Politics: Former Attorney General (the one with integrity) will stump for Darin LaHood

April 16, 2008
By Billy Dennis

From a press release:

JOHN D. ASHCROFT, FORMER UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL, TO CAMPAIGN FOR DARIN LAHOOD

John D. Ashcroft, former Attorney General for the United States, will be in Peoria on Tuesday, April 22 to campaign for Peoria County State’s Attorney Candidate Darin LaHood.

Attorney General Ashcroft will be the featured speaker at a fundraising luncheon for LaHood. Ashcroft is expected to discuss his tenure as Attorney General, including the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and what has happened since 9/11 to fight terrorism.

LaHood is a former federal prosecutor who served under Attorney General Ashcroft. During his time with the Department of Justice, LaHood was appointed and served as the Lead Terrorism Prosecutor for the District of Nevada.

‘Darin was the Chief Terrorism Prosecutor for the District of Nevada and he played a significant role in helping to protect our country,’ Ashcroft said. ‘Darin understands what it takes to fight crime and protect our citizens. Darin’s prosecutorial skills of tenacity, creativity, and hard work are exactly the skills he will use for the citizens of Peoria County. Darin LaHood is the kind of public servant America needs at the local level and it gives me great pleasure to come to Peoria to support his candidacy for State’s Attorney.”

“I am grateful for Attorney General Ashcroft’s support of my campaign and his willingness to travel to Peoria for this event,” said LaHood.

The fundraising luncheon for LaHood’s campaign will be on Tuesday, April 22, 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Hotel Pere Marquette. Tickets to the event are $125 per person and $900 for a table of eight. To reserve a ticket for the event, please call Susan at 309-253-5153.

Darin LaHood was born and raised in Peoria. LaHood was an Assistant State’s Attorney in both Tazewell and Cook counties before spending four years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Nevada. LaHood and his wife Kristen returned home to Peoria to raise their three children: McKay, Luke, and Teddy. LaHood currently practices law with the firm of Miller, Hall, & Triggs.

And when I write that John Ashcroft is a man with integrity, this is what i mean:

On the night of March 10, 2004, as Attorney General John D. Ashcroft lay ill in an intensive-care unit, his deputy, James B. Comey, received an urgent call.

White House Counsel Alberto R. Gonzales and President Bush’s chief of staff, Andrew H. Card Jr., were on their way to the hospital to persuade Ashcroft to reauthorize Bush’s domestic surveillance program, which the Justice Department had just determined was illegal.

In vivid testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, Comey said he alerted FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III and raced, sirens blaring, to join Ashcroft in his hospital room, arriving minutes before Gonzales and Card. Ashcroft, summoning the strength to lift his head and speak, refused to sign the papers they had brought. Gonzales and Card, who had never acknowledged Comey’s presence in the room, turned and left.

The sickbed visit was the start of a dramatic showdown between the White House and the Justice Department in early 2004 that, according to Comey, was resolved only when Bush overruled Gonzales and Card. But that was not before Ashcroft, Comey, Mueller and their aides prepared a mass resignation, Comey said. The domestic spying by the National Security Agency continued for several weeks without Justice approval, he said.

I covered then Governor John Ashcroft back when I reported from Cape Girardeau, Mo. He visited the city often and didn’t strike me as the right-wing zealot the press portrayed him as early in his tenure (the press didn’t appreciate him until they got a look at how Gonzales operated).

So in my opinion, this appearance speaks very highly of Darin LaHood.

The Kevin Lyons apologists will start flaming Ashcroft in 5 … 4 … 3 …

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3 Responses to “ Politics: Former Attorney General (the one with integrity) will stump for Darin LaHood ”

  1. postsimian on April 16, 2008 at 2:11 pm

    I can’t say I’ve ever had a real problem with Ashcroft, but I wasn’t really paying attention to much while he was around. I do remember watching a replay of the cspan testimony of James Comey. I can only think of a handful of people who have been anywhere near as genuine as he seemed to be.

  2. Pearlofwisdom62 on April 16, 2008 at 3:49 pm

    Mr. Ashcroft is peaking at Knox College at 7:30 pm the same day he is in Peoria. The event is free to the public and sponsored by the Knox College Republicans.

  3. Mahkno on April 16, 2008 at 6:39 pm

    Well this left leaner is more than happy to throw Lyons under the bus. It’s a shame no one tried to contest Lyons in the primary.

    Does that pending but stalled recall legislation work for State’s Attorneys too?