Martin Sheen credited as playing...
President Josiah Bartlet
- President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: Thanks for coming in.
- Justice Christopher Mulready: It's an honor, Sir.
- President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: [gesturing for Mulready to have a seat] Please. I understand you and Judge Lang had a bit of a knock down, drag out.
- Justice Christopher Mulready: She wants to federalize law enforcement. I thought it was hasty.
- President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: Not your brand of judge.
- Justice Christopher Mulready: Quite the opposite. I have not had that much fun in months.
- President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: [surprised] Really?
- Justice Christopher Mulready: Use her if you can. I'm not sure what all this is about. I suppose a number of people are placated by a glimpse of someone like her, or someone like me in these halls. I'm most certainly here for that. But if there is any way that you can use her...
- President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: It's unlikely.
- Justice Christopher Mulready: Who's at the top of the list?
- [sees Bartlets hesitation]
- Justice Christopher Mulready: If I leaked it, would they believe me?
- President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: Brad Shelton.
- Justice Christopher Mulready: [hesitant] Really.
- President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: You don't like him?
- Justice Christopher Mulready: He's a fine jurist. And in the event that Carmine, Lafayette, Hoyt, Clark, and Brannagan all dropped dead, the middle would still be well tended.
- President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: [Chuckling] You want another Brady.
- Justice Christopher Mulready: Sure. Just like you'd like another Ashland, who wouldn't? The court was at it's best when Brady was fighting Ashland.
- President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: Plenty of good law written by the voices of moderation.
- Justice Christopher Mulready: Who writes the extraordinary dissent? The one man minority decision whose time hasn't come but 20 years later, some circuit court clerk digs it up at 3 in the morning. Brennan rallying against censorship, Harlans jeremiad on Jim Crow.
- President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: [half serious] Maybe you someday.
- Justice Christopher Mulready: [mildly dismissive] Hm. They can't put me on The Court. Just like you can't put Evelyn Lang on The Court. It's Sheltons from here on in.
- President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: There are 4000 protesters outside this building, worried about who is going to land in that seat. We can't afford to alienate all of them.
- Justice Christopher Mulready: We all have our roles to play, Sir. Yours is to nominate someone who doesn't alienate people.
- President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: [convinced]