TV show quotes
We're not talking about the President going to Asia or the President going to Rwanda or the President going to Qumar. We're talking about the President sending other people's kids to do it.
That's always what we're talking about. And in addition to being somebody's kids, they're also soldiers and sailors, and if we're about freedom from tyranny, we should be about freedom from tyranny, and if we're not, we should shut up!
We're for freedom of speech everywhere. We're for freedom to worship everywhere. We're for freedom to learn... for everybody. And because in our time, you can build a bomb in your country and bring it to my country, what goes on in your country is very much my business. And so we are for freedom from tyranny, everywhere, whether in the guise of political oppression, Toby, or economic slavery, Josh, or religious fanaticism, CJ. That most fundamental idea cannot be met with merely our support. It has to be met with our strength. Diplomatically, economically, materially. And if Pharaoh still don't free the slaves, then he gets the plagues or my cavalry, whichever gets there first. The USTR will go crazy and say that we're not considering global trade. Committee members will go crazy and say I haven't consulted enough. And the Arab world will just go indiscriminately crazy. No country has ever had a doctrine of intervention when only humanitarian interests were at stake. That streak's gonna end Sunday at noon.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed people can change the world. Do you know why?
Because it's the only thing that ever has.
Leo said just now that there was going to be an NEC briefing on scoring and tell her what I said.
'What's wrong with booze and a comfortable pickup?'
No, I see there's no hour too early for your Noel Cowardesque wit, sir.
Mr. President, the U.S. is trampling on the sovereignty of my country and on behalf of Nzele–
I've just taken your airport... clearing the way for the 101st Air Assualt to take the capitol. Seven thousand troops, twenty-five battle tanks, fifteen Apache attack helicopters, and three destroyers. Strictly speaking, I conquered your country without the paperwork.
Kundu is in the midst of a civil war.
No, it's not. It's in the midst of a one-sided slaughtering of an entire people.
Don't be fooled: they love us in Orange County. They're crazy-go-nuts for the President – really, the whole Democratic Party in general. I think they really like it when we come to town. When we were there last month, we were working the crowd, and some young boys – worried, possibly, that I couldn't afford fruits and vegetables on a government salary – tossed me some of their own.
You want to go to Orange County?
I think we have to go. [to Bartlet] Even though there's $1,300 with your name on it if you don't make me go with you.
Get over the dress, would you?
It was a suit, and they hit me with an avocado!
It could have been worse.
How?
They could have hit me.
Listen to me. We've got all kinds of atmospheric cabin pressure up here. We're a little late, so the Colonel's put the hammer down in a 747. You've got wind shear, downdraft, massive turbulence, not to mention four giant engines burning jet fuel at galactic temperatures. We're standing in a flying death tube! [people look up] No, not the rest of y-y-you, it's just my family. It's fine. Look...
What do you want me to do, step off?
Also, you've got twins in there; you're basically a minivan. How are you fitting into a seat?
Uh-uh... I saw him first, girls.
Mr. President, the U.S. is trampling on the sovereignty of my country and on behalf of Nzele–
I've just taken your airport... clearing the way for the 101st Air Assault to take the capitol. Seven thousand troops, twenty-five battle tanks, fifteen Apache attack helicopters, and three destroyers. Strictly speaking, I conquered your country without the paperwork.
Kundu is in the midst of a civil war.
No, it's not. It's in the midst of a one-sided slaughtering of an entire people. Both the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Vatican have pleaded with President Nzele for a cease-fire and both the U.N. and the Holy Father have struck out to the peril of 115,000 Induye men, women, and God knows children, particularly the boys.
Who will soon be men and will rise up...
The heads of Ghana, Nigeria and Zaire have similarly sent packing. The Red Cross has been denied entry on three separate occasions in the last ten days. President Nzele has 36 hours to give the command to his troops to hand over their weapons to the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army. At 36 hours and -one minute-, I give the order for the 101st Air Assault to take Bitanga and run up our flag. I skipped breakfast. Anybody want coffee or something?
How did you live with Josh Lyman?
I'm sorry?
How did you live with him? He beat Max out of the 12 million earmarked for vaccine education. And when I said I wanted the 12 million he said "So did I. And at the end of a prize-fight, you look at the guy who's dancing around and that's who won"? So I wanna know how you lived with him.
We never technically lived together which was the subject of many–
Don't you wanna kill him when he says things like that?
My problem is I wanna jump him when he says things like that.
Where'd you get your mouth?
Brown, then Yale Law School.
[in jail] How'd you call Josh? Didn't they take your cell phone from you?
[motioning to a group of prostitutes] I used theirs.
So on a call-girl's phone bill, there's gonna be a call to Air Force One?
You really gonna be teaching a seminar on call-girl caution? Really?
It made the news out there?
A Jewish guy won a bar fight. It's news everywhere.
[about the First Lady's speech] You should tell her not to talk about the House vote.
You want me to tell Mrs. Bartlet she's going to look like a dilettante?
I once had to tell the President he was wearing two different shoes.
That's roughly the same.
[to Sam] You're gonna lose, and you're gonna lose huge, they're gonna be throwing rocks at you next week, and I wanna be standing next to you when they do.
So we're for freedom of speech everywhere but poor countries, where they can have our help, but only if they live up to Clancy Bangert's moral standards? What the hell kind of free world are you running?
I really don't know, Abby. The day hasn't started yet.
These quotes come from Wikiquote's The West Wing pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
