I'm afraid that it could be true.
We had people comment today that softwood lumber has been treated a little differently. Indeed, the cement agreement with Mexico that concluded a month or two beforehand did have exit ramps and a conclusion at the end of three years.
I think that within the lumber framework, which I certainly believe is a major trade disagreement between the U.S. and Canada, this would have a precedent. I don't know that I could say it would apply to milk or other things. I don't know enough to answer that question.
I think this could come back to haunt you. “Haunt” is the word I was thinking of, and I haven't come up with a better word. I think it would stay there, and it would be a ghost to you.
If you give it up now, having gone as far as you have, you'd get to start over. A lot of tuition has been paid and a lot of legal fees have been paid. I'm not trying to send every attorney's grandchild to college tuition free. If I were sitting on your side, I wouldn't want to start over.
As a consumer, let me make a point. You talked about $5 billion. From the American consumer's viewpoint, for that $5 billion or more since May 2002, you have to count the fact that we've also paid on all the domestic U.S.-produced ones. It's at least $15 billion. The guys who do southern yellow pine have done it, and so have the cabinet people and the garage door people.
My personal estimate, and not the association's estimate, is that we're looking at $25 billion to $30 billion. It's spread over to the consumer since May 2002. It's huge money. I think part of my dream is that someday some of it may actually go back to the American consumer, but that's not where we are in court.
If you asked me about where you are, if I were you, I wouldn't want to lose the momentum that I have. You'd have to start over. In people's minds, the people in the Commerce Department and USTR, you're going to reinforce their position. I think that would be terribly unfortunate. If I was sitting on your side, I would consider it to be ill-advised, but it's obviously your decision.