killing you.

Russell

Why the hell would we declassify any of it?

Elizabeth

Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Russell

Yes, and it causes cancer, too.

Russell

You know I respect Henry, but he needs to be on the same page as you. Publicly.

Elizabeth

We still have a year.

Russell

Practice makes perfect. Unless you convince your family that they're in it too, you won't win. It's as simple as that.

Elizabeth

We know how this works -- once we respond, China escalates and so on until the both of us go over an economic cliff, probably taking the rest of the world with us.

Russell

A few months of being locked out the Chinese markets and many of our pork producers, soybean farmers, they could go under.

Russell

According to cable news, we're running a baby mill out of the Lincoln bedroom.

Henry

Everyone knows that cable news runs towards the hyperbolic.

Russell

No kidding. That's why people watch it, Dr. McCord.

Henry

I don't want to be the guy who's known for blowing the whistle and getting people axed because of it.

Russell

There's only one team, and now everyone knows you're on it.

Russell

This always happens! Four years in with no scandals, you get gravel under you wheels and think you're Moses and can part the Red Sea. You can't part anything. You're in a leaky boat with one oar.

Elizabeth

I'm not sure I follow this metaphor.