I must be missing something

In all the controversy over which NSA program Alberto Gonzales talked about with John Ashcroft while Ashcroft was in the hospital with Senators insisting that Gonzales perjured himself because he denied that they discussed one specific NSA terrorist surveillance plan, why don't the senators call Ashcroft and ask him?

And why are they refusing to go into closed session so Gonzales can tell them about what he's referring to since Gonzales says that that information has not yet been made public and so has to be given in a secure briefing?

Could it be that the Democrats leading the charge to make it seem that Gonzales committed perjury aren't really interested in getting information, but prefer the public appearance of Gonzales having lied? Nyah. They couldn't be that cynical about national security, could they?