"Mr. Ashcroft sees himself simply as a man of integrity..."

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Same Washington, Different Office
By LESLIE WAYNE, The New York Times

http://articles.news.aol.com/business/article.adp?id=20060317112209990001

WASHINGTON (March 17) - As attorney general, John Ashcroft was a model of moral rectitude to his conservative supporters. To his liberal detractors, he was overly self-righteous. Mr. Ashcroft sees himself simply as a man of integrity, and to him that is worth a lot.

So in the era of the Jack Abramoff scandal, Mr. Ashcroft has become a Washington lobbyist, setting himself up as something of an anti-Abramoff and marketing his insider's knowledge of how Washington works.

To do so, he has amassed a staff of Republican insiders and rented fancy offices. For corporations seeking contracts from the growing homeland security budget, Mr. Ashcroft promises to draw on his central role in the war on terror and in helping set up the Department of Homeland Security. For companies in trouble with regulators, he says his experience in cracking down on corporate corruption can provide valuable insights.

"Clients would call in an individual who has a reputation for the highest level of integrity," he said in an interview in his office. "Those who have been in government should not be forbidden from helping people deal with government, which is what I see myself doing." In the hourlong interview, Mr. Ashcroft used the word "integrity" scores of times. Since opening his office in September, he has lined up 21 clients, turning down two for every one accepted, he said.

[reichstag911]

1. Just leave it at...

..."sees himself simply." :o

[CrazyOrangeCat]

2. Just stay away . . .

. . . from Missouri, mofo. We're sick of your shit.

And tell Talent and Bond they aren't welcome either.

What a parcel of rogues . . .

[Chimichurri]

3. when you have to announce to others that you see yourself

as a person of integrity, chances are you have none.

Actions speak louder then words.

[IntravenousDemilo]

4. It would be gratifying if reporters and columnists could refer to Ashcroft

as "John I-lost-an-election-to-a-dead-man Ashcroft" in their leads (or "Mr I-lost-an-election-to-a-dead-man Ashcroft" after the first paragraph), and persist in doing so in every story they write about him, up to and including his obituary.

[msatty99]

5. Ashcroft and his "clients"

surely they deserve each other. What a putz! This guy actually thinks he's a 'playah'.

wow...I can't believe anyone with real juice is taking his calls. Isn't the guy a full time
joke? I don't think he can survive Fahrenheit 911's clip of him singing 'let the eagle soar'.

A powah brokah! That's my main man! Johnny.

He declines to name any of his '21' clients. But I can tell you who some of them are....
Just pick up the Wall Street Journal and find the stupid companies and people under
investigation for white collar crime. THERE YOU GO!!!!

Johnny gets to call a couple of people in justice he hired..."hey..you owe me!"

We can only hope and pray that he gets caught doing his Jack Abramoff routine and
we get to see him in handcuffs and a belly belt someday. Oh baby....that would
be sweet.

[Poiuyt]

6. Just keep those demonic calico cats away from him!