The West Wing (TV Series)

A Proportional Response (1999)

John Spencer: Leo McGarry

Photos 

Quotes 

• Leo McGarry : The President's personal aide. They're looking at a kid. You have any problem with a young black man waiting on the President?

  Admiral Percy Fitzwallace : I'm an old black man and I wait on the President.

  Leo McGarry : The kid's got to carry his bags and...

  Admiral Percy Fitzwallace : You going to pay him a decent wage?

  Leo McGarry : Yeah.

  Admiral Percy Fitzwallace : You going to treat him with respect in the workplace?

  Leo McGarry : Yeah.

  Admiral Percy Fitzwallace : Then why the hell should I care?

  Leo McGarry : That's what I thought.

  Admiral Percy Fitzwallace : I got some real honest-to-god battles to fight, Leo. I don't have time for the cosmetic ones.

• [the President wants a disproportionate response to an American plane being shot down] 

  Leo McGarry : And do you think ratcheting up the body count is going to act as a deterrent?

  President Josiah Bartlet : You're damn right I do.

  Leo McGarry : Oh, well then you're just as stupid as these guys who think that capital punishment is going to be a deterrent for drug kingpins. As if drug kingpins didn't live their day-to-day lives under the possibility of execution. And their executions are a lot less dainty than ours, and tend to take place without the bother and expense of due process. So, my friend, if you want to start using American military strength as the arm of the Lord, you can do that. We're the only superpower left. You can conquer the world, like Charlemagne. But you'd better be prepared to kill everyone. And you had better start with me because I will raise up an army against you and *I* will beat you.