Quotes from Inauguration Day Part II: Over There


Will: You're not ever worried about the window breaking?
Toby: During moments of peak frustration. When the Speaker of the House threatened to repeal the 16th Amendment, a couple Yankee games, and there was the time Congress censured my boss. But it's always held up, that window. That window's a game day player.

Will: I finished the language.
Toby: How is it?
Will: Bloodless, compromising, and half a loaf.
Toby: That's foreign policy.

Toby: "The watchword of all mankind?" I don't know what that means.
Will: Don't worry, neither will anyone else.

Bartlet: Charlie, I'm going to change my mind again on the bible.
Charlie: Mr. President, you have to imagine my utter surprise.
Bartlet: Aren't you afraid that one day I'm just gonna kick your ass like it's never been kicked?

Bartlet: You know I gave the kids candy all the time, right?
Abbey: Behind my back?
Bartlet: Yes.
Abbey: You bought their love.
Bartlet: Well, it was for sale and I wanted it.

Toby: Why are you sending your kids across the street?
C.J.: 'Cause those are somebody's kids too.

Toby: I suppose you can't blame Will completely.
Will: Hi.
Toby: This is entirely your fault.
Will: He came in the office.
Toby: You like Europe, he likes Europe, you could have talked about Europe.
Will: That wasn't the subject.
Toby: Then make it the subject. He says, "Here's this El Salvador speech I gave a long time ago," and you say...
Will: I like Europe?
Toby: Yes!

Bartlet: 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, C.J. That most fundamental idea cannot be met with merely our support, it has to met with our strength, diplomatically, economically, materially. And if Pharoah 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.

Toby: He's speaking in verse.
C.J.: A literary curse.

Josh: It's good cop/bad cop. I'm the good cop, the four of you are the bad cop. Will, what are you?
Will: The bad cop.
Josh: Danny, what are you?
Danny: The bad cop.
Josh: Toby, what are you?
Toby: Hurry up.
Josh: Charlie, who are you?
Charlie: I love Zoey and I must have her back.
Josh: The bad cop, that's right.
Will: That's great news about Zoey. I didn't meet her, but I bet she's nice.
Charlie: Not really, but my love for her knows no bounds.
Danny: Charlie, aren't you cold without a coat?
Charlie: I took off my coat to show my love for Zoey.
Danny: Wow.
Charlie: I'd take off my shirt, too, but it's inappropriate with a tuxedo.
Danny: Not if we were at Chippendales.

Josh: We're going to a ball.
Donna: Balls are fun.
Josh: We're actually going to eight of them.
Donna: Eight times the fun.

Bartlet: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can change the world. You know why?
Will: It's the only thing that ever has?


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