dr. howard snyder, the president's physician who rushed to the white house. snyder initially put out the word that this was a digestive upset when he knew it was a massive heart attack. he waited until midafternoon that day before transporting the president's to the hospital, and even then had him walk to the car instead of calling an ambulance. if you want more detail on the mismanagement of this situation you have to read the book. don't have time tonight. eisenhower was in the hospital for six weeks. in those days the gold standard for treatment of heart attack patients was total bed rest. his doctors would not permit him to read a newspaper, watch a movie, listen to a football game on the radio, let alone do a serious presidential business. he did not take a step across the room for a month. this incredibly active mandela like a caged animal. so at the very moment the soviet union attempted to change the balance of power in the middle east as an hour was out of commission. the secretary of state was on his own, unable t none of whom had a snowball's chanc