24 (TV Series)

Day 6: 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (2007)

Peter MacNicol: Tom Lennox

Quotes 

• Thomas Lennox : The Constitution is a wonderful thing, Karen, but back in the days of the Founding Fathers, the weapon at hand was a single-shot musket. It took half a minute to load and fire. Fayed just killed 12,000 people in less time without even taking aim. I love the Constitution, but I won't be ducking behind it when the next nuke goes off.

• Thomas Lennox : I'd like you to tender your resignation, Karen.

  Karen Hayes : [laughs]  My resignation; what are you smoking?

• Karen Hayes : Now you're making policy "unilaterally", the President was absolutely clear about your proposals

  Thomas Lennox : I'm sorry, what is this about?

  Karen Hayes : [Reading from a piece of paper]  "National Guard policing major cities, expanding detention space based on soft intel." You authorized these without Presidential consent

  Thomas Lennox : Now how many times do you think we're going to be going over this? I am taking "preparatory" steps to allow the President to act swiftly should he decide to act at all. Nobody is authorizing anything

  Karen Hayes : That's what you said about the detention facilities and yet those "preparatory measures" turned into a paramilitary operation

  Thomas Lennox : Well, however you chose to characterize it, the President agreed to all of these actions

  Karen Hayes : Your just distorting the facts: what is it? Is it you think I'm some kind of "bleeding heart liberal", who's preaching civil liberties? Is that it?

  Thomas Lennox : I'll tell you what I think: the Constitution is a wonderful thing but back in the days of the Founding Fathers, the weapon at hand was a single shot musket. It took half a minute to load and fire. Fayed just killed 12,000 people in less time without even taking aim. I love the Constitution, but I won't be "ducking" behind it when the next nuke goes off

  Karen Hayes : I'm a realist too and I am willing to do what it takes to protect this country

  Thomas Lennox : [Raises his voice]  no, you are not

  Karen Hayes : But I am looking a little further down the road: these warrantless arrests and detention centers will cause irreparable damage to this country

  Thomas Lennox : [Irritated]  you know something? Why don't you just hop a shuttle over to the Justice Department?

  Karen Hayes : You are using this crisis...

  Thomas Lennox : [Interrupts her]  you don't belong in national security

  Karen Hayes : [Finishing her sentence before she was interrupted]  to advance a very dangerous agenda and take advantage of Presidential power and I will not let you do it. And if you think you are going to wear me down, you are sadly mistaken

  Thomas Lennox : [Before leaving the room]  actually, you're wearing me down

• Thomas Lennox : [Talking privately]  this simply isn't working for me, I can't have you stand in my way anymore

  Karen Hayes : [Confused]  what?

  Thomas Lennox : I need the President's undivided attention and you are frankly, "dividing" it

  Karen Hayes : I'm not going to stop doing my job because it irritates you, I thought I made that perfectly clear?

  Thomas Lennox : [Hands her a piece of paper]  I'd like you to tender your resignation

  Karen Hayes : [Amused]  My resignation? What are you smoking?

  Thomas Lennox : I'm here to "blow away all the smoke", I want to talk about your husband's incompetence and you're covering it up

  Karen Hayes : I don't like this conversation: what're you talking about?

  Thomas Lennox : Fourteen months ago, we had Abu Fayed in CTU custody in Seattle and Bill Buchanan signed off on his release

  Karen Hayes : I don't believe this. The case you're referring to if I may remember correctly involved over twenty "detainees", not prisoners: detainees and at the time there was not enough evidence to hold him

  Thomas Lennox : It's just a little "grayer" than that isn't it? If what you're saying is true, how come that incident wound up "blue coded" at Homeland in a dead end file? You sequestered that file to protect your husband

  Karen Hayes : [Sternly]  I did nothing illegal or incorrect: every single one of those detainees were cleared of any conspiracy charges

  Thomas Lennox : Nevertheless, one of these "detainees" detonated a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles. You think your husband could survive that story? You for that matter...

  Karen Hayes : [Interrupts him]  do you want to get in the ring with me? You've got "skeletons" in your closet and I will not hesitate to pull them out

  Thomas Lennox : We've all got our "skeletons." Its proof we don't all have, I've got mine. How long before you get yours?

  Karen Hayes : You're a son of a bitch

  Thomas Lennox : I never claimed otherwise. Look, I'm not out to hurt you or your husband personally I just need room to work, I need your resignation within the hour