versus democrats, saying, we were attacked more than you were. we're subject to more violent outbursts than you are. the president, president bush, was subjected to, you know, a lot of tough stuff when he was in office while you were there. what impact, if at all, does it have on the oval office, on the president, on the staff, when the language is heightened, when the tensions rise, when the temperature in society not just politically, rises around you? what impact does it have? >> it does have an impact, but it doesn't change the president's responsibility, nor does it change the president's ability to meet his responsibility. so, my job as chief of staff was to make sure the president would not be distracted with the clanging symbols outside of the white house or the drums that we're beating and focus on the job. and i think he did a good job of that. remember, when president bush took office we were a very divided country. it was the supreme court that