SNOW: Well, the fact is what they re trying to do is to establish their own set of precedents.
What we re trying to do is to set a precedent for adult behavior in a way that is going to reflect well on a situation and offer an opportunity -- I don t think you re going to find any case where there has been no allegation of impropriety, no specific --
Q It s not about --
MR. SNOW: -- any specific allegation of impropriety, suddenly to say, we re going to offer up internal deliberations.
But we re doing this because we know there are concerns on the Hill and we want to address them.
I think that this is -- I m not sure that there are any situations for which there is a precedent for this.
Q Even transcripts?
MR. SNOW: For any of this.
Q But, Tony, the idea of minutes goes back to the beginning of Western thought. Plato kept minutes on Socrates. What does Karl Rove have on Socrates? (Laughter.)
MR. SNOW: Plato kept -- was that the case, or was it Aristotle who kept notes on Plato?
Q Well, Plato also --
MR. SNOW: Inquiring minds want to know. This is Maimonides. Let s just start dropping philosophers names. The fact is --
Q The point is --
MR. SNOW: No, here s the point, is we ve set up a situation in which we think members of Congress and staffers -- this is open to members and staff, who are able to take notes, and we also believe that writing goes back to the inception of Western civilization, and the ability -- I m not sure that they had recordings or transcripts, but they did have writing. There was writing.