Ashcroft was certainly a lightning rod of controversy for the Bush Administration- mostly because he's tough and it goes with the territory of bein AG. Many are talking about Rudy Giuliani replacing him. That's about as big a contrast as one gets in the GOP.
Ashcroft said publicly that he was a committed Christian. That was enough to infuriate secular humanist/RATs. Makes you wonder a little if Satan isn't behind some of the RAT crapola.
If you don't think Rudy is tough, then you don't know Rudy. When he was the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York he rolled up his leaves and personally took on the job as lead trial counsel in one of the biggest political corruption scandals in the modern history of NYC. Most US Attorneys are pencil pushing policy makers. Not Rudy.