He is afraid to rat on his friends in the Mob, er, Administration.
I believe he went into consulting with a defense corp. after leaving the Admin, and too great a recollection of facts is a major liability in that line of work.

In all honesty, even though it isn't convienient to our cause, what he says is plausible and believeable. His testimony will be stale and discounted anyway due to the amount of time that has elapsed since he was involved.

This fact alone is more damning of the lack of desire to discover the truth and protect the constitution on the part of Congress than of his own understandable need to make this disclaimer.

I predict, given this congress, the best we are going to able to get out of all this is a limited vicarious catharsis. I'll take what I can get for whatever it's worth. Now;

FUCK THOSE FUCKING FUCKERS!!!

There.

It is human nature to repress and alter humiliating and painful memories. Ashcroft always seemed to me a bit less sociopathic than many of his superiors and colleagues, and the vestiges of humanity within him may have contributed to his memory loss. He nevertheless remains a turd.

I didn't know having amnesia was a requirement for working in the white house. Try saying this crap to a cop if you were pulled over, or in basic conversation. It's quite funny.

I wonder if Ashcroft still remembers losing his Senate race to a dead man or perhaps that's just something he read somewhere.

The Alzheimer's Defense - great move!

I'm not an Ashcroft fan, but we have to remember that he was an ill man for a large portion of the time he was the AG.

He was also among a few in this administration that would try hold the line where he could.

Point 1: Alberto Gonzalez hauled Robert Muller to Ashcroft's sickbed, to convince Ashcroft to sign off on "Enhanced Interogation Tactics". Ashcroft resisted until Muller forced Gonzalez to leave.

Point 2: Ashcroft resisted the appointment of John Yoo. He had submitted a list of 5 other more qualified candidates with clean credentials.

Don't get me wrong, he's no saint, but he really might be confused as to what he does and does not remember.

Well said.

Or barked.

It sounds, to me, that Ashcroft is trying to inoculate himself against perjury charges for inconsistent testimony.

It's clear after sooo many bushie's lose their memories that the KoolAide from Cheeney's office has been spiked.

It clearly has been delivered to Issa's office in Vista so many times that the trucks tire marks are making a groove in the road. He has got to be the chief hack of all time (beside all the other hack sin this conspiracy)...Losers all.

He should've stuck with singing. He has/had a nice singing voice for gospel music.

You don't have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.

Can you imagine Ashcroft at a meeting of the firms he is lobbying for, admit to a faulty memory of the facts? Would YOU hire a lobbyist who can't remember what you told him, or what he said to you?

So explain to us, John, how you can't remember what happened at the DOJ a couple of years ago, but you can get paid millions to lobby for mega-corporations who assume they are dealing with someone who has all his marbles?

I wonder if Ashcroft remembers he was supposed to be working for the American people, and his client was not George W.

I find it interesting that with Regan Administration we had a President with alzheimer's and with the Bush Administration we have everyone appointed by Bush with the disease. What a crock these guys are. I can't hardly think about the last 7-1/2 years without tears coming to my eyes for what has happened to my country. And there is no guarantee that we won't get a McCain Administration where EVERYONE will by alzheimer's. I wish someone with the resources would make a list of all the McCain campaign appointments who have to be removed and the reasons for this removal. This would such a clear reflection of his flawed judgement and an indictment why he is unfit to be President.

Isn't it peculiar.

Those things too important to commit to writing are also too important to commit to memory.

Let's see, I remember another AG of note many years ago who frequently said "I can't remember." "I don't recall."
They said at the time his wife took him down; but no. It was really a congress that took it's duty to the American citizens very seriously. It was not prepared to tolerate blatant criminal activity in the White House. That congress honored it's sacred trust.
This congress has a fine venue to show off their snappy clothes and tasteful jewelery at the free "standing only" lunches provided by lobbyists.

Lets be fair here. When the GOP was drilling Hillary Clinton about what happened in her law firm 14 years earler, they did not take anything as an excuse. She should remember individual conversations from any day in her past.

So, The same should be expected here.

[Does best Jackie Mason impression]
We expected something else maybe?

Hang him. Then bring up the next one and ask the question again.

This MR. Ashcroft guy, gentleman. He seems like he might smoke a little weed, right? I mean, his memory and all is really, like, lapsing. As if from weed smoking. ANd that photo is uber unflattering, what with the wrinkles. A little Botox could tighten things up. A little Botox and weed, that's what I think.