Jennings on Ashcroft: One of the "Most Divisive Public Figures"

MRC ^ | 9.11.03 | BrentBaker

[fight_truth_decay]

Peter Jennings confusing the liberal elite of New York City with the feelings of "the country"? Interviewing Attorney General John Ashcroft, on Wednesday's World News Tonight Jennings relayed how he asked Ashcroft "if he was uncomfortable being thought of as one of the country's most divisive public figures?" Jennings followed up: "Do you think these portraits of you abusing power, seeking power, relentlessly exercising individual power are caricatures?"

Jennings devoted most of the interview, which was taped on Tuesday, to the Patriot Act and to pressing Ashcroft to defend the detention, as an "enemy combatant," of accused dirty bomb plotter Jose Padilla and why he is not allowed to see a lawyer.

On the Patriot Act: "An unlikely combination, an alliance, almost, of your best allies, and some of your most profound critics, think the Patriot Act has gone too far already."

On Padilla: "I'd like to talk a little bit about Jose Padilla. He's an American citizen, born in the Bronx, picked up in Chicago, held in an American prison, and now he is neither charged, nor allowed to see a lawyer. Why not? It seems the most basic of American instincts."

After a couple of follow-ups on Padilla, Jennings set up another interview excerpt: "I asked the Attorney General if he was uncomfortable being thought of as one of the country's most divisive public figures."

Ashcroft: "I take no pleasure in anything that I would do ever to divide America."

Jennings: "Do you think these portraits of you abusing power, seeking power, relentlessly exercising individual power are caricatures?"

Ashcroft: "Me?"

Jennings: "Yes."

Ashcroft: "Me?"

Jennings: "Precisely."

Ashcroft, laughing: "People are free to say and do about me anything they choose to."

Jennings: "Of course they are, but do you think, what, but, but analyze them for us."

Ashcroft: "I think they miss the mark here. I am very concerned about freedoms. I always have been. My heritage has been one that has been focused on the liberties of individuals. And I will continue to have those concerns. And the reason I'm as ardent as I am about prosecuting the war on terror is that terror is the number one threat to our freedoms."

Jennings: "One of the members of your staff said you're more concerned about the judgment of history than opportunists on either side of this great debate about the Patriot Act and civil liberties."

Ashcroft: "The truth of the matter is, I'm more concerned about the judgment of eternity. When I look in the mirror, I want to be able to think that, in the presence and in the sight of God, I will have done my utmost to serve this country with honesty and integrity. That's the most important thing."

ABCNews.com has posted a roughly accurate transcript of the interview as shown on the September 10 World News Tonight, but the transcript left out this exchange which aired:

Jennings: "When things get rough for you in this job, does your faith make a great deal of difference to you?"

Ashcroft: "My faith does make a great deal of difference to me and I literally ask for God's help and blessing upon myself an upon America every day."

For the posted transcript: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/World/sept11_PJ_Ashcroft030910.html

[fight_truth_decay]

Jennings: "When things get rough for you in this job, does your faith make a great deal of difference to you?"

Guess I get stuck on this part of Jennings' 'odd' question..."make a great deal of difference to you" ?

[anniegetyourgun]

As if Jennings was really interesting in an answer to that. He just wanted to remind his audience that Ashcroft is one of those "Christians." Notice how John Ashcroft rarely brings up his faith in these interviews - instead, the media likes to use the subject as bait. Their behaviors are transparently Christophobic.

[Republicus2001]

Is this the same Pete Jennings who was a popular Canadian Tee-Vee personality of the Big Media Industry in the last 20th century? - I thought he was dead.

[steve8714]

Need a picture of Jennings in a tuk.

[talleyman]

Peter who?

[capydick]

Ashcroft is a class act. With that said, I wish he were more of a fighter when he gets this "questions" which are no more than drive-by editorials from the left. He needs to strongly deny the premise of the question and then hammer the questioner with something like "Peter - that question,posed the way you asked it, is not what the majority of Americans think. Rather, it represents a small, left wing,anti-American bent and will probably get you some slaps on the back at your next cocktail party".

[jaime1959]

>> On Padilla: "I'd like to talk a little bit about Jose Padilla. He's an American citizen, born in the Bronx, picked up in Chicago, held in an American prison, and now he is neither charged, nor allowed to see a lawyer. Why not? It seems the most basic of American instincts." <<

That's a good questions, don't you think?

I don’t have any problems with holding non-citizens like this, but citizens have constitutional rights. Do you like the State having this power to hold people indefinitely without charging them or allowing them access to counsel? I don’t.

[jaime1959]

>> On Padilla: "I'd like to talk a little bit about Jose Padilla. He's an American citizen, born in the Bronx, picked up in Chicago, held in an American prison, and now he is neither charged, nor allowed to see a lawyer. Why not? It seems the most basic of American instincts." <<

That's a good questions, don't you think?

I don’t have any problems with holding non-citizens like this, but citizens have constitutional rights. Do you like the State having this power to hold people indefinitely without charging them or allowing them access to counsel? I don’t.

[YaYa123]

I wish John Ashcroft had told Peter Jennings flat out:

I've been demonized by you, and your peers on behalf of the DNC. I never wanted to be Attorney General, I didn't seek it out, I never craved DOJ power or fame. I wanted to continue being Missouri's Senator. But the election was stolen from me by the Democrats. I didn't whine about it, I didn't contest the election out of respect for a dead man, but to demonize me is an injustice I choose not to dignify by responding to your insipid, hypocritical, questioning. Now buggeroffasshole!

[DoctorMichael]

More verbal flatulence from a Canadian.

[Skooz]

Of course if he were interviewing the Hildebeast, she would have had to buy a new pair of shoes because of the Jennings saliva bath.

Jennings would have slobbered all over her shoes begging for her blessing, and the thought of calling her "divisive" would never have crossed his star-struck little mind.

[dfwgator]

If Ashcroft is "divisive" that means he is actually doing his job. It is too easy to just "go along to get along."

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Ashcroft will be on the job, at most, eight years.

Jennings has been in power almost as long as Saddam Hussein!!

[Skooz]

If Ashcroft is "divisive" that means he is actually doing his job.

Good point.

Sorry about your Gators the other night. Brock Berlin's dad is a good friend of mine, so I had to root for the 'Canes, even though I have always been a Husker fan.

[TUX]

More verbal flatulence from an Anti-American Canadian.

[Diogenesis]

Jennings, traitor to US security, never graduated high school -- and it shows.

Boycott Disney.

[fight_truth_decay]

Can you say God Bless America..Mr. Jennings?

[Destructor]

Bear in mind that this is the same Peter Jennings that demanded to know where President Bush was at all times during the attacks of 9-11, so that he could broadcast that information over the airwaves. Mr. Jennings should have been deported to Canada for that act alone!

[laker_dad]

More verbal flatulence from an Anti-American Canadian.

Unfortunately, I believe he has become a naturalized citizen of the USA.

[eyespysomething]

Jennings: "Do you think these portraits of you abusing power, seeking power, relentlessly exercising individual power are caricatures?"

Ashcroft: "Oh no, Peter. In fact, as we are talking, the tracking probe we inserted up your a$$ when Bush was given the Presidency by the Supreme Court is due for an overhaul. The new ones are much bigger, and we thought you'd like that."

And why is exercising individual power a bad thing?

Sheesh. What a maroon.