Free Republic

<p>WASHINGTON — Attorney General John Ashcroft fired back at critics Thursday, after having taken the rare action of releasing to the public once-classified information that tells the exact number of library records that FBI agents have viewed under rules outlined in the USA Patriot Act.</p> <p>The total: zero.</p>

<p>WASHINGTON — Two conservative groups pounded Attorney General John Ashcroft on Thursday for allowing Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson to speak to a group of Justice Department employees at their annual Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Pride program held at DOJ headquarters on Wednesday evening.</p>