Goldberg on Ashcroft

Here. Has anyone in American history ever been so vilified with so little reason? Honestly, and Goldberg points this out, what did Ashcroft actually do to earn his reputation? There seems to be tons of smoke around this guy with little or no fire. For the record, I think the general criticisms of A. Mitchell Palmer and Tom Clark are too one-sided and overwrought when it comes to the Red Scares, but even if we accept all the criticisms and conclude that Palmer and Clark were paranoid tyrants, what did Ashcroft do that even came close to the actions of those two?

I understand that there is a common perception of Ashcroft as a polarizing figure, but serious people ought to themselves to a higher standard, and not ignore facts when it comes to judging the careers of public servants.

With that out of the way... I can't believe I'm about to write this, but, what the hell: a part of me thinks that President Bush has so much faith in some folks that it is at least possible, in some tiny, tiny way, that Ashcroft resigning as AG is a precursor to the President trying to appoint him to the Supreme Court. I think such a move would be colossally stupid, in that it would probaby fail and in the process use up all of that political capital the President won in the election, but I'm just throwing it out there, because, well, I can. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Muhahahahaha. muahaha. ha. heh. I'm done now.