Bush Rejected Ashcroft's DOJ Picks In Favor Of Torture-Legalizing Loyalist

Then-Attorney General John D. Ashcroft offered the White House a list of five candidates to lead the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel in early 2003, but top administration officials summarily rejected them in favor of installing a loyalist who would provide the legal footing needed to continue coercive interrogation techniques and broadly interpret executive power, according to two former administration officials.

In an angry phone call hours after Ashcroft's list reached the White House, President Bush's chief of staff, Andrew H. Card Jr., quickly dismissed the candidates, all Republican lawyers with impeccable credentials, the sources said. He and White House counsel Alberto R. Gonzales insisted that Ashcroft promote John Yoo, a onetime OLC deputy who had worked closely with Gonzales and vice presidential adviser David S. Addington to draft memos supporting a controversial warrantless wiretapping plan and detainee questioning techniques.

Ashcroft's refusal created a tense standoff and was the only time in the attorney general's tenure that Bush was called upon to resolve a personnel dispute, the sources said.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[maymok]

This is not about politics, this man is a real criminal.

[TrueBlueMajority]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but we sure are hearing a lot of good stuff about Ashcroft since his resignation.

When John Ashcroft starts looking like the good guy, you know an administraton is hitting bottom.

[robiform]

This isn't the first time that something has come out about shenanigans at the Justice Department in the post-Ashcroft era that made him (Ashcroft) look like Louis Brandeis! Remember that Ashcroft refused to sign off on the torture memo written up by Gonzales and Yoo. They tried to get in to have him sign the memo while he was in the ICU recovering from a very serious illness or surgery (I forget which, but I do recall that Ashcroft was quite ill). I thought that Ashcroft was very silly when he covered the naked statues at Justice, but at least he took his oath of office seriously, unlike other members of this Administration!

[research]

Mind blowing, isn't it?

We are in serious trouble when Ashcroft sounds reasonable.

[wm1066]

I watched my congressman, Keith Ellison, question Yoo before Congress, and when the questions got sticky Yoo suddenly didn't understand english. He had to be repeatedly told the meaning of some basic words. The Chairman from NY had to step in an warn Yoo about his behaviour. How will this guy ever be able to defend himself when he is brought up on treason charges? He is kinda stupid.

[Bendersky]

Wow--hard to believe a Bush appointee actually wanted to do something with integrity and morally correct. Small wonder they dumped him. A man who can't get behind torture and warrantless wiretaps is not welcome in THIS man's army.

[darthdarcy]

The Federalist Society and it's insidious minions are destroying America...!

[loax]

Bush bought the White House. When he finnally gets the Hell out, I do hope the new Administration will review everything, and throw him and Cheneys' sorry ass in jail for crimes against humanity!

[Vinca]

Jonathan Turley said Pelosi needs to HAVE IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS

[research]

Impeachment prevents Bush from pardoning.

[cre8ivecurt]

Evil is as evil does. Jane Mayer has been giving interviews on NPR about her book "The Dark Side" and it is all so chilling. That these black-hearted individuals have been allowed to hijack the Justice Department and squander America's good reputation is horrific....and it only gets more horrifying the more we learn. Unfortunately, the rest of the country seems more concerned about Britney and Paris and Brad and Angelina. I only hope that these criminals of the highest degree are prosecuted on the World stage for their heinous war crimes. They are not "patriots"...our country is so much better than that!

[nibblybits]

John Yoo is an embarrassment.

[poco767b]

And the rape of a nation goes on.

[StrayTalk]

And why is Yoo, the pro-torture professor still teaching at Berkeley, when he should be indicted for war crimes?

[KCFreedom]

Yea, I don't get it either. How can this guy still have a job at Berkeley as a LAW professor?

Remember the professor from the U of Colorado who simply stated his opinion of the 9-11 attacks? He was fired and ran out of town, eventually.

Double standards exist, even at U of C Berkeley.

[w&cheneysuck]

Why hasn't he been disbarred?

[SFGardener]

Exactly ..... Not only still teaching, but to my knowledge there have been no protests.

Tree sitters seem to be the only ones making any waves over there these days.

[stateMachine]

There were protesters in orange jumpsuits and hoods at graduation. And at a panel discussion hosted by Yoo. Etc... There's plenty of protest- just, anything that doesn't fit into the "crazy bats**t liberals lancing at windmills" a la code pink and tree sitters gets no press.

There's plenty of faculty who wouldn't mind seeing Yoo leave Berkeley, but it's an academic freedom issue. If the school starts firing faculty for their politics... well, that's what they were doing in the 50s... so until Yoo's convicted of something... you probably won't see any kind of response from the university...

but, yeah, when you bring up the dood at University of Colorado, you can truly see the double standard.... But, then, the adminstration at U of C thinks they need to hire a chair of conservative thought or something, so you can sort of infer from that where their bias lies.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Fish rot from the head down.

If true, add this story to the growing documented list of concerted efforts by the Bush Administration to warp the wheels of justice for personal, political, illegal, and unconstitutional ends.

Despicable despotism, which the Declaration of Independence charges us with a "duty" to cast off.

[demfriend]

Why does this not surprise me? Also Bush knew Gonzo from Texas and he knew that no matter what He, Bush, wanted he would get form Gonzo including the OK to torture. Bush also knew Gonzo would do the dirty work and sign his name to whatever evil Bush or Cheney had in mind. These things have all been proven to be true now and Gonzo will continue to pay the price with scorn, dislike and mistrust for the rest of his life. Bush cared very little about the outcome for Gonzo and it is truly sad that even though Bush has hung Gonzo out in the ugly winds, Gonzo will refuse to turn on him and tell the dirt. Of course, if Gonzo did tell the tales he would pay in prison stripes which I would truly love to see along with the rest of the bush crew.