The fact of the matter is that, in his present capacity and under current circumstances, Mr. Ashcroft has to make hard decisions every day about where to draw the line in balancing the need for enhanced security while trying to protect the free and open society that all Americans, and particularly those on the Right, hold so dear.
In theory, budget-cutting offers more room than health care did to lure in those obstructive Republicans: fiscal responsibility is supposedly dear to the hearts of the political right.