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Aschroft 's Last Attack

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Tue Feb 01, 2005 at 09:00:48 PM EST
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Determined to be controversial to the bitter end, Ashcroft delivered a final parting shot today during a speech at the Heritage Foundation:

In a stinging parting shot at administration critics, Attorney General John Ashcroft on Tuesday warned of serious threats to public safety and security if Congress fails to restore stiff sentencing guidelines and does not renew portions of the Patriot Act.

"Last month's Supreme Court ruling that federal judges are not bound by sentencing guidelines is a retreat from justice that may put the public's safety in jeopardy," Ashcroft declared. "Which of our daughters, wives and husbands -- are we willing to sacrifice to return to revolving door justice." Ashcroft demanded Congress "reinstitute tough sentences and certain justice for criminals".

Ashcroft's resignation is effective "the moment" Alberto Gonazales is confirmed as Attorney General, which should be no later Thursday.

Update: Law Prof Doug Berman of Sentencing Law and Policy weighs in on the Booker aspect of Ashcroft's speech.

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    Aschroft 's Last Attack | 11 comments (11 topical)
    Re: Aschroft 's Last Attack (none / 0) (#1)
    by kdog on Tue Feb 01, 2005 at 06:09:43 PM EST
    Which of our daughters, wives and husbands -- are we willing to sacrifice to return to revolving door justice
    It must be terrible to live thinking there is some maniac killer waiting around every corner to gut your family. I almost feel bad for people that think that way, until I realize how the laws they help create do more harm to society than some maniac killer ever could. These minimum sentence laws do not even resemble justice. Let the punishment fit the crime, and no two crimes are the same. What planet does this guy live on anyway, paranoiaberg?

    Re: Aschroft 's Last Attack (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 01, 2005 at 08:34:17 PM EST
    Yes, he's nuts, but he was too principled to hang around for the second term. This is scary stuff.

    Re: Aschroft 's Last Attack (none / 0) (#3)
    by cp on Tue Feb 01, 2005 at 08:38:04 PM EST
    i think he's absolutely correct, and the first thing congress should do is sentence him to life imprisonment, to be served on the dry tortugas. let that be an example to anyone considering following in his footsteps!

    Re: Aschroft 's Last Attack (none / 0) (#4)
    by Quaker in a Basement on Tue Feb 01, 2005 at 08:50:23 PM EST
    "Ashcroft's resignation is effective "the moment" Alberto Gonazales is confirmed as Attorney General," Rock, meet Hard Place.

    Re: Aschroft 's Last Attack (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 06:50:53 AM EST
    At least Gonzales' nomination has a bright side, in the riddancing of Asscroft. Granted, the dark side is bigger, but I'm looking for the silvber lining here.

    Re: Aschroft 's Last Attack (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 10:16:59 AM EST
    Ashcroft's resignation is effective "the moment" Alberto Gonazales is confirmed as Attorney General, which should be no later Thursday.
    Well, no, it should be just after hell freezes over. It likely will be Thursday, though.

    Re: Aschroft 's Last Attack (none / 0) (#7)
    by Che's Lounge on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 10:18:21 AM EST
    F***ing fear monger. Good riddance. We'll keep those sentencing guidelines in mind when his time comes. "Don't believe in (Ashcroft) His type is like a curse Instant Karma's gonna get him If I don't get him first"

    Re: Aschroft 's Last Attack (none / 0) (#8)
    by Adept Havelock on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 10:29:43 AM EST
    Don't let the door hit you John. It's OK though, he'll always be the guy who lost an election to a corpse here in MO.

    Re: Aschroft 's Last Attack (none / 0) (#9)
    by kdog on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 11:24:51 AM EST
    What is it with Bush rewarding failure... Asscroft loses an election to a dead man...Let's make him AG! "Chevron" Condi ignores key memo prior to 9/11...Let's make her Sec. of State! Reminds me of "Office Space" when Peter Gibbons stops taking work seriously, barley shows up, and gets promoted...while hard working programmers like Michael Bolton and Samir get laid off. Only in the Bush administration!!!

    Re: Aschroft 's Last Attack (none / 0) (#10)
    by Adept Havelock on Wed Feb 02, 2005 at 12:14:47 PM EST
    Kdog- mmmmm....yeah......I'm gonna need you to come in and search for WMD's on Saturday......mmm'kay? Yeah.....come in on sunday too. Yeah...that'd be great.... So that's where I've seen W. before.

    Re: Aschroft 's Last Attack (none / 0) (#11)
    by kdog on Thu Feb 03, 2005 at 06:32:04 AM EST
    I don't know Adept, I see Cheney as more of the Lumberg type. Bush is like the affable assistant to Lumberg, whose character name I can't remember. What a great freakin' movie eh?

    Aschroft 's Last Attack | 11 comments (11 topical)