Stardate 20011109.0729 (On Screen via long range sensors): Every administration has stars and bums, and a crisis brings out their best and worst characteristics. Powell and Rumsfeld are revealed to be stars -- and Ashcroft is revealed to be a bum. In his zeal to enforce the law he seems hell-bent to discard the Constitution; all those pesky guarantees of rights and limits on the power of government just get in the way.
This has been an occupational hazard of the position of Attorney General since the position was created, of course, but Ashcroft seems to be taking it to extremes. A few days ago he decided to 
ignore state's rights, and now he wants to shred the Fifth and Sixth Amendments. Without a Fifth Amendment privilege on communication between a client and his lawyer, he can't be given his Sixth Amendment right to a fair defense at his trial. Ashcroft's argument is that without that protection he could do a better job of law enforcement -- which is true, no question of it. But the price is too high. Ashcroft is hereby sentenced to write "I will not shred the Bill of Rights" 100 times on the classroom chalkboard. (discuss)
