The most astounding thing in 32 years

From Al, the President's Man: Alberto Gonzales is bloodied by his trip to the Senate, by Dahlia Lithwick in Slate.

"One of the finest moments comes when Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., busts out a big, big chart. Which happens after almost everyone has gone home. The chart compares the Clinton protocol for appropriate contacts between the White House and the DoJ on pending criminal cases with the Bush protocol. According to Whitehouse, the Clinton protocol authorized just four folks at the White House to chat with three folks at Justice. The chart had four boxes talking to three boxes. Out comes the Bush protocol, and now 417 different people at the White House have contacts about pending criminal cases with 30-some people at Justice. You can just see zillions of small boxes nattering back and forth. It seems that just about everyone in the White House, including the guys in the mailroom, had a vote on ongoing criminal matters.

"Sen. Pat Leahy, D-Vt., calls this 'the most astounding thing' he's seen in 32 years."

Only in the past 32 years? How about we enshrine this protocol chart in Ripley's Believe it or Not. Talking about the "horse built by a committee."