George W Bush’s polarizing pick for Attorney General takes the hot seat today at Senate confirmation hearings that could stretch beyond this weekend’s inauguration. It promises to be a particularly excruciating version of “This is Your Life”, replete with witnesses from Ashcroft’s political past and a chorus of concerned citizens on the streets. John Ashcroft’s 25-year career includes two terms as Missouri’s Attorney General, two terms as Governor, and one term as Senator before he lost the seat to the deceased Democrat Mel Carnahan last fall.
There is little that is not known about Ashcroft’s staunchly conservative stands on issues like abortion and the death penalty, or his Senate reputation for sabotaging Clinton appointees. But did you know that he composes and performs gospel tunes in his spare time? Or that his wife teaches law at the all-black Howard University? Being John Ashcroft is here.
(Hosted by Christopher Lydon)
Guests:
Jon Sawyer, Washington Bureau Chief for the St Louis Post-Dispatch, Harriet Woods, former Lieutenant Governor from Missouri, Rich McLure, was Governor Ashcroft’s chief of staff 1985-1992