# An old "West Wing" episode **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 13, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-west-wing-episode/496324 "2009-05-13T18:46:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-west-wing-episode/496324/21 "2009-05-13T23:56:28Z")
Plus, if Charlie is discovered lying, it would destroy his chances at a law degree (I think Oliver Platt told him if he did nothing wrong, said nothing wrong, and saw nothing wrong, his defense would cost $100,000…he urged him to make a deal.) Jed wasn’t going to bring anyone else down with him…that’s why he accepted sanction. And can I just say, the [Latin-laced God cursing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FScv89J6rro) in _Two Cathedrals_ gives me the chills to this day? Damn, Sorkin can write. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-west-wing-episode/496324/22 "2009-05-14T04:48:07Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Bartlett is a good man who makes a bad decision (to keep his illness concealed). Exactly. There wasn’t any grand conspiracy UNTIL then, why the hell would he want to manufacture one now? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-west-wing-episode/496324/23 "2009-05-14T17:09:13Z")
> [@Cyberhwk](#): > > Exactly. There wasn’t any grand conspiracy UNTIL then, why the hell would he want to manufacture one now? Quite so. But I still think he wanted to forestall Charlie’s possible lying to protect him, because of all the staff Charlie’s in the worst position. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-west-wing-episode/496324/24 "2009-05-14T17:14:15Z")
I assumed that Jed was talking about questions like, “Have you ever seen the POTUS pass out?” or “Have you ever seen his hand shake?” or “Were you present when Event A and B happened.” Charlie, more than anybody else on staff, would be privy to those moments, and it would probably seem pretty easy to simply say, “No, I never saw him shake when he signed his name.” Small lies that might seem like they’re unprovable, one way or the other, but not worth the risk to Charlie’s future. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-west-wing-episode/496324/25 "2009-05-14T19:43:21Z")
> [@FallenAngel](#): > > I’d settle for one day having a person in the White House is isn’t a lunatic or a lying huckster. There’s been one in my lifetime. Enlighten us. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-west-wing-episode/496324/26 "2009-05-14T20:32:32Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Enlighten us. 🙂 My guess would be Jimmy Carter. A decent man who was in way over his head. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-old-west-wing-episode/496324.md?page=1)