Political career John Ashcroft

1 political career

1.1 missouri state auditor
1.2 attorney general of missouri
1.3 governor of missouri (1985–1993)
1.4 u.s. senator missouri
1.5 u.s. attorney general

political career
missouri state auditor

in 1972, ashcroft ran congressional seat in southwest missouri in republican primary election, narrowly losing gene taylor. after primary, missouri governor kit bond appointed ashcroft office of state auditor, bond had vacated when became governor.

in 1974, ashcroft narrowly defeated election post jackson county county executive george w. lehr. had argued ashcroft, not accountant, not qualified state auditor.

attorney general of missouri

missouri attorney general john danforth, in second term, hired ashcroft assistant state attorney general. during service, ashcroft shared office clarence thomas, future u.s. supreme court supreme court justice. (in 2001, thomas administered ashcroft s oath of office u.s. attorney general.)

in 1976, danforth elected u.s. senate, , ashcroft elected replace him state attorney general. in 1980, ashcroft re-elected 64.5 percent of vote, winning 96 of missouri s 114 counties.

in 1983, ashcroft wrote leading amicus curiae brief in u.s. supreme court case sony corp. of america v. universal city studios, inc., supporting use of video cassette recorders time shifting of television programs.

governor of missouri (1985–1993)

ashcroft s official portrait governor.

ashcroft elected governor in 1984 , re-elected in 1988, becoming first (and, date, only) republican in missouri history elected 2 consecutive terms.

missouri governor john ashcroft , first lady barbara bush parents teachers group @ greater st. louis ferguson-florissant school district in october 1991. mrs. bush (in rocking chair) reading brown bear, brown bear children.



ashcroft s official portrait senator.

in 1984, opponent democratic lt. governor ken rothman. campaign negative on both sides reporter described contest 2 alley cats [scrapping] on truth in advertising . in campaign, ashcroft contrasted rural-base against urban-based opponent st. louis. democrats did not close ranks on primary night. defeated candidate mel carnahan endorsed rothman. in end, ashcroft won 57 percent of vote , carried 106 counties—then largest republican gubernatorial victory in missouri history.

in 1988, ashcroft won larger margin on democratic opponent, betty cooper hearnes, wife of former governor warren hearnes. ashcroft received 64 percent of vote in general election—the largest landslide governor in missouri history since u.s. civil war.

during second term, ashcroft served chairman of national governors association (1991–92).

as governor, ashcroft helped enact tougher standards , sentencing gun crimes, increased funding local law enforcement, , tougher standards , punishment people bringing guns schools. while ashcroft in office:

the number of full-time law enforcement officers in missouri increased 3,825 (63%) 1985 1992.
capacity @ missouri prisons increased 72% 9,071 in 1985 15,630 in 1993.
missouri above average in length of time criminals had serve sentences according gail hughes, deputy director state corrections department, citing 1991 yearbook published criminal justice institute. national average time served crimes 23.7 months, while in missouri average length of sentence 28.9 months.
according u.s. department of justice, prison time in missouri percentage of time sentenced jail 73% in 1993 , increased 86% in 1997.
the number of juveniles arrested committing crime increased 16.3% between 1985 , 1992.
though ashcroft opposed legislation governor, missouri legislature enacted first hate crimes legislation.
the legislature enacted missouri victim s bill of rights, allows crime victims informed of , present @ criminal proceedings, right restitution, right protection defendant , right informed of escape or release of defendant.

u.s. senator missouri

in 1994 ashcroft elected u.s. senate missouri, again succeeding john danforth, retired position. ashcroft won 59.8% of vote against democratic congressman alan wheat. senator:

he opposed clinton administration s clipper encryption restrictions.
in 1999, chair of senate s subcommittee on patents, helped extend patents several drugs, allergy medication claritin, prevent marketing of less-expensive generics.
on march 30, 2000, senator russ feingold, ashcroft convened senate hearing on racial profiling. said practice unconstitutional , supported legislation requiring police keep statistics on actions.

in 1998, ashcroft briefly considered running u.s. president; on january 5, 1999, announced not seek presidency , defend senate seat in 2000 election.

in republican primary, ashcroft defeated marc perkel. in general election, ashcroft faced challenge governor mel carnahan.

in midst of tight race, carnahan died in airplane crash 2 weeks prior election. ashcroft suspended campaigning after plane crash. because of missouri state election laws , short time election, carnahan s name remained on ballot. lieutenant governor roger wilson became governor upon carnahan s death. wilson said should carnahan elected, wanted appoint widow, jean carnahan, serve in husband s place; mrs. carnahan announced that, in accordance late husband s goal, serve in senate if voters elected name. following these developments, ashcroft resumed campaigning.

carnahan won election 51% 49%. no 1 had ever posthumously won election senate, though voters had on @ least 3 occasions chosen deceased candidates house of representatives.

u.s. attorney general

tom ridge , john ashcroft in 2004 in washington, d.c.

in december 2000, following senatorial defeat, ashcroft chosen position of u.s. attorney general president-elect george w. bush. confirmed senate vote of 58 42, democratic senators voting against him, citing prior opposition using forced busing achieve desegregation, , opposition ashcroft s pro-life views.

in may, 2001, fbi revealed had misplaced thousands of documents related investigation of oklahoma city bombing. ashcroft granted 30-day stay of execution timothy mcveigh, man convicted , sentenced death bombing.

after september 11, 2001 attacks in united states, ashcroft key administration supporter of passage of usa patriot act. 1 of provisions, section 215, allows federal bureau of investigation (fbi) apply order foreign intelligence surveillance court require production of tangible thing investigation. provision criticized citizen , professional groups concerned violations of privacy. ashcroft referred american library association s opposition section 215 hysteria in 2 separate speeches given in september 2003. while attorney general, ashcroft consistently denied fbi or other law enforcement agency had used patriot act obtain library circulation records or of retail sales. according sworn testimony of 2 fbi agents interviewed 9/11 commission, ashcroft ignored warnings of imminent al-qaida attack.

in 2002, under ashcroft, curtains installed blocking spirit of justice statue in robert f. kennedy department of justice building, of woman wearing toga-like dress 1 breast revealed, view during speeches. curtains first used on rental basis during administration of dick thornburgh. justice officials long insisted curtains put improve room s use television backdrop , ashcroft had nothing it. ashcroft s successor, alberto gonzales, removed curtains in june 2005.

in march 2004, justice department under ashcroft ruled stellar wind domestic intelligence program illegal. day after ruling, ashcroft became critically ill acute pancreatitis. president bush sent white house counsel alberto gonzales , chief of staff andrew card jr. ashcroft s hospital bed. wanted him sign document reversing justice department s ruling. semi-conscious ashcroft refused sign; acting attorney general james comey , jack goldsmith, head of office of legal counsel doj, there him up.

following accounts of abu ghraib torture , prisoner abuse scandal in iraq, 1 of torture memos leaked press in june 2004. jack goldsmith, head of office of legal counsel, had withdrawn yoo memos , advised agencies not rely on them. after goldsmith forced resign because of objections, attorney general ashcroft issued 1 paragraph opinion re-authorizing use of torture.

on november 9, 2004, following george w. bush s re-election, ashcroft announced resignation, took effect on february 3, 2005, after senate confirmed white house counsel alberto gonzales next attorney general. ashcroft said in hand-written resignation letter, dated november 2, objective of securing safety of americans crime , terror has been achieved.