Former U.S. senator John Ashcroft was nominated for the post of U.S. attorney general in January of 2001 by President George W. Bush. A controversial nominee, he was confirmed as attorney general despite opposition on numerous fronts for his conservative views, characterized by opponents as extreme.

Ashcroft was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of an Assembly of God minister, and grew up in Springfield, Missouri. After graduating from Yale University with honors in 1964, Ashcroft received his law degree from the University of Chicago thereafter. He practiced law for several years with his wife, and then after a failed run for Congress, Ashcroft got a political break by getting appointed as Missouri state auditor after Christopher Bond vacated the position to become governor. Ashcroft then succeeded John Danforth as state attorney general in 1976 and was re-elected in 1980. Ashcroft then became governor in 1984, and easily won re-election in...