24 (TV Series)

Day 4: 3:00 a.m.-4:00 a.m. (2005)

Gregory Itzin: President Charles Logan

Quotes 

• Mike Novick : CTU just sent this over: these five groups have all made attempts to attack or sabotage Chinese targets around the globe in the last two year, this group here

  David Palmer : The People's Freedom Coalition

  Mike Novick : They've actually made speeches where they've referenced Lee Jong's involvement with the Chinese nuclear program

  David Palmer : So an attack on the Consulate and the grab of Lee Jong by this group would be plausible?

  Mike Novick : It would allow the Chinese to save face

  David Palmer : And if the Chinese can't provide proof that we entered the Consulate saving face would be all they need?

  Mike Novick : If you want I can start leaking it to the media

  David Palmer : Do it

  President Charles Logan : [after entering the room]  David, what've you done?

  David Palmer : Excuse me Sir?

  President Charles Logan : I just got a call from the Secretary of State telling me about a covert action against the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles?

  David Palmer : That's correct, I sanctioned it

  President Charles Logan : Why would you have done such a thing?

  David Palmer : It was the only option at the time

  President Charles Logan : Don't you know how fragile our relationship with China is right now? You authorized an attack on their Consulate: that's a military engagement

  David Palmer : A covert not dissimilar to those carried out by countries on a routine basis around the world

  President Charles Logan : Don't give me a social studies lesson, we marched onto Chinese soil, we kidnapped one of their nationals, and in the process the Chinese consul was killed

  Mike Novick : We were unlucky Sir

  President Charles Logan : Unlucky? Yeah I would say we were unlucky, that's the kind of thing that could start a war. Now how am I supposed to be able to find terrorists while I'm provoking a nuclear superpower?

  David Palmer : I would advise you to calm down if we are going to get through this day. We didn't bring this crisis on ourselves but we're going to be the ones to settle it, this is a dirty business and we're to have to get our hands dirty to clean it up. Now please Mr. President, you brought me here to help you: let me do it

• President Charles Logan : [after entering Mike enters his office]  what is it?

  Mike Novick : The Chinese security officer Cheng is still at CTU and seems to be slowing things down

  President Charles Logan : He wouldn't have been there at all: if Palmer hadn't authorized an attack at the Consulate

  Mike Novick : It's too late to change that now Sir

  President Charles Logan : Yes, it is. If we order Cheng to leave CTU now, it'll look like we've got something to hide, and it'll just be giving the Chinese all the justification they need to escalate this crisis

  Mike Novick : If we don't find that warhead before its deployed ten million Americans could face annihilation

  President Charles Logan : We could at war with a billion Chinese

  Mike Novick : My advice Sir is to worry about the Americans now and the Chinese later

  President Charles Logan : Your advice? Or David Palmer's advice?

  Mike Novick : Both of ours

  President Charles Logan : When I agreed to bring Palmer in, it wasn't so the two of you could form an alliance against me

  Mike Novick : Sir, that's not what's happening

  President Charles Logan : No? Why don't you tell me what's "happening"? You and David Palmer are running this country while I'm taking phone calls from mid-level staffers

  Mike Novick : Would you like me to ask President Palmer to leave?

  President Charles Logan : No, call CTU, tell Bill Buchanan to escort Mr. Cheng out of the building