One Missouri Compromise Is Enough One Missouri Compromise Is Enough Democrats Should Vote "No" On John Ashcroft Saturday, January 6, 2001 Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. today said that "one Missouri Compromise in America's history is enough. There is an attempt by some members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to turn 'bipartisanship' into a code word for compromising on justice. That has not worked well and has led to tragedy in our history, and now must be resisted by rejecting John Ashcroft as Attorney General. We had a Missouri Compromise on justice in 1820, similar compromises in 1850 and 1877. We don't need another compromise on justice in the name of bipartisanship in 2001. "Democratic voters must focus their attention on Democrats in the Senate -- that's where our votes are invested -- and they should especially keep their eyes on conservative and southern Democrats. This is a Senate vote that must be 'scored' by all national civil rights, women's rights, abortion rights and justice-oriented organizations. And all Democrats must be held accountable at the polls in the 2002, 2004 and 2006 primary and general elections. Democratic party compromises on justice with respect to welfare reform, crime, corporate responsibility, tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the rich and corporations, the death penalty, NAFTA, GATT, WTO, PNTR for China, the World Bank and the IMF led to a third party candidacy that cost Democrats the White House in 2000. Democrats should not continue down this path of self-destruction. "Mr. Ashcroft's defenders say he's not a racist -- that he's a dedicated Christian, a lawyer, honest, smart and was an effective public servant as a Missouri Attorney General, Governor and Senator - and President-Elect Bush should be allowed his choice in a new administration. Those are all legitimate arguments, but there is another view. Obviously, I don't know what's in Mr. Ashcroft's heart and no one can measure his intent, but we can review his words and document his actions. http://jessejacksonjr.org/issues/i0106012226.html

Fairness for Whom? We keep hearing that George W. Bush's choice for attorney general, John Ashcroft, is a man of honor, a stalwart when it comes to matters of principle and integrity. Former Senate colleagues are frequently quoted as saying that while they disagree with his ultra-conservative political views, they consider him to be a trustworthy, fair-minded individual. Spare me. The allegedly upright Mr. Ashcroft revealed himself as a shameless and deliberately destructive liar in 1999 when, as the junior senator from Missouri, he launched a malicious attack against a genuinely honorable man, Ronnie White, who had been nominated by the president to a federal district court seat. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/04/opinion/04HERB.html

2000 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary

We Didn't Break the Constitution, We Just Bent the Hell Out of It

The 2000 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary is my 15th report as Chief Justice. Despite the seesaw aftermath of the Presidential election, we are once again witnessing an orderly transition of power from one Presidential administration to another. This Presidential election, however, tested our Constitutional system in ways it has never been tested before� Chief Justice Rehnquist http://www.supremecourtus.gov/publicinfo/year-end/2000year-endreport.html