Re: [Pen-l] proof that everything is relative in politics

[knowknot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

>> from SLATE's news summary (7/17/08):
>> The [Washington POST reports] that the White
>> House got angry with former Attorney General John
>> Ashcroft . . . [who successfully lobbied against
>> appointing John Yoo as DOJ Legal counsel].  *   *  *
>> The Post says this information is another example
>> of how Ashcroft "is coming to be viewed as a voice
>> of moderation on some of the most sensitive national
>> security issues the nation faced after Sept. 11."
>
> Ashcroft a moderate ?!?

I haven't read the Slate or Wash. Post piece, but did read about this 
episode in Jane Mayer's recent book -- "The Dark Side: The Inside Story of 
How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals" -- in which 
Mayer's take is less that Ashcroft was exhibiting "moderation" (whatever 
that means) and much more that he didn't like Yoo and, more importantly, 
that is was a turf-war issue, i.e., that Ashcroft didn't trust Yoo and 
found annoying/troubling that Yoo communicated/dealt directly with the 
White House (e.g., Addington) thus by-passing Ashcroft as 
(putatively/nominally) Yoo's boss, and Ashcroft didn't want that to continue.

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