Ashcroft as Attorney General is only the first step of Bush and the Republican machine with strong backing of the religious right which knows what is best for us.

The groups such as Community Defense Council with its goal of helping 1000 cities across America pass more restrictive sexual laws to outlaw swing clubs, and close or restrict even more all forms of consenting adult entertainment, are rejoicing.

Bush wasted know time after being appointed by the Supreme Court, not the people, in making sure the religious right that knows what is best for us controls the nation.

The nomination of Ashcroft as Attorney General is a good first step to be sure the religious right dominates the legal end. A devout Christian and a proud conservative, he sings gospel - and of course he certainly knows what is best for women of America - no abortion period should be allowed. He wants to acts as a pimp over a women's choices over her reproductive options, since of course the religious right and now government knows what is best for her instead of respecting her decision.

Abortion is a religious issue based on a women's belief not religious fanatics in Washington. For Jews and biblical Christians there is no issue, since clearly there is no uniquely human soul till birth (or a few days after per Jewish belief). But the threat is far beyond abortion but all aspects of consenting adult sexual rights, from swing clubs to all forms of adult entertainment.

As we so well know in Phoenix, its the Courts that are often the only hope for swing clubs being outlawed as in Phoenix etc. The Attorney General had a great deal of power within the judiciary and I suspect this is just the first step. Next will be the appointment of conservative, Federal Appeals Court judges which are often more important than Supreme Court appointments since most cases never make it to the Supreme Court. Exactly the situation we are now facing in Phoenix, with swing clubs being outlawed, adult businesses being constantly harassed by cops and being fined for such serious criminal issues as a dancer touches her own breasts on stage.

The future of swing clubs in Phoenix, will be decided by the 9th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. A conservative Supreme Court most likely would let an anti-swing club decision stand by simply refusing to hear it.

Already we are hearing of increased law enforcement in California with undercover cops setting up all kinds of stings going after consenting adult sexworkers for their crime of providing healthy and much needed intimacy services for men that seek it. The moral majority types are rejoicing since they can win the war against consenting adults that enjoy the sexual freedoms they are not allowed to have, who will now be criminals. Sadly busting naked women after fondling her breasts is far more enjoyable than going after real criminals that have those nasty guns that go bang. And the moralists rejoice that now cities can be made safer for neighborhoods and children since there is no outlet for the release of sexual tension and frustration in a healthy safe way.

Ronald Reagan’s attorney general, Ed Meese who views adult Internet sites a huge threat to children, called the appointment “outstanding,” Remember the Meese Commission? It was set up my Reagan's Attorney General Ed Meese to "investigate pornography". The committee was a who's who of the Religious Right. When they got done, Porn was blamed for everything from Child molestations to the Drug culture! It was filled with Data (most of which was made up and not supported by hard facts) and by the time the Report got read by people that actually could see the deceptions, it was ripped apart so badly that it was buried and never mentioned again.

It is a sad day for adult sexual freedoms and will get a lot worse as the religious right's man Bush will do everything to control us, after losing the popular vote by over 500,000 and being appointed in essence by the Republicans on the Supreme Court instead of letting the people be heard by an accurate hand recount in Florida.

As others said in response:
You know of what you speak....Ashcroft also voted against hate crime legislation and against a judgeship appt of a black man...he has not endeared himself to blacks, gays, or women! The Right is happy as pigs in shit tho...Delay, Trent and Lott are happy as hell I'm sure. It's going to be a rough four years.....

Ashcroft is indeed a lot like Meese. Being from St. Louis, I know this jackoff. While he was governor, he vetoed the repeal of the Sunday ban on liquor sales every year. His voting record and ideology is almost identical to Jesse Helms.

If he could wave a wand and eliminate every strip club (Dave adds and I'm sure swing clubs and certainly all forms of consenting adult sexwork) in America, he'd do it w/o hesitation. Ditto, all porn. Ashcroft is for less federal government EXCEPT when it comes to what he considers *moral* issues.

Ashcroft just lost an election to a dead-man ..... Not a good sign.

Was he too conservative for even Missouri? ..... America is currently in a more Libertarian mood and Ashcroft is out of step with the times. He will be fought every step of the way in his right wing 'get tough' on everything, to hell with civil rights, policies.

He's a fierce opponent of Abortion ( ie....Woman's Rights), Gay-Rights and many other rights.

He's likely to get much more serious about the 'drug war'. Prostitution is usually a State issue, but the feds would probably like to do something about the new booming business of internet prostitution. With his fundamental 'values' I'm sure Ashcroft will want to to 'get tough' on this issue too if possible. It won't be possible to even talk about more personal freedom in this country ....

I think Bush picked a bad cabinet position to placate his conservative friends. It will probably help ensure that both he and Ashcroft only spend four years in Washington.

"Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity
of the winner of this year's presidential election, the identity
of the loser is perfectly clear. It is the nation's confidence
in the judge as an impartial guardian of the rule of law."
--US Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, 12/12/00
 

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