to stop alberto gonzalez from trying to get john ashkroft to sign off on one of bush's surveillance s in intensive care profoundly ill and in his hospital bed. james comey raced across washington to john ashkroft's bedside and arrived there just minutes before alberto gonzalez in an effort to protect the attorney general. here's how he later told the story. >> i told my security detail i needed to get to george washington hospital immediately. they turned on emergency equipment and drove very quickly to the hospital. i got out of the car and ran, literally ran up the stairs with my security detail. >> what was your concern? you were in obviously a huge hurry. >> i was concerned that given how ill i knew the attorney general was that there might be an effort to ask him to overrule me when he was in no condition to do that. >> right. okay. >> i was worried about him, frankly. so i raced to the hospital room, entered and mrs. ashcroft was standing by the hospital bed. mr. ashcroft was lying down in the bed. i immediately began speaking to him trying to orient him as to time to place and