I know it was a screw-up, but I loved how he stormed into it, full throttle, like there's now a Sam Seaborn-shaped hole in the wall.
“We Killed Yamamoto” · Season 3
In this episode: Leo McGarry (3), Josiah Bartlet (1), Toby Ziegler (1), Charlie Young (1), Donna Moss (1), Fitzwallace (1)
We spent millions of dollars developing a pen for the astronauts that would work in zero gravity. Know what the Russians did?
Used a pencil?
They used a pencil.
[about replacing Mrs. Landingham] So it's been a year. Why don't you organize the search, you know for a new Executive Secretary.
Yes, sir. Absolutely.
I may not like the first couple of candidates. It may take a while.
No, I don't imagine you're going to hire somebody sir, but this is a step in the right direction.
Eliminating the term 'north' from North Dakota is an important state issue and the President feels it should be resolved on a state level. While the President is sympathetic towards the cause and understands the large economics ramifications of this name change, he feels the issue is not yet ripe for national attention. The President wishes you well on your endeavors and thanks you for your support.
MMan
Uh, Miss Moss? Are you aware that studies clearly show the word 'north' leaves the impression that this state is cold, snowy and flat, significantly depressing tourism and business startup.
With due respect, sir, your average temperature is 7 degrees. Your average snowfall: 42 inches, and a name change isn't going to take care of that.
WWoman
We enjoy roughly the same climate as South Dakota. We took in 73.7 million in tourism revenue last year. They took in 1.2 billion. They have the word 'south'.
Also Mount Rushmore.
I don't know who the world's leading expert on warfare is, but any list of the top has got to include me and I can't tell when it's peacetime and wartime anymore.
Look, international law has always recognized certain protected persons who you couldn't attack. It's been this way since the Romans.
In peacetime.
Yes.
The Battle of Agincourt...this was the French fighting against the British archers. This was like a polo match. The battles were observed by heralds, and they picked the winners. And if a soldier laid down his arms, he was treated humanely...
Yeah.
And the international laws you're talking about...this is where a lot of them were written, at a time and in a place where a person could tell between peacetime and wartime. The idea of targeting one person was ridiculous. It wouldn't have occurred to the French to try to kill William Pitt. That all changed after Pearl Harbor–
I don't like where this conversation's going...
We killed Yamamoto. We shot down his plane.
We declared war...
If Dietrich Bonhoeffer had been successful...
...and the plot to kill Hitler was an internal rebellion.
...there would have been statues built of an assassin. We'd've had to explain that to our kids!
I'm going to get back to the office.
We measure the success of a mission by two things: was it successful and how few civilians did we hurt. They measure success by how many. Pregnant women are delivering bombs! You're talking to me about international laws? The laws of nature don't even apply here! I've been a soldier for thirty-eight years, and I've found an enemy I can kill. He can't cancel Shareef's trip, Leo. You've got to tell him, he can't cancel it.
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