Glen Allen Walken

Glen Allen Walken (sometimes spelled 'Glenallen' or 'Glen Alan' Walken) is a fictional character on The West Wing played by John Goodman.

Walken was, initially, the powerful and conservative Speaker of the House. He became Speaker in January 2001 after the previous Speaker, Jim Hohner of Illinois, resigned. In his 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bartlet called him a man of fundamental decency and public servant of purpose. Walken was known as a strong supporter of gun rights (Josh Lyman said about him: He's opposed to waiting periods for grenade launchers!) and supply-side economics.^[1] Walken became Acting President of the United States in May 2003. Vice President of the United States John Hoynes had resigned just a few days before due to a sex scandal and President of the United States Josiah Bartlet then yielded power temporarily under the terms of the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Bartlet's daughter Zoey had been kidnapped, seemingly by terrorists from Qumar, and he did not feel that he could objectively carry out the duties of his office, under the circumstances. Walken was Acting President from approx 6:00 am on May 8, 2003 to around mid morning on May 10, 2003.

Walken resigned from his seat in the United States House of Representatives in order to become Acting President. While in office, he ordered the bombing of terrorist training camps in Qumar, as well as a limited and temporary invasion of that nation. He also called the families of several soldiers that died in the invasion. After three days, when Zoey Bartlet was found and freed, President Bartlet then resumed his powers and duties under the 25th Amendment. Bartlet gratefully offered to campaign for Walken if he chose to run again for Congress, but Walken said, half-seriously, that the President would probably not be politically helpful in his Missouri House district. It is not clear whether Walken returned to Congress. (The Speaker is required by the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 to resign as he can act as President only "upon his resignation as Speaker and as Representative in Congress". Walken himself states that no one can serve in two branches of the government at once.)

Several months later, Walken attended the funeral of former President Owen Lassiter, another conservative Republican and, apparently, a personal hero. Bartlet and former President D. Wire Newman, a liberal Democrat, also attended. In this episode Walken is referred to as President Walken, He was referred by staff during episodes as "President Walken", not "Acting President Walken" and was sworn-in as President, although law does not require this.

Due to his service as Acting President and his leadership during the crisis, Josh Lyman pointed out that Walken would probably become the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2006 election. At the beginning of the primary season, this prediction did seem to be at least partially correct. Although Josh and Leo both describe the 2006 Republican Primaries as "wide open", Walken is mentioned in multiple episodes as a key competitor in the primaries against the eventual winner, Arnold Vinick, a U.S. Senator from California. Walken was one of the candidates with a "bean jar" in a famous Iowa cafe for the leadoff caucuses there and had stronger support in the state than the more moderate, pro-choice Vinick. Walken, along with Vinick and Democratic primary candidate, former Vice President John Hoynes, took a tough stance against Iran after the Iranian Air Force shot down a British civilian passenger jet prior to the New Hampshire primary. By Super Tuesday, Vinick appeared to have overtaken Walken and become the front-runner, but Walken remained in the race for South Carolina primary (which apparently took place after Super Tuesday) and noted for his hawkish stance on Cuba policy when that issue came up ahead of the Florida primary. However, due to Vinick's continued successes, Walken was soon forced to drop out, leaving Reverend Don Butler as the only remaining challenger to Vinick by the time of the final New Jersey primary.

Glen Allen Walken's hometown is Liberty, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. Liberty sits in the Missouri 6th, which is assumed to be the district Walken represented. He is also a great fan of Harry Truman. He has a pet pug named Bess who is seen disrupting a meeting with her barking in one episode.

Walken's positions

• House Majority Whip (1997–1999)
• House Majority Leader (1999–2001)
• Speaker of the House (2001–2003)
• Acting President of the United States (2003)

See also

• List of characters on The West Wing
• List of politicians on The West Wing
• List of The West Wing episodes

Notes