Interpretation: Excellent counterpoint, sir, as usual. And that's why I don't prefer someone like Ashcroft (or Reno, for that matter) at AG. But a thinking person like yourself will always be able to make a sound and reasoned critique of an official's policies, rather than chanting silly slogans and cheapening the tools normal people use to debate and decide. And I agree that interpretation is the crux of the biscuit. For example, remember that the Clinton administration, via Janet Reno, insisted that the Elian Gonzalez case was, in effect, a custody dispute. How many custody disputes do you know of that are solved by federal ("Give me the f - - - ing boy or we'll shoot you") stormtroopers?

I disagree with Ashcroft on, well, nearly everything, including the assisted suidide issue. Particularly awful is the decision to enforce federal drug laws as controlling over state medical-pot laws. But still, I'll wait until Ashcroft's DOJ starts storming private residences, using armed-forces weapons and tactics against a bunch of religious nuts, and assassinating women and children before deeming him a threat to liberty.