The West Wing (TV Series)

Inauguration: Part 2 - Over There (2003)

Martin Sheen: President Josiah Bartlet

Quotes 

• President Josiah Bartlet : There's a promise that I ask everyone who works here to make: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Do you know why?

  Will Bailey : Because it's the only thing that ever has.

• President Josiah Bartlet : [trying to wake up his wife]  Abbey... Abigail... Abbey, the kids are eating sugar.

  Abbey Bartlet : Uh...

  [wakes up] 

  Abbey Bartlet : Oh!

  President Josiah Bartlet : How you doing? You know I gave the kids candy all the time, right?

  Abbey Bartlet : Behind my back?

  President Josiah Bartlet : Yes.

  Abbey Bartlet : You bought their love.

  President Josiah Bartlet : Well, it was for sale, and I wanted it.

• President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet : Charlie, I'm gonna change my mind again on the Bible.

  Charlie Young : Mr. President, you have to imagine my utter surprise.

  President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet : Aren't you afraid that one day I'm just gonna kick your ass like it's never been kicked?

• President Josiah "Jed" 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 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.

• President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet : They're saying I'm rewriting the Constitution on the back of a napkin. They're saying on Fox that a guy who couldn't run a local sheriff's department wants to send troops around the world. They're saying it's liberalism with a grenade launcher. But they're not saying it was badly written, so that's something. And they sure as hell know I was serious, so that's something else. Congratulations, folks, we've got ourselves a doctrine.

• President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet : I walked to school every morning in weather colder than this.

  Abbey Bartlet : From the headmaster's house to your classroom.

  President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet : That's right, baby. Just a camel hair coat, leather gloves, a varsity scarf, and these wits.

• President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet : [frustrated at not being able to get a Bible he likes for his swearing in]  Okay, you know what? Washington didn't bring his own Bible, he just assumed one would be provided, which, frankly, isn't unreasonable. Guy wants you to swear an oath on a Bible, he ought to be packing a Bible. Washington didn't bring one; he just assumed one would be provided. Just common courtesy, I think. "Place your hand on this Bible. And, oh, can I borrow your Bible?" That's not right.

• President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet : Mothers are standing in front of tanks. And we're going to go get their backs.

• Abbey Bartlet : [the President has decided to change the Use of Force Doctrine after watching a Laurel & Hardy movie]  Because of Laurel and Hardy?

  President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet : Not because, no. Not *because* of Laurel and Hardy. That was simply the confluence of the final... you know, and also, by the way, from the mouths of babes... like yourself... Seriously, from the mouths of babes and clowns comes... Listen, there's no reason why anyone needs to know about Laurel and Hardy.

  Abbey Bartlet : Sounds like that's going to depend a lot on my general mood.