You know, for years I’ve scoffed at the absurd warnings of impending terrorist attacks from John Ashcroft, and at the moronic announcements of the capture of people that we’ve actually had in custody for months (the deadly Somalian terrorist that we heard about yesterday was captured in November). Paul Krugman is the first person who has pointed out that Ashcroft always puts on a stage show when the Justice Department is punched in the gut by charges of incompetence, or worse. But don’t blame Ashcroft, blame President Bush. He knew what a clown Ashcroft was when he chose him as Attorney General in order to mollify the nutballs on the religious right, or he should have known anyway. Ashcroft is a scumbag, fire his boss and he goes too.