Ashcroft's lightning- rod role

He speaks in vivid terms - of "hysteria" over the fear of "raincoated, dark-suited" agents terrorizing librarians with "grinding interrogation." And then the punchline: that in fact, to date, not a single American's library records have been reviewed under the Patriot Act.

But this revelation last week by Attorney General John Ashcroft, delivered in mocking tones, has done little to dampen his role as a lightning rod in the Bush administration. His name remains a sure-fire applause line for Democratic presidential candidates, who promise, if elected, to fire him.

For civil libertarians, Mr. Ashcroft embodies a seemingly insatiable appetite for more federal law-enforcement power. To some conservatives, worried about the size and reach of gov- -ernment, he is a brother in need of some friendly advice. To others, he is a forceful advocate in the war on terror, reminding the nation of what's gone right since 9/11.

Mr. Ashcroft's directive on Monday - requiring federal prosecutors to seek the toughest charges possible in most criminal cases - serves as a reminder of his drive to be seen as tough on all crime, terror- related or not. After finishing a 16-city tour defending his terrorism policies, he is now traveling the nation with a "tough on terror, tough on crime" message.

Ashcroft joins a long line of attorneys general who have caught heat for their views and actions. Early in Bill Clinton's presidency, Janet Reno inflamed passions that never subsided after a deadly raid on the Branch Davidians in Waco, Tex. Under President Reagan, Edwin Meese took heat from the left as he pushed a conservative agenda. Under President Johnson, Ramsey Clark became known for his liberal activism. After World War I, A. Mitchell Palmer's name became synonymous with repressive anticommunist raids.

The attorney general's brief touches on some of the hottest buttons in American life - such as race, civil liberties, drugs, religion, and, in recent decades, abortion - so it's not surprising the nation's AG's have become household names.

In the current administration, the styles of both Bush and Ashcroft allow the attorney general to play the lightning-rod role.

"Lightning rods work when (a) a president is perceived as not being fully in charge and (b) when he projects an ideologically muddy image, such as compassionate conversative," says Richard Ellis, author of "Presidential Lightning Rods."

In addition, Ashcroft seems to have a thick skin, which has allowed him to travel the country, speaking out on the Justice Department's role in fighting terrorism and crime and appearing unfazed by the protesters outside. (Still, he has limited attendance inside the halls largely to law-enforcement personnel, who receive his words enthusiastically.)

Another Bush administration lightning rod, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, also has the kind of gruff personality and devil-may-care approach to criticism that might wear down a more sensitive official, says Professor Ellis, a political scientist at Willamette University in Salem, Ore. Ashcroft, now into his second month of a speaking tour, seems to relish the fight - and has even revived another polarizing battle he had to shelve when 9/11 hit, a war against pornography.

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