Wolfe, a former mayor of Saratoga, is the president of the Silicon Valley Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse and has actively campaigned against frivolous lawsuits.

"I was told that the president wanted to meet with ordinary citizens involved in the battle against frivolous lawsuits," Wolfe said.

He said he greeted the phone call with a mix of exhilaration and disbelief. "I was in a little bit of a panic. I had to be in Washington, D.C. the next day," Wolfe said.

The White House arranged for an airline ticket and a special limousine for Wolfe. When he reached D.C., the staff at the White House gave him a personal tour of the building.

"I wore my best blue blazer bought from Patrick James and a red-and-blue dotted tie for my meeting with the president," Wolfe said.

He was nervous. So was his family.

"My daughter, Mary, hoped that my knees wouldn't buckle," Wolfe said.

But he was at ease the minute he was introduced to President Bush. Their meeting went on for 16 minutes. Two other people from the East Coast who have been campaigning against frivolous lawsuits were also part of the meeting.

"The president shared his concern with us. When he stood up, it was a signal that the meeting was over," Wolfe said.

Wolfe said he had met President Gerald Ford at a house party in Saratoga many years ago. "But this was my first official meeting with a president," he said.