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Politics : The Donkey's Inn -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Karen Lawrence who wrote (1453)	12/12/2001 4:59:42 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 15516

The rabbit toothed wallflower comes into his own: Ashcroft With a Boy Scout's haircut and a choir boy's politeness, Ashcroft does not make a forceful impression. Some politicians dominate a room; he fades into the wallpaper. --John J. Miller (National Review, March 23, 1998) Lame-duck Missouri Senator John Ashcroft has been named by President-Elect George W. Bush to be the next U.S. Attorney General. Sen. Ashcroft was an early candidate for President himself, and made national headlines when he was perhaps the first high-level official to ask for President Clinton's resignation early in the Monica Lewinsky affair, breaking a self-imposed code of silence largely followed at that point by Republican officials. A graduate of Yale University in 1964, and the University of Chicago School of Law in 1967, John Ashcroft began his career as a business law professor in Missouri, then began a lengthy public service career that included periods as State Auditor, Assistant State Attorney General, State Attorney General, Governor, and U.S. Senator. Sen. Ashcroft is generally described as soft-spoken, although ambitious, with conservative morals and impeccable ethics. He is a champion for smaller government and conservative spending. No doubt Bill Gates has taken note. Despite that low profile, however, his public service record, particularly his Senate record, demonstrates strong positions on major legal issues. Ashcroft has strongly opposed abortion rights, affirmative action, legislation protecting gay rights, and human rights efforts vis-a-vis China. He has favored placing limits on product liability punitive damage awards, placing restrictions on class-action lawsuits, repealing federal speed limits, the death penalty for federal crimes (Missouri has a death penalty applicable to first degree murder, with 46 executions since 1976), and citizens' gun rights. He favored school vouchers for the District of Columbia but been noncommittal on school prayer. His stance on the 'War on Drugs' is unclear, although he is certainly not one to rock the boat toward decriminalization. He pushed for harsh penalties for those involved with methamphetamine. Ashcroft would encourage more visas for skilled foreign workers, but minimize welfare for illegal immigrants. He would appear to support free speech issues as far as government control is concerned, refusing to oppose funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and being a critic of the Clinton administration's efforts to regulate the Internet, although he also supported a constitutional amendment banning flag burning. Ashcroft, a favorite son of the conservative Christian Coalition, lost his U.S. Senate seat in November to deceased Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan, who had died in a plane crash less than a month before the election, although his name remained on the ballot. Acting Governor Roger Wilson will be naming Carnahan's widow to the seat. By naming Ashcroft, Bush passed on another conservative favorite seen as a likely A.G. candidate, Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating. Keating is a former FBI agent and Justice Department veteran. Perhaps it is safe to assume that Bush feels more comfortable with Ashcroft's low-key nature.

To: Karen Lawrence who wrote (1453)	12/14/2001 2:30:08 AM
From: Mephisto	Respond to of 15516

"A review of Ashcroft's writings, speeches and interviews found that the Missouri senator and former governor and state law-enforcement official: Opposed federal money for drug treatment, saying government assistance shouldn't further the "lowest and least" conduct. Advocated an increased role for charities in assisting the needy. Fought vigorously against abortion rights. Opposed federal job training money for Americans who don't complete high school, saying a diploma was necessary to "enable workers to adapt and meet the needs of ever-changing technology." Ashcroft's Democratic critics have made clear they intend to focus on his views on race and civil rights. In a 1998 interview, Ashcroft criticized efforts by some historians to portray early Americans, like slave-owning George Washington, as racists, calling them "malicious attacks" and "revisionist nonsense." "Your magazine also helps set the record straight," Ashcroft told the Southern Partisan, a 20-year-old periodical that has published articles defending Confederate figures." The above is an excerpt from the article, DEMOCRATS READY TO TROT OUT ASHCROFT'S CONSERVATIVE VIEWS By John Solomon Associated Press December 28, 2000 chicagotribune.com. (See:http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=16790691)