Har Har Har...a look back at Ashcroft's Libertarian days...

"The Clinton administration's paranoid and prurient interest in
(monitoring) international e-mail is a wholly unhealthy precedent
especially given this administration's track record on FBI files and IRS snooping. Every medium by which people communicate can be subject to exploitation by those with illegal or immoral intentions. Nevertheless, this is no reason to hand Big Brother the keys to unlock our e-mail diaries, open our ATM records or translate our international communications."

- John Ashcroft as a U.S. senator opposing the Clinton administration's request for broadened authority to eavesdrop on high-tech communications, from his Aug. 12, 1997 op-ed piece in the Washington Times

I of course understand that politics means you have to change your tune on occasion, but this sickens me. Thanks for finding and posting this.

Republicans have short attention spans.

EVERYTHING is Clinton's fault. I understand Biblical scholars are even now, as we speak, pourng over the Old Testament to find a way to pin the Flood on Clinton!

It all depends on whose ox is being gored ,doesn't it. Purient and immoral are both something Asscroft should be familiar with!

Probably the EXACT SAME LEGISLATION the he asked be passed AFTER 9-11.

Ashcroft is upset about the requests for the torture memos.