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John Ashcroft Resigns, Replaced with Alberto Gonzales

Attorney General John Ashcroft’s resignation and replacement have been officially announced today. Ashcroft begins his letter of resignation to President Bush with

Nothing in my life compares to the high honor of serving America as Attorney General in your administration...

and ends it with

May God continue to bless, guide, and direct you and your family as you lead America forward in freedom.

Following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack his position has been one of intense pressure and sacrifice as the nation struggled with the conflicting goals of complete government protection against terrorism, which I call "the state-savior complex", and personal liberty and freedom. For his work, David Limbaugh writes, "Ashcroft has earned our everlasting respect and prayers. Godspeed." Powerline comments,

To me John Ashcroft is the unsung hero of the Bush administration. He has worked tirelessly to make this country safe and has received mostly vilification for his efforts. But then, the left vilified him above all others from the day he was nominated. His original sin, as far as I can tell, is his religious faith.

After a re-election, the turn-over of the President’s cabinet is normal, even expected. Commenting on the resignation of both Ashcroft and Commerce Secretary Don Evans, Steven Taylor writes, "Neither is a big surprise, nor indicative of problems. One would guess that Ashcroft would be exhausted and word is that Evans wants to get back to Texas. He will likely remain an advisor to the President."

Exhaustion is an appropriate description for the office of the AG who faces the incredible challenges of the position coupled with pressure from all parties and all sides. Michelle Malkin puts it this way:

WANTED: A MASOCHIST FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL -In short, he bore all of the blame for the War on Terror's shortcomings, won little credit for its successes, and earned undeserved and largely uninformed scorn on both sides of the aisle.

Indeed, Ashcroft’s opponents are presently exploiting his resignation as their last opportunity to critique his work.

Stepping in for Ashcroft is White House counsel Alberto Gonzales. An announcement from the White House could come later Wednesday. [FoxNews,more from Conservative Eyes]

Well done Attorney General John Ashcroft. God's blessings on you and your family.

Updates:

"I'll just take this opportunity to note that Bush has nominated more minorities than any President to date." - a_dsf

Bush draws criticism from Covenant News. Conservative Life has more.

Posted by tim at November 10, 2004 10:28 AM

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