the west wing meme: ∞ eight speeches [7/8]
“More than any time in recent history, America’s destiny is not of our own choosing. We did not seek nor did we provoke an assault on our freedom and our way of life. We did not expect nor did we invite a confrontation with evil. Yet the true measure of a people’s strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arrive. 44 people were killed a couple of hours ago at Kennison State University. Three swimmers from the men’s team were killed and two others are in critical condition. When, after having heard the explosion from their practice facility, they ran into the fire to help get people out. Ran in to the fire. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight. They’re our students and our teachers and our parents and our friends. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels, but every time we think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and are reminded that that capacity may well be limitless. This is a time for American heroes. We will do what is hard. We will achieve what is great. This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars. God bless their memory, God bless you and God bless the United States of America.”
the west wing meme: ∞ eight speeches [6/8]
“You know what, I’ve spent the last 14 hours being snickered at by United States senators, being ostracized on the World Wide Web, having my own colleagues question my ability to do my job. And I let it get to me. So, I don’t think it really matters whether I’m gay or straight, or just the best women’s basketball player in Ohio Valley history. No one should be treated this way.”
the west wing meme: ∞ eight speeches [5/8]
“You’re a son of a bitch, you know that? She bought her first new car and you hit her with a drunk driver. What, was that supposed to be funny? ‘You can’t conceive, nor can I, the appalling strangeness of the mercy of God,’ says Graham Greene. I don’t know who’s ass he was kissing there ‘cause I think you’re just vindictive. What was Josh Lyman? A warning shot? That was my son. What did I ever do to yours but praise his glory and praise his name? There’s a tropical storm that’s gaining speed and power. They say we haven’t had a storm this bad since you took out that tender ship of mine in the north Atlantic last year… 68 crew. You know what a tender ship does? Fixes the other ships. Doesn’t even carry guns. Just goes around, fixes the other ships and delivers the mail. That’s all it can do. Gratias tibi ago, domine. Yes, I lied. It was a sin. I’ve committed many sins. Have I displeased you, you feckless thug? 3.8 million new jobs, that wasn’t good? Bailed out Mexico, increased foreign trade, 30 million new acres of land for conservation, put Mendoza on the bench, we’re not fighting a war, I’ve raised three children… That’s not enough to buy me out of the doghouse? Haec credam a deo pio? A deo iusto? A deo scito? Cruciatus in crucem! Tuus in terra servus nuntius fui officium perfeci. Cruciatus in crucem. Eas in crucem! …You get Hoynes.”
the west wing meme: ∞ eight speeches [4/8]
“These 36 people haven’t been culled enough out of thousands of applicants? Forget that they’ve all been in prison for at least five years. They submitted petitions to justice that took two years to inch from desk to desk. None of them are violent, although by now I would be. None of them have priors. A lot of them, their judges spoke out at their sentencing against the harshness of what they had to impose! You tell me, do we toss out Daisy Aimes, mother of three, two jobs, had a boyfriend who stored a kilo in her closet? She’s done eight years and is facing eleven more. That’s longer than rapists and child molesters get. There’s about 15 Daisys in here. Do we pick three? You haven’t read these files or looked at these photos, and I don’t blame you. I wish I never had. But, I don’t see a list anymore. These are people. If you want to cull them, jump in. I’m done.”
the west wing meme: ∞ eight speeches [3/8]
“I like your show. I like how you call homosexuality an abomination.” “I don’t say homosexuality is an abomination, Mr. President. The Bible does.”“Yes it does. Leviticus.” “18:22.” “Chapter and verse. I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I have you here. I’m interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She’s a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here’s one that’s really important because we’ve got a lot of sports fans in this town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you? One last thing: while you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tight-Ass Club, in this building, when the President stands, nobody sits.”
the west wing meme: ∞ eight speeches [2/8]
“There’s an old saying: ‘Those who speak, don’t know; and those who know, don’t speak.’ I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I know that by and large the press doesn’t care who really knows what as long as they’ve got a quote. Last Friday, we had our Week Ahead meeting in the Roosevelt Room. Some of you were there, most of you weren’t, but I’m talking to all of you now. Bruno Gianelli and I were leading a discussion about whether or not the President should stop in Kansas on his way back from the West Coast, and I remarked that the Vice President is polling better than the President right now in the plain states and that if the President gets re-elected it’s going to be on the Vice President’s coattails. That remark made its way to a White House reporter. …We’re a group, we’re a team. From the President and Leo on through, we’re a team. We win together, we lose together, we celebrate and we mourn together. And defeats are softened and victories sweetened because we did them together. And if you don’t like this team then there’s the door. It’s great to be in the know. It’s great to have the scoop, to have the skinny, to be able to go to a reporter and say, ‘I know something you don’t know’. And so the press become your constituents and you sell out the team… So, an item will appear in the paper tomorrow, and it will be embarrassing to me and embarrassing to the president. I’m not going to have a witch hunt, I’m not going to huff and puff. I’m not going to take anyone’s head off. I’m simply going to say this: you’re my guys, and I’m yours. And there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
the west wing meme: ∞ eight speeches [1/8]
“This guy’s walking down a street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep, he can’t get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, ‘Hey you, can you help me out?’ The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, ‘Father, I’m down in this hole, can you help me out?’ The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by, ‘Hey Joe, it’s me, can you help me out?’ And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, ‘Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here!’ The friend says, ‘Yeah but I’ve been down here before and I know the way out.’ … Long as I got a job, you got a job, you understand?”
the west wing meme: ∞ seven characters [7/7]
the west wing meme: ∞ seven characters [6/7]
the west wing meme: ∞ seven characters [5/7]
