Citizendia

John David Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
In office
January 20, 2001 – February 3, 2005
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byJanet Reno
Succeeded byAlberto Gonzales
In office
January 4, 1995 – January 3, 2001
Preceded byJohn C. Danforth
Succeeded byJean Carnahan
In office
January 14, 1985 – January 11, 1993
LieutenantHarriet Woods (1985-1989)
Mel Carnahan (1989-1993)
Preceded byChristopher S. "Kit" Bond
Succeeded byMel Carnahan
BornMay 9, 1942 (1942-05-09) (age 66)
Chicago, Illinois
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJanet Ashcroft
Alma materYale University, University of Chicago
ReligionPentecostal

John David Ashcroft (born May 9, 1942) is an American politician who was the 79th United States Attorney General. The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Janet Reno (born July 21, 1938) was the Attorney General of the United States ( 1993 &ndash 2001) Alberto R Gonzales (born August 4 1955) was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. John Claggett "Jack" Danforth (born September 5, 1936) is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Republican Jean Anne Carpenter Carnahan (born December 20 1933) is an American politician and writer who served in the United States Senate from 2001 to Governors Commandant of Louisiana Governor of the District of Louisiana On March 26 1804 an act of congress divided Louisiana into two territories Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Harriett Woods ( June 2 1927 - February 8 2007) was an American Politician and Activist, a two-time Democratic Melvin Eugene Carnahan ( February 11, 1934, Birch Tree Missouri – October 17, 2000, Goldman Missouri) was an American Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond (born March 6, 1939) is a former governor and current senior United States Senator of Melvin Eugene Carnahan ( February 11, 1934, Birch Tree Missouri – October 17, 2000, Goldman Missouri) was an American Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval The University of Chicago is a Private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement He served during the first term of President George W. Bush from 2001 until 2005. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Ashcroft was previously the Governor of Missouri (1985 – 1993) and a U.S. Senator from Missouri (1995 – 2001). Governors Commandant of Louisiana Governor of the District of Louisiana On March 26 1804 an act of congress divided Louisiana into two territories The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee

Contents

Early life and education

Ashcroft was born in Chicago, Illinois, to James Robert Ashcroft and Grace P. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Larsen. His father was a minister in an Assemblies of God congregation, and served as the President of Evangel University from 1958-1974, while his mother was a housewife whose parents had immigrated to the United States from Norway. The World Assemblies of God Fellowship, or Assemblies of God for short is the world's largest Pentecostal denomination with over 283413 churches and outstations Evangel University is a private Liberal arts University located in Springfield Missouri and has since its foundation been affiliated with the Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional [1]

Ashcroft went to school in Springfield, Missouri. Springfield is a city in Christian and Greene Counties in the U He attended Yale University, where he was a member of the Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, graduating in 1964. Traditions;Fraternity Colors The Fraternity Colors are Azure Blue and White Fraternities and sororities (from the Latin words la frater and la soror, meaning "brother" and "sister" respectively are fraternal He received a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago in 1967. Juris Doctor (abbreviated JD or JD, from the Latin, Teacher of Law) is a first professional graduate degree and Professional The University of Chicago is a Private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago.

After law school, Ashcroft briefly taught business law and worked as an administrator at Southwest Missouri State University. Commercial law (sometimes known as business law) is the body of Law which governs Business and commercial transactions Missouri State University is a State university located in Springfield, Missouri.

During the Vietnam War, he received six student draft deferments and one occupational deferment due to his teaching work. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia [2]

Political career

In 1972, Ashcroft ran for a Congressional seat in southwest Missouri, narrowly losing the Republican primary to Gene Taylor. This article is about the former Missouri Representative For the Mississippi Representative see Gene Taylor, for the blues-rock pianist see Gene Taylor (musician. After the primary, Missouri Governor Christopher Bond appointed Ashcroft to be state auditor, the office Bond had left when he became governor. Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond (born March 6, 1939) is a former governor and current senior United States Senator of

In 1974, Ashcroft was narrowly defeated for re-election by Jackson County Executive George W. Jackson County is a County located in the US state of Missouri. Lehr, who argued that Ashcroft, not an accountant, was unqualified to be the state auditor. Jack Danforth, who was then in his second term as state attorney general, hired Ashcroft as an assistant Missouri attorney general. John Claggett "Jack" Danforth (born September 5, 1936) is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Republican During his tenure as an assistant AG, Ashcroft shared an office with future Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas. Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American Jurist. He has been serving as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United (In 2001, Thomas administered Ashcroft's oath of office as US attorney general. )

In 1976 Danforth was elected to the United States Senate, and Ashcroft was elected to replace him as attorney general. Ashcroft was re-elected in 1980.

Governor

Ashcroft was elected governor in 1984 and re-elected in 1988, becoming the first (and, to date, the only) Republican elected to consecutive terms in Missouri history. During his second term, from 1991 to 1992, Ashcroft was the Chairman of the National Governors Association. The National Governors Association (NGA is a primarily taxpayer-funded lobbying Organization of the Governors of the fifty U

As Governor, Ashcroft helped enact tougher standards and sentencing for gun crimes, increased funding for local law enforcement, and tougher standards and punishment for people bringing guns into schools. While Ashcroft was in office:

U. S. Senator

In 1994 Ashcroft was elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri, again succeeding a retiring John Danforth. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives John Claggett "Jack" Danforth (born September 5, 1936) is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Republican Ashcroft won 60% of the vote against Democratic Congressman Alan Wheat. Alan Dupree Wheat (born October 16, 1951 in San Antonio Texas) is an American Politician from the state of Missouri As Senator:

In 1998, Ashcroft briefly considered running for president, but on January 5, 1999, he announced that he would not seek the presidency and would instead defend his Senate seat in his 2000 reelection. [4]

In the Republican primary, Ashcroft defeated Marc Perkel. [2] In the general election, Ashcroft faced a challenge from then-Governor Mel Carnahan. Melvin Eugene Carnahan ( February 11, 1934, Birch Tree Missouri – October 17, 2000, Goldman Missouri) was an American In the midst of a tight race, Carnahan died in an airplane crash two weeks prior to the November general election. Carnahan's name remained on the ballot due to Missouri state election laws. Lieutenant Governor Roger Wilson became Governor upon Carnahan's death. Roger B Wilson (born October 10, 1948) is an American politician who was Governor of Missouri from October 17, 2000 Wilson announced that should Carnahan be elected, he would appoint his widow, Jean Carnahan, to serve in her husband's place; Mrs. Jean Anne Carpenter Carnahan (born December 20 1933) is an American politician and writer who served in the United States Senate from 2001 to Carnahan agreed to this arrangement. Ashcroft suspended all campaigning after the plane crash in light of the tragedy.

In spite of his being dead, voters elected Mel Carnahan by a narrow margin. No one had ever posthumously won election to the Senate, though voters had on at least three occasions chosen deceased candidates for the House.

U. S. Attorney General

In December 2000, following his Senatorial defeat, Ashcroft was chosen for the position of U.S. Attorney General by president-elect George W. Bush. The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement A President-elect is a Political candidate who has been elected President but who has not yet taken office as it is still occupied by the Outgoing George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Ashcroft was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 58-42, with most Democratic Senators voting against him, alleging previous opposition to desegregation and legal abortion. Desegregation is the process of ending Racial segregation, most commonly used in reference to the United States. Former Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton commented on Ashcroft's nomination: "John Danforth would have been my first choice. Early life and political career Eagleton was the son of another St John Claggett "Jack" Danforth (born September 5, 1936) is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Republican John Ashcroft would have been my last choice. "[5]

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Ashcroft was a key supporter of passage of the USA Patriot Act. The USA PATRIOT Act, commonly known as the Patriot Act, is a controversial Act of Congress that U One of the provisions in that Act was the controversial Section 215, which allows the FBI to make an application for an order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court requiring production of "any tangible thing" for an investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities. The United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (or FISC) is a U Ashcroft referred to American Library Association opposition to Section 215 as "hysteria" in two separate speeches given in September, 2003. The American Library Association ( ALA) is a group based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally [6][7] While Attorney General, Ashcroft consistently denied that the FBI or any other law enforcement agency had used the Patriot Act to obtain library circulation records or those of retail sales.

On November 9, 2004, following George W. Bush's re-election, Ashcroft announced his resignation,[8] which took effect on February 3, 2005 when the Senate confirmation of White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales as the next Attorney General. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The White House Counsel is a staff appointee of the President of the United States. Alberto R Gonzales (born August 4 1955) was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. [9] Some believe his health was a factor in his decision. His hand-written resignation letter, dated November 2, stated: "The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved. "[10]

Consultant and lobbyist

In May 2005, Ashcroft laid the groundwork for a strategic consulting firm that bears his name. The Ashcroft Group, LLC[11] officially opened its doors in the Fall of 2005 and as of March 2006 had twenty-one clients, turning down two for every one accepted. The Ashcroft Group LLC is a strategic consulting firm started by former United States Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2005 [12]

In 2005 year-end filings, Ashcroft's firm reported collecting $269,000, including $220,000 from Oracle Corporation, which won Department of Justice approval of a multibillion-dollar acquisition less than a month after hiring Ashcroft. Oracle Corporation ( specializes in developing and marketing Enterprise software products — particularly Database management systems In 2007 Oracle ranked For animal rights group see Justice Department (JD The United States Department of Justice ( DOJ) is a Cabinet department The year-end filing represented, in some cases, only initial payments.

According to government filings, Oracle is one of the Ashcroft Group’s five clients that seek his help in selling data or software with homeland security applications. Another client, Israel Aircraft Industries International, is competing with Chicago's Boeing Company to sell the government of South Korea a billion-dollar airborne radar system. The Boeing Company is a major Aerospace and defense corporation originally founded by William E The Ashcroft Group is also registered to represent ChoicePoint, eBay, Exegy, Alanco Technologies, LTU Technologies and TrafficLand, Inc. ChoicePoint ( is a data aggregation company based in Alpharetta, near Atlanta Georgia, United States that acts as a private intelligence service to government and eBay Inc is an American Internet company that manages eBaycom an Online auction and shopping Website in which people and businesses buy and LTU Technologies provides image search and image filter software and is the standard platform for digital forensic analysis in law enforcement security and intelligence [13]

In March 2006, the New York Times reported that Ashcroft was setting himself up as something of an "anti-Abramoff", and that in an hour long interview, Ashcroft used the word integrity scores of times. Jack Abramoff (born February 28 1959 is a former Lobbyist, and a businessman who was a central figure in a series of high-profile political scandals. [14]. In May 2006, based on conversations with members of Congress, key aides and lobbyists, The Hill magazine listed Ashcroft as one of top 50 "hired guns" that K Street had to offer. K Street is a major thoroughfare in the United States Capital of Washington D [15] In August 2006, the Washington Post reported that Ashcroft's firm had 30 clients, many of which made products or technology aimed at homeland security, and about a third of which the firm has not disclosed, to protect client confidentiality. The firm also had equity stakes in eight client companies. It reported receiving $1. 4 million in lobbying fees in the past six months, a small fraction of its total earnings. [16]

After the proposed merger of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. , Ashcroft offered the firm his consulting services, according to spokesman for XM. [17] The spokesman said XM declined Ashcroft's offer to work as a lobbyist for the company. Ashcroft was subsequently hired by the National Association of Broadcasters, which is strongly opposed to the merger. National Association of Broadcasters (NAB is a trade association representing the interests of for-profit over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States

Controversies

Council of Conservative Citizens connections

During the 2000 Senate campaign, Ashcroft met with Thomas Bugel, local president of the Council of Conservative Citizens (based in Missouri), to discuss the case of Dr. The Council of Conservative Citizens ( CofCC) is an American Right-wing organization that supports a large variety of conservative causes along with Charles T. Sell, a St. Louis dentist and CCC member indicted for several crimes including plotting to murder an FBI agent and a federal witness. Ashcroft subsequently wrote to the federal Justice Department on Sell's behalf. Following Ashcroft's nomination for federal attorney general and the subsequent public exposure of that meeting and letter, Ashcroft's spokeswoman Mindy Tucker asserted that he had not known that Bugel was associated with the CCC; this despite his having had extensive previous contact with Bugel between 1987 and 1993, when Bugel had been a member of the St. Louis school board vociferously defending segregation, and Ashcroft had been attorney general and governor of Missouri who sided with Bugel. During that period, Bugel's leadership of the local branch of the CCC, the Metro South Citizens Council, was often noted in the media. [18]

Ashcroft had previously denounced the CCC as racist, after a controversial interview in Southern Partisan magazine in which he expressed views that were widely interpreted as pro-Confederacy. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that Southern Partisan is a political magazine published in the United States founded in 1979 that focuses on its Southern region and those states that were The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861

Civil liberties

Ashcroft's positions on privacy and some civil liberties issues made him an extremely disliked figure by rightist libertarian as well as left-wing and liberal groups. thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government. Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the Liberalism in the United States is a broad political and philosophical mindset favoring individual Liberty, and opposing restrictions on liberty whether they come from Groups opposed to the Bush administration often mentioned him as epitomizing all the reasons for their opposition. Some of his most prominent critics were organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and pro-choice groups. The American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU) consists of two separate Non-profit organizations the ACLU Foundation a 501(c(3 organization which focuses Overview See also Ethical aspects of abortion Pro-choice advocates emphasize their beliefs that having a child is a personal choice that affects a woman's body and Opponents claimed that Ashcroft used fear of terrorism to further political goals. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion Examples cited include:

In July 2002, Ashcroft proposed the creation of Operation TIPS, a domestic program in which workers and government employees would inform law enforcement agencies about suspicious behavior they encounter while performing their duties. Operation TIPS, where the last part is an Acronym for the Terrorism Information and Prevention System, was designed by President George W Law enforcement agency ( LEA) is a term used to describe either an organisation that enforces the laws of one or more governing bodies or an organisation that actively and directly The program was criticized in the media as an encroachment upon the First and Fourth Amendments, and the United States Postal Service balked at the program, refusing outright to participate. Mass media are the means through which information is transmitted to a large audience The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress The Fourth Amendment' ( Amendment IV) to the United States Constitution is a part of the Bill of Rights. In the United States the Bill of Rights is the name by which the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are known Ashcroft defended the program as a necessary component of the ongoing War on Terrorism, but the proposal was eventually abandoned. The War on Terrorism (also known as the War on Terror) is the common term for the military political and legal, and ideological conflict and specifically for U

Ashcroft was responsible for draft legislation — the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003, which proposed to greatly expand the powers of the U. The Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003, also known as The Patriot Act II, and various other similar names was draft legislation written by John Ashcroft S. government to fight crime and terrorism, while simultaneously eliminating or curtailing judicial review of these powers for incidents involving domestic terrorism. The bill was leaked and posted to the Internet on February 7, 2003.

On May 26, 2004, Ashcroft held a news conference at which he said that intelligence from multiple sources indicated that al Qaeda intended to attack the United States in the coming months. Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The [19] Critics said this was an attempt to distract attention from a drop in the approval ratings of President Bush, who was campaigning for re-election. [20]

However, groups supporting the civil liberties protected by the Second Amendment lauded Ashcroft's Justice Department support for the Second Amendment. He said specifically, "the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms," thus embracing the position that the second amendment expresses an individual, not collective, right. [21] At the time NRA president Sandra Froman said, "When these Bush Administration officials affirmed that the Second Amendment protects an individual right, the enemy's of freedom were outraged because they fear the Second Amendment for what it really is — a shield against oppression. Sandra S (Sandy Froman (born 1949 is the immediate past President of the National Rifle Association of America. "

Spirit of Justice censorship

In January 2002, the partially nude female statue of the Spirit of Justice, which stands in the Great Hall of the Justice Department, where Ashcroft held press conferences, was covered with blue curtains, along with its male counterpart, the Majesty of Law. Spirit of Justice is a cast Aluminum Statue depicting Lady Justice that stands on display along with its male counterpart A news conference or press conference is a Media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and most often ask questions It was speculated this change was made because Ashcroft felt that reporters were photographing him with the female statue in the background to make fun of his church's opposition to pornography. A photograph (often shortened to photo) is an Image created by Light falling on a light-sensitive surface usually Photographic film or an electronic Pornography or porn is the explicit depiction of Sexual subject matter with the sole intention of sexually exciting the viewer A Justice Department spokeswoman said that Ashcroft knew nothing of the decision to spend $8,000 for the curtains; a spokesman said the decision for permanent curtains was intended to save on the $2,000 per use rental costs of temporary curtains used for formal events. [22] In late June 2005, Ashcroft's successor, Alberto Gonzales, approved the removal of the curtains. Alberto R Gonzales (born August 4 1955) was the 80th Attorney General of the United States.

Tommy Chong sentencing

Ashcroft was an enthusiastic advocate of the War on Drugs. The War on Drugs is a prohibition campaign undertaken by the United States government with the assistance of participating countries intended to reduce the Illegal [23] In a 2001 interview on Larry King Live, Ashcroft announced his intent to escalate efforts in this area. [24] In 2003, Ashcroft and the acting DEA Administrator, John B. Brown, announced a series of indictments resulting from two nationwide investigations code-named Operation Pipe Dream and Operation Headhunter. The Drug Enforcement Administration ( DEA) is a United States Department of Justice Law enforcement agency tasked with combating drug smuggling and John Brewer Brown ( May 13 1836 - May 16 1898) was an American member of the United States House of Representatives, elected A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word Operation Pipe Dreams was the code-name for a US nationwide investigation in 2003 targeting businesses selling drug paraphernalia mostly Marijuana pipes and Bongs Operation Pipe Dreams was the code-name for a US nationwide investigation in 2003 targeting businesses selling drug paraphernalia mostly Marijuana pipes and Bongs The investigations targeted businesses selling drug paraphernalia, mostly marijuana pipes and bongs, under a little-used statute (Title 21, Section 863(a) of the U.S. Code[25]). Drug paraphernalia is defined by the American Federal Drug Enforcement Administration as any equipment product or material that is modified for making using or concealing Cannabis, also known as marijuana or marihuana, or ganja (from Hindi / Sanskrit: गांजा gānjā hemp) is a A pipe is a tool used for Smoking. The designs of pipes vary considerably but for the most part they are reusable and consist of a chamber or bowl in which the substance to See also Bong (disambiguation A bong, also commonly known as a water pipe, is a smoking device generally used to smoke cannabis, Tobacco The United States Code ( USC) is a compilation and Codification of the general and permanent federal Law of the United States. Counterculture icon Tommy Chong was one of those charged, for his part in financing and promoting Chong Glass/Nice Dreams, a company started by his son Paris. Counterculture (also " counter-culture " is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a Cultural group, or Thomas "Tommy" B Kin Chong (born May 24 1938 is a Canadian Comedian, Actor and Musician who is well-known for his stereotypical Of the 55 individuals charged as a result of the operations, only Chong was given a prison sentence (nine months in a federal jail, plus forfeiting $103,000 and a year of probation). The other 54 individuals were given fines and home detentions. While the DOJ denied that Chong was treated any differently from the other defendants, many felt that he was made an example of by the government. Chong's experience as a target of Ashcroft's sting operation is the subject of the feature length documentary a/k/a Tommy Chong, which premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt in one fashion or another to " Document " reality a/k/a Tommy Chong is a Documentary film that chronicles a Drug Enforcement Administration raid on comedian Tommy Chong 's house and his subsequent The 2005 Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 8-17 and screened 335 films from 52 countries - 109 of these films were world premieres and 78 were North American

CIA leak conflict of interest allegation

Main article: CIA leak grand jury investigation

When Karl Rove was being questioned by the FBI over the leak of a covert CIA agent's identity in the press, Ashcroft was allegedly briefed about the investigation. CIA leak grand jury investigation (related to the " CIA leak scandal Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) was Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W The phrase Plame Affair (also known as the CIA leak scandal, the CIA leak case, the CIA leak grand jury investigation, and Plamegate) refers Democratic U. S. Representative John Conyers described this, and many other acts of Republicans as a "stunning ethical breach that cries out for an immediate investigation. John Conyers Jr (born May 16, 1929) is a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Michigan's 14th congressional district "[26] Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter asking for a formal investigation of the time between the start of Rove's investigation and John Ashcroft's recusal. [27]

Role in Alberto Gonzales resignation

In March 2004, Ashcroft entered the George Washington Medical Center with gallstone pancreatitis; surgeons removed his gallbladder (cholecystectomy) within a week. Acute Pancreatitis is a sudden Inflammation of the Pancreas. Depending on its severity it can have severe complications and high mortality despite The gallbladder (or cholecyst sometimes gall bladder is a small organ whose function in the body is to store Bile and aid in the digestive process Cholecystectomy (/ˌkɔləsɪsˈtɛktəmi/ plural cholecystectomies is the surgical removal of the Gallbladder. While he was in hospital, and seriously ill, on the evening of March 10, 2004, White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card went to his hospital room and allegedly requested that Ashcroft reconsider the refusal of Acting Attorney General James Comey to reauthorize the secret surveillance program, in contradiction of the policy agreed by Ashcroft and Comey immediately before he fell ill. Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The White House Counsel is a staff appointee of the President of the United States. Alberto R Gonzales (born August 4 1955) was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. The White House Chief of Staff is the highest-ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President Andrew Hill "Andy" Card Jr (born May 10 1947 is an American politician and lobbyist former United States Cabinet member and head of George W James B Comey was Deputy Attorney General of the United States, serving in President George W The NSA warrantless surveillance controversy concerns Surveillance of persons within the United States incident to the collection of Foreign intelligence by the Comey had rushed to Ashcroft's room upon being notified that Gonzalez and Card were on their way, and arrived shortly before them. Comey testified about this incident to the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 15, 2007, during the committee's investigation of the controversial dismissal of U.S. attorneys in December of 2006. The According to Comey's testimony, Ashcroft refused to reauthorize the program and indicated that the acting Attorney General sitting next to the bed was the person to whom Gonzales and Card should direct their request. Card and Gonzales allegedly turned and left the room at that point without acknowledging Mr. Comey. According to notes from FBI Director Robert Mueller, Ashcroft was "feeble, barely articulate, and clearly stressed" following the ordeal. Robert Swan Mueller III (born August 7 1944 is the current Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. [28]

Gonzales has contradicted Comey's account of the events. He stated: "Clearly if he (Ashcroft) had been competent and understood the facts and had been inclined to do so, yes we would have asked him. Andy Card and I didn't press him. We said 'Thank you' and we left. "[29]

As many as 30 Department of Justice senior staff were prepared to resign immediately, protesting both the underhanded effort to go around acting A. G. Comey to get the program re-authorized, and also in protest of the Bush Administration's effort to continue the warrantless search program without change, contrary to the DOJ's then current assessment of the program's lack of legal basis. [30][31][32][33][34][35] Ashcroft has been requested to appear before House and Senate Intelligence Committees in a closed-door hearing, in June 2007, to describe the incident, and circumstances surrounding the program more completely. [36] Gonzales resigned his position of Attorney General on September 17, 2007.

Writings and music

Ashcroft, a fervent lifelong member of the Assemblies of God church, helped bring the denomination more mainstream recognition in his book Lessons From a Father to His Son (1998). The World Assemblies of God Fellowship, or Assemblies of God for short is the world's largest Pentecostal denomination with over 283413 churches and outstations In the book Ashcroft writes of his anointing himself in the manner of Biblical kings, before both terms as Missouri Governor, using Crisco cooking oil when no holy oil was available. To anoint is to pour or smear with perfumed oil milk water melted butter or other substances a process employed ritually by many religions and races Crisco, a popular brand of Shortening, was first produced in 1911 by Procter & Gamble and was the first shortening to be made entirely of Vegetable oil Cooking oil is purified Fat of Plant or Animal origin which is liquid at room temperature [37]

While Attorney General of Missouri, Ashcroft and his wife, co-wrote a textbook entitled College Law for Business.

Ashcroft composed a paean called "Let the Eagle Soar" which he sang at the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in February 2002. Paean (pronounced as the last two syllables of "European" ˈpiːən is a term used to describe a type of triumphal or grateful song usually choral though sometimes individual " Let the Eagle Soar " is a song written by former Missouri Senator and U Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS is an Interdenominational evangelical Christian theological seminary in the United States with The rendition was satirically featured in Michael Moore's 2004 movie Fahrenheit 9/11 and has been frequently mocked by comedians such as David Letterman and Stephen Colbert. Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human Michael Francis Moore (born April 23 1954 is an Academy Award -winning American filmmaker author and liberal Political commentator. Fahrenheit 9/11 is an award-winning 2004 Documentary Film by American filmmaker Michael Moore which takes a critical look David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American late-night Talk show host and Comedian and the host since 1993 Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( born May 13 1964 is an American Comedian, satirist, Actor and Writer, known for his ironic style The song was also sung at Bush's 2005 inauguration by Guy Hovis, former cast member of The Lawrence Welk Show. Guy Lee Hovis Jr (born September 24 1941) is an American -born singer who was one of the featured performers of television's The Lawrence Welk Show The Lawrence Welk Show is a musical Variety show hosted by former Big band leader Lawrence Welk. Ashcroft has penned and sung a number of other songs and created compilation tapes, including In the Spirit of Life and Liberty and Gospel (Music) According to John.

With fellow Senators Trent Lott, Larry Craig, and James Jeffords, he formed a barbershop quartet called The Singing Senators. Chester Trent Lott Sr (born October 9, 1941) is a former United States Senator from Mississippi and a member of the Republican Party Larry Edwin Craig (born July 20, 1945) is an American politician from the state of Idaho. James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords (born May 11, 1934) is a former U Barbershop Vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era (1940s-present is a style of A cappella, or unaccompanied Vocal music characterized The Singing Senators were a group of US Republican Senators who sang as a barbershop quartet

Sometime in the 1970s, Ashcroft recorded a gospel record entitled TRUTH: Volume One, Edition One with Missouri legislator Max Bacon, a Democrat. Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Max E Bacon (born 1941) is a Missouri Associate Circuit Judge and former state legislator [38]

Other books written by Ashcroft are On My Honor: The Beliefs that Shape My Life and Never Again: Securing America and Restoring Justice.

References

  1. ^ Ancestry of John Ashcroft
  2. ^ Tom Robbins, "The Sunshine Patriots", Village Voice, August 17, 2004
  3. ^ Salon.com Politics | Can John Ashcroft be stopped?
  4. ^ Ashcroft decides not to jump into 2000 race - January 5, 1999
  5. ^ Ronnie white-Record on civil rights
  6. ^ Prepared Remarks of Attorney General Ashcroft "The Proven Tactics in the Fight against Crime" Washington, D.C
  7. ^ 09-18-03: Protecting Life and Liberty
  8. ^ CNN.com - Ashcroft, Evans resign from Cabinet - Nov 9, 2004
  9. ^ NPR: Senate Confirms Gonzales as Attorney General
  10. ^ Ashcroft resignation letter - Politics - MSNBC.com
  11. ^ The Ashcroft Group, LLC website
  12. ^ Same Washington, Different Office; John Ashcroft Sets Up Shop As Well-Connected Lobbyist - New York Times
  13. ^ United States Senate Office of Public Records
  14. ^ Same Washington, Different Office; John Ashcroft Sets Up Shop As Well-Connected Lobbyist - New York Times
  15. ^ "The sharpest shooters on K Street" The Hill, May 3, 2006
  16. ^ "Ashcroft Finds Private-Sector Niche," Page 2, Washington Post, August 12, 2006
  17. ^ Boles, Corey. This article is about a New York newspaper For the Ottawa Hills Ohio magazine see The Village Voice of Ottawa Hills. "Ashcroft Offered His Services to XM Before Being Hired by NAB, XM Says", The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved on 2007-07-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus  
  18. ^ Salon.com News | Ashcroft's tough Sell
  19. ^ "Ashcroft: Al Qaeda intends to attack U.S.", CNN. com, May 26, 2004, retrieved March 14, 2008
  20. ^ Mintz, John and Allen, Mike. "To Suspicious Candidates, the Threat of Attack Is No Longer Above the Fray." The Washington Post, June 27, 2004. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D
  21. ^ [1]"Letter to National Rifle Association, May 17, 2001"
  22. ^ BBC News | AMERICAS | Curtains for semi-nude justice statue
  23. ^ http://www.mapinc.org/newscsdp/v01/n228/a04.html
  24. ^ CNN Transcript - Larry King Live: John Ashcroft Discusses His New Job as Attorney General - February 7, 2001
  25. ^ WAIS Document Retrieval
  26. ^ Pacifica.org
  27. ^ http://mediamatters.org/static/audio/podcast/trupianoshow_20050817.mp3
  28. ^ "Ashcroft was 'feeble, stressed' after Gonzales spy-plan meeting", August 16, 2007.  
  29. ^ "Gonzales explains bedside meeting with ailing Ashcroft", July 24, 2007.  
  30. ^ Transcript
  31. ^ Isikoff, Michael; Evan Thomas. "Bush's Monica Problem: Gonzales, the president's lawyer and Texas buddy, is twisting slowly in the wind, facing a vote of no confidence from the Senate", Newsweek, The Washington Post Company, June 4, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-05-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the  
  32. ^ "Mr. Comey's Tale: A standoff at a hospital bedside speaks volumes about Attorney General Gonzales.", Washington Post, May 16, 2006, pp.  A14. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors.  
  33. ^ Eggen, Dan; Amy Goldstein. "No-Confidence Vote Sought on Gonzales", Washington Post, May 18, 2007, pp.  A03. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors.  
  34. ^ Congressional Quarterly. "Transcript: Senate Judiciary Hearing Senate Hearing on U.S. Attorney Firings (Transcript, Part 1 of 5)", Washington Post, May 15, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors.  
  35. ^ Lichtblau, Eric. "Bush Defends Spy Program and Denies Misleading Public", New York Times, January 2, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors.  
  36. ^ Isikoff, Michael. "Calling John Ashcroft", Newsweek, The Washington Post Company, June 1, 2007, pp.  (web exclusive). Retrieved on 2007-06-04. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China.  
  37. ^ Staff cry poetic injustice as singing Ashcroft introduces patriot games | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited
  38. ^ John Ashcroft Sings: Ashcroft & Bacon Gospel Album: TRUTH Volume One, Edition One - WHITEHOUSE.ORG

External links

Preceded by
Christopher S. Bond		Missouri State Auditor
1973–1974		Succeeded by
George W. Lehr
Preceded by
John C. Danforth		Missouri State Attorney General
1976–1985		Succeeded by
William L. Webster
Preceded by
Christopher S. Bond		Governor of Missouri
1985–1993		Succeeded by
Mel Carnahan
Preceded by
John C. Danforth		United States Senator (Class 1) from Missouri
1995–2001
Served alongside: Kit Bond		Succeeded by
Jean Carnahan
Preceded by
Janet Reno		United States Attorney General
Served Under: George W. Bush
2001–2005		Succeeded by
Alberto Gonzales
The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a Biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress as Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond (born March 6, 1939) is a former governor and current senior United States Senator of George W Lehr ( March 10, 1937 - March 21, 1988) was an American Democratic Politician from Missouri John Claggett "Jack" Danforth (born September 5, 1936) is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Republican The individuals listed below have all served in the position of Attorney General of Missouri. William L Webster (born September 17, 1953) is an American politician from Missouri. Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond (born March 6, 1939) is a former governor and current senior United States Senator of Governors Commandant of Louisiana Governor of the District of Louisiana On March 26 1804 an act of congress divided Louisiana into two territories Melvin Eugene Carnahan ( February 11, 1934, Birch Tree Missouri – October 17, 2000, Goldman Missouri) was an American John Claggett "Jack" Danforth (born September 5, 1936) is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Republican Missouri was admitted to the Union on August 10, 1821. Class 1 Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond (born March 6, 1939) is a former governor and current senior United States Senator of Jean Anne Carpenter Carnahan (born December 20 1933) is an American politician and writer who served in the United States Senate from 2001 to Janet Reno (born July 21, 1938) was the Attorney General of the United States ( 1993 &ndash 2001) The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Alberto R Gonzales (born August 4 1955) was the 80th Attorney General of the United States.
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