John Ashcroft, the left’s hero?

ashcroftDana Milbank of the Washington Post wrote about the amazing rehabilitation of John Ashcroft (in photo with Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.). When Ashcroft departed as attorney general three years ago, he was despised by the left for his role in the Patriot Act and other spying efforts. But as more information has come out about how Ashcroft stood up to the White House on a number of occasions — including when he was in the hospital on the verge of death — the left has changed its opinion of Ashcroft. At a hearing this week of the House Judiciary Committee, Democratic lawmakers heaped praise on Ashcroft. Of course, one big reason why Ashcroft looks better now is because of how bad successor Alberto Gonzales was.

14 Comments

  1. Posted July 19, 2008 at 6:29 am | Permalink

    Rather sad isn’t it? To qualify as good someone from the Bush regime just needs to compare himself to another criminal in the Bush administration.

    Ashcroft still isn’t that great. Speaking before Congress he was asked a question and his response was, “It’s been difficult . . . to distinguish between what I in fact recall as a matter of my own experience, and what I remember from the accounts of others,”

    What is it with people in the Bush regime that compels them to have such intense memory problems? Is it the persistent drug use, or simply witness tampering?

  2. Regular
    Posted July 19, 2008 at 6:43 am | Permalink

    Lot of that going around with the Democrites.

    First it was Mrs. Osama Obama who exclaimed, “I finally feel proud to be an American.”

    Now, it’s the progressive Liberals who after some perspective, the former Senator who is a devote Christian isn’t so bad after all.

    Next, we’ll see Osama Obama in a matching hat and t-shirt with the NRA logo, a NASCAR belt buckle and some exotic fist pumping at a Baptist revival meeting.

  3. Pleefer
    Posted July 19, 2008 at 7:55 am | Permalink

    Dick Cheney and George HW Bush pull every cabinet member in to Dubya’s office the first day on the job. They turn on the tv and a video of the JFK assassination starts playing, from a different angle, and then Cheney asks, “any questions”?

  4. Ralphie
    Posted July 19, 2008 at 8:57 am | Permalink

    The fact that he is unsure of the hospital events lends itself to the reality that Fredo was attempting to manipulate a sick man. Fredo should be in jail. Bush and Cheney should face the Hague.

  5. Political_mama
    Posted July 19, 2008 at 9:10 am | Permalink

    Most Crooked President in History. And if John Ashcroft were for real, he’d had exposed this long ago…because it was the right thing to do.

    Cons are all about the loyalty. Like the Mafia.

  6. bth
    Posted July 19, 2008 at 9:56 am | Permalink

    Ashcroft - Gonzales: Proof that in the Bush administration things can always get even worse!

  7. Rage
    Posted July 19, 2008 at 10:45 am | Permalink

    PM nailed it: loyalty. Ashcroft dissented in private, but only James Comey had the nerve to tell people what happened.

    I think what happened is that, as much as Ashcroft was loyal to the Bush notion regime of no rights for the accused (”because they’re TERRORISTS”), he still had some tiny glimmer of understanding that AG wasn’t the president’s personal lapdog. Since this was Bush’s administration ultimate test of loyalty, he was headed for trouble.

    Having come from Texas with him, former Texas Supreme Court Justice Al Gonzales had no issue with being Bush’s poodle, figuring it would be a stepping stone to greater things (heh, how’s that working out for you, Al?)

  8. Posted July 19, 2008 at 11:28 am | Permalink

    “First it was Mrs. Osama Obama who exclaimed, “I finally feel proud to be an American.””

    Only thing is, REGular… That ISNT what she said!! But keep on trolling… you do it so well!!

  9. outlander
    Posted July 19, 2008 at 2:13 pm | Permalink

    “Of course, one big reason why Ashcroft looks better now is because of how bad successor Alberto Gonzales was.”

    ————

    Is that really necessary? I mean, compared to Janet Reno, he looks good too.

    Ashcroft can stand on his own. If he didn’t tick off the left some, he would a lousy AG.

  10. Phantom
    Posted July 19, 2008 at 2:49 pm | Permalink

    It was good to see that even Ashcroft had a line he wouldn’t cross.

  11. Rage
    Posted July 19, 2008 at 7:07 pm | Permalink

    I mean, compared to Janet Reno, he looks good too.

    Oh, really? How so?

  12. writerdog
    Posted July 19, 2008 at 10:56 pm | Permalink

    I was not a fan of Waco and how that ended, but Reno never told Clinton he could openly violate the laws, the Constitution and torture by calling the enemy a different name.

  13. Phantom
    Posted July 20, 2008 at 12:11 am | Permalink

    Reno didn’t run interference to protect Clinton, can’t say that about any of bush’s appointees to A.G.

  14. Posted July 22, 2008 at 5:39 am | Permalink

    I liked bumping into your post, thanks for sharing