Centerfield

Wow. Talk about timing. I just finished posting on my own blog (shameless self-promotion here: http://jaded_jd.blogspot.com/2004/11/james-b-comey-you-are-not-next.html) on who would not be Ashcroft's successor, namely Deputy A.G. Jim Comey.

I think Ashcroft's resignation will ultimately work to Bush's benefit in that he (Ashcroft) was one of the people scaring the Left the most.

Ditto on what HEather said. My roommate, who's so far left I'm not sure they have a label for him, hates Ashcroft with every fiber of his being. I expect to hear him cheering when I give him the news.

They'll cheer, but they'll find someone else to hate.

Sorry, that damn cynicism keeps rearing its ugly head ...

I have never bashed Ashcroft on the Patriot Act. The lockdown after 9/11 was necessary, and even if many innocent people were caught up in the sweep, its understandable given the gravity of the situation, and the uncertainly about follow-up acts of terror.

I have tweaked Ashcroft for his clothing of naked statue of Justice.

My Missouri lib friends hate Ashcroft intensely. They cheered when he lost his race in 2000. Their reward was he became AG.

Jon Stewart had a funny line last night; when he announced the resignations of Evans and Ashcroft, the crowd cheered and Stewart said something along the lines of "I'm shocked at the hatred that people have for . . . Dan Evans."

My wife went to school in St. Louis and despises Ashcroft. I have problems with him too, but I don't consider him the devil many do. People blame him and Bush for the Patriot Act, but I suspect that if Gore had been president we would have seen something fairly close to the Patriot Act; many of the provisions were things that law enforcement had wanted for a long time and it's naive to believe that Gore would have simply acted as if nothing had changed after 9/11. Apparently, Ashcroft resisted some of the Administration's attempts to avoid any semblance of due process for the Gitmo prisoners (which may show just how far the Administration (I guess DOD)wanted to go, which is to his credit. I think DOJ has to be a voice of moderation and reason in troubled times. No matter how justified people's fears are, someone needs to keep a sense of perspective, especially since politicians (of either party) are likely to inflame fears. This is where I think Ashcroft failed, although as I noted, perhaps not as much as is generally thought. The AG should have at least made lip service toward protecting civil liberties; the impression developed, whether justified or not, that the Administration didn't care about civil liberties. I think that's a dangerous impression to give because, frankly, due process doesn't really have much of a constituency (unless you're the one getting arrested.) If the AG doesn't defend the concept of due process, politicians sure won't. It's an abstract concept for most people and, in times of fear, people are willing to sacrifice other people's liberties. Thus, politicans are not going to get too much flack for clamping down on people who might be terrorists or criminals. I think the conservatives that spoke up against some of the Patriot Act provisons and other actions of the Admnistration deserve a lot of credit. Of course, it's equally naive to think that we can just ignore reality and pretend nothing has changed; the trick is to balance a reasonable level of security while maintaining reaonsable due process. Due process is not a static concept; it has changed and evolved (mostly expanded) over the years. What's reasonable in one situation might not be in another. Even some liberals like Lawrence Tribe acknowledged this after 9/11. Unfortunately, most liberals were unwilling to accept this (partly for partisan reasons), so the debate we got was not about trying to strike a reasonable balance, but about an either/or concept. IMO, this has not served the country well.

Alberto Gonzalez has been named his replacement. Good pick. He will be the highest ranking hispanic in U.S. history.

What's your take on Gonzalez, Marc?

I don't know, frankly. I guess there is controversy about some of the torture memos he was involved in. I suspect that the Dems will have some problems with Gonzalez. I would have thought it would be Larry Thompson. The problem is, I think an AG should someone with some independent stature in the legal community, such as Edward Levi under Ford, who is strong enough to take on the Administration on occasion. But that's not how this administration works.

This is part of the problem I have with this administration. If Bush was serious about reaching out to the Democrats, it would have been a perfect opportunity to appoint an AG with clear moderate credentials, such as Raciot or Danforth. But they don't do that; instead, they seem to go out of their way to pick a fight. Of course, it's also part of the strategy to court Hispanics and the Republicans have become as good at playing racial politics as the Democrats.

Marc,

Gonzalez by all accounts is a moderate and well qualified. How are Racicot or Danforth not just as loyal to this administration as Gonzalez? I admit, however, I would appoint John Danforth to anything... Good man.

Independent stature with the legal community... Yeah right. It is not just how this administration works, it is how all administrations work, although I got to give Clinton a little credit with Reno. Independence is ideal maybe, but these are politicians we are talking about. In the meantime, Bush has appointed a former judge who is well respected in the legal community and thought of as a pragmatic moderate to conservative.

How would appointing moderates be reaching out to Democrats? I don't get that at all. Bush appointed moderates in his first term, was that considered outreach? And when will be able to appoint a minority to anything without someone saying that he got the job because of the color of his skin?

I agree that the Abu Ghraib memo will be questioned, but they would find something wrong with anybody.

Ding Dong the AG is gone, shout it high, shout it low. Ascroft is finally gone. I am orginally from MO. and voted for the dead man instead of him like the majority of my state, yes a dead man was more perfered than this man. I think he has trampled on the rights of all Americans and mistreated all of us, we have the rights to Life, Liberty and the ablity of the Government to read our mail and listen in on our phone calls, at least without him I feel a little safter knowing that my mother's secret cookie recep. won't be served at the White House this Christmas.

As for Gonzales, only time will tell if we will be the ray of light that so many in the latino community need, with him more can be proven that they as a race are worth more than a lawn boy or crop picker.