We cannot execute some people and not execute others depending on the mood of the Oval Office. It's cruel and unusual.
The possibility of pardoning a federal prisoner scheduled for execution lands unexpectedly in the President's lap -- and ruins Sam's plans to go sailing for the weekend. Instead, Sam, Mandy, and the others are stuck trying to find legal grounds that would allow the Catholic President -- who opposes capital punishment -- to commute the prisoner's sentence. A wily defense attorney gets Toby's rabbi to try to influence Toby on the issue. Meanwhile, an exasperated Donna deals with a messy, smelly, hungover Josh who has a meeting with a campaign manager from California -- and who ends up in yellow waders.
Awards
2001 WGA Award Winner:
Outstanding Achievement in Television Writing for Episodic Drama
2000 Award Winner:
Humanitas Prize
Credits
Story by LAWRENCE O’DONNELL JR. and PAUL REDFORD and AARON SORKIN
Directed by THOMAS SCHLAMME
Starring:
ROB LOWE as Sam Seaborn
DULÉ HILL as Charlie Young
ALLISON JANNEY as C.J. Cregg
MOIRA KELLY as Mandy Hampton
RICHARD SCHIFF as Toby Ziegler
JOHN SPENCER as Leo McGarry
BRADLEY WHITFORD as Josh Lyman
and MARTIN SHEEN as President Josiah Bartlet
Guest Starring:
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Dialogue Excerpts:
Josh: I can hold my liquor.
Donna: No, you can't.
Josh: I can drink with the best of 'em, Donna.
Donna: You can't drink with any of 'em, Josh.
Josh: I'm a politician, okay? I can drink.
Donna: You have a very sensitive system.
Josh: I wish you'd stop telling people that. It makes me sound like an idiot.
Donna: You're gonna have two drinks and spend the rest of the weekend sleeping it off.
Bartlet: I'm gonna ask you a question, and this is one of those times that it's okay to tell me I've stepped over the line and I should shut my mouth, okay?
Charlie: Okay.
Bartlet: What happened to the guy who shot your mother?
Charlie: They haven't found him yet, sir.
Bartlet: If they did, would you want to see him executed? Killing a police officer is a capital crime; I figure you must have thought about it.
Charlie: Yes, sir.
Bartlet: And?
Charlie: I wouldn't want to see him executed, Mr. President. I'd want to do it myself.
Sam: The U.S. is one of five countries on earth that puts to death people who were under the age 18 when they committed their crime.
Charlie: Nigeria?
Sam: Pakistan.
Charlie: Saudi Arabia and Iraq?
Sam: Yeah, so that's a list we definitely want to be on.