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June 21, 2006

Life imitates art (the West Wing Explains American Politics)

The West Wing Episode 1: Pilot (reformatted):
Mary: I dont like what Ive just been accused of.

Toby: [raising his voice] I'm afraid thats just tough, Mrs. Marsh.

Van Dyke: The First Commandment says "Honor thy Father".

Toby: No it doesnt.

Josh: Toby--

Toby: It doesnt.

Josh: Listen--

Toby: No, if I'm gonna make you sit through this preposterous exercise, were gonna get the names of the damn commandments right.

Mary: Okay. Here we go.

Toby: "Honor thy Father" is the Third Commandment.

Van Dyke: Then whats the First Commandment?
A booming voice comes from off screen. The camera moves to show PRESIDENT JED BARTLET with a cane standing in the doorway with several Secret Service agents.

President Jed Bartlet: "I am the Lord your God. Thou shalt worship no other God before me." Boy, those were the days, huh?

Congressman Lynn Westmoreland on the Colbert Report:

Colbert: You co-sponsored a bill requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in the House and the Senate. Why was that important to you?

Westmoreland: Well, the Ten Commandments is not a bad thing for people to understand and respect.

Colbert: I'm with you.

Westmoreland: Where better place could you have something like that than in a judicial building or in a courthouse?

Colbert: That is a good question. Can you think of any better building to put the Ten Commandments in than in a public building?

Westmoreland: No. I think if we were totally without 'em we may lose a sense of our direction.

Colbert: What are the Ten Commandments?

Westmoreland: What are all of them? You want me to name 'em all?

Colbert: Yeah. Please.

Westmoreland: Don't murder. Don't lie. Don't steal. Uh... I can't name 'em all.

Colbert: Congressman, thank you for taking time away from keeping the sabbath day holy to talk to us.

Posted by ekr at June 21, 2006 10:37 PM | Filed under:

Comments

I like the comment on the Ten Commandments that Robert A. Heinlein makes in "To Sail Beyond The Sunset" (which I believe matches his own personal view)

"The Ten Commandments are for lame brains. The first five are solely for the benefit of the priests and the powers that be; the second five are half truths, neither complete nor adequate."

Oh, on second thought, maybe it would be very appropriate to require displaying them in the House and Senate.

Posted by: ShyGuy at June 22, 2006 5:12 AM