i had have a hard time understg given the circumstances.all we were asking for is additional time to review the legal issues and this was the time of reporting. why not just wait for this since we knew general ashcroft would be recovered and he could weigh in. given the fact that he had authorized this for two and a half years it was hard to understand what was motivating the deputy attorney general. i had no reason to believe he acted in good faith. there was a passage. typically if you were going to go testify about something from your previous service particularly on a very sensitive subjects like a hospital visit particularly if you have been a high-ranking official like the deputy attorney general you would notify the department of justice or the white house and it was disappointing to me and jim that he wouldn't have the courtesy to do that. i've read newspaper accounts but the concern was the way to try to do something to stop them. first of all i'm not sure we can do anything to stop him, but why would he try to stop them. no, to me