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john ashcroft: an empty suit with the deepest pockets by Preston Peet (ptpeet@cs.com) - January 17, 2001 |
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The Anointed one will be cut off, and will have nothing. The people of the ruler will come, will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood . . . I've been really sad since I realized most peoples opposition to the nomination of John Ashcroft, former Governor of Missouri, former Missouri Senator, and now President-elect George W. Bush's choice for US Attorney General, is due to his outspoken, repressive, self-described "Christian" values. Ashcroft's apparent feelings on certain other issues, such as his anti-gay, anti-civil liberties stance, and his pro-War Against Some Drugs view, have prompted many people to voice their concern about his nomination. But something that really bugs me, something that (probably) epitomizes his entire being: John Ashcroft anointed himself with Crisco cooking oil. Ken Freidman posted an editorial recently to the alt.discuss.politics newsgroup, dissecting Ashcroft's apparent belief that he is "ordained by God to blend politics and religion." In his book, Lessons From a Father to His Son (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998), Ashcroft writes of his anointing himself, before both terms as Missouri Governor. He felt that his successful 1995 Senate campaign was important enough to warrant using a bowl of Crisco. Friedman then pointed out a New York Times article, containing this comment about Ashcroft: "'The act of anointing,' he wrote in his largely autobiographical book, replicated the practice of 'the ancient kings of Israel, David and Saul,' who Ashcroft said 'were anointed as they undertook their administrative duties.'" Of course, neither David nor Saul anointed themselves, they were anointed by the Prophet Samuel, who did it under direct orders from god. But as Friedman so eloquently noted, "there is something entirely appropriate about Ashcroft anointing himself in Crisco." Friedman continues: "The Bible prescribes the specific formula of sacred anointing oil in Exodus 30:22-29. Sacred anointing oil is comprised of fine spices blended into olive oil. The spices include myrrh, cinnamon, fragrant cane, and cassia, all in a 'fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.' (Exodus 30:25) John Ashcroft substituted supermarket cooking oil for sacred anointing oil. This seems appropriate for a senator distinguished for representing corporate interests." As Ralph Nader said at a campaign stop in St. Louis, Missouri (July 16, 2000), "Ashcroft not only seeks to retain his office with 'pay-back' campaign contributions from special interests, he also opposes any effort to clean up the legal bribery process." Nader pointed out that Ashcroft got caught taking $50,000 from Schering-Plough, makers of Claritin allergy medication, when he sat on the Senate Judiciary overseeing the patent extension, at a cost to the citizenry "of $7.3 billion in monopoly prices." Ashcroft voted to protect Health Management Organizations (HMOs) from liability for their insane medical coverage practices, and took $135,000 from insurance and health industries towards his Senate campaign (up to June 1, 2000). According to Nader, Ashcroft took $26,000 from electric utilities, while voting to allow them to ship their nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain, exposing at least 50 million Americans across 43 states, over the course of 25 years, to "dangerous levels of radiation." Dan Forbes points out in a Salon article (January 12, 2001), not only was Ashcroft's nephew, Alex Ashcroft, arrested in January 1992 for growing 50 marijuana plants in his basement with a friend, and got off with three years probation, but the Drug Czar that Ashcroft had appointed was fired. The reason? Recreational drug use. Yet Ashcroft continues to call for stricter drug laws and penalties for use. Ashcroft introduced the recently defeated Methamphetemine Anti-Proliferation Act, that, besides vastly increasing penalties for getting caught with certain drugs, would have allowed the police to engage in warrentless searches and other nefarious activities in thename of the War Against Some Drugs. Many of my writings would have been illegal. Ashcroft also helped craft legislation that would block federal aid to anyone convicted of a drug crime, and a bill to amend the Federal Disabilities Act to allow disabled kids to be treated the same as uncrippled kids when it comes to drugs. As DRCNet wrote, "just because a kid is crippled doesn't mean we can't get him on drug charges." Ashcroft accepted $44,500 from beer companies, including $20,000 from the local Missouri Anheuser-Busch, and Ashcroft "lauded the beer industry in a video tribute by the Beer Institute of America." When asked by Mother Jones about his contradictory policy of opposing curretnly illicit drugs, and shilling for the beer industry, Ashcroft told them, "[beer] is a product that is in demand. And when it's used responsibly it's like other products." I just can't forget that Ashcroft lost his Senate seat in November 2000 to a deceased candidate, Mel Carnahan, whose widow ran against Ashcroft in his place, and won with no political experience. That isn't saying much for the slimey John Ashcroft, who wants to tell us what "morals" are and "laws" stand for. He's the perfect choice for our Un-Justice Department, unless people are expecting real justice. |
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Stop John Ashcroft Oppose Ashcroft Ashcroft for Senate 2000 The Two Faces of John Ashcroft People for the American Way Crisco John Ashcroft Ashcroft's Nephew Got Probation After Pot Bust Ahscroft's Big Mistake License to Kill? Could Ashcroft Roll Back Drug Policy Reforms? Struggling to Kneel Is John Ashcroft Unsinkable? Ashcroft Deserves a Grilling, But Won't Get It Clear and Present Danger Citizens for a Sound Economy Urge Senate to Confirm Ashcroft Bush Team Strategizes on Ashcroft Nomination Bush Transition Team Releases Ashcroft's Remarks at Bob Jones University How the Religious Right Pushed for Ashcroft's Nomination Judge to Fight Ashcroft Bid in Senate Hearing Confirmation Path Greased for Ashcroft? Not so Fast! Missouri Cops Said Ashcroft Agreed to Look the Other Way on Asset Forfeiture Laws Ashcroft Comes Under Fire, But Are Criticisms Fair Assessments Aide Says Feingold Isn't Retreating Over Ashcroft An Abominations of a Nomination Ashcroft's Record Warrants His Confirmation Japanese-Americans Take Rare Stand Against Nominee Conservatives Rally Round Ashcroft Appointment of Ashcroft Bodes Ill For Drug Policy Reform Ministries in Daily Life Nader Says Ashcroft is the Fortune 500 Senator John Ashcroft's Medicaid Charade Crisco |
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