No Attorney General in U.S. history has done more than John Ashcroft to erode respect for the Constitution and the rule of law. His tenure will be remembered for the draconian excesses that diminished both our security and our liberty, and brought the American system of justice into disrepute at home and around the world.
It is to be hoped that the President will nominate and the Senate will confirm a successor who will restore the honor, integrity, and good name of the Department of Justice.
Mark D. Agrast is the senior vice president for domestic policy at the Center for American Progress.