May 15, 2007 12:48 PM

What Could Be Too Extreme for Ashcroft?

Many of us consider John Ashcroft -- an Attorney General who covered the bare breast of a statue of justice in the DOJ offices -- to be about as extreme as anyone in that Administration. Today's testimony before the Senate by James Comey, Ashcroft's Deputy AG, tells us that there are some men who sink even lower: namely the least popular figure today, Alberto Gonzales.

Who know today was going to be all about Alberto?

The Times has all the drama:

On the night of March 10, 2004, a high-ranking Justice Department official rushed to a Washington hospital to prevent two White House aides from taking advantage of the critically ill Attorney General, John Ashcroft, the official testified today.

That White House aide who tried to get the ailing AG to overrule his deputy and sign a document endorsing an extension of the illegal NSA eavesdropping program was the man who would soon replace Ashcroft: Mr. Gonzales himself.

But the best part of Comey's testimony was still to come:

"And Attorney General Ashcroft then stunned me," Mr. Comey went on: He raised his head from the pillow, reiterated his objections to the program, then lay back down, pointing to Mr. Comey as the attorney general during his illness.

The domestic spying program was so evil that even a semi-conscious John Ashcroft objected.

Wow, Gonzo...you really are making your case for worst Attorney General ever. And there's only one reward you deserve to receive for that achievement.